MR

"You're Smokin' Now, Mr. Butts!" is yet another classic example about how irony is lost on some people. Mr. Butts says it is cool for kids to smoke telling them "Don't worry about cancer, kids! You're teenagers, you're immortal!" Now, you and I would call that a caustic comment and an attack on the tobacco industry. But White House Press Secretary Marlin Fitzwater declared that the "Doonesbury" comic strip was glorifying drugs and a Tobacco Institute Spokesperson declared, "It is very unfortunate that Garry Trudeau encouraged a lot of young people to think that it is perfectly all right for them to be smokers." If Mr. Butts causally dismissed the 395,000 deaths a year the Surgeon General blames on tobacco, then that would not be a good thing. But then one of the fun things about going back and re-reading these old Doonesbury collections is to see who was ticked off at Trudeau each time about whatever.

Mr. Butts and his friend Mr. Jay are the cover boys for this collection of 1990 daily and Sunday "Doonesbury" strips, but there is more. At the American Embassy in Beijing there is the Trump-engineered wedding of Honey and Duke, Sal attends the annual Dr. Whoopee sales conference show, and Big Jim Andrews dumps the mother of his children for a bimbette (she has not met his parole officer yet). Mike has to put up with eight friends camped out in the Doonesbury living room until the whole comic strip gets raided, while the Bush Administration proposes a constitutional amendment on flag desecration which results in a memorable Sunday "Doonesbury" with a copy of the American flag and the conundrum of how to dispose of our nation's symbol without desecrating it. This was the one Fitzwater should have been complaining about.

No other cartoonist, editorial or otherwise, is as committed to ticking off as many people in power as G. B. Trudeau. But no other daily strip has been as committed to being topical: remember when George Bush went to Colombia and we were worried that the drug lords were going to try something stupid? You will if you read "You're Smokin' Now, Mr. Butts!"

Reading a Roald Dahl book for a bookloving child, -it has to be a success :-)My six year old love this book, as she does with most of Roald Dahl's books.

This is one of the early books from Roald Dahl's pen, but he has already started to develop his special style, the style making the small readers or listeners open their eyes and ears a little extra, wow, can this really be true? And of course all we read is true, in the world of Roald Dahl. Every kid instinctively understand this and can inhabit the Dahl-world in seconds.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is about Mr. Fox and his fight for his family's life, to escape from the three farmers, Boggis and Bunce and Bean, one fat one short one lean. Our loyalty is set right in the beginning of the book, and then we can fight with Mr. Fox and his children through the pages. Mr. Fox is always at least one step ahead of the three farmers, and his plans are so fantastic none of us have fantasy enough to come up with them ourselves, but when we read about the fox we say to ourselves, of course, it has to be like this, just like it was our own idea from the beginning.

No one can write fantastic stories like Roald Dahl. I am happy and thankful for all the books he manage to give us.

Britt Arnhild Lindland

The fantasy written by Ronald Dahl titled Fantastic Mr. Fox will keep you in stitches. This story takes place on a farm where three farmers lived. One was fat, one was short, and one was lean. Their names where Boggis, Bunce and Beans. The most important character of them all is the fantastic Mr. Fox. Mr. Fox steals from the farmers. He steals chickens, turkeys and cider from the farmers. As a result of his stealing, the farmers want to catch and kill him. But will it work? Check the book out and see.
I recommend this story to kids of all ages. This book is a must read book. It is a humorous book to read. The fox is so sly he steals from the farmers without getting caught sometimes. One time he pushed the limit too far. As a result they went hunting for him. The book is a good book for you if you like to get in trouble. To find out more take an easy trip down to library and check it out.
Ronald Dahl has written more than 8 exquisite books. He is such such a good author himself. This is a book which stand above the clouds. Check it out at your local library and have a ball reading this book.

Mr. Fox is to clever for 3 farmers called Boggis, Bunce, and Bean. These are nasty farmers because they like to kill and they're evil.Mr Fox and his family live in a hole, under a huge tree on top of a hill.
Every night Mr. Fox goes to 1 of the 3 farms to steal something to eat.But doing this caused alot of problems.The 3 farmers wanted to strangle the poor fox to death!What do you think will happen?
I felt bad and good. I feel bad because its a shame that Mr. Fox has to steal food in order to keep himself and his family alive.I felt good because atleast his risking his live, and that shows that he really cares for his family.
I think that the 3 farmers don't have to kill the fox to keep their food safe.I also think that there are other ways for the fox get food.Like hunting for food.I loved this book so much that i couldn't put it down.I couldn't put it down because it was written by my favorite aouther ROALD DAHL.
This book was also funny because it said that Bean never took baths so he had all sorts of junk in his ear,like fly's, gum, and dirt.
I recommend this book to who ever likes funny stories, and to who ever likes ROALD DAHL books.

- Giovani Ruiz.

I thought this was a fun book about a tremendously unique and funny character. I don't know a lot about physics or science or anything, but this book doesn't get bogged down with that. Rather, Feynman explains to you in plain english what the issues or problems he was facing at different times were. That's not half as interesting, however, as his creative solutions to the problems and his application of common sense to them! This is more times than not what will make you laugh out loud.

The most insightful parts of the book to me were his experiences working on "the bomb" and his study of art. These really show you his character on a more personal level. You see the scientist in him, too, though. The most pivotal thing I got out of the book was that you should never take someone else's "proven" theory for granted. Always, always, always recreate the "proof" for yourself before you use it as a basis of further study.

I first heard of Richard Feynman when I was taking Physics in high school and my teacher showed us a movie in which he was interviewed. In fact, the movie had nothing to do with physics, but with Feynman's quest to visit some obscure country (Tuva??) in the South Pacific. I was struck by the man's wit, not to mention his intelligence. Both aspects of his personality came out in this entertaining book. If you have never heard of Feynman or you have and want to learn more about him, I highly recommend this book. It includes memoirs both of his work in physics and of his travels through America and around the world. I found his chapters on safe cracking at Los Alamos and on his army physical examination particularly enjoyable. "Surely you're joking..." is not too heavy on the physics aspect of his life, but it provides just enough to satisfy the scientifically curious. A great read to stimulate the mind and keep you smiling throughout.

The funny thing about this book was that I bought my very first copy on a trip to China when I was about eleven. I don't know how many times I've restarted the book since then, but I never finished it until now.

This book is a semi-autobiography of a very famous physicist by the name of Richard P. Feynman (RPF). I say it's a semi-autobiography because Ralph Leighton compiled and chronologically ordered several stories told to him by RPF. And I say he's famous because he was a Nobel laureate and named one of Time Magazine's Most Influential People of the last century.

Anyway, RPF is as interesting a character as you'll ever hear about in the scientific community. He looked to science to explain things around him even from a very young age (you'll learn more about his father's influence on him in the second book). His father always taught him to question things that don't make logical sense. He was an analytical person.

Yet behind his intellectual prowess lies his desire to live life and have fun. In this book, he recounts his fear of being called a sissy when he was young, his attempts at hitting on girls, cracking safes, doing magic tricks, learning how to draw and paint, playing in a samba band, etc. Throughout the book, he talks about his motivation in doing such things. He's not out to impress or tell a tall tale that's impossible. In fact, he's quite down to earth and very frank. He speaks what's on his mind.

Richard P. Feynman has led a very colorful life.

If ever there were a non-fiction book that's fun to read and even humorous at times, this would have to be it!

(* NB: There is a follow up book called "What Do You Care What Other People Think". Also a collection of short anecdotes told by RPF to Ralph Leighton. This "sequel" is a looser set of stories that don't chronologically fit together (oh, and there are also some pictures in the middle of this book).

Patricia Polacco bases this story on her own experiences as a child. She uses the story in this beautiful book to thank her fifth grade teacher, Mr. Falker. In the book, Tricia, who has a yearning to learn to read because of her family's love of learning, discovers that letters in books seem to be all just wiggling shapes. As Tricia moves through school, students call her dumb. She sadly begins to except their teasing and begins to believe she truly is dumb; until, Fifth Grade when she is blessed with an outstanding teacher, Mr. Falker. Every classroom should not only have this book, it should be read aloud. Without saying the word "dyslexia" or preaching, Polacco has produced a wonderfully compassionate story.

As an elementary counselor I read this book to all my students. There is pertinence for every age group. "Thank You, Mr. Falker" is the story of a little girl who can't read. The other children constantly tease and make fun of Tricia. Eventually Mr. Falker, Tricia's 5th grade teacher discovers the child hiding during recess (to escape the constant taunts). He realizes that Tricia has a learning disability and tutors her after school. There is a post script to the story ending decades later with a chance meeting between Mr. Falker and the adult Tricia (Polacco). I use this book to help my students with self-esteem problems because of their own learning difficulties. But, I predominately read this book for all the bullies! Following Tricia's despair is very humbling. And trust me, I am not the only one in the room with tears running down my cheeks (and I've read this book dozen's of times). Teachers and student teachers should read this book--what we do in the classroom has an everlasting and lifelong effect on our students. I love this book and you will too.

nbhhhhj

Trisha is a girl who can't read. The only thing she likes at school is drawing. In first grade Trisha was trying to say the words from the book but she coult'nt.
Trisha somehow passed first and second grade, third and fourth. In 5th grade some boy's made fun of her Mr.Falker told them to stop but one boy did'nt stop.
I think that the kid sould'nt made fun of Trisha because what if that was you how would you feel? I recommed it to everyone because it makes you wonder how I Was making others feel.
I thought what if some kids were making fun of me or you.

Mr. Brown can moo, whisper, buzz, and boom . . . and that's just for starters. There are about a dozen different sounds to make along with Mr. Brown and all the sounds bear a pretty close resemblance to the originals (bees buzz, cows moo, thunder booms, etc.) with a few creative interpretations. Okay, so your child may be the only one saying "dibble-dibble-dibble dopp-dopp-dopp" for rain, instead of maybe "pitter-patter. The pictures are simple - pretty much just Mr. Brown and each animal or item - no extraneous background drawings. My 2-year old daughter's favorite part of the book is the last page, where they list all the sounds in the book. Moo moo, buzz buzz, pop pop, klopp, and so on. She likes to try and repeat them with me really fast. Try adding some action along with the words, put all the tips of your fingers together to make a bee, rap on the book for a knock, put a finger to your lips for a whisper, etc. Oh, never mind reading all the reviews. It's a good book! Just buy it !

I don't think there's one Dr. Seuss book that I can't recall being read to me when I was somewhere in the under-10 age. Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? stands out in particular. How could a child forget the first time mom makes those delightful noises to go with the pictures in a book? It's the stuff of high comedy and intense interest to three-year-olds everywhere.

Mr. Brown is a funny little man dressed to the nines (in dapper brown of course) who can imitate all sorts of noises like a wiz. You'd better be prepared to go beyond barnyard animal sounds, too - lightening cracks, goldfish kisses, and a hippo chewing gum (which is GRUM GRUM, for those of you who don't know!). The book prompts children to try and match Mr. Brown's sounds in a nice, low-pressure way.

I'm not sure if this book has ever received official recognition for its educational value to young children, but as far as I'm concerned MBCMCY is a wonderful tool for teaching kids to be better observers, listeners, and responders to their surroundings. Better yet, it introduces parents to the fine art of interactive reading.
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My son loves this book. I started reading it to him at 5 months old. He enjoys the sounds and bright pictures. He is now one years old and all I have to do is hold up the book and he gets a huge smile on his face. This book is a keeper.

Mr. Midshipman Hornblower is the prequel to the Horatio Hornblower series. Written as the sixth book chronologically, it covers the very first times when Hornblower served in His Majesty’s navy. My recommendation is that you read it first, so that you can follow Hornblower chronologically along over his career as it develops.

Since much of service aboard a naval vessel is routine, C.S. Forester gives us the high spots of Hornblower’s first years in the form of short stories beginning at age 17 when he entered the navy.

Each story is nicely balanced among the following qualities: Hornblower’s inexperience; the rapid shift of circumstances that can occur at sea; Hornblower’s physical and psychological weaknesses and courage to overcome them; the demands of honor; the importance of thinking clearly, getting good information, and making a swift decision; the benefits of discipline; and the brotherhood of all seaman before the dangers they face.

Those who are interested in the war between Britain and France after the French Revolution in 1789 will find the material to bring those events to life in a vivid way. I learned a lot about the details of naval warfare as it was conducted then.

The weakness of most short story writers is that their plots and resolutions often become overly predictable. These short stories are predictable only in their originality and unpredictability. As such, I found myself drawn forward, wondering what rabbit Forester would next pull out of the hat.

This is just the sort of book that I loved to read as a teenager, and I could feel the years peeling off as I raced through the stories. This book would be a wonderful gift to a teenager who likes adventure tales based on historical events. Readers will be reminded of how embarrassing and emotionally daunting it can be to launch off to operate in the adult world at age 17.

Unlike many adventure books, Hornblower serves the dual role of hero and morally-inspired man. It’s too bad that so much modern fiction chooses to develop the action without developing any character in the process.

I have finally begun to read Forester's Hornblower series, starting chronologically with respect to the fictional world of course. This is one series I've been intending to read for quite some time, and I don't plan to stop with just the first book.

As opposed to great and wonderful descriptions of naval battles, Forester uses a series of loosely connected short stories to acquaint the reader with the Hornblower character. Traveling from place to place, ship to shore, command to command, Hornblower is thrust into various situations which begin to define his command style and ability.

I urge everyone who is looking for a good classic to read, begin reading the Hornblower series. A little fun fiction helps you out every now and then.

Mr. Midshipman chronicles Hornblower's first years in the navy. The life of a Midshipman was hard indeed, although arguably better than an ordinary seaman. From his first use of "for'rard" to his first terrifying climb up the mast we begin to learn "the ropes" along with our hero. As time passes and he has various trials and adventures he begins to become the leader and expert sailor of later tales. One of the best part of the whole Hornblower series is the accuracy and detail with which the life aboard vessels is depicted. You can almost feel the deck pitch. Great beginning to a great adventure series.

Sherlock Holmes was not the first fictional detective but is surely the most famous. "The Lost World" may not have been the first novel of its kind, but as with the incomparable sleuth of 221-B Baker Street, Conan Doyle penned its first memorable novel of the genre; of prehistoric life defying all odds to live on in a virtually inaccessible portion of our planet. How many other writers can claim to have such a profound effect on two different types of literature?
"The Lost World" is a fast-paced and entertaining story of a small expedition to the wilds of the Amazon River Basin and the the dangers the 4 mismatched heroes face from slave traders, the jungle itself, and of course from the prehistoric beasts and ape-men roaming the plateau so dangerous to human habitation. The love interest in this story is negligible but the reader barely notices the absence, as this is an adventure story and not a romance. The main characters are all of a type that would have been familiar to Doyle's Victorian audience, with the egotistical and brilliant Professor Challenger dominating the book. Doyle's humor illustrated within many of Challenger's bombastic pronouncements is a touch that rarely is present in the Sherlock Holmes stories, masterpeices as they are. This is not to say that Lord John Roxton, Professor Summerlee and Edward Malone are pale shadows by comparison - they just don't think they are always right! Warning: Politically correct readers need not bother - Doyle would not get your stamp of approval, but remember he is writing this novel a hundred or so years ago.
Many books, movies and TV shows owe a great deal to Sir Arthur for his authorship of this book, which I certainly recommend for action, storytelling and a glimpse of the Victorian view of the effect of European civilization upon other worlds.

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

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

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

This book infests your soul with the want of adventure that every man and woman has deep inside them. Taking the reader through the ordinary streets of London to the exotic jungles of the Amazon, Doyle clearly and vividly describes colorful and long forgotten life forms and life-styles. From the majestic dinosaurs to the fierce ape-men to giant dragon-flies, this book will captivate every mind that reads it with a passion.

Dear Mr. Henshaw is a very good book written by Beverly Cleary. It's about a boy whose parents are divorced and his dad drives cross country in a rig, which is a truck. Leigh writes letters to Mr. Henshaw (an author) as part of a school project. He writes in a diary about his daily problems. He has a lot of trouble with people stealing the good food out of his lunch. We liked the part when Leigh got to build a burglar alarm. We like this book because it has a lot of detail and description. It is so good that we couldn't put the book down. This book is good for kids between fourth and sixth grade.

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary was an ok book. Its all about an 11 year old boy named Leigh Botts and what he writes in his letters and journal. The letters are to Mr. Henshaw an author of "Ways to Amuse a Dog." Leigh is having a tough time because his parents are going through a divorce and he needs someone to talk to. Leigh finds out that someone is stealing his lunch every day. So he makes an alarm for his lunchbox. Leigh also has a dog named bandit who stays with his dad who is a trucker. and Leigh stays with his mom. this book was ok. I would not recommend it.

Dear Mr. Henshaw is a great book for kids that are having troubles with their life, like everyday children. Reading this book as an adult I associated it with my personal life. I remember going through a lot of the problems that young Leigh went through as he was growing up. Leigh has problems with his parent's divorece, he hates not being able to see his dad. This leads him to a lot of emotional stress. Through this mess one of his teachers makes him write a letter to his favorite teacher. Leigh writes Mr. Henshaw(his favorite author) a letter that asks him all sorts of questions about himself. When Mr. Henshaw finally writes back he asks Leigh a series of questions. After this the two of them write back and forth for a couple of years. This realationship gives Leigh confidence in himself when Mr. Henshaw tells Leigh that he should keep a journal. This journal allows Leigh to get his feelings out. Things stop bothering Leigh so much and by the end of the book he starts to enjoy his life more. This book is really good for an upper elementary child, and can even for an adult.

Killing Mr. Griffin is about these students that dislike their English teacher (Mr. Griffin) a lot. The hate him so much, that they come up with this very cruel plan. They want to kidnap him and scare him. They don't plan to kill him, but anything can go wrong. They leave him up at the mountains for about six hours. When they go back, they find him... dead. Now, how do they get rid of the body in a way where they can't get caught? They can't...
Killing Mr. Griffin is a great and frightening book. I like this book, because it makes you want to finish it, especially on the end of the middle. I like murder books like Killing Mr. Griffin. There are very exciting parts in the book. Like when they leave him up in the mountains and they try to get away. Here is a quote that explains when they are leaving Mr. Griffin, "Betsy turned to throw one last look at the man by the stream. He was lying very still. Only his chest was moving-up and down-up and down-as though he had been running hard. Betsy had a sudden childish impulse to run back and step on his face." Killing Mr. Griffin is a very good book.
This book is thrilling, but there are some boring parts and extremely sad parts. A boring part was when Mr. Griffin was talking to his wife. It was quite boring but I still read it. A sad part was when they kidnapped Mr. Griffin. Their plan was to make this girl (Susan) stall him long enough (by a conference) so that they could capture him while no one sees...So the middle was the best part of the whole book. I think this book is a great book.
Killing Mr. Griffin is one of the best murder books I ever read. It was suspenseful and amusing. Though you have to read some parts again because it get confusing. I think everyone should at least read this book once.

"Killing Mr. Griffin" is a fairly unrealistic book, but still a fun read. The basic plot idea is that a group of teenagers are going to gang up on a hated English teacher, Mr. Griffin, and just "scare" him. Each student has his or her own reason to hate Griffin -- one student was kept from graduating just becaue he wouldn't pass him, another is a straight "A" student who only recieves a "B" in Griffin's class, and other various teenage tales. The kids plan out an elaborate plot in order to take Griffin to an unknown area out by a river, tie him up, and make him change his ways forever. Things go wrong when Griffin unexpectedly passes due to missing a dose of his heart medication. This tells the story of the kids trying to cover up their tracks ... I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to any teen for a good laugh!

Killing Mr. Griffin was a great book. My over all opinion of this book was that it was very suspenceful. It was a book that you didn't want to put down. You wanted to keep reading to find out what happened. It was about these students that were getting tired of their English teacher so they wanted to do something about it. So they took him up to the mountains to scare him. He needed to take this certain kind of medicine but he never got it because of what they did. What do you think will happen to Mr. Griffin? What will their consequences be? I really liked this book alot. My favorite part was when these hikers that were up in the mountains found Mr. Griffin's body. This was a good book, but the begining was slow. However it didn't make it to where I wouldn't read it again. I would recommend this book to someone that would like mysteries or thrillers.

I read this novel with a great deal of interest and anticipation and I was not disappointed. What can one say about the "talented" Patricia Highsmith that has not already been said. I loved this novel and I loved the way that Highsmith, so cleverly and astutely enters into the mind and tortured psyche of what could now be considered a modern day sociopath. Even though you know Tom Ripley is bad and what he does to Dickie is wrong, you really do wish he will get away with it. Tom Ripley is the ultimate anti-hero: calculatingly cruel yet strangely vulnerable. The author does a dashing job in conveying Tom's fears, longings, desires and upsets.

Onother highlight of the novel is its fabulous settings: Southern Italy has never looked so beautiful along with Venice, Cannes, and Paris. This novel makes for an extremely exotic, fascinating read and it also works as a wonderful portrait of a figure who has strangely removed himself from others and from society. Patricia Highsmith manages to embody the spirit of Italy while at the same time writing a terrific suspense thriller.

Michael Leonard

Patricia Highsmith, one of the grande dames of the mystery genre, as usual transcends that genre in this meticulously wrought study of a sociopath. The action is set in Europe in the fifties, mostly Italy, at a time when the Yankee dollar bought a whole lot of cappuccino, and an American accent still commanded some respect. In her intense exploration of the 25-year-old Tom Ripley, Highsmith implicitly asks the question: Is the difference between a sociopath and a "normal" person only a matter of degree, or is there a distinct difference between "us" and "them"?

First published in 1955, The Talented Mr. Ripley has since been made into a couple of excellent movies, the first a Hitchcockian venture by French director Rene Clement entitled Plein Soleil "Purple Moon" (1960) and recently the interpretation by Anthony Minghella using Highsmith's title. Neither picture was entirely faithful to Highsmith's novel, yet both caught the spirit of the sexually ambiguous Tom Ripley, who might more properly be called, "The Murderous Mr. Ripley."

In effect, Highsmith asks, is Ripley's love of self so complete and exclusive that it precludes any other love? Note that his love for the rich and spoiled Dickie Greenleaf takes form as a step by step assumption of Dickie's life and personality. It is only when he becomes Dickie that Ripley is able to love Dickie and thereby to love himself. In other words, to love himself Tom Ripley must destroy the self-loathing that he has always felt. He does this by becoming Dickie Greenleaf and assuming Dickie's witty, confident personality and all the accoutrements of wealth, leisure and status that Dickie enjoys. While we note Ripley's repulsive feelings toward Marge and a kind of identification and interest in gay men, an interest that Dickie finds disgusting--witness the scene on the beach with the men making human pyramids--our answer to the simplistic question, is Tom Ripley gay? is...not really, and anyway it doesn't matter. He is interested only in loving himself, and finding ways to do that.

There is a strong sense of the psychoanalytic approach in Highsmith's somewhat euphemistic study, which is not surprising considering that the 1950s were perhaps the heyday of Freudian analysis and suppositions, at least in the popular culture. The movie Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and Robert Lindner's popular, The Fifty Minute Hour: A Collection of True Psychoanalytical Tales (1954) come quickly to mind, and Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) was not far off. But Highsmith does not allow us to draw any set conclusions about her anti-hero.

The ending is disturbingly ironic and daring, surprising both us and the slippery Mr. Ripley.

If you were entranced by the cinema version of this fascinating study, prepare to be thrilled again with Patricia Highsmith's inimitable prose as delivered by the talented Michael Hayden.

Miraculously, he injects Tom with just the right amounts of menace and charm as we are gradually introduced to the amoral young man with a gift for ingratiation and mimicry. Obsessed is too weak a word to describe Tom's desire to be someone else - someone with money and all the world has to offer.

A suspenseful tale plus a romp through some of this Earth's most glamorous spots.