George Lippard (1822–1854)

George Lippard is one of those authors who was popular during his lifetime but has since fallen into obscurity. To give you an idea, this book was an American bestseller before Uncle Tom's Cabin. Its lurid and sensational depictions of crime among Philadelphia's elite, as well as its sexual content (though tame by modern standards), contributed to its success.

Lippard was a friend of Edgar Allen Poe, and their writing styles share some features in common. It is not everyone's cup of tea, but show more once I became acquainted to the style, I eventually came to accept it. This book is extremely long, having been released in multiple parts, and to be perfectly honest starts to "lose the plot" a bit around Book 5. There is a lot going on in this book with all the characters and subplots; virtually no one who appears once in the book is forgotten. However, Lippard had an irritating habit of jumping around in time, which can be a little confusing at times. But it's easy to see why this book was initially so popular, even if its appeal did not stand the test of time. show less

Be forewarned: this is a strange book. "The Quaker City" is nothing like anything I've ever read - for several reasons. For one, it casts aside the idea of gentility and prudishness of 19th century America. This book is full of violence, gore, sexuality (including hints of incest), manipulation, deceit, lies, cunning... people at their worst. It takes a lot to get through because of the characters: there are so many! They often weave in and out of the story and personality-wise they are show more mostly identical (or, in some cases, inconsistent). Take notes as you read just to remember who did what to whom or who has vowed revenge against whom and for what.

What's great about this book for me is that it showed me a different side of American literature from this time period. This is not a lost classic, nor does it belong on school reading lists nationwide. Nevertheless, it shows a sensationalistic urban gothic genre that was incredibly popular during its day.

Let me be clear here: George Lippard is not a good writer. He is extremely verbose and, in some cases, repeats exact phrasing many times on one page (or even in one sentence). He is excessively descriptive, often without cause, especially when describing a new setting or the appearance of his characters (every woman is wearing clothing which shows off her ample bosom which heaves under the thin cloth... and I mean every woman every time she shows up). It's worth a read - but the discerning reader will be happy to skim some parts. show less

CRISTIFICACIÓN

ISBN: mkt0003366559

206 pp.. Edit. Kier. Buenos Aires, 1980. Dos magníficos ensayos en un solo tomo. El primero de ellos encierra profundas reflexiones y brinda una comprensión adecuada de la verdad, un entrenamiento sistemático. En el segundo, Lippard, tras un Preámbulo se orienta respecto al Primer Parlamento mundial; La Cruz Rosada o “Rosa Cruz”; Visión y profecía del aldeano; Realización de la profecía del aldeano; y Exposición sucinta sobre el origen y los show more fines de la “Fraternidad Rosa Cruz” show less