european

Forget a spoiled prince too obssesed with his mother. Forget a maid who needs a therapy and soon. We have Segismundo and Rosaura. A brave, drop dead gorgeous dark hero and a resourceful, witty, inteligent heroine. You will laugh, you will cry.
You have romance, sword-fighting-cross-star lovers, intrigue, foreign policy. All in one.

Seriously, this is the best play ever written. You can enjoy only the story or find a real interpretation of Spain under the Habsburgs. But also a search for identity. Calderon asks the eternal question WHO ARE WE and wrapped it in a wonderful, rich and manificent dress.
Try it and you forget Dennmark. And if you can read it in Spanish. Maybe is hard but it will worth.

"Life is a dream" is a play about the utter unreliability of our senses. Of course, we have to use them to figure out some reality in which we can live. But we have no idea of who we are and where we come from, much less what will happen after death. We also don't know what death is. It is also a case in favor of peace and solidarity. Why spend our brief and dream-like time on Earth being mean and dirty?: let's all be friendly and good, and this will be a good dream and not a nightmare.

Despite its philosophical subject, the play is quick-paced and funny. The plot to make Sigmund believe everything was a dream is hilarious, and it is easy to see why it's a classic. Read it.

The book is well written by prestigious authors who have done their research. The notes at the end are extensive. The book is clearly written. Even a novice in Lithuanian history would have an easy time following this volume.

The book does an excellent job of showing the pivotal role Lithuania had in the eastern European balance of power between Germany and the USSR versus the Polish, French, British alliance. The book reminds of the title 'Lithuania: The Rebel Nation' by Stanley Vardys. The authors do a great job of clearly explaining the plight of Lithuania in this balance of power.

Another interesting note is that some of the authors in this edited book are from Lithuania. It is interesting to see the view of homegrown Lithuanians on this time period in Lithuanian history. They rate high in their objectivity.

Anyone interested in Lithuanian history should own this book.

When I was looking for a copy of this classic tale, I wanted to know about the ending. Thankfully, this is NOT the more gruesome ending where the wolf eats Little Red and Grandma and the woodcarvers chop the wolf open. My daughter is only 2, and aside from this not making sense that the victims are still alive after the wolf eats them, it's a little inappropriate for this age group (the part about chopping the wolf open). Instead, the wolf puts grandma in the closet to "save her for later". The best part is that the cape almost seems to represent a super-hero type or magical properties ("She leaped away, light as a leaf in her cherry red cape").

This version has a more elaborate, sweeter beginning than the version I grew up with, which merely jumped right into Little Red Riding Hood leaving for the path to Grandma's house. It begins with Grandma sewing the red cape for Little Red Riding Hood because her Grandma enjoyed her visits with her granddaughter. It then goes on to explain how she wore the cape so often that this is how she got her nickname. This emphasizes the importance of special family relationships.

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, yet simple enough for the very young child. One element that I especially enjoyed is that the nightgown the wolf wears (Grandma's nightgown) has sheep print on it. Besides adding humor, this adds the element of foreshadowing (hint, hint!).

Of course, the moral of the story remains the same. Leaving the path will always lead to trouble.

Paul Polansky's poems bring alive both the horror of the Lety camp (which he was responsible for exposing to the world) and the reality of life for romany people in modern Czech society.

José María Arguedas escribe desde lo profundo de su corazón, sobre su incapacidad para encontar pertinencia en una u otra cultura de las que fue parte. Es un profundo buscar de las raíces de un ser humano. Toda mi vida ha sido impactada por este trabajo y en este momento en el que trabajo con Hispanos en EU, recomiendo absolutamente el mismo para dar una perspectiva impactante sobre el problema que muchas personas han confrontado a través de los tiempos.