I Know Who Holds Tomorrow by Francis Ray is a very human
account of one woman's struggle to right her life after
learning secrets which turned her world upside down.

Talk show host Madison Reed is loving her career but
struggling with her marriage. Then a tragic automobile
accident kills Madison's husband Wes and the young woman
whose tire he was changing. The woman's nine month old
daughter, Manda is unharmed. Before Wes dies he begs Madison
to care for the baby. Once she promises, Wes tells her that
he is the biological father.

Madison is devastated. She wants to hate someone, but
Wes is dead and Manda is an innocent victim. She begins a
tug of war; can she really care for her husband's child by
another woman? In steps Zachary, Wes' good friend, he offers
to assist Madison, promising that he will always be there to
help. But Zachary shared secrets with Wes that he is afraid
could destroy Madison and turn her against him.

I felt the same anticipation you experience as you ascend
for a wild roller coaster ride, knowing once you reach the
top you are in for a treat. The secrets kept you hanging
on to the bar as Ms. Ray brought this intriguing ride to a
climactic end. This is a very good read.

...

In Mrs Ray's latest book we find Madison and Wes Reed. To many people they are the hottest couple in Texas. But little did people know that their marriage is on the brinks of divorce.

After the loss of the unborn child they have slowly drifted apart. Madison does not realize how apart they have become until Wes is on his death bed after an automobile accident. Madison learns that Wes has a child from another woman and has promise to take care of her.

Zachary Holman is there with Madison when she makes this promise to Wes. He sees the real Madison and falls in love with her as she tries to cope with everything that is happening in her life.

I loved how the author shows the emotional sides that not only Madison goes through but even Zachary and baby Manda. It draws you in and you are reading to see how everything will turn out. There was also the story of Camille and Gordon which did not take from the main story. Camille is the social worker investigating Madison and Gordon is Madison's boss and close friend. Although he is older than Camille, they can not help the attraction towards each other.

I can not tell you too much, but I can say if you have read any of Francis Ray's books or even if you haven't this book will keep you up at night trying to see what happens next. This is truly an excellent read.

Francis Ray really knows how to tell a story and make you not want to put the book down. That's what happened to me when I bought this book. Since I own all of her books and have read many of them more than once I was not disappointed and neither will you be once you start reading.
On the outside Wes & Madison had the perfect marriage. All of that came to a halt when Wes is involved in an accident and on his death bed makes a confession of betrayal no wife would want to face. With the support of her family, co workers and Wes' best friend Zachary, Madison is able to start putting her life back on track and take care of and love the most innocent one of them all.
There is so much I want to say about this book but, I want you to experience the same feelings that I did as I read it. You will want to read it again and again. Go out and purchase this book or order it now. You will be so glad that you did.
Other boooks by Francis Ray: Forever Yours, Heart of the Falcon, Until There Was You and Silken Betrayal

It's Christmas and I've just purchased Mac OS X Unleashed.

The thing weighs a ton (1,464 pages!) but is one of the best computer books I've bought. The guys who wrote it are obviously Unix heads but they are also very much in love with the Mac as well so it's got a good feel when reading it.

A long time Mac user I've just started to dig into the Unix side of things, attributes, permissions, owners, mounting volumes as directories, etc... it's actually quite interesting.

If you're going to delve into Mac OS X beyond clicking around in the GUI this is the book to invest in.

I'm currently formatting my "man" pages

Here is a brief summary of some of the Unix topics covered:

Unix file management basics
Command line software installation and troubleshooting
File system operations including permissions and groups
Process management including pipes
Command line applications (Lynx, telnet, FTP, rlogin, ssh, pine, emacs, lpr, etc.)
Environment and shell variables
Installing and using XFree86
The section on Network Administration has good fundamentals on AppleScript, Perl, PHP, MySQL, as well as intermediate and advanced level tips on how to work the the all-important NetInfo database.

Some of the best OS X info includes printer and font management, especially how to install and configure LPR printers, which can be something of a black art, or so I am told. Personally, I would not know an LPR printer if I tripped over one in the hallway.

The last sections are devoted to learning the Unix applications included in OS X: the Apache web server, Sendmail, WebDAV, PHP. There is also a smattering of info on CGI programming. While both Apache and Sendmail have thousand-page tomes devoted to them, Ray and Ray provide enough detail for the Mac-centric OS X user to get a feel for the power of the Apache web server and the Sendmail application. While anyone can turn on Apache in the System Preferences, Apple provides virtually NO guidance or instructions. Unleashed will at least provide you with a good grounding in Apache basics. Ray and Ray discuss proper care and feeding of FTP sites is provided as well.

I generally do not like book reviews to be mere recitations of the various subjects covered. But I felt it important to show how much valuable information is contained in this one book! But raw information is of no use if it is not intelligently presented. The authors' writing style is crisp and to the point, and the example provided are relevant to real-world Macintosh computing. Too-small screen shots are my only objection to the production values. If publishers could figure out how to use paper that weighs less without sacrificing durability, then I would be even happier. This book is ponderous enough that it is difficult to hold in your lap to read. I had to lay it flat on a table to manage it.

Beginners should NOT waste their time and money on Mac OS X Unleashed. Buy Mac OS X: The Missing Manual. instead. But for those who want to learn about Mac OS X-oriented Unix, warts and all, this book should be at the top of your list.

Just be careful to watch your posture when you pick it up.

MacMice Rating: 5 out of 5

------------------------------------------------------------------------

David Weeks
http://www.mymac.com/weeks/unleashed_8.26.02.shtml

"Mac OS X Unleashed" is a terrific book, emphasizing the powerful Unix underpinnings of Apple's new operating system. The book provides a thorough tour of OS X (up to date with 10.1), especially the arcane world of Unix networking administration, with chapters on important topics like NetInfo, installing a Samba server, and detecting and preventing hacker attacks.

The authors Ray bring decades of Unix system administration experience as well as a deep love of the Mac, and they have written an outstanding book bridging the two worlds, introducing Mac users to scores of useful Unix-based tools included in OS X or available on the Web. The book is broad and deep (and at more than 1400 pages, heavy) and is an essential reference to getting the most from Mac OS X. I highly recommend it for technically proficient Mac users.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a classical story about a girl and her dog that get trapped in a twister. She wakes up in a magical land and asks how she can get home. They tell her she has to follow the yellow brick road. She meets people on her way to the Wizard. The Scarecrow needs brains, the Tinman needs a heart, the Lion needs courage and Dorothy needs to go home. They meet strange things on the way to The Good Witch of the South. I like the book because it's interesting and exciting and that's why I think you should read it.

L. Frank Baum's enduring story is wonderfully presented in this elegant edition and the Washington Post called Lisbeth's The Wizard of Oz "the loveliest edition imaginable."

However, the assessment of the local kids is the drawings are "weird." Perhaps intended for a more adult audience, the illustrations are beautiful--I enjoyed them--but their idiosyncratic style may not appeal to the younger set.

The characters pictured in the illustrations are dramatcially reinterpreted by the artist, however this may disappoint some viewers. The Scarecrow will look nothing like any scarecrow you've imagined. The Witch of the North is difficult to identify. This fresh point of view will be enjoyed by some but is sure to disappoint others.

I also felt the illustrations don't tell the story as well as the edition by Michael Hague or the original edition with W. W. Dinslow. (This is more important to the younger, read-to crowd, than the older, I can read it myself crowd.)

My daughter asked that we return the book and get a different edition for her. I would urge you to carefully consider the sample pages, except the sample pages don't cover a broad range of the illustrations included with this edition. The sample pages do include an image of the dramatic and striking cover. Unfortunately, in the judgement of several reviewers from 4 to 40, the other illustrations were noticably more "weird" than the cover and I don't think the sample pages represent the overall reading/viewing experience scrupulously.

The Wizard of Oz written by L. Frank Baum is a wonderful book about a young girl who goes on an adventure full of excitement and fun. Dorothy the main character lives on a small country farm in Kansas with her Aunt, Uncle, and small dog, Toto. One day a twister comes over their country farm and whisks Dorothy along with her little dog away to a make believe land called Oz. There she is greeted by the people who live there. She asks them how she can get home to Kansas. They tell her that the Great Oz will help get her home. But before she heads on her way to Oz the Good Witch of the North kisses her on the forehead and says that with that kiss no one can harm her. So she and Toto head on their way to Oz. On her way she meets The Scarecrow who wants a brain, a Woodman made of tin who wants a heart and a Cowardly Lion who wants courage. These four new friends eimbark on an adventure to the great city of Oz. Will they all get their wishes? Find out when you read the Wizard of Oz. I loved this book because not only did it have fantasy but it is a great book for all ages. I recomend it to anyone who loved being a child.

Learning telecommunications is difficult when you realize that this industry thrives on producing thousands of worthless acronyms. When I started out in this field, it felt like I was learning a foreign language--and I was. This book will prove invaluable to as you as you work your way through a hoarde of acronyms that most people using them can't fully explain when questioned.

Bruce from Dallas, raises a valid point, the definitions do not stand on their own to fully explain the concepts. If you are coming to Telecom for the first time, and that is what you are looking for I would recommend the "Desktop Encyclopedia of Telecommunications" by Nathan J. Muller. This book deals with fewer terms than Newton's but goes into greater detail. If that is still not enough try the "Voice and Data Communications Handbook". Newton's though is still valuable and has its place. It should be used to spell out acronyms. That is what its for and that is what its good at. I refer to it at least five times a day, and I buy every new edition. It is a valuable resource.

This is my third purchase of the dictionary and it is for home, not the office. I first purchased it about 14 years ago, as a reference book for telephony terms. As communications and data began to merge, I bought the 12th edition. The technology field has changed so much again, that I need to update my version of the dictionary. Harry Newton mentions that he adds about 100 new words a week. Over the years I have recommended this book to others, who have also found it helpful for learning what terms mean in technology. I know the book is an excellent source for telephony and it appears to be a very good source for internet and data terms. The dictionary includes some "humor" and is not hard reading. It tries to explain words for "non-techy" people, while still covering the subject and/or definitions well.

This is an excellent desk/shelf reference for just about anyone involved in the telecommunications area. Whether it be marketing, engineering, technical writing, whatever, this is an invaluable reference. The descriptions/definitions are typically a few sentences long, but some are as long as a couple pages. If used only for the meaning behind the acronyms, this would be a useful book, but it goes a little further and explains how some of the concepts/definitions actually tie into one another. This is NOT a substitute for in-depth knowlege by any means, but is a great "remind what that one means again" reference. It has been very rare that I've gone to look for some information in this book and not found it.

For a general overview of homebuying, this book is well written,easy to read, and well-designed in typical Dummy style. But for more detailed and down-to-earth practical advice and examples, we liked Eldred's 106 Mistakes Homebuyers Make. We found the Mistakes' book much easier to apply. The Dummies' authors seem not to be aware that most first-time buyers do not live in California. Overall, though, both (or either) of these books can really help prepare you for the trials and tribulations of what to expect (and watch out for) when buying a home.

House Buying for Dummies is the reference guide you need if you are not knowledgeable of things like mortgages, escrow, etc. The authors explain things in simple, easy to follw terms, and give good advice. I'm so glad I read this book before starting the home buying process.

One of the best features of the book is the sample contract in the back. It helped my husband and I with wording. Overall, a good buy.

My wife and I purchased this book to help us in our hunt for our first home. We were total novices about the entire home buying process since we had always been apartment dwellers. I read through the book several times over the course of a month. The book armed me with good questions to ask my realtor and the seller's agent as well. It was particularly invaluable when addressing mortgage loans and funding alternatives.

48 hours from now my wife and I will close on our first home. This book gave us confidence in our decision making by helping us evaluate a wide variety of criteria we would not have otherwise thought of. The peace of mind this book gave is worth many times more than we spent for it.

If you are buying a home as a novice, you simply MUST purchase this book. Even if you are a veteran home buyer, I really believe this book will have value for you as well.

There's a flower vendetta in Somerville. For years, the Rosemans and Cacciamanis have each owned a single florist shop in this Boston burb. The intensity of the rivalry and loathing between the two families would bring nods of empathy from warring drug kingpins. Then, Julie Roseman, divorced, meets Romeo Cacciamani, widowed, at a seminar for the owners of failing small businesses, and love blossoms like orchids in a hothouse. My, my. How will the children of each, raised on a steady diet of hatred for the other camp, react?

JULIE AND ROMEO is nurse Jeanne Ray's first novel. The plot is uncomplicated and the ending fairly predictable, perhaps even too pat, so it's not a heavyweight in the genre. But, it is charming, humorous, cute and even a bit clever. As an author's first offering, it's more than commendable - and Jeanne, if she sticks with writing, can only improve.

There are two features of this book which made it notable for me. First, Julie and Romeo are both aged sixty. It's refreshing to read a storyline wherein amour and heavy breathing aren't limited to the under-30 set. (Bravo, Ms. Ray, for reminding us of that. There was a reason my own 70 y.o. widowed grandfather ran off with our 60 y.o. widowed housekeeper!) Second, the volume is a quick read. For someone like myself with too many books and too little time, that's a big plus!

.......will change their mind after reading this wonderfully funny, delightful gem by first time author Jeanne Ray. Most of us are so conditioned to reading and hearing about love & lust for the 35 and younger hero/heroine that it doesn't even occured to us that love can be breathlessly exciting when the lovers are old enough to order off the senior citizens menu.

This lighthearted tale of divorced Julie Roth and widowed Romeo Cacciamani throws a light on how ardent an intelligent, good looking couple can be at age 60. Their growing love is portrayed by Ms. Ray, with as much depth and excitement as any romance that could be shared by a couple of 30 year olds. They respond to each other with all the hunger they feel and the need their hearts have been empty of for several years while fighting their way through interferring family members who try to keep them apart because of a family feud that has lasted for generations.

This was a truly captivating summer read that I devoured in one setting. I think Jeanne Ray is an author we're going to hear a lot about in the future and I'll be happy to say I was able to buy her first book in it's first printing. Now, if only she'll soon come out with another one!

Just when you thought Romeo and Juliet couldn't be told in any other manner, along comes first time author Jeanne Ray with her book Julie and Romeo. And if I had only one word to describe this book, it would be DELIGHTFUL. I cannot recommend this book enough and think its perfect for ones summer vacation or at any other time as well. I also imagine that Jeanne Ray has a real bright future ahead of her as an author.

When and how do family feuds begin? Thats exactly what Julie Roseman Roth and Romeo Cacciamani would like to know when they meet at a business seminar. For almost all of their 60 odd years, through marraige and children, all these two can remember is their families feuding in the manner of the Montagues and Capulets although nobody knows the origins of the feud. But this isn't Verona in the 17th century and we're not reading about two teenagers. Instead the story takes place in Boston in the 90's where these two adults continue to run their small florist shops. And as if the budding relationship between the two isn't already complicated, both now have to contend with their children who would just as soon continue the rivaly.

The book unfolds as a most delightful read as these two older people find love in all the wrong places and we move along with them laughing and sighing as their tale reaches its conclusion.

A fun and poignant read you won't forget too quickly. And next time you hear Romeo and Juliet, you'll be thinking Julie and Romeo.

"Intensity" was my first Koontz book. As an avid reader of thriller novels, I was mildly amused and entirely not surprised by the ubiquitous byline which invariably appears on all books of this genre: "You will not be able to put this book down". Well, my cynicism proved to be wrong this time. This is truly the first book which I could not put down, from page 1. Regrettably, I started it at 11pm, so obviously I did not get much sleep that night. Koontz uses a simple yet effective method to lure his readers to read on - he doesn't give you a minute to pause and take a breath. Amenities such as taking a break for "nature calls" are out of the question; you'll have to take the book with you. His clever use of different tenses for the two main characters (Chyna-Past;Vess-Present) adds a nice touch, as do the mysterious coastal elks (although it is to be regretted this theme has not been developed further). I agree, it is a predictable book, but then again - aren't almost all thriller novels predictable? What makes "Intensity" better than average is the fulfillment of the "you will not put this book down" promise. Read this book, but don't start it late at night!

Dean Koontz's novel Intensity is a fine bit of suspenseful writing that hits the mark completly. The story involves a woman named Chyna Sheppard who is caught in the middle of a gruesome killers murder of his best friend and her parents while she is visiting. Miraculously and somewhat implausably she avoids detection by the killer and stows away on his RV. What ensues is a relentless and and driving thriller that doesn't let up.

The novel is truly an intense read. Their is about 15 pages of calm before Koontz dives into the action. Some reviewers have said this book is boring, but I have a hard time seeing how this book is boring. Even the part where she is in his house and we get development of her character is not boring, but expertly handled. Koontz uses the age old suspense building technique of waiting to drive the reader crazy with suspense.

The most memorable scene in the novel is when Chyna takes care of Vess's dogs. I'll remember that one for a long time.

The only negatives I feel the book has is some rather convient set of circumstances that allows Chyna to get on the trail of the killer. Not terrible but somewhat implausable.

Overall this is a first rate thriller and the best Koontz I have read.

I initially got introduced to (and semi-hooked on) Koontz by reading "Phantoms" when it was first released. Over the years, I have gotten tired of his relentlessly over-achieving (yet emotionally crippled) characters who seem to do no wrong and adapt to any crisis situation with such super-human moral strength and courage that they become teacly sweet, nauseating, and trite ; leaving me rooting for the villian at least half the time ("Lightning" and "The Servants of Twilight" are glaring examples). It has been a long time, since I have read a book as rapidly and "intensely" as INTENSITY. I literally could barely stand putting it down and finished it within 48 hours. Koontz reeled me in in the first couple of pages and I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen to Chyna next -- and what Vess was going to do. (A big plus is that Chyna is a solo protaganist. Koontz [for a change] feels no need to provide an equally emotionally crippled man for her to team up with). While other reviewer's call Chyna's actions stupid, I see the courage that Koontz intended to portray (I doubt I would be able to muster the strength she did). She seemed far more human with all our fallibilities than some of the heroes in his books. If you are looking for a thrilling, weekend read with a satisfying ending - this is it.

I never read any of Koontz's novels until I heard about this one and I heartily recommend it! Spencer Grant is a former cop with the LAPD who takes a liking to a waitress he meets in a bar who turns out to be on the run from a secret government agency. He tries to find her along with his dog "Rocky" while being pursued by agents of the same organization. The whole book is non stop action from start to finish. I learned of this novel after wanting to read a book with a similar plot to the movie "Enemy of the State" and BOY did I find it! If you liked "Enemy of the State", you'll LOVE "Dark Rivers of the Heart." I hope this book is made into a movie because I think it deserves to be put on film!

This book is an excellent read. While some readers may complain that the book is far too heavy-handed in decrying the evils of a government gone too far, I find that this is a secondary sub-plot to the story of Spencer Grant. A loner who has hidden all his life from a terrible evil visited upon him as a young boy, he is on a personal quest to "find a life" by attempting to track down a beautiful but troubled woman who is running from powerful enemies while at the same time trying to resurrect long buried memories of that terrible evil and confront them. Yes, the enemies in question are rogue government agents, including one who is equal parts Adolf Hitler and Jeffrey Dahmer, but such "evil government agencies" are frequently a part of Koontz's books, and that is unlikely to change anytime soon. In the case of this book, the rogue agency acts as a catalyst to bring all the major players together in a climax that is at the same time terrifying and triumphant. Koontz has created some of his most interesting characters yet in one of his most exciting books yet written. This audiotape version is narrated by Anthony Heald, one of Hollywood's more underappreciated actors. Audiobooks are much like an actor or actress putting on a one-person play, and Heald proves himself a master of dialect, as his narration moves easily from deep character introspection to breathless action sequences.

Koontz tells several stories at once, each dealing with a "river" within the human heart. One is the love story between the protagonists, Spencer and Ellie. Another is the misguided "compassion" that the antagonist Roy Miro exercises on his fellow people. The last deals with a dark river within the heart, hence the title. It deals with the secret of Spencer's past, on a night in July, when he was 14. That story, told in flashbacks, became the most terrifying thing I've ever read once I finished it. I recommend you read this book if you enjoy a love story, a few good chase scenes, or some action sequences that James Cameron would be of. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Winesburg, Ohio is a story based on real characters in the early 1900's in a small northern Ohio town. If you enjoy in depth detail on characters you would enjoy this story. Every chapter is based on a new person which can get boring and confusing for some people seeking adventure. I read this book because I live close to where the story took place and thought it would be interesting to learn more about my area's history. I could relate with some of the places described in the story, which made me more interested and kept me reading. The characters described in the story are easy to relate people of my own acquaintance with; each character has their own unique story. The way that Sherwood Anderson writes makes you almost get inside of the characters' head to make you think like that character had thought. It took me a while to get the drift of the story but it seems most people will eventually get hooked on a certain character. I would not recommend this story for a person interested in reading more about action and adventure. Winesburg, Ohio is a great story for someone that would like to know how people in history had thought and that would like to experience Ohio in the early 1900's.

A book of stories that give glimpses into the secret lives of men and women in small town Ohio. The characters in this book could be characters anyplace in the world though. Each has a story, each has secrets, each has passions, disappointments, desires, longing. I personally think that each of the characters in Winesburg are reaching out for connection to other people. They long to have even a moment of understanding, sympathy, companionship in the midst of a life that is big and unclear, a universe that expands above them nightly to remind them of their infinite smallness. This book is as meaningful today as it was when it was written--maybe even more so. As our world becomes more and more faceless with telephones and emails and air-conditioning, wouldn't it be nice to connect to a person instead of a remote computer? Wouldn't it be nice to know that there are others with thwarted desires, stinging disappointments, undying hope, just like us? Take a read through Winesburg and meet some of them.

Sherwood Anderson published this collection of short stories in 1919 all set in fictional town of Winesburg, Ohio. Even though it's written in the third person, it's told through the narrative voice of George Willard, the town reporter, who shows up in most of the stories, sometimes taking an active role and at other times just telling a story.

It is obvious that the writer loves these people, and is frustrated at the isolation and unhappiness of their lives, even though he makes it clear that they hold within themselves everything needed to make them happy. The character in the first story is a dying old writer who is attempting to write about all the people he has known as a "book of grotesques". What follows is the collection of stories, which each character fulfilling that expectation.

There are the young lovers who don't quite connect; there is a old man so obsessed with religious fervor that he attempts to sacrifice his grandson; there is a married man who regrets it all and tries to warn a younger man of future unhappiness; there's a doctor and a sick woman who try to connect. The book is full of people who toil all their lives and never achieve happiness. As I made my way through the book I kept hoping that even one of the characters would rise above the morass. It didn't happen.

The writer has a wonderful sense of place and the town of Winesburg in the early part of the 20th Century is very real. These people were not poor or disadvantaged in the usual sense of the word; they didn't suffer fire, floods or famine. Instead, they trapped themselves in their own psychological webs that made it impossible for them to lead anything but sad unfulfilled lives. This is a fine book and stands alone as a clear voice of its time.

Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury

I am grateful to Stephen King for having brought this novel to notice in his horror fiction chronicle-critique 'Danse Macabre' (which I will recommend to anybody who is even remotely interested in horror/fantasy media).
The main protagonists of this supernatural adventure are the sunny Will Halloway and his companion and counterpart, the wild Jim Nightshade. The plot centers on how their lives are turned upside-down with the arrival of that very unusual sideshow carnival, Cooger and Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show (God, this has such a Heavy Metal feel to it).
If it were to be judged by its start-up this would undoubtedly be one of the best books ever. Bradbury in his element comes up with the literary equivalent of a Rick Wakeman solo. The words fly fast and furious, magically arranging themselves into such dizzyingly ornate and mellifluous phrases, sentences, paragraphs that almost threaten to drown the reader in their exuberance and beauty. This major portion of this book contains some of Bradbury's finest literary moments and as anyone who has read his work will till you, that is an achievement of no mean order. Characters like the Dust Witch and Mr. Dark aka The Illustrated Man are described in such vivid and astonishing detail as to strongly etch themselves onto readers' minds. You do not merely read, you see, hear, smell, taste, feel whatever the pen of Bradbury commands you to. This book bristles with parts that I will be happily re-reading for many months on.
Wherein lies the catch? The plot after one of the best build-ups ever constructed grows somewhat loose with several potentially interesting supporting characters (Mr. Electrico, the Dwarf) given marginal footage. Although lavish description is used to paint what Stephen King describes as the 'Apollonian-Dionysian' divide between Will and Jim, once the action heats up, this is pretty much left by the wayside, the boys rendered almost interchangeable in their personalities. The story, after a point moves IMO almost into the realms of the straight-ahead thriller format, although Bradbury's writing alleviates a lot of the conventionality and it is perhaps only the cynical bastard in me that finds it difficult to swallow the 'Love Conquers All' driven denouement.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury, is a very exciting book that uses a lot of symbolism. It is about evil that comes to a little town in Illinois. It may be difficult to read for some people, but once you understand the symbols and the plot, the book is excellent. In this book, evil comes in many different ways shapes and forms. If you are not satisfied with your life, evil will temp you with your most deepest desires, but if you are not strong willed, you will be taken over by evil and lose something very important to you. I would encourage anyone to read this book if you are looking for a good book to read. Evil comes in town in the form of a carnival and everyone associated to the carnival is evil. All the "freaks" in the carnival are people that weren't satisfied with their lives and gave in to the evil temptation. The prince of evil, whose name is Mr. Dark, controls all the freaks and everyone else in the carnival. The main characters in the book are Jim Nightshade, Will Halloway, and Charles Halloway. These characters are the main people that evil is after throughout the book. Charles Halloway is Will's father and Jim Nightshade is Will's best friend. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate this book as an eight. I would strongly encourage anyone who likes to read to pick up this book sometime.

Great.

Something Wicked This Way Comes is a little gothic masterpiece by Ray Bradbury. The story concerns Will Holloway, his best friend Jim Nightshade, and his father Charles Holloway. One October a carnival comes to town. The carnival is run by a group of freaks who are intent on evil. The entire town, and particularly the two boys, and put in terrible danger. That all leads to a tremendous climax as Will, Jim, and Charles have to try to learn the true nature of good and evil to save themselves and the town.

I can't believe that some people have written that this book is dated. I don't think that anyone will be saying that after the events of September 11. As long as fathers and sons still love one another and as long as there is evil to strive againgst, this novel will still be extremely valid. Something Wicked This Way Comes is fairly symbolic, and comments greatly on the nature of good and of evil. The story is fascinating and enlightening. Absolutely any reader can read this wonderful novel, be moved by it, and come away with a better understanding of human nature. I don't think that Ray Bradbury gets the credit he deserves, but any read of one of his novels will prove to the reader that he is a GREAT novelist.