Book Description
Charlotte Brontë's death in 1855 deprived the world of what might have been her masterpiece. The twenty unfinished manuscript pages that are the nucleus of Emma Brown signaled her most compelling work since Jane Eyre—the story of a young girl, Matilda, brought by her father to a small school in provincial Victorian England. The school, Fuschia Lodge, is foundering, so its headmistress is delighted to welcome a new pupil—especially one so elaborately dressed, with an apparently rich father who is “quite the gentleman.” But when Matilda's tuition goes unpaid and it comes time to make arrangements for the Christmas holidays, she is shocked to find that the identity of the father, Conway Fitzgibbon—like the address he left behind—does not exist.
So who is the mysterious Matilda? She herself will not say, and it falls to a local gentleman, Mr. Ellin, and a childless widow, Isabel Chalfont, to unravel the truth. From the drawing rooms of English country society to the grimy backstreets of London's seamiest reaches, from the dandified members of the city's elite clubs to the blowsy ranks of its brothels, Emma Brown follows the search—first for Matilda's true identity and then for the girl herself.
With all the wit and pathos of the novel's originator, Clare Boylan's accomplished pen has seamlessly developed Brontë's sketch of a girl without a past into a stunning portrait of a Victorian society with a shameful secret at its heart.
Customer Reviews:
A Great and Twisting Odyssey.......2007-08-17
I love the Victorian era and this book provides a wonderful glimpse into its underside. The intricate plot keeps both readers and main characters discovering and learning.
Highly Recommended.
James Conroyd Martin, Author of PUSH NOT THE RIVER
Push Not the River
Read it as Boylan, not Borrowed Bronte.......2006-11-01
I like the novels of Clare Boylan ("Holy Pictures"--her first novel was a bit overstuffed and almost crazed in its scope, but it was memorable and a page-turner nontheless.) In "Emma Brown," Boylan takes 20 sparse pages of notes from Bronte for a novel that was fated never to be written and she fleshes it out. It doesn't read at all like Bronte; the crisp prose is missing and this is definitely in Boylan's more ornate voice.
Emma Brown is about a girl with a mysterious past and it takes us through the seamiest parts of London. This departure from Bronte's usual venues of rural town life are excused by letters written at the end of Bronte's life where she has clearly expanded her horizons beyond Haworth as a celebrated writer. Emma is a bit like all Bronte's characters, alone in the world, with powerful figures in the background and always searching for true love and a way to maintain integrity in the face of severe trials and temptations.
As a gothic novel, this has a lot of merit and is a very fine novel. What is really uncanny, however, is that the beginning of the novel is almost a copy of "The Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The treatment of the show pupil at a ladies' seminary and the soon-to-be-destitute heiress's ornate wardrobe is amazingly similar, and her treatment by the tough-minded headmistress and proprietress of the seminary is right out of that famous children's classic.
I didn't find the Bronte voice, as some have, in this book except right at the beginning (possible the 20 pages Bronte actually did write0 but it doesn't matter. As a novel set in Victorian days, it's wonderful enough and despite some melodrama, well-written.
great beginning, but fell short at end........2006-08-15
I was very intrigued with the idea of this book and the task that Ms. Boylan was undertaking. And I have to say she started off beautifully. She is obviously familiar with Bronte's style and rythm. However, the final few chapters diverge slightly, almost as if Ms. Boylan is tired of writing as Bronte and decides she wants to give the book a 20th or 21st century feel. The style changes, the scenarios and the way the characters interact with each other is suddenly different. She also wraps up the ending a little too neatly. All that was missing was a big fat bow on it.
Overall, the book was an enjoyable read, but by the end, I could only roll my eyes at how neatly all the characters were tied to each other.
Enjoyable historical mystery novel.......2006-06-27
In EMMA BROWN, author Clare Boylan takes two chapters of an unfinished novel left behind by Charlotte Bronte and turns them into a complete novel. In doing so, she incorporates other pieces of Bronte's writing, including a short story published by her husband after her. The result, while perhaps not what Bronte herself intended (we'll never know), is a rich, multi-layered novel that makes for an engaging read.
The novel's title character, Emma Brown, is introduced early in Bronte's opening chapters as Matilda Fitzgibbon, a young girl of about 13. Her background lies in shadow, although it soon becomes clear that she is not who she was pretending to be at the small, exclusive school for girls where she was residing. However, something about Matilda (later Emma) intrigues a local gentleman, William Ellin, who agrees to help her discover her way. He enlists the assistance of his friend and local widow, Isabella Chalfont (who also serves as the book's narrator).
In an effort to draw Emma out, Mrs. Chalfont shares her own experience as a young girl; later, the reader gets a glimpse into Mr. Ellin's past as well. Then, as Emma's own history unfolds, we begin to learn that these three stories are surprisingly connected. Boylan's plot definitely becomes a bit TOO coincidental at this point, but by then, I was so engrossed in the lives of these three characters that I didn't mind. Although I can't vouch for whether this book will please fans of Charlotte Bronte, I do think that most fans of historical fiction would enjoy it, and thus I would not hesitate to recommend it.
Emma Brown.......2006-04-24
Clare has created a polished work from scanty beginnings. It is not, despite the blurbs, Bronte's voice -- it is certainly a modern work -- but it is a stimulating read nonetheless. The characters are well-developed and sympathetic, and drew me in to the mystery. The plot is well-timed, adding in new facets just as they are needed.
Clare focuses on the social ills of the era as well. It is, for the most part, effective. The reader is given to understand that Charlotte was interested in these issues as well. I am not a Bronte scholar, so they are the most marked difference that I noticed between this and one of Charlotte's other works. She does go a little over the top in some areas and loses the depth of feeling thereby.
Overall, this is a well polished book. A compelling read.
Book Description
Introduction
Since the 1997 general election, and the rejection of the Conservative party after eighteen years in power, there's been a decidedly upbeat air about England. The election of the "New Labour" government has brought about some genuine changes of atmosphere. There's a lot of talk about the importance of "society", a concept much abused during the laissez-faire years of Thatcherism, and England is now being presented as a component part of Europe, whereas previously the attitude to the continent suggested that the Channel Tunnel was a bridgehead into enemy territory. But in several respects the new world isn't really that new. Many of the less appealing aspects of Conservatism - the under-investment in public services, the assumption that big business knows best - are still with us. And, conversely, many of the features that give England its buzz have not sprung into existence overnight - the celebration of "Cool Britannia" began some time before the arrival of Tony Blair. Indeed, the country has maintained its creative momentum consistently from the "Swinging Sixties" to the present day: the music scene is as vibrant as any in the world; the current crop of young artists has as high a profile as David Hockney ever had; all over Europe there are hi-tech and offbeat postmodern buildings that were born on the drawing boards of London; and when Jean-Paul Gaultier runs short of new ideas he comes to London's markets, outlets for Europe's riskiest street fashion.
However, you only have to scratch the surface and you'll find that England's notorious taste for nostalgia still persists. It's not altogether surprising that the English tend to dwell on former glories - as recently as 1950 London was the capital of the sixth wealthiest nation on the planet, but just three decades later it had slipped from the top twenty. History is constantly repackaged and recycled in England, whether in the form of TV costume dramas or industrial theme parks in which people enact the tasks that once supported their communities. The royal family, though dogged by bad press, continues to occupy a prominent place in the English self-image, a fact demonstrated by the extraordinary manner in which the death of Princess Diana was reported and mourned. The mythical tales of King Arthur and Camelot, the island race that spawned Shakespeare, Drake and Churchill, a golden rural past - these are the notions that lie at the heart of "Englishness", and monuments of the country's past are a major part of its attraction. There's a panoply of medieval and monumental towns; and the countryside yields all manner of delights, from walkers' trails around the hills and lakes, through prehistoric stone circles, to traditional rural villages and their pubs. Virtually every town bears a mark of former wealth and power, whether it be a magnificent Gothic cathedral financed from a monarch's treasury, a parish church funded by the tycoons of the medieval wool trade, or a triumphalist Victorian civic building, raised on the income of the British Empire. In the south of England you'll find old dockyards from which the navy patrolled the oceans, while up north there are mills that employed whole town populations. England's museums and galleries - several of them ranking among the world's finest - are full of treasures trawled from Europe and farther afield. And in their grandiose stuccoed terraces and wide esplanades the old resorts bear testimony to the heyday of the English holiday towns, when Brighton, Bath and diverse other towns were as fashionable and elegant as any European spa.
Contemporary England is at the same time a deeply conservative place and a richly multi-ethnic culture through which runs a strain of individualism that often verges on the anarchic. In essence, England's fascination lies in the tension between its inertia and its adventurousness. Which is the truer image of England at the end of the twentieth century: the record-breaking Sensation art show at the Royal Academy, with its dissected livestock and sexual mutants, or the ranks of Diana memorabilia in souvenir shops across the land?
Customer Reviews:
"England -- The Left Guide".......2005-09-25
If this is your cup of tea ...
"Despite its dominant role, London remains the only capital city to have entered the new millenium without its own governing body, a symptom of more than a decade and a half's political indifference from previous Conservative governments" (p 49.)
and
"Docklands is the converse of the down-at-heel East End, with the Canary Wharf Tower, the country's tallest building, epitomizing the pretensions of the Thatcherite dream" (p 65.)
... then this is your guide. But if you'd like a less politically-obsessed tour of England, you'll stick with the Eyewitness Travel Guides or Fodor's.
Best single guide to England.......2005-09-24
Authors of this guide show excellent taste in their choice of noteworthy sites, and their capsule histories and background information are accurate, informative, and entertaining. Practical information on where to stay and eat is highly reliable.
UK norkies.......2005-09-17
You're going to LOVE BRITAIN! I've spent a year in England and have made >30 visits all together.
Here are my reviews of the best guides....to meet you r exact needs.....I hope these are helpful and that you have a great visit! I always gauge the quality of my visit by how much I remember a year later......this review is designed to help you get the guide that will be sure YOU remember your trip many years into the future. Travel Safe and enjoy yourself to the max!
Fodor's
Fodor's is the best selling guide among Americans. They have a bewildering array of different guides. Here's which is what:
The Gold Guide is the main book with good reviews of everything and lots of tours, walks, and just about everything else you could think of. It's not called the Gold guide for nothing though....it assumes you have money and are willing to spend it.
SeeIt! is a concise guide that extracts the most popular items from the Gold Guide
PocketGuide is designed for a quick first visit
UpCLOSE for independent travel that is cheap and well thought out
CityPack is a plastic pocket map with some guide information
Exploring is for cultural interests, lots of photos and designed to supplement the Gold guide
MapGuide
MapGuide is very easy to use and has the best location information for pubs, hotels, tourist attractions, museums, churches etc. that they manage to keep fairly up to date. It's great for teaching you how to use the underground and the double decker buses. The text sections are quick overviews, not reviews, but the strong suite here is brevity, not depth. I strongly recommend this for your first few times learning your way around the classic tourist sites and experiences. MapGuide is excellent as long as you are staying pretty much in the city centre. When you get to be an old London hand, remember that the classic Londoners guide will always be an A to Z (zed) map and guide. If you want to go a bit beyond the central core of the city (perhaps to Windsor, Hampton, or further away) you really need the proper AtoZ to be able to find exact routes and streets.
Time Out
The Time Out guides are very good. Easy reading, short reviews of restaurants, hotels, and other sites, with good public transport maps that go beyond the city centre. Many people who buy more than one guidebook end up liking this one best!
Blue Guides
Without doubt, the best of the walks guides.... the Blue Guide has been around since 1918 and has extremely well designed walks with lots of unique little side stops to hit on just about any interest you have. If you want to pick up the feel of the city, this is the best book to do that for you. This is one that you end up packing on your 10th trip, by which time it is well worn.
Michelin
Famous for their quality reviews, the Red Michelin Guides are for hotels & Restaurants, the Green Michelin Guides are for main tourist destinations. However, the English language Green guide is the one most people use and it has now been supplemented with hotel and restaurant information. These are the serious review guides as the famous Michelin ratings are issued via these books.
Let's Go
Let's Go is a great guide series that specializes in the niche interest details that turn a trip into a great and memorable experience. Started by and for college students, these guides are famous for the details provided by people who used the book the previous year. They continue to focus on providing a great experience inexpensively. If you want to know about the top restaurants, this is not for you (use Fodor's or Michelin). Let's Go does have a bewildering array of different guides though. Here's which is what:
Budget Guide is the main guide with incredibly detailed information and reviews on everything you can think of.
City Guide is just as intense but restricted to the single city.
PocketGuide is even smaller and features condensed information
MapGuide's are very good maps with public transportation and some other information (like museum hours, etc.)
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet has City and Out To Eat Guides. They are all about the experience so they focus on doing, being, getting there, and this means they have the best detailed information, including both inexpensive and really spectacular restaurants and hotels, out-of-the-way places, weird things to see and do, the list is endless.
Frommer's
These are time tested guides that pride themselves on being updated annually. Although I think the guides below provide information that is in more depth or more concise (depending on what the guide is known for), if your main concern is that the guide has very little old or outdated information, then this would be a good guide for you.
Rick Steves' books are not recommended. They may be an interesting read but their helpfulness is very poor. They don't do well on updates, transportation details, or anything but the first-time-tourist routine and even that is somewhat superficial on anything but the mega-major sites.
Cheerio---I'd bloody give it 10 stars!.......2002-02-17
Last summer, I made my first trip to England, and it was absolutely wonderful! Felt like I was going home to my roots.
Also to see first-hand the areas where the RAF bravely held off the Nazi air attacks, and the civilian wardens watched the skies and the shores, it made me very thankful for our friends across the Atlantic.
The Rough Guide was a critical part of this memorable vacation.
It is frank and factual, but also upbeat. You will save money, and time, reading it. but you'll also be prepared to savor the history of the place, and meet the helpful and friendly people who live there. We took our Rough Guide everywhere. It was like a trusted, and good-spirited English friend. And it will sit on the top of our day packs during our next trip there.
Helped us plan a great trip.......2001-07-17
A year ago we went to England armed with the Rough Guide. I can't really compare it to other travel books (other than one of the Michelin Green guides, which we also used), but the Rough Guide worked for us. We particularly liked the fact that it did not only dirct us to the sights "everybody" would want to see. The writers were actually pretty up front about attractions that they considered to be overrated. The book was also really useful for the early stages planning our trip, because it provided a nice broad overview of the regions.
Average customer rating:
|
The Little Spice Cookbook (Little Cookbook)
Manufacturer: Smithmark Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Bargain Books
| Stores
| Books
| Arts & Photography
| Audiobooks
| Biography
| Business & Investing
| Calendars
| Children
| Computers & Internet
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Film
| Greeting Cards & Accessories
| Health, Mind & Body
| History
| Home & Garden
| Humor, Comics & Pop Culture
| Literature & Fiction
| Mysteries & Thrillers
| Nonfiction
| Parenting & Families
| Reference
| Religion & Spirituality
| Romance
| Science & Nature
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Sports
| Teens
| Travel
Herbs, Spices & Condiments
| Cooking by Ingredient
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0765198193 |
Average customer rating:
|
The Little Chicken Cookbook (The Little Cookbook Series)
Manufacturer: Smithmark Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Bargain Books
| Stores
| Books
| Arts & Photography
| Audiobooks
| Biography
| Business & Investing
| Calendars
| Children
| Computers & Internet
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Film
| Greeting Cards & Accessories
| Health, Mind & Body
| History
| Home & Garden
| Humor, Comics & Pop Culture
| Literature & Fiction
| Mysteries & Thrillers
| Nonfiction
| Parenting & Families
| Reference
| Religion & Spirituality
| Romance
| Science & Nature
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Sports
| Teens
| Travel
Poultry
| Meat, Poultry & Seafood
| Cooking by Ingredient
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0831774231 |
Average customer rating:
|
Making Waves: Integrating Coastal Conservation and Development
Katrina Brown ,
Emma Tompkins , and
Neil Adger
Manufacturer: Earthscan Publications Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Popular Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Sustainable Development
| Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Conservation
| Environment
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Living on the Land
| Ecology
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
| Architecture
| Hunting & Fishing
General
| Conservation
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Oceans & Seas
| Nature & Ecology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 1853839124 |
Book Description
* Demonstrates important new methods for the management of natural resources, showing how to integrate conservation goals with development
* Applies the methods to coastal zones - where population and economic pressures often conflict acutely with fragile and diverse ecosystems
* Essential reading for professionals and ideal coursebook material
Coastal zones are critical multiple-use resources, under pressure from constant demands from different sources - conservation, economic growth and social welfare. This book identifies the dilemmas of managing conservation and development in coastal areas. It gives important and timely information on the management, conservation and social implications of coastal resources.
The authors present a variety of participatory methods and techniques that can be used to show the success or otherwise of the different uses and how they affect the users. Their interdisciplinary analysis draws upon scientific knowledge as well as the latest social science insights on property rights and governance. The book will be important reading for researchers and students in geography, development studies and environmental planning and also for practitioners in natural resource management and coastal zone management.
Average customer rating:
|
The All-Summer Cookbook
Manufacturer: Smithmark Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Seasonal
| Special Occasions
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0831759453 |
Average customer rating:
|
Emma (Little Brown Notebooks)
MQ Publications , and
Museum Quilts Publications
Manufacturer: MQ Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Classics by Age
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
19th Century
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
jp-unknown3
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 1897954832 |
Average customer rating:
|
EMMA - (SHEET MUSIC)
E. Brown & T. Willis
Manufacturer: SCREEN GEMS/COLUMBIA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Sheet music
General
| Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B000OZI1MA |
Product Description
sheet music with lyrics.
Book Description
Denim and chambray have never been more popular or plentiful. Retail shops and catalogs are brimming with shirts, jumpers, dresses, vests, and more, ranging in style from casual to elegant. Adding designer touches to ready-made denim and chambray transforms these inexpensive pieces into upscale, custom-made garments anyone would be proud to wear.
Best-selling author Mary Mulari has applied her magic touch to everything from sweatshirts to appliqu and now turns to denim and chambray with style! Mularis simple step-by-step instructions and creative ideas for embellishments include appliqu variations, pocket additions, vintage linen panels, button-on trims, stenciling, and rubber stamping.
-All new ideas from one of Americas favorite authors. -Clever denim on denim trims, many cut from old blue jeans. -Movable embellishments to use on different garments, tote bags, and hats.
Customer Reviews:
Mary does it again!.......2000-09-02
Mary never fails to provide us with wonderful projects and terrific ideas. As always, the instructions are clearly written.
Those who have purchased her previous books will not be disapointed; new readers are in for a treat.
On a scale of 1 - 10, this book is a 15!
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic!.......2007-05-07
This is one of my all-time favorites from Diana Palmer (aka Blayne). All the sexual tension, intriguing storyline and intense characterization of her classic series books, but in a full-length format that lets her tell a deeper story. Well worth the price to find it used.
Denim and Lace.......1999-12-24
The back cover reads:
"Two worlds...one desire. Once their families had been friends. But dark secrets and scandal swept them fiercely apart into separate worlds. By then it was too late for Bess. Her heart was corralled by a man she thought she couldn't have and she was trapped in a world where she didn't belong. Until that world shattered. And her heart was thrown from the wild bronco of love. Was Cade there to pick up the pieces out of love... revenge...or only the wild fury of his desire to have her? And even if he did love her, what kind of future could they fashion out of..."
Average customer rating:
|
Blue Denim And Lace
Manufacturer: Hyles- Anderson Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000B8NQQQ |
Product Description
Excellent lessons in Christian charactor from prominent pastor whose Sunday School numbered 10,000 members at one time.
Customer Reviews:
tomboy turned lady..........2004-05-31
Denim and Lace is filled with witty remarks and a dose of sarcasm that will have you turning the page without pause.
Average customer rating:
|
Blue Denim And Lace
Manufacturer: Hyles-anderson Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000B8PW6S |
Average customer rating:
|
Blue Denim and Lace
Jack Hyles
Manufacturer: Hyles-Anderson Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Meditations | Worship & Devotion | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006VUMBK |
Customer Reviews:
Great sermon starters.......2007-09-29
Jack Hyles has written on so many different topics in this book that it becomes a handbook full of sermon starters for pastors. And for that, it is extremely valuable.
Books:
- Exterminators, The: Insurgency - Volume 2 (Exterminators)
- F. Scott Fitzgerald: Novels and Stories 1920-1922: This Side of Paradise / Flappers and Philosophers / The Beautiful and the Damned / Tales of the Jazz Age (Library of America)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- Hokkaido Popsicle
- I'll Take You There: A Novel
- In the Twilight, in the Evening (Cheney Duvall, M.D. Series #6)
- It's Only the Enemy Screaming: A Novel
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Computed Body Tomography with MRI Correlation
- To Catch a Predator: Protecting Your Kids from Online Enemies Already in Your Home
- The Hundred Secret Senses
- The Colorado Kid
- The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists
- Understanding Nutrition
- The Magnificent Mountain Women
- 1900 : Art at the Crossroads
- The Cloudspotter's Guide
- The Final Hours: A German Jet Pilot Plots Against Goering
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Oxford World's Classics)
The Peppered Moth
Agnes Grey (Penguin Classics)
In The City of Dark Waters
The Great Stink
