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MEMORIES OF AN INTERESTING LIFE

Name: MEMORIES OF AN INTERESTING LIFE
Author: Col. John H. Roush
ISBN: 978-1-4363-7902-1

by Col. John H. Roush ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

An informative collection of essays by an opinionated octogenarian.

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Col. Roush fights battles, hunts wild animals around the world, catches record-breaking fish and makes great use of his camera during his long, full life.

What’s a man to do when his ultra-active life must adjust down to the size of the Smith Ranch retirement complex? For a start, he joins a writers’ group. This is where Roush–the author of the titles Successfully Fishing Lake Tahoe (1976) and World War II Reminiscences (1995)–continued the literary journey that culminated in these essays exploring his many pursuits of happiness. Readers learn about Roush’s experiences as an officer in World War II, various hunting trips in which he was armed with either guns or cameras and fishing expeditions alongside Virginia, his wife of nearly 60 years. The author also shares his views on an academic history book he feels excludes valuable information about the Korean War, on anti-hunters and the havoc they cause, even on the movie Saving Private Ryan. His accounts are speckled with memories and anecdotes about people he has known, most of whom he has kind words for and are now deceased. Roush’s writing can be quite engaging but suffers from a few narrative problems. His sentences occasionally sport an awkward formal structure, and he frequently uses passive voice. Further, the subjects he addresses may be excessively diverse. As the title suggests, the book focuses on Roush’s interesting life, but it’s one so full and varied that it’s likely impossible to encapsulate it in one volume. Jumps from a chapter on the Army War College to Roush’s spiritual account of his rescue of a drowning man can be jarring, and both subjects warrant a deeper look. Readers get the feeling of passing the tips of many narrative icebergs.

An informative collection of essays by an opinionated octogenarian.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: 978-1-4363-7902-1

Page Count: -

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010

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.