I've been thinking quite a bit about the classics lately. What are the qualities that make them pass the test of time? What is so special about them?
Obviously classics are well written. They have a complete sense of the time and place. They reflect the society as it is at the time they were written. The observations are complete. The descriptions are accurate. The characterizations are true to human nature and psychologically make sense. The plots are unique and intriguing. Sometimes the concepts introduced are extremely shocking and outrageous. I guess, at least they were when they were first published. I expect they created quite a bit of a stir and talk (and maybe banned, tried to be banned, or refused to be published). They stand out among all the other books and were read widely when they were published. By the time they become classics, they become more of a cliche, a norm, a sedate expression. This basically caused by so many others emulating, repeating, and borrowing ideas and themes from them.
Among all the books that are written, they have what it takes to survive, to be read again and again by generations and still have something people can relate to and something they can take from it. Their truth is universal, not just for the moment and place they were written, but in general applicable to the whole of humanity regardless of time.
Whenever I buy a new book I can't help but wonder, will this one be the classic of the future, say maybe in another hundred years or so. Will our children and their children have a chance to see this book and read and enjoy it as much as we are enjoying it. What will it tell them about us, about our life, about our norms, about our conditions, our values, our knowledge?
Who do I think will make it. Well, Harry Potter's probably, I can see a Stephen King novel or two to make it. Maybe some Nora Roberts. At least I hope some will make it. She is a favorite of mine as she is of many. I think Ann Rice's Interview With The Vampire will be there. If nothing simply because it turned the whole vampire literature up side down taking it from simple horror and pushing it towards the romance genre.
There are some I wish would be there but won't be and some I hope will disappear quickly and will remain. Tough to predict the future.
But in any case, I ask you, who do you think will manage this? Who is writing the classics of the future now? Which book is it? Any ideas? I would love to hear them. :D
AC Read
http://acread.ecrater.com
Showing posts with label Nora Roberts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nora Roberts. Show all posts
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Valentines Day Special
As you may have noticed today is Valentine's Day and I thought it would be fun to write about something that relates.
I've been thinking about what the most romantic book I've read is. (I think I just caused some poor English teacher out there a stroke with that last sentence. :P) Over the years I read a few, :D so it was not such a easy task to just pick one. And why should I. Many of those books were romantic, and some left quite a lot to be desired for. Since my memory isn't strongest I chose books that actually remained with me.
The most romantic gesture I read in a book was at the end of One Summer by Nora Roberts (one of the books that is part of Summer Pleasures in the photo on the left). Well if I talk about what it was it might be a spoiler for those who have not the book. It is at the very end. I always hate reading spoilers and would not want to do that to anyone else. So let's just say he gives her something, and it is the most unusual thing to give, and if you read the whole story you will see that it is extremely a thoughful gift and extremely meaningful for the two characters involved. It shows how well he knows her. And isn't that what all people really want in a close relationship to be known who they are deep inside, to have that intimate understanding. This book really is Nora Roberts at her best. The whole book is full of incredible imagery (descriptions of photos) to the extent you feel like you are on a trip with the characters yourself. And then at the very end this thing comes up. :D Wow! I would definitely recommend for anyone who likes romance novels to read this book if they haven't yet.
Now to talk about the most romantic love scene I read in a book. Sorry, I won't be sharing details, but give you an idea as to why it was so. It is in a book called The Scent Of Shadows (The First Sign Of The Zodiac) written by Vicki Pettersson (seen on the right). Now this book is not in a genre that makes you immediately think you might find a very romantic scene in it. It is a fantasy novel. More properly it is an urban fantasy novel. If I am correct this is Pettersson's debut novel (but don't quote me on that). Extremely well written. The scene I am refering to is close to the beginning of the book. And the reason it made such impression on me is the oozing sensuality that came with the scene. Things were written in a slower, softer pace with a gradual build up and very suitably so because it was a good bye of sorts. Quite heart breaking too. And yes, romance can mean broken hearts. In my opinion that does not retract from the sense of connection which is a main requirement of romance. By the way the whole series is wonderful. We get more of Pettersson's crafty sensual scenes later in the series among other things. I look forward to each book that comes out.
As to what novel I thought had the best romantic story, it is amazingly a Stephen King novel called Wizard and Glass. Yes, you read that right. It is a Stephen King novel. It is part of King's Dark Tower series, which is King's uber duber series that references and pulls together a majority of his books into it. It spans King's writing carrier and has recently been concluded after his accident. You can literally see the change in Kings work as he evolves as a writer. But that's a whole different story.
I think the generality of the Dark Tower series can only be classified as horror, but don't let that scare you. :P This is not some bitter outlash of a lonely person on a Valentine's Day guiding you astray. Wizard and Glass really is the most romantic story I ever read. To be able to get the actual background on it, I think it is important that the whole series is read up to that novel at least (you don't necessarily need to read all the books that were referenced. I did and did not regretted doing it. But it is not a must.) The first 3 books of the series introduces us to Roland, the last of the gunslingers, and in Wizard and Glass we see him in his youth and his falling in love with Susan Delgado. It shows the shyness, the intrigue, the innocence, the passion, the bravery, and many more qualities that sum up romance in exquisite form.
I hope you'll read these books and enjoy them just as much as I did.
And Happy Valentine's Day to all. :D
AC Read
http://acread.ecrater.com/
I've been thinking about what the most romantic book I've read is. (I think I just caused some poor English teacher out there a stroke with that last sentence. :P) Over the years I read a few, :D so it was not such a easy task to just pick one. And why should I. Many of those books were romantic, and some left quite a lot to be desired for. Since my memory isn't strongest I chose books that actually remained with me.
The most romantic gesture I read in a book was at the end of One Summer by Nora Roberts (one of the books that is part of Summer Pleasures in the photo on the left). Well if I talk about what it was it might be a spoiler for those who have not the book. It is at the very end. I always hate reading spoilers and would not want to do that to anyone else. So let's just say he gives her something, and it is the most unusual thing to give, and if you read the whole story you will see that it is extremely a thoughful gift and extremely meaningful for the two characters involved. It shows how well he knows her. And isn't that what all people really want in a close relationship to be known who they are deep inside, to have that intimate understanding. This book really is Nora Roberts at her best. The whole book is full of incredible imagery (descriptions of photos) to the extent you feel like you are on a trip with the characters yourself. And then at the very end this thing comes up. :D Wow! I would definitely recommend for anyone who likes romance novels to read this book if they haven't yet.
Now to talk about the most romantic love scene I read in a book. Sorry, I won't be sharing details, but give you an idea as to why it was so. It is in a book called The Scent Of Shadows (The First Sign Of The Zodiac) written by Vicki Pettersson (seen on the right). Now this book is not in a genre that makes you immediately think you might find a very romantic scene in it. It is a fantasy novel. More properly it is an urban fantasy novel. If I am correct this is Pettersson's debut novel (but don't quote me on that). Extremely well written. The scene I am refering to is close to the beginning of the book. And the reason it made such impression on me is the oozing sensuality that came with the scene. Things were written in a slower, softer pace with a gradual build up and very suitably so because it was a good bye of sorts. Quite heart breaking too. And yes, romance can mean broken hearts. In my opinion that does not retract from the sense of connection which is a main requirement of romance. By the way the whole series is wonderful. We get more of Pettersson's crafty sensual scenes later in the series among other things. I look forward to each book that comes out.As to what novel I thought had the best romantic story, it is amazingly a Stephen King novel called Wizard and Glass. Yes, you read that right. It is a Stephen King novel. It is part of King's Dark Tower series, which is King's uber duber series that references and pulls together a majority of his books into it. It spans King's writing carrier and has recently been concluded after his accident. You can literally see the change in Kings work as he evolves as a writer. But that's a whole different story.
I think the generality of the Dark Tower series can only be classified as horror, but don't let that scare you. :P This is not some bitter outlash of a lonely person on a Valentine's Day guiding you astray. Wizard and Glass really is the most romantic story I ever read. To be able to get the actual background on it, I think it is important that the whole series is read up to that novel at least (you don't necessarily need to read all the books that were referenced. I did and did not regretted doing it. But it is not a must.) The first 3 books of the series introduces us to Roland, the last of the gunslingers, and in Wizard and Glass we see him in his youth and his falling in love with Susan Delgado. It shows the shyness, the intrigue, the innocence, the passion, the bravery, and many more qualities that sum up romance in exquisite form.
I hope you'll read these books and enjoy them just as much as I did.
And Happy Valentine's Day to all. :D
AC Read
http://acread.ecrater.com/
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Promise Me Tomorrow by Nora Roberts
Paperback: 296 pages
Publisher: Pocket (1984)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0671470191
ISBN-13: 9780671470197
Synopsis:
Sarah had to build something big, in her work and in her life. And Byron's searing kiss stirred wild longings in her no other man had touched. Her future as an architect was in his hands. But he would trap her in a desperate passion - one never fulfilled by love. She fled to a glamorous assignment in Paris - to the embrace of an elegant Frenchman whose sensuous caress hid a dangerous ambition.
Comments:
This is one of Nora Roberts' most sought after books. It has been out of print for a very long time and Ms. Roberts is refusing to have it reprinted. There have been only a few publishings of it in the mid-1980's. Since then Nora fans had been searching for the few remaining copies. As you can imagine the condition of the remaining books are deteriorating with time. And after 25 years it is very tough to find a good reading copy let alone one in priecetine condition.
Where to find one:
Luckily for you we have a great reading copy of this book in our store
http://acread.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=4517706
For collectors of Nora's books we have several more copis of this book. Here are two different prints of it with rare covers
http://acread.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=2619879 (I have only seen one more book with this cover over the years, searching, buying and selling copies of this book.) and
http://acread.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=2056999 (I have seen a few books with this cover, however it is still pretty rare)
Here is a copy of this book printed in Canada. I have not run accross another such copy. Looks similar to the US prints however there are minor differences.
http://acread.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=4246475
Publisher: Pocket (1984)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0671470191
ISBN-13: 9780671470197
Synopsis:
Sarah had to build something big, in her work and in her life. And Byron's searing kiss stirred wild longings in her no other man had touched. Her future as an architect was in his hands. But he would trap her in a desperate passion - one never fulfilled by love. She fled to a glamorous assignment in Paris - to the embrace of an elegant Frenchman whose sensuous caress hid a dangerous ambition.
Comments:
This is one of Nora Roberts' most sought after books. It has been out of print for a very long time and Ms. Roberts is refusing to have it reprinted. There have been only a few publishings of it in the mid-1980's. Since then Nora fans had been searching for the few remaining copies. As you can imagine the condition of the remaining books are deteriorating with time. And after 25 years it is very tough to find a good reading copy let alone one in priecetine condition.
Where to find one:
Luckily for you we have a great reading copy of this book in our store
http://acread.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=4517706
For collectors of Nora's books we have several more copis of this book. Here are two different prints of it with rare covers
http://acread.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=2619879 (I have only seen one more book with this cover over the years, searching, buying and selling copies of this book.) and
http://acread.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=2056999 (I have seen a few books with this cover, however it is still pretty rare)
Here is a copy of this book printed in Canada. I have not run accross another such copy. Looks similar to the US prints however there are minor differences.
http://acread.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=4246475
And here is the same book printed in German.
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