The Piano Mans Daughter

Amazon.com

As the story opens, Lily, the heroine of Timothy Findley's Victorian-Gothic-style novel as seen through the narrative of her son Charlie, is ending her days in an asylum; her life unfolds as a Dickensian tale of deprivation and struggle between the feminine and the coldly masculine, leading to that "madwoman in the attic" denouement. Yet Charlie is reclaiming his mother's life through his loving telling of her story. "She could break your heart with that riveting gaze," he says. Music, vaudeville, and silent movies resonate through the lives in the novel, set in turn-of-the-century Toronto. Findley is a best-selling and award-winning Canadian writer, author of The Wars and Famous Last Words.

Book Description

In 1939, Charlie Kilworth, a piano tuner, determines to learn the identity of his father and the source of his mother's madness. Against a rich backdrop of bygone Toronto, his quest delivers surprise after surprise about his mother's love affairs, the roots of her torment, and the people who shaped her fiery nature.

Customer Reviews:

interesting but lengthy.......2006-01-31

This writer is very adept at describing surroundings and different characters. I liked the story very much and yet I felt he left out key emotional responses to huge shifts in Lily's life. It is an interesting book and I was sad when it ended but I felt it would have been enhanced by more in-depth emotional descriptions.

I've read better..........2005-08-23

This wasn't great but it wasn't that bad either. At times the constant jumping around was confusing. Timothy Findley does tell a good story but there were a lot of gaps that rather left me hanging.
It's a long, long story of a boy/man trying to find out who his father is. His mother suffers from various forms of maddness and the reader follows her mother's and then her life up to her death. I found the first part of the story better than the second. The part where Lily goes to Europe was vague and disjointed and none of the people she meets there were developed.
Having said that, I still quite enjoyed it.

the mystery and dread of fatherhood.......2004-06-18

The winner of numerous awards, Canadian author Findley shapes this 1996 novel around a young man's quest for his father and his dread of becoming a father himself.

Narrator Charlie Kilworth is the son of mad, beautiful, evervescent and tormented Lily Kilworth, who cannot or will not remember who Charlie's father is. It is her story Charlie tells, after her death in an asylum fire, a fire she may herself have set.

Lily's story begins before her birth, when her mother, Ede, meets an itinerant piano man. "The sight of him was like a match being struck," Ede recalls, beginning the incendiary allusions that punctuate the novel and haunt Lily's private world.

The piano man dies before he can wed Ede but eight years later she marries his brother, Frederick, an ambitious piano manufacturer whose one unorthodoxy is falling in love with Ede. He accepts Lily but without knowing of her affliction - severe epileptic seizures.

He is as repelled by Lily's epilepsy as Ede is frightened by it and becomes, for Lily, the demon of her childhood, the focus of rebellion and despair. But even though Frederick locks her in the attic whenever company is expected and finally banishes her to a school for difficult girls, Lily blossoms.

A beautiful, vibrant young woman, "hampered" not "handicapped" (the word makes her indignant) by her illness, she goes to England with a friend and it's there that Charlie is conceived. He knows only that the event occurred in January 1910 and he examines Lily's photos intently, imagining fathers, and questions her friends, adding pieces to the life she has already related to him.

Lily and Charlie return to Toronto before World War I but Frederick, outraged by Charlie's birth, refuses to see them. They begin a round of living in expensive hotels, going to dances where Charlie is always her partner, and seeing movies. For Charlie the life is a series of enchantments and nightmares as his mother's demons pursue her and drag him along. A child, he learns to watch over his mother although his dependency often renders him helpless.

When tragedy pushes Lily over the edge into madness, Charlie is liberated into normalcy - school, friends his own age, relatives. "It made a decent life - secure in ways I had never known." Lily emerges from the asylum but never permanently.

Charlie's voice is wistful, awed, admiring, impatient, petulant and wise. But it is Lily who colors and shapes the story, taking flight from her son's narration. Findley's writing is deeply atmosheric, enveloping the reader in the Canada of 1890 to 1920. He invites an intimacy with his characters (many not even touched on here) that creates a bond without violating their essential human secrecy.

A rewarding novel, which will linger in the mind.

By all views, a good book.......2003-10-10

You may think this story is only about Lily and her strange way of life, but it is so much more. It is also about her mother, her mother's empty life, although it would appear to be so full, her mother's loss of love, and other family wounds. Then , also woven into the story is the life and beliefs of her son, Charlie, who narates the tale of the strange legacy this family carries.

At times there are sad situations, sometimes a moment of joy and happiness also seems sad, because you realize how fleeting that moment will be for the characters involved. The madness of a woman so desperate to also be a mother and the way her needs all intertwine are very well written, and I think the author deserves huge kudos on this fact. the plot is interesting, the details are well written, and the story is intriguing. I love feeling like I am somewhere, for instance at a silent film, taking in the details Findley offers and so you also learn about a whole different time and way of life.

While some of the other reviews have criticised his over use of italics I found them so important to the book- for they usually revealed the true thoughts behind ones words and they showed how often we are not honest in what we say to what we are really thinking. All in all there is a lot to be learned from this book, whether it is a sympathetic moment, a new understanding of a different time, or the need to take what good you can from life at all times (a lesson we always need to be reminded of) you will not put this book down without thinking and enjoying some new and interesting thoughts.

Those fans of old time movies and the likes of Charlie Chaplan...etc. would probably enjoy many of the stories in the book even more, for these old time favorites may have been the only escape for some of the tragedy in these characters lives, and parts of the book revolves around them. I think for people who enjoy reading an interesting tale, especially one that touches on the need to break free from generational issues, this book would be a good additon to your reading list.

Beautiful Tale of a Mother's Madness.......2002-03-26

A very beautifully written tale narrated from the son's perspective. Findley's characters are very well developed though the use of italics becomes slightly annoying as the book progresses.

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The Piano Man's Daughter
Timothy Findley
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O8RJ3Y

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The Piano Man's Daughter

Manufacturer: Harpercollins Canada
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000E4QUTM

The Piano Man's Daughter. (book reviews): An article from: World Literature Today

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The Piano Man's Daughter. (book reviews): An article from: World Literature Today
Elin Elgaard
Manufacturer: University of Oklahoma
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from World Literature Today, published by University of Oklahoma on September 22, 1996. The length of the article is 561 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: The Piano Man's Daughter. (book reviews)
Author: Elin Elgaard
Publication: World Literature Today (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 1996
Publisher: University of Oklahoma
Volume: v70 Issue: n4 Page: p958(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

The Piano Man's Daughter. (play): An article from: Performing Arts & Entertainment in Canada

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The Piano Man's Daughter. (play): An article from: Performing Arts & Entertainment in Canada
Iris Winston
Manufacturer: Performing Arts and Entertainment in Canada
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Performing Arts & Entertainment in Canada, published by Performing Arts and Entertainment in Canada on June 22, 1997. The length of the article is 617 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.

From the supplier: Timothy Findley's 'The Piano Man's Daughter...and Others' was launched in May 1995. Its success had made it a full-length show after two years. The show is currently on tour in Canada. Its casts include actor Jack Nicholsen, prima ballerina Veronica Tennant and dancer Michael Sean Marye.

Citation Details
Title: The Piano Man's Daughter. (play)
Author: Iris Winston
Publication: Performing Arts & Entertainment in Canada (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 1997
Publisher: Performing Arts and Entertainment in Canada
Volume: v31 Issue: n1 Page: p36(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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The Piano Man's Daughter
Timothy Findley
Manufacturer: Harpercollins Canada
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O8VTM6

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The Piano Man's Daughter
Timothy Findley
Manufacturer: Britnell Book Wholesalers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O8U9WM

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The Piano Man's Daughter
Timothy Findley
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OESQ6M

Book Description

This award-winning dramatic series continues in this second volume. Sarasa is disguised as Tatara, outsmarting the Red King and his army, saving the villagers, and reclaiming the Sword of Byakko. However, complications occur when an injury forces her to recuperate at a local hotspring where she meets Shuri, a handsome young man with a secret identity.

Customer Reviews:

Sasara: a heroine other manga authors could learn something from.......2007-08-29

How can i convince you: the purchaser of manga, the one with a credit card to begin colleting this manga? What if i just said...OMG THIS MANGA IS FREAKIN AWESOME YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!!

Maybe you need more convincing than that. i mean it is atleast 26 volumes. and there are so many options these days it's hard to know what to buy, i've made mistakes lately too based on the exuberant exclamations of reviewers on this site. but i can honestly tell you who will love this book and who wont.

If you;re an older audience you will appreciate this manga.
If you like fantasy adventure you wil like this manga.
If you like complicated romances you will like this manga.
If you like strong, intelligent female leads who fight their own battles you will like this manga.
If you don't mind older works you will certainly not mind this one.
If you like manga that pulls you in, grabs your heart and never lets go...you will like this manga.
One of the most popular manga's of 90s and for a reason.

I HIGHLY RECCOMEND THIS BOOK.

Truly epic.......2006-04-25

A series has to be something special for me to invest in buying the manga... particularly when, at cover price, the cost will ultimately be over $250. O_o
Basara is that special. It is an epic story with believeable characters that you really become attached to. It moves quickly, but not so fast that it sacrafices the details and moments that flesh out the feeling of a scene. With a healthy mix of action, intrigue, and romance, one is easily caught up what is an amazing and beautiful story.

Ignore the "Ugly Art" Comments........2006-04-24

Although the art isn't your typical fluffy art, it is by no means ugly or unattractive. I think the people reviewing this comic have spent too much time eating sugar-coated candy and reading over-decorated comics. Calling Tamura's art anything short of "amazing" is insulting and inaccurate.

Also keep in mind that this comic was made several years ago, meaning there's a generational gap in artistic trends. The art style is raw, skillful, and radiates the epic tone of this series. I hope to see the rest come out here in the US. The story is great and not a single volume falls flat, not even up to volume 27.

If you want a story that hits you deep in the heart, BASARA is for you. There is deep social, romantic, political, and even spiritual commentary and meaning in this comic. It is a masterpiece and truly exceeds the medium it is written in.

Engaging series.......2005-04-09

Basara is perhaps my absolute favorite manga. The art may not be the most stunning, but the characters and story are excellent. I had seen the anime series years ago before the manga was released here. I enjoyed the series bu forgot about it until I was watching the movie 'Whale rider', I was reminded of Basara. I immediately went out and bought the available volumes and have been addicted ever since. I will not go on to describe the series here, but I would highly recommend Basara to anyone who enjoys a good story (also a great love story). The main character is neither whiny nor weak and Yumi Tamura weaves her tale so wonderfully.

Not your typical shoujo heroine.......2004-09-16

Basara is not your typical shoujo manga, and Sarasa is a very atypical shoujo heroine. I was initially attracted to this series through the anime. I had read a review in which someone mentioned that it was a shame that not all of the manga volumes were animated. Having seen the anime, and now having started on the manga, I find that I am in agreement. When Sarasa and her twin brother Tatara were born in their village, the prophet Nagi declared "here is the child of destiny". Of course, everyone assumed they meant Tatara. Sarasa grew up in his shadow, with nobody expecting very much from her, and everyone expecting Tatara to lead them to salvation.

When Tatara is killed and Byakko village decimated by the forces of the Red King, Sarasa takes up Tatara's name and guise to exact revenge. This volume chronicles her attempt to reclaim the sword of Byakko, which had belonged to Tatara and which her female hand was previously never allowed to "defile", as well as a couple more attempts to strike at the Red King's forces.

The supporting cast, particularly Ageha and Shuri, is interesting, and the secrets concerning their histories are doled out very sparingly. The art is sometimes a little odd (I find the blurry eyes rather distracting), but I completely adore how Tamura-sensei draws little kids. This series (and the anime if you can find it) is highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

If you haven't read it, you should be SHOT!
One of the most complex Manga I've run across

Basara, Vol. 5
Yumi Tamura
Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1591162467

Book Description

Sarasa and Shuri travel toward Kanto to attack the Blue King. Assumed to be runaway slaves, they are captured by the Blue King's Royal Guard and forced to compete in the infamous Suzkuka Murder Race, in which slaves must run for their lives and avoid being killed by men on horseback and chariots. If they can make it through the Suzuka Ridge and return to Nagoya, they can claim an extraordinary prize.

Customer Reviews:

If you haven't read it, you should be SHOT!.......2005-02-07

Any shoujo manga fan will love this! The art is great, the story is amazing, the characters! How they break stereotypes! It's like a breath of fresh air! There are a ton of volumes, but its well worth the money! This is a classic piece that no shoujo fan should skip!

One of the most complex Manga I've run across.......2004-01-23

Basara is more than just your typical Shojo manga. Yes, there are drop-dead goregeous guys, and cuteness abounds, but the character development and the intricacies of the plot are much deeper than the pretty exterior implies. Sarasa's quest to become a leader and come into her own as a person is fascinating, and the potential for plot twists that has been set up just in the first three volumes makes my head hurt. I love it. (And I love Aghea too... but that's a different story. ;-)

I would recommend this series to anyone who likes fantasy, intrigue, and a healthy dose of romance.

Average customer rating:

Skip this one

meh, not the best book I've read

To Trekkies it's important to be orthodox

Blessedly Brief

Average Star Trek Book

KLINGON GAMBIT (CLASSIC STAR TREK 3) (Star Trek Novel, No 3)
Vardeman
Manufacturer: Star Trek
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Star Trek | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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The Abode of Life (Star Trek, No 6)

ASIN: 0671707671

Book Description

Captain Kirk and his crew are ordered to Alnath II to challenge the deadliest Klingon starship Terror. A defenseless Vulcan crew of a Federation science ship has been wiped out and the remaining members of the Alnath II mission have discovered a fabulous ancient city, except that their report doesn't make sense.

Soon Captain Kirk cannot make decisions, Spock starts to throw temper tantrums, and Chekov has disobeyed vital orders.

The crew of the EnterpriseTM are losing their minds.

Download Description

THE KLINGONS ARE HUNGRY FOR WAR...THEIR TARGET: THE ENTERPRISE!

When Captain Kirk and his crew are ordered to Alnath II to challenge the deadliest Klingon starship, they're ready for anything -- or so they think. But the defenseless Vulcan crew of a Federation science ship has been wiped out. The remaining members of the Alnath II mission have discovered a fabulous ancient city -- but their report doesn't make sense. The Klingon battle cruiser has the Enterprise in it sights, and is ready to destroy it.

But Captain Kirk can't seem to make decisions. Spock has started to throw temper tantrums. And Checkov has disobeyed vital orders. The crew of the Enterprise are losing theier minds... one by one... all victims of...

THE KLINGON GAMBIT!

Customer Reviews:

Skip this one.......2006-09-11

This is the type of book that gives 'tie-in' novels a bad name. The premise of the story, Enterprise protecting archeologists and previously undiscovered ancient civilization against hostile forces, is good. It has certainly be used elsewhere in the Star Trek universe to much better effect. The characterizations of the main characters is 'off', even allowing for the fact that they are under the influence of an outside force. The execution of the novel is just plan sloppy, there are huge gaps in the action that left this reader wondering just what the heck was going on.

Unless you are oppessive-compulsive and just HAVE to read them all give this one a miss, there are plenty of other, much better, entries in the series.

meh, not the best book I've read.......2006-08-30

not the best book, period.

It had its moments though...it reminds me of several classic original series episodes...such as the Naked Time to name a favorite

I can't quite put my finger on it, but even though the premise was cool, the writing just wasn't all that great.

Simply average.

To Trekkies it's important to be orthodox.......2005-12-23

Trekkies demand orthodoxy. New intpretations or ignoring the generally held view of how characters are supposed to act is really bad. Spock is real, McCoy is real. Therefore you have to stick to what is "normal" for them. Also Klingons are more complex than this book presents. They are warlike but they don't go solely on bloodlust. Give more of a reason for Klingons to act. This author did a better job in his other book, Mutiny on the Enterprise.

Sinners repent.

Blessedly Brief.......2003-08-23

I suppose that The Klingon Gambit isn't the worst Trek book out there. After all, I managed to finish it very quickly and, despite some eye-rolling, I didn't mind it while I was reading it. Ultimately, the book is inane and the solution is both obvious and trite.

Average Star Trek Book.......2003-08-10

This book has a little of the STTOS episode, "Naked Time", and a ST:TNG episode with a Picard archeological story thrown in. The storyline stays on track. There is no real character development because everyone is under some kind of mental influences and acting out of the ordinary. Kirk is to pacifist - McCoy hates machines -Scotty wants the ideal top-notch engines. So, there is not the character developments and relationships we usually see in the ST Universe. But, I liked that unusual differences. Who else is acting differently? Read and find out! Some of the new on-board ship characters I didn't like. The aliens are the Andorians and Klingons. What will they do? The Andorians are not the military aggressors as shown in a recent "Enterprise" TV episode.

Read on...

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The Klingon Gambit
Robert E. Vardeman
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GRGNF8

Average customer rating:
KLINGON GAMBIT (STAR TREK, NO 3)
ROBERT E. VARDEMAN
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Star Trek | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000K2LZN4

Average customer rating:
Star Trek (the klingon gambit, 3)
robert e vardeman
Manufacturer: pocket books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Star Trek | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000TVFH3K

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Star Trek 2: The Klingon Gambit/Black Fire/Web of the Romulans/Demons/Boxed Set
Murdock , and Aruego
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Star Trek | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Science Fiction & Fantasy | Boxed Sets | Formats | Books
ASIN: 0671963694

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Star Trek: The Klingon Gambit
Robert E. Vardeman
Manufacturer: Chivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Star Trek | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000QS1EQA

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5 Star Trek Titles - The Klingon Gambit - Mutiny on the Enterprise - Tears of the Singers - Killing Time - Crisis on Centaurus
various authors
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Star Trek | Media | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000MITUSS

Product Description

5 massmarket paperback Star Trek Titles - The Klingon Gambit - Mutiny on the Enterprise - Tears of the Singers - Killing Time - Crisis on Centaurus

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Star Trek: The Klingon Gambit

Manufacturer: Chivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Interesting history and interviews

Finally! A book for the wine snob and the novice.

A Perfect Gift

Finally - the answer to all your wine prayers!

Leaves a bad taste in my mouth

The Renaissance Guide to Wine and Food Pairing
Tony DiDio , and Amy Zavatto
Manufacturer: Alpha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Spirits | Drinks & Beverages | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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What to Drink with What You Eat: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea - Even Water - Based on Expert Advice from America's Best Sommeliers

ASIN: 159257114X
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Book Description

There's a lot more to wine and food pairing than memorizing a few simple rules. The true connoisseur knows the subtleties...and in this book, a wine expert shares his secrets.

€ What wines accompany which foods-and how to choose
€ Essays, advice, and comments from award-winning chefs
€ Covers each course-from entree to dessert, from simple meals to exotic favorites
€ Interviews with famous wine connoisseurs on understanding and appreciating wines
€ Information on wine-making and maps of the world's major wine regions
€ Resource guide to finding the best wine-specialty shops
€ Glossary of wine/food terms and advice on how to "read" wine lists
€ A primer on the complete history of wine
€ Making sense of labels, vintage years, and the best regions

Customer Reviews:

Interesting history and interviews.......2004-12-29

Talk about a novice! I am counted among those who know nothing about wine except what I think is tasty - you might say I don't know my Syrah from my Reisling. I know that I've had a few delicious wines, and I swear I'm going to try to write down their names when I'm at a restaurant, but invariably forget. The Renaissance Guide is a helpful reference to a person like me as it contains guidance from real experts. I thought that the interviews captured both the personalities of the chefs and the knowledgeable authors, but also gave useful information - and they were fun to read. While to a true onephile, like the character in the movie "Sideways," this information might be considered basic, to most of us the primer on wines in the second chapter will be informative. And for the person who already knows wine, I'm certain that there are nuggets and ideas that they will enjoy.

Finally! A book for the wine snob and the novice........2004-12-27

I got this book for my step-father the wine snob and he loves it. This is high praise coming from the man who hates most wine books and thinks he knows everything already. Added bonus- I love it too. Very helpful for a novice like myself, great writing and beautiful design. Highly recommended!

A Perfect Gift.......2004-12-21

This book offers something many guides lack: context and a true passion for the topic. The rich history and current culture where food and wine pairings are developed, is delightfully described with rare energy and insight. This is an ideal gift item for those you know who love wine, or are curious to learn more.

Finally - the answer to all your wine prayers!.......2004-12-21

For those of you stumbling around looking for help that you can enjoy AND understand look no more! If I didn't know better I would think that Ms. Zavatto and Mr. Didio were hiding behind a column every time I've ever tried to buy the right bottle of wine. I can't wait for the next effort from these two. Don't leave without picking up a copy for yourself and everyone on your gift list.

Leaves a bad taste in my mouth.......2004-12-19

This is my second posted review of The Renaissance Guide to Wine and Food Pairing. The first review was actually removed from Amazon after earning six helpful votes, allegedly because I criticized the authors so harshly that I violated the Amazon code of conduct. The review also provoked at least one other (anonymous) reviewer to call me a wine snob because I didn't agree with him/her/it. All I can say is, gee whiz, folks, it's just a book review-lighten up! Read `em all and make up your own mind. And if you think I'm some kind of crackpot wine geek because I hate this book, well, that's entirely your prerogative.

Rather than write a whole new review, I've decided to republish most of the original, though I am removing the specific phrases that offended the "Keep Amazon Beautiful Committee".

The Renaissance Guide to Wine and Food Pairing is a bad book. In fact, I was so repelled by it that I feel it incumbent upon me as an Amazon reviewer to warn all unsuspecting readers away as though it were the scene of a gruesome accident, or at minimum a wine so bad it would make you sick just to smell it, let alone drink it.

It's only sporting for someone to inform you that when you buy this book you aren't getting an organized and comprehensive analysis of the subject in the book's title. Instead, the first 100 pages or so discuss wine history and how to read wine labels from around the world (not a bad thing in a wine book, but why devote so much space to it here?), and the rest of the book mostly consists of transcribed interviews with famous chefs and winemakers. Each new chapter is another exercise in smug and self-congratulatory "conversations" with the winemakers and chefs (like,wow, isn't it cool we can sit around and chuckle with all these food and wine hotshots?). I encountered very little of practical value and a lot of butt-kissing. I admit I already know a little about wine, but I didn't learn a blessed thing from this book until around page 205 when it was revealed in a sidebar that the word avocado is derived from the Aztec word for testicle.

There are many good books and sections of books that have been written about marrying food and wine. Two that come immediately to mind are Wesson and Rosengarten's "Red Wine with Fish" and the food and wine chapter of the Culinary Institute of America's "Exploring Wine". In both you will find practical and frequently imaginative principles you can employ to match wine and food.

As stated above, The Renaissance Guide is little more than a loose stitching together of interviews that center around highly esoteric menus paired up with wines provided by the authors. It would be kind to describe these chapters as self-indulgent. Suffice it to say they are what appear to be unedited transcripts, even to the point where they insert (laughter) in (parentheses) where the author "cracks a good one". I'm honestly surprised that Daniel Boulud, who is interviewed here and seems like a decent, unpretentious guy, would allow his stature as one of America's best chefs to be debased in this book.

Ok, let's get more granular. Bad writing. Atrocious editing. Multiple references to pairing with obscure wines like Lagrein (great wine, but probably unknown to 99% of the readers and not exactly carried in the run of the mill wine store) without any useful introduction. More than a hundred pages of useless filler on wine history and how to read labels that is completely irrelevant to the stated subject of the book. Hideous tables that are meant to be copied as handy references but spill randomly over three pages and contain nothing really useful. Horrible lapses and gaffes. Multiple recommendations for a food/wine match where you have no idea what the wine is or even its country of origin and without any reason why it works. And I swear I'm only getting warmed up.

The authors devote a whole "chapter" to the subject of wine and pasta. After a page or so it suddenly shifts to a region by region discussion of Italy and wines that go with their cuisines. The chapter is about 8 pages long. It covers the food and wine matches by basically describing one dish and naming one wine for each region. How the authors decide to summarily dismiss Lombardia, Liguria, Basilicata and The Marches in favor of other wine growing regions is sufficient to start another Italian civil war. Is Lagrein more available in the US than Aglianico del Vulture or Rosso Piceno? Does it make me a wine snob because I'm asking this question, or is the book snobby for its exclusion of these exciting and vital parts of the contemporary Italian wine scene?

To give you an idea for how bad this book is, they refer to a wine on one page as Terre de Trinci Sagrantino de Montefalco, and two pages later as Terre de Rinci Sagrantino de Montalcino. You say Montefalco, I say Montalcino, let's call the whole thing off. Besides, these Italian towns and wines and stuff, it's confusing cause they all kinda sound alike. Am I right or am I wrong?(How are we supposed to have confidence in a book written by experts if they can't even keep stuff like this straight?) By the way, if you want to read a great book about Italian wine and food, try "Vino Italiano" by Bastianich and Lynch).

In my opinion (and mine only) the value in this book could be boiled down to about four pages with some judicious editing, and I've seen free newsletters from winestores that have better and more practical advice on the subject. If I were rating it on the 100 point Robert Parker scale I'd give it about a 47, which is to say it's undrinkable.

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