by Mark Shand ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 30, 1992
``I was restless again. The last time I had been restless, I ended up being pursued by cannibals in Indonesia.'' This is how British travel-writer Shand explains why he skipped off to India to buy an elephant and ride it 800 miles from Konarak, on the Bay of Bengal, north to the Ganges River. Shand falls in love at first sight with the 30-year-old female pachyderm, which he names Tara: ``She was leaning nonchalantly against a tree, the charms of her perfectly rounded posterior in full view, like a prostitute on a street corner. I knew then I had to have her.'' The foray also includes his buddy Aditya, a drunken elephant-handler named Bhim, and a support jeep manned by two drivers—which makes the trip more like a traveling circus than an adventure. Still, the company meets a few dangers, like cobras slithering by the tent, man-eating tigers, and infrequent escape attempts by Tara herself. But elephant-love remains the central subject of the story as Shand's affection for Tara grows so strong that, when he must sell her at the bazaar in Sonepur Mela, he starts sounding like a little boy entranced by the cozy protectiveness of a mother; indeed, the handler calls Tara ``Mummy.'' Shand does find a good home for Tara, and when they part, the elephant, like a Betsy Wetsy doll, sheds real tears—or so Shand says. There's surprisingly little here on the politics of elephant preservation in a country where the population is at war with the giant creatures. But animal lovers will be charmed, since Tara ultimately comes across as an oversized pet with lots of darling human traits that demonstrate just how much like people elephants really are. (Thirty color photographs.)
Pub Date: Nov. 30, 1992
ISBN: 0-87951-454-X
Page Count: 200
Publisher: Overlook
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1992
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by William Strunk & E.B. White ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 15, 1972
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
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by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 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
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