Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Sleeping in Flame by Jonathan Carroll ISBN: 0-679-72777-9 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 14 July, 1990 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.62 (24 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Whoa.
Comment: This is one of the most original, unusual, eccentric, competent books I have ever read. It's so unusual and different that one almost can't believe that the book comes out as well put-together and nicely crafted as it does. The novel succeeds at being extremely odd while reading like mainstream fiction. How does Carroll do it?
It's really too bad that Carroll's stuff is so hard to find; I searched for this book for six years before finding it, believe it or not. Carroll has such an individual voice, is so original, that all of his stuff should be readily available.
The only problems I have with this book are the plot's leapfrogs from one style of novel to another; when I read the book, I felt like I was reading several stories at once. While it is usually good to have different themes running together at once, somehow this novel didn't come off as one book with many themes, or even many books with their own themes, but as all kinds of authors and ideas taking hold of the novel at different times. You've got a little Richard Bach there for a while, then some brothers Grimm, then some Tanith Lee, all with a Milan Kundera-type voice. Very strange. Plus, the ending is so abrupt, I found myself wondering if perhaps I'd lost a page or two.
However, the book is well-written enough and entertaining enough and literary enough to go beyond its bizarre literary flightiness, and what comes out is a masterful, wonderful, classic novel. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 5
Summary: Magical in Every Possible Way...
Comment: _Sleeping in Flame_ is a mystic journey, both for the characters seeking to find themselves and for the audience--who, after a few hundred pages, no longer know exactly what to expect from this book, but are absolutely delighted with every unexpected turn. It begins, much like Carroll's other novels, as a regular storyline. Suddenly, though, and without warning we are thrust into the unknown, with the main character. It seems that Carroll is asking us to follow Walker Easterling on his quest to find himself. Just as the characters learn about themselves as characters, readers learn about themselves AS readers. Not only must we encounter the unknown in this book, like Walker, we must manipulate it and force it to help us survive, to help us remain within the domain of at least partial understanding.
I think, above most things, this book is about survival. Walker must encounter a strange new world, with new rules, in order to survive. He must work magic, and sacrifice magic, in order to have his love, Maris York, survive. Ultimately, his desperate attempts at survival threaten the survival of his unborn son. Strange that a book whose main theme relies so much upon reincarnation would simultaneously center itself around the need to survive. In order to live as a normal human being, Walker must admit to himself that he is a fictional character. In order to survive, then, the characters in this novel must realize that they might not exist.
The power of this novel exists beyond the boundaries of the printed page, and might not be completely evident with a first encounter. Nevertheless, _Sleeping in Flame_ is a novel that works on several different levels. On the one hand, it is an entirely satisfying fantasy novel, complete with memorable characters and a quickly evolving plot. On the other, it offers an interpretation of reading, writing, survival, death and love that I find particularly poignant. One of the most delightful parts of this novel, though, is the way in which these interpretations are presented to the reader. Carroll is a most subtle writer when it comes to philosophy. Readers may want to think deeply about some of the thematic issues that arise from this novel. Or they can just toss them aside and enjoy it as a well-crafted fantasy story. We, as readers, have the power to decide how much we want to put into this novel. Carroll just sits back, with the knowing smirk he displays on the back cover, and waits for us to make our own decisions.
Rating: 5
Summary: Otherworldly offbeat fiction
Comment: Not your usual run-of-the-mill novel, Sleeping in Flame will win your heart with its delightful blend of romance and humor. But then, people who at first glance seem strikingly glamorous turn...well, weird. This book and its author have the potential of developing a cult following. It begins with Walker, a screenwriter living in Vienna, meeting Maris, a model on the run from a potentially violent lover. The two fall in love, and then author Carroll begins leading us and them down bizarre and frightening paths - all the while making sure we're laughing at every twist in the path.
Don't think you've got the tone of this novel figured out; the author's about to pull the rug out from under you. But you'll willingly suspend belief and go along for the magic carpet ride, I betcha.
 |
Title: Bones of the Moon by Jonathan Carroll ISBN: 0312873123 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 03 May, 2002 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
 |
Title: The Marriage of Sticks by Jonathan Carroll ISBN: 0312872437 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 04 November, 2000 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
 |
Title: The Wooden Sea : A Novel by Jonathan Carroll ISBN: 0765300133 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 09 February, 2002 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
 |
Title: The Land of Laughs : A Novel by Jonathan Carroll ISBN: 0312873115 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 10 February, 2001 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
 |
Title: White Apples by Jonathan Carroll ISBN: 0765304015 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 18 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
