Felix Holt occupies a middle-tier in the critical estimation of Eliot's novels. It is often disparaged as the "political novel," or alternatively "the one where the legal subplot is way too complicated."

At first, this seems unfair. The early introduction of Mrs. Transome is a showstopper, heroine Esther Lyon fascinates, and the detailed evocation of 19th century rural politics is through Eliot's narrative magic made riveting.

But things do go awry in the second half. A big problem is Felix himself: an idealization of a political view rather than a detailed character, the reader loves him rather less than Eliot seems to intend. The legal schenanigans are intriguing, but the tortuous plot machinations through which Felix comes to be imprisoned are near ridiculous. And finally, Esther experiences her moral conversion rather too quickly and tidily, coming to seem just a sketch for Gwendolyn Harleth in the later Daniel Deronda. Indeed, by book's end the most compelling plot thread standing is that of the unfortunate Mrs. Transome.

But to say a book isn't as good as Daniel Deronda isn't much of a criticism. For all its faults, Felix Holt is filled with excellent characters, a strong story, and unparalled insight into both 19th century England and the more universal collisions of morality and politics.

This is my 4th novel by George Eliot (after "Adam Bede", "Middlemarch" and "The Mill on the Floss") and it has become my favourite along with "Middlemarch". "Felix Holt" is so marvelously written and gave me many hours of reading pleasure - I can't understand why it's not as highly acclaimed or well-known as Eliot's other novels.

If you're a fan of Victorian literature, then you mustn't miss this brilliant work. The story's set in the 1830s and is 1/3 focused on politics (i.e. a fascinating insight into the electioneering process and the fight for a Parliamentary seat between the Torys and the Radicals), 1/3 on family and sensational issues (e.g. illegitimacy, dispute over who has the legitimate claim on the wealthy estates of the Transome family and plenty of blackmail, manipulation and betrayals) and 1/3 devoted to a love triangle.

George Eliot wrote so eloquently and beautifully that many times I find myself re-reading a particular phrase in order to saviour its beautiful words. Each chapter also starts with either a beautiful poem or some well-chosen lines from Shakespeare/the Classics. Here's a favourite of mine from Chapter 45 (a poem by Eliot):

"We may not make this world a paradise
By walking it together with clasped hands
And eyes that meeting feed a double strength.
We must be only joined by pains divine,
Of spirits blent in mutual memories".

I confess that above all, it is the suspense over the touching love story that kept me turning the pages very quickly. The hero is Felix Holt, a passionate, idealistic young man who studies medicine but chooses to quit midway and forgo a comfortable future as a doctor in favour of leading the more righteous life (in his opinion) of an ordinary, poor workingman because of his scorn for wealth and its corrupting powers. Felix is described as honest, brusque, generous and highly intelligent. He's got "wild hair", dresses simple and to his own liking e.g. not wearing a cravat "like all the other gentlemen", and sometimes looks like a "barbarian". He patronizes no one and is rather unpopular in the town of Treby Magna where the story takes place. His political views are Radical (i.e. more severe than the Liberals) but his main concerns are for the well-being of the working class and especially the future of their children. (Read the excellent "Address to Working Men by Felix Holt" which comes after the Epilogue). Felix's good intentions land him in great trouble with the law later on when a massive riot breaks out among the drunk working class directly after the election and Felix is wrongly accused of being the leader of the mob.

Early on in the novel, Felix is introduced to the heroine, Esther Lyon (the beautiful daughter of a poor chapel minister) whose vanity and high-bred manner he scorns. He rebukes and lectures her constantly in that straight-forward and honest manner of his because he cares to improve her views on what are truly the important things in life. Esther dislikes him utterly at first... she cannot understand why Felix doesn't admire her beauty and graceful manners like other young men do. Esther is vain and proud (at least, initially) and has always dreamed of leading a better life, with fineries and beautiful clothes and servants to do her bidding. And Felix Holt is definitely not her idea of a lover! But Esther is not unkind or ungenerous - she loves her father dearly and treats everyone well. Gradually, she begins to see the true nature of Felix's character and noble aims, and holds him in great esteem, despite his outward looks and manners. But Felix has declared never to marry and if he were ever to fall in love, he would just "bear it and not marry" (preferring to "wed poverty"). Later in the novel, Esther is courted by the rich and handsome Harold Transome whose initial reason for wooing her is to save his family estates. But he doesn't count on falling in love with her subsequently.

Who does Esther ends up with finally: Felix or Harold? But take it from me that the romantic scenes between Felix and Esther are the most passionate and heart-wrenching I've ever come across in a classic literature - with many kisses and hugs amidst pure longing and despair, and scenes filled with beautifully spoken words of affection which brought tears to my eyes.

For many, many reasons, "Felix Holt" makes for a most brilliant read. I urge you not to miss it.

Some might say nothing can equal Middlemarch as Eliot's greatest work but I think that even if Felix Holt doesn't rank alongside it in literature, it should be given at least an equal status.

The novel deals with provincial politics in nineteenth century England through the mouthpiece of one of the best male protagonists ever drwan in literature by a female writer. As in all her books, Eliot is sharp in her details, the satire is poignant and she doesn't miss out on humor. Feminism takes a different turn here, with telling criticisms on the way females were brought up at that time and in many third world countries, still are brought up.

Eliot is never bitter, never hopeless, yet always realistic and idealistic with this difference: she doesn't let it get out of control. Fear not: mawkish is the last thing this book is. Some details might seem to be superfluous but it adds up to showing the literary prowess of this great woman, and is very helpful in letting you understand the real stuff going on at that time. A good, very well-written socio-political novel, that depicts the atmosphere of its time with more accuracy than many other books I've read.

Eliot does have the most amazing ability to get into her characters' minds. although this book is an all rounder in the sense that it comments on most social issues, the two main intimate themes of the books are personal to the central character, Felix, the most "alive" hero of nineteenth century literature: his politics and his love interest, in herself a very compelling and subtly drwan character.

Worth reading for all Eliot, Dickens, and Hardy fans. Will definitely give you two or three new opinions: even if the time period is different, much of the philosophy of the book is still very relevant.

Summary: This book is a fairly complete reference. It begins by explaining some aspects of chemical brain function. It then goes on to explain how diet can radically affect how a person feels, including mood and energy problems. As an aside, it also mentions PMS and SAD (seasonal affection disorder) as causes for food cravings and mood problems. It also mentions how certain low level diet deficiencies can cause various types of bodily harm. (The ones related to B vitamins are downright scary.) Finally this book proposes the Feeling Good Diet as a solution to all these problems.

Pros: The book is highly informative and enlightening. It is more complete on its own subject than many other books are on the subjects they cover.

Cons: This book falls short in that it is not a cookbook by any stretch of the imagination (although it does have a very short list of recipes). Although most of the book is highly informative, the Feeling Good Diet section is limited to lists of good foods and bad foods. The book also has a certain flaw common to most books: it takes too long to say what it has to say. Still, as far as books go, it is a four-star ranker.

As the mother of two little boys, one and three years old, I found myself getting as tired and cranky as they were at 2PM nap time. I just assumed it was a natural part of being a busy mom. If I didn't sneak a nap while they were down, I'd rewarm the morning coffee and 'reward' myself with a cookie. When I picked up "Food and Mood" I actually had my husband in mind! When I started using the author's eating strategies, I noticed I wasn't craving a nap or coffee at midafternoon and I was really feeling good. For other 'tired' mom's, one key that helped me was when I started eating a protein-based midmorning and midafternoon snack, which helped me avoid the quick high of coffee and sugar that wore off too soon. I've since incorporated the same strategies with the kids and my husband (a habitual midafternoon candy bar eater), and he says he notices a difference and a better energy level too. I've recommended Food and Mood to so many friends that I actually wanted to write a review to help spread the word. This is one less cranky mom wishing you well.

After years of depression, lethargy, and out-of-control weight, I thought that I would be that way forever. I had lost interest in anything fun. I couldn't keep up with household tasks. I was irritable, grouchy, intolerant. All I wanted to do was sleep.

Until reading and applying the principles presented in Food and Mood!

I can't recommend this book highly enough. I truly believe that it saved my life!

This is the second book in Plaidy's trilogy about Catherine Medici. In it, Medici's love and ambitions for her children as well as her quest for revenge against those who had humiliated her for so long forms the skeleton of the story. Her husband is dead and Catherine is Queen Regent. Her son Francis, now King of France and husband of Mary Queen of Scots, is sickly. Catherine yearns for her second son, Henry, to gain the throne.

Passion, intrigue and murder -- what else would one expect from the infamous Borgias of Rome? Plaidy's style is entertaining and literate. She weaves history into stories with intricate plots. Characters who were once real people strut upon the literary stage expressing their feelings and frustrations, loves and hates. The reader experiences sights and sounds of a world long past, with voices of people who may or may not have spoken as Plaidy reports.

It really doesn't matter how much is fiction and how much is fact. The book is fine, mesmerizing reading.

Sunnye Tiedemann (aka Ruth F. Tiedemann)

hi there my name totti im 24years old i wish u be my friend

A superb novel, one of my favourite book I have ever read. Jean Plaidy is able to convert history into an interesting book which people can get absorbed in without a problem. Its an easy book to read with treachery, murder and romance. It has a wide range of vocabulary and I have learnt many new words from reading this book. I recommmend this book for anyone over 14 years old.

As usual, I loved this book as well as the others. I have read about Clay and Jeff Holt beginning with Westward! and I have just finished reading Justice! I am what you would call a history buff, and as I read these books, I found myself being whisked away to join the Holts in their exploits. The imagery and fantasy that comes to me as I read, creates a need to read more and find out as quick as I can what's going to happen next! However, the next series after the Empire Trilogy is the Wagons West Series with "Whip" Holt as the main character. He is nearly thirty in this series, which mean that there is a 20 some-odd year gap of time between the events in Justice! and Independence! I surely hope that there are more adventures for Clay, Jeff, Shining Moon, Proud Wolf, Ned, Melissa, and of Course "Whip" Holt on the Horizon!

Dana Ross is definately an author that can keep you interested, even though the stories are long. Many writers can become very boring. You will like this series. the characters are real and the story itself could be taken right from the pages of history. Ross's stories are normally divide into 3 or 4 parts all taking place at different places at the same time. Plenty to think about.

I have enjoyed all of the series that Dana Fuller Ross has written about the Holts and their involvement in the settling of the United States. I sincerely hope that there will be a sequel to this triology filling us in on what happens with Jeff, Clay, Ned, and India Sinclair between this time factor and the Wagons West Series. Will there be more?

I thought I could figure out the plot several times, but Victoria Holt spins away from the mundane. One never knows what's going to happen in the end.

Victoria Holt is great! After LORD OF THE FAR ISLAND, MASK is my favorite book of hers.

Just when you think you have the plot figured out, she throws in an interesting twist. She always keeps you guessing with her books, and such is the case with this one.

This is a story of a young girl named Suewellyn who goes to live with her parents on a remote island in the South Pacific. It's necessary for them to flee because her parents are unmarried lovers: Suewellyn's father is actually her mother's counsin's lawful husband. Yet the family lives in peace and happiness on this island for several years...

...until Sue's look-alike cousin comes for an extended stay. The cousin is an heiress to a sizeable estate and fortune, and when she dies in the volcano eruption that devastates the island and claimes the lives of Sue's parents, Sue makes the cunning decision to assume her cousin's identity and inheritance.

The book held my attention till its conclusion. However, I must admit that the ending seemed a bit rushed, as if Ms. Holt was under a deadline to finish the book.

diseption and romance mixed with adventure. you won't find a better victoria holt book! the 11th i read.

Fun, well written, easy to read. Mrs. Malory is thoroughly likable. It's a treat to be in her world for a few hours.

No sex and only the barest necessary minimum of violence. Nothing about the social problems of our age, except a hint of religious controvery about a vicar who uses the old style prayerbook. Lots of old British theatre (?theater) lore. The author was an associate of Barbara Pym and it's that type of world. Sort of updated Agatha Christie, although not up to Agatha Christie's standards of plotting. It won't make you think or change your life - just enjoy a few hours.

The late Peter Malory first met fellow solicitor Graham Percy in law school. The compassionate Peter could never refuse his fussy old school mate when Graham would weasel an invitation out of him to come visit. Now that Peter is dead, his spouse Sheila has inherited Graham's annual visit to her home in Taviscombe. Several days into his four day stay, Graham is murdered and Sheila, feeling responsible for the well being of a guest, decides to investigate.

She immediately learns that there was a bit more to Graham than a failed and boring attorney. It seems he had a very lucrative blackmailing scheme operating on the side. She also learns that the odd duck annually visited three other school chums. Sheila figures they are primes suspects. A second murder in town has Sheila picking up the pace in an effort to uncover the identity of the killer before someone else is hurt.

MRS. MALORY AND THE ONLY GOOD LAWYER, the eighth novel in the Mrs. Sheila Malory series, is a well written English cozy, highlighted by the charming lead protagonist. However, though the story line quickly moves forward, the audince is going to find the ending a bit abrubt because no clues for motives occur until the final explanation. Still, Hazel Holt scribes a fabulous mystery that will please fans of the series.

Harriet Klausner

Somerset, England villager Sheila Malory is the author of several critically acclaimed books on nineteenth century novelists. She has also stayed in touch with several individuals from her days at Oxford, including the acclaimed author Dame Elizabeth Blackmore. Sheila considers Elizabeth such a close friend, she agrees to meet her buddy in London to catch up on each other's lives. After their wonderful time together in London, Sheila looks forward to seeing Elizabeth some time soon, but before they meet again the latter dies due to a mix-up in the medications she was taking.

Sheila is stunned, but even more surprising to her is that Elizabeth has named her as the estate's literary executor. This means spending an enormous amount of time sifting through the deceased's papers to determine what should be published and writing the definitive biography. However, while digging through the papers, Sheila uncovers a secret that a certain party will kill to keep buried.

MRS. MALORY AND THE FATAL LEGACY is the fundamental British cozy that stimulates the mind of the reader. The warm heroine is a likable person who the audience will appreciate for her self-deprecating wit and willingness to seek out the truth even at the cost of bodily harm or death. Hazel Holt provides sub-genre fans with a first class novel that will send new fans seeking the previous Mrs. Malory stories.

Harriet Klausner

There's a classic piece of advice to would-be authors that goes: "Start out by writing about things you already know about", and it seems that this approach can have benefits for more practised authors as well.

The first part of the book - in which Mrs Malory is asked to become the literary executor of a close friend/best selling author who dies under mildly mysterious circumstances - absolutely crackles with authenticity and pace, and is surely based on Hazel Holt's own experience of acting as literary executor and biographer to English novelist Barbara Pym. (Ms Pym, I hasten to add, did NOT die under mysterious circumstances of any kind!)

As the book approaches its halfway point this initial focus shifts slightly and the pace becomes somewhat more relaxed. Indeed, it almost seems - for a page or two - as though the author is running out of steam....

At this point Ms Holt elegantly drops a bombshell into the proceedings, a bombshell which, it now turns out, she has been subtly preparing us for over the previous 20-30 pages.

There are more such finely calculated surprises to come, and the second half of the book revolves around an excellent development of the previously established plot lines in which - after the fashion of premier thriller-writer Robert Ludlam - nothing and no-one is quite what/who they appear to be.

The final revelation of the killer is managed in true Malory style, sitting round a kitchen table. It is done quietly, even discreetly, and above all, the denoument makes sense.

If I had to offer a criticism it would be that Ms Holt gives little opportunity for the reader to come to their own idea as to "who dunnit".
For example, Mrs Malory's final unravelling of the mystery depends on two key pieces of evidence. Of the two, one is never shown to the reader, whilst the second is (so far as I can tell) deliberately mis-described.
(To be fair, this mis-direction is genuinely essential to the plotting, and an accurate description would have given the game away quite some time before the formal solving of the puzzle.)

Anyway, this one qualification apart, and much as I've enjoyed all of the *previous* books in the series, this is without doubt the best Sheila Malory mystery to date. Easily worthy of a five star rating.

Mrs. Malory and the Fatal Legacy is the ninth contemporary cozy in Hazel Holt's ever British Shelia Malory series, and it's still as fresh as ever. Sheila Malory is fifty...ish, a widow, the mother of a successful son, and a popular writer of nineteenth century novels, but her real claim to fame is her sleuthing skills. Fate has a habit of dropping mysteries into Mrs. Malory's lap knowing she has as an exceptional gift for solving them.

Lately Mrs. Malory has been behaving pretty laid back. She seems comfortable with herself and her life in Somerset, England, so staying home, sipping tea, and sharing an evening with her pets sounds much better than going to a literary party of full of bookish know-it-alls. Her son Michael effectively prompts her to go, and once there, Shelia runs into some old Oxford school chums. One such friend whose name and popularity as a famous novelist hasn't change her true personality is Dame Elizabeth Blackmore, who still goes by Beth. They reminisce, have a good time, and promise to meet up again. Later they talk briefly, Beth shares some things that are concerning her. Soon Sheila gets a call saying her dear friend has passed away and the coroner has ruled it Death by Misadventure. Shelia suddenly finds herself back on the writing arena as Beth's literary executor. She must write a biography of Beth's life and prepare her unpublished work for publishing. Shelia finds her quiet life suddenly overwhelmed with a shocked widower, his angry grown children, a greedy publisher, and some even more greedy scholars. Once she moves in with Aunt Hilda to be near the work, and persons unknown begin reeking havoc on her work, Shelia doesn't think she will ever get back to her quiet, cozy village.

I found Mrs. Malory and the Fatal Legacy to be a smooth, composed read. Shelia's relaxed attitude had me wondering if there was going to be a mystery at all, but then she meets up with the school chums, the feeling of a plot begins; the conversation and characters held my attention, and once the first death occurred, the mystery took off in more than one direction leading to a satisfactory end.

Hazel Holt's Mrs. Malory series is a laid-back cozy coo waiting to tempt its next literary victim into a mystery menagerie of delight.

What a great idea: take nearly every year of human history and discuss the events as they unfold into a chain of causality. The effect on the reader is unparalleled.

However, there are historical innacuraccies throughout the work. The reader is best advised to get a "twenty-thousand-foot-level" view of the era that interests them from which to pursue more exhaustive texts.

Every time I pick up this book I am sucked in, following one historical trail through the years and being distracted by another path, and then another. It is set up so brilliantly, each year broken down by category--politics, music, food, religion, etc--and covering both Western and some Eastern history, that it puts all of history into accessible context and perspective. After looking up a detail in 1099 about English royal politics, it is easy to trace the repurcussions year by year, and to quickly glance at the music, the French situation, the new foods, the new theater, the global exploration, the current Chinese dynasty, and myriad other details all the way up to the present. Or just follow Mozart's career, or the Industrial Revolution, or agricultural innovations. Sure, it is not intensely detailed on each event, but it makes a great jumping off point towards other reference material. It is also the most appreciated gift I have ever given. Let's just hope the publisher decides to reprint!

As soon as you receive this book take a few minutes to reinforce the binding because (a) it's big and thick for a paperback, and (b) you'll find that it will spend very little time closed once it's opened. This book is an absloute necessity for those of us who are fascinated by not only the major landmarks of history, but the everyday flavor of past times. This book presents an eternal well of interesting notes and accounts that are organized ingeniously by subject, within years, across time. The cross-referencing that accompanies most entries makes the book nearly impossible to put down. The thoroughness provides a much needed perspective on almost any of today's pressing issues. The international scope only serves to make it that much more interesting for those with a thirst to know something about everything. Truly, you will learn something new everyday - for a long time.

"Lord of the Far Island" by Victoria Holt is an intriguing tale of romance and danger that is well worth the read. With a fascinating and mysterious hero and a feisty, lovable heroine, Holt has succeeded in creating a tale that will keep readers interested.
Ellen Kellaway has lived with her abrasive and uncaring aunt Agatha since her mother died when she was only 5 years old. Completely used to being the "Poor Relation", Ellen has always had a tough time, but nothing her cruel aunt (actually a distant cousin) does can crush her fiery spirit and her positive outlook on life.
However, as time passes and Ellen grows from a girl into a woman, her future becomes less and less appealing. At the age of 18, Agatha informs Ellen that she will soon have to make her own way in the world and that she has found her a post as a governess for the honourable Mrs. Oman Lemming, a horrid woman who makes Agatha look like a saint.
It seems to Ellen that there is no way to escape her unpleasant future, until the son of a wealthy and influential family proposes to her. Thrilled with the idea of escaping her terrible fate of working for Mrs. Oman Lemming, Ellen accepts the proposal. But due to an awful tragedy, the wedding never takes place, and Ellen's future looks bleaker than ever.
Then, out of the blue, a letter arrives from a distant relative on her father's side of the family, asking Ellen to come and stay with him. Ellen can't believe her luck and accepts the invitation from the mysterious Jago Kellaway.
Once Ellen arrives on the Far Island the story really gets going. Ellen is drawn to Jago, but she constantly feels as if he is hiding some side of himself. As time passes Ellen falls in love with the island and Jago. Everything seems to be coming up roses; until a trip to a friend of her deceased father reveals a shocking secret that Jago has been keeping from her.
Now Ellen must try to figure out if Jago is truly in love with her as he claims, or if his motives for getting close to her are far more sinister.
"Lord of the Far Island" is a well-written and exciting book with an ending that will shock readers - I never saw it coming! The relationship between Jago and Ellen is expertly rendered, and Holt does a fantastic job of showing the true to life emotions that Ellen feels when she finally finds her place in the world. This book will leave readers sated and satisfied and I most definitely recommend it.

This book is much deeper than a romance. Victoria Holt examines the psychological side of finding ones family. She cleverly keeps you reading and falling more and more enchanted with dear Ellen, a girl who is so innocent with such a dark past. How will she escape the Island she was in love with? I loved this book and found myself here looking for more Victoria Holt books when I had finished reading it, a little less than 1 hour ago.

I just finished Lord of the Far Island last night, and it was a great read, classic Victoria Holt. While her newest works before her death are okay, they seem to lack the fire her early books, such as this, On the Night of the Seventh Moon, and The India Fan have. LOTFI was a little slow at first, but once Ellen arrives on the island, it began to pick up. The story twisted and turned, and the ending was a surprise! I had never anticipated what would happen!

Eliade presents an impressive collection of data from the religions and mythologies of an incredible number of different cultures, organized according to recurring themes: sky gods, agricultural goddesses, cycles of death and rebirth, and so on. It is an interesting resource for the student of comparative religion, but seems to lack a coherent interpretive framework. I'm left with unsatisfied curiosity to know what Eliade believed is to be learned from this collection of parallels. Perhaps his other writings provide more interpretation, but this book (although it contains many interesting "gems") seems incomplete as a stand-alone volume.

Eliade's place among scholars of religion is unequaled; even his detractors admit this. "Comparative Religion" exists as a scholarly discipline because of Eliade.

Essentially, this is a book about religious symbolism, covering an incredibly wide range of religious traditions. I think if you read this, agree or disagree, you will never look at religions the same way again.

Further, this is Eliade's most accessible and complete book.

I graduated with a religious studies degree from Yale University, and read this book in the first year after I graduated. I learned nearly as much from this book alone as I did from my undergraduate education. That is a strong statement, but I mean it.

Amidst the chaotic profusion of symbols, myths, rituals and mystical perspectives of the world's religious traditions, Eliade weaves a mandela-like portrait of humankind's incredibly vital relationship with the divine, spanning several thousand years. Not for the faint of heart, this monumental work provides important insight into the often confusing psychology of the primitive religious experience; an experience characterized by perspectives charged with meaning across broad fields of associative and interdependent symbolic realms.

Eliade bases his discoveries of common patterns in the global-religious-traditions upon a thematic theoretical framework. In this manner, he avoids the pitfalls latent in more common conceptions of religious experience that are defined by psychologically artificial categories created within perspectives that tend to be too narrow. Such commonly expressed and narrowly defined perspectives often stop short of understanding the limits of psychologically artificial, chronological, geographic and even ethnic categories; categories which humanity's important religious archetypes of divine experience have traditionally and absolutely transcended.

In this vein, Eliade's "Patterns in Comparative Religion" also provides important material for the interpretation of dreams. I think it is no mere coincidence that both primitive religious experience and the native realm of the unconscious both display a disturbing and important tendency to buck the rules of normality that our modern conscious minds so often wish to impose upon experience. It is from the creative associative milieu of dream symbolism that humanity's religious traditions have incessantly sprung and to which one must arguably return for the most fertile understanding of the 'primitive' divine experience.

Mircea Eliade's "Patterns in Comparative Religion" surely presented me with a formidable challenge, however, as with any important challenge to understanding that I have experienced, the rewards have far outweighed the difficulties encountered along the way.