Author: Wally Lamb Publisher: Cambridge University Press ISBN: 9780060391621 Category : Fiction Languages : en Pages : 884
Book Description
With his stunning debut novel, She's Come Undone, Wally Lamb won the adulation of critics and readers with his mesmerizing tale of one woman's painful yet triumphant journey of self-discovery. Now, this brilliantly talented writer returns with I Know This Much Is True, a heartbreaking and poignant multigenerational saga of the reproductive bonds of destruction and the powerful force of forgiveness. A masterpiece that breathtakingly tells a story of alienation and connection, power and abuse, devastation and renewal--this novel is a contemporary retelling of an ancient Hindu myth. A proud king must confront his demons to achieve salvation. Change yourself, the myth instructs, and you will inhabit a renovated world. When you're the same brother of a schizophrenic identical twin, the tricky thing about saving yourself is the blood it leaves on your bands--the little inconvenience of the look-alike corpse at your feet. And if you're into both survival of the fittest and being your brother's keeper--if you've promised your dying mother--then say so long to sleep and hello to the middle of the night. Grab a book or a beer. Get used to Letterman's gap-toothed smile of the absurd, or the view of the bedroom ceiling, or the influence of random selection. Take it from a godless insomniac. Take it from the uncrazy twin--the guy who beat the biochemical rap. Dominick Birdsey's entire life has been compromised and constricted by anger and fear, by the paranoid schizophrenic twin brother he both deeply loves and resents, and by the past they shared with their adoptive father, Ray, a spit-and-polish ex-Navy man (the five-foot-six-inch sleeping giant who snoozed upstairs weekdays in the spare room and built submarines at night), and their long-suffering mother, Concettina, a timid woman with a harelip that made her shy and self-conscious: She holds a loose fist to her face to cover her defective mouth--her perpetual apology to the world for a birth defect over which she'd had no control. Born in the waning moments of 1949 and the opening minutes of 1950, the twins are physical mirror images who grow into separate yet connected entities: the seemingly strong and protective yet fearful Dominick, his mother's watchful "monkey"; and the seemingly weak and sweet yet noble Thomas, his mother's gentle "bunny." From childhood, Dominick fights for both separation and wholeness--and ultimately self-protection--in a house of fear dominated by Ray, a bully who abuses his power over these stepsons whose biological father is a mystery. I was still afraid of his anger but saw how he punished weakness--pounced on it. Out of self-preservation I hid my fear, Dominick confesses. As for Thomas, he just never knew how to play defense. He just didn't get it. But Dominick's talent for survival comes at an enormous cost, including the breakup of his marriage to the warm, beautiful Dessa, whom he still loves. And it will be put to the ultimate test when Thomas, a Bible-spouting zealot, commits an unthinkable act that threatens the tenuous balance of both his and Dominick's lives. To save himself, Dominick must confront not only the pain of his past but the dark secrets he has locked deep within himself, and the sins of his ancestors--a quest that will lead him beyond the confines of his blue-collar New England town to the volcanic foothills of Sicily 's Mount Etna, where his ambitious and vengefully proud grandfather and a namesake Domenico Tempesta, the sostegno del famiglia, was born. Each of the stories Ma told us about Papa reinforced the message that he was the boss, that he ruled the roost, that what he said went. Searching for answers, Dominick turns to the whispers of the dead, to the pages of his grandfather's handwritten memoir, The History of Domenico Onofrio Tempesta, a Great Man from Humble Beginnings. Rendered with touches of magic realism, Domenico's fablelike tale--in which monkeys enchant and religious statues weep--becomes the old man's confession--an unwitting legacy of contrition that reveals the truth's of Domenico's life, Dominick learns that power, wrongly used, defeats the oppressor as well as the oppressed, and now, picking through the humble shards of his deconstructed life, he will search for the courage and love to forgive, to expiate his and his ancestors' transgressions, and finally to rebuild himself beyond the haunted shadow of his twin. Set against the vivid panoply of twentieth-century America and filled with richly drawn, memorable characters, this deeply moving and thoroughly satisfying novel brings to light humanity's deepest needs and fears, our aloneness, our desire for love and acceptance, our struggle to survive at all costs. Joyous, mystical, and exquisitely written, I Know This Much Is True is an extraordinary reading experience that will leave no reader untouched.
Author: Laurence Raw Publisher: Scarecrow Press ISBN: 0810869527 Category : Performing Arts Languages : en Pages : 349
Book Description
From his first feature film, The Duellists, to his international successes Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma and Louise, Black Hawk Down, Gladiator, and American Gangster, Ridley Scott has directed some of the most compelling films of the last 30 years. Apart from his work as a film director, Scott has engaged in a vast range of activities, including that as a designer, producer, film mogul, and advertising executive. The Ridley Scott Encyclopedia is the first book that focuses on all aspects of his work in a wide-ranging career that spans nearly 50 years. The entries in this encyclopedia focus on all aspects of his work and are divided into four categories. The first focuses on Ridley Scott's work as a director, encompassing his feature films from The Duellists to Body of Lies, as well as his work in television, including commercials. The second category focuses on the people who have been involved in Scott's projects, including actors, directors, producers, designers, writers and other creative personnel. The third focuses on general thematic issues raised in Scott's work, such as gender construction, political issues, and geographical locations. Finally the encyclopedia incorporates entries on films by other directors who have influenced Scott's approach to his work as a director or producer. Each entry is followed by a bibliography of published sources, both in print and online, making this the most comprehensive reference on Scott's body of work.
Author: Robert M. Overstreet Publisher: House of Collectibles ISBN: 9781400046683 Category : Antiques & Collectibles Languages : en Pages : 932
Book Description
"'The bible for all comic book collectors' is not an exaggeration for this dependable guide...an indispensable part of any comic book collector's library [and] a standard reference that has stood the test of time." -- "Maine Antique Digest "The Official(R) Overstreet(R) Comic Book Price Guide is the one-volume, professional sourcebook for America's most popular collectible which no comic book collector or investor can afford to be without. This incredible 33rd edition brings you more information than ever before, including: LATEST PRICING INFORMATION From the early 1800s to the present, this is the most comprehensive resource of comic books and graphic novels, listed alphabetically by title, illustrated, and priced according to its condition. No other guide provides a more complete record of existing comic books and their prices. MARKET TRENDS AND INSIDERS' TIPS With the renowned Overstreet Market Report by Robert M. Overstreet, which also includes many important tips from other experts in the comic book industry, this guide contains all the current information that is circulating throughout this hot collecting area. You will find the latest titles, the strongest demands, the most valuable issues, and the newest finds in old comics. BUYING AND SELLING KNOW HOW Packed with essential information on grading, collecting and restoration of comic books, this book gives you everything you need to build and maintain a substantial comic book collection. FABULOUS PHOTOS More than 1,500 black and white photos of those unforgettable covers -- "plus the celebrated all-color Cover Gallery of your favorite comic books throughout the ages -- fill the book. SPECIAL FEATURE ARTICLES * X-Men 2 -- Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the X-Men * The debut of the Sub-Mariner * The Original Super-Team - The Justice Society of America BUY IT USE IT BECOME AN EXPERT
Author: Gene Wolfe Publisher: Gollancz ISBN: 9781473211971 Category : Fantasy fiction, American Languages : en Pages : 608
Book Description
An extraordinary epic, set a million years in the future, in the time of a dying sun, when our present culture is no longer even a memory. Severian, a torturer's apprentice, is exiled from his guild after falling in love with one of his prisoners. Ordered to the distant city of Thrax, armed with his ancient executioner's sword, Terminus Est, Severian must make his way across the perilous, ruined landscape of this far-future Urth. But is his finding of the mystical gem, the Claw of the Conciliator, merely an accident, or does Fate have a grander plans for Severian the torturer . . . ? This edition contains the first two volumes of this four volume novel, The Shadow of the Torturer and The Claw of the Conciliator.
Author: Dan Jurgens Publisher: DC Comics ISBN: 1401261663 Category : Comics & Graphic Novels Languages : en Pages : 162
Book Description
Written and pencilled by Dan Jurgens (CONVERGENCE, THE NEW 52: FUTURES END) and inked by Jerry Ordway (THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN), ZERO HOUR chronicles the discovery by DC’s greatest heroes of a tidal wave of temporal disruption, as they band togheter to combat chronal chaos. When all of his family and friends were killed by the attack of a super-villain, the once heroic Green Lantern went insane and became the immensely powerful Parallax. Hoping to save his loved ones, the mad Hal Jordan decided to recreate the universe by unraveling time. Now as realities and time lines converge, dinosaurs walk the Earth again, deceased heroes are resurrected, and half the population has suddenly vanished. With Parallax on the verge of success, Superman, Batman, Robin, Flash, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and the rest of the world's heroes must find a way to stop their former comrade or cease to be as all existence ends. This volume collects stories from SHOWCASE '94 #8-9 and ZERO HOUR: CRISIS IN TIME #4-0.
Author: Brian Lumley Publisher: Tor Books ISBN: 142991324X Category : Fiction Languages : en Pages : 723
Book Description
Nestor and Nathan Kiklu are the twin sons of Harry Keogh, the Necroscope. United by blood, they also share some of their father's awesome powers--but what they do with those gifts cannot be more different! Nathan takes up the struggle against the metamorphic vampires, while Nestor, fascinated by the vampires' eerie evil, has become his twin's worst nightmare: a Wamphyri Lord! Harry Keogh's sons have become the bitterest of enemies, each determined to destroy the other. When next they meet, one will surely die! At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Author: Harper Collins Publishers Publisher: Collins Reference ISBN: 9780062732972 Category : Medical Languages : en Pages : 144
Book Description
The Atlas of the Human Body gives clear and thorough explanations of each of the major organs and systems of the human body. Covering everything from the rhythm of the heartbeat and cardiac cycle, the urinary and reproductive organs, and the oral cavity and teeth to the blood vessels, joints, and bones, this atlas helps you understand the interior workings of the entire human anatomy. As thorough as a world atlas, this book enables you to pinpoint the precise location of your ailments and provides you with general information about each body part. Within each section, common illnesses for each part of the body are identified. Giving the most up-to-date facts on every aspect of the human anatomy, the Atlas of the Human Body meets the needs of the medical practitioner and layperson, students from elementary school to medical school, and families for use as a home medical reference.
Author: Isabel Wilkerson Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks ISBN: 0593230272 Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 545
Book Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • OPRAH’S BOOK CLUB PICK • “An instant American classic and almost certainly the keynote nonfiction book of the American century thus far.”—Dwight Garner, The New York Times The Pulitzer Prize–winning, bestselling author of The Warmth of Other Suns examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions—now with a new Afterword by the author. #1 NONFICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR: Time ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, O: The Oprah Magazine, NPR, Bloomberg, The Christian Science Monitor, New York Post, The New York Public Library, Fortune, Smithsonian Magazine, Marie Claire, Slate, Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews Winner of the Carl Sandberg Literary Award • Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize • National Book Award Longlist • National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist • Dayton Literary Peace Prize Finalist • PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction Finalist • PEN/Jean Stein Book Award Longlist • Kirkus Prize Finalist “As we go about our daily lives, caste is the wordless usher in a darkened theater, flashlight cast down in the aisles, guiding us to our assigned seats for a performance. The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power—which groups have it and which do not.” In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched, and beautifully written narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings. Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and the nation’s fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people—including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball’s Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others—she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. She documents how the Nazis studied the racial systems in America to plan their outcasting of the Jews; she discusses why the cruel logic of caste requires that there be a bottom rung for those in the middle to measure themselves against; she writes about the surprising health costs of caste, in depression and life expectancy, and the effects of this hierarchy on our culture and politics. Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity. Original and revealing, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is an eye-opening story of people and history, and a reexamination of what lies under the surface of ordinary lives and of American life today.
Author: Wally Lamb
Author: Laurence Raw
Author: Robert M. Overstreet
Author: Gene Wolfe
Author: Dan Jurgens
Author: Maggie Thompson
Author: Brian Lumley
Author: Maggie Thompson
Author: Harper Collins Publishers
Author: Isabel Wilkerson