Christine Falls: A Novel

Book Description

In the debut crime novel from the Booker-winning author, a Dublin pathologist follows the corpse of a mysterious woman into the heart of
a conspiracy among the city’s high Catholic society

It’s not the dead that seem strange to Quirke. It’s the living.One night, after a few drinks at an office party, Quirke shuffles down into the morgue where he works and finds his brother-in-law, Malachy, altering a file he has no business even reading. Odd enough in itself to find Malachy there, but the next morning, when the haze has lifted, it looks an awful lot like his brother-in-law, the esteemed doctor, was in fact tampering with a corpse—and concealing the cause of death.

It turns out the body belonged to a young woman named Christine Falls. And as Quirke reluctantly presses on toward the true facts behind her death, he comes up against some insidious—and very well-guarded—secrets of Dublin’s high Catholic society, among them members of his own family.

Set in Dublin and Boston in the 1950s, the first novel in the Quirke series brings all the vividness and psychological insight of Booker Prize winner John Banville’s fiction to a thrilling, atmospheric crime story. Quirke is a fascinating and subtly drawn hero, Christine Falls is a classic tale of suspense, and Benjamin Black’s debut marks him as a true master of the form.

Customer Reviews:

Tough Read.......2007-10-06

I gave it a hundred pages, just as I promised myself. Mostly, it was a chore to read. What annoyed me the most was that the author would switch to describing another scene with no transition other than a paragraph.

I truly hate this book.

Couldn't get into it.......2007-10-02

I tried to like this book, but I just couldn't get into it. I read about half of it. It just never seemed to take off. Plus it didn't place me in the period. Some good books you feel like you are in the time that they are placed. This didn't do that for me. A big disappointment.

The only thrills are in the prose........2007-09-27

The characters and the basic plotline are more than adequately summarized in many of the other reviews. John Banville (Benjamin Black) is an extremely talented writer and is, as reviewers have noted, quite adept at drawing characters and evoking setting. His talent as a writer of prose cannot, I think, be denied and this book is a fine example.

The problem, however, is that the plot is (a) not entirely plausible and (b) becomes obvious way too early to hold any real suspense.

As for the plot, again, there is no real suspense in discovering who is behind the various crimes. The motive is slower to emerge but, as it does, it does not ring true. My own opinion is that Benjamin Black has quite a bit to learn about this new genre. This book lacked any "aha!" moment, as revelations in the murder/mystery plot were never very mysterious. All opportunities for thrill were deflated before any real suspense could build.

On a minor issue and as others have pointed out, Black dispatched bad characters far too neatly to give any satisfaction.

Banville's skills have not yet translated to a satisfying Mystery/Thriller. At least, I was wholly unsatisfied when the book ended. Perhaps, my dissatisfaction was due to too high expectations.

The prose is worth the read, but the story comes up short.

And a lot else falls..........2007-08-12

Not being familiar with Banville, I was drawn to this book by the reviews and my ongoing desire for a good mystery. The novel's premise seemed appealing. A young woman is dead. Pathologist Quirke becomes curious when he finds his obstetrician brother, Mal, going through the file. Quirke's own investigation unleashes violence and ultimately involves his whole adopted family.

Certainly the writing meets the standard of literary fiction. The structural contrast of Quirke and Mal frames the book. Quirke deals in death, Mal in births. One won his love, the other didn't. And so on.

The first 50 pages of the book held my interest, as Quire began snooping around. The viewpoints shifts form one character to the other - very smoothly done. But I began to get a sense of deja vue. The reasons behind the woman's death...we've seen this before.

Ultimately, despite the writing, I think you'll enjoy this book if you like novel about convolutd, politely dysfunctional families. I did't find the character interesting or sympathetic. Lawrence Block's Matt Scudder was a more appealing drunk.

The ending falters. It's like one of those farces where nobody is they seem. I found the rationale for the solution unbelievable, even given the power of the Catholic church. Ultimately the fictional plot pales next to real Irish stories, like the Magdalene sisters.

Distinctive writing makes for outstanding "thriller".......2007-07-21

I read Untouchable a few years ago and recall it a difficult, dense albeit engrossing book. I had been tempted to read The Sea, but reviews focusing on the beautiful writing yet slow plot discouraged me. It was wonderful to find out Banville was deploying his talent as writer in a lighter form. Christine Falls certainly does not disappoint, to the contrary: it makes one wish that all "thrillers" were written with comparable skill and ingenuity

Christine Falls certainly does not thrill for pace or chases or plot twists. It does so through characterizations and through gradual revelation of long held secrets. The secrets matter and move because the characterizations make us care - I can`t recall a thriller (and can recall few other works) where the cast of main characters is so original and so carefully portrayed. Also, some parts are excruciatingly dramatic to the point of being painful.

The back flap indicates this is the first of the Quirke novels. I will be looking forward to the next one

Average customer rating:

True to it's title
Things Fall apart audio
Things Fall Apart
All you never wanted to know about yams... and other such things.
It Drags

Things Fall Apart: A Novel
Chinua Achebe
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Popular Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Book Clubs | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Things Fall Apart (Cliffs Notes)
Heart of Darkness (Dover Thrift Editions)
All Quiet on the Western Front
Night (Oprah's Book Club)
Their Eyes Were Watching God

ASIN: 0385474547
Release Date: 1994-09-01

Amazon.com

One of Chinua Achebe's many achievements in his acclaimed first novel, Things Fall Apart, is his relentlessly unsentimental rendering of Nigerian tribal life before and after the coming of colonialism. First published in 1958, just two years before Nigeria declared independence from Great Britain, the book eschews the obvious temptation of depicting pre-colonial life as a kind of Eden. Instead, Achebe sketches a world in which violence, war, and suffering exist, but are balanced by a strong sense of tradition, ritual, and social coherence. His Ibo protagonist, Okonkwo, is a self-made man. The son of a charming ne'er-do-well, he has worked all his life to overcome his father's weakness and has arrived, finally, at great prosperity and even greater reputation among his fellows in the village of Umuofia. Okonkwo is a champion wrestler, a prosperous farmer, husband to three wives and father to several children. He is also a man who exhibits flaws well-known in Greek tragedy:

Okonkwo ruled his household with a heavy hand. His wives, especially the youngest, lived in perpetual fear of his fiery temper, and so did his little children. Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness. It was deeper and more intimate than the fear of evil and capricious gods and of magic, the fear of the forest, and of the forces of nature, malevolent, red in tooth and claw. Okonkwo's fear was greater than these. It was not external but lay deep within himself. It was the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father.

And yet Achebe manages to make this cruel man deeply sympathetic. He is fond of his eldest daughter, and also of Ikemefuna, a young boy sent from another village as compensation for the wrongful death of a young woman from Umuofia. He even begins to feel pride in his eldest son, in whom he has too often seen his own father. Unfortunately, a series of tragic events tests the mettle of this strong man, and it is his fear of weakness that ultimately undoes him.

Achebe does not introduce the theme of colonialism until the last 50 pages or so. By then, Okonkwo has lost everything and been driven into exile. And yet, within the traditions of his culture, he still has hope of redemption. The arrival of missionaries in Umuofia, however, followed by representatives of the colonial government, completely disrupts Ibo culture, and in the chasm between old ways and new, Okonkwo is lost forever. Deceptively simple in its prose, Things Fall Apart packs a powerful punch as Achebe holds up the ruin of one proud man to stand for the destruction of an entire culture. --Alix Wilber

Book Description

This is Chinua Achebe's classic novel, with more than two million copies sold since its first U.S. publication in 1969. Combining a richly African story with the author's keen awareness of the qualities common to all humanity, Achebe here shows that he is "gloriously gifted, with the magic of an ebullient, generous, great talent." -- Nadine Gordimer

Customer Reviews:

True to it's title.......2007-09-22

It is amazing how a novel first published in 1959 about a Nigerian village, pre-colonization, still has relevance today. Talk about transcending time as well as cultures! Chinua Achebe is a magnificent story teller. I love authors who have the ability to transport me to worlds that seem so different from my own.

Okonkwo was a man that was obsessed with masculinity and the "power" of being masculine. Although I could see how harsh, abusive, and unyielding Okonkwo was towards his family, oddly I felt sympathy for the man. He was the product of his environment and culture. Apparently his callousness was worsened because of his fear that he should become like his father ----- a man with no title, in his culture, the equivalent of being a woman.

How many of us struggle to balance the new with the old? And how often do we question or all out resist changing times.... be it attitudes or ideas, advancements in technology, religion, policies, music, etc. Most of us reach a certain age where we would prefer our traditions be left alone. In some instances there should be no room for compromise, but in other instances perhaps there truly is improvement/advancement to be gained.

Okonkwo's struggle is exactly that. He strives to leave behind a proud legacy. However, he makes bad decisions along the way. The more he tries to make things right the more it seems that misfortune comes his way. He's angered and confused about the changes that come upon his village but that combined with his pigheaded demeanor make for a disastrous result. It's a good book to take up beyond school required reading. Achebee gives his readers a great deal to consider.

Things Fall apart audio.......2007-09-11

My son had a senior project to do over the summer, he had to read this entire book and the first day back to school, he had a test on it, my son does not do well on reading, he can read great, but he has trouble remembering what he read, so I thought if he listened to it being read to him, he could follow along better, well he did, and he done well on his test and essay, I would recommend this product to anyone with similiar problems as my son has with reading.......

Things Fall Apart.......2007-09-10

My son needed this book for school and we received in time for school. Great service!

All you never wanted to know about yams... and other such things........2007-08-08

I had to read this for my high school advanced English class. I regret ever having picked it up. I feel very lucky that my brain was not fried after reading The-book-that-should-not-be-named. In short, if you want to read a bizarre book about African people and yams, then read this book. If not, go read something else.

It Drags.......2007-08-07

While the story itself is useful in giving a student the right mindset for African studies, the story itself lacks much of the marvel of other historically-based books. While the book is pointed towards lower-classmen in high school, the true audience should be college, where adults can completely analyze and idnetify the key points and emotions of the story.

Mouse Guard Volume 1: Fall 1152 (Mouse Guard)

Average customer rating:

Beautiful
Wonderful and original
the secret lives of mice
Slayer's of snakes and mice...
See how they run. See how they run.

Mouse Guard Volume 1: Fall 1152 (Mouse Guard)
David Petersen
Manufacturer: Archaia Studio Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Fell Vol. 1: Feral City
Runaways, Vol. 3
Criminal Vol. 1: Coward
Fables Vol. 9: Sons of Empire
Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall

ASIN: 1932386572

Book Description

In the world of Mouse Guard, mice struggle to live safely and prosper amongst harsh conditions and a host of predators. Thus the Mouse Guard was formed: more than just soldiers that fight off intruders, they are guides for common mice looking to journey without confrontation from one hidden village to another. The Guard patrol borders, find safeways and paths through dangerous territories and treacherous terrain, watch weather patterns, and keep the mouse territories free of predatory infestation. They do so with fearless dedication so that they might not just exist, but truly live. Saxon, Kenzie and Lieam, three such Guardsmice, are dispatched to find a missing merchant mouse that never arrived at his destination. Their search for the missing mouse reveals much more than they expect, as they stumble across a traitor in the Guard's own ranks.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful.......2007-10-06

It's just darn beautiful...a great work. Isn't it great to be into comics right now?

Wonderful and original.......2007-09-24

This is an excellent book--kind of a combination of Watership Down and Lord of the Rings in a comic style form. Peterson's narrative and art are amazing. His art may be some of the best illustrations yopu will see in any book anywhere.

The whole family will enjoy it, no matter thier age.

the secret lives of mice.......2007-08-18

this littel graphic novel is a fun little read, IMO excellent art and a compelling story, it is he story of guardian mice who remind me of Brian Jaques Redwall as heroic warriors on the smaller scale of graphic novel heroes. i eagerly await the next book.

Slayer's of snakes and mice..........2007-07-24

I just finished reading my copy of this and it is amazing. Quality and originality is hard to find these days and I applaud the creator for an excellent job well done. The art is stunning and the story is fun. Take a chance and pick this up...I did, and it was worth every dime!

See how they run. See how they run........2007-07-19

The quest to locate child-friendly graphic novels is amusingly difficult. You wouldn't think finding quality comics would be so hard. The public perception is that comics are just made for kids anyway, so shouldn't this lead to an abundance of riches? Hardly. You're lucky if you can find three new books a season that aren't parts of already existing series. Now, I had heard of "Mouse Guard" before. While drifting about the most recent Comic Con I took some free samples of the "Mouse Guard" comic books. They were nice items, but too short and shoddy to stand up to serious library circulation. A friend told me they'd be bound together at some point, but I never really believed it and "Mouse Guard" fell out of my thoughts. Months later, I received this in the mail: a beautifully bound edition of six or seven of those comic books, now in a handsome edition. More than library-worthy, "Mouse Guard" is bound to remind kids of Redwall and the like. The feel and the art, however, is vastly different.

Author/illustrator David Petersen puts it like this; Over the years he'd scribble little ideas about this miniscule world. One of the first read, "Mice have a culture all their own; too small to integrate with other animals." The result is a story that would fit right into England circa 1152. An elite guard of mice is trained to protect the travelers in their realm from natural predators. Three of these guards, Kenzie, Lieam, and Saxon, are dispatched to discover why a local merchant went missing not too long ago. In their search for his remains they discover the seeds of a plot to overthrow not only their home of Lockhaven but also the entirety of the guard itself. A mouse claiming to carry the legendary Black Axe is certain that the guard is outdated and plans an uprising to control all the towns and villages. Only by working together can the guards defeat this scourge, finding an unlikely ally to aid them along the way. End matter consists of maps, guides to residences and professions, and (in a very interesting twist) different takes on the characters by fellow artists and illustrators.

First off, I should tell you that the language here has a stilted awkward nature to it. Unlike some other graphic novelists, like Neil Gaiman or Jeff Smith, Petersen's language is brief and to the point. Each chapter of the book begins with a synopsis and encapsulation that brings readers up to speed, even if the action and names become confusing. What the book really feels like, oddly enough, is an English translation. As for the plot, it jumps about a bit but is understandable. Petersen enmeshes you so thoroughly in this world that he sees little reason to fill you in on some of the background details. You never hear of the legend of the Black Axe until you're meeting the mouse who claims that title himself. Similarly, characters are mentioned briefly in passing long before they appear in the book. The result is that you begin to wonder if this is the middle of the saga rather than the beginning. The words are serviceable, but they aren't the lure you're looking for here.

The real draw to the series, as I see it, is the art. Author/illustrator David Petersen received his BFA in Printmaking from Eastern Michigan University, making him the first children's graphic novelist I've seen to utilize that particular art form. This means that everything from the mice to the predators to the pockmarks in a castle's stone is rendered exquisitely beautiful on the page. Petersen constantly shifts his perspective too, sometimes looking up as three mice have a council of war, and sometimes down, as in a fight. The panels themselves expand and contract according to the scene in question. Petersen's very adept at the breathtaking view of an overwhelming enemy. And the colors... oh, the colors. Orange-red autumnal rains and the dusky purples of the woods at dusk are just some of the scenes that grace this book. With great skill Petersen even plays with light, simulating night and the bright blue sky of a day at the beach.

A very interesting blurb graces the book flap of this title. According to a Mr. Matthew Price of "The Oklahoman," this title is, "An anthropomorphized adventure that will appeal to fans of Bone and The Secret of NIMH." An interesting idea. As I said before, this book is far closer to Redwall in its idea of little mousies with big heavy swords. Yet the series that I was reminded of the most, over and over with this book, was Jill Barklem's Brambly Hedge tales like, Summer Story. Obviously the tone is very different, but the visuals have some distinct similarities. In both cases we get intense views of enormously details mouse societies. Barklem was more concerned with bizarre Rube Goldberglike layouts, but both Petersen and Barklem create meticulously details miniature worlds.

"Mouse Guard" falls into that odd little category of books that are appropriate for kids, but that haven't yet made the leap from the graphic novel geeks to the children's book geeks. I mean, the comic community has truly embraced these stories. The children's librarian community? Not so much. This is the problem small presses like ASP Comics face when attempting to break into the library market. However people find it, "Mouse Guard: Fall 1152" may actually serve a new purpose in the future. Kids that like this series could easily be turned onto "Redwall" as well, if they're not already familiar with it. Whatever the case, Petersen's created a lovely little graphic novel here. Let's hope people give it its proper due.

Average customer rating:

Probably Too Complicated To Fully Describe in a Brief Review Here
Superb Dramatic Monologue
Not the First Choice for Camus Fans
Clearing the air
Camuses Tour De Force?

The Fall
Albert Camus
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

French | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

The Plague
The Stranger
The Myth of Sisyphus: And Other Essays
The Rebel: An Essay on Man in Revolt
Nausea

ASIN: 0679720227
Release Date: 1991-05-07

Book Description

Elegantly styled, Camus' profoundly disturbing novel of a Parisian lawyer's confessions is a searing study of modern amorality.

Customer Reviews:

Probably Too Complicated To Fully Describe in a Brief Review Here.......2007-08-21

Albert Camus (1913 - 1960) was a French writer and philosopher. He is often associated with existentialism, but Camus rejected any ideological classification. Camus was a young recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature when he became the first African-born writer to receive the award in 1957. He died in a car crash only three years after receiving the award. He was a social activist and Communist, and fought with the French resistance in WWII. Later he rejected Communism. The present book is one of his last works.

Camus combined his philosophy with his writing skills to produce literary art. The end result is sometimes complicated. It takes a close and careful examination to see exactly what points he is trying to make. Camus descibed The Stranger as a story about someone who was telling the unvarnished truth, but it was more complicated than that.

For The Fall, the analysis needed to discuss the work is far beyond the scope of a simple one page review as we have here. I humbly suggest that those wishing to learn more about Camus and The Fall should read some of the lengthy analysis found elsewhere.

Back then to The Fall and two basic points. As most know, the present work is a monologue set in an Amsterdam bar and parts are set on a foggy winter evening. A former Paris lawyer tells his tale to a listener. This is not a novel as we think of a novel but a slightly confused story in prose. In any case, there are two major points and a few others that we do not have space to discuss.

The first is that Camus's ideas and his theory can be found in the non-fiction work The Myth of Sisyphus (Le Mythe de Sisyphe) (1942): it is about "the absurd sensitivity." That idea is continued here in The Fall. We cannot conclude that Camus "found religion" in the present work nor are there any changes in Camus's philosophy. Any idea that he found religion is a misunderstanding of Camus's method. To say he found religion or God would be a bit like having Dostoevsky come out as an aetheist in one of his final books, i.e.: impossible. Also, Camus remains involved in "the confrontation of this irrational and the wild longing for clarity whose call echoes in the human heart." This is a continuation of his past themes, but with a different setting and with a different plot and characters.

Secondly, a similarity exists in the existential condition of loneliness and isolation that is "man's lot" in this world without "transcendental hopes." So, the character of Jean-Baptiste Clamence brings us the monologue and he describes and he reacts to his inner discovery. He does so in an extremely ironic fashion - and that is part of the "art" part of the novel along with accepting the notion of the absurd.

Overall, this is a good book from Camus that takes only a few hours to read and probably will take much more time to understand. Some will want to read it a second time, or even three or four times. It is far more complicated than The Stranger, and it is less straighforward to read and understand.

This is one instance where you should look beyond the reviews here to get a deeper understanding of the work; and, it is probably best to read some of the detailed analysis found elswhere in critical books or on the net.

Superb Dramatic Monologue.......2007-06-12

As others have stated so far this is an interesting and deep novel, one that drags you into its questionable and illusory narration through the use of the first person monologue. With this in mind, the novel becomes necessarily more complex and demands the reader's attention at all times. Nothing should be taken for granted - not the speaker's ideologies, professed history, and certainly not the way in which he is talking to another character. The manner in which the tone and companionship moves throughout the novel is as important as anything else - do not for a second fall into the persistent trap of thinking that Monsieur Clamence is speaking to you, the reader.

The novel requires no extensive knowledge of philosophic topics in order to be appreciated, however, having that knowledge will only enrich the experience. Anyone with an interest in ethics, social roles, confession or simple artistic capability will enjoy this short, but dense novel.

On a final note, the novel presents a startling insight into the nature and power of confession, which is ultimately what Clamence is performing (reliable or not). Foucault's the History of Sexuality Part 1 speaks to this matter, one which is every bit as pertinent to the content and experience of *The Fall* as is any other philosophic or artistic reference, and one that is consistently relevant.

Not the First Choice for Camus Fans.......2007-01-12

Having read Albert Camus's two most famous novels, "The Stranger" and "The Plague", I had high expectations for "The Fall." However, this novel comes up a bit short compared with the others. Although Camus does capture the angst and insecurity of the protagonist through his "confession," the novel lacks the poignancy and coherency of his better works.

Perhaps I am being too harsh, though, for this is still a thought-provoking novel. In it, we are treated to a monologue by an ex-lawyer who is "confessing" his past transgressions to a potential client of his. The narrator, who gives himself the pseudo name Jean-Baptiste Clamence, is unreliable at best. He suffers from delusions of self-grandeur and an innate need for attention and self-importance. The reader is left to question the author's version of events, as his diatribes and confessions render an image of a selfish, self-absorbed man who views himself superior to all others. Indeed, his haughty and arrogant nature has maligned himself with his former colleagues and led to his "fall" from grace.

Although the narrator may be abhorrent in some respects, his weaknesses and failures lead us to ponder how we might behave in a similar situation. In particular is the episode of the woman and the bridge, where he walked away and never turned back after he heard a woman plunge into the Seine River. This haunts him the rest of his days, as he is deathly afraid of encountering a similar situation again. Perhaps it is not the thought of another woman drowning that haunts him, but the revelation that he would not jump in and rescue her merely because he does not want to become cold and wet.

The theme of judges and the ability to judge each other recurs throughout. In a literal sense, Jean has a stolen painting of "The Just Judges" in his abode, whose icy gaze looks out into his life. Indeed, he views himself as the ultimate judge of people, and is fearful of anyone rendering the same judgment upon him. Although an avowed atheist, it is his vague fear of the "Last Judgment" of God that troubles him the most, unlikely as it may be.

There is no action in this novel, as all events are conveyed in flashbacks by the narrator. Indeed, this is is merely one side of a conversation that takes place over a number of days in Amsterdam. At first, we are given a vague view of the narrator as he attempts to piece together his life story through flashbacks. As this jigsaw puzzle nears completion, we are at last rewarded with an understanding of the narrator and his failings. Yet, the story takes time to develop and is droll and dry at times.

Although "The Fall" may fall short in measuring up to Camus's other masterpieces, it is still worth the time to read it. Still, for a Camus novice, "The Plague" or "The Stranger" are better choices.

Clearing the air.......2006-05-12

It is essential to note that Camus was raised in the Catholic tradition, however widely he distanced himself from it in later life; he was not Jewish as a previous reviewer states, perhaps confusing only in that regard Camus with Elie Wiesel.

In all his work, Camus deals with the dilemma posed by the injustices suffered by all humanity. Believing himself faced with the choice between an all-powerful God who allows man's inhumanity to man and a benevolent God who seems powerless to prevent injustice, Camus chose no God at all. I can't agree with him--these two options are not the only possible explanations of injustice--but I respect the courage with which, time and again, Camus confronts us with the question: why do the innocent suffer?

In doing so, he is no respecter of persons, nor is Wiesel. Both are or were profoundly moved by injustice in all forms and instances, and each champions the human rights of all people.

Camuses Tour De Force?.......2006-03-03

For me I think that it is; the monologue style of the writing draws the reader in ever more progressively, it becomes a very personal read. The truth and objectivity of Camuses writing in 'The Fall' both suprises and enlightens, the mood of the book changes significantly from calm confident almost bravado like in the early stages to the complete opposite, the tearing apart though paradoxical is honest and endures on the readers feelings of past, present and future, certainly a book that you can go back to and read again and again.........at the end of the day we are all human and feel all those feelings that are rendered reading this book. I've got a soft spot for the French after reading this, I have a new respect for them...God bless translators

Fall of the Sith Empire (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi)

Average customer rating:

Predictable and boring
Absolutely TERRIBLE
O.K. visuals, story a little lacking
pitifully bad
Great Read!

Fall of the Sith Empire (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi)
Kevin J. Anderson , Mark Heike , and Various
Manufacturer: Dark Horse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Popular Culture | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Dark Horse | Publishers | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Star Wars | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

The Golden Age of the Sith (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi)
The Sith War (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Volume Three)
Star Wars: Jedi Vs. Sith
Knights of the Old Republic (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Volume One)
Dark Lords of the Sith (Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Volume Two)

ASIN: 1569713200

Book Description

The Sith Empire has rallied its forces for an all-out battle for control of the galaxy. Its goal: Crush the Republic. And with so many Sith Masters among them, the goal is not unachievable. As Naga Sadow readies his fleet to attack, one lone person threatens to undermine the entire campaign -- Jori Daragon. She isn`t a Jedi. She`s an explorer, a mapper of hyperspace who stumbled on the plans of the Sith. And she just may be the savior of the Republic.

Customer Reviews:

Predictable and boring.......2006-11-10

Welcome to what is at this writing still the earliest chapter in the history of the Star Wars universe, a tale set 5000 years before the adventures of the film series.

CAVEAT ONE
Before you consider buying this, be aware that this volume is but one half of the story and that the first half is available in The Golden Age of the Sith. This review covers both volumes.

CAVEAT TWO
If you're a pathological Star Wars collector, you'll buy this book regardless of its contents. If you're a Star Wars fan who wants to catch up on your history, save your money and read a summary of the events at Wookieepedia. If you're a discerning comics fan, then you must have found your way here by mistake. If so, don't stop. Keep moving. Everyone else, step right this way.

Despite a title that suggests something we never see, namely the glory days of the Sith Empire, author Kevin J Anderson came up with a promising premise. At opposite ends of the universe, the Sith Empire and the fledgling Republic seek to chart new futures, the Republic to end years of civil war and forge a new era of political and economic stability and growth, the Sith to revitalize their moribund Empire by throwing off their isolation and launching a new era of growth through conquest. In between are the innocents through which we view these events, a scholarly Jedi called to arms and a pair of young space navigators, brother and sister who through their explorations inadvertently open the hyperspace route across which the Sith reach to shake the foundations of the newly emergent Republic.

With a setting so far back in the past, Anderson has a wonderful opportunity to develop a good part of the Star Wars backstory. We find, for example, that the Sith were a separate species living on their own world in a relatively undeveloped culture that was then hijacked by a group of exiled Jedi who enslaved the Sith and built a new culture based on veneration of the Dark Force. Over the years these Jedi interbred with the Sith and a number of them left to conquer nearby worlds and create a system-wide Empire ruled by an all-powerful Dark Lord. The Jedi themselves are scholar-warriors closely aligned with political forces preserving civilization, pretty much the same as we have always known them, with one discernable difference - they don't carry lightsabers. And neither do the Sith.

They carry swords instead; swords made of steel. They also wear sandals, toga-like garments, and capes. They fly in spaceships that have sails, and the slavers have spaceships with oars. The Sith world of Korriban looks like it was cribbed from photos of Abu Simbel, with towering Pharaonic deities ensconced on thrones overlooking wide valleys and surrounded by sphinx-like guardians. In fact much of the costume and character design, from the scarab-like symbol of the Sith ruler to the elongated chins and goatees of the Sith, evokes Egypt in very obvious ways.

The artwork, provided across both volumes by Filipino Dario Carrasco, Jr., is not terribly remarkable. It's at best serviceable, in a style reminiscent of John Buscema, one of the iron men of the comic book industry who must have drawn tens of thousands of pages for Marvel for three decades beginning in the 60's. Carrasco, Jr.'s work benefits from a change in inkers and colorist in The Fall of the Sith Empire, where the lines become a little cleaner and the colors a bit more vibrant, but still it's not work that will ever be remembered or about which anyone has ever written more than a few sentences.

The same pedestrian touch is obvious in the writing. Kevin J Anderson wrote a few Star Wars novels in the 1990's and several of those books can regularly be found in "Worst SW Novels" lists. In this particular series Anderson has no protagonist, so he needs to develop his supporting players in order to give us more than just plot. Instead we get characters that are little more than props and literary devices. The Jedi scholar is the narrative frame, the brother-sister navigators the point-of-view characters and the vector of conflict, the Republic Queen and the Sith Lord wrestling opponents wearing good-guy / bad-guy personas. No one has any particular motivation except to get us to the next scene. There's nothing suspenseful or funny or touching or wondrous; it's storytelling about as developed and predictable as painting by numbers.

And with so many other comic books out there to read, you can surely find something more engaging, more worth you time and your money than this underdeveloped Star Wars adventure.

Happy hunting.

Absolutely TERRIBLE.......2006-08-03

As I stated in a previous Star Wars book review (`Yoda: Dark Rendezvous'), gems in the literary SW Universe are scarce, sparse, few, and far in-between - this graphic novel is no exception to that rule. In a nutshell, `The Fall of the Sith Empire' sucks. Hard. For some reason, the whole prehistoric, almost Egyptianesque, civilization of an ancient Republic and advanced technology (e.g. flying starships) just didn't mesh together in my opinion. I'm not saying the suspension of disbelief in such a setting is a futile effort for a reader, but the task becomes a lot harder to envision with the uninspired art and simpleton dialogue showcased throughout this graphic novel. Aside from all of that, the story is just, well, boring: twin hyperspace explorers cruise the galaxy, one of them gets kidnapped by a Sith, the Sith lord uses the other twin to infiltrate the Republic, and then the Jedi help defend the Republic against the Sith Empire. Same ole, same ole.

The pencils by Dario Carrasco are absolutely terrible, even for 1997, which is no excuse because there was some good art in `97. The mediocre artwork is one of the biggest blunders of this book (other than the writing). The characters in `The Fall' could have looked a lot better in the hands of another more capable artist. Carrasco's Naga Sadow looks like a tall, baldheaded, humanoid-simian that drank too much pink lemonade (in reference to the reddish-pink hue of Sadow's skin). I thought the Sith - the ancient Sith nonetheless - were supposed to be the ruthless, evil servants of the dark side? Dario Carrasco's rendition of Naga Sadow portrays a silly and cowardly villain who lacks any true substance. The flagships and starship fleets are appallingly dreadful: some of them look like giant flying insects, while the plain nature of others will make you sarcastically wonder, "Well, there was no reason for any detail now was there?"

The other major problem with `The Fall of the Sith Empire' is a problem that plagues much of the SW Universe, and that problem is insipid and unimaginative stories. Keeping in mind that, as far as the SW Universe is concerned, it's pretty much all been done before and the fact that there's very little left to explore in Lucas' cash cow franchise, every now and then someone can find a nugget of creativity to weave a story of some imaginative proportions in Star Wars Land. There were no nuggets for this team of creators, and besides, it's 2006 and we all know that SW is no longer just a movie, but a way for Lucas to make more and more money. The artwork sucks; the characters are bland; the story is literally the SAME OLD story told in Star Wars (Republic vs. Sith Empire) whether ancient or contemporary; and the dialogue of the story is paper-thin.

Imagine what characters like Empress Teta, Memit Nadill, or Naga Sadow would've looked like in the hands of Frank Quiteley, Sean Chen, Sam Keith, or Ladronn. I don't know if the alien Jedi Odan-Urr is a retarded excuse of a character period, or if he's that way in the incapable hands of Carassco. Either way, Odan-Urr looks like the world's first bucktoothed alien with a huge overbite...and no lower jaw. He's absolutely the worst, dumbest, and goofiest-looking Jedi I've ever seen. And Odan-Urr's master Ooroo (gotta love those SW names) is a Jedi Master that's a talking brain in a crystalline vat of fluid...???

Besides the pencil work and inks, the colors were putrid - they're basically off-color pastels. Think children's plastic Easter eggs pastels...or thrown-up taffies of different colors. Yeah. That coupled with the boring artwork makes for a simply illustrious visual joyride...

The entire story feels rushed in a sense, perhaps not in the original issue-by-issue format; but read in the linear context of a graphic novel with no ads to interrupt the adventure, the plot sometimes moves at a needless breakneck speed. Panels make enormous leaps in elapsed time from panel-to-panel, adding to the rushed sense one gets while reading `The Fall'. Not to mention, the bland characterizations and tired seen-it-before plot along with the rushed story double the hurried effect.

Literally, writer Kevin Anderson's writing is on par with George Lucas' screenwriting abilities. The characters are dense, flat, and uninspired. One of the things Mr. Anderson should've learned from the first SW movies is that having twins in a space opera sounds good, but making the idea 100% is another thing. You have Luke and Leia; Jacen and Jaina; and in this story, Gav and Jori (what "incredible" names) - the whole twin thing in Star Wars really needs to stop. As I said before, the dialogue in this novel is just atrocious. Lines like, "I am ruler of the Sith Empire and no one can stop me," make Naga Sadow sound like a complete wiener and a villain one sees on childish cartoons: not a Dark Lord of the Sith.

I don't know if anyone agrees with me out there, but there are certain things about the SW-EU (Expanded Universe) that shouldn't have been created, like `Jedi battle meditation': that's stupid and to save it from complete ridicule, sounds a lot dumber than what it is. I like the part in the graphic novel where one of the soldiers fighting for Empress Teta tells Odan-Urr, who's on the sideline doing battle meditation at the moment, to stop sitting around and get out there and fight with the rest of them. I agree.

All in all, I think `The Fall of the Sith Empire' was a good idea that just wasn't executed correctly. No wonder `The Fall of the Sith Empire' is out of print: it needs to stay that way.

O.K. visuals, story a little lacking.......2005-08-23

This TBP is the second in the Tales of the Jedi story, if you are going chronologically in star wars time. It takes place a 1,000 years before the original Tales of the Jedi, and takes place a week or so after "Golden Age of the Sith". Out of the "TOTJ" series, it is one of the worst, but still better than most of the TBP's out there. I reccommend it for people trying to complete their TOTJ collection, not for a stand-alone read.

pitifully bad.......2005-05-18

don't waste your time. i just read through all the tales of the jedi books and this one is by far the worst, and is horribly bad. i know you might get it because you, like i did, want to read them all...but trust me you'll only be wasting time and money on this one it's that bad.

Great Read!.......2003-10-14

I do not agree with any of the negative past reviews given here. I thought Fall of the Sith Empire was a fitting conclusion to the setup in The Golden Age of the Sith. The information within and its events lead up to other comic and Star Wars storylines. It is told more like a story passed down for generations, a feeling I think the author wanted. In actuallity it is a story told from the events known to a young jedi who is now a master. He is later seen, much older, in the Dark lords of the Sith series (the story of Exar Kun).So there is not great detail in points that do not need more info. You are getting the basic story as to what happened and why, and that is great. No one else has tried to tackle this era in the Star Wars history. Also, i think the art work is justified in its rought style. The setting is in the SW past, and the story is not overly detailed; these characteristics lead to a rough look that was very satisfying. It would not be perfect like the Star Wars present and future time periods. People are entitled to their opinions, but I think some missed the point when actually figuring out why elements of the comic where done in certain ways.

Average customer rating:

No Need for This Notes
the best
Life as he knew it, was not to be
"Things Fall Apart", is an ok book, it is very elaberant

Things Fall Apart (Cliffs Notes)
John Chua , and Suzanne Pavlos
Manufacturer: Cliffs Notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

African | History & Criticism | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Notes | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Literature & Fiction | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Reference | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Cliffs Notes | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Literature & Fiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Reference | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Things Fall Apart: A Novel
Things Fall Apart (MAXNotes Literature Guides) (REA) (MAXnotes)
All Quiet on the Western Front (Cliffs Notes)
CliffsNotes on Conrad's Heart of Darkness & The Secret Sharer
Golding's the Lord of the Flies (Cliffs Notes)

ASIN: 0764586475

Book Description

The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format.

In CliffsNotes on Things Fall Apart, you explore the ground-breaking work of author Chinua Achebe, considered by many to be the most influential African writer of his generation. The novel, amazing in its authenticity, leaves behind the stereotypical portrayals of African life and presents the Igbo culture of Nigeria in all its remarkable complexity.

Chapter summaries and commentaries take you through Achebe's world, and critical essays give you insight into the novel's themes and use of language. Other features that help you study include

Character analyses of the main characters
A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters
A section on the life and background of Chinua Achebe
A review section that tests your knowledge
A Resource Center full of books, articles, films, and Internet sites

Classic literature or modern modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.

Download Description

Considered by many to be the most influential African writer of his generation, Achebe's works have been translated into more than 45 languages. This story paints a sweeping picture of Nigeria, informing the world of the dense riches of the country and culture.

Customer Reviews:

No Need for This Notes.......2007-02-07

Things Fall Apart is an easy book to read. This CliffsNotes are not really needed. Besides that, I'd like to say a couple of things. In page 98, the chapters "Choosing a Language" and "The Use of English" explain why Achebe chose to write his book in English. I think it is a contradiction. If one (or the main) of Achebe's purpose writing this book was to restore dignity to the Igbo culture, the first thing he could have chosen to do is to write the book in his own language. I come from Catalonia and our language has been prosecuted for so many years. I know what I am talking about. If Catalans chose to write in Spanish because it is a majority language, Catalan would be dead by now. It is a matter of integrity. In fact, if the book was good at all -but written in Igo language-, it would have been translated into English or any other language. Second, the brief synopsis is a plot spoiler. I would have liked to be told they were about to tell me how the end of the book goes. Anyway, this is a review about the CliffsNotes, which are good, although not necessary for an easy book to read. If I was about to review Achebe's book itself, I would not give it more than 2 stars.
One thing I still do not understand though is why ClifssNotes are still being printed, when they can be read for free at their own website. I mean, I bought this book, but found out later about the free online service, which is exactly the same text printed on paper

the best.......2001-08-07

a book for anyone. things fall apart needs to be read by an open minded person...seeking to learn, share and understand. those who aren't open cannot hope to grasp its depth.

Life as he knew it, was not to be.......1999-07-02

Achebe comes across as a prolofic and impartial writer who meticulously documents the Igbo lifestyle in a western traditional realist genre. His sketches evoke a sense of pride yet displeasure at the Igbo 'rituals' and values which we seet through Okonkwo's and Nwoye's eyes, respectively. People who have lost their identity and are in search of their roots will find this book enlightening. The lesson I have gleaned from 'Things Fall Apart' is nothing in life is permanent and therefore whilst I try to cling on to what I have now, I must be open to new ideas and influences which I could learn to adapt to.

"Things Fall Apart", is an ok book, it is very elaberant.......1999-02-05

I recommend this book for Sophmores in High School, I read it in the 7th grade

Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1: Rise & Fall of the Shi'ar Empire

Average customer rating:

Just not what I was expecting
Brilliant!
Underwhelming

Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1: Rise & Fall of the Shi'ar Empire
Ed Brubaker
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

X-Men | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Superheroes | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Marvel | Publishers | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

X-Men Vol. 1: Supernovas
Incredible Hulk: Planet Hulk
New Avengers Vol. 6: Revolution
X-Men: Phoenix - Warsong
Annihilation, Book 3 (Marvel Comics)

ASIN: 0785125159

Book Description

A brand-new era for Uncanny X-Men begins here! Fresh off X-Men: Deadly Genesis, Ed Brubaker takes the helm of Marvel's mighty mutants. Billy Tan and Clayton Henry joins Ed for a story that won't just affect Earth, but will rock the foundations of the entire galaxy! Vulcan is out for revenge and has his sights set on the Shi'ar Empire! Get ready for the ride of your life! A perfect starting point for any new reader! Collects Uncanny X-Men #475-486.

Customer Reviews:

Just not what I was expecting.......2007-09-10

I was super excited to hear that Brubaker would be writing Uncanny X-Men. He's easily one of my favorite writers and I am a fan of everything that he writes. However, it just didn't live up to what he's capable of.
For one, the plotting and pacing were far too slack for a story this size. An epic arc needs to be EPIC, and it just didn't have the scope. There were a good portion of the arc that just didn't move, or moved at the last page, and even then the payoff wasn't very good. This whole arc could have been resolved in half as many issues.
The other thing was how shallow Vulcan is as a character. Deadly Genesis was rather bland at his characterization, but he's given no motivation for his actions or his personality. It's just a stew of cliches mashed together for the purpose of the story.
But, before I say that I hated this entire arc, I will say that the characterizations of the rest of the cast are well thought out, and that Billy Tan turns in very good work, bolstered by the amazing coloring work of Frank D'Armata.
It's a very mixed bag, and, to be honest, if you like Brubaker, pick it up if you want, but overall, it's a serviceable X-Men story that delivers on its premise and succeeds in setting up an interesting new status quo.

Brilliant!.......2007-08-12

i wont give to much of the plot away, but this is one of the greatest Xmen storys i've ever read. the way Brubaker bought together such a different x team (warpath, rachael summers, polaris, havok, darwin and the professor) created a strong platform, from which brilliant characterisation could grow. Warpath and Darwin are just amazing. throughout the collection, we see darwin really come into his own right as potentially the one of the greatest x men. i cant rate this book highly enough. It's so huge and cinematic in it's scope i found myself totally absorbed.
Art? un-believable. Billy tan was given his chance to really shine in a mainstream series, and he absolutely kills it! i've never seen such impressive action, subtle expression through dialogue scenes and attenion to detail.

buy this book. and smile cause you know it wont let you down, no matter how many times you re-read it!

Underwhelming.......2007-08-04

Ed Brubaker's (Captain America, Daredevil, Sleeper) run on Uncanny X-Men begins here in this deluxe sized hardcover space opera. Rise & Fall of the Shi'ar Empire picks up where the pieces of Brubaker's X-Men: Deadly Genesis mini-series left off, as forgotten Summers brother Vulcan is back and out for revenge, and has hopes of using the Shi'ar to his advantage to do so. Before you can say intergalactic, the X-Men are out in space and up to their necks in trouble as well; all of which culminates in one quite underwhelming finale. That's what the most disappointing thing about Rise & Fall of the Shi'ar Empire is; it appears that Brubaker is setting things up for a massive payoff that never quite comes to fruition. The end comes, and when it does, there's nothing really set in stone and are left feeling as if there's more to the story, which of course, there always is. The artwork from Billy Tan and Clayton Henry is pretty good though, and there's enough action and mayhem to satisfy many a X-Men fan, so the book isn't a total loss. All in all, Rise & Fall of the Shi'ar Empire is worth a look for longtime X-Men readers, but the end result is pretty underwhelming.

Average customer rating:

Just another great Rankin/Rebus to puzzle over
Good story, good telling, somewhat repetitive
A Good 'Puzzle' for Rebus!
You Can Never Get Enough of John Rebus
Great Page Turner

The Falls: An Inspector Rebus Novel
Ian Rankin
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Series | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Set in Darkness: An Inspector Rebus Novel (Inspector Rebus Novels)
The Hanging Garden (An Inspector Rebus Novel)
Dead Souls: An Inspector Rebus Novel (Inspector Rebus Novels)
A Question of Blood: An Inspector Rebus Novel (Inspector Rebus Mysteries)
Black and Blue: An Inspector Rebus Mystery (Inspector Rebus Novels)

ASIN: 0312982402

Amazon.com

Edinburgh police detective John Rebus, Ian Rankin's popular series detective, is a brilliantly realized character, as moody, dark, and melancholy as Edinburgh itself. In The Falls, he's almost certain that missing university student Philippa Balfour is dead, but he's less sure how she died or what her misadventure has to do with the tiny doll in a hand-sized coffin that turns up near a waterfall on the Balfour family estate. It's not the first coffin found near the scene of a crime; could Philippa be the victim of a serial killer? The only other lead the police have is a cryptic e-mail from someone called Quiz Master, inviting Philippa--and then constable Siobhan Clarke, who responds using Philippa's screen name--to join him in a bizarre scavenger hunt that might lead Clarke to Philippa's body, her killer, or her own death.

This time out Rebus has a new boss, who's no happier with his unorthodox style or impolitic attitude toward the Edinburgh establishment than his last one was. But even under department suspension, Rebus manages to tie a number of seemingly disparate and unconnected clues together and deliver a killer in a scene that even the most discerning reader may not see coming until it jumps off the page. A bestseller in the U.K., The Falls is Rankin's best yet. --Jane Adams

Book Description

When the privileged daughter of a merchant banker disappears, a search through her e-mails uncovers her secret life-and a bizarre correspondence with an on-line game player who delights in macabre puzzles. The first game was for the girl. The next one is for Inspector John Rebus, a man haunted by the impenetrable riddles of his own troubled past. But the lead is soon complicated by an unexpected twist.

A hand-carved wooden doll in an eight-inch coffin is found on the grounds of the victim's home-a clue that links her vanishing to the deaths of four other women, and to a centuries-old offense that still scars the grisly history of Edinburgh.

From the shadowy world of an Internet stalker to the quicksand of lies in the missing girl's dissolute family, Rebus is led into the soul of evil. And to a shattering crime that only he, a man who treads the fine line between investigative brilliance and personal oblivion, could ever hope to understand.

Customer Reviews:

Just another great Rankin/Rebus to puzzle over .......2006-08-09

A wealthy young college socialite has gone missing, and a miniture coffin has been found near her home. Rebus is trying to settle in with his new DCS (Gill Templer) while working out how to handle their prior relationship. At the same time he is having his apartment made ship-shape so that he can put it on the market, though he has no idea where he wants to move. He is also becoming involved with Jean, who is a curator (and PhD) at the Scottish Museum.

While reviewing the MisPers (missing persons) computer, Siobhan has found that she was involved in a role playing game. Could this be related to her disappearance? Is her on/off boyfriend involved, and what about his and her parents situations.

As with all Rebus mysteries, there are a lot of 'red herrings' to be eliminated, as well as trying to hold onto the actual clues. When the MisPer turns up dead, the stakes get higher as Rebus guesses that this may be related to a thirty-year murder spree. Typically, the ending is violent, but for a change Rebus only ends up with a sprained ankle.

It's a grand story for laddies and lassies alike. Slainte.

Good story, good telling, somewhat repetitive.......2006-06-23

There are several ways to use repetition in a novel: to show different angles of an object or event, to add detail to an ongoing process, or to create atmosphere. Rankin tries for the latter, giving us the patently effective formula of 1/2 technical mystery and 1/2 cerebral soap opera, but this book goes on a bit long in the second half especially. The mystery itself is reasonably solid but guessable by readers with experience in the UK (Scotland is not England) style of mystery writing. What salvages this as always is the contrast between the insuppressible Rebus and the system of predictability around him, and the details such as the brightly insightful Siobhan Clarke. Still, it is better than most books written in this genre, and its scenes are more artfully constructed to stay in memory, as are its playful indulgences with language.

A Good 'Puzzle' for Rebus!.......2006-05-05

'The Falls' was my introduction to the Rebus book series. I'd seen a few of the TV adapatations, which were OK, but when I realized how many changes were made(The TV version of 'The Falls' is almost unrecognizable), I wanted to see if I could find any of the original material.
I enjoyed getting to know the complex characters, and I didn't feel like I was bagged down by too much of their history from previous books. Rebus has asome very interesting strengths and shortcomings, and both he and Siobhan balance some delicate personal and professional conflicts in this story.
The plot of 'The Falls' was easy enough to follow(Why would anyone who only read three pages bother reviewing it?), and I was intrigued by some of the background info involving the coffins to look up the real-life nineteenth century murder spree mentioned in this story.
Granted, some of the internet references weren't perfect(confusing e-mails with instant messages),and while some have said the 'office politics' of the Edinburgh police were the strength of the book, I couldhave done with slightly less of it in later chapters. Still, it was a good way to mix 'old' and 'new' techniques in crimefighting and crime fiction.
So, while this may not have been the best jumping-on point for a 'Rebus' newbie, I'll be back for more!

You Can Never Get Enough of John Rebus.......2005-01-05

Edinburgh Detective Inspector John Rebus is the kind of anti-hero you hate to love. He's a rule breaking fuse ready to go off at the drop of a dime. He's a loser at love, listens to rock music, drinks too much, worries about getting old, shuns exercise and anything remotely healthy. He's also very, very good at what he does, and that is catching crooks.

Philippa "Flip" Balfour the daughter of a rich investment banker disappears and, of course, her boyfriend is a prime suspect. So also is one of her father's colleagues, but then a weird tiny hadn card doll in a miniture coffin is found and Rebus realises he faces more than an isolated case. And DC Siobhan Clarke volunteers to pursues clues left by an Internet role-playing gamer, by taking on Flip's identity in the game.

The intricate puzzle, masterful pacing and magical description of Edinburhg are guaranteed to keep you flipping through the pages, reading like a ball afire, charging toward the thrilling climax. Rankin is a pro, he never disappoints.

Great Page Turner.......2004-09-28

I picked up The Falls while on a weekend getaway and do not feel sorry about this. The book starts slowly and at the beginning the story sounds like something I've read in other crime fictions. However, I quickly got more than involved with the details in the story - from finding a reality internet game ring leader to solving the mystery of the wooden coffins. Rebus' character is hard not to like - a detective near retirement who has his own principles and vices and who also listens only to his own instincts. If you have free time or just want to read an entertaining book go for the Falls.

Average customer rating:

Great Superman story

Superman: Camelot Falls, Vol. 1
Kurt Busiek
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Superheroes | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Superman | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

DC Comics | Publishers | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Superman: Back in Action
Superman: Up, Up, and Away! (One Year Later)
Superman: Emperor Joker
Justice, Vol. 2
All Star Superman, Vol. 1

ASIN: 1401212042

Book Description

The Man of Steel has returned to Metropolis, but he won't havea minute to settle in before trouble begins! As Superman battles to rout Intergang out of his beloved city, he alsofaces trouble with Lois, looming problems involving Lana Lang and adangerous new discovery in Kazakhstan. Get ready for an action-packed sagathat tears a swath across Eastern Europe!

Customer Reviews:

Great Superman story.......2007-05-30

This is how Superman should be: heroic yet human. I don't have much else to say except, if you like Superman, you should probably get this story. Although, wait for the second volume to come out as this one is only the first half.

Average customer rating:

Environmental concerns
Compelling beginning.
Loved it - Haunting
Way too long
as compelling as the falls themselves

The Falls: A Novel (P.S.)
Joyce Carol Oates
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Missing Mom : A Novel
Middle Age: A Romance
Blonde: A Novel
Rape: A Love Story
The Gravedigger's Daughter

ASIN: 0060722290
Release Date: 2005-08-02

Book Description

It is 1950 and, after a disastrous honeymoon night, Ariah Erskine's young husband throws himself into the roaring waters of Niagara Falls. Ariah, "the Widow Bride of the Falls," begins a relentless seven-day vigil in the mist, waiting for his body to be found. At her side is confirmed bachelor and pillar of the community Dirk Burnaby, who is unexpectedly drawn to her. What follows is a passionate love affair, marriage, and family -- a seemingly perfect existence. But tragedy soon takes over their lives, poisoning their halcyon years with distrust, greed, and murder.

Set against the mythic-historic backdrop of Niagara Falls in the mid-twentieth century, this haunting exploration of the American family in crisis is a stunning achievement from "one of the great artistic forces of our time" ( The Nation).

This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

Download Description

A stunning, major achievement from Joyce Carol Oates, ""one of the great artistic forces of our time"" ( The Nation). A haunting story of the powerful spell Niagara Falls casts upon two generations of a family, leading to tragedy, love, loss, and, ultimately, redemption.

A man climbs over the railings and plunges into Niagara Falls. A newlywed, he has left behind his wife, Ariah Erskine, in the honeymoon suite the morning after their wedding. ""The Widow Bride of The Falls,"" as Ariah comes to be known, begins a relentless, seven-day vigil in the mist, waiting for his body to be found. At her side throughout, confirmed bachelor and pillar of the community Dirk Burnaby is unexpectedly transfixed by the strange, otherworldly gaze of this plain, strange woman, falling in love with her though they barely exchange a word. What follows is their passionate love affair, marriage, and children -- a seemingly perfect existence.

But the tragedy by which their life together began shadows them, damaging their idyll with distrust, greed, and even murder. What unfurls is a drama of parents and their children; of secrets and sins; of lawsuits, murder, and, eventually, redemption. As Ariah's children learn that their past is enmeshed with a hushed-up scandal involving radioactive waste, they must confront not only their personal history but America's murky past: the despoiling of the landscape, and the corruption and greed of the massive industrial expansion of the 1950s and 1960s.

Set against the mythic-historic backdrop of Niagara Falls, Joyce Carol Oates explores the American family in crisis, but also America itself in the mid-twentieth century. As in We Were the Mulvaneys, a ""darkly engrossing novel"" ( Washington Post Book World), she examines what happens when the richly interwoven relationships of parents and their children are challenged by circumstances outside the family.

The Falls is a love story gone wrong and righted, and it alone places Joyce Carol Oates definitively in the company of the great American novelists.

Customer Reviews:

Environmental concerns.......2007-07-25

What is the lure of Niagra Falls and what is the cost of a Love Canal suit? Joyce Carol Oates is a fabulous and prolific novelist. If this book were written by anyone else, the person would be famous.

Six feet tall, twenty-one hours married, Gilbert Erskine throws himself into Horseshoe Falls and Ariah Gilbert becomes a widow. Gilbert had been a Presbyterian minister. The couple had driven to Niagra Falls from Troy, New York.

Joyce Carol Oates is a genius, superb at portraying the subjective states of her characters. She leads us, her readers, to identify with them. She doesn't observe boundaries. For her, in her writing, boundaries don't seem to exist. Intensity is derived, (and she is realistic here), from the shock of experiencing extremes, i.e. an ordinary person encounters something extraordinary.

It goes without saying that the widow-bride is alone. It is honeymoon season at Niagra Falls-- June. The Falls give normal people fantasies of heroic roles. Bereft, Ariah Erskine resembles a figure in a Winslow Homer painting. She keeps a vigil at The Falls, awaiting the discovery of Gilbert's body. Dirk Burnaby is a young lawyer who waits by The Falls with Ariah.

Later Dirk follows Ariah to Troy. They marry and go to live at Luna Park, Niagra Falls. A son, Chandler, is born. Seven years later another son, Royall, is born, and still later, a daughter, Juliet.

Dirk Burnaby has learned that his wife is excitable. He ends up taking on the Love Canal case. Locally it is known as the Olshaker case. Dirk learns to his horror that his own family has a connection to the Olshaker tragedy. The case consumes him, he feels as if he has entered an underworld. He is snubbed by colleagues. His mistake is that he has failed to gauge the moral rot of his adversaries.

Later, Ariah, a widow again, is a red-haired graying woman giving piano lessons. The children are one, four, and eleven when she moves to her current house. Subsequent events show in interesting detail the adroit control of the author in relating the Burnaby story used to illustrate her themes of compulsion and loss.

Compelling beginning........2007-07-23

"The Falls" is an excellent starting point for enjoying Oates fiction. It is relatively easy to read and has a compelling beginning, in its tale of the aftermath of a disastrous honeymoon night. Another particular strength of this novel is its portrayal of the deep emotional ties that bind mother and children despite a very flawed mother. The historical dimension is an added plus; the history of the city of Niagara Falls, while unique, is also a reflection of the history of many US industrial cities. At the same time, I wish I had read this novel before visiting the Falls.

No one would describe Oates' prose as elegant, but she provides an emotional wallop without being maudlin, some very effective images, and she can be wordy without being dull. One thing that bothered me is the apparent total dependence of Ariah's sexuality on alcohol. For a strikingly different novel abut a failed honeymoon night, in style as well story, see Ian McEwan's "On Chisel Beach".

Loved it - Haunting.......2007-06-13

I loved this book - listened to it on tape.
There were several storylines left undone....Royale's encounter with Nina, Chandler's parentage, Ariah's family, etc.
Those threads left many possible storylines.

Way too long.......2007-04-14

I "read" this book in audio form, and it was just way too long. Not really exciting, nor gripping. That said, I did finish it, hoping for a astonishing closing.--It didn't happen. It follows a woman and her family from her pre-marriage days, into her early 60's. The main character gets stranger and stranger, yet her children still have unfailing love for her. Which is admirable. But it isn't a novel you finish and say, "Wow. That was great" and pass along to someone else. Don't waste your time.

as compelling as the falls themselves.......2007-04-11

For me, this was a compulsive read; I hated to put it down, and I longed to get back to it. The Falls ... and its surrounding landscape (the rapids, the Gorge, the whirlpool) ... is as much of a character as the people in the novel. Oates's descriptions of Niagara are dead on gorgeous, haunting, and compelling. At least for me, the most dramatic part of the novel is the beginning, with its suicide, but the narrative that follows is solid and interesting as Oates explores dark family relationships, fears, and compulsions. The story ends somewhat apruptly, but yet, I'm not sure it could end differently. The epilogue, however, redeems what could have been unsatisfying, providing a capstone to the lives of the Burnaby family.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books