Average customer rating:
- Read it!
- Better than the real thing
- Quite a page turner. Great ending for the series
- The Best
- Worth the wait
|
These Three Remain: A Novel of Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman
Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Literary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Historical
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0743291379 |
Book Description
The exciting conclusion to the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy recounts the climactic events of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice from its enigmatic hero's point of view.
One of the most beloved romantic heroes in all of literature, Fitzwilliam Darcy remains an enigma even to Jane Austen's most devoted fans. No longer. With this concluding volume in the Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy, novelist and Austen aficionada Pamela Aidan at last gives readers the man in full.
These Three Remain follows a humbled Darcy on the journey of self-discovery, after Elizabeth Bennet's rejection of his marriage proposal, in which he endeavors to grow into the kind of gentleman he desires to become. Happily, a chance meeting with Elizabeth during a tour of his estate in Derbyshire offers Darcy a new opportunity to press his suit, but his newfound strengths are put to the test by an old nemesis, George Wickham.
Vividly capturing the colorful historical and political milieu of the Regency era, Aidan writes in a style evocative of her literary progenitor, but with a wit and humor very much her own. While staying faithful to the people and events in Austen's original, she adds her own fascinating cast of characters, weaving a rich tapestry out of Darcy's past and present that will beguile his admirers anew.
Customer Reviews:
Read it!.......2007-09-24
Wonderful! If you are an Austen fan - you'll enjoy all three "Darcy" books by this author.
Better than the real thing.......2007-09-05
My daughter and I have read the trilogy and this author is true to the original. Darcy comes to life and we see him in another light. Aidan's Darcy is lifelike and we share his struggles and adventures throughout the book. A "must read" if you love Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. This book also has, at the end, discussions for a book group. Very useful.
Quite a page turner. Great ending for the series.......2007-09-04
I really enjoyed this imagined inside view into Darcy's character and path to self-realization. I couldn't put the book down and read through it very quickly, despite having to take care of my 9 month old son! I also found the historical tidbits on the history and politics of the era interesting; Aiden found a good way to incorporate it into the background. You don't get that inside view in Austen's work. I also think Aiden struck a good balance for having sympathy for Darcy without being overly forgiving of his shortcomings. There is only one thing I want to know: What happened to Georgiana's piano???
This book made me want to reread Pride and Prejudice again! :-)
The Best.......2007-09-04
Pamela Aidan gave us the dept of Darcy's feelings. She let us see the deep turmoil that he went through to win Elizabeth's love and how he over came them inspite of his aunt's disapproval. Jane wrote about Elizabeth's thoughts and Pamela wrote about Darcy. She really understood Darcy's feelings and his love Elizabeth. Too bad that she haven't written another about the life of Darcy and Elizabeth at Pemberley, I am sure she would do a splendid job there too. Bravo, we are waiting for another one.
Worth the wait.......2007-08-31
I had a little trouble getting into Duty and Desire, the second book in this series, mostly because of the obvious lack of Elizabeth Bennett actually appearing. This third book, however was worth the wait. It covers our favorie parts of P&P, but with all of the fun of finally knowing what Mr. Darcy was really thinking. And we get to really know Georgianna. She's so cute you want to take her home with you. And the relationship between her and Darcy is so refreshing. It's also nice to have a P&P novel that is true to Austen's style of writing...no heavy bedroom scenes or anything like that. I felt I was truly reading a sequel to P&P. My ONLY complaint is that there were some rare moments that the lengthy description had me skipping ahead to the next paragraph to get to the point. Otherwise, SO WORTH THE READ!
Book Description
"She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me."
So begins the timeless romance of Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen's classic novel is beloved by millions, but little is revealed in the book about the mysterious and handsome hero, Mr. Darcy. And so the question has long remained: Who is Fitzwilliam Darcy?
In An Assembly Such as This, Pamela Aidan finally answers that long-standing question. In this first book of her Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy, she reintroduces us to Darcy during his visit to Hertfordshire with his friend Charles Bingley and reveals Darcy's hidden perspective on the events of Pride and Prejudice. As Darcy spends more time at Netherfield supervising Bingley and fending off Miss Bingley's persistent advances, his unwilling attraction to Elizabeth grows -- as does his concern about her relationship with his nemesis, George Wickham.
Setting the story vividly against the colorful historical and political background of the Regency, Aidan writes in a style comfortably at home with Austen but with a wit and humor very much her own. Aidan adds her own cast of fascinating characters to those in Austen's original, weaving a rich tapestry from Darcy's past and present. Austen fans and newcomers alike will love this new chapter of the most famous romance of all time.
Customer Reviews:
pleasantly surprised .......2007-09-27
I enjoyed this book but didn't realize it was one of three until about halfway through and had to wait for the next few to come out. I enjoyed the writing style and felt that the author remained true to the original story. In all, out of all the Pride and Prejudice follow-ups I have read, I enjoyed this one the most.
Fair reading.......2007-09-24
This book is ok,but it really stretches Darcy's character. Given his reserved character I cannot see him allowing himself to be so easily involved in some of the things he did. it is really a letdown. I thought it would be more on his thoughts of Miss Elizabeth.
An Assembly Such as This.......2007-09-15
Pamela Aidan is good, too wordy, but good. She takes three long books to do what Austen did in one. But we all have our own Elizabeth and Darcy and, while Aidan's Darcy is on the mark, for me her Elizabeth is quite wrong. I quote: "He knew his own desire; it was already engaged in the person of one impudent, exciting, lovely little piece of baggage by the name of Elizabeth Bennet ..." Elizabeth? Our Elizabeth? Impudent, exciting, lovely little piece of baggage? I love Elizabeth Bennet for her intelligence and humor. I don't recognize Aidan's version at all. And she keeps referring to her as "sweet." Oh, and her curls dance in the breeze? Curls?
She also badly needed an English copy-editor. A word she totally misuses is "University," "at University." This is pure American. The English say "he's up at Oxford/Cambridge." There are two or three "gottens" lying around too. Again, pure American. "Not bloody likely" is 20th Century working class English and "Good show" comes from the RAF in World War II.
Oh, while I think of it, why in heaven's name does she refer to "Mrs. Edward Bennett?" No, no, no, no. And she talks of fields enclosed by "Wall, fence or wood." What, no hedges?
But enough pickiness. I like her Georgiana very much (despite the religion) and Dyfed Brougham is a great invention. He could surely carry a whole book on his shoulders.
The whole series is well worth reading.
Good fun, although definitely skewed by 21st century romance conventions.......2007-08-29
Aidan does a good job of attempting to flesh out Darcy's side of the story. She does an especially good job of reinterpreting Darcy's interaction with Elizabeth from Darcy's point of view-- Lizzie sparkles just the way we would imagine she would in the eyes of an admirer. It does seem, however, that some of Aidan's interpretations of Austen's novel are skewed by more modern, romance novel conventions. This becomes especially apparent in the sections that Aidan does not have Austen's original work to provide plot and dialogue for her. In these instances, Austen's satire and sharpness tend to get shoved aside for devices such as the loyal and trusted (and of course, witty) valet, and Darcy's increasing fear of the husband hunting mamas (both of which are staples of historical romances, and therefore tend to fall into the category of flat, conventional, filler characters/devices). So, if you're looking for fluff, this is a good read, but if you want social satire, seek fulfillment elsewhere.
just to add my 2 cents.......2007-08-16
This book is awesome! I love how Aidan brings us Darcy's point of view, explains his reserve and family pride. Lovely how he mentally pursues Elizabeth and notices her fine points. This book really made it so clear to me why he would just pop off and ask her to marry him. This series actually fleshed out P&P in such a believable way. This is the first of three part series. 1st book and 3rd book are SO strong. You will not be unhappy you read these books.
Book Description
³There was little danger of encountering the Bennet sisters ever again.²
Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice is beloved by millions, but little is revealed in the book about the mysterious and handsome hero, Mr. Darcy. And so the question has long remained: Who is Fitzwilliam Darcy?
Pamela Aidan's trilogy finally answers that long-standing question, creating a rich parallel story that follows Darcy as he meets and falls in love with Elizabeth Bennet. Duty and Desire, the second book in the trilogy, covers the "silent time" of Austen's novel, revealing Darcy's private struggle to overcome his attraction to Elizabeth while fulfilling his roles as landlord, master, brother, and friend.
When Darcy pays a visit to an old classmate in Oxford in an attempt to shake Elizabeth from his mind, he is set upon by husband-hunting society ladies and ne'er-do-well friends from his university days, all with designs on him -- some for good and some for ill. He and his sartorial genius of a valet, Fletcher, must match wits with them all, but especially with the curious Lady Sylvanie.
Irresistibly authentic and entertaining, Duty and Desire remains true to the spirit and events of Pride and Prejudice while incorporating fascinating new characters, and is sure to dazzle Austen fans and newcomers alike.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful!.......2007-09-24
If you are an Austen fan - you will love this series. The author does a GREAT job of capturing Jane's voice. Enjoy!
This book helped me decide not to read the third book in the trilogy.......2007-08-29
This does contain some spoilers and plot details, so if you don't want to know what happens, please don't read any further.
While the first book in this trilogy has the help of Austen, who provides both plot and dialogue for Aidan to mine, this book proves that when left on her own, Aidan has a very conventional and, in my opinion, limited interpretation of _Pride and Prejudice_. This book covers the period between Darcy's departure from Hertfordshire, and his reunion with Elizabeth at Rosings. Why this period, which in Austen's novel warrants little attention, should deserve an entire book, while the events from Rosings to the story's end (a much longer stretch of time) should be crunched into the last novel in the trilogy is anybody's guess. In this interim, Darcy apparently becomes an amature sleuth, a fashion icon, a bachelor on the hunt for a wife, and the brother of a religious fanatic-- not to mention something of a social butterfly. The reserved Darcy given to us by Austen, and present in Aidan's first novel, has almost entirely disappeared. I find it very difficult to believe that Darcy would attempt to cure his infatuation with Elizabeth by trying to find a wife of higher social standing, since he was never really marriage minded in the first place. Additionally, the fashion obsessed valet may be an effort on Aidan's part to historicize and add texture and context to her story, but since Darcy isn't a dandy, I'm not sure what he adds to the story. Yes, he helps investigate the mystery at the heart of the story, but even this activity serves a more conventional purpose-- he can be both the requisite trusted servant and sidekick (and since we know Darcy's a snob, why he would choose his valet for a sidekick is beyond me). The characterization of both Colonel Fitzwilliam and his elder brother completely contradicts what we know of them from Austen's novel, and again seems an effort to add texture, but again falls into courting stereotype and modern convention (because all contemporary and historical romance novels need bickering family members and bad boys) rather than actually enhancing the story. Bingley is gone from this tale and is instead replaced by some random new best friend that we could care less about but who Aidan seems to want to set up as Georgiana's future flame-- if it weren't for the fact that Georgiana has been so destroyed by her experience with Whickam that she's inspired to become some sort of religious zealot! What Georgiana's new-found faith does for her character remains unclear by the end of the story. I could try to imagine how it could play out in the third novel, but frankly, I just don't care. These aren't the characters I know and love. Instead, they're riddled with contemporary conventions and completely lacking in depth and coherent motivation.
Frankly, if you want a more nuanced interpretation of the story from Darcy's point of view, read Janet Aylmer's _Darcy's Story_. Although it's more reserved in tone than any of Austen's work (with the possible exception of _Mansfield Park_) the interpretation of Darcy's character and his perception of events, as well as other key figures in his life (e.g. Georgiana) makes much more sense. This story enhances our enjoyment of Austen's novel and the characters in that story, which is probably why many of us are reading these books.
If you're looking for Darcy as detective, try Carrie Bebris' _Mr. and Mrs. Darcy Mysteries_ series, which offers a more even attempt at reproducing Austen's style (although the supernatural plays a much bigger role in this series that it ever does in Austen, even than it does in _Northanger Abbey), while continuing Darcy and Elizabeth's story, and putting them into contact with other of Austen's characters from other books. They're entertaining and inventive, and instead of trying to add details to a story that was already well-crafted and told, they give us something new to experience.
Buy all three, and hope for a 4th with Brougham and Georgiana!.......2007-08-27
This is probably the best Jane Austen sequel published so far, and I've read nearly all of them. Yes, it might have been told without quite so much soul-searching over 3 volumes. And the story line in book 2 does seem more involved than is necessary. But the addition of a very plausible religious theme for Georgiana as a means out of her depression, and the inclusion of a fine backstory for Mrs. Annesley, all fit well with the characters that Jane Austen gave us. The absolutely best new character is Lord Dyfed Brougham. Finally Darcy has a friend other than nice but shallow Bingley - someone smarter, possibly even better looking, higher in birth and more than able to give him a set-down when it's called for. The scene in the tavern, with a drunken and forlorn Darcy and an understanding but critical Dy is excellent and something we've all wanted to see in any P&P movie. I hope that Ms. Aiden is working hard on volume 4 to make a suitable happy ending for Geogiana and Dy, give Bingley a backbone, and also give us a glimpse of Ms. Aiden's ideas about life at Pemberley. (But please, don't make us suffer through more of Wickham and Lydia - everyone seems to bring them back for plot devices, when we really all just want them to GO AWAY.)
Not as good as book one, but have to read anyway........2007-08-16
It seems that most people agree that this is not as strong as the other two in the series. It is still a good book, but takes Darcy into situations that I did not believe. Austen is so great because she is so believable, and this just isn't. That said, this book does a great job of giving Darcy's valet a life. So many books just gloss over servants, and this does not. This book covers the missing months between Netherfield and Rossings. You have to read it because the situations are alluded to in book 3.
Not on a par with the other two books of the trilogy.......2007-08-05
I enjoyed the trilogy, but found the second book over the top. I felt she was trying too hard to make something exciting happen in Darcy's life. I didn't find it plausible that he would be so easily duped. The main reason to read it is to connect the first and second book.
Download Description
" Take a walk on the wild side... Star Wood Leigh is star struck in life and love. A hasty secret marriage to rock 'n' roll bad boy Jimi Deed triggers a chain of events that changes both of their lives. Together they soar to the heights of stardom and explore the dark side of celebrity. As their lives become more public, their secrets get even darker. Provocative and filled with surprises, this, the latest in the continuing tale of Miss Star Wood Leigh, takes her story to a whole new level. Life goes off the scale as she tries to balance private life with celebrity, and the world finds out what it really means to be Star Struck. Take a twisted look at what can happen offscreen as Star navigates the rocky shoals of life and love as the world's most unintentional superstar. Bestselling authors Pamela Anderson and Eric Shaw Quinn are back with their latest installment on the life of their fictional alter ego and their twisted take on stardom. The editorial advice of writer/director Gerry Anderson -- Pam's brother -- who not only added a lot of joy to the editing process in the writing of this book, also helped shape Star Stuck into a raw and unexpected take on stardom. "
Customer Reviews:
A great read.......2007-05-16
If you read the first book you will definitely enjoy this sequel. Pamela Anderson adds a lot of personality to her characters and some of the story line is not so far off from her real life.
AHHH Pamela! You are too good! .......2007-01-29
This book is fiction, but you can tell that she uses real life experiences to add to the fun. This book was a quick read and kept me entertained. I would recommend to any fan.
Disappointing.......2007-01-21
The book started off great. Steamy and hot at the beginning. Once Jimi and Star had their abrupt meeting with an unwelcome photographer, it just went down hill from there. I did not like the character of Jimi at all!! In Pamela Anderson's first book Star, Star Wood Leigh was a loveable character with a lot of zing! In Star Struck, Jimi turned out to be a self-centered, spoiled, immature, perverted a**hole and took Star down with him. I was hoping the second book would be as fun as the first, but I was terribly disappointed. It was as though Pam Anderson just quickly threw the ending together just to get it done and over with. I did not feel the energy at the end. It wasn't even original! I was never a Pam Anderson fan untill I read her first book. I thought the second book would be just as good. I hope she writes a 3rd book and makes it fresh with that original zing.
Hard to believe, but it is worse than the first.......2006-10-06
You can read my review of Star and find out how I was tricked into reading that by a bookstore employee. Unfortunately, my husband remembered seeing that book on the shelves and decided I might enjoy the sequel. WRONG!!! I couldn't get past the first two chapters. There are far too many sex scenes in the first two chapters alone. Nobody could possibly be as stupid as Star. It is horrible. I swear that some of my brain leaked out of my head when I read those two chapters.
Much better than the first.......2006-10-04
It's very weird when you say you prefer a book's sequel to the original. I wasn't too fussed really over Pammy's first book "Star", I've kept it, but never picked up again to re-read it.
I've had "Star Struck" on my wishlist for quite a while, and came across it in the shop on the boat while on holiday. I probably paid over the odds for it, but it was in euros, so it probably worked out at the same price. I had originally started another book about the Titanic, but couldn't get into it, so started reading this instead.
"Star Struck" drew me into the world of Star straight away, and had a tight grip of me throughout the whole book. In fact, I finished it within a couple of hours. It's more of a novella, had it been in smaller type, with not so big margins, but it's a terrific read, much better than Star.
What really shocked me about this book, was reading the acknowledgements, that Pammy does a lot of thing a lot of authors/celebrities DON'T do when writing their biographies/book: they don't admit to using a ghost writer. Pammy does this quite happily and I applaud her for this. For some reason, they don't like admitting they use a ghost writer. Cos of course, we all believe all they do is sit around all day typing away, or doing a JK, and handwriting it! (That must be painful.) She probably gets final approval of anything that goes into it, but you can tell a lot came from her life. She met & married Tommy Lee (or Jimi Deeds in the book) within 3 days of meeting him; she had a miscarriage on the set of Barb Wire (or Hy Voltz); that infamous video and lots more beside.
The book has a lot of sex scenes in it, and coming from Pammy, she certainly knows a lot. (We also discover that Jimi - probably like Tommy - is very well endowed, hello!) Every chapter has at least one scene like this.
Towards the end of the book, it does leave it open ended, for a possible third in the trilogy (I hope so!), but it also turns into out a bit similar to Thelma & Louise. (Oooh, did that give the ending away?) It certainly kept me turning the pages, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I might be persuaded to read them both again, and maybe even change my original review of Star.
Book Description
In this heartrending and inspiring novel set against the gorgeous, vast landscape of South Africa under apartheid, award-winning playwright Pamela Gien tells the story of two families–one black, one white–separated by racism, connected by love.
Even at the age of six, lively, inquisitive Elizabeth Grace senses she’s a child of privilege, “a lucky fish.” Soothing her worries by raiding the sugar box, she scampers up into the sheltering arms of the lilac-blooming syringa tree growing behind the family’s suburban Johannesburg home.
Lizzie’s closest ally and greatest love is her Xhosa nanny, Salamina. Deeper and more elemental than any traditional friendship, their fierce devotion to each other is charged and complicated by Lizzie’s mother, who suffers from creeping melancholy, by the stresses of her father’s medical practice, which is segregated by law, and by the violence, injustice, and intoxicating beauty of their country.
In the social and racial upheavals of the 1960s, Lizzie’s eyes open to the terror and inhumanity that paralyze all the nation’s cultures–Xhosa, Zulu, Jew, English, Boer. Pass laws requiring blacks to carry permission papers for white areas and stringent curfews have briefly created an orderly state–but an anxious one. Yet Lizzie’s home harbors its own set of rules, with hushed midnight gatherings, clandestine transactions, and the girl’s special task of protecting Salamina’s newborn child–a secret that, because of the new rules, must never be mentioned outside the walls of the house.
As the months pass, the contagious spirit of change sends those once underground into the streets to challenge the ruling authority. And when this unrest reaches a social and personal climax, the unthinkable will happen and forever change Lizzie’s view of the world.
When The Syringa Tree opened off-Broadway in 2001, theater critics and audiences alike embraced the play, and it won many awards. Pamela Gien has superbly deepened the story in this new novel, giving a personal voice to the horrors and hopes of her homeland. Written with lyricism, passion, and life-affirming redemption, this compelling story shows the healing of the heart of a young woman and the soul of a sundered nation.
Praise:
A gripping first novel in the tradition of such great southern African writers as Nadine Gordimer and Doris Lessing. Spare beautiful prose builds to an unforgettable climax.
--BOOKLIST, starred review
Pamela Gien's novel is impressively affecting. She is a wonder. The Syringa Tree as a play was uniquely moving, but Gien has taken it beyond its walls, and given us remarkable writing that stands freely as a deeply affecting and fresh telling of this classic story. -—Lillian Ross
The story of a young girl and her cherished caretaker is the
story of a heartbroken country. Pamela Gien brings South Africa to vivid life, illuminating how the bonds of love are stronger than the forces of history. I read the end of the book through tears.
-–Amanda Eyre Ward, author of How to Be Lost
This book plunges us inside the skin of humanity and is suffused with a rare understanding. The Syringa Tree reminds us that every life can be a drop–and a great deal more–in the sea of history.
-–Scott Simon, NPR, author of Pretty Birds and Home and Away
Evocative and impassioned. Gien captures perfectly the voice of the child Elizabeth and the grown woman she becomes. --Baltimore Sun, Summer List
Highly recommended...Gien here illuminates the shameful history of a country, by highlighting the juxtaposition of race, anti-Semitism, and class privilege. -Library Journal
A spare, yet poetic account that steadily works its magic on the reader as both a portrait of individuals, and a country, in the tumultuous time of apartheid. --Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Gien...renders South Africa...as a virtual paradise, which
painfully contrasts with the blood spilled on its soil. She’s an expressive, fluent writer whose best passages are lyrical yet intimate, bringing you right into the room. --Seattle Weekly
A gorgeous, hopeful, heartrending novel. . . . This uncommonly moving, deeply humane novel nearly dances in a reader's hands with the rhythms and the colors, the complicatedness and the inimitability of southern Africa."--O The Oprah Magazine
Customer Reviews:
The Syringa Tree.......2007-10-05
This is one book I did not finish. I read all of Part I and got tired of waiting for something to happen. It is written beautifully, but I gave up on the plot.
One Man, One Woman, One Vote.......2007-02-03
Anyone who has heard Greg Greenway's song "One Man, One Woman, One Vote"
would hear it in the background as they read this book. I gained a lot of
insight into what life was like in South Africa. Insights that certainly
were hard to gather from news reports during that time period. Pamela Gien
portrays the pain and difficult choices that had to be made by all people
living there.
Unlike other reviewers though, I did not particularly like the writing style
in the book. I felt it didn't flow well. That said, "The Syringa Tree" is
well worth reading for insights into the past and maybe lessons that could
be applied to the future as other countries try to change and morph into a
new shape and structure.
Breathtaking writing, and a story so moving I couldn't move afterwards!.......2006-11-20
This book was given to me by a friend, and I will admit to first thinking
"Oh bother, another political novel about South Africa." I put off reading
it for some weeks. But now I'm giving it to everyone I know for Christmas.
It not only is first rate writing- really evocative, almost incantational-
but the story itself is so compelling and so original (the device of having a
child for a narrator works better here than in any other novel I can
remember!)- Gien's is a totally fresh voice, and so empathetic! She weaves
magic in this book, it's just haunting. I kept thinking what a terrific film
it would make, but don't miss this book!
WOW it is FANTASTIC!!!.......2006-11-05
I love this novel and I want to recommend it to anyone on the planet. This book was first a play, the opposite of most novels. Most begin on the page as a novel, then become a movie or play afterwards. The setting of this novel in South Africa, the family strife, the challanges are all amazing. It affected me more than any novel I have read in a long time. I thought that it was gorgeous!
Sincerely,
Robert Vaughan
In spite of the criticism this book received, I totally loved it!.......2006-10-29
I had heard the author of this book on NPR, reading from the book and discussing it.
I was totally intrigued and purchased the book, here at Amazon.
I was not the least bit dissappointed in reading it.
I thought it was beautifully written.
I was able to conjure up wonderful visuals and feelings from the authors written words.
I was quite suprised to read an unflattering review in the NY Times Book Review, subsequently, giving the book less than an outstanding review.
They felt the play, based on this book, was far superior.
I didn't see the play. I read the book.
I thought the book was beautiful, expressive, touching, sensitive as well as powerful. I throughly enjoyed the read and send a BRAVO to the author, for a job well done.
Customer Reviews:
Another of my favorites.......2007-03-25
The sequel to Shield of Three Lions is not what you would expect it to be. It picks up about a year after the end of the previous book and takes off in a completely different direction. The story is full of fascinating bits of history mixed with an implausible romance and lots of fun. A theme running through the book is the persecution of the Jews.
WARNING - it ends with a cliffhanger and you want to just DIVE right into the next book - but the last book is a disappointment.
Next book.......2006-08-20
The book picked up from the prior book. The first book spent more time on the history around Richard - but this one was more on the characters childish concerns.
Long-time favorite escape read - A keeper.......2006-06-14
I first read Banners of Gold when I was 10 years old, when my mother gave it to me for Christmas. She hadn't read it herself, or else she never would have given it to me, given that there are numerous frank descriptions of sex acts, genitalia, debauchery, etc in a medieval bawdy style (think Chaucer). Needless to say, I was completely enthralled and read the entire book in one day.
In the 20 years since then I've returned to its pages whenever I'm in the mood for a good escape read into a colorfully-described medieval world, told through the eyes of a teenage girl. It's not the most plausible plot or the most historically accurate on some events (the author admits this in her preface) yet her research into the day-to-day life of women, commoners and nobles adds fascinating detail to the drama. Even though I've read it dozens of times and know the story backwards and forwards, it never ceases to entertain me.
This book is a sequal to the novel Shield of Three Lions, but I read this one first. The author does a good job of conveying the backstory from the first book without clobbering you over the head with it: the gradual revelation of certain details actually added suspense to the narrative for me the first time I read it. So don't shy away from reading this book first if you happen across it. Though if you loved it as much as I did, you'll eventually seek out Shield of Three Lions, too, as well as the third installment, Prince of Poison.
Superb Storytelling!.......2006-02-24
I WISH Pamela Kaufman would write a third book in this series! The character of Alix is so three-dimensional it is a shame to leave her this way (I'm avoiding spoilers so read the book and you will know what I mean!)
Book worth it's weight in gold.......2005-08-31
This is the third Pamela Kaufman book that I have read and I cannot wait for the next one to be published. This book is the sequel to Sheild of Three Lions, so if you haven't read that book make sure you do before delving into this one. This book has all the elements of a novel that make it unputdownable!! I managed to read the whole thing one a flight from Dublin to Boston. I think what gives the book its main appeal is the pace at which events happen. There is action, adventure, court intrigue, love, loss and exploration of life in the 12th Century. Part of its appeal also stems from the fact that some of the main characters in the novel are actual historical figures, including Richard the Lionheart. A great read that will leave you wanting to know what happens next.
Average customer rating:
- Other People's Business by Pamela Yaye: A PeoplewholoveGoodBooks Review
- Please Read This Book!!
- (3.5 stars) A Beautiful Love Story
- A wondefully written debut...
- A MUST READ!!!
|
Other People's Business (Kimani Romance)
Pamela Yaye
Manufacturer: Kimani
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
General
| African American
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
United States
| Short Stories
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
British
| Short Stories
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
Multicultural
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Contemporary
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
British
| Short Stories
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
United States
| Short Stories
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
African American
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Contemporary
| Romance
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Romance
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Multicultural
| Romance
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Risky Pleasures (Kimani Romance)
-
At First Sight (Kimani Romance)
-
Stranger In My Arms (Arabesque)
-
The Glass Slipper Project (Kimani Romance)
-
The Second Time Around (Kimani Romance)
ASIN: 0373860153 |
Customer Reviews:
Other People's Business by Pamela Yaye: A PeoplewholoveGoodBooks Review.......2007-09-02
Autumn Nicholson is beautiful, smart and successful. Despite being at the top of her game in her career, Autumn keeps looking for love in all the wrong places. After her latest relationship goes wrong, Autumn is ready to give up on love and decides on celibacy. L.J. Saunders was just being a good guy when he stops to help a stranded woman on the side of the road. A woman who despite giving him the cold shoulder, he can't get out of his mind. A woman he thinks he will never see again until they run into each other at an unexpected place.
Autumn is is shocked and surprised when the man who came to her rescue on the side of the road turns out to be the best man in her best friend's wedding. Soon sparks begin to fly and L.J. and Autumn find themselves fighting their attraction and falling in love. Will Autumn finally be able to let go of past disappointments and give in to her growing feelings for L.J. or will he pay for the past sins of others? Other People's Business by Pamela Yaye is an touching, romantic story. It will make you laugh, cry, or just sit and shake your head. Join Autumn and L.J. as they find love in an unexpected place: each other. Reviewed by Shay C of PeoplewholoveGoodBooks.
Please Read This Book!!.......2007-08-09
I am a true fan of love sagas so I loved this book!! The love escapade between LJ Saunders and Autumn was so good that I stayed up the majority of the night reading... I could not put this book down wanting to know what was going to happen amongst their relationship. Kudos Ms Yaye! Job Well done!
(3.5 stars) A Beautiful Love Story.......2007-08-05
Autumn Nicholson was an accountant at the top of her game and was successful in her occupation. She had friends she adored, and they adored her as well. The only thing missing in Autumn's life was true love. She had met her fair share of guys that she thought were "the one," but soon she would find out that they weren't. She had this brick wall around her heart and swore off any type of intimacy until she found the man she would marry. Soon her brick wall started to crumble when she met L.J. Saunders. Their first encounter wasn't necessarily what you would call love at first sight. But things soon change between them, and sparks start to fly. Will L.J. be able to shatter Autumn's wall or will it instead become a fortress?
Other People's Business by Pamela Yaye is a beautiful love story between two people that have had their share of bad relationships. Through the turmoil, they find each other and fall in love...even with all of the obstacles they keep running into. If you enjoy good romance novels and are not too keen on the sappy kind, then this book is for you. Pamela Yaye put a few tear-jerking moments in there, but she'll also have you talking out loud, yelling "Oh No He Didn't!" at times too. I would recommend Other People's Business to anyone that loves a happy ending.
Reviewed by Jackie
for Urban Reviews
A wondefully written debut..........2007-05-24
Pamela Yaye's debut novel, Other People's Business, is a wonderful addition to the busy African-American romance market.
Accountant Autumn Nicholson is fighting to show the world that she can make it on her own without the input and influence of her well-to-do family and friends. She's made a success of herself in her accountancy firm and has given up on love as she struggles to rid herself of her uncommitted boyfriend who is all too happy to survive on the backs of his wealthy and politically-connected father. The novel opens with Autumn being disappointed by him once again and having to depend upon the help of a kind, if scruffy, stranger L.J. Saunders.
L.J. Saunders comes to her rescue when a flat tire leaves her stranded. Put off by his unkempt appearance and the nature of their meeting, Autumn puts him out off her mind until she encounters him at the engagement party of her best friend. With L.J. as the best man and Autumn as a bridesmaid, they are thrown together in a number of social situations and soon sparks fly.
Their road to romance is an adventurous and rocky one with Autumn continuing to struggle with her past relationship disappointments and L.J. being extremely wary of love based on a recent romantic failure. Author Yaye crafts a fine romance in her telling of Autumn and L.J.'s story. She develops her characters and story line like a seasoned pro rather than a debut author. This adventure was a captivating one and I look forward to her future romantic forays.
A MUST READ!!!.......2007-04-13
This book is sensational!!! Autumn and L.J.'s story was exciting and breath-taking from begining to end. Every page was wonderful, I read the entire book in two days. I just couldn't put it down!!!! I am waiting on the next book!!!!
Cheryl Haynes
Average customer rating:
- Overrated "Classic"
- Worth reading (The Awakening)
- a counterpoint to the last review
- Yeah, yeah, A sense of SELF
|
The Awakening: And Other Stories (Oxford World's Classics)
Kate Chopin
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Chopin, Kate
| Classics
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Classics
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
19th Century
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
19th Century
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Classics
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Literary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
United States
| Short Stories
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
British
| Short Stories
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Short Stories
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Chopin, Kate
| ( C )
| Authors, A-Z
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
( C )
| Authors, A-Z
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
| Carroll, Lewis
| Cather, Willa
| Collins, Wilkie
| Conrad, Joseph
| Crane, Stephen
Classics
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Literary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
British
| Short Stories
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Short Stories
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
United States
| Short Stories
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
19th Century
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
19th Century
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Classics
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
American Poetry : The Twentieth Century, Volume 1 : Henry Adams to Dorothy Parker
-
My Ántonia (Broadview Literary Texts)
-
Final Harvest: Poems
-
Evangeline and Other Poems (Dover Thrift Editions)
-
Their Eyes Were Watching God
ASIN: 0192823000 |
Book Description
'She wanted to swim far out, where no woman had swum before.' Kate Chopin was one of the most individual and adventurous of nineteenth-century american writers, whose fiction explored new and often startling territory. When her most famous story, The Awakening, was first published in 1899, it stunned readers with its frank portrayal of the inner word of Edna Pontellier, and its daring criticisms of the limits of marriage and motherhood. The subtle beauty of her writing was contrasted with her unwomanly and sordid subject-matter: Edna's rejection of her domestic role, and her passionate quest for spiritual, sexual, and artistic freedom. From her first stories, Chopin was interested in independent characters who challenged convention. This selection, freshly edited form the first printing of each text, enables readers to follow her unfolding career as she experimented with a broad range of writing, from tales for children to decadent fin-de siecle sketches. The Awakening is set alongside thirty-two short stories, illustrating the spectrum of the fiction from her first published stories to her 1898 secret masterpiece, 'The Storm'.
Customer Reviews:
Overrated "Classic".......2007-05-30
I had been urged to read "The Awakening" several times, and had heard the word "classic" used to describe this book, so I thought I'd check it out. And while I understand that this must have been controversial when it first appeared, this same theme has been done much better by later writers. This is a BORING read. Not much happens. There isn't much conflict. I didn't like or sypathize with the main character, who comes off as selfish and cold. I would not recommend this, except in a study of feminist literature. The other stories are pretty much the same as the title story -- slow and plodding. I'm a fan of literature and theme, but this is light on both. Avoid this book.
Worth reading (The Awakening).......2003-09-21
This book is certainly not for the illiterate dime novel crowd. It is a story of one woman's struggle to find herself within the narrow confines of Victorian society. The situations and characters are well developed and some literacy in French is helpful but not required. If you read a bit about Kate Chopin the main character seems to be fairly autobiographical at least where rebellion from female conformity was concerned. The book is not a new idea, a person finding their wings and learning to fly. But the idea of a female doing this in Victorian society was brand new. The book was considered obscene and subversive at the time and that alone makes it worth reading.
a counterpoint to the last review.......2001-05-09
I got turned on to KC in college through one story--The Storm--and a little background on her (she wrote ahead of her time, was published and then forgotten until the 1960's Feminist Movement dug her up again). She became one of those authors I lodge in the back of my head to investigate later. I happened upon this wonderful book at the book tent at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Fest and grabbed it. The book gives a great introduction to her and her time. I was lucky enough to read The Awakening and some of her other short stories while staying at Grand Isle. She was and is a great writer. She wrote from a viewpoint that bucked the norms of her time---the late 1800's, she wrote of women who didnt fit the mold of mommy and wife. She wrote eloquently of an area, era, and culture that I love...New Orleans, Cajun Country, and Grand Isle amongst others. I dont write many reviews, but after reading the only other review for this book I felt a different opinion should be heard. She is a good read.
Yeah, yeah, A sense of SELF.......2001-04-21
I read this because It was listed as a "great book". Why, I don't know. Maybe at the time it was risque. Imagine the horror! A wife, not happy with just being a wife! Soon she begins to realize that she is an indvidual who has her own sexual desires, so she trapses around town with men while her husband is away on business. It was a labor to read this, but I always finish. You however- I would not reccomend picking this up.
Book Description
She was just writing a story.
When Anna Koval decides to creatively kill time at her library job in Austin by teaching herself HTML and posting partially fabricated stories about her life on the Internet, she hardly imagines anyone besides her friend Dale is going to read them. He's been bugging her to start writing again since her breakup with Ian over a year ago. And so what if the "Anna K" persona in Anna's online journal has a fabulous boyfriend named Ian? It's not like the real Ian will ever find out about it.
The story started writing itself.
Almost instantly Anna K starts getting e-mail from adoring fans that read her daily postings religiously. One devotee, Tess, seems intent on becoming Anna K's real-life best friend and another, a male admirer who goes by the name of "Ldobler," sounds like he'd want to date Anna K if she didn't already have a boyfriend. Meanwhile, the real Anna can't help but wonder if her newfound fans like her or the alter ego she's created. It's only a matter of time before fact and fiction collide and force Anna to decide not only who she wants to be with, but who she wants to be.
Download Description
"She was just writing a story. When Anna Koval decides to creatively kill time at her library job in Austin by teaching herself HTML and posting partially fabricated stories about her life on the Internet, she hardly imagines anyone besides her friend Dale is going to read them. He's been bugging her to start writing again since her breakup with Ian over a year ago. And so what if the ""Anna K"" persona in Anna's online journal has a fabulous boyfriend named Ian? It's not like the real Ian will ever find out about it. The story started writing itself. Almost instantly Anna K starts getting e-mail from adoring fans that read her daily postings religiously. One devotee, Tess, seems intent on becoming Anna K's real-life best friend and another, a male admirer who goes by the name of ""Ldobler,"" sounds like he'd want to date Anna K if she didn't already have a boyfriend. Meanwhile, the real Anna can't help but wonder if her newfound fans like her or the alter ego she's created. It's only a matter of time before fact and fiction collide and force Anna to decide not only who she wants to be with, but who she wants to be. "
Customer Reviews:
LOL!!!! XD.......2007-09-19
this book was soo funy i told everyone at work who asked how funny it was and i seriously laughed out loud while reading it.the ending was less then awesome but it was way funny and the beginning was a total "omg! i did that!" like so many other parts!!! my sister even read it and we talked about it through the cell phone while i was almost done with it and she was in the middle:D. you should go read it-its too funny:D
I was hoping to like it more.......2007-08-30
WHY GIRLS ARE WEIRD by Pamela Ribon
August 30, 2007
Amazon Rating: 3.5/5 stars
I read WHY MOMS ARE WEIRD first, which I found hilarious, but I had a harder time getting into WHY GIRLS ARE WEIRD. I think I was expecting something similar when I read Pamela Ribon's debut, but the two books are completely different.
In WHY GIRLS ARE WEIRD, main character Anna Koval calls herself Anna K and pens a blog in which she makes up things that could be about her life, but aren't. She takes a past boyfriend and writes about him as if they are currently dating, even setting up a possibility of a wedding. And people out there are buying into her blog. She doesn't think anyone is reading it, but as life goes on, she finds out that there is a following of fans out there that are living day to day by her words.
What is so "weird" about the blog is that Anna is living her life as if she and her boyfriend, Ian, are still dating and on the verge of getting married. Anna has a lot of issues to deal with, and this is the main one, in which for some reason she cannot let go of Ian. Her best friend Dale, a wonderfully funny gay man, is aghast when he reads the blog (which is presented to him on his birthday) and to her dismay, Dale is very disappointed and worried about Anna. What is more, she now has a stalker/fan that worms her way into Anna's life, and it's not an experience she actually wanted to happen. It's almost downright freaky.
I think my problem with WHY GIRLS ARE WEIRD is that I didn't understand Anna's need to make up a life and post it on the Internet. I also didn't get why Anna couldn't understand that others would eventually find her weird blog, possibly people that she knew. WHY GIRLS ARE WEIRD is a funny, warped, yet almost real take on what goes on in the world of the internet. However, I'm not a fan of My Space and similar websites, and maybe that is why I didn't quite "get" the book. Anna and her need to make up this new life for herself only irked me, and that's why I'm only giving this book a 3.5 rating.
A thoughtful, guilty pleasure........2007-07-16
Anna Koval is living a pretty average life. She has good Friends that adore her, an ex-boyfriend that she hasn't stopped trying to figure out, a job in a library that she could do in her sleep. Anna has dreams of acting, her friend Dale loves the stories she used to write before she and Ian broke up. At this point in her life, Anna Koval is bored.
In an attempt to be proactive in her life Anna decides to teach herself HTML, a skill she thinks could help her in her career. By starting an online journal she can put HTML to use, Make Dale happy by writing again and perhaps express herself along the way. With that, her alter ego Anna K is born. Anna K is creative and has an opinion about everything. It was really only a small stretch to give Anna K a devoted boyfriend named Ian. It couldn't really matter; it wasn't like it was real anyway.
Anna is surprised to be inundated with e-mail from fans that read her blog everyday. There is Tess that wants to know everything about her and seems to have a few secrets of her own. LDobler is a male admirer that switches between sounding like the perfect man and a creepy stalker.
Fact and fiction entwine until Anna herself has a hard time telling them apart and is forced to decide what it means to live a truly authentic life.
Why girls are weird reads like the diary we have all tried to keep at one point, funny, insightful and intelligent. Anna Koval rings true to me in a way most characters don't. She is flawed, thoughtful, loyal, confused and unhappy with her waistline,. Anna will steal your heart on her journey and make you laugh along the way.
Hilarious.......2007-04-04
I picked this book up from a book sale because it looked like a good beach book. I'm sure glad I did. It was hilarious. Some of the parts were so funny I still laugh when I think about them. It was one of the best "beach books" I've read in awhile. I liked it so much I actually bought a copy for my friend so I had someone to talk to about it.
no satisfaction.......2006-10-04
I loved Pamie's site for years. Thought the book was terrible, but it might be funny to you if you didn't know how much funnier and deeper the site could be. And I kind of feel the "woe is me, it is so hard to be a famous blogger" shtick is pretty annoying, like, I'm sorry that you wrote stuff that people responded to, and I know it got a little crazy and cultlike here and there, but I also remember that being encouraged on the site of yore. Anyway. The book was a big letdown (and even a turnoff) for me, but I can imagine it might be enjoyable if you don't have any expectations.
Book Description
Based on one of the most popular SF anthologies of all time, which dispelled the notion that women don’t write “real” science fiction, this volume features stories by twenty-one seminal SF writers. Included are works by Leigh Brackett, C. L. Moore, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Judith Merril. Introduction and Bibliography by the Editor.
Customer Reviews:
old fashioned and great.......2004-11-04
I have the old books, from waaay back in the late seventies when "women of wonder" came out followed by "more women of wonder"
They are incredibly insightful as not all the world has moved at the same step regarding equality. And anyway... they make a very good read!
I can hardly wait to get my hands on the next volume... from the 70's to the 90's
(while in there I might as well get the old one, my copies are yellowed and getting brittle)
Excellent collection.......2000-05-16
This first of two books in the series about women writing science fiction both satisfies your curiousity and entertains while urging you to get the second book. There are so many things that haven't changed and yet, the stories can at times seem dated. We should be grateful, this means that some progress has been achieved.
Books:
- Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time
- Tired of Trying to Measure Up
- Tropical Houses: Living in Nature in Jamaica, Sri Lanka, Java, Bali, and the Coasts of Mexico and Belize
- True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership (J-B Warren Bennis Series)
- Waterborne: Poems
- Weather Flying
- Who's Counting? A Lean Accounting Business Novel (Winner of the Shingo Prize for Manufacturing Excellence)
- Winners Never Cheat: Everyday Values We Learned as Children (But May Have Forgotten)
- World of Warcraft: Monster Guide (Sword & Sorcery)
- 1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Information Technology for Management: Transforming Organizations in the Digital Economy
- History: Fiction or Science
- After the New Economy: The Binge and the Hangover That Won't Go Away
- BattleBots
- Cost Accounting
- Everything You Need To Know About Men...You Can Learn From Dogs
- Dun And Bradstreet Guide Doing Business Around World Revised
- Economic Accounting: A Testbook in Accounting Principles for Students of Economics and the Liberal A
- Andean Entrepreneurs: Otavalo Merchants and Musicians in the Global Arena
- Souls Raised from the Dead: A Novel
