Seven Years in Tibet

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Originally published in 1953, this adventure classic recounts Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer's 1943 escape from a British internment camp in India, his daring trek across the Himalayas, and his happy sojourn in Tibet, then, as now, a remote land little visited by foreigners. Warmly welcomed, he eventually became tutor to the Dalai Lama, teenaged god-king of the theocratic nation. The author's vivid descriptions of Tibetan rites and customs capture its unique traditions before the Chinese invasion in 1950, which prompted Harrer's departure. A 1996 epilogue details the genocidal havoc wrought over the past half-century.

Book Description

In a motion picture starring Brad Pitt, SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET is the autobiographical account of a young Austrian adventurer and the escape from an internment camp that changed his life forever. In 1943, Heinrich Harrer, a noted mountain climber and skier, slipped out of captivity in India and made his way through the Himalayan passes to the Forbidden City of Lhasa in Tibet. From destitute vagabond, he rose to the position of tutor and confidant to the fourteen-year-old Dalai Lama. Until their parting in 1950, when the Chinese Communists overran the country, his close relationship with the revered holy man profoundly altered his way of living, even his way of thinking.

Customer Reviews:

Read the Book!.......2007-10-10

I'm about half way through this book and I am amazed! I've not seen the movie yet so I really didn't know what the book was going to be about. What brave men these were! It's like a diary into these mens lives for a short time when the whole world was in turmoil. Definately read this book!

interesting journey.......2007-08-31

I enjoyed reading about the author's travels over the mountains and the challenges along the way. Then, upon finally reaching Tibet it was intersting to read about life there. However, after awhile I left like I was reading the book for 7 years as the book started to drag on.

Heinrich Harrer's Journeys in Tibet........2007-08-09

_Seven Years in Tibet_, originally published in 1953 by Austrian adventurer and mountaineer Heinrich Harrer is a fascinating account of Harrer's seven years spent in Tibet, his journey to Tibet through the Himalayas, and his interaction and friendship with Tibetans in Lhasa and the Dalai Lama. This book includes a foreword by the Dalai Lama and includes an epilogue showing the brutality of the Chinese communists towards the Tibetan people. The book has been made into a movie by the same name. Heinrich Harrer (1912 - 2006) was an Austrian mountaineer and sportsman who was an Olympic athlete. In 1939, he traveled to India as part of a Himalayan Expedition with fellow Austrian Peter Aufschnaiter. However, since Harrer was officially part of the Nazi party of Germany and a war was going on he was imprisoned by the British in an internment camp. This book tells of his repeated escapes from that camp and his adventures in the mountains until he eventually reached Lhasa and lived in Tibet. The book also tells of his interaction with the noble Tibetan people (including His Holiness the Dalai Lama) until they were eventually overtaken by the Chinese communists in 1950. Harrer makes a plea for the Tibetan people and hopes that they may someday be made free once again from the communists who currently occupy their noble land.

The book begins with Harrer's reflections on his childhood and early years of adventure. As part of his adventurous spirit and love of sport, Harrer took part in a Himalayan expedition with his fellow Austrians. However, since the Germans had fought the British in the First World War and since the Second World War loomed ahead, Harrer was taken as a prisoner of war (along with fellow Austrian Peter Aufschnaiter) by the British in India. The book focuses on Harrer's experiences in the internment camp and his attempts to escape. During his various attempts he was accompanied by Austrians and Italians and frequently had to resort to various wiles (such as painting his face dark to appear as an Indian) while attempting his escapes. He was caught several times and had to be returned to the camp. Harrer (who had read of the Swedish explorer Sven Hedin's adventures) planned to escape into Tibet. After he had managed his escape, the book follows his adventures in the mountainous regions of Tibet. Frequently Harrer was forced to meet up with hostile Indians and Tibetans who viewed foreigners as a threat. Since he did not have official papers allowing him to make his way through Tibet, he had to resort to various means to escape these hostile officials. Tibet had remained in a position of neutrality throughout the war and intended to maintain such neutrality. However, overall his journeys through Tibet were always accompanied by a humorous sense among the people who tended to overlook many of the "official" channels necessary for his stay in Tibet. Eventually Harrer made his way across the mountains through the various villages along the way and into the "Forbidden City", Lhasa, at the Roof of the World, accompanied by fellow Austrian Peter Aufschnaiter. Along the way, Harrer notes the various odd customs of the Tibetan people, including their views on punishment, their strange views on marriage (including polygamy and polyandry), the role of the yak among their people, their respect for all living things, and their religious traditions, emphasizing especially Buddhism but also noting the relationships between Buddhists and various other foreign religious such as Muslims. At the Forbidden City, Harrer was greeted with a surprisingly warm welcome and was given asylum by the Dalai Lama. The book then tells of Harrer's life in Lhasa and his attempts to seek work until he eventually was able to buy a house. The Dalai Lama, through his mother, sought out Harrer as a foreigner and had him construct a theater for him as well as becoming involved in other public works for the government of Tibet. Harrer makes note of the importance of religion for the Tibetan people, emphasizing the role of Buddhist monks and nuns in their religious traditions. Harrer also notes the superstitiousness of these people, noting their belief in various deities, reincarnation, and omens of various sorts. The Dalai Lama, who was a young boy at the time, was believed to be the reincarnation of Chenrezi. He was found as a young boy and was recognized as the Dalai Lama. He is the Fourteenth Dalai Lama and was considered the God-King of Tibet. Harrer was to serve as a tutor to the Dalai Lama, informing him on the facts of geography, science, languages, and events outside of Tibet. At the same time, the Dalai Lama instructed him in Tibetan tradition and Buddhism. Harrer notes the Dalai Lama's liking for mechanical devices and his eagerness to learn new things. Harrer and the Dalai Lama became close friends and their friendship continued to grow even after the Dalai Lama was forced to leave Tibet. In 1950, the Chinese communists invaded Tibet and the Dalai Lama was forced to leave. At the same time, Harrer left and thus ends his journey through Tibet. The book ends with Harrer's comments on events in Tibet since this book was published, noting the brutality inflicted on the Tibetan people by the Chinese communists. Harrer makes an eloquent plea to free Tibet from oppression and notes the fact that since then the Dalai Lama has been viewed positively by many in the West. In fact, the Dalai Lama was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 and remains a widely read philosophical influence for many in the West who view Tibetan Buddhism in a positive light.

This book provides a fascinating account of one man's journey through Tibet. It also provides interesting details of a lost traditional culture and the religion of Tibetan Buddhism. Unfortunately today, the Chinese communists retain control over the people of Tibet and have caused a great deal of harm to their traditional way of life. However, as more Westerners become aware of the plight of the Tibetan people it may be possible to restore once again the majesty of this lost culture and tradition.

Very interesting adventure story.......2007-07-03

This is the story of a German-Austrian mountain climber who was interred in India during World War II, escaped (twice), and fled into Tibet, a country closed to foreigners. Through determination and luck, he and his partner are allowed to stay, where their Western handyman skills make them useful to the government as "engineers" and repairmen. They learn Tibetan and become part of the local elite, including high-level government service and friendship with the young Dalai Lama. He eventually flees when the Chinese invade the country.

This is a well-written page turner that tells a story of a very different time and place. You'll be amazed at Harrer's mountaineering and survival skills, and you'll gradually learn about Tibet in much the way that he did.

The style of the book is dated in two respects. First, Harrer has the attitudes of a European of his time, moderately condescending toward the peoples of developing nations. There has been some controversy about his membership in the Nazi Party; though it's plausible that he was simply an ambitious young man who joined the party only to get ahead, it's also true that he shared the routine racism of the day. This is present, but not salient, in the book. It is also muted by his fondness for Tibetans.

Second, Harrer writes in a matter-of-fact way that focuses on actions, and to a lesser extent on decisions - - and certainly not feelings. For example, the story will be moving along when he announces, "And then I decided to . . ." This is certainly not the modernist or post-modernist sensibility, but you may or may not care about that. You won't learn much about people's interior lives, but the story moves crisply along because it focuses on actions.

Overall, this is a lively adventure story that also documents a distinctive culture at the moment before it was forever changed by conquest.

Live Life to its Fullest.......2007-04-12

This novel of history and adventure will pull at your heartstrings while it teaches you lessons about living a fulfilling life.

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SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET

Seven Years In Tibet
Heinrich Harrer
Manufacturer: E P Dutton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: B0006ATJRY

Customer Reviews:

SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET.......2007-04-08

AN AWESOME TRUE STORY. I FIRST READ THIS BOOK 20 YEARS AGO AND JUST RECENTLY BOUGHT MY COPY. THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING STORIES OF OUR TIME.

The Seven Years in Tibet: Screenplay and Story Behind the Film (Newmarket Pictorial Moviebook)

Average customer rating:

Beautifully Done
English and impact of the words are very strong.
The English translation is much better than the movie.

The Seven Years in Tibet: Screenplay and Story Behind the Film (Newmarket Pictorial Moviebook)
Jean-Jacques Annaud , Becky Johnston , and Laurence B. Chollet
Manufacturer: Newmarket Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Screenplays | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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Travel | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

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Tibet | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

Seven Years in Tibet

ASIN: 1557043426

Book Description

This beautiful, keepsake screenplay book features more than 115 photos, 50 in full color--location stills, Annaud's own pictures of Tibet and Bhutan taken during pre-production, dozens of Heinrich Harrer's historical photos; an extensive account of the making of the film; and a touching essay by the Dalai Lama's sister, Jetsun Pema, who plays her own mother in the film. 100 photos, drawings, bibliography.

Customer Reviews:

Beautifully Done.......2002-02-02

This pictorial book was to coincide with the release of the epic movie based on the classic memoir of Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer. The book contains scripts, location stills of Tibet, and hundreds of photo stills from the making and the movie itself. Knowing that due to the Chinese opposition parts of the scenes from the movie were actually shot in South America, I was somehow disappointed. But the pictorial still adds grciously to my Tibet collection.

English and impact of the words are very strong........1999-07-17

The book is very....real.The author described everything in great detail.Brad Pitt's character was also very realistic in how the author projected him.Also has many cool facts on Tibet(customs ang religion),the many characters had very interesting personalities.Brad Pitt's character had alot of character,the way the author projected.Good book.Read it.

The English translation is much better than the movie........1997-10-31

I found Richard Graves English translation to be excellent. One can almost feel the cold nights and the pain of Harrer's trek up from India to Lhasa. His appreciation of the customs and desire to learn from them is something much needed today as Americans try to understand Tibet. This is a good book to begin with in gaining background. He is not a theologian or historian but gives a much needed glimpse of Tibet fifty years ago. Knowing the past makes the future brighter.

Seven Years in Tibet - Illustrated (Book Society Choice)

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Seven Years in Tibet - Illustrated (Book Society Choice)

Manufacturer: Rupert Hart-Davis
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GF0J82

Product Description

This highly illustrated and action-packed book with 40 pages of photographs and with maps tells the story of a young adventurer's escape froma British internment camp in India during WWII and his dramatic trek through rugged Himalayan passes to sanctuary in the Forbidden City of Lhasa

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Seven years in Tibet
Heinrich Harrer
Manufacturer: Dutton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Tibet | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007G02A0

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SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET
Heinrich Harrer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GRE6KW

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Seven Years In Tibet

Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000GT7H7O

Product Description

AUTOGRAPHED Brand new leatherbound book accented in 22kt gold.

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Seven Years In Tibet
Harder
Manufacturer: E P Dutton & Co Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JC40YQ

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Seven Years in Tibet
Heinrich Harrer
Manufacturer: Books on Tape
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: B000PGC3U4

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Seven Years in Tibet
Heinrich Harrar
Manufacturer: E. P. Dutton and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IVEL9C

Customer Reviews:

fascinating look at power.......2007-10-08

Due to its incredible industrial base with advanced technology, the Mezentine Republic is the superpower. Two neighboring people, the Vadani and the Eremians resent their superiority. Whereas the Vandai leadership uses guile in its dealing with the powerful Republic, the Eremians invade only to be slaughtered by their foes due to superior technological weaponry especially the mechanical Scorpions.

However, in the ruins of the slaughter, opportunity arises. Guild foreman and engineer Ziani Vaatzes has fled the Republic to avoid execution for breaking the rules. He offers the Eremians his knowledge of weaponry for safety and the opportunity to see his beloved wife and daughter one last time. However, Mezentines realizing that Ziani may sell them out and attack the Eremians to insure they remain the sole superpower.

The first book of the Engineer Trilogy is a fascinating look at power mostly through the machinations of the scheming lying Ziani, who manipulates people as he climbs the social pyramid to get the support to meet his obsessed goal. He does this with the backdrop of nations selling violence and control as the key to regional ownership of a global economy. Although the antihero Ziani's skills are incredible, luck and coincidence helps him stay alive while his plausibility index is somewhere over Everest and his ethics somewhere in hell as he sacrifices innocent people to further his cause. Still this is an entertaining tale of one man who to achieve his quest requires him to be Machiavelli and Rove.

Harriet Klausner

A really strong beginning, looking forward to the rest of the trilogy. .......2007-08-12

Like I said, I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book. I picked it up on a whim. Nor am I sure whether the title was some kind of sideways homage to P.D. James. Little mysteries.

Devices and Desires is a really clever alt-fantasy kind of book that avoids pretty much every typical pitfall of swords & sorcery genre. Ziani Vaazes is a fascinating anti-hero-- a kind of sociopath engineer who believes that his actions are an inevitable result of the situation in which he is placed. He may be even be right, given the assumptions behind Parker's world-building. It's a relief to have the much more likable Valens as counterpoint, even with his flaws.

There's no magic, just alternative science. You spend your time as a reader focusing on the idea of engineering and technology development rather than on rules for shooting fireballs. A welcome change of pace. There are well written discussion of fantasy, management and cultural differences.

If I could have wished for anything, I might have wished that the book was a trifle warmer. It is a cold cold place in The Engineer Trilogy. I guess that this is part of the point, but I will confess to liking my fantasy flavored with at least a hint of sentimentality.

Although I think that I'll buy the next in the series (Evil for Evil) first, it is worth mentioning that Parker has two other series under her belt-- The Fencer Trilogy and the Scavenger Trilogy. I'm sorry that it took me so long to be aware of her work.

Extraordinary.......2006-03-17

This was the first book by K.J.Parker that I've had the pleasure to read, and will certainly not be the last. I am new to the fantasy genre, though not quite a virgin (I'm well read in the Sci-Fi genre, if that counts for something). That said, "Devices And Desires" was clearly the best that I've read so far in the fantasy genre. Parker has clearly done her research with the sort of dilligence and attention to detail that rivals anything that could be expected of the central character of the book.

The story centers around Ziani Vaazes, the unlikely unconventional protagonist-victim-anti-hero. He's a single minded genius of an engineer, who, after some unfortunate events, is forced to work with the material flesh and bone, of human motivations, alliances and betrayals, to construct his grand and terrible machine, that is the only means to achieve a purpose ludicrously simple and mundane. A purpose he cannot avoid working towards, as he puts it, any more than a rock pushed of a ledge can help falling.

Devices And Desires is full of interesting personalities, depth in all fronts, intrigue of human relations with the often banal, almost trivial reasons that can lead to the slaughter of armies and the death of nations. And detail. Lots of detailed knowledge, yet never tedious.

Also a well balanced end, tying up many lose ends, giving a feeling of an end of an epoch; yet hinting at things to come, and whole new battles to fight, as Vaatzes' machine grinds it's gears.

As a SciFi fan with a naturalistic world view, I also appreciated the fact that the world is not infused with magic, ghosts and goblins, but rather is confined to the much more interesting wonders of the natural world. The only thing about the world of the book where I had to suspend my disbelief was the complete lack of religions (unless you count the mezentine's religious attitude towards precision of engineering, and the organization around it as religion). While being irreligious myself, I do believe that evidence shows that societies lacking religions or at least prominent superstitions completely (in reality, rather than just on paper) are as unlikely as any of the most fantastic absurdities fathomed by fantasy writers. This strange ommision can, howerver, be forgiven, as world created by Parker is so rich and satisfying in numerous other respects. Devices And Desires is an impressive piece of work, and a real page turner.

While anchiously waiting for the sequel, I'll certainly look into Parker's other works.

A good book for a long trip.......2006-02-22

I am really enjoying this book. Loads of good characters, which are, on the whole very well developed. The plot is very interesting, and hangs together nicely. I especially liked the names he created...unlike anything else I've seen or read recently, which is a nice change. I'm kind of tired of books with characters who's names seem slight variations of current day names, with unusual spellings. The author has taken pains to create unusual but believable characters, and created a world that works in similar, yet oddly different ways from our own.

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The pattern of being bored-

Any of this Lady's SciFi is great!! This is my pick!...

Name of a Shadow
Ann Maxwell , and Elizabeth Lowell
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Change Change

Thunderheart

Fire Dancer

Fire and Rain (MacKenzie-Blackthorn, Book 2)

Silver Master (Ghost Hunters, Book 4)

ASIN: 0380753901

Customer Reviews:

The pattern of being bored-.......2005-12-27

I was intrigued with this book until I started to read it. By page 53 I was going to scream if one more character responded to any question with "I am ____" enter Malian, Sharnn, etc. I will admit being unable to finish the book- to much posturing between the main 3 characters, to much "I really am a deep thinker and powerful fighter- you should be impressed" writing. The author never bothered to give me a reason to care about the main characters, in fact she gives plenty of reasons to hate them and wish them dead. Two of the main characters end up in a bizarr marriage and towards the end of the book it appears that they become somewhat respectful of each others fighting prowess. But basically the only reason to read this book was to discover just how full of themselves the characters are and how flawed all the supporting characters are written to be. If you enjoy watching 2 military men just out of basic training trying to out do each other in fighting prowess bragging then you will enjoy this book- I personally did not enjoy it.

Any of this Lady's SciFi is great!! This is my pick!..........2003-04-10

The interaction between the characters is very good. Great plot!! If you like her romances, give her SciFi a try (she also writes as Elizabeth Lowell).

The Touch of Your Shadow, the Whisper of Your Name (Babylon 5, Book 5)

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Just Average...
Jhaeman's Review
a weird babylon 5 story
Nothing really
A possibly promising beginning but then...

The Touch of Your Shadow, the Whisper of Your Name (Babylon 5, Book 5)
Neal Barrett Jr. , and J. Michael Straczynski
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Babylon 5 | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0440222303
Release Date: 1996-03-10

Book Description

Babylon 5, designed to be a place of peace in a troubled universe, has erupted into rioting as visiting cultures clash and passions explode. Security chief Garibaldi must use all his skills to quell the violence between races. But the troubles escalate as terrifying nightmares plague everyone on board from Captain Sheridan to Vorlon Ambassador Kosh. It seems as if some "force" is touching them all...

Then an alien presence appears. A long, twisting band of green light nine million miles long stretches out against the darkness of space on a collision course with Babylon 5. Since it remains invisible to computer sensors, some are calling it an illusion, others are calling it an evil life force. Still others are calling it God. Now, it is up to Captain Sheridan and Garibaldi to find out, risking their lives, and perhaps their souls, to venture forth amond the stars to meet the unknown.

Customer Reviews:

Just Average..........2007-08-26

The Touch of Your Shadow, the Whisper of Your Name is the fifth of the original nine novels and most probably the least likely of the five to become B5 fans' favorite. The book is set during the early part of the third season prior to events in "A Day in the Strife."
Security Chief Michael Garibaldi returns to Babylon 5 after taking a vacation to find the station in a state of chaos and anarchy, as the inhabitants are all experiencing nightmares leading them to violent acts against one another.
Then, out of the blue, an enormous green ribbon makes its appearance and as it gets closer to B5, the populace's dreams worsen along with their behavior...
On the positive side: Neal Barrett Jr. provides for an accurate description of the Narn psyche when Ambassador G'Kar states: "I'm afraid that's impossible, Captain. Narn honor is at stake. The very presence of the Centauri in the universe is an abomination against G'Quan. They must be exterminated, now." (p.194)
On page 173, the author presents a graphic description of a fanatic's dream: "And [Reverend Bobby James Galaxy, the Leader of the Universal Church of Solar Illumination] dreamed, as the Lord had told him to dream, not of cons but of conviction, and of Minbari heads on poles, and Centauri entrails on the ground, and of Drazi dead scattered like grains of salt of the barren plain of Babylon 5, which burned from end to end with holy and righteous fire."
On the downside, the novel will fly by since it's so short, i.e. each chapter is approximately four pages long ending at the beginning or middle of the final page while the next chapter begins at the middle of the following page bringing to mind books for "young adults/readers."
Moreover, regarding the plot and the main characters' actions, Neal Barrett Jr. does not make enough, nor that good, use of existing B5 plots and subplots as much as he could have and thus the whole feeling one gets is that the story is "stale" lacking that "something" that will bring it to life and get the reader to not be able to put the novel down.
In-depth information about the main characters or the B5 universe is pretty much absent, and the characters are quite shallow, not to mention the ridiculous groups like the space bikers Fermi's Angels and the Life in Transition to name a few.
Most of these groups/factions were simply uninteresting and out-of place, while the novel's ending was rather lame. 3 Stars
In short, with the main series over, thank goodness for the novels.
More novels please...

Jhaeman's Review.......2007-08-22

Although I enjoyed the first four Babylon 5 novels, I found this one rather disappointing. The plot is hackneyed and the sort of thing that has happened to the U.S.S. Enterprise about a dozen times. The conclusion is of the "ambiguous" type that doesn't indicate complexity so much as a writer apparently too lazy to give answers. Unless you're a B5 completist, avoid this one.

a weird babylon 5 story.......2002-07-29

now what happens when a station full of people start having
nightmares and start acting them out? total chaos. this was
a pretty decent book that shows you a lot about your favorite
characters from the tv show with some humor thrown in.

Nothing really.......2001-06-08

This book adds nothing to neither the storyline, the characters nor backround.

This book has "StarTrek the Next generation"-style strange force that causes people to get violent. It is handled even worse than in Thirdspace (movie).

There were 2 great thing in this book:

1. Kosh gave straight answer(!) "Yes." 2. Fermis angels, A religios motocycle gang, that wanted to blow up B5.

One a star for both.

A possibly promising beginning but then..........2001-03-08

This book was a bit of a dissapointment for me.

The beginning offers the book to be full of either interesting opportunities or huge dissapointments. It was neither.

The plot was intriquing and the book kept you with it, but there was not enough pay off at the end, as the author fell back on old, predictable solutions and colorless writing.

Book Description

With 29 diverse short stories, this book recounts intimate memories, reflections on writing, Caribbean motifs, and dialogues. All are brimming with passion and sincerity.

Blurb in Spanish:

A la sombra de tu nombre está constituido por ensayos de diversa índole: recuerdos íntimos, reflexiones acerca del arte de narrar, paseos por el Caribe y diálogos con ilustres muertos. A todos ellos los cobija la sombra de la Dama Literatura, y también todos están signados por la pasión y la sinceridad. No podría ser de otra manera, pues la escritura para Rosario Ferré es el fundamento para vivir, o más que eso, es la vida misma: "Creo que el oficio que escogemos determina nuestro destino mucho más que la genética o el entorno. Ni el nombre de pila, ni el apellido de familia resultan, al fin y al cabo, tan importantes. Para identificar certeramente quiénes somos no deberíamos decir soy fulana de tal sino amo lo que hago". Así, puede asegurarse que ninguno de los textos que aparecen aquí carece de cariño y amor, pero tampoco de inteligencia, certeza y razón.

Este libro es el recuento de una vida dedicada -minuto a minuto, paso a paso- a ese acto que nos hace muy humanos: la literatura.

Customer Reviews:

An amazing book of Essays.......2003-04-14

Rosario Ferré is one of my favorite writers. This books is collection of essays that talk about a varied range of topics. Everything from briefs histories about some places in Puerto Rico to her life is included in this book. This books is an opportunity to look into the thoughts of Rosario Ferré. It is a very personal book and excelletly written. It is captivating, fun and interesting. Some essays also talk about some of her literary works. This is one of the best source for reference on Rosario Ferré.

THE LIVING SHADOW - The Shadow Series (1) (i) One

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THE LIVING SHADOW - The Shadow Series (1) (i) One
Maxwell (pen name used by Walter B. Gibson) Grant
Manufacturer: Street and Smith
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GW01LK

Understanding Types, Shadows, and Names: A Biblical Guide Volume 2 (D-F) (Understanding Types, Shadows, & Names, D-F)

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Understanding Types, Shadows, and Names: A Biblical Guide Volume 2 (D-F) (Understanding Types, Shadows, & Names, D-F)
Kelley Varner
Manufacturer: Destiny Image Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Cognitive Psychology | Behavioral Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1560431970

Understanding Types, Shadows, and Names, Vol. 1 A-C: A Biblical Guide

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Understanding Types, Shadows, and Names, Vol. 1 A-C: A Biblical Guide
Kelley Varner
Manufacturer: Destiny Image Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Understanding Types, Shadows, and Names: A Biblical Guide Volume 2 (D-F) (Understanding Types, Shadows, & Names, D-F)

ASIN: 1560431652

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Imagination, identification and . . . ?
Amphitryon
Intriguing concept but mixed execution
Great Style
Chilling, ingenious.

Shadow Without a Name: A Novel
Ignacio Padilla
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0312422709

Book Description

In 1943, General Thadeus Dreyer, a WWI hero who trains doubles for Nazi leaders, disappears. In 1960, Adolf Eichmann, a master chess player, is arrested in Buenos Aires, extradited to Israel, and hanged. Years later, a dying Polish count casts doubt on Eichmann's identity, leaving behind a manuscript with clues that tie the three men together. A gripping novel of imposture and identity, Shadow Without a Name is a harrowing parable of our century of chaos, where individual will is swamped by the cult of personality and destinies hang on a game of chess.

Customer Reviews:

Imagination, identification and . . . ?.......2005-08-01

With brilliant prose, Padilla enacts a complex scenario traversing several generations and nationalities. The theme is mixed identities and how we can delude ourselves as much as we can others. The complexity is enhanced by the use of chess-playing as an underlying aspect. Narrated by four men, Ukrainian, British and Austrian, we are led through the horrors of World War I to the bizarre loyalties engendered by the rise of Hitler in the post-war era. Chess becomes the means of identification and communication for men whose grasp of reality, no matter how forcefully it confronts them, seems to be slippery. Each character is haunted by dark memories and a bleak future. The futures, wholly Sophoclean, must be fulfilled. Only the ongoing confusion of identities offers any diversion from inevitability.

While Padilla's captivating prose maintains a riveting command of the reader's attention, closing the book results only in a terrible let-down. In the final analysis, the tale is pointless. Awareness of the rationale for the book comes late, as it should, but offers no solution for what Padilla poses as the essential issue. Who was the man stretching a rope in Tel Aviv in May, 1962? Was there a conspiracy by the Nazi leadership to distract pursuers at the war's end with doubles? Does it matter?

It is easy to be dazzled by Padilla's deft language ability. His sense of history is strong, exhibiting sound knowledge of places and events. He uses Sophocles as a model to deflect our attention from options and choices life offers. He manipulates the characters like a divinity. Even the swift changes of identity by the men don't appear as rational choices, but something imposed by Fate. These are caricatures of lives and not very good caricatures at that. These men are automatons, driven by dreams and memories, clumsy puppeteers at best. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Amphitryon.......2005-06-07

This outstanding novel was called "Amphitryon" when it was originally published in Spain. Amphitryon was a man whose identity was stolen by Zeus so that the god could sleep with his wife. As the original title implies, the book is about multiple identity thefts and switches. It is also a parable of the human condition ib the now dead 20th century. As such, it is a must read for the serious reader

Intriguing concept but mixed execution.......2004-06-24

At first, I was gripped by the idea behind the book -- exchanged identities, fate (or lack of it), being -- but I can't really give "Shadow without a name" a positive review. The novel in the end is too schematic. At the same time, Padilla's reflections on his chosen themes are too abstract, something which couldn't have been helped by a very indifferent translation, and don't come to life. This is a novel, after all, and not an essay. Ultimately unsuccessful.

Great Style.......2004-04-28

Shadow without a name is a novel very much in the frequency of contemporary Mexican literature. Padilla, along with other writers, are responding to the initial success of Post-Boom narrative by taking over the market seduced by the folkloric version of Mexico (leaded by the nasty Like Water for Chocolate) through the usage of resources and topics that have nothing to do with Mexico. In the case of Padilla's novel, the plot is centered on a story of suplantations, beneath which lies an obscure nazi project to create doubles for political figures. Even though this topic sounds like a Michael Crichton novel, Amphitryon is far from such literature, due to the formal and stylistic construction. The book is very readable and, with the award it got in its Spanish edition, is likely to occupy a central place in Mexican literature. Nonetheless, readers should not wait a deep usage of the nazi topic, since it is only a pretext to develop a narrative strategy. I think the novel will eventually raise the question on the validity to rely on such historical facts to create a story that does not express the horror of the nazis on its full extent. Even so, the novel is a great book for the casual reader. We are only left to expect that the amazing narrative abilities of Padilla will produce a masterpiece in the future.

Chilling, ingenious........2004-01-15

The novel is a progression of stories, each told by a different narrator, and written at a different time, but each casting light on the events and characters in the previous stories. The title, as well as the story names, seem to suggest that this is a philosophical novel about loss of identity. I don't quite take it away. It is a chilling, almost soulless evocation of the dislocations of 20th century central Europe, a time when nihilism seems most in tune with the world. Identities are not lost so much as stolen. It is written in a simple, effective style, and the plotting is ingenious and highly original. One of the characters, Richard Schley, battles for the remnant of his soul, and I enjoyed most the story narrated by him. Conversely, I found little to like or admire in the first story of the novel, so my advice to readers put off by that material is to stick with it, the rest of the novel is 5 star.

Called by Name - In The Shadow of The Almighty; The Wonders of Practical Christianity - A Teaching Series - Vol. 4

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Called by Name - In The Shadow of The Almighty; The Wonders of Practical Christianity - A Teaching Series - Vol. 4
Dr. Valerie A Beauchene
Manufacturer: Lifevest Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000TA2Z22

Product Description

The world is in desperate need of help and answers. Those perilous times that Paul spoke of to the young Pastor Timothy are here. Storms throughout the country even within the past year have broken so many existing records. Though many will acquaint this with periodic normal weather patterns, global warming, etc. (even George Bush has been blamed). Tornadoes and earthquakes are testifying of birth pangs of something horrific on the horizon, so to speak. Whether we choose to believe it or not will not change the fact of the matter; we are here! How many guards can we station at our places of learning, of mass transportation, day care centers,, etc., before we realize that we are treating a dreadful and terminal cancer with a band-aid? How high and thick can we build our retainer walls to hold back the Katrina's or tsunamis? How much homeland security and how many border patrol guards can we possibly post to do the job? Wars and rumors of wars are everywhere yet so many continue to do their own pleasure, that is, treat these things their own way, even in the church. Reason sometimes can actually be an enemy of God, that is, unless He is chairing the meeting. Contrary to public belief, He is no man's copilot. If He's not piloting the thing, He isn't in it at all. We need help, and that, of more than man is capable. We need help of a supernatural kind!

In the Shadow of the Almighty (Wonders of Practical Christianity: A Teaching)

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In the Shadow of the Almighty (Wonders of Practical Christianity: A Teaching)
Valerie A. Beauchene
Manufacturer: Lifevest Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Darkness and daylight: Or, Lights and shadows of New York life : a woman's story of gospel, temperance, mission, and rescue work, "In His name"

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Darkness and daylight: Or, Lights and shadows of New York life : a woman's story of gospel, temperance, mission, and rescue work, "In His name"
Helen Campbell
Manufacturer: A.D. Worthington & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Nonprofit Organizations & Charities | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

1892. A Woman's Story Of Gospel, Temperance, Mission And Rescue Work. With Hundreds of Thrilling Anecdotes and Incidents, Personal, Experiences, Sketches of Life and Character. Humorous Stories Touching Home Scenes and Tales of Tender Pathos Drawn From the Bright and Shady Sides of City Life. Illustrated.

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Filippino Homestyle Dishes: Delicious Meals in Minutes

Gastronomic Success

For Beginners

what a joy!

nice book but...

Filipino Homestyle Dishes: Delicious Meals in Minutes
Norma Olizon-Chikiamco
Manufacturer: Tuttle Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Asian | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Philippine Recipes Made Easy

Filipino Cuisine: Recipes from the Islands (Red Crane Cookbook Series)

Authentic Recipes From The Philippines

Memories of Philippine Kitchens

The Filipino American Kitchen: Traditional Recipes, Contemporary Flavors

ASIN: 0794602142

Customer Reviews:

Filippino Homestyle Dishes: Delicious Meals in Minutes.......2007-05-21

If you like Asian Cuisine this book is good. Have a nice picture and good procedure how to prapare it's recipe.

Gastronomic Success.......2007-02-24

Though the book sensibly substitutes ingredients found in the Philippines for items that are more readily available in local US stores, the compromise in taste is not noticable (if there even is). All in all, it is a short but very helpful book that taught me how to cook a few homestyle dishes that I know, miss and love. If there is any bane to it, it would be that it did not have more recipes tucked away in its small, but informative pages.

For Beginners.......2007-01-06

I love this book buz im not expert in cooking. This was served as my guide. Perfect for Beginners & it comes with nice packaging.

what a joy!.......2006-11-03

Nice size, spring bound, stunning mouth-watering photography and simply worded instructions of many traditional and practical Filipino dishes. The sample presentations elevate the cuisine to gourmet! The book makes cooking Filipino meals a joy, instead of an intimidating task.

nice book but..........2006-06-17

This is a very good book for beginning filipino food eaters. But it is missing some of the more "interesting" filipino food recipes such as Dinuguan (pork blood stew) and sinigang (sourfish soup). The version of Caldereta is made with beef instead of the traditional goat meat. Other than these minor ommissions, this isn't too bad of a cook book. It has very nice color pictures and a fairly good glossary.

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