Prose Books

It's great to hear from Authors on REAL supernatural experiences they've had. I thougt this was an awesome book, a great find if you come across it!

this was a excelant book, but some of the stories were pretty unbelivable.

My nephew is an aspiring horror writer. This book, including segments by his favorite authors, was the perfect gift at this early stage of his writing career.

I discovered a few authors in this wonderful collection and enjoyed these stories tremendously. I really enjoyed this collection o stories and I didn't expect to as much as I did. The book is worth its weight at least in sterling silver with about sixty tales - TRUE tales of the macabre and paranormal.

Okay, so they spelled Stephen King's name wrong on the cover. So, what? If found this book fascinating and entertaining at the same time. It is filled with stories by famous authors, both past and present. The one that sticks out the most is Ramsey Campbell's "The Nearest to a Ghost." He goes to the cemetery to scatter his mother's ashes and feels a powerful sense of grief that isn't his own. The feeling vanishes after a moment, his own grief returning. Creepy, huh? This is one of about thirty true-life experiences these people came face-to-face with. A great read.

DearJuliette: Letters of May Sarton to Juliette Huxley is both biography and autobiography, plus a rich example of the nearly lost art of letter-writing. May Sarton wrote to Juliette Huxley between the years 1936 and 1948, then resumed in 1976 until about a month and a half before her beloved Juliette died in l994. These letters reveal the growth of the human being, May Sarton from the age of 23 until she was in her eighties: the breath of her interests, her passions, her humor, her anquishes and most of all her deep love for a remarkable woman, Juliette. In her preface and footnotes, the editor Susan Sherman, broadens the scope of the book into a biography by filling in the details about the people and events that May writes of. As both women were fluent in French, May often slipped into that language as she wrote. Susan Sherman¹s translations are extremely helpful. This is a book one wants to own, so to savor a few delightful (and some very sad) letters at a time. As a whole it reveals a much more truthful picture of May Sarton than Margot Peters¹ recent biography.

DearJuliette: Letters of May Sarton to Juliette Huxley is both biography and autobiography, plus a rich example of the nearly lost art of letter-writing. May Sarton wrote to Juliette Huxley between the years 1936 and 1948, then resumed in 1976 until about a month and a half before her beloved Juliette died in l994. These letters reveal the growth of the human being, May Sarton from the age of 23 until she was in her eighties: the breath of her interests, her passions, her humor, her anquishes and most of all her deep love for a remarkable woman, Juliette. In her preface and footnotes, the editor Susan Sherman, broadens the scope of the book into a biography by filling in the details about the people and events that May writes of. As both women were fluent in French, May often slipped into that language as she wrote. Susan Sherman¹s translations are extremely helpful. This is a book one wants to own, so to savor a few delightful (and some very sad) letters at a time. As a whole it reveals a much more truthful picture of May Sarton than Margot Peters¹ recent biography.

In this book of letters, rich in description of life before, during, and after the war, Sarton's inner climate and varied landscape are revealed in fascinating detail. Readers find fertile ground for contemplation of who Sarton really was and why this friendship endured. *Dear Juliette* contains extraordinarily detailed notes researched by Susan Sherman who is knowledgeable about her subject from both personal and scholarly perspectives. Providing a palette of color and shading in emotional texture as well as factual background, Sherman's notes add tremendous depth to the story Sarton tells. The preface gives the reader insightful information about Sarton's complicated temperament and brings clarity and understanding to the canvas. This is Sarton at her best: with the transparency she so valued telling her readers about the most remarkable love of her life.....her dear Juliette.

From Erika Pfander Director of the Chamber Theatre of Maine; Director and Producer of May Sarton's only plays: "The Music Box Bird" and "The Underground River"

DEAR JULIETTE; LETTERS OF MAY SARTON TO JULIETTE HUXLEY

Readers of May Sarton-whose numbers are legion- must indeed be grateful for Susan Sherman, the gifted editor of this exquisite book. As official editor of Sarton's letters Ms. Sherman is undertaking the herculean task of compiling and editing Sarton's voluminous correspondences: it is clear from what she has given us in this richly rewarding volume(and,two previous volumes: May Sarton: AMONG THE USUAL DAYS and MAY SARTON; SELECTED LETTERS (1916-1954), that she is uniquely qualified for the task.

Sherman is a writer of grace,wisdom,and integrity-evidenced by her sensitive selection of letters and photographs, and her illuminating notes and preface. This volume is a gift to all Sarton's readers, for the letters let us hear Sarton's voice at every stage of her life. While the journals, which have moved and inspired so many-with their bracing honesty,intelligence,and keen observation of nature (human and otherwise)-are full of the richness and challenges of daily life in her middle and late years, their references to the past are memories.

Her letters, however, are those memories, as well as each day's life as it was lived, and they reveal her ardent, vibrant mind and sensitive spirit. Throughout her life she was a seeker of beauty,justice,and truth-and thus was vulnerable to(but not diminished by) heartache and disappointment. Her involvement with the Huxleys spanned the years 1936-1948; her deep love for, and abiding friendship with Juliette survived a 25 year silence,and when renewed-lasted until Juliette's death,a year before May's own death in 1995. What a delicate balance, that three-way relationship [Julian-May-Juliette]-and what a privilige to be given an intimate view of this remarkable friendship between two extraordinary women set against extraordinary times.

Susan Sherman, editor of Dear Juliette, was bequeathed the challenge of bringing to life Sarton's relationship with Juliette Huxley. Too frail and in ill health to complete the process of selecting and editing hundreds of letters and completing an introduction that would preface this story, Sarton asked Ms. Sherman to complete the work. As editor of previous volumes of Sarton's unpublished poems and letters, including May Sarton Among the Usual Days and May Sarton: Selected Letters 1916-1954, Ms. Sherman was well qualified to bring this project to fruition, the results of which are this monumental achievement presenting the immortalization of the "ethos of a love affair." In a letter written to Juliette in 1937 Sarton comments: "How difficult it is to love well - to know when it is better to be silent, that even joy can strain the heart so frightfully - though in general everything that denies life seems false to me." (63)* That comment sums up a great deal of Sarton's feelings about human relationships and would remain essentially the same throughout her life. She could not deny love, regardless of the pain, suffering, fear or misunderstanding that may develop. Sarton first met the Huxleys, Julian and Juliette, in 1936. This meeting would change her life forever. Ironically, she first shared a love affair with Julian Huxley, biologist and then Director of the London Zoo. It was through this affair that Sarton grew to realize her real passion was reserved for women, as she explained to Julian in a letter: ". . . there is a part of me perhaps the writing part that needs a woman as a man needs a woman. ... However much one loves there are things one can't do against one's own spirit." (70) It was the writing part of her, the poet, who fell in love with Juliette. Juliette became Sarton's muse as poetry flowed from her pen. "One of the great virtues [of poetry] is that power to say an apparently unsayable thing quite simply." (44) Yet this love, as intense and powerful as it was, was not destined to be fully reciprocated. Juliett's fear and misunderstanding eventually dictated a twenty-seven year separation which was only overcome upon the death of Julian Huxley in the mid 1970s. Eventually May Sarton and Juliette Huxley were reuinited, the circle of the ethos of their love affair was completed. The intervening years of silence had not destroyed the love Sarton held for Juliette, it had just tempered it. ". . . the pain is no longer acute; joy is no longer as intense as one looks back." (295) But the letters and poetry that were written around this passionate friendship remain and are a testament to its endurance. They underscore Sarton's presceint statement from 1948: "I would race through the years to meet you at the other end." (241) *page numbers are from the text of Dear Juliette Lenora P. Blouin Author: May Sarton: A Bibliography Scarecrow Press, 1978 Forthcoming: May Sarton: A Revised Bibliography Scarecrow Press, 2000

Pittalwala may allow his characters to be baffled by their surroundings, but he never leads his readers astray. Unforgettable!

I happened on this book via an interview with Mr. Pittalwalla in a South Asian-audience magazine. My curiosity was piqued by the fact that he was a graduate of my University (in atmospheric sciences, no less). That he stumbled into a writing workshop, and went on to the Iowa Writer's Workshop - that impressed me no end.

I am not normally a fan of short stories, but these are INTENSE. You need to put the book down, catch your breath, and reflect on what you've just read. I haven't even finished reading the book, but the stories "A Change of Lights," "Ramadan," and espescially "Lost in the U.S.A." are some of the best things I've read in a long time. I'm a habitual book-byer (rather an oddity for a librarian) but this is one book that will stay in my personal library for a long time.

By the way, Iqbal, if you ever read this, I love the subtle dig on page 111 about "those idiots Mistry and Narayan" never shutting up.

Mr. Pittalwala is a gifted writer and a keen observer of the individual spirit. I have never been a short story reader; I prefer losing myself in the pages and chapters of a novel. Dear Paramount Pictures changed that! With his perfectly chosen words and incredibly sensitive insights, Mr. Pittalwala magically captures sights, sounds, smells and emotions in his stories about a rich culture of India, both in that homeland and in the U.S. Each story took me into the hearts and minds of the characters, and leaving me satisfied that I have shared their secrets, fears, discoveries and resolves.

A great book. A much needed easy read. Excellent stories and could relate to quite a few of them. Great humour with serious undertones.

Iqbal Pittalwala's first book of short stories is a very good read. Pittalwala has put together a fine portrayal of the characters in the stories as well as their own readings of their life situation. He has kept the style simple and the pages pretty much turn themselves. It calls to mind Rohinton Mistry's writing in its somber take on life for, mostly, middle class "Bombayites". However, despite its dark world view, the book allows for a gently sly humor at the expense of the vivid characters that populate it.

Whether it is woman confronting her horrific history as a homeless crippled mother in "A Change of Lights" or a father and a daughter's trip to the movies in "Bombay Talkies" or a woman deluding herself about her relationship and her talent in "Guruji" or two wives of one man and their three perspectives on the same situation, we are led with a quiet wisdom into truths about their lives.

Seeing the same thing from the point of view of multiple characters is wonderful, but not particularly unique in fiction writing. Pittalwala's talent is that he can reveal multiple takes on a particular situation from within the same character as well. And all these perspectives live together in this book in a manner entirely appropriate to the multiplicity of viewpoints and life truths that exist, not just for the book's characters, but that most of us encounter in the "real" world.

A DIVISION OF THE SPOILS by Paul Scott is the last book in his series known as the Raj Quartet. The four books are classics, that have been read and will continue to be read centuries from now as readers attempt to understand what happened during the last days of the British Raj in India. I read history but I am also a great fan of well written historical fiction and these books are extremely well written historical fiction. Having read them, I am much more enlightened about the struggles which continue today betweem Hindu and Muslim.

Many of the characters from the earlier books converge in DIVISION, and the book introduces a new character, Guy Perron, who is a Chillingborough-Cambridge educated historian whose "period" and place are mid-19th Century India. Guy's character is used to tie up all the loose ends.

After arriving in India as a British army sergeant (he has elected not become an officer although his education and class clearly warrent it), Guy has the misfortune to be "chosen" by the recently-promoted-to-LtCol. and very wicked Ronald Merrick as his aide-de-camp. Merrick is still riddled with class envy, and sees in Guy an excellent opportunity to abuse someone he despises. Fortunately, Guy is able to escape from Merrick through the graces of his Aunt Charlotte who pulls strings to have him released from the army.

Fortunately for Guy, he doesn't escape Merrick before he meets Sarah Layton. Their story is told in this fourth volume and certain elements of the tale bring to mind the earlier story of Hari Kumar and Daphne Manners. In fact, it is through Guy's meeting of Merrick, Sarah, and another Chillingburrian, Nigel Rowan (who interviewed Hari Kumar in prison) that he becomes interested in the events at Mayapore in 1942 and the subsequent consequences for all involved.

As with other great classics, in DIVISION things do not always evolve as the reader would have wished. This book is very realistic -- sorrow and joy are mixed. In JEWEL IN THE CROWN, the first book in the series, Lady Chatterjee says she does not want to go to a heaven that excludes joy and sorrow because being human requires one to feel joy and sorrow.

Perhaps it is because humans can experience sorrow they are capable of experiencing joy. In the end, the reader discovers Hari Kumar's fate and the identity of Philoctetes as well as the difference between Dharma and Karma. This is a powerful series and a fabulous ending to the tale.

The Raj Quartet comes to its spectacular conclusion with "A Division of the Spoils." Of the four books, I perhaps enjoyed this one the most. The main character (Guy Perron) is observant, funny, and human, so he's easy to like. He is a complete opposite of the story's antagonist, Ronald Merrick. The scenes in which they must work together (Perron is a sergeant and Merrick his officer) are some of the best. I could hardly put this book down and finished it in just a few days.

Please do not let the length of this series dissuade you from reading it! The books are all very compelling and well-written. If you like historical fiction, they are very much worth your time. I would recommend you watch the mini-series (I rented it from Netflix), read the 4 books, and then watch the mini again. You'll get quite a bit out of it that way.

Enjoy!

Anyone reading the reviews for the previous 3 books, knows I have struggled to read these series. However, Scott absolutely redeemed himself with this final book.

The first book focused on the British occupation of India during WWII and introduced us to the "Manners" case - the only interesting bit in a book that had long waffly passages describing India. Who needs to read a history book? This book would have done it... The 2nd book focused more on the "Layton's" and was much more readable as it was the changing India as seen through the eyes of a few key characters. The 3rd book was a boring repetition of the 2nd book and this last book, about the end of the British occupation and WWII was just brilliant!

Like his much more enjoyable 2nd book, this one is told almost exclusively through the eyes of key characters we met in previous books - and it introduces us to the rakish charm of Guy Perron. I always remember Charles Dance's interpretation of Guy Perron in the BBC series making a strong impression on me, but I found the character in the book even more engaging.

This last book in the series was absolutely stunning and made persevering through the whole series somewhat worth it. I say somewhat, because it has been a real trial getting through the denser parts of Books I and III and I wouldn't push this series on anyone, even though the last book is a literary accomplishment.

I try to think if this book is readable without having read the previous books, and although I suspect it is (Scott continues to go back over vast chunks of history from someone else's point of view), it would be a shallow interpretation without the reader gaining all the knowledge from the first 3 books.

This book is just as impressive as the three others of the Raj Quartet. Once again, the cast of interesting characters is huge; the atmosphere of the time is brilliantly captured and the variety of scenes/plots is well mastered. The book is instructive and yet enormously entertaining. The Raj Quartet is one of the most rewarding pieces of literature I have ever read.

The four volumes of the Raj Quartet overlap and complement one another, while at the same time forwarding the main storyline of the slow twilight of the British ascendancy in India, always with the rape of a white girl by Indian men as the central lodestone everpresent in the background, the nightmare which is seldom mentioned but which none can drive from their minds. Events occur, are discussed, witnessed as newspaper reports, court documents, interviews, vague recollections from years later, or perceived directly by the main characters. Then the next volume will take two or three steps back into previous events, and these same events will be perceived from another angle, perhaps only as a vague report heard far away across the Indian plain, or witnessed directly by another character, or discussed in detail long after their occurrence over drinks on a verandah. This may at times seem like rehashing, indeed as one reads the four volumes one will be subjected to the account of the rape in the Bibighar Gardens many times over; but what will also become apparent is that additional details, sometimes minor variations in interpretation and sometimes crucial facts, are being added slowly to the events discussed, as though the window to the past were being progressively wiped cleaner and cleaner with successive strokes of Scott's pen. In this way he draws the picture of the last days of the Raj not in a conventional linear fashion, but recursively, and from multiple angles. One gets the clear impression of life in India during the first half of the 20th century as similar in nature: Fragmented, multifaceted, largely dependent upon perspective and experience and never perceived whole or all at once.

Book 4 is the tour-de-force of the series, the longest and the one that covers the greatest distance, emotionally and chronologically. Into the Laytons' social set come Nigel Rowan, an officer in the political branch whom we have met before in Book 2 interrogating Hari Kumar some years after his imprisonment, and Guy Perron, a sergeant in the intelligence service who is "chosen" against his will by Ronald Merrick to serve in his unit. Merrick seems deliberately to surround himself with people who dislike him: Guy Perron, Sarah Layton, and before them Daphne Manners and Hari Kumar. Rowan and Perron, incidentally, are former schoolmates of Kumar's at the posh Chillingborough Academy in England. And they're not the only ones: The British in India seem constantly reminded that Kumar symbolizes the insoluble problem of India's Britishness. He's too British for the Indians and too Indian for the British. Perron is an excellent guide through the final days of the Raj, stolid and proper yet inwardly seething with intellectual outrage. An explosive yet sombre climax in 1947 details the very end of the British presence in India, the beginnings of the Hindu-Muslim riots throughout the country, and gives an expansive sense of just how far one has come from the small town of Mayapore and the darkly deserted Bibighar Gardens.

What a powerful novel. Anyone seeking to either whet their historical appetite or emerse themselves in well written, well researched and well balanced account of the early pioneering days of the USA should get this novel and settle into a damn good read.

The people come alive in the book. Exciting to read about the life of the old west.

DREAM WEST captures the spirit of the turbulent mid-1800's and the nearly forgotten stories centering around the remarkable Captain John Charles Fremont (the Pathfinder). This was a refreshing look at one of America's great explorers who pioneered and mapped much of America's western regions. This book includes such historic characters as: the legendary explorer Kit Carson, and Fremont's wife the famed novelist Jessie Benton Fremont, her father the famous Missouri senator Thomas Hart Benton, cameos appearances from almost every famous politician during the mid-1800 through the Civil War (Lincoln, Grant, Polk, Clay, etc.).

John Charles Fremont was one America's most magnetic personalities. Just to list a few of many remarkable accomplishments, such as:
* He was California's first Governor (albeit for a very short period).
* After California's statehood is approved he was the first Senator for California.
* Became rich during the famed gold rush. Later lost it in a swindle.
* On the Republican ticket as an antislavery advocate he ran for President in 1956,. In fact he becomes a perennial presidential candidate.
* He achieves the rank of major general during the Civil War where he loses most of his battles and resigns.
* Later he becomes a Governor of Arizona and passes much ground breaking legislation.

The only complaint I have with this book (very minor) is the author's lenient treatment of Fremont's war record. In fact Fremont was demoted because he couldn't beat Stonewall Jackson. He lets Fremont off rather easily. Notwithstanding, John Charles Fremont truly was an extraordinary man. This story captures his spirit.

Anyone who has traveled the west has run across historical markers of John C. Freemont-particularly on passes. This is a book of historical fiction. Since James A. Michener died we've been hungry for solid historical novels. David Nevin does a nice job satisfying that hunger here. It was a sad book -a story of an explorer with too much risk-taking, too much integrity, too much trust, and too much self-sufficiency to survive in the world of the military, business or politics. What he did do well with was in marriage and exploration. You'll be captivated by the story on his winter crossing the High Sierras. You may cry at his defeated attempt to cross the San Juan ranges in Colorado. If you like these lessons you'll love the book:
o (1) If you enter politics you've got to play politics.
o (2) People with great personal ambition who do not know how to compromise and horse trade usually get destroyed by those with those skills.
o (3) Don't enter business if you aren't going to learn the rules and watch the business.
o (4) Don't make many enemies If you want to keep from being lonely in your old age.
o (5) When the chips are down only those who love you stay with you-respect and accomplishment will not inspire permanent loyalty-only love does that.
o (6) Never conclude you are a failure in life-the next generation will decide that for you after you're dead.
o (7) Marriage is God's way of helping us see our most hazardous traits-listening and learning this from a spouse can save great pain later.
o (7) When somebody gets a really raw deal those who resent it most are the family not the victim.
o (8) When large sums of money are involved people change.
o (9) Being great at one thing seldom transfers to being great at another.
o (10) I don't think I would have liked Abraham Lincoln if I had lived at the time-some people look better a hundred years later.

Author of the romantic historical, The Rebel's Pledge, a 5 star rated novel of the colonial period.

Dream West is one of the best novels I have ever read. It is powerfully and skillfully written. The story is based on truth about the brave men and women who forged westward. Dream West will move you, inspire you, and enrich your knowledge of America's history.

This is easily in the top three funniest books I've ever read(and I've read alot.) The imagination behind the Wade brother'sletters themselves is incredible. And clearly their targets just don't get it. Please, Wade brothers, do this again!

A very good follow up to MY BUSH PIG'S NAME IS BORIS, Humorist James "Woody" Wade is joined by his brother, Stu "Pointster" Wade in this effort. It's great to see that the business world can poke fun at itself by doing nothing more than business as usual. Can be easily read in one sitting if you don't mind cleaning up after yourself from time to time

The authors do a masterful job of exposing the humorless self-importance of the subjects of their correspondence. The discerning reader will detect a strain of melancholy and futility running throughout the mirthless, dehumanized responses to the authors' inquiries. Bravo, Brothers Wade!

For those with a good sense of humor ... this is a must read !! I knew the book just a little before Mr. James Wade came to my school. Then he was my professor in a great management course. You can't imagine how fun and professional this great person is. The book gives perfectly the image of how "Woody" is creative ! Do not miss this hilarious peace of work !!

I got this book a couple years ago and love it. It's great to take to places where you'll have to wait a while because you don't need to read it from beginning to end- you can open it to anyplace and flip around. I loved how the Wade brothers assumed the identies of all sorts of people, from mental patients to animal jewelry designers. It just shows how versatile they are. Their letters are always formal, though hilarious (such as asking Listerine for recipies and trying to find a house shaped like a W that can withstand atomic bombs). An excellent book for long- or short-term reading.

Thank you to Jim Matteson for reading every scrap the Alcotts left behind and digesting it into this wonderful dual biography.

I was a young reader of Little Women (maybe 10 times) and the rest of the series. Later as an adult, I never quite put together the pieces the family. Now I know how the Alcotts fit in with Emerson and Thoreau, the role of Fruitlands in the life of the Alcotts and how it was the Amy came to marry Laurie.

The above paragraph could sound flip without the understanding of how Louisa's fiction was a byproduct of both her father's idealism and his inability to support his family. Louisa would be his standard bearer, but she would at all costs, support the family.

Bronson's philosophy of education was ahead of his time. While it can be debated whether his career ending publications served the cause, it is clear, it did not serve the family well. Followed by a second public humiliation in the touted but failed Fruitlands experiment, you can imagine the grief of a former idealist with a young family to feed.

How many father's careers have been rescued by their children... and in the 19th century... any by their daughters? In the case of the Alcotts, it is more than a career redeemed, it is also values and virtues.

Matteson gives a wonderfully readable dual biography. He sticks with his thesis. It's good that he resisted the temptation to delve into the other interesting personalities of the time. Just like when I first read Little Women, I didn't want this book to end.

This is an engaging work of nonfiction. Matteson delivers a well written, fact driven, story about the interwoven lives of Bronson and Louisa May Alcott. Wonderfully rendered, it's never boring. Definitely worth a read if you're interested in 19th century women, writers, or history in general.

A well writen biography of one of the 19th. Centuries least famous literary families...The Alcotts father Bronson, mother Abba and daughters Elizabeth "Lizzy", Lousia May, Anna and May...This is a book without training wheels Professor Matterson leaves it to the reader to be familuar with Transdentialism, Godwinism, American Putitainism the lives of Hawthorne, Thoreau (Brothers), Enerson, the Lake District Poets, Wordsworth, Carisle etc. he doesn't take the time to inform the reader how they fit in to the Alcotts story...The heart of the book deals with the relationships bewteen Bronson Alcott and disgruntled Puritain turn Emerson transdentalist (Americas first hippie)and his cast of daughters who were as individual and different from each other as they could be...Louisa May the number two daughter is the focus of that relationship but her three sidters play strong supporting roles...If 19th. Century American Literature is of interest to you and you have done the prerequsites this will be an enjoyable read that will advance your knowledge of a most interesting if disfunctional family that played an inportant role in both literature and philosophy.

The author manages to do justice to both his subjects, Louisa May Alcott and her father. He also creates an excellent picture of the time and explains the transcendtalist movement. Besides L.M. Alcott and B. Alcott one learns a lot about Emerson, Thoreau, Elizabeth Peabody and other luminaries of the time. The book is fact driven, there are often long quotations from original material and it is very well written. A most enlightening book, bringing its subjects and their surroundings to life. I originally bought this book becasue of my interst in L.M. Alcott but by the end I found her father at least as interesting.
I read this book like a thriller, finishing it in three days.

I agree with all the other reviewers, this is an outstanding biography. It is also something of a cautionary tale of the utopian urge that occasionally effects intellectuals. Never able to support his family, Bronson Alcott persisted in searching for a heaven on earth. His actions to actually create such a place are very sad.

Leer al Capitán Alatriste en todas sus aventuras es volver a ser adolescente con un intelecto de universitario. Esta serie, nos recuerda a Alejandro Dumas, el ídolo de Reverte. En El Oro del Rey, cada página tiene una aventura y una nota histórica de la tierra madre que no fue nuestra tierra ni nuestra madre y que se llevó todas las riquezas del nuevo continente para financiar la guerra contra los moros.
Lo recomiendo igual que todos los otros seis o siete de esta serie. Advertencia: Si no tiene tiempo para dedicársele enteramente a este libro, no lo abra porque lo va a atrapar y al final, usted quedará diciendo, ¿cuándo leo el próximo libro?

Just finished the fourth of this magical saga of adventures and I cannot wait to purchase the next couple of tomes! Once again suspense crawls with a slow and patient pace, characters are resuscitated from Velázquez's canvases, the narrative borrows conspicuously Cervantine sketches, and the action episodes sprawl spontaneously with diminutely described fencing and brawling scenes. Do Pérez-Reverte's books get published in English? Such Spielbergesque epic is worth its circulation in one too many a tongue.

The saga of Captain Alatriste continues, as told by his young ward, Inigo Balboa. Inigo is growing up now and taking a more active role in the adventures. And Alatriste is growing more weary, a man of immeasurable courage, but with no illusions. In this adventure, Alatriste has returned from the war in Flanders only to receive a new and equally dangerous assignment in beautiful Seville.

As in the other books, Alatriste hangs out with the lights of Spanish society and with some of the dregs, moves easily in dangerous circles, takes on his new assignment with his usual few words and cold eyes. This time the adventure has to do with the king's gold, on its way from the Americas, much of it disappearing into unauthorized pockets. It's a truly deadly enterprise, but as usual--well, no, you'll just have to read it for yourself.

As always author Perez-Reverte writes brilliantly, with just the right mixture of sword-swinging action and cynical introspection about the sorry state of Spain in the Golden Age. He's a former war correspondent, so the writing is real and personal. As always I found many words not in my Spanish dictionaries, but I was usually able to figure out what was happening. Oh yes, Alatriste gets to meet the king, however briefly, and Inigo has another fateful encounter with his love interest, Angelica. Another great episode. What will I ever do when they're all finished? I recommend it highly. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.

In "El Oro del Rey" Perez-Reverte continues the story of Iñigo Balboa and his teacher/mentor/protector Capitan Alatriste. The story has elements of suspense, danger, love, betryal, loyalty, friendship and courage, and keeps the reader so captivated that I had a hard putting down the book and wished the story would never end. In this story Iñigio is betrayed by the women he has fallen dangerosuly in love the beautiful Angelica de Alquezar and is almost killed by the infamous italian hired killer Gualterio Malatesta, only to be saved at the lsat minute by Captain Alatriste and his friends. The story continues on as Captain Alatriste puts into motion the plan to rescue the King's gold with the help of a motley group of hired men that come from the underbelly of 17th century Seville society. It is in this part of the book that Pereze-Reverte shines in his ability to not only spin a good yarn, but to use the various characters, plot, narrative and historical context to make social commentary on Spain's polticial and social development. I highly recommend this book.

Una flota proveniente de Indias está por llegar a puerto, trayendo un valioso cargamento de productos americanos y, lo más interesante, toneladas de oro. No sólo la amenazan los peligros del mar y los piratas, sino también los funcionarios corruptos de un imperio en decadencia, que quieren sacar una buena tajada. El Capitán Alatriste tiene la misión de evitar que manos ajenas a las del rey obtengan ese oro; en esta aventura estará rodeado de gente que no tiembla al empuñar la espada, como Íñigo y Quevedo. Le acompañan Sebastián Copons, un viejo soldado y compañero de fatigas en Flandes; Saramago el portugués, un hombre de leyes y letras amén de espada, que despacha almas por encargo y por necesidad; y Juan Eslava, un jienense rubicundo, bardudo y sonriente, apodado El Galán de la Alameda. Esta novela, fabulosa y embaucadora de principio a fin, llena de hondura y de realismo, es un retablo social, una crónica cultural y un personaje cuya grandeza crece al ritmo de sus hazañas.Alatriste vuelve de la ciudad de Breda para continuar con sus desventuras en una ciudad española conocida por los lectores de Arturo gracias a "La piel del tambor". En Sevilla Alatriste se reencontrará con la realidad de su patria, con los peligros acechantes de sus enemigos y con su propio destino final.

A great autobiography of the man who, as a young boy, inspired his father to write the Pooh books. The magic and tragedy of childhood is presented in one of the most authentic books to show the world through a child's eyes. Christopher Milne's long quest to rid himself of the shadow of Christopher Robin is also presented beautifully.

A great autobiography of the man who, as a young boy, inspired his father to write the Pooh books. The magic and tragedy of childhood is presented in one of the most authentic books to show the world through a child's eyes. Christopher Milne's long quest to rid himself of the shadow of Christopher Robin is also presented beautifully.

....about enchanted places and enchanted childhood favorites.

Winnie the Pooh, Piglet and all their friends have been family friends of us for a long time, and it was a treat to find this book about Christopher Robin, and be able to read about what it was like to be him. Did he really have a bear named Winniw the Pooh, did the Hundred Acre Wood excist, did he and Pooh play on Poohstick Bridge? What a fantastic childhood he must have had?

Of course the imagination in my mind was not all correct, at least not the fantastic childhood part. In this book Christopher Milne tells us from his heart how it was to be the son of A.A.Milne, the creator of all our childhood friends. The book is written with alot of charm, but we can also read between the lines about the negative effects of being a "famous" child, a boy with a childhood who belonged to, and still belong to the whole world.

If you know Winnie the Pooh, and who doesn't, this book is a little diamond, a book full of great details, a book which gives a unique view of the Christopher Robin myth.

Britt Arnhild Lindland

...as was reading the rest of the trilogy when it was in print. (I got the whole trilogy through a friend in England, but I'd never heard that Mr. Milne had written a fourth volume.) I'm glad to see that excerpts of all his memoirs are available in one volume, BEYOND THE WORLD OF POOH, because Mr. Milne was indeed a gifted and sensitive man.

I have a special interest in this book because Christopher Robin, of all the characters, was my favorite -- indeed, my alter ego. I knew from an early age that there was a real boy behind the fictional character, and I sensed the three of us were a lot alike. It was a delight to find out just how right my intuition was.

Despite tales of Christopher Milne's bitterness over being forced into the spotlight by his father's tales of Pooh, this comming-to-terms-with-it-all autobiography is filled with wonderful memories of Christopher's childhood and his relationship with his father, his nanny and his mother. He addresses with much warmth and humor the question "What was it like to be Christopher Robin," and, as it goes into much detail about the real enchanted places in Ashdown Forest in England, it's a must read for anyone making an "expotition" to the real-life haunts of Pooh and friends

This is a fun little book, perfect for our current risk averse climate. You will learn about every odd every day object that could potentially do you harm. The entries recap studies that show potential side effects of such things as bowling, high chairs and optimism. The only thing I would like to see is a bit more information on each item. A typical entry lists the name of an object, and a danger but it doesn't explain much about why this is or how to prevent it.

In this fun little book, author and professor Dr. David French clues you in on what is bad for you, and the bad news is that it is everything! You know that too much of a good thing can be bad, well in this book Dr. French goes through all sorts of things that *can* be bad for you, including normal eyesight(!), licorice and even sleep. Yeah, this is a fun book, filled with lots of interesting points that you will want to toss at the ones you love - and keep them up at night worrying!

I loved this book, and highly recommend it!

What I liked about this book is that it's not only very funny, it also contains huge amounts of information about things that may actually be bad for you. The author himself is somewhat agnostic about how much of this stuff you should believe, but I found myself reassessing the things I eat, as well as becoming more alert about issues I hadn't given much thought to, like the reliability of medical care and prescription drugs. There's something for everyone: for example, any woman who is pregnant (or thinking of becoming so), should pay attention to what the book says about things from aspirin and soft cheeses to seafood and swimming pools. A small treasure.

A confirmed optimist, I surprised myself by liking this book a lot. It is a fascinating, being both very humorous and informative at the same time, and hard to put down. The writer presents evidence which suggests that not alone is everything bad for you, but that you are "damned if you do, and damned if you don't". It will make you laugh, which is good for you, but then again, maybe laughing isn't good for you! There is also an excellent list of websites to help track down solid information on a wide range of health issues. So I reckon whether you are an optimist or maybe a pessimist, looking for a laugh or trying to get some solid information on particular issues, or looking for a Christmas stocking present, check it out.

I can honestly say this book can provide hours of entertainment. Who knew that staples caused so many office accidents? Oh and did you know that holy water is actually bad for you?

Of course, there are the staple things that everyone knows is harmful to your health- drugs, smoking, drinking. But even with those the author adds at least something you didn't know, plus his little quips make all that drug education pounded into your head in middle school actually funny.

The book is in dictionary format- best idea ever. Get this book, then have all your friends shout out something and you look it up. I'm sure it could make an interesting drinking game too, I haven't tried though.

If you're a parent and would like to annoy the hell out of your child, if you're a hypochondriac and you need something to blame, or maybe if you're just bored, this is a great book. But if you are paranoid, I wouldn't recommend it. This will definetly not make you feel good.