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Book reviews for "Radichkov,_Yordan" sorted by average review score:

The Devil Went Down to Austin
Published in Hardcover by Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub (Trd) (29 May, 2001)
Author: Rick Riordan
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Now I Have To Find His Other Books!
It must be nice to burst on the mystery scene and pick up awards right and left for your books, as Rick Riordan has done. But he's very deserving, if his latest novel is any indication. _The Devil Went Down to Austin_ is the first Riordan book I've read and it was a real stunner. This was an excellent mystery, with an assured authorial voice behind it. I want more.

Riordan's PI, Tres Navarre, somewhat reluctantly gets involved when his older brother, Garrett, becomes suspect number one in the murder of his old friend and business partner in a computer start-up, Jimmy Doebler. Neither Jimmy or Garrett, both skilled programmers, has much in the way of business acumen, and it appears that perhaps there's a sinister scheme underway to undermine their product, a potentially lucrative security system, and get them to sell for peanuts. Tres, sho normally works out of a home base in San Antonio, has been hired to teach a summer school course in British literature at the university, so it is his proximity, in part, which draws him into the investigation. There are also unexplored feelings of guilt regarding his brother and an accident in the past which took Garrett's legs.

There are some excellent things here: very clear, vivid descriptions of scuba diving; a very frightening, psychopathic killer, whose true identity is continually misdirected; and family infighting among the Doebler clan. Tres is a vivid creation, as are his brother, his old girlfriend, Maia Lee, and the local policeman, Victor Lopez. I had a great time with this book and am eagerly looking forward to reading the others in this series. Receives my strongest recommendation!

The Reigning King of Texas Mysteries
As a mystery writer with my first novel in its initial release, I've been an admirer of Mr. Riordan's work since his first Tres Navarre book appeared in print four novels ago. Tres Navarre is a San Antonio PI and English professor, and this current case involves his brother Garrett as the prime suspect in a homicide. Jimmy Doebler gets murdered a short while after getting divorced from Ruby McBride, one of Garrett's business partners. Garrett has mortgaged the family ranch to start an Internet company. In THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO AUSTIN, Tres has to solve the murder, clear his brother, and save the homestead. This book is another winner for Rick Riordan. Read it today.

Rick Riordan's Back and Better than Ever.....
Tres Navarre, San Antonian private investigator with a PhD in English Lit is, as the saying goes, hip deep in alligators. It seems his paraplegic brother, Garrett, a programming phenom and Jimmy Buffet parrothead, has mortgaged the family ranch to help pay his portion of a high-tech start-up, Techsan Security Software, and the lender is about to foreclose. Techsan's software product has run into all kinds of problems and bugs since a corporate takeover offer was refused and now lawsuits are being filed by all their beta-testers. When Garrett's oldest friend and partner, Jimmy Doebler is found murdered and all the evidence points to Garrett, Tres decides to head on down to Austin, wade into this mess, against his brother's wishes, and see if he can sort out what's really going on..... Rick Riordan has outdone himself with his latest unforgettable mystery/thriller, The Devil Went Down to Austin. His compelling, intricate plot comes at you from several different directions and is full of powerful, riveting scenes and his cast of terrific characters are original and well drawn. But it's Mr Riordan's sharp, witty writing and attention to detail that really make this novel stand out. With a stunning climax that ties up all the loose ends and a very satisfying ending, this is an intriguing story that's a "must read" for all mystery/thriller fans. If you're new to the Tres Navarre series, start at the beginning with The Big Red Tequila and read them all. If you're already hooked, you definitely won't be disappointed this time out!


Thumbelina
Published in Hardcover by Putnam Pub Group Juv (April, 1991)
Authors: Wayne Anderson, James Riordan, and Hans Christian Andersen
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A book about a small person doing extrodinary things.
Thumbelina is not normal girl she is about the size of your thumb, but don't let her height mistake you she can do alot of things other people can't do. Like she can fit into small spaces that you can't. So if you like books that are about people doing extremely different things that you don't think that can do then this is the book right for you to read. This book will amaze your eyes with the colorful pictures inside, and with the amazing things Thumbelina can do.

A Beautiful Little Tale
Hans Christian Andersen's story of Thumbeline is so endearing that it's no wonder that so many authors have written their own versions of it and so many illustrators have had a go at making tiny Thumbeline come to life. This version, translated by Anthea Bell and illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger is brimming with charm, rustic folk sensibilities, kindness and compassion spiked with just the right amount of perilous adventure to make it interesting, and a lovely magical feel. The story is well told in satisfyingly descriptive language. The illustrations are superb! Zwerger does a wonderful job with all of the animal characters that Thumbeline encounters and manages to infuse them with emotion and intelligence as well as country charm. Little red-haired Thumbeline is delicate and sweet in several lovely costumes with a peasant feel to them. You know the tale...a woman tells a witch that she wants a "tiny child" and the magic gives her exactly what she wishes for, a tiny child no bigger than her thumb. Thumbeline is born from the heart of a tulip. She's so beautiful and sweet that every small suitor in the neighborhood wants her hand in marriage, including a toad, a mole and a June beetle. They are not interested in the fact that she does not want to marry them! She gets help from other wee folk in the woodland community and makes a good friend when she saves the life of a swallow. The story ends happily for Thumbeline. It may be desirable to point out to your young ones that not every unattached female needs to find a husband, especially very young ones like Thumbeline, and that kidnapping and force are not true ways to get a girl to marry you! Children are smart enough to know that but it's still a good idea to talk over the odd concepts that a child may be thinking about after you read this story. I love this old-fashioned story and this re-telling adds beautifully to its charm and therefore justifies its conception.

A Little Gem
The familiar Hans Christian Andersen story of Thumbelina has received the royal treatment from Susan Jeffers. Her large, lovely pictures make this seem like you are stepping into the story for the first time. Thumbelina is so dainty and sweet that it's no wonder the toad wishes to marry her but poor Thumbelina has a harrowing time escaping from her warty suitor. Share a trumpet vine blossom with Thumbelina, a pair of hummingbirds and a fat bumble bee or take a ride with her on the back of a gallant swallow. This whole story is enchanting from start to finish and the pictures are a delight!


Stone: The Controversies, Excesses, and Exploits of a Radical Filmmaker
Published in Paperback by Hyperion (Adult Trd Pap) (December, 1996)
Authors: James Riordan and Michael Douglas
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Not Worth 5 Stars!
This is my first time reading up on Oliver Stone, or any other director for that matter.

I found this book very well written and an enormously entertaining read. The author not only gives a keen insight into what Oliver Stone is about and how he works, but the book also gives a good basic overview of how movies get made and the inner workings of Hollywood. After reading this book, I gained a new respect and appreciation for all the tremendously hard working people involved in getting a story onto the big screen.

I give the book a 3 star rating because the author didn't stay true to his topic. The first half of the book was much more revealing (and interesting) than the latter half. It worked really well from up to around the end of the Platoon era. After that it seems like the book tapers off. Besides, I find it hard to believe that you can find more details and insights into Stone's early life, when he was a nobody, than you can into his later life where he is among the biggest directors in Hollywood and a much revered and outspoken public figure.

A Complete Guid to Stone
This is a must for any Stone fan. It is a complete history of Oliver Stone; from his birth into a wealthy New York family, to driving a cab for $30 dollars a night, to the set of JFK. It gives us a compelling insight into what created one of America's greatest and important film makers and social critics.

The best book I read on a director yet !
This book really takes you into the mind of Oliver Stone. It really gets in their an shows how he directs ,and what the actors and his peerers think of his work.


Twelve Labors Of Hercules, The
Published in Library Binding by Millbrook Pr (November, 1997)
Author: James Riordan
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A good rendering of the classic tale, but with a major flaw
All cultures have their legends of heroes and the greatest in Western culture is Hercules. His twelve labors were considered so impossible that any extremely difficult task is now described as herculean. However, the myth of Hercules is as much a tale of tragedy as it is of triumph, making it more complex than a simple tale of hero defeats villain. His labors are a penance for having murdered his wife and family in a fit of mindless rage. Meted out by the Oracle at Delphi, it is clear that the intent of the punishment was to have him die in the attempt. It is important for children to learn these myths, as they explain a great deal about how the ancients viewed the world and how our understanding of the world has changed over time. Books like this, detailing the labors at the level of children, should be required reading in the early years. While the story is readable and the illustrations well done, there is one serious difficulty with the book.
Zeus and the other gods, creatures such as centaurs and Titans such as Atlas appear in the labors. When my youngest daughter was reading the book, she often stopped and asked questions like, “What’s a centaur?” If I had not been present to answer the questions, her enjoyment of the book and understanding of the tales would have been significantly reduced. It would have been very helpful if a list of the characters in the book with a one sentence description had been included.
Overall, the authors do a good job in telling the greatest myth of antiquity. The illustrations help keep the attention of the reader, but the lack of explanation concerning the other characters does weaken it.

Excellent illustrated re-telling of the Heracles myth
I needed a thorough and traditional re-telling of the Heracles myth to counteract the uneducational effects of Disney's animated film "Hercules". This book fits the bill. Not only is it traditional and thorough, it is fascinating, tasteful, beautifully-illustrated and intellectually-stimulating as well. My 5 year-old enjoyed this book at least as much as the animated movie (and he came away from it with a much more accurate understanding of the myth).


Crystal Fire: The Birth of the Information Age
Published in Audio Cassette by Blackstone Audiobooks (August, 1998)
Authors: Michael Riordan, Lillian Hoddeson, and Dennis McKee
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True Genius: The Life and Science of John Bardeen
October 25, 2002

Hoddeson & Daitch, "True Genius" (Bardeen)

Our university bookstore (809 S. Wright St.) kindly informed me of your listing of Hoddeson and Daitch's John Bardeen biography, "True Genius," and, of course, I read the brief "Publishers Weekly" review, as well as the more cryptic but more positive comments of others. From the very first sentence I knew that the "Publishers Weekly" review would be superficial, and maybe even wrong, which then is of what help to a reader and potential book customer? Living in the U.S. democracy, how can we not be curious and not read about the Founders? Similarly, how can we be immersed in all the new electronics (computers, cell phones, DVD and CD machines, MRI's, digital machinery---in fact, Si here, Si there, Si everywhere) and not be curious about how all this happened, what sort of ingenius mind, or minds, might be at the beginning of it all? Imagine the calamity on the planet if the transistor vanished for a day. Does that help in understanding the scale of a Bardeen, of "True Genius"! I knew John Bardeen for 40 years (as my teacher, friend, colleague) and still I learned something further from Hoddeson and Daitch and the material they unearthed for "True Genius", a fascinating biography (a different kind of story). Hoddeson and Daitch do not disappoint in their biography of Bardeen and in elucidating over many chapters his kind of genius, which "Publishers Weekly" doesn't seem to appreciate. Genius is a diamond of many facets, and Hoddeson and Daitch reveal a Bardeen facet. It isn't the last chapter of "True Genius" that matters. It's the whole book, all the chapters, that reveal an American hero---if you will, a genius.

Nick Holonyak, Jr.
John Bardeen Chair Professor of
Electrical and Computer
Engineering and Physics, and
Center for Advanced Study
Professor of Electrical and
Computer Engineering

Great Book - A Technology Must Read
This book is very well written, and does a good job of telling the history of the invention of the transistor. The book focuses on the technological aspects of the invention, but also does a great job of telling the story of the personalities, and (now multi-million dollar) businesses that were involved with the invention.

Science as Thriller
Who would have thought a book about the invention of the transistor could be so compelling? And yet here it is. The authors tell two parallel stories, one about the inventors, and one about the developments in physics that led to, and followed from, the invention of the transistor. The interplay between pure science and technology has seldom been explained as well.

I'd put this book alongside "The Invention That Changed The World" as the two best popular histories of science an technology of the decade.


A Book of Narnians: The Lion, the Witch, and the Others
Published in Hardcover by Harpercollins Juvenile Books (October, 1995)
Authors: James Riordan, Pauline Baynes, and C. S. Chronicles of Narnia Lewis
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A good reading for children and adults
This is a beautifully written book, probably written for children, but totally enjoyable for grown ups.

A wonderful resource for all Narnia readers
A book of Narnians is a must-have for all Narnia fans. Pauline Baynes's illustrations put all the Narnians right in your hands. Even though the map in the back is not completely accurate, (I'm very picky) the references and drawings, along with short summaries of the characters are wonderful to have. Though nothing is as fantastic to read as the Chronicles, this is a well written easy read book for all those who want a deeper view of the Narnians and their world. Keep it close by while reading the Chronicles, so you can "zoom in" on the characters and their personalities!

Fantastic Book
This book is big people theology in little people terms.


The Last King of Texas
Published in Paperback by Bantam Books (03 April, 2001)
Author: Rick Riordan
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Rick Riordan, work on your gun talk
A decent detective yarn. Tres Navarre is an interesting character with interesting friends. Rick Riordan makes me wonder what they are going to do next which is a good thing.

This novel has Tres taking a professorship with University of Texas, San Antonio. He's to protect himself from becoming the third professor in the position that dies and to help the detective agency he works for to find the killer of the other two.

I liked the characters I was supposed to like and disliked the characters I was supposed to dislike. I was suitably confused about who the real bad guy was till the end of the book. I like the way the author writes about San Antonio.

One thing Rick Riordan needs to work on is his gun lore, although it wouldn't surprise me if the author considered himself above guns. For me it was like finger nails on the blackboard when he talks about "silenced .357 semi-auto handguns" or "mercury filled .45 slugs leaving pock marks" in the stone around a fireplace or "a high powered Mossberg over and under."

Grrrrrr.

The .357 caliber is typically used in revolvers and it wouldn't be a good choice for use with a silencer because the bullet itself travels over the speed of sound and makes its own little sonic boom after it leaves the firearm. The mercury filled .45 might be a direct steal from Day of the Jackal but even if it isn't the point of the mercury would be to cause a tremendous amount of expansion of the bullet when it hit something. It shouldn't penetrate the victim and still have enough force to scar the brickwork around the fireplace. It should expend all of its energy in the victim. Finally the high powered Mossberg over and under would read much cleaner if it had been referred to as a Mossberg pump. Mossberg is famous for their low cost, high quality, high capacity, pump shotguns. Also "high power" is a term usually used for handguns and rifles, not for shotguns of any type. John Sandford gets this right in his "Prey" books.

I do think I owe it to the author and myself to read another Tres Navarre book. Rick Riordan has won several mystery book awards which means you can't go too far wrong in buying one of his stories.

Great story, brimming with Texas flavor (a good thing)
When I read mystery stories, I usually turn to the classics: Holmes, Wimsey, Wolfe. But when I choose a contemporary mystery, I tend to find myself drawn to authors whose stories have a strong sense of place: Margaret Truman in Washington, D.C., for example, or J.A. Jance here in Seattle. Now, I'm pleased to say, I can add San Antonio's Rick Riordan to the list.

Some of my family is in San Antonio, and it's where I went to school, so I found the setting of 'The Last King of Texas' very easy to embrace and understand. Riordan tosses out the names of local streets, landmarks, events, and personalities with an ease that may cause people unfamiliar with San Antonio a little confusion. But that shouldn't distract too much from this well crafted murder mystery.

The story itself is fast paced, and while there is a lot of fightin' and shootin' going on, the scenes are not disturbingly graphic. In fact, one of my main complaints with the story is that our P.I., Tres Navarre, sometimes seemed to have the superhuman qualities of a kung fu movie hero, able to single-handedly dispatch masses of bad guys with his lightning-fast moves. That slight unbelievability, however, did not extend into the story itself -- which, through all its twists and turns, remained believable and true to life. The solution to the mystery did not suggest itself too early, and was ultimately a satisfying payoff. Navarre himself is an attractive and likeable figure, and most of the other major characters, good and evil, were fully drawn.

Mark Twain famously called San Antonio 'one of America's four unique cities.' For anyone familiar with San Antonio, this novel will be an entertaining trip back. And even if you haven't been blessed with a trip to the Alamo City, you'll find yourself looking for the chips and margaritas to keep you company as you hurtle through this entertaining and exciting mystery. I will definitely be seeking out the two earlier Tres Navarre stories, the one after, and any more coming down the pike.

Intrigue in San Antonio
I first read "The Widower's Two-Step" and was a little familiar with some of the characters. This book got a great review in the Dallas Morning News so, I decided to give it a shot. The writing is terrific. Riordan does marvelous descriptions of most of the characters and the various San Antonio neighborhoods. One gripe in the description department, what does Tres (the principal character) look like? Tres' physical appearance, other than his injuries, are glossed over. I want a picture of this guy, please. The mystery behind the murders is not all that puzzling. Riordan gives you a lot of clues before the final enlightenment.

The characters in this book are fresh and different--not at all run-of-the-mill, and that includes the bad guys. If you are looking to escape from your everyday world and meet a decidedly cool teacher/private eye then, this is the book for you. People from his past and present collide in rather unexpected ways.


Big Red Tequila
Published in Paperback by Bantam Books (July, 1997)
Author: Rick Riordan
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Rick Riordan's new P.I. is a keeper
Tres Navarre, back in San Antonio after ten years in San Fransisco solves his first mystery which begins with the disappearance of his former girlfriend and ends with the solution to the ten year old murder of his father. In the process we get a great tour of San Antonio, lots of action and a pretty good story that keeps you guessing to the end. As a master of tai chi, fluent in spanish and with a PHD in English lit, Tres is a great new character. Riordan's writing, especially the dialogue, is crisp and clean. The characters are well developed and hopefully some, like his mother and friend Ralph, will return in future books. All in all a fast-paced page turner and a lot of fun to read.

Prodigal returns to Texas
Fans of Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar series are likely to find another quasi-hero to root for in the Tres Navarre series. They are both late twentysomething white guys who can't quite shed their family and roots. The locations are different but both are players in the plots.

Normally I don't care for Texas settings in novel (it's a Colorado thing) but this one works. Much of that has to do with Navarre's having spent ten years in the Bay Area (where the writer, Riordan, a Texas native, lives). It's a nice mixture of cravings for Peet's coffee while drinking Big Red soda cut with tequila. Navarre is a pretty likeable guy - and is the first guy shamus with a cat that I can recall.

The mystery is only worth three stars as it is a bit muddled and has a few too many players. Still, a fun read and I'm looking forward to the second book in the series, The Widower's Two Step. It should also be noted that the book won Anthony and Shamus awards as well as making the Washington Post year-end list.

A rip-roarin' good time!
Big Red Tequila is one of the funniest, smartest, slickest books I've read in a long time. Riordan does a fabulous job of imbuing his work with the sights, smells and sounds of San Antonio, and his characters seem incredibly real and multi-dimensional (even the bad guys!). The dialog crackles with wit and little details like the enchilada-eating cat and the half-brother with a passion for Jimmy Buffet's music just add to the entertainment. While the actual "mystery" in this book is perfectly adequate, to me it was almost secondary. I found the real fun was tagging along with Tres as he criss-crossed the city of San Antonio from La Villita to Monte Verde to the most exclusive neighborhoods with their gated entrances (which, of course, he always managed to talk his way into). I can't wait to read the rest of the series. Highly recommended!


Designing Relational Database Systems (Dv-Mps Designing)
Published in Paperback by Microsoft Press (September, 1999)
Author: Rebecca Riordan
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Easy to understand, great for learning basic concepts
I read this book twice! It's great for learning the basic relational database concepts. I had been looking for quite some time for something that covered not only database design but work processes as well, and this book fit the bill.

A practical approach to database theory.
If you intend to develop database applications for professional usage, and have experience with VBA/VB and SQL programming, but are still uncertain of database theory. Then you are in the target group of Designing Relational Database Systems.

The book consists of 3 parts:
First, relational database theory. Do yourself a favour and read this part again and again until you understand the definitions, since they will be referred to throughout the book.

Second, designing relational database systems with focus on how and what information you should obtain prior to developing a database.

Third, designing the user interface where the author describes the different standards behind a good user interface.

The first part of the book is by far the most challenging and difficult to comprehend, as database theory is a rather academic subject. Ms. Riordan uses academic terminology only when needed, it is obvious that she knows the limitations of the theory in real world database developing.

In the last 2 parts of the book, the experience and hands on approach of the author becomes evident. However, I disagree with her use of dialog boxes in chapter 16 (Maintaining database integrity), they are not user friendly at all.

For beginners to relational database theory I recommend: Inside Relational Databases by Whitehorn & Markly (ISBN 354076092X). The advanced reader should try: Database Systems by Connolly & Begg (ISBN 0201708574).

I strongly recommend this book to any Access/SQL Server developer who has already programmed a few applications, and needs to strengthen his theoretical knowledge.

Clear, concise, comprehensive
Great right from the start. This book takes the complex subject of relational database design and makes it understandable without sacrificing detail. The real-world examples and analogies are very clear without putting too much extraneous detail between you and the concept. Ms. Riordan gently guides the reader through a sea of acronyms and obscure terms without skipping any detail. At the same time, there is no feeling of having deviated too far from the subject at hand. This is one of the few computer texts I have read whose author is not only an expert on the subject but an excellent teacher as well. A "must-read" for anyone looking to learn about database design.


Ulysses
Published in Audio Cassette by Naxos Audio Books (April, 1995)
Authors: James Joyce, Jim Norton, and Marcella Riordan
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Great Fun
Ulysses is great fun. It takes a bit more work to read than most books, just as it takes a bit more work to play tennis than it does to play catch. You shouldn't feel compelled to put the work in, any more than you should feel compelled to learn an unusually difficult sport. But people who do put the work in and who have a good time doing it shouldn't be made to feel guilty about it either. It's a pleasure to follow the interweaving lines of the Sirens chapter, for instance, and anyone who does it will see that the chapter is alive in a way that almost nothing else is in literature. Joyce is a terrific comic writer and a terrific creator of vivid, complicated characters. But he requires the reader to put in some extra effort to enjoy how good he is, and I can't blame anyone who gives up after a few pages and refuses to go any further. On the other hand, I've noticed that people who don't like Joyce's approach seem to want to attack people who do. This is silly. Again, it's like hating people for playing basketball just because you prefer skateboarding. Both the Joyce lovers and the Joyce haters should lighten up a bit.

There is a reason this always tops everyone's list
There is not a book out there that is more frustrating than James Joyce's Ulysses...unless, of course, it is Joyce's Finnegan's Wake. The problem lies in the fact that this novel is such an amazing piece of art that the reader can feel like Joyce forgot all about him. It is almost impossible to read by oneself with it's seemingly garbled maze of words and phrases and madness. However, this is what makes it such a joy to read. Imagine that an author decided to do away with any and all rules concerning fiction and to write a book that was it's own entity, showing you what it wanted to show you, telling you what it wanted to tell you and acting like its own character. This is what Joyce has accomplished with Ulysses. I was fortunate enough to read this book in a class, four months of nothing but Ulysses, and I have to warn would be readers that I don't think I would have made it through without expert guidance. I would advise anyone wishing to tackle this literary giant to gather some book loving friends, and a guidebook or two for Ulysses, and to take it very slowly. Read a chapter a week and then meet up with you group to discuss and puzzle out what you have just read. I am willing to bet that your weekly conversations will be a greater work of art than any book out there, and I think that Joyce would have liked that, would have enjoyed sparking debates and conversation, its probably the main reason why anyone creates anything; for it to be enjoyed and shared. The story line is simple, you have two main characters, Stephen Dedalus, the brilliant but alienated loner. You have Leopold Bloom, a simple man who is as alienated as Stephen, but not for his mind, for his cultural background and meek manner. The entire book takes place over the course of one day in Dublin, and after the first three chapters the entire book simply follows Bloom around during a day when he knows that his wife is having a romantic meeting with her lover. It is hard to sum up such a giant book in a few sentences like this, but basically Bloom is trying to set his life back on track, trying to reconcile himself with his wife's betrayal, and trying to reach out to Stephen who he feels could use a loving family. Of course, you could read this book and not find any of what I am saying in there, but the beauty of Ulysses is that I would love to hear what it is that you found in this novel as much as I would love sharing what I found.

An unique work and a remarkable novel!
A very complex narrative! I think it must be the most difficult reading I ever made. Joyce built an entire new language of literature to write this remarkable novel, an original work in all aspects from tale to structure and language. People talk in many codes, from old rude Irish to Latin, Italian and common english. The description of inarticulate sounds like the cat's "Mrkgnao" was quite new to literature. The tale grasps to describe the everyday action of early century Dublin, a single day of the common life of some Irish villagers - every action, every thought and discussion, every joke, memory and dream! The story is about a man that represents the classic hero inside of the common man. Heroic deeds aren't done only in the bloody fields of senseless wars; the common man does great deeds every day without bloodshed. Remember that Ulysses was a a hero that hated war. Joyce believed that modern literature was empty within its meaningless structures and tales; only the profound significance of the classics could inject human soul back to literature. Joyce believed that people were always unconsciously reliving the classics models in their lifes, like a circle that never ends. Finally, the structure is made of many styles in order to create an entire new genre of modern literature. Think of something and you find it in "Ulysses": popular songs, discussions, theatre, oniric events, medieval tales, monologues, mind narrative... "Ulysses" has what it takes to stand among the greatest works of mankind's literature. Scholars say that Joyce wrote "Ulysses" as the book that would end with all books, the final stone of modern literature in its way to regain the soul of the classics. They may be right! "Ulysses" is a small world written into book. It's an unique piece of work!

Carlos Madeira Portugal, 16th of August of 1999


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