Other People's Houses: A Novel

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Deserves to be in print

Other People's Houses

Brilliant Memoir

Other People's Houses: A Novel
Lore Segal
Manufacturer: New Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1565849507

Book Description

Originally published in 1964 and hailed by critics including Cynthia Ozick and Elie Wiesel, Other People's Houses is Lore Segal's internationally acclaimed semi-autobiographical first novel.

Nine months after Hitler takes Austria, a ten-year-old girl leaves Vienna aboard a children's transport that is to take her and several hundred children to safety in England. For the next seven years she lives in "other people's houses," the homes of the wealthy Orthodox Jewish Levines, the working-class Hoopers, and two elderly sisters in their formal Victorian household. An insightful and witty depiction of the ways of life of those who gave her refuge, Other People's Houses is a wonderfully memorable novel of the immigrant experience.

Customer Reviews:

Deserves to be in print.......2003-08-20

This is a fine memoir in general but the first part (about two thirds of the book) is outstanding in particular. It chronicles the author's life as she is sent by her parents from 1938 Vienna to England, where she lives with several families over the course of the war--from a household of well-off orthodox Jews in Liverpool to one of working class lapsed Christians in the south to the fine house of two elderly and wealthy sisters. Along the way, she describes events from the child's point of view--she was just short of eleven when she began her journey--never allowing her adult consciousness to comment on matters. (Not explicity, at least.) The result is often humorous, as she describes the inevitable cultural and linguistic differences, and that surely makes this an unusual "Holocaust memoir," which I suppose it is on some level.

In addition to writing of her own little triumphs and misfortunes, Lore Segal also writes about her parents, who were fortunate enough to join her in England several months after her own arrival. (For various reasons, they were never actually able to live together again as a family in the same domicile.) Fortunate may not be the best word, since her father, already in poor health, suffered with various ailments before dying in 1944. He had been a bank's chief accountant in Austria, and his wife a highly cultured pianist, but while in England they had no choice but to work as gardener (the father) and cook (the mother). The author writes movingly (but not mawkishly) of their struggles. Interestingly, the mother, who adapted well and worked tirelessly, is portrayed in near heroic terms while the father is shown as not only a phyical failure but, I would say, also as a moral one. He is constantly described as breaking down and weeping, and one wonders if the author was ashamed of him, or perhaps she was more ashamed of herself for being ashamed of him. One can at least sympathize with an adolescent girl, feeling confusion while witnessing her father decline in a foreign land.

Minor criticisms: I would have preferred another 100 pages on the author's time in England; this is the locus of the book's value and what distinguishes it from others. The material on the time spent in the Dominican Republic--her uncle, her mother, and her maternal grandparents were all there with her--was, to me, less interesting. The final chapter concerns her arrival and first years in New York City. I think all that could have been put into one short chapter and the space given over to, say, more about her school experiences in England. And finally, although Segal published the book when she was about thirty, I would have liked some commentary at the end from the adult's perspective, wondering what sense she made of it all at that point in her life.

Others may disagree and like part two as much as part one. I'm sure no one will disagree that part one is a fascinating story, and one very well told.

Other People's Houses.......2003-02-06

After I saw Ms. Segal interviewed in the film, "Into the Arms of Strangers", I knew I had to read this book. She is incredibly engaging and candid. I found myself reading this book while attempting other chores, it gripped me so much. One gets the feel of sitting down in a parlor with her and sipping coffee (or English tea) as she unfolds a captivating story of escape, disenchantment, survival and hope. The only thing better for me would have been actually meeting her in person. I highly recommend this book. I tell everyone I know to read it.

Brilliant Memoir.......2000-05-23

I have read so many holocaust memoirs that when I was given this book I wasn't that excited to read it. I was mistaken: no matter how much you have read on this subject, there's no substitute for reading Lore Segal. As a child she's sent on a kindertransport to England, and this memoir chronicles her youth there--as a guest in "other people's houses,"--as well as her advenutres (along with the rest of her refugee family) in the Dominican Republic, and, finally, New York--where she is at last able to establish her own home.

Her voice is so strong, smart, and sophisticated that even when the story is at its saddest you'll find her an irresitable narrator.

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful resource for Regency architecture.......2006-03-30

I actually read a different edition of this book, but on the theory that they are essentially the same, I'll repeat the review here.

Nigel Nicolson has attempted to find every house and some of the outdoor and public places that Jane Austen might have seen. This approach means that the reader is treated to a much wider variety of buildings than most books, which tend to stick to the houses of the very wealthy. Mostly the exteriors are shown, although there are some interior shots. Where possible, there is a contemporary photograph by Stephen Colover, but in cases where the house is no longer extant, old photographs and drawings have substituted. In cases where the exact address is not known, pictures of houses typical of the time and place are included. Nicolson notes changes that have been made in the buildings since Jane Austen's time.

Nicolson points out that Jane Austen did not give detailed descriptions of the places in her books, and he believes that her buildings, like her characters, are not necessarily based on real life counterparts. Even so, the pictures give the reader a sense of the physical environment of the time. He briefly describes changes in architectural fashions during the period. The book includes a detailed index and a very useful bibliography, but no notes.

I wavered between 4 and 5 stars. Readers may be disappointed that most of the photographs are in black and white, although there are a few in color. He tells us that Box Hill is still a famous scenic spot, so I really wish that there was a picture! It would also be nice to have interior pictures of No.1 Royal Crescent in Bath, since its interior has been restored to this period.

Recommended for both Jane Austen and general Regency fans.

A wonderful introduction to the architecture of the Regency era.......2006-03-30

Nigel Nicolson has attempted to find every house and some of the outdoor and public places that Jane Austen might have seen. This approach means that the reader is treated to a much wider variety of buildings than most books, which tend to stick to the houses of the very wealthy. Mostly the exteriors are shown, although there are some interior shots. Where possible, there is a contemporary photograph by Stephen Colover, but in cases where the house is no longer extant, old photographs and drawings have substituted. In cases where the exact address is not known, pictures of houses typical of the time and place are included. Nicolson notes changes that have been made in the buildings since Jane Austen's time.

Nicolson points out that Jane Austen did not give detailed descriptions of the places in her books, and he believes that her buildings, like her characters, are not necessarily based on real life counterparts. Even so, the pictures give the reader a sense of the physical environment of the time. He briefly describes changes in architectural fashions during the period. The book includes a detailed index and a very useful bibliography, but no notes.

I wavered between 4 and 5 stars. Readers may be disappointed that most of the photographs are in black and white, although there are a few in color. He tells us that Box Hill is still a famous scenic spot, so I really wish that there was a picture! It would also be nice to have interior pictures of No.1 Royal Crescent in Bath, since its interior has been restored to this period.

Recommended for both Jane Austen and general Regency fans.

A Writer's House in Wales (National Geographic Directions)

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East, west, home's best
Pack the Suitcase. We're off to Wales.

A Writer's House in Wales (National Geographic Directions)
Jan Morris
Manufacturer: National Geographic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0792265238
Release Date: 2002-01-01

Book Description

Through an exploration of her country home in Wales, acclaimed travel writer Jan Morris discovers the heart of her fascinating country and what it means to be Welsh. Trefan Morys, Jan Morris's home between the sea and the mountains in the remote northwest corner of Wales, is the 18th-century stable block of her former family house nearby. Surrounding it are the fields and outbuildings, the mud, sheep, and cattle of a working Welsh farm.

Morris regards this modest building not only as a reflection of herself and her life, but also as epitomizing the small and complex country of Wales, which has defied the world for centuries to preserve its own identity. In A Writer's House in Wales, Morris brilliantly meditates on the beams and stone walls of the house, its jumbled contents, its sounds and smells, its memories and inhabitants, and finally discovers the profoundest meanings of Welshness.

Customer Reviews:

East, west, home's best.......2002-06-13

In her writing career, Jan Morris has wrestled with centuries of history, mighty empires, great cities, historic expeditions, timeless cultures, and much more. And yet, for her entry in this series of 'travel' books, she leads us into one of the most magical and affecting places of all ... her own home.

This is an informal, light-hearted, and quick read (just two sessions in my Writer's Hammock in Seattle). And yet, it's also deeply moving. Morris describes all the facets of her converted stables -- a house in Wales, a Welsh house, a writer's house, and finally, a writer's house in Wales -- while meditating on life, death, history, culture, and the nature of friendship and hospitality. There's a lot packed between these covers!

As a book person myself, I responded most strongly to Morris' tour of her library -- a space chock full of art, music, and, of course, books. 'I have never counted the books in my own library,' she writes, 'but I would guess there are seven or eight thousand here, packed tight in their long white bookshelves, upstairs and down. I love them all, whatever their subject, whatever their condition, whatever their size. I love walking among them, stroking their spines. I love sitting on a sofa amongst them, contemplating them. I love the feel of them between my fingers, and I love the smell of them...' (pp. 101-2). She waxes just as lyrical about her kitchen, the stones of the exterior walls, the exposed wooden beams overhead ('marinated, so to speak, in age and hauled up here to my house to bless us all, like incense in a church' [p. 43]), the smell of smoke in the air, the view of the sea, even the poachers who steal onto her land to fish from her stretch of the river.

This book is like a hymnal. And while Jan Morris fans may be the readers most immediately attracted to it, anyone who responds strongly to a sense of place and a writer's connectedness to it will savor the hospitality and companionship of a warm and welcoming person in an equally welcoming home.

Pack the Suitcase. We're off to Wales........2002-04-24

Jan Morris is a superb travel writer. She's been everywhere--Manhattan, Australia, Venice, Candada, Trieste, etc. etc.--and brings an open-minded, generous view to places near and far. After declaring last year that she was done writing, out she comes with "A Writer's House in Wales" a love poem to her own corner of the world.

Wales is rocky, hilly, wild and smack up against the Atlaantic. Its people, among the oldest of Britain's many peoples, hve clung to their language, their rocky shores, their magic for centuries against the many Saxon, Norman, and English incursions. One hopes they can withstand the latest onslaught of modern "culture".

Morris waxes eloquently about her centuries old house--once a stable--which she preserves. It is strangely modular from the heart of the house downstairs kitchen where neighbors stop to gossip and the postman drops in to leave the mail (once catching Morris descending her stairs in the buff!) to the entirely separate library and study where she does her work.

Book Description

The most celebrated authors of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales are immortalized not only in their writing but also in the museums, libraries, and other memorials dedicated in their honor. Over 300 sites devoted to 40 authors are covered in this guide. The sites range from restored historic homes to memorial statues. Each entry describes the site and its history, placing it within the context of the author's life and career. Directions are provided to help the reader reach each site; telephone numbers, admission prices, and hours are also included for the traveler's convenience. The text is illustrated with photographs from these historic and literary homes, libraries, and other important memorial locations. Postage stamps commemorating the writers are also included.

James Joyce's Dublin Houses and Nora Barnacle's Galway

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Where Joyce & Nora grew up, before exile

James Joyce's Dublin Houses and Nora Barnacle's Galway
Vivien Igoe
Manufacturer: Wolfhound Press (IE)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Reference | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

James Joyce's Dublin Houses describes in detail the many houses in Dublin where the Joyce family lived. It reflects on the positive effect that the constant moving had on the young James Joyce, in providing him with an intimate knowledge of the city that was to become such an important backdrop to his work. It also provides detailed information for the reader on how to get to the various places. It concentrates on the houses where the Joyce family lived, also pinpointing the haunts of his characters, Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus.

Vivien Igoe, an expert on Joyce, explains the background and origins of both Joyce and Nora Barnacle, who inspired the principal female character in Ulysses and Finnegans Wake. There is also information on where Joyce stayed on his return visits to Dublin in later life.

While the book will be of interest to Joycean pilgrims and students of Anglo-Irish literature alike, it is also aimed at the general reader to provide a useful interpretative aid to Dubliners and Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

Customer Reviews:

Where Joyce & Nora grew up, before exile.......2007-08-04

This handsome vademecum fits the hand, pleases the eye, and informs the mind of the Joycean pilgrim searching not along the streets for Stephen Dedalus, Leopold Bloom, the denizens of Nighttown or the cast from "Wandering Rocks"-- but their engenderer in his native habitat. This parallels not only the ubiquitous electronic and print guidebooks for walkers recreating Bloom's steps, but academic maps for the fictional counterpart, the topographical dictionary by Ian Gunn & Clive Hart, "James Joyce's Dublin," (Thames & Hudson, 2004). Igoe's title speaks for itself.

Igoe, a Joyce scholar and former curator at the Sandymount museum, gives requisite passages from Joyce's fiction, period and recent illustrations, and comprehensive but not mind-numbing biographical details that guide armchair visitors as well as direct real tourists. Neil Hyslop's handsome, readable, and hand-lettered maps recall the elegant ones that used to grace endpapers of historical hardcovers. They are easy to consult, spare enough not to be cluttered with extraneous information, and large enough to be accurate and not merely decorative.

A new version expanded to 208 pp. (shown here, Lilliput Pr.) appeared in June 2007 but I haven't seen it, nor is it listed for sale on Amazon US. I review the 1997 version; I judge that the basics in the older edition should remain the same. Perhaps URLs & updated transport data are added for the itinerary supplement that carefully leads you around by bus to Joyce's Dublin houses, each residence given a few pages per biographically organized chapter, and their environs.

Book Description

A hot-blooded bodyguard. An heiress worth a cool billion. And one dangerous attraction.... Roxanne St. Claire delivers a heart-pounding thrill ride in the second Bullet Catchers novel!

HE KNOWS ALL HER SECRETS...

Max Roper never lets emotion get in the way of his job -- not since the tragic shooting that killed his fiancée's father. Now the former DEA agent is a Bullet Catcher, and he's managed to block out Cori's bitter goodbye -- and their sizzling passion. Those dangerous desires come back with a vengeance when Max is assigned to protect a recently widowed heiress: who turns out to be Cori. But Max must also discover his ex's dark

secret...and they both know she can't hide anything from him.

...AND HOW TO USE THEM AGAINST HER

Her luxury lifestyle suggests that Cori has gone from being a trophy wife to a merry widow, but nothing could be further from the truth. Suspicious of her billionaire husband's sudden death, she hires a bodyguard. But her protector is the one man who can melt her every defense -- the one man she blames for her deepest sorrow, the one man whose six-feet four-inches of solid muscle ignites reckless passion in her. And as they close in on a killer who hides in plain view, their high-stakes affair could cost her everything...including her life.

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable Read.......2007-07-01

The first thing readers should realize is that even though this book is second in the Bullet Catcher series, it is also a stand alone novel. Well written romantic suspense. The only reason it didn't get five stars from me was that there were not enough red herrings in the plot, making the reveal predictable in my opinion. Romance was plentiful though for readers looking for a little more sex in their novels than the typical Romantic suspense.

Max Roper is given a difficult assignment; be the bodyguard for his ex-fiance. He hasn't seen her since she ran away claiming he killed her father and she would never forgive him. Yet, she wasted no time in finding herself a new extemely wealthy husband, who just happened to have died three months earlier leaving her a sizeable fortune and a great deal of power. It's Max's job not only to protect her from whomever is trying to threaten her, but to find out if she killed her husband. The only problem is that he isn't sure if he can get her to confide in him without getting too close in the process and opening up a world of emotions locked to the past. Someone wants her out of the way. Will Max be able to protect her, or will she suffer the same fate as her father?

Is it worth buying?

Yes. Either as part of the series or just for someone wanting to read a good contemporary romance novel. Suspense is carefully strung out to pull the reader along. Just don't expect a surprise ending. Hope that helps a little with the decision.

Book #2 in the Bullet Catcher's.......2007-06-27

Wonderful read! Fast paced, starts right off and goes. Well written and edited. Sizzling romance. Gosh, the bigger and meaner they are, the bigger they fall. Glad these two got their lives back on tract. What a story. If you like bodyguard tough guys and girls that are not totally helpless, with action, thriller-type, mystery, drama and steamy scenes, you'll enjoy this easy to read book.

This bullet is gold!.......2007-03-09

When her father is killed in a DEA bust gone bad, a guilt ridden Cori blames her lover, DEA agent Max Roper and dumps him. Several years later, the two are reunited when Cori hires an elite bodyguard group to provide protection while she investigates the possible murder of her much older wealthy husband. No one is more surprised than Cori when she discovers that Max is the man who is sworn to protect her. But who will protect Cori's heart from the only man she's ever really loved, who's assigned to both protect her and determine if she had a role in her husband's murder?

Full of sizzling love scenes and great bantering between the two protagonists, St. Claire's second entry in the Bullet Catcher series has equal parts romance, intrigue, and sensuality to sustain the reader's attention and waiting impatiently for the next intallment in the series. But I could have done without the epilogue, which added nothing at all to the story (in fact, I found it detracted). Too many authors are using them to do nothing but plug their next book.

Kept Me Reading!.......2006-09-25

I'm not typically a romantic suspense fan, but this book wowed me! The characters are so easy to fall in love with, and the writing makes each scene easy to picture.

I look forward to the next installment of the Bullet Catchers series!

Hot and Sexy thrill ride.......2006-09-22

I loved it. Ms. St. Claire promises to Thrill You to Death and delivers. Max is a hero to die for. He could watch my back anytime.

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Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story
Stephen Dolginoff
Manufacturer: Dramatist's Play Service
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Drama | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0822221020

Average customer rating:

Sexy & Sweet! Never a dull moment!
engaging torrid contemporary romance

Thrill Me (Harlequin Blaze)
Isabel Sharpe
Manufacturer: Harlequin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0373791909

Customer Reviews:

Sexy & Sweet! Never a dull moment!.......2005-09-14

Great, quick read! Never a dull moment in this story. Very sexy! Sweet ending too! Loved the main characters. Author did a great job conveying the characters' feelings and emotions. Plan to read more from this author!

Part of a Harlequin Blaze series, "Do Not Disturb": Hush by Jo Leigh (April 2005), Thrill Me by Isabel Sharpe (June 2005), Kiss & Make Up by Alison Kent (August 2005), Private Relations by Nancy Warren (October 2005), 'Not yet titled' by Debbie Rawlins (December 2005), 'Not yet titled' by Jill Shalvis (February 2006)

engaging torrid contemporary romance .......2005-06-14

Just in New York from Pine River, Wisconsin where Oshkosh is ten times the size, office assistant to a college dean May Hope Emerson is to meet Trevor (who she originally met when he visited the college) at the Hush Hotel bar. Instead she encounters male action thriller author Beck Desmond. She is on the rebound from a six year relationship with Dan and his agent demands he learn what pleasures a woman or he will be an ex-writer as his tough as steel hero needs some romancing. After small talk, she checks into the hotel with plans to spend an evening of pleasure with Beck.

As Beck and May spend time together, their initial attraction ignites into heated passion and finally love. However, he wonders if she using him to get over heartache while she ponders whether he just needs a role model to enable his testosterone champion to meet his feminine side.

This is an engaging torrid contemporary romance starring two likable lead characters who the audience knows belongs together. The secondary cast are nice people hoping Beck has found his true love (after they get an autograph). Isabel Sharpe thrills readers with this fine tale of Wisconsin cheese meeting New York bagel on the streets of Manhattan.

Harriet Klausner

Bad Boys With Red Roses - Still Mr. & Mrs.; Tempt Me, Tease Me, Thrill Me; Invitation

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Bad Boys With Red Roses - Still Mr. & Mrs.; Tempt Me, Tease Me, Thrill Me; Invitation
Janelle; Donahue, Tina; Cullars, Sharon Denison
Manufacturer: Kensington Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000V2LS3U

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Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me

Manufacturer: Alfred Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0897244877

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Thrill Me Again! (Venus Books #125)
Albert L. Quandt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WSK33Y

Product Description

An Original, unexpurgated novel by Albert L. Quandt, author of "Girl of the Slums", about "Cherry - Sweetheart of the Slums." Venus Books No. 125.

B.B. King: combats health scare to thrill fans another day: 'maybe someone's saying a prayer for me.'.(Cover story): An article from: Jet

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B.B. King: combats health scare to thrill fans another day: 'maybe someone's saying a prayer for me.'.(Cover story): An article from: Jet
Marti Parham
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RW3NO6
Release Date: 2007-06-11

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Jet, published by Thomson Gale on May 7, 2007. The length of the article is 1359 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: B.B. King: combats health scare to thrill fans another day: 'maybe someone's saying a prayer for me.'.(Cover story)
Author: Marti Parham
Publication: Jet (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 7, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 111 Issue: 18 Page: 56(4)

Article Type: Cover story

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Thrill me, Suzy (Quarter books)
Joan Sherman
Manufacturer: Quarter Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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