Long John Silver: The True and Eventful History of My Life of Liberty and Adventure As a Gentleman of Fortune & Enemy to Mankind

Book Description

Translated by Tom Geddes A brilliantly evocative successor to Treasure Island.

Long John Silver is living out his twilight years on Madagascar. He has a price on his head, and the Royal Navy is looking to bring him to justice. But what obsesses him most is the fear of posthumous obscurity, and this motivates him to pen his memoirs. Bjrn Larsson's Long John Silver is compelling and attractive, a treacherous and anti-authoritarian figure, driven by pride and a sense of fairness. He tells of his life as a smuggler and of working the Caribbean slave ships; of his years as quartermaster to the rum-soaked brute Captain Flint; and, finally, of his meeting with Daniel Defoe, with whom he watches the hanging of pirates at London's Execution Dock. But this is no mere sequel to Treasure Island. Larsson takes Robert Louis Stevenson's story as his basis and reinvents it, bringing the most complex and powerful character to the fore. Long John Silver is not only a beautifully textured evocation of eighteenth-century seafaring life but also a witty, absorbing, and allusive comment on the making of a myth.

Customer Reviews:

A buccanneer on the high sees.......2000-01-29

This book takes a guess on the story of one of the most loved scoundrels ever to roam the seven seas of litterature. The research done in the process of the creation of this piece is quite well done. The book is exiting with all the strange and fascinating tales and stories the pirate experiences through his great and long carier. Long John is shown as the fully complex and complete character is person deserves. Indeed a deserving piece by a capable arthor.

A great read!.......1999-12-14

This book is a pleasure to read! Larsson has beautifully captured the world of the pirate, and placed it clearly in the society of the time. Long John Silver lives from adventure to adventure -- sailor, slave-ship crewmember, slave, pub-owner, fugitive, lover, smuggler, and wealthy, retired (but still-sought-after-by-authorities) gentleman of fortune. Throughout it all, he follows his own moral compass and does the right thing.

A tale out of another century, vividly captured and well-told.

Average customer rating:

Silver as He Wanted to be Remembered....and then some

Everybody see the world with different eyes

Great Fun!

A good story with some historical realities too.

A book that gives a taste for a life of liberty (and fun)

Long John Silver: The True and Eventful History of My Life of Liberty and Adventure As a Gentleman of Fortune and Enemy to Mankind (Panther)
Bjorn Larsson
Manufacturer: Harvill Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1860465382

Customer Reviews:

Silver as He Wanted to be Remembered....and then some.......2006-03-03

The plot device of having LJS dictate the story to Defoe (who wrote a real history of pirates under the pseud. of Captain Johnson) is a stroke of genius, especially when the rascal meditates outside of his dictation for the devious and devilish stuff that the moral Defoe would not understand. Long John remains one of the most colorful, and inscrutable, characters of all pirate lore. Larsson's knack for bringing him to life apart from the innocent viewpoint of Jim Hawkins, shows the readers of Treasure Island just how LJS developed his ruthlessness, tinged with his own skewed sense of chivalry and style. The fact that Silver is quite well-read, and articulate lends authenticity to the stories of actual pirates with whom the fictional Silver might have sailed. I didn't find the intermittent philosophizing too off-putting. Silver was always trying to rationalize his often brutish actions in Treasure Island, so he does here as well. While enjoying a rollicking good "alternate history" of 18th century "gentlemen of fortune", I learned quite a bit about the harshness of sailor life of that period, and also about slave ships and their horrible ordeal

Everybody see the world with different eyes.......2003-07-29

The story of LJS is "great" if you can say that word to a life who always was outside the law, of course for him he was doing right and he was making justice among the seven seas.
This story will show you how the pirates thought and how they work to make their dreams come true (if the have any dream as LJS said more than once).
Is a good book to read except the last two or three chapters, but is a book that worth every word it has.

Great Fun!.......2003-03-01

One of the most recognizable characters in English literature gets his own fictional autobiography in this sweeping historical tour-de-force by a Swedish sailor, of all people. For many, LJS is the most memorable and deep character in the classic adventure tale Treasure Island. In this book he recounts his life both before and after the events in Stevenson's tale. His first-person story unfolds in chronological chapters which alternate with chapters in which he tells of his dealings with that chronicler of pirates, Daniel Defoe, and later, Jim Hawkins. Many of these chapters are written directly to the two libelers, and include rambling meditations on the nature of freedom and meaning of life.

The accounts of his life adventures are rich in language and detail. It's a stunning achievement by translator Geddes, given all the nautical and period slang, and one would never know the book wasn't written in English. Readers who know nothing about boats and seamanship (like myself) will have no problems following the action and appreciating the details. Larsson has apparently researched the social history of pirates and seafaring in great detail, as the book delivers a detailed and spirited defense of those who went to sea under the black flag. Great attention is given to the awful conditions of the average sailor on a merchantman, and the evils of slave ships are examined at length and in graphic detail. Through Silver, Larsson portrays the buccaneers of the era as freedom-seekers and hedonists, living for the moment. Their crimes are shown as no greater than that of the merchants who plunder distant lands and enslave people.

This unvarnished "truth" is brought out in vivid storytelling as the old pirate, now living in Madagascar, puts pen to paper. It has to be said that while the chapters describing Silver's life and (mis)adventures are wonderful, the shorter chapters where he rambles on about good/evil, etc. can get repetitive and tiresome. Still, the book is great fun and well worth reading for its take on pirate life. Fans of the original Treasure Island may also be interested in Justin Scott's fun 1994 version, which transplants the action to 1950s Long Island.

A good story with some historical realities too........2002-02-26

A good story with some historical realities too.
I studied history at undergraduate level - some of the details
of a common sailor's life, are really nicely described. Change the name to anything but Long John Silver and its a good period
piece. Gritty in places and rambling in others, just as one might imagine coming across an account of the life of a pirate. A real fireside book for the winter. I'll be looking for other books by the same author.

A book that gives a taste for a life of liberty (and fun).......2001-07-25

If you can't imagine what is it like to have a real desire for a life of liberty, then read the amazing and really entertaining story of Long John Silver by the sweedish author Larsson who actually wrote this book aboard his ship.

Book Description

Together for the first time on CD are three powerful and alluring stories of New Orleans’ Dynasty of witches, The Mayfair Witches.

Lasher, read by Joe Morton
At the heart of this extraordinary saga is Rowan Mayfair’s attempt to escape the evil spell and vision of the darkly compelling demon, Lasher, and his pursuit of her and their terrifying and exquisite child. It is a novel that moves around the globe, backward and forward through time, and between the human and demonic worlds.

The Witching Hour, read by Lindsay Crouse
The epic of the Mayfair witches begins when Rowan Mayfair pulls the drowned body of Michael Curry from the sea and brings him back to life. She is aware that she possesses special powers, but unaware that she comes from a great dynasty of withces. He, in his brief interlude with death, has acquired sendsory abilities that mystify and frighten him. Fiercely drawn to each other, the two fall in love and set out to solve the mystery of her past and his unwelcome gift.

Taltos, read by Tim Curry
Meet Mr. Ash, quiet spoken, tall, unfailingly kind–sole survivor of an ancient species, the Taltos–thriving among humankind as he has always done, head of a great corporate empire. As the novel opens, he is stunned to learn from and old and mysterious friend that another Taltos has been seen. At once he is propelled into the world of Rowan Mayfair, into the mysteries of the Mayfair family–a family initimately involved with the heritage of the Taltos.

Customer Reviews:

More Tales of Mystery and the Exotic.......2003-01-01

This is the second collection of tales about the British raconteur Brigadier Ffellowes,

In a gentleman's club, the Brigadier is persuaded to tell more stories about the mysterious and exotic things he has encountered in his travels, including the half-human survivors of ancient At'lantz, racial memory on an archaeological dig in Cornwall, the strange cries heard on an island of turtles, an old cavalry commander still keeping watch in the Danube fog, the real meaning of the Loch Ness monster, and how Ffellowes' father worked with (and was snubbed by) an imperious, hawk-nosed London detective hunting the Giant Rat of Sumatra.

Book Description

Every pregnant woman recognizes that what she eats, drinks, and does with her body directly affects the developing baby within her. Yet mothers-to-be—between juggling work, other children, and their many other responsibilities—often don’t have the time that they’d like to devote to their nutrition. Now, Eating for Pregnancy addresses the nutritional needs of pregnant women today, helping them navigate through frozen food aisles and prepared food sections and prepare homemade meals as healthy and easy as possible. Authors Jones and Hudson provide reassuring, up-to-date nutritional information; shopping and eating tips to keep nutrient-intake high and unnecessary weight-gain to a minimum; and guilt-free, smart-choice convenience and semi-prepared food options. Their more than 120 recipes, organized into six main sections, are high in vitamins, iron, calcium, protein, and fiber and moderate in amounts of fat, sodium, and sugar. Each recipe highlights “What’s in this for baby and me?” and includes complete nutritional breakdowns and meal planning advice; many offer suggestions for substitutions and other timesaving shortcuts. Eating for Pregnancy also caters to women with gestational diabetes with diabetic tips and ADA exchange values. A vegetarian chapter offers essential advice to pregnant vegetarians along with inspiring recipes. Eating for Pregnancy is the only book that combines the experience of a professionally trained cook and writer turned home cook and mother with the expertise and experience of a perinatal nutritionist who sees hundreds of clients a year.

Customer Reviews:

BEST COOKBOOK EVER - could only be better if it was twice as long!.......2007-08-10

I'm not pregnant, and neither is anyone in my family, but this is simply the BEST cookbook I've ever purchased.

My husband and I are living with my fifty year old parents and my teenage sisters, and I am the only one in the family who likes to eat healthy. I've been cooking healthy recipes from other cookbooks, only to get grumpy looks and half-eaten portions from my family members. Along comes "Eating for Pregnancy." We have tried six of the main-course meals, and my family has liked EVERY ONE of them. That NEVER happens in our house! (People all liking the same meal, let alone a Healthy one!)

The best part is that each recipe contains a fresh-from-scratch version (each takes about 1 hour to prepare), tips for using prepared foods to make a "quicker" version, and complete meal ideas for sides etc.

I'll can't wait to finish trying the rest of the recipes!

This is a great book! Worth the purchase.......2007-05-29

I bought this book because of the reviews I read. It really is a good cookbook. There are plenty of recipes that are easy and quick. It will let you know which ones you can do in a day or if you need to start them the day before. I also really like that it tells you the nutrion count for each serving. Important for the preggies that have to really count the protein. There's a good vegetarian section. When your child is older it tells you certain ways to modify it for your child. This is just a great book all the way. My husband loves the meals that come from it. We'll be using this for a long time.

If you only buy one, this is it!.......2007-04-06

This recipe book is wonderful. It is full of recipes that are easy to do, and it doesn't require a lot of exotic products, though it does have some very creative dishes. One of the best things about this book is that it explains what each recipe contains that's good for the baby and you. The introduction explains what you need and why, and the recipes not only tell you what requirements that meal meets but also what to add to make it a "complete meal." The vegetarian section is great, regardless of whether you are one or not, and the dessert section helps you feel less guilty about those sweets cravings! The book has recipes anyone in your family would like, and my husband has been quite happy with everything I've made so far. If you're cooking for kids, there are ideas about how to encourage your kids to eat these recipes (though there are many kid-friendly recipe, so I don't think you'd have problems getting your kids to enjoy the book, too). The tips and charts sprinkled throughout are helpful: some examples of the charts are "healthy bagel toppings" and "smart choice frozen foods." As you can see, the book also recognizes that you will eat other things not in this book, and it helps you make wise choices about those food options, too! Also, most recipes have suggestions how to adjust them accordingly if you're diabetic or need to enrich your calcium intake, etc. I particularly recommend the three-bean vegetarian chili and the banana muffins with walnuts and wheat germ (I omit the nuts for allergy reasons)--yum!
As its title suggests, in many ways this cookbook is far more than a cookbook: it really is a "guide to nutrition" concerning "eating for pregnancy." I highly recommend this book.

Trully is Essential, Well Worth The Purchase.......2007-03-14

When this book arrived two months ago I was eager to test the quality (taste) of the receipes it contained. I wanted to incorporate more Omega-3 into my diet so the first receipe I tryed was the "Tilapia Mediterranean-Style". As a complete meal idea I placed the tilapia and sauce over a bed of couscous cooked in low sodium organic chicken broth. I loved it, even my husband loved it and he hates tilapia! After that I was compelled to find another success. Another hit I found was the "Homemade Guacamole" receipe with the"Beef Fajita" dish. This book not only provides wonderful health freindly meals for Breakfast, Snacks, Lunches, Main Courses, & Desserts but it houses a wealth of detailed facts on food safety and nutrition. There's even a Vegetarian section any Omnivore would love. Each receipe determines the specific nutrional benifits it provides to you and your baby. Also each receipe contains approximate nutritional information e.g. calories & fat, meal variations for specific diets such as diabetics, complete meal ideas (side dishes and such), storage tips, advanced preparation, & timesaving tips. Before each section of receipes a pantry list is provided to help organize your shopping list. I've only read and used about 1/16 of what this book has to offer and even now I'm completely satisfied. This book is sure to be of regular use even after I give birth.

Wonderful Recipes!.......2006-11-09

I absolutely love this Cookbook / Nutrition Guide. My husband and I are planning a pregnancy and I have decided to start making "healthier" nutrition choices. I was a bit skeptical at first but after trying a few of the recipes, I was hooked. These recipes do not compromise on full flavor! The "pearls of wisdom" information is so helpful too. I will be enjoying this book for many, many years. By the way - the "apple blueberry granola crisp" is my -now and probably forever- favorite dessert.
I'm really hoping the authors will collaborate and publish another cookbook.

Book Description

Kennel Club Books introduces a breakthrough in puppy-training books! Well-known author Charlotte Schwartz has taken a key commonsense principal of canine development and applied it to the education of every new puppy. All dog trainers and behaviorists agree that the first eight weeks of a dog's life are the most critical time for training and shaping the dog's behavior and obedience potential. Puppy Training presents a unique and useful approach for new owners, carefully detailing an eight-week home-training program.

With over 40 years of experience in dog training, Charlotte Schwartz reveals to the owner the secrets to successful house-training and obedience training. Using positive-training techniques, the author describes her methods of house-training, puppy motivation (treat training), personality tests, basic obedience commands as well as some fun tricks for the puppy. Puppy Training is designed to give owners' an easy-to-follow sequence, week by week, presenting all of the behaviors that new owners want to teach their puppies—just as if the owners and puppies were in an obedience class.

Readable, entertaining and based on the author's tried and true methods, this book is illustrated with over 135 color photographs, many of which capture puppies successfully trained by Miss Schwartz. Whether this is your first puppy or one-hundredth, Puppy Training will prove to be an invaluable resource in the education of your new canine companion.

Customer Reviews:

Loved the book.......2007-06-05

We recently adopted a mini schnauzer so wanted to raise him the best we could. This is basically a step by step training process with the help of this book.

Impressed!!.......2007-03-14

Out of all the puppy training books that I have read, this one has advice that I will use and keep handy to continue using. I have lived with dogs my whole life and training is not a new idea to me. This book however is easy to digest, read, and follow! I have had my new puppy for two days..so wish me the best of luck!!

Still into the OLD Dominance Theory.......2006-04-19

Charlotte Schwartz still believes that if you let a dog go out the door before you, eat before you or allowed up on the furniture, muchless sleep with you that it will take over ruling the household.

Dogs totally understand who controls the food - the ones with the opposable thumbs. If you ask for a few simple things like a sit before being fed who cares who ate before whom? You give up many of the pleasures there are in enjoying the companionship of your puppy/dog if you follow Charlotte's advice to not allow them up on the furniture or up on your bed.

There are better puppy training books out there like Pat Miller's books - The Power of Positive Dog Training and Positive Perspectives: Love Your Dog, Train Your Dog. Much better training books for your dollars to spend on!

Customer Reviews:

THE book on Springfield Armory long arms.......2001-12-24

This is a highly detailed, full-color illustrated history and description of the Springfield Armory's output. For serious reference or just enjoyable reading, I recommend it highly. It's a bargain at the price!

Amazon.com

Artists have long been attracted to Provence for the quality of the light and for the dramatic color; now Colors of Provence demonstrates just what Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and others found there. Divided into chapters entitled "Red," "Orange," "Yellow," "Green," "Blue," and "White, Black, & Gray," the book is a feast of photographs celebrating the vermillion walls of a small French village, the shades of green in a Provençal herb garden, the cerulean blue of lavender spindles. In and around these luscious photos Michel Biehn weaves a net of words describing the culture and customs of Provence, with a few recipes thrown in for good measure. The Colors of Provence is a book made for dreaming over, ideal for those who have seen Provence for themselves, and those who hope to one day.

Book Description

Under the bright Provencal sun, the colors of earth, stone, trees, fruits, and flowers give this region its unique character and beautyâfrom the deep purple of lavender fields to the radiant yellow of sunflowers, and from the bright red of vine-ripened tomatoes to the earthy blackness of fresh truffles, the essential elements of Provence are unfolded chapter by chapter and color by color. Ochre bricks and roof tiles are set against ripe red cherries, while glistening clementines share the orange hues of Mediterranean coral. Yellow tints the popular pastis liqueur and the zucchini blossoms used in the local cuisine. Green recalls the traditional garden pottery while blue reflects the fishing boats and white symbolizes the region's famous cotton boutis bed coverings. An insider's guide includes the best addresses for fabrics, ceramics, antiques, and embroidery, sources for gourmet delicacies, and recipes for uniquely Provencal dining experiences. This book is a visually evocative and essential reference on this unique corner of the world.

Customer Reviews:

Local Color.......2001-03-22

Michel Biehn records in loving and sensuous detail the customs and culture of his native Provence, using color as an ingenious organizing theme. The book goes far beyond the cliched lavender. It reveals the purples that fill Provencal gardens at Easter: lilac, iris and wisteria; the deep indigo that dyed the "jute de Nimes" exported to the United States as "denim" (de Nimes) by Levi Strauss; the hot saffron that flavors bouillabaisse; the orange coral marketed at Marseille; the white-on-white boutis embroidery on quilts and linens for the traditional trousseau; the red stone villages rising from the red earth; the yellow of sunflowers, straw hats and bright silk petticoats. Biehn's particular interest, and expertise, in traditional Provencal fabrics and costumes provides a logical palette on which to juxtapose these dramatic colors. Filled with memories, history, folklore, poetry, garden wisdom and mouthwatering recipes, The Colors of Provence is illustrated with ravishing color photos of Provencal landscapes, homes and objects.

This book has very much enriched our journeys in Provence and prodded our memories when we reminisce about them. Michel Biehn's idiosyncratic list of his favorite places to visit in Provence has led us to wonderful restaurants, shops, tile works, fabric stores and museums. We found it a valuable resource for understanding the significance of artifacts in village museums in Provence, and especially the collections of the extraordinary Provencal folk museum - the Musee Arlaten - that poet Frederic Mistral established in Arles with his Nobel prize money. A lovely and lively book perfect for planning a journey to Provence or dreaming about one.

Gorgeous photos, magnificent colors!.......1999-08-20

I was given this book as a gift upon returning from a trip to France, and this more than any of my travel photos will remind me of and make me yearn to be back in Provence. Very beautiful!

Book Description

French Popular Lithographic Imagery, 1815-1870 will reproduce in twelve volumes approximately 5000 nineteenth-century lithographs from the collections of the Bibliothèque nationale. Beatrice Farwell's multivolume text-fiche catalog will be an essential resource to art historians and will appeal to all those interested in nineteenth-century France.

French Popular Lithographic Imagery, 1815-1870, Volume 3: Urban and Military

Average customer rating:

French Popular Lithographic Imagery, 1815-1870, Volume 3: Urban and Military
Beatrice Farwell
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPJQOM

Book Description

In Geronimo’s Bones, award-winning author Nasdijj has written a love song to his brother, Tso—short for The Smarter One—and the powerful bond that sustained the two of them through the grim reality of their childhood. Filled with poetic intensity and unfiltered emotion, Geronimo’s Bones is a visceral reading experience.

Born to migrant parents—his father a self proclaimed “cowboy” and his Navajo mother, tender-hearted and flawed—Nasdijj knew little of the conformity spreading across America in the 1950s. He was busy surviving the migrant camps in Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, and North Carolina, where despair and death were familiar faces. Nasdijj and Tso were boys racing trains and demons, whispering tales about Spider Woman, Sa, Geromino, and Coyote, the stories of their mother’s people that they had heard at bedtime. Nasdijj writes: “Geronimo is a voice who comes to me at night, when all the other creatures are asleep and the universe belongs to us.”

After their mother’s tragic death from alcohol, the young brothers were left in the care of their sometimes indifferent, often abusive, and occasionally loving father. Nasdijj and Tso rarely attended school, but they picked cotton, tomatoes, potatoes, apples, peaches, beans, and artichokes. To escape this indentured servitude, Nasdijj and Tso eventually stole a car and ran away.

Told in brilliant flashes of poetry, narrative, and song, Geronimo’s Bones reveals a world that to this day remains hidden from most Americans. But Nasdijj’s work derives its special power from his ability to capture the universal emotions that we all share: hate and love, loss and remembrance.

Customer Reviews:

Fiction Not Fact.......2006-01-29

This book may be powerful, but readers need to know that the story is not a memoir. Indeed, it is not even nonfiction. As recent reviewers have noted, Nasdijj has been unmasked as a white man who previously wrote gay porn. This book--like other works by Nasdijj--is basically a novel, marketed as a "true story."

There is--or should be--a contract between readers and writers so that readers know what they are buying and how much of what they are reading is actually true. Sure, genres overlap and the rules are fuzzy. A reader has one set of expectations for a work of history that adheres to academic standards and a different set of expectations for a memoir or autobiography by a Hollywood star. Ben Franklin probably fudged things a little in his AUTOBIOGRAPHY; James Frey made up a whole lot of stuff in A MILLION LITTLE PIECES.

Publishers need to be more careful about what they publish and how they promote their books. Obviously, scrupulous fact-checking is a thing of the past, but Frey's "memoir" is full of totally unbelievable incidents, and Nasdijj's work was questioned by respected Native American authors and academics before it was published.

That is not to say that works like A MILLION LITTLE PIECES or GEROMINO'S BONES are totally without merit as pieces of writing. But they are not memoir. They are not history. And they are not nonfiction. They are novels, and it is unfortunate that they were not presented and marketed (by their authors and publishers) more honestly.

Readers beware. We need to learn from this lesson. As readers, we are moved by stories--that is good--but we need to know whether or not those stories are "true" because that does affect how we respond to a writer's work.

Read it as fiction...........2006-01-26

....since the author is apparently a brotherless non-Native American named Tim Barrus (look him up -- his other works might surprise you). See the LA Weekly's story "Navahoax", available online....

Article Raises Questions Of Authors Authenticity.......2006-01-25

I don't have an critical opinion of this book, but I think it would be extremely depressing to read. I did read an online article from the LA Weekly that raises questions about the authors authenticity, and just wanted to pass that along. This may be a fictional book writen by a white. http://www.laweekly.com/index.php?option=com_lawcontent&task=view&id=12468&Itemid=47

Bravest writer in America.......2004-09-23

Navajo poet Nasdijj has produced another triumph in his latest memoir, Geronimo's Bones: A Memoir of My Brother and Me. Although the writer's earlier works centered on his adopted children, in this new book Nasdijj explores his own abusive past and that of his brother, Tso.

There's no polite way to put this: Nasdijj and his brother were repeatedly raped and beaten by their father over a period of several years after their mother died. Nasdijj frequently emerged from these confrontations with broken bones that, he indicates, are to blame for a painful bone disease that threatens his life now that he is in his 50s. This cycle of abuse took place within the context of poverty, hunger and instability. A migrant worker, Nasdijj's father moves his family every few weeks. A chronic alcoholic, he rarely gets around to shopping for food or cooking for his boys. Other migrants are too scared to report the abuse to the authorities. And the arm of the law isn't long enough, apparently, to catch up with a migrant child molester.

Geronimo's Bones is loosely woven around the brothers' daring escape from their father. At ages 13 and 14, they pick their father's pocket of several thousand dollars, steal a Corvette from a chop shop and drive it to California. One of their first stops is a House of Pancakes where they pick up a 16-year-old girl who is also running away from home. Her driver's license facilitates their journey since she can legally drive and can check them into motels along the way.

Their journey is not told in a straight line, however. Nasdijj deliberately fragments his story, going back and forth in time, slipping years ahead without warning. By organizing his story this way, he mimics the way the human mind deals with harsh memories-in pieces that string together in random patterns.

"What pisses me off about the assumption that my life, and the life of my brother, can be explained in linear ways, is, too, an assumption that my father was destroyed in degrees," explains Nasdijj. He goes on to write, "our father was destroyed in a thousand ways, a trillion ways, ways far beyond our limited ability to understand even as it was happening in front of our eyes. Even as it was happening to him, it was happening to us."

Nasdijj interweaves his narrative with Native American mythology, especially the myths surrounding Indian leader Geronimo. The author reinvents himself and his brother as mythological "war twins," sons of Changing Woman, sister to White Shell Woman. Each new chapter of his narrative begins with myth, then gears back into the story of his own horrible childhood.

In Geronimo's Bones, Nasdijj casts a light on the psychology of abusive parents and children who are so disempowered they don't appeal for help. Some people may find themselves drawn to this book for the lessons it offers psychologists and social workers. Others will be drawn to Nasdijj's haunting poetic style. Whether for its sociological values or for its literary merit, most readers are bound to find Geronimo's Bones a groundbreaking and important new work.

Walking in Beauty.......2004-08-25

A lyrical, pain-filled memoir of two Native American boys, Nasdijj (To Become Again) and Tso (The Smart One), fighting to survive the harsh, oppressive world of countless migrant camps and the consistent abuse and terror inflicted on them by their white father in the 1950's.
Before the tragic death of their alcoholic mother, she instilled in them the beauty and myth of her Navajo people, "those who walk the surface of the Earth". Nasdijj weaves the myths of Indian leader Geronimo and the War Twins, put on Earth to slay monsters, into each chapter of his narrative. These myths sustained him through illness, poverty, racism and the horror of his life, sustaining him until he and Tso were brave enough to escape the tyranny of their father and travel the open road.
Although many may find the agony and brutality resonating from every page of Geronimo's Bones difficult to read, it is a powerful, evocative book of poetry that gives us insight into the very depths of Nasidjj's love and strength for his younger brother. Revealing a world not known to most Americans, it is an incredible testimony to the astounding resilience of human nature. Listen and learn "to walk in beauty".

Geronimo's Bones : a Memoir of My Brother and Me

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Geronimo's Bones : a Memoir of My Brother and Me
NASDIJJ
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVIZ1Q

Average customer rating:

Geronimo's Bones: A Memoir Of My Brother And Me
Nasdijj
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVGV8A

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