This combination textbook/workbook is one of those projects that makes me wish I had done it. Or that one as good as this was available when I was teaching.

It is broken down into three areas: copy reading, headline writing and publication layout. This is for any kind of publication, but the major focus is on newspapers.

A major factor in the book's appeal is the writing style: It makes copy editing sound like fun. It is fun, but many textbooks make it sound dull as dust. Even hardened old copy editors could learn a thing or two from this book.

Another strength is Chapter 5, which goes into some detail on the topic that gives young journalists the most problems: grammar. Without becoming simplistic, the book offers a clear understanding of this most important of all challenges.

If there is an unfulfilled need it is that the book does not take advantage of the computer. Most publications today are copy edited on a monitor. Paper is passé. Perhaps the next edition will offer a remedy.

As a former student of this copy editing book, I know it is indeed a copy editing book for professionals. I am a journalist who flips through the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual frequently to remind myself of its rules when the need arises. However, the great book is not nearly as comprehensive as Copy Editing for Professionals, a manual that includes copy editing answers to words and grammar questions not addressed by the Associated Press. And the book goes many steps further with easy to understand explanations and examples of Associated Press rules, chapters on issues that copy editors and reporters face in the field and quizzes to test the reader's knowledge. The useful examples are gained from the experience of authors who are experts in the field. Copy Editing for Professionals is a must-have for students, teachers and professionals in the editing field.

I became familiar with a draft of this book some five years ago, as a student in a copy editing class under one of the authors. I quickly put the knowledge from the book to use in a student newspaper and in friends' term papers. Within a year of graduation, I was sometimes backing up editors at a 12,000 daily; within a few years of using the books, I was editing an 18,000 TMC; and another year after that, using the knowledge as the managing editor of a 32,000 weekly. The book's careful instruction of the how-tos and the whats of editing -- from the general approach to some specifics -- were instrumental in helping me help get better copy to readers and, probably, for some of the promotions. The book is superb.

The DEFINITIVE text for classical Analysis

This book is the definitive text in classical Mathematical Analysis. It was first published in 1902 and the fact that it is still in print is testimony to it's wide ranging utility and appeal.

It should be noted that this text is not for those who are new to the rigour of Analysis; its presentation is suitable for a final year undergraduate or for the post-graduate student. More importantly, its wide ranging content of proofs and results would also prove useful to the Physicist.

The first part of the book covers the "essentials" of analysis: continuity, differentiability, summation of series, convergence and uniform convergence, and the theory of the Riemann integral. Subsequent chapters quickly but comprehensively develop the theory of analytic functions, the theorems of Cauchy, Laurent, and Liouville and the calculus of residues. These chapters knit very well into the earlier presentation of the basic processes of analysis! The pleasing thing is that despite the passage of time and the advent of hundreds of books on Complex Variable Theory, Whittaker and Watson's treatment still bears a mark of freshness and rigour.

Also included is a comprehensive treatment of expanding functions in infinite series and asymptotic expansions and summability of series. For completeness, the text also covers the theory of linear differential equations and Fourier series.

The second part of the book is what stands it apart from the rest. The authors provide a comprehensive discussion of the major transcendental functions: Gamma, Zeta, Hypergeometric, Legendre, and Bessel to name the more commonly encountered ones. The treatment is rigorous but the copious number of examples provides opportunity to learn the theory and apply it. Lots of apparently obscure results, many that would be useful in Physics applications, are cited as examples.

The latter chapters presents a treatment of Elliptic, Theta and Mathieu functions.

Overall, Whittaker and Watson will continue to be the guiding light for any serious scholar of classical analysis and an excellent reference point for the solutions to the fundamental equations of Mathematical Physics. Even though I am not a practising Mathematician, I find this a pleasant book to dip into: there's always a little surprise and something new to learn.

This book will live forever!

The older I get, the more I realise the truth of what my expert colleagues told me a long time ago: there is ONE book on analysis, and it's called Whittaker and Watson. Shame on CUP for reprinting it in less than perfectly top quality. I guess they know that people will always buy it. It is a book that starts from the very basics of real and complex analysis, and moves on to the very depths of classical special functions. It's a joy to read and to teach from. No respectable mathematical physicist can afford not to own a copy. And it's about 1/4 the price of a typical, low level, textbook.

I decided to purchase this title about three months ago after hearing lots of praise about it on the internet and wanting to learn the subject, and I can now see that this praise was not exaggerated. A hundred years after its first publication, this classic still remains the definitive general reference in the field of special functions and is a very solid textbook in its own right.

The book is split into two main parts: the first consists of short (but detailed) overviews of the various sub-disciplines of analysis from which results are required to develop later results, and the second part is devoted to developing the theories of the various kinds of special functions. The sheer breadth of topics and material that this book covers is utterly incredible. The major topics covered in the first part of the book are convergence theorems, integration-related theories, series expansions of functions and differential/integral equation theories, each of which are split into two or three chapters. The reader is assumed to be familiar with some of the subjects here and these chapters are intended more as a review, but they are still quite self-contained and will also appeal to those who have not encountered the subjects yet. (I am only 16 and know no more than ODEs and a little real analysis, but I learned some material from this)

The second section, which is really the heart of the book, starts off with a detailed treatment of the fundamental gamma and related functions, followed by a chapter on the famous zeta function and its unusual properties. The book then covers the hypergeometric functions - the focus is on the 1F1 and 2F1 types, being ODE solutions - which are perhaps the cornerstone of this field, followed the special cases of Bessel and Legendre functions. There are a number of ways of developing and teaching the ideas regarding these functions; this book mainly uses the differential equation approach, starting by defining these functions as solutions to ODEs and going from there. There is also a chapter on physics applications (using these functions to solve physics equations), which is sure to please the more applied math readers. The next three chapters are devoted to elliptic functions, covering the theta, Jacobi and Weierstrass types. (one chapter on each) The two remaining chapters are on Mathieu functions and ellipsoidal harmonic functions. Along the way, some additional functions are also sometimes mentioned in the problem sets. (barnes G, appell, and a few others) About the only room for improvement here would be some analyses of named integrals (EI, fresnel, etc.) and inverse functions (lambert W log, inverse elliptics, etc.), and perhaps more on multivariable hypergeometrics, but these things are not a big deal considering how much else appears in here, and I have not really seen any book out there that covers these anyway.

Each chapter has several subsections, usually one on each major theorem or property of the function in question, and these consist of the main discussion and proof, a few corollaries, and a couple of exercises that illustrate the usage of the theorem. At the end of the chapter, some more sets of problems are given; these mostly consist of proving identities and formulas involving the functions, so answers are not needed, but it would be nice if there was a showed-work solutions book available for students. The problems themselves are very well designed and some really require the use of novel methods of proof to obtain the result. The language is a bit in the older style with some unconventional spelling and usage, but it does not detract from the subject material at all (actually, I personally liked this form of writing), and the price is about right.

The only real complaint I have with this book has nothing to do with its content; it is the printing quality. The text font is simply too small in a number of places and also sometimes looks "washed out;" while it is still readable, such a classic gem as this definitely deserves a better effort on the publisher's part. (one of CUP's other works on the same subject, Special Functions by Andrews et al, has much better printing, although is not as good as this in other respects)

For those interested in the field of special functions and looking for something to start off with, A Course of Modern Analysis would be, hands down, my first recommendation. You cannot really do much better than this.

My first experience with the late James Herriot's inspirational books took place in a bookstore in Singapore, in the 80's. I was barely 14 & had not heard of this writer/vet. But as soon as I started reading All Things Wise and Wonderful - my very first JH book, I knew I had to get the rest of the series.
Through his poignant, funny, sensitive and Yorkshire-accented writing, I relived his world as a practising vet. His was a world where decent, civic minded people lived with much love & respect for their pets and farm animals. A world where I wanted/want to be in.
It is true how one book reviewer put it: every chapter will have you either laughing out loud or shedding a quiet tear. To this day, I still remember some of his stories that touched my heart. The courtship years when a young JH was trying to impress Helen (who eventually became his very supportive wife); the timid little black stray cat, who with her last breath, would placed her one surviving kitten into the hands of a caring family; the endearing 'beggar' dog; the bored, pampered & misunderstood pet dog of a wealthy spinster...I could almost touch and see JH's characters through his vivid writing. I even felt his pride when his daughter also became a vet, & his son a doctor.
I am sorry that there were not more of his wonderful tales.

The reading on the audio cassettes is done by Christopher Timothy, the actor who plays James Herriot on the BBC series "All Creatures Great And Small". He does a magnificent job of Sigfried, Tristan and all the dales farmers. It is truly a delight to listen to this series of tapes - it takes you into another world.

(Note: there appears to be an error above, listing Edmund Stoiber as the reader.)

In this set, James has joined the RAF to support the war effort, though fate has other plans for him. We follow his attempts to get in shape and become a pilot, as events and people remind him of his many experiences back in his vet practice.

Perhaps because of the War Years, some of these stories are slightly more edgy, such as a rash of dog-poisonings and an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease that is uncomfortably reminiscent of recent events. But overall there is that sweetness of tone that pervades all of Herriot's work.

I think my favorite story was the old farmer fetching two gallons of the local pub's best beer in a milk bucket in order to warm a mother pig to her new family. Of course he saved a "drop" for himself and his mates. The amazing thing about these books is that there is never a repeated story throughout the whole series.

James Harriot has that amazing ability to transport you into his world, take you into his confidence, and offer you his friendship.....all through a series of heartwarming stories taken from his life as a Yorkshire vet. It's so refreshing to read books that are not strewn with violence and sex...yet which captivate your attention. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants some good wholesome entertainment and an occasional chuckle.

If you are searching for a new genre of literature that is informative, descriptive, witty, in-depth and factual, then "Doctor on Everest" should finally end your quest. This story is for both men and women who would be intriqued by reading about a doctor's journey on Mt. Everest and all of his interludes along the way. The author is often humorous within his style of writing and leaves no room for the reader to feel superfluous. You will be captivated with curiosity and excitement within the first few pages of his adenture and also feel compelled to continue reading onward.

Dr. Kamler describes his journey so vividly in his book, that the reader is made to feel that he/she is right along the journey with him, cheering him on. His compassion towards his numerous patients on the mountain, has the reader feeling a certain amount of empathy for the doctor when he is unable to assist everyone. This is a fast reading story and Dr. Kamler does not confuse the average reader with just quoting medical terminology. It is suited for all to read and will keep the reader on his/her toes.

When you finally read up to the last page of the story, you feel almost let down because it has come to and end. After reading Dr. Kamler's story, I believe that the author is an altruistic man who risked his own life to save many others. That to me, is what a true human being was put on the earth to do. There is an oath that Dr. Kamler had taken to become a physician, but it did not state anywhere that you had to risk your own life. This is the type of oath that comes from the heart.

I am not a mountain climber, but after hearing a review of this book on NPR I felt it was a book I wanted to read. I found this well written non-fiction book read like a novel, and was a real page turner. Written from the perspective of a medical doctor as well as a climber, Kamler discusses high altitude medicine as well as climbing. This is an intimate account of a variety of attempts by Kamler to climb Mt. Everest, as well as the medical treatments that he administered as the team doctor. This book also deals with the tragedy of the 1996 disaster in which he was valuable in helping some of the survivors. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in mountain climbing or medcine.

After reading many books about Mt. Everest, I have finally found one that gets personal. Dr. Kamler does a wonderful job of describing his adventures on Mt Everest. What makes this book stand out is Dr. Kamler himself. He lets us know what he is feeling every step of the way. Many of us cannot imagine climbing Mt. Everest, but Dr. Kamler allows us to climb along side of him. Dr. Kamler gives us a very "human" account of his expeditions to the tallest mountain in the world.

This book was extremely helpful to me in overcoming problems with anxiety. It has great factual information that helped me to learn more about anxiety, its causes, the different types, the symptoms, etc. It also has an extremely thorough and comprehensive program to help overcome anxiety, including advice on exercise, diet, medication, therapy, self-talk exercises, relaxation, affirmations, spirituality ... truly a broad and multi-faceted approach to a sticky problem.

I think one of the best things about the workbook is how it makes you realize you're not alone -- that anxiety is a widespread problem, that your symptoms are familiar and documented, and that they can be treated and even cured.

Did you know that anxiety disorder is fairy common and affects approximately one out of every ten people in the United States at any given time. Could we all be living under too much stress? I think so.

"Research conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health shows that anxiety disorders are the number-one mental health problem among American women and are second only to alcohol and drug abuse among men."

Have you ever felt panicky?
Are you fearful of entering certain places?

Are you anxious in social situations?
Do you feel apprehensive for extended periods of time?

This workbook is a practical guide that offers help to anyone struggling with panic attacks, agoraphobia, social fears, generalized anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Dr. Edmund J. Bourne, Ph.D. is a psychologist and author who specializes in the treatment of phobias and other anxiety disorders.

Some of the Topics Include:

Causes of Anxiety Disorders
Visualization for Anxiety

Overcoming Negative Self-Talk
Real-Life Desensitization
Coping with Panic Attacks
Imagery Desensitization
Identifying and Expressing Feelings
Existential and spiritual Perspectives on Anxiety
Changing Mistaken Beliefs
Relaxations Techniques
Physical Exercise
Asserting Yourself
Nutrition
Medication
How to Create Your Own Recovery Program
Self-Esteem (including creating a relationship with your inner child)

This book emphasizes that anxiety can be a result of cumulative, long-term stress and there is a focus on adopting lifestyle changes to promote a more relaxed, balanced and healthy approach to life.

The chapter on Relaxation gives some great advice. Simple techniques like breathing properly or visualizing yourself in a peaceful scene can give immediate relief. There are lists of coping statements you can say to yourself to encourage calmness when you feel panic symptoms coming on. The list of 57 affirmations help you counter mistaken beliefs. Like, you tell yourself that you are responsible and in control of your life or you are willing to accept yourself the way you are and will take small steps to recover at your own pace.

I also liked the "Self-Nurturing Activities" which is a fun list of activities to make yourself feel good. Something as simple as taking a warm bath to sleeping out under the stars. The "Life Events Survey" is very interesting. The Death of a spouse, divorced, marital separation or being fired from work are at the top of the stress scale. Christmas comes in at 12 on the stress score as compared to 29 when you have trouble with inlaws.

For example: If you got married, changed to a different line of work, changed residence, and took two vacations, your total stress score would be at 132.

According to this chart, my current stress level is at 143. So, I am below the level of cumulative stress. Between 150 and 300 you would be suffering from chronic stress depending on how you perceived and coped with any particular life events.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is dealing with:

Panic Disorder
Agoraphobia
Social Phobia
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Acute Stress Disorder
Food Allergies

"But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself." -Desiderata by Max Erhmann

The most comprehensive book I've seen on
this subject!

If you or someone you know suffers from a panic disorder, anxiety, OCD, or phobias (especially agoraphobia and social phobias), you must read this book. It is THE best source of information and practical help I have ever seen on the subject.

The book contains a wide array of topics: causes of anxiety, coping with attacks, pharmaceutical treatments, holistic treatments, psychological approaches, nutrition, relaxation, where to find support, how to give support... the book would be worth triple its price just for the richness of information Dr. Bourne has compiled.

Add to that the excellent workbook exercises and techniques, and you have a truly indispensable resource.

I was very pleased with the presentation of the material. This book is not overflowing with warm and fuzzy, touchy-feely reassurances like many "self-help" books. Instead, it has proven, practical, self-paced techniques and exercises which you can use in your daily life, presented in a clear and easy-to-digest format. It's not a dry textbook, and it's not a bit of pop-psychology fluff -- this is a powerful tool for anyone whose quality of life has diminished because of anxiety and fear.

Good luck!

This book has been one of the most influental books I have ever read, and is easily the best book on shyness I have ever read. The author gave me many good ideas to reduce my stress/anxiety in social situations, and also helped me to better understand the sources of my anxiety and shyness. I still sometimes go back and reread portions of the book. A huge thank you to Dr. Bourne for giving me a way to change my life for the better.

Dr. Bourne has an excellent track record for providing real help for real people, and this book is no exception. I always love it when a self-help author is willing to put his own story out there, and Dr. Bourne does so in a way that helps readers know that they are not alone with whatever degree or variety of anxiety that haunts them.

As a psychotherapist and author who also teaches about overcoming fear's control in our lives, I have tremendous respect for Dr. Bourne's well-thought out, thorough approach to the subject. He is not a "one technique fits all" kind of author, but instead offers a very complete catalog of options from which to choose.

Last, but not least, Healing Fear has something many self-help books don't have: humility. Dr. Bourne understands that cognitive/behavioral techniques are very powerful in the face of fear and anxieties, but he includes respectful and intelligent information about the value of medication and of spiritual practice. This is a book to which I never hesitate to refer a client, friend or family member.

-Thom Rutledge, Author of Embracing Fear (HarperSanFancisco)

these books (by Edmund J Bourne) don't miss a thing. I was never diagnosed with anxiety disorder, my md hadn't heard about those disorders, and he'd run out of tests to do, and ideas. So,sometime later, when I read this book, everything fell into place, and I could then know what i needed to get(a qualified behaviourist) which i did. I'm still agoraphobic, but won't be for much longer. It's just when your md doesn't know- it wastes alot of time. These books go past informing and cover everything you need to make a recovery.

Among all Shackleton's achievements and triumphs, great as they were, his one failure was the most glorious. By self-sacrifice and throwing his own life into the balance he saved all of his men.
This is how Worsley ends his book that describes exactly how Shackleton was able to save them all. Though for this part of the journey, the amazing boat trip to South Georgia, perhaps it was not so much Shackleton as Worlsey who saved them all. Written by a down-to-earth practical man it is easy to get completely caught up in the story. Even after finishing the book, you will find it hard to stop thinking about this fantastic achievement of navigational skills.
Before reading this book, I strongly recommed the book "Endurance".

Frank Worsley's description of the boat journey he made with Shackleton and two other crewmen of the Endurance is remarkable not only for the adventure it tells, but for the language it is told in and the largeness of spirit that it demonstrates. When I first read this--a battered copy in the local library--I felt that every teenager in the United States should have the opportunity to experience the strength of character, understanding and fine prose style Worsley demonstrates in this tremendously exciting adventure story. His description of Shackleton's leadership qualities is insightful and generous. His own navigational miracle of bringing this tiny craft across the wildest seas in the world to the relatively small island of South Georgia is understated. This book is inspirational in the best sort of honest and clear way. I have been to Elephant Island and S. Georgia and my admiration is increased by the experience.

Frank Worsley, the Captain of Shackleton's Endurance, is a surprisingly competent writer with a style that has a knack for the wonderous details of nature as well as the humorous side of things needed in desparate situations.

The book begins with the 3 boats making the dash towards Elephant Island. Most of the book naturally details the journey of the James Caird to South Georgia. Worsley, though very quirky in personality, was an incredibly resourceful, couargeouse man and a navigator without peer. Without him there would have a loss of all lives.

Though at times Worsley may confuse the non-sailing reader with his descriptions of their sailing technique(especially the venacular terms), he nevertheless manages to make you feel you are right in the boat with them. His descriptions of waves, icebergs, etc. are brilliant. He also has a wonderful sense of humor. He has an ability to coin a phrase in that Edwardian period style that is almost poetic. He came from an educated family in New Zealand and it shows.

He also brings great detail to the shorter but still dramatic crossing of South Georgia.

Overall, it is a wonderful book that is alive with details and personal perspectives from a man with a superb mind and great heart.

You will laugh, cry and be confused when you read this book. This book can teach you that what you think is good is not always good.

There is a boy named Peter Pan. He sprinkles fairy dust in Wendy and her two brothers. Then he shows them how to fly. He takes them to Neverland and shows them to the Lost Boys who live there. Wendy becomes their mother. She makes up rules, like any other mother would do. The boys have to follow these rules. Everything was fine until Captain Hook came with his crew to where the boys and Wendy were. While Wendy and the boys were at the lagoon, where they go every day after dinner, they see a girl named Tiger Lily, princess of her tribe. She was captured by Smee, one of Captain Hook's men. Then Peter saved her. A few days later Wendy and the boys were on their way to Wendy's house when they too were all captured by Captain Hook. Then Peter saves them. Then the lost boys, Wendy and her brothers go home. All except for Peter.

It is mostly about what the people in the book think is right with childhood. The kids in the book think that if you grow up it is bad, but in our case it is actually good.

Peter Pan is a violent book not really made for children under the age of 10 but people 10 and up can read it. It is violent because of the language that is spoken and the idea that killing could be fun. Also, the vocabulary is very difficult for children under 10 to understand. Even if you're older it is difficult to understand.

Overall, it is a good book but watch out for the violent ideas if you are reading it to little children.

When talking of literature, people tend to look solely at books they read today but forget what they used to read, namely the ones we read as children. It is a common misunderstanding that children's literature is to be read by children and children only, but when we come to think of it, which one of us are not children, at least in our hearts?

One of the best books any child, young or old, can read is Barrie's Peter Pan. Although written in the past century, it has something for any generation at any time. Its humorous views at the world from a child's mind left me rolling over the floor, laughing; the exciting storyline kept me busy with reading until the end; and the serious undertone made me think of whether the world wouldn't be a better place if we realised that deep down, however deep, we are in fact all children. So if YOU are a child, which you most certainly are, get yourself a copy and enjoy your ongoing childhood.

This is an utterly charming work. It has been retold myriad times, but nobody else has done it as well as the original teller, J. M. Barrie.

It's difficult to know what to say about a book like this... everybody knows the story. But I guess that unless you've read this book (not just seen a movie or read a retelling), you don't really know the character Peter Pan, and without knowing the character, you don't really know the story. So read it.

By the way, if you enjoy this, you probably would also like "Sentimental Tommy" and its sequel "Tommy and Grizel", both by Barrie. There are differences (for one thing they're not fantasy), but there are also compelling similarities. Anybody who found Peter Pan a deep and slightly bittersweet book would be sure to enjoy them.

-Stephen

This book is an excellent mythology reader. The first section is devoted to the stories of gods and heroes. The majority of the stories is from Greco-Roman mythology and includes such classics as Apollo and Daphne, Pygmalion, The Golden Fleece, Midas, The Sibyl, and much more. This part also devotes four chapters to Eastern Mythology (Hindu myths, Zoroastor, etc.), Norse mythology (Thor, etc.) and The Druids of Iona. Part two is made up of the popular Arthurian legends and contains many of the most famous stories such as Tristam and Isoude, the quest for the Holy Grail, and the Death of Arthur. Much of this section is rendered in verse. This part also has the Mambinogeon and other myths of the British race (e.g. Beowulf and Robin Hood). The final section (my personal favorite) includes the legends of Charlemagne, or more specifically those of his paladins. This is where one can find stories of Orlando, Rinaldo, and Ogier the Dane. These stories are not as famous as the Arthurian legends, but are just as exciting. There is a very helpful dictionary of names and terms and a few maps and illustrations. Also, the English is fairly easy to read and shouldn't be difficult for the average person. This book is not complete; many of the stories are obviously abridged. It would be nice if it included annotations or a bibliography for those wanting to read more in depth. However, the introduction includes a very basic history of the stories, which should help the more enterprising reader find the unabridged editions. Still, Bulfinch's Mythology is one of the best and least expensive ways become acquainted with these classic stories. I highly recommend it!

BULFINCH'S MYTHOLOGY is THE classic introduction to ancient and medieval myths. In three volume's, Thomas Bulfinch recounted and referenced classical stories of Graeco-Roman gods and heroes, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Norse and Hindu mythology, the Arthurian legends, Robin Hood, the Mabinogeon, and the tales of Chalemagne and his paladins. All three volumes are combined here in a single book. Besides making great reading on their own, these tales, and the values and ideals that they illustrate, are at the very heart of western literature and culture. Shakespeare, Milton, and most of the other icons of English literature drew on them repeatedly. The modern fantasy genre has its origins in this material. Tolkien was inspired by it. They are "must" reading for anyone who aspires to be considered "educated".

There are just a couple of negatives here. The particular edition I have has a lot of typographical errors in it. There were such things as a sentence beginning "She..." when clearly it should have begun "The...", for example. Further, one can find fuller retellings of specific stories in other places. These are minor points, however. Bulfinch is still the classic introduction and source for mythological tales. Plus, as I said, it's great fun. Most people can profit from Bulfinch. Fantasy fans should especially love it.

This book is a most buy . This book was used by Ensemble Studios from Microsoft to create the game Age of Mythology (AOM). What else can I say? if any of you are fan of the Age of Empires series then you'll know what I'm talking about. :)

This second part of the Gormenghast trilogy focuses on Titus Groan, 77th Earl of Gormenghast's youth, from schooling to his ascention to manhood. This book took me almost a year to read (one long break) - the first half of the book progresses incredibly slowly, even for Peake's normally languid pace - I just couldn't cope. I can appreciate his qualities as a wordsmith - his vocabulary is second to none but I couldn't help but think he could have shortened things somewhat- the schoolmasters' preparation to court Irma drags on and on, but her eventual marriage has virtually no importance to the main plot, and ends up seeming like a waste of time and space - 'I waded through molasses for what!'

In stark contrast, the latter half of the book contains Peake's best (I think) work of the entire trilogy, culminating in the hunt for Steerpike - which is superb. Definately a book of two halves, (bad cliche) but the reader is rewarded for their effort in the end.

It's not really possible to review Gormenghast out of context with the other two books that sandwich it: Titus Groan leads you into the world of Gormenghast and Titus Alone makes you wonder how Gormenghast, the place, exists.
This second volume continues to follow the adventures of the murderously ambitious Steerpike, the maturity and self-awareness of Titus Groan, with some colorful side-trips into a courtship, the revelation of a creature completely antithetical to all that Gormanghast stands for, and a natural disaster that heightens the intensity of the conclusion.
I would heartily recommend starting with Titus Groan (it seems the only available edition has all three volumes in one), and working through them in sequence. But make sure you avoid all the scholarly apparatus that follows Titus Alone until you've finished all three: there are a few spoilers there.
As for the comparisons to Tolkein, I'm afraid I don't see it: they as different as can be. This is not a hero's quest and where it does come down to good versus evil, it's more to do with survival: the world of Gormenghast is a world of murk and shadows, with no clear delineations or values. Titus Groan's self-awareness and the choices he makes are what drive the story. In The Lord of the Rings, there's a sense of destiny to the decisions and actions: Gormenghast is much more personal, with Steerpike's ambition, Sepulchrave's sense of duty, Flay's vigilance, Titus's maturity all helping to propel the action.
Now go read this monster.

These books rank with the greatest books of world literature, and only one of them is still in print? Every library in the world should have a copy of the trilogy. Anyway, here we find the story of the adolescence of Titus Groan. We are also given more depth into the other characters. I'd like to note that my veiw of Steerpike and Flay changed. When I read Titus Groan, I found Steerpike more a sympathetic character than Flay, here it is otherwise. I'd also like to mention on how the events in the previous book effect the life of Titus Groan in such a way that it seems as if it happened in real life. We see the conflict inside of him between the pride of his linege and the desire for freedom, that eventually has Titus flee the great castle. The conflict between freedom and desire for the home is carried into Titus Alone.