A brilliant description filling in the writing in "The Once & ...
353385
As close as you can get to training a hawk. A brilliant description filling in the writing in "The Once & Future King"
3840404
The description provided here by the Amazon company under the title "Book Description" is to be completely trusted.  I concur with that description entirely.  The intention of the photographer is to transpose ruins into an emotional resurrection of the experience of actually walking in their midst while they were whole.  I can't describe it any better than that.  In photo after photo, tranfused with a strange light and sometimes tweaked with a deliberate distortion of focus, we see ruins with a shimmering vibrancy.  The aliveness of the stones is a product of the vision & darkroom techniques of the photographer.  The composite is meant to enter our protoplasm --- as it has entered his.  Then our connection with the Mediterranean Is no longer archival or detached.

Hovering over the collection is the theme of the Mediterranean region, which is inseparable from the formative influences of classical Greece and the pomp & expansion of Rome.  The essays by George Hersey and Predrag Matvejevic are elegaic reflections on what "the Mediterranean" means to us today, how much of it is separable from the dreams we cling to, how much it's been desecrated and how deep the wounds are.  The discussion is philosophical and reflective, with nothing as prosaic as artistic styles, politics or agendas.  In short, the discussion is on the same high plane & reflects the same interplay of dream/vision, continuity, illusion and reality as the photographs themselves.  These essays are of such exemplary quality they would justify the cost of the book all by themselves.

The folio carries photography to an exalted, even a Proustian, level as it invokes memories that are beyond ourselves and buried deep in our collective inheritance.  The many ambiguities of this odyessy are hinted at in the photos and explored discursively in the thoughtful, civilized essays.

At this moment of writing, prices for used copies of this collection of photos are being offered by Amazon at prices beginning at $2.88.  It'd be goofy not to pounce with such a tiny outlay at stake.
424528
This is a beautifully written, powerful description of a fragile human's interaction with a wild animal.  MacDonald rediscovered a childhood obsession with birds of prey as she was grieving the sudden death of her beloved father.  She tells the story of her relationship with her hawk alongside a  retelling of  T.H. White (author of _The Once and Future King_)'s tragic personal experience of hawking.  You are likely saying to yourself, "That doesn't sound compelling" -- but trust me, MacDonald's skill in interweaving these stories of human-animal interaction with sensitivity to the experiences of grief, pain, loneliness and death is, well, breathtaking, beautiful, and hopeful.  I couldn't put it down, can't wait to read it again, and recommend it highly.
4540275
Keith Miller's debut novel is a bildungsroman set in a mythical but lifelike universe. The protagonist's journey is full of bitter-sweet love & fascinating encounters. Pico's progress from librarian to thief to bohemian, wandering far & wide in search for his wings, is a delectable metaphor for the shaping of the artist's identity.

I would do injustice to this brilliant novel if I did not mention how polished Miller's prose is: one quickly becomes absorbed, addicted to the sheer pleasure of running into beautiful words & rare turns of phrase. Miller flirts with scandal, artfully discussing sex & murder in a manner that confounds the ugly strictures of propriety by illuminating the crass beauty of uninhibited living.

In sum: a book to cherish & share with all of your most discerning bibliophagous friends.
662442
This gripping short, set to be a series of venue shorts of the people in the town of Summerset is beautifully written with clever descriptions, common concerns and one overwhelming why. Jac Wright is obviously facile with words, and appreciates the rhythm that can be found in a poetically phrased sentence. While others see Hardy, I was pleased to not find the overwhelming foreshadowing as we followed Harry Duncan Wood through this quick read.

The scenery comes alive, as does Harry's overwhelming need for something apart from the hotel/guest house that he and his wife run, and his plans to move the family there is causing friction and making him question his relationship. From the biting wind to the views, the sense of tumult is omnipresent, even extending to Harry's thoughts. Truly a cleverly planned and plotted story that is the perfect diversionary read. Wright has a deft hand with the pen and plotting, and is this is a lovely start to a series of vignettes that explore the residents and their innermost struggles.

I purchased an eBook copy of the book on the author's recommendation. I was not compensated for this review; all conclusions are my own responsibility.
4582497
The first thing Id say is don't be put off by the young adult tag  although the clear voice is of a young girl on the cusp of adulthood, theres absolutely no simplification or dumbing down here, this is a book full of fine writing that would appeal to any adult, even those of advanced years like me. The format is clever  two diaries, one telling the background to the spread of the infection, the other chronicling Kerrys day-to-day existence when she finds herself alone. The fluidity of her prose is credible  before, she was an avid reader, an outstanding student awaiting the results of her Cambridge entrance exams  and her voice is authentically that of a teenage girl, with all the usual quirks, fears and obsessions.

If I say theres humour here, you might find that strange as the world disintegrates around her  but Kerryl is superbly likeable as you share her thoughts, feelings and reflections, her efforts to apply logic to the unknown and horrific, her effort to survive. Theres a wealth of believable detail about both the before and the during/after. In the former I liked the use of newspaper reports, interviews with government ministers, the hidden websites  and in the latter the domestic detail, the way the electricity had to be kept running on the isolated farm, the care of the animals, the food (or not, as Kerryl continues to try to lose her spare tyre). The visits to town are vividly described: the collection of loved ones ashes, the charging for the urns as civilisation disintegrates, the edge of danger and violence, and  permeating everything  the horrendous smell.

The shift to the slightly surreal  the invention of Adam as reader of the diaries, and what comes thereafter  is exceptionally well done, and the working through of the story to its finely wrought ending is gripping and emotional. I enjoyed the strong sense of place in this book too, the Yorkshire countryside around the hill farm and the Bride Stones vividly described.

Do give this one a try. This is a book that deserves to be read, and which leaves an indelible impression, with images Ill take with me for some time to come. An excellent read, with a depth and emotional engagement I really never expected.
2416129
Brilliantly written - a must read for all fans of historical or fiction novels.
1581827
A brilliantly complex book with descriptions so detailed I truly felt like I was 'there' -- seeing, hearing, tasting the scene.  I had to use sticky notes to keep track of the characters, but it was worth the effort.  It's a book about solving puzzles, and the book itself is a puzzle.  I'm reading it again, just for the joy of it.
3721536
First, I want to state clearly that I highly recommend this book. It's
extremely well written, a very important topic, tells a great story &
the translator makes it an easy, fast, gripping read for English
speaking readers.

The first time I opened it, I read 178 pages non stop before taking
a break!

I would have liked to give it 4 1/2 stars, but Amazon doesn't offer
that option. There are 2 issues that (barely) prevent me from
giving it 5 stars:

1. The attention to detail in Nanotechnology that takes up a
significant amount of the 647 pages (though other readers may
enjoy this).

2. At times he seems to be trying to do too much in one book: this
book could be categorized as any & all of the following:
Technology Sci-FI
Sword & Sorcery Fantasy
Drama
Romance
Espionage Thriller
Utopian (Left Wing Politics)

Despite the above, it works. And it works well. I'm going to give a
very short plot summary for 2 reasons:

1. This is a long book, & it has more subplots than possibly any
fiction book I've ever read

2. One of the biggest joys of this book are the plot surprises (there
are a ton of them, & some are major surprises), I don't want to
diminish the book for you by giving any away. I hope other
reviewers show the same respect for potential readers.

Brief plot summary: Hiroshi is a genius. He makes Steve Jobs look
like an amateur. He is largely selfless. He also believes that no
one would have to work who didn't want to if technology could be
harnessed correctly to distribute the resources of the planet
without human intervention. And he wishes to help people to have
happy, meaningful lives.

Charlotte is his childhood friend & also (though to a lesser degree)
his friend as an adult. She has the power to read actions of and
emotions experienced by those who have touched an object. Their
relationship is one of the major subplots of the book.

Corporations, rival scientists, and the rich & powerful (+ an evil
rival for Charlotte's attention who just happens to be filthy rich)
don't want Hiroshi to succeed.

That is intentionally a bare bones plot summary, there is so much
more to this fine work of art. It's also amazing how many small
details he plants during the course of the book that become
important & tie things up as the book progresses.

I chose this book to read & review for 2 reasons:

1. The official synopsis said it won the 2012 award for best
German Sci-FI. Good recommendation!

2. The synopsis also gives the plot description about the
protagonist attempting to create a Utopian society & that he is
saddened by his failure to do so.

Questioning why some semblance of Utopia hasn't happened has
also been a major theme & frustration for me. I was hoping to get
some insight into WHY it's never come close on this planet.
Unfortunately for me (again without giving away the plot), the
author takes the same basic position that I have: the answer is
human nature; or at least the nature of a % of the human race
(basically but not exclusively the rich & powerful in all arenas)
is selfish, greedy & at times evil.

I am also grateful that he avoids religion.

Though I didn't learn any new answers (& it is a fiction book, not a
self help book), again this is an amazingly gripping read (other
than the too many pages of Nanotechnology details). It took me to
many places that I didn't expect to go, & also deprived me of sleep
because I didn't want to stop reading! I think it only took 3 sessions to
get through 647 pages!

I cried for 15 minutes at the end.

Highly recommended (& if you read it, I suspect you'll understand
why I didn't want to give away very many details). One last hint:
the title of this review is a quote from page 645 of the book.
1238998
A wonderfully written book with marvellously vivid descriptions and such great humour. I hope there will be a sequel!
2075951
In 1885, Frank Stockon, a thin man with a ferocious moustache, wrote a story about an ancient town, a brave curate, and the last griffin.  In 1963, a gifted young artist, Maurice Sendak, brilliantly illustrated town, curate, griffin, and story.  The book we have now is one to be read with & by our children, a treasure of numinous & witty writing, of Rembrandt-like pen & ink drawing, with a sting of sorrow in its tale.

The last Griffin conceives a desire to learn what he looks like.  Hearing of a stone image made hundred of years earlier over the main door of an old, old church, he flies to the town from the dreadful wilds where he lives.  The inhabitants are terrified, sending the church's young canon to find out what the Griffin wants.

Kind, caring only for the well-being of the people, yet terrified himself, the young man goes to "the monster" as Stockton calls him.  The next day, after staying up all night to prevent the destruction-minded townspeople from shattering the stone griffin, the canon leads the Griffin through the shuttered town to the church.

Well-pleased with the image, the Griffin sits before the stone creature all day, commenting at last "I feel it must resemble me. If there is any fault to find with it, it is that the neck seems a little stiff.  But that is nothing.  It is an admirable likeness---admirable."  Conceiving a fondness for the Minor Canon, the Griffin stays, admiring the stone griffin & following the canon as he goes about his numerous duties.

The townspeople go about blaming the Minor Canon, excoriating each other,  complaining, scheming, and conniving. As the Fall Equinox approaches when the Griffin has his semi-annual meal, the townspeople send the Canon to the dreadful wild, not caring whether he lives or perishes, thinking the Griffin will follow him.

What happens next shows the Griffin's noble but right regal nature, his ironic wit, the Minor Canon's gentle innocence, and what it takes to deal with such ignoble, avaricious, and greedy townspeople.

Sendak's drawings are like Edward Gorey at his best, precisely detailed, evoking the Book of Kell's curious creatures & intricate designs.  The griffin is shown in sculpture with a serpent tail.  In life, the Griffin is a Gwalior eagle-lord from beak to where the great wings attach and the haunches of a mighty lion with a thick and irritable tail thereafter.  When the Griffin is angry, his tail grows so hot, rivers boil & wood ignites. The Griffin's face is marvelously  expressive & so is the tail. Indeed, what immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry!

Any Reader Alerts?  None.  Stockton hoped interesting tales spoken simply & with humor could help make more Minor Canons and fewer townspeople. Those reading and loving "The Griffin and the Minor Canon" perhaps will feel the beauty and the wisdom, and take even more courage.

Wholly unequivocally enthusiastically recommended!
1140443
You just know that this life was lived before it was written about, and that's a hard fact to swallow. The writing is brilliant, and that makes it doubly incredible that someone with this hard-scrabble background could achieve this feat. The Beans are representative of the generally unwashed and usually uneducated extended families that populate every part of our country. They are the invisible, the uncounted, the unaccepted.
Carolyn Chute is definitely an odd bird, but this book deserves to be read and re-read by anyone with an ounce of human kindness in his/her veins.
3016073
Thought the author wrote with vivid description about an interesting period of time with the end of the Vietnam war.
1521927
This book, by the marvellous John Banville, is so well written that I did something I have never done before in all my long years of reading and teaching: I finished the book and turned back to the beginning and reread it. It was such a finely tuned novel, with so much to savor, I did not feel I had fully (or even barely) appreciated Banville's style and diction while I was moving through the plot the first time. The second time was such a revelation in the details of his work! And, this is not even the work of Banville's that I have loved most. But it was one that really rewarded my second immediate reading. May have to reread it a third time, but will wait a bit. He's a terrific writer and one needs to marvel over each sentence and the crafting of his images. No speed-readers need apply.
2410700
Affectionately Yours is a treasure!  This collection of 250 letters from 1862-1864 of Cheryls great great-grandparents are a dialogue of a married couple, Julia and William, trying to manage the separation caused by the Civil War. The book is more than fascinating; it is unique in the genre of Civil War books as an intimate story, not about the war, who won, who lost, but its impact on a couple separated by the war.

Cheryls professional treatment of the letters converts them into a fly on the wall picture of life during the war.  The book brings to life a century and a half old package of letters to paint a picture of life in a time of an ocean of misery, as Julia wrote in one letter.

Julia is fearless in expressing her heart and mind. Her words often penetrate with sad truths about war.  Once she wrote, Merciful God the grief that I saw & felt that day & it was only a drop in the ocean of misery this dreadful war has brought upon our people.  She gave eloquent feeling to the always foolishness of war writing, We never learn, even from pain.

These letters are like listening to a conversation over a fence, giving voice to the agonies and joys of life between neighbors, though in this case a married couple.

In addition to the letters Cheryl has done a thorough job of research to put the letters into the context of the 1860s.

Not wanting to overstate it, but upon finishing the book I went to the Oxford dictionary to find the definition of a tour de force: an impressive performance or achievement that has been accomplished or managed with great skill.  Cheryls labor of love has done that in bringing to life a personal story that resonates in our time.
1717785
See above: a book written from the inside out...about a time in the history and about the people populating that history with the intensity of living it
2431702
This was a book that was so many things to me..first I became so much more aware of the Middle East and the world around me and how we think we perceive a situation or a way of life. This is also a tale of a young women written in diary form, sent from Syria, and from her family for a chance at a new life. The writing is superb in laying out the world from where she came from to the new adventures to which she embarks. She is driven by her promise to her father to excel in her chance at a new life. Her college adventure is a fascinating look at our culture and how we live our lives and our perceptions.
But this is also a love story ..of two men who find this women fascinating in her intelligence, youth and beauty. One older and one a younger  man and they both want her in their lives. But this her story as well, of self discovery and her coming in to her own in oh so many ways.
I really enjoyed how this had me expanding my mind and my perceptions. I came invested quickly on how her story would unfold. I highly recommend this book.