Fiction Literature Books

I read this book with great anticipation, as "Things Fall Apart" is probably one of my favourite books of all time. I was sorely disappointed, both with the poor quality of the characterisation, the glacial pace of the plot, the 50 or so pages that could have easily been left out, and the overall not-so-subtle blaming of all life's ills on the white man. Achebe gives the impression that things in Africa would've been just fine had the white man not intervened and gummed up the works. As we can see with the disasters in present day Zimbabwe and Sudan, Africa has long had its own set of problems long before British colonialism.

"Things Fall Apart" was crafted so perfectly that it read like a song...a sad one, but a song nonetheless. "No Longer At Ease" repeats so many of the same parables, so many of the same ideas that it seemed almost made up of things that Achebe couldn't find a place for in its prequel. It also seemed to be written in a hurry and skimmed the surface of so many deeper issues one of left pondering in "Things Fall Apart".

I've heard Achebe recently interviewed on BBC Radio, and he is a joy to listen to. This book, however, is not his best effort by far. It was only out of loyalty that I finished it and promptly regretted buying it at all. I give it two stars because I like Achebe's style, but that's being pretty generous.

A great disappointment.

I've read about a couple of recent novels published by Nigerian writers about Nigeria yet I've always wanted my first literary encounter with this contentious nation to be through the gaze of its most honored writer Chinua Achebe. In "No Longer at Ease", his second novel, Achebe explores the moral and cultural conflict that arises as the result of an often cataclysmic collision of European colonialism and African independence. Obi Okonkwo, the novel's main character, is a first generation English educated Nigerian. After college, Obi returns to a transitioning Nigeria, where one's options in life are still limited by the aftermath of British rule and the onset of Nigerian corruption (the later resulting in large part from the former). Upon his return, Obi is faced with the financial expectations of the tribe that helped sponsor his education, the ire of his family for his choice of fiancée and the assumption by many of his countrymen that, through his station with the Senior Service, he is capable of influencing (with a little financial motivation) the outcome of scholarships awarded to Nigerian students. As he navigates through each dilemma Obi must balance the ethical certainties learned through his western education with the cultural practices of his country. The results are at times noble at other times indictable.

Achebe is incredible at capturing the sounds and flavor of Nigeria. Even more remarkable is his ability to do so in English, a language not his own and vastly different from his native tongue. "No Longer at Ease" provides excellent insight into the struggles faced by those who transition from the old to the new whether in terms of educational advancement or socio-economic elevation. As a first generation college graduate I found the challenges and expectations faced by Obi to be quite familiar. I was able to connect with his thought processes and clearly understood the emotional conflicts. A relative once said to me that of he who is given much, much is required. I've learned, over time, that we should all do what we can when we can. This was a good read and the novel is as poignant today as it was when it was originally published over forty-five years ago. Enjoy!

Although considered a sequel to "Things Fall Apart," "No Longer at Ease" stands on its own and does not require that you read Achebe's more famous work (assuming you've somehow made it through school and managed to escape its ubiquity). It's probably more accurate to say that "No Longer at Ease" is a retelling set in modern Nigeria, and it is as great as--perhaps better than--his earlier work.

Obi Okonkwo is the grandson of Okonkwo, the central character in "Things Fall Apart" (and, other than thematic similarities, this is the only direct link between the two books). With the assistance of fellow villagers who had "made it" in the larger world, Obi leaves home for schooling in England and returns to a civil service job in the colonial administration of Nigeria. Because he is one of the select representatives of his village to receive such treatment, expectations are high: he is to live like a member of his class, entertain like a prince, and pay back his educational expenses. He also finds out quickly that his position on the Scholarship Board, recommending prospective students, is a magnet for bribery.

Here, Achebe forsakes the quasi-mythical storytelling tone of "Things Fall Apart" in favor of a more realist style--and this novel, I think, is both stronger and more accessible as a result. In both works, though, Achebe examines how native culture and tradition come into conflict with Western conventions and materialism. Not only is Obi is torn between the often contradictory demands of success and politesse, but he must also face the patronizing racism of his white superiors and the "backward" conventions of his own people. He falls in love with a woman, only to find her spurned by his people because she is "osu"--an outcast. "It was scandalous," Obi thinks, " that in the middle of the twentieth century a man could be barred from marrying a girl simply because her great-great-great-great-grandfather had been dedicated to serve a god, thereby setting himself apart and turning his descendents into a forbidden caste to the end of the Time."

Unable to satisfy either his family and friends or his British overlords, Obi is headed for the nearly preordained downfall that opens the book. It's a tragedy that underscores all of Achebe's works, which critically examine both Western attitudes toward Africa and the corruption in his native homeland. (The title of this review, in fact, is appropriated from one of Achebe's nonfiction works.) It is not modernization per se to which Achebe objects (after all, he now lives in the United States), but the racism and marginalization that accompanied and have superseded imperialism and that created unreasonable expectations for Nigerians. Through the prism of fiction, "Things Fall Apart" represents powerfully the paradoxes of African life in a Western world.

After writing "Things Fall Apart", Achebe again comes to us with a masterpiece sequel tiled "No Longer At Ease". This book depicts Obi Okonkwo, the grandson of the Okonkwo in the former. He is an honorable character who comes to a tragic end because of the corruption going on around him, this book also depicts the assimilation that the Nigerians go through and their identity shaken with waves and waves of European influence. A book more concerned over the social issues that the Nigerians at the time felt for their time. This is also shown in Africa today, where corruption run rampant and those in power care nothing about those without power. A powerful novel indeed.

The title of Chinua Achebe's No Longer at Ease suggests the possibility of a time when there was "ease." The struggles of the protagonist, Obi Okonkwo, a twenty-six year old Umuofian educated in the British Colonial system and at the university in Great Britain, are analogous to the struggles facing Nigerian society during the period at the end of colonization. Obi must manage the complexities occasioned by his position as a senior civil servant in the British colonial administration in Lagos and his "taboo" love for Clara, a nurse educated in Britain and an osu, a woman banned from marriage by tribal traditions.

While working on his English B.A. and living in Britain on a 800 pound sterling investment of his tribe, the Umuofian Union, Obi celebrates his country in a poem, entitled "Nigeria." He writes, "How sweet it is to lie beneath a tree / At eventime and share the ecstasy / Of jocund birds and flimsy butterflies" (19). No Longer at Ease depicts the complicated picture of Nigeria that Obi finds after four years study abroad.

The novel portrays the interactions of diverse, layered communities in pre-Independence Nigeria in the late 1950s. Achebe describes rural tribal societies, such Umuofia, in contrast to the urban elite of Lagos. He examines the coexistence of traditional tribal religious practices with the Christianity practiced by first and second generation Christian converts. Obi's father, Isaac Okonkwo is a first generation Umuofian convert to Christianity. The son of Okonkwo, the great yet tragic tribal leader of Achebe's Things Fall Apart (1959), Isaac converts to Christianity and later rejects his dying father with the statement: "Those who live by the sword die by the sword." Furthermore, in characterizations of Mr. Green, an English administrator in the colonial government, and Justice William Galloway, an English colonial judge, neither of whom can "comprehend" Obi, Achebe presents the myopia and racism underlying British colonial rule.

No Longer at Ease is a sensitive novel that presents a broad view of humanity. Achebe deals frankly with a number of controversial topics, including sexuality, racism, and corruption. Obi finds himself at the intersection of a number of competing allegiances pulling him in contradictory directions. Obi's poem, "Nigeria," quoted in various parts throughout the novel, embodies the hopes for Nigeria that the novel, in its unflinching realism, ultimately upholds: "God bless our noble countrymen / And women everywhere. / Teach them to walk in unity / To build our nation dear."

I went into Billy Budd expecting fully unique characters, dynamic adventure scenes, amusing-to-analyze homoeroticism, and original themes. What I got was a flat, uninspired narrative that would have been furiously marked in red by any high school English teacher for its excessive description and dull prose. Melville, what the heck!?? I go from a breathtaking adventure novel to this yawn-inspiring allegorical novella?

When Moby Dick indulges in diversions, it's like humoring a genius uncle who interrupts a riveting tale of his past for an educational discourse on different types of whales. When Billy Budd breaks up its narratives it's like suffering through a boring lecture from a professor who assumes his idiotic students haven't done the assigned reading.

Talk about a disappointment! I suspect that many people who claim to like Billy Budd do so because it's short and easy to analyze, and you can say things like "Oh, Moby Dick is next on my list. I loved Billy Budd." Did you really? I'll admit that the issues are compelling- innocence corrupted by evil, religion's role in perpetuating war, the condemnation of modern warfare which honors efficiency over valor... and so on... but they are not explored in an interesting or particularly thought-provoking way.

I agree with some other reviewers that this story reads like a draft rather than a finished work. Perhaps if Melville had further developed this it would have evolved into something brilliant, but he died before that could happen. I find the notion of Starry Vere arguing strongly for a decision which he finds unconscionable compelling, and I like Claggart's sociopathic obsession with handsome Billy. These could have been fleshed out- perhaps at the expense of the over-long professions of Billy's ethereal beauty- but they were left awash in a sea of messy, weak plot.

I doubt I will bother reading most of the stories. Herman Melville remains one of my favorite authors because of the intense enjoyment I derived from Moby Dick, but my opinion of him has been tarnished after reading this.

Book took too long to arrive. Required reading for my daughter. MysticBleu

Billy Budd has never known a home beside the sea. Orphaned, and apparently un-cared for, even though he has a personal innocence, and beauty about him, he is at one with the sea.

In his innocence, he is unaware that his superior, Claggert, is also his nemesis, and one can only speculate why Claggert has such antipathy towards him.

Although there is nothing Captain Vere can do to save the poor boy, after Billy Budd unexpectedly lashes out at Claggert, we are waiting for something to happen to avoid the unfair morality of the story. While Vere has right in his decision to condemn Billy Budd, it is an immoral decision. Is what is right and what is moral it always the same thing? Not in this case, and perhaps that is Melville's point. Well meaning people can do what is right, can act in a manner that is correct, but isn't there a higher consideration. Why does there have to be a conflict with morality and correctness, with humanity and duty.

This short novel provides yet another addition to the literature in which to question right and wrong, good and evil. I think that this is an unanswerable question.

While the themes within this story and universal, and well presented, the language is nineteenth century. Parts of the narrative are difficult to get through, and many of the metaphors require a nineteenth century outlook. But the issues it raises are worth thinking about, and that certainly comes through, at least to me,

Personally, I thought this was a great book. This book follows a man named Billy Budd through the end of his life spent in the English navy. Although this book had some boring parts, it was overall a great story line. I was impressed with story more than the writing, which ran a little longer than I thought it should have in some parts. However, the main story was very clever and presented a lot of great ideas.
The story was set in 1797 during one of Britain's wars with France. Most of the story takes place on a ship called the Indomitable. There had been a lot of mutinies in the British navy, and the ship is overall a tense place. To add to it the men find the quarters too crowded. Billy Budd starts out on a boat called the Rights of Man, a merchant ship, and is put into service on the Indomitable.
The story to me is about good versus evil. The whole book seems to be a major analogy of the simplest form. Billy is good. Claggart is bad, and Vere is reason. The major plot involves Billy killing Claggart in response to evil. Billy seems to be completely unaware of badness. After being offended by Claggart, Billy punches him and accidentally kills him. Then a court is set up to determine Billy's punishment.
The characters have very obvious symbolism to the struggle of good and evil. When Billy joins the Indomitable he is about 20, handsome, kind, and basically personified innocence. Claggart is an older man who moved up in rank mainly because he could please people, but is clearly evil. I think that this is genius. Even in my life I can think of people who get ahead in life simply through attitude, which I find to be a horrible representation of a man. I believe men should be judged more on their values, or set of morals, which determine all of his endeavors. Even in schools the straight A students are not always the people who are most able to do jobs. However I use this more as an analogy than an example because this story deals mainly with good and evil. Finally, there is Captain Vere. He is an older man, who is implied to be intelligent although not directly show to be. He loves to read, and is a conserved man who is seen as fair, and well liked among the sailors. To me he doesn't represent a person. I see Vere as the challenge of judgment. He is a man given all the information, a just fairness, and intelligence. I find that even though not all people come off as having equal intelligence, it's more of a language barrier. Until you get to know someone its like looking at the surface of an ocean. When it comes to their ideas you can only see the tip of the iceberg, and it's impossible to tell for sure how deep those thoughts go, even if you think you have an idea. I think that most people have this reason and understanding, under the surface, that is represented by Vere. I must say that some people wouldn't like this book because they might find it stupid or boring, but the principles that are suggested by this book are real and true to today. So, even if you don't appreciate the style of the author, anyone who takes time to consider the idea of this story must find themselves lost in thought; riding on a train of thought that only great ideas can take you aboard, staring out the window with amazement.
The story itself beautifully illustrates this idea of the forces of good and evil in life. The men on the ship are like followers. Some of them follow Claggart, trying their best to please him, but the majority look up to Billy for his purity, and respect Vere for his fairness. The idea of mutiny is brought to Billy by one of his fellow seamen. Billy of course has no desire to partake in it, and is outraged by the idea. However, later, when the ship leaves the main fleet, Claggart tells Vere that he has heard of a mutiny developing. Vere who seems to admire Billy for his innocence and good heart, finds the claim ridiculous. It's never made clear why Claggart dislikes Billy, but I think that this is one of the key points of the book, that evil exists without instigation. Vere, determined to settle the dispute, brings both of them into his office one night, and tells them both the situation. Billy, who has no understanding of evil, is so offended by this accusation that in defense he out lashes and punches Claggart, killing him. Vere, a man of justice calls together a court for Billy's punishment. If you don't want to know the ending, skip the rest of this paragraph. In sight of fairness Billy is sentenced to a hanging. Also, later Vere dies in a fight with the ship Atheist. So, in the end evil is all that's left it seems. I don't think that this means that evil conquers goodness and fairness. I think it simply shows that goodness is rare, and fairness can be taken by evil, as with Billy's death and Vere's death. I think the reason evil is left at the end of this book is because evil will always exist.
Overall, this book was definitely a classic. I found the story interesting, and quite well written, but had it been poorly written, the concept of the book was enough to make this book well worth the reading. The book seemed boring to me at first, but the whole picture is needed to appreciate this work of art. I would recommend this book to anyone with an open mind.

*BILLY BUDD, a classic tale by America's Herman Melville, was written 40 years after his burst of creative energy. Melville still possessed the feeling for a good story, but he wrote it in a language so ornate and (to our modern eyes) stilted, that one can hardly absorb it. Nevertheless, BILLY BUDD deals with a timeless human issue---the nature of justice. Billy, a handsome young sailor, has been impressed into the British Navy where he incurs the jealousy or instinctive dislike of an officer. Billy has done nothing to warrant his wrath and is highly popular among everyone. This officer, rather more intellectual than most, proves tenaciously vindictive. He endeavors to trap Billy in a mutinous plot, but Billy rejects the idea. At last the officer goes to the captain and accuses Billy of mutiny directly. The captain too likes Billy and cannot believe the accuser. He calls Billy, who in tense circumstances is apt to stutter or be tongue-tied. When presented with the officer's accusations, Billy cannot speak. He strikes the officer. The conclusion is swift and sad. I should not reveal the ending, but the question of "what is justice ?" lies at the center of it.

*Other Tales---these are neither very enjoyable nor easy to read except for BARTLEBY THE SCRIVENER, an amusing story that might remind readers of one episode from "Sinbad the Sailor". Bartleby, a copyist or scrivener arrives at a lawyer's office and is hired. He seems to have no past, no present. We discover that he even lives at the office, never goes out. He gradually refuses to do all work, but will not leave the premises. How to get rid of him ? I could tell you the end, but in the immortal words of Bartleby himself, "I would prefer not to." This is a minor classic.

Excellent book highlighting the need and importance of logical reasoning for a better understanding of everything one encounters

is in this book. Socrates was proclaimed (by the Oracle at Delphi, the voice of Apollo) to be the wisest man in Athens. After the Democracy had come back after the defeat in the Peloponnesian Wars, the mob needed someone to take the blame, and Socrates was the designated victim. He continues on his path happily, knowing that he has served Athens in the best way that he could. You can't beat the price for this copy of the four dialogues that make up his trial and death, and you can't ask for a better role model than Socrates!

Highest rating!

This translation by Benjamin Jowett, a great translator of Plato's works, is the one you want to get if you are mostly concerned with beauty and elegance in a translation. There are other translations that are more accurate, but none more elegant and beautiful than Jowett. This translation was finished in the 19th century; it is the most famous of all Plato translations, although there are numerous other translations available today. (You will be able to find critics that love and hate each translator, so it is up to you to get the one that you think is most true and, if you are like me, most beautiful.) Here is a translation comparison of the same lines of a few different translations so you can see the difference:

(From the "Apology")

Tredennick:

"Well, now it is time to be off, I to die and you to live; but which of us has the happier prospect is unknown to anyone but God."

Jowett:

"The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways--I to die, and you to live. Which is better God only knows."

Rouse:

"And now it is time to go, I to die, and you to live; but which of us goes to a better thing is unknown to all but God."

Just so you know, the Jowett translation is a public domain text (finished in the late 19th century) that you can find on the internet if you don't want to buy it; but it only costs pennies, so go ahead and buy the book so you can make your notes in the margins...and also so you don't have to stare at a computer screen for hours.

Some links to other versions that feature the Jowett translation:
Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Phaedo (Great Books in Philosophy)

Six Great Dialogues: Apology, Crito, Phaedo, Phaedrus, Symposium, The Republic (Thrift Edition)

***It is generally agreed upon that the most accurate translation of Plato are the Grube translations. Here is a link: Plato Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo

This edition of _The Trial and Death of Socrates_ contains Plato's four famous dialogues between Socrates and his friends and detractors before the noteworthy philosopher was condemned to death by the Athenian tribunal in ancient Greece. I find this topic of interest because of the close relationship between Platonic thought and early Christian philosophy during the period of roughly 250-750 A.D. when the fundamentals of Christian doctrine were formed. It is clear from a reading of this series of texts why Plato, although a pagan preceding Christ for several hundred years, was very popular among Christian prelates, monks, polemicists, theologians and philosophers. The texts make somewhat awkward reading because they are presented in the forms of dialogue between Socrates and his friends and detractors and thus Plato does not have to express unequivocally what his own opinions are regarding the debates. The first text discussed in this volume is entitled "Euthyphro" and discusses the nature of piety. Here Plato has Socrates question many of the concepts associated with the polytheistic worship and piety of ancient Athens. Socrates' famous "Apology" is a treatise against the accusations of the courts of Athens. Socrates argues for the fact that only God is ultimately the source of wisdom and in all his interactions with fellow poets, artists, philosophers, statesmen, etc., he has not found true wisdom, at least not any wisdom that he himself does not already possess. In "Crito" Socrates debates with those among his followers who entreat him to flee Athens and take up refuge in a safer city. "Phaedo" contains the account of Socrates' last dialogue and concludes with Socrates' death by consuming hemlock poison as ordered by the Athenian court. Socrates explains that he does not fear death because the physical things of this world are impermanent and only the soul is ultimately immortal. Death is in fact an improvement in man's condition and he advocates a type of otherworldly asceticism (disdaining external appearances, food, clothing and human love) as the true path for the philosopher who wants to understand and contemplate the nature of reality in a pure fashion. The body dies and the soul is immortal and therefore the most important thing is to attend to the metaphysical realities while in this life. Socrates argues, among other things, that the soul is pre-existent of the body, a concept which was taken up later by the Christian philosopher Origen and later condemned as heresy. He also believes in a concept of the afterlife where the soul is either punished for wrongdoing or rewarded for good. Some souls go through a process of purification before they can advance, similar to the Roman Catholic doctrine of Purgatory. _The Trial and Death of Socrates_ is an excellent read about an important figure in the history of religion and philosophy, especially as it shows the mindset of one who was willing to die for his beliefs (martyrdom). Not all of Plato and Socrates ideas were adopted by the Church but despite certain discrepancies they were nonetheless influential.

The four dialogues collected in this volume tell the story of the trial and death of Socrates. The "Euthrypo" is a philosophical dialogue on the subject of piety and holiness, set against the background of Socrates' having been accused of impiety towards the gods. The 'Apology' contains Socrates largely monologic defense of his own actions. In this he defends his own devotion to truth, to seeking out the way of true Wisdom. His well- known claim is not that he is wise, but rather that whatever wisdom he has comes in knowing he and others are not wise. Socrates role as gadfly, as one who questions conventional truths is here highlighted. In the 'Crito' Socrates refuses the pleas of his friends, and shows himself to be a dutiful citizen of the state by refusing to illegally escape, run away from the death- sentence. In the 'Phaedo' Socrates nobly choses to accept the verdict of Death , and indicates that his concern is more with his own immortal soul than with the evanescent life in this world.
The Four Dialogues together are central to Plato's thought, and constitute one of the central stories of Western Philosophy.
'Philosophy' as Socrates practices it is an unending searching for the truth, an unending process of questioning and dialoguing , undermining one's own assumptions in the process. It is an exposing of the folly and error which is at the heart of most conventional opinion.
In these 'Dialogues' Plato creates the figure of Socrates as first great hero of Western Philosophy. And this though Plato's own thought will have a dimension of certainty and discovery of the Absolute Ideal which aims to be go beyond Socratic activity and dialogue.
These 'Dialogues' are not simply a central work of Western thought, but also a powerful work of Literature. They portray a remarkably , courageous figure, one who stands for the 'truth' and for his own moral integrity despite the entreaties and pressures of the mass of his countrymen. Socrates ia also the great martyr of truth, and as this sets the pattern for a whole series of 'heroes' of thought who defy Authority to present the Truth as they understand it.
With all this there are questions to be raised about Socrates value- system, wisdom and general morality. He has often been faulted for neglecting not only the shrewish wife Xantippe, but his three sons, for in short holding responsibility to family as secondary value. His 'questioning - of- everything' attitude is of course one which comes most naturally to adolescence and the young people he taught, but is problematic for those adult Athenians who truly had to be responsible for running Athenian democracy under difficult times.
This neat, small Dover Edition presents a classic piece of philosophical Literature in an attractive and inexpensive popular non- scholarly edition.

Gracia's voice transports you to the specific moment you are reading about. Love this book.

I would recomend this book to anyone who likes a good book if you do not belive me buy it and read it

Miguel

Hace mucho que no leia Gabriel Garcia Marquez, la ultima vez fue en el colegio 100 años de soledad y fue tedioso, hoy me reconcilie con Garcia Marquez, sus descripciones son tal reales que hasta los aromas se hacen realidad, realmente nos damos cuenta de la calidad del escritor. UNa novela romantica rapida de leer que te cautiva desde las primeras paginas...totalmente recomendable

Very enjoyable read due to the language, his spanish is very rich and involves you very easily, it's delightful. The plot is ok, with an end somewhat dissapointing.
However, I am in a book club and all my friends read it in english. All of them disliked it. I have read some of it in english and it is not the same, the words are very similar but the diction is not entirely right so it makes it full of long, convoluted phrases. A pity.

I bought this because it was made into a movie and won a Nobel prize, and I had never heard of it. I surprized myself that my Spanish was adequate to read it without too much dictionary use, and really enjoyed the writing style. A story I would compare with Dr Zivago - a love over many years with some deceptions and tears. The author paints very clear pictures of the settings and how they change over time. He manages to maintain some sympathy for the principal character in spite of his many poor choices.

(SPOILER ALERT)
The entire time I read this book I found myself wondering if the author had ever struggled with her weight at all. Normally I wouldn't care--I don't believe people can only write "what they know". However ... she should have researched before writing. Jemima's weight loss was not achieved in a realistic way. The way it's described might end in weight loss--but not that quickly. And after that drastic amount of weight loss in that short period of time, there would be signs leftover--loose skin, stretch marks, etc. Also, she was only happy when she was finally thin, which is a terrible message to be putting out there. Finally, the big twist at the end--are you freaking kidding me? So Jemima's boyfriend is really in love with a fat girl, but just wants a trophy, front-woman to be seen with in public. And he's a gym owner. And his real love, the fat girl, is just A-okay with that--even though he sleeps with Jemima. The entire thing is just ridiculous.

This book doesn't read like being in a fat girl's mind--it reads like being in a skinny chick's head as she imagines being in a fat body. This can certainly be pulled off--but this book does not accomplish it.

I, too, was a little sad in the beginning. Being an overweight JJ, I so wanted her to embrace her curviness. I enjoyed her relationship with Brad, but thought the reason it ended was silly and unrealistic, unless people are really that superficial. I wouldn't know. I have learnt to love my curves however JJ has motivated me to become healthy and not obsessed.

How sad I felt beginning the reading of this book. What an opportunity Jane Green missed in dealing with this very important subject of BODY IMAGE issues. She convoluted the real story by adding what I think surely must be a fantasy of her own related to internet porn and foul language. I was intending to use this in a very meaningful discussion on eating disorders but was so disappointed in the beginning that I abandoned the book. Too bad for Jane Green.

such a great book!
very fast entertaining read.
LOVED THE ENDING.
the characters are very likeable and fell in love with the main guy in novel :D

At 27, Jemima Jones is desperately unhappy. She's about 100 pounds overweight, stuck in a menial newspaper job, lives with two ditzy roommates who take advantage of her, and worst of all, suffers from unrequited love for her handsome colleague Ben. What's a girl to do?

At her lowest, Jemima discovers the Internet and all its possibilities. Visiting random chatrooms, Jemima can talk to all sorts of people, being whomever she pleases.

It's in the LA Cafe that Jemima meets Brad, a wealthy California hunk who quickly becomes taken with "JJ," the spunky and successful persona Jemima has taken on. So what if JJ's job is a bit more exciting than Jemima's? And when Brad asks for her photo, Jemima enlists a friend's help in a bit of photoshopping? After all, it's not as though they'll ever meet. Besides, Brad can't possibly be telling the truth about every little thing, either, right?

Then one day, Brad convinces Jemima to make the trip of a lifetime to meet him in Los Angeles. By that time, Jemima has long been working toward really becoming JJ -- exercising, dieting, buying new clothes and just plain reinventing herself. She's already seen quick results. The only question is, will Brad be as wonderful as he seemed online? And will Jemima ever be able to get over Ben?

Despite this story's taking place in the late '90s, when the concept of meeting people online was still fairly new and foreign, and many seemed to believe that the individuals they met in this fashion were "not real," I still felt Green allowed Jemima to get off easy with her lies about her own self. Sure, the point the author appears to have been making is that Jemima was able to turn her fantasies into reality simply by becoming motivated enough; but it seems to me too convenient that she so quickly managed to become JJ, totally and completely.

As a final note, I also couldn't figure out why the author chose to title her book "Jemima J" -- the main character was never called that! I know it isn't really relevant to the story itself, but I still found it a bit odd...

If you enjoy quick, "chick lit"-type reads, you'll enjoy this novel; just don't expect much in the way of serious plot or conflict.

So it is hard to go wrong with any Poe books, and especially for one this cheap. These Dover Thrift editions do not have the most amazing print quality or anything, but have some great writings in cheap, easy to own packages.

Really though, if you can spare it, spent the 15 bucks or whatever and pick up one of the many complete collections of Poe if you can.

This includes:

Ligeia
The Fall of the House of Usher
The Murders in the Rue Morgue
The Masque of the Red Death
The Pit and the Pendulum
The Tell-Tale Heart
The Gold-Bug
The Black Cat
The Cask of Amontillado

The usual suspects are here, and a bit of variety like The Masque of the Red Death. So, another fine collection from Dover.

First of all, I think it goes without saying that the stories collected here are wonderful. "The Cask Of Amontillado", "The Tell-Tale Heart", "The Fall Of The House Of Usher" - it doesn't get much better (or more horrifying) than this. The price is also nice. A dollar fifty? What can you buy for a dollar fifty these days?

My sole complaint regards the absence of footnotes. Take "Cask Of Amontillado", for example. It's hardly essential to know that "motley" is the garb of a jester or a clown (or that a "pipe" is a wine cask) in order to enjoy the story, but that information would have been nice to have nonetheless.

In conclusion, this collection is a wonderful bargain, but if you have a little more money you may want to invest in an annotated collection of these tales.

Edgar Allan Poe is a master of words, wisdom and the English language in general. He sits high up with the greats of English literature and reading this book, you will know why. He is master of his words and moulds them with such love that leads the reader into thinking they are one with the author. Lead me on...

America was a young country; its age was measured in decades. America had few established colleges and had produced few writers, artists, and musicians. It is ironic that Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), living in poverty and suffering from alcohol and opium abuse, would be one of America's greatest writers, and one of the key creators of two genre of fiction - the deductive mystery and the horror story.

This inexpensive Dover Thrift edition - The Gold Bug and Other Tales - contains nine unabridged short stories arranged in chronological order. Two are classic mystery stories. Seven are superb horror stories.

The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841) was not only innovative, but had lasting influence on later writers. Some fifty years later Conan Doyle closely patterned Sherlock Holmes on Poe's amateur detective, Monsieur C. Auguste Dupin, and Dr. Watson on Poe's unnamed narrator that had so much difficulty keeping pace with the brilliant deductions of Dupin. Would we have had Holmes without Dupin?

The Gold-Bug (1843) is the other deductive mystery story in this Dover edition. I still remember reading it for the first time years ago. I was a young, intense entomologist at that time; after reading this intriguing tale, I carefully reinspected every beetle in my collection. I will say nothing about the plot as it is best savored as a surprise.

Six of the horror stories - The Cask Of Amontillado (1846), The Black Cat (1843), The Tell-Tale Heart (1843), The Pit and the Pendulum (1842), The Masque of the Red Death (1842), and The Fall of the House of Usher (1839) - are among Poe's best known tales. They have all been adapted to films, often with considerable license on the part of the screen writer. Ligeia (1838), the earliest story in this collection, may be unfamiliar. These tales are usually told in narrative form, sometimes from the perspective of one not entirely sane.

Many years ago a teacher, Mr. McLeod, loaned me a thick, heavy book containing the complete stories and poetry of Edgar Allan Poe. I read it cover to cover. Poe remains one of my favorite authors.

Not the best book about Brazil in general, probably a well not the best book about Favelas (though it does have a lot of stark, references about the social and corrupt political institutions bringing down the country).

For starters the writer or author Carolina Maria De Jesus is a very ignorant, bitter, arrogant and hard woman exclamation on the bitter part. While she raises many question about what is causing the misery in the Favela and the country in general her messages gets lost amidst her constant complaining, and torrid gossip about her neighbors, townspeople, the rich upper class and other people. I mean part of this book is no doubt her attempt at trying to get back at a lot of people who mistreated her but stuff like telling the reader "such and such couple fought", and "this guy stole this", or any another needless gossip (which takes up most of the book) is just tabloid trash that she was willing to sell the highest bidder. It's no wonder when the Diary was finally published a lot of people hated her and why not? She seems to have brought that all on herself.

I mean from an objective point of view certainly Maria could see that such idiotic details as what couple broke up and robbery took place would be needless details in a book that is supposed to be bringing in themes about the lousy politicians Brazil has had, the way the police do nothing about crime and the way certain social institutions who are there to serve the poor only spit on them.

She does both but she ends doing more of the sordid tabloid dirty stuff that you would on the eleven o'clock news. It also seems at times that she thinks she is better than the Favelas around her even though she herself can be looked as a tramp (having sex with a man who never gave her anything), then using obscene and even racist speech in her diary.

When I finally got to the end of the book, I was disappointed expecting more but getting nothing. All in all it's an ok read but there certainly much better books out there about the Favela and Brazil itself.

This book is great in the respect that it captures the experiences of someone living in extreme poverty and how she deals with the daily struggle of survival.

Caroline Maria de Jusus was born a[...] in poverty and went to only the second grade. She lived most of her adult life in poverty and her children were labeled [...]. She wanted to write and did. She became a writer of international reputation. Her book has been read by people around the world and in the United States. Her work stands with that of Victor Frankl in "MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING," and "BLACK ELK SPEAKS" an American Sioux, and with Frederick Douglass' NARRATIVE LIFE.

CHILD OF THE DARK, is a must read for anyone who wants to understand and to challenge the values and standards of a civilization (ours) that degrades human life for fun and profit.

The autobiographies of poor people from places far from the middle class worlds of rich countries never used to appear in book stores. It was indeed rare that such lives, however interesting, difficult, inspiring or depressing would ever show up on the shelves. But such is the modern world that nowadays we do get occasional chances to glimpse other lives, hear other voices. In "From the Land of Green Ghosts" we could read of the life of a member of the Padaung tribe in Burma; in "Notes from the Hyena's Belly", we read about a small town Ethiopian. Both these men were not poor in their own societies, but went through the traumas of war and revolution before escaping to the calmer West. The adventures of Tete-Michel Kpomassie, a Togolese villager who made it all the way to Greenland, provide another type of narrative. CHILD OF THE DARK, a book written by a Brazilian woman from the very bottom of society, is yet another kind of these rare narrations, and moreover, was one of the first to appear. Carolina Maria de Jesus, a black mother of three with a second grade education, abandoned by all the men in her life, raised her kids in one of the worst slums of Sao Paulo. She picked trash and paper to sell to junk dealers, cadged bones from a slaughterhouse to make soup, collected squashed tomatoes from behind a cannery, and scavenged thrown away food items from the garbage of richer streets. Writing a diary every day helped her to persevere through years of hardship, to escape for a few moments, her hunger, misery, and constant worry. Through a chance encounter with a journalist, her diary was eventually published and she became a celebrity in Brazil back in the early 1960s. She left her hand-to-mouth existence and moved out of the favela forever. Her book is the only one of its kind from that time. [She had a hard time coping with her new life, though, and died in poverty in 1977.]

It's not all sweetness and light, not all a goody goody, morally uplifting Cinderella tale. She sometimes beat her kids, she slept with various suitors, abused "substances", and reported to the police on her neighbors (not that they didn't deserve it). She also has bad things to say about Portuguese, gypsies, and Jews. But OK, most all this is a story of human survival. De Jesus eked out a meagre living amidst squalor and constant quarreling, drunkenness and the sexual antics of the poorest members of Brazilian society, yet she bore up, kept writing, and made many observations about the society that produced such misery, the politicians who came around to ask for votes and then never appeared again. Brazil has no doubt changed in the last half century, but I believe this most human life story is still extremely relevant, both for Brazil and the rest of the world. How many Carolinas is it going to take ?

This book is truly an eye opener as to what it really means to be poor and hungry. I can't believe that someone with only two years of schooling could churn out such a masterpiece, the language and thought processes involved will leave you wondering with amazement. What suprises you is that in and amongst all the squalor, deprivation, fights and hunger she still admires the night sky, the birds, the stars, the beautiful weather. What a woman ! Most people in her position wouldn't have time to be thankful for these "free" beautiful things and that is what I found so touching. Her dedication to her children and indeed her neighbours will teach all us other mortals in the devleoped world what being humble really means. At times this woman cannot find a meal but when she has money and food she shares it with her friends and neighbours, wondering little if she will have a meal the next day. Her ability to keep going despite her adversities will shock you. Please read this book, you will aspire to be a better person afterwards.

one of the best-selling american novels of the 18th century, Written as a series of letters between friends and lovers.

Hannah Foster's 1797 novel, "The Coquette," seems, at first glance, like an early American ripoff of such famous 18th century British novels like Samuel Richardson's "Pamela" or "Clarissa," and indeed it contains references and allusions to both, and to a wealth of other 18th century British fiction. In its historical context, though, "The Coquette" acquires added significance and cultural depth, as a response to the guiding philsophies and political stances of the new American nation.

"The Coquette" begins with death and a rebirth. The main character, your title coquette, if you will, Eliza Wharton, rejoices in her freedom from the structure of her family's controls. Her betrothed, an elderly man named Haly, has just died, releasing Eliza from an unloving engagement. Free now to indulge her native sprightliness and sociability, Eliza goes to New Haven, Connecticut, to spend some time with and in the society of her married friend, Mrs. Richman. In New Haven, Eliza, already in her late 20's-early 30's, is the darling of society, where her cultivated mind, and liberal temperament are given free reign. Here, she is wooed by two men, Reverend Boyer, about to come into a residency in a fashionable parish, and Major Sanford, widely known as a libertine, but permitted into polite society because of his rank and apparent wealth. The action of the novel concerns Eliza's choice between the two.

The choice, simple as it may seem, is complicated by its inflections by way of the political and social culture of the early American republic. In such contexts, Eliza, with the help and advice of her confidants, Mrs. Richman, Lucy Freeman, Julia Granby, and her own mother, must try to negotiate newly-found freedom and independence within the gendered constraints of virtue and propriety. This is the philosophical and political crux of the novel - Foster asks the reader throughout the novel how individual freedoms are to be understood within a newly centralized federal government.

Alongside the common romance-epistolary tropes of seduction and violation, we read "The Coquette" with an eye toward agricultural and commercial expansion. In a novel where seemingly no one works to earn a living, we must extrapolate the typically early American notions of self-making and industrious citizenry through the characters' discussions of personal and social identity, as well as in the way that people create themselves through personal writings. This is evinced, of course, most obviously in early America by folks like Benjamin Franklin in his "Autobiography" and Thomas Jefferson in his "Notes on the State of Virginia".

Foster's "The Coquette" isn't the best novel. Shoot, in terms of artistry, it's really not very good at all. But as a barometer of one woman's opinions on the early American nation, and the place of women within it, it is an invaluable fictional resource.

Hannah Foster Webster uses letters to tell a story of Eliza and her lovers. Although this is an ingenious method, it makes the reading so complex.Webster also explores the power that women have in Revolutionary America. It is a good portrayal of the exception. In a time when most women are ruled by their father or husband, Eliza and her mother are both independent. The most striking detail of the book is that Eliza is actually "past her prime" in terms of that era. She is 37 years old; many women would have been married at 16. Altogether this book was a good and quick read and I would recommend it to those who like history or women's studies.

Anyone who disputes the validity of Crime and Punishment as one of the greatest novels written is likely not worth their weight in salt when it comes to literary merit. This novel is the perfect story; ideal premise, gripping suspense that carries over into each following chapter, and with a wealth of depth. This is a complex read, and not for your supermarket variety readers. It needs to be read slowly and carefully so that it will be absorbed and appreciated for it's amazing writing. You won't be able to put it down. All in all it is perfectly executed down to the very last line. It is a must read for anyone who truly enjoys great literature.

why this book is dosotoevsky's most popular: it is simply his worst. dostoevsky uses the crime of raskolnikov to attack philosophical principles that were circulating in his day: utilitarianism, philosophical determinism, and the idea of "extraordinary" persons who can transgress established laws, stomp on the innocent, etc. in the name of higher principles.

he sets up his attack of utilitarianism brilliantly but ultimately fails because (spoiler) a) the murder of the innocent and pregnant lizaveta destroys the original parameters and b) he does not take the money and put it towards the greater good. so of course, in the end, his crime is heinous and useless. but had he followed through with his original plan, readers might have instead found themselves in a moral gray area, disputing the morality of what he did.

i have talked to far too many people who read c&p and write off dostoevsky as a consequence. the fact is: he is a brilliant, incredibly talented, funny, and fascinating writer. this book does not quite show that. so - if this is your first round with dostoevsky, i would recommend the brothers karamazov or the idiot as opposed to this one. if you have read c&p, please do not judge dostoevsky based on it. give a guy a chance!

Here I am not going to be quite so bold nor so presumptuous as to think that I have anything new or innovative to say about one of the greatest books ever written, and one of the most critically read and commented on books ever written. I will say that I love this book and all of Dostoevsky's books, and I have read several different translations of this particular book. I found this translation to be very good, but that isn't why I am reviewing this particular book.

Really I wanted to review this edition because I found the critical essays in this edition to invaluable. These essays greatly enhanced my understanding of this book, and greatly enriched my reading experience. I feel after reading these essays and this edition that my experience has been taken to a level that I couldn't have reached on my own. Of course some of the essays were better than others, and a few were really bad (I am sorry that I can't remember which ones here now), but on the other hand the essays by George Gibion for one were excellent. He opened up a whole world of symbolism that I had missed in my own reading. There are essays on structure and plot and many more that are very important for a complete understanding of this book.

As I have said I have read this book a few times, but until I read this edition in conjunction with these essays I did not have nearly as intimate of an understanding as I do now. If you love Dostoevsky and his books, especially Crime and Punishment, then you need to read this book. It is like reading it again for the first time. This book is a must for the Dostoevsky fan.

The Norton edition features the best translation (Coulson) and a *ton* of critical essays and notes on the novel. Even if you don't normally seek out literary criticism, you'll want to after reading Dostoevsky's story of Raskolnikov and his desperate perversion of the Nietzschean "superman" mentality.

Easy to read, packed with practical philosophy and tragedy-as-spectacle, and thoroughly engrossing. Don't miss it.

Just a quick note to point out that if you're gonna read "Crime and Punishment" in English, the Jesse Coulson translation is indisputably the best one published to date.

Avoid at all costs the Garnett translation (as ubiquitous as it is stuffy), and try to keep away from the recently done one, the Pevear and Volokhonsky job (said to be breezy and inaccurate). The Sidney Monas translation (published in the Signet edition) is unimaginative, limp, and lifeless, lacking the oft-remarked vigor of Dostoevsky's prose. No, no: Coulson has never been outdone. Too bad he never did the Brothers K.

The only drawback with the Coulson translation, I must say, is that this guy does inject a lot of British slang, much of which can't be precisely deciphered even with the aid of a good desk dictionary. This is irritating.

However, the clarity and force of his work more than makes up for that shortcoming. He really knows how to make his characters speak differently, his descriptions are vivid and forceful, and the rhythm and dynamism of his prose can really knock you for a loop.

Admittedly, I'm not qualified to state whether all these characteristics were Dostoevsky's own and have merely been faithfully rendered into English by Coulson, or whether Coulson improved upon a stuffy and awkward original, as is perhaps suggested by the plethora of disagreeable translations. All I know is that using this translation will make your descent into Raskolinkov's world much more rewarding and memorable.

I should also note that the Coulson version is the translation employed in the Oxford World's Classics edition, which is also in print and available from Amazon. Naturally, that edition doesn't have all the critical essays the Norton edition has, but its footnotes are far more numerous and superior.