Kakaku：209 saved$2.09
Vintage
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Very Well Written and Very Entertaining) 『Many think this is a lightweight novel, but it was one of Nabokov's favorite - according to the book jacket - and I agree with his choice. It is a bit similar to Laughter in the Dark, but more humorous. Most of the enjoyment with this book is the discovery of Nabokov's creation. Frankly, I suggest that you skip the reviews here, close your eyes for the moment and simply read the book - the same recommendation that I make for most of his books. Read the comments later.
Vladimir Nabokov (1899 to 1977) is a Russian born writer who went to Cambridge, then lived in western Europe, the US, and finally retired in Switzerland. He has a medium sized body of work with numerous novels, short works, and non-fiction. Most know him for his 1955 creation of Lolita, which he wrote and re-wrote for over twenty years before the final product. It was based on a real life French story, but set in America. He has 20 novels, and I have read about half.
Eleven of Nabokov's novels come from his early European period when he could write in many languages but he wrote his first 11 novels in Russian. This is from that period. It was his second novel and it was published in 1928 as a book, then translated years later.
The story is a love triangle set in Berlin. It is about the 34 year old wife of a 50 year old store owner, and the owner's young nephew. Beyond that, the reader can discover the plot.
It is a very humorous and entertaining a book. Having read many of his novels and most of his best sellers, I thought it was excellent and either a touch short of his best or among the best. It is a matter of taste, but I liked "King, Queen, Knave" and "Laughter in the Dark" as his best works, notwithstanding "Pale Fire" and "Lolita." That latter show more creativity as does "Transparent Things" - as do a few of his other works.
I think it is an excellent and an entertaining read. Some might not think it is among his best novels, but I liked it. 』
(Well, well, well...) 『It has taken me a long time, but I have finally found what I consider to be a mediocre piece of writing by Nabokov. Apparently he partially wrote it languidly sprawled on a beach sometime during an idle period in his late twenties, and it shows. It is a bright piece of fiction, but lazily put together. The characters do not sparkle, the love traingle plot is tiresome, and even the style seems somewhat deadened - there are some highlights, such as country boy Franz blundering myopically through Berlin without his glasses - but too much of this novel attempts whimsical virtuousity but ends up coming across as sterile. Witness the terrible innuendos to describe orgasms - you can spot them...』
(Nabokov's Second) 『Nabokov's second novel, his brightest and lightest of the lot, is regarded by some as being one of the weaker links in the author's ouvre.The plot here is pretty banal (a bland, country boy Franz falls in love with the wife of his rich uncle who lives in Berlin and before you know it Franz and his aunt are pathetically planning the murder of the middle-man). Nabokov pokes some fun at the story of Madame Bovary and offers somewhat of a parody. As usual though, the plot here takes backstage to the form and style of writing and Nabokov does not disappoint; the prose is beautiful and enchanting (minus some laughable sexual innuendos and so on) and makes the novel worth reading.While it's far from counting among Nabokov's strongest works, I still enjoyed the book and certain images have and will remain with me (especially the last couple of chapters, filled with the imagery of azure beaches and wide open skies). Nabokov does make an 'appearance' in the novel (a la Hitchcock), along with his wife, as the couple with whom Franz becomes somewhat obsessed at the seaside resort (look for mention of the butterfly net).This is a relatively light and accessible Nabokov read, recommended for shiny summer days.』
(Not Lolita, by any means, but still a good read) 『Franz has come to Berlin for a job. His mother's wealthy cousin (Dreyer) has kindly agreed to take him on in his department store. What neither Dreyer nor Franz has considered is that Mrs. Martha Dreyer would also kindly consent to take him on as her lover. It takes a little planning on her part, but finally the shy, lanky Franz becomes her secret lover, her ticket to a world without Dreyer.
King, Queen, Knave is a typical triangle love story. And yet, it's not. Nabokov, even in this early novel, has an excellent feel for human beings, what makes them do what they do and just how much they can stand. Franz and Martha's relationship moves from the sublime to the detestable for Franz, while he becomes a lifeline to Martha. Dreyer, seeing good in all the world, is easily duped--though easily duping Martha on the side.
As with Lolita, the plot is not all that great, and I can't truly say I "enjoyed" the book. But nonetheless, I couldn't stop reading it. I had to continue watching the dynamics change between the King, the Queen and the Knave and see just how the hand was played out.』
(a mere preview) 『the attraction of this book is the sense of things to come with regards to the author's future books. whereas "mary", nabokov's first novel, emits a warm autobiographic glow, "king, queen, knave" does an about face to depict a world utterly distant and alien from the author's personal milieux. the result is an abstract world not quite as pure and fantastic as the one created in "lolita", indeed the former pales greatly by comparison, but an abstract world which is nonetheless plausible and artistically pleasing. there are two unforgettable images in this novel. one adumbrates nabokov's penchant for condemning cruelty by having his characters indulge in it, that very cruelty, with inexcusable zest and relish; while the other gives us a taste of the author's wicked sense of humor. they are: marthe's repeated beatings and/or chastisements of tom, the family dog, and the pathetic fate of the monkey, a gift for marthe from dreyer before their marriage, which burns itself trying to light a match. these two images, which are patented nabokov, are just the tip of the iceberg in a body of work abrim with unforgettable images.』 『The novel is the story of Dreyer, a wealthy and boisterous proprietor of a men's clothing emporium store. Ruddy, self-satisfied, and thoroughly masculine, he is perfectly repugnant to his exquisite but cold middle-class wife Martha. Attracted to his money but repelled by his oblivious passion, she longs for their nephew instead, the myopic Franz. Newly arrived in Berlin, Franz soon repays his uncle's condescension in his aunt's bed.』
IPhone 3G used's review (The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson) 『 October 21, 2008 The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson 458 words In the Snow Queen the two main characters, Gerda and Kay, are neighbors in the attic of two apartments and best friends. Gerda and Kay's homes were so close to each other that the two children could take two steps out of their windows into the other's just by crossing over the gutter on the rooftop that connected the apartments. Gerda and Kay would climb out onto the rooftop and sit on their two stools while Grannie would tell them both stories. Grannie once told them, on a cold winter evening, the story of the Snow Queen and how when she looked through your window she would leave frost in the shape of flowers on your window. Later on that year while Gerda and Kay were sitting on the rooftop Kay exclaimed that something sharp and painful went into his heart. Then another in his eye! And though later Kay believes that they have both gone, he is wrong. The sharp pains Kay feels are both tiny pieces of glass that came from a horrible looking glass made by an Imp named Old Nick, and as Hans Christian Anderson writes- "One of the wickedest." Old Nick made this looking glass so that if you looked through it everyone you saw looked hideous. "That everything good and beautiful that was reflected in it shrank up into nothing." The author writes. So, the one piece that went Into Kay's heart made Kay's heart cold, and it slowly turned into a large lump of ice. And the one piece in his eye made him see everything ugly. Kay begins to change in his personality. He becomes very intelligent in arithmetic and he no longer cares for roses (which you will read more about in the story). But becomes very interested in ice and snowflakes which Kay calls "perfect in every way as long as they don't melt." One day while Kay is out sledging in the snow he sees the Snow Queen and she takes him to her palace in Finmark. Gerda, wondering where Kay has gone or whether he is dead, goes out of her town to a river where many towns' people think Kay has drowned. And, there her adventures begin. Hans Christian Anderson uses Christian perspective in the Snow Queen. In the story Gerda sings this song to Kay: The valley glows with many roses And there we meet the sacred child. It means that we should be as children to be with God, and that in heaven (the valley glows with many roses) we will meet Jesus (the sacred child). I will not tell you how the story ends but I will tell you that you will be very pleased with all the adventure both Gerda and Kay endure. I very much enjoyed this book and I am quite sure you will too. 』
(Would give 5 stars for illustrations, but not for content) 『The illustrations in this book are truly breathtaking, the details are amazing! In fact, I am so impressed, I'm looking for posters and other art that can be displayed to decorate my daughter's room. However, the text was a surprise... I did not remember such a strong religious context in it. Even though I already purchased the book, I'm hesitant to read it to my daughter, which is why I give the book 4 stars only.』
(The Snow Queen) 『This is an amazing book! The story is wonderful and the illustrations are gorgeous- full of living art and beauty. My first grade class enjoyed hearing it throughout the week. The story is about friendship and never giving up on helping those close to you no matter how hopeless a situation may look.』
(Absolutely Beautiful Illustration of one of my favorite books!) 『This is the loveliest edition of the Snow Queen I have ever seen. The book is one that should be read to every child and can be interpreted on many level as both a story and a parable. The courage of true love and its conquest of cruelty and indifference is grippingly told.』
(The Snow Queen - Modern Look and Classic Spirit) 『Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2WFE81JUJ9UXTIt's really interesting how this Andersen's The Snow Queen can fit in our modern life. Its massage so universal, so appealing. Look at these extraordinary illustrations by award winning Ukrainian artist Vladyslav 'This is perhaps the most extraordinary children's book that I have ever seen.' - Paulo Coelho, Internationally selebrated writer. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil"』 『Best Children's Book of the Year 2006. Collector's quality gift for kids. Printed in Europe.
"The full page illustrations by the award winning Ukrainian artist, Vladyslav Yerko, are alone worth the price of the book. I recommend it to all ages." - Robert Goldsborough, writer and former Chicago Tribune Magazine editor.'This is perhaps the most extraordinary children's book that I have ever seen." - Paulo Coelho, Internationally celebrated writer. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
"The Snow Queen with the illustrations by Yerko
is simply magnificent!" - Nena Jaye, nationally acclaimed artist, Seattle, WA.
"Gloriously illustrated!" - Sandy Stevens, "Glen Ellyn Sun" (IL).Heavy glossy paper. Size: 9X12". Full color jacket, full color hard cover, laminated, sewn.』
Kakaku：799 saved$7.99
Berkley
Not yet published IPhone 3G used's review (An excellent historical mystery) 『Diane A.S. Stuckart's THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT opens a limited new mystery series featuring Leonardo da Vinci and his young apprentice, who take on the role of sleuths. A living chess game is to be engineered by da Vinci but when one of the 'pieces' is stabbed to death, it's up to him to uncover the murderer in this excellent historical mystery. 』
(Makes You Wish for a Sequel) 『This is the kind of book that makes you wish not only for a follow-up book, but that you already had it so you could jump right in.
The story, the characters, the setting and the writing are just superb. This is what I picture when I see or hear the phrase "a good book." That's just what it is, a really, really good book. I can't even imagine how you could possibly be disappointed in this book.
One of the little gems of this mystery novel is the realization that there are really 3 mysteries - 2 normal and one more "meta." The first is the whodunit? murder mystery. The second is whether (and how) anyone will discover the secret about the narrator of the book, the apprentice.
The third mystery appears when the author so perfectly captures those moments of belief from the Renaissance ("his humors were out of balance") and the modern reader has the intriguing puzzle of figuring out what's really going on with modern day understanding. They don't detract in any way from the book, but add a wonderfully neat set of minor little, "Hmmm, that's what they used to think back then, but today that'd be..." that reoccur at least 3 or 4 times throughout the story, and just add all the more to enjoyment.
I highly recommend this book, and like all the reviewers to date, hope this is only the beginning of a series. 』
(Well-written and Engaging Historical Mystery) 『From the parenthetical (a Leonardo da Vinci mystery) it seems clear that the publisher and author of this book intend to make it into a franchise. I certainly hope so, because the writing sparkles and really brings to life Renaissance Italy. The book is set in the period of Leonardo da Vinci's life in which he was the chief engineer and artist at the court of Milan. Events are told from the point of view of one of Leonardo's young apprentices, Dino, who has the misfortune to find the dead body of the cousin of the Duke of Milan when he goes missing during a living chess match which has been staged by Leonardo for the entertainment of the court.
Leonardo and Dino interview suspects and search for clues, and we are taken into the world of northern Italian nobility, artisans, and peasantry, as the two investigators turn the castle, the Sforza family crypt, and the town of Milan upside down trying to find the murderer before he or she can kill again. In reading this book, besides being enormously entertained, I learned about the history and strategy of chess, how art was created during the Renaissance, how clothing was made in the Renaissance, how Leonardo da Vinci lived and worked and a host of other things that made the time period come alive for me, which is all you can really ask of historical fiction. I would definitely have given this book 5 stars had the ending not gotten a little too complicated for its own good. And since I fully expect and look forward to reading more from this author a small note to her -- try not to introduce so many paragraphs with the words "So saying..." it was the one distraction in what was otherwise absolutely beautiful writing. I can't wait for more in this series.』
(Both rich and entertaining) 『A captivating mystery novel that unfolds in the magnificent Sforza castle of Renaissance Milan. The fast moving plot is filled with surprising twists and turns, making the book hard to put down. Besides the suspense and intrigue, one feels drawn into a colorful panorama of castle life filled with vivid characters from high ranking nobility to skilled workmen to humble servants. Of greatest interest is the unique life of the genius Leonardo da Vinci with his young apprentices, with details of their everyday tasks of mixing paints, preparing frescos, making brushes and the like. This book is not only a marvelous mystery but also a rich and entertaining cultural experience.』
(Highly recommended historical mystery) 『My assumption about a mystery series featuring Leonardo da Vinci conjured up visions of the wise and white-haired Leonardo using his vast years of knowledge and genius to wrestle with mysteries and solve crimes. However, I was delighted to find instead in this book a fresh look at Leonardo as he was in his handsome, russet-haired prime while employed as court engineer to the Duke of Milan.
The book's narrator is Leonardo's young apprentice Dino, whose master is charged by the Duke to solve a murder that occurs during a living chess game that provides the book's motif. Dino is tasked by his Master to undertake various assignments and don several disguises to help Leonardo gather clues, spy on suspects, and uncover dangerous secrets. Along the way, we also learn a surprising secret regarding Dino's true identity.
The narration colorfully evokes Milan during the Renaissance, contrasting the pageantry of court life with an apprentice's lowly station. We follow Dino's unfolding tale through a labyrinth of colorful characters who reveal their all-too-human strengths and failings. As Leonardo is viewed through Dino's eyes, he retains an important element of mystery himself, though we are given enough of his personality and genius, his powers of deduction, and his amazing inventions to make him come alive in this intriguing tale.
My hope when I read any historical mystery is for the setting to be fresh and vivid, to experience the story through appealing characters, to enjoy a page-turning plot, and to learn something fascinatingly new. In all these ways, this well-written book succeeds and provides a delightful read.』 『The first book in an exciting new series featuring Leonardo da Vinci and his young apprentice.
Court Engineer Leonardo da Vinci conjures a living chess game for the Duke of Milan using his royal court as chess pieces. But when one‘piece’ is murdered, da Vinci’s scrupulous eye for detail is needed to find the killer.』
Kakaku：280 saved$2.80
Atria
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Most enjoyable yarn about ancient Egypt) 『War of the Crowns is entertaining, well written historical fiction set in ancient Egypt. It is the second volume in a series. While I enjoyed the novel, it did not make me want to rush to read the other volumes. As a story, it is well told, with action, humor, and likable characters. The "buddy comedy/ adventure" of the Afghan and Moustache is particularly appealing. I also like how the writer incorporates magic and mysticism. Sorcery and the gods were major elements of ancient Egyptian culture, and the characters treat them as if they are as real as bread and birds. Often in historicals and fantasies, magic is presented tongue-in-cheek; characters use it as a symbol because the commoners believe in it, not because there is any truth behind it. In this novel, magic is not mere myth but fact--perhaps not realistic, but historical because that's what the people believed. The writer does not waste his time explaining the real reasons behind the magic, since such commentary would detract from the story's progression. In my opinion the novel lacks complexity, which stops me from rating it 4 stars. The heroes are immaculately good and the villains are irrevocably bad, which limits characterization. The heroes occasionally feel doubt, but those moments pass quickly. I like how the writer uses the villains as focal characters, but they are never more than villains. More insight into their minds and agendas should have been offered.』
(The Queen of Freedom Continues the Fight) 『In this the second book in the Queen of Freedom trilogy the fight for liberation continues for the Egyptians against the first invaders of their land the Hyksos lead by their aging Emperor Apophis. In the 17th century B.C. the Hyksos used horse drawn chariots and other advanced weaponry to conqueror and begin a one hundred year occupation of Egypt forcing its people into slavery and oblivion. From the beginning twenty year old Queen Ahhotep along with her husband the Pharaoh Seqen devised a strategy to retake Egypt. Now, Queen Ahhotep is thirty nine, her husband Seqen murdered and her eldest son Kamose is Pharaoh.
Headquartered in Thebes the Thebans along with a loyal cast of supporters such as Afghan, Moustache, Qaris, Moon, Emheb, Heray, Neshi and Ahmes begin the second wave of attack following the lead of Seqen. With a sizable well trained army and a swift sailing fleet they head for the impregnable Per-Hathor to the south. They continue following the Nile south to conquer Elephantine and Buhen in Nubia facing the military might of King Nedjeh of Kerma. Victories in hand the Thebans head north toward the Hykos capital Avaris in the Delta. Along the way they retake Kebet, Qis, Abydos, Dendera, Nefrusy, Khmun, Sako, Faiyum, and Memphis getting all the way to the gates of Avaris. There is only one problem for the Thebans there is a master spy among them.
The Pharaoh Kamose after taking the port of Avaris is forced to retreat. Returning to Thebes it is found that Kamose has been poisoned and dies at the hand of the unidentified spy.
For the Hyksos Emperor Apophis there is Khamudi the self serving perverted High Treasurer only interested in furthering his wealth, Jannas the brilliant military Commander who seeks Khamudi's ruin and presides over the massacres of innocent Egyptians, Windswept, Apophis' sister, who is one of his many secret collaborators, and Aberia who strangles victims with her bare hands and commands the new prison camp in Sharuhen.
Jacq's writing is so vivid and imaginative. I feel like I am right there in the mist of it all. I feel the power of the magic in the ancient rites performed to provide guidance to the Egyptians. Jacq takes historical fact and makes me live it.』
(The fight continues....) 『Jacq's second in the Queen of Freedom trilogy has the oppressed Eygyptians continuing their freedom fight from their base at Thebes. Pharoah Seqen, Ahhtoep's husband, is dead, but he is succeeded by his extremely capable first son, Ahmes, a young man in his twenties who leads the resurgent Thebans with alacrity. In this volume they take Elephantine, Buhen and stream south into Nubia to defeat Prince Nedjeh, felling Per-Hathor, Khmun and Nefrusy along the way. During the proceedings Pharaoh Kamose falls in love with Anat, the widow of Tita and marries her, Moustache falls in love with the Nubian, She-Cat (who eventually comes to head the medical corps). Meanwhile, under the command of the evil Apophis, emperor of the occupying Hyksos, Jannas crushes both the Anatolian rebellion and the Minoan-supplied pirates, then presides over great atrocities at at Sakoa nd Per-Shaq whilst Khamudi takes up a sideline in opium dealing to further his position and wealth. The indescribably evil Aberia continues to strangle her way through hundreds, opening a prison camp at Sharuhen, condemning thousands to death. Amongst all the barbarity and genocide Windswept, Apophis' sister, falls in love with Minos, the finest Minoan painter of his generation, given as a tribute gift to Apophis to decorate his palaces. It is this act of love that forces a chink in the Hyksos armour, sowing the seeds that must eventually bloom into Apophis' downfall. The second volume ends with the Thebans regaining all of Lower Egypt and Kamose taking the port of Avaris until finally murdered by the ever-present Hyskos spy whose identity remains a mystery thus paving the way for the final volume and the rise of Pharoah Ahmose, younger brother of Kamose. Jacq's trilogy is proving an entertaining read and is building up a major sense of injustice at the enormous atrocities carried out by the Hyksos. The body count is so high through the novel that it suffers from a lack of emotiveness at times but it ensures the reader remains fimly on the Eygptian side during this turbulent period of history as they seek, against all the odds, to reclaim their homeland.』 『Christian Jacq, author of the international sensationsRamsesandThe Stone of Light,continues his epicQueen of Freedomtrilogy as the fiercely determined Queen Ahhotep struggles to save her people -- and reclaim her own legacy.
The barbaric Hyksos have taken possession of the whole of Egypt, imposing their harsh rule with unimaginable cruelty. Only Queen Ahhotep has yet to succumb. Not far from Thebes, the only city that retains its independence, she has established a secret military base to train her loyal fighters. Even when her husband is killed, Ahhotep refuses to yield, turning instead to her eldest son, Kames, who must take his father's place as pharaoh. Leading an increasingly powerful army, Ahhotep steals victory after victory -- despite the treachery that threatens Egypt from within. Slowly, the Egyptians are recovering their honor, growing stronger by the day -- and the brutal invaders no longer seem invincible. Unless Queen Ahhotep and her followers are being lured into an elaborately designed trap that may seal their doom....
Combining historical fact with a vivid imagination, Christian Jacq tells the enthralling true story of the Ancient Egyptian warrior-queen Ahhotep -- without whose valiant courage the Valley of the Kings and the glorious treasures of the pharaohs, including Ramses the Great, would never have existed.』
Kakaku：374 saved$3.74
Harper Perennial
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Scholarly bio of a Drama Queen) 『This is a wonderful book - rich in historical detail, intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging. The author has a deep sense of humanity - and a dry sense of humour - which provides wry and insightful commentary on the mores of the time, and the excesses of the incredible Christina. The outcome is a warm and ultimately forgiving portrayal of a woman who would have been controversial in any age. The philosopher Descartes, the great artist Bernini, the composers Scarlatti and Corelli -they are among the many who have surprising walk-on roles in the drama of Christina's life.』
(Superficial and Disappointing) 『I have read a number of Christina biographies, and am familiar with seventeeenth century Scandinavia. When I saw this book I was excited that someone, an English-speaker, had something new to say about this extraordinary queen and her times. Perhaps I was expecting too much. If a reader knows nothing about the history of the times, and is an admirer of the works of Carolly Erickson or Jean Plaidy, he will probably enjoy reading this book. Anyone who knows a bit about seventeenth century Europe, and wants some scholarly rigor to heighten and challenge his knowledge base, will probably feel -- as I did -- cheated.
One never gets the sense from this biography that Christina was a real human being. She certainly was notable and eccentric, even considering her position and unusual personality. She was an appalling individual, both by present day standards and the standards of her own time. Even so, it must be asked why she was as she was. And, further, how she was typical of and different from what might have been expected of a royal figure in Europe at that time. Did she also possess traits that might make her easier to understand as a fellow human being? I did not find these questions adequately addressed by this book. She remains a circus freak, a human deformity.
This biography might well serve as an introduction to the subject for someone who has never heard of Christina, and who is not troubled by romance-novel writing. Still, I would rather recommend Georgina Masson's or Sven Stolpe's "Queen Christina" to such a reader.
In any event, it is heartening to see Scandinavian history being brought to an English-reading public. Personally, I am still waiting for a satisfactory biography of this troubling figure. 』
(Disappointingly Skewed) 『While Buckley has admirably and extensively researched and detailed her portrait of Europe in the 1600's, her characterizations of Christina of Sweden are irritatingly judgemental and peevish. If you are looking for a curmudgeonly psuedoanalysis of the extraordinary Queen, you will be happy. If you are looking for an impartial biography or an exciting story, you won't find it here. Buckley cobbles the flow of her own narrative by nitpicking Christina's motivations at every turn. YAWN!』
(An excellent examination of a life.) 『Buckley has done a wonderful job with her first book and I am hoping that others will follow. This is a well-researched and well-documented biography of Christina. The queen is placed within her time period and Buckley wisely refrains from enforcing a modern view on the queen's lifestyle and decisions. Instead the author leaves the reader to make up their own mind.
And excellently written work, Buckley gives those of us with little knowledge of seventeenth century Sweden a context from which to view Christina's life. And the discussion of Karl Gustav, Christina's father, the man who made Sweden a powerful military nation, is an important part of understanding Christina's idea of herself.
For a pleasurable and enlightening look at one of the many high born (I would hesitate to call Christina powerful, except in her own mind) women floating around seventeenth century Europe, this is as great place as any to start. 』
(I love a good eccentric!) 『Unfortunately, there was a lot of Swedish history to slog through at first. When I finally got to Christina's misadventures, things picked up. But this was not a really compelling biography--I kept counting how many pages I had left til the end. If you want a biography you can't put down, go read "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey.』 『
Not unlike the elusive figure played by Greta Garbo, the real Queen Christina stood among the most flamboyant and controversial figures of the seventeenth century. All of Sweden could not contain her ambition or quench her thirst for adventure. Freed from her crown, she cut a breathtaking path across Europe -- spending madly, seeking out a more majestic throne, and stirring up trouble wherever she went. With a dazzling narrative voice and unerring sense of the period, Veronica Buckley goes beyond historical myth to breathe life into an extraordinary woman who set the world on fire and became an icon of her age -- a time of enormous change when Europe stood at the crossroads of religion and science, antiquity and modernity, war and peace.
This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.』
Kakaku：34 saved$0.34
Monarch Press (NY)
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (A revealing mirror of my experience) 『I love this book! It was highly recommended to me and I know why. Reading Donna's story was like seeing a reflection of my own experience of entering midlife.
The more I read, the more I love Donna's work. I'm just getting into the juicy parts now about self-love and self-blessing.
Thank you Donna for helping me to recognize the Queen I've become.』
("Finding Moxie, Meaning and Magic in Midlife") 『As the founder of Women of Intentions:Ordinary Women Making an Extraordinary Difference and Vicki Fox Productions, my mission for the last six years has been empowering myself and other women. As our culture and society has changed, entering our middle years has been relatively uncharted territory. God bless Donna Henes and her powerful book.
Telling her life story, she has written that middle age is a profound time of loss -- experiencing the loss of our youthful beauty, our parents, our children becoming adults, losing our spouses through divorce or death. Yet despite this time of "letting go" she informs and reminds us that most women report never being happier. What a breath of fresh air for those of us at the beginning of the journey.
I recommend this book to all women. Donna relates personal experiences and gives us exercises to get in touch with how to live the second half of our lives with "moxie, meaning and magic."』
(Slow Start - But Worth It!) 『I am 50 something, and eagerly looked forward to this book. Initially I was disappointed. It seems to get off to a slow and self aggrandizing start on the part of the author. Also, as a book written for women in middle age, the color and size of the font is perplexing - especially the script used for the poems scattered liberally throughout. I frequently would have to take off my glasses (that already have a bifocal) and hold the book up to my face to be able to read them. However, I stuck it out and was well rewarded. She speaks to us middle-age women in a new, open and refreshing way. Her suggestions for claiming our "queenhood" are insightful, fun and expanding. It is a fresh start for us facing all the changes - physical, emotional and mental - that we encounter as we enter this phase of our lives. Well worth the price of admission!』
(We rule!) 『If I were to recommend three books to a friend in need of some reassurance that is - truly - great to be a woman, and even finer to be a woman pushing fifty or beyond, this triad would be "The Queen of My Self" by Donna Henes, along withThe Woman in the Shaman's Body: Reclaiming the Feminine in Religion and Medicineand The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets. Well, I'd have to add The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing During the Change.
I am writing this during the breaking news of the unearthed mummy of the Queen of Egypt - a woman who died in her fifties. The "alpha female" of the ancient world, the newscaster blares. It is delightful to hear about a woman ruler (and it is great that she was fifty and not some maiden queen). But this review is about a book about women ruling none other than herself. And that is far more important a discovery than the mummy.
"The Queen of My Self" is unusual and counter to the culture. There are not many books that contradict the idea that life is essentially over for a woman of "a certain age". Partly it is due to lingering taboos. There are self-help books that "help" us defy our stage, fend it off or conceal it. These books are not empowering, because it is a lie and we know it, it fools no one, so they feeds the terror. We may feel invisible, but why? We are everywhere. And we are full of power, but we may not know it or recognize it. Mostly we disappear from imagery and stories in books and films, though in reality we run society (even if not compensated for it). Though rising in our eroticism, we vanish as erotic beings, and we are pressured to dye our hair and insist we mostly bake cookies - trapped in the Mother archetype - if we dare to be actual queens of the land. So much of our creative energy seems to be wasted on hiding what we are slowly - irrevocably - becoming. This has got to be as destructive to one's self esteem as racism.
Donna Henes comes to the rescue! She is a rift healer, a paradox mender. A soul retriever. It is fitting that she is also a professional celebrator of celestial seasons - for we humans also have our seasons, and she celebrates our long autumnal glory. Life isn't just Spring, Summer, and Winter, but somehow the Autumn and its bounty got skipped. Henes bridges this immense gap.
As I passed forty and began to grow out of the Mother (Summer), I knew the looming Crone archetype (Winter)did not fit me or define me, and speculated that this image arose when most women were dead by fifty, or at least toothless and wasted (as you can see in women of many poor agricultural countries today). "The Crone" did not describe my midlife friends; it didn't describe my mother when she turned a robust, imperial seventy. It really only described my great grandmother of 105. The decay aspects of the Crone seemed to have been dreamed up by men - and probably women - afraid of their mortality and projecting death onto the Feminine. Carl Jung didn't help. The Crone was an outmoded archetype - and I decided to not take it on. I would create and live my own archetype, and categories be damned.
That can be a lonely hermit road though. As Henes shows, part of the dilemma of this stage is we often isolate ourselves to process the transformation, and this isolation can make us feel we are going it alone. For women, erstwhile social creatures, that can be especially strange. Turns out, I am in good company in my "ruminations and regenerating". Uncannily (well, she is a shaman)Henes sent me her book at the time when I most needed some external sisterly affirmation, and explanation of, and highly accurate description of the amazing psychic journey I have been on.
I gladly embrace the Queen archetype: I am Queen of my Self - if not of the Land! This is not about power over others - it is about power of oneself and power over highly destructive confusing imagery and stereotypes.
Henes exactly describes what I have been going through and mulling over. Here is a favorite "aha" quote: "Despite the rude awakening, the unsettling physical and emotional chaos of midlife and all its frightful, presumed ramification, an amazing number of women find this stage to be the most personally fulfilling and satisfying one of their lives so far...Just what are we to make of this apparent feeling among so many women that we believe ourselves to be better off once we have lost possession of the very characteristics and trappings that society seems to value in us -- our sexual allure and childbearing capabilities?". Pleasurable, iconoclastic, great writing, great wisdom (from someone not yet a Crone), bold vitality: This book will be valued companion for me in the years to come.
Lesley Thomas, author of Flight of the Goose』
(Hail to the Queen!) 『I looked forward to my 50th birthday with more joy and anticipation than any other birthday in my adult life. There was just one problem: Traditionally, women have identified age 50 and menopause as the time when they segue from Mother to Crone. But I didn't feel like a Crone! I still loved to hike in the woods, ride my bicycle, play with paints and clay and toys.
Then I met Donna Henes and read her book, "Queen of Myself." It was one of those rare, "Aha" moments for me. Here, at last, was a woman who understood the old archetypes were outdated; that menopausal women in this millennium are still vibrant and full of life. Smart, yes; wise, well....maybe in another few years.
Henes explains how the idea of the three stages of a woman's life--Maiden, Mother, Crone--are not, as often thought, the faces of the triple goddess. Rather, they are the creation of a man, a man who clearly feared the strength, power, and bohemian spirit so prevalent in today's midlife woman.
She offers lots of fun and fanciful ways to celebrate Queendom, from rebirthing and coronation ceremonies to personal affirmations and chants. And she doesn't do this from an impersonal distance. Henes bares her soul, talking about her own path to Queendom, writing in such an intimate manner the reader feels like the book is a personal letter from the author to her, and her alone.
Read this book. Give this book to every woman you know who is a Queen, or is approaching Queendom. Then, pour yourself a delicious bubble bath, a glass of wine or cup of soothing tea, put a crown on your head--one you've made yourself, of course--slip into the tub, and sing, "Hail to the Queen!"
You deserve it. 』 『From one of the leading spiritual practitioners writing and working today, a landmark book that celebrates a new mythic model for the middle years of a woman’s life—the Queen!』
IPhone 3G used's review (One of the Best Books I ever read) 『I found this book at a library a long time ago, and was imediatly intrigued from the first sentance on. I tried to borrow it a second time, but found that someone else had bought it. This is the only book I have ever read out of the series, because i couldn't get my hands on any others. I loved this book, and am positive that the whole series is just as great. I don't understand why they went out of print, and if I could, would Write a letter to the editor, or whoever decided to put them out of print and demand that they start making these books again. I love this book, and they are so much more worth reading than Harry Potter. If you some how get to read this book, I can guarantee that you will love it.』
(Out Of Print Wonders!) 『*I am currently typing these books up on my comp. If you'd like them with no cost just to view please email me!*』
(Out of Print Wonders!) 『Into The Dream is the fourth book in The Secret Of The Unicorn Queen series, written by four different authors. Shelia has returned safely to her home and is now more active in sports than ever. Her best friend Cookie can't understand what has happened to Shelia a month ago and how she has changed so much. Shelia wakes from sleepless dreams of Morning Star, her unicorn, calling out to her. Feeling tugged by Star she returns to the world of the Unicorn Queen only to learn that the unicorns are disappearing! Along with the fact that Darian is no longer speaking to her let alone it appears a romance maybe in the blossom between Dian and him! Once again Shelia must battle Mardock to save the unicorns that she so dearly loves. The entire series The Secret Of The Unicorn Queen is a magnificant set of books. Each one is a story all it's own that captures the attention of childen and adults alike. It doesn't matter if you are male or female you'll love these books, because they action packed with a twist of romance. I urge you to buy these books if you can! You won't regret it!』
(I LOVE IT!) 『I got the first book in the series when I was 8. I'm 21 now and still love the books. The series is great for girls young and old. If you get the chance to read them, do it.』
(Loved part 4 and 5- i want the rest! PLEASE!) 『I can't believe all of these people read and loved these books! I thought i was the only one who had heard of them! I only have 4 and 5, and that's all i've read... I want to read them all, i want to know how this whole thing started and how it ends! Anybody interested in sharing books, i'll share with you! Better if i can find my own copies, but i'd rather read them only once than never at all.』
