Product Description

Customer Reviews (10)

Love it!
I'm a HUGE fan of Sex and the City and I was also curious as to whether or not a book like this existed. I was delighted that someone had taken the time to put them together. It was a wonderful read! *I even purchased the Love Letters of Great Women - also a great read!

Is as it seems
I really don't understand the people who are negatively reviewing this book. It makes absolutely no sense to me. What were they expecting? An exact replica of the one from the film Sex & the City? Are they willing to cough up $100 like J.K. Rowling asked when she replicated the Tales of the Beedle Bard?...didn't think so.

I have this book, I read it and I LOVED it. I found it in a bookstore actually and had no idea it was even a real book until I accidentally came across it. I'm really glad that I did.

Before you get to the real letters, the page before gives you a historical background on the person who wrote it, who they wrote it too and their life. It's very short, to the point and very sweet.

This book is an easy and enjoyable read. It's not meant to be life changing or drama infested. It is what it is and if you are someone who could appreciate that, then all the more power to you.

So basically, if you want an enjoyable, easy and historical romantic read -- here you go. This is the book for you.
Take it or leave it. I bought it, it's a keeper and I hope you enjoy it too :)

This is a great read!
This is a very nice book that contains amazing love letters written by famous people in history.I believe it contains most of (if not all) the letters in the book used in the Sex & The City movie.It is simply done in a different format.(Smaller book, prettier cover).I wish that Ursula Doyle would have included love letters from some more recent celebrities.The most recent one mentioned in this book is G. K. Chesterton who lived from 1874-1936.This is an interesting account of how men wrote to their loves in earlier days.I particularly like the one written by Ludwig van Beethoven.

If only
If only real men were like this. But Great ones were and are. What a wonderful idea for a book, beautifully executed with introductions which are illuminating and engrossing. Too often we're guilty (well, me anyway) of assuming that men just can't, don't, won't express themselves in loving, romantic and intimate ways. How wrong we/I are/am. And a Great title.

How can I get my husband to write such letters???
Once I started reading this delightful book, I couldn't put it down. It sheds light on the private lives of such great men as Benjamin Disraeli and Pierre Curie -- who knew they were such romantics?

The book made me wish that I live the pre-email era where men actually wrote lengthy, sincere and effusive letters to the women they love. The only downside to this collection is that it sets the bar high (perhaps too high?) for my husband...



The only pitfall ... Read more

Product Description
"A ghostly little book" said Charles Dickens of his famous Christmas novella which appeared in 1843. It has become one of the most famous Christmas stories of all, with the miserly figure of Scrooge, crippled Tiny Tim, and the three spectres. It is read by Anton Lesser. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (254)

You May Be Surprised
This is a review of the September 2010 paperback edition from ACTA Publications with an introduction by John Shea.
Though few have read the book, most people are familiar with A Christmas Carol, the Charles Dickens classic about Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. Author and Publisher Gregory Augustine Pierce numbers it among his favorites. Thus, when he was visiting a bed and breakfast, he was delighted to find a beautifully rendered edition that was in the public domain. That meant he didn't need permission to reproduce the version he had discovered. He called on friends and favorite artists to work on the book design, illustrations, and cover. Theologian John Shea agreed to write the introduction. The final touch was applied by the publisher's office manager who, Pierce says, "found a red ribbon, put it on A Christmas Carol, and it was complete," a beautiful Christmas gift.

Shea suggests that those approaching the book as a "must-read yawn," will be surprised at the connections to be drawn between Scrooge and ourselves, and the pull to consider our own past, present, and future. He characterizes the unconverted Scrooge as smoldering with anger, rationalizing against helping the needy, and choosing isolation over communion. Scrooge's conversion, Shea explains, is a result of "the unyielding work of grace, the theological atmosphere that envelopes the Christmas season."

The ghosts show Scrooge the opportunities he has missed, the isolation of his current life, and the promise of an un-mourned death. But conversion is still possible for Scrooge and for us, Shea writes, citing the end of A Christmas Carol. In the final paragraph, Dickens reveals that Scrooge had learned how to keep Christmas well and expresses the following hope: "May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!"

The Christmas Carol with Timless Wisdom
I was impressed at so many reviews of this historic book, but I had to recognize that the book I am reporting for your review is truly the story of the Christmas Carol, but it is sprinkled with timeless godly wisdom, and this is unique.
Life issues always have an opening for our Lord to sprinkle His Wisdom into and on us for us all to learn and to grow spiritually.
Do I bleieve that Charles Dickens, when he wrote this book so many years ago, thought of a man named Scrooge who would change to love the Lord?I don't know.He did change his life habits. But we all know that that is not all that is needed to end up in Heaven.Call on Jesus!Read and listen to God's Wisdom as the story deveops and ends.

I love this story.
I have always loved this story and enjoy the old english language which some reviewers did not like. However, almost everyone is familiar with the story and should be able to follow it.

Kindle Classic
Another free book that I enjoyed reading, even though I've seen 5-6 different film versions of the story. Dickens was a master and I feel a little silly even reviewing this classic tale. I will comment that the text was error free as far as I noticed. I do not jump around when I read a book so navigation was not an issue. Again, it was FREE! how can I not rate it a 5?

The worst book ever!
I know this is a classic amd you are supposed to admire the great writimg skills of Charles Dickens but this book is tortureous. He uses unnecessary comparrisons and words that nobody understands. I understand Dickens is a great writer and it show. Everybody knows this story you do not need to torture yourself ny reading this though. It is boring and hard to understand . Just watch one of the movies. ... Read more

Product Description
Pygmalion remains one of the most popular stories - but mainly in the medium of the musical; the evergreen My Fair Lady. But much of the charm and wit comes from the words and timing in Shaw's original play. Here are the characters of professor Higgins, his friend Colonel Pickering, and their charge, Eliza Doolittle. Naxos AudioBooks expands its drama section with a new digital recording with Anton Lesser in the role of Higgins, Lucy Whybrow as Eliza and Geoffrey Palmer as Pickering. Also in the cast are David Burke as Doolittle and Hannah Gordon as Mrs Higgins. Directed by John Tydeman, this delightful comedy is presented in its original play version, with the extended narrations setting the background and concluding the drama - a device perfectly suited to audiobook. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (64)

A Good Adaptation of a Classic Play
Pygmalion is one of several volumes in the Treasury of Illustrated Classics.The books in this series are adaptations of great works of literature and are designed for younger readers.Though written for children, adults will enjoy this version of George Bernard Shaw's classic play, Pygmalion.

In ancient Greek mythology Pygmalion was a sculptor who ruled as king of the island of Cyprus.Disappointed with the wicked women of his day, he carved a beautiful ivory statue of a woman and fell in love with it.In answer to his prayer, Aphrodite made the statue a living woman, Galatea.Pygmalion married her, and they had a son, Paphos.

In 1912 George Bernard Shaw wrote Pygmalion, a play with some similarities to the ancient Greek myth.Henry Higgins, a professor of phonetics, seeks to change a Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, into a duchess and win a bet in the process.Thus begins a strained relationship between two members of the upper and lower classes of England.Shaw's support of social reform and disdain for class distinctions is evident in this story.As previously mentioned, this book is designed for younger readers, but adults will find it to be a well-written adaptation of a classic play about English society.The book concludes with a brief biographical profile of George Bernard Shaw.

A brilliant satire on the British class system!
I strongly recommend this book. It's a brilliant satire on the British class system. In this classic play George Bernard Shaw shocked audiences by turning a Cockney flower girl into a lady who could pass for a royal by merely being trained to speak with an upper class accent and taught good manners. At the time the idea of girl like the character Eliza being able to be pass herself off as a royal, was unthinkable. There was a very strong "us and them" mentality between the classes. They may as well have been from different planets; that's how large the divide was.

This was truly a bold and scandalous idea that Shaw had brought to life. He dared to deem the only difference between the classes to be environment and education rather that blood and breeding.

George Bernard Shaw created numerous masterpieces over the span of his writing career. He has the distinction of being the only person to ever be awarded both an Oscar and the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was a very humble and conscientious man, a political activist and a vegetarian. His conscientiousness shows in his work by his inability to write meaningless fluff at a time when fluff dominated the stage. His trademark is his classic use of ample humor in dramas with serious subject matter. It takes a special kind of genius to be able to pull that off as flawlessly as he did.
This book is excellent. It's as thought provoking as it is entertaining. There are times when you can't help laughing out loud. You'll be better for reading it. His works just have that effect - they both enrich and uplift you.

This is the best and most famous of Shaw's works.
This is the best and most famous of Shaw's works. I could read it over and over again. The characters are vibrant, the banter is brilliant, and the plot is excellent. Shaw takes on the class system, and the results are side splitting hilarious.

Eliza Doolittle is my favorite character. She's wonderfully outrageous. The words that came out of her mouth really shocked audiences back in the day. It's wonderful to see this duckling turn into a swan without losing any of her fire. Her transformation is an amazing thing to behold, and her headstrong stunts and the times when she suddenly reverts back to her Cockney accent and lingo are hilarious.

Shaw is my favorite of the Victorian playwrights. His works were revolutionary in many ways. Use of humor was rare and exceptional for playwrights during that era, but Shaw was not afraid to make audiences laugh. He also tackled serious moral, political, and social issues in his plays at a time when sappy dramas were all the rage. He was truly bold and innovative and greatly contributed to dramatic art. He had an amazing gift, the ability to make people think while simultaneously making them laugh.

Reading Shaw's works are a genuine treat. All of his plays are fabulous. His characters are memorable, and his humor is brilliant.
This is a wonderful story, charming, significant, and insightful. I can't recommend it enough.

All kinds of hilarity!
What happens when you pull a girl out of the gutter and make it your goal to teach her how to act like a princess? All kinds of hilarity!

This story was smart and funny. I loved it and wanted more when it was over. I'll have to buy another one of Shaw's books. I just love his style. I can't resist any chance I can get to peek into the mind of a genius, and Shaw was a true genius. This story was delightful and brilliant. Eliza is unforgettable. She's intelligent, fiery, and stubborn and makes Higgins earn every cent of the money wagered in his bet that he can transform her into a lady. This is an absolutely charming story. I highly recommend it.

Higgins:"Oh, I can't be bothered with young women....Besides, theyre all idiots."
Oh my!I love it!G.B. Shaw's character Henry Higgins is disdainful, petulant and impetuous.Simultaneously he's admirable and even a man to be envied!Disdainful because of his complete lack of proper manners, total lack of tact and disgraceful way in which he devalues a young woman for his professional experiments; enviable because in his lack of tact he pretty much says whatever's on his mind, not being burdened with what might be better left unsaid; what is socially acceptable.And honestly, I'm sure we've all had those days where we'd just like to "pull a Higgins" and tell the world what we really think!The difference is he does it, but most of us don't.

I know this wasn't written as a comedy, but this play really has some very funny scenes.I could go through and point out numerous exchanges in dialogue between Eliza and Higgins that are just a riot; Higgins and his overly honest opinions and Eliza as she calls him to task towards the end of the play for the manner in which she has been treated.Indeed, I'm sure analytical essays and social discourses could be written, and probably have been, on the relationships in this play.

This play really should be read with some level of cerebral engagement by the reader; the reader is well served to read it with sincerity and thought, to make an effort to be engaged and to pick-up the subtleties and moral points presented by Shaw.Though we're nearly 100 years removed from when this play was first released, Shaw presents some social commentary and moral points that are still very relevant and spot-on today.Unfortunately, I think some readers today will completely miss the points Shaw seeks to bring to fore.

Finally, the play on language and classes is perfect for the English setting.A question as to whether those themes might play well outside of England is answered by the global success and longevity of the play.Class systems and divisions of socioeconomic status, whether based on language, race, religion, etc, are global and universal.An audience most anywhere will understand the underlying themes that Shaw presents in Pygmalion even though the use of language and accents may be uniquely English.This play continues to be a favorite of audiences even after a century (it plays in my town next week at the local summer outdoor theater). ... Read more

Product Description
Paradise Lost is the greatest epic poem in the English language. In words remarkable for their richness of rhythm and imagery, Milton tells the story of Man's creation, fall and redemption - to "justify the ways of God to men". Milton produced characters which have become embedded in the consciousness of English literature - the frail, human pair, Adam and Eve; the terrible cohort of fallen angels; and Satan, tragic and heroic in his unremitting quest for revenge. The tale unfolds from the aftermath of the great battle between good and evil to the moving departure of Adam and Eve from Eden, with human and eternal auguish intertwined in magnificent resonance. With music by Williams Lawes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Excellent, but Kindle edition needs some work
I can't add anything to what has already been said.Milton's PL is an absolute joy, and should be read repeatedly.However, as a note to Amazon, the "sample" for the Kindle, is nothing but the introduction ... nothing of the poetry can actually be seen.VERY disappointing.It may only be $2.50, but I'm not going to pay for something that doesn't have lines noted and a table of contents.This is similar to reading the Bible, you want to be able to go to a specific verse or book ... I'm not reading a mass market paperback that i won't need or want to reference later.Hopefully, this note for improvement is taken into consideration.
All in all, I recommend buying this book, and moreover, this edition for reading Paradise Lost.Pullman's edition is also very good.

Great reading
I listened to several other readers of Paradise Lost and decided on this one. His voice fits the words and the story and is easy to follow and visualize. Great job

Rise and fall!
First off, let me say that we're not talking here about the famous Qi gong instructor named John Milton. We're talking about the famous 17th-century English poet who wrote _Paradise Lost_ and _Paradise Regained_, two of the most wonderfully overlong Christian poems in the history of Western literature.

Your English teacher will tell you that _Paradise Lost_ "narrates the story of Adam and Eve's disobedience, explains how and why it happened, and places the story within the larger context of Satan's rebellion and Jesus' resurrection." And you know that can't be far wrong, because SparkNotes says the exact same thing.

But the main reason everyone should read Milton's grand epic is that it contains certain secrets about prayer.

In PL, Milton reminds us how important it is, when we pray, to be absolutely specific. The Lord has a strange, often disturbing, sense of humour (PL, books I-XII). If you leave Him wiggle room, He will answer your prayer in a way you never intended, and then say it was your own damned fault, because your prayer contained seven types of ambiguity.

John Milton writes from experience. Example: Almost every time a good-looking woman passed within view of John Milton, he suffered an involuntary erection. Daniel of the Old Testament might well have suffered such a condition without complaining, but John Milton found it onerous. John was both a Puritan and a student of Saint Augustine. He was not happy when he suffered an erection, he hated it, and he especially resented the women who made that thing happen to him.

In a Latin letter to his friend, George Wither, John Milton reports that, in his youth, he would sometimes see a pretty woman even in his dreams at night, and suffer, not just an erection, but the whole nine yards, up to and including a nocturnal emission; which he trained himself to handle according to Scripture, thereby to purify himself (Deut. 23:10); but sometimes he was unable to wait that long before he handled it, which filled his soul full of Puritan remorse and self-reproach.

At age 33, the poet took to wife a 16-year-old lolita named Mary Powell; and you may already have guessed the reason why, which is that she gave him an erection -- more accurately, she gave him "one damned erection after another," without remission. (Giving John Milton an erection was not the girl's conscious intent, but it just happened to him, every time they met.) And since Christian marriage is Saint Paul's only approved method whereby to deal with that kind of torment, John Milton (being an honourable man) thought it best to marry the girl (1 Cor. 7:9).

Frailty, thy name is woman! After two years of marriage - after just two years of witnessing those insufferable erections that could not be beaten down, or at least, not for long - the poet's young Puritan bride ran away and skipped back home to live with her mother, Mrs. Anne Powell, who likewise gave John an erection; which is why John Milton resented his mother-in-law as well as his estranged wife.

Those were the hardest years of the poet's life - nothing but a daily struggle against involuntary erections, yet here he was, trapped in a loveless marriage to a barely pubescent teenager who lived with her entirely-too-attractive mother. Which is partly why John Milton wrote those four revolutionary Christian pamphlets, correcting Moses' and Jesus' hardline policy on divorce (Mark 10:11-12).

In his Latin correspondence, some of which is preserved in the Bodleian Library, John Milton reports that he was fine when alone in his study, or when hobnobbing with Parliamentarians, or even when having a hasty pudding, or a figgy one, over at the Inns of Court; but let just one good-looker cross his path, showing good ankle between the hem of her dress and the top of her shoe, and it was boing! - instant erection, just like a spring-loaded mechanical device; causing John to exclaim bitterly, "Oh, God, please, not again! Save me from this penal fire!"

It even happened to him once when Oliver Cromwell's wife, Elizabeth Bourchier Cromwell, bent over to pick up a handkerchief that had fallen to the floor. On that occasion there was a lamentable accident ("an hard mishap" [verbatim quote]) with John's ordinarily modest codpiece - an incident so humiliating that John never even wrote a poem about it, although he did apologise, profusely, to Oliver Cromwell, and to Mrs. Cromwell, who saw the whole thing, and then fainted. (John at the time was employed as Cromwell's Latin secretary.)

By the way: It was modesty, not arrogance, that moved John Milton, after that embarrassing incident, to wear a baggy codpiece, with plenty of wiggle room.

Which brings me back to the beginning, when I was explaining why you should give the Lord no wiggle room when you pray: John Milton took his problem to the Lord in prayer, stating in his journal, "Father, I pray Thee, let me not suffer a stiffe joynt when I see a beautifull woman."

And here's how the Lord answered that prayer, in 1651: He struck John Milton blind.

At first, John thought that his blindness was a punishment for his own bad behaviour - which is how that whole thing got going, in Anglo-American Christianity, about how, if you are a boy who does what John Milton used to do, it could make you go blind. But God revealed to John, by means of a dream, that his blindness was actually an answer to his own prayers ¬- because the poet had said, "Father, let me not suffer a stiff joint when I see a beautiful woman."

John Milton then said, "Lord, that is not what I meant, at all" - but it was too late to change the outcome, because the prayer was already answered.

The erections that John Milton suffered in the years 1651-1674, and there were many, even after the Lord answered his prayer, were not from seeing a beautiful woman, it was actually because John had a condition that modern physicians call PSAS ("Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome"). So the chronic "stiffe joynt" problem was not really the women's fault, and it never was; but John Milton never knew that. Even when he wrote Paradise Lost (by dictation, from 1652-1667), John was still under the impression that women, seen or unseen, were to blame for his condition; which is why he makes all of those snide remarks in blank verse about your mother, Eve, in Books IV-V and IX-X of Paradise Lost. Because whenever he pictured Eve in his mind's eye, it was boing! - the same old problem. And there would come no more blank verse to his head for the next twenty minutes or so, until things settled down. John Milton hated that.

But it all turned out for the best: if God had not answered John Milton's prayer in that unusual way, by blinding him, Paradise Lost might never have been completed, and sold to the publisher, Sam Simmons, in 1667, for £5 - which was a tidy sum for a religious poem during the decadent Restoration era.

It was while writing the early books of Paradise Lost that John was introduced to Katherine, a ship captain's daughter, a fat woman whom he had never seen (because he was blind); whom he nonetheless married in 1656, but not for the same old reason as before: John asked fat Kate to marry him (a.) because he needed secretarial assistance with Paradise Lost, and (b.) because Katherine did not have the same pernicious effect on him as Mary Powell and her mother Anne had done. John could dictate blank verse to Kate all night long without feeling so much as a tingle down there.

Kate's surname was Woodcock. Beelzebub made a little joke about that: he said, "The Lord finally gave John Milton just what he always wanted."

- L.

Enthralling
Unbelievably inspiring.I challenge you to compare his reading with any one else's or your own in your head.He makes it alive.Not perfect, mind you.You'll find yourself suggesting to him in certain spots that he missed the meaning by putting some emphasis or other on the wrong words.Nevertheless, you know you couldn't do better overall.A real treasure.

Review of the Buccaneer Books Library Binding edition
My review is of the library binding edition released by Buccaneer Books. It is a very plain and small volume which is wonderfully bound. It contains nothing but the poem itself (including the prose arguments) with the original spelling and punctuation. That means no notes, commentary, or introduction, so if you're looking for lots of in-text help, this isn't what you want. The Fowler, Hughes, or Norton editions are all laden with helpful material like that. But if you just want to experience Milton's masterpiece alone, this is a lovely edition. I found that the book could be purchased much more cheaply if I ordered directly from the publisher's website. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (14)

Not Free SF Reader
Standard rebellion in Germany.


Falco is off overseas again, as Vespasian wants to know what is going on in Germania and the legion dealing with the uprising there, having lost an executive. Our favorite informer takes them a new standard and again involves himself in getting into trouble.

Not quite as good as some of the earlier books, but decent enough.


3.5 out of 5

Still very fine after all these years
I just reread this earlier Lindsey Davis/Marcus Didious Falco mystery and it was still completely enjoyable the second time around.Interesting plot, wonderful historic detail and terrific character development and interaction.What's not to like.Lindsey Davis is my girl!I look forward to her annual Falco offering and happily recommend this series to anyone who hasn't heard of it (how would that be possible?)

They Just Get Better
This is the fourth novel in the mystery series featuring Marcus Didius Falco, an informer and sleuth in Rome at the time of Vespasian. A series of books that have become hugely popular, so much so that the author is now at the forefront of historical mystery writers. It was probably a stroke of genius on her part to have novels that are extremely well researched and contain all the elementsthat would be and should be found inRome in AD70, but to have a lead character who has the vocabulary of a present day New York cop. In this the fourth novel Falco and Helena Justina seem like old friends.

In this novel Falco has to leave his beloved Rome and travel to Germania, a land that is haunted by the ghosts of past massacres. Dark and dismal, cold and wet and huge parts of it covered by virtually impenetrable forests, where the bloodthirsty tribesmen feel at home and are more than ready to inflict another defeat on the Roman army, such as they did not many decades past.

Falco has the enter the most dangerous country known to Roman world, with a few trainee recruits, their Centurion and their Commander. Not just any old Roman officer but Camillus Justinus, the brother of Helena, who will cut Falco into little pieces and feed him to the fishes in the Tiber if he even thinks about returning without her favourite sibling.

Falco battles the frontier, native/Roman leaders, and Helena
Falco hits the road again in this fourth novel, this time for Germania.Unlike the first two novels, where the action split between Rome and rural locales, almost all of "The Iron Hand of Mars" is set in Gaul and Germany.The grit of the frontier backdrops matches Falco's sour attitude toward the journey and his Imperial mission.His girlfriend Helena Justina fortunately joins the more urban portions of the trip, as their character interactions in Davis's subtle prose are the highlight of these novels.

The plot consists of a long list of Imperial requests relating to recent and past Roman military troubles on the frontier.Davis skillfully explains the history of first century Roman clashes with the Germanic tribes and relates it to the plot without bogging down in dry exposition.Falco's interaction with various members of the frontier legions shows Davis's thorough command of Roman military details.Falco's trek through feral Germania has the same wild adventure tainted with ghosts of legionary history feel as the journey beyond Hadrian's Wall in Sutcliffe's "Eagle of the Ninth."However, random encounters with several of the final people on Falco's task list leave the ending feeling coincidental.Regardless, Davis skillfully develops several new characters, including a gruff centurion and Helena's tribune brother, and continues to build the relationship between Falco and Helena.

More History than Mystery
This book is definitely more of a history book than a mystery book, but that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable.The wild ride through old Germany and the adventures that befall Falco's ragtag bunch of recruits is fun.The more I read of Falco, the more likeable he becomes.And the characters we are introduced to in each book make quite an impresion.In this case an effeminate barber called Xanthus, and the lovely Helena's younger brother.Her characters seem alive, and it makes for a fun quick read.If you are interested in getting an idea of what Germany was like in 71AD, you could do worse than read this book.Looking forward to the next installment. ... Read more

Product Description
From the author the "New York Times" bestsellers "Fatherland" and "Enigma" comes a dramatic and deadly chase through present-day Russia for the stunning secret Stalin tried to take to his grave. "Archangel" tells the story or four days in the life of Fluke Kelso, a dissipated, middle-aged historian from New York, who is in Moscow to attend a conference on the newly opened Soviet archives.Amazon.com Review
Archangel is a remarkably literate novel--and simultaneously agripping thriller--that explores the lingering presence of Stalin amidstthe corruption of modern-day Russia. Robert Harris (whose previous worksinclude Enigma andFatherland) elevateshis tale by choosing a narrator with an outsider's perspective but aninsider's knowledge of Soviet history: Fluke Kelso, a middle-aged scholarof Soviet Communism with a special interest in the dark secrets of JosephStalin. For years, rumors have circulated about a notebook that the agingdictator kept in his final years. In a chance encounter in Moscow, Kelsomeets Papu Rapava, a former NKVD guard who claims that he was at Stalin'sdeathbed and says that he assisted Politburo member Beria in hiding theblack oilskin notebook just as Stalin was passing. Before Kelso can getmore details, Rapava disappears, but the scholar is energized by theevidence Rapava has provided. As Kelso begins to pursue his historicalprize, however, his investigation ensnares him in a living web of Stalinistterror and murder. It soon becomes clear that the notebook is the keyto a doorway hiding many secrets, old and new.

Harris's understanding of Soviet and modern Russian is impressive. The novel rests on a seamless blend of fact and fiction thatplaces real figures from Soviet history alongside Kelso and his fictionalcolleagues. Especially disturbing are the transcripts from interrogationsand the excerpt from Kelso's lectures on Stalin; the documents providechilling evidence to support Kelso's claim: "There can now be no doubt thatit is Stalin rather than Hitler who is the most alarming figure of thetwentieth century." --Patrick O'Kelley ... Read more

Customer Reviews (131)

Not quite at the level of Harris' best
This was readable with some interesting information on Stalinist Russia. The prose was serviceable. I learned a couple new words, including "verst" and "taiga". The structure, plotting, and characters were professionally and skillfully wrought; I finished the book, was interested. I think it's a book worth reading.

I don't think this book rises to the level of some of Harris's novels, like Fatherland, Imperium, or Pompeii.

For one thing, I did not get the sense that the author had truly mastered Russian culture and history. Too many of the characters and scenes seemed drawn more from movies than from history. There was very little insight into the Russian language, and except for a few sayings (of which "we are born on a clear plain and die in a dark forest" was my favorite; or Stalin's "gratitude is a dog's disease").

But with Fatherland, there just seemed to be a more pervasive Germanic sense, or mood, in the book. And in Imperium, I just got the sense the author had learned some Latin, had mastered the details, in a way I did not get with this book. Similarly, Pompeii had so much detail about aqueducts, you could tell there was a huge amount of research that went into it. Frankly, in this book I got the sense the author didn't know Russian. The style was not wedded to the content as tightly as in his other books, it just did not feel "Russian" in the way that Fatherland felt German or Imperium, Latin. Too much of the effect depended on cinematic set pieces and horror or gore, there was too much profanity, overall just not quite the subtlety of Imperium oreven Pompeii.

As others have pointed out, the big weakness in this book is that the conclusion. The earlier plot-lines are either left dangling or are resolved in ways that were not credible, indeed at times the resolutions seemed almost silly.

Now the remainder of the review has SPOILERS so do not read more if you don't like them.

The image of Stalin's son spouting quotations from his speeches just seemed absurd. It's easy to be absurd in literature - what's hard is to be realistic, to be plausible.

The whole sub-plot of the missing pages of the notebook was left dangling. It's also not really clear what will happen to the son.

The idea that Kelso would try to destroy the notebook is one I found rather annoying. He's a historian. I hate in movies and novels when characters destroy some valuable artifact they've spent the whole plot seeking. But it's especially annoying here, when it's a historian doing it.

Not a bad book, but worse than the preceding one, better that the next
After devouring "Fatherland", one of the most enjoyable books I have read in the three or four years since, I became a Harris fan. So it was with great expectation that I bought "Archagel" coupled with "Enigma". Last year I purchased "Ghost".

I give "Fatherland" 4½ stars, "Enigma" 3½, "Archagel" 2¾, "Ghost" 1¾. These figures may seem ridiculous, and anyway can't be posted due to Amazon's rating system, but they reflect how much I liked each book (for me, five stars is a rarely attainable maximum, the one that only the "hundred you'd take to the desert island where you're marooned" get.

Amazons.com's and Publisher Weekly's ed revs adequately summarize Archangel's (strange that Harris, with his knowledge of history and his penchant for using the original language, i.e. "Panzerarmee" for Panzer Army, didn't choose to transliterate the name as "Arkhangelsk" instead of the old English usage) plot, so I'll skip it here.

Why do I rate this novel as average? Mainly for two reasons:

(1) After a really gripping and convincing beginning (the story of Rapava, which constitutes a little less than 15% of the novel), written so well that you almost think you're there, listening to Stalin speaking, the book's quality drops a step -although maintainig some suspense- until the Western historian Kelso (perhaps the connecting thread of the novel) and a photographer, after a series of Moscow episodes, decide to go to Archangel to find out whether a certain historically invaluable item -Stalin's personal notebook- really exists (this part takes about 65% of the book). The last 20%, in or near Archangel, falls a further step: the surprise (I don't know if it can be called a twist) is simply neither plausible enough nor consistent (in particular, one character's mood swings are described so tersely and unconvincingly you'd think Harris was under pressure to finish the book somehow). The details, though, are rendered with the author's customary accuracy.

(2) Harris describes Russia in a (clichéed?) Cancyesque manner: everybody (except, up to a point, Russia's secret police agent Suvorin) is dispirited, violent, gross, brutal, etc. etc.; and everything is squallid, rusting, run-down, etc. etc. I don't know the country so well as to be able to contradict Harris, but I've met a number of Russians socially, and they seemed to me normal people like you and me, able to talk rationally of their past.

For me, the book lied just on the limit of being-read-worthiness. Even so, it's a far better product than 95% of all the thrillers being written today, which however, and sadly, is not saying much to commend it.

Read this book
I saw the film which was made from this book last evening.It was good, and I enjoyed it.However, I have to say it was a bit disappointing in that it didn't have the emotional snap that the writing of Robert Harris does.

See the film if you like, but be sure to read the book.It is another Harris masterpiece of intrigue and mystery as are his "Fatherland" and "Enigma".Wonderful stories woven around fairly recent historical events and characters.Great writing and reading; you won't be able to put it down.

A maelstrom of intrigue, murder, secrets and history
British author Harris' literary thriller is a compelling, suspenseful novel of contemporary Russia and its Stalinist legacy. The narrative rests on a dangerous foundation of shifting momentums; control of events slipping from one ruthless character to another, paralleling the fate of Russia itself.

As the novel opens Papu Rapava, one of brutal Beria's bodyguards, recounts the night of Stalin's fatal stroke to a foreigner who plies him with drink and who Rapava addresses as "boy." "By this time the girl had stopped screaming," Rapava recalls, noting that the call had come about 2 a.m. and he had been the sole guard as was customary "when there was a girl."

The interviewer, as drunk as Rapava, is "Fluke Kelso," middle-aged former Oxford professor of Soviet history, in Moscow for a conference of historians, desperate for a book to revive his stagnating reputation. His excitement grows as Rapava describes a macabre scene: he and Beria rifling Stalin's paralyzed but conscious body for keys to his private safe, seizing his secret papers, abandoning Stalin to his fate. In the pre-dawn hours Rapava, sweating at the prospect of his own death, digs a grave-like hole. But only Stalin's papers are buried and when Beria is executed several months later, Rapava keeps the secret, which he alone still holds.

Despite his mounting excitement, Kelso is sick in the bathroom and Rapava flees during his absence, leaving no proof of his story and only a discarded nightclub matchbook as a clue to his whereabouts. A set-up, one of Kelso's respected colleagues assures him. A set-up to extract money from the wealthy foreigner. But Kelso, in the grip of hangover as well as ambition, can't let it go.

The details of Rapava's story take Kelso to the Lenin Library, where tantalizing confirmations lead him to confront the murderous Mamantov, a former KGB officer and reactionary Stalinist. Heedlessly, typically, Kelso does not reflect on the possible repercussions of this meeting but simply blunders on.

While the historian stumbles feverishly through Beria's former residence, now an abandoned embassy, Mamantov escapes his official surveillance and disappears. When Kelso finds proof - a disturbed plot of dirt that matches Rapava's description of the burial place - his own inertia plunges him into the murk of Moscow nightlife where career women moonlight as prostitutes, salting away dollars, Rapava's daughter among them.

Kelso becomes a catalyst for events which spiral out of his control. His headlong yet skillful search ignites the fears and ambitions of various splintered Russian power groups - police, state security, the heart of government and the forces of revolution.

Harris' ("Enigma," "Fatherland") skillfully drawn characters appear real without being deeply complex. Kelso himself is a crafty, misanthropic, venal sort, but not unsympathetic. While you can't root for his success, you don't want him to die.

Combining the unexpected with the brutal and crafty to build a complex, atmospheric plot culminating in a surreal, heart-stopping chase through the frozen hinterlands, Harris constructs an equally surreal but convincing picture of the Stalinist fervor that lives on in Russia, a strange, creepy nostalgia for a dictator who killed between 45 and 66 million people.

And without letting it escape him, Harris manages to secure his plot in a maelstrom of murderers, mobs, the frightening power of unwitting international television, the sweep of historical forces and the harsh reality of post-soviet daily life. No simple feat.

The Cult of Stalin Redux
Robert Harris puts academic has-been Fluke Kelso at the center of a tall tale with a solid foundation in the 'wild west' days of post-Soviet Russia. Hookers, mafia, a publicity-mad newshound, former Soviet tough guys, and modern Russian cops all play roles in this page-turner that delves back to the cult of Stalin - and brings that cult into today. The scariest thing about this book is that it's based partially in the reality that Stalin remains a shockingly popular figure in Russia today, which also lends the book an uncomfortable veneer of plausibility.

I've read three of Harris's works now - Pompeii, Imperium, and Archangel. Contrary to some other reviewers, I enjoyed this book more than Pompeii and found it to be more of page-turner than Imperium (I thought Imperium was a bit more of a serious book - closer to literature than mass market paperback like Archangel).

I suppose the ending, criticized by others as implausible, does require one to perform a sizeable suspended disbelief, but if you pull that off, the ending hangs together. It's just a creepy lot of fun to see how Professor Kelso is going to get out of this mess and the crazy company he's keeping.

Highly recommended.
... Read more

Product Description
The spiritual masterpiece of the Persian Sufi tradition-in a brilliant new translation

The longest single -authored "mystical" poem ever written, the Masnavi-ye Ma'navi, or "spiritual couplets," is the masterpiece of the Persian Sufi tradition. Its author, Jalaloddin Rumi, was a poet and mystic of the highest attainment, but he was first and foremost a spiritual teacher, and his Masnavi is a ladder to the spiritual world, leading the reader to the ultimate goal of the Sufi path-union with God. Alan Williams's translation into blank verse beautifully conveys the poetry of the original Persian couplets, while his introduction discusses how the modern reader might approach Rumi's writing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

absolutely superb
At last, a translation of Rumi's Masnavi which, without ever being pedantic or obscure, is both faithful to the original Persian and to Rumi's teaching. I highly recommend it. This is only the first book of the Masnavi, though (the title is incomplete and misleading) and I am looking forward to the translations of the next five books. A brilliant and moving piece of work. ... Read more

Product Description

Autumn, 1541. Following the uncovering of a plot against his throne in Yorkshire, King Henry VIII has set out on a spectacular Progress to the North to overawe his rebellious subjects there. Accompanied by a thousand soldiers, the cream of the nobility, and his fifth wife Catherine Howard, the King is to attend an extravagant submission of the local gentry at York.

Already in the city are lawyer Matthew Shardlake and his assistant Jack Barak. As well as assisting with legal work processing petitions to the King, Shardlake has reluctantly undertaken a special mission – to ensure the welfare of an important but dangerous conspirator being returned to London for interrogation.

But the murder of a local glazier involves Shardlake in deeper mysteries, connected not only to the prisoner in York Castle but to the royal family itself. As the King and the Great Progress arrive in the city, Barak stumbles upon a terrifying secret, and a chain of events unfolds that will lead Shardlake to the most terrifying fate a subject of Henry VIII can fear: his own imprisonment in the Tower of London.

Customer Reviews (52)

Too slooooooooooooooooooooooow
I've read all the Shardlake mysteris and enjoyed them.I LOVE reading about history and these books are fascinating.However, this one is really slow.It's as if the author were feeding us all the research he'd done.The first 1/4 is interesting.The ending is really good, but I had to scan the middle 60%.Constantly the characters walked through the old sanctuary which, we're told over and over is now the stables.The court case that hangs over Shardlake is mentioned over and over when once or twice would have reminded us why this is an important conflict.We visit the prisoner time after time.Yes, Shardlake needed to keep an eye on him, but the author coudl have TOLD us in a sentence that he visited and the prisoner didn't look well.How many tmes does Shardlake mention he doesn't know what was in the box?It seems like hundreds.The lawyer spends hours in a library to learn one fact from an elderly lawyer.WHY????

Where are the editor on this?Where was Sansom's internal editor? At least 100 pages should have been cut and the action focused.

Murder and mystery in sixteenth-century Yorkshire
As a fan of historical mysteries, I found this to be one of the best I've come across. Sansom's previous books were very good, but in this one we go to York--maybe my favorite English city--and become involved in a dangerous conspiracy against King Henry VIII. I was checking the Internet and my own English history books to follow the dynastic family tree that was thrown into question by the evidence Shardlake uncovers--and Sansom is such an authority on the period that one can believe it all could have happened just that way. His notes on the historical facts at the end of the book are illuminating. Could the rightful ruler of Britain really be an Australian farmer?

Good Read But....
I have not read the first two books yet but after reading thisbook I plan on picking them up.I found this to be a very enjoyable read and it really piqued my interest about the period in question. There are plots and sub-plots threading through the book which added to the enjoyment of trying to anticipate who done what.I gave the book 4 stars rather than 5 because I found Shardlake to be so rigid as far as doing what he felt was right that he seemed to have no qualms throwing other people under the proverbial bus. It is an interesting twist with the main character being a) a hunchback and b) an English lawyer in the 1500's.My first thought was a lawyer?Did they even exist back then? Well they evidently did although Shardlake is a lawyer with the detective gene.

The Shards of Shardlake
Dissolution and Dark Fire, the previous two novels of author Sansom's Shardlake Reformation era mysteries, were quite enjoyable, poetic and atmospheric narratives, especially Dissolution, still Sansom's tour de force in historical fiction, by my - perhaps idiosyncratic - standards.

Sovereign, on the other hand, falls very, very short of the previous two, though coming in at almost twice the length of either book.There are two primary reasons for this:

1.) The book is altogether too modern (as in 21st Century) in its language.Whereas the previous two novels were rife with vocabulary such as "compurgator," "makebate,""catchpenny" etc., aside from a few cherry-picked archaic North Country words - of which the meaning is quite easy to twig - the idiom throughout the book is a very artificial, half-baked Yorkshire dialect of today, where it is even anything more than just your run-of-the-mill standard, modern usage.

2.) As has been noted by others, the book is brimming with plots and sub-plots and a deluge of characters which have very little or nothing to do with the essential mystery of the story.This leads the reader to wander off along extraordinarily boring byways and to lose focus on the essential mystery of the book.

Of course, other readers may fancy the book for the very reasons I found it lacking.So, if you fancy modern usage and relish redundant sprawling in historical fiction, this book is for you.As for this reader, however, the Shardlake mysteries are at an end, dangling like Aske's skeleton outside the keep.

Historical
I bought this book after hearing about one of the characters mentioned on a television programme and being an avid history fan decided to take up some "light" reading. I have found this book to be somewhat difficult to get in to - it jumps from one thing to the other and although having been educated in the British education system some of the words defy even my comprehension - I understand the book has been written in "olde English" to a point, though I would be amazed if some of the conversations would of gone the way the authour has written them. At present this book is on the back boiler, I may pick it up again, just to see what the outcome is but I am thinking it will be a long and tedious journey. ... Read more

Product Description
An unknown benefactor provides Philip Pirrip with the chance to escape his poor upbringing. Aspiring to be a gentleman, and encouraged by his expectations of wealth, he abandons his friends and moves to London. His expectations prove to be unfounded however, and he must return home penniless.Amazon.com Review
An absorbing mystery as well as a morality tale, the story ofPip, a poor village lad, and his expectations of wealth is Dickens athis most deliciously readable. The cast of characters includes kindlyJoe Gargery, the loyal convict Abel Magwitch and the haunting MissHavisham. If you have heartstrings, count on them being tugged. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (208)

Slow start, but riveting end
Great Expectations is hailed as a one of the great masterpieces in literature and for good reason.However, it does drag in the beginning and current audiences may not be able to fight through to reap the rewards this book gives out.Also, the language used in the book is not used currently in use and may throw off some readers.Midway threw the book I was enjoying Great Expectations, but disappointed in the pace and flow and ready for it to quicken.But it did and I was enthralled with the final 200 pages.

Well written, engaging, detailed,- it's Dickens.
How does one review Dickens? This book is well written, of course. The plot is engaging, of course. The descriptions are detailed, of course. The fact he wrote this in sections to be published in the newspaper just amazes me. However, I found the coincidences in this story too contrived to be really believable. It is a fascinating look into 19th century Britain.

What's in addition in this edition
Since a potential buyer might be wondering which edition to buy, I've decided to give a brief review of the edition instead of one of the story.

This is the 2003 reissue of the 1986 edition of the Bantam classic edition. This edition has the 1986 introduction by John Irving. It contains the Dickens classic in its intact form, with the original ending following it separately. It is 528 pages.

When Dickens first wrote Great Expectations, it had a different ending. There are some who feel that the original ending is more in line with modern tastes, and that Dickens "caved in" by changing the unhappy ending to one that was "more acceptable." Some feel that Dickens went too far in order to cater to his audience rather than stick to a literary standard. In the introduction, Irving discusses this issue among many others and suggests that Dickens was not so much driven by the audience as he was in touch with their lives when it came to inspiration. Ideas in literature may seem fantastic and improbable, but Irving points to events in Dickens's life that would seem equally improbable had they appeared in fiction. He also mentions modern real life events that, if put in a novel a decade earlier, would have seemed impossibly unrealistic.

Yes, Dickens was an optimist. But the new ending is not a "happily ever after" one so much as one that leaves the door open. I can't think of anything more suitable for a book entitled "Great Expectations."

Loved the story
I got this book for my grandson, but I read it many years ago and also saw the movie when I was around eleven years old.It had an emotional impact on me then, maybe partly because I liked the girl who was about my own age then.

Besides the quality of the writing and the interesting story, the book gives one some idea of a period of history.

I would give it five stars, but my grandson didn't seem to like it.I think one has to take much are in choosing books for kids, as some will dislike, and others will like, the same book for no apparent reason.It is just the personality of the kid.The applies even more so to toys.

A More Mature Dickens, But Not His Best
"Great Expectations" was Charles Dickens' third attempt at writing semi-autobiography, and his most successful. Poor Oliver Twist barely registers in his own book, while David Copperfield becomes a pasteboard figure after reaching adulthood. Pip only grows richer and more complex, and it's no wonder critics thus see "Great Expectations" as the best of the lot.

We open with the finest sequence in the novel, along a swampy coastline in southern England where a small boy at his parent's grave is threatened by a desperate convict. The convict wants food and a file to help cut him free. The boy, Pip, must wrestle with some serious guilt, not to mention the threat of his sister and guardian's overzealous discipline. Social expectations cut one way, but a rogue feeling of sympathy for the convict guides him another. Which will win out?

Pip's a bit of a prat, but he's meant to be. After coming into some mysterious money, the former blacksmith's apprentice abandons those who love him in a doomed attempt to win over Estella, the high-class, heart-challenged ward of balmy Miss Havisham. Estella bothers some people. How could Pip love her? Man, I've been there, and I reckon a lot of others have been, too. Estella is one of the great fictional representations of unrequited love, and in Dickens' hands, becomes something even more potent, a symbol of class division and status-scrambling folly.

Dickens' handling of Pip is subtle and worth careful re-reading. By using the device of an older, unseen Pip as narrator, we sense where he fell astray without it being pointed out overmuch. Clashing with a snooty rival for Estella's affections, he sweats the possibility of being discovered as the friend of a guileless village blacksmith, Joe: "So throughout life our worst weaknesses and meannesses are usually committed for the sake of the people whom we most despise."

Whenever the focus is on Pip, particularly when dealing with Estella, Miss Havisham, or the mysterious, vaguely creepy lawyer Mr. Jaggers, "Great Expectations" is both high art and a great read. Dickens' descriptive powers remained in high beam in this, his penultimate novel (completed in 1861). The storyline takes its time, but in such a way that it often feels like a prototype for the stream-of-consciousness narrative authors would employ a century later.

If only "Great Expectations" didn't suffer from one of Dickens' chief bête noires, compounding coincidences. Whether it's the identity of Estella's long-lost father or Miss Havisham's unworthy suitor, too many of the plot strands wind up twisted together to unwholesome effect.

Other plot strings, like the tale of a blackguard named Orlick or the romances of Pip's pals Herbert Pocket and Wemmick, do little to merit the lengthy attention they receive. Most annoying is the story of Compeyson, built up as Pip's main adversary. Yet we hardly meet the guy before he vanishes in the black waters of Dickens' top-heavy plot machinations.

Except for Jaggers, Estella, and Miss Havisham, "Great Expectations" suffers from an uninteresting cast of supporting characters. But when you have three such meaty characters, not to mention the noble yet shifting Pip at the center, you have one eminently worthy novel. Add to that Dickens' descriptive abilities, and that harrowing opening, and "Great Expectations" delivers most of the way on its title's promise. ... Read more

Product Description
Charlie Ashanti is on the run from an amazing floating circus with six homesick beautiful Lions and an extraordinary sabre-toothed creature. Charlie has promised to help the Lions find their way home to Morocco but he has his own problems: his Mum and Dad have been kidnapped and he is determined to find them. His new friends, King Boris of Bulgaria and his security chief, Edward, have promised to help. But can Charlie and the Lions trust them? One thing is for sure, the chase is on ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Second book in the series: Simon Jones is always great!
The narrator (Simon Jones) is always superb. The first book in this trilogy was superb. The Chase is the second and it is very good. The Truth (the third book) slips a bit more. My rating is for the second book! There was a bit too much political messaging in it for my taste. But this audio book is still a joy.

More Enemies, More Point of Views
A few more enemies and the police are after Charlie and his friends.Charlie and company hide out in an king's castle in Venice.However, it seems that an ally is betraying them.And the journey to Africa continues...

It always impresses me when an author manages to show the bad guys' point of view as reasonably as the good guys'.These authors prove to be stars at this.

Pretty good
Right after he saved his parents, Charlie Ahsanti is kidnapped and taken away! Being the third book in the Lion Boy series, this book is where Charlie is kidnapped away from his parents. His parents were just kidnapped away from him, meaning that his parents weren't going to take any chances. They made him stay in their hotel room and not come out. Charlie can speak to cats, so he was itching to hear some news about the kidnappers and his enemies. When his parents went out to the bank, Charlie didn't waste any time to go to the docks and search for his cat-friend Sergei. As he walked along to the beach, suddenly a sack was pulled over him and he was picked up. From the sound of the voice, Charlie knew it was Rafi, his old enemy who had tried to kidnap him before. Fortunately, Sergei was there with his little chameleon friend who knew many different languages. Quickly, Sergei told the chameleon to tell Claudio (Also Charlie's friend) to tell Charlie's parents that he's been kidnapped. Then he jumped onto the ship with Charlie and his kidnappers. Claudio rushed back told Charlie's parents and rushed back to his boss King Borris (The king of Poland). Charlie's parents rushed to the docks, got a solar powered ship, and followed Charlie's ship. A few minutes later, Claudio and King Borris arrived who also got, a ship, but this time followed Charlie's parent's ship. Charlie's ship was headed for the Corporacy headquarters, in San Antonio, Texas. The Corporacy is an evil company that takes all the gifted people in the world, and keeps them, even animals. In Charlie's case they wanted his cat speaking gift. To make a long story short, everyone arrived there, and Charlie's Dad got a job in the Corporacy pretending he came back because he agreed with their methods (In recent books, he and his wife were captured but escaped). He got close to Charlie and they made plans to crash the Corporacy. First they disconnected all the weapons, then the computers. By the time the security reached them, they couldn't shoot or do anything about him. This was a fantastic futuristic book that many other people would also enjoy.
This book was very distressing. Not in a bad way, but it does make you kind of angry and stressed. First Charlie's parents are kidnapped, so he rescues them. Then he gets kidnapped, and is taken away. And for a long part of the book, Charlie's not able to do anything because the Corporacy is so secured.
This book was very interesting. It was cool to hear about the solar powered ships and stuff like that. And because it was in the future, there was a lot more high tech stuff. On the Corporacy campus people had little chips in their ears so that the boss could hear everything going on around them. Or the cell phones that Charlie and his parents carried around for most of the book. If they needed to charge, Charlie just had to set them in the sun, they were solar powered!
Even though this book was very, very good, it went very slow. For instance, half the book is their journey on the sea. Then the rest is all in the Corporacy. In the end I was getting tired of the same settings.
This book was great. It had its ups and downs, but I still enjoyed it. I would tell anyone to read this trilogy, and this book.
Anne M. Lindemann

Suspensful from Beginning to End
"LionBoy: The Chase" is the best book i've read since the first "LionBoy". I'm dead serious. I'm seventeen years old and this is the first book that has ever made me cry. There is so much Charlie Ashanti goes through to protect his Friends, the lions, and to find his parents that it almost seems real. This book follows Charlie on his continuing adventure picking up from where it left him in the first book. Charlie finds himself traveling across The Alps with six Lions; "surviving a shipwreck, escaping from a Venetian palazzo and helping a revolution, rescuing lions from a snowstorm, traveling the sea and making difficult decisions." Ha, that was actually a quote from the book. I can't steal Zizou Corder's work. I respect them too much. Plus I don't want to go to jail. The ending was the most difficult part to read. I almost cried again when I read the three most horrible words in the world, "to be continued..." Now I feel relieved though knowing that I get to read another fantastic book by Zizou Corder. I can't wait until "LionBoy: The truth". Until then I guess I'll just read the first two books in the "LionBoy" trilogy again and again and again. That's how good they are! Then when I'm done with the third book, I can read all three again. Then maybe one more time. Please folks, read this book. But don't forget the first "LionBoy". I demand you read it first. This really is the best trilogy ever written! But don't take my word for it, go read it yourself!

A HUGE step up from the First Book!
The second Lionboy book from the trilogy, Lionboy: The Chase, I have to say was a major step up from the first book, Lionboy.The dialogue was smoother, the plot was much more interesting and held my attention much better, and the characters are even more memorable.My new favorite character has to be Sergei, the rangy North English feline who has a very peculiar accent and very funny, dry humor.I don't like to give much away on the plot of books, but here it goes.The only reason that I didn't give this book five stars is that in the beginning, when Charlie is trapped in the Palazzo Bulgaria, this whole segment of the book and meeting the Bulgarian King and Edward seems quite pointless and doesn't further the plot.But, after this rough segment of the book, you finally find out what allergenies are and what Primo the mysterious cat is there for. My only nag is that most of the time in Venice (from the reader's point of view) seemed completely pointless in furthering the plot. Now, on to the ending.At first for the ending, I was almost screaming no because it was only the 2nd book in the trilogy and how could it have such a happy, kiddish ending where everything turns out great.Well, to my happiness, it doesn't!The last paragraph is the most tantalizing thing that Zizou Corder has offered in this book other than those cruel, last three words ; to be continued ...
I cannot wait for the 3rd book in this rising series! ... Read more

Product Description
In search of clues to the mystery of her father's death, 16-year-old Sally Lockhart ventures into the shadowy underworld of Victorian London. Pursued by villains at every turn, the intrepid Sally finally uncovers two dark mysteries--and realizes that she herself is the key to both.

"In Dickensian fashion, Pullman tells the story of 16-year-old Sally Lockhart, who becomes involved in a deadly web of events as she searches for a mysterious ruby. The novel is a page turner, peopled with despicable hags, forthright heroes, and children living on the underbelly of 19th-century London. The story's events are exciting, with involved plotting. Settings and characterizations are exquisitely drawn. The first entry in a planned trilogy."--(starred) Booklist. Reading level: 6.7.  


From the Paperback edition.Amazon.com Review
"Her name was Sally Lockhart; and within fifteen minutes, she was going to kill a man." Philip Pullman begins his Sally Lockhart trilogy with a bang in The Ruby in the Smoke--a fast-paced, finely crafted thriller set in a rogue- and scalawag-ridden Victorian London. His 16-year-old heroine has no time for the usual trials of adolescence: her father has been murdered, and she needs to find out how and why. But everywhere she turns, she encounters new scoundrels and secrets. Why do the mere words "seven blessings" cause one man to keel over and die at their utterance? Who has possession of the rare, stolen ruby? And what does the opium trade have to do with it?

As our determined and intelligent sleuth sets her mind to unraveling these dark mysteries, she learns how embroiled she is in the whole affair. As riveting and witty as the sensational "penny dreadfuls" of Victorian England (but thousands of times better written), Pullman's trilogy (including The Shadow in the North and The Tiger in the Well) will have readers on the edges of their seats. Ruby is an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. (Ages 12 and older) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (165)

A Christmas Gift
The Sally Lockhart Mysteries - novel one - The Ruby in the Smoke.

I rented the first three books (Ruby in the Smoke, Shadow in the North, The Tiger in the Well and The Tin Princess) on audio from the library and purchased from amazon "The Tin Princess" brilliant series! Someone I know loves audio books and we have been talking about what books we have listened to on cd for a while. I only in passes mentioned to the Sally Lockhart Mysteries to her. I purchased this book as a gift to her and I hope she enjoys it. Phillip Pullman is a fantastic story teller. I recommend the series.

Decent Victorian Thriller
With the important exception of a 20th century style female protagonist, this book is a Victorian young adult mystery through and through.The story is replete with Dickensian characters placed in Dickensian London: the tough but charming cockney street-urchin sidekick, the deeply evil quiet old lady, the courageous military father raising the daughter on his own--it's all here, together with the showdown on a foggy, London night on a bridge over the Thames.Pullam has a strong reputation in young adult literature, and some of the reasons are on display here.The vaguely magical, occasionally humorous, weighty plot unspools in a gradual, indirect way, and the book never condescends.The use of language is outstanding.In short, one feels throughout that this is a "good" book and that something exciting will happen.It is literary in this old-world fashion.At the same time, it also old-fashioned (and English) in its values (stiff-upper lip, courage, duty), and pacing (slow), characterization (familiar), and story-line (predictable).There is no innovation here, and at least two 21st century readers (my 14-year old son and I) were simply bored at times.Still, good enough for us that we are on to the sequel.

An enjoyable read but I expected more.
`On a fretful afternoon in October 1872, sixteen year old Sally Lockhart stepped out of a hansom cab, and within fifteen minutes she was going to kill a man.' A priceless ruby, lives ruined by smoke (opium), good guys and contemptible villains, a determined feminist heroine and a crush of enigmas make for an exceptionally affecting story. Although Pullman overdoses on circumstantial descriptions of Victorian London, this first book in the Sally Lockhart Mysteries is a fine read. It's a bit overdone with modern conventionalism--the willful and orphaned heroine straightaway proceeds to uncover the obscurities that surround her father's death, her strange dreams and the malicious strangers who want to see her dead. She disdains the guardianship of her aunt in favor of living with a group of newfound (parentless) friends. She's really not likeable, she's spoiled, headstrong and temperamental, but readers will enjoy a good Holmesian traipse around Victorian London, albeit in a rather redundant plagiaristic Dickensian style. This is Nancy Drew for older readers, but that tag is due only to the violence incurred. The characters are too flat and the story too clichéd to make an enduring impression on savvy young adult readers.

Angieville: THE RUBY IN THE SMOKE
I remember buying my copy of THE RUBY IN THE SMOKE at a B. Dalton bookstore in San Antonio, Texas. I liked the cover with the young girl in the cape holding something mysterious in a white handkerchief for a slightly creepy old woman to inspect. But, in the end, this was yet another example of a book I bought for the opening lines alone.

"On a cold, fretful afternoon in early October, 1872, a hansom cab drew up outside the offices of Lockhart and Selby, Shipping Agents, in the financial heart of London, and a young girl got out and paid the driver.

She was a person of sixteen or so--alone, and uncommonly pretty. She was slender and pale, and dressed in mourning, with a black bonnet under which she tucked back a straying twist of blond hair that the wind had teased loose. She had unusually dark brown eyes for one so fair. Her name was Sally Lockhart; and within fifteen minutes, she was going to kill a man."

Yeah, there was sort of no way my 12-year-old self wasn't going to make a beeline to the cash register with that one. All I knew was that it was set in Victorian London, it was a mystery, and it clearly featured a girl I wanted to get to know better. I had no idea it was the first in a trilogy, or how involved I would become in the incredibly intricate plot that stretches out over all three books. It should be noted that Pullman published a fourth volume almost ten years after THE RUBY IN THE SMOKE, but it is less of a direct sequel and more a companion novel to the original trilogy.

Sally Lockhart is so very far from your average 16-year-old. Even your average 16-year-old in 19th century London. Her father has recently been murdered and she is intent on uncovering the identity of his killer and bringing the villain to justice. As such, she comes to his offices in London to meet with his partner and find out if he knows anything about Mr. Lockhart's demise or the phrase, "Beware the seven blessings," which she came across in a fragment of a letter sent to her from Singapore. Shortly after her arrival she becomes embroiled in another murder, the vagaries of the opium trade, and the mystery of the disappearance of the fabled Ruby of Agrapur. Along the way she encounters a few associates who become true friends, including a young scarecrow of an errand boy named Jim Taylor and an amiable photographer by the name of Frederick Garland. She will have need of her friends before the game is played out and she races against the clock to make sense of her convoluted past and discover just who is behind the strange web of betrayal and deceit that has taken over her life.

Everyone is familiar with Philip Pullman's much more famous His Dark Materials Trilogy. I snatched up the first book when it came out because I was already a huge Pullman fan because of the Sally Lockhart books. And I enjoyed The Golden Compass just fine. But I got halfway through The Subtle Knife and the whole thing just...petered out for me. I'm still not exactly sure what happened except that I kept wishing the entire time I was reading about Sally instead. But in my experience few people have read this set of excellent mysteries. They are dark, dire, and grim, to be sure. But they are also absolutely delightful. And bite-your-nails-to-the-quick intense. Sally herself is such a strong character--a perfect blend of independence, diffidence, integrity, and intelligence. Following her growth and development over the course of the trilogy is an absolutely moving experience. Each book matures in both subject matter and length. THE RUBY IN THE SMOKE reads like Dickens meets Arthur Conan Doyle meets Lloyd Alexander and that combination proved too charming for me to resist. I could not put it down until I finished it and I immediately went out and bought the next two books. They did not disappoint, but rather ratcheted up the stakes with each passing page. Pullman somehow manages to create the atmosphere of a vintage penny dreadful, while peopling it with fully fleshed out characters who work their way seamlessly into the reader's heart and affections. In fact, I vividly remember breaking down sobbing while reading a certain scene in the second book--The Shadow in the North. It is one of my very first memories of connecting with a set of characters so much it was physically painful to me to watch them suffer. An engrossing series highly recommended, particularly for fans of Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle Trilogy and Laurie R. King's Mary Russell series.
Reading order: THE RUBY IN THE SMOKE, The Shadow in the North, and The Tiger in the Well. Companion novel: The Tin Princess.

Close but no cigar for Pullman
I have an unnatural love of Philip Pullman. I have his words inked into my skin, I've written term papers on his books, I've read and absorbed his "His Dark Materials" trilogy so many times that my books are falling apart (well loved! well loved, I say!).

And yet, for some reason, I've never read his Sally Lockhart series. I think this is for two main reasons; one, because the books don't have the same fantastical and mythological element that the HDM books do, and two, because I was pretty certain that nothing could live up to the sheer perfection of the HDM trilogy.

I wasn't wrong; the novel contains only the slightest inkling of fantasy, and it pales in comparison with The Golden Compass. But it's still an amazing novel, wrought with the kind of plot twists and interesting characters that only Pullman can pull of.

Still, I feel kind of let down... there are so many striking similarities between Ruby and The Golden Compass that it was all too deja vu at times. Young, strong and witty female protagonist, striking young boy who is her friend, side-kick, and has a crush on her; the father who is never there and the mysterious mother; even the Garland family bears a resemblence to the Gyptians.

But the book was still a lot of fun, and Pullman has a way with words that just sucks you in. I started reading this on the train this morning, and finished once I got home. It's short, but I just couldn't put it down.

I think I'll start the second one soon. Unlike HDM, this is several separate plots in several books, while HDM is one big arc in three parts. That gives me hope for Book #2! ... Read more

Product Description
In spring, 1543 King Henry VIII is wooing Lady Catherine Parr, whom he wants for his sixth wife. But this time the object of his affections is resisting. Archbishop Cranmer and the embattled Protestant faction at court are watching keenly, for Lady Catherine is known to have reformist sympathies. Matthew Shardlake, meanwhile, is working on the case of a teenage boy, a religious maniac who has been placed by the King's council in the Bedlam hospital for the insane. Should he be released as his parents want, when his terrifying actions could lead to him being burned as a heretic? When an old friend is horrifically murdered Shardlake promises his widow, for whom he has long had complicated feelings, to bring the killer to justice. His search leads him to connections not only with the boy in Bedlam but with Cranmer and Catherine Parr and with the dark prophecies of the "Book of Revelation".As London's Bishop Bonner prepares a purge of Protestants Shardlake, together with his assistant, Jack Barak, and his friend, Guy Malton, follow the trail of a series of horrific murders that shake them to the core, and which are already bringing frenzied talk of witchcraft and a demonic possession for what else would the Tudor mind make of a serial killer ...? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (47)

On the waiting list for the 5th Shardlake book
I agree with other reviewers that the Shardlake series is wonderful reading. I downloaded the first in the series, Dissolution, as an audiobook completely by chance from my local library. After listening to this ebook, I was hooked. My library does not have any of the Shardlake series in any format so I bought the next 3 books in the series, Dark Fire, Sovereign, and Revelation from Amazon and eagerly looked forward to the delivery. No disappointment there, they arrived within 2 days and were very affordable. Now I am waiting for the 5th book to be released. If you like historical fiction and are willing to allow an author to apply some literary flexibility to the Tudor period, you may also enjoy reading about Master Shardlake's adventures.

Top notch!
Another great chapter in the Matthew Shardlake series.Riveting from beginning to end, the kind of book that keeps you reading all night to the end of the book, then makes you sad there isn't more.I can't wait for his next offering this fall.

great historical fiction
The fourth in the Shardlake series is as rivetting as the earlier books.I enjoy the plot, the historical setting and the development of character that Sansom achieves.

Wonderful attention to period detail and an artful handling of suspense
This is the 4th novel in a series set in the reign of Henry VIII.These novels bring to life the sounds and smells of Tudor England. Matthew Shardlake, the lawyer renowned as the sharpest hunchback in the courts of England, finds himself entangled in the intrigues of the Tudor court, and the dangerous schemes of Thomas Cromwell, the feared vicar-general.

In Dissolution (Matthew Shardlake Mysteries) (2003), under the orders of Thomas Cromwell, a team of commissioners is sent throughout the country to investigate the monasteries and ultimately get rid of them.

In Dark Fire (Shardlake) (2004), Shardlake must find a lost cache of dark fire, a legendary substance which was used by the Byzantines to destroy Arab navies.

In Sovereign: A Matthew Shardlake Mystery (Matthew Shardlake Mysteries) (2007), Shardlake becomes a part of Henry VIII's Royal Progress to the farthest reaches of his realm and becomes involved in murder.

In this novel, Revelation (2008), Matthew Shardlake must find the perpetrator of a series of horrific murders with connections to the dark prophecies of the Book of Revelation.

Sansom, who has a PhD in history and was an attorney, writes with wonderful attention to period detail and an artful handling of suspense.

Great historical fiction
I'm really not a mystery fan at all - the Shardlake books are usually classified as mysteries and so they are, but I read a ton of historical fiction and view them through that lens.They are really hard to put down - great historical fiction, highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
It is 1540, and the hottest summer of the sixteenth century. Matthew Shardlake, believing himself out of favour with Thomas Cromwell, is busy trying to maintain his legal practice and keep a low profile. But his involvement with a murder case, defending a girl accused of brutally murdering her young cousin, brings him once again into contact with the king's chief minister - and a new assignment...The secret of Greek Fire, the legendary substance with which the Byzantines destroyed the Arab navies, has been lost for centuries. Now, an official of the Court of Augmentations has discovered the formula in the library of a dissolved London monastery. When Shardlake is sent to recover it, he finds the official and his alchemist brother brutally murdered - the formula has disappeared. Now Shardlake must follow the trail of Greek Fire across Tudor London, while trying at the same time to prove his young client's innocence. But very soon he discovers nothing is as it seems..."A creation of real brilliance.'' - "Sunday Times". "I've discovered a new crime writer who's going to be a star. He's C. J. Sansom." - James Naughtie, "Glasgow Herald". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

An excellent series
This book, the second in the Matthew Shardlake series, is as good as the first, as are all that I have read in this series. The author spins a fine mystery/thriller yarn while educating the reader, in the most entertaining way, about the effects of the Reformation in Tudor England on the common folk. I don't always read for enrichment, but I try to. I will be delighted to read future novels (past the 4 I have read already) by C.J. Sansom.

Lupus Est Homo Homini
I know I'm preaching to the choir here.Nobody is likely to read this review who isn't a fan, like myself, of C. J. Sansom's meticulously researched and darkly atmospheric historical mysteries.Everybody seems to have summarised the plot and setting of 16th century London fairly well, so I'll just add my two shillings worth here on my experience of the book in general.

I liked this book only slightly less than the first book, Dissolution.I know it's a tired trope, but one really can't beat a monastery for atmospherics.But Sansom has done his research on the atmospherics of London as well, which leads to what seems to me an important point:If one fancies English historical novels with a lawyer as a sleuth, it is well to have them written by an Englishman trained as a solicitor with a doctorate in History, as per Sansom.

This book, for me, had darker undertones than Dissolution.The words on the barrel of Greek fire: Lupus est homo homini - Man is a wolf to man - are borne out relentlessly throughout the novel.The reader will have his/her stomach turned more than once by the many gruesome sights and acts made all the more harrowing by their being based on historical fact. The overall effect can become lugubrious indeed.

Yet Sansom retains his deft poetic touch as well.If I were asked to briefly express how all this business about dark fire ends up, I could do far worse than echoing Shardlake's reflections as he gazes out over the Thames:

"Something bright and fiery on the water made me start for a moment, then I saw it was only a ray of sunlight falling through the light cloud, flecking the waves tossed up by the wind a flickering bright yellow."

WMD
Lawyer Matthew Shardlake's second assignment from Thomas Cromwell is even more harrowing than the first (Dissolution). Cromwell knows he's in trouble with his king because of the disastrous Cleves marriage brokered by him, and, as ever when Henry VIII has a problem, he looks for someone else to blame. Cromwell's pinned his hopes and his life on Greek Fire, a super-combustible substance that historically may be the world's first genuine weapon of mass destruction. He's seen what it can do when a pair of mercenary rogues approached him hoping to sell it to him for a king's ransom. But now the two are dead under mysterious circumstances, and Cromwell's pinned the responsibility for recovering the formula on Shardlake. In return, Cromwell places a twelve daystay of execution on Matthew's latest client, a young woman accused of murdering her cousin.Fortunately, Cromwell has provided Shardlake with an able assistant, Jack Barak, who can help him with the more physical aspects of the search.

Dark Fire is more than a mystery, with its rich historical context. There's plenty of action, but author Sansom does not allow the hunt to supersede such topical themes asclass, poverty, greed, religion, racism, and a myriad of other prejudices, most of whichstill plague us today. He has brought back the exotic apothecary/alchemist Guy, a former monk who is also a Moor. And by introducing the character of Jake Barak, he's injected a welcome vein of youth to offset the innate conservatism of Shardlake. Plot, character, vivid historical context, and ethical conflict; Dark Fire has it all and is a most entertaining read as well.

Murderous Treason
I have recommended 'Dissolution' many times over since reading the first of the Matthew Shardlake novels. Even before making it past chapter two of that story, I had bought a copy of 'Dark Fire', the follow-up novel in this ongoing series.

Before going any further with reviewing Dark Fire, I did 'enjoy' the book.I lovehistorical mysteries. I love the building of suspense and plot twists galore and period detail. Those are the reasons why 'Dissolution' was so enjoyable to me. However, in my opinion (which does appear to be contrary to many other reviewers), Dark Fire suffers from the 'sophomore curse' in delivering another Shardlake mystery.

The famed 'hunchbacked lawyer' is this time called upon to help defend the niece of a friend who has been accused of murdering her cousin by the dead boy's sisters, who supposedly 'witnessed' the crime. The girl remains locked up and strangely mute while she awaits her trial.The judge deciding the girl's fate is sure to 'sentence' her to being 'pressed' if she won't speak in her own defense - a practice by which a person is placed under wood and stones piled on top of them to try to force a 'confession' out of them before they are crushed.Shardlake tries to entice the girl to speak, to no avail, and all seems lost.

But then a reprieval comes in the form of a mission from Thomas Cromwell. It seems that someone has been working to uncover the secrets of an ancient weapon, Greek Fire, for use in the present day...and Cromwell wants that secret. In exchange for Shardlake's help, Cromwell persuades the judge to grant a two week stay of sentencing. Shardlake agrees to the trade, and sets out to locate the secret of Greek Fire and the evidence that will set his client free.

All of this sounded very exciting, and, again, the book was enjoyable. However, I found it easy to discern the truth of the murder, long before that plot point was resolved. And in the search for the formula and secret of 'Greek Fire' (called Dark Fire throughout most of the novel) I also found the mystery there to be a bit lacking.

Overall, I cannot give the book five stars. It felt a bit lack-lustre to me compared to the first. I have since bought the third Matthew Shardlake mystery novel, and hope for a better story in that.

Continuous suspense
Matthew Shardlake has put the nerve-wracking episode of his investigations at Scarnsea Monastery behind him and is living the relatively quiet life of a London lawyer of the Tudor era. Suddenly, his peace is shattered. He is asked to defend a young lady who is accused of murdering her cousin, but refuses to speak to anyone, even Shardlake. A difficult task, and even more stressful because failing to plea when brought to court in those days resulted in a slow and agonising death by "pressing."

Almost simultaneously, Shardlake is called to the chambers of Lord Cromwell, who commissions him to seek one of the earliest weapons of mass destruction, Greek fire. It is a very dangerous assignment, made even more so because it is so difficult to work out whom he can trust. Wisely, he decides to trust no-one.

There is suspense throughout this book, and more than a few close scrapes. I really enjoyed it.
... Read more

Product Description
This reading of "The Canterbury Tales" is in contempoarary English prose to appeal to the student and general reader alike. It tells the story of a pilgrimage to Canterbury in which men and women drawn from all classes of society lighten their journey by telling tales.Amazon.com Review
On a spring day in April--sometime in the waning years of the 14th century--29 travelers set out for Canterbury on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint Thomas Beckett. Among them is a knight, a monk, a prioress, a plowman, a miller, a merchant, a clerk, and an oft-widowed wife from Bath. Travel is arduous and wearing; to maintain their spirits, this band of pilgrims entertains each other with a series of tall tales that span the spectrum of literary genres. Five hundred years later, people are still reading Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. If you haven't yet made the acquaintance of the Franklin, the Pardoner, or the Squire because you never learned Middle English, take heart: this edition of the Tales has been translated into modern idiom.

From the heroic romance of "The Knight's Tale" to the low farce embodied in the stories of the Miller, the Reeve, and the Merchant, Chaucer treated such universal subjects as love, sex, and death in poetry that is simultaneously witty, insightful, and poignant. The Canterbury Tales is a grand tour of 14th-century English mores and morals--one that modern-day readers will enjoy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (67)

Kindle edition formatting is horrible!
The paperback version has the original text of the tales on the left hand page and the modern translation on the right. The publisher does not provide any cues in formatting of the Kindle edition to show difference between the original text and the modern. The two texts run together making reading almost impossible.

Decent
The book stated in was in "good" shape, but I was say it is a little less than good, but still useable. None of the pages are torn but they are yellow with spots on it. And it shipped extremely late compared to all of the other books. My class started quite a while back so I am thankful that I did not need this at the beginning of the summer class or else I would not have had it. I ordered eleven books for my Western Civ class and this was the last book to get here. But if you order from here make sure there is not a time sensitive issue. Other than that it is an okay buy. The price was great though!!!

Canterbury Tales
I indeed ordered Canterbury Tales as a gift for my daughter. There were many options as to the style of book available. I specifically searched for something appearing a little older or different that was a hardcover and especially liked the idea it was cloth covered...that sold me on this item. When it arrived however it was hardcover but not cloth covered; rather paper covered that looks like cloth on the actual print. That was very disappointing...if I had of known I would not have placed this order.

Amazon appears to have combined the reveiws for several different editions
The Bantam edition (ISBN 0-553-21082-3), edited, introduced and translated by Peter G. Beidler, is inexpensive but readable. I like having the original on one side and a translation on the other because it enables me to make an attempt at reading the original and then check my comprehension with the translation. The introduction and notes are informative but not intrusive. It's true that only ten of the tales are included but there is enough to keep you busy for awhile. I recommend this if you are looking for an inexpensive and portable edition.

Why is Chaucer so great?
Umm... Did not enjoy this book. Characters were almost all lewd and bad people, crooks and the like. One dimensional characters, all. The stories they told were sometimes interesting, at least. ... Read more

Product Description
'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times' A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens' only historical novel, sets personal happiness against the terrors of the French Revolution where the search for social justice sacrifices individual rights. Dr Manette has emerged from eighteen years' unjust imprisonment in the Bastille: by an ironic twist of fate, his daughter Lucie's marriage draws the family into a terrifying web of circumstance which, it seems, can only end in death by the guillotine... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (521)

The Uses of Hyperbole
Mr. Jarvis Lorry of Tellson's Bank is traveling in the Dover Mail, 1775.Men from the bank frequently travel from London to Paris.He receives a message when the Dover Mail is stopped, and he learns he is to escort Lucie Manette to a reunion with her long-lost father.In Paris he encounters Monsieur Defarge and his wife, Madame Defarge.It seems that Dr. Manette has taught himself to be a shoemaker and that he doesn't remember his old banker, Jarvis Lorry.An issue arises as to whether Dr. Manette is fit enough for the journey to England.

In 1780 Tellson's Bank is still old-fashioned.Mr. Charles Darney is a defendant is a court proceeding and Mr. Lorry and Miss Manette testify to having seen him five years previously in the vicinity of Calais.He is acquitted.Dr. Manette has started to receive patients again.Jarvis Lorry spends many Sundays with Dr. Manette and Lucie.At times Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton are part of the company.Darnay and the Manettes are voluntary exiles from France.Mr. Stryver, a barrister, and Mr. Darnay seek Lucie's favor.Lorry warns Stryver he may not succeed.

There is so much color in a Dickens novel, street scenes, grotesque names, (Cruncher), so many roles assumed, (Barsad, spies), and so many droll ways of telling a story, (an officiating undertaker),a reader is overcome with admiration for the author's craft.Dickens is comparable to Shakespeare in terms of breadth of subject matter.

I don't think historical writing is Dickens's strong suit, but, in any event, Dickens is Dickens, and the momentum given to him through Carlyle's work carries him to the end.In his personal life Dickens was in a sensitive and overwrought state, and this shows through in his portrait of Dr.Manette.Manette,for reason of his incarceration, seems to be afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder.

timeless classic wrought w/ mistakes (publisher review)
The back cover does not match "look inside" picture - I received a condensed version of Dickens' story consisting only of train/mistress story.Last line:"His affair with Nellly eventually cost his his marriage."Their typos, not mine.
Title heading on every page inside reads "A Tail of Two Cities."Once again, their mistake (spelling), not mine.
So what else is wrong with this printing?I don't know this book well enough to risk finding out...
Also there is no publishing page in the book - is this a legal copy?

Overrated "classic"
Sure, the story has some twists at the end, but I find the language arcane as well as archaic. The story-telling is cumbersome and sometime confusing; there are large chunks of narratives about irrelevant details (such as the chapter "The lion and the jackal", it does little to advance the plot). The dialogues are pretentious and unnatural -- the characters speak with a lot of parenthesized texts. The actions of the people are also to some extent unexplained and unexplainable: why does Carton sacrifice himself to save Darnay? Because of his love for Lucie? At the end he is portrayed as some larger-than-life hero and martyr, but I find some hollowness and unbelievability in that.

Dickens' contemporaries and French counterparts, Victor Hugo and Alexander Dumas, who also wrote a few books using the same backdrop (the French Revolution). I think they are both better writers and story-tellers.

Never read this in high school or college
I don't think I can say anything about this book that hasn't been said.I thought the characters, the plot and the historical backdrop were terrific.I'm not sure why I never read this in school, even as an English major.This is the kind of book that will stay with me forever.

Having said that, I don't think most high schoolers could ever fully appreciate this book.I read this at the same time as my 10th grader, who did not enjoy it.I think it's a struggle for most younger readers to understand the plot and Dickens' writing style.If you have to read it for school, try to appreciate it and think about reading it again when you are older - it is very much worth the effort!

Histoical Sentimental Trivia
This novel was published in weekly installments. I think Dickens was a bit absentminded in the first two books, because the plot is quite weak and flickering. In book three the intensity grows and resembles more a normal novel. The content of this novel is the most commonplace sentimental trivia. But apparently it has met the tastes of the audience at the time. Dickens is supposed to be a great writer, right? It's quite amazing that he could pour out this kitchy sentimental romantic trivia. Was he just calculating on the limited minds and romantic dispositions of his female audience to increase his sales? Or was he, after all, not that great a writer? ... Read more

Product Description
In this, Dickens's most openly political novel, readers discover the terrible human consequences of a ruthlessly materialistic philosophy in the lives of Thomas Gradgrind's family. Set in Coketown, a typical Lancashire milltown. The music is by Glazunov and Volkmann. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (76)

Moving
The book itself is nicely down by Everyman's Library, a nice attractive volume. As for the story...a classic of course, on the plight of the poor, industrialism, etc., in England.Great charatcters.

So-so
I totally didn't get this book. Ordinarily I like Dickens but now I simply couldn't figure out what each event had to do with each other, nor did I understand the end. However the single segments, especially those with Louisa in them, were interesting. It is even funny reading the beginning of the book when Mr. Gradgrind teaches that imagination is useless and only facts are important. If you want a fluid book that is more this type of story,read Great Expectations,which is not my favorite book but it certainly makes more sense. Personally, my favorite Dickens is Oliver Twist.

Hard Times
Book was in excellent condition and service was excellent. It's not the seller's fault that the book is boring.

Outstanding Audio Book
This review is for the audio book narrated by Martin Jarvis.This is one of the better audio books I've listened to in a while from the perspective of the narrator doing excellent voice characterizations.Jarvis was able to make each character sound distinct and they each sounded just like I would have imagined.Bounderby was thunderous, Tom Gradgrind sounded like a whelp, and Blackpool sounded meek and humble.It made for an enjoyable listen that made it very easy to follow the characters.

I've always been a fan of Dickens and have read most of his books, but this was my first time through "Hard Times".As with most of Dickens novels, the characters are almost caricatures, but this method does a good job of pointing out human strengths and weaknesses.This is a short novel for Dickens, but still did a good job exploring the impact of what would happen if science is emphasized too much over emotional education.

He once again highlighted the problems with class distinctions in English society at that time.I like how his humble characters have more wisdom than those that are rich or of high social position.

I highly recommend this audio book as a great way to be introduced to Dicken's "Hard Times".

Zzzzzzz
I found Hard Times to be a particularly boring novel.I also purchased the matching audiobook which I listened to on a long drive.There should be a warning label!The darn thing puts you to sleep faster than listening to Stephen Hawking all day...anesthetized!Why not one star?I like Dickens, what can I say? ... Read more

Product Description
In "Paradise Regained", Satan again is on the prowl, having successfully tempted Adam and Eve, and forced their departure from the Garden of Eden, here he sets out to tempt again - this time Jesus himself, as he comes to the end of his 40 days in the desert. The magisterial poetry of Milton enriches the encounter and, while not matching the greatness achieved in "Paradise Lost", provides drama and depth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (30)

The Kindle version is horrible
The Kindle version is horrible. I mean, Milton's Paradise Regained is supposed to be an amazing work of literature and not formatted poorly. It's supposed to be a poem, which means there's supposed to be line breaks. Instead, this version is more of a run-on sentence. There's also no footnotes, which would probably make this useless for anything academic related.

If you're looking for Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained for the Kindle, spend a dollar and get Harvard Classics, Vol. 04: The Complete Poems of John Milton Written in English instead.

Not for Kindle
The work itself is of course brilliant- the Kindle edition is abominable. I selected this edition above other Kindle editions for the footnotes. Not only are the footnotes not included in the Kindle edition, there is also not a table of contents. As I am in the midst of book IV in my paper copy and was purchasing the Kindle edition as backup while traveling, this is unfortunate. I do not care to leaf through over 100 pages looking for my place. Poor form, Amazon, poor form.

Excellent choice
I really chose a good book to read for my english class. What is more awesome is that this book came really fast. And in excellent condition!

Nicely done
Very easy to read printing of Paradise Regained, in contrast to everything else I've seen.

Hard to read
Well, I am not a native english speaker, but even for an english native speaker, it's a very hard reading, due the poetry, metric and ancient words... it is a classic, beauty story, but it's better if you undertand the whole text, I cannot... ... Read more

Product Description
This box set contains all four titles from the critically acclaimed and extremely popular historical crime fiction series by C. J. Sansom. Matthew Shardlake, lawyer and reformist in London during the reign of Henry VIII. His investigation skills are tested in four cases where both his life and the lives of others are threatened. In "Dissolution" he travels to Scarnsea Monastery where one of Thomas Cromwell's Commissioner has been brutally murdered. Shardlake must expose the killer but his inquiries soon force him to question everything he hears, and everything that he intrinsically believes. In "Dark Fire" Shardlake returns to London and a new assignment from Cromwell. The formula for Greek Fire, a legendary Byzantine weapon, is discovered by an official of the Court of Augmentations. Shardlake is sent to retrieve the formula but instead finds the official and his alchemist brother murdered and the formula missing. "Sovereign" takes Shardlake to York, following Henry VIII and his Progress to the North. The murder of a local glazier involves Shardlake in a mystery connected not only to a prisoner in York Castle but to the royal family itself.And in "Revelation" when an old friend is horrifically murdered Shardlake promises his widow to bring the killer to justice. His search leads him to connections with the dark prophecies of the Book of Revelation. Shardlake follows the trail of a series of horrific murders that shakes him to the core, and which are already bringing frenzied talk of witchcraft and a demonic possession - for what else would the Tudor mind make of a serial killer...? Praise for the series: 'Dissolution is a remarkable, imaginative feat. It is a first-rate murder mystery and one of the most atmospheric historical novels I've read in years' - "Mail on Sunday". 'One of the author's greatest gifts is the immediacy of his descriptions, for he writes about the past as if it were the living present' - Colin Dexter. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Major Bummer
This is not a review about the Shardlake series, which by the way is wonderful, but rather the box set of audio books. No where in any of the descriptions from any of the various sellers is it indicated that these are abridged versions of the books. Tsk,tsk,tsk...found out the good news when the set arrived. Should have seen it coming: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is! ... Read more

Product Description
In 1977, Stephen Donaldson changed the face of epic fantasy, with the publication of THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT THE UNBELIEVER. Thomas Covenant is struck down with a disease believed eradicated; he is abandoned by his wife and son and becomes a pariah. Alone and despairing, Covenant falls - and is drawn into a mysterious new world, where gentle people work magic and the earth itself brings healing. He is welcomed as the reincarnation of a legendary saviour, but Covenant refuses to believe. At the end of the sixth book, as Covenant battles to save the world, he is killed - in both worlds - as Dr Linden Avery, his horrified companion, looks on. Now comes the book every fantasy reader has been waiting for. It's ten years later, and Linden Avery thought she would never see the Land, or Covenant, again. But Lord Foul has stolen her adopted son, and is unmaking the very laws of nature. And though she believes Covenant dead, he keeps sending Linden messages: 'Find me', and 'Don't trust me'. The Land is in turmoil, and Lord Foul has plans for them all...Amazon.com Review

Amazon.com Exclusive Content

Worth the Wait
More than two decades after he completed the Second Chronicles, Stephen R. Donaldson has begun a third series about the leprous Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. In this Amazon.com exclusive essay, Donaldson explains why The Runes of the Earth has been so long in the making. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (165)

Best in the series
Background: I just went back and re-read the entire first two series after some 25 years, and now I'm reading this one.

Contrary to some other reviewers, I enjoyed The Runes of the Earth even more than the first series. It feels richer and more complex, and for me even the "non-action" passages are compellingly good. It also seems driven more by mystery than the previous books, and to me everything fits together just fine. I am also enjoying Linden Avery rather more than Thomas Covenant, as memorable as he is. This has been the best book I've read in a long time.

Side note: I am in the middle of Fatal Revenant now, and I am not enjoying it as much, but that's another review.

Great Donaldson so far.
I haven't completed this book yet. So far it is similar to the previous Covenant books. I really like it so far. Hope it continues that way!

Welcome Back Mr. Donaldson!
Stephen R. Donaldson's The Runes of the Earth brings us back to The Land where Thomas Covenant was the White Gold Wielder. For those of you who have not read the first six books of this series you'll want to start with Lord Foul's Bane. Mr. Donaldson does not disappoint in this much anticipated sequel set thousands of years after the first 2 series. I won't get into details because I really don't want to give away anything from the first 6 books for those of you who may be interested. However this time around we are following Dr. Linden Avery as she is transported back into The Land that she shared with her love Thomas Covenant. Although it had only been ten years in the real world thousands of years have passed in The Land. Mr. Donaldson does what he does best and that's get inside the head of the characters in such a way that you feel their innermost parts. Their thoughts and emotions are just as much an adventure as the story that unfolds around them. I can do nothing but praise these books for what they are...true fantasy at it's finest.

One of the most important things that I appreciated about this book is that Mr. Donaldson took the time to recap all six previous books and the main plot. Since it has been several years since the previous six books this was refreshing for me personally. Typical of his books they start out a little slow for my liking however once you get past the first couple chapters (yet still very important) you are transported into a fantasy off epic proportions. (I always wanted to say that)

I give The Runes of the Earth: The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant a rating of MUST READ for all you fantasy fans out there. I would however caution folks that this is not an easy read but a bit more complex than the average fantasy book that I've read in a while.

Sincerely,
Daniel L Carter
Author of The Unwanted Trilogy

Wordy
'The Runes of the Earth' is the first book in the 'The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant', this coming some 20 years after the publication of 'The Second Chronicles'. It's good to be back in the Land but 'Runes of the Earth' is definitely a weak link in the series. Donaldson is even more verbose than in prior books and the plot moves forward very slowly as the events of the prior books rehashed over and over. The result is that not much new seems to happen in this one. Also not much seems to have changed in the Land in the many centuries since Linden was last there, the same peoples, cultures even the same villages. It might as well have been five years since Linden was last in the Land, for all the difference it makes.
It all seems very stale, hopefully the next book in the series will add something new.

Way to long and uninteresting
I have previously read all of the CTC and enjoyed them. So I bought this book thinking they would be as good.Sadly this one isn't.It's way too long and complicated.Too slow a read to be engaging. ... Read more