The Mitchell Beazley Pocket Guide to Garden Plants

Book Description

Tuvalu is a Pacific nation of low lying coral atolls and islands whose existence is threatened by climate change and rising sea levels. This large format, softcover, full-colour photographic essay will show the world what will surely be lost as sea levels rise: a unique culture and environment irrevocably erased. This moody and evocative portrait of the tiny island nation is a foray into previously undocumented territory - it is the kind of venture Lonely Planet has pioneered. Photographed by Peter Bennetts with text and interviews by Tony Wheeler, Time & Tide is a serenely beautiful and poignant story of our times.

more than 120 beautiful photographs
eleven individual profiles of Tuvaluan people from all walks of life
extensive coverage of the history, people, culture and daily life of the nine atolls that make up the nation of Tuvalu

Customer Reviews:

simple review.......2002-03-04

Mr Bennetts and Mr Wheeler chronicle the unique world of island life with a gentle touch of objectivity whilst acknowledging the charm of 'place' and the potential of subjective reaction by a reader. This book is a beautiful reminder that there are places other than your workstation -bigger skies than the ceiling grid and underfoot textures more surreal than nylon carpet. ENJOY!

stunning.......2002-01-17

beautiful photographic documentation of a nation that may soon be lost to global warming. an intimate portrait of a country and its people, culture and spirit.

Book Description

"Jesse James," said Carl Sandburg, "is the only American bandit who is classical, who is to this country what Robin Hood or Dick Turpin is to England, whose exploits are so close to the mythical and apocryphal." For this definitive study no significant source of information concerning Jesse James and his brother Frank has been neglected, and from it emerges resolution of the debated point: "Were the Jameses common criminals or gallant Robin Hoods?"

Customer Reviews:

More of a Report Than a Book.......2007-01-27

While Settle's account is thorough and well-documented, it reads more like a research paper than a book, as it really doesn't tell a story, so much as parade a litany of facts before the reader. The facts are occasionally interesting in and of themselves, but we don't come away with any real feeling of of the human being who was Jesse James.

I believe Settle is, or was a professor at some college. If he's still teaching it might be best to avoid his class, especially if it's offered early in the morning or right after lunch for reasons that will become readily apparent to his readers.

Jesse James.......2002-04-10

Even today, in the year 2002, it's hard to find any American who hasn't heard the name Jesse James. All types of wild stories have been passed through the years about him, some saying he was nothing more than a cold blooded killer and some swearing he was more like Robin Hood. In William Settle's book, "Jesse James Was His Name", he chronicalizes the events of Jesse's life starting with his boyhood home on a farm in Missouri, through the bloody years of the Civil War where he fought in Confederate guerrilla bands, and then on to his outlaw career.
The book, in my opinion, was too lengthy, it was full of facts a lot of which were unnecessary, and it didn't flow very well. So as Jesse James himself was an exciting person, this book was far from it. If you want to find more about Jesse James, don't read this book.

Solid research without solid conclusions.......1999-09-23

The research in the book seems to be first-rate. However the author doesn't seem to present the information in a way that leads to the the implied conclusions. He gives information on various robberies, implying they were conducted by the James/Younger gang, but the information doesn't support the conclusion--I wouldn't convict them based on the info presented. In fact, I was left leaning far more toward the James' and Youngers' own statements that they _weren't_ involved in most of these robberies and were convenient victims of post-war, anti-Quantill sentiments. Evidence of the James/Youngers' guilt struck me as being rather shoddy. Sorting out which robberies really could be attributed to whom is largely left to the reader.

Though well worth reading, I would view this book as a suppliment to other reading and research rather than the sole, final statement on the events.

Fact - no fiction allowed - about Jesse James.......1998-02-21

Author Settle (true name: Dr. Robert Parker) was a college history professor from Oklahoma who spent 20+ years researching his subject - the notorious James Brothers of Missouri. His book, first published in 1961, still stands as the resource work in the "Jesse James" field. A historian, Settle refused to use or dwell upon anything except fact when dealing with his material. His research included developing a friendship with Frank James' only son, Robert - who lived on the James brothers' Missouri farm until his death in the 1950's. Settle leaned on family history, but primarily used grass roots documentation in reporting all of he known facts - through the time of publication. His work is the most often cited reference used by current authors. His research and book opened the way for the current boom of writers and researchers in the field of the James Gang. Nicely written and easy to read, the book not only discusses the family history and known criminal activities of Jesse and Frank, but tells how and why Jesse James - a known murderer and thief - has crept into legend as a hero. If you are interested in outlaw and lawman history of the Old West, this book is a "must".

Jesse James Was His Name or, Fact and Fiction Concerning the Careers of the Notorious James Brothers of Missouri

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Jesse James Was His Name or, Fact and Fiction Concerning the Careers of the Notorious James Brothers of Missouri
William Settle
Manufacturer: University of Missouri Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K0JITO

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Our Prayer Shawl Ministry

Helpful for someone starting a shawl ministry

The Prayer Shawl Ministry: Reaching Those in Need

The Works of the Lord

This book is a must!

The Prayer Shawl Ministry: Reaching Those in Need (Leisure Arts #4225)
Leisure Arts
Manufacturer: Leisure Arts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Crocheting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Knitting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Knitting into the Mystery: A Guide to the Shawl-Knitting Ministry

Knitting Heaven and Earth: Healing the Heart with Craft

Mindful Knitting: Inviting Contemplative Practice to the Craft

Knitting for Peace: Make the World a Better Place One Stitch at a Time

The Knitting Way: A Guide to Spiritual Self Discovery

ASIN: 1574865919

Book Description

Join the thousands of knitters and crocheters of all faiths who are creating handmade shawls for people in need. Whatever your faith and wherever you live, your handiwork will be a gift of comfort, hope, and peace. Over the centuries, shawls have come to symbolize shelter, peace, and spiritual sustenance. What started as a grass-roots movement has quickly grown into an international cause, with countless numbers of shawls being given to grateful recipients around the globe.

Customer Reviews:

Our Prayer Shawl Ministry.......2007-05-24

This book is excellent for any skill from beginner upwards in both crocheting as well as knitting. Many prayer shawls have been made from using the patterns found in this book. We have found the patterns to be totally correct. Although they are made for Lion Brand Yarn, other yarns may also be used to accomplish the projects.
Everyone to whom I have given a copy of the book as part of the service has been delighted with the variety of patterns. We recommend this book highly for any group embarking on a prayer shawl ministry.

Helpful for someone starting a shawl ministry.......2007-05-04

I recently started thinking about what crochet work I could do after I finished my last family afghan project and wondered what charitable opportunities there were for crocheters. An internet search revealed a number of great charitable causes and ministries, however, the one that most appealed to me was the shawl ministry. I looked at the websites of both The Shawl Ministry (where it all began) and Lion Brand for information and inspiration. I also looked at the websites of a number of faith communities which are doing shawl ministry.

Along the way, I discovered this book, The Prayer Shawl Ministry, by Leisure Arts and Lion Brand. I was hesitant to buy it because of concerns expressed by some reviewers, but after prayerful consideration, I bought the book and am pleased I did.

My reasons for buying the book: 1) I acknowledge I do much better with a crochet book in my hand, than with a pile of print outs of free patterns and information from the Internet. 2) The book seemed like a concise volume which I would find helpful and I didn't mind that the publisher would make a little money off my purchase. It's not the first time I've bought a book to use in ministry, knowing the book was clearly sold for profit by the author/publisher. 3) Some reviewers mentioned another book about shawl ministry, but from what I could tell it was for knitters and I am a crocheter. 4) I am starting a shawl ministry as a personal ministry and will not have the benefit of a group to support and encourage me, so having this book as a resource seemed appealing.

I now have the book in hand and am pleased I bought it. The book includes a few prayers, which can be used throughout the process of making a prayer shawl and there are some suggestions on how to do the ministry. The book highlights three churches doing shawl ministry in the Little Rock, Arkansas area (home of Leisure Arts). There are also four crochet patterns and four knit patterns for shawls/throws. All are Easy and use a simple repetitive pattern that can be meditative in nature. (And yes, one of the crochet patterns and one of the knit patterns are available for free from the Lion Brand website.)

My only issue with the book and why I rated it four stars rather than five is a section of stories from those who have used the Lion Brand Homespun yarn and how the yarn was helpful in their shawl ministry projects. There is helpful information in these stories, especially for someone new to shawl ministry, but I had to get my brain past the Lion Brand marketing in these stories.

Despite the marketing aspect, this is a helpful book for those starting a shawl ministry. In addition to purchasing this book, I would also encourage people to check out the Shawl Ministry website and the websites of the many religious communities who are doing this ministry for additional help and inspiration.

7/19/07 Update to my original 5/4/07 Review: I have now bought (through Amazon) a copy of the knitting book I referenced above, called "Knitting Into the Mystery". Even though it is written by knitters from a knitting perspective, I could easily relate to it as a crocheter. "Knitting into the Mystery" is a spiritual book filled with stories and prayers, and in my mind, it is a good companion to "The Prayer Shawl Ministry" book, which is more of a concise "how-to" book. Both books are good in different ways.

The Prayer Shawl Ministry: Reaching Those in Need.......2007-03-08

This book is great! I have made several shawls and the receprients appreciate them so much.

The Works of the Lord.......2007-03-08

This is an awesome guide to the Prayer Shawl Ministry. I recommend it to every congregation so that people all around the world can create beautiful shawls for those in need.

This book is a must!.......2007-02-11

Prayer Shawl Ministry: Reaching Those in Need is a must for anyone who would like to become involved in prayer shawl ministry. The patterns are simple to read and easy to use for both knitters and crocheters. The book also contains information about starting a prayer shawl ministry and how it helps those who are grieving or need a lift. Highly recommended!

Book Description

This book is just the tonic for the gardener who wants that beautiful garden but doesn't want to spend 6 hours a day achieving it.

Customer Reviews:

A Delight.......2005-01-30

This is a book that fellow gardeners will enjoy. It is not however, a book that gives pictures and growing conditions of a hundred plants. It is more an easy conversational style that takes the reader through the stages of the garden year and how Ms. Rochester approaches her garden chores. Her nature, she admits, is to being a lazy gardener and thus tilling, or removing sod, to install a new garden is bypassed by laying down newspaper and mulch instead. Her attitude to her garden is summed up in one phrase, when describing her neighbor's garden:
"..her garden is much neater than mine and possesses a sense of order that mine lacks. But I say "Each to her own." I find rigidity and neatness stifling myself, but the beauty of a garden is in the eye of the gardener."

Many of us have garden friends who eagerly lead us to their garden to view the latest flowering horticultural wonder. This is a book to curl up with in the middle of winter and be led into the authors garden for a while.

Book Description

Since its first edition in 1990, The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook has sold more than 600,000 copies. Its engaging exercises and worksheets have helped millions of readers make real progress in overcoming problems with anxiety and phobic disorders. The Authoritative Guide to Self-Help Resources in Mental Health (Norcross, et al., 2003) gave the book its highest rating and praised it as "a highly regarded and widely known resource." Thousands of mental health and medical professionals recommend this book to their clients and patients every year. Simply put, it is the single finest source of self-help information on its topic available anywhere.

The text of this fourth edition has been fully revised and expanded and includes two new chapters: a discussion of physical conditions that can aggravate anxiety and an overview of the use of mindfulness practice in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder and some forms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. As in previous editions, the book offers the most up-to-date information on medications, natural supplements, and complementary strategies that can alleviate anxiety symptoms. The sections on relaxation, nutrition, and exercise have all been updated and broadened.

Customer Reviews:

Good Overview for someone suffering from phobia or anxiety.......2007-08-13

The only thing it lacked is specific examples. And some easy remedies. Other than that it is a great book to read!

Excellent WorkBook!.......2007-08-11

We use this workbook in our psychiatry clinic. Patients like it and it's easy to use. Just make sure you're willing to do the work, otherwise you're wasting your money.

Help for Anxiety.......2007-07-30

A VERY helpful resource for people with anxiety. Lots of insight, suggestions, and extremely user friendly to the lay person.

Must Read for Anyone With Anxiety.......2007-05-21

This workbook is full of insight into what makes you feel anxiety and great ways to take steps to overcoming the fears associated with anxiety. The first book (or workbook) that didn't make me feel like I was crazy and that there are really easy ways to deal with daily anxiety! Your family members will find this enlightening as well, since they generally mis-understand what you are going through.

The Anxiety&Phobia Workbook.......2007-05-14

Purchased this on a recommendation by a school psychologist and it does help the student put what they are feeling into words. The person can keep track of their progress and have something conrete to refer to.

The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook: Proven Techniques for Overcoming Your Fears

Average customer rating:

Useful resource
Cognitive thinking
Somewhat helpful
this book is so self explanatory
I had social anxiety, now completely cured with these books

The Shyness & Social Anxiety Workbook: Proven Techniques for Overcoming Your Fears
Martin M. Antony , and Richard P. Swinson
Manufacturer: New Harbinger Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1572242167

Book Description

This step-by-step guide to overcoming fear of social interaction provides a comprehensive overview and includes behavioral skill-building exercises that have been proven effective in most cases.

Customer Reviews:

Useful resource.......2006-08-15

Socail anxiety effects the quality of life of many human beings. Ive worked with a number of individuals with this difficulty and was able to aid in their recovery through the use of exercise in this workbook as well as other modalities of treatment. If you are affected by social anxiety or other fears this is a helful resource combined with the help of a trusting therapist or counselor. Remember you dont have to livce thsi way and if you have a sincere desire to improve you certainly will. Believe in yourself and and you can conquer any challenge in life. Recommended as a resource.

Cognitive thinking.......2006-07-12

This is the first Cognitive thinking book I've read I found it very helpful and it really works. You have to do your part. You can't JUST read it. Its very interesting book too. If you'd like to just become more self-aware. There are other reasons why people seem rude or what not.

Somewhat helpful.......2006-04-04

This book can be used toghether with therapy (I recommend Dr Richards selp help series that you can buy on line). The book does not teach you how to change your negative thinking, it only teaches you how to create a hierachy for social situations to work with. It is only helpful if combined with other books/therapies.

this book is so self explanatory.......2005-06-27

This book was really a waste of time. When I was done reading, I was no better off than when I started. The beginning is really interesting in that it describes what kind of feelings go on inside the mind of a shy person. I thought I was the only one in the world who felt these things, and it was interesting to see them expressed by someone else in a book. So I continued to read on to the parts where they tell you how to get better. It said to try stuff like writing in a journal every day and to "think positive", "be assertive", and "practice making small talk". Like I didn't consider that on my own! This book really did not need to be written. What they could have done was just take the beginning of the book and sell it on its own as a short story or something, since it is the only useful or interesting part. After the first part of the book, it's basically telling you to go see a psychiatrist or get medication or both. It starts to get repetitive and is basically filled with the same useless suggestions that any person could have thought of, but they keep re-wording them throughout the book. So save yourself some money and don't buy this book. If you're interested in reading the opening part of the book, see if you can find it in a library.

I had social anxiety, now completely cured with these books.......2003-02-14

I was trying to think of a way to help everyone out there who has been dealing with the same feelings that I have been. I have tried everything that people recommend for social anxiety, many exposures, going to programs, numerous therapists. If I had known even two months ago that today I would feel at ease in many situations I never would have believed it. The two books that will change you noticably and permanently are both "Feeling Good", and "Psycho-cybernetics". I had tried everything out there I could get my hands on, and then these two books were a godsend. After a week into "Feeling Good" you will actually start feeling like the person you want to be, and a month into it you will feel SO much better. I recommend that after that go directly into "Psycho-Cybernetics". The introduction says that he thought his book would never sell because nobody would believe his claims that he can give you the personality you want through visualization, and I thought it was hype. Then after doing it for a few days I was amazed. I have only used this book a week, and am already very much better. You dont need the therapists, drugs, alcohol or the bible to feel better, just get these two books, be committed to them. Give them a month, and if you change half as much as I have you will be very glad you did. You dont need to sit inside worried, these books will make you the person you want to be.

Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, The; 3rd Edition

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Anxiety and Phobia Workbook, The; 3rd Edition
Edmund J. Bourne
Manufacturer: New Harbinger Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KXSUQ8

Act on Anxiety Workbook: Anxiety, Phobias, and Worry (Workbook Workbook)

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Act on Anxiety Workbook: Anxiety, Phobias, and Worry (Workbook Workbook)
John P. Forsyth
Manufacturer: New Harbinger Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Mood Disorders | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Anxiety Disorders | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1572244992

Book Description

The techniques in this book are equally effective with of the different manifestations of anxiety: social and specific phobias, agoraphobia, worry and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more. The book is divided into weeks, with clear directions and objectives for each. The light, engaging style of the authors make exploring this new approach interesting, accessible, and fun.

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The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook
Edward J.; Bourne, K Edmund J. Bourne
Manufacturer: New Harbinger
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LZI7EK

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The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook
Edmund J. Bourne
Manufacturer: New Harbinger Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000W0845Q

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Anxiety & Phobia Workbook

Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 1417665084

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The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook
Edmund J. Bourne
Manufacturer: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000REUN6A

Book Description

This elegantly illustrated book brings a new perspective to Martin Johnson Heade and his works, portraying the artist as one of the most original and productive of the nineteenth century. The book reproduces Heade`s 620 known paintings, many newly discovered. These include a spectacular array of landscapes, seascapes, still lifes, tropical studies, and original compositions pairing orchids and hummingbirds.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2006-09-15

The definitive work on Heade. Excellent plates, nice coverage and organization. The contemporary critical reception of the early works is quite interesting.

The Life and Work of Martin Johnson HEADE: A Critical Analysis and Catalogue Raisonne.

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The Life and Work of Martin Johnson HEADE: A Critical Analysis and Catalogue Raisonne.
Theodore E. Stebbins
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OROSHA

Book Description

This study addresses the question of why ideas of ancestry and kinship were so important in nineteenth-century society, and particularly in the Victorian novel. Sophie Gilmartin discusses what makes people believe that they are part of a certain region, race or nation, and what part is played by superstitious belief, invented traditions and fictions. Gilmartin's study shows that ideas of ancestry and kinship, and the narratives inspired by or invented around them, were of profound significance in the construction of Victorian identity.

Comic Dramas (Tales and Novels (10 Volumes) [Volume 8])

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Comic Dramas (Tales and Novels (10 Volumes) [Volume 8])
Maria Edgeworth
Manufacturer: Classic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0742633934

Letters (Tales and Novels (10 Volumes) [Volume 8])

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Letters (Tales and Novels (10 Volumes) [Volume 8])
Maria Edgeworth
Manufacturer: Classic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0742633950

Average customer rating:

A joy to read
no Jane Austen...
A good read!
Feminism and colonialism
A sloppy edition of an interesting book

Belinda (Oxford World's Classics)
Maria Edgeworth , and Kathryn Kirkpatrick
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0192837095

Book Description

The only edition to use the 1802 text, this lively comedy challenges the conventions of courtship, examines questions of female independence, and exposes the limits of domesticity. The text used in this edition also confronts the difficult and fascinating issues of racism and mixed marriage, which Edgeworth toned down in later editions.

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If I had served myself, with half the zeal that I have served the world, I should not now be thus forsaken!--I have sacrificed reputation, happiness--every thing, to the love of frolic--All frolic will soon be at an end with me--I am dying--and I shall die unlamented by any human being. --If I were to live my life over again, what a different life it should be!--What a different person I would be! --But it is all over now--I am dying.

Customer Reviews:

A joy to read.......2003-10-27

I started reading Belinda around 6pm and finally around 2:30am I decided that I had best go to bed and finish the book later. Well, 10 minutes later my light was back on and I stayed up until 6:30am finishing the book. Not even all of Jane Austen's work has done that to me!

The themes of gender and sexual attitudes, colonialism, religion, etc can easily be found in this work if you're interested in it for its scholarly value. However for the lay person it is a beautifully written, light read that is reminiscent of Austen's Mansfield Park or Sense and Sensibility (I certainly don't see many parallels to Pride and Prejudice as one reviewer did). If you're looking to go past Austen into early 19th century English literature, I would certainly recommend this book highly.

no Jane Austen..........2001-10-30

I read the book based on reader recommendations that equated 'Belinda' with Jane Austen's work. I had high expectations but struggled to read the book to the end. I found the writing at certain points more like an essay than a novel. Her character development seems forced, and there is little ambient description. Those interested in tracing literary associations of Jane Austen should probably read the book, but if you've read all of Austen's work and are desperately looking for something 'similar' to her style and quality, I would recommend you look elsewhere.

A good read!.......2001-05-03

Why I never heard about this book until I stumbled upon it online, I will never know! This is as good as any Jane Austen novel, and should have a BBC film of it's own.

Feminism and colonialism.......1999-12-10

Besides this being as readable as Jane Austen, this book is witty and intelligent. It raises thought provoking questions about gender roles and transgression that suggest that Edgeworth was not an ordinary woman. Unfortunately, like many other 18th C. novels, the book ends with all the usual conventions intact. The women who cross dress (and the man who cross-dresses!) are returned to their spheres and/or married. Don't get me wrong though, this book is quite innovative. I don't know of many literary women having duels and stepping in iron traps that cut up their legs. Also particularly interesting is Edgeworth's treatment of colonialism: there is a cross-racial marriage that is entirely sanctioned. And yet the thought of the heroine marrying a creole is not approved. It is much better for her to marry an Englishman in the parliament. This is a delightful book that would entertain romantics and scholars. I would like to think that I am both, though.

A sloppy edition of an interesting book.......1998-05-01

Belinda is Edgeworth at her best -- full of social comment and satire, gender- and other kinds of politics. It's great to have this novel in print, as a companion and contrast to the very dominant Austen. But I have to say this edition needs reworking; not only are there typos, but the notes are very spotty. Example: one character plays an early form of roulette, called E.O.; do we get a note on social attitudes to new games of chance other than cards? No. Further example: a character goes to visit the Chevalier D'Eon. Do we get a note explaining that this is a real person -- a crossdressing swordfighting real person?!!!!! No. Shame, World's Classics! How can you expect people to keep reading the notes when they're no help?

Castle Rackrent (Oxford World's Classics)

Average customer rating:

Unsettling Anglo-Irish Social Satire
Boring, boring!

Castle Rackrent (Oxford World's Classics)
Maria Edgeworth
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0192835637

Book Description

During the 1790s, with Ireland in political crisis, Maria Edgeworth made a surprisingly rebellious choice: in Castle Rackrent, her first novel, she adopted an Irish Catholic voice to narrate the decline of a family from her own Anglo-Irish class. Castle Rackrent's narrator, Thady Quirk, gives us four generations of Rackrent heirs - Sir Patrick, the dissipated spendthrift; Sir Murtagh, the litigating fiend; Sir Kit, the brutal husband and gambling absentee; and Sir Condy, the lovable and improvident dupe of Thady's own son, Jason. With this satire on Anglo-Irish landlords Edgeworth pioneered the regional novel and inspired Sir Walter Scott's Waverly (1814). She also changed the focus of conflict in Ireland from religion to class and boldly predicted the rise of the Irish Catholic Bourgeoisie.

Download Description

The author of the following Memoirs has upon these grounds fair claims to the public favour and attention; he was an illiterate old steward, whose partiality to the family, in which he was bred and born, must be obvious to the reader. He tells the history of the Rackrent family in his vernacular idiom, and in the full confidence that Sir Patrick, Sir Murtagh, Sir Kit, and Sir Condy Rackrent's affairs will be as interesting to all the world as they were to himself. Those who were acquainted with the manners of a certain class of the gentry of Ireland some years ago, will want no evidence of the truth of honest Thady's narrative: to those who are totally unacquainted with Ireland, the following Memoirs will perhaps be scarcely intelligible, or probably they may appear perfectly incredible. For the information of the ignorant English reader, a few notes have been subjoined by the editor, and he had it once in contemplation to translate the language of Thady into plain English; but Thady's idiom is incapable of translation, and, besides, the authenticity of his story would have been more exposed to doubt if it were not told in his own characteristic manner.

Customer Reviews:

Unsettling Anglo-Irish Social Satire.......2000-10-13

Maria Edgeworth's "Castle Rackrent," published in 1800, the year of Irish union with Great Britain, and just two years after the 1798 Irish Rebellion, is supposedly a comic satire intended to show after years of unrest, that the Irish were civil enough to be assimilated into the British Empire. That is a deceptively simple description of a book in conflict with its author and itself.

Told to an "editor" by Thady Quirk, the 80+ year old steward of the Rackrent estate relates (very quickly) the story of the Rackrent family, Sir Patrick, Sir Murtagh, Sir Kit, and the absolutely dissolute Sir Condy. The O'Shaughlin family is forced by the Penal Laws to become Protestant and to change their name to Rackrent to regain their estate. The variously weak Rackrent men and their extremely strong and independent wives spend themselves into outrageous debt and tax their tenant farmers to the point of insanity over the course of the novel.

Apply Katie Trumpener's argument regarding the importance of the bog to Irish cultural nationalism in her book "Bardic Nationalism," and you begin to see that, all that seems to preserve the legacy of the O'Shaughlin family is their mucky bog, Allyballycarricko'shaughlin, and Thady Quirk, if he is to be trusted, himself seemingly stuck in a feudal past.

One of the major questions posed by Edgeworth's novel is "What is it to be Irish?" The Anglo-Irish Rackrent landlords claim an Irish Catholic heritage, but forfeit that personal history for the ephemeral run of the estate. The disenfranchised tenant farmers are forced to yield their produce to support the Rackrents's absurd behaviours. In the middle of this dynamic stand the novel's two most developed and challenging characters, Sir Condy Rackrent and Jason McQuirk, Thady's son. Raised in identical circumstances, these two seem to mark the novel's ultimate judgment on the future of Ireland. Is Condy the last of the feudal Irish aristocracy? Does Jason represent the model for the "British" assimilated Irishman?

Can outsiders even fathom Irishness? An almost comically unwieldy editorial apparatus, including a glossary and internal footnotes try to neutralize the foreignness and threat of the Irish for Edgeworth's intended British audience. "Castle Rackrent" is indeed an ambivalent testament to the future of the Irish nation as it is swallowed up into the British Empire at the turn of the 19th century, and an intriguing read.

Boring, boring!.......1998-05-09

This book is simply boring. There are fun things to it, especially if you know your Irish history, but these out-of-date parodies are still not good enough to make it worth reading. Under the narrative of Thady Quirk, which is -- at least to me -- fairly hard to get through, we are taken through the history of a protestant landlord family. If you truly dissect the book, there are interesting sides of it, but just as a plain reading, I found it simply boring. It is short and doesn't go into any detailed description of the many events that are told to the reader/listener, it's value were supposedly the mocking of the protestant ruling class of Ireland. Since that value is lost to most contemporary readers, there isn't all that much left.

Castle Rackrent and Ennui (Penguin Classics)

Average customer rating:

Not bedtime reading.

Castle Rackrent and Ennui (Penguin Classics)
Maria Edgeworth , and Marilyn Butler
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Irish | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0140433201

Customer Reviews:

Not bedtime reading........2000-08-18

Edgeworth wrote about the protestant upper class in Ireland around the turn of the 18th/19th century. At the time, especially in Rackrent, her most famous work, she wrote of the machinations of bad landlords and how their families died out. It is interesting that she was writing about the demise of these bad landlords, suggesting that things had improved in this more enlightened age, at a time when the Irish Peasant was worse off than ever. Edgeworth wrote of a society that was on the brink of extinction, but she was not aware of this, since she was part of that society. This book is noteworthy for what it is not. It is not Irish literature. It is poor british literature and would have no merit at all if it did not serve to contrast with the high quality scribblings of the uneducated and unwashed downtrodden masses. Like the protestant ruling class it is sparse, stilted and haughty. Not a fun read.

The Education of the Heart: The Correspondence of Rachel Mordecai Lazarus and Maria Edgeworth

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The Education of the Heart: The Correspondence of Rachel Mordecai Lazarus and Maria Edgeworth
Rachel Mordecai Lazarus
Manufacturer: Univ of North Carolina Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0807812765

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Anglo-Irish Look at Ireland
The Prominent Son

The Absentee (Penguin Classics)
Maria Edgeworth , and Heidi Thomson
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140436456

Book Description

Title refers to Irish landlords in England, circa 1800.

Download Description

Title refers to Irish landlords in England, circa 1800.

Customer Reviews:

Anglo-Irish Look at Ireland.......2006-07-10

Too often remembered solely as a British author, Maria Edgeworth's "The Absentee" provides a wonderful depiction of Ireland during the height of England's attempts to colonize Ireland through plantations. The historical problem with these estates was the often absence of the Lord. Edgeworth's novel reveals her Anglo-Irish stature. It depicts the Irish as either primitive and lacking ethics or as child-like and pure. Both of these reflect England's propaganda that was paired with the attempts at colonization.
Edgeworth's style reminds me very much of Jane Austen in that she focuses on the manners of the characters. In many ways, the characters resemble Austen's. The way Edgeworth depicts the individuals of Ireland, the way she represents the different class distinctions through the use of syntax and accents is deft. Edgeworth's novel is an invaluable tool for experiencing Ireland during its period of colonization. It combines the political, religious and economic aspects of Ireland. "The Absentee" demands an understanding of Irish history. It is a superb novel and highly enriching for anyone seeking a greater knowledge of Ireland.

The Prominent Son.......2003-10-12

Duty, Loyalty, and Honor is the foremost part on his mind for our hero, Lord Colambre. To resolve his parents financial troubles and follies in London, he venture back to his homeland, Ireland, in disguise to investigate the agents who are governing his father's estate. Witnessing the corruption but also the beauty, he determine to bring those corrupter to justice and hope to stay in Ireland. And of course, there is a romance, but as you all know the hero always get his girl.

Tales and Novels - Volume X (Dodo Press)

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Tales and Novels - Volume X (Dodo Press)
Maria Edgeworth
Manufacturer: Dodo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1406517623

Book Description

Collection of works by the prolific Anglo-Irish novelist who worked strenuously for the relief of Irish peasants.

Average customer rating:

An Irish Waverly?
A good 'Coming of Age' story

Ormond (Penguin Classics)
Maria Edgeworth
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140436448
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Book Description

An orphan, handsome Harry Ormond has been raised, with a mixture of indulgence and neglect, by the corrupt, hard-drinking Anglo-Irish politician, Sir Ulick O'Shane. When Ormond's hot temper involves him in a near-fatal shooting, he is sent away to live with King Corny, his guardian's kind-hearted, eccentric cousin. Possessing neither property nor fortune, Ormond is determined to make his way in the world like an Irish Tom Jones. Blending issues of moral development with questions about the shape of Ireland's political future, Maria Edgeworth emphasizes the importance of education and upbringing, as opposed to inheritance and lineage, in her tale of Harry Ormond.

Customer Reviews:

An Irish Waverly?.......2003-09-30

Edgeworth's Ormond is a great book, comparable to the best of Scott and Austen. In it, we follow the young Ormond from his wealthy adolescence with his uncle; a sojourn with another, more eccentric uncle in the Black Islands; to a grand tour of Paris before the revolution; and to his mature return to Ireland. The mirroring of political tensions in pre-revolutionary France with conflicts between Irish political factions are further complicated by Ormond's own allegiance to the English mililary.

This novel is more than a romance, more than a coming-of-age novel, and more than a historical novel. It possesses the same melange of styles one would expect from an heir of Sterne and Swift, and a progenitor of Le Fanu, Joyce, and Beckett. If you have read all of Austen and wonder what to read next, Ormond should be a delight.

A good 'Coming of Age' story.......2002-06-21

This is the story of Ormond, an orphan who is raised and influenced by several very different men. It is a reflective story, but not a slow-read. You learn how Ormond chooses his values and learns how to judge people based upon his own opinions and beliefs, not what others try to tell him. It is a good novel, worth reading, not necessarily a great "adventure" but more a life story about how a young boy grows up and becomes a man---one with morals, when those around him sometimes lack all morality.

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