Amazon.com
Semyon Dukach couldn't believe how easy the money was. In one weekend, the MIT math genius and his team of geeks had made $200,000 playing the blackjack tables in Las Vegas. They hadn't cheated. Instead, they had discovered one of humanity's greatest holy grails: a system to beat the casino. They had rendered obsolete the old saying that the house always wins. Dukach and his friends made millions during the 1990s playing blackjack in the world's top casinos, right under the noses of pit bosses and security consultants who thought they had seen it all. Dukach's story is told in author Ben Mezrich's vividly narrated book Busting Vegas.
Mezrich, the author of previous bestsellers about MIT gamblers and a colorful Ivy League trader in Japan, tells how Dukach's crew used a system that Vegas had never seen before. Dukach, the son of Russian immigrants who grew up in the poorest neighborhoods of New Jersey and Houston, was determined to climb out of poverty and help his family. His system didn't involve the commonly used techniques of card counting. Posing as an arms dealer or dentist, Dukach deliberately sought out blackjack dealers with small hands or thin fingers who frequently didn't conceal the bottom card when they shuffled the cards. Dukach would often manage to get a glimpse at the bottom card. This was highly significant because it was the card the dealer would hand the player to cut the deck. Dukach had practiced a technique to insert the card in a precise spot in the deck and then make big bets when the card was dealt. Dukach and his team ended up barred from casinos, threatened at gunpoint, and beaten in Vegas's notorious back rooms. This is a riveting yarn. —Alex Roslin
Book Description
The exclusive, pulse–pounding follow–up to Bringing Down the House–where the stakes are higher, the players bolder, and the scheme more high–risk.
For nearly five years, Semyon Dukach was known as The Darling Of Las Vegas–the biggest high roller to hit sin city in decades, a hotshot kid with a seemingly unlimitted bankroll and an even more unlimited lust for big money action. He'd hit the city every weekend, a string of beautiful women at his side–throwing cash at the blackjack tables in increasingly enormous amounts. Some believed he was a Russian arms dealer, others believed he was a pop star from Eastern Europe. But the truth was even more fantastic: He was a twenty one year old grad student who spoke five languages, an expert in computers and mathematics. He had a plan that would one day make him richer than anyone could possibly imagine. He used his genius to create a dangerous money–making scheme called "Busting the Dealer"–a scheme only a mathematics genius could have created. More dangerous than the simpler card counting he had been practicing with other pals–bolder, badder, more risky–"Busting the Dealer" was easier for the dealer to tell when one was practicing it.
With "Busting the Dealer," The Darling of Las Vegas quickly became a legend in the world of cards and casinos; the chronicle of his exploits are a Hollywood movie come to life. He became the only person banned from the island of Aruba. He was held, at gunpoint, in a cave in Monte Carlo and told by liaisons of the royal family that if he ever returned, he'd be murdered. After a death–defying plane crash, he crawled into a burning Cessna–on two broken feet–to rescue four hundred thousand dollars won from an Atlantic City casino. He hit cruise ships, charity balls, wherever there was a game worth beating, anywhere in the world. Along the way, he fell in love with his best friend's girlfriend, was betrayed by his own teammates–and nearly lost his life.
This is the startling true story of another group of MIT friends who changed the course of Vegas history–and this time, the stakes have been raised to epic proportions. A tale of monumental excess, sex, love, violence, and statistics,
Customer Reviews:
Busting Vegas.......2007-10-10
I was fascinated by this book. Not only the methods the players used against the casinos, but also the different situations they found themselves in and the lifestyle they led while doing their gambling thing. I ripped through the book in 2 days.
A fun quick easy read........2007-08-23
Busting Vegas is a fun thrilling read which can be done very quickly. This is an alluring story about students from MIT who decide to set up a club for Blackjack for the sole purpose of taking down the casinos. Using specific techniques the students developed and honed within the halls of the Cambridge, MA university, they set out for the ride of their life with big money, false identities and incredible bravado. While I will not give away the ending, I will say that the book reads like any "popcorn novel", fast paced and thrilling. For a great end of the summer read check it out, you will not be disappointed.
Flawed, But Ferociously Readable.......2007-07-23
I'm still not sure if this is non-fiction. The events evidently happened a long time ago. It leaves a lot of unanswered questions, such as whether the 'system' these MIT students devised is still in use by others, where these kids are now and what they ever did with their 'earnings.' Despite some shortcomings, the author's writing style is fast and compelling, so that you want to know what happens next. One of the better beating-Las-Vegas tales out there.
Clever, but terribly written.......2007-06-25
This is a fun little summer read. Smarty-pants MIT geeks figure out some ways to count cards in blackjack, and win it all! Then, of course, it all comes crashing down! The clever methods turn out to be more or less brute force: count and commit stuff to memory, then time your bets just right. I guess I was hoping for something more MIT-worthy.
Unfortunately, this book is so badly-written it's almost unbearable to read. I wasn't expecting great non-fiction, but this is *bad*. Here's an example: describing a "grueling" month of training the team goes through before hitting Vegas, we're told that the students made "biweekly" trips to a local casino. Really? Two whole trips isn't exactly "grueling" training. (Maybe the author meant "twice weekly"?) This is followed by "every ten days, the team endured 'checkouts'"--basically pop quizzes. Every *ten* days? So...that makes three times during this so-called intense month? This doesn't exactly paint a picture of the team grinding away in Boston in preparation for the big score, it sounds kinda like some kids playing cards every once in a while.
The whole book can't seem to strike the right tone of reality. This *is* a true story, but it isn't told straight. Details are needlessly specific (how many books on a bookcase, the color of a pair of shoes, how good a cup of tea is, and so on). But these are details that aren't just irrelevant to the story, but impossible to recall. It's clear that the author is simply filling in information here in hopes that it all seems more "real". Problem is, it's not possible to tell when these details *are* real, and so everything seems equally fake, and you end up wondering: when Owen was in that secret back room at the casino, did he really get beat up and handcuffed? Did the security team really threaten him like that? Or are those details just imagined, too? If this was pure fiction, it'd be ok, but in a supposedly non-fiction book, it feels mostly made-up.
Exciting Read.......2007-06-19
Mezrich puts together another great story about a group of students from MIT who take on Vegas. Other than the techniques used however, I didn't see much of a difference between this book and "Bringing Down the House." If you had to pick one, read "Busting Vegas." Exciting book, but nothing new from Mezrich.
Average customer rating:
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I Was Elvis Presleyªs Bastard Love-Child: & Other Stories of RockªNªRoll Excess
Andrew Darlington
Manufacturer: Critical Vision
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1900486172 |
Book Description
Andy Darlington has been interviewing Rock's luminaries and legends for several decades-spurred on as a child in the late-sixties by testosterone, the napalm that was Elvis and hopes to bed hippie chicks. I Was Elvis Presley's Bastard Love-Child collects together his timeless and engaging conversations with a diverse selection of artists and band members, amongst whom are included: Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Country Joe McDonald, Grace Slick, Kraftwerk, Cabaret Voltaire, The Byrds, Can, The Kinks, Mott The Hoople, The Fall, Siouxie And The Banshees, The Stone Roses, and Skunk Anansie.
Book Description
Eliza Haywood (1693-1756) was on of the most successful writers of her time; indeed, the two most popular English novels in the early eighteenth-century were Robinson Crusoe and Haywood's first novel, Love in Excess. As this edition enables modern readers to discover, its enormous success is easy to understand. Love in Excess is a well crafted novel in which the claims of love and ambition are pursued through multiple storylines until the heroine engineers a melodramatic conclusion.
Haywood's frankness about female sexuality may explain the later neglect of Love in Excess. (In contrast, her accomplished domestic novel, The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless, has remained available.) Love in Excess and its reception provide a lively and valuable record of the challenge that female desire posed to social decorum.
For the second Broadview edition, the appendix of eighteenth-century responses to Haywood has been considerably expanded.
Customer Reviews:
Could have been trashier.......2005-10-14
It seems everyone always wants to pinpoint the "first novel." It's not Pamela, it's Love in Excess. It's Love in Excess, it's Gulliver's Travels. It's not Gulliver's Travel's, it's Oroonoko.
Actually, the first novel is probably Gargantua and Pantagruel by Rabelais. Or Don Quixote. Either way, it's not in English. And when it comes down to it, it doesn't really matter. Love in Excess (and the others around it) should be judged on its own merit, not in chronological/"novelistic" relation to other supposed "first novels."
So, judged on its own merit, is Love in Excess any good?
Well, first of all, it's highly theatrical, in multiple senses of the word. Eliza Haywood was a successful actress and the novel is dedicated to a big former stage star of the day. (It'd be like a book being dedicated to Julia Roberts today.) The novel is composed in three highly-differentiable parts - they seem like they could be three acts in a play. The characters are often easily placed into types - one could imagine one person playing three of characters of the same type (e.g., the deceitful woman) that each appear in a separate part/act.
Love in Excess is, fundamentally, about exactly that - what happens when too much "love" is shooting around everywhere. Love, lust - whatever. Haywood delves deeply into what love is, and it's a very different notion than what we have.
Probably few people today read Love in Excess for its plot, but the story is worth it - convoluted, ridiculous, at points hilarious, full of outrageous coincidences, trashy, and by the standards of the day surely damn near pornographic. The syntax takes a little getting used to, but the book flows well as it goes on.
The main fault of Love in Excess to the modern reader, though, is that it's not saucy *enough.* Compared with romance novels (that phrase was once oxymoronic, but I think it makes sense even in relation to Love in Excess) today, you're left with a bit of the "That's it?" feeling.
(Still, by the standards of the day...)
The first novelist & very much misunderstood.......2003-11-06
It's a shame that Richardson gets credit for being the first novelist--Haywood wrote "Love in Excess" twenty years prior to "Pamela"!!! And frankly, I think "Love in Excess" is not only a much better novel in terms of its craft and general use of language, it is also much more entertaining--which was the aim of many early novels anyway.
"Love in Excess" is a bawdy, surprisingly complex romp. What you have, I think, are morally ambiguous characters; some are just flat-out amoral; and the fun and playful thing about EH is that she treats her characters as consistent, moral creatures, yet they are far from it. Indeed, for those that read EH as simply a romance writer, they're missing out on a wealth of sarcasm, satire, and humor. EH knew she was creating despicable people; she wanted to point out the absurdities of courtly love; and by writing in a tone that is seemingly serious, she is also testing her audience. Even though this was the first novel, Haywood understood how to write both to the masses and to her peers. In other words, "Love in Excess" is multi-functional and sets a standard for those like Richardson to follow--who, hypocritically, I'd imagine, would deny her influence and dismiss her talents because of her gender. It's wild that Haywood is hardly known: she's a master writer, a brilliant social commentator, and in possession of a tremendous analytical mind. I admire her very much.
Drivel in Excess.......2000-05-21
I purchased this book under the misapprehension that it might be similar to Jane Austen's work. Unfortunately, I was EXCESSIVELY mistaken! There was no depth of character or maturity found within this book. The sentence structure was often incomplete making it almost impossible to understand what the author was trying to express. The Characters had no soul. They were mindless caricatures fulfilling wanton lusts and desire without reason. Who but a madwoman would swoon at the sight of her intended conquest on the arm of another woman-then pull her own hair out and tear at her own face. You may enjoy such as this,but I do not! This one needs to be filed under "T" for Trashola!
Not for Austen fans necessarily, but a good read.......2000-05-07
Austen fans would be advised to read Haywood's History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless, not Love in Excess, which is a much earlier "novel" following the fortunes of a male protagonist through a series of increasingly bizarre romantic twists and tangles. It's a fast read and quite enjoyable, but be prepared for some serious nuttiness.
One of the Best Novels of the 18th (or any) century.......1999-03-11
If you like Jane Austen, you'll really like Love In Excess. It is both a humorous and exciting tale of loves lost, gained, regained, and unconsummated. The diversity of characters really makes this book intriguing. You never know who will do or say what , and if you think you do, you'll be wrong. What will be surprising to readers of Austen or Burney is the amount of control the female characters have over their own fate. In a Burney novel, for example, events tend to happen to the female characters rather than the character shaping the events. This isn't the case with Love In Excess. The women in this novel are very much active in their own circumstances, whether for good or ill. Love in Excess deserves your attention. In the first half of the eighteenth century the only novel to out sell it was Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe, which suggests to me that scholars should give it more attention for its importance in the development of the English novel. Regardless, scholarly reader or escapist will enjoy this book.
Average customer rating:
- Get a History book
- An Excess of Love
- Superb
- Superb
- Superb
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An Excess of Love
Cathy Cash Spellman
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
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| Romance
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SO MANY PARTINGS
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Bless the Child
ASIN: 0385293984 |
Book Description
An Excess of Love brings to vivid life the culmination of the Irish struggle for independence and tells the story of a heroic family who paid the terrible price of freedom.
Customer Reviews:
Get a History book .......2005-09-26
Cathy, I'm sorry if this hurts your feelings, but this is absolute dross. This history part gives the key events leading up to the creation of "The Free State" of Eire, but the romance is clichee city!
So to potential readers - better get yourselves a proper history book and a decent romance - this combination doesn't work! Life is way too short to plough through this one.
An Excess of Love.......2004-04-30
I read this book just after I had finished an Irish Studies course at my local college. I was surprised and delighted at the imaginative and accurate way that Cathy C S had managed to intertwine historical fact with romantic fiction. I could not put this book down and it is my favourite of hers. I think it is an excellent book to read if you have an interest in Irish history particularly regarding the build-up to the 1916 Uprising which was a catalyst for modern Ireland. Given the beautiful romantic circumstances surrounding the story, including tremendous similarities between the authors romantic characters and the various authors, revolutionaries, artists and poets of that time; including W.B./ Yeats and what happened to them and the significance of that time,I think this is one of the best books I have ever read.
Superb.......1999-07-27
From the very first line, this book grabs you and it does not let go until the last page! It is a well written, historically accurate account of the events leading up to the Easter rising of 1916. In it the reader encounters actual prominent historical figures such as Michael Collins. The story involves two sisters, their love for one another, their love for their nation, and their love for the men in their lives. It is romantic, sad, funny,tragic...in a nut shell, all the things that make for great reading. I highly recommend it.
Superb.......1999-07-27
From the very first line, this book grabs you and it does not let go until the last page! It is a well written, historically accurate account of the events leading up to the Easter rising of 1916. In it the reader encounters actual prominent historical figures such as Michael Collins. The story involves two sisters, their love for one another, their love for their nation, and their love for the men in their lives. It is romantic, sad, funny,tragic...in a nut shell, all the things that make for great reading. I highly recommend it.
Superb.......1999-07-02
This book grabs the reader with its very first line. It is in my opinion, Spellman's best book. It is a historical drama (very accurate on the historical facts) about Ireland and it's long struggle for freedom and independance. It vividly details many of the uprisings, leading up to the Easter Rising of 1916. The reader is introduced to some of the real revolutionaries who were a part the uprising and eventual liberation of Southern Ireland. In addition, the two main characters are sisters who are very different (one is a rebel, the other a conformist) but who share a strong love for each other and their country. This book is about so many complicated issues, and yet it is entertaining and educational. I guess one could say its about the love shared between siblings and family, passionate, romantic love between men and women, and a peoples deep love for their country and hope for independence and freedom. It is one of my favorite books. I made the unfortunate mistake of lending it to a friend who lives in another state. I have not seen it since. I am currently trying my best to get it from Amazon, and I hope they come through for me.
Average customer rating:
- TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF LOVE IS TO BE ENLIGHTENED!
- A classic femdom novel, baroque, unusual, and philosophical
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Excess of Love
Jac Lenders
Manufacturer: Blue Moon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 1562011685 |
Book Description
In the disarmingly prim house shared by a novelist, Michael; his wife, Hilda, whose depravity is matched only by her staggering beauty; and Olive, their maid, occur events to confound the wildest imagination. In his diary, hopelessly yet willingly trapped in this bizarre menage, Michael sets down the day-to-day events that finally lead to a tragic conclusion.
Customer Reviews:
TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF LOVE IS TO BE ENLIGHTENED!.......2000-08-08
I first read EXCESS OF LOVE by Jac Lenders over twenty-two years ago. I was very pleased to see it reprinted in 1996, then again in 2000. EXCESS OF LOVE is a novel that takes a bold look at a form of love that was seldom discussed out loud in public twenty years before. Things are a little more opened in this day and age. That I would call this book a classic in the field of "erotica" is surely an understatement. Few other novels have been written which depict the subject of "Female Domination" with such clarity, honesty, and even perhaps such love. Written as a diary, EXCESS OF LOVE is the story of Michael and Hilda Mansell. They are a couple that lives in England and have a rather unusual marriage based on the belief of female domination. Michael, a novelist, is the slave of his beautiful, but cold wife, Hilda. She is the Goddess that he worships, and his role is to submit to whatever demands are made upon him. The top floor of their three-story home is Michael's prison, and he is never allowed to leave it without Hilda's permission. In fact, the door leading up the third landing is kept locked at all times, and Hilda is the only person with a key. To test the love of her submissive husband, Hilda will at times cruely punish and humiliate Michael in ways that would seem depraved to those outside of such a relationship. To Michael, it is simply another way for his wife to demonstrate her love for him. Though occasionally fearful of the things Hilda does to him, Michael also finds himself sexually excited at the same time. When Hilda takes Peter as her young lover, Michael is tied to a chair in his quarters and forced to listen to their lovemaking on the intercom system. He finds himself to be both jealous and excited at being cuckolded by his lovely wife. Over a period of months, Hilda begins to mold and shape the relationship between her and the two men, much like a skilled director, bringing the two of them closer together, until each is able to completely accept the other. Peter eventually becomes comfortable enough to accept the husband being tied and bound in the same room as he makes long, passionate love to the Mistress of the house. There is also the new maid, Olive, who not only has to clean the house, but assists Hilda in dominating her husband. As Hilda tells Olive, "There are men who want to cry with pain, some who want to feel that there is no mercy for them. Some can only live happily as slaves. They are told what to do and what not to do, and they get punished all of the time, and the men love it." Olive soon learns the power of the whip and how ecstatic it can be to control another human being in a sexual manner. Over time, however, Olive and Michael develop a close relationship with each other that leads to jealousy on Hilda's part, and it isn't long before tragedy unfolds. Whatever one may think with regards to the type of marriage Hilda and Michael have, the one thing that stands out in the book is the strong love both have for each other. It doesn't matter what Hilda forces her husband to endure, there is never a doubt that she truly loves him, or that he loves her more than life itself. EXCESS OF LOVE was certainly written by someone who has had personal experience in a relationship of this type. Of that, there can be no question. The author clearly understands the psychology behind the actions and never for one moment looks down upon his characters in the book. He has written them as flesh and blood...as people the reader can care about, no matter what their sexual preferences might be. The only difference between the Mansells and other folks is how they choose to view the nature of love and express it between themselves. Certainly this novel was written for a very small, select audience. That it has continued to be reprinted over the last twenty years says something for the quality of writing and how the subject matter is treated. The reader should be warned that this novel is sexually graphic and will be offensive to a great many people. There is only one other novel that I have read over the last two decades that comes even close to the quality and truth of this book and it is titled, MY DARLING DOMINATRIX. Written by Grant Antrews, readers can still purchase this and EXCESS OF LOVE through Amazon.com. Finally, I don't know if Jac Lenders is still alive or not. To my knowledge, EXCESS OF LOVE is the only novel which he wrote. If by some chance Mr. Lenders is alive and by some strange twist of fate reads this review, perhaps he will consider writing another novel. I would love to see how he'd deal with the same subject matter in today's opened society.
A classic femdom novel, baroque, unusual, and philosophical.......1997-09-02
I first read this book about 20 years ago, and I consider it a classic of the type.
Michael is kept in bondage and punished severely by his caring but aloof wife, Hilda. His excess of love compells him to assist in helping her to take a lover to enjoy in front of her imprisoned slave. Hilda also tempts him with her new, young maid, who in turn seduces him (causing him extreme punishment), possesses him, and finally suffers with him under the bondage and punishment of the passionate but cold, Hilda.
This very well written novel has non-cardboard characters with depth and emotions, an unique story line, and graphic corporal punishment, scatalogical, and bondage scenes. The reader is swept up into the forboding mystery of Hilda's character, and the slavishly devoted and tragically needy character of Michael
Average customer rating:
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An Excess of Love
Cathy Cash Spellman
Manufacturer: Delacorte
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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| England
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| United States
ASIN: 0002229382 |
Average customer rating:
- Very enjoyable
- Terrific
- Believable narrator, but she's too powerful
- great book
- Polgara the Sorceress, Aunt Pol, Duchess of Erat and Mistress Pol
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Polgara the Sorceress (Malloreon (Paperback Random House))
David Eddings , and
Leigh Eddings
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Belgarath the Sorcerer
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The Malloreon, Vol. 2 (Books 4 & 5): Sorceress of Darshiva, The Seeress of Kell
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The Malloreon, Vol. 1 (Books 1-3): Guardians of the West, King of the Murgos, Demon Lord of Karanda
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The Belgariad, Vol. 2 (Books 4 & 5): Castle of Wizardry, Enchanters' End Game
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The Belgariad, Vol. 1 (Books 1-3): Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery, Magician's Gambit
ASIN: 0345422554
Release Date: 1998-12-26 |
Book Description
She soars above a world of warriors, kings, and priests. The daughter of Belgarath and the shape-shifter Poledra, she has fought wars, plotted palace coups, and worked her powerful magic for three thousand years. Now, Polgara looks back at her magnificent life, in this fitting crown jewel to the saga that is the Eddings' Belgariad and Mallorean cycles.
Her hair streaked white by her father's first touch, her mind guided by a mother she will not see again for centuries, Polgara begins life in her Uncle Beldin's tower, and in the prehistorical, magical Tree that stands in the middle of the Vale. There, she first learns the reaches of her powers. There she assumes the bird shapes that will serve her on her adventures. And there she starts on the path toward her destiny as Duchess of Erat, shepherdess of the cause of good, adversary of Torak the One-Eyed Dragon God, and guardian of the world's last, best hope: the heir to the Rivan throne.
Here is the legendary life story of a woman of wit, passion, and complex emotions, a woman born of two majestic parents who could not have been more unlike one another. Ordained to make peace and make war, to gain love and lose love, Polgara lives out her family's rich prophecy in the ceaseless struggle between the Light and the Dark.
Polgara is the epic culmination of a magnificent saga, and a fitting farewell to a world which, once experienced, will never be forgotten.
Customer Reviews:
Very enjoyable.......2007-09-14
David Eddings does a wonderful job of engrossing you in the life and world of this character. The story is very interesting and enjoyable. I also really enjoyed the Belgariad series, which Polgara was also in.
Terrific.......2006-11-10
I enjoy this book. This is my second copy. I have re-bought all of the Eddings series as they have worn out over the years. I prefer Belgarath the Sorcerer, but I cant read that without reading this immediately after.
Believable narrator, but she's too powerful.......2006-07-15
Believe it or not, this is the first Eddings novel I've read. A friend recommended it to me, so I gave it a shot, even though I was rather confused several times. But I think I'm glad I was busy trying to figure out who was who, so that Polgara's repetition didn't wear on me as much as it might have. I enjoyed the earliest parts of the book the most, the parts when I was most confused, actually! When I no longer had to struggle to figure out who was who, then the basic problem of the book came out--Polgara is just too powerful. There's never really any danger to her. Her heart is broken when loved ones die, but with her rudeness to her father and her frequent dismissal of her mother's advice, I'm not sure why anyone would want to be around her! She's condescending to the humans whose lives she controls. However, all that said, the character of the narrator is consistent and believable, even at her obnoxious moments! I haven't yet decided if I will go back to read the other books in the serious or not.
great book.......2006-04-28
Having read both the Belgariad and Mallorean series, I thoroughly enjoyed this historical account of what took place prior to the 2 series. If you have not read the aforementioned series, I seriously reccomend that you read them before you read Polgara the Soceress as they are vital towards a greater comprehension of this novel. I am obviously a bit biased towards these books as I have read the entire series 15 or so times through, but that just shows how enjoyable they are. I profess that they may not be "classical"/good literature for reading, but all in all, it is for those times when you simply want a mindless read for an escape to another world.
This is basically the 3000 year old autobiography of Polgara's life. Whereas the series narrarated in a more third person perspective, this and Belgarath offer a more personal touch to the narrative. Although the male/female relationships are all seemingly the same(boy meets girl, boy fights girl, boy saves girl and boy wins girl), Polgara offers additional aspects of personality to the relationships. As with any autobiography, it takes a while to get started, especially with 3000 years to work with, but once the action starts, the book is quite difficult to put down. At times, it is rather repititive, especially when you have the same Rivan king names over and over and somewhat hard to discern if a new king has arrived, but for the most part goes by pretty fast.
David Eddings seems to like to reiterate a few emotions throughout the book and seems to want to pound it into your head. Perhaps the most prevalent one in this book is the idea of losing loved ones if one is immortal. The pain and loss that comes with each passing age is something that I could feel sympathetic, but when it is said over and over throughout, it gets a bit annoying.
Polgara the Sorceress, Aunt Pol, Duchess of Erat and Mistress Pol.......2006-03-15
In this book, Polgara goes back in time and speaks about her life before The Belgariad. It fills in many gaps left by Belgarath the Sorcerer. In Belgarath the Sorcerer I felt as though Belgarath was an onlooker, involved but not feeling. In Polgara the Sorceress, I got a better glimpse into who she really was. I read into her regrets, her triumphs, and who she was. During the Belgariad and the Mallorean, Polgara is this all-powerful, scolding figure whom Garion thinks cannot be broken down. Personally, I did not need to read the Belgariad or the Mallorean to understand it, but I do think that some of Polgara jokes, areas where she talks directly out to her readers, are better understandable when one has read the Belgariad and the Mallorean. What I found interesting was the two very different outlooks Belgarath and Polgara saw in a situation. Although Polgara is considered to be "the responsible one," in many ways she is more of the party person than Belgarath. I enjoyed this book immensely, and I would recommend it to most.
Product Description
2 Book Set By David and Leigh Eddings; Belgarath the Sorcerer; Polgara the Sorceress.
Product Description
3 companion novels to The Belgariad and The Malloreon series.
Average customer rating:
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Polgara the Sorceress
Manufacturer: Ballantine Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HKHOKW |
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