21 years ago I found a "well read" copy of Winter's Tale in a guesthouse in Deya on the isle of Mallorca. Never heard of the author before, and I thought I was past wanting to read "fantasy". Yet this (to me) unknown writer drew me into a world so imaginative, so enthralling, and so utterly believable, that I couldn't put it down, and then didn't want it to end.
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(3 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
Excellent companion guide for anyone caring for an aging parent who suffers from dementia. Apart from that a compelling memoir about children of the diaspora.
If I wrote that I couldn't put this book down, I'd be lying. 850 pages of the 1006 account for breathless reading. After that I kept on putting the book down because I couldn't stand reaching the end of this great read!
Another minor problem was that the author had to mention now and then that Inspector Lynley had blond hair, while I can only think of Thommy as being dark haired (as is Nathaniel Parker in the role of Lynley in the BBC series).
The city in this book may be unnamed, new to Seattle, just learning my way in this hitherto unknown place where taking a wrong turn may set you back ten minutes or more from reaching your destination, I thought I recognized the Emerald City. Nicholas Dee became my estranged guide, taking me back across the ocean to the landscape of my childhood, the northern provinces of the Netherlands. Mesmerized by Stadler's story telling I was willing to follow him even if it was back in time both in his novel and my own memory of places visited IRL.
Note that this book is now available in a new totally revised edition from Grove Press with an introduction by Michael Cunningham!
Firoozeh Dumas once again shows she's an entertaining storyteller. Laughing Without an Accent deserves a warning sticker on the cover: Taken in small dosages this material may be beneficial to your health.
After reading Funny in Farci, and Laughing Without an Accent back to back, I knew I was ready for a more serious note by the same author when I realized that the two stories in Laughing Without an Accent that touched me deepest were the ones that did not make me laugh.
dutchessabroad has commented on (15) products.
Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin
dutchessabroad, September 14, 2008
21 years ago I found a "well read" copy of Winter's Tale in a guesthouse in Deya on the isle of Mallorca. Never heard of the author before, and I thought I was past wanting to read "fantasy". Yet this (to me) unknown writer drew me into a world so imaginative, so enthralling, and so utterly believable, that I couldn't put it down, and then didn't want it to end.(3 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
Remind Me Who I Am Again by Linda Grant
dutchessabroad, September 12, 2008
Excellent companion guide for anyone caring for an aging parent who suffers from dementia. Apart from that a compelling memoir about children of the diaspora.A Traitor to Memory by Elizabeth George
dutchessabroad, September 12, 2008
If I wrote that I couldn't put this book down, I'd be lying. 850 pages of the 1006 account for breathless reading. After that I kept on putting the book down because I couldn't stand reaching the end of this great read!Another minor problem was that the author had to mention now and then that Inspector Lynley had blond hair, while I can only think of Thommy as being dark haired (as is Nathaniel Parker in the role of Lynley in the BBC series).
Dissolution of Nicholas Dee by Matthew Stadler
dutchessabroad, July 22, 2008
The city in this book may be unnamed, new to Seattle, just learning my way in this hitherto unknown place where taking a wrong turn may set you back ten minutes or more from reaching your destination, I thought I recognized the Emerald City. Nicholas Dee became my estranged guide, taking me back across the ocean to the landscape of my childhood, the northern provinces of the Netherlands. Mesmerized by Stadler's story telling I was willing to follow him even if it was back in time both in his novel and my own memory of places visited IRL.Note that this book is now available in a new totally revised edition from Grove Press with an introduction by Michael Cunningham!
Laughing Without an Accent: Adventures of an Iranian American, at Home and Abroad by Firoozeh Dumas
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1-5 of 15 nextdutchessabroad, July 22, 2008
Firoozeh Dumas once again shows she's an entertaining storyteller. Laughing Without an Accent deserves a warning sticker on the cover: Taken in small dosages this material may be beneficial to your health.After reading Funny in Farci, and Laughing Without an Accent back to back, I knew I was ready for a more serious note by the same author when I realized that the two stories in Laughing Without an Accent that touched me deepest were the ones that did not make me laugh.