I actually read this novel without knowing that it followed a previous work of Ellen Gilchrist's. However, I STILL enjoyed it immensely. Starcarbon is intellectual and interesting and moves at a quick over-lapping pace. I often fold over a small corner of a page when I read an interesting bit of prose to go back to later - page after page is dog-earred in my copy of this book. Don't be alarmed by the family tree outlined in the first few pages; it is easy enough to follow along. You'll find yourself in several heads during the course of this book - even if it gets confusing, enjoy the writing and ride it out.

This book is fabulous. This was the first book I read about her crazy, intertwined Southern clan. Once I read this, all I wanted to do was sit down and read every book she ever wrote about these people. What impressed me the most was the descriptions of the emotions people felt throughout the story. Each of her characters has a distinct and slightly zany personality. Equipped with a wide range of strong emotions, they all are pondering major life decisions throughout the book. She blends the three stories together masterfully. As I read her other books, I am impressed with how she creates an entire world that revolves around a massive network of characters who are all related by blood or situtation. In case you can't keep up, use the family tree at the front of Starcarbon.

I have just discovered how to connect onto Amazon.com and I am thrilled to be able to get (and give) so much information on READINGS! One of the first authors I looked into wasd one of my very favorites, Ellen Gilchrist. I typed in Starcarbon randomly (I have read all of her works) and was amazed to find that noone had reviewed it. Although it's been a fre years since I read it and had tro go back to my notes to refresh my memory, the enthusiasm I felt (feel) for this book is current. The story is a continuation in the vibrant and evey so interesting lives of the Hand family (We were introduced to them in earlier books). The protagonist is Olivia deHavilland Hand, a young woman, whose mother is a Cherokee Indian. Although the better part of the book deals with her dropping out of Carolina and her going back to Oklahoma (where her tribe lives) to get a better handle on who SHE is , we are reintroduced to other menbers of her family Before Rebecca West had th! e Yaya's, Ellen Gilchrist has the Hand Family. Someos its various settings are New Orleans, Boston, Charlotte - and all of them come alive, as do the wonderful Hands. I particularly appreciated the family chart in the front of this book so that I could connect to the family faster when new books come out. Anyone wanting a sample of Gilchrist's should try her short stories in IN THE LAND OF DREAMY DREAMS. Y'all enjoy!

a good read, but can be confusing for kids. It takes a while to comprehend all of the Shakespearian langauge, but is very interesting. It is boring at parts.

The Winter's Tale is a lot of things: heart-breaking, exhilerating, funny, beautiful, romantic, profound, etc. Yeah, it's all here. This is one of the bard's best plays, and I can't believe they don't teach this in schools. Of course, the ones they teach are excellent, but I can see high school kids enjoying this one a lot more than some of those others (Othello, King Lear).

The story is, of course, brilliant. King Leontes goes into a jealous rage at the beginning against his wife Hermione. Leontes is very mistaken in his actions, and the result is tragic. Shakespeare picks the story back up sixteen years later with the children, and the story works to a really, really surprising end of bittersweet redemption.

This is one of Shakespeare's bests. The first half is a penetrating and devestating, but the second half shows a capacity for salvation from the depths of despair. Also, this being Shakespeare, the blank verse is gorgeous and the characters are well drawn, and the ending is a surprise unparalleled in the rest of his plays. The Winter's Tale is a truly profound and entertaining read.

The Winter's Tale contains some of the most technically difficult solutions to telling a story that have ever appeared in a play. If you think you know all about how a play must be constructed, read The Winter's Tale. It will greatly expand your mind.

The play opens near the end of a long visit by Polixenes, the king of Bohemia, to the court of his childhood friend, Leontes, the king of Sicily. Leontes wants his friend to stay one more day. His friend declines. Leontes prevails upon his wife, Hermione, to persuade Polixenes. Hermione does her husband's bidding, having been silent before then. Rather than be pleased that she has succeeded, Leontes goes into a jealous rage in which he doubts her faithfulness. As his jealousy grows, he takes actions to defend his misconceptions of his "abused" honor that in fact abuse all those who have loved him. Unable to control himself, Leontes continues to pursue his folly even when evidence grows that he is wrong. To his great regret, these impulsive acts cost him dearly.

Three particular aspects of the play deserve special mention. The first is the way that Shakespeare ties together actions set 16 years apart in time. Although that sounds like crossing the Grand Canyon in a motorcycle jump, Shakespeare pulls off the jump rather well so that it is not so big a leap. The second is that Shakespeare captures entirely different moods from hilarious good humor to deep depression and remorse closely adjacent to one another. As a result, the audience is able to experience many more emotions than normally are evoked in a single play. Third, the play's final scene is as remarkable a bit of writing as you can imagine. Read it, and marvel!

After you finish reading this play, think about where your own loss of temper has had bad consequences. How can you give yourself time to get under control before acting rashly? How can you learn to be more open to positive interpretations of events, rather than dark and disturbing ones?

Love first, second, and always!

I was enjoying this book a lot--Gilchrist is a fine writer--and then suddenly, in the chapter titled "On the Problem of Turbulence" (pages 52-83 in the hardcover edition) the author launches into a session of gratuitous bashing of Arabs and Moslems. I am a trained reader, and I reread this section several times looking for irony or some other reason for this, to me, offensive section, and I could find no explanation for it. It ruined the book for me. I wonder what the author was thinking?

In "The Courts of Love", Ms. Gilchrist transports us to a world where beauty, love and knowledge are the guiding tenets of existence. The characters throughout the stories are whacky to the max, but insanely likable for just this reason--they marvel at the wonder and beauty that life offers, clumsily reach for meaningful connections with others, and seek answers to life's larger questions.

The writing flows and characters emerge full-blown, their emotions so finely and wisely explored that you just want to sit down with Ms. Gilchrist and have a good talk; you know she knows a lot.

I've been a big fan of Ms. Gilchrist since I read, "Drunk With Love" in college more than 10 years ago and have devoured nearly every one of her novels and collections of short stories(some not as perfect as this)since. I'd love to get as many of you out there hooked on her work as possible; it's literature at it's best--transforming!

I am always searching for a new "find" - authors-wise - and Gilchrist is it! I love her clear writing style. I feel like I am the other half of a conversation with her - with funny remarks like "The rest is private" when she is describing an intimate moment between two characters. Her stories are "by the way" stories that stay with you after you put the book away. I can't wait to read more of her stuff.

Silly me, I thought this book might be a how to on building clock works. Instead I got a very nice book with beautiful pictures of common refuse with a hole poked in it and a battery operated quartz clock movement bolted in. If you lack creativity, this book is a good source of ideas but, if your looking for a more horologically centered book, you can pass on this one.

I've been searching for a book that would give me a basic understanding of clock making without all the complicated instructions found in most. This one is highly illustrated and a great book to look at even if you don't make anything. The designs are unique and I'm glad I bought it. Isabow

This is an absolutely fabulous book. I love clocks and wanted to make some. I had one idea that I had been working with, but this book has FORTY. Instructions are clear, materials lists are clear, photography is gorgeous and inspirational. All the clocks look really different (definitely not just variations on a theme). Some projects require an actual clock while some need only a movement. There are clocks for every taste, from folksy to funky. They work with everything from found objects to cardboard to polymer clay. There are galleries of photos for added inspiration as well as histories, factoids and amusing lists. I will definitely be doing many of these projects.

Gilchrist is a good, frustrating writer. She has a sharp eye for detail and a keen ear for dialogue, but sometimes she has a dull mind for constructing plots. "The Cabal" begins with a sensational hook that would drag in the most jaded reader; then it rambles along in a droll manner, and finally collapses in a bog of pink cotton candy. The lead character (Julia Roberts) is sassy and amusing. Her gay best friend (Rupert Everett) is tart and amusing. The wacko shrink (Kevin Spacey) is undeveloped and unamusing. The fairy tale ending might satisfy a lot of readers; it struck me as a trite disappointment. Rather than confront the dramatic tensions of her initial premise, Gilchrist casually tossed away her plot, choosing to smooth the hair of her little darling and put a pretty bow on top of its now pointy head. Instead of feeling warm and fuzzy, I was left cold and grumpy. Feh! And again I say: Feh! Did you hear me? Feh!

I liked this book (which I listened to on audiotape) a lot but agree with the reviewer who complained about the ending. Overall, the writing is wonderful, the characterizations sharp, the intermingling of many stories effective. BUT, at the end you are still left wondering about motivations, particularly of the central character. Though things were tied up neatly, I at least was left somewhat unsatisfied. It won't stop me from reading her other books though.

What do you do when the town psychiatrist , the one man you and many other of the town's elite, have trusted with you deepest darkest serets ...suddenly shows signs of going off the deep end? You gather at the funeral of the town's great lady and conspire. You watch as the family of the deceased wait to divide the spoils and you pray that Dr. Jim Jaspers doesn't open his mouth about you. This novella and collection of short stories center on a tight knit community that revolves around the local theatre and university. Almost all may have something to hide. The death of a leading townsperson and the turmoil that ensues is perfect backdrop for the unwinding of Dr. Jasperson's mind. There is enough deciet and truthfinding to go around. This is southern storytelling at it's best

Every dieter can be sure of one thing, each diet book that comes out promises to be THE book, that changes your life for ever. Well, all of those books are gathering dust on my lengthy diet book shelf--THE book that changed my life, forever is "Neanderthin."

The premise is simple, eat like your ancestors, get trim and strong and never go hungry. By ancestors, I'm speaking way back, about our Paleolithic forebears. In case you're foggy on this topic, these were the hunter-gatherer people. The diet is somewhat akin to Dr. Atkins' but you don't go into ketosis. "Neanderthin" touts natural whole food, preferably organic. Nuts and seeds; berries and other fruits; veggies, olive & flaxseed oil, plenty of water and a ton of meat round out the offerings. The author encourages folks to reach out of the ordinary supermarket meats, to try ostrich, buffalo, venison and a variety of eggs.

Like one of the other reviewers I lost a lot, quickly--12 pounds in the first week. Naturally, the weight has slowed yet it continues each week. I have no intentions of ever going back to a carb-based diet. I've curbed the sugar demons and wheat bloat that I use to suffer from. This diet is a sweet ticket to freedom for all of the sugar and carb addicts out there!

I took off 1 star because I've been able to work the diet, which is based on a low glycemic index, to include safe grains and a tiny bit of diary without slowing my weight-loss or increasing cravings. Most people will also probably end up trying to add a smidgen of each but will not suffer ill effects.

I became interested in the Paleolithic Diet after starting Atkins. I lost weight quickly and easily by cutting carbohydrates. There really was something to this low-carb stuff!

I began reading other diet books like Protein Power and scoured the Internet. There were a lot of online references to something called the Paleolithic Diet. One book was mentioned time and time again, Neanderthin, by Ray Audette.

I got ahold of the new edition and became a convert. The book tells that while our diet has changed since the advent of agriculture, our genes have not had time to adapt. We still have the old hunter-gatherer DNA. The grains, refined sugars and carbohydrates in our diet today are making us sick. Our bodies can't handle this new stuff.

The book tells you what foods to eat and what to avoid. Well written with an extensive bibliography.

Very highly recommended. The book has changed my life.

Bob Hodgen

I received the NeanderThin book the other day and have spent all my free moments reading it. WONDERFUL! It makes sense to me and seems sensible and "on target". I have struggled to lose a bit of weight (5-10lbs not much) for years since the last child. I have began to eat the paleolithic way and it has made me feel less tired and has kept me full! If I get hungry I grab my walnuts or seeds or berries or even eat a plain hamburger to satisfy myself. I am dedicated to attempting to practice this. I was concerned about calcium at my age but am taking a 1500 mg supplement and if I eat the green leafy veggies I should I also get calcium. This is so natural, makes sense and is perfect for me. I liked the "history" in the book too. I checked out paleolithic eating online and found alot of interesting info and nothing to determine it is "unsafe" nor "unhealthy". I am recommending this way of eating to others. I like the way the book is put together because he doesn't call it a "DIET" and its not geared only toward losing weight, its about eating healthier and more natural. We are a spoiled society with all of our preservatives. If Dr.'s recommend to eat this way, they would lose business no wonder they don't! They want their salaries too. More Dr.'s should recommend this healthy way.

Othello is by without a doubt my favorite of the plethora of Shakespeare's tragedies. Although Othello himself is quite an intricate character, it was funny and almost ironic how the character that grabbed my observance the most was the villain Iago. Iago, being perhaps Shakespeare's most consummate villain, directly or indirectly seemed to control the minds and hearts of almost everyone he interacted with. Bravery, loyalty, ambition, honesty, and chivalry are all issues addressed within the play, and when combined with a great deal of power struggles, they can create an intense whirlwind of emotions and confusion running high. Othello, even being a powerful and bold general, is easily deceived by Iago as well as are many of the other characters who soon come to find out what it means to be struck by Iago's wrath. All of these things considered, one can easily find themselves engulfed with all sorts of emotions, and be filled with empathy and rage toward the diverse array of characters, maybe even find a little piece of themselves in each one of them. The play can be compared to many of Shakespeare's plays, both comedy and tragedy, in different ways. If you enjoyed the plot of Much Ado About Nothing, or Romeo and Juliet, then you can not go wrong by reading this play. Also, if you like strong women roles and always find yourself identifying easily with those characters in Shakespeare's plays, one of the female characters in Othello, Emelia will be quite a delight. For me, by the last page and last quote of this play, I was literally holding back the tears, and that impact is no exaggeration. If you have yet to read Othello, don't wait another second. Go right now to the nearest bookshelf, dust it off and I promise the pages will just seem to simply turn themselves. Enjoy!

Despite his Machiavellian and snakelike nature, Iago strangely and inexplicably endears himself as the most likeable villain in all of Shakespeare. It can be argued that Iago was unduly wronged in that the noble & educated, yet untested Cassio achieved the promotion of lieutenant over the common & uneducated, yet more battle-proven Iago. Iago also asserts that his blunt and disrespectful wife Emilia has slept around and made a cuckold of him with Othello. Although there is no proof as to the latter charge, Iago is nothing short of the embodiment of a veritable myriad of rage, fury, jealousy, and a relentless and all-encompassing passion for vengeance on The Moor.

Upon reading Othello the first time, I found myself empathizing with the honorable, yet naive General Othello, and even moreso with the innocent and untainted Desdemona, whom Othello "loved not wisely, but too well." After reading Othello the 3rd time, I've come to a greater appreciation for the convoluted and diablolical genius that is Iago - and how masterfully Shakespeare constructed this great character and the storyline of Othello with so fewer characters than is typical of his other great plays. It is with fewer characters that the ingenuity of Shakespeare is allowed to shine. With the likes of Iago, The Bard is able to achieve as great and superior characterization in Othello as in any of his other masterpieces. While he may be the last guy on the block you might invite to dinner, you would be a knave to deny the incomparable surreptitious cunning and genius of Iago nonetheless. As far as the many Othello movies go, I must state that Kenneth Branagh is absolutely masterful and convincing as the sinister Iago. I wholeheartedly recommend Othello to any and all readers who have a flair for both wisdom and entertainment achieved as one.

As a play, "Othello" encompasses many things but more than anything else it is a study of pure evil. Although Othello is an accomplished professional soldier and a hero of sorts, he is also a minority and an outcast in many ways. As a Black man and a Moor (which means he's a Moslem), Othello has at least two qualities, which make him stand out in the Elizabethan world. He is also married to a Caucasian woman named Desdemona, which creates an undercurrent of hostility as evidenced by the derogatory remark "the ram hath topped the ewe".

Othello's problems begin when he promotes one of his soldiers, Michael Cassio as his lieutenant. This arouses the jealousy and hatred of one of his other soldiers, Iago who hatches a plot to destroy Othello and Michael Cassio. When Cassio injures an opponent in a fight he is rebuked, punished, and subsequently ignored by Othello who must discipline him and teach him a lesson. Iago convinces Desdemona to intervene on Cassio's behalf and then begins to convince Othello that Desdemona is in love with Cassio.

This is actually one of the most difficult Shakespeare plays to watch because the audience sees the plot begin to unfold and is tormented by Othello's gradual decent into Iago's trap. As with other Shakespeare plays, the critical components of this one are revealed by language. When Othello is eventually convinced of Cassio's treachery, he condemns him and promotes Iago in his place. When Othello tells Iago that he has made him his lieutenant, Iago responds with the chilling line, "I am thine forever". To Othello this is a simple affirmation of loyalty, but to the audience, this phrase contains a double meaning. With these words, Iago indicates that the promotion does not provide him with sufficient satisfaction and that he will continue to torment and destroy Othello. It is his murderous intentions, not his loyal service that will be with Othello forever.

Iago's promotion provides him with closer proximity to Othello and provides him with more of his victim's trust. From here Iago is easily able to persuade Othello of Desdemona's purported infidelity. Soon Othello begins to confront Desdemona who naturally protests her innocence. In another revealing statement, Othello demands that Desdemona give him "the ocular proof". Like Iago's earlier statement, this one contains a double meaning that is not apparent to the recipient but that is very clear to the audience who understands the true origin of Othello's jealousy. Othello's jealousy is an invisible enemy and it is also based on events that never took place. How can Desdemona give Othello visual evidence of her innocence if her guilt is predicated on accusations that have no true shape or form? She can't. Othello is asking Desdemona to do the impossible, which means that her subsequent murder is only a matter of course.

I know that to a lot of young people this play must seem dreadfully boring and meaningless. One thing you can keep in mind is that the audience in Shakespeare's time did not have the benefit of cool things such as movies, and videos. The downside of this is that Shakespeare's plays are not visually stimulating to an audience accustomed to today's entertainment media. But the upside is that since Shakespeare had to tell a complex story with simple tools, he relied heavily on an imaginative use of language and symbols. Think of what it meant to an all White audience in a very prejudiced time to have a Black man at the center of a play. That character really stood out-almost like an island. He was vulnerable and exposed to attitudes that he could not perceive directly but which he must have sensed in some way.

Shakespeare set this play in two locations, Italy and Cypress. To an Elizabethan audience, Italy represented an exotic place that was the crossroads of many different civilizations. It was the one place where a Black man could conceivably hold a position of authority. Remember that Othello is a mercenary leader. He doesn't command a standing army and doesn't belong to any country. He is referred to as "the Moor" which means he could be from any part of the Arab world from Southern Spain to Indonesia. He has no institutional or national identity but is almost referred to as a phenomenon. (For all the criticism he has received in this department, Shakespeare was extrordinarlily attuned to racism and in this sense he was well ahead of his time.) Othello's subsequent commission as the Military Governor of Cypress dispatches him to an even more remote and isolated location. The man who stands out like an island is sent to an island. His exposure and vulnerability are doubled just as a jealous and murderous psychopath decides to destroy him.

Iago is probably the only one of Shakespeare's villains who is evil in a clinical sense rather than a human one. In Kind Lear, Edmund the bastard hatches a murderous plot out of jealousy that is similar to Iago's. But unlike Iago, he expresses remorse and attempts some form of restitution at the end of the play. In the Histories, characters like Richard III behave in a murderous fashion, but within the extreme, political environment in which they operate, we can understand their motives even if we don't agree with them. Iago, however, is a different animal. His motives are understandable up to the point in which he destroys Michael Cassio but then they spin off into an inexplicable orbit of their own. Some have suggested that Iago is sexually attracted to Othello, which (if its true) adds another meaning to the phrase "I am thine forever". But even if we buy the argument that Iago is a murderous homosexual, this still doesn't explain why he must destroy Othello. Oscar Wilde once wrote very beautifully of the destructive impact a person can willfully or unwittingly have on a lover ("for each man kills the things he loves") but this is not born out in the play. Instead, Shakespeare introduces us to a new literary character-a person motivated by inexplicable evil that is an entity in itself. One of the great ironies of this play is that Othello is a character of tragically visible proportions while Iago is one with lethally invisible ones.

...but thats about it. I agree with previous reviews. As a veteran of Gingerbread I have been making houses for several years. I bought this book primarily for the pictures, which was pretty much all I got. This book is for experts in gingerbread to provide inspiration and new ingredient ideas. Those looking for a place to start should look elsewhere.

I always loved making gingerbread houses, but I wasn't all that good at it, and someone else always assembled the house. This book inspired me to try building my first house on my own. I can't wait to try out all the decorating ideas. I think this book is really good for beginners, like myself. I love how it gives you instructions, tips, and pictures to help you make your own. If you have any interest in gigerbread houses whatsoever, I strongly advise you to read it. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are clear, and it will have you hooked on gingerbread houses.

I had always wanted to make a gingerbread house but was afraid to try it. I do many different types of crafts but none where the item is made of just food. That seemed too daunting for me.
But when I recieved my copy of "Making Great Gingerbread Houses" my fears left. I read the whole book ( the side "tips" helped allot ) and proceeded to make my first Gingerbread House.
The photos and directions for asembling their "Basic House" were simple and made the process basicly mistake proof for me.
Their ideas for decorating along with photos of completed houses with differnt ideas for this helped me to realize that sometimes less is NOT more....at least when making gingerbread houses.
Even some of the more complicated houses became a possible future house for me to make once I read all of the information that they supplied with the photos.
With their information on " form real life to gingerbread" and their templates I understand the basics of gingerbread houses.

Inns, cottages,chaples,castles,villages and even a riverboat, you are only limited to your imagination.
And....the dough recipe makes for GREAT cookies.
I would recoment this book to nayone that wants to learn the ins and outs of gingerbread houses.

As a professional crafter I found no new ideas here. The money card is neat but I already knew how to make it(might be worth the price of the book). The only other card I liked was the heart one on the cover and the fresh sprigs of evergreen glued in a circle to make a wreath(not a new idea).There is one birthday card with 3 balloons and 2 Christmas cards(I just mentioned one of them).I thought the cards were not attractive, and my 16 year old daughter agreed. Unfortunately I listened to the other reviews when I bought this book. I personally love Sandi Genovese book "Creative Greeting Cards" which never fails to inspire me. Although Sandi's ideas use mostly die cuts,which can be expensive or tedious to cut yourself, there are plenty of unique ideas to adapt using stickers,stencils, rubber stamps or photos instead.

After receiving this book, I immediately read it cover to cover and was so inspired that I began making my own cards that very night!

It's a beautiful, well-written, well-illustrated, "meaty" kind of book that offers some truly unique and attractive ideas. There's no fluff here, just creative designs with lots of possible applications...something interesting on every page.

I'm so pleased. The book is full of wonderful photos, instructions, ideas and patterns. The patterns are small so you'd have to enlarge, but I still love it. I'm new to stamping and card making and this looks like a lot of fun.

This play can be read as anti-semitic. In fact, it's pretty hard to defend it from such charges. Shylock is a pretty rotten character and the fact that he is jewish is difficult to overlook (particularly since the other characters mention it on pretty much EVERY page). However, I think it is important to mention that the "heroes" of this play do not necessarily have to be interpreted as heroes. They are by no means perfect and there are many subtle (and some not-so-subtle) instances within the text in which their biases against ANYONE unlike them is illustrated. If one reads the play this way, then Shylock becomes more of a tragic figure rather than an absolutely heartless villain. I don't know. My feelings about this are mixed. There are a few funny parts of this play and the language is, as always, beautiful. The theme of putting a price on human beings is one which has been explored numerous times since. Overall, it is enjoyable, but perhaps not so much so as some of the other comedies. Do not read this play without having read a few others by Shakespeare first. It is an excellent play, but not his best and not his most enjoyable either.

After reading most of the other reviews here, I am fully aware that most of the reviewers didn't read carefully enough (or watch carefully enough if they saw the play.) Now, I'm not saying its not open for different interpretations, but there is one thing I would really like to get straight.

I read MoV for a Bar Mitzvah project on Anti-Semitism. Naturally, my sympathies went to Shylock. However, even if i were Christian, i still would've favored Shylock. What many people believe is that Shylock is a cold hearted ruthless person and only wanted to get back at Antonio because Antonio was a Christian.

Not true. Shylock specifically says something along the lines off, "Why should I lend money to you? You spit on me, and call me a Jewish dog!" I'm not saying that Shylock was a good guy, but I am saying that he is not the villain.

In fact, the "Merchant of Venice," in this story is actually Shylock, not Antonio, contrary to popular belief. My thoughts on the story was that Shylock requested a pound of Antonio's flesh because he did not trust Antonio. Who would trust someone that spat on him? The fact is, Antonio doesn't pay him back in the end.

Now, there's always something else we have to put into consideration. Would the judge had given the "spill one ounce of Christian blood" verdict at the end if Shylock were not a Jew?

This is the mark of a great play. A play that really gets you thinking. But I encourage you, I beg of you, that when you read it or see it, please do not hold Shylock up to being a cold hearted villain. Hold Antonio up to that image. (joking, of course, Antonio's not a bad guy, he's just not a good guy.)

This is a wonderful play - and unless you have seen it or read it you don't know it at all. That's because everything the popular culture tells us about this play is false (for example; how many of you think this play is about a merchant named Shylock? ;-)

The Merchant of Venice is a lively and happy morality tale. Good triumphs over bad - charity over greed - love over hate.
There is fine comedy. Portia is one of Shakespeare's greatest women (and he ennobled women more than any playwright in history). There are moments of empathy and pain with all the major characters. There is great humanity and earthiness in this play. These things are what elevate Shakespeare over any other playwright in English history.

Plays should be seen - not read. I recommend you see this play (if you can find a theater with the courage and skill to do it). But if it is not playing in your area this season - buy the book and read it.