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"Can You Forgive Her?" is the first of the six Trollope political/upper crust British novels of the mid-Victorian period. This great novel was published in book form in 1865 by Athony Trollope (1815-1882) who was winding down his Barsetshire series on the Church of England clergy and their families.
Can You Forgive her is a long book of 830 pages in the excellent Penguin Revised Edition. The players in this social novel are:
1. Alice Vavasor-She is a stubborn young lady who is beautiful but still unwed as she approaches 30. Alice lives with her father in London. The old man toils in the law district. Alice is engaged to the wealthy and handsome John Grey but JILTS him for her thoroughly odious cousin George Vavasor. Trollope asks the reader to forgive her for the jilting of a good man for an evil one. The novel is based on a stage play whose playwright was Anthony Trollope. The novel is much longer and better!
2. John Grey-the somewhat dull aristocrat who is engaged and jilted by Alice Vavasor. He is a kindly British gentleman. He is a member of Parliament as the long three decker novel concludes. Grey is the dullest character in the book.
3. George Vavasor is the rake who seeks to wed Alice. He borrows money from her to help pay for his election campaign as a PM from Chelsea. An old lover named Jane appears brifly. He hits his sister Kate and fights with John Grey. He throws things at Alice. He also hates his grandfather who refuses to leave this wretch any money in his will. At novel's end he has lost his parliamentary seat and gone to America rejected by all who know him including his much abused and kind sister Kate. He is one of the worst moral reprobates in all of Trollope's vast oeuvre!
4. Lady Glencora Palliser is one of the stars in the literary heavens of Trollopian creation! She is a young woman newly married to the stolid, dull and cold Plantagent Palliser. Palliser is a financial whiz and becomes a member of the British Cabinet. Later in the series he will become Prime Minister. Cora wishes she could run away with her erstwhile lover the impecunious and feckless Burgo Fitzgerald. She comes to realize that Palliser loves her as his wife. Glencora gives birth in this book ensuring there will be a male heir for the fortune to be left by the Duke of Omnnium. Glencora is witty and wicked as when she plays at the roulette tables in European water holes. She is not an intellectual but is a charmer who will win your heart in spite of her sometimes foolish behavior. Glencora is friendly with Alice Vavasor and looks with favorite on her eventual marriage to good John Grey.
A comic subplot deals with the midddle aged widow Mrs. Greenow and her two lovers. Mr. Cheeseacre a foolish but kind old farmer and the wastrel, lier and lady's man Captain Bellfield. This story reminds the reviewer of an episode out of a Dickens novel.
All's well that ends well is this novel which is one of Trollope's best plotted tales. Trollope's many pages will entertain, instruct and show you the way the Victorians in high society lived their lives. He even includes a chapter on foxhunting featuring a writer who resembles himself. Foxhunting was Trollope's joy!
This is one of the best of the Palliser series. Enjoy it!

Having been a fan of Barchester Towers and The Way We Live Now, I expected more from this novel. I found the characterizations disappointing--particularly that of George Vavasor. It simply does not ring true. He develops [or unravels] from a likeable, quirky character to a deranged one for seemingly no other reason that to be a plot device. Alice Vavasor did not capture my interest, and no, I cannot forgive her for her lack of vision and resolution.

John Grey was lovingly drawn--perhaps too lovingly--and Palliser was successful as a multi-dimensional aristocrat. I enjoyed both of these portraits. Without going through the copious list of personages, I will wrap it up and say that this novel was not as well-constructed as I was accustomed to from Trollope; nor did the plot grab me. I preferred He Knew He Was Right.

This was the first book I read by Anthony Trollope and I found it to be one of the best books I have ever read. Trollope combines a subtle sense of humor, rich descriptive imagery, and easy-to-understand writing style to create a book that tackles many of the same human, emotional, moral, and political issues that Tolstoy writes about. However, because the writing style is so much more accessible, you can relate to the main characters and the dilemmas they face so much more effectively.

This story is particularly relevant today as it was back in England. Today we are still trying to answer the question "what should a woman do with her life". While women today have more options -- we still struggle between trying to decide whether we should do "what society expects of us" or "do what we really want to do". Even Hillary Clinton is struggling with many of the themes of this book -- how to be a feminine figure but worthy of respect; how to be a good wife without being a doormat; how to balance her need and desire for power with societies fear of a powerful woman.

If you are looking for books that echo many of the issues we face today while providing a rich environment to escape to that doesn't include minivans and modern minutae, Anthony Trollope is an excellent author. This book is a great introduction to his philosophy and stories, all written with intelligence, humor and class.

Trollope is no Charles Dickens, but he has insights into human life that Dickens seems to lack completely. Trollope deeply understands that women have their own interests, needs, preferences, and ambitions. He also understands that women cannot always count on the men in their lives to provide financial security. He understands these things not only on a sociological plane, but on a deeply personal, psychological level.

Unfortunately, he does not let these realities reach their ultimate conclusion. The women you care about in his books are typically left comfortable and happy, because they are lucky with their men. Like Dickens, Trollope is ready to accept the social reality of women as he finds it. Unlike, say, the women in George Eliot's novels, Trollope's women are rescued by men, or by their patrimony, so they are not left in poverty and despair.

But, nonetheless, Trollope is a great and addictive storyteller. I read this novel in a week, and I can't wait to read the next book in the Palliser series.

I suppose it's not fair to pick on authors who are no longer alive to defend themselves, but I think that there is good reason that Jane Austen has enjoyed a renaissance and Trollope has not.

I've been told over and over again that Trollope is for people who love politics. I've always found this to be a bit of an overstatement since it strikes me that the "politics" involved sound pretty much like politics everywhere; that of the machinations required to get elected (or get a seat in Parliament, in this case). Just like today. Big deal. There is usually just enough politics to confuse people who have zero background knowledge but not enough to tell anything new to people who have read a few Victorian novels or have any concept at all of politics in general. (I don't even pay a lot of attention to politics and I've never learned a thing from Trollope).

This is a good novel that should have been half as long. There is almost no actual plot--the characters are mainly shuffled among extended visits to one another and trips to Switzerland--and there is too much dialogue for what actually needs to be said (contrast with Austen's conciseness). The characters are delineated pretty clearly as they are introduced and, while some of them do grow, they don't grow enough to fill out almost 700 pages. Alice, in particular, persists in being tiresomely stubborn, reserved, and wooden until the end; even as she has been won over again by John Grey she protests that she is "not good enough" and resists the expectations of levity and celebration that come with her wedding. She is an interesting depiction of a very independent-minded woman (which must have been something of a novelty in 1864) but it is not really convincing that she is as intelligent as it seems she should be, or she might be better at self-reflection.

I think Trollope meant for the reader to see Grey as Alice does--colorless at first and then expanding into something more vital and interesting--but he doesn't quite accomplish it and Grey never really gels as a character and never really seems to merit the admiration paid him by other characters.

I liked it and I would also recommend Interview tips from a chronic job hopper so when you get the interview you can get the job! it was written by the guy who wrote Mr Instability which is hilarious.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a simple, straight-forward, easy to understand reference for getting your foot in the door and landing the career that you've always wanted. I highly recommend this book for anyone serious about landing the job of their dreams with a big company. After I read the book, I went [...] and started applying to several companies that I found interesting. I got interviews at several.

This book was very well done. There are many sample resumes in the back and also sample cover letters. The content of the book explained what to put on your resume and cover letter and what employers are looking for. This is a great resource for anyone looking for some guidance on how to develop their resume and cover letter.

This book is more comprehensive than other job hunting books in that it explains the basics of job searching, professional résumés, and cover letters very well. It gives some advice on where to search for jobs, networking, and how to send in job applications via electronic and written formats. If you are only going to buy one book to prepare for a job search and the application process, I would recommend this book over several others.

The downside of this book is that it does little to prepare you for the modern inevitability of having to submit your application through a standardized and faceless corporate website. Any advice on formatting your résumé, writing a cover letter, or writing professional contact emails is unnecessary when companies force you to "spray and pray" your application to their non-communicative and poorly staffed HR departments. Nothing is more discouraging than having your perfect cover letter and résumé butchered by having to fill in standardized forms on the web.

This book was very helpful. It has a lot of examples of cover letters and resumes. Also, it has comments from actual hiring managers and some contradict each other. That is helpful because it shows that not all HR departments feel the same way about resumes and the key is to appeal to as many as you can.

Jim Benton captures the adolescent females' mind so well. The Dear Dumb Diary series has kept my daughter and myself laughing.

Calling all super duper popular girls! Angeline, thats you! Ok so I guess I'll tell you about Angeline. Who is the most popular girl in the middle school! Well I'll tell you about her long, silky, blonde, beautiful, nice hair.
HA HA HA! It got tangled in her keychains and the school nurse cut the left side of her hair OFF! You may not belive this but read the book to belive it! THIS IS SUCH A FUNNY DIARY!

I like to read the books my children are reading, it adds to our dinner conversation. My seven year old daughter and I both enjoyed reading this book. My daughter is a "girly-girl" and this book was an easy and entertaining read for her, in fact she has come back to the book shelf more than once to read this book! Her reading level is high, but since she is only seven it's hard to find books that she enjoys reading that contain appropriate content. We are both eager to read the next book.

Everybody loves a fun read, right? Children (0-99) will have at least one laugh (guaranteed).

Yes, entertaining, etc., but when my 1st grade daughter came up to me and asked me what a "turd" is, I was upset. I asked her where she heard the word and she showed me Dear Dumb Diary, page 24, where one can also find the word "turdpie."

Upset doesn't even begin to describe my feelings at reading this junk.

So, if words like this are your thing, go for it, buy the books for your kids, but please, read it first.

This is a great collection of the older Playboys and is long overdue for collectors. Hopefully, each decade will be done to facilitate a complete magazine search database. The format is a bit strange and I don't understand why Adobe wasn't used as opposed to the proprietary program this set is formatted in...but who am I to question PEI? An excellent addition to my collection and I can now find any article or author without having to actually open each issue.

I've spent 30 minutes trying to read something from the disc. I can't get anything to open. Worse program ever. By the way, I'm a programmer.

I bought this when it was $[...]. The price seems to fluctuate wildly. It's now $[...]. But this is a very nice product at any price. I'm not wild about the Bondi software, but it is usable.

The magazine's content is great, vividly captured. It's better than I expected. I wasn't sure if the magazine would have been preserved in its early days, but it was and it is here. The centerfolds showcase the great photography that Playboy has always had.

Playboy has had its ups and downs over the years, but Mr Hefner always was true to himself. This item is worth a look, if only to see what our fathers and grandfathers grew up with.

This is one of the best archival collections that I DIDN'T produce!
This superbly inclusive package contains 2 discs chronicling each (printable) page of Playboys first and most groundbreaking decade (which began in December 1953). Undoubtedly the most visionary publication ever, it reflected a style, artform, sophistication, sizzle, taste and hip attitude which never existed before, and still endures as the pioneering influential catalyst for all the titillating printed works that became beneficiaries of the true original.
In addition to the discs, comes a 224 page coffee table book with many previously unseen photos & material gathered by Hef for this special release.
But the ultimate bonus for us collectors, is the reprint copy of the very first issue, complete with every article, advertisement and the memorable cover and classic Pin up shot of Marilyn Monroe by Tom Kelly, as it was originally first seen in that milestone issue. This limited edition package is a must for every fan, collector & aficionado of memorabilia and the lovely sights that have been exclusively captured in the pages of this timeless original. Hopefully, there may be a similar production for the other great decade of creative, artistic excitement, the 60s! Till there is, you may enjoy a unique collectible compilation of classic soft drink jingle commercials by the biggest hit-making recording artists of the decade, plus vintage radio disc jockeys and broadcast memorabilia from that decade called "Top 40 radios swingin' soft drink spots of the 60s; Vols 1 & 2". And the double CD sets are available exclusively from Amazon.com! Note the first volumes' cover featuring the other timeless sex symbol Icon from the 50s & 60s "Brigitte Bardot" appropriately sipping up a glassful, undoubtedly while listening to an earful!

This is an incredible bargain! I have loved every minute I've spent reading the wonderful fiction, interviews and reviews. (The works of Ray Bradbury, "A Sound of Thunder" and "Fahrenheit 451" are worth the price!) I heartily recommend this collection, and can barely wait for the decade of the 60's to come! What I remember of the 60's, I remember fondly. :)

Oh, yeah... the pictorials are awesome, as well.

What a wonderful book to share with little ones on a stormy day! We read the book, gathered our ingredients and made a Thunder Cake according to the recipe. Make sure to have some small brown bags to "pop" for the thunder, along with the real thunder. After the cake is finished, top with some gooey store-bought icing--yummy. Then have everyone guess what the "secret ingredient" is, only you and the little ones know. They'll have so much fun revealing the secret. This book is sure to make longlasting memories.

My dad used to read this book to me when I was a little girl. I LOVED IT!! I will always remember him making very noisy and obnoxious (but entertaining!!) thunder "sounds" - he was so funny and I will always, always, always remember him reading this book to me. I have NEVER been afraid of thunder.. maybe it was because of this book?? I highly recommend Thunder Cake for anyone looking to have a great time with their child!! They'll remember it forever!

This is an enchanting story and a great cake recipe too! I highly recommend and so do all the second graders who recently read it and shared in the thunder cake!

I Love This Book! I read it to my Toddler daycare class and they were so into this book. It held their attention. Now when they hear thunder they want to make a thundercake.

This is a wonderful book ! My grandaughter's teacher had the kids read it in class. I made a thunder cake and took it in for the class when they were done. The receipe is in the back of the book. They loved it and it was a lot of fun. Also, a good book for children afraid of thunder storms. I highly recommend it.

It is sad to Know that Mr.Winston has passed away, but his legacy and inpiration is still here in this book.
Fantastic book

I have been a long time fan of Hollywood creature effect designers such as Stan Winston, Rick Baker, Patrick Tatopoulos, and many others. So when I have a knowledge of the existence of this book, I immediately ordered my copy. Boy, was my satisfactions all fulfilled. It's a choke load with details of Stan Winston's life, and the creations of iconic Stan Winston Studio.

The author managed to divide the chapters in the books into periods that mark the creations of Stan's legendary creatures. Aliens, Terminators, Predators, and the Jurassic Park's Dinosaurs lead the pack with the rest of the other smaller profiled Winston characters are featured in comprehensive and glorious coverages. Great stills, conceptual designs, behind the scene materials, whatever you ask for, this books fulfills. The writing by Jody Duncan is also very informative without being tiresome.

And I can get enough of Crash McCreery's artworks. One of Stan Winston's most prolific conceptualizers, his designs brought to life many of SWS monster charcaters. Here's hoping that one day, somebody will publish an "Art of Crash McCreery" book.

With the recent death of Stan Winston I immediately set out to find this book seeing as how I had put off buying the book since it came out. No one seemed to carry it and thus Amazon came through, with the cheapest price, as well. Stan Winston was a genuis in character design and creation. I have idolized his work since I first saw his name on the end credits of Jurassic Park when I was in 2nd grade. One of my heroes, it is sad to see him go in a quiet whisper, but fitting to someone who always was behind the magic.

A must have. Detailed picts of some of the best sci-fi creatures put to film! A great addition to your star wars "art of books" Also great reference for comic artists as well.

This book has not arrived to date (1/20/08) from my 12/20/07 order. I've sent two e-mails to the seller through Amazon but have not received a response from the seller. My charge card statememt shows I have been charged. Not pleased.

Required reader for my son's class. He loved it1 Said it was funny and the class liked reading it.

My daughter (aged 4) and I read this book together. It is a bit mature for her and therefore did not hold her attention as well as books usually do (this, of course, is not the book's fault). It is our first Amber Brown book. The book explores the topics of friendship, how to handle difficult feelings, how to adjust to change, and how to say goodbye/deal with a loss (divorce is also mentioned a little). These topics are handled well, which is why I gave the book 3 stars. The reason that I did not give it four or five stars is that the book was not particularly witty or engaging, not did Amber and Justin really 'sound' like third-graders (at least not in the same way that Junie B. Jones sounds like a kindergartner). I would recommend this book if your elementary-aged child is confronting the issues that Amber faces in this book. Otherwise, I would probably not recommend it.

I liked this book because it is about two best friends named Amber Brown and Justin Daniels. In this book Justin is moving away and he and Amber have a fight. This is a funny book that is full of character! I hope you read to see IF they make up!

I like the story Amber Brown is not a crayon. The best character was Amber Brown. I like Amber Brown because she is funny. The story was good because Amber was nice. I also liked the story because it was funny. I think you should read this story because it shows how to get back together when you breakup and be friends.

Third grader, Amber Brown, and Justin Daniels have been best friends ever since preschool. They always know what the other is thinking, have created a giant ball of chewed gum that is their prized possession, and have the perfect way to eat Oreo cookies - Amber eats the cream filling, and Justin eats the chocolate cookie shell. Having known each other forever has only worked to help them survive school. After all, they're constantly sticking up for one another when someone decides to tease them about their names - "Amber Brown is not a crayon," "Justin Time" - they help each other out with homework - Justin is the math brainiac, while Amber's strong-point is spelling and penmanship - and they sit next to each other for all class activities. Which is why they both have a hard time accepting the fact that Justin is moving. As a dynamic duo, the two can't imagine being separated. And no, it's not being separated by a town, or a single state, but, rather, thousands of miles. Justin will be in Arizona, and Amber will be stuck in New Jersey. Now, as they begin contemplating what life will be like without the other by their side, disaster strikes, and the two bosom buddies begin fighting like cats and dogs - refusing to even speak to one another. The people around them, from their parents to their beloved teacher, Mr. Cohen, have no idea what to do to get the two pals to make up, and everyone begins to wonder whether the two will manage to mend their friendship, before it's too late.

I originally read AMBER BROWN IS NOT A CRAYON when I was in the fourth grade, and instantly fell in love with Amber. Paula Danziger has a magical way of meshing the fun (best friends, school projects) with the serious (moving away), to create a splendid work of fiction that really appeals to young readers. Her ability to bring real-life situations to the forefront, and shine a spotlight on them is inspiring, and will obviously win a place in the heart of readers who are experiencing similar situations. Danziger manages to put various lessons into such a compact book, from conflict resolution, to feeling comfortable enough to reveal your true emotions. Amber is a lovable character, whose sloppy, messy ways make her unique, and easy to relate to; while her friendship with Justin really illustrates just how strong the bond can be between children - even those as young as the two characters in this book. Justin, on the other hand, also brings a diversity to the story, and helps to highlight both his, and Amber's quirks. The two characters play off of one another marvelously, and truly bring their own unique voices to the tale. Step in to the feisty world of Amber Brown and friends!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

This Bible is easy to read for many reasons from type size to the phyisical size of the Bible. Granted, my husband still needs his reading glasses, but the type is a reasonable size. Also, many of my other Bibles are challenging to hold due to their size so I'm limited to reading them while at a table or another location where I'm not holding it up myself. This Bible does not have that problem and I can read it anywhere. It's also easy to carry with me when we travel or if I want to read at lunch.

The best thing about this Bible though is simply the idea of reading the Bible through cover to coverin 90 days. I have done Bible reading for many years but never as consistently nor in as much volume (pages per day) as I have since starting the 90 day Bible. And my life has been blessed because of it. This was a good investment for me, and I'm thankful I was able to buy it.

I highly recommend this Bible.

God Bless ~

The Bible in 90 Days Participant's Guide: An Extraordinary Experience with the Word of GodReceived this book in excellent condition, reads like a novel, love it.

This bible is laid out in a great way. Following the schedule is very tough, but if you have someone with you who is undergoing the same task, you will find yourself gaining a greater "bird's-eye" view of the scriptures. I recommend this for every disciple.

I believe this is a wonderful journey for anyone interested in reading the bible. It really helps you understand it more than the other versions. I recommend this to anyone who will listen.

I am so happy that I bought this book. As a Christian, I enjoy reading the Bible, and this is a planned way of reading for a short time each day. It is a disciplined way to read the Bible that is very rewarding. I plan to read through it a minimum of twice a year. I highly recommend this book for those who are serious about the Word of God.

My 4th grade son read this and loved it. He was fascinated by it and looked forward to our reading every day (he would read aloud to me). Having read the adult version, I was impressed by this childrens' copy because it stays true to the grain of the story. There is nothing Disneyfied about it. I highly recommend this book to any parent who is trying to introduce classic works to their children, as well as any parent seeking good quality literature. The illustrations are top-rate and further serve to involve the junior reader. Also highly recommended is Sutcliff's Black Ships Before Troy, which is the children's Illiad.

I have loved Rosemary Sutcliff's historical fiction of early Anglo-Saxon and Roman England, so I knew her retelling of the Iliad and the Odyssey would be spectacular. And they are. I use them with the Middle School boys I tutor, who usually HATE to read but absolutely cannot put these down. The illustrations and map in this hardcover version are wonderfully done. The Cyclops with a stake in its eye, the suitor Laertes shot through the neck, with the arrow still there -- who can resist? I even used these with my 11th grader who was a very poor reader, and he lapped it up.

As in Black Ships Before Troy, Rosemary Sutcliff writes a story of an epic that many adults are afraid to read for fear of the classics, in a manner that is captivating and understandable. It is by no means dumbed down and yet my children could easily understand the story.

Alan Lee's watercolor illustrations are beautiful and keep the youngest listener sitting quietly to hear the story while seeing the pictures.

The characters and the story are so easy to read that it is an easy transition to pick up Homer's Odysseus and read it.

If you are an adult and have never read Homer's version, I highly recommend reading this for your own enjoyment as well.

I teach seventeen 6th-8th graders at a Christian Montessori school in northern Indiana. We have a classical education bent.

This version of the book The Wanderings of Odysseus, which we read over the course of 3 1/2 weeks (approximately a chapter each day), was a big hit with my class. The majority were very enthusiastic readers; nearly all the boys were reading ahead of schedule. They understood the plot, could retell each chapter, and could identify nearly all the characters.

The reading level was just right for the purpose I had in mind for my middle schoolers. (NOTE: my purpose was to move quickly and happily through a retelling of classic Greek/Roman literature, rather than to challenge the class with demanding literature.)

This book is entertaining without being sensationalized and accessible without being condescending. The illustrations of the larger, more expensive hardback version are splendid, but we did well enough without them.

Furthermore, Rosemary Sutcliff's faithfulness to the details and the tone of Homer's Odyssey is commendable.

I believe my students now have a solid albeit basic foundation for further reading in Homer, or for handling The Odyssey.

I highly recommend this paperback retelling (as well as the magnificently illustrated hardback retelling) of the Odyssey to advanced 4th/5th graders, to all 6th-8th graders, and also to older students and adults who are still unacquainted with classical Greek literature.

I read this to my 12 and 13 year old niece and nephew who hardly ever read on their own and hardly ever agree on anything. We started with the author's Iliad, which they both thoroughly enjoyed. The kids both agree that this is one sequel that is as good or better than the first book. Honestly, they ask (beg, actually) to hear just one more chapter. I personally like the way the author kept qualities of the descriptive language particular to the original epic. The language is just exotic enough that it helps for me to read it out loud, so they can hear it with the emphasis in places that help make it clear. We stop periodically to "re-cap", and re-read particularly lovely passages or phrases.

Unlike other authors with multi-book series, Erikson is harder to review, precisely because of the massive expansion in every new novel. Unlike other such others (Jordan and Goodkind come to mind, among others), Erikson's constant forays into new peoples, lands, legends, and histories etc never seem like a diversionary tactic, or the wondering hand of a writer losing track of his story. Instead, they act as if a massively grand puzzle is slowly unfolding: the chess board is unveiling, the pieces all being placed. His sprawling universe has produced stories and cultures that are amazingly interesting, and whose scope TRULY flies above other fantasy giants (Tolkien and Martin included). But this comes at the expense of his characters, who rise and fall like blades of grass, many of whom hardly make any impression on you. And on his stylistic pace, which sometimes seems SOO rampantly all-over-the-place, consisting of those page-turning up-til-5am sections (like the return to Malaz City) mixed with yawningly dull sections (like downtime in the Malaz Army camps).

Here is the GOOD and BAD of the book (and in a way, the series)

The GOOD:
One of Erikson's major strengths in the genuine quality of his universe. Like few other authors in the genre, Erikson has given us a world that is, well, TRUE. He shows us the complete utter selfishness of man, the extreme and nauseating brutality of war, the horrors of poverty, the destructiveness of religion and prejudice, etc. In reality, he gives us a reflection of OUR world in that he completely shatters the fantasy-fiction notions of war as heroic larks of white knights, the ideas of villagers as happy 'folk' laughing and baking cupcakes, deities as paragons as goodness or 'evilness'. In the real world, white knights rape and slaugher disease-ridden villagers, acting on the self-serving declarations of manipulating priests who serve apathetic gods. Erikson, like other authors such as Martin and R. Scott Bakker, do their best work in showing us the underside of the world and its nastiness. Some on the most interesting moments are those of contemplation and introspection: Scillara's cynicism over her unborn child; Captain Paran's contemplations about the apathy of gods; the insecurities of Cotillion.

And while there are often times when the story lags, Erikson always manages to enthrall you by making you feel like you are a spectator of grand events among major power players. These great, mysterious moments keep you hooked into reading more and more. What is Tayscrenn up to? Who the hell is T'Amber? What are the motivations of Mallick Rel? Reading Erikson, you begin to believe all these pieces that he is placing on his global map are leading up to something huge, something that will really blow us away when the series climax comes to a head. That we will really be treated to something spectacular, unlike so many other fantasy stories where everything seems so pre-ordained and anti-climatic. There is no good and evil, you don't know who is truly right and wrong. Who will win, who will be killed, you just dont know, and thats what makes it most interesting.

The BAD:
However, as noted above, the vast canvas that Erikson writes on takes its toll. One of the biggest problems, continuing from previous novels, is that their is just TOO much happening at once, too many protagonists, which doesnt allow said protagonists to truly be fleshed out. In a way, Erikson has such amazing ideas for his story, but the people who populate them just dont have.....'it'. I just DON'T care about the bridgeburners/bonehunters. I dont care about Kalam, or Quick Ben, or Fiddler, or Paran, or Cutter, even Apsalar. They don't move me. Those characters that DID emote a spark in me (Felisin Paran, Tattersail) are long dead, trashed. And this makes me almost care less about their story, and what they do. And its not because of their often shoddy character traits (i actually praise their believable 'greyness'), but i dont cheer for them like i do Tyrion Lannister or Daenerys Targaryen in Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire", like Bellis Coldwine in Mieville's "The Scar", like the Empress in GG Kays' "The Sarantine Mosaic". They don't mean much to me. And so that makes the story less interesting. However, strangely enough, by the end of the book, i have SOMEHOW become fascinated by Adjunct Tavore and T'Amber, and begun pulling for them like I have done by none other in the series yet. So maybe there is still promise....

Also, the story's pacing is very jagged. While various scenes (aka, events in Malaz City at the book's end) are page-turners, others are desperately dull. One of the most aggravating reads is when Erikson runs through his groups of factions in the Malaz Army over and over again. There are around 6-8 groups of characters in the army, and ERikson constantly writes little brief episodes about each one, each following another. This gets dull when each episodes consists mostly of worthless arguments and jests among soldiers page after page after page. And even in the midst of important, interesting events (i.e. the siege of Y'ghatan) i still found myself skipping pages of soldier POV to get to something more interesting, i.e. Leoman of the Flails.

I loved this book even though it was not my favorite in the series (those would be 3 & especially #5!). The biggest flaw I found was that there are too many threads and I am not sure that they weave a coherent tapestry. I just felt that I wanted more to the many story lines, more substance, more description, and felt somewhat like the plot was being hurried along. I know Erickson can do better and as a devoted fan I hope the next few books return to the intricate and well written level of thought and detail that the earlier novels had.

I've almost stopped reading fantasy because after a while it all turns into an endless smudge. Things blend. Characters all come to resemble eachother. Relationships mirror those of previous fantasy generations. Worlds are simulcrum and ready for uploading to the euphoria machine and character power on the whole is not controlled and goes insipid usually killing the novel in its last gasps.

This book, as all of Erikson's previous beasts does not.

Like its siblings, the plots blends seemlessly on the whole, the characters continue to dazzle with wit and integrity. I have never found so many characters in one novel (series) that manage to rise above the blend factor. You genuinely care about a whole lot of them and wish to see thier every move and beckon.

The world continues to grow and expand wihtout biting its own tail, and its every naunce of history and future is as interesting as the writer's characters.

This is fantasy for adults and if you want to excercise your brain a little and find out how good fantasy can really be - this is a must read.

This review is for The Bonehunters, but amazon has apparently changed the book title to the healthy dead, as of Aug07. This is incorrect and should be changed back to The Bonehunters.

This picks up following the events in House of Chains, following Heboric, Kalam/Quick Ben, Genoas Paran, Tavore Paran, Fiddler & company, as well as Karsa Orlong and Icarium & Friend(s), and Leoman and followers. Trull Sengar plays a very small role in this novel, though the Tiste Edur play a larger role overall.

The author keeps bringing his various plot threads closer together, and in this case brings back the Empress as a character in the story. I think Erikson's writing skill is improving with each book he writes, as this and Midnight Tides seemed much tighter and consistently written than the predecessors.

Spoiler comment

I do think that in terms of this book (not what is to come) Erer'al served as a deux ex machina plot device, allowing several scenes to turn out differently than they would have otherwise, including the confrontation with the Tiste Edur fleet, the extraordinary speed with which the malazan fleet went from one place to the next (maybe not, the author could simply have expanded his timeline), the outcome of the fight between Icarium and Trull. I suppose once the goddess' agenda is made clear in future novels this may actually seem to work out ok, and in any event the precedents of gods either impersonating (errant, mael) or possessing (sorry/apsalar) mortals is already well established.

My greatest regret with this book is that I now have read all 6 published novels in this series and have to actually wait for the next 4, presumably up to several years for the last one.

The Bonehunters is book 6 in a 10-book series that should be finished and published by 2010-11. Steven Erikson has been generally good in terms of completing one book per year and the US publication schedule should catch up to the UK schedule by the release of Book 10, tentatively titled The Crippled God.

In general, the Malazan Book of the Fallen series ranges from good (House of Chains) to fantastic (books 3 and 5). The scope is vast -- multiple continents, numerous human and humanoid societies, dozens of cultures, scores of deities, historical intrigue spanning hundreds of millenia. No other fantasy fiction writer comes close to this breadth, not even the backstory of the Aiel that Robert Jordan portrayed in The Shadow Rising.

That said, The Bonehunters is one of the lesser entries in the series: less plot and less historical scope than previous entries; so many hand-to-hand combat descriptions it seems as if Erikson sought to write a book version of a martial arts movie. It is not bad. But after Midnight Tides, Erikson had a letdown.

Bonehunters lacks the emotional impact of Midnight Tides (the best of the series) and Memories of Ice; the action still has great pyrotechnics like followers of the series have come to expect, but not as much soul. Ultimately, this is a transition book in the series: Erikson has set up his main stages for the action, now he begins to move his characters into place to set up the resolution.