literature

As a master of the short story, W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) was the highest paid author in the 1930's. He was born in the British Embassy in Paris, on January 25, 1874.

He wrote with a sense of irony and wit. Often, he would express a cynical attitude towards life and his love of traveling found its way into his writing. He didn't confine himself to one genre, but also wrote novels, essays and plays.

His purpose was to entertain his readers, although you do learn the subtleties of human nature from many of his stories. His keen eye for the minute details of life is combined with his writing style in such away as to capture and keep your attention. It is said that due to becoming an orphan at the age of 10, he was shy and tended to be more of a passive observer rather than an active participant. This explains some of the detachment that you feel in various stories.

"I have never pretended to be anything but a story teller. It has amused me to tell stories and I have told a great many. It is a misfortune for me that the telling of a story just for the sake of the story is not an activity that is in favor with the intelligentsia. In endeavor to bear my misfortunes with fortitude." (from Creatures of Circumstance, 1947)

In this collection you will find stories that are filled with tales of the South Seas, Europe and America. They are concise and persuasive and evoke a time and place where you completely are absorbed into a story that often has a nice unforeseen twist right at the end. Either you are surprised, laughing, sad life took a certain turn, or very amused.

My Favorite Stories in this Collection :

The Vessel of Wrath: A tale of love between a missionary and a drunken reprobate that has a most surprising ending. It deals with how humans draw foregone conclusions and how people can change for the better.

The Force of Circumstance: Story of almost unavoidable circumstances and deals with the emotions a woman feels when she finds out her husband has had children with a native woman in the village and seems to have neglected to inform her.

The Colonel's Lady: A wife publishes her poetry without her husband's knowledge. He can't understand her or why everyone loves her writing. The reader might not understand him, but might understand his wife's need to express her creativity in her own way as obviously, he is not aware of that part of her life.

The Round Dozen: Amusing and almost unavoidable ending.

These are stories you can read when you have an hour here or there to read a few stories at a time. Some are short enough to be read in 15 minutes or less and are only a few pages long. I enjoyed the slightly longer ones as the character development intensifies and Maugham's powers of observation have time to play out to the full extent.

An escape to another time and place.

Maugham's style is perfectly suited for short story writing. His facility of communicating all kinds of ideas is truly amazing. Thus his stories feel like a light read, but they also often give you pause--Maugham is trying to pry deep into what makes people think and act the way they do. He wrote his stories a century ago, and the mark of the time lies firmly upon some of them. It is clear that he was influenced by psychological insgihts and ideas that have penetrated intellectual circles of his time. Read these stories for their ease of communication, ideas about human nature, and vivid images, such as those of the South Pacific and the industrial landscape of the rising American giant.

I've only just discovered the wonders of W. Somerset Maugham. This was the first of his works that I have ever read, and it was an absolute pleasure. There are other reviewers on these pages who are more knowledgeable and better critics than I, so I am just going to tell you how much I enjoyed this particular compilation. Every story was a treasure. Every single character was so well drawn, that for the first time in a long time I found myself empathising with these people, loving them, hating them, lamenting for them and genuinely caring about what happened to them.

Every story started off in a fairly prosaic, nondescript fashion. But every story had me hooked by at least the first page. Sometimes they unfolded as funny stories, other were tales about how an individual's world had changed catastrophically. I never got bored, and the writing was never predictable, Maugham always had a surprisingly poetical observation to make that would send me into raptures. This is truly a writer of sensitivity and talent. I can honestly say that I have been searching for a writer of this calibre for a long time. If you care anything at all about the amazing stories that ordinary, little people have, then read this book and Maugham's other works. He truly is a master.

What more could a Trevor fan ask for than a single book containing 1,261 pages and 85 of his most splendid stories? No one weaves a tale as fine as William Trevor. His ability to place the reader into the hearts and souls of his characters is nothing short of remarkable. His stories do not focus on plot but rather on human emotion. They center on ordinary circumstances with extraordinary consequences. From the young schoolgirl with a crush on her teacher, to the betrayed wife, to the obese lonely man longing for love, Trevor covers a wide variety of people who are besieged with despair and striving for purpose.

I'm amazed at how often I hear the reply, "William Tevor? I've never heard of him," when I speak of my favorite short story writer. I can't help but to boast about this great man's talent. He packs incredible power into sparse words that leave an unforgettable impact on his audience. Perhaps some day when
Mr. Trevor is no longer with us he will receive the recognition he deserves. In the meantime, his small legion of fans can relish his gift and treasure the fact that we are among the first to appreciate his eloquence and style.

I had given up reading for pleasure since my teen years and consumed only history, science and technology readings until the fateful Sunday, listening to NPR, heard William Trevor's, short story "Broken Homes", read by Meryl Strip. I could not take myself from the car to shop, Meryl had not finished the reading!
I then knew I would read more William Trevor and ordered this book straight away. Even since my life has changed! More than 8o stories with such an insight into human character, I wonder if Trevor is the modern Shakepeare, with a xray talent for discerning the inner workings of human souls?

"Death In Jerusalem ", is haunting and wonderful. Every story a joy to read. I spend my evenings now listening to light jazz and reading William Trevor. My life has reached a new peak and the Tele is being sold for junk.

Someone else here refers to the problems of 'star' hyperbole. He's right. The five stars Trevor deserves must be especially large and dazzling.
He goes wrong, just a little, once in a while. So did every truly great writer we know. Most of the time he opens a door on the world of two or three people, and shows us the universe in the process. He is a breathtaking artist. Witness 'Another Christmas' - in a dingy living room and armed with no one but an aging Irish couple, he brings home the Troubles in Ireland in epic, heartbreaking scope. And 'Torridge'...a girl said to me when this story first appeared in The New Yorker that it was like Beethoven's Fifth; you can't imagine it not having been around before. It's that good.
Readers! You can do no better than to get to know what this man can do with a pen.

In DARK RIVER, Owens creates memorable characters (one of his strenths, I think) and tells a compelling story with laugh-out-loud humor. Consider one of the minor characters: the resident anthropologist Avrum Goldberg, who wears a traditonal breechcloth and Apache leggings and moccasins. He shares traditonal lore with tourists, who mistake him for an Apache and call him Chief Gold Bird, a title he denies without success. Goldberg's dream is for the Apaches to turn the reservation into a tribal theme park to attract more tourists and generate income, a scheme that does not gain favor with the Apaches, who are reluctant to give up their cars, televisions, and other twentieth-century technologies. This is by no means the central focus of the novel, but Owens skillfully weaves his imaginative subplots and characters into the central story, his concern about what is happening on a river in the reservation where he goes to flyfish.

I think this is Owens's best novel yet. Furthermore, it is accessible to any reader--one doesn't need to be familiar with his other work or knowlegable about American Indian literature to read it. Actually this is true for THE SHARPEST SIGHT (1992), which my then 85-year-old mother compared to Norman McLean's "A River Runs Through It." She would read and reread passages from each.

I understand DARK RIVER is a finalist for the Best Novel of the West from the Western Writers of America, and I wouldn't be surprised if he wins. He has received several awards for his earlier works.

Dark River, with its main character Jake Nashoba, starts off like the other excellent novels of Louis Owens. The story has great quirky characters, encounters and conflict between native and Anglo culture, different native cultures, and traditional and modern native culture, plus a little Native American magic and mysticism. But with the turn of every page, Dark River turns increasingly surreal. The excitement of the novel grows as the characters all head for the dark river of the title. Dreams and reality mix until it's hard to know where one ends and the other begins. This is one of Louis Owens' best novels and I enjoyed reading it immensely, ranking it up with my personal favorite, Bone Game. My one regret is that Louis Owens' life ended too early and he isn't around to give us any other stories to read.

Perhaps one of Oklahoma's better-kept secrets is the work done by the University of Oklahoma Press. To be sure there are some readers that know about the quality works published by the Press such as Lige Langston: Sweet Iron; The Dismissal of Miss Ruth Brown; and The Western Range Revisited, to name but a few. However, I am frequently surprised at the number of readers that are not aware of the caliber of the offerings by OU Press. Thus, I was anxious to read this just released paperback novel, which is volume 30 in the highly acclaimed American Indian Literature and Critical Studies Series. I was not disappointed. The novel, written by a Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of New Mexico who is of Choctaw-Cherokee-Irish descent, will draw you in from the first page and keep you reading to the very end of the 296 pages. It is about Jacob Nashoba who was born in Mississippi, came of age in Vietnam, and settled in an Apache village on a reservation in the Black Mountains of eastern Arizona. He finds a job as a game and fish ranger for the Tribe and tries to adjust to a life of semi-isolation and "adjustment." It's not easy. The cast of characters he must deal with include his estranged wife, corrupt tribal officials, a resident anthropologist that is, well, different, and various and sundry sellers of "vision quests" to tourists and former Hollywood extras that I swear I have seen in old John Wayne movies. Add to this mix a right-wing militia group secretly, to some, training on Indian land and you have the makings for a first rate story. Dark River has it's light side but be aware that this is a complex, subtle, sometimes violent story that deals with the aftermath of Vietnam on certain individuals(not just Nashoba!) and the contemporary problems associated with Native Americans and their identity. It is not a novel to be taken lightly. I had to go back and re-read parts of some chapters and think about the message of this book a number of times. I would do it again. It's that good. OU Press is to be commended for making this book available to a wide audience at a reasonable price. They do good work.

I agree with the reviewers that this is one of the best books ever written. I read this book as part of a book club and probably never would have read it on my own--having read many of the books of Hugo and Dickens and other writers of that approximate era. I love both of these writers but find them both at times cumbersome and stilted and really wasn't in the mood for another. However, I could not put the Count of Monte Cristo down. This book seems freshly modern in writing style compared to these superb writers. From the beginning it is a page turner--almost Harry Potter like in its ability to have action, adventure and drama on almost every page. If you read the unabridged version you will find some allusions to morality and the wrongness of revenge which I enjoyed. But what makes the book great is the grandeur of the writing, the tightness of a wonderful plot, filled with subplots, the development of the characters, and the constant magic of combining romance and adventure. It is the ultimate romance book. If you watched the most recent version of the movie, you might be disappointed at the lack of sword fights, but there is never a lack of adventure and suspense. It might be 1400 pages long, but it never disappoints.

Ok, so the first time I read this book was when I was a senior in high school. Being the fact that I am a sucker for those love stories where the guy gets the girl in the end, it was only natural that I would enjoy this book. But the best part about it is the twist in the plot and how eventually The Count of Monte Cristo reveals himself to those who knew him before the self-appointed title.

Its a classic by Alexandre Dumas and I do believe that this is one of those books (like "Catcher in the Rye") that you just have to read in this lifetime!

Warning: Do NOT pick this book up and start it if you have something that you need to do in the next day or three. You won't be able to put the book down, or if you do, you'll move zombielike through your everyday tasks while your mind stays with the adventures of Edmund Dantes.

The Count of Monte Cristo is a delicious book, full of intrigue, great fight scenes, love, passion, and witty social satire. Dumas has a wonderful grasp of human nature and a talent for rendering all the follies of man in delightful, snappy prose. I immediately recognized people that I know (yes, even myself) in his vivid characters, which made the book all the more engaging to me.

Some people might be put off by the size of the book -- it's a pretty hefty volume -- an tempted to buy the abridged version. Don't! I've heard from people who've read both versions that the abridged version is a pathetic, washed out shadow of the full novel. At any rate, as thick and impossibly long as The Count of Monte Cristo may seem when you open it for the first time, you'll feel as though it's far too short by the time you get to the last page.

This is an extremely fascinating and well-written book. It tells the story of not just the horrible massacre of Jews and other "undesireables" by the Nazis in WWII occupied Kyiv, but also of life in Kyiv under Nazi occupation. Equally fascinating is the account of Babyn Yar (its Ukrainian name) long AFTER the Germans had been pushed out. It is the personal, first-hand account of the author who is a 12-year old boy at the time of the German entrance into Kyiv. One correction to a previous review here - according to the editions I have seen of this book, the author is not Jewish, but half-Ukrainian and half-Russian. This is of minor importance other than for those who might be inclined to reject this book as "Jewish Propoganda". It is a very honest work, portraying everyone involved as all-too-human; sharing all characteristics from the noble to the obscence.

I have been looking for a copy of "Babi Yar" by Anatoly Kuznetsov for several years. I'm not sure this is the same book, but the fact that both books describe the occupation of Kiev during World War II from the eyes of a 12-year-old, including the horrible massacre of Jews and Ukrainians at Babi Yar, lead me to believe that this might be a rewrite of my copy of "Babi Yar" I have been unable to find in circulation. In my copy, printed by Dell in 1966, the protagonist is not Jewish, but Ukrainian-Russian, although many of his friends at the time were Jewish as were many of the survivors the author interviewed after the war whose stories were included in the documentary. Having lived in Kiev for five years in the early 90s, Babi Yar is not only a book of the atrocities that took place in Ukraine during the war, but a glimpse at the survival skills by ordinary Kievites during the occupation. In this way, it chronicles the plight of all citizens of Nazi occupation, not just those of the Jewish residents of this wonderful city. It also describes the way in which the Nazis rounded up young Ukrainians for shipment to farms and factories in Germany, which is the prelude to the stories of thousands of Ukrainians, many of whom returned home after the war and became Soviet citizens I met in Kiev fifty years later. But many of these young Ukrainains who found themselves in the West upon the German defeat immigrated all over the world, comprising the Ukrainian diaspora, who also returned to Kiev after independence to help build this new nation. If anyone knows whether these are the same stories or if the original has been rewritten and expanded, please post this information at this site. In any event, it is unfortunate that both copies of this book are out-of-print because the story of the citizens of Kiev and the atrocities of Babi Yar need to be told.

Babi Yar is one of the best books I have ever read, the truth in this book is phenomenal. This documentary made me both laugh and cry and made me furious beyond belief. Coming from grandparents who were forced to spend years of their lives in concentration camps during the Holocaust for the mere reason that they were Jewish, made me really understand how the Jews felt during the book. I definitly recomment this book to everyone!

I have several copies of the original Betty Crocker's Cookbook for Boys and Girls and have found deletions of some of the old recipes in the new reproduction. There is no Easy Orange Cake and Clear Orange Sauce in the new. I noted several other changes too! On p.62 in the old is the recipe for Chocolate Fudge Milk Shake and in the new is Cake and Frosting Mix.

I was very excited about hearing that they were going to reprint this recipe book as my original copy was completely falling apart. I had bought several on an auction site to hand down to my kids that were not in good shape. I was going to buy the new one until I went through it and found that it is a revised reproduction and not a genuine reproduction. I would have liked them to have revised it by giving the exact old recipes and writing what changes were to be made if items were no longer available.

When I was a little girl, I used this cookbook a lot. I won a fair contest with the exciting Castle Cake, and at the age of 12 made the Barbie Cake for my little sister's birthday. The directions are very easy and the pictures are great. My own children now love the recipes and enjoy making their own Bunny salad that look like little bunnies. A family favorite.

I had this book when I was young and enjoyed the recipes. These are not for the true beginner but for children that have had a little experience with cooking. Not only are these easy and fun recipes but they actually taste great. Highly recommend the "Big Fat Cookies" "Banana Boats" But the "Pink Elephants" are not very good at all. Different recipes for the different holidays, full menus in the back and cooking instructions in the front. A great gift for your little cook for lots of fun. It sure worked on me, I still love to cook!

This book covers the planning, construction, & defending of a 'typical' castle of England in the middle ages. The author chose to write/draw about an immaginary castle for 'Lord Kevin'. It also tells a little about life in a castle.

It is all black & white hand drawings/sketches. Nicely done. At times you can almost tell the artist has a sense of humor. It is obviously written for children, but adults can learn from it as well. It is a good study for castles by showing cross-sections.

In this book, text and detailed drawings follow the planning and construction of a "typical" castle and adjoining town in thirteenth-century Wales. Macaulay recently added the title "Mosque" to his series of large constructions such as "Castle" or "Pyramid". It is nice to see the man being so prolific. This book would appeal to the child who likes to know exactly how things are created. Going step by step, Macaulay explains each leg in the process of creating a castle. More importantly, with each construction the author goes even further, explaining the purpose of that piece. The reader never looses sight of the fact that castles were both antagonistic and defensive. Children today that have seen the Lord of the Rings movies might be very interested in knowing more about the construction of these structures and how difficult they were to defeat. Macaulay's drawings are just as interesting as his text. Pencil drawings label and list every tool, brick, and worker. Undoubtedly, this is not a book for everyone and it would not be much use beyond serving as a reference guide for interested students. However, should a teacher wish to bring it up, they might wish to show the video Macaulay narrated of this book. Also, it might go well with Avi's "Crispin: The Cross of Lead", as a look at a castle from a peasant's point of view.

I highly recommend any book by David Macaulay. Both children and adults will be captivated by the wonderful drawings.

I can see why this book has been banned in Arab countries. Cities of Salt details the transition of an unnamed Arab emirate from how it had apparently been functioning to a current, oil producing state. The story, taken as a whole is heartbreaking. The story begins before oil is discovered, and tells a tale of a generous, yet human, people. Their Emir, unbeknownst to them, allows some Americans into the country to test for oil and eventually, drilling takes place. On the way, people are driven out of their homes, villages are leveled, lives irrevocably, irretrievably changed. The old way of life is gone, and with it, the general pleasantness and generosity that had once been prevalent. The story is of mainly of a place, the characters only secondary, for their is no true protagonist, save the land. Characters play the lead for a time, but soon something happens, someone leaves, someone arrives and things change again. Cities of Salt is a moving and bittersweet story told in a matter-of-fact manner, a story which mourns the passing of a way of life, without being mournful itself.

It is about the discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia, how it started and its affect on the people of that country. You read almost the first 100 pages just of the description of the oasis -like Wadi Al-Uyoun in the middle of the desert and its people how they live and what they do, just Bedouins living their life peacefully disconnected from everything and everyone around them except for the caravans that brought them sugar and flour and news of those who chose to work in other towns. The title refers to what they used to do before the discovery of oil, which is extracting salt from the sea.

Then, the gradual changes start with the arrival of the Americans, the demolition of their homes and tents, the digging for oil and the construction of the first pipeline. The ruthless greedy rulers who all they want is money and richness demonstrating their power over their own people favoring the Americans and giving them the green light to work and live on their own land as they wish.

The story is not about one character rather than about the city Harran which the Americans created out of nowhere to a famous and rich city deploying its people and all the Arabs around it. What is sad is those Bedouins who know absolutely nothing about the world around them. Even the Arabs from other countries are shown as educated civilized people, but not the Arabs of Saudi Arabia who were introduced to the necessities and accessories of life through the Americans and their neighboring Arabs. Harran itself is divided into American Harran and Arab Harran emphasizing the cultural and religious differences and the way the foreigners looked at the citizens.

Munif describes those situations in a very subtle way that you don't know whether to laugh or cry! He takes you into the heart and mind of each character so you really know how and what they feel and think about what is happening around them. They go with the flow wherever it takes them without any questioning or understanding; at the beginning they don't even know that they are actually building a pipeline!! Even their reaction at the end is not ultimate and decisive!

I think that Theroux delivered the feelings and the impact that Munif intended of his story. He also maintained the essence of the Arabic language and the implied meanings intended. A great book on the conflict of power and money!

Our lust and dependence on oil has blinded us to the effects that we have on beautiful and simple cultures that in many ways seem more advanced than our western cultures. Especially in terms of relationships between people etc. There are so many cherished conversations in this book about the value of love and respect between people versus the value of oil and wealth. I find myself rereading paragraphs of dialogue that I never want to forget!
Our western culture has made our quest for oil and the justice of war (and all the rest of it) such a complex topic that we have missed the very basic, simple questions. However, the book doesn't solely blame the West; it also addresses the betrayal of Arab governments against their own people.
This book starts during the 1930s when the discovery of the many uses of oil seduced our government into exploiting other countries resources and peoples (with the help of those governments). It is not just an eye-opening book but one that is heart-opening as well!
Warning: Don't expect a fast paced, action packed Hollywood style reading. This book has been translated into English from Arabic. It demands that you savor the text! Something we as westerners don't seem to know how to do any more. Unless you are willing to face your own prejudices you may not be able to appreciate this novel!

There's not much more I can say after reading the reviews below, except to agree that this is _the_ book to own if you're wanting to add William Blake to your library.

This is a large book, clocking in at around nine hundred pages. Within you'll find all the great poetry that makes Blake, well, Blake. The "Songs of Innocence and Experience" are truly wonderful, as is "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell".

Lots to read here beyond than the known works, including miscellaneous poems, songs and verses and sataric verses and epigrams, even letters that Blake himself wrote.

The book is neatly organized and easy to navigate, making the section you're looking for a snap to find. At the back of the book are sections with textual notes (a small "t" is marked throughout Blake's works), and commentary (a small "c"), also marked. Invaluable resources to help understand and navigate the complexity of Blake's poems and prose. An index of titles and first lines is also included in the back.

All in all a wonderful collection for any Blake fan to own and for the curious to lose themselves in the majesty that is William Blake.

I own several editions of the so called "Complete Poetry" editions of Blake. Well, this one just stands out on his own. Although it would have been nicer if it had included more images (it includes only 4 monochromes) I must admit that this book's achivements are its complementary notes and commentaries. Erdman is really an amazing researcher and he has helped me a lot in understanding Blake's universe. Harold Bloom does his share when commenting most of the larger poems, and to comment Jerusalem or Milton is almost as commenting Miltons' "Padarise Lost" or even the Bible. They both deliver a great deal of insight on Blake's poetry, and I'm thankful for that. I have been a fan of Blake's poetry for almost 5 years now, and I've only started to understand his larger prophetic poems.

If you're new to Blake you may not need this kind of book... Even if you are a Blake fan. Maybe Alicia Ostriker's "The Complete Poems" (ISBN 0-14-042215-3) can give you a lighter side of Blake. As a matter of fact, what I liked so much about Alicia's edition is that it has an index of proper names, so If you don't know who (or what) The Four Zoas stand for, maybe you should consider buying her book.

If you are looking for Blake's works of art, then you must get your hands on any of the wonderful DOVER editions published... They are ... and brilliantly printed.

Anyway, if you are new... Welcome.
If you are an oldie... GET THIS BOOK! or even better GET THE MANUSCRIPT FACSIMILE!

This is an essential book for those of us who love William Blake for his words as well as for his engravings, drawings, and paintings.

I hardly knew anything about Blake before I made several trips to London on business in 1995 - 96. When I began to see his work (for example, at the Tate - now Tate Britain) I was deeply moved. I read the wonderful biography by Ackroyd that was just then published and began to collect affordable editions of the illustrated works.

Later, I became aware of this book and purchased it as well. It is very affordable and contains many wonderful things in addition to the primary writings of Blake. For example, we also get Blake's annotations of other writers' works, some of his letters, and textual notes. On the downside, there are a only a few black and white illustrations. This is a book for thinking about Blake's WORDS.

Yes, by definition the illuminated works really do require the illustrations to be complete, but it is hard to meditate and think about just the words without being distracted by those amazing drawings. (Princeton University Press publishes fabulous editions of the illuminated works in paperback.) By all means spend a great deal of time with the illuminated works and you will be richly rewarded, but spending time with the words apart is also very wonderful and very helpful.

The always rewarding Harold Bloom also provides extended commentary on many of the works in the back of the book.

Please put this book in your library and on your shelf - AFTER you read it. Then take it off again to drink of these great words over and over again.

I was assigned this book to read in a Dutch class and absolutely fell in love with it. When I borrowed and English version from the library, I found that a lot of the humor and warmth was lost in translation. I wish that the translator had used more colloquial English and relied less on word-for-word. Still, as really very few people speak Dutch, I have to reccomend the English version as it is still a fantastic time travel adventure.

For 5 years I know Thea Beckman is simply the best author of children books, because she takes you to forgotten times as if you are living in that century. Crusade in jeans is one of her best books and has been given an award in the Netherlands for best historical children book around. When you read it you live in the crusade and go through an experience you'll never forget.

For most Dutch people this book is a classic and has been read by the majority of youngsters. The book takes you in a easy to read way to the childeren's crusade, which actually happened. However by adding some contemporary issues to the story, Thea Beckman makes it a joy to read. Although she has reached a very respectable age by now, Thea has no intention to stop doing reseach on interesting historical events and to transform them into a exciting book.