The Trouble with Mary
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Great first entry in the Baltimore Little Italy series
  • Delightful
  • Very likable characters and a quick read!
  • The Trouble? Flat Hero...Tried too Hard for Laughs...
  • eh........
The Trouble with Mary
Millie Criswell
Manufacturer: Ivy Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

LiteraryLiterary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Criswell, MillieCriswell, Millie | ( C ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
RegencyRegency | Romance | Subjects | Books
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  5. No Strings Attached No Strings Attached

ASIN: 0804119503
Release Date: 2001-01-02

Book Description

Award-winning author Millie Criswell has charmed readers with her joy-filled historical romances. Now, in The Trouble With Mary,  she serves up her first contemporary romantic comedy--a palate-pleasing love story of two people with nothing in common . . . except their undeniable attraction.

THE TROUBLE WITH MARY IS . . .

She's unemployed. Her huge Italian family is driving her crazy. Her love life is nonexistent. In fact, she needs a life! So Mary decides to open a restaurant in Baltimore's Little Italy. And despite her mother's assurances that she will fail, the place is a big success--until the local paper delivers a scathing review of her pizza, pasta, and chocolate cannolis.

Food critic Dan Gallagher hates Italian food--and his column shows it. Now Mary would like nothing more than to serve Dan on a steaming platter. Problem is, Mary is the most delectable woman Dan has ever met. And Dan is the most exasperating man Mary has ever encountered. And the trouble with chemistry is, neither one can resist it. . . .

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Great first entry in the Baltimore Little Italy series.......2005-08-10

Anyone who has a mother with a penchant for nagging and providing unsolicited advice (whether mom is Italian, Irish, Catholic, or Jewish)... well, they'll be able to relate to Mary Russo. The trouble with Mary is that her mother has no problem telling her what her trouble is.

In an act of either defiance or maturity, she shucks her comfy existence, throws caution to the wind, moves out of her parents' home, and opens her own restaurant. Next on her agenda is to find a man that can make her "zing" (and relieve 32 years of pent up virginity).

Things run smooth until Dan Gallagher, a sports columnist and self-proclaimed Italian food hater (filling in as food editor) gives her a scathing review. When she confronts him, he is immediately attracted to the Italian spitfire. Of course, in order to gain her attention, he is going to have to eat a lot of Italian food. After a first kiss with plenty of zing, Dan may just be a contender.

Mary and his surly, foul-mouthed son Matt bond quickly, with the help of her quirky Italian obscenity-spewing kleptomaniac grandmother. Dan mistakenly blames the break down of his marriage on his wife for going back to work. Something that does not sit well with Mary, who has no intention of giving up her restaurant.

With a backdrop of the funniest and most dysfunctional, meddlesome, but loving family, Mary and Dan embark on a romance, neither one really knowing what the other wants for the future. Except for each other.

It is a charming intro to what inevitably will be an engaging series of books with Baltimore's Little Italy as a back-drop. I am looking forward to the further adventures of the Russo gang!

5 out of 5 stars Delightful.......2005-05-04

I really enjoyed this book and the author's style. Think "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," but with an Italian family instead. There was laughter, romance, and a believable cast of characters. Recommended!

5 out of 5 stars Very likable characters and a quick read!.......2005-03-18

I really liked this book, it had some truely funny parts and very likable characters. The main character was so funny on her outlook on life. I found this book a nice, quick refreshing read. Enjoyed every minute of it, I think you will too!

2 out of 5 stars The Trouble? Flat Hero...Tried too Hard for Laughs..........2004-04-15

I really was looking forward to this book, I really was. I come from a large Italian family and the character's family's traits were so similar to their comments and beliefs and criticisms that I thought for certain this would make me crack up and I did, for the first two chapters, but somehow it started to taper off.
The situations began to get a bit much and the heroine was IMO a little too good for the hero. The friend Annie, which coincidentally is the character for the sequel, 'What to do About Annie' was just annoying. I couldn't get past her weird tendencies long enough to like her. The constant going back and forth of 'pow' and 'zing' and 'oy vey' that was supposed to be hysterical got tiresome in the least.
The romance between the hero Dan and Mary the heroine was unconvincing and almost boring. Dan got on my bad side right from the beginning when he thought the woman who owned the restaurant he criticized in his food article was 'short, fat and had hideous red hair and a mouth like his '97 Explorer,' which wasn't true, we never figure out who he is talking about anyway and it definitely is NOT Mary. I am guessing he means Annie, but IMO it was shallow and he was unworthy of being a hero. Especially when Annie is supposed to be the heroine of the sequel. So in other words, Mary's new boyfriend thinks her best friend in the whole world is 'short, fat and hideous'. Nice guy.
I also noticed the author seemed to try to convey a similar writing style to Janet Evanovich which I thojght was ridiculous.
Even though I wasn't crazy about the hero and the story became riddled with forced humor, the writing was decent and the author did try. It was clear she comes from an Italian family herself.

Mary Russo is unemployed and her huge Italian family is driving her crazy. She has no love life and no social life. She decides to open her own Italian resteraunt without the blessing of her family and recieves a blow immediately when a 'food critic' and former sport's writer says her resteraunt was lousy and that the food was noting great.
Mary is furious and goes after this critic, only to discover that he is gorgeous and there is a weird attraction brewing between them. The trouble with all this? They can't stand one another, yet they can't keep their hands off one another...

Tracy Talley~@

3 out of 5 stars eh...............2003-03-22

I was really looking forward to reading "The trouble With Mary"..but I have to say that I was left disappointed. I just couldnt get into the characters..and I found that their relationship lacked chemistry and was too rushed to be believable. This was an ok story, but I dont think Id buy another Millie Criswell.
Twin Trouble (Backpack Mystery , No 4)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Twin Trouble (Backpack Mystery , No 4)
    Mary Carpenter Reid
    Manufacturer: Bethany House Publishers
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    Mysteries, Espionage, & DetectivesMysteries, Espionage, & Detectives | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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    ASIN: 1556617186
    The Trouble Is Not in Your Set: A History of Television the World - And in Cincinnati - With a World of Characters
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      The Trouble Is Not in Your Set: A History of Television the World - And in Cincinnati - With a World of Characters
      Mary Ann Kelley
      Manufacturer: Mary Ann Kelly
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover

      EntertainmentEntertainment | Subjects | Books | Humor | Movies | Music | Performing Arts | Pop Culture | Puzzles & Games | Radio | Sheet Music & Scores | Television
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      ASIN: 0962715905
      Angel Christmas (Five Heavenly Romances): Catch a Falling Angel/Brush of Angel Wings/The Trouble With Angelina/Tin Angel/Guarded by Angels
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Angel Christmas (Five Heavenly Romances): Catch a Falling Angel/Brush of Angel Wings/The Trouble With Angelina/Tin Angel/Guarded by Angels
        Mary Balogh , Marilyn Campbell , Carole Nelson Douglas , Emma Merritt , and Patricia Rice
        Manufacturer: Topaz
        ProductGroup: Book
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        The Trouble With Romance: an Anthology
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          The Trouble With Romance: an Anthology
          Grand Dames
          Manufacturer: Treble Heart Books
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

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          Romance Treasury:The Trouble with Bridges/Lord of the Air/Lake Haupiri Moon
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            Romance Treasury:The Trouble with Bridges/Lord of the Air/Lake Haupiri Moon
            CAROL GREGOR, MARY MOORE EMMA GOLDRICK
            Manufacturer: The Romance Treasury Association
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Hardcover
            ASIN: 0373042000

            Product Description

            THREE BOOK IN ONE!
            Trouble At The Well- Moses Helps In Midian (Stick-With-Me Bible Stories)
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              Trouble At The Well- Moses Helps In Midian (Stick-With-Me Bible Stories)
              Mary Manz Simon
              Manufacturer: Carson-Dellosa Christian
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Paperback

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              Trouble With a Capital T
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                Trouble With a Capital T
                Mary H. Duplex
                Manufacturer: Pacific Pr Pub Assn
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback

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                ASIN: 0816310572
                The trouble with longtails
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  The trouble with longtails
                  Mary H Duplex
                  Manufacturer: Pacific Press Pub. Association
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Unknown Binding

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                  TROUBLE WITH MAGIC, THE (Loveswept, No 611)
                  Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
                  • Magical Book
                  TROUBLE WITH MAGIC, THE (Loveswept, No 611)
                  Mary Kay Mccomas
                  Manufacturer: Loveswept
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Mass Market Paperback

                  GeneralGeneral | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
                  ASIN: 055344378X
                  Release Date: 1993-03-01

                  Customer Reviews:

                  5 out of 5 stars Magical Book.......1999-08-01

                  Put together Payton Dunsmore, Harriet Wheaton, and Jovette Island and you have "Magic". According to the legend, Jovette Island has a magic with couples. "One Jovette every generation meets, falls in love, and marries someone on the island". However, the magic only works for a Jovette. Harriet is a descendent of a Jovette, and the last in line. She wants to keep her island and decides to kidnap Payton and hope the island works it's magic. After Payton get's over his anger at being duped, he decides to see if the island legend is true. One of my favorite chapters in this book is when they celebrate Thansgiving and dress up in old clothes they find in the attic. And the ending, is spectacular!

                  The Chronicles of Amber I and II: Nine Princes in Amber, the Guns of Avalon, Sign of the Unicorn, the Hand of Oberon, and the Courts of Chaos
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    The Chronicles of Amber I and II: Nine Princes in Amber, the Guns of Avalon, Sign of the Unicorn, the Hand of Oberon, and the Courts of Chaos
                    Roger Zelazny
                    Manufacturer: Nelson Doubleday
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Hardcover

                    AmberAmber | Series | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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                    ASIN: B000O3SBGI
                    The Guns of Avalon (Chronicles of Amber)
                    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
                    • Not Free SF Reader
                    • A Shadow of a Legend that Was
                    • Glib writing, winging it
                    • Family and Friends
                    • Find Something Better
                    The Guns of Avalon (Chronicles of Amber)
                    Roger Zelazny
                    Manufacturer: Avon Books (Mm)
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Paperback

                    Zelazny, RogerZelazny, Roger | ( Z ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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                    ASIN: 0380000830

                    Customer Reviews:

                    5 out of 5 stars Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

                    After Corwin escapes, he decides to try something new in his struggle with Eric. Firepower. Having spent time on Earth, he goes travelling to build up a force equipped with a large number of guns.

                    With his force, he returns to Amber and makes an assault to try and unseat his brother and take over.


                    5 out of 5 stars A Shadow of a Legend that Was.......2007-08-15

                    Weak and on the run, having just escaped from five years in prison, with eyes that still haven't fully regenerated, and a desire for revenge uppermost in his mind, Corwin heads for what was, or what used to be, and perhaps doesn't exist anymore except as a shadow of a shadow, a place that he holds dear in his heart: Avalon. Not that he'd really admit to such an emotion, nor does he dwell overlong on his memories of that place. But bits and pieces of that long ago time in that far away place occasionally surface - and that is part of the power Zelazny infuses into this series about one `real' and many Shadow worlds, dragging you in by inference and suggestion, and saying a great deal about Corwin's character without actually saying it.

                    The first section of this book is almost a separate book in its own right, as Corwin, on the road to Avalon, gets stopped by encounters in Lorraine with Lancelot and an old lieutenant of his, Ganelon. While this section seems only marginally related to Corwin's quest for the Amber throne, it introduces a both an important new character and an unexplained threat that will bear its greatest fruit much later in the series, along with letting the reader come to know just who Corwin is in much better detail. By the time he does reach Avalon (or what passes for it in these days) and meets another of his brothers, Benedict, he is once more in peak physical and mental form, with a plan in mind for how to take the throne.

                    The last section of this book is both action-packed and full of surprises, as good guys are revealed to have some serious flaws, the bad guys suddenly seem somewhat heroic and honorable, and previously made plans get some drastic alterations. None of this comes out of a hat, as Zelazny carefully prepares for each of these things, but makes sure that you are held in suspense, as you really can't predict how things will turn out. And of course, the book ends with a cliff-hanger - else why would you want to read the next book? And you definitely will want to, not only to find out what happens next, but to be caught up again in Zelanzy's tight prose and his masterly intimations of other times, other places.

                    --- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

                    3 out of 5 stars Glib writing, winging it.......2006-02-15

                    I will continue to read the 10-part series because it holds my interest, but I would rather focus on constructive criticism than praise. Praise bores me. To deal with the praise quickly, it is imaginative, the characters are interesting, I want to know what happens.

                    Constructive criticism number one. The author seems like he's winging it, making things up as he goes along, telling us to believe any old thing that happens to pop up in his imagination.

                    A good sci fi fantasy story sets limits. We know the rules of the fantasy world, and those rules give the world reality. But here, there are no comprehensible rules. For God's sake, we even read about gigantic Siamese cats, talking no less, attacking our hero. Why? Why be so silly? Why shout to us so loudly that you are doing whatever you damn please and that your fantasy world is absurd?

                    This is not an isolated incident. It is the rule. Lancelot shows up in this story. Why not Joan of Arc? Why not Mickey Mantle? Do you get my point? He's pulling dumb ideas out of the air and telling us that they are real. He's ripping at our credibility, and we don't want to be reminded that the whole thing is nonsense. We want to suspend our disbelief, but he makes it hard.

                    In the prior book, our hero has amnesia, but still he has the nerve to tell his companions to proceed with him on a mission, despite the fact that he has no idea what the mission is. That is absurd. Unless, of course, you are the author and can do whatever you like. His world does not stand on its own two feet. We are constantly having to say "if you say so" to the things he puts in his story.

                    This whole concept of Shadow Worlds. Amber is the only Real World, apparently, though I'm not sure of that. The author constantly refers to Shadow Worlds, and makes some vague reference to alternate universes. And yet, the way to get to Shadow Worlds is by magically changing the landscape by an act of will. You are riding down a road, you change the grass to blue and the sky to green and you have now manipulated Shadow in some way and have changed worlds, yet you are still riding down the same road. One would think that an alternate universe might not have that road in it, or that you can't travel to alternate planets by going down one road while someone chases you down that same road through those multiverses. It is all wayyyy too much to swallow. It is just another example of the author winging it and giving us something unrealistic, absurd, and telling us to believe it. If you say so.

                    The characters are interesting but glib and have no depth. Which is a coincidence because the author is interesting and glib and has no depth.

                    But the author's strength is in keeping us interested enough to go on, and he has succeeded in that with me. I'm into the third book now.

                    Another problem I have with Guns of Avalon is that changes happen too quickly, which goes along with the author's glibness and his quality of winging it, lacking depth, rationality or consistency. For example, good guys turn into bad guys, or vice versa, at the drop of a hat, and issues that had been paramount, like the rebellion against King Eric, are resolved instantly. Oh, you can't still be thinking of that can you? It was issue number one all along, and now it's ancient history, because I've suddenly gone past that, forget about that, it's done. On to bigger and better things. And yet, if you dispose of your major story lines so easily, with so little fanfare, then why should we care about your next major story line?

                    This series is not as gripping as Lord of the Rings or the Kushiel's Dart series. It is far inferior to both of them. But then again, we are comparing it to the gems of fantasy, and that is like comparing the star of your local baseball team to Ruth and Gehrig. So I give this three stars and keep reading.

                    4 out of 5 stars Family and Friends.......2005-03-26

                    As I started to reread Guns of Avalon my initial reaction was that it wasn't as strong as Nine Princes in Amber. The first chapters are very episodic, and there is an enormously long description of a shift, Corwin has escaped from Amber and his brother Eric and seems at loose ends for a time. Corwin finds and rescues Lancelot du Lac and Joins Ganelon, an old enemy, in a battle against the dark. The curse Corwin uttered in Amber has had echoes throughout the shadow worlds and there's a lot of cleanup to be done.

                    Gradually the exiled prince forms a plan for defeating Eric. There is a substance that can explode in Amber and Corwin intends to introduce some unexpected weapons into the conflict. Ganelon befriends Corwin and the two head for Avalon, where Corwin sets about collecting ingredients. There he finds Benedict, one of his brothers, and Dara, a deadly and beautiful swordwoman. The latter meeting has unexpected repercussions that will bear fruit later in the series.

                    With the arrival in Avalon, the novel shifts back into high gear and we return to Zelazny's usual compelling narrative. Ganalon and Corwin shift their way across the shadows, sometimes chased by Benedict, sometimes dodging an evil black road with a mind of its own. Corwin prepares his advance and eventually, Amber lies within Corwin's sights and the final battle is joined.

                    Well, that's what you expect, anyway. But Corwin finds everything topsy turvy, with unexpected heroes and equally unexpected villains. Once again you will find yourself wondering how one writer can manage to consistently bring a fresh vision to each new work. His quirky characters and the peculiarities of his extended family's politics provide the material for both wry dialog and multi-level narrative. Not only do you have to read The Guns of Avalon because the best is yet to come, you are going to be glad that you did.

                    2 out of 5 stars Find Something Better.......2005-03-24

                    Zelazny creates some powerful imagery in this novel but not much else. Like many fantasy writers he paints fantastic scenery and invokes images both powerfully sublime and frightfully horrible. Yet the characters are flat, the dialogue is tedious, the story is slow, and there is no real cohesion to the mythic structure of the story. What Zelazny turns out is a generic fantasy story that never reaches deep enough into the human heart to resonate with those who don't exclusively enjoy fantasy. He also uses a strange sort of 1970's style detective lingo when writing dialogue which seems completely out of place in this story. Also, as is unfortunately common in fantasy, some disturbing misogynistic undertones churn throughout this story. I give it a D+.
                    THE GUNS OF AVALON - AVON 20032
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      THE GUNS OF AVALON - AVON 20032

                      Manufacturer: Avon Books
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Paperback

                      AvalonAvalon | Fantasy & Adventure | Series | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
                      ASIN: B000GRANKE
                      Trail of the Restless Gun (Avalon Westerns)
                      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
                      • Seeing the elephant
                      Trail of the Restless Gun (Avalon Westerns)
                      Lee Martin
                      Manufacturer: Thomas Bouregy & Company
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Hardcover

                      ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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                      ASIN: 0803488688

                      Customer Reviews:

                      5 out of 5 stars Seeing the elephant.......2007-04-28

                      One of Martin's Darringer series, this book is about Sam Darringer. Determined to see the world, what there is of it in the west, Sam signs on to accompany a trail drive to Montana Territory as a first step to "see the elephant". He's hired for his gun, to protect a hothouse flower named Angela from abduction by (or from running away with) a handsome outlaw with whom she is infatuated. This beauty-and-beast plot is saved by several subplots, not the least of which is Sam's attraction to the little sister Lisa, a tomboy to say the least who tries to be her father's son. A strong secondary character is Nika, an elderly Comanche who was saved from death by Lisa and who now is devoted to her and is her protector, sometimes saving her from herself. The handsome outlaw does abduct Angela, who quickly learns that everything her father told her about the guy was true. Sam, Lisa, Nika, and the happy-go-lucky cowboy Joker ride to the rescue. Angela is spirited away from the outlaw camp, sadder but wiser, and later will look at Joker with new eyes. The outlaw is arrested, tried, and convicted but grabs a gun in the courtroom, snatches Lisa as his hostage, and leaves. Lisa pretends to faint and her dead weight causes the outlaw to drop her enough that Sam can put him out of everyone's misery and save the day. Then he rides off into the sunset but some months later returns to claim Lisa as his bride. I have to say I liked this one better than some of the other Darringer books. I'm just not yet used to the New Age sensitive cowboy who cries as easily as he draws his gun, or the irasicible old codger ranch owner who also cries easily. I guess it is a Nineties kind of thing. It did make me determined to interview some old codgers whose pappies lived that kind of life to see if they saw much crying among the men. I don't think they did, and I doubt if they saw much among the women, either. It's still a good western.
                      Trail of the Fearless Gun (Avalon Westerns)
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        Trail of the Fearless Gun (Avalon Westerns)
                        Lee Martin
                        Manufacturer: Thomas Bouregy & Company
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Hardcover

                        ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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                        ASIN: 0803488998
                        The Chronicles of Amber Volume I: Nine Princes in Amber; The Guns of Avalon
                        Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
                        • Not Free SF Reader
                        • This Amber is Golden
                        • Aweful-- Choppy Film Noir dialogue with minimal plot
                        • It's A Series!
                        • One is more than enough
                        The Chronicles of Amber Volume I: Nine Princes in Amber; The Guns of Avalon
                        Roger Zelazny
                        Manufacturer: Nelson Doubleday Inc
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Hardcover

                        AmberAmber | Series | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
                        AvalonAvalon | Fantasy & Adventure | Series | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
                        ASIN: 0571097820

                        Customer Reviews:

                        5 out of 5 stars Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

                        Corwin wakes up in a hospital with amnesia, and tries to work out who he is, and what is going on. He soon discovers that he is not a normal man, and has shadowy figures around him, claiming to be his relatives.

                        After an incident with a car, he realises he is stronger than normal humans, and heals more quickly, and that is all that he can do.


                        5 out of 5 stars This Amber is Golden.......2007-08-14

                        Zelazny was already an established major talent by the time of this book, known for his delving into archetypal myths with strong characters and scintillating prose. Though he probably didn't plan on this story eventually stretching across ten volumes, it was clearly a bigger story than just about anything he'd attempted prior to this. In it's final form, it represents an accomplishment on par with other major fantasy works such as Lord of the Rings. But at the time of first publication, the abrupt end to this volume made many readers a little unhappy, as at the very least they would have wait for who knows how long for Zelazny to finish the story. And they really wanted to see that end, because this opening volume sets it teeth into your dream psyche, and doesn't let go.

                        The main concept of this book is that Amber is the only `real' world, and everything else in all creation (including our `normal' world) is only a Shadow of it. The Princes are the ruling heirs to Amber, capable of moving amongst (and possibly creating) the Shadow worlds.

                        Corwin is our viewpoint character, a fairly typical Zelazny hero, somewhat cynical, a little world weary, sometimes not a very nice guy, but a man who has something of a soft spot for his fellow humans underneath the external shell. At the beginning of this story, he has a case of amnesia induced by a car accident, a condition which makes it necessary for him to figure out his past and the current situation by pretending to know more than he does, and picking up the information he needs from those around him, a device which also lets the reader grow into this world slowly. And it is quite a world, with all the participants scheming for the throne or who to support in their bid for it. Eric, Bleys, and Random get the greatest detailing here, each coming alive and becoming major movers of the action as we delve deeper into this world.

                        There's plenty of action; some odd bits of `magic' in the form of Trumps, Patterns, and shifting Shadows; a fair amount of ruminating about the goals and proper actions of our hero; even a very understated and subtly told love story. This is a book that grabs your attention and very shortly your heart. Zelazny was at the peak of his form for this early portion of the Amber story.

                        This volume is short. It doesn't detail everything about the world of Amber. But it is a very solid and captivating introduction to that world. Just make sure you have at least the next volume by your side by the time you finish this one.

                        ---Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

                        1 out of 5 stars Aweful-- Choppy Film Noir dialogue with minimal plot.......2006-11-27

                        I was shocked at just how bad this book was given the high ratings. What did people find to like? The dialogue and internal monologue is uniformly written in short, choppy simple sentences-- like a bad film noir movie. The basic premise isn't explained well enough, even once the protagonist recovers from amnesia. This leaves the readers plodding through action scenes (again with no interesting detail typically) without understanding why the battle, overall journey or any of the characters matter. Avoid this stinker!

                        4 out of 5 stars It's A Series!.......2006-06-21

                        I'm writing this in response to a reviewer who didn't appreciate being cast into a world where the rules keep changing and the reader knows as little as its initially amnesiac main character.

                        Please remember one thing... it's a SERIES. As with many such multi-volume stories, the whole cloth isn't--and should never be--apparent in the first volume. Tolkien reveals things bit by bit, as does Peake, and so, too, Eddings. How dull would it be to know it all in chapter one of ANY book worth reading?

                        Also, please don't presume to know EVERY way to tell a story, solely because you've managed to divine the simplistic ways of doing so. A large part of what makes SF/F so engrossing is the discovery along the way.

                        3 out of 5 stars One is more than enough.......2006-02-07

                        Let me begin with constructive criticism. Sci fi fantasy works best if we are clear on what the rules of our new universe are, and this book tells us that the rules are whatever the author decides they are on this page. The rules are unexplained. The author wings it, makes them up as he goes along, and we don't know what ties this universe together, what limits it. The only rule is that the author can sketch in something new any time he damn well pleases. Random, a character in the story, can dream up whatever little universe he likes, and Corwin drives along in the car, from one to the next. What is going on? Beats me.

                        Second piece of constructive criticism. There is only one real world, called Amber. It casts many shadows. Our Earth is one of those shadows. It seems that people not living in Amber are all categorized as Shadows, though I'm not really sure of that because the rules, as mentioned in the paragraph above, are never explained sufficiently. This is a version of the concept our physicists are toying with, when they are good and drunk, that there are multiple universes all slightly different from each other. The line between physics and sci fi has been obliterated, and this story is as true as much of what Stephen Hawking has to tell us. Hawking's writing makes the Bible seem credible by comparison. And here it is, complete with multiple universes, in Nine Princes in Amber.

                        I like the concept of a deck of cards that includes pictures of all the characters of the royal family. At least now we have something concrete and finite to deal with. I don't understand what this family is all about, where they came from, why they are gods and we're not, who the hell they are anyway.

                        I resent, a bit, that we as readers are instructed to root for Corwin alone among all the brothers and sisters. We're being spoonfed who is right and who is wrong. Okay, kids, here's your hero, here are your villains, not that they are particularly different from each other. The main thing that differentiates Corwin from the others is that he has lived on Shadow Earth, our own lil planet, and therefore he is superior to the rest because Earth teaches compassion, which exists nowhere else in the multiverse. What a load of crap that is.

                        Now for some praise. Corwin is an interesting character with an interesting family. The author has a pretty cool imagination. The lead character is appealing in his own way.

                        It is an odd technique to give your lead character amnesia and therefore place him in the same position as the reader. As reader, I have no idea who the hell Corwin is, and neither does he. We'll find out together. He'll be the first to know, and we'll be second, right behind him. It is strange to be on an even plane with the lead character, both of us not knowing anything, and because of that, it seems a bit contrived, a bit manipulating to the reader.

                        So as reader I'm feeling helpless here. I'll know what you decide to tell me, when you decide to tell it, I don't have my feet on the ground here and can't piece together the rules of your universe because the only rule seems to be that you will do whatever you damn please at the moment, and you paint with quick little strokes, you sketch, you wing it.

                        The concept of one real universe surrounded by many shadow universes seems pseudo-intellectual and unreal to me. I don't want many me's in many universes, each one a bit different, all doing more or less the same dopy things I'm doing. I don't want shadow universes. That's pretty self centered, to want more versions of yourself. One is more than enough.
                        Trail of the Dangerous Gun (Avalon Westerns)
                        Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
                        • Endings and beginnings
                        Trail of the Dangerous Gun (Avalon Westerns)
                        Lee Martin
                        Manufacturer: Thomas Bouregy & Company
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Hardcover

                        AvalonAvalon | Fantasy & Adventure | Series | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
                        ASIN: 0803490992

                        Customer Reviews:

                        5 out of 5 stars Endings and beginnings.......2007-04-30

                        This, the story of Cass Darringer, is the first or one of the first in the Darringer brothers series. Cass is shot as he returns to camp where he left his partner Shorty and 3 railroad men who were visiting. Barely conscious, he gets to camp to find Shorty murdered and the 3 other men hanged. Vigilante justice. The horses Cass and Shorty had ready to sell were missing. Cass passes out and when he comes to, finds he has been rescued by Texas and her uncle, Joker.
                        The Chronicles of Amber Volume 1 The Nine Princes in Amber & The Guns of Avalon
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          The Chronicles of Amber Volume 1 The Nine Princes in Amber & The Guns of Avalon
                          Roger Zelazny
                          Manufacturer: Nelson Doubleday, Inc
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Hardcover

                          AmberAmber | Series | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
                          AvalonAvalon | Fantasy & Adventure | Series | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
                          ASIN: B000GM1VCS
                          5 Titles in Amber Series - 1 Nine Princes in Amber - 2 Guns of Avalon - 3 Sign of the Unicorn - 4 Hand of Oberon - 5 Courts of Chaos
                          Average customer rating: Not rated
                            5 Titles in Amber Series - 1 Nine Princes in Amber - 2 Guns of Avalon - 3 Sign of the Unicorn - 4 Hand of Oberon - 5 Courts of Chaos
                            Roger Zelazny
                            Manufacturer: various
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Mass Market Paperback

                            AmberAmber | Series | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
                            AvalonAvalon | Fantasy & Adventure | Series | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
                            ASIN: B000PGDDXU

                            Product Description

                            5 massmarket paperback Titles in Amber Series - 1 Nine Princes in Amber - 2 Guns of Avalon - 3 Sign of the Unicorn - 4 Hand of Oberon - 5 Courts of Chaos
                            AMBER GUNS OF AVALON #1-3 Complete Story
                            Average customer rating: Not rated
                              AMBER GUNS OF AVALON #1-3 Complete Story
                              Terry Bisson ROGER ZELAZNY
                              Manufacturer: DC
                              ProductGroup: Book
                              Binding: Comic
                              ASIN: B000VO1I06

                              Product Description

                              FANTASY SCI-FI SWORD & SORCERY ! July 1996 - September 1996 *** Contains Issue #'s 1-3 ***COMPLETE 3-ISSUE ADAPTATION OF ROGER ZALENSKY'S FANTASY SERIES!PRESTIEGE FORMAT $6.95 COVER PRICE

                              Books:

                              1. The Year of the Hare
                              2. Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back
                              3. Three Great Novels: Hard Times; A Tale of Two Cities; Great Expectations
                              4. Variational and Potential Methods in the Theory of Bending of Plates with Transverse Shear Deformation (Chapman and Hall /Crc Monographs and Surveys in Pure and Applied Mathematics)
                              5. West of Rehoboth: A Novel
                              6. Who Is the Beast?
                              7. Wide Sargasso Sea: A Novel (Norton Paperback Fiction)
                              8. Wild Colonial Girl: Essays on Edna O'Brien (Irish Studies in Literature and Culture)
                              9. Wolf Boy: A Novel
                              10. Young Turk: A Novel

                              Books Index

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