The Grifters

Book Description

Roy DIllon seems too handsome and well-mannered to be a professional con man. Lilly Dillon looks too young--and loves Roy a little too intensely--to be taken for his mother. Moira Langtry is getting too old to keep on living off the kindness of male strangers. And Carol Roberg seems too innocent to be acquainted with suffering.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent noir, excellent movie.......2007-05-12

I can still remember the stark scenes in the 1990 movie starring John Cusack, Anjelica Huston and Annette Benning. Donald Westlake wrote the sharp script. Roy Dillon is a low-level conman in L.A. His mother Lilly, her youthful looks still preserved, is also a grifter. She has mixed feelings on Roy as a a player in the illicit business. Moira, Roy's girlfriend, tries to bring him in her big con. There was more tension between Moira and Lilly in the movie. Recommended for noir fans, THE GRIFTERS is a brisk read (2 hours) and the plot straightforward. The prose style is smoother than Thompson's earlier books.

A dark story.......2006-07-01

This is an easy read but filled with lots of twists and turns. Jim Thompson lives up to his reputation as the successor to Dashiell Hammett. I recommend the story to all who enjoy a story with gritty characters and matching dialogue. Then watch the movie, starring John Cusack, Anjelica Huston and Annette Benning, for a faithful visualization of this excellent book.

Good Dialogue, But Still a Bit Dry.......2005-12-19

I expected this book to be a breeze, because noir often moves quickly, and there were about one-hundred-and-twenty pages of reading, but I had to force myself to sit through it, especially when I realized that the pages were running out and a climax was nowhere in sight.

While the dialogue between the characters was hilarious, the rest of the book was a little tepid. The build-up never actually led anywhere, and some characters, it seemed, had no purpose whatsoever than to fill a few pages.

I think that with better plot construction, The Grifters would've been a real gem. As is, however, it's not at all brilliant (and not wholly bad, either). If you want to be mildly amused for an hour, pick it up.

Pulp Fiction.......2005-04-10

A good easy read from one of the stars of 60's pulp fiction. As with many of the novels of this period that have been made into films, it is difficult not to think about the movie while reading (a fine film starring John Cusack and Angelica Huston - for extra credit see the two stars together having lunch with Peter Gallagher in Robert Altman's The Player). I enjoyed all of the seedy details of living on the grift and thought how the lives of Roy and Lilly caught up with them was well structured and although not surprising, done in a manner which did not take away from the suspense. A must read for fans of dark, 60's fiction.

read the book, see the movie, appreciate Westlake.......2005-02-13

The mystery/crime fiction writer Donald Westlake adapted this book into the screenplay for the movie "The Grifters," which is out on DVD. That DVD will make one appreciate the postive and negative aspects of this story by Thompson, albeit indirectly. The "grift," or the daily habit Roy and his mother have of snatching easy money through dishonest means, is a stand-in for Thompson's own experiences with alcoholism. Roy can't peel himself away from the grift, despite the isolation it causes him and his condemnation of his mother's behavior. Roy's stomach problems and stay in the hospital were derived from Thompson's ulcer problems. Thus, there are strong autobiographical elements in this story, which in my opinion take over the book and crowd out the Moira and Carol characters. Westlake was wise to pare down the Carol subplot, even if it took away from Roy's heartlessness (I found Roy a little more sympathetic in the movie than the book) -- and perhaps some of Thompson's guilty recollections.

What makes this novel so interesting is that it's the rivalry between the two women, Moira and Lilly, that drives the plot, despite the fact that they only meet twice (three times in the movie). Westlake understood this and distributed the scenes among all three of the main characters.

I could see how someone could pick up this as their first Jim Thompson book and conclude that he was overrated; my recommendation is to also watch the DVD and read the real masterpiece "The Killer Inside Me."

Average customer rating:

I'm hooked on Lawrence Block, and Hard Case Crime!
Love his writing!
Great but not Block's best
One of Blocks best books
A con is conned!

Grifter's Game (Hard Case Crime)
Lawrence Block
Manufacturer: Hard Case Crime
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0843953497

Customer Reviews:

I'm hooked on Lawrence Block, and Hard Case Crime!.......2007-08-13

I first stumbled upon the Hard Case Crime line, and of Lawrence Block with the book "Lucky at Cards." I enjoy poker and seeing the title had me interested. I purchased the book and instantly fell in love with the writing of Block, and the Hard Case Crime genre of books. After reading and loving "Lucky at Cards." I have since bought four other Hard Case Crime books, including the title you are here to read about, "Grifter's Game". This was my second Block book, and I equally enjoyed it as much his previous title that I read. Bottom line is, if you like Crime Noir you will love Hard Case Crime, and Lawrence Block. Get this book, and others from Block and Hard Case Crime, you will not be disappointed. Happy Reading!

Love his writing!.......2007-05-09

This book is fantastic...I gave it five stars for being totally entertaining. The style is brilliant, vivid. You find yourself in the mind of a complete narcissist, albeit a charming and amusing one. You are literally sucked into the story he tells, and even feel for him. About two-thirds of the way through I found myself beginning to loathe him and his self-amused "con." By the end, the whole bloody thing was curdled, but still I had to drink every drop. I read another Block(buster) about a fatal secretary who wants to get revenge on her boss - I forget the title, sorry - it was just as fascinating, just as sexy. Darn, he's good!

Great but not Block's best .......2007-01-19

I consider Block's best way astounding so I have high standards when I see his name on the cover.

The reader for this audio book is PERFECT. He has the best crime noir voice and inflections you could ask for. Cool, ironic and skillful--his persona of Joe (the book's in first person) never slips.

I'd give it five stars, but the characters don't feel as three dimensional as Block's usual people. No quirks, nothing to make them feel entirely real--although Joe did come close. I missed Block's humor (there were bits here and there). Still, it's skillfully written and I stayed up late listening, trying to figure out what Joe would do and being surprised by the answer.

One of Blocks best books.......2006-09-18

Having read around thirty of Blocks books, I would be the last person to say that this is an author who allways hits it out of the park. On one hand, Block is responsible for what could be the best crime/mystery series ever to grace a bookstores shelves with his Matt Scudder work. On the other, Block is a writer who must have churned out three or four books a year during his peak and quite a few of them feel like second rate efforts. If you work your way back to his earlier works, most of them feel very dated and contrived, so it was very shocking for me to pick up Grifters Game and find that it was first rate all of the way through.

Grifters Game is about Joe Marlin, a grifter who lives off of others through petty schemes and back handed manuvers. He travels around from one town to another, living high at hotels he has no intention of paying the bills for. Suddenly he finds that his situation has changed when he swipes the luggage of a respectable looking business man and things start to happen.

The over all mood of this book is classic. I cant think of another book that sets itself in the noir genre which so utterly typifies the feel of 'noir' generated here. The characters all have layers of societal dirt, they're ruthless and calculating. Marlin comes off as both sympathetic and hard boiled to the bone, making him a perfect mass of contradictions. The protagonists are smart, not dumbed down, and the prose is tight.

Block really pulls in a mood here that is worth checking out. I think I read that this book was first published in 1961. If so, it has stood up admirably over the test of time. I would not hesitate to buy this book. If you have read it, and want a suggestion for another read, I would suggest Charles Willeford's Hoke Moseley series.

A con is conned!.......2006-06-17

Grifter's Game is a Hard Case crime series reprint of a book written over 40 years agol by Lawrence Block. Joe Marlin is a con-man, enjoying meeting rich, married women, taking their money, then moving on.

Then he meets Mona. They sleep together and the next morning says, "what are you doing with my husband's luggage?" Days earlier, Marlin had stolen it at a train station. In the luggage was heroin and now Mona and Marlin must decide what to do. Meanwhile, Marlin is falling for Mona.

This is a well-written story about some bad people, and that is the problem. No where in the story was I sympathetic with any of the characters. They never did anything that could be considered nice. Even evil people have good qualities, but Joe and Mona did not. Out of the four I've read, this was my least favorite Hard Case book.

Son of a Grifter: The Twisted Tale of Sante and Kenny Kimes, the Most Notorious Con Artists in America

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Must have been difficult to be honest!!
AWESOME
who's grifting who?
Like Mother, Like Son
Riveting

Son of a Grifter: The Twisted Tale of Sante and Kenny Kimes, the Most Notorious Con Artists in America
Kent Walker with Mark Schone
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0061031690
Release Date: 2002-04-02

Book Description

In 1988 a troubled young man and his flamboyant mother were arrested for murdering a wealthy widow in her New York City mansion. Suddenly, America was transfixed by a pair of real–life film noir characters. The media couldn't get enough of the twisted relationship between Sante Kimes and her twenty–three–year–old son Kenny.

But the most chilling story of all was never told 埵ntil now. Kent Walker, Sante's elder son, reveals how he survived forty years of "the Dragon Lady's" very special brand of motherly love and still managed to get away.

As a child Kent watched his mother destroy his hardworking father, Ed Walker, and then 執ith Kent's painful collusion 埳nare what Sante called "my millionaire." When she married seemingly respectable real–estate developer Ken Kimes, it was a match made in hell.

For the next two decades Kent's mother and stepfather indulged in a globetrotting orgy of criminal behaviour.

Kent, their would–be recruit, was privy to the family business : torching houses, defrauding friends, crashing White When Kent's half–brother, Kenny was born, Kent was twelve years old , old enough to know that he was his younger sibling's only protector. Kent tried desperately to save Kenny from his mother's sinister bidding. His failure haunts him to this day.

Customer Reviews:

Must have been difficult to be honest!!.......2007-02-25

Great book for an autobiography. Well-written and quite a story. The only reason I gave it 4 and not 5 stars is that Ann Rule would have done better. But this is definiely still worth the read. I could not put it down. Other reviewers claim that greed overtook the author's sense in the book. That is true, but he ADMITS it. And it must have been difficult for the author to tell the world that.

AWESOME.......2007-01-10

What a life she lived. what a life she put her family threw.
you can't miss this one.

who's grifting who? .......2006-11-20

kent Walker didnt actually commit the crimes, and God knows he has suffered enough with the incredible dysfunction he grew up with, but his book becomes repetitive, almost impossible to believe when time after time he goes back , not just alone but taking his wife and children over and over to live with Sante and Ken and Kenny. He admits to consistantly being swayed by money and the lifestyle and its only at the very end, when sante has been caught tried and found guilty that he really cuts off contact for good.
There were times in the book it became laughable for me, the constant nonsensical lies and hysteria that he bought into again and again and made his living by being fronted with ken and Santes money. I also found his analysis of Kenny being ruined NOT by Sante but by Ken ( his father) very odd. Kent Walker has almost as little introspection and genuine understanding of himself and his life as His mother does.
Its constant scheme after scheme after scheme with names you no longer even register anymore throughout the book that fill up nearly 400 pages.
id have been more interested in someone like Ann Rule writing it. I have no idea why Kent wrote this book. And thats something an author needs to get across, if nothing else.

Like Mother, Like Son.......2006-10-31

I wasn't familiar with the murderous mother and son duo, Sante and Kenny Kimes, both convicted in California for the second of what is believed to be four homicides, until a friend sent me Son of a Grifter, written by Sante's oldest son, Kent Walker. From the unique perspective of one who lived with a veritable cornucopia of abuse - from terror and dodging bullets to blackmail and arson - Kent Walker narrates the outrageous saga of his degenerate, sociopathic mother, her loves, sons and victims, and her ultimate descent into madness.

In retrospect, Kent whitewashes his mother's pathology by blaming it on genetics, convinced she is the descendant of a long line of personality disordered, anti-social crazies. However, regarding his brother Kenny's fate, he is less charitable and condemns nurture rather than nature, indicting both his overindulgent, weak, alcoholic stepfather and his overprotective, paranoid mother whose greed knew no bounds.

For pure gall and tenacity, Sante Kimes has no peer. If she had been hardwired for productive and benevolent purposes, she could have been a notable force for good in the universe. Instead, essentially her entire purpose for existence was to accumulate wealth. Even when she eventually married a millionaire, who was almost her equal in corruption, nothing was ever enough. She burnt down beautiful homes for the insurance, stole furs and cut out the labels for fencing, wrote bad checks to car dealerships for tens of thousands of dollars without blinking an eye, and, worst of all, raised her youngest son to kill for profit.

Kent Walker avoids any psychoanalysis of his mother, preferring to limit his story to the events and consequences of being a member of the Kimes clan, but it is inarguable that Sante was a textbook sociopath: void of conscience, completely self-serving, compulsively driven by excess, reckless disregard for the rights of others, and absolutely no acceptance of blame.

For example, Sante and Ken drove to Mexico, with their boys in the backseat, and picked up young women to smuggle back in the trunk over the border to work as maids in their house. Except they weren't really maids, they were slaves. They received no pay, they were beaten and abused, and when they ran away they were simply replaced with new ones. Even after Sante Kimes served three years in a federal penitentiary for this offence, she continued to pick up homeless people and vagrants and keep them as unpaid servants. Needless to say, she wasn't much of a candidate for rehabilitation.

For those of us who are parents, you will come away from this book feeling like a combination Dr. Spock, Miss Barbara and Mother Teresa. If you think your children grew up in less than ideal circumstances, or their childhood was deprived in some way by your economic circumstances or limited expertise, I assure you it was Paradise compared to the Kimes household. Kenny Kimes was shamelessly spoiled, taught no limits, attended expensive schools, drove sports cars, wore designer suits, and was denied nothing by his wealthy father and grateful mother, who considered him the golden goose because his existence ensured her a piece of the Kimes inheritance. That overindulgence served to turn Kenny into a cold-blooded murderer who will spend the rest of his natural life in prison.

In retrospect, Kent Walker sugar coats much of his childhood, insisting that the crazy episodes comprised only a small fraction of the bigger scene, but this merely proves he has no sense of boundaries or reasonable perspective on what the reader will regard as a nightmare of dysfunction. Son of a Grifter is a long, bizarre story that I don't necessarily recommend to anyone unless they are looking to feel better about their parenting style, or are interested in the Kimes story, as it is probably the most compelling and factually correct presentation. For an overview of the murder trials, see Court TV's Crime Library.

Riveting .......2006-08-06

Sante Kimes was written up by many as some type of mastermind of crime, some evil genius. That wasn't really the case at all. What she was was unbelieveably ballsy, insanely narcissistic and self-centered, financially hugely neurotic and desperate and greedy, and of course very quick on her feet. Her crimes are simply too many to list - the book is positively stuffed with fraud, theft, arson, slavery, violence, swindling, in constant repition, and not excluding several murders - and coming from an eyewitness to literally decades of malfeasance they make for a fascinating roller coaster ride. It is a wonder the author didn't turn out every bit as warped as his half-brother. He did not escape unharmed.

None of the characters comes off well. Of course Sandy "Sante" Kimes is a true original, and the focus of the book. But Ken Kimes, her second husband and targetted millionaire, is not some simple dupe or victim; he aided and abetted Sante for decades, allowing his integrity (what little he may have had when he met Sante), his business, his health, and previous family relationships, and finally his wealth all to go into freefall as his 'wife' systematically plundered, wasted or misappropriated whatever she wanted. During the time of her first imprisonment for slavery, when he had a clear chance to make a break and save what was left, he declined to do so, and instead embarked on a multi-year drunk and slid into degenerate gambling to kill time until her release. When Ken finally dies, the author speculates on whether even this was entirely natural, and it seems the dying Ken had a lot on his mind just before checking out. In any event, Ken's death and Sante's subsequent desperate search for what was left of his cash (precious little) pushed her completely over the edge into much nastier criminal territory than she had previously occupied.

The son Kenny probably had a chance at a life but the adventurous high life offered by Sante seemed more fun. He had neither the charm or much of the luck of his mother.

The character of the police in the various cities should also be mentioned. It is simply shocking how lazy, stupid, and disinterested the various officers, who could have busted Sante et al dozens and dozens of times, were. Time and again either the victims or even the son Kent himself give the local cops absolutely everything they need to know, but they just couldn't give a crap. Had they made even the slightest effort to enforce or uphold the law, the Kimes' crime spree would have ended decades sooner, and some people might still be alive. It is their failure, and not Sante's evil genius, which is in part responsibile for both the sheer number of her crimes, and the related and contributing factor of her perceived invulnerability. Some of them should be charged as accessories for the crimes they thereby allowed to happen.

This was a great book. It fascinated throughout.

Matchstick Men: A Novel About Grifters with Issues

Average customer rating:

Stephen Mac's REview
Are you kidding me?
Spectacular
Spectacular
Taken by surprise

Matchstick Men: A Novel About Grifters with Issues
Eric Garcia
Manufacturer: Random House Trade Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0812968212
Release Date: 2003-07-08

Book Description

The inspiration behind Ridley Scott’s new movie—starring Nicolas Cage and Sam Rockwell—by the acclaimed cult author of Anonymous Rex

Roy and Frankie are matchstick men—con artists. Partners in elegant crimes for years, they know each other like brothers and have perfected the rules of the game. Roy is the careful one, saves every penny. Frankie is the adventurous one, hungry for a big score. He wants Roy to join him in running a tricky game, but Roy is distracted by the discovery that he is the father of a punky teenage daughter from a brief marriage that ended years ago. The kid wants to get to know her father. She also wants to learn the family business. Novelist Eric Garcia takes readers into the fast and funny world of grifters with issues. Matchstick Men is a dazzling literary con game that will keep readers guessing until the last page.

Customer Reviews:

Stephen Mac's REview .......2005-02-24

FRankie and Roy are out to con anyone they can. They start out with conning college kids with a card trick. Roy and Frankie are partners. Roy is the head man. Roy also has a serious case of obsessive compulsive disorder. His doctor that gives him pills for this left the state. Frankie takes Roy to a new doctor to receive pills for his disorder. The doctor wants to know about Roy's wife, Heather. Roy tells the doc she left him when she was pregnant. The doctor finds Heather for Roy and find out she has a 14 year old daughter. The doctor sets up a meeting with them and they start seeing each other. Roy tells Angela he's a antique seller. Roy is doing a con painting game with Frankie. Angela soon finds out Roy is a con man and wants to learn some cons. He finally lets in and teaches her one. Frankie and Roy are doing a currency exchange scam with a man named Chuck. Angela becomes a distraction for the con and Chuck notices her even though they escaped safely. Roy and Frankie suddenly learn Angela has a police record and they become scared Chuck is going to find them. To find out what happens next read the book. I though this book was very exciting and gave you an inside look of a con mans life. It was very suspensful and gave a good twist towards the end. I'd reccomend this book more towards older people because of some profanity and the whole crime scene.

Are you kidding me? .......2004-07-29

Are you kidding me? Who are these customers that reviewed this book? spectacular, Taken by surprise, and Best book ever. This book was so predictable Helen Keller could see it coming from a mile away. It is not even worth my time to write a review.

Maybe i will see the movie; it can't be worse than the book.

Spectacular.......2003-09-22

Definatly the best book I have read thus far in my life. This book will leave you crying in the end, not because it is depressing, but because the book is over and there is no more story to read.

Spectacular.......2003-09-15

It is amazing with a suprize dat will blow u away. Worth reading.

Taken by surprise.......2003-09-09

OK in my make believe world everything has the perfect ending so I had already put an ending to this book but then reality hit me hard in the face. What a surprise! This book is one of the best books I've read this year so far. It reminded me of the last Grisham book I read - again expecting a different ending and just taken by surprise. At times I could not contain my laughter at Roy's "weirdness" especially his deal with the carpet. Sadly I can relate to the fact that we sometimes get so caught up in the absurd. I love a book that won't let me sleep because it's so darn good. Now I'm hesitant in viewing the movie - will I be disappointed? I wonder. . . .

Flim-Flam Man and the Apprentice Grifter

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Flim-Flam Man and the Apprentice Grifter
Guy Owen
Manufacturer: Ams Pr Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0404199402

The Trailsman #301: High Plains Grifters (Trailsman)

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The Trailsman #301: High Plains Grifters (Trailsman)
Jon Sharpe
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451219910

Book Description

No one pulls a fast one on Skye Fargo!

Plum Creek, Kansas, has fallen victim to a father-daughter grifter team. Competing with an angry posse of townsfolk and a pair of brutal bounty hunters, Skye Fargo is determined to teach the grifters the true meaning of pulling a fast one.

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The Kindred II (#1)

Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic
ASIN: B000IFT87I

Product Description

Direct sales edition comic book published by DC Comics under their Wildstorm imprint. Features Cole Cash "Grifter".

The Black Lizard Jim Thompson: After Dark My Sweet, The Alcoholics, The Criminal, Cropper's Cabin, The Getaway, The Grifters, A Hell of a Woman, Nothing More Than Murder, Pop. 1280, Recoil, Savage Night, A Swell-Looking Babe and Wild Town (13 books)

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The Black Lizard Jim Thompson: After Dark My Sweet, The Alcoholics, The Criminal, Cropper's Cabin, The Getaway, The Grifters, A Hell of a Woman, Nothing More Than Murder, Pop. 1280, Recoil, Savage Night, A Swell-Looking Babe and Wild Town (13 books)
Jim Thompson
Manufacturer: Black Lizard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000S8W4KS

Product Description

The 13 original Black Lizard Thompsons, all released before the publisher's purchase by Vintage/Random House.

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Carols and Crimes, Gifts and Grifters

Manufacturer: Wolfmont Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1603640029

Book Description

In this second of Wolfmont's anthologies to benefit the Toys for Tots, fifteen talented authors have contributed wonderful holiday-themed short stories in crime, suspense and mystery. Contributors include the Edgar and Barry award-winning author Thomas Cook, Anthony award-winner Chris Grabenstein, Derringer-award winner Earl Staggs, Sue Ann Jaffarian, Austin S. Camacho and ten other fantastic authors who will make you gasp, shudder and laugh with these tales of holiday fear and cheer.

Deathblow #16 (Wildstorm Rising Chapter 6) May 1995

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Deathblow #16 (Wildstorm Rising Chapter 6) May 1995
Steven T. Seagle
Manufacturer: Image Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

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ASIN: B000RC2XME

Product Description

Chapter 6 of Wildstorm Rising.

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The Beginning of one of fantasy's finest trilogies
Three Against the Witch World: Beyond the Mind Barrier
Andre Norton
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Web of the Witch World

Year of the Unicorn (Witch World No. 3)

Sorceress of the Witch World

Warlock of the Witch World (Witch World, No 5)

Tales of the Witch World 1 (Tales of the Witch World)

ASIN: B0007EI0Y2

Customer Reviews:

The Beginning of one of fantasy's finest trilogies.......2005-04-20

"Three Against the Witch World" (1965) begins a very fine trilogy of the adventures of Kemoc, Kyllan, and Kaththea, the three children of Earth-born warrior, Simon Tregarth and his witch-wife, Jaelithe. The following two books are "Warlock of the Witch World" (1967) and "Sorceress of the Witch World" (1968).

Kaththea Tregarth, born one of three triplets, could link telepathically with her birth-brothers, Kyllan and Kemoc. At an early age, she was forcibly separated from her brothers and taken to the Place of Silence to be trained in magic by Wise Women of Estcarp.

In "Three Against the Witch World" the triplets escape from witch-ruled Estcarp to the magical land of Escore. There, they accidentally destroy the false peace that had long abided between the great powers of Light and Dark. "Things awoke and gathered, and the land was troubled..." and the three learn that they must fight with the forces of Light, or be utterly annihilated by the Dark.

Kyllan, the warrior brother narrates this first book of the trilogy. After he and his brother free their sister, Kathea from the Witches, they make the long, arduous journey over-mountain to the forbidden lands of the East. Then Kaththea troubles the land by sending forth a familiar, and Kyllan is magicked and carried away by a creature of the dark in the form of a black stallion. He almost perishes but for the healing powers of the Lady of Green Silences. Once he is reunited with his brother and sister, they learn how Kaththea's witchcraft disturbed the magical balance of ancient Escore. Kyllan returns to Estcarp to recruit new soldiers for the battle to come.

Andre Norton was a powerful mythmaker and world-builder, and her fantasies concerning the triplets Kemoc, Kaththea, and Kyllan do not suffer in comparison with Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea books. In fact, my own personal preference is for Norton's Witch World.

Three Against the Witch World: Beyond the Mind Barrier.

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Three Against the Witch World: Beyond the Mind Barrier.
Andre. Norton
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GTDLYC

Three Against the Witch World (Witch World, Volume 4)

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Beginning of a powerful, magical trilogy

Three Against the Witch World (Witch World, Volume 4)

Manufacturer: Charter Communications Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0441808050

Product Description

Classic Fantasy Series. "The offspring of Simon Tregarth, half earthling, half witch-brood, realized that they alone could perceive the four directions- for everyone else, there was no East!... And when new menaces threatened, the Tregarths realized that in that mental barrier there lay the key to all their world... somewhere to the unknown eastward must lie the sorcery that had secretly molded their destinies!"

Customer Reviews:

Beginning of a powerful, magical trilogy.......2005-01-12

"Three Against the Witch World" (1965) begins a very fine trilogy of the adventures of Kemoc, Kyllan, and Kaththea, the three children of Earth-born warrior, Simon Tregarth and his witch-wife, Jaelithe. The following two books are "Warlock of the Witch World" (1967) and "Sorceress of the Witch World" (1968).

Kaththea Tregarth, born one of three triplets, could link telepathically with her birth-brothers, Kyllan and Kemoc. At an early age, she was forcibly separated from her brothers and taken to the Place of Silence to be trained in magic by Wise Women of Estcarp.

In "Three Against the Witch World" the triplets escape from witch-ruled Estcarp to the magical land of Escore. There, they accidentally destroy the false peace that had long abided between the great powers of Light and Dark. "Things awoke and gathered, and the land was troubled..." and the three learn that they must fight with the forces of Light, or be utterly annihilated by the Dark.

Kyllan, the warrior brother narrates this first book of the trilogy. After he and his brother free their sister, Kathea from the Witches, they make the long, arduous journey over-mountain to the forbidden lands of the East. Then Kaththea troubles the land by sending forth a familiar, and Kyllan is magicked and carried away by a creature of the dark in the form of a black stallion. He almost perishes but for the healing powers of the Lady of Green Silences. Once he is reunited with his brother and sister, they learn how Kaththea's witchcraft disturbed the magical balance of ancient Escore. Kyllan returns to Estcarp to recruit new soldiers for the battle to come.

Andre Norton is a powerful mythmaker and world-builder, and her fantasies concerning the triplets Kemoc, Kaththea, and Kyllan do not suffer in comparison with Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea books. In fact, my own personal preference is for Norton's Witch World.

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The start of one of fantasy's finest trilogies
She's the greatest!

Three Against the Witch World
Andre Norton
Manufacturer: G K Hall & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0839823584

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The start of one of fantasy's finest trilogies.......2005-04-11

"Three Against the Witch World" (1965) begins a very fine trilogy of the adventures of Kemoc, Kyllan, and Kaththea, the three children of Earth-born warrior, Simon Tregarth and his witch-wife, Jaelithe. The following two books are "Warlock of the Witch World" (1967) and "Sorceress of the Witch World" (1968).

Kaththea Tregarth, born one of three triplets, could link telepathically with her birth-brothers, Kyllan and Kemoc. At an early age, she was forcibly separated from her brothers and taken to the Place of Silence to be trained in magic by Wise Women of Estcarp.

In "Three Against the Witch World" the triplets escape from witch-ruled Estcarp to the magical land of Escore. There, they accidentally destroy the false peace that had long abided between the great powers of Light and Dark. "Things awoke and gathered, and the land was troubled..." and the three learn that they must fight with the forces of Light, or be utterly annihilated by the Dark.

Kyllan, the warrior brother narrates this first book of the trilogy. After he and his brother free their sister, Kathea from the Witches, they make the long, arduous journey over-mountain to the forbidden lands of the East. Then Kaththea troubles the land by sending forth a familiar, and Kyllan is magicked and carried away by a creature of the dark in the form of a black stallion. He almost perishes but for the healing powers of the Lady of Green Silences. Once he is reunited with his brother and sister, they learn how Kaththea's witchcraft disturbed the magical balance of ancient Escore. Kyllan returns to Estcarp to recruit new soldiers for the battle to come.

Andre Norton was a powerful mythmaker and world-builder (she passed away on 03/17/2005 at age 93), and her fantasies concerning the triplets Kemoc, Kaththea, and Kyllan do not suffer in comparison with Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea books. In fact, my own personal preference is for Norton's Witch World.

She's the greatest!.......2000-02-20

I found this Witch world novel at a garage sale and got it. I had read the Turning 1 & 2 so I thought "Why not?" It turned out to be the best nickel I ever spent. It realy filled out the characters, the Tregarth triplets. As always I found Ms. Norton's writing wonderful and expressive.

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THREE AGAINST THE WITCH WORLD
ANDRE NORTON
Manufacturer: ACE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S3HK2U

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Three Against the Witch World
Andre Norton
Manufacturer: ACE BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000PLNGIM

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THREE AGAINST THE WITCH WORLD
Andre Norton
Manufacturer: Universal
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000UFDO94

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Telepathic triplets discover Escore

Three Against the Witch World
Andre Norton
Manufacturer: Tandem
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Customer Reviews:

Telepathic triplets discover Escore.......2007-04-21

"Three Against the Witch World" (1965) begins a very fine trilogy of the adventures of Kemoc, Kyllan, and Kaththea, the three children of Earth-born warrior, Simon Tregarth and his witch-wife, Jaelithe. The following two books are "Warlock of the Witch World" (1967) and "Sorceress of the Witch World" (1968).

Kaththea Tregarth, born one of three triplets, could link telepathically with her birth-brothers, Kyllan and Kemoc. At an early age, she was forcibly separated from her brothers and taken to the Place of Silence to be trained in magic by Wise Women of Estcarp.

In "Three Against the Witch World" the triplets escape from witch-ruled Estcarp to the magical land of Escore. There, they accidentally destroy the false peace that had long abided between the great powers of Light and Dark. "Things awoke and gathered, and the land was troubled..." and the three learn that they must fight with the forces of Light, or be utterly annihilated by the Dark.

Kyllan, the warrior brother narrates this first book of the trilogy. After he and his brother free their sister, Kathea from the Witches, they make the long, arduous journey over-mountain to the forbidden lands of the East. Then Kaththea troubles the land by sending forth a familiar, and Kyllan is magicked and carried away by a creature of the dark in the form of a black stallion. He almost perishes but for the healing powers of the Lady of Green Silences. Once he is reunited with his brother and sister, they learn how Kaththea's witchcraft disturbed the magical balance of ancient Escore. Kyllan returns to Estcarp to recruit new soldiers for the battle to come.

Andre Norton is a powerful mythmaker and world-builder, and her fantasies concerning the triplets Kemoc, Kaththea, and Kyllan do not suffer in comparison with Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea books. In fact, my own personal preference is for Norton's Witch World.

Average customer rating:

Three Against the Witch World

Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HJK6CQ

Three Against the Witch World (Vintage Ace SF, 80202)

Average customer rating:

First book in a great Witch World trilogy

Three Against the Witch World (Vintage Ace SF, 80202)
Andre Norton
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 0441808026

Customer Reviews:

First book in a great Witch World trilogy.......2007-09-18

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