Average customer rating:
- Terrific gut wrenching story...
- A Story of Stories
- Wendigo
- Simply amazing!
- A Remarkable Story of Survival
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Three Day Road
Joseph Boyden
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0143037072 |
Amazon.com
Joseph Boyden's first novel is the story of two Cree friends, Xavier and Elijah, who leave their pristine northern country to end up in the horrific trenches of World War I. Loosely based on the real life of a famous Canadian sniper, the story is told from two first-person views: those of Xavier and his old aunt and only living relative, Niska. After the war, Niska is taking her wounded nephew back home north to the bush in a canoe. Their trip is the three-day road of the title, which also refers to the journey taken after death. The story of the war is told in flashbacks on this journey as Xavier recovers from morphine addiction. Niska also relates various stories to Xavier, believing there is "medicine in the tale."
Boyden is a natural storyteller. Both the Native tales of the north and the grim accounts of the war in France and Belgium have the ring of truth. His images can be subtly appropriate--raiders who go over the top are "eaten by the night"--and his characterizations are excellent, especially the three main players and Xavier's Canadian trenchmates. Eventually, Elijah seems to feed on the death all around him, becoming a "windigo," while Xavier begins to question the sanity of the war and his friend's growing madness, realizing "we all fight on two fronts, the one facing the enemy, the one facing what we do to the enemy." Not for the squeamish reader, this is a powerful novel that takes a new angle on a popular subject, "the war to end all wars." --Mark Frutkin, Amazon.ca
Book Description
In this powerful and mesmerizing debut, Joseph Boyden reinvents the tradition of Great War epics like All Quiet on the Western Front and Birdsong. It is 1919 and Niska, an Oji- Cree medicine woman, has left her home in the bush of northern Ontario to retrieve Xavier Bird, her only relation, who has returned from the trenches of Europe. Gravely wounded and addicted to morphine, Xavier recounts how he and his best friend, Elijah Whiskeyjack, prowled the battlefields as snipers of enormous skill—and how the circumstances of their deadly craft led them to very different fates. Told with unblinking focus, this is a stunning tale of brutality, survival, and rebirth that marks the arrival of a prodigious new talent.
Customer Reviews:
Terrific gut wrenching story..........2007-09-08
This was a great story of two young Indian men and an Aunt. The young men battling through the horrors of warfare and trying to gain the respect of the discriminating Canadians, English and French. Author swings back and forth from childhood in Northern Canada to the war scenes. The men become accomplished scouts and snipers and succumb to addictions of killing, drugs and heartbreak in the efforts to stay alive. Best story I've read in some time.
A Story of Stories.......2007-07-27
One of my favorite styles of a novel is the Story of Stories. In "Three Day Road" J. Boyden has created an engerossing dual-narrative of the horrors of WWI and the vanishing culture of native indians of Canada. Readers join Xavier Bird and his Aunt Niska in their jouney home together flashing-back the stories of their lives together and apart. Each struggle in their own way to cope and come to terms with Xavier's demons that were brought back from the war where Xavier and his boyhood friend Elijah were heros of the Canadian army. Their native hunting skills were twisted and perverted by the war becoming the consuming beast of murderous snipers. They are both driven mad by the revel, fear, sadness, and regret over what they'd become, but only Xavier returns. He is a shattered remnant of the man he'd become and his Aunt must find a way to coax his deamons from his memory and guide him to wherever his Three Day Road will take him.
Wendigo.......2007-07-22
I very much enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it for its excellent writing and very interesting plot. Some of its themes include WWI soldiers descent into madness, Algonquin First Nations spirituality, and the relationship between bush Cree, town Cree and European Canadians in the early twentieth century. These themes are developed in an engrossing narritive that alternates between a bush Cree woman and two Cree snipers in the trenches of France and Belgium. The reader is left with a renewed respect for First Nations spirituality and culture.
Simply amazing!.......2007-05-06
It is hard to believe that this was the author Joseph Boyden's first novel! Especially, when one takes into consideration the intricate way the plot is weaved together so effortlessly: the shift in narration, the moving back and forth through time and perspective, the wonderfully complex character development, the blending of cultures, and finally the graphic and often disturbing war depictions. Everything works beautifully. This was our book club selection of the month, and would be a great one for others to savor with friends as well. There is a lot to this novel. Like an onion, it just gets better and better when picked apart. While it is not always easy to read, it is most definitely worth it. Highly recommended!!!
A Remarkable Story of Survival.......2007-05-02
Three Day Road is a book about two Cree Indians who go off to fight in World War One, and the auntie they leave behind. The book is extraordinary. The writing is stunning: at one point, the author, speaking as an old Cree woman, describes a train as an old iron horse, sniffing the track; and says of the trees: "Blackened by soot, they bend in defeat." There are many gorgeous metaphors here.
The story itself takes place over the course of a few days -- and yet spans three lifetimes. The old auntie goes to pick up one of the boys, who -- missing a leg and deeply addicted to morphine -- is returning from war. In the days as she paddles him back home, she talks to him of her childhood to keep him alive. However, he is plagued during the trip by morphine-induced hallucinations of war. While he relives portions of the hell that is war, he also relives the times during the war when he and his childhood friend talk of their youth. As such, without feeling jolted around, you are treated to three lifetimes.
I have to say, I do NOT enjoy war stories. I am too tender-hearted and sensitive. However, this story -- despite its setting and definitely stark descriptions of war -- is a story about survival: survival of body, spirit, cultural change, relationships, family, self and love. It's truly an extraordinary book. You won't regret reading it!
Average customer rating:
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Three Day Road
Joseph Boyden
Manufacturer: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ORYR3K |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from U.S. Catholic, published by Thomson Gale on November 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1540 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Walk this way: meet three modern women who teach us how to take little steps on the road to holiness.(Therese of Lisieux, Dorothy Day and Mother Teresa)
Author: Joel Schorn
Publication:
U.S. Catholic (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 70
Issue: 11
Page: 42(2)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
- The Lyon Roars
- Timeless Romance Classic!
- The lion and the lioness
- Entertaining and a quick read
- The Black Lyon: The Magnificent Love Story of a Fearless Lord and the Woman Who Tamed Him
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The Black Lyon: The Magnificent Love Story of a Fearless Lord and the Woman Who Tamed Him
Jude Deveraux
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 038075911X |
Book Description
Darkly handsome and rich beyond imagining the bold English conqueror was called Lyonfor his-lionlike fierceness. He had no match among enemies, or women ... until he met Lyonene,the green-eyed beauty whose fiery spirit matched his own. Through a whirlwind romance and stormy marriage, she endured every peril to be by his side... until jealousy and vicious lies drove her across the Irish Sea and into rave danger. One man could save her -- only the fierce Black Lyon had the courage to destroy the ruthless plot that had driven them, apart and threntened the bond of love they had vowed could never be broken
Customer Reviews:
The Lyon Roars.......2007-06-27
The Black Lyon is an engrossing tale of one wronged and hurt man being taught love and honesty and respect by a rather young, inexperienced and naive girl. The initial rape scenes were disturbing but I feel for this storyline, necessary and probably accurate for the time period and for the emotions the Black Lion felt. Ranulf is a powerful and somewhat menacing leading man BUT you just know he can be kind and considerate and warm if given the love of a good woman (in this case, a young woman). Lyonene is such a woman...her only real fault is her completely trusting nature BUT her utter love for her husband shines through allowing her the courage to fight for all she wants...his love.
I LOVED this book and truly hated it ending sooooo soon. It was a short book but a good book that I know I will read again and again.
Linda
Timeless Romance Classic!.......2007-04-26
I first snuck this book as a teen in the 1980s. It was one of the first romance novels I ever read and has remained my all-time favorite romance novel.
The lion and the lioness.......2006-11-23
This was a pretty easy to read story.It was not as good as I thought it would be.There were a few disturbing moments in the story;the hero rapes the heroine,Lyonene twice and hits her once.I think the story could have done without those incidents.The hero has major trust issues because his first wife had betrayed and ridiculed so takes out his distrust of women on the heroine. The heroine has her own trust issues as she believs that Rannulf is having an affair with another woman,to be fair to her she had alot of evidence shoved in her face.It was a somewhat good story that could have been better. I actually gave this book 3 stars but I'd mistakenly put 4 stars where it said your rating.I wanted to get this book for a long time so I was disappointed when it didn't live up to my expectations.It started out good but fizzled out.
Entertaining and a quick read.......2006-07-30
Lyonene has never loved a man until she first laid eyes on Ranulf, the famed Black Lion, King's champion and Earl of Malvoisin. His renowned fierceness in battle is enough to strike fear in his enemies. He also is astonishingly drawn to Lyonene but his dark past contains a hidden and unforgotten pain caused by the adulterous treachery of his first wife. Nevertheless, within a month, they marry. Their marriage is tumultuous, to say the least. Ranulf has to overcome his distrust of Lyonene and she, in turn, struggles to find a way to prove her love to him. Her "proof" nearly causes her to lose her life but is enough to force Ranulf to realize his ill treatment of her.
Blissful months follow but then a new treachery is hatched that will test their love once more. Ranulf saves a girl named Amicia from drowning. In a jealous attempt to separate Ranulf and Lyonene, Amicia conspires with an unknown enemy to kidnap and hold a pregnant Lyonene for ransom.
I can't say that this is one of my favorite Jude Deveraux books but it is entertaining. The opening drags a bit but makes up for it as the pace picks up. The storyline has its dark and humorous points. Ranulf is a very dark character. His first wife's betrayal made him the man he is when he meets Lyonene. His distrust of women is renowned but Lyonene's artlessness complete disarms him. His abuse of Lyonene in the early stages of their marriage is hard to get through, but Lyonene's steadfast love helps him find healing and redemption.
The Black Lyon: The Magnificent Love Story of a Fearless Lord and the Woman Who Tamed Him.......2006-07-11
great book
Book Description
Richard K. Morgan has received widespread praise for his astounding twenty-fifth-century novels featuring Takeshi Kovacs, and has established a growing legion of fans. Mixing classic noir sensibilities with a searing futuristic vision of an age when death is nearly meaningless, Morgan returns to his saga of betrayal, mystery, and revenge, as Takeshi Kovacs, in one fatal moment, joins forces with a mysterious woman who may have the power to shatter Harlan’s World forever.
Once a gang member, then a marine, then a galaxy-hopping Envoy trained to wreak slaughter and suppression across the stars, a bleeding, wounded Kovacs was chilling out in a New Hokkaido bar when some so-called holy men descended on a slim beauty with tangled, hyperwired hair. An act of quixotic chivalry later and Kovacs was in deep: mixed up with a woman with two names, many powers, and one explosive history.
In a world where the real and virtual are one and the same and the dead can come back to life, the damsel in distress may be none other than the infamous Quellcrist Falconer, the vaporized symbol of a freedom now gone from Harlan’s World. Kovacs can deal with the madness of AI. He can do his part in a battle against biomachines gone wild, search for a three-centuries-old missing weapons system, and live with a blood feud with the yakuza, and even with the betrayal of people he once trusted. But when his relationship with “the” Falconer brings him an enemy specially designed to destroy him, he knows it’s time to be afraid.
After all, the guy sent to kill him is himself: but younger, stronger, and straight out of hell.
Wild, provocative, and riveting, Woken Furies is a full-bore science fiction spectacular of the highest order–from one of the most original and spellbinding storytellers at work today.
Download Description
Richard K. Morgan is the acclaimed author of Market Forces, Broken Angels, and Altered Carbon, a New York Times Notable Book that also won the Philip K. Dick Award. Morgan sold the movie rights for Altered Carbon to Joel Silver and Warner Bros. His third book, Market Forces, has also been sold to Warner Bros. He lives in Scotland.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Takeshi's last stand........2007-09-13
The last in the series starring Richard Morgan's hyper violent protaganist
did not disapoint. Kovac's background in the envoys is fleshed out as well as his start on Harlan's world and gang past. It moves at a breath taking pace with plots and sub plots interweaving nicely. Think of that...Gideon's Fall: When You Dont Have a Prayer, Only a Miracle Will DoGideon's Fall: When You Dont Have a Prayer, Only a Miracle Will Do
Closer to the first book.......2007-08-06
I liked all three books, but I believe that this one was closer to the spirit and style of Altered Carbon than Broken Angels. Not to say that I didn't like the second book, but I prefer the sort of film-noir, cyberpunk detective novel to the more traditional sci-fi of the second novel.
Great continuation of the Kovacs Saga.......2007-07-31
Another good book from the Takeshi Kovacs series. The ending left kind of wanting more. But covered alot Kovacs past and early childhood that made him what he is today.
Weakest out of the 3.......2007-07-30
Up until last year I hadn't read a sci-fi themed booked in over 6 years. The genre, it seemed to me, had fissled out after years of rehashing plot, characters, and tech. Then a friend of mine suggested I pick up Morgan's first book Altered Carbon because it was "wicked sick". So, I did. And to my surprise I was hooked almost immediately. I read the book in a day and then went out and bought Morgan's second Takeshi Kovac's novel Broken Angel's. I read it just as fast and enjoyed it almost as much.
8 months went by before I had the time to read Woken Furies and I went into this novel fully expecting a book on par with the last one...but was disappointed. I'm not an English Professor or major so I can't pick apart the book in minute detail and tell you what elements were lacking. It just was. After finishing the novel it felt like Morgan had used Woken Furies as vehicle to exercise a pseudo proxy midlife crisis instead of furthering a great character and story.
deComm and Envoys? Just great, I love it........2007-07-19
Morgan always enthralls me, always draws me and drops me right in the midst of the world he has created. It is almost unbelievable how well crafted the world of Takeshi Kovacs is. Right from page one I don't want to put the book down, and there is never a dull moment. This is no easy task to complete, and yet Morgan has done this with all his books thus far. This is mainly because of how descriptive he gets with such depth that you can imagine exactly what is happening. I couldn't even begin to count the number of images that jumped to my mind's eye and showed me exactly what was described. Unbelievable.
And Morgan seems to be getting better with each book. Woken Furies has yet again a great plot as we get to watch the book's hero hunted by none other than... himself? Great twist with originality. Additionally, we know the world from the first two Kovacs' books, but with this book we get to view more of the world, get to view and uncover some of the mysteries, and to have new mysteries created that will be great fuel for another Kovacs book.
My only complaint, and this has always been the case, is that Morgan always, and I mean always and a lot, has to add full on pornographic scenes into his books. I can understand it at least once because it adds to how certain characters interact with one another, but why do it two, three, four times? It is just gratuitous and eventually adds nothing to the story. But, alas, this too is becoming a trademark of Morgan and it should be expected that he will continue to do this in all of his books.
A definite recommend.
5 stars.
Average customer rating:
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Woken Furies
Manufacturer: GOLLANCZ (ORIO)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HA1MU0 |
Average customer rating:
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Woken Furies
Manufacturer: Tantor Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: B000GX7PDQ |
Book Description
After 'Hit Man'
The New York Times bestseller Confessions of an Economic Hit Man documents John Perkins’ extraordinary career as a globe-trotting economic hit man. Perkins’ insider’s view leads him to crisis of conscience--to the realization that he must devote himself to work which will foster a world-wide awareness of the sanctity of indigenous peoples, their cultures, and their environments. Perkins’ books demonstrate how the age-old shamanic techniques of some of the world’s most primitive peoples have sparked a revolution in modern concepts about healing, the subconscious, and the powers each of us has to alter individual and communal reality.
Many indigenous cultures practice shapeshifting. Native American hunters take on the spirit of their prey to ensure a successful hunt; Asian medicine men “ingest” a sickness to heal the one afflicted; Amazon warriors become jaguars to soundlessly travel the jungle. Those who shapeshift understand that all of life is energy and that by focusing your intent you can change energetic patterns, rendering a new form. Shapeshifting can occur on three levels: cellular--transforming from human to plant or animal; personal--becoming a new self or leaving an addiction behind; and institutional--creating a new business or cultural identity.
Since 1968, master shamans in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas have been training John Perkins to teach the industrial world about the powerful techniques involved in shapeshifting. His groundbreaking book takes you to deserts and jungles, mountains and oceans, medical research centers and corporate board rooms to learn the step-by-step methods of this practice that integrates ancient and modern techniques to bring about profound healing.
Customer Reviews:
Read everything John writes. .......2007-07-09
Shapeshifting is a great book in my opinion. Perkins has traveled far and wide to work on behalf of indigenous cultures and their wisdom traditions to help sustain these communities and their ancient ways. As founder of Dream Change Coalition, Perkins has done as much as anyone (with the possible exception of Al Gore) to work to change human consumption patterns and corporate hegemony now destroying these cultures.
Shapeshifting tells a powerful tale of healing and wisdom lost on Eurocentric Peoples. Shapeshifting is more than a personal practice invoked by shamans of the jungle and Andes but a practice of human transformation on multiple levels and contexts of awareness. Perkins is engaged in an endeavor to shape shift human hegemony and preoccupation with consumption to create sustainable outcomes for the earth on all those who live on her.
This is a great book by a modern visionary and activist of the highest caliber.
A fascinating read.......2007-06-11
In "Shapeshifting," John Perkins, author of the bestseller "Confessions of an Economic Hitman," shares lessons he has learned from shamans in the Yucatan, the Andes, the Amazon, the Middle East, and Indonesia. Shapeshifting was a new concept for me, and I was amazed to learn that there are shamans who can supposedly transform themselves on a cellular level into another form, such as a tree, a bat, or a ball of energy. Indeed, many people might be skeptical of these accounts, as well as Perkins' account of his own shapeshift. However, skeptics can still benefit by thinking about shapeshifting at a more metaphorical level. Perkins himself has transformed from an "economic hitman" into an author and activist working to change people's perceptions, and both individuals and institutions can benefit from similar shapeshifts. Indeed, Perkins hopes that indigenous wisdom can help to transform our core institutions into ones that support a sustainable world. Deliberately suspending judgments on what is possible as I read this book, I felt my awareness expand and gained a new appreciation for the power of the mind/ spirit.
An Amazing Journey.......2007-02-22
John Perkins takes the reader on a spellbinding journey through shaman rich cultures around the world--but particularly those in Central and South America. He shares both his self-doubts and his insights as he "shapeshifts" from economic hitman to a kind of enlightened dream weaver. Written in a relaxed, conversational style, Perkins gives just the right amount of detail and description of his experiences. This is the kind of book that makes one ponder and deeply reflect on life's journey. It really is a "shapeshifter".
A truly mind blowing book. A must read for the enlightened. .......2007-01-04
Trust your inner voice and read this book. I think we can all learn from other cultures.
Inspirational.......2006-11-03
John Perkins does an excellent job of showing his transformation of self. Although he travels worldwide, his writings inspire transforming and increasing awareness at home.
Book Description
There's never been a better time to explore the world of red wine. More wines are being produced in more far-flung locations, and they're of higher quality and greater variety than ever before-and at more affordable prices. We've never had it so good. But if you don't know your Merlot from your Morgon or your Barolo from you Bordeaux, the huge choice of bottles at the liquor store or supermarket can be daunting. With this invaluable little book you'll soon be able to decipher labels and select wines to suit your taste and needs. As Red Wine expertly shows, the place to start is with the grapes themselves. Author Jonathan Ray considers all the important varieties, from the fresh and fruity Gamay to the mighty Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. You'll discover where specific grapes are grown and understand their unique characteristics, quirks, and qualities. Red Wine also shows you the best ways to store, serve, and tate wine. You'll even learn how to tackle a restaurant wine list. Knowing what to expect from a bottle of wine adds immensely to its enjoyment. With Red Wine in hand, you'll soon find yourself able to approach any bottle with total confidence.
Book Description
In this follow-up to the successful Complete Car Modeler 1, Gerald Wingrove takes the aspiring modeler to the next level by describing in detail the process and skills involved in the construction of his world-famous 1/15 scale models. His example subject throughout the book is the fabulous Weinberger Bugatti Royale. Thus the re-creation of the Royale, including all engine and chassis detail, is revealed step-by-step. Includes full plans for the Bugatti Royale not previously published.
Customer Reviews:
A must-have for the serious modeller.......2007-04-23
Where Mr. Wingrove deals with the more generic aspects of the craft of building model cars in the first volume, the second volume deals indepth with creating a Bugatti Royale masterpiece, the book contains scale drawings, numerous tips and tricks and covers basically all aspects of such a build. In addition Mr. Wingrove explains many special techniques and the use of a large variety of tools used to make these extraordinary models. I consider it a must have for evryone aspiring to become a master modeller or trying to improve their skills. I wish I had purchased both volumes years ago. Highly recommended. Even if one were only to learn 1 or 2 extra skills from these books, they will be well worth the money!
WOW!.......2005-10-10
Mr. Wingrove has some amazing talent! I am just getting started in brass modelmaking and I bought this book and his The Complete Car Modeller 1. Both book are indespensible for the wealth of information in them. I could not recommend one book over the other as both of them have unique information in them. However, I was really looking forward to the release of the second book because it covered scratchbuilding car panels in copper plate. This is covered more indepth in the second book.
Book Description
This intimate portrait of Mrs. Henry Parish II-known to friends as Sister-chronicles one woman's remarkable life and groundbreaking career, painting a unique portrait of American high society and recounting the transformation of an art form.Dorothy May Kinnicutt was born into a patrician New York family in 1910 and her privileged early life was one of the right schools, yacht clubs, coming out parties, and the Social Register. Compelled to work because of the lean years of the Depression, Sister combined her innate design ability and her high echelon social connections to create an extraordinarily successful interior decorating business.Her firm, Parish-Hadley, served a list of clients that comprised the crme de la crme of American aristocracy, among them Rockefellers, Astors, and Whitneys.To them, she was in indispensable presence, both in their salons and in designing them. Her style, influenced by her family's country house in Maine, came to be known as "American country" and was a reflection of Sister's deeply felt Yankee roots.It influenced an entire generation of American decorators.To the pubic at large, she was the visionary who helped transform Jacqueline Kennedy's White House from a fusty relic of the fifties into the international symbol of American elegance-Camelot.To Apple Parish Bartlett and Susan Bartlett Crater, she was a mother and grandmother.Drawing upon Sister Parish's own unpublished memoirs, as well as hundreds of interviews with world-famous interior decorators and socialites, Bartlett and Crater take readers into the houses-and the lives-of the most famous and powerful people of Parish's time, telling the story of the enormously charismatic woman who redefined American design.
Amazon.com
Born with the silverest of spoons in her mouth, Mrs. Henry Parish II went on to become, of all things, a working woman. Yet she couldn't have picked a métier more suited to her milieu. As a decorator, she drew upon both her blue-blood connections and the exquisite taste that was her birthright to become one of the foremost figures in American interior design. Not bad for a woman who never received a high school diploma, and who was known most often (and most endearingly) by her childhood nickname of Sister. (When she was hired to do over the White House for Jackie, the headlines read "Kennedys Pick Nun to Decorate White House.") In Sister, Parish's daughter and granddaughter lovingly chronicle this remarkable woman's life and work. She began adulthood as the wife and mother she had been expensively nurtured to become. But when the Depression hit and her husband's stockbroker salary plummeted, this Sister started doing it for herself. She hung out a shingle, literally, and soon upper-crust types from far and wide were clamoring for her untrained but decidedly stylish services. In narrating the illustrious career that followed, the book alternates interviews with past clients, coworkers, and friends with excerpts from Sister's never-completed autobiography--and with few exceptions, the most vivid passages are those in her own inimitable voice. Parish described her own style, quite correctly, as "timeless and personal," yet she actually innovated key elements of what we now take for granted as the "American country" look, including quilts, painted floors, and mattress ticking upholstery. But she never sacrificed a client's wishes to an inflexible ideal. For her, design was always about matching a house with the personality of those who lived inside it, making her work the truest extension of her love of family and home. More than just a tribute to a remarkable woman, Sister is also a fascinating portrait of a bygone world, almost Jamesian in its manners and morals. --Chloe Byrne
Customer Reviews:
Sgt. Sister.......2003-02-23
Sister (Dorothy) Parrish was "gently" born, and she played this card like a violin all her life to great success. Expensively, but scantily educated Sister had an "eye" for proportion and taste that never failed her. Her decorating services became astronomically expensive, yet she had a Grande Dame persona that made her clients feel she was doing them a great favor by decorating their homes.
"Sister" is authored (perhaps edited) by her daughter and granddaughter very respectfully indeed. It contains little essays and remarks by friends and colleagues, plus sections by Sister herself from her autobiography that never was completed. Her daughters were clearly terrified by her, though her granddaughter seems to be a little bit of a chip off the old block. An oddity I noticed in the pictures: movie-star-handsome men run in her family while the women are plain as peahens. Sister speaks of growing into beauty, but I would have to respectfully disagree. Imposing, and dramatic--yes; but "beautiful"--no. All mention her wonderful sense of humor, which struck me as cruel and belittling along with a razor sharp tongue. The pictures of her projects (sadly, most in black and white) show her capabilities in making a fabulous mansion into a home rather than a museum. However, in spite of Sister's declamations that the client's wishes were first and foremost, most of her actions show that you go her way or the highway. Her Pekinese dogs always were with her and each seemed to have a talent for vicious nipping.
"Sister" is fascinating and does a good job (mostly Sister herself) describing her artistic techniques. The family history is well done. But there is a slightly patched together quality of the book that makes this reader feel the events are only half-told and some not told at all. I don't mean I expected or remotely wanted a "Sister Dearest." I admire the tact and respect displayed by Ms. Parrish's heirs. I just wish a few of the reminiscences were by folks who had less than 100% adoration for Sister!
-sweetmolly-Amazon Reviewer
Speak softly, and carry a big roll of chintz.......2000-10-29
The book, a series of interviews, doesn't hold together as well as I might have liked, though it is chock-full of intriguing raw materials, including reminiscences of Sister by other legends (e.g. the late Mark Hampton, John Fowler, and Mario Buatta). I read it in a hotel room dashing out to shop and to go to a wedding, and I naturally began to critique the decor from what I imagined as Sister's point of view. The hotel forbade dogs, small or otherwise, which would never have done. Sister's Pekinese Yummy went everywhere. There was a certain baroque grandeur to the lobby, which was carried into the rooms, where one could not miss the giant chandelier. You just stared at it, and perhaps felt that this justified the price of the night. But this would not have been Sister's way. As she demonstrated during her days in the Kennedy White House, she could differentiate between public spaces and private ones. Private ones were subtle in tone, with the emphasis on incorporating one's own sentimental possessions into the general scheme. A client's library might have a Picasso or a Monet, but it wouldn't be the first thing that would hit you when you walked into the room. You'd probably be drawn to a cozy fire, and only gradually realize the masterpiece off somewhere to the side. Public spaces could be grand as befitted their function. None of her clients wound up living in a museum. She's worth knowing about, and a nice guide to what endures. The current rage for "homekeeping" probably would have pleased her, as the basis of it is making people comfortable rather than knocking them upside the head with your worldly success. She also had a sort of innate ability to measure things, and to compose with her eye, like a really good candid photographer. However natural things appeared, her own description of a "typical" day makes one think of show business. She was a life force, and no family can ever make up for the gap someone like this leaves, I am sure, but this book is a fine eulogy, which works the way the great ones do: it's an encouragement to more life. Sister Parish seems thoroughly to have enjoyed hers.
Great lady, great read!.......2000-10-25
One of the legendary designers of any period - this book by the granddaughter and daughter of Sister Parish is a terrific testament to the legacy this lady left on the decorating world. It's chatty without being gossipy, plus you get a real feel of how Sister decorated. Thoroughly enjoyable and readable!
Mrs. Parish was one of the grandest of the Grand Dames........2000-09-21
I couldn't put Sister down once I started reading it. It was a great tribute by the daughter and granddaughter of one of the most interesting, eccentric and outlandishly one-of-a-kind people I've ever encountered in print, or anywhere else for that matter. She was so fascinating as to be almost a figment of someone's imagination. What I really appreciated was that even though Mrs. Parish could be cruel (telling her chauffeur "turn left, stupid", etc.,) most people (including her chauffeur) seemed to have liked her immensely. Her style of decorating is as fresh and likeable today as it must have been back when she first got started. And it's lovely to read about someone whose relatives obviously adored her. No Mommie Dearest here! Such a treat.
Not Just For Interior Decorators.......2000-09-20
This book is a fascinating account of the life of a woman from a privileged social background who defended tradition while breaking with it completely: starting her own business, forming friendships in the art and design world, painting the antique mahogany tables red and stripping the stained wood floors. An oral history told by the people who knew her best, "Sister" illustrates by their varying perspectives how Sister Parish was many things to many, very different people, and how creative, innovative talent can override even the inherited attitudes of the people who possess that talent to change taste and style. A very interesting, fun book: gossip, decorating tips, and all.
Average customer rating:
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Big Book of Typographics 1 and 2
B. Duncan
Manufacturer: HBI
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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The Big Book of Typographics 3 & 4 (Typographics 3: Global Vision and Typographics 4: Analysis + Imagination = Communication)
ASIN: 3931884546 |
Book Description
An innovative and essential guide, Big Book of Typographics, combines the first two internationally successful books in the Typographics series: Typographics 1: the art of typography from digital to dyeline and Typographics 2: cybertype-screens and 'zines.
This collection of work from professional and student typographers features more than 530 full-color illustrations and examples of dynamic and original uses of type. The designs are grouped into several categories including personal work, posters, installations and signage, packing publications, corporate identity, typeface design and unpublished work, and cybertype. Explore the type innovations and experimentation happening in colleges and design firms across the globe.
Book Description
Typography is a fundamental element of all forms of design, endless in its variety and application.As such, it's a topic that inspires debate and discussion among design professionals, teachers, and students. To aid in this discourse, The Big Book of Typographics 1 & 2 brings together the most exciting and experimental work from typographers the world over—leading designers with international standing, new independent groups at the forefront of modern design, and gifted students from a range of major colleges alike. The book's attractive flip-format emphasizes different themes to the showcased works: the first section presents innovative font design and textual and compositional type usage; the second, looks at type inspired by magazines' churning information flow, freed from the constraints of the conventional printed pages' usual linear narrative.
Provocative and compelling, The Big Book of Typographics 1 & 2 is an excellent, extensive resource for everybody creating or commissioning graphic design.
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- Does Streep justice
- This book is just what it says, a critical biography
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Meryl Streep: A Critical Biography
Eugene E., Jr. Pfaff , and
Mark Emerson
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
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ASIN: 0899502873 |
Customer Reviews:
Does Streep justice.......2000-08-10
This is a really good book for the serious Streep fan. It delves into her acting in much more detail than the other biographies, which seem to only list her acting awards and leave it at that. I was extremely pleased to see a discussion of Streep's work in PLENTY, which was so understated and low-pressure and unlike anything she had done before. It's interesting to watch Streep's performances and discover not only the different characters she plays, but the different acting STYLES she seems to have at her disposal. Her work in PLENTY was certainly different than her fettered, mannered (but equally brilliant and appropriate) interpretation of Karen Silkwood. This kind of attention to her craft really places this book at the top of the heap. I would love to see an updated version of this book because of all the great performances she has given since then (A CRY IN THE DARK, POSTCARDS, DEATH BECOMES HER, MARVIN'S ROOM, BRIDGES, ONE TRUE THING, etc.) but I realize that excellence doesn't sell books anymore to the public, so let's all buy the juicy Gwyneth Paltrow bio and find out what the new fall fashions are.
This book is just what it says, a critical biography.......1999-04-05
I enjoyed this book. It delves into Meryl Streeps craft much more than the other 2 books written about her. It has very little personal information, but I am sure Ms. Streep likes it that way. This book reads much like a text book, but for a true Streep fan it is a fascinating read.
Books:
- Tomorrow in the Battle Think on Me
- Tumble Home: A Novella and Short Stories
- Unconsoled, The
- Under the Glacier
- Whalestoe Letters
- What Was She Thinking?: Notes on a Scandal: A Novel
- White Mans Justice, Black Man's Grief
- Woman on the Edge of Time
- ...y no se lo tragó la tierra / ...And the Earth Did Not Devour Him
- A Place Where the Sea Remembers (Scribner's Paperback Fiction)
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