literature

The best dog book ever written. A simple but striking story of fidelity between a man and his dog. Originally a tribute to Lad and the many other dogs who shared Terhune's estate, it is now a tribute to the ethical reality of Lad's life.

You can still visit a portion of the Terhune estate in Wayne, New Jersey. The Place (house)is gone, but the grounds remain. You will see Lad's grave marker, along with the grave markers of many other dogs made famous in Terhune's books. You can visit the shore of the lake and stroll the grounds. You can feel Lad's eerie presence as he lives over and over again the stories from the pages of Terhune's books. Or perhaps he is still there. Look -- is that ...

In his memoirs, Albert Terhune said that he'd been surprised by the number of children who had read and loved Lad: A Dog, as he did not write the book for children or try to tailor it to a child's understanding. Just the same, happy is the child who discovers this book, as I did, close to fifty years ago. It will put in his or her bones a lifelong love of good books--at least it did for me.

I first read this book many, many years ago and back then I had no idea Terhune considered himself a hack. All I knew was that the stories made me cry, made me laugh, made me love Collies all the more.(as if I didn't love them too much already. I grew up with a house full of them!) Well, I'm old now, a writer myself, something of a critic, and, yes, the man was no Hemmingway. Know what? He didn't need to be. The stories have an innate charm and personal style that make me wish I could have met him (Papa Earnest, on the other hand, does not strike me as a fun guy).
Regardless of age, if you love Collies, and you also love an old fashioned ripping good yarn, get this book.

I first read this book ten years ago and marvelled at the powerful writing and timeless themes. This book was my first introduction to Hugo and I could not wait to read his masterpieces: "Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Les Miserables". Although I acknowledge that these books are wonderful, I still hold that "The Man Who Laughs" is just as good, if not better, and more emotionally gratifying than other Hugo's classics.

I first read this story in Russian and the English translation disappointed me. It was more choppy and rough than the Russian version and lacked the sofistication of the latter. However, it is still a great book nonetheless. The story is rich with complex characters that no one will soon forget. The human weakness of Gynplaine is very appropriate and his demise is almost poetic. Nobody should miss out on reading this incredible story and judge for themselves if it deserves to stay out of print when it is for sure one of the greatest novels ever written.

The only negative aspect of the book that, although it did not bother me, may bother some readers is the preacheness of Gynplaine and Ursus, albeit done very masterfully. The character of Dea is too saintly. Although she needs to be very pure for the story to work, she is virtually a saint which is unsettling and makes the reader treat her at an arm's length instead of getting her into their souls as they undoubtfully do with Gynplaine. The whole milieu is very dark and that may make some people uncomfortable. When I first read it, it took me a long time to want to re-read it although I found it to be one of the best books I have ever read.

These negative points are more than acquited by extremely well-told story with characters and situations that are unique and unforgettable. I though that this "old" story would not give me any new insight but it did. This story's major plus is my favorite character, Josianna: she is extremely complex although I got the feeling that Hugo wanted to make her more one-dementional. Still, her scene when she finds out that Gynplaine is a Lord and is going to be her husband is a brilliant testament to her wild and uncomformist nature.

I urge anyone who has not read it to read it. Even if they do not like it, they will find the experience worth-while. For those readers who love Hugo, this is a not-to-be-missed read. For those readers who do not like Hugo, this is a must.

I thought I was a Hugo's "The hunchback of Notre Dame" fan until I read this book. I was stunned! The way the characters are depicted, and the way the story unfolds (even when you can somehow guess the ending a few 100 pages before..) is just amazing.
I have to read it again in French though, because the story must have lost a bit of flavor during its translation...

The literary contents here deserve five stars, however, the Paper Tiger edition of this book was bound more like a $$$ paperback than a $$$hardcover. I'm gentle with books, yet the pages separated from the binding halfway through my reading.

This book, with whom I share a long and one-sided love-affair, is a perfect gem. I have read it during my life again and again, and I never have escaped without laughing--hard--out loud at all the Thurber family goings-on. Thurber has the rare gift of constructing a symphony of a story with the sparest but most meaningful instruments. His other books, The Thurber Carnival and the Thurber Album are also worth reading.

This has got to be the funniest book I have ever read and read and read. Simple stories of Thurber's early years will get you laughing out loud.

OF all the books of his period, James Thurber's "My Life and HArd Times" is a mirror into the mind of a true renaissance man, humorist extraordinaire, and story-teller. Ever since I was a teen reading this for the first time, I have kept a copy on my nighttable, for those evenings I needed a complete separation from reality. It has never failed me! Each story (which by now I have memorized) brings to mind the family quagmyres and dilemmas common to all, in a form only a genius like Thurber could do. His talent in a far simpler age lives well beyond him, and will forever.

For fans of Raymond Carver, who wonder how his prose might have evolved had he not died in 1988, "The Night In Question" provides a possible glimpse. Wolff and Carver's close friendship is well-documented. And although Wolff is his own man and my favorite living writer, I believe that there's a tangible link between Carver's final stories, such as "Blackbird Pie" and "Errand," and Wolff's recent work. Wolff keeps Carver's legacy alive in a totally original, compelling way. I have read "The Night In Question" no less than four times. I have listened to the abridged audio version (abridged in the number of stories only) 7 times. There is a sheer mastery of the short story form here that astounds me. Bob Dylan once said of Gordon Lightfoot: "Every time I hear a Gordon Lightfoot song, I wish it would never end." I can imagine Carver saying the same thing about Wolff, for similar reasons. This book makes a great gift and is required reading for anyone serious about the art and craft of short fiction. I wished every story would never end.

First let me just state that the whole of The Night In Question by Tobias Wolff is really great. Each story is written in such a way that you feel like someone really familiar is just talking to you -- face to face -- and you don't want to leave.

Second, if you can't read the whole book of short stories for some reason (you would really need a good one), then you need to spend some time reading the last story in the collect, Bullet in the Brain. I read this story in another collection of short stories by contemporary authors, and it's always been in the back of my head as one of the best. I just finished reading The Night in Question, and Bullet in the Brain was the ending of Wolff's collection. Having the chance to read the story again without seeking it out was great.

Essentially, Bullet in the Brain is about a man who just can't shut-up during a bank robbery. But then the ending pretty much slaps you in the face because Wolff took one incident that would basically end any story and just moves it right along. I would have to tell the ending of the short story in order to explain this -- and I really don't want to -- but believe me, it's the most creative and interesting ending to a short story like itself.

I was lucky enough to see a reading performed by Wolff at my university, and I will never forget the author's ease with the audience, and his smooth readings. Like he knew us all, and we knew him, and the story he wrote was meant just for us.

Tobias Wolff's 14 stories in this collection is quiet, spare, measured - and absolutely stellar. Wolff can take a mundane, everyday experience and thru his meticulous craftsmanship dig into the depths to mine it for every nuance of emotional significance. Nothing is present in any of his stories that doesn't serve a purpose: not a dog, a twig, a sweater, or a smile. Everything moves the stories forward and shows us more about each character and his/her relationship to others. "Firelight," a story I've now read several times, is my favorite: a boy and his single mom, stranded in a university town, spend their weekends looking at houses and apartments for rent, knowing they can't afford any of them. At the end of the long day, they're invited inside the last house, one where a university professor lives with his wife and daughter. The story, told from the boy's POV, is bittersweet and focuses on a sense of being an outsider to the comforts of home, the warmth of the fireside - but he realizes that all is not as it appears within this family that he still envies.
Absolutely wonderful collection.

This pair of novels certainly don't exude coldness, in any way. They represent the 'autobiographical' novels of Nancy Mitford, and she spins her tales in a very warm and hysterically funny manner, demonstrating her unique skills as a novelist in a period when men tended to dominate the best-sellers lists. A contemporary of writers such as Waugh, Huxley, Greene, and other important names in the 'canon' of twentieth-century literature, Mitford's novels are far too often neglected. Which is a shame, as her richly coloured fictional tapestries reveal a great deal about the lives of the upper-classes, and from a genuinely humourous standpoint.

These novels will be enjoyed by readers who like the light social novels of Wodehouse, and more importantly, those of Evelyn Waugh. Waugh and Mitford were very close friends, and in his later years, Mitford was Waugh's primary object of correspondance, and their letters have since been collected and compiled in a single edition. Waugh's influence on Mitford is obvious - as her work is indeed in the same satiric vein as much of his - but less obvious and more intriguing is her influence on his work. Mitford's sharpness and quickness rival that of Waugh, and in these novels she almost outshines him, in the warmth and jollity of her satire.

These novels explore the duality of love: romantic and practical. On one extreme is Linda, the reckless heroine of "The Pursuit of Love". Due to her wild upbringing, she's unprepared for marriage and the drudgery of daily living. After two unsuccessful marriages she ponders her failure: "Where now was love that would last to the grave and far beyond?" This crisis sparks the beginning of a relationship so shocking and uninhibited, so dionysian, she cannot even tell her own mother and father what she's done. Linda is...the prodigal daughter.

At the other extreme is Lady Montdore, one of the more fascinating characters of "Love in a Cold Climate". She has everything Linda lacks: power, position, and money. But she is cold. When little Polly Montdore arrives in this world, her perfect beauty is used merely to further Lady Montdore's ambition. But Polly will grow up to be a prodigal daughter, breaking ties with her family and throwing away her inheritance to marry "Mr. Wrong".

Mitford's superb story-telling abilities offer levity and substance to lucky readers. While presenting a bird's-eye view of upper class European culture before and during WWII, Mitford simultaneously explores the conflict between the practical and romantic life.

This conflict is illustrated through the primary character of each of the novels. Two sides of the same coin, Linda and Lady Montdore both consider marriage to be the main event in a woman's life. Linda wants love, a physical and spiritual connection with a man; to her, that is marriage. A marriage license is just governmental red tape, almost useless, totally unromantic.

Lady Montdore views marriage as the only decent career for a woman. Her husband controls a great number of people and a vast fortune; and she, for the most part, controls him. Even in the modern world, where women work outside the home, marriage and career are interrelated, and people often choose partners who will be compatible with their career and ambitions. Early on, Lady Montdore warns Fanny, the book's narrator: "don't you go marrying just anybody, for love." Indeed, it's difficult to believe Lady Montdore has ever done anything for love.

Yet she is human and capable of being hurt. Mitford portrays both Linda and Lady Montdore with equal sensitivity. They are women and, if one believes in astrology, daughters of Venus. Through these books, one can learn much about the goddess of love and her realm. She is like the diamond, infinitely delicate yet stronger than any other stone; rare and resplendent yet created from common grey graphite; pure like a virgin, yet very ancient.

This contradiction is the heart of these volumes. Prodigal daughters gravitate towards love, like moths to a flame - but they rarely help it grow. Icy women fan the flame of love, but too much coldness snuffs it out. Stable, married women do not have it easy, but life is worse for women who think that romance will keep them afloat throughout life. In their pursuit of love they bolt from man to man, staying only so long as the magic lasts, wasting themselves in the process. Punishment is harsh for Linda, "The Bolter", Polly, and other prodigal daughters. Still, Mitford avoids tiresome moralizing, maintaining a light comic tone.

The two novels are skillfully connected; both are set during the same timeframe, in two distinct houses not far apart. They complement one other and many of the same characters can be found in both stories, i.e. savage Lord Radlett, hypochondriac Davey, and sexy Sauveterre. But the character which is most helpful in merging the stories is Fanny, the humble narrator. She is neither an ice queen nor a fiery prodigal daughter, but something in between - the ideal woman. In her early years as a debutante she found love and evergreen friendship. She works hard, is not easily bored, expects little, and gains much. Thus avoiding the troubles and uncertain fate of a prodigal daughter.

Is Nancy Mitford likeable? Perhaps not, if her alter-ego, Linda Radlett, is anything to go by. Rarely are we asked to care about a character who despises children and judges others entirely by their clothing. However, The Pursuit of Love is essential reading for two reasons: one, it gives an apparently unselfconscious portrait of the author; and two, it lays the foundation for your reward, Love in a Cold Climate. Almost entirely Linda-Free, this book focusses its laser beam on vanity, classism, and misguided sexuality. Much like the films of Spike Lee, it seems that Ms. Mitford's work is smarter than she is. But the Lecherous Lecturer gets the fate he deserves, and that covers a multitude of sins.

This book follows the children in Half Magic as they go on vacation. This time it isn't a coin that is magic, but an entire lake. Of course wackiness ensues. This is another great 'chapter' book to read to 3rd-6th grade kids.

This was a really great book. It is about 4 children who visit a lake with their mom and Mr.Smith (their stepfather). Very strange things begin to happen when the children make magical wishes. They visit the South Pole, the Arabian desert, and a mysterious island. I recommend this book to all children who love magic.

I chose this book in school as an independent reading book since I had no clue what to chose and I found out I loved it! I had also noticed a few of my friends in my class (2nd grade) had also been reading it and had caught up to me and so we talked about it and we all loved it. And, now I have bought (with a year of my own allowance) all seven of Edward Eager's books about Magic. With the leftovers of my allowance I think I am going to buy some of his books that are not about magic.

The Man with the Golden Arm is a beautifully complex tale that explores the experiences of the poor and powerless in mid-century Chicago. Frankie Machine returns to his old neighborhood after a stint in prison, having kicked a heroin habit and dreaming of becoming a drummer in a nightclub band. But all the old opportunities and constraints that worked on him before -- pressing need for cash, his skill as a card dealer, guilt over his wife's disability, temptations of drugs and petty crime -- kick in again, and he is inexorably pulled back into old habits and behaviors he had hoped to resist. Some call this a 'dark' tale, but it isn't really: yes, Frankie and friends are stuck in precarious, marginalized circumstances without real power to change, yet their lives unfold in ways that entertain contradictions that people of all circumstances face, between hope and despair, struggle and defeat, trust and betrayal, compulsion and choice. Algren is a uniquely gifted writer; he takes you inside characters' heads to see their thoughts and dreams (often off-kilter), and their humanity feels real and immediate. This is the edition of the book to buy -- it has wonderful essays about Algren and his work.

I don't know how I missed Algren, but I had never heard of him before I picked this book up. I only bought it because of the title. The darker days of my own youth have made me skeptical of books dealing with alcoholism and addiction. They never seem to get it right. This one nails it, seemingly without effort. Unlike other books of the genre, this one does not romanticize the ugliness it deals with. Frankie Machine's life is a tour through poverty, loveless marriages, addictions and hopelessness. It is not exaggerated. This is what it's really like. Algren's realism and intelligence make this one of the finest novels I've ever read. The details are so vivid and accurate that one has to wonder how many demons Algren shares with his characters. The Man With The Golden Arm is simply fiction mirroring life. It presents a side of life that many of its readers will never experience first-hand. Of that, you will be grateful. A combination of poor choices, bad luck, and lack of opportunity has overwhelmed the characters so completely that most of them don't know that they are already dead. I am a writer...this is one of those books that will always keep me humble. For most, their greatest achievement of words will never come close to to Algren's harrowing tome. Do not read this while distracted. It requires your full attention. It's that rich, that brilliant. This is not just a book about morphine, booze & the ghetto....it is a book of suffering, pain, betrayal, neglect & spite. Mr. Algren has been graceful enough to supply the compassion that most of characters seem to lack.

I think this is one of the best novels ever written. People who say Algren romanticizes the poor have clearly not read the book properly, all he does is say they are human just as you. But describing them as low-lifes like some reviewers did, just shows that Algren's message did not come across. This book is about love for humanity. And that is ALL humanity, not just the part that's nicely educated and has a good job and doesn't rob you at night. One reviewer said that Frankie Machine should of just quit taking drugs and sought himself a nice job and everything would of turned out fine. How? Would Frankie be loved then, would his crippled wife be able to walk, would there be no loneliness and desperation. would it stop raining? Would it stop the El from going round and round? I'm sick and tired of people romanticizin' the rich.

We have all come to expect one thing from Calvino, an imaginative collection of short stories that come together to create an original novel full of intelligent humor, allusions to real life, and, most importantly, beautiful prose.
And this book does not disappoint.
We are presented with Marcovaldo--a down on his luck (constantly obvious) just above poverty working class man with a family he can't support. While this story may seem old, Calvino approaches it in a unique way. As the book progresses we see Marcovaldo hatch many, seemingly brilliant, plans to get rich only to have them fail miserably a few pages later. And all the while Marcovaldo, although down, catches glimpses of the subtle beauties of life, something that seems to be a trademark of Calvino.
All in all this is a very good book and definately worth the read (can probably be done in one sitting). If you only read one book by Calvino Invisible Cities is the way to go, but if you are looking to expand your library of Italian literature you won't be sorry with Marcovaldo.

I love so much this book. Calvino shows us the dignity of marginal people with humour and love. You can read the book as an enjoyment, a reflexion, a comic, etc. Wonderful!!!!

I loved this book because funny and ironical things always happen to poor Marcovaldo. He always just wants to relax and enjoy life for what it is, but things get in his way. It is a short and very clever little book. It is funny in some parts, ironical and sad in other parts. I recommend this to a mature audience because I think you have to be older in order to appreciate it.

This book features some excellent beat writers and includes informative blurbs on their history and style. Each artist has a little chunk of their writing for you to sample, and the material is everything from stories to letters to classically bad prose.

What impressed me were the essays by each other, on the actual generation hype.

"Young people seemed more intense, clutching, and I couldn't help feeling they took themselves too seriously... 'good, clean fun' appeared to be a thing of the past. Or perhaps the aura of suspicion and defensiveness was merely a reflection of my own fears..." --Carylon Cassady

It's a great book for deciding which authors you want to read more of.

Nice sampler... all the writers you should expect are in here.

A feature I enjoyed particularly was the intro section... read about the writer before the piece. Since I had not heard of so many of these writers, I found it intriguing to see how many were part of the same group of friends. The Beats largely were connected with each other's lives... and fed off each other's style and work.

Buy this book, then go get the full works of these individual writers. For an anthology of Beat writers, you will find no better book.

I fully recommend this book.

Anthony Trendl

If anyone is as moved by the Beats as I am, this is an essential book. Every major beat author is represented here, as well as some not widely considered Beat such as Bob Dylan. While this book does not take the place of On the Road or Ginsberg's Collected Poems, it does provide hours and hours of great reading. Read it!

I started cooking with my daughter from this book when she was 15 months old and it's been fun ever since. While not every recipe produces a tasty treat, it's a great way to introduce kids to the fun of cooking. She loves to look through her cookbook while I'm reviewing mine!

Before buying this book, my 3-year-old daughter had pretty much refused any kind of vegetable. She just didn't want to put anything remotely vegetable-like in her mouth. She got so excited when she saw the Salad Bar recipe. We immediately set to work and lo and behold...she loves it! Now when I ask her what she wants for dinner, her reply is almost always, "Salad Bar!"
Whoo hoo! Thanks Mollie Katzen and Ann L. Henderson! You've performed a miracle.

My six-year-old daughter is looking at her new cookbook as I write this and her response is, "This is cool!" She likes the pictures and that I can help HER cook rather than she helping me. Our family has all of Mollie Katzen's cookbooks, and this children's book is beautifully illustrated and well conceived. As a parent educator, Pretend Soup is going on my recommended reading list.