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This book is another in a tired line of works on the sixties based on repititious mythologies and platitudes. It's useful if you are looking for some form of validation; however, one would be better off sticking to VH1.
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Nonetheless, despite his intrinsically fascinating character, Rolfe should be approached first through Hadrian the Seventh, and not directly through The Quest for Corvo--if only because then the reader will be following in the biographer's footsteps.
As for the content of the biography, I found its wayward structure refreshing, but confusing, especially with regard to the author's depictions and analyses of Rolfe's literary output. A bibliography or chronology would have been quite helpful. Also, echoing other reviewers, Symons's reluctance to speak at length about Rolfe's homosexuality (especially the elements that might still be considered deviant today) leaves too much of Rolfe's character and contemporary reactions to him concealed.
Very strange places indeed! Symons began reading "Hadrian the Seventh," a book written by Frederick Rolfe, also known as Baron Corvo, and originally published in 1904, and quickly felt "that interior stir with which we all recognize a transforming new experience." Symons went on to spend the next eight years of his life tracking down the details of the life and writings of Baron Corvo, one of the most eccentric, original and enigmatic English writers of the last one hundred years. The result was "The Quest for Corvo: An Experimental Biography," a fascinating book that has been in- and out-of-print since its first publication in 1934 and has enjoyed a literary cult following akin to that of the text ("Hadrian the Seventh") and the author (Rolfe, aka Corvo) that originally inspired it.
As one reads "The Quest for Corvo," it seems that Symon's text represents the outermost of three concentric circles of eccentricity.
The innermost, core circle is "Hadrian the Seventh," a strange and imaginative novel that tells the story of an impoverished, eccentric and seemingly paranoid writer and devotee of the Roman Catholic faith, George Arthur Rose. Rose, a brilliant, self-taught man whose candidacy for the priesthood had been rejected twenty years earlier, is unexpectedly approached one day by a Cardinal and a Bishop who have been made aware of his devotion and his shameful treatment by the Church. Rose is ordained and ultimately becomes the first English Pope in several hundred years. While a work of fiction, Symons' biographical investigations disclose that much of the story of "Hadrian the Seventh" closely parallels the life of its strange author, Frederick Rolfe.
The second circle of eccentricity is, of course, the life of Frederick Rolfe, Baron Corvo, himself. It is the telling of this life that occupies Symons in "The Quest for Corvo," and the result is a fascinating, if perhaps not always historically accurate, detective story cum biography. Starting with his obsessive search for information on Rolfe and his meetings and correspondence with those who knew him, Symons brilliantly recreates a life-the life of a strangely talented artist, photographer, historian, and writer who led a life of seemingly paranoid desperation, ultimately dying impoverished in Venice at the age of forty-five.
The third, outermost circle is the eccentricity of the author of the "Quest for Corvo," A. J. A. Symons, a founder of The Wine and Food Society of England, a collector of music boxes, and a master at card tricks and the art of forgery. Like Corvo himself, Symons died at an early age-he was only forty years old-and his life and his book is seemingly as eccentric as its subject.
"The Quest for Corvo" is one of those little gems that deserve a cherished, if perhaps minor, place in English literature and the literature of biography. Happily, it is back in print again, courtesy of New York Review Books. Read it, and then read "Hadrian the Fourth" (also brought back into print by NYRB) for a fascinating turn in the world of the imaginative and the eccentric.
This edition features a beautiful cover and paper stock (as do all NYRB editions) and an intelligent and thoughtful introduction (which, unfortunately, they do not always).
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In order to understand the repeated failure of the peace process, one must understand the Palestinian perspective. This author crafts an articulate and well referenced description of how Palestinian frustration, anger, and hopelessness have been fueled by Israeli actions. This book asserts that the Oslo Peace accords have exacerbated the on-going problems and presents a view of Palestinian life within the restrictions imposed on building, work, and travel within Israel. As a relatively neutral observer to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I found it very helpful to have the Palestinian perspective described so succinctly and articulately.
The final chapter of this book provides recommendations of possible options for future resolution of the conflict. This chapter was the highlight of the book and will assist me in understanding the success or failure of future efforts.
A note about perspectives and bias. The author is clearly impassioned and highly critical of Israel and its leaders. Nonetheless, I found Absence of Peace to be well referenced and credible. For example, most of the criticisms of Israeli leaders are supported by direct quotes from these leaders that have been published in newspapers. Each chapter concludes with 3-10 pages of footnotes. I also cross-referenced some of the allegations made against the Israeli security forces with Amnesty International reports and found them to be consistent. However, it is clear that this book presents solely the Palestinian perspective. For example, the author is repeatedly critical of the limitations imposed on Palestinian travel, but never acknowledges that Palestinian suicide bombers have at least some causal responsibility in these Israeli actions. It is very likely that this book will enrage readers who hold staunchly Zionist or pro-Israeli perspectives.
Overall, Absence of Peace is a readable and important book. It provides an understanding of Palestinian perspectives on the Oslo Peace Accords that also informs the reader's understanding of the broader issues within Israel and Palestine.
In my view, the value of Guyatt's analysis of the conflict in the Middle East inheres in its thoughtful exposure of the notable illegitimacy of the Israeli government's actions; the bad faith in which it conducts peace negotiations; and the contribution that international organizations like the United Nations make to the continuing violation of Palestinian human rights under the Israeli regime.
I recommend this book very highly to anyone wanting an honest and illuminating account of the situation in the Middle East since Oslo.
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Readers of chapter 3 (p34) strained to understand how a fire could creep along a low incline rather than flame upward. They were told this was due to the "...so-called colander effect, whereby jets stick to walls." If they were imagining some sort of sieve, they were mislead. The effect which causes fluid jets to bend around gentle curves is properly called the Coanda effect, named after a hydraulics theoretician.
A few other minor errors like a "Kray-2" supercomputer mar the account, which is otherwise good reading.
I was happy to see a chapter discounting the widespread belief that crowds of people tend to panic in fires.
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If I could return this book, I would.
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This would be a good field guide for someone about 8 years old.
I used "Spiders and Their Kin" to tentatively identify the mangled remains of the spider as a small Brown Recluse ('Loxosceles reclusa'). Just in case I needed to go see my doctor, I put the spider into a baggie and froze it. Luckily, my forehead didn't dissolve---according to the Levis, "In severe cases...the wound grows deeper and does not heal for several months."
At any rate, "Spiders and Their Kin" is a handy book to have around. I bought a copy for my sister when she found what she thought was a Black Widow in her garage, and I also got a copy for myself in order to identify the gigantic black and yellow spider that was hanging head-down in my Japanese Spiraea (it was---or maybe I should say, she was a Black and Yellow Argiope ('A. aurantia').
When I first bought this book, just looking at the cover made me itch. However, it is filled with fascinating little tidbits about Arachnids and their kin. I used to think that Hairy Mygalomorphs were the ugliest spiders on Earth (most especially the ones with ten inch leg spans), but now my vote goes to the Pirate Spiders ('Mimetidae'). Luckily, they are small spiders (4 - 6 mm), so you would have to use a magnifying glass to get the full impact of one of these hairy little dudes.
It is really rather impolite of me to make fun of 'Mimetidae,' since they help beautify my backyard by eating other spiders. According to the authors:
"Pirate Spiders invade webs of other spiders. The slow-moving Pirate Spider bites the web owner, which is quickly paralyzed and sucked dry through the legs, one after another."
Sounds like someone dining on crab legs.
The only fault I can find with "Spiders and Their Kin" is that it doesn't go into enough detail on the individual species and subspecies of Arachnids. And that's not a fair criticism to make, since Golden Nature Guides are meant to be used for quick identification, not detailed research.
Now, I've got to work up my courage, venture outside, and try to identify that big brown spider that has built her web from the house electrical line down to the clematis beside the porch door. Her abdomen is wider than it is long, she has striped legs, and she only comes out after dark...
By the way, "Spiders and their Kin" has a useful chapter on 'Collecting Spiders.' If you're an arachnophobe like I am, learning more about these critters might be the quickest way to cure yourself.
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we then gave the book to a family friend whos daughter had good grades but did poorly on the mcats. after reading the book and following the sugestions she was accepted by 4 medical schools.
The book really worked, twice.It is best to read thye book in your Freshman year.