Book Description
An aging baseball player whose career is cut short when tragedy strikes. A man who says he is from God but who has an unusual way of getting converts to see the light. A pretty single black mother brutally murdered in one of Chicagos rougher neighborhoods. What do these people have in common? Nothing, except they are all part of Detective Abe Liebermans day. Lieberman, a sad, baggy-eyed spaniel of a man with the patience of Job and the wisdom of Solomon is trying his best to make his beloved Chicago a better place in spite of itself. Along with his partner Bill Hanrahan he does a pretty good job of it, mostly. But when he encounters these three very different situations he is faced with some tough choices. And if he makes the wrong choice, someone very near to him could die.
Customer Reviews:
Not his best work, but not bad.......2006-08-22
This is not his best work but it will be a joy to Abe Lieberman fans.
It is still head and shoulders above other writers.
And it is much better than any of his Lou Fonesca novels.
Ridiculous Twist Endings.......2006-08-04
Kaminsky reminds me a bit of Robert Parker; he struggles with realistic dialogue in passages involving family and relationships. In this case, Abe Lieberman and other Jewish character' speech is too stereotypical, and it had me cringing many times through Terror Town.
The book is a decent quick read though, until the ending which strains credibility beyond almost any crime fiction I have ever read. And there isn't just one laughably absurd "twist" at the end, but two. And the book would have been fine without either, which really makes it a shame. Who's editing this guy's manuscripts?
Not as good as its predecessors, I think..........2006-02-21
This is the 9th novel in the "Abe Leiberman" detective series, and probably the fourth that I've read. I liked the other three better, and as I usually do, I suggest that new fans try to read series' books in the order they were published. Characters grow and change over time, and understanding their "histories" helps with enjoyment of each successive outing. I would give this another half-star if Amazon allowed it, but for some reason, it did not really grip me. The first third of the book was a bit dull and confusing. It got better, however. Kaminsky is a veteran novelist of high skills, and I really enjoy his Lew Fonesca series (four adventures so far) and his Toby Peters' efforts (many entries.) I haven't gotten around to his novels set in Russia, but I expect to dip into them later this year. I get most of my books from the local library, and it is frustrating that with these long series of formula police procedurals or detective novels, no one library seems to have the entire set intact. Anyhow, Abe Leiberman and Bill Hanrahan, the heroes of this series, are nice guys with nice families and interesting friends, shady and otherwise. But don't begin with "Terror Town" if you can find a copy of one of the earliest in the series instead.
A Grand Master's Noir Tale Is Rewarding and Memorable.......2006-02-01
Stuart M. Kaminsky has been one of the hardest working writers in the mystery field for many years. And he is also one the best. Author of 50 novels, he is the recipient of the 2006 Grand Master Award of the Mystery Writers of America, joining such illustrious past winners as Agatha Christie, Elmore Leonard and Mary Higgins Clark.
Kaminsky has created four mystery series. TERROR TOWN is the ninth featuring Chicago police detective Abe Lieberman. And for both longtime readers of the series and newcomers, it will not disappoint.
Sergeant Lieberman is about as far from a superhero as you can find. A storeowner in need of police help describes Abe as a "thin old man with white hair and matching mustache. The man was not impressive. He looked like a sad baggy eyed spaniel."
What Lieberman lacks in physical stature, he more than makes up for with his head and heart. But most importantly, he is a moral man, not afraid of putting the need for justice ahead of the letter of the law when necessary.
Helping him is his longtime partner, Bill Hanrahan, nine years removed from the plunge into the bottle that cost him his family. Now sober, Bill is trying to make a go of it with his new wife, Iris, who is expecting their first child.
Together, this odd couple of cops is known as "the Rabbi and Father Murph."
In TERROR TOWN, these moral men face a world of random violence and madness, a world no longer safe. An insane homeless man attacks the former star first baseman of the Chicago Cubs with a Coke bottle in a restaurant. Then when released, the attacker begins stalking both the player and the cop who arrested him. A bald giant wanders the streets extorting money from storeowners and terrifying people in the name of God, claiming he was chosen to lead a new Crusade.
Then there is the gang-controlled ghetto called Terror Town. Kaminsky is able to paint a picture with words of a real noir world. "The police enter the streets of Terror Town with the same foreboding as Marines in Baghdad. Police have been ambushed and gunned down in this city within a city." And in this "border town surrounded by a city" a young mother is robbed and shot dead coming out of a bank with her infant child in her arms, which Kaminsky describes in chilling detail.
Much like another Grand Master Award Winner, Ed McBain, Kaminsky weaves together different plot lines effortlessly throughout the book. And like McBain, who virtually created the American police procedural with his 87th Precinct books, Kaminsky makes these cops human, taking us into their homes and lives.
Kaminsky can write hard-boiled with the best of them. But it is the humanity of his characters, especially Abe, that makes this series so rewarding and memorable. We visit the T&L deli, which is owned by Abe's brother, Maish, who burdens Abe with yet another problem when he suffers a heart attack. At the T&L we find the "alter cockers" at their familiar table by the window; these old, retired men have nothing better to do than to enjoy their own company all day and solve the problems of the world. Isn't there a table of "alter cockers" at every deli and café in the world, bothering the waitress for endless refills of coffee or tea?
On the home front, Abe and his loving wife, Bess, have to raise their two teenage grandchildren. Bess worries about Abe's cholesterol count and eating habits, while Abe wonders why his only daughter has always been angry with him. He suffers from insomnia; he notes that this is a curse in that he is always tired, but a blessing in that he gets to watch old movies and learn interesting facts from the History Channel.
But it is the complexity of TERROR TOWN and this entire series that puts it firmly in the noir tradition. Lieberman's investigation into the murder of the mother will take him high up into the world of money and political power in Chicago, where the rich and connected receive awards while others die senselessly on the streets.
When the law and justice don't coincide, Lieberman has to make some tough choices to set things right. As in earlier books in the series, Lieberman is willing to enter without question into an uneasy alliance with a mad killer called El Perro, leader of the Tentaculos street gang, to protect people he loves.
The Rabbi and Father Murph are hardworking cops willing to do what needs to be done, but only for the most righteous of reasons. They wield sometimes life and death power not to enrich or corrupt or oppress, but to further the greater cause of justice.
In TERROR TOWN, Kaminsky takes readers on a great ride with some genuinely surprising twists. Sometimes mysteries don't have perfect or conventional endings simply because life itself doesn't. This is the work of a grand master. Read it and enjoy.
--- Reviewed by Tom Callahan
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Blue Bamboo: Tales of Fantasy and Romance
Osamu Dazai
Manufacturer: Kodansha International (JPN)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 4770017383 |
Book Description
Blue Bamboo is a collection of seven short stories by one of Japan's preeminent postwar writers and prose stylists, Osamu Dazai. Not the typical romantic fantasies so often seen in Japanese writing, filled with water sprites and vengeful ghosts, these stories are a mixture of fantastic
allegory, slightly skewed fables, and affecting romantic tales. Revealing the wide range of Dazai's imaginative powers, they also give a glimpse of his humane and idealistic side.
From the title story, about an impoverished, henpecked scholar who is transformed by the love of a voluptuous bird, to "The Chrysanthemum Spirit," about a passionate gardener who meets a brother and sister with extraordinary powers, Dazai creates a world of fantasy and romance that is infused with
his own psychological concerns. Many readers may recall the poignancy of Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince or Han Christian Andersen.
The collection is capped by two delightful stories-within-a-story, in which the assorted members of a quirky family compose alternate episodes of a slightly gothic romance with hints of Poe and Saki (in "On Love and Beauty") and a wildly elaborate retelling of Rapunzel that is engaging, horrifying,
and touching by turns (in "Lanterns of Romance").
All in all, these warm, inventive, and life-affirming stories will strike a deep, satisfying chord in many readers.
Customer Reviews:
Brilliant collection of fantastical short stories.......2005-06-07
Osamu Dazai in an author best known for his penetrating autobiographical novels set in the tragedy of post-war Japan. His book "No Longer Human" is an unquestioned classic of Japanese literature, with its themes of societal alienation and personal decline. His tragic life was marked by three suicide attempts, until he finally "got it right," drowning in a river with his married mistress. But this is not that Dazai.
"Blue Bamboo: Japanese Tales of Fantasy" is the other Dazai, with a mind full of fantasy, steeped in Brother's Grimm fairy tales and Japanese folklore. This is the author of children's stories and happy endings. Well, as happy as and ending gets in Japanese literature, at any rate. Certainly happier than Dazai's own ending.
Collecting seven fairy tales and fantasy stories, "Blue Bamboo" is an absolutely charming book, mixing the best of German and Japanese folklore into something unique that represents neither. Dazai's style is light and capturing, and it is hard not to finish this book a few days after you crack the cover. Each story is a tasty little morsel that beckons the consumption of the next.
Two stories, "Of Love and Beauty" and "Lanterns of Romance" center around the Irie family, an artistic bunch who pass the time by telling chain stories, starting with one family member who writes a page or two and then passes it on. Each of the family members are distinct, so each of the relayed chapters are distinct and yet completely fitting. "Lanterns of Romance," the longest in "Blue Bamboo," begins with the tale of Rapunzel, but becomes something completely different and wholly satisfying.
"Cherry Trees and the Whistler," "The Chrysanthemum Spirit" and "The Mermaid and the Samurai" are pure Japanese folktales, complete with melancholy ending that is somehow redemptive. These three miniature yarns balance out the longer entries in the book.
"Blue Bamboo" and "Romanesque" are the finest in the collection, each a subtle blend of influences. "Blue Bamboo" was taken from Chinese myth, and is a cautionary tale about evoking the Gods for selfish reasons, and the ever important power of love. "Romanesque" is a quirky and seemingly-unconnected telling of the lives of three men, Taro the Wizard, Jirobei the Fighter and Sabruo the Liar. It is entirely possible that a moral is buried somewhere in there, but the stories are so entertaining that you will want to read them a few times hunting for it.
People looking for good, entertaining fairy tales would really enjoy "Blue Bamboo: Japanese Tales of Fantasy," and that is a rare thing to say for a book of Japanese folktales. Dazai combines the Western and Eastern influences together in a form that is enjoyable by both, yet beholden to neither.
Superb selection of Short stories.......2002-04-05
I read this book after reading Alan Booth's comments on Dazai and his life - so I have to admit, I was rather cynical.
I very much warmed to Dazai through these excellent translations by Ralph McCarthy. The tales have many ingredients which will appeal to lovers of Akutagawa and Kawabata. Those who like to see Chinese stories through Japanese eyes will not be disappointed.
There is also a fine preface, giving a historical perspective to the stories.
very, very good. . ........2001-08-17
This was really a good little book. i picked it up several months ago, and subsequently forgot about it, but after finishing a book by yasunari kawabata, i saw this book on my shelf and decided to give it a shot. . . i finished it in two days. this book is very entertaining some of the stories are sad while others are very funny. . . you will not forget Taro the wizard, Jirobei the fighter, and saburo the liar for a long time pick this book up you will not be disapointed
Average customer rating:
- WOW!! I'm Impressed!!
- Great Book!
- Wow! Breathtaking!!
- Fun, fast read
- Wonderful memories of my childhood!
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Falling in the Garden
Walter G. Klimczak
Manufacturer: iUniverse.com
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0595312772 |
Book Description
I stood in anticipation before my open bedroom window, listening to the steady cadence of the rain. It fell upon the darkened world beyond and a myriad collection of sounds melted seamlessly together to form the powerful, dissonant voice of the storm. For all its predictability, there remained an element of surprise within the static..a subtle, unspoken phrase or message trying to break through the surface. Doing his best to live a life touched by sorrow, Michael Sullivan has always been searching for an answer. When his best friend moves away, he tries to look within for some kind of explanation. Then he meets Ashley Haddow in the center of a sprawling forest...a place they call The Meadow. Separated by a span of over 50 years, both form a friendship that transcends time. They soon come to share an impossible secret and find themselves in the middle of something far stranger than they could have ever imagined. a magical miracle involving time travel and alternate dimensions. The authors touch is light, keeping the (pseudo)scientific explanations to a minimum while holding in the foreground Michaels insatiable thirst for discovery and his budding feelings of adolescent romance. The story is tightly plotted, with the mystery building quickly and smoothly. (An) enjoyable journey. The best kind of science fiction: The science sows the seeds, but the story grows the garden. -Kirkus Discoveries
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Customer Reviews:
WOW!! I'm Impressed!!.......2006-07-23
To be honest I HATE TO READ!! On a recommendation, I read this book and it was awesome! An odd type of forbidden love story with kind of a sci-fi/technological/government/illegal twist. I was kept on the edge of my seat wanting more. Not able to put the book down, I read it in 2 nights. (that's a miracle for me!) Looking forward to more!
Great Book!.......2006-06-09
This book was a quick read, just a couple of nights. I could not put it down. I live near where the author grew up, and the story is based, and pass by Walton Lake almost daily. I am looking forward to future books. Well written, and makes you feel as if you are there, very descriptive, but easy to follow. I am going to pass it on to family and friends, I am sure they will enjoy it as much as I have!
Wow! Breathtaking!!.......2004-05-22
I was absorbed into the story after reading the very first paragraph. Could not wait to see what was going to happen next. This book reminded me of many 'deja vu' experiences I have had. Excellect, yet unexpected ending, leaves one wanting more. I would say, a sci-fi story with a love twist.
Fun, fast read.......2004-05-12
Falling in the Garden has something for everyone. It's a great quick read--the pages fly by! It is suspenseful and touching. Even older kids can read and enjoy this.
Wonderful memories of my childhood!.......2004-05-07
When I first saw the cover, I wanted to read this book right away! Walter Klimczak remembers so well and captures what it feels like to be fourteen years old. Reading this story reminded me of my own childhood in New York and how I used to love walking through the woods. This book touched me and I didn't want to put it down.
Product Description
Set of 2 Novels By John Berendt - In the Garden of Good and Evil, The City of Falling Angels.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Countryside & Small Stock Journal, published by Countryside Publications Ltd. on March 1, 1998. The length of the article is 1864 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Chicken Little was right! The sky is falling, but hardly anyone seems to notice....(modern life)
Author: Al Doyle
Publication:
Countryside & Small Stock Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 1998
Publisher: Countryside Publications Ltd.
Volume: v82
Issue: n2
Page: p83(2)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Amazon.com
Past Midnight: John Berendt on the Mysteries of Venice
Just as John Berendt's first book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, was settling into its remarkable four-year run on The New York Times bestseller list, he discovered a new city whose local mysteries and traditions were more than a match for Savannah, whose hothouse eccentricities he had celebrated in the first book. The new city was Venice, and he spent much of the last decade wandering through its canals and palazzos, seeking to understand a place that any native will tell you is easy to visit but hard to know. For travelers to Venice, whether by armchair or vaporetto, he has selected his 10 (actually 11) Books to Read on Venice. And he took the time to answer a few of our questions about his charming new book, The City of Falling Angels:
Amazon.com: The lush, cloistered southern city of Savannah was the locale of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Venice, the setting for The City of Falling Angels, is vastly different. Was it the difference itself that drew you to Venice?
John Berendt: Savannah and Venice actually have quite a lot in common. Both are uniquely beautiful. Both are isolated geographically, culturally, and emotionally from the world outside. Venice sits in the middle of a lagoon; Savannah is surrounded by marshes, piney woods, and the ocean. Venetians think of themselves as Venetian first, Italian second; Savannahians rarely even venture forth as far as Atlanta or Charleston. So both cities offer a writer a rich context in which to set a story, and the stories provide readers a means of escape from their own environment into another world.
Amazon.com: I enjoyed your rather declarative author's note: that this is a work of nonfiction, and that you used everyone's real names. In your previous book you did use pseudonyms for some characters and you explained that you took a few small liberties in the service of the larger truth of the story. Why the change this time?
Berendt: When I wrote Midnight I thought I would do a few people the favor of changing their names for the sake of privacy. But when the book came out, several of the pseudonymous characters told me they wished I'd used their real names instead. So this time, no pseudonyms. As for the storytelling liberties I took in writing Midnight, they were minor and did not change the story, but my mention of it in the author's note caused some confusion, with the result that Midnight is sometimes referred to now as a novel, which it most certainly is not. Neither is The City of Falling Angels. In fact, I dispensed with the liberties this time and made it as close to the truth as I could get it.
Amazon.com: In The City of Falling Angels, a number of fascinating people serve as guides to the city, each with a different idea of the true nature of Venice. Who was your favorite?
Berendt: I don't have a favorite, but Count Girolamo Marcello is certainly a memorable, highly quotable commentator. "Everyone in Venice is acting," he told me. "Everyone plays a role, and the role changes. The key to understanding Venetians is rhythm, the rhythm of the lagoon, the water, the tides, the waves. It's like breathing. High water, high pressure: tense. Low water, low pressure: relaxed. The tide changes every six hours."
I nodded that I understood.
"How do you see a bridge?" he went on.
"Pardon me?" I asked, "A bridge?"
"Do you see a bridge as an obstacle--as just another set of steps to climb to get from one side of a canal to the other? We Venetians do not see bridges as obstacles. To us, bridges are transitions. We go over them very slowly. They are part of the rhythm. They are the links between two parts of a theater, like changes in scenery. Our role changes as we go over bridges. We cross from one reality ... to another reality. From one street ... to another street. From one setting ... to another setting."
Once I had absorbed that notion, Count Marcello continued: "Sunlight on a canal is reflected up through a window onto the ceiling, then from the ceiling onto a vase, and from the vase onto a glass. Which is the real sunlight? Which is the real reflection? What is true? What is not true? The answer is not so simple, because the truth can change. I can change. You can change. That is the Venice effect."
I was not terribly surprised when he later told me, "Venetians never tell the truth. We mean precisely the opposite of what we say."
Amazon.com: Now that you know Venice well enough to be a guide yourself, what would you say to a visitor looking for insight into the character of the city?
Berendt: Tourists generally shuffle along, on narrow streets so crowded as to be nearly impassable, between the major sights of St. Mark's Square, the Rialto Bridge, and the Accademia Museum. All you have to do is to step off these heavily traveled alleyways, and in a few moments you will find yourself in quiet, much emptier surroundings. This is more like the real Venice. Another thing to do is to go into the wine bars where Venetians stand around drinking and talking. They will very likely be speaking the Venetian dialect, so you won't be able to understand them, but you will get a sampling of the true Venetian ambiance enlivened by the pronounced sing-song rhythm of the language. I'd also suggest stopping someone in the street and asking for directions. Almost invariably, you will be rewarded with a genial smile and the instructions, Sempre diritto, meaning "Straight ahead." This will only leave you more confused, because when you attempt to follow a straight line, you will be confronted by more twists and turns and forks in the road than you thought possible, given the instructions. This is part of what Count Marcello described as "the Venice effect."
Book Description
The author of the record-breaking bestseller Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil unveils the enigmatic Venice as only he can
Twelve years ago, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil exploded into a monumental success, residing a record-breaking four years on the New York Times bestseller list (longer than any work of fiction or nonfiction had before) and turning John Berendt into a household name. The City of Falling Angels is Berendt's first book since Midnight, and it immediately reminds one what all the fuss was about. Turning to the magic, mystery, and decadence of Venice, Berendt gradually reveals the truth behind a sensational fire that in 1996 destroyed the historic Fenice opera house. Encountering a rich cast of characters, Berendt tells a tale full of atmosphere and surprise as the stories build, one after the other, ultimately coming together to portray a world as finely drawn as a still-life painting.
Customer Reviews:
The City of Falling Angels.......2007-10-08
This is a book I could not put down. I suggest this to anyone who is planning a trip to Italy (or not!)
Life in the City of Venice.......2007-10-03
In 1996, a fire started in the Fenice Opera House in Venice, Italy. And not just any fire. A fire that would consume not only most of the beautiful building, along with it paintings, frescoes and history in this last of it's kind building. No, this fire consumed almost a decade in the life of Venice. How did the fire start? Was it arson? Was it negligence? Who had the most to gain? Was it the Mafia or was it the contractors that were working on the remodeling? These are just some of the questions that drew John Berendt to extend his stay in Venice and try to capture the city and it's people in print.
In the course of the investigation, Berendt introduces us to many of the citizens of this city. We meet Archimede Seguso, a renowned glass maker, that watched the Fenice burn and then created over one hundred glass vases to memorialize it. Of course, most of these pieces still haven't been seen by the public because they are tied up in a litigation of a weird brotherly feud. We meet the Rylands - Jane, an American Expat and her British husband that waylaid a poor old lady and took her incredible achieves for their own profit. The woman was Olga Rudge, the famous Mistress of writer Ezra Pound, who's writings and letters were worth a small fortune. And we meet members of the Save Venice foundation, a non-profit organization that was created to help restore buildings and art in the city of Venice. But an implosion of the group was caused by mixing too many people with large egos wanting the Title and prestige involved with this organization.
I will readily admit I had high hopes for this book. I thought Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil about the city of Savannah, Georgia was fantastic! He did such a wonderful job describing the beauty of the city, as well as the eccentricity of it's people. Not so much with Venice, although he certainly tried. Maybe it's the fact that I just don't understand the Venetian culture the way I do culture in the US. Or maybe this book was more about the glitterati instead of just the average folks. Either way, it fell short for me. I really didn't get a chance to CARE about the people in this book. There were too many exceedingly shallow people that cared more for their titles and their parties than they did about anything else. The back story of the Fenice fire just seemed to get lost in it all. And since reality is never as cut-and-dried as fiction, we still don't know what really happened that night at the Fenice.
I did enjoy learning more about Ezra Pound and Olga Rudge. And I was intrigued about the side story of the poet Mario Stefani, a man that took his own life during this time period. But reading about the Save Venice Organization and their constant bickering over whose name would be at the top of the stationery and who got the best seats for a gala rather turned my stomach. As did the story of the Rylands and how they swindled a poor elderly woman AND her family out of their birthright. Maybe my expectations were just too high for this one. Venice is a beautiful city, one I'd love to visit some day. But this book didn't do much for me! Like a Seinfeld episode, it was a whole lot about nothing.
Only 'ok'........2007-09-19
I prefer books with a strong plot. This didn't really seem to have a strong plot and the pieced never really seems to come together as strongly as I had hoped. It may just be the style of this author... and if you like that type of style this would be a book for you.
Immensely enjoyable, but not up to Midnight in the Garden standards..........2007-09-03
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt is one of my favorite books, so I decided to read his latest, The City of Falling Angels. While the formula for both books is pretty much the same, Midnight is a much better book--only because Savannah is a much more quirky city than Venice, Italy.
As with Midnight in the Garden, Berendt combines many elements to create The City of Falling Angels. He provides a little history of Venice. He interviews dozens of colorful characters. And he focuses on a possible crime. In Falling Angels, this is the burning of Venice's famous opera house, La Fenice. As far as history, I felt the author could have provided a little more information about Venice's rich past. Venice has many interesting characters, and Berendt did his best to seek them out. He interviewed Murano glass blowers, city officials, American expatriates, artists, and even a man who considers himself a culinary expert. His specialty is making the world's best-selling rat poison. He also looks into the many famous Americans who made Venice their home, including Peggy Guggenheim and Ezra Pound. But the characters in Venice fell short of Savannah's eclectic bunch including The Lady Chablis, the Voodoo priestess Minerva and antiques dealer Jim Williams. Also, the Fenice fire didn't quite have the drama as the murder in Midnight in the Garden
But I still enjoyed The City of Falling Angels immensely, and John Berendt is a fine writer with a keen eye when it comes to describing places and sites that he visits. After witnessing the opera house fire, glassblower Archimede Seguso goes to his shop and starts creating glass vases like he's never made before. "Against an opaque background as black as night, he had set swirling ribbons of sinuous diamond shapes in red, green, white, and gold, leaping, over-lapping, and spiraling upward around the vase. He never explained what he was doing, but by the second vase, everyone knew. It was a record of the fire in glass--the flames, the sparks, the embers, and the smoke--just as he had seen if from his window..." As for why he chose this city, "Venice was uniquely beautiful, isolated, inward-looking, and a powerful stimulant to the senses, the intellect, and the imagination....Because I could not imagine a more enticing beat to assign myself for an indefinite period of time."
I don't think that The City of Falling Angels is going to do to Venice what Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil did to Savannah. However, after reading The City of Falling Angels, I'm certainly considering a trip to Italy.
Gave up after 103 pages.......2007-09-01
If a book cannot grab me within the first 100 pages, then I have to stop. Not only that, but it was due at the library, and there is a waiting list (why?). I just have little time, and so many other books to read.
I will say that what I did read was somewhat interesting, and the writing was good. I just wasn't that interested in the story - at least at 100+ pages. It must get better, but I wish that I was made to care earlier in the writing.
Sorry if this wasn't very helpful, this review is more of my opinion than a critique.
Book Description
Pressed for time, many of us have whipped out a box and doctored a cake. But no matter what we do, it never tastes quite like homemade. Enter Cakes from Scratch in Half the Time. This revolutionary cookbook teaches the time-saving methods of baking homemade cakes in a fraction of the usual time. When a last-minute birthday or bake sale comes around, it's easy to impress with one of these fabulous layered confections, sheet cakes, or jelly rolls. No one will guess how easy it was to make (and who's going to tell them?). Borrowing tried and true techniques from professional bakers, award-winning author Linda West Eckhardt has developed simple shortcuts to shave precious minutes off preparation and baking time. Need a little convincing? Just try the luscious Praline Pound Fudge Cake, sweet and tangy Tangerine Jelly Roll, or the deliciously decadent Lemon Curd Layer Cake topped with lemony cream cheese frosting. So, kiss those cake mixes goodbye and forget frantic trips to the bakery. Now anyone can have their cake from scratch and you know they'll eat it too!
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful book! Great for beginners like me........2007-05-18
I'm surprised at the number of negative reviews about this book. First, let me say that I was never a baker. I was terrified of it because nothing ever came out right. I cook a lot but never baked. I picked up Ms. Eckhardt's book because even though the cumulative ratings were low (3.5), I use another cookbook of hers ("The High-Protein Cookbook) that's just excellent. Boy, was I in luck! The baking recipes are wonderful. So far, I've baked 4 cakes and they've all turned out wonderfully. I baked the chocolate orange passion cake for my birthday party (lots of oohs and aahs from guests), and plan on baking the coconut cake for a party I'm attending this Friday. I don't worry any more about being a bad baker because you can't go wrong if you follow her instructions.
I've become so addicted to baking now that I do it about twice a week! Go on. Get the book. You won't regret it! :-)
P.S.: Investing in an oven thermometer may be necessary. I bought one after my first cake took longer than it should have to bake. Turned out that my oven wasn't really heating up to the temperature it claimed to be.
Somewhat disappointed........2007-04-26
I first picked up this book in a store and was intrigued by what I read. It sounded like Linda West Eckhardt had come up with a foolproof way to make the perfect cake. I was especially excited about the cakes coming out level. She claims her method will bake a cake that is perfectly level with no dome on top where it has risen in the middle. She states that "layers are disk-like as Frisbees." So, I decided to check this book out from the library to give it a test run before buying it.
Well, I bake cakes often and like always, I followed the directions to a T for her Clasic Yellow Cake. I used the commercial-grade aluminum pans she recommends and made certain my oven was set to exactly 400 degrees -- I even used an oven thermometer to assure it was really at 400 as she stresses the importance of this temperature. I then carefully followed her extremely specific mixing instructions.
So, imagine my dismay when I pulled my cake layers out of the oven 15 minutes later and saw that not only had my cakes risen in the middle, but they had risen a lot! I had big domes in the middle of each cake. Now, it is definitely possible I made a mistake, but I felt that I followed the directions with a meticulous attention to detail.
The reason I've rated this 3 stars is that even though I was disappointed that the cakes did not come out the way the author claimed, there was basically nothing wrong with them. They looked like your average cake and tasted pretty good as well (though nothing out of the ordinary.)
This book is also pretty to look through with some lovely photographs. The directions are clear and easy to follow.
Good tips on Cake from Scratch.......2006-11-10
The book shows ways to make baking from scratch simpler and faster. The recipes are good but not all that I had hoped.
Many Recipes.......2006-11-06
I have not had time yet to try these recipes, but there is such a large variety of wonderful cakes to make.
Fantastic results!.......2006-08-15
I have to agree with the "half the time" issue another reviewer raised - I don't think there was anything much about shortcuts or time-savers in this book, really. But, the recipes are fantastic! The cakes I've made from here have all been perfectly moist and airy - definitely the best cakes I've ever made.
One thing I really liked about this book, too, is the amount of variation in cake bases themselves. This isn't a book with a couple recipes for layer cakes, a couple jelly rolls, some ideas for putting together sponge cakes... it's just a bunch of variations on the standard, familiar butter cake. This means Eckhardt isn't repeating recipes that I already have on my shelves anyway, and that was really nice.
All in all, highly recommended!
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