The Complete Fiction: The Bean Trees, Homeland, Animal Dreams, Pigs in Heaven

Book Description

A boxed set containing all three of Kingsolver's bestselling novels and her only collection of short stories. Includes: The Bean Trees, Homeland and Other Stories, Animal Dreams, and Pigs In Heaven.

Customer Reviews:

A suprisingly disappointing novel .......2005-08-07

I found that this particular piece was overly depressing. The depth in description of a long, desolate, flat desert is far greater than the typical human brain can endure. Besides being virtually plotless this novel magnifies ethnic struggles in American society to an extreme which disgusts me because I, myself, am a minority. I am a person who does not like to see people in pain. There for, I do not recomend this book.

Not as good as its prequel.......1999-09-08

I am a huge Kingsolver fan and I absolutely loved the Bean Trees and Animal Dreams. However, I felt that this novel was a bit too preachy, especially because of the character of the young Cherokee lawyer. Being a minority myself, I believe she grossly exaggerated the predicament of minorities growing up in America. This entire novel had the feeling of denoument--it seemed to exist merely to tell fans what happened to the beloved main characters of The Bean Trees, nothing more.

Synopsis of "The Complete Fiction:...".......1999-08-31

I first read Kingsolver's "The Bean Trees" in high school and thought it was wonderful. I've just finished reading "Animal Dreams" and Kingsolver continues to impress me with her portrayal of strong women such as Codi Noline.

It was interesting but the storyline seemed unrealistic........1999-02-20

Book Review

Pigs in Heaven, by Barbara Kingsolver is a book that will keep its readers attention throughout the story. Each character in the book possesses very unique and unusual characteristics. This allows for an interesting story that keeps you reading. Kingsolver used her writing talents to create characters that have a great influence over its readers. When reading this book I felt that I could relate with the thoughts and actions of certain characters. Thus, this book improves the way its readers think of themselves and of the people around them. I also enjoyed reading Pigs in Heaven because it allows the reader to gain an understanding and appreciation of the Cherokee Nation in Heaven, Oklahoma. Kingsolver explicitly describes the history and culture of the Cherokee tribe in great detail. The reader is introduced to certain members of the tribe and traditional events such as hog fries and stomp dances. Thus, he/she has a sense of feeling "included' within the Cherokee tribe and their customs. Pigs in Heaven deals with the theme of interconnectedness and how one event can create a chain of different events. Each one of these events can significantly effect the lives of many individuals. However I feel that this theme is over exaggerated to the point where the story line actually seems unrealistic. Aside from this, the book is very interesting and I would strongly recommend that it be read. For as you read further into the book you'll notice that Kingsolver attempts to convey important messages while resolving the books conflicts. An example of this is that in order to live a life of happiness you must put the negative aspects of your past behind you. Overall, Pigs in Heaven consists of important lessons to be learned, and it contains valuable components that are forever placed in the minds of its readers.

An insightful book that will make you view life differently........1998-11-11

Barbara Kingsolver has become one of my all time favorite authors after I accidently happened upon High Tide in Tucson. Since that time, I have purchased and read everything she has published. This collection of books resides on the ledge of my bathtub to be enjoyed when I need to escape. Someday, I hope to have a book signed by Ms. Kingsolver. She has forever changed how I view the world.

The Complete Fiction Boxed Set : The Bean Trees, Homeland, Animal Dreams, Pigs in Heaven

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The Complete Fiction Boxed Set : The Bean Trees, Homeland, Animal Dreams, Pigs in Heaven
Barbara Kingsolver
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEX4AU

Book Description

Award-winning author and radio personality Ellen Kushner’s inspired retelling of an ancient legend weaves myth and magic into a vivid
contemporary novel about the mysteries of the human heart. Brimming with ballads, riddles, and magical transformations, here is the timeless tale of a charismatic bard whose talents earn him a two-edged otherworldly gift.

A minstrel lives by his words, his tunes, and sometimes by his lies. But when the bold and gifted young Thomas the Rhymer awakens the desire of the powerful Queen of Elfland, he finds that words are not enough to keep him from his fate. As the Queen sweeps him far from the people he has known and loved into her realm of magic, opulence—and captivity—he learns at last what it is to be truly human. When he returns to his home with the Queen’s parting gift, his great task will be to seek out the girl he loved and wronged, and offer her at last the tongue that cannot lie.

Customer Reviews:

Best description of Faerie I have ever found.......2007-02-28

I am a lover of all things Faerie. I have put alot of time and research into the world of Faerie because I am a Faerie artist. This book is the best description of the Faerie realm that I have ever read. It is "fantastical" and imaginative and wonderful. For those who are deeply interested in the world of Faerie, it is highly recommended. For those with no love of fantasy, don't bother.

The story is what it is. A legend, taken from an old poem; and yes it may be anticlimactic. But if you read it, read it for the creative imagination that went into it. Read it for a true glimpse of the Faerie world.

I treasure this book and have read it many times over.

a wonderfully written bore.......2005-03-21

it is no problem to admit that i heartily envy ms kushner writing skill: she is a wondrous writer, she handles her language with a subtlety unheard of and still she manages to avoid any overwriting, any mannerism.

the story itself, though, is not great: some reviewers say it is true to the legend: should it be really so, then the problem might lie in the original plot.

be it as it may, characterization is dull, except for the elderly couple, and elfland is lushiously boring, the queen being the worst of all.

the verses included are enjoyable.

An excellent fantasy story.......2004-10-26

In this fascinating book, acclaimed author Ellen Kushner takes the old legends of Thomas of Erceldoune (a.k.a. True Thomas the seer and Thomas the Rhymer), and retells them in a fascinating, thoroughly modern style. This is the tale of a bard of no small talent who find himself the object of the Queen of Elfland's desire. Whisked off to the land of Fairy for seven years, he must unravel a mysterious riddle and save an immortal soul. And when he returns to the land of the living, will he be the same man he was, can he be?

This is a fascinating, and thoroughly enjoyable story. The author does an excellent job of keeping the flavor and substance of the old stories, while at the same time updating them and making them a treat for the modern reader. Indeed, I was often struck by how much the story rang true to the old folktales I have studied throughout my life. So, if you are a fan of stories of Fairy and the Lords and Ladies, or simply enjoy a good (excellent) fantasy story, then I highly recommend this book to you. You won't be disappointed!

Not the usual fantasy fare.......2004-06-09

This is not a book to read if you're seeking a stirring adventure. Thomas does go on a long, strange trip, but the focus is as much on how his life impacts the people important to him as it is on his experiences in Elfland. Kushner's decision to write only Thomas's Elfland experiences in his own voice, then, is a clever one. Also, seeing Thomas before and after his journey through the eyes of others reveals the extent of the change in him more thoroughly than if we remained in his head.

Kushner does an excellent job of giving each of the four narrators a distinct perspective, a difficult thing to do. And because they see different things in each other and percieve their relationships with one another differently, there's the opportunity to ponder how it is we get along in the world when we all have disparate visions of reality. This is a marvelously subtle way to question whether True Thomas can ever wholly tell the truth. Is the truth absolute, or is it changeable depending on individual understanding? This question lingers long after the book is shut.

So why did I give Thomas the Rhymer only three stars? Well, for all the lovely writing and thoughtful structure, it left me cold. For one, the Faery Queen who is the heart of all this trouble and change seemed to me little more than a blowup doll. She laid a couple of spells on Thomas, but mostly all they did was copulate, and I needed either for her to be more interesting or to feel more of why Thomas was infatuated with her. (Because of the distance I felt from her, also, the ending of the book was less moving for me than it should have been.) Apart from that, I felt Kushner passed over a great opportunity to explore what the effects of Thomas's truth-saying might be. There was some of that, certainly, in the final section of the book, but much was made of the gift of truth-telling in Faery (and whether it was a gift at all), and then very little was done with it.

Reading this book is a gamble. It has its virtues, and if you think you'll enjoy piecing together a larger meaning based on the fragments of story and varying points of view, you'll probably enjoy it well enough. However, if you want a story that swallows you whole and spits you out at the end with no respite to sit back and intellectualize, this may not be for you.

Strange and beautiful.......2003-09-30

I ... can't begin to form an opinion on Thomas the Rhymer. That's the strangest thing for one such as myself, who never knows how to shut up. Lest I set someone running from this book, first I say that, yes, I absolutely did like it. It's a complicated story and, as in life, no real answers are posed - only questions. This one might take me a while to sort out, though it took only a day to read.

Book Description

What would you do if you suddenly became both infinitely psychic and unable to tell even the smallest lie? And if you were also exiled from your homeland, destitute, and unhappily in love with a darkly seductive Elf who'd forced you to undertake an impossible quest? Such is the Fate of Tomas the Rhymer, the reluctant poet-hero of this historical fantasy, wherein the Celtic and Norse realms of Elves, gods and spirits converge with Viking Age Europe's real events and shifting world-views--and evoke some haunting parallels with our own era's rapid changes.

Customer Reviews:

OUTSTANDING TRILOGY.......2007-02-14

I just finished the final book to the trilogy and I have to say what a great adventure for the mind and soul ! I am so glad I read them..........it almost felt like my spirit smiled-

Just get it.......2006-01-10

If you have any doubts, or are waffling about this purchase - just buy the book and read it. You will not regret it.

Neil Gaiman is a wannabe, this is the real deal.

Thought and Memory.......2003-02-18

Jodie Forrest's historical fantasy 'The Rhymer and the Ravens' is a story every bit as rich and unpredictable as the real world. Tomas the Rhymer is half-Welsh, half-Norse-a man with no true home or people. When Tomas accepts the gift of prophecy from a mysterious woman, he discovers that his new ability is twined with the curse of honesty. Tomas cannot lie. He soon finds himself trapped in a world of competing gods, none of whom he can adequately serve. To reclaim his fate from those who would manipulate him, Tomas is forced to join the god of deception. As twisted machinations unfold about Tomas, the worlds of gods and humans are irrevocably changed.

A wonderful retelling of Thomas the Rhymer.......2002-10-20

Forrest does a wonderful job of retelling a tried and true story without just repeating what's been done before or (sometimes worse) adding story elements of her own that spoil the spirit of the original tale. In this version, Tomas is a Norse bard (or skald) travelling to Britain as a reluctant part of a viking raiding party. This begins the delightful blending of mythologies that makes the story so unique. Not only does he travel to Elfland to meet the Faery Queen (and receive her "gift" of only being able to tell the truth), he also travels to the fabled Asgard, world of the gods of the Norse pantheon--most notably Loki, who is portrayed with a malice and madness that are faithful to the archetype of the trickster.

Tomas is a real and believable hero, as well as a real and believable person, and the denizens of Faery are eerie and otherwordly. Altogether, an excellent first novel. I look forward to reading the sequel.

A timeless story of great surprises: Life, love & adventure!.......1999-04-03

I would not have even listed "historical fantasy" as a genre I enjoyed before reading this book. But once I began reading "The Rhymer and the Ravens", it went everywhere with me. Any chance I got, I hoped to get a page or two in, even if it was while waiting for the light to change! This rich story of a hero, Tomas the Rhymer, on a difficult quest while searching for the meaning of life, love, and service to others is full of finely drawn charcters. I found myself truly caring for and "knowing" characters such as the wise old woman Aud, the beautiful Elf queen Moira, the magical Pooka Aubrey, and the story's hero. This book has been loved by each person to whom I have given it as a gift, several of whom had seen the TV special "Merlin" and found themselves wanting more such adventure. Each has had the same reaction: "I can't put it down!" The only reason I could stand to finish it at all was because I knew there was a sequel!

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Bohemian Ink Review
Pleasantly Surprised
This book snuck into my dreams -- and my nightmares!
Jodie has outdone herself again!!

The Elves' Prophecy: The Book of Being
Jodie Forrest
Manufacturer: Seven Paws Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0964911310

Book Description

In this trilogy's first novel, The Rhymer and the Ravens: The Book of Fate, the Nordic-Celtic bard Tomas's encounter with Moira, the Elf Queen, catalyzed his recognition of his true nature and his initiation into the Ars Magica--the magic arts. In The Elves' Prophecy, Tomas the Rhymer learns to use his magecraft. Accompanied by his new raven-allies, he's going his own way and finding his own teachers now, yet there's something that Moira hasn't told him...

Customer Reviews:

Bohemian Ink Review.......2003-02-18

Forrest weaves a beautiful tapestry of characters in this continuation of Tomas the Rhymer's story. It is the year 878 AD, and Moira, Queen of the Welsh Elves, is pregnant with twins Tomas fathered. In Elfland, some speculate that Moira carries the children of a much disputed prophecy. Division over the prophecy spurs the leaders of the Nine Realms into a violent struggle for power. The Elf Lords Rhys and Finvara lead the resistance that would eliminate the unborn children and the children's claim to power in Elfland. Also-unknown to all others-the demi-god Loki watches and waits preparing plans of his own.

In addition to the wonderful cast of returning characters, 'The Elves Prophecy' presents an enigmatic Lord of the Air named Nissyen, and two deliciously hateful antagonists: Daniel the Priest and Isolde the dusky Queen of the Sidhe. Despite a slow start cluttered by description, Forrest builds 'The Elves Prophecy' to a raging climax that is sure to both surprise and please.

Pleasantly Surprised.......2001-09-07

After truly enjoying "The Rhymer and the Ravens" - I was a bit worried that the second book in the series was going to be a let down (they so often are). To my sincere pleasure - The Book of Being was excellent. The characters in these books get under your skin unlike any (regardless of genre) that I have read in quite a long time. I've just started on the "The Bridge" and I'm excited about the possibilities left for Tomas, Moira, and the Twins. These are genuinely good books that are as strong as any contemporary fantasy I've read (period) - and stronger (IMHO) due to excellent characters, enough genuine history and mythology, astrology, and homebrew to describe the authors personal love of the subjects. I hate that you have to special order these - they should be on the shelf at all book stores.

This book snuck into my dreams -- and my nightmares!.......1998-07-23

I loved the first book in this series so much -- "The Rhymer and the Ravens." I was almost scared to read the second one, thinking it couldn't possibly live up to the level of the first one. But it did! It's sort of slower in the middle, but that's ok because it just kept me turning pages anyway -- there's something going on here that's almost like an initiation into being a druid or a Norse shaman. The hero encounters real teachers and elemental Spirts and there's all this stuff about how to deal with them that seems almost like a manual of sorcery, except that it's also a great story, and kind of romantic and sexy, but also just as full of a real three-dimensional sense of the world a thousand years ago. I'm just itching to get to the third book in the trilogy. This one ends in a pretty satisfying way -- it's not like it leaves you hanging or anything. But there's still a sense that there's "more to come" and I can't wait. Jodie Forrest is doing so! mething sort of like what Tolkien did, except it's more adult and darker. It's actually entered my dreams, and once I had a nightmare about the character Isolde, who's the evil Fairy queen...it sinks into your bones that way.

Jodie has outdone herself again!!.......1997-01-21

Continuing with the travels of Thomas, the Rhymer, we travel to another place...another time...a land of magic and incredible possibilities! This book, along with her first in this series, "The Rhymer and The Ravens", has given me a new outlook on life and assisted me in finding a 'path' that is mine. The story gives one hope and belief in magic, faeiries, and "more" than we see in this physical plane of existance. If you just want to "get away" for a bit, its good for that too! I am telling everyone about these books and anxiously awaiting the third!!! Thank you, Jodie!! Never, Never stop writing!!! Becky Jackson (theia@worldnet.att.net

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.............Am I in Midgard anymore ?
Bohemian Ink Review
Too distracted to work
"The Bridge" is imaginative, intelligent -- and magical.
Jodie Forrest kept me up all night reading again!

The Bridge: The Book of Necessity
Jodie Forrest
Manufacturer: Seven Paws Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0964911329

Book Description

Nordic-Celtic historical fantasy set in late ninth-century Europe, the conclusion to the trilogy that began with THE RHYMER AND THE RAVENS and continued with THE ELVES' PROPHECY.

Customer Reviews:

.............Am I in Midgard anymore ?.......2007-02-14

I was so disappointed to find she has not written any more- The trilogy was full of everything you could possibly want in any story- The twins made the bridge and I just wanted to keep climbing it........... who knows if I'd still be in Midgard~

Bohemian Ink Review.......2003-04-17

The Bridge, Forrestýs third and final installation in the story of Tomas the Rhymer, presents a game of intrigue, a game that will determine who controls the pivot-world Midgard (earth). Elfland sickens as it continues to drift from Midgard. The elves grow weaker. On earth, Loki assumes the name and identity of Lucifer. While Loki seeks to sever all ties between Midgard and the other eight realms, Tomas and his allies strive to create a permanent link between the worlds. Owein and Fraineýthe twins of the Elves Prophecyýuse their unique capabilities to create a bridge that ties Midgard to the other eight realms. This bridge becomes the focal point of conflict. Unable to destroy the bridge, Loki turns to manipulation. The game boils down to a single choice for those who oppose Loki: love or duty? Both bonds cannot be preserved.

A bittersweet novel about choices and perspective, The Bridge brings the story of Tomas to a satisfying end.

Too distracted to work.......1999-08-12

For the past week I've been so mesmerized by Jodie Forrest's magical world that I've scarcely been able to concentrate on my work. I love her vivid imagery. I love her rich characters, who seem to be real people, and so much more. I loved the interplay between Tomas and Moira, between Tomas and his twin children, and between the twins themselves. Their relationships were complex and compelling, filled with love and trust and mistrust and rebellion and misunderstanding. This is a book that makes you think about your place in the natural world, in the spiritual world, in your family, among your friends, and in the span of your life.

"The Bridge" is imaginative, intelligent -- and magical........1999-04-04

"The Bridge: The Book of Necessity" is a remarkable, even magical read that satisfies on every level. It surpasses the two excellent earlier volumes of the trilogy, which were also immensely appealing to this journalist whose "fun" reading typically consists of more realistic material. If more fantasy writers had Jodie Forrest's command of language, vivid imagination and ability to develop characters and plots, fantasy would probably become my favorite genre. In addition to its ample entertainment value, Forrest's book feeds the mind. Never "preachy," it gracefully weaves into the narrative issues of the environment, spirituality, the masculine and feminine and more. It's a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding read that goes beyond entertainment to enchantment.

Jodie Forrest kept me up all night reading again!.......1999-03-09

Well, Jodie Forrest did it again-she kept me awake all night reading. "The Bridge" is even better than the first two books in this series! There's an evil Loki and a bad elf queen who are lots of fun to hate and a good elf queen where you're never really sure if she's good or not and it's all set in history in a way that's easy to believe in spite of the magic. The main character from the first two books, Tomas the Rhymer, seems older and smarter now, but you don't see him as much as before. The action has sort of shifted to the children he and the elf queen had, but those characters are really cool as well. They're not sure if they are human or elves and so you see a lot about their different points of view, and a lot about the way Christianity collided with the old religions. It's not a "Christian" book though, reallly pagan instead! Mostly it's just a really good story. It says its a trilogy so I guess this is the last one. I wonder if Jodie Forrest's audience will make her write more like they did with Stephen Donaldson and the "Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever" books. I hope so. If you like fantasy that seems real, you'll love these! -Brad Snipes

Early Scottish poetry: Thomas the Rhymer, John Barbour, Androw of Wyntoun, Henry the minstrel

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Early Scottish poetry: Thomas the Rhymer, John Barbour, Androw of Wyntoun, Henry the minstrel
George Eyre-Todd
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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Thomas Rymer as Rhymer, Vol 54, No 1.
James Osborn
Manufacturer: Philological Quarterly 1975.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000L5OBE0

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Thomas The Rhymer First Cloth Edition
Ellen Kushner
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JLNAJI

True Thomas (Thomas the Rhymer, Visionary and Poet)

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True Thomas and True Nigel

True Thomas (Thomas the Rhymer, Visionary and Poet)
Nigel G. Tranter
Manufacturer: Trafalgar Square Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0340328150

Customer Reviews:

True Thomas and True Nigel.......2006-04-11

Mr. Tranter never ceases to amaze me. Here set in the late 1200's in Scotland Thomas Learmonth of Ercildoune, a poor laird with a lame leg is esquire to one of the kingdom's most powerful Earls. Thomas is a Poem and sort of fortune teller who sees visions of the future and puts them into poems. As Alexander III assumes power and begins to set order to a lawless Scotland, Thomas proves himself as a cavalryman and gets Knighted by the King himself. Although he is a poor Knight he falls in love and elopes with Bethoc the Earl of Dunbar and March's daughter. He then secretly becomes a steward to Alexander III in the wild Highlands of Scotland and sets order to the some of the King's land and eventually returns to court. Through Thomas he predicts the fall of Alexander III and his heirs, the anarchy of Scotland during the time of all the claimants to the throne and the hammer of Edward, the Longshanks, King of England. The stage is set for the rise of William Wallace and Robert, the Bruce. A great read and I put it up against any Tranter novel I have read yet. A must for Tranter fans.

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The Book of Thomas Rhymer
T.M. Auld
Manufacturer: Richmond and Twickenham Arts Club
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KVVKOY

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The Journey of Thomas the Rhymer
Angela Lemaire
Manufacturer: Old Stile Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0907664520

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