William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" is brought to life with elegance and grace. Aside from the nudity and [adult] content, this is a great film full of funny humor, a great cast and brilliant filmmaking (Credit for that goes to Kenneth Branagh, who has proven time and again that he is as fine a director as Spielberg, Lucas, and Scorcese, if not better). The second DVD release features a fine digital transfer of the film, complete in it's 1.85:1 Widescreen format. The short featurette "Making 'Much Ado'" is not the best doc ever made, but it does it's job. Other special features include the Theatrical trailer and trailers for the "When Harry Met Sally..." and "The Princess Bride" DVD's. A fine addition to the collection. Get this along with "Henry V."
Movie Grade: A+
DVD Grade: A-

I saw this movie when I was fairly young. I admit that I couldn't understand much of what was going on let along what was being said (I was nine, I wasn't exactly fluent in Olde English). Since then I've watched it many times. Not only do I understand it now, but I fully apreciate how good it is.

The movie is a very good adaptation of the play. The impressive lines that Shakespeare wrote were generally given new life in their delivery. Also, I must compliment Michael Keaton on his role. It isn't a very big one, but if you watch this movie, you'll understand why I mentioned it. Overall, this is simply a fully enjoyable movie, whether you're a fan of Shakespeare or not.

What a wonderful find! The DVD version of this movie is simply splendid! The segment in the DVD version called "Making Much Ado" provides a terrific, brief overview to the film and is well worth the extra dollars to invest in the DVD format. Interviews with each of the actors will help you to appreciate this movie for what it truly is: a cinematic work of excellence! You will fall in love with Shakespeare's wittiest pair, Beatrice (Emma Thompson) and Benedick (Kenneth Branagh), while admiring the absolutely gorgeous landscape of the set. Each character's unique portrayal adds to the lighthearted feel of the movie; Shakespeare's diction is handled so well that the blank verse is remarkably stimulating...even to those who usually find it detrimental. Truly a film you will not want to miss, Branagh's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING is proof of how modern technology can so enhance the genius of the Bard.

Three Musketeers by Dumas has got to be one of my favorite books ever written. I decided to read it after seeing the recent movie adaptation. For anyone who liked the movie- read the book-it's a hundred times better! The plot twists are more involved, the characters are allowed to develop properly, the humor is more subtle. Everything about the book is great. I can't remember when I've enjoyed reading a book more than when I read Three Musketeers. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys classic literature, historical fiction, French novels, or just a great story about how good can win over the forces of evil.

Have you only seen Musketeer movies without reading the original book? Then, you're in for a surprise! Dumas' novel isn't as absolutely funny nor as absolutely solemn as many directors tend to present it -actually, The Three Musketeers is a well-balanced story where you can laugh and cry at different moments, as in real life. Of course, the action scenes are great, but I think those chapters in which the characters only talk between them are much better, like when D'Artagnan looks for his friends after the diamond studs affair. I strongly recommend anyone to read this book and fall in love with the personifications of Nobility, Strength, Intelligence and Courage, or Athos, Porthos, Aramis and D'Artagnan, as Dumas named them, and discover why the book is named The Three Musketeers when they were actually four.

This book was one of the most captivating adventure tales I've ever read. It follows the adventures of the four french musketeers (well, three of them are musketeers to start off with): Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and d'Artanagan. The book is filled with swashbuckling action, government and court intriuge, and new plot twists at every turn. It paints a wonderful picture of life in past times, set in the colorful world of post-medieval France. Although young d'Artanagan is the hero of this book, the other characters are just as well portrayed. I particuarly liked Athos: his combonation of nobleness, military genius, sorrow, bitterness, thoughtfulness and mystery made me want to skip ahead to his parts of the book. All in all, this was a wonderful read, and a classic for anyone who loves adventure stories. I could find no qualms with this book, except that it did not keep going. Go out and buy it now! You won't be disappointed. All for one, and one for all!

This book is a children's classic, containing all the elements of a fairy tale. There's a villain, a good person, a magician, a princess in disguise, and a "happily ever after" ending. Except, unlike a fairy tale, it could have happened.

Sara Crewe's officer father sent her to an English boarding school when she was seven. Because she was rich, the ambitious headmistress of the school, Miss Minchin, spoiled her. Then Sara's father lost all his money and died, leaving Sara a pauper in Miss Minchin's care. Miss Minchin put her to work at what was essentially slave labor, scrubbing floors and shoveling coal from dawn to dusk at no pay and very little in the way of food and other necessities of life. Sara was about to despair, when mysterious things started showing up in her room. Hot meals laid out for her in the morning and evening. Then a rug for the bare floor. Then a warm nightgown to wear, and a new blanket for the bed. She didn't know what was happening, and assumed it was magic.

It was a fine book, very good for children I think. My only problem is that Sara, like most of Frances Hodgson Burnett's characters, seemed too good to be true. She was never angry at Miss Minchin for treating her cruelly. When she found fourpence in the street, she bought food and gave almost all of it to a beggar girl even though she herself was starving. And so on. But other than that it was great.

This book has familiar fairy tale figures, such as a wicked stepmother-like Miss Minchin, a fairy godfather, and an orphan protagonist who is a princess in disguise. It's the story of a little girl who endures some setbacks but reaches a happy ending not only for herself, but for those around her whom she helps even when she's pretty downtrodden.

The writing is charming and Sara comes through as a person who is determined to maintain her values, through good times and bad. She has a definite personality and that is a good role model for any child. She stays true to her beliefs in being kind, mannerly, charitable and above all, herself.

The magic in this book is unsurpassed in children's literature. When Sara comes home, wet and cold and neglected, to find that a magician has transformed her world, you can't help but be enchanted. I will admit to reading it again now and then as an adult. The charm is still there.

Just a fun factoid; A Little Princess was originally a shorter story titled Sara Crewe, in a volume of children's novelettes by Burnett.

If you remember seeing Shirley Temple in the 1939 "The Little Princess," this is the same basic plot with a wonderful new twist. The story is based on the beloved classic by the same author of The Secret Garden.

The movie opens with some stunningly beautiful scenes from India and all too suddenly Sara Crewe must leave with her father who is being called away for military duties. Sara has to go live in a New York boarding school. Through her experiences she learns to survive in the world and takes each day as it comes. Her vivid imagination is a pure delight and when she tells her magical stories, they are played out in a fairy tale like way onscreen. This contrasts with her real life at the school.

Sara's fun-loving spirit does get her into trouble from time to time. Overall, she is just used to living with her father and being free to do mostly what she likes. In her new school she has to follow many rules. She draws strength from her father's words to help her believe in herself. He tells her that she will always be his little princess.

A wonderful movie which shows that if we make the best of our circumstances, we will be blessed in the end. Five stars for storytelling magic!

I very much enjoyed this book because it was full of pure fun reading. Some books drag from the very beginning, but this children's story didn't. There were surprises from the start. This book is an all original example of using your imagination. Lewis Carrol was gifted enough to let his imagination go wild, and to write it down on paper. This book inspires me to write any sort of crazy thing that is worth writing. This book is about Alices adventures from the time she saw the peculiar White Rabbit with a waistcoat and watch. She meets thrilling but very arguementive creatures and charectors such as the caterpiller who smokes, the Duchess and her baby which turns into a pig, a Mock Turtle, a gryphon, and the most famous the Chesire cat and the Queen of Hearts. This book is a bit different than the Disney movie. There are other charecters in the book that are not mentioned in the animated movie. and I think the book is more bizarre.

I, like almost every other kid I know, grew up with the Disney movie. Although a rather accurate depiction of Wonderland, it cannot compare to the book (plus it muddled things together, mixing Alice in Wonderland with things originally in Through the Looking Glass). I never really took much attention to this very strange movie, but one day decided to read the book.

Enter Wonderland.

Absolutely no plot, no direction, no point. Lot's of silly nonsense but in spite of, or maybe because of this, it is very enjoyable. You literally never know what's going to happen next. After reading this book, I realized just how much my own dreams... Unforgettable characters, who can ever forget the cheshire cat or the caterpillar, jokes, interesting supplementary drawings, and puns keep you on your toes.

This is really not for kiddies. Sure they can read it and maybe even enjoy it, but cannot fully appreciate it. A masterpiece, a classic, but more importantly, an enjoyable experience.

Don't forget to read Through the Looking Glass! Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum, the Walrus and the Carpenter, and "Jabberwocky" don't pop up in Alice in Wonderland but Through the Looking Glass. Although "Jabberwocky" didn't appear in the movie, it's still a classic. Finally, an explanation of this ever-puzzling poem! And of course, "I am the Walrus" is one of my favorite all-time songs...

One of those books that you can read over and over again and find something new each time. Definitely an essential. The most fun I have ever had with a book. If you've ever been cursed enough to watch the movie but never read the book, PLEASE READ THIS BOOK! (and for those of you who have read it, READ IT AGAIN! )

When I was assigned Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass to read for my Victorian Literature class, I was excited. Even though I had heard Alice's Adventures in Wonderland referred to countless times throughout my youth, I had never read the story or seen the movie. I had never heard of Through the Looking Glass, but while reading, I realized that many people who think they are talking about AAIW are actually referring to TTLG. The two texts seem to be conflated in a way that makes them indistinguishable from each other. It is for this reason that I enjoyed reading this edition of the texts. There is only a page separating the two stories, which allows the reader to easily make the transition between them. This small separation also allows the reader to recognize the undeniable connection between the texts and to understand why many people combine them in their minds.
AAIW is about a young girl named Alice whose boring day with her sister is interrupted when a white rabbit runs by her saying, "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!" Alice's curiosity is aroused, but surprisingly not to a great degree. This is the first hint to the reader that Alice is not an average child, as she seems to believe that a talking rabbit is quite normal. She does become intrigued, though, when the rabbit produces a clock from his pocket, so she follows it down its hole and enters a world of wonder. I loved the story from this point on. It is filled with such unbelievable creatures and situations, but Carroll's writing style made me want to believe in a world that could be filled with so much magic and splendor. There was never a dull moment in the story, and each page was filled with more excitement. I will offer a warning, though. This story is not for those who like a neatly packaged plotline. It is written in a somewhat discontinuous nature and seems to follow some sort of dream logic where there are no rules. However, I enjoyed the nonsensical pattern. Without it, a dimension of the story would be lost. It offers some insight into the mind of a young, adventurous, fearless girl, and Carroll seems to be challenging his readers to be more like Alice.
The second text in this book, TTLG, is again a story about Alice. In this adventure, Alice travels through a wondrous world on the other side of her looking glass. As in AAIW, Alice again encounters absurd creatures, such as live chess pieces and talking flowers. The land she travels through is an oversized chessboard, which gives this story a more structured plot than AAIW. The chess theme provides Alice with sense of what she must accomplish in the looking- glass world, and it provides the reader with a sense of direction throughout the story. Alice's goal is to become a chess queen, so the reader knows that when she becomes queen, the story will be over. However, just because the story has some structure does not mean that it is not just as wild and marvelous as its predecessor. I enjoyed all of the characters. They seem to have an endless supply of advice that people in the 21st century can still learn from. My favorite example is when the Red Queen says, "Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!" Maybe what Carroll is suggesting is that if we read more nonsensical, unbelievable stories like his, we won't be so afraid to be adventurous and fearless like Alice; so that the next time a white rabbit runs by us, we might just see where it leads us.

The secret garden is a good and loved book. This book shows that nature would change human's personality how much.
The main characters in this book ware Mary and Collin. They are cousin and always cross and nervous. They have a point of sameness. They have lost his mother in child. The reason of their nervous character was affected their environment. In early, Mary's mother was not care of her daughter and Collin lost his mother in his one year. Mary changed his mind more and more because Martha concerned to her at first time. One day, Mary found the secret garden, which was not opened for ten years. Mary and Collin worked hard for recovery garden. They effort to garden's live, to have keep the secret.
I would you read this book what secret is. When you read the end of story, you would experience miracle. And then you will think about your family and your life. Through this book we will recognize what we love, how we love and whom we love at first. Furthermore, when you are lonely,read this book.

I am EAD a fifth grade student at Wadron Mercy Academy.
A sour nine year old, Mistress Mary, has just moved to her uncle's mansion in a far lonely place. She has moved here because Mary made a nasty wish that her parents and maids would die, and it came true! Now, Mary is lonly and unwanted by everyone. Mary's uncle is a widower who has one son named Colin.
Soon, Mary becomes used to this place and explores all of the gardens. She has an Irish friend named Deacon. Deacon and Mary explore all of the gardens. Does Mary, Deacon, and Colin find the magic garden that their aunt had locked up? Find out what happens to Mary, Deacon, a krippled boy Colin, Mary's mysterious uncle, and the magic garden. ... I think this book was a real page turner. I could not put this exciting book down. I highly recommend this book. It is a classic of all times! I rate this book #1 of all the books I have read. I also recommend the movie.

The Secret Garden (book review)

Soon Kim
June 18, 2002

Do you believe in magic? If you read The Secret Garden you will experience the amazing magic, I am sure.
Mistress Mary Lennox was born in India. Her parents paid no attention to her. Mary is not loved by all, she is spoiled, gloomy, sullen, and selfish in India. Suddenly, her parents die and she goes to live with her uncle on the Yorkshire moors of England. But also her uncle is an apathetic person.
When she arrived in Yorkshire she found another person who looked like herself. He is her selfish sickly cousin Colin. Mary and Colin discover his mother's garden. They take care of flowers and trees together, and they have a great deal of fun together. Mary learns to accept that there are other people in the world, and she helps Colin. The garden's magic makes the two children's characters normal and happy through good people and the beautiful secret garden.
I wish that you would read this book; if you need to love, if your mind has been devastated, if your life is dry and boring, if you lose interest in everything, then read The Secret Garden and your mind will sprout " The word is so beautiful." I still smell many kinds of sour smelling blushful roses in the secret garden. The sweet roses are coloring my mind still ......... I love them so.

A sad story .. so cold .. what a hard life! I am not interested in Buddhism but I like Hesse! He is so sensitive and realistic ..just like a painter taking his time to finish his portrait after studying every stroke and every color..

Despite all the hardships that Siddhartha go through, you always feel at ease, relaxed .. totally enjoying the story.. It is full of wisdom .. extreme measures .. but as Siddhartha said no one can feed you his/her experience you have to try and learn .. you can choose to be a falling leaf or a star?! searching and looking for answers .. we can make our own future .. depending on which path we choose .. but fate and luck are part of this future ..and Love conquers all!

Siddhartha now identifies itself as one of the worlds most widely translated books. I have read this book in various languages such as Punjabi, Urdu and English. There is this one thing that i found common about all the versions... they are all equally beautiful and insightful. Siddhartha makes you think... It makes you contemplate on things that we hardy think about in today's fast-paced world. The book tells us that we all have to find our inner-self... out soul. Siddhartha starts as a story of a Brahmin (A higher caste Hindu, There are four castes in the caste system of Hinduism where the lowest, Shudras, are untouchables and hieghest, Brahmins, are the most well respected.) and moves slowly... as his life takes many changes... from Samsara to Nirvana, every stage in the life of Siddhartha teaches a lesson. He learns throughout... not from a teacher neither from a book... he is his own mentor his thoughts act as his book. He tastes everything... from self-sacrifice to greed, lust and fear. His unfolding destiny carries him... or maybe he carries his destiny... There are points where every reader stops to question himself - Do I know my inner-self well enough? Siddhartha is a lovely book... every word touches your heart - its smooth - like crystal blue water cascading down the stream!

Hesse tells the story of a young man, Siddhartha, who is set on finding enlightenment and thus happiness. Initially, Siddhartha adheres to the teachings of his father, but after years of meditation and adulation, he was unhappy. No one had shown him the way to enlightenment. Set on finding it, he embarks on a new journey, with his friend, Govinda, and joins the Samanas. After awhile, Siddhartha feels the same discontent. His teachers, the Samanas, still have not shown him the way to enlightenment, and at this point, he parts with his friend and teachers and attempts to live the life of ordinary people. Although, at first, Siddhartha learns a great deal about business and the art of lovemaking, he again becomes bored and unhappy. He is caught in Samsara, the ways of the world, and once he realizes this, he is disgusted with himself. He leaves all of his riches behind and commences a new journey.

The book is a treat to read. In addition, it has profound wisdom to impart to the reader. In a sense, a revolutionary message permeates the book; this message goes hand and hand with Siddhartha's desire to find enlightenment. Every time Siddhartha attempts to gain enlightenment by following the paths of others, he fails. At one point, he says, "No, a true seeker could not accept any teachings, not if he sincerely wished to find something." The message it sends to the reader is that one can only find enlightenment by listening to the wisdom deep within one. The teachings of others will not necessarily help one achieve true happiness because, according to Siddhartha, "wisdom is not communicable." For instance, Siddhartha believed that the illustrious Gotama, the Buddha, achieved enlightenment, while the followers of Buddha, such as Govinda, may never find it by adhering to the Buddha's teachings. Nevertheless, although Siddhartha's path was arduous, he eventually attained enlightenment by listening to himself and to the wisdom of nature.

I was introduced to Dracula as a child watching Bela Lugosi portray the Count on the late night horror show "Shock Theater". This began a semi-fascination with vampire movies which continues to this day. I've not seen all the Dracula movies, but I'd seen dozens before I read the novel after graduating college. Nothing I've ever seen on the screen compares to Bram Stoker's original story. The story, which is told in the format of journal entries, letters, and newspaper clippings, engrossed me and carried me headlong to the final chapter.

The power of Stoker's written masterpiece exceeds the power of any screen production by a power of 10. Film isn't even the second most powerful medium for Dracula. The Naxos Audiobooks production of Dracula features a full cast but retains the format of the book. Different actors speak the journal entries of the various parties, with dialog and action being dramatized. Audio plays have been called "the theater of the mind", and that description well suits the Naxos production of Dracula. All in all, the audio play gives a satisfying way to experience the legend of Dracula.

Dracula is a masterpiece of Horror fiction, undoubtedly a classic and a necessary read for anyone who would consider him/herself a Horror fan. The title character has been forever imprinted on the minds of the world as the true name of the Vampire, and almost anyone who you could possibly ask could give you a pretty good description of the framework of the story.

A rich, reclusive count from the dark land of Transylvania tires of his homeland and searches for a home abroad to quench his thirst. Not for riches, not for glory, but for blood. For this count is a member of the damned breed, the Nosferatu, the Vampire. A demon condemned to live off of the blood of the living, while being neither alive, nor dead. It is a sad and frightening tale, filled with action and suspense.

Dracula is not only famous for its introduction of the mythology of Vlad the Impaler (in somewhat diluted form) to Western culture, but also for its formula. The inescapable evil (Dracula) to be confronted by a small, yet wary band of people lead by one who knows all of the creature's secrets and weaknesses (Van Helsing) has become a Horror staple. And folks never seem to get tired of it. The subject of Van Helsing, a character who almost, but not quite, overshadows Dracula in popularity is long overdue for a novelization of his own. Van Helsing's encounters with the supernatural would most definitely draw a fanbase.

If you're a Horror fan, or just like good old storytelling, Dracula is a book not to be missed. In fact, this novel should be required reading. It just might help increase the literacy rate!

Note: this edition has an awesome cover drawn by Boris Vallejo and it claims to be unabridged (abridging this story ought to be illegal!)

Bram Stoker's tale of terror, 'Dracula,' is just as chilling today as it must have been to readers a hundred years ago. Stoker's original story, which has been told many times since in film and book, is the tale of Johnathen Harker, his love, and his friends, and their horrific experiences at the hands of Count Dracula. The book begins with Harker traveling to Transylvania to meet with the mysterious Dracula. Aquainting him with English customs and traditions when the Count buys land all over London from his firm, Harker soons learns of Dracula's true nature- that of an unnatural fiend who causes destruction wherever he goes. When Dracula travels to England Harker's friends enlist the aide of Dr. Van Helsing, the only man who understands just what evil the Count is capable of. The story that follows is one of love, hate, maddness, and adventure as Dracula seeks to destroy Harker and his friends. As well as being a great work of literature, 'Dracula' is a wonderful tale of horror that modern readers are sure to enjoy!

There are two good reasons to read Machiavelli's classic, "The Prince."

First, so you'll know what everyone is referring to when you come across the adjective "machiavellian" in news stories or other media. This adjective has become so commonplace (and overused) it is almost a cliche. Also, most who use it have never read this letter from Machiavelli, a Rennaisance courtier to his Prince (written from prison), but they insist on peppering writings with this noun turned adjective so much that as a matter of clearly understanding what is meant by the term, famiality with this brief treatise is helpful.

Second, this book does describe most (not all) power situations very well. From politics to corporations to most settings where advancement, influence and control exist, Machiavelli's observations and rules apply.

You will also discover that Machiavelli was not as evil as he is understood to be in popular thought. What he was doing was describing the rules of the game that have existed and always will exist for many situations involving selfish humans in competition. Machiavelli's rules are neither good nor bad in themselves -- they describe a process. What is good or bad is how those who master Machiavelli's rules use their power and position, in a society that tempers actions according to law and basic Judeo-Christian principals. When those principals do not exist (as in Nazi Germany, the Middle Ages or under Communism, or by those who refuse to live by these constraints), Machiavelli's rules take on their demonic and evil cloak; usually because they serve demonic and evil ends. In societies where positive constraints exist, for example the U.S. political system, Machiavellian behavior can produce excellent results. A good example involves Abraham Lincoln, whose ambition led him to use every legitimate trick and stragety to master (and remove) political opponents. His mastery of Machiavellian behavior constrained by the US political system allowed him to save the Union and end slavery.

To fully appreciate the modern lessons that can be taken from this writing, one must translate Medieval sensibilites to their contemporary counterparts. The casual way in which Machiavelli discusses the need to kill opponents was necessary to those who wished to be princes 500 years ago. Today, of course, "killing" is translated as rendering less powerful, or taking an opponent out of the game.

What does one get from this book? It is a roadmap with insights and lessons about how to 1) get ahead of others to attain power; and 2) maintain and expand one's power in the face of others who would usurp one who is in a desirable position.

This book is about ruthlessness and putting the attainment of goals ahead of any other consideration. Plenty of maxims that are also tossed about frequently in media are to be found in Machiavelli's book: "the end justifies the means," "it is better to be feared than loved," "if you fight the prince, kill the prince" to name a few.

It is essential reading to anyone who would be in a competitive environment and hope to advance, if for no other reason than many of one's competitors operate by Machiavelli's dictums (which arise out of human instinct and selfishness). One does not have to operate according to Machaivelli's code -- many examples of alturism and "pluck and luck" exist to defeat any claim that Machiavelli's road map is essential for success. However, human nature and human history deliver far more examples of ruthless self-interest (Machiavellianism) behind success in power situations.

Is Machiavellianism bad? Not in and of itself. Remember, one must translate the Middle Age ethos to current practices -- there usually isn't blood spilled as a result of today's Machiavellian duels, just power and positon. Most political and business leaders are at least partly Machiavellian. The trick is using one's power to good ends. Thus, even though Lincoln and all of our presidents were Machiavellian in their climb to the White House, some of them did darn good work there. The same is true for business leaders. Jack Welch (GE), Bill Gates (Microsoft), anyone who advances past the first few rungs of the corporate ladder or dominates markets at the expense of competitors is using Machiavelli's dictums. The trick of a just and good society is to set the bounds by which power can be attained and exercised so that good and benefits will flow from those who are able to "claw their way to the top."

To summarize, read this book if you want to 1) truly understand when the adjective "Machiavelli" is used to describe people and 2) understand the rules by which most people navigate their way to power.

Machiavelli wrote this book for the Medici back in a time that is suppossed to be so different from today. Yet, The Prince is as applicable as the day it was wrote- maybe more so. It's a concise, almost surgical, guidebook to world domination. Superficially, this book is written like stereo instructions with precise directions on control of your enemies, followers, and friends. But, deeply, it will force any serious reader to take stock of the lengths neccessary to attain great power. Lives are flited at like pieces on a chess board with absolutely no uneccessary concern (if they can't hurt ya, screw 'em). Why, aside from that whole learning about world domination thing, this book is such a neccessary read for anybody with a stake in daily life is because this is the book your leaders sleep with under their pillow. There hasn't been an intelligent, powerful, and influential political leader that hasn't been influenced by Machiavelli and this book. It's very important to really wrap yourself around reality in reading this book so as to open your own eyes to what people do to lead (not just dictators, facists, and imperialists, but deomcrats and republicans.). This book is Political Reality 101- you must read it.

Based upon Michiavelli's first hand experience as an emissary of the Florentine Republic to the courts of Europe The Prince analyzes the often violent means by which political power is seized and retained, and the circumstance in which it is lost. Because The Prince is a political commentary, and not a work of fiction, Michiavelli does not use "characters" in the sense of a novel or a short story. Instead he draws his examples from the current political and social events, as well as from history. His characters are the political leaders of his time. The book is a declaration in plain language the conduct of great men and the principles of princely governments. The book can be divided into four sections.

1. The types of principalities. Michiavelli lists four types of principalities.

* Hereditary principalities, which are inherited by the ruler.

* Mixed principalities, territories that are annexed to the rulers existing territories.

* New principalities which may be acquired by several methods: by own power, by the power of others by criminal acts or extreme cruelty, or by the will of the people

* Ecclesiastical principalities, namely the papal states belonging to the catholic churches.

2. The character and behavior of the prince. Michiavelli recommends the following character and behavior for princes:

* It is better to be miserly than generous.

* It is better to be cruel than merciful.

* It is better to break promises if keeping than would be against ones interest.

* Princes must avoid making them hated and despised; the goodwill of the people is a better defense than any fortress.

* Princes should undertake great projects to enhance their reputation.

* Princes should choose wise advisors to confide and consult with

3. The types of armies A prince must always pay close attention to military affairs if he wants to remain in power. A prince must lay good foundation and those foundations include good laws and good armies. There cannot be good laws without good armies, and where there are good laws there must be good armies. The study of war should be a prince's main goal, for war is a rulers only art.If princes become too refined to study this art they loose their state. The types of armies are:

* Mercenaries or Auxiliaries (loaned to you by another ruler) are both dangerous and unreliable, as they will maintain their interests preceding yours.

* Native troops composed of ones own citizens or subjects are by far the most desirable kind.

4. Italy's political situation Michiavelli outlines and recommends the following

* The rulers of Italy have lost their states by ignoring the political and military principles.

* Fortune controls half of human affairs, but free will controls the rest, leaving the prince free to act. However, the few princes can adopt their actions to times

"Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions," by Edwin A. Abbott, is a marvelous tale that I regard as a pioneering piece of science fiction. According to the introductory note in the Dover edition, Abbott was an English scholar and clergyman, and the book was first published under a pseudonym in 1884. The book is enhanced by the author's own delightful illustrations.

"Flatland" is told in the first person by an intelligent square who lives in a fantastic two-dimensional world. He describes in fascinating detail his own world of Flatland, going into such topics as architecture, war, genetics, medical arts, law, and family values. Particularly fascinating is his account of his society's rigid stratification by class and gender. The square tells of his visions of zero- and one-dimensional worlds, and of his life-changing contact with the three-dimensional world.

Abbott succeeds in a task attempted with varying success by generations of science fiction writers since him: he creates an alternate world which is utterly alien, yet disturbingly familiar--a world that is complete and consistently compelling. "Flatland" could certainly be read as a satire of Abbott's own world; parts of it are laugh-out-loud hilarious. Whimsical yet possessing a biting edge, this is a brilliantly conceived and wonderfully written book. For a companion text, try A.K. Dewdney's "The Planiverse" (also about contact between two- and three-dimensional worlds); also try Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" (an equally intriguing view of a stratified sci-fi culture).

I can see this book being interesting to two types of people.

First, the book is based on geometrical concepts to create a vision of Flatland. The descriptions of how to visualize different dimensions and the question of higher dimensions are simply explained. I believe someone who knows nothing about math would find the explanation satisfactory.

Second, the book is a satire of Victorian society. It's important to remember that the author does not actually think women are inferior, just that he is mocking the world around him. I also found an interesting passage where the author describes how the inhabitants of the southern latitudes (e.g., Africa) are savages because their air inhibits the ability to distinguish shapes. This compares to the northern latitudes (i.e., London) where fog allows better sight. Trust me, it will make sense when you read it.

This is just one of the examples of satire in the book. I thought the book was excellent and can easily be read in a few hours. Plus, it costs a buck..

This book introduced me to the amazingly interesting possibilaty of a fourth dimension, or even an infinite number of dimensions, and the way the material was presented (by a story of A Square and A Hexoagon and there adventures with a sphere) is delightfully entertaining. Since the human mind has such a horrid time visualizing the fourth dimension, taking it down one level by having creatures living in a two dimensional world who try to understand the third dimension is an excellent way to help people grasp the possibility of higher dimensions. I was also very interested in the books discussion about a curved space and an expanding universe. This book is great for any teenager interested in theoretic sciences and geometery and it is a great intellectual read.

Let's begin with Nabokov's "Lectures on Literature," where he introduces "Madame Bovary" as follows: "The book is concerned with adultery and contains situations and allusions that shocked the prudish philistine government of Napoleon III. Indeed, the novel was actually tried in a court of justice for obscenity. Just imagine that. As if the work of an artist could ever be obscene." Written over a five-year period, "Madame Bovary" was published serially in a magazine in 1856 where, despite editorial attempts to purge it of offensive material, it was cited for "offenses against morality and religion." Fortunately, Flaubert won his case and "Madame Bovary" remains to this day one of the masterpieces of French and world literature. Indeed, in Nabokov's view, the novel's influence is notable: "Without Flaubert, there would have been no Marcel Proust in France, no James Joyce in Ireland. Chekhov in Russia would not have been quite Chekhov."

The story of Emma Bovary is well known and uncomplicated. Set in the provincial towns of Tostes and Yonville (it is subtitled "Patterns of Provincial Life"), with adulterous interludes in Rouen, "Madame Bovary" narrates the life of Charles Bovary and Emma Rouault. Charles, an "officier de sante"--a licensed medical practitioner without a medical degree--meets Emma while tending to her injured father. Charles is married at that time to the first Madame Bovary, also called Madame Dubuc, a widow and thin, ugly woman who dominates the mild-mannered Charles from the very beginning. "It was his wife [Madame Dubuc] who ruled: in front of company he had to say certain things and not others, he had to eat fish on Friday, dress the way she wanted, obey her when she ordered him to dun nonpaying patients. She opened his mail, watched his every move, and listened through the thinness of the wall when there were women in his office."

When Madame Dubuc dies a few short years after their marriage, it appears that Charles is fortunate, for he is not only freed from the shrewish oppression of his wife, but enabled to court and marry the beautiful Emma. It is the eight-year marriage of Charles and Emma that embodies the tale of "Madame Bovary," a tale marked by Emma's ennui, her dissatisfaction with the unsatisfied yearnings of bourgeois marriage in a small provincial town, her steadily growing sensual insatiability, her adulteries with a series of men. It is this marriage, too, that gives us one of literature's great cuckolds, Charles Bovary.

"Madame Bovary" has often been described as a realistic novel and, insofar as it tells a seemingly ordinary tale of sensual longing and adultery while, at the same, time depicting characters and sensibilities typical of bourgeois, philistine rural France during the reign of Louis Phillipe, it is grimly realistic. It is also, however, a deeply psychological novel, one in which Flaubert brilliantly probes the feelings, the sensations, the romantic longings and dreamscapes of Emma Bovary. Above all, "Madame Bovary" is the apogee of the French novel prior to Proust's Parnassian achievement, a novel whose poetic language and artistic rendering transcend mere narrative and elevate Flaubert's work to that of high literary art, a novel for the ages. Read it in the original French if you can; if not, then read it in Frances Steegmuller's outstanding English translation.

It's amusing to read the few negative reviews of this book. One wonders what the readers would possibly consider GOOD literature!

As soon as I finished reading it the first time, I promptly started again from the beginning - something I've never done before. The bare plot is deliberately banal. It's Flaubert's execution, his insight into some of the more complex aspects of human nature and society, and the creation of Emma that mark this as one of the finest (and most engrossing) novels ever written.

What makes Emma tick is perhaps more relevant to our own culture and society - revolving, as it does, so entirely around consumerism, escapist entertainments and a credit-based economy - than it was even to Flaubert's. And I have to wonder about anyone who could get through this book and miss that point entirely.

To be sure, Emma is an extreme case - but there are plenty like her walking around. (I even saw myself in her, to some extent.) The syndrome is common, but seldom described as lucidly as here. I can see Emma, Mastercard in her hot little hand, fitting right into contemporary American society.

Flaubert's Bovary is perpetual, pervasive. Through her eyes, we see the world as it is: filled with universal virtues and vices that lead to either happiness or self- destruction. Madame Bovary captures the crystallized essence of the human spirit: unpredictable and changing, yet tangible and real. Her passions are those that move the soul, but not the mind; she never considers,she simply acts. Beautiful and uncanny, Emma Bovary's view of the world eventually becomes the harbinger of her own destiny, one that she always fails to accept. But, her own actions never deviate from reality; her character is the very re- presentation of human life. Immersed into a world that affects her own personality, Emma conquers a realism that is always perceptible, that reflects the nature of her own fortune. In effect, she becomes the product of Tolstoi's Anna Karenina and Shakespeare's Juliet, for her own destiny is controlled by passions that are never satisfied, never fulfilled. With Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert presents the strange reality of life. He moves through her his own vision, his own perception. In the process, he joins Dickens,Tolstoi, and Dostoyevski, thus becoming not a writer, but a window that enables us to see face to face what lies behind the apparencies of life,a gateway that connects us with all that moves us to and from our ambitions, our own desires.