As anyone that reads Pynchon novels can tell you, trying to get at all of the different potential readings of his novels can be downright difficult. If you snooze your way through a couple pages, you invariably are going to miss some of the sub-plots, or even keys to one of the on-going plots. Every novel of his that I finish, makes me realize that I need to go back and read with a different eye towards the actions and events of the text. To me, this is the mark of a great artist - enjoyable and rewarding every time, with something new to offer upon each successive return.

This companion collection of literary criticism regarding "Mason and Dixon", with contributions by some of the preeminent scholars on Pynchon, doubtless increased my enjoyment of the book several-fold on my first time through it. For that, even given the steep price, I have to heartily recommend this title. Since the novel itself takes over much of your life for an extended period of time, you may as well assign an appropriate level of importance to it and go for the highest level of comprehension that you can.

I know with absolute certainy that when I go back for a second read of "Mason & Dixon," that this book will be my map towards a more detailed reading.

Here are a list of the papers included:

"Foreshadowing the Text," Irving Malin

"Mason & Dixon in the Zone, or, A Brief Poetics of Pynchon-Space," Brian McHale

"'Cranks of Ev'ry Radius': Romancing the Line in 'Mason & Dixon'," Arthur Saltzman

"Thomas Pynchon and the Fault Lines of America," Donald J. Greiner

"Mapping the Course of Empire in the New World," David Seed

"Dimming the Enlightenment: Thomas Pynchon's 'Mason & Dixon'," Victor Strandberg

"The Sound of One Man Mapping: Wicks Cherrycoke and the Eastern (Re)solution," Joseph Dewey

"Reading at the 'Crease of Credulity'," Bernard Duyfhuizen

"Historical Documents Relating to 'Mason & Dixon'," David Foreman

"Plucking the American Albatross: Pynchon's Irrealism in 'Mason & Dixon'," Jeff Baker

"Plot, Ideology, and Compassion in 'Mason & Dixon'," Thomas H. Schaub

"'Mason & Dixon' Bibliography," Clifford S. Mead

When I learn about the things around me, forever after that they look more interesting to me. This book taught me a great deal about trees and led me to learn more on my own afterwards. Stop and smell the roses, AND stop and appreciate the trees! This book enabled me to do that more than before.

This was an amazing, fast-paced, gripping read. It deserves a wider audience and I'd recommend it to anyone.

This is the first Hugh North mystery story written after World War II. North returns to Asia where he was last seen in the SINGAPORE EXILE MURDERS. Now Major North goes to Saigon to track down a tangled web of traitors, blackmailers and smugglers who include a Swiss banker, a beautiful singer and at least one imposter. The author shows he hasn't lost his touch after returning himself from military service in Europe. Besides a good mystery story, Mason gives us a look at a slice of Saigon life before Indochina's post-war troubles begin in earnest.

This book gives a beautiful insight into Sathya Sai Baba and His life from a western point of view. Ron and Peggy have explained in an easy-to-understand style, the real Sai Baba and why He is here on earth for all of us. The authors were devotees of Sai Baba for many years and their devotion shows in the feeling they have put into writing this marvellous book. This is a must for first time devotees of Sri Sathya Sai Baba and those needing confirmation of His Pure Love for mankind.

Colonel Hugh North is travelling from Honolulu to Bangkok under the assumed name of Charles Boyden. North's mission is to protect Dr. Hans Bracht who is aboard the same airplane but unaware of the Colonel's identity.

Dr. Bracht had been one of Hitler's top rocket scientists during the early days of World War II. He somehow escaped from Germany during the war and ended up in Thailand where he acquired a Thai bride named Tao Muong. Later they were both admitted to the United States and given U.S. citizenship. Recently Bracht had been working in Cape Carnaveral as head of the top-secret Project Galaxy. Tao Muong disappeared suddenly and was believed to have gone to Thailand. When Dr. Bracht insisted on pursuing her alone, Colonel North was assigned to follow him and make sure he did not fall into Russian hands before returning to the United States.

After arriving in Bangkok, Bracht heads for the Imperial Hotel. North will try to stay in a nearby room. The hotel is the temporary headquarters for an American movie company which is shooting a film in Thailand. Even before North and Bracht reach the hotel, someone tries to kill them as they share a cab from the airport. North has to figure out fast who the Russian agents are among the hotel guests. There are several people with the movie company who may have Communist backgrounds. North is also interested in Chu Hoong who is a multi-millionaire manufacturer of a potent drink called Dragon's Tooth Elixir and also the owner of the Imperial Hotel.

North as usual is pursued by beautiful women and is invariably interrupted during any promising romantic interludes by circumstances beyond his control. Often the interruption comes in the form of the delivery of an urgent message.

The story reflects the growing ties between North Vietnam and Russia and the tensions existing in the region after France's defeat in Indochina in 1954 and before the resumption of hostilities in Vietnam in the early 1960's.

Marilyn Mason have plunged into the mysteries of climbing and somehow drew lessons from its wells. Read and be healed...

This book is an excellent, and largely unbiased, discussion of CALIBAN (the character from Shakespeare's The Tempest) and traces the evolution of his perception as reflected in literary criticism, culture/politics, theatrical performance (stage and film), poetry, and visual art. An actor myself, when doing research on Shakespeare roles, the most efficient technique I've found is investigation of stage history. Most of the relevant literary criticism has at one time or another been reflected in stage history. Also, stage history is something I find more easily applicable to performance than literary criticism--for obvious reasons. In light of this bias, the only disappointment I had in the book is that I would have liked a longer chapter on stage history. Nonetheless, as the book surveys CALIBAN's history from so many perspectives, one comes away with a strong appreciation of the wide range of exploration available in playing CALIBAN. The numerous black & white figures are an added plus. Finally, any actor playing CALIBAN and hard-pressed to find research time would do well to at least read the chapter on scriptural analysis relevant to CALIBAN and the final chapter, which summarizes the entire book. Directors and designers would benefit from perusal of this text; however, the book does stick fairly close to its subject of CALIBAN, specifically, rather than The Tempest, in general. To close, Shakespearean actors would certainly benefit from more character-specific surveys like this book.

For those of you who revel in alternate timelines, I can't think of a better book than "Shores of Tomorrow." Out of print for decades, this book as well as "Kavin's World," "Sorcerer's Skull," and "The Deep Gods" are super books that I have read and re-read until the pages in my book are literally held together with a rubber band.

I am awaiting my delivery of David Mason books with great anticipation, even though I have read them many times. You won't go wrong with these books! Best of Reading!

This book presents an orderly and logical presentation of the facts exposing the deception of the teachings of the Masonic Lodge that has snared so many unsuspecting Christians.