Book Description
National Book Award winner John Barth offers a rambunctious story full of narrative high jinks in this lively, inventive epic. Journalist Simon Behler finds himself in the house of Sinbad the Sailor after being washed ashore during a seagoing adventure. Over the course of six evenings, the two take turns recounting their voyages, merging medieval Baghdad and twentieth-century Maryland in a brilliantly entertaining weave of stories within stories.
Customer Reviews:
Great and memorable. A keeper........2006-10-02
A terrific, memorable, multi-layered novel that's easy to get into discussions about.
I am a voracious reader and ex-librarian, but this is one of only three novels that I've kept (since 1992). It is leaning against "The Cloud Atlas" which is another story-in a story-in a story (and which I like much more than Barth's).
I hated Barths earlier books having read some as a freshman in 1970 (required). I attempted his other books after reading this one and couldn't get into them at all.
So, fourteen years later, I still admire this tale very much and recommend it to humans of any sexual persuasion.
In Today's Political Climate, This Novel Is a Must Read.......2005-06-21
I don't know if Barth has ever been in Iraq, but he reproduces its flavor vividly in THE LAST VOYAGE OF SOMEBODY THE SAILOR, a meditation on difference and the idea of "the other." For as long as people have had imaginations, the concept of the fish out of water has been a source of both comfort and amusement. Take Twain's Connecticut Yankee--a bold storyline that reinforced Gilded Age stereotypes while ostensibly criticizing them as being inferior to the medieval faith that gave King Arthur's Court its reason for being. Barth takes Twain's message and stands it on his head. His protagonist, Simon Behler, approaches Sri Lanka but, like the man in the old joke, the closer he gets to it the further away it seems, and instead he winds up stuck in what appears to be his own "Orientalist" fantasy of Baghdad and its environs six hundred years ago, when Sinbad and the other so-called Arabian Nights were being composed from the scraps and orts of court and peasant life.
Behler finds this world to be a disorderly screen for his memories of ordinary life. No longer a young man, the whole progress of his life back home comes back to him in perfectly realized fragments, almost worthy of Sherwood Anderson, and we begin to realize that the novel is being staged around the age-old questioning of, what is more valuable--"home" or "away," the comfort of the familiar versus the thrill of the unseen.
The female characters leave a lot to be desired, but at this stage in the game, Barth is not even trying to pretend he has any feminist sympathies. His day in the sun happened years ago, but this testament of a man's "last voyage" has a bittersweet texture, like taking chocolate from an Iraqi baby. If you are enjoying the new bestseller by Umberto Eco, THE MYSTERIOUS FLAME OF QUEEN LOANA, you owe it to yourself to check out this predecessor, which employs many of the same devices although more clumsily.
This tale about tales is a whopper!.......2004-01-31
John Barth is one of America's greatest writers, a story teller on par with Twain and Steinbeck, Boyle and Bellow. As far as I can tell, however, none of them ever wrote a story about story telling, which is what Barth has done in this fantastical epic. Simon Behler (if that is, in fact, the name of the identity- and perspective-challenged narrator), for whom water has always played some central role in his life, appears to have swum through a rip in the time/space and reality/fantasy continuum, where he ultimately arrives at the doorstep of the fabled Sinbad The Sailor, and his captivating daughter Yasmin. Invited in, he and Sinbad swap tales of their respective, fantastic voyages in front of myriad household members and prospective investors for Sinbad's proposed seventh voyage, all of whom doubt the origins and suspect the motives of our narrator. Except, of course, for the delicious Yasmin, who, it turns out, has a mysterious and inexorable connection to Simon.
While this is a tale filled with mystery and adventure, love and sex, betrayal and death, and an endless supply of conflict, the underlying theme is the role that stories play in our lives, both as literal archives and moral instruction. Barth's trademark wordplay makes every passage worth a second and third reading, and his characters are impressively believable given their unbelievable context. Like his other masterpiece, "The Sot-Weed Factor," this is a sprawling and ribald epic, showcasing the enormous intellect and imagination of an American master in his prime.
Just one more tale before I die, even if it's this one.......2003-09-10
While heading for Sri Lanka with his girl friend, Simon William Behler, becomes stranded, not only in place, but more importantly in time. A man of the first half of the 20th century, Simon finds himself suddenly in medieval Iraq. Simon is saved by men employed by none other than Sinbad the Sailor. Sinbad and Simon, respectively, trade tales of adventure and the adventure of growing up in a tidewater town in Baltimore. Sinbad's voyages are packed with legends and myths, right out of "1001 Arabian Nights." While Sinbad's recounting of these voyages have moments of excitement, they are poor substitutes for Simon's routine stories of growing up. I have read about similar things many times before: the first kiss, the loss of one's virginity to an older girl considered crazy by the other boys in the town. Barth presents Simon's ultimate "rite of passage" with much fanfare. I could not help but compare that to the need for Yasmin, Sinbad's daughter, to protect her virginity at all costs, with the unwanted assistance of those too eager to examine Yasmin, lest she prove herself unfit for marriage. Barth consistently pounds away at the virginity issue with the subtlety of a sledge hammer.
Despite its occasional bright spots, most noteworthy the nature of Simon's birth and his strange "relationship" with his twin sister, _The Last Voyage of Somebody the Sailor_ is a huge disappointment. I expect more originality and humor from the author of _Tidewater Tales_ and _Giles Goat Boy_. In those two books Barth is a master in combining Greek mythology and other fantasy with great plots, lots of imagination, and a raucously witty writing style. In _The Last Voyage_ Barth too often falls into cliche and misses his usual standard considerably.
I'm a woman and this is one of my favorite books.......2003-01-17
I don't think I need to repeat the praise that has already been given this book by, sadly, only men. But to sum up: the tale is ingeniously well crafted. Although it was not a mystery per se, I had no idea where it was going to wind up. And after I closed the book, I was sorry to see the characters go. I would have liked to start it again, but it was just so long! If I remember correctly, some other reviewers complain that it is all over the place. Yes, it is! But if you're able to keep track of several different story lines at once, you'll be fine. Although probably, like me, you will probably enjoy one of the story lines most and wish that there was more of it. But the book could not be what it is if the entire work itself were not different tales interwoven. No, it is not a straight story that leads from point A to point B. But I had no problem keeping them all straight, and I read it over a long period.
I am a 27-year-old woman and I did not realize that I was supposed to be bothered by the sexism and orientalism, etc. that other women who read this book were. I loved this book. I had no preconceived notions about it except that I remembered reading another Barth book years ago and enjoying it, so I picked this one up.
To be fair, it did take me a long time to get through it, but I kept coming back to it. Even though I would read other books in the middle, I definitely wanted to see it to the end. Perhaps I did not get offended by it because in the very first scene was a conversation with Death, so I realized that it was not going to be exactly, uh, based on reality.
Book Description
For twelve years, King Faldain and his warrior-wife, Queen Alexeika, have sought the Chieftain--and the evil sorceress behind him--who killed their son the day barbarians attacked the palace. Now Dain, suffering from a powerful, life-threatening curse, struggles homeward to be saved by the Chalice of Life. But he is about to be betrayed by one closer than he could ever imagine.
Customer Reviews:
fantastic fantasy .......2005-11-30
Since the Grethori barbarian hordes kidnapped the two daughters of King Faldain and Queen Alexeika, the royal monarch of Nether has declared war on their foes though they rescued their children. In the latest battle, the clans of the Wind Tribe have united to smash the army of Nether and conquer the capital city as well as the rest of the kingdom. Dain has set a trap for them killing most of them and selling the rest of them as slaves. The sheda (shaman) curses the king with her dying breath. Only the water from the chalice of life keeps him alive until he reaches the palace so the chalice can heal him.
Dain's daughter Tashalya who was in training to be a sorcerelle summoned the being Kaonfrom another plane but is caught by her teacher. Her mentor tells her parents that she must leave school. At her home Kaon convinces her that she can gain the powers of the ancients if she meets with him and gives up the powers of the sorcerelle, which she does. He has her steal it before Dain can use it and she flees to a place where the two realms meet. Her mother chases after her and her two brothers who she kidnapped as well as the royal heir of the neighboring kingdom in the hope she can persuade her hard-hearted daughter to give up her dream of power, release her hostages and save her father.
Princess Tashalya doesn't know what Kaon is but believer herself in love with him and is willing to betray her family and kingdom to be with him. Debora Chester has written a fantastic fantasy full of action, romance, and intrigue as the queen is the focal point who decides what course of action to take but it is Tashalya the antagonist who captures reader interest because she is so complex and hard to understand. Perhaps in future books, Tashalya can redeem herself. Deborah Chester is a world class fantasist.
Harriet Klausner
Book Description
A quiz book to test the mettle of the most ardent Warhammer 40,000 fan, with questions about the races – including the ever popular Space Marines – to Black Library fiction and the history of Games Workshop itself! Perfect for 40K fans who want to see how clever they really are.
Customer Reviews:
A TOUGH CHALLENGE FOR WARHAMMER 40K FANS.......2006-07-12
So you think you're a Warhammer 40K expert, eh? You think you know everything? Well then prove it! And prove it with this Warhammer 40K quiz book and over 1000 questions of varying degrees of difficulty. There are four levels of questions: Trooper, Veterans, Commisar, and Lord High Militant. Within each of these levels are numerous pages on subjects such as Orks, Necrons, Ultra Marines, Imperial Guard, The Horus Heresy, weapons, and more, with each page having ten questions. The Lord High Militant section will challenge even the biggest Warhammer 40K with questions such as, "What is the species name of the Tyranid Norn Queen?" and "How many Necrons guarded the tomb of the Night Bringer?"
But it's not just questions...you'll also find several other puzzles to keep you busy for hours such as crosswords, word searches, mazes, weapon recognition, and many more. This 160 page book will challenge any level of Warhammer 40K fan! Great fun, well-written and designed. Excellent for reference as well and yes it does include the answers, too. Pick one up today!
Reviewed by Tim Janson
Customer Reviews:
Women and gay men cannot be Babalawos.......2003-03-26
I was born in Cuba. I came to the United States in 1970. Women and gay men were not permitted into the priesthood. I was recently initiated as a babalawo. So my knowledge of IFA is limited. However, since I was very young, I was thought that IFA was exclusively for men. This believe was further reinforce when I went to Cuba to become a babalawo. I been studying as much as I can from books and other information Iýve been able to obtain on the Internet. One of the website I found was the ýIFA Association of N. Americaý(or something like that) in Seattle. The head babalawo there is Phillip John Neimark who has written a few books on IFA (some, quite good). On his website he noted that he brought in a gay men into the priesthood. Iýve heard of women in Africa (never in Cuba) that have become priestess in IFA. But, Iýve never heard of a gay men being accepted into the religion. Shame on you Mr. Neimark. You took this menýs money and made him a babalawo that will never be accepted in any way shape or form in the Hispanic community that practises Santeria in the large US cities.Have done an injustice to this man.
women being initiated into Ifa'.......2002-03-16
aboru, aboye, abosise-o my name is fa'kolade ogunrinde awoyade. i went through igbodu in ode-remo-ijebu in 1998 in the egbe of late Baba Alashala Awoyade's compound. I feel that times has changed just like it has with most religions. women are given certain rites into societies where long ago were unheard of. then why are we allowing them to be initiated into Ifa' and they can't see odu? If i am correct, when we (Awo's) receive our odu aren't we told not to look into odu? We can only feed odu in a very dark place and if we disobey and look inside that calabash........our osun staff must fall to the earth huh (mean we havve commited suicide)? there are some women who even have some of the elements of odu in there Ifa's. this must be addressed with our elders in Yorubaland and then and only then will we take a stand. do they become apetebe's when they have cofa? some women have even become iyanifa's. head of all apetebe's. i really do see any senior women here in america qualified to have such titles nor have ifa'. i could be wrong now. even certain so-called Awo's calling themselves Awo's are questionable. odabo
Woman Can Be Initiated into Ifa, However Women Can't See Odu.......2001-03-29
Bascom has done an excellent job of presenting some of the sacred Ifa verses. Also, women looking to become initiated into Ifa should continue to search for the right baba mentor to take them under their wing. I am a babe in the woods as far as this religon is concerned however, I managed to find a very good baba mentor whose sister-in-law is an Ifa priestess. When I mentioned about women not being able to get initiated they laughed.
Not for Aleyos.......2000-02-07
This book was recommended to be by a very trusted person - I thought it would tell me all I need to know about Ifá. I was mistaken. Much of the Yoruba faith is secret, so I was not looking to find what I knew I could not. However, women seeking to learn about Yoruba practices should not read the book as women cannot use the divination methods that Bascom describes in the book. Not to say that one should not order it...all reading is good. Do not expect to read about anything that is not involving Babalawos, and divination using Merindinlogun. The information was informative and interesting, but not useful for me at all since I am female and cannot become a Babalawo. This book would be most helpful for men without an Awo as of yet, seeking to learn more about Ifá. The most, for a woman, that this book has to offer is the Odu verses - which are not complete. For that I would have purchased the complete Odu-Ifá with additional books on the Orisa and other aspects of this spirituality. I would recommend, for beginners, books by Karade instead.
A must read for any Ifa devotee.......1999-06-04
Awo bascom has left his mark here at IKOLE-AYE (earth)with this systematic approach so simple that any non-practitioner of the Ifa religion could understand.It at the same time contains detailed information that any Awo or Babalawo would not part.Any purchaser would greatly get their money's worth.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Quick Frozen Foods International, published by E.W. Williams Publications, Inc. on April 1, 2002. The length of the article is 1529 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: Canada, too, has bowl-ing boom but pizza, burgers also on a roll; just like their Yankee counterparts, Canadians are going crazy for bowl meals, with ConAgra and Swanson leading the charge. International-style pizzas, gourmet pork burgers, hand-held snacks, Oriental entrees and luxury coffee cakes also find favor. (Northern Exposure).(Industry Overview)
Author: Myron Love
Publication:
Quick Frozen Foods International (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2002
Publisher: E.W. Williams Publications, Inc.
Volume: 43
Issue: 4
Page: 103(3)
Article Type: Industry Overview
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
|
New Martinsville Glass, 1900-1944
James Measell ,
Everett R. Miller , and
Addie R. Miller
Manufacturer: Antique Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Glass & Glassware
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Antiques & Collectibles
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Catalogs
| Catalogs & Directories
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
West Virginia
| State & Local
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Viking Glass 1944-1970
ASIN: 0915410850 |
Book Description
Capture the delicate beauty and grace of some of nature's most breathtaking creations in silk ribbon embroidery. Sunflowers, tulips, freesia, dahlias, daffodils, and more than a dozen others are vibrantly showcased in exquisite ribbon work. Whether you want to make a silk garden to hang on a wall, embellish a garment, or design a small project such as a sachet or cushion, you'll find plenty of inspiration and instruction here. Diagrams and materials lists enable you to reproduce nature's glory in dazzlingly authentic colors. You can practically smell the sweet fragrances of these lovely silk ribbon blossoms wafting from this delightful volume. With basic "how-tos" and a stitch glossary.
Average customer rating:
|
Dutch Jewry: Its History and Secular Culture (1500-2000) (Brill's Series in Jewish Studies)
Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Interior Design
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Netherlands
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Jewish
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Judaism
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Culture
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
jp-unknown3
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 9004124365 |
Book Description
This volume, consisting of seventeen studies by leading experts in the field, takes stock of recent work on the history and literary culture of the Jews in the Netherlands and Antwerp from before the revolt until the present. Important new discoveries are included here for the first time.
Average customer rating:
- Sorayama's "techno remix!"
|
Gynoids Reborn
Hajime Sorayama
Manufacturer: Kawade Shobo Shin-Sha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Illustration
| Commercial
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Graphic Arts
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Painting
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 430990386X |
Customer Reviews:
Sorayama's "techno remix!".......2000-12-28
When THE GYNOIDS first appeared in 1992, it was at the time the single biggest turning point in the evolution of Sorayama's artwork. Up until that point he had infused his strikingly realistic techno-fantasy art with an eroticism that was subtle but powerful. THE GYNOIDS was the most explicit thing he had done up until then, taking his fusion of man (and woman) and machine and adding a most overtly sexual outlook to it all. Unfortunately, due to Japanese censorship, the book was only available in a ludicrously bowdlerized edition that blocked out all explicitness through the clever placement of typography.
In 1999, Japan lifted many of the censorship restrictions governing pictoral material. Rather than simply reissue GYNOIDS in an unexpurgated version, the publishers have gone several steps further:
* All of the art in the original GYNOIDS book is presented here without any ceonsorship at all.
* Many new pieces of art have been included, some never before presented in any form.
* In many cases, some of the works have been redone or "re-engineered," sometimes to make them even more graphic. The original versions and the "remixed" editions are presented within the same volume.
* The whole book has been redesigned from the ground up, with a spectacular chrome-steel cover and new internal layout.
In short, this is more than just GYNOIDS II; this is essentially a whole new work. If you already own the original GYNOIDS, then having this is indispensible; if you don't, then you can pick this up without feeling guilty about not owning the original.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Sorayama is how he makes the most outlandish material seem instantly familiar and comfortable. Many people find his artwork to be the sign of a sick mind, or someone who has an axe to grind against women -- an easy and cheap formula for people who only see the surfaces. Level One viewers will say this art is repugnant. Level Two or deeper viewers will understand that it's as much ABOUT our repugnance as it is a testing of it.
This is probably not the best volume for newcomers to the Sorayama fold. Best to start with the relatively restrained "Sexy Robot" books (I and II).
Average customer rating:
- Wow! There is so much in this book, it's hard to describe.
- Be one with Elvis
- Not the man I thought he was
- Superb.
- Last Train
|
Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley
Peter Guralnick
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Voice
| Instruments & Performers
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Rock
| Musical Genres
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Actors & Actresses
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Pop
| Composers & Musicians
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Entertainers
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| Historical
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Presley, Elvis
| ( P )
| People, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley
-
Me and a Guy Named Elvis: My Lifelong Friendship with Elvis Presley
-
Elvis and Me
-
Elvis and the Memphis Mafia
-
Inside Graceland
ASIN: 0316332208 |
Amazon.com
There's no mention of sequins, drugs, or peanut butter in this understated biography of the teenaged Elvis, a serious and worthy attempt to answer the question, "Who
was this guy before he was an icon, the voice of a generation, the King?" The essential clarity and honesty of Guralnick's prose clearly limns the eager, malleable boy whose immense talent changed the course of American music.
Book Description
There's no mention of sequins, drugs, or peanut butter in thisunderstated biography of the teenaged Elvis, a serious and worthy attempt toanswer the question, "Who was this guy before he was an icon, thevoice of a generation, the King?" The essential clarity and honesty ofGuralnick's prose clearly limns the eager, malleable boy whose immense talentchanged the course of American music.
Customer Reviews:
Wow! There is so much in this book, it's hard to describe........2007-09-30
I just finished reading this book and am amazed at the insights into Elvis' life that the author showed. He covered a lot of things that have been covered ad nauseum by others yet made it read like a novel. And, he adds so much more detail to the day-to-day life of Elvis that provide a much fuller description of his life. Even reading the footnotes is fascinating.
For a true Elvis fan, this is a must have for your collection. I could hardly put it down and this is not trivial reading, given that the book is more than 500 pages. Mr. Guralinick's 2nd book on Elvis ("Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley) is a must read also.
Be one with Elvis.......2007-07-29
If you want to step inside the life of Elvis, these are the books. Peter makes it a very personal reading. So much so, that after 2 years I haven't finished reading the second book.
Not because of disinterest, but just because it's so personal. I just wish that the ending could be different.
Not the man I thought he was.......2007-07-17
I thought Elvis was the Golden gift from God until I read this book.
I can't give it a 5 because I had such a hard time keeping up with who did or said what. I found the book very hard to read. Some sentences were paragraphs long and so botched up that I had to read them over and over just to finally understand what he was trying to say. (When a person gets at a certain stage in his/her life, things wear out, ie, memory.) Time and again I had to revert back to even 2 or 3 pages ago to find out who said what, ie. "who did he say was talking here?" I asked myself.
And further, not the author's fault, of course, but if what he's written was true, then Elvis was not, per his professed church's teachings, the type of good Christian that we were taught to be. I come from that same type of church. Holiness. We did not use profanity. It was very much a no-no. And it is written somewhere in the bible to not resort to swearwords/bywords. And using God's name in vain is very much a sin per our teachers. Elvis took God's name in vain on at least two occasions that I remember. And then reprimanded one of the "guys", "don't ever take the Lord's name in vain around me again".
And he was constantly using that other most vile word -- the "f" word. I finally was able to skip over those, but not until I had seen them and too late. They embarrass me even as I'm reading them to myself and there's not another soul in the room with me. I know that God knows that I've read them to myself, and I have to just say, "Forgive me God". Makes my skin crawl to hear those awful words. It use to be said that people who resort to swearing were illiterate/uneducated and couldn't make any other type of sentence. Not so these days, at least it doesn't seem to be. I hear some very well placed and educated people resorting to it. It's a crying shame. I can't even watch movies anymore, and it's getting so on TV, and now in THIS book about one of the people I use to admire. My husband and I were sweethearts when Elvis put out that first record, and we really loved his singing. Today is our 51st wedding anniversary. We loved Elvis back in those days for who we thought he was. And, in the coming years, I didn't believe much of the stuff we heard about him. I still thought he was an outstanding person. After all, my own mother told me that a man who loved his mother and treated her good, would love his wife and treat her right. I believed it. My husband and his mom were very much like Elvis and Gladys. Neither thought the other could do any wrong. He's treated me very well over the years. And I will never EVER forget when my husband's mom died. He was as devastated, and more so, than Elvis was, I'll bet. I had never seen him even close to crying before that day. And I have only one more time since then. I have no doubt that Elvis loved his mom. I don't have any issues with him over that. Because I have first hand knowledge of a scenario in that. But, I just don't understand how he could be so loving and devoted to his mom and do some of the things he did.
And about sleeping around as much as he did: He was taught, if he actually did belong to the Assembly of God Church and attended it regularly, he was taught that one doesn't sleep around with persons to whom that person is not married. That's called "fornication", and in the case of when he was married, it's also called "adultery". He should have been studying his bible more, because those words are well defined in any bible.
Call me a prude or whatever you want to, but I was raised in that Holiness church to be as righteous as I could and the way God intended for me to be. I know at times it's hard and I won't say that I don't stray from my teachings, but Elvis didn't seem to be concerned with it.
Then there he is saying that "nobody tells him what to do". Yet, every time Tom Parker or RCA dictated that he do something, he was right there, running his friends (hangers-on, some might say), running them off, and doing whatever would make "Kernel", and RCA happy. For instance, one of his good friends came by to see him, and Parker came by and called Elvis out of the room and told him to send the guy home. Did Elvis say "NO, You don't tell me what to do. I want him here and he's staying"? No he did not. He came back in the room and said "Kernel (that's what I call him since that's what he wanted to be called, but he was NOT a Colonel. That's an insult to even military people, of which I am married to one). Elvis told him "Kernel doesn't want you here so I guess you have to leave". How cruel. Elvis was the one who invited the guy to visit in the first place. Had to be humiliating to the man.
And I'm concerned as well that he didn't seem to show very much loyalty or "payback" to those at the very beginning - from that first record: Sam, Scotty, Bill and Dewey. It doesn't say, though. I wondered all the way through the book, "did he ever do anything nice for them like he did the hangers-on? Giving them cars and houses and such. Maybe if he'd shown a little gratuity towards Dewey, Dewey wouldn't have stiffed him with that song, I've forgotten which one, by playing it too early before it's official release. After all he's the first one to play Elvis's first record so that it got heard by hoards. And he was always mentioning it and Elvis and pushing it. I've heard that it's great publicity and PR.
And there's poor Sam, the guy who knew he couldn't do enough to help Elvis with his music, as much as he'd like to, and as much as Elvis deserved. He faced the fact that he'd done as much as he could do for Elvis due to lack of funds and lack of connections that Parker had, of which Elvis had NONE. And Sam in dire financial straits, about to lose his business, etc. I know he got $35,000 for Elvis's contract; however, look how much Elvis made from that deal. It wasn't enough to save Sam's business. I feel that he owed a heck of a lot of it to Sam and Dewey, even though they both had that "potty mouth syndrome."
And then, poor Scotty and Bill. There they were from the beginninig as well. A TRIO. Just because Elvis twisted his pelvis around, he got all of the attention. Later on after they resigned, he realized that he really needed them. And that's where I am in the book right now. I just had to come and write this stuff down while it's fresh in my mind. And I'm about seething at Elvis. I know I shouldn't have hard feelings about the dead, but he did these things when he was alive. And I'M not dead. YET.
I hope to read that he's going to share a little more of the wealth with them. Scotty was married (children? I've forgotten) but was terribly in debt due to making such low wages with Elvis, even for those days. $100/wk, only when he worked, while Elvis was making thousands???? And spending thousands on his friends???? UNREAL.
One of OUR (in the Holiness Church) 10 Commandments is "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto YOU". I wonder how Elvis would have felt if the shoe were on the other foot. If the band had hired him as their "insignificant" boy singer.
My final thought right at this moment is that old adage "be careful who you trample on your way to the top, because you could fall right on your face on the way down." Or something to that effect. I'd like to have been a fly in that bathroom where Elvis died. On his way out of this world, did he think of those people he didn't treat right? And ask forgiveness. Only God knows.
Oh I know he passed out a lot of charity and stuff, but he neglected at least those 4 I mention. And in comparison with how much he had, the charity wasn't all that significant. Just one of those Cadilacs, or Lincolns or houses or jewels or vacations he was always treating to first one and then another, could have supported an orphanage for a whole year. Or an old person's retirement home. I do remember that he gave 900 DOLLARS to a boys outfit of some kind, and a TV to one of the teachers. BIG DEAL. In retrospect, no, I don't think he was all that generous. I wonder did he give 10% to the church? Like he was taught to do in the HOLINESS Church. That could count as some redemption for him. But I'm afraid not enough. I hope he's up there, for he surely knew the way he was suppose to live his life. I just don't believe he practiced it as well as he should have. In his case, it's good that I'm not one of the judges at The Gate.
And if he made it to heaven, I still feel like I've got a chance, if that same judge will be my judge and forgive me for having such horrible thoughts about another soul.
Superb........2007-06-27
No wonder Priscilla calls this book a favorite as it provides a crystal clear insight to the world that Memphis was for Elvis in the early years. It allows a comprehensive understanding of so many characters in Elvis' life.....his parents and other family members, The Colonel, Sam Phillips, Dewey Phillips, Dixie, June, and Anita and so many more.
It provides detailed information on the stories we've heard and those we haven't, and brings them to life. I have a much better feel for how the rest of the country responded to the wonder of Elvis.
The book offers a mapped view, both psychological and physical, of places in Memphis where Elvis lived, played music, and frequented. I know I will driving by a few old haunts the next time I am there, thanks to Last Train to Memphis.
Finally, for those who enjoy history, period, you'll appreciate this read.
I knew the book must be good when I saw that it was offered for sale at Graceland, but I really didn't have any idea it would be the best and it remains the best I've read on it's intricate subject. A true "must read". Thank you, Mr. Guralnick.
Last Train.......2006-11-13
This book takes you to the early years of Elvis Presley. You feel like you are there living the story with him. The characters are alive and real. It gives you an insight to what life was like for Elvis in the 50s and his early years.
Average customer rating:
|
Last Train To Memphis (Black Coral)
Elsa Cook
Manufacturer: Genesis Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Literary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Multicultural
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Contemporary
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1585711462 |
Average customer rating:
|
Last Train to Memphis Part 2 of 2
Peter Guralnick
Manufacturer: Books On Tape
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
General
| Nonfiction
| Books on Cassette
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
General
| Books on Cassette
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
Actors & Actresses
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Pop
| Composers & Musicians
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| Historical
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 5557119531 |
Average customer rating:
|
Last Train to Memphis
Manufacturer: Ramboro Books PLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 721599256X |
Books:
- The Latest Bombshell A Novel
- The Lion's Skin
- The Logic of a Rose: Chicago Stories
- The Man Who Created Paradise: A Fable (Ohio Bicentennial)
- The Mask Carver's Son
- The Natural Order of Things
- The Rolexxx Club
- The Swoop! or How Clarence Saved England
- The Tattooed Muse
- The Time of Indifference: A Novel
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Your Favorite Seuss: A Baker's Dozen by the One and Only Dr. Seuss
- The Sugar Solution: Weight Gain
- Sliding Filament Mechanism in Muscle Contraction: Fifity Years of Research
- The Last Days of Socrates
- The Human Mosaic
- Vulnerable Populations in the United States
- The Proper Care of Chow Chows
- Nina's Books of Little Things
- The Grand Canyon Handbook: An Insider's Guide to the Park: As Related by Ranger Jack
- The Scarlet Ruse
The Tidewater Tales (Maryland Paperback Bookshelf)
Chimera
The Book of Ten Nights and a Night: Eleven Stories
The Sot-Weed Factor (The Anchor Literary Library)
Coming Soon!!!: A Narrative
