Average customer rating:
- Grumpy Old Stoners
- So Much For the Golden Years
- Crunchy on the outside, soft at the core
- Taking a walk on the "wild"& unique side...
- Comic romp and frightening parable wrapped into one
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Jimi Hendrix Turns Eighty
Tim Sandlin
Manufacturer: Riverhead Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Comic
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Contemporary
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Literary
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ASIN: 1594489335
Release Date: 2007-01-18 |
Book Description
It's 2023, and Guy Fontaine is an unwilling new resident at Mission Pescadero, an assisted-living facility outside San Francisco. It doesn't take him long to realize that his fellow residents have reverted to the lifestyles they embraced in the sixties, complete with sex, drugs, and rock and roll (with a little Viagra thrown in for good measure). The Mission Pescadero staff, and the world outside, would like nothing more than to forget these aging hippies, but the residents want-no, demand-to be treated with respect and dignity. And they'll fight for it. When one resident's prohibited cat is discovered by Mission Pescadero's domineering administrator, the resulting confrontation mushrooms into an epic battle between authority and anarchy, complete with twenty-four-hour media coverage and the involvement of California's governor, Drew Barrymore. As tensions escalate, Guy finds himself cast as an unlikely radical in a drama he doesn't understand.
By turns outrageous, hilarious, and, ultimately, touching, Tim Sandlin's new novel is a fascinating exploration of how the baby boomers are facing their own mortality. Jimi Hendrix Turns Eighty is Sandlin at his iconoclastic best.
Customer Reviews:
Grumpy Old Stoners.......2007-08-14
As much as I would love to take credit for that descriptive title, I cannot. That is merely another gem from Tim Sandlin.
If you enjoy reading a well written, entertaining, laugh out loud funny book with a whole lot of heart then you are in luck because "Jimi Hendrix Turns Eighty" will deliver on all counts.
So Much For the Golden Years.......2007-08-03
I must admit to being a big fan of Tim Sandlin, ever since "Sex and Sunsets" he has had my attention. This book is way to close to my age group and Tim is too young to know all the 60's music references. Scary as the prospect of my future in an "assisted living" facility may be, send me to this spot, I want to sit between the two Sunshines, I think I met one of them at the Fillmore at a Paul Butterfield Concert many years ago. Congrats to Tim, this hilarious book has a brutal honest side that is longer than Jerry Garcia's beard.
Crunchy on the outside, soft at the core.......2007-05-19
In this old-age romp, Sandlin turns his sharp satirical talents loose while doing that other thing that hilarious satirists can't always do -- empathy. Sandlin is able to both poke fun at sentimentality and yet he has a soft touch too; when these old peeps aren't expsoing their rear ends in mass-moonings, they expose their sadnesses, bewilderments, regrets, and disappointments at the lives behind and in front of them. The best part of JHT80 is the highly refreshing take on stereotypes of old age: the wisdom, feeblemindedness and bloody boringness with which old people are often relegated don't feature here. These old folks stick it to that portrayal and fling an adult diaper at anyone who ever says growing old means acting like it.
Taking a walk on the "wild"& unique side..........2007-04-02
All "baby boomers" should read this book. The references to the sixties and people and places of the time are nostalgic. The honesty about situations that the elderly of our generation are realistically written about. Alot of food for thought, I enjoy the authors writing style.
Comic romp and frightening parable wrapped into one.......2007-03-08
It's 2022, Jenna Bush is President, Gulf War VI is going on, and Gen Xers are warehousing their aging boomer parents in "assisted living" communities and taking control of their money under false pretenses.
Guy Fontaine, a retired sportswriter from Oklahoma, has moved in with his daughter, Claudia, in California after the death of beloved wife Lily. But when he has a senior moment--he hallucinates and drives a golf cart onto the freeway--he is locked up in Mission Pescadero, an assisted living community that encapsulates the frightening world Sandlin posits for our future. An evil administrator runs the place with all the humanity of the worst lunch lady in the boomers' past, peopling it with patients brought in on the flimsiest diagnoses of dementia, with residents going "through the tunnel" to the nursing wing on even flimsier diagnoses by her corrupt doctor/near lover, where they are drugged comatose and quiet.
The Mission's population is mainly leaders of the leftist movements of the Sixties, who have created a hierarchy based on when and what they did in the decade that you're only supposed to have been there if you've forgotten it. Guy, straight, drug-free and monogamous all his life, finds himself struggling to adjust with the proponents of free love and drug use in the golden years. But when the administrator discovers one patient has--shudder--a cat in his room, Guy is driven to violence to defend someone who had befriended him, setting off a revolt to liberate the Mission.
Sandlin carries this absurd yet realistic situation with aplomb, showing real understanding of the concerns and difficulties faced by old people, as well as the trends of society that, if left unchecked, could lead to a world like the one he imagines here. Even minor characters are given some depth and the good lines are dispersed amongst them. Guy's unconventional romance with Rocky is counterpointed by other love stories, from a lesbian encounter between one of the youngest residents and a yoga instructor to an alley cat of a man who doesn't realize he has terrible breath. Even the villains are given some back story and some sympathy. And all to the tunes of Jefferson Airplane and The Who.
My favorite character is a woman who comes out of a drug-induced coma to lead the revolution, barking orders in a remarkably cogent and prepared manner, which foreshadows revelations about her character that end up shocking the residents and prolonging their isolation. Full confession: I once met a woman who might have been a model for this character while doing work in a prison. Sandlin has the type down perfectly.
He also has the good sense to provide a bittersweet ending, reminding us that mortality and fragility occur even among the worthy.
Whether the book will become non-fiction, as Sandlin predicts, is really up to all of us.
Book Description
Above a small town in Mexico, the sun rises like a great marigold, and one family begins preparations for an annual celebration, El día de los muertos, the Day of the Dead. Soon they will go out into the night, join their neighbors, and walk to the graveyard to welcome the spirits of their loved ones home again. Framed by decorative borders and peppered with Spanish words, Day of the Dead is a glorious introduction to a fascinating celebration. A note at the end of the book provides factual information about the holiday.
Customer Reviews:
Charming.......2007-03-30
This book feels as though it is illustrated using papel picado techniques, with its geometric colorful shapes that are symmetrical and have black-colored backgrounds. This book charmingly uses lots of Spanish language to teach vocabulary to readers. It uses lots of words that have to do with the customs of Día de los Muertos. The narrative of the story leads the reader from the preparations for the fiesta all the way through the procession and celebration. The book is attractively small and square, which will also attract younger readers without intimidating them, but offers more than enough information for these younger readers to get a comprehensive view of Día de los Muertos.
Beautiful book (but the paperback binding sucks!).......2005-10-27
This is an absolutely magical, lovely book, both in the text and illustrations.
However, the paperback I bought has a flimsy binding that started to fall apart after just one reading. I'm going to get it in hardback.
Brilliant Illustrations, Accurate Story.......2001-10-31
This lively story tells the meaning of Dia de los Muertos--honoring loved ones--with beautiful illustrations, a good mixture of English and Spanish text, and accuracy. Great teaching tool.
A Beautiful Tribute to a Mexican Holiday.......2000-01-14
I have read this book to my 6 year-old daughter ab out a dozen times in the last 2 weeks. The colorful and rich illustrations are awe-inspiring and capture the spiritual side of this Mexican holiday. The story reflects the anticipation of the children as their parents prepare for this day of feasting and honoring passed souls.
Another plus in this book is the use of the Spanish language. Scattered throughout the book in short phrases, the words can be interpreted by context for the non-speaker.
I love this book and so does my daughter. We live near the border of Mexico and can attest to the fact that it is culturally accurate and reflects the Mexican culture in a beautiful way. I highly recommend this book!
Customer Reviews:
Less enjoyable than the columns, but still funny.......2007-08-12
I was first blown away by Dave Barry's Greatest Hits, a selection from his often hilarious (occasionally in a surreal way) column. This follow-up purchase was my cheapskate way of getting four books in one omnibus (and hardcover no less) edition: at amazon someone sold the book for something like a cent and all I paid was standard postage.
Well, next time I'll be a bit less frugal and fork out for another collection of his columns. The `Guide to Life' books were still amusing, occasionally laugh out loud, but not quite at the same standard. I think the short column format suits Barry better than sticking to one theme for an entire book. He earns his money, but at times it seems to require more effort to squeeze out all the pages; whereas at his best his columns feel like he's just joyously ranting on a theme he doesn't have to sustain for any length of time before being distracted by something else.
It's a bit of a time piece too - although for anyone who lived through the 80s that can be an enjoyable feature. That being said, it's interesting how many things still ring true, even raves about computers with a fraction the RAM but disturbingly similar frustrations.
Vintage Barry........2003-06-27
This is an omnibus edition containing four semi-related examples of Dave Barry's early, fairly short works: Dave Barry's Guide To Marriage and/or Sex, Babies and Other Hazards of Sex, Stay Fit and Healthy Until You're Dead, and Claw Your Way To The Top.
The humor is mostly some of Dave's better stuff, although I thought that the first two sections were funnier than the last two; still, even those are well worth reading. Overall, about on a par with "Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need".
Funny more often than not.......2001-11-08
I bought this as a gift for a friend, who just happens to be an expectant mother. She was showered with "how to" books on raising babies, so I thought I would give her one more -- the Dave Barry guide. I started reading it, and ended up chuckling more often than not. A recommended read to someone who wants a laugh, and enjoys Dave Barry's outrageous writing style.
Great Vintage Barry.......2000-05-21
Much of this was written back before Dave Barry was a name brand humorist. I can remember buying copies of the babies book years ago to give to all of my pregnant friends. This is typical Barry-- pointed, free-wheeling, funny and immediately recognizable as pieces of truth that most people are too polite to mention. Written as books, these are often more sustained than the column collections, and written Back In The Day, they don't have to live up to any rep or expectation. These books are part of what MADE Dave Barry's national following.
Humor Dave Barry Style.......2000-03-25
This book was full of the typical hilarity found in Dave Barry's writing. The "Babies" portion had me rolling on the floor. As a mother of two young children, I was able to find humor in the most mundane of baby/toddler activities. The section on putting your baby to bed rang true and was best illistrated by the lulaby line "stay asleep until at least 6:30 am." The rest of the book followed the same kind of humor and is a definite read for anyone who wants a good laugh out of life
Average customer rating:
- pleasantly nauseating
- Shallow & Savage, but also fun
- Minor Amis
- Horrific happiness
- I'm still not quite sure....
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Dead Babies
Martin Amis
Manufacturer: VINTAGE (RAND)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
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Amis, Martin
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ASIN: 0099437333 |
Book Description
Blitzed on uppers, downers, blue movies and bellinis, the bacchanalia bent on bon-vivants, ensconced at Appleseed Rectory for the weekend, are reeling in a hallucinatory haze of sex and seduction. But as Friday spirals into Sunday, and sobriety sets in, the orgiastic romp descends to disastrous depths.
Customer Reviews:
pleasantly nauseating.......2006-11-05
Worth reading if only for Keith, the repugnant dwarf. The book is usually funny and occasionally disturbing, like most of Amis' work. Read it. Please.
Shallow & Savage, but also fun.......2006-09-17
Yep - this is minor Amis - the two goals (that I could detect) are both fairly modest - a satire of the sex-and-drug debaucheries of the young and beautiful in mid-1970s England, and a literary satire that combines spoofs of a very English kind of drawing-room whodunnit with a very American sort of post-60s new-journalism wooziness.
Those goals are (in the first instance) a bit morally arrogant - Amis' satire gleefully rampages straight over into some abyss of merciless cruelty without the faintest hint of remorse, and (in the second instance) his targets are so narrowly drawn as to be fairly irrelevant to most readers.
But it's still very, very good - Amis' use of language is almost as sharp as that of his great hero, Vladimir Nabokov, and his very, very ruthless sense of humor could've almost made Richard Pryor or Frank Zappa cringe.
All of which is to say that this book is extremely funny - you may want to take a long shower afterwards, though Amis generally selects his targets well. Just not for the faint of heart.
-David Alston
Minor Amis.......2004-01-30
I think the other reviews here for this Martin Amis novel are very apt. "Dead Babies" is a glib, superficial novel, not up to Amis's usual standards and obviously written early in his career. Characters are barely developed, the plot is obscure at best and at times completely incomprehensible, and Amis's disgust and nastiness (always present in his writing) is undisciplined here and overshadows everything else.
However, that said, even less than stellar Amis is fun to read, because he has a writing style that is so unquestionably unique and he writes phrases that pop like firecrackers. He's also scathingly funny, if your sense of humour leans a certain way.
The complaints about Amis's shallow treatments of Americans in this novel are justified, but his treatment didn't bother me too much, since he doesn't paint a much rosier picture of the English.
Like others here have said, if you've never read Amis before, I probably wouldn't start with "Dead Babies," as you might not want to read anything else. However, if you're an Amis fan, this novel lends an interesting look into the early development of a great writer.
Horrific happiness.......2003-01-30
I bought this book on a whim. I wasn't expecting what I read. I couldn't put it down. It has been along time since I read something full of such detail. I truly enjoyed this book and since have had several of my friends read it. They feel the same way. I wasn't even aware of what I was reading until the end. I thought it was one thing and it turned out to actually be a completely different kind of book. If you enjoy exciting details and thrilling endings this is the book for you!!!!
I'm still not quite sure...........2002-08-04
If I could make a general statement about Martin Amis' writing, I'd have to say that I do like it, but I still have mixed feelings about the four novels of his that I've read, and my feelings are maybe the most mixed about Dead Babies. First:assuming that it's not bothersome(and I can understand why it would be), the humor in here is great:vicious, caustic, and completely absurd(one character's predicament pretty much sums it up:Keith Whitehead,a "dwarf", tied to a tree with an unnvering amount of syringes hanging from various places, and this is one of the less nasty outcomes of this group's adventures). As satire, it's more than adequate, and I love the way he fools around with tense(no action in the book actually 'happens', but it 'will', says the narrator). It does it's job there, I've got no complaints with that. I think my real difficulties with the book are TECHNICAL ones. The central plot(and its subplots), such as they are, don't decide to settle in until it's almost too late, making the book seem perhaps more shapeless and repetitive than it really is, and that impression isnt helped by the fact that the plots don't gel the books elements very well. You get the feeling that Johnny and the conceptualists would still be doing what they were doing, regardless, and given that AMis prattles on about moral fiction as often as he does, youd think the aforementioned elements would have some sort of effect on their lives, but I dont quite buy it. having said THAT, I discovered upon reading Amis' essay on Joan Didion in The Moronic Inferno that this book is stylistically a satire of the KIND of writing produced by Joan Didion and Bret Easton Ellis, 'transgressive'. Slightly plotted, syntactically appalling("the only thing poetic about this book is that it's filled with line breaks") attempts at 'satire' that usually veer too far into humorless and boring decadence. A formal satire! Knowing that helps, but it doesnt totally make for an smooth or totally enjoyable read. Still, give it a chance. Though I see I haven't gone on too much about them, Dead Babies does have a lot of good qualities. It's just not necesarily for everybody. I don't even quite know if it is for ME yet.
Book Description
`Finding a still warm but dead bird, a group of children give it a fitting burial and every day, until they forget, come again to the woods to sing to the dead bird and place fresh flowers on its grave. An excellent handling of the subject of death in which all young children have a natural interest.' —BL.
Customer Reviews:
Touching, Beautiful, Cheap Story.......2003-09-29
Such thick deep complicated thoughts were projected through this modern masterpiece. The short title has an underlying thought on society, The Dead Bird. Ah sweet bliss this book touched my heart. Extremely disturbing to some, but they have not the depth or attention span to understand this new Faulknerian. With its joycean techniques and proustian redoolence. This book truely teaches a lesson all of us learn someday the hard way. This book fattens my shelf with its gurth of wisdom. BUY THIS BOOK.
ONE OF THE GREAT BOOKS!.......1998-03-25
In 1964 I found this book in a library in Augsburg, Germany while searching for a way to explain to my 5 year old daughter the sudden death of her 3 month old brother. I checked the book out and read it to her that afternoon. The simple story of a group of children finding the dead bird and burying it with a little, sincere and heart-felt ceremony was comforting to her, and with the last picture of the children playing nearby and falling leaves beginning to cover the little grave she was able to understand the finality of death. She said, "And we'll always be able to remember Matt when we want to, won't we, Dad?" This is the only "real" Childrens' book about death that I have ever seen. It should be in every pre-school and kindergarten library; no, in every library!
Book Description
As usual, the Strega-Borgia family can't seem to get a break:
They've just welcomed a newborn boy Strega-Borgia into the world, but before they can give him a name, he's snatched and replaced with a demon baby. Mrs. McLachlan, the super-efficient (and supernatural) nanny is back, safe and sound—but so is the demon Isagoth, and he hasn't forgotten what he wants from the Strega-Borgias. And evil Uncle Lucifer has resurfaced, but this time he has the added ammunition of a pact with S'tan the First Minister of the Headen Executive—otherwise known as His Imperial Inflammableness, his S'tainless Steeliness, and the Arch-Fiend. And S'tan himself is desperate to find the Chronostone, because. . . well, to put it bluntly, Hades is starting to freeze over, and without the Chronostone, he may never regain his power.
The family's got to be ready—because this will be the final battle between good and evil, the battle where winner takes all. And they're going to need all the help they can get. . . .
Average customer rating:
- Not what you think
- Intense
- Boys Book with a hidden proverb
- Bang Bang You're Dead
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Bang Bang You're Dead
Louise Fitzhugh , and
Sandra Scoppettone
Manufacturer: Trophy Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Fitzhugh, Louise
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ASIN: 0064431150 |
Customer Reviews:
Not what you think.......2004-09-27
I have not actually read this book, but I am commenting on two of the reviews regarding the title. Two different people referred to the play "Bang Bang You're Dead" in reference to this book. I myself am currently in this production and I can tell you that they were not referring to this book and that they were in fact thinking of the play written by William Mastrosimone. This is a child's book, do not get the two mixed up for I am sure that the content is quite different.
Intense.......2004-06-10
i was so lucky as to be in a version of this play at my school. i was the drummer. this is the most intense thing to watch, to be a part of or anything. each time we performed it i got so caught up in everything that i felt that it was really happending and i was just so moved. i greatly encourage anyone and everyone to read and/or see this play it is just great.
Boys Book with a hidden proverb.......2002-02-16
All time favorite book as a child. Made my parents read it so many times the pages are worn thin, especially the big rock fight page. Excellent story behind playing with rocks, sticks and make beleive war games....NOBODY WINS!
If you have a 4 year old who just loves to chuck rocks at everything this book is a must find and buy!
Bang Bang You're Dead.......2000-05-10
This play has only one prop a large box in the middle of thestage that acts as a bed, coffin and judge's podium. Josh the maincharicter had just shot and killed 5 people at his school his friend Micheal, Katie, Matt, Jesse and Emily. The rest of the play he talkes to their gostes about why he killed them, what they are missing and how the rest of his life he will have to live with the memorie of their death. It also has flash backs to events in Joshes life that led him to kill. One such flash back was when he went on a hunting trip with his Grandfather and shot a dear. This play is very powerfull. It goes into the head of someone that had killed and must go on with his life after always knowing that he can never bring them back to life. END
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