Movies Books

Two people came together with nothing at all to offer each other except the probable opportunity to cause themselves pain and they didn't fear to love. (To love without the promise that there would be a tomorrow for them.) This is a good script and an incredible movie...Nice soundtrack unfortunately it is unavailable. Linklater is groovy!!

I was delighted by the movie, and immediately looked out for the book or anything related with it.

It's a subtle book, it shows in a very poetic way how communication can connect everyone. You can perceive it in every frame of the movie, is not casual that a location as Vienna has been choosen to develop the story.

Time, life, freedom, love, poetry, signs are important issues.

Before Sunrise is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I can't imagine a better book to accompany it. What makes this book so great is that it does not contain the actual script, because I think the shots and technical description would just ruin the magic of the dialogue, which is the best thing about the movie. The pictures are brilliant (for they're not only copies of the film's shots), and the poem at the end of the book is simply a touch of genius. I lost the book, though. So I was wondering if anyone could help me find a copy. All expenses will be paid. Thanks!

It is a great movie that we just can't miss it in our life. When a man meets a woman in the way like the movie goes, something is expected to happen. It is amazing that everything is so natual, so romantic.

The story makes me desiring a romantic love everytime I am in a journey...

It is pity that I miss the opening of the movie. I've tried to get the VCD of the picture but I can't make it in Hongkong. I can't find the book neither...

Anyone who was a fan of the movie "Before Sunrise" will want to have this book, which does *not* contain the actual script for the film, but does feature most of the wonderful dialogue along with a number of photos of Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke and a forward by Richard Linklater and Kim Krizan.

Its not only readable but funny at the thought the wrestlers become crime fighting geniuses! Mr McMahons amazing touch is all over this!!! a definite buy for fans and critics alike!

I too was surprised at how good this book is. The story is actually well crafted and it moves along pretty quickly. I look forward to future installments!

In my life as an English Professor, I have had the joy of reading any of a lare selection of classic books, brilliant treatises on the human condition, and some of the most brilliantly revolutionary prose that hallmarked the great movements in human history. I feel, though, that my faith in literature has been increased to a level I truly did not feel possible after reading this book.

It is truly rare when a book changes your life in a fundamental way. For some, the Bible was their path to a new and better life. Others feel that Paine's Common Sense is a truly great piece of political propaganda that tries to raise humanity to a higher level. Others, on the other hand, are partial to Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto.

I say "A pox on ALL of these houses".

Like a very special episode of "Walker, Texas Ranger", WWE's "Big Apple Takedown" manages to simultaneously make one weep at the emotionally taut imagery, laugh at the rapier-sharp wit, and contemplate the deep, inner discussions of the soul that are the hallmark of sweaty guys with questionable drug habits.

And, honestly, the book is a little infuriating. Why IS the government wasting its money paying for a military with many nuclear missiles when ALL that is needed to save the world from evil and chaos are the occasional errant chair shot, a knee to the groinal region, followed by an overly elaborate finishing sequence?

The decision to use WWE superstars --- "wrestlers" does not remotely do legends like HHH justice, let's be frank --- to sniff out a drug cartel is the kind of inspired genius that makes lesser authors like Poe weep in their beer. You didn't see George Orwell use imagery as subtle as a glistening body of pure, pent-up, moderately eroticized squashing drug kingpins in 1984, did you?

I tell you, next to this book, Madame Bovary has as much plot as a 3rd grader's book of Mad Libs.

I, personally, enjoyed the discrete reference to another classic of American literature --- "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind", with a plot that, bluntly, ripped off this book's plot in the most diabolical and sinical of manners.

Kudos to you, WWE. You have clearly demonstrated that the dramatic masterpiece that is the average episode of RAW is not an accident. This is the book that makes one appreciate the subtlety of a good fart joke or an unexpected "puppies" reference. I can only hope they keep Mr. Josephs on the payroll to produce storyline that can even approach this level of inspiration.

I bought this book the other day with absolutely no expectations. I actually bought it hoping to find humor in how bad it would be. I wound up reading it cover to cover in 24 hours because that's how hooked I was. The book is absolutely full of suspense and I honestly would love to see a movie. Maybe if WWE had gone this route instead of the ill-fated "See No Evil" movie, they wouldn't be the laughing stock of the film industry. This book was surprisingly very gripping and for the price, I totally have to recommend it. If you are one of the many people who would have to be skeptical of the the WWE's forray into fictional novels, then check this out and be proven wrong. I must admit that I couldn't believe it, but the book is an addictive thrill ride, very well written.

I HAVENT FINISHED READING THIS BOOK YET BUT I AM CLOSE TO FINISHING IT. THIS BOOK IS ABOUT 6 WWE WRESTLERS(BATISTA,CHAVO GURREO,TORRE WILLSON,JOHN CENA,HHH,AND THE OWNER OF THE WWE VINCE MCMHAON) JOIN A SECRET AGENCY CALLED THE NSA. THERE MISSION IS TO TAKE DOWN A BIG DRUG RING AND THEY ALL GO UNDER COVER TO GET ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO ARREST THE PEOPLE IN THE DRUG RING AND THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF THE DRUG RING. THE BOOK IS GREAT AND IT HAS LOADS OF SUPENSE. AND I HEARD THE ENDING WILL SUPRISE YOU. IF YOUR A WWE FAN(LIKE ME) BUY IT. OR IF YOU ARE NOT A WWE FAN YOU SHOUD STILL BUY BECAUSE YOU WILL LOVE IT.

When I was in the 5th grade (way back in 1976-77), our teacher used to read to us after recess each day. He turned us onto several great books with fun and compelling stories. Of these, three books (Freaky Friday, A Billion For Boris and The Phantom Tollbooth)have become some of my all time favorite books. Books that I've read and re-read several times.

A Billion For Boris is by far the best and my personal favorite from the entire 'Andrews Family' series. I loved Freaky Friday and love A Billion For Boris even more. I couldn't get through Summer Switch. It just seemed like a complete retread of Freaky Friday but not nearly as engaging.

Who can forget when Anabell made her catastrophic, cataclismic boo-boo? Great line.

The story is just as described. Ape Face fixes an old TV of Boris's and then suddenly it shows programs from one day in the future. Anabell wants to use it to help mankind. Boris just wants to make money to improve his and his mother's life. So, they compromise. Then things start to get out of hand. The ending is charming, funny and quite sweet.

All in all, a really great book with lots of hilarious moments. I highly recomend it to everyone who loves just a good story.

This is a book that everyone ages 9-99 will enjoy. Its exploration of what happens when a couple of kids get ahold of a TV that plays tommorow's news is hillarious. Its a book that can be read over and over again and not lose its appeal. This is deffinitely a book that will stay on your shelf for the whole family to read. A winner!

A Billion for Boris' attention-span is good. It's a page-turner for ages 8-88. Ape Face tinkers with an old TV set so it shows tomorrow's news. Boris manages to get it back, and he and Ape Face's sister, Annabel, decide to us etheir new knowledge to help Boris' writer-mother get more money and refinish Boris' apartment. How? By betting on horses. A book which kept me reading until the last page. The sequel to Freaky Friday and the book before Summer Switch, it is ultimately one of Mary Rodgers' masterpieces.

I agree w/ the review below--this book is better than Freaky Friday. I've never forgotten how I wanted my own TV set that broadcast tomorrow's news today. This story has such charm, magic, and realism in it. Every child should read this book.

Since that Freaky Friday when Annabel Andrews switched bodies with her Mother, things have gotten much better. At least, in her opinion. I mean, at least she's not a kid in an adult's body anymore. But, now something new is going on. Annabel is still in love with Boris, and her younger brother, Ape Face, is still being a pest, but who planned for this? When Ape Face fixes a broken TV that Boris sells to him, something VERY strange happens. Suddenly, Ape Face is watching tomorrow's TV shows, today. Not only that, he's watching the news a day early. Annabel wants to use the TV for good, to help humanity, and Ape Face just wants to watch tomorrow's movies today, but Boris has some different plans of his own.

This is the sequel to the book FREAKY FRIDAY. In my opinion, I found this book to be even better than the previous. Rodgers has come up with a brilliant and entertaining plot, that all kids will enjoy reading about. Boris is a funny, and mischevious character, as is Ape Face, and Annabel is a fun, and kind character, who has matured greatly since FREAKY FRIDAY. A must-have book for all fans of the weird and unexpected.

Erika Sorocco

All of Bruce Henderon's books are worth a dozen times what he sells them for; flawless, stunning reproductions of great movie posters. Buy them ALL!

As previous reviewers stated, this is a marvelous book, & it does have far too many Disney & Popeye posters in it. Considering the wealth of other 'vintage' cartoon posters that are around (even just searching on the net), Im suprised they didnt have a better selection for us to look at. Otherwise, Im very happy to have this book, and I'd LOVE to see a volume 2 some day!!!

I'll be truthful: I received Bruce Hershenson's CARTOON MOVIE POSTERS as part of a "grab-bag" special he was throwing a couple of years back. My tastes lie in the somewhat more arcane area of Horror & Science Fiction posters. What would a guy like me who covets copies of posters like BEAST WITH 1,000,000 EYES want with...harmless, namby-pamby kid's stuff? Plenty, as I soon discovered once I opened this excellent book. First-the reason I had been so unaware of cartoon posters, especially ones from the seven minute variety, is that so many of them are practically extinct. Cartoons, being the VERY bottom of the bill, were treated as 4th-class citizens, and if the studios bothered to make a poster at all, there weren't very many of them and the vast majority of those were tossed. What a shame! This book, which contains close to 400 exqusitely printed images, is an absolute riot of color and imagination that easily rivals any of my beloved fantasy pieces. Starting from cartoon pioneer Windsor McCay in 1911 and ending with the X-rated FRITZ THE CAT in 1972,(and touching on all points in between), Bruce includes examples ranging from the obvious (Disney, Warner Bros, & Fleischer) to the wonderfully obscure (there are several pages of pictures from Ub Iwerks'fairy tale cartoons from the 30s that are gorgeous, more than a little strange, and as rare as hen's teeth.) If you have even a passing interest in movie posters, it is mandatory that you order at least a couple of Hershenson's poster volumes. If you are a rabid, hopeless poster fiend like myself, they are invaluable for both reference and entertainment. Everything about them is first-rate: the printing, the choice of posters (ah, those 30s & 40s Disney 1-sheets...!)the short, inobtrusive, well-written snippets regarding the history of various posters: it's very tough to find fault here. This is the perfect gift for hard-core poster geeks and casual film/cartoon aficonados alike. Five stars all the way, and...abbah-dee, abbah-dee, abbah-dee....That's All, Folks!

Everyone has their own favorite film genre (animation, action and adventure, science fiction, etc.). Next to crime/film noir films, animation is mine. The beautiful thing about this book is the unexpected. Rather than delve into the standard Disney fare (which is included in great detail nevertheless), this book includes artwork from posters from "lesser seen or only mildly popular" titles. Besides Disney, everything from Fleischer to Avery is represented, works of art that can only be bought for thousands of dollars today at many of America's high echelon auction houses. If you are the least bit interested in the jaw-dropping beauty of what has become a lost art -- the exercise of drawing images associated with the advertising of a Hollywood film -- this is the book to have. This book is part of movie poster maven Bruce Hershenson's exhaustive multi-volume series of books highlighting the history and beauty of what much of mainstream America has only in the last ten years begun to recognize. And that is movie posters are a "popular art" form that can stand proudly next to all other styles of art from gothic to modern, from expressionist to impressionist. Great film art borrows from all of these styles and this volume, which focuses only on posters associated with animated films, illustrates innumerable examples whereby despite the restrictive nature of the genre (cartoons), not all posters went in the same direction in terms of style and presentation. From Pinocchio to Popeye, Hershenson and Allen have built an incredible archive (and legacy) of images in all of his books, capturing a period (when all posters were drawn by hand and then printed, as opposed to today's method of using photographic stock and manipulating them digitally and printing them by the thousands) that would otherwise be lost forever. A fine book for any collector (get the hardcover edition if you can, it's harder to find; if Amazon doesn't have it, it's available from Mr. Hershenson directly at mail@brucehershenson.com).

This review can easily apply to any of the books in the Bruce Hershenson edited series of film poster history. Hershenson rightly treats film graphics not just as pop culture artifacts but true works of art. His books are filled with a curator's eye for superior choice and reproduction, each poster in striking color and with a clarity of printing that rivals most any coffee table art book. Somewhere between advertising and illustration, film posters, like book jackets and record covers, inhabit that imaginative and atmospheric zone where one art reflects another. It's not just the history of film or the history of film design, it's a history of twentieth century Saturday afternoons and Saturday nights. How often we would go into the dark theatre armed only with the ideas and ideals of the posters outside, and then return to them afterward, perhaps with nodding affirmation or smirking disillusionment, but still a vision of what could be. This series of books should be subtitiled: THE FINE ART OF ANTICIPATION, for no matter if expectation was filled or emptied by the films behind them, their posters kept on shining.

Absolutely stunning! Superb graphics of some of our favorite movie posters! Highly recommend.

How can crime be bad and yet so good! Look inside the cover of these pages for the answer. Not much reading required but plenty of illustrations. And what illustrations!! Cigarettes, dangling from shadowey faces, killer guns begging for victums, and behind every crime there's a "good" women to lead him on to both heaven or hell. These images can usually sum up the classic Crime Movie Poster. In cronological order the images take us from the birth of this gendre to it's present. This is no small feat, as the first poster is dated 1913! That's how many years? Page after page is loaded with poster art that grabs the eye and makes you want to view the film. Vivid coloring shows the excellent printing quality of this volume. One only needs to turn the pages to discover "the stuff dreams are made of".

How can crime be bad and yet so good! Look inside the cover of these pages for the answer. Not much reading required but plenty of illustrations. And what illustrations!! Cigarettes, dangling from shadowey faces, killer guns begging for victums, and behind every crime there's a "good" women to lead him on to both heaven or hell. These images can usually sum up the classic Crime Movie Poster. In cronological order the images take us from the birth of this gendre to it's present. This is no small feat, as the first poster is dated 1913! That's how many years? Page after page is loaded with poster art that grabs the eye and makes you want to view the film. Vivid coloring shows the excellent printing quality of this volume. One only needs to turn the pages to discover "the stuff dreams are made of".

Everyone has their own favorite film genre (animation, action and adventure, science fiction, etc.). This one is mine. If you are the least bit interested in the jaw-dropping beauty of what has become a lost art -- the exercise of drawing images associated with the advertising of a Hollywood film -- this is the book to have. No other genre, in my opinion, was more dark and foreboding and in turn experienced a burst of creativity than posters associated with the film-noir period of Hollywood, which roughly ran from the mid-1940s to the mid-1950s. This book is part of movie poster maven Bruce Hershenson's exhaustive multi-volume series of books highlighting the history and beauty of what much of mainstream America has only in the last ten years begun to recognize. And that is movie posters are a "popular art" form that can stand proudly next to all other styles of art from gothic to modern, from expressionist to impressionist. Great film art borrows from all of these styles and this volume, which focuses only on posters associated with crime and film-noir films, is my favorite. It illustrates innumerable examples of the ranges in style, despite the superficial expectation that all art from this genre was the same. It was not. From Gilda to This Gun For Hire, Hershenson and Allen have built an incredible archive of images in all of his books, capturing a period (when all posters were drawn by hand and then printed, as opposed to today's method of using a montage of photos and manipulating them digitally and printing them by the thousands) that would otherwise be lost forever. A fine book for any collector (get the hardcover edition if you can, it's harder to find; if Amazon doesn't have it, it's available from Mr. Hershenson directly at mail@brucehershenson.com.

Every last shot heard in the world of motion pictures is displayed here. From Pre-code films like LADIES THEY TALK ABOUT to the Code-in-your-face PULP FICTION, Bruce Hershenson captures the poster art of these films in splashy high quality color. A bonus is that Bruce always includes lobby card art, cherished by many a collector, but not displayed often.

This is a book that makes you think, the characters are not described within a few lines, divided into good and bad, like it's so often true in books selected for clubs across the country. Snip: (...)

This is a perfect book about what it means to be a father and what it means to be a son. The novel presents three generations of men who meet in a tragic moment when their wife, mother and grandmother had a heart attack. The main hero Jack had run away from America to France to follow his dream of becoming a painter but a message from his native California brings him back, to tend to his father who is clueless when his wife was taken to hospital. The two men estranged for years clumsily and slowly learn to live together and discover love they never managed or (as most men do) bothered to express.
This is an extremely personal book. William Wharton claims he could not publish it before the death of his parents. He wrote it to express his own feelings after his father's death. When the book was ready he invited his mother over. They met daily on the beach and he read the novel to her. When he finished they were both crying. You will be crying too.

Dad snuck up and bit me. I found it uneven. It is a book to be taken apart and studied in chunks. The sequence of the son caring for the parents was incredible; gritty and raw. So many questions raised: what IF you can't stand your own mother but you still have to live with her? What IF there is another and better dimension for your beleagured father? What do you do if you find your father has pooped his drawers? What if there is no nurse to bail you out? (The image of a middle aged man tranking out on pilched oxygen haunts me) Read this book and weep: this could be you and your life in a few years. Take what you have now and hug it tight. You will slowly but surely become your father. Wharton digs in and hands you the goods. No holds barred. I am a better though sadder person since I read his work.

This was a great book and i would recommend it to everyone. It's deeply upsetting, emotional but not whimsical or sloppy like other novls of this genre. This book steers clear of the protentious narrative [stuff]that we often find ourselves bombarded with. It's funny, sad and clever and should be read by all.

In 1987, I read what is still one of my all-time favorite books--DAD, by William Wharton. When first his mother, then his father, become ill, John tremont attempts to sort out their affairs and obtain the best care he can for them. But the book is about so much more than that; it's about the relationships between fathers and sons, about coming to terms with a parent's infirmity and mortality, about letting go, accepting new roles within the family, and realizing that, when all's said and done, your parents are just people with flaws like everyone else. but most of all, DAD is about the final days of Jack Tremont, John's father, and how much John, and everyone else, loved him. Jack was portrayed so well that I loved him too, and I could tell John loved him the way I loved my Grandpa. Grandpa was diagnosed with cancer around the same time I read DAD, and I really identified with John and his feelings of grief, frustration, anger, helplessness, and his incredible love for his dad. It was the kind of book I wished would never end. A real tear-jerker!

After reading The Witch's Daughter, I picked this up. WOAH! This one was really good, It was a very good addition to the series, I still don't understand why they cancelled this series after only 8 books!

i dont usualy read books but as soon as i read the blurb i couldnt put the book doun!it was amazing and it had wonderful diskriptions i felt like i was almost ther since i read the witches daughter i carnt get enouf of the files in fact it only took me 4 houers of one night to read!i hope there will be more books from cade merril because he is a wonderful writer and im shur many feel the same!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cade Merrill is seventeen years old and the owner of a website, theblairwitchfiles.com. After his cousin Heather disappeared while filming a documentary on the Blair Witch, Cade has used his site as a means of gathering information on the unexplained events that take place in Blair Woods.

When Cade is contacted by photography student Laura Morely he initially dismisses her claim that she feels she has a bond with Heather. However, Cade finds himself drawn to her, and soon he has invited her to Burkittsville. At first, Laura comes across as enthusiastic, intense and determined, but Cade quickly discovers that lurking behind his initial impressions, there is something wrong with Laura. A trip to the ruined house of a serial killer causes her to experience strange visions of the owner's childhood. The photographs she takes prove to Cade that she is telling the truth, but Laura's behaviour rapidly becomes more erratic and out-of-control. As her visions reveal more about the dark secrets in the past of murderer Rustin Parr, Cade must discover the link between Laura and the serial killer before tragedy strikes again.

The fact that I haven't seen the movie itself didn't stop me from enjoying this book. The story is faced-paced and suspenseful. I recommend it as a great horror story for teens, but it probably wouldn't be suitable for any kids under twelve years old. ....

The Blair Witch Project leaves you wondering what really happened. This book does the same. What do you see, or is it all your imagination. The story is about a girl who does not understand why an old, recurring dream draws her to Burkittsville to go on a hike to Rustin Parr's house. A few good twists and an awesome look into the past events of Parr's life, if all of it is not just crazy hallucinations. Pick it up...!

I was unsure whether I was going to like The Blair Witch Files 2: The Dark Room because I hadn't read any previous books by author Cade Merill. But, as it turned out, I found this book to be simple to follow, its not like a sequel, just really one great book by itself. The writing is at times repetitive, but all elements of the story lead up to a well thought-out climax. All the characters have numerous sides to them, it gives you something to think about after reading a few chapters. And not to mention the freak factor! The Blair Witch Files 2: The Dark is probably the scariest book I have read in a long amount of time. You can see all the terror in your head after some chapters, but, like the characters, you're forced to keep going because it's the only way to find out the mystery.

one lesson I learned from this book that I kept in mind throughout my teenage life: don't EVER change yourself to impress a guy, just be yourself! Enough said!

13 year old Dawn is now trying on some red lipsticks.... The reason she's doing that because she's dating with Lewis, Logan's cousin. But the date has mistakes!

Dawn is about to meet her pen pal who is also logan's cute cousin! She feels like she's not good enough so she gets herself a bizzare makeover and tries to be someone she's not. But at the end of the book, she starts being herself again and gets along fine with him. Mary Anne was being a bit superficial in the book and not acting like her sweet self at all, but it's still a good read.

Dawn's Big Date is one of those books you can read over and over again, and still be entertained. Dawn is finally going to meet her penpal, Louis, who is also Logan's cousin from Kentucky. Before he comes to Stoneybrooke, Mary Anne gives a FEW hints and suggestions to Dawn about how she should look when Louis sees her, what make-up she should wear, stuff like that. Dawn bends over backwards before Louis arrives, picking out new outrageous clothes, tons of make-up, and fancy new hairstyles, just so she will give Louis a good impression. But when he finally arrives, he doesn't seem to like the new Dawn. Uh-oh... The side plot of this book is very good as well. Norman Hill is an overweight kid, who is being constantly teased by his sister and friends, and hounded by his parents. The baby-sitters want to help Norman out, but how? Then Stacey suggests that Norman tears one of his sister's mean drawings, and he begans to feel some self-respect, which is a tremendous help. Overall, this book was excellent. One of my favorite BSC books ever. Read it!

In dawn's Big date, Dawn tries to change her hairstyle, her clothes and her makeup for a date with Lewis, Logan's cousin. But Dawn is worried, will Lewis and the Baby Sitters like the New Dawn"?. when they had the date, Everything seems to get wrong. Will Dawn's date with Lewis be a total disaster? Anyway, Lewis is only visiting in Stoneybrook like what Mary Anne said in Dawn and the older Boy. And Lewis is only fourteen and guess how old travis was? sixteen!

I enjoy this series because the mystery is always well thought out and it keeps you guessing and second-guessing right up until the big reveal. They aren't overly violent or filled with gory details. They are just clever, fun reads.
This book in particular is a departure for the series in that the bulk of it is a flashback to Mark Sloan's early medical career and his first dabble in the detective world, told in first person. It mainly deals with new characters. With the exception of Dr. Sloan, the other regular characters from this series basically just bookend the story. Lee Goldberg really has the characters down, especially Dr. Sloan. You can't help but picture Dick van Dyke when reading this book. Overall, I would say that The Past Tense is my favorite in this entertaining series.

Lee Goldberg's "Diagnosis: Murder" book series, based on the Dick Van Dyke TV series, got off to a promising start with "The Silent Partner." The books that followed in the series were entertaining but inferior. Now, Lee Goldberg has redeemed himself of "The Waking Nightmare", the previous entry that was mildly entertaining but mostly mediocre and disappointing, with "The Past Tense", a book that's even better than "The Silent Partner" and even the TV series that inspired it.

"The Past Tense" begins when a young girl is murdered during a rain storm in Los Angeles. Her corpse is then carried by the tide to the beach outside of Dr. Mark Sloan's house dressed in a mermaid costume. Things become really interesting when Dr. Sloan discovers the murder is connected to a series of serial killings he solved in his earliest case as an amateur sleuth.

This leads into the most enthralling stage of the book. Lee Goldberg retells the account of Dr. Sloan's first investigation in first-person from Dr. Sloan's point of view. This account is set forty years before the initial start of the novel. Imagine Dick Van Dyke as he appeared circa "Mary Poppins." Readers are finally allowed a glimpse inside the main character's head. Dr. Sloan describes his early days as both a surgeon and a sleuth, as well as his relationship with his late wife and several old friends that take over the roles of the regular cast members of "Diagnosis: Murder" mysteries. The account fits well in its era, even involving the Red Scare in the plot.

This section makes up the entire middle of the novel and, in Goldberg's tradition of providing two mysteries for one with each novel in the series, works as a self-contained mystery story with plenty of twists-and-turns. The approach also distinguishes "The Past Tense" from all of the previous entries in the series, but the novel doesn't run out of steam when it ends. Dr. Sloan and his son Steve, a baby during the time of the `60's killings, spend the final third of the novel sleuthing the connection between Dr. Sloan's past and the murdered woman in the mermaid costume and attempting to catch another killer. These chapters are taut and suspenseful, and the climax is especially hard-hitting and will have readers on the edge of their seats. Lee Goldberg, a writer who worked on the "Diagnosis: Murder" TV series as well as several others, incorporates the quirky humor of the series into the novel, but, overall, this is the darkest and most suspenseful book in the series so far.

This is the first book I've read by Lee Goldberg but it certainly won't be the last.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE PAST TENSE. In fact, I had a very hard time putting it down. When I should have been doing other things, I pushed those things aside until I was finished reading this book.

If you're a fan of the DIAGNOSIS: MURDER tv series, then you should definitely read this book. Even if you're unfamiliar with the series, you should consider reading this book. It has a great story, great characters, and it's very well-written.

This book gave me what I most look for in a book - it entertained me for many hours.

Readers can't ask for much more than that.

Still suffering the emotional and physical after effects from the events in the previous entry, The Waking Nightmare, Dr. Mark Sloan takes a morning walk on the beach outside of his Malibu home...and finds a dead body. The mystery takes an immediate turn to the personal when a strange clue links the murder to the very first homicide case Sloan investigated, back in 1962. Sloan himself narrates the 1962 segment of the story, which is a fine little mystery, and the reader comes away knowing more about what makes the crime solving doctor tick than before. Lee Goldberg (who wrote and produced several seasons of the Diagnosis Murder television series) has added an emotional layer to this mystery that makes it the best in the series to date. Highly recommended.

In the middle of a Southern CA rain storm, Mark Sloan finds a dead college student on the beach near his house. With hair died red and dressed in a mermaid costume, things seem weird. A vile is found inside her that contains pictures from Mark Sloan's very first case.

In February 1962, during another huge rain storm, a dead woman is brought into the ER. Everyone assumes she drowned during the rain storm, but Mark thinks something fishy is going on. When they find evidence of murder, Mark just can't let it go, even when it puts him at odds with the detective, former friend Harry Trumble. Can an inexperienced doctor solve the crime? Even more intriguing, what does this 40+ year old murder case have to do with the present murder?

This book is ingenious. About half of it is set in the past and half set in the present. Really, you get two mysteries for the price of one as we watch Mark solve both cases. Yet they interact in a way I never saw coming. Seeing glimpses of Mark's past was enlightening as well. I really felt like I was back in 1962 for those scenes. Once again, Lee brings events from the series into the book making me wish I'd seen more of the earlier episodes.

These books are fast becoming one of my favorite series around. If you were a fan of the show, you owe it to yourself to pick up this great continuation. Even if you've never seen the series, the plots will pull you in and make you start looking for the reruns. Is the next one out yet?

An excellent book and worth it for both native Cantonese speakers and people learning to speak Cantonese. I'm a native Cantonese speaker (and also fluent in English) and there are lots of slang phrases I have a hard time translating to English and this book helps with it. It should be noted that the vernacular in this book are often particular to the Cantonese in Hong Kong and may not reflect the vernacular of Cantonese spoken in Guangzhou.

There are a few mistakes in the book, however, but not a big problem. For instance, some characters that actually can be written in Cantonese are left "blank" (indicated by a square).

I recommend this book 100%

Excellent book. Though born and raised in Hawaii, Cantonese was my first language. During trips to Hong Kong and Guangzhou to visit family, my Chinese was understood perfectly and they marvelled at how well I spoke colloquial Chinese, but I never realized I wasn't speaking "proper" Cantonese, until I read this book. I highly recommend this book to anyone desiring to learn the usage and context of Cantonese as spoken on the streets of any Chinatown in the U.S. as well as Hong Kong & Guangdong.

Before you purchase a copy just remember this is a dictionary for CANTONESE slang. Cantonese being one of the many Chinese dialogues, obviously not every Chinese speaks Cantonese.
So having said that, I must inform everyone that Cantonese has the most vivid descriptions and usages of slang of the entire Chinese language (yet, being the least awful sounding). How do I know, because I was born in that wonderful city of Hong Kong! It's my native tongue, so trust me, we know how to slang in style~~ However, not all Cantonese slangs are entirely cruses nor are they offensive, you can use many of them safely in any environment. And this book presents the best of them in their original forms, including the usage of each slang and how to apply it within your speech. I am amazed by how accurate the dictionary truly is. The definations are all better than I thought they would be (as well as its entertaining value)! So if you are ever tired from repeating the same old phrases over and over again, then try adding a few Cantonese slangs into your speech to spice things up a little bit.

This is the type of cantonese colliquial I was looking for, one that doesn't just include all the usual phrases that are just slightly colloquial. This book goes all the way in terms of slang language. A lot of swearing and gangster talk is included. When I saw the book cover the first thing that came to mind was the hk movie 'young and dangerous'. Although I have to say ever since my mother brought another colloquial book from hk 'common cantonese colloquial expressions' I found that if you want the usual colloquial phrases like "ar chi don gum say" (ie pretending teeth to be used as gold - I highly take in/treausre every word you say) or "bou yee li" (ie cheating with another woman while married) it'll probably be better to get that book. This book is very slang although it does include many of the usual everyday phrases. The language in this book is probably not used by a majority of civilised hk people although many in hk do swear a lot but I guess they won't use that many variations of harsh expressions. I know this as I was born in hk myself and have visited hk once in a while as I live overseas. I myself do swear a lot in canto (although sometimes I try not to) so this book was suitable for me. It is good as a read for amusment and englightening to what can be said when hk people get pissed or are under pressure.. which is a lot of the time. The yale organisation of the book is very useful for those that can't read chinese as it is in alhapbetical order. It also helps you to pronouce the words if you figure out how to read with the sounding of the high and low tones. Overall I think that this book was well written and it isn't expensive for such a thick book as this I have to say.


hk.style

waited a long time for this to come out, and well worth it..the book is a fantastic contribution to Cantonese language study.
Cantonese is difficult anyway, and has very few good books for those learning the language, in contrast to Mandarin.
well done to the authors and publishers for sticking it out, anyone seriously studying Cantonese will need to learn the wonderfully rich and varied slang, and this really is a serious and valuable work, also rather amusing..thank you!.