One of my friends recommended that I read Thomas Hardy, but she cautioned me: "Thomas Hardy isn't for everyone." I discovered while reading "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" that what she may have meant is that Thomas Hardy didn't write light works to be read and then forgotten about. Through this book, Hardy addresses issues that society in his day didn't want to face: the fate of the farm worker in the increasingly industrialized society, predjudices held against minority groups, and the inequality of women. All of this is not to say that this is a dry or boring work -- "Tess" is gripping, riveting, and almost overpowering in its emotional appeal. One cannot read this book without becoming involved in Tess's situation. I have never been so angry with a character in a book as I was with Angel Clare at a certain point in the novel. So, in conclusion, "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" isn't for everyone. . . but it should be for every thinking person, everyone who isn't afraid to face issues, think deeply about them, and apply them to life.

This book is tragic and wonderfully written. Hardy uses words to create a scene for you that creates the visual for you completely. I think that the sadest thing for me was to realize people did live like this, life really was that hard. As a 21st century woman I was outraged at the way that Tess was treated by men and by society. Who is the true bad guy, Alec or Angel? When we read it with our societies mores we perceive it one way, but if we were ken to the morals of that society how would we see it? Are they really dastards, or are they all just victims. I am not a scholar, I liked the story for being a good story.

After reading the book I rented the A&E movie. As I watched it, I realized how well the book translated into video, because I had already seen the exact same scenery in my mind. The only thing that surprised me was the bleakness of the trunip farm and Tesses horrible conditions. I couldn't imagine anything that awful.

There are a lot of words, similar to DH Lawrence, but I wouldn't get rid of a one of them. If you come to this book as a great story and not as a classic novel, you will hold Tess to your heart and never forget her tragedies.

Please ignore the immature high-school student reviews and understand that this book is a masterpiece. Hardy analyzes the relationship between human desire and society's mores to an unprecendented degree. The characters are multi-faceted and very life-like. Hardly aptly avoids the mistake of creating mere carciatures of the pure woman, idealistic intellectual, and spoiled playboy. Moreover, his use of religious allusion is excellent although this may alienate the modern, secular reader. And perhaps this is the problem with some readers. Finally, Tess is an admirable and strong woman who had difficult circumstances. How many people would act as admirably in her circumstance? Not many! The reviewers that criticize her actions should realize this and that they ignore one of Hardy's key points: Don't be so judgemental! This is one of the best books I have read and believe me, I have read a lot of the "good" books.

Robert Heinlein spent the last twenty-five years of his life and career much as he spent the first twenty-five -- pushing the envelope of what Science Fiction was and could be. This ruffled a lot of feathers, as Heinlein didn't keep rewriting "Methusulah's Children" time and again, but instead experimented with the form. These experiments were most clearly seen in "Number of the Beast," "Job," and "Friday." And "Friday" leads the pack as a good read that works on deeper levels if you go to look for them.

What is "Friday" about? Well, you could say it's about the adventures of the lead character, Friday "Marjorie Baldwin" Jones, a Courier and Spy in a balkanized future that should frighten people. You could also say it's about the implications of Cloning Technology, from years before sheep replication. You could also say it's about the meaning of family and the search for belonging. And you can draw a clear allegory from it as it addresses Prejudice in all its irrational ugliness. Friday is an Artificial Person. Gene-engineered to be at the peak of humanity (and beyond). But AP's are hated. Denied of souls by the churches. With ugly myths that spring up about them.

And one of the truly great subtexts that forms in the course of "Friday" is Friday's deep seated belief in her own inferiority, even as she snorts at her oppressors. Friday's own acceptance of herself, mirrored by finding a place where she belongs and a life she likes to lead, fuels this book's spiritual core.

And, if that sounds boring to you, there's also lots of sex, violence and death. And Scientologists, Hare Krishnas and fundamentalists get involved in a three way war with Canadian Mounties caught in the middle. This has something for *everyone.

There are people who proclaim this as their favorite Heinlein book above all others . . . and I can see that simply based on the narrator, spunky Friday. She's earnest, loving, sensitive, just looking for a family and a need to belong. However, it's sure not mine. I liked it sure but after reading several other late period Heinlein novels I just got struck with a feeling that I've seen this before. The good stuff first: Friday is a courier working for an organization where she doesn't know what they do or why they do it . . . she's also an "artifical person" essentially genetically engineered and there's this weird prejudice against APs for some bizarre reason, since you obviously can't tell them apart. Sort of like the X-Men, the nornal looking ones at least. And that's pretty much it. The book starts out with something resembling a plot but quickly dissolves into a meandering, if entertaining mess . . . all showcasing what Heinlein must have thought as the perfect world. And in his perfect world there is sex. Lots of it. And it's obviously a perfect world from the mind of a male because every woman is bisexual (and I mean every!), every male is heterosexual, everyone sleeps with everyone for really no good reason ("Hey, you're hot, let's have sex!" "Okay!"). Friday is gangraped in the beginning and really doesn't seem to care all that much. The plot becomes fairly episodic as Friday careens from one odd situation to the next with only the most tenuous connections linking them . . . the world Heinlein creates predates the rumblings of cyberpunk by a few years but it still feels too antiseptic . . . but plot twists come literally out of nowhere, and impossible coincidences abound, as well as absurdities (come on, every loyal enemy agent instantly switches sides because Friday asks them really nicely?). Somehow Heinlein manages to keep you reading, even as you can't fathom why Friday is doing the things she does, she says she wants to settle down but then goes back to work, and when she goes back to work she claims she wants to settle down. Even worse is Heinlein's obvious to do things simply for the sake of shock value, I'm not talking violence, I'm talking brash societal commentary that comes from literally nowhere, the character just makes his point and moves on, like a good little mouthpiece. Don't get me wrong, this is an entertaining book, except for the digressions into sex and love and why everyone should do it, most of it is at the very least interesting even as it's going nowhere. It's like watching a car just riding around a very small circular track, fun to watch for a while but eventually you want something to happen. The fact that he manages to make all of this coherent and readable attests to his genius, even if this isn't the best example of it. New readers might find some new stuff here but those of us who have been through Stranger in a Strange Land, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Time Enough for Love, and I Will Fear No Evil (especially that one!) will find that we've been here before and there's only so much you can say about a one note concept (free love) anyway before it gets tedious. But don't fret, new readers, the man has done better than this. Far better.

Tuesday, September 01, 1998

Friday, a book you can never forget. A very modern Heinlein wrote this book.

In my view Robert Heinlein was two SCI FI writers in the same body. His books before 1960 were more traditional, if Science Fiction has a tradition. At least the books written by Heinlein before 1960 had no sex in them, at least the ones I have read. After 1960, sex sex sex, in many books. Friday was one of these modern SCI FI books with plenty of sexual overtones.

I sometimes wondered if Robert Heinlein was ahead of his time, and did some mind changing drugs before 1960. His great books reflected a man who had changed greatly, the books he wrote after 1960. And Friday is certainly on of these books that showed his great change in mindset, and writing style.

I kind of joke when I say that just before 1960 Robert Heinlein must have done some drugs that made him normal. But in many ways, Heinlein was more in touch with the real world after 1960. To me there is a kind of stark realism in Friday. Yet the character, Friday, is a very loveable person, who is beautiful, dynamic, and very sexy. She is a woman of the future in that there is total liberation for womanhood in her.

The Plot is neat, and yet in some ways is not a plot, in the sense of Classical Plotting. It is more or less a series of events that are very interesting. In Heinlein's books before 1960, there was always the classical plot.

Friday has a great SCI FI prediction in air travel that is now being considered by Boeing Aircraft, and will someday become reality. Robert Heinlein was ahead of his time, of this there can be no doubt. He was a great Scientific Visionary. Heinlein was also one of the greatest writers of all time, in my eyes.

Friday is very modern Fiction, Science Fiction. Heinlein never became stale in his writing. He was always changing with the times, and Friday Reflects his ability to change, to have a current writing style after writing for many years and always putting out great fiction, with many wonderful concepts and eternal truths. There is nothing trivial in any of Robert Heinlein's books, and that includes Friday.

Friday would make another great Heinlein movie. One creates a movie in their mind when they read this intriguing and imaginative Science Fiction Novel. Friday is must reading for Robert Heinlein Fans, and modern thinkers of all kinds who have the imagination for the enjoyment of science fiction.

A number of the readers who ranked this book poorly seemed to think they had read a novel, though the author says immediately that "it must be regarded in its essence as fact." The narrator, Pirsig, is a man in early middle age, once a teacher of rhetoric and technical writing at Montana State in Bozeman. While there he became interested in the philosophical pursuit of an objective standard of quality or value (a larger form of the discipline of aethetics); this became an obsession when he entered graduate school at the University of Chicago, and the narrator eventually suffered a severe nevous breakdown. In a mental asylum he received 28 shock treatments over two years, destroying much of his memory. At the time of the motorcycle "chatauqua" that frames this book he has rebuilt his life, working as a a technical writer. He has remarried, fathered two children and come to think of himself as a wholely different person. He calls his earlier self "Phaedrus," (the wolf) somewhat ironically after a character in a Socratic dialogue.

The trip that reunites him with places and people not seen in years allows Pirsig a good deal of time to meditate on Phaedrus, to try to piece together his former life and how he careened toward insanity. Early in the book is an intimation, that his 11-year son, riding pillion on the cycle during the entire trip, is showing early signs of mental illness. This does not make him easier on the boy; he is instead surprsingly strict, bossy, even competitive, which makes him a vivid if often diasagreeable first-person narrator. (Chris Pirsig did suffer a breakdown, and lived only till about 20; he was still alive when ZAMM was published, however.)

I go into this at length because many of these reviews seem to ignore the fact that there is a solid overall narrative structure to the book--this, I think, is useful for potential readers to know, together with the fact that it is an unusual and honest memoir of a man who has had a difficult life.

Despite the book's title, Pirsig's journey is primarily one through the history of Western philosophy, from the pre-Socratics through Plato, Aristotle, the 18th century empricists, and 19th century idealists. On this level alone, the book succeeds in being one of the most accessible and reliable treatments of the field. But the text is also a critique of the whole Western "logocentric" tradition, with its emphasis on reason, or "dialectic." Like Kant ("Critique of Pure Reason") or Kierkegaard ("Concluding Unscientific Postscript"), Pirsig uses reason to expose the limitations of reason. And what does he replace it with? Not Eastern mysticism or Zen riddles but rhetoric. More than the classic rhetoricians that Pirsig exhalts or the 20th-century structuralists and post-structuralists (Barthes, Derrida, Foucault) for which Pirsig's narrative is practically an illustration, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" makes the case for language as the basis for all reality, for all that we think, experience and perceive. It's this conflict between dialectic and rhetoric that drives the narrative, realized in plain yet compelling prose that's capable of staying with the attentive reader for the rest of his or her lifetime. After reading the book twice, I was unable to look at the self, the world, at all things constructed by language in quite the same way. The least successful parts of the book, it seems to me, are the narrator's protracted discussions of the nature of "reality" as a moment inaccessible to human intellect and his somewhat naive, 1960's-style musings on the nature of "quality." Supposedly his English composition students were immediately able to know it when they saw it, thereby making it unnecessary for him as a teacher to talk about "standards" or to establish criteria. (The suspicion arises that Pirsig hasn't had a great deal of experience teaching students how to write.) Nevertheless, even when a cylinder occasionally misfires, this is a book worth reading carefully and more than once. Unfortunately, because of its "cult" status, many people seem to purchase the text but never finish it. Robert Redford owns the screen rights, but a reader would be ill-advised to wait for the movie version. The "visual" elements of the text--the motorcyle odyssey and troubled father-son relationship--are minor metaphors compared to the ambitious and largely successful intellectual quest.

I tried to read ZAMM years ago and didn't get past the first chapter. My mindset was impatient and I wasn't prepared to think about the issues he was raising. One of Pirsig's classic gumption traps, I guess.

Something told me to try it again, so I checked out a copy of the original edition from the library. I just finished the book and now I'm buying my own copy. Prisig is one of those rare authors who can express emotions so subtly and naturally that you actually feel them rather than just read about them. He also has a remarkable way of blending the past, the present and the deep thoughts of two distinct points of view into one smoothly flowing narrative. Just when things might start to drag he switches gears (no pun intended) and lets us all just ride along for a while.

This isn't the type of book that everyone will read straight through, or that everyone will appreciate right away. And there's really no reason to force it: Put it down, come back later, read back over the part you didn't quite get. There's no hurry. And when you finally arrive at the destination, the end of that cross-county motorcycle ride, and contemplate the remarkable ideas you've picked up along the way you'll smile, think back, and realize how much you enjoyed the trip.

-Bryan

Disclaimer: The first Heinlein books that I have read were "Time Enough for Love" and "The Number of the Beast". Both of which I consider trash.

Anyways, "Stranger" is somewhat better. The themes that are brought out might have been scandalous in the sixties, but now they are rather ho-hum:Free Love is good, physical possessions are bad, established religions are hokey, Jealousy is bad, you get the idea. These themes are tied together by a messiah/martyr story. This story might offend you if you believe in the literal meanings of your favorite holy book, but otherwise I think it's tame for many readers.

I guess I don't really like Heinlein's tone of writing. I always get the feeling that I'm reading from the mind of a 1960's Hippie demagogue. Someone like Timothy Leary. On the surface they might seem open-minded but underneath they are quite autocratic, self-righteous, inconsiderate and closed to other view-points. Also he's always displaying an adolescent fascination with sex and at the same time he is incredibly sexist with his portrayals of the female characters.

For a much better messiah/martyr story, check out Frank Herbert's "Dune".

Robert Heinlein's best-known book, and his second-best book (in my opinion, it's a close second to "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress"), is "Stranger in a Strange Land". It tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, who was born during the first expedition from Earth to Mars, as well as being the sole survivor of that mission. Now, as a young adult, Mankind again goes to Mars, and Mike is sent back with the second expedition as an ambassador to Earth and as a scout. He has been raised by Martians and thinks Martian, and is totally ignorant of human ways. Through his eyes, Heinlein puts the critical spotlight on numerous social institutions, customs, beliefs, and concepts. The primary targets are love, politics, social taboos, and religion. Mike eventually founds his own religion, based upon Martian thinking and beliefs, and the special telepathic powers he learned growing up on Mars. Oh, and by the way, Mike is also heir to an enormous fortune, as patents held by his parents eventually developed into technological breakthroughs.

This book had two effects on American society: a brief movement toward Dionysian commune living, and the creation of the word "grok". "Grok" could be translated as "understand" but goes beyond that; possibly "to understand a thing or person as if you were actually that thing or person, which makes it become forever a part of you" would do it justice.

Social commentary aside, this is a fascinating, fun, adventure story with a science fiction basis. The writing flows quickly, the characters are interesting and likeable, and symbolism abounds. This is Robert Heinlein at his (near-)best.

This book is Heinlein's most famous effort, still selling very well today in both its original (1961) 'cut' version, and in the 'uncut' version (about 60,000 words longer), released after his death by his wife, Virginia Heinlein. It is an extremely complex satirical book, with multiple literary and philosophical allusions and referents, and with attacks and comments on many of the basic tenants of American life and social structure, including sex, love, marriage, politics, government, religion(s), economics, tattoos, art, writing, astrology, journalism, TV, military, inheritance laws, cannibalism, prejudice, prisons, and carnival life. Heinlein's aim was for this book to create questions about all of a reader's basic assumptions, to gore every sacred cow, to upset all the apple-carts. In some ways, he succeeded beyond his dreams, as the book was 'adopted' as their bible by many of the '60s counter-culture movement, even to the point that several churches were established with this book as their basis (most notably the Church of All Worlds). Heinlein himself was rather terrified by this use, as he never intended the book to provide answers, only to force questions.

The plot line is fairly simple: A child born to the first Martian expedition, Valentine Michael Smith ("Mike"), is raised by the Martians and brought back to Earth as a young man, where he receives a rather eccentric education into the ways of man by those who befriend him. Once he feels that he understands humanity, Mike undertakes to educate humans in the philosophy of "Thou art God" in such a way that the truth of that statement is a provable tautology. As such, he becomes a self-proclaimed messiah, with the usual fate of messiahs that upset everyone's idea of what is 'right'. But those who have accepted his 'education' will continue on...

The book makes heavy use of irony and contrasting poles of thought, such as Mike (the innocent) vs Jubal Harshaw (the voice of experience), the Church of All Worlds (Appolonian) vs the Fosterites (Dionysian), the Carnival (heaven ) vs the Zoo (earth). Most of the character's names are important in terms of their 'meaning', elucidating and enhancing many of Heinlein's points. Due to its structure and theme, this is one of the few SF books that has been subjected to a fair amount of academic analysis, a process that continues to this day. Some critics have gone so far as to say that the book is not science fiction, but rather a modern example of a satire, belonging in the same realm as something like Jonathon Swift's "A Modest Proposal".

This book has contributed some new words to the English language, most notably "grok" and "water-brother", and may have the best simple definition of love found anywhere: "Love is that condition in which the happiness of another is conditional to your own". (Note: this definition appears only in the 'cut' version, apparently thought up while he was editing the original version of the book down to what was at the time 'publishable' length).

Although this book reads very easily, with Heinlein's typical unforced, everyday American prose style, the concepts and questions he presents are neither simple nor trivial. Not all of his points are directly explicated - it is worthwhile for the reader to carefully look for some of the hidden, non-obvious parallels and historical referents that are scattered throughout this book. You don't need to agree with all his points, but reading this will make you examine of your own assumptions and beliefs, take a look with new eyes at the world around you, and find your own answers.

How can you even review the ultimate pirate book of all time? I read it when I was 9 and loved it. I read it again when I was 34 and loved it again! (Actually, I read it several times between, as well.) Long John Silver is arguably one of the most Macchiavellian characters you will ever find between the covers of a book. (I'm mainly reviewing it to raise the average rating. Anyone who thinks this book is boring has to have a screw loose!) From the arrival of the mysterious Billy Bones, to the attack on the inn, to the sea voyage, to the mutiny, to the battle for the island, to the treasure hunt, even to the final fate of John Silver, this book is a stunning rollercoaster of suspense and adventure! I'd give it ten stars if I could.

Here's a bit of information you other readers might enjoy: the meaning of the pirates' song--

Fifteen men on a dead man's chest Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!

The real-life pirate, Edward Teach (Blackbeard the Pirate) once marooned 15 of his men on a small island named Dead Man's Chest. He put them ashore with no weapons, equipment or supplies--just a bottle of rum.

Giving Treasure Island five stars is like declaring Helen of Troy homecoming queen. It's too little,too late. This is the classic tale of pirates. Its' themes have been worked and worked again,but it remains untouched. Stevenson is a master storyteller at the top of his form. From beginning to end the plot never lags,and the characters possess a richness and depth rare in an adventure story. Every reader of English ought to make their acquaintance--Jim Hawkins,Billy Bones,Old Pew,Silver,and the rest--at some time in his life,preferably when he is young,and his heart still believes it can find that treasure. Treasure Island has been francised,moppetized,filmed,and abridged,but never bettered. Accept no substitues! Read the entire book. There is plenty here for children and adults. Like all great literature,it works on more than one level. Dominating the whole Story is the figure of Long John Silver. As his name implies he has a lunar quality. He is attractive,facinating,powerful,but with a dark side. Again,he is murdering,lying,and infinitly self-seeking,yet like Jim we cannot help liking him and wanting him to like us. At this level Treasure Island is a study in criminality that asks: Why is it that the best,the most full of natural power, often turn their gifts to evil? And why do we find evil so attractive? A word about editions. There are many,but by far the best is the hardcover featuring the illustrations of N.C. Wyeth. No one has succeeded as he has in capturing the spirit of the tale. If you are looking for a cheaper paperback edition that won't blind you with cramped layout, or ruin the whole experience with goofy illustratons,choose the Puffin Classic. It's unabridged,sturdy,and features a beautiful cover illustration.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson is by far one of the best adventure stories I have ever read. This book deserves all five stars, it has everything you could ask for such as, suspense, comedy, action, drama and a great plot line. R.L. Stevenson puts a lot of detail into his main characters such as Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins just to name a few. He describes the scenes with such great detail that at times I had to remind myself that it is only a book. I spent more than 2 months reading this book and I enjoyed every part of it. I could RARELY find a paragraph that was dull, the book was very exciting overall. This book is fairly easy to read and I would recommend it to adults and children of all ages. The book moves at a very good pace, not too fast, not too slow. This book is anything but boring, something new happens in every chapter for instance, when Jim witnesses a murder and when he gets into bar fights, those are just some of the many things that happened. I was very surprised myself when I read this book because it seems a little childish but in fact it's quite the contrary. I highly recommend that you go out and read this book!

Robert Jordan does it again in book six of his incredibly long and involved saga, "The Wheel of Time". In this latest masterpiece, things are really starting to move. With the unlikely help of Mat and his Band, Nynaeve and Elayne go in search of a ter'angreal which may bring rain to the thirsty land. The Tower remains split, but the rebel Aes Sedai in Salidar choose an Amyrlin Seat, and the choice will shock you. Rand raises a vast army of Asha'man, men who can channel, with the help of former false Dragon, Mazrim Taim, while preparing for war against the powerful and possibly mad Forsaken, Sammael. However, in the midst of it all, discord begins to be sown within the group of rebel Aes Sedai by a mysterious but evil character named Aran'gar, disguised as the beautiful Hasima, secretary to Delana Sedai. As always, the story is gripping, but is continually bogged down with unnecessary character descriptions and explanations of this strange world which may be interesting to a few, but will annoy most readers, anxious to keep things moving. All complaints aside, it's a great book, and definitely one worth reading.

This book is nothing short of awesome. However, in order to enjoy or understand The Lord of Chaos, one must first read the previous five books. This book finally begins to reveal where Jordan is going with the series. He has been developing a plot for action for much of the last three books, and at the end of The Lord of Chaos the action is released. I am sure the following books will develop largely from what occurs in this novel, making it a cornerstone to the series.

Much changes in this novel. Perrin is reintroduced to the plot and joins Rand in Caemlyn and follows to Cairhien. Perhaps the most interesting events concern Mat. Jordan reveals that the Daughter of the Nine Moons is Seanchan. Mat also leads Rand's army of Dragonsworn. Elayne and Nyn use Moghedien to discover new uses of the power and leave for Ebou Dar to find a weather ter'angreal. Egwene leaves the Wise Ones to go to Salidar. The men Rand gathers to channel become a force to be reckoned with. Min reaches Rand and enjoys teasing him. I would reveal more about Rand, but that would spoil the novel.

For me, Mat and Lews Therin are the most interesting characters. The fact that The Lord of Chaos spends so much time dealing with them makes this book one of my favorites. I did not notice as much reptition in this novel as in previous. I think Jordan realizes that someone who is reading the Lord of Chaos has probably read the entire series. If you thought the Fires of Heaven was so-so and are deciding whether to read the next one, I recommend at least reading The Lord of Chaos before quitting the Series.

Mmmm...how can I possibly review this book and be able to convey the exact JOY I felt at reading it? Let me put it this way. I was vacationing in Florida when I read this book, and we spent an entire day at Disneyland. That night, we got back at about 10:00. I plopped down in bed, but instead of falling asleep (like most people would have after a day like that), I stayed up until 2 A.M. reading Lord of Chaos. It's THAT good.

There were so many plot twists, TONS of surprises. The ending scene was, I believe, one of the best you can ever read in literature. It seriously gave me the shivers. I loved it.

There was just SO MANY good things happening in this book...I really can't describe it. If you're a WoT fan, don't stop now. You'll really love this book. If you haven't read any of the previous books yet, go back and read them IN ORDER.

For anyone who likes to read (and even if you don't) the Wheel of Time series is the best literature has to offer. I mean, it has humor, romance, adventure, suspense, and some pretty creepy parts. What MORE can anyone ask for?

growing up a poor and abused child in a small town where her best friend...the only friend she's ever really had, was murdered troy couldnt wait to leave, but something always brings us back to our roots. returning as a strong woman no longer afraid of her past, nor the towns feelings of her and her physic abilities, troy opens a gift shop. aware of the few in town who blame her for the murder of hope, feel she knows more than she told all those years ago, she is determined to make it work...as well as determined to find the real killer. in small towns, everyone knows everyone...or at least they think they do. sometimes the people you cant stand turn out to be your best friend....and you best friends turn out to be your worst nightmare realized.

this was a great book! i always close a nora roberts book with a huge smile on my face, amazed that once again, shes fulfilled a day of two for me ::smile

I have been a fan of Nora Roberts for a long time -- since the late 1980s -- and I try to read most/all of her novels. She has been a consistently decent/good writer. However, this story is somewhat similar to Linda Howard's After the Night, which I just finished. Therefore, I didn't find it very fresh or original. (After the Night is also set in a small southern town; the heroine is part of the "white trash" and the hero is the only son of the wealthiest family in town; the heroine had a tough childhood with parents who were physically or mentally abusive; the hero has a messed up sister; the hero's mother has an unhealthy hatred for the heroine because she attributes her husband's death to the heroine's family; the heroine grows up and comes back into town to open her own business and try to solve the mystery re who killed the hero's dad; certain small-minded townspeople won't let her forget her bad-seed "roots" -- sounds familiar? yup, practically identical to some of the plot elements of Carolina Moon, just substitute the hero's dad for the sister.) Actually, during the past year or two, I've begun to catch many recycled plots, characters, etc. in her novels. It seems unavoidable, given that she publishes so much (several mainstream fiction under her name and J.D. Robb each year; and numerous Harlequin and/or Silhouette novels each year)! The ending was just o.k. I figured that Roberts would use someone "unexpected" as the killer. But I wish the ending didn't feel as abrupt as it did. I'd go into my dissatisfaction with the ending some more but I don't want to spoil it for anyone who has not yet read the book. Still, it was an enjoyable read.

I have read Nora Robert's books for the past 8 years or so, and am happy to report that I loved this book. Her characters were well developed, the plot very interesting and the ending was a little out of left field, I mean it kept me guessing. I really enjoyed the characters of Tory, Cade, Wade, Faith, and Iris. Hannibal was really scary as Tory's father. Those of you who haven't read it yet, please stop here. I thought the end was anticlimatic at first but then the real ending was a bit of a surprise. This book reminds me of Nora's earlier masterpieces such as Carnal Innocence, Divine Evil and True Lies. Of her series romances I enjoyed the "Born in..." series. However, I haven't had the urge to read the others. I tend to enjoy her novels that stand alone rather than those in a series. Overall this book was quite engaging and I really enjoyed it. Neither diehard Nora fans nor new readers will be disappointed in this book.

I read this book as a summer reading assignment, and I was totally amazed at how good it was. It is about this high school girl named Izzy who is involved in a drunk driving crash caused by a senior named Marco. Izzy's lower right leg is brutally injured and she is forced to have it amputated. She feels really depressed, and her friends don't seem to want to visit her. Then this girl named Rosamunde who isn't as popular as Izzy comes by to visit often and they become friends. Rosamunde, who is a very straight-forward person with a unique sense of humor, helps Izzy get back on her feet and cope with her disability. I highly recommend this book to anyone, even if you don't like to read. I enjoyed it very much.

This novel is about a young girl named Isobelle Lingard, "Izzy", who must pay consequences for a choice she makes. Izzy is a cheerleader and very popular amongst her school. However, her life changes after she suffers severe injuries in a car crash caused by a drunk driver. It takes a girl, Rosamunde, to make Izzy accept what has happened to her. Rosamunde will not let Izzy feel different from anyone else and will not let her be pitied. Izzy comes to know what her real friends are like and she makes a great friend. Because of Rosamunde, Izzy was given the courage to return to school and face her friends and peers that she was once afraid and embarrassed to be seen by. She was afraid of being different and not looking as pretty as everyone pictures her to be. The author wrote this book sending out a message of what can happen with drinking and driving. It is a great message that should be sent out especially to teen-agers. We are forced to pay consequences of our own actions. The author uses literary devices such as foreshadowing and symbolism. The author's overall theme is to be careful of the decisions we make. Our actions can not only affect ourselves, but also the people we are surrounded by. Drinking and driving is a major problem that people are faced with today. Hopefully reading this book will make teenagers, as well as adults, realize that our stupidity can hurt the ones we love most.

Like other books of author Cynthia Voigt, is directed at teenage readers. I read it for the first time at the age of 15, but having just revisited it at the age of 25, I found it just as enchanting as the first time I read it. The main character of the story is 15 year-old, high school sophomore Isobel, or Izzy. One night, against her better judgement, Izzy accepts a ride after a party from a senior named Marco, who has been drinking. Marco loses control of the car, and Izzy loses her leg above the knee as a result. The rest of the novel is the story of how Izzy deals with the loss of her leg, status, and friends. It is also the story of how Izzy learns new ways to relate to her family, learns more about herself, and makes a new friend who supports her. is an inspirational book in so many ways. It carries a potent message about the dangers of irresponsible driving. It is also among the few books that portrays a disabled person as a complete person, and not just as a stereotype. Voigt's writing is expressive, insightful, and comprehensive. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in stories about personal growth and transformation, or in stories that feature a disabled protagonist. It is a wonderful book.

Robert Lipsyte's "The Contender" is a great book and makes you feel like your really there. In the book Alfred the main character is a troubled young man that is a high school dropout. Alfred lives in Harlem with his aunt Pearl, and works at a grocery store. Which is owned by the Epstein's, a wealthy Jewish family. Alfred's best friend James is into drugs, and robbing stores. His friend Henry told him about a gym called Donatelli's Gym. Alfred decided to see what he could do to become a boxer. Alfred then meets the owner of the gym Mr. Donetelli, who is a skilled and trained boxer. Mr. Donetelli wants to help Alfred figure out what he would like to do with his life. Donetelli said, "Everybody wants to be a champion. That's not enough. You have to start by wanting to be a contender..." Alfred would get out of bed every morning have a healthy breakfast next go off run for a while. Even while his Aunt Pearl asked where he was going each morning, he simply just said, "I'm going running". Aunt Pearl then figured out what Alfred was doing, and did not get mad because she wanted what was best for Alfred. Everyday Alfred is dedicated and runs everyday and goes to the gym to work out to try to become a Contender. Later on in the book Major pushed Alfred and others around roughly. Major has two buddies named Sonny and Hollis. In the rising action of the book Hollis and Sonny jumped and beat up Alfred. After that Major, Sonny, Hollis, and James go to rob Epstein store. When they are robbing the store the police came by and caught only James. All in all I really enjoyed this great book, which is great for teenagers. I thought the book was very inspirational and motivating.

Do you like books with action? Gangsters? How about a book where good people go bad? A book packed with crime and temptation? Well, then this is the book for you. This book is about a kid who quits school, parents die, and his best friend joins a gang. When he is asked to help break into a store that he works for, he realizes that his friend and his gang are not for him. So the main character, Alfred tries to find a purpose to his life. He hears that his best friend James used to box. Alfred decides to give it a shot, and meets the manager. And Alfred finds that there's something special about this person, this Donatelli (Donatelli is the manager of the gym). He tells Alfred to become a contender, and leaves Alfred to figure out what that means. On Alfred's journey, he encounters James' gang, as well as temptation of popcorn, fries, and soda. When Alfred finally becomes a contender, he finds a purpose to his life, and helps James become good again. To find out the details and what a contender is, read Robert Lipsyte's book, The Contender. Six stars out of five! Two thumbs and one finger up!

This book is about Alfred Brooks. He is a high school dropout and doesn't know what to do with his life. His mom died and he is living with his Aunt Pearl. He works at Epstein's Grocery Store which is owned by 3 Epstein brothers. Alfred hangs out with people that want to break into the store. Alfred doesn't tell them that there is a silent alarm in the store. His best friend James gets caught and the others don't trust him anymore. He goes to Donatelli's gym to workout and he goes there every chance he can. He finds out that Lou Epstein used to be a great boxer. Alfred learns how to box and gets a chance to fight. Will Alfred win the fight? Will he continue boxing? What will happen next? Find out by reading The Contender.
I liked this book because the good descriptions made it easy to imagine the people. You could also tell how Alfred felt at every point in the book. For example before he was going to fight in a match his stomach felt like an "ice ball". The sounds you could imagine too. "When Alfred was hitting the peanut bag it sounded like a machine gun". The one thing I didn't like about it is the way the city was described. There wasn't enough detail to imagine it. All I knew was that it took place in Harlem. I don't think that the author should just assume that people know what Harlem looks like. I read other books that took place in Harlem and the author described it much better.

I Am the Cheese is a psychotic thriller placed in the late 1900's in New England. The story is about a teenager named Adam Farmer who leads the reader on a journey to uncover his own hidden past. Cormier transitions well between the views of the story. In one view, Adam is riding his old bike from Monument, Massachusetts to Ruttenburg, Vermont to visit his father in the hospital and give him a secret gift he had brought with him. The other view is that of Adam doing interviews with a psychiatrist who is trying to help him remember what happened in his shady past. Another unusual part of the story is that Cormier often leaves the reader unsure of the events transpiring because the story is told from a backwards point of view. This means that the readers must use their intelligence to try to sort the events out. This can also be a negative because it isn't a book that should be taken up for pleasure reading because the confusion may be too much to handle along with the story's often depressing plot. Another downside is the story's setting. Cormier has Adam riding his bike on his way to Vermont for almost the entire book. In conclusion, despite the negatives, I Am the Cheese still may appeal to the kind of reader who likes to figure things out for themselves.

The book, I am the cheese, writen by Robert Cormier, is a psychological thriller, that both interested and confused me. The book is confusing as it zig-zags through three stories and then finally ,at the end all the pieces of the puzzle come together.It is interesting to see how the boy is coping in all the stories, where he is trying so hard to achieve a goal in his mind.

The whole storie is about the life of a young boy named Adam Farmer, who is an only child that has suffered a great trauma in his life and has blocked the episode out of his mind (or so he has led people to believe). When he was younger, he was very interested in finding out the secret of his family and as the years pass, he begins to investigate and unravel the mystery of his past. He finds clues that he doesn't understand,like his mothers phone calls, Paul Delmonte, the birth certificates and his father's old job as a journalist.

The characters in the book are all very realistic and in a way, I admire his parents for the trouble they went to for their son. I also admire Adam for trying to protect his father even though he wasn't sure if it was worth the effort. When the book comes to an end, it is facinating to see where Adam Is and what he has been doing. In the beginning, I thought it was impossible for him to have gone on the long journey on his bicycle,on his way to Rutterburg, supposidly to see his father, but the auther explains where he actually is and then it was clear.

I enjoyed reading this book, as the twist and the plot made it interesting and at times, Icouldn't put it down. I think that the author could have left out small sections,(for instance when he and Amy were doing numbers) to stop the reader from getting bored.

I thought that it was the seriousness of sections (like when he was finding out about the secret) and the entrigues of where he is and what he is doing, that make the book so good. I also think that no matter what age the reader is, it will be confusing for them to read for the first half and then the entrigue of the ending will amaze them.

I Am the Cheese is the story of a young boy who is trying to uncover his past while at the same time trying to comprehend it. It is an excellent book if you are looking for something new and creative that will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat. I had never read a book such as this one, and found it to be very intriguing. At some points, I just couldn't put the book down because of the way Robert Cormier weaves real-life, teenage situations into a captivating mystery. It stands out from other books in its genre of writing because of the way the clues are hidden deep within the text.
The story follows a 14 year old boy named Adam Farmer who notices strange things occurring within his home, and decides to investigate, discovering well kept secrets about his family history. Soon Adam's parents become strangers to him and his life as he knew it had been filled with lies and deceptions. As Adam struggles to find himself as a person, he tries to keep his secret hidden from his closest friend Amy, whom he confides in, and anyone else he comes in contact with. The story jumps back and forth from three different narratives of Adam's journey, which can be confusing at times but is mainly a creative way of reading a book. You get to look through both a narrator's and Adam's eyes as he tries to run from a past that will always be after him.
Robert Cormier created such amazing characters for this book, people that the readers can truly relate to, especially young adults. Adam's affiliation with his parents is one that so many people can understand because of the way he is isolated from them. His bond with Amy and timidity among his peers are situations that teenagers face throughout their high school years. Adam's parents are so well developed that at times I felt the mother's burden myself by the way she is described as so depressed in the story. Robert Cormier strays away from describing the characters physically in this book, but more emotionally and mentally. This, surprisingly, gives the reader a much needed vision of what each character feels, and thinks about. That is something that really stood out in the story.
There is excellent imagery in this story as Adam travels throughout New England in search of his father who is allegedly staying at a hospital. Adam encounters many different people who both help and destroy his chances of reaching his final destination. Many questions are left unanswered until the very end of the book when everything comes collectively together. Every small background character that is introduced in this book is important, as well as every setting Adam finds himself in. Paying attention is key when reading this story because of the clues that are given off very subtly. The ending brings everything that the reader once thought to be insignificant, to be very vital in understanding the plot better.
As certain instances occur, Adam learns that he cannot trust anyone, even the people that he once thought he could. He learns many things about himself during his adventure and even finds courage, something he never thought he possessed. Suddenly, he grows into this person that he had never known before, and does things that he never thought possible.
One very different part of this story was the tape sessions between Adam and his therapist. They were written so the readers could see the interactions between the main character and this doctor who pries answers out of Adam that he isn't even sure of. Adam really finds a better part of himself within the walls of the tape sessions because of what the therapist tries to dig out of him. Adam's faults are also very visible in this narrative voice. He is seen to be on medication and readers get a whole different out look on the character.
Cormier had some amazingly creative ideas in this book. The games that Amy and Adam play in public places, called "Numbers," were something that I loved about this book. They were ideas of Amy's which included having her and Adam play tricks on people in areas such as grocery stores and parking lots. They were so well planed and worked so smoothly that I found them so believable as if kids in my town played "Numbers" on townspeople. Amy and Adam would go into unlocked cars and turn up the volume on the radio and flip the switch of the windshield wipers on, so when drivers entered their cars and turned the key, they would be in for a surprise. This proved to me the real connection Cormier had with his characters, and how he knew what he wanted them to act, think and do.

The whole premise of I Am the Cheese is very dark and gloomy because of what each of the characters must endure, most importantly Adam. It however incorporates the pleasant times that Adam shares with his girlfriend Amy into the misery and depression that he also experiences with the secret his family hides beneath their forced smiles and sad eyes. The story doesn't end on a happy note either, which is something I loved about it. Every book I read always ends with the main character where he/she belongs. This ending breaks the mode for stories everywhere and leaves you feeling empty and alone along with Adam, the whole idea of the story.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a well written story with an intense plot, well developed characters, and a great mystery and ending. The only thing I would warn you is to pay close attention to everything you read, otherwise the ending will not make as much of an impact on you as it could.