The Encyclopedia Of North American Wild Flowers

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The Encyclopedia Of North American Wild Flowers

Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000CP8JJM

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LEATHER BOUND book accented in 22kt gold!

The illustrated encyclopedia of American wild flowers

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The illustrated encyclopedia of American wild flowers
Ethel Hinckley Hausman
Manufacturer: Garden City Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Customer Reviews:

More Helpful for Residents than Tourists.......2000-04-01

Lacking a chapter on where to stay, but naming a good local lawyer, this is more of a reference for residents, than it is a guide for tourists.

Helpful guide.......1999-06-10

This was very helpful to us in our recent trip to Kansai/Kyoto/Osaka. No good for Nara, but plenty of other helpful things.

Marvellous.......1998-05-08

Pithy, funnily written, refreshing change from staid travel books. No good for Nara, but great for Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe. I lived in the area for eight years and still I didn't know most of the places mentioned.

Book Description

"The Greatest Miracle is Life" are the memoirs of Mykola Rudenko, one of the founders and leaders of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group. His memoirs are interesting both from an historical viewpoint, as his life spans almost the entire Soviet period of Ukrainian history, and from a psychological angle, as the memoirs are a frank confession of one who became enamored of communist ideology as a youth but gradually rejected conformism and changed paths when it became apparent that reality was out of step with ideology. This led Rudenko, a former secretary of the party committee steering the Writers' Union of Ukraine, to enter the circle of dissidents and human-rights activists and eventually to suffer incarceration in Soviet concentration camps.

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Wainewright the Poisoner : The Confession of Thomas Griffiths Wainewright
Andrew Motion
Manufacturer: A. A. Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O62D3M

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Wainewright the Poisoner The Confession of Thomas Griffiths Wainewright
Andrew Motion
Manufacturer: Alfred A. Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0VN7A

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Wainewright the Poisoner The Confession of Thomas Griffiths Wainewright
Andrew Motion
Manufacturer: Alfred A. Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0VOM4

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Fascinating Idea, Poor Execution

A Fascinating Hybrid of Fact and Fiction

A for scholarship, C- for entertainment.

Wainewright the Poisoner: The confession of Thomas Griffiths Wainewright--Regency author, painter, swindler, and probable murderer--brilliantly woven from historical fragments

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HWYL3I

Amazon.com

British poet laureate Andrew Motion knows how to write a conventional biography--witness his much-praised books on John Keats and Philip Larkin--but this time out he's chosen not to. In a fascinating act of literary ventriloquism, Motion has created a fictional "confession" supposedly written by Thomas Griffiths Wainewright (1794-1847), an English painter and essayist friendly with many artists in the Romantic movement before he was convicted of forgery in 1837 and transported to Van Diemen's Land (modern-day Tasmania). Demonized in several lurid pieces of Victorian fiction that assumed with some justification that he was a murderer as well as a forger, Wainewright has fallen into obscurity since. Motion thinks he deserves a modern reassessment: "His career dramatizes ideas that deeply concerned [the Romantics]. By combining a life in culture with a life in crime he embodies an extreme version of [their belief] that good and evil grow on the same stem." The brilliantly slippery monologue fabricated by Motion vivifies that belief, capturing Wainewright's glittering, dandified charm and subtly suggesting the darker currents underneath as it narrates his unhappy childhood, London heyday, and ordeal as a convict. Readers are strongly urged not to skip the footnotes, which lay out the book's factual underpinnings and gracefully provide a historical context as interesting as Wainewright's convulsive life story. --Wendy Smith

Book Description

In a time rich in unlikely characters, Thomas Griffiths Wainewright (1794-1847) was one of the strangest of all. A painter, writer, well-known London dandy and friend of most of the major figures of the Romantic era (from Blake to Byron, from John Clare to John Keats, Lamb, De Quincey and Hazlitt), he was also almost certainly a murderer, possibly several times over. Arrested and convicted of forgery--evidence was lacking to prove the murders--he was transported for life to the barbarous penal colony of Tasmania, where, years later, he died in obscurity. Behind him he left only rumors and fragments of documents, and a legend of evil that fascinated such writers as Charles Dickens and Oscar Wilde.

With a brilliant blend of creative imagination and scholarly sleuthing, Andrew Motion evokes Wainewright's double life in a tour de force of the biographer's art. Cast in the form of a partly fictional "confession" written by the subject himself, buttressed (and sometimes contradicted) by the notes, background essays and other commentary setting out the known facts, it reveals the man as no straightforward history could do--his distinctive voice, his wit and charm, his callousness and unreliability, his pathos and, perhaps, his capacity for
murder.

As a distinguished biographer (of Philip Larkin and John Keats, among others), Andrew Motion has been notably successful in pinning down the often-elusive details of Wainewright's life. As a first-rate poet (he succeeded Ted Hughes as Britain's Poet Laureate), he shows himself equally skilled in the imaginative investigation of Wainewright's bizarre psyche. The result is a richly memorable exploration of the darker side of human nature, of the roots of crime, of the nature of biography itself.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating Idea, Poor Execution.......2001-07-01

The story of Thomas Griffiths Wainewright should be a fascinating read--the idea of a chirasmatic, possibly murderous swindler at the heart of Victorian letters is certainly attractive. However, the execution, using the convoluted prose of the 19th century, but without the subtlety or wit, is profoundly flawed.

The footnotes, which develop the historical basis for what is essential several hundred pages of whining, are actually more interesting than the novel itself, and show what Motion, a competent and conscientious historian, is capable of when he does not hamstring himself by setting up too restrictive a scenario. Motion is obviously not comfortable portraying the literary giants with whom Wainewright interacts, and so he shows them only through the jaundiced (and totally unsympathetic) eye of Wainewright himself. The footnotes are essential in figuring out where Wainewright is sowing truth into his lies, but frankly, I was not able to become interested in Wainewright enough to care about when he tells the truth, and when he lies.

Those interested in this genre of historical fiction are encouraged to check out Tim Powers, who manages to portray historical figures more realistically and sympathetically, even when he's throwing ghosts and vampires into the mix.

A Fascinating Hybrid of Fact and Fiction.......2000-09-26

Andrew Motion has blended two of my favorite genres -- true crime and historical biography -- then wrapped the whole in a carefully crafted and very clever fictional fabric. Surprisingly, "Wainewright the Poisoner" holds up on all levels: as a deft work of literature, an insightful biography and a masterful mystery. I enjoyed the brief, incise chapters of the "Confession" followed by the scholarly footnotes liming the real Wainewright (as available from exisiting sources), the times in which he lived and the extraordinary cast of characters (real) with whom he associated, ranging from Byron and Blake to the inmates of that prison island, Van Dieman's Land (Tasmania). The ease with which Motion moves from the scholarly to flights of fancy (his own as well as the unstable Wainewright's) makes this book one of the most satisfactory, and unusal, reading experiences I've had in quite some time. Very well done, well done indeed.

A for scholarship, C- for entertainment........2000-08-27

This is a strange animal, neither fish nor fowl. The book is marketed as the fictional confession of a real, and seemingly fascinating, character--writer, painter, swindler, companion of famous Romantic authors, probable murderer, and criminal transported to Tasmania. Publishers highlight the fact that Andrew Motion, the author, is both Poet Laureate of Great Britain and a professor of creative writing, and words such as "brilliant," "memorable," "engaging," and "convincing" attach to the book and appear in reviews. With credentials like these, this book should be one of the most vivid and exciting reading experiences of the year, if not the decade.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. The book is so erudite--so like a doctoral dissertation--that the reader never gets close to the subject. The voice of Wainewright, done extremely well in the formal language of the period, nevertheless keeps him at an unbridgeable distance. Wainewright himself never admits his crimes--in fact, does not even recognize them as crimes--and seems to be solely concerned with his own ends, not characteristics allowing for reader identification. Most unfortunately, footnotes so heavily burden the narrative they constitute almost as many pages as the novel itself, and they bring any flow the author does create to a juddering stop. Appearing at the end of every chapter, rather than at the end of the book, they act as deadweights throughout.

Book Description

Andrew Motion brings all his lyricism and inventiveness to bear in this fictional autobiography of the great swindler, Thomas Griffiths Wainewright. A painter, writer, and friend of Blake, Byron, and Keats, Wainewright was almost certainly a murderer. When he died in a penal colony in Tasmania, he left behind fragments of documents and a beguiling legend which Motion uses to create an imagined confession laced with facts, telling the story as no straightforward history could.

"Brilliantly innovative, gripping, intricately researched, Motion's biography does justice to its subject at last."—John Carey, The Sunday Times

"Engaging and convincing. . . . The trajectory of this character-from neglected and resentful child to arrogant and envious London dandy to sociopathic murderer on to an enfeebled, frightened prisoner-is indelibly imagined and drawn."—Edmund White, Financial Times

"[A] fascinating look at an evil artist, a charmer still having his way with us. We can hear him being economical with the truth, telling us and himself just what he wants to hear."—Michael Olmert, New Jersey Star Ledger

Originally published by Alfred A. Knopf
2000 ISBN: 0-375-40209-8

Customer Reviews:

Partly satisfying experiment in biographical fiction.......2003-03-14

An experiment of sorts, this fictionalized biography or biographical novel (take your pick) concerns the life of a London "dandy" who dabbled without much distinction as a writer and as a painter and then finally gained widespread attention when, accused of forgery and suspected of murder, he fled the country and was ultimately captured and exiled to Tasmania. Motion, an acclaimed poet and biographer, alternates the fictional narrative (in the form of a "confession" by the subject himself) with "notes" detailing what the historical record actually seems to say. The notes are not merely documentary evidence; instead, they are fragments that, together, form a sort of rough draft for a traditional biography.

The experiment is a qualified success. Since there exists far more invention about Wainewright than fact, the format does allow Motion the opportunity both to imagine a life through the subject's own eyes and to present far more speculation than he could in a traditional biography. Still, this is the first time I've found a book's notes more captivating than the text. Furthermore, the patience of many a reader will be tried by the constant flipping back and forth between the fictional narrative and the supporting material, which is fairly necessary to understand what's going on.

The appeal of this volume, ultimately, will depend on the reader's interest in the character of Wainewright himself, and especially in the man's apparently infinite self-regard. In an 1867 biographical account, Walter Thornbury called Wainewright an "insufferable fop," and Oscar Wilde characterized Wainewright as "a young dandy [who] sought to be somebody rather than do something." Motion's account supports both of these assessments quite solidly.

Part of the allure of Wainewright's story has always been the prominence of the company he kept; he was friends or acquaintances with several of the Romantic poets (particular Blake), as well as artists Henry Fuseli and Theodore von Holst and "London Magazine" regulars Charles Lamb, Thomas de Quincey, and William Hazlitt. Although Motion offers a passable account of the history of the magazine and the writing that appeared in its pages, including Wainewright's own meager contributions, he provides only one or two fictional paragraphs--and a complementary note--portraying each of the major figures in this milieu. Since I was led to believe (or perhaps I presumed) that the book would offer a broader survey of the Romantic crowd, I found these cursory portraits rather disappointing.

Ultimately, though, Wainewright himself is a third-rate Romantic writer and a deservedly neglected painter. Motion's experiment attempts to raise questions about the nature of biography, and he examines in an afterword how the facts, suppositions, and grotesque inventions surrounding Wainewright's life and crimes captured the Victorian imagination. The fascination with his notoriety continues to this day: it's not for nothing that Motion calls his book "Wainewright the Poisoner" rather than "Wainewright the Romantic." Yet, if Bulwer Lytton, Dickens, Wilde, and other writers (including Motion) had not demonized Wainewright or embellished his misdeeds, then surely the man would have been little more than a footnote in surveys of the Romantic period--if that. Motion never seems to concede that Wainewright's ignominy has in fact given both his art and his writing a longevity it doesn't deserve, and this book adds to the legend as much as it clarifies it.

An erudite, but slow, narrative........2002-08-15

A strange amalgam of fiction and non-fiction, this book is marketed as the fictional confession of a real, and, one would think, endlessly fascinating, character--writer, painter, swindler, companion of famous Romantic authors, probable murderer, and criminal transported to Tasmania. Publishers highlight the fact that Andrew Motion, the author, is both Poet Laureate of Great Britain and a professor of creative writing, and words such as "brilliant," "memorable," "engaging," and "convincing" attach to the book and appear in reviews. With credentials like these, this book should be one of the most vivid and exciting reading experiences of the year, if not the decade.

Unfortunately, this is not the case. The book is so much like a doctoral dissertation that the reader never gets close to the subject. The voice of Wainewright, done extremely well in the formal language of the period, nevertheless keeps him at an unbridgeable distance. Wainewright himself never admits his crimes--in fact, does not even recognize them as crimes--and seems to be solely concerned with his own ends, not characteristics allowing for reader identification. Most unfortunately, footnotes so heavily burden the narrative they constitute almost as many pages as the novel itself, and they bring any flow the author does create to a juddering stop. Appearing at the end of every chapter, rather than at the end of the book, they act as deadweights throughout.

Andrew Motion is a respected biographer who has chosen to write this "novel" because it's the only way he can fill in the gaps in the real Wainewright's shadowy history, but he is too much the conscientious scholar to be able to exploit the privileges which fiction allows him. We end up, ironically, with a slow, footnoted, scholarly account of Wainewright, a man who lived almost totally in the moment. Mary Whipple

A forgotten life rescued, and a tale well told........2001-12-26

In books which really captivate me, I often dog-ear the lower corner of pages with particularly memorable phrases; a terrible habit, I know, but this book ended up ended up with a good many dog-eared pages. This is partly due to Mr. Motion's own unquestioned talent; I have little doubt that his prose is far more readable and entertaining than anything ever written by Wainewright himselves...

The life story, though, is Wainewright's, and with Motion's borrowed voice to animate his own hastily drawn self-portrait, Wainewright regains life long enough to become unforgettable. He was clearly a very talented painter, and enough positive testimonials of his later life in Australia survive to refute the cartoonish vilification under which his name shrank in his native land. Guilty of forgery, guilty perhaps of worse, he was also a glib and resourceful man, one who never lost interest in the art he chose as his calling and who kept drawing and painting nearly right up to his lonely death on faraway shores.

I personally felt the book gained speed and interest beginning in chapter 10, when Wainewright's own life became more difficult and he became, perhaps, more contemplative, just as Mr. Motion's writing did from that point on.

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Wainewright the Poisoner : The Confessions of Thomas Griffiths Wainewright
Andrew Motion
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MU6NKO

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Wainewright the Poisoner The Confessions of Thomas Griffiths Wainewright
Andrew Motion
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPXNVY

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Great resource!

Great Reading, Questionable Pattern Utility

Fanatic sock knitter

Great Resource!

a great book

Folk Socks: The History & Techniques of Handknitted Footwear
Nancy Bush
Manufacturer: Interweave Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Knitting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Textile Arts | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Knitting on the Road: Sock Patterns for the Traveling Knitter

Knitting Vintage Socks: New Twists on Classic Patterns

Sensational Knitted Socks

Folk Mittens: Techniques and Patterns for Handknitted Mittens (Folk Knitting series)

Socks Socks Socks: 70 Winning Patterns From Knitter's Magazine Sock Contest

ASIN: 0934026971

Amazon.com

Join the sock knitting revolution! Many knitters today, too pressed for time to knit large garments, are turning to knitting socks-- thanks in part to this lively book with its easy-to-read directions for socks from many European traditions. An hour with this book will have most knitters hunting up their needles to begin a pair of Scottish kilt hose or colorful Estonian socks. Includes precise techniques for various heel and toe shapings, along with a wealth of information on the history of sock knitting. A wonderful book for your collection or as a gift for the knitter in your life.

Book Description

Nancy Bush culled museum archives in Europe and the British Isles to present 18 great sock patterns from a host of folk knitting traditions. Sturdy boot socks, lively Birkenstock socks, handsome knicker socks, white Greek socks with colored heels and toes, lacy stockings, kilt hose, cabled socks, clocked socks_they're all here, they're all fun to do according to the careful directions, charts, and illustrations. A chapter on techniques presents a collection of heel turnings, toe shapings, and top ribbings for knitters at all levels of experience.

Customer Reviews:

Great resource!.......2007-05-12

I needed a resource for creating some Greek folk socks for a folk dance group. This book was a perfect resource for understanding patterns and the basic techniques for creating socks. Unfortunately, there was no pattern in the book that approximated what I was looking for, however, I was still able to use the information along with photos I was working with to re-create the socks I needed.

Great Reading, Questionable Pattern Utility.......2007-04-10

I was pleasantly surprised by how much knitting history is in this book. It is well-written and appears to be well-researched. There's also a large section of numerous variations for heels (all based on heel flaps except for an afterthought heel) and toes. (Where else could you read about the Balbriggan heel?) This could be really useful for big-time historical accuracy buffs or designers looking to make their socks a little different. Patterns lean heavily towards stranded colorwork, with several lace or cable patterns to boot. The only pattern I'm really in love with is for "Norwegian Stockings."
The biggest issue I see with the patterns is sizing. The patterns do not indicate finished size (other than indirectly through gauge and stitch number). Others simply state "for men" or "for ladies," with only one stitch count given in the pattern. Newer sock knitters might have problems figuring out the size sock that would result from following the pattern as written, let alone figuring out how to adjust complicated colorwork for an altered stitch count.
In my beloved Norwegian Stocking pattern, the socks appear to end at mid-calf (although I can't be exactly sure because the finished height isn't given). The pattern states, "These stockings will fit a man or a woman." I have a very hard time believing this, especially when the reduced stretch of stranded colorwork is taken into account. I'm pretty sure the average man's calf and foot size are different from the average woman's. Perhaps Bush meant that these socks fit a particular man and a particular woman. The only problem is, we don't know who they are or what their measurements are!
Overall, I think this book is a great read for sock knitters, with a lot of historical information and instructions for obscure heels. The patterns may be best left to those willing to put a bit of extra effort into getting the right fit.

Fanatic sock knitter.......2007-02-01

I love the designs and layout of this book. I look forward to making a lot of socks for family and friends!

Great Resource!.......2005-10-07

This book showcases the history and evolution of knitting socks as well as patterns inspired by actual historical socks and patterns. Very informative book and easy to read. I got a little bored with all of the history presented, but all in all, it is a great book even for someone who doesn't knit, but is a history buff.

a great book.......2005-09-30

I read a review on this book when i was going to buy it, mostly good, but one said something about it not being folk socks or something. I didn't personally find that to be true. I love this book! The sock patterns are neat and exactly what she says they will be. It would be silly to knit a sock that goes up to your knew, people do no wear them this way now.

It gives a WONDERFUl history on them and neat little stories. I also like the sock patterns, but have no made a sock from the book yet. It's just a neat book and REALLY explains all the parts of a sock. If you have never knit a sock before it's really neat.

Now when I see sock patterns I know what they are talkin about!

Book Description

Reading THE NATURAL PREGNANCY BOOK is like having your own personal herbalist and midwife at your side. Expertly written by Aviva Jill Romm, who has been providing family-centered natural health care for almost 20 years, it was one of the first books to explore botanical medicine and pregnancy. In this revised and updated edition, Ms. Romm thoughtfully follows the woman's journey from conception to birth, focusing on natural health. She describes herbs that can promote and maintain a healthy pregnancy (along with those you should avoid during your term) and the basics of a healthy diet, with an emphasis on natural foods. THE NATURAL PREGNANCY BOOK is a complete guide for the woman who envisions a safe pregnancy without technological intervention, as nature intended.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Have for Women Geared Toward a Natural Pregnancy and Birth!.......2007-10-04

Aviva is able to write a book that is specific to each woman. I felt like the book was written just for me, but I know that anyone else who reads it will feel the same way. She is very supportive and has a way with making you comfortable about your pregnant body. The information in this book alone should be worth much more!!! A must have for any pregnant mama!

AWESOME !.......2007-04-04

This book is great - so much better than some of the others on the market. It offers thoughtful advise and a non-traditional approach to a health pregnancy. I love this book and refer to it almost daily during my pregnancy.

A MIDWIFE IN THE PAGES.......2007-02-13

I bought this book as soon as we found out we were pregnant and were constantly rewarded by the abundance and relevance of the information contained within. The true test of the book came unfortunately, when we miscarried at 13 weeks - it was then that the author seemed to step out of the pages and hold us to guide us through the transition of losing our first pregnancy. What a comfort and a joy to have a book that seemed to mirror our experience while supporting and advising on our path of action. She is brilliant and the book is a wonderful guide to our intrinsic knowledge.

Natural is the Best.......2007-02-11

For those wanting to research natural birth options, this is the book for you! It is very concise and thorough about all phases and steps of your pregnancy, using natural remedies and methods. I especially enjoyed the sections on nutrition and herbs. Amazing! Finally a book that doesn't just rely on medical drugs and such. And there is even an appendage in the back that instructs you on how to make your own herbal teas and tinctures, for optimal health for both you and your baby. Women have been having babies for thousands of years successfully, so I definitely think we are perfectly capable of having them in this time without medical intervention.

This is the book you need.......2007-01-31

When I got pregnant and I wanted a natural, holistic birth I bought every book I could get my hands on on the subject. However I could have saved myself a lot of time and money with just having this one and "Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way" but Susan McCuatcheon.

This book is excellent for pregnancy, explaining what need to know, all the way through the birth process. My husband also read with me and it was extremely helpful and interesting for him as well.

I highly recommend this for all pregnant women who want to understand what is going on with their own bodies rather than being a passive participant in the process.

Book Description

Although Paolo Soleri is one of the world's most famous and influential architects, little has been written about his life, work, and thought. The Urban Ideal fills that gap. Based on interviews conducted at Arcosanti in spring 2000, these conversations cover Soleri's youth and education in fascist Italy, his immigration to America, and his radical approach to architecture that culminated in his ideal city based on the concept of “arcology,” architecture coherent with ecology.

Customer Reviews:

A powerful man, a decent overview of a book.......2007-03-26

Having been to Arcosanti a few times, I wanted to learn a bit more about the man behind the small city. Paulo seems like a very amazing guy. He certainly believes stongly in community.

Although this book isn't an in-depth work, it will give you a taste of the ideals at work in Soleri's architectural work and can act as an introduction to any of his massive volumes.

Would suggest this book to anyone.

Book Description

First published in 1844, this is Thackeray's earliest substantial work of fiction and perhaps his most original. The text is that of Saintbury's 1908 Oxford edition which incorporates Thackeray's revisions.

Download Description

Barry Lyndon - far from the best known, but by some critics acclaimed as the finest, of Thackeray's works - appeared originally as a serial a few years before VANITY FAIR was written; yet it was not published in book form, and then not by itself, until after the publication of VANITY FAIR, PENDENNIS, ESMOND and THE NEWCOMES had placed its author in the forefront of the literary men of the day. So many years after the event we cannot help wondering why the story was not earlier put in book form; for in its delineation of the character of an adventurer it is as great as VANITY FAIR, while for the local colour of history, if I may put it so, it is no undistinguished precursor of ESMOND.

Customer Reviews:

A Victorian faces the XVIIIth. Century........2003-06-03

When one is about to take the big plunge and give oneself the trouble of making what is always -in our age of lighter reading, of course - the strenuous effort of reading a XIXth. Century novelist, one - at least me - must make the following question: What was this author's particular attitude, as a man (or woman) of the most bourgeois of all centuries, towards his/her preceding century, the most aristocratic and un-bourgeois XVIIIth. Century? If s/he scorns the XVIIIth. Century, or is indifferent to it, it's quite likely that the author in question is a bourgeois philistine regarding Victorian times as the undisputed acme of human civilization. If s/he is an admirer, than s/he is obviously starting out of a clear sense of alienation from his/her own society, and one should expect at least for this XIXth. Century _avis rara_, genuine sense of humor. Thackeray was one of such Victorians who realized the philisteism of his own society;Eça de Queiroz, his Portuguese disciple (who seems to have learned a lot from reading him) was another. Therefore: Read this book, QED.

A Satirical novel about a rascal's rise and fall........1998-12-08

Having seen the movie "Barry Lyndon" by Stanley Kubrick years ago, I was taken aback by this book which is so markedly different than the 1975 film. In the book, Lord Bullingdon is actually the hero, where Kubrick presented him merely as a cowardly cad. Redmond Barry (later as Barry Lyndon)deserves all the evils that befall him and his first person narrative is quite humorous especially when blaming everyone for his own shortcomings. Unfortunately, the ending leaves one a bit unsatisfied, quite like the dismal end of Mr. Lyndon himself. This novel is not on the level of Thackeray's "Vanity Fair", but fun to read nonetheless.

A Satirical novel about a rascal's rise and fall........1998-12-08

An excellent book on one man's rise and fall........1997-03-19

Here, in this relatively obscure work, Thackeray is at his ironic and satiric best. Modern critics lightly dismiss the book as a piece of journalistic hack work, but it is much more than that. Redmond Barry, later Barry Lyndon, chronicles in a fairly sophistocated and always lighthearted manner his rise from a poor Irish country boy to the astral heights of polite English society from 1750-1820. Mr. Barry is always Machievellian in his way, and is quick and efficient with his sword. He is Odysseus, Holden Caulfield, Don Juan, and Nabokov's Humbert Humbert merged. In a word, he is very, very entertaining and very, very good. The book's only glaring flaw is it's belabored and uninspired ending. But it is much worth reading to watch Redmond Barry when young

The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq.: Written by Himself (A Bison Book)

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An excellent book on one man's rise and fall.

The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq.: Written by Himself (A Bison Book)
William Makepeace Thackeray
Manufacturer: University of Nebraska Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Customer Reviews:

An excellent book on one man's rise and fall........1997-03-19

The History of Henry Esmond, Esq.: a Colonel in the Service of Her Majesty Queen Anne; The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq.; Denis Duval

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The History of Henry Esmond, Esq.: a Colonel in the Service of Her Majesty Queen Anne; The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq.; Denis Duval
William Makepeace Thackeray
Manufacturer: Samuel E Cassino
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

The history of Henry Esmond, Esq: A colonel in the service of her Majesty Queen Anne, written by himself : the memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq., written by ... : Denis Duval (Thackeray's complete works)

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The history of Henry Esmond, Esq: A colonel in the service of her Majesty Queen Anne, written by himself : the memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq., written by ... : Denis Duval (Thackeray's complete works)
William Makepeace Thackeray
Manufacturer: Estes and Lauriat
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon ESQ

Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Product Description

NOT THE ORIGINAL BOOK FROM 1844. The book is a fairly new reprint (1990s?), with no date given anywhere in the book. The famous story of the handsome, spectacular Irish rogue, Barry Lyndon, a proud offshoot of a boozy clan, aspires to rank as a gentleman. He tells the story of his duels, drinks, lies and cheats, and gambles and women. He gallantly pursues Lady Lyndon, the most sought-after princess in England. He also faces some personal tragedies including his wealth and rank. Mildly resembles Thackeray's life in that he too lost his fortune and made his way by his wits.

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Memoirs of Barry Lyndon Esq
William M Thackeray
Manufacturer: UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000X1OLZ6

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THE MEMOIRS OF BARRY LYNDON, ESQ
WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY
Manufacturer: THOMAS NELSON
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq. (THE SIGNIFICANT ENGLISH NOVELS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY - THE LOUIS XVI BINDING)

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The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq. (THE SIGNIFICANT ENGLISH NOVELS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY - THE LOUIS XVI BINDING)

Manufacturer: International Collectors Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq. (Written By Himself)

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The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq. (Written By Himself)
William Makepeace Thackeray
Manufacturer: Estes & Lauriat
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VDT8YA

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The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq. Written By Himself
William Makepeace Thackeray
Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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