Dark Hunger

Average customer rating:

DARK HUNGER

A COMIC Book, not funny

Love the Manga format of Feehan's novel Hot Blooded!

Romance Comic Book

FEEHAN GOES MANGA!!

Dark Hunger
Christine Feehan
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0425217833

Book Description

The New York Times bestselling author's Carpathian classic goes Manga!

Christine Feehan has reinvented the vampire novel with her New York Times bestselling Carpathian series. Now she and Berkley take her "out-of-the-ordinary" (Booklist) in a thrilling new direction--and this time it's more graphic than ever.

Riordan is an immortal Carpathian male, trapped and caged, his honor compromised by his captors. They're in his mind. They're in his blood. And not one can withstand his desire for revenge.

Juliette is an activist devoted to liberating animals from a secret jungle lab. What she stumbles upon is a prisoner like no other. She will release him from his bonds. He will release her from her inhibitions.

Customer Reviews:

DARK HUNGER.......2007-10-09

THE ONLY THING I LIKED ABOUT THIS BOOK IS THAT IT IS ONE OF CHRISTINE FEEHAN'S STORIES, I DID NOT WANT TO READ A COMIC BOOK! I THOUGHT I BOUGHT A NOVEL. I WAS VERY,VERY DISSAPPOINTED. I AM SENDING IT BACK.

A COMIC Book, not funny.......2007-10-08

For the first time I returning a book. This is a bad joke. It is a comic book, looks stupid, was not even interested in attempting to read this... Would appreciate warning on preorders to avoid this junk again.

Love the Manga format of Feehan's novel Hot Blooded!.......2007-10-06

I loved the book Hot Blooded when it came out years ago and I'm thrilled that it came out again in Manga. Ever since my teen boys introduced me to graphic novels I've enjoyed reading a few of their "comic books." So it was great fun to see one of my favorite authors (and books) out in a new format. Now if we could just go see a Feehan novel made into a movie on the big screen I would be totally ecstatic. All of her books would be such fantastic movies. I love seeing a book I love out in other formats. The pictures are great... thank you to a wonderful artist and I like that they stayed true to the original book. I totally enjoyed the Manga. And my three boys are excited for the new format too. I would love to see more of Feehan's books done in Manga. In fact I would love to see them start with Dark Prince and do the entire Dark Series in Manga. That would be so Amazing!

Romance Comic Book.......2007-10-06

I knew that Christine was going to release a comic book.This was something different then reading the actual book.Reading as a comic book is straight to the point and a little fast.I like that she was willing to try this way,but for me I like to use my own imagination when Im reading.Dont get me wrong this is good comic book ....but ONLY for those who love comic books.Recommended for those who love pictures with their stories:)

FEEHAN GOES MANGA!!.......2007-10-05

I loved it!! This is a great manga and stayed true to her story "Dark Hunger" from the Hot Blooded anthology. The pictures are very well done and I was happy to find a teen rating on this. Yet another way to enjoy the dark books!

I think it is very odd that so many reviewers had trouble telling that this was a manga before buying. I guess amazon should have put "manga" or "graphic novel" instead of "paperback". However, it isn't Feehan's fault and I think it is VERY mean to blame her. She made it very clear what people were getting on her website and newsletter. Don't bash her because you don't like comic books.

Yes this book is a RE-ISSUE, she already wrote the book. If you want to read the novel get Hot Blooded. If you are looking for the new Dark Book this year get Dark Possession in hardcover. If you are looking for paperbacks get Dark Celebration. Already read um? Try Safe Harbor or Deadly Game for more Feehan enjoyment. Leave the manga to those who will enjoy it!

Average customer rating:

One of the ten best novels of all time
bad translation?
An Inspiring Read ...
A True Classic by a True Pioneer
Forever timeless

Hunger: A Novel
Knut Hamsun
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Journey to the End of the Night (New Directions Paperbook)
Mysteries (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics)
Death on the Installment Plan
Ask the Dust (P.S.)
Growth of the Soil (Penguin Classics)

ASIN: 0374525285

Book Description

Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Originally published in 1890, this classic of modern literature follows an impoverished Norwegian writer through the streets of Christiania (now Olso) as he struggles on the edge of starvation. Existing on what little money he makes from selling the occasional article to the local paper, and down to pawning the clothes on his back, the young writer slowly loses control of his reason and begins to slip increasingly into bouts of madness, paranoia, and despair.

A gripping portrait of an artist struggling for integrity, Hunger mirrors the dire straits of Hamsun's own life when he brought this, his then incomplete first novel, to a publisher in 1888.

Customer Reviews:

One of the ten best novels of all time.......2007-10-02

First published in 1890, Hunger is the story of an impoverished writer starving in the streets of Christiania (Oslo). Predating 20th Century stories of homelessness, alienation, and despair, at a time when the prolix, mannered stories of the Victorian writers held sway, Hansun's writing must have been a bit of a shock to first encounter, not that a lot of readers would have encountered it since it was written in Norwegian. Humsun's writing is clear, spare, honest, intimate and punishing. He has a story to tell and he actually wants to tell it, which sets him apart from many very successful modern writers, who seem to have little to say but wish to impress by saying it at length and with a studied obscurity. There isn't much ennui, angst, or navel-gazing in this story either. The protagonist knows what he wants to do (write), knows that he is good at it, but just cannot earn enough money to keep himself fed, clothed, or housed. He is willing to work at anything but cannot find a job. He does sell the odd article to newspapers, but this just gives him enough money to stave off dereliction for a week or so. He gradually spirals down to the nether regions of society, having pawned everything of value, including his winter clothing. The uncompromising, unsentimental depiction of grinding poverty and what it does to individuals, families, and, ultimately, society, is timeless. Hamsun, winner of the Nobel Prize for literature in 1920, lived the bleak, frustrating life of his protagonist, not for the three or four months depicted in the novel, but for ten years, finally breaking through with the publication of Hunger. Other brilliant novels (Pan, Mysteries, Growth of the Soil), plays, and essays were to follow. Despite the gruelling trials experienced by the protagonist, this is not a depressing book. On the contrary, it is peppered with offbeat, improbable humour. One can't help liking this self-destructive yet admirable and intriguing character, and hoping that he will succeed. And the writing; it doesn't get any better than this. (Note. This review refers to the Robert Bly translation.)

bad translation?.......2007-07-22

many have suggested that this edition is a bad translation... I HOPE SO cuz this book sux. realism is a wasted artistic technique if its dreadfully dull. why waste the time and money to read some one complaining for 200+ pages. its not interesting or entertaining.

mysteries is a MUCH better book. Ama-thoughtpolice-zon has pulled that review stand because I kept bring up Hamsuns pubic and well documented support of german bad guys from WW2. yunno the ones.

An Inspiring Read ..........2007-07-20

There is not much more that I could say that hasn't already been said about this book. Hamson didn't win the Nobel Prize for nothing. Hamsun firmly believed in "unselfish inwardness" when constructing a character. This is not to be confused with over-exposure, as his unselfish approach gives the reader more insight into the character's mind and methodologies, their weaknesses and strengths, hopes, dreams, and the ultimate futility of being who they are. Stunning! But I do disagree with the often-stated fact that this story is plotless - what is plot anyway? The movement from point A to point B. So by that very definition, this story has plot in abundance. Can our protagonist survive himself? Can he find any shred of incentive to make a change in his life, pull himself out of the mire, and actually achieve his greater self?

The writing is inspiring, uncluttered, fluid, and familiar. The scenery is spare, focusing on how the narrator's surroundings affect him more so than how they appear to him. And there is also a great deal of action, albeit unconventional action. There are no dramatic chases, lives lost, bar brawls, or any other such thing. The action occurs almost exclusively within the psyche of the narrator, even benign everyday engagements on the street with shop owners and strangers become almost a duel of wills, replete with swordplay, each thought and word parrying the other. Even the subconscious arguments with his own ego become a battle to the death. And lastly, the metaphoric imagery: Not being able to control the vomiting as you gnaw on the scraped bones of your life. Brilliant!

The first person narrative allows you to dig in deeply and immerse yourself in the madness first hand, almost as if you were one of the narrator's alter egos. And you might often find yourself screaming back at him. An inspiring, joyful read. Joyful you say, since the story is nothing but suffering. Yes ... Self-awareness need not be an ugly disdainful process, even though it might appear that way most of the time, for when it is achieved, there is only Joy that remains.

A True Classic by a True Pioneer.......2007-05-04

Like Dostoyevsky and Nietzsche before him, Hamsun was a true pioneer in not just literature but also modern thought. At the time this book was first published in Norway (circa 1890) the 'first person' novel was not very common at all to say the least. 'Hunger' is a semi-autobiographical work, describing a young and egocentric writer and his descent into near madness as a result of hunger and poverty. The novel takes place in the Norweigan capital of Kristiana (modern day Oslo) about a decade before the end of the 19th century. Our hero struggles to survive as he wanders aimlessly about - unemployed and unable to find work, in poor and failing health, practically homeless, and completely without anything but the tattered clothes on his back - hungering not just for subsistence, but perhaps more importantly, hungering for inspiration, dignity, and self-discovery.

If this book sounds a tad depressing, let me be the first to tell you, it is. However, please don't let that restrain you from reading this amazing piece of literature.

There is no doubt about it, Knut Hamsun was way ahead of his time. I believe that if it were not for writers such as him (along w/ a handful of others like Dostoevsky, Kafka, Mann, etal...) there wouldn't have been a Fante, Kerouac, Bukowski, Toole, etal... This is the first novel (I am half way through his Nobel Prize winning "The Growth of Soil" which I love up to this point) I have read of Hamsun. I originally became inspired to read his novels after reading John Fante (a.k.a. Bukowski's God) and learning that this was his greatest influence as a writer (interesting to note, that Ernest Hemingway himself also once wrote 'Hamsun taught me how to write'). If you are a fan of Bukowski and Fante then more than likely you will love this book. It is amazing how much the three of them have in common. For one, all three writers suffered through very difficult childhoods full of abuse and poverty. Also Hamsun, like Buke and Fante, was completely self-made and self-taught. He received most of his informal education from the 'streets'.

One of the things I admire most about the man (our hero in the story) is that no matter how much suffering and hardship he endures, no matter how many times he fails, he never completely gives up hope and he NEVER lets this cruel, alien world we live in destroy him. Also, unlike Dostoevsky, Hamsun is able to endure it all and still keep his sense of humor in tact (ala Buke, Fante, Toole, etal...) This is what truly makes him unique in my opinion! Where as writers such as Dostoevsky, Kafka and Camus lament about it all, Hamsum is able to mix into his very dark, often times disturbing novel, quite a bit of humor. In fact, many times he uses humor as a way to protect what little dignity he had left while living the life of a starving artist. And thank God for the humor, because I don't think most of us could have made it passed the second part (the novel is divided up in four parts total) without it. In fact, there were many times in this somber novel in which Hamsun had me laughing out loud hysterically, particularly in last part of the book. I guess it is true what they say, laughter is the best medicine. Now speaking of medicine, those of you out there who are hungering for a great classic novel to read, well... hunger no more. This is it!

It is a wonderful work of art!

Forever timeless.......2006-12-15

Hunger is, in my opinion, the most important work of "psychological realism" of all times. When I first read it, I fell in love with Hamsun's style, but it was the second and the third reading that pushed me over the edge, slipping into the realm of mind, walking the streets with Hamsun, shivering in the cold and hurting from the hunger. Hunger both for food and for a human touch, living outside the society both due to his situation and by choice to strive for the pure and unconditional self-discovery. Love, hate, shame and joy, the emotions portrayed in this work are so vivid that will leave their mark on you well after the last page is read and the book is closed, calling you to pick it up from the shelve and read it again. It was Hunger what gave me the courage to write in first-person, exploring the depths of mind, regardless of the external action the character may be involved in, and for this, I will forever be grateful. A must read for anyone who enjoys fine literature and is not afraid to go deep into the mind of the protagonist. A mind struggling to create, while seeing beauty and grandiose ideas in the most common of things.

Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 1: The Hunger

Average customer rating:

To my surprise a first rate Spider-Man/Venom storyline
Venom's Back
enjoyed it

Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 1: The Hunger
Marvel Comics
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0785111697

Book Description

One of the most popular Spider-Man villains of all time is back and deadlier than ever. The alien Venom is on the loose attacking people seemingly at random. But what does he want and what will it take for Spider-Man to defeat him?

Customer Reviews:

To my surprise a first rate Spider-Man/Venom storyline.......2004-10-14

I do not know why Marvel decided to stop producing "Peter Parker: Spider-Man" and replace it with "The Spectacular Spider-Man." After all, it is not like there is less about Spider-Man's secret identity in this or any other one of the web-heads comic book titles. Anyhow, in my Popular Culture class we have a comic book unit where students read "The Essential Spider-Man, Volume 1," which has "Amazing Fantasy" #15 and the first twenty issues and annual of "The Amazing Spider-Man." They put together a model of the defining elements that appear in most Spider-Man comic books and then pick up a current copy of "The Amazing Spider-Man," "The Spectacular Spider-Man" or "Ultimate Spider-Man" to see how that issue stacks up against their model. Usually their are some significant differences between now Peter Parker is married and has a real job as opposed to being a teenage science nerd. But their biggest complaint is that most of the issues they pick up today are always only one part of a continuing story. That makes it rather hard to pick up a single issue and get hooked, which is why Marvel has rectified that particular problem by having trade paperback collections of specific story lines.

"The Spectacular Spider-Man, Volume 1: The Hunger" has the first five issues of the comic and a confrontation between Spider-Man and Venom put together by Paul Jenkins (writer), Humberto Ramos (penciler) and Wayne Faucher (Inker). A series of assaults in New York City have left behind victims who are seemingly unconnected in a strange coma: each victim has been drained of their adrenaline and the only clue is a set of small puncture wounds just above the kidneys. While the cops are investigating Peter is feeling guilty over Flash Thompson's condition (the Green Goblin put Flash in a runaway truck and he ended up with severe brain damage). While on patrol Spider-Man runs into the twisted form of the half-human, half-alien symbiote known as Venom. Of course, Venom is responsible to for those attacks. However, the twist in this particular story is that Venom is no longer linked to Eddie Brock and the suit is looking for a new host.

Venom was never one of my favorite Spider-Man villains, especially the more he kept coming back. But "The Hunger" ends up being the best Venom story I can recall reading because it offers an interesting reinterpretation of the relationship between the suit and Eddie, which involves Spider-Man as well. This is not as earthshaking as finding out the Swamp Thing is really an elemental force of nature rather than a guy caught in between an explosion and a serum, but it does turn Eddie Brock into a tragic character as we find out why he hates Spider-Man and what the symbiote really wants as well. More importantly, in the end it puts Spider-Man in the position of having to make another one of those damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't decisions that is a core part of the Spider-Man mythos that is aptly captured by Spider-Man's final thought in the story.

Ramos is a most distinctive artist whether drawing his elongated Spider-Man or Peter and his friends, and while it might strike some readers as too cartoonish, but it does work and the atmospheric coloring provided by Studio F gives it additional depth. We also have a nice guest appearance by the Fantastic Four in this storyline and seeing Ramos drawn that particular quartet is a nice little visual treat as well. But it is the story of "The Hunger" that is the strength.. There is no reason to expect that this will lead to better Venom stories down the road, but since I was actually interested in how this one played out for once, that is a pretty good recommendation right there.

Venom's Back.......2004-07-30

Finally a good Venom story. Here's some pros and cons...

PROS:
1. Eddie Brock is now more sympathetic; we see why he REALLY hates Spider-Man now, and it makes more sense.
2. If you knew nothing about Venom before this story, you wouldn't be lost. Everything is fleshed out well and I can almost say that this is Venom's "Killing Joke" story - definitive.

CONS:
1. Ya know.. the art is cool and all, but does Venom HAVE to be so huge? Ramos once drew a picture of Spidey and Venom fighting for a WIZARD magazine special and Venom looked right. Here... I dunno.
2. *SPOILER* The whole "A child grows within me" thing seemed pointless to me. It came out of nowhere. I guess that adds to the whole reason for its need for survival, but c'mon, Venom has had like 6 kids by this point. We have yet to see this new offspring and hopefully we won't anytime soon.

Thanks for reading... Hope I was of some help.

enjoyed it.......2004-03-22

i thought this was a good story, in a nut shell, venom can no longer put up with eddie brocks dying body, so he goes after spider-man to use as a host, i realy loved the art here, and the writing is good aswell

Average customer rating:

A good follow-up to "The Companion"
In the Wrong Order
Fabulous
LOVED IT BUT A LITTLE CONFUSED
History & Vampires

The Hunger (Regency Vampire Novels)
Susan Squires
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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The Companion (Regency Vampire Novels)
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Accessories:

Avon ANEW CLINICAL 2-Step Facial Peel

ASIN: 0312998546
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Book Description

Discover a realm where anything is possible. Where peril and passion collide. Where a woman is tempted by a man she wants but can never have. A man she could destroy with just one kiss. Discover THE HUNGER...An Undeniable Desire...The year is 1811, and vampire Beatrix Lisse has spent six hundred years trying to atone for her sins.Yet she can't forget the one man she loved many centuries ago-until she meets John Staunton, the Earl of Langley. John is London's most notorious rogue, but he sees an innocence in Beatrix that she no longer believed existed. But Beatrix can't bring herself to reveal her true nature to John, even after they surrender to their fierce passion. It's only after John abandons Beatrix that she learns he has a secret of his own...Leads to Love that Burns Eternal...An undercover spy for England, John's mission is to find out who is behind the sudden shift in power in the French government. If he allows himself to get too close to Beatrix, John knows he'll put her life in danger. But as John gets closer to completing his mission, the very person he seeks is none other than Beatrix's centuries-old rival. With the world unraveling around them, John and Beatrix unite to fight a nemesis whose fury has no limit-even as their unquenchable passion grows more dangerous by the day...

Customer Reviews:

A good follow-up to "The Companion".......2007-01-19

This is the second in the series started with "The Companion", although chronologically it occurs first; the third book is "The Burning". It's probably worth reading them in series order as the author slowly unfolds her vampire worldview and we meet some of the same characters.

"The Hunger" is about Beatrix Lisse, Countess of Lente, a born vampire who is part of an experiment by Stephan Sincai (hero of the third book) to prove that "made" vampires are no different than "born" ones. The vampire Rules require all "made" vampires to be instantly killed but Stephan decided to bring up two vampires equally to prove they are equally entitled to life. Unfortunately for him he picked a rather damaged young "made" vampire, Asharti, to bring up alongside Beatrix and eventually Asharti persuades Beatrix to leave his tutelage and they launch themselves on the world.

Anyone who has read "The Companion" knows Asharti is a nasty piece of work; Beatrix, on the other hand, has spent the last 600 years trying to make up for her first 100 years with Asharti of killing people for their blood. The Countess of Lente is known as a patron to the arts, she is well-liked in the Polite World of Regency London and in fact the men of society, who believe she is a skilled courtesan, all vie for her affections. She isn't actually a courtesan, she uses her assignations with men to feed a little from them and then to give them memories of a night to remember, even though they didn't actually experience it.

However, as soon as she meets the Earl of Langley, John Staunton, she realises he is different from all the other men who cluster around her. Mainly because he doesn't seem all that interested in her - evidently a cause of some pique - and she furthers the acquaintance. He is working as a spy for England and puts himself in harm's way many times in order to try to find out some of Napoleon's plans. Little does he know that Asharti is behind Napoleon's successes and that she is raising up an army of vampires who cannot be defeated by humans.

When John is kidnapped by Asharti, Beatrix goes to the rescue and it is at that point that John discovers she is a vampire and she gets herself caught trying to save him. He knows vampires are evil, having suffered under some tortures from Asharti. Will he do anything to rescue her?

Like "The Companion" this book is set in a very interesting time - the Regency - with the added kick of the vampire theme. I like what Squires has done with her vampires, the vampirism being a kind of blood-borne parasite that lives symbiotically with its host. However, I would not want to be a hero in any of her stories - in each of these three the heroes have spent quite a long time being tortured. John gets off it lightly, having only 3 weeks of torture; in the other two books the men are suffering for 2 years or more. And this is not your regular thumbscrews and rack torture, it's sexual torture and I found that aspect of the book rather distasteful - I felt that the author enjoyed writing about it a little too much. Perhaps it's supposed to be titillating to some readers but it didn't work like that at all for me; I rather wish that side of it was off-scene and more was made of the relationship between Beatrice and John after the rescue.

This is a good book, well-written and engaging (apart from the one reservation mentioned above). I really enjoyed the local colour of a person going to the guillotine and the way people reacted to it in the crowds. I don't think it's as good as the first book and I didn't really enjoy the third in the series but this is still worth a read and has a great deal more character development and growth than an awful lot of other books in this genre.

In the Wrong Order.......2006-07-18

It seems that this book would be better as the first book rather than the second in the series. The Hunger gives more history on Asharti and Beatrix than The Companion. In The Companion, it shows Asharti's cruelty explicitly.

In this story about Beatrix, she longs for her first and only love Stepha Sincai. Beatrix is a 600 year old vampire and seems to be lacking something in her life. She is surrounded by art, music, and poetry and this is not enough to fill her life. She is surrounded by men whom she entertains and feeds from for her survival. One occasion she meets John Staunton and her life is changed forever. He challenges her. He never comes at the times he is requested. He does not bow down for her every whim. This turns Beatrix on. John is a spy for England. However, Beatrix just sees him as a rake who does not care for her. John sees her as someone who lacks virtue and will use him like his past loves.

I bet you can guess the ending. Stephan Sincai does make an appearance and Asharti is in here being her usual cruel self. I found this book slow until about the middle of it. I found the beginning of the book descriptive about the characters' backgrounds but no real interaction between them to make it a well developed plot. It needs more to build a relationship between Beatrix and John. It is a dark story. If you are looking for erotic, this is not it. This book has rape and torture in it. If Susan Squires is using this as her technique to depict Asharti as evil, she has done a great job. It is really twisted. My heart bled for John as these acts were occurring. I even found myself crying over these horrible acts.

Fabulous .......2006-07-18

I could hardly wait to read this second book and I was not disappointed. If I had it to do over again(and of course I will!) I would read this book before The Companion. Mostly because I knew what happens to Asharti from the Companion but reading the Companion I didnt know who Beatrix(she plays a small part in the first book)was or where Asharti came from and why.Both are such great "escape" books. I didnt want them to end! I am more than ready for the next one Ms Squires-bring it on!

LOVED IT BUT A LITTLE CONFUSED.......2006-06-20

I LOVED THE BOOK BUT I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED BY THE FACT THAT ASHARTI WAS IN THIS ONE...WASN'T SHE KILLED IN THE COMPANION??? OTHER THAN THAT THE BOOK WAS GREAT. IT AD JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF ROMANCE AND MYSTERY TO IT...RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE!!!!!!!!!!

History & Vampires.......2006-06-05

I always like it when I come across a book that I don't want to put down. This was one of them. Squires manages to put vampires in an interesting historical context. Yeah, there was a dark and emotionally (and physically) tortured vampire, but he kind of gets over himself. The heroine was idiosyncratic, smart, independent and interesting. I could have done with less graphic torture scenes, but still liked the book very much.

Average customer rating:

So realistic you'd never guess it was fiction
I enjoyed it
Very good portrayal of how eating disorders affect families
Good book, but main character difficult to relate to at times...
Amazing Book

Hunger Point: A Novel
Jillian Medoff
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Diary of an Anorexic Girl
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Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia (P.S.)

ASIN: 0060989238
Release Date: 2002-10-15

Amazon.com

This ambitious, ribald, and extremely honest first novel attempts to unravel the familial and social pressures that drive two sisters into a life of serious food abuse. One survives, the other doesn't. Frannie, though she does not succumb completely to anorexia, is near the breaking point, and Hunger Point takes us along on her painful and often funny emotional odyssey of rebirth, detailed with her family's embattled love and her own self-loathing. Food is not the only matter of the body that is treated brilliantly; the author's soul-baring depiction of both the miseries and pleasures of sex from a woman's point of view is unforgettable and occasionally terrifying.

Book Description

"My parents may love me, but I also know they view me as a houseguest who is turning a weekend stay into an all-expense-paid, lifelong residency, and who (to their horror) constantly forgets to flush the toilet and shut off the lights."

Twenty-six-year-old Frannie Hunter has just moved back home. Bright, wry, blunt, and irreverent, she invites you to witness her family's unraveling. Her Harvard-bound sister is anorexic, her mother is having an affair, her father is obsessed with the Food Network, her grandfather wants to plan her wedding (even though she has no fiancé, let alone a steady boyfriend), and, to top it off, Frannie is a waitress who wears a dirty duck apron and serves plates of fried cheese to her ex-boyfriend's parents.

By turns wickedly funny and heartbreakingly bittersweet, Hunger Point chronicles Frannie's triumph over her own self-destructive tendencies, and offers a powerful exploration of the complex relationships that bind together a contemporary American family. You will never forget Frannie, a "sultry, suburban Holden Caulfield," who critics have called "the most fully realized character to come along in years," (Paper) and you'll never forget Hunger Point, an utterly original novel that stuns with its amazing insights and dazzles with its fresh, distinctive voice.

Customer Reviews:

So realistic you'd never guess it was fiction.......2006-12-07

Medoff's debut novel does an excellent job of portraying the mindset of 26 year old Frannie Hunter who moves back home to am unraveling family, not to mention her 24 year old sister Shelley's hospitalization for severe anorexia. 1.5 years out of college myself, I was able to relate to Frannie's drama and feelings of insecurity about the future since I have also experienced the death of a family member (my mother) and the associated depression of that loss.

I have read Hunger Point twice-- once in college and now after my mother has been dead for three years. The first time, I wasn't ready for it, but now that I am at the same point in my life as Frannie and Shelley I found Medoff's words to be a welcome balm for my grief and depression. Frannie's story is so poignant and inspiring that at times it's hard to believe it's fiction.

Medoff is a brilliant writer and I would like to know why this book was turned into a Lifetime Original Movie and not a blockbuster film.

I enjoyed it.......2005-12-14

I'd definitely recommend this book. Though it's not a happy story, I enjoyed the writing and liked the main character, Frannie.

Very good portrayal of how eating disorders affect families.......2005-11-07

I am a psychologist who works with college students, and I felt that this book offered a fairly accurate portrayal of the devastating effects that an eating disorder can have on a family. In particular, Medoff does a nice job of communicating the hopelessness experienced by other family members. However, I found it difficult at times to fully empathize with the main character, Frannie--her excessively brash style had a tendency to rub me the wrong way, and other readers may feel the same. Despite this, I think that people who know someone with an eating disorder will both relate to and appreciate this book; recommended for that population in particular.

Good book, but main character difficult to relate to at times..........2005-09-05

I found this book by Jillian Medoff to be, overall, a good read, skirting about the serious issues of anorexia and depression. I thoroughly enjoyed her style of writing, which seemed to capture well the day to day conversations that are necessary in a novel to pull you in and feel contained within the walls of the story. However, that being said, I often found myself thinking that the reactions of the main character Frannie were often over-dramatized, a Joan-Rivers-esque "I just can't DEAL with this. I mean, SERIOUSLY, people, don't you UNDERSTAND that this is traumatizing me beyond your comprehension. I can't be BOTHERED with this right now" often eliciting anger, jealousy and spite out of her. I kept reading, but in dealing with her sister's anorexia at the hospital, she always focused situations on her self, and her very surface concern for her sister seemed completely unrealistic to me. I enjoyed the character of her lonely grandfather, and her mother is another deliciously antagonistic character that will have you waiting to see what she does next. I think Medoff is a good writer, and my sense in this book is that she was trying to relate this character to something in her own life that happened, instead of letting the character be a stand alone character with realistic reactions to a very difficult situation.

Amazing Book.......2005-09-01

Form the start I wanted to read this book to get a better idea of how a girl with Anorexia feels. In this book however, it is told from a sisters point of view of her family, including her sister with an eating disorder. I was amazed at how well Medoff captured the pain that someone dealing with this in their family goes through. She is a brilliant writer and I would recommend this book to anyone with a heart. It is so intriguing and addicting to read, you will never put it down.

Average customer rating:

Lots of Issues
Real, gritty, inspiring.
It Blows? Well written!
Total Downer
Buy this book immediately!

The Necessary Hunger: A Novel
Nina Revoyr
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Sports | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Southland
Walk Like a Man
Bliss
A Taste Of Sin
Rainbow Heart: You Have No Control Over What The Heart Decides

ASIN: 0312181426

Amazon.com

Nancy Takahiro is a star high school basketball player who is smitten by a new player, Raina Webber. When Nancy's father falls in love with Raina's mother and the families move in together, Nancy's love for Raina becomes positively excruciating. This novel grapples not only with the awkwardness of adolescent love, but also with race: Nancy is Asian American, Raina is African American. And if that's not enough, it's full of information on college sport recruiting techniques.

Book Description

As a star basketball player in her last year of high school, Nancy Takahiro's life is about to change forever. Faced with the college recruitment process and unsure of where her skill will take her, Nancy is not prepared for meeting Raina Webber, an All-State shooting guard whose passion for basketball is matched only by her talent.When Nancy's father and Raina's mother move in together, the girls are faced with the challenge of negotiating their already intense friendship and rivalry. As Nancy's love for Raina grows and both prepare to leave inner city neighborhood that has nurtured them, they find themselves looking toward a future that is no longer easily defined.Set against a backdrop of racial tension between the Asian American and African American communities of Los Angeles and infused with tenderness and passion. The Necessary Hunger explores not only the intricacies of the game of basketball, but also the very nature of the relationships young women create in the face of the odds that are stacked against them.

Customer Reviews:

Lots of Issues.......2007-08-09

Nancy is a gay teenager of Japanese heritage living with her father in a mostly black neighborhood in Los Angeles. Life would probably be more difficult for her if she weren't a superstar basketball player. She is a celebrity in her school and her neighborhood, where she is respected and revered. It is thought she will be one of the lucky ones who will make something of her life, go to college and escape from the poor inner city.

Nancy is comfortable with herself, but is somewhat quiet about her sexuality. She doesn't date much, but she is madly in love with Raina, a black basketball player from another team. As luck would have it, Nancy's father and Raina's mother begin a relationship, and soon they are all living together in Nancy's house. Raina, though, is still as unattainable as ever. She is in a relationship, and she seems to sense Nancy's attraction to her and therefore avoids her a bit.

Senior year of high school is a busy time for Nancy and Raina. Both are being heavily recruited by colleges all over the country, and both are trying to lead their teams to championships. Nancy is also trying to figure out a way to follow Raina to college. But while she is so busy planning her possible future, is she letting the present pass her by?

This book is full of lots of issues. It touches on gang violence, racism, homosexuality, college athletic recruitment, teen pregnancy and inner city crime, and the difficulty of blending families together. Sometimes I felt as though there was too much packed into this one book, as if the author wanted to make sure not to leave anything important out. I did like this book, though, especially the strength and determination of Nancy in getting to college and getting out of her neighborhood.

Real, gritty, inspiring........2006-08-28

I started this book because it looked like it'd be a fun read: a gay sports story. Not that many going around. But by the time I 'd finished it I realized it was so much more than that.

The Necessary Hunger touched me on so many levels that it's hard to lay them all out in any sort of order. Nina Revoyr uses sports as a metaphor for life, for growing up and finding yourself. That in itself is nothing that special, because that's the meat of all sports stories. But Revoyr does it in a way that makes you feel. She gets into the mind of soul of an athlete who's just going through her growing pains, trying to figure out who she is. And as if that weren't enough Revoyr throws in a whole spectrum of other issues: class, race, sexuality, privilege.

This is more than just a love story. It's a story about passion and determination, of life and loss, and of daring yourself to take that one terrifying step into the unknown. Nancy and Raina are absolutely believable characters, so three-dimensional that they are bound to resonate with everyone on some level.

The greatest strength of this novel is that Revoyr takes everyday situations, the stuff that everyone has been through at one point or another, and puts her craft into them so that the resulting masterpiece is an intricate story based purely on emotion. She pulls you in with vivid descriptions of emotion, and does it in a gritty, realistic way that connects you with the character.

This novel is so much more than your average sports story. And it's worth every penny.

It Blows? Well written!.......2005-09-07

It was a well written piece. The only problem is you get frustrated. However, you get frustrated because you want the main character to get the girl - her step sister. You get into the book and that is what makes it wonderful. You might not even notice how into it you are until the end. The frustration comes from all the feelings that go through Nancy's head when she sees her. I feel the same way when I like a girl...lmao! To Nancy's suprise, her father marries the girls mother. It got worst for her but one learns not to hold back. If you like someone say something. Otherwise, you will be just like Nancy with all the "what if's" and "I don't knows" and "Maybe this" or "Maybe that".

Total Downer.......2005-04-09

This is the book you read if you want to punish yourself for being a romantic. This book takes you from the total high you have when starting a new book, to the point of just wanting to cry and scream at the impossible blindness of the characters. And that was not a compliment of wonderful writing on the writers behalf. Nina wrote this long ass story that takes you on this wild ride that never finishes. IT never reaches a climax. It just builds and builds untill she drops the bomb that nothing good happens for the two main characters. You'd be better of saving your money and going to a funeral.

Buy this book immediately!.......2002-12-13

This is one of my top 10 favorite books of all times. It is a beautiful coming of age portrait of a young woman.

Average customer rating:

Rewarding and Deeply Affecting
Sorry I bought it
Literary Fiction at it's Best
Wow!
Kudos to Kuper

Hunger and Thirst: A Novel
Daniela Kuper
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000KHXCBM
Release Date: 2004-08-12

Book Description

Hunger and Thirst chronicles the rise and fall of the Trouts as they live out the longing, betrayal, and precariousness of family life in the Chicago Jewish culture of the fifties. Rich with period detail, the novel is a fierce exploration of a family that loves deeply, even as they are compelled to destroy. Irwina meets Buddy at the Aragon Ballroom as World War II is beginning. In a woman's life, there is only one first dance. Buddy sketches their future on a napkin and speaks the words she's been waiting for: Patou, Schiaparelli, Chanel, Vionnet. He has the walk, the fit, the money. She has the looks, the eye, the dreams. Besides, she's past thirty and can't keep living with Ma. They open a Frock Shop---only the big names---and give working-class women dignity and hope. For a while. Enter the demons. For Buddy, it's vodka, rage, gizmos, and a growing desire to possess his twelve-year-old daughter, Joan, as his wife pushes him away. Irwina loses herself in elaborate store windows, wears mother and wife like a sometimes garment, meets her imagined Unseen Partner in the flesh, and deflects attacks from a jealous Greek chorus of kalooki players known as the women-in-the-building. Only the daughter can see the storm coming. As Joan struggles to hold the family together, she's given some unusual gifts of survival and must finally choose between all that means home and all that she fears. A funny, sad, relentlessly clear-eyed story that marks the debut of a most gifted writer.

Customer Reviews:

Rewarding and Deeply Affecting.......2007-04-11

Daniela Kuper has brought to life an era in America, a culture, a way of life that is so poignant and so distinct that I can taste and smell and begin to understand. I grew up in a smallish southern city, my immediate milieu was not particularly diverse. And very different from the city life and neighborhoods of Chicago. These were not my people yet as I read Kuper's book they became vivid and chapter by chapter Kuper kept filling in the lines - images start out as bold sketches on paper in the early chapters and become detailed character studies by the end. Layer by layer each character is built.

Ok I love the ladies-in-the-building. They play the role of the Greek chorus. They often express what the main characters can not say, such as their fears or secrets. They offer background and texture. And they are just plain funny.

I have read her book several times and with each reading the characters deepen. Though the book is funny and engrossing it is not a book you can skim but must read deeply. If you do you will be rewarded and deeply affected by these characters and their lives. I am looking forward to her next.

Sorry I bought it.......2007-03-30

i tried to read this book, just could not do it,sent it to my sister, and she couldn't read it either. It is so confusing to begin with,you can't figure out what it is even supposed to be about,nor who is supposed to be who.
So sorry I bought this book.
Marjorie Morris

Literary Fiction at it's Best.......2005-01-02

This is a truly inventive Novel- sentence after sentence arrested me with great combinations of language, character,
memory and metaphor. I could list at least 500 sentences that knocked me out.
The characters and plot kept me involved on a personal level (wondering where they were going to wind up) while enough quirky "holes" created through gaps in narrative and Kuper's mastery of metaphor created a point of view where i was able to watch the successive trainwrecks of the various lives pile up with a detached amusement.
i really enjoyed reading this book.

Wow!.......2004-08-30

This novel is a show-stopper -- a holy mix of dazzling language, deep thought and full-tilt emotion. It's all style and depth and characters who come walking right off the first page into your life. They lived with me in three dimensions throughout the reading of the book, and they're with me still. I'm a huge fan of much of Alice McDermott's work and, in the best sense, I think Kuper does for Jews what McDermott does for WASPS (especially compare her fine At Weddings and Wakes). This is the best novel I've read in a long, long time.

Kudos to Kuper.......2004-08-26

OK. Let me just say it. I love this book. I loved it the first time I read it, and now, nearing the half-way point of my second reading, I think I love it even more.

I can't think of anyone since Kerouac who is more attuned to the rhythm and musicality of language in pursuit of an idea. It's like listening to Miles or Jimmi or Ella chase a melody. Every beat, every note is essential. Not an ounce of fat or frill or decoration. Daniela Kuper is not just a new voice, she's the whole damned band.

Buy this book. Take your time and pay attention. It'll open as far as you're willing to let it.

Average customer rating:

Intense, provocative tale
Mixed menu
HUMANITY LAID BARE
One Man's Struggle for Survival
Seeds of Biology

Hunger: A Novel
Elise Blackwell
Manufacturer: Little, Brown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0316738956

Book Description

When German troops surround Leningrad and cut off food supplies in the fall of 1941, no one imagines that the siege will last 900 long days and take hundreds of thousands of lives. As the first 'hunger winter' sets in, the city's residents strip the bark off trees, boil and eat moss-covered stones, and trade priceless antiques for half a loaf of bread-and sex for a chunk of sugar. But the scientists at the Institute of Plant Industry pledge to protect their collection of rare seeds, painstakingly gathered from all over the world, no matter the human cost. One scientist describes how his small group of colleagues, including his quietly determined wife, Alena, splinters between those who would preserve their principles at the price of starvation, and others who turn to deception-and more sinister measures-to survive. His memories of the years before the war, when he traveled throughout the world and tasted the sensual pleasures of life's lush richness, offset his heartbreaking account of the most wrenching decisions a human being can make.

Customer Reviews:

Intense, provocative tale.......2007-08-29

Unforgettable writing, much like a long poem. Read it over a long, relaxed dinner.

Mixed menu.......2004-07-26

A thoughtful little book. Vivid passages of 1941 Soviet history are mixed in with something resembling magic realism, describing, variously, life as viewed backwards from a New York apartment, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, sumptuous meals of the past, the sneaky munching of rice grains by our hungry hero, his willful affairs, and the slow painful death by starvation of his beloved wife. A Sunday afternoon absorbing read, spoiled a little by some irritating typographical errors -- naughty, naughty proofreader!

HUMANITY LAID BARE.......2004-04-03

This is such a small book to contain so very much. Elise Blackwell has created something very special indeed with this, her first novel. With eloquence and empathy, she transports the reader back in time to Leningrad in 1941 - the German army approaches, and the people in the city prepare for the attack, but it comes in a form they do not expect. The Germans simply cut the city off from the outside world, and sit and wait for the inhabitants to starve to death.

Blackwell's narrator is an elderly Russian botanist living in America, looking back at his time in the blockaded city, remembering his wife and coworkers - remembering the choices that he and the others made in order to survive. Before and during the war, he traveled the world with his colleagues, collecting specimens of plants and seeds from every continent in order to study them and find ways to better feed people in need. The institute where he works - like every facet of Russian society at the time - is caught up in the political upheaval of a country being painfully reborn. The director of the institute, once widely revered and respected both as a scientist and a human being, falls out of favor with the authorities and is sentenced to die. Those who are left behind must choose to bend and survive or resist and perish - professionally, physically or both. Once the German blockade of the city begins, however, they realize that there are far more pressing choices to make. Do they open the storehouses of the institute and distribute the grain samples to the people, or do they preserve them in the name of science, for future generations? The scientists at the institute agree to preserve the samples, to starve before they touch them - but it's a difficult promise to keep.

All around them in Leningrad, people from all walks of life are facing similar decisions. As the blockade drags on - and it lasted for 900 days - desperation becomes more and more intense. Horses disappear - then family pets, even rats are killed for their meat. People begin to strip the bark from the trees to eat - lichen-covered stones are boiled for soup. Food becomes the currency of the city - and people are willing to do all sorts of things to obtain it.

More than simply a picture of a horrible time, when so many people died and suffered, Elise Blackwell's novel is an incredibly moving portrait of humanity itself, a picture of what it truly means to be human and to be forced to make unthinkable decisions based on the need to survive. The thoughts and memories of the narrator - and the words and actions of those around him - paint moving images in delicate but sure strokes. An incredible amount of not only research, but sheer thought and contemplation went into the conception and creation of this book. It would be a stunning accomplishment by a seasoned writer - as a debut, it shimmers. This is a writer of great talent, soul and promise.

One Man's Struggle for Survival.......2003-07-26

A subject not often written about in fiction, "Hunger" explores one man's fight for survival in a city with a dwindling food supply. Once a renowned scientist working tirelessly to gather rare plants for the botanical institute he works at, his life is changed forever when German troops overtake Leningrad in the 1940s. His focus turns to finding innovative ways to stay alive as food supplies dwindle and he finds himself held captive in Leningrad.

As one person after another that he cares about dies, he ponders his own death. Feeling guilty for past infidelity against his wife, he wonders why he was allowed to live while so many others have perished. But as days turn into weeks, he is confronted daily with the fact that he may lose his life as well.

From the thought-provoking questions to the day-to-day struggle for survival, "Hunger" provides an interesting look into one man's moral conflicts.

It's an easy to read, distinct novel that explores a subject that most readers have never been confronted with. Part history lesson, part examination of a man's fight for life, "Hunger" focuses on the basic need for man to sustain himself through food.

Seeds of Biology.......2003-07-15

As a professional geneticist, I was initially interested in Blackwell's book as a potential literary document of the sociology of science, and was not disappointed in this. Perhaps few lay-people would approach a novel in this way, nor be aware of the geneticist Lysenko's role in Stalin's Soviet Union. Under Lysenko's direction, crop breeding and agriculture were analogous to Lamarck's belief that by cutting off the tails of mice, one would breed short-tailed mice-or in the soviet system adopted in China, the forcing of even western-trained scientists to inject blue dye into cotton plants in order to breed pre-colored cotton. But, Blackwell is immaculate in making the story true to the scientific climate in the Soviet Union at the time, in a way that appears effortless and does not distract from the drama. The author also captures the social climate of the time and place, and echoes of Solzhenitsyn's Gulag arose in my mind. It is simply remarkable and exceedingly rare to find a novel that has packed in, almost hidden modestly, historical fact and understanding. The same is true of the "seeds" and other botanical specimens in Hunger. When Blackwell blithely describes Babylonian plant use, or details the collecting trips of the unnamed protagonist, I believed it was just so.

And I was not disappointed in the sociology of science ....changes in Science often take the form of "Revolutions," and though the ultimate acceptance of theories is based on knowledge and demonstrable fact, the road leading to final consensus is also paved with the lesser virtues of social standing in the community, ambition, and even greed, and when Vavilov is lead off that field.... Moreover, the political importance of Lysenkoism to the Soviet system should not be underestimated, and though far less extreme its reflected opposite in the US was social Darwinism, particularly the early use of "survival of the fitness" in justifying laissez faire capitalism, and the legacy of the robber barons. What is most fascinating to me about Hunger, is the way that biology and social and human insight are intertwined. It is simply remarkable, and one would think that Blackwell is both a novelist and trained biologist. In short, Hunger informs us a great deal about the field of Biology as the study of life, a shaper of society, and institutionalized in political power. These are things we should all be keenly aware of as this just-developing age of genomics, genetic modification, biological weapons and inevitably several forms of cloning reshape social consciousness, as for example in the debates on embryonic cloning, and become institutionalized, e.g., in the systematic collection and recording of DNA fingerprints. These things also force us to make unprecedented individual choices, such as a pre-parental choice for genetic screening of birth defects, and then what to do with that information. And, do you want to clone your cat or dog? Would you eat genetically unique seeds?

In the bargain, I had a great read of a story, and agree with the general consensus of other "reviewers," in Hunger being riveting, haunting, and leaving a lasting impression. Hunger is also a metaphor for the modern yet chronic neglect that herbarium's are facing all over the world. Perhaps as some have suggested the book IS too short, leaving readers hungry for more, and eagerly awaiting Blackwell's next book. In the end, Hunger is about individual character and choices, something we could all use reminding of.

Hunger: A Novel
Average customer rating:

HUNGER had me pondering the meaning of love all week!

Famished

It's Okay...

Pretentious and sophomoric

A good read

Hunger: A Novel
Erica Simone Turnipseed
Manufacturer: Amistad
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | African American | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0060797304
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Book Description

In Erica Simone Turnipseed's captivating follow-up to A Love Noire, heartache fans the flames of lust when freethinking Noire and Innocent, her urbane African ex, reunite.

Noire and Innocent are both having a thirtysomething crisis. His former identity as a successful investment banker and eligible bachelor has disappeared. A beleaguered graduate student, she's got no money, no man, and no Ph.D., yet. A year of predoctoral research in Haiti leaves Noire drained. And a trip home to Côte d'Ivoire offers Innocent little more than intermittent sexual gratification. In the aftermath of 9/11, Innocent and Noire are back in New York City and find solace in each other's bed. But even that arrangement collapses under the weight of Innocent's revelation that he has unfinished business in Africa. For Innocent and Noire, patching together their unraveling lives becomes an exercise in hope and humility. With Hunger, Turnipseed lives up to the promise of A Love Noire and has matured into a writer who fearlessly explores the intersection of sex, love, identity, and loss in a cross-cultural context.

Customer Reviews:

HUNGER had me pondering the meaning of love all week!.......2007-08-01

The thing is that I did not enjoy A LOVE NOIRE very much. I liked the story, but really did not enjoy the telling of it -- it felt rushed and forced. But I could not help but to like Noire, Innocent, Arike, etc. And I thought that Ms. Turnipseed had come up with a really good story, so I felt compelled to finish their tale.

And I really enjoyed HUNGER. I finished it in two days, reading obsessively. It was the opposite of A LOVE NOIRE -- not at all rushed, giving the characteres sufficient motivation and background, and less cliched writing and conversation. The only fault of this book -- it was too short. I could have used another 100 pages, watching them love in the new way that they had learned.

Famished.......2007-05-02

HUNGER, Erica Simone Turnipseed's follow-up to A Love Noire, explores the effects of terrorism, classism, and grief while expertly depicting the emotions of souls who hunger for love.

Noire and Innocent have broken the threshold of their thirties. Their careers and familial responsibilities have them reeling, but the aftermath of 9/11 reaches into their lives and shakes them up even more. Innocent is faced with a responsibility he never imagined, while Noire continues to try to find her purpose. Their hearts, once again, cross paths, but are the barriers that prevented them from flourishing together still too high to surmount?

Erica Simone Turnipseed is a writer whose characters bear their innermost selves, allowing the reader to actually feel the emotions they present. As a character-driven novel as opposed to a lightning-paced, plot-driven novel, HUNGER propelled me to look beneath the surface and delve into what matters most.

Reviewed by CandaceK
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

It's Okay..........2007-03-31

I absolutely loved reading A Love Noire. I enjoyed turning every page, however, this sequel was only okay. I am disappointed and not just because of the ending. After reading the last page, I thought, "is that it?" And to be honest, I enjoyed the first novel about Noire and Innocent so much that it made the sequel seem dim in comparison. But read it for yourself and decide. I still think Erica is a promising writer that I will continue to read. I walked away from this book wondering if she should have made the sequel or not...the jury is still out on that!

Pretentious and sophomoric.......2007-02-25

When did the predominantly white publishing industry decide that anything "ethnic" conveys literary credibility? This is just chick lit for black chicks in which characters with ridiculously pretentious names live impossibly glamorous lives in exotic places where real people never get to go. One can practically see the book's publicist drooling at the prospect of film options, signing on Halle Berry and Jamie Foxx to play the lead characters -- Noire and Innocent - who have apparently liberated themselves from the stereotype of black hyper-sexuality by screwing everything that moves. This book's only redeeming quality is that it engendered my recurring fantasy in which Toni Morrison thwaps these sophomoric twits.

A good read.......2007-01-09

If you read the first story then the conclusion will keep you engaged. It's very well written. You should read both books; A Love Noire first to appreciate Hunger.

Richard Wright : Later Works: Black Boy [American Hunger], The Outsider (Library of America)

Average customer rating:

Part II of an ESSENTIAL collection

Richard Wright : Later Works: Black Boy [American Hunger], The Outsider (Library of America)
Richard Wright
Manufacturer: Library of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Richard Wright : Early Works : Lawd Today! / Uncle Tom's Children / Native Son (Library of America)
James Baldwin : Collected Essays : Notes of a Native Son / Nobody Knows My Name / The Fire Next Time / No Name in the Street / The Devil Finds Work / Other Essays (Library of America)
James Baldwin: Early Novels and Stories: Go Tell It on a Mountain / Giovanni's Room / Another Country / Going to Meet the Man (Library of America)
Zora Neale Hurston : Novels and Stories : Jonah's Gourd Vine / Their Eyes Were Watching God / Moses, Man of the Mountain / Seraph on the Suwanee / Selected Stories (Library of America)
William Dean Howells : Novels 1886-1888 : The Minister's Charge / April Hopes / Annie Kilburn (Library of America)

ASIN: 0940450674

Customer Reviews:

Part II of an ESSENTIAL collection.......2001-06-22

Black Boy (American Hunger) serves as a the real life basis for the novels in the first volume of this collection. It relates Wright's experiences growing up in the south and gradually moving north, ultimately to Chicago. It's fascinating and completely believable and really points out the absurdities of racism and Jim Crow-ism, as well as the coldness of the northerners. The Outsider is a departure from much of Wright's other work. While about a black character, it is essentially a musing on the intellectual and physical power one has, and their ability to wield it undetected, as long as they fit into another's stereotypes. It is quite different and doesn't focus on cruelly racist treatment. It is one of the few times in which the protagonist is comfortable and confident in his surroundings. Black Boy (American Hunger) is one of the best autobiographies ever and The Outsider is a clever story with some brilliant twists on Wright's traditional and more well-known works.

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