literature Books

This has been the best one (compared to the 1st & 2nd) so far. I liked how there were a few different plots & stories going on at the same time.

Everything was excelent: received the book in less than a week, I think; It was in excellent shape...it looked brand new; I was expecting a paperback for the price I paid but instead, it was a hardcover!

Love this series.... Jim Dale is one of the best narrators I have ever listened to!

This the second set I am Buying. My Grandson asked for mine And I just couldn't part with it. So I am buying one for him. I hope he loves them as much as I do.

How is it that every Harry Potter book I read is better then the one I read before? How does J.K. Rowling do it? I thought the first Harry Potter was so great that there isn't a word to discribe it. Then I read the second one and I'm in awe. The third one is so amazing that I don't want to take the time to write this review, I just want to start on #4. But I can't do that because I have a few books that I have to review and a couple of them I have to have them done on or by a certain date. So my Harry Potter adventure must end here for now. Not to worry though because my husband and I will be watching the movie tonight.

It's Harry's third year at Hogwarts and he cannot wait for school to begin. Living with the Dursley's, Harry's aunt and uncle who are Muggles, which mean that they are normal people, has been a nightmare that Harry has had to endure almost his whole life. Harry's parents were killed by the evil Lord Voldermort who tried to kill Harry, who was just an infant, but failed and in the process lost most of his power. Once Harry found out that he is a wizard and that he gets to leave the Dursley's behind to attend Hogwarts, Harry feels his life will forever change. And it does. Harry has made two very good friends Ron and Hermione who also attend Hogwarts.

Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban prison. Somehow he managed to outsmart the dementors, horrible creatures who literally suck the happiness from those around it. Sirius is the one who sold Harry's parents out and told Voldemort where to find them. And he's coming after Harry.

This is a great read and I recommend it to everyone, young and old.

One of my absolute favorites. I could read this book over and over again! This book is a fun twist on the Cinderella story that keeps me up all night reading, even the second time around. Every young girl should read this!

I really liked this book!! Gail Carson Levine is very talented, and she did a great job developing the characters and making them believable. This is weird for me to say, since "Ella Enchanted" IS a fantasy. Well written, thoroughly entertaining, and WAY better than the movie, this book is a favorite of mine.

This is a delightful fairytale that is fun for youth as well as adults. There were a few twists that I wasn't expecting, which made it all the more fun.

I LOVE this book! Way better than the movie, which does not follow the plot (or even the characters) at all! It is an easy read and you will not want to put it down. I do not even know how many times I have read it. It gives you that warm-and-fuzzy feeling deep down inside.

Retold fairytales, in which the characters and plots of traditional stories are explored in more depth, or told from an unexpected point-of-view, are a dime a dozen these days. But one stands out from the rest, and that is Gail Carson Levine's "Ella Enchanted", which takes the story of Cinderella and not only provides impetus for many of the nonsensical elements of the original tale, but builds a rich imaginary world around it and makes the titular character one of the best heroines to ever appear in YA novel.

If you secretly always thought Cinderella was a bit of a pushover, sitting and crying by the fireplace when she could have been raiding her stepsisters' wardrobes and hitchhiking to the ball, then you'll be pleased to find that Levine gives us a perfect acceptable reason as to why her Ella is so slavishly obedient to her step-family: she's under a spell. When just a baby, an idiotic fairy called Lucinda blessed her with the "gift" of obedience, in which Ella is forced to obey every command she hears.

A wish or a request has no effect on her, but a direct order, no matter how terrible it is, must be obeyed. Any attempts at disregarding it results in frightening nausea and dizziness. Levine takes this conceit and heightens the dramatic effect to its full potency. Ella's life is monopolized by her constant internal battle between obedience and defiance: "It was a tiresome game, but I had to play it or feel like a complete puppet." Because she's naturally willful, she makes an art out of finding loopholes in the commands she receives. When someone demands that she fetch almonds from the pantry for a cake, she responds by bringing back just two. When someone orders her to take off their smelly shoes, she counteracts by throwing them out the window directly afterwards. Although there are moments of comedy involved in her plight, Levine never shies away from the fact that Ella is under a terrible curse; such as the horror that comes with the command to: "be happy to be blessed with such a lovely quality."

Ella nurses the dream of one day being free of the spell, but until then, we're with her as she struggles with her self-control, hoping that one day she'll either get Lucinda to remove the spell, or come across a command that's too heinous to obey. But what command could possibly be terrible enough for her to withstand the pain and break the spell through sheer force of will?

Ella herself is a fantastic character, and tells her own story in first-person narrative (difficult to pull off without the narrator sounding too self-involved, but here it doesn't falter for a second). Ella is not perfect by any means, but she's intelligent and witty, gifted at languages, kind-hearted, and endearingly stubborn when it comes to dealing with her curse, clinging to her dignity even as she's forced into doing the most embarrassing things. One general thing does get on my nerves though, and that's the oft-repeated character trait among YA heroines: crippling clumsiness. Sure, we're all klutzy at that age, but the way the authors of YA novels write teenage girls, you'd think they couldn't perform the most basic physical tasks without skirting death itself. But where most YA fairytales/romances are dominated by the swooning damsel staring at the dreamy hero, Levine never looses sight of the fact that this story is all Ella's, culminating in a vindication of free will and inner strength.

Like most fairytale heroines, Ella looses her mother; unlike most fairytale heroines, we the reader actually get a sense of the love between mother and daughter, and the pain that Ella feels when she looses her. Eleanor of Frell may only be around for one chapter, but in that time Levine makes us almost as sorry as Ella is to see her go. As the story goes on, the tale veers closer and closer to the familiar fairytale, and Levine finds amusing ways to insert the traditional Cinderella tropes, such as the glass slippers, the pumpkin carriage, and even the fact that Ella has small feet!

Olga, Hattie and Olive (the evil stepmother and stepsisters, respectively) are rather cartoonish villains, being gluttonous, avaricious, and idiotic. Furthermore, Hattie snores, has smelly feet, is overweight, and hides a secret that exposes her to further ridicule. In short, they are grotesque, and although a part of me wishes that there was more to their characters, the greater part doesn't really care because it makes Ella's victory over them all the sweeter. And Levine compensates for this ugly-side of womankind by adding the characters of Mandy (Ella's fairy godmother) and Areida (a friend that she makes at school) as the more benevolent reflections of snotty Olga and vindictive Hattie.

There are some hilarious one-liners, and Levine is a wonderful humourist, very much in keeping with J.K. Rowling's ability to dryly poke fun at the ridiculous. When Ella arrives at finishing school (where all the chamber-pots look like decorative cabbages) she is told: "it's never too late to start being finished." When Hattie pens a letter to her mother concerning Ella's disappearance, she writes: "I hope she has come to no harm and has not been eaten by ogres or captured by bandits or caught fire or fallen into bad company, as I so often imagine." And my personal favourite:

"What a clever daughter I have." Olga beamed at Hattie.
"As clever as she is beautiful," I said.
They both began to answer me, and then stopped, confused.
"Hattie isn't pretty," said Olive.

The centerpiece of the story though, belongs to the love that blossoms between Prince Charmont (usually known as "Char") and Ella. Basically, Char and Ella make up the best YA romance...ever. There, I said it. But it's true. Whereas other authors-that-shall-remain-nameless rely on strangling their lovers with the red string (that is, trying to convince us that their characters are in love because the author *says* that they're in love) Levine takes the time to build a relationship between Ella and Char that's based on more than just physical attraction, and it's all the more powerful for it. In the YA genre, in which love stories between a hero and heroine are about as deep as a paddling pool, these two are a godsend.

Char and Ella learn about each other before they fall in love. They acknowledge each other's flaws as well as their strengths. They play silly games and share jokes. They converse via letters over an extended period of time, which include such reflective lines as this: "I trust you to see the good in me, but the bad I must make sure you don't overlook." They love the big things about each other, like their kindness and honesty, but also the silly little things, like each other's freckles and a mutual enjoyment of sliding down banisters.

And because it is a love that is based on friendship, respect, compatibility and intelligence, it makes the heartbreak twice as painful, and the declaration twice as rewarding. Just think, two people actually becoming *friends* before they become lovers! Who'd have thought?!

The book was adapted into a rather awful movie not too long ago, which obliterated all the reasons why this book is so special, and replaced it with a story that relied too much on the popularity of "Shrek" (complete with a contemporary soundtrack, anachronistic elements and crude comedy) than the charm of Levine's story. Avoid it if you can, and hope that in later years it'll either be more faithfully adapted, or left well enough alone.

As you can see, I've got nothing but good things to say about "Ella Enchanted," though admittedly it may not appeal to the average boy-reader, being essentially a rather feminine coming-of-age tale in a fairytale kingdom full of fairies and elves. But for everyone else, this is a wonderful book, with a spritely, loveable lead, and a mature and healthy understanding of romantic relationships (and I'm pointing this out, because it's unfortunately so very, very rare). If your eight-to-twelve year old daughter holds up Ella of Frell as her literary role-model, then you've got yourself an awesome kid.

When they say you can not judge a book by it's cover, believe me you can not. This is a wonderful and well written book. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys reading. Add this to you wish list, and you will not be disappointed.

Normally I steer clear of these kinds of books--sappy, harlequin emotions and cardboard characters you will never find in real life. It did turn out to have a good message and a happy ending, but I have never wanted to strangle certain "idiotic" characters as much as I did these (well, one in particular).

Set during the California Gold Rush years, Angel has been a prostitute since she came of age and thinks is happy enough with her (miserable) life, but a man named Michael has been told by God to marry her and show her what true love is (a la Gomer and Michael of the old testament). Michael seemed entirely too flawless to be believable, and Angel is an exasperatingly ditsy blond who runs away whenever she starts to feel love for Michael. Oh, and of course she is an absolute bombshell (poor, poor Michael). Despite the fact that I felt my IQ dropping as I read this book (yes, that's a bit harsh I suppose) I might recommend it to recently engaged couples as a sort of "conversation starter" as it does bring up some worthy questions about the nature of unconditional love (if they can get through it without gagging at the melodrama and maudlin turns of phrase, that is).

We just read this for our summer book club at our church and I was blown away by this book! It is amazing! Francine Rivers creates a main character, Angel, that any person could relate to and a story that makes you cry and shout for joy, too. Michael truly works as an extension of God's love, constantly showing Angel how God loves her throughout the book. The book is hard to read in the beginning - you have to get past the first 75 pages or so before it gets better. But don't give up! This is a book you will forever love and want to share with others!!

This brings the biblical story of Hosea to life. To those who have suffered in relationships it shows God's compassion, mercy, and grace and how we in receiving this can also extend it to a hurting world even if they are hurting us. A book for all generations. Enjoy!

This book reminds you how amazing human beings can be and reinforces the belief in a very passionate and forgiving God.

I first read this book a long time ago in middle school and I still have the full series both Lioness and the Immortals they are no joke bound with duck tape because over the last 11 years or so I have read them soo many times that they are indeed falling apart and I just had to replace my In the Realm of the Gods copy because half the book fell out. Once my kids get a little bit bigger these books will be read to them and I hope that when they get even older that they will pick up these books and read them over and over again like I did!

Run of the mill fantasy book even with the twist of a girl becoming a knight. I bought it for my classroom but don't think it's all that interesting.

So, the first book of Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness Series. What did I think of it? It was all right, better than most formulaic fantasy, but not quite great. An enjoyable, casual read.

I'll start with the faults. The prose is nothing extraordinary, and there often isn't quite enough description. At the same time, things always happened quickly, as if the characters were in a mad rush. If you like your fantasy quick and to the point, and just can't slog through heavily descriptive novels like the Wheel of Time, then this book may be perfect for you.

Secondly, magic was handled a little bit casually. Even children can use it, and its treated more like a handy tool to keep at your belt rather than a mystical, arcane force. The magic system was pretty basic and not much more complicated than you'd expect to see if you were playing an RPG like Dungeons and Dragons.

Thirdly, and this is the most criminal, Thom(the best character) barely gets any page time. I hope Pierce rewrites this series from his POV sometime, because that would make for an interesting read.

Finally, the climax was rather abrupt, quick, and didn't carry much weight. The Ysandir(the final enemies) were pansies, as easily dispatched as flies to be swatted, with the exception of the leader, Ylon. The final battle could definitely have done with being drawn out a bit more, given a bit more suspense. It would probably have been more dramatic if the fight was just against Ylon, minus the underlings who is uses as fodder.

Besides these flaws, however, this is a fairly good read. Nothing deep or groundbreaking, nothing fantastic, but consistently entertaining and adaquately written. The characters were pretty good, I can't recall ever being bored with the story, or wincing at the dialogue. Hardcore fantasy fans, however, might want to look for a series with a little more meat to it, though.

3.5 stars.

I love Tamora Pierce books I have all of them that are available on CD...Amazon was the lowest price around and I checked them all... I did have to return this book because of a flaw on one of the CD's and Amazon had another copy to in my hands within 48 hours... AMAZING

Alanna: the First Adventure by Tamora Pierce tells about Alanna's life as the only girl knight-to-be in the palace. Alanna lives in Tortall where only boys can be knights and she also has the magical gift, which means she can heal and do other things. Very few people know Alanna is a girl, and everybody who doesn't, knows her by the name "Alan." She has many friends and many enemies, whom she soon hopes to defeat. Alanna wants to be a knight and she hopes she is brave and strong enough to be the first girl warrior in a century. Will she ever make it?
Alanna: the First Adventure is an exciting read for girls in grades five and up. Alanna, the main character, will surprise you at every turn. The ending is perfect for this book and it makes you want to keep reading. This is one of my favorite books ever because every time you read it, you catch new information that you missed the first time, and Alanna keeps you entertained from the beginning of the book. Tamora Pierce's writing style is fairly easy to read and it will captivate you the second you pick it up! Alanna: the First Adventure, is the first book in the Song of the Lioness series, which is the first series of five, taking place in Tortall. This book has everything from romance to adventure to captivate your attention.

This book is great, and it was in wonderful shape. There were no real scrapes or dings on the cover, and no torn pages. It's an older copy, but that's fine-it still reads just like a newer one would. As for the story, well, it's FANTASTIC! Any sci-fi reader should definitely invest in this product.

I picked this up remembering the BBC series from my youth, and was pleasantly surprised to find (a rare thing) it every bit as funny as I remembered. I actually found myself laughing out loud at times. The last book in the series is the weakest, but all in all still a wonderful collection.

I'm an old school Douglas Adams fan. If you haven't read his work you should. Especially if you love satire and irony. That being said I think all the other review here do the book justice.

As for this product, the book itself is good quality, faux leather bound, bigger than a Bible and at times thick and clumsy feeling. Laying in bed and reading this will take some will power compared to your average paperback because of the size of the thing. This is no small "toss in the 'ol briefcase" tome here. It's big. The pages are thin and can tear easily but are of pretty good quality. There were some smudges here and there and some faint print in other areas but hey, there's a lot of pages in there so perfection shouldn't be expected at this price.

Overall a great value.

We follow the seemingly random and hilarious misadventures of the hapless Earthling, Arthur Dent, & his alien sidekick, Ford Prefect, as they 'hitchhike' around the Universe after Earth is destroyed in order to make way for an interstellar highway.

Even without all the philosophical, scientific & religious commentary (Adams was a fan of science and a vocal atheist) it is just a finely told piece of imaginative writing because of Adam's ability to communicate so eloquently & humorously many things we ourselves think & feel, but can't or don't vocalize (his understated British delivery is incomparable). And there are many moments where you will giggle in the warmth of kindred spirits or just burst out laughing at the ridiculous predicament of the lovably raucous characters.

Adams seamlessly weaves together a story that explores science, the mystery and purpose of life, religious faith, love, death & the Universe itself, while keeping you thinking and laughing to the very end. It is a classic because there is simply nothing else like it in terms of content and delivery, largely because there is no other writer like Doug Adams.

I recommend this for just about anyone who is willing to laugh at everyone (and everything), including himself.

It is amazing that a show that started as a radio show on BBC 4 around the late seventies has become such a classic of sci-fi literature.

The Hitchhiker consists of five books: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Life, the Universe and Everything, So long, and Thanks for all the Fish, and Young Zaphoid Plays it safe.

The original book is the crown jewel of the collection, and stands the test of time as one of the most original and brilliant novels written in the twentieth century.

Arthur Dent wakes up one day to a crowd of bulldozers who are going to destroy his house to make way for a freeway. Unbeknown to Arthur, the Earth itself was being destroyed by the Vogons for development of a hyperspatial express route through the star system.

Luckily for Arthur, his friend Ford Prefect is an alien who possessed a copy of the Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy and they were able to escape Earth seconds before it was destroyed. Thus start the adventures of these two, and many other characters--Marvin, the Paranoid Android, Zyphod Beeblebros, the ex Galactic President, Slartibartfast who was trying to explain the answer given to the answer of the question of our purpose in life, who are we? (The answer after a seven and a half million year wait was given bu a computer as the "number 42").

More than the plot following our heroes Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect (and a cast of thousands), it is Adams' amazing ability to turn a phrase into something not totally unlike any other book. The book is not only brilliantly conceived, but glitters with a patina of dark humor which is utterly unique in literature, the only analog being the television and film productions of Monty Python.

The book sequence uses the author's knowledge of sci-fi to talk about the things that concerned him, the world he observed, his thoughts on Life, the Universe, and Everything. Using the Guide as a point of reference, we are exposed to people who thought that digital watches were a pretty neat thing, and Adams, with a curiosity for scientific things and an instinct for explanation, uses his laser-sharp sense of British humor, to explain, and to describe the most incredible journey though time and space.

The compilation of the five books are long (815 pages) filled with dry British humor, and hard to read simply because after the second book I started to see a bit of monotony creep into Adams' writing style, occasionally to the point that it almost seemed that he was forcibly imitating himself.

For those of you who have trouble sleeping, I highly recommend this book--it will put you to sleep every time you read it. Nevertheless, the Guide is, and will always be, one of the classics of the English language.

I am not a teen anymore, but a decade ago, I was. I never went to a public school, or delt with teenage dating, drugs, suicide, sneaking around, or all of that drama. I purchased this for a special teen in my life who has had to go to public school and face all of that. I read it before I gave it to her, and I think I learned some things that enter into the "average teen's" life. I hope she enjoys it, and learns, laughs and grows as I did.

This book was a wonderful and uplifting read. A lot of the passages will be in the back of my mind for a long time. The stories with love, hope and forgiveness really hit home for me. The only thing that I would like to see more in this book is poetry.

You would like this book if you love the feeling of being thankful of what you have. It makes me think to be kinder to people and to be happy that people are how they are and no one should try to change them. That some people are there to help and some people are there to be helped by people. I just think that this book will make so many people's lives so much brighter after having read it.

The thing that really got me was one of the stories that had a little brother that had cancer and it made me think of my little brother and what would my life be like without him. The day I read that story I went home and gave him a big hug and I told him that I loved him.

The parts with thoughtful words and deep thoughts always make me think. I love to read about people's problems and how they overcome them. I just think that it is good to know that someone might be going through the same problems with boys, parents, school, drugs and tons more things that make your head spin every day, and things that you feel like there is no way out of that situation.

All in all I thought it was a good book.

My daughter started reading this book at age 12, and has had it for 2 years. She still loves to go back and read selections of love, hope, courage. Give your teenager something worth reading! :)

I bought this book as a gift for my 16yr old niece. The very next day, she told me how much she loved the book. She even cried reading it. I think it's nice to find reading materials that can move the minds and feelings of teenagers.

I skimmed through the book before I gave it to my granddaughter who just turned 13. I thought it had some well written stories that a teenager can relate to and a lot of food for thought. She was so happy to get it, since she had the one for pre-teens also and really liked it.

First, let me tell you I've never liked westerns (except for this one). This book is still one of, if not the, best book I've ever read. I'm not going into the storyline as other reviews have already done that. I'll just mention that the author makes you feel like you're apart of the characters lives to the point that once the book is over a little sadness sets in. When I read this book it held my interest so much that I could hardly put the book down.

I'd suggest that you read this book before seeing the movie. The book contains more of the story and, let's face it, the books are always better. Plus, the movie will make even more sense, if you read the book first. That's just my opinion. While we're at it, the movie was excellent in it's own right. If you get a chance to see it, you really should.

One more thing, in my opinion, this is definitely not a book for children to read.

If you like John Wayne movies or Clint Eastwood westerns you'll enjoy Lonesome Dove. Even if you don't like westerns there is a good chance you'll love this book.
I've read the negative reviews posted about how the book isn't politically correct. So what? People are offended by the brutish behavior of the cowboys here. So there are hookers and stereotyped Indian outlaws; who cares? The book is great. Honestly, the characters feel absolutly real.
Gus and Call aren't exactly refined. They are two burned out ex-Texas Rangers looking for a last hurrah by driving cattle from Texas to Montana because they're bored. I get it. They have character flaws; they entertain hookers; they get drunk; they gamble, they steal horses from Mexicans, but that is what makes them come alive. You connect with them on some level, and end up going on the journey with them. When a writer can put you there with the characters and you can see them, hear them, and know them like a close friend he's accomplished something magical.
You'll laugh, you'll cry, and when it's over you'll wish it wasn't. I love this book. 900 pages seems like alot, but you'll be sad when it is over.

Though this review does not include "adult" language, the subject matter might offend some people.

This is not so much a "literary" review as it is a socio-political one. I want to kick Larry McMurtry in the shins for failing to fully develop his deconstructionist view of the American West.

One of the best things about "Lonesome Dove" is that it is /not/ a literary work. It's simply a good story, well told. McMurtry's direct, unpretentious style never gets in the way. (One /can/ be pretentiously simple -- see Hemingway.) And if the first few lines, and the brilliantly developed first chapter that follows them, don't grab you, there's no way you're going to like it. (The prequels suffer from weak opening chapters.) I've read "Lonesome Dove" twice, and will probably pick it up again in a few years.

My issue with McMurtry is that, in trying to present the American West as it (probably) was, * is that "Lonesome Dove" (and its prequels/sequels) avoid any mention of -- how shall I say this? -- "male relationships". The possibility that men ever get sexually involved with each other -- whether out of need for physical release, or for affection -- is not part of McMurtry's wild-West Weltanschauung. (I threw that in to show that I know some big words. I like alliteration, too.)

McMurtry is not anti-gay. In "The Last Picture Show" he treats homosexuality in a sympathetic, almost comic fashion (which, for a story of the early '60s, is arguably implausible). But the thought of physical relations between men seems to bother him.

McMurtry is not known for explicit sex scenes. His characters engage in sex, but he's more interested in their reasons for doing it and their reactions to it, rather than the act itself. McMurtry's admiration (and near-idolatry) of strong women perhaps explains his general avoidance of male/male sexual activity. It is, after all, an implicit rejection of the most-basic need men have for women.

What is particularly odd about "Lonesome Dove" is that Gus and Woodrow are clearly "married" (Gus the querulous wife, Woodrow the taciturn husband), a relationship with precedents in Western literature (eg, Bret Harte's "Uncle Jim and Uncle Billy"), but McMurtry doesn't do much to develop or reflect on this aspect of their relationship, other than Clara's expression of ferocious sexual jealousy. (The book, more than the film, makes it clear that Clara needs men she can dominate and control.)

I interpret the scene in which Gus suggests to Lorie that /she/ choose what kind of sex they'll have, with Lorie utterly failing to understand, as McMurtry's way of indicating that Gus -- portrayed in all the books as someone with better physical sight (and therefore superior insight) -- is fully aware of what his relationship with Woodrow /could/ have been. One might go even further to argue that Gus is continually running after whores precisely because it short-circuits any possibility of them becoming involved in any kind of sexual relation with each other, even an occasional "chaw for a chaw".

Given Gus's propensity for taking pot shots at Woodrow's dullness, it seemed likely that he would have gotten in at least one more jab before dying. The following interpolation to Gus's death scene /should/ have been written by Larry McMurtry, but wasn't. I apologize for not quite matching his style, because my writing leans toward complexity. (Gus's "voice" is quite easy to imitate, especially after hearing Robert Duvall nail the character.)

"Dangerous to write to two women at the same time," he said. "Especially when I'm this lightheaded. I might not be as particular in my sentiments as women expect a fellow to be."

[added material begins here]

Gus paused writing, hoping the lightheadedness would clear. Without the writing to occupy his thoughts, the urge to talk returned.

"You're somethin', Woodrow. We been together most of our lives, and though I'm about to shuffle off this coil, you don't seem to think that deserves a farewell salutation."

Call knew what shuffling was, but did not see the connection with a coil of rope. Was a salutation anything like a salute? Gus never passed up an opportunity to confuse or irritate him. Would Gus continue to pester him until the moment he died? Call did not look forward to Gus's death, but Gus seemed to be taking his time, just to exasperate him.

"You want something else, Gus?", Call asked.

"A kiss, Woodrow, a kiss. For a dear friend you ain't likely to see again."

Yet another annoyance. After a kiss, would Gus then ask for a poke? After extracting a solemn promise to cart his body to Texas, Gus might consider a poke as only a small inconvenience. Why would one man want to poke another man, anyway? There was only one place to do it, and it did not seem an accommodating spot for the fellow who was being poked.

Gus was annoyed that Call had shown no initiative in kissing his compañero goodbye, ** and had to be pressed to it. Gus was curious to know what kissing a man felt like. The request would serve nicely as his last chance to irritate Call.

Gus found the strength to grasp Call's blouse and pull his unenthusiastic friend to his mouth. Never having kissed a man, Gus was not familiar with the procedure. A simple pressing of the lips seemed satisfactory, and likely all Call would accept. He would surely not tolerate Gus's tongue in his mouth, and Gus didn't think his curiosity extended that far.

Gus brushed aside Call's beard to uncover his lips. He found them quite unlike a woman's -- thin, firm, and dry. The kiss was not unpleasant, but hardly so fine as Lorie's or Clara's. When Call did not respond, Gus made a great show of bussing him vigorously and affectionately. He couldn't demand something, then be half-hearted in taking it.

Call found no reason to respond. The week's worth of stubble on Gus's face scraped his lips in an unfamiliar manner, but he found nothing arousing or even interesting in Gus's kiss, nothing that justified a return. His feelings for Gus would be no different for having kissed him before his passing.

Having indulged his desire for a kiss, and been sorely disappointed in Call's failure to respond with the least bit of enthusiasm -- not altogether a surprise, as Call would likely have been as cold with a woman -- Gus released his friend and fell back on the pillows.

"'I god, Woodrow, you have now kissed a man almost as many times as you have kissed a woman. Maybe more. Not a very good record in my book, or any man's book. I figure the lady kisses -- if there was any -- was scarcely more passionate. That's another reason the women-folk don't care for you."

The energy Gus spent in kissing Call and rebuking his coolness made him even more lightheaded. He was not ready to return to letter-writing. He lay quietly and stared at his friend. Staring was a rare activity for Gus, as his brain was most-often occupied working his mouth.

Call tolerated the stare quietly. The silence ended when a thought that had often crossed Gus's mind, but he'd never thought wise to utter, rose to the surface.

"Woodrow, I have on occasion wondered what our lives would have been like if you and I had been..."

Uncharacteristically, Gus reconsidered. Finishing his thought would doubtless send Call into conniptions, because he was too damned ignorant to understand what he was about to say. Call would likely storm out, taking with him the promise to bury Gus in Clara's orchard.

"Don't matter, Woodrow. We wasn't born that way."

Call had no idea what Gus was talking about. Though Gus's words would on occasion come to mind, he was never able to reckon what Gus had stopped in the middle of saying. But that was Augustus McCrae, forever saying things that made no sense.

The lightheadedness finally passed, and Gus struggled back into a near-upright position, without Call assisting a man who was so determined to die. Gus slowly completed the letters, folding one of them. [original continues, with first sentence of paragraph deleted] Then Call saw his hand drop and thought he was dead. He wasn't, but he was too weak to fold the second note. Call folded it for him.

* There is some irony in this, as the novel is based on a screenplay written with Jimmy Stewart, Henry Ford, and John Wayne in mind. "The Searchers" notwithstanding, one does not associate The Duke with revisionist views of American history.

** In both the 18th and 19th centuries, it would not have been considered odd for a man to kiss a dying male friend goodbye. (It even occurs in the 1927 film "Wings".) As we see in "Dead Man's Walk" and "Comanche Moon", Woodrow F. Call is not only unaware of metaphor, but seems devoid of common human emotions. He is quite cold not to kiss his best pard, and shouldn't have had to be asked. Though the novel doesn't mention Call's failure to kiss Gus (how could Larry McMurtry /not/ be aware of death kisses?), its omission shows nevertheless just how cut-off from normal human emotion Call is.

This is an outstanding book with almost mythical figures, Gus and Woodrow. This is the very best of Larry McMurtry, destined to be an American classic. No need to buy on the Internet; check your local library.

This is a cowboy epic about two ex-Texas rangers who drive their cattle, their horses, their hands and themselves from Texas to Montana. There are bears, Indians, rustlers, and every kind of saddle tramp. There is harsh weather and harsh language. And there is a brutality in some of the characters that swallows nearly every good thing growing in its path. There are also wonderfully complex men and women who live and die for reasons hard to understand. This book leaves you aching for them and feeling the frustration of having stood helplessly by through their suffering. It could so easily have been different, so much better.

Is it wrong to go south of the border to steal a herd of horses with your partners? Maybe it's no big deal if you are working together to steal them from unknown Mexicans--even if you have to shoot one or two in the process. What if you help steal some of the same horses from the rancher you sold them to because you can't stand up to an outlaw with a gun at your back? Your friends show up again and help you out of this situation. Sort of. And you accept the justice and mercy of their rope. It all could have been so different.

There is a great deal of pain in this book. Maybe they all should have just stayed in Texas. Why do so many people miss their happiness after coming so close to it?

I gave this book to a high school graduate who I think "will go places."

This book is a perfect present for high school and college grads. The students grew up reading Dr. Seuss, so what an inspirational way to give them a view of the wonders to come.

This Classic Seuss book has some wonderful words - appropriate for a new graduate, whether they are in high school, or college, or middle school. It hints of new things to see and do, new vistas and experiences, new choices to make. A wonderful book to be enjoyed by all.

Deluxe edition in hard cardboard sleeve makes it easy to mail and light enough not to cost a fortune in postage. Excellent message to the recent grad.

This book was read and given to participants overcoming grief. I had it on my end table as a gentle reminder and would re-read whenever I felt overwhelmed (I had been widowed at a young age).

I highly recommend this book for anyone starting over, whether it be from the loss of a loved one, divorce or moving out for your first time.

As the author of a spiritually-themed book entitled "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude," I appreciate any book that opens the doors to spiritual understanding. There are few contemporary books that will do this for you in such a poetic way.

This is a book containing eternal truths. It was given to me as a high school graduation present many years ago. At the time, I found it beautiful, but I couldn't understand it. That is because I hadn't experienced life.

Selections from this book were read at my wedding. The sections on love speak of what it is truly about. Most of us never have an inkling of what true love is since we are caught up in a world of attachment to illusions and delusions. This book will help you to break through them.

This is a classic that will stand the mark of time such as the Bible has done. Kahlil Gibran is an old soul who speaks in a language that can be embraced by people of any faith.

The book is filled with metaphors and parables. It is almost as if Jesus himself is speaking through the author. Whether or not you will be able to comprehend what the author is speaking about, The Prophet will plant seeds that can bear good fruit.

Davis Aujourd'hui, author of "The Misadventures of Sister Mary Olga Fortitude"

I evidently misread the writeup, I thought it was a hardback. It was a cheap paperback. I got it as a present so I couldn't send it back but I'm very dissapointed for the cost!

Gibran may be a poet, rather than a true prophet - but the simple truths in this book seem applicable to all religions. The short passages on love, children, pain, beauty, death and other timeless topics are full of insight and inspiration, but completely lacking in the politics and self-righteousness that pervade so many religions. This book is goodness, plain and simple, and it changed my life more than any other book I can recall reading.

the excellent condition and speedy receipt of this product will always encourage me to purchase items from Amazon and their providers.

WONDERFUL!!!!!!!

The author is way before his time. A true visionary with a pure and simplistic approach to the "Keys of Life". Hard to believe that all this was composed circa 1928. R. Steel

If I had known this book would have so many pages I would not have ordered. Being as thick as it is makes it very difficult to hold, and the binding edge will be broken before halfway through reading. A size that would cut the page count in half would be helpful, especially to people with small or arthritic hands.

Though there are many vantage points and themes of this book, the most important is that of a man released from prison setting out to prove that someone who has gone down the wrong path can ultimately change and reverse his wrong-doings. When I was 15, I figured that because it was such a large book, that I would be occupied for quite a while and I wasn't mistaken. Even at 15, I was perfectly aware of what a great book this was. And much later, after watching a theater production, I was inspired to read it again. Read this book, you won't regret it.

An altogether wonderful social commentary set in 19th century revolutionary France; Les Misérables is a story with superb character development and plot, colorful historical background and setting, and meaningful spiritual and philosophical insights. While Hugo often digresses from the plot line it only heightens the suspense and always acts as an informative digression. Therefore, I would discourage anyone from reading an abridged version of this novel. To do so would take away from the overall point of the book which was not just to tell a good fictional story (though Hugo achieved that too), but to capture the essence of 19th century revolutionary France while simultaneously addressing contemporary social issues and deeper philosophical questions. Hugo's genius is that he embodied an era in literary form and embellished it with romanticized overtones in order to produce a timeless masterpiece; he sought not only to entertain the senses but to enlighten the mind. Les Misérables brought me to tears, provoked my understanding, and deepened my love for humanity.

I recommend this book to everyone. My review is simple, this is a story of redemption. Jean Valjean is everyone. This is one of the classics that you can read and read again.

Les Miserables is France immortalized and Victor Hugo is one of the greatest things to ever happen to Paris. This edition is the complete edition in every sense and I highly recommend to people to buy this edition if you really want the whole feel of the story. 19th century France comes to life in the words of a man who loved it dearly. Classic French Literature. Victor Hugo romances France just like he does in all his works. If you haven't read Les Miserables yet; read it; and buy a copy of this edition of it.