Second Draft of My Life : A Novel

Amazon.com

Charlotte Dearborn has just abandoned her career as a novelist to become an elementary school teacher. The likable, sad-sack heroine of Sara Lewis's fourth novel, Second Draft of My Life, Charlotte hasn't failed as a writer--her novels had all been praised by critics--but she is flailing financially, and at age 42 feels that a regular paycheck, benefits, and a chance to shape young minds surely outweigh the solitude, poverty, and constant disappointments of the writing life. At least that's what she tells herself. To prove her point, most of the chapters open with a recollection of a specific letdown in her literary career: the last-minute cancellation of a talk-show appearance; slow book distribution that wastes hard-won publicity; a rejection from a much-admired editor. This book will be a painful read for any professional writer, since hard knocks of this kind are no exaggeration. Luckily, Charlotte's troubles will seem comic to everyone else who reads this funny, well-crafted tale. As it turns out, Charlotte is stepping onto a road that will lead her back to her writing and her better, forgotten self. Like Robert Peck's assertion that everything important in life can be learned in kindergarten, Charlotte's survival proves that anyone who learns to handle a class of first-graders can handle anything at all. --Regina Marler

Book Description

Forty-two years and five books into her life, Charlotte Dearborn abandons her noncommittal boyfriend and her sinking-ship writing career, and becomes an elementary school teacher. Sure, she's giving up her dream of being a famous novelist, but in exchange she'll find a stable income, job satisfaction, and maybe even love. At least that's how it'd work if she were a character in one of her novels. In real life, she's busy coping with twenty yelling first-graders, a teacher's lounge full of nasty coworkers, and a series of romantic misadventures that fall far, far short of the real thing.

Charlotte's struggle to navigate the waters of a new career, a new single life, and the loss of her identity as a writer make Second Draft of My Life a funny, compulsively readable gem. From an author The Boston Globe applauded as "very, very good on the business of falling in and out of love," it is part romantic comedy, part manual for living, and wholly triumphant.

Download Description

Forty-two years and five books into her life, Charlotte Dearborn is ready to start over from scratch. As a writer, she's had enough rejection to sink a ship -- or at least a writing career. It's time to find a new job. Teaching elementary school sounds good. Although the work may not be glamorous, it offers many of the compensations that writing lacks. Steady paychecks. The camaraderie of colleagues. And the children -- to give her life a clear purpose. As she's committing herself to getting what she wants from her work, Charlotte decides to break free from her noncommittal boyfriend. She deserves better! She may be giving up her dream of being a recognized novelist, but in return she'll find a stable income, job satisfaction, and even love. Won't she? Of course she will. Any minute now. Just as soon as she figures out how to cope with twenty yelling first-graders, her nasty coworkers, and a series of romantic misadventures that fall far short of true love. Charlotte's struggle to navigate the waters of a new career, a new single life, and the loss of her identity as a writer make Second Draft Of My Life a funny, compulsively readable gem. From an author The Boston Globe applauded as ""very, very good on the business of falling in and out of love,"" it is part romantic comedy, part manual for living, and wholly triumphant.

Customer Reviews:

Maybe a third draft would have helped.......2006-06-02

I enjoyed Lewis's earlier novel The Answer is Yes quite a bit, so I was all the more disappointed by this terrible, annoying book. The narrator is a novelist tired of obscurity and disappointment, although she's published five books, and so decides to give up writing and become a first-grade teacher. (One of the few funny moments in this supposedly comic novel is when her fellow teachers say "You got into teaching for the money?") She's 42 but has neither the maturity nor the insight her age and profession would suggest. The teaching scenes are painful, because she's a terrible, ineffective teacher with no control over her classroom, and while this pains her, it's also played for laughs--and it's just not funny. Plus, this novel is full of all the most boring and obvious things to say about writing and the writing process. And how does the character find redemption? Does it involve writing? Would you believe it's by writing a crappy inspirational book of the type sold in cardboard display cases by bookstore checkout counters? There's more to hate, much much more, but you get the idea.

No "electric sparkle" here.......2005-06-23

Reading this book you can't help but compare author Sara Lewis to her main character Charlotte Dearborn. Charlotte is writer who despite having five of her novels published (with awful titles), is not successful. Sara has written a comprable number of novels with similarly uninventive titles (although I really don't know how successful she's been). I couldn't help thinking that if Charlotte writes like Sara, no wonder her writing career never took off. I am an educator, I generally like books about teachers, but most of this story came off trite, dull, and pedestrian. Like reading someone's diary who records the mundane comings and goings of their not-so-interesting life. I don't have issues with details or descriptions in books, but I need to feel it's there for a reason. So much of it seemed like filler. Also, her teaching experience didn't ring true. Maybe it's because I've taught in NYC as opposed to affluent Southern California suburbs, but the situations she describes as challenging would be a dream come true for most teachers who teach in inner city public schools. Through most of the book I just wanted to shake Charlotte and say "Quit whining, you deluded, clueless, white woman!" (I specify "white" because I there weren't any non-white characters in this story despite the fact it took place in southern California!). I struggled to get through this book and did so only because I had nothing else to read on my long train commute. If you want a truly great book about teaching by a smart, funny, sassy white woman teaching real and believable students, try "Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's First Year" by Esme Raji Codell.

Banal.......2005-06-10

I am halfway through this book and can't seem to get past the insipid writing...this seems like something written by an 8th grade student.

Inspirational.......2004-10-15

It's rare that a book really lifts your spirits, but this one does and then some. I was feeling really down in the dumps when I started this one, but by the end I was really motivated to take the first step towards achieving my goals.

This is such a great book because it is both painfully realistic - the protaganist hasn't figured out what to do with her life, all her romantic prospects are distinctly unimpressive and she's losing the battle of the bulge - and at the same time it's also uplifting and inspirational (especially the ending, which is totally unexpected and utterly charming).

I can't wait to read more by this author. If she isn't huge now she deserves to be. Sara Lewis is simply amazing.

Recommended.......2004-07-11

This is a great summer book. It carries you along and makes you think a bit too. I passed my copy on to my mother and you might do the same! Its a relatively light hearted journey of discovery that you want to share.

Average customer rating:

My Life and Adventures: A Novel
Castle Freeman
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Its the late 1960s, when troubled ex-professor Mark Noon claims an odd bequest: he moves to a dilapidated house in rustic Bible Hill, Vermont. Noon recounts how he gets to know and comes to love the township, its natural history, its lore, its ingrown and haunted denizensand one woman in particular, who shares his life for a time. Noons story is interwoven with entries from the diary of Claude Littlejohn, the houses previous owner, along with the mysterious backstory of Noons misadventures in a Latin American country, which led to his self-imposed exile from the world.eaders of Thoreau, Emerson, Hawthorne, Poe, and Washington Irving will find a feast in this novel, which balances the God-haunted, transcendental New England of the 19th century against the dope and llama farms, survivalists, and leaf-peepers of our day.

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My Life and Adventures : A Novel
Castle, Jr. Freeman
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTLLQ4

Book Description

The second volume in the series reprinting every Batman comics story ever published in chronological order features the Dark Knight in early stories originally appearing inDETECTIVE COMICS, BATMAN and NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR.This collection features Batman'searly encounters with classic villains including the Joker, Catwoman, Clayface and many more.

Customer Reviews:

Hard-boiled Batman.......2007-02-26

Containing stories written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson, BATMAN CHRONICLES VOLUME 2 continues the daunting task of reprinting every Batman appearance in chronological order. Volume 2 collects DETECTIVE COMICS #39-45, BATMAN #2-3, and NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR COMICS #2, featuring the first appearance of the villain Clayface, and the return of the Joker and Catwoman. If you've ever wondered why Batman is called "The Darknight Detective", these Golden Age stories from 1939 - 1940 provide the answer. Bill Finger constructs some superb traditional mysteries, presenting the reader with a situation and cast of suspects, with Batman and Robin figuring it out through investigation and a bit of strong-arming. There are a couple of duds, but I suppose it happens to the best of writers. Bob Kane's art for these stories is excellent. The moonlight, fog, and shadows of Gotham City really make the stories come alive. Kane had a flair for depicting characters as embodiments of good or evil - much like Chester Gould, creator of Dick Tracy - and his covers and splash pages were true pulp, frequently featuring giant-sized villains threatening the heroes.

Oddly enough, even though Robin was added to the Batman lineup to make the series lighter and more accessible to kids, these stories are even more violent than those in the first volume. Various characters are killed by gunshots, falls, broken necks, and even an axe to the head or back. Also, there's an interesting cross-company coincidence in that one of the female characters is named "Lorna Dane", which just happens to be the alias of Marvel's mutant Polaris. I'm certainly enjoying these Golden Age Batman reprints more than anything currently released from DC, and that's really saying something. A third volume of BATMAN CHRONICLES is on the way, so my need for more Finger/Kane stories won't be left wanting for long.

Batman Chronicles: Vol. 2.......2007-01-04

A 'Superb' Book,allows you to read the 'Old' Comics,without having to pay a 'Fortune' for each Comic !!!!

FATASTIC EARLY BATMAN WORK!.......2006-10-07

For those unfamiliar with the Batman Chronicles, they reprint Batman's earliest Golden Age adventures in chronological order. So in this book you'll get stories from Detective Comics, Batman, as well as the rare 1940 New York World's Fair comic, reprinted in order as they appeared beginning with Detective Comics 39, 40, & 41. These early Batman tales, written by Bill Finger with art by Bob Kane and Jerry Robinson show the dark roots of Batman. While not as grim as the modern day incarnation, they are still far different that the rather silly Silver Age stories.

For example in the opening tale from Detective #39 finds Batman taking on a Chinatown tong called the Green Dragon. Tongs were basically Chinese gangs, often associated with organized criminal activities such as smuggling and drugs. The Tong kills by cleaving their enemy's skulls with a hatchet...pretty strong stuff for 1940's comics. The 30's and 40's saw a lot of this "yellow menace" type of threats in popular culture such as pulp magazines, film, and comics.

In Detective #40, longtime villain Clayface makes his first appearance although he's very different than the walking pile of mud we know today. Back then he was just disgruntled horror film star Basil karlo (a veiled similarity to Boris karloff) who disguised his face with makeup.

Batman #2 sees the return of the Joker and I was immediately struck by the fact that over the course of 65 years, the Joker really hasn't changed at all, same white face, green hair, and purple suit. Batman has changed numerous times but his old foe has stayed relatively the same. Contrast this with Catwoman who also appears in this issue. In those days she was merely a pretty brunette who wore a dress and stole jewels. A far cry from the Catwoman we know today!

Back in these early days, Batman was still considered a Spiderman-like menace and he found himself battling the cops almost as much as the criminals. It was also pre-batmobile, and Batman tooled around town in a plain sedan.

I love the Chronicles volumes. I've always felt it was important to keep the Golden Age era alive as much as possible and this is a perfect, and really inexpensive way to do it as these soft cover newsprint volumes are far less expensive than the hard cover Archive series. Bob Kane doesn't get enough credit for his art which is among the finest of all the Golden Age greats.

Reviewed by Tim Janson

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The Batman Chronicles #2
Alan Grant , Chuck Dixon , and Doug Moench
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Batman | Characters | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000TABFKK

Chronicles of the Cursed Sword: (Gift Set) Volumes 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, & 9

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Chronicles of the Cursed Sword: (Gift Set) Volumes 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, & 9
Beop-Ryong Yeo , and Hui-Jin Park
Manufacturer: TokyoPop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Batman | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000S392TY

Product Description

Chronicles of the Sword, gift set. By Beop-Ryong Yeo and Hui-Jin Park. Set includes volumes 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, and 9. These have been voted by fans as the best volumes in the series. Buy as a set and save!

Book Description

The acclaimed Spectrum series is the premier venue for fantasy and science fiction artwork. The only book to thoroughly address the amazing variety and quality of fantastic art created each year, the release of each annual issue is an eagerly anticipated event for artists, readers, and art directors alike. The early issues in the series had very small print runs, sold out quickly, and today, are much sought-after by collectors. Now in print for the first time in ten years, Spectrum 2 features works by Hugo Award-winner Michael Whelan; Caldecott winners Diane and Leo Dillon; James Gurney, creator of Dinotopia; and more than 200 other pieces created by artists from Germany, England, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan, Canada, France, and America. Drawn from books, comics, magazines, art galleries, advertisements, and artist’s portfolios, these visionary portraits of the future offer fans an intriguing look at the evolution of fantastic art over the past decade.

Customer Reviews:

Reprinted Issue from 1995 which is long out of print.......2007-03-04

This book with it's supurb collection of fantastic art comes to us reprinted from the 1995 edition of the same name. Here are 200 plus color illustrations from that era and cover the range from magazine covers, book dust jackets, or in many cases the book itself. Here are art works to illustrate stories or advertisements.

Spectrum 2 has been long out of print, after all, Spectrum 13 should be in your book store soon, and Spectrum 14's entry forms are now available. Each issue of the annual tends to go out of print fairly quickly, and I suspect this reprint will also. If interested, I suggest ordering your copy fairly quickly.

The mission of the organization is 'To promote the fantastic arts and provide an annual showcase for contemporary artists.' They have done a supurb job, not only with the annuals, but with museum exhibits and exhibits at shows around the country.

Spectrum 2 review.......2007-02-06

I have collected all but 1 of this great series and would have to say that this was probably my least favourite. My main issue is the lay out, with the size of a lot of the pictures being too small with lots of white space around them. I suppose it was only the second one in the series and they rectified this in later versions.

That said, it still have some great art in it and I would recommend it to anyone interested in sci-fi art

in general.......2005-10-16

Over 134 pages of full color glossy fantasy and sci fi artwork. The same high quality selection as the other spectrum series books. Has a digital work of "death" (Neil Gaiman's story character) and many popular book cover artists throughout.

Spectrum 2 : The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art ( Two )

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Spectrum 2 : The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art ( Two )
Cathy (editor); Fenner, Arnie (editor) Burnett
Manufacturer: Underwood Books, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000W48HX6

Average customer rating:

Recipe for Success

no other bbq book compares

Real Grilling

perfect book

Outstanding

Weber's Real Grilling
Jamie Purviance , and Tim Turner
Manufacturer: Sunset Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Barbecuing & Grilling | Outdoor Cooking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Outdoor Cooking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Weber's Big Book of Grilling

How to Grill: The Complete Illustrated Book of Barbecue Techniques

Weber's Art of the Grill: Recipes for Outdoor Living

Weber's Charcoal Grilling: The Art of Cooking With Live Fire

Weber 6422 18" Grill Brush

ASIN: 0376020466

Book Description

For state-of-the-art outdoor cooking and entertainment, who better to turn to than the foremost authority on grills? With the experts from Weber taking you through the basics and beyond, you'll be sizzling in no time. Over 250 recipes show you the way with mouth-watering photography, simple-to-follow directions, can't miss techniques, and even substitution cheats.Flag your favorites-and there'll be plenty-with the handy enclosed Post-It notes. And yes, once they've sampled the savory results of your newfound grill skills, friends and family will be begging for your secrets. Just nod and say, 'It's all in the technique.'

Customer Reviews:

Recipe for Success.......2007-10-04

Until this summer, my two best culinary dishes were peanut butter & jelly on a bagel and power bars served freshly from the wrapper. Then I got a Weber grill as a gift and decided that I had better learn how to use it properly.

I bought this book and also 'Weber's Big Book of Grilling' after reading positive reviews about both. Both books are fantastic. They cover the basics of how to run, outfit and maintain your grill. Also both have great sections that give tips on how to best prepare different types of meat/veggies. The rest of the book is composed of amazing grill recipes with beautiful color photography of the outcome. I am a very visual person and I love this book.

I can honestly say that by simply following the recipes in this book step by step, I have successfully cooked ribs, burgers, chicken and tri-tip for crowds of friends and family this summer and have gotten RAVE reviews. This is something entirely new to me since I previous had no cooking ability (as I mentioned). This book is great! As a final note, this book is slightly more advanced than Weber's Big Book of Grilling, but both are sufficiently friendly for the novice. My recommendation is to buy both - you won't be disappointed.

no other bbq book compares.......2007-10-03

I received the book as a gift and i'm glad i did. Every other BBQ book is not nearly as informative as this one. Besides the recipes theres an entire section on rubs, marinades, and sauces. It gives info on the various types and cuts of meats. I used the info in this book to make my own rub and bbq sauce that has won awards

Real Grilling.......2007-09-11

Very good book. Similar to the BIG Book of grilling. Has all of the basic cooking charts and new recipes.

perfect book.......2007-08-24

This is the only grilling book you need, perfect for my new Baby Q, iI have not had a bad meal since I started using this book.All my grilled food is perfect, but I now cook with a stop watch!

Outstanding.......2007-08-21

I have 3 Weber cookbooks, and each one is exceptional. The Weber cookbook author, Jamie Purviance, really has a great sense of taste and the ability to combine interesting ingredients to make grilled food great. One thing I was wary of with these book was I thought it may be one giant advertisement for Weber grills, but that is not the case (although I must admit I am a Weber fan, all of my grills have been Webers).

The focus is simply on the food, and it is done so well. Purviance seems to like Californian-style food, that is, lots of Mexican influence with spices and avacados and corn, etc. The recipes are well written and easy to follow, and are accopanied by large, full-color pictures that make you want to try every recipe.

I have made many of the recipes in this book, and have yet to be disappointed. They are great for a tailgate or a backyard BBQ party, and you'll soon gladly find yourself burning through your fair share of charcoal if you get this book. Definitely recommended!

Average customer rating:

Wide range of cultures, so-so ingredients

She is still the best

Excellent tasty and unique veggie cuisine

Excellent cookbook to own!

Excellent Multi-Ethnic Cookbook - Absolutely Fabulous!

Linda McCartney on Tour: Over 200 Meat-Free Dishes from Around the World
Linda McCartney
Manufacturer: Bulfinch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Vegetables & Vegetarian | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Natural Foods | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Linda Mccartney's Home Cooking

Linda's Kitchen: Simple and Inspiring Recipes for Meatless Meals

Wide Open

Linda McCartney's World of Vegetarian Cooking: Over 200 Meat-free Dishes from Around the World

The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen

ASIN: 0821224875

Amazon.com

Linda McCartney, wife of Beatle Paul McCartney, was a passionate vegetarian. Shortly before she died, she left a legacy with this beautiful book of 200 meat-free recipes from all over the world. Linda McCartney on Tour is illustrated with stunning photographs guaranteed to start you salivating--the tastes, colors, and textures leap off the page. You can almost taste the Crispy Vegetable Wontons (China), Asparagus Crepes (France), Minted Pea and Spinach Soup (U.K.), Vegetable Kichdi (India), Warm Chocolate Souffle with Bittersweet Sauce (France), and Fragrant Coconut Rice (Thailand). If you like pizza, choose from recipes of the U.K., U.S., Thailand, or Greece, or invent your own pizza with a page of creative topping selections. Although many of the dishes sound esoteric, the ingredients won't send you searching in ethnic stores--you can find most in your supermarket, though you will need to frequent a natural-foods market for a few, such as organic eggs and vegetarian sausages. The recipes have no nutritional information, unfortunately--you know you're getting plenty of vitamins and fiber, but you don't know fat content. Whether you're a confirmed vegetarian looking for new recipes or you just want to improve your health by eating meat-free a few times a week, this book will entice you. --Joan Price

Customer Reviews:

Wide range of cultures, so-so ingredients.......2004-12-03

Overall, this is a great starter book for someone being introduced to vegetarianism, since many of the dishes are just vegetarian versions of wellknown meaty dishes. However, Ms. McCartney relies a little too heavily on meat substitutes in her recipes. For example, she uses vegetarian sausages and vegetarian ground "meat" in many of the recipes. I would recommend finding a book that relies on the wonderful flavors of fresh vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, and grains, rather than on a fake processed product.

She is still the best.......2004-03-29

This is the best cook book for vegetarians! I cooked everything in it and I love it! We miss you Linda!

Excellent tasty and unique veggie cuisine.......2002-11-16

I received this book as a gift and after looking through it, I was excited to try the recipes. There is a great selection of different recipes from all around the world. What makes this book special is that the recipes include the traditional Italian and Chinese cuisine, but Linda goes beyond the traditional to include Indian, African and Thai cuisines. I truly enjoy the hot and sour soup, for example. The photographs are brilliant in color and are vivid enough to make your stomach growl by just looking at them. Linda uses olive oil generously. Although there is not a nutritional analysis, it is easy to adapt the recipes to a healthy diet, which I do with great success. I truly enjoy this book.

Excellent cookbook to own!.......2000-07-02

I am a vegan, and finding anything delicious that doesn't include some form of tofu is sometimes hard. This cookbook includes many ethnic, vegan recipes and photos to go with them. Instructions are easy, even my 9-year-old daughter helps with the preparation. We made the Chinese aromatic vegetable stir-fry last night, and it was marvelous. Even my mom, who is not veggie, thought it looked and smelled delicious. The world has lost a wonderful talent in Linda.

Excellent Multi-Ethnic Cookbook - Absolutely Fabulous!.......1999-04-15

Yet another truly excellent cooking tome from an inspiring woman, Linda McCartney shows once again how easy it is to prepare easy and delicious meals with a flair. This book is a must have for those who like to sample cuisines from other cultures, and you absolutely don't miss the meat in these dishes. From the stunning photography to the mouth-watering menu ideas that make party planning a snap, there is something for every taste. I have had rave reviews over every recipe I prepared from this and her other cook books. We have lost a true treasure in Linda McCartney.

Book Description

Whether you want to do some serious research, are simply in the mood for a classic picture book to enhance your leisure hours, are a fervent collector in need of machine identification information, or are just looking for some fascinating viewing and reading material---this is the book for you! Slot Machines on Parade is the one book you must have in order to make your library complete. It was the first color picture book of slot machines and remains the classic slot machine picture book of all time!

With 115 full-page color illustrations in a large coffee-table format, this opulent volume is the inevitable picture book for slot machine enthusiasts. Its comprehensive index and full table of illustrations make it the definitive reference resource for collectors, historians and hobbyists.

Size: 9.25" x 12.25". Heavy, full-color plastic-coated, heat-damaged dust jacket will be provided as supplies are available.

Average customer rating:
Encyclopedia of Projects for the Weekend Crafter
Terry Taylor , Valerie Van Arsdale Shrader , Karol Kavaya , Vicki Skemp , Jim Gentry , Sheila Ennis , and Yolanda Carranza Valle
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1402712669

Book Description

In just one weekend, crafters can get their creative juices flowing with this goldmine of creative techniques and projects—448 jam-packed pages worth of great ideas. Every one is fun, easy to complete, and doesn’t require a major investment of time or money. Use dried flowers in new and unique ways to enhance cards and candles, and to create lovely aromatic coasters. Out of paper come beautiful photo storage boxes, Japanese washi bracelets, and even a chic checkerboard. The quilting section features a score of practical and exquisite items, including silk pillbox hats and embroidered window valances. And with the ideas for macramé, metal embossing, and decorative finishes for furniture found here, anyone will achieve fantastic results, and become a skilled crafter, too.

Book Description

Turn an ordinary house into a delightful home with little handmade touches in the inimitable Victoria style.

Charming cushions, curtains and scented sachets; cream-edged organdy tablecloths and white-ribbon-tied pillowcases: Victoria knows lovely things such as these make a house a home. Give every room that special touch with 25 beautiful and easy-to-make projects from the experts who know romance. Each item is featured in an exquisite full-color photograph, accompanied by simple instructions that will inspire even the most nervous crafter. Consider reviving a well-loved chair with an elegant slipcover, perhaps in organdy. Personalize pretty napkins for a special holiday table setting. Use basic stitchery to whip up a fabric headboard, gathered lampshade, or linen cutlery holder. Whichever you choose, the techniques section will teach the skills you need, and templates will guide you. A Main Selection of the Homestyle Book Club.

Customer Reviews:

Step-by-step project book by VICTORIA MAGAZINE.......2007-09-01

As my title said, this is a step-by-step project book written by the editors of VICTORIA MAGAZINE.

The book has very pretty photos at the very beginning of every project, and then it provides step-by-step instructions which have diagrams following each step to the project making.

There are not that many projects though, so that's why I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 stars.

Charming !.......2006-12-30

I may not make all of the projects suggested inside but they are lucious to look at. I like adapting ideas to suit my particular design style and needs. I usually purchase books published more than 2 yrs old from the Used sellers.

Average customer rating:

Creating Authentic Victorian Rooms
Elan Zingman-Leith , and Susan Zingman-Leith
Manufacturer: Elliott & Clark Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Decoration & Ornament | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Style | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1880216272

Average customer rating:

Not Victorian Interiors
What's Victorian about new decorating in an old house?
The Continuing Misinterpretation of Victorian Style
The Continuing Misinterpretation of Victorian Style

Room By Room: Victorian Interiors
Kathryn Livingston
Manufacturer: Rockport Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Design & Construction | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Style | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1564964248

Customer Reviews:

Not Victorian Interiors.......2003-04-18

I ordered this book because of the title. We moved into an 1893 Victorian Queen and are trying to renovate this house and landscape the yard. We want to do it right, so we are looking for info as to how the house itself would hve looked in 1893.
Our local library falls way short of what we need. This book also falls way short of what Victorian houses looked like.
The pictures of the interiors of the houses are very nice, but the pictures are of interiors of houses that have very little resemblance of the Victorian era. One room was Oriental.

We wanted info. on ceiling treatments, light fixtures, picture rails, wall treatments, window treatments, stairs, and parquet flooring. No info. concerning these topice was covered in this book.
The pictures were pretty and the decorating was nice, but many pictures were very small, and the font size was the smallest available. The font size should have been much larger - so that I could read it and because there were inches and inches of blank space on every page. The page layouts didn't fill the pages.
This book was grossly mis-named.
Over all, if youwant a book that shows you how Victorian houses looked on the inside, this is definately not the one that you want or need.

I gave this book a "1" since there was no "zero" available.

What's Victorian about new decorating in an old house?.......2002-02-23

This coffee-table book is filled with quality color photos of rooms mostly decorated in modern times in what might be called variations of "traditional" styling--a decorating style that has remarkably little to do with Victorian interiors, which is, after all, the title of the book. If you're looking for the real thing, stay away from this book. It should have been titled Victorian Erzats.

The Continuing Misinterpretation of Victorian Style.......2000-02-16

Ms. Livingston's credentials suggest she possesses more than a layman's understanding of Victorian style. Unfortunately, the images she's chosen to populate this book with prove otherwise. This book contains only a few truly Victorian rooms. Most shots are of badly overdecorated Colonial Revival interiors, replete with contemporary furnishings. Worst of all, several of these so called "Victorian" rooms are in fact Arts and Crafts in style, a direct revolt against Victorianism. This VictorianISH at best.

The Continuing Misinterpretation of Victorian Style.......2000-02-16

The Victorian Dining Room (Schiffer Book for Collectors)

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Beautiful Photos but not much more......Not worth the co$t.

The Victorian Dining Room (Schiffer Book for Collectors)
Brian D. Coleman
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Tablesetting | Special Occasions | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Furniture | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 076431792X

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Photos but not much more......Not worth the co$t........2007-06-27

This is a beautifully photographed book of what appears to be the author's collection. Many of the items featured are shown in multiple photos. The "Price Guide" looks like an afterthought - shown as footnotes on some of the pages, not all items. The prices are wild and what I would call "WISHFUL THINKING"!

Pretty pictures, but not much substance - Don't waste your money.

Scottish Interior: Georgian and Victorian Decor : A Visual Anthology of the Domestic Room in Scotland Culled Principally from the Collections of the

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Scottish Interior: Georgian and Victorian Decor : A Visual Anthology of the Domestic Room in Scotland Culled Principally from the Collections of the
Ian Gow
Manufacturer: Edinburgh University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0748602208

Amazon.com

London theater critic Michael Billington draws on interviews with the noted British dramatist, his friends, and coworkers to explore the links between Harold Pinter's life and works like The Birthday Party and Betrayal. He discovers a good deal of autobiography, as well as political commentary on the power struggle implicit in male-female relations. The account of Pinter's youth in London's East End and his close friendships with other smart, iconoclastic Jewish boys is especially good. Intelligent and accessible, this is a fine theater biography for the general reader.

Book Description

The Life and Work of Harold Pinter is the first and only authorized biographical study of the renowned English playwright. In this groundbreaking book Michael Billington examines Pinter's work, including the masterpieces The Caretaker and The Homecoming, in the context of his life. Through conversations with Pinter and interviews with his friends and colleagues, Billington creates a portrait of the man as well as the artist.

Customer Reviews:

Pause for reflection on Pinter.......2001-12-14

A thoughtful and admirably complete survey of Pinter's life and career so far, even if it betrays the signs of being an "authorized" biography. I say so far because the author makes it very plain that Pinter is far from a spent force, either creatively or politically. Given the tiresome and almost ritualistic bollocking (a very Pinteresque word) he receives in the British press every time he signs a petition or attends a protest, the book comes on like a stern corrective, exposing the thoughtless double standard for what it is. Far from being a relatively recent fashionable pose taken by a celebrity intellectual, Billington makes clear that Pinter's political outspokenness is an organic consequence of his work in the theatre, which was essentially political from the start. Pinter's plays have followed a slow arc since the late fifties from the domestic to the more specifically political, but the overriding concern has been the same - the potential for language to conceal rather than to reveal meaning, even to corrupt our need to hope that transparency between people is attainable. Hope for Pinter lies in the potential for resistance to this process through imaginative identification with the sufferings of others.

If I have a criticism, it is the author's tendency to overstatement in sometimes irritating contrast to his subject's famous economy. Also, that the equivalence between personal intimate action and political reality comes a little too easy. I mean what does the phrase "sexual Fascism" (p. 377) really mean? I suspect that a victim of actual political Fascism wouldn't find that glib metaphor so easy to digest. Such phrases, which appear here and there in the book, would seem to be an example of the verbal laziness that Pinter himself spends so much time fighting. However, thanks are due to this author for constant emphasis on the actual performance of Pinter's texts, whether written for the screen or the theatre. Billington's comment and analysis of the performances are always insightful and interesting.

Making Sense of Pinter.......2000-11-04

Having nearly walked out of "The Room" at the Almeida theatre in London, I determined to find out more about Pinter. This book sets the context and is a must for anyone new to Pinter or - like me - too young to have grown up with his work. The account of his early life in London's East End, and subsequent years as an actor in repertory theatre, are especially interesting. The Grocers school in Hackney was outstandingly successful in bringing out the best in its pupils - educationalists today can learn so much from it. And in turn we can learn so much from Pinnter about what it's like to be the "outsider" in a closed society. And his plays are so evocative of their vintage - it's hard to believe for example that as recently as the mid-1950s in England it was perfectly legal for a landlord to place a sign outside a house saying "To let - no blacks or Irish". The book also reveals Pinter's huge courage and passion in arguing for causes in which he believes. A wonderful book about a man who can justifiably claim to be one of the world's leading playrights.

Harold Pinter: Life, Work, and Criticism (Unnumbered)

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Harold Pinter: Life, Work, and Criticism (Unnumbered)
Penelope Prentice
Manufacturer: York Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

The Life and Work of Harold Pinter.(Brief Article): An article from: World Literature Today

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The Life and Work of Harold Pinter.(Brief Article): An article from: World Literature Today
Susan Rusinko
Manufacturer: University of Oklahoma
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from World Literature Today, published by University of Oklahoma on January 1, 1998. The length of the article is 586 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: The Life and Work of Harold Pinter.(Brief Article)
Author: Susan Rusinko
Publication: World Literature Today (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 1998
Publisher: University of Oklahoma
Volume: v72 Issue: n1 Page: p142(2)

Article Type: Book Review, Brief Article

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