William King Books

A very interesting book making plausible and reasonable suggestions as to the locations and reasons for what little is really known about the Arthurian legends. Mr Miller suggests in a light and amusing way that there is a lot more evidence that Arthur fought his battles in what is now called Brittany than in Great Britain. He discusses his sources of information and ultimately leaves it to the reader to judge what, if anything, is the truth. It is sufficiently beguiling that I've reread it three times and taken a holiday in Brittany just to check out what he says, and am now researching the early monks who are his main sources of information. Whether he's right or just being a stand-in, I'd vote for the Breton Arzur to be the one to Stand Up.

The Arthurian cycle has inspired and engendered any number of books this century, both fiction and non-fiction. However, very few of them have taken such an original approach to the subject of the "real" Arthur, nor have many of them been quite so completely overlooked at the same time. In all my reading on the subject over thirty years, I have never once heard or seen this book mentioned anywhere. Yet it is a very good addition to this mighty body of literature, whether it be, as some are no doubt inclined to think, completely fictitious or not. It certainly deserves to come out of its present obscurity.

It seems as though Millar stumbled on his theory pretty much by accident. He was living in Brittany for the purpose of writing a book about the Breton tunnymen (or tuna fishermen), when it occurred to him that some of the local place names could be mistaken for those, long argued about, relating to the legendary battles of King Arthur. Indeed, one of the book's strengths is that, basing his enquiry on information coming down from a ninth century monk named Nennius, he has been able to completely override the arguments which have sought to place the battle sites in various parts of England, Scotland and Wales. It has been the great weakness all along, that nobody has succeeded in naming all the sites and when they have identified one of them, someone else has insisted that it is some hundreds of miles distant, instead. Everyone wants Arthur for his own. And so it goes on. So Millar decided to investigate and, if he could, to try and place all nine sites into the Breton landscape. The story of his bus ride around the province doing just that, makes terrific reading. Of course, taking Arthur right out of Britain is hardly politically correct, but.... Whether you agree with him or not, this is great detective work and, if you have been interested in Arthur for any length of time, it will certainly leave you wondering.

South-African born actor/diarist Anthony Sher writes the book on the physical process of character development with his excellent memoir on the evolution of his character for the title role in William Shakespeare's "Richard III".

Sher drew upon the natural terrain in the Western Cape region of southern africa to inform the physicality of his character and to create one of the most memorable interpretations of Richard in Stratford history.

This book is an invaluable source for working actors as well as for non-actors who wish to better understand and appreciate the intuitive actions of the artist in search of excellence.

Antony Sher's other books include the memoirs Woza Shakespeare: Titus Andronicus in South Africa, with Gregory Doran (1997), Beside Myself (2002), Characters (1990), and Primo Time (2005); the novels, Cheap Lives (1995), The Indoor Boy (1996), Middlepost (1989), and The Feast (1999); and the play "ID" (2003).

"Year of the King" is a fine opportunity to watch an actor prepare for a role. In this case, the actor, Antony Sher, on the verge of leaving the Royal Shakespeare Company, is offered Richard III, one of Shakespeare's most complex and twisted characters. The book is Sher's journal, filled with a mixture of backstage anecdotes, evocative illustrations by Sher, and moments when the acting process becomes clear, inspired, and thought-provoking. Sher opens his life to the reader, taking us from the initial speculation ("Will they ask me to play Richard?") to the rehearsal processes and character work to the performances. Sher's writing is compelling, honest, and comfortably readable, without even the tiniest bit of ego that so often plagues this kind of journal. It is a glimpse into the process, both artistic and personal, that an actor endures in pursuit of a character. I have used "Year of the King" as a textbook in an acting class, as an example of how one can use a journal, and as a foundation for a course in theatre criticism. I would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in theatre and classical acting.

A collection of sorts, based around the sixties experience and Vietnam, from early teenagerhood to many years later, following some people intersecting paths over the years. Maybe a touch autobiographical from what the author says in the intro.

The supernatural bad guys in the first long novella I think are likely from The Dark Tower series, which I have not read a lot of beyond some novellas that make up the first book.

Hearts In Atlantis : Low Men in Yellow Coats - Stephen King
Hearts In Atlantis : Hearts in Atlantis [short story] - Stephen King
Hearts In Atlantis : Blind Willie - Stephen King
Hearts In Atlantis : Why We're in Vietnam - Stephen King
Hearts In Atlantis : Heavenly Shades of Night are Falling - Stephen King

You can take me, but don't Breaker the boy.

3.5 out of 5


Hunt the Bitch in a little more moderation.

3.5 out of 5


Post Vietnam dodgy begging.

3 out of 5


Old mamasan ghost.

3.5 out of 5


Fits like an old glove.

3 out of 5




3.5 out of 5

This reading, which is also the Audible reading, may take some getting used to. Stephen King does relatively little acting here, while William Hurt apparently does none at all, yet by the end of the book I thought it was one of the finest dramatic readings I had ever heard.

Unlike what you may hear from Frank Mueller or Jim Dale, both readers seem to believe the text itself is sufficient to invoke the reader's emotion. King does this through a reading that sounds like his natural speaking voice. Yet, perhaps because this book has a special significance to him, his plain, unadorned reading, by careful use of pause and emphasis, sets a mood and draws out nuance and significance that I had missed by reading.

William Hurt uses very little in the way of accents or attempts to act different voices. His reading at first seemed interrupted by ill-timed pauses. Yet as the reading continued, I realized that he was using silence, pace, and emphasis to wring out tremendous emotion. The simple moments of childhood were fresh, the scenes of confrontation edgy in a way I have rarely felt in a reading, and in the confrontation between Bobby's mother and Ted, you can hear every twist and distortion in her soul.

I hope William Hurt reads more books and intent to listen to them.

Low Men in Yellow Coats, the first long (300+ pages) story from Hearts in Atlantis, is a story I've wanted to read ever since hearing about it in The Dark Tower Concordance. If you are a King fan, you already know about his epic series of seven novels, which starts with The Gunslinger, and continues with The Drawing of the Three, The Waste Lands, Wizard and Glass, The Wolves of the Calla, The Song of Susannah, culminating in The Dark Tower.
Since finishing the series and the Concordance, I've enjoyed another related story, "The Little Sisters of Eluria," plus the Marvel comic books (The Gunslinger Born, a series of seven comics which concluded last year, and now The Long Road Home, a series of five more that launched recently.) Plus, while looking through my own library, I just discovered a Special Stephen King issue of F&SF magazine from 1991 which has a long excerpt from The Drawing of the Three called "The Bear" which I practically inhaled last weekend. It's great to be able to continue to live off-and-on in this strange world King created. Ultimately, The Dark Tower series is a karmic journey, which loops back to its beginning like a Möbius Strip.
Low Men is a coming of age story about a boy named Bobby who lives with his bitter and damaged mom in a boarding house, and Bobby's relationship with Ted Brautigan, one of the "breakers" from the Dark Tower series. The Low Men are Can-toi, demon soldiery of the Crimson King, sent to our world to bring Ted back to the world of the Dark Tower, and they amply fulfill their obligation to scare the living piss out of Bobby, (and readers like me!)

This book is actually two novels and some shorts stories with
a common thread. The first novel is an east coast Garrison Keillor with a PSI
grandpa added. The second is a college dorm story from the '60's about
a scholarship student. These two are pretty good, but the short stories except for the end one are dreadful.
I think he could have made a great novel of the first one by sticking to actual autobiographical material.
As it stands it leaves me, as most of Stephen King's work does,
feeling unclean for having read it. Last time I
read one of these I said to myself I wouldn't read anymore
of his trash...

I loved the movie so much that I wanted to read the book. The book had dark and creepy undertones, where the movie didn't show that at all. The movies made growing up in the sixties look fun, the book was strange, for example cars weren't really cars, they were alive. Movie was great, book not so much.

This is a very creepy ghost story. Judas is an aging former rock star who has a passion for bizarre things and much younger goth girl's. When his personal assistant spots an email offering Jude a chance to bid on a ghost, Jude agrees and gets much more than he bargained for when his past comes back to haunt him. This is an extremely creepy and well written ghost story and character study that I'd highly recommend. Though nearly all of the characters weren't exactly what I'd define as likable or sympathetic (except for the 2 german shephards) I will definitely pick up this guys next book.

Firstly, when I got this book, it was because I saw it reviewed in People magazine. I do like horror, but also like several other genres of fiction. In any case, this book was incredible!! Hill pulls you in and makes you LOVE his characters, the good, the bad, AND the ugly!! This book sucked me in so fast, I couldn't put it down, but at the same time, couldn't read it at night either! Hill is an amazing story teller. This is a book I will read again, just out of sheer enjoyment. Albiet a bit disturbing in some parts, isn't that JUST what makes horror so great???? I highly recommend this book if you like horror. And for those of you don't know...........Joe Hill is Stephen King's son!!

I really liked this book. It was a fast paced, thrilling ride. I could believe that the main character "Judas Coyne" is a real person - an aging rock star with full beard - hiding from himself and others. Being a dog lover, I really liked the fact that he had dogs that he loved. It made the character more realistic. This was a great book that had me checking the house before I turned in for the night. I look forward to reading more from Joe Hill.

I picked up this book with a great anticipation of getting lost in a good
ghost story, but I was soon disappointed. The author has an aging rock star named "Jude" buy a suit that was worn by a dead man. It comes in a black, heart-shaped box. Okay, fine, but then Jude finds another heart-shaped box from his childhood. For me, that was too many heart-shaped boxes for one story.

Also, and more importantly, the reader is introduced to the ghost too soon. The story needed more set work. Very early in the story the rock star walks right past the ghost, who is sitting in a chair. Jude tries to ignore him. That's too close, too soon, and it just didn't work for me.

I'm reminded of the sequel to the "Amityville Horror." I liked that story, but in the sequel, the woman is levitating on the second page, or so it seemed. No build up.

Lastly, I didn't find one character that I cared about. Believe it or not, that's important in a story. In Steven King's "Duma Key," I cared about the main character, and that kept me reading.

Joe Hill's novel may grab some readers, but I have to agree with the
other negative reviews.

I got this book on a whim, since I'd read several glowing reviews of it, including one by Neil Gaiman that got me really curious, and I'm glad I listened to that whim.

The Dickensianly-named Judas Coyne, an aging death metal rock star, gets more than he bargained for when he buys a suit that once belonged to a recently deceased hypnotist and spiritualist, to add to his collection of macabre curios. The unwelcome and unwholesome attachment to it sends him and his Goth girlfriend Georgia on a road trip through the Deep South, on which he is forced to confront many ghosts from his path before they can shake off the intruder. Joe Hill delicately balances the gruesome moments with psychological depth and flashes of black humor. It's the kind of book you'll want to bring along to read during a long summer trip, but make sure it's a plenty-long one: You'll find it hard to set it aside before you reach your destination...

Needful Things focuses on what the town of Castle Rock thinks is a great bargain when it turns out, they're paying more than what they've bartered for.

The characters are well written and developed; King has a way of telling how each character feels through 3rd person. Everything is tied together at the end of the novel making it very enjoyable.

Thanks to this book, I became a Stephen King fan.

A most intriguing and terrifying journey into the darkest depths of the human heart. Such a good read.

This one is great.Once again much more involved and interesting than the movie even though the movie was pretty good. Be sure and read it even if and maybe especially if you saw the movie.

I just finished this, it rocks. A great ending to Stephen King's Castle Rock stories. The only bad part of this book was the epilogue (You've Been Here Before), it was one of the worst ones I have seen. I wish King had ended it where the last view of the town was shown. Other than the terrible epilogue, this was a magnificent novel.



P.S. Stay away from the movie, it is a piece of crap and it sucks.

Note: I made some Mormon angry because of my negative reviews of books out to prove the Book of Mormon, and that person has been slamming my reviews almost as soon as they are posted. Oh, well.

Your "helpful" vote is greatly appreciated. Thanks, and note that a short review is not necessarily a bad review if it leads you to a great novel. I'm just trying to give you the essence here:

An evil man opens a curio shop in the small town of Castle Rock. The shop caters to people's innermost desires. For example, there is a horse-racing toy. You make tags that have the names of horses that are going to be in a particular race. Then you put the tags on the toy horses, wind up the toy, and see which horse wins. From there you make your bet. You will win, but at a price--paid to the devil.

I couldn't put this book down. It hooked me from page one.

I ordered this book for my sister who was struggling with an online college English course. She could not understand Shakespeare and was really having a hard time. I found this book on Amazon and had it sent to her. She not only understands Shakespeare now, she actually enjoys it! The original writing is on one side of the page, and the plain English version is right beside it. Wonderful!! I have no doubt my sister will now make an A in her class as well as become a fan of Shakespeare!

I'm not ashamed to admit it. I find Shakespeare difficult. I need help. The Cambridge School Shakespeare editions, with the classroom activities and assignments on each facing page, give me the focus and direction I need to finally truly enjoy the text.

I thought I didn't like Shakespeare until I took a class on several of the plays. It turns out that I love Shakespeare when I'm doing close reading or studying it carefully but for whatever reason I find it extremely difficult to do on my own. The Cambridge School editions allow me to replicate the classroom experience on my own, providing enough background and questions for critical thought that I keep a close focus on the text. Previous times I've attempted to read 'Hamlet' I was struggling just to figure out what was going on; reading this edition I was analyzing the characters and considering different acting and directing choices. It's amazing.

As a college student who had to write a paper on Hamlet,Again,I of course had to get away from any classic ideas about the play. Being a student with a talent for writing I would never be able to "get away with," these common theories, as professor's expect much more. This book really helped me to create a rather ambitious and interesting thesis; one which went against the criticisms in the book, and was refreshingly new.

I like the individual criticisms in this book as they really force you to look harder for textual evidence. One of the BEST things about the book was that it included the whole play as well. That was so useful because I didn't have to juggle two books -one of them being the complete works of Shakespeare which weighs about 20lbs. I was able to take this book everywhere and work on it whenever I had spare time.

However, I would not sugesst this book for an individual who does not have a very strong background in Hamlet. You need to know the play Extremely well in order for this book to benefit you. If you do not know Hamlet inside and out, then this book will only cause confusion and you should probably stay away from it, as the theories may be difficult to comprehend.

Shakespeare Made Easy is a great tool for anyone interested in Shakespeare. It provides the inquisitive Shakespeare amateur with means of understanding passages they do not decipher in the original text. However, it is important to note, this is not the right book for a high school classroom. It allows students to "read one of Shakespeare's plays" without actually reading a word of what Shakespeare himself wrote. Half of what makes Shakespeare so captivating is his style and wordplay. Deprived of those two elements Shakespeare's plays are only stories with good plot. Ultimately, students who don't take the challenge of reading the original text before reading the translation will be less interested in Shakespeare after because they will not have experienced the witticism in his literature. In essence this version of Shakespeare provides a cheep way out for unmotivated students that ultimately rewards neither their teachers nor themselves.

With this generation's youth it is difficult to find many students interested in Shakespeare. Shakespeare Made Easy is the key. The general stories that William Shakespeare put down on paper are truly remarkable and quite fun to read. However, these days there is hardly any interest in deeply analyzing pages and pages of Shakespearian English, especially with his longest play, Hamlet.
With the original text on one page and a modern translation on the opposing page this version of Hamlet can be an insightful read as well as a pleasure read. By having the option of both translations the reader will be fully immersed in the story, rather than the text, and come out on the other end singing the praises of Shakespeare and Hamlet. This is a breakthrough version of Hamlet and should be the premier choice of teachers and students alike. Nothing, except perhaps the movie, will excite the adolescent world to Shakespeare more than this version of Hamlet.

I see the reading level as 9-12. Yikes! If Harry Potter is 9-12, then Little should be 1-3. I did love the beginning of this story. There is no explanation as to why a human mother presumably gives birth to a mouse instead of a human child. The story goes on without anymore reference to it. As if this is just the way it was. End of discussion. I loved that! Funny. And the writing is charming, to be sure, but the story just goes on without getting anywhere. It's one adventure after another without an end in sight. No goal. That's my trouble with Stuart Little.

To explain the sudden and unsatisfying ending, I did hear that the author, White, was quite a hypochondriac. At the time of this book's writing, he was convinced he was going to die at any moment, (He ended up living a number of decades after Stuart Little was first published.) So, fearing certain death, White demanded the publisher to publish the book now!, as is, "before I die tomorrow!" Amazing, but true.

I enjoyed this book, but I didn't really enjoy the ending. The beginning and middle were well written, the characters were well thought out. The boat race was probably the most exciting part. The ending was poorly written. However, EB White was suffering from hypochondria, and this is why he ended the book so abruptly and never wrote a sequel. He could have written one, but was suffering from this illness. I prefer the movie, very sadly, in this one instance.

my 6 yr old read charlotte's web - wanted this one - loves it also

The price matches the quality. A very good novel that entertains children as well as parents.

When Mrs. Fredrick C. Little gave birth to her second son, everyone was surprised when it was a mouse. Even though Stuart is only two inches tall, he has all the attributes of a human, including the ability to talk. And he finds that his small size is a help around the house. But it also gets him into some dangerous situations since people often overlook him. Whether it's going down the drain looking for a ring, sailing a boat on a pond in Central Park, or accidentally getting thrown out with the garbage, you can bet that Stuart will face any obstacle head on.

I was first read this book in first grade and loved it for the most part. Even back then, the ending bothered me. Still, there plenty of laughs at some of Stuart's adventures, and the early chapters are entertaining. Garth Williams' illustrations are absolutely darling, and add much charm to the story.

However, the second half really disappointed me when I reread it. The first half is pretty much a series of unconnected adventures. The barest hint of a plot begins to take shape in the second half, but it goes no where. Furthermore, Stuart begins to show some rather immature behavior in those last few chapters. While he had always had some arrogance, it became too much by the end. And that doesn't even touch the ending, which leaves the plot that had finally taken hold completely unresolved.

This book is really a character study rather then a story. Parts of it will entertain kids. But the second half will let them down and the ending will leave them unsatisfied. The book isn't bad, but it's too bad it doesn't live up to my memories.

I have read all of Kathy Reichs books. An author who has lived what they write is extremely important! Yes there are good, even some excellent writers out there, however, who knows their subject matter than one who has lived it. I am also happy for Ms. Reichs success of "Bones" the tv show. Go for it all!
Cathy in FL

This is the third Kathy Reichs' book that I have read and I find her novels to be very engrossing. She's a good author; her books flow easily and are quick reads because you have such a hard time putting them down.

I really liked this one because of the plot twists that keep you guessing, and also, Tempe is a great character. She's witty, yet professional and she loves cats! :) Reichs does an awesome job of explaining Carbon 14 and other scientific processes that I have never understood, and through her explanation, they made sense to me.

Monday Mourning was suspenseful and intelligent. I will continue to read this series because it's very well written and entertaining.

I came to Kathy Reichs' work via the BONES TV show, which while far-fetched has an entertaining quality that I thought might be a bit more grounded in her fiction. Well, it is grounded and not in a good way. After wading through Brennan's love life, with a dilemma about her boyfriend's young companion that has an answer so obvious it is insulting that Brennan doesn't figure it out or at least ask the right questions to deal with it, Brennan's friend going through her own marital crisis, and the contentious relationship with one of the investigating officers that seems so unprofessional that I can't believe it hasn't been resolved at this point in the series.
The saving grace is the science that is well explained and fascinating, without the sci-fi elements present in the TV show. The case dealing with the discovery of three bodies in the basement of a pizza parlor leads to a variety avenues of investigation which is well done until Brennan plays hero and the reality is once again drained away from the book. I don't think it's fair to judge a popular series with one book, but if this is a prime example of Reichs' work I'll stick with the TV version.

I have been a Reichs fan since the start. Initially I was relieved to find such great books after tiring of the increasing implausibility of the Patricia Cornwell series. However, Monday Mourning is a disappointment. Reichs' strength is her intellectually challenging plots, dropping tidbits of information at regular intervals that occupy the mind without enabling us to solve too much of the puzzle before she does. The second half of Monday Mourning does not disappoint in this regard, if you are still reading by then. But the first half . . . slow, repetitive, riddled with painfully laboured descriptive allusions. It's like watching paint dry. There simply doesn't seem to be enough story for it to have any pace. And without pace, one is left to contemplate the stilted, flowery writing. Brennan herself is annoying. These kinds of books work well too if the central character is interesting. But Reichs has taken to portraying Tempe as a caricature: she has no depth. Same old mindless hostility at Claudel, the endless emphasis on how fresh and emotionally affected she is by "her girls" (the crime victims) despite years in the job (if this was for real she'd have a nervous breakdown), and a demonstration of the relationship skills of a goldfish in her senseless attempts to terminate her relationship with Andrew Ryan, without actually ever asking him why he's seemed a bit preoccupied lately. The only relationship that felt at all real was the one with her friend Ann. As I said, the last part of the plot unfolds in true Reichs style, but if the rest doesn't pick up in the next book, I'll be reading someone who hasn't lost their edge instead.

Book came in the time frame and in the condition specified.

Stephen King writes short stories that are made for reading outloud, and no one reads them better than King does himself. The audio recording of "1408" outdoes the movie of the same name, while "Lunch at the Gotham Cafe" is bloody entertaining. If you enjoy King's readings, you need to check out the audiobook of King's Bag of Bones, also read by the author.

You just can not beat the author reading his own work. Loved it!! Three superb chillers read by 'the king' himself. I highly recommend this to all Stephen King fans.

These short stories did not give me the "thrill" that I was looking for from Stephen King. I cannot tecommend this.

As great a job as king did reading these stories i cant understand why he dosent do more readings on cd.. Hes a natural and sounds great doing it...

"Blood and Smoke" is an audio collection of three Stephen King short stories, read by Stephen King himself, and available on cassette, CD or as an audio download.

I'll start this review by making a few comments about each of the stories.

"1408"

This is a story about a hotel room that attacks the occupants in strange ways. It causes some people to commit suicide, some to die in other ways, some to contract serious health problems, and it causes everyone entering the room to experience weird sensations and thoughts.

How can a hotel room be evil? What malevolent forces are involved here? Why?

The protagonist, Mike Enslin, doesn't believe in the supernatural, at least not when he checks into room 1408. The question now is whether or not he'll live to check out again.

"In the Deathroom"

This story takes place in a Central American dictatorship and pits Fletcher, a New York Times reporter, against the head of the local secret police, who intends to torture and then kill Fletcher. Fletcher's chances of survival are approximately zero, and the major question seems to concern the way in which he will die.

There is nothing supernatural involved in this story. All the horror comes from a man-made situation and features simple human evil. What kind of people can torture human beings and find enjoyment in it?

Incidentally, I'm fairly sure that the background for this story is Stephen King's outrage over the rape and murder of three American nuns in El Salvador in 1980. There is a certain anger in his writing that is understandable when taking that real-life occurrence into account.

"Lunch at the Gotham Café"

In this last story Steven Davis' wife Diane has left him abruptly with no warning and he finds himself in a messy divorce. He discovers how desperately he wants Diane back and then he discovers how much Diane hates his guts. On top of it all he gives up smoking, going cold turkey from between 20 and 40 cigarettes a day to zero, and is suffering from nicotine withdrawal both physically and psychologically, as well as insomnia. He's a complete mess.

A luncheon meeting is suggested by Diane's lawyer, and Steven Davis wants so badly to see Diane again that he goes to the meeting against the advice of his own lawyer. Lunch at the Gotham Café starts off badly with Steven and Diane tearing into each other emotionally. And then things go completely crazy, in a horrible and totally unexpected way.

Again, there is no supernatural involved, just plain old human insanity, including the kinds of insanity commonly known as love and hate. It could happen to you or me.

The total length of the three stories is approximately 3 3/4 hours.

All three of these stories are very good. They all feature the standard Stephen King ingredients: very believable, fairly ordinary, people, suddenly confronted with a very horrible situation, a situation way beyond the horrors most of us will ever encounter. We empathize with these people and root for them, although we know that they may not survive the horror they've encountered.

Hearing Stephen King read these stories himself is an added bonus. You can hear that he really believes in what he has written, and he thus invites you to join him.

Highly recommended.

All three of these stories are included in the book "Everything's Eventual", along with 11 other short stories by Stephen King. If you dislike audio books or if you want to save money then that is obviously the better deal.

Rennie Petersen

After some of the less than favorable reviews I had read, I was afraid to spend any money or time on this book, I am certainly glad that I did take the chance on it anyway.
Have you ever longed to walk Versailles with Marie Antoinette? well this book is your chance. Sena literally channels Toinette for us, as our time and world fall away, and we are in the span of years that Marie Antoinette lived. I have read 542 pages in one and 1/2 days, simply because I could not stand to be away from Antoinette's side until the last horrible moment when there was nothing left. Oh my god, who would not wish to experience this wild ride with the most charming and courageous hostess imaginable?
I read this book with a large art book of Versailles open to the plans and views from the various windows, rooms and fountains to look at as the situation arose. I can only say that I was transported back some 230 years, and spent these past two days with someone I would most want to spend some time with, as apposed to only researching or reading about the great and fascinating Marie Antoinette. Thank-you Sena Jeter Naslund for this truly incredible experience!

The one thing I worried about when starting this novel was that it might be dry, as often historical novels can be. However, I was pleasantly surprised that even with 500+ pages I was steadily entertained with Abundance. Dare I say I even thoroughly enjoyed it.

Abundance takes the life of Marie Antoinette and puts us in her shoes so to speak. Just looking at it as a fiction novel based on actual events, which is what it is, I felt it was very well written and presented. There were a lot of subtlties included that added to the story, a lot of information. There were quite a few characters, minor and major, but I had an ok time keeping everyone straight which isn't always the case in a novel like this. The author actually takes a historical icon and puts her down to our level, what we can understand or relate to and I think that is why this novel is so compelling. From beginning to the bitter end.

Overall, very impressed!! I will be checking out some of Sena Jeter Naslund's other works and hoping they are as good.

The best thing about Naslund's portrayal of Marie Antoinette is how perfectly she captured the young, hopeful, and often naive voice of the Austrian beauty. Like all worthy books, this one has much to teach. The language is so ornate, the descriptions as sweet and rich as a truffle, that one cannot read this quickly, but rather in savored doses.

Item was received in the specified amount of time and the item was as it was described.

Marie Antoinette was a superficial woman borne into nobility and trapped by its externals. She relished beauty, and made friends with royalty based first upon outward beauty.
There was nothing discriminating in her judgment. Serious problems fermenting amongst the working class and the angle of a pearl necklace to be painted in a portrait of her were given equal weight in her mind.
Naslund is a skillful writer who brilliantly captures the awe of a young teenage girl witnessing Versailles for the first time. But I don't agree with her that Marie Antoinette's life was "a valuable one". It was a frivolous, self serving, imperious life.
Marie Antoinette was taught the outward behavior of the court well by her mother, the Maria Theresa, empress of Austria. But one doesn't rule by grace, charm, and looks. When hearing of riots in France, Maria Antoinette convinced herself that she cared about her people because she declined to accept an extravagant necklace. Yet she excessively decorated several retreats for herself to get away from her stresses. And she ordered porcelain dinnerware studded with jewels for a holiday meal. And she gambled excessively while knowing the precarious situation of commoners.
Until the actual reign of terror, as the pressures are mounting, the disaffection of the commoners was merely alluded to from time to time. And the folly of Marie Antionette's extravagances was pointed out mostly in letters from her far more sophisticated mother, who was rightfully worried about where her daughter's excesses would lead. If more serious attention was paid to Maria Theresa's importuning, much suffering could have been avoided.
Although she was tried on trumped up, false charges, were my family a commoner who paid taxes, while starving, so she could luxuriate on the backs of me and my peers, I doubt I'd have had any sympathy for her. Despite Naslund's fascination with this woman, and gifted prose, she was unable to evoke any sympathy from me either.