Non-fiction Books

In this book, the second one in the Black Stallion series, the Black Stallion's real owner comes to retrieve him. He returns to his homeland, Arabia, soon after.You follow Alec, Raj, Henry, and Mr. Volence in an unforgettable adventure through Arabian deserts, facing criminals and hunger.
This was the best book that I ever read! If I could I would give it 9 million star!

Abu the Black Stallions ownerhad lost his horse by going on a ship to a country and the ship had started sinking.The Black had saved a boys life named Alec.Alec had thought that the owner of the horse was really dead but he wasnt,which Alec didnt know that.Well anyways Alec had took the Black home with him and put him in a stall and took good care of the Black.Well now Abu had been looking for his horse for a while now and so he had finally found out where his horse was and went to Alecs house and proved ownership of the Black.Then Abu had taken the horse back home to their country and then Alec was really upset that he didnt have that horse anymore so Abu said that he could have the Blacks baby that was born.

Abu the Black stallions owner had lost his horse by going on a ship to a country and the ship had started sinking.The Black had saved a boys life named Alec.Alec had thought that the owner of the horse was really dead but he wasnt,which Alec didnt know that.Well anyways Alec had took the Black home with him and put him in a stall and took good care of the Black.Well now Abu had been looking for his horse for a while now and so he had finally found out where his horse was and went to Alecs house and proved
ownership of the Black. Then Abu had taken the horse back home to their country and then Alec was really upset that he didnt have that horse anymore so Abu said that he could have the first Blacks baby that was born.

This mysterious and enchanting book takes Alec and Henry to a setting far from the one in the previous book. In the barren deserts of Arabia, they search for their black stallion in his own home. A thrilling tale of survival, and just as vivid, with a race for high stakes and a horse to beat any of the same caliber all thrown in too make the story plot thicken.

This book had me turning the pages, never wanting to put it down. The story was very different from the first, but not as much as some sequels. Farley had a way of keeping his characters in prospective, and in turn, the story again took the readers on an exhilarating ride. A great piece of literature for young tweens to read, though the movie does have violence in it, but seems to make the story even more thrilling. An excellent book I will be sure to show my kids one day.

After a mysterious attempt on the Black's life by an unknown one-armed assassin, Alec is shocked to meet an Arab sheik who claims to be the true owner. Regretfully surrendering the horse he has trained and loves dearly, Alec expects to spend a gloomy summer before his senior year. Conveniently for all concerned racing owner, Mr. Volence, agrees to take both trainer, Henry and the devoted youth abroad to seek better bloodlines for his stables--and incidentally search for the Black in distant Arabia.

Plunged into an exotic world of desert, treachery and bloodlust Alec and his party set out for a remote mountainous region where the Sheik reigns. Alec soon learns the price of betrayal, where blood demands blood, and the great race--held every 5 years--will soon be run. Befriended by a local orphan youth named Raj, Alec's party is abandoned to their fate in the desert, then rescued by a young but suspicious chieftain. How can Alex reach the elusive Sheik and convince him to sell
or gift him the magnificent Black? What will it take to end the bitter feud between rival sheiks? How can an American boy acquire the desert skills necessary to survive and win respect in a hostile environment? This sequel is every bit as exciting as the first book in the series, with hope for future stories, as it explores the wonderful and unique bond between boy and horse.

The Moosepath league series are fast becoming my favorite books after a lifetime of avid reading. The characters are joyfully delightful and woven into a yarn that is amusing, enchanting and at times magical. Take Charles Dickens Pickwickians, add some "Three Men in a Boat" charm, a liberal sprinkling of P.G. Wodehouse's comic situations, a little Jane Austen romance, a dash of "A Midsummer Night's Dream"'s magic; mix well and spread over a 19th century Maine landscape and you'll end up with this wonderful book. You must read it - however many stars I had to give, I'd give them all.

This book is sheer fun. I discovered it in a used book store and am buying the rest of the trilogy immediately. Before I was through with the book, I was looking into a vacation in Maine. Excellent.

Van Reid is an amazing story teller. There are many great stories within the larger story. This book was great, albeit a little slow in places. If you liked it at all, you should continue on to the other two books in the triology which just keep getting better.

Van Reid has a magic way with words. In "Cordelia Underwood" he has created each character (and there are many of them)with wit and insight. His characters understand the importance of kindness and respect. They are also, with a couple necessary exceptions, game for adventure, especially when that concerns helping a friend or rescuing a "damsel in distress" (who turns out pretty good at helping herself). There are stories within stories and intersecting adventures, and I found each a delight. They all fit together into as pleasurable a novel as I have ever read. You won't regret reading this.

Van Reid has crafted a delightfully charming work. CORDELIA UNDERWOOD actually made me, a deep-fried Southern Belle, dream of adventuring in the very New England setting inhabited by the members of the MOOSEPATH LEAGUE. I look forward with great anticipation to reading all the books in the series and sincerely hope that there will be many more escapades to read about in years to come. If you are a fan of Miss Read's English villages, Jan Karon's Mitford, and L.M. Montgomery's ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, then Van Reid's Maine missives are for you!

This is such a sweet (and sad) book. I have it in my school library and it is a wonderful book for children to read. I love how the little boy loves his dog and the depth of his feelings. My son and I have reread it everytime we have had to say goodby to one of our beloved pets. I gave this book to our family vet recently and this is the one he liked best for his young son. I highly recommend it.

Read it cried as usual. Great for my daughter. Did not do much for me on the healing process.

Of the three books I purchased for my two young friends (boys, aged 6 and 10) who was experiencing the loss of their life-time friend, Charlie-the beagle... this was the BEST BOOK of the three.
The pictures are wonderful, the text simple but meaningful, and most of all.. it tells us all that we should love and express that love while our 'friends' are with us. "I'll Always Love You" brought tears to even the adults reading it with the children; also a good lesson that it ok to cry and grief for our four-legged friends even if we are a grownup.
I'd recommend this book for any age child.

Sweet story. The best book I've seen so far to handle, in a children's story way, the death of a dog. The kid moves on pretty fast. That was the only discordant part for me, but i think i understand where the author was going with that...we don't need things to help us remember (except for me, i have the worst memory ever). Extremely cute illustrations. I am 36 years old and I cried when I read it. I had a best pal like the kid in the book, who lived with me for 13 years until July 2007. The ham hitting the floor reminded me of my buddy. Other books I found helpful, as an adult, before and after having to choose the time and day to let my best friend go. The authors give some contacts and advice if you are hitting a wall with your grief and how to take care of yourself. The Loss of a PetandGrieving the Death of a Pet, i also saw a journal for remembering that i am planning to buy. My Personal Pet Remembrance Journal.

Wilhelm, H. (1985). I'll always love you. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Synopsis: Can pets live forever? This is the story of a young boy and his pet dog, Elfie. Elfie and the boy do everything together. As the boy grows older, Elfie grows older at a much quicker rate. Not a night goes by when the boy tells his best friend, Elfie, how much he loves her. This is without a story for all families that have a pet. Young children learn the importance of loving and caring for their pets.

Evaluation: The concept of dying is a subject many families do not explore until the time comes when it is necessary to discuss. This gentle tale allows readers to ready their minds for the inevitable time when a family pet will pass away. Wilhelm's story provides children with positive, upbeat way to handle a difficult time in life. Young children will find the text to be heart warming and easy to understand. The watercolor illustrations are soft and cheerful which adds to tone of this story. In addition the simple illustrations provide children an uncluttered view into Elfie's world. Having a pet, is an experience many young children can relate to in today's world. Families will find joy in the humor of this story as they watch Elfie and the boy grow up. It is a charming story for any family that has both young children and pets. Wilhelm writes this story in simplistic text that allows young children to read and understand the concept of death and dying. Parents and educators will find that while the text is simple; it is a book that will allow children to open up to the process of grieving. Readers ages 4-10 will find this book appealing. This story is a bright, happy and upbeat book needed in every child's collection.

What a delight to step back into the art and politics of the Impressionists via Susan Vreeland's compelling, colourful, and creative book. The models of the famous picture come to life along with the whispers of the everyday life and loves of the times immediately following the Prussian War.

Luncheon of the Boating Party is a truly excellent book. Set in the Summer of 1880 in Paris and Chatou, the novel follows the story of the famous painting by Auguste Renoir, now in the Phillips Collection in DC. Egged on by an article written by Emile Zola, Renoir begins painting an idyllic scene on the balcony of the Maison Fournaise, of thirteen friends.

The story is intriguing because it's told from the point of view not just of Renoir, but the models in the painting. We're introduced, for example, to Augustine Fournaise, daughter of the owner of the restaurant, and Gustave Caillebotte the artist. We also meet Aline Charigot, the seamstress who later married Renoir. The iconic painting represents a mingling of classes as they devote a Sunday to the pursuit of leisure.

In all of this, Vreeland creates a beautiful novel that combines the realistic with the idealistic. We're also introduced to the fascinating artistic process Renoir's mind went through. It's a well-written and researched novel. Vreeland is in her element when she writes about art, and Luncheon of the Boating Party is no exception. What helps is that the painting appears right on the cover--I guarantee you'll turn back to the painting many times as you read. There are also illustrations inside, including a map of Paris and Chatou.

The book is what I ordered. There really isn't anything else to say.
Jill

I loved this book. I recommend having a copy of the picture to study as you read. I was constantly turning back to view the picture in the book. I created a guide to identify the people in the picture. I have a new appreciation for art and the brave artists who were committed to their work. I wondered if I would have recognized their greatness and supported their efforts at the time.

This book was done after much research. It was like being with Auguste Renoir and his friends on the terrace when he painted the Lucheon of the Boating Party. A great read and I hated for it to end.

Hector Hugh Munro, who used the pen name Saki, is, along with Guy de Maupassant, O. Henry and Anton Chekhov, one of the most best writers of short stories in literature. This collection is well worth reading. I rate it at four stars because compared to the other aforementioned writers it has too narrow a focus. Saki's stories are almost unfailingly humorous and concerned with the foibles of upper middle class British society in the period from about 1890 until 1915. In this sense they lack the variety of O. Henry, the poignancy of Maupassant and the scope and harsh reality of Chekhov. The humor is also very, very British. This evaluation may be a bit unfair especially since all the other reviewers have given it 5 stars.

Having said all that, the stories are still very enjoyable and a delight to read. Many of the stories are about cynical young men, children behaving badly and often involve animals. Some are quite clever and funny in any culture. Most of them are quite short--three or four pages--and thus can be read in a brief period. One can read them while eating a meal, when riding on a bus or train, or in any situation where you have a few minutes to spare.

The book is divided into six parts, but this division is largely artificial and without real meaning. The first part (Reginald) deals with the affairs of a young man of that name. Reginald is a young man given to making sharp repartees to disrupt dinner parties. For example in the first story, which bears his name, he asks guests to their utter confusion, "What did the Caspian see?" In Reginald On Besetting Sins we find, "the cook was a good cook as cooks go; and as cooks go she went."

Part three, The Chronicles of Clovis, deals for the most part with another young man, the irrepressible Clovis, a seventeen-year-old scamp. Here we find perhaps Saki's most famous story, The Unrest Cure. Clovis is riding on a train when he overhears a man saying how boring his life is. Noting the man's address Clovis vows to make it less so. Upon arriving home the man receives a telegram saying that the bishop is coming to his house and his secretary will arrive shortly to make the arrangements. The secretary, Clovis of course, soon arrives and begins disrupting the life of the household. He informs the man that the bishop has arrived and is in the library and that the real purpose of the bishop's visit is to kill all the Jews in the town! The man is horrified and proposes to leave to get the police but Clovis tells him that the house is surrounded by people (including boy scouts!) with orders to kill anyone attempting to leave. Shortly thereafter local Jews began to show up in response to telegrams sent to them by Clovis. Chaos abounds and the man's boredom is definitely cured.

Saki's descriptions of people get right to the point: "He has delightful hair and a weak mouth. I shall take him with me to Homborg (sic) or Cairo." He describes a corpulent musician getting up from a nap thusly: "the musician's flabby redundant figure sat up in bewildered semi-consciousness like an ice cream that had been taught to beg." Then there is this description of the Salvation Army: " It was quite interesting to be at close quarters with them, they're so absolutely different to what they used to be when I first remembered them in the eighties. They used to go about unkempt and disheveled, in a sort of smiling rage with the world, and now they're spruce and jaunty and flamboyantly decorative, like a geranium bed with religious convictions."

Some of the better stories include The Lull about a politician who takes a respite from campaigning with the help of a precocious little girl; Dusk, a story about the dangers of believing people who ask you for money; The Story Teller, in which a man on a train tells a story to some children that they will never forget; Forewarned, in which a young woman who has been living isolated in a rural area all her life suddenly goes to visit in the city and finds the politics too much for her sensibilities; and Hyacinth, in which a small boy by that name disrupts an election.

The best story in my opinion is the one that isn't funny. The Image of the Lost Soul tells of a church statue (the Lost Soul) and a small bird who become friends. But there friendship proves fleeting and the church bell rings out the moral--"after joy comes sorrow." The last few stories are about war (Saki served in WW I and was killed by a sniper in 1916) and tend to be more reflective.

All in all these stories should not be missed.

For a perfect summer read try picking up an old favorite... this collection of the work of Saki (real name: Hector Hugh Munro) includes over 130 short stories, three novels and three plays and sports an introduction by Noel Coward. Though written 100 years ago, this vast body of work is amazingly fresh and contemporary. Many of the stories are under four pages long, but they manage to paint amusing pictures of the privileged class as seen through the eyes of an obviously gay, brilliant and somewhat bored young man who uses a sharp knife to pry up the upper crust and expose what's beneath. Sample the stories - his work is available on line - [.........]

Saki is the consummate stylist and chronicler of a stuffy Victorian England nearing the end of its reign and world dominance. He savors the comedy of manners with all its many class-based restrictions and inbred peculiarities and finds ways to highlight--through ironic twists of fate--the inherent and underlying pathos of a people so stuck on themselves they frequently are tripped up on their own vanities.Therein lies the "beauty" of a Saki short story: he fleshes out the quirks and peccadillos of human nature--its pomp and its farcical facets--and we come away the better (and ennobled) for it. If it's a Saki story--there's subtle mirth and magical missteps awaiting the reader.One wonders what great additions to his rather slim body of work there would've been had he not perished--fighting in the war that was supposed to end all war: World War I.... A man of "privilege" who purposely sought no special dispensation during the vicissitudes of warfare when mustard gas hung ominously in the air and men were often taken by disease sooner than they were by enemy fire. A short life it was for the "old boy," H.H. Munro...one that lives on in his brilliant body of work....Well-told tales that will live on as long as questing readers come calling at the "House of Saki."

Saki (H.H. Munro) writes with a facility and style that guides the reader unerringly to the surprise denouement in which propriety is set on its head. His bitingly clever turns of phrase are made bearable by his eagerness to challenge and thwart the norms of society.

If you like your reading to be effervescent with a bit of vinegar thrown in for effect, look no further. Saki is hilarious at his best--which is most of the time. His stories of the misadventures of his alter-ego Reginald are unsurpassed.

"The Open Window" is here-it is considered by Saki aficionados to be his best story and who am I to argue. On first reading, it has the same effect as a pail of ice water - a shock to the system, but bracing!

And for the perfect practical joke, described deliciously, do read, "Reginald's Christmas Revel." You will never look at a paper bag in quite the same way, thereafter.

Sadly, his life was cut short by the Great War. One of his own bon mots will say it all: "To die before being painted by Sargent is to go to heaven prematurely." Amen.

I'm a Pug fan, so I'll admit bias. The book is on my media room/bar coffee table and our guests have often been delighted with some of the opinions expressed by Wilson.

It's just a fun book.

I loved this book, and received it as a gift. I wish I could get my pugs to pose like that for pictures, how does she do it? I have purchased this book for other pug friends of mine, and they have simply adored it. I highly suggest this book as a gift to a pug person.

The Tao of Pug is a wonderful book. I had never noticed the similarity between pug behavior and Taoism before. Taoists believe that people are good by nature, and that one should be kind to others simply because such treatment will probably be reciprocated. Pugs are naturally friendly and trusting. Taoism is focused on nature. Pugs happen to be very fascinated with nature (mostly by the parts of nature that are edible). Taoists seek answers to life's problems through inner meditation and outer observation. Have you ever seen the quizical look of a pug? This is a fun approach to both Tao and the Pug!

The Tao of Pug has great snapshots of pugs, and comically done by "Wilson the Pug", Nancy Levine's pug. 'Black and white isn't so bad', I always think to myself, looking at the pug photos. 'I believe it's just a nice, warm, way of showing pugs off.' The Tao of Pug will always be a family favorite!

This was great book. The pictures are awesome. It's a must for all pug lovers. I might be a little biased, though, I have a pug named wilson.

In Tristessa, Kerouac writes about his time on the road in Mexico City. The book is broken down into two parts, a year apart. It is a sort of love poem to Tristessa, the morphine addicted prostitute that he is in love with.

In true Kerouac fashion we once again live vicariously through his vivid writing of his experience on the road. His ability to bring the reader right into the middle of his world is the reason I keep coming back to him again and again.

Jack Kerouac describes his low-budget meanderings within the slums of the Prostitution and Drug Culture in 1950's Mexico City. His descriptions of the hovels that his "compadres" live in, is quite engrossing... it reminds me somewhat of the activities in the neighborhoods of modern-day Tijuana (short all the pets and chickens and so-forth)... I wouldn't recommend anyone attempt these same "feats" in modern-day Mexico City, as it has become a much more dangerous place for tourists over the last 50 years.

The fact that Kerouac is able to travel and live among the bohemian under-culture is one thing, but that he is able to describe it with his running dialog style on a typewriter is quite unique (a style that is something close to what I'd independently come up with at 14 in 1973, while capturing a dialog between a good friend and my sister on my Mom's old manual typewriter).

I can`t really review the whole book yet as I`m only on page 16, but so far this book is thick, and dripping in poetry. Kerouac is genius, unmistakable. I should have read this sooner--by page 16 it`s already more highly beautiful then 1000 other books combined. I`ll read the rest of it and write more later--Hopefully it`s more of the same

Tristessa by Jack Kerouac *****

Tristessa may just be the best thing Kerouac ever wrote. Yes I know On The Road was, and still is one of the greatest and most important books of all time, but I must say I don't think Kerouac ever felt what he wrote as much as he did when he wrote Tristessa. You can feel his heart aching in the literature, something that is very, very rare to find, but very rewarding when you do.

Tristessa follows a man in Mexico City, Mexico who is completely infatuated with a women named Tristessa who is a junky, to say the least. This tortured story follows these two along with a revolving door of assorted men, and her fellow girlfriends over the course of about a year and a half. These two love each other but the narrator can't bring himself to give into her because of her addictions and flighty ways, but he also is conflicted and can't leave her in this condition because he really does love her so, and her him.

This is a gut wrenching tail of love, loss, and not being able to let go. If this is not the most prolific thing Kerouac ever wrote it sure is close, and wins my pick for his best.

Many readers who love Kerouac consider "Tristessa" one of his finest novels. "Tristessa" has become the book of Kerouac that I return to most often. The book was initially rejected for publication, and it first appeared in paperback in 1960 following the success of "On the Road". The book initially may have been conceived as part of "On the Road." "Tristessa" is written in Kerouac's "spontaneous prose" style, with long rhythmic improvisational sentences and the feel of jazz. It is short, but deceptively complex, introspective, romantic, and sad. When I first read the book, I was taken by the descriptive passages and didn't pay much attention to the progression of the story. In my most recent reading, I got more from the story itself.

"Tristessa" consists of two short parts, each of which tells the story of the first-person narrator, Jack, as he makes two visits to Mexico City separated by about a year. Jack is in love with a morphine-ridden prostitute named Tristessa. In part 1 of the book, "Trembling and Chaste" we see the ambiguous relationship between Jack and Tristessa. The reader meets Tristessa in her shabby room, surrounded by other addicts, including her supplier, a man named El Indio, and by cats, dogs, chickens,and by a crucifix over her bed. Jack is with her, but he leaves and takes the reader on a tour through the underside of Mexico City, rife with poverty, drugs, and prostitutes. The scenes with Tristessa are interlaced with discussions of suffering, religion and Buddhism. Jack is in love with Tristessa, but he has taken a vow of sexual chastity which he reluctantly tries to honor. Tristessa appears to be in love with Jack.

In the year that intervenes between the two parts of the novel, Jack works
in a fire tower in the Northwest -- this story is told in Kerouac's "The Dharma Bums." When he returns to Mexico City as narrated in part 2 of the book, Tristessa's life has deteriorated as she has become more hopelessly addicted. Kerouac's friend Old Bull Gaines (William Burroughs) is also in love with Tristessa as is her supplier of drugs, El Indio. Jack tries to rescue Tristessa from injury,overdose and possible death as he stays with her through the streets of Mexico City and tries to find her a home. He loses her to Gaines and realizes the impossibility of their relationship -- which, in the published text, remains unconsummated. At the close of the book, Jack dreams of writing "long sad tales about people in the legend of my life... This part is my part of the movie". And he invites the reader "let's hear yours."

"Tristessa" is a short, highly personal, and deeply moving novel. Kerouac told the story of his own troubled life in a series of novels that have stayed with me. Every person has their own story, albeit not necessarily that of the beats. Kerouac has told his, and he has challenged the reader to understand and to respond with sympathy and joy to his or her own story: "lets hear yours."

Robin Friedman

The author of "The Silent Miaow" bats a home run again with this hugely imaginative fantasy novel about a boy who wishes he was a cat and then wakes up to find he has become one, and his adventures in cat form are captivating and enthralling. You will lose your heart to Jennie, his mentor in the ways of the feline, and you will keep this book to read over again. It's been on my bookshelf for decades now and I won't part with it.

A MUST READ for any cat lover or anyone who even LIKES felines. Paul Gallico definitely knows these wonderful animals and brings them to life on the pages of this book. You will get much pleasure from reading it.

Young Peter Brown adores cats, but no one else in his family does. He is constantly trying to adopt cats, but his Nanny just tosses them out. While on a walk Peter's eye is caught by yet another cat, a beautiful striped kitten. He runs off to catch it, and steps right into the path of an oncoming truck. As he lies in bed Peter finds himself changing into an actual cat, and his Nanny promptly tosses him out of the house. Now a stray in an alien world, the terrified Peter runs through London. When he seeks shelter he has a near fatal run in with Dempsey, a mean tom cat. Then Peter is rescued by the lovely Jennie Baldrin, a people hating stray who is, nonetheless, quite taken with Peter. As Jennie teaches Peter how to think and act like a cat, a friendship develops between them that slowly grows into something far deeper and important. This is a wonderful fantasy that will delight cat lovers of all ages. Recommended.

Although not a cat lover I read Jennie as a ten year old boy living and growing up in Glasgow during the late 60's. I remember borrowing a copy for the Castlemilk public library and read it several time during that summer. I now have two daughters who recently joined their local library, and during the summer holidays the youngest brought back a book called "Abandoned" and started getting really excited about a boy called Peter and a cat called Jennie, almost instantly I recognised it as Jennie. Well we bought a copy and one Sunday I read it again for the first time in 35 years, the memories came flooding back, Peter getting knocked down, the fight with the ginger tom, just wash, a wonderful book and an enduring story for all ages

I read this book after it was recommended by a fellow teacher-librarian. I read it aloud to my daughter (then 10 years old), who loved it! Years later, I read it to my Grade 4 class. Events intervened over the month of June, and it was the LAST day of school before summer vacation. After a long assembly we had about 20 minutes left to finish the final two chapters. Alas, the bell rang and all the children were free to go for the summer. No one moved. They all wanted to hear the end of the story. I still see former students who recall that book as a formative one for them.

This is the most amazing book I've ever read. Huffaker makes you feel like you are riding along with the fabulous characters. Whether wielding a Cossack sword or shooting a Cowboy's six-shooter you are part of the action. His character development brings you into the heroes mind's and by the end of the book you are in love with all the characters, despite their tremendous flaws. I can't say enough good about this book. Its a masterpiece.

Beware! If you love Western novels, this book will become the standard you measure them against. It has it all...my most recommended book to family and friends. I NEVER leave a copy unbought.

The "I don't read Westerns" crowd raves about it, too. No one understands why this hasn't been made into a movie. It is timeless, just wonderful!

I just finished reading "The Cowboy and the Cossack" for the umpteenth time. My twin and I read this book years ago and we loved it! However, over the years we lost our copy, so, I bought her one as a surprise Christmas gift. Boy, was she thrilled! We've been reading it over and over. The story and characters are truly awesome! You must read it. It is a jewel!

I read this book ages and ages ago and loved it so much that I looked for it in every public and military library I was near as a traveled around the world for twenty years in the Air Force. It's become so hard to find, that I finally purchased a used copy a couple of years ago. I am a voracious reader, but normally do not read Westerns. However, this is one of the best books I've ever read. It's essentially about friendship, honor, loyalty, etc., but it rises above cliches because the characters are so unique. It (and anything else by Huffaker) needs to be re-published.

I'm a voracious reader (not particularly of Westerns) and this book, which I read 15 years ago remains as one of my all time favorites. If any book deserves to be reprinted, it is this one! A must read!

I love this book. It was written from a jail cell in the 1600s. This version is the original so the text is difficult to read at first but I would not want a watered down modernized version (which can be purchased). I find if I read in chunks it starts to flow nicely. The characters have names like, "Evangelist", "Piety", "Talkative", "Faith", etc. So you know just where someone is coming from. I have marked up this book with pencil just like I do my scriptures! It is like reading one long parable in story form! Cool book. I'm glad to have found it.

We've read this book to our son and he has really enjoyed it. He doesn't yet fully understand everything and we had to stop and explain a lot to him, but it is something that we plan on reading over and over again as our kids continue to grow.
I read a review that stated that a main flaw in this book was the lack of one on one relationship with Christ. I can understand what they are saying, but I think what you have to keep in mind is that while we are here on earth and in our day and age we do not physically see Christ. He was once here walking and living on this earth, but He is now in heaven. He uses other means now to maintain a personal relationship with us. For example, we can know Christ through His word and through prayer. Just as in the book, He often also sends other Christians along in our life to help us and encourage us. This book is a good example of a walk of faith. We can't see and physically touch Christ right now, but when we are in heaven we WILL see Him just as Bunyan talks about in the book. Christian persevered in his walk without physically seeing Christ and he was rewarded in the end for his faith. For now, how much greater our reward is for those who have not seen Him and yet believed!

Enthralling. This book will help every Christian deal with the battles of being a Christian in this life and all the struggles that go with it. It teaches you never to give up even when you feel like you can't go on. Life's struggles are not a new occurrence, but as timeless as human existence itself. It teaches you not to be too concentrated on your struggles, but to look at the great prize which is Heaven and not be distracted or enticed by the struggles of life nor the easy way out. Excellent. It is a must read for every Christian.

The first time that I encountered Christian and his pilgrimage was as a preface and a family favorite in the book Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Unfortunately, it was not until twenty-something years later that I actually got around to reading the book itself. If I were you, I would not wait that long.

The first part of the current combined book appeared in 1678. Bunyan, a nonconformist Protestant minister who was imprisoned for preaching without a license, wrote at least the first part of the book in jail. The second part was first published in 1684. It is likely the most popular allegory ever written, and is still one of the best selling books of all time.

What makes it so popular? The obvious key to its popularity is its simple, crisp style. Even accounting for the language changes between the seventeenth century and now, it is not a struggle to read Progress and it flows well for the modern reader. Although the book is allegory, the characters are full of little realistic details that make them feel quite human. Incidentally, I was reading this book as I was walking some of the old pilgrimage trails of Europe and it was interesting to me how vivid and applicable his version of the pilgrimage experience is. The Slow of Despair rang remarkably true, as did characters such as Talkative and Mr. Worldly Wisdom.

The Oxford University Press edition is bound with a scholarly introduction which is, for a change, worth reading. It also came with explanatory notes and a glossary which were helpful for the modern reader who is not familiar with the everyday language of the period.

This book is a true classic. John Bunyan spins a wonderful tale of the spiritual walk to heaven. The language may be a bit hard and it won't be that easy of a read, but it is definately worth the while!

It is spiritually edifying and also quite captivating.

A must read!!!