Fiction Literature Books

I'm a sucker for stuff like this. I guess the reason I did not become an English major is because I like happy, uplifting stories that inspire me to be a better person, as cheesy as that may sound. This short novel fit the bill. It's a simple story, based on an old legend, but is full of so many themes; they blew me away. How could anyone not be touched and amazed by this story? We get the basic survival element (and I love a good survival story) but there is also a story of friendship, love, confidence, self-discovery, and forgiveness. Wallis writes simply but beautifully, combining modern words for our understanding with an ancient story-telling style that is evocative of the Native American spirit. This is a haunting story that will stay with the reader.

This book was short and not profound, but was an interesting picture of the early Athabascan culture and contained a lesson for many of us.

Every woman needs to read this. It goes to prove that we ALWAYS have value no matter our age. It is our duty to keep strong and push ourselves to stay focused and sharp, not relying on others or blaming our circumstances. I loved the old women's adage, "we will die trying."
The book is well written and flows, making for an easy read. I read this to my children ages 6-15 and they loved it! It is a story that gives you hope for what is possible and newfound respect for the aged among us.

Two Old Women is a complex and powerful tale of friendship, survival, and courage. It teaches us that the human will can triumph over adversity, and that it is never too late to grow. Regardless of age, is is the will and the human spirit which direct the course of our lives. We read this selection in our book club and it evoked deep and rich discussion.

In this well-told tale of two tribewomen who are in their old age we see what determination can do. Having earned the respect of their tribe these two women have been content to let others do for them over the years. But their age hinders the tribespeople's movements and they are facing a brutal winter. The chief makes the decision to turn these two out into the harshness of the bleak Alaskan Yukon to live or die.

Together these two women forge a bond of friendship and recall the skills of their younger days, conquering the pain of unused muscles and fear of the unknown to survive even the harshest of conditions. The story comes full circle when they again meet up with their tribe and the chief who once turned them out now finds he and his people have need of their wisdom.

A wonderful book for just about everyone. Full of hope and determination.

This was a trip back for me in two ways. For one, it takes place in a different time when life was a little simpler. Also it takes me back to the first time I read it. I am 50 years old and haven't read this since elementary school. Even though it is set back in time, I could relate to the feelings of these young boys and remember well that time of my life.

It's a must read for your kids (particularly boys) and anyone who has or has not read it. I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a long time.

Tom Sawyer is one of the most entertaining books u will ever read. In this book, Tom Sawyer gets himself into a lot of trouble. He got in trouble at home, at church, and at school. His mischievous antics will keep you entertained throughout the entire book. Although he got into trouble frequently, he also had an uncanny ability to get himself out of trouble with the help of his good friend Huckleberry Finn. The adventures of these two boys have entertained readers for over a century. As soon as you start reading this book, you will not want to put it down. I would recommend this classic novel for readers of all ages.

I LOvED this Book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I loved the adventure, the excitment, and the comedy!!!!!!!!!

In a letter to his friend Franz Overbeck dated 14, November, 1879, Nietzsche says, "If you do not know the latest book by Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, it would be a pleasure for me to make you a little present of it."

Both novels define the picturesque masterpiece and are the twin highpoints in American prose.

This book has a lot of good information about how math concepts were discovered over time by Archmedes. Some of the concepts are involved, but it is written at a level that allows young children (8 yrs and up) to access the ideas. The text could easily be used to branch off to classroom/home study science or math explorations. An excellent introduction to the possible depths of mathematics/science study in a light manner that children will find engaging.

EVERYTHING that Archimedes is supposed to have "discovered" already existed in Africa, thousands of years before "WHITE" Greeks existed. The Ancient Egyptians "THE MASTER BUILDERS" had already discovered "ALL" of the Arts & Sciences. The Greeks & Romans were students of the Ancient Black Egyptians, before they destroyed the Egyptian Civilization by raping the women, killing the Priests, forbidding the speaking of the language & burning the Library of Alexandria. Ask yourself this question, if the Greeks were such Great Mathematicians why did they go all the way to Africa to set up this Library, and where are their Pyramids? Huh?

Africa & Africans were the fountainhead of knowledge, at a time when the Whites had recently emerged from the Caves of & Hillsides of Europe, where they were walking on all fours and eating their meat raw, not having the knowledge of fire. Go back and read the ancient historical accounts by Herodotus, where he describes not only the Scientific Wonders of the Ancient Egyptians, but also describes their race as being of "Burnt Skin & Woolly Hair, & that they describe themselves as "THE" Most Ancient of Peoples.

WHY ARE THERE NO ANCIENT RUINS IN WHITE CIVILIZATIONS BUILT BY WHITE PEOPLES? (Stonehenge and other monuments in Europe were built by Blacks who peopled what is called Europe millions of years before the first Whites arrived. Google "Grimaldi Negro", the first inhabitants of Europe. Also see "The Making of the White Man" by Paul Guthrie & "Black Spark, White Fire".

THIS IS THE SAME TYPE OF RACIST LOGIC THAT POSITS THAT CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS DISCOVERED AMERICA, WHEN EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT BOTH INDIANS & BLACKS WERE HERE FIRST, BUILDING PYRAMID CIVILIZATIONS.

For further edification read: "The African Origin of Civilization" by Cheik Anta Diop (Renowned Senegalese Physicist & Linguist), "Stolen Legacy" by George M. James (Greek Scholar) & "Black Athena" by Martin Bernal (which shows that Early Greece was peopled by two successive waves of African colonization who laid the foundation of both Minoan & Greek Civilization. Take a close look at the Minoans, they are of African stock, as were the early Greeks prior to the invasions of the Barbaric White Dorians, who brought no Civilizing influence to Greece.

Racist White historical analysis cannot replace cold hard facts such as the Pyramid Civilizations appearing only in Black Civilizations such as Egypt, Mexico etc. The Pyramid culture in the Americas begins with the Thick Lipped, Broad Nosed, Wooly Haired Olmec Civilization, "THE MOTHER CIVILIZATION" of the Americas.

FURTHERMORE, WHOSE TO SAY THAT ARCHIMEDES WAS WHITE, AS GREEK CIVILIZATION AT THAT TIME, HAD BLACKS AS WELL AS WHITES.

Truth crushed to Earth will Rise Again!!!

My 12 year old and then my wife have read this nifty little book before I got to read the father's day present. I generally like less-than-one-hour biographies with pictures, particularly of inventors.
Great book for readers at 4th grade level and above.
For adults, if you admit to liking cliff notes, I would recommend this book on Archimedes first, before buying something more scholarly.

This book is about Archimedes' life. He found out how to measure a circle and the principle of buoyancy. He invented the Archimedes' screw. He moved a ship full of cargo with one hand and a machine he built. And he did all this without electricity. I think that you will love this book.

Placing scientific theory in historical context is a concept that sounds dreadful. My children loved it. They adore the comic stories of Archimedes. My eight year-old son couldn't put it down. As a parent of a boy to 'hates to read,' it was AMAZING to hear my son giggling and laughing out loud while studying history and science on his own. What was even more thrilling, was listening to him apply the knowledge to everything from playing with Knex to a catapult.

i read one of raymond's stories in a community college reader . i thought it was teriffic and very unique . i won't even pretend that i remember the stories in this "BEST OF" collection . a totally subjective selection necessarily . but i know it has "CATHEDRAL" and i would hope it would have "A SMALL , GOOD THING" . i love what i've read of the late MR. CARTER (which is a pretty fair bit) and i'm not sure i can even tell you why . i think he was an excellent author though . if that causes one person to read some of his stuff , that's a great thing . all reading is good . wouldn't you agree ?

Have you ever had one of those Blair moments when after weeks of being nice to everyone you have to finally make a decision which means that enemies are made as they see a must have dismissed? Well this is one of those moments. I have been struggling with Raymond Carver's "Where I'm Calling From" a collection of thirty-seven stories chosen from several previous collections published over 20 odd years which should therefore be an ideal introduction to his work. And... wait for it... I am going to abandon it unfinished half way despite him being seen As "the American Chekhov or the laureate of the dispossessed"

Let me say up front, that his prose, ear for dialogue and depiction of the ordinariness of every day life masking unexpressed pain and joy is the best. His stories are like photos that capture the moment frozen with no past or future with all the ambiguity that the unknown allows the reader/observer. The opposite of Norman Rockwell homeliness, more akin to the photos of Walker Evans of Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. But they have no plot, twists, surprises, or surface complexity of character. These are often blue collar workers in small-town or rural settings struggling with jobs, partners, children and booze and it's the unsaid that reveals more then the fractured words.

The stories reflect his own drink problems and failed jobs and marriage in his 20s so he turned to writing to escape and short stories could get something in quickly to pay the rent and get food on the table. His life did begin to turn around and his work started to get critical alarm in his 40's before he died of lung cancer. His accessible prose, realistic situations and comprehensible characters are seen as a counter to egghead experimentalism

But for me, I was left all too often thinking yes and what happens next even while the image created hung in my head. I also think that stories ripped from their original magazine context make the stories work harder then they needed to. I would have welcomed an edition that merged the stories with a set of photographs worthy of the writing. However, if you want to dip in and perhaps read a couple a stories a week or if you enjoy short stories then this is a book for you. As you say at the end of a failed relationship its not you it's me, and lets remain friends. Knowing it's really about the lack of passion. Yet the spurned has the chance of real love else where...will that be you?

Despite occasional accusations of obscurity or frustrating spareness, there's a reason Carver's work stands so highly in opinion: the author's ability to deliver through the written word that which lies at the center of what it means to be a human being, as in being in the world. Anyone who has lived a semblance of a life, and whose ability to form mental connections hasn't been cripplingly truncated, will see in Carver's work the essence of human existence, or at least of experienced existence. This is the art of the short story for adults, for those who've graduated from "just so" fairytales (not that there's anything wrong with fairytales) and have developed the ability to recognize and respond to the deep psychic fulfillment of a master storyteller and his deeply meaningful missives. I would go so far as to say that if Carver's work doesn't touch you in some fundamental fashion, then chances are pretty good you haven't lived much of a life. If a reader is looking to have someone hold his or her hand so as to be led down the aisle of bright and shiny distraction, then by all means go read some Wolfe. If, on the other hand, you are of a piece with the endless, sometimes grinding, and always gloriously contradictory cycle of life (and especially life as lived within human relationships) then Carver's work will resonate with your soul.

I am a hopeless lit. snob. I read only classics. When new books are presented to me, especially books with works published less than 40 years ago, I tend to be very cautious. Raymond Carver's collection may have just changed that. He's accessible to a wide array of readers, from hardcore English majors to "the working man" about whom he so often writes. Stories vary in length from a few pages to over ten, and while some seem to have impenetrable depth of thought, many are easily enjoyed without thinking TOO hard :)

Whether you aren't much of a reader or have books upon books that you've read and loved, this collection has something you can enjoy.

It's awfully hard to live up to praise - especially when said acknowledgments include "one of the great short story writers of our time - of any time" and comparisons to the great Hemingway himself (considered by many to be the all-time master of the form). Happily, Raymond Carver's estimable work stands up to the plaudits.

"Where I'm calling from" is a collection of Carver's work from four of his previous story collections with seven all-new stories to round out the volume. Originally published in 1988, the same year as Carver's death, "Where I'm calling from" is a tribute to an astonishingly accomplished career in writing. Arranged in near-chronological order, the stories follow Carver's progress as an author, and in this reader's opinion it is possible to pinpoint the exact moment he tapped into greatness, and while "Gazebo" may be the collection's first truly revelatory story, it is actually "So Much Water So Close to Home" that was published first. Both stories are the high point of the collection, which is no small feat considering the power and the heft of the other offerings.

At the height of his powers, Carver's writing is nothing short of revelatory. Subtle nuances create powerful depth and Carver's keen acuity for his characters leaves behind not one single false step in his plotlines - and how many writers could honestly make that claim? Not a whole lot, rest assured of that. If his earlier writings are less profound they are still masterful examples of the short story form from a writer who was clearly only getting warmed up.

Literature lovers take heed; Carver's collection is the real deal.

Grade: A

What a wonderful find this was! Meticulously drawn expose of life behind the iron curtain and the nature of the human spirit. A gem of a book and the grandchildren aren't getting their stickies on this!

We in the West often cannot believe,or rufuse to believe what it must have been like to live behind 'The Iron Curtain'.Surely we are told,those tales of repression are merely 'Mc Carthyite propaganda' and 'cold war nonsense'.For some strange reason the idea of a socio political system that murdered more than one hundred million of it's own people while enslaving over a billion more is just too much to face.Leave it to a 'mere childrens book' to show us a slice of life behind the iron curtain.Peter Sis's book does more to open our eyes to life under communism than a spielberg movie ever could(or ever would).Using simple drawings he communicates the hopes and fears of those trapped on the other side of "the wall".Hope springs eternal and oppresion is ever present in a world where a young boy only wants to draw pictures and listen to music without the authorities telling him what to do and how to think and behave.Art and music were seen as powerfull tools and therefor powerfull weapons by soviet rulers.Play a guitar in the West and you were just like everyone else..maybe you could even make a living at it.In the East,a guitar or paintbrush or pen could get you imprisoned or even killed.The West was forbidden fruit.While the West tuned in turned on and dropped out in 1968,the people of Eastern Europe cowered against oppresion,while the West could'nt care less.Revollution was in the air,please dont confuse the issue by pointing out the results of said revollution.While we in the West fictionalsed socialism,it's victims turned to us and our freedom as if it were a drug.The Beachboys..the Beatles..Led Zeppelin.Powerful stuff.All the while the hopes and dreams of one little boy(and countless others)survived the brutallity of socialism and eventually survived to witness the collapse of the Iron Curtain.Sis survives and his artistic life continues.I dont know if this book can be compared to the likes of such works as "Maus" or other well known graphic books.It is a simple book,simply illustrated and simply told.But it is told well.But please dont think of it as a 'mere childrens book'.I can think of only too many grownups who could take a gander and maybe learn a thing or two.But that may be asking too much.Already i can hear some say "he's awfully tough on those poor socialists and way too easy on America".No...he is merely telling the truth...a small slice of life as it was.In fact,the reality was far more grim than even hinted at in this book.This is a simple book.An easy book.A good book for children (of all ages).This is a great book for a budding young artist or musician...or tenured proffessor or even Bay area resident.Liberals should love this book as much as conservatives(how many books can that be said of?).

I am a great fan of Peter Sis and collect all his books, this was my last acquisition. Being the same age and growing up in the same place, I can relate to everything he has to tell, and on top of it, between the lines my own thoughts and memories always resurface and add more dimensions to his story. My favorite of his books is the Tibet through the red box. There is an adventure, suspense, politics, the mysterious Tibet, and everything told so beautifully and illustrated with incredibly sweet detail!
The Wall is an important book and had to be told to the world, though many similar stories had been written on the subject. This one adds yet another facet. Again, the illustrations are fabulous, yet for me, personally, opening the book took some time. Apprehensions, goose bumps, unwillingness to relive those times and reopen old wounds...
In another of his books, The Three Golden Keys, on the publisher page is a tiny note: Thank you for a dream J.O.! A nice reminder that Jackie Onassis, who then worked for Doubleday, was an editor of the final outcome. It is somehow missing in his future books :(
So, yes, a good book to read, an important one, and hopefully it will lead to curiosity about his other books. They are too good not to own and collect.
By the way, did you know that Peter Sis made beautiful wall mozaiks for the New York subway station at 86th Street and Lexington? You must see it!

i read a handful of books over the holidays. this one hardly counts, since it took about a half hour to read. but i really enjoyed it. it's the illustrated autobiography of the author, who grew up in the prague, behind the iron curtain. he was an artist and musician, and the story tells what it was like to be a struggling artist in a repressed, controlled, communist state.

i loved his drawing style, which is comic-book-y, but with tons of detail. and the addition of selections from his journals adds a great sense of real-time to the text. if you like illustrated books, this is worth it.

Imagine a life where you could only draw what the government said you could draw. A life where you couldn't listen to music or read books of your own choice, you couldn't grow your hair long, and you were asked to report your parents if they said anything negative about the government.

This was what life was like for Peter Sis and countless others who grew up in Cold War Era Czechoslovakia under Soviet rule.

Through journal entries, captions, and the story of a boy who loves to draw (Sis), we get an account of the Cold War era from 1948 to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The boy in the book is allowed to draw anything he wants at home, but when he starts school, he can only draw what he's told to draw. We learn how easy it is to brainwash children who are encouraged to report their parents if they hear them say anything against the government. To Sis, this is the way life is until he gets wind of things he isn't allowed to know about: rock `n roll music, the Beatles, Elvis Presley. We then learn what it's like to be oppressed, to be denied freedom and get glimpses of Sis' dreams to be free.

Sis' graphic-novel like book effectively conveys tone through color. With black and white sketches, the only splashes of color are communist red and the colors in the boy's drawings. During the Prague Spring of 1968, the colors in the book brighten, demonstrating hope and cheerfulness--colors of freedom. But they quickly go back to the black and white drawings when the totalitarian regime comes back in full force.

A stirring book, I recommend this for older kids who are able to grasp the seriousness of the content and even high school students who are studying the Cold War.

Mr. DuBois gave a harsh reality on the struggles of the African American people. He left no stone unturned and no points missed.

I love this book. It is part of the best of the works of the great W.E.B. DUBOIS. My active reading of this book expanded my knowledge more on what it takes to be a blackman in America. It is a piece of identification that everyblack person in America is looking to verify about their race in the U.S.
It's a great book.

In 1903, two years after Booker T. Washington's autobiography, "Up from Slavery", W.E.B. Du Bois published "The Souls of Black Folk", a series of essays which today most consider a seminal work in African-American Sociology literature. Du Bois view of race relations in American at the dawn of the 20th century was clear, critical and deeply profound.

Throughout the fourteen chapters Du Bois uses a metaphor, the veil, with considerable deftness:
"...the Negro...born with a veil...gifted with second sight...double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others."

Du Bois shares his thoughts on Emancipation & the Post-Emancipation era, "...there was scarcely a white man in the South who did not honestly regard Emancipation as a crime and its practical nullification as a duty." In other chapters he covers: the education of the Negro, Negro suffrage, tenant farming, and Negro spirituals a.k.a Sorrow Songs. In the chapter, "Of the Black Belt", we take a journey with him as he travels through the Black Belt of Georgia - which is not a reference to the large number of people of color in the area but to the color of the soil. In "The Coming of John", the lone fictional chapter, Du Bois relates a short story of two Johns, one white and one Negro, both coming home to the South after attaining an education in the North.

I could go on and on but this one relevant text that you must read for yourself.

was worthless...was not the correct match for my class book requirement. Never used it...if someone wants it you can have it for free

"The Soul Of Black Folk" Is a book I think everyone should read regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, color, or creed simply because there's something in it for all. W.E.B. Dubois' engaging book falls more inline with the panorama of all American experiences, not just the Black experiences alone: if that makes any sense?
This fine book was originally published in 1903 and is still a significant piece of literature today. The anecdotes that are shared in this book belong in the lexicon of American history, but what's most striking are Dubois' references to Negro music called the sorrow songs, which of course spanned through hundreds of years of sanguineous slavery. And it was these same songs that set the foundation of Gospel, the Blues, Rock n Roll, and the American dream.
The reason I'm using this terminology is because in-spite of the torture blacks suffered they still managed to sing amazing songs such as "Steal Away," and "Poor Rosy." (Some songs were in reference to allegorical content).
Furthermore, the British rock-band Led Zeppelin is a fine example of individual intellectualism insofar as embracing American Negro culture considering they were influenced by this book because in 1968, Led Zeppelin's first album debuted and not only did they cover blues favorites written by Willie Dixon, but they also covered Negro spirituals, which Du Bois referred to as the "Sorrow Songs."
Led Zeppelin's song "How Many More Times" is an opus of Negro "Sorrow Songs." It's amazing that it took the bluesy cadence of an English rock band to pay homage to the very people whose hardship and strife inspired them to borrow the lyrics and the music from this book. It's a wonderful sight to see when people like Jimmy Page and Robert Plant take the time to learn about Black Americanism and about themselves. It just goes to show that all Americans should embrace their African heritage because without acknowledging the Black experience it's impossible to be a true American.
It's upsetting to note that in today's America racism is so rampant that the subject of Rock n Roll history can't even be encroached upon like it was in the 1960's civil rights movement, due to the fact that the political language has significantly changed.
(In layman's terms we can't be honest with ourselves and discuss the sheer fact that racism still dictates our everyday lives simply because the corporate world creates the phony left/right paradigm and ad-hominems through the media, which leaves America with an erroneous history).
Anyway, music played a major role during the 1960's. It helped people prosper through the horrific struggle for independence. The poetry that the slaves introduced over two-hundred years ago would yet again set the recalcitrant atmosphere that was needed when Blacks won the right to vote in 1965. And it was that moment in history that systemic change began. It was almost like an ancestral eidolon cascading over America with the strength and perseverance of a god in love with his people.

Moreover, Dubois elaborates on many subject matter with a linguistic style coming across as the perfect salubrious prolepsis for today's readers.

Sorry to digress, but another high point in the book was Dubois' rebuttal to Booker T. Washington's bourgeois attitude. Even today many Black scholars quote Booker T, but the inquiry was...is that wise? Well, according to Dubois, promulgating Booker T's message was rather pernicious and would only lead to more draconian virulence. Booker T's stance on waiting for White America to become simpatico to the needs of the Negro, while hoping for acceptance to proliferate from them in due time was not realistic at all.
Dubois strongly felt that Booker T's ideas were a depravity, a mummery, and an insult. Waiting for the bully to stop picking on you never works; for some reason Booker T couldn't contemplate that this scenario he was promulgating was ambiguous. If the powers that be are unwilling to negotiate with you then you have no other recourse but recalcitrancy. Booker T was in favor of slow progression, but just imagine what America would be like if Blacks took on Booker T's mindset? Life would be very different that's for sure.
Dubois hits on many touching moments in his memoirs and the personal lives of his students, which everyone reading this will enjoy. "The Soul Of Black Folk" is required reading for all. Give this book a chance! Dubois' writings are an inspirational experience!

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to read or reread one of Jane Austen's books. Any one will do, if it's for the first time or the 25th. It always gives the same energising feeling, like listening to a Beatles song or going on a successful shopping spree.

"Sense and Sensibility" from 1811 is Jane Austen's first published book and has all the characteristics of her entire authorship: A lively delineation of character and a plot that zooms in on relations between people - and luckily often the most mysterious, satisfying, dramatic and confusing - love in its most exciting phase: falling in love. Language and style are elegant and intelligent and imbued with a deep ironic humour, which comes from a keen eye for tensions between opposites.

Five stars, always, for Jane.

When Mr. Dashwood dies, the family estate passes to his son, John. The widowed Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters are left homeless and with little money. A kind relative offers to rent them a small cottage on his property.

The two eldest Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, find both romance and heartbreak in their new home. Elinor is sensible and restrained, so that even when she falls in love with Edward, she keeps her feelings to herself because she knows that marriage is not a possibility. She has no money for a dowry.

Marianne, on the other hand, wears her heart on her sleeve. When she falls in love with handsome playboy Mr. Willoughby, she doesn't care who knows about it.

Both sisters experience heartbreak before they find love and happiness.

Taking place in Norland, England, in 1811, Jane Austen astounds her wide audience with yet another uplifting and eye-opening novel. Sense and Sensibility explores the life of the Dashwood family, consisting of the new widow Mrs. Dashwood and her two daughters, the composed and affectionate Elinor along with the sensible and spontaneous Marianne. Inheriting all of his father's money, John Dashwood visits his sister Mrs. Dashwood and gives the three devastated ladies a good share of his inherited money. During the visit, John Dashwood's wife, fanny, brings along her sensible older brother, Edward Ferrars, who develops a very close relationship with Elinor Dashwood. Although they are given a hard time by Fanny, Mrs. Dashwood, and the later promiscuous old friend Lucy Steele, Elinor and Edward establish and progress their love throughout the entire novel. As their love grows, Austen compares and contrasts the trait of sensibility, possessed by Marianne, and the trait of sense, possessed by Elinor. She does this through the two sisters' interactions with their significant others.
Just like almost all of Jane Austen's preceding novels, Sense and Sensibility dives into the themes of love and judgment. The reader learns how the characters in the novel become blind when they are in love, and the effect this has on their judgment.
Although it is a great read, I do not recommend it to just anybody. Readers must stay attentive to the multiple characters that are introduced throughout the novel; readers must also have strong patience because the novel is written with the old English dialect of the early 1800's. This is one of Jane Austen's best novels, in my opinion. In her novel Mansfield Park, she merely spends the whole novel demonstrating the progression of love in a New England town. In Sense and Sensibility, however, not only is the reader able to explore the development of love in a relationship between two people, but also the progression of individual character qualities, such as those of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. In totality, this novel is one of Jane Austen's best works.

The dual natures of these sisters is what truly makes this novel special. Their natural differences and their abilities in the end to overcome their inborn instincts demonstrate Austen's talent in creating interesting and dynamic characters. For me, this is Jane's best novel (I have not read them all). There is so much to learn from these characters! The men in the novel are complex and interesting as well. Recommended reading. (and yes, the 21st century reader will need to be patient with the language, but the novel is well worth it.)

Jane Austen's comforting classic is based on the dichotomous relationship between reason (Elinor) and emotion (Marianne). Austen's greatness lies in her backing out of the box of 19th-century literary moralism and seeing the areas of gray in human relationships and within the individual. Over and over again in this "early" work (Austen was only 41 when she died) we see characters acting in unexpected ways, even while social strictures are so much in evidence. The most outstanding characters are those who go against the social grain, and Austen unfailingly creates classic foils against whom these interesting individuals can stand out. Entertaining, existing in a stable social world, clever, and funny, this novel is like "comfort food." If you're in the mood for a diverting stroll into another century, let this book be your guide. I also highly recommend the Penguin Classic that has an introductory section by Tony Tanner (if you can find it). Tony Tanner's brilliant insights into Austen and this work deeply enriched it for me. But this section must be read after you read the book.

Not only is the book small, somewhere between a pack of smokes and a wallet only thinner, it really doesn't capture the wordsmithing Twain was noted for. Damn shame attempt at revenue generation.

This book of quotations contains many observations dressed with great wit, humor and smarts that perhaps many can relate, but very few can put into words as only Twain can.

Great for a coffee table book. It is full of the character of Mark Twain.

A nice, slim volume that you may read a few lines from, put it down, and come back later and read a few more. Mostly fun, all are thoughful; Huck Finn is a good philospher for all time.

The book contains Mark Twain's wit.

It was much smaller than I expected.

Five stars is not enough to rate this timeless, flawless epic novel of the South. Miss Mitchell's talent has never been underrated or under-appreciated, but having read it as a teen - then, again recently, after having read "Rhett Butler's People," the authorized sequel to GWTW commissioned by the Mitchell estate, I am newly appreciative of Miss Mitchell's prodigious talent.

For those who have only seen the equally terrific, but different, movie, please read Mitchell's original.

The movie does stand on its own. I am a fan of novels-turned-books and have seen many. I never denigrate a movie if it differed from the original novel in any way. The two are different media.

But Mitchell's only novel earned her a place forever in American literature and is desrving to be read in its entirety.

Though long, it is a quick read for the engaged reader.

I have not read the much-ballyhooed but often best-seller, unauthorized sequels, but I will do so, mostly out of curiosity.

The authorized sequel, Rhett Butler's People, is also interesting, but can never live up to Mitchell's GWTW.

This book probably has more reviews written for it than any other that I've seen on the Amazon site. As I said, I don't know what I can add that others haven't already said...but I have often thought, as I have read and re-read this wonderful novel, that I don't think Scarlett would get Rhett back in the end. I always thought Rhett was far more intelligent, well-rounded, and wise than she, and that an awful lot of his longing for her was comprised of her lack of availability (her heart, that is, that heart that belonged only to Ashley), and her looks. After all, when did he fall for her? When he looked up at her on the staircase and she was wearing that low-cut green-sprigged dress!

The fascinating characters that Mitchell so deftly brings to life are what make this novel so unforgettable. I don't know that any of them are truly believable, but somehow that doesn't matter. The writing style is dated (all those exclamation points!), and of course the dialect and political viewpoints are atrocious in this day and age. The amazing thing is that none of this matters as we find ourselves caught up in Scarlett's world, a world, as Mitchell so poignantly writes,that was gone with the wind.

When Rhett tells Scarlett at the end, "I won't be pursued as the luckless Ashley was pursued," I believe he meant it. The fact that he could coin a phrase like, "Someone or something has convinced you that your lover is too large a piece of Dead Sea fruit for even you to chew" (not sure if I'm quoting this 100% correctly, but I've memorized large portions of the dialogue through re-reading) simply showcases how much more extensive his intellect is than Scarlett's. He realizes now that she no longer holds any appeal for him; her charm for him, simply, was her unattainable-ness. (not a word, either - sorry!)

I never read the sequel. To me, that would be a sacrilege. Mitchell always said that for her, the novel ended when it ended. But no one who reads it can resist pondering..."Did she get him back?" And I say no.

But read it anyway. It's a long read, but oh, such an enjoyable one.

This novel is, I'm certain you must know by now, a family saga covering the Civil War and Reconstruction in the South from the viewpoint of a wealthy Southern family who live on a plantation called 'Tara.'

Easy to read, 'Gone With the Wind' is not only a family saga, but a fascinating character study of people who did what they had to do in order to survive the devastating war years and the reconstruction that followed. Lives and lifestyles were changed forever with the Civil War. Southerners had to adapt to an entirely foreign way of life and this novel explores how different people coped in the form of well-developed, complex characters.

Difficult to put down, this novel is one you will read over and over again and eventually pass down to your children. Don't hesitate to buy a copy!

I've been thinking for a long time that I should read this book--and I'm probably not alone. It's not like I don't know the plot, but still, I've always imagined that it's a classic piece of American storytelling. Let's just say that the writing can be hackneyed, and at times cringe-worthy. But what will make this book last is Mitchell's ability to tell a story, to make people want to turn the page, and experience what happens next. This skill is often undervalued and overlooked, but makes her talent stand above the abilities of others who can write a better sentence. I would recommend this book, not as a timeless piece of literature, but of storytelling.

This book is now my favorite book of all time (it contends with the Bible people!) and is the reason I am grateful to have sight and the ability to read, to enjoy masterpieces like this. I will admit the first 100 pages were slightly slow, but necessary to build the story. I loved learning more about the Civil War and appreciated seeing it from a perspective that often gets shrouded in history. Slavery was never ok but this book allowed me to explore slavery from the South's point of view. I also loved Scarlet, even with all her downfalls, and enjoyed the book most all when Rhett was highlighted.

Every American should be required to read this book! That is how passionately I loved it.

Also, the un-sequel Scarlet was a lovely read. Some contest that Mitchell's work should have been left alone and I can see their point. However, I wasn't ready to say good-bye to Scarlet just yet. No, the sequel does not quite compare to the original, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend the sequel to those who secretly want a happier ending for Scarlet.

Just picked it up on a whim a year or so back - very interesting underrated book that we can all relate to in some manner, but still retains an air of mystery (since his "crime" is never disclosed) to make you think a bit.

Hopefully I don't sound pretentious, but shortly after I read Ivan Illich Deschooling Society. While justice systems aren't schools, I think the phrase "We confuse teaching with being taught...police for security...politics for order...and overall trained to confuse service in place of value" comes into play with The Trial.

Maybe I'm off, but to me, I think Kafka's main goal was illustrating this concept, even though it predates Illich by quite some time.

By stripping away the actual accusation, it doesn't become a book about stopping a murderer, thief, rapist, embezzler. If the accusation were revealed, you would be tricked into confusing service over value - ie you'd naturally feel the protagonist was guilty if accused of something, or you'd naturally feel the court is in perfect right to investigate a SPECIFIC CRIME...and automatically trust that it's order.

But without an accusation, all you are left to examine is what has been accomplished...ie you question the value, no longer blinded by the service. As the book progresses, you see it's just a show people are tricked buying into - judges are important by title alone not because they stop criminals, defendants are automatically in fear of something they haven't done and question their guilt despite it being ambiguous if it's good or bad, and people automatically judge you on what they're told vs. what they believe and abandon any practical thought of their own to the point where strangers can convict someone you've known for quite some time. In the end, you see little is accomplished and people are just following a 9-5 routine uninspired by actual productivity, actual right or wrong, and everyone trapped into the service, not value, mindset.

Interesting to see what others think,but to me, The Trial is a verbatim portrayal of Illich's books.

Kafka depicts a terrifying world, a man lost in a world of utter unintelligibility - it is the horror story of the 20th century, where man has sought to negate both his own intelligibility and that of the world. Kafka pre-empts the regimes of Stalin, Hitler and all the other crazies of the 20th Century.

So I read this book for a small book club and I could NOT make myself finish it. The whole "no paragraph" thing totally made it unreadable for me. I got through like 2 or 3 chapters before shuting it closed and throwing it on the floor. It had the potential to be a good story too. I say skip it.

Behind Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, this is perhaps the greatest book in which the author immerses his reader into the protagonist's soul. The damnable truth of the matter is there is little absurd in Kafka's "absurd" prose. This book grips you in the protagonist's fear, despair, despondency, boldness, and indecisiveness. He can trust no one, and everyone turns out to be his enemy. Just imagine how great the story would be if the author lived to complete it. Alas, maybe it would not be as good at all. Anyway, enjoy this classic tale, and learn how little stands between Kafka's written word, and current day.

I can't "review" The Trial. As George Steiner writes in the introduction: "The thought that there is anything fresh to be said of Franz Kafka's The Trial is implausible." I will however, comment on this particular edition. I have not read any other translation of the novel, but I was satisfied by the job done by Willa and Edwin Muir. The so-called "Definitive Edition" is worth having, not only for the classic translation, but also for the supplemental material: the introductory essay, unfinished chapters, passages deleted by Kafka, excerpts from Kafka's diaries, drawings by Kafka, and Max Brod's postscripts to previous editions.