Product Description
In this sequel to the phenomenal New York Times bestseller The Fires of Heaven, we plunge again into Robert Jordan's extraordinarily rich, totally unforgettable world:

On the slopes of Shayol Ghul, the Myrddraal swords are forged, and the sky is not the sky of this world;

In Salidar the White Tower in exile prepares an embassy to Caemlyn, where Rand Al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, holds the throne--and where an unexpected visitor may change the world....

In Emond's Field, Perrin Goldeneyes, Lord of the Two Rivers, feels the pull of ta'veren to ta'veren and prepares to march....

Morgase of Caemlyn finds a most unexpected, and quite unwelcome, ally....And south lies Illian, where Sammael holds sway....
... Read more

Customer Reviews (317)

Wheel of time series, by Robert Jordan
Excellent book series, don't get involved if you dont want to read a long story.like 14 books long.if you enjoy reading fantasy novels this is one of the best.it is a legendary story equal to the writings of Tolkien, better than any other modern fantasy novelist currently in writting.

Low point of the series
I must shake my head in amazement when i read all of the five star reviews that this book gets.It's like these people haven't even read the first five books in the series, for if they did they would have to realize the dropoff in quality starting with Lord of Chaos.By no means a terrible book, this is where the majority of WoT readers can all agree that the series begins to stagnate.This is one of those rare novels where one can openly give the entire story away and not have to put spoiler tags because ABSOLUTELY NOTHING EVER HAPPENS.Readers should just get used to this and stick it out, as this becomes a theme for the next three books or so.

One thing that this book does do, however, is contintue to develop the entire female cast of characters into the most hateable ensemble of raving lunatic bitches to ever grace the pages of American literature.Just about every single chapter with Elayne or Faile is complete torture.Oddly enough, I don't really mind Nynaeve, but that's probably because she spends most of the series next to the completely intolerable Elayne.Seriously Elayne.Go away and die.

Having said all of that, the book is interesting enough to get to the end, which is actually one of the most climactic endings in the entire series.All i have to say is this: Dumais Wells.That is all.

Lord of Chaos
The speed with which I received the books was definitely 5 star (I ordered books 5, 6, and 7). But I ordered the larger size of the paperbacks and received the smaller size. If the larger size is no longer available then it shouldn't be an option. This is the second time this has happened. The other time was with another vendor.

The begin of the great Wheel of Time slump
When I first read Robert Jordan's Lord of Chaos back in 1997, I remember it being a grueling read that sapped my enthusiasm for the series. In many ways, it sets the formula for its successors -- hundreds of pages of inertia punctuated by an event at the end. Now that I'm older and am better at deconstructing an author's intent, successful or not, I do appreciate what Robert Jordan was trying to do with the book. The payoff is neatly executed based on themes set-up throughout the book, it's just that it necessitates making the women of the book -- particularly Nynaeve and Elayne -- extremely unlikable.

Lord of Chaos is fundamentally about Rand's relationship with the Aes Sedai, which in turn is a proxy for the relationships between men and women in general. In Fires of Heaven, Moiraine told him never to trust another Aes Sedai -- Rand understands the argument, but naively underestimates the two delegations that come to him. He chooses to trust the wrong delegation, and that in turn forces a series of events that culminates in the Battle of Dumai's Wells, perhaps one of the most visceral and exhilarating action sequences in the series. The final moments of the story proper also bring about the natural resolution for Robert Jordan's major themes -- his view of the politics between men and women, and in particular, the manipulation and humiliation of men at the hands of women and ultimately the need for women to submit to men.

I'm not sure if I would describe Robert Jordan as a sexist, necessarily, and he's definitely not a misogynist, but he takes the "Women are from Venus, Men are from Mars" approach to an embarrassing level. The women of the book do not treat its men very well -- indeed, Rand is literally tortured for being a man that can channel (though one wonders if he's tortured for simply being a man who stands up to powerful women). This has been a problem for me throughout the series, but I find it especially troubling in Lord of Chaos. Gender is treated as a see saw, tilting the balance of power between one side or the other. There is no equality, only a struggle for dominance.

I want to continue my re-read of the series to get to Brandon Sanderson's contributions, but I wonder how much more of this I can take. It's especially a shame because the earlier books were so entertaining. Alas, I must grit my teeth and soldier on to the end, although each volume grows more tedious than the last.

Tragic
That a series begun with such promise could devolve into this is sad. Read the first three, or four if you have the stomach for it, and then move on to Martin, Le Guin, Erikson, Tolkien, or even Brooks. ... Read more

Product Description
The seals of Shayol Ghul are weak now, and the Dark One reaches out. The Shadow is rising to cover humankind.

In Tar Valon, Min sees portents of hideous doom. Will the White Tower itself be broken?

In the Two Rivers, the Whitecloaks ride in pursuit of a man with golden eyes, and in pursuit of the Dragon Reborn.

In Cantorin, among the Sea Folk, High Lady Suroth plans the return of the Seanchan armies to the mainland.

In the Stone of Tear, the Lord Dragon considers his next move. It will be something no one expects, not the Black Ajah, not Tairen nobles, not Aes Sedai, not Egwene or Elayne or Nynaeve.

Against the Shadow rising stands the Dragon Reborn.....
... Read more

Customer Reviews (289)

Action, finally
Note I read this on the smaller gray 2nd-gen kindle. The maps are pretty much unreadable because of the contrast ratio or not being optimized for the screen. A minimum of formatting issues in this one.

As I have stated in my other reviews I find the strict adherence to the plot formula a little annoying. I mean it's not like it's network TV or something. It's not like Jordan had to account for commercial breaks and a strict budget or something. For instance as in books 2 and 3 all the characters stay exactly where they were for the first 25% or so of the book. There were maybe two action sequences in that time and the rest was just summarizing the plot and re-introducing the universe. And fretting about where they'd go next. Finally all the characters started leaving to their various destinations around the 31% mark. It is great motivation to get through the first third as quickly as possible.

Assuming a "major plot line" is defined by number of chapters dedicated to it there were three major plot lines and a forth relatively minor plot line. Of those I enjoyed Perrin's story the most, probably because some action stuff seemed to happen with some regularity. He's like if some one combined Forrest Gump with General Patton. As in "woops, I'm a general".

I'm not trying to imply I want ONLY action. It's just hundreds of pages of riding horses and talking, staying some place to camp and talking followed by more horse riding and...talking...gets a little dull after a while. So a Trolloc invasion every so often is a fun change of pace, albeit rare.

The Tanchico stuff I just found long and plodding. I just tried to get through it as quick as I could to get back to Perrin.

Rand's tale was a slightly more interesting than Tanchico but I still found it on the dull side.

As some point I thought I knew how Perrin's tale would end up as it would have been a perfect re-intro into the story for the next book. But I was way off. Probably. I haven't started five yet.

The last chapter I actually didn't see coming at all. I wasn't sure how it would end but I wasn't really expecting that ending.

I've always thought there were some passing similarities with this series and star wars: a chosen one, special sword from his father, a "Darth Vader" type of villain. And actually a perfect Han Solo and...well maybe I shouldn't compare Perrin to Chewie even if Perrin is large and harry and in a matter of speaking talks with wolves. The only thing missing is some sort of Yoda-like figure to teach Rand. Maybe in book 5!

I remember wondering what happened to Min in my last review. She was in the first couple chapters of book 3 and then disappeared. Well she showed up in the first chapter of this book as a way to re-introduce the The Tower. Her's was the forth plot line I mentioned: at least she played some part this time around and not insignificant. I don't know why I like her so much.

One thing I have noticed about these books: no curse words other than "she muttered an oath", only subtle alluding to sex with phrases like "a good cuddle" and even the evil seems to have some kind of black-and-white feel to it (no gray areas or ambiguity in the good vs evil, you're one or the other.). But some how tobacco smoking seems perfectly acceptable, which is fine with me but seems some how in contrast with the last 15 years or so. It's like this book is out of a different era. Personally I find it refreshing. When I'm done with this series I'll be reading "A Game of Thrones" which from what here is about as opposite of this as a series can get.

Conclusion:
Despite what may seem like complaints above I actually did enjoy this book for what it is and will be reading the next book albeit after a break. I only knocked a star off because of the strange procedural-like formula Jordan seems to insist upon and because parts of it are just agonizing to get through. The great parts, I feel, balance it out.

Shadow Rising Review
If you liked the first 4 books, you'll like this one.This is the one where things move past the beginning level adventure and into the nitty gritty.If you haven't read the first 4 books...do it.Start with the Eye of the World.

Tough to read when it never shows up
This supplier needs to use shipping methods that are capable of tracking. I paid 4 times as much for shipping as I did for the product itself, and it was still supposed to take 1-3 weeks to arrive. 3 weeks? Did they hire an orphan to run from Miami to Colorado with my book in hand? That's the only plausible explanation I can think of for anything to take 3 weeks to get anywhere in today's world. My book was supposed to show up by June 1, it is now June 8 and I have no idea where it is. They could at least give that poor orphan a bike for crying out loud.

$9.99 for the Kindle edition is flat out thievery
$9.99 (Kindle edition) for a book that has been in paperback well over 10 years? I understand that Macmillan wants to charge a higher fee for new releases but this book is several dollars cheaper at your local bookstore and that price takes into account the printing of the book, transportation to the store, profit for the publisher and for the book seller. The electronic version shares almost none of those expenses yet they have decided to charge the consumer an extra $2.00? Shame on you Macmillan. Much like the music industry that failed to accept the future before it was too late, Macmillan seems focused on scalping the consumer for a few extra bucks now at the expense of a long term relationship with the buying public. Looks like I will just pull out my old paperback and save myself $10.

Macmillan/TOR price increase
Macmillan has increased the price for this ebook, so they are now charging more for the zero per-unit-cost ebook than the paperback.In this pricing dispute with Amazon, Macmillan has claimed that the concern was about newly released books.This book has been in print for more than a decade.Any costs associated with producing this book we recouped a thousand fold before anyone ever thought of selling the ebook.Given that the cost to Macmillan of the ebook is essentially zero, Macmillan is now chargingan unreasonable price for this ebook. ... Read more

Product Description

Mario is elated to find Chester. He begs his parents to lethim keep the shiny insect in the newsstand, assuring his bug-fearingmother that crickets are harmless, maybe even good luck. What ensuesis an altogether captivating spin on the city mouse/country mousestory, as Chester adjusts to the bustle of the big city. Despite thecricket's comfortable matchbox bed (with Kleenex sheets); the fancy,seven-tiered pagoda cricket cage from Sai Fong's novelty shop; tastymulberry leaves; the jolly company of Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat; andeven his new-found fame as "the most famous musician in New YorkCity," Chester begins to miss his peaceful life in theConnecticut countryside. The Cricket in Times Square--a NewberyAward runner-up in 1961--is charmingly illustrated by the well-lovedGarth Williams, and the tiniest details of this elegantly spun,vividly told, surprisingly suspenseful tale will stick with childrenfor years and years. Make sure this classic sits on the shelf of yourfavorite child, right next to The Wind inthe Willows. (Ages 9 to 12) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (135)

Product Review
I found my dvd of "Cricket In Times Square to be exactly as the seller presented it. I was sent in a very timely manner. I will use this seller again!

I've read lesser books, I suppose...
(Disclaimer: Please be aware that this review reflects only my opinion and should, like any other review, be taken with a "grain of salt," so to speak. Neither my opinion nor anyone else's should ever be the final deciding factor in YOUR decision to purchase or read a book. If you are curious about the work in question, I encourage you to purchase it, read it, etc. and come to your own conclusions regardless of what another individual has said.) Now, onto the review...

I've read lesser books, I suppose, but still, I was somewhat surprised that this one was a runner-up for the Newbery Award. The plot isn't overtly complex, though, considering that this is a children's book, it doesn't need to be. A flash-synopsis is as follows: a cat and mouse in a Times Square subway station befriend a lonely cricket who has, against his will, been brought to Conneticut. The cricket is the "pet" of an Italian boy, whose family runs the struggling newstand inside the subway station. After a few mishaps here and there, which prompt Mama Bellini to dub Chester Cricket a "jinx," Chester redeems himself by quickly learning and composing music using his cricket's wings; he and his songs soon become famous and are sought-ought by crowds in the subway station. Fame eventually (and predictably) begins to affect the cricket in a negative way and, with the help of Harry Cat and Tucker Mouse, he boards a subway headed back for the meadows of Conneticut. The book, I suppose, isn't horrible, but it isn't all that remarkable, either.

In reality, the novel really didn't have many merits. Yes, it was about several unlikely friendships, but friendship is a rather generic subject to explore in children's literature unless it is done in a fantastic and truly captivating way; the partnership of a cat and mouse has been written of before in countless stories (examples can easily be found within the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, for example) and doesn't necessarily cross any boundaries or reveal any sort of truth in Selden's book as it has in others. The subject of freedom is touched upon, albeit briefly, and Chester Cricket comes to feel he is a victim of artistic exploitation when the Bellini family has him perform on a schedule in order to draw customers to their once poorly-performing business. This is a bit melodramatic and, really, unnecessary, considering that Chester is free to escape any time he wishes with the aid of Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat. More confusing still, the cricket doesn't wish to flee out of a sense of "loyalty" (?) to the Bellinis, the family who has been profiting from his musical talent in the first place. The lines of friendship and freedom, along with any message they might convey, become muddled and aren't really smoothed out by the novel's end.

Furthermore, Selden's book contains what I feel to be a rather racist depiction of the Chinese characters. The elderly Chinese man Sai Fong who tells Mario Bellini the legends about crickets and sells him the cricket cage (which Chester loathes), is given a heavy accent in which his "R's" are written as "L's." Also, Sai Fong's laughter ("Eee hee hee!") wasn't passed off as harmless or as endearing as the author might have hoped for. Younger children, who are not racially-sensitive, could easily find humor in something that they are not mature enough to appreciate at that particular point in their lives. Yes, Selden published his work in the 60's, but as readers living in a p.c.-conscious 21st century, such issues really ought to be addressed.

Again, the story wasn't terrible, but it wasn't remarkable, either. I was rather bored at points and convinced myself to finish the book since it was relatively short. As someone who reads a tremendous lot of children's books, I don't feel that "The Cricket in Times Square" can really compete thematically, creatively, or commercially in today's market. I've read it once, though I doubt I shall ever pick it up again.

My kids & I LOVED this book!
We listened to this on tape in the car & we all loved it (40yr old mom & 2 8yr olds). Such a sweet, sensitive story of friendship & letting go what you love to make it happy. Wonderful ending....the narrarator was great, really brought the characters to life.

One of my favorites...can't believe I didn't hear about this book when I was a kid! Im sure my kids are going to want to read this now & I'll probably read it too.

Cricket In Times Square - Trip Down Memory Lane
While reading books for the Revisit Your Childhood Favorites Reading challenge I chose George Selden's "A Cricket In Times Square." In it we meet Chester the Cricket, who 3 days ago was safely enjoying a picnic lunch in Connecticut, but now finds himself in the strange & wonderful world of New York City. Discovered by Mario, the son of a newsstand owner, he soon befriends Tucker Mouse & Harry Cat. Feeling out of place at first, he soon discovers a hidden talent that brings notoriety to himself as well as Mario's family. Along the way he has several adventures, including a fire, a Chinese dinner, and eating money (quite by mistake!). This trip down memory lane was a quick read, and it's easy to see why this is a Newberry Honor book.

Loved it!
This was my favorite book while growing up. I read hundreds of books while I was younger but still read this one several times. I would love to go back and read it again. ... Read more

Product Description
The life of a ten-year-old girl is shattered by two drunken and remorseless young men. The mostly white town of Clanton in Ford County, Mississippi, reacts with shock and horror at the inhuman crime. Until her black father acquires an assault rifle and takes justice into his own outraged hands.

For ten days, as burning crosses and the crack of sniper fire spread through the streets of Clanton, the nation sits spellbound as young defense attorney Jake Brigance struggles to save his client’s life–and then his own.Amazon.com Review
This addictive tale of a young lawyer defending a blackVietnam war hero who kills the white druggies who raped his child intiny Clanton, Mississippi, is John Grisham's first novel, and hisfavorite of his first six. He polished it for three years and everydetail shines like pebbles at the bottom of a swift, sunlitstream. Grisham is a born legal storyteller and his dialogue is pitchperfect.

The plot turns with jeweled precision. Carl Lee Hailey gets an M-16from the Chicago hoodlum he'd saved at Da Nang, wastes the rapists onthe courthouse steps, then turns to attorney Jake Brigance, who needsa conspicuous win to boost his career. Folks want to give Carl Lee asecond medal, but how can they ignore premeditated execution? The townis split, revealing its social structure. Blacks note that a white manshooting a black rapist would be acquitted; the KKK starts a newClanton chapter; the NAACP, the ambitious local reverend, a snobby,Harvard-infested big local firm, and others try to outmaneuver Jakeand his brilliant, disbarred drunk of an ex-law partner. Jake hits thebooks and the bottle himself. Crosses burn, people die, crowds chant"Free Carl Lee!" and "Fry Carl Lee!" in the antiphony of America'sclassical tragedy. Because he's lived in Oxford, Mississippi, Grishamgets compared to Faulkner,but he's really got the lean style and fierce folk moralism of JohnSteinbeck. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Customer Reviews (380)

Intriguing
A Time to Kill was the first novel I read by John Grisham.It was so great that I began to read his other novels, and to date I have read at least a dozen of his them.A Time to Kill is an easy read and also educational about the criminal justice system.A Time to Kill makes the criminal justice system interesting to me, despite the fact that I had no prior interest in it before reading the novel.I would recommend it to existing Grisham fans, and to those who have yet to become immersed in his writings.Start with this one!

Grisham Again At His Best
I had seen this book as a movie quite a long time ago; however, the book truly outshines the movie, as is generally the case. Grisham brings his characters to life and you feel involved and invested in their lives and the story. It is, once again, a truly well-written novel; and, I now have read 13 of Grisham's novels; with, the intention of ordering more. I am "comfortable" with legal thrillers; as, I've had the opportunity to testify as an Expert Witness; and, I find Grisham's work to be non-sensationalistic and quite realistic. For example, A Time To Kill had an ending to it that I could not predict; and, that's what keeps me going back for more of Grisham's works!

Kindle Version - Excellent
One of my all time favourite books. John Grisham at his best and far better than the later books. A good old story which will keep you turning the pages. Kindle edition appears to have been properly edited, no major typos.

A tense legal thriller by John Grisham
John Grisham's first novel is a dandy, although controversial and troubling to many citizens of the south. A black father takes the law into his own hands when his young daughter is tortured and raped by two white men. Carl Lee Hailey becomes a vigilante and evens the score but this is only the beginning of this powerful story. The racial lines are drawn in the town where the trial is to be held but all over the state of Mississippi, and predictably violence erupts and the NAACP and the KKK are front and center during the trial, each side awaiting the verdict that may change the community of Clanton forever. The audiobook was read by Michael Beck whose expert narration brings listeners to a front row seat for this riveting novel.

Thank you Mr.Grisham. I learned English byreading all of your books.
I am a Russian Woman. 5 years ago I came to USA with no English. I started to read your books and now I can read in English the same way as in Russian. I read all your books and I can tell - You are the best! Thank you so much for your talent. Here is more - I wrote the book in English "Hi Mom, I am here in your belly". My book isavailableon Amazon.com
Sincerely, Lyudmyla Hensley ... Read more

Product Description
It is November 25, 1960, and three beautiful sisters have been found near their wrecked Jeep at the bottom of a 150-foot cliff on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. The official state newspaper reports their deaths as accidental. It does not mention that a fourth sister lives. Nor does it explain that the sisters were among the leading opponents of Gen. Rafael Leonidas Trujillo’s dictatorship. It doesn’t have to. Everybody knows of Las Mariposas—“The Butterflies.”

In this extraordinary novel, the voices of all four sisters—Minerva, Patria, María Teresa, and the survivor, Dedé—speak across the decades to tell their own stories, from hair ribbons and secret crushes to gunrunning and prison torture, and to describe the everyday horrors of life under Trujillo’s rule. Through the art and magic of Julia Alvarez’s imagination, the martyred Butterflies live again in this novel of courage and love, and the human cost of political oppression. 


Amazon.com Review
From the author of Howthe Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents comes this tale of courageand sisterhood set in the Dominican Republic during the rise of theTrujillo dictatorship. A skillful blend of fact and fiction, In theTime of the Butterflies is inspired by the true story of the threeMirabal sisters who, in 1960, were murdered for their part in anunderground plot to overthrow the government. Alvarez breathes lifeinto these historical figures--known as "las mariposas," or"the butterflies," in the underground--as she imagines theirteenage years, their gradual involvement with the revolution, andtheir terror as their dissentience is uncovered.

Alvarez'scontrolled writing perfectly captures the mounting tension as"the butterflies" near their horrific end.The novel beginswith the recollections of Dede, the fourth and surviving sister, whofears abandoning her routines and her husband to join themovement. Alvarez also offers the perspectives of the other sisters:brave and outspoken Minerva, the family's political ringleader; piousPatria, who forsakes her faith to join her sisters after witnessingthe atrocities of the tyranny; and the baby sister, sensitive MariaTeresa, who, in a series of diaries, chronicles her allegiance toMinerva and the physical and spiritual anguish of prison life.

In the Time of the Butterflies is an American LibraryAssociation Notable Book and a 1995 National Book Critics Circle Awardnominee. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (169)

AP World History Review - Rich Narrative
In the Time of the Butterflies is a well written novel by Julia Alvarez that details the story of the four Mirabal sisters and their resistance against the Trujillo regime in the 1960's. Three out of the four sisters has a first person narrative in the novel, the different chapters being headed with their different names. The narratives are fiction, written by Julia Alvarez, but are based around real events that happened to the Mirabal family, and how each event helped to spur the revolution against Trujillo throughout the Dominican Republic.
I liked this book because not only did I get context on a Latin American government upheaval during the 19th century, like we were studying in class previously, but it was also interesting to read about women leading a political movement as opposed to it being primarily led by men. It was inspirational to learn of their stories, and read of each sister's triumphs in the revolutionary movement before three of the sisters' untimely and horrific deaths.
I would reccomend this to other students primarily because it gives a good amount of relatable context to students on a revolution in Latin America, and you get to see what these experiences were really like for people during this time. Instead of reading about it in a textbook, you are engulfed in this rich narrative which is difficult to put down, as the story of the Mirabal resistance is incredibly inspirational and interesting to read. You learn about the strict regime of Trujillo, the politically unjust acts he performed throughout his dictatorship, and how the Mirabals came to lead the resistance against him and become famous as 'the butterflies'.

A haunting story about the radicalization of middle class women
Julia Alvarez provides us with a haunting story about the radicalization of middle class women, caught in the web of the Trujillo's oppressive regime in the Dominican Republic in the 1940s and 50s.The novel is based on a true story, but the form of a novel allows Julia to penetrate the inner mind of what women in similar shoes might have thought and felt. She captures so beautifully the small and large moments that occur in our lives, that change our minds and our hearts, so that we end up in a totally different place than we thought wewould be. I admit I didn't want to read the novel at first, as I find it too disturbing to read about militancy and torture. But this book is really about what makes us human, or not, and how the live the best life we can in the circumstances within which we find ourselves.

In The Time of the Butterflies
The book I purchased was listed as "like new", but when I recieved it , it was quite used and had writing in the text!!
Quite disappointing!!

women making change
Alvarez pays homage to the lives of the Mirabal sisiters.The thread of the story is kept simple and the passion is delivered.
It most certainly reveals a great deal of the "why" and
"who" are the the Dominican Women.

AP World History: In the Time of the Butterflies
Julia Alvarez'snovel, In the Time of the Butterflies, is a moving story of four sisters fighting a very corrupt and powerful Dominican government in the mid- 1900's. Her powerful tale of women bringing social injustice to the public eye was a perfect mix of romance and revolution. Each sister (Patria, Dede, Minerva, and Maria Teresa) has her own special quality and drive she brings to the revolutionary movement the sisters begin - along with a husband and children. Even though the primary duties of women in this era were to nurture children and take care of the home, these sisters bound together to rise up in retort to an unfair political system. Courage is required of all of the Mirabal family when their normal lives of hair ribbons and secret love rapidly turns to a rebellion with gunfire and prison. Their hardships and martyrdom set an example of the sacrifices a family must make in order to establish a democratic and free country for prosperity.

Julia Alvarez writes this tale with power and emotion. Although not her personal experience, she moves from sister to sister and recalls their thoughts and troubles in each narration. The plot moves on with grace, despite the toils and suffering within it. Julia Alvarez has truly captured the spirit and determination of the Mirabal sisters. Skillfully written, her characters hold a place in readers' hearts and demand justice.
... Read more

Product Description
The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.
Amazon.com Review
Robert Jordan has created a rich and intricate tapestry ofcharacters in his Wheel of Timeseries. In this seventh volume, Rand al'Thor--the Dragon Reborn--drawsever closer to the Last Battle as a stifling heat grips the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (671)

Entertaining, but doesn't significantly move the story forward
My Kindle re-read of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time continues with A Crown of Swords.

This was the termination of my initial read-through of the series -- at this point Path of Daggers wasn't out yet, and I was in for a long wait for the next volume in the series. I remember being particularly bored and disillusioned with the Wheel of Time by this point, particularly with the Ebou Dar storyline. I've found that on my second reading of the book some 13 years later that I enjoyed it a great deal more than during my original reading -- particularly (and ironically), the arc centered around Ebou Dar and the hunt for the Bowl of Winds. Mat Cauthon is increasingly becoming my favorite character in the series and seeing him finally getting treated with the respect he deserves by the Aes Sedai was satisfying, as was Elayne and Nynaeve's dealings with the "real" sisters and the Kin.

Although more significant events take place in Lord of Chaos, A Crown of Swords is shorter and therefore unburdened by its predecessor's many filler chapters. Not to say that there isn't filler here -- the central storyline of A Crown of Swords is a bit of a cul-de-sac for the series, as the struggle to fix the world's broken weather is nothing more than a distraction from the Last Battle. I found it to be a relatively brief read, and although it doesn't further the story significantly, the character movement was satisfying, and Mat's cliffhanger is still as strong as I remembered. Tangential though the story may be, it comes down to whether or not you like the characters -- I happen to be fond of them, so spending some time with Mat, Elayne and Nynaeve in Ebou Dar wasn't a bad way to spend a week and a half of reading.

However, on the negative side, the pacing of Rand's arc was especially uneven. The showdown at the end seemed to come out of nowhere, given that the chief antagonist was barely mentioned in A Crown of Swords before the climax. It does show that Jordan was able to move the story when he wanted to and could have resolved many of his story lines within a few chapters. However, in this case the lack of any kind of build-up to the fight left me a bit bewildered. The ending itself is incredibly rushed, the payoff seemingly unearned given the similar ending (and better set-up) featured in The Dragon Reborn. This is something I remembered from my first read-through, and my opinion has changed little on the second.

At this point, readers know whether or not they're invested in the series -- if you like Mat, Elayne and Nynaeve, then A Crown of Swords will be a worthy read. But if you're plowing through the series eager for the start of Tarmon Gaidon, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

Still going
After reading the previous book in the Wheel of Time series, I thought I was halfway through, as 'Lord of Chaos' is book six and the series was projected to be twelve books. But now it seems the series is projected to go to 14 books so again I find myself halfway there, I'm like the donkey with the carrot in front of me always just out of reach :).
The overall story is still moving forward, albeit at a slightly slower pace. The consensus seems to be that the later books (6-10) aren't as good as the first five or so and I would agree, but I found this book , #7 in the series, still to be pretty good. There is a definite decline but not by much. A number of reviewers complain about the braid tugging and skirt straitening etc. but I thought Jordan actually dialed it down a notch or two for this book (or else I am so used to his particular writing quirks that I just don't notice them anymore). I still find his habit of giving every single character a name frustrating- in most books if a character is named it is because they are important to the story, but with Jordan, everyone has a name, important or not (down to horses!). Specific to this book, I found the long anticipated showdown between Rand and Sammael to be a letdown- poorly conceived and sloppily written. Never the less I am still looking forward to the next book and eventually, maybe some day in the far future, actually finishing the series.

great novelhorrible copy
I just love Robert Jordan, however I simply can't believe that the publisher has the gall to charge such inflated fees for digital copies of books available in paperback with so very many typos in them.

What a let down
This series started so well, and I enjoyed book 6 Lord of Chaos even though some claim that was the book Jordan decided to just stop progressing the story line at all. But this one, simply bored me from start to finish with the exception of the parts actually involving Rand.

The Elayne and Nynaeve searching for a bowl plot was dull in book 6, and really was painful to struggle through at times in this one. Quite how that plot has lasted over two books is ridiculous, especially considoring it seems to take up two thirds of this one whilst the only things that happens is Jordan introduces a bucket load of useless characters.

Whilst there is also several chapters from the point of view of Egwene that seemingly offer absolutely nothing to the story, yet there was three or four of them in a row to be struggled through near the start of the book. Did it really take 3 chapters to tell us they had left their village and started north, and that people still treated Egwene as a child.

Even the plot that follows Rand in this book, and there is precious little of it, is dull. He seemingly does nothing for the first two thirds of the book. Whilst then despite building up to it for about three books worth of useless chapters, he eventually goes and defeats Sammael in the same amount of lines as Jordan has used solely telling us Nynaeve was pulling her braid.

I'm still making my way through the series, and will read book 8 as I really enjoyed the first 6, but if it as bad as this one I won't be reading on further in the series.

The Pace is Picking Up
I am a late comer to this series and this is the first review I've written.I started this journey in January 2009 and it is now September.My goal was to read one book a month and finish by the end of the year.(Of course, I've since learned it will be a 15 book series...)But about book 3, I realized I wasn't recalling events and characters that were being referenced and became really frustrated by that.So I slowed down...about 2 months to a book.Unfortunately, the books slowed down too.Books 4 and 5 were quite tedious and I wondered if I'd find myself starting to agree with the 1-star reviews err the end.But then Book 6 came and for me, the story became extremely intriguing and the pace picked back up.And now I have Book 7, "A Crown of Swords" under my belt, having it read it in less than a month.The complex weavings (pun intended) that are the Wheel of Time story are so engrossing!Certainly this series is not for the faint of heart.It is like "The Silmarillion" in the respect that it is for hard-core fantasy readers only.I've since learned of a good web site that has chapter summaries and detailed character listings when I find myself not remembering an event or not sure about what I just read.Sure, the books have many tedious parts, what seems to be repetitious descriptors (Nyneave's braid tugging, each of the boys thinking the other knows more about women, etc), and odd grammatical choices...but good grief.I can easily look past those because of the immersion.This is escapism at its finest.So if by chance you are reading this review having not started the series, I would honestly say be sure you are ready to commit to it, and if you do, stick with it.It is well worth it so far. ... Read more

Product Description
Jack and Annie are ready for their next fantasy adventure in the bestselling middle-grade series—the Magic Tree House!

Jack and Annie’s mission from Merlin the Magician? To help the famous writer Charles Dickens! In a magical whirl, the brother and sister are whisked back in time to Victorian England and the foggy streets of London.

There, Jack and Annie discover that Charles Dickens has everything he could possibly want. How can they help him? It is not until Mr. Dickens rescues them from being thrown in jail that they discover his secret past and the sad memories that haunt him. They will need all their magic—and help from three ghosts—to keep the great writer from ruining his life!

Mary Pope Osborne mixes magic, humor, history, a little spookiness, and a lot of heart to create this tale, which celebrates the joys of writing—something she knows a lot about, thanks to millions of readers all over the world!

This is the perfect book for boys and girls about to see the classic play A Christmas Carol.

Visit the Magic Tree House Web site!
www.magictreehouse.com ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

amazing
all I can say is great!!! If you like this book you might try this oneMagic Tree House #45: A Crazy Day with Cobras (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))

Inviting! Liked the whole thing
My nine year old daughter's review...

'This book called me in the book store! "Come read me, come read me!". I thought that it described how the ghosts came out really well. I also thought that it was a really good way to teach a lesson to kids by telling them that they shouldn't be greedy or selfish and should help others more; they should be kind and hospitable. My favorite part was when Charles Dickens was chatting with his fans in the restaurant at the end.'

I'll just add that she read it in one sitting, so I know she enjoyed it.

... Read more

Product Description

No Ordinary Time is a monumental work, a brilliantly conceived chronicle of one of the most vibrant and revolutionary periods in the history of the United States.With an extraordinary collection of details, Goodwin masterfully weaves together a striking number of story lines--Eleanor and Franklin's marriage and remarkable partnership, Eleanor's life as First Lady, and FDR's White House and its impact on America as well as on a world at war.Goodwin effectively melds these details and stories into an unforgettable and intimate portrait of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt and of the time during which a new, modern America was born.

Customer Reviews (161)

Goodwin's reserve, alows her bookto become essential reading
Goodwin tells the inside story of the FDR's White House during World War II. To her credit, Goodwin delivers a solid, scholarly review exploring the personal motivations and complex interaction between Franklyn, Eleanor and their colorful inner circle. Goodwin could have easily cooked this book into a scandal rag. For example, both Franklyn and Eleanor carried on hushed (but by no means secret) love affairs within the White House walls. However, because of Goodwin's reserve, her book should become essential reading if you wish to fully understand FDR's White House. At the book's core is a unique couple who both first rise above their family pedigree and then overcome their personal fears and handicaps to achieve something extraordinary (i.e. the title, "No Ordinary Time"). Eleanor conquers her social shyness to champion the poor, instigating a number of new domestic programs and policies. Franklyn's personal stamina negates his hidden paralysis. His iron will is even more impressive as he defies his own party and strategically delays America's troop deployment into the battlefields of WWII. I recently tried reading (but failed to finish) Gore Vidal's "The Golden Age." It is historical fcition covering the exact same subject matter. Strangely, I found the fictional account to be stiff and the historical account to be heartfelt. Why settle for fiction when the facts are so fascinating?

No Ordinary Time
Like all Doris Goodwin's books, this was beautifully written and easy to read.
I recommend this book on FDR as one of the best.

No Ordinary Time
This book was recommended to me. We were traveling to the Hudson River Valley and were going to stop at Hyde Park. Began the book before we reached FDR's house and am still reading it two weeks later. Yes, it's long, but so well written and so full of fascinating information about two exceptional people. Today's politics is disgusting and irreverent and it's helped me to learn that things haven't changed that much since FDR's days. I have come to admire Eleanor greatly through this read and feel I now have a true picture of their relationship and their contributions to history during what was "No Ordinary Time".

Portrait of a couple, and of a nation
For those who say a man must be a good father and husband in order to be a good leader, I recommend this book to you.Authored by one of America's most famous female historians, this book follows the lives of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt thru their 2nd, 3rd and 4th terms in the White House.The book looks at their personal and public lives, and how they influenced each other, and the history of the world.Written in chronological order, the book covers war planning, domestic politics, the race issue, labor relations, the public growth of Eleanor Roosevelt, along with the lives of numerous residents and visitors to the White House such as Winston Churchill, the Roosevelt children and friends, and the many attractive women who intrigued FDR, some of whom were possible mistresses.What comes across is their respective abilities with people.There is Franklin's ability to communicate with people in person or en masse, and to steer them towards a common goal, which is the essence of leadership.Then there is Eleanor's ability to empathize with people, to understand their wants and needs and to work to help them.What also comes across is the story of Washington's first true power couple, both of whom are so occupied with longer horizons that neither can make the concessions needed to create a happy family.It is clear that FDR cheated on his wife, with multiple women most likely.And the book suggests that Eleanor in turn cheated on FDR, though of a less sexual nature.This failure in marital relations was passed onto their children.The 4 sons went thru 18 marriages between them, and their one daughter also went thru a divorce.The book clearly illustrates how sacrifices for public service often include a ruined family life.So overall, a very insightful and important book about American history, and how history is made by people making decisions on a daily basis often under less than perfect circumstances.

Good Stuff - You'll learn something

Doris Kearns Goodwin hit it out of the park with this one. (Please excuse the obvious baseball metaphor.) The book is a biographical study of Franklin & Eleanor during the FDR years in the White House. The subject itself has all the potential of being a very factual yet boring Sleeper. However, with the author's skill, it turns out to be a biographical Page-Turner. So often books about the FDR administration tend to be either printed tributes to the Roosevelts OR simply a negative display of the author's political differences with the FDR legacy. The book "No Ordinary Time" shows a more humanistic view of two people that left very large foot prints as they went through life. Coincidently, they happened to be in the center of the world's stage at the time. The reader is left to interpret the consequences of those foot prints. ... Read more

Product Description
In their youth, Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza fall passionately in love. When Fermina eventually chooses to marry a wealthy, well-born doctor, Florentino is devastated, but he is a romantic. As he rises in his business career he whiles away the years in 622 affairs--yet he reserves his heart for Fermina. Her husband dies at last, and Florentino purposefully attends the funeral. Fifty years, nine months, and four days after he first declared his love for Fermina, he will do so again. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (512)

Love in the Time of Cholera
There are three main characters and numerous sub characters.Two of the main characters are involved in a love affair for over a half century, but only one of them knows it and liveswith the pain of rejection until a time in their lives when they are both old and alone.The story is sad, funny and poignant, and was a delight to read.

A Meditation on Materialism and Love
This great, poetic love story explores the fatal impact of materialism on our vulnerable hearts.It is a lengthy, beautifully written book, presented in a wonderful translation that engulfs the reader in a lush jungle of words. This engrossing book with its well-structured plot is inhabited by fully formed, intriguing characters.

One of the most intriguing parts of the book is the title. Why love in the time of Cholera? What does cholera have to do with love, or with the plot of the book? It would be wrong to seek too dogmatic an answer to this question in an obviously poetic, and anti-dogmatic novel. Nevertheless, I believe this book is about materialism, about how our craving for money and position can become a cholera-like disease that destroys love.

The rest of this review contains passages that some readers might consider spoilers.

Very early in the book, we learn that the love between Florentino and Fermina does not flow smoothly because Fermina chooses wealth and security with Juvenal Urbino over the passion offered her by Florentino.In reaction to his loss, Florentino spends his life in pursuit of wealth and fleeting sexual encounters. None of this brings him happiness, and much of his life, both sexual and professional, ends up enmeshed in dubious moral quandaries, destruction and perversion.

I read the story as an indictment of materialism in all its forms. The land in which the book takes place is ultimately decimated by this materialism, the beautiful and romantic forests that provide the lush setting for this book are destroyed, and the characters who inhabit them are no less ravished by their slavish pursuit of wealth rather than true love. In the end, the landscape is in ruins, the characters husks of their former selves. Materialism and disease reign supreme, love is perverted and lost.

Any great novel, and Love in the Time of Cholera is a very great novel, cannot be easily reduced to simple themes and dogmatic statements. Thus what I have written here is an over simplification of a complex book that has many virtues. The book can serve, for instance, as a catalogue of the various types of love or as a meditation on the difference in temperament between logical, rule bound people and those who are governed by romance, by the heart. There are many other themes that run through the book. For me, however, the primary theme here is the destructive power of materialism, and how the twentieth century became a grave yard for love that was sacrificed to the false god Mammon.

Love in the Time of Cholera
This book quickly became one of my favorites. I have read and re-read it, loaned it andrecommended it to friends. It's depth and passion and beautiful phrases are almost like lyrics. Gabriel Garcia Marquez has a beautiful gift! And I beacame a devoted fan before I was done with the first chapter.

Sigh!
Ah.. There is very little prose, which may be as lyrically structured as that of Marquez's. There is very little prose, which describes the state of love sickness more beautiful than that of Marquez's. As I was reading this book I "sighed and sighed and sighed ...".

One of the amazing skills of good story telling is to make and break biases. This skill is exemplified by the author's ability to weave out intricate patterns, but only to unwind them later as you move along the story. I have the habit of categorising people according to 'my' mental gauge meter. And alas! I found my state akin to that of a delirious, intoxicated and inept sea captain navigating using his poorly calibrated sextant. Watch out for a whole lot of inconspicuous psychological traps / paradoxes introduced intentionally by the author.

Novel captures the full continuum of manifestation of love. Traversing this continuum, I think is the heart and purpose of the novel. The told story, its characters and incidents are vehicles which takes us through a fascinating and highly rewarding tour of this landscape.

Beautifully written, but problematic.
This is a difficult book for me to review, because there are two factors at work here that for me are at very much at odds.

On the one hand, Love in the Time of Cholera is a beautifully written book, rich with imagery and emotive language. This is all the more impressive when you consider how difficult it must be to translate any work from one language to another and still manage to evoke the feelings that the original author intended, and for that I must give high praise to Edith Grossman, the translator for the English edition that I read.

On the other hand, there is a very real difficulty in sympathizing with Florentino Ariza, the protagonist of the novel. In his youth, he courts Fermina Daza, the daughter of a wealthy businessman from a poor family who is obsessed with social climbing. Because her father disapproves of Ariza (a poor boy who would not improve his family's social standing), their relationship consists almost entirely of love letters sent back and forth. After a long while, though, Fermina finally rejects him. Later she marries Juvenal Urbino, a doctor and a member of one of the most respected families in the city, and has a relatively happy marriage. Florentino, however, never gets over her, and continues to desire her from afar, even after fifty years, and when her husband dies, Ariza is ready to pick things right back up from where they left off.

Here is where the novel falls apart for me, though: I can believe a man could be so hopelessly in love with a woman that he obsesses over her for the rest of his life. However, Florentino's actions do not befit a lovelorn man pining for his sweetheart. Over the course of his life he has sexual relationships with literally hundreds of women, many of them married. After one woman is murdered by her husband after he discovers her unfaithfulness -- due to Ariza writing on her stomach with some body paint -- Ariza's only concern seems to be the fear that the husband will find out who his cuckolder is and come after him. At one point he rapes one of his servants and, when she gets pregnant, compels one of her suitors to marry her. In his old age, he is made guardian of a 14-year-old girl who is described as a "blood relative", and almost immediately begins an affair with her, which ultimately results in her suicide.

Even the things he does with relation to Fermina are questionable. He hangs around her neighborhood constantly, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. He attends balls and ceremonies and celebrations for no other reason than that he knows she'll be there. He writes daily letters to her for months while receiving no reply. He calls her on the telephone just to listen to her answer, saying nothing until she hangs up. These are more the actions of a stalker than a suitor.

And the most outrageous part of all this is that, in the end, he gets the girl. What lesson is the reader supposed to take from this? That being a womanizing, cuckolding, creepy-ass stalker who dabbles in rape and pederasty will win the heart of your one true love?

(Incidentally, Fermina knows absolutely nothing of any of his sexual shenanigans. Florentino even has the gall to tell her he's a virgin at the age of 76, though she's not stupid enough to believe it.)

While the story is interesting and well-told, this dissonance regarding the protagonist left me somewhat at a loss. In the end, my score is more for the richness of the prose than anything else. ... Read more

Product Description
Readers have eagerly snapped up more than a million copies of The Dragon Reborn, the third book in the #1 internationally bestselling Wheel of Time series, and now Robert Jordan fans will be able to enjoy it in a beautiful trade paperback edition.Robert Jordans Wheel of Time has over ten million copies in print in over twenty languages.The Dragon Rebornthe leader long prophesied who will save the world, but in the saving destroy itis on the run from his destiny, able to touch the One Power but unable to control it.Perrin Aybara, bedeviled by dreams, is in pursuit with Moiraine Sedai, her Warder Lan, and Loial the Ogier. Egwene, Elayne, and Nynaeve are approaching Tar Valon, where Mat will be healedif he lives until they arrive. But who will tell the Amyrlin their newsthat the Black Ajah, long thought only a hideous rumoris all too real?Ahead for them all, in the Heart of Stone, lies the next great test of the Dragon Reborn . . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (319)

Tales for the Young at Heart
The books are a full 700+ pages, which takes some time to read. Since I read a standard length book in less than a day, I like this feature. The series is full of rich detail that leads the reader to a world filled with fairy tale beasts, evil characters and heros. The rich detail allows the reader to become a visual part of the action.

The Wheel of Time series is a classic coming of age tale with all the elements for character building. The plot revolves around three teenagers who are suddenly thrust into a battle of good and evil. The characters face gut-wrenching decisions in their quest to defeat the darkness that threatens to engulf their world," but nothing is as it seems.

The books have many elements in common with Tolkein's Lord of the Rings saga. If you liked Lord of the Rings, you'll find much to like in the Wheel of Time series.

Very well done
Voices are easy to understand (clear, crisp) and are very talented.Great to listen too while driving or just relaxing at home.Of course the story (series) is outstanding; I have read it and enjoy listening to it even more.

The best so far
I am reading this on the smaller "2nd gen" kindle. Here are some notes on the kindle version, non-kindle readers can skip. I believe this had the fewest formatting errors of the books I've read so far.The text-to-speech feature is enabled but isn't really worth bothering with because of all the book-specific vocabulary words like Aiel and Daes Dae'mar (and Min keeps coming out "minimum"). Some maps are included but I had trouble making them out on this particular kindle screen. Perhaps the maps are better on the newer/better contrast versions.

As for the actual book I enjoyed the story without Rand as much as the prior two which contained Rand. Maybe even more so: no one whining about being what he didn't want to be through the whole thing. And finally, at long last, the character who hasn't done much of anything outside of be a burden for basically two entire books gets cured of his cursed item and is able to actually contribute to the story in some way.

One thing I have noticed about the two sequels I have read so far is that the first 25 to 30 percent (the kindle has a convenient progress bar so I happen to know) of the novel is dedicated to re-introducing the reader to the main characters, the universe and rules of the universe. But not that much really happens. It's like the opening to a sequel movie: an action sequence or two to keep your attention and then it's just largely pointless stuff until everything is re-introduced. I'm sure I'd appreciate this if I took breaks between novels but as someone reading them all back-to-back it's just kind of boring. Having said that I never skip that first 25% because it's still the characters I love and the universe I enjoy and that's just more of it even if it does seem boring and pointless.

To go off on a tangent briefly I read a trilogy of books by Stephen Donaldson (the Thomas Covenant series) and the two sequels I read did the same re-introduction but in an incredibly smooth and flawless way. So it's possible to re-introduce all this stuff to the reader in one or two chapters instead of 25% of the book, I wish Jordan had taken a cue from that author.

It's almost like I love the characters, the story, the universe, and most everything about these Wheel of Time books but not the way the author writes them. I don't know if that even makes sense. Sometimes I just wish the more relevant parts were described in greater detail while the lesser stuff was skipped had less priority in descriptions. For instance do I really need to know the sailors of EVERY BOAT are barefoot? You already mentioned it multiple times from the perspective of multiple characters. I get it. The sailor's feet are bare. Okay. I don't need to know that. Same thing with the mud: I get it, it's muddy in the city. You already described that in incredible details when the other characters arrived, I don't need to know it again.
The action sequences, as I think have been mentioned before, are possibly the weakest point. Especially Rand's portions: dad cuts the silk slowly, turtle balances on a barrel, cat on a rain gutter... that's an action sequence?? (Yes, I made those sword moves up, but you get the point).

This series, at least to me in these first three, is kind of like the TV show "Legend of the Seeker" in this way: There's a lot of weaknesses to it and it's not exactly high art but some how the show is my guilty pleasure. And I'm starting to think the Wheel of Time is the same sort of thing: perhaps not high art, not Stephen King's get-into-the-character's-head but there's still an appeal for what it is (these novels are superior to the Seeker of Truth novels, to be clear).

This review might make it sound like I didn't like the book but actually I did. I never got any of the characters mixed up (there's always a "just like in Edmond's field"-this or a "I don't feel any wolves"-that, if nothing else). Hopefully if you're contemplating this third book you've read the first two so all I can say is if you enjoyed those first two then you will also enjoy this one.

I'm definitely planning on going right on to the forth book. If nothing else I would like to know what happened to Min. She just kind of got sent away at the top of the book and was never heard from again.

Good series
This is a good good series, about 15 books when the final two are released. While the middle books were not as good, books 1-5 and the last couple are good.

Too Much Bark, Not Enough Bite (Spoiler Free Review)
The Wheel of Time Series is famous for it's ginormous fantasy universe brought to live through Robert Jordan's poetic writing style.There are hundreds of characters with significant roles, rival factions spanning a thousand years, and complex sub-plots.The complexity and depth of these books are phenomenal.However, there are times when these books tend to spend far too much time focusing on world building and sub plots and dilute the main quest / story arc.

Story:
Well, the title and the first 50 pages will have you believe that this book is about Rand facing his destiny and becoming The Dragon Reborn.But 600 out of the 675 pages actually focus on Perrin's transformation into a spiritual wolf pack leader, Nynaeve, Egwene, and Elayne's quest to investigate Dark Ajah spies in the White Tower, and Mat's quest to recover from the effects of the possessed dagger from Shadar Logoth.The book also introduces more of the Aiel and highlights their culture.The story arcs meet up at the end of the book, but the payoff is awfully weak.Instead, the book talks about more fiendish plots in the future.After finishing this book, I feel kind of ripped off.I also have a whole new appreciation for the simplicity of the original Star Wars Trilogy.

World:
The Wheel of Time world is amazingly deep and complex.There are online encyclopedias if you want to research the world.It's truly amazing.Combined with Robert Jordan's writing style, your brain will get quite a workout holding the world together in your head.

Characters:
More time is spent on the characters in this book, than the previous novels.Perrin, the 3 girls, and Mat get loads of pages.You get a pretty good idea as to what motivates them.Unfortunately, Rand just fades into the background and becomes a plot device.Some of the villains are interesting, too.However, there's quite a bit of time spent on tertiary characters that don't really go anywhere.This does make the world feel deeper, but it also slows down the pacing of the book.It's unfortunate.

Action:
The action in the book is ok, but there are too many instances where a mage justs casts an 'auto-win the battle' spell or the details of the action are lost in poetic descriptions.How am I supposed to be interested and feel the tension of a fight to the death when the action isn't described?Rand performed Splitting the Silk, Monkey Eats Banana, and Hawk Swoop as swords clashed.There is no drama or suspense in that.It makes you want to skip to the end just to see who won.

Maturity:
These books are good for teens and anyone who can juggle all of the events of a super deep fantasy world in their imaginations.No sex, swearing, and the violence isn't gory.

Overall:
If you enjoy a deep world and a poetic writing style, this is a 5 Star book for you. You will probably also enjoy the Malazan Books by Steven Erikson.
If you want to cheer on a hero as he faces his destiny, you will be somewhat disappointed because the major story arcs are overshadowed by world building.
... Read more

Product Description
The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.

Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.
Amazon.com Review
Is Robert Jordan still doing the Light's work? Even loyal fans have to wonder. (And if you're not a fan yet, you'll have to read the previous 6,789 pages in this bestselling series to understand what all the fuss is about.)

Everyone's in agreement on the Wheel of Time's first four or five volumes: They're topnotch, where-have-you-been-all-my-life epic fantasy, the best in anybody's memory at the time since The Lord of the Rings. But a funny thing happened on the way to Tarmon Gai'don, and many of those raves have become rants or (worse) yawns. Jordan long ago proved himself a master at world-building, with fascinating characters, a positively delicious backstory, and enough plot and politics to choke a Trolloc, but that same strength has become a liability. How do you criticize what he's doing now? You want more momentum and direction in the central plot line, but it's the secondary stories that have made the world so rich. And as in the last couple of books, (A Crown of Swords and The Path of Daggers), Jordan doesn't really succeed at pursuing either adequately, leaving a lot of heavily invested readers frustrated.

Winter's Heart at least shows some improvement, but it's still not The Eye of the World. Elayne's still waiting to take the crown of Andor; the noticeably absent Egwene is still waiting to go after the White Tower; Perrin gets ready to pursue the Shaido but then disappears for the rest of the book. About the only excitement comes with the long-awaited return of Mat Cauthon and a thankfully rock 'em, sock 'em finale in which Rand finally, finally changes the balance of power in his fight against the Dark One. --Paul Hughes ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1102)

A pretty good entry for a late one...
I read this and liked it. The camera was held pretty tightly on the action. It let Mr. Jordan write in his active style, and when he does that I find that I like his books in this series somewhat better. The trade-off is that we don't get a lot of sweeping action sequences, but that's a good thing here. The claustrophobic view is held on individual characters and so we get to see more intimately the actions they undertake in the story. In other words, what we do get is less "watered down" than the stuff we read in, say, The Fires of Heaven.

Fantastic
The book was a gift for my daughter and she could not have been more pleased.She has long since read it and I am about to get her another one.It arrived exactly when predicted and shipped to a second address just fine.

Conflict galore
Ooooh. I can see the end in sight and this one hooked me by the nose, pulling me along.

My patience with the previous book (no Matt) was rewarded this time. And, boy did I love how Mr. Jordan drew out the whole Matt finding out who Tuon was. And Matt's response when he does find out? Priceless. And the 3 women who love Rand and what they do? Hilarious. And the attempt to cleanse saidin? Whoa!

My only concern is what is going on with Faile (but there was a little hint of another plotline there).

Setting: Nothing much was new here. We just get to see even more of the world. I don't remember having anyone go to Ebou Dar before, though. So, that was very interesting.

Conflict: I touched on a few above, but there is a lot going on here. Every chapter seemed to have something new, some new way to deepen and intensify the conflict, or even to add another level of pain for the characters. I actually started to like Alanna (I know!) and I'm understanding Cadsuane more - and totally respecting her.

Plot: The main thing is about Rand trying to cleanse saidin. But, there is also the Seanchan in Altara and Matt's love life. There is Rand and the Asha'men. There are the machinations of the Forsaken. There is even Paiden Fain, crazier than ever.

Character: We get even more insight into characters like Alanna, Cadsuane, Nynaeve, and even Rand. I had gotten a bit tired of Rand in previous books. But in this one, we get some more insight into his thinking thanks to some intimate psychic connections from others.

Text: Still lots of flowery description and details about what people are wearing. I felt like the action sequences are also getting better, though. Previously, I was having trouble following along sometimes.

Still stretching out the trilogy
Here we have the ninth book in the series. I have read this book at least twice before. We diverged with Perrin in a extraneous quest but he needed something to balance all the fun Mat seems to be having.

Thus we run square into the problem that Jordan has created, too many streams. The entire discussion during this reread is where can this series end, for it was a trilogy.

After the series achieved success others will show how Jordan purports to have thousands of pages on the history of the world. That is all well and good, but back when the story was only going to be a trilogy, you wouldn't need to create so much unless you were sure you were going to be paid for it. Before WoT, Jordan was not all that well published. Conan books, and not as memorable as the items published much earlier by those who expanded on Howard's iconic barbarian hero.

But now as a writer making money. Probably very good money, why not take the time to step back and create a mega opus. Bigger then Tolkien who is regard as the God of Fantasy.

Why not write so many character sketches that you can fill rooms with them. That may make the world richer, but it sets up problems. Winter's Heart fails though not as badly as the previous transition book. The failure is having so many story lines that justice is not done to any of them.

Further the time scale is again destroyed, where earlier books almost a year will pass in the telling, now it is weeks, and our heroes can accomplish what used to take them months. One has to remember that they are novices at there jobs of magic casters, or rulers, or battle leaders despite what memories may be inside their head.

Those of you who aren't twenty, how many really know that it does take years to have the wisdom to read people. To analyze the interactions of your environment quickly and correctly. If every twenty year old could do it (And there are several in Jordan's world who can.) Then what need of older people. Surely everyone over twenty-five are idiots...

In the Music Man, "The older-but wiser girl for me..." (It was on last night) and that is highlighted everytime a Wise One or Aes Sedai of years of experience is bossed around by one of the children. Sure they need to be heroic, but elders need to help them manage, not jump to every order.

So again do you read this book. Well it is better than the previous for stories, though shortened, do complete. But once again Jordan is stretching out his trilogy beyond all reason.

Winter's Heart
Even though this was sold new, two of the CDs were defective and chapters could not be listened to. In the auto, even the slightest bump caused the cds to skip. ... Read more

Product Description
H. G. Wells

Scientific visionary. Social prophet. Master storyteller. Few novelists have captivated generations of readers like H. G. Wells. In enduring, electrifying detail, he takes us to dimensions of time and space that have haunted our dreams for centuries -- and shows us ourselves as we really are.

The time machine

In the heart of Victorian England, an inquisitve gentleman known only as the Time Traveler constructs an elaborate invention that hurtles him hundreds of thousands of years into the future. There he finds himself in the violent center of the ultimate conflict between beings of light and creatures of darkness.

The war of the worlds

Martians invade Great Britain, laying waste turn-of-the-century London. This tale of conquest by superior beings with superadvanced technology is so nightmarishly real that an adaptation by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater sent hundreds of impressionable radio listeners into panicked flight forty years after the story's original publication. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (439)

A perfect world crumbles
"A Perfect World Crumbles"
By: Cameron Wright

H. G. Wells, in his novella, The Time Machine, weaves a tale that at first seems like a simple science fiction. However, it contains many symbolisms about the lifestyle choices of mankind today. The main character's name is never given in the story; he is referred to as "The Time Traveler". He invents a machine that can travel back and forth throughout the fourth dimension of time. He successfully travels forward approximately eight-hundred thousand years into a time when humanity has been split into two groups: the Eloi and the Morlocks.


In the author's depicted future, mankind has undergone extreme favoritism of all living things. Plants, animals, food, etc, have all been winnowed into what is considered best. We act this way even in the present day. For instance, we decide which breed of dog is superior amongst the others and preserve and flourish these select. We feel that we have the right to judge and decide what has the right to exist and what does not. After eight-hundred thousand years of this practice, The Time Traveler has stumbled onto the result of a world with only "the perfect fruit" and the "the perfect animals".The Eloi live on the surface of our planet among those that have passed our critique.


The Time Traveler notices wells along the ground spread out from each other. For a time, he does not understand what they are. It seems too primitive that a well should exist in the future. He discovers that the wells lead to the underground world where the Morlocks live. The Morlocks act like slaves for the Eloi underneath the planet. They are only allowed to come onto the surface during the night. Earlier, the Time Traveler had noticed that the Eloi sleep in clumps huddled together during the night. This is because they are afraid of the Morlocks.


After living a life of carefree perfection, the Eloi have become witless and weak. They are unable to fend for themselves and depend on the Morlocks for their sustenance. The Morlocks, on the other hand, have become intelligent and strong. They have worked their entire lives and must fight simply to survive. If they attacked, they would easily be capable of defeating the feeble and delicate Eloi. A rebellion begins, and it is clear that the Morlocks will overtake and kill the Eloi. The Time Traveler is nearly killed, but escapes in his machine before the Morlocks kill him. He goes ahead much further in time and cannot find any human life. We have destroyed ourselves.


I believe that the Eloi and the Morlocks resemble today's society. The Morlocks resemble the poor who must earn their right to live through hard work and determination. Like the Morlocks, those that have to diligently work become capable and strong. The Eloi resemble the rich who are handed everything to them. When a person does not need to put effort into anything it is like the dulling of a blade. A blade cannot penetrate anything if it is not sharpened. Work and effort is our sharpener.

Another aspect found in this book relating to our society is the devaluing of what we do not think is perfect. Ultimately, if a society is made up of only who we believe is "the best-looking" or "the richest" or "the most useful", etc., while all others are diminished, the society will crumble. When the Time Traveler travels into the future, human life does not exist. We have ceased to live because we have lessened the value of life and imperfections.


The Time Machine was and still is a thought provoking novel. It caused me to evaluate the state of modern society. I think that H. G. Wells was ahead of his time. We have begun to see some of his predictions come to pass. The most obvious example would be the cause of World War II, the holocaust. Hitler implemented selective elimination of what he considered to be the weak. Even today, we see our society place value on what we believe is the most beautiful.


Reading this book has caused me to assess how I place my values. I have certainly put more value on what is most beautiful or expensive in my life at times. I do not believe that is the way God wishes for us to live our lives or view each other. In the Bible, 1 Corinthians 1:27 states, "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." This shows to me that we should not cherish only what we believe is best, but instead support the weak and less beautiful as well as the greater.

The Start of Something Special
In any discussion of the history of Science Fiction, H. G. (Herbert George) Wells is sure to be mentioned, and "The Time Machine" is the first of his novels/novellas.Wells may not have invented the genre, but his impact on it would be difficult to overstate.Unlike Verne, Wells was able to go beyond just what could be accomplished by science currently, and the invention of a Time Machine is central to the story Wells is telling.That is not to say that he has nothing to say on current sciences as well, just that he allows stories to take readers far beyond that which Verne would allow.

The history of "The Time Machine" is an unusual one.Wells had used the subject of time travel repeatedly starting in 1888 with his incomplete serial "The Chronic Argonauts".It next took form in a series of articles published in "The National Observer" in 1894, and then finally as a serial novel in "The New Review" in early 1895 when editor W. E. Henley moved from one publication to the other at the end of 1894 and convinced Wells to write it as a serial for his new publication.

The story itself is quite unusual as well.Wells refrains from naming the Time Traveler at all, and the narrator also remains nameless except one reference to a person named Hillyer in the final chapter before the Epilogue, which apparently refers to him.The only major character whose name is repeatedly used is Weena, the childlike woman whom the Time Traveler meets in the year 802,701 A.D.Though Verne would have considered the Time Machine a cheat, i.e. non-scientific, Wells does include other bits and pieces of science in the telling of this tale and there is a point he is making about science as well.He touches on evolution, astrophysics, and sociology in looking at what could happen to a society if life is too much of a utopia, as well as looking at the social divisions in the society of his time and where they may lead.

The story is a quick read, at around 90 pages, and just 12 chapters and the epilogue the reader can easily get through this in a single sitting if they desire.It also, despite its flaws, captures the reader's attention and so one is willing to forgive the flaws in the story-telling.

The Penguin Classics edition of "The Time Machine" also contains an Introduction by Marina Warner, notes on the text by the editor Patrick Parrinder, and textual notes by Steven Mclean.Lastly, though certainly not least, it contains Wells preface to the 1931 edition of "The Time Machine" in which Wells discusses the circumstances in his life when he wrote it, as well as his view that the work will outlive him.Flawed though the story may be, it is a significant work, very readable, and the Penguin Classics edition adds to the experience with the added material.

Time travel and politics
In my opinion, this book gets an "A" for originality.Most stories of time travel that I have read or watched on the big screen include super intelligent humans and fantastic technology.Not so in "The Time Machine."The two distinct races of humans in this book are simple and animalistic, or perhaps child-like.There is no incredibly advanced technology or even a grocery store to get the food, for goodness' sake.It's as if humanity reverted to the times of the Neanderthals.However, in the area of character development, Wells scores a "C" at best.None of the characters are terribly deep and I didn't find myself getting terribly attached to any of them -- few though they were.In storytelling, I think Wells did a nice job, as I was engaged in the narrative and enjoyed the description of places, things, and people.However, I was also vaguely aware of some kind of social commentary with the frequent references to the "upper class" and "working class," but I'm afraid this was lost on me, as I am not familiar with the culture of 1800s England.Overall, I give this book four stars.

Wells Was Far Ahead Of His Time!
This is a cool book from Wells. In it he takes a giant leap into the future, more precisely year A.D. 802701! This is an action packed novel, it's really quite amazing that it was first published all the way back in 1895! Because the action level is equivalent to a Dan Brown novel. Of course Wells is far better than Dan Brown, because Wells is not only action he is also vitamin! The novel ends with the words "in the heart of man". That end is kind of a signature for Wells' work, because he was really curious, and of course the curiousity was particular related to what a human can do? What a human is? What a human can become? What there is in the heart of man?

Thank You =)
Thank you, My nephew loves his book.
It was fast shipping, and good price. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (439)

A perfect world crumbles
"A Perfect World Crumbles"
By: Cameron Wright

H. G. Wells, in his novella, The Time Machine, weaves a tale that at first seems like a simple science fiction. However, it contains many symbolisms about the lifestyle choices of mankind today. The main character's name is never given in the story; he is referred to as "The Time Traveler". He invents a machine that can travel back and forth throughout the fourth dimension of time. He successfully travels forward approximately eight-hundred thousand years into a time when humanity has been split into two groups: the Eloi and the Morlocks.


In the author's depicted future, mankind has undergone extreme favoritism of all living things. Plants, animals, food, etc, have all been winnowed into what is considered best. We act this way even in the present day. For instance, we decide which breed of dog is superior amongst the others and preserve and flourish these select. We feel that we have the right to judge and decide what has the right to exist and what does not. After eight-hundred thousand years of this practice, The Time Traveler has stumbled onto the result of a world with only "the perfect fruit" and the "the perfect animals".The Eloi live on the surface of our planet among those that have passed our critique.


The Time Traveler notices wells along the ground spread out from each other. For a time, he does not understand what they are. It seems too primitive that a well should exist in the future. He discovers that the wells lead to the underground world where the Morlocks live. The Morlocks act like slaves for the Eloi underneath the planet. They are only allowed to come onto the surface during the night. Earlier, the Time Traveler had noticed that the Eloi sleep in clumps huddled together during the night. This is because they are afraid of the Morlocks.


After living a life of carefree perfection, the Eloi have become witless and weak. They are unable to fend for themselves and depend on the Morlocks for their sustenance. The Morlocks, on the other hand, have become intelligent and strong. They have worked their entire lives and must fight simply to survive. If they attacked, they would easily be capable of defeating the feeble and delicate Eloi. A rebellion begins, and it is clear that the Morlocks will overtake and kill the Eloi. The Time Traveler is nearly killed, but escapes in his machine before the Morlocks kill him. He goes ahead much further in time and cannot find any human life. We have destroyed ourselves.


I believe that the Eloi and the Morlocks resemble today's society. The Morlocks resemble the poor who must earn their right to live through hard work and determination. Like the Morlocks, those that have to diligently work become capable and strong. The Eloi resemble the rich who are handed everything to them. When a person does not need to put effort into anything it is like the dulling of a blade. A blade cannot penetrate anything if it is not sharpened. Work and effort is our sharpener.

Another aspect found in this book relating to our society is the devaluing of what we do not think is perfect. Ultimately, if a society is made up of only who we believe is "the best-looking" or "the richest" or "the most useful", etc., while all others are diminished, the society will crumble. When the Time Traveler travels into the future, human life does not exist. We have ceased to live because we have lessened the value of life and imperfections.


The Time Machine was and still is a thought provoking novel. It caused me to evaluate the state of modern society. I think that H. G. Wells was ahead of his time. We have begun to see some of his predictions come to pass. The most obvious example would be the cause of World War II, the holocaust. Hitler implemented selective elimination of what he considered to be the weak. Even today, we see our society place value on what we believe is the most beautiful.


Reading this book has caused me to assess how I place my values. I have certainly put more value on what is most beautiful or expensive in my life at times. I do not believe that is the way God wishes for us to live our lives or view each other. In the Bible, 1 Corinthians 1:27 states, "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." This shows to me that we should not cherish only what we believe is best, but instead support the weak and less beautiful as well as the greater.

The Start of Something Special
In any discussion of the history of Science Fiction, H. G. (Herbert George) Wells is sure to be mentioned, and "The Time Machine" is the first of his novels/novellas.Wells may not have invented the genre, but his impact on it would be difficult to overstate.Unlike Verne, Wells was able to go beyond just what could be accomplished by science currently, and the invention of a Time Machine is central to the story Wells is telling.That is not to say that he has nothing to say on current sciences as well, just that he allows stories to take readers far beyond that which Verne would allow.

The history of "The Time Machine" is an unusual one.Wells had used the subject of time travel repeatedly starting in 1888 with his incomplete serial "The Chronic Argonauts".It next took form in a series of articles published in "The National Observer" in 1894, and then finally as a serial novel in "The New Review" in early 1895 when editor W. E. Henley moved from one publication to the other at the end of 1894 and convinced Wells to write it as a serial for his new publication.

The story itself is quite unusual as well.Wells refrains from naming the Time Traveler at all, and the narrator also remains nameless except one reference to a person named Hillyer in the final chapter before the Epilogue, which apparently refers to him.The only major character whose name is repeatedly used is Weena, the childlike woman whom the Time Traveler meets in the year 802,701 A.D.Though Verne would have considered the Time Machine a cheat, i.e. non-scientific, Wells does include other bits and pieces of science in the telling of this tale and there is a point he is making about science as well.He touches on evolution, astrophysics, and sociology in looking at what could happen to a society if life is too much of a utopia, as well as looking at the social divisions in the society of his time and where they may lead.

The story is a quick read, at around 90 pages, and just 12 chapters and the epilogue the reader can easily get through this in a single sitting if they desire.It also, despite its flaws, captures the reader's attention and so one is willing to forgive the flaws in the story-telling.

The Penguin Classics edition of "The Time Machine" also contains an Introduction by Marina Warner, notes on the text by the editor Patrick Parrinder, and textual notes by Steven Mclean.Lastly, though certainly not least, it contains Wells preface to the 1931 edition of "The Time Machine" in which Wells discusses the circumstances in his life when he wrote it, as well as his view that the work will outlive him.Flawed though the story may be, it is a significant work, very readable, and the Penguin Classics edition adds to the experience with the added material.

Time travel and politics
In my opinion, this book gets an "A" for originality.Most stories of time travel that I have read or watched on the big screen include super intelligent humans and fantastic technology.Not so in "The Time Machine."The two distinct races of humans in this book are simple and animalistic, or perhaps child-like.There is no incredibly advanced technology or even a grocery store to get the food, for goodness' sake.It's as if humanity reverted to the times of the Neanderthals.However, in the area of character development, Wells scores a "C" at best.None of the characters are terribly deep and I didn't find myself getting terribly attached to any of them -- few though they were.In storytelling, I think Wells did a nice job, as I was engaged in the narrative and enjoyed the description of places, things, and people.However, I was also vaguely aware of some kind of social commentary with the frequent references to the "upper class" and "working class," but I'm afraid this was lost on me, as I am not familiar with the culture of 1800s England.Overall, I give this book four stars.

Wells Was Far Ahead Of His Time!
This is a cool book from Wells. In it he takes a giant leap into the future, more precisely year A.D. 802701! This is an action packed novel, it's really quite amazing that it was first published all the way back in 1895! Because the action level is equivalent to a Dan Brown novel. Of course Wells is far better than Dan Brown, because Wells is not only action he is also vitamin! The novel ends with the words "in the heart of man". That end is kind of a signature for Wells' work, because he was really curious, and of course the curiousity was particular related to what a human can do? What a human is? What a human can become? What there is in the heart of man?

Thank You =)
Thank you, My nephew loves his book.
It was fast shipping, and good price. ... Read more

Product Description
A scientist invents a time machine and uses it to travel hundreds of thousands of years into the future, where he discovers the childlike Eloi and the hideous underground Morlocks. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (439)

A perfect world crumbles
"A Perfect World Crumbles"
By: Cameron Wright

H. G. Wells, in his novella, The Time Machine, weaves a tale that at first seems like a simple science fiction. However, it contains many symbolisms about the lifestyle choices of mankind today. The main character's name is never given in the story; he is referred to as "The Time Traveler". He invents a machine that can travel back and forth throughout the fourth dimension of time. He successfully travels forward approximately eight-hundred thousand years into a time when humanity has been split into two groups: the Eloi and the Morlocks.


In the author's depicted future, mankind has undergone extreme favoritism of all living things. Plants, animals, food, etc, have all been winnowed into what is considered best. We act this way even in the present day. For instance, we decide which breed of dog is superior amongst the others and preserve and flourish these select. We feel that we have the right to judge and decide what has the right to exist and what does not. After eight-hundred thousand years of this practice, The Time Traveler has stumbled onto the result of a world with only "the perfect fruit" and the "the perfect animals".The Eloi live on the surface of our planet among those that have passed our critique.


The Time Traveler notices wells along the ground spread out from each other. For a time, he does not understand what they are. It seems too primitive that a well should exist in the future. He discovers that the wells lead to the underground world where the Morlocks live. The Morlocks act like slaves for the Eloi underneath the planet. They are only allowed to come onto the surface during the night. Earlier, the Time Traveler had noticed that the Eloi sleep in clumps huddled together during the night. This is because they are afraid of the Morlocks.


After living a life of carefree perfection, the Eloi have become witless and weak. They are unable to fend for themselves and depend on the Morlocks for their sustenance. The Morlocks, on the other hand, have become intelligent and strong. They have worked their entire lives and must fight simply to survive. If they attacked, they would easily be capable of defeating the feeble and delicate Eloi. A rebellion begins, and it is clear that the Morlocks will overtake and kill the Eloi. The Time Traveler is nearly killed, but escapes in his machine before the Morlocks kill him. He goes ahead much further in time and cannot find any human life. We have destroyed ourselves.


I believe that the Eloi and the Morlocks resemble today's society. The Morlocks resemble the poor who must earn their right to live through hard work and determination. Like the Morlocks, those that have to diligently work become capable and strong. The Eloi resemble the rich who are handed everything to them. When a person does not need to put effort into anything it is like the dulling of a blade. A blade cannot penetrate anything if it is not sharpened. Work and effort is our sharpener.

Another aspect found in this book relating to our society is the devaluing of what we do not think is perfect. Ultimately, if a society is made up of only who we believe is "the best-looking" or "the richest" or "the most useful", etc., while all others are diminished, the society will crumble. When the Time Traveler travels into the future, human life does not exist. We have ceased to live because we have lessened the value of life and imperfections.


The Time Machine was and still is a thought provoking novel. It caused me to evaluate the state of modern society. I think that H. G. Wells was ahead of his time. We have begun to see some of his predictions come to pass. The most obvious example would be the cause of World War II, the holocaust. Hitler implemented selective elimination of what he considered to be the weak. Even today, we see our society place value on what we believe is the most beautiful.


Reading this book has caused me to assess how I place my values. I have certainly put more value on what is most beautiful or expensive in my life at times. I do not believe that is the way God wishes for us to live our lives or view each other. In the Bible, 1 Corinthians 1:27 states, "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." This shows to me that we should not cherish only what we believe is best, but instead support the weak and less beautiful as well as the greater.

The Start of Something Special
In any discussion of the history of Science Fiction, H. G. (Herbert George) Wells is sure to be mentioned, and "The Time Machine" is the first of his novels/novellas.Wells may not have invented the genre, but his impact on it would be difficult to overstate.Unlike Verne, Wells was able to go beyond just what could be accomplished by science currently, and the invention of a Time Machine is central to the story Wells is telling.That is not to say that he has nothing to say on current sciences as well, just that he allows stories to take readers far beyond that which Verne would allow.

The history of "The Time Machine" is an unusual one.Wells had used the subject of time travel repeatedly starting in 1888 with his incomplete serial "The Chronic Argonauts".It next took form in a series of articles published in "The National Observer" in 1894, and then finally as a serial novel in "The New Review" in early 1895 when editor W. E. Henley moved from one publication to the other at the end of 1894 and convinced Wells to write it as a serial for his new publication.

The story itself is quite unusual as well.Wells refrains from naming the Time Traveler at all, and the narrator also remains nameless except one reference to a person named Hillyer in the final chapter before the Epilogue, which apparently refers to him.The only major character whose name is repeatedly used is Weena, the childlike woman whom the Time Traveler meets in the year 802,701 A.D.Though Verne would have considered the Time Machine a cheat, i.e. non-scientific, Wells does include other bits and pieces of science in the telling of this tale and there is a point he is making about science as well.He touches on evolution, astrophysics, and sociology in looking at what could happen to a society if life is too much of a utopia, as well as looking at the social divisions in the society of his time and where they may lead.

The story is a quick read, at around 90 pages, and just 12 chapters and the epilogue the reader can easily get through this in a single sitting if they desire.It also, despite its flaws, captures the reader's attention and so one is willing to forgive the flaws in the story-telling.

The Penguin Classics edition of "The Time Machine" also contains an Introduction by Marina Warner, notes on the text by the editor Patrick Parrinder, and textual notes by Steven Mclean.Lastly, though certainly not least, it contains Wells preface to the 1931 edition of "The Time Machine" in which Wells discusses the circumstances in his life when he wrote it, as well as his view that the work will outlive him.Flawed though the story may be, it is a significant work, very readable, and the Penguin Classics edition adds to the experience with the added material.

Time travel and politics
In my opinion, this book gets an "A" for originality.Most stories of time travel that I have read or watched on the big screen include super intelligent humans and fantastic technology.Not so in "The Time Machine."The two distinct races of humans in this book are simple and animalistic, or perhaps child-like.There is no incredibly advanced technology or even a grocery store to get the food, for goodness' sake.It's as if humanity reverted to the times of the Neanderthals.However, in the area of character development, Wells scores a "C" at best.None of the characters are terribly deep and I didn't find myself getting terribly attached to any of them -- few though they were.In storytelling, I think Wells did a nice job, as I was engaged in the narrative and enjoyed the description of places, things, and people.However, I was also vaguely aware of some kind of social commentary with the frequent references to the "upper class" and "working class," but I'm afraid this was lost on me, as I am not familiar with the culture of 1800s England.Overall, I give this book four stars.

Wells Was Far Ahead Of His Time!
This is a cool book from Wells. In it he takes a giant leap into the future, more precisely year A.D. 802701! This is an action packed novel, it's really quite amazing that it was first published all the way back in 1895! Because the action level is equivalent to a Dan Brown novel. Of course Wells is far better than Dan Brown, because Wells is not only action he is also vitamin! The novel ends with the words "in the heart of man". That end is kind of a signature for Wells' work, because he was really curious, and of course the curiousity was particular related to what a human can do? What a human is? What a human can become? What there is in the heart of man?

Thank You =)
Thank you, My nephew loves his book.
It was fast shipping, and good price. ... Read more

Product Description
HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.'Looking at these stars suddenly dwarfed my own troubles and all the gravities of terrestrial life. I thought of their unfathomable distance, and the slow inevitable drift of their movements out of the unknown past into the unknown future.'The narrator of the story, the 'Time Traveller' is an English scientist who invents a machine that he claims can carry a person through time. Upon testing his machine, the Time Traveller is transported to AD 802,701, a future world where mankind is split between the childlike, gentle Eloi and the brutish Morlocks.When he attempts to return home, he discovers that the Morlocks have stolen his machine and he is stranded. The Time Machine follows the Time Traveller as he attempts to reclaim his machine from the barbaric Morlocks, transporting himself onward to a world that is 30 million years from his own time. Here he experiences some of the last living things on the planet as earth is slowly beginning to die.Wells' grim vision of a world in decline is recognised as one of the seminal texts of the science fiction genre, exploring the themes of inequality, class and the relationship between science and society. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (439)

A perfect world crumbles
"A Perfect World Crumbles"
By: Cameron Wright

H. G. Wells, in his novella, The Time Machine, weaves a tale that at first seems like a simple science fiction. However, it contains many symbolisms about the lifestyle choices of mankind today. The main character's name is never given in the story; he is referred to as "The Time Traveler". He invents a machine that can travel back and forth throughout the fourth dimension of time. He successfully travels forward approximately eight-hundred thousand years into a time when humanity has been split into two groups: the Eloi and the Morlocks.


In the author's depicted future, mankind has undergone extreme favoritism of all living things. Plants, animals, food, etc, have all been winnowed into what is considered best. We act this way even in the present day. For instance, we decide which breed of dog is superior amongst the others and preserve and flourish these select. We feel that we have the right to judge and decide what has the right to exist and what does not. After eight-hundred thousand years of this practice, The Time Traveler has stumbled onto the result of a world with only "the perfect fruit" and the "the perfect animals".The Eloi live on the surface of our planet among those that have passed our critique.


The Time Traveler notices wells along the ground spread out from each other. For a time, he does not understand what they are. It seems too primitive that a well should exist in the future. He discovers that the wells lead to the underground world where the Morlocks live. The Morlocks act like slaves for the Eloi underneath the planet. They are only allowed to come onto the surface during the night. Earlier, the Time Traveler had noticed that the Eloi sleep in clumps huddled together during the night. This is because they are afraid of the Morlocks.


After living a life of carefree perfection, the Eloi have become witless and weak. They are unable to fend for themselves and depend on the Morlocks for their sustenance. The Morlocks, on the other hand, have become intelligent and strong. They have worked their entire lives and must fight simply to survive. If they attacked, they would easily be capable of defeating the feeble and delicate Eloi. A rebellion begins, and it is clear that the Morlocks will overtake and kill the Eloi. The Time Traveler is nearly killed, but escapes in his machine before the Morlocks kill him. He goes ahead much further in time and cannot find any human life. We have destroyed ourselves.


I believe that the Eloi and the Morlocks resemble today's society. The Morlocks resemble the poor who must earn their right to live through hard work and determination. Like the Morlocks, those that have to diligently work become capable and strong. The Eloi resemble the rich who are handed everything to them. When a person does not need to put effort into anything it is like the dulling of a blade. A blade cannot penetrate anything if it is not sharpened. Work and effort is our sharpener.

Another aspect found in this book relating to our society is the devaluing of what we do not think is perfect. Ultimately, if a society is made up of only who we believe is "the best-looking" or "the richest" or "the most useful", etc., while all others are diminished, the society will crumble. When the Time Traveler travels into the future, human life does not exist. We have ceased to live because we have lessened the value of life and imperfections.


The Time Machine was and still is a thought provoking novel. It caused me to evaluate the state of modern society. I think that H. G. Wells was ahead of his time. We have begun to see some of his predictions come to pass. The most obvious example would be the cause of World War II, the holocaust. Hitler implemented selective elimination of what he considered to be the weak. Even today, we see our society place value on what we believe is the most beautiful.


Reading this book has caused me to assess how I place my values. I have certainly put more value on what is most beautiful or expensive in my life at times. I do not believe that is the way God wishes for us to live our lives or view each other. In the Bible, 1 Corinthians 1:27 states, "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." This shows to me that we should not cherish only what we believe is best, but instead support the weak and less beautiful as well as the greater.

The Start of Something Special
In any discussion of the history of Science Fiction, H. G. (Herbert George) Wells is sure to be mentioned, and "The Time Machine" is the first of his novels/novellas.Wells may not have invented the genre, but his impact on it would be difficult to overstate.Unlike Verne, Wells was able to go beyond just what could be accomplished by science currently, and the invention of a Time Machine is central to the story Wells is telling.That is not to say that he has nothing to say on current sciences as well, just that he allows stories to take readers far beyond that which Verne would allow.

The history of "The Time Machine" is an unusual one.Wells had used the subject of time travel repeatedly starting in 1888 with his incomplete serial "The Chronic Argonauts".It next took form in a series of articles published in "The National Observer" in 1894, and then finally as a serial novel in "The New Review" in early 1895 when editor W. E. Henley moved from one publication to the other at the end of 1894 and convinced Wells to write it as a serial for his new publication.

The story itself is quite unusual as well.Wells refrains from naming the Time Traveler at all, and the narrator also remains nameless except one reference to a person named Hillyer in the final chapter before the Epilogue, which apparently refers to him.The only major character whose name is repeatedly used is Weena, the childlike woman whom the Time Traveler meets in the year 802,701 A.D.Though Verne would have considered the Time Machine a cheat, i.e. non-scientific, Wells does include other bits and pieces of science in the telling of this tale and there is a point he is making about science as well.He touches on evolution, astrophysics, and sociology in looking at what could happen to a society if life is too much of a utopia, as well as looking at the social divisions in the society of his time and where they may lead.

The story is a quick read, at around 90 pages, and just 12 chapters and the epilogue the reader can easily get through this in a single sitting if they desire.It also, despite its flaws, captures the reader's attention and so one is willing to forgive the flaws in the story-telling.

The Penguin Classics edition of "The Time Machine" also contains an Introduction by Marina Warner, notes on the text by the editor Patrick Parrinder, and textual notes by Steven Mclean.Lastly, though certainly not least, it contains Wells preface to the 1931 edition of "The Time Machine" in which Wells discusses the circumstances in his life when he wrote it, as well as his view that the work will outlive him.Flawed though the story may be, it is a significant work, very readable, and the Penguin Classics edition adds to the experience with the added material.

Time travel and politics
In my opinion, this book gets an "A" for originality.Most stories of time travel that I have read or watched on the big screen include super intelligent humans and fantastic technology.Not so in "The Time Machine."The two distinct races of humans in this book are simple and animalistic, or perhaps child-like.There is no incredibly advanced technology or even a grocery store to get the food, for goodness' sake.It's as if humanity reverted to the times of the Neanderthals.However, in the area of character development, Wells scores a "C" at best.None of the characters are terribly deep and I didn't find myself getting terribly attached to any of them -- few though they were.In storytelling, I think Wells did a nice job, as I was engaged in the narrative and enjoyed the description of places, things, and people.However, I was also vaguely aware of some kind of social commentary with the frequent references to the "upper class" and "working class," but I'm afraid this was lost on me, as I am not familiar with the culture of 1800s England.Overall, I give this book four stars.

Wells Was Far Ahead Of His Time!
This is a cool book from Wells. In it he takes a giant leap into the future, more precisely year A.D. 802701! This is an action packed novel, it's really quite amazing that it was first published all the way back in 1895! Because the action level is equivalent to a Dan Brown novel. Of course Wells is far better than Dan Brown, because Wells is not only action he is also vitamin! The novel ends with the words "in the heart of man". That end is kind of a signature for Wells' work, because he was really curious, and of course the curiousity was particular related to what a human can do? What a human is? What a human can become? What there is in the heart of man?

Thank You =)
Thank you, My nephew loves his book.
It was fast shipping, and good price. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (439)

A perfect world crumbles
"A Perfect World Crumbles"
By: Cameron Wright

H. G. Wells, in his novella, The Time Machine, weaves a tale that at first seems like a simple science fiction. However, it contains many symbolisms about the lifestyle choices of mankind today. The main character's name is never given in the story; he is referred to as "The Time Traveler". He invents a machine that can travel back and forth throughout the fourth dimension of time. He successfully travels forward approximately eight-hundred thousand years into a time when humanity has been split into two groups: the Eloi and the Morlocks.


In the author's depicted future, mankind has undergone extreme favoritism of all living things. Plants, animals, food, etc, have all been winnowed into what is considered best. We act this way even in the present day. For instance, we decide which breed of dog is superior amongst the others and preserve and flourish these select. We feel that we have the right to judge and decide what has the right to exist and what does not. After eight-hundred thousand years of this practice, The Time Traveler has stumbled onto the result of a world with only "the perfect fruit" and the "the perfect animals".The Eloi live on the surface of our planet among those that have passed our critique.


The Time Traveler notices wells along the ground spread out from each other. For a time, he does not understand what they are. It seems too primitive that a well should exist in the future. He discovers that the wells lead to the underground world where the Morlocks live. The Morlocks act like slaves for the Eloi underneath the planet. They are only allowed to come onto the surface during the night. Earlier, the Time Traveler had noticed that the Eloi sleep in clumps huddled together during the night. This is because they are afraid of the Morlocks.


After living a life of carefree perfection, the Eloi have become witless and weak. They are unable to fend for themselves and depend on the Morlocks for their sustenance. The Morlocks, on the other hand, have become intelligent and strong. They have worked their entire lives and must fight simply to survive. If they attacked, they would easily be capable of defeating the feeble and delicate Eloi. A rebellion begins, and it is clear that the Morlocks will overtake and kill the Eloi. The Time Traveler is nearly killed, but escapes in his machine before the Morlocks kill him. He goes ahead much further in time and cannot find any human life. We have destroyed ourselves.


I believe that the Eloi and the Morlocks resemble today's society. The Morlocks resemble the poor who must earn their right to live through hard work and determination. Like the Morlocks, those that have to diligently work become capable and strong. The Eloi resemble the rich who are handed everything to them. When a person does not need to put effort into anything it is like the dulling of a blade. A blade cannot penetrate anything if it is not sharpened. Work and effort is our sharpener.

Another aspect found in this book relating to our society is the devaluing of what we do not think is perfect. Ultimately, if a society is made up of only who we believe is "the best-looking" or "the richest" or "the most useful", etc., while all others are diminished, the society will crumble. When the Time Traveler travels into the future, human life does not exist. We have ceased to live because we have lessened the value of life and imperfections.


The Time Machine was and still is a thought provoking novel. It caused me to evaluate the state of modern society. I think that H. G. Wells was ahead of his time. We have begun to see some of his predictions come to pass. The most obvious example would be the cause of World War II, the holocaust. Hitler implemented selective elimination of what he considered to be the weak. Even today, we see our society place value on what we believe is the most beautiful.


Reading this book has caused me to assess how I place my values. I have certainly put more value on what is most beautiful or expensive in my life at times. I do not believe that is the way God wishes for us to live our lives or view each other. In the Bible, 1 Corinthians 1:27 states, "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." This shows to me that we should not cherish only what we believe is best, but instead support the weak and less beautiful as well as the greater.

The Start of Something Special
In any discussion of the history of Science Fiction, H. G. (Herbert George) Wells is sure to be mentioned, and "The Time Machine" is the first of his novels/novellas.Wells may not have invented the genre, but his impact on it would be difficult to overstate.Unlike Verne, Wells was able to go beyond just what could be accomplished by science currently, and the invention of a Time Machine is central to the story Wells is telling.That is not to say that he has nothing to say on current sciences as well, just that he allows stories to take readers far beyond that which Verne would allow.

The history of "The Time Machine" is an unusual one.Wells had used the subject of time travel repeatedly starting in 1888 with his incomplete serial "The Chronic Argonauts".It next took form in a series of articles published in "The National Observer" in 1894, and then finally as a serial novel in "The New Review" in early 1895 when editor W. E. Henley moved from one publication to the other at the end of 1894 and convinced Wells to write it as a serial for his new publication.

The story itself is quite unusual as well.Wells refrains from naming the Time Traveler at all, and the narrator also remains nameless except one reference to a person named Hillyer in the final chapter before the Epilogue, which apparently refers to him.The only major character whose name is repeatedly used is Weena, the childlike woman whom the Time Traveler meets in the year 802,701 A.D.Though Verne would have considered the Time Machine a cheat, i.e. non-scientific, Wells does include other bits and pieces of science in the telling of this tale and there is a point he is making about science as well.He touches on evolution, astrophysics, and sociology in looking at what could happen to a society if life is too much of a utopia, as well as looking at the social divisions in the society of his time and where they may lead.

The story is a quick read, at around 90 pages, and just 12 chapters and the epilogue the reader can easily get through this in a single sitting if they desire.It also, despite its flaws, captures the reader's attention and so one is willing to forgive the flaws in the story-telling.

The Penguin Classics edition of "The Time Machine" also contains an Introduction by Marina Warner, notes on the text by the editor Patrick Parrinder, and textual notes by Steven Mclean.Lastly, though certainly not least, it contains Wells preface to the 1931 edition of "The Time Machine" in which Wells discusses the circumstances in his life when he wrote it, as well as his view that the work will outlive him.Flawed though the story may be, it is a significant work, very readable, and the Penguin Classics edition adds to the experience with the added material.

Time travel and politics
In my opinion, this book gets an "A" for originality.Most stories of time travel that I have read or watched on the big screen include super intelligent humans and fantastic technology.Not so in "The Time Machine."The two distinct races of humans in this book are simple and animalistic, or perhaps child-like.There is no incredibly advanced technology or even a grocery store to get the food, for goodness' sake.It's as if humanity reverted to the times of the Neanderthals.However, in the area of character development, Wells scores a "C" at best.None of the characters are terribly deep and I didn't find myself getting terribly attached to any of them -- few though they were.In storytelling, I think Wells did a nice job, as I was engaged in the narrative and enjoyed the description of places, things, and people.However, I was also vaguely aware of some kind of social commentary with the frequent references to the "upper class" and "working class," but I'm afraid this was lost on me, as I am not familiar with the culture of 1800s England.Overall, I give this book four stars.

Wells Was Far Ahead Of His Time!
This is a cool book from Wells. In it he takes a giant leap into the future, more precisely year A.D. 802701! This is an action packed novel, it's really quite amazing that it was first published all the way back in 1895! Because the action level is equivalent to a Dan Brown novel. Of course Wells is far better than Dan Brown, because Wells is not only action he is also vitamin! The novel ends with the words "in the heart of man". That end is kind of a signature for Wells' work, because he was really curious, and of course the curiousity was particular related to what a human can do? What a human is? What a human can become? What there is in the heart of man?

Thank You =)
Thank you, My nephew loves his book.
It was fast shipping, and good price. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (439)

A perfect world crumbles
"A Perfect World Crumbles"
By: Cameron Wright

H. G. Wells, in his novella, The Time Machine, weaves a tale that at first seems like a simple science fiction. However, it contains many symbolisms about the lifestyle choices of mankind today. The main character's name is never given in the story; he is referred to as "The Time Traveler". He invents a machine that can travel back and forth throughout the fourth dimension of time. He successfully travels forward approximately eight-hundred thousand years into a time when humanity has been split into two groups: the Eloi and the Morlocks.


In the author's depicted future, mankind has undergone extreme favoritism of all living things. Plants, animals, food, etc, have all been winnowed into what is considered best. We act this way even in the present day. For instance, we decide which breed of dog is superior amongst the others and preserve and flourish these select. We feel that we have the right to judge and decide what has the right to exist and what does not. After eight-hundred thousand years of this practice, The Time Traveler has stumbled onto the result of a world with only "the perfect fruit" and the "the perfect animals".The Eloi live on the surface of our planet among those that have passed our critique.


The Time Traveler notices wells along the ground spread out from each other. For a time, he does not understand what they are. It seems too primitive that a well should exist in the future. He discovers that the wells lead to the underground world where the Morlocks live. The Morlocks act like slaves for the Eloi underneath the planet. They are only allowed to come onto the surface during the night. Earlier, the Time Traveler had noticed that the Eloi sleep in clumps huddled together during the night. This is because they are afraid of the Morlocks.


After living a life of carefree perfection, the Eloi have become witless and weak. They are unable to fend for themselves and depend on the Morlocks for their sustenance. The Morlocks, on the other hand, have become intelligent and strong. They have worked their entire lives and must fight simply to survive. If they attacked, they would easily be capable of defeating the feeble and delicate Eloi. A rebellion begins, and it is clear that the Morlocks will overtake and kill the Eloi. The Time Traveler is nearly killed, but escapes in his machine before the Morlocks kill him. He goes ahead much further in time and cannot find any human life. We have destroyed ourselves.


I believe that the Eloi and the Morlocks resemble today's society. The Morlocks resemble the poor who must earn their right to live through hard work and determination. Like the Morlocks, those that have to diligently work become capable and strong. The Eloi resemble the rich who are handed everything to them. When a person does not need to put effort into anything it is like the dulling of a blade. A blade cannot penetrate anything if it is not sharpened. Work and effort is our sharpener.

Another aspect found in this book relating to our society is the devaluing of what we do not think is perfect. Ultimately, if a society is made up of only who we believe is "the best-looking" or "the richest" or "the most useful", etc., while all others are diminished, the society will crumble. When the Time Traveler travels into the future, human life does not exist. We have ceased to live because we have lessened the value of life and imperfections.


The Time Machine was and still is a thought provoking novel. It caused me to evaluate the state of modern society. I think that H. G. Wells was ahead of his time. We have begun to see some of his predictions come to pass. The most obvious example would be the cause of World War II, the holocaust. Hitler implemented selective elimination of what he considered to be the weak. Even today, we see our society place value on what we believe is the most beautiful.


Reading this book has caused me to assess how I place my values. I have certainly put more value on what is most beautiful or expensive in my life at times. I do not believe that is the way God wishes for us to live our lives or view each other. In the Bible, 1 Corinthians 1:27 states, "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." This shows to me that we should not cherish only what we believe is best, but instead support the weak and less beautiful as well as the greater.

The Start of Something Special
In any discussion of the history of Science Fiction, H. G. (Herbert George) Wells is sure to be mentioned, and "The Time Machine" is the first of his novels/novellas.Wells may not have invented the genre, but his impact on it would be difficult to overstate.Unlike Verne, Wells was able to go beyond just what could be accomplished by science currently, and the invention of a Time Machine is central to the story Wells is telling.That is not to say that he has nothing to say on current sciences as well, just that he allows stories to take readers far beyond that which Verne would allow.

The history of "The Time Machine" is an unusual one.Wells had used the subject of time travel repeatedly starting in 1888 with his incomplete serial "The Chronic Argonauts".It next took form in a series of articles published in "The National Observer" in 1894, and then finally as a serial novel in "The New Review" in early 1895 when editor W. E. Henley moved from one publication to the other at the end of 1894 and convinced Wells to write it as a serial for his new publication.

The story itself is quite unusual as well.Wells refrains from naming the Time Traveler at all, and the narrator also remains nameless except one reference to a person named Hillyer in the final chapter before the Epilogue, which apparently refers to him.The only major character whose name is repeatedly used is Weena, the childlike woman whom the Time Traveler meets in the year 802,701 A.D.Though Verne would have considered the Time Machine a cheat, i.e. non-scientific, Wells does include other bits and pieces of science in the telling of this tale and there is a point he is making about science as well.He touches on evolution, astrophysics, and sociology in looking at what could happen to a society if life is too much of a utopia, as well as looking at the social divisions in the society of his time and where they may lead.

The story is a quick read, at around 90 pages, and just 12 chapters and the epilogue the reader can easily get through this in a single sitting if they desire.It also, despite its flaws, captures the reader's attention and so one is willing to forgive the flaws in the story-telling.

The Penguin Classics edition of "The Time Machine" also contains an Introduction by Marina Warner, notes on the text by the editor Patrick Parrinder, and textual notes by Steven Mclean.Lastly, though certainly not least, it contains Wells preface to the 1931 edition of "The Time Machine" in which Wells discusses the circumstances in his life when he wrote it, as well as his view that the work will outlive him.Flawed though the story may be, it is a significant work, very readable, and the Penguin Classics edition adds to the experience with the added material.

Time travel and politics
In my opinion, this book gets an "A" for originality.Most stories of time travel that I have read or watched on the big screen include super intelligent humans and fantastic technology.Not so in "The Time Machine."The two distinct races of humans in this book are simple and animalistic, or perhaps child-like.There is no incredibly advanced technology or even a grocery store to get the food, for goodness' sake.It's as if humanity reverted to the times of the Neanderthals.However, in the area of character development, Wells scores a "C" at best.None of the characters are terribly deep and I didn't find myself getting terribly attached to any of them -- few though they were.In storytelling, I think Wells did a nice job, as I was engaged in the narrative and enjoyed the description of places, things, and people.However, I was also vaguely aware of some kind of social commentary with the frequent references to the "upper class" and "working class," but I'm afraid this was lost on me, as I am not familiar with the culture of 1800s England.Overall, I give this book four stars.

Wells Was Far Ahead Of His Time!
This is a cool book from Wells. In it he takes a giant leap into the future, more precisely year A.D. 802701! This is an action packed novel, it's really quite amazing that it was first published all the way back in 1895! Because the action level is equivalent to a Dan Brown novel. Of course Wells is far better than Dan Brown, because Wells is not only action he is also vitamin! The novel ends with the words "in the heart of man". That end is kind of a signature for Wells' work, because he was really curious, and of course the curiousity was particular related to what a human can do? What a human is? What a human can become? What there is in the heart of man?

Thank You =)
Thank you, My nephew loves his book.
It was fast shipping, and good price. ... Read more

Product Description
A 20-Year Race Through Time...
In the near future, one man holds the key to our past. Chester Fuze lived a solitary life until he flung himself twenty years back in time. For years, he had loved movie star Rhonda Romero through television screens, movie theaters, and magazine covers. It wasn't until she had fallen so far as to sell her face for a cosmetic transplant that he knew he had to travel back and save her before her life headed down such a tragic and destructive path. Lunging backward through two decades in a flash, Chester races across country and enters the world of seedy gambling and the bizarre jungle of behind-the-scenes Hollywood, while being hunted down by a deranged bookie, an escaped convict, and even his past self, all of whom are determined to kill him. He had put aside the secret to time travel, daring not risk the world to test his theory. It had placed him in a straight jacket for several years of his life. It had estranged his own mother from him. He had let it go for his own sanity. Now, he'll pick it back up to save Rhonda. God help us all. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Awesome Book
Great time travel story. I liked the characters. I liked the writing. I liked the concept. I also liked the different settings in Hollywood, New Orleans, the prison, and the parties.

Confusing?!?
Faces in Time was worth the price, but not much more. The author spent too many words on minutiae and not enough on plain explanation of the characters and plot. The flipping around between different sub-plots was confusing to me. Realizing that the underlying theme is time-travel, I expected flash- back- and- forward, but had to re-read several chapters to discern whether the occurrences were current or past or future.

Intriguing idea but unreadable...
I wanted to give this a shot after seeing all the good reviews, so I downloaded the sample chapters for my Kindle. Though I could see that there were ideas here that might be interesting, I found the sentences so ungrammatical and the style so heavy-handed and stilted that the book became unreadable. I don't think I'm a literary snob - I've read everything by Dan Brown and his simple and trashy style would have been a great match for this book. And anyway - you don't need to take my word for it: If the great reviews still tempt you, just download the sample chapters and read them before you decide.

A different Time Travel concept
I am a fan of Sci-Fi and of time travel stories in special. I believe that the last is the most tricky subject to write about, due to the infinity circles it may create, easy for an author to get himself lost in it. My best stories on time travelling were Asimov's "The End of Eternity" and the "Back to the Future" movie series, both treating very well about the different lines of time and the consequences of going back and messing up with History. "Faces in Time" brings a different and coherent concept about what could happen if someone succeeds coming back on time and follows an amazing path that keeps us tied up to know what will happen in the end.

Kindle edition review
The first part of the book is hard to get through but stick with it the end is worth it ... Read more

Product Description
The Eye of the World/The Great Hunt/The Dragon Rebornnclude The Dragon Reborn, The Great Hunt and The Eye of the World.Amazon.com Review
This box set of paperbacks includes the first three books in RobertJordan's bestselling epic fantasy series, the Wheel of Time. No saga sinceTolkien's Lord of the Rings has evoked such fervor among readers. In thefirst Wheel of Time book, The Eye of the World, Jordan introduces a world brokenby phenomenal power and threatened by engulfing shadow. In The GreatHunt, our hero, Rand al'Thor, begins his epic journeys with a quest forthe lost Horn of Valere, which promises to raise long-dead Heroes ofLegend. And in The Dragon Reborn, Rand's destiny begins to takeshape as his followers flock to him, and the world descends further intodarkness. This box set is a great way to begin exploring the world of theWheel of Time. But don't stop here, the second set awaits! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (124)

Product came as describe and was shipped very quickly got it in just 2 days
Great book series, can't wait to get my hands on the next 3The Wheel of Time (Boxed Set #1)

Over All
I've read the entire series(so far) and agree with many other readers that the pace slowed to an agonizing crawl, but to be fair this is common with many other book series.Particularly when the story was originally intended to be no more than three installments.Fans and publishers alike were clamouring for more and reluctantly Robert Jordan conceded.In his attempt to broaden the story, it became overburdened with sideplots and such that added to the slowing of pace.But this reader wouldn't have had it any other way.I'm looking forward to the last two books(and hopefully the other wheel of time projects) like a kid waits for X-mas!!!

Excellent series - worth reading
I borrowed my brothers books many years ago.Recently I read a related book and wanted to re-read the entire series.One of the best of all time.If you liked Tolken than the series is for you.Robert Jordan's spins an excellent yarn!!!

Was super pleased!
Was extremely pleased with the books!!The books were brand new, never used and in new packaging.So far from reading the series I have been so pleased and the story is amazing.I would definitely recommend this book series and seller to someone else.

Great Fantasy Series
A great fantasy series. I have mostly read science fiction and not stepped too far out of the blockbusters of high fantasy (Tolkien, etc.). This is a great read. ... Read more

Product Description

The past is a foreign country.
This is your guidebook.

A time machine has just transported you back to the fourteenth century. What do you see? How do you dress? How do you earn a living and how much are you paid? What sort of food will you be offered by a peasant or a monk or a lord? And more important, where will you stay?

The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England is not your typical look at a historical period. This radical new approach shows us that the past is not just something to be studied; it is also something to be lived. All facets of everyday life in this fascinating period are revealed, from the horrors of the plague and war to the ridiculous excesses of roasted larks and medieval haute couture.

Through the use of daily chronicles, letters, household accounts, and poems of the day, Morti-mer transports you back in time, providing answers to questions typically ignored by traditional historians. You will learn how to greet people on the street, what to use as toilet paper, why a physician might want to taste your blood, and how to know whether you are coming down with leprosy.

From the first step on the road to the medieval city of Exeter, through meals of roast beaver and puffin, Mortimer re-creates this strange and complex period of history. Here, the lives of serf, merchant, and aristocrat are illuminated with re-markable detail in this engaging literary journey. The result is the most astonishing social history book you're ever likely to read: revolutionary in its concept, informative and entertaining in its detail, and startling for its portrayal of humanity in an age of violence, exuberance, and fear. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

No mediocre medieval...
Excellent presentation of history, a nice change from the normal, dry and boring history books.I can't wait until his next time traveler's book!

Fascinating social history
Yes, this is skillfully written and presents a fascinating subject.But it doesn't quite rate five stars for the following reasons:1) the cheeky style is sometimes inappropriate; 2) assumes a knowledge of medieval English history; 3) a glossary would be very helpful--perhaps a general chronology also.

The social history of more recent centuries have been well-covered, by Liza Picard and others, but it would be interesting to see the author's take on Restoration England.

On Vacation in Medieval England
And it was a blast. I of course choose to see myself as Royalty. All kidding aside, loved it. Learned things that I did not know and enjoyed the ride. What more can one ask?

Dear Mr.Mortimer my good man please take me on another tour!

An immersing read; not the typical nonfiction work
I just finished The Time Traveler's Guide, and loved every minute of it.The author has a clear viewpoint that history is not a dead time in the past, but a living time that we can all experience and learn from now, and he demonstrates that customs and fashions and cultures might change over time, but people don't, and judging people through our own subjective viewpoints says more about our own time than it lets us learn about another time.I read tons of non-fiction books, and there were many new things I learned in this book.The section on the law was fascinating.I had no idea that animals could be tried for crimes (which makes me wonder how they were able to find a jury of their peers, but that's another story).Also, when discussing money, the author makes a very good point that I had never thought about, and had never been brought up, that I can remember, in any history books I've read.When discussing the value of things, most people just do a rough translation, so if they say that someone spent 600 pounds on a house, they then put the modern value of that in today's currency.But the point that the author made was that that's really not helpful because the value of things change over time.Food was valued much more so than labor, for example, in medieval England.So it was common for a poor laborer to have to spend a day's salary on food; whereas today, labor and land are valued much more highly, mostly because we have easy ways to transport, store, and make food.Really interesting points.

I loved this book, and highly recommend it for anyone who has an interest in the middle ages.The only thing that could have been added on was a little more discussion of some of the important characters.The author mentions that Chaucer knew Katherine Swynford, but there really isn't much discussion of who Katherine Swynford was, for example.I suppose there are plenty of biographies of those people, so if he would have done that, the book would have been way too long.

-Heather Teysko
Creator of the Renaissance English History Podcast
[...]

An immersion into medieval society
This book does a remarkable job of recreating medieval times, making you feel like you're actually a time-traveling tourist. I especially liked how visceral Mortimer has made this experience so that you really get the feel of the smells and sounds of the time. There could have been a few more pictures, but that's just a minor point. All in all, a wonderful book. ... Read more