Amazon.com
David J. Pelzer's mother, Catherine Roerva, was, he writes in this ghastly, fascinating memoir, a devoted den mother to the Cub Scouts in her care, and somewhat nurturant to her children--but not to David, whom she referred to as "an It." This book is a brief, horrifying account of the bizarre tortures she inflicted on him, told from the point of view of the author as a young boy being starved, stabbed, smashed face-first into mirrors, forced to eat the contents of his sibling's diapers and a spoonful of ammonia, and burned over a gas stove by a maniacal, alcoholic mom. Sometimes she claimed he had violated some rule--no walking on the grass at school!--but mostly it was pure sadism. Inexplicably, his father didn't protect him; only an alert schoolteacher saved David. One wants to learn more about his ordeal and its aftermath, and now he's written a sequel, The Lost Boy, detailing his life in the foster-care system.
Though it's a grim story, A Child Called "It" is very much in the tradition of Chicken Soup for the Couple's Soul and the many books in that upbeat series, whose author Pelzer thanks for helping get his book going. It's all about weathering adversity to find love, and Pelzer is an expert witness.
Book Description
This book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games--games that left him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it." Dave's bed was an old army cot in the basement, and his clothes were torn and raunchy. When his mother allowed him the luxury of food, it was nothing more than spoiled scraps that even the dogs refused to eat. The outside world knew nothing of his living nightmare. He had nothing or no one to turn to, but his dreams kept him alive--dreams of someone taking care of him, loving him and calling him their son.
Customer Reviews:
Much like "Bittersweet Diary" by Saundra Seward.......2007-10-19
If you like this book then you must read "Bittersweet Diary". Although not as gruesome, this female heroine also endures the "tricks" of her mother but this heroine decides to get out before her demise. This is a story about will, hope,courage, determination and a dare to dream! It is inspiring to the young girl who tends to be a "follower".
David Peltzer a Hero.......2007-10-16
I have read this book and others by Dave Peltzer, he is one of my heroes because he came back from such incredible odds not only to survive, but to make a difference. I recommend reading this book and all the others he has written.
pap.......2007-10-15
I always assumed this title was an unremarkable addition to the intelligence-starved self-help/shock memoir genre that has plagued bookstore shelves for two decades now. When I began student teaching, though, I met one English teacher after another who used it in class. The story, they say, hooks teens and encourages them to ask questions about the society we live in. I am sorry to report that the English teachers are correct; boys in the eighth grade, at least, find the book almost irresistible.
This is most, most lamentable. Despite the recommendations of English teachers and the definitive evidence of student interest, I cannot advise anyone to read this egregious pile of tripe. Shame on Pelzer's editors, who should bury their heads deep in the sands of terminal humiliation. Shame on HCI for distributing this embarrassment to our language. Shame on English teachers for not seeking out stories that both interest young readers and support their acquisition of sophisticated writing skills.
I was wrong, though, to think that Pelzer's book is unremarkable: it is without doubt the worst piece of book-length writing I have ever read. I only finished the book out of morbid curiosity. Perhaps, I thought, the conclusion will reveal some unsought-for nugget of priceless wisdom. Or maybe a punchline? No such luck. My time has been wasted and, I fear, my cognitive faculties stunted by entering Pelzer's linguistically impoverished world.
Teachers and parents, help us work toward a better world by finding another book to put into young people's hands.
A Child Called "It" review.......2007-10-01
A Child Called "It" is an amazing book about the struggles of a young boy and his abusive mother. Though this book was disturbing and cruel, I thought it was very well written and the author had a great writting style. I thought some of the most disturbing parts were when David would be burned on the stove or locked in the bathroom for gas chamber sessions. I also hated that some of his greatest memories were at his favorite vacation spot and his mother ruined those for him. I think it is important that Dave let out his feelings and experiences in this book. I hope that he has found a way to move on with his life and not let the past ruin his present and future life.
Will make you cry, a must read.......2007-10-01
A Child Called it is and insperational true story about a young boy named David Pelzer being physically abused in his own home by his own Mother. The book shows how David made his way through life dealing with his horrific mother. He keeps his motivation through being drown, being burned, beat, forced to eat the contents out of a babies diaper, and countless other things while fighting for food in order to avoid starvation. He eats food out of trash cans, steals from students, and eats out of freezers in order to survive. This child's life was a living hell, but ahd the dedication to make his way through it with courage and bravery. This story is a must read that will bring you to tears and keep you motivated
Book Description
A sequel to the highly successful One Hundred and One Beautiful Small Towns in Italy, this book expands the series to include the most enchanting hamlets of France. Gorgeously illustrated as well as informative, One Hundred and One Beautiful Small Towns of France is a journey through the French countryside, a place where the pace slows, locals engage strangers in conversation, and every town has a unique story to tell. Travel between the hilltop towns of the Central Massif and the Pyrenees to rockbound coastal fishing villages in Normandy and Brittany. Breathtaking full-color photographs create the perfect atmosphere as you discover these unexplored places, and descriptive sidebars offer invaluable information on local curiosities to indulge, unique artisanal products to buy, and age-old culinary specialties to sample. A detailed appendix is the perfect source on where to shop, sightsee, and dineâavec plaisir! Whether you are an armchair traveler or a Francophile planning another trip, this volume is the guide to the hidden treasures of France that proves once and for all that the heart of this popular travel destination lies in the countryside far from the grandeur and pomp of Paris.
Customer Reviews:
pictures not sharp.......2007-01-18
I was very disappointed in the book. Most of the description is history, very little about current life in the towns. The photos are not very sharp in focus. It would have been very helpful to be able to id the towns on a map. The book does really delveinto some small remote towns that are not often covered in books.
One Hundred & One Beautiful Small towns in France.......2007-01-09
Absolutely a beautiful book. I have been to France several times and found this book to show many of the places I have visited and loved. The photos are fantastic.
Book Description
For those looking to raise a family in a storybook American town, or a change of pace from hectic city life, this book is the answer.
Customer Reviews:
A Poor Offering.......2007-08-10
This is not a very good book. 50% of the book is devoted to Mr. Crampton's less than interesting observations of life in a small town. His advice is mostly extremely basic common sense stuff that any normal person should already know. He offers very few interesting insights.
The other half of the book is his list of the 120 best small towns in America. This part of the book is even more weak. It's obvious Mr. Crampton did a lot of internet travel to gather his data as the descriptions are clearly culled from the towns' chamber of commerce websites. He offers zero insight or information gained from him (or someone else) actually visiting / living in the towns and conveying what the towns are actually like.
His ruse is painfully evident as the "more info" listing for each town is merely a link to their respective chamber of commerce website! What "more info" could there be given that the author merely copied the site? Even his internet research was exceptionally lazy.
The book should be titled "A Compilation of America's Best Small Towns' Chamber of Commerce Website Info plus Non-insightful Musings of the Armchair Travelling Author."
And how do the towns qualify as being best? By Mr. Crampton's estimation they must have a highschool, and a hospital, and at least a few other businesses that aren't Walmart. Could the bar be set any lower? With that criteria one could throw 120 darts blindfolded at a map and do just as well as this book.
The book could be fodder for a Garrison Keilor Ketchup skit, "you know June, why don't we retire to the country, find a town with a highschool and live out our days..... Dear, have you been getting enough Ketchup lately..."
A very weak text that I'll be returning to Amazon post haste!
Make that 3 1/2 stars.......2005-03-28
Actually, I would have given "Making Your Move" 4 stars had I found the descriptions of the individual towns more interesting. But, what I did find was a witty style of writing, some laugh-out-loud moments, and some very down-to-earth advice on the pearls and perils of small-town life. One might apply Norm's smart and insightful guidelines to just about any sparsely populated area in the quest for new habitation. So even though his selections failed to fire me up, they did make me realize that I may not be cut out for small-town living after all. And that, in itself, is worth far more than the price of a book. Thanks, Norm, and make that four stars.
Part of the story.......2003-03-12
This book is a good place to start if you're thinking of moving to a town of 15,000 or less. It will point you to many interesting communities. However, having used his previous book to guide my last move, and as a resident of one of the towns highlighted in this book (Grinnell), I can honestly say that data only carries you so far. Crampton could provide readers with a great benefit by lengthening the amount of description and flavor for each town. In particular, one key element missing is the 'dynamic' of a town: is it progressive? conservative? excited about education? quick to vote down taxes and bonds? These elements form the 'culture' of a small town, and believe me, the culture of a small town will be *very* important to you!
A good guide to start.......2003-01-08
As a resident of one of the 120 "best small towns" recommended by Norman Crampton, I was delighted to see Silver City on the list.
While Crampton's book is a good place to start your search for small town living, it is important to realize that each small town offers a unique personality. Some generalizations simply do not apply to Silver City. For example, it is not necessary to join a church (or country club) in order to fit in here. Even a small community like ours has diverse sub-populations: recent retirees, most of whom have some affinity for the arts; old-timers, most of whom are the conservative church-goers Crampton describes; and Hispanic families, many of whom have worked in the mines.
These groups rarely interact, although we usually get along very peacefully. We also have a number of folks who teach at the university -- and we rarely see them around town.
To learn about Silver city, you won't get much information from the Chamber of Commerce or the editor of the newspaper. You'd do better to spend some time hanging out at the AIR cafe, talking to whoever comes in. The morning and afternoon groups are quite different and everyone is friendly.
The author gives some nuts and bolts about each small town. Unfortunately, with the exception of weather, much of this information will change by the time the book is printed. And your decision may well be made by factors that can't be added up.
The best part of the book is the section on economics of small town living. Here, he's right on. You have to budget for travel to a large city now and then. Air travel will be more costly and you need time to drive to a large airport. His view of housing prices seems optimistic. If you move to a desirable city (such as Silver City) expect to pay more for a house than he allows.
And if you move to retire, your economic picture will be quite different. Many newcomers to Silver City are beginning a second career as an artist or writer. Moving without a job is scary -- and I do not recommend it unless you fit the profile I describe in my own book, Making the Big Move.
Average customer rating:
- An excellent book about a tough subject
- Highly polished anti-Israeli propaganda
- Highly informative, yet entertaining!
- Many misconceptions
- A history and a meditation
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Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths
Karen Armstrong
Manufacturer: Knopf
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ASIN: 0679435964
Release Date: 1996-05-07 |
Amazon.com
Jerusalem is the most famous city on the planet, a place vibrantly imagined even by people who have never been there. Karen Armstrong, author of the best-selling A History of God, shows why it might also be the most interesting, a sacred ground for rival Christians, Jews and Muslims. Much of her book is devoted to 5,000 years of history, but all of it addresses a longstanding and contemporary fascination unmatched by any other urban center.
Book Description
With 8 pages of color photographs and 82 illustrations in text.
Customer Reviews:
An excellent book about a tough subject.......2007-06-16
An excellent book about a tough subject. I learned a lot about this history of the city that me and my people aspire to become the capital of the Palestinian State.
One conclusion that struck me at the end of this spiritual quest, because this is more than a history of a city, Karen rightly concludes that a religion based on hatred of others is a self destructive. This is what the history of this tells us. That's why Jews and Christians have lost this city before to others. That doesn't mean Muslims automatically deserves this city. It means that only when this city is open to all, then this city and its rulers will live in peace.
I highly recommend this book for all.
Highly polished anti-Israeli propaganda.......2006-02-20
Much of the material tracing the earlier history of Jerusalem is well written and quite interesting. However, when the author approaches the re-emergence of a strong Jewish presence in Jerusalem all of her previous objectivity goes out the window as she argues that the Jews brutalize the Arabs and that things would be so much better if only the Jewish majority were ruled by the Arab minority.
Her portrait of Jerusalem as a divided and armed camp on p. 419, "Repeatedly ...." is simply false. It is true that the area of Jaffa Road and King George is no longer mixed, but the commercial interaction between Arabs and Jews has simply moved to Talpiot. You also see many clearly identifiable Arabs at the three campuses of the Hebrew University and both Hadassah hospitals. The remaining area of commercial activity in Jerusalem is the food industry where in restaurants, hotels and grocery stores you see Arabs running the kitchens in most restaurants and running a large part of the operations of many of the grocery stores. I see this every day living here in Jerusalem.
The idea that Jews buying properties and moving into Arab neighborhoods constitutes an act of war has its parallels in the history of black people in the old south. It is a view of someone who rejects the idea that Jewish people are equal with any other people. How sad that the author has wasted her talents to present such a view.
Highly informative, yet entertaining!.......2005-11-10
This book provides a very balanced view of the factors leading to the present day situation in Jerusalem. Although somewhat heavy on the religious influences, not inappropriately so, since this is what made Jerusalem what it is today. I would have liked to have learned more about the situation with the Armenians in that quarter of the city throughout the turmoil of the last few hundred years. The many maps of the changing city were outstanding. Excellent!
Many misconceptions.......2005-05-30
One must begin where it started, why is Jerusalem holy? The answer, not found in this book, it is not. Jerusalem was claimed by the Jews to be a place where Isaac was not sacrificed by Abraham. However this was pure revisionism from the beginning, since by the time David founded his city in Jerusalem, no one knew. David did build Jerusalem, and two temples did rest above his city. Herod did built the monstrous temple mount that exists today. Jesus was crucified in or near Jerusalem. Mohammed never saw Jerusalem, he referenced 'the holy' which was not Jerusalem but became Jerusalem when it was conquered. On the temple mount the Muslims found a rock, and claimed Mohammed's footprint was in it. As illogical as the same rock being where Isaac and Abraham were, this shows how a once faked holy site is then doubly faked. Pagans faked its holiness to. They built a temple atop the mount. The city is holy, no doubt, but the historical facts attributed to it are bogus. Persecution followed, of Jews by Christians and then of Christians by Muslims. In 1948 the city divided, Christian students in the city were forced to learn Koran half the day and Jews were forbidden to enter. 1967 liberated the city, for all faiths, despite the authors opinion that it would be better for intolerance to have triumphed and only one religion be allowed sovereignty.
This is a sad disingenuous tale, which does not remark on the idiocy of the very idea of a city being 'holy' to three faiths. Maybe it is holy to the world? Maybe the Buddha was in Jerusalem.
Seth J. Frantzman
A history and a meditation.......2005-01-17
While this is a superb, fair-minded and empathetic history of the city which will be enlightening to all except very knowledgeable specialists, it is at the same time Karen Armstrong's meditation on the "sacred geography" conceived by the three faiths in its spiritual and its material form. She is very sympathetic to and receptive of the spiritual ideals of all three faiths, and is dismayed by how so often they have all been debased by bitter rivalries (between as well as within religions), by demands for exclusivity and domination, as well as by the "idolatry to see a shrine or a city as the ultimate goal of religion". This is something the wisest theologians - few, alas, in number - have taught. At the same time, however, a material shrine is one expression of one's spiritual identity, so that the perceived threat or the destruction of a shrine - let alone expulsions and exile - are experienced as violations of one's spiritual identity. She shows that the potency of religious symbolism is such that even secular nationalism (to which she perhaps does not pay quite enough attention) has recourse to it. She shows how the best periods in the history of the city have been those few when the rulers of one faith or ethnicity have respected the faith, ethnicity and buildings of another. She is not optimistic that such wisdom is available in Jerusalem in the near future.
Average customer rating:
- Room One: A Mystery or Two
- An interesting mystery in a small town
- Another Great one from Andrew Clements
- Katie's Review
- Satisfying mystery
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Room One: A Mystery or Two
Andrew Clements
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0689866860 |
Book Description
Ted Hammond loves a good mystery, and in the spring of his fifth-grade year, he's working on a big one. How can his school in the little town of Plattsford stay open next year if there are going to be only five students? Out here on the Great Plains in western Nebraska, everyone understands that if you lose the school, you lose the town.
But the mystery that has Ted's full attention at the moment is about that face, the face he sees in the upper window of the Andersons' house as he rides past on his paper route. The Andersons moved away two years ago, and their old farmhouse is empty, boarded up tight. At least it's supposed to be.
A shrinking school in a dying town. A face in the window of an empty house. At first these facts don't seem to be related. But Ted Hammond learns that in a very small town, there's no such thing as an isolated event. And the solution of one mystery is often the beginning of another.
Customer Reviews:
Room One: A Mystery or Two.......2007-09-12
So it's time for silent reading in my fifth grade class and my students LOVE silent reading time. Most of them can't get enough of the books they're reading and can't wait to talk about them. But there's always the few who spend the entire silent reading time in the school library or at my personal library or trying to sneak away to the bathroom. They spend more time fidgeting than they do reading. How do you get those children to read? Well, one thing I have found that works is to put an Andrew Clements book in their hands.
Clements' books are simple and readable and according to most of my fifth graders, cool. Frindle, The Landry News, and Lunch Money are not filled with elementary student clichés. The characters aren't cheesy and my students don't find themselves saying "Come on, we're not like that" as is the case with many other books written for them. Clements' characters act and talk like real elementary students and are usually faced with real problems and this is an important part of his appeal. Room One is no exception.
One day while sixth grader Ted Hammond is delivering papers, he notices a mysterious face in an upstairs window of an old home, the Anderson's home. What spikes Ted's curiosity is that no one has lived in the Anderson house for two years. The house has sat empty and the windows have been boarded up. With nothing else going on in his small rural Nebraska town of Plattsford, Ted sets out to investigate.
I liked this book. I really did. It doesn't matter that I picked it up half-wanting, half-expecting a good mystery and didn't get one. Clements made me care about Ted, and April, and her family, and Mrs. Mitchell to the point where it didn't matter if the "mystery" to this story was solved for the reader less than halfway through the book. It's still a good story, and in the end, that's what children really want to read.
A few things I thoroughly enjoyed about the book . . . The Red Prairie Learning Center was fascinating to read about. The idea of a town, so against consolidating with surrounding communities that they've forced themselves to become what they have (a one room school with four 4th graders, one 6th grader, and four 8th graders) was an extremely interesting setting. I loved Mrs. Mitchell's character. She has many wonderful traits that only a teacher would be able to recognize. It didn't surprise me one bit to discover that Clements himself was a teacher at one point in time. No stereotypes here.
As long as you don't set your expectations too high, you'll find Room One a quick, easy, and entertaining read. The epilogue fills in the rest of the story nicely and provides adequate closure to the story surrounding April and her family. Having read most of Clements' other stories, seeing "A Mystery or Two" across this cover excited me some at the thought of a departure from his normal work, but please don't make the same mistake. This isn't so much a mystery as it is another fun (but somewhat serious), school story from Andrew Clements. And that's just fine by me.
An interesting mystery in a small town.......2007-07-22
Room One proved to me that I should never underestimate the power of Andrew Clements' writing. When I found out that this was a mystery in a small town and not a story set in a school, I thought that I might not enjoy it as much as Frindle or School Story before it. But I was wrong.
Room One is a wonderfully written, quasi-mystery. The main character is Ted Hammond. Ted is a likable, bright kid in an interesting small town in Nebraska. Ted is a Boy Scout, the town paper boy and a mystery lover to boot. When he sees a face in the window of the old Anderson house, he gets wrapped up in a real-life mystery of his own.
Clements' economy of words and clarity of description serve to keep this story suspenseful, believable and enjoyable all at the same time. I couldn't put the book down and was pleasingly satisfied with the outcome. The epilogue was also perfectly suited to the book.
I recommend this book to Clements fans and mystery fans alike. While not a skull and crossbones mystery, it is an interesting story about an average Joe taking on some detective work. If you are looking for a Nancy Drew, here-are-the-clues, figure-it-out type mystery then this book is not for you.
Another Great one from Andrew Clements.......2007-05-30
This is a great book for kids of all ages. From it's hooking beginning to the very end, this is a great book through and through. I certainly don't want to give the ending away or any of the other great parts to it, but I do want to say that it is very well-written and enjoyable book!
Katie's Review.......2007-05-22
I liked this book because it was a mystery and mysteries are my favorite books to read. I also liked it because it is by my favorite author, Andrew Clements. I think this book was one of his best because the boy tries to help people.
There's a boy named Ted and he delivers the newspaper to people. While he was delivering the papers he sees this girl in a window in a house that's been abandoned for about two years. So he goes to investigate the next day and he doesn't see any movement until he gets outside where the girl is waiting for him. What happens next? Read the book to find out.
I recommend this book to anyone because it's an outstanding book. I think anyone who likes Andrew Clements should read this book at least once.
Satisfying mystery.......2007-02-23
Ted Hammond is one of only nine students in his one room school and the only 6th grader in Plattsford, Nebraska. The farming community is shrinking and the school is going to close because of the small enrollment. The loss of the school will be the final blow to the town.
Ted loves to read mysteries and the town librarian Mrs. Coughlin has introduced him to interlibrary loan. He reads 2-3 mysteries a week and excels at solving them before the last chapter.
One morning while delivering newspapers he think he sees a face in the window of an abandoned farmhouse on his route. Using the detective skills he has learned, Ted sets out to solve the mystery. While assembling clues, he discovers a family camping in the old house. Alexa a girl about his age asks him to keep her family's presence in the house a secret. He reluctantly agrees then devotes himself to their welfare by bringing them food.
Clements always writes with amazing candor and feeling about the adults in children's lives. He is clear eyed about the sometimes edgy relationship between teachers and their students. Ted confides in his teacher, Mrs. Mitchell about the family which puts her into an ethical dilemma. She does not want to break a promise to a student but she knows she must report the family.
This low key 162 page story is rounded out by an epilogue that tells "the rest of the story" in a conclusion that is very satisfying for the family and Ted's town.
There is much about Andrew Clements that impresses me. His website quotes him, "It is a privilege to write for children."
Average customer rating:
- And Hope Remains
- one of the best!!
- Missed the Mark
- A Child's Book?
- Heartbreaking
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One Eye Laughing, The Other Eye Weeping: The Diary of Julie Weiss, Vienna, Austria to New York 1938 (Dear America Series)
Barry Denenberg
Manufacturer: Scholastic Inc.
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ASIN: 0439095182 |
Customer Reviews:
And Hope Remains.......2007-08-01
A very, very touching book about the life of a Austrian-Jewish family just before World War Two. Scary and happy and sad all at once, this is great read for anyone who wants to know more about that time period. Highly reccomended.
-Emma D.
one of the best!!.......2007-03-11
My daughter loved this book! She said it was one of the best Dear America books that she has read.
Missed the Mark.......2006-11-03
Very dissappointing and bordering on revisionist history. The author makes a point of letting us know that the Jewish girl really doesn't practice religion. These events were driven by racism and religious oppression. By focusing on the character's lack of religion, it looks more like a modern day political perception rather than an historical account. I'm sorry to say we did not share this book with our daughter, but threw it away.
A Child's Book?.......2006-08-29
This book starts out very sweetly - a little girl named Julie waiting up for her Father to come home. A few pages later, I'm wondering if some brat stole Julie's diary, because the tone flips! She's glad, GLAD! that her brother Max is in crutches, she brags about how she's as smart as he is, she makes VERY personal observations about Milli's (the waiting maid) anatomy, and cheerfully reports that a fat, ugly boy from school tried to look up her dress, etc; etc. Weird book. I can't believe this ended up in the Dear America series.
Heartbreaking.......2006-05-23
Sure a good book, and hearing about the awful things happening around Julie is just heartbreaking.
Product Description
DAYTRIPS NEW YORK now features ten carefully selected do-it-yourself walking tours of the Big Apple itself. Beyond the city, the book describes in great detail some 40 one-day adventures that can easily be made by car, or in many cases by public transportation. These begin with the historic Hudson Valley, extending as far north as the Catskills, and on Long Island all the way to Montauk. Connecticut is next, then excursions to most of New Jersey and even the eastern edges of Pennsylvania. Each trip is complete with a self-guided tour, a large-scale map, price-keyed restaurant suggestions to fit all budgets, transportation information, timing, costs, phone numbers, internet addresses, handicap access, and of course historic ans cultural background information.
Book Description
Ursula K. Le Guin is one of the greatest science fiction writers and many times the winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards. her career as a novelist was launched by the three novels contained in Worlds of Exile and Illusion. These novels, Rocannon's world, Planet of Exile, and City of Illusions, are set in the same universe as Le Guin's groundbreaking classic, The Left hand of Darkness.Tor is pleased to return these previously unavailable works to print in this attractive new edition.
Customer Reviews:
review.......2005-09-24
I received the book quickly and in very good condition. Le Guin is always an intelligent read. I am happy to have purchased the book through Amazon.
one of my favorite books in the world.......2004-03-09
i've read this a while ago, but it's amazing how some book just follow you through life. this book certenly flollow my life, but in it's styple and description and also with it's intention and massage.
written originaly as 3 saparated novels, the 3 diffrent stories, who doesn't happend on the same planets or times, interact one several levels, the concepts of the joined alience of menkind throughout the universe, mind reading and the meaning of being an explorer and an alien in a diffrent planet. are meaningful not only to the sience fiction side of the story, but also, and perhaps mostly to the way we precive ourself, both as indeviduals and within a society. each story takes a diffrent view and plot line exsamening those issues and adding to them, it's own world and atmospher.
what i loved mostly about this book is that, unlike many other books, which take their scenery from know situation and sets, like period in earth's history, or from movies and myth. those worlds are recreated all new - the people, places, and societies are unknown to the reader and so, every page's a surprise, and at no point is seem predictable or familier.
it took my a long time to get used to that style, this book doesn't match a ganere and is a very indevidual unique creation. it stimulate the mind and senses and creativity. i highly recomand it
Good Book.......2004-01-09
I know this book was originally 3 seperate novels but, I liked how it was all combined into one. I thought it was pretty unique to have three divergent plots actually fit together, beautifully, to form a single coherant story.
City of Illusions.......2004-01-09
I read this book over a year ago, and usually after that amount of time I can barely remember the plot of a book let alone the details. Yet I was amazed with the City of Illusions story in this book. This is by far my favorite story by Ursula K. Le Guin, even over the Left Hand of Darkness or any of the Earthsea series.
Marvelous planetary romances, not to be missed........2003-12-29
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35 years on, Planet of Exile hasn't aged a bit. As I just rediscovered -- my copy (with an evocative Josh Kirby cover) dates from the early 70's, and I don't recall rereading it since then. I was prompted to do so by a recent reread of her stunning "Semley's Necklace" (1964), another story in Le Guin's Hainish universe, which she recycled as the prologue to Rocannon's World.
While PoE doesn't have the depth or complexity of her best work, this is a grand, mythic story of love and death; fear of the stranger, and the sad consequences; a bitter battle to save one's home; the joys and ashes of victory. And the grey, grinding cold of Great Winter: 5,000-some days of darkness, cold and ice (UKL does winters really well). Strong stuff.
My God, this was her apprentice work!
The rest of RW, after "Semley's Necklace", isn't up to PoE, but is quite readable. I haven't reread City of Illusions recently.
Happy reading!
Pete Tillman
Customer Reviews:
Brilliant.......2007-07-31
Like some of the other reviewers I discovered Janet Frame through the movie,'An Angel at my Table," and I knew I had to read something of hers.
I started with her autobiography, and I'm so glad that I did.
This is perhaps the finest piece of writing, bar none, fiction or non-fiction that I have ever read. I think Frame is a genius, she should be awarded every prize for literature in the world. This is a funny thing to say about such a humble woman who endured so much to become one of the greatest writers the world has ever known.
I was completely bowled over, enthralled, by her recounting of her life. Her word pictures, her recollections of places and things are incredible. I don't know another writer who has as fine a capacity for detail and description. The book is utterly lyrical as she weaves a painful, at times, story through decades of her life. I could not put this book down at times and I grieved when I had finished it. Stories like hers are instructional and give us all a reason to go on living. I sometimes wonder, I'm a memoirist myself, but a baby compared to Frame, how did she do it? It may be crazy to think this but I wonder if those numerous shock treatments she endured rearranged her brain in some magical fashion and gave her the capacity to be a superwoman writer? The line between genius and insanity is permeable. I think writers, for good and ill, are exquisitely fine-tuned, sensitive people. Unfortunately some of them are so beyond ordinary human beings they can't survive living in the world, but what they have left us is priceless as we make our own life journeys. Frame has allowed millions of readers, I hope, to accompany her on her challenging journey through life and she shows how she coped with fate and a set of circumstances given her courageously, copiously, and heart breakingly. I am in awe of her acheivement.
She is a writers writer. Her musings on art and the capacity of the imagination are among the finest I have ever read. She is an inspiration to artists everywhere.
Frame saves herself and achieves, in spite of all!.......2007-07-03
I came to this book by way of the movie "An Angel at My Table" [which was fairly true to the book]. I had never heard of Janet Frame, and was so intrigued by the film that I knew I had to read her autobiography. The book introduces you to her impoverished life in New Zealand [she was born in 1924], and includes about two dozen pages of photos of Janet's family [it was wonderful putting the real faces to the ones we were introduced to in the movie]. From the epilepsy of her brother, the drownings of her two sisters, her own mental breakdown in college [which was erroneously diagnosed as schizophrenia], you understand how all of her traumas and perceptions are incorporated later into her writing career. She overcomes daunting events and social alienation to become a novelist, poet, and short-story author.
I have continued to read more of her writings.
Excellent Autobiography.......2007-01-06
I do not know of any author who can retain so much authencity in his writing and yet produce such beautiful and imaginative prose, other than Janet Frame.
Her excellent autobiography is definitely worth a reading and offers an insight to her other works which are, at times, more experimental and harder to grasp. I have seen the film adaptation but this book has even more to offer: the heartfelt descriptions of the family members, some beautifully written passages which could hardly be translated into film, the 24 pages of delightful photos of Frame and her family...etc.
Excellent.
She Gives Us Good Reason To Write.......2005-01-09
Janet Frame was an amazing woman. She died on Jan 30, 2004. I had this book on my 'need to read' shelf when I read an obituary in the NY Times about her death at age 79. She endured so much and wrote so keenly. She was thought to be a schizophrenic and wrote about her periods of madness in mental institutions. This autobiography was fascinating for me. There is a gentleness and everlasting patience about her that will make anyone like her. If you want a real treat...find the film AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE (from 1990) that Jane Campion (famous for the film THE PIANO) to complement the book. If only I could have met this woman. I would have loved to have tea and crumpets with her.
To The Is-Land.......2003-04-19
To forever capture the past in the present - to be always telling the tale, towards the destination and yet always on the go, postponing the end of self-perception and portrayal: one does not write an autobiography about what one gained but what one lost. Janet Frame shows an intense desire (and flair) in retaining her possessions - a place, an object, a thought, an emotion, a fragment of memories - in writing. It deals with loss and trauma in an honest, realistic, and fairly subdued manner, making it more geniune than a lot of best-selling memoirs. Frame has been described as an ego-centric writer in her fiction - always writing about and examining herself - but in her autobiography she reminds us of existential moments when one detaches from one's self and looks at the world: the unnamable sadness that we do and do not experience. The imagery here is also a lot richer than most autobiographies - if you enjoy down-to-earth and yet beautiful and touching stories, this is something you should read.
Book Description
Fodor's Pocket Guides are designed for people who just want the highlights. They contain full, rich descriptions of major cities around the globe including the most worthy sights, the best restaurants and lodging, plus shopping, nightlife, and outdoors highlights--all in a handy, pocket-size package.
Fodor's Pocket Kyoto gives you: All the basics you need to help you decide what to see and do in the time you have; smart contacts and detailed practical information, including the scoop on public transportation, local holidays, what to pack, and more; the very best dining and lodging in every price range; great recommendations for shopping nightlife, outdoor activities, and essential side trips; and detailed maps with sights, restaurants, nightspots, and hotels clearly marked.
An excellent choice for people who want everything under one cover." - Washington Post
Customer Reviews:
Outdated information.......2007-10-10
This book is sooooo outdated. Theres no train to Fushimi Inari but to Inari station. Theres no maiko show at the International Hotel "every night", it is only Fridays and Saturdays. Theres no mention of Ryozen Kwan On monument. Plus, I had to wait forever for the book to arrive on my mail. Against what the book says, people do their best to speak in english. After 12 hours in Kyoto, I threw this book away.
Solid book. A little hard to navigate though.......2006-11-08
All in all, this was a good book, it had a lot of information that was targeted to a specific area. The book was small and easy to carry along.
I did find it's structure wasn't great and the maps weren't the best. All in all, it did the job though.
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