Girls Night In

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing.......2007-10-13

I bought this book in hopes of discovering a new author and perhaps I did. This is a book of short stories but only about 45% of the stories I cared for.

Good, light reading..........2007-09-24

Good, light reading. Fun & naughty...for when you just need something to preoccupy your mind for a little while, like on the city bus, or waiting in line at the DMV.

A Collection of Stories...........2006-03-18

..some were good. Some were bad. I especially loved Party Planner by Meg Cabot, Traveling Light by Carole Matthews, and Here Come Harry, by Jessica Adams. But my most favorite one was Don't You Know Who I Am?, by Adele Lang. It was as if Edina from the hit Brititsh show, Absolutely Fabulous, was telling that story. It was a terrific read!!

I really enjoyed this book because it introduced me to other authors of the Chick Lit genre, and I can't wait till Red Dress Ink publishes Girls Night Out this summer.

Great and entertaining.......2006-02-22

This book is good from beginning to end. They are short stories though so each story only has a little bit of content. I really wished that the stories were longer because right as I got into them, they ended. You definitely have to make your own conclusions and assumptions at the end of each story. That part is unclear. It makes you wonder if you're assumptions are on the right track....hmmm.

Chick lit short story fun!.......2006-02-08

I really enjoyed some of the stories in this book. The first story, by Meg Cabot, had me laughing out loud at the antics of a nervous party planner. Jennifer Weiner's story (of Good in Bed's Cannie) from the male perspective, was really good.

The stories I encountered that didn't thrill me--well, you win some and you lose some. But I didn't feel nearly as guilty giving up on them as I do on a full novel.

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I wanted to read it since many years ago
DEVASTATING
Other Books
Powerful, poignant - a modern classic
The best-written character lost in dreck

Sophie's Choice
William Styron
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679736379
Release Date: 1992-03-03

Book Description

Three stories are told: a young Southerner wants to become a writer; a turbulent love-hate affair between a brilliant Jew and a beautiful Polish woman; and of an awful wound in that woman's past--one that impels both Sophie and Nathan toward destruction.

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One of the two or three finest novels about the Holocaust, Sophie's Choice encapsulates through Sophie's anguished story the sweep and brutality of history. The basis for a famed and honored movie with Meryl Streep (Academy Award Winner), the novel has ga

Customer Reviews:

I wanted to read it since many years ago.......2007-10-11

I first read some pages of Sophie's Choice in 1986, when a friend of mine would carry it for his personal reading. There was no Internet the way it is nowadays. If you wanted to buy books in English in a country where it wasn't the official language, you were forced to go to a seller whose prices were very high. Now, it took me less than 10 minutes to find the edition which pleased me the most and I proceeded to purchase it instantly. In a matter of 6 days I had the book in my hands here in Guatemala. I am happy with it, not only for the fact it is a superb novel written by a superb author, but with the quality of the material, the format of the book, the size and shape of the font type, the unique design of the cover and, of course, its very low price.

DEVASTATING.......2007-09-22

While the movie version of this book features an indelible performance of Sophie by the lustrous Meryl Streep, Styron's novel is in all ways richer, thicker, yet more taut and horrifying than the movie could ever be. This is one those books you become invested in; you can't put it down yet it draws you closer to the flame. It has never left me after 20 years. One of the all-time best novels about World War II, with almost tangible descriptions of places you know - like Brooklyn - and places you hope you never know - like Auschwitz.

Other Books.......2007-09-03

Sophie, a woman, is a concentration camp survivor. This has left her, not unsurprisingly, with a lot of problems.

This carries over into her life in the United States, and the relationships she has, in particular with one man. He is also an unstable and broken individual.

This is not set up to be a happy story.

Powerful, poignant - a modern classic.......2007-08-22

The cover for the edition I read looks like a romance novel, and the first third of the book reads like one, albeit a tortured one.

Then the core of the story is revealed, with Auschwitz and all its horrors taking center stage. I have read books with brief mentions of the camps, and of course seen Schindler's List, but this was by far was the clearest rendition of the evils performed there.

A hard read at times, but a necessary one.

The best-written character lost in dreck.......2007-08-07

In academic discussions, I have heard the nature of Sophie's actual 'choice' for decades. I decided I ought to read a book from which the central choice is so often quoted.

For those interested in Holocaust Studies, this is not the book you're looking for, and I urge you to seek out nonfiction accounts; this is a novel about a young American man's postwar intimate relationships and (sexual and creative) maturation.

For those who, like me, have heard of Sophie and her choice, I must say that in her, Styron creates a fascinating and, sometimes, brilliantly executed character. Her own Polish identity, her anti-Semitism, her choice-making moments throughout her life, and her compromised sense of self are facets of a richly dimensional character. Styron's struggles to write about an abused and damaged woman sometimes fail quite badly, though; especially (but certainly not only) those of us who've been abused may notice how he often mischaracterizes the felt experience.

The reason for my two-star review, however, is one I share with others; the main character of Stingo, which certainly seems quite autobiographical at times, takes up far more of the narrative and is far, far less interesting than Sophie, unfortunately! How could the author not tell, when finished, that his title character was much more compelling? I do believe I understand the ways he attempted to interweave the narratives of the different characters, but for most of the book, I wished this sighing, beer-drinking, horny boy would step aside so I could hear more of Sophie. Perhaps it is merely that I can't identify with the main character at all, perhaps [mild spoiler follows here] it's that at some point he invariably wishes to hit and/or rape every young woman with which he meets up, but for the most part, it's that he's just not that interesting. And although the two main characters profess a disdain for Freudianism, the whole book is so laced with layman's psychobabble that it added to my tedium. All in all, this was a somewhat tiresome book featuring one gripping character who, alas, is not the main character.

Ancestry and Narrative in Nineteenth-Century British Literature: Blood Relations from Edgeworth to Hardy (Cambridge Studies in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture)

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Ancestry and Narrative in Nineteenth-Century British Literature: Blood Relations from Edgeworth to Hardy (Cambridge Studies in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture)
Sophie Gilmartin
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0521560942

Book Description

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

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A must read for a restless conscience
Amazing - a must read!!!
Understanding the other side of the story . . .
Sophie Scholl and The White Rose
A very powerful and memorable book

Sophie Scholl and the White Rose
Jud Newborn , and Annette Dumbach
Manufacturer: Oneworld Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1851684743

Book Description

From beginning to end, the captivating story of Sophie Scholl and the White Rose is an uplifting and enlightening account of the largely untold story of German resistance to the Third Reich. With details of Scholl 's arrest and trial before Hitler's Hanging Judge,Rol and Freisler, and including the leaflets that the White Rose circulated throughout the German population, this volume is an invaluable addition to World War II literature. And it is a fascinating window into human spirit. The animated narrative reads like a suspense novel.-New York Times

Customer Reviews:

A must read for a restless conscience.......2007-04-09

If you have a restless conscience then you will better understand the members of the White Rose. Like most kids in Germany in the 30's Hans and Sophie Scholl joined the Nazi youth movement and bought into National Socialism. However through their father who opposed National Socialism and a God instilled restless conscience they soon saw National Socialism for the evil it was and is. The author does a good job of making you feel the tension and stress as the story unfolds. Their dileama was how do you mount a meaningful opposition to a totalitarian state from within. Who can you trust? Gestapo everywhere and all opposition to the State outlawed.By 1940 most of the 500 or so pastors who would not bow down to Hitler were in jail or executed. By the time the White Rose decided to take action in 1942 most Germans were scarred to death of the police state they had allowed to enslave them. But there was sporadic uprising against Hitler. One interesting story in the book was when the gov't banned all the crucifixes from the public schools in Bavaria in 1941. The parents signed protest letters and petitions and even threw the mandatory picture of Hitler out of classroom windows. The protest was so strong that Hitler backed down. Its scary to think that our gov't has taken Christianity out of the classroom but Hitler couldn't. As you read the book you feel that they felt they were going to get caught but their restless conscience would not let them turn from the course of action that would lead to their deaths. As we see our own freedoms of privacy (Patriot Act), speech (Hate Crime Bills) and other constitutional rights being taken from us by an ever growing central gov't we can learn a lot from this book. At her trial Sophie Scholl said "Somebody had to make a start". They certainly did and their pamphlets and death had a lasting effect on the German people. Hans Scholl's last words were "Long live Freedom". The essence of freedom is the limitation of gov't and requires eternal vigilance. The German people allowed Hitler to much power and he enslaved them. We still have the time and ability to limit the power of our gov't but it will take a lot of work and most importantly a restless conscience. 5 stars for this book.

Amazing - a must read!!!.......2007-01-10

This book was definitely a must-read, not only for those that are interested in this time period of study, but for anyone who wants to have a better understanding of world history. It's amazing, simply put. It reads so quickly. You are definitely drawn in from the very first page to the last.

Understanding the other side of the story . . . .......2006-07-13

I bought this for research and it is terrific. It really gets into the mindset and political background of the story of the White Rose and helps the reader to understand the 'why' of the story. Not as personal as other accounts, it nevertheless is a wonderful background that will help you see Nazi Germany in a whole new light while telling the moving and touching story of Sophie Scholl.

Sophie Scholl and The White Rose.......2006-07-03

It is quite impossible to do an adequate job of reviewing this book.
Knowing that these young German students really lived, daring to risk their young lives and, indeed, losing them, for their distribution of their printed words challenging German people to act against Hitler, is unbelievably humbling and cause for great hope for mankind. Passive resistence worked. Life triumphed over death. Good was stronger than evil.
The authors, Annette Dumbach and Jud Newborn, became accomplished talents with the publication of this book alone.
Their ability to combine the biographies of Sophie, her brother and their compatriots in the making and distrubtion of the White Rose and the requisite history and analysis of the political climate in Germany during The Holcaust is masterful.
The book reads like a suspense thriller one could read in a few hours. However, their thoughtful, detailed insights into the minds and hearts of the protagonists, compel the reader to read and then reread many passages before being emotionally able to read on. This is a must read for young and old students of the human condition, a truly unforgettable book.

A very powerful and memorable book.......2006-03-25

SOPHIE SCHOLL & THE WHITE ROSE is, essentially, about the finest aspects of human nature. The White Rose members' integrity and their compassion for their fellow Germans and, more surprisingly, for the Jewish population who had endured years of prejudice and oppression followed by vicious persecution is very impressive.

To mount a secret campaign against the Third Reich, a totalitarian regime of insidious oppression and unbelievable brutality against both the German people and its conquered populations, takes amazing courage.

But to face up to that regime on an intensely personal level, without hesitation or - apparently - regret, fully aware of the consequences, is simply awesome. And it awes me that most of the White Rose members were students like myself! This is a very memorable book with a powerful message.

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Good Read
2 for 2
A Fast Paced Read
Fabulous
Once Upon A Wedding Night

Once Upon a Wedding Night
Sophie Jordan
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0061122203
Release Date: 2006-07-25

Book Description

How far would one woman go to protect her family?

Facing destitution when her husband dies, strong–willed Lady Meredith devises a plot to maintain security for herself, her spinster aunt and a senile father by feigning an unlikely pregnancy. The only complication is her late husband's estranged half–brother, Nicholas Caulfield. A dangerous man who lives on the verge of society, he is unhappy with his ascent into the aristocracy. Yet sparks fly when the truth to defraud him is revealed. Wanting to rid himself of a scheming woman, Nick tries to marry her off, denying his own jealousies as he pushes Meredith into the arms of other men. Will Nick forgive Meredith's deception and admit what lies in his heart before it's too late?

Customer Reviews:

Good Read.......2007-08-24

My one major complaint...I read Too Wicked to Tame first. I liked that book so much I grabbed this one and wasn't too disappointed, just peeved that one of the secondary roles in this book was from TWTT. I am giving this a four only because it was not as good of a read as TWTT. The characters were just a bit too much, but I did enjoy it and I WASN'T disappointed (other then the aforementioned). Otherwise, I recomend this book to someone who doesn't focus on historical legalize. A bit of advice for those that focus on historical facts/legalize...if you're going to let this ruin your Historical Romance reading...stop reading Historical Romance NOW! All of it! Otherwise, just read it for what it is and ENJOY!

2 for 2.......2007-08-17

This author is two for two. I read her other book, Too Wicked to Tame, and then this one. I loved TWTT and was afraid Once Upon a Wedding Night wouldn't be as good. To my surprise, I liked it as much, if not better than the previous book. Sophie Jordan writes very likable characters put in some steamy situations. Honestly, some of the smallest sentences, or just a few words actually, spoken by Nick to Meredith and I'm fanning myself. I just loved the dialogue, the secondary characters were charming and, at times, funny, and I liked the story.
Another reviewer of this book questioned whether the author checked her facts. I'm sorry, but this is fiction--romantic fiction. As long as authors don't have their characters doing something totally off, like reading a book that hadn't been published until 75 years later or referring to real people who weren't around at a particular time, I don't really care if all the facts aren't completely accurate. So what if Nick couldn't have married Meredith. The kind of marriage she had certainly justified him being free to marry her and didn't lessen my enjoyment of this story.
As I said, it's romantic fiction. Does anyone really believe that every duke, earl, and viscount to be found in Regency England was 6'2", had a gorgeous face, and a physique not to be believed? I don't think so. Sometimes, a little inaccuracy isn't a bad thing.

A Fast Paced Read.......2007-07-21

From the very first page I was hooked. This book is a real page turner and I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read more of this author's work.

Fabulous.......2007-03-28

This book was FABULOUS!!!!
I read alot of romances and this is up there with a "Night in shining armor" and "son of the morning".

Once Upon A Wedding Night.......2007-02-16

Lady Meredith Brookshire lives with her aunt and ailing father at Oak Run. Her negligent husband Edmund died leaving Meredith with nothing. Edmund's half brother Nicholas Caulfield has been located and should be taking over as the new Lord Brookshire. Meredith assumes Lord Nicholas will kick her and her family off the estate so she hatches a plan to trick him into letting her stay.

Nick wants nothing to do with his familial estate or becoming Lord Brookshire. He despised his father and Edmund. His arrival at Oak Run throws Meredith's emotions in turmoil. She expected Nick to be as cold and uncaring as Edmund but he appears to be neither.

The charade is up when Nick discovers Meredith's deceit. Nick decides to marry her off, but he quickly realizes that thoughts of Meredith with another man disturb him. He has no choice though, because he refuses to risk his heart.

One Upon A Wedding Night is a creatively written story. The plot twists kept me guessing and the angst had me constantly on edge. Nick and Meredith are both haunted by their pasts, but they find something very special in each other's arms. I adore them both. I wanted to throttle Nick for being so stubborn at times though, and yet, he managed to enthrall me and keep me rooting for him throughout the story. One Upon A Wedding Night is a wonderful, passionate romance.

Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

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Ruby's Wish
Ruby's Wish
A lovely true story
The Greatest Story.
Wonderful for kids and adults

Ruby's Wish
Shirin Yim
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0811834905

Amazon.com

First-time kids' book author Shirin Yim Bridges uses a tender family story to travel back to turn-of-the-century China and teach a proto-feminist lesson about perseverance and self-belief.

Idiosyncratic young Ruby lives in a large (and wealthy!) Chinese family, in a gigantic "house filled with the shrieks and laughter of over one hundred children." She stands out because she insists on always wearing red, the color of celebration ("Even when her mother made her wear somber colors like her other cousins, Ruby would tie up her jet-black hair with red ribbons") but even more so because of her quiet dissatisfaction with the family's traditional gender inequity. Determined to study reading and writing--even when it means long hours catching up on more wifely training--Ruby eventually comes to the attention of her grandfather, the wise house patriarch, who springs a surprise as the time for her to wed approaches.

Graceful Aussie illustrator Sophie Blackall captures the culture--contrasted by Ruby's bright red defiance--expertly, with elegant calligraphy, muted period clothing, and countless nice details (from a porcelain bowl full of terrapins to ink smudges on Ruby's cousins' faces). And what's better, Bridges's well-structured story is true--with a fun surprise ending! (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes

Book Description

Ruby is unlike most little girls in old China. Instead of aspiring to get married, Ruby is determined to attend university when she grows up, just like the boys in her family. Based upon the inspirational story of the author's grandmother and accompanied by richly detailed illustrations, Ruby's Wish is an engaging portrait of a young girl who strives for more and a family who rewards her hard work and courage.

Customer Reviews:

Ruby's Wish.......2007-04-11

Our six year old daughter really likes this book. It has a great message and darling pictures.

Ruby's Wish.......2006-11-04

I loved this book! Ruby is a Chinese child living in China with her very large family. As a child, she knew that she was destined to marry, like all the females in her family, but she really wanted to
go to the university. It is a childrens' book with beautiful illustrations. There is a special little twist at the end that makes the story even more endearing to the reader. We have given it as a birthday present to a few of my 5 year old daughter's classmates, as well as to her teachers for a year-end present. We highly recommend this book!

A lovely true story.......2006-09-04

Set in turn-of-the-century China, young Ruby wants to go to school, but tradition holds that only boys get an education - hence the title, _Ruby's Wish_. The artwork is beautiful, with abundant details, but the book's strength is the story itself and the morals of the value of an education and working for what one desires. The ending is also very sweet. Particularly recommended for young girls.

The Greatest Story........2006-07-07

My story is Ruby's Wish.It is by Shirn Yim Bridges,it was a great story.It's about a girl who loves red.Ruby is good in school.The boys had cler all she had was only the letters.She wrote a pome that said;also bad luck to be a girl,worse to born in this house were only boys are cared for. My favorite part was at the end. The book had very good illustrations. I hope you read this book.

Wonderful for kids and adults.......2006-06-19

My daughters and I love this engaging, beautifully illustrated tale of a girl who grew up in another era -- yet not so long ago -- in China. What makes this "be true to yourself/follow your dreams" story so special is that it's true and told in a wonderfully personal way. It's a great book to read aloud and would be a very thoughtful gift.

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A Vast Baroque Folly
Do you want commentary or the author's original?
Confused information
Quality of Man
Come on?

The Man without Qualities
Robert Musil
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0394510526
Release Date: 1995-04-04

Book Description

2 Volume Boxed Set

Customer Reviews:

A Vast Baroque Folly.......2007-05-15

"The Man without Qualities" is a strange work indeed. It was left unfinished at the author's death, but nevertheless runs to well over 1,000 pages. There is very little in the way of coherent plot. The action is set in the latter part of 1913 and the early part of 1914, the last months of peace before the outbreak of World War I, and what plot there is centres upon the activities of a committee set up to explore ways of celebrating the seventieth anniversary of the accession of the Emperor Franz Josef of Austria-Hungary, an event which was due to occur in December 1918. In the event, of course, no celebrations for this anniversary ever took place, for two reasons. Firstly, Franz Josef was to die in 1916. Secondly, the Austro-Hungarian empire was to be swept away at the end of the war in November 1918.

The "man without qualities" of the title is Ulrich, one of the members of the committee. Ulrich is a handsome, wealthy and intelligent young man of good family, yet is described as being "without qualities" because he is bored, cynical and indifferent, dependent on the outer world to form his character. He has tried three different careers, as a soldier, engineer and mathematician, only to abandon them all, and accepts a place on the committee largely to alleviate the boredom of his existence as a wealthy layabout. In the course of the book we are introduced to the other members of the committee, such as the Prussian industrialist-intellectual Paul von Arnheim, Ulrich's idealistic, spiritually-minded cousin Diotima who becomes Arnheim's lover, and General Stumm von Bordwehr, forever trying to use the jubilee celebrations to further the interests of the Army. We also get to know a number of Ulrich's other acquaintances, including his friend Walter, his mistress Bonadea and (towards the end of the novel) his sister Agathe. Another important character is the insane murderer Moosbrugger.

Much of the early part of the book is satirical in nature, the principal targets of Musil's satire being the nature of bureaucracy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire itself. The committee is a prime example of bureaucratic inertia, forever holding endless meetings without ever achieving anything or even agreeing on the form which the celebrations are to take. (The only character who ever seems to take any positive action is Moosbrugger, and his actions are purely evil). The Empire is renamed "Kakania", a pun on the German pronunciation of the initials K.K. (for Kaiserlich-Koeniglich, or Imperial and Royal) and the word "Kaka" meaning "excrement". "By its constitution it was liberal, but the system of government was clerical. The system of government was clerical, but the general attitude to life was liberal. Before the law all citizens were equal, but not everyone, of course, was a citizen." In one memorable passage Musil compares the Empire to a red, white and green jacket (Hungary) matched with a pair of black and yellow trousers (Austria). Like many people looking back with the benefit of hindsight, Musil saw the collapse of Austria-Hungary as something inevitable. In fact, that collapse was the product of two chance factors, the murder of Franz Ferdinand in 1914 and Haig's defeat of the German armies in the autumn of 1918. Had the First World war been avoided, or had it had a different result, the Empire might have lasted much longer. We might even be celebrating this year the eighty-fifth anniversary of the accession of Emperor Otto von Habsburg.

In the latter part of the book, the tone becomes less satirical and more that of a novel of ideas. Musil introduces lengthy discourses, either in the form of conversations between his characters or passages in which he addresses the reader directly, on social, political, religious and, above all, philosophical topics. Ulrich suggests the formation of a "General Secretariat for Precision and Soul". This may seem like a joke, the yoking together of two incongruous ideas to produce an absurd effect, but in fact it reflects one of Musil's main preoccupations, the need to reconcile the rational and scientific approach to life ("precision") with the spiritual and imaginative one ("soul").

I note that most of the reviews the book has received on this page have been positive ones (fourteen out of seventeen awarded it five stars), so I find myself very much in the minority when I say that this was not a book that I enjoyed. My initial thought was to call my review "The Book without Qualities", but that would have been unfair to Musil, who was clearly a writer with many excellent qualities. Many of his philosophical discourses are fascinating ones, and my attention was frequently caught, even in the midst of passages that I otherwise found tedious, by a flash of humour, an original aphorism or brilliantly expressed thought. "Philosophers are despots who have no armies to command, so they subject the world to their tyranny by locking it up in a system of thought". "To believe with not quite complete disbelief that something-cannot-be-ruled-out has today become the basic attitude in matters of faith".

It struck me, however, that Musil's ideas, often of great interest in themselves, could have been better expressed as a series of essays rather than in the rather clumsy framework of a novel. The problem with "The Man without Qualities" is that, even allowing for the fact that it is unfinished, never seems to be going anywhere and lacks the form or structure evident in most well-written novels. Even in other unfinished novels, such as Dickens's "Edwin Drood", one can see evidence of the author's structural plan at work, just as one can see evidence of the architect's handiwork even in an unfinished building. "The Man without Qualities" resembles less a building than a vast, baroque folly, incorporating many beautiful carvings but with no discernible shape or structure.

Do you want commentary or the author's original?.......2006-03-10

I would give this excellent set of critiques, edited by the estimable Harold Bloom, four stars except for its misleading label. Despite the byline, this is NOT Robert Musil's work or even a condensed version. These are very helpful commentaries, but if you want the original, you must go elsewhere.

Confused information.......2005-09-26

This book says: by Robert Musil's, but it is not. Review carefuly before to be sure it is the one you are looking for

Quality of Man.......2001-01-24

Of all the great European novelists of the first third of the century -- Marcel Proust, James Joyce, Franz Kafka, Thomas Mann, Knut Hamsun, Herman Hesse -- Robert Musil is far and away the least read; and yet he's as shapely as Gibbon, as mordant as Voltaire, as witty as Oscar Wilde and as indecent as Arthur Schnitzler, a fellow Viennese writer who gets more attention. "The Man Without Qualities" is an extraordinary amalgam of the formidable, the delicious and the unfinished; and no doubt each of these attributes is in some measure dissuasive.

If we take it that the characteristics of 20th-century life are fatuity, doubt and confusion; the "barbaric fragmentation" of the self, where "impersonal matters . . . go into the making of personal happenings in a way that for the present eludes description"; a crisis of individual identity and collective purpose -- then it is Musil's astonishing achievement to make a comedy of all this.

The book begins with a baroque meteorological description; its first action is a car accident; the hero is first seen looking out of a window, stopwatch in hand, conducting a statistical survey of passing traffic. Can there be any doubt that it is a prophetic book about our world? Musil is us. The world of "global Austria" in 1913 and "the Parallel Action" -- the plan, in the novel, to claim 1918 for the jubilee celebrating the 70th year of the reign of the Emperor Francis Joseph before the Germans get it for Kaiser Wilhelm's 30th, made nonsense of by the intervention of World War I -- is our world of the United Nations International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction and other fatuous schemes. While Musil's contemporaries Proust and Joyce chose interiority and the private world of memory, Musil is uncannily prescient about modern life, where sportsmen and criminals are indifferently idolized, where quantity sits in judgment on quality, so that an author, as Musil puts it, "must have an awful lot of like-minded readers before he can pass for an impressive thinker," where we sit and stew among "bobsled championships, tennis cups and luxury hotels along great highways, with golf course scenery and music on tap in every room." So "The Man Without Qualities" is satire; as one character says, "The man of genius is duty bound to attack." However, it is not harsh satire, nor is it sour. There is something loving about it. Musil's tone is unlike anyone else's. Partly it is the Austrian melancholy that underlies the book, the melancholy of a defunct empire, of a closed conditional: what was to happen did not. WHAT if, the novel implies, instead of expressing itself in the carnage of World War I, human folly had chosen another form? Partly it is the equable irony that plays over every character, institution and group in the book that makes reading Musil such an exquisitely flattering experience. No characters in the book escape mockery -- especially for taking themselves so seriously. All of them are skewed and partial, but none are caricatures; perhaps the book's almost complete lack of physical description plays a part here -- and yet, in spite of that, you feel you could pick them out in a lineup. They are Musil's puppets.

In his early career he wrote stories, plays and novels that had a certain popularity. But none of those prepare a reader for the expanse of "The Man Without Qualities". It took up the last two decades of his life, before he died in self-imposed exile in Switzerland in 1942, at the age of 61. It is a quite overwhelming novel, quite indeed...

Come on?.......2000-02-02

Blimey, am I going to be dogged by this crazy Irishman all the way into the western canon? Surely there's room for the three of us? Have you met my friend Marcel? He's the one over there with the inhaler.

Ivy and Bean and the Ghost That Had to Go (Book 2): Book 2 (Ivy and Bean)

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What a delight!
"Nothing could make it better!"
Great follow up
Great Book

Ivy and Bean and the Ghost That Had to Go (Book 2): Book 2 (Ivy and Bean)
Annie Barrows
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0811849104

Book Description

Now that Ivy and Bean are friends, they do gymnastics club together, sit together in Ms. Aruba-Tate's second grade, and tell each other their darkest secrets. And when Ivy discovers a ghost in the school bathroom, it will take both girls' courage and imagination to make it go away. Another entertaining installment in this series about two mischievous, funny, clever girls.

Customer Reviews:

What a delight!.......2007-08-24

This was my daughters very favorite book of the summer and the first series that she really devoured on her own without suggestion. She even insisted that I take her to the bookstore to check when the third book will be out. In her words "Annie Barrow is the Best Author Ever!"

"Nothing could make it better!".......2007-08-11

My eight year old discovered Ivy & Bean over the summer as part of a summer reading program. It was a total struggle to get her to read. Once she read Ivy and Bean she was willing to read anything I put in front of her if the reward at the end was another Ivy and Bean book. We just purchased this volume and she read it all through dinner, even telling her sister she was too busy to play video games. According to her "It's really funny, and Ivy and Bean are super nice girls except they like to play tricks sometimes and do other things like my friends and I do and it's not mean or scary and I laughed a lot. Oh, and in this one they think there's a ghost but there probably isn't and sometimes I think there are ghosts places too, but then they aren't there, so I liked that."

Great follow up.......2007-07-27

A great follow up to the first book. Annie Barrows did it again. Finally, early chapter books that a kid can feel like a "big kid" reading and the parents can stomach. Well done.

Great Book.......2007-02-16

My seven year old daughter and her entire 2nd grade class love this book. They are anxiously awaiting the release of the next book. My daugter loved the first one (Ivy and Bean) so much that she read this whole book herself. It was the first time she read over 100 pages on her own. Now she can't wait to read other chapter books.

Average customer rating:

The Flight of the Pigeon
cute
Doing something because you want to is easier than doing it because you have to

Sophie's Window

Manufacturer: Greenwillow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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ASIN: 0060562838
Release Date: 2005-08-16

Book Description

Caruso is afraid to fly.
And that's a big problem.
Because he is a bird.

One night
a wild gust of wind
blows Caruso
off his perch
and across
the stormy sky to
Sophie's window.
Who is Sophie?

Sometimes, just like Caruso,
you will find a friend
when you least expect it.
And sometimes a
wonderful friendship
can make you want to try
something you didn't think
you could do.

Customer Reviews:

The Flight of the Pigeon.......2007-03-27

Young pigeon Caruso is anxious about learning to fly, although his relaxed parents aren't pushy: "Tomorrow" would be good enough. Tomorrow comes today, however, when a strong gust of wind blows Caruso off the roof and onto the apartment balcony of mellow dog Sophie. Sophie seems unconcerned, or, at least, ignorant of the difficulty of that first flight. SHe disappears to eat lunch (well, she IS a dog), and then helps Sophie find her way back home. Caruso is skeptical, "How will you find it?" In a great dog-literate line, Keller's Sophie replies, "A dog knows the streets."

The middle section, in which the bird rides Sophie's back to her building, and they get to the roof via elevator, seems too much like filler. There's no real excitement here, nor do we get any insight (or laughs) related to the animals' personalities. However, the watercolor pictures remain compelling: Unusual illustrations of rooftops, a dog's-eye perspective of the street (all those shoes), the pulleys underneath an elevator, and the rooftop hutch in which Caruso and his parents live... Frankly, it's these pictures, painted in beautiful colors (especially the sky blue) make the book more than its story.

Caruso misses his canine friend, and one day--looking much bigger and much more confident, he flaps "harder and faster and harder and...He was flying! (Accompanied by another lovely picture showing a longshot of the pigeon flying over the small town. It turns out that Sophie missed her bird friend too: "I knew you would come," she said. The conclusion is quiet but shows their newly plausible friendship. "Will you come back tomorrow?" "I will," promises the bird, thus subtlely reminding kids that a conquered fear (all in good time, of course, no need to rush) can bring new, happy possibilities. It also shows parents that all trips back and forth between their young kids' houses is worth it. I would have like a little more personality and creativity in the book, but the toddler crowd will enjoy its reassuring development and some truly captivating pictures. Published by Greenwillow.

cute.......2006-09-27

Caruso is a bird that is afraid to fly. One night wind blows him from his nest. He lands at a dog named Sophie's house. This picture book tells the story of how the animals become friends and of how Sophie teaches Caruso to believe in him self!

The water color pictures are beautiful and add a soft warm feeling to the book.

I believe it's message is timeless and we will enjoy reading it to our children for years to come.

Doing something because you want to is easier than doing it because you have to.......2006-03-17

On the first page of "Sophie's Window" we do not meet Sophie, but rather Caruso, a young bird who is afraid to fly. This is a pretty big problem when you are a bird. His parents try to be reassuring, but Caruso keeps thinking about getting lost in a cloud or worries that he will get tired and fall (SPLAT!). That night while the wind is whipping around the rooftops of the city in which Caruso and his family live, the young bird hops down from his shed and a giant gust of wind picks him up, carries him away, and deposits him someplace new. This would be a bad thing.

This is where the title of the book comes into play, because the next morning Caruso discovers a friendly looking dog named Sophie. Caruso wants to go home and he can see the yellow building with a small shed on its top, which is where he lives. Sophie does not see the problem until the little bird admits that he cannot fly, and Caruso does not think that getting a little push from Sophie would solve the dilemma (yes, Sophie uses the big word "dilemma," which is another reason to like this 2005 book).

Of course, Sophie and Caruso are going to solve the dilemma, because "Sophie's Window" would not be a fun book for children to read if Caruso never got home again and never learned how to fly. But Holly Keller gets me to round up on this one because Sophie does not teach Caruso how to fly, which is what you probably think is the obvious solution to the book's key dilemma. Consequently, Keller teaches her young readers a simple lesson, but do not expect it to be spelled out like the title of this review in the text of the book (That is because the publishers put it at the bottom of the inside flap of the front cover and not at the end of the story).

The illustrations in this book were done with watercolors and black lines, but I want to say that I really like the blue that Keller uses a couple of times to represent the sky. Keller is the creator of "Farfallina & Marcel," which was the winner of the 2003 Charlotte Zolotow Award and was a "Publishers Weekly" Best Book of the Year. She has also written and illustrated three books about a leopard named Horace, and several books about a feisty pig named Geraldine. So if you enjoy "Sophie's Window," there are certainly other books by Keller for you to check out as well.

Average customer rating:

Love this one!
The story really takes a new twist

Henny Penny
Vivian French
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1582347069
Release Date: 2006-06-27

Book Description

Everyone has heard the story of Henny Penny, and how her foolishness led her to a terrible end. But that is the version from the fox’s point of view. In this beautifully illustrated retelling, readers will enjoy a cheery new take on the tale of Henny Penny, who may have been smarter than anyone previously thought. The familiar repetition of silly names and the even sillier antics of the animal characters will win over readers as they have for generations, while Sophie Windham’s gorgeous illustrations bring a fresh new perspective to this heroic hen’s tale.

Customer Reviews:

Love this one!.......2007-07-25

My two little ones, 6 & 4 don't tire of this one, nor do I ! I really don't know why I like it so much (--I did not know this story as a child), but it has great elements that include humor, rhyming names, danger with resolution using smarts--and that oh-so-satisfying, warm-in-your-tummy ending. Great illustrations too. Henny Penny

The story really takes a new twist.......2006-09-24

Vivian French's HENNY PENNY receives gorgeous embellishment by Sophie Windham as it tells of a concerned citizen who becomes convinced the sky is falling when an acorn lands on her head. She meets and convinces a variety of characters - but the story really takes a new twist when she encounters Foxy Loxy.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

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