Average customer rating:
- Book - "At Home in Mitford"
- SUPERB WRITING
- A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
- Such FUN to read!
- Mitford series review
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At Home in Mitford
Jan Karon
Manufacturer: Penguin Books
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Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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A Light in the Window (The Mitford Years #2)
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These High, Green Hills (The Mitford Years #3)
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Out to Canaan (The Mitford Years #4)
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A New Song (The Mitford Years #5)
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A Common Life (The Mitford Years #6)
ASIN: 014025448X |
Amazon.com
Father Tim, a cherished small-town rector, is the steadfast soldier in this beloved slice of life story set in an American village where the grass is still green, the pickets are still white, and the air still smells sweet. The rector's forthright secretary, Emma Garret, worries about her employer, as she sees past his Christian cheerfulness into his aching loneliness. Slowly but surely, the empty places in Father Tim's heart do get filled. First with a gangly stray dog, later with a seemingly stray boy, and finally with the realization that he is stumbling into love with his independent and Christian-wise next-door neighbor. Much more than a gentle love story, this is a homespun tale about a town of endearing characters-- including a mysterious jewel thief--who are as quirky and popular as those of Mayberry, R.F.D. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
Combining the stellar script-adaptation skills of award-winning writer Paul McCusker with the best-selling novel by Jan Karon, Radio Theatre's At Home in Mitford will leave listeners longing for more. Set in the charming village of Mitford, this book will delight listeners as it draws them into the life of Father Tim, an Episcopal rector who finds himself running on empty and longing for change. His bachelor existence is changed and enriched by a lovable cast of characters, including a stray dog, a lonely boy, and a comely neighbor.
Customer Reviews:
Book - "At Home in Mitford".......2007-09-21
It's an absolutely wonderful story. It's about the experiences of Father Tim over his lifetime of being a minister. Some of his experiences were funny, some sad. I highly recommend it. There are 9 books in the series, but this one should really be read first.
SUPERB WRITING.......2007-08-27
In my opinion AT HOME IN MITFORD is one of the most fantastic books you can't help but feel like your there.
A BREATH OF FRESH AIR.......2007-08-27
What a wonderful find ! I love books and am an avid reader,I have been blessed to have received this wonderful book from my sister.A pleasure to read and impossible to put down. No bad language,no violence,just pure love,joy,and how most anyone would love to live their life as this.Keeps you interest at high level all the way through the book,and leaves you with such a good feeling,can't wait to get to the rest of them.Jan Karon has to be a truly blessed author.Thank You
Such FUN to read!.......2007-07-24
A friend of mine insisted that I'd like this book but I wasn't so sure - because for some reason I'd presumed that it would be simple and silly. Was I wrong! This book is so much FUN to read! And you never know what will happen next. Spending time with these folks in this village is like a vacation. I will read the entire series. It reminds me of the style of James Herriott, the veterinarian in England stories.
Mitford series review.......2007-07-15
I have read all the books in the Mitford series. I could not put them down. I thought they were all very good. I think Jan Karon did an excellent job making the reader feel these characters were real and that we were right there with them in the story (and I'm not one to be like that at all!) I haven't found many books that I enjoyed reading as much as I did this series. I can't wait for more stories written by Jan Karon.
Amazon.com
A Light in the Window is the second installment in this enormously popular series about a small-town rector, Father Tim, and the heartwarming cast of characters surrounding him. This time Father Tim, a lifelong bachelor, finds his heart distracted by his free-spirited neighbor Cynthia, but his stomach and the rectory cash box are distracted by Edith, a wealthy widow who is wooing the rector with love potion casseroles. At every turn, including when a brooding Irish cousin decides to move in, Father Tim must decide whether he will practice what he preaches.
Fans of the series say they long to buy real estate in Mitford, just so they can live next door to these funny and endearing characters and feel the embrace of such a loving community. But what author Jan Karon probably knows, and many readers are starting to figure out, is that the integrity and solid Christian values that these characters possess can be found in just about every neighborhood, and with inspiration like this book, anyone can build their own Mitford community. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
Mitford's village rector, Father Tim, is running scared. he can no longer deny (even to himself), that he's in love with his neighbor, Cynthia Coppersmith. Cynthia, after all, sees in him a man of warmth and daring and mdash;if only he'll meet her halfway. But now a wealthy widow is pursuing Father Tim with hot casseroles. And the mysterious Cousin Meg has moved into the rectory bag and baggage and mdash;not to mention uninvited. Abounding with characters both old and new, A Light in the Window compels readers to do something they treasure: laugh out loud.
Customer Reviews:
Part of a great series of books!.......2007-10-10
Terrific book -- easy to read & understand. Did not want to put it down. Am now collecting the rest of the 9 books in this series & can't wait to get started on #3.
A Light in the Window (The Mitford Years #2).......2007-05-17
Mr. John McDonough, who narrates all of the Jan Karon books on Mitford is extremely talented. His voice is clear and deep and can accommodate many characters. When I listened to the first Mitford book I believed Jan Karon and John McDonough were equally matched. The writing and narration was of the highest caliber. I believe that A Light In the Window was not as well written as At Home In Mitford, however McDonough was still an excellent reader. There were touching moments in Book #2. But it was obvious that Ms. Karon's first love was her first book and the second seemed a bit rushed as the characters were less three dimensional and at times repeated themselves. I would still recommend this book to those wanting a heartwarming story to keep them company as they perform daily tasks and fall asleep at night.
Almost but not quite too nice.......2007-04-13
I read this immediately after finishing the first book in the Mitford series, and, although it was not quite as enjoyable as the first novel, it was still a rare pleasure. It is almost (but not quite) too nice. The story takes up where the first book left off; Father Tim is back from Ireland and bedeviled (perhaps a poor choice of verb on my part) by the same doubts and problems as before. There's what to do about the crude boy, Dooley; how does the priest feel about his neighbor; etc. And there are new problems: the wealthy and obnoxious widow who is intent upon seducing him; a "cousin" from Ireland who invades his home and takes advantage of his good nature; the forced closing of his favorite reastaurant haunt; the profane presence of the foreman at the job site of the new nursing home, etc. All in all, it is the usual stuff of small town life.
And there is a great deal of very announced and public praying for this and that and for various people. I found that slightly troubling. Jesus said that prayer was quite a private activity, to be done in "closet," i.e., private. Those who pray in public have their reward. Saying you will pray for someone has a haughty tone, a free way of putting the addressee under a vague obligation. Moreover, one is supposed to pray to put oneself and others attuned to God's plan, not alter God's plan for temporal reasons. But perhaps I am all wrong on that. Someone will surely put me aright--or think they have.
Again, I enjoyed my stay in Mitford very much. It's the Prairie Home Companion with grits. The plot is episodic, as one might guess from the previous comments. The characters are well drawn. The dialogue sounds right. And the atmosphere is comfortable. In fact, it is the atmosphere alone that makes it all worthwhile.
I was a bit troubled by a few lapses in writing, especially with pronouns that did not refer to the closest antecedent noun. In fact, I had to stop several times to try to figure out what was what.
A Light in The Window.......2007-02-15
I'm going to be so sad to have this series end. I hate to arrive at my destination because I know I will need to turn my car off. I bought my first CD at Costco only because I couln't find anything else I wanted to listen to. I was hooked after the 1st CD. This is Americana at it's best! Age is not a factor in this book. Sit back and enjoy!
Book.......2007-01-09
Awesome book series! My sister in law gotted me hooked on this and it is a great book. Would highly recommend it.
Amazon.com
In the 19th century, the Brooklyn Bridge was viewed as the greatest engineering feat of mankind. The Roeblings--father and son--toiled for decades, fighting competitors, corrupt politicians, and the laws of nature to fabricate a bridge which, after 100 years, still provides one of the major avenues of access to one of the world's busiest cities--as compared to many bridges built at the same time which collapsed within decades or even years. It is refreshing to read such a magnificent story of real architecture and engineering in an era where these words refer to tiny bits and bytes that inspire awe only in their abstract consequences, and not in their tangible physical magnificence.
Book Description
This monumental book is the enthralling story of one of the greatest events in our nation's history, during the Age of Optimism -- a period when Americans were convinced in their hearts that all things were possible.
In the years around 1870, when the project was first undertaken, the concept of building an unprecedented bridge to span the East River between the great cities of Manhattan and Brooklyn required a vision and determination comparable to that which went into the building of the great cathedrals. Throughout the fourteen years of its construction, the odds against the successful completion of the bridge seemed staggering. Bodies were crushed and broken, lives lost, political empires fell, and surges of public emotion constantly threatened the project. But this is not merely the saga of an engineering miracle; it is a sweeping narrative of the social climate of the time and of the heroes and rascals who had a hand in either constructing or exploiting the surpassing enterprise.
Customer Reviews:
Great Bridge and a great read.......2007-05-24
This is a fine history and many fine biographies all rolled together with an instruction manual
for building suspension bridges. We learn of the many forces influencing the project, the technical
problems, the commercial challenges, the political corruption and the problems caused by honest
politicans, professional jealosies, the long shadow of the civil war, religious scandals, cultural
fads, rapidly changing technology, the medical mystery of the bends, and on, and on.
It is a well told tale. It is factual and well documented. The only quibble I can make is an
occasional lapse into mind reading, "...Roebling must have felt..." Even these rare occasions are
usually followed by quotes from letters, journals, or reports that make the supposition reasonable.
I have not stopped strangers on the street to urge them to read this book, but it is tempting.
I listened to it, instead of turning pages. That format works well except in one tiny detail that
might not matter to most readers. There are many comparisons between budget and actual expenses,
between physical quantities used on this bridge or that bridge, and so on. The numbers are reported
as accurately as possible. That shows good scholarship, but makes it difficult to compare magnitudes.
Another gem from America's greatest historian.......2007-05-22
Through his long line of books on some of America's greatest figures (Truman, John Adams, Theodore Roosevelt) and historical events (Johnstown Flood, Panama Canal, Brooklyn Bridge), David McCollough has earned the title of America's greatest historian.
As in his previous works, McCollough masterfully crafts his prose around one of the most historically significant and interesting events of 19th century America, the design and construction of the Brookly Bridge. Prior to reading this book, I must admit to an almost complete lack of appreciation for this feat. Suffice it to say that in the mid to late 19th century, construction of a suspension bridge on the scale of the Brooklyn Bridge was almost a leap of faith during a time when many if not most bridges failed soon after construction.
This is largely a story about John A. Roebling and his son Washington Roebling, the former having initially designed and "sold" the bridge, the latter being left with the task of constructing the bridge following the gruesome death of his father from tetanus. Also a key player in the story is Washington Roebling's wife Emily, who many charge was actually in charge of the bridge project during the frequent periods of incapacity suffered by her husband.
The background on both Roeblings was very interesting and key to an understanding of the personal dynamics involved in the politics and administration of the bridge project, and some of the most enlightening segments of the work deal with the politics of the era and region (this period spanning the reign of "Boss" Tweed over Tammany Hall).
McCollough's best work, however, is taking the very complicated and cutting edge engineering priciples of the time and explaining them through well crafted language and numerous sketches in such a way that most can be followed and understood (maybe not completely) by the reader. The novel concept of the caissons, by which the monstrous bridge piers were embedded into bedrock, and the resulting discovery of "the bends", was riveting reading.
All in all, a typical McCollough tour de force. As in many of his previous works, most similar in style to Panama Canal, McCollough takes a historically significant event, explains why it was so significant, points out the extreme difficulties faced by the participants and puts a human face on the travails and suffering endured by the key players. As in Panama Canal, politics plays a key role in this story.
If you're like me, most of the background to this story will be almost entirely new to you. Did you know that in 1880, Brooklyn was the third largest city in the United States (prior to its merger into New York City). I highly recommend this book, not just for its entertainment value, but for its great history lessons.
THe Brooklin Bridge.......2007-03-29
It is an excellent book. He went into great detail on it's construction in the first 2/3rds of the book all the way to the main support wires but then skipped over the rest of the work. But I liked it. Not his best, but excellent none the less. John Adams is his best book.
The Great Bridge - An outstanding protrayal of 19th Century genius.......2007-03-25
I had many questions regarding the 19th Century technology used to construct the much admired, iconic Brooklyn Bridge. David McCullough most ably answers them all, along with a detailed portrayal of the genius father and son team, John and Washington Roebling. Along the way, unfolds an insightful treatment of rival engineers, crooks, and politicians. Self-educated James Eads built a triple steel arch bridge across the Mississippi at St. Louis. William Marcy Tweed, the archetypal corrupt politician, along with confederates and challengers, were the movers and shakers of all public projects that took place in New York and Brooklyn.
John Roebling, a university educated engineer from Germany, developed a successful wire rope manufacturing business which he applied to the design and construction of numerous suspension bridges, among which were impressive bridges at Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Niagara Falls. These successes led to the acceptance of his bid for the Brooklyn Bridge contract. Washington, who led construction projects and built bridges for the Union Army, was his father's second in command.
In the early stages of mapping out the construction, John was injured in a freak accident which resulted in tetanus and his subsequent terrible death. At age thirty-two, Washington, with some misgivings by the bridge committee because of his youth, took over the project and quickly proved his capabilities by designing the two most massive caissons ever constructed. These were used for the foundations of the bridge's East River towers. Ironically, Washington was afflicted with caisson disease (now known as the bends) while fighting a fire in the Brooklyn caisson. This left him an invalid. Washington's most remarkable wife, Emily, quickly made herself knowledgeable in what needed to be done and became Washington's link to the on-site engineers as Washington watched the bridge's progress from a window in their home. At the time, there was speculation that the reclusive Washington was no longer rational and that Emily was the actual chief engineer.
The project took 14-years as it overcame innumerable problems, both technical and political. The Great Bridge opened in 1883 with heretofore unprecedented celebration. Washington later recovered from the bends, living until 1926 as he acquired considerable wealth from the manufacture of wire rope.
Factual Errors in K. Burns review.......2007-02-23
Don't mean to split hairs but previous latest review by Kerry Burns is factually incorrect. John Augustus Roebling was the father and Washington Roebling the son. Emily was the wife of John A. Roebling and one of the GREAT heroes of this magnificent book by the brilliant David McCullough. The Great Bridge is inspiring and uplifting to say the least. An epic triumph of design, engineering and construction genius. All the design,
engineering and construction genius would be for naught were it not for the incredible dedication of the Roeblings and so many others. Completed in 1881 the bridge is a monument to all the blood, sweat and tears that went into it. The book is a classic and a must read in this day when the recently completed BIG DIG in Boston ( at a cost of $15
billion ) is already an unmitigated DISASTER. The Great Bridge is a great read.
Book Description
Paul Auster's signature work, The New York Trilogy, consists of three interlocking novels: City of Glass, Ghosts, and The Locked Room—haunting and mysterious tales that move at the breathless pace of a thriller.
Customer Reviews:
"The question is the story itself, and whether or not it means something is not for the story to tell." .......2007-06-13
"He had always imagined that the key to good detective work was a close observation of details. The more accurate the scrutiny, the more successful the results. The implication was that human behavior could be understood, that beneath the infinite façade of gestures, tics, and silences, there was finally a coherence, an order, a source of motivation."
Paul Auster's "New York Trilogy," consisting of the novellas "City of Glass," "Ghosts," and "The Locked Room," is an intriguing blend of post-modern fiction, metaphysical philosophy, and detective novels. Through his reliance on the themes and structure of pulp/noir mysteries, Auster delves deeply into questions regarding identity, purpose, obsession, what is real, and examines the often tenuous grip that most people have on their sanity. His exploration is quite compelling and makes for a fascinating read, but it is unfortunate that the quality of the novellas is slightly uneven. The first, "City of Glass," is far too impenetrable and abstruse to be much more than frustrating. While it is clear that its protagonist, Quinn, is desperate to shed his identity in order to escape from the painful loss that has left him paralyzed, it is unclear why he becomes so obsessed with the case that he takes on after doing so. "Ghosts" is a marked improvement, but it is only in the final novella, "The Locked Room," that this trilogy really comes to life. "The Locked Room" is eloquent where its predecessors are vague, pointed when the others are intentionally blurry, and poignant rather than murky. Auster is certainly a great writer, and I will be interested to read more of his works, but "The New York Trilogy" requires a willingness to stick with it in order to get to its heart. But I recommend hanging in there, because that final novella is a true gem, and makes the ride worth your while.
Here's the grade breakdown: "City of Glass": C+, "Ghosts": B, "The Locked Room": A
Average grade: B
Was not impressed.......2007-05-20
I read this book because I loved Paul Aster's Brooklyn Follies. This compilation of 3 short stories may have well been written by a completely different author. They are short detective stories that are slightly intertwined. I did not enjoy this book and do not recommend it.
Two extraordinary short novels and an exercise by a supreme storyteller .......2007-02-08
I do not see this work the way Auster constructed it. To me it is not a 'trilogy' even though there are overlapping themes, and incidents. I see it as a collection of separate pieces. The first and the third are first-rate works of fiction . They are novels which are searches for self. They are -Multiple- identity -mysteries which illustrate Auster's way of seeing life and the world, as unending chance and surprise.
Perhaps the best summary of the Auster credo comes somewhere in the middle of 'The Locked Room' The narrator- best friend of Fanshawe meditates as follows.
" We all want to be told stories and we listen to them in the same way we did when we were young. We imagine the real story inside the words, and to do this we substitute ourselves for the person in the story, pretending that we can understand him because we understand ourselves. This is a deception.We exist for ourselves, perhaps, and at times we even have a glimmer of who we are, but in the end we can never be sure, and as our lives go on, we become more and more opaque to ourselves, more and more aware of our own incoherence. No one can cross the boundary into another-for the simple reason that no one can gain access to himself."
Auster is a supreme storyteller. In these works there are stories within stories of incredible power and beauty. In the first book there is a small story of a mother in the Shoah carrying a baby for whom she at last has the satisfaction of attaining and giving milk. The baby has been dead for days. In the concluding work of the Trilogy Auster tells the story of Lorenzo da Ponte whose life he describes as five or six distinct lives, illustrating a principle of Auster's fiction i.e. we can never know for certain where the story of the life is going to next.
I may not agree with Auster's philosophy of life but find him one of the supreme storytellers writing today . I pick up his work and I want to read and read and read.
exceptional.......2006-11-02
"The New York Trilogy", a volume containing three separate novellas: "The City of Glass", "Ghosts" and " The Locked Room", is an intriguing example of the author's game with the readers and, perhaps, with himself. The motif common for all three stories in the mystery, the solution of which is pursued by the main character, and the place of action, New York City (I do not agree with one of the reviewers who said New York could be here any other urban environment as well; certainly it could not be any European city, NYC gives these stories the distinct character and for anyone who has walked the streets through which the characters wander, it is a setting unmistakable for any other; The City's atmosphere hangs over the characters like a cloud).
"The City of Glass" features Quinn, a solitary man, living quietly after the death of his wife and son, and writing detective stories under a pseudonym. One night, Quinn receives a mysterious phone call from a man demanding the services of a private detective, Paul Auster... Although it is clearly a wrong number, Quinn decides to pretend to be Auster and take the challenge, changing his life forever.
A complete change of life circumstances is also a fate of the protagonist of a second (and the shortest) novella "Ghosts". Blue, who is a professional private detective, receives a task from the disguised client, White, to watch Black. The trouble is, Black never does anything interesting except reading or writing, and bored Blue tries to find out, where the real secret of this investigation lies.
In the last novella "The Locked Room", the main character is involved in the publication of the works of his missing childhood friend, Fanshawe. The books are a great success, he marries Fanshawe's wife and he assumes Fanshawe's identity, happily at the beginning...
These novellas are not, as has been pointed out by many reviewers before me, typical mysteries, where clues lead to conclusions and the reader may amuse himself with finding a correct answer. They are, on one hand, explorations of the soul, of the unknown in us, and, on the other hand, and taken together, a postmodern riddle, with literary jokes, cultural clues. They can be read on various levels, which is what really makes them interesting. For somebody, who expects a mystery story from the beginning to the end this book would be a disappointment, However, it is rewarding for the reader interested in reading itself (sounds absurd, I know, but this may be the truth - books play an enormous role in all the novellas). The introduction of Auster, as a detective, but really a writer in the first story, as opposed to Quinn, the writer, who has to become the detective, is only one of the twists here. The exercise with giving the characters the name of the colors (after all, what, if not "real" names make the reader think of the book characters as real? And are the color names unreal? Such names are common enough...) - is another.
By the way, has anyone been lured into drawing Quinn's walk on the street grid of Manhattan?
Good? Yes. Engaging? that's a different question..........2006-08-19
"The New York Trilogy", by celebrated author Paul Auster, is made up of 3, somewhat interlinked, long stories which were originately published separately at various times around 1985-86.
There is no doubt that Paul Auster is a terrific writer so I won't even get into that aspect of the book.
Let's get down to what's really important by trying to pinpoint the subject matter, i.e., what "the new york trilogy" is really about: in a sense, it's a mystery, in the true sense of the word, because even in the end many questions (most, I dare say) are left unanswered, many stones unturned and many cues are simply left hanging in the air.
The NYT has been described as metaphysical detective fiction and the description might in fact prove apt: each of the 3 stories follows the investigations of one man which always turn into an obsession, making the man completely lose touch with the reality. The NYT is thus much about mental processes, we see each of the 3 main chracters gradually become so absorbed by their quest that they lose all sense of proportion and stop thinking like the rest of us.
It's also a novel about writing because writing, depicted as the greatest obsession of all, always plays a role in the stories.
There is also a definite surreal element in most stories and, quite often, they reminded me of Dino Buzzati's short stories.
The author is obviously very pleased with himself, playing with his own name (much like B.E. Ellis does in his recent "Lunar Park") and toying with the other character's names (which pop up in different stories, alluding to the possibility of a strong link between them all).
Did I like the book? As much as it's clever and well-written, it leaves you with a sense of un-completeness, too much stuff remains only vaguely hinted at (I was never one to fall for open-endings. Plus, everything is open here, much more than necessary) and in the ends, the whole thing sound more like an elaborate intellectual game that engaging fiction. Thus, I give the novel 3 stars although this is in no way diminishes my appreciation of the author's talent.
Customer Reviews:
A fantastic book for a very much loved park.......2006-07-26
Did you know that the elm lined mall leading to the Bethesda fountain and the view of the ramble are actually based on the layout of a church? Or that all of the lakes in Central Park are manmade. This and many other very interesting facts are interspersed with lovingly taken photographs of the park which were taken by the author of the book as well. Miller starts decribing how the park came to be and the leading ideas and ideals that lead to its creation by Olmsted and Vaux. She proceeds to describe systematically the various sections of the park providing historical information as well. She delves into the some of the controversies and compromises that Olmsted and Vaux encountered in the creation of one of the finest examples of 19th Century art but it is not a comprehensive history of the park. There is a 2 page map of the park at the of the book with a legend identifying each of the features discussed in the book. If you are first time visitor to the city wishing to explore the park in detail or a life long New Yorker this book will delight and surprise you.
Definitive Review of the Finest Work of Art in NYC.......2006-02-20
As an avid fan of Central Park who has been exploring it and studying the books on it for decades, I was amazed at what there was still to learn about it from Miller's book. For example, other historians allude to a connection between Central Park's design and the Hudson River School of landscape art: Miller provides actual sources of the designer's inspiration and shows the results explicitly in the photos. And all in a way that is not at all "bookish" but instead makes you want to go right in and see for yourself the scenes she shows so well in the book's illustrations. The beautiful photos and fascinating stories and the well chosen historical prints all work together in such a compelling and entertaining way that one might never realize one is being educated by a superb textbook in the field of art.
With her emphasis on the past of the park, and its present restored beauty, it is understandable that the author does not use very much of the book's valuable space on the remaining present-day problems, but she might at least have alluded to the incongruity of the city's insistence on using this artistic matepiece as a through route for motor traffic during the majority of daylight weekday hours. In effect, the city's Dept. of Traffic is providing a refuge from the chaos of the surrounding streets during rush hours - but for the cars, not for the people. If you want to appreciate the park shown in this book, go during the times when the traffic noise does not drown out the wind in the trees, the birdsong, and the happy voices of children!
New York's Oasis.......2005-09-21
Central Park is breath taking and this book does a fine job of giving the reader a feel for what makes this 850 acre masterpiece so special. The book is quite thorough and does an commendable job of disecting various sections of the park. The color photos are vivid and well thought out and the text is highly informative. The author has a real love for the park and it comes out in her writing. If you have never visited Central Park or have visited and fell in love with it like so many others, you will love this book. This oasis really is the heart of New York City and to understand New York you have to understand the parks history and its vast importantance to the city. Central Parks importance to New York and New Yorkers cannot be overstated, I can't imagine the city without it.
A Gorgeous Book Commemorating America's 1st Public Park.......2004-03-16
Commemorating the 150th anniversary of Central Park, photographer and historian Sara Cedar Miller celebrates the aesthetic, cultural and historic significance of America's first public park with the book "Central Park, An American Masterpiece." This is the park's definitive illustrated history, and offers some of the most gorgeous photographs I have seen on the subject - a difficult task given the number of pictures that have been drawn, painted and photographed of the Manhattan landmark. The book includes over 200 color illustrations, original plans and drawings alongside modern photos, giving the viewer/reader an historical perspective.
Accompanying Ms. Miller's work, portraying the park throughout the seasons, is a well written text which highlights the conception and creation of the park and its art and architecture. This is a big, beautiful picture book that would make a wonderful addition to any home or library. It's a wonderful gift idea. I know as I have given it numerous times.
Ms. Miller is the parks official historian and photographer and has been since the mid-1980s.
JANA
A book as worthy as the park it celebrates.......2003-11-26
Sara Miller has put together an outstanding book: a book as vast and detailed as the Great Park itself. For those not familiar with the park and its history, this is an invaluable introduction to the political, demographical, economic and, especially, aesthetic thinking that went into the creation of 800 acres of gorgeous park space in the middle of Manhattan. For those seasoned veterans of NYC history, this is a welcome reminder of the enormous vision and efforts of Calvert Vaux and Fredrick Law Olmsted, as they conceived the park.
Nota Bene: A lot of books have gorgeous photos but the print job is miserable ... Others have high-qualtity prints but the photos aren't that interesting ... This book has glorious prints and an expert print job. Pick up this book.
Rocco Dormarunno, author of The Five Points and The Five Points Concluded
Book Description
Spanning more than 100 years, New York: 365 Days is a spectacular collection of then-and-now photographs that capture the rhythms and moods of the greatest city in the world. Selected from the vast archive of The New York Times, the extraordinary images in this book include many rarely-seen moments, with stops at famous landmarks and memorable events as well as a dizzying array of evocative everyday New York scenes. Featuring an introduction by bestselling New York writer Gay Talese, New York: 365 Days offers a portrait of Gotham that natives and visitors alike will find riveting.
Customer Reviews:
A Fantastic Photo Collection of NYC.......2007-06-18
This is just an amazing collection of fascinating photographs from the archives of the New York Times. Gay Talese offers a brief introduction, but the stars of the production are the incredible photographs drawn from the turn of the 20th century to the present, one for each day of the year--with some in color. There is no table of contents; it is best to just start thumbing at random. Common topics are: personalities; buildings; neighborhoods; music performances; subways; bridges; contruction; weather; immigrants; sports; and politicians. Each picture is captioned and has a short write-up, often a brief excerpt from the NYT story where it originally appeared. Some fotos I found especially moving: returning World War I troops marching past the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1919; early shots of the lower East Side; LBJ and John Glenn in a tickertape parade; JFK visiting the city; plus a 15 page collage of sunsets, morning with fog, and sunrises. The common theme is people living and interacting in the city. Beautifully printed by Abrams, there is an index to the pictures and photographers. I can't think of another book that so artfully conveys the essence of NYC as completely as this inexpensive volume.
Nice Book.......2007-01-23
Nice book, not very expensive, mixing old and news photographs of subjects
about New York.
A good journalistic panorama.
Chunky Big Apple.......2006-11-09
A thick, 744 page book presenting the flavor of the world's premier city. Though the title suggests a visual year it is more a selection of photos arranged round themes: sports, travel, markets, the weather, construction, entertainment, civic events, personalities etc. Each gets a few pages with some images going back to the nineteenth century though most are from the thirties onward.
I thought the selection was quite impressive, there is something for every New Yorker here. Some of the names of the fifty-one photographers in the index will be familiar to readers of the Times. Neal Bonenzi, Sam Falk, Vincent Laforet and Ernie Sisto get the largest showing. Two of Laforet's are particularly stunning: his night time Manhattan skyline from July four 2005 with the sky alight with fireworks and the amazing shot from January thirteen, 2001 looking down on two workman repairing a colored light at the top of the radio mast on the Empire State (I was always curious about this photo because neither of these guys are wearing hard hats). An unfortunate omission, perhaps, is any work by Weegee. He brilliantly captured the lives of the working class over the years but his photos only appeared in the down-market tabloids.
The landscape format of the book works perfectly, the photos (with some in color) are either one to a page or one to a spread, and all have comprehensive captions. This is a fascinating book, dip into it anytime to remind you of the rhythm of the city.
*I wonder if the publishers will do similar versions using the photo libraries of other great metro papers like the San Francisco 'Chronicle', Chicago 'Tribune' or the Washington 'Post'?
Amazon.com
"Ah, what can ever be more stately and admirable to me than mast-hemm'd Manhattan?" marveled the excitable Walt Whitman in 1865. The skinny island and its four sister boroughs have continued to fascinate writers ever since, and it would be hard to find a better record of that fascination than Wonderful Town: New York Stories from The New Yorker. As David Remnick explains in his foreword, the fledgling magazine paid relatively little heed to the nuts and bolts of metropolitan life, and in his original prospectus, Harold Ross didn't even mention fiction. But in the following decades, Ross and his successors published so many classic New York stories that the real challenge, according to Remnick, was whittling down the selection: "As there is barely enough room in this city to contain all of its busy, funny, angry, joyful, carping, and canny inhabitants, there was barely enough room to contain the wide range of stories we agreed upon."
So what made the grade? There are treasures from John Cheever ("The Five-Forty-Eight"), James Thurber ("The Catbird Seat"), Maeve Brennan ("I See You, Bianca"), Isaac Bashevis Singer ("The Cafeteria"), Jamaica Kincaid ("Poor Visitor"), and many others. The uptown neighborhoods appear to be more generously represented--a token, perhaps, of the magazine's well-heeled, fur-bearing readership--but from early Updike to middle-period Tama Janowitz, there are plenty of excursions south of Fourteenth Street. It's not, however, a simple matter of geography, but a kind of urban metaphysics at work. There are numerous and overlapping New Yorks represented in this collection: you'll find John Cheever's postwar paradise cheek-by-jowl with Ann Beattie's yuppie stomping ground. Then there's James Stevenson's vision of a flooded Gotham:
We are on the roof now. I have no idea what time it is, but it is daylight. The lower buildings have been submerged, the tall office buildings stand like tombstones above the heaving waves. There are whitecaps toward Central Park. An ocean liner stood by the Pan Am building for a while, then moved out to sea.... The water is swirling around the skylights now. The wind shifts. The waves are coming straight in from the Atlantic.
Even in this postapocalyptic setting, New York stubbornly remains itself. A wonderful town indeed--and a wonderful collection to celebrate it. --Anita Urquhart
Book Description
New York City is not only The New Yorker magazine's place of origin and its sensibility's lifeblood, it is the heart of American literary culture.
Wonderful Town, an anthology of superb short fiction by many of the magazine's most accomplished contributors, celebrates the seventy-five-year marriage between a preeminent publication and its preeminent context with this collection of forty-four of its best stories from (so to speak) home.
East Side? Philip Roth's chronically tormented alter ego Nathan Zuckerman has just moved there, in "Smart Money." West Side? Isaac Bashevis Singer's narrator mingles with the customers in "The Cafeteria" (who debate politics and culture in four or five different languages) and becomes embroiled in an obsessional romance. And downtown, John Updike's Maples have begun their courtship of marital disaster, in "Snowing in Greenwich Village." John Cheever, John O'Hara, Lorrie Moore, Irwin Shaw, Woody Allen, Laurie Colwin, Saul Bellow, J. D. Salinger, Jean Stafford, Vladimir Nabokov--they and many other stellar literary guides to the city will be found in these pages.
Wonderful Town touches on some of the city's famous places and stops at some of its more obscure corners, but the real guidebook in and between its lines is to the hearts and the minds of those who populate the metropolis built by its pages. Like all good fiction, these stories take particular places, particular people, and particular events and turn them into dramas of universal enlightenment and emotional impact. The five boroughs are the five continents. New York is every great and ordinary place. Each life in it, and each life in Wonderful Town, is the life of us all.
Customer Reviews:
I'm not a book critic, just a college student...........2005-10-18
I'm not a book critic, just a college student and had to read some stories from this book for class. As I said, I haven't ready everything in the world, and don't want to be seen ignorant. But I really didn't enjoy a lot of things here, thought I haven't read all the stories. Some where enjoyable "6" on a 1-10 scale, 10 being the best. Some stories seem very gloomy, and all the stories that I read are loosely related to New York. But "Good For You" to the people who enjoyed this book. And don't just take my word for it.
Wonderful collection.......2004-03-31
The opening author is John Cheever. A corporate man and a corporate secretary meet at her place for a drink. He is estranged from his wife, the father of a friend of his son, and, finally, the woman, who manages to humiliate him.
There is a story by Roth about a fictitious quiz show contestant. Tales by John O'Hara, Laurie Colwin, Jonathan Franzen, and Frank Conroy appear. The Franzen entry was used as a chapter or at least an incident in CORRECTIONS.
A character in a Nabokov story has referential mania. Jamaica Kincaid in her account of an overseas visitor speaks of day old food stored in a refrigerator. John McNulty writes of a bar, of course, and Hortense Calisher of Greenwich Village.
J.D. Salinger's contribution is a story featuring Holden Caulfield and Pencey Prep. Renata Adler writes in stylish fashion using a fictional "I" of life in a brownstone. Isaac Bashevis Singer comes along with yiddish-speaking cafeteria goers. Veronica Geng has a take on conspicuous consumption.
Susan Sontag provides a surprisingly buoyant account of chronic illness. The narrator of Julie Hecht's story believes that buildings in New York should be built to the specifications of Prince Charles. "Mentocrats" by Edward Newhouse concerns schoolboys promoting the idea of a mental aristocracy. Daniel Menaker has a character say that the banality of evil is outstripped by the banality of anxiety neurosis. The psychiatrist in the story tells the first character he doesn't have the courage of his own contempt.
In eliminating some regrets you create others according to Jeffrey Eugenides. Dorothy Parker, E.B. White, Elizabeth Hardwick, Bernard Malamud, and Saul Bellow are all present in this collection of stories. Bellow's story gives rise to the thought that everyone has burdens. Remnick's selections are a joy.
Terrific!.......2002-08-03
John Cheever, Woody Allen, and Bernard Malamud wrote my favorite stories in this wonderful collection about life in New York City. Three quick thoughts: (1) While the dynamic captured by some authors seems a little dated (Dorothy Parker), most of the stories resonate with characters, experiences, and social groups that are common today in New York. (2) The collection offers 44 stories and 44 authors. This helps a reader see how these authors are great in different ways. (3) This collection ends, once and for all, the impression that all stories in The New Yorker are the same. Buy this book!
A brilliant collection.......2001-01-03
This collection of New York stories shows both why writers have been fascinated with the Big Apple for so long and also why The New Yorker has been the hallmark of short fiction. The collection begins with Cheever and ends with Perlman, which pretty much sums up the golden years of the magazine. The pleasures here range from a story of lingering urban dread by William Maxwell to a hilarious tale of an intellectual loser by Jonathan Franzen. Updike's story both paints a true picture of New York in the snow and returns to his favorite theme -- infidelity. Philip Roth has a hilarious entry about a famous writer hounded by a game show contestant -- even funnier if you've seen "Quiz Show." The collection made me homesick for New York. It's one of the best books I read in 2000.
A must-read for literary fiction fans.......2000-10-10
This is not only a good anthology to read for entertainment, but also a necessity for anyone who wants to write literary fiction. The New Yorker is the cornerstone of American contemporary literature, and this book captures a good sampling of the stories which have appeared in its pages the last 50 years or so. I particularly liked DEisenberg's story, and the fact that JCheever's story appears first. I think the book should have had a few more lighter pieces, and wonder why McInerney was skipped over.
Average customer rating:
- As expected
- Uplifting
- In This Mountain Audio CD
- In This MOuntain
- Dwindling ever dwindling
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In This Mountain (The Mitford Years #7)
Jan Karon
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Similar Items:
-
Shepherds Abiding (The Mitford Years #8)
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A Common Life (The Mitford Years #6)
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Light from Heaven (The Mitford Years #9)
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A New Song (The Mitford Years #5)
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Out to Canaan (The Mitford Years #4)
ASIN: 0670031046
Release Date: 2002-05-27 |
Amazon.com
Father Tim Kavanagh and his wife, Cynthia, return from Whitecap Island to "the little town with the big heart" in Jan Karon's seventh novel in the bestselling Mitford series, In This Mountain. Retirement holds challenges Father Tim hasn't anticipated, and even as Cynthia's career as a children's book author and illustrator brings her new accolades, he finds himself dogged by health troubles and dissatisfaction with the way his life is turning out. However, the beloved villagers of Mitford are on hand to offer support and humor through every crisis, and a few new characters are introduced to keep interest in the series fresh. Throughout the tale, Karon folds in themes of grace and forgiveness, and offers hope for even the most difficult situations. Fans will be delighted to find that this installment of the series is full of the engaging descriptions and charming depiction of life in Mitford that first won Karon the loyalty of legions of readers. --Cindy Crosby
Book Description
Father Tim and Cynthia have been at home in Mitford for three years since returning from Whitecap Island.
In the little town that's home-away-from-home to millions of readers, life hums along as usual. Dooley looks toward his career as a vet; Joe Ivey and Fancy Skinner fight a haircut price war that takes no prisoners; and Percy steps out on a limb with a risky new menu item at the Main Street Grill.
Though Father Tim dislikes change, he dislikes retirement even more. As he and Cynthia gear up for a year-long ministry across the state line, a series of events sends shock waves through his faith-and the whole town of Mitford.
In her seventh novel in the bestselling Mitford Years series, Jan Karon delivers surprises of every kind, including the return of the man in the attic and an ending that no one in Mitford will ever forget.
Customer Reviews:
As expected.......2007-09-24
This is a great "next chapter" to the series. If you've read the others you'll love this too.
Uplifting.......2007-08-31
I have read all of the Mitford Years books, and have found this one
just as entertaining and uplifting as all the rest. It is spiritual
without being "preachy", with a strength and gentleness that renews
ones faith in her fellow man.
In This Mountain Audio CD.......2007-07-23
I obviously didn't read the product info well enough - this is an ABRIDGED audio book, which I don't enjoy; I like to hear every word the author wrote, and feel frustrated when the action doesn't flow smoothly as originally written, but hops and skips all over the place.
In This MOuntain.......2007-06-09
Like all the other Mitford Series I loved this one and looked forward to the next one!!
Dwindling ever dwindling.......2007-05-26
I very much enjoyed the first few books in this series, but it seems that the author had written herself out, alas, and had nothing much more worthwhile to say. This seventh offering in the lot is just not worth reading, when there are so many other books out there waiting.
For one thing, the author waxes more and more religious with each book. In this volume people are throwing prayers at each other on virtually every page, over the smallest of trifles. It gets a little annoying after a time, annoying and ludicrous. For example, when the bishop has chest pains, his secretary calls Father Tim and asks him to pray for the bishop. The call might have been spent to greater good in finding a competent cardiologist first. Jesus himself admonished his disciples to pray in private without fanfare or show, for those who pray loudest in public "have their reward." At various times Tim does remind himself to pray the prayer that always is answered: Thy will be done. Asking God to change his laws or abrogate the laws of nature feels wrong to me. Prayer and dogma get in the way of the story and weaken this novel to a great extent. That the prayers are answered in fiction is a matter of the writer stacking the cards that way.
Secondly, while I'm sure some readers are much taken with Dooley, I've found him unpleasant and occasionally obnoxious (for lack of better words) since book one. He is no better in book seven. Why Father Tim takes such pleasure from seeing him is beyond me. Dooley is self-centered and thoughtless.
My advice to a reader who has not read any of this series would be to stop after book four. There is nothing after that worth one's time.
Book Description
Authored by two of the best-known writers in the field, this third edition of Cities and Urban Life provides a comprehensive introduction to urban sociology, urban anthropology, and urban studies. Primarily sociological in approach, it incorporates historical, social, psychological, geographical, and anthropological insights. The book, while strongly focused on the classical theories of urban sociology, also gives extensive attention to the “new” political economy approach to urban studies, using global cities as case studies to provide more relevance. Due to the increasing trend of urbanization, this book is especially relevant for today's urban sociologists, urban anthropologists, and others involved in urban planning.
Customer Reviews:
An okay textbook..........2007-03-11
Half of the book is citations from other authors. The other half is rambling. If I did not find the subject matter incredibly interesting I probably would have shot myself in the face a long time ago.
There are some parts that are quite amusing and well-written, and the book does succeed in getting its point across in many cases (even if it does take nine times the space), but in my opinion it is not organized too well. By the time you end a section (are there even sections?) you have no idea what the discussion is about. It needs more color and design too. You cannot capture the beauty and awe of a city in 2" x 3" black-and-white photos. I wish they would have included better photos as filler rather than ramble about totally irrelevant things, while making references to streets and locations 99.99% of the people who read this book are totally clueless about.
Not a Great Textbook.......2005-10-12
If you are looking for the philospohy of how urban planning has been viewed through time then maybe this is the book for you. However as a text book it lacks a clear presentation of the information and is incredibly dull. When you read the chapters you have to continually look back at the overview to remember what they are rambling on about. I only gave it 2 stars instead of one because it does have a nice discussion on the philosophy of urban planning.
Book Description
Welcome to New York City, the Big Apple, the city that never sleeps, the crossroads of the world! This city has something to offer everyone, from A to Z. Come visit the American Museum of Natural History and see prehistoric Animals, get a Bird's-eye view of the Brooklyn Bridge, and Check out Central Park in this alphabetical tour from best-selling duo Laura Krauss Melmed and Frané Lessac, who brought us
Capital! Washington D.C. from A to Z.
Fascinating details about the many neighborhoods and historic places of New York City accompany Melmed's lively, informative verse, and Lessac's vibrant folk-art paintings capture the essence of this unique and rich place that was once called the melting pot of America.
Customer Reviews:
Great "While you're visiting NYC guide" for young visitors.......2007-08-06
I bought this book for a six year old visitor who has the reading skills of an 8 year old. She was visiting Manhattan and used this book as a guide for herself as we took in the sites. The illustrations are charming and she was able to read the text by herself. Nice guide for the child to read while here in NYC!
Very very Nice !.......2007-01-04
We bought this book after our trip in New York.
Our sons love it. They remenbered all they did there.
To buy or to offer.
Books:
- Blood Done Sign My Name: A True Story
- Bridge to Terabithia
- Brother Odd (Odd Thomas Novels)
- Brother Odd (Odd Thomas Novels)
- Can I Keep My Jersey?: 11 Teams, 5 Countries, and 4 Years in My Life as a Basketball Vagabond
- Ceremony in Death (In Death)
- Charlotte's Web (Trophy Newbery)
- Circle of Stones: Woman's Journey to Herself
- Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers (Jossey Bass Higher and Adult Education Series)
- Coffin: The Art Of Vampire Hunter D
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