Richard Brautigan : A Confederate General from Big Sur, Dreaming of Babylon, and the Hawkline Monster (Three Books in the Manner of Their Original ed)

Book Description

Richard Brautigan was the author of ten novels, including a contemporary classic, Trout Fishing in America, nine volumes of poetry, and a collection of stories.Here are three Brautigan novels--A Confederate General from Big Sur, Dreaming of Babylon and The Hawkline Monster--reissues in a one-volume omnibus edition.

Customer Reviews:

A Modern Genius.......2007-01-27

Brautigan was a poet and author who made his mark with the Beat Poets of the San Francisco North Beach (Barbary Coast), such as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsburg. His style ranges from gritty and earthy to dreamlike and surreal. His sense of humour is incomparible. I strongly recommend this volume to start off with (even though "Dreaming Of Babylon" is not one of my favourites), since "A Confederate General In Big Sur" and "The Hawkline Monster" are excellent novels to begin your Brautigan jones with. :o) I would also highly recommend "In Watermelon Sugar," "Willard And His Bowling Trophies," and the collection "Trout Fishing In America." Enjoy! (You may thank me later.)

richard brautigan; thanks, fella........2006-09-12

i have had many an enjoyable hour reading richard brautigan over my lifetime. if you have not read him, your life is a sham. all REAL lives must include some brautigan moments. i am not kidding about this at all. a confederate general from big sur, is probably my favorite, though i reread them all every five years or so. BUY SOME BRAUTIGAN BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE, YOU FOOL!

Good, but not his best.......2004-08-31

I was reading stuff on the Internet about Brautigan and someone said that if you like his stuff, you'll have to read everything you can get your hands on. That's me. There's three collections of his that have been released, each one with three books in it. Of those three collections, this is my least favorite.

CONFEDERATE GENERAL, is about two couples, including the narrator and Lee Mellon, a Confederate General who lost his shoes. The book is mostly about them drinking and getting high in a strange house in the middle of nowhere. The surreal house has glass walls and a pond where they keep frogs and alligators. They also have problems with people chopping down their trees. A strange man Lee Mellon once knew visits them. He is crazy. The story has six endings.

DREAMING OF BABYLON is the strangest P.I. novel you will ever read. Likewise, THE HAWKLINE MONSTER is a western, only in the loosest sense of the term. Even if you like Brautigan's writing (which apparently is pretty polarizing), it's hard to guess what anyone will make of these stories. I thought they were pretty cool, and unlike anything else ever, which is a good thing.

A marvelous trio of novels.......2002-06-22

"A Confederate General from Big Sur, Dreaming of Babylon, and The Hawkline Monster" is a collection of three separate novels by Richard Brautigan. The three books are bound together in one volume with separate pagination. Together they demonstrate Brautigan to be a witty, wacky, and altogether remarkable writer.

I actually found "Confederate General" to be the weakest of the three. This novel follows the misadventures of the impoverished narrator and his friend in California. It's a story, told with absurdist and satiric flourishes, of people on the fringes of society. I especially liked the narrator's unique approach to the biblical book of Ecclesiastes.

"Dreaming of Babylon" is a hilarious and delightful spoof of a hard-boiled detective novel. Brautigan's anti-hero, C. Card, is a poor, not-too-intelligent private eye working in San Francisco in 1942. Early in the book we learn that he is too poor to even afford bullets for his gun, and is hounded for rent by his landlady. His escape from this harried existence is an anachronistic fantasy life in ancient Babylon. This is a really fun book that effectively satirizes various popular entertainment genres. And despite being a lowlife, Card is a curiously appealing narrator.

The third novel, "The Hawkline Monster," is a remarkable blend of horror, science fiction, western, and absurdist comedy. Taking place mainly in Oregon in 1902, the book follows the adventure of two assassins who are hired to kill the monster of the title. The book is full of quirky characters and bizarre situations. Brautigan creates genuine suspense, and his prose at its best is vivid and crisply poetic.

Brautigan's work in this trio of novels reminds me at times of the writings of Charles Bukowski and Kurt Vonnegut. But despite certain similarities to these two, I believe that Brautigan is a unique voice, and his work is a wonderful addition to the tradition of American fiction.

Good enough to be subversive........2002-05-22

There is a comic genius at work in each of these three novels. The theme of Confederate General at Big Sur must be that we all have been acting like we believe we are descendents of some confederate general, even if a private who was always off stealing chickens or some Yankee's boots would be a more accurate description of our past. Dreaming of Babylon might be the ultimate description, in a detective story, of the results of American intelligence when applied to the question of left and right (whichever one happened to be pointing straight up in the air went click instead of boom). The Hawkline Monster has a college professor working in ice caves until he was turned into an elephant foot umbrella stand. This must be about cold war intellectuals, and it might even be safe to say that, now that the cold war is over, but the intellectuals are still here. Trust me, I am not giving too much away about these books. There are so many jokes packed into these novels that offering a rubric for understanding how anyone could write this stuff and still feed chickens in Montana with his household garbage, the corn cobs of which seemed like skylab to him when one landed on a chicken's head, should not be read as an attempt to impose any limitation that would keep people who know how this stuff goes from thinking that my opinions about this stuff could easily seem as clueless as the thoughts of the detective in Dreaming of Babylon after a major league baseball pitcher practiced throwing fast balls at his head.

Richard Brautigan: A Confederate General from Big Sur, Dreaming of Babylon, and the Hawkline Monster

Average customer rating:

Richard Brautigan: A Confederate General from Big Sur, Dreaming of Babylon, and the Hawkline Monster
Richard Brautigan
Manufacturer: Mariner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OUWRUM

Book Description

Dear Reader,

I married the wrong man.

I had every intention of doing the thing right. Of saying my vows and walking out on the arm of Bertie Milburn. Nice, safe, easygoing Bertie. And that is precisely what I thought I had done.

But as it turned out, I'd been tricked! Tricked into marrying Bertie's twin brother Harry, the Earl of Cambourne and (as my mother would insist on reminding me at every opportunity) future Duke of Winfell! And the shocking way in which I found out -- on my wedding night, no less...well, it doesn't bear repeating here!

And the truth is that Harry, who is my husband, but should not be, makes my hands shake and my heart pound in a way that Bertie never has and never will. Vexing, dangerously charming Harry, who won't tell me why he had to marry me, why he insists on masquerading about town as his brother, or most bothersome still, why he won't stop that annoying (and rather excitingly successful) habit of trying to seduce me!

What is a young lady to do?

Gwen

Customer Reviews:

Simply divine-a rebellious romp.......2007-08-08

Just imagine how you'd feel if you married one (gorgeous, tall, dark and handsome) man, one you've known and liked since childhood but haven't seen for months and months because he's off fighting the war against Napoleon, only to discover on your wedding night that you'd married his older, far more serious identical twin instead! Just when the wedding frock's about to come off and things are getting hot! So instead of Milburn you've married Cambourne, the future Duke, who gets excited about - of all things - Corn Laws. And you, apparently. Trouble is, all of London thinks Cambourne is Milburn too, because of a deep, dark secret he can't even tell you as it involves national security and who-knows-what-else. The problem is everyone in your family seems to know what this secret is except you, and can't (or won't) tell you. Whew. Confused? So is poor, frustrated Gwen, who demands to know all the who's, why's and what's of her marriage. Especially as Cambourne shows a dark tendency to smoulder and get lusty with her when she's supposed to be married to Milburn who shows no lustful tendencies whatsoever, even when he does eventually turn up and walks in on Cambourne's hand stuck up her dress while they're rolling around the library floor. Or was it the drawing room floor? I forget, exactly, but it's all a wicked tizz; a scandalous storm in a teacup; a rebellious romp.
`Why has this last week of seclusion been acceptable?' I asked, looking at him.
`A new bride is generally allowed some time to, ah, accustom herself to the...demands of the married state,' he said stiffly.
`Would it really have taken me a week to recover?' I blurted out, horrified at the notion.
`No doubt,' he said, his gaze meeting mine. And then he gave me one of those slow smiles of his.
This time the color flooded my face with such force I almost gasped. Heaven help me, I believed him....
Written in the first person, this debut full length Regency romance from Jessica Benson is simply divine. Don't miss it!

Disappointing.......2007-04-11

I was in the mood for something fluffy and romantic, and yet, I didn't get as engrossed in it as I thought I would. The storyline was pretty standard romance fare, and the writing decent. But there was something slightly off about it, apart from the obnoxious chapter titles (they reminded me of sitcom titles that are the formulaic `The one where...'). I didn't really connect with the characters and the story was a little slow and convoluted. And I didn't buy the ending at all. It's really hit or miss with romance novels, and I'd give this one a miss.

Delicious!.......2006-06-03

What a hilarious and scandalous read! Absolutely a guilty pleasure, this one. The premise is fantastic, and the story is well-executed. This is a great book, so long as you're not looking to be intellectually challenged.

I really wanted to like this book.......2006-06-03

I've read Jessica Benson's other regency romances and was really intrigues by the whole married-the-wrong-twin concept. Given that I enjoyed "Lord Stanhope's Proposal" and "Much Obliged", I was looking forward to reading this story. Unfortunately, I just didn't enjoy it very much.

Gwen is a little too childish, something the author was apparently aiming for judging by some of the dialog, in a frustrating way. I found myself wanting to roll my eyes and tell her to just get over herself in some instances. She's nice enough and gets it together some toward the end.

Cambourne comes off a little cold through most of the story for me to really believe he loves her. I would really have liked to have had some of the story told from his perspective. Just to get a glimpse of what was going on beneath that too cool exterior. Towards the end we see the control really slip and it's only then that I find myself liking him. Although he is very much preferable to his brother.

I found myself interested in Gwen's friends very much and, really, I thought she was setting them up for a series. I'd really like to find out what happened with Cecy's marriage trouble and Myrtia's man troubles. Who else thinks she'd end up with Gwen's brother James?

All in all, it was ok. I guess I just feel that so much more could have been done with this premise that the reality left me a bit flat.

Did not flow ..........2005-06-18

This was very difficult book to read - the writing style was bizzare and it did not flow. The idea of the twin brothers - and the bride marry the wrong man was fun idea. It had it's moments but over all I would not recommend this book.

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The Accidental Duchess

Manufacturer: Pocket Book, Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0739440829

Product Description

Book, fiction, romantic humor

Amazon.com

Jordan McKell thinks he's pretty unlucky, but most of us would gladly trade places with him. He's a freelance star-freighter captain who plies the hyperspace folds between worlds, trading exotic goods and meeting bizarre aliens. His latest job, to pilot the Icarus and its sealed cargo to earth, seems simple enough, but it rapidly turns into a crisis of interstellar proportions. The man who hired him goes missing, governments and the underworld alike put a price on the Icarus and on McKell's head, and one of his crew is murdered. He'll need to call upon his wits, his courage, and even a few tricks if he wants to survive.

Space opera veteran Timothy Zahn, a Hugo award winner and author of the bestselling Star Wars Thrawn trilogy, brings us a tale that's as convoluted and complex as a hyperdrive motor. Although there's plenty of action both in space and on the ground, The Icarus Hunt is primarily a murder mystery. Chapter by chapter, even page by page, the list of suspects and their motivations grows and evolves, constantly shifting as McKell relentlessly cuts through webs of deception and subterfuge. But the murder is only the opening move in a game that could alter the power structure of hundreds of solar systems. Zahn always provides an entertaining ride through the galaxy, and readers will find him very much in his element with this book. --J.B. Peck

Book Description

From Timothy Zahn, Hugo Award winner and New York Times bestselling author of two landmark Star Wars® series, comes an original new tale featuring a renegade space pilot, his unusual alien partner, and an unknown cargo that can change the course of galactic history.

Jordan McKell has a problem with authority. Unfortunately for him, the iron-fisted authority of the powerful Patthaaunutth controls virtually every aspect of galactic shipping. In order to survive, Jordan ekes out a living dabbling in interstellar smuggling for outlaw concerns that represent the last vestiges of free trade in the galaxy. So when Jordan and his partner, Ixil--an alien with two ferret-like "outhunters" linked to his neural system--are hired by a mysterious gentleman to fly a ship and its special cargo to Earth, they jump at the job.

Caution has never been one of Jordan's strong suits. But this time he may have taken on more than even he can handle. The ship, Icarus, turns out to be a ramshackle hulk, the ragtag crew literally picked up off the street, and the cargo so secret, it's sealed in a special container that takes up most of the cramped and ill-designed ship. As if that weren't bad enough, it looks like the authorities already suspect something is afoot, there's a saboteur aboard, and the Icarus appears to be shaking apart at the seams.

It doesn't seem as if things could get any worse. That is, until a beautiful crew member helps McKell uncover the true nature of the cargo he's carrying. With his enemies closing in on the lumbering Icarus, the unknown saboteur still aboard, and authorities on Earth pressured to turn them in, McKell and Ixil become fugitives. Their only chance is to stay one step ahead of their pursuers as they try to make it home.

A bold and epic novel filled with unrelenting action and a good dose of humor, The Icarus Hunt is a wild hyperspace romp through the galaxy.

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The Icarus Hunt

Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HKHOX4

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The Icarus Hunt
Timothy Zahn
Manufacturer: New York: Bantam Books,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVAIM0

Book Description

A devotional prayer book focusing on one year with the Psalms, the most sensitive and honest words written about daily stress and daily blessings.

Customer Reviews:

Praying with the Psalms.......2005-10-03

If you're familiar with "The Message" by Eugene Peterson, you will enjoy this daily devotional. I love what he says in his introduction, "We are most ourselves when we pray" and "When that deep, deep center of our lives is exposed -- our core humanity, which biblical writers so vigorously designate as "heart" -- we unthinkingly revert to our first language: we pray."

What I like about this book is it is "little", each day's devotiional is only 1 or 2 versus from a Psalm, but Peterson's short insightful paragraph and prayer are clear, consise, helping to expose, through a Psalm, what is in your heart and mind and bringing you back to where you need to be -- In His Presence.

An Excellent Daily Devotional.......1998-11-11

Praying with the Psalms is an excellent way to start the day! Eugene Peterson addresses the major issues of life and our relationship to the everfaithful and loving God through thought-provoking meditations and heartfelt prayers. This is a book I would recommend to anyone who would like to get to know God better but has trouble with the discipline of daily Bible reading. The daily readings don't take long, yet within one year all of the 150 Psalms are covered. Throughout the generations the Psalms have always been considered a place where one is able to clearly see the heart of God. Praying with the Psalms helps us in this endeavor. It is also a good book to give as a gift to a friend or a loved one.

Average customer rating:

absolutely one of the most thorough books on the subject.

Indispensable; concise and fully informative

Well organized and extremely thorough, convenient size

Excellent resource book, and witty to boot!

Wow, this guy must live in a bar!

Ben Myers' Best American Beers
Benjamin Myers
Manufacturer: Thunder Bay Press (CA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Beer | Drinks & Beverages | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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The Great American Microbrewery Beer Book

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The Beer Lover's Guide to the USA: Brewpubs, Taverns, and Good Beer Bars

ASIN: 157145568X

Book Description

This finely illustrated, pocket-sized guide provides up to date recommendations of the 100 best breweries in North America and Canada. The book is divided into nine regional sections, each of which features dedicated full-length profiles of the region's key breweries, with a listing of their recommended beers, plus, of course, photographs of the labels and often of the brewery or local bar. Each region concludes with an "Also Worth Trying' section that highlights other producers whose brews are well worth sampling. The book also includes an illustrated A-Z of Brewing section that provides all the necessary technical information for the most inspired of readers.

Customer Reviews:

absolutely one of the most thorough books on the subject........1999-08-03

Ben is very well written, very eloquent. He is an extremely informative writer. He gives the whole picture and helps me to have a sharp grasp of the procedures and the tastes that he has experienced. To me, Ben is greatly appreciated.

Indispensable; concise and fully informative.......1999-07-28

As a homebrewer and beer enthusiast who travels quite a bit, I have been looking for a manageable beer guide/road map. Thanks to Mr. Myers et al. for providing just that. Let the journey begin!!

Well organized and extremely thorough, convenient size.......1999-07-19

When traveling throughout North America this pocket size 'thirst inducer' is a must! Prost to Ben Meyers! Merf, Product Development Bert Grant's Ales

Excellent resource book, and witty to boot!.......1999-07-12

Being a busy brewer, I seldom get the chance to travel far and sample the efforts of other North American brewers. Reading 'Best American Beers' has changed my priorities. I'm hitting the road with a tremendous thirst thanks to Myers' factual, concise descriptions and ridiculously witty prose!

Wow, this guy must live in a bar!.......1999-07-03

Mr. Myers' book cuts through the fluff and BS put out by most brewery PR wonks, and tells the craft beer story like it REALLY is. I laughed, I cried, I ordered another beer (from Ben's recommended list, of course). His inights into Northwest beers are particularly inspired. I've also found that the book works great as an unusually tall beer coaster, too!

Average customer rating:

Shirley Temple Collector's Guide

A great book for Shirley Temple collectors!

The Shirley Temple Collector's Guide: An Unauthorized Reference And Price Guide (Schiffer Book for Collectors)
Edward R. Pardella
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Americana | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Catalogs | Catalogs & Directories | Reference | Subjects | Books
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The Complete Guide to Shirley Temple Dolls And Collectibles: Identification & Value Guide (Identification & Values (Collector Books))

Shirley Temple: A Pictorial History of the World's Greatest Child Star

Shirley Temple Dolls and Fashions: A Collector's Guide to the World's Darling

Shirley Temple: Identification and Price Guide to Shirley Temple Collectibles

The Shirley Temple Scrapbook

ASIN: 0764323385

Book Description

Shirley Temple was the "number one box office star" in the world throughout the 1930s. The overwhelming success of her motion pictures made her a national obsession. What followed was a marketing campaign that made Hollywood history. Department stores were filled with an endless variety of items baring her name or image, from clothing to postcards to "genuine" dolls. Over 600 color photographs introduce all areas of the Shirley Temple merchandising phenomenon and collectibles. Valuable reference material includes posters, a motion picture and television chronology, a comprehensive VHS and DVD catalog, and current price guides in the captions. This book makes collecting "the world's most famous child star" items a competitive pleasure.

Customer Reviews:

Shirley Temple Collector's Guide.......2007-01-11

I am a Shirley Temple Doll Collector. I use this book for referencing dolls I want to buy or sells. Very informative, and a must have for anyone collecting Shirley Temple dolls.

A great book for Shirley Temple collectors!.......2006-07-16

This is an excellent book full of great color photos and descriptions of Shirley Temple collectibles. A must have for any Shirley collector!!

Average customer rating:
Gathering Places: Balinese Architecture - A Spiritual and Spatial Orientation (Not Just a Good Food Guide)
Barbara Walker
Manufacturer: Marshall Cavendish Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Architectural | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Island Style: Tropical Dream Houses in Indonesia

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ASIN: 9812329188

Product Description

Distinctive in form and detail, Balinese architecture celebrates the concept of gathering, from traditional vernacular architecture to modern homes and resorts. This book explores the features and elements that define Balinese architecture as an architecture made for gatheringpavilions, temples, palaces and village squaresand how these elements reflect the Balinese philosophies of adat (customary laws), budaya (culture) and agama (religion). Rich in meaning and symbolism, the architecture of Bali is about the convening of the family, the village, the gods, and most recently, tourists.

Different from other books on Balinese architecture and interiors, this book seeks to explain the reasons behind the forms and the spatial and spiritual philosophy that is uniquely Balinese. Gathering Places is meant for more than just the coffee-table. It is informative and comprehensive, and yet personal and insightful as it celebrates the concept of gathering and its expression in the architecture of the island of the gods.

Customer Reviews:

Great ITV examples.......2003-03-12

The book has excellent examples of concepts for interactive television- and some pretty cool work from broadband design companies like Heavy and Artifact. I wish there were more example of wireless projects. Overall- a good balance of visual examples and project details for inspiration.

Book Description

Jerry Seinfeld is the master of observational humor. Pointing at the small absurdities of daily life, Seinfeld makes his audience laugh with recognition. For many years a stand-up comic, Seinfeld is now the star of his own phenomenally successful television show, Seinfeld. But the road hasn't always been easy; at his first stand-up performance, he froze. This first unauthorized biography follows his rise to stardom. Also included is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Seinfeld.

Customer Reviews:

A good overview of the life of "The King of Nothing!".......1999-02-14

Being a devoted Seinfeld fan, I read all I can on the subject. This book was informative and objective. I would have liked further information about the "behind-the-scenes" of the show and less attention paid to trying to psycho-analyze this man. He's just a normal guy who has managed to turn us all on to how he comically views the world...and who happened to make a fortune from it!

Funny, yet lame.......1998-07-17

The first few pages of this book really got my interest. But by the time I got to the 10th page, I was falling asleep. I think you get the idea.

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