Book Description
It's not the dead that seem strange to Quirke. It's the living. One night, after a few drinks at an office party, Quirke shuffles down into the morgue where he works and finds his brother-in-law, Malachy, altering a file he has no business even reading. Odd enough in itself to find Malachy there, but the next morning, when the haze has lifted, it looks an awful lot like his brother-in-law, the esteemed doctor, was in fact tampering with a corpse-and concealing the cause of death. It turns out the body belonged to a young woman named Christine Falls. And as Quirke reluctantly presses on toward the true facts behind her death, he comes up against some insidious-and very well-guarded-secrets of Dublin's high Catholic society, among them members of his own family. Set in Dublin and Boston in the 1950s, the first novel in the Quirke series brings all the vividness and psychological insight of Booker Prize winner John Banville's fiction to a thrilling, atmospheric crime story. Quirke is a fascinating and subtly drawn hero, Christine Falls is a classic tale of suspense, and Benjamin Black's debut marks him as a true master of the form. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (40)

Implausible and weakly crafted
John Banville should stick with what he does best. His foray into this "entertainment" of a crime novel is clearly not his best genre. Set in 1950's Dublin and Boston, the story is implausible and the "plot twists" are telegraphed as each stereotypic character makes an appearance. Some of the research is sloppy suggesting this is dashed off as money-making exercise. For example in Ireland, a Pathologist is referred to as Doctor and not Mr. (reserved for surgeons). Even the literary flourishes smack of a a high school summer course in creative writing. Do all lame people drag their legs like unwilling children, and how many times do we need detailed descriptions of hands and plumes of smoke?More disturbing is the prospect of a series of novels and no doubt a film or television series based on the book. I suppose we deserve what we get for not buying his literary novels in sufficient numbers.

Christine Falls by Benjamin Black / John Banville
I preface this review by saying that I loved John Banville's The Sea and read it three times, and likewise with Banville's, The Book of Evidence, so I was extremely pleased when I learned that Banville had decided to write a Thriller - enter Benjamin Black.
I have now read Christine Falls and whilst I was impressed with the first fifty pages or so, I have to say that as a Dubliner who grew up in Dublin in the 'Fifties (the period in which the novel is set) I find that this novel sadly lacks a sense of time and of place. One expects prose written by Banville to have a lyrical quality and in this we are not disappointed.That aside, however, the novel (for me) fails as a thriller.Every step of the way (or the word or the scene) I anticipated what was coming. I would have welcomed a little more ingenuity and subtlety. The plot was predicable. The shenanigans of the Church/State/Police/ highly predictable. In short it was a disappointing read because, alas, like poor Christine, this novel also fell between two stools ... neither a literary novel nor a thriller.

I was expecting and hoping for a Barbara Vine type plot delivered in true Banvillean style.Not so.Not at all.

However, I shall not give up on Benjamin Black as yet and am about to embark on his second thriller, The Silver Swan.

We shall see ...

Atmospheric, evocative suspense
John Banville, writing as Benjamin Black, sheds (most of) the stylistic and thematic flourishes that drained The Sea -- the over-the-top vocabulary, the gloomy existentialism -- and delivers a lean, well-paced whodunit with a commanding detective at its center. Supple prose and a richly characterized supporting cast lend weight to a sturdy if routine mystery plot, and the narrative memorably evokes both 1950s Dublin and New England.

Morality sunk by melodrama
Solid writer of obscure though occasionally prize-winning literary fiction turns his hand to the crime novel. It sounds like a great idea that solves the 'problem' of both styles: such a novel would have the suspenseful, page-turning plot that literary fiction often lacks, and yet it would be handled with the depth of character and richness of language usually absent from genre fiction. Sadly, the result is more like decorating a suburban bungalow in the style of Louis XIV: ill-advised and more than faintly ludicrous, but salvaged by its winking self-awareness as something not to be taken entirely seriously. Banville claims he was inspired by rediscovering the novels of Georges Simenon. There is something of that here, though not quite enough of the existential anxiety (which Martin Amis, in a similar mode, to my mind nailed perfectly, terrifyingly, in the much-maligned "Night Train"). For me, the central problem here is that the moral claustrophobia of Banville's tale - which needs to be about real, credible characters to move us - is consistently undercut by ludicrous melodrama, the sheer silliness of some sequences, and the relentlessly clichéd depiction of characters such as Andy Stafford. None of it felt real to me, so neither did the moral angst around which the plot turns. I understand this began life as a television script, and that's precisely how it feels: worth spending 100 minutes with over a cup of tea, but not worth slogging through 400-odd pages. I like Banville. I like good crime fiction, too. This is neither.

John Banville on an earner
John Banville is a superb author of cold, complex novels, he is not noted for the creation of empathetic characters.In interviews lately he has spoken of the ease with which he has slipped into the Benjamin Black persona, and how much quicker it is for him to write as Black.This is his first novel as Black, in which he introduces a lone, heavy-drinking pathologist named Quirke.Oh dear! A pathologist, a heavy drinker, a loner, an amalgam of best-seller types.
Nonetheless, there is novelty in the fact that the story is set in 1950's Dublin, among the affluent Catholic middle class. Their world is well described, with a keen eye for detail and interaction.One strand of the story unfolds around the illegal transportation of the children of Irish single mothers to the USA to `good' i.e. Catholic homes.The other main strand concerns Quirke's extended family and its interactions and discoveries.Quirke's life seems over complicated - he was adopted by a medical family,became a rival to the son of the house, loved, but lost the woman who became the son's wife, married the sister of the woman he loved, oh dear.... And it gets even more complex.In fact there's a bit about Quirke'sdaughter, that I found quite frankly unbelievable, as well as unnecessary.
As I read on, I found myself getting more and more irritated by the book - the minor characters - Conor Carrington, Barney Boyle - why not make some effort at inventing non-alliterative names; even the depiction of the weather - " the wettish morning reeked of smoke and fumes", " the sky was heavy with the seamless weight of putty-coloured cloud" - yes, yes, but a bit indulgent perhaps?
So, overall a pity, it seems like an effort to dumb down, and perhaps make some money by writing a series - Quirke becomes another Rebus or Scarpetta.So delighted was Banville with the ease of production, that in an interview with the (London) Sunday Timeshe said he had dashed off the third Quirke novel in three weeks, whereas, as John Banville, he might spend an afternoon over a sentence.
... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from American Journal of Agricultural Economics, published by American Agricultural Economics Association on November 1, 2004. The length of the article is 647 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: Ball, V. Eldon and Norton, George W. Agricultural Productivity: Measurement and Sources of Growth.(Book Review)
Author: Timothy J. Dalton
Publication: American Journal of Agricultural Economics (Refereed)
Date: November 1, 2004
Publisher: American Agricultural Economics Association
Volume: 86Issue: 4Page: 1153(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
Two years have passed since the events of the bestselling Christine Falls, and much has changed for Quirke, the irascible, formerly hard-drinking Dublin pathologist.His beloved Sarah is dead, the Judge lies in a convent hospital paralyzed by a devastating stroke, and Phoebe, Quirke's long-denied daughter, has grown increasingly withdrawn and isolated.With much to regret from his last inquisitive foray, Quirke ought to know better than to let his curiosity get the best of him.Yet when an almost-forgotten acquaintance comes to him about his beautiful young wife's apparent suicide, Quirke's 'old itch to cut into the quick of things, to delve into the dark of what was hidden' is roused again.As he begins to probe further into the shadowy circumstances of Deirdre Hunt's death, he discovers many things that might better have remained hidden, as well as grave danger to those he loves. Haunting, masterfully written, and utterly mesmerizing in its nuance, The Silver Swan fully lives up to the promise of Christine Falls and firmly establishes Benjamin Black (a.k.a. John Banville) among the greatest of crime writers. ... Read more

Book Description
This exceptional how-to book shows you the ins and outs of making fabulous hats for your antique and contemporary dolls including items for the popular 15-in fashion dolls such as Gene®, Tyler®, and Alex®. We all know that fashion is about the accessories and a hat can make or break an outfit. Designer Timothy Alberts shows step-by-step how you can make stunning hats to accompany your doll's costumes, and includes four different hat patterns. In addition to the source guide, the authors also include an illustrated history of many different styles and how they are incorporated into today's fashions. This elegant book will be a favorite for modern and antique collectors alike. 225 color photos. 128 pages · 8-1/2" x 11" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The art of making extraordinary reading material
I loved this book! This is the latest in my collection books by Timothy Alberts.From beginning to end the author captivates you with attention to detail.Although this book does not delve deeply into the more intricate aspects of how to make the designs shown, most are not for the beginner anyway.The designs featured in this book are some of the finest that I have seen.I would recommend this book to anyone interested in millinery, and eagerly await future works.

Lack of Information
I was unhappy to see that this book did not contain explicit hat making instructions.The best example was chapter 5 on straw hats.In the instructions you are told to sew the straw braid together either by hand or machine but did not tell you if you should butt the straw braid together or over lap the braid.No help was given for hand sewing the braid either... what stitch to use?Nothing was mentioned about machine settings either.For example, if you use a straight stitch how long should the stitch be?If you use a machine zigzag stitch what is the best length and width. I was also surprised at the how to pictures in the book.I expected better close-ups.This was my first book about millinery so my expectations may be too high but I still feel the book left out a lot of very important information. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from CD Computing News, published by Thomson Gale on June 1, 2007. The length of the article is 727 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: "FLASH GORDON" REMASTERED MOVIE ON DVD DUE OUT IN A AUGUST.
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: CD Computing News (Newsletter)
Date: June 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 21Issue: 6Page: NA

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
The quintessential book on making shoes for your favorite doll!An exquisite book about shoes - and how to make miniature foot ware for your dolls - from antique fashions to Gene and Barbie dolls. Designer Timothy Alberts gives step by step directions for making high-heeled shoes the proper way and includes patterns.The authors also include an illustrated history of shoes - showing which styles were popular through the ages.Learn how to make a shopping bag and shoe box too!Every doll lover, shoe lover and collector alike will want a copy of this elegant and informative book.Includes 4 patterns and 67 line drawings.154 color photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Never Judge A Book By It's Cover
This book is pretty on the inside and outside. Lots of colored photos. Plenty of photos of the shoes they have made and who they were made for. But no patterns to go with any of them except two. Very involved detailedprocess for making the solid shape to build your shoes upon. Briefexplanations of various shoes over the centuries is nice, but don't expectto be able to design a shoe from many of the line drawings of shoes. Thedrawings are crude with no variations for each time period. They are not incolor and mention no fabrics or popular colors for the time period.Niceglossary of tools used, shoe parts and techniques. There are 8 sourceswhere you can purchased parts, etc. And last but not least there is a nicefull page plug for the new upcoming book.I gave a three because the bookis pretty, photos done nicely and process explanations were clear.

Great Book--More Shoe Photos, Please
I really loved this book.I have no experience in creating clothing for my 15½" Franklin Mint fashion dolls & the shoes that came with the dolls are a major disappointment.I hope to be able to rectify that soonwith my husband's help in creating lasts & molds.

I gave the book 4stars because, although the creation & design processes are detailedvery thoroughly, there is a dearth of good photos of finished shoes.Manyof the shoes that are shown tend to be somewhat hidden under the hem of adoll's outfit, the folds of artistically draped fabric, or the lid of acolorful candy box.

As suggestions for a second edition:If I couldre-edit this book, I would add more finished shoes, add patterns for otherpopular fashion dolls (such as Franklin Mint vinyls,) & change thetypeface font to something less fussy, with full margin justification.

Superb book with easy to follow instructions
I make and design clothes for the Madame Alexander doll Cissy and have always been frustrated with the scarcity/lack of selection/high price of shoes that I can buy for this doll.So, when I saw this book advertised inone of the many doll magazines I browse monthly, I knew I had to have it. The instructions are fairly easy to follow though sometimes the photographsshowing the various steps are not located on the page facing the writteninstruction (the sole reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5).Theinstructions for making a permanent last were very helpful.This bookcontains patterns for lasts & shoes for Cissy and Gene in particular,but the instructions and methods in this book could be applied to manydolls though I wouldn't recommend it for people wanting to make anythingfor Barbie.There are also instructions for making molds for heels (if youhave a high-heeled doll like Cissy or Gene).Following these instructions,I successfully made my first pair of shoes, and, because I made themmyself, I was able to customize them to the outfit I had made.A greatbook for making shoes for dolls for whom you cannot cheaply and easily buydecent shoes. ... Read more

Book Description
One of the most famous love stories ever written. A classic. The story of Heathcliff and Cathy on the wild windswept Yorkshire moor. ... Read more

Book Description
Shoe lovers, look no further!This book is the perfect fit for you!Siught-after designer, Timothy Alberts, walks doll and shoe admirers through the fun and rewarding process of crafting a miniature shoe.Includes 4 patterns! ... Read more