The Harmony Silk Factory

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Excellent read, a walk down the history of Malaysia

Different type book

Three Different Distinct Parts of this Novel

The Occasionally Great Story of the Chinaman Called Johnny

Fresh format - three competing tales, each one closer to the truth

The Harmony Silk Factory
Tash Aw
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: B000IOEMNY

Book Description

Conrad, Maugham, and Burgess have shaped our perceptions of Malaysia. Now, with The Harmony Silk Factory, we have an authentic Malaysian voice that remaps this literary landscape. Through his examination of a mysterious and larger than life character-hero or traitor?-Tash Aw gives us an exquisitely written look into another culture at a moment of crisis.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent read, a walk down the history of Malaysia.......2007-05-12

well written maiden novel from Tash Aw. You simply cant put down the book once you start. The novel interweave a mix of local history, relationship and patriotism. In this book, as in real life, no one is truly good or bad. A wonderful read, that will leave you re-visiting your own relationships.

Different type book.......2007-01-10

This book was not as engrossing as the reviews suggested. It had a strange twist at the end that was kind of clever.

Three Different Distinct Parts of this Novel.......2006-10-16

Why did I put such a strange title for my review? Because that was my final conclusion of this book. The first effort by Tash Aw, of Malaysian parents, born in Taiwan and spending his adult years in England.

Why mentioned three distinct parts? Once you read this book, you will feel that it is actually separated into three different sections. The first part being story about Johnny Lim. His childhood till his crooked adult years were described very nicely. Another main attraction of Tash Aw's novel is it was told with a Malaysian background. I love Malaysia. It is very close to Indonesia, have similar cultures and very much alike weather. I am also very familiar with Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and its surroundings. Therefore, when sometime like this rare gem was available, I grabbed it without second thoughts. A four-star section.

The second part consisted of a "memoir" of Johnny Lim's wife, Jasper's mother. Her love interest of the Japanese character Kunichika, seemed extremely inappropriate behavior, for an Asian, especially a Chinese. Since it is a fiction book, it does not really matter. I felt like this second part of the book was written not by Mr. Aw, because the way it was written is very dissimilar to the first section, which was very lovely. A two-three star section.

Last part, the third, started quite OK. And when Tash Aw's interest in gardening took control of the few pages of this novel, I started to resent this part. Gardening is not my favorite subject, bu t to dwell to much on vegetation subjects, I found that this was becoming a Botany 101 class. Having dwelled on that issue, Tash Aw restarted by telling almost the same things already discussed by Jasper's mother from his British protagonist's point of view. My question: why repeat the SAME story twice? A two-star read.

Well, at the end of the day, it became somewhat not a very good read, though I will surely expect Aw will write better for his second novel upcoming soon.

The Occasionally Great Story of the Chinaman Called Johnny.......2006-08-11

At the end of the introduction, The Harmony Silk Factory's first narrator Jasper declares emphatically that he is "ready to give [us] this, `The True Story of the Infamous Chinaman Called Johnny." In the story Johnny was the merchant owner of the title's business, as well as the most important man in the Malayan Kinta valley. According to Jasper, Johnny was a bootlegger, a cheat, a murderer, a Communist, and a traitor, among other things. Johnny Lim was also Jasper's father. It is this connection that hints to the reader that this `true story' is not the `whole story.'

Tash Aw's first novel, actually his first work of published fiction in any format, examines the infamous Chinaman from three points of view: first the son Jasper attempts to cover most of his father's life, then Johnny's wife Snow records the events and thoughts on a holiday in a personal diary, and finally a geriatric English monk named Peter Wormwood reminisces on his past with Johnny. Yet although the three voices reveal what they can about Johnny part of him remains an unknowable mystery. While the character's relationships with Johnny become more intimate as the novel progresses Johnny becomes more mythical in the reader's mind.

Jasper, for instance, tells how his father was shot on the day Malaysian independence was finally declared in 1957. Because Johnny survives the assassination attempt people begin to say that he is invincible, otherworldly.

Aw has cultivated an elegant and tragic story over three distinct narrative voices, a story that is bigger than even the legends surrounding the Harmony Silk Factory's operator. The characters are all first exotic, like the jungles of the Malayan setting, but they become almost wonderfully known. Wonderfully because, while most of the novel is set at the end of the British colonizing of the Malayan peninsula just before World War II, this tropical story rarely feels foreign or intimidating. Aw's prose is magical in its familiarity. We feel the warm water of the Malaccan straits in the evening just as we feel the impending sense of crisis as the Japanese prepare to take control of the colony from the British. Aw provides us with a sense of common history with this pacific country on the other side of the globe.

Fresh format - three competing tales, each one closer to the truth.......2006-08-09

The format Tash Aw presents in "The Harmony Silk Factory" is fresh and invigorating. We get three competing narratives, each one revealing its own truths about the life of Chinese-Malay wartime merchant Johnny Lim. In turn, each of the three recountings overturns inaccuracies or haziness presented in the previous version. It is the third tale, the one recounted by weary war-time friend Peter, that reveals the true essence of Johnny's character. We see it is not at all what Johnny's son Jasper has pulled together and presented to the reader in the first account.

My only problem with Mr. Aw's impressive debut is that I liked each of the three parts less in succession - Jasper's initial account is by far the strongest narrative (it's thrilling, in fact), while Snow's is less so, and the tale of Peter was, in this reader's opinion, quite a trudge to get through. Which is most unfortunate because that's where the gold is buried.

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The Harmony Silk Factory
Tash Aw
Manufacturer: HarperPerennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OILI9A

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Harmony Silk Factory
Tash Aw
Manufacturer: BOOK DEPOT REMAINDERS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SI5ORI

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The Harmony Silk Factory
Tash Aw
Manufacturer: HarperPerennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O8TZYU

The Harmony Silk Factory 12-copy signed prepack

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The Harmony Silk Factory 12-copy signed prepack
Tash Aw
Manufacturer: Riverhead Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1573224553

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HARMONY SILK FACTORY
TASH AW
Manufacturer: HarperPerennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O8UH0G

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Harmony Silk Factory

Manufacturer: HARPER PERENNIAL
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GM87AC

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fabulous Victorian mystery
Mrs. Hudson and the Malabar Rose
Martin Davies
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Book Description

Even Sherlock Holmes needs help sometimes...

Londoners are turning out for the unveiling of the Malabar Rose-a rare and remarkable ruby-and the British debut of the Great Salmanazar. A magician and illusionist extraordinaire, Salmanazar is the talk of Europe-since whenever he appears abroad, daring thefts of famous jewelry coincide with his performances.

But after a special representative of the Home Secretary begs Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to help guard the Malabar Rose, it vanishes under the most baffling of circumstances. Suspecting that the Great Salmanazar has used smoke-and-mirrors on Scotland Yard, the formidable Mrs. Hudson is called upon to give a lesson in criminal deduction to that most logical of minds-the great Sherlock Holmes.

Customer Reviews:

fabulous Victorian mystery .......2005-08-03

In spite of freezing snowy December weather, Londoners are excited over the arrival of the Malabar Rose, a ruby given by a Maharajah from India to the Queen. Adding to the excitement of the ruby's arrival is that master magician and illustrious illusionist the Great Salmanazar comes to town. Though he puts on quite a show, the fact is that wherever he appeared in Europe, precious jewelry were stolen, but his show always served as his alibi. Many anticipate his performance to coincide with perhaps the theft of the Malabar Rose.

Whitehall Street sends an emissary to seek Holmes out so he can check the precautions in place to keep the gifted ruby safe, but he and Watson are away. However, as many expected while the Great Salmanazar performed, someone steals the Malabar Rose under the nose of Scotland Yard and other guards. Holmes' housekeeper Mrs. Hudson heeding her employer's advice to first look at the obvious figures like Salmanazar who she believes pulled a sleight of the hand, but to confirm it and recover the gem will take an even greater illusion on her part as waiting for Holmes and Watson to come home will prove too late.

The latest Mrs. Hudson novel is a fabulous Victorian mystery that grips the audience with its spirited picturesque moving portrait of the era. The story line focuses on Mrs. Hudson's efforts to verify her theory that the Great Salmanazar used a magician's ruse to trick Scotland Yard while stealing the precious jewel. As with its prequel, MRS. HUDSON AND THE SPIRITS' CURSE, the Baker Street crowd will enjoy this fine amateur sleuth historical starring the Great detective's housekeeper, who obviously picked up a few pointers from her employer.

Harriet Klausner

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-04

The A. A.s (Asprin and Abbey) have written a pretty short Catwoman novel. The title has a double meaning. A man named Tiger has got just a little bit too close to Catwoman's usual haunts. Given that he is into killing and using wild big cats for fun, that is just about guaranteed to make him her number one hate target.

Batman, as ever, is lurking in the shadows.

Not your mother's Catwoman!.......2001-11-09

If you're expecting Julie Newmar, think again--this Selina Kyle is based more on Frank Miller's "Batman: Year One" in which Selina was a dirt-poor East End hooker who had just about all she could take and became a jewel thief to get herself out of a life of pain and degradation.

Borrowing from both the "Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper" miniseries, a stint in "Action Comics Weekly", this Selina is a fascinating young woman who is at war with herself, her desires, and her world. But she's strong, capable, and a surprisingly warm protagonist capable of heroism--despite experiencing confusion about her feelings for Batman. She also gets a bit of female bonding with a fresh-off-the-bus animal activist, which helps blunt some of her sharpest edges and make Selina a 3-dimensional character that readers will take great delight in getting to know.

Especially recommended to fans of the 1980s and early 1990s comics, and animated television series.

close but no cigar.......2001-10-18

It's unfortunate that this, the only full-length Catwoman novel I know of, had to take place so shortly after the dismal Frank Miller Year One reboot. This Catwoman is a far cry from the smart, sexy, classy villainess-hero so many Cat-fans (not to mention Bat-fans) fell for.

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CATWOMAN - Tiger Hunt
Lynn and Robert Asprin Abbey
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VBBAIY

Book Description

Immediately following his return from a ten-day student service project in Mexico in January 1998, Fr. Brown was diagnosed with colon cancer. He turned to the Book of Psalms as a source of strength throughout his illness and recovery. This book is the fruit of that experience.

A compilation of Psalms, meditations, rare and original prayers, and commentaries, Psalms and Comassions is dedicated to all who are experiencing pain and suffering of any kind, and to all who care for them.

Customer Reviews:

Renew Hope and Courage.......2001-06-02

Personal connections to the author and publisher aside, I truly feel that this book stands on its own as a message of hope and comfort to individuals and families facing health crises.

Though based on and geared toward experiences with cancer, the prayers, passages, and reflections compiled in Psalms and Compassions easily apply to other illnesses, conditions, and aspects of life. I personally have found it immensely helpful in literally "keeping the Faith" during a 5-year struggle with chronic pain, as well as more acute issues along the way. Fr. Brown's journal entries and the selections that correspond speak the journey from despair to hope, strength, and conviction that arises from life's darkest moments if we but open our hearts to God.

It is said that one must "...never take away another's hope; it may be all they have." For those who struggle to understand, "Why me?", and who search for hope... here it is, just turn the pages and begin the discovery. The essence of this book is contained in the first and last pages. The challenge to "Stand strong. Breathe hope. Live faith." is the very root of facing serious illness in the Catholic Christian mindset, and Fr. Brown's closing (his final blessing from Mass) reiterates that sentiment with a resounding sense of peace and purpose in facing another day and whatever it may bring.

Book Description

Deftly blending the decorative arts and social history, this lavishly illustrated volume is the only book to survey the changing styles of fine dining and tableware from the 16th century to today. Introductory sections on dining ceremony and furnishings set the scene, after which the book follows the structure of a grand dinner, progressing from cocktails to dessert.

Focusing on the many decorative objects that stylish eating and drinking have inspired through the ages, the book is an important visual resource of luxurious period table settings, accurately re-created down to the last detail in the specially taken photographs. Fine individual pieces of glass, silver, and porcelain from the V&A's unparalleled collections offer a look at every manner of fine dining, from medieval banquets to fashionable 21st-century restaurants.

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VALUES

Collector's Guide To Cookbooks: Identification & Values (Identification & Values (Collector Books))
Frank Daniels
Manufacturer: Collector Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Books | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Book Description

Check out Collector Books' brand new guide to cookbooks. Over 600 color photographs and 2,000 listings of cookbooks are presented, along with title, publisher, date, availability, and current collector value. The book is organized chronologically and a handy index is provided -- so if you know either the date or the name of the cookbook, you'll be able to find it easily. The Culinary Institute of Chicago, General Mills (Betty Crocker), Pillsbury, and many other major companies are featured, from 1880 to the 1980s. A scarcity index is provided, indicating the relative difficulty in locating a particular item. General as well as regional volumes are included. Collector's Guide to Cookbooks needs to be on your bookshelf! 2005 values.

Customer Reviews:

VALUES.......2007-02-17

Looking forward to sorting out my collection and getting all of it in order.

Average customer rating:
Designs for Pyrography and Other Crafts
Norma Gregory
Manufacturer: Guild of Master Craftsman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1861083203

Book Description

Crafters are always on the lookout for great designs to use in their work-and this collection of copyright-free patterns is a valuable sourcebook that will fill that need. Including motifs, boxes, borders, and swags, these design elements are so easy to mix, match, combine, and tailor to fit any particular craft or desire. But pryographers in particular may want to use them as they are, and take special advantage of instructions that illuminate the best methods for tracing and transferring, enlarging and reducing the patterns for their art. And for truly professional results, follow the advice on shading, perspective, creating shadows, and adding color. The beautiful subjects include birds, butterflies, and insects; buildings; country scenes; trees, flowers, and fruits; celebrations; and alphabets.

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Designs for Pyrography and Other Crafts
Norma Gregory
Manufacturer: GUILD MASTER CRAFTSM
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JZ5T8E

Book Description

Founded on the principles of minimal impact and sustainable practice and focusing on eco-friendly living, this resource explains how, with ingenuity, determination, and a new aesthetic sensibility, seemingly unconventional materials can be adapted to use for building a home. Designed to conserve energy, create new life from old, and employ good recycling practices that work with the environment, the featured houses are all made from rammed earth, baled straw, mudbricks, recycled timber, stone, and other inexpensive and contemporary materials. With good designs and sound building principles, these homes are not only respectful of limited environmental resources, but can also be stylish, comfortable, and economical.

Book Description

Stardom, thanks to Woody Allen and his film Manhattan, came at an early age...but so did the problems of a broken and dysfunctional family. Yet in a life so out of kilter, Mariel Hemingway summoned the strength and inner resolve that enabled her to find -- and to keep -- her balance.

In Finding My Balance, actress Mariel Hemingway uses the lessons and practices of yoga as a starting point for her own personal reflections and larger-than-life family story. The result is a searingly honest memoir that is as deeply moving as it is helpfully prescriptive.

Mariel turned to yoga and its meditative practice in an effort to maintain her center when her life threatened to spin out of control. Having experienced family tragedy, sudden stardom, and the continuing challenges of a full and demanding life, Mariel learned through practice how to find her balance in emotionally disorienting situations. Throughout the book, Mariel uses her yoga training as a starting point for each chapter, carefully describing a particular position, then letting her mind wander into thoughts of the past and of her tumultuous life.

As each chapter begins with instruction, so does the book end with exercises organized in a sequence that can be followed by anyone who wants to practice them. As a special bonus for this edition, Mariel has added a section that describes the basics of her own "In Balance Philosophy," calming words of advice for people in search of their own emotional center.

Download Description

"Actress Mariel Hemingway uses the lessons and practices of yoga as a starting point for her own personal reflections and a larger-than-life family story. The result is a searingly honest memoir that is firmly practical, as well as a moving narrative of the author's struggle to deal with a complex and often stressful life. Mariel was the third daughter born to Jack Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway's son, and Byra Whittlesey. Her older sister, Muffet, suffered for years from instability, while middle sister Margaux, a celebrated actress and model who was caught up in the fast lane, eventually died of the effects of her driven lifestyle. Their mother, Byra, was darkly moody and emotionally quixotic, and made no secret of her disdain for her husband, while Jack, himself insecure in no small part because of his celebrated father, a man he never really felt he knew, was an indifferent parent at best. Even before she was a teenager, Mariel was forced to assume the role of stable center of her family. In just about every way, she never really had a childhood of her own, a situation that was exacerbated by her sudden thrust into celebrity when she was first cast in sister Margaux's film Lipstick, then in Woody Allen's Manhattan. Suddenly, Mariel was a movie star.

Customer Reviews:

Yoga in real life.......2007-05-12

I am not sure what I expected, but I was pleasantly pleased by A Memoir with Yoga. It was interesting to read about her life - but even more interesting was how well she described the asanas. I have a new approach to some of them (remembering her giggles at the cat and dog poses - and that some yoga is FUN), and will concentrate on moving into a pose with her words in my mind. I learned more about yoga from the book than expected, and it was a joy to read.

Interesting even if you're not into yoga.......2004-06-25

Like the reader from Raynham, MA, I am not the slightest bit interested in yoga and skipped over those parts. But the other sections were worth reading -- especially the parts about her eating disorder! Before she got the implants, I always admired and envied Mariel's figure, especially the way she looked in Personal Best, and had assumed that she was just naturally athletic. I suppose I shouldn't have been shocked to learn that, like so many celebrities, she had to starve and endanger her health to look like that. And the stuff about her mixed-up family was very interesting, too -- though sad. I also enjoyed the stuff about Woody Allen.

Well worth reading.......2003-03-14

Heartwarming insight into the experiences of one cool lady. I admit to following Mariel's (and Margaux') career since before "Lipstick" and I read the book in one session. Very touching, and Mariel really lays a lot of personal pain and joy bare for us to see. A great book for anyone juggling family problems, a difficult adolescence, food demons, and facing adversity. I sure hope the future is kind to Mariel and her family.

Mariel opens her heart.......2003-02-24

In this touching, informative, truthful story about Mariel's own life is a compelling story I couldn't put down. For any fans of hers, you are going to love this book and won't be ab le to put it down.

Wonderful!.......2003-02-11

I loved this book! Mariel opens her heart to her readers and lays it all on the line. I identified with her and was able to learn some new methods for handling some areas of my life that parallel hers. This is a wonderful and sincere book!

I hope that in the future she writes a book on yoga and that she writes another book where this one left off.

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Finding My Balance a memoir , including Yoga & Meditation Routines
granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, SIGNED by Mariel on title page, illustrated with photos, frontispiece photo, DJ design Jackie Seow Mariel Hemingway
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JD7LHI

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