Amazon.com
The opening pages of a Haruki Murakami novel can be like the view out an airplane window onto tarmac. But at some point between page three and fifteen--it's page thirteen in Kafka On The Shore--the deceptively placid narrative lifts off, and you find yourself breaking through clouds at a tilt, no longer certain where the plane is headed or if the laws of flight even apply.
Joining the rich literature of runaways, Kafka On The Shore follows the solitary, self-disciplined schoolboy Kafka Tamura as he hops a bus from Tokyo to the randomly chosen town of Takamatsu, reminding himself at each step that he has to be "the world¹s toughest fifteen-year-old." He finds a secluded private library in which to spend his days--continuing his impressive self-education--and is befriended by a clerk and the mysteriously remote head librarian, Miss Saeki, whom he fantasizes may be his long-lost mother. Meanwhile, in a second, wilder narrative spiral, an elderly Tokyo man named Nakata veers from his calm routine by murdering a stranger. An unforgettable character, beautifully delineated by Murakami, Nakata can speak with cats but cannot read or write, nor explain the forces drawing him toward Takamatsu and the other characters.
To say that the fantastic elements of Kafka On The Shore are complicated and never fully resolved is not to suggest that the novel fails. Although it may not live up to Murakami's masterful The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Nakata and Kafka's fates keep the reader enthralled to the final pages, and few will complain about the loose threads at the end. --Regina Marler
Book Description
Kafka on the Shore is powered by two remarkable characters: a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who runs away from home either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to search for his long-missing mother and sister; and an aging simpleton called Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction and now is drawn toward Kafka for reasons that, like the most basic activities of daily life, he cannot fathom.
As their paths converge, and the reasons for that convergence become clear, Haruki Murakami enfolds readers in a world where cats talk, fish fall from the sky, and spirits slip out of their bodies to make love or commit murder. Kafka on the Shore displays one of the world’s great storytellers at the peak of his powers.
Download Description
Haruki Murakami was born in Kyoto in 1949 and now lives near Tokyo. His work has been translated into thirty-four languages, and the most recent of his many honors is the Yomiuri Literary Prize, whose previous recipients include Yukio Mishima, Kenzaburo Oe, and Kobo Abe.
Haruki Murakami’s After the Quake; Dance Dance Dance; The Elephant Vanishes; Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World; Norwegian Wood; South of the Border, West of the Sun; Sputnik Sweetheart; Underground; A Wild Sheep Chase; and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle are available in Vintage paperback, as is Vintage Murakami, a selection of his finest work.
Translated from the Japanese by Philip Gabriel.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Haruki Murakami Surrealist Genius.......2007-09-18
As a fan of the Wind-up Bird Chronicle, Murakami's Kafka on the Shore provides a surrealistic trip, and an even bigger treat to fans of his previous books. With memorable characters, original story, and Murakami's unorthodox prose and style, Kafka on the Shore is an unforgettable book. Throwing musical, social, and cultural references around, Kafka has an immediate feeling, and makes it seem all the more relevant. Comparing the book to Murakami's masterpiece Wind-up Bird Chronicle is bound to happen, and as a fan I'd have to say I enjoyed both equally.
Whimsical Mish-Mush of Everything Murakami Has Ever Written.......2007-09-12
The title above says it all, and perhaps the reason why I have responded so negatively to the book, is because I have read everything Murakami has ever written prior to Kafka on the Shore. I am noticing many of the reviews pertain to first-time readers of Murukami, and so I can completely understand how this blatantly esoteric miscellany of all his other works might come across as the beautiful dream-like introspection, first-time readers deem it to be. What startles me however, is all the heaping praise from the regular murukami enthusiasts. It has, honestly, got me wondering if I am not completely OUT-OF-MY-GATDAMN-MIND?!?! Haha..No Seriously.
The beauty of many of Murukami's prior works such as Wind-Up Bird..[an understated masterpiece] is the subtlety in the writing, the uniqueness of the different characters [in nuanced ways] and his ability to incorporate somewhat fantastical elements, but in a very balanced manner. All of that is missing in Kafka on the Shore, where you've got hair-brained clowns like Colonel Sanders and Johnny Walker monkeying around along the way to wherever this book is taking you.
If you've read Murakami before you know that kafka always plays central but lo-key in his books, yet here the book is titled as such and the point is made over and over throughout the storyline. If you've read Murakami before, this book should read like his personal writer's exercise book from which allegories, characters, and sketches of plot have been culled to create all the books he wrote before. In Summary, this book is the hither-thither effluvia swimming in his mind that he draws from to create masterful work. Its messy and we shouldn't be reading this, I prefer not to see the little man with the greasy comb-over pulling the ropes behind the velvet curtain....that's just me.
weird but kind of fun.......2007-09-07
A Japanese teenager flees his evil father and ends up far from Tokyo in a small southern town, hanging out at the Komura Memorial Library. He must sort out his oedipal destiny. Meanwhile, a Japanese oldster makes a parallel journey from Tokyo to the same town. A mysterious incident during WWII left him scatterbrained, but with the ability to speak with cats. It just gets weirder and weirder from there. I enjoyed the old guy's story especially. Longer review available at my Impatient Reader website; see my Amazon profile for the URL.
Uneven.......2007-08-14
This is the first time I've read Murakami. I'll give him another chance, as there are parts of this novel that were brilliant. A good chunk of it, unfortunately, was exceedingly pedantic.
The first third was interesting enough, and though I've learned to avoid anything that smacks of 'magic realism' I found that my favorite character was the Siamese, Mimi. I got caught up in the author's dream-like imagery. Murakami builds tension and mystery ...
... and then drops it all unexpectedly. A good third of the book consists of characters trading monologues on metaphor, the nature of genius, the nature of the soul, the nature of identity, et cetera and ad nauseam. The latter part is one soliloquy after another. None of these speeches were even in character - a fifteen year old runaway, a disembodied spirit, a truck driver, a fifty year old woman, and a mentally disabled old man all spoke with the same dull academic voice. It was maddening. I would have quit the book if the first half hadn't been so well written.
Murakami recovers in the final chapters, but the novel would have been stronger with a good 100 pages shaved off.
Interesting.......2007-08-10
This story doesn't really hold up in my opinion. It's also a little silly in its style here and there, but I like it still. I love the local feeling conveyed, and I do enjoy the outlines of the story. Just a little too pieced-together.
Product Description
This Audiofy audiobook chip packs a full 7 hour reading of "Kafka on the Shore" on a tiny memory card. A single Audiofy audiobook chip, hardly larger than a stamp, holds a complete digital audiobook, and saves the last listening position automatically, unlike CDs. With an SD memory card slot or low-cost adapter - like those for digital cameras - this Audiofy audiobook chip can be played on Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh desktop computers or laptops (Microsoft Windows XP/2000/Me/98, or Apple Mac OS X 10.3.9 and above) or transferred to Apple iPod media players. Audiobook chips also move seamlessly to most Palm OS and Pocket PC handheld PDAs with SD expansion slots, as well as Treo and Windows Mobile "smartphones" (Palm OS 5.2 or Windows Mobile 2002 and above)... With "Kafka on the Shore," Haruki Murakami gives us a novel every bit as ambitious and expansive as "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle," acclaimed both here and around the world for its uncommon ambition and achievement, and likely to be read and admired for decades to come. A tour de force of metaphysical reality, "Kafka on the Shore" is powered by a teenage boy, Kafka Tamura, who runs away from home either to escape a gruesome oedipal prophecy or to search for his long-missing mother and sister; and an aging simpleton called Nakata, who never recovered from a wartime affliction and now is drawn toward Kafka for reasons he cannot fathom. Their odyssey, as mysterious to them as it is to us, is enriched by mesmerizing events. Cats and people carry on conversations, a ghostlike pimp employs a Hegel-quoting prostitute, a forest harbors soldiers apparently unaged since World War II, and rainstorms of fish (and worse) fall from the sky. There is a brutal murder, with the identity of both victim and perpetrator a riddle. Extravagant in its accomplishment, "Kafka on the Shore" displays one of the world's truly great storytellers at the height of his powers.
Product Description
The COPYRIGHT date listed on this book is 1956; however it definitely was not PUBLISHED in 1956. We estimate this book was printed in the 1980s or 1990s. Medium brown binding is made to LOOK like leather or leatherette but it is not. (You may see similiar copies of this book listed by other sellers which will claim the 1956 copyright date and "leather" or "leatherette" binding. Don't be fooled.) This book is part of an inexpensively-produced set of modern literature recently put out by the publisher. A handsome volume with gilt decoration on front cover and spine. Red satin bound-in bookmark. A few B&W line drawings.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Fu Jen Studies: literature & linguistics, published by Thomson Gale on January 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1238 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Murakami's Kafka on the Shore: everything in life is metaphor.(Haruki Murakami)(Book review)
Author: Chen-nan Lai
Publication:
Fu Jen Studies: literature & linguistics (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 39
Page: 131
Article Type: Book review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from World Literature Today, published by Thomson Gale on January 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1486 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Off the air: book reviews from National Public Radio.(Kafka on the Shore and Zorro)(Book Review)
Author: Alan Cheuse
Publication:
World Literature Today (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 80
Issue: 1
Page: 27(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
- Different feel to it, yet IT IS Murakami's
|
Kafka on the Shore Vol 1 of 2 (in traditional Chinese)
Manufacturer: Shi Bao Wen Hua Chu Ban Qi Ye
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 All Chinese Books
| Chinese
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 9571338400 |
Customer Reviews:
Different feel to it, yet IT IS Murakami's.......2004-06-23
*(I am giving this review base on Korean translation of 'Kafka on the Shore', which would be pretty accurate translation due to both languages' similar grammar structure. I constantly made reference back to original Japanese text(although my Japanese is minimal) to see if translation is accurate; other than how they refer and call each other, it's pretty much accurate in my opinion)
Mr Murakami revealed that he wants to write a timeless classic, and this is the very product of seven years of his strong will. 'Kafka on the Shore' is a different book compare with his previous works. It becomes very apparent that Mr Murakami tried different approach to illustrate this 'borderline' between two worlds through this 15 years old boy Kafka. I had very high anticipation when I finally got a copy of this book yet felt bit disappointed after finish reading it. I can't really pinpoint why I felt bit disappointed, however, I thought about it and came up with few reasons.
First of all, I was so used to his style of writing and structure of plot (I've read all of his work in English and Korean several times) Yes, he does use similar approach he used in 'Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World' by switching back and forth between two stories. However, I felt bit of this 'raw' throughout the book. May be it has to do with the personal fact that I've enjoyed more out of English translation (by the way, Jay Rubin is incredible translator..). I'll leave this one up to your call.
Second, Mr Murakami borrows one aspect from Greek mythology in his story (I think it's Greek mythology) called Oedipus Complex (that you will kill your own father and sleep with your mother and sister). I just didn't like the fact that Mr. Murakami used that story plot to structure his own substantially. I know what he was trying to accomplish by using this specific plot to illustrate the theme/purpose of the book, however, applying part of Greek mythology to this sort of modern day story didn't really bring out the best of its potential it's capable of in my humble opinion. And may be it has to do with my personal admiration/respect for Mr Murakami's tremendous talent; he could've come up with his own plot rather than having to use that 'Oedipus Complex' plot.
Lastly, mixing Greek mythology with some kind of sci-fi plot did not exactly come out as winning combination for me. One plot deals with this boy, who tries to escape from his supposedly 'fate', and the other deals with Hoshino, an old man with strange ability to communicate with cats. Hoshino gets this ability through this sci-fi-like incident. I can completely understand and being familiar with this 'sci-fi' element from his works, however, it didn't go well with Greek mythology.
I usually read his books over and over again... and somehow I don't get bored by reading them repeatedly. Mr Murakami said in his interview after finishing 'Kafka on the shore' that he has been trying to write a story, which makes readers to read again and again with having different experience every time. And I can not deny this 'truth' I sensed after my first time reading it through that I DEFINITELY NEED TO READ MORE THAN TWICE TO AT LEAST TO 'GRASP' WHAT MR MURAKAMI IS TRYING TO SAY. Like I said that this book is the very product of Mr Murakami's strong will to create a timeless masterpiece; and you can definitely feel the kind of magnitude, which is the common element of 'timeless classics'. Last but not least, I think this book will create more diverse 'personal' interpretation due to its magnitude and vastness, which happens to be his 'magic' to mesmerize readers throughout the world.
I believe I'll be completely absorbed by 'Kafka on the Shore' on my fifteenth reading...
So why the Five Stars despite of my 'complaints'? Well, I happened to be 'biased' when it comes to his books, and its merit is far greater than its 'flaw'.
Average customer rating:
- Differnt feel to it, yet, IT IS Murakami's
|
Kafka on the Shore, Vol 2 of 2 (in traditional Chinese)
Manufacturer: Shi Bao Wen Hua Qi Ye
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
All Chinese Books
| Chinese
| Foreign Language Books
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 9571338419 |
Customer Reviews:
Differnt feel to it, yet, IT IS Murakami's.......2004-06-23
*(I am giving this review base on Korean translation of 'Kafka on the Shore', which would be pretty accurate translation due to both languages' similar grammar structure. I constantly made reference back to original Japanese text(although my Japanese is minimal) to see if translation is accurate; other than how they refer and call each other, it's pretty much accurate in my opinion)
Mr Murakami revealed that he wants to write a timeless classic, and this is the very product of seven years of his strong will. 'Kafka on the Shore' is a different book compare with his previous works. It becomes very apparent that Mr Murakami tried different approach to illustrate this 'borderline' between two worlds through this 15 years old boy Kafka. I had very high anticipation when I finally got a copy of this book yet felt bit disappointed after finish reading it. I can't really pinpoint why I felt bit disappointed, however, I thought about it and came up with few reasons.
First of all, I was so used to his style of writing and structure of plot (I've read all of his work in English and Korean several times) Yes, he does use similar approach he used in 'Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World' by switching back and forth between two stories. However, I felt bit of this 'raw' throughout the book. May be it has to do with the personal fact that I've enjoyed more out of English translation (by the way, Jay Rubin is incredible translator..). I'll leave this one up to your call.
Second, Mr Murakami borrows one aspect from Greek mythology in his story (I think it's Greek mythology) called Oedipus Complex (that you will kill your own father and sleep with your mother and sister). I just didn't like the fact that Mr. Murakami used that story plot to structure his own substantially. I know what he was trying to accomplish by using this specific plot to illustrate the theme/purpose of the book, however, applying part of Greek mythology to this sort of modern day story didn't really bring out the best of its potential it's capable of in my humble opinion. And may be it has to do with my personal admiration/respect for Mr Murakami's tremendous talent; he could've come up with his own plot rather than having to use that 'Oedipus Complex' plot.
Lastly, mixing Greek mythology with some kind of sci-fi plot did not exactly come out as winning combination for me. One plot deals with this boy, who tries to escape from his supposedly 'fate', and the other deals with Hoshino, an old man with strange ability to communicate with cats. Hoshino gets this ability through this sci-fi-like incident. I can completely understand and being familiar with this 'sci-fi' element from his works, however, it didn't go well with Greek mythology.
I usually read his books over and over again... and somehow I don't get bored by reading them repeatedly. Mr Murakami said in his interview after finishing 'Kafka on the shore' that he has been trying to write a story, which makes readers to read again and again with having different experience every time. And I can not deny this 'truth' I sensed after my first time reading it through that I DEFINITELY NEED TO READ MORE THAN TWICE TO AT LEAST TO 'GRASP' WHAT MR MURAKAMI IS TRYING TO SAY. Like I said that this book is the very product of Mr Murakami's strong will to create a timeless masterpiece; and you can definitely feel the kind of magnitude, which is the common element of 'timeless classics'. Last but not least, I think this book will create more diverse 'personal' interpretation due to its magnitude and vastness, which happens to be his 'magic' to mesmerize readers throughout the world.
I believe I'll be completely absorbed by 'Kafka on the Shore' on my fifteenth reading...
So why the Five Stars despite of my 'complaints'? Well, I happened to be 'biased' when it comes to his books, and its merit is far greater than its 'flaw'.
Book Description
With Intercessory Prayer, first-time author and gifted Bible teacher Dutch Sheets brings clear and startling revelation on the power of prayer and the role of intercession. With the rare grace of Lucado and Foster, Dutch unwraps the mystery of intercessory prayer, revealing our role as God's partners in His work. Have you ever wondered if your prayers really count? Or why you never seem to get any answers? If so, then Intercessory Prayer will convince you that your prayers can, indeed, move heaven and earth.
Customer Reviews:
Boring,Boring,Boring and Totally Uninspiring!.......2007-09-23
This was the first book on intercessory prayer that I "tried"(unsuccessfully) to read. It was so boring and unmoving that I searched here at Amazon for others on this subject and came across Ronald Dunn's and was able to "look inside". As soon as I read the table of contents I knew this was the book for me,and I ordered it on the spot,and have not regretted that. So much more understandable and seemingly heartfelt, it touched my heart,where this book left me completely numb!
I would not recommend this to anyone,and would instead heartily recommend "Don't Just Stand There,Pray Something:The Incredible Power Of Intercessory Prayer" by Ronald Dunn. Which encourages you to begin your work immediately as a prayer warrior,if that is what is on your heart,and if that is the case this book really fires up your zeal for it. I'm so happy that the Dutch Sheet's book was from the library and I had not wasted any money for it!
Very good book. Better than Yancy's effort........2007-04-20
Better and more practical than Phillip Yancy's book on prayer. This book offers solid advice on how to pray and the importance of persistence.
Fabulous Find.......2007-01-19
This book is a great tool for study and understanding on the topic of prayer. Dutch Sheets presents prayer concepts in an amazing and insightful way, which has truly had an impact on my prayer life. He has ideas and thought provoking beliefs that I had never heard before and after reading this book, I have bougth multiple copies as gifts for others.
Best book on prayer ever written!.......2007-01-18
I have read many books on prayer and none have impacted my prayer life as much as this one. It gives you a new attitude towards the importance of prayer, and it gives you practical examples of how to transform your prayer life. It explains the authority every believer has in Christ and teaches how to walk in that authority. Very motivating!!
Absolutely worth reading!.......2007-01-11
This book has taught me why I have to pray and more importantly:
inspired me to pray more!It also gave me a new understanding of my authority as praying child of God.
Average customer rating:
- Could her love heal his damaged soul?
- A Truly Moving Love Story...
- Great and then it fizzles
- tear jerker
- HEART FELT
|
Move Heaven and Earth (Harper Monogram)
Christina Dodd
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Outrageous
ASIN: 0061081523 |
Book Description
Miss Sylvan Miles dreaded the moment she'd see Lord Rand Malkin again. Once a dashing rogue, he's returned from battle a changed man. Sylvan, too, has suffered. Sharpened by scandal and tragedy, she vows to heal Rand's body and spirit.
But when Sylvan arrives at Clairmont Court, the man she encounters is far from the great pleasure in taunting her with stolen kisss and the legend of his ancestor's ghost. But Sylvan isn't fooled by his bravado and sets out to break down his defenses...while she fortifies her own against temptation.
Download Description
Miss Sylvan Miles dreaded the moment she'd see Lord Rand Malkin again. Once a dashing rogue, he's returned from battle a changed man. Sylvan, too, has suffered. Sharpened by scandal and tragedy, she vows to heal Rand's body and spirit.
But when Sylvan arrives at Clairmont Court, the man she encounters is far from the great pleasure in taunting her with stolen kisss and the legend of his ancestor's ghost. But Sylvan isn't fooled by his bravado and sets out to break down his defenses...while she fortifies her own against temptation.
Customer Reviews:
Could her love heal his damaged soul?.......2004-11-08
Sylvan Miles had danced with Lord Rand Malkin once, before her reputation was in complete tatters and before Rand was wounded on the battlefield and left confined in a wheelchair. So when Rand's brother, Gavin, convinces her to become Rand's nurse, she is expecting a physically and emotionally broken man. Instead, she finds Rand more than physically fit, and very vocal (and physical - when he breaks windows constantly!) about his displeasure of having her as his nurse. Nevertheless, she is determined to help him in any way she can, even though she thinks she is an abject failure when it comes to nursing, since so many of her patients died.
Lord Rand didn't want a nurse - and he most certainly didn't want Sylvan as his nurse! She had entranced him when he had last seen her, but now his bitterness doesn't allow him to see her as a respectable person, and he is determined to hurt her and chase her away. Sylvan seems to be hardier than he expected, though, and before long he finds himself madly in love with her. But there is something wrong with Clairmont Court - a man is stalking women and attacking them at night - and Rand must discover who this man is before he can settle into happiness with Sylvan.
This book didn't really do much for me. I thought I'd like it because of the summary on the back, but I never clicked with Rand or Sylvan. Rand was a jerk and never really apologized for saying some really hideous things to and about Sylvan, and he just expected her to forgive him because of his injuries or because he thought to protect her from something else. And Sylvan was too weak for my tastes. She might have been strong, once upon a time, but being exposed to the horrors of war, losing her reputation and incurring society's wrath, and being placed near the acidic Rand didn't do anything for her personality except harm it even further. Furthermore, I felt like I was being told about the romance, rather than experiencing it through the eyes of one of the characters. The author's writing style and I never meshed well.
The whole "ghost story whodunit" plot was absurd and disappointing. Not only had I figured it out within a few chapters, but the whole melodramatic scene at the end was just silly. And as for who Gail's father was - geesh, as soon as she was mentioned I figured that out, how ignorant could Sylvan be? There was a lot of promise in this book, but it just didn't work for me.
A Truly Moving Love Story..........2004-03-25
Once vibrant and full of life, Lord Rand Malkin returned from the Napoleonic Wars a hero, and a traumatized man. Unable to walk and seething with anger, his tantrums and rudeness were not improving. So Rand's brother, the duke of Clairmont, hired a new nurse to care for him.
Sylvan Miles had tirelessly worked to heal the men wounded in battle, men who still haunt her dreams. She can remember a more uncomplicated time, when she attended parties, danced and flirted. A time when she first met Rand. They had shared one unforgettable waltz in a Brussels ballroom, before the breath of scandal, combined with her father's cold, domineering rule forced her to flee. Not only will she now have to deal with her feelings for Rand, but also the ghost of the first duke rumored to still roam the halls of Clairmont Court. Soon it becomes apparent there's a very real threat at Clairmont. Together, Sylvan and Rand will need to discover the source of the danger, as well as heal their own emotional scars.
Ms. Dodd has done it again by writing a beautiful, riveting and emotionally charged love story. She has an uncanny knack for combining great romance between well-developed characters, along with humor, believable intrigue, and highly erotic love scenes. Both Rand and Sylvan were quite enjoyable characters, and the spark between them burned throughout the pages. From the beginning when Sylvan walked into the house, and handled Rand's tantrum with humor and consummate skill, I was hooked. I also greatly enjoyed the secondary characters of Aunt Adela and Lady Emmie with their constant bickering, but they could conspire to bring Rand and Sylvan together. The only part I found difficult to read was where Rand said some pretty terrible things to Sylvan, in his misguided effort to protect her by chasing her away. But this is only minor, and certainly does nothing to change my opinion of how wonderful this book is. A definite must read.
Great and then it fizzles.......2001-11-17
I usually love Christina Dodd's books as her stories are interesting and the characters are well-developed. However, 2 of her books I recently read have similar plot devices that I feel torpedo the story. In the case of Heaven and Earth I loved the story of Sylvan and Rand -- she had been hired by Rand's brother(the duke of something or other) to help rehabilitate Rand after the Battle of Waterloo had left him paralyzed. As the daughter of a wealthy merchant and a field nurse at Waterloo, Sylvan found herself ostracized. When she arrives at the ducal estate, there are ghosts (for a gothic touch), a misogynistic minster, and attacks on the family's attempt to begin the Industrial Revolution in the local village. Sylvan is a bold, sardonic character and one is in full sympathy. Then she and Rand marry and in order to persuade her to go to London for her own safety he insults her gravely and deeply in the way that only a lover could and she duly flees. This is the moment the book falls apart for me and continues to fall apart nearly to the very end -- especially when Rand goes to London to retrieve her, he assumes that she will have figured out he was "just joking" -- and that it was all a ruse. And immediately after retrieving her they have sex in the carriage. Honestly. This plot is similar to Rules of Surrender, in my opinion, when the "hero" degrades the woman and causes a personality change to make her do something "for her own good". I don't enjoy this type of "romance" and was especially disappointed after the first 1/2 was so great.
tear jerker.......2000-06-23
I love when a story can make you laugh,cry, keep you in suspense... and you just don't want to put it down. I enjoy Christina Dodd's books because all of her charaters are different. Its not just the same people in a different setting or a different year.
HEART FELT.......2000-06-08
The story of Sylvan and Rand was everything a love story should be, you have secret past, mystery,ghost,and a lesson in trust. I thought that the setting of the story was great and the story was just as beautiful. A must read.
Average customer rating:
|
Gaining God's Agreement. How to Move Heaven On Earth
Manufacturer: Break Through
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
General | Religion & Spirituality | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
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General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000I9Z9L8 |
Product Description
2 Audio Cassettes in clamshell case
Books:
- Keeping Faith: A Novel (P.S.)
- Kiss of the Spider Woman
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- Love Medicine: A Novel (P.S.)
- Lunar Park
- Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy
- Memoirs of Hadrian
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