2 comments about Ben Jonson: A Life.

1. On a great man by a great scholar and writer.



2. Ben Jonson, Shakespeare's slightly younger contemporary, is the earliest English author who left behind enough evidence to make a literary biography possible. Not that the evidence is, by modern standards, voluminous. We do not know for certain when Jonson was born, who his father was or how long he went to school. His relationships with patrons and fellow writers are obscure, and his conduct was sometimes so reckless as to defy rational explanation. His determined efforts to fashion a persona only make his personality murkier. On paper, he was both a champion of morality and a venturer into the near neighborhood of pornography. In praxis, he seduced other men's wives while risking his own life and well-being as a religious dissident.

   David Riggs' thorough biography emphasizes Jonson's contradictions. Actually, it may find more contradictions than really exist. The author appears to be a convinced disciple of modern critical theory, a searcher after ambiguity who frequently drowns text in subtext. Foucault, Barthes, Fish and lesser lights of the deconstructionist priesthood receive proper marks of respect. Happily, though, Riggs is not quite so dense as his inspirers; except when quoting them directly, his meaning can be more or less understood.

   With the lit crit trappings (happily only a fraction of the whole work) stripped away, the tale of Jonson's rise from bricklayer's stepson to cultural arbiter is fascinating. Though claiming descent from an official of Henry VIII's court, he grew up among the laboring classes and would doubtless have followed his stepfather into the bricklaying trade, had some unknown benefactor not enabled him to enroll at Winchester, one of the finest grammar schools of the day. While Riggs finds no evidence that young Ben's education continued beyond the Fourth Form (his prodigious classical learning came from adult reading), it was sufficient, apparently, to instill a love of books and literature that led him, after detours into the army and acting, as well as some serious scrapes with the law, to become a professional writer for the stage.

   Jonson's career spanned the full range of the literary world of his time. In the beginning, he cadged advances from impresarios and earned so little that, after selling several plays, he returned for a while to his bricks. At the height, he enjoyed the bounty of royal and noble patrons, who rewarded him well for masques and occasional poems. At the end, though patrons grew fewer and his plays no longer appealed to the popular taste, he had the comfort of a circle of acolytes, the "Sons of Ben", and unrivaled prestige.

   On the ups and downs of this life, Riggs' detailed account is clear and authoritative. On the other hand, his analysis of the plays and poems that make us interested in the life is more likely to puzzle than enlighten. Fellow scholars will no doubt find useful nuggets, but the reader whose acquaintance with Jonson is perhaps limited to a long-ago perusal of "Volpone" or "Everyman in His Humour", and who wishes to get a better idea of the nature of the author's works, will find little help.

   There is also one noteworthy omission. The first name that most readers will look for in Riggs' index is "Shakespeare", and they will find almost nothing. That gap stems from a praiseworthy reluctance to speculate beyond the evidence or to accept as evidence the dubious legends of later generations. Still, the subject is one on which a slight boldness of inference would be welcome.

   A successful literary biography, someone has said, recruits new readers for its subject. This one does not pass that test, but, for anyone who is already interested in the second greatest dramatist of the Elizabethan Age, it will be quite satisfactory.

5 comments about All You Need Is Love to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb: How the Beatles and U2 Changed the World.

1. I agree with the other "one star" reviewer. This book had great potential but was a big disappointment. I don't agree with some of the information given to the reader about U2 (as a person studying Bono from an academic framework - I believe the author isn't entirely correct on some of his analysis). The repetative parts got to be annoying and insulting to the reader. A good alternative read is "U2 and Philosophy".



2. A great book from an ardent fan. A must-read for any music lover looking to delve deeper into the world of U2 and/or The Beatles. An informative yet personal approach to the interesting material makes this the perfect piece for any aficionado of either band.



3. This had the potential to be a good book but instead devolves into a fact by fact comparison of the two groups without really providing any interesting insights into how the bands are similar. Instead it's a run down of how their greatest hits chart positions are similar or a side by side factual comparison of their movies. It's also very redundant because he makes the same comments about the various albums a few times. In some cases, he actually provides two different interpretations of U2 songs in parts of the book but doesn't reconcile them.



4. this book rocks! i never thought of all the great connections between Lennon and Bono. And the concert reviews are so detailed, capturing the overall feeling, you feel like you are there! a great read for any Beatles followers, U2 fans or true appreciators of top quality music.



5. Writer Nadia Kijanka reported in October's Parklander magazine,
   
   Todd McFliker is one of South Florida's most passionate and knowledgeable music journalists. He graduated from Lynn University's College of International Communication with a M.S. in Mass Communication in 2005. Just two short years later, he published his first book, All You Need Is Love to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, a clever title crafted from two legendary bands' powerful lyrics, The Beatles and U2. The book takes an extensive look into the history of the two powerful rock bands that changed the world and musical history in unprecedented ways. With a catchy index of quotes and lists of the bands' tours and records, McFliker succeeds in encompassing the kind of amusing and interesting facts that true fans crave.
   
   McFliker opens the book with a description of his first brushes with the music that later became the heart and soul of his writing career. I felt as if he was also expressing my innocent discovery of the phenomenal bands that have captured so many hearts before mine. Like him, I missed the generation in which the Beatles, and even U2, were adored by masses around the world. If not for writers and music lovers like McFliker, brave enough to delve backwards into the unfamiliar territory of a past generation, I would be left to '80s hair metal, '90s grunge, and the recent pop culture of the new millennium.
   
   If there's one cliché to come out of my parents' complaints on today's music, it's that music is definitely "not what it used to be." The level of passion, concern, and conviction of the bands born in the past, like the Beatles and U2, remain unmatched by most budding musicians today. Why has the music of the past, specifically the Beatles and U2, touched the pages of history while still gripping people's interests today? What sets them above the bands that come and go in our mp3 players and on our radio stations? McFliker's book gives an accurate and refreshingly concise account of the reasons for these bands' timeless appeal.
   
   While both the Beatles and U2 are regarded as culture-altering icons in our "me" centered society, McFliker focuses on the significant differences of the relationships between the members, the intention of the music, and the nature of the bands' impact.
   
   During his solo career, Lennon became an advocate of peace and love through his music, tours, and unique interviews, such as the "Bed-In," that captured international attention and inspired concern from the public. Both the Beatles and Lennon alone, redefined music as well as the purpose of music. And while similarities between the cultural affect of the Beatles and U2 exist, most will admit that the revolutionary music of the four British men cannot be mimicked or genuinely regenerated.
   
   While Lennon preached innovation through his music, Bono achieved, and continues to achieve, political change through his actions. He assumes the role of the ultimate political rock star, approaching presidents and politicians alike, lobbying for economical aid to starving and diseased countries.
   
   Although the bands are very different, many fans still consider U2 to be the offspring of the Beatles and Bono, the John Lennons of our time.While the Fab Four endured countless fractures in their personal and professional relationship until the final breakup in 1970,U2 still remains a healthy, live and kicking band whose members never once publicly criticized one another.
   
   All You Need Is Love to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb covers the contributions these two bands have made to our world in general as well as to the world of music. The Beatles revolutionized music through their lyrics,
   performances and recording strategies. U2 shook everyone's ears and hearts with invigorating and painfully honest messages. .Never before has a book been able to thoroughly explore all the twists and turns of each of their journeys to make musical history, until now.

5 comments about Michael Collins and the Troubles: The Struggle for Irish Freedom 1912-1922.

1. This is a great book, but it certainly can do with a new title --Michael Collins is only mentioned a few times within the first 3/4ths of the book. Don't let this stop you from reading it, though. O'Conner's conversational style makes it an engaging read on the events leading up to the wretched free state and the war for independence.
   
   And I must disagree with the reviewer who wouldn't recommend this as a 'starting point for studying the Irish rebellion.' It's great. Read it. If you want some more on the topic read Rebels by Peter de Rosa and Bloody Sunday by James Gleeson.



2. I didn't mean to read this book. I had bought it for someone else but it never quite got there. Ulick O'Connor begins by relating a little of his own family's history and then goes into what can only be called a chronological ramble about Irish history.

   This is by no means a biography of Michael Collins. In fact very little of the book is spent on Michael Collins himself. It is however an engaging conversation on the history of Ireland in the early 1900's.

   This conversational style is hard to follow. To get something out of this book you must read it as though you are listening to a witness describe to you what happened in those critical days and do it over a pint of Guinness. If you can read the book in that perspective you will find that you have been given a personal introduction to the many men and women that drove the Irish freedom movement to the front of the world stage.

   The author writes in a style that feels very personal. Not so much history but a story. A tale of people that were and are important to the author. However, because its so personal it is not very balanced. This is a tale of Irish Repulicans told by an Irish Repulican. No love is lost on the British Government or the Ulster Unionists.

   I cannot recommend this book as a starting point for studying the history of the Irish rebellions and the roots of the IRA and Sinn Fein. I can however recommend this book as an excellent addition to a well rounded education on the topic.




3. If you've wanted to know about Michael Collins but all you've ever seen was the movie (dramatization) this is a great primer book for his background. I think Tim Pat Coogan's book is better for an in depth analysis of Mr. Collins. I've just started that one but would recommend it as well.



4. O'Connor's title suggests that this book is strictly a biography of Michael Collins focused on the years 1912 through 1922. In actuality, it covers a wide range of people and events and I cannot recommend it strictly as a Collins biography. However, as a history book that happens to have an emphasis on Collins, particularly in the latter part, I can recommend it. O'Connor has relied on materials from the library of General Richard Mulcahy (the IRA's chief of staff in Collins' time) and on interviews with Eamon de Valera, et al. For those reasons alone, I believe it is worth at least a cursory glance. Because of O'Connor's interest in and work for the Abbey Theatre, this book does emphasize literature and the arts in terms of how they fueled the independence movement. For someone interested in humanities as well as history, this would be one of O'Connor's advantages. This selection is divided only into numbered chapters rather than parts and that can be a bit irritating at times, especially because this is not a traditional biography. Chapter One actually begins by discussing Charles Stewart Parnell and the untimely end of his career. From there, the reader is taken quickly through the Irish political climate from the late 1800s to 1912. It is not until the last third of the book that the audience learns of specific ways Collins kept the republican struggle afloat in tough times. Therefore, this book's usefulness can only be determined by what you intend to use it for. If you are trying to accumulate materials for a general study of modern Irish history, this book is worth owning. If you are looking for a typical Collins biography, this wouldn't be the best starting point.



5. When I got the book I thought it would be more on Michael Collins . Despite this I thought it was a good book that help put into to prespective the events and people around him.

5 comments about Morte Darthur (York Medieval Texts).

1. Book was shipped quickly and was in excellent condition. Exactly as it was promoted to be.



2. I bought this Signet translation by Keith Baines after a frustrating attempt to read the Modern Library translation by William Caxton. Caxton's dry, stilted rendition left me hungry for a cleaner, more modern version.
   
   Here's a prime example from page 1:
   
   Caxton: "It befell in the days of Uther Pendragon, when he was king of all England, and so reigned, that there was a mighty duke in Cornwall that held war against him long time. And the duke was called the Duke of Tintagil. And so by means King Uther sent for this duke, charging him to bring his wife with him, for she was called a fair lady, and a passing wise, and her name was called Igraine."
   
   Baines: "King Uther Pendragon, ruler of all Britain, had been at war for many years with the Duke of Tintagil in Cornwall when he was told of the beauty of Lady Igraine, the duke's wife."
   
   If Caxton was my high school English teacher demanding that I diagram his sentences, I might forthwith set myself through with mine dagger most deadly.
   
   Anyway, if you just want to enjoy the Arthurian tales in their cleanest English version, buy Signet's paperback. It's also half the price of other translations.
   
   Happy reading!



3. You already know if you're going to like this book. It was written in the 15th century. That fact alone should tell you that if you want a modernized version, look elsewhere. You should probably read T. H. White's The Once and Future King or Steinbeck's unfinished The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights. Both are retellings of this book, written for the modern reader, the former being the better, in my opinion, but the latter retains the same feel as Malory's work. If you're still not sure if you'd like this book, there are other reviews to explain in better detail why you should or should not try it.



4. First of all,let me start by saying that Malory is the most essential and best of all the Arthurian works.
   Secondly,I'm seriously considering teaching an informal class for local folks who would like to learn more about the Arthur cycle. I don't know everything, but I've studied the 17 books I have on the subject intensely.
   With respect, does anyone out there have any advice for me? Thanks!



5. I have always received the best service when I have placed an order from you. Outstanding!!!!!

1 comments about The Memoirs of Princess Dashkova.

1. The Memoirs of Princess Dashkova are unique in that they are a first hand account of eighteenth century Russia from the point of view of a noblewoman close to the centers of power at the court of Catherine the Great. As all memoirs do, Dashkova's words present a particular bias-that of an intelligent and privileged upper-class woman in a deferential society who has an agenda she wishes to impress upon the reader. Yet within this memoir are glimpses of Russia in a time of radical and fast-paced changes, in some of which Dashkova herself has a hand.

   It is difficult to credit Dashkova's convictions that she was the first to even conceive of the possibility of Catherine's overthrow of Peter III since Dashkova was eighteen and one of the younger members of Catherine's circle. Although Dashkova was a supporter of Catherine and did have a hand in the plot to over throw the czar, Catherine's memoirs imply that such a coup was envisioned long before the death of the Empress Elizabeth and that Catherine herself was merely waiting for the right moment to act. More plausible is the idea that Catherine had cultivated the young Princess purposely to have a ear in the Vorontsov camp. Dashkova's rendition of events would have her personally picking the conspirators, sending for Catherine's carriage, ordering the Orlovs to bring Catherine to speak to the regiments and almost single-handedly arranging the entire series of events. The most noteworthy point in this account of the coup of 1762 is the fact that it could take place at all in a monarchial state. That the Emperor with the appropriate Russian bloodline could be overthrown by his wife, a Princess of Germany, is remarkable in itself and speaks more of Catherine's perspicacity than of Dashkova or any other supporter.

   Dashkova paints a picture of the Russian court under Catherine as both a place of sycophants and personal favor seekers and of great new ideas and plans for the state as a whole; of wealth and luxury taken for granted by the aristocracy while at the same time there are ongoing economic problems of national significance. Dashkova's Russia has two faces-that of an elegantly coifed and gowned Europeanized noblewoman and that of the peasant-serfs, themselves living in hovels, who out of gratitude for being allowed to work volunteer their labor so that she could build a fine house. The clearest impression of Dashkova and her contemporaries is that typical of the majority of eighteenth century aristocracy-of the disparity between the classes and of the general obliviousness of the upper-class to the misfortunes of the lower.

   Dashkova's lesson to Diderot of the importance of serfdom-as a method by which the enlightened aristocracy protects the hapless peasants for their own good-gives a clear perspective of the hierarchy between the social classes in eighteenth century Russia. Whether the conversation actually took place is less believable than the fact that she, like the vast majority of Russian aristocracy, wholeheartedly subscribed to the theories of absolute sovereignty and enlightened despotism. Even less believable are Diderot's thanks to Dashkova for educating him on the advantages of serfdom. When she meets Voltaire she describes him as being infatuated with her and begging her not to leave. A possible explanation of Dashkova's need to portray herself as such a close confidante and friend to Diderot and Voltaire may lie in a desire to be seen in some respects as Catherine's equal.

   The Princess portrays herself as a highly-educated liberal thinker about ideas she is not willing to put into practice; while at the same time her intention is obviously self-serving propaganda and a desire to share with her audience the esteem she feels she is held in by nearly everyone she meets. In one aside she states: "I would remind my readers that this will only appear after my death, so they cannot tax me with vanity because I repeat things as they were said." This intent to impress is typical of the Russian Court as a whole, especially in their pursuit of Western European approval.

   To give Dashkova some benefit of the doubt it must be pointed out that much of the style of her writing, particularly the overt humility that comes across as insincere, is actually an affectation typical of women writers of the eighteenth century. For women to be accepted as authors or thinkers of any note was rare indeed, and most women of that period, whether writing on political issues like Mary Wollstonecraft or on women's lives like Frances Burney, found it necessary to preface much of what they had to say with some apologizing for simply being female. In that respect Dashkova's memoirs are fairly similar to some of her contemporaries. Where Dashkova must be taken with some skepticism is in those areas where her own accounts differ with the historical record and fortunately Jehanne Geith, Kyril Fitzlyon, and A. Woronzov-Dashkoff have done an admirable job of reporting such issues in the introduction, afterword, footnotes and index of the text. To them belongs the real praise for this fascinating glimpse into eighteenth century aristocratic Russia.

4 comments about Hitler and the Occult.

1. I saw a program on this subject on the history channel and promptly went to pick up this book. I'm glad I got it from the library rather than buying it however. While the subject is fascinating and the writing quite nicely paced, the book absolutely fails to deliver the depth of analysis and information that I was hoping for. However, I can say that all of the information presented in the book seemed to be well supported.



2. It's rather easy to show, as Anderson does, that some of Ravenscroft's claims are simply incredible. But it's also easy to show, as do several other books much more credible than Ravenscroft's Spear, that Hitler was certainly interested in theory of the occult, while not himself being a committed occultist in practice. This is not uncommon among highly intelligent but somewhat emotionally deranged persons. It's also rather hard to deny, when one reads the words of the man himself, in Mein Kampf and in Rauschning's non verbatim record of conversations, that Hitler was fascinated and influenced by concepts and beliefs which are identifiable with occult theory of history and race, and which can be traced from Blavatsky to Gurdjieff to Crowley. But he was not a follower, but a leader, not a theorist but a pragmatist, and his use and abuse of such ideas was peculiarly his own. No one however can claim that he was original in inspiration.



3. I purchased this book this last spring and was to busy to read it, so it sat on my shelf till this weekend. I was in the mood for a good read, I remembered this book, picked it up and didn't put it down till finished. When I bought it, I thought it would be a book that detailed the Nazi involvement with the Occult. As I read it, I began to realize that the book in large part takes issue with a single man's (Ravenscroft) work on the Nazi's and the occult. Ken Anderson does a nice, precise, point-by-point review of Ravenscroft, and his "evidence" about the Nazi involvement with the occult. Anderson points out that Ravenscroft details about his own personal involvement in a raid to kill Rommel in the Second World War were fictitious. From that Anderson builds a case against Ravenscroft's allegations that Hitler was driven by his contact with the "spear of destiny" - a spear that was used to make sure Christ had died. When I finished the book, I was amazed to find that with the substantial evidence in this book, I believe that Hitler was not "driven" by the occult. He was simply evil. Something his young niece realized when she was 17, and shot herself with his .32 Walther.

   I have more than a working knowledge of WW2, the events and the history. Last summer I spent two weeks riding around Germany on a BMW motorcycle seeing the WW2 sites. I very much appreciate this book for detailing information I had not known before, and linking it with information that I am quite familiar with. The end result was my belief that Anderson's information is accurate and well told. If you're into the history, you'll love this book.




4. I have read a number of books on Hitler's supposed fascination with, mastery of, and belief in various occult doctrines. In Hitler and the Occult, Ken Anderson delivers a chapter-by-chapter debunking of many of the theories surrounding Hitler's occultic leanings and gives what appear to be logical explanations for some of his actions which have been taken by some to prove his involvement in the occult. Most of the book is spent deconstructing the theories of Trevor Ravenscroft and reinforcing this deconstruction by attempting to discredit Ravenscroft himself. I have read the main target of Anderson's scorn, The Spear of Destiny, and have to admit that some of Ravenscroft's assertions in that volume seem quite far-fetched and incredible. But between his wilder claims, Ravenscroft does offer the reader food for thought. Anderson dissects his more plausible assertions with the aplomb of an undertaker preparing his umpteenth corpse. The Spear of Longinus, Lanz von Lebenfels, and the Thule Society are all given short shrift. Although it is true that many top Nazis were involved in secret societies and occultic fantasies, that was not uncommon at the time so there is nothing particularly significant about it. Hitler was more of a realist and seems to have had little time for or little patience with such notions. Though one might be tempted to believe that Hitler was controlled by otherworldly forces with which he had made a Faustian bargain, I tend toward Anderson's view that that is all nonsense. Reading this book will help interested persons sort out contradictions in theories of an occultic Hitler and bring them back to earth with a more prosaic view of Hitler's actions and motivations.

5 comments about Danny Boy: The Legend Of The Beloved Irish Ballad.

1. This item (to call it a "book" would be an insult to books) has perhaps three pages of information about the history and substance of "Danny Boy". The remaining 138 pages are irrelevant Hamburger Helper. Save your $18.95 (or even your lower Amazon price) for something worth the money.



2. An excellent book by an excellent writer!McCourt has awaken the intrest in all of us to get to the bottom of what this song is all about.I think he has done it, and each time I hear it ,I will think of this book,and of what the song means to me.
   Though there are numerous ideas about what the song means,who was it to and from etc.,he has shown that doesn't really matter.It is a song expressing deep love,and it can mean whatever the listener wants it to mean.I have dozens of versions and although they vary greatly I love them all.I am always happy to hear it by another singer whether a professional or just an ordinary person singing from the heart.
   As to whether or not the words were written in Ireland by an Irishman;it doesn't matter in the least,it's a great Irish song.
   When you stop and think about it,there's no way it could be anything else but Irish.Johnny Cash wrote "Forty Shades of Green" as he was flying over Ireland,a school teacher living in Ontario wrote "Maggie" to his lover,and if that isn't enough, the song "I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen" was written in America and had nothing at all to do with taking Kathleen back to Ireland,because she didn't come from there in the first place.
   However;all these songs are Irish .What you have to remember is that there over 50 million Irish dispersed all over the world including about 4 million in Ireland.This book would be a great gift for anyone with a song in their heart and a twinkle in their eye for there's sure to be some Irish in their blood.



3. We don't know why "Danny Boy" touches our hearts -- but it does. I was pleasantly surprised to have a chance to learn something about the lore that came together to help create the feeling whenever I hear this ballad. You may want to consider reading the novel Yours, Aiden (isbn 1403319898)as it too creates a stir within.



4. Beyond question, the melody variously known as "Danny Boy" or "Londonderry Air" is one of the great tunes of all time. Its measured rising and falling cadences would grace the catalog of Franz Schubert or any of the other great classical vocal composers.

   Malachy McCourt, brother of novelist Frank McCourt (ANGELA'S ASHES) and a well-known writer and radio-TV luminary in his own right, has produced a curious little book of less than 95 pages about the famous tune and its well-known lyrics. His book is part history, part speculation, part myth and part personal editorial essay. And it is not free from touches of Irish blarney.

   McCourt's findings may surprise --- and dismay --- many. The great tune, long since adopted as a kind of unofficial Irish national anthem, may not be of Irish origin. A folklorist named Jane Ross supposedly first noted it down around 1851. She reportedly heard it played by a blind fiddler, Jimmy McCurry, in Limavady, Londonderry --- but there is at least a possibility that the melody may have originated in Scotland. No one knows for sure. At least one respected musical scholar claims that the tune follows no known metric scheme for Irish folk music.

   Many different sets of words were attached to the tune after its first publication in 1855 --- but those that have become indissolubly identified with it ("O Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling, from glen to glen and down the mountainside....") were written in 1910 by an English lawyer and song-lyric cobbler named Frederick E. Weatherly, who probably never set foot in Ireland. They were actually intended for a different tune, but when Weatherly's sister-in-law sent him some years later the familiar melody from her home in Australia, he saw that it was a perfect fit for his earlier verses. Thus an "Irish" classic was created from a melody that may be Scottish and words by an Englishman.

   McCourt gives us this information straightforwardly enough, but he fleshes them out with a good deal of barely relevant material. It seems strange to arraign a book of 95 pages on charges of padding, but the complaint seems justified. McCourt solicited opinions about the song from Irish celebrities (including brother Frank) and speculates at length on such side issues as who is singing the song and to whom it is addressed (one possibility among several: it is the song of Danny Boy's gay lover!). The author's tone varies between straight historical writing and folksiness, including occasional cutesy use of "tis" and "t'was." McCourt also grinds a personal axe or two. He thinks ill of those Catholic dioceses that have banned the singing of "Danny Boy" at funerals because it is "secular."

   There are some fascinating bits of trivia here, however. Victorians hesitated to refer to the song as Londonderry Air because, to their prudish ears, it sounded too much like "London derriere." Irish nationalists never use that title either, because they want no mention of London in the title. Wordsmith Weatherly was once in legal partnership with one of the sons of Charles Dickens. And another of Weatherly's lyrics was the popular "Roses of Picardy," set to music memorably by Haydn Wood. Wood studied under the composer Sir Charles Stanford, who quoted "Londonderry Air" in one of his Irish rhapsodies. Make of that what you will. This is a curious little book, entertaining in its quirky way but almost undone by its relentless folksiness. "Londonderry Air" remains a musical treasure, regardless of its origin.

   --- Reviewed by Robert Finn




5. This book was thrown together with little effort. It only has 100+ pages due to the double spacing and large type. Save your money for a better effort.

3 comments about Ella Young: Irish Mystic and Rebel.

1. Sometimes life reaches out and gives you a gentle nudge where it is least expected. I was reading the wonderful new HELEN ADAM READER, edited by Kristin Prevallet and published by the National Poetry Foundation, and I was expressing my interest in seeing this book get picked up by our local library's program "Everybody's Reading the Same Book At the Same Time," a program that changes every month but often enough, focuses on books with some relation to San Francisco. And the Helen Adam book would be perfect for that, I enthused to the woman at the Friends of the Library desk, because she, Helen Adam, though Scottish by birth and aura, and something of a mystic, came to San Francisco in the 30s and 40s and in her fifties became an integral part of the art and poetry scene sweeping the city in the postwar era, singing her enchanting ballads and listening to her cats speaking to her, like a modernday witch. The woman at the Friends of the Library listened politely and then asked if I was aware of Ella Young and the way that the Library was sponsoring a talk about Ella Young by Rose Murphy, an Irish biographer visiting San Francisco. Well I knew nothing about her!
   
   It sounds like Ella Young and Helen Adam had a lot in common, added my informant, except that Adam was from Scotland while Young was from Ireland. Quickly I got a copy of the book, published in Dublin by the Liffey Press, and I must say I had to agree! They're practically the same story, or perhaps the same odyssey would be more apropos. Young was born in Ireland and became close to the circle of artists, poets and rebels around Yeats and Maud Gonne, those who believed in an anthropological approach to the peasant people in the west of Ireland, for they had held on longer to the magical Celtic way of living, and also of course to Gaelic and other pre-industrial forms. As Rose Murphy shows, even though Ella Young believed elves walked with her and that fairies produced symphonies of gorgeous music every time she went for a walk, she was also a stone cold revolutionary and ran guns and ammo during the Easter Rising of 1916. Before you could say boo to a goose, she had packed bag and baggage for the West Coast once again--but this time the West Coast of the USA, where her simple ways and heartfelt patriotic songs made her a hit among the intelligentsia like Robinson Jeffers, Gavin Arthur, and Ansel Adams.
   
   I wonder if the fairies helped her write her anthologies of the folk tales she collected. There were quite a few of them, not all that well known today, except perhaps among children or old people. CELTIC WONDER TALES is one, THE TANGLE COATED HORSE, and THE UNICORN WITH SILEVR SHOES are two more. Now that I know her life, I'll be delving into her work, thanks to Rose Murphy, whose lighthearted, slight, and cotton-candy biography of Young had opened my eyes and given me hope that, somewhere down the line, a more serious biography might be undertaken soon.



2. Rose Murphy's book is a delightful exploration of the life of an eccentric and talented Irish writer and folklorist. Ella Young (1867-1956) was a protestant who left the safety and comfort of her upper middle class life in Dublin to journey to the West of Ireland, a land of traditional people and a surviving outpost of Celtic culture and language. Young not only recorded the stories of magic, elves and spirits, she was something of a mystic herself. She heard fairie music, met elves and communicated with the trees. During her numerous trips to the West of Ireland to collect ancient myths, Ella returned often to Dublin to tell the stories she heard from the farmers and country folk. Her earliest audiences were Irish school children, and her books were generally writen for children as well.
   
   Remarkably, in her 58th year, Ella moved to America and became a favorite on the lecture circuit, telling Irish stories and drawing nostalgic crowds of Irish immigrants wherever she spoke. Although Young started life in America on the east coast, she continued her travels westward and settled in the Bay Area where she lectured at the University of California at Berkeley for seven years. She often drew audiences of up to five hundred listeners.
   
   Young retired to Oceano, a central coast community with a beach commune of Dunnites (utopoians and pacifists), many of whom she counted among her friends. Her American social set included Ansel Adams, Robinson Jeffers and Gavin Arthur, grandson of the American president. In Oceano Young enjoyed owning her first real home, a cozy cabin with a garden...although far from her Irish roots. She wrote her memoirs there and spent her remaining years in her adopted homeland.
   
   Murphy's portrayal gives us rich insight, not only into the life of Ella Young, but also into Ireland's revolution, its literary renaissance and American culture between two wars.



3. I was captivated by the mix of lively stories, enchanting photographs and
   the glimpses of well-known Irish writers that Ella gives the reader. Most
   moving, however, is the story of this strong woman's constant westward
   journey told through her letters, her poems, and the recollections of her
   friends.

1 comments about Christy Brown: The Life That Inspired My Left Foot.

1. This is a great read. The author uses interviews with Brown's siblings and friends as well as his private letters and unpublsihed works. His childhood, and its challenges - handled so admirably by his mother - are evoked beautifully. It will make you laugh and make you cry.
   The book is also a must for Day-Lewis addicts as the author interviews people who worked with him on the film (including Christy Brown's brothers and sisters), and has some great stories therein.
   Overall, this is a wonderful book about a man who overcame the odds, beginning with so little - but led a life most of us could only imagine living - Brilliant.

3 comments about Budapest Diary: In Search of the Motherbook (Texts and Contexts).

1. Further up "A reader from Cambridge" proved that he did not understand nothing at all. It's just for this guy that I do have to explain, that this book has nothing got to do with scholarships or so. It's hard to belive that he did not find out while reading the book to its end. He or she however seemed to have noticed in the end that he or she might blame himself or herself and therefore missed to leave the full name.

   For the rest of the world I would like to say that this is not big literature, but an important book. Once individuals stop to be interested to investigate in their history and to try to understand what was happening when and why, we will loose a chance to prevent dark parts of human history from coming back. This is why this book has a right to exist and this is what we can learn from it. It gives us an example for ourselves. And Suleiman does not celebrate herself, as her critic says, but gives us an unproctected view into her feelings. This makes her vulnerable and the "reader from Cambridge" takes his freedom to eagerly touch her wounds.

   I say it very clearly: Books like Suleiman's help to make sure that "readers from Cambridge MA" buy a book about the Iraque war the other day and complain that it is not really on the oil business.




2. It's in no way clear what any of this has to do with scholarship, either on the level of literature, history, or autobiography. Suleiman is clearly her own biggest fan, and the book does nothing but detail her personal celebration of herself. It is, for example, in no way clear what her name-dropping accounts of dinner parties and non-attended talks is supposed to signify within the context of serious, reflective scholarship. If you're sitting a qualfiying exam anytime soon for a degree in Susan Suleimanism, by all means read this book, but it is a waste of time for anyone else. Let's hope this volume sounds a death knell for academic self-aggrandizement: come back to earth Ms. Suleiman.



3. This is a book exploring the author's search for a childhood identity forged in Hungary in the shadow of the Holocaust and her family's subsequent emigration to the USA. For many complex reasons, childhood issues had not been addressed for much of the author's adult life. The book is a wonderfully evocative memoir of childhood, a search for a national identity and an accurate and sensitive portrayal of the sense of alienation felt by those with the immigrant experience. It is set in the background of the diary written by the author while she lived and worked in Budapest in an academic capacity. As she explores the issues around Hungary's newly found freedoms in the 1990s, she examines them in the context of the uglier aspects of Hungarian and European nationalism which had decimated Hungarian Jewry. Although told from the Jewish viewpoint, it has broad appeal and addresses many important aspects of the human condition.

   The author's considerable literary ability (she is professor of Romance Languages at Harvard) is evident in the exquisitely sensitive descriptions of events and emotions from both a child's and adult's viewpoint. She seems to have learnt well from the authors on whom she has based her distinguished career. Emotions leap at the reader from every page, often rapidly traversing the spectrum of joy, sadness, longing, confusion and humor. At all times there is a strong prevailing sense of the author's awareness of how her uniquely Hungarian Jewish background profoundly influenced every important outcome of her life and her world outlook.

   The dilemma of being an outsider, yet identifying culturally and nationally with a sovereign state is well known to many Jews and constitutes the fundamental European Jewish experience. Many of those (myself included) who underwent this in repressive political systems fled to the western world and became very successful and yet experienced a sense of national and cultural alienation in their adopted societies.

   Despite addressing emotionally charged, controversial and sometimes uncomfortable subjects, there is always a sense of lightness and what is almost playfulness. Not all issues are serious and there is one hilarious description of Hungarian toilets, which every Westerner must have felt (if not voiced) upon their initial experience with these dreadfully designed pieces of porcelainware.

   Although an emotionally charged book, it never descends into unrealistic sentimentalism - the message seems to be that no matter what we do with our lives, where we come from has a profound effect on who we are and how we see the events around us. Acknowledging this can be liberating.