title: The Solemn Lantern Maker: A Novel
author: Merlinda Bobis
description: Pornography and prostitution, the fear of terrorism, desperate attempts to make a fast buck, social status and cross-cultural differences are all part of the equation in Philippine native Bobis's second novel (after <i>Banana Heart Summer</i>). Manila's grim poverty is examined through the innocent eyes of Noland, a mute 10-year-old boy who sells beautiful paper lanterns on the street. The story begins with Noland and his friend Elvis competing for sales during the Christmas season. Their world changes when one evening a politically motivated drive-by shooting injures a young, beautiful American woman. Noland, inclined to fantasy, sees her as an angel and brings her to his home made of scraps, which nonetheless is magical, papered with pictures of stars and angels. His mother is furious: Ay, ay, you good-for-nothing kids, always picking up trouble.... While the outside world searches for the missing tourist, a transformation is taking place inside the shack. Sparse poetic style and Bobis's strong feeling for Philippine culture and the dialect of Manila's poor lends a fable-like charm to the story, but there are too many worthy issues, none fully addressed. <i>(Nov.)</i> <br />Copyright  Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
zlib_text: Bob Shaw Palace of Eternity antique Unknown es Unknown calibre 5.17.0
  23.5.2021 7ed011f2-5f46-4f4e-87e8-38056caf05a2 1.0 101
  
  BOB SHAW
  
  The Palace of Eternity
  
  GRAFTON BOOKS
  
  A Division of the Collins Publishing Group PART ONE
  
  The Humans
  
  1
  
  In spite of all his efforts, Tavernor was unable to remain indoors when it was
  time for the sky to catch fire.
  
  Tension had been gnawing at his stomach for most of the evening, and the
  repair job on the boat turbine seemed to have grown progressively more
  difficult, although he knew it was simply that his concentration
  
  was failing. Finally, he laid his welding pistol down and switched off the
  lights above the workbench.
  
  Immediately there was a nervous fluttering among the caged leatherwings at the
  opposite end of the long room.
  
  The compact, bat-like creatures disliked any sudden change in light intensity.
  Tavernor went to the cage and steadied it with his 'hands, feeling the wires
  vibrate like harpstrings under his fingers. He put his face clos