Average customer rating:
- A GREAT BOOK, DEEP-SIXED
- The Great Mormon Novel (?)
- One Of the Most Important Stories In American History.
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Nightfall at Nauvoo
Samuel W. Taylor
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0380002477 |
Customer Reviews:
A GREAT BOOK, DEEP-SIXED.......2005-11-06
This novel, remarkable for its sympathy of the Mormons as generally well meaning souls victimized by a charlatan, was
available at the drug store in Nauvoo, Illinois (the hometown of my mother-in-law) for many years. Well, the Mormons have returned to Nauvoo - it is now a little like an LDS Disneyland,
rebuilt in a Potemkin village fashion - bought up every business they can and moved to take over the city government.
The drug store is co-opted and the novel is no longer available.
Buy a copy while you can.
The Great Mormon Novel (?).......2000-07-12
Sam Taylor was one of the very best writers of Mormonism's "Lost Generation": a group that co-existed roughly at the same time as Hemingway and that cohort and had ambivalent feelings about their Mormon heritage. "Nightfall at Nauvoo" is Taylor's masterpiece. It's the story of the church from the 1838 Missouri period to Joseph Smith's assassination in Illinois in 1844. It could be called a historical novel, but it mixes straight history with fictionalized narrative, much like the other books in this trilogy, "The Last Pioneer" and "Rocky Mountain Empire". The effect (and tone) is not unlike like that of Tom Wolfe. Taylor loves his people but can't restrain his satirical bent. The result is a mixture of reverence and realism that is unique in Mormon literature. This is an epic story well told, and should be interesting to anyone who enjoys Western American history.
One Of the Most Important Stories In American History........2000-05-06
I remember picking up a paperback copy of this book years ago simply because it had a chilling picture of some covered wagons leaving a town during a snow bound winter, and the title added to the ominous impression. My thought was "Why would anyone travel in those conditions?" I was soon to find out. This book was first published as a hardback by Macmillan Company of New York, New York in 1971, and it drew me into one of the most exciting, colorful, and extraordinary true stories that was ever recorded about the wild West during the 1840s. It's a good thing no one had told me that this was about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, popularly known as the Mormons, because had I known that I would have thought "Oh, Oh, religion," and not given it any further investigation. I came from a Catholic background, and I didn't really think about it until later, but the Mormon church was the other important organization responsible for settling the West. Once a person has this insight, they won't be surprised when encountering entire shelf loads of books about Mormons in bookstores run by folks who actually know something about Western Americana. What you have in this book is the story of a town built by the Mormons in Illinois, and how controversies arose there which resulted in the death of Joseph Smith, the founder of the church. Now I'm not going to spoil it for you by filling in too much, but after Joseph Smith was killed at Carthage, just outside Nauvoo, his church split into a number of competitive factions. The largest of these, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The second largest one, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is headquartered in Independence, Missouri. There were other factions which came out of the incidents in this story as well, but the largest are usually the most familiar. This story will introduce you to the controversies that go on to this day between many Mormon sects - and also between Mormons and the outside world. It will give you an understanding of why there are so many people hooked on collecting anything they can about Mormon splinter groups, or anything published by those sects. In fact, the culture of Mormon politics is exciting enough to quench the thirst of anyone already hooked on political ideology or more familiar forms of religious theology. Imagine a true story which is partly a nerve wracking wild West shoot out, and blend that with the scattering seeds of a peculiar religion, and you've got some idea of the riveting read you're in for. Nightfall At Nauvoo is the reason I'll usually stop to examine any book about LDS (Mormonism), and it's also the reason I nearly always find the time to say hello to their missionaries. It is a great story by a great writer, on the same level of importance as Jim Bishop's The Day Lincoln Was Shot; Bernal Diaz's Conquest of New Spain - about Cortes bringing down the Aztec empire; and William Connelley's perfect telling of Quantrills destruction of Lawrence Kansas. Some readers may even appreciate that it has similar elements.
Book Description
"An almost perfect book, spare, balanced, and inexplicably moving."-Geoffrey O'Brien
Jim Vanning has an identity crisis. Is he an innocent artist who just happens to have some very dangerous people interested in him? Or is he a killer on the lam from his last murder-with a satchel worth over $300,000 in tow?
Relentlessly focused,
Nightfall may be David Goodis' most accomplished novel. It is a fiendishly constructed maze, filled with unpredictable pitfalls and human predators whose authenticity only makes them more terrifying.
David Goodis (1917–1967), a former pulp, radio, and Hollywood script writer, is now recognized as a leading author of crime fiction. Besides sojourns in New York City and Hollywood, he lived primarily in Philadelphia.
Customer Reviews:
A Man's Desperate Struggle.......2003-08-06
This is a story of a man's struggle to regain his life after circumstances conspired against him. Jim Vanning is facing a grim future. He is being pursued by gangsters and police in relation to a robbery and a murder. We come in on the story as Vanning feels the net closing in tightly around him, but we are also given the feeling that he doesn't have the answer to the question that everyone will want to know. Where is the money?
The story is stark and grim as Vanning's predicament appears hopeless. His obvious feelings of helplessness are portrayed vividly as he searches around for a way to clear his name.
Although it's written in a spare style, Goodis doesn't waste a word as he concentrates on painting Vanning into a corner, he still manages to find time to introduce us to his all-important peripheral characters, Fraser the cop, John the gangster and Martha the love interest. All are integral to the outcome of the mystery and are given just enough attention to make them interesting.
a paranoid and claustrophic thriller with something missing.......2002-12-23
'Nightfall' is a short novel by David Goodis, written at the height of his career (in the early 1950s). True to form, Goodis focuses on a single character and his angst. This time we have a man who has difficulty remembering the details of his involvement with $300,000 taken in a bank heist. On his tail are the bank robbers and the police. One fully appreciates this man's plight. However this alone didn't capivate this reader. Why?
Authors like David Goodis and Patricia Highsmith who specialise on suspense and apprehension of a leading character (typically a victim or a criminal) succeed when there are additional characters and/or circumstances that 'fill out' the story. However 'Nightfall' is really a one-dimensional story. The author fails to build on an interesting sub-plot involving a police detective, with the help of his wife, chasing our poor central character. Before long I found 'Nightfall' to be a tedious read.
Bottom line: certainly a must read for those into 'noir' fiction. Others will probably find it too dark, depressing and claustrophobic.
A Classic.......1999-03-25
Wonderful story of a man on the run from the law, and the sympathetic policeman who takes an interest in his case. A beautiful book, spare and haunting. Not a wasted word. Goodis sometimes reaches for poetry in his tales, but here he achieves it with a delicate poise. Very atypical of the bulk of Goodis's output, and probably not the place to start, but this is one of the great post-WW2 thrillers, and as close as anyone's ever come to evoking film noir on the page.
Book Description
"Tourneur was a great director, fully deserving of the thoroughly researched and perceptive treatment he receives from Chris Fujiwara." -- Martin Scorsese
As the director of Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie, and Night of the Demon, Jacques Tourneur crafted three horror classics which, decades later, have lost none of their power to frighten audiences. And his 1947 film Out of the Past is still acknowledged as the quintessential film noir. Yet Tourneur himself remains underappreciated and his contribution to cinema history neglected. Many of his films, however, reveal a fluid artistry absent from the routine studio fare of the era. Working in a variety of genres, from Westerns (Canyon Passage) and spy films (Berlin Express) to swashbucklers (The Flame and the Arrow) and melodramas (Experiment Perilous), Tourneur imposed a personal cinematic vision that emphasized uncertainty and ambiguity.
In Jacques Tourneur: The Cinema of Nightfall, the first in-depth exploration of Tourneur's career, Chris Fujiwara offers a detailed film-by-film analysis of the director's four French films, his 20 MGM shorts, and his 29 studio productions, as well as his work in television. As Fujiwara shows, mystery, sensuality, and a deliberately restrained expressionism were the hallmarks of Tourneur's style, which frequently overcame the difficult circumstances in which he worked. Informative and immensely readable, this book provides an insightful and comprehensive study of an important and unjustly forgotten director.
Customer Reviews:
A Beauty.......2003-05-12
Chris Fujiwara is one of the world's best film critics. (Look for his soon-to-be-published work on Otto Preminger.) "The Cinema of Nightfall" is specifically about the great(and vastly underrated) Jacques Tourneur, but it is much more than that. It is one of the best books ever written about how to see and experience movies. Fujiwara goes inside the process of just how a film creates meaning, using Tourneur's very subtle genius as his base. The chapters on the more famous works("Cat People", "I Walked with a Zombie" and the immortal "Out of the Past") are the best analyses ever written on those titles. However, perhaps the most impressive part of Fujiwara achievement is his coverage of the more obscure Tourneurs: "Stars in My Crown", "Canyon Passage", "Berlin Express", the shorts. (His chapter on "Nightfall" is worth the price of admission -- a whole film theology in miniature.) "Cinema of Nightfall" is a model of film understanding and film love.
Excellent Guide to Tourneur's Films.......1998-10-05
Jacques Tourneur was a uniquely talented director with a string of distinctive films to his credit, including Cat People, Canyon Passage, I Walked With a Zombie and Out of the Past. Tourneur's best films look and sound like no one else's, stylish, subtle and strangely...quiet. At last there is an intelligent, discerning book on the subject of the talented Frenchman. Perhaps a bit more background on the making of the films would have been appreciated, otherwise this is an excellent and eye-opening bit of original film scholarship.
Average customer rating:
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Nightfall, Country Lake
David Cunningham
Manufacturer: Albert Whitman & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0807556246 |
Customer Reviews:
Nightfall.......2005-07-06
Most of the reviews here say that Nightfall was a wonderful book. I disagree wholeheartedly. The plot was cliche and the action dragged horribly. Prince Edward's naivete was completely overdone and implausible. Nightfall is supposedly a legenday thief, but he comes off as alternately self-doubting and incredibly arrogant. All in all, this book was a waste of time.
One My Top Favorites!.......2005-05-10
There are books worth reading, really good books, and then there are great books; Nightfall is one of these. I divide great books into those that are too heavy or emotional to re-read often - Lord of the Rings, Donaldson's Gap series, and The Unlikely Ones for ex - and those i could read again within a year or 2 - like The Chronicals of Narnia, the Death Gate Cycle, and Nightfall. Awesome, love it, recommend it. You find yourself deeply invested in the characters, and you can really see the world they are in. A friend now asks for book recomendations "any more like the Legend of Nightfall?"
I noticed a couple of reviews that were very poor. I find it hard to imagine a reader of adventure/scifi/fantasy disliking this book; you can see some of what I've enjoyed, I suspect the bitter ones should shop in the section about grain elevators.
i'm going to buy the sequel now. let you know in a couple weeks if it's good
A poorly written book.......2004-04-02
I picked this book up at the store after reading online reviews and a brief synopsis. From reading about the plot, I thought that the book had the potential to be a fantastic. However, after struggling through the book, I was disappointed and left to conclude that the author had choked.
Despite the plot's promise, the actual writing of Nightfall leaves much to be desired. The characters waver between being wooden and flat and being overblown and completely unbelievable. The diologue comes across as implausible and stilted while the author's style seems uncoordinated. Basically, the book is awkward and uncomfortable to read. Despite all of the wonderful reviews, I was left unsatisfied.
Couldn't put it down.......2003-01-12
This book was completely captivating and well written. I think this story shows how rumors and legends can overtake reality... Nightfall isn't quite the big, bad demon that legend makes him out to be; he's got weaknesses and strengths like anyone else. This made his character (and the story) very believable.
Prince Edward's incredible naivete was humorous, but as the story progresses, he begins to learn more and to grow up. At times in the beginning of the book, I wanted to throttle him because of that innocence, but as the story progressed, his character began to mature.
One thing that was completely unique was Nightfall's magical ability to change his weight, thus greatly contributing to his success as a thief. I don't recall ever seeing this ability used in any other book I've read, and I loved the uniqueness of it. His ability allows him to become heavier (to stand firm or balance) and become lighter (to lessen the impact of a fall or climb more easily).
I was completely involved in this book and could not put it down (even though that meant staying up past four in the morning to finish it!) Definitely glad I bought this!
Meh.......2002-11-09
This book was okay. It did not grab me the way many books do. I finished it and the story was all right, but the pacing of the book was not good. Exciting fights read slowley, conversations dragged on, and so on. If you like characters that are simple to understand and a simple story this is a good book for you. I would defiantly rate it as a 'beach book.' It's a book you can pick up and put down and have it out of your head as soon as it's down. Sorry for the mediocer review but it's not a wonderful book.
Product Description
Science-Fiction
Customer Reviews:
A Collection From The Golden Age.......2005-02-26
Another good collection of stories from the 1940's and early 1950's, edited by John W. Campbell Jr.. The 23 stories included were all published originally in "Astounding Science Fiction" between May of 1940 and March of 1951. This anthology was published in 1952.
In comparing it with the other anthologies, such as those edited by Groff Conklin, it falls short in a couple of areas. The first is that there are fewer stories included, which isn't a big problem since the quality is very high. The second is that many of the stories included had already appeared in other collections prior to this one. However, for those who don't already have those collections, this is a good place to start.
The list of authors reads like a who's who of science fiction from the period, and many of the stories are classics. The list of stories is: "Blowups Happen" by Robert A. Heinlein, "Hindsight" by Jack Williamson, "Vault Of The Beast" by A. E. van Vogt, "The Exalted" by L. Sprague De Camp, "Nightfall" by Isaac Asimov, "When The Bough Breaks" by Lewis Padgett, "Clash By Night" by Lawrence O'Donnell, "Invariant" by John R. Pierce, "First Contact" by Murray Leinster, "Meihem In Ce Klasrum" by Dolton Edwards, "Hobbyist" by Eric Frank Russell, "E For Effort" by T. L. Sherred, "Child's Play" by William Tenn, "Thunder And Roses" by Theodore Sturgeon, "Late Night Final" by Eric Frank Russell", "Cold War" by Kris Neville, "Eternity Lost" by Clifford D. Simak, "The Witches Of Karres" by James H. Schmitz, "Over The Top" by Lester del Rey, "Meteor" by William T. Powers, "Last Enemy" by H. Beam Piper, "Historical Note" by Murray Leinster, and "Protected Species" by H. B. Fyfe.
The anthology as a whole, was ranked 16th by readers on the Astounding/Analog All-Time Poll for books in 1952, and it moved up to 8th on the same poll taken in 1956. In 1999, it was tied for 17th on the Locus All-Time Poll for anthologies.
Of the stories within, Asimov's "Nightfall" was rated 1st on the Astounding/Analog All-Time Poll for short fiction in 1971, and 2nd on the Locus Poll in 1999 for novelettes. Leinster's "First Contact" tied for 9th on the Astounding/Analog All-Time Poll for short fiction in 1971, and won the Retro Hugo for best novelette in 1996 for the year 1945. Piper's "Last Enemy" was nominated for the Retro Hugo for best novella in 2001 for the year 1950.
Book Description
He has been known by countless names and terrifying deeds, but chief among those names is that of Nightfall, a man-or perhaps the legendary demon himself-gifted with a unique power which any sorcerer would kill to possess.
Now, Nightfall is bound by magic and oath to guard and guide a newly-crowned king. But when his liege disappears, Nightfall must get help from Duke Varsah-the man who wants nothing more than to see Nightfall destroyed.
Customer Reviews:
very dissapointing.......2006-03-26
was very excited to see new book after all these years, so uninteresting and slow it was a test of will to finish, but i did. the end did get a little better, so there is that! haha.
The Return of Nightfall.......2005-08-02
Although a little predictable, it became a "can't put down" saga.
Great Return.......2005-01-21
It was great to get another chance at following this character. I was really impressed by the complex human/character development. Sudian struggles with his own inner demons more then ever, the story line and plot are almost a backdrop to his own internal discoveries.
The story is well written and a pleasure to read. I'd love nothign more then to see him appear again.
Not impressed........2004-12-28
Years ago I remember greatly enjoying the original "Nightfall" novel, even upon repeat readings. After reading the "Return of Nightfall" I have to wonder if my memory is playing tricks on me, or if "Return" really is this bad.
*spoilers*
The central crux of the main character's turmoil (whether or not to return to the guise of Nightfall) is dragged out for roughly three quarters of the book's length. When, after an interminable and pointless delay, he does become Nightfall, there is no pay-off. The promises he broke to Edward and Kelryn are forgotten since everything worked out. They all go off to live happily ever after, and Sudian returns just as effortlessly as Nightfall did. Apparently, Nightfall is schizophrenic, and there is no "real" identity for him to return to. The entire issue is resolved during a juvenile reunion and shallow soul searching session by Nightfall.
The ending is improbable and ludicrous, and that's saying a lot for the fantasy genre. The ending battle has not one, not two, but at least three examples of preposterous "Deus ex Machina" shenanigans. The legal trickery used to save Volkmier and Nightfall from execution are asinine, particularly as there is no real dispute between the nobles and Edward. This was a medieval society, not an episode of Law and Order. The initial premise that placed Sudian/Nightfall on the throne was so strained as to be laughable. I actually could not believe it as I was reading it. Nightfall's motivations are never realistic, and for a supposedly smart guy, he sure wastes a lot of time sailing around needlessly and engaging in diplomatic tomfoolery. Nearly every meaningful sideplot goes nowhere fast.
Reichert's word of the year was apparently "natal", since she uses it at least five hundred times in the course of the book. The prose was amateurish, and the depictions of the action sequences are generic and give us no real sense of how Nightfall accomplishes what he does. How exactly does he evade twenty people in a locked room? How does he manage to steal hordes of personal items while dozens of people surround him? How can he "razor rebound" FOUR daggers being thrown at nearly the same time?
After being glutted upon George R.R. Martin, Robin Hobb, and the first six books of Robert Jordan this novel is not nearly in the same class. If you are looking for even a modicum of intelligence from the novels you read, stay away.
Exciting adventure and great world-building.......2004-12-19
Once, Nightfall had been the most feared criminal and assassin in the world. But now he's reformed. A master of disguise, Nightfall now uses his original form--Sudian--and has sworn never to take up his Nightfall persona again. After all, what use is a demon when Nightfall serves as chancellor to the King, is engaged to a beautiful woman, and has nothing but council meetings and banquets to look forward to? But when King Edward is kidnapped while Nightfall is off on a Magehunt, Nightfall is the logical suspect. To escape his sentence of execution, he needs to bring Edward back alive--and soon. But Sudian isn't the best man to track criminals through the gutters of the world--and he's sworn never to become Nightfall again.
Author Mickey Zuker Reighert establishes a fascinating world and magical system (some percentage of humans are born with a magical talent--a talent that Mages can capture, but only by torturing the talented to death). Putting Nightfall in a position where he must violate one of his most sacred promises--either by failing his King, or by failing himself, his fiancee, and his promise to the King by becoming Nightfall again--increases reader sympathy for Nightfall and increases our investment in a successful outcome--however unlikely that outcome appears. Nightfall's own natal talent, the ability to change his weight, doesn't sound particularly interesting, but Reighert uses it to the full.
Reighert introduces several fascinating secondary characters, especially the pirate Celdurant (who deserves a story of his own) adding to the book's depth. This was the first book by Reighert I've read, but she's published a number and her professionalism shows through.
Book Description
New from the bestselling author of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying--365 thought-provoking meditations on life, death, doubt, mindfulness, compassion, wisdom, work, and more!
Customer Reviews:
Leaning - Thinking - Meditating.......2005-07-20
Every morning at breakfast, I read a page from this book. It has 365 reflections - one for every day of the year - and 12 calligraphies - one for every month. I take this reflection with me throughout the day and try to understand it with my deluded mind. I try to look at it from different angles and at the end of the day, I will draw a conclusion. Will that be the same conclusion I will draw a year from now, when I study this same page again?
If you are a student of Sogyal Rinpoche, a lot of reflections will sound familiar to you. This book will then be a reminder of the teachings, a source of contemplation. If you are not, there will be a lot of valuable information in there for you to think about. And perhaps, you get more and more curious about this Tibetan wisdom!
This is a keeper.......2004-06-12
I have been reading this book for 4 years and it has changed my life. A truly beneficial tool for deepening spiritual practice.
Subtly effective.......1999-12-01
I try to read the glimpse each day when I get up (and sometimes the night before), and have found the experience helpful. I have yet to develop strong discipline in my practice, and find it easy to get caught up in life for days or weeks at a time. Reading a couple paragraphs (the glimpse for one day) has been like a bell calling me back to myself. I wouldn't be surprised to be reading this book for the next 20 years as my understanding deepens.
Temporal nature of existence and perspective.......1998-11-20
Thought provoking and shattering insights to break you free from limiting thoughts. This is a wonderful collection of Tibetan "koans" to free our thinking. I found it shook the foundations of my limited perspectives and made me question the true reason for my human existence. Rinpoche opens our mind to the temporal nature of existence and inspires to prepare for our next existence.
Books:
- Number of the Beast
- Of Mice and Aliens: An Asperger Adventure
- Olympos
- Pacific Edge: Three Californias (Wild Shore Triptych)
- Race Forever/Escape/Lost on the Amazon/Prisoner of the Ant People/Trouble on Planet Earth/War with the Evel Power Master (Choose Your Own Adventure 7-12) (Box Set 2)
- Rama II: The Sequel to Rendezvous with Rama
- Resident Evil Code: Veronica X Official Strategy Guide
- Return to Base: Memoirs of a B-17 Copilot Kimbolton, England, 1943-1944
- Roald Dahl/Charlie Boxed Set (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator)
- Robot Trilogy: The Caves of Steel, The Naked Sun, The Robots of Dawn
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