"Maybe the question isn't what happened to Alan Dershowitz. Maybe it's what happened to everyone else."—PoliticoNew York Times bestselling author Alan Dershowitz, one of America's most respected legal scholars, shows—with evidence—that he is entirely innocent of the sexual misconduct accusations against him, while suggesting a roadmap for how such allegations should truly be handled in a just society. Alan Dershowitz has been called "one of the most prominent and consistent defenders of civil liberties in America" by Politico and "the nation's most peripatetic civil liberties lawyer and one of its most distinguished defenders of individual rights" by Newsweek. Yet he has come under intense criticism for applying those same principles, and his famed "shoe-on-the-other-foot test," to those accused of sexual misconduct, including his former client Jeffrey Epstein and, now—after being accused by one of Epstein's... Views: 120
The attractions Roopa experienced and the
fantasies she entertained as a teen shaped a male imagery that ensconced her
subconscious. Insensibly, confident carriage came to be associated with the
image of maleness in her mind-set. Her acute consciousness of masculinity only
increased her vulnerability to it, making her womanliness crave for the
maleness for its gratification. However, as her father was constrained to help
her in becoming a doctor, she opts to marry, hoping that Sathyam might serve
her cause though the persona she envisioned as masculine, she found lacking in
him. But as he fails to go with her idea, she becomes apathetic towards him,
and insensibly sinks into her friend Sandhya’s embrace, for lesbian solace.
Soon,
in a dramatic sequence of events, Tara, a suave call girl, tries to rope in Roopa into her calling; Roopa herself loses
her heart to Sandhya's beau Raja Rao, and Prasad, her husband’s friend falls
for her. And as Prasad begins to induce her husband to be seduced by whores, to worm
his way into her affections, Roopa finds herself in a dilemma. However, as fate
puts Raja Rao into Roopa’s arms in such a way as to lend novelty to fiction, this ‘novel’ nuances man-woman chemistry on one hand, and portrays
woman-woman empathy on the other.
Who said the novel
is dead; 'Benign Flame' raises the bar as vouched by -
The
plot is quite effective and it’s a refreshing surprise to
discover that the story will not trace a fall into disaster for Roopa, given
that many writers might have habitually followed that course with a wife who strays
into extramarital affairs - Spencer
Critchley, Literary Critic, U.S.A.
The
author has convinced the readers that love is something far beyond the marriage
tie and the fulfillment of love can be attained without marriage bondage. The
author has achieved a minor revolution without any paraphernalia of revolution
in the fourth part of the novel – The Quest, India.
The
author makes free use of – not interior monologue as such, but – interior
dialogue of the character with the self, almost resembling the dramatic
monologue of Browning. Roopa, Sandhya, Raja Rao and Prasad to a considerable
extent and Tara and Sathyam to a limited degree indulge in rationalization,
trying to analyse their drives and impulses – The Journal of Indian Writing in
English.Overall, Benign
Flame is a unique attempt at exploring adult relationships and sexuality in the
contemporary middle-class. All the characters come alive with their cravings
and failings, their love and their lust. Benign Flame blurs the lines and
emphasizes that life is not all black and white - it encompasses the full
spectrum of living - Indian Book Chronicle.Chapter Headings:1.
Ramaiah’s Family2. Realities
of Life3.
Hapless Hope4.
Turn at the Tether5. Moorings of Marriage6. World within the World 7. Roopa’s En Passant 8. Threshold of Temptation9. Sathyam’s Surrender10. Sandhya’s Sojourn11. Match in the Making12. Poignant Moment13. Wedding Season 14. Veil
of Fate 15. Naughty Nuptials16. Tidings of Love17. Tentative Moves18. Fetishes of Fantasy19. Curtain of Courtesy20. Blueprint in the Offing21. Enduring Longing22. Villainy of Life23. Playboy
at Play24. Scheming the Theme25. Device of Deceit26. Software
of Detour27. Tara’s Theory28. Night of the Mates29. A Brimming Romance 30. Euphoric Forays31. Living
the Dream 32.
Chat at the Bar33.
Amour on Rein34.
Surge of a Merge 35. Date
with Destiny36.
Threesome Sail37. End of an Innings 38. Subdued
BeginningBook excerpt for a feel of its literary style - Ramaiah’s FamilyThat
winter night in the mid-seventies, the Janata Express was racing rhythmically
on its tracks towards the coast of Andhra Pradesh. As its headlight pierced the
darkness of the fertile plains, the driver honked the horn as though to awake
the sleepy environs to the spectacle of the speeding train. On that, in the
S-3, were the Ramaiahs with their nine year-old daughter Roopa.Earlier,
from Ramavaram, it was in the nick of time that Ramaiah took Janaki to Vellore
for the doctors to extricate her from the jaws of death. Now, having been to
Tirupati for thanksgiving, he was returning home with his wife and Roopa they
took along for the sojourn. While her parents were fast asleep, Roopa sat still
on a side berth, reminiscing her times at the hospital where Janaki took one
month to recuperate under Dr. Yasoda’s care.
Soon
the train stopped at a village station, as though to disrupt Roopa’s daydreams
of modeling herself on the lady doctor at the Christian Medical College
Hospital, and as she peeped out, the ill-lit platform seemed to suggest that
the chances of her being Dr. Roopa could be but dim. Ramaiah too woke up to the
commotion caused by the incoming passengers, and was surprised to see his
daughter still awake, lost in her thoughts.
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RetailA masterly collection of new stories from Russell Banks, acclaimed author of The Sweet Hereafter and Rule of the Bone, which maps the complex terrain of the modern American familyThe New York Times lauds Russell Banks as "the most compassionate fiction writer working today" and hails him as a novelist who delivers "wrenching, panoramic visions of American moral life." Long celebrated for his unflinching, empathetic works that explore the unspoken but hard realities of contemporary culture, Banks now turns his keen intelligence and emotional acuity on perhaps his most complex subject yet: the shape of family in its many forms.Suffused with Banks's trademark lyricism and reckless humor, the twelve stories in A Permanent Member of the Family examine the myriad ways we try—and sometimes fail—to connect with one another, as we seek a home in the world. In the title story, a father looks back on the legend of the cherished family dog whose divided loyalties mirrored the fragmenting of his marriage. In "Christmas Party," a young man entertains dark thoughts as he watches his newly remarried ex-wife leading the life he once imagined they would share. "A Former Marine" asks, to chilling effect, if one can ever stop being a parent. And in the haunting, evocative "Veronica," a mysterious woman searching for her missing daughter may not be who she claims she is.Moving between the stark beauty of winter in upstate New York and the seductive heat of Florida, A Permanent Member of the Family charts with subtlety and precision the ebb and flow of both the families we make for ourselves and the ones we're born into, as it asks how we know the ones we love and, in turn, ourselves. One of our most acute and penetrating authors, Banks's virtuosic writing animates stories that are profoundly humane, deeply—and darkly—funny, and absolutely unforgettable.Russell Banks is one of America's most prestigious fiction writers, a past president of the International Parliament of Writers, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His work has been translated into twenty languages and has received numerous prizes and awards, including the Commonwealth Writers' Prize. He lives in upstate New York and Miami, Florida.** Views: 119
Nobody knows it yet, but the people of Earth are in big, big trouble. Like - HUGE trouble. Oh, come on, where's your imagination? Double what you're thinking! And it's all got to do with a shadowy figure, an enormous tower, some sinister monsters, huge clanking and thundering metal oddballs, and people who are just like you... but not like you at all. Luckily Hamish and the PDF are around to help save the day! Aren't they?? Praise for Hamish and the WorldStoppers: 'HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!' Frank Cottrell Boyce 'Poor Danny Wallace! Once kids get their hands on this quirky and hilarious book, they're gonna be bugging him to write Hamish stories 'til he's 97' Tim Minchin 'Original, quirky and super silly, Wallace has written a great book that kids - particularly boys - will really enjoy' The Sun 'Like David Walliams, Wallace is a comedian turned children's author. Of the two, Wallace's writing is the funnier.' The Sunday... Views: 119
From Publishers WeeklyOnly a few people know who Charlie Monk really is. Is he, as Monk himself believes, a highly trained government hit man? Or is he merely the laboratory fodder of scientists conducting mind control experiments? Ambrose, who has previously dabbled in such reality benders (Coincidence, etc.), handles this one with confidence, twisting the plot gently at first, then with a hard, satisfying crank toward the end. In between government hits, Monk leads a casual life in Los Angeles, partaking in the usual pleasures sought by virile young men. Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., Dr. Susan Flemyng toils away on the leading edge of her specialty: replacing visual memory in the minds of amnesia victims. She is doing so, however, under duress. A secret government organization has kidnapped her son and won't give him back unless she oversees several experiments. Monk, it turns out, is one of them. Ambrose has several surprises in store, including government planners who want to create a fighting force of warriors with human intelligence and simian brawn. Monk figures out much of what's going on, and he doesn't drag his knuckles in seeking vengeance. Featuring an intriguing cast of characters who never turn out to be quite what they seem, this latest from Ambrose provides several hours of exhilarating diversion and a scary glimpse of scientific possibilities.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. FromStarred Review Ambrose's sixth novel, published in Europe in 2000, gives new meaning to the phrase "living a rich fantasy life." Readers will leave the novel knowing less about what's going on than they did when they began it, and they won't mind a bit. This book, about a man who might be a superspy, or perhaps he's a clinic-bound mental patient, is a dazzling performance, a story that seems to be one thing, then turns into something else, then doubles back on itself, then stampedes off in an entirely unexpected, and bizarre, direction. At its center is Charlie Monk, a government agent whose life seems to be a series of life-and-death episodes--unless, as Charlie discovers, he's only imagining his life. This novel is mind-grabbingly elegant, a symphony of ideas that never, ever does what we expect it to. Propelled by its cast of characters, including Dr. Susan Flemyng (who is either Charlie's friend or his enemy, depending on what scene you're reading) and Latimer West (who may, or may not, be a supervillain), and by Ambrose's immense storytelling skills, the novel starts fast, gets faster, and soon has us holding on for dear life. And when the story comes to its crashing finale, we sit there, blinking, wondering what just happened here. And who the heck is Charlie Monk? David PittCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Author Colin Wilson opens this illuminating psychological discussion with the development of the 1977 Behavioral Science Unit, which was set up in order to answer the many questions surrounding serial killers: How does someone become a serial killer? How do they choose their victims, and why do they not feel remorse? How are they caught? Wilson interviews FBI Special Agent Robert Ressler, coiner of the term serial killer" and one of the pioneers of criminal profiling, as well as Ted Bundy and Charles Manson in order to figure out the motives behind their grisly actions.In Manhunters, by tracking the BSU's development of psychological profiling and genetic fingerprinting, Wilson reveals the forensic investigations that caused the seizure and arrest of some of the most vile and villainous people in the world, including Jeffrey Dahmer, William Heirens, Peter Sutcliffe, John Duffy, Jerry Brudos, Wayne Williams, and many more. As he divulges the details of each... Views: 118
Sonny Baca, the New Mexican shaman and PI, is up against a shape-shifting adversary who haunts Sonny's worst nightmares After a savage confrontation with his archenemy, Sonny Baca is confined to a wheelchair. The doctors don't know if he'll ever walk again—and now the Chicano PI is plagued by disturbing dreams of his female ancestors being abducted. The reality is even more chilling. In present-day Santa Fe, the mayor's sixteen-year-old daughter has disappeared. The four black feathers found on Consuelo Romero's bed confirm Sonny's fears: Three more girls will go missing before Raven's master plan becomes a terrifyingly reality. A charismatic, chameleonlike power broker who also possesses a shaman's gifts, Raven lures radical environmentalists into committing terrorist acts under the guise of antinuclear protests. But his true agenda is to bring down Sonny once and for all. By obliterating Sonny's dreams—the portal into the spirit... Views: 117
The true story of Melody, aged 8, the last of five siblings to be taken from her drug dependent single mother and brought into care. When Cathy is told about Melody's terrible childhood, she is sure she's heard it all before. But it isn't long before she feels there is more going on than she or the social services are aware of. Although Melody is angry at having to leave her mother, as many children coming into care are, she also worries about her obsessively – far more than is usual. Amanda, Melody's mother, is also angry and takes it out on Cathy at contact, which again is something Cathy has experienced before. Yet there is a lost and vulnerable look about Amanda, and Cathy starts to see why Melody worries about her and feels she needs looking after. When Amanda misses contact, it is assumed she has forgotten, but nothing could have been further from the truth... Views: 115
