Smile of a Ghost (Merrily Watkins Mysteries)

Book Description

The border town of Ludlow has it all—exquisite medieval streets, a parish church the size of a cathedral, and a weight of history and legend. After a young teenage boy dies, his grandmother becomes convinced she's still seeing her dead grandson in the old town. Merrily Watkins, parish priest is brought in to find out if it is dementia, delusion or something even more disturbing?

Customer Reviews:

Another kind of NHS terrorist.......2007-07-08

You don't want to be a lawyer or a psychiatrist in a Phil Rickman novel. If you show up, you'll be treated like dirt because you are dirt. However, it's okay to wander around with an embalmed baby in tow, and treat your live kin as if you wish they were dead. `Eccentric' is usually stretched to `lovable' in the Merrily Watkins mysteries, but I can't quite bring myself to love the crazy lady of this novel.

"The Smile of a Ghost" is very much about relatives and the awful things they do to each other, including driving the more vulnerable ones to suicide. When a fourteen-year-old boy who is mad about medieval history, takes a dive off of Ludlow Castle, people wonder whether it was a suicide, an accident, or murder.

By book's end, we are pretty sure it wasn't an accident or suicide, but are not positive as to the identity of the boy's killer. I personally didn't care for Merrily's suspect. The retired police officer's suspect was an evil twerp, but I was pretty sure he wouldn't work outside of his own turf. The one suspect that did make sense to me was the weird goth-woman's choice of killer, but I refuse to agree with her on anything. You'll have to decide for yourself.

Evidently bomb-makers are not the only type of terrorists working for Great Britain's National Health Services. You'll meet another type in "The Smile of a Ghost" that Lol had the misfortune to fall under the care of while he was incarcerated in a mental institution. When he composes a song about his experience, bad things begin to happen to him and Merrily. However, Lol solves his problem brilliantly and he is one of the real heroes of this complex, multi-layered mystery.

But if Lol can show enough maturity to confront an evil psychiatrist from his past, why can't he and Merrily stop sneaking into each other's bedrooms and just get hitched? It should put a stop to the poison-pen letters once and for all. Does anyone recall a reason why they shouldn't get married? Bishop Bernie could officiate in his purple shirt, and Gomer Parry, the manic digger-for-hire could be the best man. Jane, pagan that she is, could be the maid-of-honor. Let's drop all of this artificial angst and get on with life. Lucy, one of the many ghosts in this novel would certainly smile on the union.

super and natural.......2006-12-13

If I had known before I bought the first Merrily Watkins novel (The Wine of Angels) that Merrily is an exorcist, I probably would have saved my money. But I didn't know, and now I'm hooked.

The characters are fabulous - Merrily, the sometimes hapless vicar; Jane, the pagan daughter; Gomer, the archetypal local; Lol, the fragile folk-rock mystery. Any and all of these will fix your attention and concern, to say nothing of a wide array of secondary characters and ghosts. OK, the ghosts sound hard to take, but Rickman carefully constructs Merrily's vocation, making the line between spiritual work and work with spirits very faint indeed. The vicar's faith is remarkably practical and so are most of the problems she faces.

The plots grow out of the settings on the Welsh border, exquisitely detailed in all the books. In Smile of a Ghost, the town of Ludlow becomes another character, in some ways the principal victim. Of all the books, this one has the most subtly integrated element of the supernatural: you can take it or leave it.

If the exorcist plot makes you nervous, start with this book and see if your concerned affection for Merrily, Lol, Jane and others doesn't over-come your hesitation.

A Delicious Dilemma.......2006-01-15

The seventh Merrily Watkins book, this one tops the list. Rickman has the skill to present characters who are so real you are sure you know them, a plot so intriguing that you become engrossed in the action, and a way of writing the draws you on through the story. The dilemma is whether to spend time with the characters or turn the page and get on with the story. Here the venue of the mystery is almost a character in itself: what is it about the castle and the town which shapes the story? As always with Rickman one finds oneself on the border between the rational and the non-rational, the quotidian and the mysterious. One finishes with a respect for that which is finally beyond explanation but open to understanding.

The smile of a reader.......2005-12-29

In this the seventh of his Merrily Watkins novels, Phil Rickman once again proves that you really can't get too much of a good thing. While The Smile of a Ghost does not find the Rev. Merrily Watkins in such dire or dark supernatural peril she has contended with previously, the demons she must face are just as chilling -- the possible elimination of her very role as Deliverance Minister by modernizing forces in the Church as well as by her own self-doubt. And this crisis couldn't have come at a worse time -- in the midst of a tragic trend of teen suicides, possibly influenced by a 12th century ghost and a very hauntingly real "ghost" of sorts from Merrily's Goth days of the more recent past.

In spite of this novel's thematic seriousness, Rickman manages to weave subtle strands of wit and humor throughout, and his astounding facility with character and dialogue only gets better with each book. Through his superb crafting of narrative perspective, the personalities of Rickman's characters seem to hijack their way from chapter to chapter with an amazing fluidity that makes the book very hard to put down.

If you're a regular reader of Rickman's novels, this newest one will not disappoint. If you're new to the novels of Phil Rickman, you're in for a treat. Either way, The Smile of a Ghost will leave a reader smiling.

Best of the "Merrily" series.......2005-11-13

Smile of a Ghost is undoubtedly the best of the Merrily Watkins series--and the best of all Rickman's books. Though there is a slight paranormal flavor, the book works best as a straight mystery, one involving many different people and their actions. Mr. Rickman takes these strands and weaves them together beautifully to the final outcome. The main character, the Rev. Merrily Watkins is still charming but slightly anxious in her role as Diocesan Exorcist, and the scenes involving church politics are spot on. Secondary characters are not relegated to "supporting role" status but are integral to the plot. I started reading on a Thursday afternoon and finished it the next day--it's that kind of book.

Average customer rating:

Delicious!
Imaginative!
Succulent
Not what you'd expect

Ghost of a Smile: Stories
Deborah Boliver Boehm
Manufacturer: Kodansha International (JPN)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 4770025319

Book Description

Ghost of a Smile is a funny, erotic, scary collection of stories set in modern-day Tokyo and incorporating elements from Japanese ghost stories.

Author Deborah Boehm turns modern Tokyo into a shadow world where life and death are simply matters of perspective, and where love, longing and sexual desire last beyond the grave. In this supernaturally enhanced city, the ordinary boundaries of identity--country, gender, even whether one is human or a spirit--are blurred. Ghosts can seduce, trick and even love mortals, and so the familiar problems related to dating and falling in love may be compounded by the discovery that a partner isn't human at all.

The characters are a vibrant and unique mix. In "The Snake Spell," a shy and nearsighted librarian attends a country festival and is chosen as the winner of a spell that makes her suddenly irresistible to men. In "The Fire Down Below," a spoiled, rich girl collects signed and graphic confessions from her many lovers in an effort to foil her father's plans for an arranged marriage, only one day to fall in love, hard, with a fiercely celibate monk. In "Naked in the Moonlight," the last remaining itinerant goldfish-peddler in Tokyo spends his days alone until an act of kindness toward a small animal changes the course of his life. "The Beast in the Mirror" features a Hawaiian sumo rikishi who must wrestle with his own darker side, since he has begun to wake up in back alleyways with a strange taste in his mouth and blood on his hands.

Other creatures met along the way include egg-faced monsters, skeleton wives, fox-women, demon badger-dogs, and nymphomaniacal goddesses. Throughout, Boehm's humorous take on the world of the spirits delights, while her use of language dazzles.

Deborah Boehm creates here a world so rich and strange that readers may be tempted to jump on the next plane to Japan. But be forewarned: her world is not necessarily accessible by any known means of travel. To get an idea of the atmosphere that pervades the stories, imagine a collaboration by Lorrie Moore and Edward Gorey, or the Brothers Grimm and Dave Barry.

Customer Reviews:

Delicious!.......2001-09-03

Delicious

This book's filled with spirit as well as spirits. Westerners stream through Japanese landscapes as though on delicate rafts, bumping up against ghouls and demons who ride their passions through the afterlife. The encounters are enough to blow life away ... yet somehow at the end of each story the characters seem ready to come back for more. As was I. The settings are so swiftly established, the narrative so compelling, I was eager for each story to become a fullblown novel. Japan is presented through delicate touches, a pointillism of detail, so that what is foreign becomes intimate in a very easy way. As in the best ghost stories, the humans in this book are driven by passions as strong as any ghoul. The book dances with death, yet somehow shows such a love of life that each story cheered me up enormously! It's all highly romantic, splendidly written, and great fun.

Imaginative!.......2001-07-18

In this collection of eight short stories, the author uses Japanese folklore, exotic settings, Americans abroad, love, and supernatural beings to create interesting, exciting, and fun reading. The characters are playful rather than serious, enabling the reader to quickly feel attached to them. On the way through each superbly crafted plot, are unexpected and rather unusual surprises. What great entertainment! Ghost of a Smile makes exploring short stories a pleasure.

Some of the best stories include one in which a coffee shop owner suspects something amiss with the patrons of a new restaurant ("The Undead of Uguisudani"), one in which a woman loses her lover and becomes enamored of a monk ("Hungry Ghosts in Love"), and one in which a shy librarian is affected by the aphrodisiac qualities imparted to her by a white snake ("The Snake Spell").

Succulent.......2001-03-05

Ghost of a Smile is a delightful and spooky read. Each story paints a vivid new picture that revels in the country of Japan, its people and the transplants from the West who find themselves there. The main characters of each story have remained with me as distinct people (and ghosts), which is unique in the genre of short fiction. Deborah Boliver Boehme is a witty and incisive author who treats us to sensory delights and surprises in this entertaining tour across cultures and settings.

Not what you'd expect.......2001-02-23

Debra Boliver Boehm's collection of supernatural tales, based mostly on Japanese folklore, are a welcome surprise. I do not like and do not read ghost stories and vampire stories. But these stories were so well written, so unique in their setting, so witty and satirical in their execution, that I read them one right after the other. They are connected by a common thread, the quest for true love or true identity within the main character of each story, and this lends power to the collection as a whole. This is a collection I hope people won't overlook.

Smile In The Dark: Book II of the Hand of God series

Average customer rating:

Smile In The Dark: Book II of the Hand of God series
Mark Allyn Stewart
Manufacturer: 1st Books Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1410723623

Book Description

What if vampires were part of a war between Heaven and Hell being fought on Earth? How would The Church react and whom would they send to deal with these demonic Creatures of The Night?

Critically acclaimed author Mark Allyn Stewart returns to the Hand of God Series with this sequel to Against This Vast Army. David and Sharon have settled into their roles as New York's protectors, but would they be able to protect anyone from a new generation of vampire that is immune to the vampire's curse? One of the monsters now holds the key to destroying the vampire's weaknesses forever, making the only advantages the hunters have against the creatures of the night useless. Can David stop this vampire from completing the unholy ritual in time or will the curse be removed forever, allowing any vampire to move freely, unafraid of sunlight, silver or even the cross . . .

Average customer rating:
Darkness Rising 6 Evil Smiles

Manufacturer: Prime Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
ASIN: 1894815394

Average customer rating:
The ghost of a smile,
Cyril Scott
Manufacturer: A. Dakers Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B00085A1TC

Average customer rating:

Awesome Book!

Safar is back!

Good Things Come in Threes

Just Brilliant

FANTASTIC !
The Complete Timuras
Allan Cole
Manufacturer: Wildside Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Cole, Allan | ( C ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Awakened Mage (Kingmaker, Kingbreaker)

Confessor: Chainfire Trilogy, Part 3 (Sword Of Truth, Book 11)

Red Seas Under Red Skies

Into a Dark Realm (The Darkwar Saga, Book 2)

The Children of Húrin

ASIN: 0809510898

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Book!.......2006-03-10

This is a great read for any fantasy lover, it includes all three books from the Timura trilogy, although it seems like they just copied and pasted them all into this new edition (as you can see by the vast amount of typo's left there from the originals). Even with those slight problems though I would definitely recommend this book for anyone in need of a good read.

Safar is back!.......2005-01-26

I am delighted to see this entire trilogy back in print and in a single edition from Wildside Press. If you have not had the pleasure of reading it yet you are in for a treat. Exotic sorcerous adventure inspired by the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam pits two bloodsworn friends against each other. This epic conflict between the visionary with wizardly powers and the power-hungry warrior spans kingdoms of men and demons, mortal and underworld. A saga of kings, caravans, the rise and fall of empires, sea voyages, a huge mythic turtle, prophecies and shapechangers, and a skyship-borne circus. Imaginative and engrossing, a truly entertaining tale.

Good Things Come in Threes.......2005-01-23

Their back! Some of my all-time favorite fantasy characters. If you are already an Allan Cole fan, this book is a must for your collection. If you're not yet a Cole fan, this series is the perfect place to be introduced to one of the genre's masters. I suggest cozying up near a warm fire, turning down the lights and allowing yourself be transported on a truly magical adventure.

Just Brilliant.......2005-01-22

What a book, all three Timuras in one edition, a must for every discerning fantasy reader. Allan Cole weaves such a magickal web of tales it will have you gripped from page one, i know i was and still am every time i read them. What a stunning book, i can't wait to get a copy of it to stand proudly in my special book cupboard. WELL DONE ALLAN another classic.

FANTASTIC !.......2005-01-22

Well at last all three books in one, something to add to the collection i feel. This trillogy are the best fantasy books i have ever read and can't recommend them highly enough. If you like good old fantasy, with a twist of love, war, nasty beasties, sadness, happiness etc. get this book, go on i dare you you will be hooked from beginning to end. I had to wait between books, this time you can get it all in one go. Well worth every penny in my opinion.

Average customer rating:

Excellent solution

CHANGED MY LIFE

a "must-read"

Holy smokes, it works!

Buy Something Else. ANYTHING Else!

The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of Your Emotions--Today
Julia Ross
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Weight Loss | Diets | Diets & Weight Loss | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Mood Disorders | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Emotions | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Healthy Living | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Diet Cure

Depression-Free, Naturally: 7 Weeks to Eliminating Anxiety, Despair, Fatigue, and Anger from Your Life

The Healing Nutrients Within: Facts, Findings, and New Research on Amino Acids

Amino Revolution

The Edge Effect: Achieve Total Health and Longevity with the Balanced Brain Advantage

ASIN: 0142003646
Release Date: 2003-12-30

Book Description

We're in a bad mood epidemic, but Julia Ross's plan provides a natural cure. Drawing on thirty years of experience, she presents breakthrough solutions to overcoming depression, anxiety, irritability, stress, and other negative emotional states that are diminishing the quality of our lives. Her comprehensive program is based on the use of four mood- building amino acids and other surprisingly potent nutrient supplements, plus a diet rich in good-mood foods such as protein, healthy fat, and certain key vegetables. Including an individualized mood-type questionnaire, The Mood Cure has all the tools to help you get started today and feel better tomorrow.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent solution.......2007-10-06

If you are tired of antidepressants and drugs in general to help you feel good about yourself this is the book to read. The director of a very prestigious rehab center refereed this to me when I confessed I could not afford the $20k for their program.

CHANGED MY LIFE.......2007-10-05

I always had problems controlling my moods. I quit several jobs on pure impulse, had a hellish life full of anger, lack of focus, lack of energy and a sense of emptiness. I was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder but medication did not help with my lack of enthusiasm and focus and made me fat and bald. With the supplements recommended in this book I felt normal for the first time in my life. If what you are after in life is a feeling of happiness then this book is for you. It sure changed my life.

a "must-read".......2007-10-02

I learned so much reading this book and have adjusted my nutrition accordingly to excellent results.

Holy smokes, it works!.......2007-09-28

A friend suggested this book for my husband. While reading the wonderful reviews, I also looked at the "Diet Cure" book for myself. I bought both books and we have been reading them in tandem. Last week, we bought the supplements and have been following Julia's instructions as closely as possible. We are experiencing amazing results! My husband is a natural skeptic and pessimist, and even he is singing the praises of this program. I witnessed immediate improvement in his general moods as well as greatly improved stress coping. Though I would not say that I had a "mood problem", I have noticed that the program I am follwing from "The Diet Cure" has not only cut way back on my carb cravings, it has generally improved my spirits as well. Honestly, these two books can save marriages and I am not one to give high praise lightly. It is worth mentioning that you need to do the program as completely as possible as the various suppliments are truly complimentary. You start with the lowest dosage of the suppliments and work up until you achieve the desired result. The lower doses were not enough for us, so we kept increasing (within the parameters in the books) until we got results. We are so happy we found this information. God bless you Julia Ross!

Buy Something Else. ANYTHING Else!.......2007-09-06

I'm a self-help junkie and at age fifty-eight, have read just about everything out there. So I'm going to keep this short and sweet. This book is useless. I read through it, shook my head and handed it to my husband. He skimmed it and gave it to our daughter, a PhD candidate in Psychology. She said it was . . . I can't print what she said.

Please don't bother. The book is just plain bad. It's now in our recycling bin. It's not even worth trying to re-sell, and I don't want to waste anyone else's energy by giving my copy to them.

The Mood Cure : The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of Your Emotions--Today

Average customer rating:

The Mood Cure : The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of Your Emotions--Today
Julia Ross
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ3M20

Average customer rating:

The Mood Cure: The 4-Step Program to Take Charge of Your Emotions-Today
Julia Ross
Manufacturer: Penguin USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MLGLPU

Book Description

Devoted viewers of Alton Brown's Good Eats now have the perfect place to jot down their favorite tips and quips-as well as their own food notes. This journal, which echoes the design of Brown's best-selling I'm Just Here For the Food, makes a great gift for any foodie.

Customer Reviews:

Takin' Notes.......2006-08-29

I didn't realize this was a blank book or journal when I ordered it (good for me for not reading descriptions!) but I really like it anyway. I'm going to set it on my coffee table for when I see something on the Food Network that I want to remember.

Over priced notebook.......2006-06-01

I wasn't sure what I'd get but it turns out to be basicly an overpriced notebook

perfect for what it is.......2006-05-30

I don't know... call me silly.. but this is a perfect little book (ie.. it is bound and has pages). Also, It never claimed to be anything other than what it is. A place to jot down your thoughts, ideas and recipes. I purchased my book for almost nothing at a retail store and I'm hoping to find more here. I like the way it looks and I like the way it is laid out. So please, folks, read carefully what you intend to buy so there will be no disappointments.

People Need to Learn to Read!!!!!!!.......2005-10-16

As someone else posted, IT'S A JOURNAL!!!!! Do you normaly go out and purchase a journal that someone else has written in. The whole point of this book was to get the customer to experiment in the kitchen and create their own recipes. Maybe watch his show on TV and jot down some of his hints and tips.

Does anyone bother to read the book description before purchasing. It clearly states "viewers--now have the perfect place to jot down their favorite tips and quips-as well as their own food notes." Nowhere in that description does it say that Mr. Brown has written all his pearls of wisdom for the reader to use. How hard is that to understand??? I think this is a great cook's journal and a wonderful addition to any serious chef's kitchen.

Do not buy this "book".......2005-08-04

I wish I could give this zero stars. Save your money and go get a spiral notebook at your local drug store, it would be just as useful. I love the show Good Eats and had great expectations about anything with Alton's name on it. I guess I should have read the reviews first. I am sending it back tomorrow for a refund.

Book Description

This book is the first book written for the lay reader on how to prepare dogs for athletic endeavor, whether that means top-level competition or casual recreation. This second edition has been completely updated and extensively revised.

Customer Reviews:

Learning about structure, movement & condition for your canine.......2007-08-03

More than just a book on performance. Zink covers all aspects of conformation and it's importance, genetic dispositions, conditioning and movement as well as some preventative exercises designed to strengthen the core muscles. A reasonably well written book, by a Vet, who truly understands athletic needs for our canines. Would recommend anyone who is working agility, water or hunting trials, etc.

Worth the read.......2002-03-24

I found this book very useful especially how to warm your dogs up before a competition and also before training also there is a fair amount of information about the dogs structure which helps explain why some dogs can do some things and others can't.

The most comprehensive, brilliantly conceived work to date........1998-08-24

Chris Zink writes with great authority and depth of knowledge unlike any other author I have read to date. This book has completely changed how I work with my dog. Thanks a million!

Customer Reviews:

Design resource and directory.......2000-05-06

This series of books is a compilation of examples of custom knives made by custom knife makers from all over the world (although mostly in the US). They include a few articles (some geared more towards the collector, some towards the bladesmith), a rather extensive directory, and page after page of some of the most beautiful knives you'll see anywhere (all b&w photos, regretably). As a beginning bladesmith, I love these annuals because they show me what the current trends are in the field, and give me endless inspiration for both design and embelishment.

knives importers.......2000-03-24

dpecce@gjr.paknet.com.pk slman786@hotmail.com PH:092-432-511340 Dear Sir,

We are manufacturing and exporting all kinds of surgical instruments all over the world. Our all customers are much satisfied with our qualities and services. They are placing repeat and repeat orders. We are manufacturing all the items by selected qualities raw materials in the supervision of highly qualified technical production manager and every piece must be check before packing. We request you to please contact and let us know the items which you find suiting your trade and send us samples or photo graph. We shall send you the samples according to your requirements quoting our lowest c.i.f prices. We assure and guarantee to supply top quality surgical instruments.

Hoping to receive your good news very soon and wishing you best of luck.

Thanking you,

Yours truly, DIALY PECCE INTERNATIONAL,

SALES MANAGER

IMRAN YOUNAS AWAN

Book Description

-Turn an ordinary bathroom into a wonderfully decorated retreat usingcolor and paint.

Customer Reviews:

Great ideas.......2007-02-01

What a great book to have for ideas for the bath. You get a lot more than what you'd get with just a magazine.

Book Description

The author shows how the history of the classical tradition in Russia cannot be separated from the history of Russia's orientation to Western Europe in general. His book, based on many little-known and previously unexplored Russian materials, is the result of the first comprehensive research on the study of the Greek and Roman classics in Russia, and its sociocultural --utopian as well as ideological-- function within the framework of Russian cultural and intellectual history and Russian educational policy from the accession of Peter the Great to the death of Nicholas I. A tradition does not exist apart from the people who adhere to it and the networks they create in order to ensure some kind of growth and continuity. Therefore the author has ordered his material into an interpretive framework based on a prosopographical approach towards the subject. Among specific writers and poets discussed are Pushkin, Gogol, Goncharov and Turgenev.

Average customer rating:
Prints at the Smithsonian: The Origins of a National Collection
Helena Wright
Manufacturer: Natl Museum of Amer History
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Printmaking | Graphic Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0929847075

Book Description

This book contains the biographies of 65 Chinese women who were Buddhist monks in early China. It is a great read for anyone interested in Buddhism or women in religion.

Customer Reviews:

Ancient Buddhism in China.......2005-04-01

This short book contains an introduction, short (1 ½ pages) biographies of 65 ancient Chinese Mahayana nuns (265-557 C. E.), extensive endnotes, a map, and an index. Much of the material is common and consistent throughout the biographies. Nuns frequently become abbots, eat only vegetables, memorize texts easily, recite texts rapidly, perform austerities, chant, build monasteries, and meditate, but don't keep donations and usually don't wear silk (worms are killed in the processing). Mostly they are of high integrity, but a very few are involved in court intrigue. Tsai states that there is an (p. 126 note 104) "editor's bias in favor of the famous and influential." As in other collections of biographies covering centuries, the older ones include miraculous stories and events (hagiography) while the later ones are more biographical. The chapters are arranged chronologically here. High esteem was given to these nuns by royalty-- p. 1: "Although many of the Buddhist texts, both Disciples Vehicle and Mahayana, or Great Vehicle, contain virulent misogynistic sections, there were in fact no doctrinal reasons that denied enlightenment and, later, Buddhahood to women." It is interesting to see an old Chinese view since many recent books address present conditions in SE Asia, Sri Lanka, and Tibet (e.g. Tsomo & Findly). Such books often cite the Buddha's cousin & attendant Ananda as a feminist hero. Tsai states: p. 134 note 92: "Because Ananda is often contrasted unfavorably with another of the Buddha's disciples, one must suspect sectarian rivalries among followers of the Buddha." Religious works are generally compiled long after the avatar has died, allowing the followers to insert their own biases or desires. Most interestingly p. 140 note 41: "The indigenous tradition underlies much of this Buddhist material." These include the intimate relationship (at the time) between Taoism and Buddhism, self-immolation (e.g. 3 nuns did it together) as a religious act, and the nature of meditation-similar to Taoism and other ancient texts wherein the meditator appears dead or unfeeling. The latter culminated (according to Tibetan books) in a debate between Indian and Chinese Buddhists (with the Indian winning, based on meditation method). Unfortunately, this book does not address doctrinal, philosophical, or methodological aspects of Buddhism except at a surface level (e.g. vegetarianism). But even this shows cultural differences-since Tibetan Buddhists eat meat and the Buddha permitted it under most circumstances even to monastics.

An interesting glimpse into an underdescribed time and place.......2000-04-30

Tsai's Lives of the Nuns gives a rare opprotunity to look into the lives of Chinese nuns living approximately 1500 years ago. In addition to the translation of the biographies, there is a brief, but worthwhile introduction which provides a useful context for understanding the biographies which follow. This is not a book for people who want to learn more general information about women in Buddhism (Diana Paul's Women in Buddhism would be more appropriate for an historical angle and the books presenting contemporary perspectives are many and varied), but for those with the very specific interest in historical Chinese Buddhist nuns, this is a worthwhile read.

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