Book Description
The vocal talents of two of the world's most gifted artists combine in service to the most popular book of all time, resulting in the Complete Audio Holy Bible on compact disc. Exalt in the Word, as every syllable of the King James Old and New Testaments are brought to life, providing hours of inspirational listening.
- Jon Sherberg reads the entire Old Testament (KJV). Having worked with everyone from gospel singer Scott Wesley Brown to Oscar® winner Sir Ben Kingsley, Jon Sherberg brings his rich theatrical background to the forefront, with this masterful recitation of all 39 of the books of the Old Testament.
- Oscar®-nominated, Emmy- and Tony Award-winning actor James Earl Jones lends his celebrated vocal talents to this distinctive reading of the complete, unabridged text of the New Testament.
Customer Reviews:
Listening to the Scriptures.......2007-10-01
I purchased these cds for my mother, since she is now unable to read the Bible. They are bringing great joy to her.
Bible on CD.......2007-09-24
It was a gift for someone, and he enjoyed it. It gets no better than James Earl Jones, afterall.
Bible on CD.......2007-08-09
I am a full-time college student and I am left with no brain energy to read or study the bible after classes and studying. I enjoy listening to the Bible during my commute. I am listening to each CD twice as suggested by another Amazon customer and I really feel I am getting great context through listening. These CD's have been a blessing to my busy life
Not perfect, but excellent!.......2007-08-01
I am totally enthralled with this CD set of the Holy Bible. I like the reader of the Old Testament better than the New Testament, but I like the idea that there are two different voices. I have found a couple of glitches, like where the end of a chapter gets cut off abruptly and then the next chapter begins. This however was not enough in my opinion to give less than the best grade.
It totally amazes me how much I understand just listening to the CDs. I thought I was going to listen while I read and this would keep me "on track," so to speak, but I find I enjoy just listening, and this way I rest my eyes, and also get great comprehension. I personally don't find I get much comprehension while driving, but others have commented to the opposite, and I can't disprove what they say, it's just this isn't an application that works for me.
If any producers of Bibles on CD are reading, I would like to give my "suggestions" for improvement. I would like no CD to start or end in the middle of a chapter. My utmost preference would be for each Bible book to be on its own CD, I realize that some of smaller books would have to be combined onto a single CD, and I also realize my "suggestion" would mean the CDs weren't all of equal time length, that's just the way I would like it! I also think I would enjoy a variety of voices in the complete set, perhaps a female voice, even a youth's or child's voice (but of course with clear pronunciation and soothing tonal quality.
All in all, I think this is a great CD set. I would recommend it highly as a gift for anyone who loves the Bible. The carrying case is also great, I didn't expect that and it's beautiful and useful and and "serendipity."
A GREAT GIFT.......2007-07-30
THIS IS A GREAT GIFT FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS DIFFICULTY READING,SEEING, ETC. OR FOR THE PERSON WHO WANTS TO LISTEN AND MEDITATE ON THE WORD.
JOSHUA 1:8
Product Description
In a voice as rich as it is recognized James Earl Jones lends his narrative talents to the King James Version of the New Testament. In over 19 hours on 16 digitally re-mastered compact discs enhanced with a complete musical score James Earl Jones Reads the Bible interprets the most enduring book of our time utilizing the acclaimed actor's superb storytelling and skilled characterizations. Hailed as the greatest spoken word Bible version ever and with almost half a million copies sold this exquisite audio treasury is certain to enthuse and inspire.Format: AUDIO BOOK Genre: ENTERTAINMENT / SOFTWARE UPC: 781735401392 Manufacturer No: CA-139
Customer Reviews:
A Godsend.......2007-08-27
James Earl Jones is the voice you want to hear when you hear the Word of God. I listen to it when I go to sleep and throughout the day. My 11 month old son enjoys it at bedtime. I pray Mr. Jones records the Old Testament as well. A great gift for any believer!!
Is that you Earl?.......2007-06-18
I was a bit disappointed because Jones reads this great book as enthusiastic as criminal would walk to the gallows. I expected to hear his voice boom with enthusiasm as he narrates the bible. Not today!!
A Bessing To Hear!.......2007-04-01
Mr. Jones has a very distinctive voice. To hear God's word read with the soothing music and Mr. Jone's tone, is worth every penny you spend. It is wonderful to be able to hear God's word as I travel to and from work. Because truely in this day and time every spare moment we have, needs to be in the Lord's precious word, this is where we get our foundation to stand strong for Jesus. So yes, this pack of cds of The Holy Bible (New and Old Testament. King James Version) which is read by Mr Jones truly are a blessing.
Awsome Product.......2007-03-24
I enjoy this bible on cd very much. James Earl Jones has a way of reading the bible that captures your attention. I would recommend this version to anybody.
James Earl Jones Reads the Bible.......2007-03-16
Excellent reading - very understandable - background music relaxing
Customer Reviews:
Who would of guessed?.......2006-11-14
Who would have ever guessed that dental disease could have such a signifigant part in so many illnesses? For far to long denistry and the rest of medicine have been totally seperate fields. What is going on in your mouth is seen as having little relavance to the disease conditions going on the in the rest of the body. For to long dental school training has focused on saving your teeth at any cost.
"The Roots of Disease: Connecting Denistry and Medicine" was written by two men. One of these men is a dentist and the other a cadiologist. For over a decade these two health care professionals have witnessed that the removal and complete healing of infected dental sites can often result in the total healing (or at least vast improvement) of other diseases in the body.
Have you ever been told that root canals harbor bacteria that infect the rest of your body causing diseae? That this is also true of sites where wisdom teeth have been improperly removed? I wasn't able to regain my health until my dental issues were dealt with. I no longer have a stressed out immune system and the constant candida albicans that this reulted in.
This well written, thorough look at the health problems affeted by oral infection is a must read for anyone interested in obtaining optimal health.
Dentistry's whiz kids write again.......2006-05-20
Tom Levy graduated from Johns Hopkins University, studied and taught medicine at Tulane, and then, to paraphrase his words, actually began to think about what he was doing.
This book, written together with Dr. Kulacz, a former instructor at NYU, is his critique of dentistry. When I brought it to the attention of my dentist, a great dentist in his own right, he was very grateful for the ideas in it, and agreed that Levy and Kulacz's contention that painkillers that contain noradrenalin retard wound healing, and that you have to manually curette (scrape) out the mess under bad root canals made absolute sense. Using a drill produces sufficient heat to kill more bone.)
Anyone with an inordinate interest in critiques of dental science - small crowd that we may be - does well to purchase this book.
Thank God for this book!.......2005-07-21
Thank God for this book and Dr.Kulacz! A M.D. from the Cleveland Clinic told me about Dr.Kulacz and this book. When reading this book about some of the other patients I thought I was reading about myself. This book is as truthful as it gets about root canals , dental materials and proper procedures about extractions. This book is a must read for the people that suspect that their teeth may be one of the culprits to their health issues. Of course after reading this book I would think most sensible people would not take drastic action as to extract their own teeth ,as one person posted. I would love to stand outside of every dentist office and pass out this book to patients that are about to get a root canal. This book opens your eyes to the other side of root canals that your dentist will not tell you before the procedure. By the way your natural teeth are not better if they are giving you pain and lowering your immune system. You must read this book if you are searching for the truth about your teeth problems. Dr.Kulacz has integrity and morals which is what you would expect from any doctor. If I could I would rate this book higher than a five.
Vital information for your health.......2004-11-12
I have not only read this book, but have also been a patient of Dr. Kulacz. Unfortunately, many detractors choose wishful thinking over verifiable, scientific fact. They pay for their ongoing denial with health troubles. Nobody wants to lose any teeth, but if the alternative is long term devastating health problems, the loss of a tooth is a small price to pay. I was in this category with both root canals and the related dental infections and they badly affected my health. Once removed I felt noticeably better. To further prove the case, the extracted tooth was sent to a lab for testing and the results confirmed serious infection. Study the subject and look at the evidnce and you will agree with me. Read all the related books as the evidence is overwhelming. Find one of the very few dentists around the country experienced in this protocol. PS, Most dentists know virtually nothing about any of this. It is therefore your health and your responsibility.
Provacative and inflammatory.......2004-05-07
It seems that after reading this book one would be inclined to take drastic action, like extracting thier OWN valuable teeth. Teeth need root canal treatment beacause they are infected in the first place. Most of the time, the infection is totally removed (85-95%). Yes there are instances where this infection is resolved, in which case extraction may be needed. Yes after extraction there may be bacteria left behind so what then....extract your whole jaw???? (did some one forget to mention that we have an immune system that has been dealing with bacteria, fungi and viruses for long before dentistry was around). Okay so our jaw is removed and some of the naturally occuring bacteris on our skin (yes our skin is not sterile) gets into the wound. Then what, ask for a decapitation? This seems to be the line of though given by the aurthor/s and it is totaly irrational.
Example 2. You get a scratch on your arm and yes bacteria get in, the skin heals over and traps the bacteria....what would the aurthor suggest...an amputation of your arm? Or doest he think he can pluck out microscopic bacteria (that are too small for see) with tweezers. Non-sense.
Our body parts are valuable, we have an immune system that fights bacteria and heals wounds/infections. We have marvelous doctors and dentists that can help the body beat these problems..so we can keep our body parts. Natural teeth are better that articfical anything.
Book Description
With a voice as rich as it is recognized, James Earl Jones brings the King James Version of the New Testament alive with his narrative talents. Oscar®-nominated, Emmy- and Tony Award-winning actor James Earl Jones has earned a worldwide reputation as one of the world's most versatile actors and voiceover artists. In over 19 hours on 14 digitally re-mastered compact discs, James Earl Jones Reads the Bible interprets the most enduring book of our time utilizing the acclaimed actor's superb storytelling and skilled characterizations. James Earl Jones, who includes in his credits The Lion King, Patriot Games and Star Wars, has provided what is hailed as the greatest spoken-word Bible version ever. With over 400,000 copies sold, this exquisite audio treasure is certain to entertain and inspire.
Complete New Testament (King James Version)
- Digitally Re-mastered
- Bonus! 12 classic hymns recorded by the Nashville Faith - Choir and Friends
- International Bestseller with over 400,000 units sold!
Bonus
Old Time Gospel Hymns sung by the acclaimed Nashville Faith Choir and Friends is a collection of 12 classic hymns including Victory In Jesus, The Old Rugged Cross, and the ever popular Amazing Grace.
Customer Reviews:
Great voice, great narration, but............2006-12-31
Mr. Jones has just the right touch, and tone for this beautiful project. I have but one problem with this production. Where is the Old Testament? Otherwise I would have given this production 5 stars.
Awesome reading by James Earl Jones.......2006-11-10
Great for companionship while driving or otherwise, Gives you the word and read by a master. My only issue was I wasn't aware it did not include the Old Testament and there was no indication of this prior to purchase.
Customer Reviews:
James Earl Jones Voice is Key.......2006-01-30
This is an excellent way to listen to scripture especially while driving. Fast delivery. Thanks.
James Earl Jones should stick with Darth Vader........2006-01-12
I was excited to get this CD set, since I know James Earl Jones has a great set of pipes, and I have listened so much to Alexander Scourby's reading of the Bible that I was ready for a new reading. I was disappointed the first time I listened. Jones does not use inflection while he reads; the result is that the words sound lifeless. As a Christian believer, that abhors me.
But more than his lifeless reading, I am apalled at Jones' changing of the text. He is reading the King James Version, but he changes the words at will. For example, the text will read "Christ Jesus" and Jones will read "Jesus Christ." I counted 21 errors in his reading of the Book of Ephesians alone. If you believe, as I do, in the divine inspiration of the Word of God, you will not be able to stand how Jones imposes his own changes to the text without any textual or scriptural justification. Jones should stick with Darth Vader.
Disappointing.......2005-12-17
The guy has a voice like no one else, but the original King James version language (all the "unto's" and "ye's" and "thou's"). - lame backround music - and a whispery, momontone reading (if you can imagine James Earl Jones doing that) - makes this far inferior to Johnny Cash's reading of the New Testament.
Johnny Cash proclaims the Word of God beautifully and simply. If you're not much of a believer, it just is done well and straight forward.
The New King James Version in Cash's reading is more modern English (Easier on the ears.) But this is still majestic langauge. Also, no accompanying organ music. Just him reading slowly and with understanding.
If you are going to buy one - get Johnny Cash reading the New Testament.
Fans of James Earl Jones, or Star Wars' Darth Vader, Should Be Pleased!.......2005-10-06
I love this reading of the King James Version's New Testament! I only wish he had done the Old Testament as well! He is still alive, so maybe they will do that someday (hint, hint)?
James Earl Jones has a great, classy voice for this type of reverent material. He makes the sometimes difficult King James Version easier to follow, during his reading.
This James Earl Jones set has some quiet music playing in the background, so that is my biggest criticism. The music is more like MUZAK, which has nothing to do with the Bible scenes being read. Distracting, but it also fades away from notice eventually.
If you know any Star Wars fans, then this is a perfect way to get them introduced to Bible material, since James Earl Jones is the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars films.
I love these celebrity readings of the Bible. Another great celebrity Bible reading is Johnny Cash's attempt, so check that out, too! These type of celebrity readings are great for fans of the celebrity, but if you are wanting a great Bible reading on CD, then I would suggest a dramatized version of the New International Version (NIV) from the Zondervan company.
I also really enjoy THE MESSAGE!, a contemporary paraphrase, not a translation of the Bible, which is very engrossing, but sometimes strays too far from the actual scripture verses. All of these Bible CDs are imperfect, but it's fun to hear and get exposed to the differences, as long as they make a serious attempt to be faithful and accurate to the Scriptures.
If you are considering buying this James Earl Jones set, then you probably have enough interest to enjoy owning and listening to this. I love this CD set! Even though it's not perfect, it is still very enjoyable and inspirational. I highly recommend it!
Beautifully soothing..........2004-11-19
Monotone? I loved listening to Mr. Jones' voice, and I would tend to listen all the way through and even understand it better than when I read it myself....and as for mispronouncing words, I have no doubt that there was training and practicing of unfamiliar words ahead of time, so any "mispronunciations" were just a matter of choice by the speaker, his OWN variation of some words which is very often allowable in our English language. I have always found his brand of accent/dialect very appealing, so yes, I was very happy to start listening to these CDs performed by an actor I've always admired. To each his own though, I guess......
Average customer rating:
|
James Earl Jones Reads the Bible: New Testament - King James Version
Manufacturer: Countertop
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
 Bible
| Religion & Spirituality
| Books on Cassette
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
Bibles
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
| Formats
| Greek
| New Testament
| Other
| Specific Types
| Translations
Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: B000MC1AMS |
Product Description
16 audio cassettes, over 19 hours. Digitally re-mastered.
Amazon.com
Virginia Hamilton, Newbery Medal winner and recipient of the National Book Award and the Hans Christian Andersen Award, teams up with two-time Caldecott Medal winners, Leo and Diane Dillon, in this classic collection of American black folktales, winner of the Coretta Scott King Award. By turns droll, grisly, and spine-tingling, the 24 stories celebrate the indomitable human spirit, surviving under the most crushing circumstances of slavery. Traditionally, storytelling has helped people to push through sorrow and pain, especially when the stories are saturated with magic, mysticism, and fantasy. Bruh Rabbit, He Lion, Tar Baby, and other animals populate many of the stories. In others, John, the traditional trickster hero, outwits the slave owner time after time to win his freedom.
Included with this very special edition is a CD featuring the commanding voices of Hamilton and actor James Earl Jones. Eleven selections, including "The Peculiar Such Thing," "John and the Devil's Daughter," "A Wolf and Little Daughter," and "The People Could Fly," bring to life the rhythm and lyrical energy of Hamilton's text. Leo and Diane Dillon's strikingly beautiful black and white illustrations continue to mesmerize and haunt the reader. (All ages) --Emilie Coulter
Book Description
Newbery Medalist Virginia Hamilton tells 24 stories that kept her ancestors' culture alive during slavery, from spirited animal trickster tales and robust tall tales to spine-chilling tales of the supernatural and moving narratives of slaves in search of freedom. Twelve of these tales are on the 78-minute CD, including the hauntingly beautiful title story, "The People Could Fly." Booklist praised the recording as "an outstanding and most welcome production that both complements and extends the original work."
Customer Reviews:
A wonderful means of saving an art form.......2006-11-19
As a storyteller and folklorist/historian, it saddens me that so few children today know anything about the joys of hearing a good tale from a wise elder. In Black America in particular, generations of children (including my father, thank God) had the wonderful tales of Brer Rabbit, Little 8 John, Raw head & Bloody Bones, Wiley & The Hairy Man, and the People Who Could Fly (title story) told to them as today's children are familiar with Kim Possible and the Proud Family.
I bought this for my beloved niece when she was eight and pretty soon, she began entertaining the children of the neighborhood with these tales just as I did after listening to my dad and I still do during storytelling gigs today.
Virginia Hamilton (RIP) did a masterful work in leaving this beautiful legacy to a generation where it is fast disappearing. She does a good job in interpreting the likes of Wiley the Hairy man, Raw Head and Bloody Bones (the PC crowd occasionally complains about this being too scary for kids as well as Brer Rabbit-let these crybaby fools go ahead with that sickening Barney the Dinosaur and the care bears). The edition that I bought for my neice was before the CD with Miss Hamilton and voicemaster James Earl Jones came out, but I have younger neices and nephews (and hopefully my own children in the future) that I will certainly look out for this for.
Another reason why this collection is in such need is that often, African-American parents (rightfully) complain about the lack of wholesome entertainment for their children in particular. Unfortunately, most parents of today were not exposed to these stories as I was and this often leads to well-intentioned but foolish recent activities such as the NAACP here in Charleston (SC) complaining about the lack of Black Santa Clauses in the local malls. As Miss Hamilton and those of us raised in the folklore tradition know, we have enough good things of our own culture to pass down to children than to worry of the color of Santa Claus.
Buy this, reconnect with your children, and enjoy.
This copy includes a cd of Hamilton & James Earl Jones reading.......2006-03-09
This book is a trifecta:
1. You get to hear the author read her own writing. If you want to hear Virginia Hamilton and James Earl Jones adding their own special lyrical beauty to the reading of these stories, then purchase this version. Considering that Ms. Hamilton died in 2002, this CD is a must have.
I think it is important for children to hear the author reading their own work. So if you can't get to a book reading by the author, this is the next best thing. And you get to hear it over and over again.
2. The illustrations are magical, delicate, and powerful. Every child (but especially black and white) in this nation should hear the stories in this book. Before they know color issues, they should get to know the beauty and dignity of brown skin. To hear the dignity, power, and humanity of their own heritage or that of someone elses, before a world of anger taints them.
3. At the end of each story is a brief history of the story: it's origin, and variations, and other facts that help the story to become more real and personal, especially for a child who wants to know more about their heritage. This will inspire them to ask questions and (if they're older) do research as it cause me to do.
Timeless classic of African American literature.......2005-06-18
I read this book when I was in elementary school and fell in love with it. Virginia Hamilton really captures the essence of West African story telling and transfers that essence into American form. As an educator and historian, the lessons in this book has stayed with me for well over 18 yrs and I suspect the lessons will remain with me forever. I recommend that this book is on the shelves of every African American family.
Excellent! Especially when read aloud........2003-03-19
I read this to my daughter, Rachel, and she really enjoyed it. She smiled throughout the entire book. She loved the animal folktales about Bruh Rabbit, and Bruh Fox. She trembled with delight at the reading of the scary tales. As for her mother, my favorite was the title tale, The People Could Fly. It was magical!
This book is a must have!!.......2002-07-18
I read this book as a child. The lessons that I learned from it have lasted well into my young adult, I am now 23 years old. The illustrations are first rate. This book should be a literary standard for all children books. Anyone with a child needs to have this in their children's personal library.
Average customer rating:
- Stunning and Thought Provoking
- A True Classic
- He Never Had a Chance
- Black and White
- More Interesting As History Than Literature
|
Native Son
Richard Wright
Manufacturer: Caedmon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Books on Cassette
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
Literary Classics
| Literature & Fiction
| Books on Cassette
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
General
| Books on Cassette
| Audiobooks
| Formats
| Books
Wright, Richard
| African American
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Classics
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Literary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Wright, Richard
| ( W )
| Authors, A-Z
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Classics
| Literature & Fiction
| Book Clubs
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Invisible Man
-
Black Boy: (American Hunger) (Perennial Classics)
-
Go Tell It on the Mountain
-
Their Eyes Were Watching God
-
The Great Gatsby
Accessories:
-
Sony WMFX479 Walkman
ASIN: 0898459168
Release Date: 1998-06-23 |
Amazon.com
Bigger Thomas is doomed, trapped in a downward spiral that will lead to arrest, prison, or death, driven by despair, frustration, poverty, and incomprehension. As a young black man in the Chicago of the '30s, he has no way out of the walls of poverty and racism that surround him, and after he murders a young white woman in a moment of panic, these walls begin to close in. There is no help for him--not from his hapless family; not from liberal do-gooders or from his well-meaning yet naive friend Jan; certainly not from the police, prosecutors, or judges. Bigger is debased, aggressive, dangerous, and a violent criminal. As such, he has no claim upon our compassion or sympathy. And yet...
A more compelling story than Native Son has not been written in the 20th century by an American writer. That is not to say that Richard Wright created a novel free of flaws, but that he wrote the first novel that successfully told the most painful and unvarnished truth about American social and class relations. As Irving Howe asserted in 1963, "The day Native Son appeared, American culture was changed forever. It made impossible a repetition of the old lies [and] brought out into the open, as no one ever had before, the hatred, fear and violence that have crippled and may yet destroy our culture."
Other books had focused on the experience of growing up black in America--including Wright's own highly successful Uncle Tom's Children, a collection of five stories that focused on the victimization of blacks who transgressed the code of racial segregation. But they suffered from what he saw as a kind of lyrical idealism, setting up sympathetic black characters in oppressive situations and evoking the reader's pity. In Native Son, Wright was aiming at something more. In Bigger, he created a character so damaged by racism and poverty, with dreams so perverted, and with human sensibilities so eroded, that he has no claim on the reader's compassion:
"I didn't want to kill," Bigger shouted. "But what I killed for, I am! It must've been pretty deep in me to make me kill! I must have felt it awful hard to murder.... What I killed for must've been good!" Bigger's voice was full of frenzied anguish. "It must have been good! When a man kills, it's for something... I didn't know I was really alive in this world until I felt things hard enough to kill for 'em. It's the truth..."
Wright's genius was that, in preventing us from feeling pity for Bigger, he forced us to confront the hopelessness, misery, and injustice of the society that gave birth to him. --Andrew Himes
Book Description
Bigger Thomas' violent acts gave him a sense of freedom and identitySet in the 1930's, the portrayal of poverty and feelings of helplessness experienced by people in the inner city is as meaningful today as when it was written.Native Son is the story of Bigger Thomas, a black youth whose tragic life was drawn from Richard Wright's own experiences and memories of the Chicago ghetto. Although segregated, Wright held that the noisy crowded physical aspect of the urban environment, with its stimulating sense of power, fulfillment, and possible achievement brought forth a more obstreperous reaction than in the South. Vivid, unforgettable and heartbreaking, Wright's masterpiece forces us to witness the inhumanity of our society.The power and compassion of James Earl Jones' performance of Native Son sears this classic work into our memories forever.Richard Wright (1908-1960) left Memphis at 19 to live in Chicago where he became a writer. He grew to be considered not only the leading black author in the United States, but also a major heir of the naturalistic tradition. Wright spent his last years in Paris, where he died in 1960. James Earl Jones is one of this country's greatest artistic resources, as his acclaimed performances on stage, screen and television have proved. He has starred in such films as Dr. Strangelove, The Great White Hope, The Man, Cry the Beloved Country, and A Family Thing, and on Broadway in Othello and Fences, for which he won the Tony Award.
Customer Reviews:
Stunning and Thought Provoking.......2007-10-07
It's been a decade since I read this book (I am planning on re-reading it soon, which is what brought me here) and I can still recall the impact this book had on me during the first read. The intersection of two very different lives - the young violent protagonist (?) and the misguided clueless rich girl and the events that follow. The scenes where the girl and her boyfriend are unwittingly patronizing our protagonist, their attempts to let him know he has their unwanted compassion so at odds with the survivor realities of his world so that they are almost (unknowingly) mocking him are just incredibly awkward and telling about our world in general. I can remember groaning out loud as the angry young man makes mistake after mistake, desperation clouding his judgement, yet his actions realistically parallel with real lives one reads about in the newspaper year after year. Excellent book - highly recommended.
A True Classic.......2007-08-27
(In all honesty I didn't actually READ the book. I listened to the unabridged audio version, but since it was the first audiobook I listened to I have no idea about the quality of the production versus other audiobooks. I'm just mentioning that in the interest of full disclosure.)
What separates an old book from a classic book? The classic book has themes and ideas that are relevant and important to readers decades or even centuries after its initial printing. "Native Son" fits this definition because its portrayal of the doomed young black man Bigger Thomas is just as relevant today as it was in 1940.
For the obligatory plot summary, Bigger Thomas is 20 years old and lives in one cramped, rat-infested room on Chicago's South Side with his mother, younger brother, and sister. At this point Bigger is already a petty criminal, sticking up some black businesses with his buddies Gus, Jack, and GH because the police don't care if black kids rob black businessmen. When he's offered a job as chauffeur to the rich white Dalton family, Bigger is reluctant at first, until he sees the Dalton's attractive daughter Mary on a Newsreel. But Mary is no Paris Hilton-style heiress partying her days away. She is involved with a Communist leader named Jan and has Bigger drive her to meet him. Jan and Mary's well-intentioned but heavy handed kindness towards Bigger makes him uncomfortable, more so when they ask him to take them to somewhere to eat on the South Side. This begins a night of drinking that leads to all three getting drunk, Mary most of all. She is so out of it that Bigger has to help her into the house. While standing over her bed, Mary's blind mother enters the room. Bigger panics and accidentally suffocates Mary. After this he panics further by stuffing her into the furnace. Soon enough this deception is found out and Bigger is a fugitive before finally being caught and brought to "justice."
If I were to nitpick I would say there's a little too much interior monologue that at times slows the story down to a crawl. And the speech by Bigger's lawyer goes on much too long so that it seems like his defensive plan is to filibuster. Those are very small and unimportant imperfections.
A quick word here on what this story is not: it is not a story about injustice. Bigger does commit the second-degree murder of Mary Dalton. He compounds this by fleeing, killing an unwitting accomplice, and resisting arrest. The only crime he's accused of he didn't commit was the rape of Mary Dalton--how officials could determine this since her body was burned I have no idea. This isn't a story like "To Kill A Mockingbird" about a black man being railroaded by the white courts.
"Native Son" is more complex than that. This is a book more about the causes that create a man like Bigger Thomas. It's about the oppressive society that caged young black men like him in the South Side, teaching them to fear and hate the white man so that he doesn't trust even well-meaning do-gooders like Jan and his lawyer. The killing of Mary Dalton is a by-product of the fear and ignorance bred by centuries of hatred and discrimination. That is of course the real injustice here.
For examples of how this message continues to be relevant, one need look no further than high-profile, racially-dividing cases like Michael Vick, OJ Simpson, or Rodney King among many others. While advances have been made since the time of "Native Son"'s first printing, every day there are still new Bigger Thomases being created and stuffed into an already overcrowded prison system. That's what makes "Native Son" a true classic.
He Never Had a Chance.......2007-01-23
"The Native Son" delivers a chilling account of how an ordinary Black American, living in 1930s Chicago, can commit a heinous crime and subsequent cover-up, for the systemic racism and oppression present in America helped to create the conditions in which this horrendous act could occur. "The Native Son", written before the modern Civil Rights movement, does not issue a blanket amnesty for the crimes committed by Blacks, but helps the reader to understand the mindset of a Black living in this oppressed and segregated society where hope abounds only in the afterlife. Although Communists are portrayed sympathetically, this novel is not a call for a "revolution" or blatant propaganda against the "rich."
Wright explores racism and its effects, not only on the oppressed, but also on the oppressors. Bigger, the oppressed, fails to see whites as individuals and stereotypes all as racist bigots who intend only to harm him. Of course, there are plenty of these individuals about, yet there are genuine decent whites who Bigger fails to see as human. On the other side, of course, is the systemic abuse of Blacks as they are forced to live into a small section of the South Side in decrepit ghettos. Remarkably, this is a step up from their sharecropping days in the Jim Crow South, where Bigger grew up. However, even those whites who deem themselves to be sympathetic to the "Colored" cause, such as the Daltons, are condescending and arrogant. The Daltons, typical guilty liberals, have contributed thousands to the NAACP, yet they indirectly control the real estate company that reaps the benefits of the segregated society and the artificially higher rents in the black tenements. Even Mary and Jan, who attempt to treat Bigger as an equal, do so in a degrading and condescending manner as they attempt to understand his "people". Indeed, when this large wall of separation is breached, rabid fear is instilled in Bigger, which leads to his acts of murder.
Blindness is a recurrent theme throughout, as Mrs. Dalton is literally blind, yet it is the entire society that is blind to the plight of the likes of Bigger Thomas. Of course, Bigger is also blind to the other side and has bred hate and contempt for all whites, even those that do good. Throughout Bigger's journey of self-awareness in prison, he attempts to break through this blindness and to see his purpose in life. Tragically, only as he awaits his final fate does he realize that his white enemies and himself share the same fears and hopes and insecurities.
Although the first two-thirds of this novel will leave you spell-bound with its details and its suspense, I was expecting a letdown in the final part of the novel and a rehash of "The Jungle" syndrome, as I'll call it. In "The Jungle", Sinclair provides a scintillating story in the first part of the novel, but this serves only as a pretext to the blatant Socialist propaganda in its final part (no thanks, Mr. Sinclair). And though the last part of "The Native Son" espouses Wright's philosophy on racial oppression and may be sympathetic toward Socialist ideals, it is more of a subtle warning against the conditions that existed at that time which were a powder keg for future violent racial strife. Although there are definitely aspects which serve to blame society and divorce responsibility from his actions, in the end Bigger does take responsibility and comes to an understanding that he may have been oppressed and victimized, yet there were outlets other than violence for his despair.
Overall, Wright provides a chilling account of the state of race relations in 1930s Chicago and in America, in general. Although some may interpret Wright's novel as an attempt to deflect responsibility and to blame society for the actions of others, I believe Wright is attempting to distill a much deeper meaning and understanding for all races to come together.
Black and White.......2006-10-08
It is a stunning story of a 20 year old black youth, Bigger Thomas, born and raised in Chicago slum in a fatherless home. He has known prejudice, white scorn and poverty all his life, a life without hope future or any meaning. When he gets a job as a chauffer in a good Samaritan white family, he is happy and yet bit resentful of their patronizing, their condescending manner. On the very first outing with their young daughter and her communist friend, tragedy strikes due exclusively to Bigger's sub- conscience fear of association with white women. Once he commits the ultimate crime, inadvertently as it was, it spirals out of control and one need not wonder about the denouement.
When the case goes to trial, Bigger's attorney makes eloquent, convincing case of three hundred year history of slavery, bigotry, hatred that resulted in such inevitable tragedy. He concludes Bigger was a victim of society, a world at large with its own rules and customs where he was a pariah from the day he was born. Bigger could not comprehend that not all whites hate blacks and harbor bigotry.
It is a fascinating account of racism in the twentieth century America. I wonder how much progress we have made since the book's first publication in 1950. It is a must read.
More Interesting As History Than Literature.......2006-09-09
It is not simple to review this novel, since its success and value depend a great deal on what the reader is looking for. Purely as entertainment -- is it an enjoyable (however you want to define that) read? -- the book is spotty. My edition runs about 500 pages, including a lengthy, self-important introduction by the author, and I found the middle 250 pages very compelling reading; I really wanted to know what happened next. The beginning and end were far less interesting. This is attributable largely to the author's very obvious intent to use the novel as a means to convey a Message, and his limited skill. Rather than have the message emerge as an implication of the story, the characters instead are crudely-drawn stereotypes designed to portray and declare, in very broad strokes, the author's philosophical beliefs, which are not at all subtle. Time and time again I came across passages that were so heavy-handed and preachy, with the narrator forcing his views down the reader's throat between the characters' chessboard-like moves, that I thought they'd make excellent examples of bad writing for a class of beginning novelists.
The book therefore must be valued, if at all, for the author's message and the novel's place in history as one of the first to try to address it. I find it difficult to imagine that a modern reader could find the author's premise -- that centuries of oppression made blacks capable of acting in a manner that those in the dominant culture would consider inhumanly brutal -- particularly new and revealing, but it's important to consider that it apparently was so when the book was written only sixty-six years ago, itself an important commentary on American society. The book therefore would be an excellent addition to the reading list for a class on history or sociology.
Taken out of historical context (i.e., ignoring the fact that this was a new perspective at the time and setting aside the tremendous credit due Wright for having written it when he did), I found it unpersuasive. This is not to say that conditions have changed so much that what may have been true in 1940 has little relevance today, but that the author failed to persuade me that a brutal rapist and murderer who, the author acknowledges, has virtually no redeeming qualities, and never showed any remorse, should be spared, in 1940 or today, the death penalty, unless it is assumed the death penalty is per se never appropriate. This is certainly a reasonable view, and at very least a point worth debating, but it is not the author's point, which is that his protagonist should be spared because Society Made Him Do It -- a point that he tries to make in an attorney's speech that (speaking as an attorney) is terribly inept. (In fact, after taking hundreds of pages to get to the point where Wright finally takes the opportunity to express his perspective directly, I felt the author fell flat on his face.) I know of far better crafted works that have since been written that are both more interesting and more persuasive about the author's intended message, and I'm by no means very knowledgeable about this genre (Manchild in the Promised Land and the Autobiography of Malcolm X come to mind.)
So as an historical document, I'd give this five stars, but if its historical context doesn't interest you, I'd pass.
Average customer rating:
- Stories of Grace
- Emergence: The Step Child of the Seeker Movement
- The Stories we find ourselves in.
- It put me to sleep and woke me up
|
Stories of Emergence: Moving from Absolute to Authentic (Emergent YS)
Manufacturer: Zondervan/Youth Specialties
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Discipleship
| Christian Living
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Christian Living
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Church Administration
| Ministry & Church Leadership
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Youth Ministry
| Ministry & Church Leadership
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church: Understanding a Movement and Its Implications
-
Emerging Church, The
-
A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey
-
The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the Truth that Could Change Everything
-
A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational, Depressed-yet-Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished CHRISTIAN
ASIN: 0310253861 |
Book Description
Follow the stories of these "formers" who were steeped in their beliefs--a former fundamentalist, Pentecostal, liberal, feminist, communist, and several others--and walk with them on their journeys.
Customer Reviews:
Stories of Grace.......2007-03-19
The multi-authored Stories of Emergence showcases personal stories of church disillusionment and suspicion with the institutionalised, doctrine-oriented church, out of which emerges (you knew I was going to use this word, right?) new thinking and (perceived) authenticity in spirituality and the understanding of what this whole 'God' thing is about.
For the book's sake, it probably isn't a good idea to read all the stories at one go. Treat it like Dilbert and make it a friend for a time-out. Two stories max per reading should suffice.
And there are some good ones. The story I started with, Frederica Mathewes-Green's chastisement her earlier feminist attitudes, was one of the best, for me:
"It's not what feminists say, but how they it...An attitude of self-righteousness. A tendency to pull rank as a victim. A lack of humility. A blindness to the fact that women, just as talented as men, are just as sinful too. Smugness, touchiness, judgmentalism, and even darkner notes of condescension, ridicule, and anger toward men.
"Pretty much the opposite of every line in 1 Corinthians 13. My brothers and sisters, 'you have not so learned Christ' (Ephesians 4:20)" (p.134)
I also enjoyed Tony Jones sharing of his character-shaping encounters with people like James McClendon, Nancey Pearcey and Miroslav Volf. It's strikingly coincidental how barely a few hours after I first heard the word 'liminal' during a meeting, I saw it again in Jones' essay, talking about liminal times - the "thin times, the border times when we're in the midst of cultural change". (p.66)
Todd Hunter's piece brought back some cute memories of friends telling me about the un-Christian it was to have drums in church(!). And how can I not resonate with Spencer Burke's paragraph on spiritual McCarthyism:
"In today's evangelical world, one of the worst things you can be called is liberal. Challenge an accepted belief or confess doubt and you're the equivalent of a card-carrying communist. Brows furrow. Eyes narrow. Lips purse." (p.30)
Brian McLaren echoes this tension when he writes in his afterword:
"(Can) the gatekeepers of modern evangelicalism see these brothers and sisters as resources, pioneers, a research-and-development wing of the movement...or will they see them as a threat?" (p.224)
I also suspect God planned it such that I had to be at an unfamiliar section of town at 5.30 in the morning (after dropping my dad off at the bus station), drinking coffee and reading these words by Chris Seay, "Jesus understood that it's not only the truth that changes us, but also the journey of seeking truth."
This book isn't for those who want some idea on how to "move forward" in one's walk and ministry with Christ. It'd be a mistake to take any one story and say, "That's how I/we should progress". Unless I'm completely mistaken, the very idea of progress isn't even a category in emergent thought.
There are no "doctrines" in the book, no new theology, no new "synthesis of ideas" and what-nots. This will undoubtedly leave the reader with the impression that the authors care more about praxis than about doctrine (eliciting, as much of Emergent output has, the occasional remonstrance). They probably do.
In an experimental mode, getting things right is less important than doing as many helpful things as you can. And there's really no other to explain this - except maybe via stories?
Thus, I read these essays - some were dull (because predictable), some sad, most were fun - and emerged (there we go again) a more hopeful person. Hopeful because God does not does not does NOT require super-holy, all-doctrine-knowing perfection from us prior to giving us His joy and using us as conduits of his love.
The stories of emergence are stories of grace.
Note: Don't treat the two-star rating as implying that I'm not *recommending* it. I am. Sorta. It's just that I don't think it need be all that high up on one's "to-read" list. It's a good book to have but there are lots of better stuff out there.
Emergence: The Step Child of the Seeker Movement.......2005-08-28
STORIES OF EMERGENCE is a collection of stories (or conversations as they like to put it) of "former" evangelicals who have walked away from ministries and institutional Christianity to embrace post-modern Christianity that focuses on being authentic followers of Jesus Christ than on just being absolute (right).
The stories vary since each person has their own unique background but the common thread is an utter dissatisfaction with popular Christianity as given to us by the evangelical church. The writers tell their stories of not losing faith in God while losing faith in the modern church. The stories range from bizarre trails to simply being influenced by such emergence leaders as Brian McLaren to former PTL's son Jay Bakker.
The positives of this book are:
- A good division of the book. Editor Mike Yaconelli did a good job of breaking the book into divisions such as stories of ministry crisis, stories of worldview crisis, and stories of faith crisis.
- Short, fast paced stories. The stories are not boring to read (even if you disagree with them). They move quickly and each writer does a good job of staying focused on their subject.
- Issues that the Church must address. The book does present several key issues that we must present from the Bible. Only Scripture can help us to work through the problems of modern modernity.
Problems with the book:
- Lack of theological substance. While the book is a book of stories, the book lacks Scripture. In fact, the authority of the Bible is never addressed. The emergence movement seems to want to throw Scripture out the window and yet still be Christians. How can this be? The Bible is where we learn about Jesus (John 20:31) and the Bible alone is the truth (John 17:17). The stories lacked truth. They were filled with common themes of experience ("I don't like the church because of this") but no biblical proof.
- Too experience driven. Feeding off the above, the emergence movement seems to be more about common experiences and not sound doctrine. However, experience must flow from Scripture (1 Timothy 4:16; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:16-22) lest we be deceived (1 John 4:1-2). Experience is no basis for truth. Only the Bible is able to save our souls (James 1:21). As a disciple of Jesus, I must hold to His word (John 8:31-32).
- Shallow view of sin. From homosexuals to drugs, the emergence movement has a shallow view of sin. In fact Mike Yaconelli admits that he has spoken about sin in the Church only twice in 12 years (p.18)! The book even says that homosexuality might not be a sin (pp.30-31). How did they embrace this world-view? Not from Scripture (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Rev. 21:8)! This is what happens when the Bible is not your authority. How do we expose man's need for Jesus without first addressing our depraved nature?
Conclusion:
The emergence movement has grown out of the seeker movement which has come from the charismatic movement which came from the Pentecostal movement. What do all these movements have in common? Experience as the basis for fellowship. If anyone tries to critique the movements based on the Word of God, they are often viewed as a Pharisee or a Puritan. I for one believe we need to hold firmly to the Bible despite our changing culture. God does not change (Numbers 23:19; Malachi 2:10) and neither does His Word (Psalm 119:89). I will not embrace the philosophies of Hume or Blaine over the Word of God but if I did then I would be heading down the emergence movement road.
The Stories we find ourselves in........2003-11-12
I have a love hate thing going on with the emergent church. I love the critique of modernity and willow creek, but I sometimes wonder what positve contribution emergent people have brought to the dialogue. It is easier to tear down than destroy. But this is not a negative book. Not even a little. The people in this book are all very cultural engaged. And are all very diverse, and they focus on their story.
You don't get the same boring rehash of where the enlightenment got us, and what to do about it analysis. These stories have a more personal dimension to them. Every person writing decided what ways they should engage the culture in their context. There is nothing formulaic about it.
If I have one criticism, it is that I wish a few other authors were included. But that doesn't mean what others offered will be found wanting. Excellent book.
Mike Yaconelli lives on in his uber-chellenging introduction
It put me to sleep and woke me up.......2003-07-18
Besides Yaconelli and McLaren, thirteen different people share their frustration with the modernistic church and how they escaped the discontent. While the book contained some great insights - James Engel's view of evangelism, for example - I was pretty bored through about half of the book. What is to be expected when you have so many different writers? Perhaps this is one point of postmodernism - everyone's stories will not be exciting, and that is okay. Honestly, I bought the book because of McLaren and Yaconelli, but they weren't so much the players in the game as they were the announcers at the game. If you are discontent with boring, businesslike christianity, this book will share some real-life stories and, possibly, give you some hope that all Christians aren't the same. Don't buy it for a definition of postmodernism or for Yaconelli's name. For Yaconelli-likers, look into Dangerous Wonder or Messy Spirituality - two great thought-challenging books.
Books:
- How to Make and Sell Your Own Recording (5th Edition)
- I Am My Brother's Keeper, Journal of a Gunny in Iraq
- Images of Greatness: An Intimate Look at the Presidency of Ronald Reagan
- John Coltrane Solos
- Johnny The Homicidal Maniac: Director's Cut
- Linux in a Nutshell (In a Nutshell (O'Reilly))
- Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness
- Lucy & Desi: The Real-Life Scrapbook of America's Favorite TV Couple
- Madonna in Art
- Marie Antoinette
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Hitler's Niece: A Novel
- A Summer of Faulkner: As I Lay Dying/The Sound and the Fury/Light in August
- Revenge of the Lawn, The Abortion, So the Wind Won't Blow It All Away
- The Essential Australian Shepherd
- The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief
- Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism
- Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques
- Riverwalking: Reflections on Moving Water
- Romanov Autumn: Stories from the Last Century of Imperial Russia
- Elder Law Answer Book, 2nd Edition, 2006 Cumulative Supplement
James Earl Jones Reads the Bible
The Holy Bible King James Version: 1611 Edition
The Holy Bible - Complete King James Version - Old & New Testament
Holy Bible: New King James Version Old and New Testament
NIV Audio Bible Voice Only CD
