Book Description
he latest novel by France's 'literary lioness' (Elle Magazine) tells the story of an orphan girl named-haplessly-Plectrude. Raised by an eccentric if loving aunt, she is a dreamy child who is discovered to have enormous gifts as a dancer. Accepted at Paris's most prestigious ballet school, Plectrude devotes herself to artistic perfection, until her body can take no more. The portrait of the ballet world alone makes this un-for-gettable, but Nothomb offers much more in this brilliantly succinct story of haunted adolescence. In the end Plectrude takes command of her own fate by committing an act of such audacity it will leave readers breathless. The Book of Proper Names is vintage Nothomb: witty, troubling, mesmerizing.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting but stupid ending.......2007-01-31
This is a very short book (126 pages) that combines moments of some depth with moments of utter silliness. Most of it is a sparse but sympathetic study of a girl who is adopted by her aunt after her parents die horribly, is a bit of a misfit at school, goes into ballerina training and develops anorexia. Which is all OK; a bit wrenching to read in places, but engaging. Then she is wonderfully cured of anorexia, falls in love withe the Right Man, and shoots the author. Yes, that is how the book ends, and I do not apologise for spoiling it; it is such a stupid ending that it deserves no respect.
Good book but bad End.......2005-04-27
The book very well written, interesting, and keeps you hooked but the end is such a dissapointment. It appears as if the author got tired of writing the book and chose the most ridiculous ending possible so that she could say it was done. Despite this fault the writer has a great tone and has a good grasp of how children think and see their lives.
The story is about a little girl that looses her mother to suicide and then grows up with her aunt. Her aunt encourages her to become a ballerina and when the character fails to be an accomplished ballerina her aunt literally stops loving her.
Customer Reviews:
DC, Get It Together.......2007-07-04
Some of the greatest comics ever made. These stories bring back such great memories. I wish DC wouldn't stagger these volumes so much-they're in such a hurry to put out the cheap black and white Showcase Presents series, but why bother? These comics were meant to be seen in full color the way they were originally presented. Put out Volume 3 already.
Batman Classics.......2006-11-10
If you are like me and enjoy the old Batman Comics from the 1960's, you will want to start collecting these bound editions.
Customer Reviews:
Totally confused - didn't like this at all.......2005-01-04
I bought this book because of the cover art. I was a sucker for multi-doctor Doctor Who stories. I love them all. So I was looking forward to this. Doctors #2 & #4 - that's a combination that I'd never seen before. So I started reading it on a 3 hour plane flight home in July of 2004.
However, I got through to about 35 pages left in it, and I realized I still had no idea what was really going on. It was very confusing, and quite frankly, I felt that 200 or so pages into it you should have an idea what was going on. I didn't, and decided on Jan 2nd, 2005 to finally abandon a book I was not having any fun reading 6 months ago.
The only reason I kept reading it is that I didn't have much else to do, but I have to say I really didn't see "The Doctor" in here at all. I ended up donating the book to my local library. I would have just tossed it, but that's wasteful.
I've been a Doctor Who fan for 25 years or so, and read a decent amount of the novels, but this was the first I ever actively said "No Mas". I honestly didn't care how the book ended, because I had no idea what was going on.
It's great having two doctors........2001-11-09
I don't know what this unreadable stuff is all about the the doctors in this book were ok. The only downside to this is that the doctors never meet each other. But there was a certain plot to this and a definite connection to both doctors' situations. You just have to keep an open mind about things, that's all.
Odious. Unbearable. Unmanageable........2001-10-29
Dave Stone has been writing "Doctor Who" books for years, and almost anyone who chooses to buy "Heart of TARDIS" should know what to expect even before they open it. Even so, "Heart" manages to pack in more Stone excess than any novel he has ever written before. That's a bad sign.
The two sets of Doctor/companion pairings bear no relation to the characters (and actors) we remember from TV. The plot makes no sense, being a treatise on quantum physics written in crayon by a guy who just wants to stick big words together. There are references galore to other, better books and TV series -- part of this confusing mess of a novel takes place in the Springfield of "The Simpsons". For humor value only.
There are, in the midst of the morass, some nice jokes: Victoria, a sheltered 19th century girl, hears gangsta rap for the first time. The hammy Fourth Doctor overacts wildly in a room full of dusty furniture. A bookstore's shelves are overflowing with "Star Trek" novels.
But don't take my word for how bad this book is. Here, free of charge, is some sample prose: "as much relation to the truth as a toboggan does to a small tub of weasel cheese", "set to tear reality apart like a rotten walrus", " as the data-stream linkages between two computer networks have to a toaster plugged into a power outlet...", and of course "as similar to that of human recollection as the sound of a tuba is similar to a monkey in a little hat."
The book is unreadable. Please continue to support the "Doctor Who" line by reading the works of other authors.
Ouch! This one hurt!.......2001-07-26
"Heart of Tardis" tries so very hard to be many different things all at the same time. It's a Mystery Science Theatre 3000 episode. It's a Simpson's episode. It's a Cheers episode. Why, it's even a Professionals episode. How regrettable is the fact that the one thing it isn't, is a Doctor Who episode!
Like all the other reviewers, I agree that Dave Stone slaps two incarnations of the Doctor in a story that does not match up with the back-cover timeline suggested.
The story picks up with the 4th Doctor and Romana clearly off the search for the Key to Time. It serves no real purpose other than to get the Doctor and Romana I involved in this novel. The pacing of the novel never quite seems to fit the action going on.
Mr. Stone thanks some friends who helped him in fleshing out Patrick Troughton's character. There's our first problem. If Mr. Stone wasn't sure how the character was supposed to act, why choose him? The characterization suffers greatly throughout this novel. Even the 4th incarnation of the Doctor isn't quite right.
A vast majority of the novels in this series manage to at least capture some essence of the Doctor. "Heart of Tardis" does not. It's a very long journey with no real pay-off.
The writing style leaves a lot to be desired as well. I found "Rabid old trout" to be an odd description for the Prime Minister. It just didn't fit the novel.
Even the homage to my second favorite British TV show, "The Professionals", could not save this novel. The possibilities of these two particular incarnations meeting was absolutely squandered. Maybe at the hands of another author within this series, the two can truly meet up again for an adventure of substance.
To quote Crow T. Robot from the aforementioned MST3K: "This is bad. Bad, bad, bad. Bad to the bone, bad. Born under a bad sign bad."
When I say, run.... RUN AWAY from this installment.
280 pages I'll never get back.......2001-07-19
This was a book that I picked up because it had a snazy cover and the plot really sounded interesting. I know, I know, don't jusge a book by its cover, and this is NO EXCEPTION.
The characterizations of both Doctors were WAY off and the only redeeming quality was Romana, who was the only well characterized character. (?) The plot was confusing from start to finish and the interruption of "The Key to Time" was a complete waste. Why was there virtually no mention of it? "Shall we continue our search for the key?" was the only mention and it was forced, as if the author needed to explain his choosing to write the book here.
This was a book that should have been read backwards, if read at all. Maybe then we could have understood what on earth was happening.
Book Description
While traveling the globe as the host of Food Network’s hit TV shows Tyler’s Ultimate and Food 911, Tyler Florence developed a unique perspective on how Americans like to eat and cook today—and on how to help them with their daily cooking challenges. In Eat This Book, Tyler draws inspiration from kitchens around the world to enliven America’s favorite foods in more than 150 new real kitchen recipes for everyday occasions.
Now you can wake up tired weeknight chicken with the zing of North African spices. Turn Sunday’s same old spaghetti dinner into an authentic Italian abbondanza with Pappardelle Bolognese and Veal Saltimbocca alla Romana. Hit a home run on game day with Fresh Tortilla Chips, Guacamole, and Farmstand Salsa. Each recipe zeroes in on the bright notes of fresh, global fare and a handful of readily available ingredients that engage the senses and spark the palate, and all are as easy to prepare as they are flavorful.
From the simple pleasures of midnight fridge raids to the exotic and sophisticated, Eat This Book satisfies an array of hunger pangs in chapters that truly speak to the way we eat today:
Eating introduces pantry basics with a twist, like Lemon-Caper Mayonnaise and Ginger-Soy Vinaigrette;
Devouring presents snacks and cocktail bites such as Toasted Almonds in Chile Oil and Sautéed Feta Cheese;
Noshing offers crowd-pleasing fare for impromptu gatherings like Cold Sesame Noodles and Grilled Pizza with Mozzarella di Bufala;
Consuming lays out easy dishes for weeknight suppers, including Roasted Chicken Stuffed with Lemon and Herbs and Pan-Seared Tuna with Avocado;
Tasting harvests ideas from the summer garden such as Spanish Gazpacho and Roasted Corn with Parmesan and Cayenne;
Savoring serves up hot pots for cold nights, like Braised Brisket and Buttery Turnips; and
Licking the plate clean showcases irresistible desserts, including Peach and Blueberry Crostata and Chocolate Tart.
Packed with the excitement of a culinary wanderlust fulfilled and all the comforts of coming home again, Eat This Book proves there’s really no reason to eat out when the food from your own kitchen can be so delicious.
Customer Reviews:
If you love Food 911 or Tyler's Ultimate, Buy this Book .......2006-05-04
To put this review into perspective for you it is written by someone that has been cooking for 25 years, and concentrating on Italian cooking for the last 10 years. My favorite cookbook is "The Professional Chef" from the Culinary Institute of America. I would definitely consider myself a foodie.
This book is part travel journal and part cookbook. This book doesn't concentrate on one county or one type of cuisine. The emphasis is Tuscan Farmhouse, pan-Asian cooking of Australia, Spanish flavors of Barcelona, and the Mediterranean coast of France all rolled up into one. Tyler refers to this book as the "taste of the American Global palate". I call it delicious.
Most of the recipes are quick to prepare but are very flavorful. The first section of the book is devoted to what I would call kitchen essentials. These are as follows:
1. Herb Mayonnaises and Aioli
2. Fresh Chopped Herb Sauces
3. Fresh Milled Spices
4. Vinaigrettes
5. Stocks
The remainder of the book is recipes that use the essentials above. He divides this as follows (my interpretation is brackets):
1. Devouring (mostly appetizers)
2. Noshing (buffet type fare)
3. Consuming (soups, pastas, light meat dishes)
4. Tasting (heavy vegetable emphasis, summer fare)
5. Savoring (fall food)
6. Licking the Plate Clean (dessert)
While the subdivision of the recipes is a little unorthodox, the recipes themselves are quite good. Many of the recipes seem like something that I might have seen on "Food 911" or "Tyler's Ultimate". Since I don't always watch that show I cannot tell you if all the recipes are from those show, but I suspect many of them are.
I have prepared approximately 50% of the recipes in this book and each one turned out beautifully. His directions for pizza dough were very complete and easy to follow. The recipe for fresh pasta was dead on, and again easy to follow. And, my favorite, the Spaghetti Carbonara was authentic (no cream, yeah!) and the directions were perfect (but use the Pancetta, the offered bacon substitute is not authentic and the smoky flavor will be very noticeable in such a subtle dish). From an Italian cooking perspective Tyler nailed it. I am not as proficient in the other cuisines to speak to their authenticity. But using the Italian recipes as a guide I would guess the others are equally authentic.
If you love to cook, and you don't stick to one type of cuisine, this is a good book to have in your library. Most of the recipes (95%) have a beautiful full color, full-page photo on the page opposite the recipe. The book has a sturdy spine and is printed on glossy paper.
Good Stuff.......2005-10-19
I enjoy Tyler's books. There is enough "extra" narative that make his books read more like a good novel. It is also obvious that he has had success with the recipes in the book and they are what they say. Too often you find recipes in other cookbooks that are well written but do not come together.
Eat this Book: Cooking with Gobal Fresh Flavors.......2005-08-07
This is a great book. It has such a range of foods and flavors. So far I have made 8 items in the book. Everyone I would make again and again.
Everyday Eating Globally Hip Food.......2005-05-18
Tyler has certainly earned the rising star that he is in the emerging food celebrity chef world. He is young, energetic and well trained and experienced with the best of the world's food.
This FoodNetworkTV star now has two great cookbooks out, this one going in completely different direction that the first: global.
From the start he goes in the direction of other great chef's recent cookbooks, e.g. John Ash and Ming Tsai in providing building block basics, here in this case mayonnaises and ailois; herb sauces, milled spices, vinaigrettes, and stocks. Many chefs have already been into these, but never hurts having other approaches and twists of these around and this will be very beneficial to those who haven't experienced these pantry basics.
The following chapters are a bit cookbook unorthodox as titled, but match up in most cases with the usual. Rather than the typical appetizer he has "Devouring"; rather than "Comfort Food" he has "Noshing"; Consuming = Take Out Oriental + Italian you Make Yourself; Tasting = Seasonal Veggies and Fruits; Savoring = Holiday/Seasonal Hearty Meals; Licking the Plate Clean = Desserts. This is fun though, and nice for change.
The recipes in most cases are unique, not too exotic on the required techniques, equipment and ingreds. They are tasty, classy and rustic, most of all flavorful. Being around Tyler's cuisine one finds he is centered on intense flavors, and this recipe collection brings that out in spades for us the home chef de cuisine! An added feature that is truly nice is that right, directly under each title is the time estimate, including any special time additions (e.g. marinating, etc.) along with serving estimates.
I'll start at the back and work my way forward as to some of favorites so far: Unbelievable "Warm Pear Tart with Blue Cheese and Honey" (I'm bonkers for this one, combining some of my fav flavors!); Basil Ice Cream with Wine-Poached Cherries;Peach and Blueberry Crostata; Muscat Gelee with Blackberries and Rosemary (get best Muscat you can purchase); Roasted Pork Shoulder Stuffed with Carmalized Plantains; Brothy Pumkin Soup with Pancetta and Cabbage; Barcelona Style Rice; Grilled Pizza with MOzzarella di Bufala, Sausage, and Fresh Tomatoes; Field Mushrooms Roasted with Sausage and Raisins; Sauteed Feta Cheese.
There are many more global flavors to experiemnt with here and delight any menu or dining situation challenge. The layout flows in the usual Clarkson Potter tradition which in this reviewer's mind along with TenSpeed Press are the two most consistent and magnificent cookbook publishers in the biz. The layout is clean with most having recipe in clear, clean type with good white space on one page with facing page of 4-color shot of the dish plated. You can Eat This Book!
Flip to a Page, Start Cooking.......2005-05-06
This is a very appealing cookbook. The layout is nice; the way it's bound is nice -- it falls open and stays open, which makes it easy to see while cooking; the organization is fine, the typeface is easy to read; the photographs are bright and tempting.
But more than all that, the recipes are interesting, and so far, from the ones I've tried, they make great food, too.
Tyler Florence is a TV chef personality, which may or may not be a selling point to some home cooks. Nevertheless, this is the kind of cookbook that one can flip through and find recipe after recipe that seems not only yummy, but fairly simple and straightforward.
It's the kind of cookbook that is useful when planning a dinner party menu, and you need fresh ideas for inspiration. The book is fairly basic in its techniques and ingredients, but the results are sophisticated. Even if you're an accomplished home cook, it's a book that can guide you to great meals. If you're not so accomplished, the recipes are very easy to follow with wonderful results.
Eat This Book makes a nice addition to any home chef's kitchen bookcase!
Book Description
Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook
- Signs and Symptoms Index on inside front cover
- Easy-to-understand text
- Authors with collective experience of over a half century
- Hundreds of instructional photos and drawings throughout
- Covers every problem from Pediatrics to Geriatrics
All cat owners wish that their pets really did have nine lives. Now, with this newly revised and expanded edition of Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook, the one life cats do have can be made longer and happier. Virtually every problem that owners will encounter is dealt with in language that teaches everyone how to cope with and prevent those unpleasant surprises. Part of the cat's mystique is a uniquely curious nature. This innate curiosity can create many dangerous situations and unwelcome consequences. This book, a classic in its first edition, has been updated to include the very latest solutions to the daily occurances and special problems in all phases of cat care, including behavior and training. Yes, training! Now, in clear and simple terms, symptoms are identified and thorough instructions are given so that with this book, owners can become the best friends their cats can have in a lifetime.
Customer Reviews:
Cat Owners Vet Handbook.......2007-10-11
I'm not a 'big' book buyer but this one is worth it's weight on my book shelf. It's a good one for most of us that care deeply about our feline friends and need immediate answers concerning their health issues.
A GREAT BOOK.......2007-10-01
*The Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook*is a great book, I was very happy with it,and i got it very fast.
I recommend this book to every cat owner.
Thanks,Angie
A vet at home.......2007-07-14
This is a great book. I have used it many times with my new kittens already. Not just a try to cure it yourself book, but explains things they can catch and helps decide whether a trip to the Dr. is needed. Whenever in doubt always go though to err on the side of caution. I will even add this to my vet tech textbooks, it will be a great help in my classes.
The best reference book.......2007-06-06
If you are doing any kind of cat rescue work THIS is the book you need! It is the best reference book I have come across, it is easy for the lay person to read and has just about every scenario you will come across as a rescuer. This has been my "Bible" for years and this updated version is even better than the last. It is especially helpful with orphaned kittens, telling you how much they should weigh, how much food they need and what you should expect developementally.
I can't recommend this book highly enough--I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!
very helpful........2007-05-07
I have 6 cats of my own, foster cats and kittens, and work with a no-kill cat shelter and this book is a savior! So extensive, one of the best.
Book Description
For more than 100 years, Sunbonnet Sue has charmed quilters the world over with storybook scenes of innocence and day-to-day work and play. Now Sue and her friend Overall Bill are back, captured in appliquéd portraits full of unique color combinations, new picturesque settings, and the enduring appeal of these much loved quilting characters. Includes:
• Fifteen quilt projects, including a "Days of the Week" quilt and "Laundry Day" wall hanging
• Adorable pillows featuring Sunbonnet Sue in her appliquéd best
• A set of matching Sunbonnet Sue and Overall Bill quilts
• Detailed, step-by-step instructions for each project, plus full-size patterns
Average customer rating:
- Dissatisfaction with "Plan Your Home with Feng Shui"
- A great place to start
|
Plan Your Home With Feng Shui
Ian Bruce
Manufacturer: Foulsham
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Interior Design
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Holistic
| Alternative Medicine
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Feng Shui
| Stress
| Personal Health
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Design & Construction
| Home Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
House Plans
| Home Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Interior Design
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| New Age
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Occult
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Accessories:
-
RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device
-
Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)
ASIN: 0572023952 |
Customer Reviews:
Dissatisfaction with "Plan Your Home with Feng Shui".......2000-06-20
Of all the books I have read on feng shui over the last four years, this is the WORST I have ever seen. The author continually tells readers to implement changes that are not sanctioned in feng shui. For example, he tells readers to use mirror tiles and design elaborate baths (pg. 160-161) even though experts (e.g., Master Lam Kam Chuen, Lillian Too) say not to. He advocates placing the microwave in the Northwest (pg. 82), which represents poor feng shui (i.e., "fire at heaven's gate"). He also continually demonstrates an improper use of mirrors (e.g., pgs. 41, 107, 130, 134). There are many other "feng shui cures" suggesed by the author which feng shui experts warn against doing because they will supposedly bring bad luck. I have read a number of basic feng shui books that I thought presented more trustworthy information than this one does.
A great place to start.......1999-08-27
If you don't want to spend 6 months or so learning Feng Shui, start with this book.
It's the fundamentals. It's the jist of Feng Shui. It takes only 2 or 3 nights to read the whole book. It allows you to see what the principles of Feng Shui are, and then loosely apply it to your home.
I have now read 4 books on this subject, and this is the only one I finished. I wish I would have found this book first.
Average customer rating:
|
Interaccion del Color, La
Josef Albers
Manufacturer: Alianza
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: 8420670014 |
Average customer rating:
- Struggles of an Irish-American Lush
- I read your brother
- Disappointing
- The Hardships God Puts Us Through.
- Blowhard is right!
|
Singing My Him Song
Malachy McCourt
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Authors
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Irish
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Memoirs
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Northeast
| State & Local
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside History Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
A Monk Swimming : A Memoir
-
'Tis: A Memoir
-
Teacher Man: A Memoir
-
The McCourts of New York
-
Bush Lies In State
ASIN: 0060195932 |
Book Description
"All of us are scarred, but some go to extremes in the quest for the happy childhood they never had."
Malachy McCourt -- actor, gadfly, raconteur, and author of the internationally bestselling memoir A Monk Swimming -- grew up amid death, squalor, poverty, and abuse in the lanes of Limerick, Irland. When he came to America as a young man, he brought a gargantuan appetite for what life had to offer -- and an equal drive to forget what it had delivered to him thus far.
Alternately amused and aghast, but always fascinated, millions of readers followed McCourt through his twenties as he caroused his way all over the world, becoming a familiar face in movies and television, in New York and Hollywood, and in bars from Paris to Calcutta.
In Singing My Him Song, McCourt tells us how he went from living the headlong and heedless life of a world-class drunk to becoming a sober, loving father and grandfather, still happily married after thirty-five years. We meet the woman who stood by his side all those years, watch as they build a family together, and listen as McCourt pursues a career of surprising successes and comic missteps.
But while becoming the host of television and radio talk shows, appearing in dozens of movies and plays, and establishing himself as a well-loved regular on Ryan's Hope and One Life to Live, McCourt must also face the wreckage of his past. McCourt fights for the rights of his handicapped stepdaughter, exposing a scandal that still reverberates; helps steer his children away from the path he took; and finally comes to terms with the people and places that sent him careering along his misguided course. Then, just when it's time for the happy ending, he must gather all that he's learned, and the support of everyone he loves, to face and overcome the threat of cancer.
Bawdy and funny, naked and moving, told in the same inimitable voice that left readers all over the world wondering what happened next, Malachy McCourt's Singing My Him Song tells as honest and entertaining a story as anyone could hope for.
Customer Reviews:
Struggles of an Irish-American Lush.......2006-12-05
No, it won't be Angela's Ashes (though Malachy does tell the story of carrying the ashes back to Limerick in a defective airplane). The author is Frank McCourt's brother and shares with him the Irish ability to tell a good story.
I haven't read his earlier book, A Monk Swimming, but this one can stand alone. In it, he wrestles with his alcoholism, finds the love of his life, tries to carve out a career as an actor, confronting his dreadful childhood and gives his opinions on American political failures of the past forty years. Somehow he melds all that together into a biography that holds your attention.
Readers might also be interested in A Drinking Life by Pete Hamill.
I read your brother.......2006-02-16
Vintage McCourt! This is a good one but reminiscent of A Monk Swimming by the same author. Mallachy McCourt is good, but I prefer his brother, Frank. Poor man, I wonder how many times he has heard it. But it takes nothing away from the book. What genius of a family. Poverty in childhood has turned out into prosperity for posterity. Thanks McCourt Brothers.
Disappointing.......2006-02-05
After reading Angela's Ashes and Tis by Frank McCourt, I was looking forward to reading more about the McCourt family's lives from the perspective of another member of the family but Malachy McCourt definitely does not have the talent of his brother, Frank. He focuses too much on himself and I could sense his ego becoming more and more inflated as the story progressed. I'm sure he is charming and witty but an entire book by the author telling us just how charming and witty he is does get to be tiresome. And the fact that he is so proud to be such a total scoundrel is not admirable. I also read Malachy's book, A Monk Swimming: A Memoir, and in both books I was hoping to read more about the entire family instead 95% about Malachy himself and how pleased he is of his escapades.
The book became tiresome to read and I had to force myself to finish it.
The Hardships God Puts Us Through........2005-03-05
Frank McCourt wrote the famous bestseller, ANGELA'S ASHES. In this book, you learn about the personality of Angela and the events just prior to her death. His version of the Irish funeral 'doings' at a fancy mortuary in New York whre they partied with lots of beer is almost sacrilege. He had suggesting putting her ashes in a body bag and leaving them on the curb for garbage pickup. He and Frank were in financial straits at the time, but brother Alphie was doing okay. Frank became the possessor of her ashes in an old bean can.
Bob Miller wrote this account from McCourt's avid remembrances. Like Eddie Fisher's BEEN THERE, DONE THAT, he reveals the bad with the good. Malachy's narration is spelled almost phonetically, the Irish sayings Americanized, which I guess his fans would get a kick out of -- it reminded me of the old man in 'Brigadoon.'
Since I don't watch soap operas I have not recognized him as a young man, nor at the age of 69 when he was diagnosed with cancer. He had a sad life in Ireland, but after coming to America drank his way around the world to forget his past.
Part of this book is about the retarded stepdaughter and the experimental program they agreed to at the Willowbrook State School for the Retarded on Staten Island. To get a place for her, they signed consent for her to be used as a guinea pig in a hepatitis program funded by the U. S. Army. The place as described resembled the one in the movie, 'Suddenly Last Summer,' in which Elizabeth Taylor is committed by a demented aunt and she wonders out on a raised landing above a mass of humanity "driven totally mad" by the place in which they were drugged, abused and locked. These things actually existed, and he and his wife Diana witnessed it first hand.
He tried to expose the horrible abuse through the media (radio and t.v.). He said, "Media types will come to the 'field of dreams', but don't ask them to cover the plains of nightmare." Finally, they were able to get Geraldo Rivera to tour the back wards with a cameraman. It took them two years to get heard in Court in 1972. It was a historic case, followed by similar suits across the country, that all people have a right to decent human conditions no matter what their mental status.
He made his mark in Hollywood and New York in movies and plays, and was host of t.v. and radio talk shows. So I'm sure he has a vast following of those who've seen him -- and read his previous book, A MONK SWIMMING.
He was the Boston police lieutenant in 1978 'The Brinks Job' and was in 'Mass Appeal' on Broadway in 1982. Then his soap opera career started in 'Search for Tomorrow,' 'One Life To Live,' 'Ryan's Hope,' etc. Now he has embarked on a career as a writer, or at least a storyteller to beat all. All in all, his is a success story.
Blowhard is right!.......2005-01-14
What a lot of self-centered, pompous baloney! McCort must have got his drinking buddies to write many of the deliriously exuberant rave reviews here. Luckily I didn't pay a cent for this thing, which is still more than it's worth. Library audio book. Phooey!
Average customer rating:
|
Singing My Him Song
Malachy McCourt
Manufacturer: New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2000
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NXOLWW |
Books:
- The Complete Enderby : Inside Mr. Enderby, Enderby Outside, the Clockwork Testament, Enderby's Dark Lady
- The Crimes of Charlotte Bronte: The Secrets of a Mysterious Family : A Novel
- The Curve of the World : A Novel
- The Description Of A New World Called The Blazing World
- The Devil's Blind Spot: Tales from the New Century
- The Everlasting Story of Nory
- The Fire Gospels: A Novel
- The Great Bagarozy (Dedalus Europe 1998)
- The House of Whacks: A Novel
- The Judas Field: A Novel of the Civil War
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Wide Open: Inspiration & Techniques for Art Journaling on the Edge
- The Tomb
- Steric Exclusion Liquid Chromatography of Polymers
- The Tale of the Unknown Island
- The Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe
- The Wars of Gods and Men: Book III of the Earth Chronicles
- The Self-Calmed Baby: A Revolutionary New Approach to Parenting Your Infant
- Masterpieces of Eighteenth-Century French Ironwork: With Over 300 Illustrations
- The Gondola; An Extraordinary Naval Architecture
- The Grolier Illustrated Encyclopedia of Animals
The Character of Rain: A Novel
Fear and Trembling: A Novel
The Stranger Next Door: A Novel
Loving Sabotage
The Life of Hunger
