Book Description
When art dealer Jonathan Argyll arrives in Los Angeles to drop off a painting, he discovers that there are a few devils loose in the City of Angels.
Customer Reviews:
Plot and humor makes up for bad location........2006-08-30
This is the third in the Argyll series. For me it is better then the Titian Committee, but falls short of The Raphael Affair's fast pace. I have to agree with the people who say that having the mystery take place in California, vice Europe, takes some of the enjoyment out of this read. However, I thought the ending had great charm, and the way in which the mystery was 'solved' gave it a good twist. It is the most humorous of the three so far (the characters are developing and interacting nicely), and leave me wanting to go right into the next book. Like all series there will be the occasional dud, this is not a dud but suffers in comparison to other Pears efforts.
Tedious and not-credible, I reckon........2006-07-22
This author came highly recommended, but what a disappointment. The plot was difficult to follow and, ultimately, not at all credible, and the writing is labored and sprinkled with contrived passages which are intended to be amusing. Most aren't. But the worst thing about the book is the author's incessant use of the term "I reckon." I don't know where he picked this term up, but obviously he loves it as it appears in dialog every few pages. He should drop it.
OK.......2006-07-11
The Bernini Bust may be my least favorite of the Argyll mystery series. Being in America took all of the charm out of the book for this American. Still a solid book and I did enjoy it; it just isn't at the level of most others in this series.
A Craftman's Mystery.......2006-05-03
This is the second Iain Pears book I have read, but it is the first of the Jonathan Argyll mysteries that I have read. I was intrigued by the premise of mixing the art world with mystery and was plesantly surprised that such a caper is possible; and why not, with all the instances of fraud that go on in the art world? Iain Pears is a talented writer with a gift for crafting quick paced mysteries (short or long) that involve the reader in the action.
Jonathan Argyll, a somewhat inept seller of art, is stuck in Los Angeles, awaiting payment on a Titian he has sold to the Moresby Museum. While he awaits authentication and payment, the owner of the museum turns up murdered and the list of suspects seems especially long, with Jonathan unwittingly finding himself the target of the killer. Working alongside the American detective Morelli, Jonathan enlists the help of his friend Flavia di Stefano to not only track down the killer, but to also uncover the mystery of a Bernini bust. The bust was supposedly purchased by the owner and disappeared from his office at the same time as his death. Flavia and Jonathan must track down how the bust was smuggled out of Italy which embroils them in the search for the murderer.
"The Bernini Bust" is a well-written art fraud caper, filled with likeable (though at times cliched) characters and a plot that clips along at a breezy pace. The mystery is a bit too pat and easy to solve, and the novel has none of the magic and power of Pears' "An Instance of the Fingerpost". Nevertheless, for fans of mysteries it is a fun saunter through clues and alibis to track down a murderer. Plus, the title is excellent, on all the levels of definition, especially when the final mystery is solved.
Passable mystery, unimaginable Americans.......2005-05-03
Iain Pears is a superb writer -- when he is in his element. Apparently, however, America is not his element. The book is a delight to read, but only if you ignore the fact that all of the characters sound exactly alike. The Americans talk like Brits, the Italians talk like Brits, the Brits . . . well.
I find it hard to believe that Mr. Pears has ever actually met an American. Or if he has, if he's actually listened to the way Americans talk. Because they don't sound anything like the Americans in this book.
One example: virtually every American Argyll meets in L.A. says "I reckon." Have you ever heard anyone outside of maybe Texas or Montana say "I reckon?"
Or this: The widow of a deceased billionaire, in describing the IRS, tells Flavia that it's "a sort of Spanish Inquisition redesigned for the consumer society. Trying to put one over on it is a national sport rivalling the baseball." A national "sport," rather than, say, a national pastime? "Tax relief" instead of "tax break?" THE Baseball? Please!
Here's another one: Barclay, the billionaire Moresby's lawyer, is talking about his employer's finances: ". . . and I would have filled out Moresby's tax form to that effect . . ." When was the last time you heard your lawyer, or your accountant, talk about tax "forms," instead of tax "returns?"
Finally: L.A. homicide detective Morelli instructs Argyll to "bring him [a witness who's fainted] round," instead of "bring him around." The former is what a Brit would say, the latter is standard American. Later on, Morelli, discussing the widow's motive, says "so Anne Moresby inherits the lot." He says "the lot," when -- as an American -- he means "everything." I don't think Iain Pears can even hear the difference, let alone acknowledge that it matters. But it does.
I have enormous respect for Iain Pears. I loved An Instance of the Fingerpost, The Dream of Scipio, and most recently The Portrait. He is scrupulous about details, precise in his language, masterful in his characterizations. Usually.
Having said all that, The Bernini Bust is still a treat.
Average customer rating:
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The Bernini Bust
Iain Pears
Manufacturer: Harcourt,Brace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Bernini, Gian Lorenzo
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ASIN: B000JNFQOS |
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Bernini Bust 1ST Edition
Iain Pears
Manufacturer: VICTOR GOLLANCZ LTD (ENGLAND)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Bernini, Gian Lorenzo
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ASIN: B000Q9NMEG |
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Bernini: The Last Portrait Bust
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Manufacturer: Salander Oreilly Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Bernini, Gian Lorenzo
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ASIN: 1588211312 |
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Bernini Bust
Manufacturer: HARPER COLLINS 1 PAP
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Bernini, Gian Lorenzo
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ASIN: B000HAOAY0 |
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The Bernini Bust
Iain Pears
Manufacturer: Thorndike Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Bernini, Gian Lorenzo
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ASIN: B000OSZ13E |
Average customer rating:
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The Bernini Bust
Ian Pears
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Bernini, Gian Lorenzo
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ASIN: B000OJ5Z98 |
Customer Reviews:
I rather liked it.......2004-03-16
I found this collection to be rather enjoyable. It is a good story, though it does weaken at parts. And on the whole, the artwork was pretty good. I don't really see what there is to complain about.
The ..........2002-04-22
Ok, first off, I won't say that this trade paperback is awe-inspiring, but it's not bad. The story is average, continuing Magneto's constant attempts at ruling the human race, with the X-Men opposing him. Most of the battles are fought between the Acolytes and the X-Men, which is somewhat disappointing because the Acolytes are pretty incompentent. Yes, Mellencamp is a lame name for anyone (especially a bad guy), but get over it man. He's only in a few panels. As for Fabian Cortez, he's been around for a while and has his own place in the Marvel universe. Who's to say he can't use his own name? Jean Grey is known more as Jean Grey than Marvel Girl or Phoenix.
No where could I find the text reiterating the art to the degree that the reviewer talked about. I did notice it to a very small degree, as all comic books have that once in a while. All of the non-dialogue text serve more as a narrative explaining the characters' backgrounds or as an exposition on the characters' current state of being and emotion. All in all, there is a fair size of reading to do, but who says comic books need to be less writing? As for the art, I thought it was great. Marvel has been putting out great artwork recently and this continues the trend.
Hmm, as for the other points, I don't understand what his problem is with unfamiliar readers not understanding what's going on. That's how it always is! These comics are part of a series and if you don't keep up with the series, you'll get lost. That's how it's always been. Marvel would love to have anyone pick up these comics and get right into them, but that's completely unrealistic. Marvel lovers will enjoy this paperback, especially X-Men buffs like me. There is some character development... and the writing is decent. The one problem I have is that this X-Men vs. Magneto thing is getting monotonous, but there's actually more to this paperback than that. If you like Magneto (like me), pick this one up. If you like the X-Men, pick it u with a little caution. Anyone else, read it and judge it before buying it.
OH, THE PAIN!!! THE PAIN...............2002-04-04
I bought this book while caught up in a wave of excitement over the current Grant Morrison run on X-Men. I mean, how bad could it be, right?
Oh boy....
This is possibly the worst Comic Book I have ever had the displeasure of reading. Awful. Just AWFUL. I'd go lower than 1 star if I could.......
The only redeeming quality is Alan Davis' art, which takes up less than a third of the book. Other than that.....The story slavishly adheres to the Chris Claremont formula, keeping the X-Books in their own incomprehensible corner of the Marvel Universe. Genosha. The Acolytes. Villains with such awe-inspiring names as Fabian Cortez and Mellencamp. (MELLENCAMP!!! WHO THE HELL THOUGHT OF NAMING A VILLAIN THAT????) Page after page of so many expository word-balloons that the art is almost buried. The first chapter shows the X-Men rescuing people from a burning Hospital, complete with HUGE BLOCKS OF TEXT that just reiterate what we're seeing in the pictures. Isn't that the POINT of the art- To move the story along WITHOUT the writer having to spell out EVERY LAST THING? Wolverine cuts through a wall, while we read pages of dialogue about how Wolverine is cutting through a wall.....Gee, I never would have figured it out on my own!
I can honestly say that I suffered through this horrible book without ONCE being interested in what was going on. Character development is nil, readers unfamiliar with the characters will be totally lost, the writing is awful, the art is mostly poor-man's Todd Mcfarlane (Which ain't saying much!)......If you're looking for 200 pages of people talking while they fight pointless battle after pointless battle, you've come to the right place. Anyone with even a modicum of intelligence should steer clear.
And what brain at Marvel decided this poop needed to be collected?...
Average customer rating:
- Everyone should read this book
- go NATURAL -- symptoms or side effects?
- How about some nuance?
- very informative
- Helpful Information on Psychiatric Drugs
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Your Drug May Be Your Problem: How and Why to Stop Taking Psychiatric Medications
Peter R. Breggin , and
David Cohen
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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The Anti-Depressant Fact Book: What Your Doctor Won't Tell You About Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, and Luvox
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Toxic Psychiatry: Why Therapy, Empathy and Love Must Replace the Drugs, Electroshock, and Biochemical Theories of the "New Psychiatry"
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The Antidepressant Solution: A Step-by-Step Guide to Safely Overcoming Antidepressant Withdrawal, Dependence, and "Addiction"
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Prozac Backlash: Overcoming the Dangers of Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and Other Antidepressants with Safe, Effective Alternatives
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Blaming the Brain: The Truth About Drugs and Mental Health
ASIN: 0738203483 |
Amazon.com
Psychiatric drugs are prescribed to more than 20 million Americans. This book aims to convince us to stop taking these drugs, and to show us how to do it safely. The authors contend that after 15 minutes with a physician or psychiatrist, Americans are prescribed medications that we may take for years or a lifetime, which can do more harm than good. We're irritable, anxious, emotionally numbed, physically fatigued, and mentally dulled. Yet when we stop taking the drugs, we encounter a whole new set of problems and setbacks.
The book lists the adverse medical reactions you may encounter, plus additional personal, psychological, and philosophical reasons for limiting or rejecting psychiatric drugs. About half the book covers withdrawing from your drug--how to do it carefully and slowly, what to expect, and how to get help--with specifics for certain drugs and a chapter on easing your child off them as well.
If you suffer from depression or another condition that warrants taking prescription drugs, you might refute the authors' contention that "the degree to which we suffer indicates the degree to which we are alive. When we take drugs to ease our suffering, we stifle our psychological and spiritual life." Certainly it would be lovely if we could "find a way to untangle that twisted energy and to redirect it more creatively," but is this really possible in all cases? The authors blame our dependence on drugs and psychiatry on big pharmaceutical-company bucks, psychiatric organizations, and even government agencies. Certainly we are an overmedicated society--but is the answer to take everyone off drugs? This provocative book says yes, and it's bound to be controversial.
Of course, do not go off any prescribed medication without working closely with the medical professional who prescribed it, and do not use this book as a substitute for professional help. --Joan Price
Book Description
The first book to guide patients and doctors through the process of withdrawing from psychiatric drugs.
Psychiatric drugs are prescribed to more than twenty million Americans but can these drugs do more harm than good?
While a doctor may take fifteen minutes to determine the need for a psychiatric drug, the patient may end up taking it for months, years, or a lifetime. We deserve to know the dangers in advance -including the difficulties we may encounter when trying to withdraw. Your Drug May Be Your Problem is the only book to provide an up-to-date, uncensored description of the dangers involved in taking every kind of psychiatric medication, and it is the first and only book to explain how to coordinate a safe withdrawal from them.
Customer Reviews:
Everyone should read this book.......2007-06-18
I take issue with Publisher's Weekly for saying the authors are dogmatic. Unfortunately, few people understand what is going on with the drug industry unless they've been caught up in the hell of drug discontinuation themselves.
Many publications are afraid to speak out against the powerful drug companies. Some of these are supported by drug advertisements.
Few doctors see what is happening because they are doublebooked, getting their patients in and out. Psychiatrists prescribe drugs all too easily. And many patients who take psych drugs are not supervised by their doctors to check for adverse affects.
I salute Breggins and Cohen for taking risks to go against the powerful status quo. Because of them, people who have developed an accidental dependence on these drugs have somewhere to turn to figure out what to do.
I tried the drug Effexor once, and I felt like jumping out the window. My doctor told me to keep taking it for two weeks to see if I adapted. I couldn't get through another day.
I am also one of many who stumbled upon the drug Klonopin. I took it for a few months only, and it has taken me over two years to discontinue the drug. I'd previously taken tranquilizers with no problem stopping. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd get violently ill while tapering off these drugs.
I have met others in a similar situation who've been diagnosed "bi-polar" because the withdrawal symptoms from these drugs make people appear crazy. Consumers and their doctors need to learn the truth about these drugs. And Your Drug May Be Your Problem tells it like it is.
After discussing symptoms caused by various psych drugs, the book explains how to taper with the 10 percent method and goes over symptoms of withdrawal. The authors give guidance to help therapists use other tools besides treating their patients with drugs. And finally, there are some great suggestions on how a depressed or anxious person may get back on track.
Your Drug May Be Your Problem is a courageous book that will enlighten readers who have given control of their minds and bodies to their doctors, drug companies and the FDA.
go NATURAL -- symptoms or side effects?.......2007-03-31
"I am sane, intelligent, and self-respecting." Another reviewer wrote these words. Yes! I relate, having been misdiagnosed too. Honestly, we have to diagnose ourselves. If I trace back, I find that my physcial health began to decline when I was 14, and my mental health declined from age 20 on. My story might be different from yours, but my personal responsibility to FOLLOW MY INSTINCTS is very much the same. I have chosen to treat my symptoms naturally with True Hope (google it). I had precious little family support in my decision... until it started working, that is!
I have suffered tremendously from antidepressant side effects that have come back 7 years after taking my last pill, and often triggered by things like taking vitamins, getting exercise, or losing weight. Here's a simple test anyone can do to find out what side effect is coming from psychiatric drugs: drink a protein shake like weight trainers do. The body eliminates the drugs on the protein in your digestive tract. I have had days that protein every two hours was all that kept me from shaking like a leaf from the drugs releasing into my system. If I hadn't known what was going on I would have thought I was losing my mind. If you're on psych drugs currently it COULD INTERFERE with their function, but after you go off them as described in this book or under the care of a doctor, protein is a life saver.
I wish every doctor who said "your symptoms are coming back," would have patients drink a protein shake there in the office, wait 15 minutes, and then re-evaluate. Symptoms??? Or SIDE EFFECTS!
It is worth pointing out that the side effect list for a given drug is often similar to the symptom list -- google your drug name and "side effect" to read up. Side effects like depression, anxiety, headaches, fatigue, digestive problems...)
Today I'm healthier than I have been since I was in high school. Information is power!
How about some nuance?.......2007-02-18
Most reviews of this book are extreme. Either they think Dr. Breggin is a buffoon and shouldn't be allowed to practice medicine, or he is a god whose every word is holy writ. How about a little nuance?
I believe the pharmaceutical industry is EXTREMELY corrupt, and many doctors overprescribe. But some people make major improvement from drugs.
Are research studies for psych meds biased? Yes, I think they are. They have a positive bias because Big Pharma sometimes tries to suppress clinical trials that are less than favorable. I absolutely believe this. But some people do seem to benefit from psychiatric medication, especially people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
Also, there is a different alternative besides MEDS or NO MEDS. It's possible to be on medication TEMPORARILY, but many people seem keenly unaware of this. Just because your doctor puts you on a psych med doesn't mean you have to take it forever. Some people stay on them for years, but some take them for six months to a year and then go off them, the same way you might take pain medication temporarily after an injury.
If somebody is taking medication, any kind of medication, I wouldn't suggest going off it or reducing your doseage without guidance from the person who prescribed it. If you don't want to take meds for your emotional distress, you need to mention this to the person treating you.
Any practitioner worth his or her salt will try to respect your choices.
very informative.......2007-01-11
this is an excellent book! clear and direct and very helpful in the study of using medication to treat "mental"/emotional problems. This is a worthy read. written by medical doctors who are up to date on their information. a great book!
Helpful Information on Psychiatric Drugs.......2006-11-10
This is a very detailed and well-researched book on the reasons psychiatric drugs can be harmful and the best ways to come off of them safely. The book contains several specific chapters dealing with the effects of certain types of drugs, their affects, and their side-affects. Over all, this is an extremely helpful book for anyone considering or currently on psychiatric drugs.
Book Description
Kids love cookies . . . and Olivia! Olivia's Cookie Kit includes a cookie cutter (shaped like the high-spirited piglet) and a 20-page recipe booklet, Olivia's Big Cookie Book, chock-full of simple cookie and frosting recipes, witty instructions, and winning illustrations of Olivia.
Key Features:
" "Cookie tin" shaped round keepsake box
" Olivia cookie cutter
" 20-page cookie recipe booklet
Customer Reviews:
Cookie Kit.......2007-01-08
This was a great idea, but it is not worth $10. The cookie recipe book is miniscule and there really isn't much to the product.
I Wonder What I Was Thinking..........2006-12-04
A small plastic "cookie cutter" for $9.95...? Although my 3 y/o grandaughter & I love "Oliva"...I can only guess I had one of those "senior moments"...again! Not worth the price.
Customer Reviews:
Easy to read and straight forward info.......2006-12-11
I really enjoyed this book. It's a great reference for selecting a dog that will fit your lifestyle and emotional needs. No fluff!!! And fun and easy to read.
Average customer rating:
- A basic introduction to Remington Firearms of the 1800s
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Remington Firearms: The Golden Age of Collecting
Robert W. D. Ball
Manufacturer: Krause Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0873413601 |
Customer Reviews:
A basic introduction to Remington Firearms of the 1800s.......2001-03-06
Robert W. D. Bell has done a good job of writing a book that will catch the eye of the novice collector or even the the average gun owner but has enough serious content to be of use to serious Remington collectors. It is concise and well layed out with beautifully photographed firearms which be a real help in identifing that old Remington gun that Grandpa had or be the first book an antique dealer consults when finding the word Remington on an old gun. Some will feel that it could have gone deeper into variations and serial numbers and such but others would find this boring. All in all this is a really good book.
Book Description
Newcomers to the Southwest usually find that their favorite landscape plants aren't suited to the hot, dry climate. Many books offer advice on adapting plants to the desert; this one tells how gardeners can better adapt themselves to the challenge.
In this entertaining and informative guide, Mary Irish encourages readers who may be new to the desert--or desert dwellers who may be new to gardening--to stop struggling against heat, aridity, and poor soils and instead learn to use and appreciate the wonderful and well-adapted plants native to the desert. She shares information and anecdotes about trees, shrubs, perennials, agaves, cacti, and other plants that make gardening in the Southwest a unique experience, and provides further information about plants from other desert regions that will easily adapt to the Southwest. In addition to descriptions of plants, Irish also offers tips on planting, watering, pruning, and propagation.
Customer Reviews:
Good info, bad images.......2006-08-20
Great info for the desert gardener, but if you want to know what the plants and cacti actually look like, the small black and white pictures just don't cut it. Gardening is a visual discipline, pictures do speak a thousand words.
Gardening in the Desert: A Guide to Plant Selection & Care.......2006-07-11
This is a very good reference book for selecting the type of plants I will need to landscape a desert setting.
a good narrative.......2005-08-28
I read this book cover-to-cover, which wasn't what I expected to do; I expected to use it more as a reference. However, it's written so well and contains so much helpful advice that I found it easy to read straight through. I'm new at gardening, but I'm already making good use of the information in my own yard.
Desert gardening made easy.......2005-07-27
Excellent beginner's guide to desert gardening. Not surprising, bias is to low desert where she lives. An expanded version to include intermediate and high desert would be welcome, but the priciples as laid out hold throughout the Southwest. Reads well.
desert gardening.......2004-05-05
An excellent book that should be in every desert gardener's library. Not only does she offer sound advice she is occasionally, and refreshingly, very candid in her opinions. I have just ordered my second copy as I made the mistake of lending my first copy.
Average customer rating:
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Ventura Publisher 2.0: Mastering Desktop Publishing
Richard Jantz
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons Inc (Computers)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0471503029 |
Book Description
A spellbinding and authentic document of American adolescence.
Set against the backdrop of the deep South in the 1970s, Miss American Pie is the unforgettable account of Margaret Sartor’s life from age twelve to eighteen. A raw document crafted from diaries, notebooks, and letters, this deeply personal yet universally appealing story astonishes with its candor. Young Margaret moves with ease between the seemingly trivial concerns of hairstyles and boys to more profound questions of faith and meaning. By turns funny and poignant, heartbreaking and profound, she tackles all of the decade’s issues—desegregation, drugs, the sexual revolution, the rise of feminism, and the spread of charismatic evangelical Christianity—with humor, frankness, and unexpected insight.
Miss American Pie reminds us what it feels like to grow up, offering a true and honest look at a teenager grappling with the timeless questions of sex, friendship, God, love, loss, and the meaning of family. The introduction and epilogue, written by Sartor from an older perspective, reflect on those turbulent and life-shaping years, revealing how the girl in the diary turned out after all, and demonstrating that childhood—both its joys and traumas—reverberate deeply in our adult lives.
Customer Reviews:
It Surely Took Courage To Share This.......2007-10-01
First off, our decade's obsession with blogging has little in common with the art of keeping a diary, and anyone who doubts that might do well to read this book. A diary is normally a private thing, an exercise in personal meditation, a record of a life and those who pass through it, written by one's self, for one's self, and it's not often someone openly invites complete strangers to see something that is by nature so personal, and yet writer Margaret Sartor has bravely done just that, and done it in a way we all can feel guilt free over even as we read what were once some of her innermost thoughts and experiences as she grew up seeking God, love, and self-understanding in the emerging "New South" of the 1970's.
Whereas often because they ARE so personal diaries can be boring and leave a reader feeling simultaneously included and excluded, Margaret Sartor's writings from age twelve in 1972 thru age eighteen in the summer of 1977 are not only welcoming but annotated to the point where we grasp who everyone she interacts with is and feel some enlightenment as to each person's motivations. There is her family, consisting of her father, who along with his brothers is one of the town of Montgomery, Louisiana's most well-known doctors; her mother, a beautiful and complex woman; her two older sisters, younger brother, and late in the diary, a new baby sister, who comes along when her parents are well into middle-age. Margaret Sartor is frank about many things, her feelings for boys among them, but no other subject preoccupies her quite so much as her quest for a relationship with God. Even in the Bible Belt of the deep south of two generations ago I doubt many people Margaret's age were so keenly motivated to seek out God or to do more to grasp something tangible about the nature of this force. Margaret's spirituality takes several forms but most often finds expression in the charismatic brand of the local faith. She tells of prayer meetings and youth revivals, about the casting out of demons and miracles performed that grew attendees legs out to equal length. She seems to be a soul simultaneously in awe of all this and puzzled as to why if she is truly in the Almighty's presence, she feels a lack of perfect contentment.
As Margaret ages, religion is gradually pushed aside and instead we read of her infatuations with one young man or another, her confusions, her worries and very often her dreams, which she records almost nightly and which are almost always interesting in themselves. Margaret gains national recognition for her work with her school's cheerleading squad, and seeks early admission to a college out of state, proving to herself and others that she has the power to achieve her goals. As Margaret's story unwinds installment by installment, the tales of those peripheral to her become almost as interesting as her own life. There is her best friend, who comes out of the closet in small town Louisiana in the `70's; there is the racial integration struggle going on, at times violently, in the background; there is an aunt who kills herself, and another relative who was lobotomized and as a consequence became an obese misfit; and there is the restless shiver felt by all as a region little changed over generations moves toward a modern age much different from the past.
Margaret Sartor's entries are often brief. They are simply quick, easily-read bits of information that say much in a short space. In its entirety her diary is unique, candid, and always fascinating. Maybe it will inspire others to publish similar records of their lives. Till then, Miss American Pie remains a darn good read.
For real?????.......2007-09-11
I suppose in this "reality" obsessed culture we now live in anybody can get their diary published and have it lauded as an important piece of modern literature or a work of brilliance or any of the myriad cliched accolades critics vomit up.
Well I don't get it. Miss American Pie is a dull, dull, dull read. The forward is promising and I thought Sartor's teenage musings would be profound or intriguing or at the least interesting but it's not. Sartor is a spoiled rich kid whose father is a doctor and mother is an artist. She has several horses, equally well off friends and an obviously successful future ahead of her.
Her diary entries, if you can call them that, average two to three sentences at the most. Entries range from "May 20: I feel really bad," to "February 6: BAD headache today," to "April 1: Stella is unhappy at her job". She mopes around because she thinks she's ugly or because her best friend likes a guy she likes or because her hair is frizzy. There isn't anything of substance to make this a worthwhile read or shed some new light on adolescence. I understand it's a diary of a teenage girl but it's still boring.
If a diary is to be published, it should be dynamic, intriguing, shedding new light on the protagonist or a particular situation or a period of time. Miss American Pie fails on all counts. It doesn't help that no one has a clue who Margaret Sartor is either.
Miss American Pie could have been more affective if it was written as an actual memoir instead of the dull, dull, ramblings of a teenage girl's diary.
Courtesy of Teens Read Too.......2007-08-07
This was a good book. It is an actual journal of the author written in the seventies. I graduated from high school and college in the seventies so I could relate to many of the references made in the journal. I think today's girls could also relate, though, because the themes in the journals are the same struggles that today's teens go through.
It starts when Margaret is in the seventh grade and goes through her senior year. At first the entries are brief and some are quite funny. Later they get more poignant.
Margaret is boy crazy, bored, rebellious, and is trying to figure out what she believes. In the seventies, we had many issues involving desegregation, drugs, sex -- it was the era of the sexual revolution, feminism, and the big mega-churches were founded and grew in that decade. I laughed at many of the entries, especially when she would write of some profound event and not elaborate and the next entry would be something very trivial.
For example: November 8 -- Nixon was elected president. November 9 -- Everyone says me and Vernon would make a good couple. (Nixon being elected president was exciting and had worldwide ramifications but her and Vernon being a good couple didn't last more than a week.) Another example: August 8 -- President Nixon resigned; made appointment to get my hair cut.
I love that entry. It is such a teen statement. MISS AMERICAN PIE is realistic and fun to read. Plus, it makes you want to start a journal, too.
Reviewed by: Marta Morrison
Very enjoyable quick read.......2007-07-08
I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I purchased or picked up this book. I have a tendency just to buy. I was very pleasantly surprised. This was a very quick read, but was so enjoyable. I laughed out loud so many times at what happen to Maggie as I could remember times things like that happened to me. It made me regret I hadn't written down my early days in a journal. I highly recommend this book. It's so good its easy to forget its real, you'll start to think she fabricated it all!
I loved this book........2007-04-21
This is a great book. It made me laugh, and it made me cry. It is one of the best books that I have ever read.
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- Of Traverse City, a Jewish community, and a tale well-told
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American Pie: A Memoir
David Cavitch
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0738810800 |
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Of Traverse City, a Jewish community, and a tale well-told.......2007-05-11
Ordinarily memoirs hold little interest for me, but this book turned out to be one of the best I have ever read. It is finely crafted--the author's background as an English professor is much in evidence--and reads more like a novel than an autobiography. As a resident of Traverse City and a student of its history, I enjoyed the book for its perspective on local things from the point of view of the Jewish community here. At the same time, it presents a story of a young man growing up and escaping the intellectual and social confines of a small northern Michigan city. The thread of a bittersweet love story presents itself, too, and the pathos of that story extends to the final chapter of the book. All people who grew up in Traverse City as well as those who like a narrative well-written will want this book.
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Chocolate Pie And Hard Cheese: Recollections, Reflections And Poetry
PattieTarlton Polsgrove Hamilton
Manufacturer: iUniverse
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 059531709X |
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Slices of American Pie
Joe Stonis
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1413797296
Release Date: 2006-05-08 |
Book Description
What do I attribute my ninety-seven years to? A major contributor has to be keeping an active mind by reading, working daily crossword puzzles and of course writing. This book has allowed me to fulfill my desire to remain mentally active and at the same time document the one-man entrepreneurs of the early 1900s. I had no idea that I could recall so many, but with pad and pencil in hand I started a list and before I knew it the count had reached forty-two. Not stopping there I set out to describe each one in as vivid and accurate a detail as I could. I'm hoping that this book can be used as reference for future generations seeking to learn how goods and services were provided many, many years ago.
Books:
- The Body in the Bog: A Faith Fairchild Mystery (Faith Fairchild Mysteries)
- The Catiline Conspiracy (SPQR II)
- The Chinese Bell Murders: A Judge Dee Detective Story
- The Dingo in Australia & Asia (Australian Natural History Series)
- The Dogfather (Prime Crime Mysteries)
- The Dragon King's Palace: A Novel (Sano Ichiro Novels)
- The Enchantment of Opposites: How to Create Great Relationships
- The Final Crumpet (A Royal Tunbridge Wells Mystery)
- The Frumious Bandersnatch: A Novel of the 87th Precinct (87th Precinct Mysteries)
- The Last Victim in Glen Ross
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