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THIS DAMN HOUSE

Name: THIS DAMN HOUSE
Author: Margo Kaufman
ISBN: 0-679-42840-2

MY SUBCONTRACT WITH AMERICA

by Margo Kaufman ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1996

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The usual mix of architects, contractors, and building inspectors is scrambled with two pug dogs and a location in socially dysfunctional Venice Beach, Calif., for a witty entry in the library of diaries about the nightmare of renovating a house. The house, a short walk from the Pacific Ocean, was charming on the outside, cramped and dark on the inside. With neighbors like Elise, a ``seriously unbalanced nymphet'' who attacked the Kaufmans' trees in an attempt to scour their driveway free of plutonium, it was questionable whether the house was worth renovating. But Duke and Margo Kaufman (she is the author of 1-800-Am-I-Nuts?, not reviewed) plunged ahead, interviewing a parade of architects in the hopes of bringing light, air, and steps that didn't wobble to their bungalow at a cost under $20,000. They dallied with Tex, whose first suggestion was to bulldoze the house and start from scratch, and settled on Brandon, a compulsive listmaker. Work began, after the house survived a major earthquake and Margo survived an operation for a broken hip. The Kaufmans and the pugs moved out, and the contractor—both reasonable and humane, a real find—moved in. As the tower of debris in the yard mounted, so did the decisions to be made: lights, cabinets, knobs, chimney, colors for the interior (White? ``Of course. It's called Swiss Coffee,'' said the salesman) and exterior (``If you want to sell 'er, paint 'er yeller''). Actually, the house was renovated with a minimum of pain and so successfully that it was put on the market immediately. As Margo wraps up this book, she is eyeing another fixer-upper with an ocean view and no neighbors. Lively and amusing, with a cast of characters that calls for its own sitcom. (Author tour)

Pub Date: March 1, 1996

ISBN: 0-679-42840-2

Page Count: 240

Publisher: Villard

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1996

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.