I greatly enjoyed reading this book. Like the reviewer before me says, towards the end the author is preachy and somewhat tacky, but it's only a couple pages in the face of a few hundred good ones. The first Zena makes me believe that that is how prehisoric forms of man really were. It had a Jack London quality, in that you felt as though you could know the thoughts of animals. The second part was even more entertianing, and the third part was the best. The book was informative and exciting. The writing was vivid, visual, and informed. It's not the best I've ever read, but I'd recommend it. Other very good historical fiction: "clan of the cave bear" (very similar to this book), "Aztec" and "raptor" by Gary Jennings (the best writer of historical fiction ever! - the most exciting, unable to put them down books i've ever read), "the mists of avalon" (fantasy intermingled with history, and some of the same earth religion themes as in this book)

Anyone who would like to gain some understanding of the violence and abuse in our lives, or who yearns for a world centered around life and life-giving activities should read this book. Lambert not only gives the reader a graphic picture of the dangers in pre-historic times, but she also offers subtle and not-so-subtle explanations for violent behavior and male/female tension. She lets the reader discover through her characters what our ancient ancesters faced just to let homo sapiens survive and evolve. CIRCLES OF STONE winds its meticulous way from the discovery of fire through the recognition of heredity. Lambert's three Zenas (not to be confused with the Warrior Princess) experience danger from other creatures and the planet itself. They also lead the reader into their recognition of a power beyond themselves, called MOTHER, and to tenderness and commitment to another person. CIRCLES OF STONE is good story-telling with fascinating characters discovering more than themselves; they are discovering humanity. Even though this book is Lambert's first published novel, I sincerely hope that she has several others ready for publication. This book has influenced my sense of history as much or more than CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR by Jean Auel. I have recommended it to several friends who hurried to their bookstores, and were glad they did.

I finished this book several days ago, and it is still with me. How ironic to be sitting in an easy chair in my climate-controlled house, in my safe little neighborhood, drinking tea and eating a cookie while reading about Zena I desperately digging into a riverbed in search of water, Zena II watching everyone she loves die in a stampede, and Zena III risking her life with a herd of bison to keep from freezing to death. The story is fascinating; the characters seem incredibly real; and the spirituality is a comfort to those of us who feel connected to the universal force we call "mother". The author becomes a bit preachy toward the end of the book, but by then we've been led on such an incredible journey that we are inclined to forgive. This is a beautiful book on so many levels, not the least of which is that it made me want to learn more about anthropology so I could feel even closer to the characters. Highly recommended!

Emma is one of my favorite books, so I was naturally drawn to this re-interpretation of the story told through the eyes of Jane Fairfax, about whom we learn very little in the original. On the other hand, I was somewhat wary given how much I love Emma and Austen in general and was afraid that I would find it lacking in both style and substance. In the end, I was terribly impressed by Aiken's work and enjoyed this version tremendously.

Joan Aiken explores the events in Jane Fairfax's life that take place outside of Highbury and the sphere of Emma. What we once saw only through Emma and the others thus takes on a completely different dimension, particularly the circumstances that appear such a surprise in Austen's novel. The new characters are very well-rounded, realistic and fascinating while the 'old' ones remain very much true to their roles Emma, even down to their language, mannerisms, dress and so forth.

Despite how well-written and fascinating I found the book - and how good the descriptions, characterizations and scenery are - I never felt quite like I was reading Austen. But I was so impressed by how close Aiken did get to the original, and here her extraordinary skill as a writer is obvious, I believe it is more a matter of my degree of familiarity with Emma and with Austen's work in general than any inherent flaw in the book. Although I do believe Jane Fairfax is good enough to stand on its own, I think that in order to enjoy Jane Fairfax fully a reader must be relatively familiar with Emma, for having seen the story before from another perspective is an enormous part of the appeal. I would recommend this book to any fans of Emma or Austen - or really anyone interested in a well-told and excellently written story - with the caveat that the book be appreciated for what it is and not compared to minutely to the original.

I am a fan of Jane Austen's Emma, and really enjoyed Hollywood's rendition of the novel, and came away from both sharing a bit of Emma's resentment towards Jane Fairfax. So it is quite an accomplishment to write a novel that so quickly and deftly turned my sympathies and interests towards a previously unliked character.

Aiken's Jane Fairfax fleshes out the childhood histories of both leading ladies (Emma and Jane), and fills in the back story of their relationship and temperaments.

It is fascinating to read the story that takes place prior to the time period where 'Emma' is focused, but even more interesting to read the shifted perspective once the two storylines sync up.

Finally, the book is so well-written, so closely adhering to Jane Austen's own style, that you can convince yourself you are reading a long lost manuscript from Austen herself. And as the tale unfolds, and Jane's perspective reveals more of Emma's character than we even knew before, Austen's 'Emma' becomes an even better realized, more ironic, and wryer look at social folly.

I definitely recommend this novel to any Austen fan, particularly those familiar with 'Emma.'

If you enjoyed Emma, and wondered at all about how Jane Fairfax ended up in her situation then you'll enjoy this book. Aiken gives a clever story that covers all the reasons that Jane F and Frank Churchill act the way they do. And it is written in a true Jane Austen style. I really enjoyed it.

This is the first adoption related book I have read, and found my birth mother about a year ago. I was concerned with reading any adoption type books because I had heard others in the triad talk about different books that they had read, and thought it all un-realistic. I took the chance and read this book, and am very glad I did. It opened my eyes to truly how birth mothers felt about relinquishing their children, and mostly about how reunion had affected their lives in positive and negative ways. I recommend this book as a must read!

My 41 year old daughter, her husband and children, her adoptive parents and I are now into the 8th month of our most joyful reunion and getting acquainted time. This book, which I am now ordering as a gift for her parents, was extremely helpful to me in the early months, when my emotions ran the roller coaster from indescribable joy to deep sadness. In particular, the discussion of the "loss piece" helped me more than anything else to understand how much unresolved grief I had - and, finally -- to put most of it to rest once and for all. Although each person is indeed a unique individual with his/her own reactions, we can all learn from the experiences of others which have been magnificently described in this book.

Of all the books on adoption reunion, this one is the best for birthmothers because it describes such a range of reunions and issues that can be raised. It was most helpful to me because I read it early in the reunion with my son, when I knew little or nothing about the emotional turmoil I was experiencing, and it allowed me to see a variety of possibilities. Birthmothers never forget their lost children, and this book helps us to see that each of us is not alone. It was a poor social experiment with people's lives, closed adoption. Now it's time to learn its ugly lessons and move on to happier and more productive lives! This book can help birthparents, adoptees, and adoptive parents to see the results of closed adoption.

"Bitita's Diary" by Carolina Maria de Jesus was a very interesting testimonial about a young black girl growing up in Brazil. Bitita had to face many obstacles throughtout her life, beginning in her childhood years. Many people in her onw family would (did) not accept her because of her dark skin and kinky hair. She was not allowed to enter the homes of her mulatto relatives. Bitita was treated different from her brother because he was of a lighter complextion. She was very curious as a child which irritated her mother and older relatives (she would constantly question different theories/aspects of life. As Bitita grew up she found that life was difficult, and she had to work very hard to maintain in society. For example, Bitita was very sick and was had an infection in her leg; yet she still worked on that leg as much as she could until she could not work anymore. In all, this book was a great exapmle of a testimonial. You were able to view the world as Bitita saw it and see the hardships that she had to face throughout her life.

I felt that the book Bitita's Diary by Carolina Maria de Jesus was an excellent testimonial about a young girl growing up in Brazil during the early 1900s. As a young girl living in the favelas near Sacramento, she faced many hardships because of her race, gender, and class. She was discriminated in every which way because she was a women of darker skin who belonged to the lower class. Throughout all the obstacles that she faced in life, she still seemed to conquer the impossible. She recieved an education which helped to succeed in life. I really did enjoy this book because Bitita took you on a journey through her thoughts and feelings. She forced you to endure the suffering that she felt during her hard times, yet she also let you enjoy her happiness during good times. What I also enjoyed about the book is that by it being testimonial it challenges "offical history." Many time there is only one side to the story, but through Bitita's writing, one can see how a young girl of the lower class viewed the Brazilian Revolution of 1930 differently than others.

Bitita's Diary by Carolina Maria de Jesus is a wonderful testimonial depicting the life of a poor, black, Brazilian woman. Bitita takes the reader first hand through her life from a young girl to a mature woman. Most importantly, this book opened my eyes to class, gender, and race relations in Latin America. Not only is Bitita discriminated against because she is black, but she also feels discrimination because she is poor and a woman. Despite her misfortunes and sicknesses, Bitita becomes quite educated (mainly self-taught). Through Carolina Maria de Jesus' style of writing, the reader can see just how spunky and inquisitive of a child Bitita was. The innocence of a child can see truths and wrongs quite easily, unlike us adults. Not only does Bitita question these wrongs - she argues them loudly and openly. For this, I admire Bitita. This book was an easy read because of the author's frankness and honesty. The background settings were well explained which lead to the complete understanding of why Bitita acted the way she did. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Latin American culture, or the plight of gender, class, and race issues.

Jenny and her famous, mystery writer mother go to San Diego for the reading of her rich cousin's will. They weren't expecting a real life murder to happen. Everyone turns to Jenny's mother to find out who was the murderer because she is the famous "mystery solver" that helps the police. She keeps acting in and out of her stories but this is the real deal and it is putting everyone in grave danger. Jenny does all of the real work but her mother takes all of the credit. Will this ruin her career as a mystery writer? This book makes you keep turning the pages to find clues that bring you closer and closer to solve this spine tingling mystery. More suspects appear and Nixon adds love scenes to make a thrilling book. It gives fabulous descriptions and it seems like you are right there witnessing and solving the mystery. This is definitely one of Nixon's best books!

This is abook about a girl named Jenny who has a mom that is a mystery writer and suddenly, at a party, a real murder happens and she decides to be a detective, though she knows nothing about solving crime, so Jenny decides to help her. Together they're able find out a lot, but is it enough to solve the case before the murderer stikes again? I thought this book was very interesting and had a good plot, but Iwas a little dissapointed because it's not scary.

Jenny Jakes and her mother, Madeline Jakes the mystery writer, get invited to their very rich cousin's, Arnold Harmony, reading of his will even though he isn't dead. Right before of the reading will they found out that Porter Harmony, Arnold's son, has been murdered. Jenny's mother decides to help solve the case like a real detective even though she isn't. Just when Madeline and Jenny think they've solved the mystery, something unexpected happens! I liked this book very much. The reason why is because it was suspenseful and it made you keep guessing till the end of the book. It also had no boring parts, it always had action in it. I would give this book 5 star out of 5 stars. Another book that is just as good as this book is Secret, Silent Screams, by Joan Lowery Nixon. It too is very unpredictable and always keeping at the edge of your seat.

in his ability to perceive that a masterpiece of a film could be made from this very mediocre book. The prose oscillates between florid and wooden; the characters are almost all stick figures; the hints of transcendence, mystery, raging currents beneath a calm surface that make the film so powerful are completely absent.

Don't waste your time. Go reread Jane Austen or Patrick O'Brian.

One of the most elegant, evocative novels in Australian literature. Lindsay's prose is exquisite, as is her reconstruction of this era in Australian history. Both the landscape and the figures that move in it, like those stiff individuals in the original painting that inspired the work, make this a striking work. Even minor characters are clearly delineated and highly believable in their interaction (or non-interaction) with the natural world. As in Weir's excellent movie adaptation, the bush becomes a character. Just as fascinating as the inexplicable events themselves are the unfolding patterns that extend outwards from the day of the picnic. Lindsay has an superb eye for detail, and the novel's remarkable intricacy only becomes apparent upon reading and rereading. A quick note, though - this book is most certainly fiction, and anyone searching through newspaper coverage, police records or secondary sources for the 'real' story is bound for disappointment. It never happened (take this from someone who was convinced of its authenticity for years). If in any doubt read the excellent book written about the novel 'The Murders at Hanging Rock' by Yvonne Rousseau who also wrote an essay interpreting the missing chapter in 'The Secret at Hanging Rock'. Rousseau examines the story from several angles and offers interpretations ranging from the mystical to the forensic. She also traces any notable historical events that did happen at the Rock for the period around the turn of the century - about the only mysterious event was the death of a man in a fall (from memory, the mystery was what happened to his pocketbook).

Having seen Peter Weir's film before reading Joan Lindsay's novel it
is difficult for me to review the book without referring to the film.
The film leaves out some details from the novel but both convey the
same sense of beauty, horror and loss, longing and haunting. We are
told on the book's cover that the story is based around a St
Valentine's day picnic in 1900, and the disappearance of some of the
picnic party.

Picnic at Hanging Rock is Joan Lindsay's only work of
fiction, although its many themes are firmly based on reality. The
story covers the loss of youth, beauty and innocence; love and
sexuality; discrimination, prejudice and class privilege; fear,
passion and the breakdown of order; the English Empire in a foreign
environment, the clash of alien cultures, and the end of an era;
beliefs and life's purpose; life's myriad web and coincidences;
destiny and fate; and Time itself, reflected in Miranda's favourite
quote "Everything begins and ends at exactly the right time and
place".

Joan Lindsay's descriptions of the Australian bush and
wildlife are as evocative as Russell Boyd's cinematography. The style
and language of her writing is deliberate to emulate turn-of-the 20th
century writers.

The girls images were already imprinted on my mind
when I read the book and the casting in the film seemed to me perfect,
especially that of Anne Louise Lambert as Miranda and Karen Robson as
Irma. Joan Lindsay described Mademoiselle Dianne de Poitiers, the
French teacher and the girls' confidante, as having blond hair, yet
the casting of the excellent Helen Morse was inspired.

Joan Lindsay
describes Miranda as a Botticelli Angel from the Galleria Degli Uffizi
in Florence, and Peter Weir specifically uses the image of the birth
of Venus. Miranda is all knowing and shows compassion to Sara and
Edith the least popular girl's at the school. Anne Louise Lambert's
portrayal of Miranda with her ethereal beauty and enigmatic smile
captures the vision perfectly, and is reminiscent of the knowing smile
on the death mask of the famous "L'Inconnue de la Seine", who
coincidentally died around 1900 in Paris.

The story's many strands
are reflected by the girl's layers of virginal white dress
representing suppression and restriction, with gloves, stockings and
shoes being shed by the more enlightened girls on their ascent of the
rock. Peter Weir used several techniques to convey the many layers of
the story including shots into mirrors as into another
dimension.

Joan Lindsay made a literary mistake which Cliff Green
repeated in the film script - Felicia Hemanes' famous Victorian
recital piece is "Casabianca" (about the Battle of The Nile),
and not "The Wreck of the Hesperus" (the captain ties his
daughter to the mast to save her from the storm which eventually sinks
the ship) which is by Henry Longfellow. Discrimination is shown by
Mrs Appleyard against Sara (an orphan) who is punished for not
learning the poem, by being kept back from the picnic, whereas clearly
Irma cannot remember it (on the picnic she can only quote the first
line) but her family's wealth and her position as heiress obviously
carry influence.

The importance of time and place are shown in that
Joan Lindsay based the location of her story on Hanging Rock near
mount Macedon in Victoria, which is a sacred Aboriginal site. To
provide added authenticity Peter Weir filmed at the rock during the
same six weeks of summer. Aboriginals believe time is not linear and
Joan Lindsay refused to have clocks in her home, hence the title of
her autobiography "Time Without Clocks". At Hanging Rock both
Mr Hussey's and Miss McCraw's watches stopped at twelve o'clock.
14 February 1900 actually fell on a Wednesday, not a Saturday, unless =
Joan Lindsay used the Julian calendar instead of the Gregorian, so that =
the eleven days were not lost? The open endedness of the novel
is deliberate to mirror life where we may learn or uncover some
secrets but never understand the mystery. Plenty of clues and
coincidences are related, together with unexplained details such as
the absence of scratches to Irma's bare feet, yet identical injuries
appear on her and Michael's heads, very reminiscent of the
X-Files.

This is a very thought provoking and inspiring story that
will haunt you. I find the book and the film compliment each other
exceptionally well, so if you haven't already done so I urge you to
also seek out the film.

Didion's writing is as tight and sharp as ever, but in all honesty, this book isn't going to tell you anything that you don't already know. Her premise is that politics in America are no longer about the "common man" and that politicians are woefully out of touch with the constinuents that they serve. In this day and age, is news that government agencies lie to the public, cover up events, and work to find scapegoats big news to anyone? I can't imagine that it is. And ditto for the revelation that most politicans are willing to do and say whatever is necessary to get elected. I admire Didion's voice as well her ability to structure her work, but this book is best for die-hard political junkies or for younger people who want to get a real look at how government works.

No one really wants to read Didion's perceptive take on partisan politics and the theatricality of the entire political process during trying, uncertain times such as these. Nevertheless, Didion shines here. She's at the top of her form -- her lean, angry prose illuminating the horrors of the United States intervention in the El Salvadorian civil war, the odd rise to power of the odd Newt Gingrich, the bewildering Reagan presidency. Though she's very much a leftie, the nature of this inquiry is into all things political, and Dukakis as much as Bush is a target for Didion's scorn. Didion is an incredible writer and a capable thinker and in general we need more political books of this ilk -- books that aspire to illuminate, educate, not obfuscate.

The convoluted Didion style bemoaned by a couple of reviewers here deserves a few words in its defense. The syntax, highly distinctive and mannered, is also steady and navigable once you get used to it. The quotations pulled by reviewer Peter Metzler as examples of poor writing were readable to me. I got the Hillary Clinton paragraph the first time because I'm familiar with Didion's framework, and I am also familiar with the topic she is writing about. Her style, slightly impatient in its way of throwing all the parts at you at once, demands that you keep up with it. I mean, all these essays are about delving into the buzzing "ether" of Washington and tracking (and trying to nail down) the coded language churning out of it. I'd be throwing things, too.

If you read Joan Didion's essays from the early part of her career, working forward, you can trace the peculiar manner as it emerges out of a mind insistent that empirical data lacks meaning, complex structures are always rotting, and writing is ultimately futile. What remains in the ruins is this highly deliberate, manicured style that is, above all, trustworthy-for the reader and the "migrainous, crabby" writer. Words are never out of place in Didion's prose. Her famous style gels during the period of "Miami" and "Sentimental Journeys"- her two masterpieces.

I wouldn't recommend Political Fictions to a new reader or someone unfamiliar with the players in Washington. There is a shift in these recent collected writings towards a kind of experimentally casual use of language within the syntax, where the author, comfortable with her method, relaxes the grip on her pen. The effect is thrilling for some of us, and apparently a chore for others.

I was looking forward to reading this book from cover to cover in one sitting but it was impossible to do. This book is certainly not the "best" of lesbian erotica. I would suggest that the editors cast a wider net than they have done to see what they catch. The experience and focus were too narrow, story structures too hackneyed, definitely not new. There were two stories that were exceptions that saves my rating from dropping to zero. It was a disappointing collection. The editors must try to step out more often into the world to see what and where truly innovative writing is happening and bring it to us.

Every taste seems to be covered in this book. It was fun to simply open the book and pick a new story...you don't know where you will be led but most of the stories take you to a new and fun place your mind dares not to admit.

This book was the best book that I have ever read! Second to, "The Old Man and The Sea." I found it very erotifying. The pictures are fantastic, so are the articles. They are chalk full of sexxy details..and naughty secrets! It has succeeded to fulfill my cravings!

A young man and woman are brutally stabbed to death in their tent while camping in beautiful surroundings beside a river in the mountains of Sweden. Though a number of people were in the area at the time, no one has apparently seen or knows anything and the crime remains unsolved for years.

Bleak, slow moving who-done-it style mystery sent in a remote area of Sweden, this book is a compelling read because of its characters. As well as being a complex crime novel, an intricate puzzle with clues to be picked up along the way, this is also a psychological thriller exploring the depths of human depression. The theme of this story is loneliness & being the outsider - Johan is an outsider in his own family, the Starhill community is apart from the regular country people, Annie is outside the school community she teaches in, the Lapps are outside mainstream Swedish society, and Birger is the ultimate symbol of aloneness.

This was my 2nd reading of this novel and was most helpful, the novel is so disjointed with several plot lines that this time I noticed so many more clues along the way. Events take place over years, eventually the different threads come together. I really enjoyed this book but more because of the all too realistic characters & the vivid detailed descriptions of the landscape than the actual crime plot.

This is a must-read.

Blackwater is a beautifully plotted thriller. It does what all good thrillers should do: it uses the mystery of a brutal crime to explore deeper, darker mysteries.

I came to the book having read Ekman's The Forest of Hours, a novel which shares with Blackwater an obsession with time, memory and survival. Above all, Kerstin Ekman evokes the forces of nature with exquisite detail and passion. She is a writer of stature. We need more of her novels in English.

During a holiday in 1994 visiting Oslo and Bergen I was given a gift of "Miss Smilla's Feeling For Snow" (F. David Translation). I finished it on my flight back to San Francisco and felt the utter void experienced after reading a book that one feels shall not have any peer. Fortunately, I was wrong. It took only two years to find "Blackwater" and Kerstin Ekman. Blackwater is a novel of vast human perception blending fatalistic destiny and paganism along with basic Sherlock Holmes sleuthing all set against a sometimes desolate, but beautiful and lonely landscape that conceals a constant undercurrent of emotional arousal. An aura of mystery and suspense surrounds each and every highly descriptive locale within the novel from the initial murder site in the woods to a secret mountain hideaway along the Norwegian border to an apartment in Stockholm and many others along the way. This has to be one of the finest novels that I have ever read regardless of genre.

This is a clear and excellent introduction to how Frege developed the ideas that he did. Until I read this short book, I knew of Frege only from his essay, "Sense and Reference", and from remarks by other writers. In Ms. Weiner's book the steps Frege took to found modern logic are laid out in an interesting and easy to follow fashion. A background in logic is not essential, though a curiosity in how modern logic developed is essential.

Frege's importance and significant contributions to philosophy are no doubt very much unappreciated by many who are interested in philosophy, but I think that books like this will make him more accessible to the public. If you want to find out why Frege has been compared to Aristotle in importance, how his ideas re-fashioned the science of logic, how he laid the foundation for the philosophy of language and helped to overthrow misguided attempts at epistemology that originated with Descartes, then this is for you.

This is an interesting introduction to Gottlob Frege's philosophical journey. From his pondering on numbers to his insights into what makes language meaningful to his revolutionizing logic, Frege deserves recognition for achievements that have had a marked influence on philosophy.

This book is an introduction, but is not necessarily easy. However, neither is it a daunting task to read. It is a crisp, clear, and interesting adventure right in tune with the other Past Master books.

I believe this book is a well written introduction to Frege and I see no reasons to think that it is not lucid. The chapters are organized in such a way that the reader is lead through the gradual progression of Frege's thought and Joan Weiner explains Frege in a very simple and popular manner. I believe this was her intention. She never pretends to be giving the reader a detailed analysis or an utterly clear key into the Begriffschrift, Grundlagen or the Basic Laws. Instead she narrates Frege's story to the reader and explains some of the basic concepts of philosophical analysis. This is an important task, because it gives the philosophy student of say ethics, existentialism or politics insight into one of modernity's greatest thinkers without assuming technical knowledge of first order logic. Anthony Kenney's book is more difficult than this one and I would not recommend it to the purely casual reader, although one could read it after this one, if one so desired.