Witty in the classic Goldberg mold, but most of this is common-sense stuff that can be found in a variety of popular...
Goldberg (Whoopi Goldberg Book, 1997, etc.) offers unvarnished advice on relationships.
Based on her years of experience in a variety of relationships, the author, currently the moderator of The View, suggests ideas on interpersonal bonds that she wishes someone had suggested to her years ago. Her hope is that readers won't make the same mistakes she did or have to learn the hard way why a relationship is not working. Her manner is frank and mostly funny, and Goldberg rarely holds back. Popular culture, she writes, consistently portrays an unrealistic picture of what a "normal" bond between two people should be, which sets up everyone for major disappointment. That sweet Cinderella dream of Prince Charming sweeping you off your feet to a life of happily ever after—it's not going to happen. No one can complete you, writes Goldberg, if you're not already solid and complete in yourself. The author offers advice for those stuck in dead-end situations, for those who just want no-strings-attached sex (as well as what to do when the sex has stopped but the relationship is worth saving), and for those whose partners have strayed into affairs or have been unfaithful all along. Through occasionally profane humor, Goldberg reminds readers that you can't change the person you're with and should never get into a relationship thinking that you can, that you should be aware of any red flags before you say “I do,” that the kids always come first, and that any major lies usually come back around in the end. Goldberg's writing will appeal to women the most, but her counsel is geared toward both genders, all races, and all sexual orientations. Though the author is honest and usually spot-on, the narrative isn’t much different from most standard self-help material.
Witty in the classic Goldberg mold, but most of this is common-sense stuff that can be found in a variety of popular magazines.Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-316-30201-2
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Hachette
Review Posted Online: Sept. 21, 2015
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
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
