Customer Reviews (1)

Useful guide to difficult references
I'm not a big reader of literary criticism, but this book really helped me. I loved Master & Margarita the first time I read it, but there are several references that just escaped me. This book, coupled with the new Vintage/Ardis edition which has copious endnotes, helps clarify things that would normally escape a non-Russia unfamiliar with life in 1930's Russia. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1891-1940   2. Bulgakov, Mikhail Afanasevich   3. Literary Criticism   4. Literature - Classics / Criticism   5. Master i Margarita   6. Russian & Former Soviet Union   7. Russian Novel And Short Story   8. Bulgakov, Mikhail Afanas§evich   

Subjects:  1. Chess - General   2. Games   3. Games/Puzzles   

Customer Reviews (3)

Portrait of Russia's notorious serial killer
In November 1990, Russian police finally arrested the man they believed to have been behind the brutal killings and mutilations of several children and young men and women ranging from age 9 to early twenties. The man was Andrei Romanovich Chikatilo, a Ukraine-born supply clerk in his mid-fifties, who lured his victims with promises of a nice meal at his dacha in the woods, assaulted, stabbed his victims with knives multiple times, poked their eyes out, and calmly disposed of the body. Under questioning, he admitted to 53 murders, which could've been up to 70. This book traces Chikatilo's life, his reign of terror (1978-1990), and why he evaded captured for twelve years.

Having been born during the man-created famine of the Stalinist USSR, and having witnessed the kidnapping of his older brother Stepan, who was eaten by starving peasants, and thus made to stay inside the house for fear of suffering the same fate, it's no wonder that Chikatilo grew up with a damaged psyche. His impotence and premature ejaculation no doubt led to further humility, humility that wouldn't have boiled into a rage of unfulfillment and thence to horrific murder, had medically curing impotency been legal in the Soviet Union. Indeed it was lucky enough that he and his wife bore two children, and that his wife was a modest, patient, and understanding woman. Alas, that wasn't enough, it seems.

The book also examines the flaws inherent in the Soviet police system. People suspected of a crime on circumstantial evidence, yet having an airtight alibi can be made to confess. This happened to Aleksandr Kravchenko, an ex-con who committed rape and murder but was under 18 so served his time, had seen the error of his ways and was now a good citizen. Unfortunately, he lived on the same street as Chikatilo, his house was also near the river where Chikatilo's first victim was, and his wife, brought in on trumped-up charges of stealing, was forced to change her testimony regarding her husband's whereabouts. Further, Kravchenko was beaten up in prison and threatened with rape by a decoy used to elicit confessions, and confessed to a crime he never committed, for which he was executed.

Another example is the immunity given to Party members from crimes. Party membership was quite a mark of status in the Soviet Union. And the emphasis of scientific evidence, then dated, worked for Chikatilo. The police was looking for someone of blood type AB, and due to a medical anomaly, Chikatilo's blood was A, with the B antigen more prominent in his hair and saliva--hence the evidence was enough to drop any murder charges against him. One police captain might have been credited with his capture, but he acted more on intuition and common sense (his seeing Chikatilo's behaviour at the train station and panic when asked to produce his documents), and that unfortunately isn't scientific.

Comparisons/contrasts between him and John Wayne Gacy are interesting, as it highlights the difference between American and Soviet sociology. After Gacy was caught for his first offense back in the 60's, he served his time and was released, presumably cured (alas it was not to be). Chikatilo was known for fondling the girls at the school he taught and once was caught assaulting a 14-year old in a lake, grabbing at her, yet nothing was done about his behaviour--it was just seen as one of his odd quirks(!)

The conclusion was that Chikatilo was three personalities in one. One was the ordinary family man, the other was the rapist/murderer, and the third was the one who acted insane when put on trial for his heinous crimes. The authors do a good job in maintaining the chronology and gathering of information, painting an effective portrait of Chikatilo, and using narrative reconstructions of two killings in gruesome detail, yet the lack of bibliography and sources makes the book somewhat questionable.

Chikatilo:
I was absolutly spell-bound by this book.Very well written.This book however is not for amatuer readers.Delves deeply into the whys and hows of this wickedly sick individual.Definatly not a bed time story.5 plus stars.

The best book on a serial killer I have ever read.
This book is not for the timid. However, if you truely want to get into the mind of a serial killer, this is the book for you. Of all the books I have read on the subject, this offered the most insight into the mind of the actual killer. From the moment I picked it up, I could not put it down. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography   2. Biography / Autobiography   3. Case studies   4. Criminals & Outlaws   5. Infamous Crimes And Criminals   6. Murder - General   7. Rostovskaia oblast   8. Rostovskaëiìa oblast§   9. Russia (Federation)   10. Serial murderers   11. Serial murders   12. Sex crimes   13. Sociology   14. Chikatilo, Andrei Romanovich   

Customer Reviews (3)

Nothing Funnier in Russian Lit
Zoshchenko's riffs on the middling class ring as true in today's America.

Wonderful writing
Although I have not read the whole book, the stories in it are superb. They each have their own comical sense, but behind them there is a greater meaning. They reflect so much about Communist Russia, while being still enjoyable reading. A must.

Required Reading...For School
I have had to read this book on two separate occassions, both in high school and college. I still wonder why. While it does give a somewhat humorous look into everyday life in communist Russia, the stories have seemingly very little significance (perhaps that is the point?). I have trouble finding this book's relevance to classes. I guess some literary works are timeless...this one is not. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ethnic Studies - General   2. European - General   3. Fiction - General   4. Literature: Classics   5. Literary Criticism & Collections / European   

Customer Reviews (5)

An under-rated book by a great champion.
For years this book sat on my shelf unopened. Before playing through the games and studies in this outstanding work I was under the impression that Botvinnik was a dry positional player. Nothing could be further from the truth. The games are highly instructive with outstanding analysis. Just by playing through them my play has gained some solidity and my endgame is more exact. The endgame studies will delight you. A very fine additional to the volume those studies were.

Classic Book Everyone Should Own...
First let me Warn you about the old notation... If you dont know descriptive notation, that might throw you a bit... If you can deal with that, then fine... I really personally dont like it, but there is more to this book... Botvinnik Im not a huge fan of or anything like that... Still reading this book I found a few helpful things to say least... The price is really low and anyone just about can afford it... You can get a file with all these games in modern notation so that makes it easier... This book taught me how to use a Pseudo Gruenfeld vs. (1 c4) The sad English... Just for that simple facts and the few games in book with it... I think its worth picking up...

To be honest I just think there are some chess books everyone should own... The book has an endgame study at the end which might be interesting to some. I am not sure if it is outdated or anything like that. Still seeing how they saw things in the past can be helpful. I like how Botvinnik talks a bit about his life besides chess. Sure maybe some might not agree with all he says or how he said things. Still he was World Champion I believe 3 times or something like that. Maybe there was a dark side to some of that... The guy in his time was one of the Best Chess players. I am not a fan of him, still I very much enjoy my time reading this book. I do not really care so much if the games are old and theory. I was glad to learn to use Gruenfeld vs. English from this book... Also the FACT a former World Champion Botvinnik used it helped convince me to give it a try. I only wish the Gruenfeld book I bought had least 1 chapter covering using it vs. English.... If you are just looking for cutting edge modern theory, this book might not appeal to you... If you care about chess history get this book.

I would say any rating can enjoy this book. I got it as one of my early books when I was new to chess. I did not know any notation really, so the descriptive was even more confusing to me :)... Still even without really knowing much about the game I enjoyed the book. Just reading it and stuff I found helped inspire me to keep playing. Also seeing some of the human side of him was rather interesting. Do not get this book thinking it will make you a World Champion. Still I am sure many World Champions past and present own or have owned this book :)...

A must for any comprehensive chess course
Ok - i agree with many that thought that Botvinnik had no outstanding talent. Then why did he succeed so long ? The answer is method: you go through his games and are not amazed as in Tal's but he leads you through the logic of the position. Playing logically does not mean stereotyped or predictable: Botvinnik introduced the wildest variation in the Semislav; he was one of the first to adopt k-side expansions w/ g2-g4 in queen-pawn opening- even uncovering his king. Careful study of this book will repay much more than study say Shirov's games: it does describe wonderfully the way to handle typical key positions and themes. The only annoying thing is that Botvinnik uses too much the tone of an "illuminated teacher" that knows the absolute truth; don't be fooled when he says that the opponent's position is lost already from the late opening. This is not how chess work- even at superGM level. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chess - General   2. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords   

Subjects:  1. Art   2. Art & Art Instruction   3. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - General   4. Individual Artist   5. Techniques - Drawing   6. Art - Individual Artist   

Customer Reviews (7)

Anything by Gorbachev Should Not Be Ignored
To listen only to Ronald Reagan's avid supporters, one might conclude that his "Evil Empire" characterization of the Soviet Union and his massive military spending brought down communist rule, crumbled the Berlin Wall, ended the Cold War and saved the civilization from an inevitable conflict between the free world and its totalitarian enemies.

Not so, it becomes readily apparent in reading Mr. Gorbachev's book-length essay of his view of his country and of the world. His brief -- alas too brief -- history of that crucial time in the late 20th Century when he was General Secretary of the Communist Party, describes what happened while he was in the eye of the hurricane, when an upheaval in the Kremlin shook the world back to its senses. More important for serious students of history, Mr. Gorbachev tells why and how it happened.

When they came to power, he and his team knew that that the Soviet Union was feeble and that it needed a remedy; so they made a desperate grasp at "renewed thinking". They believed that by renouncing old beliefs and then by scraping away totalitarian decay they could bring about a cure. As history now knows, instead of a cure, they helped bring about its collapse.

"New thinking" gave birth to perestroika, a restructuring designed to save what Lenin had wrought. But then, the unexpected happened: a rebirth of nationalism stirred among the former Soviet Union's diverse ethnic populations. Finally, there was a simultaneous combination of rethinking, restructuring and nationalism which, like so many volatile chemical elements, resulted in the startling political implosion that brought the Communist empire to its knees.

It was not Mr. Reagan's threats, nor his Star Wars military program nor free-market competition from the outside world that changed history. Mr. Gorbachev makes a far better case that it was his administration's accurate diagnosis of the Soviet illness and their willingness to correct it from inside the Soviet Union which changed the history of the world, though in a way they did not intend.

After his too brief description of how he and his people tried to salvage the crumbing Soviet system, Mr. Gorbachev's writing bogs down. He ascends a pulpit and becomes a good-intentioned preacher, proposing non-controversial prescriptions for a better world. Disappointingly, in the latter part of his book he resorts to the obvious and falls back on over-used platitudes (such as:"we must advance through worldwide cooperation"). This section seems to have been written merely to puff out the work.

But, despite that minor short-coming, Mr. Gorbachev has earned and deserved his status as the dominant historical figure in the last quarter of the 20th Century. Anything written by him should not be ignored.

The Book Itself Is History
It was not that long ago when a person would have been thought foolish if they believed a former, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, would be writing books for anyone who was interested. It also is not very long ago that a person writing about any one of the dozens of issues in this book, would have spent many, if not their remaining years in a Siberian Camp. Since Mr. Gorbachev became General Secretary in 1985 until he resigned as President in 1991, history has been made that will fill countless books for many years to come.

If there is one aspect of this book that I were to state as particularly fascinating it would be the transcripts from Politburo Meetings. Here are the same men expressing their thoughts in reality, when the same members of this inner sanctum of The Kremlin have been the foundation for spy and Cold War Novels for decades. If you are looking for "the evil empire", plotting the destruction of the West, you will be disappointed. The arguments and the positioning that continually deteriorate into political and personal feuds as the former USSR became the target of varied interests, reads like much of what we listen to and watch here with our elected officials.

Mr. Gorbachev is not an apologist for the Former Soviet Union. As someone who grew up with the USSR portrayed as the ultimate evil, the book requires a major change in perspective for the reader. A willingness to listen to a man that is extremely well informed, a Statesman, and a thinker far and away the superior to those who now rule the remains of the USSR, and its kleptocratic economy. I found his words to be remarkably candid when criticizing his own mistakes, and those of the USSR, and his criticisms of US Policy were more often valid than not. The world was divided into two camps with each side portraying the other as the ultimate threat for most of the 20th Century. The truth of course is never that simple. The stories shared by Mr. Gorbachev have another facet; they are absolutely terrifying at times.

It is not possible to comment on even a portion of his ideas. His writing is very dense, and takes getting comfortable with to complete the book. This may in part be due to translation issues, and there are footnotes where ambiguity may have been critical.

His narration of the USSR coming apart is not only fascinating, it was infinitely more complex than many care to recall, and the complexities are by no measure solved. The USSR was never a monolithic beast. It was composed of 15 distinct republics that were made all the more complex by forced immigrations, ethnic complications, and the arbitrary creation of borders. Borders that became not only critical but also disputed to the point of war, when the Union was dissolved.

During his book he covers the history of his country and the larger union, the problems then, and the challenges now. He also takes the reader through the removal of The Wall In Berlin, the first border disputes in Azerbaijan and Armenia, and all the drama of the Baltic States and their pronouncements of independence.

I certainly would not presume to rank what is important in this book, or what was of the greatest importance to Mr. Gorbachev. A critical passage for me was when he made the issues he spoke of personal for him, and those of his Countrymen.

He spoke of the sense of loss felt by citizens during the turmoil and breakup. He acknowledged why people on the outside may have their views, but as a private citizen he and many others had and do have their own. Because there is one fact you cannot get away from; the homes, countries, borders, and lives that were lead were the only life most had ever known. The times of the Tsars are none too fondly remembered either. So on the human level, not the handful that is destroying the remains, the pardoned thieves like Yeltsin and his Family and others, many miss the life they had. For many it was not only the life they knew, it was far better than the one they now live.

A remarkable opportunity to view History from a different perspective, by one of the men at its center.

From Russia with Hope
As a reader from the third world (or emerging market?) I wonder why Gorbachev is so popular outside Russia. Since his economics reforms didn't work and his political ones didn't make better either. I only regard the former Soviet Union or the Soviet Space a giant jigsaw puzzle of nations and peoples who look each other up. It's worth noting its China-like inward spirit looking to West as like as a menace. Indeed I agree with Mr. Gorbachev on the Russias's future as a great partner in the world political scenario. For those who are trying to find desperately out a third way for the real socialism it's a worth reading Renato Zanola ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1989-   2. 1991-   3. Eastern Europe - General   4. Europe - Russia & the Former Soviet Union   5. History   6. History & Theory - General   7. History - General History   8. History: World   9. Philosophy   10. Russia (Federation)   11. Soviet Union   12. World politics   

Subjects:  1. Engineering - General   2. Former Soviet Republics   3. Mining   4. Oil well drilling   5. Petroleum   6. Russia (Federation)   7. Science/Mathematics   8. Technology & Industrial Arts   

Customer Reviews (6)

Unique and ground-breaking
This is simply the best analysis of the "Carnivalesque" and is a valuable preface to Rabelais' novel itself. Bakhtin's book alerts the reader of Rabelais to his (Rabelais') masterful use of language and explores the sources of medieval popular culture that served his purposes. I have enjoyed Rabelais with much deeper understanding having first read Bakhtin.

Bakhtin and Rabelais both negotiated cultural minefields to produce their works. Both deserve to be more widely read.

Good Theory
Good theory, if you're into it.

The Roots of Our Bittersweet Laughter
Take your time with this academic book and you will be rewarded. It rediscovers the spirit of the Medieval carnival. The tradition stemmed from ancient Greek and Rome and its function was to give a vent to people's death fear and anger over social injustice. "Everything was allowed" and for a short period of time the social taboos were erased. Fools and prostitutes were "crowned" to embody Kings, Queens, Pope, saints, monks and nunns. And the chosen ones were mocked, ridiculed, assailed and beaten and stoned and "dethrowned" and "impeached."

Is this tradition dead today? Think twice -- think David Letterman, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and especially Howard Stern, and you will be amazed to find astoundig parallels between the past and modern times. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Criticism and interpretation   2. Literature - Classics / Criticism   3. Literature: Classics   4. Rabelais, Francois,   5. Russian & Former Soviet Union   6. ca. 1490-1553?   

Subjects:  1. Cancer cells   2. Carcinogenesis   3. Cell cycle   4. Cell transformation   5. Cellular signal transduction   6. Cytology   7. Life Sciences - Cytology   8. Medical   9. Medical / Nursing   10. Oncology   11. Regulation   

Subjects:  1. 1948-   2. Ballet dancers   3. Baryshnikov, Mikhail,   4. Biography   5. Biography & Autobiography - Performing Arts   6. Children's 9-12 - Biography / Autobiography   7. Children: Grades 4-6   8. Juvenile Nonfiction   9. Juvenile literature   10. Performing Arts - Dance   11. Russia (Federation)   12. Baryshnikov, Mikhail   

The experience of dance is ephemeral. A lilting arabesque, an ascendant grand jeté, a precise pirouette--such movements exist for just a single moment. But the sensations they communicate to an audience member can be lasting. New York City Ballet has been one of America's preeminent companies since 1948. In Tributes, dancers, writers, and artists express their feelings for the company and its members to form an impressionistic view that captures the illusory essence of the ballet experience. Peter Martins, who inherited the role of artistic director upon the death of George Balanchine, opens the book by remembering how he only realized what ballet truly was the first time he danced with the company. City Ballet's creative triumvirate--Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and Lincoln Kirstein--are recalled in an evocative set of essays. And from there, each page contains a gem that will take readers back to the first time they saw Suzanne Farrell and Peter Martins perform the "Diamonds" pas de deux in Jewels, or watched Edward Villela in Watermill.

The thrill of observing these unearthly creatures practice their art--defying the laws of physics and the constraints of mere mortals--is palpable on every page. Henri Cartier-Bresson captures George Balanchine rehearsing his company.Agnes De Mille describes Jerome Robbins's "elements of style." The backdrops Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, Robert Rauschenberg, and Erte designed for the company are here, along with the posters Roy Lichtenstein and Keith Haring created to advertise the company's presence at the 1988 American Music Festival. Poet James Merrill, illustrator Al Hirschfeld, artist Joseph Cornell, architect Phillip Johnson, and historian Robert Caro all pay homage to their favorite dancers. The list of luminaries who contributed to the book is too long to detail here, but each of their perspectives is unexpected and exciting. Playwright Wendy Wasserstein writes: "Nothing makes more sense to me than a night at the ballet.... Some girls want to have breakfast at Tiffany's, I just want a glass of champagne during the interval between Glass Pieces and Scotch Symphony on the State Theater Promenade." Ms. Wasserstein, an evening spent perusing this book is the next best thing. --Jordana Moskowitz ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Not Quite on Its Toes....
As an avid patron of the New York City Ballet, I purchased Tributes hoping to learn more about the ballets and dancers who have been part of the Company at present and during their fifty year history. While the book itself is a nice presentation, with some interesting tidbits, but there is little if any of the information I was after. Mostly, the "tributes" are from writers and visual artists who are as interested in the ballet as I am. But I cannot help but to get the feeling that the book is a self-aggrandizing tome to their own selves courtesy of their close-knit artsy-fartsy friends.There are some truly beautiful photographs, such as Allegra Kent and Edward Villella on the cover, as well as some artist renderings of set designs. I would have loved to see more of the beautiful costumes (especially by Karinska) and perhaps a brief history of ballet. I would have liked notes about each of the pieces performed throughout their fifty year history as well as biographies and new photographs of the principal dancers. I mean, of course there is a picture of the current prima ballerina, Darci Kistler because not only is she a terrific dancer but she is married to Peter Martins who was a dancer and is the current Ballet Master in Chief of the NYCB (but so much for nepotism because there is no photograph of his son, Nilas, who is also a principal dancer at the NYCB). The contributors to Tributes are impressive as is the NYCB and it is too bad that the book falls short and that more thought did not go into this book to truly make it as wonderful a treasure as the company itself.

The ballet is secondary.
This is a book with many types of media tributes to the NYC ballet...if you are looking for a book with illus. devoted to the ballet...you need to look further.

An excellent celebration of the most beautiful art today
This book had exquisite pictures of famous and unknown dancers from Tallchief to Susan and even the great man behind all the beautiful dancers. Worth every penny ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ballet   2. Dance - Classical   3. Performing Arts   4. Performing Arts/Dance   

Customer Reviews (1)

The Fools of Chelm
Those familiar with The Wise Men of Helm and More Wise Men of Helm will be delighted with this collection of Chelm stories. According to Jewish folk lore, when the angels flew over earth depositing people, the bag of fools tore open and they all dropped out in Chelm. You can imagine the rest, but don't. Get this book. Alyssa A. Lappen ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chelm (Lublin, Poland)   2. Children's 9-12   3. Children: Grades 3-4   4. Europe, Eastern   5. Folklore   6. General   7. Jews   8. Legends, Jewish   

Subjects:  1. Chess   2. Chess - General   3. Games   4. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords   5. Games/Puzzles   

Subjects:  1. 20th century   2. Authorship in literature   3. History and criticism   4. Literary Criticism   5. Literature - Classics / Criticism   6. Nabokov, Vladimir Vladimirovich, 1899-1977   7. Russian & Former Soviet Union   8. Russian Novel And Short Story   9. Russian fiction   10. Self in literature   11. Bulgakov, Mikhail Afanas§evich   12. Dar   13. Doktor Zhivago   14. Literary studies: from c 1900 -   15. Master i Margarita   16. Nabokov, Vladimir Vladimirovich   17. Novels, other prose & writers: from c 1900 -   18. Pasternak, Boris Leonidovich   19. Russia   20. Russian   

Subjects:  1. (Mikhail Mikhailovich),   2. 1895-1975   3. 19th century   4. 20th century   5. Bakhtin, M. M   6. English fiction   7. Fiction   8. History and criticism   9. Influence   10. Literary Criticism   11. Literature - Classics / Criticism   

Customer Reviews (1)

Well done!
In the first sentence of "The Gorbachev Factor," Archie Brown tells his readers that his work "is neither a history of the Gorbachev era, nor a biography of Mikhail Gorbachev." On reading that, this "country boy" had to ask..."well what is it?" Well, by the end I knew: Brown's work is an outstanding analysis of Mikhail Gorbachev's influence on Soviet history in the 1980's. It is a well written, well researched and well documented account not just of Gorbachev's role during this time, the the myiad factors that influenced Gorbachev. Now, there "ain't" no doubt that Brown likes Gorbachev. While Brown points our more than ove of Gorbachev's faults, the lion's share of Brown's work tend to vindicate his actions and elevate his intent. But this is no simple apology for the leader of a regime that fell. Rather, it is an in-depth look at the incredable challenges and paradoxical results of Mikhail Gorbachev's leadership of the Soviet Union. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1931-   2. 1985-1991   3. Current Affairs   4. Europe - Russia & the Former Soviet Union   5. Gorbachev, Mikhail Sergeevich,   6. History - General History   7. International Relations - General   8. Political   9. Politics and government   10. Politics/International Relations   11. Soviet Union   12. Biography: political   13. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -   14. Former Soviet Union, USSR (Europe)   15. Gorbachev, Mikhail Sergeevich   16. International relations   17. Marxism & Communism   18. Russia   19. c 1980 to c 1990   20. c 1990 to c 2000   

One of the greatest mysteries of the worlds of art and archeology was the whereabouts of the Trojan treasures uncovered by Heinrich Schliemann during the 19th century. Presumed to be lost or destroyed, they turned up in Russia, and in April 1996, went on public exhibit at the Pushkin Museum in Moscow. "We have waited for this exhibition for a long time--too long," writes Irina Antonova, director of the Pushkin Museum in the preface to The Gold of Troy, the catalog for the exhibit. "Undoubtedly it should have been shown many years ago." ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient - General   2. Art & Art Instruction   3. Collections, Catalogs, Exhibitions - Museum   4. Excavations (Archaeology)   5. Exhibition Catalogs   6. Exhibitions   7. History: World   8. Troy (Extinct city)   9. Turkey   10. Schliemann, Heinrich   

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Subjects:  1. Fiction   2. Fiction / General   3. General   

Customer Reviews (4)

Beware of SPOILER
The Waiting List by Daisy Al-Amir is a collection of short stories about
Arabic women. These women are all suffering in some way, either through
separation from their home or some other emptiness inside of them. I like
this book because the author really made me feel for the characters, even
though I have never been through their situations. The author wrote this
book in a way that anybody could read, understand, sympathize, and enjoy.
One of the stories that I really liked is "The Doctor's Prescription". This is a very depressing story about a woman who goes from pharmacy to pharmacy without a doctor's prescription and convinces all the pharmacists to give her some tranquilizers. She does this by giving them all the same elaborate story of how she would never be able to kill herself with these tranquilizers. She is so convincing that all these doctors each give her the pills, saying "With an intelligent woman like yourself, who thinks through all these stages, I suppose there's no concern". The woman then goes home and
kills herself by taking all of the pills.
I think that this is so ironic, and so true in life. You never know
what a person is thinking or feeling inside. The way that Al-Amir wrote this
story, even the reader herself is fooled into the woman's story until the
end. I like the way that this story made me think about the shows that
people put on for other people, and how they could really be feeling inside.
Also, it made me think about how unhappy this woman must have really been.
The manner in which she convinced every pharmacist to give her the pills, she
seemed so intelligent and honest, not like a woman who is about to kill
herself. She wasn't insane, she was just unhappy. I liked the way this story
was written because at the end it made me think. I wondered what could have
been so terrible in this woman's life that she would kill herself. I like
the way that Al-Amir didn't give a clear motive for suicide, because a reason isn't the
important part of this story. The important part of this story was the
woman, and what the woman was thinking and feeling in the moments before she
decided to take her own life.
Another story that really made me think is "For a Pittance". In this
book a woman is traveling in an unfamiliar city when she happens to walk by
an estate sale. The woman is intrigued by this, and goes back everyday to
see what has been sold and what remains. She decides that she is going to
buy the very last item left, the unwanted item. That item ends up being that
family's photo album. The woman is once again intrigued with the family and
begins to look at the pictures and try to figure the family out. Towards the
end of the photo album she finds a picture of the family at a funeral. The
woman can't figure out who died, and she feels like she has invaded their
lives by looking at the photos. She leaves the photo album at the hotel and
returns home.

This short story made me think for two reasons. The first is, how could a
family sell their own memories? I found myself once again trying to think of
reasons for this since none were given. I felt sorry for the family that
was in such a state of despair that they had to sell their own memories. The
other reason this book made me think is how the woman who bought the book
became to too involved with this family through their pictures. I wondered why
she was so interested and thought maybe she had some issues in her own
family that made her search out this surrogate family.
The reason that I liked his book is that it made me think, which not
all books can do. I found myself trying to figure the stories out further
after they were finished, NC because Al-Amir made me want to know more about
these characters.

The Waiting List - An Iraqi Woman's Tales of Alienation
The Waiting List is a book that depicts the emotional struggles of Middle Eastern women. The short stories could all be talking about the same person at different times in their life. The author Daisy Al-Amir lends to us her insight into the various issues facing women in the Middle East. Each story, though short, leaves us with a lasting impression that is emotional and thought provoking. "The Umbrella" tells what it is like to be a woman who lives for the approval of her spouse with no self-image. Her friend finds her walking in the rain but barely recognizes her because of her bad appearance. The story called "Weeping" was about a mysterious weeping at night and no one was able to tell where it was coming from. In this story, our heroin brings a different meaning to being in touch with nature. I like the creativity in the weeping. In "A Doctor's Prescription" the woman used intelligence for the wrong reason. I want to withhold what she did because it would be giving the story away. Nonetheless, it shows an intelligent woman who lost hope. "A Crutch in the Head" brings to us a female who confronted her husband with the issues that made her unhappy.

What I liked most about this book was the author Daisey Al-Amir. She was strong enough to cross boundaries and bring us stories that appeal to people all over the world. During times of war in her own solitude she reached outside herself to create. I feel a kindred spirit with her and I appreciate the different sides of women that she was able to portray through her short stories. The stories were in depth enough to be interesting and short enough for us not to get bored.

Interesting thematic elements
Al-Amir writes in a minimalist style, focusing, for the most part, on small scenes of humanity. Interesting observations about the place of time within an individual person's life are explored in "For a Pittance." After purchasing a photo album in an estate sale while visiting a foreign city, the narrator ponders the idea of living in the present. By immersing herself in the history of an unknown family, the narrator is able to live in the present because she is distracted from her own personal past and future. On page 21, the narrator thinks,
"I was squandering the present that I had planned to enjoy. I had deliberately forgotten my own past so that it wouldn't disturb the serenity of my present, the present I had rescued from crisis in order to forget the past and distance me from the future. And now I was intentionally occupying myself with an unfamiliar time and place, with people who are strangers to me. In my imagination I had arranged a future for their past."
I think what the narrator doesn't realize is that only by immersing herself in the photo album is she able to live in her own present moment, a moment she is glad ends at the end of the story when she returns to her home.

A few things bothered me about Al-Amir's writing style. I am willing to attribute these minor details to lingual discrepancies, but of course I can't read the Arabic version and thus don't know for sure. Exclamation points abound, along with rhetorical questions. There are very many brief paragraphs, which I found somewhat disruptive. Nonetheless, once I got to a certain point in the book I was able to overlook these grammatical and structural issues because I was interested in the stories that Al-Amir was telling.

In the story "Oh the Waiting List," Al-Amir returns to an exploration of what is means to live in the present. The narrator is placed on a waiting list at the airport to get on a flight home. She feels as if the present becomes burdensome and overwhelmingly static because it is purely about wasting time. This resonated with me and how I feel when I travel-which is that time spent in an airport or on airplane is literally dead time.

I have to say that I loved the story "The Doctor's Prescription" simply for its anecdotal qualities. The woman's breathtakingly logical argument for why the pharmacist should give her tranquilizers belies her true motive in a very clever way. The story is brief, but actually the one that stuck with me the most after finishing the book.

In the last two stories, "A Crutch in the Head" and "The Cake," Al-Amir tries to discuss gender relationships--with mixed results. The play-like dialogue format of "A Crutch in the Head" was off-putting to me at first. I'm also not sure why she separated the dialogue into five line "stanzas." Nonetheless, there is a certain universality of her depiction of the argumentative man and resigned woman. The dialogue format also piqued my interest and served her purpose, I think. I found "The Cake" to be a more powerfully written story. Again, she uses the dialogue format, but in doing so also gives the reader a context in which to understand the story. I think Al-Amir's message is that women protest through tears and men through anger. They each do so because they think that it is the only way to get a response. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. African   2. Arabic (Language) Contemporary Fiction   3. Fiction   4. Fiction - General   5. Suspense