Alfonso Santafosta Moreno Santafosta Moreno itibaren Stoicani, Romania
This is an enjoyable read and a lovely book. Anne Lamott is a very engaging writer and she is very funny, honest, and heartfelt. Although I don’t desire to be a writer, like most readers I’ve wanted to be a writer at times in my life. I took to heart her advice that at some point one has to decide whether to be a reader or a writer, a choice I’d made but it solidified my decision for me. The “bird by bird” philosophy espoused in this book can apply to all endeavors, not just the one of writing.
All of us have walked into a cemetary. But only a few see the cemeteries as the writer sees them- works of art full of symbolisms that represent the beliefs of each society's definition of death. The hidden beauty of the cemeteries is revealed to us through the eyes of the heroine while they create the suitable athmosphere for the development of a mystery that will keep us in suspense until the end of the book. Of course, there is a romantic element in the case, but the author is not in a hurry- she respects the time that it takes for every person to overcome his fears and for a relatinship to be developed. As you read the book don't be surprised if the answers to the dominent questions of the book aren't given when expected. The work of Amanda Stevens is so methodical tha the final solution of the mystery comes very naturally and effortlessly, while some questions considering the nature of Amelia's gift and family aren't answered in order to have a smooth transition to the next book in the series, The Kingdom, which will be released in November. You can order it here: http://www.eharlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=23699
After reading this book I found myself actually seeing the colonial experience from the african perspective. The final sentence sums up the usual viewpoint novels based on the African land grab, if not to that extreme, they are seeminly based on a white mans viewpoint and tend to treat the natives as instruments in the whitemans journey/experience/quest. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a novel about an african man and his village. Thier traditions, religious beliefs, social structure, laws, etc. The writer writes clearly, without pretence and thus creates a living replica of Onwokono's village. Plus its under 200 pages!!!
Greene only wrote this novel in preparation for writing the screenplay. There are some differences (e.g., Martins and Lime are British, Martins' first name is Rollo and he writes his westerns under the pen name "Buck Dexter" (I like that detail, actually), there's a better explanation for how Martins ends up conscripted to do the lecture, etc.), but the differences are minor and really you should just watch the movie. And you should, too--it's a great movie.