Book Description
The Impartial Recorder is an extraordinary book about ordinary people in a small town in the middle of nowhere. It may be the only funny book you will ever read about the weather. And the only novel that comes with its own handy index to help guide you straight to subjects such as "sushi, and Christian guilt," "adultery, brazened out" and "regretted bitterly," "snacks, between meals, inadvisability of," and the terrible "unfairness of having read Jeanette Winterson, and yet still having to work in an in-store bakery."
The Impartial Recorder takes its name from the tirelessly gossip-oriented local paper that reports on nothing in particular and on everything that's too interesting to have made a more dignified newspaper of record. The story kicks off with the return of a prodigal son, Davey Quinn, who is struggling to hide the fact that he hasn't done quite as well in the big city as friends and family have been led to believe. But that's only the beginning. The Impartial Recorder goes on to celebrate the heroic energies and comic failures of plumbers and ministers of religion, sandwich entrepreneurs and housewives, short-order cooks and owners of lingerie shops. In the tradition of Garrison Keillor and Roddy Doyle, Ian Sansom has given us a brilliant and hopeful comedy; in his words, a "book of profound inconsequence, as beautiful and moving as, say, the sight of an elderly couple standing outside a greengrocer's, trying to choose a cauliflower."
Customer Reviews:
Residual evidence of themes.......2005-03-06
How does a mere "customer review" deal with a novel by a professional reviewer? Like avoiding a fight with a professional boxer -- by saying only nice things. Fortunately, I have only nice things to say about THE IMPARTIAL RECORDER. The author, in his Preface, offers the book "for you to enjoy" and I urge everyone to take him up on the offer.
This is a novel with an Index. This is a comic novel with an Index and footnotes. This is a comic, poigant novel with an Index, footnotes, a wry Preface, droll Acknowledgments, even an amusing dust jacket photo of the author seemingly trying hard not to look like he is a funny fellow. This is an awful lot of fun for what is essentially a lament--a lament for the continuous passing of The-Way-Things-Are.
The title itself is clever: the original British title RING ROAD might not mean much to American readers, so we get "THE IMPARTIAL RECORDER" which happens to be the name of the local newspaper in the small town that is the story's setting, but which really refers to the story's good-natured and nonjudgmental narrator, who chronicles in detail the everyday thoughts and actions of the town's ordinary citizens, as they simultaneously cause and cope with the changes that sweep (or creep) through their small town life. We read equally of their strengths and their faults, their failures and their achievements, even as we read equally of the fairness or foulness of the weather. Meanwhile, the plot develops, barely glimpsed behind the streams of detail. Or, according to the Index, "Plot: thickens, the, 129."
Because Mr. Sansom is, to me, an unfamiliar author, I keep finding similarities with those who are familiar. The amiable narrator, for example, reminds me of Van Reid and his Moosepath series; others mention a resemblance to Garrison Keillor. The focus on mundane mental minutiae, while not as extreme or obsessive, is somewhat like Nicholson Baker's in THE MEZZANINE, or John Lanchester's MR. PHILLIPS. The sort of backhanded plot development recalls the first half of Lanchester's THE DEBT TO PLEASURE. The author's knack of fitting opposing emotions into a single thought rivals that of Sherman Alexie, though Alexie's combination of grieving with bawdy hilarity (TEN LITTLE INDIANS) is more extreme than Sansom's combination of grieving with gentle drollery (as a recent widower spends his days doing all the things he never did with his wife--watching soaps, window shopping at the mall). The author's ability to look out from within his various character's minds is reminiscent of Ursula K. Le Guin's SEA ROAD, also set in a small town. THE IMPARTIAL RECORDER's small town is presumably in Ireland, but could easily be Mayberry RFD or Pickax City USA. Some of those mundane, everyday thoughts are somehow very like my own, and the whole story is somehow very like this story I'm living right now in my own small town, and maybe like yours too, in your town. And maybe--even if it seems that "Here we are lived by our lives rather than the other way around," maybe, like the impartial recorder, we just can't see the theme for the details (the Index lists "themes: disowning of, xi" but also "themes: residual evidence of, 1ff").
Read it for the laugh-out-loud details, though, and let the theme take care of itself. I'll be looking for an opportunity to read the author's TRUTH ABOUT BABIES.
Average customer rating:
|
The Impartial Recorder: A Novel
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Contemporary
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B000H2MVXA |
Book Description
For years, the Thundercats have trusted their leader Lion-O to keep their people safe and to protect their adopted homeworld against a wild and ruthless menagerie of villains. But what happens when the biggest threat to the Thundercats comes from within, and the person the Thundercats turn to in a time of crisis is the person they should trust the least? Friend turns against friend in this tale of adventure, bravery and treachery.
Customer Reviews:
thunder-ous applause.......2007-01-05
perfect condition, a little disappointed w/ the story line, very kiddie-like, cartoonish, I thought it might be darker like Batman is in the comics or Ninja Turtles, a little childish, artwork is nice
Book Description
Wildly bestselling first-time novelist Cam Noyes writes with a lyrical voice like F. Scoot Fitzgerald and looks like he leapt right out of a Ralph Lauren ad. The media¹s latest darling, he¹s having a ball running with the brat pack, posing for magazines, rolling in and out of beds, brawling in bars, swigging tequila, and snorting cocaine.
But with such a busy schedule, Cam simply can¹t find the time to write his long-overdue second book. Enter Stewart ³Hoagy² Hoag?ghostwriter of celebrity memoirs and reluctant amateur detective?to tackle Cam¹s tell-all exposé of the dirty business behind megabuck book deals.
Unfortunately, ³cutthroat² takes on a whole new meaning as the bodies start piling up faster than the pages of the manuscript. If Hoagy doesn¹t act fast, there¹ll be no one left in publishing to tell the tale.
Customer Reviews:
Intriguing & Interesting Read.......2007-07-22
After the last couple of crappers I've read, this book was like a cool breeze on a hot day. Snappy writing, interesting characters, great plot, funny repartee--what more can you ask for? Love this author and plan to read more Stuart Hoag books based on my excellent experience with this one.
What a read!.......2000-01-23
I have never been shooshed so much while reading a book - I was chuckling at Handler's wit every other page! Hoagy is a great character and the plot is a pretty twisty one as well. A great read! I've said it many a time to emphasize how good a book was, but this is the first time I actually FINISHED A BOOK IN ONE SITTING! I couldn't read it fast enough. GOOD STUFF!
Handler is a scream........1997-06-11
Handler is a scream. His stories are orginal and his characters are very lively. No trends are spared from Handler's savage pen. I hope Handler enjoys writing the Hoagy series as much as I enjoy reading it
Average customer rating:
|
The Man Who Would Be F. Scott Fitzgerald (A Stewart Hoag Series)
Manufacturer: Recorded Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Books on Cassette
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
General
| Books on Cassette
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
General
| Mystery
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0788709291 |
Product Description
Hoagy and Lulu are ghosting for Cam Noyes, an author with writers block, and of course find murder.
Product Description
Reprint of David Handler's 3rd & 4th Stewart "Hoagy" Hoag & Lulu mysteries: The Man Who Would Be F. Scott Fitzgerald (which won the 1991 Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original!) and The Woman Who Fell from Grace.
Amazon.com
About one-third of the way through Andrea Immer's Great Wine Made Simple, the author recounts an anecdote that could serve as the book's theme--alligator, rabbit, and squab were all introduced to her the same way: "Tastes like chicken." And as demonstrated by Immer, who went from debentures to de Rothschild when she quit Morgan Stanley to eventually oversee the 50,000-bottle cellar at Manhattan's famed Windows on the World, the leap from pigeon to Pichon-Lalande is analogous: teaching novice wine drinkers what to expect is what her book, aptly subtitled "Straight Talk from a Master Sommelier", is all about.
With emphasis on her "Big Six" varietals--Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon--this "Immer-sion" class of tastings lets amateur sippers differentiate the typical qualities of each, while illustrating wine terms such as dry, crisp, oaky, and tannic. Practical advice abounds; one chapter devotes itself to finding useful info on a wine label while avoiding "Stupid Label Tricks," those bits of puffery or unfamiliar flavors (how many have actually tasted lychee or red currant?) that can be confusing the average buyer. And her "Flavor Map" concept--dividing the wine world into three climate zones--eschews memorization in favor of some rudimentary geography.
Throughout, her pronunciation guides are accurate and personable ("If you're pronouncing 'Riesling' right you have to smile."); and she provides a great postgraduate curriculum of buying strategies, including the pros and cons of wine shops versus your nearest Costco; and a consumer advisory about restaurant's "award-winning wine lists." --Tony Mason
Book Description
From “one of the wine world’s most popular voices” (USA Today), a newly updated edition of her by-now classic introduction to wine, GREAT WINE MADE SIMPLE: Straight Talk from a Master Sommelier, reflects up-to-the minute wine trends, including the burgeoning popularity of the Shiraz grape, new flavor maps, and much, much more.
First published in 2000, Great Wine Made Simple established Andrea Immer Robinson as America’s favorite wine writer. Avoiding the traditional and confusingly vague wine language of “bouquet” and “nose,” and instead discussing wine in commonsense terms, the book launched Andrea’s career as a wine authority without pretense.
Now, thoroughly revised, Great Wine Made Simple lives up to its title by making selecting and enjoying wine truly simple. With Andrea Immer Robinson as your guide, you will never again have to fear pricey bottles that don’t deliver, snobby wine waiters, foreign terminology, or encyclopedic restaurant wine lists. You’ll be able to buy or order wine with confidence--and get just the wine you want--by learning how the “Big Six” basic styles (which comprise 80 percent of today’s top selling wines) taste and how to read any wine label. Ten new flavor maps show what tastes you can expect from climates around the world.
Andrea Immer Robinson genuinely knows more about wine than most wine lovers could ever hope to learn. But she doesn’t believe that you have to join a stuffy, exclusive wine-tasting set, or study a lot, to become a savvy wine buyer. Unlike other wine guides, Great Wine Made Simple makes it easy to master the ins and outs of choosing a wine that you and your guests will love—on any budget.
In her down-to-earth style, Andrea guides you through follow-along-at-home wine tastings that are easy, fun, and affordable, and even suggests a milk tasting for understanding variations in wine-body style. Building on this foundation, she covers the rest of the wine landscape with her inimitable style, candor, and humor, from classic regions to new tastes, plus a bevy of practical issues like wine gear and proper storage. A refreshing blend of in-depth knowledge and accessibility, Great Wine Made Simple is a welcome resource for those who are intrigued by wine but don’t know where to start.
Customer Reviews:
Andrea Immer uncorks the secrets of wine........2007-09-25
I've always said, when in doubt about wine, rely upon a trusted Grape Geek. Andrea Immer has the wine credentials to make her a Grape Goddess amongst Grape Geeks. Not only is she a Master Sommelier and the Dean of Wine Studies at the French Culinary Institute in New York City, she has also written several other respected books on the subject of wine: Everyday Dining with Wine; Andrea Immer Robinson's Wine Buying Guide for Everyone. In Great Wine Made Simple, Immer demystifies wine by offering essential information to amateur onephiles on varietals (Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon), tasting, wine termonlogy, and geography. She also provides recommendations on how to select a wine in the complex market, and food pairing. While this book won't qualify you as a Master Sommelier, it is a good starting point for the wine novice.
G. Merritt
Master Sommelier.......2007-08-31
Andrea Immer Robinson is an excellent teacher on the art of wine. Her skill as a writer matches her skill as a master sommelier. This is an excellent book for anyone interested in exploring the world of wine. I'd also recommend Andrea's DVD, "Andrea's Complete Wine Course for Everyone." It's a complete two-hour course that touches all the bases, from the basics, to ordering in restaurant, to great food pairings.
A Full-Bodied Experience!!.......2007-02-27
What an amazing book from someone who clearly knows wine and how to relate her experiences to wine enthusiasts. This book covers wine from the basic principle to the most detailed. Anyone interested in wine, MUST read this book!
Great starter book........2007-02-10
I have always had a love for wines and this book was able to teach me relatively quickly identify different tastes of wine. Granted the book probably asks you to buy over 20 bottles for wine tastings, but there is no better way to learn than trial by drinking.
This is the only book I have ever read on the subject and I believe the quick easy guidelines have made me a more sophisticated wine buyer and taster. My only criticism is the fact that the book is written in a manner that assumes intimidation of wine, which could not hold true for every reader.
Perfect!.......2007-02-07
This is such a great guide to wine and winetasting. It's perfect if you have a bunch of friends that also enjoy wine. I started out trying to do the tastings (part of every chapter) on my own, which started to get very expensive. I quickly learned that this is a perfect evening activity to do with a bunch of friends. Have each friend bring a bottle from her provided lists so that it's more affordable. Each chapter turns into another get together with friends and we go through them together. The tastings perfectly illustrate what she explains in the text and you'll be a connoisseur in no time.
Book Description
Those of us who cook every day have thousands of cookbooks to choose from—but no single book assembles 125 surefire, easy-to-prepare recipes that are certain to come out perfectly. Simply Perfect Every Time collects a cook’s everyday canon of recipes—perfect whether you’re just starting to cook; have been cooking nightly or on weekends; solo or for family; or, after years of daily cooking, still enjoy preparing simply made dishes. Recipes cover every meal: eggs four ways (poached, boiled, baked, or scrambled) for breakfast, plus muffins and other baked goodies; sides and salads including caramelized onions, Caesar salad, and roasted root vegetables; a dozen essential soups; main dishes from beef stew to roast chicken to cheese soufflé; carrot cake, vanilla ice cream, and flourless chocolate cake for dessert; plus essential staples like marinated olives, tomato sauce, and spiced nuts. Over 50 photographs throughout are included in this all-in-one cookbook of essential, foolproof recipes.
Customer Reviews:
perfect rice pudding!.......2005-03-10
Okay, so I've only made one of the recipes in the book....rice pudding. But it worked! I have tried many recipes for rice pudding, and all have failed, becoming more of a rice soup! The book has a nice, small format, which is easy to cart around to the grocery store. I look forward to trying more foolproof recipes.
Book Description
Back by popular demand, "Hooked on Cats" takes you step by step through a variety of styles and patterns and provides advice on capturing the look of cat fur, whiskers, eyes, and noses. Complete basic projects in a short time or use dye formulas and design hints to create your own rugs. Includes: tips and techniques from a renowned rug hooker; ten complete patterns with step-by-step instructions; a full-color gallery of rugs both old and new; special dyeing techniques; how to hook fur, whiskers, and more.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic book for Cat-loving rug hookers!.......1999-11-18
If you like cats you can not find a better book for hooking on the subject than this one. It gives detailed pattern instructions for all kinds of cats. It is full of lovely photos, many in color. The front cover tells it all. It is a color picture of a beautiful gray persian cat. Instructions for this cat are contained inside including how to dye for the project. Enjoy!
Book Description
When you go to Home Depot to look at their ready-made cabinetry, you may not think of it as prefab, but in fact that's just one example of the many amenities today's manufacturers offer. Customized amenities provide homeowners comforts they couldn't afford otherwise and often more economical and environmentally smart ways. Think of luxury bathrooms with multilevel showers or oversized whirlpool tubs, skylights, staircases, ceramic tile and much, much more. Prefab Elements discusses this phenomenon, presenting scores of new materials and items that can be used either in a total prefab environment built from scratch or as individual items in a renovation or redesign. Building on the bestselling success of Prefab Modern, this inspiring book also provides a fascinating history of how the prefab movement really got started and how architects like Frank Lloyd Wright became increasingly involved with early prefab development. A source list and glossary are included to help homeowners get up to speed on this all the new exciting opportunities prefabricated elements offer today.
Customer Reviews:
Prefab Elements: Adding Custom Features to Your Home.......2005-11-05
Sandy McLendon's book combines a history of prefabricated components in residential construction with gorgeous inspirational photographs, and new information on the latest technologies. It is informative for the lay person as well as the architect.
Michael John Smith
Average customer rating:
|
PowerPoint Para Windows 95 - Guia de Campo -
Francisco Pascual
Manufacturer: Rama Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Graphic Arts
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Spanish
| Foreign Language Nonfiction
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arte
| Arte, arquitectura y fotografía
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
Artes Gráficos
| Diseño Gráfico
| Arte, arquitectura y fotografía
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
No-Ficción
| Libros en español
| Formats
| Books
| Automotriz
| Ciencias Sociales
| Crimen y Criminales
| Educación
| Estudios de la Mujer
| Feriados
| Filosofía
| Gobierno
| Hechos Verídicos
| Planeamiento Urbano y Desarrollo
| Política
| Sucesos de Actualidad
| Transportación
ASIN: 8478972226 |
Book Description
Tom Stoppard is, arguably, the greatest living English playwright. His work, from the early Jumpers to the film Shakespeare in Love to the current Invention of Love has changed the landscape of drama. Witty, erudite, passionate, abstract, clever, his works are like no one else's. Who is Tom Stoppard-the Czech-born son of Jews who became the singularly English man of letters? In this vibrant, critical portrait, Ira Nadel weaves life and works into a fascinating chronicle of Stoppard's world on English and American stages. Peopled with such characters as Diana Rigg, John Wood, and Billy Crudup, the book untangles Stoppard's genius against the backdrop of Broadway and London's West End.
Customer Reviews:
Unauthorized Bio.......2002-10-18
Nadel has clearly done his homework in his reading about the theatre and plays generally. But he also unfortunately, and probably in order to fill in many gaps, provides us with far too many of unnecessary details-- such as the street number of the house where Stoppard's father was born, but little valid information about Tom Stoppard as an an author,-- though we're given much useless information about other characters- or the very plays he's supposed to explore for and with us. If you haven't read all the plays, you will find the book heavy, literally and figuratively.
Praise, when given, often seems grudging-- we are told, in the acknowlegments, that the playright was generous, as told Nadel by Stoppard's sister. But that generosity isn't shown in the body of the biography , though we're given many petty details, such as Stoppard being often late or disorganized.
In writing his unauthorized bio,Nadel,by definition, had to leave out much: what he was unaware of, what he couldn't explore, and what he didn't understand. He appears unaware of Stoppard's aim of creating a theater of ideas as more than a theater of action.
At over 500 pages, this biography is too long and repetitive. (And surely, somewhere, there could have been traces of humor, considering Nadel was writing about a most witty author...)
Being left with many unanswered questions, in spite of its topic, I found this book disappointing.
REALLY NOW, WHO IS TOM STOPPARD?.......2002-07-08
Precisely who is the man who gave us such disturbing and erudite plays as "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern," "The Real Thing," and most recently "The Coast Of Utopia"? He is arguably the foremost dramatist of our time, but what makes Tom Stoppard tick?
We'll not find the answers to these questions in a biography of the playwright by Ira Nadel, although that is not due to lack of research as there are almost 100 pages of references and indices included in this rather weighty tome.
Perhaps the best one can do in assessing another human being is to hazard guesses based on observation. There are observations aplenty in this highly readable portrait of an enigmatic genius who, almost singlehandedly, has altered the face of 20th century drama.
For Stoppard, born Tomas Straussler in 1937, it has been a far journey from his home in Czechoslovakia to Hollywood, Broadway, and London's West End. Readers take this journey with him, observing Stoddard's evolution into a playwright concerned with morals and politics, noting the ups and downs in his personal life, and seeing his connectedness to his past.
Critic/biographer Nadel has done an exemplary job in documenting the life of a contradictory figure. Yet, the question lingers: precisely who is Tom Stoppard?
- Gail Cooke
Average customer rating:
|
Double ACT: A Life of Tom Stoppard
Ira B. Nadel
Manufacturer: Methuen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
| Actors & Actresses
| Artists, Architects & Photographers
| Authors
| Composers & Musicians
| Dancers
| Entertainers
| Movie Directors
| New Age
| Television Performers
| Theatre
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| 18th Century
| 19th Century
| 20th Century
| Classics
| Contemporary
| General
| Historical
| Humor
| Letters & Correspondence
| Middle
| Old
| Poetry
| Renaissance
| Shakespeare
| Short Stories
Contemporary
| British & Irish
| Drama
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0413730506 |
Books:
- The Long Run of Myles Mayberry
- The Method Actors: A Novel
- The Newcomes (Limp Leather) Memoirs of a Most Respectable Family
- The Poet Game: A Novel
- The Portable Promised Land: Stories
- The Red Dancer: The Life and Times of Mata Hari
- The Seventh Babe
- The Shell Collector: Stories
- The Third Witch: A Novel
- The Two Sams: Ghost Stories
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Beautiful Botanicals: Painting and Drawing Flowers and Plants
- 15 Books in 1: L. Frank Baum's Original "Oz" Series. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Marvelous Land
- The Human Immunodeficiency Virus: Biology, Immunology, and Therapy.
- Veronika Decides to Die: A Novel of Redemption
- Where Women Create: Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women
- A Designer's Eye for Scrapbooking
- You Can Postpone Anything but Love
- Sketching With A Pencil: For Those Who Are Just Beginning
- Traditional Jewish Papercuts: An Inner World of Art and Symbol
- Trophic Regulation of the Basal Ganglia
Mr. Dixon Disappears: A Mobile Library Mystery (Mobile Library)
The Case of the Missing Books: A Mobile Library Mystery (Mobile Library Mysteries)
The Truth About Babies: From A-Z
Ring Road
Double Negative (Felony & Mayhem Mysteries)
