English Classics Books

I like teaching this novel, but I don't have time to teach the full text. This abridgement does a good job of capturing the fullness of the story and the characters in about 40% of the pages. I like the historical timelines at the beginning and the Notes sections at the end. My students find the novel easy to manage, too.

If you ever thought Hey, it must be easy to be an actor, just pay attention to Michael York, who's using only his voice! He keeps separate several characters, male and female, with nuances and accents that we can understand instantly.
Pity about this abridgement is that the translation was never edited. There is no distinction between that and which, for instance. "Which" is used exclusively.
But I'll keep listening to M. York, c'est formidable!

If you are the kind of person thirsting for the image of Man as a being to whom nothing is impossible - and to whom everything great is possible, then "Les Miserables" is the novel for you.
With a few exceptions, such as Ayn Rand, there is no writer in world literature who has portrayed such a grand, noble, sublime and inspiring image of man as Victor Hugo.
In "Les Miserables", Hugo has given the best expression that his genius could to this element.

The theme of this masterpiece is : "The projection and glorification of a moral-spiritual force based on Love, Compassion and above all Conscience, aimed at overthrowing the existing order of human existence and establish a new world where these cardinal values will guide human life."

Such an important, profound and philosophical theme could only have been selected by a visionary such as Victor Hugo - whom I consider the greatest novelist of the 19th Century.

Other than Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" I do not know any single novel in world literature which seeks to present a unique philosophy to change the world and give a new direction to human existence.

According to me, the plot-theme is : "The step-by-step purification of a man's soul and his achievement of spiritual perfection."

Jean Valjean is the hero of the novel. The best years of his life have been wasted because of the iniquities and injustice of the prevailing social order. Emerging from prison after 19 years, his soul is immersed in anger, bitterness, hatred and a feeling of vengeance against society. How he acieves spiritual perfection, as viewed by Hugo, is what the story is all about.

However, this point has not been recognised by many. While most say that the theme is : "The injustice of society towards the lower classes", Hugo's intention was to dramatise "Man's struggle against the laws of society".

Keeping this in view, the accepted plot theme is (as best defined by Ayn Rand) : "The lifelong flight of an ex-convict from a ruthless representative of the law", this representative being Javert.

However, the struggle of Jean Valjean continues long after his conflict with Javert is resolved.
Victor Hugo is not just showing that Conscience is above Law, but this: what is the highest level of selflessness and self-sacrifice a man is capable of and what makes it possible.
As far as I can see, the accepted plot-theme has been identified the way it has been, because it defines a specific purpose(i.e., Javert's pursuit of Jean Valjean). Perhaps critcs would dismiss my point of view because neither is it Jean Valjean's explicit goal to become perfect nor does he set himself an objective which would symbolize his attainment of perfection.
But I look at the plot to have been construsted in a manner which inevitably leads Jean Valjean to perfection.

Bishop Myriel is the guiding image for Jean Valjean:his role represents how love and compassion can resurrect a man's conscience.

Fantine is the symbol of the woman and Cossette is the symbol of the child who are the victims of social evils.

Javert-the implaccable, ruthless and awe-inspiring policeman who shall never compromise on his values - is the symbol of blind conformity to the existing legal and social order.

One of the greatest achievements of "Les Miserables" is its sweeping sense of drama. What I love most about Hugo is the superb dramatic situations - suspenseful, thrilling, emotionally intense - he creates.
The scenes are so breathtakingly grandiose and mind-blowing that one can only think : "How did he get such a brilliant idea??!!"
The best part of the novel is the fighting at the barricades during the July Revolution in Paris - led by, perhaps the most admirable hero in 19th Century Romantic fiction - Enjolras.
Enjolras - despite a minor role - made a greater impact on me than the two central characters - Jean Valjean and Marius. One also cannot forget the lovable, heroic, 12 year old Gavroche.

The greatest drawback of "Les Miserables" is the plethore of esssays on various social, historical, religious and other issues, which are exasperatingly long, which interrupt the plot, make the novel cumbersome and the reader impatient.
However, they give the reader a picture of the world which Hugo had in mind (and which he wanted to revolutionize-and how) while writing the book.
They may not be directly related to the plot, but are certainly related to the meaning of the novel.

Further, the plot tends to become loose at times. The coincidences are rather naive and force the reader to conclude that they are meant solely to bring coherence in the story or to present a particular aspect of Hugo's philosophy.
Some may find the descriptions unnecessarily meticulous, though in poetic terms they are stunningly beautiful.

However, all this seems irrelevant if we concentrate on the profound pschycological analysis of the value-conflicts of Jean Valjean (and Javert) rarely matched in world literature; the scope and intellectual value of the novel; its immense social and philosophical significance and its wonderful portrayal of man as a heroic being.

But above all is the unsurpassable dramatic treatment rendered by Hugo's genius : the sheer artistry, the incomparable ingenuity, the soulful emotional content, the startling originality and compelling suspense-there is NO OTHER SINGLE WRITER IN THE WORLD who has equalled Hugo in this aspect-make, in addition to its numerous merits, "Les Miserables" one of the greatest achievements of the human mind.

I have had the CD of the Original London Cast Musical of Les Miserable for about 10 years and have been a huge fan but nothing could prepare me for the book which although a long and hard read, is the most amazing book I have ever read. Everyone has something to learn from it and if you are looking for a reason to read it heres a reason: in the words of the great Victor Hugo himself : "As long as ignorance and misery remain on earth, books like this can never be useless."

You look at this book cautiouly, circling it warily. 1,260 pags?!! (Do not even consider an abridgement, for that is wicked) To read this massive work, you must be brave and determined. It is not easy or light, and, although it is far and away my favorite book, there were many times when I would lay it aside and blink with that slow, "God give me strength" air. Yet what epic journey worth its scratch is fluffy, over-in-a-day fun? Jean Valjean has hardship, so does the reader. One doesn't so much read as inhabit Les Miserables. I lived with this book for an entire semester, and had been dipping my toes into itt for over a year. When I finally read the last pages, there were tears streaking my face. That is a rare compliment to Hugo. My tears were not only for the sad fate of the convict-saint, but for th completion of such a long journey. I never rea Les Miserables to finish it. Perhaps this is merely an indication of insanity, perhaps an accurate reflection of the mind set necessary to read and enjoy Hugo. Get lost in his page-long sentences and revel in the vrebiosity! Be brave, and don't give up.

I am a third of the way through this book with my 8 year old and it is magical! I read The Silver Curlew by the same author with him earlier in the year. It is an extended version of 'Tom Tit Tot' and brings charm, darkness, love and daft characters to warm your heart.

I was given this book in 1955 and still have my well-read copy. I loved the stories and read and re-read them when I was around eight years old. I especially loved Westwood and the descriptions of the wonderful ball gowns that were made - each one more marvellous that the last. I also loved the story of San FairyAnn. I am going to get a copy for my granddaughter who loves to read and I hope she will be as enthralled with the stories as I was at her age. The stories are magical and transport the reader to a different world and I still remember them to this day.

If I ever have children, I would make sure that Eleanor Farjeon's "The Little Bookroom" will be part of their library and their childhood. Happy days could end with a story of a "Young Kate" who sang and danced and planted flowers, then a good night kiss and then a tuck into bed. Difficult days could be made better with the story of the Little Dressmaker and her dresses , a tight hug and a warm glass of milk.

Eleanor's stories are not just tales to be read then forgotten, they are springboards of the imagination and of lively discussion. In the tale of the "Seventh Princess," would you rather be one of the six princesses or the seventh? Do you love a toy as much as Célestine was loved in the story of "San Fairy Ann?" If you were one of the Princes in "Leaving Paradise," would you?

Some stories are funny, like "Westwoods," and some are heartbreaking, like "the Lovebirds," but all of them magically transport the reader to another world. I have no doubt this book will be read until it was tattered, torn, dog-eared and stained with sticky candy.

The King and the Corn - Simple Willie tells the story of a boy (or is he the boy?) who values his father's cornfield above all the riches of Egypt's Pharaoh.

The King's Daughter Cries for the Moon - The Disappearance of the Princess results in a comedy of errors where even night and day are turned upside-down.

Young Kate - Kate finds the freedom and time to sing, dance and plant flowers, for which she is rewarded 50 times over.

The Flower Without a Name - Adam forgot to name one of God's flowers.

The Goldfish - For some, happiness comes from a world more suited to their size.

The Clumber Pup - A young, kind-hearted woodcutter finds love with the help of a dog, a cat and an old woodcutter. Best love letter ever: "My Love! I love you because you are lovely like my Pup."

The Miracle of the Poor Island - A girl's sacrifice is repaid in kind by a miracle that saves the people of the island.

The Girl who Kissed the Peach-Tree - A girl's love of her peach-tree saves a village from a volcano's wrath.

Westwoods - A young Prince woos Princesses with funny rhymes. He finds his true love in the dream country of Westwoods.

The Barrel-Organ - A barrel-organ in an unlikely place lifts up a Traveller's spirit and helps him find his way.

The Giant and the Mite - When a giant with great strength is paired with a mite of great mind, catastrophe occurs.

The Little Dressmaker - What sounds like a traditional fairy tale love story twists into something more delightful. A queen giving her nephew pencil-cases makes me chuckle.

The Lady's Room - A lady keeps changing her mind about her room's decoration. Is this a fable about the dangers of discontent or a cautionary tale against fairies as interior decorators?

The Seventh Princess - Would you pass on to your child a beautiful park and castle or freedom in the wide world?

The Little Lady's Roses - Friendship is kindled with roses.

In Those Days - A soldier guards a barren spot. A fable about following orders when the reason is long gone.

The Connemara Donkey - Danny believes in his heart the tales of Finnigan O' Flannagan, his white donkey in Connemara.

The Tims - In times of distress, the villagers turn to the Tims for advice.

Pennyworth - How much fun can be had for a penny?

And I Dance Mine Own Child - This sweet story of how a book keeps a child and her grandma together is my favorite of the bunch.

The Lovebirds - A poor child's happiest moment is given her by a lovebird.

San Fairy Ann - A well-loved doll introduces a sad child to a foster mom.

The Glass Peacock - Kind Annar-Mariar shares her christmas tree ornaments with the children of the neighborhood. I love Annar-Mariar's love for her baby brother Willyum.

The Kind Farmer - A recognition of kindness transforms a hard, tightfisted farmer into the village philanthropist.

Old Surly and the Boy - A winter's miracle unites an old shepherd and a potential apprentice.

Pannychis - A story inspired by Andre Chenier's Pannychis. Don't hold a beloved too tightly.

The child who gets the chance to read this book is lucky indeed, because they will be touched by magic. The story about the goldfish who fell in love with the moon was in one of my elementary school readers in the '60s, but I did not learn where it came from until I was about 12, when I discovered an original copy of this book from the '50s in my school library. I especially loved the stories of the Clumber Pup (I have learned there really is such a dog breed)and the boy who planted a kernel of corn from the pyramid. I got goosebumps when I first read "San Fairy Ann", and every time I re-read it the goosebumps come back. Eleanor Farjeon is the only author who has really captured for me the magic of time passing, and generations passing. I love to think that children are still changed for life by reading this book. I know I was.

I read The Little Bookroom when I was about 10 or so. I have never forgotten some of the stories, and I am thrilled to have found it available for sale still. All the stories are wonderful and teach good lessons. Perhaps the one that has stuck with me the most is the one about the lady who kept changing her mind about what color she wanted her room to be. I loved (soaked up!) the detailed metaphoric descriptions of each room and to this day, I remember the ending, "The trouble with you, lady, is you don't know WHAT you want!" That said, the little fairy kicks her feet back and forth briskly and the room disintegrates and the picky lady is left standing in the night, with no. . . .room . . .at . . .all. . . Heh! Now, is that a life lesson or what? Buy this book and read these stories to your children or grandchildren. They don't write 'em like this anymore!

Trollope was a master of the domestic situation. There is a scarcity of dialogue in Orley Farm, but the detailed explanations of the emotions, surroundings, and background of each character offers so much more than dialogue ever could. Anthony Trollope's Orley Farm is by far the best fictionalized trial drama that I have ever read. One would be hard-pressed to find another like it.

I would offer the warning to those who dislike long, tedious readings that this work would not be for them. It is nearly 850 pages with very little action/dialogue. It more a study into the human psyche as it relates to guilt, pity, law, and the moral implications of all these things.

Orley is simply timeless. Just as in the Palliser series, the characters are the people all around you, in the office, in the news, and on the tube. Trollope's ability to understand the subtle differences that shape the mind of men and women is simply uncanny. If you are a truth seeker, this is a book for you. Anyone with exposure to a legal system with its basis in the English common law will understand the perceptive analysis it is subjected to in Orley Farm. The distinction between evil deeds and the often sympathetic humans that are their authors is one that modern American culture often forgets to make. Orley Farm is here to remind us. As a trusts and estates lawyer, I can not believe that I practiced for fifteen years before someone told me about this gem.

One of the great novels of 19th Century fiction, with characters you will learn to appreciate and understand; not the kind of sensationalist fiction of Collins or Dickens, but a real probing into morality, responsibility and compassion. Set aside your summer, or perhaps your winter in front of the fireplace...do not pass this up.

I love Anthony Trollope. His writing style is very readable compared to Dickens or Tolstoy. His subject matter is oriented towards subjects which are still relevant today -- politics, money and power, women's rights, relationships. His character development and imagery makes it feel like you are there. His books aren't "pretentious" but just plain good stories that you an relate to -- even though they take place in the 1800s.

One of the reasons I like them is it reinforces that many of the personal, moral, and emotional struggles you think about in your day-to-day life are exactly those that individuals have been pondering since the beginning of time. I think that we like to think that the problems we face are unique to our generation, our country (the US), our times, our families. When you read something like Orley Farm or the other Trollope books, you realize they are not and that there is still a lot to be learned from these "old guys".

In addition, if you are looking for a good "escape" and a window into how the "other half lives", Trollope novels also give you that vehicle. You can imagine yourself as part of the British Aristocracy living in a life of influence and power -- which can be a lot more interesting than being part of middle class suburbia working every day just to make enough money to pay Uncle Sam, get health insurance and hopefully have enough paid time off to afford a 1-week beach trip every year.

with Trollope, but this one is particularly overweight. A great deal is made - by Trollope and others - about the lack of suspense, which is said to make the novel 'realistic' (versus 'sensationalist'). Why? Anyway, we know from the beginning that the heroine forged the will, or rather the codicil (always a worry, the codicil). This means she spends 800 pages wallowing in terror and guilt. Others around her gradually find out; she wallows deeper and deeper with never a change of tone. This woman is TIRESOME. So is the bee in Trollope's bonnet about the adversarial legal system. As ever when nearing a political issue, Trollope uses it to bring in characters and set up oppositions, but he has no idea what to do with an idea, that is with an issue to be thoughtfully discussed. Given that this book slowly reaches a criminal trial, and that there is really no other serious plot, it becomes annoying to be told repeatedly that lawyers defend clients they don't believe in, and witnesses are badgered. The alternative hinted at - that the law should try to reach the truth - is awe-inspiringly feeble. Once the heroine is found 'not guilty', another non-surprise, and her son gives back the property fraudulently acquired, she is dropped with no gallantry into a fuzzy future in which she may, perhaps, the author hints, have one or two pleasant days. Though the book is treated by critics as a work about guilt and redemption, nobody seems redeemed, or changed in the least. How could they be, given the rigid Trollope rules of conduct.

So why did I read it? Because of the richly populated, vividly conjured Trollope world - and also of course for the exciting hunting scenes. Which in some sense is the whole book. But if the heroine is the fox - and to support this, there is a thrown off line about foxes tails resembling womens' tails (you'd have to be a Victorian male to know what THIS means) - she spends an awful long time in the woods.

This is an epic poem of some ten thousand lines composed by, arguably, Poland's greatest poet. It is a bucolic tale of country life with the background of the preparations for Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812. It's also a love story of sorts, with undertones of "Romeo and Juliet". There are star-crossed lovers, feuding families, comical characters, loyal retainers, and a mysterious begging friar. It's all quite well done, and even though I'm not particularly into sing-songy rhyming verse, the attraction of the story, and it's thinly-veiled air of Polish patriotism, kept me reading on to the end. If you enjoy little-known Polish literature (at least little-known in this country) you will enjoy this book.

In recent years many of the East European authors and artists have been rediscovered by the dominating Western sphere of writers, artist, and the litterature critics. This book is one of the jewels resurfaced in the circles of scholars and historians, but also among the everyday reader. The story is a description of the then social sphere of the society, where people are born within a class and are influenced by it, regardless of they likeing it or not. This is realism and romanticism at best, entangled in a passionate embrace. A delight to read.

This Polish masterpiece reads in English rendition as it was written in English in the first place ! I thoroughly enjoyed over again the story, even more so than in original Polish. Kenneth McKenzie has done a superb job to keep the rhytm, rime and the emotions so close to the original. This timeless piece is a must to everyone who enjoys a great reading adventure, where the highest human values are treasured. Our contemporary writers and poets can only dream to approach the greatness of Adam Mickiewicz. To bad that this book is so little known in the world.

It is a masterpiece , national poem of Poland.It portrays polish society in early XIX century , its turbulant existence and longing for freedom .His other works include " Konrad Wallenrod" and "Oda do mlodosci" but You can also check other polish writers , like Henryk Sienkiewicz , author of the famous "Quo Vadis " , Czeslaw Milosz or Wladyslaw Reymont , all three, Nobel prize laureates .You will never look at Poland the same way .Enjoy reading.............r.c.

Mickiewicz's 'Pan Tadeusz' is a very well written and engaging account of Lithuanian provincial life during the Napoleonic Era. Yet, it does fall short of the level of masterpiece, and 'Pan Tadeusz' doesn't possess quite the same timeless quality as Pushkin's 'Eugene Onegin' or Goethe's and Heine's epic poetry. Yet, I highly recommend it, and it is well worth the read, both for its glimpse into a long-lost time and place and also for Mickiewicz's elegant prosy.

Good Book, Got alot Out of it

This, Along with Los Angeles Spanish Classes,
Los Angeles Spanish Lessons,
Los Angeles Language Classes, Helped me alot

This is a perfect book for 2nd & 3rd graders. As a mother of ten, I have found it to be gentle and delightful in its content and format, but a challenge for my children. The expectations for amount of copywork and dictation, as well as memorization of poetry is quite high, but not inappropriate. My children find a great sense of accomplishment when finishing these lessons. I am pleased with the variable content which includes the aforementioned disciplines as well as picture and literary narration, grammar, beginning composition, and word usage. The choices for art and poetry are especially nostalgic and beautiful. It was a wonderful surprise to find so much inside one little book.

My ds (10 y.o.) started using this book in August of this year (2007). He's on lesson 45 now, and I am very pleased. His spelling, punctuation, caps and other basic knowledge of grammar have improved immensely! His writing has become more expressive and enjoyable to read. He is able to use this book for independent learning. The only times he needs me are to read aloud dictation lessons, to listen to his recitation of memorization lessons, and to mark mistakes on his finished paper so he can make corrections. He used to "hate" writing, but now it is his favorite subject...never thought I'd hear that from him! The lessons start out short in the beginning, but gradually get longer. If you have a reluctant writer and aren't sure how to teach grammar, give this book a try!

The book is hard bound, very sturdy...nicely made. I went for the "free shipping" option with Amazon, since I was getting the second book of this series also. I was a little nervous when I saw the projected shipping date, but Amazon actually shipped book 1 out the same day I ordered, so that I had it the next day! The other book followed a few days later. A great experience all around!

This is a great resource for homeschooling language. It contains many poems and written exercises as well as classic art pieces for the children to be exposed to. The lessons are short and easily done in 30 minutes or so. Great tool to supplement traditional language lessons.

This is a great book for second and third graders. It is very economical. It is nonconsummable to be reusued with other students later. I went through and made a schedule for myself and I did end up skipping a few lessons. Most of those lessons were observation or discussion lessons where questions were asked about certain flowers or birds that we were unfamiliar with. I would have had to have done some research first to complete these lessons. But don't let that deter you. The approach is wonderful and I am sure my son will learn a lot from this book. I have been the tradition text book mom before so I am excited to use this more gentle approach to grammar and language.

I've always liked reading books like this is because it introduces me to authors I've never heard of. For example, one of the most phenomenal stories is by a 15-year old recently published, young lady named Tierra French with "A Difficult Lesson". I read each story and the ones I really dug include: "Something Special", "Flimsy and Raggedy", "Not Tonight", "A Crisis of Faith", "Senseless", "Queen", "First Thing Monday Morning", "If He Didn't Go", "A Difficult Lesson", "Back Then", "Dancing at Esperanza's", "The Consequence", "Young Ballers", "Panhandling", "John Q's Blissful Journey", "Trick Dice", "The Cycle", "Pass It On", "Felicia and the Prodigy", "Ultimate Forgiveness", "Dead to the World", "Detour", "Colours", "The Day Chano Died", "Charitable Roy", "The Fire This Time", "The Willow Tree", and "She Planted Faith in her Dream". You may be thinking that I liked every story in here, but believe me, there are quite a few I didn't care for. One example would be the very twisted "The Bag Lady" that I did NOT appreciate the humor about killing a dog because I am crazy about dogs the way most are crazy about babies. I thought "Sink or Swim" was an excuse for women to not lose weight. Yeah, the husband's explanation was rude but the theme behind this story is why the black community has such bad health now--we try to excuse everything. And "My Momma Said..." was a great story for golddigers. A prize is a man with money? It's like the main character didn't learn a damn thing. I hated that story. "Death of a Salesperson" needed the editor to catch that the main character said she worked at the company thirty-two years (twice!) but then switch to thirty years. And I don't know what's on Omar Tyree's bird but the use of the n-word really bugs me regardless of whether he switched it up in the end and "Playin' the Role" EMBRACED the word. Guess some people still got a lot to learn!
Anyway, I ended up joining a book club so I could buy books from each of these published authors. Thank you for all the hook-ups and the people to avoid. And Travis Hunter's story was the best of all, but I'm not surprised because I'm crazy about this author's work.

This book was absolutely superb and the best collection of short stories that I have read in my entire life. Each story had a moral from an African proverb or saying and the stories were woven magnificently around them. These stories helped me relive some lessons I have learned in my life and also opened my eyes to a lot of things that have yet to happen to me. The people who breathed life into these characters should get a standing ovation.Well Done! You will not be disappointed. By the way, I am a 20 year old college student so age doesn't matter. This is a book for everyone.

I really enjoyed Proverbs for the People. The diversity of the authors and the stories they wrote with strong lessons that jumped from the pages was nothing short of amazing. My favorite stories were "Women Drive Buses too" and "Consequences."

I recommend this anthology and applaud the efforts of the authors and diversities.

I really enjoyed this book. All of the stories are wonderful and the connection to the proverb that they all wrote about was simply masterful! I particularly enjoyed the story Franklin White gave us. His proverb dealt with "no matter how long a log stays in the water, a log it will remain." His story about a black actress in Hollywood who did everything under the sun to become more mainstream was brillant. I will not spoil it for others but the story really made me think about all the black actresses who have to jump through hoops to finally get a part in a mainstream movie. After they read this story-maybe they won't be so hard pressed to get in the mainstream!

We have all heard proverbs at some point in our lives; little truths that teach morals, tell stories, or teach us how to live. In PROVERBS FOR THE PEOPLE, authors take insightful African, African American, and Biblical proverbs and utilize them to create extraordinary short stories that depict truths and leave marks on the heart.

This unique anthology contains stories from well known authors such as Travis Hunter, Omar Tyree, Margaret Johnson-Hodge, Pearl Cleage, and others, as well as stories from up and coming authors. Like the proverbs they represent, the stories are diverse and full of emotions. Although all of the stories were wonderful and touching, some of personal favorites were Gwynne Forster's "First Thing Monday Morning," which taught the morals that actions speak louder than words and to be careful what you wish for, because you just may get it, and Robert Fleming's "A Crisis of Faith," about a man who is wrongly incarcerated.

PROVERBS FOR THE PEOPLE is a wonderful novel that will teach, inspire, and entertain. It has a story that everyone can relate to, and will make a wonderful addition to any book collection.

Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

A book presenting a different viewpoint from which to evaluate two great English authors, Orwell and Waugh.

David Lebedoff makes an extended argument that these two, although wildly unalike in terms of life style and religion, were both masters of English prose and insightful moral thinkers of the first order.

I benefited from Mr. Lebedoff's own thinking, presented in the latter part of his book, on the current state of affairs as to writing (e-mail), politically correct behavior (group think), and the sorry lack of time devoted by most to the great questions of life.

I also join Mr. Lebedoff in highly recommending Evelyn Waugh's grandson's recent book, "Fathers and Sons".

This is a very enjoyable book to read. I read it while driving across the United States on my vacation. I must definitely read it again.
Lebedoff has done his research very well. He has identified the essence of the similarities in the literary diction of both of Waugh and Orwell. It was very rewarding to read of Blair's, i.e., Orwell's, the U-upbringing, education and diction and his political-artistic rebellion against it. Equally rewarding was to read about Waugh's genuine transformation into the upper classes as well as the genuineness of his of his religious conversion. The notes on Orwell's hidden faith and Christian burial will make some of his radical socialist admirers wince -- good! A totally pleasurable read as high class literary salon chatter: where we come and go talking of Orwell and Waugh, and serious analysis of the literary and social in England.

Lebedoff slips off his literary platform when he makes comments about current American political and religious conservative supposed principles and practices.

Looking back over fifty years, Dave Lebedoff sees two men, from differing backgrounds and experience who, in their literary works,presciently saw what now appears to be the truth: a decline of morality, and the substitution of situational ethics. Celebrity seems to define our world, and we have no societal fibre which recognizes any higher power. We will sign anywhere as free agents. This book is a good read: witty in the best sense, thorougly researched and it makes a point.

Viscount Bolingbroke

One of the pleasures of wandering through a brick-and-mortar bookstore is the opportunity to stumble across a marvelous book quite by chance. Such was the case with David Lebedoff's small but substantial "The Same Man". A dual biography of George Orwell and Evelyn Waugh, "The Same Man" proposes to show that for all their external differences Orwell and Waugh were essentially two sides of the same coin. I thought this a difficult almost impossible task. I was wrong. Lebedoff's thesis is a compelling one and one he supports with both substance and no small amount of charm.

Lebedoff's Prologue sets out the external difference between Waugh and Orwell in a compelling manner. He takes a night in June 1930. It is one in which Waugh attends a grand dinner party in London thrown by the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. That same night, Lebedoff takes us to Leeds where Eric Blair/Orwell sits working in a shabby ill-lit room. To his friends and family Orwell was considered a sponger and a failure. As the narrative continues, Lebedoff points to the various other external differences between the men. Waugh seems to wish for nothing more than an opportunity (via marriage if need be) to turn his blood as blue as possible. His drive to insinuate himself into the upper reaches of Britain's aristocracy was obsessive. Orwell's path of downward mobility was as driven and as seemingly obsessive as Waugh's. Waugh was religious, a convert to Catholicism, and his faith deepened as the years went on. Orwell was secular and was as committed to his secular view of the world as possible. Their writing was also markedly different. Where Waugh may be said to have used a comic lens for his work I think it fair to say that Orwell used a much darker, despairing lens for his.

Lebedoff proceeds to lay out his case and his case may be summarized by the quotation that began this review. Both Orwell and Waugh strove mightily and wrote splendidly in search of or within "that little and certain compass." Lebedoff writes of both as appalled by the moral relativism of the day and I think that assessment is spot on. For both men truth is not nor could it ever be relative and the search for objective truth cannot or should not be distorted by the prevailing ideology of the day. The differences in writing and the window dressing of social caste pale, in Lebedoff's view, to this one great internal commonality - their possession of this fixed moral compass. I'm not sure I am in total agreement with Lebedoff's viewpoint but he makes his case well.

Two aspects of "The Same Man" stand out for me. First, Lebedoff's writing style is light and witty. Lebedoff writes in a conversational style that is neither leaden nor pretentious. This is not a literary deconstruction aimed at academics. But, at the same time Lebedoff avoids a trap that popular historians and/or biographers sometime fall into; he does not condescend to the reader. This is not "Orwell & Waugh for Dummies." The book also caused me to cast a new and measurably more informed eye over Waugh. I had made the all too common mistake of conflating the vapid, effete, empty-headed characters Waugh wrote about with the character of Waugh himself. I admit to sloughing Waugh off as a young man but "The Same Man" compelled me to correct that error. I've since read Scoop and Vile Bodies and am thankful for Lebedoff for being the causative factor in that act. I consider that high praise for Lebedoff. L. Fleisig

Mr. Lebedoff's thematic portrait of Messrs. Orwell (Blair) and Waugh is commendable for the true power of ideas and how they are used in the hands of masters---in a book remarkable in it's brevity. I would tend to agree with another reviewer that Mr. Lebedoff over-reaches (just a bit) when he describes these two remarkable men as the "greatest" of their generation----which is, of course, subjective (Lewis has my vote as being in their company). Nonetheless, this small volume is a magnificent contribution to our era of "political correctness" and the breath-taking lack of diverse intellectual inquiry at the university. Mr. Lebedoff correctly concludes that these two men, Orwell and Waugh, while vastly different were one in concluding that "modernity" holds much peril for the essential moral foundation on which Western civilization precariously rests.
A few quotes jumped off the page:

"What they had most in common was a hatred of moral relativism. They both believed that morality is absolute, though they defined and applied it differently. But each believed with all his heart, brain, and soul that there were such things as moral right and moral wrong, and that these were not subject to changes in fashion. Moral relativism was, in fact, the gravest of sins. Everything else they believed in common flowed from this basic perception."

"They opposed totalitarianism, period, and they opposed it with all their hearts...What both believed---their core, who they are---was that individual freedom mattered more than anything else on earth and reliance on tradition was the best way to maintain it."

"Their most fundamental concern was that the Modern Age would strip human beings of their humanity. They felt that man does not live by bread alone, and that the Modern Age would provide us exclusively with bread.
And circuses."

This little volume was a true pleasure---a breath of fresh air in a culture (world) of homogenized group think---and is has my highest possible recommendation. This book will find it's way to many of my friends as a gift---and all of my children.
Congratulations to Mr. Lebedoff!!! He is to be commended for a great work!!! I'm going to read it again this weekend!!

Thy merit hath my duty strongly knit,
To thee I send this written embassage,
To witness duty, not to show my wit.
(Sonnet 26.)

How to do justice to the legacy of literary history's greatest mind -- moreover in such a limited review? Forget Goethe's "universal genius" and his rebel contemporary Schiller; forget the 19th century masters; forget contemporary literature: with the possible (!) exception of three Greek gentlemen named Aischylos, Sophocles and Euripides, a certain Frenchman called Poquelin (a/k/a Moliere), and that infamous Irishman Oscar Wilde, there's more wit in a single line of Shakespeare's than in an entire page of most other, even great, authors' works. And I'm not saying this in ignorance of, or in order to slight any other writer: it's precisely my admiration of the world's literary giants, past and present, that makes me appreciate Shakespeare even more -- and that although I'm aware that he repeatedly borrowed from pre-existing material and that even the (sole) authorship of the works published under his name isn't established beyond doubt. For ultimately, the only thing that matters to me is the brilliance of those works themselves; and quite honestly, the mysteries continuing to enshroud his person, to me, only enhance his larger-than-life stature.

The precise dating of Shakespeare's sonnets -- like other poets', a response to the 1591 publication of Sir Philip Sidney's "Astrophil and Stella" -- is an even greater guessing game than that of his plays: although #138 and #144 (slightly modified) appeared in 1599's "Passionate Pilgrim," most were probably circulated privately, and written years before their first -- unauthorized, though still authoritative -- 1609 publication; possibly beginning in 1592-1593.

Format-wise, they adopt the Elizabethan fourteen-line-structure of three quatrains of iambic pentameters expressing a series of increasingly intense ideas, resolved in a closing couplet; with an abab-cdcd-efef-gg rhyme form. (Sole exceptions: #99 -- first quatrain amplified by one line -- #126 -- six couplets & only twelve lines total -- #145 -- written in tetrameter -- and #146 -- omission of the second line's beginning; the subject of a lasting debate.) Their order is thematic rather than chronological, although beyond the fact that the first 126 are addressed to a young man -- maybe the Earl of Pembroke or Southampton, maybe Sir Robert Dudley, the natural son of Queen Elizabeth's "Sweet Robin," the Earl of Leicester -- (the first seventeen, possibly commissioned by the addressee's family, pressing his marriage and production of an heir), and ##127-152 (or 127-133 and 147-152) to an exotic woman of questionable virtues only known as "The Dark Lady," even in that respect much remains unclear; including the nature of Shakespeare's relationship with the two main addressees, regarding which the sonnets' often ambiguous metaphors invoke much speculation. #145 is probably addressed to Shakespeare's wife; the closing couplet plays on her maiden name ("['I hate' from] hate away she threw And saved my life, [saying 'not you']:" "Hathaway -- Anne saved my life"), several others contain puns on the name Will and its double meaning(s) (exactly fourteen in the naughty #135: "Whoever hath her wish, thou hast thy Will;" and seven in the similarly mischievous #136), and the last two draw on the then-popular Cupid theme. Sometimes, placement seems linked to contents, e.g., in #8 (music: an octave has eight notes), #12 and #60 (time: twelve hours to both day and night; sixty minutes to an hour); and in the famous #55, which praises poetry's everlasting power and as whose never-expressly-named subject Shakespeare himself emerges in a comparison with Horace's Ode 3.30 -- in turn written in first person singular and thus, denoting its own author as the builder of its "monument more lasting than bronze" ("Exegi monumentum aere perennius") -- as well as through the number "5"'s optical similarity to the letter "S," making the sonnet's number a shorthand reference for "5hake5peare" or "5hakespeare's 5onnets," echoed by numerous words containing an "S" in the text.

Of indescribable linguistic beauty, elegance and complexity, Shakespeare's sonnets owe their timeless appeal to their supreme compositional values, the universality of their themes, and their keen insights into the human heart and soul; as much as their transcendence of the era's poetic conventions which, following Petrarch, heavily idealized the addressee's qualities: a form new and exciting twohundred years earlier, but encrusted in cliche in the late 1500s. Indeed, Shakespeare's "Dark Lady" Sonnet #130 owes its particular fame to its clever puns on that very style, which went overboard with references to its golden-haired, starry- (beamy-, sparkling, sunny-) eyed, cherry- (strawberry-, vermilion-, coral-) lipped, rosy- (crimson-, purple-, dawn-) cheeked, ivory- (lily-, carnation-, crystal-, silver-, snowy-, swan-white) skinned, pearl-teethed, honey- (nectar-, music-) tongued, goddess-like objects. "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;" the Bard countered, proceeded to describe her breasts as "dun," her hair as "black wires," and her breath as "reek[ing]," and denied her any divine or angelic attributes. "And yet," he concluded: "by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare."

Arguably, Shakespeare's very choice of addressees (a young man -- also the subject of the famously romantic #18: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day;" the first of several sonnets promising his immortalization in poetry -- as well as the "Dark Lady," in turn introduced under the notion "black is beautiful" in #127) itself suggests a break with tradition; and compared to his contemporaries' poetry, even the equally-famous #116's on its face rather conventional praise of love's constancy ("Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments"), echoed in the poet's vow to vanquish time in #123, sounds fairly restrained. But ultimately, Shakespeare's sonnets -- like his entire work -- simply defy categorization. They are, as rival Ben Jonson acknowledged, written "for all time," just as the Bard himself immodestly claimed:

'Gainst death and all oblivious enmity
Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room
Even in the eyes of all posterity
That wear this world out to the ending doom.
(Sonnet 55.)

Also recommended:
The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition
Shakespeare: For All Time (Oxford Shakespeare)
Much Ado About Nothing
Love's Labour's Lost
William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)
BBC Shakespeare Comedies DVD Giftbox
BBC Shakespeare Tragedies DVD Giftbox
Olivier's Shakespeare - Criterion Collection (Hamlet / Henry V / Richard III)
William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
Twelfth Night

Katherine Duncan-Jones in the Arden Shakespeare's Sonnets is closer to Stephen Booth's linguistic approach from Helen Vendler,s artistic analysis of the Sonnets. I think she made a mature choice because Old Will in his love lyrics is ambigous and misleading.His words are loaded with meanings and accordingly are open to more than one interpretation.Publishing the detailed notes and commentry on the same page looks more practical and helpful, not only for the students but also for the general reader.Nevertheless, Hank Wittemore's version of Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, recently published for the first time , emphasizes that the dedicatee of Shakespeare,s Sonnets is Henry Wriothesley, Third Earl of Southampton and not William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke as the Arden,s editor of the Sonnets suggests in her introduction. Since 400 years the dedicatee,s identity had been masked. A.L. Rowse in 1964 published his version of the Sonnets and held that Shakespeare dedicated his poems to his close friend and patron Earl of Southampton. Now Wriothesley proved what Rowse had cocluded in his literary and historical researching half a century ago.
In the next edition of the Arden,s Sonnets I hope Katherine Duncan-Jones sheds more illuminating light on this issue which puzzled many Shakespearians for a very long time.


Abdulsattar Jawad
Duke University

Ms. Duncan-Jones' Introduction is an extraordinary example of scholarship. To say that the Sonnets have been controversial throughout the time since their publication is a mild understatement. Ms. Duncan-Jones casts a brilliant and unwavering spotlight on these controversies and resolves them.

Any serious student of Shakespeare must read this Introduction.

If there is a failing in the book, it is in the actual footnotes to the Sonnets themselves. But in the context of Booth's footnotes, for example, this failing is insignificant. Anyone who wants a line-by-line exegesis of the Sonnets has many resources available.

Go get this book and read the Introduction!

I recently used the Arden edition of the Sonnets in a graduate level course on Renaissance literature. It's useful, too, to have Helen Vendler's "Art of the Sonnet," as well as the Penguin edition (fewer notes than the Arden). Quite simply, the Arden excels in the scholarly apparatus. Also, for a concise, readable supplement, include Greenblatt's "Will in the World" (the chapter on the sonnets). But for a close study of the sonnets, if you need a single edition, Arden is terrific.

The secondary source material found in the appendices, the fantastic footnotes, the capacioius introductions, the big clear typeface, the textual editing decisions, all make the Ardens the best single-volume Shakespeares by a long shot. The rest pale by comparison.

The only drawback, god forgive this y-chromosomed curmudgeon, that I can see in this particular Arden is that the editor, Katherine Duncan-Jones, often tends to lean a bit too far to the left, indulging into too much gender politic-ing.

Duncan-Jones also spends a quite a bit of time arguing in a rather extended manner for composition dates that are self-consciously 'provocative' and seem to be much too speculative for an introduction.

One could match this with Booth's version, which by comparison seems perhaps a touch more shallow and hidebound-- but more solid, and get a nice complimentary set of typefaces and editorial views that would balance out nicely, I would suspect.

Stig of the Dump was my favorite book ever when I was a child, and it was a great joy recently to redicover it. According to my mother, I read it at least a dozen times and never tired of it. So on reaquaintance I was interested to try and find out what had given me such pleasure. Well, for a start it's beautifully composed, the text being quite languid in comparison with a lot of more recent stuff, but always well-defined and rhythmic. The writer weaves a very atmospheric tale too, and has a fundamentally excellent plot. But having said all that, I suppose what must have been such a draw to me (and many other young readers) was this idea of having a very special - well unique actually - friend, all of my own. Highly recommended to all!

Garbology is fun.

Stig of the Dump is a kid's book about a young boy, who basically meets a caveman, or cave youth if you like, at a tip.

Inventive young boys can find lots of stuff to do and make in such a situation.

I first read this book in school and really loved it. The story is about a small boy who goes to play in a chalk quarry near his grandmother's house and befriends a cave-man 'Stig' who lives there. They make a home for Stig about of sticks, stones and bottles and have various adventures. It really fascinated me then, and it's still interesting and funny today. I also loved the pen illustrations by Edward Ardizzone who was a gifted prize-winning illustrator of many childrens' books. Well worth reading.

This abridged audio CD version of Clive King's classic is marvellously read by Tony Robinson (of 'Blackadder' fame). My only complaint is about the cheap incidental music which separates the episodes, but I imagine most children would not be concerned about this.

I first came across 'Stig' over 35 years ago, and it's still as magical to me. For me, Stig is defined by the Edward Ardizzone illustrations, one of which is retained for the cover of the CD.

For most of the story, Barney has a series of improbable experiences with his caveman friend, and is never pressed by his sister or grandparents to reveal the Stig he so openly discusses. In the final episode of the tale, Barney and his sister are somehow transported to prehistoric times, and although we come unexpectedly close to '2001 - a Space Odyssey' territory, Clive King's narrative makes this magical departure believable.

The very end of the story, with Stig returning to the 20th century and becoming a petrol pump attendant, is the weakest aspect, adn I'm not surprised that some TV adaptations have chosen other endings.

Tony Robinson really brings the story to life, creating a wonderful array of children's voices from all social classes. Thoroughly recommended.

In England, it was required of us to read Stig of the Dump at school. I am very glad of this because if it had not been required reading, I may not have had the pleasure of reading such a great story. Being a girl I always wanted to read typical girl books, and this book(at least from the title) would seem more for boys, but let me assure you it is a wonderful book for children of all ages. I am now reading it to my 6 year old daughter and she is loving it.

This book was purchased as part of a study prior to a production of 'A Fiddler on the Roof'. It proved invaluable by providing background to the way of life and conditions during the period of the musical play. Since it is the 'base work' for the musical there can be no better reference for director, actor and all the cast.

A set of short stories - some lifeless, some fairly amusing. Much to my surprise, I found Aleichem's other stories to be livelier than the Tevye stories. I especially liked some of the stories with surprise twists, such as "It Doesn't Pay To Be Good." (If I told you the twist, it would of course spoil the surprise!)

I really enjoyed the entire book! The ones associated with Fiddler on the Roof as well as all the others. These stories gave a more in depth perspective of the Russian Jews and the pogroms that they as well as other targeted Russians had to endure. It showed their incredible strength, faith and sense of community that helped them survive. Thank you for a really good book! History at its best!!!

Hillel Halkin is a master translator. His translation of the Sholem Aleichem stories takes out what might be called a 'corny archaic ' element in some other translations.
Sholem Aleichem's humor and pathos, the non- ending dialogue of his Tevye with God, the Yiddish world of Eastern Europe now lost, the questioning ironic often tender tone, are all here.
Read and enjoy.

What struck me most about these stories, in addition to the sensitive and thoughtful translation and the wonderful Tevye character, is that they don't really depict the long-lost, static, traditional culture of the Eastern European shtetl (Jewish village). By the time Sholem Aleichem wrote these stories, the life of the shtetl was disintegrating. It was a transitional time, when emigration to America, the influence of Western culture, the pull of socialism and other radical movements, and many other forces were already acting upon traditional Judaism. Tevye, whose knowledge of Jewish sources is picturesque but not very deep, was one of the most knowledgeable people in his town. That pretty much says it all.

The Tevye stories are unforgettable, the "railroad" stories of more mixed quality. That is why I only gave the book four stars. Still, highly recommended.