Lie Down in Darkness

Book Description

William Styron traces the betrayals and infidelities--the heritage of spite and endlessly disappointed love--that afflict the members of a Southern family and that culminate in the suicide of the beautiful Peyton Loftis.

Customer Reviews:

Blazing Forever.......2006-11-17

This long, wending, fatiguing, frustrating novel is one of those rare books that are so suffused with suffering and tragedy that the reader, if s/he is the sort of "deep" reader, as I imagine most prospective readers of this book are, will not emerge from reading it without suffering and trauma themselves. In particular, the character of Helen Loftis, whom Styron seems to have drug up from the depths of Hell, has such depraved and hateful intricacies in her soul, which Styron never ceases to plumb to their core, that this reader at least, breathed a long sigh of relief upon finishing the book and knowing that I wouldn't have to read about her anymore. She makes Lady Macbeth seem an ideal candidate for sainthood. All of this invites the question of whether a book that causes the reader to suffer is worth the read. To this, I don't have a pat answer.

Yes, the poetic prose is beautiful and haunting. But so is that of Faulkner and Thomas Wolfe and Proust and Lowry and, more recently, John Banville. I'm not sure I would recommend this book before these, or even with these. A book which causes the reader to suffer is a unique experience in my long acquaintance with literature.

I've not much else to say here, save to let the novel speak for itself, to let the prospective reader know what s/he is in for:

"...a song of measureless innocence that echoed among lost ruined temples of peace and brought to their dreams an impossible vision: of a love that outlasted time and dwelt even in the night, beyond the reach of death and all the immemorial, descending dusks. Then evening came. Arms and legs asprawl, they stirred and turned. Twilight fell over their bodies. They were painted with fire, like those fallen children who live and breathe and soundlessly scream, and whose souls blaze forever." Last paragraph of Chapter 5, pg. 225, in my edition.

Pretty love scene...No? One comes away from this book feeling that one is emerging from a Hell of Styron's own devising full of characters whose souls blaze forever in its bowels.

This MASTERPIECE of writing,.......2006-04-09

made me grateful about those long, boring afternoons spent in learning English!I just read all the reviews: Some were written by real experts. But some of them depict this novel as "too long" (I WISHED IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LONGER!")"boring" (This lady is far of understanding any book:
This book is a living proof of the geniality of Styron : He is capable of describing the most shining and also the most heinous feelings of a character. Styron strips the characters and drive us to watch them as they really are.
This is one of the most soul tearing book ever...and the argument is unique, BRUTAL, TERRIFYNG and BEATIFUL1

Tortured lives.......2005-12-03

William Styron's first novel is often overlooked because "Sophie's Choice" is, without doubt, his flagship; however, his style in "Lie Down in Darkness" is as melancholy and forceful as it was in each of his subsequent novels. No reader can leave these pages unmoved by the depth of suffering, both self-imposed and due to other forces, of its principal characters. The family unit is rife with undercurrents and has no opportunity to become functional because the parents are so deeply enthralled with their own problems. I disliked Helen the most. Her passive aggressive martyrdom fueled her husband's neuroses and alcoholism until their relationship became Faulknerian in its dysfunction. Styron's well-known bouts of depression obviously inspired much of the insights into mental illness. The pain of these characters is palpable throughout the book, and I find myself thinking about this family more than I would like.

A great English-language novel of the 20th century.......2005-09-21

How this novel has only garnered 14 reviews on Amazon is beyond me. This is one of the great American novels of the 20th century and is a "must read" for any student of letters, for any aspiring novelist. Styron's style is poetic and majestic; the novel is a beautiful read. It is a joy to read. Every page reveals new wonders and delicate crafting of the English language.

Not for everyone.......2003-02-27

William Styron creates some impressively tragic and melancholic situations for his fatally flawed characters. Their lives have a way of permeating your dreams after you enter Styron's world. A fine example of this is Sophie's Choice.

The problem I had with Lie Down in Darkness is that the situation is overly dramatic. While I can understand Sophie, I cannot accept Peyton's insanity. Styron attempts to attribute Peyton's descent into madness to her childhood, and her experiences with her mother, which albeit unhappy, cannot plausibly be used as an explanation for the tragedy that ensues. The style is sophisticated, and the imagery and symbolism of birds as death omens create a forbodding presence throughout the novel.

While the style is sophisticated, I didn't find the journey enjoyable because there were parts that felt tedious and long-winded. Mostly, it is just a depressing novel, with every familial milestone that should be joyous - such as a wedding, or Christmas celebrations - marred by a doomsday feel. You know that Helen will find some way to quarrel with her husband or Peyton and that the repercussions will resound throughout the entire novel, which feels like a lifetime.

Novels about sorrow and lost can be enlightening and enjoyable. However, this novel requires stamina because it is very long. You sink into a stiffling world for the duration of the novel and you won't necessarily come out of it feeling rewarded.

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LIE DOWN IN DARKNESS
William Styron
Manufacturer: Bobbs-Merrill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Product Description

His first book.

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Lie Down in Darkness

Manufacturer: New American Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000FFH7E2

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LIE DOWN IN DARKNESS
William Styron
Manufacturer: Viking Press
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Lie Down In Darkness

Manufacturer: Signet Books by New American Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000FKBOSM

Product Description

This is the eloquent story of Peyton Loftis, the beautiful, desperate daughter of a wealthy Virginia family, and the tragic consequences of her intense search for love and understanding.

Inheritance of Night: Early Drafts of Lie Down in Darkness

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Inheritance of Night: Early Drafts of Lie Down in Darkness
William Styron
Manufacturer: Duke University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

From 1947 to 1949, William Styron twice attempted to write a novel under the working title Inheritance of Night. On the third attempt he produced the award-winning Lie Down in Darkness, which when published in September 1951 established him as one of the most promising writers of his generation. Duke University Press is proud to publish, in facsimile form, the long-lost drafts of Styron's earliest versions of Lie Down in Darkness.
Although Styron began the narrative twice, he realized both times that his writing was derivative and his characters not yet fully conceived. These drafts show young Stryon feeling his way into the story with various narrative voices and strategies, and attempting to work out his plot. Influence from William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Robert Penn Warren is apparent in the text, and there is a character present named Marcus Bonner who is an early rendition of Stingo in Sophie's Choice.
The typescript drafts of Inheritance of Night for many years were thought to have been lost, but in 1980 were discovered in the files of one of Styron's former literary agents. These drafts, eventually made their way to the archive of Styron's papers assembled at Duke University Library. This facsimile is published here in two different limited editions for collectors: a lettered, signed, and boxed edition (26 copies) and a numbered, signed edition (250). A general interest trade volume is also available.
With a preface by Styron and an introduction by James L. W. West III, these drafts afford much insight into the creation of Lie Down in Darkness and the writing of a major twentieth-century American writer.

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LIE DOWN IN DARKNESS
STYRON
Manufacturer: SIGNET
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S37DKO

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LIE DOWN IN DARKNESS
William Styron
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0000CI76V

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Lie Down In Darkness
William Stryon
Manufacturer: Bobbs Merrill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000V0ONG6

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Lie Down in Darkness
William Styron
Manufacturer: New American Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000TRBAPS

Customer Reviews:

I AM FATHER LIAM.......2006-07-23

Let me say first that I enjoyed The Reilly Series. The books belong to my wife, who insisted I read them. This may seem odd to most readers and to you Ms. Child since I am a man who read your books. My wife kept pressing your books into my hands and beguiled me in her sweet way to read them. She said that you wrote about me in your books and I was one of the characters. You see I am Liam Reilly or I should say I could be. I was a priest for eleven years and I chose the priesthood for all the wrong reasons, just as the character Liam did. You may think that Liam was a happy lad and satisfied with his decision to become a priest. The writings of Liam in this series indicate that subconsciously he chose the priesthood for the wrong reason. He is escaping the pain of his late beloved lass. He is hiding behind his clerical cloth because he is afraid to face life without her. He is doing penance. He is a good man but he has made the wrong choice-as the reader can understand in each book-although Liam may not understand his own reasons. I lived Liam's life. I was a priest in the state of Washington. I have two brothers and three sisters. I am the eldest. When I was twenty-four I lost the love of my life, my fiance, in a car-motorcycle accident. I was driving the car. I felt for many years that it was my fault she died and to make a long story short, I joined the priesthood. I thought I was happy giving my life to God and helping others. I knew there would be no other lass to love in my life. I felt I too was doing penance for my fiance's death. I felt somewhat absolved of my guilt by giving up my life to serve the Lord. One day at morning Mass I noticed another lass with the largest brown eyes I have ever seen, sitting up front near the altar. I kept my eyes on her during the service and when she took communion, I looked right into those big brown eyes and knew that God sent me a message. I looked for her at every Mass after that. She sat in the same place every Sunday and she smiled at me when our eyes connected. I was drawn to her and one morning after Mass she came up to me and introduced herself. She was new to our community and in our conversation she asked me why my eyes contained such sadness. I denied that there was any sadness in my life as I truly believed that I had overcome my personal pain and sadness. She wanted to start counseling with one of the priests in our parish because she had lost her husband and infant daughter in a boating accident. She had been the only survivor and couldn't deal with that guilt. She moved to our community to start over. But her pain and grief followed her. She felt she needed spiritual help. I readily volunteered to counsel her. I won't go into the private area of my relationship with this shy, beautiful lass, except to say that God directed her to me. She was my salvation. God truly had his hand in our meeting and in my decision to leave the priesthood. That was six years ago. I now am the proud father of two children and one on the way. I am now the HAPPIEST man on this earth because I married that lass with the big brown eyes who I saw that first Sunday morning during Mass. When my wife read the Reilly Series she commented that she hoped that Ms. Child would write a final book on Liam Reilly to give him back his true happiness and a wife to love. She asked me to write this review because my life is Liam's and she felt my words might express more than just another female reader's would.
I hope Ms Child will consider writing a happy ending for Liam too because second chances due exist thanks to our Lord.

Patrick Murphy

The last Reilly standing.......2005-08-30

Front Backcover:
Thankfully, the longest three months of Aidan's life were coming to an end. Only three more weeks and he'd be the winner of the no-sex-for-ninety-days bet he made with his brothers. He could almost taste victory!

Then he'd met Terry Evans.

Her voice was soft and dreamy. Just the kind a man liked to hear coming from the pillow beside his. Aidan groaned from the absolute misery of having to look at this gorgeous woman and not be able to turn on his usual Reilly charm. Or work his magic until he had her right where he wanted her. In the dark. In his bed. No, it would not be an easy three weeks, not if he was going to be the last Reilly standing...and not on bended knee!

I love this story. This was a great read, page turn over
I loved the piece of the story of Liam( The oldest brother) that was given on this book. This was a great culmination for the trilogy of the reilly's brother

I highly recomended. So get ready and have fun

The Three-Way Wager "Reilly" Trilogy: The Tempting Mrs. Reilly, Whatever Reilly Wants, The Last Reilly Standing (Set of 3 Romance Novels)

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The Three-Way Wager "Reilly" Trilogy: The Tempting Mrs. Reilly, Whatever Reilly Wants, The Last Reilly Standing (Set of 3 Romance Novels)
Maureen Child
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000VCQOO8

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The Three-Way Wager Reilly Trilogy: The Tempting Mrs. Reilly, Whatever Reilly Wants, The Last Reilly Standing (Set of 3 Romance Novels)
Maureen Child
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000SO76LO

Product Description

a wonderful,hot trilogy from the fabulous ms child....

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The Last Reilly Standing (Desire)
Maureen Child
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OWSYP2

Book Description

A Startling Discovery

The colony is racing to complete its deep drilling project on the shoulders of Olympus Mons to tap the underlying heat of Mars for power generation. When an unexpected underground cavity collapses, a devastating quake damages a number of the buildings in the colony, most vitally some of the greenhouses in which food is grown.

The scramble to repair and rebuild the greenhouses becomes critical, but their food source is nothing compared to what is found in some of the previously undiscovered lava tubes and caves that lead far below the Martian surface....

Book Description

Buddha's Warriors is the first book that brings to life Tibet before the Chinese communist invasions and depicts the transition of peaceful monks to warriors with the help of the CIA.

Tibet in the last sixty years has been so much mystified and politicized that the world at large is confused about what really happened to the "Rooftop of the World" when Mao Tse-tung invaded its borders in 1950. There are dramatically conflicting accounts from Beijing and Dharamsala (home of the Dalai Lama's government-in-exile). Adding to the confusion is the romanticized spin that Western writers and filmmakers have adopted in an effort to appease the popular myth of Shangri-La.

Buddha's Warriors is no fairy tale. Set in a narrative framework but relying heavily on the oral transcripts of the Tibetan men who actually fought the Chinese, Buddha's Warriors tells, for the first time, the inside story of these historic developments, while drawing a vivid picture of Tibetan life before, during, and after Mao's takeover. The firsthand accounts, gathered by the author over a period of seven years, bring faces and deeply personal emotions to the forefront of this ongoing tragedy. It is a saga of brave soldiers and cowardly traitors. It's about hope against desolation, courage against repression, atheism against Buddhism. Above all, it's about what happens to an ancient civilization when it is thrust overnight into the modern horrors of twentieth-century warfare.

Customer Reviews:

an exciting read with plenty of historical detail.......2007-02-19

I have read several books on the history of Tibet in the 20th century and this is certainly the most exciting of them all. It is a valuable telling of the story of Tibet's invasion by China from the perspective of those that witnessed it first hand and fought against it with the help of the CIA. It also has an extremely good list of references and painstakingly covers the historical literature of this period, providing a good starting point for readers who want more. My only gripe with the book is that it relies heavily on input from former CIA operatives. Although it is not clear to me whether this has skewed the picture that is presented, it is an unfortunate fact that the involvement of the CIA and other foreign intelligence agencies has provided the Chinese an excuse to view Western interest in the Tibetan cause with suspicion. So I have a bit of difficulty viewing the CIA as heroic although (as does the Dalai Lama) I have no doubt that there was genuine support for the Tibetans by some of the CIA people.
Another interesting aspect of this book is that it portrays the taking up of arms by the Tibetans as a positive development, contrasting with the nonviolent stance currently taken by the Tibetan government in exile. But that is a different topic; one that the author deals with to some extent.

Tibet's unknown times.......2006-11-10

An excellent and fast-paced account of operations we now learn about - 46 years later! Its told from the point of view of the CIA 'minders'of the projects, I'm sure the actual operatives had their own point of view, and its exciting stuff!! Its a tragedy that all the governments who could have had a say in Tibet's future at that time - India, Britain and the US - chose to stay resolutely uncommitted. This is the tale of those who decided to try and do something, and failed finally - but not for want of trying. Something to learn for many of us.

outstanding!.......2005-06-05

Rebeccasreads highly recommends BUDDHA'S WARRIORS as an enthralling account of a fabled brotherhood of freedom fighters as their nation came under seige 60 years ago. From unmapped Himalayan valleys to Beijing back doors to Colorado training camps, we follow the fierce few who would rather die than live enslaved by an alien culture.

Most of us in the Western world have a romantic & confused image of Tibet, fueled, of course, by our vision of Shangri-La. BUDDHA'S WARRIORS is no fairy tale, & no movie with a happy ending. The devastation of the Tibetan people & their culture is still going on.

Mikel Dunham, author of an exquisite photo album SAMYE: A Prilgimage to the Birthplace of Tibetan Buddhism, has set the narrative of BUDDHA'S WARRIORS around the oral transcripts of the Tibetan men he interviewed, the ones who actually fought the Chinese, telling the inside story of this historic modern fight against conquest which, for many "reasons" the rest of the world has largely ignored.

BUDDHA'S WARRIORS gives a vivid picture of Tibetan life before, during, & after Mao's takeover. It is a saga of brave soldiers & cowardly traitors; hope against desolation, courage against repression, atheism against Buddhism -- the real-life fight between good & the evil empire.

Finally! The story is told, and told well........2005-01-26

"Buddha's Warriors" is a story that needed desperately to be told -- what it took to turn thousands of non-violent Tibetan Buddhists into an armed rebellion, and how the CIA left them high and dry -- and Dunham tells it with expertise and flair. Somehow he has gathered an incredible roster of primary sources (including American insiders), and he wields them like a knife against the history of Chinese oppression and U.S. cowardice.
Dunham has a knack for pulling together the pieces of this somewhat obscure tale -- just try to find it in history books -- and making it coherent, exciting.
Few people seem to know how China's invasion drove so many dedicated pacifists to violent means. Even the Dalai Lama, who for so long has refused even to acknowledge violence as a viable method, gives these Khampa warriors their due respect in the book's foreward. That's quite something.
Dunham has done a great service to written history by publishing this book. But it's not hard work to read, like so many histories these days. Those who do not follow Tibet's latest struggle will surely enjoy it all the same, and those who regard the struggle with a certain degree of frustration and disbelief ("how can they not fight?!") will be infused with a good healthy dose of vindication and righteous anger.
Happy reading.

Simply wonderful........2005-01-16

I no longer enjoy reading.
I've read this book three times.
Whatever your politics or taste in literature, it's the sort of thing you can't wait to share with your friends.
A very, very good book.

Book Description

This distinctive slipcased package contains two separate books: one with 12 illustrated wine-tasting sessions and the other a notebook for recording the taster's personal reactions. A complete wine class in a box, this is the perfect gift for a budding oenophile! 120 full-color photos.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent introduction to the nuances of wine.......2002-07-16

Looking for an introduction to wine? Looking for some ideas for get togethers with friends? Then this book and record binder are for you. Ridgeway provides a great overview to the different types of wine, and breaks down the lessons into 12 easy to follow installments that can benefit the beginner or the aficianado.

The only downside that I have experienced is that some of the lessons require a large number of different wines, and unless you have a relatively large number of people at your tasting, you may have a lot of leftover wine.

Taste the difference!.......1998-07-06

A group of friends used this book as a way to renew old acquaintances ... and we had a ball doing it! The lessons are non-threatening and very well compiled. You can get as fussy as you choose to be (although we started out with the best of "pretentions" we just had too much fun to keep it up. We're now on the 11th tasting and we can smell an oaked Chardonnay from a block away! The session on fruit flavors was especially interesting as was tasting the difference between French and California wines. Very informative, without the snobbery ... have fun with it!

Book Description

We are all familiar with the idea of collecting antiques for the home, but there are also a huge variety of antiques available for your garden. A well-positioned statue, sundial, bench, or bird bath can transform an outdoor living space, and this practical book concentrates on a wide assortment of factory-made items from the 19th century onwards. Here are the most important makers, along with identifications of their marks and guidance on the key points to look for or avoid.

Book Description

Texture is one of the hottest trends in decorating, and with the complete program outlined here by Delta Technical Coatings—a widely recognized name in the crafts market— it’s easy to achieve the wonderful faux-finish looks displayed in upscale home décor magazines. Striking photos showcase more than 30 projects large and small, ranging from entire rooms to gift ideas. Most inspirational of all are the variety of attractive techniques: combing, imbedding, marbleizing, tinting, and working with stencils and dimensional compounds. Soon, home decorators will confidently add borders to every wall and transform the surfaces of frames, furniture, vases, steamer trunks, and columns.

Average customer rating:

Let's get the record straight.

More photos, less type

Beautiful book...

Very Disappointed in House Beautiful

Great photos, lousy advice

House Beautiful 750 Decorating & Design Ideas: Express Yourself with Color, Pattern, Light & Style (House Beautiful)

Manufacturer: Hearst
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1588162699

Customer Reviews:

Let's get the record straight........2006-07-21

I'm amazed by the bad reviews this book has gotten. I was absolutely enthralled w/it. Let's get this straight, everyone is looking for something different in a design book. Some ppl want to learn how to design on a budget; some people want some how-to knowledge; some ppl just want to look at pictures and formulate their own ideas about how to decorate and get a spark of creativity, or ideas. I myself was the kind of person who wanted some pictures & differently designed rooms to look at to get some creative ideas. And I was not disappointed. If I was wanting to learn decorating on a budget or JUST how-to stuff, I would have been. It just isn't that kind of book. After all, look at the title. It doesn't promise those things.

The book is a tad misleading because it doesn't really have 750 tips. For example, in the book in the fireplace section it gives tips on how to start a fire. Ok, not only does that have nothing to do w/design or decor, but the book uses several steps breaking down how to start a fire, each listed as one tip. Also it gives you some storage solutions. Great for packrats, but I have closets, clean them out regularly & get rid of stuff I don't use to make room for what I do use. Oh, and also in the home office decor section it gives you several tips when you are just moving into a house & setting up your home office, such as making sure that room is wired so you have enough power & whatnot. Has nothing to do w/decorating, plus is just common sense.

I agree that it has some rooms in the book that I would hate to live in or even stay the night in. :) But isn't this a lesson learned?? You learned what kind of things to avoid when you are decorating. I am sure there are plenty of ppl who like that kind of decor, otherwise it wouldn't be shown. Another reviewer talked about a horrid pink floral room that looked to be straight out the 80's. Some ppl really like that kind of room, esp if they're older & not as hip. It's almost like a "period room."

Wrapping up... the pictures are great, some of the tips are helpful. It would be a great book to pore over w/someone you are moving in w/so you can get an idea of what their taste is compared to yours. That's how I used it, and it was useful. It gave me some great ideas too. I recommend it and I look forward to looking at some other House Beautiful decorating books; this was my first.

More photos, less type.......2005-05-01

The photos lovely, as is the variety of design styles offered.
The small bits of info was rather pointless. Cut the little text bits and add more photos.
This is a nice book to have around and review often; studying the photos gives lots of style ideas, but I think you do need to look it over a number of times.
Mine was a library book, but if I found it on sale, I'd buy it.

Beautiful book..........2005-04-17

I had to double check that I had the same book as some of the other reviewers. In my edition, the photographs are quite lovely, with a couple of exceptions now that I've given it a much closer look. A couple reviewers comment about the overdone style of the rooms, but there are so many rooms, in so many different styles, it is hard to say something like that. There are definitely some floral-frilly rooms, and some rooms that are certainly not for those who harbor disgust for toile (I'm rather indifferent to it) . . . but there are just as many very sophisticated, simple, elegant, subdued rooms pictured as well. Perhaps that is what I like about the book-- there are so many different styles, that almost anyone could find something inspirational in it. French country is overrepresented, I admit, and from someone who is not too excited about shabby chic either, there are too many pictures of that for me. Some photographs reek of nouveau riche. But there are also colonial, modern country, modern eclectic and other styles well represented in some very pretty pictures. I agree strongly with the editorial review's point that someone looking for a "how-to" book will be disappointed. This book is all about the pictures (which I love), with tips spread throughout on sidebars. The entertaining or efficiency tips I could do without ("give old clothes to an organization"), but a lot of the decorating tips are interesting. As a serious Type A personality, I "flag" things of interest in books-- this book has so many flags I had to stop! From lovely little ideas like storing makeup in darling old silver cups to helpful advice like how to choose a frame for a period piece of art, I would describe this book in relation to a decorating "library," as the frosting on the cake . . . beautiful, and full of neat pieces of advice that don't make it into the substantive "how-to" decorating books. This book would not be the basis of your interior decorating library-- but is full of sweet solutions on the back end. **I am editing my review to add that, if I could I would change my review to 2 stars because I've only had the book a short time and the spine is falling apart-- cheap construction for a nice, expensive book that should be coffee table quality!**

Very Disappointed in House Beautiful.......2005-03-22

I am a House Beautiful (HB) magazine subscriber and think Mark Mayfield is an excellent editor of a great mag. This book however was a huge disappointment...the photo quality is really poor throughout the publication, and many of the rooms they depict look like they were taken in the eighties...lots of floral, poufy rooms with poor color quality...House Beautiful is much more modern and hip than the rooms displayed in this book. It was many of the 750 design tips that made me laugh...many of them really corny and obviously simple...that really turned me off. I wish I could get my money back...what a waste....Check out the POTTERY BARN design books...I own them all and thoroughly enjoy the colors, design, furniture position (not all PB furniture either)and narratives...

Great photos, lousy advice.......2004-02-11

This is a gorgeous coffee-table style books overflowing with fabulous photos of interiors. I say interiors rather than homes because it clear that no one could actually survive in any of these ornate, pristine, elegant, and rather stuffy rooms.

The "750 tips" are given in sidebars, and poor production has allowed that some of the tips are not on the same page as the photo to which they refer. This book also contradicts its own advice - frequently - as when it says to "always hang pictures 10" above seating" accompanied by a lovely photo of a sofa that is backed up directly against framed pictures. Or when they advise not using scatter pillows on chairs or stools, yet this is done throughout the text.

750 is a bit of an exageration - they break down "how to build a fire" into many small tips, counting each one.

Overall, a fairly useless book, but the photos are pretty. A nice gift for the billionaire on your list.

Customer Reviews:

fresh take on an old favorite.......2005-01-04

i bought this book for my nephew because i was totally enamored with the unique way the alphabet is portrayed. the author used silk-screened posters he made and then wheat-pasted onto the streets of new yorks to illustrate the alphabet. not only that, but the examples used are different as well, no "a is for apple." the posters he made are beautiful and graphic, the photos are lovely, the book is large and opens top to bottom, and it just as fun for adults as it is for kids. even if your favorite baby isn't a city kid, this book will delight them.

Book Description

Everyone knows Hercules is the toughest of the tough, but how well do you really know the star of The Legendary Journeys? You love this weekly dose of eye-candy, but do you know how it all began? The answers are all here. Now for the first time ever, get a behind-the-scenes look at how a handful of made-for-TV movies became a runaway syndicated phenomenon. Learn the answers to such tantalizing tidbits as:
How did a real-life sword wound come close to cleaving Sorbo's career? (page 12)
On which episode did we first meet Xena, the Warrior Princess, and why was she trying to kill Herc? (page 54)
What prompted co-executive producer John Schulian to leave the show after nearly three years? (page 29)
Why, out of three potential motion pictures, did Kevin Sorbo choose to star in Kull: The Conqueror? (page 3)
What red-caped superhero almost stole Kevin Sorbo before he could assume the role of Hercules? (page 6)
How does Sorbo see himself compared to such impressive predecessors as Arnold Schwartzenegger and Lou Ferrigno? (page 8)

The answers to these questions, and many, many more, are here for the taking. Hercules X-Posed includes an Internet directory and a complete encyclopedia of the Herc universe! Meet the real Hercules and join the adventure.

Customer Reviews:

A must for any Kevin Sorbo fan!.......2007-05-25

If you are not familiar with Kevin Sorbo,then this book is perfect for you as it provides a great introduction not only to the character,but to the man behind the character. If you're a Sorbo fan, then this book is an absolute must for your collection! Has great photos as well-you will really enjoy this peek into the world of this very popular actor!

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