A rip-roaring, two-fisted account of Lewis's bid to best the 80 days it took Phileas Fogg to circle the globe. Whereas Verne's character took all modes of transportation available, Lewis—a trophy-laden, world-class sailor, as he often reminds readers—confined himself to a sleek, monstrous (though fragile), wind-driven catamaran: cold and leaky, perhaps, but fast. (In typical hairy-chested fashion, Lewis notes that these multihulls are often referred to as ``biker boats for speed freaks.'') A good amount of text is given to the parallels in the journeys of Fogg and Lewis, to Lewis's life history, and to the seemingly endless number of sailing firsts on record. But the story turns on the sheer derring-do Lewis brings to his, and his four French shipmates', quest: how they handled 50-foot seas, survived the obligatory hurricane off Cape Horn, and weathered the crises of confidence that attend such moments. (Just as daunting, if less romantic, is their struggle with skin rot, frayed tempers, and exhaustion.) Surprisingly appealing are the scholarly digressions into nautical time and distance, latitude, and such minutiae as why navigators ought never sit athwart ship; these facts give a balance to all the manly deeds. But risk-taking is what this story is about, and its virtues are extolled time and again by Lewis and coauthor Levitt (a historian of the America's Cup), with praise heaped on the French for their pursuit of extreme sports, frequent recourse to Shakespeare's ``bear affliction till it do cry out itself,'' and the glories obtained by living a life on ``the edge.'' Then again, Lewis and his cohorts beat Fogg to the finish (they also trounced the actual record of 109 days), so maybe a little bombast is the guy's due. (maps)
Pub Date: April 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-385-31326-8
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Delta
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1996
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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