S.J. Parris
S.J. Parris writes about her inspiration for Heresy, which masterfully blends true events with fiction into a page-turning murder mystery set on the sixteenth-century Oxford University campus.
Adam Haslett
A conversation with Adam Haslett, author of Union Atlantic, a deeply affecting portrait of the modern gilded age, the first decade of the twenty-first century.
Rated of 5
by
Isaac Beadle
Only inapproriate if you are a Nun.
I feel compelled to address the minority of reviews that refer to this book as sleazy and laden with gratuitous sex and violence. It is neither of these. The descriptive writing by the author is highly effective in her character and setting development. The reader can smell the circus; the despair, and the struggles of survival in the midst of the Great Depression as well as the pain, anguish, regret, and fear from the eyes of a 93 year old -or was it 90?!- widower. Perhaps those few readers that find realist literature to be so offensive should stick to fiction that is church-approved only and stay away from the evil mainstream. Water For Elephants is, in my opinion, a balanced, exquisite piece of literature. It rolls along at the pace of the circus train in which much of it is set, the characters feel real and believable, and it is basically a very easy read. My only regret is that it is relatively short at 331 pages; I could easily have kept going with this one. This story could also make for a fantastic feature film if done properly.
Rated of 5
by
Lisa
So well written that you can taste it..
Descriptions and easily flowing word structure made this book incredibly easy to read, (unfortunately making the story read TOO fast). The reality of the circus and the depression of the 30's made it so easy to involve myself in each and every scene. The vulgarities of the "titty show" and the other minor short scenes of mild sexuality are hardly harmful and yet so necessary to the reality of circus hands. Full of hobos and less than savory characters the dread of the poor souls in the circus are accentuated by the luxurious life of the stars of the circus. Yet the brutality of each world are seen to be equals at times, the beatings and the speak easy raid. I mostly enjoyed Jacobs demeanor both at 22 and 90 and all of the detail and beautiful scenery in between. ..... Loved the book and have been referring it to friends ever since.
Rated of 5
by
dorothy
Don't waste my time
I rarely put a book away without finishing it. I am supposed to lead a discussion on this book (I took over as facilitator of a book club after it was chosen), and I regret to have to bow out this time. Some of the passages are disgusting and not necessary in their entirety for the story or the reader. I gave it a try, but it's not worth my time or worth the sleazy images it left in my mind for a while after reading them.
The only reason I give it a 2 instead of 1 is because the author does show some skill in plot structure. Over all, skip this one.
Rated of 5
by
Pamela Smith
Trashy
I usually don't like modern novels and don't trust bestseller list books. Now I remember why. The book was trashy. There was gratuitous sex, violence, murder, mayhem . . . . Gruen threw everything in but the kitchen sink. I finished it only to see if I was right about how it would end. I was. It was predictable and only appealing to prurient interests.
Rated of 5
by
alisha
loved it!
This book was recommended to me from one of my friends that I go to school with and I'm glad she did. I loved the growing relationship between M, and Jacob. Some may say it was hard to believe or cheesy but I think it was great. I just wanted to know more from the ending, but overall it was great! I loved it=)
Rated of 5
by
Katsmeoww
Could'nt Put It Down
I loved this book. I have little time read these days, but I saw a review on this novel and decided to check it out at the local library. I read the WHOLE BOOK in only a week, which is awesome considering my lack of personal time (I have 3 kids). I think I spent hours in the bathroom, whether I was using it or not, just hibernating and reading, every chance I could. I am now trying to find pics of circa 1930's circus trains and the like. This is a very very good book totally worth reading!
You are about to travel to Edgecombe St. Mary, a small village in the English countryside filled with rolling hills, thatched cottages, and a cast of characters both hilariously original and as familiar as the members of your own family.
The Postmistress is an unforgettable tale of the secrets we must bear, or bury. It is about what happens to love during wartime, when those we cherish leave. And how every story-of love or war-is about looking left when we should have been looking right.
Masterfully blending true events with fiction, this blockbuster historical thriller delivers a page-turning murder mystery set on the sixteenth-century Oxford University campus.
Kostova's masterful new novel travels from American cities to the coast of Normandy, from the late 19th century to the late 20th, from young love to last love. The Swan Thieves is a story of obsession, history's losses, and the power of art to preserve human hope.
I read this book in two days and found it so refreshing. Although you will learn a great deal about barn owls by reading it, the book is not just ...
read more
I enjoyed reading this book, however, feel that this is not completely her own ideas. This books remembers me of a cross between 'ghost','Sixth ...
read more
Lisa See has written a great book! This story is satisfying on many levels, some scenes horrifying, but seemingly truthful, and her handling of the ...
read more
Amazon 'buy button' rumors abound(Mar 18 2010) Rumors swirled today that Amazon could revoke the buy buttons for books by Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Penguin, or Hachette if the major publishers can't...
Full Story
Amazon's e-pricing threats(Mar 18 2010) With Apple's iPad launch just weeks away, Amazon raised the stakes again when it threatened to stop directly selling the books of some publishers online...
Full Story
Water for Elephants
of 5
by
Isaac Beadle
of 5
by
dorothy
of 5
by
Pamela Smith
RSS feed
