A revealing, disturbing, elegiac journey with Naipaul (Finding the Center: Two Narratives, 1984; etc.) as he shows us America's Deep South through his own eyes—and southerners as they see themselves. The South that Naipaul sees everywhere carries the weight of history: the history of race relations, the history of family, the history of subjugation by the North. The first half of the narrative is given to race relations: travelling through Charleston, all-black Tuskegee University, all-white Forsythe County, Naipaul records the candid opinions of blacks and whites (not a cheery picture). Religion is a constant presence, and for many, black and white, a primary source of identity. For others, identity is rooted in family history and status: this is an intensely class-conscious society. Naipaul visits a vast new Nissan plant and an industrial catfish farm; considers "rednecks" (discussing them with, among others, Eudora Welty), and, in conversation with songwriter Bob McDill, the appeal of country music. A visit to Elvis' birthplace leads to an understanding of the "redneck" soul. Talks with a cross section of Church of Christ congregations say much, as does a visit with up-and-coming far-right politician ("Jessecrat") Barry McCarty. Naipaul concludes his journey with the remarkable Jim Apple-white, a poet with a powerful vision of the beauty of the disappearing tobacco-farming culture. Naipaul uses both the alien nature of what he sees and the resonances it creates with his own past in Trinidad to etch his impressions subtly and deeply: a powerful, permanent portrait of a unique culture.
Pub Date: Feb. 10, 1988
ISBN: 0679724885
Page Count: 391
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1988
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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