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SAILING THE MYSTERY

Name: SAILING THE MYSTERY
Author: Ed Merck
ISBN: 978-1770974432

MY JOURNEY INTO LIFE’S REMAINING CHAPTERS

by Ed Merck ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 19, 2013

A sentimental, introspective travel memoir.

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A man sails along America’s east coast on a journey of self-discovery and spiritual insight in this debut memoir.

At 63, Merck had the sort of contented existence many hope for in the final third of their lives: He’d had a successful career, owned a home that he was deeply connected to, and had developed a mindfulness that kept him remarkably self-aware. Yet this very awareness alerted him to a great, inner discontent, which caused him to undertake a journey to become more engaged with the world. He left his old life behind to sail along the country’s eastern shore, exploring both the sea and his autocratic nature while grappling with his fear of loneliness. Along the way, he was joined by other sailors, but it was the presence of his son, Evan, and Merck’s fiery, infuriating love interest, Samantha, that finally forced him to face his emotional pain and spiritual restlessness. This memoir, grandiose in tone, invokes a classical sentimentality that values feelings over experiences, and, as such, emphasizes the author’s personal feelings over the people and places around him. However, when the book looks beyond its narrator, the dialogue is strong, and although it doesn’t greatly expound upon many characters, it captures Evan and Samantha well. There are occasional forays into the author’s life before the age of 60, but the book puts great emphasis on the physical act of traveling—on always going somewhere—which gives the story a feeling of forward momentum. The memoir doesn’t come to a solid conclusion, a fact perhaps foreshadowed in the words of a minister early in the book: “We put a lot of care and love into how we begin...the exit door comes without the same amount of thoughtfulness.” This is forgivable, however, as Merck seems to be only getting a handle on these new ideas himself. Overall, the book will likely leave many readers wanting to sail with him just a bit longer.

A sentimental, introspective travel memoir.

Pub Date: July 19, 2013

ISBN: 978-1770974432

Page Count: 232

Publisher: FriesenPress

Review Posted Online: Oct. 3, 2013

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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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

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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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.