Average customer rating:
- "No wonder people say marriage is the death of love."
- Welcome to China
- character driven, not plot driven book
- Empty Story
- reall good book
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Waiting: A Novel
Ha Jin
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0375706410
Release Date: 2000-09-19 |
Amazon.com
"Every summer Lin Kong returned to Goose Village to divorce his wife, Shuyu." Like a fairy tale, Ha Jin's masterful novel of love and politics begins with a formula--and like a fairy tale, Waiting uses its slight, deceptively simple framework to encompass a wide range of truths about the human heart. Lin Kong is a Chinese army doctor trapped in an arranged marriage that embarrasses and repels him. (Shuyu has country ways, a withered face, and most humiliating of all, bound feet.) Nevertheless, he's content with his tidy military life, at least until he falls in love with Manna, a nurse at his hospital. Regulations forbid an army officer to divorce without his wife's consent--until 18 years have passed, that is, after which he is free to marry again. So, year after year Lin asks his wife for his freedom, and year after year he returns from the provincial courthouse: still married, still unable to consummate his relationship with Manna. Nothing feeds love like obstacles placed in its way--right? But Jin's novel answers the question of what might have happened to Romeo and Juliet had their romance been stretched out for several decades. In the initial confusion of his chaste love affair, Lin longs for the peace and quiet of his "old rut." Then killing time becomes its own kind of rut, and in the end, he is forced to conclude that he "waited eighteen years just for the sake of waiting."
There's a political allegory here, of course, but it grows naturally from these characters' hearts. Neither Lin nor Manna is especially ideological, and the tumultuous events occurring around them go mostly unnoticed. They meet during a forced military march, and have their first tender moment during an opera about a naval battle. (While the audience shouts, "Down with Japanese Imperialism!" the couple holds hands and gazes dreamily into each other's eyes.) When Lin is in Goose Village one summer, a mutual acquaintance rapes Manna; years later, the rapist appears on a TV report titled "To Get Rich Is Glorious," after having made thousands in construction. Jin resists hammering ideological ironies like these home, but totalitarianism's effects on Lin are clear:
Let me tell you what really happened, the voice said. All those years you waited torpidly, like a sleepwalker, pulled and pushed about by others' opinions, by external pressure, by your illusions, by the official rules you internalized. You were misled by your own frustration and passivity, believing that what you were not allowed to have was what your heart was destined to embrace.
Ha Jin himself served in the People's Liberation Army, and in fact left his native country for the U.S. only in 1985. That a non-native speaker can produce English of such translucence and power is truly remarkable--but really, his prose is the least of the miracles here. Improbably, Jin makes an unconsummated 18-year love affair loom as urgent as political terror or war, while history-changing events gain the immediacy of a domestic dilemma. Gracefully phrased, impeccably paced, Waiting is the kind of realist novel you thought was no longer being written. --Mary Park
Book Description
"In
Waiting, Ha Jin portrays the life of Lin Kong, a dedicated doctor torn by his love for two women: one who belongs to the New China of the Cultural Revolution, the other to the ancient traditions of his family's village. Ha Jin profoundly understands the conflict between the individual and society, between the timeless universality of the human heart and constantly shifting politics of the moment. With wisdom, restraint, and empathy for all his characters, he vividly reveals the complexities and subtleties of a world and a people we desperately need to know."--Judges' Citation, National Book Award
"Ha Jin's novel could hardly be less theatrical, yet we're immediately engaged by its narrative structure, by its wry humor and by the subtle, startling shifts it produces in our understanding of characters and their situation."--The New York Times Book Review
"Subtle and complex--his best work to date. A moving meditation on the effects of time upon love."--The Washington Post
"A high achievement indeed."--Ian Buruma, The New York Review of Books
"A portrait of Chinese provincial life that terrifies with its emptiness even more than with its all-pervasive vulgarity. The poet in [Jin] intersperses these human scenes with achingly beautiful vignettes of natural beauty."--Los Angeles Times
"A simple love story that transcends cultural barriers--. From the idyllic countryside to the small towns in northeast China, Jin's depictions are filled with an earthy poetic grace--. Jin's account of daily life in China is convincing and rich in detail."--The Chicago Tribune
"Compassionate, earthy, robust, and wise,
Waiting blends provocative allegory with all-too-human comedy. The result touches and reveals, bringing to life a singular world in its spectacular intricacy."--Gish Jen, author of
Who's Irish?
"A remarkable love story. Ha Jin's understanding of the human heart and the human condition transcends borders and time.
Waiting is an outstanding literary achievement."--Lisa See, author of
On Gold Mountain
Download Description
"Waiting" is the story of Lin Kong, a man living in two worlds, struggling with the conflicting claims of two utterly different women as he moves through the political minefields of a society designed to regulate his every move and stifle the promptings of his innermost heart. For more than seventeen years, the ambitious doctor has been in love with an educated, clever, modern woman, Manna Wu. But back in the traditional world of his home village lives the wife his family chose for him when he was young -- a humble and touchingly loyal woman, whom he visits every summer, year after year, in order to ask unsuccessfully for a divorce. Ha Jin draws on his intimate knowledge of contemporary China to create a novel of unexpected richness and feeling.
Customer Reviews:
"No wonder people say marriage is the death of love." .......2007-07-24
thinks the main character in this story about tradition, family, love and loyalty. Army Doctor Lin Kong, at the urging of his family, agrees to an arranged marriage with a footbound woman from the country. They have a child together, but little else in the way of a relationship. She remains at their home raising their daughter, caring for her ailing parents (and his), while he works at a hospital in the city. Eventually, he becomes interested in having a relationship with a nurse named Manna, and, in order not to jeopardize his standing at the hospital and to comply with the strict rules involving relationships between members of the staff, he decides to divorce his wife. Year after year, he returns home, discusses the situation with his her and cajoles her into going along with it in front of a judge. But invariably, although sometimes with the intervention of her loyal brother, she gets cold feet. He waits "torpidly," knowing that at the 18 years of separation mark, the divorce can be granted without his wife's consent.
Novel negatives: The writing is on the stiff side, a particularly graphic scene is included, and getting through the first two-thirds of it is about as insufferable as the wait of Lin and Manna. Positives: With only a handful of characters appearing in the novel, there is ample space to learn what makes them tick and (patience being a virtue) the virtuous will be rewarded with an entertaining resolution. The story's message may fall somewhere between: "The grass is greener on the other side of the fence," "If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with," and, "You reap what you sow." Whichever, it provides a lesson about how an individual's choices can affect the lives of many. Was it worth the wait? For the reader, yes, for Lin Kong, read and find out. Better: Pearl S. Buck's The Good Earth, Amy Tan's The Bonesetter's Daughter and The Kitchen God's Wife and Anchee Min's Red Azalea.
Welcome to China.......2007-06-06
Ha Jin's novel, "Waiting", resembles a more contemporary version of Pearl Buck's "The Good Earth." Like Wang Lung, Lin Kong never seems to be at peace. The love he wants is always beyond his grasp. Lin waits 18 years for his wife to consent to divorce before he can finally marry his love, Manna. But the ideal Lin has carried with him for 18 years is not what life presents. Often times I wanted to scream at Lin and Manna, but other times I could feel their frustration and wanted to reach out and comfort them.
All in all, I enjoyed "Waiting." It was a moving and sometimes comical tale full of recent Chinese history and great character development.
character driven, not plot driven book.......2007-03-02
This spare novel caught my eye since I had worked for many years for a company owned and mostly populated by Chinese. As such, I was an observer of the culture and the indirect way of communicating that permeated the company. "Waiting" was a novel that was familiar to me due to my experience, yet startling new in its exploration of the character of a man willing to wait, rather than to act. The character development of the major players is excellent and the emotions that each feels is described in a way concise, yet palpable way. I am not sure whether to give this 4 or 5 stars - I keep waffling so I wish there were a 4.5 designation. Nevertheless, highly recommended.
Empty Story.......2007-01-10
I admired the Professor's ability to write in English, whose first language is Chinese. I know how hard it's. But the book just described a plain story, too be honest, just by using plain words, nothing exciting to read, nothing to think about after finishes.
reall good book.......2007-01-06
This is one of those books that makes you think long afterward. About a Chinese doctor who just does not know how to be happy. Very expertly crafted.
Book Description
A brief, lyrical novel with a powerful emotional charge,
Rules for Old Men Waiting is about three wars of the twentieth century and an ever-deepening marriage. In a house on the Cape “older than the Republic,” Robert MacIver, a historian who long ago played rugby for Scotland, creates a list of rules by which to live out his last days. The most important rule, to “tell a story to its end,” spurs the old Scot on to invent a strange and gripping tale of men in the trenches of the First World War.
Drawn from a depth of knowledge and imagination, MacIver conjures the implacable, clear-sighted artist Private Callum; the private’s nemesis Sergeant Braddis, with his pincerlike nails; Lieutenant Simon Dodds, who takes on Braddis; and Private Charlie Alston, who is ensnared in this story of inhumanity and betrayal but brings it to a close.
This invented tale of the Great War prompts MacIver’s own memories of his role in World War II and of Vietnam, where his son, David served. Both the stories and the memories alike are lit by the vivid presence of Margaret, his wife. As
Hearts and Minds director Peter Davis writes, “Pouncey has wrought an almost inconceivable amount of beauty from pain, loss, and war, and I think he has been able to do this because every page is imbued with the love story at the heart of his astonishing novel.”
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Old men still feel deeply.......2007-08-14
Pouncey has written a fine and well-plotted story dealing with events in WW I and WW II with an appreciation for history as well as for his characters, fully formed people who come alive under his skillful hands.
Wake me when it's over.......2007-06-10
Typical of a male perspective and characteristic of American authors, this "Novel" was nothing more than a airport read at best. From Pouncey's Freudian explanations of human behavior to the character MacIver finally slipping away at the end, I was left with the feeling that this book could have easily passed as a rough draft for a great novel or could be the results of a creative writing class at a junior college. If you are looking for a mild read to pass the time, say in a bathroom, or want to get away from socially relevant literature for a moment, this would be a great book.
Bar far the best thing I have read in a decade........2007-04-30
As a former student of both literature and WWI, I can say with no doubt that "Rules for Old Men Waiting" is by far the best book I have read in at least a decade. Only a few books come to mind when I try to think of books I have enjoyed nearly as much: "All the Kings Men", "Hawk Moon" by Sam Shepard, "The Brothers Karamazov", Churchills' "Memoirs of the Second World War". Despite its brevity it paints more vivid pictures than volumes ten times its length and in some of the most effective and beautiful language I have ever encountered. And while it is indeed beautifully written, it is neither pretentious nor overdone. A tale different but yet reminiscent in its honesty and power, and humour, of "A River Runs Through It". Well done Mr. Pouncey. And many thanks.
a sad beauty........2007-02-25
an emotionally powerful novel that drags the reader through the dirt of old age. the ways in which failing health and dying loved ones leave us less and less self-sufficient, where memory and imagination become the riches we cling to in our final days, are all over this book. the story of robert maciver's diminishing days contains a story he is himself writing about men at combat in the first world war. at first i was not thrilled to see this coming, as the story within a story device is a literary gimmick i do not much care for, but in the end the tale which maciver works out is a thrilling piece in its own right and effectively ingrates itself within the whole of the novel without seeming gimmicky at all. this was a very fine work about loss (in several forms), love, memory (and its duel head nostalgia). a piece of literature by a superb craftsman.
Masterful and Eloquent.......2006-11-29
I was attracted to this book by an ad in the New Yorker. Both the title and the dust jacket were intriguing. After reading several Amazon reviews, I bought it. A wise decision, to say the least. It's a masterful, eloquent work, artfully combining youth, marriage, family death, depression and World War I. I look forward to Peter Pouncey's next book. A 5-star rating is an understatement.
Average customer rating:
- A Castle of Enchantment - Bookwyrm Chrysalis Review
- Only the Beginning
- An amusing foray into the fantastic
- From flat out excellent to flat out boring.
- Castle worth waiting for
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Castle Waiting
Linda Medley
Manufacturer: Fantagraphics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1560977477 |
Book Description
The multiple Harvey and Eisner award-winning fantasy is now collected in one volume!
The 450-page Castle Waiting graphic novel tells the story of an isolated, abandoned castle, and the eccentric inhabitants who bring it back to life. A fable for modern times, Castle Waiting is a fairy tale that's not about rescuing the princess, saving the kingdom, or fighting the ultimate war between Good and Evil—but about being a hero in your own home.
For the first time, Fantagraphics' Castle Waiting collects the entire story into one mammoth volume—and includes the concluding chapter written and drawn especially for this volume.
Wittily reinterpreting the Grimm Brothers classic tale "Briar Rose" (Sleeping Beauty) as a story of love, enchantment, and sibling rivalry, the opening chapter "The Curse Of Brambly Hedge" sets the stage for the story.
In the second chapter, "The Lucky Road," Lady Jain's fairy-tale life turns out not-so-happily ever after, as she leaves to search for Castle Waiting, a wondrous, mythical refuge where "all are welcome." Jain soon finds the castle is very much a home as well as a refuge, and learns to fit in with its eccentric inhabitants as she discovers how she can help them bring the lonesome, dilapidated place back to life.
The third chapter, "Solicitine," tells the story of Peaceful Warren, a young woman destined and determined to live an unconventional life. From the barroom to the circus to the convent and beyond, this chapter is a tale of an extraordinary adventure, an extraordinary friendship, and of making a place for oneself in the world.
An artist with 20 years' experience in comics and children's books, Linda Medley lavishly illustrates Castle Waiting in a classic visual style reminiscent of Arthur Rackham and William Heath Robinson. Blending elements from a variety of sources—fairy tales, folklore, nursery rhymes—Medley tells the story of the everyday lives of fantastic characters with humor, intelligence, and insight into human nature. Castle Waiting can be read on multiple levels and can be enjoyed by children and literate adults.
Customer Reviews:
A Castle of Enchantment - Bookwyrm Chrysalis Review.......2007-08-12
Wow did it take me a long time to get a copy! This book does not seem to be widely distributed, and I finally got it at the library, but you really want to try to get this reprint edition, as it also contains a prelude comic about the origins of the castle. The reprint is also much longer than the original TPB that I found.
This book is a collection of tales that reads like a bunch of intertwined short stories. It's hard to tell if later books have more of a "plot," but it's perfectly fine without an overarching story. We begin with the tale of Lady Jain leaving her home and follow her to Castle Waiting, where she hopes to find a safe haven to have her baby. There she meets an assortment of characters from "Beaky" (as the anthropomorphic horse knight likes to call him) the stork butler to Iron Henry the woodsman, who's heart is held together by iron bands after the death of his son.
Unlike many traditional American comic books, Castle Waiting is a character-driven story with lots of heart. The stories circle around the ordinary lives of those who live there, showing that there is little difference between talking horse-men, storks, and humans.
Since this is also a comic book, we of course need to talk about the art. Now, personally, when it comes to American comics, I want full color. So I'm a little disappointed that the book has a black and white interior. You just don't see B&W a lot these days, because it isn't that much cheaper and readers are going to be expecting color interiors.
Only the Beginning.......2007-05-29
I have collected, read and loved the Castle Waiting stories since their humble self-published comic book beginnings in the mid-1990's. While I thoroughly enjoyed the comics the first time that I read them, it wasn't until I re-read them several years later that I realized a depth of meaning to the story that I had been blind to before. Best suited for younger readers? Hardly. I bought this volume to give to a friend who is discovering "how to be a hero in your own home" at the age of 38. This is an all-ages read, in the best sense of the term.
It's a shame that readers new to Medley's work judge it without an awareness of the fact that it was originally published--over the course of ten years--in serialized form, and suffered from the vagaries of a number of different publishers (from Medley's editorial in issue #14, 2002):
"...When my former publisher insisted that I interrupt the current "boring" storyline of Jain's moving into her own room at the Castle with "a new storyline, and a new Number One!" I seriously doubted both the wisdom and the motivation of the idea. Nevertheless, I agreed to move up SOLICITINE, which I originally planned to appear in an upcoming story/timeline break, with the addition of the framing device of Sister Peace telling the story to Jain while killing time on a rainy day. Now, I care far too much about my characters and their stories to short-change them for anybody's marketing gimmick, so the story was told exactly as I intended it to be told. In the end, I am very pleased with the way it turned out. I hope at least some of you caught on to the fact that the story was about more than just bearded ladies; and that the beards were about more than just facial hair, as well..."
Obviously, some readers won't. I did, and the Solicitine Sisters are my favorite part of the book! Kudos to Fantagraphics for being the publishers to finally do justice to Medley's work, but I do wish they'd labeled this one "Volume I". I'm looking forward to the release of Volume 2 next year.
An amusing foray into the fantastic.......2007-05-29
I only recently started reading comics, despite being a reader of fantasy and sci-fi for close to 20 years. I guess I just missed out on the right influences when I was younger... One day, in an exploratory mood at the comic store, I happened to pick up one of the back issues. Most of the comics I've read so far have been more mainstream stories or modern fantasy (my favorites include Sandman, Fables, and Y: The Last Man at the moment) and I've sort of been looking for more traditional fantasy. But one of the reasons I stopped reading fantasy in the last few years was that it had become so formulaic and--might I say this horrid word--sexist. So this turned into a very pleasant surprise. Without thinking much about it, I bought the book. It did not disappoint, either. Imagine, finding both a nice little fantasy story book AND one written by a woman who knows how to tell traditional fantasy/fairy tale stories without falling completely into boring stereotypes of men and women, all in one go! It was indeed exciting.
I have read some indications that this is a feminist book. I would not go that far, as I don't think just because something deals more with 'women's topics' makes it inherently feminist. Women can be sexist, too. But in this case, the characters--both male and female--do show much more depth than you usually see in fairy tales or traditional fantasy. And more importantly, the book focuses on topics that are normally not dealt with in fantasy and that are generally considered women-centered. Specifically, these include domestic violence, pregnancy, and motherhood. Realistically, these subjects can touch all of our lives and we can all relate from our different perspectives. This all makes for interesting reading.
Some of the other reviewers have commented on the fact that the collection does seem to have two distinct sections: the first half which focuses on telling the stories of the current inhabitants of Castle Waiting, and the second half that focuses on stories about the bearded ladies (which are being told by one of the current residents). I'd agree that the first half is better, but I enjoyed the bearded ladies tales, as well. Besides, I think the first half is good enough to justify the entire book. It's nice to read about characters you can't help but like, even if you know they're a little idealistic to exist in the real world. It's fantasy, right?
From flat out excellent to flat out boring........2007-04-15
The first half of Castle Waiting was easily 5 stars. The stories were blended seamlessly and there was a hint of mystery to them. How, I wondered, would the history of the castle evolve? What new, quirky characters would emerge? The art was certainly fantastic. Well done, with enough of a hint of cartoonishness to make sure that you left reality at the door.
The second half was nowhere near as good. Virtually all of the characters we see in the first half, from the good witches to the protective gryphon to the ghost in the library, all vanish. Characters that we expect to play central roles, like the Knight and Rackham, are virtually ignored. Their backstories are dropped, even she who we expect to be one of the focal heroines, Jain, gets lost as the story removes itself from the mysteries of the castle completely and becomes a story about bearded women finding love and acceptance in a travelling circus and then a convent. And when I say half the book, I mean that quie literally. And this graphic novel is over 500 pages long.
In the end, I said "that's it? We wasted 250 pages on bearded women? What about the castle?" So much is dropped that it became apparent that the author, Linda Medley, was making it up as she went along, and forgetting much of it as she went off on a tangential story that was considerably worse than the one she started out writing. Maybe she'll make another volume, and I hope she does.
In the end, failing another volume that sticks to the story of the castle, ties up loose ends, and doesn't wander aimlessly away from that which was truly and spectacularly interesting, I cannot recommend that anyone buy this. But if you do, stop reading at the end of Chapter 12.
Castle worth waiting for.......2007-04-02
In the UK we don't seem to have as many comics/graphic novels available. I was really pleasantly suprised by Castle Waiting, the binding is really nice in that it looks like a proper fairytale book. The story was great and there was many little references to childhood stories we all know an love.
I just want to know is there any more......?? A sequel would be great!
Book Description
She Survived Her Own Innocence, and the Treachery of Europe’s Royal Courts
Greed, lust for power, sex, lies, secret marriages, religious posturing, adultery, beheadings, international intrigue, jealousy, treachery, love, loyalty, and betrayal. The Last Boleyn tells the story of the rise and fall of the Boleyns, one of England’s most powerful families, through the eyes of the eldest daughter, Mary.
Although her sister, Anne, the queen; her brother, George, executed alongside Anne; and her father, Thomas, are most remembered by history, Mary was the Boleyn who set into motion the chain of events that brought about the family’s meteoric rise to power, as well as the one who managed to escape their equally remarkable fall. Sent away to France at an extraordinarily young age, Mary is quickly plunged into the dangerous world of court politics, where everything is beautiful but deceptive, and everyone she meets is watching and quietly manipulating the events and people around them. As she grows into a woman, Mary must navigate both the dangerous waters ruled by two kings and the powerful will of her own family in order to find a place for herself and the love she so deeply desires.
Download Description
Karen Harper is the author of a bestselling series of Elizabeth I mysteries, which includes The Poyson Garden, The Tidal Poole, The Thorne Maze, and The Queene’s Christmas. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, and Naples, Florida.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Customer Reviews:
Slight inaccuracies, but on the whole well-researched.......2007-02-07
Having read both this and The Other Boleyn Girl, I find this to be the more accurate of the two. Mary Boleyn was the eldest of all three Boleyn siblings, born somewhere around 1499, Anne 1501, and George 1503. Anne was the sibling sent to study in the Netherlands, but this was not known until recently. Mary was actually sent home at the age of 20 in disgrace after sleeping around Francois's court in France (where she was his mistress), became Henry's mistress, and married Will Carey when she was about 21. The affair with Henry (which wass initiated after she married Will Carey) lasted two years at the most. Her eldest child was the son named Henry, not Catherine as in The Other Boleyn Girl. His paternity is questioned, but he is generally accepted to be Will Carey's son, and was born about two years after Mary and Henry parted ways. Mary's daughter, Catherine, is indisputably Carey's child, born five years after their affair ended. Some dates are slightly inaccurate, as Mary was pregnant with Catherine when Will died of the sweat. There is no evidence Mary had an affair with William Stafford while she was still married to Will Carey, and there is no record of Andrew, only a son who died at the age of ten. Philippa Gregory's version of their child, Anne, is rumored to have been real, but there is no real evidence of her existence. Other slight inaccuracies include the color of Mary Tudor's hair, Catherine of Aragon's title after the separation, the length Mary was Henry's mistress, etc. Also, Mary was older than William Stafford, by somewhere around 14 years. On the whole, however, Harper's facts are more accurate, which makes the book more enjoyable than Gregory's.
A Tudor soap opera.......2007-01-11
Always love anything portraying the soap opera that was the Tudor dynasty. A little bit of a slow start, but picks up nicely and then I had trouble putting it down. Was confused at first at the spelling of Boleyn as Bullen throughout the vast majority of the novel and knew there had to be an explanation, but it didn't come until very close to the end; would have been nice to see a reference to it sooner. I have already read THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL by Philippa Gregory (one of my favorite books ever and also about Mary Boleyn), but enjoyed this version as well. If memory serves me; however, I believe that the Gregory version portrayed a different outcome in Mary Boleyn's life after being cast aside by King Henry-which is right? This version got a little too romantic for me at times, but nonetheless, enjoyable. I do recommend reading this.
Okay, but...........2006-12-25
The writing itself is done well, but there are too many factual errors that kept annoying me throughout the novel. As mentioned earlier, Mary Tudor is described as having "raven" hair, Katharine of Aragon is called the "Duchess", not "Dowager Princess" of Wales, and Jane Parker is known as Jane Rochford in her maidenhood, when she did not acquire that title until much later and then only through her husband. I also thought having Mary become Francois's mistress before she married and became Henry's was a bit too much. Mary is not as likable as in "The Other Boleyn Girl". On the whole, I would recommend this book to readers who have already read that title and would like to compare the two.
Worth reading, if only for comparison.......2006-05-12
(both with other books about the era and with Karen Harper's later work)
Anyone who needs a dose of humility regarding just how little we know about history should read this book (originally published in 1983 as _Passion's Reign_) in conjunction with Philippa Gregory's _The Other Boleyn Girl_. Although the portrayal of Anne Boleyn's sister Mary as well as the basic plot outline, following history, is similar in the two books, the details, interpretations of relationships and behavior, and many other things are completely different. Some of this is due to advances in historical research. For example, it was originally accepted that Mary was the elder sister; now Anne is generally believed to be, but the fact is that as members of the relatively minor gentry the years of their births were considered to be to unimportant to be recorded at the time. Much of the difference, however, is just due to different emphases and the interpretations of the individual authors. What was Mary's relationship with William Carey (her first husband) like? Did she marry him when barely into her teens or after she already had caught King Henry VIII's eye? Was he or the king the father of her children? When did she meet her second husband? The records are not always clear, and this leaves a lot of room for authorial creativity.
In the highly-regarded Elizabeth I mysteries, I have generally found Harper's historical research to be impeccable, but it is quite a bit more shaky here. For example, numerous references are made to the Duchess of Suffolk's daughter "Margaret," when a glance at any basic genealogy would have shown that there was no such person. Either Harper is referring to the daughter and namesake of Henry's other sister or to one of the Duchess' daughters, whose names were Frances and Eleanor. Things such as this may be minor, but they can be annoying, especially when repeated several times. The Duchess of Suffolk, the famous "Tudor Rose" who is well known to have shared Henry's coloring, is also referred to as having "raven" hair.
On the whole, however, I found this novel to be fairly well-written, and it kept me reading, even though I knew the basic storyline. The historical Mary Boleyn is an incredibly sympathetic character, and as a pawn of her father and husband in their paths to the king's favor, it is easy to feel sorry for her, but as she seems to have done in real life, she eventually finds the courage to stand up for herself and her right to happiness. Harper's portrayal of Anne is much more sympathetic than Gregory's, although I still don't get enough of a sense of her first "great love," the thwarting of which is supposed to drive much of her later career. (I also have to say that I cannot imagine Anne Boleyn giggling, as she does at least twice in this book!) Mary's parents and her second husband William Stafford are also clearly and convincingly drawn, although "Staff," as he is known throughout, is a bit too much the clich?d "masterful lover" of the romances for my taste. The well-known figures of the era such as Henry himself are not so vividly portrayed, nor are the machinations of court life, although an intriguing and slightly (but not entirely) sinister cameo of his minister Thomas Cromwell is provided. In addition, there are many other masterful touches, even though this must have been one of Harper's earliest novels.
Skip this.......2006-05-11
The Last Boleyn is the story of Mary Boleyn, older sister to Anne Boleyn. At a young age she was sent to the French court, where she quickly attracted the atention of King Francois. Upon her return to England, Mary became the paramour of Henry VIII and the mother of his children. The book follows Mary's relationship with him, as well, as he relationship with her husband William Carey and lover, William Stafford. It ends climactically with Anne Boleyn's execution--though the reader will have already guessed by that point that that's where it would in fact end.
The story of the Boleyn family in its entrely is an interesting on,e and it is easy to see how an author might be inspired to write about it. But The Last Boleyn Girl simply rehashes material and gives us no new insights into the lives or personalities of the persons involved. Mary Boleyn comes across as an extremely unlikeable person, as does her sister Anne and King Henry (though, to give the author credit, historically he wasn't such a nice guy).
This book was not one of the best historical fiction I have ever read. The author becomes too bogged down with historical facts and data that she doesn't focus very well upon the story at hand. I reccommend Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl instead.
Book Description
All alone on the Kansas prairie, Summer Steadman has few options. With her husband and children lost to illness, she has no desire to continue on farther west to where she and her husband planned to build their future. Instead, she seeks employment in a small Mennonite community in order to be near the graves of her family. Widower Peter Ollenburger, the local gristmill owner, needs someone to teach his young son. When he hears of a ''learned woman'' in town, he believes she is the answer to his prayers. He soon discovers, however, that helping this outsider may have troublesome consequences. There is little this father will not do for his son, but as the boy begins to look at Summer as more than a teacher, Peter must make a choice. Does he marry this woman to give his son a new mother, or does he marry only for love? Will Summer's broken heart ever be able to love again?
Customer Reviews:
one of the best lately.......2007-03-27
Set on the early 1900's mid-western prairie, "Waiting for Summer's Return" is masterfully written. A glimpse into the old Mennonite way of life, a sprinkling of German, a handful of elegantly crafted characters, and Sawyer's attention to detail makes for delightful historical fiction.
With delicate skill, Sawyer lays out the clear plan of salvation and a God-ordained prescription for coping with and overcoming withering grief. However, do not be deceived by the book's weighty topics. "Waiting for Summer's Return" is well-rounded with an enchanting plot complete with touches of gentle humor that break the tension at just the right moments.
This is one of the better books, I have read recently. Recommended.
A Beautiful Story.......2006-10-26
Kim Vogel Sawyer created a believable story of a mother and wife suffering the pangs of grief after the loss of her four children and husband.
Summer Steadman finds herself alone in a small Mennonite community in Gaeddart, Kansas during the fall of 1894. So deep in mourning that she finds food repugnant, she has allowed her body to become weakened. Her soul has become as emaciated as her body. No longer sure that God loves her or anyone else, Summer's only real wish is to join her family in death. It seems God has other plans for her, though.
Peter Ollenburger, a local gristmill owner, is in need of a teacher for his son, Thomas. Since the young boy is housebound after an accident resulting in broken ribs and can't ride his horse to school, he is falling behind in his studies. Peter's wife, Elsa, would be the logical choice to be his teacher, but she died six years earlier. Peter needs someone to live on his property and give the boy his lessons until he is fully recovered. After learning that Summer Steadman has lost her family to illness and has need of a position, he proposes that she come live in his home as Thomas's teacher. When objections to the impropriety of the situation are brought to his attention, Peter agrees that Summer could live in his shariah rather than in the house with the family. Wanting only to be close to the graves of her family, Summer accepts Peter's proposition and moves to his property.
What awaits the reader of Waiting for Summer's Return is a journey of relationship renewals. Summer and Peter both travel the path toward new knowledge of people and God. The trip is filled with bumps and ruts much like the road to the town of Gaeddart. As Thomas grows to know his temporary teacher, his affection for her grows to become the love of a child for a mother. Neither Summer nor Peter had planned on this complication. What are they to do? How will God orchestrate the symphony of their lives?
Kim Vogel Sawyer's writing is a joy to read. Her characters catch the reader's heart. It is hard to put the book down in order to carry on with life. Waiting for Summer's Return is one of those books you will want to keep reading to the point where the dishes will stack up in the sink and the laundry will go unwashed because you have to read just one more chapter. And that chapter leads to another and then another. Go ahead read those chapters. The dishes and the laundry will be there when you finish the book.
good book.......2006-10-01
I enjoyed this book very much. Good book. Look forward to more books by this author.
A lovely twist on an old storyline.......2006-09-10
I have to admit that I've read this "story" before. We all have. The grief-stricken widow finds new hope through a widower and his son. HOWEVER, Kim Sawyer has brushed freshness over the plot and inserted twists that erase predictability. Also her writing style is perfection. Waiting for Summer's Return is high on my recommended list.
very pleased!.......2006-09-09
i found this book at the library i work for and had to thank the librarian that purchase it! i was so very moved by the spirit of this book. i am now going to force everyone i know to get to know this great new writer. i certainly hope that a sequel might be happening since the story could continue on.i want to praise ms.vogel-sawyer for sharing her hertiage and experience with god.
Average customer rating:
- Literature for the Post 9/11 Era
- So much depth to explore
- Timeless Classic
- Pain is truth; all else is subject to doubt
- An Importand Book
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Waiting for the Barbarians: A Novel
J.M. Coetzee
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ASIN: 014006110X |
Book Description
For decades the Magistrate has run the affairs of a tiny frontier settlement, ignoring the impending war between the barbarians and the Empire, whose servant he is. But when the interrogation experts arrive, he is jolted into sympathy with the victims and into a quixotic act of rebellion which lands him in prison, branded as an enemy of the state.
Waiting for the Barbarians is an allegory of oppressor and oppressed. Not just a man living through a crisis of conscience in an obscure place in remote times, the Magistrate is an analogue of all men living in complicity with regimes that ignore justice and decency.
Customer Reviews:
Literature for the Post 9/11 Era.......2007-09-22
"Waiting for the Barbarians" seems like it was published in 2003 instead of 1980. It's an exploration of the psychic realities of living along the borders of a society that is bureaucratic, militaristic, terrorist-paranoid, and perhaps justifiable so. Perhaps.
And it's not simply political cant either. It has insight rather than just reaffirmation of typical beliefs. Coetzee questions everything and he knows more questions than most of us and dares to ask them too.
This is certainly a work for politicians and those in power, but it's a work for the rest of us too. I couldn't put it down.
So much depth to explore.......2007-08-02
To me, this is a book mostly about the strange and ambiguous nature of intimacy. Intimacy between people just as persons, between the sexes, between the torturer and his victim, between races, between present and past.
Coetzee points us to this in several places: here is a key one, where the magistrate is just beginning his strange, almost sexless relation with the half-blind girl: "I prowl around her, talking about our vagrancy ordinances, sick at myself. Her skin begins to glow in the warmth of the closed room. She tugs at her coat, opens her throat to the fire. The distance between myself and her torturers, I realize, is negligible; I shudder." But he washes her, caresses her - yet never has sex with her until near the end of the story, and in so doing destroys the relationship. It was founded on one kind of intimacy, one which did not break a surface, and also on another blindness, his, because it turns out the girl hated his care of her.
In the same way, he hovers between initially staying on the surface regarding knowledge of what the psychopathic torturers from the central Empire are doing to people, and breaking through into protest - which then destroys his comfortable life and his career and puts him on the run. Yet when the Empire's hounds have him in their power and could easily have killed him, they too hold back... perhaps it is just the thought of holding him available for the intimacy of further torture. The torturers feel that they gradually penetrate all layers to ultimately reach the truth...even when facts show them otherwise: the "truth" is meaningless, or the victim dies.
The one fully sexual relationship the magistrate has is really the least intimate..."in the middle of the sexual act I found myself losing my way like a storyteller losing the thread of his story." Intimacy is not to be found where one might expect it.
The "barbarians" (really just simple nomads) are seen by the Empire's citizens as completely alien - the closest they come to contact is when some are stripped naked and brutally, bloodily beaten in public. On the viewers' faces he sees "...the same expression: not hatred, not bloodlust, but a curiosity so intense that their bodies are drained by it and only their eyes meet, organs of a new and ravening appetite."
And again ..his excavations of ancient sites represent an attempt to reach an intimacy with the past - "In a heap of ashes I have found fragments of sun-dried clay pottery and something brown which may once have been a leather shoe or cap but which fell to pieces before my eyes."
This is a profound work, not one to take in fully at one reading. There is room for much contemplation on the theme of eyes and sight, the role they play: and on the idea of "belonging" - where does one feel at home, what is the emotional depth that stems from long acquaintance with a place, or way of life, or person. All really relate to the central concept of intimacy.
Timeless Classic.......2007-07-29
While this book is only 152 pages in length, it is written with a tremendous sense of authority and simplicity by Coetzee. The novel follows the last days of a civilian magistrate in the frontier outpost of an unnamed empire. We encounter the magistrate as the the Empire sends a military commander, Captain Joll (the only named character in the book)to help prevent the encroachment of the "barbarians". During the early course of the book, the magistrate comes to question both the real threat of the barbarians and righteousness of the empire -- while the magistrate was begin to reflect on this during the latter years of his life, this became more evident to him through his encounter with a "barbarian" girl after her torture by the military.
This book can be read as a reflection and allegory on previous colonial times but also is quite relevant for America today. The powerful messages contained in this book force the reader to reflect on any culture that is different than us and the way we perceive threat -- real or not -- in a modern world.
The beauty
Pain is truth; all else is subject to doubt.......2007-07-09
Twenty-five years, a couple of masterpieces and a Nobel ago, J. M. Coetzee wrote a short novel o large relevance. "Waiting for the Barbarians" is nowadays as important and urgent as when it was published. Little could the writer know in what chaos the world would be in the early 21st Century and that the events as close as the ones narrated in his novel were taking place in the name of freedom.
"Waiting for the Barbarians" is set in a time and place never identified which makes the novel sort of a universal version of a known time and place. But, at the same time, this distinguishes the book as both timeless and placeless. Coetzee writes, above all, about politics - even though for some he is talking about the human condition. As a matter of fact, both aspects are closely linked in this novel.
The main character and narrator is a man we only know as the Magistrate. He works for a certain Empire. Close to it there are barbarian tribes that rarely reach the border. The Empire suspects that the barbarians are preparing to mutiny. Nomads are captured and interrogated in the most ugly form, including violence and humiliation. Someone realizes that ''pain is truth; all else is subject to doubt.''
The Empire sees threat in everywhere and everybody. Just like a contemporary empire whose government invades countries and kills people in the name of what he thinks is right, disguising these events and something helpful.
"Waiting for the Barbarians" exploits the chain between human condition and politics. The narrative reaches the dark side of both. And however much the narrative can be called an allegory it is still to close to our reality for pretending that it is just fiction.
An Importand Book.......2007-06-20
I respect what Coetzee has done in this novel, and I imagine I will read more of him--I may even go back and reread the center section of this particular novel--but I don't believe I will become as smitten by him as so many others seem to be.
Coetzee uses several devices that work very well in the novel.
I have rarely read a present tense novel that did not seem gimmicky and somehow bombastic, but the tense works very well in Barbarians--so well I was often unaware of it. And the use of defamiliarization, even within an already exotic landscape, works very well. The power of that opening image: "I have never seen anything like it: two little discs of glass suspended in front of his eyes in loops of wires." Brings to mind the train wreck in opening of Robinson's Housekeeping. Perhaps it is the steel and glass (Robinson's train and Coetzee's sunglasses) these materials being common, yet essential hallmarks of civilization. Both books draw out the tensions between the idea of civilization and that inner human wildness. For Coetzee that inner landscape is full of darkness, desire, guilt. In Robinson's novel the wilderness is less violent, less bestial, but just as dark and unfathomed.
There is also a certain controlled nature behind both books. They share a level of abstraction in the narrative that place them near the realm of fable. Though I appreciate such things, I tend not to be as taken in by them. As with Robinson's book, I found certain sections of the book more compelling than others--those sections where the characters stood vivid and acting in their world. In Robinson's novel that included the last section of the book when Silvie and Ruthie come into their own. In Barbarians it was the central part of the book, the narrator's journey to repatriate the Native; when the character's inner struggle clarified into outer action, that emerged as the most engaging.
The narrator of Barbarians is never named. Nor is the place or the empire. The novel strives for universality. It could be any empire, the narrator could be any middling bureaucrat. And though I see the point of it, I don't find the device as compelling as real place and time. I compare the book to Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, they share something of theme (empire, myth, nation, barbarity) but McCarthy's work is grounded in a particularly place and time (1850s American West). With this grounding, McCarthy avoids the intellectualization of the theme. If and when the reader recognizes the somewhat well worn, post-modern ideas of the novel (inner darkness, powerlessness in the face of circumstance, the nature of evil) the reader is not left to think about them, to examine them from a comfortable distance, but must instead, given the hyper-reality of Meridian, feel these themes on a gut level. In this way the ideas gain an emotional depth, even if they are somewhat familiar.
And just as personal preference, I did not like the narrator of Barbarians. I know why he had to be the narrator, but his laziness, his paternalism, his strange sexual tendencies, his passivity and guilt irked me. I was curious to see how he would act, how his desires and fears would drive him, but I never felt real empathy for him. Perhaps that would be different if I were a South African and it was 1980. But my reaction to the narrator is emblematic of my experience with the entire novel. I was engaged and curious, but I was never fully taken in.
Average customer rating:
- Confusing and Disappointing
- An ingenious intellectual Puzzle?
- A Mr Potato Head Historical Novel
- Ex-Ex-Libris - originality and three-dimensional characters must be on holiday
- Complicated, but fun
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Ex-Libris: A Novel (Dorothy Martin Mysteries)
Ross King
Manufacturer: Walker & Company
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0802733573 |
Book Description
The second novel, by the author of Brunelleschi’s Dome, and Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling is an elaborate historical mystery.Responding to a cryptic summons to a remote country house, London bookseller Isaac Inchbold finds himself responsible for restoring a magnificent library pillaged during the English Civil War, and in the process slipping from the surface of 1660s London into an underworld of spies and smugglers, ciphers and forgeries.As he assembles the fragments of a complex historical mystery, Inchbold learns how Sir Ambrose Plessington, founder of the library, escaped from Bohemia on the eve of the Thirty Years War with plunder from the Imperial Library. Inchbold’s hunt for one of these stolen volumes -- a lost Hermetic text -- soon casts him into an elaborate intrigue. His fortunes hang on the discovery of the missing manuscript but his search reveals that the elusive volume is not what it seems and that he has been made an unwitting player in a treacherous game.
Customer Reviews:
Confusing and Disappointing.......2007-07-15
King's narrative was bogged down with unnecessary details, historical conspiracies, name dropping and dead-end plot-lines in which a seventeenth century book-seller is given the task of tracking down a mysterious volume. I was pretty disappointed in the conclusion and the anticlimactic revelation of the purpose of the sought book. I had really been looking forward to reading Ex-Libris and I really wanted to like it (being such a bibliophile and having a soft-spot for books about books) but it was far too scattered and inconsistent.
An ingenious intellectual Puzzle?.......2006-11-11
Newsday calls this book an ingenious intellectual puzzle. Maybe I am not so untellectual as I think.
I did like this book but found it a bit of a chore to read. About halfway through I noticed the quote on the front cover by the "Denver Free Press" that compares it to "The Name of the Rose". the only similarity is that there are books involved and a bit of a puzzle to figure out. Other than that, different century, different location, great characters.
The characters are a bit flat, the main characters, Isaac Inchbold and Emilia could have been given a bit more depth.
All in all, not a bad read but not a page turner either.
A Mr Potato Head Historical Novel.......2006-06-26
Remember that toy, Mr Potato Head? It consisted of various plastic ears, noses, and hats that you could pin onto a potato to turn it into Mr Potato Head. Children loved it, but to adults it was only a potato with plastic trimmings. Just so with Ross King's dreadful Ex Libris. Although it is crammed with recondite allusions to hermetic philosophy, the Thirty Years War, colonial malfeasance, and Restoration-era intrigue, they nothing more than gratuitous add-ons. When you see through the rather heavy-handed "historical" material, what you have here is a total potato: starchy, bland, and shapeless. Ross's work has been compared to that of Ian Pears, Lawrence Norfolk, and Charles Palliser and the comparisons are totally invidious. The above named are terrific authors whose works are immersed in, and engage with, history. Ross's work is less an historical fiction than a wretched pastiche of others' historical fictions. It is woodenly written; the characters are flat; and the pacing is as limp and flaccid as a week old lettuce. It was a struggle to finish. Read Instance of the Fingerpost instead . . .
Ex-Ex-Libris - originality and three-dimensional characters must be on holiday.......2006-05-21
Ross King is clearly not an unintelligent man. I had mentally "bookmarked" his non-fiction, as it looked fascinating, and clearly he's done an enormous amount of research into some of the things that fascinate me.
But... research is not enough to make a good writer.
To write fiction, one must be able to create characters that are three-dimensional. These characters should breathe and speak as though real, no matter in what setting one places them. To create a coachman who is mysterious, cloaked, speaks in a hoarse voice, is scarred, etc., etc., creates nothing unique at all. To create a hero who has a club-foot and is endlessly self-conscious about it could have worked nicely - but no. In the hands of Mr King, Ichibold does not come to life. He remains an affectation on the page, as do all the other characters.
The sinister coachman - just one of a set of stock characters employed by the author - need not have failed so utterly to work. Had he been created tongue-in-cheek, or had he been given ANYTHING to make him unique and real, the readers might have been convinced by him. But no. This does not happen.
Even the secondary plot set in the past in Bavaria, although it's better than the more "modern" plot, reveals the same lacks; that is, poor characterisation, ridiculous and melodramatic plots, a lack of narrative flow, a lack of convincing resolution.
Judging by this book, Ross King is simply unable to write good fiction. I could have wept upon getting a few pages into this book, because it SOUNDED as though it would be a wonderful novel. But the standard of writing was poor. I note with astonishment that some reviewers mention having to get a dictionary to check the words - but I can assure potential purchasers that any reasonably well-read reader will not find any extraordinary vocabulary here.
Even the subject matter does not save this badly written novel. I was too exasperated by the poor writing to ever feel myself in sympathy with any character, for none of the characters assumed a corporeality for me that attained any level of realism.
If you are truly expecting a novel in the vein of Perez-Reverte's "El Club Dumas" or Umberto Eco's fabulous "Name of the Rose", I am terribly sorry... but you will not find it in this book.
Complicated, but fun.......2005-10-06
Ross King's most famous book so far is not original in style or plot. Perez-Reverte's "The Club Dumas" and Charles Palliser's "The quincunx" are two similar (and better) books that come instantly to mind. "Ex-libris" is complicated, full of coming-and-going characters, and its plot is difficult to follow. Yet, it's a good and interesting book.
Set in the post-Cromwell restored England (mostly London), we follow the middle-aged Isaac Inchbold, a bookseller hired by a mysterious old-nobility lady to pursue a missing book from her father's library. Inchbold tells his narrative in first person, wandering through the british landscape, following strange lead after strange lead, meeting unlucky events and harmful people. Parallell to Inchbold's narrative, King delivers another sub-plot, of three people trying to escape recently invaded Prague with a treasure in tow.
I didn't like the two narratives going side by side; the reader must pay full attention to the story, otherwise the reading gets very confusing. The "escape from Prague" subplot is much slower than Inchbold's. Yet, "Ex-libris" is an interesting book, very well researched and written by Ross King, full of Londonian atmosphere. It's not a light reading, though - not a book to be read while on vacation on a beach, for example.
Grade 7.8/10
Customer Reviews:
It's okay..........2007-04-03
From the back cover:
GODDESS IN WAITING by Anne Stuart
Marika, the astonishingly tall, vibrant, bigger-than-life personality that Edward-of-the-designer-suits has spent his life avoiding, is the proprietor of a funky maternity shop. Edward's expectant sister needs a few things, but his order for her has gone missing. And so, apparently, have his senses, since he finds himself assiting in the delivery of a baby and falling for the outrageous Markia...
GABE'S SPECIAL DELIVERY by Tara Taylor Quinn
On February 14th, Gabe Stone finds a living, breathing valentine on his doorstep. The tiny pink bundle of fleece appears to be his daughter, and her mother has given Gabe four hours to get to know his new baby. Four hours to adjust to fatherhood, resolve custody, and win back his ex-wife?
MY MAN VALENTINE by Jule McBride
Everyone knows Eloise Hunter and C.D. Valentine are in love. Except Eloise and C.D. They think they're just neighbours. Until some good-looking hunk redeems one of Eloise's babysitting coupons by delivering an infant for her to mind. When the hunk takes off, C.D. is outraged and swings into protector mode. But protection is not at all what Eloise wants from Mr. C.D. Valentine...
And my review:
Well, first off, I have to say that this book needed better editing. I'm not going to blame the authors for that--that's the publisher's responsibility. For instance, Anne Stuart's stories lists the heroine's name as Marika on the back cover when it's really Marike, and names the hero Edward when his name is William! How they could be that far off on the hero's name is beyond me!
All of these novellas suffered from the normal problems a "crank-it-out-now" book suffers. The stories are all rushed, the character development is extremely limited, and the plots are often contrived. Instead of finding Anne Stuart's heroine refreshingly off-beat, she came across as weird. Tara Taylor Quinn's characters suffered through one stupid BIG MISUNDERSTANDING after another, a theme I loathe. The Jule McBride's story never really seems to pick up or go anywhere. It just sort of meanders around in circles.
Not recommended by this reader. Try Valentine Delights (Harlequin) collection for some Valentine's Day stories that are truly worth a read, but give VALENTINE BABIES a miss.
A Nice, Light Read........2002-01-26
"Valentine Babies" is an entertaining anthology containing 3 stories centred on Valentine's Day and babies. All 3 stories were fun and original. I wasn't really expecting to like this book, so it was a pleasant surprise to have really enjoyed it!
The first story, "Goddess in Waiting" by Anne Stuart is the best. Marike is a larger than life woman who runs a maternity shop/shelter for pregnant teenagers. When William arrives one day in his Gucci suit looking to have a maternity wardrobe made for his sister, it's clear that these two couldn't be more complete opposites. But William finds the funky and compassionate Marike irresistible, though she's far from his usual type. Now he just has to convince Marike that they're right for each other! This story was fresh and original, and I thought it was great!
Next is Tara Taylor Quinn's "Gabe's Special Delivery". This is the story of two very different people who fall in love and rush into marriage, only to have it fall apart because of a misunderstanding. However, a beautiful baby girl helps them find their way back to each other. Bailey and Gabe are both very likeable characters. This was an enjoyable read.
Finally, Julie McBride's "My Man Valentine" is a sweet story about friends becoming lovers. Eloise has lived next door to C.D. Valentine for two years, and has been fantasizing about him since the day they met. Her plans to profess her feelings for him on Valentine's Day are interrupted when she suddenly finds herself babysitting for a very unhappy little girl. C.D., however, comes to help out, and he and Eloise finally admit that their feelings run deeper than friendship. This is a lovely romance and is sure to please readers.
Overall, this anthology is great for light reading and a few hours of relaxation. Each story is fun and romantic, so pick this book up and enjoy!
This Valentine delivers........2000-03-09
GODDESS IN WAITING, written by Anne Stuart and the first of this collection, gives us Marike, a long-legged completely exasperating female whom William Lambert wants the minute he sees, despite the fact that she's not his type. His type is geared to match his life: sophisticated, elegant, and worldly, everything that the smart-mouthed, quirky Marike is not. And while he annoys her completely upon their first meeting, she is immediately drawn to this tall, sexy man. You'll race through this romance, enjoying the dialogue, the characters, and the wacky world that Marike inhabits. The duct-tape dummy scene is hilarious and easy to envision thanks to one of the best wordsmiths this genre has to offer.
There are few writers who can construct this short form so very well, so make this your introduction to Anne Stuart if you've never read her before. A collection like this is a perfect sampler. I confess that I got this book for her story alone, and I haven't even bothered to read the other two yet. But one Anne Stuart gives you more than your money's worth.
A Good Anthology.......2000-02-16
A read that is centered around Valentine's Day and babies, this was a mostly pleasing anthology for me. I'm not a fan of anthologies--stories too incomplete, rushed. Ms. Stuart manages somehow, to convey a complete romance in her story. There's a prologue that makes you wonder....an epilogue that is really cute. In between you have, as the girls call him, a "hottie" for a hero, and a very different heroine. Sexy, fun, and romantic...and the story makes sense. Ms. Quinn's story was my disappointment. H/h spend most of a short story, apart. And, Gabe's gift from his "ex-wife" made no real sense,to me. Finally, Jule McBride does a story with one of my favorite romances--friends becoming lovers. I didn't like the use of the baby, in this one. But, the story is romantic and is a good, sexy read.
Book Description
Meet Fire—Jamaican-born, charming, poetic, and talented—a man who vows never to play “love-is-blind” games again. Then he meets Sylvia, a beautiful magazine editor who keeps her passions under lock and key. Together they must choose between the love in their lives and the love of their lives. From the galleries of Soho to the brownstones of Brooklyn, from the nightclubs of London to the streets of Kingston, Jamaica, Colin Channer takes us on a wild, soul-searching ride as Fire and Sylvia try to connect, disconnect, and reconnect amid conflicting desires and wounds from the past. But through intricate love triangles and crushing personal tragedies, Fire, Sylvia, and their friends must learn that some things in life are worth fighting for. If not, you’re simply waiting in vain.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent novel; a poetic work of art.......2007-05-16
This novel was a soulful journey. It connects with the reality of relationships and with all of its struggles and triumph. I was drawn into the characters from the opening page. He tells this tale with a poetic spin. His words unfold beautifully and each character takes on a life of its own. I think readers will find a little bit of themselves in this book. I loved it!
SIMPLY WONDERFUL.......2007-02-28
This book is a beautiful experience. It is one of the most passionate and real books that I have ever read. I couldn't put it down and I wish that it was longer. The emotions of the characters are so strong that they leap off of the page. This book makes you want to go out and fall in love and hope that you experience half the passion and true love that these characters experience.
An Amazing Literary Journey That Took My Breath Away.......2006-04-29
Colin Channer to me is like a modern day Picasso with a pen. His dialogue is compelling, soul-stirring and purposeful and his characters are engaging. You can almost close your eyes and imagine yourself seeing the story unfold as if you were a fly on the wall at a gallery in New York, a beach house in Jamaica, or the Streets of London. This is the mark of a truly great storyteller.
Our main character, Fire, is a "simple" man with a "complex" life. By simple I mean he wants what any sane person would want, a circle of good life-long friends, a fulfilling life, and someone emotionally and physically available to share it all with. So, when he meets Sylvia, he feels like he has found the one. What he doesn't know is that Sylvia, an engaged magazine editor, is all but disengaged from her own true desires for her life. Soon we see that complications abound, and the journey they take throughout the story takes the reader on a cross-continental journey in search of introspection, true meaning and, possibly, true love.
An interesting point is that Channer's characters are written from their souls - what drives them to do the things they do is less about their gender than their emotions and their pasts. With such a multi-faceted story, several layers of conflict, we still get a crystal clear picture and understanding as to why things unfold teh way they do. It is a believable, gripping, page turner, and Channer conveys it effortlessly.
Waiting in Vain, simply put, was one of the two best books I have read in a long time. The other was Satisfy My Soul (also by Colin Channer). As an aspiring writer, I wish my prose was as naturally beautiful as Mr. Channer's. Until it is, I will keep devouring his work in hopes that some of his literary poeticism rubs off.
Pleasantly Surprising Read.......2006-02-06
I must admit I have not normally been a fan of romantic fiction, but Mr. Channer provided me with a very pleasant literary experience. The story was one, not just of romance, but of life and the joys, pains, ups and downs of the situations we deal with in life.
I felt a true insight to each character. I admired Fire's loyalty to his friendship with Ian, despite the fact that Ian was not always the most pleasant or trustworthy person. Surprisingly, I was on the edge of my seat during every "episode" between Fire and Sylvia. The attraction between them was electric and I was drawn into their romance. Black love is not always tastefully displayed in literature or the media, but there was a real-ness to their situation. Their experience made me mad, saddened me, made me smile and then go through each emotion all over again!
The book had a poetic flow to it. What I also enjoyed was the very colorful descriptions of the different settings in the story. I could visualize the streets of New York and London, smell the scents, hear the sounds and feel the culture of Jamaica.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It is a story of struggle: exploring struggle, working through it, overcoming it, and realizing that there are some things you just never get over. It is a story of love and passion, tragedy and conflict. It has motivated me to include more Black romantic fiction in my reading collection. And that was no easy feat!
Absolutely Amazing! .......2005-06-07
This novel speaks to the soul. Not just the souls of caribbean people but to everyone. The writing is fluid and poetic. I felt as if the characters were people I knew and wanted to get to know. I never wanted the book to end. This novel touched me so much that I've read it four times already and I hate reading anything twice. This was a masterpiece. Silvia's character was well developed to the point that you would believe this story was done by a woman. Then the character of Fire is an educated black woman's fantasy. can't wait to find my Fire!
Average customer rating:
- A good read
- The story continues....
- No you did not write part 2 to "Ladies in waiting"
- A MUST READ!
- Patience Is A Virtue
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Unaccoustomed To Waiting
Linda Hudson-Smith
Manufacturer: Kimani Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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| Literature & Fiction
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| World Literature
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Contemporary
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| Short Stories
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Similar Items:
-
Ladies In Waiting
-
Tomorrow May Never Come
-
Secrets & Silence (Arabesque)
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Soulful Serenade (Arabesque)
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Speak To My Heart
ASIN: 1583144595 |
Customer Reviews:
A good read.......2006-11-07
The author did a great job connecting to the books. I truly enjoyed reading both books. It was a pleasure finding out the outcomes of the various people in relationships in the books.
The story continues...........2005-03-21
In this follow-up to "Ladies in Waiting", Hudson-Smith takes a continuing look at the drama of that comes from living lives while separated from loved ones who are imprisoned. In this story, the author looks at the issue from the male point of view as we see one of the protagonists from her first book, Rev. Jesse Covington, forming a self-support group for men separated from their wives and girlfriends who have been incarcerated. Inspired by the work of the women's support group that was so helpful to his wife during his incarceration for a crime of which he was falsely accused, Rev. Covington attempts to help a group of men dealing with the imprisonment of their female mates. An interesting mix of stories and Hudson-Smith's engaging writing style, which made "Ladies in Waiting" a popular and interesting tale, carries the novel nicely in this treatment.
It's interesting to see this story told from the male-point-of-view after having seen the female side in the first novel. This is an enjoyable tale that will be most fully enjoyed by those who read the first novel.
A true fan of Christian fiction, I thought this book nicely balanced the challenges that one faces in life, with the power one's christian beliefs has to help one face those challenges.
No you did not write part 2 to "Ladies in waiting".......2005-03-05
Girlfriend,
Love it. Read it and see what I mean.. God bless you. Linda.
A MUST READ!.......2004-11-19
Get this book as a reader you won't be disappointed. The author picks up basically right where she left off in Ladies in Waiting. You have to get the first book to understand the events that's going on in this book.
Linda Smith you have a fan for life!
Patience Is A Virtue.......2004-10-01
In UNACCUSTOMED TO WAITING, the sequel to Ladies In Waiting, Linda Hudson-Smith further develops the characters Christian readers have come to love. Reverend Jessie Covington has recently been released from wrongful imprisonment and due to this he has seen first hand how families are affected by incarceration. Through divine guidance he sees a need within his community that he wishes to fulfill, inspired by his wife and her undying support he begins a support group for men with incarcerated spouses and girlfriends.
Hudson-Smith explores real and difficult issues facing families and communities today: such as wayward children, absentee fathers, and the destruction that drugs cause, among other things. Not only does she address these issues, she demonstrates through the fictional characters that when you believe in God and prayer, you can conquer all obstacles in your way. The underlying message throughout the novel is to stay in prayer and stay with God.
Christian fiction is a genre that I have not ventured into until reading, UNACCUSTOMED TO WAITING. I half expected to read a Sunday sermon, as opposed to an interesting and nicely written novel. I was quite wrong in my assumptions and enjoyed the literary offering of Linda Hudson-Smith. I do, however, recommend reading Ladies In Waiting first; without doing so you may feel that you are missing pertinent information to the storyline.
Reviewed by Aiesha Flowers
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
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