1 comments about Working the Sea: Misadventures, Ghost Stories, and Life Lessons from a Maine Lobster Fisherman.

1. A real "Down East" book about a real Down East fisherman, his life, trials, and stories. Reads great and I found it hard to put down. Being from Maine it reminded me of my childhood lobstering with my great grandfather and my great uncle. The memories just kept streaming in and this book is a keeper!

No comments about Politics in Florida.

3 comments about Mosses from an Old Manse (Modern Library Classics).

1. First published in 1846, Hawthorne's second collection includes 26 stories, most of them written after the publication of the second (1842) edition of "Twice-Told Tales," as well as "Young Goodman Brown" and "Roger Malvin's Burial," two great tales from the 1830s that were inexplicably left out of the earlier book.
   
   The only "new" piece (that is, the only one not previously published in a periodical) is the opening sketch, which took Hawthorne nearly a year to write; it is a leisurely tour of the "old Manse," his newly acquired historical estate in Concord and Emerson's childhood home. Interesting mostly from a biographical perspective, the essay tries hard--but largely fails--to share with the reader Hawthorne's enthusiasm for his new home. The rest of the volume, fortunately, is filled with grand, eerie, humorous, and memorable allegories. Every reader and critic has his or her own favorites, but a few stand out for their uniqueness.
   
   "A Select Party" recounts a dinner hosted by a "Man of Fancy" in "one of his castles in the air"; the guests are such improbable personages as "an incorruptible Patriot; a Scholar without pedantry; a Priest without world ambition, and a Beautiful Woman without pride or coquetry." The thoughts and desires of the partygoers are as ethereal as the clouds they inhabit. In a similar vein, "The Intelligence Office" is a comic pre-Kafkaesque allegory of a parade of customers who seek the whereabouts (and the worth) of their long-lost desires; only a man seeking Truth unveils the Intelligencer as "merely delusive," a bureaucrat who makes wishes come true by simply acknowledging, not fulfilling, them. "The Celestial Rail-road," the full implications of which I appreciated only after a second reading, is a retelling of "Pilgrim's Progress," in which devilishly clever entrepreneurs have repackaged Christian's journey through the Valley of the Shadow of Death and to the Celestial City as a Disneyland-style theme park and tourist attraction.
   
   Some of the stories can be read as prototypes in the genres of horror and science fiction. In the futuristic "Earth's Holocaust," a great bonfire is lit to "consume every human and divine appendage of our mortal state": medicine, liquor, literature, weapons, money, art, jewelry, scriptures--so that there "is far less both of good and evil." "The Artist of the Beautiful" pits Owen, a watchmaker who struggles to create a true-to-life mechanical butterfly, against a powerful village blacksmith; both contenders vie for the attentions of a beautiful woman in a classic struggle of intelligence and beauty versus technology and brute strength.
   
   Two of Hawthorne's most well-known tales--"The Birth-mark" and "Rappaccini's Daughter"--are unsettling in their macabre Poe-like finales. Both feature scientists whose quest for what can be discovered override moral considerations of whether something should be done: the alchemist in the first story concocts a method to remove a birthmark from his wife's cheek; the second tale pits two rivals who conduct their academic warfare with potions and antidotes, using one's daughter and the other's apprentice as unwitting intermediaries. Their similar endings, while predictable, are disturbingly bleak visions of modernity.
   
   When this collection was reissued in 1854, Hawthorne wrote that he no longer understood the point he was making "in some of these blasted allegories, but I remember that I always had a meaning--or, at least, thought I had." In spite of his protests, obvious themes do emerge: Hawthorne's mistrust of progress, his disdain for moral absolutism and his Puritan heritage, and his fascination with the elusive nature of evil. What will strike readers willing to wade through Hawthorne's intricate, highly wrought prose is how modern and relevant many of these stories still seem.



2. Nathaniel Hawthorne had a leaning towards humility, phony or not. After calling his previous collection of short stories "Twice-Told Tales" (1837), he went the lichen route with his next installment, calling his 1846 collection "Mosses From An Old Manse". Get out that scraper? Not quite.
   
   Unlike "Twice-Told Tales", a collection of somewhat hit-and-miss stories that owes some of its culture notoriety to its quaint title and much of the rest of it to one story ("The Minister's Black Veil"), "Mosses" catches Hawthorne's engaging genius at full flower. Right from the first of the Manse stories, the wonderful Poe-like "The Birthmark", about a scientist who risks losing his lovely bride in pursuit of perfection, Hawthorne shows himself in utter command: "In his grasp the veriest clod of earth assumed a soul."
   
   Actually, Hawthorne begins the demonstration earlier than in his first proper story, with his introductory sketch about the house where he composed his stories, "The Old Manse" in Concord, Massachusetts. It's the only piece here that didn't see prior publication, and has Hawthorne ruminating, lightly but memorably, about the perishability of human thought. It also establishes the strong ambiance of time and place, crusty New England in its post-Puritan period, that undergirds much of what follows.
   
   "Genius, indeed, melts many ages into one, and thus effects something permanent, yet still with a similarity of office to that of the more ephemeral writer," he explains.
   
   More false humility? Maybe. But Hawthorne gives the impression, here and elsewhere in "Manse", of being utterly sincere. It's his blessing and curse. Even when he writes a story where the allegory, the moral point of the matter, is developed clearly enough, he feels a need to underscore his points with narrative rumination. At least he doesn't capitalize key words as he did in "Twice-Told Tales".
   
   Yet unlike the stories in "Tales", which are often quite beautiful but easier to reduce, there is greater ambiguity and depth in "Manse". You have to take Hawthorne's messaging here with a grain of salt. Sure, there's a point in "The Birthmark", about being content with nature's imperfections, but there's also sympathy for the erring, striving doctor that complicates the picture, and connects it up with Hawthorne's own vocation.
   
   One of the last stories here, "The Artist Of The Beautiful", is a marvelous bookend in that regard, regarding the attainment of perfection, and as open-ended a story as Hawthorne ever wrote. It's a crushing tale, and yet quite positive, a miracle of creation by itself.
   
   In between, Hawthorne's variety is on full display, as it was in "Twice-Told Tales", only the work is uniformly better. Not only do you have a stronger body of celebrated stories, like "Young Goodman Brown" and "Roger Malvin's Burial", but the less-heralded stories are nearly all brilliant. No dated bits of patriotic ephemera like "Gray Champion" or strained symbolism like "The Maypole Of Merry Mount" to be found here. You get instead inspired bursts of stirring melancholy ("The Christmas Banquet", "Feathertop") alleviated by clever gusts of humor ("Mrs. Bullfrog", "The Celestial Railroad"), and everywhere a modulated appreciation for the complexity of the human condition. "Earth's Holocaust" may be an ur-text for American conservativism, but then there's the transcendental strain that enlivens "Fire Worship".
   
   A couple of stories here feel overwritten, but you will get that with such a large body of work, not to mention Hawthorne's anxiety to please. Overall, the tales and sketches of "Old Manse" is a stirring display of how much a great writer can capture of life, ironic given how many of the stories contemplate (and in a roundabout way, celebrate) the limitations of human imagination. A thing of joy, "Manse" holds its own alongside any of Hawthorne's great novels.



3. This is a wonderful set of more stories and sketches. It is a great book to either read cover to cover, to to pick and chose stories.

4 comments about New England Frontier: Puritans and Indians 1620-1675.

1. This is the most balanced account of the relationship between the Indians and the early settlers I have read. It is an excellent book for someone who is interested in both sides of the story, Indian and Puritan. Vaughan tries to portray the truth of both people's viewpoint and doesn't get bogged down in politically correct rambling so prevalent in modern renditions (i.e. Greg Nobles). A must read for those who desire to be balanced in their view of History.



2. In 1620 the English Puritans settled in the region they called New England. There they met the natives, the Indians. This book explains how the Puritans and Indians related with each other until 1675. Vaughan demonstrates that the Puritans did not exploit the Indians as often believed but dealt fairly with them. He neither denigrates nor whitewashes either the Puritans or the Indians, but is fair to both sides.

   Vaughan describes the Indians, their beliefs and customs, and what they thought of the Puritans. Vaughan also portrays the beliefs and customs of the Puritans and their attitudes towards the Indians. Vaughan recounts how the Puritans and the Indians allied together to destroy the aggressive Pequot tribe in the Pequot war in 1637.
   Vaughan sketches the trade between Puritans and Indians, at first trading furs for items and later for wampum. Then he describes how the Puritans tried to fit the Indians fairly into their legal system. Finally he recounts the Puritans attempts to convert the Indians to Christianity.

   This is an excellent account, based on extensive primary and secondary sources, of the little known period before King Philips attack on the Puritans changed how the colonists and the Indians saw each other.




3. Alden Vaughan tackles the initial years of colonization in New England by the Puritans, and the relationship their communities had with the Native Americans of the region. In his examination, Vaughan argues that contrary to generally accepted histories, the Puritans' relations with the Native American groups in political, economic, judicial and religious spheres was "relatively humane, considerate and just," when compared with other contemporary European colonies in the New World, particularly the English colony in Virginia. The evidence that Vaughan provides is almost entirely drawn from Puritan sources, with some corroboration taken from other European colonies whenever possible. According to Vaughan no written histories from this period exist relating the Native American perspective directly, and he is confident that the Puritans left generally unbiased records regarding their dealings with the various native nations and individuals. The text he has produced from his investigation is one which sheds a considerably softer light on the Puritan's motives and actions regarding the Native Americans in New England.
   
   Vaughan's argument is generally convincing given the sources he examines. Vaughan defends his reliance on Puritan sources eloquently in the Preface, and it is hard to deny that there is a lack of Native American sources from the Puritan era. Still, there is no question that an unfiltered Native American voice is lacking, and that must be taken into account when assessing Vaughan's evidence. One wonders why Vaughan did not look into the writings of the Christian Native Americans living in New England, or further delve into the conversion narratives which he refers to. Vaughan has also avoided using captivity narratives written by Puritans, another possible source of information regarding Native American culture and opinion. Another inherent problem is Vaughan's narrow time span; this work focuses on a generation and a half of English/Native American interaction, and thus the lasting implications of Puritan policy are for the most part disregarded. Also lacking is gendered analysis of both Native American and Puritan relations; while Vaughan does briefly cover women's roles in Native American society in Chapter II, Puritan women are overlooked entirely in his predominately political analysis, as are "Praying Indian" women and their adjustment to Puritan gender roles. Overall, Vaughan mounts a convincing defense of the Puritan's motives and conduct, but one can come away from his work with the impression that in Vaughan's eyes, the Puritans could do no wrong.



4. A sensitive and sensible look at English-Indian relations in New England, 1620-1675. Vaughan attempts to dispel a number of myths (myths that have only intensified over time), by demonstrating that: 1) The Puritans did not push the New England Indians off their land. Indians owned and sold their land. 2) The Puritans did not deplete the food source of the natives. Game did decrease as more and more English settled in, but Indians were agricultural and grew most of their food. 3) The Puritans did not upset the Indians' economic pattern by underpaying them for goods and services. The tools Indians received from the English as payment for furs and land, for instance, were highly prized. 4) The Puritans did not kill off the Indians in a series of military actions. Warring tribes probably caused as many Indian deaths as the English, and the immediate causes of the Pequot War and King Philip's War were complicated and emerged from both sides. 5) Indians were not mistreated out of hand by the English in legal cases; for example, the death penalty for murder applied to all, regardless of race. Indians were frequently compensated for damaged property caused by the colonists' livestock. 6) The Puritans were not indifferent to the physical, moral, and spiritual well-being of the Indians. Puritans did not even regard the natives as a different race, but rather as white men with different features caused by their environment and "debased" by the Devil. Like themselves, they viewed the Indian as a creature fallen from Grace, and worthy of salvation.
   
   I am not expert enough to know exactly on which side of these "myths" the truth actually lies, though I suspect Vaughan is more correct than not. The political incorrectness of his views, however, seem fairly obvious and would probably receive little consideration today or be dismissed out of hand. This would be unfortunate, however, for much of what Vaughan has to say seems fair and reasonable. For all that, it's an interesting book, well written, and, in a provocative way that older historical works often are, a breath of fresh air.

5 comments about The Probable Future.

1. I like historical fiction, and this story has all of the elements of a good plot. It was written in the passive voice used by so many mediocre writers, though. The prose wore me out. The editor was not paying attention. There were details that didn't flow, and character progressions that did not ring true. Will is not a believable character, and even Stella is progressed way beyond her 13 years in a short amount of time. Ms. Hoffman can certainly conceive of a good story, she just didn't tell it well this time. I may take a stab at Practical Magic, since it was well-reviewed. I wouldn't recommend this book as an introduction to Ms. Hoffman's work, though. Pick another.



2. THE PROBABLE FUTURE is the story of the Sparrow women, who have inhabited Cake House in a small New England town for centuries, and who have extraordinary powers. Sound familiar? That's because this novel seems like an attempt to re-create the delight and magic of PRACTICAL MAGIC. However, in my opinion, it missed the mark. Hoffman's natural (and supernatural) descriptions are not the spice that livens the story as they have in her previous works. They seem forced and overdone, and did not endear any of the characters to me. The only Alice Hoffman book I have ever not wanted to read again.



3. Alice Hoffman weaves her usual magic in this story of relationships between mothers and daughters, and the men in their lives. Excellent reading!



4. Alice Hoffman's "The Probable Future" begins with mystery, history and magical realism that seamlessly blends with the present times of the current three generations of Sparrow women: Elinor, Jenny and Stella. Rebecca Sparrow, the matriarch of this line of gifted women, had the gift of not feeling pain, which led to her drowning by the small town of Unity, Massachusetts; this was the time when things out of the ordinary were considered from the devil or aligned with witchcraft.
   
   Hoffman informs us, "For as long as their history has been known, there have been only girl children born to the Sparrow family and every one of these daughters has kept the family name and celebrated her birthday in March." In addition, the Sparrow women always receive their gift on their thirteenth birthday. Elinor can detect when someone is lying; her daughter, Jenny, can see other people's dreams. The thirteenth generation, Jenny's daughter, Stella, is turning thirteen. Stella sees the future, how people will die. But as we read further, it is a probable future since Stella uses her foreknowledge to alter the future. But the gifts of the Sparrow women are used as subplots that are left in the background while the main focus and conflict is the difficulty the two pairs of mothers and daughters have in connecting.
   
   Jenny's estranged, irresponsible, philandering husband, Will Avery (Elinor knew he was a liar, but Jenny refused to listen) reports a murder a week in advance to the Boston police due to Stella's insistence. But then the murder occurs and Will becomes the main suspect (due to the police report and his phone number being found at the homicide scene) and thereafter brings the entire family together in Unity, away from the media frenzy, while the case is pending. Elinor, Jenny and Stella must face each other and their unresolved conflicts. We also learn more about the other Sparrow women, but it all becomes dull after Hoffman repeats the same town folklore over and over like a history teacher who has run out of tales to tell, therefore repeats the same ones with a slight variation.
   
   "The Probable Future" bursts forth with many promises and gleeful expectations; in fact, the pages do turn rather quickly as Hoffman piques our curiosity to know more about these thirteen Sparrow women who have had a major influence on the town's history. But ultimately, the burst disappears all too quickly; only the sparks of clichés, repetitions and implausible character turns remain.
   
   Bohdan Kot



5. This is a book about living, loving, growing up, dying, and all the stages between. It is the most insightful book on death and letting go that I have ever read. I cried at least three times, and having read thousands of books, I can truthfully say that this has happened only a hand full of times. I would highly recommend it to anyone experiencing the loss of someone close. There were seven deaths in my family in the past 18 months, and this small, sweet book soothed my soul.

1 comments about Sarah's Long Walk: The Free Blacks of Boston and How Their Struggle for Equality Changed America.

1. Sarah's Long Walk is a very well-researched historical view of a fascinating time in Boston history. As a native of Boston, I quickly became aware of how much I DON'T know about this side of Boston history as I read the book. It was a rare treat to be educated by the history and entertained by the well-recounted stories. I highly recommend the book!

2 comments about Keep Cooking - the Maine Way.

1. Marjorie Standish Cook Books are wonderful cook books for everyday food. She uses ingredients which would be commonly found in many home pantries or the corner supermarket. Her instructions are easy to follow for the novice cook and produce wonderful results. I have used her first cook book COOKING DOWN EAST for many years, and the purchase of these cook books are for another generation of budding cooks!



2. This book is one of two put out by former Maine columnist Marjorie Standish. Her recipes are easy, delicious and typical of a chef who knows what the "crowd" likes. I give these two books (Cooking Down East) as gifts to those who truly care about what they serve :)

1 comments about The Hurricane Of 1938 (New England Remembers).

1. This is a very worthwhile book from the human standpoint. It contains a wide variety of stories from those who were actually there, but could have used more facts. I still wonder, for instance, what caused an Atlantic hurricane to suddenly turn and attain a forward speed of 60 mph.

5 comments about Man and Wife.

1. Great book. There are some false moves here but its just Klavan's way to keep his readers guessing. The ending was an unexpected surprise and nice to boot. Klavan is a master at the craft of creating a believeable plot with nagging mystery throughout.



2. Psychiatrist Cal Bradley has an uxurious love for his wife Marie, a simple soul, good wife and mother, but not his equal in intelligence and education. He has been mildly aware that her past had some hidden secrets but was unwilling to dredge up the past in case it upset the comfortable present. Cal is treating a troubled teenager Peter Blue, who claims to have a mystical connection to God and whose crazy actions have brought him into trouble with the law. Peter threatens to suicide if put in jail so Cal is more lenient in his treatment of him. As a consequence, a brutal man from Marie's past becomes involved with them all, bringing down tragedy and violence which will forever alter the course of their lives.



3. One of my favorite books written in the last decade is TRUE CRIME by Andrew Klaven. It was also liked by Clint Eastwood who made a film out of it. There was a strong sense of suspense, which grabbed the reader from the first page and never let up. Unfortunately, Mr. Klaven has been unable to recreate that sense of superb storytelling with his subsequent books and they proved to be not nearly as successful. He also left the genre by writing a ghost story. However, I am pleased to report that he is again up to his usual high standards.

   Cal Bradley, a psychiatrist is happily married in a small New England town. Into his life step two men who threaten to tear his life apart. One is Peter Blue, a young man who, after beating his girlfriend, ran to a local church and set it on fire while threatening a police officer with a gun. Cal sees a lot of potential good in Peter and decides to take him under his wing at a local psychiatric hospital instead of keeping him in prison where Peter threatens suicide. The second is a shadowy tough figure of a man who may have past ties to Cal's wife, Marie. He may be the key to the unraveling of their marriage.

   Andrew Klaven has written a fast paced suspense novel with just the right amount of surprises to keep the pages flying. Characters are very well sketched as is the locale. In returning to the crime fiction and suspense subgenre, Andrew Klaven has returned to the arena of his greatest success. I sincerely hope he decides to remain here.




4. I really enjoyed reading this book. It's one of those books that leave you hanging at the end of every chapter. I like how it was written in a unique way so that it kept you guessing. This book shows how one troubled teen can change many people's lives. Cal Bradly and Peter Blue are very real and interesting characters in this book. Cal is the psychologist, husband and father. Peter is the troubled and influential nineteen year old. And Marie, Cal's wife, is the woman with the mysterious past. This was a great book and I encourage others to read it.



5. This is my first Klavan novel, and it was engrossing. Its greatest strength is the unique and powerful love story, in my opinion. Klavan describes what I think true love is about, the almost miraculous nature of it, unexpected, unforced, irrestible, rendering its captives completely devoted to each other, and, thus, vulnerable. Not enough of that kind of love around, it seems, but nice to see that someone can portray it beautifully. The suspense was also good, but this one clearly revolves around love, from the outstanding and unforgettable first line forward.

5 comments about Little White Lies: A Novel of Love and Good Intentions.

1. I really enjoyed this book, which actually kind of surprised me. I thought it was going to just be a bit of fluff -- some escapist chick lit that I could enjoy dipping into at the end of a long day while lolling in the bathtub.
   
   But then I found myself interested in the main character, Natalie, and the tangled web she wove as she took on another identity. She was, of course, a terrible liar, and a number of very entertaining things happened with the story's being neatly resolved at the end.
   
   This isn't deep or timeless literature. The character development is somewhat haphazard and the plot will gently test your credulity, but "Little White Lies" is a fun, interesting, entertaining book for the bath, beach, or comfy nook on the sofa.



2. Great book!! I couldn't put it down, i think I've read all of Gemma Townley's books now can't wait for the next one to come out!!



3. "Little White Lies" isn't an entire waste of time, but it is very predictable and repetitive. Take the plot of "Working Girl" and throw in a little "While You Were Sleeping" and that'll give you about 80% of the plot. Small town girl moves to the city with big dreams only to be initially disappointed. So, due to a few twists, she finds herself impersonating a more accomplished character. Enter the Perfect Guy and his appealing family, who love the protagonist for just who she is. But will they still love her when her deception is uncovered? That is the dilemma. There are all the standard cliches, including the scene where the protagonist is ready to reveal her lie, only to be interupted by someone who spills the beans for her. The ending is pure cotton candy. In fact, reading "Little White Lies" reminded me of why I often avoid chick lit. There are some good writers in this genre (and Townley is a competant writer, just not original) but the plots are so obvious that reading to the end often feels like a waste of time. I'll give this one points for the following: I learned a few things I didn't know (such as that Stonehenge and Bristol are near Bath) and there are at least two twists I couldn't predict (although they're both minor to the plot.) So... reader beware.



4. I read this book in a couple of days and it offered what I expected: fun, wit, romance and escapism from reality. Compared to other chick lit books it was very well written and didn't rely just on the storyline to attract readers. I liked very much the descriptions from Notting Hill although I've never been there and I also liked Natalie, the heroine and totally understood how she got in all that trouble with her white lies.
   
   On the negative side, it focused more in the difficulties a single woman moving in London faces today, even if she's working in a top fashion store and lives in the most hip neighboorhood, and the changes that this move brings to her character, rather than the romance between Natalie and Simon. It's a more of a character developing story than purely romance and this is the reason I had to rate it with 4 rather than 5 stars.
   
   Nice, light chick lit for undemanding readers but well written non the less. Will search other books from this writer ASAP.



5. Gemma Townley definitely knows how to absorb a reader into never letting the book down. Even with the busy schedule I was living,... I finished this book by staying up all night long and not sleeping a wink. This book was something i enjoyed a lot and allowed me to get away from the real world and live a fantasy world just for a day.