1 comments about Little Girl Lost: The Troubled Childhood of Princess Diana by the Woman Who Raised Her.

1. No, I don't agree with the earlier review. I didn't find this a story about the author as much as a story about what it's like inside the home of an English lord. I see no more straying to personal storytelling than can be found in the books by Stephen Barry about his life as valet to Prince Charles.

   Is this a rose-colored view of Diana's childhood? Perhaps. I'll allow the author the privilege of her opinion. Afterall, she was closer to the subject than us outsiders and thus may be right. I feel it is worth taking what the author says into consideration.

5 comments about The Royal Family.

1. The Royal Family is Vollmann's sprawling, epic examination of life on the streets and the depths that it can drive people to. It could also be considered a study on addiction, drugs, death, love and family. The book looks at its subject matter with such clear, uncensored eyes that some readers will find it simply too offensive to read, this book is NOT for the faint of heart.

   Henry Tyler is a private eye hired to find the Queen of the Whores, an almost mythical wanderer of the streets that the more law-abiding portion of San Fransisco consider a legend, if they even know of her existence at all. Through a series of events involving a suicide and many, many trips to various prostitutes, Henry discovers the Queen and is brought into her underground world of drugs and prostitution. The 'Inner Court' of the Queen is the focus of much of the book, we see the world through the eyes of Tyler as he descends further and further into the murky depths of the black underbelly of civilised society.

   The characters are surprisingly sympathetic. 200 pages into the book, I was in love with all of the 'inner court' prostitutes, if only because they are shown with such an unflinching sense of humanity that it is impossible not too. Sure, these women sell their bodies for money - and, in plumbing the depths of prostitution, we understand just how much the word 'sell' is apt for what they do - but they still have their dreams and fears, hopes for the futures and regrets of the past. Many are hopeless, considering the physical gifts they have to offer as their only positive aspects, while others have wearily resigned themselves to a life they hate because it is all they know. Above them all stands the Queen, she is their protector, their nurturer, their mother. Often, the novel looks at this relationship in a religious light, the characters themselves referring to each other as being united through the 'Mark of Cain'.

   As events progress and Tyler falls obsessively in love with the Queen, he begins to fall further and further, eventually becoming everything his rich, successful brother John - who, interestingly, is just as unhappy with is life, although the bleak honesty with which Tyler begins to live allows him to see this, but not John - has always feared he would: homeless, diseased, poverty-stricken. I felt that the book did wallow too long in Tyler's disgrace, the last two hundred pages were somewhat of a struggle because, by that stage, I got the fact that falling into black was the only possible hope for him, but it seemed as though the author really needed to hammer this point home.

   This book is extremely graphic and offensive. It looks unflinchingly at an unhappy way of life, and inside these pages you will find rape, murder, torture, pedophilia, incest, etc. There are very few rays of sunshine to be found, and for me, when I read it, I often felt depressed and unbearably sad for a few hours afterwards. However, I think that that is the books greatest strength. I have never had to even consider that section of the populace before, but because the book forced me to, I was able to come to a better understanding of 'the life', to sympathise with the struggles a person in that situation must face. I am now able to look at them as people rather than whores, as experiences and lives rather than useless shreds of humanity who sell themselves for money. And that is a wonderful thing, in my opinion.




2. I met Bill Vollmann in 1990. I had read Rainbow Stories and read a few stories of his in Conjunctions. I lived in San Francisco at the time, and except for a few people and friends, nobody knew who he was. Vollmann had lived in San Francisco off and on since 1981, but I had no idea how to contact him. I found out later that he was living in New York City at this time and was writing Fathers and Crows.

   I asked a few papers in the Bay Area about doing an article on Vollmann. They weren't interested, because he wasn't part of the PC fads. In 1993 and 1994, I finally got to do some interviews with Vollmann and I saw him a lot during these years. Many of these magazines were apprehensive about doing anything about him, but I soon made them believers.

   I remember one time when I met Bill in Noe Valley. We walked down to Mission Street and all the way to the 16th Street Bart Station, talking about the hotels and the people who would later show up in The Royal Family. Today you see articles in the Bay Area newspapers and magazines much as you see articles about lesser writers such as Amy Tan and Anne Lamont, who have been over-praised and had too much attention given. I mean if some lesbian built a table, as long as it worked, as was a nice looking table, I wouldn't care who built it. The Royal Family is a novel about two brothers. Henry a detective who is looking for the Queen of the Whores. John a lawyer who is thinking about the loss of his Wife, Irene.




3. The first fifty pages of "The Royal Family" reads like the opening of a Dashiell Hammett novel (the seedy ambience of "The Glass Key" specifically comes to mind). Henry Tyler, a down-and-out private investigator, has been hired by a shadowy patron to find the "Queen," the self-appointed sovereign who oversees and protects the street prostitutes who haunt the Tenderloin's crack hotels and dark alleys. Even the last line of the first "book" (of which there are 36) has the feel of a noir thriller. Tyler attempts to pick the lock leading into the parking garage where the Queen is rumored to be hiding: "The lock opened on the fifth bounce. He stepped into the opening light."
   
   In spite of this nifty, almost melodramatic hook, Vollmann has something else in mind instead of yet another piece of detective fiction. In addition to Hammett, influences extend to other San Francisco-area writers, first to the gritty realism of Frank Norris (as Tyler, like Vandover and McTeague before him, plunges into the underworld, taking most readers where they've never dreamed of going) and then to the desolate vitalism of John Steinbeck (when Tyler flees the Bay Area and mingles with the train-hopping hobos of the Central Valley and beyond). Along the way, the prose invites comparisons to Hubert Selby, John Rechy, and--yes--Thomas Pynchon. And I'm not even sure to which American literary tradition one might assign the book's vaguely supernatural elements.
   
   While Vollmann has a dedicated "cult" following (and, although this is my first sampling, I'm nearly ready to add my name to the registry), there are two things that will probably keep his novels from garnering the wider audience they deserve. The first is their length--and this is especially true with "The Royal Family." Between sketches of the various destitute streetwalkers and drug-addled pretenders, he throws in just about everything: from a journalistic reflection on the mechanisms of the bail bond industry to a brutal satire on the commercial fantasias of Las Vegas. This isn't simply a novel, it's a Commitment. Still, I agree with Vollmann's decision to resist his editor's insistence to cut the book--the sections I admired or enjoyed will be different from the ones another reader will prefer. Better a smorgasbord than Lean Cuisine.
   
   Yet the aspect of Vollmann's fiction that will probably keep him from ever getting an NEA grant is his willingness to explore and even to empathize with the most odious of characters. (And I don't mean to include in this caste the various prostitutes, since, if anything, the author--without glorifying the life--paints a sympathetic picture.) Among all the lowlifes to choose from here--and there are plenty--the creature that will give me nightmares for years to come is Dan Smooth, a pedophile who is exploited by the local authorities for his "professional" expertise yet harassed by the feds for their revulsion to his self-confessed illness. Smooth's fantasies are uncomfortably explicit, and--even as the reader is repelled by the experience--we can admire Vollmann's heroic willingness to enter such a mind and bring him, unexpurgated, to the page. But be warned: this book isn't for the weak of stomach--or the morally righteous.
   
   What impresses me most about "The Royal Family," however, is that Vollmann maintains an enviable consistency of timbre and vigor through 800 densely typeset pages. There's rarely a dull moment, and there's hardly a misstep. I can't say I enjoyed the excursion--although filled with wit and even occasional laughs, this book is too bleak and sordid to be "enjoyed"--but I was certainly fascinated by the depictions of "the life" and dazzled by the brilliance of the prose.



4. Where to begin with this post-modern bible of Canaan? What a beautifully ugly opera of San Francisco's Tenderloin; paean to society's wretched refuse! Yet another majestic, narcissisticly groveling novel is unleashed upon decent society by William Vollmann - this particular volume reveling in its own destitute spirit. With lines like, "A piece of my soul I'll sell you, by all means; like other prostitutes I've been amputating meaty hunks of myself for all comers ever since the Vice Squad shut Eden down" (754) how can you go wrong? Come follow Henry Tyler as he runs from Jesus . . . and "Brady's Boys", the vigilante do-gooder thugs using his name in vane.
   
   Loaded boxcars of similes and metaphors that only Vollmann - under the influence of the Comte de Lautreamont - could concoct (neon signs shine like "stars", books open their "thighs", "octopus minded" wives grapple husbands, "I Ching ideograms" can be deciphered in the grating of Chinatown windows . . . ) specter through the shadowy night-scapes of the Royal Family; meanwhile, readers crouching like bats in hidden tree-perches of library-ensconced safety are vicariously aroused by the lightening-charged atmosphere of danger where magnificent train-wrecks of love and hate lurk behind each new chapter heading. Yes, turn the page!
   
   Admittedly long and occasionally tedious in its relentlessness, as are most of Vollmann's epic novels, at times I wondered how & why I kept reading despite the total sensory assault of being barraged by broken sentences tracing the stumblings of broken people whose addictions and predilections for hate and filth are dumped on the reader's mushroom head page after page afer page as though . . . I was one of them! Was it literary S&M from which I could not extract myself? Had I turned into a mushroom; a writhing (book) worm perhaps?
   
   Reading a book is certainly no substitute for actually observing and experiencing people, places or events yourself (which Vollmann obviously has) but The Royal Family is indeed magical in bridging this chasm. It precipitated several coffee-induced bouts of paranoid page turning through ungodly hours of the night, chased by first-thing in the morning fixes of mercifully short chapters strung out on the page like lines of coke; the come-down temporarily stayed by random, unconscious paragraph glances until . . . yet another craving strikes! The sun descends, and you somehow find yourself on a bar-stool next to Vollmann tossing down a couple-few drinks, and you converse with your new-found "family".
   
   What more can I say? Any book that does this to you - makes an event out of reading, consuming chunks of your life, twisting the world around you into strange, impending car-crash scenes you never noticed before but cannot now look away - must be locked up and secreted away at once!
   
   No, I can't really advise reading about whores, pedophiles, pimps, crack-addicts, the homeless, jobless, and other pathetic losers groveling in their own degradation, gloating under the mark of Cain, and spying from dark alleys for the black virgin, the mystical, mother and Queen of them all - last seen on the streets of San Francisco - because that would be proselytizing, and Bill wouldn't appreciate that. Since I'm not sure if it was more pleasure or pain I felt while plodding through this lotus-topped muck I'll only say that you'll need to condescend to these poisoned pages on your own in order to discover how you feel about it yourself; otherwise my encouragement would be disingenuous. The unearthed Gnostic scriptures, like The Royal Family, are filled with discarded, unacceptable luminescence like a lantern in the darkness, which had to be hidden away in Egyptian caves so that the fearful fathers of "God's official word" could control His word. The royal family runs from these vigs (vigilantes) and their Israelite hoards of righteousness that swoop upon the infidels and Canaanites to cleanse, purify, and repackage their sad sexuality for the "Feminine Circus" in where-else . . . but Vegas baby!
   
   Henry Tyler, private detective and obsessed lover of his brother's wife seeks his Gnostic Queen, submitting to the evil forces of harsh prostitutes like Domino and Chocolate and Strawberry. We follow him from one familiar landmark to another, as we take Vollmann's self-guided tour of San Francisco as it stood in 1997 (his asides on "Bail Bonds" and "Geary Street", as well as now outdated descriptions of Union Square, are just a few gemstones embedded in the pavement we walk upon). To judge Tyler or Vollmann and this book as sordid and disgusting would be a mistake, but no different from the mistake those early church fathers made at the Niocene Council when outlawing certain "heresies". Do you, I wonder, have the gumption to discover Love amidst all this Sin? It will take a certain amount of self-effacement to purify your heart, to sharpen your vision so as to navigate the thick fogs of San Francisco.
   
   After escaping the city and hoboing cross-country, riding the rods and rails from the Salton Sea to Seattle, Sacramento to Miami, what's left of Henry Tyler tirelessly continues his endless quest for the "Queen". He knows that he's afraid of Jesus. He seeks love, but because he "loves without doctrine" he wonders whether Jesus can do the same? The real question is: Can those who proclaim Jesus as their own do the same? At this point in the novel, some 754 pages (and several months in my case) you too will stink like Henry (that is, if you've had the gall and fortitude to get this far). How you come away from this "sordid niche" - survivor or victim - may not be up to you at all; no, it will be up to your QUEEN, in whose crown "The Royal Family" ever-glisten like refracting daggers of spirit-penetrating light. On your knees, open your mouth for your sacramental dose! Submit and worship at her beloved Tenderloin altar, the "Wonderbar".



5. Even as an avid reader, I was a little intimidated by the sheer heft of this book, but I found myself devouring it as fast as I would a 150-page novella! The writing was so beautiful, simultaneously poetic and gritty, and the worlds Vollmann paints for us - surreal underground landscapes of hookers, hobos and criminals - are at turns realistically rendered and hallucinatory. Despite its length, this is one I can see myself reading over and over.

No comments about Mountbatten: The Private Story.

No comments about Diana With Love (Diana Princess of Wales).

No comments about Sovereign: Elizabeth II & the Windsor Dy.

5 comments about Grace Kelly: A Life in Pictures.

1. This is a beautiful book. It begins with a brief (and fairly shallow) biography. The majority of the book features over 180 photographs from Grace Kelly's life, from infancy through to her funeral, in both colour and black and white, interspersed with quotations by or about Grace. The reproduction and layout of the photographs and the quality of the paper stock are both high and the result is a lovely coffee table book. Most of the photos are stunning and many are ones that I have not seen before.
   
   Having said that, my impression was that the book had been compiled hastily and without care. Some quibbles:
   - Some dates are incorrect. For example there is a photograph of
   Princess Grace meeting John F Kennedy dated May 24, 1964 - which seems unlikely given that it was 6 months after his assassination! Elsewhere there are two photographs of the same event (Grace's arrival in Monaco for her wedding) one of which is dated April 12 1956 and the other April 14 1956.
   - The photographs are not always displayed in chronological order. For example, midway through a number of photos from the height of her film career in the mid-fifties comes a shot of Her Serene Highness attending a party in 1977. I found this annoying and detrimental to the idea that we were following the span of her life - especially as the majority ARE chronologically arranged.
   - While most of the photos are gorgeous, some appeared to have been chosen simply because they were previously unseen rather than because of any photographic merit - photographs that were out of focus or badly composed. Others were colour photographs reproduced in black and white, probably to sit better alongside other black and white images, but I would have preferred to see them as originally taken.
   
   This is still a lovely book and would be a great gift for a Grace Kelly fan. It is just a shame that more care was not put into its compilation and it is for this reason that I give it only 3 stars.



2. Best image selection, best layout, moving foreword by Prince Albert.



3. My wife is a Grace Kelly fan. I tend to buy her any book I come across about Princess Grace. I feel that this is a good book to add to a collection of Princess Grace books but it is not the definitive book on Grace Kelly.
   
   This book is authorized by the Grimaldi family and as compared to other books it has the feel of prior restraint. The closeness with the family gives us pictures cannot be found in other books; however the text adds nothing to the life of the Princess. It feels that the authors had censored themselves. I was not looking for a tabloid account but perhaps a more realistic account would have been better.
   
   A lot has been said about inaccurate facts, typographical errors, and editorial gaffes. I still believe despite all of its shortcomings that this is a book worth buying.



4. This is one of my favorite books. A must have for all Grace Kelly fans. The pictures are beautiful and it tells the story of Grace and Rainer. This is ONE GREAT BOOK!



5. I have to admit I was a bit disappointed in the size of this addition to the "Life in Pictures" series (my own fault for not reading the dimensions before buying). The other "Life in Pictures" books I have purchased have been large, oversized productions that bring to life the lives of their subjects by way of extravagantly sized photos with captions in a comfortable font. The print in this book is literally 1/16th of an inch tall. Also, it is very oddly arranged. The photos skip around the Princess' life in a haphazard manner. The arrangement made no sense to me, and I would have preferred a chronological order.
   
   That said, the scope of the photos is expansive in its inclusion of many private photos of the Princess and her family, as well as gorgeous portraits, unposed snapshots, and film stills. As a result of this book, I feel as though I know Princess Grace more intimately than ever before. The biographical section at the beginning of the book is a good overview of many of the important events of her life, and there are many quotes included, both by Princess Grace and about her. But the main story here is the pictures, which encompass so many of the moments, both private and public, of her life.
   
   Overall, this comprehensive collection is a wonderful look at the life of Princess Grace. Although it is a bit small in size for a book primarily telling a story through pictures, I believe most will be satisfied with the scope of the photos included.

5 comments about Catherine Walker.

1. i have always been interested in princess diana. her most fabulous clothes always seemed to be designed by catherine walker, always a name without a face. now we can learn about the tragedy that turned this woman into one of the greatest designers of our time. catherine walker has carved out a place for herself in fashion history. an interesting story with beautiful photographs. a must have for all princess diana fans as well as fashion fans.



2. The night the book arrived from London, I read it cover to cover. It offered me a glimpse into the elegant world of fashion and royalty. Ms Walker provided her view of her world with a very human, caring all the while impassioned tone. This is an inspirational book to be read by afficionados of the late Princess Diana and the world of couture. A success story, not stymied by tragedy. The perfect gift for any occasion.



3. This is an amazing illustration and revelation of one of our world's most talented designers who also happened to be one of Princess Diana's most astounding friends and helpers in that wondrous world called royalty. I found the tale of Catherine Walker so informative yet I was still left with numerous questions as to some of the details surrounding her life before and after she became famous. The photographs are gorgeous and reveal some interesting examples of a lady who truly fits the description designer. Catherine Walker will always be one of the world's most gifted dress makers but I'm still curious as to how one would go about actually seeing her shop or, imagine this, buying one of her creations. Undoubtedly she deals with only the rich & famous while all the time remaining in the background. This is one among many of my Princess Diana books I cherish because of its detail and marvelous focus on a multitude of gowns and their intricate pieces. Catherine Walker is an amazing woman who has truly lived a life from tragedy to fairy tale status. I am an avid admirer. This book is far more than pages/pictures between covers; it's a gift of for the eyes and heart! Wonderful!



4. I happened upon this book one afternoon on my lunch hour. How I missed it's release I will never know. I went back that night and read it cover to cover and then bought it. It is perhaps the definitive book about the inside details about Diana's life, but also about Catherine Walker's as well. The book was clearly not meant to be another glossy "Diana" book rehashing all of the same old information. It was a guide to life with pictures and sketches. I laughed, I cried, I still read it about once a week. It is inspirational. If you are looking to read a book about Diana that has nothing new to say, do not read this book. If, however, you are a serious follower of the world of coture (and Catherine Walker) this book is a must. You will finish it and feel as if you were there during the fittings. BRAVO!



5. Some interesting material presented here, would've been nice had Diana lived to write a forward for it. Anyone buying this book with the idea of getting a lot of Diana material will see some of that. You will also be getting, as the title says, a lot of autobiographical material about Ms. Walker. No scandalous stories,many good photos, not all of them of the Princess. I personally think someone wanted to boost the sales by emphasizing the Diana link.

1 comments about The Reign of Mary Tudor.

1. I am slowly but surely making my way through this book. I did so want a book about Queen Mary, and I will continue the search. It was a complicated time and this is a complicated book. My heart went out to Queen Mary.
   
   The most frustrating part of the book is losing so much information because there are pages and pages of footnotes that were in Latin, French, and Spanish. I do understand this book was written in the 1800, but those footnotes have peeked my interest.

No comments about Royal Family Album.

No comments about The Kaiser: New Research on Wilhelm II's Role in Imperial Germany.