Giles Goat Boy (The Anchor Literary Library)

Book Description

In this outrageously farcical adventure, hero George Giles sets out to conquer the terrible Wescac computer system that threatens to destroy his community in this brilliant "fantasy of theology, sociology, and sex" (Time).

Customer Reviews:

Best Barth Book.......2005-09-27

This was my favorite book by Barth so far, so far being as far as Sot-Weed Factor (a close 2nd), Chimera, and Lost in the Funhouse. This was also the 1st book I read by Barth, which may have something to do with it, but nonetheless it is well worth the dense English of a prose master.

A review from the author of YEARS OF RAGE.......2005-04-09

With his imposing fourth novel, Giles Goat-Boy: or, The Revised New Syllabus (1966), John Barth stopped writing stories and started writing stories-about-stories and stories-inside-of-stories. The "meta-fictional" dimensions of the novel are apparent from its first page onward. A "Publisher's Note" informs its readers that Giles Goat-Boy is rumored to have been generated by WESCAC, a super-computer that-as one learns later in the text-has "commenced a life of its own" [86] and taken over a mythical Super-University. According to the logic of Giles Goat-Boy, the horizons of the University are the horizons of the universe, the "microcosm" stands for the "macrocosm" (a conceit derived from Joseph Campbell); it stands to reason, then, that WESCAC, having completely taken over the universal University, would have produced the very text that we are reading. This clever "meta-fictional" device displaces the individual voice of the author, of course, but also reflects the sources that make its writing possible. If the author wanted to write a work that refers ceaselessly to the conditions of its production, he succeeded. A sprawling epic about mythological heroism in an age of all-consuming computerization, Giles Goat-Boy resembles the infinitely self-referring spreadsheet of a constantly self-renovating and self-activating linguistic super-computer.

Giles Goat-Boy is many things. It is a Bildungsroman that charts the gradual socialization of an individual subject. Raised by goats, messianic savage George Giles strives to become the new "Grand Tutor" of the University and reprogram WESCAC. In fact, it is George who is reprogrammed. Following the classical form of the Bildungsroman, the novel ends with the disappearance of the hero's identity insofar as he is absorbed into the computer's complex machinery. Deep within Axis Mundi, the belly of the computer, George submits to WESCAC his student identification card. In doing so, he loses his name and remerges as "The Founder." Like Wilhelm Meister, George's character is stamped by an external authority that grants him his socially reconstituted selfhood and, thereby, his validity.
Giles Goat-Boy is also a complex theological and political allegory. The University is a stage upon which various world-historical conflicts are dramatized and enacted. "The Quiet Riot" allegorizes the Cold War. The Campus Riots are the world wars. The Bonifascists represent the National Socialists; the Moishians represent the Jews. The West Campus represents the West; the East Campus represents the East in general and the Soviet Union in particular. WESCAC is the atomic bomb. "New Tammany College" represents America. Getting "flunked" is equivalent to damnation; passing is equivalent to salvation. The "Dean O'Flunks" refers to Satan; the "Old Founder" refers to Jehovah. Each of the oppositions mentioned above is dialectically synthesized at the novel's close.

Most importantly, however, Giles Goat-Boy is an extraordinarily elaborate practical joke. As with most postmodernist works, the reader doesn't quite know whether to take any of its meanings seriously, but suspects that one shouldn't. Allegory, for instance, is merely one of GGB's many language games. Perhaps one should take "J.B." at his word when he says-or is alleged to have said-that "language is the matter of his books, as much as anything else, and for that reason ought to be `splendrously musicked out'" [xvi]. Nonetheless, one of its reputed authors maintains that the book should not be dismissed as `a work of fiction': "Excepting a few `necessary basic artifices'" Stoker maintains, GGB is "neither fable nor fictionalized history, but literal truth" [xi]. This is also doubtful. "Literal truth" may not refer to a truth on the other side of language, but rather, a linguistic elaboration or fabrication of truth. "Literal truth," in this context, would be a truth that is composed of letters.

Giles Goat Boy is a world of veils and yet these veils do not mask deeper verities. As authoritative as it might appear, GGB abdicates its own presumptions of authority. The "Publisher's Disclaimer" disclaims-or, at least, problematizes-all of the book's claims. According to the "Disclaimer," the alleged author, "J.B." renounced his authorship. He claimed that he is merely the editor of the manuscript in question, which was tailored by one "Giles Stoker" or "Stoker Giles." The latter claimed, in turn, that he is the editor of the manuscript, which was manufactured by the automatic computer, WESCAC. The computer also renounces the book's authorship. GGB's authorship, it would seem, is infinitely regressive. No one wants to admit having written the thing.

Barth's future meta-narratives (Lost in the Funhouse, Chimera, Letters) will become increasingly more involuted, vine-like, and entangling, increasingly more extravagant, bombastic, and bloated, and increasingly more irritating, self-fascinated, and densely imbricated. Some readers, overwhelmed by Barth's verbiage, will bow to his self-indulgent pretentiousness. Others will remember, wistfully and nostalgically, Barthes' real masterpiece, The End of the Road-a sour and cruel novel, to be sure, but also an infinitely more powerful and engaging one than Giles Goat-Boy. Whereas The End of the Road comes about like the shock of a physical hammer-blow, reading Giles Goat-Boy is a bit like having one's mind EAT-en by an all-embracing cybernetic parasite.

Joseph Suglia, the author of YEARS OF RAGE, the novel inspired by the Columbine High Massacre

Beautifully Crafted But Pretentious.......2003-03-25

This is not one of Barth's greater works, but it thoroughly exploits his many gifts.

The reduction of the American Cultural Revolution to a Campus is a "nifty" idea - one which almost succeeds due to Barth's overwhelming prose and typically complex plot, but ultimately falls into the same philosophical category as a couple of stoners theorizing that each atom of their finger is a world of its own.

Ultimately, this novel is dated in a way that Barth's other works are not (which is ironic, considering the specificity of some of the other works' temporal settings). One cannot separate this work from the 60's. The whole metaphor upon which the book is based is fairly trite. Of course, if you like "Earth in the Balance," "The Population Bomb," or "The Sirens of Titan," then you'll probably absorb "Giles Goat Boy" into your own worldview and then go off on a pacifist riot through San Francisco.

Perhaps it is somewhat disappointing to see Barth lay aside his precious nihlism in favor of sweaty luddite pot-philosophy. It is certainly nice to see Barth avoid this tendency in his later works.

Compared to the disappointing "Letters: A Kind of Novel," which is artistic to the point of unreadability, or "Chimera," which is lacking in anything but the curiosity of being a Playboy pick, "Giles Goat Boy" is irresistably entertaining. The intricacy of the plot is vintage Barth (and of course, the whole "heroic cycle" thing is present, if you choose to reflect upon it). At moments (as in The Sot Weed Factor), Barth reveals glimpses of the perversions that he is to reveal more fully in later works (Somebody the Sailor, for example), but they are not as central to the story as they might have been.

All told, I would agree with other reviewers and suggest that those new to Barth steer clear of Giles Goat Boy until they have digested some of his other works. It is a fairly useful thing to understand Barth's structural tendencies when reading GGB, and an introductory reading of this book first is too likely to convince the reader that Barth is just another 60's type who writes a good piece of filth.

A masterful performance........2003-02-19

It took me a couple of starts to get past the first twenty pages of this book, but the persistence was well repayed. Over the course of a few works (Sot-Weed, End of the Road, Letters) Barth was one of the great powers of modern literature. Goat-Boy finds him in peak form. The longevity of his computer/campus framework, and the wisdom of his "if it ain't broke" philosophy are subject to worthy discussion, but anybody who can get away with slapping a Lord Buckley styled hipster take on Oedepus Rex right in the middle just to show off his emense skill is beyond bold. Brazen in all the best ways.

Funny but dense.......1999-10-18

This was my first exposure to Barth but based on this it certainly won't be my last. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but what I can understand I find myself liking quite a bit. For those who have no idea about this book, it's basically the "quest" of Giles to reprogram the evil WESAC computer that is messing with the New Tammany College campus and even that brief blurb isn't enough to give this book ample justice. The plot is mostly straightforward, to me at least but the layers of satire that wrap around everything give the book greater depth, just when you think you've got it pegged as one thing, Barth gives a sly clue and it all shifts. Is it merely a big joke on the Cold War, or a comment on our culture in general. Or neither. The novel encompasses religion, sex, culture, war, just about everything you can think of and the humor is dark and bitter and at the same time hilariously funny, Giles is the perfect narrator and his observations are both hugely innocent and slyly subversive. The ultimate quest of stopping the computer becomes unimportant when you consider the events that it takes to get there and if there's any book with a more real yet wildly fantastic set of characters, I haven't read it, just when you think that he's treating them all as one big joke, a stray comment or an action reminds you that these are supposed to be real characters. As you can probably tell, this is a novel that you can't go in with any preconceptions, and if you do a lot of it will probably be lost on you. It's a massively dense read and took me almost two months (not because it was difficult, that weird time thing you see) but never once did I think of not finishing it. Definitely worth the time put into it and you can get the time, don't hesitate!

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Giles Goat-Boy

Manufacturer: Fawcett Crest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000CFNNO8

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Giles Goat Boy
John Barth
Manufacturer: UNSPECIFIED VENDOR
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000TXJ0UY

Average customer rating:

"A-Plus!"
A volatile reworking of human thought and history.

Giles Goat Boy
John Barth
Manufacturer: Fawcett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 044922483X
Release Date: 1975-02-12

Customer Reviews:

"A-Plus!".......1999-04-24

Giles Goat-Boy (or the Revised New Syllabus) By John Barth (or maybe WESCAC) "A-Plus!"

This tremendous book opened with a "message from the publisher", declaring that two of their five associate editors quit over the decision to publish this book and included a written statement from each editor about their opinion of the book. Even though that set up the book (in my mind) to be much more raunchy and heathenistic than I thought it actually was, it was an extremely amusing addition to an already great book.

The story begins in a goat barn and we meet our hero Billy, George and GILES, alternatively. Max, an old Moishian (Jew) brought up Billy as a goat intentionally in order to shield him from human misery. After meeting a human woman, Billy decides he wants to become learned.

This story uses a university as an allegory for the Universe and everything within - religion, politics and literature - follows that same allegory. One is "passed" instead of "saved" and "flunked" instead of "damned". The political leader is, of course, the Dean. God is the Founder and Satan is the Dean O' Flunks. Oedipus Rex and the Emperor's New Clothes (which both figure strongly in the story) are, respectively, Taliped Decanus and the Chancellor's New Gown.

Throughout the story is mention of the "Quiet Riot" New Tammany College is having with their neighboring Student-Unionist College. Both have Super computers, one WESCAC and the other EASCAC, that can EAT (steal the vital energy) of humans.

It turns out the goat boy decides he is the next Grand Tutor (messiah) and travels to New Tammany College to declare himself as such. There he meets a handful of memorable characters (including another Grand Tutor) and must complete a list of assignments given him by WESCAC to "commence" and "graduate" so he can go on to graduate others.

This book includes bestiality, rape, incest, homosexuality, and many other things some may consider objectionable, but it is amazing how normal it sounds coming from George's viewpoint.

A volatile reworking of human thought and history........1998-12-08

This is an amazing book once you've committed to it. The energy in the prose comes from the clash between a forced, post-apocalyptic perspectives and rosy-eyed romanticism. The most twisted, most brilliant reworking of the mythological paradigm, tackling along with it the cliches of authorship and modern society.

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Giles Goat Boy
John Barth
Manufacturer: DOUBLEDAY & CO INC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VFNR86

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Giles Goat Boy

Manufacturer: Doubleday NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I4JI1K

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Giles Goat-Boy
John Barth
Manufacturer: DOUBLEDAY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OL91GE

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Giles Goat-Boy
John Barth
Manufacturer: Fawcett Crest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000P17HFU

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Giles Goat-Boy
John Barth
Manufacturer: Fawcett crest
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000CRFVMI

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Giles Goat-boy
John Barth
Manufacturer: Doubleday & Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NX3W0E

Book Description

From the New York Times bestselling author-a classic love story that has become one of her most beloved and acclaimed historical romances...

Customer Reviews:

Homophobic? Racist? How insulting to imply that!.......2007-06-02

I wasn't going to write a review, because this book's rating is appropriate in my opinion (I would give it a 4 1/2, but a 5 is more appropriate than a 4). When I read the reviewer that accused this book of being homophobic and racist, however, I had to put in my two cents to clarify this for anyone who might decide not to purchase Silk and Shadows based on those statements. I'm going to address the racist part first.

This author has written several other books that I have read where there is "interracial" relationships: Thunder & Roses, Angel Rogue, The China Bride, and The Wild Child (secondary character). Yes, the "ethnic" characters were "mixed", but there was a very reasonable explanation for that -- Ms. Putney had to explain why they were in England! Why would Nicholas have been with an English Earl instead of the Rom if he were fully Rom? Why would Maxie have come to England rather than stay in America with her Mowhawk tribe if she weren't half english? In this book it seemed obvious to me that the reason wasn't in regards to why Mikahl would come to England, but more as to why he was willing to stay. If he had been Kafi in truth, he would have felt torn (given his personality) in staying, despite Sara being english. In fact, he felt a pull to England because it had been his birthplace, where he'd spent his "formative years", and where he found solace in home and family. His origins were a relatively important literary device as to how he developed a connection to the villain as well. Had he not been english, there would have been no reason for Weldon's *initial* actions to make sense. (And please note I said initial. What happens later is obviously not related to his nationality.) Which also brings me to my final thought on this, which is that Sara married Mikahl believing he was Kafi. She was completely willing to accept him as foreign, and was surprised by his nationality (not race, by the way, but nationality). She even is accepting of his "rank" and his ancestry! To turn a reasonable literary device into an accusation of racism is confusing and unfair to a very eloquent author.

As to homophobia, this claim makes even less sense. The villain was not homosexual! He was a PEDOPHILE! To imply that his villainy lay in any form of homosexuality is vastly insulting, as it implies that homosexuals are somehow pedophiles! In fact, Weldon is an opportunistic pedophile who actually PREFERS girls (specifically very young virgins), but is willing to accept a boy instead. That would indicate that he likes gender neutral appearances (given that Jenny could be mistaken for an 11 year old, that should be obvious), and was originally attracted to a boy because he was "...a pretty lad, though [he] could certainly use a good scrubbing." On that note, there is also the statement that Mikahl somehow believes that abuse of a boy is somehow worse than the abuse of a girl. That statement strikes me as odd given that "He was struck by a sudden image of Jenny as she might have looked her first night in the brothel; her childlike face mirrored everything he himself had felt..." Where does that indicate that he believed that her suffering was not as severe as a boy's might have been? Then his following feelings were that "...finally he understood why Sara was so profoundly upset." Despite his belief that attempting to free as many of Weldon's victims as possible as opposed to focusing on vengeance would be an exercise in futility, he recognized the point that Sara was trying to make. That doesn't strike me as believing that one crime was somehow worse than the other.

One other point to address is the believability of the villain. While there is nothing wrong with bondage/domination or sado-masochism when practiced between consenting adults (as far as *I* am concerned), you have a man who derives sexual satisfaction from abusing children -- it would be reasonable (and common, unfortunately) for that person to enjoy pain infliction and domination of them as well. When a person is willing or amoral/immoral enough to do horrendous acts on one front, he (or she) may, and in fact is likely to, be willing to do horrendous acts on many fronts. I am pleased to see that so many people have never been exposed to people so vile that they are eerily reminiscent of this particular villain. I've seen those like Weldon first hand in my career, and I can attest to at least some of the accuracy of his vileness.

Ms. Putney, as always, does an excellent job of addressing a very dramatic and emotionally charged subject. She also manages to do so touchingly and (as mentioned before) eloquently. I leave with one of my favorite quotes:

"...most of all, I want to be the man that I am only when I am with you." What a guy!

While Mikahl's not my favorite of her heroes (that privilege goes to Robin from Petals in the Storm and Angel Rogue), he is more real than almost every other hero in every other romance novel I have read.

Loved it, loved it, loved it!!!.......2006-08-03

I just finished "silk and shadows" and I am very pleased. The book just started great. I like the fact that this man, although he is very mysterious, knows what he likes...and sometimes he likes it before he realizes that he likes it. This woman has strength she doesn't know she has but is willing to stand alone for her beliefs. Why aren't more books this engaging. Some of my favorite authors have gone to contemporary mysteries, but they don't take you where historical romances go...in my opinion. While this book isn't for everyone, it is the kind of book that I relish. We need more of these type of romances where it is about the personal beliefs and convictions of the hero and the heroine. The book is very intuitive in the fact that, if this is the kind of book you like to read,it does not disappoint. It gives you all the sex, intrigue, dangerous plots and twists that you never see coming. Not for everyone, but definitely for me.

Revenge is a dish best served cold.......2005-01-28

Ooooohhhh!!!! This is a good one by Mary Jo Putney! Historical romance readers who love damaged heroes and angsty romance will adore "Silk and Shadows".

Mikahl Khanauri has been coldly plotting his revenge against Charles Weldon for 25 years and it is finally within his grasp. A wealthy, exotic and mysterious man who goes by the name of Prince Peregrine of Kafiristan, Mikahl arrives in Victorian England from Asia and sets in motion his plan to destroy his enemy--financially, socially and physically. Part of the plan involves separating Weldon from his wealthy, high-born fiancee, Lady Sara St. James. Peregrine sets out to charm and compromise the lovely Lady Sara, and finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her honesty and quiet strength. Sara is dangerously attracted to the exciting and mysterious Peregrine....but who is he really and why is he out for vengeance against Weldon???

The characters of the hero and heroine, Mikahl and Sara, are *very* well drawn and complement each other so very well. Mikahl is a complex, multi-layered and wonderfully *flawed* hero (my favorite type!) Sara is an excellent heroine--mature, intelligent, kind-hearted, passionate and true to her ideals. The villain of the piece, Weldon, is perhaps a bit too outrageously villainous (a seriously bad man and cold-hearted hypocrite with really *no* redeeming qualities except for his affection for his daughter.) There are a host of well-drawn secondary characters and even a touching secondary romance.

Typically for a Mary Jo Putney book, some of the issues dealt with in the story (child prostitution, slavery and rape--to name a few) are *very* serious stuff and will not please readers who are looking for a light, fluffy romance. But for those who like their heroes dark and damaged (and in need of redemption), this is an excellent read--well-written, well-plotted with memorable characters.

Highly recommended!

A Great Book !.......2004-08-21

This book is about a mysterious man named Peregrine on a quest for revenge who instead finds romance. What's not to love about that? The characters are very well developed in this book (including the secondary characters). I liked many other aspects of this books including:
1. The heroine, while not old (27) is older than many historical romance heroines.
2. Prostitution is treated in a more serious light than many novels of this genre.
3. The hero actually had a good reason for acting the way he did

A Keeper.......2004-08-16

I really loved this book. It's close to perfect, even though or perhaps because it included some gritty detail. The only real problem I had was Peregrine and Sara's consummation scene - not very believable. But, still, best romance I've read in a long time.

Shadow And Silk (Zebra Romantic Suspense)

Average customer rating:

A hair-raising roller coaster ride
Good, but a reprint
Romantic suspense as it should be done
well researched, but emotionally flat
Perfect setup, unsatisfying conclusion

Shadow And Silk (Zebra Romantic Suspense)
Ann Maxwell
Manufacturer: Zebra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0821773119

Amazon.com

The ever talented Ann Maxwell (who also writes as Elizabeth Lowell and A. E. Maxwell--the E is for her husband, Evan, a co-author) always provides satisfying romance. In this thrilling contemporary, Dani Warren is a textile expert who is such a dilettante she will chase a rare and mythical piece of antique silk to the most remote corners of the world. In Lhasa, Tibet, Dani is almost killed for a fragment of cloth and finds herself smuggled out of the country to safety by Shane Crowe, an ex-mercenary employed by a mysterious private enterprise. Forced to work together to catch a ring of international criminals, the two reluctantly share their expertise despite their growing attraction to one another.

Customer Reviews:

A hair-raising roller coaster ride.......2006-11-18

Danielle Warren, a professor of Archaeology, is in pursuit of a rare piece of silk for sale on the black market. She agrees to meet with the seller in a secluded place, but before their transaction is completed, all hell breaks loose when the Chinese army moves in to arrest her and an assassin murders the seller before her eyes. But before she is captured, Shane Crowe, an ex-mercenary and current member of Risk Limited, swoops in and rescues her.

Shane's mission was to recover the silk for the rightful owners, but given the choice between the silk and Danielle's life, he chose to save her instead. Shane and Danielle flee for their lives with the Chinese army on their heels and successfully make it out of Tibet. What follows is a hair-raising, nail-biting adventure that pits Shane's skills against a ruthless enemy.

Shadow and Silk is a thoroughly entertaining story. The pace is a bit slow in the beginning because the author takes time to sketch out each character and set up the storyline. However, this really pays off when the pace picks up because what you have is an intricate storyline with complex and enigmatic characters. You also get a good glimpse of, for example, the twisted relationship between Katya and Kasatonin and how they came to be that way, or the dynamics in Shane's life that leads him to abandon his mission and rescue Danielle.

The strength and weakness of Shadow and Silk are the larger-than-life characters. The protagonists are almost too perfect, too good but with dark shadows in their past that they struggle to overcome. The antagonists are just as perfect but on the other end of the spectrum. They are thoroughly evil, pursuing their selfish and deadly ambitions, and whatever good they may have had in their lives has long been stamped out by the traumatic events in their past.

Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

Good, but a reprint.......2006-10-12

For new Maxwell readers, this will be a treat. For other Maxwell readers, be aware that this is a reprint of an earlier publication date.

Romantic suspense as it should be done.......2006-09-19

I quite liked Shadow and Silk. In fact, it reminded me a bit of my favourite Lowell, Tell Me No Lies. It had interesting characters, an intriguing suspense element and a nice (if a bit underdeveloped) romance.

In S&S Lowell introduces Risk Limited, a seeming precursor to that other organization, Rarities Unlimited, which she wrote about in Moving Target, Running Scared and Die in Plain Sight. While Rarities had Dana and Niall, Risk Limited has a similarly intriguing and well-rounded couple at its helm: former high-ranking diplomat Cassandra Redpath and her lover, Gillie, a British former military man.

But while these two are a strong presence in the book, they are not the hero and heroine. That place belongs to two characters that were just as intriguing, the textiles scholar Danielle Warren and Shane Crowe, a man whose history includes a stint with the CIA, a period as a hermit, in which he considered becoming a Buddhist monk, and work for a UN charity digging up and disarming live land mines. It's interesting: S&S's from 1997, so it's not very old, but it's a whole other world. I don't think any author today would have a hero having spent years working with the muhajedeen in Afghanistan, against the Soviets. How things change!

Anyway, Dani and Shane meet in Tibet, when she's approached by a Chinese dealer trying to sell her a priceless old textile. Shane, whose mission for Risk Limited is to recover this same fabric, the Buddah's robe, stolen from the monastery of the Azure sect, saves Dani's life when it becomes clear that it was all a setup. Forced to make a split-second decision between saving Dani and recovering the fabric, Shane chooses the former, and then helps her get out of the country.

Back in Washington DC, Dani's approached by Risk Limited for help in recovering the fabric. Seems it was stolen by the Harmony, a shadowy secret organization grouping some of the most dangerous criminal associations in the world, and they mean to use it as a gift to draw in a reluctant Japanese yakuza boss and make themselves even more powerful.

Shane would prefer to keep Dani out of danger, but his bosses overrule him and insist on allowing Dani to choose whether she wants to risk it or not. Dani, feeling she owes both Shane and his organization for her rescue (and feeling she owes it to the world to keep a treasure such as the fabric from disappearing), decides she wants to, so she and Shane thus begin a mission that will take them to Aruba, Seattle and the islands off Vancouver.

On the whole, I really enjoyed the story, even though every element I enjoyed had its flaws. For instance, I really, really liked Shane and Dani and their relationship. Each were interesting in their own right, and Lowell created a wonderfully steamy sexual tension between them. However, I would have liked this even better if I'd had more of it. They just didn't have enough time together, and though I liked the idea of Shane's chastity vow (seeing him wish it was over already was fun), it did mean that the payoff for all that lovely sexual tension took a bit too long.

Same thing with the suspense subplot. I liked it, but... I enjoyed all the stuff about the ancient textiles, but I just don't think Lowell really succeeded in impressing in me why it was so necessary to recover the robe, why it would be so disastrous if they failed to do so. And this created a distinct lack of urgency. It seemed to me it was more important to destroy the Harmony, but they seemed to regard this as more of a secondary aim.

Katya Pilenkova and Ilya Kostanin were more interesting villains that I'm used to from Lowell. I did think we spent a bit too much time with the Harmony (especially considering I was wishing for more time with Shane and Dani), but unlike in her newer books (like Running Scared, for instance, where it was the main thing I disliked), these villains are at least interesting people.

The writing style was one I mostly liked, though there were certain things there (too) that I wasn't too crazy about. I do like how Lowell writes banter between her protagonists, but she makes the mistake of having them constantly congratulate each other on how witty, quick and brilliant their comments are, rather than let them stand alone and allow us readers to judge whether they are, in fact, so witty and brilliant.

On the whole, though, the positives much exceeded the negatives, and I really enjoyed myself reading this.

well researched, but emotionally flat.......2006-04-26

The best thing about this book is the research involved. Maxwell did a great job adding lots of little details that give the book a fine edge.

The plot was fair. Some plot holes and some other nice twists so it was overall a mixed bag.

However, the romance was just blah to me. I've dated an ex-military man with the scars to prove it and Shane Crowe was a pale imitation of the real thing. Throughout the whole book, I kept thinking of people I have known in real life and how flat these fictional characters seemed.

Although there are well written short erotic scenes, I just couldn't get into this book at an emotional level because I didn't believe in the characters.

As a fan of Maxwell's unfinished pulp science-fiction/fantasy series "Fire Dancer", I hope I can find more of her books that resonate with me. This one wasn't it.

Perfect setup, unsatisfying conclusion.......2005-06-11

Ok, I loved the vast majority of this book. The sexual tension sizzled, the characters were fascinating (and unusual--how often do you read about a monk/mercenary and an academic?), and the plot twists were exciting and fresh. I don't know when I've been more excited by popular fiction.

I tore through the book eager for the ending that would satisfy such an extreme amount of tension. And I was left hanging!

The mini sex scenes peppered throughout the book (during Shane's Celibacy) are scorchingly hot, despite (or perhaps in part because of) the lack of total fulfillment. As I neared the end I was more and more desperate to read the, ahem, climax. I knew it would be epic But as twenty remaining pages dwindled to ten, then five, I began to realize that I might not get it. And I didn't!

I read the book in less than a day, a wicked grin on my face the entire time. When I read the last words, I threw the book against the wall and screamed. This would have been the ideal romance, but the ending just did not deliver.

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Wonderful, magical travel story
The Woven Wind
shadow of the silk road
One of the Best Travel Books
This guy has his feet on the ground

Shadow of the Silk Road
Colin Thubron
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 006123172X
Release Date: 2007-07-03

Book Description

Shadow of the Silk Road records a journey along the greatest land route on earth. Out of the heart of China into the mountains of Central Asia, across northern Afghanistan and the plains of Iran and into Kurdish Turkey, Colin Thubron covers some seven thousand miles in eight months. Making his way by local bus, truck, car, donkey cart and camel, he travels from the tomb of the Yellow Emperor, the mythic progenitor of the Chinese people, to the ancient port of Antioch—in perhaps the most difficult and ambitious journey he has undertaken in forty years of travel.

The Silk Road is a huge network of arteries splitting and converging across the breadth of Asia. To travel it is to trace the passage not only of trade and armies but also of ideas, religions and inventions. But alongside this rich and astonishing past, Shadow of the Silk Road is also about Asia today: a continent of upheaval.

One of the trademarks of Colin Thubron's travel writing is the beauty of his prose; another is his gift for talking to people and getting them to talk to him. Shadow of the Silk Road encounters Islamic countries in many forms. It is about changes in China, transformed since the Cultural Revolution. It is about false nationalisms and the world's discontented margins, where the true boundaries are not political borders but the frontiers of tribe, ethnicity, language and religion. It is a magnificent and important account of an ancient world in modern ferment.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful, magical travel story.......2007-09-02

I didn't want to put this down. Places that I've wanted to see if I had the opportunity and courage come alive in the book. Thubron describes legends and historical events over millennia, but they all fit together along with the people he meets and the landscapes he travels through. He describes with sensitivity and humanity what has been lost with time but also what is there now, often the generosity of the people he meets and their way of life. Wonderful!

The Woven Wind.......2007-08-30

Will be liked by those who enjoy reading about hard-travel experiences. Colin Thubron has a keen ear for dialogue and an expressive pen. Informative on a number of issues from the art of silk making to China's on-going eastern movements.

I do think the author's writing sometimes strays into overly ornate descriptions of the scenery on his lengthy journey across China to Antioch. An example: "Where the Jumgal valley met the massif of Sussmayer, a painted wall of mountain rose. The cliffs were torn with symmetrical scars, as if by some monstrous animal, and fell to the track in violent slabs of black and apricot. Sometimes its scree was pure coal." Also, the author has an odd writer's tic, in that he uses the word "mist" in some form at least fifteen times (...the villages were misted in pear blossom/...the horizon leveled to a dove-grey mist, etc.)

A person of the rational Enlightenment will find depressing the darkness of mind still prevalent in much of the Arab/Persian part of the ancient Silk Road, where living in the far past seems to be the unfortunate standard.

shadow of the silk road.......2007-08-26

I haven't actually read it yet, but plan to. Someone else is reading it and says it is very good and an interesting account of travel through what is mostly a mysterious area to many.

One of the Best Travel Books.......2007-08-25

This is one of the best travel books I read so far. I noticed some reviewer comparing him with Bill Bryson. I enjoyed Bryson's book too. Thubron is less humurous, but with more depth. I am very impressed with his knowledge of the central Asia. Being from China myself, I was shocked to read his account of lost Roman legion and the early Christian relics in the heart of China. This book keeps you wonder about the world away. I was also touched by the warmth of the people he encountered during his travel. Those people have suffered enough through history, yet they welcomed a foreign traveller like their family members. What a generous and handsome group of people---be it Afghans, Uzbeks, Tajks, or others. The book is beautifully written.
It is by chance I picked up this book and I'm glad I did. I am going to check out some other books he wrote.

This guy has his feet on the ground.......2007-08-24

Once again, Colin Thubron gets down to the local, the personal, the down and dirty level to tell about the countries he goes through. This guy lives his travels. Fascinating. Unvarnished. Up close. Real. No gloss, no glitter. From China all the way to the Mediterranean. Wow.

Average customer rating:

Zero Stars
emphasis on the fantastical
An excellent, enjoyable read.

Silk Roads and Shadows
Susan Shwartz
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0812554116

Customer Reviews:

Zero Stars.......2006-03-27

Unreadable. Susan Shwartz must have been on drugs when she wrote this. I know I felt like I was on drugs after the first 40 or so pages. I could not go on. This is the first book I have ever burned.

emphasis on the fantastical.......2001-08-14

Given the title, the natural question for fans of Silk Road history and geography will be whether the book has anything to offer for their tastes. Regrettably the answer must be mostly in the negative. Although the author seems to have made some attempts at research, the results seem rather cursory as there is relative little historical and geographical information and some of it incorrect, even beyond the errors admitted in the introductory note. No year or name of the the Chinese emperor is ever given, but it is probably intended to be set in the reign of Tang emperor Wuzong (ruled 840-6), one of the late rulers of the dynasty. But as by this time silk had long since left China for places like Khotan and points east, the premise of traveling all the way to Chang An to acquire silkworks makes little sense, as does the idea that the worms were kept only in the palace. It is doubtful that worms could be transported as described either -- eggs would be a much more likely proposition. But these are minor matters for the historical reader when constantly the caravan party is being attacked by magical, fantastical beings with no basis in reality. It could have been quite interesting if the tale was a mostly historical one with occasional magic to move the plot along, but here clearly the author's interest is almost totally on monsters and magic. At least there is a mostly correct map of the region from Constantinople to Chang An and some of the sites visited along the way are described with a bit of detail.

An excellent, enjoyable read........1998-08-06

I put off reading this book for a long time after I purchased it. I regret that a lot. This book had a very fast moving and in depth storyline. But most interesting of all was the similarities between many different religions of ancient Earth. i.e. A Buddhist sect that has a belief in a Valhalla like place. If you are an aspiring theologist, this is a must read for those reasons alone. If you are anyone else, read it for the story. I loved this book, I can almost guarantee you will too.

4 Titles By Michaels - Shattered Silk - The Walker in Shadows - Into the Darkness - Houses of Stone

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4 Titles By Michaels - Shattered Silk - The Walker in Shadows - Into the Darkness - Houses of Stone
Elizabeth Peters writing as Barbara Michaels
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Product Description

4 massmarket paperback Titles By Michaels - Shattered Silk - The Walker in Shadows - Into the Darkness - Houses of Stone

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Bears and Other Shadows
Martine Silk
Manufacturer: Mellen Poetry Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Besos De Seda / Silk and Shadows (Cisne)

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Besos De Seda / Silk and Shadows (Cisne)
Mary Jo Putney
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Romantic Suspense | Romance | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 8497936159

Average customer rating:

Silk And Shadow
Vandergriff
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PK3VQU

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Silk and Shadow
Aula Vandergrift
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NSICM2

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Silk and Shadow

Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0446855847

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