Fiction Literature Books

To help you understand what kind of a person i am and to find if you can relate to me... I was recently called obscure. I prefer to call myself unique.
I absolutely loved this book. I would have to say it is one of my top 5 favorites. I've read it over and over again, I have 2 copies... one is always in my purse (just in case I need something to read!) and I have lended the other to many friends and they have loved it as well.
I love it because it has a story to fit every mood. Hope you love it too!

I can't heap enough praise on 80 percent of the stories in this collection. They were variously beautiful, touching, haunting, riveting, warming...it makes me run out of adjectives. They covered me in short story love.

The next 15 percent were excellently written but didn't enchant.

Only 5 percent made me raise my eyebrows and mutter.

Read this book. You'll feel wiser to the human condition, when you throw a party beautiful people will start conversations with you when they see it on your bookshelf, and most importantly, you'll feel wiser to the human condition.

This is one of the best collections of contemporary American fiction. Every story is top-notch, and Wolff included a few authors I'd never heard of before (such as Braverman and Dybek, two writers whose short stories I've since sought out). I was also surprised at how this collection didn't sag at all--it was strong right to the end.

The bottom line: Wolff knows how to choose a great story. This book is a keeper.

Also recommended: The Gospel of Arnie

"The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short Stories" speaks with the intensity of liquor and fists. It lets loose on the gut of America.

Tobias Wolff, one of America's hardest hitting fiction writers, ("The Night in Question: Stories" and "In the Garden of North American Martyrs") has hammered together one of the best collections of modern fiction--far better than any individual "Best of..." collection.

If you are drawn, like me, to the intensity and disillusionment present in American literature at the turn of the century (i.e. Edith Wharton, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald) this book may be what you have been looking for in contemporary writers. Including such staples of the contemporary cannon as Raymond Carver, Andre Dubuse, Amy Tan, Joyce Carol Oates this book packs in the best of modern short fiction and restores the genre to its former revered status.

Tobias Wollf, himself an excellent practitioner of the short story, does not include a work of his own in this wonderful collection (save a very thoughtful introduction). This is one of the most well edited collections of contemporary short stories on the market. It may be a few years old by now, but most of the "must read" writers, as well as surprisingly good lesser-knowns are included. Raymond Carver and Andre Dubus, sadly no longer contemporary in the strict sense, live on within these pages alongside excellent new voices. Two stories that really stand out for me are John L'Heureux's "Departures," a very deep and moving narrative, and Ralph Lombreglia's "Men Under Water," a beautiful alchemy of the dreams and realities of contemporary life. The selections written by Jamaica Kincaid, Joyce Carol Oates, Tim O'Brien, and Denis Johnson are so well picked, they seem to capture a bit of the authors themselves, as well as a portion of their writing. Because of these atttributes, I think the Vintage Book of Contempory Short Stories is both valuable for personal collections and for use in the classroom. It does the job that all compilations are supposed to, but seldom do, accomplish. It exemplifies the current breadth and depth of this contemporary artform.

Edward P. Jones's "The Known World": A Study Guide from Gale's "Novels for Students" (Volume 26, Chapter 4)

I, too, found this book difficult to read, but not because of the prose; it was difficult to read because the subject matter was so viscerally presented and articulately explored. To confront the idea of people being worth money and nothing more was almost too much to bear. I applaud Mr. Jones for his ability to dig into this subject and to display it in a way that forces us to face such a legacy.

I was afraid that there would not be any redemptive value in the book but found that redemption was offered in the smallest, most subtle ways. Stop reading now if you don't want a spoiler. The knowledge after the fact that Moses had not killed his wife and child, that the man who would lead to his maiming knew it, saw it on him was powerfully felt because of its subtlety. The way Jones presents the final assault on Moses, the cutting of his Achilles tendon was remarkable. Knowing that the man who casually enacted such violence would never do so again after being forced to bear the suffering he had created, almost through the barrel of his body, for miles and while literally being hugged by that suffering was simply sublime. Clearly, this book is well worth the pain it may cause and the sadness in may imprint.

This was an all right book. Get it at your library rather than buying it.

That there is an author out there who can take on such a sensitive subject and look past the indignity, heartbreak and ignominy of slavery to present the depth and complexity of his characters, to really bring them to life, is a truly wonderful prospect for us, those who derive pleasure from indulging in an unknown world, an unknown reality and a completely foreign way of life via literature. Jones is an amazing intermediary employing seemingly effortless transitions across time, race, class, and gender to allow us a window into a past that oddly enough seems not only posisble but under the circumstances he describes uncomfortably plausible. Personally, I hope that he has more similarly great works in his future. But, even if he does not, this book would be the masterpiece of the collected works of anyone but the greatest authors plying the trade today.

This beautifully crafted novel transports the reader to an antebellum South populated with free blacks, free black slave owners, slaves, former slaves, white slave owners, and interacial relationships (sexual and social) between those of various social status. Jones creates a world that blurs the simplistic picture of slavery often painted of this era. Highly recommended for anyone who likes historical fiction, but don't expect a romanticized version of this period of history. Also recommended, Jones's Aunt Hagars Children.

All of the drama in the novel is packed into the last 30 pages. The rest of the book is incredibly dull.

This was a great book for me to read. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The characters were well developed and the whole book was written very well. I couldn't put it down for so long. It is definitely one of my new favorites. I recommend it to anyone!

I think Bronte's 'Jane Eyre', as well as an excellent read, provides a brilliant insight for todays readers, into the life of 'misfits' in the 19th century. Jane is a poor, plain, governess who throughout her life struggles to belong somewhere, have some sort of position in society. She had no family, therefore when she discovered cousins in Mary, Diana and St.John, she willingly gave them each 5,000 pounds out of her inheritance. Jane is a strong woman who fights to maintain her moral and religious values even though tempted several times to put them aside. Jane seeks emotional fulfillment and detests society's idea of marriage (marriage for material wealth, political power, position etc). Rochester is Jane's intellectual equal and therefore she agrees to marry him, until she realises he has almost tricked her into a bigamus marriage. Then she must flee Thornfield in order to maintain her values and self-respect. Only when she has her own financial independence and no longer needs to be Rochesters mistress, can she return to him and marry him. He is now actually dependent on her for vision and other things because he has lost the use of one of his hands. Jane Eyre is a satisfying novel that gives women inspriration to stand up for their rights and not be submissive because some men consider them inferiors. Jane teaches women to value themselves. I think in writing this fantastic novel, Bronte had sent out an excellent message to those who believe women should be controlled by men and Jane was the perfect protagonist to get this message across.

This review is aimed more toward the Norton edition than to JANE EYRE. We all know this is a classic. Bronte was simply a genius and a harbinger of romantic, dramatic, gothic, and horror writing. (However, it still irks me that she couldn't end a simple sentence with a period. Every declarative statement, it seems, must be qualified with a colon or semi-colon. Oh well. Sign of the times.)

As for the Norton edition, it's the only one to buy. Bronte makes the assumption that you have read the Bible cover-to-cover a zillion times, and for those of us who have not read it through once, Norton's annotations are more than helpful---they're essential to understanding the novel's Christian allusions. This edition also provides the reader with critical essays, contexts of Bronte's life, Bronte's reactions to critics of her day, etc.

Bottom line: you can get the Dover Thrift edition for a couple bucks, but, if you are interested in giving this classic more than a cursory read, this edition is worth the extra money.

If you're thinking of reading Jane Eyre, and you want to understand it, this edition is the one for you. The footnotes are very helpful, explaining the allusions to the Bible or older literature that you might not pick up on, as well as some of the vocabulary. The contemporary reviews in the back are great - everyone must read Elizabeth Rigby's review. Our culture has changed so much, we don't understand how revolutionary books like Jane Eyre once were. The essays of modern criticism are also very helpful. Someone did a very good job with this book.

A few reviewers wrote that Jane Eyre is not entertaining or something. Actually, it is if you understand it. To me, Jane Eyre is up there with Shakespeare, the Great Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye as some of the deepest, most well thought-out stories I know of. It is a book to read 2 or 3 times before you draw your conclusion.

So - in short - read Jane Eyre, and use the Norton Critical Edition.

Excellent condition. Just as described.
quick shipping and low priced book.
A perfect transaction!!

I wasn't sure about reading this book and initially found it very difficult. After finishing the book I found it to be very moving, informative. It is amazing that this book was written so long ago and by a woman.

Most of the classics you read are long and boring and definitely not easy reading. Uncle Tom's Cabin is not one of those books! It is a book you can read before you go to sleep at night, without your brain hurting from trying to decipher what is going on (Wuthering Heights anyone?). Bottom line, I really enjoyed the book, and I know others will too.

Well I bought this book for a summer reading assignment and I have to say it isn't the most interesting book in fact I don't really like it at all. I know its a classic but seriously, read this only if you must. The only plus side is that this is the cheapest version of it haha.

The great thing about Vonnegut is that he makes it very easy to read his books, with or without an education. It may appear to some that he over simplifies or is self indulgent in his tales, which may be true, but we live in a generation of oversimplification. And a lot of people's minds are simple as well, so it only seems fitting, to keep it within our reach.
The times may have changed since his war, but not by much. And it is sad that few are able to identify with a man of his age and experience. For me, there is no war as great as Vietnam or the Holocaust. Just an invisible war on terror, which is just as meaningless as any other war.So what he says is as important today as any other day.
the novel is a good one, has a great plot and ends well. It doesn't leave you feeling like you don't know what happens at the end. I will probably read it again someday. But I will never understand it the way he did when he wrote it, because I have not experienced the misery that is war.

If you've never read a Vonnegut book before, then just go ahead and put this into your cart. Also add his other titles because you'll want to pick up another one after you've finished reading Mother Night. Yes, these books were written many decades ago, but the critics are correct in saying they still have relevance in today's time. Enjoy the read and reflection into today's environment.

it was quick read, and i enjoyed it very much. it's gives an interesting perspective on a lot of issues of world war II and human nature.

~Mother Night~ by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. is a dark novel set against the backdrop of Nazi Germany initially in the 1930s. An American expatriate living abroad Howard W. Campbell, Jr. marries a German woman Helga, and works as a playwright in Germany. But a dark cloud looms over the horizon, the spectre of Nazi Germany and its violent ideology of ultra-nationalism. Campbell's parents depart Germany for the United States as the war draws near, but Campbell chooses to stay behind. The playwright becomes a propagandist for the Nazi regime, declaring himself, 'the Last Free American,' and he broadcasts radio shows throughout Germany and obviously back West for the people of the Western nations to hear. Unbenownst to the Germans, he is also an American spy, a deep-cover double agent of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Behind ever gasp and stutter, he is sending hidden messages to the Allies. Following the war's climatic end, Campbell finds his way back to the United States. Gripped by the loss of his wife, he is utterly alienated and gripped by melancholy. Hounded by Neo-Nazis who want to extol him as a hero and Soviet spies looking to out him as an American agent provocateur for their own sinister Machiavellian purposes, Campbell grows despondent and troubled. He might as well forget about protection from Uncle Sam who won't ever acknowledge his service to the U.S. Government. The words of his father-in-law, a dedicated German officer could haunt him, as the German proclaimed when he thought with warmth about what the Nazi creed embodied, he didn't find it emanating from the words of Adolf Hitler, but in the words of Campbell. The theme is simple: we are whatever we pretend to be, so we better be darned careful of what we pretend to be. That's the moral lesson. When we are subsumed in lies and deception: the truth doesn't always set us free, it implicates us, and convicts us. Campbell learned that lesson with much guilt and resignation. His service to Nazi creed far surpassed his service to the Western Allies.

I take my title from a piece by Kurt Vonnegut, "Why They Read Hesse." The "they" was the youth of America. His answer was that Hesse tells them the things they want to hear, like bad is bad. He forgot to also stress, if I remember correctly, that Hesse writes in simple sentences with few words. You can read it on a bus or a treadmill at the gym. Complexity and intellectual challenge aren't the main things here.

Vonnegut himself was a lot like that, and Mother Night is maybe the clearest example of this. It is a morality tale with all the ambiguity and subtlety of a topless bar. He starts with a conventional, but interesting, dilemma, that of the undercover agent who is two things at once, and the question is whether the inner is more real than the outer simply because it is inner. Vonnegut as usual attempts to cut this Gordian knot of the demands of duty with the sword of his 1960s hippy morality. And it's not such a bad approach--do no evil, don't think about the big picture, we are what we pretend to be.

So the protagonist willingly accepts his punishment as a traitor despite having the exonerating evidence at hand because he realizes he was what he pretended to be--that his pretend acts had real results. That works great--a "good" person pretended to be "bad" and so did "bad" things and hence was really bad once we use Vonnegut's miracle quotation-point-removing morality.

But if "we are what we pretend to be," is a bad person who pretends to be good actually good? If my hypocritically simulated sacrifice inspires others to sacrifice themselves for values they believe in, am I really good? Is the coward general who roars "come on brave boys, follow me!" and then doubles back once they start running a hero?

I wish it were so. But I don't think it is that simple. Although it wasn't my principal aim, I ended up being lauded as some sort of hero sacrificing myself for the truth. And that led others to make real sacrifices--and the funny thing is, this ended up wrecking my whole plan in the first place!--for things that I also believe in. Even if I set this in motion, I can't say that this makes my acts "good." I don't think Vonnegut was really up to thinking through the actual complexities of moral action in this world. It isn't simply about your "effects" it is about your self-hood, your authenticity. Campbell had that. Vonnegut didn't know how to deal with that.

One last thing--the new cover looks exactly like the logo for the Victor mousetrap. Is that intentional? Did they see Campbell as being trapped like a mouse in a larger plan he didn't understand? [42]

If this is the "COMPLETE" version of his stories why don't I see The Trial and The Castle listed? Seems "complete", as in "free", has a whole new definition these days. Buyer take note!

The best place to start with Kafka is with his short stories, and here we have all of his stories, published and unpublished, complete and incomplete, in one volume. The longer ones include masterpieces such as The Metamorphosis, In the Penal Colony, and A Hunger Artist. Also included are 2 short introductory parables, Before the Law, and An Imperial Message, which perfectly set the tone for what is to follow.

Kafka's troubled life can obviously be used as a reference point for his literature, but the stories stand alone as surrealistic, often humorous, unique, and concise yet complex explorations or examinations of the human condition. The 1st line in the postscript mentions Albert Camus remarking that the whole art of Kafka consists in compelling the reader to re-read him. It's an astute observation, and when put into practice, reveals the true worth of Kafka's work. It's ability to continually ask more profound questions of us, rather than give pat answers or provide facile solutions to the riddles and dilemmas we all face in life to varying degrees.

John Updike provides an illuminating intro and the Muir's translations are excellent.

Most of the stroies are gems.
Kafka's unique style lies with the way he uses the language - he manages in bringing the reader to the darkest corners of the psyche using a matter-of-fact, almost bland collection of allegedly objective observations on his protagonists' emotions, thoughts and behaviours. These protagonists are sometimes human beings but some are neither human nor animals...One could call them Kafka imagination's progeny.
The reason I give it only 4 stars is because some of the stories are bordering on ...boring. I guess the reason in having them in this edition is in order to be able to call it 'The Complete Stories'.
Thus - if you are ready to accept some less than stellar writing, you'll be rewarded in most of the book by an extraordinary style and truly 'kafkaesque' ideas.

Kafka is still "the rage," one supposes, but it is hard to see how, now that he has become an icon. This is a fabulous collection. Updike is right that these stories are excellent. Kafka has had enormous influence on modern fiction. He may be one of a handful of highly important authors. Reading him today is especially interesting; you would think these stories had been written the day before yesterday. Kafka's subject, which is something like 'the estrangement of the soul and modern man's quest for hope in a hopeless universe' sounds awfully familiar.The truth is that little else has been said to expand on Kafka's central insight into modern man's spiritual dilemma. "There is hope, but not for us." Kafka, rather like Poe, writes creepy tales. That his world is ours is the magic of his genius. Yes, we've been there alright, but we cannot explain how it happened. We can, as they say, relate...to Kafka's narratives of anxiety, helplessness, and fear.

This is a collection which first appeared about 60 years ago and has been published a number of times with small variations in the selected works.

Franz Kafka (1883 - 1924) was one of the major German-language fiction writers of the 20th century. He was a Jew living in Prague and working for the Worker's Accident Insurance Institute. He wrote in his spare time and was inspired by the problems associated with bureaucratic institutions - such as we read in "The Castle."

I read all of Kafka's work and put together this Listmania list from my notes and experiences. His short novella Metamorphosis is among the best short works ever written. Unfortunately, he did not write and publish much when he was alive. Most of what is available was published after his early death, and some of it is edited (possibly) poorly as in Amerika. His writings vary from novels to one page impressions of life, such as one essay that is about looking out a window. The novels revolve around a young to middle aged protagonist male named "K," who battles the courts and bureaucrats.

At some point while reading his works, I realized that his short stories are just as important as the novels, or even more so, and Metamorphosis is just one of a number of excellent short works involving compulsion and one's view of life. So, the present book is an excellent buy for those who want to learn about Kafka.

Overall, I like "Metamorphosis" for its originality. After reading many of his works I got to the point where I had read enough, because many of his writings are just fragments. Some might want to read all his sort stories in one go, but I did not because of all the fragments. In any case, this collection with a forward by Updike is an excellent buy or read, well worth the time. The following short stores are complete works and not fragments: Hunger Artist, A Country Doctor, A Little Woman, The Penal Colony, and the Judgment. The Penal Colony goes even farther than Metamorphosis; and as such, it is an odd reading experience, having almost a nightmare quality to the story. A few of the others are bizarre as well. In any case, an English reader will always wonder if he completely understands or has fully appreciated the translated German writing.

This is recommended as a basic introduction. It is missing The Stoker but it has his key short works.

Writing in a conversational storytelling style, Jean Fritz describes the writing of the Constitution and the development of the Bill of Rights. Quick to clear up any misunderstanding about how the colonies came to form a new nation - those fifty-five delegates from the fledgling sovereign states did not come to Philadelphia singing sweet refrains of "one nation under God" - the text clearly and thoroughly covers the arguments, debates, negotiations, and compromises that hallmarked that Federal Convention. The text is compelling, interesting, and complete; and along the way, Fritz takes the time to show the human side of such historical icons as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison as she fills in the details about the forming of our nation. Also of particular note are the references appended, which include the complete text of the Constitution, a complete list of the signers, and a list of references supporting specific pages in the book.

And as always, Tomie Depaola's well-researched, uncomplicated illustrations thoroughly support the text and lend historical accuracy to the content, further facilitating reader understanding and augmenting retention.

Great narrative -- engrossing and educational for ALL ages.

De Paola's (of Strega Nonna fame) illustrations are absolutely perfect -- they convey the individual's character as well as their emotions during this 4 month stressful, enlightening brilliant and difficult time in our nation's history -- the rewriting (which turned into the total re-write) of the Articles of Confederation which became our nation's Constitution.

This appeals to all ages -- and having just completed the reading and study of several wordy tomes having to do with the Constitutional Convention, "Shh! We're Writing the constitution" provided a delightful conclusion to my studies, as well as welcomed comic relief.

Shh! We're Writing the Constitution, Jean Fritz, pictures by Tomie dePaola, G.P. Putnam's sons, Penguin Putnam books for Young Readers, New York, N.Y., 1987, 64 p.
This nonfiction book written in storytelling style describes how the United States Constitution came to be written and ratified with the disagreements, debates, negotiations, and compromises. It also reveals why the Bill of Rights was developed. Jean Fritz introduces the ordinary human aspects of significant historic characters such as George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin and John Hamilton. The book includes a listing of notes supporting the text with references to specific pages, the text of the Constitution, and a list of the signers.
Jean Fritz has created a delightful vehicle to learn about the United States Constitution. She uses a conversational style with humor and entertaining anecdotes coupled with de Paola's engaging and colorful illustrations on every page. Although aimed at readers from age 8 to 12, this is an excellent introduction for reluctant readers as well as anyone seeking a lively and fascinating introduction to the United States Constitution.

The book Shh!We're Writing y the Constitution by Jean Fritz.They all had to meet and they all showed up at different times. Benjamen Franklin was carried by some prisoners. This is a good book and you will learn alot from it. Theme is a good story element for this story because you learn alot about life. If you like books about the constitution than you will like this book.

The point of Jean Fritz's "Shh! We're Writing the Constitution" is that contrary to popular opinion, America had to be dragged kicking and screaming into becoming a new nation. While it is true that Americans were happy to be independent of Great Britain, the colonies that were now states had become used to being sovereign and many of them wanted to keep it that way. Illustrated by Tomie de Paola,, this engaging juvenile history tells how fifty-five delegates gathered in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to attempt to draw up a plan for the future of the United States. The result was the writing of the Constitution, despite the fact that initially no one agreed to either what should be in it or even if a constitution should be drawn up in the first place.

Fritz makes it clear that there were Founding Fathers, such as Patrick Henry who refused to attend the convention, who did not want a strong federal government, as well as those like Alexander Hamilton who dismissed the current confederation as "nothing but a monster with thirteen heads." The "Shh!" in the title has to do with the agreement of the delegates to keep the proceedings a secret. One of the great things about this book is that young students who already know about George Washington and Benjamin Franklin will learn about other Founding Fathers who were important in framing the Constitution, such as Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, William Paterson of New Jersey, Luther Martin of Maryland, and Edmund Randolph of Virginia. Again, not all of these men would sign their names to the finished document, but they were important during the debate. They will also learn why James Madison is called the "Father of the Constitution," and how Hamilton and another stronger Federalist, John Jay, played important roles, along with Madison, is getting the public to support the Constitution.

In telling the story of how the Constitution came to be written Fritz focuses on why certain points were adopted. So students will not only get to hear about the shouting matches and emotional outbursts, but also the political divisions and complex issues of the convention from which emerged the basis of the American government. Even at the end of the story students will be surprised to learn that the vote to adopt the Constitution was closer in Massachusetts (187 to 168) and Virginia (89-79) than it was in South Carolina (149-73) and that North Carolina voted against ratification and Rhode Island did not even bother to hold a convention (i.e., political divisions were just as strong back then as they are today). In addition to reprinting the Constitution of the United States based on the engrossed parchment sent by the Federal Convention to Congress on September 18, 1787, the back of the book also has four pages of informative notes on details from the Annapolis Convention, the debates over how the president should be addressed and how slaves should be counted, and what became the "Federalist Papers."

"Shh! We're Writing the Constitution" is an informative book that is well presented by Fritz, who served on the National Education Advisory Committeee to the Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution, which is a pretty good credential. This is one in a series of interesting biographies of the American Revoluiton such as "And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?", "Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?", and "Will You Sign Here, John Hancock?" There is little question that the title of Fritz's books fit a definite pattern.

This book is very short and it expresses brilliant logic that I have not seen for a while. Virginia Wolf writes her case about women and writing. What it takes to be a woman artist and remain one. She argues very carefully, that woman artist needs means (read: money) and a room of her own where she can express herself without any interruptions from the outside world. While many male counterparts of her times argue that women have no character and are inferior to men, Virginia asks question on how come that almost two tousand years ago, Greeks were writing literary work that described women like: Cleopatra, Medea, Clytemnestra and Electra? These powerful female images have no characted and power? Anyone who read classics knows it is far from that. Virgina also argues from the works of early British female writers such as: Lady Winchilsea, Margaret Newcastle and Aphra Behn, that finest poetry was created by a women of noble birth married into a noble families. These women were educated, cultured, most had no children and had very understanding and supportive husbands or were single. They were lonely creatures who produced valuable work. Women of lower birth and less education, such as Jane Austen and Bronte sisters, were talented, but they wrote about the world they new about: middle class that was all around them. They were social observers who wrote in the crowded living rooms about people that were part of their own world. In addition, they did not produce poems, they produced novels primarily. Virginia argues that only the most perceptive of women are capable of producing remarkable poetry. She also draws similarity that it was male writers from the upper classes that created masterpieces. The exception was Keats, who was poor but who also dies young - since writing is exhausting both physically and emotionally. But she also argues that the finest of male voices who dedicated their lives to writing has sort of sensitivity that is unique to women. So the true writer is never he or she, it is a mix of both sexes. This is one of the most powerful feminist books I have ever read and I admire Virginia Woolf for having a courage to create it and share it with the public.

Critics might agree or disagree with Virginia Woolf, based on the degree to which they perceive her as threatening or unstable.

Whether Woolf is portraying a feminist view or not in her "A Room of One's Own"; she is outstandingly candid and honest about the way she's perceiving life.

I agree with a few great points that Woolf raised for example:

1. As Woolf puts it in her own words: "intellectual freedom depends upon material things". No one who's financially dependent can have the freedom to explore any intellectual versions.

2-One of most Woolf's fascinating opinions is her view of the subjective nature of truth. When a subject is highly controversial, no one can actually tell the truth, but simply defend her or his opinion and how they arrived at their opinion. Each person's reality simply depends on the circumstances and experiences they encountered, therefore, no reality is absolutely objective.
In that way, Woolf insinuates that all the truth she presented in her book is questionable, just a very interesting way of dealing with any controversial matter.

I strongly disagree that these points or ideas apply only to females. I think, they apply to every human being, but because of Woolf's own experience as a female, I believe she had to apply them to only females.

I think the title sums it up. I liked the book, but it could have ended sooner. The point was made one too many times.

I really didn't know much about Virginia Woolf until 2005, when I ended up living with a dear friend who taught at a local college. Like most folks, I knew Woolf was a writer of the early 1900s and I'd seen the movie "The Hours" and that was the sum total of my knowledge.

One day, my dear friend handed me this book and said, "You'll like this."

I was intimidated. After all, it's Virginia Woolf and only really smart people can read Woolf's writings. But I decided to read what I could and glaze over the rest. I ended up tucking myself into bed with this book every night and reading it again and again and again.

Yes, Woolf was a Victorian-era writer and the prose is thick and heavy-laden with Victorian verbosity, but her powerful writing style shines through the complicated sentences and nuanced lexicon.

My very favorite part in this essay, originally delivered to college students, was where she wrote,

"...moreover, it is all very well for you, who have got yourselves to college and enjoy sitting rooms of your own to say that genius should disregard such opinions; that genius should be above caring what is said of it. Unfortunately, it is precisely the men and women of genius who mind most what is said of them."

After reading that, I felt that Ms. Woolf had reached through the decades and touched my very soul. For so many years, I struggled and struggled and struggled to stop caring what people thought or said about me and that single statement uttered and recorded by this amazing woman changed my life forever.

Virginia Woolf in her best form - personal but not self-centred, concentrated and ready to fight for what she believes is right. This long essay gives her views on the position of women in literature but offers also an overview of their role through centuries - from the imaginary Shakespeare's sister to her contemporaries. A must read for all readers regardless of sex!

I have always loved Emma the movie, the one with Gwyneth Paltrow in it. Her Emma is so clueless, so innocent, yet somehow loveable. I finally decided to pick up the classic novel to see if the movie missed anything and to get the full story straight from the author. The book delighted me just as much as the movie did, as I am pleased to say.
Emma Woodhouse is a young, rich woman living with her germaphobe father in the town of Highbury. Bored and eager for some sort of excitement, she decides to matchmake her new friend Harriet Smith with the local vicar Mr.Elton. Emma is convinced that her matchmaking skills are among the best, wrongly taking credit for pairing her governess Miss Taylor with their neighbor Mr.Weston. Many mishaps occur, and many hearts broken and confused, but in the end all is well, with all three of the main couples finding happiness.
It took me a little while to get in the vocabulary of the time, but once I did the book breezed by. Emma is so flawed like all of us; that is why we love her. Just because this book was written almost 200 years ago doesn't make it bad: it makes it better.

A smug but goodhearted society girl learns her judgment isn't as incisive as she thinks it is. "Emma" is a fun, lighthearted version of Jane Austen, with enough misunderstandings and crossed signals to form the basis of a modern sitcom. For all its pleasant enjoyability, however, the novel is also a fascinating character study of one woman being elevated to a nobler level by being taken down several notches.

In this respect, "Emma" is a prime example of the fact that although many see Jane Austen as something of a proto-feminist, she often gave her male characters the most admirable constitutions of her entire cast. Although the female Emma may be the heroine we hope will triumph, the male Mr. Knightley (like Colonel Brandon of "Sense and Sensibility") is the unimpeachably noble person, and the one who helps Emma ascend to a higher plane of virtue when she might otherwise have been left in despair at her failures. In the end, Austen's fourth novel (and the last published during her lifetime) is not a feminist manifesto. Rather, it transcends the gender wars and remains a touching comedy of errors with a profoundly subtle commentary on human pride and folly.

It was a good book, but older writing styles are hard for me to get used to. I liked the characters, but the movie ruined it for me. ALWAYS read the book before you see the movie.

I had already read this Jane Austen classic twice. I decided to buy a copy of my own so that when I want to read it again, I will have a copy here at home. This is one of my favorites.

Like most of Jane Austen's novels, the theme is around young women and how to obtain marriages with suitable men and be in love with them at the same time. In Emma, we have a heroine who not just sits around and speculates on who would pair up with who, but actively strives to influence and guide the matchmaking. She takes on a protege, Harriet Smith, a young woman of unknown parentage and sees into every interaction with the various gentlemen, more than is actually there. Unfortunately for poor Harriet, whose emotions get tangled around various men "who are all above her socially", Emma learns that manipulation and scheming is doing more to hurt her dear friend than to have left things alone.

The reason I read this book as a mystery, is that the reader is left to speculate (without peeking) which man would pair up with which lady. There are red herrings, where the characters other than Emma, misspeculate, to lead the reader into examining the clues to see if it were the case. Also, one of the male characters purposely set out to mislead where his affections are placed, and there is also a misunderstanding between Emma and Harriet on which gentleman she admires, with Emma giving encouragement because of mistaken identity.

The scheming finally crashes to a sequence of revelations brought about by a sequence of events. One after another, the couples pair off with a sequence of marriages, assuring the reader that the correct matches were made and happiness for the future guaranteed. Even though the middle of the book is very slow, the reader can go back and look at the clues and events after knowing the ending to see where inclinations rested and secrets lay buried.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are interesting and the setting on an Iowa farm is very intriguing and different. I found that this was very hard to put down - a very fast read, and a very good one at that.

This book takes a while to get to the action, but it was well worth the wait.

The narrative is so compelling that I found myself getting caught up in what was happening to the heroine. I became increasingly upset with each little injustice that she endured. The story takes several dark turns that kept me up past my bedtime.

As a work of literary fiction, the prose was not particularly well-written and the characters were at best a collection of stereotypes. Most glaringly, I felt as though this was taking place now and not during the Carter era. Perhaps there was a lot of talk of organic farming, the brain chemistry/causes of psychological illnesses and informing children of the dangers molestation among farmers in the late 70s. I personally do not remember any of those issues being popularly discussed until the late 80s.

This is the sort of marginally entertaining book that will hold your attention for the 3-4 days that it will take to read. However, there are far more interesting and moving books out there.

Way-too-human darker side of the many facets of the Midwest farm life, plus some deeply satisfying glimpses into its regional and natural history. A good read. I guess Smiley did create a very well-developed main character, because I still keep worrying about how she's doing. The others, however, were pretty one-dimensional, and more than a few of the plot turns seemed unrealistic, definitely not fleshed out, but I was completely willing to suspend disbelief in order to continue turning the pages to peer into the mind of that main character.

On a thousand-acre ranch in Iowa, a family compound of three farmhouses in close proximity to one another contains an aging father and two of his three daughters, along with their families.

Homey habits of family get-togethers and church picnics characterize their lives. But beneath the seemingly placid surface, family secrets, rivalries and betrayals lurk. When the patriarch makes an unexpected decision to set up a corporation and hand everything over to his
daughters, emotions are unleashed and a maelstrom of turbulence ensues.

Once the plans are set in motion, one of the daughters balks---soon there is a court case, with family members pitted against one another. And the father, who orchestrated events, is revealed as an angry, bitter tyrant. Then one of the daughters discloses to her sister the deep, dark secret that has informed most of her actions in adulthood.

Nothing will ever be the same again on these one thousand acres...

A Thousand Acres: A Novel is a multi-faceted dysfunctional family portrait...compellingly wrought by this award-winning author.