Anne of Avonlea is a great book, and if you haven't read it, you're missing out! It continues the story of the girl with hair "the color of carrots", as she becomes a school teacher in Avonlea. There is everything in here, humor, love, the works! I also recomend Anne of Green Gables.

After the great success of "Anne of Green Gables," Lucy Maud Montgomery had to quickly write a sequel to continue the misadventures of the mischievous red-headed orphan on Prince Edward Island. Since the original classic was not intended to be the first in a series, Montgomery had to make some changes. The one that will drive you crazy is that Anne is back to being oblivious about Gilbert Blythe being the love of her life and her perfect match. The other thing that becomes obvious is that Montgomery is somewhat uncomfortable with Anne growing up, even though she is only "half-past sixteen," as evidenced by the infusion of new children into the story because Anne is now teaching at Avonlea school and Marilla has adopted the irrepressible Keith twins, Davy and Dora. You can also throw into the mix the mysterious new neighbor with his parrot and (my favorite part) the eccentric Miss Lavendar who has been waiting a quarter of a century for her beloved Stephen Irving to return to her. Along with "Anne of Windy Poplars," this book is a testament to Montgomery's respect for the teaching profession; the book is dedicated to her former teacher, Hattie Gordon Smith. While this is not one of my favorite Anne novels, it is still a worthy successor to the classic story. However, be warned: If you watch either of the "Anne of Avonlea" movies you will that virtually nothing from this novel ever made it to film.

Anne is a marvellous girl with a big imagination that capt your mind. Besides, she's very impulsive and optimistic. When you start reading this book, you want to not stop. I personally read it in about one day and after that, I re-read it about 6 times without being tired or boring. Lucy Maud Montgomery made characters that are really fantastic. She's a good writer and I admire her. When I read "Anne of Avonlea", I felt myself very optimistic and happy. I advice you to buy this fantastic book. You will not regret that at all especially if you like stirring books.

Judy is a surprisingly modern heroine in this epistolary novel, an orphan rescued by a mysterious benefactor and sent to college at the turn of the last century. She's entertaining, has a sense of humor that the hardships of her past has not diminished, is a talented writer, and aspires to be a "useful citizen." This is a perfect girls' fantasy with a storybook ending, and has held up over time remarkably well. I've only seen the Fred Astaire version of the movie adaptation, which I cannot recommend...read the book instead, it's truly charming.

One of my favourite, or shall I say, my ALL TIME favourite books about an aspiring authoress, and woman who wants to be considered, [in pre-World War I days when women didn't have voting rights!], at least "a useful citizen".

The protagonist, Jerusha (Judy) Abbot, an orphan whose name is picked off a tombstone and surname from the telephone directory,...remains one of the most believable and beautiful character portrayals in literature. Her sense of humour in the face of all odds, (a product of Webster's brilliant imagination and adept pen) kept me coming back to this book a countless number of times.

The superb narrative style, the book being a compilation of letters from a cheeky, unique woman growing up in the early part of this century to her benefactor who never replies, is stunning in it's currency to this day. It is hard to believe that a book, written almost over 90 years ago should still find an adoring audience. It deals with issues like women's independence, happiness, indentity and that old demon, 'love'! It is most definitely a "Classic". Rather like old wine it seems to have aged perfectly! I could go on forever, but will end by saying this is a MUST for every library and anyone who knows how good it is to be alive.

My sister made me read this book during my recent vacation. Since I am not a fan of books that consist of a series of letters, I was very skeptical about this one. But I must say that it is an excellent book. The author has beautifully portrayed the character of the orphan girl who gets a chance to go to college due to the generosity of a mysterious orphanage trustee. The letters highlight the girl's emotional highs and lows brilliantly, as she adjusts to (and then thrives in) this new environment that is so very different from where she grew up.

I am surprised that some people found a "twist" at the end of the book, I could guess the ending pretty early on. Anyway, its not the ending, but the individual letters that are the true gems in the book. I highly recommend this book for people that like character portrayals.

This is the first Rachel Gibson book that I've read and it won't be the last.

Jane Alcott writes articles a la "Sex and the City" for the Seattle Times. But, unbeknown to anyone except her best friend, she also writes soft-core porn for a men's magazine. Out of the blue, Jane gets a chance to become the sports-beat reporter for the Seattle Chinooks hockey team. She jumps at the chance as this will boost her flagging career. She soon meets and butts heads with bad boy goalie, Luc Martineau. Luc is gorgeous, aloof, trying to live down his bad boy reputation, take care of his 16 year old sister who was suddenly plunked down into the middle of his life and he hates reporters. Jane is attracted to Luc, but believes she has zero chance with him, because his usual type of woman is basically life sized Barbies and she is short, small chested, and a reporter. But, as they say, opposites attract and these two eventually collide.

I have to agree with Elizabeth Lowell's quote on the cover of the book, "Gibson is funny, touching, steamy..." I loved both Luc and Jane. Gibson does a great job conveying the chemistry between these two. The dialogue was smart and provocative. The secondary characters were also interesting and were not overblown. That's a pet peeve of mine; when secondary characters are so large that the main characters lose their "oomph." Yes, there were some silly cliches (Jane's "red dress transformation" and the dart game scene), but these were minor and did not interfere or lessen my reading enjoyment. For those of you interested in the sexual content, I'd rate this book a seven where Julia Quinn rates a five and Linda Howard rates a nine.

Now that I've found this author, I can't wait to start on her other books.

with every book she writes. I think Gibson's talent lies in her ability to write sweet, light hearted romatic stories where the humor comes across as effortless and does not feel forced at any time.This book is an excellent example of her incredible talent. Jane Alcott's average looks and unasumming personality make her the least likely candidate to catch the eye of professional hockey player Luc Martineau. Luc is a hunky millionare playboy and the star goalie of the Seattle Chinooks, Jane is the short, plain reporter assigned to them.Lead by Luc the players do their best to make Jane's life miserable. They're driven by an irrational fear that a woman's presence might jinx their season (it seems hockey players are an extremely superstitious lot) and just plain ol' machismo. However, they have underestimated pint sized Jane, who gives just as good as she gets, especially to that annoying, sexist, conceited but oh-so delicious Luc. Can Luc get over his predilection for empty headed blonde Amazons and discover the beautiful woman that lies beneath Jane's fuddy duddy exterior? Maybe so but you'll have to read to find out!

This is definetely a keeper for me. Gibson knows how to write the ultimate alpha heroes and Jane is no slouch in the character department either. She represents the average modern working woman. She is you and me and boy is it satisfying to watch the average girl finally get her man!
Highly recommended!

This is my first Rachel Gibson book and I just loved it! Fast, funny, realistic and full of chemistry.

Aspiring journalist Jane Alcott is game to take on just about any job to gain experience and fill out her resume. She writes a "Single Girl in the City" column and she also secretly writes a steamy serial for a men's magazine. Now, she's been given the opportunity to add sports reporter to her repertoire when she's assigned to cover the Seattle Chinooks hockey team. The guys are less than enthusiastic about having her travel with the team and, boys being boys, you can imagine the hazing she has to endure! I must have laughed "Poor Jane" out loud hundreds of times! But winning over the guys is just one problem when you're a sports reporter carrying "Hockey for Dummies"!

Hunky goalie Luc Martineau initally ignores her, since he famously doesn't do interviews anyway, but he finds that he enjoys annoying and sparring with her. She may be short, but she's spunky, tough and can talk trash with the best of them! Luc's had a checkered past that he'd like to forget and he is trying very hard to put his "bad boy" image behind him. And now he has become responsible for a 16 year old sister he barely knows. The last thing he needs is some reporter snooping around.

The verbal sparks soon turn to a sexual attraction that neither really wants. His life is so crazy with career pressure, his awkward, difficult relationship with his sister, not to mention that Jane is hardly his type - short, small chested and smart are not usually qualities he looks for, and yes, he knows what that says "aboot" him! And Jane's bad boy radar is working over time. The last thing she wants is to be seduced then dumped or worse have her heart broken by a jock who normally dates empty-headed Barbie Dolls. Hormones being what they are, though these two wind up together.

I won't go into more, but suffice it to say that complications arise and Luc's trust in Jane is threatened. Personally, I think Luc let her off a little too easily, but that's how love is, I suppose.

A terrific read, highly recommended! Rachel Gibson along with Julie Ortolon are contemporary authors converting this formerly historicals-only reader!

Charlotte Bronte's JANE EYRE is one of the most readable of Victorian classics. VILLETTE is something different. It could be a good bet for a reading group -- there's a lot to discuss in it. It's a deliberately slow and un-melodramatic story; the narrator, Lucy Snowe, evidently intentionally does _not_ tell about some of the most dramatic incidents in her life,instead focusing on her emotional privation.

In this book, it seems there are three levels of humanity. There is the majority, focused on material dazzle -- who are made of "vulgar materials." Superior to them are those whose hearts and minds are capable of some development, but who are spiritually limited. Lastly there is an elite, who, perhaps through much suffering and the tutelage of the wise, discover their own inner integrity, and so become free even while being bound to the "prison" of the body. In short -- don't be misled by the Christian terminology; this is a gnostic novel, even if Bronte never heard the term "gnostic."

It has a tough-mindedness that makes many novels seem sentimental. And it really is rather bleak, in seeing this world as unredeemable. For a Victorian fiction with obvious spiritual/religious relevance, what a Christless thing it is.

"Villette" is a more complex, mature novel than "Jane Eyre" and, to many readers, a more unsatisfying one. Unlike "Jane Eyre", "Villette" is no Cinderella tale, and there is no Rochester to stir the heroine's -- and the reader's --emotions. In "Villette", Bronte gives us Lucy Snowe, whom she resembled in many ways: plain, prim, no-nonsense, practical to a fault, and suffering the pains of unrequited love. Unlike the happy ending which delighted us in "Jane Eyre", Lucy finds a hope of happiness at last with M. Paul Emanuel, only to have her prospects shipwrecked literally and figuratively at the end of the book. Many readers have a problem with Bronte's liberal use of French throughout the book which disrupts the narrative, and her forays into Gothic romanticism, which seem contrived and artificial. A more serious problem, for this reviewer, is Bronte's insularity and her narrow-minded frame of reference which rejects anything un-English and un-Protestant. Even with these flaws, "Villette" is a deep, thought-provoking portrayal of the pain of lost illusions.

its rather hurried and ambigious ending, which leaves the reader having to form his/her own version of the ending ie. whether a happy or sad one. (Read the Signet Classic, the afterword by Jerome Beaty explains that Charlotte Bronte actually wanted a somewhat sad ending to the story, but her father wanted it to be a happy one, so Bronte compromised by leaving the ending 'hanging' so that the readers can decide for themselves how the story ends.)

Apart from the above dissapointment, this is a marvelous classic and beautifully written, a great and indepth analysis of the workings of the human heart and mind. I loved it better than Jane Eyre (except for the ending: Jane Eyre's is more complete and satisfying). You'll love the character of M.Paul - despite his eccentric behaviour, he's really a darling with a heart of gold, which Lucy Snowe soon discovers!

I recommend that you buy the Signet Classic version which has the English translation to the over 400 French phrases found in the book.

William Makepeace Thackeray subtitled "Vanity Fair", his masterful comic novel, "A Novel Without a Hero". But while this big, baggy eight-hundred page monstrosity of comic characters and situations may lack a hero, it has two of the most memorable characters in English literature: Amelia Sedley and Becky Sharp. The contrapuntal, shifting fortunes of these two women drive the narrative of this big book, painting, along the way, a brilliant satirical portrait of English and European society at the time of the Napoleonic wars. We first meet Amelia and Becky in the opening pages of the novel, leaving Miss Pinkerton's School for the wider world of fortune, love and marriage. Amelia Sedley, the naive, sheltered daughter of a rich London merchant whose fortunes will dramatically change over the course of her life, "was a dear little creature; and a great mercy it is, both in life and in novels, which (the latter especially) abound in villains of the most sombre sort, that we are to have for a constant companion so guileless and good-natured a person." In contrast, Becky Sharp, the impoverished orphan of an artist and a French opera singer of dubious repute, was a calculating, amoral social climber. "Miss Rebecca was not, then, in the least kind or placable . . . but she had the dismal precocity of poverty." From the opening pages, Thackeray captures the reader's interest in these two characters and carries the reader through marriages, births, deaths, poverty, misfortune, social climbing . . . even the Battle of Waterloo! While Amelia and Becky wind like a long, contrasting thread from the beginning to the end of this story, there are also plots and subplots, intrigues and authorial asides, and one character after another, all of this literary invention keeping the reader incessantly preoccupied and enthralled. Reading "Vanity Fair" is the furthest thing from "killing time" (as the dusty, misguided literary critic F. R. Leavis once said); it is, rather, the epitome of the nineteenth century English comic novel, a masterpiece in every sense of the word.

William Makepeace Thackeray subtitled "Vanity Fair", his masterful comic novel, "A Novel Without a Hero". But while this big, baggy eight-hundred page monstrosity of comic characters and situations may lack a hero, it has two of the most memorable characters in English literature: Amelia Sedley and Becky Sharp. The contrapuntal, shifting fortunes of these two women drive the narrative of this big book, painting, along the way, a brilliant satirical portrait of English and European society at the time of the Napoleonic wars.

We first meet Amelia and Becky in the opening pages of the novel, leaving Miss Pinkerton's School for the wider world of fortune, love and marriage. Amelia Sedley, the naive, sheltered daughter of a rich London merchant whose fortunes will dramatically change over the course of her life, "was a dear little creature; and a great mercy it is, both in life and in novels, which (the latter especially) abound in villains of the most sombre sort, that we are to have for a constant companion so guileless and good-natured a person." In contrast, Becky Sharp, the impoverished orphan of an artist and a French opera singer of dubious repute, was a calculating, amoral social climber. "Miss Rebecca was not, then, in the least kind or placable . . . but she had the dismal precocity of poverty."

From the opening pages, Thackeray captures the reader's interest in these two characters and carries the reader through marriages, births, deaths, poverty, misfortune, social climbing . . . even the Battle of Waterloo! While Amelia and Becky wind like a long, contrasting thread from the beginning to the end of this story, there are also plots and subplots, intrigues and authorial asides, and one character after another, all of this literary invention keeping the reader incessantly preoccupied and enthralled. Reading "Vanity Fair" is the furthest thing from "killing time" (as the dusty, misguided literary critic F. R. Leavis once said); it is, rather, the epitome of the nineteenth century English comic novel, a masterpiece in every sense of the word.

I once read that "Vanity Fair" had been classified as one of the "most boring classics" by a group of English professors, who hopefully have all been fired, as they can NOT have had any appreciation for the incisive use of the English language, the witty skewering of Victorian society, the rollicking plot, or the unforgettable characters. Becky Sharpe isn't likeable -- but in the end, you have to admire her insatiability and efficiency. Amelia and Dobbin live out the stereotypical storybook romance -- but Thackeray dares to show how the story usually ends. This is one of the few books that had me consistently laughing aloud; virtually every page has a stinging comment or revealing moment that catches the attention. Although it's a "classic" (think leather-bound dusty volumes with edifying quotes from the latin), this is as vital, insightful, and "modern" a novel as you could hope to read. (And for the record, I think comparing Thackeray and Austen is like comparing Stephen King and Alice Walker -- they're writing at the same time, but the similarities end there!)

Whitman's "Leaves of Grass" is a collection of some of the finest American free-verse poetry ever written. Outward from his home on Brooklyn, Whitman soars out over our great nation, painting a sweeping portrait of mid-nineteenth century America and its diverse inhabitants. Whitman covers a panorama of ideas and themes, from lofty, aloof musings on the nature of man, to piercing depictions of the horrors of war. Gems of wisdom hang from Whitman's web of of verse like dew drops - easy to see but hard to grasp. This is a powerful work, and a never-ending source of beauty. Unfortunately for me, I am not a big fan of free verse, making this work harder for me to enjoy than I had hoped.

Which edition do I recommend? That really depends on what you are looking for. If you are just interested in getting a taste of Whitman, I would recommend some of the abridged versions. I don't feel that reading all 700+ pages of Whitman's poetry is necessary for anyone but his biggest fans and students. For a complete version, I found the Modern Library edition acceptable, but nothing spectacular. This work has a multitude of editions, and I would recommend actually holding them in your hand before making a decision on which best suits your needs.

Giving Walt Whitman only five stars out of five does him an injustice. Walt Whitman is perhaps the finest American poet ever as well as the most quintessentially American poet. His poetry never dates itself. It is as contemporary as if he just wrote it last week. Walt Whitman's poems overflow with life and energy, pulsate with excitement, and contain deep though simply-told truths that rival those of any wise man in history. Much maligned during life and after for the eroticism of his writing, he never let his inhibitions hold back his writing and thus it sparkles with honesty. Walt Whitman was also a great patriot, who loved America in a way modern Americans would do well to emulate. He sought it out on its own terms and recorded what he saw in his poetry. His war poems, written during the American Civil War, are some of the best war poems existing in literature. Whitman knew his subject, having spent much time caring for the wounded soldiers in the hospitals and visiting battlefields. His poems create vivid pictures, richly textured, as real as you read them as if you were seeing the scene yourself. And the dialog he carries on with the reader makes the reader feel that Whitman, if he were still alive, would like nothing more than to sit down and discuss life. He is one of the few poets who manages to establish a rapport with his reader, to anticipate his reader's reactions and talk to each one through the poem. Walt Whitman should be read by any and every literate American. 'Leaves of Grass' will change anyone who dares to read it.

I carry a copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass with me where ever I go. I think that it is America's great religious book; it contains just about everything one would need to know to live a good life.

Whitman published many different editions of this book. The one I carry is the 1892 "death-bed" eddition, which contains virtually all the poetry he ever published. However I also own the "first" edition, published in 1855. In this version the poems are published without titles, so that each poem stands on its own, without any images guiding the reader before hand. I recommend either edition - or both!

Nestled between the white-hot defining Cyberpunk of Neuromancer and the flashy diamond life of Mona Lisa Overdrive, "Burning Chrome" is just a beautiful, wonderful thing, and easily the best written of the trilogy (and the Burning Chrome sprawl stories). E.g.:

- The faces he woke with in the world's hotels were like God's own hood ornaments.

- And, for an instant, she stared directly into those soft blue eyes and knew, with an instinctive mammalian certainty, that the exceedingly rich were no longer even remotely human.

Actually seeing Cornell boxes in the flesh (Seattle Art Museum) was a let-down after the evocative descriptions in the book:

- The box was a universe, a poem, frozen on the boundaries of human experience.

Gibson is off the scale on this book, especially on the third re-reading when you've learned the maze in Neuromancer and assembled the fragments in MLO. And although it lacks the classic cyberpunk edge, it has the best pure action sequence of all the books, heck, of anything made out of ASCII characters!:

- And then he was in the cockpit, breathing the new-car smell of long-chain monomers, the familiar scent of newly minted technology, and the girl was behind him, an awkward doll sprawled in the embrace of the g-web that Conroy had paid a San Diego arms dealer to install behind the pilot's web. The plane was quivering, a live thing, and as he squirmed deeper into his own web, he fumbled for the interface cable, found it, ripped the microsoft from his socket, and slid the cable-jack home.

Knowledge lit him like an arcade game, and he surged forward with the plane-ness of the jet, feeling the flexible airframe reshape itself for jump-off as the canopy whined smoothly down on its servos. The g-web ballooned around him, locking his limbs rigid, the gun still in his hand. "Go, motherfucker." But the jet already knew, and g-force crushed him down into the dark.

No one has ever done it better.

(These quotes are from the Voyager electronic book presentation of Neuromancer/Count Zero/Mona Lisa Overdrive, one of the many Gibson artifacts listed in the most complete Gibson bibliography- mediagraphy on the Web, at www.slip.net/~spage/gibson/biblio.htm ).

This is an amazing short story collection whose common denominator is the quality of the writing. Without a doubt, it is one of the finest short story collections I've read in any genre, including mainstream literature. Gibson's lean, lyrical prose sparkles on every page. In the "Sprawl" series of short stories collected in this anthology ("Johnny Mnemonic", "New Rose Hotel", "Burning Chrome", etc.) Gibson gives vivid, explosive vignettes on the lives of data couriers and cyberspace hackers in the same universe as his critically acclaimed "Cyberspace" trilogy. Yet he is just as good when he steps outside this universe, as witnessed by his poignant "Winter Market" and his collaboration with Bruce Sterling ("Red Star, Winter Orbit".). Anyone interesed in reading some of Gibson's finest prose won't be disappointed.

This is the first book I read by William Gibson, and to date it's my favorite.

Gibson's strength is not the spinning of huge tales with hundreds of characters. His strong suit is atmosphere. These stories all have strong settings. His language is poetic as he describes his near-future milieus, and his prose has a beat like a pulse as he makes you feel for his characters, In all these stories, I felt like he had plopped me down right amongst the characters. His feel for words, dialogue, and setting are so strong. Everything he writes in these stories seems to ring true, as if he's describing a world that he himself created long ago.

"Red Star Winter Orbit" is a fascinating story, and "Dogfight" was perhaps my favorite. There's a quality to his stories that I can't pinpoint well-- they all seem to flesh out what it means to be human in an age of rapidly advancing technology. The technology is exciting, but scary at the same time. I feel for these characters, because they have adapted to this harsh way of life, but at great cost.

Gibson imagines a future that is either not far off, or here with us today, and these stories really set the tone for the novels to come later.

If you're a fan of his novels like _Neuromancer_ or _All Tomorrow's Parties_, you owe it to yourself to try this group of short stories. Cyperpunk had a sharper edge back when Gibson wrote these, and there's not a bad short story in this collection called _Burning Chrome_.

ken32

This book is one of a number of Professor Challenger adventures of Sir A. C. Doyle. A noted zoologist (Challenger) has come across evidence that there is a plateau in South America that can be reached from deep in the Amazon rain forest in which prehistoric animals still exist. An expedition of four (Challenger, a sceptical zoologist named Summerlee, a noted hunter (Lord John Roxton), and Edward Malone, a journalist) sets out to verify this report. The arguing and interactions between the academics is interesting in that little seems to have changed in the last 87 years! It should be noted that Doyle isolates the plateau so that there is minimal interaction with the rest of the rain forest (thus, the dinosaurs can't escape). But, why couldn't the ptereodactyls spread out? This story was one of the earliest "Lost World" tales and has been made into a film a number of times. Other stories in this sub-genre owe much to Doyle and Challenger.

Professor Challenger, a protagonist as unique and eccentric as Sherlock Holmes, "challenges" the London Zoological Society to send a team of impartial judges to verify his claims that dinosaurs live on a plateau in the Brazilian rain forest. Professor Summerlee, a staunch foe of Challenger, accepts the challenge. Lord John Roxton, a soldier and big game hunter, agrees to go along, and Edward Malone, a star rugby player and journalist, goes as their scribe.

The world they find is every bit as captivating as Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park, and the danger is every bit as exhilarating. The characters are more engaging, and the story contains a good deal of humor as the four strong personalities clash a number of times on a number of levels.

There are no velociraptors to menace the adventurers, who have become hopelessly marooned, but a tribe of ape men serves quite well to provide the danger. It is a pleasure to have the English language used so well in describing the adventures of the four.

"The Lost World" is obviously the inspiration for Crichton's "Jurassic Park." Crichton may have modernized the story, but he certainly didn't improve it. Unfortunately, "The Lost World" reflects the ethnic insensitivity and "classism" of the Victorian Era, but if you can overlook that flaw, you will thoroughly enjoy the story.

Professor George E. Challenger, noted scientist, says dinosaurs are still alive, and he knows where to find them. The scientific community says he's a madman or a fraud, or both. Challenger's only evidence is a bunch of blurry photographs. Fellow scientists say the photos are obviously doctored and the newspapers call it a fantasy. Boiling with rage, Challenger goes into seclusion. Anyone foolish enough to bring up the tender subject around him is liable to end up in the gutter outside his house, with a few extra lumps for the gutter press.

The only reporter brave, or stupid, enough to face the professor's wrath and get the story is Edward Malone, young, intrepid journalist for the Daily Gazette. At a boisterous scientific meeting, Professor Summerlee, a rival scientist, calls Challenger's bluff. Summerlee will return to South America and prove Challenger wrong. The young journalist volunteers to go along. Lord John Roxton, the famous hunter, can't miss an opportunity to return to the jungle and adds his name to expedition. Professor Challenger is happy they are taking him seriously, even if they don't all believe him. But what will they find in South America? A strange, living time capsule from the Jurassic period filled with pterodactyls and stegosaurs? Or will they only find vast tracks of endless jungles and Challenger's daydreams? Either way there will be danger and adventure for all.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote "The Lost World" in 1912 for the Strand magazine, the same magazine that published his Sherlock Holmes stories. It's a great Edwardian science-fiction adventure, although some may not like the British Imperialism and Darwinian racism. Still, in "The Lost World" Conan Doyle lets his hair down a little. Changing narrators from the earnest Doctor John Watson to the rash reporter Edward Malone makes for a big change. There is a good deal more humor. The students in the scientific meetings are forever yelling out jokes at the expense of nutty Professor Challenger. Affairs of the heart play a big role in Malone's life. He matures from a young swain out to impress his girlfriend to more of a wistful man-of-the-world by the end. It is a very different Conan Doyle than some are used to reading. Different, but just as good, maybe, dare I say it, even better.

William Gibson does an excellent job in this installment of his Sprawl series. He carefully weaves threads of Neuromancer into this novel without taking anything away from the story of Count Zero. Gibson did an exceptional job at creating an original story while at the same time bringing back some of the favorite quirks. Such as the Hosaka decks and the various cowboys roaming the matrix.
Gibson's ability to construct three seemingly completely different story lines into one novel and then wonderfully bringing them together in the end is outstanding. One immediately gets drawn into the lives of each of the characters simpathizing instantaneously with thier plights. The diversity with which each of his characters is faced makes for nonstop action throughout the book.

I'd never read a book that started with a bang quite like this one, with the hero of the novel caught in a lethal blast on page one. The story continues foward from there. This is one of the seminal works of the cyberpunk movement; you can be rebuilt more handsome and more dysfunctional.

Like the protagonist, the book's perspecive is shattered here, whirling away in fragmentary views of the action that follows from a handful of different characters who know nothing of each other until they all fall into place at the end and all, or most, is made clear. It's a literary style that Gibson uses for every work after this one, but never with quite the same perfection as this first time.

It's hard to not see this work in the shadow of Neuromancer. It's also tempting to see it in the light of the Star Wars Trilogy. (Yes, of course I'm talking about the original trilogy.) If Neuromancer is the captivating first work that could have started a genre all by itself, and Mona Lisa Overdrive is the somewhat dissappointing finale that you love anyway for the series it was in, then Count Zero is the edgy piece in the middle. It's the one that's brimming with the promise of everything that came before and after, and in the end, rewards rereading again, and again.

Am i making sense here? No? Well, perhaps you should read the book and decide for yourself then...

Picking up where Neuromancer left off, I can understand why Count Zero was Gibson's favorite of the Sprawl series. He continues to combine cyberpunk with a sense of biopunk, capturing the reader from page one with a description of doctors rebuilding an agent from a description and body parts bought on the black market.

We then watch as three seemingly separate story lines unfold, wait to see how Gibson is going to bring them all together. This book deals with everyone from rising cowboy, to top Hosaka agent, to struggling artist, to super rich vat dweller. I felt that the ending could have maybe been a little better, but did pull all three story lines and almost every major character together for one dynamic finish.

I love to watch the interaction of Gibson's characters, as he is always creating dark and different characters that are often hated by the readers. I guess that is what I like about them. They're real characters they one would expect to find in the slums of the Sprawl, or working for Neotech, not just stereotype heroes.

Throwing in hot cyberdecks, double-agents, lots of drugs, more awesome biotechnology, combined with Gibson's unique characters, this book is a must read for any fan of Neuromancer, Gibson, or Cyberpunk.

McTeague is a tragedy, though not quite on par with the Greek and Shakespearean tragedies, is certainly worthy of praise. The author does a splendid job of vibrantly describing settings and characters. The characters are ones that you feel for and sympathize with as they all have their own tragic situations. Norris takes you through a rollercoaster as the characters in the book each have their highs and lows. Ultimately, McTeague, is more than just a story about mid-19th century California, but rather of the darker side of man himself. The evil qualities of man, such as lust and greed, are depicted in the book as well as the consequences of such qualities. Although McTeague starts of slowly at first, the novel sucks you in quickly and doesn't let go.

Frank Norris explained in "Mcteague" how uncontrollable forces are crafting the characters' destinys. For example, Norris explained that Mcteague loved Triana less after Triana first kissed him as a natural rule of human relationship. Other examples are that Mcteague murdered his wife because he let the beast in him dominates, and Triana lived in poverty even though she has five thousand dollar because her strong uncontrollabe desire to save did not let her use the money. "McTeague" holds the readers' interest by having suspense and descriptive language. It is a fun book to read.

Some aspects of McTeague are a little on the amateurish side; it can be psychologically clumsy, and some of the symbolism seems a bit labored (hey, Norris was in his twenties, whaddaya expect?). This, however, is irrelevant, because, truly, it is the most visceral novel I've read in ages, pulling no punches, and with easily the most nightmarish ending I've ever encountered in a 'realistic' novel (whatever you do, don't spoil it for yourself). Norris's single token attempt at lightening the mood is a secondary romantic subplot, but really, you'll be so overwhelmed by the novel's main thread, you'll barely notice.

Norris was heavily, heavily influenced by Zola, and it shows on ever page. And, while his writing might not be up to that of The Man at his height (though if he hadn't died at thirty-two...the mind reels at the possibilities), he nonetheless displays all of Emile's best tendencies: the talent for atmosphere, the firm refusal to ever relent, the simply-drawn but deeply memorable characters...it's all there. Written in English, by an American. One of those things that might contribute to my being proud of my country, if not for various other issues.

Seriously, dudes and dudesses...it's difficult for me to imagine how one could fail to be awestruck by this novel. Anyone interested in American fiction, naturalism, or just kickass writing in general should most definitely not miss it.