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My friend Mary Sue sent me Precious Bane when I was very ill, hoping it would get me reading again. She was right.

The time of the tale is not clear. It was written in 1926 but has a Hardy-like tone which would place it in the mid-to-late 19th century. The location is Shropshire, England. You can reference a Shropshire word list on the Internet, but after a while I preferred to let the dialect flow over me and learn some of the meanngs the way we first learn a language.

The premise is that it is customary in Shropshire to hire a sin-eater, usually someone poor, when someone dies, who will take over the sins of the dead person. The Sarn family is too poor even to do this when the father dies, so the son, Gideon, offers to be the sin-eater in return for taking ownership of the family farm. He works the farm with his sister Prue.

The second plot is a love story. Prue is a woman with a hare lip, a beautiful body and character above reproach, who is struck by lightning with love when she first sees Kester, an itinerant weaver.

Other scenes of interest take place during market which introduce various characters, reveal through gossip the attitudes about them and explain customs.

I read that Precious Bane is tobacco, but it seemed rather to refer to foxglove, which takes an important turn in the plot.

The writing is excellent. The characters are true. Some readers compared this book to Cold Comfort Farm. I have read Cold Comfort Farm, and although I enjoyed it didn't find it to be similar, as the heroine is a flapper in the 20's.

The only thing that might have perfected the book would be to liken Gideon's sins specifically(he had many) to the sins of his father, which she didn't do. The lack of detail didn't seem to detract much, as the point was explained at the beginning.



Thank you, Mary Sue.

This is one of those rare stories that seeps into your soul and leaves a lasting impression. The language itself, while a bit difficult at first becomes a song you want to sing and long to hear it spoken. The story, sometimes achingly sad and violent is ultimately triumphantly romantic - with a sequence of events that leaves the reader breathless and yearning for more. Shortly after reading Precious Bane, I was lucky enough to discover a small theatre group in Chicago performing the stage version. My husband and I were in a packed theatre of about 30 people, where I sat front and center with the actors not more than two feet in front of me. Knowing the story line as I did, I made a spectacle of myself sobbing through the second half of the play. I'm sure the actors were gratified that they had such a strong effect on their audience. Suffice it to say, no one who picks up this book will be disappointed, nor will they ever forget it.

The story is this: A young woman, Prudence Sarn, is born with a harelip, which makes her subject to superstition and ridicule from the small-minded country folk who surround her in early 20th-centry Shropshire, England. Because of her deformity, Prue is told again and again that she will never marry; her brother, Gideon, more or less conscripts Prue into serving him on the family farm, telling her that if she follows his plan that she will at least have money and respectability someday. Prue follows along with this plan, envisioning the day that she will have enough money to make herself "beautiful as a fairy" - a dream that takes on concentrated exigency in Prue's mind when she falls in love with the handsome weaver Kester Woodseaves. Prue thinks that no man could ever love her as she is, "cursed and hare-shotten," and when one tragedy after another strikes the Sarns, she wonders if true happiness will ever touch her life.

It's rare that a book moves me to tears, but in the course of reading this novel I grew so attached to Prue that I felt as if she were speaking to me as a sister. The delicate, simple distinctions of this story ring true in every word; it was as though the secrets, disappointments, and beauties of the English country were visible in the spaces between words on the page. At first the language, written in vernacular of the time, was hard to read, but once I grew accustomed to it I was transported to a remote and seemingly miraculous place where Prue discovered and treasured profound beauty in unlikely places. The same can be said of discovering Prue herself, whose compassion, wit, love, and faithfulness shine in everything she does. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone - it is undoubtedly a story about love, but not in the conventional rom-com or Harlequin-paperback way that's so prevalent nowadays. This is a story about strength of spirit, about unconditional goodness in the face of cruelty, mockery, and calamity. If that's not a real "love story," I don't know what is.

Once in awhile, you run across a book that's like coming home, that places you in a persona and setting that is hazily familiar. Mary Webb's Precious Bane does that for me. Set in rural England in the early 19th century, it tells the story of Prudence Sarn, a young woman whose mother encountered a hare while she was pregnant with Prue. The baby was born with a harelip.
For those who knew her, it meant that Prue would never marry--what man, after all, would want to kiss her? For those who did not know her, it was an excuse to make up tales that she "roamed the country at night in the body of a hare" and that she could curse with a look. For Prue, it was reason to hide from the man she loved, the weaver Kester Woodseaves.
Prue worked like a slave for her brother Gideon's dream of wealth and power in exchange for his promise of money to have her affliction cured when they were rich. But Prue took moments to appreciate the lilies on the lake's edge, the molting of the dragonflies, and the heady scent of apples in the attic where she retreated to write in her diary.
Mary Webb (1881-1927) lived most of her life in Shropshire County, England, where she and her father wandered the hills and lanes, a pastime she continued after he died. Later, Webb--who was also a poet--enhanced her stories with the naturalism and mysticism she learned from her father and the land.
Shropshire English is heavily influenced by the Welsh language, creating a lively and colorful dialect that Webb has distilled in her novels. It takes some getting used to, but once you catch the rhythm, it's hard to let go. Webb's prose will sing in your mind days after the book is closed.
She also used local traditions such as telling the bees when someone has died, and the employment of a Sin Eater, who, for a fee, consumes the sins of the dead person in a glass of wine and a crust of bread. When Gideon's and Prue's father died, Gideon agreed to eat the sins of his father if his mother, who was upset because her husband "had died in his wrath, with all his sins upon him," turned the farm over to him.
But it was the people she met on her wanderings and trips to the market where she sold flowers and produce from her garden that proved Mary Webb's greatest resource. Her novels are enriched by minor characters like Isaiah in Seven for a Secret, who said little but "Ha!" That one syllable was enough to make him a wealthy farmer because people felt they had been found out and out of guilt gave him their best prices. Sarah, the housekeeper in The House in Dormer Forest, broke the favorite china and vases belonging to whomever she was angry with.
Mary Webb's protagonists make her novels shine. Hazel Woodus in Gone to Earth seems more animal than human; she is as wild as her beloved Foxy. Deborah Arden, in The Golden Arrow, loves deeply and totally with all her soul. Robert Rideout, in Seven for a Secret, composes music and poetry while he herds sheep. Prudence Sarn is Webb's greatest achievement as she brings the reader to care passionately about Prue .
The novelist was able to draw from within herself to create Prue Sarn because she suffered most of her life from the facial disfigurement brought on by Grave's Disease.
Precious Bane is a masterpiece. Mary Webb's other novels do not reach that pinnacle--they are too didactic and sometimes simplistic, but they are well worth reading as they poetically explore love, passion, and social norms.

This is an amazing book which should be read by all those who enjoy British literature. It is a touching, romantic story. The writing is sensual in that there are sounds, smells, sights, tastes and textures to be experienced in its textual descriptions. The natural setting almost becomes a "character" in and of itself because you could not take the story out of the beautiful, natural, country setting Webb creates.
Look at other reviews to understand the plot. However, it truly doesn't make sense to try to recount it. Be patient when waiting for the "hook", when you won't be able to put the book down, it will come. Also, allow yourself a bit of time to learn to read and hear in your mind the syntax and sound of the words. Mary Webb takes you to a different place and time and you come to understand what it would be like for a young woman with intelligence, family devotion, character and longings who happened to be born with an external defect.
May this book become one of your favorites as it has become one of mine. (If anyone knows how I might obtain a video/DVD of the Masterpiece Theatre version with Janet McTeer and Clive Owen, please let me know.)

Absolutely amazing, excellent for anyone who enjoyed watching the west wing, great to read, surprized it was so big when it arrived, but I'm not complaining there's just more to have in there then. I do love the fact that there are quotes from the actors, about the show and there other cast mates. This is an excellent buy! Worth every penny!

The item showed up just as described and within a reasonable time. I was notified that it had shipped. Excellent transaction. Excellent item. I would order from this seller again.

I thumbed through this book in a bookstore and by the time I got home, I realized I had to own it and I was online ordering my own copy. This book is more than just a rehash of the first two seasons. We are treated to a real behind-the-scenes tour of what goes into filming the show. Talk about your West Wing trivia!

The asides from the actors on the characters they play are filled with gems of inside information. For instance, what do Brad Whitford and Janel Moloney think the roles of Josh and Donna are all about; how does Martin Sheen get the cast to treat him like the President and why is this adulation so important; and why is Allison Janney everyone's favorite? We are treated to a tour of the West Wing to fully understand the layout of the staff's offices and the dynamics of the characters in relationship to each other. Then, the decorations in the offices are explained, and nothing is so minor to be included by chance.

Sorkin claims he doesn't have a political agenda. He asks his staff to write a pro-con memo on each episode, and he is most comfortable when two people disagree. If the points are good, he incorporates them into the show's dialogue. You have to be a West Wing fan, and a pretty serious one at that, to fully appreciate this Official Companion, which brings to light the fine points of all that went into creating the first two seasons of this amazingly written and performed show.

Being a newly minted "Wingnut", I recently went out and purchased the first 3 seasons of The West Wing of DVD and then set about finding a good companion guide to go along with them. After sifting through the good, the bad, and the ugly, I settled on this excellent 342 page tome. While only covering the first 2 seasons, this 9" X 11" book is chock full of beautiful color pictures and enough extras to rival the DVDs themselves. Accept no substitutes and add this one to your TV library. I can only hope that a volume II (covering seasons 3 & 4) will be published when season 4 is shortly released on DVD. Plenty of time for us all to brush up on our Latin (post hoc, ergo propter hoc). R.I.P. John Spencer.

I have seen the "West Wing" books that feature scripts from selected episodes. But this book includes every episode from the first two seasons, told in story form. Plus chapters on each of the actors and their characters, the background on the making of the show -- if you're a fan, this is a "must have". I just hope that there will be, at some point, additional volumes to cover the third, fourth and fifth seasons -- and so on.

I'm a novice screenwriter and found myself completely encapsulated in this book. I wish I had it a year ago when I started my journey into screenwriting. The book in itself is the best classroom for getting at the core of your story and characters. I followed all the strategies and worked them through my script. What happened in the process were all my neurons firing with new ideas and twists. I was coming up with many versions of my script. It was exciting!

Far to technical to be useful for the beginning writer (im sure there are the exceptions out there). This seems to be broken down for the experienced writes struggling with their current projects. It has dozens of schemes to create characters and their scenes. In depth but lacks the simple straight forward inspiring tips and goals to send the new writer a' writing instead, it sends them scratching their head...or hiding under the cover depressed about themes and persona's.

His books and DVD's dwelve deep into his writing tools. I, like many, have read most of the books, and this is one of the top three I return to review. Mckee, Truby, Seger, Wright, and Tobin are all worth reading. Jeff's book is the most important, because it's crucial to find the spine of a story, and Jeff's tools are the best for finding it. All mention it, but Jeff's tools allow one to touch the heart of the story, so you write from the inside-out instead of the outside -- the most important, and the most difficult part of learning to write.

I have read many screenwriting books, but Jeff Kitchen's book is the one I always use on all my script development and script analysis projects. This book teaches you invaluable tools that transforms the way you construct your screenplay. Jeff Kitchen demonstrates the tools through hands-on approach, breaking down popular movies such as Training Day, What Women Want, Minority Report, Blade Runner, The Godfather and Tootsie. He also takes you through the process of developing a script from scratch using the tools. This book will definitely transform the way you approach screenwriting and transform you as writer. If you want to master this craft I highly recommend this book. It's awesome!

...oh and check out his other book Script Analysis and the 5 DVD set.Script Analysis: The Godfather, Tootsie, Blade Runner Jeff Kitchen's Full Day Seminar

There is a multitude of books that have recently become standard over the last twenty to thirty years regarding the mastery of screenwriting. Viki King's book "How to write a Movie in 21 days" is probably one of the most well known, as is "Screenplay" by Syd Field.

I think the truth about a lot of these books is that most people are looking for small, concise manuals that are easy to read and easy to cull the real gems from. From the way I've seen a lot of people approach screenwriting, most of it is typically haphazard. The bulk of people read bits and pieces of books and rarely ever any one book from cover to cover. If you can imagine a person shaking a book above their head hoping for gold coins, diamonds, rubies and other riches to fall from the pages then you have the correct visual. It's a classic blunder, but one that more often than not is the result of too much television advertising and not taking one's dream serious enough.

Jeff Kitchen's "Writing a Great Movie", is a rare book that most people can, and should read from cover to cover at least once. If you read it twice, then you'll be ahead of the curve. It's most likely the best book on writing I've seen bar none, and not just on screenwriting either. Using a system of `comparison and contrast' with different films like Blade Runner, Training Day, Tootsie, Minority Report and The Godfather to illustrate the strengths, the thread and the blood of good writing. Kitchen shows you many, many times over how a good story builds up on itself and how to successfully break it down to properly understand it, and how to identify the most integral aspects of it and use them all as tools.

I've been writing novels for about fifteen years and my approach to writing has changed drastically now and I couldn't imagine going back and abandoning what I've learned from this incredibly helpful book. Some of the help and advice is complex, like the information about Enneagrams and the Enneagram Institute, which sounds daunting and pedantic and like someone trying to cloak Scientology and Dianetics within a screenwriting manual, which is not the case at all. The information about the Enneagram does pop up in Scientology and does get a mention in Dianetics, but for the record was around a lot longer than the usage made of it by Scientology. It's good information and not something to skip past. You'll find this in Chapter 4, so don't throw out the baby with the bathwater.

Other information and advice is simple and easy to grasp and stuff that all writing teachers should tell their students, but probably do not. Another point is the use of index-cards to outline and detail your story, which works for both Screenplay and Novel formats and is a brilliant idea that gets good discussion and was something that many great writers have often used themselves.

As a historical note, and something not covered in the book, Nabakov outlined everything he did on Index cards, quite extensively, and is a resource that scholars of his work have to glean and sift through to this day.

Kitchen tells the reader to make good use of quotes, biblical passages, idioms, etc. as themes within your story which will give it heart. The information in the book is inexhaustible and worthy on many levels. He also uses every piece of advice he gives, to bring it back to the films mentioned above and is quite original in doing so, and a very original way to teach.

If you're looking for "the" book on screenwriting, or writing in general, this book will take your efforts from the amateur realms, and launch it into the next level and bolster a real sense of skill and professionalism that it may have been lacking.

This book is worthy of much recommendation.

When Sabrina catches a twenty-four hour virus called Spellfluenza, her powers transfer to the nearest mortal - Libby, Westbridge High's richest and snobbiest person! When Libby realizes her magical powers, she wants nothing less than global domination. Therefore, she makes a plan to steal the powers of Drell, head of the Witches' Council. Once done, Sabrina, her aunts, Salem, and a now mortal Drell must pass three tests or the universe will become one big shopping mall dedicated to Libby!

***** I was enchanted immediately! I found myself giggling aloud at some points and committing unladylike LOUD laughter at others! Don't miss out on this one! ****

I read this book two times, cause it was so good! Sabrina gets a serious case of spellfluenza, and she sneezes her powers into Libby! Well, Libby also gets Drell's powers, and now Sabrina, Hilda, Zelda, Salem and Drell have to complete three tasks in Libby's infinite shopping mall (In the Other Realm) to get to meet her and get her powers back! I recomend this book for everyone! IT'S GREAT!

Sabrina's got spellfluenza, a nasty little witch virus. Every time she sneezes her powers pop out of her and into the next person. Another sneeze & they're back again-whew! It's not bad at first-Sabrina only sneezes in pairs. But then Libby Chessler gets in the way of a solitary achoo and...uh-oh.

It doesn't take Libby long to figure out she's picked up some powerful magic. Now there's just one thing she wants...more! After all, world domination isn't out of the question!

Sabrina's challenge is clear: follow Libby on her search for bigger & better powers and stop her. But can she do it as a mere mortal?

When Sabrina catches a twenty-four hour virus called Spellfluenza, her powers transfer to the nearest mortal - Libby, Westbridge High's richest and snobbiest person! When Libby realizes her magical powers, she wants nothing less than global domination. Therefore, she makes a plan to steal the powers of Drell, head of the Witches' Council. Once done, Sabrina, her aunts, Salem, and a now mortal Drell must pass three tests or the universe will become one big shopping mall dedicated to Libby!

[5 stars]I was enchanted immediately! I found myself giggling aloud at some points and committing unladylike LOUD laughter at others! Don't miss out on this one!

Sabrina has a comen cold for witches. it makes her powers go from her to someone in the room with her until she sneezes in his presence. (No fake sneezes or with pepper) the docter say to stay home from school but Sabrina does not want to miss the try-outs! so she going to school-and gives her powers to Libby!! OH NO!!

Once you get past the strange layout (described in other sections), this is a great edition of Henry V. It is easy and fun to read and offers valuable insights (not just for students either). Well worth a flutter.

This play is best known for the St. Crispian's Day "Band of Brothers" speech given by King Henry just before the battle at Agincourt. It is a powerful speech that rallies people at all times and everywhere. Sir Lawrence Olivier made a film version in 1944 during WWII and Kenneth Branagh made another as recently as 1989. You can count on there being more versions. Epecially so when computers can help them make spectacular battle scenes (that aren't really in the play) with less expense.

Audiences love this play and they should. There is a lot to like and enjoy. I think upon repeated readings Henry becomes a more equivocal character than he seems at first. And readers of the King Henry IV plays will know him before he became King Henry and know something deeper about his personality.

And of course there is the whole bit about the drive to France being sponsored by the Church to avoid confiscation of property by the Crown. Moreover, there is the slaughtering of the French prisoners, and his treatment of Falstaff (who dies offstage in this play). This isn't revisionist stuff, it is right there in the play, but it is easy to miss the first time you are trying to take in the play.

In any case, this Arden edition is the one to buy and read from. Why? Because it has the most authoritative text, but that is only the beginning. It also shows variants between the early sources. The notes at the bottom of each page of the play are simply fabulous. The editor includes not only helpful notes explaining what might be obscure in the text of the play, he provides sources Shakespeare probably used such as Holinshed and makes for some very interesting study. There are also some helpful notes on how various scenes have been performed over time.

And to make this sound more like an infomercial, you get more! The introduction provides great background material on the play, its sources, and how it has been performed throughout history. After the play, there is a photo reproduction of the first Quarto from 1600 and it is fairly readable. There are also a couple of maps showing the path of the English Army from Harfleur through other towns on its way to Calais and makes clear how they had to pass through Agincourt.

There is also a helpful genealogical table so you can see the confusing claims used by Henry and the French nobility to make their claims. And there is a doubling chart so you can see how theater companies can perform all the roles with fewer actors.

This is a great edition as are all the plays published by the Arden Shakespeare. The amount of work collected in these volumes is stunning and they will enrich your experience of the plays tremendously. I can't recommend them enough.

This play more than any others in the histories glorifies Englishmen and England. His characters in this one are larger than life, but each has their own limitations and flaws. The play covers the time of the Battle of Agincourt when the French King Charles was so sure of victory that he sent a messenger to Henry to ask him to give up and to pay a ransom before the battle. On the eve of the Battle of Agincourt, the English were outnumbered five to one, Henry's troops were on foreign soil and riddled with disease. The scenes where Henry dons a disguise and goes out amongst his troops to bolster their confidence are great. The English managed to triumph in this battle where all was stacked against them mostly because of Henry's leadership. This is such a sweeping story that it is hard to condense in a few words, the plot of the play, but it is a wonderful example of Shakespeare's skills as a writer.

'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.' What more need I say? Henry V is an imortal classic of western literature. And this edition is complete and accurate. See the film if you want, but be sure to read the words at least once. They are inspiring.

"Now, if these men do not die well, it will be a black matter for the King that led them to it."

Particularly poignant poetry in these times of pompous presidential sabre rattling and wars based on questionable facts.

I found myself laughing out loud when I read this book. I love Stuart and the way he handles his family and life in general - a very good read!

I bought the book as a gift for a friend, and was thoroughly satisfied with it. It is really funny and I was really happy with my purchase.

I think it really would have helped. This book is supposed to be daily affirmations, but basically is Stuart's year long diary. He is a member of several 12 step programs, and has really learned a lot from them, and has made friends who also attend them. One thing he hasn't learned from these meetings is leave his extremely dysfunctional family alone and quit trying to solve their problems for them. What I like about his book:
Let go of the result.
If you're scared to do something, go ahead and do it, and you'll wish you'd done it a lot sooner.

What I thought was improbable:
Stuart taking multiple plane flights to visit his family.
Stuart going to bed for weeks at a time with Oreos, Hydrox, etc.
Stuart never has any day-to-day problems that the rest of us have.
His friends always have plenty of time on their hands to try to get him to get out of his bed and open up his door.
Andrea losing 140 lbs in about 10 months.

But other than that, this book has a lot to say. Franken is quite knowledgeable about codependency. It's worth reading, but you must have a sense of humour.

When Stuart Smalley first came out I didn't quite see the appeal. Now with 5 years in The Program, I finally get the joke. I have lent this book to a lot of folks in my home group and we all agree that it's pretty impossible not to laugh out loud while reading it. What a funny, smart insightful man. Seriously one of the funniest books I've ever read, though I might not have "gotten it" without my familiarity with 12 step programs.

I have read all of Al Franken's books up to this point with the exception of this one. I had been a fan of Franken since his days of Saturday Night Live, particularly his Stuart Smalley character. This book further demonstrates the depth and intelligence of his humor.

The book is very similar to the movie based on it (Stuart Saves His Family). Having already seen the movie, I was anticipating certain events in the book once I started reading. Despite my previous knowledge, I found the book to be laugh out loud funny. The humor of the Stuart Smalley character is based in him trying to help out others, yet being a mess himself as is demonstrated by his membership in several support groups.

Even people passing through my home who picked this book up from my coffee table and read a few pages have enjoyed what they read. It is not hard to get the joke. This is a easy, but fun read.

This was one of the first Marilyn books I owned and I have to say it still stands out as one of my very favorites because it is so intimate, and the pictures show a very down to earth Marilyn that you feel like you could reach out and touch. George Barris was actually a long time photographer of Monroe, he had the pleasure of catching some of her most iconic moments on camera such as the famous shirt blowing scene from THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH and many more. These are by far his best of her though and I personally favor pics from Marilyn's later years (60's). I love the stories that Barris tells and I am getting ready to reread this book as it has been a few years, I think it is the type of book one can read over and over anyhow. As I have said all the pics are amazing especially the ones of Marilyn on the beach. These however are not the very last pics taken of Marilyn, just the last photo session. The very last shots of her can be found in the book "Mr. S.: The Last Word on Frank Sinatra" when she was on a yacht with Sinatra and at the Cal-Neva Lodge & Casino shortly before her death. Over all though this book is HIGHLY recommended and is essential for any Marilyn fan!

I was surprised at this book in Marilyn's own words. This interview was only a few weeks before her death. The pictures were amazing and beautiful. She did not seem at all depressed and was looking forward to the future. Makes you wonder if she was murdered. Surely seems that way after I read the book and looked at those pictures. It almost seems to say "see I want to live" and little did she know that her life was in danger! Poor Marilyn. I hope wherever she is, she knows that some people believe that she did not kill herself. And I hope she is at peace.

This book is unique in that it comes from George Barris's last days spent with her. I love the photos because they are candid not posed. This bok also includes the last photo ever taken of her. I'm on my way to own almost every Marilyn book and Im am pleased with this one.

This was indeed a touching tribute. I felt very connected to Marilyn while reading her stories. The photos were just as gorgeous. I could have gone without George Barris' interjections as they usually just repeated what Marilyn said. But it was his book and she was apparently his friend, so I suppose he deserves some spotlight too.

Add this to your Monroe collections! It's a definite keeper.

I have to say that it is just amazing how after 44 years Marilyn Monroe is still considerd one of the most beautiful women to ever live. After seeing the photographs of Marilyn Monroe taken by Mr. Barris in this book I am not suprised that people are still captivated with the beauty of Marilyn Monroe. The pictures of Marilyn in this book are amazing and beautiful. Marilyn shows her true character in the most natural looking pictures I have ever seen of her. Each picture tells a story and shows you the woman Marilyn really was. Marilyn truely was a naturally beautiful woman and it shows in this book. This great book also lets you read and learn about the real person Marilyn Monroe was in her own words. Marilyn tells her life story in this book, taking you through her young years as Norma Jean to her Hollywood life as Marilyn Monroe. When you are reading this book it is very interesting to hear Marilyn talk about her life in her own words. Marilyn takes you along her life journey through the pages in this book. The only sad thing is when you are reading this book you wish Marilyn's life story would continue past the inevitable days of Marilyn's death on August 4-5,1962. I alreadly knew Marilyn was going to die before reading but it really made me sad because after reading this book it makes you feel like you actually knew Marilyn personally. That just goes to show how well written this book is. I have to say Mr. Barris you have done a great job writing this excellant book. Marilyn would truely have been happy with this book. Whether you are a Marilyn Monroe fan or you are just curious about this iconic Hollywood actress this book will definitely be intresting to read. Before I read this book I thought Marilyn Monroe was all Hollywood glitz and glamour. After reading this book however I found that Marilyn was a sweet down to earth woman who just wanted to be loved. I only hope Marilyn made it into heaven, because in her life most of the people that said they loved her and called themselves her friend only used and betrayed Marilyn. I hope that one day Marilyn's death will finally be proven as murder and this case of wrong doing can be closed so Marilyn can finally rest in peace.

Michael Troyan has a gift for biography. I hope he can collaborate with Turner Classic Movies to produce a video on the life of Greer Garson.
This book makes me wish I could have known Greer Garson. She loved and respected her mother, she loved her husband, she loved children and orphans and the disabled and disadvantaged. She loved her dogs, ranching in New Mexico, history, and she loved Texas...makes me love her even though I never met her. Good job, Mr. Troyan.

Michael Troyan has done a wonderful job of putting together an informative and enjoyable biography on a fascinating subject. In fact, I found the book so delightful as to find it to be one of the best biographies I've ever read.

While there is no doubt that the charming personality of Greer Garson herself that radiates throughout the book has helped in the formation of my favorable opinion, I give much-deserved kudos to Mr. Troyan for being able to present his subject to the audience in such a friendly manner. By that I mean that throughout the pages, I could feel the presence of Greer Garson, and after having finished the book, felt as if I had just finished reading a letter from a long-time friend.

The first half of the book, which deals with Greer's childhood, life in Britain as a stage actress, and the later move to Hollywood, is generally a smooth and easy read. The toll of the grinding studio system and the competition involved for the popular actresses of the time are keenly felt and one can get a very good idea of the kind of position the actress was in at the time. Eventually though, talent perseveres and success follows. Detailed and interesting accounts of each of Greer's films are available and are a joy to read.

The latter half of the book is a particularly refreshing read because of the relatively vast amount of information about Greer's later life outside of Hollywood. Personally, I had not previously been aware of her various activities and hobbies and learned a great deal more about Greer Garson than when I first started out. A sign of a good biography is new information, and this one certainly has its fair share.

Now, all other traits aside, the most notable accomplishment of this work is that it does not read as a stiff, dull and fact-driven thesis paper, which is a pitfall that so many biographies of this kind can fall into. Rather, it is an intimate yet respectfully distant portrait of a lovely human being who was also a remarkable artist in her own right.

This book on Greer Garson I highly recommend. It's very balances and tells of the good and bad times in her life about her career andher fmaily. Though i must admit I wished it had mentioned more about her interests and personal life off screem. But overall it's really well written and interesting book about alovely screen actress. Greer Garson really had class
and a wnderful grace about her in all of her films

Modern actors and actresses don't seem to have the charisma, style and elegance of yesteryear's stars. Maybe that's because most of today's actors are really nothing but pitiful celebrities striving to be what once was, when Hollywood was golden.

I long for yesterday when it comes to film stars: Betty Davis, Myrna Loy, Katherine Hepburn Ginger Rogers, and so many more. Oh, yes, and that includes Greer Garson. The beautiful and talented woman we thought was born in Ireland in 1908, was really born in London in 1904.

Author Michael Troyan delves into Greer Garson's life, as much as anyone could, given that she was an extremely private woman. He carries you through her intense desire to succeed as an actress, her `discovery' and career struggles to resist being typecast, all the way through her marriages, and to her death on April 5, 1996 at Dallas Presbyterian Hospital with Van Cliburn at her bedside.

I'd always thought of Ms. Garson as a brilliant actress who could get any part she wanted. I had no idea of her struggles with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. One of my favorite films is the record-breaking "Mrs. Miniver." I get chills thinking about her Academy Award-winning performance.

And while it felt a bit like voyeurism looking in on her life, I'm glad I visited it through Troyan's eyes. It was a satisfying trip. And the author did a marvelous job showing us a small part of the woman who was Greer Garson.

For a compelling look at one of the best actresses to ever grace the stage, big or small screen, read A Rose for Mrs. Miniver: The Life of Greer Garson.

Armchair Interviews says: This is a wonderful slice of our American film history.

An excellent read if you're into details. For me, the details got a little overwhelming, but I so much wanted to learn more about this actress that I admire greatly. Sadly, as the author himself stated, it was difficult to write a biography because Greer Garson was a very private person and did not give many interviews or express many personal opinions in public. However, he richly details her movies, her public service, and others' opinions of her (and a good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold). I have always enjoyed watching her many films and am tracking down as many of them as I can on DVD so this made for a fine addition to my collection of her work. I enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading and loves any of her many films.

I absolutely loved these stories and how they connect the dots between the two films. A lot of the things used in these stories are seen in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. When Jay and Silent Bob meet Suzanne the Orangutan in the comics, it plays just like the scene from the movie when they meet Suzanne, even the scenes of Jay's grim look into the future Planet of the Apes. There is another scene in here that was cut from J&SB strike back when they are kicked off the bus for smoking weed in the restroom on the bus.

What I love most about these stories is that it explains how Jay and Silent Bob ended up wearing the different clothes that they wear in Dogma. That was the coolest part of this, everthing about their clothes in Dogma is explained in these stories; from Jay's Forked Tongue T-Shirt to Silent Bob's Mooby's cap. Overall, these stories are a must have for any fan of Kevin Smith. They are funny and should be included as canon (except for the monkey scene that was later used in J/SB Strike Back). If you want to know what happened to the dynamic duo between films, get this

What happened to Jay and Silent Bob between "Chasing Amy" and "Dogma"? How did Jay get the idea of going to Shermer, Illinois? Where did he get that hat? And why were they hanging out in the parking lot of a birth control clinic?

This book WILL answer those questions...and make you laugh out loud in the process!

Not only does this tie Chasing Amy, Mallrats, and Dogma together, but it also sort of spoils J&SBSB.

So it's a must for a Kevin Smith fan with a broken VCR.

this can be described it two words hi-larious

I got this book to fill in the history between Chasing Amy and Dogma. I loved it! Loved the jokes! Loved the laughs! However, given that it was to fill a space, there was an awful lot of discontinuity between it and the later movie, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. It seemed almost like a first draft for that movie. But aside from that, I got a great many laughs.

Of course, Jay, the drawing, is not nearly so cute as Jay, the actor, but that's another story...

Well written, and chock full of excellent information on the making of Combat!, the stars (especially Vic Morrow, who WAS Sgt. Sanders), the story lines, directors, ground-breaking filming techniques, etc. For anyone who understands how far ahead of its time this program was when it aired, this book is a must.

This is everything you could want as a fan of the show. The author does a great job of giving us a reasonable amount of insight to move us from season to season. This blended nicely with the information about each episode.

I wish there had been a bit more room to expand the information about each episode, but, then again, I'd like to have had a bit more information about the participants lives outside of "Combat!". But I do understand the limitations publishers impose.

I would have preferred the author not to attempt to give each episode a rating (0-4 bayonets), or a least put this in an appendix. Critics can give ratings, but fans just really shouldn't try to tell another fan he's wrong (and charge them for it)!

There's nothing like an avid fan to author a great book to an already epic tv show. Jo's affection really lends itself nicely to the anecdotes given by the former cast members.
Also, if you're ever in the LA area, you can still visit Franklin Canyon where a lot of episodes were filmed. There's a road near the corner of Cold Water Canyon Dr. and Mulholland Dr. that takes you right there (can't remember the exact name,sorry). Anyway, the same trees and water still exist that were in the episodes (this is also the same place where the opening of The Andy Grifith Show was filmed, where Opie skips a rock across the water while the theme is playing). It's now a recreation area and is a nice place to hike and stow down a few beers...

This is a great book for all those fans of the "COMBAT!" TV show, produced in the 1960's. I highly recommend it if you have invested in the "COMBAT!" DVD's or if you just want to understand why this series was, and indeed still is, so popular. Ms. Davidsmeyer even included her hand written autograph in my copy!--A wonderful and unexpected surprise!!! Indeed, this entire book is "A wonderful and unexpected surprise! You'll enjoy it without a single doubt!

This publication is a must have for the discriminating fan of Combat! As the title states, it is a true "Viewer's Companion to the WWII TV Series". Author Jo Davidsmeyer provides an indepth and detailed look at what I consider one of THE best television series ever! A perfect addendum to Combat!, the complete series.