English Classics Books

When the University of Alabama's Hudson Strode Program in Renaissance Studies, helmed by luminary Gary Taylor, chose hotshot University of California Professor Bryan Reynolds as one of the "the six most brilliant Renaissance scholars in the world under 40," I begrudgingly decided to read Performing Transversally. I had already heard too much buzz about his book on criminal society, and was confident that his kind of flashy scholarship -- a la his Harvard teacher-thaumaturgists Marjorie Garber and Stephen Greenblatt -- would be of little interest to an old-historicist like me. But now I must confess that I've read both books and found them to be more than impressive.

Reynolds is driven by a desire to mine the subterranean, which leads him to reveal such things as the bogus history of gypsies in Tudor-Stuart England, Shakespeare's anticipation of Stalinism, and the uncanny relationship between Shakespeare and American celebrity killer Charlie Manson. Along the way, Reynolds wrestles with almost every major critical tradition, and explains what he sees as their shortcomings and benefits for future research. His "transversal" approach is enhanced by his wit and chutzpah. In this, he reminds me of Leslie Fielder, or Susan Sontag (God bless them). Reading the work of Reynolds and his collaborators is like revisiting the 60s and 70s when literary theory aspired to ethical ideals and was fun to explore and do.

This book has not only emerged brilliantly out of the new historicism's wake, utilizing everything productive the new historicism had to offer, but it creates a wake in which new historicists -- especially the more myopic ones -- continue to flounder. Reynolds and his fellow transversal movers and shakers launch cogent critique after critique, both implicitly and explicitly, of new historicist criticism (while improving upon the Althusserian and Foucaultian theory behind it), supplanting its often fly-by-night and defeatist rhetoric with optimism, rigor, and relevance to concerns of today the likes of which most new historicists never imagined or cared to imagine possible. Reynolds' performance-oriented and expansive method enables analyses of Shakespeare's plays and adaptations of them -- of the "Shakespace" (one of his many playful coinages) through which they move -- that are far-reaching in value and application across history, cultures, and academic fields. I would even go so far as to say that Reynolds is a visionary with the scope of Raymond Williams, and, like Williams, Reynolds envisions and wants to inspire -- with his "transversal poetics" -- a better future. For Reynolds, although clearly a lover of Shakespeare, Shakespeare is just one of many points of departure for transversal adventures to elsewheres of learning, empowerment, agency, and evolution. There is no book on Shakespeare that I would want my students to read more than this one.

This is a great book. I bought it because everyone was talking about it at the Group for Early Modern Cultural Studies Conference last fall, and as I did it could not believe that I was spending $65 on a book, something I have never done before. But since I am a Shakespeare scholar -- I suppose I can call myself that now even though it is only my third year in grad school -- I figured that I need to have the new hot thing. What I did not know is that all the hipe was more than justified. Reynolds et al. are unrelentingly captivating in every respect: funny, smart, rigorous, engaging... Most important to me, however, is that this book is about change, responsibility, and empowerment. Shakespeare is just Reynolds' vehicle, that he uses to take his readers into "Shakespace," a conceptual and emotional space of expansion and learning, an other world where we can all move transversally. Thanks Reynolds et al. for getting my brain reeling, and getting me excited about my work!

Performing Transversally constitutes a major intervention in early modern studies that will no doubt be as important as Dollimore's Radical Tragedy but at the same time infinitely more useful to the future of critical inquiry across disciplines, ranging from theater studies to film studies. Reynolds' transversal poetics is the most exciting approach to lit-crit since deconstruction emerged on the scene in the 60s, and I am certain that the impact will be no less great. If it sounds like I love this book, it is because I do. It is rare in this profession to be truly inspired by scholarship, and Reynolds -- along with his many brilliant collaborators -- never ceases to inspire, with page after page of scintillating wit, groundbreaking ideas, and unwavering dedication to ethical and pedagogical concerns. This book has changed the way I think about authorship, performance, Shakespeare, and my selves, all the while reminding me of my responsibilities as a academic and even as a citizen. Buy it, read it, live it, you will be happy you did.

This book was much larger than I expected but was beautiful. It included many favorite stories and the size allows for large illustrations. I gave it as a gift and I am sure it will be a hit.

This is a beautiful book! It has the most complete illustrations, both color and black & white, of any Beatrix Potter book I've seen. Its large size and low price would make it a wonderful gift for Beatrix Potter fans of any age.

I bought this book for my best friend who is expecting her first child. I wanted something Beatrix Potter because I grew up to these wonderful stories and I wanted it to be part of her childs life and memories. I am so glad I chose to get this particular book! The illustrations are beautiful and filled with color. It is a wonderful book filled with all of the popular Beatrix Potter stories that I remember! I recommend this book to anyone who loves Beatrix Potter stories....this is the one!

This is a great book! The illustrations are georgous. The large size of the book adds to the facination of kids and adults. It is great for gift giving too!

Un autor particular, extraordinario, que te hace sentir todo el sabor (y la complicadez) de lo que te cuenta. Cuenta cosas que parecen complicadas. Lo son para describirlas, pero todos las hemos vivido. Y cuenta tan bien, en las entrnhas de las cosas, que cuando lo leas casi te sientes mal

Un autor particular, extraordinario, que te hace sentir todo el sabor (y la complcadez) de lo que te cuenta

The oddness of Felisberto Hernandez, the man, may perhaps eclipse the essential weirdness of his fictions. There is somewhat of a mystery surrounding him: he was a pianist who used to work accompanying silent movies. He traveled extensively, performing concerts. He took up writing somewhat later in life, remained more or less anonymous up to his death. Today, he is hardly known outside of Latin American literature and yet has inspired the so-called `magical realism' literary movement, made popular in the works of the Nobel-prize winning author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Piano Stories, so named by the publishers because nearly every single story incorporates a piano, is the first collection of Felisberto's work translated into English. It is meant to serve as a representative exhibition of the writer's career. It features fifteen pieces, two of them being short novellas (`The Stray Horse' and `The Daisy Dolls') and some others no more than a page and a half long. The introduction is penned by Italo Calvino - another major writer who was apparently influenced by Hernandez.

The adjectives befitting the overall `feel' of the Piano Stories would be: elegant, absurd, surreal and otherworldly. There are repeated motifs of the nature of memory, as explored in the story `Just Before Falling Asleep' and `The Green Heart', and more extensively in `The Stray Horse' where the narrator is aware of an impending attempt to distort a series of childhood memories, for if a person were capable of changing his memories, as one changes stage settings, would that not result in a different person inhabiting the present? In `The Flooded House' a widow has decided that water has the inherent quality required for nurturing memory: "water is the place to grow memories, because it transforms everything reflected in it and it's receptive to thought." (Hernandez, P.246)

In these short stories, inanimate objects acquire a life of their own when viewed in certain light - furniture is able to reveal secrets about a person and in the eerie novella, `The Daisy Dolls', a man has an affair with a life-like replica doll of his wife.
Eccentric characters abound: in `The Balcony' the reader makes the acquaintance of an agoraphobic who believes that individual parts of her house have a soul. In `The Usher' the narrator, having grown accustomed to dark surroundings, acquires a persistent glow in his eyes.

Many of the stories proceed as hypnagogic trances, surreal romps through exotic surroundings. The writing style is average on the whole: a few genuine lyrical waves are balanced out by a number of slumps now and then, owing perhaps to the work's translation from Spanish. There are instances when the reader feels as if Hernandez does not quite know how to express clearly the ideas he has or to fully develop a consistent flow, as in `The Two Stories' or the unbearable `The Woman Who Looked Like Me'.
This collection of stylish pieces is enjoyable for its atmospheric engagement but in the end, looking behind the screen, the reader may come out empty-handed.

Felisberto Hernendez' Piano Stories is a rare book indeed. His stories were the precursors of what is now called "magic realsim" (the style of writers such as Garcia-Marquez and Jeanette Winterson), but his tales are truly unique. They are concered with the haunting mysteries of life, and have a dreamy, otherworldly quality which draws you inextricably into them. A cast of eccentric characters and off-the-wall occurrences will keep you on your toes. I kept putting off reading the last story in the book, because I didn't want the fun to be over.

Tha author has read Lewis extensively, and reads the Space Trilogy in the light of Lewis the man. He sheds new light on the sources of inspiration, and comments on the criticism that has been raised against the trilogy. I have read the trilogy several times, and this study deepened my understanding of it. It is well written and highly readable. I could have wished for a deeper assessment of the "pagan" influences of the trilogy. However, the study is well worth reading for anyone who likes reading Lewis, esp. his fiction.

I have gone in for Lewis studies since encountering his Ransom trilogy in an undergraduate seminar in the late 1970s. Over the years, I have collected most of the author's published writings in every genre he attempted, and have read numerous books and articles on his life and work, as well as on various of his colleagues and inspirations. PLANETS IN PERIL may be the best critique I have come across, and if one could own only two secondary sources in the field I would recommend this and the biography by Green and Hooper. What makes Downing's volume so remarkable is chiefly its sheer comprehensiveness. Despite the focus of its sub-title, the book manages to draw in extraordinarily illuminating references to nearly every other work in the Lewis canon, showing through them far more of the man's Christian, mediaeval, and poetic world view than one would expect to be relevant. I had thought myself to have a good grasp of the celebrated Oxford don and Cambridge professor, yet this book increased my understanding manyfold. I also appreciated Downing's objective balance. Without shying away from what he feels are Lewis's limits or flaws, he does better than I have yet found in vindicating the man against many of the stock objections that have long been levelled at him. A recurring argument throughout is that the trilogy is best understood less in the framework of science fiction than in light of its author's expertise in and love for the literature and motifs of the mediaeval and Renaissance eras. Lewis was not so much a mythmaker as a '"re-mythologizer", one who takes old myths ... and revitalizes them'; and Downing perceives him as having done something similar with old VALUES -- ones fallen out of fashion yet which seemed to him worth recapturing.

Highly readable for an academic work. A deep and uniquely insightful perspective on one of the last century's most complex writers. Even casual readers of C. S. Lewis will find this book captivating.

Unlike most literary criticism this book is very rich, perceptive and readable. Anyone who likes C. S. Lewis should get their hands on this book. I look forward to more books by this author.

the poetic edda is one of the greatest collections of poetry of all times. it contains the beautifully vivid "volupso", the norse apocalypse poem, the comedic ballads, the "wrangling of Loki" and "Lay of Thrmy", the proverbial wisdom of the "sayings of har" and the mournful lays of the larger-than-heroes, the volsungs and niflungs. the edda is better written than Beowulf, the more popular northern epic, and the rhythmic verse gives it more aesthetic appeal than most epic poems. the meter, based on alliteration and caesura, whether rhythmic fornyrdislag or lilting ljodahattr, is much more pleasing to the ear than classical blank verse, which has sticter syllable stress patterns. unfortunately, the edda is not in very good condition. their are gaps in the manuscripts, and there are numerous places where it appears a scribe covered up a gap with extraneous material. the poems vary greatly in quality, and you need a good understanting of norse myths to understand what is going on (i recommend Norse Stories: Retold from the Eddas by Hamilton Mabie). none the less, the edda is a wonderful read for fans of poetry, epics, or norse mythology.

Bellows translation does a very good job at preserving the metric rhythm of the norse poems, and a fairly good job of preserving the alliteration, while avoiding the archaism of Hollander. his grammer and word choice is a little "olde", but it is still far more aesthetically pleasing the Larrington's translation, and much more accessible than Hollander's. Dronke's translation is also excellent, but only one of five parts of it is currently in print, and it is absurdly priced, but see if you can find it at your library. unfortunately, thus far Dover has only reprinted half of Bellows' translation, this volume contains only the "mythological" lays, so we can only hope they will publish the heroic poems soon, but anyone serious about reading the edda will want to get more than one translation anyway.

A Dover reprint of the Mythological section (The Lays of the Gods) from the poetic Edda, a collection of Old Norse poems compiled in the 1200s from older oral traditions. First published by the American-Scandinavian Foundation in 1923. It's a slow read, primarily because almost every page is crammed with footnotes. The translation seems pretty good - it attempts to imitate the form of the Old Norse poetry, and the language at times is very moving with vivid imagery and sonic resonance. The abundant footnotes bog down the reading, but they are necessary since the Eddic poems were originally composed for an audience already familiar with Norse mythology. I went into this book knowing nothing about the subject, and by the time I had finished, with the help of Mr. Bellows' notes along the way, I had developed a real thirst for more. Somewhat difficult reading, but for somebody with a literary bent this is an excellent introduction to the world of Norse legendry. It certainly begs a second reading, ignoring the footnotes and just enjoying the poetry.

This is an excellent translation from Henry Bellows, easy to understand and with many footnotes. This is the version I use when I read the poems aloud.

The spelling he chose for transliterated names doesn't follow the common style, Voluspo is usually Voluspa, Hovamol is usually Havamal, etc, but these differences are minor and easy to get used to. The print is a facsmile (typical of this publisher) but clear and easy to read, and the binding is good quality (unlike products from some similar companies).

Unfortunately Dover only published half of the book, the section referred to to as the "Mythological Lays", and have omitted the "Heroic Lays", assuming I suppose that we'd only want to read the poems referring directly to the gods. They do clearly admit the omission at the beginning of the book. Much of the ancient scandinavian works we have are regarding heroes related to the gods, so to focus completely on the gods themselves is to miss pieces of the whole picture. Some researchers (in the minority) even suggest that the "Heroic Lays" are actually stories about the gods under different names, which was a very common practice (as you'll see when you read the poems that are included). So I consider the omission very unfortunate.

Despite that complaint I think this book is worth the cost. Unless you want to print your own (the Bellows translation is in the public domain), this book is an excellent choice for what it does have. Just be aware of what you're missing.

Edit: Dover has recently announced that they will finally release the second half of the book, The Poetic Edda: The Heroic Poems (Dover Value Editions)

This is the "bible" for Asatruars and Odinists everywhere. This book is pretty easy to read once you figure out the way the words are arranged. Foot notes include variations of translation, and so sometimes the reader must come up with his/her own conclusion about a certain word or name. All in all, the Poetic Edda, whoever originally composed the works, is a great read and can be enjoyed by poetry collectors, lovers of mythology, and people who are interested in ancient Norse storytelling.

Derek Attridge radically changed my thinking about poetry and prosody. I have been reading, writing and teaching poetry for many decades and have always felt intuitively that the ideas expressed in this book were correct though unfortunately I lacked the vocabulary to describe them. Speaking as both poet and teacher, I found this book a liberation. Anyone interested in the art of poetry should inhale this book.

This is absolutely the best book on poetic rhythm I have ever read. You must posess this book if you are, as I am, a student of poetry who wishes to get a feel for how rhythm actually works in English verse. Attridge makes it clear from the start that if you speak English, then you have all the tools you need to understand how rhythm works because you already use those tools whenever you speak. Through numerous examples and exercises you will learn to focus on what you natually do when you read a poem and how it affects the way you understand it. You will find (as I did) that Attridge's distinction between stress verse and sylable stress verse clears up a lot of confusion. There's even a chapter on the rudiments of phrasal anaylsis that will, in my opnion, have you thinking like an expert in no time. I've read the book twice in three weeks I enjoyed it so much. Get the book!

Attridge is a careful and helpful reader of English poetry. This book, one of several he has written on the subject, is both elementary and profound. The field is fraught with difficulties and ambiguities, but Attridge sensibly avoids the silly stuff. He provides a helpful summary with each chapter, and numerous exercises that are both instructive and enjoyable. This is the kind of book one feels ought to mark a turning point in the study of prosody. If others may be persuaded to adopt his system of scansion, the field will be enormously rejuvenated. Having read it, one returns to earlier work by Fussell, Gross, Hartman and others wishing they might revise their books accordingly. In any case, the book is spirited, wide-ranging, and important.

This book starts at the dirt basics of poetic rhythm and scansion and works its way up. It tells about the nitty-gritty in different kinds of meters, and it's helpful for learning what to use rhythm for in poetry (heightened language, etc).

In this VOICES IN POETRY title, Berry's biographical sketch of the reclusive 19th century American poet Emily Dickinson is interspersed with some of her poems. Each poem is chosen to illustrate important aspects of her life and character, which are still something of a mystery to this day. Stermer's illustrations effectively complement the tone and subject of both the poems and Berry's own text. For both young people and casual readers, this is a beautiful and useful introduction to Dickinson and her poetry.

I cannot think of a better way to introduce the poetry or Emily Dickinson than this small volume. The selection is excellent and of interest you the young reader. The commentary is quite relevant as are the pictures which accompany it. I find that often now, our young people go all the way through the early grades in school and many of them have never heard of Emily Dickinson,much less read their poetry. This was the sort of stuff my generation and the generation before it grew up on and cut our teeth on. I do not feel I am any worse for the wear. I am fearful that we are bringing up an entire generation (rightfully or wrong, although I feel it is the later) of young folks who will have no appreciation to this great art form and will miss a lot. This book helps. This entire series helps, as a matter of fact and I certainly recommend you add this one and the others to your library. Actually, it is rather fun reading these with the young folk and then talking about them. Not only do you get to enjoy the work your self and perhaps bring back some great memories, but you have the opportunity to interact with your child or student. It is actually rather surprising what some of the kids come up with. I read these to my grandchildren and to the kids in my classes at school. For the most part, when I really get to discussing the work with them, they enjoy it. Recommend this one highly.

As an adult, I didn't realize how much that I would appreciate this book. I wish that it had been available to me when I was younger. I believe that this book is definitely intended for children between the ages of 9 to 12. I think a child under that age may not understand the full impact of the poetry.

The introduction to this book gave a good synopsis of the life of Emily Dickinson. Also, I liked how some of the poems were mentioned by page number to check out in the book.

Visually, this book was on target. The illustrator was very detailed with the drawings. In one section of the book, Emily Dickinson writes some poems that were riddles. The drawings give you the answer to those riddles.

It was very helpful to find definitions at the bottom of each page for some of the poems that may have had more difficult words. I learned that a frigate was a medium-sized warship with sails and that coursers were graceful, swift horses or runners.

This book supports the ideas of reading and poetry. I will end this review with one of Emily Dickinson's poems, on page 44, to support those ideas:

There is no frigate like a book/ To take us lands away,/ Nor any coursers like a page/ Of prancing poetry/ This traverse may the poorest take/ Without oppress of toll;/ How frugal is the chariot/ That bears a human soul!

All the Poetry For Young People books are wonderful for all ages, for those who "want" to like poetry but just don't know where to start. Each has a biography of the poet, and the poems are guided by illustrations, background info, and helpful word definitions. So much better than opening a huge book of just words... this is such a gentle, approachable introduction!

Far be it from me to critique these poets, but I can say something about this particular presentation. It's a handy little volume, with a several-page introduction providing historical context, and a several-page calendar of British and American poetry from 1750 to around 1850. The calendar doesn't just list poetry, it includes events like "Watt's steam engine patented" and "Lewis and Clark Expedition" as well as the publication of novels and music, so context is well established. At the back of the book is an index of poems by title and by first line, and there's a set of biographical notes on the poets.

If you want to know what romantic poetry's all about, take a look at this. I don't know how an English Lit Ph.D. would rate this book but I think it's a nice collection.

The first verse of William Blake's Auguries of Innocence appears in Bronowski, as homage to Ludwig Boltzmann: " To see a World in a Grain of Sand, And a Heaven in a Wild flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand, And Eternity in an hour...." William Blake was born in London in 1757. He attended drawing school and thereafter eked out a very modest existence as an engraver and artist. He was not able to find a publisher so in 1789 he himself engraved and published Songs of Innocence and The Book of Thel. Blake died in 1827. Blake was one of many 'romantic poets' of that epoch. Auden and Pearson point out that the romantic definition of man appears towards the end of the eighteenth century. The divine element that man possesses is not power nor free will of reason, but self-consciousness. Man can see possibilities, he can imagine states of existence other than they are.

The great defining moment of the Romantic movement in English poetry is generally considered the publication by Wordsworth and Coleridge of 'The Lyrical Ballads' in 1797. But the editors of this anthology take an earlier point of origin and begin with the great myth - master and singer of songs of innocence and experience, William Blake. They include in their anthology not simply English Romantic poets but also the Americans , Emerson and Thoreau( Transcendentalists) and Poe. They also include a number of minor, lesser known poets.
But what is most important is that they have most of the great definining poems of English Romantic Poetry, the great poems of Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Keats.
There are of course as many definitions of Romanticism as there are of other key intellectual-historical concepts such as 'Nature' and 'Classicism' But one clear element is a new found emphasis on self, and subjectivity , the expression of the individual's feeling of the world. Wordsworth went to everyday life and language, to nature and the world of the ' simple people' he met in his countryside wanderings. Coleridge went to the world of myth and mystery, but they both provided in deeper ways whole worlds of feeling which were at times ' deeper than tears'.
An outstanding anthology of one of the most important 'movements' or ' periods' in the world- history of poetry.

One of the annoying things about the received opinion about the Romantic poets is the statement that there were exactly six of them--Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Keats, and Shelley. This pronouncement is usually delivered with equal conviction to assertions you usually hear only in the natural sciences--e.g., that there are three kinds of human muscle (cardiac, striated, and slow-flexing) and two kinds of stony drip-accreted icicles in caves (stalactites and stalagmites). Nor elsewhere in the area of literature do you quite hear that there were so many Russian realist novelists, so many French Symbolist poets, so many English medieval poets, etc. So it's something of a relief to read in the editors' introduction to the "Portable Romantic Poets" that American romantics are included as well, because poets don't just arrest their reading, as anthologizers usually arrest their selecting, at continental or national boundaries. It's also welcome to see the inclusion of poets who are sometimes left out because they might be felt to be minor or unpopular (Landor) or generically different (Burns) by anthologizers. This anthology is a welcome corrective to received wisdom about who actually qualifies as a Romantic. And the efficient introduction is a minor masterpiece of cultural exposition as well.

This book has an extrodianry amount of suspense it was good for people who like long books, i think Jane Austen is an good novelist.

This book has an extrodianry amount of suspense it was good for people who like long books, i think Jane Austen is an good novelist.

Cliff Notes have always helped me in the past have a greater understanding of classic literture, and this guide to Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" is no exception.

The guide covers all of the chapters with a summary, commentary and glossary for definitions. The guide also includes a brief biography of the author, character analyses, a review section(which contains: Questions and answers, identify the quote, essay questions, and practice projects), a resource center(which contains: books with more information and web sites), and critical essays.

I highly recommend this guide to anyone who wants a better understanding of this classic book.

These cliff notes really helped me understand Austen's pride and prejudice. I now fully understnad this novel and am able to discuss it properly in my english class!

"The Old Man and the Sea" was my favorite from all the books I've read this year. It was written by Ernest Hemingway in in 1951. The story is called a novella because it is too long to be a short story, but too short to be called a novel. This book by Ernest Hemingway is so amazing though. Hemingway has the ability to write a story that makes your mind paint a picture. This book draws you in, and you feel like you're in the skiff with Santiago, rooting for the death of the marlin. Quoted from Zach Davisson, "This short novel is fierce, full of vibrant energy and humanity," and I would say that this is Hemingway's best work. At first the story seems like a standard "man against nature" tale, but unlike those kind of stories, this one has a more vivid battle, and a stronger point at the end. It is said that Hemingway's inspiration for the old man in the book, was the Cuban fisherman Gregorio Fuentes, who was also Hemingway's friend, but noe one really knows where Hemingway gets he extraoridnary ideas.
Although short, the book has a deep meaning. Sometimes people can just read a book without really seeing much of a point, but that only happens when people read the words, not the story. You have to know how to read right, in order to see the message in the book. One main theme I found while reading was to have courage in the face of defeat. Even though the Old man hadn't caught a fish in 84 days, he didn't give up. He continued to try and try. On day 85, he decides that, no matter what, he will not return with a catch. His waiting paid off though, because soon, he caught an enormous marlin. Santiago had to fight with the fish for three days before finally killing it. On the way back, the old man had more to worry about than just about keeping the fish tied to the boat. Sharks, hunger, and weakness tried to defeat the man, but he stayed strong. This book mainly portrays masculinity. Although the old man was very gentle, he knew when to use the power and strength that men have. He is so gentle though, that at one point in the book he wishes he "could feed the fish," and at another in the book he is "sorry for the fish that had nothing to eat." Later on in the story, he deeply grieves when the first shark mutilates the fish's beautiful body. Santiago has a very kind soul and loving heart too. He doesn't mind the fishermen who make fun of him, and he respects Manolin's father, even though he forbids the boy to fish with the old man and tells him to fish with someone else after forty fishless days with Santiago. The only time in the book when Santiago is violent, is when he killed the sharks which attacked his fish, but such actions, the only reason he did was to defend his "brother", the fish. Even in his dreams are gentle and pleasant. Santiago usually dreams of playful, not fierce, lions, and also, once of mating porpoises. I loved his easy-going, selfless, and thoughtful character, throughout the whole story.

The reason that I loved "The Old Man and the Sea" is because this book inspired me the most. It made me think of how the old man's life is the kind of live anyone would want. Although he is poor and lonely, he loves everyone around him no matter how much they discourage him, and he believes in himself enough to set out goals that seems unreachable. He knows that he can succeed in practically anything. The old man has everything he needs in this world: determination and strength. Santiago's battle was a very hard one, but no matter how hard it got, he never gave up Mainly, this story portrayed hope. Santiago created hope when there was none. He was strong when his body was weak. Santiago himself has said, "Man is not made for defeat....A man can be destroyed but not defeated."
The strength of his will is what keeps him going. It is all that holds his failing body together. Even though the old man's strength seemed a little over-exaggerated and unrealistic sometimes, the rest of the story has fixed that. The boy is a good example of a casual person, and the fish is just a casual fish.

This book has many different interpretations. To one person, this could be a story of how a man was so determined that he never gave up, not matter how much suffering he had to go through. Another person may think of this story as just another story of symbolism, because the old man, no matter how aged and hurt, had strength and bravery throughout the whole story.
While one person may this of this story as a story of success, another one might just label the old man as too desperate and obsessed, because he almost lost his life over catching a fish. To another person this story might portray that riches and wealth give nothing, and that a person can live a good life without any of that. To me, this story had a different meaning, but is similar to the first one. This story represents courage, trust, and love to me. It represents courage, because the old man had courage in times when most people fear. He had the courage to go out there, knowing he will succeed in his goals, and he rejected fear, doubt, and weakness. It represents trust, because the old man trusted himself. Sometimes, in a tough situation, people do things they normally wouldn't. Sometimes people say they would never do something, but at the end, they turn out to. Mothers who love their children, actually ate their children in times of starvation, and this is because of how their brain reacted. The old man knew that he could trust himself not to give up. He knew he would keep going no matter how back-breaking the work would be. He knew that he wouldn't betray himself and give up in the end, like many people do. It also represents love, because the old man loved his dream and hobby. Catching the marlin was his dream, and fishing was hobby. He loved the feeling of success, and self-respect, and so he loved the dream of catching the fish so much that he decided to go out and make it reality. I can really relate to this story, because many times, I suffer in order to get a reward at the end. Even though I don't actually get a reward, just like the old man didn't, I get respect, and it makes me feel better too. This story could have had a different ending, one that many people said they would have liked. Some think it would have been better if Santiago would have towed the enormous fish back to port and posed for a triumphal photograph, but instead his prize gets devoured by a school of sharks. Santiago returned home with little more than a skeleton, but that didn't mean anything to him. He was not fully defeated, and that made him feel proud. He didn't want credit or popularity, because he didn't care about any of those things. All he wanted was to finally succeed in catching a fish, and that's what happened. When he returned home, he went to bed and, dreamed about the lions.

I recommend this book to everyone. It is such an encouraging and outstanding story, and I think that everyone should get a change to read it. If you've read it, but you didn't find it touching or meaningful, then you've missed the point. I never knew that a story a little over 120 pages could have so much meaning, and teach you such great things.

The book Ichose to read was The old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. This book was very interesting to me because this is the first time I am reading a book written by Ernest Hemingway. This novel was a hundred and fifty three pages. After I read this novel I convinced myself that this was an interesting book to read. That is because the author Ernest Hemingway has only a few weaknesses in his novel. This novel had a lot of strengths, the one that I liked was, he did'nt bore his audience with the book, he had many interesting ideas. From all the books that Iread this novel was the most interesting and understandable novel.This book is perfect for teenagers to read because they learn that success doesnt just come by just sitting there, it comes by working very hard. Another strength was that the kid and the old man worked together and showed that to be successful in life, it takes friendship, and working together like a team. Another strength was it had a lot of symbolism. Besides strenghts this book had a few weaknesses too. The part where the old man Santiago spent two days trying to catch a big fish that was the size of his boat. Ernest Hemingway could have made it a lttle bit more interesting by adding a little more action to the novel. The story is overly simplistic. I recommend this novel to everyone that can read. I would not recommend this novel to anyone who likes adventures. And to anyone who doesnt like complicated, suspensful novels. In conclusion this novel taught me a lot of stuff like, never quit, and reach for your goals. I understood the importance of having people help me, and the value of friendship. I recommend you to read this novel, You will understand a lot of things you didnt before. By Gevork Sarkisyan

The book Ichose to read was The old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. This book was very interesting to me because this is the first time I am reading a book written by Ernest Hemingway. This novel was a hundred and fifty three pages. After I read this novel I convinced myself that this was an interesting book to read. That is because the author Ernest Hemingway has only a few weaknesses in his novel. This novel had a lot of strengths, the one that I liked was, he did'nt bore his audience with the book, he had many interesting ideas. From all the books that Iread this novel was the most interesting and understandable novel.This book is perfect for teenagers to read because they learn that success doesnt just come by just sitting there, it comes by working very hard. Another strength was that the kid and the old man worked together and showed that to be successful in life, it takes friendship, and working together like a team. Another strength was it had a lot of symbolism. Besides strenghts this book had a few weaknesses too. The part where the old man Santiago spent two days trying to catch a big fish that was the size of his boat. Ernest Hemingway could have made it a lttle bit more interesting by adding a little more action to the novel. The story is overly simplistic. I recommend this novel to everyone that can read. I would not recommend this novel to anyone who likes adventures. And to anyone who doesnt like complicated, suspensful novels. In conclusion this novel taught me a lot of stuff like, never quit, and reach for your goals. I understood the importance of having people help me, and the value of friendship. I recommend you to read this novel, You will understand a lot of things you didnt before.

The book Ichose to read was The old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. This book was very interesting to me because this is the first time I am reading a book written by Ernest Hemingway. This novel was a hundred and fifty three pages. After I read this novel I convinced myself that this was an interesting book to read. That is because the author Ernest Hemingway has only a few weaknesses in his novel. This novel had a lot of strengths, the one that I liked was, he did'nt bore his audience with the book, he had many interesting ideas. From all the books that Iread this novel was the most interesting and understandable novel.This book is perfect for teenagers to read because they learn that success doesnt just come by just sitting there, it comes by working very hard. Another strength was that the kid and the old man worked together and showed that to be successful in life, it takes friendship, and working together like a team. Another strength was it had a lot of symbolism. Besides strenghts this book had a few weaknesses too. The part where the old man Santiago spent two days trying to catch a big fish that was the size of his boat. Ernest Hemingway could have made it a lttle bit more interesting by adding a little more action to the novel. The story is overly simplistic. I recommend this novel to everyone that can read. I would not recommend this novel to anyone who likes adventures. And to anyone who doesnt like complicated, suspensful novels. In conclusion this novel taught me a lot of stuff like, never quit, and reach for your goals. I understood the importance of having people help me, and the value of friendship. I recommend you to read this novel, You will understand a lot of things you didnt before. By Gevork Sarkisyan