Terra Nostra (Latin American Literature Series)

Book Description

One of the great masterpieces of modern Latin American fiction, TERRA NOSTR is concerned with nothing less than the history of Spain and of South America, with the Indian Gods and with Christianity, with the birth, the passion, and the death of civilizations. Fuentes skillfully blends a wide range of literary forms, stories within stories, Mexican and Spanish myth, and famous literary characters in this novel that is both a historical epic and an apocalyptic vision of modern times. Terra Nostra is that most ambitious and rare of creations—a total work of art.

Customer Reviews:

Funetes' opus first published in 1976.......2003-10-09

Excerpts from Robert Coover's original review published in the New York Times November 7, 1976:

"Terra Nostra" is a colossal 350,000-word opus, a kind of panoramic Hispano-American creation myth, spanning 20 centuries (more, if you count the Greek and Egyptian mythologies that help to feed it) and embracing virtually the whole of European and American (especially Mexican) culture and civilization.

If "Terra Nostra" is a failure, it is a magnificent failure. Its conception is truly grand, its perceptions often unique, its energy compelling and the inventiveness and audacity of some of its narrative maneuvers absolutely breathtaking; the animated paintings, the talking mirrors, the time machines and metamorphosing mummies, the fusion of history, myth and fiction, the variations on themes and dreams, the interweaving or rich, violent, beautiful, grotesque, mysterious, even magical images--not without reason has this book been likened to a vast and intricate tapestry.

Book Description

Smitten by the modernity of Cervantes and Borges at an early age, Carlos Fuentes has written extensively on the cultures of the Americas and elsewhere. His work includes over a dozen novels, among them The Death of Artemio Cruz, Christopher Unborn, The Old Gringo, and Terra Nostra, several volumes of short stories, numerous essays on literary, cultural, and political topics, and some theater. In this book, Raymond Leslie Williams traces the themes of history, culture, and identity in Fuentes' work, particularly in his complex, major novel Terra Nostra. He opens with a biography of Fuentes that links his works to his intellectual life. The heart of the study is Williams' extensive reading of the novel Terra Nostra, in which Fuentes explores the presence of Spanish culture and history in Latin America. Williams concludes with a look at how Fuentes' other fiction relates to Terra Nostra, including Fuentes' own division of his work into fourteen cycles that he calls "La Edad del Tiempo," and with an interview in which Fuentes discusses his concept of this cyclical division.

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If you like Faulkner...

Terra Nostra
Carlos Fuentes
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus, Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Latin American | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0374273278

Customer Reviews:

If you like Faulkner..........2001-02-27

...Terra Nostra" is divided into three sections, translated in English as "The Old World" "The New World" and "The Next World." The first part is set in pre-Colombian Europe and describes the degenerate king of a dying Spanish Empire and his court. This section is loaded with as much intrigue and back stabbing as "I Claudius".

The second section, "The New World", is my favorite and can be read on its own. It has some of the most beautiful prose I have ever encountered. In it, the author describes the pilgrim's journey to the New World and his meetings with its people. The narrative has an immediacy that makes one feel that one has just stumbled upon a new world, with all of its dangers and mysteries.

In the last section, the pilgrim tells his story to the Spanish King, and the rest, as they say, is history.

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The Shining Ones: The World's Most Powerful Secret Society Revealed
Philip Gardiner , and Gary Osborn
Manufacturer: Watkins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books
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Controversial Knowledge | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Unexplained Mysteries | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Gnosis: The Secret of Solomon's Temple Revealed

Secrets of the Serpent: In Search of the Sacred Past

Secret Societies: Gardiner's Forbidden Knowledge : Revelations About the Freemasons, Templars, Illuminati, Nazis, and the Serpent Cults

The Serpent Grail: The Truth Behind the Holy Grail, the Philosopher's Stone and the Elixir of Life

The Ark, the Shroud, and Mary: The Untold Truths About the Relics of the Bible

ASIN: 1842931652

Book Description

The truth is revealed here, in the only book that tells the story of a very ancient worldwide priesthood. Its mission: to preserve the group’s secret knowledge for the good of humanity…and control the development of the world. The first edition of The Shining Ones sold more than 45,000 copies in the UK alone, and three-quarters of this revised version is entirely new material. The “Shining Ones” belonged to an advanced culture that kept its wisdom alive through mythology and legend, and by embedding it in art, architecture, and literature (including the Bible). Authors Philip Gardiner and Gary Osborn, who spent years researching this secret society, have uncovered its influence in every major religion with roots in the ancient world—as well as in science, mysticism, philosophy, and politics.

The Shining Ones (Book Two of The Tamuli)

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Okay
Troll Stopping for Fun and Profit
Eddings can do no wrong
Oh my god it's so slow!
Save Your Time and Read the Belgariad Again

The Shining Ones (Book Two of The Tamuli)
David Eddings
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0345388666
Release Date: 1994-07-02

Book Description

Book Two of The Tamuli. The New York Times Bestseller!
Years ago, the Child-Goddess Aphrael had hidden Bhelliom, the Stone of Power, at the bottom of the sea. Yet now it is needed again to stop a malign force from spreading evil and destruction across the lands. Sparhawk, Queen's champion, sets out to retrieve the Stone. But others seek the gem for their own diabolical ends. Most fearsome of these are the Shining Ones, whose mere touch melts human flesh from bone. Now Sparhawk finds himself stalked by these creatures out of myth . . . whose touch is all too real.

Customer Reviews:

Okay.......2006-07-20

This second book of the Tamuli is again a little bit less interesting then the first book, which in turn is less then the Elenium books, which are less then the Belgariad and the Malloreon ... Still, an easy and fun enough read to give it 4 stars. The large number of characters introduced make things a bit hard to follow, with all the different governments, positions, kingdoms etc.

Troll Stopping for Fun and Profit.......2005-08-04

This adventure wouldn't be the same without the reappearance of Bhelliom, the rose with a bite. Sparhawk threw it in an unknown ocean at the end of the Elenium, hoping to never see it again. But events in Matherion have convinced the visiting Elenes that the situation is a bit too dire for a small company of knights, a mage, and a goddess. Trolls are massing against the Atan legions, revolution dogs the steps of the Tamul empire, and everywhere you look legendary heroes and resurrected dead are raising chaos everywhere. With it clear that at least one god is working on world conquest it is time to bring Bhelliom back into the fray.

The reader will be surprised to discover that the Blue Rose is a great deal more than a powerful trollish toy. In fact, it has its own personality and agenda and Sparhawk plays a very central part in its plans. With Bhelliom on their side, the Elenes have a chance, but the odds still aren't very good. Somehow the enemy seems to be able to counter everything they try, as well as throw in a few punches on their own.

As the plot moves toward an earth-shattering crisis, Ehlana provides much of the comic relief as she instructs an emperor almost twice her age in the fine art of overthrowing his own government. Also a source of comic relief is the courtship of Mirtai and Kring. But the seriousness of the main plot sets the mood. The more Sparhawk and Ehlana discover about the convolute plots around them, the more desperate the struggle becomes. They face old enemies and new, betrayal and old hatreds will either kill them or make them stronger.

This volume bogs down a bit in the middle as Eddings seizes an opportunity to inform the reader of a great deal of the history behind the current problems in a narration that borders on tedious and isn't absolutely necessary. Even so the overall work is good with a conclusion that is flashier than Eddings' norm. The characters flesh out a bit more (although one has a habit of speaking in dialect that makes my eyes cross. If nothing else, one can say that this is a much better followup series than the Malloreon, which was at least a volume too long.

Eddings can do no wrong.......2004-10-03

I love the Tamuli books, if there is any way in which you have reached this point without having read anything by David Eddings, you must convert. He has enjoyed the sort of universal acclaim of the Harry Potter novels, and with much better reason & writing.

Whilst it is true that by the time he wrote the Rivan Codex and more co-authored with Leigh Eddings they seem a little over impressed with themselves, this is a stand alone Eddings and well worth the read.

Satisfying & occasionally silly go ahead and read it - if you haven't already, congratulations it's a great book, a great series and I am confident that you will enjoy yourselves.

So I believe that David Eddings can do no wrong -- unless you rate Polgara the Sorceress as a grevious sin...

Oh my god it's so slow!.......2003-12-20

This book as an OK story if you can stand reading it long enough to get to some of the good parts. All they do for most of the time is talk about strategies and the past and other boring topics that sometimes don't even matter. The jokes aren't even funny in this book. I've read some good books by David Eddings but this is DEFINITELY not one of them.

Save Your Time and Read the Belgariad Again.......2002-12-14

I wish I hadn't purchased this book. The first series, the Belgariad, which starts with Pawn of Prophecy is wonderful. The second series, the Malloreon, is interesting. The first Tamuli series with Sparhawk and Ehlana is interesting. However, this second book of the second Tamuli series which started with Domes of Fire is predictable and boring. The plot rehashes plots from the earlier books. Occasionally there will be an enjoyable sequence but overall not. I will finish the series (The Hidden City) because I enjoy the characters.

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A fun and informative hands-on astronomy book for kids.

One Small Square, The Night Sky
Donald M. Silver
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0070580456

Book Description

By focusing on one small square of night sky near Orion, this entry in a highly lauded series gives children aged 6 to 9 an exciting close-up on amazing facts about stars, planets, nebulae, comets, meteors, the moon, constellations, and classic myths. Suitable for stargazing anywhereÑeven the cityÑThe Night Sky will add to kids' wonder as it teaches them about the marvels of the heavens through superb illustrations and a proven approach that entices their interest and involvement.

Customer Reviews:

A fun and informative hands-on astronomy book for kids........2000-05-21

The Night Sky is an excellent introduction to astronomy for children. I am a science teacher and have looked at many books preparing for my astronomy unit next year - and The Night Sky will be required reading for my class! Information is interesting and exciting. Stargazing is an essential part of the book, but done in the typical "One Small Square" fashion so as to interest and excite children with their new knowledge rather than overwhelm them. I loved this book! A must-have for any young scientist!

The Shining Ones: The World's Most Powerful Secret Society Revealed

Average customer rating:

Absolute Excrement
The shining ones I think not, and if a 0 was available this book gets 0
Nice work
no revelation
Incoherent presentation of an age-old tradition

The Shining Ones: The World's Most Powerful Secret Society Revealed
Philip Gardiner
Manufacturer: William Ernst Publishing Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

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Occultism | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1904126006

Book Description

A prose book. The story of The Shining Ones is the real history of mankind. Every twist and turn on the pathway of human evolution was put there deliberately by this secret priesthood for a mysterious and extremely long-term goal. On our journey to uncover the Shining Ones we will learn that history, as we know it, is a lie. History is, as Justice Holmes said, "what the people who won say it is." It has been warped over vast periods of time to fit with each generation's idea of what is fact and what is truth. Our belief systems, whether religious, scientific or political, have been manipulated by a secret and deadly group of individuals who have a history going back thousands of years. They have a name, they have a power base and they have a secret, locked away within their initiated few, which has major implications for the future of mankind. We will discover the secret and reveal it. Once we decipher the Shining Ones' clues, we will see how the mysteries of the ancient and not so ancient world can now be solved, from megalithic standing stones, the Holy Grail and alchemy to the truth behind religion and our present political systems. We must forget the false interpretations of myth and religion we have heard so many times, and know them for what they really are: the secret language of the Shining Ones.

Customer Reviews:

Absolute Excrement.......2006-10-17

This is probably one of the poorest books I have ever read, fiction or non-fiction. The book's title suggests that it is a text on the Illuminati phenomenon, a subject crying out for serious academic study and research. However it turns out I was in for a half baked mish-mash of 'factual' tidbits and irrelevant pictures which combined to create a book in which absolutely nothing of any significance whatsoever is discussed, or put forward. I struggled to find a single logical, rational chain of thought in any chapter - there is not even a single coherent paragraph. I have studied Buddhism, Sufism and Hinduism for several years and I find many of Gardiner's comparisons ill informed if not downright preposterous, indicating he knows little about that which he has chosen to disseminate unto the masses. If you are interested in such matters and wish to part with your money buy David Icke's 'and the Truth Shall set you free.' Sensationalist it might be, but it is well argued. If you wish to save your money and read one of the best texts written on this subject to date, read Nesta Webb's 'Secret Societies' availabe online in .pdf format for free.

The shining ones I think not, and if a 0 was available this book gets 0.......2006-04-28

It's a very long time since I read a book that inspired utter contempt in me as did this one. In terms of it's content this is not the great secret of all time revealed. It is the contemplations of the playschool mind. But maybe Mr Gardiner is well aware of that and has an agenda in writing this book and foisting this his image of profound ideas upon us. To me this tract seemed to be an apology for very very failed religions. In this book he gives us the usual suspects to salvation and tells us they were the Shining ones, but no where does he offer any proof or serious ideas as to how they are the shining ones bringing mankind out of it's morass and into a better state of being. The shining ones are the old failed slave god religions of the past, whose dreadful hangover still poisons the world. He treats all these Old god ideas as literal truths and that's it. Well excuse me. In saying there was a literal Jesus,Mohammed,Buddha etc. What good does that do anyone. He doesn't explore their teachings or much else. It is just presented as fact that the teachings of these ideas is good and they were the shining ones directing and "Helping humanity". Evidence to how these religions have helped anyone over the last few thousand years is very evident from history and to his blindness Mr Gardiner can't seem to see that. In all these Religious doctrines it was never the mainstream that helped or had any notion of a possible real idea as to where humanity is at and where it might go. It has always been the mavericks who took on these creeds and made something of them. Not in a literal sense but in a magical and psychological sense. Mr Gardiner in his investigation fails to see this and propagates these tired old religions and their founders as the shining ones, there to help and guide us all to some far off utopia. In the mainstream of religious thought don't take this book as being of any help to you. For the Christians look to the Gnostic's, for the Muslims look to the Sufi's. For the Hindu's look to the Tantrics. For the Buddhist's look to the Bon sect. Here the real investigations into religious thought and enlightenment took place and never in the conservative and literalist religious creeds. Again I hated this book and was very sorry I bought it. The next time I'll trust my intuition and read the toilet paper as I do and where it and this book should go. On saying that I did like the look of this book and any credit should go to the publisher " Radikal Phase" for that. Just a shame about the content which to me was utter drivel.

Nice work.......2005-12-11

This book is subtle. Often I believe it to be too subtle for some. Many call the codes childish, well then, they do not understand. I have been involved in the arcane wisdom traditions of the globe for decades and I understand ciphers. Gardiner has woven the ******* cipher into this text so beautifully that if it were made into a tapestry it would be hung in the Louvre. The surface story, for those who do not comprehend such inticiacies is also well done. No index is a shame, but the book makes up for this in class.!

I suggest if people like this book they also buy his new on, Gnosis: The Secret of Solomon's Temple Revealed - this also has a beautiful code, but hidden rather better this time in rich translated code. Nice work Gardiner!

no revelation.......2005-09-19

The books discusses interesting concepts but only touches on them and not reveals any major secrets of life. Quite disappointing after reading many books on the subject.

Incoherent presentation of an age-old tradition.......2005-04-14

While dealing with an immensely interesting subject, the author in my view is rambling. It's nice to have a marketing guy looking at religion through the ages, but unfortunately his presentation and deeper grasp of the myriad texts he quotes never merge into a meaningful whole. There's a lot of guesswork and baseless statements in there that are presented as fact, and in many ways his rambling, know-it-all presentation reminds me of James Churchward -- just without the charm of English of yesteryear. Visually, we're dealing with a large amount of small paragraphs (reflecting incoherent jumps in content) and pages that are disturbed by ill-chosen pictures and images that often have no relevance -- they're just there, not to underline a point or prove something. This release could definitely have done with some serious editing -- and I don't think the author would have to worry about the secret hand of the Shining Ones in this regard, because he's really telling you nothing new.

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Kingdom of the Shining Ones

The Kingdom Of The Shining Ones
Flower A. Newhouse
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 142548705X

Customer Reviews:

Kingdom of the Shining Ones.......2000-03-18

This wonderful book about Angels, by the Christian mystic Flower A. Newhouse, describes their beauty, elucidates their various orders of service and ranks, and explains their functions. Newhouse shares some of her personal encounters with these Shining Messengers. Angel illustrations add much to this volume.

One Shining Moment (Originally A Time to Laugh) (American Century Series #3)

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One Shining Moment (Originally A Time to Laugh) (American Century Series #3)
Gilbert Morris
Manufacturer: Fleming H Revell Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0800730887
Release Date: 2006-11-01

Book Description

The war in Europe is over and a new feeling of freedom is sweeping across America. The skirts are getting shorter, the women are getting faster, and the Stuart family is caught up in a sea of changes. From the Arkansas hills to the streets of Chicago, with a stop off in Hollywood on the way, One Shining Moment will hold readers in its mesmerizing grip. From daring cross-country flights to seedy speakeasies to the Salvation Army headquarters, the Stuarts cross paths with the likes of Louis Armstrong, Rudolph Valentino, and Al Capone himself while they chase their dreams--and try to stay alive! Can the Stuart family survive in this country turned upside down?

The Shining Ones (Arthur C. Clarke's Venus Prime, Vol 6)

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A brilliant if somewhat confusing finale

The Shining Ones (Arthur C. Clarke's Venus Prime, Vol 6)
Paul Preuss
Manufacturer: Avon Books (Mm)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0380753502

Book Description

Her code name is Sparta. Her beauty veils a mysterious past and abilities of superhuman dimension -- the product of advanced biotechnology.

World-renowned professor J.Q.R. Forster's expedition to Jupiter's moon has not proven uneventful. In a furious blaze of ice-geysers, the moon's surface rips off to reveal an ancient alien world-ship.

But when the world-ship suddenly hurtles through space toward a black hole, Sparta must find out why, and soon, from a mysterious alien from an unknowable culture, little knowing that what is about to unfold will determine the future of Earth. As the alien ship charts its ancient course, the scheming Sir Randolph Mays and Sparta unwittingly head for their final battle through the eons in the midst of an ancient galactic civil war.

This star-spanning adventure brings together the genius of Arthur C. Clarke and the talents of distinguished science-fiction writer Paul Preuss.

Customer Reviews:

A brilliant if somewhat confusing finale.......2000-06-18

Was quite suprised with this book. Blake and the crew of the "Ventris" are taken on board of the the Worldship that was Amalthea, joining Sparta who had made contact with the alien, Thowintha. The alien entity on board takes them on a journey of knowledge through space and time, which changes many things for them, perceptionally and in Sparta and Blake's case, physically (gills are somewhat handy when living in a vessel that is filled with water). The finale of the book leaves a lot of questions, and you sit back a little thinking, "ok, how?" but typical of Preuss's good work, it is a very enjoyable story.

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The Shining Ones:Book Two of the Tamuli
David Eddings
Manufacturer: Harper Collins Publishers Stock Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

One Bright Shining Hope: Messages for Women from Gordon B. Hinckley

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One Bright Shining Hope: Messages for Women from Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley
Manufacturer: Deseret Book Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ASIN: 1590383559

Book Description

"When you save a girl, you save generations. I see this as the one bright shinning hope in a world that is marching toward moral self-destruction," said President Gordon B. Hinckley. Heavenly Father treasures His daughters, and through His prophet has encouraged them to be a force for good in the world. President Hinckley's words of encouragement and counsel to women are paired with beautiful visual images in this lovely gift book. A perfect companion volume to Sister Hinckley's Small and Simple Things, the book is a thoughtful reminder to women everywhere of how much God loves and needs them.

One Shining Summer (Harlequin Romance, No 3314)

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One Shining Summer (Harlequin Romance, No 3314)
Wilder
Manufacturer: Harlequin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

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Avon ANEW CLINICAL 2-Step Facial Peel

ASIN: 0373033141

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