If your idea of love is limited to visions of puppies and balloons, The Thing About Love Is... probably not for you. In Polyphony Press' first effort, the heavy topic of love is tackled in gritty, gutsy pieces that cut to core of this complex emotion. Sometimes it's bliss, sometimes it's bizarre, and quite often it hurts, but regardless of its form, love is always intriguing. This anthology is in keeping with that notion. With a variety of styles and voices, the works featured here are unanimous in their ability to draw the reader in and keep him hooked. It is truly a great read that may challenge one's personal definition of love. Call it an enjoyable experiment in mind expansion!

It's difficult to find an anthology that has as much stopping power as this one. Reading it, I was impressed not only by the diversity of the authorial voices, but also by their veracity. Each story, poem and play seems to have come straight from the gut. What's more, the contributing writers help to remove our blinders; particularly when it comes to matters of the heart. Love, they argue, is nothing less than a battlefield on which each of us daily chances victory or defeat.Those seeking to enter the contest fully armed would do well to buy this book.

Anthologies are not my usual choice of reading material, but as this was recommended to me, I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. While I could not relate to some of the pieces here, I enjoyed the underlying topic immensely. The poetry, drama, and short stories were a good blend. The Thing About Love Is... an enjoyable and fast read, but has a peculiar lingering effect that required that I return to it for further exploration. It's a perfect book to read from the relative comfort and safety of your best chair, where you know that you can dip into the joy and angst of love and for once, walk away unscathed.

While the photography is great, it was limited to only a couple areas of Maine. I was hoping for more small town, quaint images. The only town featured was one that's not even on the map.

Stunning photographs and poetic/romantic writing. Makes me wish I had gone to Maine (during the summer of course!) while I was in college in New Jersey. This is a special book and it left me wanting more.

On the recommendation of a friend, my wife and I stumbled into a photo gallery in Deer Isle, Maine, last week during our vacation (we are from New York) to see the work of Terrell Lester, not even aware Knopf had recently published this book. We were, in short, completely blown away by his photos, all of which, and more, are collected in this remarkable book, along with four essays of varying interest. Lester's photos are like fine art, to be specific, like the best of the Hudson River School of painters back in the 1800s who created such vivid landscapes, saturated with reds and blues and yellow (and that's just in the sky). His photos of islands, mountains, rocks, lakes, surf, trees and spectacular blueberry fields blazing red in autumn are rich with emotion. They deserve to be, and in fact are, on museum walls. For the most part, they are reproduced well in "Maine: The Seasons," but in this case, you can't tell a book by its cover-- a wonderful (but rather too typical for a Maine book) photo of a father and a son heading off to work in their lobster boat. You won't be disappointed.

The Fleet That Had to Die, written in 1957, is a dated but still interesting account of the epic voyage of the Russian Baltic Fleet around the world in 1904-1905 until its destruction at the Battle of Tsushima. The author's style was intended for mass-market audiences not scholars, and some readers may cringe at a comment in the foreword that, "this book is not primarily concerned with history..." Furthermore, the author's introduction to the second edition includes a ridiculous statement that, "the Soviet Navy today [May 1975] has become the most powerful in the world..." which was false when written and appears laughable now. This book is best read in tandem with the recent Russian account, The Tsar's Last Armada, by Constantine Pleshakov.

The book consists of 12 short chapters, four appendices, 14 photographs and several sketch maps. Oddly, the author does not provide an order of battle for either side at the Battle of Tsushima. Although the author is impressed by the 18,000-mile voyage of the Russian fleet - calling it "one of the most remarkable voyages in maritime history" - there is a faint anti-Russian tone throughout these pages and even the title suggests a tragic inevitability. At one point, Hough commits overkill by referring to the fleet as, "a raw squadron that could scarcely maintain station in a flat calm on a steady course." Readers should remember that Britain was incensed at the Russian Baltic Fleet after the "Dogger Bank incident" where the Russian warships mistakenly fired on part of the Hull fishing fleet. Some of the lingering anti-Russian bias intrudes into Hough's account.

One area that Hough's account excels is in his discussion of the Russian battleships, their crews and the logistics of the voyage. The Russian Baltic Fleet was centered upon the four new battleships of the "Borodino" class, but these were poorly designed vessels. Modern fire control equipment was only installed at the last minute and the gun crews were never allowed to practice with it and live ammunition before Tsushima, which no doubt contributed to the abysmal Russian gunnery. Furthermore, the battleships were so top heavy that captains were ordered to, "avoid hoisting all but essential signals from the yards." Vice-Admiral Rozhestvensky, the fleet commander, exacerbated the problem by over-loading the battleships with coal and this made the ships slow and unwieldy in battle. However, in constantly referring to the battleships as "ironclads," Hough is both inaccurate and tedious (since the fleet included no wooden vessels, all ships were made of steel).

Hough does shed some interesting light on the Dogger Bank incident. Both before and after that senseless incident, Russian spotters reported sighting "enemy balloons" and other nonsensical items. Apparently, not only were the average Russian sailors totally untrained in observation at sea, but also their gullible officers seemed inclined to accept all sightings at face value. During the Dogger Bank incident, Hough notes that the Russian flagship at one point was firing on a British fishing boat only 100 yards away and continued to misidentify it as a Japanese torpedo boat! Essentially, the incident was a result of inadequate Russian training and paranoia.

The character of Rozhestvensky is addressed at length in Hough's account, but not as well as Pleshakov's newer account (Hough misses the presence of the admiral's mistress on the fleet hospital ship). During the long, tiring voyage, Hough notes that whenever delays or problems occurred that Rozhestvensky "always responded to this sort of frustration by fits of uncontrollable rage..." which is not an effective command style. As the crews suffered from declining morale, Rozhestvensky became sullen and withdrawn, refusing to divulge his plans to his subordinates. At the Battle of Tsushima, Hough notes that Rozhestvensky issued only two orders and that these lead to confusion and chaos in the Russian fleet. Lacking a real plan of battle, Rozhestvensky's approach to the battle appears fatalistic and reliant on luck rather than skill. Instead, Hough concludes that, "the Battle of Tsushima...was to be lost by the momentary hesitancy of a tired and wasted admiral who could not make up his mind..."

In one of the appendices, Hough includes the post-war account of Rear-Admiral Nebogatoff, who was the Russian second-in-command at Tsushima. Although Nebogatoff's account is very self-serving and designed to cover up his own misdeeds in the battle, he does make some valid points. According to Nebogatoff, the Russian defeat was primarily due to three factors: the deficiencies of the Russian warships and their crews, the poor leadership of Rozhestvensky and the choice of the route through Tsushima Straits. In particular, Nebogatoff criticizes Rozhestvensky's lack of pre-battle instructions and poor tactical handling of the fleet. Nebogatoff also asserts that if he had been asked his opinion, that he would have recommended a passage to Vladivostok through the safer La Perousse Strait. While Nebogatoff ignores the logistic dimension of this longer route, he is probably correct that more Russian ships might have made it to Vladivostok by this more circuitous, but less well-guarded, route. However given the fall of Port Arthur prior to the fleet's arrival in Pacific waters, it is unlikely that Rozhestvensky's poorly-trained armada could have reversed Russia's disastrous military situation even if more of it had reached Vladivostok.

I can only tell you of the old Ballantine version of this book, a trade paper version of the first edition. A look at the table of contents ot this present edition tells me that this is a modified version. I do not expect that the central text has changed much, but there is additional material here. This is the story of the Russian Baltic Fleet's incredible odessey to the Far East to relieve Port Arthur, and its ultimate destruction at the hands of the Japanese under admiral Togo at Tsushima. The journey of the fleet was an incredible achievement in the days when ships had to transfer coal by hand. The facts that the hostile British did not allow coal to be loaded at their stations and that the Russians had to carry out back breaking coaling at sea (an unheard of practice) from chartered ships or in French ports where the local authorities would turn a blind eye (this was the period in which the British and French hammered out the Entente; so, all French help to their European ally had to be unofficial) make the Russians' efforts to reach the East seem super human. Hough did a fine job with this story in the first edition, as any who know his work would expect. This edition with its added appendicies must be even more authoritative. The Russo-Japanese war has meager coverage in English; so, this book is something of a must have.

The veteran naval writer Richard Hough made his name with this 1958 tale of the doomed Russian Second and Third Squadrons, destined to face oblivion at the battle of Tsushima (named after the small island between Japan and Korea whose name translates literally as "Donkey's Ears"). In a narrative style that would do justice to Joseph Conrad, Hough tracks the steady progress of the fleet through the Baltic, the North Sea (where, in firing upon the Dogger Bank fishing fleet, the Squadron almost began a war with Britain), to the West Coast of Africa, Mauritius, the Straits, Vietnam (Cam Ranh Bay) and finally the fateful Korea Straits. The astounding thing in this story was the fleet's sheer achievement in getting to the North Pacific: its voyage set new distance records, its unique at-sea coal refueling was revolutionary and the fleet's arrival at Singapore created an absolute sensation in admiralty circles. Hough also gives a graphic account of the terrible moment of truth, when Admiral Togo opens fire. Sterling stuff.

I must freely admit that I don't get this series about a millionaire/freelance detective gorilla who sometimes zooms around on a jetpack. The black and white artwork is pretty sweet, although sometimes the stylistic shifts are a little jarring. But the story-which is nominally about his quest to recover the "suspense jacket" in order to understand his pas-careens so wildly around, jam-packed with absurdity and digressions, that it's hard to maintain an interest. I would say it's worth checking out for the artwork, but don't even try to follow the story.

This could be one of the strangest comics I've ever read... it's reminiscent of the works of Grant Morrison and FLAMING CARROT, but draws a bit more from the world of MONTY PYTHON, THE KIDS IN THE HALL and Woody Allen. The story concerns a talking gorilla who happens to be a crime-fighting millionaire but spends most of his time drinking beer and playing RISK with his buddies, an odd assortment of half-witted sidekicks (though one of them, a chick who turns into a bird and looks a bit like EMMA PEEL is very cool). The gorilla, whose name is Kirk, is looking for clues to his past, of which his only clue is a series of odd visions in which he's a player for the BOSTON RED SOX. When he is presented with a strange case--to help uncover THE SUSPENSE JACKET, which allows the wearer to see the past and/or future--he feels it could be the key to figuring out his origin once and for all. The story is about as far from linear as you can get--Kirk and crew zip from place to place and scenes just sprout out of nowehere or end abruptly a la MONTY PYTHON. Takes a bit of getting used to (especially the scene where, without any warning, Kirk and a gang of 10-speed bicycles take on ninjas, guys in hot dog suits, and a giant penguin) but folks looking for a truly unique, truly hilarious and seriously "different" comic book will love SKY APE. The website... is a hoot as well.

This is an exceptional collection of serious erotica. The selected pieces gathered for this compilation offer something for every adult. I particularly liked "House Spirits" by Stephen Minot, a tempting look at a 3-some living on an abandoned farm. The story sneaks up on you. The art photos were enjoyable. I liked the cover photo so much I used it as a theme for a series of oil paintings I'm still working on. Anyone interested in adult erotica will enjoy this book.

Having never read a Russo book (though I had seen movies based on his books), being a bit put off by the daunting length of his small town meanderings, I picked up this book after it won the Pulitzer prize, more out of curiosity why this tome wiped out other books I considered done-deal winners than out of urge to read for pleasure's sake. Like so many of Richard Russo's characters' bent toward making bad decisions I now admit I join those ranks. This book is a terrific read. Russo has earned his laurels as one of the better storytellers writing today, and if the Pulitzer seeks out books that focus on and dissect American life, then this book more than justifies the award.

EMPIRE FALLS may be a mythical town, but Russo creates such a well documented history in his prologue, italicized intervening chapters, and epilogue that this small town in Maine becomes wholly beliveable. The span of character types touch every step of a class system denied by most as non-existent and in doing so Russo makes us explore motivations and explanations of why we all act out our lives the way we do.

The amazing gift of this writer is his subtle way of introducing a character as part of a scene, merely mentioning his/her presence at the moment, and later returning with a whole history of how that seemingly "supporting cast" person plays a major role in the unfolding of the grand kaleidoscope of a story that is Empire Falls. He creates characters so well that they are instantly recognizeable when they enter a new development in the story, in a way that makes the reader continually say "Aha!", "Of course", as the story unfolds. By the end of the book the people of Empire Falls are so well defined that they have become indelible presences in our minds.

While Russo doesn't bother with word painting or poetic glissandos about the settings or the atmosphere of nature that I usually treasure in other writers, his ability to capture small town claustrophobia is probably the best being written today. EMPIRE FALLS catches you in a net and doesn't let you go until, wonder of wonders, you notice you have just turned the last page of this 500 page tome. And I have to admit I have been missing the boat for years in not being caught up by Richard Russo. Congratulations on your well deserved Pulitzer!

Richard Russo's Empire Falls is a wonderful tapestry of ordinary people in a small Maine town. The beauty of Miles Roby who is not a dashing hero performing incredible deeds. He is a very human. A man who like so many people have never developed their true potential in life and look back with regret at who they might have been if they had made the choices they wish they had. Russo's characters posess the petty selfishness, the resentments people can harbor over the years.

I enjoyed Russo's use of flashbacks in italics mixng Miles's and Charlie Whiting's past and present together. Max, his self serving freeloading father and Grace, his mother's good hearted guilt ridden life intertwining and the mainipulative Francine Whiting, like a spider pulling enveryone's strings with her money and power. His selfish, self centered ex-wife Janine whom he married to avoid the entanglements of facing his unrequited love of Charlene and avoidance of poor lamented Cindy, provides comic relief gets her comeuppance.

Far be it for me to know whether Russo's wonderful book is Pulitzer Prize material. While not a page turner, the story develops slowly and in my opinion Russo using humor and irony manages to tie up all the loose ends that so many writers seem to run out of gas before they finish their tale. With a suprerior twist of an ending that isn't really a shock, everyone seems to get their just desserts, though sadly a few good people are destroyed. I was sad to see it end and I'm going to read the rest of Russo's books very soon.

Small town living has trapped Miles Roby into a life that he has never wanted. He finds himself constantly at the beck and call of Empire Falls matriarch Francine Whiting, plagued by his reprobate father Max and ex-wife Janine while he struggles to make a decent living for his teenage daughter Tig. The memories Miles holds dear are about to be shattered in a compelling story filled with twists and turns that quickly shatter any illusion the reader may have of small town America.

Richard Russo has brought a number of wonderful colorful characters to life in his book that stay with you long past the end of the story. This is one of those books that I found difficult to put down yet wanted to last so I could savor each word. I highly recommend this book to one and all as one of the best books I've read this year

Richard Paul Russo here tackles two of science fiction's hoarier scenarios: The generation starship, and the mysterious alien ship which no one can understand. Although he writes a more engaging story than some of his predecessors (e.g., Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama, and John E. Stith's Reckoning Infinity), he doesn't pull it off.

The book is most interesting in exploring how the good ship Argyros works. The political machinations and tensions among the factions, the sense of sameness - if not ennui - which pervades their society, and occasional moments of desperation and revolt.

Unfortunately he sets this against a backdrop of the aforementioned mysterious alien ship, with the twist that the ship appears related to a dead colony on a nearby world, and is, well, far from safe to explore. As such Russo sets out to paint yet another picture of aliens so alien and mysterious that we can't understand them. Such stories are never satisfying, because when the aliens' (or perhaps their ship's) behavior is the centerpiece of the book, we need to eventually be told SOMETHING about them. Why are they behaving as they are? Why are they sitting in the middle of space, silent? Why are the rooms constructed the way they are? It's not that we need all the answers hand-delivered, but we need to be given something, and we're not. We can't even draw our own conclusions because there's nothing there to draw from. Worse, one is left with the strong impression that Russo himself doesn't even have an idea as to what it's all about.

The story ends up being - sort of - about how humans react to such an encounter, but the alien ship is so generic it's not even up to the level of, say, 2001, and the ending seems all-too-predicable, ultimately. The religious and spiritual overtones are not without interest, but they're at best the third-most-interesting element of the book and cannot carry it.

I suspect that I'll barely remember the details of this book a year from now, although I enjoyed it for most of the ride. Chalk it up as another novel which could have been much better than it is, if it had had a firmer direction.

"Ship of Fools" is set on the Argonos, a starship housing a small society which has been shipbound for hundreds of years. The story opens on the cusp of a proletarian rebellion and a potential theocratic coup d'etat, and the narrator, one of the captain's closest advisors, finds himself caught up in political affairs. At the same time, the society's ancient history and mission is called on: a dead human planet, and then a dead alien ship, are discovered, and the inhabitants of the Argonos must piece together the mysteries they offer.

The issues explored by "Ship of Fools" are many and varied: religious belief and its place in politics, class struggles, the nature and strength of friendship, the existence and religious framework of evil (and whether it can conquer the truly unwilling), and the ultimate power and legitimacy of self-sacrifice. Yet somehow, even while considering all this, the plot is gripping and fast-paced, the narration is enjoyable, and the book is impossible to put down.

The major drawback of "Ship of Fools" is that it tries to do more than is ultimately possible. Many of the issues the novel raises - physical disability and deformity, unrequited romantic love - are ignored entirely. Most of the issues that are discussed are not resolved; in fact, even the action of the story is only partially settled.

Lack of closure is not always a fatal error, however, especially in a book with so many satisfying narrative and thematic elements. Perhaps the author intends to complete the story in a sequel; if so, it will surely be worthwhile reading. Even if "Ship of Fools" is the complete story of the Argonos and its inhabitants, it is compelling and thought-provoking reading worthy of any science-fiction fan.

I'm always interested in sci fi novels that involve generations living and dying on a spaceship bound for who knows where. Often, however, after the author has expended a lot of energy detailing the society that has evolved onboard, he or she doesn't know where to go with the plot. "Ship of Fools" avoids this, and almost every other pitfall of the genre. Russo has thought up an interesting social structure, and has delved into its political and religious ramifications. He's come up with a crisis involving an alien civilization that is both sobering and scary. He's got a narrator who is interesting, with a real point of view. And he's managed to end his story without disppointing the reader. This book hooks you from the opening paragraph, and never lets up for a moment. It's probably the best sci fi I've read in a couple of years.

This was written by a history professor, and you can tell. It is about as dry as can be, coldly intellectual. I know it must be accurate, and it is thoroughly researched, but it certainly doesn't "come alive". It's like your usual dry history textbook. If you want just facts, you get them here. If you want interesting reading, find another book! He could have quoted eye witnesses to help interest level - I'm sure there are still a lot of them who would share their perspectives. There is no clue how people reacted or how it changed their daily lives. It's about armies and battles but nothing about real people. History doesn't have to be so dull!

I've read a Spanish edition of this hard to find book.

This is a very interesting book covering the struggle for liberty Finnish people had to fight against the Soviet rolling machine.

A lot of maps and photos help a lot to show the hard conditions in which this war took place. It's amazing to see how heavy outnumbered but very valiant troops resisted and defeated time after time overwhelming enemy forces. Sadly, Finland was finally defeated, but its heroic resistance let them go on existing as a free and independent country. Was it worth? Well, they're still there while the Soviet Union has gone forever.

I missed some more info about orders of battle and foreign voluntary units participation in the Winter War.

I was extremely impressed with this book. It is very detailed and the illustrations of weapons and the detailed maps really added to the text. An absolutely fascinating look at what determined, resourceful people can accomplish in defense of freedom. I would have liked a little more info and/or personal anecdotes from both sides but Russian narratives are no doubt hard to come by. Besides, it takes no great imagination to feel what the poor Russian soldiers went through as they were sent to the slaughter by their idiotic leaders-the tale of fighting men everywhere. If you are looking for a book on the Finnish war, look no further. This is a great example.

"Mohawk" is an extremely easy read...easy not meaning insipid; easy as in leisurely, believable, warm, familiar. Richard Russo takes readers for a realistic, at times humorous, meander through small town life. This is accomplished with well fleshed-out characters, most of whom have never left Mohawk, New York, and the happenings at institutions and establishments revered for their individual unique contribution to small-town life (the only school; the one hospital, known for its inaccessibility, yet missed when replaced; the favorite grill where sorry old men gamble as much as they eat; the leather mills and tanneries, blamed for high cancer rates, where men worked hard for a living, some corrupted by a greedy management).
An absence of big-budget thrills arrived at with contrived, far-fetched situations feeds the real-town feel and is balanced by an interest sparked by the actors' very human emotions.
"Mohawk" is a captivating narrative of missed opportunities, abandoned dreams, and lives lived only for the pleasure of each moment. It is a story whose characters are full of longing, loss, fear, insecurity, and love...emotions experienced by all who breathe, even those who never leave the comfort of a small town they have always called home.

Richard Russo is one of America's funniest literary novelists. This novel is based in small-town New England, and all readers who have ever lived in a small town anywhere in America will feel like they're in on one of the wittiest jokes they've ever heard the entire time they read this book. Some characters want out of the town but seem never to succeed. Others never think of leaving. Others have thought of it and want to stay. All of which creates a very real and very humorous tale of small town life.

This story isn't small-minded in its small-town setting, nor is it simply humorous. Large personal issues that everyone, despite where he/she lives, must deal with are honestly and intelligently explored in this novel (e.g. a father's death, cancer, divorce, growing up, growing old, being poor, being rich then becoming poor).

The only reason I rank this novel with 4 stars instead of 5 is that it does seem to be slightly too long. It is still a great read, but if it were 20-25 pages shorter, it would have kept the energy it started with. I don't mean to suggest that it ever becomes boring, but it came out of the gates at a sprint and slowed down a bit toward the end.

In short, I advise reading this book. Despite any flaws it may have, it is better than most books I've read recently. It avoids being overly serious without becoming trite humor. I would also advise reading his novels Risk Pool and Straight Man which are also humorous and intelligent reads.

A wonderful work, exciting. A truly literary pageturner with fully realized loveable characters. Completely unpretentious. Even Wild Bill--Russo is totally forgiven for his creation, a patent Faulknerian manchild--is never doubted for a moment and plays a very pivotal part in the author's unfolding of this unforgettable town and the folks in it. I dream Mohawk (finding myself in the town) sometimes, even though I read this book two maybe three years ago. I can't believe that no one else visiting this site has reviewed this book at this time, besides the reprint of the published review. But Russo is not well known and this is his first novel. I recommend this book to anyone who breathes air and is thankful that they are a small part in the midst of this great ongoing tragicomedy (life). Didn't change my life, but if you want to read someone who is NOT a hack, read Richard Russo. Funny, too. --Jeremy

I bought this book looking for some stories about players, about the game of baseball, about the human side of it. I bought it for my son for his 11th birthday. I bought the wrong book. This book is NOT appropriate for anyone under 16, and not for many over 16. I'm sure many players use profanity, but almost every story had more than enough. One story led up to a player and his girl going through the trauma of a backroom abortion (where is the baseball in that?), another ended with the picture of a player sliding headfirst into home to be greeted by the batter, a malevolent teammate with a grudge who slugged his face with the bat. Looking for junk story writers trying to be cute or brutally realistic? Fine, this book is for you. Looking for good baseball stories? Look somewhere else.

This book is for fans of literary baseball short stories. If you like the work of Andre Dubus (whose story inspired the movie IN THE BEDROOM), Patricia Highsmith (who wrote the novel THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY), and David Carkeet (whose novel THE GREATEST SLUMP OF ALL TIME is often listed as one of the best contemporary baseball novels), then you'll love this book. Some of these stories have appeared in Best American Short Stories, and many have appeared in top literary magazines. Some stories are funny; some are dark. This is NOT a book of baseball anecdotes or sappy sentimentality or play-by-play accounts or simplistic moralizing. Like all great stories, the main subject (in this instance, baseball) is also a metaphor for some aspect of life, and, as anyone who's lived long enough should know, life is nothing if not ambiguous and complex. I highly recommend this anthology of funny, heartbreaking, ironic, scary, and intense stories in which baseball plays a significant role.