The Third Angel by Alice Hoffman
Category: Connect Stories Grade: B
This is not one of Hoffman's better outings. While pitched as a novel (the actual title is The Third Angel: A Novel), the book is actually three connected novellas or long short stories. The stories are connected so they need to be read together. They're chronologically backwards. The first story takes place today while the next two each take characters from the prior story, jump back 20-30 years and tell a new story. This artifact means that some of the references made in the first story don't make much sense until you reach the end of the book when things snap in to place. I guess that's an interesting technique to use but the net result is that the first story wasn't terribly interesting as you read it. With the "snap", things get better - I'd have probably given the book at best a "C" after the first story - but never quite make it to the level of some of her past efforts, especially Practical Magic.
If she has to use the title to tell us the book's a novel, it's probably got a problem.
2 comments:
Dear Mr. Seriff,
Please forgive me in advance if this is an intrusion as I realize that this is your reading blog.
However, I do have a book, entitled Playdates, that I would like to send you which helped me earn Barnes & Noble Author of The Month honors several years ago.
I know you are a family man and very passionate about helping youth so I believe you will enjoy the book along with a slideshow at:
www.flickr.com/wineplaychallenge/show
I am contacting you because I moved here to the Hill Country, leaving behind over 15 years of helping 30,000+ children in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on behalf of The Play Institute, a nonprofit I founded along with my wife.
I moved here with my wife and 2 young children because there is one last thing I need to accomplish to completely fulfill The Play Institute's mission.
Are you open to talking to me about what I am now calling "finish-up" funding if I can show you the merits of a very special project I would like to initiate on Lake LBJ, one that will benefit all kids in the area regardless of their economic situation?
You have been involved in "starting" so many interesting projects...I would be honored if you might visit with me about "finishing" one.
"Mr.Jim" Jim Booth
The Play Institute
tax i.d 75-2861914
Phone: 214.826.7772
email: playinstitute@gmail.com
P.S. Here are a few references:
CHEF DEAN FEARING: Formerly of The Mansion on Turtle Creek now Owner/Executive Chef of Fearings at The Ritz in Dallas.
DR. CLAY COCKERELL: Past President of American Dermatology Academy.
JOEL PETERSON: Founder of Ravenswood Winery in Sonoma County.
ROBIN LAIL: Dad was John Daniel (founder of legendary Inglenook Winery) and she founded Lail Vineyards in Napa.
KATHERINE LUNDE: 1994 Krista McAuliffe Outstanding Educator Award Winner.
I have more if you need them.
Thanks for your time and let me know how to send you my book if you are interested.
Marc
First,I will apologize for this being a non blog email, but, my brother and I were going through our family pictures after a recent death in our family and we are wondering if you are a descendant of Harry Alton Seriff, first born son of John Abraham Seriff and Laura Sophia Scwartz (changed to Swartz)?? We are descendants of his younger brother John Maurice Seriff. If you are and have any family history from your side perhaps we can exchange pictures and info via email? Thanks for your time! Lauri Algatt haunt@earthlink.net
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