A tragedy by William Shakespeare, written around 1599-1601. Before the play opens, the king of Denmark has been murdered by his brother, Claudius, who has taken the throne and married the queen, Gertrude. The ghost of the dead king visits his son, Prince Hamlet, and urges him to avenge the murder. Hamlet, tormented by this revelation, appears to be mad and cruelly rejects Ophelia whom he loved. Using a troupe of visiting players to act out his father's death, the prince prompts Claudius to expose his own guilt. Hamlet then kills Ophelia's father Polonius in mistake for Claudius, and Claudius tries but fails to have Hamlet killed. Ophelia drowns herself in grief, and her brother Laertes fights a duel with Hamlet.

Hamlet's dilemma is often seen as typical of those whose thoughtful nature prevents quick and decisive action.

Hamlet contains several fine examples of soliloquy, such as " To be or not to be" and Hamlet's earlier speech lamenting his mother's hasty remarriage and Claudius' reign which opens "O! that this too too solid flesh would melt". Much quoted lined "Neither a borrower nor a lender be", "Something is rotten in the stste of Denmark", "Brevity is the soul of wit", "To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;" The lady doth protest too much, methinks," and "Alas, poor Yorick". Arguably Shakespeare's finest play and one that can be read again and again.

Hamlet is, by far, the most complex of Shakespeare's many plays. Many of the themes covered are love vs hate, action vs non-action, revenge, and jealousy. Hamlet discovers that "something is rotten in the state of Denmark" when he encounters the ghost of his father, the King, who has recently been killed in battle. From here, Hamlet goes on a search for the discovery of what happened to his father. However, Hamlet not only uncovers secrets of the past, but also the depths of his own being.

The Folger Edition of Hamlet is a great edition to buy, especially for those who are studying this play in high school or college, because it is relatively cheap in price and is very "reader-friendly" with side notes and footnotes that accompany each page of each scene. So, even if you aren't a Shakespeare lover or if Shakespeare is just a little intimidating (we all know how this feels), this version at least allows you to get the gist of what is going on. Also, there are summaries of each scene within each act, to let you know in layman's terms what is taking place. I highly recommend this edition.

Hamlet is considered, by many scholars, the pinnacle of Shakespeare's dramas. If you haven't read it yet this this Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism edition would be a great place to begin.

The text notes that are included with the play are very helpful to understand some of the more difficult language nuances that are inevitable with any Shakespeare. The structure is well laid out and conclusive. It complements the complexity of Hamlet very well.

Of course Hamlet is one of the great paradoxes and mysteries every written. The search of finding yourself and what it is that fuels the human spirit. Hamlet can be a very confusing play because of the depth of substance. However, the critical essays that suppliment the reading make it very accessable.

Each of the critical essays are of different schools of literary criticism: Feminist Criticism, psychoanalytic criticism, post-structuralist (deconstuctionist) criticism, Marxist critism, and finally a New Historicist criticism. Before each critism there is clearly written introduction to explain the motives and histories of that type of criticism.

This edition of Hamlet will not only introduce the reader to more Shakespeare, but also explain the play and help to familiarize the reader with literary criticism too. It is a beautiful volume that cannot be more recommended if you are wanting to buy a copy Hamlet.

I had Peglet's experience when reading this book (and "Jude the Obscure" as well). I recommend, as she does, that the reader not try to empathize with the characters; it'll make you too angry. I wanted to reach into the book and strangle Angel a few times, for reasons that are obvious to anyone who has read the book.

I must point out that one reviewer has stated incorrectly that Tess was "raped." If she had been, the book would not have had the force it does. It would have just been another "victim of society" or "victim of men" book. Take a close look at Tess' confession to Angel on their wedding night.

Think of this book not as an indictment of marriage and Victorian mores (although it certainly was meant to be, as "Jude" further develops), but rather look at it as the relationships of three people who are never quite able to understand themselves and their natures well enough to avoid disaster. An excellent book. But once again, don't try to empathize with the characters.

Having just finished this book a mere few hours ago the pain of it is fresh in my mind, but I'm sure it will distract me for weeks, such is the intensity of this tragedy. The only other novel of Hardy's I have ever read - Jude the Obscure - was a good book, stable and interesting, though not compelling until it's heart-wrenching twist three quarters of the way through the book. It was, in essence, more a social commentary, so it was with some surprise that I absorbed the constant emotion and passion that was this book. The basic storyline is as follows: Tess Durbeyfield, a young woman of a poor country family, is sent to visit her rich cousin, Alec d'Urbeville, after learning of her (perhaps mythical) relation to the ancient family which bears his name. In the obscure randomness that fate casts over life, innocent Tess is then pursued by perhaps the only man she could never tolerate (Alec), who is as his most evil in the early parts of the book. At Alec's house Tess works as a keeper to the poultry and is assaulted by Alec's constant sexual attentions until finally (and this is suggested rather than explained), exhausted and numb, she submits to intercourse with him. She later gives birth to a baby, whom she names Sorrow, who soon dies; and then meets a man she had glimpsed once years before at a dance: Angel Clare. Working together at a milking farm, they become drawn to each other despite Tess's unwillingness to incite the attentions of any man. Their love for each other grows but Tess knows that she dare not enter into marriage considering her past and a society that is both ludcrously religious and prejudiced. The strength of her love finally wears her down and they wed. However, on that very night she confesses her past, and is cruelly thrown aside by Clare, who now begins to view her as an impure woman separate to the Tess he had always loved (despite his past containing a similar history). After suffering years of solitutde and hardship, Tess finally gives up on Clare and falls in the way of Alec d'Urbeville again, relying upon him for the care of herself and her family. Sick and wasted, Clare eventually realizes the mistake he has made in casting Tess aside and finds her at d'Urbeville's mansion: too late. This brings the story to its close where greater tragedy ensues.

The book was brilliant in its emotive persuasion and its depiction of Tess, who is impossible to not feel for, and, indeed, love. The misfortunes of her life are never self-inflicted, and we are left to wonder at the end at the awful nature of a world that would bring such sorrow upon one person. Tess is wonderful, stoic, and pure in her unyielding love for Clare; d'Urbeville is horrible in his initial portrayal as the villain who will singlehandedly destroy Tess's life, though is perhaps a little less repulsive at the end as one understand's the depths of his feeling for her; and Clare is the one who holds in his hands the ability to restore all past wrongness and find joy himself, but tragically fails to do so because of pride and convention.

Overall, there were only two problems I had with the storyline: the first being Tess's succumbing to Alec's sexual persuasion in the beginning - if we are to believe that she is repulsed so many times by Alec's advances so completely and bodily, how are we to believe that she so easily concedes in one (unmentioned) incident? Her strength is greater than that. And the second is one which has been mentioned by another reviewer here: the ending, where a minor, unimportant character is introduced as a means through which to resolve everything, where in fact she is incapable of doing so, since we know nothing about this character, and can therefore put no faith in her.

Despite these minor quibbles the whole of the book, with its engaging plot and brilliant prose, is worth more than the sum of its parts, with the pain of lost love being the principle effect one experiences long after the reading is over. Tess is beautiful.

Please ignore the immature high-school student reviews and understand that this book is a masterpiece. Hardy analyzes the relationship between human desire and society's mores to an unprecendented degree. The characters are multi-faceted and very life-like. Hardly aptly avoids the mistake of creating mere carciatures of the pure woman, idealistic intellectual, and spoiled playboy. Moreover, his use of religious allusion is excellent although this may alienate the modern, secular reader. And perhaps this is the problem with some readers. Finally, Tess is an admirable and strong woman who had difficult circumstances. How many people would act as admirably in her circumstance? Not many! The reviewers that criticize her actions should realize this and that they ignore one of Hardy's key points: Don't be so judgemental! This is one of the best books I have read and believe me, I have read a lot of the "good" books.

I read this book in school and in my opinion the story may be good but the vocabulary was very difficult. You can't read without a dictionary. I had to read like five times a line because I didn't understand a word. It's a very dramatic and romantic play. I like tragedies but this play is very detailed and has a lot of scenes. I would like some day to read the same story but in actual English. If it weren't because of the literature teacher didn't help us understand I think nobody would have understood a thing. It's a very good story. I would recommend to read it but not in old English. Shakespeare's words are weird but romantic and may be too nice for his time. He is very creative and plays a lot with the characters.
It's funny how two different teenagers and from families who hated each other could have love one another. At the end they would have died if instead they had had hated each other because of the quarrel. This tragedy is weird and something different from all of the other plays, and I think that may be that's why It's still famous now a days.

I went throughout high school never reading this book. It's so well-known; everyone knows what it is about and how it ends. Movie after movie has come out depicting the events. However, I will honestly say that it is definitely worth the read. It's a beautiful story of two lovers who suffer from forbidden love. I hate sappy books. I despise them. But this one was different. I don't know if it was because it was fast paced or if it's the fact that people were always dueling, or what. However, I will say that Shakepeare is brillant. This, along with so many of his other stories are great. ROMEO AND JULIET is a brillant tale, and after reading it, I am more able to appreciate everything I have seen and heard about it. If nothing else, it's a wonderful play about honor, devotion, independence, and unification. And this edition is really helpful in understanding Shakespeare's language, for on each page, there are notations that tell what his words and phrases mean today...which is REALLY helpful.

I have seen all movie versions about Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and still love the book everytime I revisit the story. Every word captivates the reader into truly feeling the passion and tragedy of these two lovers. Even a character such as Tybalt Capulet won me over as far as description goes. Shakespearian writing is very much complex and confusing but it has a touch romance and anger which adds to the emotion of the story. Read this classic tragedy!

Lori Foster just continues to get better and better, and in Too Much Temptation she delivers another 100% read. Grace Jenkins is a lady who alot of us can relate to; she's not perfect! She's shy, she feels like she's overweight, she's not completely satisfied in her job, and she has the hots for her boss's grandson (who just happens to be engaged) in the worst sort of way. She thinks Noah wouldn't notice her if she walked around naked!
Noah Harper is the perfect grandson--he runs his grandmother's business, is engaged to a woman his grandmother loves, and pretty much falls in with his grandmother's every wish. Until he finds his oh so perfect fiancee cheating on him! Then he starts thinking about it--did he ever really ask her to marry him, or did they just fall into it? He feels relief that he's not caught in the relationship anymore, instead of the despair he should be feeling. But his grandmother is not happy when she hears he's cut off the engagement!!
Grace, being the wonderful person she, rushes to Noah to offer her comfort and her support--never dreaming that while she's there, and inebrieated Noah will clue her into some fantasies he's been having about her?! This leads to Grace and Noah embarking on a sensual journey to experience anything and everything they can--but it will only be sex.
Lori WOW's us with this story--it starts out with a bang, and doesn't let up for the entire story! Noah and Grace just ignite sparks off one another, and there is real emphasis on Noah liking Grace just the way she is. You can feel their relationship with one another build, and the SEX! Wow--it is sexy, sensual, and sweet. Her charachters are so real, true to life that they could walk off the page, and I wouldn't be suprised. While she has this wonderful, macho hero, she shows us his vulnerabilities, and his struggle to find the right answer within himself. I loved every second of this book, and can't wait for the sequel for the brother, Ben, who contributes some very witty dialogue!! Way to go, Lori!!!
Don't pass this book up, folks! This is a keeper!!
...

There is only one word that kept coming to my mind while reaing TOO MUCH TEMPTATION, that word was WOW! This book deserves a higher sensuality rating than 10. I thought Caught in the Act was good until a friend gave me TMT to read.

Grace and Noah were the perfect couple and they sizzled on every page. Just from the eye contact between the two, you knew there would be red hot passion when they came together. Even though Grace was a virgin, she had loved Noah since she first laid eyes on him. Grace wasn't model thin and she thought therefore not perfect, so she never expected Noah to even look at her twice. Boy did she have it wrong. Noah being the man that he was let her know repeatedly and in every way imaginable that he liked her just the way she was, not skinny not fat but beautifully voluptuous and he wanted to taste and experience every inch of her. (pant, pant)
This story was not only sexy it was funny. Thanks in part to Noah's equally handsome brother, Ben.
Just let me say this, BUY THE BOOK! Once I started, there was no putting it down. There was not a dull page in the entire book! That's right 280 pages of sheer entertainment.
Alright Ms. Foster, when are we going to get Ben's story? I can just imagine the type woman to finally capture his eye and his heart. Let it be soon. Okay?

The last thing Noah Harper expects to find is his fiancée in bed with another man. He can't seem to get angry about it; instead he feels only relief. Because Noah and Kara's families have a history together and his grandmother adores Kara, Noah takes the blame for calling off the wedding so that Kara won't suffer through a scandal. Now Noah decides all he wants is a hot and heavy affair with some woman, any woman, to make up for the less than hot times he ever had in Kara's bed. And this woman must play by all of his rules, at least in the bedroom.

Grace Jenkins is Noah's grandmother's personal assistant and has been half in love with Noah for three years. Hardly experienced with men, and possessing a less than favorable opinion about her full-figured looks, Grace can't believe it when Noah proposes they carry on an affair after he breaks up with his fiancée. Grace, however, just can't say no to the man she's pined for all this time. Noah also makes her feel incredibly sexy and beautiful.

What follows is a story that has it all! Lori Foster shines as she breathes incredible and realistic life into Noah, Grace, and all of the secondary characters. Everyone has an integral part in the storyline, from Noah's ditzy former fiancée to his sarcastically funny and adorable brother, Ben. And the grandmother? Well, she just wants what's best (or what she thinks is best) for her grandson and isn't beyond a bit of manipulation in order to get it. Conflict and humor abound among all, but I most connected and sympathized with Grace. Grace is a "real" woman, inside and out, in my opinion. She only lets Noah THINK he's the boss, which leads to some hysterically funny and poignant scenes.

TOO MUCH TEMPTATION is a delicious story about two people who are so opposite from each other, they're just perfect together. Lori Foster is a master at delivering smart, sensuous, snappy dialogue and intense emotion when the readers -- and the characters -- least expect it. Ms. Foster yet again proves herself as one of the romance industry's most beloved authors with this insightful, explicitly sexy, yet highly emotional and poignant tale.

TOO MUCH TEMPTATION is a definite candidate for keeper shelves everywhere. It goes right to the top of my list of best reads for 2002.

Margaret Atwood's A Handmaid's Tale is a dark and gloomy portrayal of the United States in the not-so-distant future, when a totalitarian government takes over all aspects of life. Atwood covers controversial issues including feminism, abortion, violence against women, pornography, environmental issues, bisexuality, ethics of cloning, racism, anti-feminism, militant nationalism, and religious differences.
The governmental structure of Gilead, including its state religion, is horrifyingly built around one goal: the control of reproduction. Controlling women's bodies can succeed only by controlling the women themselves, so Gilead's political order requires the subjugation of women. They strip women of the right to vote, the right to hold property or jobs, and the right to read. Women are a "national resource," Gilead likes to say, but they really mean that women's ovaries and wombs are national resources. Women cease to be treated as individuals, with independent selves, rather, they are seen potential mothers, leasing them to high-class families.
Biblical terminology is revealed when Gilead theocracy develops its own words to give the state control over the sentiments and ideas people can express. The vocabulary makes you think and relate religious features to characters and places in the novel. The people of Gilead must carry on conversations within the suffocating confines of officially sanctioned language. Saying the wrong thing can lead to a swift death, so people watch what they say, thereby subordinating their power of speech to the power of the state.
The main character, Offred, is exposed to the consequences of the reversal of women's rights. She craves happiness and freedom from the lock down society she now has to bow down to. The consistency of her sadness is painful and the reader is reminded of her dreadful lifestyle when compared to her past memories of normalcy. To escape her struggles with the corrupt government, she attempts to run away but gets caught. Previous handmaids have committed suicide to end their misery or to avoid getting caught having an affair with another man.
Its scary to even think of this could actually happen in America but we can relate some events that could lead to this state ruling. The extremes in the novel are a little hard to believe but it makes women now relieved and thankful that this is not how life is. The female is too strong willed and not a pushover; I do not see in the near future anything like this happening.

I came upon this book at Waldenbooks about a couple of weekends ago, and I decided to look at it. I haven't read the entire book, but what I did read was truly horrifying. The story takes place in a future where women have been robbed of their rights. They can't hold jobs, have their own money or property, have their own names, and they're no longer allowed to read. They have been reduced to the role of babymakers--literally. The reason for this is that the United States, which is now known as the Republic of Gilead, has been destroyed by a nuclear war. As a result, most of the female population has been rendered infertile. The few who are still fertile are indoctrinated into becoming handmaids, women whose sole purpose in life is, literally, to make babies. They are then shipped off to affluent households to produce children for couples who are unable to have any of their own. The handmaids who, after three tries, don't produce offspring are sent off to the colonies to clean up nuclear waste and are labeled "unwomen."

This scenario is truly terrifying, but it can also make one feel lucky for what we have in today's society. I feel lucky to live in a society where women are valued for more than just bearing children; where women are women, whether they have had babies or not; where women have their own names; and where women are allowed to work, have their own property, read, and get educated.

It is scary to think that a scenario like this could happen in our country. Hopefully, it never will-- not if we don't let it.

The Handmaid's Tale is the story of Offred, one of the few fertile women left in the Republic of Gilead, a dystopia at its worst. Toxic waste has left population levels dangerously low and religious leaders have taken control of the country, using desperate measures to repopulate the Earth. Offred is one of the many "handmaids" who are forced to live with a commander and trys to conceive a child with him once a month. The book chronicles Offred's life as she is living with Commander Fred (hence "Of Fred"). Atwood wrote this novel at a time when there was the possibility of religious leaders establishing a theocracy. She portrays the havoc that can come about when a democracy loses its control over the people. Atwood does this extremely effectively. Since the whole book is through Offred's eyes, the one-person limited view point makes you use your imagination to fill in the gaps left by her lack of knowledge. The book isn't so extreme that it's unbelievable and is so descriptively written that it almost feels as if it the events already happened in history. It was truly a great read.

"Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry is written in the third person and is an easily understood book. I enjoyed the overall storyline and it was an attention-grabber. The book began with a young girl named Kira recovering from her mother's death. She, a gifted weaver but now an orphan, is in fear of being casted out of the village. This is because she is of no use to the town due to a deformed leg. She is brought to court and pleads her case to the Council of Guardians. With the knowledge of her artistic ability, they arrange plans for her to be a caretaker of the Singer's Robe. This is a ceremonial garment worn at the annual Ruin Song Gathering by the singer, who depicts the history of the world. She moves to the Council Edifice, one of the few places to survive the Ruin. Kira and other artists who share the stone residence are of great importance. Without giving away the ending, Kira eventually finds the courage to follow her art wherever it may lead. On the whole, I was very fond of this book and would recommend it to all. The only tricky part to me was the ending. It was a little confusing but it made me think harder. All in all I recommend it to everyone. Although I haven't read "The Giver," which is also by Lowry, I took pleasure in reading the book. An interesting and very entertaining book, I am delighted to have read "Gathering Blue."

Lois Lowry has created another book, though not as good as the Giver.

Kira is abandoned when her mothers sudden death occurs. Unwanted by anyone - not even her mother's brother - she is faced with the Council Edifice, to decide her fate. Whether she will remain in the village, or whether she will be fed to the beasts.

They keep her, for her amazing talent in thread. She far surpassed her mother in the art, letting her hands lead her where they wanted.

She is given the tedious task of fixing the Singers Robe for the annual gathering of the town.

-Now, I loved the Giver - I read it when I was in the 2nd grade. But Gathering Blue lacked something. Possibly... an ending?

I loved it until the last chapter. You find out -seriously- important things, and then it ends.

1. Whether in fact, her mother had been murdered, and not "sick".
2. Whether not just her, but the other children's parents were also murdered.
3. Why the Singer was kept in an entirely different part of the Council building; though not why he was chained up.

This book left a lot of loose ends. I definately reccomend it, if you want to think up your own ending to the book.

Also, if you hated the Giver, odds are you'll hate this too. And if you loved/liked the Giver, you'll more than likely feel the same towards Gathering Blue.

Gathering Blue is a book, that's great, but not for everyone. To start, I recommned that you read this book only if you are ten or older. Someone younger kids would probably not comphrehend the book that well. I also think you should read the Giver before you read this book. You might understand the theme of different communities more. This book is about Kira, a girl born with a twisted leg and fatherless. In Kira's community, fatherless, disabled children aren't useful and must be thrown to the field, a place where beasts supposdedly roam, waiting to gobble people down. But because of Kira's grandfather, a man of great power, Kira is able to stay alive. When her mother dies, Kira is almost killed, for being useless. But since she has a talent for threading, the powerful council of guardians spares her. They give her her own room, and an assingment. While her talent keeps her alive, Kira discovers secrets of the community in this suspensful book. I loved this book, but at the beggining, I was struggling to get through it. It's confusing and boring at the begginning, so if you don't like books with bad begginnings, then this book isn't for you. All in all, Gathering Blue is a great story or love, secrets, frienship and choices.

This is a short but engaging book that can easily be read in one sitting. Ellen Foster, the main character and narrator, is an 11 year old girl who has experienced more death and dysfunction than most people do in a lifetime. Her mother dies, her father is terribly abusive, and the remainder of the story chronicles her jostling from one relative's house to another- until she finally finds a home where she is truly cared for.

Kaye Gibbons writes in choppy, incomplete sentences as one can imagine the grounded and brutually-honest Ellen might speak. The book flashes back from past to present, but Ellen's child-like yet suprisingly mature tone remains the same throughout. She is a strong and lovable character. Her relationship with a "colored" girl Starletta is another high point of the book, and Gibbons manages to hit on the subjects of society's "rules" and racial prejudice without seeming redundant. This book alerted me to not only Ellen's plight but the plight of all children who fall subject to the court, social services, and the foster care system.

We have all heard or read stories about characters from extremely disfunctional families struggling to survive in and out of their broken homes. However, it is a very rare occasion when such a story is portrayed through the eyes of a child, which is what Kaye Gibbons successfully managed to do with this coming of age fiction. Because this story is in first person point of view, the reader truly gets to experience it as if the main character is sitting right in front of them and explaining herself. In fact, the entire novel is written in a childlike form, as seen in everything from Ellen's thoughts and mannerisms to the dialect and lack of punctuation in the book. This can be somewhat confusing at times but, nevertheless, does not take away from the story's essence at all. Aside from the unique writing style used by Gibbons in this account, the story focuses on a young girl, Ellen, who has been exposed to poverty, abuse, neglect, death, drugs, and alcohol. It describes in debth the hardships she faces on the road to happiness and deals with very sensitive issues such as racism, material worth, and the real meaning of family. Due to the irresistable plot of Ellen Foster, it is definately one of the most intriguing and emotional fictions I have ever read. I immediately fell in love with Ellen's mature matter-of-fact attitude towards life along with her strenth, compassion, and determination. This book has helped me to realize how many things I take for granted in life and forced me to look at the world from a different point of view. I strongly recommend anyone to buy, borrow, or checkout this endearing novel.

This is a wonderful piece of autobiographical fiction. Ellen comes from the dysfunctional home of a too-sick mother and a drunken, abusive father. She has learned early to take care, rather than be cared for. Ellen encounters other relatives as well, who should be her champions but are not. There are also many characters who give Ellen a glimpse at a better life: the librarian who helps her find books "of some account". Julia, the art teacher, who takes her into her happy but unconventional home, the mother of her black friend (in a very prejudiced South), and the foster mother, who understands the need for order and accepting love. All of these folks help Ellen to see a different, more desirable side to life.

Through the first person narrative approach Gibbon's gives readers a good look at the life of an 11 year old girl. While confusing for some, the book is written in a style (vernacular, often without punctuation and quotation marks) that makes readers understand Ellen's story from her unique point of view. Gibbon's is successful in leading the reader to examine old themes, such as prejudice, from a very fresh perspective.

This book was on and off. In the beginning it was good, but then as it went along it became boring. It was the same thing every single chapter in the beginning. They walk they sleep they walk they sleep.BORING!!! Finally they make it to aunt Cilla's and since the books not even half done....the obvious happens Aunts Cilla's dead and not rich or anything like the letter said. Instead her daugter Eunice the kids cousin are there. She decides to take them. She a mean old lady whos obsessed with being clean. She gives Diicey like 100 chores a day and no ime for fun or school. Eunice decides to adopt them but she doesn't really like Sammy beacuse hes stubborn and disrespectful so she started thinking about putting just him in a foster home. Yup I bet you guessed what happened next Dicey takes the kids and leaves to go to her grandmother's. This means more boring walking. The next like 3 or 4 chapter is them going to grandmother's. Walk, rest, walk, rest. Finally they get to grandmother and she's a mean crazy old lady. She doesn't want the kids but lets the stay the night then the next and the next and then they stayed for about 4 days. Now grandmother was growing soft and started liking the kids. She enrolled them in school because she wasn't sure how long they were staying. Finally at the end Dicey says something to grandmother and the predictable thing happens, grandmother lets them stay. As you can see from my review I would not recommend this book.

I first read Homecoming in 3rd grade as my first "fat book" (it has 372 pages). I loved it, even though it took me about three months to finish. Since then I've read it two other times. Homecoming lets your imagination soar, thinking of odd and fascinating ways to earn money and survive in this world. In Homecoming after their mother deserts them at a shopping mall, Dicey (age 13) and her younger siblings (ages 6,9,10) must survive a trip to their Aunt Cilla's house. WALKING! Money is a BIG problem, at the beginning of their trip all they had was a measly $11. And they spent $4 the first night! All four struggle to withstand the threat of starvation. And at points in the story, they walk for so long and so hard; you'd wonder why they just don't collapse. Also is the terror of being caught and put in a foster home. Man! How can you expect a 13-year-old to hold all that responsibility! Luckily a couple of people they meet are kind, but certainly not everyone! I would HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who has a good imagination or loves adventures!

Review on Homecoming

As I was reading this book, I noticed how exciting this book was; Dicey, James, Sammy and Maybeth's journey trying to find a home for themselves. I really liked how the Tillerman children went on in their life and kept on going on their arduous journey to their Aunt Cilla's house. When they first started their journey, they found out after their first day of walking that they had only walked one or two miles and that it would take weeks to get to their destination, however, they did not stop. They pushed themselves because they knew that it was the only way to survive(they couldn't just stop where they are and give up just like their mother did because then there would be no chance of succeeding). Their mother just got too stressed out and gave up. They knew that they could not give up.
This book I thought was the best out of the four books that I read. Dicey's Song was not about the journey the Tillermans were on as it was in Homecoming. It was more like a beginning of a new life for the Tillermen children. I mostly tend to like books that are like journeys or adventures, however there are some exceptions for books that I read in 6th grade. I really did not like Watership Down because I found it boring and difficult for me to understand the detail. If the book was about people instead of animals, there would have been a possibility that I would have liked it. The Fifth Chinese Daughter was tolerable. It made me mad when I read how strict the Chinese culture is. For example, questioning a teacher is forbidden. Sometimes teachers can be wrong. Another example is that wearing slippers in Jade's house is not allowed. I really got to like Homecoming and how the children dealt with the fact that they had no parents.
I thought that the book, Homecoming was interesting and enjoyable to read. Since I am not really a reader, I was surprised I really liked the book. It kept me entertained most of the time. I would recommend this book to anyone I thought would appreciate it because I think that this book shows leadership and courage which everyone can learn from.

Few works of adult literature are so well known that they become embedded in our cultural fabric the way that Oliver Twist has. Perhaps it is because the title character is a loveable, sympathetic, young boy that the story, over time, has come to be mistaken by some for a children's tale. And perhaps it is because I feel like I have known the story all my life that I only recently realized that I had never, in fact, read the novel. So as I sat down to (finally) read this book, it was with a sense that I was simply revisiting a cherished story from my youth. But as I quickly realized after a very few pages, this is adult literature in all respects - in its sophisticated, intelligent prose, its rich plot, its elaborate cast of characters, and, yes, the occasional depiction of gruesome violence.

Surely even those who have never read this Charles Dickens' classic could recite the basic elements of its plot. Who among us is unfamiliar with the story of the young orphan who musters up the courage to ask, "Please, sir, I want some more." And yet this novel is so much more than a mere rags-to-riches story. It is also the heartwarming story of the triumph of good versus evil and of the human spirit's ability to face down adversity. Dickens pits an innocent child against the dangers of an uncaring world, and the story's happy ending is at once a celebration of Oliver's innocence and an affirmation of all that is right and just in society.

Though the prose can be tedious at times, Dickens' mastery of the English language is difficult not to appreciate. And while some may find the plot cliché, there is sufficient tension throughout the novel to maintain the reader's interest. For myself, I was continually surprised, as the chapters unfolded, to realize how much more there was to this classic than simply a story about an orphan who falls in with a gang of unruly pickpockets. This is definitely worth reading, even if you feel like you have already read it as a child.

For the younger reader exploring Charles Dickens, this abridged version will not be intimidating. It'll help open the door to classic literature, and challenging ideas.

"Oliver Twist" is a complex story about the English welfare system for orphans, overlayed by a story of love, family, and the pursuit of each.

What is missing from this version is Dickens' long descriptions and thorough presentations of a situation. What makes Dickens great, in part, is his multi-woven characters, filled with color and excitement. Some of that is lost here.

That said, this is an excellent choice for an older child having trouble reading, or the younger, aggressive reader. The story about Oliver Twist is strong enough to endure an adaptation, but, later on, it is a thrill to read the original version.

I fully recommend "Oliver Twist" by Charles Dickens.

Anthony Trendl

The creative novel Oliver Twist, written by Charles Dickens in 1838, defines a classic of all times. This intense story reflects a young boy's life in London with no family or place to go. Oliver's mother dies while giving birth to her son in the beginning of the book. Oliver's father remains unknown. Throughout the book the reader sees constant struggles. Oliver is befriended by Fagin and his company. Fagin, along with the Artful Dodger, invite Oliver to stay with them and become a thief. During one of Oliver's pick pocketing adventures; he is caught by Mr. Brownlow. Instead of reprimanding the young lad, Mr. Brownlow decides to raise him. Oliver desperately searches for the answer to his past while trying to stay alive on the streets of London. Ironically, Mr. Brownlow is Oliver's grandfather. A dominate theme of Oliver Twist examines the importance of family. Oliver's early years taught him to fend for himself and he suffers from never experiencing a loving and nurturing childhood. The setting of the book plays a powerful role as the story unfolds. Dickens describes the setting of London and all the places that Oliver stays very descriptively. "The street was very narrow and muddy, and the air was impregnated with filthy odor. The walls and ceiling of the room were perfectly black with age and dirt..." (page. 56). Dickens explains the facilities that were available to poor Oliver and makes them sound unbearable. He does an excellent job making the setting come alive and allows the reader to plight. I would recommend all readers at some point in life to delve into this classic. I found Oliver Twist very moving and towards the end hoping only the best for poor Oliver.

I knew this was a great book when, with about three hundred pages left, I started to feel sad. Like when you're on vacation, and you realize that you only have a few days of R&R left.

This book truly becomes part of your life. The characters are so unforgettably human, with real faults and foibles that will endear them to you. I think that's what I liked best about the book - the sense of entering another world inhabited by wonderfully complex (and often hilariously entertaining) people.

Yes, this book is long and it's not for the faint of heart. But it's also not one of those dry, academic-type books that feels like an insufferable chore. IJ is lively and entertaining. You will literally laugh out loud, which, if you read this book in public, may cause others to get the "howling fantods". Ignore them, and all the naysayers. IJ rewards patient and careful readers with a dense, multi-layered plot (yes, there is a plot - it's just not linear!). It's sad, funny, sweet, horrifying, cruel, wickedly smart, and, very often, quite wonderful. I highly recommend it.

FYI, I gave a four (as opposed to five) star review simply because of what I felt were some major plot points and critical info buried deep within the footnotes. Get out your magnifying glass!

A great big, sprawling romp through post-modern American addiction -- addiction to drugs, fame, money, sex, power and corporate greed. In Wallace's near-future world, everyone is on the take for the personal fix that he or she desperately needs. Even time itself is corporate sponsored! And when a brilliant filmmaker produces a video so utterly compelling and instantly addictive that the viewer, upon the first moment of setting eyes on it, immediately becomes "hooked," unable to shift his or her attention from the screen, eventually expiring in a state of catatonic ecstacy, the international race for the master copy of the video nearly sets off the long-anticipated Canadian civil war!

Probably never before in all of English-language literature has a novel been so effectively calculated -- from title page to last entry in the exhaustive footnotes(!) -- to trigger the desired response in the reader. The response being, usually, riotous laughter, but also at times fear, horror, awe and, yes, serious reflection on our out-of-control, compulsive, strung-out society. For all its hilarity (check out the tennis academy's philosophical guru, who dispenses wisdom to the young trainees in exchange for the privelege of licking the sweat from their foreheads), this is a book that makes a pretty serious point about addiction and self-destruction. And ironically, by the end, some 1,200 pages and countless hours after you have begun, you are indeed addicted...to the plot, the characters, the story, and above all to Wallace's exhillarating, expansive, completely over-the-top writing style.

I have never read anything like this. It is, quite simply, one of the Great Novels of the past 20 years. Don't be fooled by its rich and abundant and outrageous humor. This is a masterpiece of serious fiction, prose and storytelling. I have thought about this book many, many times since I (reluctantly) turned the last page. Every time I witness another ridiculously named corporate-sponsored sports event (The Citibank Visa Bowl?) or watch another American public official self-destruct from the fruits of his own personal obsession, I realize that Wallace's insane, morbid, fanatical, absurd future world is not that far away. The Year of the Purdue Wonderchicken is nearer than we think!

The effect of reading INFINITE JEST lasts long after the actual reading itself is completed. Wallace has crafted a complete world in just over 1,000 pages. The miracle of this book isn't that it is so long, but rather that it isn't longer. He has captured tremendously complex thoughts, ideas and emotions with impressive economy. Rarely does one read a book which offers so much on a narrative level while dishing out such compelling views of the world in which we live and the direction in which we, as a society, are going. I am an avid reader, and must confess to an embarassing fact: I am terrible at keeping information such as plot and characters in my head for any duration after completing a novel. But INFINITE JEST remains crystal clear in my head. I quote it. I think about it. I am dying to read it again. I miss the characters, for they had become real people in my mind. Such is the power of Wallace's prose. Perhaps the most impressive quality of INFINITE JEST is how well it showcases Wallace's understanding of profound and complex human experience and emotion. Randy Lenz's need to kill dogs and the release he feels after each act. A comprehensive and shockingly frank list of things you learn living in a half-way house. Lyle's ruminations on fame and what that means. A dark and bizarre and hilarious view of the future of network advertising. Hal's facility with language, and the degree to which his abilities allow him insight into humanity. The soul-shaking beauty of Don Gately (Gately is perhaps the most memorable character I've ever come across in fiction). The creativeness and sheer audacity of a complex game of thermonuclear war played out by pre-teens on a tennis court. It is all incredible and beautiful and touching and hilariously funny. I feel that my life has changed because of this book. My mind has expanded and my spirit has been rejuvinated. I have never felt so strongly about a piece of fiction, probably because no piece of fiction has ever struck me as being so true and honest. In closing, I am reminded of something said by Charles Ludlam (actor, director, playwright and founder of the Ridiculous Theater Company): "If you are going to tell people the truth, you had better make them laugh or they will kill you." This is exactly what Wallace has done - he has given us the stark, shocking truth about ourselves, and made us laugh at the painful, joyous realization.