This book is a gem, one of the best I've ever read. It's not sad: it's mostly a deep point of view about reality, but no space for sadness here. Ed Bunker is a really gifted writer, and I was stunned by his book: I found it as strong as any good piece of literature. So powerful, so vivid, so close to the truth. It's cruel, cynic, but so real: there's more truth in this book than in 1000 different ones. The author lets you analyze the nature of crime, without analyzing it for you, just telling a story. What a discovery.

A crime-novel from a man who knows the inside of the criminal mind. This book is interesting both as a social study and as a suspense novel. Bunker does not keep his punches, and he writes with brutal honesty. The story of Max Dembo(the main character), is both exiting and sad, as Max tries to become a straight citizen, but soon realize that he is "born to loose". A great book, no matter how you look at it. This should be something they make the kids read in highschools.

This is an incredible book about criminals and their twisted philosophies. Bunker writes with brutal honesty. I found better psychological insights in these pages than a handful of sociologists could blabber out of their book training. This book came from the REAL DEAL! It doesn't glamorize anything-it just is what it is. Not to filibuster here, but with the ongoing debates about capital punishment and crime in general, this book should berequired reading for anyso-called "experts" on the subject. Bunker's words make a lot of sense and help you to understand a criminal's mind a little better.

The Confessions of Nat Turner audio book is a magic history lesson that is emotionally and intellectually appealing rich in detail and magnificent in scope. It is also exciting, compelling, powerful and tersely written and should be heard by anyone interested in the history of the United States. This excellent documentary should be part of all American History courses.

For those Americans both black and white, who've dared imagine the the myriad horrors of the slavery system, the audio book by Kente Classics "Americas Black Spartacus Remembered" is a compelling and vivid journey back into one of saddest moments in Americas often violent history. The tape brilliantly deals with the actual confessions given by the captured "Black Spartacus", Nat Turner to attorney Thomas Gray in November 1831 (3 months after the revolt, and just before he was to meet a certain fate of death by hanging). Gray went own to publish "General Nat's" confessions in a pamphlet which was widely read throughout the northern and southern states.

As the tape begins, we hear Gray (stage actor Michael Collins) describe Nat Turner's (stage actor Bernard Addison) entry into the interview room, in heavy chains and shackles from head to toe. From that point forward you we "transported" back in time and space to the very room itself.

One of the great advantages of the audio book as a medium, is its ability, like all great live theatre, to engage you through the aural senses to a place where you feel as though you are there witnessing the event taking place. For entire 1:30 min. playing time, this tape holds you in its grip with chilling descriptions by Turner of how he and his band of "disciples" went about their "work". The horrible result being, the ultimate death of over 30 white slave owners and their families, and the capture and slaughter of over 100 blacks in retailiation by maurauding bans of whites and militias mobilized in response. All this carnage taking place in a few days during August of 1831 in Southampton County Virginia.

Where the tape succeeds in a historical context for those interested in the episode, is we see the obvious impact the event had on the politics of the times, and the vast schism that existed between north and south on the matter of slavery.

Furthemore, because we actually hear the spoken words of Turner himself describe his motivation, objectives, and mental state for his actions, we are provided with a direct contrast to the Pulitzer Prize winning, and widely read book (a novel)"The Confessioins of Nat Turner", written by William Styron and published in 1968.

In a well written afterthought provided at the end of the tape, written by William L. Andrews, a professor at the University of North Carolina, we hear of challenges to the authenticity of Gray's confessions because Gray seems to imbue Turner with far too much intelligence and elegance of speech for a uneducated Negro. Andrews also argues convincely that the ultimate result of the Turner revolt may have mitigated southern anti-slavery sentiments to the point where the final conflict which was the Civil War was inevitable. In this, we see the validity of the comparison of Nat Turner to the Spartacus of 2000 years earlier.

The rest of the cast is equally superb, with Collins doubling as the voice of the Judge, and Shakeperean pro Allen Gilmore playing the voice of the William L. Andrews. The tape is punctuated with 2 very moving musical interludes by the great Odetta which help to add to the emotional impact of this sterling production. The tape jacket provides us with artists reproductions of the scowling Turner and a map of the country side where the revolt took place.

As has been the case with other Kente Classics audio books I have experienced, this tape succeeds because of the historical importance of the subject matter chosen, outstanding quality of the writing and editing, and the professional performances of the actors chosen for the various spoken roles.

I highly recommend this or any of the other titles from this house.

This is a comic materpiece and a must read for everyone. It also was made into an excellent under-rated Broadway play.

Although many people find dying a truly upsetting and unescapable practice, Franz-Oliver Giesbert sheds light on the final outcome, death. If it was a black and white picture there would be no need to go beyond teh capabilities of the human mind. Since there are many shades of grey we as beings and creatures of this planet must identify them as well. This novel takes great steps towards the ultimate goal in life, which is dying content and tranquil. If I had to live my life as someone else or after someone else; that somebody would be Francois Mitterrand. I highly recommend this book if you are into soul searching and finding answers.

The first paragraph of this book is perhaps one of the finest examples of modern English diction ever written, inescapably drawing the reader into the lives of a young writer from Dixie, a Gentile holocaust survivor with a haunted past, and her mad Jewish lover. Styron's mellifluous Southern voice weaves an unforgettable story of Stingo, the struggling Thomas Wolfe-in-waiting, cast adrift in the postwar boroughs of New York City. There, in the "kingdom of the Jews," he is witness to his neighbor Sophie's tortured recovery from her own and the world's Holocaust nightmare. Never preachy, Styron nonetheless teaches us about the darkness, the fragility and the strength of the human soul. Despite its macabre subject matter, the book is a paen to delirious, doomed hope, a raised Grail upon the Brooklyn Bridge to the unrelenting forgiveness in a spindly blade of grass emerging from a charred patch of Earth. Unwittingly or not, Styron has truly captured the tragedy and triumph of the Jewish experience: It is not about Judgement Day, only morning, beautiful and fair

William Styron has written a profoundly moving and disturbing novel with 'Sophie's choice'. The story of Sophie, a beautiful Polish Catholic who survived Auschwitz and was left with no family, and Nathan, her schizophrenic American Jewish lover, as related by Stingo, a naive but sensitive 22 year-old Southerner wishing to be a writer, is, perhaps, one of the most harrowing stories one can manage to read. Styron evidently conducted a considerable amount of research on the Nazi occupation of Poland and the hideous dynamics of their concentration camps, and his synthesis through Sophie (whose name, etymologically, means knowledge) is convincing and compelling. But what makes 'Sophie's choice' go beyond a mere historical novel is the excellent way in which Styron weaves Sophie's story with those of Nathan and Stingo and the deep ruminations on the nature of evil and madness and their consequences. Although Styron sometimes gets long-winded, especially when he has Stingo ponder about sexual matters, the novel succeds in making us understand a sad historical event in more humane terms. Perhaps a creative university professor teaching World War II history would be wise enough to assign this novel to make students realize that history is not, as somebody once facetiously said, 'one damn fact after another'.

The first paragraph of this book is perhaps one of the finest examples of modern English diction ever written, inescapably drawing the reader into the lives of a young writer from Dixie, a Gentile holocaust survivor with a haunted past, and her mad Jewish lover. Styron's mellifluous Southern voice weaves an unforgettable story of Stingo, the struggling Thomas Wolfe-in-waiting, cast adrift in the postwar boroughs of New York City. There, in the "kingdom of the Jews," he is witness to his neighbor Sophie's tortured recovery from her own and the world's Holocaust nightmare. Never preachy, Styron nonetheless teaches us about the darkness, the fragility and the strength of the human soul. Despite its macabre subject matter, the book is a paen to delirious, doomed hope, a raised Grail upon the Brooklyn Bridge to the unrelenting forgiveness in a spindly blade of grass emerging from a charred patch of Earth. Unwittingly or not, Styron has truly captured the tragedy and triumph of the Jewish experience: It is not about Judgement Day, only morning, beautiful and fair

Wonderful discovery: Edward Bunker! His "Education of a Felon" was riviting, to say the least. Here's a fancinating glimse into the long gone days of Los Angeles, and especially "Hollywood." The poles-apart contrast of his early life couldn't be more extreme. There's plenty of material here for thoughful reflection about the current state of our Criminal Justice and prison system. His work reminds me of the works of John Fante. He paints a picture of the LA of decades past with the sharpness and impact of a switchblade. His truly incredible drive to write while being hammered through the California Justice system is not just admirable but amazing. I couldn't put it down. His is a rare perspective running between two completely opposite worlds: Hollywood with all its glamor, power and wealth, and life on the edge, on the tough streets of LA where very few survived. He makes it all real. Straight talk. He's out front, talking to you without covering the shame and desperation of his early years. In the afterword we get to share a tiny glimpse of his survival and triumph, as a writer, as a human being. This leaves you with a great deal of satisfaction.

A wonderful discovery: Edward Bunker. An impressive accomplishment, documenting not only his survival, but especially his amazing ability and drive to write while being hammered through the slime of the California Prison System. I couldn't put it down. Capturing the 40's and 50's of a long-gone LA (especially Hollywood) with his particular perspective was most illuminating. Reminded me of the works of John Fante. The 'inside' picture of the movie business was particularly facinating. The amazing contrast between opposite poles, wealth, power & glamor, and the tough streets of those surviving on the edge is particularly effecting. This is straight talk. He talks to you and you're there. The great satisfaction of enjoying his ultimate success and recognition make this book especially commendable.

A wonderful discovery: Edward Bunker! Here's a unique view of Los Angeles, and Hollywood, in the 40's and 50's. The scope of Bunker's life is impossible to imagine: the wealth, power and glamour of Hollywood contrasted by the realities of survival on the tough streets of LA. The utter horrors of the criminal justice system, for those without means, are documented here in unabashed personal detail. It's the rare person who has experienced such dramatic contrasts in life let along live to write it. Edward Bunker's amazing drive to devour books and to write while surviving long periods of brutal incarceration is in itself a unique example of intellectual survival. His portrait of Southern California in the 40's reminded me of the writings of John Fante (Black Sparrow Press). Being a native Californian with much "Hollywood Time" I was fascinated by his descriptions of familiar places and the invisible underworld that existed beyond the vision of most of us. His glimpses into the very heart of those at the panicle of power and fame, from the vantage point of a kid looking in from the outside only to be welcomed inside and nurtured in spite of his horrendous criminal life, are fascinating. I couldn't put this book down. It really is straight talk from the depths of hell. An experience you'll share and not soon forget thanks to the skill of Edward Bunker's honest writing style. The after word provides unqualified satisfaction. For a man who should be long dead and whose name and very existence passed unnoticed, his triumphant survival and achievements leave you with a powerful, and beautiful, image of what man can do given the will to overcome the impossible.

Styron revisits old themes in this collection subtitled "Three Tales from Youth" and set, two thirds of the way, in Tidewater Virginia in the earlier part of the twentieth century. In it we see three episodes from the life of Styron's autobiographical protagonist Paul Whitehurst at ages twenty, ten, and thirteen.

In "Love Day" Paul, a young Marine lieutenant, experiences intense homesickness in the Pacific Ocean during the waning months of WWII. This is well-written but perhaps the least impressive of the three tales. Next is best. "Shadrach" is a wonderfully affecting, funny, and touching story of a 99-year old former slave who walks all the way from Clay County, Alabama, to Virginia to die and be buried in his homeplace. The title story shows Paul's struggle to accept his mother's approaching death from cancer and pays especial attention to the complex relationship between his parents.

Despite Styron's wonderfully indulgent and rococo style, these stories make for fairly quick reads, as we are carried along on a stream of telling detail and crystalline reminiscence. Not that the work lacks complication. As with his larger-canvased works, Styron deals with issues of race, Southern identity, heterosexual love, courage, cowardice, religion, and art. Here and there the stories are marred by facile liberal pieties and stilted dialogue, but for the most part it is a pleasure to watch this old master cast perhaps one last look at the familiar but still-fertile landscape of his heart and imagination.

Styron raises enough intriguing issues and questions that A Tidewater Morning could have been a full-bodied novel. Instead, we are treated to three short stories that, while somewhat disjointed, do manage to flow with relative ease. There's little new material addressed here: Styron returns to his favorite themes of slavery, war, and death, but he does manage some fresh twists that allow Tidewater to stand memorably on its own merits.

This book is a beautiful intermingling of past memeories and present strife. The war time world of Paul Whitehurst is made apparent; his childhood battles were fought just as passionately as any battle in WWII. Paul is a fictional character full of wit and wisdom. He comes alive in the three separate stories of his life. Your only thought at the end of this (way to short) novel is that you wish there was some kind of continuation or sequel to Paul Whitehurst's story.

To what extent a person loses his individual identity is the major focus of this long-winded but rewarding novel. While not the author's best work it nonetheless illustrates what types of people exist in the world, and what people, in moments of thoughtlessness, can do to each other.

In search of a challenging read, and intrigued by the Italian locale of much of the story, I picked up this 500+ page book at the library one day during lunch. Styron's vocabulary is immense, and his prose is quite enjoyable to read. The 1st part of the book is pretty absorbing, but the middle part is so slow and drawn out that it makes getting to the fairly interesting end rather tedious. The main problem I had was the inordinate focus on Cass' recollections. His recollections of North Carolina and the South I liked, but Cass' actions are not particulary considerate towards his family, and he is not an especially sympathetic character (esp. given his own self-destructive tendencies). I did not view Mason as some kind of evil incarnate, and ultimately the character of Leverett is not developed and fades into the background. Finally, given the book came out in 1960, some of the cultural differences and clashes brought out in the book (e.g. Mason talking about the Beats) seem a little dated. Nevertheless, the European setting and exquisite writing style compelled me to see the book to its (largely satisfactory) ending. If you have the time, and patience, this book may well be worth your while.

This book, Styron's finest, is about redemption. Heralded by the epigraph from John Donne, the intricately structured tale with its Marlowian manipulations of narrative points of view soon becomes so enthralling that it's impossible to put down. But it's also to Styron's great credit that the novel's theme, redemption through confrontation with death and violence, is reflected through its feverish style. There are not many books in the postwar era, and none in the United States, that have such a non-moralistic but intensely moral character and impact. Echoes of the Greek tragedians (several times evoked in the text) and of Dostoyevski abound. Finally, the crucial role by the most-fleshed out non-expatriate character, a philosophical Italian small-town cop named Luigi, elevates the moral drama to a metaphysical dimension that most contemporary writers don't even seem to understand, let alone approach. It's a shame that Styron has not received the Nobel Prize yet.

If you seek a book on depression, you are probably looking for clinical texts written by people in the health professions. You may hardly expect this slim book by novelist William Styron--a memoir, but also a literary self-analysis regarding his condition.

DARKNESS VISIBLE is a revealing and engaging look into the life of a particular man who suffers this disease. Although I can only imagine how a victim of depression would respond to such a book, I would suppose it would offer something like companionship or camaraderie with someone who has experienced what they feel others can't understand, as well as a glimmer of hope if read to the end.

As a reader not afflicted with depression, the book was a story that illustrated his philosophical dilemmas, agonizing psychological pain, and his experiences in a personal and thoughtful way. If it was not as entertaining as the novels of his that I have read, I'm certain it wasn't meant to be. But if you suffer from depression, treat people who suffer from depression, or are just interested in the affliction, you might be interested in reading about Styron's attempts to grapple with and understand this often fatal disease that strikes so many people.

I could not help but be comforted by the the words of William Styron in Darkness Visible. As his novels intriqued me and delighted me this account of his experience with depression gave me support. It made me realize that no one is safe from this dreaded affliction. What I felt Styron put into words. He made my craziness feel a little less crazy. Styron is a wordsmith of the highest caliber. This book should be read especially by families of those suffering from depression. It gives such vivid descriptions of what it is really like to suffer from depressssion. Sometimes it becomes more real when one so esteemed can express what it is really like. He made me feel just a little more normal and understood. I am sorry I waited so long to read this selfless and inspiring account of a disease so misunderstood. Thank you for your honesty Mr. Styron

"Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness" is an autobiographical work in which distinguished novelist William Styron recalls his battle with clinical depression. A lean 84 pages, this is a straightforward and eloquent book.

In an author's note, Styron explains that this book started out as a lecture given at a symposium sponsored by the Department of Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The lecture was developed into a "Vanity Fair" essay before ultimately becoming this book.

Styron describes depression as "an insidious meltdown" of the mind, a "tempest in my brain." He reflects on the depression and suicide of other individuals whose lives had touched his. He describes in detail his own struggle with suicidal thoughts. Also covered are the medications he took, as well as his hospitalization and therapy.

Styron's book is both a fine piece of literature and a very informative window into a particular mental illness. Styron has been in the pit of despair, but has survived; I commend him for his courage and candor in sharing his experience in "Darkness Visible." Recommended companion text: Audre Lorde's "The Cancer Journals," about a poet's battle with breast cancer.

This book was so gripping, I read it (blush) in a single sitting at a bookstore. Never bought it. The ending could have been a bit more plausible, but I woke up the next two mornings having dreamt about it. Whew!

With Dog Eat Dog Edward Bunker shows us his talent for writing down-and-dirty, there are no keeping the punches in this shocking novel about three friends and ex-cons that come up with a plot to rip off other criminals. The book does side slightly with the criminals, but it does not glorify them as misunderstood good guys, it shows them as mean and evil at times, but also let us see that they are human, and that not all the bad that is inside them is of their own doing. Bunker might not master the language as well as seaseoned crime-fiction writers, but this adds to the authenticity of the book too, making it seem more "there", while it leads us towards the ending. The book is a character study too, and we see some truly terrible characters here, even a few without any "good" sides. It is a brutal and shocking book, and not for every one.

Edward Bunker's "Dog Eat Dog" may lack the sophisticated prose and style of a more seasoned crime writer, but its realism more than makes up for it. These men are real criminals with real evil in their hearts. They are not cartoonish buffoons like they would be in an Elmore Leonard novel. Bunker knows the hell of cocaine addiction, he knows the desperation that drives men to commit robbery, he knows the allure of the criminal life, he knows there is no true "honor" among thieves. This book is like a kick in the teeth. Unlike some cartoonish crime novels, "Dog Eat Dog" is not meant to entertain. It is an uncompromising portrayal of what it really is like to be a criminal, and how difficult (almost impossible) it is to distance yourself from the criminal lifestyle. It's not surprising that Bunker is a reformed ex-criminal. It's doubtful anyone else could have written such unflinching realism.