I only got this book because I was waiting for a book to be released from another series I am reading, but not I am so glad that I found it! I couldn't put this book down. After I read book #1 The Shunning I went right back to the library and picked up this one. I couldn't wait to read more about Katie. I have recently been reading a series based on the Amish by Lurlene McDaniel. I think this series will definately equal or top the series by Lurlene McDaniel. Just release book #3 soon. Please!!

I finished the first book, The Shunning, only to feel completely lost and frustrated...surely this was a cruel hoax....it could not be ending, there must be more. I was not disappointed! There WAS more, indeed, in this second book! Wow! For the first time in all my reading days, I found it completely impossible to resist frantically searching through the pages to be sure this or that did, in fact, happen...things just could NOT go on as they were...I could not wait to find out by reading a page at a time...I had to frantically search the pages until I knew... The continuation of the story of Katherine, Laura, her Amish family, Mary, and the wise old woman...and the bishop...and her true love...this story took so many strange turns and curves, it was impossible to second guess the author. Suspense ruled! Bev Lewis never let me wander from the story line....how could I? I practically read the book straight through! It was just glued to my hands and would NOT go down until I was done. Book #3? PLEEEEEZE!!

I don't know when I've enjoyed a book as much as this one! It was thoroughly enjoyable, clean, inspiring, with a great plot. It's a must read! And by the way, I haven't read the first in the series, so one could easily pick up with this one- it makes perfect sense. I can't wait to read the next!

This book follows the children in Half Magic as they go on vacation. This time it isn't a coin that is magic, but an entire lake. Of course wackiness ensues. This is another great 'chapter' book to read to 3rd-6th grade kids.

In about 1958, a book-of-the-month club for children sent me "Magic by the Lake". I read it with delight then, read it to my children in the early 90s, and confidently expect them to read it with their children. Its combination of magic, wit and adventure is timeless. Better yet, it includes many references to other children's classics, making your young readers want to branch out. The Bodecker illustrations are a treat to look at. Read it aloud on your own summer vacation - a chapter each night by the campfire!

This book is about four children who go on vacation and find that magic is everywhere in the lake. It is written with a gentle and imaginative spirit that makes it a good read-aloud book for a younger child.

...that this book is absolutely wonderful? 'Cause it is. Krueger's ability to marry true edge-of-your-seat mystery and suspense with lyrical and literary style and sensibility is outstanding. Iron Lake succeeds famously both as a tale of murder and mystery and as a rich and vivid portrait of an unusual town and it's divided citizens.

When a prominent and infamous man-about-town is found dead and a local Native American boy turns up missing, suspects, alibis, and racial tensions pile up as high as snow banks. Cork probably shouldn't get involved. The last time he stepped in the middle, people got hurt. Himself included. And now he's lost his badge and his wife and maybe his way. But whether he likes it or not, he's caught again, like his blood, like his past, half in the white man's world, half on the reservation. Now a man is dead and a boy is missing and it's snowing real hard out there. And Cork's sense of duty and justice didn't disappear with his badge.

Read this book. It's fantastic.

When a prominent and infamous man-about-town is found dead and a local Native American boy turns up missing, suspects, alibis, and racial tensions pile up as high as snow banks. Cork probably shouldn't get involved. The last time he stepped in the middle, people got hurt. Himself included. And now he's lost his badge and his wife and maybe his way. But whether he likes it or not, he's caught again, like his blood, like his past, half in the white man's world, half on the reservation. Now a man is dead and a boy is missing and it's snowing really hard outside. And Cork's sense of duty and justice didn't disappear with his badge.

Krueger's ability to marry true edge-of-your-seat mystery and suspense with a lyrical and literary style and sensibility is unmatched. Iron Lake succeeds famously both as a tale of murder and mystery and as a rich and vivid portrait of an unusual town and it's divided citizens.

Read this book. It's fantastic.

This was my first "Cork O'Connor" book and found the characters believable. An excellent read and hard to put down once you start.

[This is a review of the Penguin edition dual-volume of 'Prisoner' and 'Rupert']

I've long been a fan of Errol Flynn swashbucklers and the classic works of prolific (and unjustly forgotten) Rafael Sabatini, but if you want the greatest swashbuckler novel of them all, Anthony Hope's "The Prisoner of Zenda" is a classic you'll come back to again and again: over a hundred years after being written, it's still as sharp as a rapier point.

"The Prisoner of Zenda" is something of a rarity: a Victorian adventure novel that is as fresh and entertaining to read in this modern jaded age as it was in 1894. If you've ever seen one of the many movie adaptations you already know the story: Rudolf Rassendyll, an Englishman vacationing in the tiny European country of Ruritania, meets and befriends the soon-to-be-crowned King Rudolf--his exact and identical double. When the King is kidnapped by the dastardly Black Michael, Rassendyll must impersonate the King in the coronation ceremony...and in the heart of the Queen. Hope's handling of the romance between Rassendyll and Queen Flavia is both a daring and romantic love story and a subtle examination of the meaning of honor and duty to a gentleman. Of course there's plenty of swordplay and derring-do along the way (put on an Erich Korngold CD while reading for the best effect). If Tom Clancy was writing this one, there'd be nuclear weapons instead of swords and email instead of telegrams, but even he couldn't pull off the simple but subtle romantic story and the triumphant but poignant ending.

I recommend this Penguin edition especially because unlike any other editions of "The Prisoner of Zenda" currently available, it also contains Hope's lesser but still worthy sequel "Rupert of Hentzau," which brings Rassendyll back to Ruritania years later to match wits and swords with Michael's henchman, bringing an end to the saga so satisfyingly that there's no need for a third adventure. I loved both but would definitely rank "Rupert" a level below "Prisoner": "Rupert" is narrated by Fritz, the faithful royal retainer from "Prisoner," and suffers from much of the action taking place outside Fritz's personal view and being retold later on. Still, it's a stunning and emotional end to the story, and one which'll bring a proper tear to your eye. Like Rudolf of Ruritania, Anthony Hope is a king...of adventure novels. Unlike Rudolf, he has no equal.

I've long been a fan of Errol Flynn swashbucklers and the classic works of the prolific (and unjustly forgotten) Rafael Sabatini, but if you want the greatest swashbuckler novel of them all, Anthony Hope's "The Prisoner of Zenda" is a classic you'll come back to again and again: over a hundred years after being written, it's still as sharp as a rapier point.

"The Prisoner of Zenda" is something of a rarity: a Victorian adventure novel that is as fresh and entertaining to read in this modern jaded age as it was in 1894. If you've ever seen one of the many movie adaptations you already know the story: Rudolf Rassendyll, an Englishman vacationing in the tiny European country of Ruritania, meets and befriends the soon-to-be-crowned King Rudolf--his exact and identical double. When the King is kidnapped by the dastardly Black Michael, Rassendyll must impersonate the King in the coronation ceremony...and in the heart of the Queen. Hope's handling of the romance between Rassendyll and Queen Flavia is both a daring and romantic love story and a subtle examination of the meaning of honor and duty to a gentleman. Of course there's plenty of swordplay and derring-do along the way (put on an Erich Korngold CD while reading for the best effect). If Tom Clancy was writing this one, there'd be nuclear weapons instead of swords and email instead of telegrams, but even he couldn't pull off the simple but subtle romantic story and the triumphant but poignant ending.

If you enjoy this, you'll also want to read Hope's worthy sequel "Rupert of Hentzau," which brings Rassendyll back to Ruritania years later to match wits and swords with Michael's henchman, bringing an end to the saga so satisfyingly that there's no need for a third adventure. I loved both but would definitely rank "Rupert" a level below "Prisoner": "Rupert" is narrated by Fritz, the faithful royal retainer from "Prisoner," and suffers from much of the action taking place outside Fritz's personal view and being retold later on. Still, it's a stunning and emotional end to the story, and one which'll bring a proper tear to your eye. Like Rudolf of Ruritania, Anthony Hope is a king...of adventure novels. Unlike Rudolf, he has no equal.

I loved Anthony Hope's style and imagination while reading this book. It portrays the good-guy, bad-guy scenerio as we all wish it to be. Many tricky and devious criminals sceme against the King and and his little-known double, Rudolph Rassendyl.
The night before his coranation, the King is poisoned by his brother, and Rudolph must take his place at the coranation. But afterwards, when Rudolph and the King's servants come back to return the King to his thrown; he is gone.
Rudolph is now trapped as the King of Ruritania, with mixed feelings on whether to rescue the King. In the end Rudolph makes the right choice and rescues his king from his brother, the duke. After his show of heroism, he is quickly forgotten and returns to his normal life.
In the end Anthony Hope's description of the characters and misfortune leaves you begging for more and in the sequal, the characters return to finish the dispute once and for all.

The book mentiones : Infinity commenly inspires feelings of awe, futility and fear. Reading of the book makes one agree to it. The book is written for a reader who is philosophically curious and patient in reading. After introducting the various context ( spatial, temporal , physical) where one encounter the issue of infinity, the author explain clearly the debate of potential vs actual infinity. Here author points out about the Greek philosophical tendencies. Chapter two discusses the revolution brought by Cantor's works. He explains the concept using a lot of symbols, diagrams and illustrations. The reader is made to understand the notion of transfinite number. The chapter ends with an extract from his novel White Light which deals with the idea of the chapter. Next chapter discusses the kind of paradoxes one encounter in thinking the theme of infinity within modern mathematical logical framework. Chapter four discusses the implications of Godel's theorems in question of Robot consciousness. He gives details about his personal interactions with Godel. He mentiones about his dream about Godel the day before Godel's death. This is most humanistic chapter. Last chapter discusses the abstract philosophical reflections. There are two well written excursion chapters : one on Cantor's set theory and one on Godel's Incompleteness theorems. Every chapter has well thought puzzles and paradoxes section.

In many ways, infinity is the most abstract concept of all. Many of the advances in understanding how to manipulate infinities had unpleasant consequences. As the legend goes, the first one to announce that there are infinite non-repeating decimals was rewarded by being drowned. Georg Cantor, the first to prove that there are different levels of infinity, faced extreme criticism and ultimately went mad. Fortunately, Rudy Rucker provides a gentle introduction to this concept, one that can be read by most with the only consequence being enlightenment.
The entire range of infinities (what a phrase!) is covered in this book. From the simplest infinity (omega), to the multi-universe theories of quantum theory. All are put forward in a very readable style, although there are times when one must slow down and read very carefully if one is to understand. Rucker's encounters with Kurt Godel is a welcome contrast with the common depiction that he was a dry, humorless man. It is refreshing to hear that he laughed and had a sense of humor.
Many different test scenarios have been put forward to determine if a computer is indeed intelligent. At this time, I would propose that any machine that can understand the concept of infinity must be considered intelligent. Any human wishing to pass that test need only read this book. It should be required reading in all undergraduate mathematics programs.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission.

I know very little about any of the subjects discussed in this book, although I do have a degree in philosophy of science, and I liked this book a lot.

I can't believe I made it through 7 years of senior school and 2 years of degree level maths and nobody ever bothered to tell me about infinity, transfinite numbers, set theory and its relationships with, and underpinning of other branches of mathematics in a way I could understand rather than simply regurgitate. Rucker on the other hand manages to do this in 362 pages.

I slso found the stuff about Godel and the impossibility of complete formulisms very useful, not only philosophically, but also just for my own peace of mind.

This is an exquisitely written small book. I was attracted to it because Cohen writes of places I know. It was an unusual and pleasant sensation to read such a book, although the familiarity turned out to be only geographical. They may be the places I knew, but they're not the same spaces, having the same connotations. Of course the best thing is Cohen's skill as a writer. He touches lightly and wryly on the fun, intimacies, and disasters of his teen years in a white-collar suburb by a big city. He reticently yet precisely exposes his evolving relations with parents and teen friends. It is a form of double biography, him and a charismatic friend. Cohen has a wonderful way of giving his friends adventures, while much later revealing another truth of the matter. I didn't find it as nostalgic as some reviewers. The drugs and sex and "wasted" college years were very different from what I remember, or maybe Rich Cohen just ran with a faster crowd than I knew, or it's our different generations. He finishes off the story crisply rather than drag on, with a series of quiet bombshells about the friends we thought he had led us to know. This was fun to read, and for me had another's view of some of the very same places. It left me pensive or dislocated rather than nostalgic.

I have difficulty understanding what critics of the book wanted from it. I am an ex-Chicagoan (I even lived there during the book's mid-80s), but grew-up working class a short walk from a different great lake in a different state. Cohen's life wasn't mine, but I had no trouble identifying with the desire to be taken away by people cooler and more interesting than my peers, while still hanging out with a ragtag group of them, anyway. Much of the book is really about his best friend, Jamie, the cool kid with a mysterious, little spoken past that turns out to be different from the past he wanted everyone else (including himself) to know about. The book is at its weakest when Cohen recounts his time at Tulane with characters who are over-privileged, inadequate substitutes for Jamie. This also is the one part of the book that's really more about Cohen than about Jamie, who is obviously the more interesting character. The irony of the story is that Cohen grew up while Jamie, the worldy dreamer, works in a low rent dream factory in Hollywood. The book is wonderfully evocative of Chicago (less so of New Orleans) and Cohen offers a gassy acknowledgment to the city of his birth, a city that deserves better than that. Fortunately, the text of the book overcomes all that and reminds us how our lives change in ways we don't expect, and certainly don't understand while the changes are happening. A few quibbles: Royko had moved to the Tribune by the mid-80s (he refused to work for Rubert Murdoch, for good reason) and Roanoke is in Virginia, not West Virginia--get a map, Rich.

This is the perfect end-of-summer read, full of bittersweet
memories and the mixed joys of growing up and away from the
places and people who initially shaped the way you view the
world. We've all probably known someone like Jamie and even dated a Sandy, and if we're lucky, drunk foamy
beers by a cool lake in the summer and spent hours talking about
music because it mattered and then moved on but felt a little
empty and alone and not quite grown up. Cohen weaves all his
memories into a sharp, funny and fundamentally moving story. I
highly recommend this book.

Lori L. Lake brings together two characters that you immediately fall in love with. Dez Reilly is a veteran police officer who answers a routine call one evening that changes her life forever - and introduces her to Jaylynn Savage, an idealistic young woman with a gentle soul. This book has everything - action, drama, comedy, and of course, a wonderful romance that touches your heart. Very highly recommended!

As she did with Ricochet in Time, author Lori L. Lake writes with authority--this time about police training and procedures, the day-to-day rigors of being a St. Paul police officer, and the myriad human conditions police officers must cope with in the line of duty. That is the backdrop of this most absorbing story of two police women. Desiree "Dez" Reilly is an eight year veteran on the force; Jaylynn Savage is a rookie, who has decided to go into law enforcement based upon a late-night encounter with would-be rapists. With this setting of place and circumstance firmly set in the opening pages of this novel, Ms. Lake begins a tale that will continue beyond this first volume. The book is populated with interesting and likeable characters who color the lives of the two female cops as they work out their complicated relationship. Will the stresses they face as cops be too much for their burgeoning friendship? Will Dez ever open her eyes to her emotionally traumatizing past that puts her at odds with her parents--and now her friends? This is a multilayered work, and just when you think you've got characters and situations figured out, the author throws you a curve. Be prepared for a nice ride, then look forward to Under the Gun, which will continue this story of these two fascinating women. ---Ronald L. Donaghe, author of The Blind Season.

Police officer Dez Reilly responds to a call where she saves two women from violent burglars. One of the women, Jaylynn Savage, is so smitten with Dez that she herself begins training to become a police officer. Dez, still recovering from her police officer partner's death as well as a series of relationships that ended badly, is jarred by Jaylynn's infectious spirit and uninhibited emotions. Dez is equally drawn to and skittish around the younger woman. And as Dez helps train Jaylynn, the two become more and more entangled, but can Dez overcome her emotional hang-ups and learn to love again? This magnificently written novel draws the reader into the private lives of both the women as it explores their will-it-or-won't-it relationship. While on the surface it seems like just another lesbian romance novel, "Gun Shy" turns out to be much more. With adept grace, the story leads the reader through the grieving process of the taciturn Dez, who ultimately must face her own inner demons if she wants to fully embrace a relationship with Jay. Even the minor characters are fully realized, and the book as a whole is a colorful tapestry that will entrance readers and leave them begging for more.

When reading Nevada Barr, it's wise to remember that it's not the mystery, but the medium. In this second of the delightful Anna Pigeon series, our intrepid Park Ranger is stationed at Lake Superior, probably the most unforgiving and treacherous of all the Great Lakes.

Just like her first book in the series, "Track of the Cat," Barr draws the reader quickly and completely into the medium--in this case, the cold, eerie and wicked Lake Superior. In no time, I was suited up with Anna, ready to make a life-threatening dive down to a well-known shipwreck that houses five ghostly bodies--and one very new one.

Who killed fellow ranger Denny Castle, himself a skilled and "superior" diver? How did his body, dressed in macabre costume, become lodged in the engine room of the wreck? Anna and her fellow Rangers, an eclectic and motley crew if there ever was one, set out in their various ways to solve the mystery. They are aided, whether they like it or not, by a brash young FBI operative who is certain that the murder is drug-related.

The identity of the murderer and the motive behind the murder take a back seat to the truly unique and wonderful descriptions of the place, the people, and especially Anna, who is one tough cookie. Almost.

A great, quick, summer read. I recommend "A Superior Death" to anybody who enjoys a well-written, if not a psychologically challenging, mystery. Anna Pigeon, in my mind, is one of the great characters, and well worth this reader's time.

Anna Pigeon is a Park Ranger who has been transferred from the hot Texas desert (read Track of the Cat) to the cold reaches of Lake Superior where her skills as a diver are tested by ghostly images from a sunken ship to the very real danger of a murderer.

Nevada Barr does not simply tell the story, but she reveals it through details that give the reader insight into both the world of the Park Rangers and underwater spectacles that delight the imagination. As she learns about this cold world, so do we.

As Anna solves the mystery, we feel the fear building because we know that she is in danger and that she didn't get into that danger by ignoring her common sense, but by following her basic intelligence to logical conclusions. Logic can sometimes take too long, which always adds to great suspense.

Each of Ms. Barr's books I pick up is her best! I have read nearly all of her books now. I think I have one to go. It really is like finding an old friend. Anna Pigeon is a real person, with foibles and vulnerabilities, strengths, weaknesses, skills and awkwardness. In this story she is law enforcement ranger again in cold north (Lake Superior of the title) and scuba diving and boat handling. This is an excellent plot. Much like murder in the locked room. How WAS it done? You will be hooked on it. Then you will realize you have become rather fond of Ranger Anna Pigeon, and in the end you will be a fan of Nevada Barr. I know. I have been there. This book, and all her books, I highly recommend.

A heart warming story of a little girl and her family living in the early 1800's without the father. Based on actual accounts from written diaries, the authour introduces us into the life of Caroline Lake Quiner Ingalls as a little girl. The family's hardships are illustrated as well as the secret feelings and emotions that a little girl feels when dealing with stained, worn hand-me-downs; shoes with holes that pinch your toes; forgotten birthdays; empty tummies and bitter cold. An enjoyable, consuming, well written book that will be enjoyed by readers of any age.

I loved "Little House in Brookfield," talking about the struggles and the hardships as well as the joys and the triumphs of frontier farm life. I only wish Caroline could come to life. Was she really like that? I can understand as an adult, but to me, it seemed like (and I know it sounds stupid) it wasn't Caroline in the book, it was Ma. I liked it when Caroline showed a little spark with her sister. Other than that, the book was well-written and great. I LOVED Martha. She's awesome! Overall, this book is, though not as classic as Laura and Rose, one that is fun to read.

Imagine getting up every morning at the crack of dawn to a day full of chores and work. This is the life that Caroline Quiner knows. She is in charge of checking to see if the corn is ripe, feeding the chickens, collecting eggs, working on her sampler, and many other jobs. Although her life is full of hard work, she and her siblings Martha, Henry, Joseph, and Eliza still manage to have fun. They love playing games outside, especialy fox and geese, which they play in the snow.
Snow, however, is just the thing the Quiners are dreading. Many of their vetables were killed by an early frost, and their isn't much flour left in the house.The Quiners are determined to survive the winter though, and nothing is going to get them down!
I enjoyed reading this book because it was realistic and the description was great. It was interesting to read about Laura Ingalls Wilder's mother. If I could change one thing from the book, it would be to make it longer!

This Rudolf Nureyev production of "Swan Lake" was first staged for the Vienna State Opera Ballet in 1964. It was made into a film in 1967, and it is now available on video. On page 225 of the biography "Perpetual Motion: The Public and Private Lives of Rudolf Nureyev" (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1995), Otis Stuart describes this Nureyev production as "dense, psychologically complicated" and also as "unilaterally despised by the local critics and public." Generally speaking, I like Nureyev's dancing. I really enjoy Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn together in The Royal Ballet's "Romeo and Juliet" (1966). Nureyev's character came off very credible to me. In Nureyev's private life, I'm aware that he lived an alternate lifestyle. That would not be my choice, but it does not necessarily preclude me from enjoying a ballet that he dances in. Nevertheless, I have trouble in seeing the value behind Nureyev's outrageously effeminate portrayal of Prince Siegfried in this production. I suspect that might be a big part of why this performance did not achieve critical and public acclaim in the sixties.

There is, however, some merit to be found in Nureyev's choreography. Many of the swan formations are interesting. There is some good detail in the dancing when Prince Siegfried first meets Odette. When Odile does her famous 32 fouttes in Act III, the camera changes angles a couple of times to give you different views. I've learned not to take things like that for granted, as I've seen other quality productions who will just stay with the one view for the entire time. A libretto is provided, in case you do not already know the story. The video run time is 112 minutes, whereas a Kirov production is 144 minutes long. That means that Nureyev had to edit out some of the lessor known dances. Nureyev did not like the Joker in the Kirov version, because he felt it was not in keeping with the overall character of the ballet. So, he edited it out along with Prince Siegfried's friend Benno. He also changed the name of the evil sorcerer from von Rotbart to Redbeard.

The ballet music was written by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The score is beautiful, but the performance by the Vienna Symphony Orchestra is mediocre compared to other performances I've seen by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra and the New York City Ballet Orchestra. Also, it is important to consider the fact that this was recorded in 1967. The recording technology back then is not what it is today.

I am afraid that many people will buy this video because of the name attraction of Fonteyn and Nureyev. Quite frankly, I think that they are making a mistake, especially if this is to be the only "Swan Lake" in their collection. If you desire to own all of the available "Swan Lake" editions, then by all means buy this one. But, remember that Dame Margot Fonteyn was born in 1919, and her technical skills in 1967 are not up to par with today's dancers. Furthermore, there are a number of dances that are not done by the principal dancers, and the Vienna corps is simply not all that great. For instance, during the dance of the four Cygnets, you can see that their heads are not in sync. I invite a comparison with The Kirov Ballet.

One good thing about this production is that the ending is more true to the actual story than a typical Kirov version. This is because the Tsar did not allow for certain types of endings in his theater. The Soviets also maintained that tradition. Nureyev was known to have despised the Kirov ending, and therefore he discarded it. His ending is also quite theatrical and involves stage props. That might not sit well with some purist types. Also, the sorcerer Redbeard is primarily an actor. He doesn't even wear ballet slippers because he doesn't dance. He just goes around appearing menacing and stirring up the swans and casting spells and such. By comparison, the Kirov version features a dancing von Rotbart. The actual name of the sorcerer, and whether he is theatrical or not, doesn't matter all that much to me. But, you can make your own decisions as to what you value in a performance, so I'm just letting you know.

Out of the five "Swan Lake" versions that I have seen (to date), my favorite is a Peter Martins after George Balanchine after Petipa & Ivanov production from the "Live From Lincoln Center" public television series. It features innovative choreography, great dancing and an absolutely stunning ending! Peter Martin's production is my idea of a five-star "Swan Lake." Unfortunately, it is not available commercially. As an alternative, I recommend the Kirov "Swan Lake" production (ASIN 6304185529 by Kultur Video) as a reasonable, quality substitute that can be purchased through Amazon.com. In any case, please be sure to fully research the other "Swan Lake" productions available to you before buying this one. You might be disappointed by this one. I was.

This filmed performance was styled by Nureyev, who choreographed and danced this performance - retaining and only mildly revising the traditional "white acts" choreography of Ivanovich/Petipa. Nureyev's aim was to give a lot more dancing and character to Prince Siegfried. Apart from his outrageously over-the-top makeup, Nureyev's realization of the Prince was, in addition to being the perfection of perfection, profoundly moving - the Prince can act!

But there's more. Margot Fonteyn was one of the greatest ballerinas ever. In 1961, when Nureyev famously leapt to the West, a partnership began that many have described as miraculous. Fonteyn's age was fairly transparent here. Certainly the technique maintained a high level of purity and style. Even though the roll was trimmed to accomadate the tolls of sin (Fonteyn was 47 when this was filmed!) and she probably was even more breathtaking at her peak, this performance will not dissapoint anyone but a moron.

Sadly, the corps here is remarkably weak and the orchestra [disappointing]. This is why it lost a star from me. Because the corps is so vital to this ballet, and Tchaikovsky's music so fine, you'll probably want another Swan Lake if you can only have one. The Kirov is probably the one, also on DVD. But if you're a [fan]for heart-melting beauty, you'll have to get it for Nureyev.

Contrary to what many reviewers experienced, I found this DVD to be surprisingly fresh and clear. I couldn't actually believe that it was 1966 when it was recorded. I had to double-check the notes. In fact, after seeing it once, I was certain that I had been mistaken. This looks like something from the 80s at least. But it's not.

Throughout his incredible career, Rudolf Nureyev staged the entire classical repretoire throughout the world. In his native Russia, the ballets of the old world Imperial Ballet (his parent company: The Kirov) were performed in the old traditions, among these being the ballerina being placed as the focal point of an entire ballet. Nureyev felt that the male should be just as equally prominent as the ballerina. He made sure that when he staged his versions of the great classical repretoire, he did them his way, with the male alongside the ballerina. At times, he would loose the ballerina and end up dominating the entire performance (not with Margot Fonteyn of course).

But no matter, his "Swan Lake" for the Vienna State Opera Ballet is quite well done. Most people in their reviews scream about it because it is so different from the traditional version (see the Kirov version for an example). I myself am not a fan of people tinkering with "Swan Lake", but Nureyev's version is great dispite its differences. His performance is excellent, though he cannot surpass his longtime partner, the late great Dame Margot Fonteyn. Her performance is as divine as she herself was.

Nureyev does a good job salvaging the music not usually used in traditional performance in his re-organizing of Tchaikovsky's score. I will not spoil the details of the changes but they are quite good, if at times a little over the top. But c'mon its Nureyev! Get this video!