Ariel Reviews

Although I very much admire some of Ariel Dorfman's work (especially _Death and the Maiden_ and _Heading South, Looking North_) _Konfidenz_ struck me as not only under-realized but boring even though it is only 177 pages with lots of white on its pages. The "play" is all the author's in withholding information and the novel (consisting mostly of dialogue--though it's hard to believe the dialogue adds up to nine hours of conversation--and taunts of the reader) trivializes resistance to fascism, loyalty, and world historical cataclysm. That Leon's sexual obsession may be incestuous makes it all the creepier.

Not only is this book intriguing in its storyline, but it is also intriguing in its composition: Dorfman uses several different narrative voices with great success. He puts the reader in the position of being the voyeur--watching the characters, as well as himself, the author. He also turns a voyeuristic eye on the reader, making you wonder if you, like the characters, are being watched. The novel raises issues of trust in a society where basic human rights are consistently compromised. "Private life is an illusion in our world, Barbara. When you can torture one person, private life ends for everybody else."

A distinguished work of Latin-American literature written by Ariel Dorfman (who was exiled from his native Chile after the 1973 coup), Konfidenz is an absorbing story, told almost entirely through dialogue, of a woman best with telephone calls from a mysterious stranger who appears to know everything about her -- including her reasons for fleeing her homeland and the peril she and those close to her are in. Konfidenz is recommended as a tense, gripping, literate, attention engaging, and multifaceted novel.

You all need recognize Puffy's talent as an entrepeneur, All of this Puffy hatin is brought on by jealousy and envy of those without the Bentley or iced out chains. ya'll sit around talkin' bad about Puffy and his riches but ya'll too lazy to get up and get it yourself, I'm 18, I started my first business when I was 15, through hard work and sacrifice ( i dropped out of college) I now have a 2000 Ram Truck and a 1990 Bentley Turbo T, yea, I bought it used, but it's still a bentley, I see the look in these haters eyes when I drive by, keep up Puffy , can't nobody stop you but yourself.

Much Love!

im a sean combs fan !!! i ainttrippin on puffy. in case you dont know what he says on his tapes aint the way he is. i thought he was fine cents i saw him rollin wit biggie. peple say he cant rap but theydont see that its not how you do it its what you say. i aintgot nothin but love for a goodblack man takin care of his kids and his girl!! ill tell you what when you walk in my room he is the first thing you see.hes worth the money i spend on him!!! ps justin and christion look just as good as he do!!

Hi Puffy, my name is Yvonne Gaskin I think you are so cute. I tell all my friends that you and I are going to get married someday. Anyway I live in West Philadelphia, I'm sixteen years old and I have twin sister. My dream was that you take me on my "SENIOR PROM". Please call me (215)747-6425 if you ever come see me my adress:5244 Delancey 19143, Philadelphia PA.

This is a very small book - it fits in the palm of you hand. The type is hard to read and the illustrations are small. I would only recommend purchasing this book if you collect books on witches and want to add it to your collection. You will not get anything else from it.

At first glance after opening the parcel that this book is shipped in, you will think that you have wasted your money:Both the book and type are small and the book can be completely read in less than an hour.
However, this book contains a detailed -- albiet succint -- general history of witchcraft that will enlighten the tollerant ignorant, inflame the intollerance of bigoted Christians, and please the casual reader.
I strongly recommend that the young and uninitiated read this book;however,for those with a detailed knoledge of, or skill in witchcraft, this book has little -- if any -- real value.Book collectors may also have a great interest in this book as it's illustrations are exquisite.

tiny but informative. compact and easy to carry where-ever you go. this is not just a novelty, it is a condensed mini-book to give the reader a little info. for the price you get quite a bit of info, most books like these are quite pricey.

I didn't realize how small this book was (I have never thought to look at the dimensions of a book before). It is tiny - a pocket book! Oh well, one less stocking stuffer to buy, and one less present under the tree.

Excelent and insightful. Provided great information on the master artist.

I thought that this book would be great for children. It has many good fantasy adventures for little kids and I think that you should read it to your kids or just read it on your own time.

This the Disney story about Arial, the little mermaid & all her odd assortment of friends that live with her in the sea. My grand-daughter Britanie, is 4 years old & just loves this book/ tape so much that she wore it out. I love the idea that the cassettes follow the words in the book so the children following the words read aloud, start to recognize words that they hear. I am in the process of trying to purchase her another set. This is only thing she asked me to get again her for Christmas.

Mr. Jarvik admits in his forward that many prominent players in what could have been a fascinating story have died, that the CPB would not cooperate with him, and so he had no information about certain events that occurred at PBS, the BBC and other British companies, and WGBH Boston (which I was most eager to find out about.)

He therefore crams this book with filler such as a lengthy biography of Alistair Cooke.

I was extremely disappointed to see that this book did not live up to my expectations. It told me little that I did not already know, and that can be gotten from far more accessible sources. It is not badly written; it is interesting in places. But it is not a terribly informative book.

"A fascinating narrative and analysis of Masterpiece Theatre's birth. Jarvik's book exposes the commercial and political motives of all the interested players and makes it no longer possible to think of the series only as a pleasant weekly visit to Edwardian England."

--George Griffith, Chadron State College

This book has a few interesting quotes in it, but most are dull and well-known. Nothing really fresh or new in this book. I prefer a book of Eastern wisdom titled "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life" by Taro Gold, which is much better. But, that's just my opinion!

Quick, easy read for a ten second break, or a fifteen minute meditation. Very thought provoking. Is meant to be read several times to gain better appreciation and insight as to philosophies of the quotes.

It is slanted and biased, but that having been said, it is quite enlighting...If only some of the stories are true, it is worth reading...

This book is a scathing account of Ariel Sharon's military and political career through 1985. Benzaman does a convincing job of portraying Sharon as a callous, self-serving, lying, incorrigible egomaniac. I started reading this book with a moderately negative view of Sharon. The Sharon portrayed in the book is far worse than my initial impression. The shortcoming of the book is a lack of attribution of sources and references to supporting material. Consequently, any conclusions based on the book must be provisional.

Having gone to high school with Ariel, and personally knowing a lot of people in her books, I feel that they really disrespect the privacy of the parties involved. It really leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I bought this book as a gift. It wasn't clear from the reviews that it was not a "book" but a comic book. However, the biggest problem was that it was a book about a young girl's lesbian experience in high school! (Not that there is anything wrong with that. I just wish that I had known that fact before I purchased the "book.")

Ariel's work is beautiful and compelling. Her high school coming-of-age story is so personal, so awkward, so terrible, and still so delirious with potential... you'll recognize it immediately. Five stars.

From time to time, it is important for an author to stretch, to try writing something very different from what he or she is best known for. ARIEL is mystery writer Lawrence Block's experiment with the sort of feverish, madness-tinged horror for which Shirley Jackson became famous, and if he doesn't quite pull it off, one at least has to appreciate the bravery of the attempt. Block is one of the best prose craftsmen working today, but he is at his worst here, switching perspectives wildly, invoking too-familiar ghost story devices without the deftness required to make them seem fresh, peopling the story with unpleasant characters, and ending the book on a sour and very unsatisfying note. To be fair, Block has picked a tough genre -- most of the time, Shirley Jackson wasn't able to pull it off either. Chalk it up as one of Block's (extremely) rare failures, and move on. (For a Block horror success, try the truly terrifying Matt Scudder thriller A TICKET TO THE BONEYARD.)

ARIEL is great, and repersents Block as a novelist in rare form, and yet trying to strike out a new path as well. This, in the end, is what makes ARIEL both enjoying and frustrating. There are too many tales being told...the adolescent coming of age (which is done amazingly well between Erksine and ARIEL) the madness/occult/supernatural tease (it never is really clear what happened) and the 'grown ups story' of Roberta and David and Jeff/ Jeff's own family. All of these stories could've been made into a novel, but because they are all here it's sort of a literary mess. In this book we are told what some of the characters are thinking but not all of the time. In this sense, the narrative is at fualt because its at times omnipresent, and at others centered solely on ARIEL and her diary. It's an uneven book and yet I am so drawn to it, I have to say its a great book at the same time. Except for the electra complex scenes toward the end...I felt I was being hit over the head with that point. I think too that the book should've been fleshed out, but Block, being the amazing mystery writer that he is, is still writing with the urgency of a mystery. Still, read ARIEL and decide for yourself..it's still a great and provoking read, definitely worth it...you really can't go wrong with Block.

Originally marketed as "occult horror", Ariel is neither. It's a story of the madness that lies just under the surface, and what it takes to bring it out; the need to give evil a face and a name. Who better to scapegoat for unexplainable tragedies than the one who is Different? Ariel is adopted, and looks slightly unusual. Her unstable mother never fails to assume the worst, almost deliberately misreading the girl's ordinary teenage perceptiveness and need for privacy. By the book's end, almost everyone believes that Ariel is a monster -- including Ariel herself.

Great characterizations, wonderful descriptions -- I want to live in Ariel's house. I could wish for a sequel, or just for more books like it.