A strikingly original; beautifully narrated history of Western architecture and the cultural transformations that it representsConcrete; marble; steel; brick: little else made by human hands seems as stable; as immutable; as a building. Yet the life of any structure is neither fixed nor timeless. Outliving their original contexts and purposes; buildings are forced to adapt to each succeeding age. To survive; they must become shape-shifters.In an inspired refashioning of architectural history; Edward Hollis recounts more than a dozen stories of such metamorphosis; highlighting the way in which even the most familiar structures all change over time into "something rich and strange." The Parthenon; that epitome of a ruined temple; was for centuries a working church and then a mosque; the cathedral of Notre Dame was "restored" to a design that none of its original makers would have recognized. Remains of the Berlin Wall; meanwhile; which was once gleefully smashed and bulldozed; are now treated as precious relics.With The Secret Lives of Buildings; Edward Hollis recounts the most enthralling of these metamorphoses and shows how buildings have come to embody the history of Western culture.
#1203955 in eBooks 1997-05-15 1997-05-15File Name: B003H3IOU0
Review
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. A comedic Drama for our favourite gay familyBy Ventura AngeloThe "Buddies" series of Ethan Mordden is composed by five delicious books narrating with humour. zany wit and profound sensibility the life of some gay friend in Manhattan:Bud. the narrator . his closest friend Dennis Savage. Dennis lover Little Kiwi (aka Virgil Brown aka J.). the "elf-child" trickster Cosgrove and the gentle hunk Carlo. and their friends. parents and acquaintances."Some men are Lookers" shows the growing independence of Little Kiwi.little no more. whilst Cosgrove is in full bloom and gives his best (or his worst) in "What a difference Miss Faye Made". when he invites a shameless drag-queen at a dinner for Peter Keene. prospective Dennis Savages editor. Another great story is "Exorcis". a funny/tragic story. Little Kiwi/Virgil and Cosgrove offer to their friends the vision of a movie "The lost boys". wayward boys turning into vampires. Among the one-liners. arrives the last call of an old Dennis Savages acquaintance.but Dennis wouldnt listen. He will learn a sour lesson by his ever more independent Virgil.who will become (to their friends dismay) gradually ever more "mature" and estranged.I have grown fond of these characters. of their disputes. growing pains and various adventures. punctuated by a sparkling dialogue and. at times. poignant sentimental moments. Something of a family. as Bud calls it. Its an exquisite read for gays and non-homophobic straights alike. because this little microcosms tales tell us something about tolerance. the meaning of love. the endurance against discrimination and hatred. that has universal value. I counsel you all to read them! Theyre really funny and inspiring.But the spooky. the tragic and the hysterically funny intertwine magnificently in these stories. worthy of Saki. OHenry and Oscar Wilde.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. BRUSH UP YOUR SONDHEIM START QUOTING HIM NOWBy Charles SlovenskiEven though this is the fourth of Morddens series on gay Manhattan. this is the first one Ive read. I immediately went out and purchased the third. which attests to the fact that I found lots of fun and solace in reading this book. Between the laughs. I felt swell because I could recognize the musical comedy quotes and the references to gay life in the 70s and 80s on the east coast. I think its interesting that the Kirkus review mentions Ivy Compton-Burnett because the relationships in this book have the same elusive quality as the ones in her books. often characterized only by quirky dialogue. However. I disagree with the Kirkus review: I found this book and especially the repartee to be funny. and several of the episodes are quite moving. Its amazing to see that a good writer is recording the paths our lives have taken within gay culture: I was reminded of myself and my early friends. many of whom are now gone. And. as sappy as this sounds. I felt that our friendships and caprices had all meant something after all9 of 9 people found the following review helpful. A gay male GotterdammerungBy Todd E. KeelerThis book. the final of the four-volume Buddies series. is by far the best in that series. It is gripping; when I finished the book. I was emotionally drained and somewhat in shock -- the story ended and I was not exactly certain what had just happened to me. somewhat akin to viewing an accident or something else traumatic. Having read the other three volumes in short succession. I raced through the book. shocked at points. dismayed by some characters actions. and developed a whole new appreciation and affection for Cosgrove (helped by the fact that he and I are about the same age). As I read the book. I hoped it would never end. as I wanted to continue to live the lives of these characters. but when I reached the unbelievably emotional and heavy end of the book. I realized one key element to all of Morddens writing in this series: this series is a sort of gay male "Ring" cycle. This book. the final one. entails the destruction of the entire world that was so carefully constructed throughout the first three books: like Ragnarok. it brings about the end of the old and the creation of a new world from its ashes. I wished to see what came of these characters. to see if Little Kiwi/Virgil/J. would be redeemed. and how Cosgrove and Bud fared in this brave new world of the late 1980s: but then I realized. slowly. that it could not be seen as it was a whole different line of thought and not capable of being part of this series. Heartbroken by this. but exhilarated at the same time. I commend this series. the author who wrote it. and highly recommend the series as a "must read" for all who appreciate contemporary gay fiction. Absolutely astounding and by far the best of the series.
