Book Description
Bit by bit, the ravages of age are eroding Marina's grip on the everyday. An elderly Russian woman now living in America, she cannot hold on to fresh memories—the details of her grown children's lives, the approaching wedding of her grandchild—yet her distant past is miraculously preserved in her mind's eye.
Vivid images of her youth in war-torn Leningrad arise unbidden, carrying her back to the terrible fall of 1941, when she was a tour guide at the Hermitage Museum and the German army's approach signaled the beginning of what would be a long, torturous siege on the city. As the people braved starvation, bitter cold, and a relentless German onslaught, Marina joined other staff members in removing the museum's priceless masterpieces for safekeeping, leaving the frames hanging empty on the walls to symbolize the artworks' eventual return. As the Luftwaffe's bombs pounded the proud, stricken city, Marina built a personal Hermitage in her mind—a refuge that would stay buried deep within her, until she needed it once more. . . .
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One of the most talked about books of the year . . . Bit by bit, the ravages of age are eroding Marina's grip on the everyday. And while the elderly Russian woman cannot hold on to fresh memories -- the details of her grown children's lives, the approaching wedding of her grandchild -- her distant past is preserved: vivid images that rise unbidden of her youth in war-torn Leningrad.
In the fall of 1941, the German army approached the outskirts of Leningrad, signaling the beginning of what would become a long and torturous siege. During the ensuing months, the city's inhabitants would brave starvation and the bitter cold, all while fending off the constant German onslaught. Marina, then a tour guide at the Hermitage Museum, along with other staff members, was instructed to take down the museum's priceless masterpieces for safekeeping, yet leave the frames hanging empty on the walls -- a symbol of the artworks' eventual return. To hold on to sanity when the Luftwaffe's bombs began to fall, she burned to memory, brushstroke by brushstroke, these exquisite artworks: the nude figures of women, the angels, the serene Madonnas that had so shortly before gazed down upon her. She used them to furnish a ""memory palace,"" a personal Hermitage in her mind to which she retreated to escape terror, hunger, and encroaching death. A refuge that would stay buried deep within her, until she needed it once more. . . .
Seamlessly moving back and forth in time between the Soviet Union and contemporary America, The Madonnas of Leningrad is a searing portrait of war and remembrance, of the power of love, memory, and art to offer beauty, grace, and hope in the face of overwhelming despair. Gripping, touching, and heartbreaking, it marks the debut of Debra Dean, a bold new voice in American fiction.
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Customer Reviews:
A Docent's Take.......2007-10-09
I work as a docent at two museums, so this book had a particularly strong impact on me. As a devoted lover of fine art and literature, and never having realized my lifelong dream of visiting the Hermitage, I found this book satisfying and moving on so many levels. A beautifully written tale of human courage and sacrifice, of beauty and horror intertwined, The Madonnas of Leningrad is a touching, aching testament to the human spirit. I'm now looking forward even more eagerly to my own next opportunities to bring the beauty of art and the human drama it represents to the visitors on my own tours!
Loved it! And the madonnas were not only in the paintings........2007-09-09
Someone may already have pointed this out, but isn't part of the point of the shifting timescape the fact that this is what happens in Alzheimer's? One minute you're there, and the next, you're not? Or you're somewhere else? I found the author's use of time-shifting extremely effective. In addition, I thought her blending of Marina's lives (for lack of a better word) was handled with delicacy and skill. The way she came back, at the end, to Marina's sweet attempt to "show her rescuer the world" was, in my mind, exquisitely done and very poignant. Marina had several worlds--some real, some imagined--all along. I am fortunate to have some knowledge of Russian history and the siege of Leningrad, but that certainly is not a requirement for enjoying the narrative. I thought this book was terrific--my favorite summer read. Highly recommended.
disappointment.......2007-09-09
I totally agree with Electra Wilson's review. The book was definitely not what I had expected. I know St. Petersburg quite well and bought the book because I was intrigued by its title. What I had hoped for was a typically Russian story but unfortunately I could not find the Russian soul in it anywhere. It should have been entitled "the war-time experience of an Alzheimer's patient." War is horrific in any setting, and Debra Dean made it Leningrad by mentioning a few monuments and streets and by choosing Russian names for her characters. But which authentically Russian "babushka" would worship a foreign painting, even in times of extreme hardship? She would perhaps have a time-worn picture of an ikon folded up in her pocket that she would take out and look at once in a while when times got hard. Marina's reunion with Dmitri after the war is also extremely far-fetched. What are the odds she would accidentally run into him on the street in another country? And what ultimately happened to the children Mikhail and Tatiana? There is no tying up loose ends and the story becomes totally unsatisfactory. If you love Russia, and especially St. Petersburg, like I do, skip the book.
Beautiful and thought-provoking.......2007-09-05
It is rare to find a book so carefully crafted and so hauntingly beautiful.
If you're looking for a book that you will think about as you go about your daily life, this is it. [And I must confess that I spent my share of time googling the paintings Marina describes.]
"joy or grief, eventually they are inseparable".......2007-09-01
_The Madonnas of Leningrad_ shows us the world through the eyes of a survivor of the seige of Leningrad, both as it was happening to Marina in 1941, and as it was remembered by an 82 year-old Marina suffering from Alzheimer's. It is a heart-breakingly beautiful story, as Dean vividly describes not only the magnificence of the Hermitage (and its artwork), but also the struggles Marina faces as both a young woman and a crone.
I was particularly struck by the way Dean allowed me to see through the eyes of a woman with Alzheimer's - what Marina's husband, daughter, or construction workers saw as nonsensical, was, in fact, logical to what was going on in Marina's mind. The ebb and flow between time and place, the gradual loss of ones self, and the child-like wonder of someone suffering from dementia were humanely portrayed. Recommended.
Customer Reviews:
Very well written.......2007-09-21
The books are very interesting even though they are written for children. I have never expected from Madonna something like this.
The Cry of Spiritual Side of the Material Girl.......2007-07-02
This is a super-cute collection and well worth the bucks to buy in the boxed set. I'm one of the jealous Madonna fans who loves to hate her. A fan since Madonna first hit the scene, I never liked her (because I always wanted to BE her). Consequentially, once upon a time Madonna became more than just obnoxious: she's stinking-richie. She's out there, doing the Mrs. Ritchie thing. Ritchie-Rich-Rich!! So I seldom, if ever, purchase anything in the form of a new Madonna product. Lucky for her? she was able to hire state-of-the-art-illustrators to create these little books, which are comforting... Especially when the only thing you can afford is toast. If you like well-made, pretty childrens books, a plus. A percentage of the purchase goes to help poor orphans, and that's cool. Madonna should keep doing more of that kind of stuff (helping people with the money she enmasses). It's true she had her daughter, Lola, going around to schools reading these books as part of her allowance and/or Mom's perceived ritchie-rich duties of the child to some semi-interested or adoring public. (Poor kid. But the drama of it all must be what memories are made of.) These books have a sentimental quality that reminds one, Madonna is a person. An icon, yes, but also a human being. Yet it seems Madonna has had to pay-off every single person in her life. So these books portray an attitude of someone who wants to overcome that (buying people's love and/or pleasing and controlling them with money). She does it by dedicating the books to members of her immediate family and Husband Ritchie... They are a bit of a cry for help I feel. Madonna would love to be remembered for more than just physical things; but wouldn't we all?
Madonna's Five Books For Children.......2007-03-09
These books are also for grown ups. The illustrations and life lessons are so enjoyable. I'm saving up for a set to donate to our school library.
Loved the books!.......2006-03-16
Great stories for kids and beautiful illustrations that my daughter and I really enjoyed!! Great collection for any young girl or boy.
Written Beautifully and inspires children.......2006-01-29
I purchased these books for my 6 and 8 year old nieces, and they absolutely adore them. I read the books with them, and they are wonderful. The illustrations are breath taking as well. All the books carry a positive message and teach young kids how to deal with sittuations they will go through in life on day. A definite proof that Madonna has taken a step foward with her life. Wonderful job, love them.
Book Description
With a whirling dervish of a teacher and a sprinkle of magic fairy dust, the English Roses learn valuable lessons about friendship and surviving their first crush. Readers of all ages will delight in this much-awaited sequel to Madonna's first children's book, The English Roses.
Customer Reviews:
Perfect Assumption ..........2007-08-16
New Kid in Town (... I think his name was Donovan ...) he lives near the airport (... La Guardia ... get it?) - is turning all the girls heads - Never in the history of the planet... (... on all 6 (7?) continents ...) has so much angst been shared amongst a bunch of 5th (6th?) grade girls - until M(r)s. Fluffer-nutter comes up with a devious plan - (... some have called it religion ...) - this is the tale of three (4?) brothers - the elder (8th grader?) has a wand..., ...the second (7th grader?) a stone, ... the third (6th grader?) - virtually invisible -- will he-who-has-no-nose beat it? -- ... it's a thriller ...
not too good to be true.......2007-05-10
Out of all the children's books Madonna has written, this was my LEAST favorite. However - just like the rest of her books the illustrations are beautiful and the story teaches a lesson.
Despicable, uninspired propaganda.......2007-03-19
Well, I finally purchased something at amazon, and now I too can write a review. I note the warning to "focus your comments on the product." Which is, I admit, a fair request, but with this series of books (this one being the newest), the review must include things other than the product itself.
These books are vanity projects. No publisher which respects the special significance of a children's book should allow this monster, Madonna, anywhere near such things. The reviews for the other books in this series tend to be comprised of two camps: Madonna's feckless fans, ecstatic over the release of any new "product," and the small percentage of the population which encounters the books by accident, with the latter category almost unanimous in their condemnation of these "works."
Madonna is a person who happened to be in the right place at the right time, and had enough sense to decide to exploit herself to make a dollar over the last twenty years. And, because she was a willing participant, that makes her a genius to some of you. Not to me.
Outside of her catchy pop songs, which even I enjoy for the fluff they are, Madonna has made the bones of her career out of a ceaseless parade of cheap stunts, almost always involving sex. Her body of work which has made her a celebrity has almost nothing to do with music, and everything to do with reckless and clumsy titillation. The last three times Madonna caught our attention, she was pouring hot candle wax on a man's genitals in the terrible film Body of Evidence, hanging naked from chains in an S&M club in her Sex book, and hanging from a mirrored disco cross while wearing a crown of thorns to open her most recent tour.
The reason why she is producing these books is not to improve the quality of children's material, nor is it to raise money for charity, as she is already so wealthy it matters not if she receives so much as one penny from these sales. If she wants to donate to charity, she can always sell one of her castles.
The reason she is doing this is to shovel her sick, twisted view of life straight down the throats of the most impressionable members of society. The books exist to introduce children to her name, so that they may remember her, and then go on to discover her life's work, which is nothing but greed, self-exploitation, and depravity.
The books themselves provide Madonna with the thrill of being famous and talked about, which is worth more to her than money, as she already has plenty of money. The books are not good. It is well understood that if a non-celebrity were to submit these projects, they would be rejected. However, due to her name, they will sell. Madonna then takes that as some kind of indication that her work has triumphed, as you can tell, as the self-serving introduction to this newest book indicates.
I could go on, at length, but briefly: Madonna moralizes, but she had her daughter, Lourdes, sired from a brief encounter with a man she admits she no longer has anything to do with. She points the finger over money, but is herself a supremely wealthy person who lives a lavish, materialistic lifestyle. She preaches humility, yet contrary to the tradition of children's books, she denies credit on the books' covers to the artists who illustrate them.
You could not ask for a more repulsive and hypocritical role model. She is a [...] actress who sings, and is the last among us who should be writing children's books. If you have not gone mad, I would suggest that you purchase any one of the many, many wonderful children's books available, or take the time to play with your child and write one together just for fun.
Do not, under any circumstances, buy these books, unless it is for a gag gift, and only then, do so only if you can be guaranteed it will be burned to ashes in less than an hour after the joke is over, lest the damn things find their way into a library or a school.
To reiterate: These books are vanity projects and garbage, meant to indoctrinate children into Madonna's wretched life philosophy. Avoid every one of them, and when you get the chance, do us all a favour, and destroy them.
Awful.......2007-02-27
Anyone remember when she deep throated that bottle in her documentary? Yeah, I remember thinking, "Someday I hope to buy a childrens' book from her." And yeah, the book is as uninspiring as her others.
yogagirl5117.......2007-02-13
Either I am having a "that time of the month moment" or I am just an emotional person but this video did make me cry. We saw a different side of Madonna. I saw from her true sincerity since no one in Malawi knows MADONNA: POP ICON/QUEEN OF THE UNIVERSE. Once you travel to a third world nation either in Africa, Asia (as I have) the word "culture shock" does not prepare you. It's the commitment you make while you are there and the therapy you NEED to seek when you return to a developed nation in Europe, North America or South America. I have a new respect for Madonna. I hope this documentary though when it comes out is NOT all about her mission but the plight of the Malawians!
Amazon.com
With Mr. Peabody's Apples, her gorgeous sophomore venture into the realm of children's literature, Madonna sustains her transformation from material girl to mom. Inspired by a 300-year-old Ukrainian story and illustrated by the talented Loren Long, Madonna's tale is about the dangers of gossip. As a frequent target of the rumor mill, who better to teach the young ones about the "power of words" and their potential to cause "harm to others" than the newly reformed diva?
Set in a tiny American town, Madonna's story features the big-hearted and much beloved Mr. Peabody, an elementary school teacher and Little League coach who dedicates his summer Saturdays to the local losing team. The kindly teacher seems to savor life the way he savors his weekly apple--taking pleasure in the little things. One weekend after the game, Tommy Tittlebottom watches Mr. Peabody take his apple without paying for it. The following weekend Tommy calls in reinforcements to witness Mr. Peabody's transgression. By the next Saturday, Mr. Peabody's apparent theft has become grist for the Happville rumor mill and no one comes to Little League practice. These moments truly highlight Long's talents as an illustrator--the handsome Mr. Peabody (part Harry Connick Jr., part Robert Redford) comes to life on the page, his disappointment as palpable as that of Billy Little, the young boy who idolizes him. A simple explanation puts the rumors to rest, but as Mr. Peabody points out in a poignant demonstration, small talk can often lead to big trouble for everyone.
In a wonderful departure from her debut children's book The English Roses, Madonna has created a tribute to 1940's small-town America that delivers a fundamental message about respecting others. Children will love Mr. Peabody and parents will appreciate the gentle nudge with which he delivers his message. Mr. Peabody's Apples unfolds slowly, but readers young and old will want to linger over each illustrated page lovingly rendered in a muted pallet of rich color. --Daphne Durham
Book Description
"Mr. Peabodyís Apples takes place in 1949 in Happville, USA. Mr. Peabody is the beloved elementary school teacher and baseball coach, who one day finds himself ostracized when rumors spread through the small town. Mr. Peabody silences the gossip with an unforgettable and poignant lesson about how we must choose our words carefully to avoid causing harm to others.
Madonna dedicates Mr. Peabody's Apples to teachers everywhere."
Customer Reviews:
From a teacher's point of view..........2007-04-03
I used this book in my 4th grade Reading/Language Arts class as a "Somebody-Wanted-But-So" writing lesson with bilingual/ESL students. It lent itself very well to that lesson (my principal had my partner & I give a staff development lesson using this). The students enjoyed the book because they all could relate to jumping to conclusions and repeating gossip. I have Madonna's other books, and this is by far my favorite.
I've read the other reviewers' comments about the book as well. I think some have taken too deep a look into the book's purpose. Forget who authored it...I'm not a Madonna fan myself (not my genre of music). Enjoy it for what it is: a simple story with a simple lesson that's important.
peabody's apple.......2007-03-20
If you like 300 year old stories, this book is for you. Mr. Peabody's Apples was inspired by a 300 year old story. The author is Madonna. I don't know if it is the real
Madonna or not. I don't think it is. Mr. Peabody's Apple is good for 2nd grade to 5th.
This book has good illustrations. The art is by Loren long. This story takes place in Happville. I don't think it is real. It started off with a baseball game. Mr. Peabody also went to congratulate his little league team. My favorite part is when the wind carried thousands of feathers to Happville. Each represents one person in Happville.
The characters are of course Mr. Peabody and Billy little. Everybody thinks Mr. Peabody is a thief. Mr. Peabody is a teacher, but then he steals an apple. Another character is Tommy.
I think that the story teaches you not to steal. This book has proper English. It dose not have words like, "yo" or "dude." I think that is good for kids. If I was able to give it a rating I would give it a five star ratting.
I think this book is great. It is better then the The Cat In Hat. I really like Mr. Peabody's Apple. I think you should read this book. This book would be good for you. I hope you like my book review.
Parents, beware the website invitation to "visit" Madonna.......2007-03-20
I borrowed this book from the library. I consider these books, written by a person who is the antithesis of a children's book author, to be nothing more than an indoctrination into Madonna's lifestyle, and her religion. Parents should keep this in mind-that's all I'm trying to say.
I remember the old Ford ad campaign, "Quality is job 1." I also recall a parody of it, in which the faux pitchman, speaking of his cheap imports, said, "With us, quality is job 2. Job 1 is getting the damn things into the country!" It seems the first job of these books is to get Madonna's website address into a child's hands. If not, why is it there? Is Madonna's website a children's website? Well? Would you send a child to that website and just leave them alone with it? No? Then why is Madonna asking kids to visit her official, grown-up website? What "professional" idiot in this book's development path let that in?
This book could have been based on any fruit or vegetable, but it's about apples. It is also dedicated to "teachers everywhere." As such, I'd imagine this thing has found its way into many schools, which is a shame. I'll get to the story in a minute. First, let me point out what else this book is bringing.
Inside the dust jacket, we're told this is an interpretation of a story told to Madonna by her Kabbalah teacher. Okay; fair enough. But if your kids get curious, they'll do an internet search on the word and the first thing which will show up is the trademarked Kabbalah website, where you can pay over 26 bucks for some trademarked "Kabbalah Red String." I don't want to turn this from a review to a discussion about the Kabbalah website, but there is plenty to buy there, it is expensive, the folks there are very serious about your need for these items, and some regard Kabbalah as a cult. Parents should know that.
Madonna's profits are cited in the credits page as being earmarked for the "Spirituality for Kids Foundation." Fine. But parents should also know that this is a branch of the Kabbalah, as set up by the people who run the trademarked website. And, I keep saying "website" as it is there where you will find everything for sale. Whereas, if you want a Bible, you can get one for free from the Salvation Army or the Gideons or the internet or very inexpensively at a used book store...but I digress. Anyway, the "charity" is the Kabbalah itself. Parents should know.
Also in the credits page is an invitation to "Visit Madonna," at her website. As we all know, Madonna's videos and lyrics are not meant for kids. If that''s something you've forgotten, please try to recall the video she made for Like a Prayer when she portrayed herself as having Jesus' wounds on her hands, and the Erotica video with the pain/pleasure lyrics of "Only the one that hurts you can make you feel better/Only the one that inflicts pain can take it away."
Verrrry nice for her adult fans. Not for kids. At all. End of story. Period!
Parents should know. It's all in the book, so it's part of the review. There.
Now, for the rest of it. The illustrations by Loren Long are very well done. It's a shame (and an indication of the size of Madonna's ego) that Madonna refuses to give the artist credit on either the front or back covers. I just can't imagine how people can accept "lessons" from somebody who won't share credit for a project (Madonna should be READING a children's book about "sharing"). And, while the illustrations are very good, it's a little odd that everyone depicted is rail-thin, much like all the girls were depicted in Madonna's earlier book, the English Roses.
Ostensibly, the moral of this story is that spreading rumors is bad. Okay...but the way the story is told is full of holes, and the hidden message seems to be that children should be punished for honest mistakes, while adults should not.
The Peabody guy is seen taking apples without paying by one of the kids, who then tells his friends. But, it turns out that Peabody is paying for them in advance, and then picking them up later when he feels like it. This makes no sense. Who pays for an apple, or anything, in advance, and then walks into a store and grabs it and leaves? It looks like theft. What the kid saw looked like theft. Telling others is the right thing to do. The kid didn't make this up, like a tabloid story.
This weird behavior by Peabody earns him the rep of being a thief. When he finds out that the kid spread this "rumor (which is really an honest mistake by the kid)," he punishes the kid. The end.
There ya go, kids. Better keep quiet if you ever see big grown-ups doing weird stuff, or else you'll get punished like you deserve to be, you little brats.
Madonna is such a clumsy storyteller, it's obvious that no editor would dare to interfere in the contributions of a celebrity who thinks she's a genius in every area she dabbles in. I can only guess that the lack of mercy shown to the kid is somehow reflecting Madonna's own hard feelings toward the tabloid press, which produces rumors as a matter of course.
The pictures are good, but it's just a lousy book. Borrow it from the library if you must, and get disappointed with it, but don't buy it. And, if you don't want little kids being given the official website address of a woman who often depicts herself hanging naked from chains in an S&M club (remember her other book, SEX?), you might want to offer to buy the school or library another book, and ask them to please destory this one.
If the school teacher you speak with seems not to have a problem with Madonna asking little kids to visit her official adult website, do remember that Madonna dedicated the book to "teachers everywhere," so take the book and hit the teacher over the head with it a few times, as it has a roughly 8.5 X 11" hardcover footprint and might do a good job of knocking some sense into the teacher. Then, leave the book with the teacher who refuses to remove it from the school, take your kid, and go home to begin homeschooling, for in your home, YOUR decisions, and not those of the State, will be the final decisions.
KLONK! goes the moral on your head.......2007-02-13
The main good things about this book are the basic plot, adapted from Jewish folklore, and the Hopper-ish illustrations. In other words, the good parts of this book are the parts that have nothing to do with the author.
Celebrity books can be good, even very good!--such as the great picture books by Jamie Lee Curtis or the songbooks by Lithgow. But Madonna's writing is clunky, way too wordy, and a book about morality which doesn't even credit the illustrator on the cover seems hypocritical in the extreme.
Since it's the story that's great, please read __Feathers__, a lovely adaptation by Heather Forest.
Get all of them!.......2007-01-21
These books are great for all children (and grown-up ones too!)...
Average customer rating:
- Madonna IS art!!
- More than just a "coffee table" book! Don't judge this book just by its cover! Devour it... bon appetite!
- A Must for Madonna Fans - Fun for Art Lovers
- Even a non-Madonna fan will enjoy this book
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Madonna in Art
Mem Mehmet
Manufacturer: Chaucer Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1904957005 |
Book Description
In 1977, Madonna Louise Ciccone moved from Michigan to New York City, re-christening herself simply ‘Madonna’. Six years of hard work in the clubs of Manhattan with a succession of bands propelled her to the forefront of the New York scene. In 1983, her self-titled debut album was released, and the hit singles ‘Holiday’ and ‘Borderline’ soon followed. Then came seventeen consecutive top ten hits, a further ten albums, and roles in nineteen feature films, from her debut in the 80’s classic Desperately Seeking Susan to the steamy thriller Body of Evidence. Multitalented, controversial in her own proud sexuality and a dedicated campaigner for sexual tolerance, Madonna is one of the great Millennial Icons, a one-woman pop phenomenon who has pushed back and blurred the boundaries of the music, film and fashion worlds.
‘Madonna in Art’ is a celebration of the Pop Goddess at every stage of her career. A testament to her unique global impact, it features work by over a hundred artists, including Andrew Logan, Bruni, Sebastian Kruger, Al Hirschfeld, Donna Lief and Peter Howson. These images range across every role Madonna has played on the world stage, from erotic dancer to the dignified figure of Eva Peron in Evita.
Customer Reviews:
Madonna IS art!!.......2007-01-21
Fantastic hard-cover book with work by artists all over the world. Some of the stuff is really beautifully done - you've gotta have this!
More than just a "coffee table" book! Don't judge this book just by its cover! Devour it... bon appetite!.......2006-06-07
I am a librarian. Over the decades, I have had many art books pass through my hands. The compilation of fine artists by the author is glorious! The author's rigorous research in finding the artists whom he chose to be included within, certainly substantial.
In particular, the artist Susan Victor of murrrbeast.com, is
included in this book. It is about time that someone recognized her exceeding works. I would highly recommend this book -- especially to those in academia; the field of commercial art;
and anyone who simply loves art.
A Must for Madonna Fans - Fun for Art Lovers.......2004-10-30
I bought a book in 1984 called "Marilyn In Art". I always loved to every now and then flip through it because it was so much fun to see the different ways these artists drew or painted (etc) the same subject. I happen to be a longtime Marilyn fan.
From what I understand, the author (compiler) of this book, Mem Mehmet, is friends with the author of the twenty year old Marilyn book, Roger G. Taylor (who also did an "Elvis In Art"). I had the paperback version of the Marilyn book, but was lucky enough to get the hardcover version of "Madonna In Art". I am also a Madonna fan (not as much as a Marilyn fan, but...), this book is a MUST for any fan of Madonna! Fantastic, fun renditions of Madonna in every style imaginable, which also makes it great for any artist or art lover. Along with each piece of art is a quote from Madonna herself or a celebrity or author, etc. about some aspect of the superstar which is fun to read. Unlike my paperback "Marilyn In Art" book, the hardback version of this is of the highest quality. Beneath the attactive book cover, the name is embossed in silver metallic ink (which is used throughout the book). Would make a wonderful gift for Madonna fans, artists, art lovers!!! I'd scoop up the hardcover before it's only available in paperback!
Even a non-Madonna fan will enjoy this book.......2004-10-26
I've never been a fan of Madonna's music, but have admired her willingness to constantly re-invent herself. This new art book shows how others in the art world have viewed Madonna throughout her career. There are sketches, water colors, oils, and works from many other mediums with the artist's unique view on who (or in some cases, what) Madonna is.
If you love art, or love Madonna, this is the book for you. And it makes a perfect gift as well!
Average customer rating:
- Dad? Dad! You don't give me the attention I need!
- Title didn't lie
- A unique and memorable book
- I'm lovin' it!
- Madonna: SEX
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Sex - Madonna
Madonna
Manufacturer: Ediciones B
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Customer Reviews:
Dad? Dad! You don't give me the attention I need!.......2007-07-08
This is 2007. I give this book two-stars for those of you interested in pop icons and photography. I'm not too thrilled about purchasing anything by Madonna brand-new, and generally won't. She is lucky to have a large venue of professionals behind her to make her look good. At the time the book was published, many local artists who are photographers, dancers, writers, performers, etc., here in Seattle said Madonna was ripping off their (underground) culture. It's a fine product, simply because you have celebrities and a great photographer. But Madonna was tossing around for attention and in state of desperation when the book was executed. The binding simulates a popular, personal style of the S&M crowd at the time... Which would be to document one's activities and bind it in steel, usually, with a lock and key. (BTW: the binding is notorious for FALLING APART. Smile! So watch what you're doing with it...) I think Madonna was exploring her bisexuality, not too long after a big falling-out with Sandra Bernard. Both were obsessed with getting photo'd in the nude before they got "too old" and their boobs drooped.
The Erotica album is one of her best, however this project didn't go over well in the general media. And other than being jacked-up about getting old, Madonna could never truly speak to WHY she did it. She used a cop-out excuse that she was playing a character. Well, she's a cute woman and photographs well, but she could never act. With her Erotica video, she was shown power-tripping and whipping a bunch of gay-boys on leashes, pretty much the same thing she does in the Confessions tour (sans the the tooth-bling).
Since her main concern came across as being one of aging, the critics jumped on that and queried - will she still be exploiting her music with sex when she's in her 40's and 50's? Isn't this unseemly for an adult? (She gives her daughter much to look forward to.) Well, I think her father threatened to disown her, possibly. (He was also not too thrilled with the out-of-wedlock births of her children. Or the chasing around of Dennis Rodman. But ya know, Madonna put him into retirement with a nice vineyard, so how can the old man complain?)
Madonna overcompensates for all this with her constant yapping about the "truth" and spirituality. But she only seems to be acutely aware of her own truth, which is actually repressed and loaded-down with lots of denial in order to continue do her "work". She does not come across as being the most emotionally available person. Again, so much for the acting! I don't feel she has the authority to discuss spiritual truth until she gets real about her own, relative truths and issues. Sad, because we know money is more important. Probably, this book is the closest representation of who Madonna is: a Catholic who hates being one. With her mentality, nothing comes easily; therefore it must be worked for and slaved for in the form of "sacrifice" and "suffering". (Hmm... What's inside your wallet?) But I think the message comes through loud and clear in this project. Madonna lives in what I would call the man-trap. Her message continues to be redundant. Is it just me, or does it seem that the men in her life simply don't respect her? Think of monetary pay-offs to hang-in there with her. She must also hate and deeply resent what she's creating, if she is so compelled to compete with men like her husband, Ritchie-Rich, and direct. I bet he thinks that's cute! "Bottom" line? Madonna does not do anything (including kiss Britney Spears) unless it's in self-interest. She continues to see others as an extension of herself. She has NOT changed!! And that's the confession. She's a fun and excellent live performer, not worth the bucks she wants you to lay out.
Title didn't lie.......2007-05-28
ok i have mixed feelings about this. I was wondering what's the hype about this book, and now I've read it, I still don't quite understand why people are giving too much hype over a bindful of Madonna in erotica poses? It's not even porn. I guess Madonna's point when she thought about this book flew over most of people's head. From what I see, she's telling how women are mostly associated with sex. how they are subjected. There's a topic somewhere and I doubt she was piling this just for people to yell banned for.
Oh, I applaude Madonna for having the guts this book together cause I am sure she expected what came after, the mostly bad response of the public. I guess the title really covers what's the whole book is about. I must say it's a good art form.
Overall, if you're pretty much close-minded and not quite into graphical erotica, I say you should stay away from this book.
A unique and memorable book.......2007-02-19
I bought and read this book, back in 1992. My girlfriend was really surprised and she said that she's been discussing this book with her friends, but nobody actually owned it.
The book is amazing, both outside and inside. Outside, it has a shiny wrapping and a hard alumium cover. I have never seen a book with such a cover.
It had a CD too, with the song "Erotic, erotic, put your hands all over my body".
It describes Madonna's life, from her early sexual experiences, to where she is today. It has pictures of Madonna nude, and it explains some of her views on sex.
She thinks that if you are a guy with lots of money, you can have a pretty girlfriend, even if you are not handsome.
It is a remarkable book and it will impress all of your friends to whom you show it.
So, don't hesitate, buy it. I did.
I'm lovin' it!.......2006-07-01
This is Madonna's 1992 book, and it's filled with provocative and surprising photos. It's in high demand, selling for steep prices all over the internet. It just goes to show that Madonna is still on top of her game as an artist, and she's also a beautiful model, too! Buy now while they last.
Madonna: SEX.......2006-06-04
In 1990, Madonna had, or so we thought, gone to the extreme in her sexual nature by releasing the music video for her 1990 hit single, "Justify My Love". We had all thought that Madonna had gone too far in her sexual escapades, not that I objected to it, because I did not disagree with it. From 1983 to 1990, we had all thought that she had done things that no woman, not even Cher, would even dare do. But man, were we naive or what? Because in 1992, just before the release of her EROTICA album, Madonna released her metal-spiral bound book entitled, SEX. I searched a long time for this book, and my copy, from an ebay buyer, finally arrived. After I looked through this book, I simply said to myself, "[...]" What she did from 1983 to 1990 was nothing compared to what is bound in this book.
This book covers every sexual fantasy that one might have. It goes into detail of how Madonna enjoys looking at her private area, about how Madonna fantiszied about lesbianism, and much more that is too explicit to even mention in this review. I will mention that there are a numerous amount of celebrities that make it into this book, including Tony Ward, Isabella Rossalini, Vanilla Ice, Naomi Campbell, Big Daddy Kane, Udo Kier, and much more. If you are not a Madonna fan, then this book is not for you and it is not for you to post a review on here. If you are a Madonna fan that has children running around the house, then you'll be wise enough to keep this book out of their reach. But if you are a Madonna fan, or as big of a fan as I am, then you'll be wise to purchase this book if you have not done so when it released so many years ago.
Average customer rating:
- A book of art
- Pseudo-arty-farty Crap!
- Fascinating Failure
- Dita the mistress of fetish!
- The best book i've seen that was published in the 90's
|
Sex
Madonna
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0446517321 |
Customer Reviews:
A book of art.......2007-08-28
Why was Madonna's 1992 book so shocking? Because this is the first time an A-list star published sexually explicit photographs of herself.
This book isn't just naked pictures. It's much more than that. Madonna gets out all of her sexual frustration in this photographic book. It also includes letters and poems by Madonna's alter ego, Dita. And a comic book with a special edition CD, "Erotic" (a takeoff of Madonna's single "Erotica" which was released simultaneously.)
Everyone thought that Madonna really lived like one big whore in her private life; which could not be further from the truth. Both Warner Bros. and Madonna were only too glad to perpetrate this lie.
Pseudo-arty-farty Crap!.......2006-03-05
The only value this pseudo-arty-farty book possesses lies in the name of its author, namely, Madonna [the queen of mass market endeavors]. Yes, this is a wonderful collector's item, if you're a fan, and you want to see Madonna in all her 'staged glory', however, this books adds nothing to the genre of erotica. I would have to agree with another reviewer who said it was "an over-priced picture book of amateur erotica" because at the end of the day it's only the price that truly blows you away!
Fascinating Failure.......2004-12-06
When this book came out in 1992, I was surprised how stark the book was and what a dark tone it took on. This was not a fun, erotic book but a rather somber look at sex and relationships. Back then I was turned off and thought Madonna had made a mistake. By all accoounts, it probably was as Madonna's image suffered and her status as 'pioneer' came to an end. It just wasn't as cool to like Madonna anymore. From 1992 to 1995, Madonna could no right in the public's mind, and although songs like 'Secret' and 'Take a Bow' were major hits and proved Madonna was still a musical force to be reckoned with, 'Sex' was the turning point in Madonna's career as cultural icon.
Now 12 years later, 'Sex' actually does carry some merit. It's still amateurish, particularly the packaging (what were they thinking with the binding??) and some of the phots (ie. with the skinhead lesbians and Naomi Campbell, Big Daddy Kane and Vanilla Ice) are pointless and silly, but some of the text is quite sexy, and Madonna explores some provocative themes such as S/M, power dynamics in relationships and bisexuality and homosexuality that are both sexy, insightful and funny.
I think Camille Paglia said it best in her 1992 review in 'Us' Magazine that the best photos in the book were the ones of Madonna on her own. I agree. The pictures of Madonna playing sexy housewife, hitchhiking nude, hand gliding nude and eating pizza in the nude are both voyeuristic and exciting, as Madonna plays out these roles with the sense of humor and fun that we've come to expect. The rest of the book is quite dark and yet you have to admire Madonna for showing the negative side of sex rather than just flashing her body for a quick buck. She actually makes an attempt to be intellectual about sex and pornography.
'Sex' is interesting reading and viewing. It is a fascinating failure. I think Madonna should have gone the route of playing characters rather than interacting with others and she should have concentrated more on the text. She could have also used a more original title.
As for the Christian reviewer who says that Madonna 'regrets' the book. I don't remember Madonna saying she regrets it but she wishes she had presented it in a different way. Deep down, I think she regrets it from a career standpoint but she should be proud of the things that she presented in this book. Her comments at the beginning of the book where she distinguishes fantasies from the dangers of AIDS are pointed and she also poignantly remarks that there is nothing better than sex with love.
In this book, it's almost like Madonna is searching for that love, and this book admirably points out the loneliness and unfulfillment that even sex brings.
Dita the mistress of fetish!.......2004-06-28
Creatively thought out and daring concept, the book is more along the lines of fetish and erotica. Maybe this was the inspiration for much of the current fetish/erotica/BDSM scene?
to be read with an open mind and appreciation for fetish.
The best book i've seen that was published in the 90's.......2004-02-12
I've never been a huge madonna fan but i did like listen to her music sometimes. And i figured this book might be a good investment so i bought it and i now have decided to start collectig madonna stuff. I think this is an exelint book and a must for the collection of any madonna fan.
Book Description
From bestselling author Madonna comes two stories about the English Roses, five best friends who do everything together. With the help of a little magic fairy dust and a quirky, lovable teacher, the English Roses learn that the bond of female friendship is unbreakable!
Each of these luxuriously boxed and limited editions are numbered and are available exclusively on Amazon.com. Each includes:
- A letter from Madonna, personally autographed
- A giclée digital print on fine-milled paper, signed by Stacy Peterson, the illustrator of The English Roses: Too Good To Be True
- First edition hardcovers of The English Roses and The English Roses: Too Good To Be True
Customer Reviews:
Madonna's lousy signature.......2007-09-28
I've been a Madonna fan for over 20 years and I was never so diappointed in the signature than was included in this book. Give me a break. Thank goodness I waited until they were $30. My husband bought me a copy at the original price last Christmas and when I found out the signatures were awful, I was so disappointed.
It seems Madonna's perfectionism is starting to crumble, or she just didn't give a flying fudge about it--that's what it looks like to me anyway. So disappointing in the signature and in Madonna!
Madonna: YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN SOME SCRAWLING SIGNATURE!
I doubt these last five in stock will sell at the original price. It's really not worth it, unless you are a die-hard Madonna fan and have to have it.
Worth it.......2007-09-04
This is very well put together. The package is very nice but, of course, the most interesting part of it is the "signed" letter from Madonna. This might be the only way for any fan to get a real Madonna's signature. Yes the signature is rushed and the author could and should have paid more attention to it, simply out of respect for her fans. I paid 30 $ for it and it is really worth it's price...it's not worth 150 dollars though.
nice package.......2007-08-31
I already had both books but this box with Madonna's personal letter and autograph and the litho for only 30US$ instead of 150 US$ was just to good to let go.
nice collectors item
The English Roses.......2007-08-26
the bok was well packaged, the autograph of Madonna sucked, it was a mess no wonder she could not sell that book for $150.00. Amazon did a great job getting rid of them.
It is what it is!!.......2007-08-04
Just as previous reviewers stated, it's a Madonna autograph. Not a great autograph but at $30.00 it's worth it.
Book Description
Beautiful and enlightening, these classical mandalas include rose window designs from the cathedrals of Europe, Navajo sand paintings, Hindu yantras, traditional Buddhist thangka scroll designs, and motifs from illuminated Celtic manuscripts. As a symbol of the spiritual journey, the mandala expresses our yearning for the sacred and for knowledge and experience of the infinite. By coloring mandalas, we become focused on their complex symmetry and come to contemplate the divinity at our own center. With detailed directions on coloring techniques — either on the page or the computer screen—as well as charts explaining Chinese and Hindu color symbolism, this collection offers an irresistible invitation to a rewarding creative activity which is also a rich meditative experience.
Customer Reviews:
Nice but . . ........2007-09-30
This book has nice designs--and lots of them. Also, there's one design per page; they're NOT printed back-to-back like all of the Dover Coloring Books--I mostly use markers to color and they bleed through the page onto the next design if back-to-back rendering the next design unusable. However, this book is hard-bound, not spiral bound like Susanne Fincher's wonderful 3 volumes. I like to fold the book back on itself so I can color--and you can't do that with this one.
World Mandalas: Cultural captions and more.......2007-01-22
Very inspiring book. Mandalas from different cultures allow for an insight to the core of these cultures and for the establishment of a relationship between symbols and archetypes. And of course there is always ample room for creative ventures through coloring.
100 Mandalas From Five Spiritual Traditions.......2006-09-06
"Mandalas symbolize the presence of the sacred in the realm of the mundane. Mathematicians tell us that the point at the centre of a circle is dimensionless. This `essence' is contained within a limited space bounded by a circumference. Thus, by its very nature, the mandala is a symbol of the boundless and the eternal at the heart of circumscribed everyday reality." - From the book
From the Pantheon in Rome to Chartres Cathedral in France, from the exquisite images painted by the 11th century Benedictine abbess Hildegard of Bingen to Hindu yantras, sacred circles appear in architecture, art, and even nature itself. Mandalas, a word derived from the Sanskrit word meaning "circle" or "sacred center", are universal patterns that serve as symbols of wholeness, well being, time, community, nature, and the spiritual journey.
According to author Madonna Gauding, by contemplating the mandala, we discover the divinity at our own center. In her book World Mandalas: 100 New Designs for Colouring and Meditation, Gauding explains the role of mandalas in five traditions: Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Celtic, and Native American. The first part of the book, illustrated with vibrant, full-color images, introduces readers to the various expressions of mandalas, including how they serve as powerful spiritual and psychological symbols. Gauding also describes the many meanings of color as viewed by Chinese medicine, traditional associations, and the Hindu chakra system.
Why color mandalas? Besides being an enjoyable pastime, the author expresses that coloring intricate designs demand mental focus akin to the concentration you can develop through meditation. This focus can allow unconscious thoughts and feelings to emerge, as well as flashes of inspiration and solutions to problems. The author provides ten ways to use coloring mandalas:
1. Relax and center for stress relief
2. Establish your true self
3. Feel integrated and whole
4. Face up to problems
5. Problem solve
6. Generate creativity
7. Learn from color choices
8. Share your best self
9. Find your spiritual path
10. Heal yourself
For example, if you feel overwhelmed by the many roles you play, you could color a mandala to feel integrated and whole. Gauding suggests choosing a mandala with a complex design, then write down a list of the many roles you play in life. Then list both positive and negative qualities associated with those roles. Begin coloring the mandala, using as many shades and techniques as you can. After completing the design, take a moment to reflect on these roles and qualities. Do you feel more accepting and loving of who you are? she asks.
World Mandalas provides 100 blank mandalas from five spiritual traditions for coloring and meditation. They are large and easily reproducible using a scanner or photocopier. The mandalas are one-sided, so you don't have to worry about color bleeding through if you use markers or paints. (Although I'd recommend putting paper between pages, just in case.)
I have carpal tunnel syndrome in my writing hand, so coloring mandalas can be quite painful. However, I enjoyed coloring one of the Hindu mandalas with watercolor pencils, which depicted "the five ingredients for Tantric practices". I found all of the mandalas to be quite beautiful; I could feel a sense of peace just looking at them in an uncolored state! I wish I didn't have CTS so I could color mandalas as I used to; I find the process very calming and centering. It is, indeed, akin to meditation. I own several mandala coloring books, and I believe World Mandalas by Madonna Gauding has the most contemplative, attractive mandalas of them all. Highly recommended!
One of the Best.......2006-07-29
I just love this coloring book! I have Multiple Slerosis and Fibromyalgia and several other syndromes and disabled. Coloring mandalas is a great relaxation and spiritual tool. In this particular book (I have dozens), the mandalas are printed on nice paper for markers and are big. Not as challenging as some of my other mandala/spiritual/ethnic coloring books as it has the larger pictures instead of pictures with a lot on tiny details. So I use the larger pictures for when I am in relapse and shakey. It is a really great (thick)book and the price was excellent! I LOVE IT! Coloring is not just for little kids, kids over 50 love it too!
Book Description
In a masterful evocation of Italian Harlem and the men and women who lived there, Robert Orsi examines how the annual festa of the Madonna of 115th Street both influenced and reflected the lives of the celebrants. His prize-winning book offers a new perspective on lived religion, the place of religion in the everyday lives of men, women, and children, the experiences of immigration and community formation, and American Catholicism. This edition includes a new introduction by the author that outlines both the changes that Italian Harlem has undergone in recent years and significant shifts in the field of religious history. Awarded the Alpha Sigma Nu National Book Prize (sponsored by Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States) for outstanding book in the humanities. Winner of the 1986 American Catholic Historical Association's John Gilmary Shea Prize.
Customer Reviews:
THE THEOLOGY OF THE STREETS.......2003-11-15
Robert Orsi's Madonna of 115th Street is a brilliant multi-dimensional research on the meaning of "popular religion" in the Italian community of Harlem in New York. However, to be just, Orsi himself is rather cautious about labeling his study by the term "popular". It is "religion in the streets," Orsi says, that is in the center of his examination: "This study began in a sense of the limitations of the meaning of popular religion and a desire to broaden and deepen our understanding of this phenomenon" (Orsi, 1985:xiv). Robert Orsi raises pertinent and engaging questions regarding the melding of ethnicity, religion, and community values which have implications beyond the scope of the present work.
The study of Italian American religion begins with the people themselves as a story of suffering, conflict, and hope intimately related to Mary. The men and women of Italian Harlem, the Sicilian refugees brought to the United States along with their modest material goods their incredibly rich religiosity and devotion to the Marian cult. The latter, unlike in the case of Polish Catholics (Orsi, 1985:xvi), was hardly controlled by the Church structures. This unique feature of the Southern Italian Catholicism defined people's religion as the totality of their ultimate values, their most deeply held ethical convictions, their efforts to order their reality, their cosmology: "This also could be called their "ground of being", but only if this is understood in a very concrete, social-historical way, not as reality beyond their lives, but as the reason that, consciously and unconsciously, structured and was expressed in their actions and reflections" (Orsi, 1985:xvii). Orsi's analysis resembles Durkheim's research on The Elementary Forms of Religious Life who believes that religion is "a fundamental and permanent aspect of humanity". The reality of religious forces is to be found in the real experience of social life, according to Durkheim (Durkheim, 1995:36). Interestingly enough, in the same way as Durkheim finds the birth of that idea in rites, as moments of collective effervescence, Orsi finds the annual festa of the Madonna of Mount Carmel in the 115th Street in the heart of the socio-religious dynamics of the Italian Harlem.
Symbol, ritual, and myth - the entire experience of Mount Carmel emerged from and referred back to the people's lives; the men and women of Italian Harlem shared and found themselves in the destiny of symbolic meanings when they attended the festa of the Madonna of 115th Street. In turn, their experience of the Madonna shaped their American destiny.
The Madonna: A Vivid and Complex Examination of the Festival.......2003-07-04
In this lucid and eloquently written book, Orsi places the Madonna of 115th Street into the full context of the Italian Harlem community. I found the most interesting part of this extrememly insightful book to be Orsi's examination of the Italian-American domus, and how the complexities of the domus are played out in the festival itself. The book is a brilliant examination of the role of women in Italian Harlem; Orsi shows how the Madonna embodies both the power and restrictions of Italian-American women in this time. Orsi also effectively demonstrates how the Italian immigrants, with their annual festival, carved out an identity "niche" for themselves, apart from but no less legitimate than other immigrant groups and other, more church-oriented forms of Catholicism. For the Italian immigrants, the festival provided both an essential link to Italy and a way to define their particular community. This book is easily accessible to scholars, students, and the general public, and includes many interviews so the reader gets a vivid sense of the period and the people of Italian Harlem. Highly recommended.
Best Depiction of Italian-American Life I Have Ever Read!!.......2002-08-01
Great book! Covers not only the Catholicism of Italian Americans, but also a great deal about their home and family lives. Neither PC nor arrogant, this book depicts the Italian American world better than anything I have read! I kept nodding in agreement and underlining passages while reading. Forget the movie stereotypes and sentimental recollections; this is the real thing. It helped me understand my own culture a great deal.
The only letdown was the part about a "Theology of the Streets." That section struck me as a tad unrealistic.
How religion plays out in the everyday lives and experiences.......2002-05-06
In The Madonna Of 115th Street, Robert A. Orsi (Charles Warren Professor of American Religious History, Harvard University) offers a seminal and ground breaking study of faith and community in New York City's Italian Harlem. The focus of this treatise is the annual Catholic festival called "Madonna of 115th Street" and how it has both influenced and reflects the lives of the men and women of the neighborhood. The Madonna Of 115th Street reveals a compelling perspective on how religion plays out in the everyday lives and experiences of American Catholics and the formation of a distinctive immigrant community. This Yale "Nota Bene" paperback edition is highly recommended reading and enhanced with a new introduction by Orsi outlining the changes that Italian Harlem has undergone in recent years and the significant shifts that have occurred in the field of American religious history.
Reflective and penetrating.......2002-01-21
This book helped me think in new ways about the place of tradition and authority in the contemporary world. Orsi's reconstruction of the mental and social schemata of the Italian community in East Harlem is a fascinating, compelling story. His research is impressive and his interpretation persuasive. Three cheers for Orsi's "theology of the streets."
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Books Index
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