I found the book useful, though there is no substitute for reading the books. For those who have already read the Chronicles it gives some interesting facts. I have loved the Chronicles from an early age and I would hope that the Companion to Narnia is useful to all friends of Narnia.

If you think that the Chronicles of Narnia ought to be required reading for children, then the Companion to Narnia ought to be required reading for us adults that fell in love with Narnia as children. Yes, I'm sure that if you had to write a paper or do a report on any of the Chronicles for school, this book would be invaluable. But the fact is, it goes far beyond that to a much broader audience...

C.S. Lewis's Chronicles represent some of the finest high-Fantasy novels ever written, period. But for most of us, at least at the first reading, this is all they were. As we grow older, and read the Chronicles again and again, we begin to discover more of the meaning behind the writing; this book guides you further along that path of discovery. It is well-organized and very thorough; I have had little difficulty finding any of the references I wanted to explore.

If you want a person to love the Chronicles, buy the series for them when they are a child. If you want them to appreciate it the way you do, buy them the Companion when they grow a bit older...

corpus-callosum's [Amazon.com] review mentions "At the end of the articles, Ford has placed in parentheses an abbreviated reference to the specific book and page number that coincides with the topic being discussed. "

There are two numbers separated by a comma- the first is the tradepaperback/hardback HaperCollins or Harper Trophy page number, the second (after the comma) is for the Harper Trophy rack sized (mass market) paperback editions.

Examples from the Companion book listings to check pagination of the Narnia editions you have to see if they match up on the correct page:

Lion Witch Wardrobe: Hosea 11:10 "at the sound of his roar" 79,85
Prince Caspian:Isaiah 9:1"the people that lived in hiding" 72,75
Dawn Treader: Isaiah 6:6 "a little live coal" 207,224
Silver Chair: Psalms103:9 "I will not always be scolding" 236,250
Horse & His Boy: Daniel 4:24 "not a donkey!" 219,235
Magician's Nephew: Job 38:7 "stars themselves singing" 107,117
Last Battle: Deut.33:27 "between the paws of the true Aslan" 121, 134

I have the trade paperback Harper Trophy "full-color collector's edition of Narnia, boxed set ISBN: 0064409392 and the first number of the two (the one before the comma) matches perfectly in all the Narnia books.

If you're like me, the idea of reading another "how-to-write" book is about as appealing as a stalk of celery for dinner. Clive Matson, however, seems determined the break down the walls of the mundane, beginning with his title and its intrinsic concept: that learning how to work with the "crazy child" that we also call "the muse," "the creative self" and other names is the secret to invigorating writing.

He continues the wall-breaking by doing what so many others do not: providing lively images to fix his concepts in our heads. His early rebuttal to the old saw, "You can't imagine a three-legged dog running" provides an essential understanding about the way the reader's mind applies immediate images to our details. "But as soon as you read that sentence, your nervous system contradicts it," he writes. "You do see that three-legged dog. And it's running. The dog is ridiculous, clumsy, endearing, inspiring, or even oddly graceful."

Another intriguing image comes from the side of the writer, this of how words pour like liquid through a person's body during the process of creating:

"One writer gets taken over by a peculiar sensation of color, and then she finds the words in her belly. Another feels the words slide up his spine, and he thinks it's as ordinary as bread and apples. These are unusual, but your way might be unusual too. Words probably have as many ways of creating themselves in the body as there are people in the world."

This provision of imagery is what sets Matson's book apart from so many others. Rather than simply providing instructions, he applies the poetic side of his talent to provide hundreds of tunnelways into the "crazy child" we are all pursuing. It's a fine read, and one which can't fail but enrich your writing life.

I write every day, and I've read all the books about writing-- Lamont, Glen Frey, Syd Feild, Linda Seger, John Gardner, etc.-- and this book is by far the best. In fact, if you get this book, you don't need any other, because this one says what all the other say, and better, and then says a lot more. It's changed the way I write, it's made me comfortable with my creativity, and there's so much wisdom and humor it makes learning fun. I keep it by my computer as I write and reference it daily. If the muse isn't speaking, I read a page of Clive Matson's book and get an idea. Guaranteed to incinerate your writer's block.

This book simply helped me access the part of my mind that does not edit out all the good stuff that comes naturally to mind. It is a positive approach to writing and encouraged me to stick at it and write, write, write. I recommed it to anyone who wants to tell a story using words.

All dialogs and many pictures of the movie are in this book. Pictures are dependent on the dialog contents. Besides, there are the scenes cut before the film release for shortening the original length of the film (and interviews with director and the actors). If you like the film very much, and would like to see it again and again- and may have trouble in listening English as a foreigner like me -; this is a good source to put it near its DVD version into your library.

I enjoyed the movie greatly, but it was reading the script which really made me appreciate the sheer genius behind it all. Kudos to Richard Curtis! It is amazing how much he manages to get into a scene - everything WORKS, to tug at the heart strings or strike the funny bone.

The script reveals a few of the artistic choices that had to be made in the process of creating the script and the movie; however, this is a very polished end product - definately a last draft (with a few choice bits of scenes that did not make the cut at the end) and perfectly co-ordinated with film stills and photographs, all on luxurious glossy paper.

However, it is amazing how, having watched the film and knowing the charactrers, it is possible to visualise scenes in your head while reading the script - an especial plus for the left out scenes. I am now dying to compare my imagination with the director's cut, which I have been told might be available on the DVD version.

I saw the preview of the movie a few weeks ago, and when I saw this on the shelf of my local bookstore, I just had to have it. The quality of this book is excellent for the price you pay. This edition is similar to the Four Weddings and a Funeral screenplay published a few years ago by Corgi Books (unfortunately no longer available - not to be confused with the lower quality St. Martin edition) printed on high quality paper. The full colour photographs bring the script to life as you read it. If you enjoyed the film, BUY THIS BOOK!

H.R. Giger's work has, in my opinion, the distinction of being the most disturbing art embraced by the public since that of Hieronymous Bosch. Here is a great introduction (if you don't mind the price tag) to the work of such an artist.

This book is not for the young or the easily disturbed. The world of Giger is quite intentionally the world of nightmares, with Freudian symbolism, decay, and perverse sexuality abounding. But there is also a beauty behind it all, in the metallic shine of his futuristic nymphs or the strange landscapes of endless babies' faces which make us realize the strangeness inherent in the everyday. Instead of using art to try and transcend reality, Giger pulls us down into the darkest parts of what we see around us, and refuses to let us go. In this way he shows us that perhaps that darkness is not so terrifying as it may seem, and he accustoms us to facing that in ourselves. Not only is such confrontation healthy, it may very well be essential, and Giger is a skilled tour guide when it comes to areas of the mind and psyche that not many artists have dared to explore.

The second Necronomicon volume is a worthy companion to this one, but if you must have only one Giger book this is the one I recommend. Use this book to take yourself into hell...and then realize that you can come back out again.

H.R. Giger's "Necromicon" is an amazing collection of his work. It contains most of his well known works such as "Li II" and "The Birthmachine." This book really gives you a feel for his work; it contains all of his common themes, "characters," and styles. If you are a fan, this is a must have. I totes a heavy price, but it's well worth it. Be advised, his work is not for the faint of heart; it's dark, it's scary, and if you're religious, it's offensive, but most of all, it's amazing. ... No one will beat Amazon's price, even with shipping included.

After having seen some of Giger's work in Alien and some other more well know work I decided to buy Biomechanics. It was very good, but the Necronomicon is THE pilot book for all the rest of his works. It contains his most outstanding work as far as weird and the macabe go. A tour de force of his strange mind. A wonderous collection of strange and terrible images masterfully done. It is quite disturbing to look at but wonderfully fascinating at the same time. I guarantee if you buy this book you will not be able to put in down until you have read all the notes and seen every last picture, it's that good.

If the first Sandman collection, Preludes and Nocturnes drew you into the world of dreams with its wonderful characters, and unconventional storytelling, then The Doll's House is your first of many rewards for sticking with the series. While the first book was mainly composed of plot and character introduction, The Doll's House gets to jump right into a very intriguing and complex story that is as original as it is satisfying. Filled with creepy and colorful new acquaintances, including members of Morpheus' endless family, this second volume proves more interesting than its predecessor.

The reason I give this four stars is because there are better books in the series, and though more immersive than Preludes and Nocturnes, it still only scratches the surface of the dazzling work of fiction that is Neil Gaiman's Sandman. In every way provocative and entertaining, The Doll's House will likely spur you on to continue devouring this dark fantasy epic.

In the second Sandman collection, the reader starts to realize that Gaiman has some long range plans for this series. The tale of Rose Walker, the dream vortex who must be killed to save The Dreaming, is a complex one. The Doll House introduces the reader to many of the characters who would have a major effect on Gaiman's plans for the series. Particularly excellent is the tale of Hob Gadling, who becomes Dream's friend when he becomes the man "Death will not touch." Their meetings each century are little history lessons so well executed they make you wish for more. The "Cereal" convention, with special guest lecturer the Corinthian, is a scary look at the fascination with serial killers and the final twist involving Desire gives the reader some insight into the relationship of Dream with his siblings. This book really shows what a truly original creation The Sandman is.

THE DOLL'S HOUSE is the arc that Gaiman himself says is where he realised what he wanted to do with the characters and where he wanted to go with the SANDMAN story. This edition begins with two stories that both stand apart from the rest of the series, but that also both have significant influence on THE DOLL'S HOUSE storyline and beyond. The first, "The Sound of Her Wings" introduces Dream's big sister in a profound and moving tale about the value of spending a day with Death as she goes about her business sending people to their next life. The next tale introduces Nada, Dream's doomed mortal love, who will play a significant part in a later arc, SEASONS OF MISTS. Then, THE DOLL'S HOUSE begins, a tale involving escaped dreams and nightmares, a human vortex and her granmother who had spent the bulk of her life asleep (see the previous PRELUDES AND NOCTURNS), and Dream's quest to prevent the dissolution of his kingdom. What makes Gaiman's writing so unique is that not only does he reject the comic book obligatory of big fist-fights to SAVE THE WORLD (and all that), but that Dream is not even the central character in these stories. Instead, Rose Walker is. It is she, not Dream, who is threatened and who goes on the emotional roller-coaster and it is to find out what happens to her that the reader keeps reading. In fact, Dream - the "hero" of this title - at what point nearly kills her to save his kingdom! Magnificent writing, magical artistry, this story is an absolute must. Buy it. Buy several. It makes a great gift.

As an avid reader of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, I have never had a book get me "high" to the point where I felt I could leap from a mountain and soar forever. Mr. Barker attains a level of imagination King wishes he had; fleshing out rich, complex characters that remain with you long after you read the last sentence. The story, at its core deals with love, war, lost identities, and a quest for harmony. Tolkien and Donaldson readers would be missing the reading experience of their life were they not to enter Barker's world

The day I found Imajica on the shelves, I was intrigued by the wonderful cover, and having already read a wonderful Clive Barker novel (The Thief of Always) I picked up a copy of Book 1. I have to admit I was confused at first, it really threw me, but once I climbed into this surreal world. I loved every minute of this breath-taking epic, enticed by the lurid boundary-breaking love scenes, saddened by the tales of woe and even heart-poundingly excited by everything this has to offer. I have to admit that Clive Barker isn't that high on my favorite authors list, but this masterpiece will always be re-read and passed on through every generation of my family from now on. The bible can't even hold it's own versus Imajica. -Starman

If I have missed any of Clive barkers books then I have missed much. I love the involved intricacy of his writing. I find myself repeating passages to make sure I have understood the complications and intentions before proceeding. Time with any book by Clive Barker is time well spent , in particular the two Imaja volumes. Try "Weaveworld". truly fascinating.

In this work, Peter Kreeft portrays a meeting of C.S. Lewis, John F. Kennedy and Aldous Huxley in the afterlife (all three died on November 22, l963). C.S. Lewis engages first Kennedy and then Huxley in a debate on the divinity of Christ. The conversation goes on for 114 pages with C.S. Lewis clearly making his points -- that Christ was either divine or a charlatan or insane. Lewis goes on to debunk any possibility of Christ being a charlatan or insane, ergo Christ is God. Kreeft has wonderful ideas and constructs nice logical proofs. However, I was expecting something deeper than an argument that could be summarized in two sentences.

My strongest criticism of this book is that it completely misses the point where the real-life Lewis's teachings overlap with those of the real-life Huxley: that the one true God is no respecter of persons and that God is equally accessible to all, regardless of culture, upbringing or background. Both men taught that all of mankind comes to God on equal footing; that no religion, culture or class of men has an advantage over the others. At one point in BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL, Kreeft's Lewis actually shoots down arguments that the real-life Lewis propounded.

I felt that Kreeft glossed over some of the greatest religious controversies faced by modern man. In doing so, Kreeft unwittingly undercut the points he was trying to make. I'm turning back to my studies of C.S. Lewis and Aldous Huxley. I strongly recommend Lewis's MERE CHRISTIANITY (upon which Kreeft based his Lewis arguments) and a collection of 28 essays by Huxley called HUXLEY AND GOD. By the way, Kreeft's Kennedy has very little to offer either intellectually or where matters of faith are concerned in this book.

One final note: the last page and a half of this book is stunning in its beauty and truth. Kreeft's epilogue is also worth reading.

John F. Kennedy, C. S. Lewis, and Aldous Huxley all died on November 22, 1963. What if they all met after death, somewhere between heaven and hell? That's the premise of this engaging and intriguing book by philosophy professor Peter Kreeft.

Written in the form of a Socratic dialogue, Kreeft's book casts Lewis as a Christian theist, Kennedy as a modern humanist and Huxley as an Eastern pantheist. The three interact and challenge one another's worldviews, examining and testing each other's beliefs to see what is true about life after death and the meaning of life.

This book is ideal to read with a few other friends, be they believers, skeptics or seekers. It will provide lively discussion and ample food for thought.

Between Heaven & Hell has a subtitle which reads, "A Dialog Somewhere Beyond Death with John F. Kennedy, C.S. Lewis & Aldous Huxley". Yes, this is a fictional trialog in "limbo" of the most important question in human history - Who is Jesus Christ? Many people are unaware that JFK, Lewis and Huxley all died within hours of each other on November 22, 1963. It seems the assassination of President Kennedy from either the grassy knoll or from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository somehow managed to overshadow the deaths of the other two men. Go figure!

Much of the fictional discussion between these three characters revolves around their own writings although Kreeft employs a bit of literary license for the sake of argument. The fact that Kreeft is a Catholic doesn't affect the content of this book since the argument is essentially Lewis' straight, or "mere" Christianity. The position of JFK is that of a humanistic Christian in the sense of emphasizing "horizontal" social activity rather than "vertical" religious experience...religion without revelation. Kennedy portrays his view of Christ as that of a man become god. Huxley doesn't get the air time that Lewis and JFK get, but his contribution is significant. He represents the eastern pantheist position and reinterprets Christianity as a form of the universal philosophy of pantheism. In this view, Jesus was one of the great sages of history along with Buddha, Socrates, Confucius, Mohammed and the rest. Employing the Socratic method of question and answer, Kreeft slowly but surely uses Lewis' arguments to refute the views of Jesus being a lunatic, liar or just a great moral teacher. Once this is done, He argues that Jesus was God in the flesh, just as He claimed to be. Approximately the last third of the book focuses on the reliability of the gospel accounts which record the claims of Christ.

I found this book to be a very enjoyable read, especially the Socratic method that Kreeft employs. Although I don't criticize Kreeft for making the most out of the historical situation, I'll just say that the only theological disagreement I had with this book was the immediate destiny of the three men being "limbo" which I'm sure is only used by Kreeft as a setting for the discussion. The argument from Lewis was very thought-provoking and required honesty with the end result being much clearer thinking concerning the person of Christ, not to mention his inescapable conclusions which were drawn. I found it very interesting how he would ask of the opposition very pointed, yet fair questions. I was glad to find that the rabbit trails were quickly discounted so the reader can follow the arguments more easily. Throughout the discussion, Kreeft continually reminds the reader that as Christians, we don't try to win arguments for ourselves (I use "argument" in the technical sense of presenting evidence in favor of one's position). It doesn't matter who wins or loses. Truth is what we all must submit to, not someone's ability to debate.We present evidence in favor of the truth and truth must win the battle.

Few individuals have better argued, and are better remembered for, their positions on the issues of belief and non belief than the Cambridge and Oxford fantasy writer Lewis, who advocated the spiritual world view, and the world renowned Vienna physician and father of psychoanalysis Freud, who advocated the secular world view. Nicholi provides the reader with an outline of more than 25 years of study, plus a popular class he has taught at Harvard on the subject of Freud and Lewis. Erudite and meticulously sourced from both published and unpublished writings of the two great 20th century intellectuals, I finished the book wanting to take the author's class, or at least observe it.

Nicholi images a debate between the two, although, as far as we know, the two never met or debated. After brief, introductory biographies, Nicholi compares the arguments of the two from their perspectives on the topics of God, love, sex and the meaning of life. Nicholi ends his thoroughly enjoyable book by pondering whether or not Freud and Lewis ever met in person. Freud spent the last 15 months of his life in exile in England after the Nazi take over of Austria from June 1938 until his physician-assisted suicide in September 1939. Freud was reported to have been visited by an unnamed English professor. Was it C.S. Lewis? Perhaps Nicholi's next project will be a play imagining how such an encounter might have transpired.

I don't think this book is biased in favor of Lewis, as some might argue. In fairness to Nicholi, he is only working with what Freud provides him through the documentary record. That record shows a deeply pessimistic world view, as opposed to Lewis' overwhelmingly optimistic world view. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed reading this clearly-written, extensively documented book on two of the twentieth century's greatest thinkers. Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis have to be the most articulate representatives of their completely opposite world views. Who would have surmised that their writings and lives would parallel one another so closely in their search to understand God, love, sex, happiness, suffering, death (and the meaning of life as the title says!)?

The author quotes extensively from both, using their works, letters, and the current literature to define, on the one hand Freud's empiricist, scientific view, and on the other C.S. Lewis' spiritual perspective. He devotes an entire chapter to Lewis' remarkable change from die-hard atheist to ardent believer. Through Freud's correspondence, we see the great psychoanalyst as human, struggling with the same issues as Lewis, but ultimately arriving at a completely different conclusion. Nicholi also brings in his own research as well as that of others to shed light on their world views, making them relevant in the here and now.

If you're looking for a lively debate on some central topics, this book is for you!

Nicholi's The Question of God illuminates in an extraordinary way how two of the great minds of recent history explored the most intriguing questions in life, perhaps the only ones that really matter. Nicholi sets up a fictional debate of sorts that pits Freud, espousing a secular worldview, against Lewis's spiritual one. The dialogue is riveting. Using excerpts from the volumes of written material the two men produced over their lifetimes, Nicholi skillfully culls passages that give insight into how each man struggled with the "great questions" of life and how each ultimately developed and then embraced his own definition of truth. It's interesting to note other reviews of this book as biased towards Lewis since Nicholi is widely known as being psychoanalytically trained. I found the book the well balanced with the author as adroit facilitator.

I have now read eight Clive Cussler novels. I still think that "Cyclops" is his best work. "Deep Six" was not as good but was still a very interesting story. There were only two things that I disliked about the book. First, it took approximately 100 pages for the story to pick up. This book started off boring and was hard to continue reading at times. However, once I hit Part II, things really started to happen and I couldn't put the book down. A second shortcoming involves the rescue attempt towards the end of the story. Cussler's choice of having a paddleboat with "acting" Confederate soldiers come to the rescue was a bit outlandish. The whole rescue, however, was still exciting. The one surprising thing about "Deep Six" is the fact that it was a real page-turner, despite the fact that the basic plot revolved around politics. Political stories normally bore me to sleep. "Deep Six" was a refreshing change. I recommend this book to all Cussler fans and to those considering to give this great author a try.

Deep Six is another winner for Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt. Pitt once again gets tangled up in a web of international intrigue that this time involves the President of the United States and his successors. Starting out with the investigation of a nerve agent leaking into the North Pacific, Pitt discovers a sinister Korean shipping company responsible for the nerve agent and the kidnapped President. In a conclusion that sends Pitt and his trusted side kick Giordino to the Mississippi Delta to fight along side weekend warriors clad in Civil War uniforms, Pitt once again saves the day. This book is a thrill a minute whose conclusion grips you through the end.

I hadn't read a Clive Cussler book for a few years and picked up "Deep Six". I ended up tearing through it in a few days. It reminded me why I like his writing so much. Sometimes Cussler's stories are a bit implausable, but they are a lot of fun. Dirk & Giordiano are a great pair of super agents and their exploits are always thrilling. Dirk always comes through with a way of saving the world at the last minute and gets the girl at the end, a la James Bond. I look forward to reading some more of Cussler's stuff. One last note, it's always neat (although sometimes hard to believe) the way Cussler has Pitt use some object of historical significance to help him out at the end; in this book he uses a Civil War steamboat in a battle in the Gulf of Mexico. These imaginative ideas are what puts Cussler above the rest.