The Old Wine Shades (Richard Jury Novels)

Book Description

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER-NOW IN PAPERBACK

Customer Reviews:

where's the ending???.......2007-10-02

While I am a big Grimes fan (love the Richard Jury series, and have read them all), I actually found this book to be rather a frustration. You see, the beginning really pulls the reader in--there's this fantastic tale Jury is told at a pub, and the story is rather a brain teaser. Well, and the intensity just builds from there...keeps you guessing the whole time...you stick through page after page of suspenseful dialogue between the characters (sometimes it feels like the characters are talking in circles around the plot)...takes you through all of this, only to drop you right after that. Yes, that's right...the book just drops off. Doesn't really give you much of an ending, which is frustrating to no end, since this book is really a story within a story. Rather a disappointment to have stuck with it through over 41 chapters, and then have it just fizzle out. Quite unsatisfying, that.

"Man walked into a pub..."

(Bah humbug to that! Where's the ending???)

The worst book I've ever read.......2007-08-15

Airport book is inconsistent and mind-numbing right out of the gate (where were this woman's editors??), careens downhill from there. Just terrible.

Personally, I liked the dog.......2007-08-03

I have to admit that I was disappointed in the ending, although I didn't have any trouble understanding it. There were some errors and, to be sure, some of the book bordered on fantasy, but I liked it, and I thought the dog and his feline housemate were a lot of fun. Of course, I enjoy Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie and the Cat Who series etc, also. I would have liked to see more resolution to the book, and I was a little skeptical that there was no way of solving the case. After all, these kids were no dummies and could have easily provided more aid to Jury. I will read the next one when I come across it, but I don't see me rushing to buy it.

not a bad outing.......2007-07-12

I have read all Ms Grimes' books, not so much because they are fabulous but because once I start reading a series, it's hard to quit it. Well, okay, there's also the wonderful Melrose Plant and his Aunt Agatha... The last several installments of this series, with the notable exception of The Winds of Change, have been either mind-numbingly confusing or crushingly depressing (too many dead children!) and sometimes, both. But Old Wine Shades is more playful than depressing. So I'd recommend it if you like her work and/or like a puzzle. If you have never read her before, I'd recommend a trip to the library to read up on the series starting with the first book, because otherwise, you won't know what the heck is going on...as I said, it's confusing and each book reads more like a chapter in the saga than a standalone story. IMHO, of course.

disappointed.......2007-06-13

A decent beginning and plot development then left to plod through a poor structure and no ending. I'm not kidding. There was no ending.

Average customer rating:

Review Of Dr. R.N.Mitra's Novel "If There Wasn't Deth."
Mitra Scores
A Gourmet Book of Bibliophiles and Low Down Scoundrels
the evil that psychiatrists do
Since There Is, Mysteries Can Still Be Fun

If There Wasn't Death
R.N. Mitra
Manufacturer: Outskirts Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 159800915X

Book Description

TOO MANY PSYCHIATRISTS!

A series of suicides of middle aged women leads Dr. Alexander Bloorwoise and the team of Martin, Halley and Dobbelia to uncover a raw and bloody secret.

Customer Reviews:

Review Of Dr. R.N.Mitra's Novel "If There Wasn't Deth.".......2007-08-01

Reading Dr. Mitra's second mystery novel, If There Wasn't Death, (I did not read the second and the third mystery novels in the four novel Manhattan Murder series), I was pleased to find a quality expansion over his first mystery novel, A Very Insipid Passion. The new book has been structured better and has superior literary flavor.

There have been three reported suicides of three divorced women and the standard intelligence team of this mystery series: Dr. Sandy Bloorwise, Dr. Martin, Halley Willard, and Dobbelia Smith, are locked in intense debate on Dr. Bloorwise's intuition that they might be murders, which is very off common sense of the two of his experienced colleagues. (The wizard sleuth, Halley Willard, has limited exposure in this novel). How the plot moves and whether Sandy Bloorwise's hunch is right is the essence of the novel

The craftsmanship of the plot is brilliant. As a mystery novel, it is fast paced and filled with suspense, but like the peeling of an onion, the author goes on methodically and deftly to unravel the mystery. In the hands of Dr. Mitra the novel rises above a typical mystery, as it is suffused with literary language, observations on human nature, and elaborate personality profiles. Dr. Mitra has done fine work with the delineation of Dobbelia Smith's and Sandy Bloorwise's personalities. But he is not as successful with Dr. Martin's personality, who remains pretty much a mystery figure. I hope in the subsequent novels he weaves the fabric of his personality also. The end of the book is surprising, even strange.

Most of the book is anchored in dialogs, which are generally well done, and not in actions. Conversations, drinks, foods are the oil that keeps the team moving forward. Sometimes, one wonders that the sleuths are consuming too much alcohol for their own and public's good. Author's keen knowledge of mystery literature is well displayed here. I am not a mystery reader, generally, and can not place Dr. Mitra's place in the pantheon of mystery writers, but there is no doubt in my mind that he is a very skilled writer and has produced an exquisite mystery novel. It sure is gripping and entertaining. We are keenly looking forward to his next novel, which might be even better than this, because we like his work and want him to rise in his stature even higher.

Mitra Scores.......2007-06-10

It was fun to read this book which is part of a continuing story line. The nicely developed characters, especially my favorites: Sandy Bloorwoise and Dr. Martin indicate stylistic maturation. The mystery is well developed and its outcome is not easily ascertained by the reader.

It is very pleasing to read a good mystery tale that is not replete lurid and ghastly details of blood or sex. It takes great skill to develop an interesting and gripping story that grabs a reader's attention. This author is achieves this in this book and I look forward to his next story.

A Gourmet Book of Bibliophiles and Low Down Scoundrels.......2007-03-12

This is by far the author's best book. His fourth book has the same lovable characters, the classic Sandy Bloorwoise, the very vincible Dr. Martin and the darling of ACLU, Dobbelia Smith. The suave supersleuth, Halley Willard is missing, or is he?
The book moves at different levels, one involving the recently released Therese Rankin, a protege of Dob, who's coming out of jail. Yes, a very young girl in love with an unscrupulous drug dealer who had betrayed her. Yet she is drifting slowly toward him again, a recipe for disaster.
Martin is assessing a young minority boy for attempting to assassinate the President of the United States, with a . . . toy gun. What's all that about? Wait, it all gets tied up in the end.
Sandy's suspicions are aroused at the violent suicide of a middle aged woman. Wait, there are two of them. Both of them were ex-wives of psychiatrists. George Kusank MD sounds like a villain and Kalnes Raglan MD is actually Martin's old mentor and now running a fashionable clinic. He takes them to the fabulous Bacchus Club and treats them to a gourmet dinner. But no connection between them can be found. Sandy falls in love. In a way, this is the most momentous event that can occcur to a retired physician from England (his name is pronounced Blair), who has a dark past and a history of serious suicidal attempts. Sandy is happy for the first time in many a year.
And his lady love, another divorcee, not related to any psychiatrist, commits suicide and Sandy sees red.
For those who liked An Interpretation of Murder, a Henry Holt publishing disaster, this book might appeal. For this has deep psychological probings into minds but without the sexual aura.
The denouement is clever, unexpected and fully satisfying. A book for the beach weather to come.

the evil that psychiatrists do.......2007-03-06

This is a delightful book---combining the gentile and the sordid in a well-crafted narrative in which a variety of plot threads are elegantly united in a very satisfying denouement. Adding to the particular ambience is the comfortable warmth between the old friends who are Dr. Mitra's recurring protagonists, as well as their--and presumably the author's---passion for a good beer, a malt whiskey, and above all, classic detective fiction

Since There Is, Mysteries Can Still Be Fun.......2007-02-13

"If There Wasn"t Death" takes place in various New York City locales (hospital, private clinic, Lower East Side, exclusive clubs) and presents a puzzle involving a pattern of deaths which, though they are listed as suicides, have too much in common with one another to be entirely coincidental.

If, like the author of this interesting series, you have a fondness for the "golden age" of mysteries, you will find something of a safe haven here, especially if you appreciate the absence of raw, offensive language and irrelevant sexual episodes (although two of the characters appear to think hopefully about "romance" from time to time) and the presence of some congenial talk about gourmet cookery, first editions and malt whiskies, conversations indulged in during the course of an extremely complex plot with a cast of unusual characters, some of whom (naturally) turn out to be "not quite what they seem." The story also manages to suggest an ingenious, up-to-date variation on the old "rare, South American poison" device - which may or may not turn out to be a red herring.

It is not entirely a comfortable, "sit by the fire" novel, however. Many of the events will no doubt cause the reader to shrink with dread, dismay, horror and puzzlement (that's all part of the fun), but some of the dialogue and some of the author's rather strong opinions, may make you want to get up and argue with the book. Among other things, the author seems to credit his readers with too much knowledge, and so there are some unexplained references strewn about from chapter to chapter. The title, incidentally, is from the works of Stevie Smith, the poet played so charmingly by Glenda Jackson in the play "Stevie."

Average customer rating:

The Old Wine Shades
Martha Grimes
Manufacturer: Penguin Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJC99M

Average customer rating:

TERRIBLE NARRATOR

The Old Wine Shades

Manufacturer: Books on Tape
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: B000FBOG4A

Customer Reviews:

TERRIBLE NARRATOR.......2006-11-10

I RENTED THIS FROM THE LIBRARY AND COULD NOT EVEN LISTEN TO IT BEYOND THE FIRST 10 MINUTES. I THINK HE IS AN AMERICAN AFFECTING AN ENGLISH ACCENT. VERY VERY DISAPPOINTING. ENGLISH MYSTERIES SHOULD BE READ BY ENGLISHMEN OR WOMEN - PREFERABLY THE LATTER - I FIND THEY ARE OFTEN SUPERIOR NARRATORS FOR BOOKS ON TAPE.

Average customer rating:

The Old Wine Shades
Martha Grimes
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000PH535U

Customer Reviews:

Better than Good!.......2002-10-16

What can I tell you? Read this guy! I don't know what he's doing or where he is now, but the series is more than worth it. If you like Douglas Adams, Robert Rankin, Roger Zelazny, Greg Costikyan - well, you'll love Mr. Brenner.

Book Description

In the future, Gloria Stone administers her healing arts to the people of Coyote Creek in the Arizona Territory. In a desperate search for a cure to an epidemic sweeping her community, Gloria will come to understand that the ghosts that prowl her dreams, the governorÂ's man who stalks her village, and the powers that emanate from her body are all parts of a puzzle that is connected to the catastrophic past. Solving it could be the salvation of humanity Â- or GloriaÂ's own undoing.

Customer Reviews:

I loved this book and highly recommend it!.......1998-01-25

Kim has written a wonderful, unusual science fiction novel. Not only is there a mystery which nags at you until the end of the book, but she has managed to weave in a powerful sense of earth-centered spirituality, and feminine spirituality, which is rarely found in science fiction. Yet it is never "off-putting" or strident. I highly recommend this book. Mona Clee, Dublin, California

Average customer rating:

Wonderful help

I can't believe it only received an average of 2.5 stars!

Delightful

Do Not Buy

Great pictures but horribly written...

Le Cordon Bleu Dessert Techniques: More Than 1,000 Photographs Illustrating 300 Preparation And Cooking Techniques For Making Tarts, Pi
Le Cordon Bleu
Manufacturer: William Morrow Cookbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Desserts | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Culinary Arts & Techniques | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Cooking, Food & Wine | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Le Cordon Bleu's Complete Cooking Techniques: the indispensable reference demonstrates over 700 illustrated techniques with 2,000 photos and 200 recipes

Kitchen Essentials: The Complete Illustrated Reference to the Ingredients, Equipment, Terms, and Techniques used by Le Cordon Bleu

Chocolate (Le Cordon Bleu Home Collection , Vol 8)

Finger Food (Le Cordon Bleu Home Collection, Vol 14)

Le Cordon Bleu at Home

ASIN: 0688169074

Book Description

For the first time, the chefs and instructors of the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu cooking schools have written a cookbook that will teach anyone, from novices with a sweet tooth to expert bakers, how to prepare beautiful and delicious desserts at home. Hundreds of techniques are explained in step-by-step detail, with more than one thousand color photographs illustrating the experts methods for success.

Even if you've never made a sugar syrup or rolled out a piecrust before, this is the book for you. The simplest of techniques, typically left out of most cookbooks, are covered in the greatest detail. When you've mastered the basics, Le Cordon Bleu Dessert Techniques will challenge you to make increasingly difficult recipes on your way to preparing dazzling desserts. For example, upon mastering the basics of grating, chopping, melting, tempering and piping choclate, you'll want to try your hand at creating choclate ribbons and culs, marbleized chocolate slabs, and lacy chocolate cups for truly spectacular presentation. Once you've reviewed the techniquws for baking perfect cake layers, you'll be reday to creat a Chocolate Chestnut Roulade or the classic and decadent Sachertorte.

After learning from the experts, you'll be piping meringue, whipping up chocolate mousse, and preparing Pots de Creme with ease before you know it.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful help.......2007-03-12

Although this book doesn't have as many recipes as I'd like, it is full of techniques that enable you to utilize all the recipes you have. The full color pictures that go along with every technique were beautiful. I would have given this 5 stars except that there could be a little more explanation for the techniques in the back of the book. Overall, this is fast becoming my go-to book for creating spectacular desserts

I can't believe it only received an average of 2.5 stars!.......2007-01-25

This book is amazing, the pictures are fabulous, the techniques spectacular, and recipes thorough. No, it doesn't explain every single detail step by step, but it's not supposed to. It's not going to hold your hand here, it's a 'techniques' book, not a recipe book. Besides, most of the descriptions are self-explanatory, that as a basic aspiring cook, I myself can understand.

It has some great ideas about different dessert techniques that I'd like to try out. Can't wait to give the choux pastry swans a go at my next party.

Delightful.......2006-02-09

The color photographs in this cookbook are outstanding. The reader will find inspiration and instruction in the same package. Many of the recipes produce beautiful presentations with fairly simply techniques. Great value

Do Not Buy.......2005-01-25

The book is filled with great pictures, but the techniques are poorly described, and sometimes are not described at all. I've tried several recipes and all of them have been missing steps that the book assumes you already know. My sponge cake for example could have been used for a spare tire, not sure what happened there! I've used some of the ideas in the book, but have gone to other cookbooks for the actual recipes! This book was not worth the money.

Great pictures but horribly written..........2004-12-03

This is my second Cordon Bleu book and I am extremely disappointed in it. My other Cordon Bleu book, Le Cordon Bleu at Home is a fine book.

The recipes in here do not follow the traditional method of listing all the ingredients first then the technique. You have to read the whole recipe more than once to wade through the convoluted directions and variations for a recipe. The pictures are beautiful but they only do so much;the organization of the text leaves much to be desired. I've had a lot of experience in cooking and baking and found this book very difficult to use. I will probably return it. If you are looking for a dessert book I'm sure you could find a lot better ones.

Average customer rating:

A good primer

Good explanations and lots of information

Please be careful

Excellent

Comprehensive, Up-to-date, Excellent!

The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care
C.J. Puotinen
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Veterinary | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books
General | Veterinary Medicine | Medicine | Subjects | Books
Animal Husbandry | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Natural Remedies for Dogs and Cats

Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats

The Nature of Animal Healing : The Definitive Holistic Medicine Guide to Caring for Your Dog and Cat

Herbs for Pets

Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats : Your A-Z Guide to Over 200 Conditions, Herbs, Vitamins, and Supplements

ASIN: 0658009966

Book Description

Alternative health titles are topping bestseller lists as people search for effective, natural ways to care for themselves and their families--and, as every pet owner knows, house pets are family too. In this revised edition of her groundbreaking work, CJ Puotinen gives animal lovers even more of the information they'll need to care for their dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits the natural way.

Customer Reviews:

A good primer.......2005-07-22

This was one of the few decent references I used in preparing my books, 8 Weeks to a Healthy Dog, The Allergy Solution for Dogs, and the award-winning The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats. The book is well written and easy to understand, yet informative for owners who would like to explore natural care for their pets.

Good explanations and lots of information.......2001-06-08

We are very new to the holistic care for pets ... and we were looking to find a good book that would introduce us to this more natural method of looking after our dogs ...

Ms. Puotinen's book is everything that we could have asked for ... her first few chapters takes the beginner gently through the methods, means, whys and wherefore of holistic care. Her writing is clear, concise and sure ...

The rest of the book is (to our mind) quite detailed, with lots of specifics ... and we suspect will cater even for the more experienced.

The book takes the reader from feeding raw food & supplements, to aromatherapy & homeopathy, and even guides the reader through the more esoteric art of flower therapy and massage for pets. There is a wonderful chapter on common ailments and possible natural remedies.

The author draws from numerous sources of information & reference (all carefully indexed and referenced) and she reproduces conversations & interviews with other practitioners of the art (including vets). To beginners such as us, this is quite essential ... and we found great comfort, to learn that holistic care is not only an ancient art but is still actively practised today (and gaining much ground), by even those with medical and professional qualifications.

Interesting reading ... offering much to those willing to learn. Well worth the time and cost ...

Please be careful.......2001-06-02

Because many natural remedies are ancestors to our modern pharmacopia, care must be taken with all drugs you give your pet. Please use these books carefully and under the supervision of your veterinarian. There is a reason why we are required to attend four years of post-undergraduate medical school in order to prescribe drugs and make medical decisions. All animals are complex organisms who vary widely among species and individuals. Drugs and herbal remedies that may be safe and effective in humans can kill cats and dogs. These species variations are not well understood, especially with regards to herbal medications. For example, onions can be deadly to cats, as can Tylenol (a drug that we feel is safe even for human children). Please don't leave your common sense at the (e)bookstore door. Saving money on veterinary care by using a book may cost you the life of your pet.

Excellent.......2000-04-15

This is an excellent book. It provided me with the information that I needed to save the lives of some puppies that were malnourished and dehydrated at 3 weeks of age due to the loss of thier mom. I would have lost the litter with out this book. I have since bought a goat....

Comprehensive, Up-to-date, Excellent!.......1999-05-10

There are several books along the same lines, but this highly comprehensive and up-to-date holistic health encyclopedia for pets is the best. 500+ pages of info on feeding a raw diet, supplements, aromatherapy, herbal medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, flower essences, hands-on therapies such as acupressure and massage, holistic first aid strategies, cancer treatments, the vaccination controversy, interviews with several holistic vets, and an A-Z guide to ailments and their natural remedies. Excellent!

Customer Reviews:

Excellent source of infomation.......1998-05-04

This book has a lot of info for just about any collector of toy sewing machines. I found it very useful many times already and i've only had it a short time.

A great book for anyone interested in collecting machines.......1998-04-24

As a fairly new collector of toy machines I found this book and the companion volume to be very beneficial to me. An excellent source for info.

Average customer rating:
Making Angels, Ornaments, and Dolls by Hand: Step-by-Step Instructions for 47 Projects
Holly Harrison
Manufacturer: Quarry Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Decorating | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Creative Cloth Doll Beading: Designing and Embellishing with Beads

Creative Cloth Doll Couture: New Approaches to Making Beautiful Clothing and Accessories

Cloth Characters: A Book of Doll Patterns and Ideas

Art Doll Adventures: Exploring Projects and Processes through Cultural Traditions

Creative Cloth Doll Faces: Using Paints, Pastels, Fibers, Beading, Collage, and Sculpting Techniques

ASIN: 1592531474

Book Description

The perfect book for any angel lover. This collection of 47 handmade angels will charm, delight, and inspire you, whether you're a skilled crafter or just someone who loves these heavenly figures. This glittering collection features full-color photographs, easy step-by-step instructions, and great ideas for using these angels as special-occasion gifts or decorations, or just for fun.

There are projects that symbolize love, health, strength, teens, friendship, and more. The angels fit all styles and tastes; some are elegant, others are simple or primitive, while others exemplify their ethic origins. There are plenty of tips and techniques as well as an artist directory and product resource guide.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Journal of the American Oriental Society, published by American Oriental Society on January 1, 2001. The length of the article is 714 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Contingency in a Sacred Law: Legal and Ethical Norms in the Muslim Fiqh.(Review)
Author: Jonathan E. Brockopp
Publication: The Journal of the American Oriental Society (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2001
Publisher: American Oriental Society
Volume: 121 Issue: 1 Page: 108

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Contingency in a Sacred Law: Legal and Ethical Norms in the Muslim Fiqh

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Contingency in a Sacred Law: Legal and Ethical Norms in the Muslim Fiqh
Baber Johansen
Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MBRX4I

Book Description

Andy Warhol, Sigmar Polke, and Gerhard Richter are among the most important artists of the second half of the 20th century. Each appropriated everyday imagery as source material, each co-opted photography and the technologies of mechanical reproduction to the ends of high art, and each dissected the status of the artwork in the age of mass media. Secure in their individual understandings of the Zeitgeist, they found unique new lives for painting, a medium repeatedly pronounced dead. Originally brought together in the book "In the Power of Painting: Warhol, Polke, Richter, Twombly, Marden, Bleckner", a volume which addressed the status of painting today, this new volume more saliently examines the sensibilities that have shaped the work of Warhol, Polke, and Richter. With lavish reproductions accompanied by essays that outline their comon concerns and their relationship to Pop Art, this book is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the aftermath of Pop and artwork in the age of mass media.

8.75 x 11 in.
54 color illustrations

Amazon.com

Canadian novelist Wayson Choy is an only child of Chinese immigrants to Vancouver, reticent, hardworking people who struggled to keep him from losing his cultural identity and becoming a mo-no--"Chinese but not Chinese." At the age of 56, after giving a radio interview on the publication of The Jade Peony, his award-winning novel about Vancouver's Chinatown, a woman with an unfamiliar voice called to tell him that the people he had known as his mother and father had in fact adopted him. Why she chose to speak out to Choy when none of his family had ever shared the secret with him is unclear. Although this revelation prefaces Choy's memoir and cannot help but color it for the reader, his book is less a search for his birth parents than a loving and tender reconstruction of his childhood with his true, adoptive family. One of the highlights of his early years were his regular visits to the Cantonese opera at the Sing Kew Theatre on Shanghai Alley. Only later did he realize that the running translation his mother provided for him had been falsified, with all the tragic endings made happy. "I never saw the same opera that everyone else did," Choy muses, adding that her whispered narratives had constructed within him "a permanent barrier against pessimism, perhaps even against adversity... If I turn my head at a certain angle, I can still see Mother crying, her perfumed hankie above me, her face streaked with tears. And, in some other sphere, I see Mother laughing like the Buddha, her spirit unyielding, her mythic lies flying between us like bright pennants." As Choy realizes during his search for information, there is some knowledge that can't be gained from a merely true account. This haunting memoir serves better than a birth certificate to say who the writer is. --Regina Marler

Book Description

From the author of the popular and widely acclaimed novel, The Jade Peony, comes this new autobiographical exploration of past and present, culture and selfhood, history and memory, immigration and family life--in other words, the modern-day collision of Eastern and Western experiences and worldviews.

Three weeks before his 57th birthday, Choy discovered that he had been adopted. This astonishing revelation inspires the beautifully-wrought, sensitively told Paper Shadows, the story of a Chinatown past both lost and found. From his early life amid the ghosts of old Chinatown, to his discovery, years later, of deeply held family secrets that crossed the ocean from mainland China to Gold Mountain, this engrossing, multi-layered self-portrait is "a childhood memoir of crystalline clarity" (The Boston Globe) that will speak directly and arrestingly to all students of Chinese immigrant history.

Customer Reviews:

Growing up in Vancouver's Chinatown in the 1940s.......2004-10-30

Now a respected professor and novelist in Canada, Wayson Choy was 57 years old in 1999 when he learned that he had been adopted. This memoir is a result of that discovery and, even though some family secrets do get discovered, by the end of this 342 page-book, he and the reader understand that much of his suppressed family history will never be completely uncovered.

I did enjoy the story itself, however, which deals almost exclusively with his childhood years. Born in Vancouver in 1939, his memory of those early ears and his simple descriptions put me right into the young boy's mind.. He's the only child of hard-working Chinese immigrants in the land they refer to as Golden Mountain. Chinatown in those years was a world unto itself, and the young boy was loved and cherished by his parents as well as a large assortment of "uncles" whose own families were still back in China.

Through his eyes we see the elaborate Chinese operas, which were transported to Canadian soil, and which his mother always enjoyed. We see his early encounters with English books and his strong will to learn to read. We see him go to a Canadian nursery school and learn about the Christian religion. We understand his Chinese roots and the many ghosts and spirits that are part of his Chinese culture. We meet his dog and have to laugh at the way this loving pet took over his life. Chinatown becomes real for the reader and so does the boy's obsession with cowboys and refusal to go to a traditional Chinese school. Most of the book was devoted to this very detailed portrait. Basically, this childhood was filled with love and little trauma.

It was only in the last couple of chapters when we join him in his quest for his family secrets. This is written in the same simple style and delves deeper into the history of his family's experience in China as well as the new world. We'll never know most of the story. But we do get to share his growing-up years and learn about the forces that shaped his world.

Mo-no juk sum Makes Good, Eloquently.......2002-02-12

In anticipation of the lunar new year, I picked up this book. The author had me under his spell by the second page. In his memoir of growing up in the 1940's, as the son of Chinese immigrants in Vancouver's Chinatown, the reader learns that Mr. Choy, while on a promotional book tour in 1995, received a call from a woman who says that she just saw his mother. But his Toisanese mother died nearly two decades earlier, he tells the mysterious caller. No, the caller replies, she means his `real mother.' And so the memoir and the mystery begin. In descriptive language that is hypnotic and nearly as haunting as a ghost filled home his family lived in, an extremely detailed portrait of his life as a young boy is drawn. In Part 1, his pre-school years are filled with family, Chinglish, mah-jong, lots of single "uncles" to take him for ice cream, nightly Chinese operas (his mother's version are a permanent barrier against pessimism), cowboy films, and his assertively willful tantrums. In Part 2, the author writes of his school years, English and Chinese lessons, stubbornness, truancy, confusion, helplessness, his pet dog, the humiliations his father endured at work, and the other concerns of children. In the last third of the book, Mr. Choy returns as an adult to the mystery of his and explores the hidden secrets of his family. Upon close reading, one learns about the stress of living as an Asian in North America during the War, a time when burials were only allowed in Asian-only cemeteries, when sick Asians were housed in the basement of the hospital, when Asians were offered payments to return to Asia if they promised never to return, and when men were not allowed to bring their families or wives over to the Gold Mountain from across the Pacific. On even closer reading, one can discern how different Chinese identities were crafted in North America by his grandfather, his parents, and finally himself in an in-between'ness third generation.

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