literature

Rumiko has certainly done it again with Vol. 3. I love every minute of this book. I was practically on the floor laughing. It is hilarious. Yet, it still has the action we all love. Believe me, this book is awesome. This is thee best book series I have EVER seen. You'll love this book. It's great!

All I have to say is if you love Anime you will love this series. The graphics are wonderful. The stories are great. It has good humor with a touch of romance and horror. I could read these books over and over again for hours. I'm not just saying this about vol 3 either. All I have read so far are wonderful. But a slight warning, these things are so addictive.

This is the best manga series Ive seen so far. It is an EXECELENT drama, comedy, and fantsy, all in one.
In the beginning Kagome is a normal Jr. High kid but when she accedentally falls into the sacred Bone-Eaters well she is tranported to the Fudal Age of Japan. When she finds herself there, she goes exploring for her family owned shrine. Except it's not there. instead she finds a demon boy named Inu-Yasha.
When she finds herself surrounded by the local villagers she is taken to the village where the preistes examines her to find a remakable resemblance to the high priestes and protecter of the sacred Shikon Jewel. This jewel can give the posesser vast powers wether good or evil. Kagome is in grave danger because many demons in the fuedal age seek the jewel. but when Kagome finds that the jewel is inside her body pretecting it, it gets blown apart by an enchated arrow that Kagome shot, it breaks and the shards cover the feudal japan. Now Kagome has to team up with Inu-Yasha to set out across the feudal Japan to find all the shards before the demons do.
THIS IS AN EXCELENT MANGA!! ...

I really enjoy this book. I think that it is pretty funny. My favorite part in this book is when the 3rd little pig calls the police and they arrest the wolf because they thought that he was trying to eat the little pig for supper.

I loved this take on the "Three Little Pigs" as did my kids though for different reasons. My daughter enjoys this book because it is a humorous Wolf's versions of the "Three Little Pigs" her favorite children's classic. I like it because it presented a great sarcastic though honest parady of contemparary Media and American culture. You see according to the wolf, He really didn't mean to blow down the little pig's houses it was all an honest mistake, and the part about him being a big bad wolf? Just a media creation to jazz up his trial and sell more newspapers. Its rare to find a childrens book now a days that are even a little bit creative but this one is pure genius both in it's simplicity but also in the way it portrays the world around us. An outstanding childrens book for the whole family.

A funny book told from the wolf's point of view.

Note to the Teacher: Good book for a mini-lesson to teach benchmark on Point of View.

This is by far the best book that I have read in a very long time. I wasn't familiar with Romain Gary until I read a little book called "Darkness Visible - A Memoir of Madness" by the great author William Styron. In "Darkness Visible" Styron describes his crippling depression and near suicide and speaks of Camus and Romain Gary with great affection. He knew Gary and his wife Jean Seberg. (Styron almost met Camus - he had a dinner engagement with him when he learned he was killed in an auto accident.) Styron saw Romain Gary in his deepest state of depression only to experience serious depression himself later. Styron was deeply affected when he found out that Jean had committed suicide and later so did Romain Gary. It is disturbing how we often lose so many of our great artists by their own hand. And Romain Gary was certainly one of the greatest.

In "The Life Before Us" Romain Gary tells the story of Madame Rosa from the viewpoint of little "Momo". This was the first time I had ever read a novel where I was literally laughing from humour and crying from sadness at the same time. It is amazing how the same exact sentence can inspire both humour and sadness. But Gary accomplished this and much more with this very touching novel. There are many tender Truths in this work. A touching quote: "'Monsieur Hamil, can somebody live without love?''Yes', he said, and bowed his head in shame. I burst into tears." Another is: "'It's where I hide when I'm afraid.' 'Afraid of what, Madame Rosa?' 'You don't need reasons to be afraid, Momo.' I've never forgotten those words, because they were the truest words I've ever heard."

This novel is about life and what it means to be human. It is profoundly touching, disturbing, sad, funny, and honest. You will look at the world differently after reading this novel. It is sad that Romain Gary is gone from our world, but my how he enriched it.

...like life, and like death, defies review. Some of its best thoughts are not even written; they surface between the pages, or months, even years, after the last page is read. In The Life Before Us, Gary touches places in the mind that went unnoticed before, but were always waiting to be found. It is as though one were watching a video of all the dreams that were dreamt too long before waking to be remembered, but, now seen, entirely familiar.

This is one of the best books I've ever read or ever will read! It tells the story of a young Arab kid (from his point of view)living with an aging ex-prostitute ,Rosa ,in paris. Rosa raises the children of prostitutes.I know it doesn't sound like much but believe me, you won't be sorry! It is almost a poetic book.It's certainly one of the most humain books you'll ever come across. People that read and loved "Angela's ashes" and "Cacher in the rye",will love this book also.The book is a little sad but most of the time it's very funny, it's a book about people,the little people.The author, Romain Gary is very well known all over Europe and it saddens me that he's almost anonimus in the states.He deserves the recognition in the states and the Americans deserve to know this great writer.I hope he will be published again and won't be out of print.In case you do want to read it,I think you can buy it at amazon.uk.

An indispensible resource for scholars and fans. No other biography so captures the man and his work. On top of that its a damn fine read, and I would recommend it to anyone who seeks to tackle either of Joyce's last two novels.

I was prompted to read this by Tom Stoppard's glowing recommendation of it in "Travesties." Ellman certainly brings the liveliness of James Joyce's life to life, describing everything from his practical jokes to his desparate financial straits -- meticulous to the point of noting the times when Joyce entered the lottery. I'd read the original 1958 edition, and I'm curious how the revised edition would stand against that now-honoured text.

For more Ellman, I highly recommend his collection of essays, "a long the river run."

Richard Ellmann's biography is by far the most comprehensive and readable book on the life of this Irish genius. Ellmann takes us through Joyce's quarrels with his family,church and nation, "the nets," his courtship and family life with Nora, and most importantly, shows the biographical link between Joyce's life and work.This book is a treasure.

I'm a big Lord of the Rings fan and I had learned that Tolkien was influenced greatly in his writing by the Kalevala legends, so I got this to learn more of that region's mythology. It's quite fascinating. I love the chants, especially the one to shut dogs up. :)

In an effort to broaden my horizons in epic and mythological literature, I bought two books on a whim: The Kalevala, a Finnish epic poem with roots in prehistoric oral tradition, and Njal's Saga, the thirteenth century prose account of the lives and tribulations of a group of families and friends in late tenth and early eleventh century Iceland. After reading about 100 pages of Njal's Saga and nearly perishing from sheer tedium, I turned to The Kalevala and received a pleasant surprise.

The Kalevala is a non-rhyming poem consisting of fifty cantos ranging over about 670 pages. The cantos are meant to be sung and were collected in the nineteenth century by Finnish scholar Elias Lönnrot as he traveled around Finland listening to old men sing from memory. The actual number of such collected stories is mind boggling and only a small fraction comprise the loosely connected plot of The Kalevala. Lönnrot even modified some of the stories himself to make the poem a more satisfying piece of literature in its own right. The story follows an amazingly small number of major characters who can loosely be described as warrior-wizards: an old wise singer, a talented metal smith, a foolhardy and womanizing young man, a tragic orphan boy, and a trouble-making woman who plays the antagonist throughout. Together they can conjure up armies by singing, build boats and musical instruments out of virtually nothing, and even shape shift into giant winged creatures. In this land of long ago, ships can talk, pike grow to be the size of houses, and people can be brought back to life by stitching their body parts together! Yes, my friends, it doesn't hurt to be a little open minded with a book like this.

It's difficult to characterize or critique this book because it is so unique, so different from anything I've ever read. The poetry itself is surprisingly simple and easy to read, yet oddly satisfying. When Vainamoinen, the old singer and dominant character, finds himself in a predicament, what does he do? Does he sit down and rationalize his thoughts, plan out his course of action in detail? (I'm already speaking in paired lines!). He probably does, but that's not what is narrated to us. Instead, "He thinks, considers / how to be, which way to live." (p. 202) And these two little lines, in all of their simplicity, are more poignant and powerful than any psychological exposition could be. We picture Vainamoinen, the great warrior-poet, "thinking" and "considering" as if he is momentarily stumped. He is humbled, brought down from his usual decisive and confident self, by his own sudden realization that the complexity of the world is too much even for the mighty Vainamoinen. Then he thinks about how he should "be" and about his own life, reminding us that our own way of life--our choices and decisions--defines our being, who we are. Through these lines we relate to Vainamoinen and his struggle; we are comforted by his imperfections because they make him, a wise and gracious character, closer to us.

As a text that is meant to be sung, The Kalevala is riddled with patterns, both in the form of the poetry and in the plot itself (which Bosley calls "formulas"). One of the more obvious quirks of the poem is its tendency to rephrase the previous line in the current line, giving the work a kind of lyrical quality one would find in a musical: "'Might I say something / would I be allowed to ask / what kind of man you may be / what sort of fellow?'" (p. 73) Another is the presence of repeated identical lines, especially within the context of parallelism. When Kullervo says goodbye to his family in canto 36, he addresses his father, brother, sister, and mother one by one and in an identical fashion (parallelism): to each he asks "Will you weep for me" and is answered "I'll not weep for you", then states "And I shall not weep for you." We go through this four times. From a literary standpoint this is done (evidently) for emphasis. But because the original was sung, I think it's more likely that repeating structures would serve as a sort of chorus for the listeners. When viewed from this context of song, the poem's structure makes greater sense. However, the content of the poem-particularly the more magical parts-can be difficult to relate to.

As with any work that is archaic to begin with and a translation, the reader will here occasionally feel as thought there is a major disconnect between his own purpose for reading and the purpose for which the story was originally intended. As a modern young American male with no connection whatsoever to Finland and very little knowledge of formal epic storytelling, I approached The Kalevala as if it were, at the least, a good opportunity to broaden my conception of epic literature and, at the most, an entertaining story. I say this because any work like The Kalevala will be at least a good experience if taken seriously. The question is: is it really entertaining to a modern audience? (a much greater--and probably unrealistic--expectation). Now I know that a scholar would scoff at the question, but it is a legitimate one from the standpoint of the individual who comes to the work purely out of curiosity. Setting oral tradition aside and viewing the poem as free-standing literature in the context of non-Finnish culture (I can't comment on the work's appeal in such an environment), I would say that there are parts of the poem that are entertaining. But I caution the eager adventure-seeking reader: patience is a prerequisite here. But, more often than not, this is a sign that something greater than the memory of a few hours of entertainment awaits you at the other side of the rainbow.

If this is appearing with the Magoun translation: This is a welcome paperback incarnation of a solid, reliable, standard translation, originally published four decades ago. I have reviewed the hardcover edition of this translation, and of the similar rendering of the epic's first version, "The Old Kalevala," and will summarize my views here. However, you may be seeing with the paperback of the Bosley verse translation of the (New) "Kalevala," another reputable version , to which some of my comments apply equally well.

"Kalevala," variously translated as "Kaleva District" or "Land of Heroes," is a nineteenth-century compilation, revision, and expansion of narratives, spells and charms, and proverbial wisdom collected from the Finnish-speaking peasants and fisherman of areas of modern Finland and Russia. It is made up largely, but not entirely, of "runos," narrative songs when even then survived in isolated, "fringe" areas; ballads with clear connections with other cultures also make an appearance. The material is, for the most part, clearly pagan in origin, with hints of roots in the Viking Age, if not earlier, but processed through centuries of Christianity, Catholic and Lutheran in Finland proper, Russian Orthodox in the Karelia district. Fortunately, Elias Lonnrot, the main collector, and the man responsible for this literary version, was also engaged in laying the foundations of the scientific study of folk traditions, and the collections he made or sponsored formed the basis of a major archive, the publication of which was only recently completed. In the meantime, his popularization had become a part of the world's culture, as well as that of Finland.

The contents are various, but the main themes are the military and romantic adventures and misadventures of a handful of warrior-magicians, as quite with an incantation as with a sword. Vainamoinen, "the Eternal Sage," and a kind of demiurge who sings the Finnish homeland into being, is born old, and his attempts to find a wife lead to the creation of the mysterious and wonderful "Sampo" by the smith Ilmarinen, as a kind of bride-price. These two great heroes share the stage with the irresponsible Lemminkainen, a kind of combined Don Juan and Achilles, and the hapless Kullervo. His story, presented as a cantata by Sibelius, is one of the underpinnings of Tolkien's "Silmarillion." (When the latter first appeared, it seemed obvious that the Quest for the Sampo, and its ultimate fate, was a major inspiration for Tolkien; publication of his early versions show that most of the resemblances emerged over time, in the course of endless reworkings.)

There have been a number of abridged or retold versions of "The Kalevala" in English, and two early complete versions in verse, by Crawford (from a German translation; available on-line), and the Kirby translation (Tolkien's introduction to the work). Magoun's translation filled a need for a more literal treatment, with more supporting information. There have been two later translations of the "New Kalevala" into English verse, by Eino Friberg (1988) and Keith Bosley (1989), which many will find more appealing. But for those who want both the story and all of the details, and either don't care about, or don't care for, such things as meter and rhyme, Magoun's translation remains a first choice. For those who know the epic through other translations, it is still worth consulting. I hold it in high regard.

I don't have a lot of patience or talent for putting things together. I bought this for my son when he was 5 and he loved it so much I bought it again when he was 6. The pages are just torn out and folded together easily and they fly great! My kids have had so much fun playing with these airplanes. This time around I'm going to try "World Record Paper Airplanes", but the "Kid's Paper Airplanes" was a big hit for us.

Bought this for my 10 year old. It is so cool. It is easy to use and provides lots of fun. I would highly recommend it.

My son is six and very interested in paper airplanes. The books we have checked out from the library are advanced and hard to follow. This book gives you the pattern complete with dotted lines for folding. We made four in under thirty minutes and they all flew! This is a great book for kids and adults with no mechanical knowledge or patience!

As I read Ms. Appachana's work, I was constantly reminded of how things were and still are back home. For me, there was no drowning myself in fiction - the characters were real enough to touch and smell (surely every Indian is aware of a Sharmaji!). There was no unnecessary drama - no unchartered territory to explore - no special messages to convey. Such genuine depiction of character and events, free of frivolous mentions, stands dignified in its own accord.

Appachana does an excellent job of bringing India to life in these stories. Her ear for dialouge is so acute that I could literally hear the characters talking, thinking, etc. If you like literary short stories, these are wonderful.

This book of short stories is absolutely excellent. The main theme is the compromises that we make to continue to live in within society's standards. They are everyday scenarios taking place in India or Canada. There is a strong feminist slant in this collection, which is definitely refreshing from the other more traditional stories that I've read. However, there is a price for being liberated, especially in India. The two Sharmaji stories are quite entertaining and the issue of expectations becoming inflating as a result of an unionized environment definitely isn't unique to India. I'm looking forward to reading Ms. Appachana's other book.

this book claims to teach kids about healthy eating but most of the recipes it contains are of either high fat eg macaroni with LOTS and LOTS of CHEESE!!or full of SUGAR eg the chocolate desserts.
kids LOVE some of these recipes basically because theyre full of fat,one recipe we did enjoy however was the apple and cinnamon muffins,they did taste real good and one of the salads was also good(not the ceasar salad though,yuck!!)
my son(whos eight) did make the pasta and cheese dish and wouldnt eat it because he said it tasted too cheesy.he did like the slush dessert though
call me strange but i believe that a cookbook which it amined at children shoul have low fat and healthy recipes.most of the recipes here are either high in fat or high in sugar.this is a disappointment for me and my family

I've never come across a better book to get kids going on learning to cook... My son made us a scrumptious meal the first night he had the book! I recommend highly.

I bought this for my young nephew for his birthday and it made him feel so grown up!! With my sister's help all three of her kids were able to easily have lots of fun making these recipes that are especially designed with kids in mind - things kids love to eat, lots of pictures, easy to follow. The kids were so eager to make dinner for the whole family!

El autor refrescante en el sentido de que hay evidente trabajo en su novela. Nos nutre con datos del entorno (reales o investigados) que hacen la trama verosímil y entretenida.
Hacia la mitad el ritmo de la novela decae algo debido a una excesiva intercalación de introspecciones gratuitas por parte de la protagonista. Pero si se aguanta ese trecho, las cosas vuelven a su cauce.
La ausencia casi absoluta de esos irritantes leísmos a los que tantos españoles y colombianos tienen aficción (2+1 en 500 páginas) es otro detalle bienvenido. El lenguaje es cuidado y el vocabulario culto sin ponerse barroco. Un libro que vale su precio

Gonzalo

La verdad es que Arturo Perez-Reverte, se ha superado a si mismo, combina una exquisita narrativa con un profundo trabajo de investigaciòn, y el resultado es esta increible obra.

Su estilo refrescante y entretenido, hace devorar sus 500 y tantas paginas en pocas horas.

"La Mejicana" es su personaje màs elaborado, una latina de piez a cabeza, la cual se ve arrastrada por una realidad màs grande que ella misma, acompañada solo de su inigualable lucidez y su determinismo fatal, que la lleva a reinventarse una y otra vez.

I am not an unqualified fan of Perez-Reverte. To my taste, some of his most popular books are clumsily written and pretentious, even while they are invariably interesting and well-researched.

I love the Alatriste books, though, and I love La reina del sur for many of the same reasons. It is a great story which derives its energy from two sources -- illuminating a great character (not true of all of Perez-Reverte's books), and bridging the gap between two types of literature (the narcocorrido and the literary novel). Anyway, as all the reviewers say it is completely entertaining and engrossing, and it has all of Perez-Reverte's usual strong points (I know much more about the fine points of drug smuggling and bars -- cocktail and sand -- on the Costa Brava than I used to).

I understand why the Alatriste books haven't been translated into English, but this one should have been for sale in English long ago.

Nomi is a Jewish butch whose lover leaves her for a man, despite the love they share. She crashes at a friend's place as she tries to figure out her next move, but her mother finds her nonetheless. Her mother is getting remarried and Nomi has to go home to Toronto. In the dead of winter. She reconnects with her cousin Henry, who's recovering from being gay-bashed. Henry discovers that he has developed AIDS, and his partner Roger tolerates, barely, Henry's continued involvement with Albert and his conspiracy theories about the American government trying to kill him. Albert has alarming proof about the origin of AIDS, which he claims the American government created, and he's looking for someone to write the article. Nomi also reconnects with Julie, the woman who got away, but this time the sparks fly and become a brilliant blaze. Meanwhile, Roger and Henry go through their own hard times. Full of humor and heartache, "Love Ruins Everything" is a delightful romance that will charm every reader.

I bought this book on a whim, and was half expecting another boring lesbian novel. Was I ever wrong. This book had everything, stories of love, stories of deception, stories of conspiracy, and all in all was a page turner. I highly recommend this book for anyone out there who has suffered from a breakup and needs a little material to read to cheer them up, or to anyone who just wants something to read that they will never wonder when the story is going to end. BUY THIS BOOK! ENJOY :)

This was a fabulous read! It was a very realistic page turner that people like us can relate to! Encore Tulchinsky!