Shaw's last, and in my opinion, best satire, An Unsocial Socialist is a wonderful book that is sadly not well known. The plot is pulls you in and the book spawned an equally great play, "Smash". I couldn't put it down until I finished it.

I was the director of a summer art program for a number of years and always tried to find crafts that the boys may try. There are a numbr of projects I intend to try with the kids, and I think the boys may even enjoy them! This book includes many fun ideas for paper mache projects and the colorful pictures add to the inspiration. If you are looking for some fun and messy projects, this book has some great ones!

I AM NOT A FAN OF WILLA CATHER - HAVING CONSIDERED HER WRITING TOO SIMPLISTIC, COMPARED TO SAY, THOMAS HARDY OR BALZAC. HOWEVER, THESE SHORT STORIES WERE QUITE BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN. ALL DEALT WITH THE ARTS AND ARTISTS. WHAT I ESPECIALLY LIKED WAS THE FACT THAT, UNLIKE SOME SHORT STORIES WHICH SEEM ONLY TO BE A SLICE OF LIFE, HAVE NO PLOT OR RESOLUTION, THESE STORIES ALL HAD AN INTERESTING STORY LINE AND A CLEVER OR INTERESTING RESOLUTION. I FOUND ALL OF THE STORIES TO BE ENTERTAINING ... AND THEY HELD MY ATTENTION TO THE END. I WANTED TO KNOW HOW EACH STORY WOULD BE RESOLVED. DO HAVE A LOOK!

I give the book Silas Marner a mixed review because although it is a good book with a lot of details, it is hard for younger people to understand. I am a freshman in high school and I found it difficult to read. Geoge Eliot has written a fable about Silas Marner. After his friend blackmails him, Silas moves to Raveloe after losing his faith in the Lord and starts a new life. He gets rich from weaving and becomes obsessed with his gold. His life starts to crumble after something happens and then it all comes back when a little girl with golden hair comes to his cottage.

Silas Marner is not the best book because the narrator tried too pack to much information in to this book for how short it is. It is too hard for younger people to read because of the hard words like metamorphosis and the time period it is written in which was the Victorian age. Another bad thing about it is there are too many coincidences in it that makes it seem like a fairy tale; for example, like when Silas has his fits at the most convenient time in the plot. Some good things about the novel are that there are some good morals in it for people to learn. Eliot helps up realize the importance of love, trust and religion as Silas loses and gains these things back again. Some other morals that I learned from reading this book are not to keep lies from the people that you love and to always think about your decisions. All an all, Silas Marner is a good book. I think that George Eliot did a good job on this book.

What can the reader of today find in a story about a weaver, who felt unable to assimilate into society, that he keeps to himself in his cottage? Quite a bit. As we read "Silas Marner" and watch him caress the only thing he has to love, the gold he's hoarded after so many years, we share in his grief when he comes home and sees it's been stolen. And the fact that it was the ne'er-do-well son of one of the town's most important people makes us more sympathetic. For each day, there are so many Silas Marners out there today, men and women who feel they are outsiders and who are victimized by those in a higher social rung. But we learn with Silas the more important meaning of life, when his old stack of gold is replaced by the new....the golden tresses of the child who wonders into this cottage to change his life forever. With rich characterizations, George Eliot creates a story that will move even the hardest heart. But look beyond the surface and see the indictment of the townspeople as well, who forced Silas into the outside, and then who welcome him.

I cannot more agree with the reviewers who say Silas Marner is slow moving at the beginning, and that it is slow moving for the first half of the story, however I find that Silas Marner is not actually a story, more a biography, or a discription of the times. The scenes are that era are very vivid; the characters are very true and clear. Silas's betrayal, his 'death' and his obsession with money are reflected in the monotony of the book, just when you begin to feel the story has completely lost track of any clear-cut line, something new happens. Then, Silas is reborn, he remembers who he has been and his family. The most wonderful thing about this book is its summing up, happy ending. Nothing is left hanging, this book definatly has a good ending, and a book with an ending such as this is clearly the work of a gifted author; such as George Eliot. Do not read this book in search of thrilling plot, and captivating characters, read it for it's planning, and mostly for it's joyful conclusion.

Never mind the film versions; the original unabridged Swiss Family Robinson is an exciting epic with a lot in it for the whole family.

Our third grade teacher read to us from this book every day and I could hardly wait for the next installment. Finally I got my own copy for a birthday gift, sat on the couch and read it cover to cover in one go. I still have this book, decades later.

From the opening, thrilling tempest scene to the very end and the "rescue", this book has plenty of action as well as creative solutions to problems. There is a lot of material for discussion, how the family solved problems, how they handled disagreements, adversity, disappointment, building of character.

This book definitely teaches values along with the adventure and the values are linked in such a way as to be an integral part of the story.

And Swiss Family Robinson is never boring. There is always an exciting new beast to be discovered, a new plant to use for food or clothing, a new machine or tool to be built, a new part of the island to explore. This is a wonderful book to read out loud to kids until they are old enough to enjoy reading it themselves. If you are bored with re-runs on TV, turn off the box and spend a half-hour or hour every evening reading this aloud. Everyone will have a great time, and kids who are read to, become readers themselves.

There's not many classic books that are more well known than "The Swiss Family Robinson." A Swiss family is stranded on an uninhabited island and there doesn't seem to be any rescues that are lingering around the corner for many years. Soon the family is taming tons of new pets, fighting off animals such as anacondas and lions, and learning how to basically survive off the land the best they can. The Robinson family must keep an eye out for danger while also starting a whole new way of life for themselves.

I thought "The Swiss Family Robinson" was a spectacular adventure/survival book. You can say that the book is pretty much a long diary that is kept by the father of the family of everything that happens to them on the island. The book I read did have many references to God unlike some of the abridged editions. The only thing I didn't like about "The Swiss Family Robinson" is that when the family starts collecting and taming many animals that they find on the island, it gets a little tough to keep up with all the animals' names, but that wasn't bad enough to take anything away from the book for me.

I recommend anybody who likes survival or adventure books, especially if you like reading the classics, to get "The Swiss Family Robinson." I would recommend getting an unabridged version of the book if you can so you won't miss a word.

But let's be clear right up front. My 5-star rating of this book applies only to the original unabridged version in Johann Wyss' own words. The modernized versions are watered down, time-wasters for word wusses.

When I was nine years old I spent months struggling through this book for the first time. The old style language made for rough going, but I persevered. In the end I was rewarded with more than a classic tale marvelously told; I discovered a love of books and earned self-respect for tackling a tough read.

If I was a teacher whose task it was to introduce students to classic literature, I would skip Dickens and use this book. Kids love adventure, animals, and action. Swiss Family Robinson has it all. It's really a thriller disguised as a literary classic. All book lovers should read this one at least once.

And please don't watch the Disney movie and claim you've "been there, did that" on this story. The movie is totally different and in no way compares.

Set in upstate New York in colonial times, Cooper here tells the story of the stolid colonial scout Hawkeye, nee Natty Bumppo (don't ask), who, with his two Indian companions Chingachgook (the Big Snake) and his son Uncas (apparently newly come to manhood), stumble on a party of British soldiers conducting two fair maidens to their father, the commander of British Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. Under the watchful eyes of the young British officer who has the girls in his charge and led by a Huron scout, Magua, the party appears, to the indomitable Hawkeye, to be at greater risk than they realize as they trek through the wilderness toward the safety of the girls' father's garrison. And, indeed, Hawkeye's judgement is soon proved right as the scout Magua treacherously betrays the hapless girls in repayment, it seems, for a stint of corporal punishment inflicted on him previously by their absent parent. Since the Hurons, Magua's native tribe, are culturally akin to the Iroquois who are the herditary enemies of the Algonquin Delawares, from whom Chingachgook and his son hail and among whom Hawkeye has made his home and friendships, a natural antagonism has arisen almost at once between Hawkeye's party and the Huron and this proves salutary, when danger finally strikes. The tale quickly becomes a matter of flight and pursuit through thickly overgrown primeval forests, over rough mountains and across broad open lakes as the beleagured travelers first elude and then flee the dreaded Iroquois (allies of the French) who have joined the renegade Huron in an effort to seize the two girls. After a brief respite within the safety of William Henry however, the tables are once again turned as Magua's perfidy puts the girls once more at risk. And now the story shifts to a manic pursuit of the fleeing Magua who means to carry off his human prey in order to finally have his revenge on the girls' father, on the British and on the Europeans, generally, whose presence in his native country he blames (not altogether unjustifiably) for his myriad travails. Written in the fine tradition of the 19th century romance (which, of course, is what this book is), Cooper picked up where Sir Walter Scott (the venerable founder of this novelistic tradition) left off, creating a rich historical tale of adventure, nobility and marvelously sketched characters set against a brilliantly detailed natural landscape. If his characters are less keenly drawn than Scott's they are no less memorable for, in the quiet nobility of the scout Hawkeye lies the strong, silent hero of the wilderness which has become the archetypical protagonist in our own American westerns. And the Indians, Chingachgook and Uncas, are the very prototypes of the noble savage, so much used and over-used today. This is a tale of action first and foremost without much plot but so well told that you barely notice, as our heroes flee and pursue their enemies in turn until the very quickness of the prose seems to mirror and embody the speed of the action. Nor is this book only to be read for its rapid-fire rendition of flight and pursuit, for it touches the reader on another level as well, as the bold young Uncas moves out ahead of his comrades to place himself at risk for the others and the woman he loves. Although we never see Uncas at anything but a distance and never get to know the man he is supposed to be, he is yet a symbol of that people of whom he is the last chiefly descendant, the Delaware Mohicans. Nobly born into the finest of Mohican bloodlines, Uncas faces his final trial with heroic energy and resolve in order to defeat the nefarious and twisted Magua. Yet this struggle is also the final footnote in the story of a people, marking the closing chapter for all those Indians who, with the Mohicans, have seen, in Cooper's own words, the morning of their nation and the inevitable nightfall which must follow. -- Stuart W. Mirsky (mirsky@ix.netcom.com

Set in upstate New York in colonial times, Cooper here tells the story of the stolid colonial scout Hawkeye, nee Natty Bumppo (don't ask), who, with his two Indian companions Chingachgook (the Big Snake) and his son Uncas (apparently newly come to manhood), stumble on a party of British soldiers conducting two fair maidens to their father, the commander of British Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. Under the watchful eyes of the young British officer who has the girls in his charge and led by a Huron scout, Magua, the party appears, to the indomitable Hawkeye, to be at greater risk than they realize as they trek through the wilderness toward the safety of the girls' father's garrison. And, indeed, Hawkeye's judgement is soon proved right as the scout Magua treacherously betrays the hapless girls in repayment, it seems, for a stint of corporal punishment inflicted on him previously by their absent parent. Since the Hurons, Magua's native tribe, are culturally akin to the Iroquois who are the herditary enemies of the Algonquin Delawares, from whom Chingachgook and his son hail and among whom Hawkeye has made his home and friendships, a natural antagonism has arisen almost at once between Hawkeye's party and the Huron and this proves salutary, when danger finally strikes. The tale quickly becomes a matter of flight and pursuit through thickly overgrown primeval forests, over rough mountains and across broad open lakes as the beleagured travelers first elude and then flee the dreaded Iroquois (allies of the French) who have joined the renegade Huron in an effort to seize the two girls. After a brief respite within the safety of William Henry however, the tables are once again turned as Magua's perfidy puts the girls once more at risk. And now the story shifts to a manic pursuit of the fleeing Magua who means to carry off his human prey in order to finally have his revenge on the girls' father, on the British and on the Europeans, generally, whose presence in his native country he blames (not altogether unjustifiably) for his myriad travails. Written in the fine tradition of the 19th century romance (which, of course, is what this book is), Cooper picked up where Sir Walter Scott (the venerable founder of this particular novelistic tradition) left off, creating a rich historical tale of adventure, nobility and marvelously sketched characters set against a brilliantly detailed natural landscape. If his characters are less keenly drawn than Scott's they are no less memorable for, in the quiet nobility of the scout Hawkeye lies the strong, silent hero of the wilderness which was to become the archetypical protagonist of the American western. And the Indians, Chingachgook and Uncas, are the very prototypes of the noble savage, so much used and over-used today. This is a tale of action first and foremost without much plot but so well told that you barely notice, as our heroes flee and pursue their enemies in turn until the very quickness of the prose seems to mirror and embody the speed of the action. Nor is this book only to be read for its rapid-fire rendition of flight and pursuit, for it touches the reader on another level as well, as the bold young Uncas moves out ahead of his comrades to place himself at risk for the others and the woman he loves. Although we never see Uncas at anything but a distance and never get to know the man he is supposed to be, he is yet a symbol of that people of whom he is the last chiefly descendant, the Delaware Mohicans. Nobly born into the finest of Mohican bloodlines, Uncas faces his final trial with heroic energy and resolve in order to defeat the nefarious and twisted Magua. Yet this struggle is also the final footnote in the story of a people, marking the closing chapter for all those Indians who, with the Mohicans, have seen, in Cooper's words, the morning of their nation and the inevitable nightfall which must follow. The book is a bit short on characterization and plotting and the prose is heavy for modern tastes, but the action is richly visualized in the flow of the narrative and the images are compelling. In the end, despite its flaws, this book of Cooper's is, in fact, the classic we have been told it is. -- S. W. Mirsky

Set in upstate New York in colonial times, Cooper here tells the tale of the stolid colonial scout Hawkeye, nee Natty Bumppo (don't ask), who, with his two Indian companions Chingachgook (the Big Snake) and his son Uncas (apparently newly come to manhood), stumble on a party of British soldiers conducting two fair maidens to their father, the commander of British Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. Under the watchful eyes of the young British officer who has the girls in his charge and led by a Huron scout, Magua, the party appears, to the indomitable Hawkeye, to be at greater risk than they realize as they trek through the wilderness toward the safety of the girls' father's garrison. And, indeed, Hawkeye's judgement is soon proved right as the scout Magua treacherously betrays the hapless girls in repayment, it seems, for a stint of corporal punishment inflicted on him previously by their absent parent. Since the Hurons, Magua's native tribe, are culturally akin to the Iroquois who are the herditary enemies of the Algonquin Delawares, from whom Chingachgook and his son hail and among whom Hawkeye has made his home and friendships, a natural antagonism arises almost at once between Hawkeye's party and the Huron and this proves salutary, when danger finally strikes. The tale quickly becomes a matter of flight and pursuit through thickly overgrown primeval forests, over rough mountains and across broad open lakes as the beleagured travelers first elude and then flee the dreaded Iroquois (allies of the French) who have joined the renegade Huron in an effort to seize the two girls. After a brief respite within the safety of William Henry however, the tables are once again turned as Magua's perfidy puts the girls once more at risk. And now the story shifts to a manic pursuit of the fleeing Magua who means to carry off his human prey in order to finally have his revenge on the girls' father, on the British and on the Europeans, generally, whose presence in his native country he blames (not altogether unjustifiably) for his myriad travails. Written in the fine tradition of the 19th century romance (which, of course, is what this book is), Cooper picked up where Sir Walter Scott (the venerable founder of this novelistic tradition) left off, creating a rich historical tale of adventure, nobility and marvelously sketched characters set against a brilliantly detailed natural landscape. If his characters are less keenly drawn than Scott's they are no less memorable for, in the quiet nobility of the scout Hawkeye lies the strong, silent hero of the wilderness which has become the archetypical protagonist in our own American westerns. And the Indians, Chingachgook and Uncas, are the very prototypes of the noble savage, so much used, and over-used, today. This is a tale of action first and foremost without much plot but so well told that you barely notice, as our heroes flee and pursue their enemies in turn -- until the very quickness of the prose seems to mirror and embody the speed of the action. Nor is this book only to be read for its rapid-fire rendition of flight and pursuit, for it touches the reader on another level as well, as the bold young Uncas moves out ahead of his comrades to place himself at risk for the others and the woman he loves. Although we never see Uncas at anything but a distance and never get to know the man he is supposed to be, he is yet a symbol of that people of whom he is the last chiefly descendant, the Delaware Mohicans. Nobly born into the finest of Mohican bloodlines, Uncas faces his final trial with heroic energy and resolve in order to defeat the nefarious and twisted Magua. Yet this struggle is also the final footnote in the story of a people, marking the closing chapter for all those Indians who, with the Mohicans, have, in Cooper's own words, seen the morning of their nation and the inevitable nightfall which must follow. If you give this book a chance and bear with some of the heavy nineteenth century prose, it will prove out in the end. An exciting and worthwhile read.

Lola Carlyle contains all the expected elements of a good novel by Rachel Gibson - it's cute, funny and sexy. Despite the recipe for success, I was never completely drawn into the story.

Lola is a lingerie model hiding out after being "over-exposed" in the National Enquirer. Max Zamora, a former Navy SEAL, secret agent on the run from a drug czar. He commandeers the boat Lola's snoozing on and much hilarity and sexy scenes ensue.

The problem is, this book is NOT edited well (or at all). I'd just get drawn into the story and a glaring typo or leap of logic would jump off the page and distract me. For example, an exclusive neighbourhood becomes an elusive one, Max says "she was killed before she got to the hospital" and there's the mysterious dis/reappearing binoculars. I don't usually get bogged down in details, but the fact that I did, means I wasn't completely engaged by this book. Although it was interesting having this author set a book in the Caribbean, she does a better job with Idaho as her backdrop.

Once Lola and Max become close, she demands he give up his life in black ops so he can be safe and secure with her. Well, that's nice, but she's just met the guy, he's complained about women demanding he quit his job in his past and here we go, Lola asks too. I thought her demands were a bit presumptious.

I'd put Lola in the same category as "It Must Be Love", a good story with good characters, but somehow missing something. Here's hoping her next is in the same league as "True Confessions" or "Truly Madly Deeply".

This was the first Gibson book I've read, and I only picked up because the reviews for it were so great and I had been hungering for a good adventure romance. I have to say that this book did indeed live up to its high praise. The dialogue and the prose was never purple and Gibson does a fantastic job of giving both her characters depth without oozing cheese all over her book. She gives them introspect and human reactions as well as thought.

I won't recap the plot line because so many others already have. Instead, I will just give my opinion. I loved the interaction between Max and Lola's dog, Baby Doll. It's so cute, but funny and entertaining all the same.

Though Max is your ultra alpha hero, he has what many other alphas' lacked in other novels, and that's depth. He has dimension to his character and his vulnerabilities are believable and explained so that the reader sympathizes and can understand why he reacts as he does. Though he has his definite rough edges, there's also a chivalry about him. He's honest and keeps his promises, no matter how hard (consider the many, many times he's had to save Baby Doll).

Lola is a lovely heroine. She's smart and sassy, but her vulnerabilities are very real as well. They don't seem like they were contrived just to make her interesting. Her self-doubt and her inner strength shine through, and though she loves her independence and can do for herself very well, like many women, she also wants someone to be there for her and want to protect her. She wants a man who will respect her independence but will also be gallant without patronizing.

Gibson does a fabulous job of making her characters believable. Her characters' vulnerabilities aren't farfetched which happens all too often with characters in romances. Also, their personalities, both strengths and weaknesses, are played on through the whole story, and not brought up and dropped off whenever convenient for the author's storyline. Like real people, their baggage is always with them.

The reason why I gave this book a four instead of a five is I feel there should have been a little more action and less floating in the water (though that was crucial in their relationship development). I feel this book could have been made much longer, perhaps another hundred pages. Though it was great, I feel it was crushed together a bit. Action should have been integrated a bit more, as well as a little more romance between the two main characters while they were on the boat as well as the island. Maybe they should have been stranded on the boat longer. Who knows. I also feel how Gibson tidied up Lola's troubles was a little rushed as well. It seemed too easy and convenient. I feel as though there should have been more to the last half of the book. I loved the story but wish there had been a little more romance, a little more action, and a little more time. Overall, a great book though. I will be looking into more of Gibson's books.

KINDLY REFER TO THE AMAZON.COM MASTER SUMMARY BEFORE READING THIS REVIEW.

I have read all of Rachel Gibson's novels. The first two were marvelous, the next two were...less marvelous. LOLA CARLYLE REVEALS ALL, Gibson's fifth book, is almost as good as those first two. Actually, heroine Lola Carlyle bears more than a slight resemblance to Georgeanne, the heroine of that first story.

Within the formula of romance writing, LOLA CARLYLE is extremely well-done. For more than half the book, there are just two characters, Lola and Max. (Okay, and Lola's cute little dog.) Nonetheless, once a reader accepts the premise, the story becomes neither strained nor implausible, and neither does the dialogue.

Gibson has done a great deal of research for this book, and it shows. In fact, the deeper details rival the kind of work that author Nelson DeMille offers, though he doesn't write romances--so, by definition, his stories are more complex.

Still, for the romance genre, Gibson's background research is unique and outstanding. One cannot read this book without learning a little bit about drug smugglers, government enforcement agencies, or modern-day pirates in the Caribbean. The biggest flaw in this book is that the information offered about Lola's career as a New York-based top fashion model is far more superficial than the crime subplot.

Everything considered, LOLA CARLYLE REVEALS ALL is a terrific read!

Nathaniel Hawthorne's "House of the Seven Gables" is an enjoyable read for anyone interested in classic American literature. Some readers consider Hawthorne's meticulous style of describing settings and characters frustrating, but they fail to realize that the story "The House of the Seven Gables" is in fact, settings and characters. The reader must realize that this book was written in 1851, so it lacks the showmanship of explosions and flying poltergeists, but if properly embraced, "The House of the Seven Gables" is a very enjoyable read. As I read this book, I felt that Hepzibah and Clifford were not the only characters attempting to rid themselves of a family curse. I felt that Hawthorne himself was attempting to exorcise the guilt brought on by his ancestor, John Hawthorne, who had presided over the Salem Witch Trials, hundred of years prior.

This book is really good. Very deep mystery about a dying witch's curse. It's not a fast-moving thriller, by a slow and methodical one. Every word is chosen so carefully by Hawthorne, that it is fun to read and a challenge for the mind to find the hidden meaning. The novel starts with a discription of the house- the house with human attributes and ends with a lone cat watching the fulfillment of a witch's curse. Really excellent. There's plenty of characterization, hints of incest, and omenious surrounding to keep the reader entertained. Love love loved it, read it in a college American literature class.

The story of "The House of Seven Gables" begins in the midst of Puritan New England (which Hawthorne paints characteristically, and forgiveably, quite bleak) with the fantastic tale of a severe dispute between stern Colonel Pyncheon and alleged wizard Matthew Maule over a piece of land. Maule is conveniently executed (while cursing Pyncheon) for his "crimes", and Pyncheon builds Seven Gables on the aforesaid land. Several years later, the colonel dies suddenly, supposedly the mark of Maule's curse, which is to forever haunt the Pyncheon mansion.

Several generations of Pyncheons come and go, and the family decays and whithers until it can boast only four remaining members, two of which are old and frail. But one, a Judge Pyncheon, rotten under his trim exterior, is up to unsurfaced mischief.

The story tends to move slowly (much of the meat of the plot is not encountered until nearly half-way through!), but every word bears weight. Hawthorne weaves his story in such a way that every moment spent getting to know the characters is crucial. Neither is the slow development boring: far from it! Relax, enjoy the pace, and allow yourself to feast on Hawthorne's brilliant prose. As Henry James once stated, "The House of Seven Gables" is "the closest approach we are likely to have to the Great American Novel."

If you've been around in the Gibson universes of _Virtual Light_ and _Idoru_, which are tied together here, this book is an enjoyable enough read. However, it does not measure up to the rest of Gibson's work. If you want action and attitude, you're better served with the _Neuromancer_ trilogy, if you want communities, you're better off with _Virtual Light_ or _Idoru_.

_All Tomorrow's Parties_ shows the communities of the two previous novels in decay: The physical community of the bridge is assaulted by commercialism, anarchy, and sabotage. The virtual communities of _Idoru_ are devolving into people calling each other on cell phones and hiding behind virtual representations. The book does not have much of an intelligible plot, leaving the characters mostly just as confused as the readers.

This does not mean that _All Tomorrow's Parties_ is entirely without redeeming qualities. Gibson still has a great eye for character and scene descriptions and dialogue, and his (somewhat autobiographical) references to watch collecting and auction sites show maybe the first glimpse of modern technology in Gibson's work that the author actually uses himself.

If you love William Gibson's take on science fiction, this is probably a good book for you. If you liked Idoru (the prequel to this book), you might also enjoy the story. But if you're growing tired of Gibson's constant provocation of massive change in his book world, you might feel that this is just another twist on the same form.

Characters from Idoru return for this second go at changing the world. Berry Rydel is undeniably the most interesting character in this book, even if his personality doesn't seem to go any deeper than his Lucky Dragon bulletproof apron. I did not like the deteriorated state of Colin Laney, since he seemed in Idoru to be more of a centerpiece figure. And how can you beat a portable Rei Toei hologram?

The book has the usual peculiar cadence into which Gibson's novels seem to fall. Although, if you're like me, somehow you manage to read it faster after struggling with the first chapter or two. Readers who are new to Gibson's work may not enjoy his writing style.

The main issue I have with this book is its need to be nearly apocalyptic. Sure, every book needs to have some kind of conflict, but it would please me if Gibson could write something that did not have all of the characters saying "it's the end of things as we know it". The concept has lost a little class from the brilliantly executed Neuromancer.

Otherwise, the book is rather entertaining, and offers a sci-fi future view that is unique to this author.

I had to read this book twice, the first time through, the first 100 pages or so were a little slow. The stories were just a little to spaced apart for me, and having only read Neuromancer, the characters seemed to rapidly introduced. The last half of the book, however, moved so rapidly, and combined all of the seemingly disjointed storylines from the first half into a smooth flowing mind blowing cataclysmic conclusion. Wow. The second time I read the book, which was after reading Idoru, and Virtual Light, (the other two books in the Rydell/Chevette/Colin Laney/Yamazaki/The Bridge saga) I was absolutely floored. This confirmed my hypothesis, Gibson is a Genious, and his works should be on everyone's shelves, regardless of their degree of technophilia.

Having read three Gibson books before - Neuromancer and its two follow-ups - and having loved the first of these, quite liked the second and found myself bored and disappointed by the third, I borrowed this book from a friend with some apprehension. While it suffers from some of Gibson's problems - the predictable, almost mechanic structure of the plot into n subplots that have to be brought together somewhere in the last third - it is a fascinating thought experiment on our emotional connection to artificial constructs. The superstars in 'Idoru' exist mainly as pop video visuals, and their 'reality' is just as ephemeral as that of computer-created Idoru . Perhaps even more, as the digi-girl might exist forever, while LoRez as physical human beings will die. The audience's hunger for constructed people they can project their emotions onto - it's already reality, in my opinion. People watch their idols on television, on movie screens; they don't care about the real person behind, because they are in love with their own made-up constructs, aided by the media. Why else did so many people mourn when Lady Di died? She was a media construct, and practically none of the mourners will have known her real persona - but that's beside the point. Perhaps we want to create our ideals, we want to believe in them, whether they're flesh and blood, computer-generated, or characters in a book. Their reality exists mainly in our minds.

I didn't find Idoru awful, or bad, in fact for the most part its typical Gibson. The ending in this one is what disappointed me. I hate to write that as I know others may be just like me---reading along just fine, enjoying things, and then you start to notice that there aren't that many pages left, how is he going to wrap all this up?

Well, he really doesn't sorry to say. And I love the Gibson I have read so far, unlike some of the reviewers I have seen post negative reviews in every Gibson book on this site (easy to spot due to the fact they say the same things). I have not read Burning Chrome yet, nor The Difference Engine, but I thoroughly enjoyed Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive, and Virtual Light.

And I even really enjoyed this one...until the end.

Now, when I have finally finished the future I will certainly live in, it seems to me as one of the best book I've ever read. (The last of the best books being 'Burning Chrome', which, in it's short-story-esque way, seems to tell the truth better and with stonger emotions than any novel could.) 'Idoru' is deep, virtual/real, and it's firmly intertwined with my own ideas of our near-future.

I remember taking it up about six hours ago and reading the first page, and realizing that I'm back in the Realm of Gibson, in the realm of highly crafted sentences, in the realm of subtle references, in the realm of true feelings hidden between the black&white lines on the paper... I recognized almost instantly the branches that the sprouts of our modern technology had become. Recognized the things I will be able to do in the Net in the future that are currently merely suggested by the last reformations. Recognized the origins of idoru as a healthy motley of holograms, AI, and Ananova.com.

Gibson seems to dissect all aspects of our present-day pop culture in this book. He probes the artificial minds of tomorrow's computers to find evidences of humanity. He burrows deeply into various layers of stardom in search for the hustling power behind it, never underestimating the force of contemporary fan-base. He understands completely the multicultural society we're becoming. And he seems to place all the right details to where they belong, no matter how remote.

After reading 'Idoru' it hit me that I had actually seen and felt it all in the Sony ad-mag I flipped through the other day, in the first big-credit anime 'Ghost in the Shell', in the last Wired issue in my inbox... And I knew that reading the lines on the paper was more visual than 'Matrix' ever would.

P.S. It still amazes me, though, how Gibson managed to overlook the doubel n in Tallinn in his constant drive towards accuracy.