Westerns Books

You may not agree with everything that the various authors have written, in fact they do not always agree with each other, but every essay is thought out and well written. Most will make you think, a few may make you argue. You do have to keep in mind that this was written between Firefly and Serenity, so a few of the guesses and suppositions have already been aswered by the movie.

A collections of essays for Firefly fans. I enjoyed reading each one. "Finding Serenity" brings a new prespectives to this short lived TV series.

There are, broadly speaking, three kinds of anthologies about television shows. There are those by academics within the fields of media or cultural studies. There are those by philosophers, primarily the result of a couple of book series collection philosophical essays on a wide range of cultural phenomena from THE SIMPSONS to THE MATRIX to Harry Potter. Then there are collections by people with less academic qualifications, but are instead writers or artists. I've enjoyed all three types, though those by philosophers considerably less than the other two. This is not an anti-philosophy bias on my part; my academic background is philosophy, having studied philosophy at two of America's delightful institutions of higher learning. It is simply that while I find philosophers from Kant to Henry Sidgwick to Anthony Kwame Appiah helpful in understanding ethical dilemmas, I don't find them especially helpful in analyzing BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER or ALIAS. I do find many essays by those in media/cultural studies helpful, though those that get in the grips of theory (especially psychological theories or queer studies) seem to me more about the theory being espoused than the television series occasioning the essay.

On the other hand, anthologies of essays by artists I frequently find instructive. This is certain true of this collection. Like all collections it has its weak essays and its stronger essays. There are also those that I was unequipped to enjoy or understand because I didn't have the requisite background. For instance, there was one essay that imagined switching the crews of FIREFLY and ENTERPRISE. Since I haven't seen ENTERPRISE, there was simply no point in reading it. I very much enjoyed articles detailing some of the aspects of the show from the standpoint of its music or its art design. In rewatching the series recently I found that I was paying attention to things on the show that I hadn't previously.

There is one overall weakness in the book and that is that these essays were all written before the film SERENITY was released. So much of what various writers say is speculative and as usual speculation tends to be wrong. Still, it is interesting to have a snapshot of pre-SERENITY musings on what the show was about, even if they turned out to be incorrect.

There were also some very bizarre essays. The most disappointing may have been Nancy Holder's, simply because I've read other things by her on the Whedonverse that were, I thought, insightful. Her essay finds FIREFLY disappointing because she believes it provides less than empowering images of women (a sentiment not shared by other essayists in the volume, and certainly one that I can't agree with). She believes that FIREFLY was doomed to this fate because she views it primarily as a Western. This all baffled me because even without the film SERENITY it was clear that River was being set up to be this show's Buffy. FIREFLY was a work in progress, but it was obvious (to me, at least) that the central story arcs were going to be driven by River and the resolution of the mystery of who and what she was, and why the Alliance was so intent on capturing her. But the article also bothered me because it didn't seem to understand the historic connection between American SF television and the Western. Whedon was absolutely not the first person to mesh SF and the Western. In fact, almost all America SF series are indebted to the Western genre. This is what distinguishes American TV SF so sharply from British TV SF. If you line up all the major (and even minor) British and American series, you can easily contrast them. American TV SF series are concerned with the frontier, with exploration, of going -- in those famous words -- where no one has gone before. British SF is not nearly so focused on this. Even Dr. Who is more a tourist doing the Grand Tour than an explorer of the wilderness. Jan Johnson-Smith does a great job of documenting all this in her book AMERICAN SCIENCE FICTION TV: STAR TREK, STARGATE AND BEYOND. Interestingly, one of the writers she cites in talking about the Western and American ideas of wilderness and Western expansion and exploration is Richard Slotkin. At Wesleyan he has often taught courses on the Western and integrated it with American culture at large. I bring this up because one of his best-known students was Joss Whedon. If one understands Whedon's academic lineage, it is not the slightest bit surprising that he conceived FIREFLY as a SF Western. He was merely making obvious something that had been a part of STAR TREK (with the Enterprise exploring the wilderness) and the original BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (essentially a wagon train in space -- an aspect that the vastly superior reimagining retained) and BABYLON 5 (basically a wide-open town of the Wild West, with Sheridan as Wyatt Earp).

All in all, I definitely recommend this collection. Most of the essays -- even the ones that I want to get in an argument with (like Holder's) -- are at least interesting. And many will definitely enhance one's enjoyment of FIREFLY.

A scholarly work on the content of Firefly? Amazing how far you can get from just ripping off with very few minor changes the concepts behind an anime called Outlaw Star.

The cancellation of Firefly left many questions unanswered, and many theories on character back-story and motivation are expounded upon in this collection. The essays, edited by series writer and long-time Joss Whedon co-conspirator Jane Espenson, were all written in the period of time between the end of the series and the release of Serenity, which gives the book a quaintly episodic feel in an I-know-something-you-don't-know sort of way.

The essays themselves are something of a mixed bag - if you're a fan of the show, at least one of them is pretty much guaranteed to piss you off. But fans will appreciate contributions from other long-time Whedon co-conspirator Marti Noxon, and a sweetly nostalgic accounting of favorite moments from actress Jewel Staite.

The book is good. The shipment time frame was fine. The book is pretty thorough.

I'm surprised ar some of the two or three stars for this awesome ending to such an amazing fictional family series. I've had this book for years now and I know that I can always go back and read this and not be disappointed.

I think she spaced out the dual romances very well and I think it helped that each couple is on their own journey in a way. I love a story with a cute child or baby in it and I just think that Caleb is a delight to read about and imagine. I have to say I am more interested in Cole's part of the story than Ryan but that's mainly because I knew him from the other novels in this series.

I think that the murder mystery was very well done and well described and I think most readers will be surprised by some of the twists and turns in the mystery.

My only quibble with the series is how little Mama Rose got to say in all of the novels not just this one.

I think Julie Garwood is one of the best writers in the field of historical romances and if you want a sexy, funny, romance with history and a little of her more murder mystery inclined stories then I think you should give this novel and the other novels in this series a shot, you won't be disappointed.

I have enjoyed many of Julie Garwood's novels, including "For the Roses", the beginning of the Clayborne series. While I have to admit that I skipped "One Red, One White Rose", etc. about the other brothers; this one interested me because it was about Cole. He was my favorite brother in the original book. Unfortunately, "Come the Spring" is very drawn-out and predictable. The title doesn't even apply to anything, except a quick statement made in the last chapter (an after-thought?) Maybe it was just the narration by Richard Ferrone that turned me off, but I found my mind wandering. It was clear to me who the female villain was from early on. While Cole and Daniel were compelling in their parts as lawmen, the romance part of the book is disappointing. After all the passion in "For the Roses", this book was just lukewarm in that category. Maybe it was because there were too many characters. Oh well, Julie is still one of my favorite authors, but this one is not up to par with her others.

I really enjoyed the character of Cole from the first books. I am glad I have my own copy of Come the Spring in hardcover. It is just so enjoyable. I am pleased. The only reason I do not give it a five is there are a couple of predictable moments, but they are enjoyable.

Usually Julie Garwood makes you laugh and warms your heart. She delved into the arena of thriller as early as "Castles" and came along nicely with it in the opening of "Come the Spring". Sadly, she seemed to forget how to write her humorous and charming relationships along the way.

Trying to do a dual romance in this novel was a mistake. Time was taken away from both relationships such that one loses interest in either one. That leads a lacking dramatic finale because you just don't care.

The writing appeared exceptionally juvenile in places where humor was intended.

It was a nice try and I applaud an author wanting to grow her talent, but this Clayborne series never should have left the editor's desk. "Come the spring" was half-baked at best.

Let me tell you up front, if you are looking for more of the Claybourne's in this book, you will not get it. The focus of "COMES THE SPRING" is capturing the Blackwater Gang. We start off with the bank robbery scene, and the identity of the witness is a mystery. Julie does a very good job in hiding who the witness is, until it is revealed.

We finally get the story of Cole Claybourne, the most "rough" of the Claybourne brothers. Cole is made into a U.S. Marshal by Marshal Daniel Ryan, who supposedly stole his compass from Mama Rose. Little is known about the compass that causes Cole to search for Ryan, and this plot does not follow in the book.

I thought Jessica and Grace were very good heroines. Jessica was really the perfect match for Cole, loving and in need of his care. The baby, Caleb, was also very adorable throughout the book. Grace was the exact opposite of Daniel Ryan's first wife, which proved to be a challenge to the Marshall to figure her out. While I enjoyed the chemistry with Grace and Daniel, I was a little disappointed that Cole did not have a story all to his own. I thought his character deserved more.

Overall "COMES THE SPRING" is a good end to the series. I would recommend it to anyone who has followed the Claybournes since "FOR THE ROSES." Mama Rose's speech at the end did not bother me, as it did some reviewers, because we really don't hear a lot from her, but we know she has been behind the meddling. Definitely read this book, it's worth the time.

This is my number one favorite resource now. I believe it to be one of the best books out there.

Thought this book was well done, with good information and pictures.

Full color photographs of every plant in the book, along with very complete, if brief, descriptions of characteristics and properties. The book itself is compact and easy to carry with you into the field, which is the ONLY place to truly study the subject matter. Enjoy this gem!

Great book with full color pictures of the plants that are covered in the book.

I live in the sierras and use this book all of the time it always goes with me when I hike.

I wonder from the other reviews whether they either read the same book or didn't finish it. Reviewers point out that the main character Sarah is a little weak willed without the proper will needed to survive the frontier. I think that is the lens of modern feminist sensibilities.

Either way, this book is about true love's transformation of Sarah from a weak, wishy-washy girl to a strong, determined woman. Beginning with her willingness to accept an arranged marriage to a brutal oaf who cared not for her own needs, Sarah becomes a woman who could take care of herself. The tale is about Sarah and Imogene's love and how it transformed the younger woman into the gracious, strong woman that she would become. It's about the grief, heartache and utter joy that occurred in between those two extremes. Bittersweet chronicles what they do to keep that love alive and what it costs them.

I would not recommend the book for anyone who is depressed because it is extremely sad and rife with death. But the blossoming of love between the two characters is sweet and you will definitely root for them. If you need a good cry over what you have or what you lost, this is the book to read. It's beautifully written. Thank you, Nevada.

I loved this book. I have even given it to a number of friends of mine. I liked the book as it is. I also think if Barr wanted she could meake a second book about the lover that has become strong over the years, and where it could lead to a new life with all she has learned. I have a friend who has a family rance in NV and to go from one house to another is 28 miles on dirt roads, dusty, windy,and craggy. I could just picture the coundtry Barr discribed. This is a wonderful book for women's studies.

This is NOT a mystery, this is NOT one of the Anna Pidgeon series. It's a lesbian love story, set in the Old West. The people are real, their world is real. Again, very well-written. I didn't want it to end.

I realized late that this was Nevada Barr's FIRST novel, not her LATEST. Thank goodness she has learned better plot development since Bittersweet, which she wrote in 1984.

The trite title gives it all away. While the characters are well thought-out, consistent and potentially interesting, the plot is graceless and overly contrived. While I wouldn't expect a story about two women becoming lovers in the nineteenth century to be full of rainbows and butterflies, the story focuses primarily on their challenges and tragedies.

Unfortunately the two primary characters are also unlikeable. One is a perpetual victim and weakling, and the other is a sexual predator and a liar. Instead of being moved by their struggle and pathos, I just wanted to smack them.

I bought Bittersweet because I love Barr's style of writing, and I was waiting for the next mystery. I was wondering how I would like Ms. Barr's writing a different style than her Anna Pigeon mysteries.

Once again, Nevada Barr writes a compelling story! This one takes place in the old west and is basically a beautiful love story between two people, and the trials and tribulations they go through to be able to be together. As usual, Barr weaves the main characters intimately to the environment they find themselves in, as well as with characters that come and go in their lives.

This book is definitely for those souls, of any gender, who appreciate a wonderful love story that, like real life, may smell like roses along the way, but in the end, is truly bittersweet.

Bold, agressive, new scholarship that is the sort of real work historians ought to be engaged in. These are not the savages of the early 20th century or the tragic people of the 60s to the 80s - the Comanches of this work are as vivid, human, and powerful as any of the good imperial studies carried out on European, East Asian, or Central Asian civilizations. To call Hammalainen "revisionist" as a slur might be tempting for opponents of his point of view, but for those who understand the quality of this work compared to past discussions of the Comanche, "revisionist" is the greatest compiment it could get. A great effort from a young scholar: I can't wait to see what he produces next.

Before reading this book, I was of the opinion that philosophy, really, was nothing more than the study of the pyschology and personality of the philosopher. After reading this introduction to Nietzsche though, I am pleased to have discovered that the relationship between the philosopher and his or her philosophy is more involved - and interesting - than I had first thought.

In this book, Nietzsche comes across as someone who seemed as if he was overwhelmed by the gravity of his philosophical discoveries. I'm not completely sure if this is true or not but in one sense this is irrelevant as Mr. Tanner has succeeded in making me want to find out more for myself.

More than just relating 'facts & figures', Mr. Tanner has succeeded in letting Nietzsche's discoveries reveal their own life - and worth - to the extent that the only thing left now is to read Nietzsche and find out for myself.

When I bought this book I expected a brief introduction into the Philosophy of Neitzsche. Instead, I got a brief intro into Neitzsche the man. Sure he is an interesting character, but Tanner spends more time framing Nietzsche psychologically and gushing over his writing style than talking about his contributions to philosophy. He spends more time talking about Neitzsche's works then what they are actually about.

This would be a great book if you were already familiar with Nietzsche's works and wanted some insight to his motivations. For a beginner, I suggest you look elsewhere. Finally, the author often presents philosophical terminology without explanation and uses vocabulary beyond the scope of the casual reader. While some of it makes sense in context, I often had to use a dictionary despite six years of college education.

This is a superb introduction to Nietzsche, one that goes beyond a recitation of works and main points, although it contains that aspect, also. Tanner knows Nietzsche from the ground up, and he has produced an overview and evaluation that is at once sympathetic and tough-minded. For example, there are many who claim that 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra' is Nietzche's greatest book; Tanner explains why it isn't, by a long shot.

Nietzsche's works are complex and unsystematic, his themes are many and sometimes mixed together without warning, and he changed his mind about some of his crucial early concepts and positions later on. All of that makes a short summary and evaluation a very difficult thing to pull off, but Tanner has done it better than anyone. Tanner has also written the introductions to many of the Penguin editions of Nietzche's works. Highest recommendation.

Nietzche is indeed a rather interesting philosopher however I feel after reading this book that I still do not know much about his philosophy. I can contrast this to the outstanding VSI book on Kant from which I think I learned a great deal. The author has the tendency to write very obscurely which is not a good thing for these kind of books which are written about authors or subject matter that often considered obscure to begin with. I think one would do a lot better just to pick up one of Nietzche's books and have a go at it.

I picked this book up, because I'm interested in getting a high level overview of Nietzsche. The title read Very Short Introduction, so I assumed it would be a great starting point to figure out if I would want to dive into some of Nietzsche complete works and study him over time. Now, I'm not an English major, but I do hold a Masters degree, so I am educated. I found this book terrible in communicating its point. Yes, Tanner has a wonderful command of the English language, but does his book really need to require a dictionary to read? It's almost as if he ran it through a software thesaurus that converted every word to the most obscure word he could possibly use. Yes, Mr. Tanner your language is impressive, but if the average reader, like me, can't understand you then what's the point? Keep it simple; always use the simplest most widely used words to communicate the point. Anything else is just egotistical in my opinion.