A Fine and Private Place

Rating:
Summary: Love and loss sweetly intermingled
Review: "'I will love you all the days of my death, however few or many they may be. As long as I can remember love, I will love you.'"

This haunting but somehow hopeful tale will leave you thoughtful for days, and ranks among my favorites. Beagle's imagery seems perfect, and just as in _The Last Unicorn_, his message is not spoon-fed to you. _A Fine and Private Place_ makes an excellent rainy afternoon read, and I have turned to it on many a lazy Sunday for years now.

Rating:
Summary: Sepulchral love story captures my heart
Review: "The grave's a fine and private place, but none I think do there embrace." This is Andrew Marvell's original thought---that once one dies one can no longer love. Beagle expostulates against this statement with "A Fine and Private Place." Beagle's tale of two lovers who only find each other after thay die is incredible---its only downfall is that it must end. However, Beagle assures us that "There are no happy endings, because nothing ever ends." This is a refreshing thought to a 17 year old girl like myself, and I hope more of Beagle's work becomes available.

Rating:
Summary: "Haunting" is a bad pun to describe this book...
Review: ...and yet that is precisely what the book is--haunting.

Though a bit pessimistic for my personal taste, this tale of love beyond the grave is nonetheless original and interesting, with the Peter S. Beagle standard memorable characters and memorable quotes. (My favorite is the paragraph about eternity, as the characters sit around a bonfire.) This was Beagle's first book...not my personal favorite, but a good read nonetheless.

Rating:
Summary: pretty good book
Review: A very enjoyable book; filled with fantasy and yet quite insightful. A quick read which takes you through a wide range of emotions

Rating:
Summary: my favorite love story (and by the way, I hate love stories)
Review: Although undoubtedly most well-known for his novel "The Last Unicorn," Peter S. Beagle's "A Fine and Private Place" has always been a personal favorite of mine. The title is taken from the Andrew Marvell poem, "To His Coy Mistress." The line is as follows: "The grave's a fine and private place, but none, I think, do there embrace." The story Beagle tells in this novel is of two ghosts who in death find a richer love than ever they knew in life, a love which is all the more precious to them because its doom is that it cannot last.

Peter Beagle is simply the most amazing writer ever (IMHO), and so I highly recommend all of his works. This one in particular, though, has always been special to me. The writing is so simple that it's beautiful. And the story of Michael and Laura's love is so touching,... there was a chapter in the book that was so painfully lovely that it actually brought tears to my eyes, one of only two times that I can remember being brought to tears by a book.

I can't recommend it highly enough. It's amazing in so many ways. For one, nearly the entire book takes place in a single graveyard, a place which becomes so real to me that I wish it were indeed real so that I might be buried there myself. The characters are unforgettable as well. Even the talking raven is wonderful, whereas I usually abhor loquacious animals (look for the squirrel and the raven's conversation, it is hands down the most hilarious section of the novel!).

Besides all that, it's a love story, which may be a plus to some of you. For the rest of you out there who hate love stories, I understand, becuase I hate them too. But Beagle's romance totally pulled me in. He has a way of doing that, you know, making me fall in love with things I thought I hated (see my review of The Last Unicorn).

Don't miss it. If you've read The Last Unicorn then you know how great this guy writes, so go ahead and read it already! If not, pick it up anyway, then go out and read The Last Unicorn, Innkeeper's Song, Tamsin... you get the picture.

Rating:
Summary: my favorite love story (and by the way, I hate love stories)
Review: Although undoubtedly most well-known for his novel "The Last Unicorn," Peter S. Beagle's "A Fine and Private Place" has always been a personal favorite of mine. The title is taken from the Andrew Marvell poem, "To His Coy Mistress." The line is as follows: "The grave's a fine and private place, but none, I think, do there embrace." The story Beagle tells in this novel is of two ghosts who in death find a richer love than ever they knew in life, a love which is all the more precious to them because its doom is that it cannot last.

Peter Beagle is simply the most amazing writer ever (IMHO), and so I highly recommend all of his works. This one in particular, though, has always been special to me. The writing is so simple that it's beautiful. And the story of Michael and Laura's love is so touching,... there was a chapter in the book that was so painfully lovely that it actually brought tears to my eyes, one of only two times that I can remember being brought to tears by a book.

I can't recommend it highly enough. It's amazing in so many ways. For one, nearly the entire book takes place in a single graveyard, a place which becomes so real to me that I wish it were indeed real so that I might be buried there myself. The characters are unforgettable as well. Even the talking raven is wonderful, whereas I usually abhor loquacious animals (look for the squirrel and the raven's conversation, it is hands down the most hilarious section of the novel!).

Besides all that, it's a love story, which may be a plus to some of you. For the rest of you out there who hate love stories, I understand, becuase I hate them too. But Beagle's romance totally pulled me in. He has a way of doing that, you know, making me fall in love with things I thought I hated (see my review of The Last Unicorn).

Don't miss it. If you've read The Last Unicorn then you know how great this guy writes, so go ahead and read it already! If not, pick it up anyway, then go out and read The Last Unicorn, Innkeeper's Song, Tamsin... you get the picture.

Rating:
Summary: my favorite love story (and by the way, I hate love stories)
Review: Although undoubtedly most well-known for his novel "The Last Unicorn," Peter S. Beagle's "A Fine and Private Place" has always been a personal favorite of mine. The title is taken from the Andrew Marvell poem, "To His Coy Mistress." The line is as follows: "The grave's a fine and private place, but none, I think, do there embrace." The story Beagle tells in this novel is of two ghosts who in death find a richer love than ever they knew in life, a love which is all the more precious to them because its doom is that it cannot last.

Peter Beagle is simply the most amazing writer ever (IMHO), and so I highly recommend all of his works. This one in particular, though, has always been special to me. The writing is so simple that it's beautiful. And the story of Michael and Laura's love is so touching,... there was a chapter in the book that was so painfully lovely that it actually brought tears to my eyes, one of only two times that I can remember being brought to tears by a book.

I can't recommend it highly enough. It's amazing in so many ways. For one, nearly the entire book takes place in a single graveyard, a place which becomes so real to me that I wish it were indeed real so that I might be buried there myself. The characters are unforgettable as well. Even the talking raven is wonderful, whereas I usually abhor loquacious animals (look for the squirrel and the raven's conversation, it is hands down the most hilarious section of the novel!).

Besides all that, it's a love story, which may be a plus to some of you. For the rest of you out there who hate love stories, I understand, becuase I hate them too. But Beagle's romance totally pulled me in. He has a way of doing that, you know, making me fall in love with things I thought I hated (see my review of The Last Unicorn).

Don't miss it. If you've read The Last Unicorn then you know how great this guy writes, so go ahead and read it already! If not, pick it up anyway, then go out and read The Last Unicorn, Innkeeper's Song, Tamsin... you get the picture.

Rating:
Summary: Death Revealed
Review: As every book is open to interpretation and molded by personal experiences and opinions of a reader, A Fine and Private Place by Peter Beagle holds no exceptions. I find the meaning of the book by replacing the original characters with my own, manipulating them the way I have seen death and sorrow. However, any other reader will do the same, producing unlimited versions of this book through their eyes. For this reason, I do not believe that I can review this book and readers take it in word for word, because they do not know my story. Although I will provide information of the plot and my views, so readers are able to produce their opinion regarding the book.
A Fine and Private Place is constantly revolving around the themes death and love throughout the whole plot. The book begins with introducing Mr. Rebeck who lives at the cemetery in a mausoleum, and is able to talk to people who have died recently; he does not know how he encountered this ability. He is continuously in hiding from the grounds crew and the visitors of the cemetery to ensure his ability to stay in the cemetery. He is unable to leave cemetery similarly to the dead people, and is afraid to enter the world that he left twenty years ago. A raven that brings him food daily by stealing from local stores accompanies him, and he is able to converse with him. Michael Morgan is then brought into the plot when his funeral procession occurs. He is unsure about death when he enters the cemetery and is confused if his life ended or if he is buried alive. This action is repeated by all who enter the cemetery; none are sure what is truly happening. Michael's wife Sandra is introduced at the cemetery and is involved throughout the book in the scandal of Michael's death. She is accused of killing him but she argues that he committed suicide. The scandal is continued through the book with trials and newspaper articles that the raven is able to read and then relays the messages. Mrs. Klapper is introduced while visiting her husband Morris Wilder. She constantly comes to visit her husband and Mr. Rebeck takes her on walks around the cemetery while she talks about Morris and Mr. Rebeck's similarities to him. Mr. Rebeck needs Mr. Klapper as a companion to talk to and he begins to love her. Laura is introduced when she is visited at her grave by three people and is first introduced to Michael. Laura and Michael eventually fall in love after they spend all of their time together at the cemetery going on walks and talking about their past lives. The problem with their situation is that they do not remember how to love because their human abilities are slowly being forgotten. They do not remember the simple things about their past lives and do not know how to apply functions like walking. These things have become unnecessary to them now so they have simply forgotten how. When Michael's trial ends, the verdict causes Michael to be moved to a different cemetery because of his Catholicism; he is moved to Mount Merrill, the cemetery for people who have committed suicide. Laura then persuades Mr. Rebeck and Campos, the graveyard grounds keeper who can also talk to dead people, to move her body from the cemetery to Mount Merrill so she can be with Michael again. Mr. Rebeck is now able to conquer his fear of leaving the cemetery and is able to start a new life in the real world with Mrs. Klapper.
This book has the ability to be looked at in many ways. As I saw it, it gave me a theory about death; a possibility to my future that I am so unsure of. To others, it may be seen as a humorous plot with dead characters that live out their once forgotten loves. Depending on how a reader looks at life, or in this case death their interpretation of the book will vary. For me I saw it as answers to the questions that I will never have answered. I took it to the next level, I believe, and put the plot into my life. Having done this I expect none to relate because they no nothing of my past, however if a reader is looking for answers to any questions, the book gives them this ability to solve the problems because they are included within the story line.
Specific information I offer would be that this is not a fairy-tale book. This is reality instead of happy endings and prince charming. I would not consider this a bad thing though, because it reminds a reader how life really is. If a reader has experienced death before it helps them with answers that have troubled them in the past. It also enables them to be grateful for the fact that they are still living and are able to do all the things that are lost with death. This is the main thing I think I and any other reader will get from this book, because it shows you all that is lost when you die and everything you take for granted like the ability to love.

Rating:
Summary: It was OK...
Review: Beagle uses an interesting premise for his book: the main characters are ghosts. That's the good news. It's downhill from there. Beagle's ghosts try to find a meaning in death that eluded them in life. Unfortunately, the character development remains shallow. You really want to get to know and maybe even like these characters. Beagle never gives you a chance. By the end of the book you don't really miss them. They fail to find any real truth about themselves, and the reader grows weary of waiting for something to happen.

Rating:
Summary: Vermeer's images, Eliot's poetry, & the tone of Neil Gaiman
Review: Beagle wrote this novel when he was 19 years old, but people three times that age would have some difficulty creating such am entrancing book on the concept of "forever". A Fine And Private Place shares the style of The Last Unicorn, filled with simile and internal monologue. It doesn't treat the concept of blind faith very kindly, but that may be part of what makes it so special. All of his characters are fey and rueful in some degree but not cloyingly so. They are far from ignorant about the ways of this world; their off-center foci make for the eccentricity. An inexplicable raven, a Jewish widow, a pair of ghostly lovers, and a chess-playing old man sound like the stuff of cliche. Far from it in this book. It is among the most lyrical novels I have read. Highly recommended.