5 comments about The Life of Charlotte Bronte (Oxford World's Classics).

1. Such sad lives were led by the the Bronte's, loneliness, loss, despair, all were experienced and fed into the imaginations on charlotte, emily and anne. This book is a brilliant book by E C Gaskell (who i normally dont really like), it is basically a collection of letters by charlotte and a great narrative, when speaking of the deaths of emily, anne and charlotte, i actually felt tears in my eyes!



2. A very nicely written biography by Mrs. Gaskell about the life of her friend Charlotte Bronte, although most of the content was made up of letters written either by or to Charlotte Bronte rather than Mrs. Gaskell's own writings. Still this is a very concise book containing mostly everything that an ordinary reader, or well, a beginner of the Bronte novels, should know about this famous family. Nonetheless at some point of the book, I do find Mrs. Gaskell a bit too subjective, especially when it comes to the depiction of Charlotte's brother Branwell Bronte and his downfall. But consider the fact that this book was written only within one and a half year, with Mrs. Gaskell herself alone traveling all the way from Manchester to Haworth, and then to Brussel, doing all the necessary researches and interviews on her own, I must say that this is just an awesome piece of work!! And just as what Patrick Bronte himself had said about this biography, 'It is every way worthy of what one Great Woman, should have written of Another...it ought to stand, and will stand in the first rank, of Biographies, till the end of time'.

   One more word though. From a more scholarly point of view, however, I think so far the 'best' biography on the Brontes should be Juliet Barker's 'The Brontes'. If, after reading this biography written by Mrs. Gaskell, you still want to know more about the Brontes, then I will say: go and buy this other book by Juliet Barker and you definitely will never regret it!




3. Mrs. Gaskell understood a man's or woman's life to be lived within a social and natural context -- and her deployment of anecdotes and impressions of the North of England in the early pages of this book is captivating. But she also understood us to be souls, present to but distinct from God. Hence, even though in a few instances Gaskell's facts may been correctible (which the editor has done for us in this Penguin Classics edition), she is concerned with truth, and this gives readers the opportunity (rarely offered by modern entertainments) to escape from the trivial.



4. Have tried to read Elizabeth Gaskell's biography of Charlotte Bronte several times but found it so depressing that I couldn't get through the first chapters. I thought it would be easier on tape which, to some extent it is. However, the content is no less depressing and tragic. The family live at Howarth Parsonage, an isolated place in the north of England. There are six children, two of whom die from tuberculosis and consumption in their school years; the mother dies young;the brother dies of alcoholism and Emily and Ann both die in their 20s. The tragedy is that of extraordinary talent snuffed out so early in life.
   The majority of the book is taken up with the the lonely life of Charlotte and her selfish father, which, try as she might, Elizabeth Gaskell cannot make interesting. Charlotte's trips outside the confines of Howarth are few and far between but one very rarely hears her complain. She finally has a few years of married life before she too dies young. I have alway loved reading the Bronte sisters novels - this autobiography shows to what extent these girls live in their imagination and how rich those imaginations are. Being so isolated from society, reveals why their novels are so dark and and sinister - herein lies a book, but Elizabeth Gaskell is no psychoanalyst. A great friend and admirer of Charlotte Bronte, she prefers to emphasize her virtues and forebearance in the face of adversity and gives us little more than a hagiography of her friend. There is very little analysis, if any, of Charlotte's works; thankfully, later scholarship delves more deeply into the intricate minds of Charlotte, and her two sisters.
   Being from the North of England myself, I would have perhaps felt more "connected" if the narrator had been English. Elizabeth Gaskell was from Manchester, England, and to hear Flo Gibson (as good a narrator as she might be otherwise) trying to get across the English northern accent was quite painful.
   I would not recommend this work, especially if one is looking for any kind of critical analysis of Jane Eyre, Shirley or Villette.



5. While the definitive overall Brontes biography is Juliet Barker's 'The Brontes', and the various Bronte-related works of Edward Chitham are invaluable in their own right, this still stands as an important contribution to understanding the Brontes, and Charlotte above all.
   
   Despite its flaws, and I agree with other reviewers, that this is a rather dark picture of events, Elizabeth wrote a detailed and very sympathetic account of Charlotte's life and her relationship to her family. Her inclusion of letter content, epecially in relation to Ellen Nussey, was somewhat self-edited, and the lack of references to the romantic friendship that so clearly existed between the two women, was probably Elizabeth's attempt to protect them.
   
   For anyone who is interested in the truth of their passionate relationship, I highly recommend Elaine Miller's detailed essay 'Through All Changes and Through All Chances' from the book Not A Passing Phase, compiled by the Lesbian History Group. The letter excerpts that Elaine includes clearly indicate that Charlotte and Ellen not only loved each other, but that they jointly expressed a long-term desire to live together 'until Death'.
   
   When Ellen Nussey wanted to publish her own 'The Story of the Brontes' which would have included many excerpts from the hundreds of letters that Charlotte had sent her, Arthur Nicholls blocked permission, as he owned copyright to the contents of the letters, even though Ellen owned the letters themselves. Nicholls - Charlotte's husband of only nine months - also destroyed all of the literally hundreds of letters from Ellen to Charlotte, and even tried to insist that Ellen destroy all of Charlotte's letters to her, during Charlotte's lifetime.
   
   Elizabeth is clearly no fan of Nicholls, but that is hardly surprising in view of his destruction of so much of Charlotte's personal writing material.
   
   For an insight into the lives of Charlotte and her family and the Haworth area in that time period, this is still and always will be an important book.

5 comments about Fat, Stupid, Ugly: One Woman's Courage to Survive.

1. There is no doubt that this woman's story needs to be told. Unfortunately, the way it is told doesn't match what is being said. The first half of the book reads like a college entrance essay, with the themes reiterated over and over and over. Finally, halfway through, when Debrah creates A Place Called Home, the book picks up the pace and moves forward with incredible stories and anecdotes. Ultimately the story is triumphant, encouraging and inspiring.



2. What an incredible story of turning one's life around and making a difference in the world. Deborah Constance's stamina and creativity are remarkable, as is her survival in the face of extraordinary life challenges. While it would have been good to learn more about Ms. Constance's underlying psychology, the straightforward writing style may be a reflection of her need to do rather than to analyze. This book is accessible to all readership levels (except, of course, children).



3. For most of us, good self-esteem and good self image drives us to do great things ... make more money, create a home for our family, be the best kind of person we can be, and do right in the world. But for Debrah Constance, not having any self-esteem and being labeled "Fat Stupid Ugly" pushed her to help a displaced community deal with life's hardest issues -- drug addictions, gang violence, single parenting, school drop outs, and death. Debrah is the founder of "A Place Called Home," a South Central Los Angeles youth center that provides at risk children, ages nine to twenty, with a secure, positive family environment where they an regain hope and belief, earn trust and self-respect and learn skills to lead to a productive life. Debrah's memoir chronicles her life as an abused child who thought so little of herself she endured deep psychological and emotional problems, drug and drinking addictions and abusive relationships throughout her life. After a life long struggle with her poor self image, she found a way to change her pattens, get help for her drug/alcohol problems and give back to children who have lost hope. This is an amazing person. I found hope and direction for my own life after reading it. I hope I get an opportunity to meet her one day so I can thank her. Her story belongs on the Oprah show so that other people can learn that even when the most unfortunate situation occurs ... there is hope. Thank you Debrah!



4. As a psychologist, I am always astonished at what people can transcend. Debrah Constance's telling of her life story in her own words is witness to this fact. I found "Fat, Stupid, Ugly" extremely inspiring. It gave me pause. It gave me the opening for further introspection into my own life. The questions are always the same: Who am I? Where am I going? What am I doing? It seems to me to be truly awake, these questions must be posed time and time again. In my 61 years I have found this to be so.
   
   "Fat, Stupid, Ugly" is a disturbing book that provokes us to think beyond the surface of our day-to-day lives. I thank Debrah for this book; it is a gift to all of us. She is remarkable. Our lives can be so difficult and some of us have dramatic and cataclysmic events befalling us. Debrah tells us about the major obstacles in her life and that the battle is worth it in the end. It brings us to our ultimate truths. Debrah's story reminds us that the work is never done, the job never quite complete. We are all on our way back home is how I see it. And on the way back we meet each other and hopefully shed a little light on the task at hand. Thank you, Debrah. The light shines brightly.



5. i felt this book was not only written horribly, but this woman just came across as immature and self centered, despite her horrible childhood. the entire time i was just annoyed by her. i felt that the whole book was just a bunch of reiterating and repeating. i DO NOT suggest this book to anyone.

5 comments about An Unknown Woman.

1. Thirtysomething Alice Koller looked in the mirror and didn't recognize the face she saw. Feeling the urgent need to reassess her life, she saved up enough money to spend several months in a secluded house in Nantucket. Her only companion was her puppy, Logos. Faced with solitude, she began the challenging task of dissecting who she was and deciding who she wanted to become. She found that her adult self was not that much different from the child who so desperately sought her mother's attention and affection. She finds her difficulty with jobs and men have their roots in her early conflict with her mother. She emerges clear-sighted and independent: "I don't need anyone to tell me what I'm like, what I do well, what I ought to try. I know who I am a little bit more each day." Through writing and vigorous soul searching she comes to realize this. And the reader will share in her ultimate triumph.



2. I am currently finishing An Unknown Woman for the second time. This time was even more useful than the first - which was many years ago. I dug deep into the box hidden at the back of the closet for what I knew would help me in my current internal journey. Yes, there is much about her dog Logos. But like a good movie, the characters must be developed before they can mean anything in the epiphany. I love the process of how she deconstructs her patterns and thoughts to get to some source of each one of them, following a thread until it leads her to a place of realization. And only the realization can stop the process. Along the way I did some deconstructing of myself and developed once again a pattern of looking at my choices that is actually helpful in revealing my own truths hidden under the daily machinations which cover it all up. It is hard to be true to yourself. I am glad to have books like this that continue to aid me in my journey to be free.



3. 
   I'm another male reader which is a minority for this book. Actually there are quite a few books by women on living in solitude and not as many by men. I enjoy the genre and so I got this one. I also like to read about books about Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. This falls into that category. While reading the book I was a little annoyed that she seemed immune from accepting responsibility for her problems and blamed everyone else. There's a little of that. There a bit of a holier than thou attitude. If you love pets then you will understand her devotion to her dog but other may find it a bit much.
   
   However, after reading it over 4 years ago I'm still wondering what became of Alice. I still think of the book admire it's spirit. If you can overlook the minor annoyances I mentioned and the idea of going off alone to reflect on your life appeals to you, I can recommend it.



4. I bought the book because of the Nantucket angle, rather than for the story of how Koller "finds" herself. Actual observations about the island are thinner than I'd expected (she was there only 90 days, in a remote area, living basically as a hermit). The story takes place in the winter of '62 - '63, long before the 1982 publishing date would imply. One (admittedly minor) point that jumped out at me was that her inability to receive any radio stations re-enforced her isolation. Actually, although FM and TV signals are generally poor there, without cable, I can recall listening to very clear AM radio from as far away as New York City on the sunniest and foggiest days, when such reception should be the poorest. The problem with "fading out" was likely her radio. That having been said, it was worth the read to get to the point where she decides to move ahead, putting the past firmly behind her. Basically, the first part of the book consists of (factual) background of events leading up to her arrival on the island, the middle reads lie a Do-It-Yourself therapy session. I didn't find it a "womans' book" myself, but the story of someone who finally learns to stand up for herself, instead of fearing failure, and grasping for others' approval. Amazon doesn't have 1/2 stars, or I'd have given 3 1/2.
   One final point: the author is known to some friends as "Timmie" - this is introduced rather abuptly, leaving me to wonder "Who's that, and when did (s)he enter the conversation?"



5. I'm a reading freak, I literally own hundreds of books, most all of them literature and serious non-fiction. This book, and Alice Koller's second memoir, The Stations of Solitude, are two of my favorite books of all time. It's just that they're not exactly like any other books I've read. Both memoirs are of a single woman's excruciatingly sane, solitary life, beautifully described in minute, banal detail. She wrote An Unknown Woman years ago, but both books can still actually teach people to have the courage to live a real, sincere life and make their own choices, simply by the example she puts forth. However, the thing I love the most about them is that they don't pretend to be interesting, witty or dramatic. In the Stations she describes how she manages, or survives, all kinds of mundane stresses and ordinary grief--- how she deals with having no money, finding jobs, looking for places to live. How she lives in her car in a state forest for a while. How she mourns the death of her dog. How she loves of the beauty of some piece of furniture! I just can't say enough good things about these books. They are written by someone who wrote about her life as she experienced it firsthand, who used her own experiences, even of things that are considered ordinary, as the basis for her work and philosophy. Her books have a complete lack of pop psychology, or 'the experts say...' mentality that seems so prevalent today. I know it sounds cliche, but they are totally refreshing.

5 comments about Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin: Writers Running Wild in the Twenties.

1. Extremely well written, as is all Meade's stuff, and you'll walk away considerably wider of eye over these lives of recently enfranchised famous flappers learning how to deal with their new status as full members of society. Some of them did not deal well.
   
   Meade also wrote a great bio of Eleanor of Aquitaine.



2. A breezy, fast read which skims the surface of Prohibition Days. If you enjoy learning about that crazy time before Wall Street "laid an egg" you will like this book.



3. A wonderful view into the lives of women writers in the 1920's focusing mainly on Edna Ferber, Zelda Fitzgerald, Dorothy Parker and Edna St. Vincent Millay. The writing is wonderful, easy to follow, and it almost reads like a novel itself. A great introduction to the biographies of these ladies, Meade doesn't weight the account down with esoteric references to peripheral literary characters. Her focus is sharp and vivid, and I liked that she organized events chronologically, breaking up the chapters by year. She paints these women so multi-dimensionally that I found myself missing them, like characters in a great novel, once I had finished the book.



4. With BOBBED HAIR AND BATHTUB GIN writer Marion Meade takes the reader on a decade-long tour of the lives of four women who helped make the 1920s roar: Edna Ferber (1895-1968); Zelda Sayer Fitzgerald (1900-1948); Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950); and Dorothy Parker (1893-1967.) Although all four were distinctly different, all four shared certain traits. They were of a generation of women who considered themselves "emancipated." Generally based in New York City, all four proved globetrotters to at least some extent. And all four were writers, and their work was shaped by the decade just as it shaped the decade in turn.
   
   The 1920s saw Edna Ferber rise from the status of a commercial hack to the critically lauded author of such novels as SO BIG and SHOW BOAT and co-author of such plays as THE ROYAL FAMILY. Determinedly independent, Ferber's character would cast an even longer shadow than her works, setting a pattern for single, hard-working, career women that would last decades. Zelda Sayer Fitzgerald, wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald, was Ferber's polar opposite: a woman whose career was marriage but who didn't feel it should crimp her style. Along with husband Scott, she would party her way into self-destruction--and provide significant inspiration to Fitzgerald's novels as well. As the 1920s passed, Zelda would discover a gift for prose and publish several short works, but mental illness began to claim her as the decade came to a close.
   
   Edna St. Vincent Millay was a critic's darling who--when she wasn't writing poetry--spent much of the decade sleeping with any one, male or female, who appealed to her. As well known for her personal charm and eccentricity as for her work, Millay endured numerous difficulties in the decade before emerging as America's most highly regarded poet and then, rather perversely, find critical reaction began to turn against her in the face of works by the likes of T.S. Eliot. And then, of course, there is the truly legendary Dorothy Parker, who began the decade as a drama critic and slowly rose to fame through her remarkably funny and acid poetry. A truly dark figure, like Zelda Fitzgerald and Millay she too would struggle with a host of inner demons ranging from alcohol to drugs to bad relationships.
   
   These four women, their lovers, husbands, publishers, and associates crisscross throughout the book in an interesting counterpoint. The result is always readable, always entertaining, but it does contain certain flaws. Although Meade does provide background and does give notes as to what became of them in later years, her story begins with 1920 and stops with 1930; there is little context. That said, the portraits involved are somewhat superficial; all four of these women are worthy of stand-alone biographies, and indeed all but Ferber have received major, widely available, and well-received biographies.
   
   That said, however, BOBBED HAIR AND BATHTUB GIN is an enjoyable book that does indeed seem to capture a feel for the 1920s, a decade in which the sky seemed the limit for women, the arts, society, and indeed the entire nation. Although they were hardly the only noted women of the era, Edna Ferber, Zelda Fitzgerald, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Dorothy Parker were in many ways indicative of the decade--and this is a wild and very entertaining romp through their early successes and failures. Recommended.
   
   GFT, Amazon Reviewer



5. An engaging, entertaining read by a skillful writer. . .but if you want a thorough, complex picture of these four women (Parker, Ferber, Z. Fitzgerald, Millay) and their circles, you'll be better off reading a full-scale biography of each, one that places them in historical and literary context. This book's final paragraph sums up both its strengths and its shortcomings -- the ending is crisp and breezy, but it offers no thoughtful conclusions. Instead, it basically says (and I'm paraphrasing), "and so the 1920s ended and passed into history and the people described here went on and lived the rest of their lives." What we have overall is a well-phrased and smoothly-organized collection of largely unanalyzed details.
   
   If you knew nothing about these writers beyond what you read here, you'd conclude that most of leading artistic lights of 1920s New York were shallow, self-centered, silly sots, and you'd wonder how on earth they managed to write anything at all, let alone stuff that is held up decades later as examples of significant art. (The only person who doesn't seem to have been an exasperating wastrel is Ferber, and you could easily come away from "Bobbed Hair" believing that her work is the least worth reading.) If it's really true that these largely despicable, aimless people are nonetheless artists worth our continued time and attention, then I wish "Bobbed Hair" had spent more time examining and explicating this paradox. As it is, we end up with details, details everywhere and not a point to make.
   
   But then again, perhaps I'm trying to turn this book into something it's not: it's not a scholarly biography, never claimed to be, and doesn't have to be. On its own terms, it's quite fun. So if you want a dishy tiptoe through the 1920s tulips, buy this book. If you want context and in-depth analysis, buy something else.

5 comments about Strange Piece of Paradise.

1. In 1977, Yale undergrad Terri Jentz and a school friend began bicycling across America, starting from the Oregon coast. Seven days into the trip, over the Cascades and into the desert, an axeman ran over their tent and nearly killed them both. How both women survived, in very different ways, is the core of "Strange Piece of Paradise", an epic-length personal journey and exploration of the criminal underside of a small Western town.
   
   Jentz spends the first 200 pages of the paperback edition on her life story and the next 500 on her return to Oregon as she belatedly uncovers the would-be killer's identity. She spent most of the 1990s interviewing witnesses, law enforcement, private citizens, and finally, the alleged attacker's inner circle -- a parade of victimized women. Although she never directly confronts her attacker, he's memorably described (although his pseudonym in the book is not quite as evocative as his real name).
   
   There's much political activism, too. Jentz presents herself as both liberal and tough on crime. I think it would be hard for anyone to disagree with her conclusions. She's particularly hard on the overloaded misdemeanor branch of American criminal justice. As this is where I began my legal career just after law school, I'm impressed by her points -- she figured this out a lot faster than I did!
   
   Jentz's personal journey is just as moving. Even before the attack, her feelings about her traveling companion are well preserved on page. The women drift apart quickly after the attack; Jentz' quiet devestation is stunningly portrayed.
   
   About the only complaint I can muster about the book is the same I had with Aron Ralston's Between a Rock and a Hard Place. For a book that tells such an important, personal story, it really could stand some editing. Jentz's repeated epiphanies and similes and metaphors pull away from the narrative and wear down the reader. Witness this typical aside, late in the game on page 613:
   
   "Along with flying TV pictures and radio waves, something else that connected us was vibrating in the air, as though our minds had reached out in a field beyond ourselves, pulling us with invisible rubber bands toward those who shared our preoccupations."
   
   Huh?
   
   That said, "Strange Piece of Paradise" is exhaustive but not exhausting, full of wit and outrage, and will stay with you for a long, long time.



2. The random 1977 crime horrified all who heard about it, although the girls survived. I even read about it when I lived in Chicago. Yet after days, months & decades though the Cline Falls community knew who'd done it, authorities never prosecuted anyone. Why? In this extraordinarily eloquent & riveting memoir of the author's life & times before & after that innocent bicycle trip that ended a hair's breadth shy of murder, she records her emotional reality & her 20 year search for the man who devastated her young self. I thought it quite unsentimental & engagingly intense. Sit back & immerse yourself in this writer's record of her quest for the rest of her soul, of her return to Oregon & the leads to who knew & helped her back then, who investigated the crime & why it was closed. With her you'll meet all sorts of people who could connect the dots of the perpetrator's violent life before & after he attacked her &, incidentally, you'll be at her side when he is at last brought to some semblance of justice, although not for his crime against her. A haunting & satisfying read by someone who knows how to write well & has an astonishing tale to tell. Very well done.



3. Imagine being 20 years old, on the first real adventure of your young life, sleeping soundly after a strenuous bike journey...only to be awakened and find yourself under a truck, staring at the well-dressed torso of a cowboy yielding an ax. That is what Terri Jentz, the author of this amazing book, asks us to envision.
   
   She and her friend, renamed Shayna, process the aftermath in two different ways. Shayna has selective amnesia based on her injuries, and is unable -- and unwilling -- to confront what has occurred. Terri, on the other hand, after several years of ennui and fear, decides to courageously confront the episode and to try to make some sense of it in order to fully heal.
   
   This journey is what comprises this book. Interestingly, the individuals she meets again -- ranging from the teenage couple who helped save them to the nurses who were there when they reached the hospital -- were all permanently affected by this senseless act. Together again, they all help heal each other. The would-be murderer himself is larger than life and also so much smaller than life. One of the tragedies is that most of the town knew who did it, and yet, thanks to the bungling of three overlapping law enforcement agencies and overprotective parents, his act would never have been totally revealed were it not for Terri's perseverance.
   
   This is a courageous book from a tenacious individual, and it spans 700 pages. I truly understand why Terri Jentz needed to write this book in its entirety, but I believe she needed a better editor. It lags in the middle pages, as Terri meets up with one after another lead (some true, some false); the momentum of the story begins to drag as a result. There is also very little reflection on her personal life -- the key focus is outward, not inward. We know that Terri is gay and she had an unrequited crush on Shayna. There is certain anger that Shayna is unwilling to be the "perfect listener" and to explore the ramifications of that June 22 night. I also wonder how Terri's sexual orientation played out in a conservative, cowboy town, when young women were blamed for their own independence. But these are minor points: all in all, I greatly admire Terri Jentz's courage and her larger observations on our society's passion for violence. She has important things to say.



4. A lot of reviewers stated that this was too redundant, that the author tended to go on and on over the same territory, and that the story could have been completed in a lot fewer words. After reading this story, I have found that I was "hooked" and that this story lingers on long after the final page is turned. It is a haunting story made all the more engrossing by the fact that it is a totally truthful accounting of one woman's attempt to identify her attacker - to identify the person who hacked her and her friend up with a hatchet and left them both for dead. I understand completely her need to do so, as well as I understand completely her friend's need not to do so. This was a catharsis for the author, and a much needed one. I can identify with this. I believe had I been the one this happened to, I would also want to know the who and the why of this terrible crime. My hat is off to this very brave lady, and I feel that this book is well worth the read! You cannot truly be a critic of this manuscript unless you yourself have experienced the same as this author.



5. The story of what happened to Jentz is horrible and makes for great drama. The aftermath -- her search for her still-unknown attacker, which is the main subject of the book -- could have made a decent story as well. Unfortunately the drama of it is oversold, and the story is wildly overwritten, both in length and in tone. Jentz's discovery of a prime suspect is unfortunately larded over with melodramatic writing -- those of you who've waded through the book know the title of this review is a reference to the dozens and dozens of "In Search of"-like rhetorical questions -- and a level of self-obsessiveness that, while understandable in a person's diary, should not have made it into the final version. Perhaps the editor wanted to provide an open window into how messed up Jentz became as a result of the attack; perhaps only the actual publication of far too much detail could provide her with the catharsis that she absolutely deserves. Anyone with a heart would wish Jentz peace after what she went through. But her story lost much of its power in the telling.

5 comments about My Parents Went Through the Holocaust and All I Got Was This Lousy Tshirt.

1. The title grabs you - humor? Holocaust? Then, you begin reading and Hanala grabs you- envelops you, fastens your seat belt for you and takes you on the ride that is her life. And what a ride.
   
   For the general public, it is a story, written with wit, humor, turns of phrase, expressions which you know you have heard before and are comfortable with but which are neither trite nor cliche, in a style that holds your attention. It is the history of a little girl clamoring for something which is impossible to receive due to no fault of her own, a "normal" childhood, filled with love, affection, nurturing, complements, structure, safety, sibling support, reliable friends, - just like in the 50s and 60s TV families into which she delves for comfort; who, not surprisingly grows into a young adult with physical addictions and emotional insecurities - making bad choices, entering into troubled relationships and behaving in a self-destructive manner bringing her near death; and finally, just as you have almost had it with her and want to read her the riot act, but knowing that nothing you say could bring her out of her messed-up life, she surprises you and takes a small step which becomes a deep reach into herself and pulls herself out of the spiral - building inner strength and finally maturing into the positive, healthy person you would be thrilled to have in your life. Hanala lays open her soul to the core, describes behaviors and experiences that most would be embarrassed and ashamed to admit, and demonstrates that we have the ability to heal ourselves, with the help of others, if we only give ourselves the chance. You laugh, you laugh a lot, and you cry, you find yourself repeating statements out loud that you have just read which may well hit deep in your own soul. Frankly, you don't want the book to end and when it does, you are OK, because you know that Hanala's story is continuing and because it is a real life that you feel connected to.
   
   And, for the readership which is made up of the children of Holocaust survivors/escapees, it is an even more special story. Hanala, through her experiences, and her insights gained through therapy, A.A. and Al-Anon programs, gives us answers as to why her parents, and so many other such parents just could not do a better parenting job - whether due to their guilt for not being able to save family or friends or for the simple fact that they survived, magnified by the relative comfort in which they are living; why they too were and are leading lives that are not filled with what many would consider "normal" actions and reactions - which behaviors many have unintentionally passed on to their children. "It is not because she won't, it is because she just can't." For Holocaust survivor/escapees' children, Hanala provides answers to questions we might not even know how to ask.



2. Great book! The stories you related, made me laugh and cry with you.It was truly a walk down memory lane. You have successfully memorialized Cote St Luc, forever.Sheila



3. I just finished your book I loved it so much that I just didn't want it to end.
   I related to just about everything you went through. My parents also went through the war as Partisans in the woods of Poland and White Russia and then came to Montreal.
   Thank you so much for writing this book. I must confess that
   I laughed and cried but the last 100 pages of your book brought back so many memories for example singing to my father on his death bed \"OYFIN PRIPITCHEK BRENT A FAYERL, UN IN SHTUB IS HEYS. UN DER REBELY LERNT KLEYNE KINDERLEKH DEM ALDF-BEZ.\"
   I saw you at Lynn University when you were in Boca Raton and had the
   pleasure of meeting you and Fabrizio,gee I hope I remembered his name, but you know who I mean the cute Italian. You signed my book and I will cherish it forever.
   Again, thank you so very much this book really made a difference to me.
   Lots of Luck, from one survivor to another Sarah Johnson.



4. Stadner's book is well written and fun. She tells her stories in writing even better than she delivers them in person, and this book is loaded with all kinds of memories, each one tugging at a different heart string. She hits home over and over, and that familiarity makes it even more entertaining. At times, I found myself agreeing with her out loud, or calling my sister to remind her of something I hadn't thought of in years. I laughed, I cried, I enjoyed every minute of it.



5. Hanala Stadner writes an amazing narative of her life, beginning with a childhood of loneliness and need. Her parents, survivors of the Holocaust, do not seem to be able to understand her travails which include normal childhood growing pains. She bitterly leaves home and is able to work as a semi-employed actor. Her pain follows her as she stumbles into drug and alcohol abuse. Just when the reader is totally disgusted with her, she begins a long road to recovery and self discovery. This well written book will make you laugh and make you cry. I would heartily recommend it.

5 comments about Who Was Jesus?.

1. At first glance, this seems a rather odd book. What is a first-class historian like N. T. Wright doing, refuting the likes of Spong and Thiering? Does one need a bulldozer to squash ants? (Wilson, I personally find more intelligent, and thus perhaps rising to the dignity of being run over.) Yet Wright gives their arguments a fair hearing, then a fair and gentle hanging.
   
   But there seems to be method to Wright's mildness. As an alternative to the fumbling and bumbling of his protagonists, he offers a simple and readable description of who he has found the historical Jesus to be. Their errors prove a useful foil for explaining the methods and conclusions of legitimate New Testament scholarship. Wright's critiques of those with whom he disagrees are always a delight -- he shows a sincere appreciation for what is worthwhile, then refutes errors with wit and the gentle precision that comes of great intellectual power matched to thorough knowledge of the subject.
   
   The subject here is Jesus, a fox in pursuit of whom academic hounds have banged their heads on many trees. Wright rightly follows him to the cross. "The Christian doctrine is all about a different kind of God -- a God who was so different to normal expectations that he could, completely appropriately, become human . . . To say that Jesus is in some sense God is of course to make a startling statement about Jesus. It is also to make a stupendous claim about God."
   
   I think Wright over-emphasizes the genius of Biblical scholarship. He tends to give the impression that nobody knew anything worth knowing about Jesus, until the question was brought to the attention of modern academics. Having read many "Jesus Seminar" books, I think credentialed scholars like Crossan, Borg, Mack, and Pagels, are often as foolish as Wilson -- and less truly knowledgeable about the historical Jesus than the average Pentacostal grandmother.

   Wright also knocks C. S. Lewis for his "odd" criticism of the "quest for Jesus" as "the work of the devil," in the Screwtape Letters. Aside from the unfairness of ignoring the humor in a satire, I think the substance of Lewis' arguments, made more seriously in Fernseed and Elephants, is entirely sound, and makes an excellent critique of many recent historical Jesus reconstructions. I think Wright's historical reconstruction, and Lewis' literary critique of shoddy skeptical arguments, complement one another nicely.

   In sum, I recommend this book both for people who have been bamboozled by the particular works it refutes, and also as an antidote to recent works of a similar nature, like the Da Vinci Code, Jesus Mysteries, The Jesus Puzzle, or perhaps Elaine Pagel's new book, Beyond Belief. I am working on a book that will combine Wright and Lewis' approaches, to answer recent attacks on the Gospels.
   
   author, Jesus and the Religions of Man /

   christthetao@msn.com




2. Let's be clear that in this book evangelical Anglican theologian N.T. Wright exposes the absurd concocted fantasies of three writers who in 1992 published works on Jesus. The common thread in all three writers is their willingness to invent fantastical portraits of Jesus with no basis in history or Scripture. In the process of his devastating critique of these bogus writers, Wright gives us telling theological insights, especially concerning the relation of first century Jewish monotheism and the emerging Christian belief in the divinity of Jesus and concerning the proper perspective with which to approach the question of the virginal conception of Jesus. In addition, Wright provides an initial chapter that gives the general reader an historical overview of Jesus scholarship and a final chapter that ties Wright's insights together. Reading this small book is like being treated to lunch or dinner with an insightful and witty professor who is generously willing to share his best insights.



3. Jesus set an example no one else could duplicate, as he was one in a hundred million, the Son of God. This character almost made it in the modern day era as a Christ-like figure. Auburn is a small hamlet in this ficitonal parable about a man of God, or one who was close to it. There were six churches in that small place, predominately Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian, which you will find everywhere and anywhere. It was a tightly knit community which did not accept strangers in their midst. Most had been there since childhood and had nice relationships with each other. You had to have lived there more than fifteen years not be to classified as a stranger.
   
   Thus, this unassuming man named Joshua moved into a small cottage on the outskirts of the town and was the focus of everyone's opinion and the talk of the village. The mailman was the first to enter the workshop to see the exquisite wood carvings and statues which Joshua mastered. He mad a wood statue of Moses for a synagogue. His carvings of the apostel Peter for the Episcopal and Pentecostal churches were admired, and made him an icon of sorts. Joshua made a lot of people happy with his good sense of humor, and that was a wonderful thing. He kept to himself with his work; everyone has a right to live in peace. Until, he tried to be a modern Christ but did not succeed. He tried to unify the different congregations including the Catholic and Lutheran, which anyone with any sense knows is impossible. He didn't put on airs or act like a snob, just an ordinary person who seemed to have miraculous powers like the Joshua in the Bible.
   
   It was well known that Joshua frequented the liquor store, which caused some consternation. He seemed religious but why the need for spirits of that sort to create his magic religious symbols and to keep on an even keel. Joshu was told that his attitude lacked the docility and humanity which befits a Christian layman, that in the future he would do well to cultivate virtues for the benefit of the soul and the edification of his fellow Christians. Word spread of the final days of Joshua and the hearts of many were soothed or grieved at the end of that summer he spent among them.
   
   Joshua's memory would linger in their lives as a marvelous messenger of God. Though this novel is fictional, it is moving and feels very Biblical. He went as he came as a mystery who'd touched all of their lives in one way or another. We need more "real" Joshuas in our world of constant turmoil. There are such people in our lives who are truly compassionate and hold no grudges, but we should all strive to follow their example as much as we can. We're all different, with different beliefs, religious and otherwise, but need to learn to live in peace -- not just in Auburn. Nothing can match this first and most important introduction to a modern apostle.



4. I cannot praise this little book highly enough. Do not be put off by its brevity. Though short - about 100 pages - it contains more substance than many a larger volume, and though written in popular style, never compromises on the quality of content. After summarising the Jesus Quests of the past, Wright brings his discussion into the contemporary scene, brilliantly demonstrating how unlikely are the reconstructions of Jesus by the likes of A. N. Wilson, Barbara Thiering and Bishop John Shelby Spong. He ends by sketching a more plausible picture of Jesus, based on the new appreciation of Jesus' essential Jewishness. Thank you N. T. Wright, this is a gem.



5. N.T. Wright has a marvelous way of sifting through the many dissonant voices in the debate about the historical Jesus. In his book, "Who Was Jesus?"... Wright dispels of the outrageous claims that have been made about Jesus, while at the same time, he is able to give credit where honest historical work has been done.
   
   With a bit of humor, this respected scholar is able to point out the flaws in the historical and not so historical works done by several popular authors. From Schweitzer's quest, to the Jesus Seminar (Burton Mack, Dominic Crossan, etc.), to the Third Quest (Vermes, Brandon, E.P. Sanders, etc.), to the downright absurd (Barbara Thiering and the DaVinci Code)... N.T. Wright cuts away and cleans up the mess that has been prematurely dubbed as 'scholarship.' He quickly dissects the arguments and brings our focus back to a genuinely historical Jesus that has been revealed to us in the context of the New Testament.
   
   You will appreciate and benefit from Wright's insights and contributions to the discussion of the historical Jesus of Nazareth. His work on first-century Palastinian Judaism and his overall commitment to the context of the New Testament challenges much of the work that has been done on Jesus. You cannot say you have done honest, historical, intellectual, and academic study... until you have read the works of N.T. Wright. "Who Was Jesus?" is a great book to start with for those who are caught up in the many contradicting voices of the quest for the historical Jesus.
   
   "'Jesus' is either the flesh-and-blood individual who walked and talked, and lived and died, in first-century Palastine, or he is merely a creature of our own imagination, able to be manipulated this way and that." (Wright, p. 18)
   
   I also recommend reading:
   Paul: In Fresh Perspective
   Jesus and Empire: The Kingdom of God and the New World Disorder
   The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?

5 comments about The Private World of Georgette Heyer.

1. If you love Georgette Heyer this book will make you a little sad. In private Ms. Heyer wasn't the person some fans would've wished her to be. Does this change my fondness for her books?Certainly not. The most important thing is the tale not he or in this case, she who tells it.



2. The private world of Georgette Heyer was always firmly and politely closed to her reading public; she denied all interviews, was reluctant even to be photographed, and limited her publicity work to writing blurbs for advertising campaigns. Surviving family, friends, and the literary estate continue to honor the author's preference, leaving only open records, publisher correspondence, and the books themselves to speak for their creator. Hodge's book is the better for this; the private world of the title relates to the literary world that Heyer created, and Hodge tells the story of the author's literary career, offering only a broad sketch of the events of Heyer's life and limiting her speculation into emotional states. Hodge's careful reading of the Heyer ouevre and Heyer's correspondence surrounding the creation and marketing of her books allows fans (and literary scholars) to eavesdrop on a lifelong literary career, offering insights into a woman with a keenly intelligent mind, passionate opinions, fastidious manners, and highly ambivalent views about her own work and its readers. The portrait is drawn without judgment (Hodge leaves that to the reader) and her prose is clear, well-structured, and as readable as Heyer's own. In a tone both fond of and perceptive about its subject, without requiring any recourse to gossip, scandal, or salacious tidbits (which Heyer herself would have no doubt abhorred!), Hodge's biography is both an interesting overview of the Heyer canon and a respectful portrait of the woman who created it. I particularly enjoyed the illustrations that brought the private world of Heyer's beloved Regency romances to light.



3. I have read Heyer off and on growing up and rediscovered them a while ago. Surfing the local library catalogue, I bumped into this book and found it fascinating. The world Heyer built was charming and perfect, where manners and propriety is must and wit is romance. Its the world I like to escape into and Hodge does homage to both the creator and the works respectful of Heyer's sentiments. Her style of analysing and studying the books chronologically makes a splendid approach to following Heyer's life and work as an author. However, while doing so she does not reveal much about the plot itself, but definitely does let you in on what it must have taken - research and otherwise - for Heyer to have produced it.
   It is well written and exposes Heyer only as much as she herself might have allowed. I thought it a novel way to write about an author who put so much of herself (essence of herself rather) in her books. Through out the book, you see Heyer herself evolving, as you see her family grow and surround her.
   I would recommend this book - in fact go so far as to say it is a must - for any Heyer fan. The other author it made me think of is Edgar Wallace. In fact, I found a curious reference to him in the book - his daughter was Mrs.Frere, a close friend of Heyer.



4. Jane Aiken Hodge wrote the first critical perspective of Heyer's books, and it is one of the most useful books. Not only is it an insight into Georgette Heyer's world, but also a glimpse into her own life. Hodge had access to her diary's and notebooks, a privilege not extended to anyone else until Mary Fahnstock Thomas did her critical perspective. (Also very good)
   
   The Private World of Georgette Heyer should be put into perspective. It shows the development of Heyer's writing, from the first episodic book she wrote for her brother (Black Moth) and published at the age of 17, to her experiment with modern novels (all suppressed) to her experiments with writing mysteries, historical novels, her movement into her most famous genre, Regency Romances, and finally to the works she considered her most eponymous - that is of Medieval fiction. Her last work was left unfinished, and was published as such. It is perhaps her most disliked by her modern readers.
   
   Heyer is also perhaps not necessarily recognised by the wider public as the woman who spawned the Regency Romance genre. She was badly copied by the likes of Barbara Cartland, but as Heyer's fans know, Heyer did hours of painstaking research on her subjects. Hodge does an excellent job of showing this in this book. Some of the illustrations Heyer copied from books and magazines in the British Library are reproduced, but more usefully, Hodge goes through each book and allows a chapter for it and Heyer's life at the time. Usually there is a struggle with the Inland Revenue involved as Heyer seemed to have to write to pay the tax bills more often than not.
   
   There are occassional lapses where Hodge makes minor mistakes on books etc, these are pretty forgiveable in a book of this scope and they usually don't affect the understanding of Heyer and her books too greatly.
   
   For anyone wishing to understand Heyer, or get a greater understanding of the period of history she was writing about (or living in) this is an excellent work. If nothing else just flick through and look at the pictures. An extraodinary woman, and a very private life well illustrated.



5. Georgette Heyer was a very private personage. She had to be to keep up with her voluminous writing and family responsibilities. It takes time to write and do it well, which the legions of Ms. Heyer's fans will attest.
   Jane Aiken Hodge used the private letters, interviews, current readings of all her books to interweave a biography through the author's work. The excellent index allows a reader to discover what was happening in Ms. Heyer's personal life when a particular book was published.
   The British system of taxation almost destroyed Ms. Heyer career, but it gave readers many delightful stories as she struggle to meet its demands.
   A must volume for any Heyer fan, who still enjoys a wide readerships over thirty years after her death. "The Private World of Georgette Heyer" is both scholarly and intimate, a difficult achievement for any author.
   Nash Black, author of "Qualifying Laps" and "Sins of the Fathers."

5 comments about Geisha: A Life.

1. One of the reasons Mineko "came out" and decided to write this book was to set the misrepresentation of Geisha culture by Arthur Golden, whom she sued for the publishing of Memoirs of A Geisha (and settled out of court).
   
   The biggest items in contest were the facts that the concept of the Mizuage as a fee for a deflowering ceremony of a girl only applies to the oiran and tayu (prostitutes), not Geishas (where the word stands for the amount of money made by appearances over a period of time) and the notion that Geishas don't provide sex, only company. These were two items that was misrepresented by Golden.
   
   If by definition, an autobiography is to be a revealing self-portrait, then Geisha, A Life succeeds brilliantly. As readers, it is human nature, I think, to seek common ground and find people we can identify with when we pick up a book, especially a biography. However, if one can accept that the act of reading can also serve as an insight to individuals whom he or she will never cross paths with, then the absence of common ground no longer becomes an issue.
   
   Like many others here, I found this book through the controversial source for Golden's Memoirs of A Geisha. I was hoping to read about the witty conversations Geishas are reknown for. Certainly, Iwakasi- who never lets up from constantly reminding us, until the very final page- portraying herself as the greatest legend in the Geisha culture in the last hundred years, would be positively emanating with wit in every page.
   
   There was none.
   
   Instead, we are treated to a 300-page reiteration of a narrator who continues to win in almost every situation. She is No.1, inspiring jealousy in her colleagues; she excels in her dance, she instills mass hysteria and adoration from her numerous fan clubs; she is highly in demand in the Gion kobu; people sneak photos and out-takes of her into posters, commercials, and annual events, she makes so much money that she owned over three hundred kimonos worth tens of thousands of dollars, she comes from an aristocratic family (and yet, curiously, she had to "chose" a hard life of work at the age of five, separating from her family which she points out, was the only time she was truly happy in life).
   
   Even when she was at the point of retiring, not only does a good-looking younger man ask for her hand in marriage, but she keeps all her appointments, have an affair with a married superstar, and manages to make the Queen of England jealous enough to send the Duke of Edinburgh to the doghouse for paying too much attention to our heroine.
   
   She openly admits she doesn't like people. She is impetulant and spoiled from a young age. There is a unfortunate dearth of any humane voice in her narration. At the same time, she overworks herself because she wants to be liked by everyone.
   
   If all of this doesn't seem to add up, it's because the root of the story lies in one line, imparted to Mineko by her father at the beginning and the end of his life. "The samurai betrays no weakness even when starving. Pride above all."
   
   Given this filter, you begin to realize that you have to read this autobiography as if it was selectively recounted with a heavily prejudiced pen, often in the writer's favor.
   
   The only big dramatic moment occurs on Page 159, when our author pays a visit to her Onesan (the mentoring older sister to a maiko at the Okiya) who also turns out to be her real sister. She finds their mother hunched over like a maid, cleaning something. The older sister enters and screams "This is the [...] who sold us and killed Masayuki." Our author cries and runs out of the house.
   
   So the reader first thinks "whatever happened to making her own decision at five years old to lead a superstar life of a Geisha? I guess I'll find out in the next chapter."
   
   We never do.
   
   It immediately jumps back to the busy schedule of our triumphant heroine. All we have to go by is the closing chapter line "I never went back. Some proprieties were just not worth it."
   
   There is never a Geisha that equals Mineko in the narration. We are told there is a graceful beauty who was an exquisite dancer in the Gion district. Her name is Satoharu, but she is only alluded to in passing. Why? We get a glimpse of the reason on pg 232, as Mineko pleads with her Okiya mother Masako to dress down when they go meet Mineko's love interest. Here is a 21 year old superstar Geisha at the top of her game, with men falling all over her, and she is begging a 47 year old woman to go in everyday clothes because she couldn't bear being outdone?
   
   A person who doesn't like competition can tell a story only one way.
   
   One of the inherent problems of a non-fiction account of Japanese culture is that the subject is known to be extremely insulated as a community. Even if they beg to differ, or they are put off by a gross misrepresentation of the facts, we, as non-Japanese people, will never know. I think this sets the stage for a free-for-all, with the prize going to the person who choses to speak.
   
   And that's how I made it through the last hundred pages. It became more of game for me as a reader, to see how the narrator could continue to cram yet another example of self-glorification into her story.
   
   In this, she did not disappoint.



2. After first reading Memoirs of a Geisha, by Authur Golden, I wanted to find out how accurate it was. After reading Geisha, A life, I felt that the author Mineko Iwasaki truly represented herself. From her book you can tell that the she is an authentic Geisha wanting to dispel inaccuracies that Memoirs of a Geisha created. It is disappointing to know that society is so willing to accept inaccuracies regarding women and their accomplishments.



3. I LOVED this book. If you are interested in Geisha's you must read this one. It details everything about a Geisha's life. Plus tells you what is truth and what is fiction. The way the author express things is just lovely. I really recommend this book.



4. I found this book to be extremely intriguing and informative. Quite possibly fabricated in some aspects, but when your trying to learn about a culture that has so much secrecy behind it you read into whatever you can find. The secrecy is probably what makes it so fascinating to begin with!
   
   In attempts to preserve something thats so important to a culture the author may or may not have been entirely truthful with things. A case of "what should be" or what is expected of the geisha vs. what actually exists. The depiction over the years of the geisha has resulted in a bit of a smeared reputation, I think her desire to preserve the name may have overwhelmed the actual fact. Not to mention the desire to market the concept probably alters the cultural differences to an "americanized" standard that will sell books.
   
   Regardless I enjoyed this book very much I suspect there is truth beyond the story, but who really knows?



5. This is a beautiful story about a little girl who became one of the most famous geisha in Japan. Mineko, which is her adopted geisha name not her birth name, moved into the Iwasaki geisha house when she was only five years old. She started her artistic training when she was merely six. At a time when most five and six year olds in America are starting kindergarden, playing video games and sports, Mineko was already "working." Her passion and greatest devotion became the dance.
   
   This biography came out in 2002 which may or may not have been around the time Memoirs of a Geisha published as well. Both novels are strikingly similar I noticed, especially when it dealt with World War II. But this novel, as opposed to Memoirs, is an actual biography.
   
   The Japanese terminology is so fascinating to learn and explained very well. I learned that geisha in training were called maiko, or "women of dance," and geisha or geiko actually means "women of art." For a period of twenty five years (from age five until twenty-nine), Mineko practiced all the traditional and ancient customs including dance forms, music, and tea ceremonies (ochaya). Maiko is simply amazing. Despite learning traditional customs she is also an incredibly skilled business woman. She worked 7 days a week, 365 days a year, from the time she was fifteen until she was twenty-one. In the Iwasaki okiya she was the hardest working and most devoted geisha.
   
   Her experience with love was also very humorous. Because she worked so intently she viewed most men as business transactions and nothing more. One man, by the name of Toshio, eventually changed her views. After visiting her multiple times he finally expressed his love for her, which she just scolded him as a young child (despite him being twice as old) and he was also married! Toshio explained they were both in a loveless marriage, but Maiko didn't want to hear of it; she refused him completely. Finally she told him, after his countless advances, if he came to the Gion Kobu every day for three years then maybe she would consider it. She pretty much figured that was that.
   
   He came every single day for three years. But despite this their romance became rocky and unstable. He never left his wife. She later met a young painter, Jin, that won her over.
   
   When Mineko decided to retire at the "old age" of twenty-nine, she was sent thousands of letters from her adoring fans. She met kings and queens, royalty, presidents, diplomats, politicians, and celebrities from everywhere in the world. Her assets were in the millions. She opened up her own club, then later sold it. She decided to get her art license and became an art dealer.
   
   The beauty of this novel is how truthful and painful it was for her to grow up. I didn't really feel that she ever had a childhood, she always worked and trained every day. Her training did pay off because she was so incredibly popular, but there was still a hint of sadness in my opinion.

5 comments about The Year of Yes.

1. I had different expectations from that book. It is enjoyable, but also a depressing book. There are pieces missing, she should have written more about her emotions or funny incidents. The combination did not work out so well.



2. This book is hysterical and inspiring. It's about a real woman with very believable dating neuroses. I felt connected to her dating experiences, although I've never dated a homeless man who thought he was Jimi Hendrix but my ex was pretty close. I would read anything she writes in the future.



3. This was a real fun read--very lighthearted and laugh-out-loud funny but very real at the same time. A really fun book for anyone who has ever been fed up with dating.



4. The Year of Yes is true to life because it captures all of the craziness of dating without getting bogged down by it. I reccomend this book to anyone who's done insane things in the quest for love. It's wildly funny, (I laughed so hard that I called a friend to read parts of it to her, and she thought I was crying!) and the character descriptions are fabulous! (Ira the Daschund for example.) And it has a happy ending without being corny.



5. One of the most dangerous traits of someone with a way with words is the ability they have of facile persuasion. The reader (or listener) becomes entranced from the way the message is told, without listening to what message is actually being said.
   
   There is no question whatsoever that the author, a playwright, has a gift with words. She writes extremely well.
   
   But the story told is, when reduced to its essences, the story of a woman who finds fault with suitor after suitor, only to find her future spouse -- a man who she knew prior to the "Year of Yes" -- faultless upon their encounter. Perhaps it's too much to ask from a woman priding herself on her New York toughness, but throughout the book, the "freakish" qualities of each dalliance are brought to the forefront, with little thought to uniqueness or the actual personhood of each of those men beneath the caricature she draws for us. Remember, a caricature is a quick sketch in which the most prominent attributes of someone are highlighted and exaggerated even beyond their reality for the sake of humor. This is, spot on, precisely the definition of what the author paints for her readers of each of these men and women from her "Year of Yes."
   
   When she meets her future husband -- again, I reemphasize, a man who she knew prior to the Year of Yes, strongly suggesting to this reader that none of her suitors were ever in the running for anything more than a coolly-made valuation for what visceral experience they could lend to her life -- she sees no flaws in him. Were he to have ended up not being her husband but merely one of the other myriad of men she marched through her life, we no doubt would have instead seen such qualities as his crying and the (technical) infidelity, or some other attribute that wives and husbands easily overlook in the course of their love. (Or were the Actor to have ended up being her husband, the version of their romance we were told would have been far more idyllic.)
   
   Do I sound angry? It is, perhaps, because the quality of compassion means a great deal to me.
   
   Throughout the book, as she is a good author, I had been empathizing with her struggles throughout her Year of Yes. Once I began to conclude the book's final chapter, however, it was a bit of a shock for me to realize at the end that the tales of the heart which we had been told were, in fact, spoken from someone who, throughout the book, had in fact been quite heartless until her long-desired love finally came to her.