Rhoda Lerman (1936–2015)

This is a great story, with much to relate to, much to wonder about. It’s still relevant in 2021 and deserves wide reading.
Ishtar, Queen of heaven, has come again in the guise of a housewife and rock band manager in New York state in the 1960s. She speaks of her powerful past and limited present. Well, maybe not all that limited.
She comes across convincingly as a real goddess and not as a deluded modern, no matter how many fantastic things happen because of her. Cupcake factories are show more invaded, a Bar Mitzvah is deconstructed, PTA meetings end badly, a marriage counselor fails to have her committed. And there is the sex. This was one of the first novels where a female character tells the kind of tales that men had been telling all along about their desires and failures and conquests.
We learn much about true history and myth, what really happened before patriarchy had changed the telling to make all the heroes into men or male gods. show less

After reading Rhoda Lerman's Call Me Ishtar, I want to read any other book she has written. Here, in The Book of the Night, Lerman builds us a world of complexity and change, taking place at a 10th century Scottish island abbey, where even the 20th century intrudes.

A very young girl, Celeste, is brought there by her father, who she describes as very wise though also a madman, and who teaches her about alphabets, about myths, about evolution and thermodynamics, and who lets the monks on the show more island believe she is a boy while she grows toward womanhood and beyond. There is Celeste, the father, two other women, monks, village people, gods, sheep, birds, and a white cow.
Celeste tells most of the story, mostly in the present tense, but there is a scribe named Generous, who in shorter passages chronicles other happenings.

The abby is of the old native religion, which is struggling not to be replaced by the new faith from Rome.
The story is detailed, slow, restricted by place but expanded by thought, and I grew from wondering if it was worth my time reading, to becoming committed and fascinated at thirty or forty pages into this unbelievable book.

There are so many characters, and so many plots. Actors and actions sometimes blur together and make no sense until they reappear later. Google is very helpful.
Celeste is on a quest, and her story builds as she grows and succeeds and fails and moves us toward the conclusion of this strange, wonderful book. show less

First let me say ‘In the Company of Newfies’ was a great book. I give it a 4.5. It is one I want to read again. I have had two Newfies in my life, so could relate to a lot in this book. Reading it really makes me want to go out and get another Newfie. But with all the great things about Newfoundland’s, there still is a lot of hair and slobber, so I can appreciate the trade offs I have with my cockapoo.

There is a lot to say about this book.

First let me mention that often pages are show more filled with one paragraph or close to it. There also is a lot packed into each paragraph so a lot to take in. I collect quotes or excerpts from books and other sources, and in this book, there is a lot I could want to save. But so much makes it hard to stop and say this portion is what I want to carve out. That is one of the reasons I want to read it again.

Second, the author is so wonderfully observant on the dog’s behavior. With that she offers wonderful insights on what she feels is going on. Great stuff. I envy her that in her. For her to notice it, remember it in such detail, and relate it to us is wonderful.

Third, I like how she doesn’t hold anything back. I think she is more of a dog person than anyone else I have met or read about. A lot of us let our dog sleep in bed with us, but several very large ones? A lot of us make allowances for how neat and tidy our house is to accommodate for the dog, but multiple big harry dogs are a lot, I know from just having one. She writes about it all. And almost all of it is great, with the exception being some passages where she is equating her feelings in a mother earth way that felt a bit weird. I take it as it is and just appreciate her being honest with us to share her thoughts

The details on raising puppies are great. I would recommend anyone whose dog is going to or wants to have puppies to read this book.

Lastly, one element of the book I want to comment on the emphasis on showing dogs, and working toward attaining Champion titles. When I got my first Newfie, I put my toe in the water of showing her. My dog Lady, like one mentioned in the book, chose to limp when entering the ring, perhaps to get out of doing it. I understand the appeal of confirmation, and the good and bad of showing dogs. Some people may not relate to it, or feel that too much emphasis on show qualities may take away from qualities that could be more important. In this book it is an important element. Even if AKC confirmation is not something I was into, it is important to the author and so I want to cheer along with her and support those that do. The dog show toward the end helps the book have an element to build up to. However, I contemplate what the book would have been without it and without the references at times to the full AKC names. I think it would have still been a great book, with great details for you to feel you knew each of the great dogs. show less

First let me say ‘In the Company of Newfies’ was a great book. I give it a 4.5. It is one I want to read again. I have had two Newfies in my life, so could relate to a lot in this book. Reading it really makes me want to go out and get another Newfie. But with all the great things about Newfoundland’s, there still is a lot of hair and slobber, so I can appreciate the trade offs I have with my cockapoo.

There is a lot to say about this book.

First let me mention that often pages are show more filled with one paragraph or close to it. There also is a lot packed into each paragraph so a lot to take in. I collect quotes or excerpts from books and other sources, and in this book, there is a lot I could want to save. But so much makes it hard to stop and say this portion is what I want to carve out. That is one of the reasons I want to read it again.

Second, the author is so wonderfully observant on the dog’s behavior. With that she offers wonderful insights on what she feels is going on. Great stuff. I envy her that in her. For her to notice it, remember it in such detail, and relate it to us is wonderful.

Third, I like how she doesn’t hold anything back. I think she is more of a dog person than anyone else I have met or read about. A lot of us let our dog sleep in bed with us, but several very large ones? A lot of us make allowances for how neat and tidy our house is to accommodate for the dog, but multiple big harry dogs are a lot, I know from just having one. She writes about it all. And almost all of it is great, with the exception being some passages where she is equating her feelings in a mother earth way that felt a bit weird. I take it as it is and just appreciate her being honest with us to share her thoughts

The details on raising puppies are great. I would recommend anyone whose dog is going to or wants to have puppies to read this book.

Lastly, one element of the book I want to comment on the emphasis on showing dogs, and working toward attaining Champion titles. When I got my first Newfie, I put my toe in the water of showing her. My dog Lady, like one mentioned in the book, chose to limp when entering the ring, perhaps to get out of doing it. I understand the appeal of confirmation, and the good and bad of showing dogs. Some people may not relate to it, or feel that too much emphasis on show qualities may take away from qualities that could be more important. In this book it is an important element. Even if AKC confirmation is not something I was into, it is important to the author and so I want to cheer along with her and support those that do. The dog show toward the end helps the book have an element to build up to. However, I contemplate what the book would have been without it and without the references at times to the full AKC names. I think it would have still been a great book, with great details for you to feel you knew each of the great dogs. show less