Shame on It All: A Novel

Book Description

Harmony, Bryce, and Lucinda (a.k.a. Lucky) Whitfield are sisters in every sense of the word. They argue and get on each other's nerves, but when it comes down to the wire they are extremely protective of one another. Shame on It All follows their adventures, friendships, and love lives -- which are jam-packed with unpredictable, downright crazy situations. With a few surprising twists thrown in for good measure, Shame on It All is as wild as they come.

Download Description

Shame on It All is an unforgettable showcase for Zane's talent -- insight, comedy, and wild high jinks. For anyone who has ever observed the behavior of a close friend or family member and suppressed the urge to scream ""Shame on you!"" out loud, Shame on It All is the novel for you. Harmony, Bryce, and Lucinda (a.k.a. Lucky) Whitfield are sisters in every sense of the word. They argue and get on each other's nerves, but when it comes down to the wire they are extremely protective of one another. Shame on It All follows their adventures, their friendships, their love lives, and their outlooks on life in today's society. Jam-packed with unpredictable, unbelievable, and just downright crazy situations with a few surprising twists thrown in for good measure, Shame on It All is as wild as they come.

Customer Reviews:

One of the stupidest book I've read in a long time!!.......2007-09-01

I have never read a Zane book before and after reading this book, I can say I NEVER will again, the book starts off alright and you expect some substance, but it quickly begins to go down hill.
The sponsor ads were pointless, not funny and a waste of paper, then she throws the silliness from the ads into the story which makes the story just annoying and unrealistic.

The Harmony mystery was such a big secret and when they "revealed" what was wrong that was such a disappointment. The dean escapade was over the top and again....not realistic. The mandingo thing was disgusting and extremely stupid. I was very disappointed with this story and discourage anyone who doesn't have money to blow to stay away from this book.

Crackin up!.......2007-08-31

This book had me crackin up! I was really good and shows some true bondage among sisters and friends..

Funny, Funny, Funny.......2007-06-13

This book was one of the funniest that I have read in a really long time. I highly recommend this book for all to read it is sure not to disapoint!!!

Great blast from the past.......2007-06-04

I rate this 3.5 stars!
I know this is an old one, but I still enjoyed it a lot. It made me laugh out loud and shed a few tears. Very well written (of course it's by Zane). Great Read.

Laugh-Out-Loud Funny.......2007-05-10

This hilarious novel will keep you on your toes as you read about the sexual escapades of three sisters.

Average customer rating:

Slick Vic finally got this inspirational thing licked
OMG-Jasmine!!
Very Thought Provoking
"We Fall Down....but we get up......
The best yet!

A Sin and a Shame: A Novel
Victoria Christopher Murray
Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

Multicultural | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0743287371

Book Description

After fleeing Los Angeles when her attempt to break up her best friend's marriage fails, Jasmine is now a changed woman...and a Christian. She vows to attend church every Sunday, swears off married men, and begins her search for the soul mate she is sure God has for her. Now living in the Big Apple, she has shed twenty-five pounds, shaved ten years off her age, filled her expensive apartment with designer clothes...all to begin her man-finding mission.

She quickly meets her dream mate -- a preacher -- who falls head over heels in love with her. Surely, God is good! But things start slipping when another man from Jasmine's past refuses to stay there, and an unexpected pregnancy threatens to sabotage all of her dreams. Will Jasmine's lying and scheming continue? Or will she finally learn that honesty is the only path to redemption?

Customer Reviews:

Slick Vic finally got this inspirational thing licked.......2007-09-05

OK, Vic. I just got thru scolding Jac Thomas and have to give you your props on this one. You stepped out of the box and showed what Christian people are really made of. I also liked Mae, but she really got on my nerve addressing Jaz by her first and last name throughout the entire novel -- it was nerve wracking to say the least. But outside of that, it was a darn good read until I got to the end which was predictably corny, Vic. Hence the imperfect score. And I'm glad you didn't sugar it up to have Hosea actually be the bio Dad. Good job in keeping that part real.

OMG-Jasmine!!.......2007-09-02

4.5 stars. This is my second book by Ms. Murray and she has made a fan out of me. This is the first time in a long while an author has me talking to the book. Jasmine was just too much, but reading her story made me think of a lot situations where either you or your friends had gotten into something that just spiraled out of control. The only reason I knocked off half a star was because the book was slow getting started-but once it did, I had to pull an all-nighter to see how the story ended. Plus, there are quite a few coincidences-and I don't understand why Hosea talked like a cowboy with that 'darlin' stuff. He was straight out of New York. But it's all good. I wasn't disappointed in the ending, especially since I know the story is going to continue-and I can't wait.

Very Thought Provoking.......2007-08-11

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. So many examples of "how your lies can catch up to you" and "how the truth will make you free." I would definitely read this book again and recommend that this book be read by all who can get their hands on it!

"We Fall Down....but we get up.............2007-06-27

For a saint is just a sinner.....who fell down...and got up!!!! Victoria Christopher Murray delivered an abundance of lessons in this best seller!!! Jasmine Larson is a woman with a past that decided that enough is enough and too much stinks. She's decided that she wants to live for Christ, thus adamantly claiming the title, 'Christian.' She's studied hard to be a Christian, she doesn't talk the same, her walk has less switch in her steps, she holds her head the right way, all the markings of a true Christian, but she still has a dream to live the life of the rich and famous, so maybe if she slips here and there, it won't be too bad. Being that she attends church every Sunday, a vow she made to GOD, will ensure her that everything will work out for her. She makes several enemies and mistakes in her search for 'her husband', makes friends with her mysterious neighbor, Mae Frances, and discovers that she truly does embody the true attitude of her title once she lets her spirit lead her.

Ms. Murray provides her readers with a very intriguing, yet realistic view of the struggles, misconceptions, and diverse facades that encompass the 'walk of the righteous ones', it's not an easy life, but in addressing the trials and tribulations, she also gives one very deliberate and steadfast truth, the forgiveness of the Great ONE!

If you're looking for a excellent read that will keep your attention,inspire you and provide you with a greater insight, this is the one for you!!!! Don't wait, you won't be disappointed!!

Kudo's Ms. Murray!!! I see your light shining ever so brightly!!!!! Wishing you continuous blessings!!!

The best yet!.......2007-06-14

It amazes me that Victoria Christopher Murray can actually deliver a better novel than that last. She is simply incredible. I almost couldn't stop myself from reading the last chapter of this book to find out what happened. The supense was killing me. Jasmine's story was great and I fell in love with Hosea. I pray there's a sequel to this couple's story. It would be wonderful to have one more chance to see Jasmine grow into what God truly wants her to be.

Born In Fire; Born In Ice; Born In Shame: Three Complete Novels

Average customer rating:

Love all of Nora's romance books
beware small type
Very Good Reads
Great vendor
True Betrayals/Montana Sky/Sanctuary

Born In Fire; Born In Ice; Born In Shame: Three Complete Novels
Nora Roberts
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

Romantic Suspense | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0399143882

Book Description

People magazine declared that "[Nora Roberts] is at the top of her game," and there's no greater evidence of that than these three novels. From the horse farms of Virginia to the rugged beauty of Montana to an island off the coast of Georgia, these novels showcase Nora Roberts's talents for intense drama, vivid characters, and fast-paced suspense.

Customer Reviews:

Love all of Nora's romance books.......2007-02-25

You can never go wrong with a Nora Roberts romance novel and this is just one more great one in the list.

beware small type.......2007-01-15

i haven't finished reading even the first of these three books, but I am struggling to read the small, serifed type. I don't usually have any problems reading normal type, but something about the font and size of the type, combined with the large book is making this read a bit of a struggle for me.

So far, really like the characters and very typical Nora Roberts writing.

Very Good Reads.......2007-01-14

If you are an avid reader as I aa and a Nora Roberts fan too, you can't beat these three great books combined in one volume.
I am certain that you will enjoy these three earlier works by Nora Roberts.

Great vendor.......2006-11-14

This book was in great condition. The delivery was fast. Thank you for your prompt attention.

True Betrayals/Montana Sky/Sanctuary.......2006-08-31

Truly a great grouping of three story lines. Each one kept me on the edge of my seat and reluctant to put down until I completed it. Descriptions of location and events put you right there. I can't wait to read more of this author.

Average customer rating:

Pakistan - Myth and Disillusion
A slightly inferior version of Midnight's Children
Another inexorable dance between fiction and reality...
Sister act...
it's a shame more novels aren't like this one

Shame: A Novel
Salman Rushdie
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0312270933

Book Description

Winner of the French Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger

In his brilliant third novel, first published in 1983, Salman Rushdie gives us a lively and colorful mixture of history, art, language, politics, and religion. Set in a country "not quite Pakistan," the story centers around the family of two men—one a celebrated warrior, the other a debauched playboy—engaged in a protracted duel that is played out in the political landscape of their country.

Customer Reviews:

Pakistan - Myth and Disillusion.......2006-07-10

If Salman Rushdie had written only this book, he would be remembered. Unfortunately, his reputation is colored by extra-literary considerations. I guess a Fatwah will do that.

Another cloud over the success of this novel is the brilliance of the author's previous book "Midnight's Children." Both texts mythologize a country - its history and culture. However, while "Midnight" is about India, "Shame" is about Pakistan. While the previous book's best insights are political, the former tome offers a unique look into the heart of religion - namely, Islam.

So there are certainly similarities between the two books, but "Shame" holds its own admirably. From the first sentence, you know you're in the hands of a master. While this may not be the best point to enter the author's uniqiue world, it's a wonderful place to continue the journey.

A slightly inferior version of Midnight's Children.......2006-06-08

I recommend this book only for the diehard Rushdie fans. It has a lot of similiarites to one of his other books, Midnight's Children,-the weaving between fantasy and reality, the slightly amused but occasionally serious tone, the scathing critique of real-life middle east/Pakistan/India politics. What it lacks is cohesion, I considered it a bit difficult to wade through. I do disagree with a previous reviewer, you really need to give this book one hundred pages to see if you like it, by then it's too late, might as well finish. Read Midnight's Children first, and if you hate or are lukewarm to that story, stay clear of this one. Otherwise, enjoy!

Another inexorable dance between fiction and reality..........2006-01-30

This, Rushdie's third novel, explores the universal theme of shame in the context of an - somewhat imaginary but simultaneously all too real - Islamic society. The characters swim up to their necks in the stuff. From the three sisters, Chhunni, Munnee, and Bunny (who remain locked up in "Nishapur" with their deadly dumbwaiter), who think more of their inheritance than their father's death to the immaculately conceived, fat, passive, and eternally inverted Omar Khayyam (but rumors fly that the sisters - who share in all the burdens of Omar's birth - scandously seduced Angrez men) to the self-proclaimed "simple soliders" who ultimately turn into brutal dictators (and some shamelessly use Islam to gain public support) to the public that grieves "Did we really do that? But we are ordinary people..." shame fills up and drowns every letter of this novel. And not just "shame", but the nearly untranslatable ultra-nuanced Urdu word "sharam". Even the "family tree" at the beginning of the book, with its numerous nicknames and references to "illegitimate children", seeps with shame. Most of all, the central character (according to the opening of part II), Sufiya Zinobia, physically and metaphorically embodies all of the horrors that shame can produce. The most violent and stomach-churning scenes in the book involve the manifestation of this "Beast" inside of the tiny, innocent girl. By the end of the novel she takes on the role of the classical Greek furies. She leaves a venegeful sopping bloodbath on her way to President Raza Hyder's compound. But, as always with Rushdie, the expected doesn't occur.

Much like Rushdie's second novel, "Midnight's Children", "Shame" contains an obstrusive narrator. This character (Rushdie himself?) pokes in and out of the story to make salient points or to "clear up" matters of language and history. This nameless narrator intrudes far less than Saleem Sinai. And one wonders if he also feels the sting of shame and so meekly hides behind the paragraphs. Regardless, this narrator admits early on that "The country in this story is not Pakistan, or not quite. There are two countries, real and fictional, occupying the same space, or almost the same space." He also states that he's writing a "modern fairy tale", which arguably suggests a moral. Even so, a cursory glance into the history of Pakistan will reveal that many of the events related in this book reflect the actual history of that young country. The real General Mohammed Zia ul-Haq gets fictionalized as Raza Hyder; Zulkifar Ali Bhutto becomes the comic-tragic Iskander Harappa; and Benezir Bhutto receives the name Arjumand Harappa. But this knowledge only expands the book's possible intentions. It does not preclude enjoyment of the actual text. Enough universal themes and cliffhanger stories scatter the words as to make their potential source in reality almost irrelevant. Though it does admittedly increase the controvery of the book. And, as we all know more than twenty years later, Rushdie has a flaming penchant for political and religious controversy.

"Shame" has a very similar literary voice to "Midnight's Children": funny, sad, comic, and tragic all at once. It contains stories about the rise and fall of dictators. It ruminates on the oppression of women (the ayahs, the lonely wives of military men, the female children, the burden of creating sons, the heavy weight of child bearing - see the story of "Good News", and the shame of having illegitimate children). It exposes some hard to digest truths about human behavior via the concept of shame ("Did we really do that?"). In some ways it suggests that we reap what we sow, and if we reap shame, well...

The west figures much smaller here than in "Midnight's Children". Rushdie said in a 1983 interview that "...there is a tendency in Pakistan - and I do it myself - to blame the west for all the problems, and I thought it would be worth writing a book to say that there's no point in blaming other countries, because actually we're doing it to ourselves." Though "Shame" never comes off as didactic, politics evidently lies just beneath the surface. It quickly becomes difficult to conceive of "Shame" as mere fiction, mostly due to the anonymous narrator. So here, just as in "Midnight's Children", fiction and history dance, intertwine, and mingle. This fact makes Rushdie a thrillingly provocative read. And though his methods hadn't caused him any great personal trouble up to 1983, his next work of fiction would have him literally running for his life.

Sister act..........2005-11-08

In reading reviews of this book before I myself opened it, I was a bit 'intimidated' by the mentions of this story being an obvious commentary on Middle-eastern countries and their politics...knowing little about that myself.

I tried to enjoy the book as an autonomous work of fiction, not an allegory for anything, really....and finished it with the thought that perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if I DID indeed have that basis of understanding of what Rushdie was trying to accomplish with his words here.

Having read several other novels by the same author, The Satanic Verses, The Moors Last Sigh, and Fury included, I had hoped for the same 'easy to digest and interpret' tale....but unfortunately that isn't what I encountered.

The novel opens with three sisters giving birth to one child (yes, you read that right) and follows his rise to 'power' in life, though the narrative strays some ways from this central character, and from the sisters, along the way...growing into a character you might despise and revile for his corpulence and indulgence, possibly an amalgamation of the 'fat-cat' type of persons that Rushdie hoped to interpret with this one protagonist, Omar Khayyam Shakil, as a protagonist, leaves much to be desired.

Though Rushdie's trademark humor and scathing commentary on those he himself dislikes are abundant in this work, I recommend OTHER Rushdie novels over this one, and would only suggest Shame to the most die-hard fans of his writing.

it's a shame more novels aren't like this one.......2005-05-04

this was my first foray into salman rushdie's world and i was captivated. in this novel he weaves together mythology, history, geography, politics, and so much more that defies categorization. the character of sufiya zinobia is beautiful and tragic. although she is a monster, she is not a mere one. she is born into shame, shame for not being a boy, shame for not being what her parents expected of her, so it is easy to empathize with her. even the episodes where she goes crazy contain a kind of terrible beauty -- and it is this portrayal of her as both utterly human and unspeakably monstrous that sets her apart in the novel. the other female characters have their own quirks which make them so much more accessible than the men, who are deeply religious, god fearing, power hungry, and extremely selfish -- almost two dimensional, without many traits that we, as readers, feel we can identify with.
as a side note, i found rushdie's style charming and self-referential. he's constantly interrupting the narrative with his own voice as the raconteur, which gives a more personable feel to the book and many, without this wry touch, might otherwise find the elements of the story disaffecting.

Average customer rating:

More of a Comment than a Review
bad writing, bad politics...
Popularity only because of anti-muslim theme
persecution is such a guarded word
not extreme

Shame: A Novel
Tasalima Nasarina , and Taslima Nasrin
Manufacturer: Prometheus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Eastern European | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

Islamic | World | History | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1573921653

Customer Reviews:

More of a Comment than a Review.......2005-06-20

I picked up this book because of the press on it and the knowledge that it was written by a Muslim woman who spoke out against the atrocities committed against Hindus by Muslims and vice versa. I can't really say anything about it that hasn't already been said.

I wouldn't even be posting anything except for the amusing comment by P. De Angelis about there being no mention of the Twin Towers. The copyright of this book is from October 1997 - several years before 9/11........

bad writing, bad politics..........2004-09-13

Besides the fact that this is an almost unreadable book, the author's views are so far out of whack she deserves that fatwa. Firstly, she places all the blame on the Hindus! Sorry, but why should we feel so badly about a Mosque being demolished in India and no one dares mention the Twin Towers of New York City? When the destruction is directed towards a mosque - and therefore against all Muslims in the world - then it deserves Naslima's treatment. If the Muslims are so angry about a few soldiers in Saudi Arabia, how do the Hindus feel about a mosque sitting squarely on the most holy sites in India (Mathura and Ayodhya)? The Muslims who desecrated those holy sites share no part in the blame, do they Naslima? What would Osama say about a Hindu Temple placed in Mecca?

The violence is intolerable, but who asked for it? Moreover, this isn't the first time the Muslims have tortured and raped Hindus in Bangladesh...my wife's family fled when all of their land and belongings were pillaged - this was 50 years ago. That had nothing to do with the BJP, but Naslima won't mention these stories. The Muslim fundamentalists who have turned Bangladesh into a "muslim state" are to blame, not the BJP or any other Hindu.

The writing is atrocious, the run-on statistics are insufferable and just plain cheap hype. The tragedies are real, I am sure, but there must be a more effective way to relate such tales. Avoid this trash and read Irshad Manji instead. SHe's for real.

Popularity only because of anti-muslim theme.......2003-01-14

The only reason this book got so many four or five stars is that this book is very anti-muslim at its core. This is a way below standard book. Unfortunately anything anti-islamic or anti-muslim, even if it is a third class literature, is a super hit among the hindus. Is there any conscientious hindu writer in India who has written anything about the numerous genocides and rapes of thousands of muslims (very recently in Gujrat orchestrated by the terrorist and extremist fascist BJP) in India? Shamefully India can not produce a single one. "Shames" are happening all the time to the minorities in many times worse forms in India.

persecution is such a guarded word.......2002-04-03

This book deals with genocide and not persecution. Genocide of a minority and eliminating thier existence completely.Just as the Nazis went about systematically eliminating jews , so have the govts and religious bigots gone about systematically eliminating hindus in both Pakistan and Bangladesh. These countries which had quite a significant hindu population at the beginning of the 19th century have next to none now because of well planned genocide , rape and systematic conversion. Taslima Nasrin is a Humanist. It doesnt matter if she will not be a literate giant. She will always be remembered in the hearts of those who have suffered at the hands of islamic fundamentalism.

not extreme.......2002-01-17

In 1992, some Hindus in India destroyed the Babri mosque. In retaliation, violence against Hindus spread across Bangladesh. Thug violence is not uncommon in Bangladesh (particularly around election time), and Bangladesh is not a high-profile country, and so little comment was made about these events internationally.
Naslim - originally a muslim herself (although now she claims to be an athiest) - wrote Shame in protest. It took her 7 days, and it shows by being a raw, occasionally awkward book. It follows the activities of the hindu anti-hero Suranjan, and his family, during the period of violence. This is not a particularly extreme book. In no way does it suggest that hindus are good and muslims are bad. Instead, it explores the effect of violence and oppression on the psychology and relationships of people. It feels very real. It reminds me of David Grossman's writing on Israel: that the oppression contaminates both sides. Grossman describes the situation there as two apples pressed together and rot spreading on both.
Nasrin does not lie or exaggerate what happened in Bangladesh. True, she does not include the full politics of India, Pakistan, British rule, partition etc., but that's because this is a novel about a family in Bangladesh. Its scale is intimate.
While Nasrin's novel is not extreme, the reaction to it is. Islamic fundamentalists have offered a large cash reward to anybody who murders her. She now lives outside Bangladesh.
I like Nasrin. I like her honesty, intense intelligence and courage, all of which come through in this book. Elsewhere, she has made comments about abolishing Quranic law because of its discrimination of women. I like that too.
Bangladesh is a forgotten country. Inside it, controversial, informed voices (especially women's) are rarely heard. The country needs people like Nasrin. People should read books like hers, whether or not their views are the same. It's intelligent to do so.

Quiet As It's Kept: Shame, Trauma, and Race in the Novels of Toni Morrison (Suny Series in Psychoanalysis and Culture)

Average customer rating:

Quiet As It's Kept: Shame, Trauma, and Race in the Novels of Toni Morrison (Suny Series in Psychoanalysis and Culture)
J. Brooks Bouson
Manufacturer: State University of New York Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Women Writers & Feminist Theory | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Women Writers | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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

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

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

ASIN: 0791444244

Book Description

Quiet As It's Kept draws on and extends recent psychoanalytic and psychiatric work of shame and trauma theorists to offer an in-depth analysis of Toni Morrison's representation of painful and shameful race matters in her fiction. Providing a frank and sustained look at the troubling, if not distressing, aspects of Morrison's fiction that other critics have studiously avoided or minimized in their commentaries, this book challenges established views of Morrison, showing her to be an author who forces readers into uncomfortable confrontations with matters of race. In Quiet As It's Kept, J. Brooks Bouson explores these issues in Morrison's works The Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Solomon, Tar Baby, Beloved, Jazz, and Paradise.

Class Fictions: Shame and Resistance in the British Working Class Novel, 1890-1945 (Post-Contemporary Interventions)

Average customer rating:

Class Fictions: Shame and Resistance in the British Working Class Novel, 1890-1945 (Post-Contemporary Interventions)
Pamela Fox
Manufacturer: Duke University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

Many recent discussions of working-class culture in literary and cultural studies have tended to present an oversimplified view of resistance. In this groundbreaking work, Pamela Fox offers a far more complex theory of working-class identity, particularly as reflected in British novels of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Through the concept of class shame, she produces a model of working-class subjectivity that understands resistance in a more accurate and useful wayâas a complicated kind of refusal, directed at both dominated and dominant culture.
With a focus on certain classics in the working-class literary "canon," such as The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists and Love on the Dole, as well as lesser-known texts by working-class women, Fox uncovers the anxieties that underlie representations of class and consciousness. Shame repeatedly emerges as a powerful counterforce in these works, continually unsettling the surface narrative of protest to reveal an ambivalent relation toward the working-class identities the novels apparently champion.
Class Fictions offers an equally rigorous analysis of cultural studies itself, which has historically sought to defend and value the radical difference of working-class culture. Fox also brings to her analysis a strong feminist perspective that devotes considerable attention to the often overlooked role of gender in working-class fiction. She demonstrates that working-class novels not only expose master narratives of middle-class culture that must be resisted, but that they also reveal to us a need to create counter narratives or formulas of working-class life. In doing so, this book provides a more subtle sense of the role of resistance in working class culture. While of interest to scholars of Victorian and working-class fiction, Pamela Fox’s argument has far-reaching implications for the way literary and cultural studies will be defined and practiced.

It Is What It Is: Shame on It All, Again

Average customer rating:

It Is What It Is: Shame on It All, Again
Zane
Manufacturer: Atria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Adult Fiction | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Erotica | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0743499271

Average customer rating:

New characters for Laurence Shames
fluffy Key West crime story; smiles but no laughs...
Hilarious mob family muddles through a family crisis
Adjective-drenched Drivel
What Happened to Bert the Shirt?

Virgin Heat: A Novel
Laurence Shames
Manufacturer: Hyperion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0786889276

Amazon.com

Meet Angelina Amaro, the star-crossed daughter of Mafia capo Paul Amaro. For ten long years virginal Angelina has been carrying a secret torch for the stool pigeon who betrayed her father to the cops in exchange for a spot in the Witness Protection Program. When she recognizes her beloved's hands mixing drinks in a relative's Key West vacation video, Angelina stops pining and starts planning her escape from her family and reunion with her man Sal, who now goes by the name of Ziggy Maxx. Naturally, the course of true love never did run smoothly, and it isn't long before Papa is on her trail with hilarious results.

Playing the Mafia for laughs is a novel idea, and it works quite well in Laurence Shames' fifth book, Virgin Heat. In Angelina, Mr. Shames has found a sympathetic heroine, and in his collection of undercover cops, cross-dressing mafiosi, vengeful hit men, and long-suffering wives, he has created a memorable cast of supporting characters.

Customer Reviews:

New characters for Laurence Shames.......2005-10-10

I won't give the plot away. The usual lovely writing, people you find that you care about. Laurence Shames is a tender-hearted guy, expert witness of human foibles. I'm looking forward to the next episode with Angelina, hoping there is one. And some day, I just have to visit Key West.

fluffy Key West crime story; smiles but no laughs..........2003-10-25

'Virgin Heat' is certainly not one of Laurence Shames's better works. Of course it has the funky Key West setting, as do all his books, and a host of kooky characters. But the story, while initially engaging, falls flat long before the end.

In 'Virgin Heat' we have the (virgin) daughter of a mobster chasing after a long lost love in Key West. Her man, unfortunately, is under a witness protection program for telling truths which put her father in the slammer for ten years. Daddy is out of jail, daughter wants her man, ... and so on. While there are humorous moments I felt the author got terribly repetitious on pointing out Key West weirdness, especially the very strong gay element. Perhaps I should have been shocked by the thought of nude gay men hanging around a motel pool, and so the author harps on this point dozens of times? Well I found it to be rather ... uninteresting, unfunny, and anything but shocking.

Bottom line: passable fluff for a beach read. But very missable.

Hilarious mob family muddles through a family crisis.......2002-12-24

How does a slightly dysfunctional mob family from New York deal with the sudden and unexplained disappearance of the adult daughter of the boss?

Fantastic (and almost unbelievable) as the various pieces of this quite entertaining tale might be, they fall into place with hilarious effect, and somehow seem to make perfect sense.

Though this novel is more story than plot, the story is told very well. Characterizations are keenly shaped. The dialogue is strong and carries the story well. Shames has an evocative eye for detail, too.

This book carried me along with sustained and increasing interest, many laughs, and a satisfying climax and denouement that left me with a smile for days.

Adjective-drenched Drivel.......2002-01-21

Slogged through 12 or 15 pages of this adjective-drenched drivel. Got to the line where he describes a guy's crooked pinky finger as "independent" and i had to quit. This is truly awful.

What Happened to Bert the Shirt?.......2001-10-18

After reading (and loving!!!) Florida Straits, Sunburn, Welcome to Paradise, and Tropical Depression, I was looking forward to more of Laurence Shames books. But he disappointed me, big time, he left Bert the Shirt, Sandra & Joey and the other wonderful characters and went on to write more violent, harsh stories minus all the warm characters he had created earlier. I don't know what happened to Laurence Shames - it's as if someone else took over the writing.

Average customer rating:

Fun, like a vacation in the Keys should be
so fluffy you'll think it floats...
"It's worth reading twice"
Double Trouble
Very Well Done In It's Simple Form

Welcome to Paradise: A Novel
Laurence Shames
Manufacturer: Villard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0375502521
Release Date: 1999-04-27

Amazon.com

Take Big Al, an inept minor-league Mafioso who's boss of a New York fish market, and send him to Key West. Have a rival who'd like to take over the market put out a contract on said mobster. Then give the hit man just enough information to make sure he fingers the wrong guy. That's not hard when both the target and an innocent tourist have the same vanity plate, even though one's a short guy with a big dog and the other's a big guy with a small dog. At first the only thing Big Al of the Mob and Big Al the furniture salesman from New Jersey have in common is their desire for a few days of R and R in the Sunshine State. But by the time the salesman's been nearly done in by a ton of rancid calamari and has narrowly escaped death by stuffed sailfish, there's another link between the two Al's, and therein lies the tale. That link is a beautiful woman named Katy Sansone.

Will Big Al the Good end up with Katy, the dissatisfied girlfriend of Big Al the Bad? Perhaps, and between the setup and the payoff there are plenty of laughs and a few implausible coincidences. Laurence Shames's seventh Key West adventure is a good read for a day at the beach or an afternoon in the hammock for mystery fans who can't wait for the next Carl Hiaasen. --Jane Adams

Book Description

Laurence Shames, whom the Chicago Tribune calls "one of our best crime fiction writers," is back. This time he brings us a hilarious novel of mistaken identity and tropical crime that proves that while we all love the idea of a vacation, the truth is we often end up wishing we'd stayed home.

For Alan Tuschman--mild-mannered furniture salesman from New Jersey, a man without an enemy--a vacation in Key West turns out to be not paradise but a hell of bizarre assaults on him, his property, and his sanity. Why? It might have something to do with the nickname emblazoned on his license plate.

For Big Al Marracotta--Mafia capo and boss of New York's Fulton Fish Market--vacation is the time when a long career of crime and rancid sea-food finally threatens to catch up with him.

And for lissome Katy Sansone, who is seeking no more than some sunshine and a little self-respect, Key West serves up a bafflement of Als, and way more danger than she'd packed for.

Rich in the loopy insights and surprising tenderness that have become Shames's hallmarks, Welcome to Paradise is his best novel yet.

Customer Reviews:

Fun, like a vacation in the Keys should be.......2005-07-24

Most of the reviewers here agree that this book isn't an example of "high art", but if you're looking for fun reading, (or in my case, fun listening) look no further than Welcome to Paradise by Lawrence Shames. It is a very cleverly plotted story, with intertwining themes, parallel story lines, true to form characters, all leading up to a big mano-a-mano climax in the parking lot at the end. I really enjoyed the book's descriptive elements of the Florida Keys -- the beaches, the sunsets, the dive bars, the chickens, the nudist hotels, etc. it all made me feel like I was "on vacation" like the characters in the story. It's such a fun and funny gangster/mistaken identity/love/transformational story that I'm surprised that it hasn't been picked up by some Hollywood producer and made into a movie. The Farrelly brothers could probably do it justice. There isn't any big moral to the story, other than "stick up for yourself", as far as I could see, and there's no deep and painful introspections on life. So, in sum, it was exactly the way a vacation should be -- a nice, sunny escape.

so fluffy you'll think it floats..........2003-12-29

'Welcome to Paradise' is one of those "read and forget"-type of books. It'll bring a few smiles, and it is certainly easy enough to read. But this book is the literary equivalent of empty calories, which is sad because Shames has written novels that are both funny and with some bite (..'Sunburn' is my favorite).

As for the plot, it is innocent nonsense about a good guy salesman from Jersey on holiday in Key West being hounded by some not-too-bright thugs. It's all a simple case of mistaken identity. Throw in a mutual love interest and ... that's about it. Nothing more to it.

Bottom line: mindless, juvenile humor in a short book with no pretentions.

"It's worth reading twice".......2001-04-12

I have read all of Laurence Shames books and find them all very exiting and he keeps you on the edge of your seat. I thought Welcome to Paradise is one of his best yet. It seems that every book he writes just gets better. This book was so good that they could make a movie about it. In all of Shames' books the one thing he has common is Bert the Shirt. I have grown to love that old man. Everyone of his books are different and all are exciting books. They are "can't put it down" books.

Double Trouble.......2000-06-23

In this book the author starts with a "what if". What if there were two people with the same nickname and vanity plate, in the same place, at the same time. What if some bumbling mobsters got them confused. It is that situation that Big Al, the furniture salesman from New Jersey, finds himself in. He can't figure out why his luck has turned so bad.

From this premise a humorous book unfolds. When it is finally all settled, we have learned all about who is brave and who isn't, in the book, and in real life. There are messages in the humor about good versus evil, and about all of our self images. This is one of Mr. Shames' best works. My only complaint is that it was over far too briskly. I couldn't put it down.

Very Well Done In It's Simple Form.......2000-06-22

When Reading Laurence Shames novel "Welcome to Paradise" don't go looking for some deep impacting novel. Shames takes a simple idea keeps it simple throughout the book and gives you a nice quick entertaining read. There are few characters and the pace flows by that this is a one night read.

"Welcome to Paradise" is the typical wrong place wrong time novel. Furniture salesman Al Tuschmann is on vacation in South Florida. Tuschmann is trying to enjoy himself, but is the victim of some bizarre violent acts. Little does Tuschmann know that Al Maracotta a New York gangster is also in town, and a couple of this Al's enemies have hired a couple of roughnecks to make his life miserable. The roughnecks get there information crossed and start harassing the wrong the Al. Throw in a gangster's gal, a couple of strange dogs and the weirdness that is South Florida and you have yourself a nice little scenerio to read through.

I really enjoyed this quick little novel. I have read other Shames novels and though they go a little deeper, this one is my favorite. If you like this style check out Ed McBain's "Downtown" which is about a Florida salesman in New York.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books