Novalis can be seen as one of the very first German poets who abandoned the classic German way of writing. "Hymns to the night" in particular is a collection of poems characterised by a mysterious dark lyricism and an accult atmosphere, blended in a way that cannot possibly provoke, annoy or "puzzle" ANY reader. On the contrary, Novalis' unique way of writing sounds like ones' beautiful ancient prayer to ones' ancient Gods

The German culture can be said to oscillate between two extremes. The first is the predisposition to obsessively systematize and classify life's experience into knowledge with a calm and indifferent demeanor. The second is the reverse tendency to discard the rational and dive off into the realm of the fantastic and the perverse, the moody and the emotionally erratic. Novalis presents a fascinating case study in paradoxically representing both of the tendencies. His "Hymns to the Night" are filled with despair, longing, and a visionary quality that sort of puts one into a trance when reading. However hidden beneath this highly charged emotional atmosphere are layers of allegory and thought. Hence what we have here is that unique poem which combines a very human story of loss, sorrow, and grief with intriguing philosophical meditations on love, [end of life], religion, resurrection, and the relation of mind and body. Much more could be said and should be said. But additional details would spoil the joy of discovering the beauty of the poem on your own....

In The White House Connection, Jack Higgins, the prolific thriller writer has again reprised former IRA terrorist Sean Dillon, Brigadier Charles Ferguson,Hannah Bernstein and Blake Johnson in a fast paced story where the combined talents of British and American intelligence are used to thwart Irish terrorism.

In this continuation of the Sean Dillon saga, Higgins introduces an unlikely opponent for the combined US/UK intell team as they try to determine who is killing off the Sons of Erin and why. That killer, a woman, is as unlikely as any protagonist Higgins has ever used. Without revealing the person's identity (although the author does so early on), suffice it to say that the concept is improbable and unlikely. It seemed as if Higgins was really reaching for something with this book and the reader needs to suspend disbelief more than is usual for novels of this type.

In the process of leading the reader through the story, Higgins does his usual good job of providing history lessons right where they are needed to give readers the needed background to explain or amplify why he has written a character or scene a certain way. His intertwining of certain historical facts, especially those on Irish rebel history immediately explain why a Protestant Irish American would be a member of the IRA when everyone knows that the enmity between Catholics and Protestants in Ulster is legendary. When Higgins does this, he is at his best.

Another noticeable and at times very annoying feature of this book is that the dialogue Higgins gives the American characters is more British than American. In some cases it is more Irish than American. It almost seems as if Higgins has no knowledge whatever of American idiom and doesn't know how to write using our speech patterns. If you are a fan and doubt this style problem, go back and look closely for it. EVERYONE sounds British. Sean Dillon, the former IRA killer is also inconsistent in his speech patterns as well. Higgins' use of Irish idiom is overdone and also becomes annoying, mostly because it's so unnecessary.

Despite my minor annoyances and critiques here, overall, this is a very enjoyable read. The usual Higgins mastery of scene, atmosphere, characterization, tension and pacing all here. If the reader is familiar with the British cast of characters, this book reads quickly and well because we are all glad to be reunited with Sean Dillon and his boss, Brigadier Charles Ferguson.

Higgins also provides some really despicable opposition to the intelligence folks. One, named Jack Barry is so hoorible that most readers will probably be praying for his death. This is the kind of book one can easily read over a weekend or on the beach. Despite some minor and easily forgivable irritants, THE WHITE HOUSE CONNECTION is another successful and fast ride through the creative mind of Jack Higgins. If he had avoided overuse of British speech patterns and a more than usually unbelievable main character, I would have awarded this book 5 stars; so with these things in mind, I gave it 4 stars.

Fans of Higgins shouldn't miss this one and I recommend to all serious readers of espionage and police procedural novels.

This was a pretty good book, but i think Higgins could have done better. Oh yes, for the most part the story was exciting and kept you turning the pages, but some parts just went to quickly..Higgins should have built up to it a bit more, or put some more action into it..Also, he took too long to pull everything together...it was way to quick in the beginning, and then it slowed down considerably for about 100 pages, and then at the end picked back up again...The story is about an old lady who's paramilitary-type son was killed by IRA branch terrorists years ago, and she finally learns the terrible truth behind his grizzly murder. Driven by rage, and the realization that her life was near its end, she goes on a mad killing spree against the people that killed her son..Our favorite Irishman, Sean Dillon is involved, along with his good friend Blake Johnson, as they try to figure out who the mystery person is that is killing off left-wing terrorists left and right... An exciting tale to say the least, but it could have been put together better..other than that i have no complaints and i do reccomend this book if you especially like Higgins, but if you are a "new kid" then i suggest you start with some of his earlier books..

Jack Higgins is a terrific storyteller. This was my first Higgins novel and the pages flew by. Reading this book was like eating peanuts...I could not stop and finished in two sessions.

An absolute complete suspension of disbelief is the best way to approach this one as it stretches credulity to beyond the max...but it is great fun. And, what is fiction all about, if not for suspension of disbelief? Some of the situations the protagonists get out of would make James Bond proud.

In the setup, the first quarter of the book is pretty credible and then the fun begins. The action switches between Washington, New York, London and Ireland...lots of Concorde flights, tony parties and champaign between the gun shots. The good guys are interesting characters and the bad guys seem a match for them due to their mole inside the White House. The reader is clued into the mole's identity early on, so we know whodunit...so we have to watch the clock to see if the good guys can figure it out in time.

It was an enjoyable read all in all. The protagonists are continuing characters and it appears their ranks increased by one in "The White House Connections." That's good news for Higgins' fans as he is a prolific writer.

That said, it was "too Brit" and "too IRA" for me to become addicted to the series. It was a fun one-time interlude for someone who prefers the good old American hardboiled mystery. For those who like the British touch, this series is a keeper.

I found this book an absolute bore. What could have been completely captivating and interesting actually became completely predictable turning into stale blatherings on.

If you read this book to get a "sense" of an Englishman in French culture, you won't find it here or in Mr. Higgins' restaurant.

As for "amazingly light"...this book is amazingly light in content and interest. One could read the first and the last chapters and feel as though one had read the entire book. That might save time and therefore, be an amazingly quick read.

I love the book. It's like you're actually there in that little restaurant, helping Mr. Higgins make some of his pies. I just thought it will be like one of those "French or Foe book" with a lot of generalizations, but this book is amazingly light, and very informative--talking about the restaurant business,describing the beautiful scenery, it even contains some of his recipes! It's like a journal, but it's not--anyone can understand what he's talking about. Great narrative and refreshing characters. Higgins has a great sense of humor.