English Classics Books

except for the Bible, this is the best.
It is the full and undiluted version from the first english translation.
read it, learn it,live it.
j

The book is excelent reading but please get a different version.
This version only has 580 or so pages where as other versions have over 1,300 pages. That means that this version is only half the story.
So much gets lost in translation already don't cheat yourself even more.

Although the story is well known to me, the editing of this audio book was so confusing. I absolutely could not follow it. Too much is cut out.

Story has good twists, but there are too many French places and people which makes the audio confusing.

This book is long out of copyright and so is available free for your Kindle elsewhere on the net.

(Great book though!)

I am going to make this simple. I read an old paperback copy of the original "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". Having enjoyed reading the original, I found the "Ultimate" version in the discount section at Barnes and Noble. What a great buy for ten dollars.

Not all may like the series. For those that do, I highly recommend all additional books to the original. You will not be let down, as (the late) Mr. Adams continues to entertain again and again as things move on. Just about any science fiction fan with a sense of humor will love these books.

Great read, I didn't even know about the Zaphod short story (my own words) that was included in this book. Happy to have all of the stories all in one book and makes it easy for me to go back and reference parts from the earlier stories, especially since I enjoy noting the really good lines.

I've lost track of the number of times I've read the Guide novels over the years. This compilation of a 'trilogy in 5 parts' makes it nice and easy to read them all as one continuous story. I don't really need to elaborate on how good these stories are as those who have read them will already know. But to the uninitiated I strongly urge you to purchase a copy, prop yourself up against your towel, and eat plenty of peanuts. And most importantly, Don't Panic!

If finding out your house is about to be bulldozed to make way for a highway bypass is unnerving and life changing, imagine finding out the same is about to happen to your planet. Thus begin the adventures of human Arthur Dent in The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide by Douglas Adams.

Of course Adams is not the first writer to use science fiction to satirize the foibles of the human race and its institutions and culture (including science fiction), but he does does so with a rare combination of sophistication, style, and humor. His description of why the bypass is being built and why Arthur doesn't know about it alone starts the series off on a scathing note. In the universe of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (the book within a book), people sometimes survive government and corporate bureaucracy and personal greed and thoughtlessness, but more often destruction and waste seem to result.

Throughout his post-Earth adventures with Ford Prefect, the two-headed Zaphod Beeblebrox, fellow human Trillian (Tricia McMillan), and Marvin the perpetually downcast robot who takes lows to new highs, Arthur is the proverbial Everyman, whose struggles to make tea (and thus achieve some sense of ordinariness) in his new life result in near-destruction. At one point, he happily serves as "Sandwich Maker" on a pre-technological world that views this skill with awe.

Adams is perhaps strongest in his numerous asides in which he talks about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the publication for which Ford Prefect researches and writes, and the Encyclopedia Galactica; the nature of improbability; the humorously and seemingly invariable and inevitable tragic histories of various planets and races; and various theories surrounding such things as time, space, and infinity, almost always with a slyly serious wink about the absurdity of it all. These digressions allow his imagination and his intellect to soar and in many cases are more interesting than the story itself. This may go back to how The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy begins--that people want to move between Points A and B very fast, and that people at Point C in between (Everyman Arthur Dent) "often wish that people would just once and for all work out where the hell they wanted to be." There seem to be no Points A and B in Arthur's new universe; there are infinite points and lines and continuums, most of them absurd in one way or another.

With the exception of Trillian, Arthur's fellow travelers are well drawn. The most amusing is, sadly, Marvin, whose programmed depression is annoying and whose perception is accurate.

There are ingenious ideas scattered throughout the six stories, including the irony of a lorry driver who hates the perpetual rain that follows him no matter where he goes because, unbeknownst to him, he is a Rain God.

The problem is that many of these ideas, like life events, crop up randomly, play themselves out, and then seem to fall flat in the end. Undoubtedly, this is part of the universe as Adams sees it; it is made up of absurdity upon absurdity, which may not have neat Point A to Point B progressions. Some of this lack of cohesion also may be the result of transforming material written for episodic radio into book form; a certain sense and continuity may have been lost as the author diverts his tale to Points E, M, and T.

The first two books, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, are the best in the series. Life, the Universe and Everything is, almost as the title promises, too contorted and meandering. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish, which takes place on Earth, lacks an engaging focal point, which makes it seem long and tedious at times. "Young Zaphod Plays It Safe" appears to be a throwaway story reflecting the author's views. Mostly Harmless, written at what Adams admitted was a bad time in his life, lacks the élan of the earliest books; it is more downbeat in attitude than its predecessors and borders on determined and grim. Marvin is long gone as comic relief; the weakest character, Tricia/Trillian, now moves to the forefront but without further development; and even Ford Prefect has sobered up, quite out of character. It as though Adams wanted his characters, most notably Random, to reflect his anger and depression and his universe to end without possibility of resurrection--in the same way that Arthur Conan Doyle tried to kill off Sherlock Holmes.

Underneath the satire, the humor, and the bitterness, The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide is imaginative and thought provoking, revealing a rare story-telling and writing gift that is brilliant both on the surface and in the depths.

As usual the movie can't live up to the book. This is a must-read -- one of those points of cultural brilliance that will still be read three hundred years from now. Be prepared for very dry humor, British-style...

Excellent story plot for both the young and old.... A story to be passed down from generation to generation

I have been looking for this book for years and finally I have it!

Its a wonderful and enchanting story, you get to meet many charming characters along the way, discovering the fantasy world of Fantastica.

A beautifully written story tale for both young and old.

This is perhaps the greatest - certainly one of the most well-known - works of German juvenile literature in the last century. And it is so much more than simply a fantasy adventure, although it certainly doesn't lack in entertainment value.

The book is actually imaginative literature that makes the imagination itself its main subject. It is about the proper handling of one's imagination and how to SAVE the imagination as an essential part of being human. The English reader might not immediately notice this, but the German reader will. In the German original, Fantastica/Fantasia is called "Phantasien," which is derived from the German word for "imagination." Thus, Fantastica could be called "The Realm of One's Imagination."

For a full appreciation of the book, it is important to recognize this. When Bastian, the main character, steals The Neverending Story from an antique book store and starts reading it, he doesn't enter (within the fictitious world of the story) a real place such as Narnia or Hogwarts. Rather, he enters his own imagination and needs to learn to handle his imagination well.

Being an outsider in school, Bastian is tempted to use his imagination in a bad way, namely for egoistical daydreams in which he imagines himself doing whatever he likes and taking revenge on others. Slowly, he learns that this is not the proper way of handling his imagination - that self-absorbed daydreaming is harmful.

So he learns to save his imagination from the threat of "Nothing," which is eating up Fantastica.

The intended parallel isn't hard to find. Michael Ende was a man deeply concerned about the loss of people's imagination in modern culture (about the "nothingness" eating it up), and both his novel "Momo" and "The Neverending Story" deal with this.

Whether you are young or old, whether you intend this book for yourself or your children, it is ideal for growing one's imagination as well as reflecting on its precious realm.

- Jacob Schriftman, Author of The Crack Beneath the Worlds and Other Books

This book is a childhood favorite and even to this day at the age of 21 I absolutely love this book. The adventure and writing style is absolutely irresistible.

One thing I wanted to mention about this particular book is that although it alternates between worlds (earth and Fantasia) and might seem difficult for young readers to handle...the print color changes depending on which world Bastian is in. Makes it easier for kids to handle...not to mention we adults!

I picked up this book later in life after many family hardships befell me. Rather than looking to religion or self help books an honest and humble friend read versus from this book to me. Having loved poetry and free verse most of my life I was struck with vivid beauty in the simplicity of the words that graced my ears that night. Kahlil Gibran in his day was renowned for his prose and how he carried it with the same simplicity that met my ear that night. In his finest work he left an indelible mark on my soul, not just for his words but how his words and their importance can change to the reader throughout their life. Regardless of religion, social preference or upbringing his words have the ability to stir the soul and to channel emotion to a strong degree. Once a gift for my late mother in her dying days it remains not a pillar of strength but a pedestal on life. Not a road map but a way to look at your surroundings when the path before you seems clouded. It gives you not direction but focuses on finding a clearer path. I've read several of Gibran's other works since then but this stands the test of time. If I could ever call any writing a masterpiece, this would be it, for I still read it and still draw from it every time I pick it up.

I've just recently been introduced to Khalil Gibran's work, and I am very thankful for it! His words are profound and thought-provoking. I find myself reading his lines over and over -- there's more to ponder everytime. Not only is his writing beautiful, but truly meaningful.

One of the most profound books I have ever read. You can learn alot about love, life and relationships after reading this book. Very insightful.

When I first started writing poetry at age 12 or 13, I was encouraged to read other poets. Something I refused to do because I thought it might influence, "My Style"...

:)

OK, so I was hard headed... I later was introduced by a Brother In Law to Kahlil Gibran and it was like finding a kindred soul. I now totally encourage any one that want's to excel in poetry to read the greats. And you won't find many of the caliber of this man!!! His words sing from the page both in his poetry and in his short stories! I love "Martyr's To Man" (It's been a while but some of the words are still singed in my brain... And I think it truly speaks of the time we are living in now more than ever... From memory so not verbatim...

Are you a soldier?
Who must forsake wife and children?
And go fourth into the fields of battle?
For the sake of greed
Which your leaders miscall duty?
Than you are a martyr to man!

There's more but the gist of what I am saying is if you love poetry and you haven't read any Kahlil Gibran you're missing out on one of the greatest poets to ever live!

And if you write poetry, I firmly believe Kahlil Gibran should be recquired reading!!!

Not that you will feel you have to plod your way through it...

You too, will fall in love with his immense gifts!!!
Sincerely,
And best wishes to all
Chase von
Your Chance to Hear The Last Panther Speak

I read this about a year ago and can't recall a great deal of the book. From what I do recall it was like a poem all the way through. While the writing was beautiful, I found it ambiguous and befuddled with meaning that I could not identify with. When Gibran speaks of God, I cannot identify because I have since abandoned those philosophies. It is thus difficult to revisit them in this book. I have the feeling a may have missed something great about this book. Indeed, I pulled wisdom from parts, but rather than go back and read it again, for now, perhaps I will move on to another of the many books out there that are enlightening and worth reading. Someday, I would like to read this again and dig deeper.

Oh, the Places You'll Go! is an uplifting and encouraging book describing a major life lesson that is applicable to children and adults alike. The book is a promoter of focusing on the positive and moving quickly past the negative. The narrator addresses the reader through the small boy that appears in almost every illustration. Your life is seen and addressed through the eyes of this small boy. The book describes many situations that one may encounter in life, such as facing an unfamiliar place or situation, Seuss questions whether the reader will stop, or will they go on. He comments that life may be confusing, but waiting for others to control your life will not allow you to achieve the "places that you'll go". He encourages his reader to be ready for anything, and to not be afraid to be out there alone. Continuing on will allow you to succeed, even through the most difficult dilemmas you may face.
Teachers could use the text as an example of well-crafted poetry, an example of how to incorporate many different text qualities into poetry. This book would be best to use when introducing poetry, to discuss how that even though it is a poem, with poetic qualities - poems still contain the conventions and styles that traditional stories and writings contain. This book also has varying examples of metaphors and similes, they are simple, so it is easy for the early elementary student to grasp. Oh the Places You'll Go is a great example of traditional poetry, which can be used in many ways to introduce poetry and rhyme scheme in the classroom.

I just love to give this book as a graduation present.....especially to the kids I taught in K/1. Dr. Seuss is loved by all and what wonderful memories. The joy and laughter we shared will last forever!!!!!!

I have to say, who doesn't love Dr. Seuss? My daughter is graduating high school this year...she is going on to be a teacher and in her high school years she has been involved in RIF (Reading is Fundamental) and has "taught" at a local preschool during school class hours. She loves to read to "her kids" and Dr. Seuss is always a favorite. I didn't THINK of this as a Graduation gift, but saw that someone else did and I thought it's the PERFECT gift for her. She loves Dr. Seuss and she loves to read to her kids...this book says it all to her...Oh, the Places You'll Go. I love her so much and don't know what I'll do without her, but...she will go places...she has brains in her head and feet in her shoes...HAPPY GRADUATION BABY.

I love this book. It is honest but hopeful. I have 2 copies of this book. One for my son and one for my daughter. Neither of them know about them. I have been having their teachers sign a little message to them at the end of each school year and will give it to them when they graduate from high school.

A true classic whose message is relevant through almost any stage of a person's career and life.

Forget the multitudes of self-help and inspiration books that are out there to help with your career, busines, and life - all the advice you need is contained in the colorful pages of this slim volume.

My three year old loves this book. He will sit while I read it. He asks why the animals are sad and where they are going. I think it has a wonderful message that is not subtle, but not preachy either. I imagine as time goes by and my child's intellect grows we will have discussions about the deeper meaning of it all. It is a great book.

I love Dr. Seuss so much. This book is a great tool to teach young kids how to take care of the enivorment. My favorite Dr. Seuess book. <3

I love this book. Well, not the exact book I received, but the original "Lorax" story. The text of the book I received from Amazon is slightly blurred: some sort of printing error, I guess. And of course, it's nigh on impossible to find an edition of the book with the truly telling line about Lake Erie anymore ("...looking for water that isn't so smeary./I hear things are just as bad up in Lake Erie."). Ah well - it's much better to have this shell-of-a-copy of the tale than none at all!

Right on, all of you people who have given this book a negative review! What a terrible book to give to a child! Who does Dr. Seuss think he is, anyway? - Trying to teach young people about our moral obligations to future generations, and environmental stewardship... it's appalling. Doesn't anyone care about the struggling, rich, conservative business owners (Like the proud, pro-capitalist, two star reviewer Jeffrey Gray); desperately strip mining our mountains, clear-cutting our forests, polluting our streams, for their own personal wealth and gain? What about THEM? Never mind the fact that the current rate of extinction on this planet is estimated at one species every 20 minutes! Who cares that if everyone on earth were to live like the average North American, it would require 4-5 more planets to keep up with the drain on natural resources! I mean, the Bush administration has been trying so hard to keep facts and figures like these from the public that they've even gone to the extent of changing and editing scientific reports on climate change for our own well being... and positive reviews of "The Lorax" are the thanks they get?
If more children were to read this tripe, they might actually begin to understand our inter-connectedness to all living beings, and accidentally inherit a world with a sustainable future. Is that really what we want for our kids?!
Maybe the Bar-ba-loots, Swomee-Swans, and Humming-Fish should think twice before settling in to a perfectly viable habitat with such vast economic potential. (Wink.)
Peace.

The Lorax is a wonderful commentary on environmental issues and an outstanding book by a very creative and ingenious author. It helps young children understand the importance of actively saving ones environment, while being entertaining at the same time. This is among the best of Dr. Seuss's works.

Purchased a lot of 8 books. All were in perfect condition, arriving in a timely manner. Great seller!

My husband and I both loved the Grinch as children. The book is wonderful and when read, you can't help but think of the animated short film and its music. Our son had his first Christmas this year and we've made reading about the Grinch part of our Christmas Eve traditions. It brings back such fond memories while creating new ones.

who doesn't love this book also love the shinny new cover

What I love about Dr. Suess is that he makes moralistic points without being preachy. And in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" Seuss creates a villian as enduring as Scrooge. Like Scrooge, the Grinch shows all of us that change--real, sincere change--is possible. That's a great message for young and old alike!

Also recommended: Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices--another story (however, definitely not for kids) about an individual who ultimately is healed and transformed.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a classic tale about greed, materialism, and the kindness of man for his fellow man all wrapped up in one great big package! The illustrations are wonderful and the rhyming text impresses me. This is a story by Dr. Seuss that is so popular it was made into a Christmastime TV special; and it deserves every bit of recognition that it gets. (Note: this story is very popular; and because many, many people know it all the way through there are spoilers in this review.)

When the story begins we are introduced to the Grinch. He hates Christmas with all celebrations down in "Who-ville," a village he can see from his home on a mountain. The Grinch hates the noise, the caroling, the sharing of presents and the feast of "roast beast."

Eventually the Grinch gets an idea--he dresses up as Santa Claus and uses his dog Max for a reindeer; and this perverse take on the real Santa Claus tale is meant to strike people as ugly. The Grinch comes down from the mountain with his sled and his dog Max made up to look like a reindeer. Soon the Grinch steals all the presents, the stocking hung with care on the fireplace mantle, the roast beast, the Christmas trees--and even the firewood!

The Grinch gets quite a surprise when on Christmas day the "Whos" of "Who-ville" celebrate and rejoice anyway--without any material things to mark the holiday spirit. This shocks the Grinch and he must consider the possibility that Christmas doesn't just "come from a store."

Of course, once the Grinch learns his lesson he returns everything and there's quite a huge celebration with the Grinch leading the way as he carves the "roast beast." It's a very positive ending.

The moral of the story for our children is, of course, that Christmas DOESN'T just come from a store. The importance of Christmas with its religious significance and its message of good will toward all mankind is stressed without banging the child on the head too aggressively. The story overall makes for a fascinating experience for the children. I have many fond memories of watching this TV special and reading this book when I was a very young child.

As with many Dr. Seuss books, children can use this book on a concrete, literal level to improve their vocabulary and reading skills. Older kids will learn the importance of Christmas and the need for all mankind to respect each other and share the beauties of the world together.

I highly recommend this exceptional children's book.

"I think I shall be a great poetess or a distinguished novelist."
That is Emily Starr talking, the young blossoming writer, that will touch your heart, with her creative and interesting, ways and ideas.

Within just the first chapter of the book, you'll already be intrigued by Emily's charm, and her topsy-turvy imagination. All through the story, Emily meets new people and friends. Some will help her on her way to becoming a writer, "a painter that uses words". Others will shoot her dreams down, as if they were nothing but mere dust. Just watch her take on all the distressing incidents that she overcomes with an intellect beyond her years.

She's always on a new enchanting romp, that'll keep you guessing. From giving up her beloved cat, to clashing with Miss Brownell (her unjust schoolteacher), to unraveling an age-old puzzle with her whimsical mind, you'll stay right by Emily's side the whole time.

Here's a small excerpt that I especially enjoyed:
"But there is a destiny which shapes the ends of young misses who are born with the itch for writing tingling in their baby fingertips, and in the fullness of time this destiny gave to Emily the desire of her heart---gave it to her, too, on the very day when she most needed it."

Personally, I have to state that this book is very inspirational for anyone endeavoring a priceless dream. I have read the entire set of the "Anne of Green Gables" books (that are written by the same author), but in my opinion, "Emily of New Moon" is much more enthralling! It is at the top of my list of my favorite books.

It is difficult for me to write an objective review about this beloved classic. Emily is like a childhood friend to me. Created by the author of Anne of Green Gables, she is a more complex character than Anne - introspective, determined, and deeply sensitive to life's joys and shadows. Her love for writing, or her need to write, defines her; indeed, much of the story is told through her writing. And yet this first book of the Emily trilogy is mostly lighthearted, though not without its passages of intense experience. Emily is orphaned in the beginning of the book, and moves to the farm of New Moon to live with two estranged aunts and one uncle, their brother. She thrives and flourishes in the beautifully prosaic, quaint world of New Moon and Blair Water on Prince Edward Island. Though she is a private and secretive person, she gives lavishly of herself in her closest friendships.

Montgomery's writing is at times indulgently over-descriptive, but not without vividity, wryness, feeling, and rich character development. Perhaps the most eloquent aspect of Emily of New Moon is its flavorful honesty about life both light and dark. Emily is a complex character, full of both faults and virtues, neither of which are expressed simplistically. The reader's sympathies are always with her. Montgomery's indirect insights into the writing life are also very valuable. Emily has writing in her blood, sees it as something intrinsically personal and sacred but wants to share it, does it with abandon yet later throws it away, and yearns to climb the ladder of fame. In this sense, I feel more kinship with her than with her more popular sister Anne Shirley.

Sheltered by her loving father, 10-year-old Emily Byrd Starr has never minded her isolated life. What child notices poverty and a lack of playmates when her intelligence and imagination make each day special and exciting?

Then one terrible day, Emily finds herself an orphan. A mass of never-before-met aunts and uncles descend upon Emily, criticizing and making plain the fact that whoever takes the child is only doing so out of their sense of duty.

Still reeling from the loss of her father, Emily must also leave her beloved little home and pets for New Moon, her mother's childhood home, where unmarried aunts Elizabeth and Laura currently reside. It is with stern matriarch Elizabeth, gentle, loving Laura and "simple-minded" Cousin Jimmy that Emily must now learn to form a family.

Despite the hardships, Emily's new life is quickly filled with many joys, as she makes friends at the village school and develops her interest for writing. Emily also experiences -- at the most unexpected moments -- "the flash," her word for the brief startling glimpses of other-worldliness, which has the power to change both her life and the lives of others around her.

Ask most people what they associate with L.M. Montgomery, and they'll likely say Anne of Green Gables. Yet despite the fame of Montgomery's "other orphan," the Emily books are quite possibly even more memorable and beautifully written. Like Anne, Emily is thrust into an unfamiliar world, where she must make the best of circumstances; but unlike Anne, Emily is possessed of a strangely adult maturity even at the tender age of ten, a glimpse of darkness which will accompany her through the years. This streak makes readers both more concerned for her well-being and perhaps more able to relate, as she is not nearly as happy-go-lucky and childlike as Anne in her early years.

If you enjoy this book, be sure to read "Emily Climbs" and "Emily's Quest," which follow the girl through her years at high school, through romantic relationships and her writing career as a young woman.

It's a shame that most people like either Anne or Emily; I've avoided the whole question by loving them both. The Emily books give a picture of a girl with lights and darks, reacting naturally (and therefore not always cheerfully) to the events of her life. She is far from perfect, but as L.M. Montgomery says about her, you may like her, you may hate her, but you'll never forget her.

If what you love about Anne is the sparkling, bubbly world she creates around herself, then you probably won't like Emily. But if you like L.M. Montgomery and would like to see her go a different route, the Emily trilogy is a great read!!

From the opening pages the reader is submerged in Emily's world.

In my mind Emily of New Moon is the begining of one of the best book trilogies ever written. A story about the courage it takes to be true to ones self no matter the opposition, the power of real determination and true friendship. One cannot help but be moved by the powerful truths, and innocent loveliness contained in this book. EONM is quite simply a multi faceted masterwork that could hardly be improved upon in any way. A deeply moving and relavent novel who's beauty only grows with time. Mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts, read this book then gift it to someone you love.

I read this book in spanish. The traduction was poor but still, I was able to flavor and sink myself into the reading from beginning to end. I highly recommend this book for those who have a devotion or at least an affection for the sea.
In my case, I am the son of a boat owner, was basically born on it but was cursed with unavoidable seasickness. Reading the chapter when the Compass Rose goes on its first convoy with extremely rough seas I felt identified. I could perfectly picture myself in the middle of the Sea of Ireland riding 20 feet waves in 30 knot winds on a tiny ship with leaks everywhere. Knowing what it's like, I suffered every single line of the narration.

I praise sailors of convoys during WW II, I can only imagine all the hardships and horrors they went through. Thanks to Mr. Monsarrat for displaying it!

This is a gritty, realistic (real warships), technically correct story about the entire war in the Atlantic. Life on board a corvette and frigate during the Battle of the Atlantic.

I have just finished reading this book for the second or third time since I first read it when it was published in 1951 - 56 years ago - and it is just as good now as it was then. A magnificent and accurate story of men and their ships in the Battle of the North Atlantic from 1939 to 1945 told with understanding and experienced accuacy and intelligence. Beaautifully written. Having served in a ship similiar to the frigate Saltash for two years in anti-submarine warfare and convoy duty in much calmer and less dangerous waters I can, however, attest to the accuracy of what Montserrat has recounted about fitting out,,shakedown and cruising.

received the dvd quickly and as promised. I first saw this when I was in the Navy. it was a great movie then and has only gotten better with age. One of the great pictures of the war at sea in World War 11.
It is highly recommended without reservation.

This has been one of my favorite British Movies for years. It was adapted faithfully from a book by a Naval Lt. Commander who commanded a Corvette and a Sloop, both of which were convoy escorts in the Battle of the Atlantic. I enjoyed the actors, Jack Hawkins in particular. The Rank Organization that produced this superlative narrative of the heroic of ordinary Brits did a marvelous job of authentically reproducing Naval combat situations between the escort vessels for a convoy with the German Submarines that were constantly stalking them.

As a freshman in college, the concept of religion can be a very distant one. A man who is a leader of a spiritual organization on campus highly recommended CS Lewis, beyond the Chronicles of Narnia, and finally I decided I would see what the interest was about. I cannot believe I waited so long to experience such a fantastic author and truly wonderful books. If you are a life-long Christian, someone open to the concept of religion and looking to explore, or just someone who wants several great stories to read, this collection is unbeatable. Over 750 pages and seven stories that will challenge the reader, both spiritually and intellectually. I highly, highly recommend this book.

While it seems that many of C.S. Lewis' works have been compiled into collections since their initial publications, this particular collection might be one of the best available at the moment. That is, this collection might offer a comparatively larger bang for one's buck. Each of the titles contained within this single volume are more than worth their weight in gold, making the collection as a whole priceless. One should realize, however, that if the collective work is approached as one large, continuous reading, it might be seen as a tremendous undertaking. As large as the actual book might be, one should not be intimidated by its size, and feel comfortable tackling each of the separate texts as if it were independent from the larger collection if not only to avoid rushing in an attempt to reach its end.

To avoid an unnecessarily long review, one might be best served, if at all interested, to examine the reviews available for each of the individual titles contained within this compilation. Beyond this it should be mentioned that while these are appropriately dubbed Lewis' signature classics, much of his work is omitted from this collection. A few additional suggestions if one is interested in this author are The Four Loves, Surprised by Joy, Letters to Malcolm, and God in the Dock among many, many others. Again, this collection is a legitimate bargain considering the wealth of knowledge it contains and the comparative price of purchasing each separately...or never inquiring at all.

This is truly a life changing book. What an incredible mind C S Lewis had. It has been an honor to have the opportunity to read this collection. I won't stop until I have read everything I can find about, or by C S Lewis.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in C.S. Lewis!! Very handy to have all of these classics in one volume. Easy to read print also makes it hard to put down!! If you've long enjoyed the works of C.S. Lewis, or if you are new to him (like me!), you will not be disappointed with this purchase!!

C. S. Lewis held such a brilliant God-given imagination, that ALL his works tickle the mind in places that one didn't even know existed! His writings will have you laughing until you hurt one minute, and the next minute so full of spiritual sobriety that the on-going, unseen (yet very "felt") battle raging around us becomes crystal clear.

It is far and few between when a book will call me back to it when I walk away. It is not often that I find such joy and delight when I can finally pick it up again--almost feeling a guilty pleasure when there are so many chores to do and work to be done!

What a brilliant mind this author had. What a blessing he was to our planet! My children love his works.

Carrie Lynn Jones
Author of: It All Began... When Jesus Gave Me Sneakers