The Mad Cook of Pymatuning: A Novel

Book Description

In this chilling novel about a 1950s boys' summer camp gone awry, the former New York Times literary critic has created a brilliant coming-of-age story with undertones reminiscent of Lord of the Flies.

Christopher Lehmann-Haupt's novel is at once a fantasy, a barbed portrait of boyhood in the dawning of the Eisenhower era, and a no-holds-barred story of terror of the sort that won him praise for his previous novel, A Crooked Man.

Jerry Muller has been a regular at Camp Seneca for years. Now that he's a teenager and counselor, things don't seem quite right at his traditional summer haunt. As Jerry plunges into the mysteries around him, he finds himself growing up fast -- maybe too fast.

He's attracted to T.J., a pretty girl who might have a boyfriend but who flirts anyway, and he's shocked by the truth about his friend Oz, who's more interested in Jerry than in the likes of T.J. He sees something is strangely amiss with the husband and wife who own the camp. But above all, he's scared of the cruel game masterminded by Buck.

Of Seneca ancestry, Buck is a sinister, bigger-than-life expert on Indian lore. He is also an organizer of scary games who may just possibly be a psychopath and a killer, and in whose hands the camp's make-believe, designed to scare the kids, becomes first a savage and brutal test of strength, then, by small steps, genuinely dangerous.

As Jerry unravels the mysteries surrounding the ordinary-looking camp, he struggles to understand how "the Forbidden Woods," which have always been off-limits to campers as a kind of game and dare, have somehow become genuinely frightening -- all the more reason to discover the secrets that lie behind Camp Seneca's facade.

The story reaches its climax in a shocking scene that neither Jerry nor the reader is likely to forget. Christopher Lehmann-Haupt's new novel is a wicked, suspenseful, and deeply original tale.

Download Description

"In this chilling novel about a 1950s boys' summer camp gone awry, the former New York Times literary critic has created a brilliant coming-of-age story with undertones reminiscent of Lord of the Flies. Christopher Lehmann-Haupt's novel is at once a fantasy, a barbed portrait of boyhood in the dawning of the Eisenhower era, and a no-holds-barred story of terror of the sort that won him praise for his previous novel, A Crooked Man. Jerry Muller has been a regular at Camp Seneca for years. Now that he's a teenager and counselor, things don't seem quite right at his traditional summer haunt. As Jerry plunges into the mysteries around him, he finds himself growing up fast -- maybe too fast. He's attracted to T.J., a pretty girl who might have a boyfriend but who flirts anyway, and he's shocked by the truth about his friend Oz, who's more interested in Jerry than in the likes of T.J. He sees something is strangely amiss with the husband and wife who own the camp. But above all, he's scared of the cruel game masterminded by Buck. Of Seneca ancestry, Buck is a sinister, bigger-than-life expert on Indian lore. He is also an organizer of scary games who may just possibly be a psychopath and a killer, and in whose hands the camp's make-believe, designed to scare the kids, becomes first a savage and brutal test of strength, then, by small steps, genuinely dangerous. As Jerry unravels the mysteries surrounding the ordinary-looking camp, he struggles to understand how ""the Forbidden Woods,"" which have always been off-limits to campers as a kind of game and dare, have somehow become genuinely frightening -- all the more reason to discover the secrets that lie behind Camp Seneca's facade. The story reaches its climax in a shocking scene that neither Jerry nor the reader is likely to forget. Christopher Lehmann-Haupt's new novel is a wicked, suspenseful, and deeply original tale. "

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing, annoying, wooden, stupid.............2007-04-27

I gave it a star because I did read the whole thing. The characters were not well written, Jerry, our hero was ridiculous. Actions were outre and unexplained, and yet the ending was predictable and unsurprising. And they killed off the dog. I hate feeling I've wasted my time when a story is over.

great for young adults.......2006-03-09

I thought the book was great. I would have loved to let my 12 yr old grandson read it but the little bit of sexual content was unfortunate. The book would have been just as great without the sexual comments.

Not In My Top Ten.......2006-01-19

Like other reviewers, I also read this book because it was listed in Stephen King's Top Ten of 2005. The story does a good job of keeping you interested and wondering what's going to happen next. The ending, however, comes to such an abrupt halt that it made me mad that I couldn't put the book down for 2 days.

Mixes suspense with disappointing plot.......2006-01-15

Two stars for the fact the book kept me reading, kept me interested in what would happen to Jerry and his brother, kept me curious about Buck (Redclaw) and his motivations, about Win and Woody and TJ. But only two stars because so many questions are left unanswered. What becomes of Jerry and Peter after their summer? How does it change them? After all, this is written as a sort of memoir, with repetitive foreshadowing that bad things are going to happen because the narrator has already lived through them. Thus, little suspense in the conclusion--the adult narrator obviously survived the confrontation! Why is Buck doing as he does? Some clues are hinted at, but not satisfactorily explained. Like Jerry in his physical encounters with TJ, this book teases, but never really reaches a satisfactory climax.

Remains good but leaves you high and dry........2006-01-10

I read this book because Stephen King recommended it in Entertainment Weekly. He said it was one of the years best, but I disagree. The story is frustrating to read because it builds the reader up so much and then nothing really happens. It's so predictable. Then the story just ends. I actually thought my book was missing the last chapter, until I asked a friend if there's was the same. I could have kept reading but the author just cuts the story off- maybe his computer crashed and he didn't get to finish the story, but the editors liked it that way. Highly disappointed.

Book Description

The body was on the pointed rocks alongside the stream. The artist might have fallen from the cliff where he was painting, but there are too many suspicious elements -- particularly the medical evidence that proves he'd been dead nearly half a day, though eyewitnesses had seen him alive a scant hour earlier. And then there are the six prime suspects -- all of them artists, all of whom wished him dead. Five are red herrings, but one has created a masterpiece of murder that baffles everyone, including Lord Peter Wimsey.

Customer Reviews:

Classic British Mysteries.......2007-08-29

Fun to read, awesome vocabulary..be entertained and gently reminded of the learning we Americans did not get in Vocabulary class.

My introduction to Sayers.......2007-04-01

Since I enjoy both mystery novels and works by modern Christian authors, I was curious about the fiction of Dorothy Sayers. She is well-known for her novels featuring the detective Lord Peter Wimsey. She also wrote Christian essays and plays as well as a translation of Dante's The Divine Comedy. I picked up The Five Red Herrings at random, not knowing with which Sayers novel to begin. Depending on your point of view, I either made the wrong choice or a very good one. I made a wrong choice since I did not like the novel and found it extremely frustrating and difficult to read. But on the other hand, if this is her worst novel, things can only improve.

The plot involves a murder that takes place in a small town in Scotland in which many artists live and work. One of them, a man named Campbell, is not well liked and quickly turns up dead. Peter Wimsey happens to be staying in the area and comes to the conclusion that Campbell was murdered. Based on the evidence at the scene, one of the local artists committed the murder. Naturally, all of the suspects have a motive as well as an alibi so it's up to Wimsey to discover the truth.

The biggest problem I had with the novel is Sayers' choice of phonetically spelling out the heavy Scottish accents of many of the characters. This results in lots of apostrophes and makes reading the dialogue tiresome and difficult. Since the entire novel takes place in Scotland, nearly every chapter is filled with hard to read accents. Robert Louis Stevenson did something similar in Kidnapped, but that novel was a picnic to read compared to Herrings.

Another problem is the use of train timetables as a plot device. There are endless discussions of when this train leaves this town and arrives at the next and which character could have taken which train and how long it would take to get there. It's all ridiculously confusing. The various stories told by the suspects are lengthy and confusing. Even the real story of how the murder was committed is long and too reliant on a very specific timetable of events thus making it implausible.

Finally, I don't know how he is portrayed in the other novels, but Wmsey comes across as an arrogant, disagreeable know-it-all. I realize that many of the great fictional detectives, like Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot are arrogant, but at least I like them. I'm not sure about Wimsey yet.

I read a few reviews on Amazon and noted that I'm not the only one who found the accents and timetables frustrating. Apparently, Sayers wrote better mysteries than this one and I won't let my dislike of The Five Red Herrings discourage me from reading other Sayers' works.

One red herring is often a waste of time, so five are...?.......2006-12-09

This is the type of mystery that brings out the parodists. Any Monty Python fan can tell you that one of their great sketches deals with a murder mystery that was entirely based on train schedules. I remember thinking when I saw that,"How silly." Well, that's a whole section of this mystery,an actual train time schedule makes an appearance as a way proving whether or not one of the suspects could have committed the crime in question. The death of an artist brings about a variety of possible of solutions and killers each with ridiculous alibis and page after page is spent disproving them only finding another dead end. I slogged through this one reaching the inevitable unsatisfactory solution which is in itself a cheat and just nodded my head ruefully.

Least favorite Wimsey book .......2006-08-27

I am a fan of LPW but this is my least favorite of his - it's all about train schedules and timing. Very boring and leaves little room for character development.

Too dry and abstruse!.......2006-06-29

Lord Peter maintains his affable yet enigmatic persona in this installment of the series. The mystery is set in an artist colony in Scotland where Lord Peter is vacationing. Fishing is one of the big attractions of this region as are the wonderful vistas. One of the characters comments that everyone in the village either paints or fishes.

Unfortunately this particular installment gets a little dry. Not only does Sayers provide page after page of phonetic spelling of the Scottish accent which is at first amusing then tedious to read, she has the characters provide multiple theories of how the murder was done. Again at first interesting but after a while tedious. Also, the endless recitation of the train schedules was part of the action.

There are the usual elegant and amusing Lord Peter moments but not enough to get over the desert of detail. Would be much stronger with some serious editing.

9 Titles in Wimsey Series - Lord Peter Views the Body - Unnatural Death - The Unpleasantness At the Bellona Club - Have His Carcase - Busman's Honeymoon - In the Teeth of the Evidence - Strong Poison - Five Red Herrings - Murder Must Advertise

Average customer rating:

9 Titles in Wimsey Series - Lord Peter Views the Body - Unnatural Death - The Unpleasantness At the Bellona Club - Have His Carcase - Busman's Honeymoon - In the Teeth of the Evidence - Strong Poison - Five Red Herrings - Murder Must Advertise
Dorothy L. Sayers
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000Q6DG6S

Product Description

9 Mass Market Paperback Titles in Wimsey Series - Lord Peter Views the Body - Unnatural Death - The Unpleasantness At the Bellona Club - Have His Carcase - Busman's Honeymoon - In the Teeth of the Evidence - Strong Poison - Five Red Herrings - Murder Must Advertise

Average customer rating:

THE FIVE RED HERRINGS
D. L. SAYERS
Manufacturer: GOLLANCZ
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S68V34

Average customer rating:

FIVE RED HERRINGS

Manufacturer: AVON
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000I8WBP6

Average customer rating:

THE FIVE RED HERRINGS
SAYERS
Manufacturer: GOLLANCZ
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RY6KBC

Average customer rating:

THE FIVE RED HERRINGS
SAYERS
Manufacturer: GOLLANCZ
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SAAMA0

Average customer rating:

Five Red Herrings
Dorothy L. Sayers
Manufacturer: New American Library of Canada Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000JCBYGI

Average customer rating:

The Five Red Herrings
Dorothy L. Sayers
Manufacturer: Perennial Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NSFV76

Average customer rating:

Five Red Herrings
Dorothy L. Sayers
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 0380424401

Product Description

The body was on the pointed rocks alongside the stream. The artist might have fallen from the cliff where he was painting, but there were too many suspicious elements--particularly the medical evidence that proved he'd been dead nearly half a day; though eye-witnesses saw him alive a scant hour earlier. And then there were the six prime suspects-all of them artists, all of them wished him dead. Five were red herrings, but one had created a masterpiece of murder that baffled everyone, including Lord Peter Wimsey.

Average customer rating:

Five Red Herrings
Dorothy L Sayers
Manufacturer: New English Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIRV3C

Book Description

Jack, a Walker, has learned a secret-one that could mean the end of all the worlds, not just his own. He has earned an enemy-and the Mage of Four, Mage of Luck, is a powerful enemy indeed. Jack must flee to our world, where he gathers a small group of unlikely, sometimes unwilling allies. In the ultimate confrontation, their efforts will determine the fate of the universes.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent read.......2000-03-31

I wish I could get my hands on the second book in this series. It's got to be one of the most whimsical books I've ever read. I like my SF imaginative, fast-paced, and with a good sense of humor, and this book didn't disappoint. I'm not that good at picking stuff up, though, so I had to read it about 3 times before I really understood what was going on in the whirl of pageantry, weird alien-ish things, strange names, and a general assumption that I already knew most of this. It was disorienting in the same way a good party is disorienting: you enjoy it, then take some time to mull over what actually happened. It did kind of falter toward the end, with a sense that perhaps the author got somewhat lost, which is how it got 4 stars instead of 5. Incidentally, if you like reading out loud to kids, this book seems to have been written with storytelling in mind, and I don't think kids would find it too shocking.

Walker of Worlds, Chronicles of the Kings Tramp Book 1

Average customer rating:

Walker of Worlds, Chronicles of the Kings Tramp Book 1
Tom DeHaven
Manufacturer: New York: Foundation Books,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVC1NO

Average customer rating:

Walker of Worlds: Chronicles of the King's Tramp, Book 1
Tom DeHaven
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GTPHLW

Book Description

Answers to more than one hundred of the most frequently asked questions about autism, a disease that affects an estimated one in 250 children.

At the age of two, Dawn Ham-Kucharski's son, Alex, was diagnosed with autism, and she was given little hope that he would ever express himself verbally or interact meaningfully with others. But, now at the age of six, Alex is an uplifting autism success story, due to his mother's tireless efforts to seek out an appropriate treatment program, educational plan, and socialization strategy.

In The Autism Book, health and parenting journalist S. Jhoanna Robledo and Ham-Kucharski, an impassioned advocate for educational opportunity for autistic children, use their hard-won knowledge and experience to objectively and compassionately answer the most urgent questions of parents and educators of autistic children. The authors offer comprehensive information on diagnoses, causes, manifestations, treatment options, managing emotions, family relationships, parenting and lifestyle issues, education, and common worries.

Customer Reviews:

Well worth adding to your autism library.......2006-04-27

Very down to earth, educational, comprehensive and easy to follow. .I thought I knew an awful lot about autism, but this book has become a desk top reference for me.

It's obvious these ladies know of what they speak.

wtg, Jho and Dawn!

Not friendly to Bio-Med.......2005-07-12

If you think vaccines may have any correlation to your child's autism or that autism is treatable via bio-med, don't pick up this book - you'll be sorely disappointed. It does give an overview of some therapies but it's not very thorough at all. "Autism Spectrum Disorders" by Chantal Siclile-Kira or "Autism Spectrum Disorders,Understanding the Diagnosis & Getting Help" by Mitzi Waltz are far better and more comprehensive.

Touching Answers to Parents' Questions.......2005-06-19

This is a well-written and organized book. It covers everything from the diagnosing autism and causes to treatments, interventions and discipline.

The authors helps the reader as they leave their "comfort zones" with information and practical tips about how to juggle doctor and therapists appointments.

But perhaps the strength of this book is that it addresses the emotions and worries that parents have about their child's education and future. It bravely asks and offers touching answers to the questions, "Will my child be able to hold down a regular job?" Can my child live on his own when he grows up?" "Will my child ever have a best friend?" and "Does my child know I love him?"

A must have book.......2005-06-02

I think this is the most wonderful book to have. I recommend this book highly, I have read several books on autism that are very hard to follow, but when I read this book it had all the information at hand and one that you can understand. For any parent starting out on the journey of autism buy this book, you will not regret it!!! I have never read a book so well written.

Makes a tough topic manageable.......2005-05-24

As a health journalist, I admire the depth of research presented in this book, and the great writing that presents it all. The book addresses a very emotional, complicated topic in a forthright, even-handed manner, in a tone that's friendly and reassuring. It also covers a very broad range of issues but doesn't belabor them -- it's informative but not overwhelming.

Average customer rating:

Deceptive title. Should be called vinegar recipie book

Flavored vinegars made easy.

Making & Using Flavored Vinegars: Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin A-112 (Storey Publishing Bulletin)
Glenn Andrews
Manufacturer: Storey Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Culinary Arts & Techniques | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Culinary Arts & Techniques | Cooking, Food & Wine | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Gourmet Vinegars: The How-To's of Making and Cooking with Vinegars (Creative Cooking (Sibyl Publications))

Growing & Using Rosemary: Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin A-161 (Storey Publishing Bulletin, a-161)

Grow 15 Herbs for the Kitchen: Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin A-61

The Best 50 Flavored Oils and Vinegars (Best 50)

Growing & Using Oregano: Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin A-157 (Storey Publishing Bulletin, a-157)

ASIN: 0882665561

Book Description

Since 1973, Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletins have offered practical, hands-on instructions designed to help readers master dozens of country living skills quickly and easily. There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the common desire of country and city dwellers alike to cultivate personal independence in everyday life.

Customer Reviews:

Deceptive title. Should be called vinegar recipie book.......2004-10-20

This book does not tell you how to make vinegar. It tells you how to flavor it. It was disapointing since I brew beer and make wine. I was hoping to make base vinegars out of my leftover wine. Oh well.

Flavored vinegars made easy........2000-09-20

This book cleary walks the reader through making flavored vinegars easily in their own home. I enjoyed the informal, chatty style the author used. My only complaint is that I would have liked a few more recipes for using the flavored vinegars, especially more ordinary dishes. Some of the recipes are a little too much on the gormet side for me and the poeple I'll be giving my vinegars to. Otherwise than that this is great way learn about flavored vinegars.

Average customer rating:

Franciscan Hand-decorated Embossed Dinnerware

GREAT BOOK!

Franciscan Hand-decorated Embossed Dinnerware
James F. Elliot-Bishop
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Glass & Glassware | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Kitchenware | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Pottery & Ceramics | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Reference | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Franciscan: An American Dinnerware Tradition

Franciscan, Catalina, and Other Gladding, McBean Wares: Ceramic Table and Art Wares: 1873-1942

Kovels' New Dictionary of Marks: Pottery and Porcelain 1850 to Present (Kovel's Dictionary of Marks)

Collectors Encyclopedia of California Pottery

Mauzy's Depression Glass: A Photographic Reference With Prices (Schiffer Book for Collectors)

ASIN: 0764319868

Customer Reviews:

Franciscan Hand-decorated Embossed Dinnerware.......2006-03-17

Excellent reference book and also very interesting. This book answered all my questions. Highly recommend.

GREAT BOOK!.......2004-08-14

I love this book. I have known James for about 10 years. He has been collecting Franciscan dishes and patterns like Desert Rose and Apple and Ivy for over 25 years now. This is the best book for a Franciscan California Pottery or dinnerware collector.There is information on Catalina Ceramics and Art deco. There are unique bits of information that only a seasoned collector would know.

Average customer rating:

A delightful woodworking project

Scroll Saw Farm Puzzles: Creating a Barnyard Scene with 20 Easy-to-Cut Patterns
Tony Burns
Manufacturer: Fox Chapel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Projects | Woodworking | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Tools | Woodworking | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Animal Puzzles for the Scroll Saw: 30 Projects in Wood

Scroll Saw Art Puzzles

Scroll Saw Holiday Puzzles: 30 Seasonal Patterns for Christmas and Other Holiday Scrolling

Dinosaur Puzzles for the Scroll Saw: 30 Amazing Patterns for Kids of All Ages (Scroll Saw Project Books)

Fantasy & Legend Scroll Saw Puzzles

ASIN: 1565231384

Book Description

These whimsical puzzle designs bring heartland fun to scroll saw crafters. Designs include pigs, cows, ducks on a pond, a horse and buggy, a farmer and his wife, a scarecrow in a cornfield, and many more. Each puzzle may be completed and displayed alone, or they can be combined to form an entire barnyard scene. Also featured are original staining and painting techniques.

Customer Reviews:

A delightful woodworking project.......2004-01-14

The collaborative project of Tony and June Burns, Scroll Saw Farm Puzzles presents and showcases twenty-six easy-to-cut, do-it-yourself patterns for crafted, three-dimensional, large wooden jigsaw puzzles featuring an American barnyard scene. The pieces put together a farmer and his wife, various animals including pigs, cows, sheep, and lambs, a tractor, an outhouse, a barn and much more. Each individual project is cut from common wood, and is composed of 3 or 4 pieces with interlocking cuts. A delightful woodworking project, with instructions for getting started and tips and techniques for staining and painting the puzzles, Scroll Saw Farm Puzzles is a terrific addition to any weekend woodworker's project reference shelf.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Drawings.......2002-10-05

If you love art and dance this is the book for you! I love it and never tire looking at it! Rosenberg has gift for capturing the magic of dance with his drawings. It's no wonder that some of finest dance companies in the world have invited him to their studios so he may capture the beauty of their dance. I highly recommend this book for all art and dance lovers.

terry rosenberg: drawings inside the dance.......2002-09-07

The 49 drawings in this exhbition catalog are genius. Terry Rosenberg draws during rehearsals of American Ballet Theatre, Mark Morris Dance Group, Dance Theatre of Harlem, etc. The drawings are remarkable as they capture movement with an instantaneous touch of the hand. The sensitivity of line, eraser marks, and smuges of charcoal and pastel create a depth of space and time unique to the history of art. The essay by Jeffrey Hogrefe brilliant.

terry rosenberg: drawings inside the dance.......2002-09-07

Dance.......2002-07-11

Terry Rosenberg is a master artist who draws abstract representations of dance, working from actual dance companies. This is a catalogue of his work. In it, you can see his amazing talent. Dance becomes a function of energy itself, and the lines of the dancers in motion suggest the physics of movement, yet it comes out very beautifully, whether or not this was the artist's intention.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful!.......2006-03-07

Adults will enjoy this book as much as kids. It is a beautifully illustrated and colorfully written biography, potraying the magic, simplicity and love in Celia's life. It will inspire you and your kids to sing along: AZUCAR!

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