This is a novel about character development. At the same time, the author enlightens the world of a few people. There is not so much story in this book; its strength lies elsewhere. However, having read Forster before, this novel made me a little bit disappointed. To me, the development of Philip is not thoroughly enough described. It does not seem so likely that such a development would occur, either. Philip goes from "blind" to "seeing". He does not take the world as is anymore, but thinks for himself. There is a chain of events that makes him develop, but the events in themselves are not so important. The other characters do not develop at all in my opinion. That is not to say that they are not complex; some are indeed, but they do not develop. Philip is naturally a complex character, too.

England is used to illustrate the world we already know, whereas Italy is used to illustrate "the foreign". This concept works today, still, although "the foreign" would probably have been moved further away. Irony is a big part of Forster's writing: anyone who "loves everything Italian" should laugh. Forster is very subtle here, too subtle in my opinion.

This is not to say that this is not a good book, but not as good as, for instance, A room with a view.

An English family's widowed daughter-in-law marries unexpectedly while on vacation in Italy much to the discontent of the family. The story mostly revolves around the attempts to recover they love child of the deceased child of the daughter-in-law from the assumed rougheon Italian husband so that the child may receive "proper" care and education. The story is detailed but rambles at times. The plot is understood, but not exciting.

"Fools rush in," apparently, to Monteriano in Italy, where beauty triumphs over cold calculation, and-- to paraphrase the end of Johnny Mercer's couplet, not the original of Pope!-- where the heart rules above the head. This novel may not be as subtly polished as _A Room With A View_ nor as deeply serious as _Howards End_ but it does show a great deal of polish and seriousness, and is also a more entertaining story. In fact, I will do my best not to give anything away. While the plot moves forward organically, Forster shapes it with an Austen-like classical symmetry, as well as the conversations, characters, and (above all) the settings: Italy versus England, Monteriano versus Sawston. There are plenty of "juicy" Johnsonian sentences (get out your notebook), but Forster impresses most with his plain, easy style. He is also very funny-- I trust you'll pick up on the many little jokes. But also don't forget that Forster is a satirist with plenty of bite. His attacks are just as effective as Thackeray's, only Forster cares more about people and is remarkably sympathetic to human suffering in all its forms. A few nasty words about Germans wouldn't please the Schlegel sisters very much, but other than that, Forster avoids black-and-white generalizations and veers toward "moral relativism," for lack of a better term. Forster does a good job creating female characters who are unique and complex, who do not come across as manipulated symbols but as living flesh with thinking heads and-- yes-- loving (and hating) hearts. Once in a while Forster falls into his habit of grand poetic statements all flowery and abstract, but somehow he is forgivable (more so here than in _Howards End_). Otherwise, this is a great little story, with a message that hits home and language that ranks among the best of all English novelists. I would say more, but the best part is discovering this for yourself. Still, don't let the crowded opening paragraph get you down! Practically every character is jammed into the first sentence and at first I wondered if I could ever keep them straight. But Forster has a point in doing this: They are seeds in his hands which, tossed randomly, will sprout up as the story goes on. The humor in those opening sentences is also very subtle-- you either find Lilia's own amusement funny or you don't. But some jokes are so clear, as in Irma saying "me three" after an adult says "me too," they are literally infantile. So, this is a fun book, but also very serious-- quite sad when we see how people mistreat each other, and either purposely or accidentally bring misery on family, friends and even strangers (as well as themselves), mainly on account of social conventions. It's also interesting to see Forster's own gay sensibility show through throughout the novel. While _A Room With A View_ remains my favorite book by E.M. Forster, _Where Angels Fear To Tread_ has left me stunned and warmed, thoroughly satisfied from start to finish.

If I start writing now when I'm not really rested it could upset my thinking which is not good at all. I'll get a fresh start tomorrow, and it's not due till Wednesday, so I'll have all of Tuesday, unless something should happen.

Why does this always happen, I should be outside playing, getting fresh air and sunshine; I work best under pressure, and they'll be lots of pressure, if I wait till tomorrow... I should start writing now. But if I start writing now, when I'm not really rested, it could upset my thinking which is not good at all.

Peter Rabbit is one of four rabbits in his family. Very much curious as well as disobedient, Peter decides to wonder off into Mr. McGregor's garden. He has heard the warning given to him by his mother of what Mr. McGregor does to curious, wandering rabbits. Peter slips away from his brother's and sister's while they play in the fields and decides to see this wonderful garden. While in the garden, Peter fills his stomach with delicious carrots, lettuce and other various vegetables. While eating, Mr. McGregor finds the somewhat stuffed rabbit and chases him around his garden. Peter, realizing the mistake he made, only wishes to be free, that he might not make the same mistake again. This book is very well written and can capture the heart of even the oldest person. Filled with detailed pictures, Peter comes to life in this classic tale of tales.

The pictures in this book are absolutely wonderful. It was my oldest nephews favorite book, his little brother also loves it, unfortunately after five years of hard use I just replaced it with a new one. This is the first time we've ever "worn out" a book!

If my two nephews could write a review, (they are boys, 5 and 2 yrs old), they would tell you that this book is a treasure!

Overall good book, Alekhine gives his comments on these 107 games played during his time. He does a great job at revealing the players way of thinking and the hows and whys of each move. However, the title of this book is very misleading, potential buyers are led to beleive that Alekhine actually playes all 107 games. He only plays 30! If you want purely games of Alekhine, spend your money on something else

What I love about this book is it shows Alekhine in a more modern era, how he analyzed more of the modern openings that were starting to emerge. His annotations are always great, and at this price, get it!

Though this book has a few chess gems to be enjoyed by everyone, this book isn't for the mere beginner. Sometimes it isn't even for the average player. Alekhine's annotations are thorough, for the most part, but are often tinged with either mocking condescension or complete blase. He tacitly assumes that certain tactical or strategic ideas are obvious, and therefore fails from time to time in teaching the reader anything. The games are often interesting, though, again, not for the player interested in only an occasional game. This is a relatively good book if you have enough experience and can study it deeply, but if you are looking for a book of instruction, look elsewhere.

i love blackwood at his best. this is not it. one great story, otherwise this detective doesn't work for me. if it only had been more crime-like, i might have liked it. these explanations, investigations, plots, are just not good enough. probably his worst work.

While I am a huge fan of Blackwood, I am not especially a John Silence fan. Yet, I must admit to a certain fascination with the character. And who exactly is John Silence? Blackwood's fictional character, part Sherlock Holmes, part Sigmund Freud, and part Exorcist. Using his unusual psychical gifts, John Silence is able to solve "cases" which defy others. Both his method of operation (asking Sherlockian/Freudian question) and his solutions bear a resemblance to his role models: Sherlock's solutions as often as not devolve to Moriarty; Freud's devolve to the subconscious and suppressed memories; with Silence the answer always lies in the supernatural.

And what do we make of the name "John Silence?" The name was obviously carefully chosen. Perhaps it is intended to signify an extraordinary man who, out of necessity or convenience, hides behind a commonplace and quiet persona.

While John Silence's solutions always involve the supernatural, it is readily possible to give the stories alternative explanations. Take my favorite, "Ancient Sorceries:" Arthur Vezin, a mild, forty-something Englishman on vacation in France, on sheer impulse, decides to make an unscheduled stop in a small remote town. There Vezin comes under the influence of a coquettish young women. She inveigles him into participating in certain secret rites, which results in his fleeing the town in terror. Upon his return to England he consults with John Silence, who reveals the "psychic" explanation. It seems this town was an ancestral town of Vezin's, and long ago was heavily involved in witchcraft. "Living forces" of Vezin's witch ancestors tried to reclaim him. OK, that was Silence's explanation; here is mine: Vezin represents a type of severely repressed individual known as a "defended" personality. Such individuals are unable to come to terms with their sexuality. While on his French trip Vezin runs into a young woman of such great sexual powers she overwhelms his defenses. Thoroughly "freaked out," Vezin flees to the security of his England ... OK ...maybe I do have a hidden agenda: could this apply to Blackwood as much as Vezin.

New topic. This collection contains a story rarely published, "A Victim of Higher Space." In 1905 Einstein published his Special Theory of Relativity. This resulted in considerable speculation on the reality and meaning of spaces of dimension higher than three. Both "The Willows" and "A Victim of Higher Space" seem to have been inspired by this idea. In "The Willows" the concept enters only tangentially (though it is incomparably the better story), but it is the very essence of "A Victim of Higher Space." In some ways the latter reminds one of Abbott's "Flatland," but less scientific.

If you haven't read this volume yet, you're in for a rare treat! A little background:

In 1906-07, Algernon Blackwood (1869-1951) wrote a short story cycle telling of the adventures of psychic detective/ghostbuster John Silence, a sort of Sherlock Holmes meets H. P. Lovecraft meets Hermann Hesse. (That may sound strange, but Blackwood was truly inspired and it works brilliantly.) All but one of these stories were then published in a book titled John Silence--Physician Extraordinary (1908), which went on to be a huge hit, undergoing many reprintings. The omitted story, "A Victim of Higher Space", was published years later, but until now never in the same book as the other John Silence stories.

John Silence--Physician Extraordinary having been out of print for about 30 years, Dover Publications deserves our gratitude for recently bringing that collection back into print -- and including the heretofore separated story to assemble The Complete John Silence Stories (1997), consummately edited and introduced by the eminent horror literature scholar S. T. Joshi.

This is a publishing milestone and belongs on the bookshelf of every fan of classic detective fiction or classic horror fiction. John Silence and his adventures speak with a fresh, thrilling voice undiminished with the passing of nearly a century since it was first committed to paper. H. P. Lovecraft put it well long ago, in his Supernatural Horror in Literature, where he wrote that "these narratives contain some of [Blackwood's] best work, and produce an illusion at once emphatic and lasting."

This review is 100% opinion. While the mythology and legends inside are interesting, full of great characters and contain wisdom and understanding of the Celtic mindset, I felt that the storytelling itself was very poorly done. This may be a result of the translation, I haven't read another version yet to compare, or it may be a result of the writing itself. In either case, I couldn't immerse myself fully into the stories. They didn't "carry me away" as it were.

A competant enough translation, not the best or the worst that is out there. I can't say yea or nay about how Lady Charlotte Guest did with the source materials of the book, but I have to say that it's pretty entertaining.

It chronicles various tales from Wales, going back to ancient legends about heroes and gods, and then forward in time to recognizable elements such as King Arthur. Since this is a Dover thrift book (one of the pricier ones, since it's longer) the quality is so-so; the cover artwork is better than most of the thrift books, and the paper is only a little better than newpaper-quality.

In terms of readability, however, Guest's Mabinogion does not win any prizes. The translated sentences really could use a little tweaking, and often dialogue between several people is crammed together into one long paragraph. This is not only distracting, but hard to read.

Overall, it is fairly nice but needs an editor to tweak it in places. Fans of fantasy as well as mythology may want to check this out, especially if they are fans of the Prydain or Lost Years of Merlin series. For more readable Celtic myths, try Ella Young's "Celtic Wonder Tales."

Lady Charlotte Guest was one of the first to transcribe The Mabingion in 1838. I would suggest reading a more up to date version if you are a beginner to Welsh myth. If you love the stories in the Mabingion this is a great addition to your collection. The illustrations by Alan Lee are just breathtaking and fit the stories perfectly. Get the hardback edition because it does come with Lady Guest's detailed notes. I would say it was well worth the money and will be a well loved book in my collection.

This won't get you far....Unless you want to ask for a steak in the most overblown hebrew one can imagine...Try something more contemporary.

The type is so tiny in this slender volume that I can hardly see it. With a magnifying glass, the phrase book can be helpful.

gramma

This book is terrible! There are so many mistakes in this book, I don't even know where to start. The family tree is so complex, that not even the author seems to have been able to keep it straight. In addition the plot takes so many twists and turns and so many of them dead end that it is hard work keeping the story straight. And the ending is predictable. A character ("Ashely") identified as Odile's grandson on the family tree is called a great-grandson in the text. The novel describes events that take place in 1999, yet Odile's birthdate is given as 1918, when the characters are supposed to be coming together to celebrate her eighteth birthday. And when a character talks about an event in the 60's, she describes it as almost thirty years ago? Last time I checked, that should be almost forty!!! In addition Henry's son is named Harry Jr. Aren't Henry and Harry different names? How did he (Harry) get to be a Jr. I couldn't put this book down - mainly because I wanted to see what would be wrong next. These errors bothered me so much, I got up to write a review at midnight - and I've never written a review before.

Welcome to the French mansion of Odile Annesley as she approaches her 80th birthday. The artist and mother of nine children abandoned her beloved husband and eight surviving children forty years ago after the death of her favorite child. Why she left has been shrouded in mystery, but when she writes her grandchildren and invites them to come meet with her and discuss her will, old secrets come to light. The grandchildren, who are mostly estranged, begin to prepare for the trip and bond in interesting ways prior to their journey. Proving that blood ties are the strongest of all, this suspenseful tale explores their lives and brings them together as, one by one, family members begin to be killed off. Who could be performing these ghastly murders? Odile herself? The obnoxious oldest grandson who hopes to inherit all? The distant relative whom all five granddaughters have a sexual relationship with? There's lots of eerie suspense before Odile's secret and the murderer are revealed. Good fun and murder aplenty---but as mentioned by another reviewer, a bit too many Annesleys. Fortunately, Carol Smith has put the family tree at the front of the book, so be prepared to glance at it often while keeping all the brothers and sisters sorted in your mind.

The "Family Reunion" is a rather good old fashioned novel, crafted somewhat on the gothic genre: for decades Odile Annesley has had nothing to do with her family. After the death of her favourite son, Odile abandoned her family to concentrate on her art. And for all these years, no one seems to have any contact with her. Now as she approaches her eightieth birthday, she sends her remaining relatives her will. This inspires her five remaining granddaughters to plan an impromptu visit to their grandmother in order to celebrate Odile's birthday, and to heal all breaches. The gothic touch comes into play when the reader realises that someone seems to be hunting down members of the Annesley clan and killing them off one by one, and that a mysterious young man, who may or may not be an Annesley relative also seems to be stalking the granddaughters. What will Odile's grandchildren find when they reach her estate in France, and will the mad killer and menacing stalker follow them there?

I found this novel to be an interesting and enjoyable read, except for a couple of points. As with "The Neighbors", Carole Smith has peopled this novel with an assortment of characters that run the gamut from eccentric to rather obnoxious. All were quite well developed but unfortunately there just a little too many Annesleys, and I had to keep checking with the family tree to keep all the aunts and cousins and wives straight! Fortunately, about a third way through the book, a character explains all the familial relationships, so that the book was saved for me. And if it wasn't for the fact that I never warmed to the 'hero' of the piece, or that the only chracter I identified with was killed off (which probably says more about me than the quality of the book), I probably would have given the book a higher rating.

This is quite a good modern gothic novel, with just the right mix of a menacing atmosphere, peculiar and eccentric characters, and family secrets to keep the reader glued to the pages. A rather enjoyable read.

bad index...tough to find quotes...quotes are totally random...don't bother

It's just sentences without context.

If you're looking for a complete and expensive collection of Shakespeare quotes, then look somewhere else. However, if you're looking for hundreds of his most famous quotes from his plays & sonnets in an abridged 64 page format arranged by subject for only a dollar - then look here!

As the ostensibly wise Polonius so aptly put it, "Though this be madness, yet there is method in't." Also recommended: Dover's Oscar Wilde's Wit & Wisdom. I read both of them whenever I'm bored and in need some intellectual stimulation - the best two investments per dollar you can make. Get thee to a nunnery! Urr...read this first.

This was my first book I read by Gertrude Stein, and frankly, it will probably be my last. Her subject matter is bland and uninteresting. I understand her rejection of conventional prose, and she does have a unique style of writing, but I just don't like it. I can understand and appreciate why she wrote it the way she did, but it barely kept my attention. And her use of stereotypes was extremely blatant.

read the other reviews and youll be surprised by the violent reactions of people to this book. richard wright, black activist and author, praised this book as the "first true representation of an african-american in american literature" and yet another famous activist labeled it "senseless racist drivel"

What in the book provokes this controversy?

The question is complex. Though Stein in all three stories uses words like "black" and"german" as undeniable stereotypes, there is no denying that these categories get deconstructed by the narrative and the style.

If your read books for style, you cant go wrong here. Stein's experimental prose is poetry set to music, exploring all the auditory limits of the english language.

There are 3 stories, The Good Anna, Melanctha and The Gentle Lena.

The controversy is mainly about the second story. Not that the other stories dont have their issues. Eg: The Gentle Lena is probably one of the weirdest characters you will EVER see in fiction.

So, buy this book and treat yourself to some pleasure in the english language!

This is an important work of literature. The use of language to tell stories beyond what can typically be told in narrative was radical at the time. Students of early 20th Century American literature, students of gender studies, students of American studies should all be required to read it. Not an uplifting book and certainly not a book to recommend to your friends who spend more time watching TV and going to movies than reading.

There is a controversy surrounding the book's central character named Melanctha. It is unfortunate that television dominates culture in this era. It would seem that when a work of literature depicts a black person, a typical reader expects Cliff Huxtable to appear in one of his dandy sweaters to dispense advice to one of his children in DKNY clothing. Or readers of popular literature (books with bumpy covers) become offended when African American characters do not resemble one of Alice Walker's or Alex Haley's romanticized figures.

Melanctha is realistic. She is most likely a composite of many of the women with whom Stein came in contact while studying medicine in urban Baltimore. Melanctha's tragedy is that her intellect will go to waste because she is black and because she is a woman. Her sin (to some readers) seems to be that she talks like a black woman from Baltimore at that time would talk. So don't buy this book if you are offended by the way black people acted or German people acted (there is a story about German immigrants, as well) in Baltimore in the early 20th century.

If you are a fan of popular literature...Haley, Alice Walker, and the Cosby show are probably more up your alley. If you are interested in a very interesting experimental work from early 20th Century, by a woman who took her appreciation of post-impressionist art and tried to apply it to literature...this is it.

Many people would like to say that Shakespeare did not write this play. But this is hardly fair. Even with the world's finest writers such as Marlowe and Dickens, not every single thing they write can be a masterpiece. But what makes "The Two Gentleman of Verona" worth reading? Well, Shakespeare presents us with a valid theme. (Conflicts often exist between romance and friendship.) There is also beautiful language. Launce and his dog offer some interesting comedy as well as a beautiful and memorable passage in 2.3. The scene where Valentine is accepted amonst the outlaws is memorable. This is Shakespeare's first play where a woman (Julia) disuises herself as man to do some investigating. It is also easy to see that several elements of this play were used in "Romeo and Juliet." To be sure, this is not a masterpiece like "The Comedy of Errors," "Richard III," or "King Lear." But it is still an good study that is worth some interest.

Although few would claim that Two Gentlemen of Verona is one of Shakespeare's greatest plays, it is well worth reading in order to serve as a reference for the best of his romantic comedies. In essence, Two Gentlemen of Verona gives you a measuring stick to see the brilliance in the best works.

The play has the first of Shakespeare's many brave, resourceful and cross-dressing heroines, Julia.

Shakespeare always used his fools and clowns well to make serious statements about life and love, and to expose the folly of the nobles. Two Gentlemen of Verona has two very fine comic scenes featuring Launce. In one, he lists the qualities of a milk maid he has fallen in love with and helps us to see that love is blind and relative. In another, he describes the difficulties he has delivering a pet dog to Silvia on his master, Proteus', behalf in a way that will keep you merry on many a cold winter's evening.

The story also has one of the fastest plot resolutions you will ever find in a play. Blink, and the play is over. This nifty sleight of hand is Shakespeare's way of showing that when you get noble emotions and character flowing together, things go smoothly and naturally.

The overall theme of the play develops around the relative conflicts that lust, love, friendship, and forgiveness can create and overcome. Proteus is a man who seems literally crazed by his attraction to Silvia so that he loses all of his finer qualities. Yet even he can be redeemed, after almost doing a most foul act. The play is very optimistic in that way.

I particularly enjoy the plot device of having Proteus and Julia (pretending to be a page) playing in the roles of false suitors for others to serve their own interests. Fans of Othello will enjoy these foreshadowings of Iago.

The words themselves can be a bit bare at times, requiring good direction and acting to bring out the full conflict and story. For that reason, I strongly urge you to see the play performed first. If that is not possible, do listen to an audio recording as you read along. That will help round out the full atmosphere that Shakespeare was developing here.

After you finish Two Gentlemen of Verona, think about where you would honor friendship above love, where equal to love, and where below love. Is friendship less important than love? Or is friendship merely less intense? Can you experience both with the same person?

Enjoy close ties of mutual commitment . . . with all those you feel close to!

"The Two Gentlemen of Verona" is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. Maybe that's because it's one of the only one's I understand. My youth Theatre did a wonderful production of this play. I was not in it, but I saw it twice. It was set in the 60's, peasant-shirted and bell-bottomed. I think it's a wonderful story, although a bit unrealistic because of all the forgiveness that happens at the end of the play. But I think that it's a play everyone should read. This edition of the play is, I think, a very good one. If you are planning to buy a copy of "The Two Gentlemen of Verona," I would advise you to buy the most current edidtion printed by the Folger Shakespeare Library. They have lots of information in the book, and many definitions of the more difficult Elizabethian words.