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The ostensible subject of The Sound and the Fury is thedissolution of theCompsons, one of those august old Mississippi families that fell on hardtimes and wild eccentricity after the Civil War. But in fact what William Faulkneris really after in his legendary novel is the kaleidoscope of consciousness--the overwrought mind caught in the act of thought. His rich, dark, scandal-ridden story ofsquandered fortune, incest (in thought if not in deed), madness, congenital brain damage, theft, illegitimacy, and stoic endurance is told in the interiorvoices of three Compson brothers: first Benjy, the "idiot" man-child whoblurs together three decades of inchoate sensations as he stalks the fringesof the family's former pasture; next Quentin, torturing himself brilliantly, obsessively over Caddy's lost virginity and his own failure to recover the family's honor as he wanders around the seedy fringes of Boston; and finally Jason, heartless, shrewd, sneaking, nursing a perpetual sense of injury and outrage against his outrageous family.

If Benjy's section is the most daringly experimental, Jason's is the mostharrowing. "Once a bitch always a bitch, what I say," he begins, lacing into Caddy's illegitimate daughter, and then proceeds to hurl mud at blacks, Jews, his sacred Compson ancestors, his glamorous, promiscuous sister, hisdoomedbrother Quentin, his ailing mother, and the long-suffering black servant Dilsey who holds the family together by sheer force of character.

Notoriously "difficult," The Sound and the Fury is actually one ofFaulkner's more accessible works once you get past the abrupt, unannouncedtime shifts--and certainly the most powerful emotionally. Everything ishere: the complex equilibrium of pre-civil rights race relations; theconflict between Yankee capitalism and Southern agrarian values; a meditationon time, consciousness, and Western philosophy. And all of it is rendered in proseso gorgeous it can take your breath away. Here, for instance, Quentin recalls anautumnal encounter back home with the old black possum hunter Uncle Louis:

And we'd sit in the dry leaves that whispered a little with the slowrespiration of our waiting and with the slow breathing of the earth and the windless October, the rank smell of the lantern fouling the brittle air,listening to the dogs and to the echo of Louis' voice dying away.He never raised it, yet on a still night we have heard it from our front porch.Whenhe called the dogs in he sounded just like the horn he carried slung on his shoulder and never used, but clearer, mellower, as though his voice were apart of darkness and silence, coiling out of it, coiling into it again. WhoOoooo.WhoOoooo.WhoOooooooooooooooo.

Customer Reviews (183)

Made me want to be a writer...
This was my first "favorite" novel.I read it as an adolescent and (perhaps because I was young and non-judgmental?) found it quite an easy read.I hadn't yet read the other great modern writers - Woolfe, Joyce.Later, I would place them among my favorites as well, but "Fury" was my original taste of "stream of consciousness" and I ate it up. I remember being blown away by the first chapter; the thunder-clap of recognition as I realized that it was "a tale told by an idiot;" that was the best of it for me, though I raced through the rest of the novel greedily, and re-read it for things I had missed (as one reviewer has said here, you could read it again and again for this reason).In any case, when I was finished, I knew I would be a writer. For many years I wrote in a Faulkner-ish style.I suppose many of us did.However, I have just picked it up again, as a mature reader and find that it is just as magnificent as my first "taste."However - I have been enjoying other parts of the novel as much, if not more, than that first, enigmatic, mind-blowing chapter. Here's to you, WF, wherever you are, for starting me on a great journey!

Ambivalent about S&F
I suppose I should be falling all over myself right now to ascribe genius, vision, originality, insightfulness, and other demi-god-like qualities to Faulkner because of his book.But I can't.I keep having this nagging suspicion that Faulkner made Benjy's section (and to a lesser extent Quentin's) deliberately distorted, confusing, bizarre and contradictory just to have a laugh at our expense, or, even worse, to make us think that somehow it was avant-garde, daring or original.One reviewer has complained that he felt the pages were randomly shuffled; occasionally I get that "Electric Lunch" feeling too.

And I couldn't relate to Caddy."Heart's darling"? If this is Faulkner's idea of a heart's darling, then he has some deep seated psychological issues to work out.So Caddy was tramp; big deal.She dared to lose her virginity at 15.Wow.She got pregnant and gave the child to her mother to raise.How original.Exactly what were her redeeming qualities supposed to be? That she missed the child she abandoned? Ironically, I actually could relate more to Jason, the only member of the Compson family who at least has got some common sense, even if, as one reviewer correctly noted, he is pure nastiness.

When this book appeared in 1929, it probably was considered very progressive in its treatment of then-taboo subjects.But in today's world the themes are at the very best quaint, and the very worst trite.All in all, the family is really nothing more than a southern, 1920s version of the Jerry Springer show: ..., suicidal, thieving brothers, alcoholic father, ...sister and granddaughter, neurotic mother.What's so original about dysfunctional southern families? Hell, we've had one in the White House.Please folks -- when you praise this book, make "dam" sure you're not praising the merely cleverly banal.

Like an Impressionist painting
Reading through this novel about the tragedies that beset a white family of the American South is like first examining an Impressionist painting up close and then slowly pulling away. At first you see the beauty of the brush strokes but can not make out the entire composition, but by the end your view ecompasses the entire work but does not see it with the sclarity of a photograph. The first three of four chapters are told in a stream of consciousness format that gives the reader only disjointed segments of the plot. The reader must trust that the entire story will come out in the end. However, the beauty of the work does not lie in the storyline, but in the characterizations of the central players. As one is jarred by the difference between the simple-minded but often confusing thoughts of the first chapter and the tortured thoughts of the second, one becomes aware that words do not simply describe people, the words are the people.

This work will make you frustrated if you expect clarity from the onset. Read all the way through and you will understand more than you think. If you want to read a summary or review before you're done, you're outsourcing your thinking - there's no point in reading this book if you're not going to think for yourself.

One trifling annoyance with this particular volume is that it came with a big Oprah Book Club sticker on it. I peeled it off, but I found it annoying that it was there on the front cover.

Not a fan of Faulkner...
I shouldn't start out with such a negative attitude because, to be honest, I've never read anything else by Faulkner, but this is NOT the book to start out with if you want to get a taste of him.This is the biggest muddle I think I've ever tried to read, and if it weren't for online Cliff's Notes, which broke down the entire book in 20 pages and better explained it than Faulkner himself, I would never have understood a single work of it.
His style is simply impossible to follow in this book, trying from a sane and intellectually sound individual's perspective to try to duplicate the mind of a 33-year-old infant whose thoughts he can't even possibly comprehend.He shifts through time back and forth until I was almost pulling my hair out, and I just couldn't even begin to understand what was going on.Once past that point, I was so frustrated that the next section didn't make any sense either.I didn't understand a single word until I read the review online, and never before have I had a problem with a work like this.

An Intense & Rewarding Experience, if it's Your Cup of Tea
First, it should be noted that the editorial review for this book above is better than usual at giving the plot of this book. All the same, the story is somewhat secondary (if not occasionally irrelevant) to HOW the story is told--a fact that is either a joy, or a cause to hate this book with particular venom.

Second, it is apparent from the wide range of reviews that some people have a wholly dismal reaction, while others praise the book to the stars. Aside from the fact that this must obviously arise from the reader's point of view (if not simply what a reader expects from a novel), it would still be helpful if a review didn't just scream "wonderful" or "horrible" but gave some sort of lighthouse by which to judge where you would fall on that spectrum.That is the purpose of this review.

If it is necessary to understand "what is going on" with perfect clarity, then this is not a book for you.If you don't mind being lost in places, even sometimes for long periods, then you already are at least somewhat prepared for what this book has to offer.Quite frankly, I don't believe those reviewers who said they understood the book perfectly; I think they're grandstanding. I say this, partly because I don't think Faulkner understood the book perfectly as he wrote it, and I think that there are portions where understanding is no longer the purpose, or is simply impossible. Faulkner himself said (and he may have been lying when he said it) that "The Sound and the Fury" is nothing more than his four attempts to tell the same story, and that he failed each time.

Understanding this novel is made more complicated by the fact that each of its four sections is told in progressively more lucid prose. Benjy's section juxtaposes time and space in a very disorienting way. The kind offers of people to give crib notes about how to make sense of the Benjy section are somewhat beside the point.Similarly, for those who think that Joyce "invented" stream of consciousness, or that Faulkner is imitating him, Joyce's "stream of consciousness" (the über-famous interior monologue from Mrs. Bloom at the end of "Ulysses") is nothing like either Benjy's stream of consciousness, or Quentin's in the section that follows. In any case, Faulkner immerses you in Benjy's and Quentin's stream, and as such one must swim constantly or drown, or sometimes just go with the flow.

And that is a fine strategy for reading the first two sections of this book. Strangely, it is likely that you will find interior landscape of Benjy's mental retardation more "logical" than Quentin's furiously self-conscious think. Again, instead of trying to understand every leaf, stone, and creature scuttling on the bank of Faulkner's stream of consciousness, one can simply catch what one does and go with the flow.Part of the most powerful effect of this work, in any case, is in its language.

Faulkner is sometimes accused of having more genius than talent, and that the many doubling of words and phrases with synonyms, such as "his was the grand, if not the epic, the penultimate humiliation" as the failure of a writer grasping for words, or (more charitably) at something beyond his understanding. There are other, more literary ways to read this kind of repetition, but if nothing else, they add weight, repetition, and seriousness to the text. Yes, sometimes to the point of ridiculousness. But what this means is that if you are open to the very language itself of the novel, and not simply what it is saying, then you're already better prepared to enjoy this book than other people.If that's not what you can tolerate in a novel, then avoid this book, and most of what this author writes.

It's this excess of language, this stuff that looks like narrative stumbling to some critics, and narrative thunder-building to others. Certainly there are days when this book is insufferable. The flat truth is, you have to be in a mood for it and, what's more, you have to be prepared to take the book on its own terms.If you want a conventionally crafted story, with the usual plot arc, and clear, lucid plot-points, this book will frustrate you. It offers, by contrast, a four-fold view of the Compson family, without offering a resolution or reconciliation to all those points of view.It offers images that can haunt you for years; even to this day, the final shadowy image of Mr. Compson in the doorway, while the four Compson children are piled into bed (as remembered/seen by Benjy) is an inexplicably heart-wrenching image to me. After all of the mental confusion (on my part) reading Benjy's section, this crystal-clear image is all the more effective because of the confusion, and also because its peace is in such stark contrast to the present-day Compsons.I'm not sure a conventional narrative could achieve this, but if it's not how you like to get to your emotional climaxes in a book, then this is not your book.

It seems like many reviewers feel a need to apologize for not liking this book. Aside from the fact that "not liking" says nothing about the book, one can certainly find elements of it distressing.Caddy is, indeed, the central character, but only as reflected through the eyes of her brother? Why don't we see her point of view? Perhaps because Quentin's obsession with Caddy's purity is just white male objectification of women all over again. Faulkner certainly indulged this excessively in the middle volume of his Snopes trilogy, "The Town". The mediocrity of philosophy can be pointed to, although there are plenty of half-baked philosophers who are revered in literature; Tolstoy, in "War and Peace", perhaps the most, and no one questions the mind-bending artistic accomplishment of that book.Faulkner himself continuously struggled with the image of being seen as a Southern hayseed, especially when in trendy New York or fast-paced Los Angeles; he lied about his own life to compensate for this. And most of all, if not also most unforgivably of all so far as modern literature is generally concerned, he an insanely passionate writer; self-conscious irony is fairly alien to Faulkner, even when he tries to reach it. For him, everything opens up into abysses of meaning (hence more of the synonyms and snapping at meaning). The lumpy verbosity of his books, like the verbal diarrhea of his virtual Russian counterpart, Dostoevsky, arises from having an overwhelming sense of something to say.This is not always apparent, because Faulkner steeps himself and his books in his characters in a way that few authors had before, or since.

Like most Modernist writers, he was trying to find a sure foundation on which to stand. God was dead. The Great War (World War I) had demonstrated the barrenness and bankruptcy of Western culture. In the same year as its release, the U.S. stock market crashed.Such efforts, like most of the Modernists, are artificial to some degree or another, and failures to some degree or another, but they are failures of greatness because they undertook a staggering task. If that's not the kind of thing that you like in a book, then this is probably not a good choice, but if it is, then there are very rich rewards to be reaped here.
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Product Description
Sound reinforcement is the use of audio amplification systems. This book is the first and only book of its kind to cover all aspects of designing and using such systems for public address and musical performance. The book features information on both the audio theory involved and the practical applications of that theory, explaining everything from microphones to loudspeakers. The Whirlwind pcDI is the first direct box designed to interface your unbalanced stereo line sources with professional balanced low impedance equipment. This unit contains two separate DIs - input your signals with one 3.5mm (1/8 inch) mini TRS stereo jack or two sets of color coded RCA phono type in and through jacks. Output is via corresponding color coded XLRs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

Bible of Sound
This book really good. I've almost read the whole thing. There is alot of good information and conceptual stuff like the science behind sound. There is also alot of application in the book except that the application part is relatively general about sound technique and equipment usage but nontheless very much helpful. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get serious or learn more about sound reinforcement as well as for people who have been in the business for years. This book has something for everyone.

A lot of what worked in 1986 is still 100% applicable
This book covers absolutely everything you'd really want to know about live sound in a little more detail than most people care to digest.A must read for anyone seriously involved (or hoping to become) in pro audio.The major shortcoming of this book is that it deals with audio technology of 21 years ago.Most of it still applies, and a lot of it hasn't even changed, but these days everything is going digital.Gating and dynamics processing has become so much different in execution (not principle) that a newer book would be very helpful.

The Bible of Live Sound
The must have reference for anyone who is serious about working with audio, in any form or fashion. This is the book my friend learned from at Full Sail, it's the book every engineer I know owns, and it's the book I bought and read and reread till the front and back covers fell off.
This book goes well beyond the basics. It is a comprehensive knowledge base covering the theory, physics and magic of sound and sound reinforcement systems.
Everything and anything you could think to ask about speakers, amps, crossovers, EQ, compressors, effects processors, microphones, instruments, cable... everything.
If this isn't the first book you buy, you are wasting you money.

Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Handbook
Awesome book-Covers in detail all the little items you hear or don't hear, but don't quite understand why. Recommend for all sound techs or wannabe sound techs

THIS IS THE BOOK!
If you are going to buy one book on Sound Reinforcement, this is it. These guys do not mess around. With the support of more than 250 illustrations, the geniuses behind Yamaha lay down this science. ... Read more

Book Description
Most speech-language pathologists will, at one time or another, experience the frustration that often accompanies attempts to elicit new speech sound behaviors in their clients. This is especially true when a client does not have a target sound in his or her response repertoire.Eliciting Sounds: Techniques and Strategies for Clinicians is a quick, easy-to-use compendium of techniques for immediately evoking any phoneme targeted for remediation. This new edition of the classic resource continues to provide the most clinically relevant information in a compact, accessible format. No clinical speech-language pathologist should be without Eliciting Sounds. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

useful
i found this book a really interesting and absolutely useful clinical tool for speech therapists. i enjoyed it a lot.

eliciting sounds
This material is very useful to the speech therapist in training as well as the experienced therapist working with children and adults. The authors haveprovided a clear and concise description of each sound and its production with elicitation techniques galore.This book is invaluable to the practicing speech therapist.

Great for eliciting those tough sounds
This is a very helpful book for beginning and seasoned speech therapists alike. It includes multiple ways to elicit a sound as well as therapy ideas. I have found this particularly helpful for a quick guide to help move me in the right direction. Its a great addition to my therapy materials library. :D ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

An acquired taste?
Faulkner seems to be one of those authors you either love or hate. His stream-of-consciousness style can be hard to follow at times, but his stories are spot-on as far as the human condition is concerned. I never really got into this novel until grad school; now I can't get enough of Faulkner! Read it even if you aren't an English major!

Rediscovered and now my favorite book
I tried to read this book as a freshman in college, and it was utterly lost on me, I'm sad to say.At the time, I was in denial about my status as a Southerner; I just wanted to get out and move to NYC and pretend I was living in Andy Warhol's factory.

Now, as an adult, and as a writer with a forthcoming memoir about growing up in the South, TSATF is far and away my favorite book.I took it with me on a recent trip to Mexico and read it on the beach, completely unable to put it down.It's not straightforward until the third of the four sections; Benjy's section (though the most beautiful thing I have ever read) and Quentin's are stream-of-consciousness and difficult.This is where the Norton Critical Edition is so handy.The pages and pages of biographical info and criticism are compelling and insightful, and make a great companion to the book.If you buy this book, buy this edition.It's very well compiled and makes me proud that Norton is my publisher.

Great But Difficult Novel
This is perhaps the most difficult novel written that's worth the time to read. I'd STRONGLY suggest you buy Volpe's book on Faulkner's Novels to read along with it first. Volpe breaks down the points at which a different charecter takes over the narrative. After that, try it yourself, but Volpe is the best guide for the person new to Faulkner's harder(hardest)work. The Norton Edition has a great deal of helpful critical material which, though not in Volpe's ballpark, is very helpful. Buy this edition, but don't forget the Volpe on Faulkner's novel.

A beautiful and complex work.
I read _The_Sound_and_the_Fury_ several years ago and have forgotten many of the details, but this book remains my favorite fictional work. The Norton Critical Edition provides readers with valuable insight into many of the passages, but some could probably do without the explanatory pages that follow Faulkner's actual book. Since I took an intensive course on Faulkner's work, I had help from a great professor. Even with the help of critical texts and analysis, I found _The_Sound_and_the_Fury_ to be difficult. I reread the book several times for a better understanding of certain sections.

Since other readers have provided summaries about this book, I'll just remark that this is a masterfully written book. I've read most of Faulkner's short stories and novels (except for _As_I_Lay_Dying_) and consider this to be his best work. Faulkner wrote each chapter according to the perspectives of four very different characters, and this is reflected in the form and substance of the chapters. Faulkner's long (many exceed one-third of a page), complex, and heavily detailed sentences demand concentration. It's certainly not a light read, although the book is relatively short. Overall, a beautifully haunting work that showcases Faulkner's idiosyncratic style.

Faulkner's Masterpiece-Improved
Besides the already amazing text of The Sound and the Fury, Faulkner's letters, interviews, and the critical articles make this an invaluable edition to any Faulkner scholar. Noel Polk's editing of the novel itself shines, its presented exactly as Faulkner intended. I highly recommend this edition if you would like to understand this cryptic work better. ... Read more

Book Description
There's no better way for you to learn about poetry and understand its elements than with PERRINE'S SOUND AND SENSE. Both a concise introduction to poetry and an anthology, this classic best-seller succinctly covers the basics of poetry with chapters on evaluating poetry, exemplary poetry selections that you'll enjoy reading, and exercises that help you understand each selection. Every poem included in this collection is not only a perfect illustration of the poetic concept at hand, but a remarkable work in its own right. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Perriene's Sound and Sense
This book came to me in a short amount of time.It was also in perfect condition.Thanks.

Excellent for use with students
I am currently using this book with 11th grade English students, and they have been truly caught up in it. We are actually having arguments in class over poetry!! I do find, however, that it is helpful to do the chapter on rhythm and meter much earlier than I would if I were following the chapters in order. My experience is that students have a difficult time hearing the rhythm of poetry and are generally unable to read aloud with any success. Jumping ahead early to the chapter on rhythm and meter and having the students tap out the meters and then mark the scansion produces a wonderful improvement in their ability to hear the poems and read them aloud. I would heartily recommend this book for use in grades 11 and 12, and for college freshman. It makes the study of poetry hugely enjoyable, as it should be but rarely is, for both student and teacher.

Good AP Textbook
My senior AP Literature and Composition class is using this book as a textbook, and I would have to say it is the best high school English book I've ever used. The questions following each included piece really helps you to focus on what is important in the passage, and the introductions to each chapter are brief and to the point.

Almost a great resource (that I'd give 3.5 Stars, actually)
My first exposure to Sound and Sense was in high school, and, at the time, I found the book so valuable a resource that I later purchased a copy.Post-college, my views have changed somewhat.

If the tone of the writing was not so condescending, this could be a great book.It defines most of the terms necessary to understand critical texts on poetry, including those analyses related to meter, style, and tone.I find the questions after each poem to be helpful and thought-provoking.That said, it is frustrating to me that the author presents ideas and arguments in absolutes (must, must not, never, always, etc.) and then asserts that the logic that MUST be applied to point A CANNOT be applied to point B (but maybe I have spent too many hours working with lawyers).

My suggestion would be to read the text with a grain of salt.Glean the terminology, answer the questions posed at the end of each poem, follow their suggestions of rereading and considering the many facets of poetry, and try to overlook the condescending manner in which the authors display their opinions as fact.

a little at a time
I've been nibbling away at a 20 year old edition of this bookfor a few years in my spare time, and almost every bite has increased my abitity to appreciate poetry. I like the examples, most of them seem pretty old, Frost is about as modern as he gets, but thats ok with me. You might find this book a little annoying if it was required reading in a course, sometimes it asks more questions than it answers. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (10)

Simply the best
I read a lot and came across Wilbur Smith when my next door neighbor kept speaking of him. My ideas of African adventure were far removed from what Smith writes about.If you like DeMille, Flynn, Shaara, and the like you will love Smith.The back cover of his books says it the best."Wilbur Smith is one of those benchmarks against whom others are compared."Just make sure you read these in order or you will be lost, only sad when the set comes to end.

Histoy Made Interesting
Don't mistake the Courtney series for a history lesson, but it's a close second for an interesting overview.Just returned from a trip to Africa and this author was recommended by people we met in South Africa.The characters are engaging and the descriptions of the bush and the camps are wonderful.Smith has a reputation for diligent research wrapped into a good story.

Africa for the ArmchairTraveler
What a super series!You just dive into the book and experience vicariously all the rugged passion of AFrica.Wilbur Smith, keep writing!

Engaging Boer war action, dubious `heroic' character
An iconic action/thriller writer in the popular format of a family epic series, tracing ordeals and triumphs over generations, in this case against the exotic African background during the Boer war.

This was one of the first `grown-up' (`adult' has the wrong connotations) books I read as a teenager, and I was surprised getting back to it something like twenty-five years later just how much I remembered. I don't know how much of this to attribute to the skills of the writer or to the relative impressionability of my younger self, but I could still vividly recall several of the major incidents - which isn't usually the case with me: I have really enjoyed rereading many books that I only read a decade ago, with far less recollection.

There's much to find offensive and laughable in this book, perhaps mostly in what Smith presents as heroic, although his rigid goodie or baddie characters are also pretty hard to take. Sean Courtney, sure, is meant to be larger than life, but I don't even think being a demigod justifies him bedding both his brother's and his best friend's wives - and somehow being supposed to maintain his unimpeachable integrity. We're supposed to indulgently shake our heads at that rascal. Actually, more than that, we're supposed to respect Courtney's right to any woman who catches his eye because of the purported strength and depth of his passion, and because he's such a manly stud. Otherwise it's your standard shallow hero fare: tougher, smarter, winner financially, militarily, physically etc. Meanwhile, apart from his brother's eleventh hour redemption, people are simply born good or bad - hence Courtney's contrasting two sons: nurture is irrelevant.

Admittedly Smith has the maturity to present admirable and disreputable soldiers on either side, and his historical context is probably one of the strengths of the book. How would I know, but I get the impression he'd checked out some of the battle dates and details, and read some contemporary accounts. This is still, of course, a fantasy story, and we're aware that our hero will survive the hail of bullets, and that the major character's lives are worth considerably more than the cannon fodder around them. I won't begrudge Wilbur the pleasure of that convention. I found it harder to be excited by Courtney's growing prosperity: I don't have the same worship of wealth acquisition so many popular writers seem to assume.

So, in summary, this book worked well enough for me as an engaging historical fiction/action novel, but conflicted with my values of character formation and heroism.

Hit and miss...
Wilbur Smith's "Sound of Thunder" is a hard book to review because it succeeds on many levels and fails on others.That alone is a testament to the complexity of the story, I suppose, but this book nonetheless seems to be a mild disappointment.It's not that the story is bad by any means, it's just that Smith has probably written better, based just on his reputation (disclosure: this is the first Wilbur Smith book I've read).

To be honest about it, the title bugged me a bit to begin with, as it is very similar to a classic Ray Bradbury short story.That's a minor point, I know, but it still bugged me.

The story itself worked best with the historical material.I haven't particularly studied the Boer War in detail, and in the past I can't say that the topic has interested me greatly, but itseemed fresh and exciting here.Conversely, the weaker points involved the characters, whom I was never able to particularly involve myself with.I found myself at times hurrying through character bits to get to the more historical stuff, frankly.It's clear from reviews that other readers became engrossed by these characters, so maybe they just weren't for me. ... Read more

Book Description
Offers user-friendly knowledge and stimulating exercises to help compose story, develop characters and create emotion through skillful creation of the sound track. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Great read
Sonnenschein effectively covers the theory behind shaping the soundtrack, and gives great examples of the ideas in action. I loved the candid quotes from masters like Ben Burtt, Gary Rydstrom, Walter Murch, Dane Davis, and others. I started noting down all of the films he mentions as examples of good sound design, until I noticed Sonnenschein was one step ahead and had already noted them all in the back. Only 4 stars 'cause I personallywanted more technique and a little less theory.

Eloquently describes the rhyme and reason behind movie sound.
This eloquently written book describes the rhyme and reason behind all the sounds - music, effects, and dialogue - that are blended together to create the sophisticated soundtracks we're accustomed to. Sonnenschein, a director, musician, and award-winning sound designer, combines practical wisdom with sound theory and exercises to inspire and educate both new and experienced sound professionals. The book will appeal to non-professionals and other filmmakers as well because it's fun, entertaining, and enlightening. The author clearly loves and knows the world of sound and it's a joy to be brought into this world.

A new angle
This was an interesting book, and it really gave me some new perspectives on sound design.Sonnenschein focuses on the organization and mindset of sound design, rather than the technicalities.I especially liked the excerpts from top sound designers such as Dane Davis (The Matrix, Drugstore Cowboy), Gary Rydstrom (Backdraft, Saving Private Ryan), and Ben Burtt (Star Wars, Indiana Jones).

My only knock on the book is that Sonnenschein was repetitive at times.The book would be about 30 pages shorter if he didn't repeat points that were made in previous chapters.Never the less, it was an interesting read, and I still think it is a great resource.

EXTRAORDINARY TITLE
I am very glad, that I found this book. It helps me think about making sound design in a very deep point of view.
I love it!!!
Thank you David Sonnenschein:-)

Jan Sleska
student of sound engineering

One of my all time favorite books.
"Sound Design" by David Sonnenschein is a very rewarding and fascinating read. Full of knowledge and practical examples as well as exercises to develop the reader's own awareness for sound. It's became one of my all time favorite books.
I highly recommend it to anyone interested in sound... be it for film or radio.... or music...
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Book Description
Whether you run sound for a high-energy rock band, mix acoustic performers in a small nightclub, or simply want to understand how to set up the PA in your house of worship, this is the guide for you! In a one-of-a-kind combined package, this amazingly comprehensive book and DVD guide you through the ins and outs of sound system components, setups, mixing, and troubleshooting, as well as principles and concepts fundamental to live sound reinforcement. It is packed with the easy-to-understand, practical information you need to operate your PA system with professional skill and expertise! The instructional DVD provides nearly three hours of unprecedented production quality and detailed graphics in the form of hands-on demonstrations, tips and techniques used in real-world live sound situations from indoor venues to outdoor stages. Listen and learn as reinforcement experts share their experiences and provide you with tips and tricks that will take you from beginner to pro in no time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Great overview of live sound reinforcement
Being new to sound reinforcement I was looking for a book that would provide me a solid understanding of live sound reinforcement. The included DVD that comes with this book allowed me to quickly understand the principles and made reading the text in the book more immediately understandable. I found that some chapters went into too much detail, whilst others perhaps lacked a little. However, overall I found this to be an excellent overview of live sound reinforcement that was easy to read, took a very practical approach and coupled with the DVD has allowed me to quickly gain a much better understanding of the topic.The book is also available in soft cover without the DVD, but if you are relatively new to live sound reinforcement I would recommend the deluxe version with the DVD.

A great book
This book is fantastic!The author has an incredible ability to explain complex phenomenon in a concise manner that is easy to understand.I learned a great deal from this book.

Technical or NOT technical tips on good sound!
I received a copy of this book when I was preparing the curriculum for a college course I taught as an adjunct professor for two years.I believe it gave my students not only a good classroom study book, but also a useful reference book for the "real-world" after graduation! Scott Stark gives great rule-of-thumb knowledge, as well as deeper technical fundamentals behind the knob turning and fader moving decisions that every sound engineer will face at the helm of a live sound reinforcement system, no matter whether for 100 or 100,000 listeners!

Definitive Handbook on Learning to do Sound
I've used this book myself and have been referred to it by the best sound guys around. Great for beginners wanting to get a handle on how a sound system works from power amps, pre-amps, microphone differences to why feedback happens and how to stop it, and lots of other practical advice on how to mix live sound. Good for more advanced sound people who want to advance their skills.

Plenty of easily accesible information
I am a classically trained musician working as a secondary school teacher, and I bought this book to help me understand how to use amplifiers, PA's, mixing desks etc as I am teaching a 'Live Music' subject.It has plenty of information without getting too technical and is written in an accessible and interesting way.I would highly recommend this book to anyone with a basic mathematical and musical understanding of sound. ... Read more

Book Description
Your favorite sheet music will come to life with the innovative Piano Play-Along series! With these book/CD collections, piano and keyboard players will be able to practice and perform with professional-sounding accompaniments. Containing eight cream-of-the-crop songs each, the books feature new engravings, with a separate vocal staff, plus guitar frames, so players and their friends can sing or strum along. The CDs feature two tracks for each tune: a full performance for listening, and a separate backing track that lets players take the lead on keyboard. The high-quality, sound-alike accompaniments exactly match the printed music. 8 songs, including: Climb Ev'ry Mountain * Do-Re-Mi * Edelweiss * Maria * My Favorite Things * Sixteen Going on Seventeen * Something Good * The Sound of Music. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Wonderful vocal selections
As someone who is not involved in performing in musical theater, but has a great appreciation for it, this book was wonderful!It has all the big hits from the show and is a wonderful book with great arrangements of the songs!I HIGHLY recommend this wonderful book!

Complete vocal score to the theatrical version
This is the complete vocal score to Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Sound of Music."It contains all the vocal lines and underscoring from the theatrical-not the movie-version of the show.It's not ALL that different, but there are a few songs that were cut from the movie which are included here.Conversely, there are a few songs from the movie version which were not in the original stage version that are not included here.Other minor discrepancies between the two productions include the ordering of the songs "Climb Every Mountain," "Do-Re-Mi," and "My Favorite Things."

That being said, the actual score is the typical piano-reduction score as used by most musical productions.A complete list of characters is provided, though there is no discussion of their vocal ranges.A breakdown of the original orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett is also included, as is a synopsis of scenes and a complete index of musical numbers.Instrumental cues are included throughout the score.

This book has it all!
As a musical theatre performer, I found this score to be complete and a wonderful tool for auditions (especially the not-so-well-known songs that didn't appear in the movie version).

nice
I'm not a great fan of the music, but it is fun to play.It is a nicecombination of music. ... Read more

Book Description

The official companion to the world's most beloved musical

• More than 150 stunning images from the film and theater productions worldwide -- many never seen before
• Complete lyrics to favorite songs from the musical
• A complete guide to the film locations and a map of Salzburg
• Unseen storyboards from the film
• The Singalong Sound of Music phenomenon and much more...

The Sound of Music Companion charts the incredible and enduring life of Maria Von Trapp and the musical version of her story over the last century -- from Maria's birth in Vienna in 1905 to the triumphant new stage production presented by Andrew Lloyd Webber in London in 2006. Retrace every step in the evolution of this masterwork, from real life to page to stage to film to international phenomenon, and read about every creative artist who helped shape this beloved musical tale -- from Rodgers and Hammerstein and Mary Martin to Robert Wise, Julie Andrews, and Christopher Plummer. Folded into the saga are guest appearances by Carol Burnett, John Coltrane, Noël Coward, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Gwen Stefani, among others.

Composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist/librettist Oscar Hammerstein II joined forces in 1942 to create the most successful partnership in American musical theater. In addition to The Sound of Music (1959), their prodigious output includes Oklahoma! (1943), Carousel (1945), South Pacific (1949), and The King and I (1951). Their musicals have earned nearly three dozen Tony Awards, fifteen Academy Awards, two Pulitzer Prizes, and two Grammy Awards.

The partnership of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse stands as the longest collaboration of any writers in theatrical history, lasting for more than twenty-eight years. Their hits include The Sound of Music; Anything Goes; Red, Hot and Blue; Call Me Madam; the long-running play Life With Father; the Pulitzer Prize-winning State of the Union; and Happy Hunting.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The Sound of Music Companion
I bought this book for my daughter who is a Sound of Music affectionado.She loved the book and all the background materials provided.

Mesmorizing reading
The Sound of Music Companion by Laurence Malson, Andrew Lloyd Webber should be owned by all who enjoyed the movie.


Thanks

Wonderful book
This is a wonderful book for THE SOUND OF MUSIC enthusiast.Lots of great background information and photographs.Thank you.

Sound of Music
Wonderful! Very complete compilation of many sources regarding the Sound of Music. Covers not only the movie, but also the stageplay, the history behind the script and music, and the history of the Von Trapps themselves.The pictures are absolutely beatiful!There are stills from the movie, from the original Broadway cast, from many Broadway revivals, as well as many behind the scenes shots.This is a must have for anybody who loves the story of the Sound of Music.

A seminal Sound of Music book
Lawrence Maslon should be thanked and congratulated for offering a concise and informative Sound of Music book. Although there have been a few Sound of Music books written in the past, this book is probably the first of its kind to tell the story in a concise manner. The Hirsch book on the film and the reissued Max Wilk book on the stage show were great books in their own right, but I think this book tops them all.

Although the numerous photos are the draw of this coffee-table book, a coffee-table book should offer much more than pretty photographs. For this it certainly delivers. His meticulously researched, well-written text tells us the whole Sound of Music story from Maria's birth to the first Austrian stage production in 2005. This book covers all important stops in the history of SOM up till now, and does not dwell too long on any one time period. An added treat is the inclusion of song lyrics and commentaries on the songs, explaining how they were written and what role they played in the musical. I admit there are a few typo errors in the text, but this well-researched book is jam-packed with facts of the musical. You could literally dip your teeth into it and come out a Sound of Music junkie. I do wish there were also lyrics and commentaries for I Have Confidence, So Long, Farewell and also The Lonely Goatherd.

In short, a really great Sound of Music book that makes a splendidd addition to any Sound of Music collection, except that the print tends to be a little too small for the size of the book. Otherwise, a really wonderful book from cover to cover, and a seminal work in the entire world of this well-loved musical. I think this is a book that deserves to be in print forever. ... Read more

Product Description
Sound Health, Sound Wealth is a ground-breaking amalgamation of the fields of science, spirituality, and health. This profound and inspiring read synthesizes the author s client stories, personal experiences, and key concepts from her decades of medical, scientific, and spiritual research into a major breakthrough.

In addition to discovering how to create biochemical and cellular changes that support the physical manifestation ofYour Heart s Most Treasured Desires,you'll have abundant resources to effortlessly attract the fulfillment you seek. For example, Dr. Oakes offers simple ways to:

- Send the Universe an "en-mail" (energetic email) so it can deliver exactly what you want and need.

- Stopenergy leaksso you will feel more energetic, enthusiastic, and passionate.

- Develop aninner knowingand total certainty that you are attracting and creating all that you need and desire, including money.

- Transform time so it becomes your ally rather than your antagonist.

Plus...Dr. Oakes' cutting-edge sound frequency CD is aneffortless power toolfor relaxing and rejuvenating your mind and body. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

Great Book
This is a book for those who are searching for answers.Sound Health Sound Wealth is packed full of higher wisdom with a quantum leap into future changes we can all live with. I have bought several copies and given them to friends.Thank you to the author, Dr. Luanne Oakes.

Amazing resource
This is a good read and more. The text sets the stage and atmosphere for understanding and give the tools to change for the better. The CD enclosed is beyond wonderful. I have used this both for humans and animals to calm and center them. I often work with TNR of feral cats, wild creatures, whether getting them ready for surgery or calming them post-op, the tones and natural sounds calm them into 'Buddha cats.' Luanne has done a fine job. I use this resource almost daily.

Sound advice for energictically healing yourself
One of THE BEST books I've read on sound and energetic healing.... and I have a HUGE library of integrative healing books!I enjoy the CD often... especially in the evening.

Uplifting and Life Changing
This book and also the cd in the back of the book by Luanne Oakes have been a huge gift in my life.

I literally started downloading information from Source while listening to the cd . The guidance coming through to me now is Clear and Divinely Inspired. I can feel myself opening through blockages that have been in my way for years.

Thank you for sharing yourself and work with the world. We are ready and grateful to receive it.
Sanandra Black
Creator of Sea Chi Organics skin and haircare products

Sound Health Sound Wealth
This book is another self-help book. I enjoyed the book HOWEVER, IT LOST SOME CREDIBILITY WHEN I read the last sentenced, in the first paragraph of page 171 of Chapter Six, ThePrinciple of Sound and Light.It reads:
"In the physical world of matter, Sound precedes Light, as we know from hearing the thunder before we see the lightning in a storm. *****Maybe, I am confused, but, I see lightning FIRST and start the ONE ONE THOUSAND count down to hear the thunder and determine how far away the storm is. ... Read more

Book Description
The newest title in the popular 100 Words series is an informative
and entertaining resource that can help anyone be right on the
money when looking for words that will make a point, seal the deal,
or just keep folks listening. Chosen by the editors of the American
Heritage Dictionaries, these words will appeal to anyone who wants
to be a more compelling communicator—as a worker, consumer,
advocate, friend, dinner companion, or even as a romantic prospect.

The book includes a colorful variety of words, including handy
words of just one syllable (such as glib) and words derived from the
names of famous people (such as Freudian slip and Machiavellian).
There are expressions from popular culture (Catch-22) and words that
date back to classical civilization (spartan and stoic). Each word is
clearly defined and shown in context with quotations from contemporary
sources: magazines, newspapers, broadcast media, movies, and
television. For many words, quotations from distinguished authors and
speakers are also given and word histories are explained.

Like its predecessors in this successful series, 100 Words to
Make You Sound Smart provides an affordable and enjoyable way
to communicate more effectively. It offers the coveted gift of gab to
anyone who needs to "say it right"—and to anyone who wants to sound
more articulate. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Gateway to Learning HUGE Words
I recently got this book at my elementary school's book fair, and I was sucked into it immediately. I love to learn big words and impress my peers. I also adore writing, and now that I have this book, I can use the vocabulary in my stories. My dream is to be in the Scripp's National Spelling Bee, and these are the type of words given to contestants. I reccomend this book to anyone who had a love for reading and most of all, spelling to impress!

save your money
I bought this because I wanted to expand my vocabulary, so you could imagine my disappointment when I got this book and already knew most of the words in it. Save your money.

not for everyone
The book would make a cute stocking stuffer for the kids, but I wouldn't recommend it for the educated adult.Most of the words in the book are words you probably use regularly. It is something to flip through on the commute to work.

Words, words, words
True, these 100 words in the book may make me sound smart, but I wonder if I use them in writing to the eighth-grade-reading-level public, will I make them feel stupid?

A book I read recently said that we are to write to that reading level, not because our reader's ability, but because today people are sssssoooooo busy and stressed they don't want to take the time to read "harder," higher-level words.

I was thrilled that a writer/editor of other people's words, I knew every single one. So now let's see how many of those 100 words I can use in a sentence (do I need a hobby, or what?)

The lurid (explicit/vivid) paradox (contradict) is insidious (treacherous), making me peevish (irritable) in that it is Spartan (simple manner) and without stigma (disgrace), but is also stoic (show no emotion), ostentatious (pretentious), and fastidious (attention to detail)--a dichotomy (divided into two parts) that is a red herring (draws attention from matter at hand) that is 100 percent non sequitur (does not follow logically).

So there. Writers and readers, if you can catch an idiosyncratic word (peculiar to a specific group), write me at P.O. Box _____.

Armchair Interviews says: The 100 Words That Make You Sound Smart would be a fun gift for anyone, including you--because anything that can make you sound smart can't be all bad. You think?

This Is Fun!
Words are fun, entertaining, and educational!And that is what '100 Words To Make You Sound Smart' is all about folks.I have purposefully never reviewed a reference title, but this was simply to good to pass up.The editors of American Heritage Dictionaries really did a nice job here in selecting interesting, useful words that can and are used in our day-to-day vocabulary.

Each specific word was easily defined and placed into a useful context for readers to understand. Quoting from an assortment of sources including movies, television, magazines, and newspapers, it was fun to explore new words and to reacquaint myself with some old friends.

I have a suggestion for anyone interested: next time you're taking a road trip with someone you like, take this little diddy with you . . . and have some fun! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Bullseye
Where has this book been all my life?Perrine's Sound and Sense is not just about poetry, it's a thorough yet concise discussion of the English language and writing.Some reviewers have panned it for offering insight to poetry--they feel that poems should not be explained but should be experienced individually.For the uninitiated though, some direction is often desired.At times Perrine's does not offer enough explanation for me.Many of the notes on the poems offer only a smidgen of insight but do proffer several questions to generate thought and discussion.These questions do often provide clues to a poem's meaning.I'm still guessing about many of the poems, but at least now, I think I'm on the right track.

wonderful collection of poetry
This is a wonderful collection of poetry, no doubt. Offering various styles and poets, the poems in "Sound & Sense" are absolutely beautiful. I don't have much to say about the constant remarks by Perrine. Why? He makes this into an English textbook. But! - poetry is not like math. There is no step-by-step way to read or write poetry, and there is no RIGHT way to do so either. This book tries to lay it out too much. Yes, I see that is is an "introduction" to poetry, but a reader will fall into the idea that poetry can only be approached through the mathematical ways laid out in "Sound & Sense." After all, Robin Williams in "Dead Poets Society" (film) did ask all his students to rip out the introduction of an earlier version of "Sound & Sense." Why? Poetry should be read, and if you wish to analyze, there's no way to set about doing it.

But - the collection of poems is reason enough to buy the book.

Good for Its Purpose
The book is divided into chapters that each concentrate on one element of poetry such as tone or metaphor.Each chapter presents a few famous poems, comments about the topic, and some exercises to help you learn the topic.The book includes an extra helping of classic poetry at the end of the book.

Ninth Edition Available, Titled Perrine's Sound and Sense
This textbook stematically explores poetic form and structure. This approach could have been quite limiting, but Perrine manages to analyze poetry without undermining his central message: poetry is to beenjoyed.

I highly recommend this book to both readers new to poetry and those that already have considerable familiarity with the major poets.

A ninth edition is available, but with a title change. Sound and Sense is now Perrine's Sound and Sense.Look for more reviews under this new title (ISBN 0155030280).

Haikus for Enjoyment
Sound and Sense give way / You broaden my horizons / Now please go away /

An excellent text / Written with much great gusto / No longer perplexed /

Chapter by chapter /Defintions presented / 'mid students laughter/

Annoying questions / Given each and ev'ry day /I must thank DH/

These reviews appear / sarcastic to the masses / As well they should,dear /

P.S.

Apologies take / For the erroneous lines / Amazon wrapswords / ... Read more

Book Description
In this luminous story of bravery, tradition, and the power of language, an Afghan woman and Danish widower form an unexpected alliance.

Escaping the turmoil and heartbreak of war-torn Kabul, Raihana settles with distant relatives in the strange, cold, damp country of Denmark. Homesick and heartbroken, Raihana bravely attempts to start a new life, trying hard not to ponder the fate of her husband, who was taken prisoner by the Taliban and never heard from again.

Soon after arriving, Raihana finds herself in a language school, struggling to learn Danish, which she thinks sounds like the buzzing of bees. To improve her speaking skills, Raihana apprentices herself to Gunnar, a recent widower who is steadily withdrawing from the world around him, even neglecting the bee colonies he worked so hard to cultivate with his late wife. Over the course of the bee season, Raihana and Gunnar forge an unlikely relationship, despite the disapproval of their friends and relatives. But when the violence Raihana thought she had left behind in Afghanistan rears its head, she and Gunnar are forced to confront the ghosts of the past as they navigate the uncertain future.


Praise for Song of the Cuckoo Bird

“Mesmerizing . . . a sprawling, gorgeous intergenerational saga.”
–Jacquelyn Mitchard.

“An intelligent, absorbing novel.”
–The Boston Globe ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Malladi's best novel yet
THE SOUND OF LANGUAGE by Amulya Malladi
Rating ***** (5 Stars)

February 23, 2008


THE SOUND OF LANGUAGE is by Amulya Malladi, a writer who has come a long way since her debut novel A BREATH OF FRESH AIR. This reviewer has been privileged to watch this writer grow, and with each new book she writes she gets better and better. THE SOUND OF LANGUAGE is a departure for Malladi, because this is the first book in which the central characters are not of Indian descent, and the main body of the story takes place in Denmark, not India or America.

Raihana is a woman escaping the horrors of Afghanistan and settles in a foreign country with relatives. Denmark is as far away and as different as one can get from Afghanistan and her initial experiences in this new country are not happy ones. She cannot speak the language, finds learning the language quite difficult, and misses her husband Aamir, who was taken prisoner by the Taliban and is presumed dead.

As she learns to speak the language, Raihana equates the Danish speech akin to the sound of bees. Coincidentally enough, she is placed into a program where she is asked to work for an elderly man, Gunnar, who is a keeper of bees. Through him, she will improve her Danish and find a means to earn a living at the same time. She cannot forever live with her cousins Kabir and Layla, although they have been very kind by inviting her to live with them in Denmark. But, eventually Raihana will have to move on and make a life for herself.

Raihana's Danish is actually very good relative to her time spent in the country, but with her work with Gunnar and his bees, she begins to feel comfortable speaking the language, and becomes somewhat comfortable with the culture. Gunnar's own story is that he has lost interest in life since his beloved wife had passed away. A good friend of his recognizes that maybe if he got involved in something important, it may bring him back to life. Raihana's past experience with bees is what brings the two unlikely people together, but what is extraordinary is the friendship that develops between them, despite the prejudice that goes on around them, and the language barrier that they eventually break down.

This is Amulya Malladi's best novel to date. She obviously did immense research on the industry of honey and bees, and she was able to make the culture and the people come alive. The reader will feel a connection and empathize with the immigrant Raihana. She is alone in the world, living far away from her native Afghanistan, a young widow with no means of making a living.Through the kindness of her distant cousins, she is able to make a new life for herself.Her future is very vague, and without the skill of speaking the native language, Raihana knows her future is doomed.

This reviewer loved the pairing of Gunnar and Raihana. The two very unlikely friends will strike a chord in the reader's heart. It is a friendship that is highly unlikely in this world of Danes and Afghanistan immigrants, as there is a lot of racial tension between the two groups.Both Raihana and Gunnar know the danger of befriending the other, yet their conscience tells them that there is nothing wrong with it.Gunnar sees new life when he begins to trust Raihana and opens up his house to her.And Raihana becomes confident with her beginner's Danish, as she soon becomes comfortable with the language and impresses those around her with her ability to learn it quickly.

Having always had a fear of bees, this reviewer is now ready to learn more about making honey.Malladi gave an in-depth look into this fascinating industry, and did so with meticulous detail.The reader will be intrigued not just by the relationship between Raihana and Gunnar, but by the work they do every day. Malladi paints the process as a thing of beauty, and the characters' love of bees can be contagious. Other various themes in the book include the prejudice encountered by the Afghans after 9/11, as well as the fear and uncertainty any immigrant feels coming to live in a foreign country where they cannot speak the native language. The reader will see Raihana grow as a person, and while she never loses her yearning to return to the country she fled, she embraces a new culture that reluctantly welcomes her and her people with open arms. THE SOUND OF LANGUAGE gets 5 hearts. - Courtesy of Love Romances and More - M. Lofton

A solid read
While I wouldn't say this book was phenonmenal, it was enjoyable to read. Ms. Malladi developed characters who were interesting and intriguing. There was one thing that disturbed me about this book, however. I felt slightly annoyed with Ms. Malladi's portrayal of practicing, observant Muslims as extremists and non-practicing Muslims as preferable- the "good ones." The fact is the Muslim communuity is much more diverse than that and is far more complex. There are practicing Muslims who are outgoing, open-minded and tolerant. At one point in the book I thought Layla would serve as an example of such Muslims. Yet, when she is contrasted with the main character, Raihana, who does not wear hijab and wears "Danish clothing" it is clear that Raihana is the preferable Muslim. It's unfortunate that Ms. Malladi's characters fall into the same boring stereotypes of Muslim women. Nonetheless, The Sound of Language was a solid read.

Fascinating 5-star read
While it is not difficult to find books depicting the refugee/immigrant experience in the United States, Amulya Malladi has given this book a twist by setting it in Denmark. Raihana Khan is an Afghani woman who was able to leave her Taliban-controlled country. She is alone in a Pakistani refugee camp when she receives word that a cousin living in Denmark would take her in.

Raihana arrives in Denmark with no knowledge of the language or culture. To her ears the Danish language sounds like the hum of bees - completely unintelligible. But Danish law requires her to go to language class and learn to speak and read it. Her cousin's wife, Layla, is also in the class and is initially helpful in translating Danish into Dari - Raihana's native tongue.

She is a good student and her teacher, Christina, pairs her with an old friend who has recently lost his wife, to practice speaking Danish with a native speaker, and also to learn beekeeping. Gunner is not initially excited about his new assistant. He harbors several prejudicial ideas about what an Afghani woman might be like. But Raihana is bright, educated, hard working and truly interested in the bees. She wins him over and at the same time finds that she truly loves working with honeybees.

This book deals with the many difficulties of being a refugee and a widow - particularly in a small homogenous country such as Denmark. People are not generally happy to have an influx of non-Danish people in their midst. The refugees themselves are not sure they even want to be in this cold, damp place where everyone eats pork and seem to look askance at all Muslims. Malladi currently lives in Denmark and has firsthand immigrant experience.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The play of cultures was fascinating. I have read two other enjoyable novels by Malladi - Song of the Cuckoo Bird and Serving Crazy with Curry. This book is even better than those.

Armchair Interviews says: Well-written story that brings this person's struggle to life.

Captivating story.
I stopped reading my other books and finished this one within 2 nights.Amulya's ability to bring characters to life is remarkable and this book is no exception.As always, the entire novel was very satisfying and I look forward to her future work.

Insightful and beautifully written
I have read almost all of Amulya Malladi's books and this one is a step above the others. The Sound of Language is the story of hope. Raihana's hope to find a better life, her friend Layla's hope to become Danish, Layla's husband, Kabir's hope to go back to Afghanistan some day, and Gunnar's hope to live after his wife's death. Beautifully written, this book introduces us to refugee life in Europe. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Book Description

Praise for SOUND SLEEP, SOUND MIND

Whether you currently take over-the-counter or prescription sleeping pills, suffer from chronic or occasional insomnia, or awaken without feeling refreshed and energized, Sound Sleep, Sound Mind will help you get the sleep you deserve. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Nothing about cell phone avoidance!
There's years of research showing that very weak microwaves (like emitted from a cell phone, Wi-Fi, cordless phone, or microwave oven) can alter EEG patterns and reduce sleep quality.This was seen again recently by a group funded by the cell phone industry ("Mobile phone radiation wrecks your sleep", The Independent, Jan 20, 2008).

This book does not even mention that cell phone use during the day can disrupt your sleep that night.

Learning to Sleep Again
I met Dr. Krakow several years ago when I self-referred myself to his practice after seeking to find someone to help me with my sleep disorder. One of the first things Dr. Krakow pointed out to me was concerning sleep hygiene. Learning how to write things down on a pad of paper sometime early in the evening before bedtime and leave them there, or not watc