Rabbit Angstrom : The Four Novels : Rabbit, Run, Rabbit Redux, Rabbit Is Rich, Rabbit at Rest (Everyman's Library)

Book Description

When we first met him in Rabbit, Run (1960), the book that established John Updike as a major novelist, Harry (Rabbit) Angstrom is playing basketball with some boys in an alley in Pennsylvania during the tail end of the Eisenhower era, reliving for a moment his past as a star high school athlete. Athleticism of a different sort is on display throughout these four magnificent novels—the athleticism of an imagination possessed of the ability to lay bare, with a seemingly effortless animal grace, the enchantments and disenchantments of life.

Updike revisited his hero toward the end of each of the following decades in the second half of this American century; and in each of the subsequent novels, as Rabbit, his wife, Janice, his son, Nelson, and the people around them grow, these characters take on the lineaments of our common existence. In prose that is one of the glories of contemporary literature, Updike has chronicled the frustrations and ambiguous triumphs, the longuers, the loves and frenzies, the betrayals and reconciliations of our era. He has given us our representative American story.

Customer Reviews:

"Reduxing Rabbit".......2007-07-31

Like other readers I read the Rabbit novels as they were first published. I won't dwell on the story lines and spoil your reading. They are poignant, crisply written stories well worth reading and rereading, with Updike's poetic touch on the narrative and excellent dialogue. I first read the books as sheer entertainment, and indeed these books will entertain you, even as they jog your senses with the saga of their tragic anti-hero. On rereading the novels the entertainment was still there, but I focused on deeper meaning. The Rabbit novels inimitably get you thinking about yourself and whether you learned from mistakes, yours or others. The delight about any novel and these in particular is that you can pause, ponder, rewind, or fast forward if you are bored. I was never bored with these books. And whatever your age, neither will you.

When a novel becomes a friend.......2007-04-23

There is always that sad feeling at the end of a great character-based novel. It's as if you just got to know and love someone and they vanish. This series is spectacular for so many reasons, but I particularly love how well I know Rabbit by now (I'm in the 3rd book), as if he were a friend of many years. Updike does an impressive job of weaving details throughout the entire series that makes the reader understand, and believe.

a labor of love..........2006-08-31

as a primarily non-fiction reader, i was drawn to the rabbit series by the NYT list of top fiction novels of all time.. I decided to give Mr. Updike a try, and lugged around this behemoth of a series!

updike's novels are interesting especially when you consider the historical context of the times in which they were written. for example, his references to sex and overt sexual language were highly controversil at the time of his writing.

Reading the series allows you a seat of the passenger train of the 60s, 70s, and 80s, each which their overriding "isms". An enjoyable read.

I did it!.......2006-01-02

I have to admit it: finishing this 1500 page tome, which consist of the four Harry (Rabbit) Angstrom novels, each longer than the one before it ("Rabbit Run," "Rabbit Redux," "Rabbit is Rich," and "Rabbit at Rest"), gave me a sense of accomplishment. Updike is a truly great writer, but his prose can be ponderous at times, particularly in "Rabbit Run." Some of these characters, including Rabbit himself, can be quite frustrating, especially over the course of four books.

Updike's placement as one of the greatest American writers of the last half of the twentieth century, stems from, I believe, his descriptive abilities, whether it be describing the flora in a garden, typical patter on a golf course, sexual scenes, or an angioplasty procedure. The books are spaced ten years apart in time, and Updike does a nice job setting each in the context of its time, although I'm not so sure these novels work as a "time capsule" in that the characters are only peripherally involved in, or concerned with, the seminal events of those eras. Most of the characters don't really change all that much, with the notable exception of Janice, Rabbit's wife, whose character blossoms with each consecutive book. Rabbit, himself, always remains sex and death obsessed, understandably more of the latter as he grows older. He does grow on the reader, though, even after making one poor choice after another. In "Rabbit at Rest," we finally see Rabbit have a relationship based on pure love: that with his grand-daughter Judy.

If you're interested, I reviewed each book separately on this web-site, giving "Rabbit Run" three stars, and the other three books four stars. I believe that consolidating all four into a single volume was worthwhile, since there are so many references to past incidents of which which the reader would not be aware, unless s/he has read the prior Rabbit novel(s). Based on the events that are recalled, sometimes it seemed as if Rabbit has spent his life in a cave, only to emerge every ten years for a few months to experience some traumatic event chronicled in the four books that comprise this series.

Updike's introduction is very interesting, in that he's surprisingly revealing about his sources and inspiration. He even provides self-critique and analysis, which is quite rare amongst authors of this caliber.

Writing that constantly amazes.......2005-07-08

I am new to Updike, just finished the 4 Rabbit novels. I was astonished at the writing in these books. The ability to describe common scenes of ordinary life, the continual observations that ring true and make you nod your head while reading put John Updike above any other author I've read.

In my opinion, the best of the Rabbit novels are the first and last. Rabbit Redux was a letdown and the story was not very believable. A couple of things worth mentioning - these novels have a lot of profanity and a lot of explicit, even kinky sex scenes - adultery, swinging, it's all there. Some folks may be offended, despite the great writing.

One thing that took some getting used to - the author often makes very interesting, profound, humorous comments where it's not easily identifiable as coming from the author/narrator or the character. These observations/asides are what really makes the books so terrific. Rabbit himself is a pretty dull guy and it's Updike's genius that makes his story so compelling. There's a line toward the end of the last book that seems to sum up Rabbit as a man. This comment is obviously from the narrator: The smell of good advice always makes Rabbit want to run the other way.

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Updike's answer to "On the Road"
Reality Bites
Very well written, somewhat flawed
Surprisingly Insightful
I hated it so much I read the sequels

Rabbit, Run
John Updike
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0449911659
Release Date: 1996-08-27

Book Description

Harry Angstrom was a star basketball player in high school and that was the best time of his life. Now in his mid-20s, his work is unfulfilling, his marriage is moribund, and he tries to find happiness with another woman. But happiness is more elusive than a medal, and Harry must continue to run--from his wife, his life, and from himself, until he reaches the end of the road and has to turn back....

Customer Reviews:

Updike's answer to "On the Road".......2007-05-06

The first time I read "Rabbit, Run," I didn't much care for it: although I admired the prose and found the story interesting enough, I didn't know anyone like Harry Angstrom (I was exactly his age at the time), and it seemed a little unreal that a 26-year-old would have what seemed to me to be a midlife crisis.

Well, two decades have not only expanded my horizons but also have wiped away a lot of my earlier idealism. Reading this novel now, I realize how exactly right Updike got everything. Harry (Rabbit) Angstrom isn't any more sympathetic than he was twenty years ago, but he's certainly believable.

Feeling trapped in his marriage and his job, Rabbit longs for the wild excitement of his glory days as a basketball star in high school. Already the boys on the street playing hoops regard him as an old man, and he goes home grouchy, to a wife equally grouchy from pregnancy, and discovers his son and the car are both at his in-laws' home. On the way out the door to retrieve son, car, and a pack of cigarettes for his wife, "Rabbit freezes, standing looking his faint yellow shadow on the white door that leads to the hall, and senses he is in a trap. It seems certain. He goes out."

And he runs.

His subsequent adventures lead him in quick order to an aimless overnight drive, to the haunt of his old basketball coach, to an encounter with a world-wise woman who moonlights as a prostitute, and to a friendship with an oddly endearing, if clueless, minister. While Rabbit hesitates in choosing whether to return to his old life or remain carefree, his indecision leads to an unspeakable tragedy, and even though I'd read it once before, the seamless construction and the crescendo of this pivotal scene still managed to take my breath away.

In a later essay, Updike acknowledged that he wrote this novel in response to Jack Keroauc's "On the Road" (without having ever read it); he wanted to show what really happened when people just dropped everything and "cut loose." In short, "the people left behind get hurt." And this novel is about that hurt and how it threatens the fabric of the family and the community. While the openness of the ending acknowledges "our heart's stubborn amoral quest for something once called grace," his story's seemingly "prim" morality forces the reader to recognize the importance of responsibility.

Reality Bites.......2006-09-29

A star basketball player in high school, Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom comes to the realization that his life 8 years out of high school is a meaningless existence, even with a wife and son. His success on the court has not translated into success in life, perhaps making it harder to accept his current situation. Once adored as a top athlete and hero at his high school, Harry has evolved into a mediocre salesman living in a decrepit apartment with an apathetic wife. With this drab existence, Harry spurns his commitments (and responsibility to his family) and decides to run. Run where? Run for how long? These do not enter the bewildered mind of Harry Angstrom.

John Updike delivers a masterful job of telling the story of this ex-jock and his current struggles with everyday life. He presents the raw emotion and feelings of a drifting young man. Harry is no hero. He is narcissistic, selfish, and immature, to say the least, yet Updike manages to elicit sympathy for Harry and his situation. Equally as intriguing as Harry Angstrom, is the character of Jack Eccles, a local Episcopal minister. Updike delves into the complexities of this man of God, as he struggles not only with "reforming" Harry, but also of his own doubts and inferiorities, as well as his embittered relationship with his agnostic wife.

Religion and sex emerge as the dominant themes. Religion, neither lauded nor condemned, proves a pivotal role in shaping the lives of Updike's characters. The ideals of God's role and God's will perplex Harry and Jack. Even the existence or non-existence of God becomes a central role in the novel. Sex, undoubtedly, is the catalyst behind Harry's abandonment of his family. Updike does not describe sex as a sacred or meaningful, but instead describes it in rather graphic detail as a physical act without meaning or purpose. Indeed, for a book written in 1960, the sexual details are explicit, much more than the much-aligned "Catcher in the Rye.", written a few years earlier. However, Updike's portrayal of sex lends more realism and more potency to his novel.

It's easy to see why this is Updike's most successful novel. I will be reading "Rabbit Redux" soon.

Very well written, somewhat flawed.......2006-09-07

Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom is a young married man with one child and another on the way. But he's feeling overwhelmed. His wife spends her days drinking and there is little affection between the two of them. He realizes that in fact, he doesn't love her anymore. He can't stop remembering when he was in high school and was the star of the basketball team. Life was easier then, he was a big shot and everyone loved him.

So Rabbit runs. He takes off to go down south but only gets to West Virginia before turning back for home. He doesn't go back to his wife, though, he goes to his old basketball coach for advice. The coach is a pathetic character who ends up taking Harry on a double date with two some-time prostitutes. Harry ends up moving in with this new girl, Ruth. When his second child is about to be born, Rabbit goes back to his wife only to run again after a tragic accident.

It's easy to understand Rabbit's feelings in this book. Updike does a good job of getting you inside his head and feeling the pressure of being trapped in a marriage that makes you unhappy with an unfulfilling job to top it off. Rabbit is, however, an unsympathetic character. He rarely thinks about anyone but himself and what he wants. In the time he is apart from his wife before he returns to her, he never tells her where he is or if he's ok. He never goes to see his son, even once. The new woman he is living with changes many things about her life for him, but Rabbit remains Rabbit. He gets by in life due to his charm, but that charm rarely comes though the pages of the book.

I couldn't figure out why Ruth lets him move in because she never says a kind word to him. They never have the kind of conversation that two people in love would have and yet they live and breath as a couple. It just never makes any sense. This is the first Updike book I have read and he certainly has a way with words. Some of his sentences will make you stop and pause, they are so beautiful. There are times, though, that he becomes too enamored of his own ability and strings together alot of lovely words that signify nothing. It then takes him awhile to get back to the story.

Rabbit, Run is very well written and interesting to a point. Your obstacles are dealing with an unsympathetic main character and long stretches where not much happens.

Surprisingly Insightful.......2006-07-11

Considering Updike was 28 years old when he wrote this book, it has to be considered one of the most promising books any up and coming author has ever laid at the feet of the literate public. As much as I enjoy Tom Robbins, who graced us with Another Roadside Attraction at roughly the same age, this stands above that as a precursor to what would come later. Rabbit, Run is a great start to what turned out to be an outstanding writing career.

The book deals with middle America, the loneliness and sexual frustration which exists there. This seems a common theme for Updike, as his book Villages, written 45 years before this, addresses many of the same topics, albeit with a somewhat different twist in a similar but not identical setting. One thing we can assume is that Updike subscribes to the adage to write what you know. But then he also penned the Witches Of Eastwick as well as his latest, Terrorist. So take that for what it's worth.

In any event, Rabbit, Run deals with a Twenty something Everyman unhappy in life and unhappy in marriage, living unhappily in a blue collar Pennsylvania town. Once the star of his high school basketball team, Rabbit has not gone on to bigger and brighter things. More accurately, Rabbit is mired in a rut, burdened with the every day slump many in the same situation find themselves in. To escape this rut, he does as the title suggests. He runs.

The running is dealt with brilliantly in the pages. Human tragedy, frailty, emotion - all are covered here. The reader is squeezed through the wringer as we rise and fall with Rabbit's actions, his decisions, and his ultimate cowardess. From his wife, to another, back to his wife, then away, there is nothing for Rabbit to do, nothing he knows how to do, but run to escape his misery. Behind him, nothing remains but a path of destruction.

This book is a brilliant example of required American literature. Given the plight of society, this book - which is now 46 years old - is no less accurate than the day it was written. As we move to the later half of the book, the pages turn faster, even though they're often devoid of dialog and thick with narrative. Updike brings magic to these pages and to the actions of the Everyman Rabbit, who does not fancy himself an Everyman at all, but as unique from everyone he meets.

This is a complete book, in my opinion worthy of every accolade ever heaped upon it. While it is an old book by today's standard, it is every bit worth the read. I greatly look forward to picking up the next in the Rabbit books, Rabbit Redux.

I hated it so much I read the sequels.......2006-06-06

This is a Great Book - it must be - the NYT and other literary experts say so. Rabbit's life is awful - his wife's a drunk, his job sucks, nothing is really what he thought life would be. He tries to run away and fails at that too. According to Time magazine, Rabbit Angstrom is "an unflinchingly authentic specimen of American manhood". Yikes! Let's hope not - but maybe there is more truth in it than one likes to admit.

It's hard not to recommend reading this book even though reading it is really not an enjoyable experience. Rabbit evoked powerful emotions in this reader - especially anger and depression; maybe a little anxiety. You are almost guaranteed to feel worse after you read this book - especially if you can identify with any part Angstrom's angst. On the other hand, the mature reader (er, middle-aged) who has experienced the fullness of life's sorrows may sort of shrug at Rabbit as if to say 'what did you expect from life? Pull yourself together, son.'

Read at your own risk.

New Essays on Rabbit Run (The American Novel)

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New Essays on Rabbit Run (The American Novel)

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Book Description

Still John Updike's most popular and critically acclaimed novel, Rabbit Run introduced the character of Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom, one of those middle-class Americans who, in Updike's words, aren't especially beautiful or bright or urban but about whom there is a lot worth saying. The fallible hero struggles with his own sexuality, his religious feelings, the difficulties of being a son and father, and with the changes in American society that seem to suffocate him. Updike's writing is charged with narrative energy and pictorial accuracy that illuminate the present moment; it evokes the tension between the drab compromises we are forced to make with age and the religious mystery that sustains us. Written by a distinguished group of international scholars, these essays examine both the technical mastery and thematic range that make Updike's work one of the most significant achievements in modern American fiction and one that continues to provoke fresh critical insight.

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GradeSaver(tm) ClassicNotes Rabbit, Run
Damien Chazelle
Manufacturer: GradeSaver, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1602590133
Release Date: 2006-11-23

Book Description

GradeSaver(TM) ClassicNotes are the ultimate study guides, written by Harvard students for students! Each note includes: * An author biography * An in-depth chapter-by-chapter summary * A short summary * A character list and related descriptions * A list of themes * A glossary * Historical context * Two academic essays * 100 quiz questions to improve test taking skills!

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Funny Bunnies on the Run
Robert M. Quackenbush
Manufacturer: Clarion Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 089919771X

Average customer rating:

a sweet, wonderful book for any child

Rosie Runs Away
Macdonald
Manufacturer: Atheneum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0689316259

Customer Reviews:

a sweet, wonderful book for any child.......2000-09-28

My 3 year old found this especially interesting when she was feeling a little jealous of her baby brother the way Rosie was of "Fat Mat". When Rosie tries to help her mother she causes her more problems so she decides to run away. In the end she realized that she is still loved and needed in her home and that she wants to be there, even with Fat Mat. This is a sweet little storybook, just right for child with a new brother or sister and the illustrations fit the story perfectly. Rosie and Fat Mat are precious! as is their stroybook home and garden. I highly recommend this book.

Monster Rabbit Runs Amuck (Kids of the Polk Street School)

Average customer rating:

Wonderful!
cute story
A good book for children learning to read chapter books

Monster Rabbit Runs Amuck (Kids of the Polk Street School)
Patricia Reilly Giff
Manufacturer: Yearling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 044040424X
Release Date: 1991-02-01

Book Description

It's springtime and it's almost Richard "Beast" Best's birthday. His sister, Holly, is even giving him a surprise party. Or so he thinks. But what will she do when she finds out that Beast has squashed her egg-carton jewelry box?

Meanwhile, Beast has a bigger problem. He and his best friend, Matthew Jackson, had to move the huge rabbit on wheels onto the stage for the spring assembly. When they started to push it, the monster rabbit ran amuck and rolled right off the stage. How will Beast and Matthew get the thing back together before Thursday's assembly?

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful!.......2003-02-23

This book is well written and enjoyable; about 2 friends who always seem to get in trouble. You can learn a lot from this book. Beast and Matthew think they're in deep deep trouble when the school's rabbit-on-wheels (for the Easter play) "runs amuck" and loses it's head!! Parts of this book, like all of Giff's delightful books, made me giggle. She is a wonderful author...Beast thinks if he's quiet about the rabbit, the problem will go away but one thing leads to another and he accidentally mooshes his sister's jewelry box and feels terrible. Besides that he has suspicions that she is planning a party for him. Normally reading these books I saw his sister Holly as being like an obnoxious, bossy old cow, but in this book you see her becoming a good sister and he confides in her about the "Monster Rabbit running amuck". Wonderful book and character devlopment, however I think Holly still should've had a party for Richard since he was so depressed that the party she was planning was really for her class!

cute story.......2002-06-06

We read this as a read aloud in our homeschool. The book kept my son's attention fairly well. This was the first Polk street school book that we have read. We might look into reading more of the series.

A good book for children learning to read chapter books.......2001-07-25

This was one of the first chapter books I've read. The beginning of the story was a bit confusing because Richard, the main character, says "the beast is home!" He says the beast is home because people call him the beast! So the beast in the story is a little boy.

In the story, it's almost Richard's birthday. He thinks that Holly, his big sister, and her friend Joanne, are making a party for him. [...]

Richard and his best friend Matthew have to help bring a rabbit to the kindergarten spring play.

Book Description

A lovely, bright, and very sweet animal identification story with a delightful surprise ending.

Customer Reviews:

Intelligent humor.......2007-05-02

Everyone else has done an excellent job of reviewing this book. The only thing missing seems to be comments on the intelligent humor of the book. In several places I found myself smirking, chuckling or even snorting at the very subtle humor of the story.

This was most often found in the dialog. Without giving anything away, one perfect example is the strangest variation of "May the Goddess watch over you" statements ever heard.

While this is not my first Jane Fletcher book, it is my first from the Celaeno World Series, and I assure you that I plan to read every book in this series.

2005 Lambda Literary Finalist.......2007-04-08

I enjoyed this book immensely. I read it to the conclusion and immediately read it again. This is a wonderfully well written speculative novel (see the description below).

A terrific story, the pages just flow so easily and so enjoyably that you find yourself reading the last page much too quickly considering the book is almost 300 pages. Be prepared, while the character's feelings and actions are authentic to today's world, the setting is much like I would imagine the middle ages had been with all the brutality of that era as well.

The character development is superb, with many quiet moments of huge impact to the reader. I especially remember Lynn speaking to Kim on page 78 about the price she pays because she is an Imprinter and in no control what so ever of her own life. In addition, there are some thrilling scenes that leave you breathless. One thing that I enjoyed immensely was the sense of humor from each of the main characters, they all were very unique to the individual, I am impressed thinking back on it and enjoyed it every much while reading.

What ever you do, do not read the end of the book first, it really will reduce the payoff if you don't wait to read it last. I mainly enjoy romances so this took me by surprise. The romance, while integral to the characters development and the plot, is secondary. It is the story that you become enthralled with. I liked it so much I devoured the other three books in the series in one week. It really doesn't matter which order you read the novels in (I read Temple at Landfall first).

Don't miss any of the books in the Celaeno World Series by Jane Fletcher

The Rangers at Roadsend
The Temple at Landfall
The Walls of Westernfort
Dynasty of Rogues

From the publisher's web site -

Lynn feels more like a prisoner than the chosen of the Goddess. Transfer to another temple is her chance to taste a little freedom on the journey, but all does not go to plan and her dull life is shattered by the dangers and choices that await her. (Previously released as The World Celaeno Chose)

Book Description
In a world without men, imprinter Lynn has a vital gift--the ability to link strands of DNA to create new life. Owned by the Temple, protected and effectively held prisoner there, she leads a life of quiet despair, shut away forever from her family and the world outside.

Then into her life comes Kim; tough, worldly, and courageous, part of a squadron of rangers assigned to protect her on the arduous journey through the mountains to Landfall, the holiest of the Temple sites. Haunted by a tragedy in her own past, Kim is quickly drawn to the lonely young imprinter.

But as the two women grow closer, they know they are putting themselves in grave danger. For in a world where the Church rules the State, there are people who will stop at nothing to make sure Lynn can never escape....

Jane Fletcher is the consummate story teller and plot wizard.......2006-09-08

Jane Fletcher is the consummate storyteller and plot wizard. Getting caught up in the action happens as if by magic and the fantasy elements are long forgotten. The world Fletcher creates, the characters she brings to life, and the rich detail described in eloquent prose, all serve to keep the reader enchanted, satisfied, yet wanting more. A 2005 Lammy finalist, "The Temple at Landfall" is surely a winner in this reader's book, and as an author, Jane Fletcher is the Goddess herself.
What could be more important than creating new life and reveling in the joy of having the gifts to perform such miracles? In the world of Celaeno, without men to procreate, women rely on the Imprinters for continuation of the species. Lynn, chosen by the Goddess to function as an Imprinter, also has healing talents and a heart of gold. At the tender age of twelve, the Sisters claimed her for the temple at Fairfield where she soon learned the ropes and proved to be their greatest asset. Before long, word of Lynn's gift spreads and she is whisked away to the temple at Landfall by Sister Smith--an ambitious political fool who longs to be the Chief Consultant at any cost. Only, instead of feeling privileged, Lynn feels like a slave destined for a celibate, hapless, and exhausting life under the rule and watchful eye of the Sisters who truly believe they are doing the Goddess's will. The leaders use religion to justify their less than pious actions where greed, backstabbing, political maneuverings, and ignorance prove the inner sanctum is less than holy. Lynn wonders if the Guards (the Sister's army) are there to protect her or to keep her from running away.
When Lynn meets the fearless, handsome, and brilliant heroine Lieutenant Kim Ramon of the 23rd Squadron of Rangers, the soldier is brusque surmising the Imprinter is asking silly questions. However, Lynn soon finds that she can't deny her lustful thoughts and profound attraction for the noble warrior. Kim knows all too well the prohibition of mingling with the holy ones, but Lynn is not your average Imprinter. She makes it hard for Kim to ignore the woman behind the title.
Fletcher's claim to fame is her compelling narrative, plot twists, intense action sequences, vivid scenery, and the reader's hope that against all odds the heroines will live happily ever after. The intelligence with which Fletcher writes about imprinting verses cloning, religion verses science, religious leaders verses heretics, and her attempt to show the sort of biased, unsupported dogma that religious fanatics pass off as rational unquestionable fact makes The Temple at Landfall not only entertaining but thought-provoking as well. Don't miss it. Once you visit Celaeno, you won't want to leave. "The Temple at Landfall" is a pleasure to read, hard to put down, and is the perfect addition to any library. I recommend everything this 2005 Golden Crown Literary Society winner, for "The Walls of Westernfort," has penned.

Celaneo Series...read me.......2006-08-01

Fletcher's Celaneo series is well-written and the character development makes the book.

The main character, Lynn, holds the key to all. The mystery behind who wants to control whom and what they need will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The art of storytelling.......2006-05-21

There are two basic premises to fantasy storytelling. One: the possibilities are endless. Two: don't lose your audience. This book can be held up as the paradigm for all fantasy storytellers. Jane Fletcher creates an engaging central character in Lynn so well that a reader forgets the words and begins to experience the tale. Lynn has an extraordinary skill that is beautifully balanced by grounded, natural human feelings. Fletcher knows her craft and executes it well. Too often, writers attempt to hide their shortcomings with an excess of superflous words or a bombardment of technological wizardry. Fletcher has no need to employ such smoke and mirrors. She is a first class author with an enchanting imagination. I'm glad that this book was written and I'm definitely going to read Rangers at Roadsend and Wall at Westernfort.

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