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Summary: Deadly Triangle of Two Women and A Man
Review: David Rehak is carving out a sexy and intelligent career based on his two novels and essays about the Queen of Mean, Lizzie Borden.
In "Love and Madness" we are once again in Rehak's Land of Compulsion and Infatuation: Karl and Bertha are Lovers avoiding the realities of their sexual drives and indulging in them at the same time.
Rehak is a master of the innuendo, a slimy yet tasteful purveyor of sex and perversion. He writes with passion as only a young man can do: and we feel it, not only in our hearts but in our groins as well.
"Love and Madness"is sexy and fun,filled with intelligent insights into the psyche of his characters and a must read for anyone interested in contemporary fiction. Now we need to see D. Rehak use his obvious skills on a major work that encompasses not only his baser feelings but his artistic ones as well.
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Summary: "Madness" is Marvelous
Review: David Rehak's "Love and Madness" is somehow different from other books. There's something that sets it apart from the usual novel. And I like it. The book is about a young couple who get married but don't really like each other. She moves in with a lesbian lover, and the two plot to spread rumors that he is insane, to try to obtain all of his wealth for themselves. The characters are varied, the dialogue is good, and touches of humor work. The storyline is excellent, and Mr. Rehak keeps it moving along briskly. You are never bored with this book. It is hard to put down once started. Heads up when David Rehak comes out with a book. He could very well be a modern writer of classics.
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Summary: Can not predict what will happen, till it does.
Review: I had a great time with this book. Nice and tight in 131 pages, like "Jeckyll and Hyde" and "The Time Machine".The story kept moving and over a long period of time. Once the hero met the willing girl, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop and it did, over and over again. Great to watch the personalities change over the many years. Kind of like "Giant" but in a tight short length with the story refreshing itself and entering new acts quickly. Some of the incidences didn't tie into the story, but tied into the atmosphere. The main thing about the book is that it is really a page turning and you will never guess what will happen to any of the characters until it actually happens.
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Summary: Can not predict what will happen, till it does.
Review: I had a great time with this book. Nice and tight in 131 pages, like "Jeckyll and Hyde" and "The Time Machine". The story kept moving and over a long period of time. Once the hero met the willing girl, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop and it did, over and over again. Great to watch the personalities change over the many years. Kind of like "Giant" but in a tight short length with the story refreshing itself and entering new acts quickly. Some of the incidences didn't tie into the story, but tied into the atmosphere. The main thing about the book is that it is really a page turning and you will never guess what will happen to any of the characters until it actually happens.
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Summary: top novella author
Review: I saw this book in an independent bookstore. The cover and description looked good so I got it. The story is based on incidents in the troubled marriage of Swedish writer August Strindberg and his wife Siri von Essen. Once I got past the first chapter and the plotting started I knew I would be in for one hell of a delicious read and my instincts were right. This tale really is as dark and disturbing and ugly as a Norse Viking god but you have to find out what will happen next. You just have to. This author writes in such a way that literally every chapter and every page leaves you hanging. But what I like is that there is none of that horror novel bloody gratuitous violence stuff in here. It's more of a mentally disturbing nervous element which I think is much more chilling and effective than any disgusting gruesome scene. For example, there is a prolonged scene of necrophilia (fresh corpse) which I thought was descriptive but tastefully handled. A scene involving child prostitution was equally well-handled. I love this writer's daring. It's as though he believes anything can be written about, anything at all.
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Summary: Thrilling Story!!
Review: LOVE And MADNESS by David Rehak is book that I had trouble putting down once I started reading it! I responded well with the colorful and well-created characters and the plot kept me very busy turning the pages. Do yourself a huge favor and read this book!
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Summary: Midwest Book Review
Review: Much like The Stranger by Camus, this book depicts a time, place, and philosphy that modern man would do well to consider.
It's early in the 20th century as Love and Madness begins. The location is Goteborg Sweden. Karl Lind is an intelligent, idealistic young man with a strong work ethic. Despite his life of wealth and privilege, he has no desire to be counted among the idle rich. Karl loves his job working for his father's newspaper, and accepts with humor his family's urging to live a rich man's life. Lively discussions of philosophical beliefs and religious mores are common around the dinner table and Karl participates with relish.
The chance meeting of a hedonistic girl with atheistic leanings casts a pall on Karl's life. The first rush of sexual excitement is soon replaced by boredom and dislike for Bertha and her ways. By then she's pregnant and he's forced by moral beliefs into a marriage he cannot stomach. It's downhlll all the way from there. When Bertha establishes a lesbian attachment to her friend Christine, not even Karl's devotion to his son is enough to salvage his idealism. Bertha and Christine plot to ruin Karl through vicious lies and sly rumors. They won't be satisfied until he's lost everything, including his family, money and sanity.
In Love and Madness, David Rehak shows a good man's rapid fall from grace. It's a dark period piece, a commentary on the past that remains a dire warning for this present day. "Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it."
Rating:
Summary: Midwest Book Review
Review: Much like The Stranger by Camus, this book depicts a time, place, and philosphy that modern man would do well to consider.
It's early in the 20th century as Love and Madness begins. The location is Goteborg Sweden. Karl Lind is an intelligent, idealistic young man with a strong work ethic. Despite his life of wealth and privilege, he has no desire to be counted among the idle rich. Karl loves his job working for his father's newspaper, and accepts with humor his family's urging to live a rich man's life. Lively discussions of philosophical beliefs and religious mores are common around the dinner table and Karl participates with relish.
The chance meeting of a hedonistic girl with atheistic leanings casts a pall on Karl's life. The first rush of sexual excitement is soon replaced by boredom and dislike for Bertha and her ways. By then she's pregnant and he's forced by moral beliefs into a marriage he cannot stomach. It's downhlll all the way from there. When Bertha establishes a lesbian attachment to her friend Christine, not even Karl's devotion to his son is enough to salvage his idealism. Bertha and Christine plot to ruin Karl through vicious lies and sly rumors. They won't be satisfied until he's lost everything, including his family, money and sanity.
In Love and Madness, David Rehak shows a good man's rapid fall from grace. It's a dark period piece, a commentary on the past that remains a dire warning for this present day. "Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it."
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Summary: Amazing dark, thought-provoking read!
Review: This is one dark love story! Love and Madness tells the story of a love affair gone awry. Karl is a wealthy man with a rather lavish lifestyle. He enjoys the intelligent discussions regarding religion and philosophy during dinners and parties. However, he is in the lookout for a romantic adventure. He meets Bertha and immediately falls in love with her. And then his life takes a rapid spin toward disaster. Bertha, with the help of her lesbian lover Christine, sets up a scheme to ruin Karl's impeccable reputation by way of lies and manipulation. Her motive is far more sinister than the reader anticipates. There are various disturbing scenes throughout the novel.
This is one of the most disturbing novels I have read this year. It is more than just a story about a man falling from grace -- the language, the development of the story and the psychological backdrop make this novel a unique, literary read. I love novels of this sort, and they don't get better than this. I also love the setting of turn of the century Sweden. It added darkness to the story. David Rehak is an amazing author. I loved A Young Girl's Crimes, but this one's better by a long shot. I look forward to reading more books by this author. I am hooked on his keen storytelling.
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Summary: Stimulating and Intellectually Written!
Review: This is the second book I have read by this author (by request.) I enjoyed both reads. Love and Madness however was my favorite of the two novels. The characters in L&M were stronger (better developed) and the plot more organized and intriguing. A most appealing combination. John Savoy
Savoy International
Motion Pictures Inc.
California
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