Comments for Roberson Publishing

Comment on Kindle Wireless Reading Device (6″ Display, U.S. Wireless) by Mardell Prazma

Mardell Prazma — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 14:13:16 +0000

I agree! Thank you so much:D. I appreciate your article, it really lent me a hand.

Comment on Beware of Pity (New York Review Books Classics) by Erik Wuttke

Erik Wuttke — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 07:30:06 +0000

Review by Erik Wuttke for Beware of Pity (New York Review Books Classics) Rating: This is one of the most purely enjoyable books I have ever read, Zweig writes very well and at times brilliantly in creating characters both psychologically consistent and vivid. This is one of a rare type of novels that offers thrilling, page turning excitement combined with emotional and intellectual depth. Beware of Pity is not the most subtle, or beautiful book I have ever read but I can't tell you any other that was more of a pleasure to read.

Comment on Beware of Pity (New York Review Books Classics) by Shalom Freedman

Shalom Freedman — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 07:12:24 +0000

Review by Shalom Freedman for Beware of Pity (New York Review Books Classics) Rating: In the introduction to this book Joan Acocella tells Zweig's story as a writer. One of her claims is that despite his enormous popularity as biographer, essayist, writer of great novellas and stories, this novel is his masterpience. The novel is in essence the story of a feeling, of 'pity' of how it becoming the obsession and duty of the main character turns self- serving and destructive. Briefly , the book revolves around the relationship between a poor Austrian officer Hoffstein and a crippled seventeen year old daughter of a wealthy family Edith Kekesfalvas. After he has inadvertently insulted her by having asked her to dance he becomes bound into a relationship with her, in which she falls deeply in love with him without his truly reciprocating. This is how Acocella reads the protagonist's reasoning and its result after her doctor informs him that it would be disastrous for him to abandon her.

"So he descends ever deeper into hypocrisy. In the process, Zweig gives us a piercing analysis of the motives underlying pity. Gradually Hofmiller realizes how much he enjoys the courtesies paid to him for his emotional services, how it pleases him that when he arrives at the Schloss his favorite cigarettes--and also the novel (its pages already cut) that he had said in passing that he wanted to read--are laid out on the tea table. Nor is it lost on him that his own sense of strength is magnified by Edith's weakness and, above all, by his growing power over the Kekesfalvas, the fact that if he, a poor soldier, does not present himself at teatime, this great, rich household is thrown into a panic, and the chauffeur is dispatched to town to spy him out and see what he is doing in preference to waiting on Edith. Beyond the matter of power, however, Hofmiller finds that the emotion of pity is a pleasure just in itself. It exalts him, takes him to a new place. Before, as an officer, he was required only to obey orders and be a good fellow. Now he is a moral being, a soul."

This end in destruction is somehow a foreshadowing of what would happen to Zweig.Having been betrayed with the rise of the Nazis by the Europe he loves, tried to make a new home and life with his second wife in Brazil. But it does not work out and the both of them are found after having taken fatal overdoes of drugs hands intertwined.

Comment on Beware of Pity (New York Review Books Classics) by Mara Kurtz

Mara Kurtz — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 07:10:15 +0000

Review by Mara Kurtz for Beware of Pity (New York Review Books Classics) Rating: "Beware of Pity" is a brilliant book by one of the world's great writers. This fascinating "psychological" novel is reminiscent of "Rebecca" in the way the story unfolds slowly and then totally envelops the reader. I actually read it straight through the first time, had to miss the next day's work. I've loved it just as much with each reread.Zweig writes beautifully. He demonstrates elegance, economy, subtlety. There is never a wasted word. While you are at it, read his short story "The Royal Game."
These are two examples of fiction at its very best.

Comment on Beware of Pity (New York Review Books Classics) by jlaudan@omm.com

jlaudan@omm.com — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 06:28:24 +0000

Review by jlaudan@omm.com for Beware of Pity (New York Review Books Classics) Rating: Toni Hofmiller, a 25 year-old lieutenant in the Austrian army prior to the outbreak of WWI, meets Edith, the daughter of the local magnate. Toni committs a "gaffe", asking her to dance while not realizing until too late that Edith is handicapped and cannot walk. Suddenly Toni becomes aware of (and, as an immature youth, is trapped by) the power of compassion. Through no fault of his own (unless good intentions can make one culpable), he leads Edith and her father to believe that Edith may be cured."Beware of Pity" has been called a psychological novel, perhaps because the narrator (Toni) alternates in describing his feelings of self-love, power and satisfaction (when visiting Edith and thus sharing his goodness and compassion), and those of confusion and despair when realizing, unwittingly, that Edith has fallen in love with him. He is driven deeper into despair when told by Dr. Condor, Edith's doctor, that Edith may die if her love is unrequited. In analyzing the conflicted feelings of Toni, Zweig wrote a formidable novel of compassion and responsibility for one's actions. Dr. Condor serves as the literary foil of Toni; the doctor's true compassion for Edith (i.e., "unsentimental but productive, that knows what it wants and is ready to share in one's suffering to the limit, and beyond") contrasts starkly with Toni's unbridled compassion, which is nothing more than the other type of compassion, false, fleeting and unreliable, "the impatience of the heart" (which, incidentally, in the direct translation of the title from the original German). Zweig does not fault Toni for his youthful immaturity, as shown by Dr. Condor's feelings for Toni. Zweig does not, however, exonerate him from blame, and the tale moves forward, inexorably, to its tragic end.

Comment on Beware of Pity (New York Review Books Classics) by Jeff Abell

Jeff Abell — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 05:37:19 +0000

Review by Jeff Abell for Beware of Pity (New York Review Books Classics) Rating: Zweig was one of the world's best known and respected authors in the 1920s and 1930s. The burning of his books by the Nazis, and the subsequent changes in taste after the war have relegated most of his books to an undeserved obscurity. As a personal friend of Freud (Zweig gave the eulogy at Freud's funeral), he understood brilliantly how to portray the psychological state of his characters. This novel is particularly rich in that regard, as the main character finds himself facing a series of moral and spiritual choices he is ill-prepared to make. In an attempt to apologize for a social mistake (unintentionally insulting his host's daughter at a party), he finds himself ever more absorbed into the life and concerns of this family. Every time he's faced with a difficult choice, he gives way to his emotions, and invariably makes matters worse. Zweig's original title, "Impatience of the Heart," aptly describes Toni Hofmiller's problem: he ignores logic and discretion to follow his feelings. We all live in a society that tends to view human emotions as the most important factor in human interaction. Zweig's genius lies to demonstrating for us what a questionable assumption that is. One of the finest novels I've ever read (and that's saying something).

Comment on New York Review Of Books by Patrick Doherty

Patrick Doherty — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 18:36:25 +0000

Review by Patrick Doherty for New York Review Of Books Rating: THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS is published 20 times a year, biweekly except in January, July, August and September. It is a respected publication which is devoted mostly to reviews of current books and an occasional movie. It also contains articles of social or political interest. The Letters section is usually brief with little waste.

Contributors to a recent edition included Mark Danner, Sister Helen Prejean and Daniel Mendelsohn. Reviews covered such diverse items as a collection of short stories by Graham Greene and two books about the actress Anna May Wong in addition to ALEXANDER, a film directed by Oliver Stone.

THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS consistently offers provocative writing in a highly readable style. It definitely deserves its reputation for excellence.

Comment on New York Review Of Books by NowIKnow

NowIKnow — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 18:20:15 +0000

Review by NowIKnow for New York Review Of Books Rating: NYRB is among my favorite subscriptions (I used to love the Atlantic Monthly; but, it has been rather disappointing over the last several years since they dumbed it down); In terms of sheer intellectual depth and range, it is very tough to beat the NYRB. While I do not read the NYRB cover to cover (and you do get articles that are sub-par), I end up spending at least 5 hrs on each issue.

I receive the print edition as well as access the content online. While I love the convenience of online access, I look forward to the print edition every month simply to browse though all the books that are advertised by various publishers. Over the last several years, I have found many great books through this avenue (and the some through Amazon's recommendations)! I hope NYRB introduces personalized recommendations (only from the traditional inventory of books it advertises in the print edition) in recommending additional books online - both old and new.

The main strength of this magazine is the fact that a typical review article is written by an expert with deep knowledge of the subject (some times opinionated; but always intelligent and engaging). While the article draws on more than a single book, I like the fact that the article is typically written as a commentary around a theme and is more than a summary of the books under review.

Comment on New York Review Of Books by BD

BD — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 18:17:27 +0000

Review by BD for New York Review Of Books Rating:
New York Review of Books is the best publication in the United States for serious readers. But as any of us who have them stacked up for years know they we need to get it on Kindle. What's the delay?

Comment on New York Review Of Books by W. P. Gardner

W. P. Gardner — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 17:48:33 +0000

Review by W. P. Gardner for New York Review Of Books Rating: Sometimes I read all the reviews in the NYRB, even reviews of things I'd probably never buy, or art exhibitions I wouldn't go to. They are so well written that I learn a lot. I have some favorite writers who show up there a lot, such as Garry Wills.In magazines like Time the reviews are so consumer-oriented that you really wouldn't bother with them unless you were actually considering buying the book or recording that they're talking about. But in the NYRB, they really talk about interesting stuff. There are also a lot of essays that aren't reviews, exactly, but just reflect on the state of the world. The New Yorker used to have long essays like that, but since Tina Brown started running it, they don't do that any more. (Basically, with the New Yorker you used to get free "books", because some of those essays were as long as short books. Now you don't. There are still longish essays like that in the NYRB, sometimes published in parts.)There is also something aesthetically pleasing about the size and layout of the magazine. It's tabloid-sized on newsprint (but not newsprint that yellows with time) and is very readable. No glossy trash.I checked my last issue and the new-subscriber price listed there is $64/year. So Amazon's price is OK. If you get an issue on the newsstand for $4.50 and then subscribe, you'll pay $68.50.