Adaptations Books

Many themes of Anna Karenina are timeless: marriage, infidelity, the roles of men and women, personal fulfillment, honor, spirituality, and naturalism. If that isn't enough, then Tolstoy offers an 18th-century look at Russian society and culture, still well before the run-up to the revolution. Don't look to Tolstoy for enlightened feminism, although one of the characters argues for education and equality for women, and one of the minor threads relates to the status of peasants.

Tolstoy is not especially subtle in portraying his characters, full of emotion and conflict. Nobody is idealized, yet all still prompt some sympathy. The main characters are so richly drawn. Anna's decline was inevitable, but it's the loss of someone far from pure evil, with her significant talents and deep capacity for love.

Read Brothers Karamazov and Anna K at around the same time, as I did, and you'll get an excellent opportunity to compare two of the greatest Russian novelists head-to-head. Two thousand pages well spent.

I'm probably one of the very few people who read this classic without having a clue as to the ending (no, never saw the movie--still haven't) ... so it was a genuine surprise and it rocked me. The opening line is a killer ... nothing else like it in all of literature. Although I prefer Dostoevsky to Tolstoy, this is a genuine masterpiece.

It's really hard to understand sometimes! Anna Karenina is the famous Tolstoy tale of a wife who has an affair. At first, I wanted to quit it was such a difficult read, but once I got through it, I loved it. I have to say, I thought Kitty and Levin's relationship was really cute, especially when they finally kissed! I was super-sad when Anna killed herself, it just sucked that was so sorrowful that she felt the need to die. I didn't really like Vronsky, he seemed sort of like a jerk who just lost interest in Anna, after she left her husband and son for him. I like the parallels between Anna and Levin. Sometimes, it did get a little boring, like when Levin worked with some peasants in a field, it took like, a huge portion of the book to explain about the field-work. Also, I got a little confused when Levin started to believe in God. All in all, a good read, not for those who get bored easily, though.

"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." That line opens and sets the tone of "Anna Karenina," a tangled and tragic tale of nineteenth century Russia. Tolstoy's story of lovers and family is interlaced with razor-sharp social commentary and odd moments that are almost transcendent. In other words, this is a masterpiece.

When Stepan Oblonsky has an affair with the governess, his wife says that she's leaving him, and now the family is about to disintegrate. Stepan's sister Anna arrives to smooth over their marital problems, and consoles his wife Dolly until she agrees to stay. But on the train there, she met the outspoken Countess Vronsky, and the countess's dashing son, who is semi-engaged to Dolly's sister Kitty.

Anna and Vronsky start to fall in love -- despite the fact that Anna has been married for ten years, to a wealthy husband she doesn't care about, and has a young son. Even so, Anna rejects her loveless marriage and becomes the center of scandal and public hypocrisy, and even becomes pregnany by Vronsky. As she prepares to jump ship and get a divorce, Anna becomes a victim of her own passions...

That isn't the entire story, actually -- Tolstoy weaves in other plots, about disintegrating families, new marriages, and the melancholy Levin's constant search for God, truth, and goodness. Despite the grim storyline about adultery, and the social commentary, there's an almost transcendent quality to some of Tolstoy's writing. It's the most optimistic tragic book I've ever read.

For some reason, Tolstoy called this his "first novel," even though he had already written some before that. Perhaps it's because "Anna Karenina" tackles so many questions and themes, and does so without ever dropping the ball. No wonder it's so long and imposing -- Tolstoy covered a lot of ground in here.

And while "Anna Karenina" was not the first book he wrote, it is probably the deepest and most moving. Tolstoy steeps the book in social commentary, and his personal philosophies. It's also one of those books that takes a very long time to move itself forward -- Tolstoy's writing is slow and ponderous, with a lot of serious discussion about religion and relationships. But his intense, slightly rough writing is worth it.

In some tragic books, you get the feeling that the author really despises his characters, and doesn't really care what happens to them. Tolstoy never gives you that feeling -- no matter how annoying his characters are, they always have something interesting or endearing. No caricatures at all -- even Anna's irritating, arrogant brother is given some quirks to make him seem real.

Oddly enough, the most moving character here is not Anna, but Konstantin Levin -- the tortured, passionate landowner is so earnest that it's difficult not to care about him. Apparently he was Tolstoy's alter ego, which explains his depth. But Anna and Vronsky are strong leads, a passionate pair who are both selfish and seductive, but never boring.

A beautiful look at living right vs. living wrong, "Anna Karenina" is a truly magnificent book. This book is undoubtedly Tolstoy's opus, and a stunning look at human nature.

Half the content is elaborate banal detail used to establish context, but in it's more consequential moments this novel is the final word on the disingenuous nature of institutionalized aspects of social behaviour. It's a theme I've pondered and seen touched on in a few other books, but I was blown away by how comprehensively Tolstoy articulates and extrapolates my own thoughts.
This novel is primarily a work of philosophy, using the characters to illustrate social observations at the expense of a fully cohesive narrative.
It's difficult to understand how fans of classic fiction, who generally consider "reading" a neccessity for respectable people, don't take offense to this book as it seems to be constantly critcizing that kind of cultural pretense.
Another interesting thing I got from the book is how culture 100+ years ago doesn't seem as formal and conservative as I had previously been led to believe. Parents were already complaining about tradition falling out of favor among the younger generation and governmental red-tape was already something criticized as getting in the way of practical goals. On the other hand the doctors of the era are presented as having no medical knowledge whatsoever.
my fave quote:
"The word talent, which they understood to mean an innate and almost physical capacity, independent of mind and heart, and which was their term for everything an artist lives through, occurred very often in their conversation, since they required it as a name for something which they did not at all understand, but about which they wanted to talk."

This book seems to have been written to give the classic " The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" from the '40's a history, but later? C.S. Lewis continued to write about this alternate fantasy reality with the Christian overtones for seven books. I don't rate this as one of the better ones,
but they are all interesting mixes of magic, alternate worlds and
Christian divine right of kings mythology. We have ordinary boys and girls on their summer/ vacation "adventures" become princes
and princesses in Narnia where the horse and other animals talk.
This story starts the sequence as the boy and the Lion Aslan create a new young world where Narnia is a kingdom. Time and space and laws on nature are different in these parallel worlds: Charn from where the witch comes is very old, Earth is between in age and Narnia's world is new.
I have to say that even the worst of these books is very well written and thought out by a master story teller.

C. S. Lewis, The Magician's Nephew (Harper Collins, 1955)

Back when I was a kid, I read what were then considered the first two and a half books of the Chronicles of Narnia; I never did make it through The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Now, with the travesty that was the movie version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe hanging in my memory, I felt the need to go back and revisit these, first to see if I could finally finish Dawn Treader, and second to see if the books were as good as I remembered. Now I find they've also altered the order of them, for chronological order of the story rather than the release dates. And thus I started with The Magician's Nephew, which back in the day was the fifth book in the series.

This one tells the story of the creation of Narnia. There's an adventure bit thrown in for good measure, but it's really a creation myth. And I have to say I wasn't terribly fond of it, and I can't imagine I'd have liked it at all if it had been presented to me as the beginning of the series when I was growing up. There's just so much more going on in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (as I recall it, anyway). Still, it's a quick read, if one where Lewis was obviously writing to message rather than simply telling a story. But I certainly wouldn't recommend reading them in the "present" order; go back to the original, so you can be enchanted by the first books before getting to this. ***

It has been a long while since I read the Magician's Nephew for the first time. Nonetheless it came back to me to make the second time a even better experience. It is very well written and we enjoyed the creation of a new world and a beautiful world it was. This is a great book for all ages especially for those who enjoy magic.
Anna del C.
Author of "The Elf and the Princess"
The Elf and The Princess: The Silent Warrior Trilogy - Book One (The Silent Warrior Trilogy)

As a child, I was enchanted by the worlds in The Magician's Nephew - the descriptions of Charn, the creation of Narnia, and the Woods Between the Worlds - but I found myself cringing at the decidedly unsubtle allegory when I reread the book recently.

There is no avoiding the fact that this book is about Good versus Evil, nor that it is attempting to retell one of the creation stories from Genesis with the creation of Narnia. Everyone seems rather wooden and pushed into the rolls Lewis wants them to take and there is no real suspense or wonder. The good end happily and the bad do not, except for Jadis who must play the roll of Eden's serpent.

Furthermore, I was rather appalled at the treatment of Polly, the female Ketterleys, and Nellie/Queen Helen. I wish that I could better explain what I find so unsettling about them, but I can only point vaguely at their uselessness. I really didn't get a positive, empathetic feeling towards any of the women in the story, except for Mrs Kirke - and I suspect she only slides by because she's Digory's mother and she's ill.


So, that's that. It's an interesting little book, but steeped in 1950s children's book conventions, and it could use a good deal of updating to match it with modern sensibilities and a more dynamic writer.

Oh, and: I'm told in the opening pages that Lewis intended it to be read first among the Chronicles of Narnia, but I must disagree with this. To have such a blatantly allegorical story first in the set is to lose much of the wonder of discovering Narnia through the wardrobe with the Pevensie children. Besides which, much of the suspense and wonder in the second book are dashed away with all the background information that The Magician's Nephew provides.

I used to watch "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" cartoon constantly when I was a little kid. Strangely enough, despite the fact that I was an avid reader as a child, as I still am today, I never read these books. I did enjoy other fantasy novels as a kid, but for some reason these never came my way, nor did I ever really ask for them. So since the movies are now being made I decided that I would pick up the books and see if I could delve even deeper into the tale of Narnia, since it appears this one may not be made into film. It might, you never know.

Even though this is a children's book it draws a lot of influence from the Bible, in fact many of the situations in this book parallel that text greatly. It may not be obvious to young children, but for those that are well read in a great many texts, it will be blatantly obvious. I am quite irreligious, but I have still read the Bible as well as a great many books and I am certainly not such a prude in my beliefs to deny how influential the Bible has been in literature. I will discuss the parallels later, for now I will go over the tale and what I thought of it.

Even though this book was written after "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", "The Magician's Nephew" is actually the prequel to the whole saga! The story centers around two children, Digory and Polly, and how they got brought into an adventure that would be the starting point for so many others. Digory is living with his Uncle Andrew, who spends a good deal of time trying to find out the secrets of magical workings in our world. He stumbles upon success in the form of rings that transport the wearer into another dimension essentially. However, Andrew is a coward and he refuses to find out where they could transport him on his own, thus he enlists Digory to go for him, and unfortunately Polly gets sucked into the whole mess. Needless to say inter-dimensional travel doesn't ever seem to go very smoothly (whether I'm reading sci-fi or fantasy) and the two children are brought into both terrifying situations and mystifying worlds. Here we see the recounting of Narnia's creation, the first meeting with Aslan, and how Digory (the future professor) came into the possession of the now infamous wardrobe. The book is also filled with talking animals and very humorous situations as a result, something most any child should enjoy.

For a children's book I thought this was a really fascinating adventure. I thought the proposition that there's a lion, somewhere in some alternate reality, running around making all kinds worlds all strung together by a gateway nexus called "The Wood Between the Worlds" was simply a great premise. It certainly doesn't take very long to read and, as an adult, the language use is very simple, naturally the target audience is for the young. However, the tale and writing transcend it's youthful audience by having parallel's and influences from a very adult world, thus I think adult's can appreciate this book series quite a bit. It's no secret that C.S. Lewis was a devout Christian. Aslan, the lion, is obviously represented as Christ, Jadis (the Ice Queen) is the serpent/Satan as parallel's the biblical tales. There is even the temptation at the forbidden tree, but instead of an unnamed fruit we see the Christian mythology play into the book and it is specifically named an apple. I found myself wondering if C.S. Lewis did this intentionally or if he knew that the Bible never explicitly states Eve ate an apple, rather she just ate "fruit" from a tree. Also the recounting of Aslan's creation of Narnia parallel's that of the Genesis tale. The use of song is an interesting concept. It is well known in the Bible that God likes his praise to be sung, but using that as the specific coder of creation was an interesting take on it. The other part that greatly interested me was the treatment of evil. Like the Bible, Aslan is aware that a great evil is in his new world, yet he does nothing about this. He never states why he can't do anything, or why he won't, simply that calamity will strike Narnia in the future, but that he will take the brunt force of this pain (paralleling the crucifixion of Christ and using prophecy). It's a curious move not to explain anything, and maybe this is my philosophical mind over thinking something that isn't there, I don't know.

As you can see Biblical parallels are rife throughout this book, but it is in no way preachy to the readers and even those like myself who harbor anti-religious tendencies, you can still enjoy the fantasy world as it is. After all, in my opinion, it makes a much better fantasy story than truth. If you've seen the newer edition of "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" I would highly recommend you read "The Magician's Nephew" because it gives you some excellent background on where that world came from and how our worlds can link together.

I've been reading sci fi for years yet I was like a blind man until I read Tiger Tiger aka The star's my destination by Alfred Bester. He manages to fit so much in a few pages. It's fast paced and action packed, yet slow enough for you to catch every gem, which you will find in every single line. It forces you to contemplate life, the universe, and everything and will make you laugh while doing it. This is it folks. The best of the best, no wonder his name was Bester. It's cyberpunk before the genre existed. Gully Foyle, wadda character! Greg Bear called Bester's writing Jazz. It's that and at the same time a truly classical piece-the type often imitated but never as good as the original. This topped The foundation series and Ender's game for me-two other fave sci fi books. It is howling roll on the floor as tears stream down your face funny. Laughed out loud quite a few times reading it on the subway. Read in public at your own risk. Don't want you to be hauled off to the madhouse because I highly recommend you read it, but even then it'll be worth it. It's that good. And when you're done, feast your eyes and mind on The demolished man and Psycho Shop.

Considering its 50+ age, it's a solid piece of SF.
Sometimes heralded as the grandfather of cyberpunk (as many books tend to be labled), it's a interestingly techy novel. Lots of ideas thrown into a tub full of characters on a one-way plot to a fine blend.

What starts out as a sub-average joe works his way through suffering and up to revenge. He transforms himself, through his inferno-like revenge, into an articulate human. However, his actions don't correct themselves as his language patterns had. His conditioning is on display through his relationships with other characters. While he may not be on my top 20 favorite characters in SF, his journey is detailed and novel. On top of a good story, there are surprisingly numerous bits of technology involved in the plot, whether major or minor.

If it were written nowadays, it would have been a 4 star book. But considering its age, the craftsmanship from that era merits this book a 5 star rating.

I have read this book repeatedly since the early 70's when I first learned of the novel. I have also read everything Bester has written in the scifi category. I have lost so many editions of this book (including a first edtion) loaning it to friends for their enrichment only to never have it returned. This book has served me as inspiration of human endeavor and spirit. I have studied psychology and am employed as a Director of Social Services with a treatment program. This book entails many Jungian principles plus confrontation of the bright and dark aspects of our personalities. It is easily read re: length, but do not disservice yourself with a quick read. This book will stir your soul related to intropection and self-assessment. Buy it, borrow it, steal it out of a library if you have to.

I just can't get into a science fiction book in which the author does not understand the science he is writing about. Now i understand this is an older book but some of the things written in here make no sense. Examples include, seeing in the dark because his retina shines light, ...well, if that was the case it would be like the brightest flashlight being shined into your eyes, ...it would blind you not help you see in the dark. That one seems a little obvious to the average person interested in how things work, i.e. science. Another example is a man radiated by exposure to a fission bomb, now he is radioactive i guess and can't spend more than 5 minutes with anyone because it is harmful for them. Well, first of all you don't become radioactive by being radiated, lots of foods today are irradiated so as to kill off bacteria. It doesn't make them radioactive. But for the sake of argument, even if he was radioactive, why is it that he hasn't died? I mean he is harmful to others in 5 minutes, but he's ok? Does not make sense.

I think what makes this book so popular is characters and a very fast moving plot. I did enjoy that but the lack of research into the science he is writing about really sticks out especially when you are used to sci-fi that makes sense or science that may one day be, such as books written by Arthur C Clarke.

This book is over 50 years old, and it shows. There seems to have been a wave of more literature-minded sci fi authors to come later, and works like Dune or Hyperion make this one look rushed, silly, pedantic, and shallow.

However, I think you could consider science fiction of this age to be its own sub-genre, including works by Bester, Heinlein, Asimov, and others. It might seem campy, but it's fun. The allegory may seem overwrought, but these guys were breaking new ground at the time. I think if Bester thought he could have gotten away with writing two 700+ (think Hyperion or Robinson's Mars books) page monsters to tell this story he would have jumped at the chance. I don't know, maybe at the time editors underestimated the attention span of the average scifi reader, maybe grouping them in with comic book fans. The books of this generation are fast-paced, action packed, and brief (for the most part), and basically share a lot of characteristics with pot-boilers, pulp fiction.

I really admire this generation of writers, their quest to serve up something of real substance in such a limited format.

So yeah, I can't really disagree with reviewers here who rip on this book for being farfetched, or the characters for being shallow or archetypes, or for it being just plain silly at times. But I can't help seeing the book in context. It's not great literature, but it's an exciting read, and the reader can't help but be a little intrigued, if not by the science then by the theme (pedantic as the delivery might be).

I guess either you like this subgenre or you don't. I am starting to like it more and more, and I think this is a wonderful book, one of the best from this era.

Very refreshen to listen too. Lot's of valuable information to use spiritually, healthwise, and financially.

I like Wayne Dyer, he writes some very current books. He is not my favorite author as I sometimes get a bit brain-tied with how he expresses himself. With some thinking though, I've got the message and it's been very useful.

Now this book is lovely. He breaks down the pithy "Tao Te Ching" with 81 little chapters on the wisdom of Lao Tzu. Taoism is based upon the wisdom of Lao Tzu.

What I really like is that the little essays are very digestible and quick to read. One doesn't really feel like racing through the book, which I usually do. Instead I've really enjoyed going over a new verse or two here and there. It's one of those books I feel that one will want to finish, yet is in no hurry to do so. For me a sign of a good book is if it's not picked up in two weeks one still thinks about a quick read of a chapter or two.

Once again I feel Wayne is right on the money with the timing of this book. He's come off the back of the recent, "cosmic law of attraction" and "power of intention" and gone back to an ancient text that is an immortal classic.

The only caveat I will lay down is have a read or listen to Pema Chodron's "good medicine", "meditation", "getting unstuck". One will develop a very quick way to cleanse from self-criticism and enter a purer open mind, embracing all our minds imperfections and realising they are not part of our true being. Then any reference of Wayne's to do this or that will be bypassed and the pure essence of his message will come shining through. Sometimes we all tend to have our filters on, adding little bits of our own beliefs, thereby losing the purity of the cosmic message.

I am reading `Change your Thoughts ...' last thing at night and first thing in the morning. It is a Wonderful way to end the day and an Excellent way to begin the day.
I am taking a couple of days to read and `be with' each Verse. Dyer has included some wonderful phrases/quotes that I take into each day.

I bought the audio program...

Earl Nightingale came up with the strangest secret of You are what you think about a long time ago. Even at that time the critics thought that is no secret at all. I wholeheartedly agree with Wayne Dyer with regards to the main theme of the book but for me it has been quite difficult to follwo the advice of

Your feelings are a result of your thoughts. You are in control of your thoughts. Therefore, simply change your feelings by changing your thoughts. Much easier said than done...
Mohammad Yamin North Andover (northandover)

Easy to read and very insightful. I would recommend to read one verse a day and reflect on the message of the day.
You will benefit more if you keep an open mind.

Its a fast-paced book with few lulls, not 2 many dead moments. It is much funnier than I thought before picking it up, and the interaction between the 4 friends is classic. The style is brisk and light, often tounge-in-check. While long, it breezes by. But a few warnings: do not look at it with modern eyes. The value system is flawed (in addition Dumas has a habit of both glorifying & making fun of them nearly symultaneously) but this is not a book to read for a complex theme or deep thinking. To Dumas' credit, that is not at all what he set out to do, so its unfair when people hold that againist him. What this book is is a fun adventure that resists being put down.

This is the story of a poor, young, French man, named d'Artagnan Gascony. He leaves his home with only a sword, an old horse, and his family name. Fate steps in and he manages to meet and make angry not one, not two, but three of the kings swordsman, known as "Musketeers". They each decide to duel him, one right after the other, but only d'Artagnan knows this. When the first duel is to begin, all three Musketeers arrive, one to fight and the other two to act as seconds. Just as they begin exchanging blows the Cardinal's guard arrives and attempts to arrest the three Musketeers and d'Artagnan, forcing them to act together. The four defeat the Cardinal's guards and the adventure begins.

This book is loaded with characters who are either extremely evil such as the conniving Cardinal, or the wicked Midlady de Winter, or righteously heroic like the musketeers, d'Artagnan, his faithful servant Planchet , and love Constance. There are many tense moments, sword fights, and situation which require skill and offer danger to the friends of d'Artagnan.

When you consider that The Three Musketeers was written in 1846, over one hundred and fifty years ago, it is amazing that it can hold the attention of the modern reader, but that it does. Alexander Dumas allows you to see through his writing the details surrounding the situations, you are not a reader, but a by stander in d'Artagnan's exciting life. So dig in and be prepared to be transported back to France, in the 1800's, where wit, bravery, friendship and sword play will have you cheering for the Musketeers!

-- Peter Brodnax

I bought this classic novel on cd thinking it would hold the interest of my 2 grade school boys, who enjoy books on cd while driving to and from school. They did not like the narrator's snobby french accent nor could they understand many of the words. This is a great cd for high school or adults but not children. A bust for us.

I'm a big fan of Dumas and thus far have finished this and 20-years after (and will likely continue the series at some point).

There's not a whole lot I can add here as 186 people have already reviewed this, so I'll keep this brief.

On the edition, I read the Modern Library hardcover edition (I note this in case my review turns up under other editions, as often happens on Amazon) and I liked it. That said, I'm not familiar with any of the other translations so can't really provide a comparative analysis, but suffice it to say I found the modern libary edition very good (high quality materials and the translation was by all means easy to read).

On the story, it is in my opinion one of the most enjoyable I've ever read. It's entertaining, it's full of action, and it's humorous at times. But it's the characters that make it such an enjoyable, memorable read - d'Artagnan in my opinion is one of the most memorable and easiest to relate to protagonists in all fiction (whether we're talking about novels, film, or TV, Dumas' d'Artagnan is one of my favorite fictional characters ever), and his three friends (as well as his enemies) are equally well crafted.

Highly recommended - in fact I'd call it a must read.

In the very midst of the last Harry Potter being published, I picked up this title from my library, mainly because of the attractive cover and easy-to-read design and typeface. I also wanted to see what a great classic felt like. I was highly rewarded.
Certainly this amazing and ground-breaking work is dated in places, particularly when men are disposed of without the least thought and women are placed on pedestals like goddesses. Nonetheless, the ease with which Dumas develops the ties between Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and D'Artagnan is a work of art in itself. One cannot say these sophisticated gentlemen are utterly carefree, but they deal with what life offers them with a very modern sense of skepticism, romance, and adventure. No religious figure can fool them with absurd piety. No falsity can entrap them. Each protects and supports the other, yet each character is unique, and we feel we know them thoroughly.
The plot tumbles forward, full of adventure, intrigue, romance, betrayal, and evil. Dumas is a great story teller, although at times wrapped up with himself to the point of tedium, but those passages can be read over quickly. A rich supporting cast of characters, from Cardinal Richelieu to Queen Anne to Milady, who is the incarnation of evil, make this work amazingly entertaining, even over the course of 600 pages.
It would be a great exercise to contrast this one work with that of Harry Potter. Obviously, Dumas, who was enormously popular, is writing for an adult audience, and does not spare us sexual exploits. But the forces unleashed are similar in both works: good, loyalty, and truth versus evil, deception, and falsehood. Interesting.
Just a word on the translation: It was lively, modern, and smooth. No awkwardness was apparent. Descriptions were crystal clear.

This is a great book. It is easy to read, has biblical back-up, and is very positive.

I am using it for my bible studies and have experienced a more positive group, conversations are inspiring as well. This book helps a person to really take a look at themselves and reflect on their own attitudes about themselves as well as others. It is a great book for spiritual growth as well.

Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day This is an excellent book- you will be a better and more positive person after you have read it. It is a book that you don't want to put down- and one that you will make many resolutions to "do better" in your lifestyle.
Amazon filled my order immediately and it is a pleasure doing business with them.

Ignore the fundamentalists (scribes and pharisees all!) who keep creeping into these reviews and bad-mouthing Osteen. Christianity has been hijacked long enough by word-worshipping Bible Bangers. What did Jesus say about the fundamentalists of His day? "Ye search the scriptures daily for in them you think you have truth." Osteen has written two wonderful and encouraging books. I also reccomend his broadcasts too. So refreshing! The world needs more of this kind of teaching and less of people like "Sandra F." who keeps admonishing positive reviewers with little fussy sermonettes. You can use the Bible to prove anything and you can use the Bible to represent and justify a miserable and joyless Christianity - which many have! You take FEAR and GUILT away from these people and their churches would empty out and go broke in a week.

Wonderful cd. Has a lot of problem solvers that are in our every day life.

Maybe his wife should read it. The FAA would probably buy it for her.

How can I say this without revealing too much detail? One thing that really touched me about this book is how incredibly real the narrator is. Derfel Cadarn, a very real man now in his last days of life, telling the story of a very real Arthur. A man who I believe many will be able to relate to. Of course the unique style of Cornwell shines. He has a knack of painting a beautiful mosaic and then desecrating it with the harsh reality of tyranny, war and life in a harsh period. The Winter King gives a very vivid and convincing vision as to what fifth century Britain was like. A Britain plunged into turmoil with religion, war and savage barbarism. A post-Roman Britain seeking some way of resolve and peace. A Britain that saw the real Arthur.

The Winter King, first in the Arthur Books, started a wonderful five days of continuos reading. Not being able to put this book down did not apply because as soon as I put this book down there was a second and a third book to be devoured. It was a great five days of Camelot.

Though not the best book in the series, this book is extraordinary in and of itself. The only problem I had with it is that the first eighty or so pages of this book drag a little bit until the reader can actually get to the plot. Once there, you won't put it down. Read that first 80 and introduce yourself to Derfel Cadarn and I guarantee you will not be disappointed once you get past the introduction.

I finished this book late last night after a very quick, very intense tear through the novel; I could not put it down. I will be starting book 2, Enemy of God, of this trilogy today.
This is definitely not your typical Arthur. Oddly enough, there is little proof that Arthur existed in the great way he is now known in legend to have been. Obviously, the magic, Excalibur, Camelot, the Round Table and the 'Holy Grail' type additions were very well used literary tools to create a legend bigger than itself in many tales. What Cornwell has accomplished in this novel is to bring the story back down to earth in a very real and incredible way; this is an Arthur who lived in a real world, with superstitions and gods of many religions, but no magic to speak of, rather just man's overwhelming ability to allow fear and misunderstanding to create belief in magic, spells, wizardry and monsters. To be fair, that may disappoint Arthurian legend lovers of the mystical tale. This is not the stylized Arthur that we read about in most literary works or, in more recent years, we see on film.
The tale is told by an elderly monk who, before becoming a Christian, was an orphan raised by Merlin (not a Wizard in this tale, rather a Druid leader of Britain). He, our storyteller, was Derfel Cadarn, Derfel 'the mighty', and he was a fierce and feared warrior, a Lord of war, a leader of men, a sworn man of Arthur, and a mighty killer. He is also an excellent storyteller who weaves a tale of 5th century Britain, a land at war with itself whilst also being invaded by the Saxons (who the author Cornwell also writes about in his excellent Saxon Chronicles which I highly recommend). This was an island of many nations and many kings, before it was England, just after the departure of the Romans and just as the island was at its lowest point in history, the beginning of the dark ages.
The fact that not much is known about the people that became so legendary in myth and tales of magic, allows Cornwell to weave a book of fiction that represents the period very well and freed him to create a tale that he did not have to meld in to history. In other words, Cornwell was able to create an entire story, using famous names that have no story, thus allowing us to experience a completely different version of the tale.
I avoided this trilogy for a while because the Arthur tales are a little too fantasized for me; I prefer more historically based fiction. Thankfully, I came to my senses and read this book. It was excellent. I read a review below that stated that someone struggled with this book because of all the characters, a claim I don't understand. Cornwell kindly provides a list of ALL the characters and a short summary of who they were, at the beginning of the book so you can always flip to the front if you don't remember a name. A detailed map is provided in the back to give you an understanding of where the many characters are from and where they go.
I definitely recommend this book. Although our storyteller does tell Arthur's tale, the book does tend to be more Derfel's tale and how he experienced life as a sworn man of Arthur. It follows Derfel to Amorica (Britanny, France) where he spends years fighting in Arthur's place for the kindom of Benoic (which reminded me of Jonathan Swift's kingdom of Laputa, the floating island where everyone was more interested in learning and beauty, where, in this tale the king spent all his money on knowledge all his money on knowledge and allowed the kingdom to crumble around him). This is Derfel's tale of Arthur and it is a wonderful story.
Enjoy!!!

Now, you self annointed internet police can begin yelling at me for not posting a real review.

Kindle editions of his Saxon series were great, can't understand why not these?

for years i have been in love with this bbc version of the lord of the rings. my audio cassettes have been played and played to the point that several no longer work properly. finding this set on cd was the highlight of my week. if you are one of us tolkien crazy devotees, you should add this to your collection. it is well worth the money. i especially enjoy this on long road trips. ian holm (who played bilbo in the new line cinema movies) makes for a wonderful frodo. the other bbc regulars also offer very enjoyable performances.

BBc's version was the best very very very good!!!! the voice acting was excellent couldnt get any better. very good voice actors, Brian sibley you did an awsome job keep up the good work !!!! Tolkien is one of the best writers ever or i would say the best in my opinion. The music was perfect,excellent sound fx. Sam was played excellently the voice actor is perfect for sam. I wish there was a sequel tellin about frodos and bilbo and gandalfs stay in the far west and about there return to hobbiton.

I had a difficult time finding this item. My daughter was so pleased to get it!
Kris

What a wonderful adaptation of the Professor's translation of the Red Book! I did not care for Arwen's voice, but otherwise the entire cast is wonderful, just as they were in the films, but I think this is even better than those magnificent productions, truer to life. Ian Holm is superior as Frodo, going from innocent, carefree lad excited about seeing Gandalf's fireworks to one completely broken and in despair. You get the feeling this is what it was really like for him, the pain, the suffering, the fears and the tears, the horrific cost to his heart and soul to be Ring-bearer and carry his cross to Mount Doom. Reading that the Nazgul were pressuring him to put on the Ring is one thing. To actually hear them saying "Put on the Ring, put on the Ring," and hear Frodo struggle against it and not always win is quite another. To read that he lashed out at Sam in the tower while under the influence of the Ring is nothing compared to hearing that meltdown and his retelling in tears of how the orcs had abused him and how he wished the Ring had never come to him. That he suffered during his anniversary illnesses is brought out heartbreakingly well. He's got an incredible voice and range of feelings in this broadcast. Aragorn/Strider has a very calm, soothing voice that is needed for four frightened hobbits to hear and it's clear he cares deeply for them. Smeagol/Gollum is one completely cracked hobbit and that is played very well. The music, though limited, is very good, especially the lovely "Bilbo's Last Song" at the end. I could go on and on. I've listened to it repeatedly. So should you!

My old tapes are all worn out, and two were eaten by my old car stereo, so I was thrilled to finally get a clean copy of the great BBC dramatization. I have dreamed Middle Earth since I was a child, and had enough visuals in my head to last a lifetime. This old experience of the books has meant that I have overlapping interpretations of the characters in my head, those I built from the readings and those who built themselves out of the air, the sound waves of this BBC production.

Gollum/Smeagol (Woodthorpe) takes my breath away. It is genius of him and the director that keeps his performance perfect, when in the hands of nearly anyone else it would have been absurd. As Frodo carries his burden through the long year, Ian Holm changes with him. His exhaustion, his bitter maturity, his love, his endurance, the awful changes as the Ring wraps aroung his psyche...this is all in Holm's performance.

And you fall in love with Sam all over again. Bill Nighy played Sam to a tee. (Today you can find Nighy under lots of squiddly CGI in the "Pirates" movies.) Peter Howell (Saruman), Michael Hordern (Gandalf), Marian Diamond (Galadriel), Douglas Livingstone (Gimli) and others of this production have been in my head for decades (this production is a quarter century old, made in 1981).

Even the odd, lispy voice of Robert Stephens has become a favorite version of Aragorn/Strider. His voice makes him very human (considering that he hangs with elves), and tired (remember, the longevity granted by Numenorean blood or not, he's nearly 90 when the tale begins; think of him as early middle age, at least mid-40's) deferring his heart's desire for long years of rough living as a Ranger. How Stephen Thorne's Treebeard manages to be good rather than campy or absurd, with his booming oom!s, I don't know. But it works.

And Faramir is rescued from the great disservice done to him by Peter Jackson, et al. (My one real complaint about the marvelous films is messing so with Faramir's character; Jackson has him do exactly what it was so telling of him NOT to do in the books, i.e., try to get the ring, and to impress Daddy Denathor, no less. That is not what Faramir would do, nor does he in the books and this BBC drama. Faramir resists the Ring better than anyone but Sam Gamgee and Tom Bombadil, and that is one reason his creator, Tolkien, liked Faramir so.)

Use of Tolkien's words, music (by Stephen Oliver) that runs from stately/pastoral/very English (when it deals with men and hobbits) to alien but accessible and sung by boy sopranos (themes for the otherwordly elves), and marvelous acting, all make this one of my favorite audio experiences. (If you get tired of the main theme, just recall that it was a radio production. That music was to open and close the aural space, to separate the half hour of magic from the rest of the day.

I know there are probably a lot of people that would gag on the sugary sweetness of this book, but as a book for little girls it is absolutely enchanting. Even as an adult I still adore its sweet little heroine and her bravery and goodness.

The story is about Sara, a pampered little girl who travels to New York to attend school whilst her father does his work. She begins as the gem of the school, the administration falling over her, or more precisely Daddy's money. Then tragedy strikes, and Sara is left as poor orphan shuffled to the attic with the rats and the servants.

Good think she has such spunk to get through this hard time!

Don't worry, it's not entirely eye-rolling. Sara truly develops as a precocious character. While she was never villainous, we see her become kinder and more aware of the misfortune in the world around her despite her own problems.

It's an enchanting, dramatic story full of rich character and Burnett's signature gorgeous writing.

Having been already exposed to both film versions of the book, I was finally curious enough to engage myself in this classic and this time with my seven year old daughter.

Needless to say this is a fairly direct departure from the films. Sara Crewe and her world is not the sappy musical world of Shirley Temple nor the melodrama of the more recent version. This is an exploration of character. Sara Crewe is struggling with her identity and the toolkit she had built up to cope with life and discovers that poverty and cruelty cannot repair a hungry stomach or a lonely heart. Readers may be surprised by the ending which is far less melodramatic than the film and frankly much better. This book is a more gentle Oliver Twist. It is a reminder to us all that we cannot hide from the torments of the world around us. Instead we must face the trials of society if we are to make them better.
At the end of the story, Sara learns the true meaning of being a Princess and the ending is as poignant as anything I have read for it is real drama based on real situations.

Just as a caution please be aware the language is a bit dated. The term 'queer' is used to describe strange long before other meanings were added on. The term 'oriental' and 'yellow man' were used as well but this is just a reflection of the time, not overt racism.

This book is about a rightly raised little girl and how she turns out - nearly PERFECT. This goes to show parents to BE NICE TO THEIR dependant and helpless little kids - brats are raised by @sshole parents, NOT by kind and loving parents, as Sarah's dad had been. It is about a very serious battle of the Self. Sarah says to every one "me and you are the same. it just so happens that I was born rich and you born poor." It doesn't make us WHO we are." which is true, but then her self-doubt manifests "who knows? maybe I am kind and generous because I have everything I could ever want. I give someone 100 pence and I don't lose anything because I have many many more. maybe if I was poor or had to work I'd be cruel and just a total Miss Michnkin or something." Note: these quotes are not exact from the book.

at this, "the Magic" steps in so that she DOES become poor and wretched, and thus proves to herself that she is who she is BECAUSE SHE IS, NOT because of being rich and doesn't work. Being poor and wretched gives the child the opportunity to manifest her inate kindness in unprecedented ways, like giving other people food when SHE herself had been so cold, wet and very hungry. See, she could not have proven this to herself had she stayed rich, and she apparantly needed to. All in all, a beautiful story of truimph of good over evil, abundance over poverty, exuberance over stale bread, and self security over self doubt (which she didn't have before). A truimph of the SELF shown where it always begins in life - in childhood. We are used to seeing this type of stuff in adults but adults do NOT have the same battles as children do. For one, adults are not helpless, dependant, and our battles are not as serious life-and-death. so, whatever empathy we have for other adults, should be increased a thousand times for children, like this soldier this little girl. yeay!

Good to see that readers are still enjoying this marvelous 1905 book which makes it a century old. Reminiscent of Dickens, but mercifully shorter, the prose flows in beautiful rhythms keeping young readers and readers like myself who are young at heart poised to keep on reading to find out what becomes of our tough little heroine.

Sara had a charmed life as an only and beloved child which fortified her through later immense difficulties as she fell from riches to rags. Her ability to tell stories and to help others saved her from the appalling treatment she received from the aptly named Miss Minchin. The author's own life (1849-1924) as a child parallels that of her heroine.

Young readers will find Sara a loving spirit to emulate. We are truly THERE with her on every page. When she eats her hot cross buns and tea we long for the same. Although drawn out at the end, the book ends at a surprising and perfect place.

My son and daughter were both enchanted by this story as I read it to them a few weeks ago. We all fell in love with Sara and her very active imagination. She inspired us to do good, as she did.

I thought it provided an excellent opportunity for us to discuss how important it is to treat others with respect, even when you think you will gain nothing from it. Sara seemed to be nothing more than a lowly pauper, but the man who chose to provide some beautiful things for the pauper next door was so immensely blessed by having done so. Conversely, Miss Minchin thought she could treat Sara in a humiliating demeaning fashion, but it ultimately brought her harm. Thus, there is value in being kind to everyone we meet. This point wasn't made in the story (I know that would turn some people off), I just thought it worth using the story to drive home the point.

Anyway, it is worth reading for more reasons than just that it is a great story, but it definitely is that.

A true classic of adventure with real name places for authenticity. Only one place on earth, Iceland, can be the beginning point for such a fanastic venture. Even the early versions on screen added Hollywood schlock to ruin this fantastic story. Read this book, have an atlas handy, and escape. For more fun, become familiar wih the "Hollow Earth Theory".

Go get the music CD "Journey To The Center Of The Earth" by Rick Wakeman right after you read this great little book by Jules Verne. You won't be sorry.

I'm a dissapointed ten year old rating this book. Up until the end it
Was probably one of the best books I've ever read. It was full of adventure and excitement, but then I got to the end. The book did not live up to it's name. It would be more appropriately called "Journey Almost to the Centre of the Earth. I recommend this book only to people who like major dissapointments.

I bought this book for my 9 year old son and he really liked it.

If you are looking for a English translation of JTTCOTE that is faithful to Verne's French one, this one (and a couple others) has been recommended to me by members of the North American Jules Verne Society ([...]). Verne has been poorly translated since the novels were first published and he has received unfair reviews based on those poor translations. I think we owe it to this brilliant man to at least read his books the way he intended them!