Average customer rating:
- Memoirs is a good read, but even better the second time!
- He Fondled Paper
- A great tale of love, both sacred and profane
- But even so. . .a fine book
- One of my favorite books of all time.
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The Memoirs of a Shy Pornographer: An Amusement (New Directions Classics, 879)
Kenneth Patchen
Manufacturer: New Directions Publishing Corporation
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Binding: Paperback
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Journal of Albion Moonlight
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Collected Poems (New Directions Book)
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ASIN: 0811214117 |
Book Description
Can you imagine why a pornographer would be shy? Are you satisfied with the state of (a) World Society (b) your soul (c) American writing? Are you in the habit of reading books that could have been written by anybody? Do you really want the truth? Do you know how angels learn to fly? What would you feed a green deer? Do you think a profound social message can be conveyed by a book that is comic in character? When Kenneth Patchen's comic masterpiece, The Memoirs of a Shy Pornographer first appeared in 1945, these questions were asked on the dust jacket. They have never seemed more relevant. The hilarious saga of Alfred Budd of Bivalve, New Jersey-a Candide-like innocent and part-time pornographer, written with what Diane DiPrima called Patchen's "tender silliness," should inspire a new generation of readers
Customer Reviews:
Memoirs is a good read, but even better the second time!.......2007-05-14
I was lent this book years ago and loved it. I couldn't remember the name of the book or the author until I saw it at a friends house, I immediatly placed my order on Amazon! This book holds alot more space in my mind now that I have read it a second time! Kenneth Patchen pulls me out of a often subdude life into his high detail fantasy world of absolute chaos!
He Fondled Paper.......2007-03-16
testing it for weight and resiliency, loving it as one who loves potential. He taught me that "Reality begins in the dream." What an odd man, to know these things in an age when the pride of knowing belied its limitations.
A great tale of love, both sacred and profane.......2000-10-27
This book has two plots reflecting themes that run throughout much of Patchen's work: the absurdity of the "profane" civilized world and the importance of focusing on the "sacred" or natural world to bring meaning, order, and purpose to human existence. The device Patchen chose for the first theme is that of censorship of erotic content in literature. It is from this that the book derives its title. When this book was written in 1945, books were often published in the US with ellipses substituting for erotic content. The beginning of the book tells the story of a first novel of innocent love, called The Spool of Destiny, written by Albert Budd of Bivalve, New Jersey. An unscrupulous editor changes the book's name to The Spill of Desire and substitutes **** and . . . . for Albert's innocent words throughout the text in such quantity that the book must be published overseas. Albert becomes a best-selling pornographer who everyone wants to meet and make love to.
About half-way through the work Albert meets and falls in love with another innocent, Priscilla, and the story moves from the profane life of New York society to a sacred love that works miracles and heals all wrongs. This is the most moving part of the book and Patchen's best portrayal of this mystical, transformational love that inspires so many of his poems. I think many readers might give up this book in the first half and miss this gem of prose writing embedded in the second half.
If you like Patchen's poetry, you must read this book. If you haven't read Patchen before, stop whatever you are doing and either read this book or a book of his poetry. He is truly a great American author and this is his most approachable novel. This review is dedicated to Miriam, Kenneth Patchen's wife and inspiration, who died in 2001.
But even so. . .a fine book.......1999-10-26
I have always liked Kenneth Patchen poetry. This novel has a wonderful title. I would almost have to read it solely on the basis of the title. It is not the greatest prose I ever read but it was a very engaging tale. I have to admit that the whole time I was reading it I kept thinking to myself I bet Bob Dylan read this book. A lot of the names and imagery was reminiscent of the lyrics of Dylan. Since Patchen came first it stands to reason that he bore an influence on Bob Dylan. It is a very enjoyable read for anyone that likes surrealic prose. Patchen was always an outstanding poet and this book more than reveals his gift for writing prose.
One of my favorite books of all time........1999-06-04
Maybe a bit arcane (1945 issues for 1999) but I've never read a sweeter or more charming book.
Average customer rating:
- FairyTales for Big Girls! (And Boys)
- Not as good as the previous ones
- Fairy tales for slightly twisted adult 'children'
- Not bad at all.
- Good stuff.
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Black Heart, Ivory Bones
Ellen Datlow , and
Terri Windling
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears
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ASIN: 0380786230 |
Amazon.com
This sixth anthology in the adult fairy-tale series by acclaimed editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling presents another diverse collection of stories and poems loosely based on folklore traditions around the world. Readers familiar with previous books in the series will recognize the names of many regular contributors, including Tanith Lee, Jane Yolen, Esther Friesner, and Joyce Carol Oates, as well as works from Neil Gaiman, Charles de Lint, and others. Tanith Lee's "Rapunzel" opens the collection with a charmingly simple reconstruction of that classic fairy tale. Esther Friesner's "Big Hair" takes the same theme into the present with less cheerful results. Greg Costikyan considers the fate of an ensorcelled sleeping beauty dug up by archaeologists centuries later in "And Still She Sleeps," while Jane Yolen's "Snow in Summer" turns the tables on Snow White's evil stepmother with a deep-dish apple pie and a fry pan. Scott Bradfield's "Goldilocks Tells All" is especially memorable for its Jerry Springer-like portrayal of the ultimate dysfunctional family. Leah Cutter considers the loneliness of living under a curse in her Texas two-step story "The Red Boots." Severna Park's feminist "The Golem" revives a Jewish folktale, while Bryn Kanar's haunting "Dreaming Among Men" draws on Native American legend. Howard Waldrop's "Our Mortal Span" is perhaps the most unique story here, a surprising blend of black comedy, killer-robot story, and fairy tale. While on the whole this collection isn't as strong as previous volumes, it still delivers a fine array of thoughtful writing on some of the best-known--and yet unknown--stories we love. --Charlene Brusso
Book Description
Hair bright as gold...Lips red as blood...Heart black as sin...Truth sharp as bone...
As in their previous critically acclaimed volumes of reconsidered fairy tales, award-winning editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling have gathered together remarkable stories that illuminate the more sinister, sensual, and sophisticated aspects of the tales we cherished in childhood; the fables of witches and princes and lost children that we once imagined we knew. Black Heart, Ivory Bones showcases twenty beguiling tales for the child-that-was and the adult-that-is, penned by twenty of the most creative artists in contemporary American literature. Here dissected are the darker anatomies of the timeless, seemingly simple stories we have long loved. Here wonder and truth have serious bite.
A lovelorn prince seeking his father's blessing concocts a fantastic tale of a witch, a tower, and lustrous long hair...A pair of accursed red boots punishes a beautiful dancer for her pride...A troll-killing, princess-rescuing warrior is compelled to consider events from his adversaries' point of view...In a blistering tell-all memoir, Goldilocks reveals the sordid truth about her brutal foster parent, Papa Bear...
Rich, surprising, funny, erotic, and unsettling, these twenty new yarns and poems offer exceptional anew treasures--as they brilliantly reveal lusts and jealousies, foibles, hatreds and dangerous obsessions, the things that slyly lurk in the midnight interior of oft-told tales.As in their previous critically acclaimed volumes of reconsidered fairy tales, award-winning editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling have gathered together remarkable stories that illuminate the more sinister, sensual, and sophisticated aspects of the tales we cherished in childhood; the fables of witches and princes and lost children that we once imagined we knew.BLACK HEART, IVORY BONES showcases twenty beguiling tales for the child-that-was and the adult-that-is, penned by twenty of the most creative artists in contemporary American literature. Here dissected are the darker anatomies of the timeless, seemingly simple stories we have long loved. Here wonder and truth have serious bite.
A lovelorn prince seeking his father's blessing concocts a fantastic tale of a witch, a tower, and lustrous long hair...A pair of accursed red boots punishes a beautiful dancer for her pride...A troll-killing, princess-rescuing warrior is compelled to consider events from his adversaries' point of view...In a blistering tell-all memoir, Goldilocks reveals the sordid truth about her brutal foster parent, Papa Bear...
Rich, surprising, funny, erotic, and unsettling, these twenty new yarns and poems offer exceptional new treasures---as they brilliantly reveal lusts and jealousies, foibles, hatreds, and dangerous obsessions, the things that slyly lurk in the midnight interior of oft-told tales.As in their previous critically acclaimed volumes of reconsidered fairy tales, award-winning editors Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling have gathered together remarkable stories that illuminate the more sinister, sensual, and sophisticated aspects of the tales we cherished in childhood; the fables of witches and princes and lost children that we once imagined we knew. BLACK HEART, IVORY BONES showcases twenty beguiling tales for the child-that-was and the adult-that-is, penned by twenty of the most creative artists in contemporary American literature. Here dissected are the darker anatomies of the timeless, seemingly simple stories we have long loved. Here wonder and truth have serious bite.
A lovelorn prince seeking his father's blessing concocts a fantastic tale of a witch, a tower, and lustrous long hair...A pair of accursed red boots punishes a beautiful dancer for her pride...A troll-killing, princess-rescuing warrior is compelled to consider events from his adversaries' point of view...In a blistering tell-all memoir, Goldilocks reveals the sordid truth about her brutal foster parent, Papa Bear...
Rich, surprising, funny, erotic, and unsettling, these twenty new yarns and poems offer exceptional new treasures---as they brilliantly reveal lusts and jealousies, foibles, hatreds, and dangerous obsessions, the things that slyly lurk in the midnight interior of oft-told tales.
Customer Reviews:
FairyTales for Big Girls! (And Boys).......2006-01-15
Not having the experience of reading the other books, I was delighted by these stories, particularly The Cats of San Martino, (although I felt the end was a little muddled) and Big Hair. What a great idea! I hope find the other books soon!
Not as good as the previous ones.......2002-05-20
It still has its charm, however, my favorite tale was "The Cats of San Martino." That story made me open my eyes, and "The Golem" was a gem, too, but all in all, I wasn't as satisfied with it as I was with the previous anthologies. Still I recommend it, if just to add to your collection.
Fairy tales for slightly twisted adult 'children'.......2002-01-19
I've read, just about, the entire collection of these up-dated fairy tales and must say they are absolutely brilliant!
It's quite fun to see what some of the best writers in the fantasy field do with classic stories, from when we were kids...some of them are just so fabulously twisted...like a "Beauty and the Beast" up-date, the beast is a SERIEL KILLER!
All are done a bit 'tongue in cheek', so, no one should be offended. Hours of great fun, for those of us who have a bit of child still left inside. ;)
Not bad at all........2001-12-08
It's wonderful, first of all, that there are people writing these kinds of stories and making anthologies of them. I give the concept a couple of stars just for the principle of the thing.
That said, there are several standouts. My personal favorites are:
"Rapunzel", in which Tanith Lee oddly goes bright-and-happy on us, presenting the delightful tale of a prince who spins a tall tale about his chosen bride, knowing "the Dad" (that's the King to you and me) is a sucker for fairy tales.
"Big Hair", another take on Rapunzel, which takes place in modern times, in the beauty-pageant circuit, yet follows the old story almost exactly.
"And Still She Sleeps", a Sleeping Beauty retelling set in an alternate, magic-rich nineteenth-century England, and full of insight about the nature of "true love". Ends not happily, but perfectly.
Also check out "Black Thorn, White Rose." It's even better!
Good stuff........2001-07-12
Out of sheer boredom and lack of something better to read, I picked up this book and began reading it (it was on the shelf of a friend of mine . . . dusty and abandoned. I think I felt sorry for it). Honestly, I had my doubts. After having read numerous versions of politically correct fairy tales, I thought this would be along the same vein and completely cliche' and overdone.
Surprisingly (and most wondrously) I was wrong. This is not just a bunch of fairy tales made into gory, sex laden adult fiction. It is a great collection of short stories written by people with real narrative talent. My hat goes off to the editors for finding such gems and putting them into one easy to digest book. I have (since reading this book) gone onto other books in this series and have been just as pleased. An added bonus (as well) that I thought I would add in: throughout this series, you will find a few short stories by Neil Gaiman thrown in there. They are wonderful. He is one of my favorite writers out there, and his shorts stories are great. If you decide to venture out and buy any of the Windling/Datlow collaborations, make sure you check out his stories in particular. He's just so GOOD (yum).
Overall, I would hand this book over to anybody to read. It's fun, it's got some good stuff, and it's not hardcore sci fi/fantasy stuff like you might suspect. It's very realistic and entertaining, and you'll FLY through it.
Do yourself a favor and delve into this. You'll be glad that you did. Happy reading!
Average customer rating:
- A Text Version of Argentina's Most Famous Comic Book
- Inolvidable
- A great comic book
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El Eternauta: Y Otros Cuentos De Ciencia Ficcion (Serie Oesterheld)
Hector German Oesterheld
Manufacturer: Ediciones Colihue
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Spanish
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Spanish
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ASIN: 9505819137 |
Customer Reviews:
A Text Version of Argentina's Most Famous Comic Book.......2003-02-27
Note that this is NOT a graphic novel, but a novelization of "El Eternauta," Argentina's best-known comic book. This novel (entirely in Spanish) is by the original author, Héctor Germán Oesterheld. There are also a few illustrations which I believe are by Francisco Solano López, the original artist and illustrator.
The story is about an alien invasion of Buenos Aires set around 1962 (the story first appeared in 1957.) Oesterheld and López had hoped that the story would be a pilot episode for a continuing series, but this never developed. There is also an alternative version, authored by Oesterheld with illustrations by Alberto Breccia. However Oesterheld continued the story in text form, which comprises the bulk of this book.
Two later comic-book sequels appeared, one by Oesterheld himself, but they are not highly regarded.
Oesterheld 'disappeared' in 1976: it is assumed he was executed as a presumed foe of the military dictatorship of the period.
Inolvidable.......2002-09-27
Oesterheld muestra en esta obra su enorme imaginacion y capacidad narrativa. Transmite desde su lugar y a traves de estas historias sus ideas en el contexto de un pais en sangrienta dictadura, terminando incluso desaparecido por el gobierno militar. Un libro inolvidable que merece un lugar en cualquier biblioteca.
A great comic book.......2001-04-10
El eternauta is a great book about the conquer of the world by Aliens and the new tecnologies they bring with them. The hitory is based in Juan Salvo who's a man that's figting versus the aliens and the things that happens to him there's a sequel and a third book
Book Description
No one makes more beautiful cakes than Colette Peters. Now anyone with an interest in pastry art can make them at home. There are cakes for every sort of birthday celebrant. Each month has a sign of the zodiac cake (for Aquarius, a Water Pitcher mosaic), a birthstone cake (for June, a Crown of Pearls), and a flower cake. In addition there are assorted cakes such as a doctors bag, a chess set, and an Art Deco confection. The book includes delicious basic recipes and instructions for everything from how to build a tiered cake to airbrushing with sugar.
Customer Reviews:
Colette has done it with this one.......2007-04-06
There are so many whimsical cake designs that it's hard to choose one. I had the pleasure of taking a class at Colette's shop in New York and got to see some of the designs in person. The attention to detail is amazing, and the colors are so vibrant. I absolute love the fish cake on the cover but the purse cake is my favorite.
Not what I was expecting.......2007-04-03
This book has lots of great ideas. Its just not what I expected. I love colette's newer work and i think shes incredibly talented BUT this book lacks INTEREST.The best cake was the one on the cover.. Also the cakes seem extremely time consuming using tons of Fondant. I hate to sound so negative because there are good ideas but i dont think i'll be making many of these cakes. But i will use some of the techniques she uses.
Wow!.......2006-05-23
This book gives me something to work up to. Initially it is a little intimidating to the novice decorator (such as myself), but Colette Peters does a great job of breaking down the instructions so that it seems easier than it looks. Even if you are not crazy about every design in this book, it is sure to inspire.
not fabulous.......2006-02-23
I wasn't expecting a show book, I was expecting more of a birthday cake book, that you can actually do something with. Oh sure you can do these cakes in here... but would you want to?
Excellent decorating book.......2005-09-05
Colette's books are outstanding. She explains in great detail. Some of her cakes are a little elaborate for me but I can always take a few things for each cake and use them to make a stunning, yet simple cake. I have always had wonderful results with the recipes in her books.
Book Description
Practical advice on choosing and buying a pet, housing, feeding, handling, showing and healthcare.
Customer Reviews:
Disappointing.......2006-09-16
This book has instructions for 24 quilts with only 4 I would consider making -- and 2 are similar to quilts in other books. I was quite disappointed in the book and do not consider it to be worth the cost.
The Miniature Quilt Book is as useful as it is charming.......2000-05-22
Decades ago I joined a quilting bee, designing & sewing king-size quilts for auction. When our lives split us apart we wanted smaller ones on which to work by mailing back & forth - enter this charming book. Stunning little quilts ranging from log cabin, hexagon, Somerset star to crazy patchwork with step-by-step instructions, alternative design suggestions & clear, exquisite photos. A must for quilters & miniature enthusiasts................
Book Description
A guide to everything a cat breeder needs to know, from establishing a cattery to selecting foundation cats to caring for the kittens to legal and ethical issues facing breeders. Special sections walk the reader through the complex paperwork required to register a cattery and a litter. No other book covers so many subjects in so much detail.Carolyn Vella and John McGonagle, Jr. are long-time cat breeders and licensed show judges. They are also the authors of In the Spotlight: A Guide to Showing Pedigreed Cats.
Customer Reviews:
Re: "What do you love".......2006-03-08
This is a wonderful book...a must have!
Re: "What do you love": There is nothing wrong with breeding beutiful purebred cats or dogs... If people raised and loved each OTHER right there would be no need for shelters. If children are taught from a young age to love and respect each other then compassion for ALL living things will naturally follow. I believe good, honest breeders are the perfect example of that! They take on great responsibility with endless love, devotion and compassion.
still valid after all these years. some things don't change.......2006-02-26
This is a well done book. A new version with color photos would be a bit more helpful, but for someone considering breeding it's a must, and even for a more seasoned breeder it's a good brush up. I take it out every time I have a litter. As an aside, the between chapter "cat/people" jokes make it an ejoyable read. Some of the references are a little outdated, but the material is not; some things don't change that much. Breeding cats is one of those, highly recommend.
Simply the Best.......2004-01-24
There is a reason that people are willing to pay $150+ for the collectible book that is out of print. Luckily my fiance and I won it at a local cat show that had a raffle. We had no idea it was worth so much at the time, but devoured it and thought it was excellent.
This book is nearly a complete resource for all breeders, if I could choose only one cat book to keep this would be the one.
It is well written, thought-out, and VERY informative. Any question you have about breeding is answered here. It is simply the best cat breeding book I have ever read.
Unbeatable.......1999-11-10
I have been breeding pedigreed cats for 22 years. This is the best book on the subject I have ever read. I wish I had this book when I began. A MUST for cat breeders.
THIS THIS BOOK HAS IT ALL. IT WAS VERY HELPFUL!!.......1998-07-09
THIS BOOK ANSWERED SO MANY QUESTIONS THAT I HAD, AND MANY MORE QUESTIONS THAN I HAD NOT THOUGHT OF. IT WAS EASY TO READ, AND PACKED WITH INFO FOR THE NOVICE, AS WELL AS FOR THE EXPERIENCED BREEDER. I WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE INTERESTED IN RAISING CATS.
Average customer rating:
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Stampability Kits: Heraldic: Interior Decorating Effects With Stamps (Stampability)
Stewart Walton
Manufacturer: Lorenz Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Decorating
| Crafts & Hobbies
| Home & Garden
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General
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| Home & Garden
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Interior Design
| Home & Garden
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| Decorating
| Decoration & Ornament
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| Painting & Wallpapering
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| Windows
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ASIN: 1859673007 |
Amazon.com
Contemporary art critics are still struggling with the resurgence of outsider art, also called the new undergrounds. At the forefront of the clash between highbrow and lowbrow art is Robert Williams. From his early comics work with Zap to his recent magazine Juxtapoz, Williams keeps pushing the public's buttons with his politically incorrect art agenda. The Lowbrow Art of Robert Williams is the fundamental collection of his work, including 16 pages of full-color illustrations and almost 30 pages from Zap. The cover is possibly the most recognizable Williams piece because it was used on a Guns N' Roses album Appetite for Destruction.
Amazon.com
Born in 1950, Rae Yang came of age in a time of tremendous social upheaval in her native China. Her parents, Communist intellectuals who had been in favor with the leadership, were denounced during the so-called anti-Rightist campaigns of the 1950s. During the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s Yang, a Red Guard, traveled throughout the country spreading revolutionary fever--an exciting period, she recalls, that she had much time to reflect on while later working at a collectivized pig farm. (She named the pigs under her charge, she writes: Capitalist, Prince, Natasha, and so on.) Disillusioned by the violence, repression, and hardship all around her, Yang eventually managed to leave China on a student visa for the United States. "Lies, big and small, cannot easily hypnotize me," she writes, and her memoir paints an honest portrait of a China in suffering.
Book Description
Spider Eaters is at once a moving personal story, a fascinating family history, and a unique chronicle of political upheaval told by a Chinese woman who came of age during the turbulent years of the Cultural Revolution. With stunning honesty and a lively, sly humor, Rae Yang records her life from her early years as the daughter of Chinese diplomats in Switzerland, to her girlhood at an elite middle school in Beijing, to her adolescent experience as a Red Guard and later as a laborer on a pig farm in the remote northern wilderness. She tells of her eventual disillusionment with the Maoist revolution, how remorse and despair drove her almost to suicide, and how she struggled to make sense of conflicting events that often blurred the line between victim and victimizer, aristocrat and peasant, communist and counterrevolutionary. Moving gracefully between past and present, dream and reality, the author artfully conveys the vast complexity of life in China as well as the richness, confusion, and magic of her own inner life and struggle.
Much of the power of the narrative derives from Yang's multi-generational, cross-class perspective. She invokes the myths, legends, folklore, and local customs that surrounded her and brings to life the many people who were instrumental in her life: her nanny, a poor woman who raised her from a baby and whose character is conveyed through the bedtime tales she spins; her father; her beloved grandmother, who died as a result of the political persecution she suffered.
Spanning the years from 1950 to 1980, Rae Yang's story is evocative, complex, and told with striking candor. It is one of the most immediate and engaging narratives of life in post-1949 China.
Customer Reviews:
Spider Eaters.......2001-03-08
After reading "Spider Eaters" and several books like it ("Son of the revolution", "A Woman's ordeal", "Troublemaker".. ect) I wasn't Sure how to review this one. "Spider Eaters" is a much more complex memoir than the others. "Spider Eaters" does not have the simple emotional punch of other memoirs in it's class yet as a memoir it works well. As a first person acount of mordern China it works well but the book is so much more than just a personal History. Spider Eaters is probably best described as a personal psychologial drama.
How does a poor little rich girl survive the mental abuse that is the demonicaly inspired communism of mordern day china? How does a girl with dreams and aspirations of any little girl suppress those dreams and thoughts when they conflict with the strict communist party line and exposing them can mean ruin?
Rae Yang first creates a fantasy hero, an almost Christ like figure who resuces the poor stands up for the wokers even to the point of death. Later when "politicaly correect" she transfers that figure to Chairman Moa and ultimately begins to see herself as that figure. A Savior who is betrayed by those she loved. Later still while living in the US she must find ways to reconcile all the various personalities into one functioning adult. A psychologist could have a field day with this book. Spider Eaters to me is a frighting look at the damage Communism can do to the minds of those it inslaves, and how a person can cope once freed of it's grasp.
A most moving memoir.......2000-06-04
"Spider Eaters" is an interesting and creative title and well matches the contents. This is a most fascinating and moving memoir. I have read several autobiographies written about the beginnings of Communism in China and the Cultural Revolution, and this is by far one of the best. Many such books these days are advertised as "belonging on the shelf next to Wild Swans". I've always felt such claims are exaggerated as Wild Swans for me was quite exceptional. But Spider Eaters truly does deserve to be in the same category.
Having just finished "Life and Death in Shanghai" by Nien Cheng prior to "Spider Eaters" I found reading the other side of the coin intriguing. Nien Cheng was imprisoned for six and a half years in solitary confinement, accused of being a British spy as she had worked for Shell company. Her beautiful home and belongings were trashed by the Red Guards. Then I read Rae Yang's account of her experience as a Red Guard. She was responsible for persecuting such bourgeois "Capitalist Roaders" as Nien Cheng. I am sure that both these women would like, admire and respect each other if ever they had met, and yet during these times they were class enemies. How sad.
If the author should read this review, I would like to thank you so much for your wonderful honesty in relating not just the events of your life, but also your thoughts and dreams. I was reluctant to finish your book as I felt I had come to know you so well. What I read almost felt like a personal letter. Your book is wonderful reading and it has long stayed on my mind. It stirred my emotions deeply. And can I just say, that I am so glad you came to love your pigs. I especially warmed to you when I read of your feelings for them and your sense of betrayal when they were sent to be slaughtered. I would have felt exactly the same. I understood completely and you certainly wouldn't have been a laughing stock to me had I been present.
I discovered Spider Eaters through Amazon and am disappointed that more have not reviewed it. Spider Eaters is far more than a memoir. It is also a literary delight. Extremely well worth reading!
Old China Revisited.......2000-04-05
Spider Eaters is a haunting and lyrical memoir of a young girl growing up during China's most violent and provocative days. Rae Yang tells a little told story of the inside view of the Cultural Revolution, Nationalist politics and the ties between men and women in her old country. The mastery of this story, is that Yang concentrates less on the history of China, but the effect of that history on it's people. She write about how the cadre's children were supposed to sympathize completely with the working class, however, how could they do that when at every chance, Yang describes them as being completely isolated from the reality of such poverty. Communism at it's height, anyone accused of speaking, or even thinking, words against the Party, could be imprisoned, tortured and/or killed. Society looked down upon selfishness and the ego. Yang's description gives us the picture of a girl torn between two worlds, between herself and her loyalty to the Party, between her loyalty to the Party and her loyalty to her parents and friends, between respect for authority and contempt for such high-handed practices as "campaigns." When the Cultural Revolution begins, Yang's story of a lost girl continues as she turns on those who had been her peers and mentors, becoming the evil that she had unconsciously fought against all her life. This story is meaningful and eerie, in that it describes fully the effect of political influence on the youth, their power over the rest of the world, and their power to change society itself. However, it better describes what this mistreatment of young people can lead to-a burden of guilt and pain surround Yang's words, a guilt that past practices continue to make her unable to fully describe, although she is not permitted to. Her real thoughts are muddled and unclear throughout the novel, leaving the reader to draw his own conclusions--a hardy, but somewhat annoying task. The real interest is in her thoughts, not what we believe about the circumstance. All in all, this book is a beautiful and eloquent novel, highly recommended to anyone interested in Chinese culture.
Old China revisited.......2000-04-05
Spider Eaters is a haunting and lyrical memoir of a young girl growing up during China's most violent and provocative days. Rae Yang tells a little told story of the inside view of the Cultural Revolution, Nationalist politics and the ties between men and women in her old country. The mastery of this story, is that Yang concentrates less on the history of China, but the effect of that history on it's people. She write about how the cadre's children were supposed to sympathize completely with the working class, however, how could they do that when at every chance, Yang describes them as being completely isolated from the reality of such poverty. Communism at it's height, anyone accused of speaking, or even thinking, words against the Party, could be imprisoned, tortured and/or killed. Society looked down upon selfishness and the ego. Yang's description gives us the picture of a girl torn between two worlds, between herself and her loyalty to the Party, between her loyalty to the Party and her loyalty to her parents and friends, between respect for authority and contempt for such high-handed practices as "campaigns." When the Cultural Revolution begins, Yang's story of a lost girl continues as she turns on those who had been her peers and mentors, becoming the evil that she had unconsciously fought against all her life. This story is meaningful and eerie, in that it describes fully the effect of political influence on the youth, their power over the rest of the world, and their power to change society itself. However, it better describes what this mistreatment of young people can lead to-a burden of guilt and pain surround Yang's words, a guilt that past practices continue to make her unable to fully describe, although she is not permitted to. Her real thoughts are muddled and unclear throughout the novel, leaving the reader to draw his own conclusions--a hardy, but somewhat annoying task. The real interest is in her thoughts, not what we believe about the circumstance. All in all, this book is a beautiful and eloquent novel, highly recommended to anyone interested in Chinese culture.
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