IPhone 3G used's review (Kept My Interest Going!) 『I noticed that a lot of copies had been sold from my local bookstore, but I don't usually buy a book just for that reason. This time, I did. I like thrillers, but I'm picky about them. I just got the feeling I should buy this one since it seemed so popular. I'm glad I did!
The first pages drew me in and I never got bored with the book. A horrible murder is left unsolved, and a cop is driven to suicide. Eighteen years later, his daughter has followed her father's footsteps and re-opens the case. More murders follow, and she must deal with the fact that her very own brother may be the killer.
The ending surprised me and I didn't guess who it was until a few paragraphs before it was revealed. Alice Blanchard is an author I'm going to watch! DARKNESS PEERING will keep you guessing.』
(Darkness Peering) 『Darkness Peering
This is a very well written and descriptive crime novel full of strong characters and a book which holds the interest up until the final page. Alice Blanchard has the knack of drawing the reader into the situation and I, for one, found the book fascinating. All the characters were believable, unlike many of her contemporary writers she has not overdone the bad language and her descriptive powers are prodigious! Any reader will not want to put this book down and I cannot wait for her next offering.』
(Don't count on a crime fee environment just because you're in the country.) 『Fourteen year old Melissa D'Agostino, is found murdered at the bottom of a run off in a cow pasture. Police Chief Nalen Storrow, leads the investigation. He has moved from a city policeman to the small town of Flowering Dogwood, Me. for a quieter life.
Nalen is deeply troubled, not only because a crime like this shouldn't have happened in his town but also because he feels protective for his 9 year old daughter, Rachel and fear for his 18 year old son Bill, who has had trouble with the police in the past but is a suspect in this crime. The pressure mounts and the first part of the novel ends with Nalen trying to cope with his stress.
18 years go by, Rachel is now a detecive on the force. Melissa's murder has never been solved and she decides to reopen the case.
Billy is now a teacher's aide in the school for the blind and special needs children. Claire Castillo is the head teacher. Both are loved by their students although Claire feels compelled to tell Billy that he is being overfriendly towards one of the students who is a 16 year old girl and even though she is a special needs student, might misunderstand.
Billy and Claire are beginning to develop more of a relationship when she disappears. Old memories return Rachel is placed in charge of the investigation, and Billy is, once again, a suspect.
Blanchard has written a thought provoking novel. She deals with the disabled children intelligently and Rachel, as a character is well drawn and likable.
I would have liked more exploration into Nalen's actions in the first part of the novel and towards the end of the novel, when the reasons why the murder's actions are revealed, I would have liked a better resolution. However, I think that Blanchard was giving us a lesson that everything in life doesn't end with a satisfactory conclusion and justice doesn't always prevail.
Highly recommended.』
(overblown prose) 『I managed 40 pages. Nearly every page an overblown simile or metaphor. The author doesn't let a page go by without one, most of them irritatingly contrived. i suggest a dose of Hemingway. Darkness Peering』
(Couldn't Put It Down) 『Awesome, awesome murder mystery. I could not put the book down. The shockers keep coming at you and the ending is completely unpredictable. Very well written. Very intelligent mystery. Read this!』 『Winner of the prestigious Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction, Alice Blanchard makes her electrifying debut as a novelist with this gripping tale of suspense that dares to stare unblinkingly into the darkest recesses of the human heart.
The dead girl lay faceup on the edge of the pond, a snake coiled in the muddy hollow of one arm. For Police Chief Nalen Storrow, it was a shocking reminder of the violence he thought he'd left behind when he moved his wife and children to Flowering Dogwood, Maine, a town where no one locks their doors. And now Storrow's search for the truth leads to a chilling possibility...the murderer might be his own son, Billy.
Eighteen years later the murder of the girl in the pond has never been solved. Now a different cop is obsessed with the case--Rachel Storrow, Billy's grown sister. But no sooner does Rachel reopen the investigation than another young woman disappears. Once again Billy is a suspect, though far from the only suspect in town. The harder Rachel peers behind Flowering Dogwood's picture-perfect facade--at the center of which is the respected Winfield School for the Blind and Special Needs--the more the mystery deepens.
A cunning psychopath is moving undetected through Rachel's hometown, taking her on a journey of suspicion, doubt, and bone-deep fear. Plunged into a world where darkness follows even the innocent, Rachel must unearth secrets that span decades and face a staggering personal truth.
Darkness Peeringis more than a harrowing suspense novel of the first rank. It is a powerful portrait of a woman who, like her father, must walk the tightrope between honor and justice, and in doing so tests her own humanity.』 『Moving from writing short stories to a novel is more than a test of endurance--it involves a daunting feat of courage as well as working a whole new set of muscles. Luckily, Alice Blanchard (whose collectionThe Stuntman's Daughterwon the Katherine Anne Porter Prize) has courage and muscles to spare. Her debut thriller starts on familiar turf: the transplanted big-city cop taking on the job of small-town police chief to create a better life for his family. But Nalen Storrow, who moved from Boston to the Maine community of Flowering Dogwood, hasn't found the paradise he or his family was seeking. The faded town has a rather high crime rate, including the murder of a teenage girl with Down's syndrome in 1980, which begins the book. Nalen's own teenage son, Billy, quickly hooks up with the wrong crowd--and local gossip connects him to the murder. Billy's behavior has driven a wedge between Nalen and his wife, damaging their marriage. In fact, the only family member who seems bettered by the move is daughter Rachel, who at age 9 is a smart and pretty child who idolizes her father.
Blanchard has a heaven-sent gift for summing characters up in a phrase--like the local medical examiner: "Archie was all dancing belly--a balding, fortyish indoor enthusiast who barreled toward the scene with the kind of eagerness most people reserved for sex or steak dinners...." She guides us through Nalen Storrow's disintegrating world with deceptive ease. And then she segues seamlessly into Rachel's inevitable reappearance 18 years later as a police officer in the very same town. Rachel uncovers leads to the unsolved murder of the young girl from two decades ago and also investigates a new murder. Along the way, we get wonderful helpings of poetry from Poe (including the perfect title) and from Yeats. Who could ask for anything more--except a sequel?--Dick Adler』
IPhone 3G used's review (A page-turner with a great sense of place, but dark and probably a guy's book) 『I skipped whole chapters because they were just too dark for me -- serial killers torturing victims.
On the other hand, I read the book straight through (aside from those chapters), because although you knew halfway through the book "who-done-it," there was a life at stake and you wondered if the police would figure it out in time. There was a wonderful sense of place -- northern Ontario in the winter -- that helped compensate for other problems with this book.
The problems included a secondary plot that was probably unnecessary and just detracted from the story -- soul-searching over right and wrong was a significant part of this book.
A more serious problem involved the female characters. I was uneasy about how women were portrayed in this book: clueless daughter who should have been suspicious; mentally ill wife (not clear why her illness was not being controlled by medications); female cop apparently without much in the way of conscience or loyalty; ugly loser willing to do anything for her man; grannie in bed, whiny, demanding, and neglected... I think perhaps that the author believed he was portraying at least some of the women positively, but I would have to question that. Of course, few characters in this book come off very well, so it might be argued that the men in this book are just as bad. I think we're supposed to like the flawed hero-detective, but this character didn't make up for the problems with the women in this book. I think sometimes men have trouble writing about women, and that may have been the problem -- or subliminal misogyny.
I expect I'll be reading more in the series, however.』
(Outstanding in All Respects) 『This is a masterpiece by an extremely talented author. From the first to the last page he takes us on a tension/pathos-filled journey in the wilds of northern Ontario. The Algonquin Bay P.D. that Blunt gives us is as riven with fantastic characters as Wambaugh's LAPD or other fictional P.D.'s of note. John Cardinal and Lise Delorme, to my mind, are wonderful, strong, three-D characters who drive this thriller at warp speed. All the characters, good and bad, are very well-developed and the plot is realistic, credible and unfolds at just the right pace. I've only read one other Blunt book, but this is one of the best thrillers I've read in a long time.』
(Excellent Thriller...) 『This book had all the edge of your seat aspects a great thriller needs. Totally creepy villain and if possible, even creepier accomplice. Suspense slow to build then wham! Extremely well developed, believable characters, especially John Cardinal who is trying to deal with his own personal demons while hunting down a very real one. And I agree with other reviewers - the cold atmosphere was palpable. Highly recommended!』
(A very comfortable and entertaining read) 『Well written for a novel in its genre. Albeit the seemingly mandatory sexual references which really have nothing to do with the plot and don't actually add to the flow of the story buzz around like summer flies but if you're willing to live with them and just shrug them off it's well worth the read. Better than many of the more well known authors that I bought at the same time. This one I would give as a gift to a fellow bibliophile.』
(Drawn from Homolka/Bernardo) 『To those of you who thought the villains were too black-and-white evil, consider that this story is obviously based on the Homolka-Bernardo killings. Details like the video tapes and sadism are very much the same. And Homolka and Bernardo were much, much worse. Edie is at least pitiful in her low self-esteem and craving for love in whatever ugly form it takes.
And Blunt deals with murderers much more, well, bluntly. Bernardo is still in prison, and Homolka served 12 years before being released. I think Canada is still scarred by the murders and furious over Homolka's release, so the novel serves to tie up loose ends rather neatly.
I liked very much that Cardinal wasn't entirely virtuous, and liked even more the resolution with his wife.
The detective characters and the corruption sub-plot reminded me of Louise Penny's Cruelest Month.』 『A riveting portrayal of two monstrous sociopaths and the cops who track them,Forty Words for Sorrowis tense and terrifying as it crosscuts between the cops in pursuit and the killers toying with their latest victim.
"Blunt has done for Canada's north what James Lee Burke did for Cajun Louisiana." -Margaret Cannon,Toronto Globe and MailWhen the badly decomposed body of thirteen-year-old Katie Pine is found in an abandoned mine shaft, John Cardinal is vindicated. It was Cardinal who'd kept the Pine case open-insisting she was no mere runaway-and Cardinal who'd been demoted to the burglary squad for his excessive zeal. But Katie Pine isn't the only youngster to have gone missing in the rural town of Algonquin Bay, and Cardinal is now given the go-ahead to reopen the files on three other lost kids. When another youth is reported missing, he begins to see a pattern that screams "serial killer."
Meanwhile, the brass have partnered him with Lisa Delorme, newly shifted to homicide from the Office of Special Investigations, and Cardinal can't help but wonder if she's been sent to keep tabs on him. A guilty conscience makes him think so.
Superbly paced, with fully fleshed characters and utterly convincing police detail,Forty Words for Sorrowis also a novel of place that transcends genre. Blunt puts us in a small Canadian town in the dead of winter and makes us feel the cold, then turns the cold into a metaphor for the destruction of young lives.』 『
It gets dark early in Algonquin Bay. Take a drive up Airport Hill at four o' clock on a February afternoon, and when you come back half an hour later the streets of the city will glitter below you in the dark like so many runways. The forty-sixth parallel may not be all that far north; you can be much farther north and still be in the United States, and even London, England, is a few degrees closer to the North Pole. But this is Ontario, Canada, we're talking about, and Algonquin Bay in February is the very definition of winter. Algonquin Bay is snowbound, Algonquin Bay is quiet, Algonquin Bay is very, very cold.
Read the evocative opening of Giles Blunt's novel and you may begin to understand why Tony Hillerman says this is the novel he wishes he'd written. Keep reading, and you may wonder why other authors haven't joined the vicarious narrative line. With devastating precision, Blunt effortlessly weaves together strands of lives both led and taken in this tiny Canadian town, limning a hauntingly paradoxical picture of isolation and community, two sides of a fragile bulwark against violence.
John Cardinal was taken off homicide investigation after a fruitless and expensive quest for 13-year-old Katie Pine, a Chippewa girl who disappeared from the nearby reservation. After months of insisting that Katie was no runaway, Cardinal receives the cold comfort of vindication in the form of Katie's corpse, discovered in an abandoned mine shaft. But the case, when reopened, becomes a Pandora's box of horror. Katie's body is only the first to be found, as Cardinal uncovers a pattern that links her death to those of two other children. When another boy is reported missing, Cardinal knows he is in a race against time to find the killer (so trite a phrase, while technically accurate, does radical injustice to Blunt's razor-sharp plot and eerily pragmatic balance between the cop and his prey).
His new partner, Lise Delorme, is trying to uncover her own pattern. Drafted by the RCMP to find proof that Cardinal has been accepting money from drug runner Kyle Corbett to derail the Mounties' investigations (three attempted busts good for absolutely nothing), she sifts through the minutiae of Cardinal's life. Proud father, loving husband, dedicated officer--at what price has this edifice been constructed? Suffice it to say that Cardinal's past and present link him in ironic counterpoint to those people for whom he is inevitably the bearer of bad tidings, leaving them "trying to recognize each other through the smoke and ashes" of grief.
Blunt has created a world in which every conversation can seem as ominous as the moan of the wind and the bullet-like report of shifting lake ice ("It was a new art form for Delorme, picking shards of fact from the exposed hearts of the bereaved. She looked at Cardinal for help, but he said nothing. He thought, "Get used to it."). But it is also a world whose bleak landscape is touched with unexpected humor. Witness this description of one of the many minor, but always beautifully detailed, characters who populate the novel's pages: "Arthur 'Woody' Wood was not in the burglary business to enhance his social life. Like all professional burglars, he went to great lengths to avoid meeting people on the job. At other times, well, Woody was as sociable as the next fellow."
Part police procedural, part psychological thriller, part exploration of a region's landscape and people, the novel is an astonishing, powerful hybrid-- worthy of far more than a mere 40 words of praise.--Kelly Flynn』
IPhone 3G used's review (A rare treat) 『What a discovery. I wish all mysteries were this good, and as much fun. In the audio version, the reader is, as always, perfect; but she's especially appreciated in this story where Magdalene's clarity and courage are central. The characters are fresh, unique, and interesting. It's a whole different way to look at many things, and offered with humor.』
(London, England - 1139) 『A Mortal Bane by Roberta Gellis
Gellis' delightful atypical character, Magdalene la Bartarde, is the widowed madam of a brothel located in the region of London's historic Southwark stews. When a messenger fresh from a visit to her establishment is killed on the steps of the next-door priory, she and her women are accused of committing the crime by the misogynist and slightly unstable priory sacristan. To protect her livelihood, Magdalene is forced to help find the murderer. First she must win the trust of Sir Bellamy of Itchen, knight to the Bishop of Winchester, to whom Magdalene pays rent, who also has an interest in uncovering the culprit. Simmering in the background is the rivalry between rebellious Queen Maud and King Stephen, and conflicting church disputes involving Winchester and Archbishop Theobald of Bec.
Gellis vividly describes twelfth century London daily life and some of its memorable characters, from Magdalene's clients and five working women to members of the bishopric and priory households. Hints of a potential romance between the beautiful Magdalene and Sir Bellamy brighten the story as well. Needed, however, is a page of historical background, or perhaps a glossary of the numerous personalities referred to. A period map of London would help as well.
This is the first in the Magdalene la Bartarde medieval mystery series.
A word on medieval prostitution: The medieval church's harsh stance against prostitutes (called whores) reflected commonly held antifemale sentiments. Monastic traditions in particular reviled what they saw as women's excessive and uncontrolled sexual appetites. As daughters of Eve, women were seen as man's enemy and as potential seducers. Images of the female as sinful and as seducer are found throughout medieval writings, as well as on carvings on church surfaces. Prostitutes naturally embodied this belief. They also represented heresies, which church fathers identified with sexual activity. Nonetheless, as A Mortal Bane reveals, churchmen could hold differing views. Some viewed prostitution as "the devil's gateway," some saw it as a necessary social evil, some, relinquishing their vows of chastity, regularly visited brothels. At times the Church advocated for the prostitute's reform, as did Pope Innocent III who in 1198 declared that wedding a whore in order to reform her was "a work of charity."
Organized brothels like Magdalene's, although not common in England at this time, did appear in urban centers. Throughout Europe prostitutes were beset with many restrictions, including laws regulating their clothing, residence, comings and goings, and taxes. It is understandable that Magdalene, living a tenuous life outside society, had to cultivate protectors, in this case the powerful Lord William of Ypres and the bishop of Winchester.』
(Welcome back, Roberta Gellis) 『The Magdelane la Batarde mysteries are Roberta Gellis at her best--the writing is natural and the stories interesting again, as in the Roselynde Chronicles. Come back to Robert Gellis if you gave up. These mysteries are similar to Judith Merkle Riley's, and it little matters whether you like historical fiction of this time period. If a publisher gave up on them, I'm giving up on the publisher!』
(A Mortal Bane) 『I have been a fan of Roberta Gellis for many year, and have read all her historical romance books starting with "The Sword and The Swan", through the Roselynde series and on, and on. Am enjoying the Magaline LaBatarde series just as much. Have always enjoyed Engish history, especially the eras she writes about.』
(Enjoying mystery in the middle ages) 『Years ago I read and then re-read all of Roberta Gellis' romances set in the time King John of England. She created characters with dimension and lives walked on the edge of a political knife blade. I was thrilled to discover she had moved on to a new genre of book and brought to the world of the murder mystery that same skill. I was caught up immediately in the world of middle ages in the time of King Stephen. Ms. Gellis' character are well rounded, her plot complex enough to challenge yet clear enough to easily follow. I look forward to the rest of the series and hope that she will write more.』 『Magdalena is the madam of the Priory Guesthouse in Southwark. People expect her and her women to indulge in a number of sinful activities, but bloody murder isnt one of them, until Baldassare, the messenger, dies. The bishop of Winchester, served for many years by Baldassare, puts Sir Bellamy of Itchen, his most trusted knight, in charge of the investigation. Bellamy must find out how and why Baldassare died.』
IPhone 3G used's review (Great Francis Classic) 『I like Dick Frnaics and would have to say that Hot Money is fantastic. The book is full of twists and keeps you guessing to the very end. In fact, I would have to say it is one of his best he has written. The action is great, the buildup is fantastic, and there is never a dull moment. Each character is very well developed. Bottom line is the book will absolutley suck you in. It has Mystery, action, drama and humor what more could you ask for?』
(Family Affair) 『HOT MONEY is one of the best of Dick Francis's novels. Five ex-wives, nine children, their spouses, and assorted grand-children make gold-trader Malcolm Pembroke the perfect candidate for murder. His son, Ian Pembroke has made his way in the world of horses and broke with his father when he married the gold-digger Moria. But Moria ends up face down in potting soil and Malcolm is attacked in his own backyard. Malcom's pride doesn't prevent him from asking his son for help when he enters the Newmarket sales as a potential buyer and Ian sticks around to keep his father alive. Each character is so finely drawn and vividly presented they step off the page and into your life. Read, read and enjoy. Nash Black, author of TRAVELERS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.』
(Mystery Solution Through Observation) 『Reading a Dick Francis mystery is like falling into cool water on a hot and frenzied day. I've read many of his works, and while this one does not live up to his most brilliant, Banker, and Reflex, it is a classic, solid, Francis mystery. His main character falls into the familiar Francis mold; observing the world, not prone to effusiveness. Sentences are generally cut to the bone, replies to questions often phrased in a single word. Ian Pembroke, the young(ish) hero is thoughtful, self-effacing, kind. Around him swirl a family of quirky, dysfunctional relatives who give him plenty to ponder as he sets out to find who, amongst his family members is capable of murder. Of course horse racing figures into the plot. It wouldn't be a Dick Francis book without it, but here it is only tangentially involved, and not the primary focus. I do often laugh at the author's penchant for naming female characters the most preposterous names. Here, the most sympathetic female character is called, (god help us all) Coochie. But I find this just another endearing quirk of the author, not a flaw of his plots. And for those who want to be prodded into thinking of larger issues, the concept of money in a family is explored. Does having a wealthy father lead the children to a sense of entitlement? jealousy? ambition to succeed? disdain or worship of money? These questions are certainly posed, and given some thoughtful discussion, but not enough to be troublesome. One can't help, at the end of the book, to wish all of the characters involved a better journey through life. And Francis makes us believe that the conclusion found in the book will only lead to happier lives for all. A good read.』
(Horses and a family feud) 『One of Dick Francis' best. Although written from the point of view of Malcomb Pembroke's middle son, Malcomb himself is the main character. Interesting family dynamic. Of course, there are always horses and races.』
(I finally read a book!) 『People who know me know I stay away from books like a child to vegetables. I was on vacation recently and picked up the condensed version of this book (hey, it's better than nothing!) and couldn't put it down! Excellent book. I told myself I read my quota of books for the next decade, but I am very tempted to get another Dick Francis book.』 『Malcolm Pembroke never expected to make a million pounds without making enemies. Nor did he expect his latest wife to be brutally murdered. All the clues suggest the killer comes from close to home - but after five marriages and nine children, that still leaves the field wide open. When he finds his own life in danger, Pembroke entrusts his safety to his estranged son, Ian, an amateur jockey; and through him discovers a compulsive new outlet for his financial expertise. Soon he's playing the international bloodstock market for incredible stakes. Not the safest bet for a man on the run from avaricious relatives. Particularly when one of them got a bomb...』
Kakaku：
Dutton Adult
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (UNBELIEVABLE !!!!) 『this is my FAVOURITE book of all time. if anyone knows of anything else that remotely resembles this, i'd read that too. this is as good as the prequel, Pillars of the Earth. the characters are even more vivid in this sequel. nary a dull moment in this book. caris, merthyn, godwyn, etc.....all of them are unforgettable. this is a book you'll never forget. enjoy』
(quite the same as pillars of the earth.) 『this book is clearly the sequal of pillars of the earth, so the content seemed known to me and you often know whta happens befrore readig it. except for this, the book is quite good and easy to read』
(World Without End) 『Great book and follow-on to "The Pillars of the Earth", though not necessary to read, but does lend depth to this storey. Great characters, some strong and kind, others strong and malevolent and others conniving all in a vivid picture 200 years after "The Pillars of the Earth". Both my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed reading to each other...』
(Flat characters, no plot, and a total disregard for social history) 『Ken Follett may have done a lot of research on medieval buildings, but he obviously did very little research on marriage and families in the 14th century. The utter disregard for historical accuracy eventually jarred and irritated me so much that I skipped several hundred pages of the book.
Some examples: There is significant discussion between Merthin and Caris about Lolla, Merthin's 16 year old daughter. She is described as being at the age where she is "between a child and adult" and Caris chides Merthin for assaulting her "self-esteem." (Yes, Follett has a character in 14th century England use the phrase "self-esteem." Never mind that the concept of self-esteem didn't enter psychology until the late 19th century, at the earliest.) In fact, the concept of adolescence as the period between childhood and adulthood did not develop until the mid 19th century. There is great concern on Merthin and Caris' part that Lolla may be sexually active. In the 14th century, girls were eligible for marriage at 14. At 16 years old, people might have been asking rather why she wasn't married or at least betrothed. In the final chapters of the book, the main characters are all in their 40s, portrayed as in the prime of life. In the 14th century, men and women were old at 40. Very few people lived into their 50s or beyond (a little over a century later, Henry VII and Henry VIII were considered old men when they died, both in their early to mid-50s). The bottom line is that marriage, children, and family relationships in the 14th century were simply not the way Follett portrays them.
None of the main characters is very appealing. Merthin comes closest, but he is very nearly a Mary Sue (or Gary Stu, in this case): brilliant, overcoming one tragic episode after another, misunderstood yet always saving the day (or he would, if it weren't for the jealousy of the lesser beings around him). The rest of the characters are static, never developing, rehashing the same situations and character flaws over and over without ever learning anything. No explanation, or the thinnest of reasons at best, is given for characters' motivations. Why, for instance, did Ralph lust after Gwenda for decades? Especially when he thought she was ugly. We are simply told that he does and expected to believe it.
There is no actual plot. There is only a series of unfortunate events loosely strung together by the reader's hope that one of these days, the bad guys will get what's coming to them.
I've certainly read worse books, but this is a long book and a serious commitment to make to such a historically inaccurate and unsatisfying story. 』
(Why is this book familiar?) 『This is a great book, I enjoyed "Pillars in the Earth" many years ago and was excited when this sequel was finally written. The characters are strongly developed and there is enough detail in the story to allow an avid reader to dawdle through the book.
I keep getting the feeling; however, that I've read this book before. Not only does the plot seem familiar, but especially the characters.
Did anyone else notice this?』 『Ken Follett has 90 million readers worldwide.The Pillars of the Earthis his bestselling book of all time. Now, eighteen years after the publication ofThe Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett has written the most anticipated sequel of the year-World Without End.
Unabridged edition read by John Lee』
『Ken Follett has 90 million readers worldwide.The Pillars of the Earthis his bestselling book of all time. Now, eighteen years after the publication ofThe Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett has written the most-anticipated sequel of the year,World Without End.
In 1989 Ken Follett astonished the literary world withThe Pillars of the Earth, a sweeping epic novel set in twelfth-century England centered on the building of a cathedral and many of the hundreds of lives it affected. Critics were overwhelmed--"it will hold you, fascinate you, surround you" (Chicago Tribune)--and readers everywhere hoped for a sequel.
World Without Endtakes place in the same town of Kingsbridge, two centuries after the townspeople finished building the exquisite Gothic cathedral that was at the heart ofThe Pillars of the Earth. The cathedral and the priory are again at the center of a web of love and hate, greed and pride, ambition and revenge, but this sequel stands on its own. This time the men and women of an extraordinary cast of characters find themselves at a crossroad of new ideas--about medicine, commerce, architecture, and justice. In a world where proponents of the old ways fiercely battle those with progressive minds, the intrigue and tension quickly reach a boiling point against the devastating backdrop of the greatest natural disaster ever to strike the human race--the Black Death.
Three years in the writing, and nearly eighteen years since its predecessor,World Without Endbreathes new life into the epic historical novel and once again shows that Ken Follett is a masterful author writing at the top of his craft.
Questions for Ken Follett
Amazon.com:What a phenomenonThe Pillars of the Earthhas become. It was a bestseller when it was published in 1989, but it's only gained in popularity since then--it's the kind of book that people are incredibly passionate about. What has it been like to see it grow an audience like that?
Follett:At first I was a little disappointed thatPillarssold not much better than my previous book. Now I think that was because it was a little different and people were not sure how to take it. As the years went by and it became more and more popular, I felt kind of vindicated. And I was very grateful to readers who spread the news by word of mouth.
Amazon.com:Pillarswas a departure for you from your very successful modern thrillers, and after writing it you returned to thrillers. Did you think you'd ever come back to the medieval period? What brought you to do so after 18 years?
Follett:The main reason was the way people talk to me aboutPillars. Some readers say, "It’s the best book I’ve ever read." Others tell me they have read it two or three times. I got to the point where I really had to find out whether I could do that again.
Amazon.com:InWorld Without Endyou return to Kingsbridge, the same town as the previous book, but two centuries later. What has changed in two hundred years?
Follett:In the time of Prior Philip, the monastery was a powerful force for good in medieval society, fostering education and technological advance. Two hundred years later it has become a wealthy and conservative institution that tries to hold back change. This leads to some of the major conflicts in the story.
Amazon.com:World Without Endfeatures two strong-willed female characters, Caris and Gwenda. What room to maneuver did a medieval English town provide for a woman of ambition?
Follett:Medieval people paid lip-service to the idea that women were inferior, but in practice women could be merchants, craftspeople, abbesses, and queens. There were restrictions, but strong women often found ways around them.
Amazon.com:When you sit down to imagine yourself into the 14th century, what is the greatest leap of imagination you have to make from our time to theirs? Is there something we can learn from that age that has been lost in our own time?
Follett:It’s hard to imagine being so dirty. People bathed very rarely, and they must have smelled pretty bad. And what was kissing like in the time before toothpaste was invented?
IPhone 3G used's review (What a story!) 『another GREAT book by Trevanian! the story holds you from the start! i could not put it down!』
(It's the characters that bring you back) 『I read approximately 50 titles per year, and I read my first Trevanian novel last year. This is a novel of a different style; a throw back to character definition, plot extension, and the ability to place the reader into the time and location of the story. While not exciting (like Patterson, Sandford or Connelly), Trevanian has the talent that transports the reader into the novel; you learn about the characters, their thoughts and their lives. I would put this novel in the category of Updike and Irving. In only 325 pages, Trevanian develops complex characters that you feel for and understand. The plot, though well thought out and nicely presented, is not what brings you back to keep reading; it's the characters do that. If you're looking for a quick, non-thinking book for the beach, keep looking. However, if you are tired of the same old stuff, give it try.』
(Great Writing) 『The author has always been one of my favorite writers, ever since I read Shibumi. I read the Loo Sanction, then Summer of Katya (which I didn't like all that much), and for some reason (after reading the jacket) didn't think I'd like The Main. What a surprise and what a terrific piece of writing. I only wish there were more of his books to read. Now if only some of that can rub off on my writing...』
(A fine, fun book) 『This is perhaps the strongest of Trevanian's works; maybe it does not quite reach "Shibumi"'s heights of fancy and excitement, but the characterisation is better, the characters themselves are more believable, the plot is less absurd, and the descriptions of the Main and its inhabitants are delightful. The plot revolves around the policeman of the old school who benevolently watches over The Main, a street in Montreal, with an iron fist and a gentle touch. LaPointe, a lieutenant in a force which has changed around him, though he has not, is caught up in a murder, the events surrounding which, drag him back and forth through his inner self, as he is forced to confront his mortality, the lack of personal love (though he is generically loved in his rôle as protector of the street) in his life, and a number events of his past. Even the bit players in this story are real, with histories and personalities which dictate how they act; and the revelation at the end of the plot will be a nice surprise, well concealed, though the clues are fairly given. Trevanian did a fine job with "The Main".』
(Mature antihero) 『I liked Trevanian's earlier works like Eiger Sanction, but their heroes tended to be a little too perfect, a little too James Bondian (Bond books, not movies!) The Main features a much more interesting hero, an old French-Canadian cop who has failed in many ways and is definitely not hip to new trends in policing. He is a great street cop whose lifetime of prowling gives us an insider's view of the city. The earlier works are thrillers, but this is a minor masterpiece.』 『The Main is Montreal’s teeming underworld, where the dark streets echo with cries in a dozen languages, with the quick footsteps of thieves and the whispers of prostitutes. It is a world where violence and brutality are a way of life. To the people of the Main, police lieutenant Claude LaPointe is judge and jury, father confessor and avenging angel. Montreal’s police force has changed over time, but LaPointe has not. His commitment to justice is total, as is his devotion to the Main and its underworld community. But when a cold-blooded murderer invades LaPointe’s territory, he is forced to examine his long-held beliefs and secrets and to confront his own loneliness and mortality. With a cast of unforgettable supporting characters and an unusual and remarkable hero,The Mainis another gripping tale of death and danger, of action and mystery, by the incomparable Trevanian.
Look for these other Trevanian classics from Three Rivers Press:The Eiger Sanction, The Loo Sanction, Shibumi, andThe Summer of Katya. 』
IPhone 3G used's review (Regarding Deception Point) 『One evening, after exploring the natural and man-made wonders of Cappadocia, my solitary musings were interrupted, with some frequency, by the spirited reading of the choicest excerpts of Deception Point. The reader, a fellow traveler, simply could not savor the vapid, vacuous and utterly charmless prose of Dan Brown alone. Given the laughs which ensued, I'm glad he refused to spare the rest of us. But then, my dear reader, that does not mean that you should not spare yourself.』
(once you pick it up, you cant put it down) 『If you have read Dan Brown before you know he is all about the conspiracy, and mystery, and suspense. In Deception Point, you can expect to find all three of these and more. Differently than in The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, Deception Point does not focus on religion, and yet it is just as controversial and thrilling. Deception Point is a typical piece by Dan Brown, and that is a good thing. The story is filled with twists and turns and mysteries that both the reader and characters have to solve. To be honest, the book is hard to put down. You get sucked into the story and into the characters lives and are itching to know what happens next. As in Brown's other books, he is so convincing of his story that even though the reader knows that it is fiction, part of you believes that this is possible. NASA as a conspiracy is totally possible, considering not many people know the intricate details of what goes on inside of NASA. Brown provides such information that the reader is almost convinced that NASA is a conspiracy in reality. This has caused controversy with Brown's other books, but it is part of what makes his novels so intriguing. You are never sure what is truth and what is fiction with him, and that's why his writing is so well received by his readers. If only he would continue to produce books such as this, he will be very successful with his future books. Just be warned that if you pick up Deception Point, be ready to not put it down. 』
(An Entertaining Story) 『Deception Point centers around a NASA discovery of a meteorite, buried deep in the ice, inside the Arctic Circle. The discovery seems to indicate, life may exist outside our planet.
I thought this book was an exciting read, for the most part. The story starts off slowly as the scene is set,and we are introduced to the main characters, but after about the 150 pages the action really starts, both in Wasington and the frozen north. Why only 3 stars? Well, two things, really. Firstly, I felt the character development was not great, and secondly, the 'good guys' seemed to have an awful lot of luck on their side, when in tricky situations.』
(Uncle Sam gets a Snidely Whiplash mustache) 『Whoa boy. I bought this on strength of "DaVinci Code" and I'm learning that the mass market didn't do Dan Brown like it did Grisham with "Time To Kill"--go "what's a Dan Brown" and bypass it. This thing's a lefty polemic to an extent that the adventure story it passes for almost gets obscured. Not quite--maybe it's worth the price of admission if you can screen out the manifesto flavor. Our "Dramatis Personae" are as follows: An incumbent President who's for NASA like anyone who still feels walking on the moon was a measure of Neil Armstrong's greatness rather than a Sting song. His opponent in his upcoming reelection campaign is one of those FEEEL-THY right wing senators who wants to turn Captain Kirk's stompin' ground into an industrial fiefdom, no doubt with PCBs, acetone and all, (oh my!). The senator's gutsy daughter who's (gasp!) still single at thirtysomething, but more important, doesn't agree with Daddy (O how sharper than a serpent's tooth, yadda-yadda). We've also got the senator's assistant, an equally-gutsy young lady who's worked for him since she was in college. Hold on thar, what about the adventure? Oh yeah, sorry about that--a new fancy satellite spotted what has turned out to be a meteorite in the Arctic that's stunningly unlike any other that has fallen to Earth. So the rebellious potential First Daughter has been drafted by the Prez as an intelligence analyst and sent up north. Meets an engagingly eccentric bunch of scientists, but unbeknownst to All Concerned, the whole crew is being stalked by a high-tech commando squad with no names and blood in their eyes, who work for (duh) the very same conservative meanies we all know about from listening to those ratchet-jaw callers on AM talk radio, who know better than the rest of us unthinking masses that "GOVT" is today's four-letter-word and they all (deep breath drawn) LIE LIE LIE LIELIELIE....AAARGH! I promise you, this book reads like an adventure yarn--a reviewer drew comparisons with Clive Cussler--at over 700 pages it's sure epic enough, but every single one of the obstacles Our Heroes have to overcome in the course of their struggle for The Truth are human, either politicians or political appointees, and it's obvious what side of the aisle the Bad Guys sit on. And you have to wade through all that to read (hello?) the story. Remember? That little thing we read fiction for!』
(Not Up to Snuff) 『trite characters, all have some departed one with an issue. Characters have no depth, the book seemed to be written by some one other then Dad Brown. If I had not read several of his other books I would cross him off as another author just trying to make a dime and not doing a good job of it. Skip this book unless you have very low standards.』 『
A shocking scientific discovery. A conspiracy of staggering brilliance. A thriller unlike any you've ever read....
When a NASA satellite discovers an astonishingly rare object buried deep in the Arctic ice, the floundering space agency proclaims a much-needed victory -- a victory with profound implications for NASA policy and the impending presidential election. To verify the authenticity of the find, the White House calls upon the skills of intelligence analyst Rachel Sexton. Accompanied by a team of experts, including the charismatic scholar Michael Tolland, Rachel travels to the Arctic and uncovers the unthinkable: evidence of scientific trickery -- a bold deception that threatens to plunge the world into controversy. But before she can warn the President, Rachel and Michael are ambushed by a deadly team of assassins. Fleeing for their lives across a desolate and lethal landscape, their only hope for survival is to discover who is behind this masterful plot. The truth, they will learn, is the most shocking deception of all.』
『Penzler Pick, December 2001:In the world of page-turning thrillers, Dan Brown holds a special place in the hearts of many of us. After his first book,Digital Fortress, almost passed me by, he wroteAngels and Demons, which was probably one of the half-dozen most exciting thrillers of last year. It is a pleasure to report that his new book lives up to his reputation as a writer whose research and talent make his stories exciting, believable, and just plain unputdownable.
The time is now and President Zachary Herney is facing a very tough reelection. His opponent, Senator Sedgwick Sexton, is a powerful man with powerful friends and a mission: to reduce NASA's spending and move space exploration into the private sector. He has numerous supporters, including many beyond the businesses who will profit from this because of the embarrassment of 1996, when the Clinton administration was informed by NASA that proof existed of life on other planets. That information turned out to be premature, if not incorrect. (This story is true; I repeat, Dan Brown's research is very, very good.) The embattled president is assured that a rare object buried deep in the Arctic ice will prove to have far-reaching implications on America's space program. The find, however, needs to be verified.
Enter Rachel Sexton, a gister for the National Reconnaissance Office. Gisters reduce complex reports into single-page briefs, and in this case the president needs that confirmation before he broadcasts to the nation, probably ensuring his reelection. It's tricky because Rachel is the daughter of his opponent. Rachel is thrilled to be on the team traveling to the Arctic circle. She is a realist about her father's politics and has little respect for his stand on NASA, but Senator Sexton cannot help but have a problem with her involvement.
Adventure, romance, murder, skullduggery, and nail-biting tension ensue. By the end ofDeception Point, the reader will be much better informed about how our space program works and how our politicians react to new information. Bring on the next Dan Brown thriller!--Otto Penzler』
IPhone 3G used's review (A Pathetic Excuse for A Thriller) 『When I saw this book, I initially thought it was interesting. The plot looked engaging and the characters seemed interesting enough. However, upon reading the first few chapters, I realized that this was not the case. The main character, Tess, is far too juvenile to be believable. Her reactions to her circumstances are forced and overly dramatic at best. In fact, a word to describe this entire book would be melodramatic. Everything was blown way out of proportion, from the characters to their reactions to events to the settings and especially the dialogue. The dialogue felt like it had been written by a 12 year old writer, and not a good one. Almost everything the characters said to each other seemed forced, unreal, and downright absurd at times. Another thing I did not appreciate was the VERY explicit love scene towards the end of the book. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for some well placed and tactfully described romance, but this seemed more fitting for an erotic novel than a book of this type. It was just inappropriate.
So, if you're a fan of cheesy dialogue, shallow characters, and absurdly melodramatic plot elements, then this is your book. However, if you want an all-around class act story, look elsewhere.』
(Very prompt in receiving book) 『The book came in a very timely manner. It was everything that was promised. I would not hesitate to use this seller again.』
(Stinker) 『Totally ridiculous plot, dialogue, and actions by everyone involved. A beautiful woman manages to shoot better than everyone else and kill about a dozen men trying to shoot her, while her attackers manage to kill supposed professionals around her. If that appeals to you, then by all means, get this book. I would be embarrassed to have my name as author of this novel.』
(Wow! Loved the action and religious/historical insights) 『I loved all the religious good vs. evil information - I'm surprised in today's Da Vinci Code media world, people haven't gone back to this book, cause Mr. Morrell was talking about this stuff way before Dan Brown. Loved how he wrote the Inquisition was still happening - All very interesting stuff... I will say that some of the dialogue was wooden, fake sounding and unrealistic. But it was few and far in between. The interesting characters - gray eyes in particular - and the non stop action more than made up for it. All in all, a great religious/political/environmental thriller that never let up! Mr. Morrell is one of my favorites and he didn't disappoint with this one.』
(Interesting and thoughtful) 『This a very well paced book with interesting insight on cosmic religion and politics. I was a little disappointed as the fiction went a little overboard in the first couple of chapters where the author highlighted the good of Mithraism with antipathy. It has its own inspirations, from the political angle the immediate thought for me at the least was that of the Manchurian Candidate. The semi-fictional comparison between Mithraism and Christianity is fantastic. It did make me think a lot. I wish Mr. Morrell had ended the book with a positive perspective to both beliefs. I am not qualified to add anything to the book but if were to add one thing I would have said the figures of Jesus and Mithras are to some extent both expressions of a single deep longing in the human spirit for a sense of contact with the ultimate mystery. In the end it is a good book to read and say "wow" several times.』 『As the earth is slowly defiled--by everything from oil spills to the extinction of animals--New York City reporter Tess Drake finds herself in the middle of a fierce battle between two covert armies. Reprint.』
IPhone 3G used's review (a pleasant way to spend a few hours) 『A rather unpopular FBI agent is found murdered on the FBI shooting range, much to the embarrassment of the bureau and even more embarrassing is that the body was found during a full visitors' tour. The less than choice assignment of investigating the murder sets the agents in charge on a trail that leads to corruption in high places.
This is an adequate tale, cast with rather stock characters - the idealistic young FBI agent, her callous fellow FBI agent and lover, the mysterious writer, the merry widow etc. The action is predictible with few surprises along the way.
This is one to pick up at the library or at most a resale shop for a way to spend a few hours then pass along rather than give shelf space.』
(A Murder Involving Unsavory Members of the FBI) 『This is really two stories. In one, we see the murder of George Prichard, an FBI agent in Washington. He was not liked by his colleagues, but an FBI team sets out to find his killer. Soon, they run into puzzling roadblocks. Christine Saksis, the acting head of the investigating team, becomes suspicious when roadblocks become active, but concealed, opposition by the FBI directors. At this point, we see the second story in this book, in which FBI directors engage in coverups, spying on agents, and character assassination to keep the FBI's squeaky clean image. If you like a low-key mystery, devoid of gore, this is for you.』
(Poor even for Truman) 『The story improved slightly once Bill's character was introduced, but it was too late to save this book. I didn't give a rip what happened to any of the characters, and Truman herself seemed more interested in showing off her knowledge of DC restaurants. Her "sleuth" was just another stock Truman character: naive young woman spends several years in an intelligence organization before discovering that power plays and mind games are afoot, then resigns in a disillusioned huff. This one didn't even do any serious sleuthing...she just went around pissing people off until clues just popped out of their mouths. And the plotting was just plain sloppy. I've already forgotten what the book was supposed to be "about."』
(this is the ultimate mystery by Truman.) 『This is her best book ever. And wow, what an ending. a huge masterpiece. Who did it? Ask the president's daughter.』
(This is her turf.) 『Truman knows how to write fantastic Mysteries! This is so great』 『Special agent George Pritchard was nobody's favorite at the FBI. But when his murdered body is found, agents Ross Lizenby and Christine Saksis look for answers--only to find that the bureau wants questions kept to a suspicious minimum.... 』
IPhone 3G used's review (A Unique and Compelling Story) 『Life of Pi, a skillfully written novel by Yann Martel, is an interesting piece of literature that grabs your attention and pulls you along with his original story about the instinct of survival and human nature in the face of death. The character of Pi, the hero, encourages, enlightens, and thrills the senses every step of the way. In the beginning of Pi's saga, a description of Pi's life with his family is mentioned. He was raised in a zoo, literally. His father owned the Pondicherry Zoo in what was French India. Piscine "Pi" Molitar Patel was named after a swimming pool in Paris, France. Pi also introduces us to his various religious beliefs and his pious lifestyle. When his family decides to move to Toronto, Canada and sell all of their animals, Pi is uncertain about the changes it will bring into his life. They set out on a ship across the Pacific Ocean. In the midst of a storm, the cargo ship on which they ride, sinks, leaving Pi along in the middle of the ocean with a hyena, a crippled zebra, an orangutan, and a tiger, all on one lifeboat. Soon all of his companions are killed except for the tiger. To survive, our hero must train the tiger to believe that he is the dominant of the two. How Pi manages to survive this journey which takes over 200 days is an amazing accomplishment of the human nature. This novel is a really good insight into human nature in general. It provides ways in which to look at yourself, not just Pi. As you watch the battle between the elements and Pi's own personal integrity, you are struck with a realizastion of how powerful the circumstances can be on a bedraggled soul. The language of this book is easy enough to read for young readers, yet has many multiple connotations for those who yearn for a mind-probing excursion into the realm of the human mind through fiction. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a unique and compelling story. Each person goes through a period in their lives when they make the decision to hang on to life, to love, to believe in God or to forget who they are inside and forsake their love for life, the desire for love, and the longing to fill the gap where God once was. This story portrays the trial of the soul and the struggle of the mind against the worries of this world and the essence of grabbing for that invisible hand that is so much stronger than our own.』
(Question of the unimaginable) 『Do not let the image of a young boy and Bengal tiger cause doubt for this captivating tale; the impossible may stand in question, my friends. The Life of Pi was and is truly an unpredictably unique experience as a reader. Yann Martel takes the reader far into the world of instinctual survival, provoking the quest of faith and leaves the story and the reader with one question: to believe or not to believe. . .
Doubtfully will one ever find a character such as Piscine Molitor Patel, a native Indian boy swooned by faith and microcosmic zoo life. Nicknamed Pi, he was not only the second son of Pondicherry's zoo keeper, but also son of God found in Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. At the most pivotal time of his life, Pi's family and a select of zoo residents leave India and set sail for Canada aboard the Tsimtsum, a Japanese cargo ship. The Tsimtsum sinks at an unbelievable rate, leaving Pi as the one surviving castaway in a lifeboat the size of a shuttle bus, accompanied by a hyena, an injured zebra, an orangutan and one impressive Bengal tiger. As his only life force being adrenaline and fear of meeting his death to the sea, or worst, the jaws of a zoo animal, Pi witnesses the up-close gruesome details of predator v. prey. Left with the tiger and his loss of familiar possessions, Pi resolves he must carry on the will to survive. The life of Pi, castaway somewhere in the Pacific Ocean and lonely companion to the majestic tiger, thus unfolds. With knowledge of zoology and driven by the faith in God, Pi experiences the most dreadful imaginable and the most mind-blowing unimaginable. Martel's words are enough to suffice as a tasty treat--eye candy. The eloquence in his figurative language provides a continuous connection to any theme of the story and underlying messages. These messages, including finding your inner strength to combat fear and setting your experiences free, are easily comprehensible, yet powerful and take attentive thought to absorb. At the end of each few chapters or so of reading, I found Martel's words, or messages rather, correlating to any situational life experience. The philosophical relationship he creates between animalistic behaviors, both inhuman and human, and the power of faith is the effervescence of his magic. Upon reaching the end of the story, I was much satisfied. What was questioned in the beginning as something that was unexplainable at first sight was answered by the end. However, a new question arouses: how true are Pi's experiences? For any one interested in the feat of adventure, to experience inspirational longevity of strength and taste the grace of masterly diction, I would admirably recommend The Life of Pi. For here stands a story that will lead you on a journey to the unimaginable, and as a reader it is up to you to believe his enchanting tale.』
(Slow Start, but Worth Reading) 『Life of Pi has some slow segments where you just make yourself keep turning pages. But it redeems itself as you get farther into it. Recommended. A very unique story.』
(Book Review - Pathways English Class) 『Adventure, family, excitement, religion, human boy, Bengal tiger... Yann Martel's Life of Pi possesses all of the qualities of a good castaway novel and a few unexpected as well. It encompasses moral differences, emotional traumas, physical injuries and religious ideals. The diversity of the content, the narrators, and the plot's basic essence serves up an interesting and unusual read with a sharp dash of curry.
Pi Patel's story is inspiring and horrifying all at once, the castaway Indian boy who worships God, Allah and Vishnu and crosses himself on his prayer rug, the zookeeper's son who grew up listening to the chirping, squawking, crowing, moaning, growling and barking of all manner of animals. When he was stranded on one of the only surviving lifeboats of a sunken Japanese ship and with an orangutan, a hyena, a wounded zebra and a Bengal tiger, no less, Pi had to rely on his faith in God to carry him safely forward.
My favorite part of the book actually had nothing to do with the shipwreck. Pi explained in the beginning of the novel his connection to three separate religions. He told the stories of his introduction to first Hinduism, then to Christianity and finally to Islam. I thought it was very interesting why he worships in the traditions of three very different religious backgrounds and how he became intrigued by and adopted into all three religions as well. One image that really stuck in my head was of Pi at his prayers at the mosque simply because it was described so beautifully.
Life of Pi is very unique even being from such a popular genre as that of the castaway. The main character, Pi, is constantly surprising and certainly unlike anyone you know or even most likely know of. The book focuses on human nature vs. human desires, with the added bonus of what the "dumb" animals of our planet feel about such things as well.
I would recommend Life of Pi to anyone looking for a good adventure novel. It doesn't have any romance or satire but it is filled with allegory, excitement and double entendres of the academic variety. Life of Pi is unique and interesting, written for just about anyone! 』
(School Project (Liked the Book though)) 『The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel
The Life of Pi addresses many issues and I will attempt to share with you those that had the greatest affect on me as I read the book and those that seemed to be most important to Martel.
The book begins in a very slow way, if you read the blurb you are excited to see wild animals on a lifeboat with a human but instead you read a story of a Canadian Indian studying religion and zoology. The actual part of the story on the lifeboat is Titled Part II and begins on Page 97 with the 37th chapter. This Part is the entirety of the rest of the book save the last 30 pages and 6 chapters.
Part I
The first part of the book covers the life of Piscine Molitar Patel (Pi Patel) from before birth until he is 16 years old. His life is in no way extraordinary, He is simply an Indian boy who grew up with a zoo owner for a father and who lived in and around a zoo his entire life. He swam which is a story of how his name came to be. He was frustrated by his name and so developed a nickname that he quite ingeniously spread at a new part of his schooling. His brother mother and father were loved and frustrating and everything that you can imagine a family is like. The main focus is to establish Pi as a regular human and secondly to establish his quite interesting religious practices.
Pi grew up in a Hindu home and he practices with all the devotion of the humblest Brahmin. His father is not religious and his mother is not overtly religious in the story. Yet one week of his life he ends up finding himself in a place where there is a church, and he explores it and "finds Jesus Christ". And he thanks Lord Krishna for allowing him to find Jesus Christ. Later on he experiences Islam and finds it religious feel to be enough for him to believe in its god as well. Pi Patel once meets his three religious mentors at the same time with his parents by freak coincidence and it is enlightening into the way the author sees the three religions. However nothing will stop Pi from seeing "god" in everything and believing that he has found "god" in three ways and that they are the same god and He is very satisfied with that. This universalistic approach to God has brought up some different responses in me as I read the book. If I was forced to define myself by any religion I would have to describe myself as Christian. But i find this to be true in the most literal of meanings. Originally the term Christian, interestingly coined by people attempting to make fun of what was then called "the way" literally means "little Christ". I take this definition in the sense that I live my life to be more and more like Christ and to follow Him in everything I do. With this in mind I have studied multiple religions from Hinduism to Islam to Buddhism to Atheism to Judaism and even Mormanism and Jehova's Witnesses. I have examined religious documents, not necessarily as in depth as the Bible but with some amount of serious searching. And have come to find that you cannot reconcile Islam or Hinduism with Christianity, whether or not you can reconcile them within themselves which I would love to discuss with any devout Hindu or Muslim. There are things that are written in the Bible that simply contradict in too severe a way the teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita or the Koran. Also Pi's simplistic "feeling" that he had found God in all of these places, his emotional connection is not enough to break facts. If you have questions on the subject feel free to ask me at any time to explain exactly what I meant by this.
This Part ends with Pi and his family moving to Canada with many of the animals from their zoo and the "adventure" that it is going to be.
Part II
The first chapter in this part starts with the sentance, "The ship sank." Each part of the book presents a different major point and in a totally different way than the part before it. The story of this part is way too long to go through in this simple book review but I can summarize the idea possibly.
Pi finds himself in a lifeboat with a Bengal Tiger, a Hyena, a Zebra with a broken leg, and an Orangutan. During the first three days the Hyena eats both the Zebra and the Orangutan. At the beginning Pi saves the tiger from the water and right before the tiger actually comes onto the lifeboat Pi realizes that he doesn't want him on it and tries to beat him away but cannot and the tiger enters the lifeboat. For the next three days Pi does not see the tiger and assumes therefore it is gone while the Hyena does what it does. When Pi, after three days of no food and water, explores the lifeboat he finds the tiger and later on the tiger kills the Hyena. The tiger is the only reason that Pi was able to survive. Pi spends a long time on a small raft made of oars and life-vests before he is able to establish an alpha-omega male relationship with the Tiger, incidentally the tiger is named Richard Parker, and he is only able to establish this relationship through his knowledge of circus training and other things. From then on the story of is Pi and Richard Parker and everything that happens to them before they reach Mexico. The entire trip lasts for 224 days. When they wash up on the beach of Mexico begins the third part of the story. During mostly the first half of Part II the author flashes to interviews and experience he had with the "current day" Pi Patel that he was interviewing to write this story. And at the beginning of the book in the introduction this story was described to the author as a story that will make you believe in God. The author is disbelieving but looks into it anyways and so comes our account of what happened. It is although a work of fiction.
Part III
These last few chapters are presented from the point of two Japanese insurance interviewers who would like to know why the ship sank. They interview Pi and hear his story and do not believe it, yet Pi insists for a time. Then later after their insistence Pi presents them with a story "without animals" and it is a powerful story indeed. This story brings to light the fact that even though there really had only been 4 people on the boat, it was the same is if there were four animals. Parallels and insane allegorical references can be found between the fictional stories and I believe that the life of Pi is a book that expresses the fact that humans are animals in so many ways and that without God they can't do anything a bout it.
』 『WINNER OF THE 2002 BOOKER PRIZE After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, one solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild, blue Pacific. The crew of the surviving vessel consists of a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orang-utan, a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger and Pi -- a 16-year-old Indian boy. The scene is set for one of the most extraordinary pieces of literary fiction of recent years.』 『Yann Martel's imaginative and unforgettableLife of Piis a magical reading experience, an endless blue expanse of storytelling about adventure, survival, and ultimately, faith. The precocious son of a zookeeper, 16-year-old Pi Patel is raised in Pondicherry, India, where he tries on various faiths for size, attracting "religions the way a dog attracts fleas." Planning a move to Canada, his father packs up the family and their menagerie and they hitch a ride on an enormous freighter. After a harrowing shipwreck, Pi finds himself adrift in the Pacific Ocean, trapped on a 26-foot lifeboat with a wounded zebra, a spotted hyena, a seasick orangutan, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker ("His head was the size and color of the lifebuoy, with teeth"). It sounds like a colorful setup, but these wild beasts don't burst into song as if co-starring in an anthropomorphized Disney feature. After much gore and infighting, Pi and Richard Parker remain the boat's sole passengers, drifting for 227 days through shark-infested waters while fighting hunger, the elements, and an overactive imagination. In rich, hallucinatory passages, Pi recounts the harrowing journey as the days blur together, elegantly cataloging the endless passage of time and his struggles to survive: "It is pointless to say that this or that night was the worst of my life. I have so many bad nights to choose from that I've made none the champion."
An award winner in Canada,Life of Pi, Yann Martel's second novel, should prove to be a breakout book in the U.S. At one point in his journey, Pi recounts, "My greatest wish--other than salvation--was to have a book. A long book with a never-ending story. One that I could read again and again, with new eyes and fresh understanding each time." It's safe to say that the fabulous, fablelikeLife of Piis such a book.--Brad Thomas Parsons』
大満足！北国のホタテ・いくら・ボタンエビがぎっしり！
Amazon.com:What a phenomenonThe Pillars of the Earthhas become. It was a bestseller when it was published in 1989, but it's only gained in popularity since then--it's the kind of book that people are incredibly passionate about. What has it been like to see it grow an audience like that?
