Fiction Literature Books

Here is another beautifully illustrated book for the young child. I use this in my classroom as we make an apple pie for our cooking experience in the classroom.

This book is a favorite for me and my 3 year old son. We love following the apple tree from winter to fall with the two sisters. They're growing "the best part of apple pie" right in their yard. It's help to teach him about the seasons as well as the process of growing something and the pride in having a hand in creating something. He is enthralled by the collage style illustrations and watching the baby robins grow up in the tree. A recipe for the apple pie is included at the end of the book, but we always use our own. We just bought a second copy of this book to give to my son's preschool library and the teachers and children both were thrilled for the new addition. Sure to be a classic!

When I was a kid I loved loved loved reading picture books that involved apple pies. I didn't particularly care for pie in real life, but on the printed page there was no desert more delectable and delicious to read about than scrumptious nummy buttery apple pie. I had to grow to adulthood before I really grew to appreciate this particular dessert, and I've been devouring them ever since. Looking back, I was also a big fan (when younger) of the beautiful apple blossom. For those of you living in Michigan, the apple blossom is the official state flower (a fact remembered almost entirely by elementary teachers and school children). Looking at Zoe Hall's enjoyable, "The Apple Pie Tree", a book at combines these two long distant loves, I find myself wishing I could have had this book at my disposal when I was a kid. A tale that examines the step-by-step process of how apples grow and are later turned into pies, it effectively conveys seasons, growth cycles, and (literally) the birds and the bees.

The heroine of this story and her baby sister show the viewer the process that goes into making apple pie. In the winter, the apple tree that sits in their backyard is bare and bereft of life. With the advent of Spring, buds turn to leaves and birds build nests in the branches. Spring means baby birds and apple blossoms covered in bees. In the summertime the blossoms become small green apples. We watch as the kids play in the sprinkler and the baby birds fly from the tree. Then, oh joy of joys, the tree is filled with shiny red apples. These are picked, cored, cut, and piled into a pie shell. A sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar on top seals the deal and out of the oven pops a delicious apple pie. And, as our heroine is quick to point out, "There's nothing as good as an apple pie you grew yourself".

For those readers who live in geographic areas that can support apple trees, this might be the perfect book to read before heading out to the nearest orchard and picking a few. Even those who claim to be cuisinely challenged will find the recipe for apple pie in the back of the book a simple process (though I advise you to buy a crust rather than make one, as the book suggests, if you're inexperienced). The back of the book also provides a little more information on how exactly bees turn blossoms into apples. Nothing like a little plant reproduction lesson to sum up a swell story. This book would read especially well in the fall, since that's the time of year the tale ends with. Sadly, the story's art is not particularly exceptional. Using a painted and found-paper collage technique, it gets the message across but doesn't really blow you away. I found myself wishing idly that Lois Ehlert (of "Snowballs" fame) had been placed in charge of the illustrations here. Still, illustrator Shari Halpern does her best and the pictures, while not spectacular, detract from neither the narrative nor the lessons. They're just a bit dull.

This book will not make you crave apple pie if you've never craved it before. And it will not stun you with its brilliance. It's just a nice little story about baking, time, and the circle of life (sans that whole icky death part, of course). If you'd like a colorful picture book for some autumnal reading, this "The Apple Pie Tree" is probably a sure-fire winner. I should mention too, that if you DO happen to enjoy the delightful taste sensation that is apple pie, this book WILL make you crave it. Intensely. Best read with a piece in your hand for easy reference.

Interested in teaching about plants, the seasons, pollination? Read this book. Along with wonderful pictures, you can branch out into so many different science related topics. The apple tree grows, is pollinated, and finally, in fall, is ready for harvest. This book even includes a recipe for apple pie!

How sweet the sound that saved this wreched human race. O'Connor writes of God's love and redemption of humanity. She uses exaggeration to make her point. Her characters are so very silly, obtuse, bigoted, loathsome they become cartoons, yet there is a deep integrity to their shallowness. She's not making fun of them, but giving them the justice of a pitiless description. Indeed they do not seem judged, but naked -- the fruits of their stupid, misguided ideas and actions on display. And these children of God do shocking things to others and themselves. And yet . . ..

And yet God allows them to live and learn, or not learn if that is their inclination. He gives them this freedom. He loves them. How can this be? How?

I love O'Connor for her art, her convictions, her courage, and her love. She is so very true and honest.

In addition to her novels and a thorough selection of short stories, there is a chronology of her life and a selection of her letters which are rewarding reading. The book itself is a wonderful object. The pages are of fine paper. The binding is such that you can lay it open on a table without breaking its back, and the pages will not move unless a breeze or you do so.

I am thoroughly enjoying this authoritative collection of O'Connor's writings. The writing speaks for itself as truly great and unique. This particular book is very classy and well put together; an excellent choice for someone with a significant interest in O'Connor.

The complaints about the poor organization of the collection can be overcome by simply reading it from front to back. Surely it is that good.

My foray into the works of Flannery O'Connor, a southern, gothic author of darkly humorous novels and short stories came via a recommendation in Harold Bloom's, "What to Read and Why." As it turned ot, I had read one of her short stories, "A Good Man is Hard to Find," in a collection somewhere and had been surprised and shocked, by the turn of events and ending of the story, so much so, that I remembered it instantly, even though it has to have been thirty years since I read it. I enjoyed everything, short stories, novellas, and even her letters. She writes about southern Christ-haunted people, most backward, all damned, but many redeemed. Bloom says that according to her, we are all damned but one should put that aside and simply enjoy her beautiful, grotesque, and wonderful comedic stories. Her protagonist is often a woman, forced to take on a role and duties she didn't sign up for but resignedly and with no illusions playing and discharging both out of a sense of morality or necessity; those women are usually the most superior beings in her stories.

Many of her insights stick with me months afterwards. For example, O'Connor says in one of her letters, "...Hazel's integrity lies in his not being able to do so. Does one's integrity ever lie in what he is not able to do? I think that usually it does, for free will does not mean one will, but many wills conflicting in one man. Freedom cannot be conceived simply. It is a mystery and one which a novel, even a comic novel, can only be asked to deepen." That brought tears to my eyes -- perhaps because it is so beautifully put.

Now that I've read everything by O'Connor (including works that were part of her thesis for her degree in writing) I am still amazed and inspired by her work. I'm not from the south or Catholic and I was not alive during the eras of which she wrote, but her writing transcends region and time. My favorites remain A Good Man is Hard to Find, Everything That Rises Must Converge, and Revelation, but I love all her stories, although I find the novels a bit more challenging - I think short story was her finest form. Her ability to mix desperation and violence with comedy is amazing, and often when I read her I think: "I shouldn't be laughing at that." I often wonder what additional work she would have produced if she had not died so young. Highly recommended.

Oh yes! I adore her, and so do my mum and dad. They talk about her all of the time, and so I grew up with the prose ringing in my ears. I am so pleased to be reading her now.

I bought this book for my 5 year old son. He is a die hard dinosaur fan. He loves it. The pictures in it are magnificent! The information is in laymens terms. You don't have to be a scientist to understand the content. There are tons of dinosaur pictures. Definately one of my sons favorite dino books!

I bought this book for my son, and he LOVES it. It has so much information and great pictures it keeps him busy for hours!

See all my reviews of dinosaur books.

"National Geographic Dinosaurs" is aimed perfectly at the new student (aged 8-12). It's illustrations are vivid and the information is well-pitched. The only problem is this book was originally published in 1999 so feathers don't appear on dinosaurs like Therizinosaurus or the dromeosaurs. This edition was reprinted in 2006, and unfortunately there are still no feathers.


At almost 200 pages in length, there are thicker books. However, with 120 pages dedicated to dinosaur profiles, there are enough dinosaurs to satisfy the new student.

Typically, there are a series of chapters that provide a context, followed by the dinosaur profiles. "Nat Geo Dinosaurs" contextual chapters include 'What is a Dinosaur?'; 'The Age of the Dinosaurs' - info on the Mesezoic era and other creatures - marine and flying; 'Dinosaur Sites'- key fossil sites; 'Discovering Dinosaurs'; 'Reconstructing Dinosaurs'; 'Dinosaur biology and behaviour'; 'How they Lived' - maternal instincts, hunting and fighting, arms and armor, diet, size and weight, movement; 'Classification' with flowcharts. Overall, these chapters hold-up reasonably well with other similar books, especially the classification pages. After the profiles there are chapters on extinction and dinosaur films.

The book then goes into genus profiles (usually of one page per dinosaur, sometimes two) of the bird-hipped dinosaurs for 50 pages then the lizard-hipped dinosaurs for another 60 pages. Each of these pages contains a Fact File with a grid showing the size of the dinosaur against a 6 foot man. Included in the Fact File is: Genus; Classification; Length; Weight; (When it) Lived; and where it was found (with a world map). Also included is a colour illustration of the dinosaur in a profile pose. The information is generally 3 to 4 paragraphs long and is very basic science. Normally there is information on distinguishing features and some comparison with cousins. Unfortunately, single dinosaurs are not covered in detail; it is only the genus - so if you are looking on the Tyrannosaurus page, you wont find anything on each of the tyrannosaurs (like Albertosaurus or Tarbosaurus). What you get is pretty much T.rex disguised as a generalised tyrannosaur.

Where I really think the book falls down is in it's interpretations of dinosaur behaviour and adaptations. There is quite a lot of information presented as fact when it is pure speculation. Also, there isn't any balance in arguments. For example, the profile on Carnotaurus states when mentioning its short snout 'that it could have got twisted and bent, particularly in struggles with large animals' suggsting that 'Cartnotaurus did not often attack animals of the same size or larger than itself, as its skull could not withstand such forces'. This is only providing one side of the argument (and the weaker side at that). There is currently strong debate about the diet of Carnotaurus due to the argument of how strong its jaws actually were, and whether it hunted in packs. I prefer information that is more balanced like the more accurate "The Kingfisher Illustrated Dinosaur Encyclopedia" by David Burnie. The information in "Nat Geo Dinosaur", however, is way more realistic than Gee and Rays "A Field Guide to Dinosaurs", but not as adequate as Parker's "Dinosaurus" which has individual species profiled.

Overall, I do "The Kingfisher Illustrated Dinosaur Encyclopedia" by David Burnie over this book due to its superior information, and perhaps "A Field Guide to Dinosaurs" by Gee as the illustrations are more up to date.

We bought this for my five year old nephew who LOVES dinosaurs. He can read pretty well on his own and has enjoyed flipping through this book, reading and looking at the pictures. My husband also thought this book was awesome and wished he had had more time before Christmas to read this book before wrapping it up for our nephew!

I bought this for my grandchildren for Christmas and they loved looking through it. Beautiful pic's and fun to read together.

The kids just love this book. Amazing how they can sound out each name and read all about these characters. This book tells about the height and weight of the characters so my guys have been measuring and weighing things to get a better idea of how big the characters are. They chat about the different powers and who evolves into what. It is very cute to see my boys enjoy something together. I really feel that their reading skills have improved as well as their understanding of measurement and weight. No, it is not a science, history or math book but they are developing a love of reading and learning a little too!

This was the second copy I purchased for my son. He looked at the other one so much it fell apart. If your child likes Pokemon, this is the book to buy.

I personally don't know much about Pokemon, but my son absolutely loves Pokemon, so he really enjoyed getting the handbook.

2 words dude...IT SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!...its soooooo bad it deserves a -1 rating...DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT!!!!!

We got this book for my five year old because he loves Pokemon. It was a great book for me too. I learned a lot about how the world of Pokemon works. I would recommend it to others that want to know more about them.

Precursor to Brideshead Revisited. Lacks the spiritual depth of Brideshead, but is a wickedly funny satire of the fall of the post Victorian English society of the idle rich. Lady Brenda Last is based upon Waugh's ex-wife, Evelyn ("She Evelyn" as their friends referred to her) and is one of the coldest characters in twentieth century fiction.

A Handful of Dust has a completely different feel to it than Waugh's other satires like Scoop, Vile Bodies, and Decline and Fall. The characters in A Handful of Dust are the cardboard cut outs that inhabit the other satires.

Neither ending is satisfying, but do provide an interesting look into Waugh's craft.

I won't go on and on about my praise for Waugh. He is one of my favorite writers.

About the book, I felt SO bad when I read about Tony Last at the end. So cruel. So, so cruel. It gave me the shivers.

So, another Waugh novel that is witty, funny, and all the other things his books are. If you can appreciate intelligent writing then I highly recommend this book.

The author paints a poignant tale of immorality, Carnality, and Sordidness. The book teaches one of the hollow and shameful lives most of the wealthy live. Caught up in selfishness and materiality; they breath only to sate themselves. The top antagonist, Brenda Lost is one of the most loathsome characters I have ever read about. This story was published in the 1930's. However, it is as elucidating about today's world as it was then.

A detailed analysis of Waugh's `A Handful of Dust' falls outside the scope of the thumbnail sketches usually provided on Amazon and I won't attempt it here (in other words, I'm too lazy to try.) I would like to make a couple of observations...I gave the book five stars and don't know why anybody wouldn't. It's not King Lear but what is? The book is supposed to be a satire on the English class system but it seems to be completely in love with it. Still, there is real venom in Waugh's depiction and it's hard to tell if he really wanted to do away with a system of privilege that had been around for so long, or if he only wanted to hold it up for ridicule and then return it to its rightful place with the boot print of the People still on its backside. One thing I'm almost sure of- if Waugh were writing today I think he would be horrified by self-indulgent middle class that succeeded the equally self-indulgent old aristocracy and would be even more bitterly disposed to it than the lords and ladies in Handful. So much so that his head might actually explode, which would be entertaining but messy.

This is the question I have- was it worth it? Did we build the workers' paradise on the grounds of the old estates? Personally, I think people's daily lives are much better than they ever could be under the older systems, but the life in the world has become monotonous where it was often grand and lurid where it was reticent. Glass skyscrapers, tiny uncomfortable cars, happy hour replaced by specialty coffee chains, hunting parties replaced by speed dating, and maybe worst of all- that bumpy stuff that covers the ceiling of every house built in the last 30 years. To top it all off, that clown who covers bridges in colored cling wrap and calls it art. He gets his own special place in hell.

We should have adopted the attitude when we took the mantle of power. As it is, we now have a nation of rich people who don't know how to tell the gardener to stop putting so much lime on the rose beds.

Fear in a handful of dust is a complicated metaphor. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. On the one hand, the Anglican burial invocation is known to every Englishman, and yet, it was probably inspired by the biblical quote: 'for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return'(Genesis3:19). Eliot,on the other hand, was thinking about the legend of The Fisher King--and the terror of drought to any agricultural region...any Okie from the Dustbowl knew the fear inherent in a Handful of Dust. The notion of physical sterility extending into other spheres of life was an appealing phantasy for poets in the wake of the first World War (intended by T.S. Eliot to symbolize social and moral decay and emotional despair).

When the Fisher King lay ill, his kingdom was in severe decay. The orchards would not bear fruit, the animals did not breed, there was No King Harverst--the land was dead, in stasis. The rivers would not run(the Po river ran dry in 2007). The pipers did not pipe. the fiddlers did not fiddle.

There is an old Confucius proverb that says "The best fertilizer is the footsteps of the farmer." The Chinese understand something about agriculture--having engaged in it for 10,000 years.

Dust is also the collection of motes that settle on undisturbed things that stand still within themselves. Dusty old mansions, dusty old rooms, dusty old customs. Why don't you take that old thing out and dust it off, every once in a while? Were Brenda and Tony simply doomed from the start? Was their fate as inevitable as clockwork? Were they the victims of quite different natures with different needs? How are you going to keep them down on the farm, once they've seen Paris--or London, in this case? Was the impoverished Beaver really, all that? Or isn't it that simple? Is there anything that Tony could have done? What I want to know is how could Tony face any of his 'friends' and family who knew what was going on behind his back--and felt obligated not to peach on Brenda? This is not MY definition of a friend. Was that a convention of their class? Their historical period? Is it an English thing? I don't think I have ever read a book that is quite so cruel, and cold, and wickedly funny, concurrently. It produces the most curious sense of ambivalence. When Brenda is brought sad news of death, she fears it is her lover--when made to understand it is her son she cries "Oh, Thank God" and bursts into tears of relief. Yikes! And yet the man who bears witness to this character cipher--later marries her!? After the lover has abandoned her!?

What is sardonic in all of this is his degraded version of the Celtic King Arthur story-cycle. The rooms at Hetton are all named after the Tennyson Victorian version of the same story. Tony is Arthur, Brenda, Guinevere, and Beaver, a shabby version of Lancelot. So Waugh's novel ends with Tony, like a knight searching for the Holy Grail, vainly seeking his mythical city but finding nothing but his own special hell on earth.

It is hard not to sympathize with Tony, in spite of his veneration a sterile heritage, vast inheritance, and lofty place in society, all of which come to seem futile, irrelevant, and meaningless--once pared to the essentials--mere survival. Loss of child, loss of love, loss of status, place and loss of liberty: the man is an upper crusty old Job! And yet he never, unlike Job, has his fateful confrontation with the Whirlwind. He and the Whirlwind never become reconciled to one another, and his blessings are never restored, and he never rebuilds the sacrificial alter. Sad, sad, sad. Frightening. Where is the Grail? His cluelessness is without limit.

This is the first book I have read by Waugh. I was not sure I could relate to the historical and social context--it is so alien to my own frame of reference. But Waugh is a fluid, coherent writer with a gift for character sketching--chiefly through dialogue, which always rings true. Even the most insignificant characters are revealed, sometimes with a single parenthetical comment. But his prose is also economical and tightly knitted. It has been a long while since I read a sentance like: 'Next morning.' Paragraph. Sometimes, his rapid style of unattributed dialogue necessitates rereading to be certain who is saying what--but generally it encourages a breakneck pace. It is such a dark frightening story that without the leavening of humorous flourishes I doubt it would be endurable. The only moment of real satisfaction I felt was when Tony informed Reggie that there would be no divorce. I thought, finally, the worm has turned. Sadly, no. It was false hope.

"The Whole Story" edition, with marginal notes and photos to describe the story. The graphics don't always add much to the story, but never detract from the simple, straightforward telling of this round-the-world-on-a-bet story. Just enough drama, comedy, and love interest to keep the story moving at a crackling pace, without ever sidetracking the reader from the basic 80-day timetable that must be met.

I was actually a bit sad at the journey's end for Fogg and his companions, until the final twist gave the story a happy ending.

I finally had the chance to read Jules Verne's classic tale of the eccentric Englishman and his famous bet. Just to round out the experience I also watched the Mike Todd film, also a classic with an endless collection of superstars including David Niven and cameo appearances by Charles Boyer, Frank Sinatra, Noel Coward and Edward R. Murrow.

The story was written in serial for the magazines and this adds to the richness as each chapter tells a story. My favorite part is Paspartou and Fogg being re-united in the circus after a separation of more than one week and several ports of call.

Around the World in 80 Days is an adventurous book. Mr. Fogg is a man that will do just about anything to win his 20,000 dollar bet, like spending as much money as he wants to get where he needs to. Throughout his journey his mood will change. O gave this book three and a half stars out of five because it had a lot of interesting parts with just the right amount of reality. I like this book and can see it being well known for many years to come. Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne is a fun, adventure book that is good for people of any age. i feel that this book is the best of the series.

Note: Some immature Mormon has been slamming my reviews because I wrote some negative reviews of books attempting to defend the Book of Mormon.

So your "helpful" votes are greatly appreciated. Thanks

In my opinion, a short review is best if you haven't read the book. I always read the longer reviews afterwards.

I read this book forty years ago in college and loved it. I also saw the movie, but as one reviewer pointed out, Phileas Fogg traveled by boat, train, car, sled, and even elephant, but never by balloon. The balloon scene was added to the movie.

Nevertheless, I loved all of Jules Verne's stories, and I highly recommend this one, whose title says it all--"Around the World in Eighty Days" on a bet that it couldn't be done.

I enjoy collecting paperback books with neat covers, and I have a couple of "Around the World in Eighty Days."

Oh, and I hope this is helpful. Read "The Other Log of Phileas Fogg," by Philip Jose Farmer. This retelling of Verne's story has Fogg going after Captain Nemo. It's great Fun. Farmer also wrote novels about Tarzan and the "Barnstormer in Oz"--very sexy.

The Other Log of Phileas Fogg
Barnstormer In Oz/a

A book based around a bet. Two adventurers, one a gentleman, and one not so nice, make a not so small wager, on Fogg's ability to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days or less.

When something like that happens, of course there will be villainous nogoodniks trying to stop you from accomplishing your task, winning the bet, getting the girl and all the good grog, etc.

[...] In solitude a young woman lies on her bed reading and underlining line after line by Louis-Ferdinand Céline. Like the one that begins with "Travel is useful, it exercises the imagination." The electronic letter glides idly by the currents of the Mississippi, until it reminds itself that it is charged with a responsibility and therefore must make its delivery to the other side of the country. And so the email slides pass West Virginia and New Jersey, and twists upward toward Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, passing towns with names that come straight out of an eighth-grade American history survey-book. [...] --from "Passages"

I guess like many American readers, I first became interested in Celine by way of Bukowski. It was a mistake to begin the book with expectations of similarity in terms of style or content, but I quickly warmed to this great author's totally unique voice and view of the world. The ability to combine outrageous humor with the grimmest subject matter imaginable is a rare talent, and Celine had it in spades. I'm quite sure this is one book I will be revisiting often in the future.

Celine doesn't have much good to say about the world, and is also notorious for having written 3 antisemitic pamphlets in the late 30s, but it's hard to ignore his genius. Journey To The End Of The Night was his first exploration of the dark and rancid side of humanity. Bardamu's experiences are expressionistic renderings of events in Celine's life.

From the battlefields of WWI, to the African jungle, to Detroit, and back to France, it's a journey into mankind's heart of darkness that the reader will not soon forget. Was Celine the world's greatest misanthrope? The deepest pessimist? I'm not sure, because he does find good human qualities here, although they are as rare as rain in the desert. Journey To The End Of The Night is an important novel that influenced writers as diverse as Beckett, Sartre, Genet, Henry Miller, Kerouac, Burroughs, Heller, and Vonnegut.

Whodathought? Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I'd love this book. Celine has a weird reputation here, because I have never in all my years in university literature departments heard a good word about this fantastic writer. I have heard charges of anti-Semitism, which may be true, but Celine's at heart a humanist who may have simply fallen for a kind of conventional prejudice rather than the sort of brutalizing racism we connect with the 20th century. Celine is a brilliant stylist and perhaps a conventionally disgruntled WWI-generation crank. He writes a profanity-laced prose filled with zingers, witticisms, puns, word-play, and savage put-downs. Unlike some contemporaries, his anger is not an outgrowth of pretentious poses; his is the old-fashioned rage, of the sort one finds in Genet and Solzhenitsyn. This style has almost disappeared now, but it is common among intellectuals and artists of the early-20th century. Karl Krauss comes to mind as does Bertolt Brecht. Theirs is a bitter sarcasm, mercilessly witty, but poignant. Celine and the rest were brutalized during WWI and have a lot of anger toward to societies and governments that sought to justify the insanity and waste of that gruesome war.

The book in question is a triumph in every sense of the word. If you aren't taken in from the first couple of pages then do yourself a favor and kill yourself immediately. What Celine is able to do here is not only to paint a portrait of a character, or of a type, but in the end the whole of humanity. Much of the humanity in question is not pleasant, nor are the situations they force the poor, but resourceful and essentially strong, protaganist into. If you've ever found yourself in a foreign country with little idea of what is expected from you, then you can relate. If you have had family members or girlfriends encourage you to go die in a useless foreign war, then you can relate. If moments of tenderness wash over you and then crash against the shores of existential absurdity, then you can relate. If have not only a heart, but an eye, and a head to perceive the world by then you can relate to this great work of art. Celine is called cynical, but his cynicism is the kind of a failed romantic, not of a mysanthrope. If you can see past the bitter veneer what you'll find is a person who always expects alittle more from his fellow human beings than he usually gets, and despite his protests he usually gives despite himself. This might be a bit harsh- but I don't think so- if you read this book and don't get it, don't see the humor and absurdity, or the love that runs beneath it, than you are a worthless mass of flesh and bone and should find a way to save the rest of the world from your continued prescence. This book is a litmus test of humanity.

The Upanishads holds the core teachings of Advaita Vedanta - Brahman is all there is. It is a good book to be read by any serious seeker - along with Nisargadatta. The book has many footnotes which attempt to explain the meanings behind much of the commentary.

This particular translation of the Upanishads is a highly recommended read.

I was talking to my brother-in-law's father about favorite spiritual books. He's been a dedicated meditator for decades.

I carry a copy of this Upanishads translation in my shoulder bag always. I pulled it out and asked, "Do you read these ?"

He chuckled with bright eyes and said, "Oh, I can't read those. They just make me meditate." He went on to explain that after only a page or two he spontaneously slips into meditation.

My experience is quite similar. It's as if this volume speaks directly to my Spirit, navigating its way through my critical mind to the essence of my inner Divine. It brings me peace, it fills me with faith, it melts my fears. I meditate easily after just a few sentences sometimes.

To me the Spirit is so profoundly expressed in here that I have no trouble with dogma or rhetoric, with symbolism or mythology. To me this translation serves as an invitation from the ancient mystics to join them. I can feel the Spirit welcome me.

This is less a review and more a personal experience. That's what this book is all about, though ~ a guidebook to direct personal experience of Spirit.

It's a frantic world we live in, fast and busy and complex. I find that this wonderful translation can help lead me to a stillness within, to a unity with all that is, to a feeling and understanding and connection with the magic of life.

What brought you here to this page ? Perhaps you seek a deeper spiritual connection with your inner Divine. I can only tell you my own story. I don't read this for scholarly theology. I read this as a guide for my journey within. This book brings me to my home, to my heart. I can't remember when I bought it, but the price on the cover says $2.95. It has held up wonderfully, and is the best three bucks I ever spent, hands down. I'm buying several extras to give and lend to those I love.

Welcome.

Years ago I picked up a translation of the Upanishads because I wanted to understand Vedanta. I read that translation and struggled through it. It wasn't particularly interesting and was often confusing. The commentaries were long, painful and boring. I felt disappointed. I thought the Upanishads and the Great Vedanta would be more powerful than this. I pursued other teachings.

A few months ago I saw this little book and picked it up out of curiosity for some reason. I don't know why. I already had another copy of the Upanishads and didn't really care for it. But this little book hit me with much greater force. It was so significant. Yes the self, of course, yes..the self is one...The reading was so clear and powerful. I bought it immediately, brought it home, and compared it with the other translation. It's the translation that was the difference. It wasn't that I had suddenly matured and was now ready to hear this teaching because the other translation is still confusing to me. Not all translations are the same. What had been confusing to understand before, now became clear. Even if you don't agree with me that this translation is a good one, seek out various translations of the Upanishads and see which one is the clearest for you. Now, I truly believe the Upanishads are one of the most significant teachings this "World" has ever known. This translation has no commentary. It is so clear you don't need a commentary. It's also cheap and handy. With sacred texts from the past it pays to check out various translations and even formats for ease of reading and understanding.

I used to think that for reason Upanishads were huge texts, but author explained that upanishads are found in the end of vedas. It is beauty piece of work. when they are not sure, they will have a footnote and tell you that what could the other translation could have meant. It only happened 2-3 times. They are very enlightening. Brahman (God) is everywhere, literally. =)

The Atman is the Soul. It is our real Self, God residing within us. We are to submerge the ego, and discover the Atman (Self). Uncovering the Self leads to nirvana, or enlightenment. This is the essence of this book. We will differentiate between what is Real (unchanging)and what is illusory (changeable). And as Jesus said, the Truth will set you free ...

The savings were beaucoup! This was a required reading book for school. The price was great, the delivery was quick, and the book was in great condition! Thanks!

Although it took me 2 tries reading this to understand who the heck was the narrator, once I figured it out, I loved it!

Listening to the stories being told with Heathcliff and Cathy..it's sad yet amazing.

Feeling blue? Just read this and roar with laughter. This is little more than a Victorian soap opera -- probably one of the worst novels I have ever read. It starts out fine, but mid way through I am reduced to guffaws (and this state of hilarity has occured every time I have attempted to read this novel over the past 30 years). The prose is overwrought and the characters . . . for the life of me I am unable to explain other readers' adoration of either Heathcliff or Cathy. If you want spooks and atmosphere and Brontes, read Jane Eyre instead. It's far superior.

Oh, where to begin? Yes, some people complain about the melodramatic (some even say soap-operatic) quality of this book, but it is simply wonderful. It's hard to find a book about the dark side of love, and this book (which offered, perhaps, the first "modern" character in Heathcliff) has the dark side of love in spades. The story is centered around the Earnshaw and Linton families, who occupy the Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange estates, respectively. While it would give away many important and poignant moments to go more in-depth, rest assured that there is betrayal, violence, and passion. The character of Heathcliff may very well be the best character in literature (in my opinion, at least). His inner conflict between vengeance and love is tragically human, and the fact that he knows that he is doing the wrong thing but cannot stop his drive for vengeance makes him that much more human. This book is excellent. Maybe the best book I've ever read.

There is a thin line between love and hate, and once Heathcliff crosses it, we see a grand, passionate and absorbingly interesting man turn into a fearsome thug. Thwarted in his love for his childhood soulmate, Catherine Earnshaw, Heathcliff turns his devastation outward, becoming a hateful -- and hated -- person all across the bleak moors that surround his Yorkshire village.

Heathcliff courts and marries the sister of the man whom Catherine chose over Heathcliff, only to torture her emotionally as a way of getting even with her brother. Meanwhile, Catherine slowly wastes away pining for Heathcliff, for although she once rejected him, she eventually realizes that she has made an irredeemable error and can never be happy. Heathcliff sums up the tragedy of their lives in a single question near the end of the novel when he asks, "Why did you betray your heart, Cathy?"

Sound depressing? It's not. Wuthering Heights is a grand and glorious novel that dramatically illustrates the power of love, for good and ill. But more importantly, it teaches us that the only path to happiness is to be true to one's heart, rather than one's head. Had Catherine honored her bond with Heathcliff and refused to bow to the social mores of her day, not only would the two of them been much happier, but all of the many people whose lives they stumbled into would have been much better off.

Another reviewer said that those of us who love this novel probably have a strong identification with one of the characters, and for me that is quite true. That's the reason for reading a classic like Wuthering Heights, because when it speaks to you in the clear and true way that Bronte does, you know that you are not alone, and that some things transcend time and place.

Think about it -- a prim, Victorian preacher's daughter living on the moors of England before there was electricity can reach across 150 years of time and speak to the heart of a wired American in the 21st century. Pretty amazing, and highly recommended

This is an absolutely fabulous product, but if you are not used to listening to audio books, I should give you a warning. This product is 11 CD's of one person speaking for about 13 hours. Can you imagine sitting down in the morning at home and staring at the wall for 13 hours while same voice goes on and on, all day and into the night? No, that won't work. So you at least have to break up the experience into chunks. Also, you might need to be doing something else as well, like walking or driving, so you don't drift off. What I did was listen while driving and intermingle other disks so I would not tire of the same voice. I would listen to one disk of the Odyssey, then I'd listen to a disk of music or a non-fiction lecture, then I'd put in another disk of the Odyssey.

However, the last 4 disks were so gripping I listened to them one after the other and could hardly wait for the next disk. Part of this was Ian McKellen's excellent, nay, masterful, enunciation and inflection. Part of the excitement is the climatic end when Odysseus returns home. Can you imagine a gripping 3 hour long buildup to the climatic moment when he reveals his return? Nothing else can compare!

I probably identified with the climax more now that I am middle-aged, with a home, a wife, and children approaching adulthood than I could have if I was a teenager listening to this or reading the book. There is little as primal to a mature man as the defense of his home and family.

It is astounding to experience a story this exciting and know it is about 2,800 years old.

I listened to this story on audio CD because I realized that I would never read this story because I have gone so far into my life without reading it yet. I'm very glad I listened to it instead of trying to read it. For one thing, how could I begin to pronounce so many Greek names? If you have started reading the book and put it down, try reading it by following along with this audio book. The audio book is abridged, but it is 13 hours long so I'm sure you would have a lot of text to follow along with.

If you think you know the story of the Odyssey because you've seen a movie based on the story, I will say the story by Homer is much grander and more full bodied than what has been depicted in movies. I'd go so far as to say the movies miss the real point of the Odyssey.

Robert Fagles has also translated the Aeneid and the Iliad. I've listened to those on audio CD as well and liked them all. I am a big fan of Derek Jacobi, who narrated the Iliad. I liked the Odyssey best of all.

Really liked this, the reading was outstanding and great translation by Robert Fagles. My son really enjoyed listening to it on a long road trip after plus it added to his understanding while he was reading it for English Class. I highly recommend this product.

For thousands of years this story has been told and retold.
The reason this story is still being told and still being heard is because it is so exciting and so very compelling.
It never grows old.
I have read and enjoyed this story from a leather bound book, but it is best heard spoken from a human voice. Ian McKellen is qualified as a modern day bard.

Unlike most movies and books of today, once will not be enough.
Those who listen to it will not be disappointed.

I'll not waste any time of yours with long and deserving praise for this telling of an ancient story, other than to say that should another day pass where you have stolen from yourself the opportunity to listen to this master storyteller lead you through a story written by a master, then only the Gods can forgive you.

Sir Ian Mckellan's performance is measured and beautiful, and there is no shame in a tear falling at the meeting of father and son for the emotion that comes through this practiced orator. I can say with a fair amount of confidence that the bards of old must have sounded like this - masters of their craft and able to bring the imaginations of their audience to life.

Not a moment longer - a treat awaits you...

The Trojan War is over and one of our hero kings is lost. His son (Telemachus) travels to find any information about his father's fait. His wife (Penelope) must cunningly hold off suitors that are eating them out of house and home.

If he ever makes it home Odysseus will have to detect those servants loyal from those who are not. One absent king against rows of suitors; how will he give them their just deserts? We look to Bright Eyed Pallas Athena to help prophecy come true.

Interestingly all the tales of monsters and gods on the sea voyage was told by Odysseus. Notice that no on else survives to tell the tale. So we have to rely on Odysseus' word.

Many movies took sections of The Odyssey, and expanded them to make interesting stories those selves.

Not just the story but the way in which it is told will keep you up late at night reading.