MR

For all of you that may tout the lines, "The book is usually better than the movie", this is a classic example of such. Wes Craven's movie is good for what it is, a stylistic slasher film. Mitch Pileggi plays Horace Pinker extremely well and pulls off one liners at times to make the movie less scary than it is funny. As I have watched it many times in the theater and on video, the only scene that really does scare you is when Pinker, in a small girl's body, drives a Bulldozer at Jonathan Parker. Other than that the movie is very Nightmare on Elm St.-esque in that it's humor outdoes it's horror.

Randall Boyll's book however, shines Pinker in a much more ominious light. The writer gives an entirely terrifying face to Pinker and the murders he has committed. The book goes into detail about some of the killings and not only are they not your average murders, they are absolutely grotesque in nature as well as bordering on the immoral to even think about at times.

In this setting though, even the most horrific murder has it's place and it truly makes you want to see Pinker captured even more. In the movie it's a fun cat and mouse game between Pinker and Parker, in the book it's a lot more serious in the chase because when you know what's really happened to the families Pinker has murdered, you do want to see him fry.

The book goes off into the supernatural with Pinker's abilities to use bodies and electrical charge, just as the movie does, but with a lot less of the cornyness that precedes the movie's opening credits.

Overall a good read and redemption for Shocker fans out there that are trying to show everyone why Horace Pinker is scarier than the movie makes him seem.

If you like a joke book with distasteless humor and dirty jokes this is a book for. I thought some were really of the wall funny and others were simplyjust not at all funny.But i did give this book a 4-star rating because, i think you could use some of them as ice breakers at parties or when your by yourself and feeling down it could be a pick me up. in conclusion i think if your between the ages of 15-21 you would definetly enjoy this book. But if your lets say in your 30's you would probably find the quite unhumores.

Beatrix Potter's tales have often revolved around endearing characters such as Tom Kitten, Jeremy Fisher, or Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. Sometimes the main characters have been of the mischievous type like Squirrel Nutkin, Hunca Munca or Samuel Whiskers. Well, in "The Tale of Mr. Tod", the main characters, Mr. Tod and Tommy Brock, are two thoroughly disagreeable and unpleasant creatures. Mr. Tod has foxy whiskers and is of a wandering habit. The other animals either cannot bear him or are frightened of him. He has several different houses but is rarely found home. However, his houses are not always empty, for Tommy Brock is prone to moving in without Mr. Tod's permission. Tommy Brock is a fat, waddling badger with a horrible grinning face and a habit of digging things up. One day he pays a call to old Mr. Bouncer, Benjamin Bunny's father. Today he is in charge of looking after the young, while Benjamin and his wife Flopsy are out. Unfortunately after conversing with the badger and smoking a very strong cabbage leaf cigar, the old rabbit falls asleep and Tommy Brock makes off with the rabbit babies. When Benjamin and Flopsy return they find their young gone and Benjamin at once goes out to track down Tommy Brock. Along the way he enlists the help of his brother-in-law, Peter Rabbit. Of course, they are not the only ones after the terrible badger. It seems that yet again he has set up house in one of Mr. Tod's residences and the fox, who is not in the best of moods this day, discovers the badger asleep in his bed... There are not many color pictures in this book, but there are many black and white illustrations in the style of woodcuts. Of course the story is extremely interesting and suspensful. "The Tale of Mr. Tod" is a longer story than some of the author's other tales. Also, there is more narration than dialogue and the language is early twentieth century, so this story may be more suitable for older children. Parents and children should not pass up this lesser known tale by a very talented storyteller and illustrator.

This was the second in the Mr. Moto series, begun shortly after Marquand returned from his 1935 China trip. As was his custom, Marquand used two young people as the protagonists who found themselves unwittingly immersed in a mystery. While they struggled to solve the dilemma, the amateur sleuths were aided by Mr. Moto who appeared at crucial moments to make the heavy decisions and do the necessary liquidating.

Marquand does a good job of describing the tensions in pre-World War II China . In order to enjoy the story, the reader will have to ignore some 1930's racial stereotypes.

In this early Moto book written after the author's visit to Shanghai and the Orient, Moto saves a young couple and simultaneously serves the interests of the Japanese Empire. Wilson Hitchings is heir to the Shanghai branch of Hitchings Brothers, bankers and commission merchants. He is sent by his uncle to Honolulu to shut down a gambling casino run by a distant relative named Eva. The uncle fears the gambling operation is creating too much bad publicity for the Hitchings family. Mr. Moto is also interested in closing down the gambling operation since money is being funnelled through the casino by Chinese and Russian interests to anti-Japanese bandits in Manchuria. This book is an exciting thriller written by a Pulitzer Prize-winning author.

Despite what you would think from the way this book is advertized, it really isn't a travelogue through early 20th Century Tibet. Only 2 chapters are really devoted to this. The rest of it is an account of Dorje Zodba's reflections on Tibetan culture and customs, and this is presented in a rather cut and dry manner, not that different from a typical anthropological or sociological survey. Again, despite what you would think, the vaunted viewpoint of the author (both Christian and Buddhist influenced) does not deliver the variations of insight or spark of tension you would expect. Dorje doesn't really bring either to obvious reflection on the task. So why 4 stars? Because, even though its tone isn't that different from many other books, there are a lot of interesting details brought out due to the author being Tibetan and having grown up in the culture, yet having an analytical distance from it, caused by his exposure to Western methods of information gathering. Of particular note is the fact that this account was written before Tibetans had fully realized that not everything in their culture was politically correct or should be aired too openly, so you gain a more realistic picture of their lives before the Communist takeover and Western idealisms about their culture.

This book may be dated, being that its time span ends in 1998, after Tony Gwynn's second World Series appearance, and that he would pass the 3,000-hit mark in 1999 and play his last major-league game in 1991. However, for a book aimed at a juvenile audience it is very well-written with a great attention to detail. This story about a modern-day athlete who, in addition to being one of baseball's greatest hitters (eight National League batting titles, tied for the record with Honus Wagner), has been an outstanding citizen and role model, is one that children, not only those who are sports fans, should read.

I got this book a long time ago, but unfortunately lost it. Anyway, the stories in here are very strange and odd, but in a good way. They seem to have a real atmosphere about them, and they stick with you, and pop into your head at the most unusual times. Good, creepy stories, but in a weird way, not a gory one. And they just aren't the typical campfire ghost stories that you've heard a million times. In fact, they aren't about ghosts at all, except for Auntie Madie's Starving. Its not the best book i've ever read, but its darn good, and i reccomend having it. So if you're looking for a good and interesting read get it.

Young Rosie wakes up *very* early one morning, as young children are inclined to do. After Rosie unsuccessfully attempts to wake up her brother and her father, she finds that her dog is all too happy to join her on her early morning imaginary adventures. This book has almost no text, and the tale is told through the illustrations. It should prove a source of joy for young children who have experienced the challenge of waking up early and entertaining themselves. Even better, the book can be enjoyed independently by the child, since the pictures tell the story! I found it pretty amusing that Rosie allows her mother to sleep through the entire story - a good starting point for discussion with your child!

This is coming from a coder stranded in cube-ville. I got the calendar to have something to hang up that makes me giggle. My only complaint about the calendar is that the best pictures are on the cover and back...the rest miss the mark, in my opinion. But how can you really go wrong with Mr. Winkle? :)