An enjoyable recount of a carefree holiday at sea.
A couple celebrates 25 years together with their first cruise.
Though the author and his wife don’t consider themselves “vacation people,” their upcoming quarter-century anniversary prompts them to do something special. Despite their initial misgivings about cruises–it’s for old people, they might hate it and be stuck on a boat for ten days–they find it an attractive option, especially after researching the cost of a stay at a New England resort. To find the best option, the author, or “chesterh” as he is known on the Internet, consults numerous books and online message boards about cruises. His research enables him not only to pick what he thinks will be the right cruise–a ten-day trip from Baltimore to the western Caribbean–but also what kind of room to book, what to pack and what to expect during their journey. Based on the advice of experienced cruise-goers, he also acquiesces to the twinkle in his wife’s eyes inspired by the thought of her husband in a tuxedo and secretly rents one for formal dinners during the cruise. Despite all their research, the author and his wife are not quite prepared for the level of luxury they encounter onboard. Having reserved a suite, they enjoy the privileges of a private veranda with a spectacular view and top-notch butler service. Their excursions off the ship–swimming with dolphins in Cozumel, a jungle safari to visit Mayan ruins in Belize and snorkeling in the Bahamas–are once-in-a-lifetime treats as well. Readers not planning to take a cruise in the near future may not fully appreciate the level of detail with which the author describes every aspect of their adventure, but he is a charming, self-deprecating narrator who makes it easy for anyone considering a similar journey to follow in their wake.
An enjoyable recount of a carefree holiday at sea.Pub Date: April 11, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-58348-488-3
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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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