Premeditated Man

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Premeditated Man
Richard M. Restak
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Ethics | Business Life | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Natural History | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0140044116

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PreMeditated Man. Bioethics and the Control of Future Human Life.
Richard M. Restak
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ37DO

Book Description

Join Dick Perry for a memorable journey through Spanish colonial West Mexico. Starting in MichoacÃ¡n, he explores the Tarascan highlands, Lake PÃ¡tzcuaro, Morelia, colonial Guadalajara, and the silver cities of Guanajuato state, including San Miguel de Allende. Finally, the author accompanies the reader to the opulent viceregal city of QuerÃ©taro. In addition to describing important monuments and works of art, this book is a visual feast with over 200 line drawings by the author. This large-format guide is ideal for the traveler and is also an indispensable reference book.

A remarkable travel guide to the dramatic Colonial arts and architecture of Guadalajara and West Mexico.

Customer Reviews:

Eclisiastical architecture of a region of Mexico.......2001-07-15

The title is somewhat misleading. This is a guide book, a tour of four Mexican states that focuses almost exclusively on eclisiastical buildings. Useful if you are interested in architecture and are touring in Michoacan, Jalisco, Guanajuatao, and Quertaro. Line drawings are nice, obviously drawn off of photos.

The book is large in format (so a bit awkward to travel with) and the design of the book is mediocre -- headline fonts are quite unattractive.

I would only recommend this book to those with a deep interest in religious architecture and architectural decoration in Mexico.

A superlative guide and work of devotion.......2001-02-24

As a frequent visitor to many of the towns and cities covered in this guide, I thought that I knew a good deal about their history. Not so.

This is Richard Perry's fourth book in a series of illustrated regional guidebooks from the Espadaña Press capturing the unique quality of Mexico's colonial architecture. In 'Blue Lakes' we accompany the author on a winding journey across a broad swathe of west central Mexico that includes the states of Michoacán, Jalisco, Guanajuato, and Querétaro.

We are first introduced to some of the key historical figures of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, such as Bishop Vasco de Quiroga and a small group of architects whose names become more familiar as we encounter their work through 272 pages.

Special attention is given to the major colonial centres such as Pátzcuaro, Morelia, Guadalajara, Guanajuato, Querétaro, and San Miguel de Allende, with observations that will enrich any walking tour. The surrounding landscape is also dotted with colonial gems, many of them given little distinction or ignored completely in many guides. Here, less well-known towns ("off the beaten track") are equally well accounted for, and there is a welcome chapter on the missions of the Sierra Gorda in the state of Querétaro. The scope of this large format paperback is comprehensive, and the text is accessible, engaging and peppered with fascinating and sometimes surprising details. But what makes this guide special are the author's own precise line drawings that compliment the absorbing text - more than 200 of them in all. Thus not only does Richard Perry deliver us a fine piece of travel writing but his architectural drawings make their subjects far more vivid than the photos in most conventional guidebooks - in short he is the perfect guide and the book, an excellent companion to any journey to Mexico's colonial heartland.

As well as being ideal for those intending to spend a week or two in the region on a cultural holiday, if you are more knowledgeable about the colonial treasures of central Mexico, then this also becomes an indispensable reference book. I myself was very grateful for the two-page glossary at the back.

On my visits to Mexico I'm inclined to head straight for the nearest market to get my senses bombarded with colour and exotic aromas - or perhaps I might get diverted by a craft shop. Reading this guide, I've made myself a promise: to willingly retrace my steps; where before I skipped passed a church, 'looking but not seeing' (or being able to interpret) a splendid carved facade or nipped inside but missed a mural or ornate altar, in future I will pay more attention, ponder where before I would have barely paused, and generally be more open and receptive to this important chapter in Mexico's rich history.

Thank you Richard Perry. Highly recommended.

A marvellous illustrated guide to colonial treasures........1999-01-30

Blue Lakes and Silver Cities is an engagingly-written, large-format account of the most outstanding colonial architecture and treasures in Western Mexico, illustrated with over 200 original line drawings by the author. This is Richard Perry's fourth book in a series capturing the unique quality of Mexico's colonial architecture and the best yet! I know personally most of the places Perry describes and cannot believe that anyone is likely to improve substantially on his painstaking research and attention to detail in a very long time. There is virtually nothing else in English on this topic. A wonderful achievement and a fascinating read.

Customer Reviews:

The search for sunken treasure - this is a treasure.......2007-06-14

With Odysesey Marine Exploration finding sunken treasure in 2007, it's great to read about another great find - Mel Fisher's find of the Atocha. Pirate of the Caribbean fans might like reading about finding sunken ships and their treasure, too. The book is well written and includes wonderful drawings.

A great story well told with fantastic illustrations.......2000-07-04

The story of Mel Fisher's 16-year search for the lost treasure ship Atocha is a compelling one, and this retelling of it is worthy of the tale. The Spanish ship Atocha, laden with tons of precious metals and jewels, sank in a storm off Florida in 1622. Salvage efforts were frustrated by more storms and a wreck too low in the water to get at without modern diving technology. Mel started looking for the wreck in 1969 and he found it at terrible personal cost. But it is a great story and has wonderful sidebars. I am a children's librarian and kids will love this.

The Incredible Story of China's Buried Warriors (Frozen in Time, Set 2)

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Incredible story of a lost time and hidden army

The Incredible Story of China's Buried Warriors (Frozen in Time, Set 2)
Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
Manufacturer: Benchmark Books (NY)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Asia | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0761407839

Customer Reviews:

Incredible story of a lost time and hidden army.......2001-05-04

When farmers digging a well in 1974 discovered some statues buried in the ground in the countryside near Xi'an, central China, it wasn't really that unusual. Bits of statuary and broken pottery had been discovered through that area for many years. What was unusual, however, was the fact that there weren't just a few statues buried in the ground; there were literally THOUSANDS of them. A whole, vast army of terra-cotta soldiers, horses, and chariots spanned a size greater than 5 football fields, all buried for over 2,000 years.

One of the better-known recent events in archeological history was the discovery of the Qin army, buried during the reign of China's first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi. Thousands of life-sized statues, richly detailed and no two exactly alike, were buried by during the first part of his reign. During his life, Qin was on a constant quest to find an elixir of life that would allow him to live forever. Archeologists believe that the army was made to protect the Emperor in the afterlife, should he not find that elixir during his lifetime.

A beautiful and fascinating book, "China's Buried Warriors" is richly illustrated with photographs from the digs. Though they have lost their original coats of paint and are all an earthy brown, each warrior looks profoundly ALIVE, as if he is ready to spring into action at a moments notice. It's almost spooky to see so many determined, read-for-action faces staring out at the reader from the pages.

Additional information, such as ancient Chinese history, the system of writing, and theories on how the statues were made is interspersed throughout the book. This information helps the reader who may not be familiar with all areas of Chinese history or archeology. The reader comes away with a profound notion of how long it must have taken to make these statues, as well as unearth them (you cannot simply use a shovel to dig them up, the author reminds us, they must be painstakingly dug out with hand trowels, brushes and small picks).

Most books on archaeology leave a reader cold and bored, especially a young reader. What's so interesting about a bunch of clay statues?? "China's Buried Warriors" clearly is not in the ho-hum, humdrum league of most archaeological writings. The enthusiasm and excitement the author has for the subject is immediate from the very first page, and leads the reader ever onward through the narrative.

As a teacher, I've used this book in social studies as a springboard to a great number of topics: China, the past, rulers and emperors, writing, and even death and dying. The text is written clearly and flows evenly from one topic to another. However, very young or beginning readers may have difficulty decoding some of the Chinese words and names.

Book Description

A New York Times Bestseller
Words can bleed.

In 1865 Boston, the literary geniuses of the Dante Club—poets and Harvard professors Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, and James Russell Lowell, along with publisher J. T. Fields—are finishing America’s first translation of The Divine Comedy and preparing to unveil Dante’s remarkable visions to the New World. The powerful Boston Brahmins at Harvard College are fighting to keep Dante in obscurity, believing that the infiltration of foreign superstitions into American minds will prove as corrupting as the immigrants arriving at Boston Harbor.

The members of the Dante Club fight to keep a sacred literary cause alive, but their plans fall apart when a series of murders erupts through Boston and Cambridge. Only this small group of scholars realizes that the gruesome killings are modeled on the descriptions of Hell’s punishments from Dante’s Inferno. With the lives of the Boston elite and Dante’s literary future in America at stake, the Dante Club members must find the killer before the authorities discover their secret.

Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes and an outcast police officer named Nicholas Rey, the first black member of the Boston police department, must place their careers on the line to end the terror. Together, they discover that the source of the murders lies closer to home than they ever could have imagined.

The Dante Club is a magnificent blend of fact and fiction, a brilliantly realized paean to Dante’s continued grip on our imagination, and a captivating thriller that will surprise readers from beginning to end.

Download Description

Words can bleed.

In 1865 Boston, the literary geniuses of the Dante Club -- poets and Harvard professors Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, and James Russell Lowell, along with publisher J. T. Fields -- are finishing America's first translation of The Divine Comedy and preparing to unveil Dante's remarkable visions to the New World. The powerful Boston Brahmins at Harvard College are fighting to keep Dante in obscurity, believing that the infiltration of foreign superstitions into American minds will prove as corrupting as the immigrants arriving at Boston Harbor.

The members of the Dante Club fight to keep a sacred literary cause alive, but their plans fall apart when a series of murders erupts through Boston and Cambridge. Only this small group of scholars realizes that the gruesome killings are modeled on the descriptions of Hell's punishments from Dante's Inferno. With the lives of the Boston elite and Dante's literary future in America at stake, the Dante Club members must find the killer before the authorities discover their secret.

Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes and an outcast police officer named Nicholas Rey, the first black member of the Boston police department, must place their careers on the line to end the terror. Together, they discover that the source of the murders lies closer to home than they ever could have imagined.

Customer Reviews:

Worst Mystery Novel.......2007-08-09

The worst novel I have read in some 60 years of reading! The main characters are flat cardboard cutouts, other characters are introduced without much relevance and are left stranded in the story. What could have been an interesting and exciting plot is drawn out, too wordy, and boring. The only reason I finished the book is that I was on a lengthy long hall flight between several airports and had nothing better to read except in-flight magazines.

One gets the impressing that the author is a pretentious high school student who needs to write as many words as possible in order to get a passing grade. The fact that the author is a Harvard law school graduate leads one to be thankful that he has decided not to practice law, for his inability to reconcile time, circumstances and events will save a lot of litigants from loosing their case in court. Maybe the publisher is paying the author by the number of words, for I see no other reason for the tedious repetition and asinine descriptions.

While the concept of basing a crime on Dante's description of hell is original, a better writer could make an exciting and thrilling mystery instead of a boring read.

This book reminds me of another..........2007-08-09

I couldn't shake the very basic similarities between this and GHOST STORY by P. Straub, unfortunately.

Bog Down.......2007-07-18

I got very bogged down in this book. Too many names being thrown around and the prose itself was overwrought and overly dramatic. Sometimes felt that Pearl was getting a bit carried away with his own genius. Great idea, but not brilliantly executed.

Intellectual AND fun..........2007-06-23

This marvelous book is a superlative example of numerous genres: historical fiction and mystery being two examples. While the premise of engaging famous historical figures in a mystery is intriguing, Pearl never allows this element to drive the narrative. His characterizations of Longfellow, Holmes and Lowell are so brilliant, the reader forgets that they are icons of literary history, and views them as intense and vivacious fictional characters.
This is not beach-reading, but instead an intellectual journey through Boston of the 1860s. Pearl is subtle but firm when he integrates statements about racial tension, academic politics, and even the neglect of soldiers suffering from the horrors of war.
While built on an intellectual premise, one needs not be familiar with Dante to enjoy this book. The author manages to introduce those unfamiliar with Dante to the thrill of the Inferno, without belittling those who may already know the great work. This is rarely accomplished with finesse, but Pearl manages to do it with literary aplomb.

Thoroughly Pleasing Intellectual Treat.......2007-06-15

"The Dante Club" by Matthew Pearl is an astonishing first novel. This book is set in Boston just after the close of the Civil War. It combines literary and social history with a fictional serial murder plot, so it an ambitious and unique mix of genres.

The story takes place in 1865. The famous poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, is in the process of making the first-ever American translation of Dante's "Divine Comedy." He is aided in this endeavor by a group of close friends and fellow Dante scholars including Oliver Wendell Holmes and James Russell Lowell. As the scholars work together assisting Longfellow in refining his translation, a series of murders occur in the immediate area among people they know. Eventually, the scholars begin to realize that these murders appear to be copies of specific punishments taken directly from Dante's "Inferno." They realize that Dante's work is barely known in America. If there is a murderer mimicking Dante, obviously they would all be targets of suspicion. At first shocked and frightened, the scholars eventually realize that they must aid in the investigation to help prevent the next gruesome crime.

I thoroughly loved this book. I was transfixed by its gorgeous and vivid reconstruction of mid-19th century Boston life, culture, customs, and language. I was delighted with the way the author was able to bring to life three giants of American literature. Finally, I was astonished with the depth, breadth, and scope of the work. It was obvious that Pearl had thoroughly researched his subject and had a great deal to convey to the reader. I found the book very educational. I learned a great deal including: the structure, theme, and significance of Dante's "Divine Comedy;" the importance of poetry to all classes of people in the mid-19th-century America; the after-effects of the Civil War on a major northern city; the existence of rampant mid-19th-century class and racial conflicts; and the existence of internal political conflicts at what was then the Harvard Corporation concerning important issues of academic freedom, censorship, and freedom of the press, to name but a few.

Reading this book was a pure intellectual delight--a treat for the mind. I would not be honest if I did not note that the book does have some serious flaws, but overall, its brilliance outshines and overwhelms. Be forewarned: chief among the flaws is that the book is very difficult to get into. It took me many hours; I almost gave up, finding it all too gruesome and plodding. But finally, I was trapped--no, thoroughly enchanted, completely wrapped up in the suspense, and head-over-heels in love with the unequaled opportunity to become intimately acquainted with Longfellow, Holmes, and Lowell.

Don't read this book if you are an avid mystery reader looking for another good historical who-done-it--you'll probably be disappointed. Do read this book if you enjoy historical fiction with a thorough dose of thought-provoking intellectual fodder, especially if you have a fondness for the beauty of great 19th-century prose and dialogue.

Butterflies of New Jersey: A Guide to Their Status, Distribution, Conservation, and Appreciation

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Butterflies of New Jersey: A Guide to Their Status, Distribution, Conservation, and Appreciation
Michael Gochfeld , and Joanna Burger
Manufacturer: Rutgers University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0813523559

Nerve Cells and Insect Behavior, Rev. ed: With an Appreciation by John G. Hildebrand

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Nerve Cells and Insect Behavior, Rev. ed: With an Appreciation by John G. Hildebrand
Kenneth D. Roeder
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Anatomy | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Spikes: Exploring the Neural Code (Computational Neuroscience)

ASIN: 0674608011

Book Description

The strike of a praying mantis's forelegs is so fast that, once they are set in motion, the mantis cannot control its aim. How does it ever manage to catch a fly? A moth negotiating the night air hears the squeak of a hunting bat on the wing, and tumbles out of harm's way. How?

Insects are ideal subjects for neurophysiological studies, and at its simplest level this classic book relates the activities of nerve cells to the activities of insects, something that had never been attempted when the book first appeared in 1963. In several elegant experiments--on the moth, the cockroach, and the praying mantis--Roeder shows how stimulus and behavior are related through the nervous system and suggests that the insect brain appears to control behavior by determining which of the various built-in activity patterns will appear in a given situation. This slim volume remains invaluable to an understanding of the nervous mechanisms responsible for insect behavior.

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Insect Appreciation
F. Tom Turpin
Manufacturer: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books

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Creepy Crawlies and the Scientific Method: More Than 100 Hands-On Science Experiments for Children

ASIN: 0787294632

Book Description

This newly revised edition updates a long-standing best-seller. The book's goal is to help students develop an appreciation of insects and an understanding of the impact of insects on humankind and the biosphere. The broad concepts associated with the study of insects are introduced in a good-humored and understandable manner with illustrations, study questions, and exercises. Topics include collecting and identifying insects, insect structure and function, insect biology, and insects' interaction with humans including insect poems. Primary, secondary, and higher education teachers will find this publication invaluable in teaching entomology to students.

The Insect Appreciation Digest: Everything You Ought to Know About Insects (That Your Parents Didn't Teach You)

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The Insect Appreciation Digest: Everything You Ought to Know About Insects (That Your Parents Didn't Teach You)
F. Thomas Turpin
Manufacturer: Entomological Society of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Insect Appreciation Journal
F. Tom Turpin
Manufacturer: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books

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Science | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0787296473

Bats are our friends.(includes related article from a representative of Bat Conservation International): An article from: Countryside & Small Stock Journal

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Bats are our friends.(includes related article from a representative of Bat Conservation International): An article from: Countryside & Small Stock Journal
Suzann C. Rensel , and Robert Benson
Manufacturer: Countryside Publications Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00096L6XK
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Countryside & Small Stock Journal, published by Countryside Publications Ltd. on July 1, 1996. The length of the article is 1327 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: Farmers who are looking for new organic insect control techniques should encourage bats to live on their homestead. Building bat boxes is one way to attract bats to a yard. Danger from rabies infection is greatly exaggerated since rabies-infected bats are generally lethargic instead of agressive.

Citation Details
Title: Bats are our friends.(includes related article from a representative of Bat Conservation International)
Author: Suzann C. Rensel
Publication: Countryside & Small Stock Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 1, 1996
Publisher: Countryside Publications Ltd.
Volume: v80 Issue: n4 Page: p23(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

The importance of flowers. (attracting beneficial insects): An article from: Countryside & Small Stock Journal

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The importance of flowers. (attracting beneficial insects): An article from: Countryside & Small Stock Journal
Bev Carney
Manufacturer: Countryside Publications Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Home & Garden | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Countryside & Small Stock Journal, published by Countryside Publications Ltd. on May 1, 1998. The length of the article is 502 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The importance of flowers. (attracting beneficial insects)
Author: Bev Carney
Publication: Countryside & Small Stock Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 1998
Publisher: Countryside Publications Ltd.
Volume: v82 Issue: n3 Page: p28(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

This volume gathers together key new contributions on the subject of the relationship, both empirical and theoretical, between economic oscillations, growth, and structural change.

Structural stability and Goodwin's growth cycle [An article from: Structural Change and Economic Dynamics]

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Structural stability and Goodwin's growth cycle [An article from: Structural Change and Economic Dynamics]
R. Veneziani , and S. Mohun
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000PC06U2

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
The methodological prescription that a structurally unstable model should be rejected is critically analysed by considering Goodwin's predator-prey model [GPPM; Goodwin, R.M., 1967. A growth cycle. In: Feinstein, C.H. (Ed.), Socialism, Capitalism and Economic Growth. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge; Goodwin, R.M., 1972. A growth cycle. In: Hunt, E.K., Schwartz, J.G. (Eds.), A Critique of Economic Theory. Penguin, Harmondsworth]. It is argued that structural instability is not sufficient to reject GPPM and that structurally stable extensions yielding limit-cycles are not necessarily more appropriate formalisations of distributive conflict, from both a theoretical and an empirical viewpoint. An interpretation of GPPM and of the empirical evidence is proposed, which takes into account structural instability.

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Surreal tales of death and dreams

Strange Tales--Japanese Style

Ten Nights Of Dream, Hearing Things, and The Heredity of Taste
Soseki Natsume
Manufacturer: Tuttle Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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I Am a Cat: Three Volumes in One

My Individualism And The Philosophical Foundations Of Literature (Classics of Japanese Literature)

To The Spring Equinox And Beyond (Classics of Japanese Literature)

Inside My Glass Doors (Tuttle Classics)

ASIN: 080483329X

Book Description

This collection presents the prolific imagination of Soseki Natsume, Japan's all-time most beloved author. Ranging from humor to profound maturity, the works in this volume offer the full spectrum of Soseki's genius. They are among Soseki's best, and brilliantly display his temperament and thought, the richness of his humor, and the sureness of his satirical touch. Ten Nights of Dream comprises a collection of ten short stories of dreams. Couched in a surrealistic atmosphere, they reveal the attitudes of a major writer at a turning point in his career.

Customer Reviews:

Surreal tales of death and dreams.......2006-12-29

First of all, this is an curious selection of works. "Ten Nights of Dream" is a well-known piece in the canon of Soseki, but the other two works are much less renowned (with good reason, but I'll get to that). All were written relatively early in Soseki's career, and all deal in different ways with the uncertainty of living in the shadow of the anxiety, fear, and sadness of death.

"Ten Nights of Dream" (5 stars) is the first and best of this collection. It comes at an interesting time in Soseki's career and marks a turning point between the more humorous works of Soseki's early career (notably "I Am a Cat" and "Botchan") and his later, more serious and brooding works (including Sanshiro and Kokoro). The "dreams" are pure magic, wonderful and surreal stories that capture the beautiful fragility of the human condition. They are surprisingly dreamlike and ephemeral coming for a writer coming from the naturalist school, and have a unique style compared to Soseki's other works.

"Hearing Things" (3 stars) had a good concept for a story (the "rational man" has an internal struggle between his scientific mind and his superstitious heart) but the execution is rushed and the style disjointed. Soseki does not seem sure of whether to make this a ghost story, a dark psychoanalysis, or a comedic affair. These problems are fatal for a story this brief, and I wonder why it was included in this collection.

"The Heredity of Taste" (4 stars) is a story that starts extremely well but finishes poorly. The story starts compellingly, as the narrator reminisces about his friend who has died in the Russo-Japanese war, again highlighting the fragility of human existence. The story shifts smoothly to a graveyard scene that combines a quiet elegance with youthful emotion. Unfortunately, the remainder of the story is extremely rushed (as Soseki, through the narrator, appears to apologize for) and the idea of the "heredity of taste" is added in a heavy-handed manner uncharacteristic of Soseki. This novella clearly could have used more time to develop, and probably could have been made into a successful novel. Fortunately, Soseki returns to some of these themes quite well in works like Sanshiro and Kokoro.

The translation itself (2 stars) is not very inspiring, and much of the beauty of Soseki's prose is lost. Even the title of "Ten Nights of Dream" seems a bit ungrammatical in this humble reviewer's eyes. Given that "Ten Nights of Dream" is the marquee story and at least one much better translation exists (the one by Kashima & Lorenz comes to mind) this particular compilation has little to offer. If you are interested in Soseki and are not sure where to start, I'd recommend one of his novels over this collection. If you are specifically interested in "Ten Nights of Dream", I'd recommend another translation. However, if you are interested in the other two stories this might be your only option in translation.

The stories average out to 4 stars, the translation gets 2 stars in my book ... that works out to 3 stars overall.

Strange Tales--Japanese Style.......2006-11-13

This volume contains three distinct works by Soseki. The novella, "The Heredity of Taste," a tale of premonition set during the Russo-Japanese War, is perhaps the most meaningful of the set. "Hearing Things," a ghost story, is a bit slight, and "Ten Nights of Dream," ten short dream-narratives that read a bit like prose-poems, although mildly surreal in their telling, don't really deliver all that a first-timde reader might expect. I'll probably enjoy this volume more on a second go-round.

Ten nights of dream, Hearing things, The heredity of taste

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Ten nights of dream, Hearing things, The heredity of taste
Soseki Natsume
Manufacturer: Tuttle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0804811369

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