In the hands of a greater author, or perhaps if Grisham had paid as much attention to some aspects of the book as to others, this could have been a truly powerful piece of work. The subject itself is fascinating: a black man takes the lives of his little daughter's rapists in the heart of the Deep South, where justice is still tainted by color. After reading the book, however, I couldn't help but feel that Grisham missed the mark somewhere.

I was amused when I saw that this book was required reading for an introductory Afro-American history class at my college. First of all, this book is not about a black father avenging his daughter. The book is about a white lawyer who braves the dangers and hatred of his peers to defend that father. In essence, the book ends up being a far weaker, more contemporary version of To Kill a Mockingbird. Anyone who expects otherwise will be disappointed. The black characters in the novel are secondary and painted in very broad strokes: Carl Lee Hailey at times appears to be a slow-witted oaf, his wife Gwen is a subservient black woman, and the black preachers are all stereotyped. Tonya Hailey is perhaps the strongest black character, and well-so. The opening scene of her rape is vivid and heart-rending, and Grisham portrays her later suffering throughout the book in a manner that is poignantly real.

Still, the white characters end up being decidedly stronger than the black. Jake Brigance, the lawyer, is the noble white knight who risks all to save the black man from the Klan, rednecks, and the closet racists of Clanton, Mississippi. His wife is quiet, proud, and believable in her concern for her husband. Ellen Roark, the law student who aids Brigance in his defense of Hailey, is brilliant and vibrant. After the initial rape and murder of the two rednecks, the focus shifts mainly on the whites and the blacks are reduced to cameo roles.

My biggest gripe about the book is the glib manner in which Grisham handles his subject. At times the novel seems to be almost frivolous in content. Harry Rex Vonner, Lucien Wilbanks, Rufus Buckley, and even Judge Noose are all cartoonish and rarely exhibit human depth. The word 'nigger' is used constantly and, at times, unnecessarily, particularly among the more liberal white characters in the novel. There is almost too much humor for a subject of this importance, especially in some of the dialogue. Comic relief is understandably needed in a novel this intense, but Grisham overdoes it.

Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad book at all. Grisham's breezy writing style makes for a comfortable read, and it is admittedly a page-turner. When he takes his subject matter seriously, he shines. The reader can feel Tonya's pain and sympathize with Carl Lee's justifiable wrath. The trials that Jake Brigance undergoes to defend Carl Lee are vivid and well-told, and his closing argument is perhaps the high point of the entire story. The diverging sentiments of the residents of Clanton both for and against Carl Lee are also well-described. Still, these moments are too few and far between. This is one instance when I can definitely say I thought the movie was more powerful than the book. The black characters and white characters are presented more on an even level and it makes a stronger statement about race and justice in this country. The book, while showing a lot of promise, ends up falling short of what it could have been. Like many other contemporary novels it fails to achieve any real depth, and the characters fail to linger with you after you've put it down. Still, if you are looking for an entertaining read, don't hesitate to pick up this book. Just don't expect it to make you think overlong about real race issues facing this country.

In the rural town of Clanton, Mississippi, Tonya Hailey, a ten-year-old, girl is brutally raped by two drunken young men. The men are arrested, but before their trial, the girl's father, Carl Lee, takes justice into his own hands with an M-16 rifle. In John Grisham's best selling novel, A Time To Kill, Carl Lee's attorney and friend, Jake Brigance, must come up with a plausible defense in order to save his clients life. After all, some might consider Carl Lee's actions completely justified. There's one serious problem however--Carl Lee is black, and the two men he murdered were white. This doesn't fly in the moderately racist county, and soon the Ku Klux Klan is threatening Jake's life. Grisham's novel is wonderfully gripping. At 515 pages, it may seem a bit intimidating to some, but the action and development is constant. I myself generally prefer a quick read, but there is so much fascinating depth to this story that I had no problem with reading it over the course of a few weeks. Granted, it was so powerful I would have loved to just sit down and read it straight through, if only I had the free time. I would recommend this book to almost everyone, as it is truly a remarkable book. If you are a southerner who is easily offended by being considered racist, you may have some qualms with this book. Other than that, I can think of little reason for anyone to not read it.

Finally, A Time to Kill, John Grisham's first novel, is a feature length movie. I just read this book, but I knew it was realeased in 1989. I'm only thirteen, and this was my first Grisham book. In this story, Grisham hits us with a subject that most might not like to discuss: child rape. Ten-year old Tonya Hailey is brutally raped and almost killed by two drunken rednecks; perhaps the saddest and hardest part to get through with the addition of little Tonya's dream of her father running to get her. After this horrid crime is committed, Tonya's father, Carl Lee exacts vengeance on the two rednecks, and kills them. He is put on trial, and lawyer Jake Brigance is introduced to us. He takes Carl Lee's case and must face his hated enemy, Rufus Buckley, in court. The days leading to the trial are filled with KKK threats, riots between blacks and the KKK, and several other chills and spills. Finally, the trial comes and the small town of Clanton, where the trial is held, is occupated by journalists, soldiers, KKK members, and thousands of blacks, as they all wait for the verdict on the edge of their seats..

I have to admit that this book, like most of Ms. Garwood's books have very similar characters. Her perference of 'huge' and outwardly grumpy hero and small and femine heroine are evident once again in this book. However, this book is still exciting, fun, loving and beautifully written. Through reading the book, you see the transformation of Lady Johanna from a timid, scared girl into a courage, smart young woman. Her suffering at the hands of her ex-husband and ex-priest was extremely sad and painful to read. Gabriel is the biggest teddy bear among all of Ms. Garwood's heros. He was allowed to believe that he is in total control of the marriage all throughout the book which created a lot of funny circumstances. All of the supporting characters, brother, first-in-commands, son.. etc are all well written and had great personalities. I also love the scenes related to how the clan tried to please Johanna and behave themselves. This is a great book... the storey is cohensive and moved along at a good pace. It is always refreshing to read a romance novel that the hero and heroine are not consistently misunderstanding each other and at each other's throat. Their acceptance of their marriage and great sex is also great in the story. If you have never read a Garwood book, this one you should definitely pick up.

All I can say is WOW!! I'm already a Garwood fan, but if I wasn't this book would have made me one! This is her best I've read, passionate, tender, interesting, and exciting! I wasn't so sure about the battered woman thing, it's kind of depressing and not what you want to concentrate on when you think romance, but Johanna was able to have a frightening past and still be full of spirit. Her initial timidity was well done and realistic, and so is the way Gabriel draws her fire out of her. I didn't think it got any better than Brodick in Ransom, or Connor in the Wedding, but Gabriel is my all time favorite Garwood hero! Her men always struggle w/ being too manly for love, but this time the hero realizes it before the heroine, and not only accepts it, but fights to make it two-sided!! What an awesome guy, can I take him home w/ me? I would have liked to hear more about Nicholas and Clare though. Awesome book, Julie Garwood fans, snatch this one up!!

I was first introduced to Julie Garwood after skimming through an excerpt of MERCY in the Cosmopolitan magazine. After reading that book, I read HEARTBREAKER. Then, I embarked upon reading her historical titles.

As always, Garwood writes a tale about love, passion, and intrigue. SG takes place in the Highlands of medieval Scotland. The novel is truly captivating - for its memorable story, well-depicted characters, and excellent writing. Out of all the handsome, powerful, arrogant, and gallant heroes that grace the historical romance world, Scottish Laird Gabriel MacBain is by far my most favorite warrior. He is a tender and passionate lover. Unlike many heroes, he does not torment himself, or struggle with the fact that he actually loves his wife! He accepts Johanna for who she is; he welcomes her love with open arms; and he protects her with all his might. Lady Johanna is wonderfully crafted as the golden-haired English beauty. Of course, she's clever, strong-willed, loyal, and absolutely devoted to MacBain. Together, they make one of Garwood's most beloved couples. I cherish SG, because it's the first historical romance novel that I ever read. I believe it's a definite must-have for all romance readers alike.

I have read all of Ms. Garwood's books, except PRINCE CHARMING, COME THE SPRING, THE ROSE TRILOGY, KILLJOY, and A GIRL NAMED SUMMER. Her ability to entertain readers with her wonderful prose style is invaluable to the literary world. She's a masterful storyteller. After reading this book, I highly recommend that you read HONOR'S SPLENDOR, THE LION'S LADY, THE BRIDE, THE SECRET, and RANSOM. All of her books are great and very entertaining, but these 4 represent her best works.

This could very well be the most engaging story with the most ridiculous premise that I have ever read. The tagline might read: Everyone goes blind in a world ravaged by man eating plants! It sounds like a sixties B horror film... oh yeah, it was made into a sixties B horror film. Somehow, John Wyndham pulls it off. Bill Masen serves as our eyes in this blind world, and tells the tale of his life with total believability. The meteor shower event that causes the blindness and the appearance of the carnivous triffid plants are both explained in such a way as to be convincing. Of course, as is often the case with end of the world stories, the actual end of the world serves only as a setting for how the remaining characters will now interact. How will they live? What will they use for food? Will they develope into a new type of society? Wyndam's end of the world tool works better than most. Having helpless masses of blind people around raises some pretty serious ethical questions that can be related to many real problems in the here and now. And the triffids, they make the task of reinvinting the world just a little bit harder.

In "The Day of the Triffids", characters grow and express better than in most science fiction novels. Family, love, fidelity, loyalty, and forgiveness are all deftly handled here, and not preachily. The triffids are ever present in the backdrop to the other grander themes.

Wyndham, I believe, is going through somewhat of a resurgence, as "The Midwhich Cuckoo's" and "The Day of the Triffids" will both soon be availble in new less pulpy formats. In their new guise, perhaps they will attract some new readers.

My only criticism concerns that trick that writers use to set up an unbelievable event. We see it all the time in the movies: before the truck explodes, they show us a gas leak. That way, when the truck does explode, we not only know why, but we see it as something that was likely to happen. Wyndam uses this tactic to excess, right down to a conversation Bill has with a coworker about how the triffids sure would be deadly to a blind person. "We can see and they can't. Take away that, and the superiority is gone." That's a somewhat unneccesary foundation, and not the only one of its kind. But in a novel with this monstrosity of a bizarre setting, it is a forgivable mistake to make.

John Wyndham was the pseudonym of John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris (1903-1969). This novel is regarded as one of the classics of science fiction literature and was made into a film in 1963 (poorly made). The book was runnerup for the 1952 International Fantasy Award. It is one of the classic examples of the "disaster novel;" or, more specifically, the sub-genre referred to as the "cozy catastrophe" in which a world-wide disaster is depicted in such a manner that the reader doesn't feel too upset and roots for the main character to overcome all odds. This novel set the pattern for many later novels of other authors: a disaster occurs, a large city is depopulated, panic develops, bravery is seen in the main characters, and a small core of individuals strive to build a foundation from which mankind can reestablish his position. (The synopsis given above with the publisher's comments is wrong. Wyndham is not the father of the disaster nove. There were several prior to 1951.) In this particular story, a series of green showers from a comet's tail (we are later told that this may have been a weapon in orbit that had been accidentally set off by an Earth government) cause most of Earth's inhabitants to become blind. Only the few who didn't see the showers (such as the main character Bill Mason who was in a hospital) can see. Later, a plague (possibly originating from a biological weapon) kills many survivors. But, the main malevolent force in the novel are the triffids: carniverous plants that can walk. Bill Mason believes these plants to have been genetically engineered by the Soviet Union and were accidentally released. Now that mankind is blind, the triffids "day" has come. The word "triffid," first used in this novel, has even gotten into the English language as a term describing any malevolent or obnoxious plant.

My first introduction to The Day of the Triffids was watching the BBC series as a child. I was terrified. Many years later I opened the book and discovered John Wyndham. Having read all his books I rate this one right at the top.

Like his other titles, the reader is immediately immersed in the "what if" world that Wyndham creates. The protagonist, Bill Mason is one of the few people in the world not sent blind by a meteor shower. To compound his situation earth is taken over by Triffids; walking, man eating plants, biological abominations created by you guessed it, humans. Our hero must flee the death and depravity of London and attempt to start a new life not only for himself but for humankind.

A battle for survival of the fittest is dramatically played out with the winner changing constantly. Some themes that I found interesting included the struggle for man to again dominate over nature and the effect of a cataclysmic event on human inter-relations.

This book is classic Science Fiction but I also like think of it as Horror without gore.

Steinbeck tells the story of WW II without ever telling the reader where the story takes place and who is fighting. Throughout the masterful novel, Steinbeck weaves the narrative of the Nazis and the common people who are defending their town together. Mayor Orden, the mayor of the occupied town, shows true leadership and is a true hero at the end of the novel. I think I was impressed most of all by Orden. Orden made me realize we should all have as much courage as he did to beat the enemy. Definitely a must read even if war novels don't appeal to you.

I imagine many people who read this book don't realize that Steinbeck wrote "The Moon is Down" as a vehicle for propaganda. It was translated into many languages and distributed throughout the world. The original setting was a small town in the United States, but William "Wild Bill" Donovan of the OSS and others felt it would be too horrific for the people of the United States so soon after World War II so Steinbeck changed the setting to an unnamed northern European country. Steinbeck did considerable research on resistance in occupied countries and found that though the countries had different histories, cultures, languages, etc., the most successful methods of resisting and fighting the enemy were the same everywhere: the method he portrays in "The Moon is Down." Students who choose to read this book for a school assignment will really impress their teachers if they note that the title is a phrase from Shakespeare's "MacBeth." (Be sure to find the source in the play--I'm not going to give you everything!)

It is the middle of the war, and the enemy has invaded a small country. In one small town, the occupation begins, and the antagonism with it. The enemy commander would like the town to submit quietly, the enemy troops would like to go home, and the townspeople would like the troops to go home as well. As the occupation continues, the hostility between sides mounts, until finally it manifests itself with tragic results. Steinbeck's examination of the effects of war on both the aggressor and the occupied is possibly the best example of his understanding of human nature. Steinbeck has an instinctive feel for real human emotion and interaction, and he puts it to use here. The growing unrest among the enemy troops, the festering anger and rebellion among the townspeople, and the transformation of simple people into heroes are all portrayed with stunning insight and feeling. This story means as much now as it did during World War II, when it was written, translated, and circulated to every corner of the resistance. It will endure as a triumph of the human spirit over captivity.

This book is short, but it seems to plod along. It feels forced, as though Steinbeck was straining to write about normal people when possibly he couldn't relate to them anymore. The characters are O.K. But nothing like the characters in the other books I have read by him thus far: Grapes, Eden, Cannery and the Pearl. Basically I was disappointed. However, I will still seek out more Steinbeck to read since most of the other works I have mentioned were so monumental. Every writer is allowed a dud here and there, especially one who has such an amazing track record.

"The Winter of our Discontent" was published in 1961, just before Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize in 1962. The story is set in the late 1950s in New Baytown, a small (fictitious) New York -New England town which, Steinbeck tells us, had flourished during the whaling days of the mid-19th century. The main protagonist of the book is Ethan Allen Hawley. Ethan ("eth" to his friends is descended from early pirates and whaling captains. His family had lost its capital through speculative business ventures during WW II and Ethan, with has backround and his Harvard education, is reduced to working as a clerk in a small grocery store he once owned. Marullo, an Italian immigrant, owns the store and calls Ethan "kid".

For a short novel, the book includes a wealth of characters, many of which I found well described. There is Ethan's wife Mary who is impatient with the family's impoverished lots and eager for Ethan's economic success as well as the couple's two children, Allen, who is writing an essay called "Why I Love America" and the sexually precocious daughter Ellen. We meet the town banker, Mr. Baker, a bank clerk and a friend of Ethan's, Margie Young-Hunt, twice married and the town seductress, and Danny Taylor, Ethan's childhood friend who has thrown away a career of promise and become a drunk.

The book describes the deteriorations of Ethan's life as he gradually loses his integrity and succumbs to temptations to lift his life, and the lives of his family members, from its materially humble state to a state consistent with Ethan's felt family heritage and education and with the desire of his family for material comfort. The story is sad and told in a style mixing irony and ambiguity that requires the reader to reflect and dig into what is happening. The story ends on a highly ambiguous note with Ethan's future left in doubt.

The book describes well the lessening of American standards and values. The book seems to attribute the loss to an increasing passion for commercial and economic success among all people in the United States. Juxtaposed with the economic struggle are pictures of, in steinbeck's view, what America was and what it could struggle to be. I think the images are found in religion (much of the story is, importantly, set around Good Friday and Easter and these holidays figure preminently in the book), and in America's political and cultural heritage. In the old town of
New Baytown, America's history figures prominently with speeches from American statesment such as Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and Abraham Lincoln tucked (suggestively) in the family attic. The book is set against a backround of New England whaling and reminds the reader inevitably of a culture that produced Melville and a work of the caliber of Moby Dick.

The most convincing scenes of the book for me were those where Ethan ruminates his life in his own mind and compulsively walks the streets of New Baytown at night. I was reminded of Robert Frost, a poet of New England and his poem "Acquainted with the Night" which begins:

"I have been one acquainted with the night.
I have walked out in rain -- and back in rain.
I have outwalked the furthest city light."

Steinbeck captures much of the spirit of this wonderful poem.

The plot of the book seems contrived at is climax and depends too much on coincidence. The characters, and their inward reflections on themselves, the descriptions, the setting, and the theme of the book, mingled between a love for our country and a sense of despair, make the book memorable.

Steinbeck comes forth with his usual superb character development as expected. What was unexpected was how relevant his question remains today. Is everyone dishonest in business? Is that what it takes? What happens to an honest man when he tries to get ahead?

The story is set in the typical small American town. If you have ever watched small town politics, you know the cast. Except for Ethan. He is unique because he is honest. He is also "a failure" because he is honest. He has a wonderful wife - never openly begrudging and always accomodating. But then he has two kids, both of whom want to know why he isn't rich or when he will be. They are the future, as children naturally are and the question plays out between them too. Then there is Margie. Like a carbon copy of the perfect wife, she is the perfect "confidant" if you get my drift. As a woman, the contrast between them begs study. But it also pushes the fidelity angle too as Steinbeck goes into her relationships with various men. Like Young Goodman Brown (Hawthorne, I think) who goes to meet the Devil fearing what various people would think only to find out that they are all already there, Hawley questions of morality go there too.

But the true grit of this, for me, is the honesty factor. When being asked by his family when he will be rich, one of his responses is that there are two kinds of money - no money and not enough. It will never be enough. At what point do you stop "bending the rules". Do you "bend the rules" to get a house and security and then behave as an honest and decent man? Or do you then have the "not enough" kind of money and have to keep going. Is to be rich necessarily to be dishonest? And in the return to honesty and decency, will the money be lost?

This is an excellent book - and always will be. As long as we keep doing things we wouldn't "normally" do to make money, i.e. trade off our family and values to do this or do that. Are we being who we want to be? Are we striving to be the best spouse, neighbor, parent or does business come first? And, if so, why? Is that really success?

The novel The White Mountains is a science fiction story written by John Christopher. The setting in The White Mountains is England, the English channel, France, and the Alps. The main character is an English boy named Will Parker, and the minor characters are his cousin Henry Parker and a French boy named "Zhan-pole," whom Will and Henry call Beanpole. The world described in the novel has many differences from our world today. In many ways, it is like our past around hundred years ago. There are no cars, planes, glasses and only very primitive trains. Humans have less technology and are mostly farmers. In this time humans are ruled by colossal mechanical machines called "Tripods," which have very advanced technology. Humans don't question the Tripods because they are "capped." Being capped is a process where the Tripod picks up the human and puts a metal half sphere on his or her head, causing the human to lose a little of his or her individuality. These differences are what makes the book unique. The novel starts with the main character Will seeing his best friend and cousin Jack being capped. Then Will meets a free man named Ozymandias from the White Mountains pretending to be a "Vagrant." Vagrants are humans who had a mishap in the capping making them crazy. Ozymandias gives Will a map and a compass and then Will is off. Unbeknownst to Will, Henry follows him. Will and Henry go with Captain Curtis across the English channel, and are kidnapped by the French. This is where they meet Beanpole. Then they wander into an ancient mall where they find grenades and mistakenly find out how to use them. Will is hurt and then a French man hunting finds them and brings them to the castle. As soon as Will is better they are going to run away, but that night a Tripod comes. Will tries to outrun it on horseback but it picks him up and puts a tracking device on him without him knowing. Later when they realizes that they are being tracked, they cut the tracking device aw! ay from Will's arm. As soon as they do this a Tripod comes, and they destroy it with the grenades. Then they have to hide behind a rock for two days because the other Tripods are searching for the destroyers of the Tripod. In the end they get to the White Mountains and await their next adventure. Three adjectives a reader could use for this book are fascinating, thrilling, and mystifying. It is fascinating because they think people in our time are ancient but they are like a hundred years ago in our time. It is thrilling because they have to evade many Tripods and have to destroy one. It is mystifying because it makes you wonder what are the Tripod's motives? Who are they? Where do they come from? This book is recommended to anyone who likes science fiction.

In Every boys life, there comes the Capping ceremoney. Will Parker never made a very big deal about it, it was just something that happened to everyone. Then Ozymandis told him the truth: That truth sent Will on an incredible journey full of pitfalls and victories.

Will starts off on his own, but is soon joined by Henry, a cousin. But instead of being an old friend, Henry is an old enemy. But Will is forced to take him, or risk Henry telling his family where he has gone and why.

On another leg of their journey, Will meets a French boy named Jean-Paul, but he is so tall and thin, they nickname him Beanpole. Beanpole is a huge help, and even discovers some of the mysteries of the ancients. (oohh, mysterious, huh?)

I would highly recommend this book to just about anyone. If you are shaking your head because you "Don't like science fiction", I tell you, this book will make you LOVE sci-fi! Then read the rest of the series. Just one taste of John Christopher's writing won't be enough to settle your appitite. It wasn't enough for mine! :)

I first read the white mountains over twelve years ago as a child. I have read it countless times since and it reamains a favorite.

The story of Will, a teenage boy, as he travels to the far reaches of earth in pusuit of a freedom unknown to fellow mankind. Through his travels Will faces many challenges and adventures that keep the reader at the edge of their seat. The combination of amazing character creation and developement with adventure, humor, and suspence makes this book a must read.

Plato's The Republic, is not only a classic work of the fourth century B.C., but a masterpiece of utopian literature as a whole. Mr. Lee's translation brings into light the political and poetical wisdom of Plato into English from the original Greek. In The Republic, Plato raises questions that are still at the heart of many modern conflicts and heated debates. What is justice? What is goodness? What is the right political authority? Plato examines these questions as aspects of a single theme. He offers a portrait of an ideal state in which power is entrusted to the philosopher king(s), and other men and women accept the authority of the wise and the good. If no one has read The Republic, then he or she has not read anything!

Plato's Republic is the fount from which nearly all Western thought flows. Pretty much everything written in that tradition either borrows from Plato or refutes him, and the Republic articulates his philosophies more fully than any of his other works(although the Timaeus is more mature and the Symposium is an amazing discussion on a single point). I must disagree with both of the main camps on this site; it is neither just a work of political philosophy NOR just a work of moral psychology(how to order your mind). Plato thought that all things should reflect the ultimate good, so that the ideal society would be ordered in the exact same way that the ideal human being would be. Thus, every part of one's psyche would correspond to a part of society(it's a microcosm!), and the "higher" parts of one's mind would be mirrored in the Guardians, the "higher" parts of society.

With that said, it is easy to see that the Republic proposes many things that disgust most modern human beings: censorship for political stability, ostracism of those with "weak" (read: human, sensitive, or some equivalent) emotions, killing young children, government regulation of sexual activity, and such. Even when Plato tries to give women equal rights, an _extremely_ radical idea in Ancient Greece, his ancient prejudices show up when he calls them "equal but weaker in all ways(morally, intellectually, and physically)".

Despite all of its shortcomings, the Republic was the work that singlehandedly separated the real from the ideal in Western civilization, and it also defined the kinds of questions that Western philosophers would try to answer until the 20th century. Pick up a book of Western philosophy at random, and I guarantee you that some issue introduced in the Republic will hit you within the first five pages. Even the Communist Manifesto rips off his discourse on women and his notion of work defining human beings. The Republic was the first work of real philosophy in the conversation of ideals that continues to this very day in fields as diverse as politics, philosophy, psychology, anthropology, and religion. (PS: If you think Plato's an idealistic fool, read Aristotle. So did he.)

I've used this text for some time in my undergraduate courses, with great success. Waterfield's translation is accurate and scholarly, and the introduction and notes make this edition a perfect introduction to Plato's philosophy.

As for the value of the text itself, little needs to be said. Plato's Republic is one of the most important works in the history of philosophy, and every well-educated person ought to have read it at least once. There is some controversy among scholars over whether the work is primarily one of political philosophy or of moral psychology, but Plato perhaps did not draw these distinctions the way we do: one can certainly learn a great deal about both areas from reading this one work.

In Libra, Delillo deals with one of the most well-known and well-documented events in recent history. The volumes of information, of images, of rumor, of intrigue dominate the story of JFK's assassination. Wisely, Delillo chooses to focus on a more peripheral and much less understood individual, Lee Harvey Oswald. There are so many contradictions in the case for and against Oswald. Was he alone? Was he innocent? Was he part of a team? These questions slide into obscurity as Delillo reconstructs Lee Harvey Oswald/O. H. Lee/A. J. Hidell/William Bobo. The inconsistent Oswald.

The book unfolds with alternating chapters between two narratives of the past, and one in the present [1988]. One of the pasts is Oswald's life starting as an adolescent boy in the Bronx, which eventually collides with the other, beginning in April 1963 as a group of disenfranchised former CIA men decide to create a plot to make an attempt on the President. They do not intend to kill him. Shoot and miss is the plan. But as Delillo famously says, "Plots carry their own logic. There is a tendency of plots to move toward death." So here we have a postmodern explanation for the mystique of conspiracy theory. There isn't an ordered lattice of events and characters, conducted by a deliberate intelligence. There is chaos, only ordered by a downward tendency toward death and destruction. It's Chaos Theory applied to human and political systemms.

Libra is also Delillo's most accessible book, at least in the context of the others I have read, (all but Underworld, The Names, and Mao II). Unlike White Noise, the people in Libra seem somewhat real. They are not totally so for that would mean that we understand them, which we don't. Delillo always creates fractured, composite views of his characters. We get glimpses, often contradictory, into their past and their intentions. Maybe it's because I have read a lot of his work, but Delillo's philosophic statements, if you can even call them that, are much more connected to the narrative here than in his other work. For example, Nicholas Branch, in the present day narrative, is a contemporary CIA analyst poring over all the data on the assassination. At one point he begins examining the physical evidence. There are so many abstractions and difficulties in this investigation that the presence of real objects provides a glimpse of something like truth. "The Curator sends the results of ballistics tests carried out on human skulls and goat carcassess, on blocks of gelatin mixed with horsemeat...They are saying, 'Look, touch, this is the true nature of the event. Not your beautiful ambiguities.'" These sections contain some of the most poignant and valuable insight in any of Delillo's work I have seen.

Libra is an interesting, if somewhat complicated work that both illuminates and obscures the character of Lee Harvey Oswald. This isn't as frustrating an experience as it might sound. By the novel's conclusion it would be cheap to wrap up such a sad and desolate story with niceties and tidy endings.

Not being a major scholar in the conspiracies and ideas bouncing around about the Kennedy assassination, I have absolutely no idea how factual Delillo is being in this book as concerned with major figures, events, etc. And I really don't care. The only thing that I used when deciding whether I liked the book or not is whether it entertained me and made me think. And it sure did. Delillo presents another version of the famed assassination, focusing more on the mind and manners of one Lee Harvey Oswald and how he might have got sucked into a conspiracy to kill the President. Or something. As the book starts out, the goal is to not kill the President but to make it seem like someone is trying so that everyone will blame the Cubans (the Bay of Pigs invasion still fresh in everyone's mind). From there, things get . . . strange. The plot flips back and forth from Oswald and how he goes about his short life (his mother gets most of the best monologues) from America to Russia and back again, all the while interspersing it with the various characters who interacted and might have had something to do with the assassination. Which makes everything confusing and earlier portions of the book slow, as you're trying to figure out just where this is all going. However, this is a slow burning intense book, where the suspense leading up to the action is longer than the event itself. Delillo uses his masterful command of the English language to craft an insular paranoid world for the reader, without going nutty with conspiracies, he puts forward a fictional version of how things might have happened and makes you believe it. Everyone is drawn three dimensionally, including Oswald, who is seen as more of a tragic figure but at the same time knows exactly what he's doing and how people will perceive him forever. Delillo's writing is full of surprising phrases, just when you think he's dipping into the waters of Hemmingway and not being that descriptive, he throws out seemingly random comments that make everything fall into place perfectly, or turn everything on its head and make you reconsider. By the end, his writing has been polished to a spare, desolate beauty and ending of the book is one of the most touching I've read in a while. With the events of that grim day in November already spelled out for everyone, Delillo's makes it his task to make you know the people (perhaps) and he passes that with flying colors. If you can keep the time lines (he mucks things up even more by throwing in some guy who is researching the assassination for the CIA years later) and the people straight, you'll have a grand time. Whether you think it was a lone gunman or an army of them, you won't go wrong with this book.

Don Delillo is one of the best American writers out there. In Libra, his ninth novel, reflects on one of the most tragic and memorable events in US history: the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He turns his assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, into the protagonist by reflecting upon his troubled life, and an antagonist for obvious reasons. Many conspiracies and coincidences are made evident by Delillo, like Oswald's life in the USSR and the FBI's involvement w/ Oswald, and JFK. It all leads to the focal point of the entire book, though it is predictable since we all know what happens. It leaves you in suspense throughout the entire book and it is very exciting and well-written.

Lucas Davenport is the detective in charge of the investigation. Davenport's ability to unfold the plot is extraordinary. This time he finds murder is hitting close to home. The action is non-stop and I could not put it down. Davenport finds the motive for the killings are revenge. I loved reading this book, once you start to read you are hooked!

"Sudden Prey" is the latest addition John Sanford's "Prey" novels. This series is known for great stories, suspense, and characters. The lead character of "Sudden Prey" is once again Chief Lucas Davenport of the Minneapolis Police Department. In this story Lucas is once again on the trail of some sadistic serial killers. Their leader is out to avenge the deaths of his sister and wife at the hands of the Minneapolis police. His plan is simple - to kill the loved ones of the police officers involved in the shooting. This is a great addition to the "Prey" series. Lucas is once again very believable in his quest to find the killers. Although "Sudden Prey" will not win any literary achievement awards, it is an exciting book. A great read for the summer.

This is one of my favourites in the Prey series. Two females are shot in a bank robery, and the husband of one of them escapes from prison. Now he wants to get his revenge, but not by taking it out directly on the police officers. He wants them to suffer as he is, and wanting nothing by revenge, he's going after their families...
Sandford is a master of writing about different motives for the killings in all his thrillers. Previously I've read about someone killing because (s)he feels (s)he have to do it, another time I read about a much more dangerous motivation, the profit. In this book, Sudden Prey, the main character, Lucas Davenport, is facing the most simple and purest motivation, which is revenge. But can his killer-instinct, fast thinking and intelligence help him to solve this case?
Sandford has the ability of making you so curious about what will happen, that you simply can't put the book away. You have to finish it right away. And if you enjoy the Prey series, this book is a must. Certainly one his best. A great book also recommended to anyone who loves to read, and those who like thillers.

Like many others who have reviewed this book, this was my 1st read by Mr. Nance, and I have to admit, it held me captive from beginning to end. I like nothing more than to be totally captured by a story and think of nothing but finding out what is going to happen next...if a book can get me to be THAT absorbed by its tale, then by default I give it at LEAST 4 stars. Pandora's Clock deserved 4 stars, but I reserve my 5th star for something truly special (to me at least) and while Nance may not have achieved that 'something special' for me, it was still an action-packed story that really did have me entertained all the way through. As I read, I kept wondering HOW Nance was going to keep this plane aloft for hundreds of pages while still maintaining an entertaining story, and without giving away anything too important, not all of the story takes place in the air--or even on the plane for that matter. Just TRUST me, if you are a fan of action/adventure stories, this is definitely one of the 'must reads' if you ask me. Oh, and by the way, his follow-up book was even better. All in all, Nance is a writer with a VERY promising future...IF he can keep writing books this good-- I for one certainly HOPE he does.

I love the way Nance mixes aviation, secret government plots, and national burocracies. His writing style is very detailed. The plot involving the CIA is full of exciting twists, turns, and wild goose chases that build excelent tension, however if you do not follow it closely you will be easily confused. I, being an aviation enthusiast myself, found the aeronautical aspects of the book to be very thrilling, although somtimes a bit unbelievable. Over all it is an excellent read.

This book is exciting from page one and doesn't let up until the final sentence! It is a non-stop story and just when you think it can't get any worse for Capt. Holland and his passengers--it does!!!! I couldn't stop reading it. I told my husband what a good book it was and that he should read it. Keep in mind that my husband is one of those who do not read if they can help it. Well..he read it--not once but twice!!! I recommend this book to anyone. I come from an aviation background and I purchased the book expecting to be disappointed with innaccurate information. I could not find one thing in this book that was innaccurate--from an aviation perspective. EXCELLANT!!!!!