I really liked this one, even if there wasn't really any Nancy/Frank stuff in it. It was exciting and funny, and I've read it about a hundred times already!

THis is one of my favorite Nancy Drew and Hardy boys mystery I've ever read!! It all starts when Nancy goes to Japan for a vacation and is checking in to her hotel. While she is waiting in line she hears a crash. She turns around and sees an elderly women sorrounded by police. The womens vase had fallen and out of it had fallen tons of stolen pearls!! Nancy is convinced the women is being set up. Meanwhile Frank and Joe are in Japan also.They are trying to find out who is making cheap imitations in an electrical company. Are the cases connected somehow? And can the witty detectives find the answers before it's too late? Go out and buy this book to find out!

The book makes for enjoyable, easy reading. I've never seen the movie, so I cannot comment on its resemblance to it. The plot is interesting and moves fluidly. The books only weak points are its somewhat lackluster prose and the main character's self-righteousness, which becomes nauseous at times. Also, I wish the author would've delved a bit deeper into the pagan rites. Overall, its a good read.

Based on the marvelous film of the same title, this book is a must for those who've seen the movie, whether the long or short version. Beyond filling in the gaps of the background and true personality of Sergeant Howie, it is, quite simply, a great read! Rather than a novelization of exact dialogue and events, this gives a more complete picture of Howie and Summerisle, why he feels so adamant about his Christianity and the need to mission to the "poor pagans." Unfortunately out of print in the US (I purchased my copy used), it was available from Amazon UK last time I checked.

I went in search of this out-of-print book after seeing a biography about Dr. Hendren on our local "Chronicle" television program. This is a stimulating and thought-provoking book for those interested in the "art" of surgery, particularly pediatric surgery, as well as the medical profession. Dr. Hendren is a generous philanthropist, sharing his medical talent with children facing medical challenges around the world. It is a fair and balanced portrait of one surgeon's life at the outstanding Children's Hospital in Boston.

I highly recommend this book which tells the story of Dr Hendern,American child surgery and Boston Children Hospital. It is very well written and beautifully describes one of the hardest working men in the US.Mr Miller deserves a medal for a job well done .

The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells is a classic science fiction/fantasy novel. It is based in England around the late 1800's and also thousands of years into the future. It is an epic tale of a journey through time. Every one of the Time Traveler's friends and colleagues doubted him. They didn't believe that he had gone into the future. But he did. He visited a gentle breed called the Eloi. They were all alike. They dressed the same, walked the same, looked the same, and even reacted to life's conflicts in the same way. These identical "people" served him gratefully, giving him all the fruit he could ever want. He tried to learn the Eloi language, but their short attention spans caused him to not learn very much. The Time Traveler began to dream as to why this race of people was so alike. He couldn't figure it out. He decided that he had found himself in a utopian society, where neither reason nor strength was needed. He didn't find the real reason out, until he had discovered his time machine to be missing. Night fell and all he could do was search. When he found it he also discovered a horrifying secret about the reason as to why the Eloi were so perfect. It was a terrible secret, one that you will only know if you read this book. Believe me, it's quite a twist. All in all, I would have to recommend this book to anyone. It has elements of every genre in it: horror, science fiction, fantasy, drama, and comedy. It is just a really well rounded book that all can enjoy.

OK, we've all seen at least one of the movie versions of H.G. Well's The Time Machine, but none of them truly compare with the oringinal Sci-Fi classic. The book tells the story of the Time Traveler's journey nearly a million years into the future and the very unexpected and disturbing society he finds there. The Time Traveler formulates various theories based on what he observes of the society, which each, in turn, prove to be oh, so wrong! [Warning: mild spoiler] In the end, his realization of the future is especially terrifying considering it is the result of our current social structure (or H.G. Well's, anyway).

I especially recommend this book for those of us with short attention spans - it's only 140 pages (and that's the large print version). But don't get the wrong idea, this book still has more depth and creativity than most 500 page books i've read and is a great read, even compared with today's science fiction standards.

This book has to be considered a classic considering it spawned a whole genre of time traveling books, movies, and tv shows whcih imitated it. Get a hold of a copy and read it today!

Through several awful cinematic translations and countless badly executed literary extensions, HG Wells' great Science Fiction novel THE TIME MACHINE remains to this day a hallmark of the genre, untarnished by the later travesties committed in his name. Written in clear, illustrative and beguilingly gorgeous prose, Wells manages to paint a truly timeless and ultimately unforgettable portrait of the future that has well stood the test of time. There are problems with the novel - at times Wells seems impatient with necessary narrative elements and in a rush to get on with the greater issues at hand - but there is hardly anything better than his beautifully understated observations on man and his future in the entire canon of English literature.

Not just a greatly visualized and highly original piece of Science Fiction, Wells' novel remains timely in this day in age by tackling the disturbing question of man's ultimate fate in light of Charles Dawin's then revolutionary ideas as presented in THE ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES. Though typically we think of evolution as being linear, and POSITIVELY linear at that, in THE TIME MACHINE Wells addresses his anxiety that evolution may not always result in the positive progression of a species, but may, in fact, present just the opposite possibility - an eventual de-evolution, which Wells foresaw as the unavoidable social future of man, resultant of the extremely striated class structure and sociology of his times. Social politics aside, such is a piquant concept, and an enduring one that man still grapples with today, making this grandfather of Science Fiction worth another look.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The first installment of Pookie and Lil' Bit's love story will entice you to read the sequels

James Earl Hardy, you go boy!!! I really loved B-BOY BLUES. It deserves a 12+!! At times, it was absolutely hilarious and at other times, it heartbreaking and sad. I read the book in a day and a half! Although I'm neither male or gay, I found myself relating to Mitchell (a.k.a. Little Bit) and Rahiem (a.k.a. Pooquie). My first boyfriend reminded me so much of Pooquie because he always had a "hard" exterior around friends but showed me the real person that he was inside. I also really loved this book because I found myself forgetting that the characters were two men. In reality they were two people going through the same ups and downs, good times and bad times as anyone else in a relationship. It was a true love story that had me captivated from the time I picked the book up until I finished it. I would recommend this book to anyone to read. It was "ALL JOOD!!!" I can't wait to read all of James Earl Hardy's other books!! I know they'll be "ALL JOOD" too!!!!!!

This book was DA BOMB! It explored the world of homosexuality in the African-American community from the middle class buppie to the homeboy.

I truly enjoyed Raheim because he was so down to earth. It was like me reading about one of my homeboys from around the way and Mitch because I felt like I was reading about one of the guys from work.

I also like the author's style of writing - the slang (but I truly HATED the word JOOD), and the places in JERSEY & NEW YORK that were familiar to me. It made me want to identify with the characters more. All of them were so realistic, it seemed like I knew each of them personally or someone like them.

I also enjoyed the sex scenes. Having never read or seen any videos on gays. I was really interested in how they had sex - meaning who's banging whom. I must admit it was very detailed and I'm not embarassed to say a turn-on!

The one thing I didn't understand is why would Raheim pose in a gay magazine and he hasn't "come out of the closet?"

When one finisheds "Casterbridge," one is immediately struck by its place in the development of the novel. Hardy came after Dickens and before James, and his style intrigues as you connect parts of it to the former, parts to the latter.

His plotting is sort of Dickens "lite." There are mysterious benefactors, sudden tragic deaths, reversals of fortune, paternity mysteries, ect. His prose is cleaner and easier to read than both Dickens and James; "Casterbridge" scans better than "Bleak House" or "The Wings of the Dove."

The story begins when a pastoral laborer, in a drunken rage, sells his wife and child one evening. When he wakes the next morning, abhorred at what he has done, he swears off liquor and decides to make something of his life. The novel truly begins eighteen years later, when his wife and daughter come back to present themselves to him. In the course of the rest of the novel, we witness the fall of the now Mayor of Casterbridge, brought about by his own character flaws and the interventions of fate.

Henchard, the main character, is a facinating combination of hot-spirited volition and turn-on-a-dime repentance. He is quick to do things which damn him but just as quick to admit his guilt. He is a wonderful character and a precursor to the later "psychological" novels of James and Forster. The satellite characters remind one of Dickens, but they are not nearly as startling and interesting, but of course, a character such as Henchard never existed in all of Dickens.

The novel proceeds to its forgone conclusion inexorably, albiet with a few melodromatic touches, yet it sustains its tone and readibility due mostly to Henchard, and the dramatic situations Hardy puts him through.

Well worth a look.

I remember having read this book in high school. I immediately fell in love with Hardy. (I was also fond of Hardy Boys at that time, so in my opinion the name Hardy acquired a special significance.) Unfortunately, though, I never liked another book by him quite so much. I've read Tess of the d'Urbvilles, Under the Greenwood Tree, Far from the Madding Crowd(which was perhaps his second best novel, as others here have affirmed), and perhaps a few others. It is strange, or perhaps significant that I remember the exact circumstance when I was reading this book. It must have been about ten in the night. I had cleared my study desk, and unlike my common practice of lying on my stomach on my bed to enjoy a book into the night, I sat down on the straight-backed chair at the desk to read it. Very soon, I was overwhelmed by the narrative of Mr. Hardy. My father came in to see what I was up to, saw the tears streaming down my face as I turned the pages of my book, and quietly went away. I have never before owned any story books- my parents told me to read out of libraries. But now I am 22, and have started earning some money of my own, and I'm going to start a little collection of my most beloved books, to pass on to my children, perhaps? And this is among my very best.

Having never read Hardy before, I picked this book at random off a list provided by my Western Civilization teacher. I can't help but attribute my choice to destiny; this is quite possibly the best book I've ever read, written by the single greatest English author in history. While some other reviewers have classified his descriptive passages as somewhat dull, I thought they were rather intoxicating; I don't know how one could not enjoy the superbly vivid style Hardy employs. It's impossible to really describe his writing to one who hasn't read it.

The plot in Mayor of Casterbridge is compelling throughout. I read somewhere that the book was originally published a few chapters at a time in a literary magazine, and this is quite evident, as every many sections seem individually complete with rising action, climax, resolution, etc. Hardy still manages to integrate these individual sections without flaw and create a wonderful composition of the life of Henchard. As everyone else has testified, the conclusion of the book is moving beyond description- without a doubt the most affective book I've ever read. Be forewarned: this is a book that will surely leave the reader in a depressed and brooding state. Going by Kafka's standard, that a book should be "like a suicide... an axe for the frozen sea within us", The Mayor of Casterbridge is surely one of just a handful of the great books in English literature.

Upon completing this book, I was amazed that this was published when it was (1898?). I was expecting a sugar-coated portrayal of Martians invading England - "Oh, I say, we're under attack!", or some such nonsense. What I got was a very enjoyable book that didn't pull any punches when depicting the chaos, destruction, and death that results from this invasion. His portrayal of the Martians and their technology beats anything that I've read in contemporary science fiction.

The only problem I had with the book was Wells' narrative. The story provides far too much detail at points, giving exact times and locations for minor events which I'd think someone who survived a disaster would have a hard time recollecting. With the overwhelming number of locations for events presented to the reader, you'll need a map of the London area in order to stay on top of things.

Additionally, Asimov's afterword is very insightful, and the cover by Roger Dean is great.

War of the Worlds has been around since 1898. I first read the book more than 50 years ago. I have read it again many times since and still marvel at the superb descriptive narrative by Mr. Wells of a county in England (Surrey) that was "ground zero" for the Martian Invasion. A most important factor in the story is the Martian's ability to manufacture the raw materials to build their invasion machines here on Earth. They were, in effect, made from Aluminum - a metal that, before the 20th century, was considered more precious than gold because of the enormous cost of extracting it from the ore. This made the novel very prophetic, and even more so the description of the Martian's "Heat Ray" further advanced Mr. Well's technologial prophecy. Nowadays, we use both aluminum and lasers daily. The book's charm, with regard to the "invasion", was described in detail by Herbert Wells of the evacuation of London and surround areas with nothing more technologically advanced than the railway to escape the advance of the invadsion force. I still find it hard to travel to Leatherhead by train without wondering how it would have been a century ago if it had really happened. A full 5 stars to the man who was a true visionary of technology. A MUST to read. Forget the 1950's movie of the same name. No comparison. Will anyone out there make a TRUE period movie of this event?! I hope so.

Okay folks, this is it. The very first alien invasion novel and it's 101 years old this year. That's right, over a century.

Yet this is still a wonderful book to read. Sure, we know there aren't any real Martians. Put that aside. The straight forward Victorian narrative style is odd and strangely formal by today's standards. But that's part of what sets the scene.

Here is a book that has all the basic elements of the genre - and Wells got them right the very first time. Better, in fact than most modern writers. There aren't any heroic moves we can make to save ourselves. There's no hero that defeats the Martians through cleverness and clean living. The Martians are centuries ahead of us technologically and we're going to lose. Period. Is that realistic enough for you?

How about a writer that predicts tactical battlefield lasers, chemical weapons, armored mechanical fighting vehicles, interplanetary spaceflight and computer controlled robots up to ninety years ahead of reality. Pretty impressive stuff that STILL hasn't come to pass in some cases, even though we can understand such things now. Imagine someone who takes a horse-drawn carriage to town conceptualizing battlefield lasers. That's what Wells did when he wrote this novel.

But most of all this book is there for its commentary on humanity - Victorian imperialism and lack of humility, the arrogance of invulnerability just waiting to be burst. Watch a cultured society crumble in the face of harsh reality. Watch us devolve into elemental things once more, as we learn what it means to be dominated as we have dominated other, less advanced cultures. Wells' book was meant as a commentary on English Imperialism and arrogance, but that lesson still has relevance today, whether you apply it to superpower politics or global environmentalism.

Take the time for this book. It's worth it.

I have read four of Hardy's novels and loved them but I didn't like this one and didn't even finish it. For one it is not an engaging novel. Usually I can't put Hardy's novels down but I was reluctant to pick this one up. Second Hardy seems to blame "society" for everything that goes wrong in Jude's life. This is a huge departure for Hardy who normally writes about flawed characters that create their own misery and troubles. Blaming social pressure not Jude's personal acts is a departure from his other books such as The Mayor of Casterbridge.

I personally had no sympathy for Jude or the other characters in the book. I also found the anti-marriage theme troubling. Jude chose to enter a relationship with Arabella who was completely wrong for him. People who knowingly enter relationships and then marriages with inappropriate people are completely responsible for the misery that results. Saying that social conformity is a bad thing because it asks men to take responsibility for the offspring they produce is troubling. Yes Arabella tricked him into marriage with a false pregnancy but he chose to become intimate with someone knowing pregnancy was a possibility. Hardy's theme of victimization is so annoying I don't plan to read anymore of his books.

Jude the Obscure, written by Thomas Hardy, is the story of Jude Fawley and Sue Bridehead. It follows the development of their love for each other and then their demise as lovers. I did not enjoy this book. I found its characters to be feeble and its theme twisted.
Jude Fawley is a penniless orphan raised by his aunt in a small English village. He is inspired by his schoolmaster Mr. Phillotson to pursue a goal of attending one of the great universities in the town of Christminster. His dream is crushed when the universities reject him because he was not properly educated, and more importantly because he is not of the upper class. While in Christminster Jude falls in love with his cousin Sue Bridehead who is a rogue in society. Sue is well read and opinionated. Before becoming acquainted with Jude, She had lived with a young scholar that loved her. The two were never married because Sue desired to live as comrades and not sweethearts because she did not love him. The entire novel follows the love affair of these two outcasts of society.
I found that I could not become emotionally attached to these characters. Jude and Sue constantly assumed the role of victim. For example, Sue promises to marry Jude's old school master Mr. Phillotson. She tells Jude that it is Mr. Phillotson's plan that Sue will complete a teacher training school, and then the two, as a married couple, will take a position at a double school (a school for both boys and girls). Sue acts like the victim of Mr. Phillotson's planning; she does not even consider that she could reject the plan just like she rejected the young scholar of her early days. After several of these incidents, I became desensitized to the suffering of the characters. Hardy lost his ability to manipulate my emotions by creating weak characters that never reacted to their surroundings, but were only acted upon by society.
Thomas Hardy must be given credit for building consistent characters. Both Jude and Sue remain predictable throughout the novel. This quality leant credibility to the characters, because everything they did fit with their personality. I could believe that the characters were truly spineless human beings. They never surprised me by doing anything bold or courageous.
I also found this novel to be distasteful due to the fact that I was left in a quandary as to the theme of the book after I had completed my reading. It appears Hardy was writing a criticism of the institution of marriage, but that can be debated. For example, Hardy pens the following statement by Sue as she and Jude attempt to marry in the Superintendent Registrar's office: "Jude-I don't like it here! I wish we hadn't come! The place gives me the horrors: it seems so unnatural as the climax of our love! I wish it had been at church, if it had to be at all. It is not so vulgar there!" (284) From this statement I would assume that Hardy is against marriage. But at the point in the novel that this statement is made, Jude and Sue had been living together for some time. It can thus be argued that this sentiment arose from not performing the marriage ceremony at the proper time. The theme of the novel would then be that marriage is necessary and must be done properly. I must confess that Hardy forces the reader to think and ponder in order to derive the themes from the novel. But I prefer a theme that is not so debatable.
I rate this novel as deserving two stars. Thomas Hardy creates consistent and credible characters. He also provokes the mind of the reader to ponder his novel. But his characters were cowardly and his theme unresolved, which is unsuited to my taste in literature.

Prior to reading Jude the Obscure, I had a smattering of knowledge about the religious uproar it caused upon publication, which led Hardy to abandon novels and focus merely on poetry. His work being denounced and burned by the churches, Hardy felt that if that was to be the treatment of his work, he would no longer produce the work.

Now that I have read the novel, and having attempted to place myself in the mindset of the later 19th century morals and ideals, I can begin to understand why such an uproar was raised.

First, the story...Jude Fawley, of poor and meager birth, aspires to academic greatness. When it is recommended to him that he stay on the 'blue collar' course he has begun, and not wish for more, he decides to educate himself, one day hoping that it will position him for greater things.

Jude enters into a hasty marriage, which by later standards would be described as a 'shotgun' wedding, which he eventually comes to regret, and ends. Enter his cousin Sue, who becomes the love of his life. Sue also ends an unsatisfactory first marriage, freeing herself to be with Jude, whom she loves as well.

What follows is a descent into tragedy and despair, with numerous twists and turns along the way. Not wanting to spoil them, I will not divulge.

However, the remainder of the novel touches upon many, many themes that amounted to raising of the ire of the church in response. Divorce; childbirth out of wedlock; loss of faith in God; questioning religious ideals and teachings; all these and more are present in the latter half of the novel, and so much more.

Upon finishing the book, I was left to question were these really Hardy's own feelings illustrated in his work, or simply a realization of a course of events for the characters, and not a reflection on the author's beliefs. That, however, bears further reading on the life of Thomas Hardy.

Where I find fault with the novel is in the characters, and it is merely a distaste with their actions. Sue, the heroine, spends far too much time vacillating about her love for Jude and her desire to marry him. When Jude tries to do the right thing by Sue, and respect her wishes, she claims he has 'given up too easily, and doesn't seem at all disappointed'. Jude's first wife, Arabella, displays an utterly selfish, self-absorbed personality, and was, for me, unlikeble, and unsympathetic. Jude, a character capable of learning Latin and Greek and engaging in other scholarly pursuits, seems completely naive in the ways of the world, and further seems blinded by a sense of duty over a sense of the rights and wrongs of others. His actions make him appear to have no regard for himself, until the very end.

Perhaps this is exactly as Hardy meant the characters to be seen, perhaps not. I did enjoy the book more than I expected to, and apparently more than others who have said to me "What on earth are you reading THAT for???". Hardy is not a comedy writer, and one should not expect a glamorous, cheerful, tidy ending, it does not exist here.

While not the greatest of classic novels I have read, I can certainly see why this one has been discussed for over 100 years. While Dickens peppered his stories with levity to break up the gloom, Hardy continues on a downward spiral, leaving his characters in despair within and without. I recommend it to readers who enjoy a good characterization of later 19th century life in England. But if you are looking for something to put a smile on your face, Hardy might not be for you.