Classics Books

If you have thought about it, Caples probably tested it. From writing headlines that sell to crafting fabulous body copy, this is a must read if you are in the advertising business. A valuable reference work and tutorial. Everyone working with advertising should read this once and most of them should read it again and again. The information is as dead-on today as the day Caples wrote it. Highly recommended.

Waste of money. Waste of time. Only advertising book i've been inspired by has been "Hey Whipple Squeeze This." Save your money and skip this one.

I own the 5th edition. I haven't read earlier editions
which may contain more of Caple's original writing.

The 5th edition has modern ads for examples. It still
has a lot of old-fashioned, classic headlines.

There is a great deal of useful information in this
book. It's a fine reference to have on hand. Any
copywriter should own a copy and read it. As a
cover-to-cover read though it's pretty dry stuff.

I can't put my finger on why... Maybe the personality
was bled from the original text by the new editor's
additions and subtractions.

I'd like to read an older copy someday.

This book is a must read for learning fundamentals of ANY type of marketing. I am an online marketer and this book made ALL the difference to my sales. Best book on marketing as a foundation for all other marketing books. Seth Godins books are also fantastic for teaching you where to start and the "formula" for success no matter what you are selling. Another good read is Mark Joyners books!

I have 47 books, at least as many audiobooks, and I read 23 newsletters and 12 bogs to learn about sales, marketing, and copywriting.

After my computer, this book is the most useful tool I own.

I refer to it daily, and it has saved me hours and hours of time and earned me gobs of money. It's dry, technical stuff but if you put it to use you'll get results. If you do any kind of marketing, selling, or persuading in your life, buy this book.

This is an informative book that is fairly easy to use. You can search based on what kind of alcohol you have, if you want frozen or mixed drinks, and then just look up the drink (they're all listed in alphabetical order, regardless of what type of drink it is). There are also suggestions on drinks and tipping bartenders. And there's a nice section about wines, too (although I'm not quite sure how to read that). Great buy!

great drink recepies in this book. i love the binder. all books should be bound this way. bring your reading glasses as the writing is fairly small.

This book is a must-have for all professional bartenders. For non-professionals it is a must-read because you will learn a lot!

Lots of drink recipes, and it's fun to flip through it and find something new to try.

The Bartender's Black Book, Eighth Edition: 2,800 New and Classic Recipes I am very satisfied. The shipping was fast and the book was in excellent condition. Thank you.

This book is so different than the average children stories! My 4year old loves it, mostly for the illustrations, I love it for the language used. The descriptions are wonderful, if only I could speak or write this way. It exposes us both to great timeless stories.

This was a great find for my grandchildren that we have temporary custody of. I love sitting in the rocking chair with my 2 1/2 - year old Sarah and cuddling up with these wonderful stories! This is a great quality book, and the illustrations are wonderful! It will get a lot of use, and look beautiful for years to come. Don't pass this one up. It's great for creating memories with your children and grandchildren.

I got this for a baby shower gift for someone. I wanted to give something that could last. I ended up buying one for myself. It's a trip down memory lane reading the sweet stories and looking at the beautiful pictures. I hope my friend's baby has great memories growing up with these stories as I did.

This is a lovely book that comes in a sturdy, decorative, open-eneded box to protect the volume. Besides containing all of Beatrix Potter's wonderful children's stories, it has all of the original illustrations in one volume. This is the perfect "bedtime story" book, and it sits on the nightstand next to my 11-old-granddaughter's bed. She reads the stories to her 3-year-old sister every night, and is planning on continuing the tradition with her 1-year-old brother. She told me that she is enjoying the stories as much as her little sister!

I purchased this book as a gift for their family, and, as a proud grandmother, I can't think of anything that costs so little and yet gives so much. I would recommend this book for anyone! I am going to purchase another copy for my own house, just in case I have guests who show up with little ones. It's a perfect addition to anyone's library, and I highly recommend it.

This book is beautifully presented and a true gem for any library or child's collection. All of the stories are presented in the order in which they were written and published. All of the original illustrations are there as well.

I highly recommend this book....it is reasonably priced and complete.

The Little House series are great read aloud books.

Our daughter is five and this series is perfectly age appropriate, even though an older child would enjoy them equally as well. For younger ones (three or so), there is a great picture book series called "My first little house books," or something like that. One of these is a story based of a chapter in this book and is called "Christmas in the Big Woods."

These CD's are great for long trips in the car. The narrator's voice is wonderful. The adults will find themselves enjoying listening themselves.

"One the Banks of Plum Creek" is the best of the series. It is the one where Mary and Laura go to school and where the character of Nellie Olson is introduced. Her brand of spoiled rotten meanness is nothing short of tantalizing to a five year old. Also, there are the wonderful Christmas chapters.

Just excellent, all around. I highly recommend the books to read alound and the CD's.

Whether you have read the Little House books or have never heard of them, this book on tape is wonderful for everyone from small children to adults. The narrator who reads it does an amazing job of capturing the childhood wonderment and emotions Laura was trying to convey. It is also so interesting to hear the way families lived back in the 1800's. I could listen to this book on tape over and over again.

Book review
I did my report on the book called On the Banks of Plum Creek.
The author of this novel is Laura Ingalls Wilders. It is also historical fiction.
This story is about a family that is very close. There is baby Carrie the littlest, the middle child was Laura but her nick name was Little Half Pint, and the oldest is named Mary. Mary was such a little lady she always did what her mother told her to do. But Laura was the rebel in the family she was always getting dirty or getting into trouble. But Carrie is too little to have a background. Pa traded his horses and bunny for a dugout from Mr. Nelson. There was a creek close to the house and they played there often but they must never go into the deep waters with out Pa or Ma (Laura learned that lesson fast).
I loved this book because I love the time period it was set in and I have read many stories by the same author like Little House in the Big Woods. It would suit some one who loves Family stories and the time period and his farm world it is more like a fun book to read but it is Historical fiction as well.

Laura Ingalls is now eight-years-old, her sister Mary is nine, and Carrie is still just a tiny tot. While they are all still quite young, they are expected to help out with the chores around the house - from sweeping to dusting, cooking and setting the table. But this year, the girls are in a strange new place. Looking to settle in an area where a school and church are close by, and the Ingalls' have a chance to grow a wonderful crop that will provide quite a profit, the family heads to Walnut Grove, Minnesota. Traveling by covered wagon, the family, along with all of their belongings, travels all the way through Indian Territory, across Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa, stopping at their destination in Minnesota. There, they are surrounded by Norwegian's who speak very little English. However, they are good neighbors who assist them in times of trouble. Trading their horses for a home located under the ground, Laura's family begins to call Minnesota their home. And, before long, Pa has built a lovely home by the banks of Plum Creek. He believes that his wheat crop will provide enough funds to pay off their debts when the time comes. But when locusts invade in cloud-like swarms, eating everything in their sight, the family must endure hardships that were unexpected.

But things are not all bad. Having never attended school before, Laura and Mary are finally near enough a schoolhouse where they can attend daily lessons that help them develop reading, writing, and arithmetic skills. It is at this particular school where the two older Ingalls girls are exposed to children - both male and female - who are close to their age. Some of whom title Mary and Laura "country girls." But the label does not affect how the two sisters view themselves, or their family; and only gives them the courage to befriend various girls who love to spend time with them. It is at school, however, that Laura encounters the spoiled, yet oh-so-pretty, Nellie Oleson, who goes out of her way to give both Laura and Mary a hard time. But Laura isn't having any of it, and resolves to get even with the vicious Nellie, even if it upsets her Ma and Pa. Luckily, with Ms. Beadle - the schoolteacher - around, Laura and Mary have the confidence to stand up for themselves, and receive the education that their Ma always wanted them to have; while getting the socialization they deserve. But even attending school doesn't excuse them from having to assist their family when the going gets tough.

Up until last year, I had been a diehard fan of the LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE TV series, but had never had the opportunity to delve into the wonderful tales told by Laura Ingalls Wilder herself. Upon reading the introduction novel, LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, I quickly fell in love with the Ingalls family all over again; and, since then, they have taken up residence in my heart, and kept me fascinated with the various adventures they experienced throughout their lives. Laura is such a lively, brave, fun-loving character; whose ambition, kindness, and, oft-times, naughtiness, make her appealing from start to finish. Her relationship with her family is hard to resist, as she manages to please and displease them on a daily basis, all to the jovial laughter of her father. I believe that Pa (Charles) is one of the most important characters in the series, as he is such a kind, loyal man; who rarely scolds, and spends his downtime entertaining his family with music from his fiddle, and stories that leave you chuckling. The family, as a whole, are the type of people you would absolutely love to have the chance to know. They are kind to strangers, helpful to neighbors, and both Ma and Pa are two of the most selfless people in literature. The information regarding Rocky Mountain locusts was both interesting, and frightening; but truly provides a wonderful history lesson for the young reader. While the introduction of the devilish Nellie Oleson provides quite a bit of humor, as she and Laura trade insults with one another at almost every meeting between the two. Ingalls did a marvelous job of penning such a cheerful addition to the series; and, thus far, ON THE BANKS OF PLUM CREEK has become my favorite LITTLE HOUSE book yet. A can't-miss addition to the series!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

ON THE BANKS OF PLUM CREEK -- Who could forget the plague of grasshoppers, or spoiled Nellie's encounter with the crab, or Pa's sojourn in the blizzard, among other adventures?

We -- my three homeschooled grandchildren and I -- are going through the Laura Ingalls Wilder series of books for the second time. We read them aloud during story time, and love every minute. These are books written about an American pioneer family in the 1800s with a strong moral compass. In an unsentimental style, the author writes simply of the day-to-day life she experienced firsthand growing up. As the title of this review suggests, a central theme, not only of this book, but the entire series, is that "Pa loves Ma, and Ma loves Pa, and all's right with the world," including in the face of all kinds of adversity and opportunity alike.

I enrich this time for my grandchildren by stopping occasionally to explain and discuss what we are reading about, be it an unusual word usage, a custom no longer practiced, how to do something by hand, historical facts... We have even stopped to do some research and measure out the height of a bear. Our family tradition is that the eldest grandchild (now 11) reads the last page of these books. Otherwise, I usually do the reading. We also try to get started right away on the next book in the series, the same day as we finish the one before, so as not to lose our momentum.

After going through the series the first time, we discovered (almost by accident at the local library) several other series of books, written by other authors, about Laura's great-grandmother Martha in Scotland, her grandmother Charlotte in Boston, and her mother Caroline in Wisconsin, so we decided to start over with the first of those books and carry on through. There is also a series about Laura's daughter Rose which we have not gotten to yet.

Reading through the other series in order has been time well invested. Like Laura, we have strong family roots in Scotland. We have four generations of our family living within close proximity, so my grandchildren know my father, their beloved great-grandfather, quite well, and this series helps them gain a feel of family and historical continuity, generation to generation. (Check for related book series under: Martha Years, Charlotte Years, Caroline Years, Rose Years).

I am investing in and building our own set of all these books in hardcover, having told my grandchildren that I plan to be around to read them to *their* grandchildren!

Having travelled some what, I feel qualified to fairly assess 'The Paris Mapguide'. There are many guides of Paris on store bookshelves far more illistrated and far more detailed but they do not address the basic needs of a traveller standing on a Paris street. This publication meets all requirements, it is the right size,street maps and the 'Metro'are percise and very easy to read and the supporting information, be it city history,districts,places of interest etc, are all there.
'The Paris Mapguide' will facilitate an enjoyable visit to this beautiful city.

My family and I just came back from a week in Paris and wouldn't you know that we were there during the transportation strike and WALKED everywhere that we went. You can imagine my glee that I had this nifty little street map guide book to lead the way for us. We never got lost once with it and it is small and compact and fit into my pocketbook quite nicely. The streets and landmarks were clearly marked and easy to read. Also, at the beginning of the book, gives a list of the different sites, addresses and opening/closing times. We never could have done what we did if it wasn't for this little gem. Whenever we travel to another city again, the first thing that I will do is buy another for the city that I am going to.

What can I say that everyone hasn't already said. I am so happy that I purchased this map. I have 3 other maps of Paris, but none are as good as this one. I really like the way it is laid out. This would be the map that I would recommend to my friends.

tOGETHER WITH ITS COMPANION LONDON MAPGUIDE, AN EXTREMELY CONVENIENT, COMPLETE AND USEABLE MAP OF THE CITIES. POCKET SIZE AND VERY HELPFUL-HAVEN'T FOUND BETTER.

We went all over Paris using this mapguide. It was the best map for a large city that I ever used. It was our first ime to Paris and I was very comfortable getting around. I would highly recommend the Paris mapguide. We also used the London mapguide also and were just as pleased.

Ah, what a spectacular combination. The breath-taking artwork of DiTerlizzi with the sing-song poem-with-a-moral of Howitt. The art adds a new dimension to the already incredible poem with a noir style that is intricate and revealing to the story--not a distraction to Howitt's incredible poem. I only hope younger readers aren't turned off by the old-school voice.

This book is great! The illustrations are so impressive that even though they only black and white your children will love them. We spend time on each page just looking over the illustration each time we find something we didn't see before. And the story, WOW! This story is a must for every little girl. The story teaches young girls not to be niave and believe every little flattering word someone is telling you. In the end all that sweet talk may just be fooling you so someone else can get what they want, like the spider getting the fly. I will be reading this book more often to my daughters as they get older!

This style of the book reminds me of Edward Gorey. The illustrations are fabulous, if the matter is a bit dark. I have bought this for numerous friends after finding it at a unique bookstore in Portland, OR. Everyone who reads it ends up loving it.

wonderful story with a twist at the end. Wonderful illustrations. Don't in an old spooky way.

This book is amazing. We LOVE it! I love reading it to my daughter, because its a very easy read with a great cadence, and its fun to pour over the illustration to find something new every time. Tony DiTerlizzi is an awesome illustrator, and I am looking forward to seeing more stories illustrated by him.

I am so glad this book is now avaialbe in a kindle edition! This is a life changing book. It is eloquently written an has an inspirational message. It will warm your heart, and it will make you think. The first time I read this book I could not put it down. This book makes you realize that there is something "bigger and better" out there.

This book was in my opinion average at best. Yes it had some sad parts, yes it had some warm parts, but all very expectant. You knew what was coming down the road with every page turned. To me it just wasn't worth the time I spent reading it. You can judge a book by how often you think about it once you've finished it. Does it linger on your mind? Does it strike an emotion in you when you think about it? This book does none of that. Once I finished it and put it down, I never thought about it again. The writing style of the Author felt more like someone that is in high school. No depth. The book was also very short with larger font so it didn't take more than a an hour and half to read.

This is a COOL book. It makes you want to believe, and it gives you hope. It's SAD, but also has FUNNY parts. I like the part about the dog. You will LOVE this book!

Readers will get one third of the way through this book and say, "What's so comforting about this book? This book is SAD!"

Well, parts of the book ARE sad...but other part and inspiring and uplifting. You just have to keep reading till the end. I had a chance to hear the song, "The Spirit of Christmas," that goes with the book: it is wonderful!

I can't wait for this book to be made into a MOVIE!

I also loved:This Christmas Night: Reflections from Our Hearts to Your Home

This book gets better with each reading...and so far I've read it six times!

This is a book of comfort, inspiration, faith...a parable about the rewards of anonymous service...a story of eternal bonds. This story shows how service to others can make a life meaningful, even after the most severe and traumatic of tragidies.

Life can bring you to your knees in despair...but it can also exalt you when you learn what great things can come of everyday kindnesses.

This book has made me really think!

John Allen is a consumate story teller...a modern day Dickens. I contacted HCI Books and they told me John is working on another book that should be completed soon. I cannot wait to read it!

Also recommended: The Christmas Jars--wonderful!

I alternated between not being able to put it down and easily forgetting about the book for a few days. Maybe it was the length of the book (it's LONG) or the countless different characters in the book, I think I may have just been "lost". I wish the glossary of terms that is in the back of the book had been in the front of the book (I didn't know it was there). It may have helped to have read it first (so I recommend doing that). It really is a good story and Rumer Godden is a great story teller, but it wasn't until around the middle of the book that I was committed to reading the book and then by the time I made it through about 75% of the book I was hooked. I am tempted to put it on the re-read list because I do think I would get much more out of it the second time through.

Rumer Godden is one of those female writers who from the very early age was exposed to life overseas (India). From then on, she sets on a path of being one of the writers like Isak Dinesen and Doris Lessing. Woman highly sensitive to people and cultures around her, who really has no land of her own but is curious about anything and eevrything around her. Her personal life was equally difficult, so it is interesting to read the book about the Catholic nuns living in monastery in England, traditionally protestant country. In this book we come across main character, Phillipa Talbot, 42 year old professional woman who decides to leave her worldly life and high position in order to pursue contemplative life a monastery. This is a big step for her as she decides to leave her job, relinquish all of her personal possesions and submit all her property to the church, not to mention her conversion to catholicism. Surely, most of the nuns are skeptical about her actions as she is considered "too old" for vow of poverty and obedience and this huge personal transformation. But Philippa has her mind set and she is sure that this is due to her personal convictions not due to her sorrow, guilt, regrets or any other emotions that may be distractions from a true vocation of leading meditative life for the rest of her natural life. Over a course of a decade we observe Phillipa's transformation. It is an interesting novel. For non-catholics, like myself, I recommend reading notes first that explains monastery life, monastic orders, greetings, vows, dowries, etc. before reading the actual book.

I'd heard about this book from various sources, and finally found it on Amazon. I am completely thrilled with it's ability to tell a great story, it's attraction as a spiritual journey, and it's honesty about living with others in cloister is no different that with our famiies. A wonderful read! But, be forwarned...you may be 'encouraged' to vocation!

First off, there is no question of Rumer Godden being a master story teller, a woman skilled at the crafting of words, of putting pen to paper and creating a world so detailed you would step into. A world, in this case, centered on the religious life of a Benedictine community and all who live in it. The abbey, the House of Brede, is a place where cloistered nuns turn out to be very, very human. With a history of pain and sin these women have to find themselves, to find love, joy, and balance in serving God. It is not easy and a few will fail. To try to review this book, this work of art, is beyond me. It really touched me in many ways yet also made me ponder about what kind of lives the women would have had outside the walls of the Brede. Would they have had families? Would they have run simple shops or would they have gained great wealth? Would they have made the world a better place? Or would they have just added to the pain and waste?
Philippa Talbot, a woman who was successful, intelligent and respected, enters the abbey at an age much later than most. She journey from one stage of development to another is amazing but also slightly sad. Change can be both and sometimes is. Birthdays, weddings, and graduations are happy and sad, full of laughter and crying. So by the time we reach the end of the book we find ourselves wondering about life, ourselves and the What Ifs of our own choices in life.

This book does a good job of showing the struggles and triumphs of cloistered life. The day to day life of these women, although seemingly boring from an outsider's view, is anything but. I really began to care for the characters and the recognized the importance of the lives they led. I love reading books on cloistered nuns because you feel like you've been let into this secret, magical existence and this book did just that.

***************This review contains spoilers********************

Summary:

Les Miserables is a post-French Revolution novel by Victor Hugo that takes place in 1800s in the slums of France. It follows the life of Jean Valjean, an ex-convict who has sworn to live a life of honesty and goodness, and a group of student revolutionaries who are organizing an attack against the French army.

The story begins with the main character being released from prison. After being turned away from all the inns in the area because of his past as a convict, the local bishop took pity on Valjean. That night Valjean stole the bishop's silverware and was arrested. The bishop forgave him and also gave him his silver candlesticks. "Jean Valjean, my brother: you no longer belong to evil, but to good," the bishop said to him as he was leaving. "It is your soul that I am buying for you. I withdraw it from the dark thoughts and spirit of perdition, and I give it to God!"

A few years later, a young woman, Fantine, unable to take care of her daughter, left her with an innkeeper and his wife. After promising to send money, Fantine went to find work in the city of Montruil-sur-mer. Coincidentally; Valjean was mayor of the town, having started a new life for himself after selling the bishop's silverware. He also owned a factory where many of the poor worked. Fantine got a job there, but she was fired because her overseer found out that she had an illegitimate child. Still needing money, Fantine sold her hair and teeth, and became a prostitute. Valjean saved her from living on the street and placed her in a hospital because exposure to the elements had made her ill. He visited her often and they became good friends. During this time, she made Valjean promise to bring her her daughter, but his true identity as a fugitive who had broken parole had been discovered by a police inspector, Javert. He had told Valjean himself about his suspicions, but quickly apologized because he had allegedly found the real Valjean. Jean Valjean didn't want an innocent man to suffer through what he did, so he went to the courthouse and confessed to his crimes. This admission was at the cost of his own life, however, as Javert was waiting for him when he got back. When Javert told Fantine that Valjean had not gone for her daughter, Fantine lost the will to live and died.

Valjean was arrested again, but after a year, he faked his own death by jumping off the ship he was working on. He then went to retrieve Fantine's daughter, Cosette, from the innkeepers, the Thenardier's. They were reluctant to give her up, as they were greedy, and she acted as a servant they didn't have to pay, but after Valjean gave them a large sum of money, they relented. Valjean and Cosette went to live in a small apartment. Their happiness didn't last long, because Javert pursued him again. Cosette and Valjean took refuge in a convent, where a man who Valjean once saved worked as a gardener. After nine years of living there, Valjean deemed it safe to leave.

At the time, Marius, a student, had been kicked out of his grandfather's house for switching political parties. He was very poor, and lived in the slums. His neighbors were the Jondrette's, who were really the Thenardier's, living under a different name.

One day, Marius saw Cossette and Valjean while he was on a walk. He fell in love with Cossette and started pursuing her. She returned his love, but they didn't actually speak to one another until later. Also during this time, Marius was recruited by the Friends of the ABC, a group of revolutionaries; he went to one of the meetings and decided he didn't want to be involved. Meanwhile, the "Jondrettes" captured Valjean, whose identity they now knew. Valjean escaped, and Thenardier and his wife were arrested, and their two daughters were sent to an orphanage. Their third child, Gavroche, who they didn't care about, helped his father's gang break his father out of prison. Afterwards, they went to Valjean's house where they attempted to break in. This failed when Thenardier's daughter, Eponine who was in love with Marius, stopped them, not wanting Marius to lose his girlfriend. Valjean mistaking the noises in his garden for Javert, decided to leave. Marius decided to rejoin the friends of the ABC, and they started to prepare for the revolution. They set up a barricade in a wine shop, and got a lot of other impoverished people to join them. Javert tried to join them as well, but he was quickly exposed as a double agent by Gavroche. Valjean also joined them, not knowing whether he wanted to help or kill Marius, who he discovered when he mistakenly saw a letter that Cossette wrote him. During the battle, he was given the opportunity to kill Javert, who was a hostage, and instead set him free.

Eventually, everyone at the barricades died except for Valjean and a wounded Marius. They escaped through the sewers, but were found by Thenardier, who was searching the bodies of the dead at the barricade for valuables. Valjean was caught by Javert, who allowed Valjean to take Marius's body to his grandfather's house. Valjean came back to face his fate, but did not find Javert. After 25 years of dogged pursuit, Javert had to face the fact that he had spent his life hunting down a man who has done nothing but good in the world, and that everything he thought about life was a lie. He couldn't stand that reality, so he drowned himself in the Seine River.

When Valjean couldn't find Javert, he brought Cossette to Marius's grandfather's house, where they were married. Valjean decided to leave them, since he couldn't face the fact that he was lying to his daughter about being a convict. However, after a run-in with Thenardier, who had changed identities yet again, Marius discovered that Valjean was the man who saved his life. He and Cossette found Valjean on his deathbed, where he had left his life story and instructions on how he ran his factory (which was how he made his fortune). Then, surrounded by his family, he died at the age of 80.

Commentary:

5/5 stars.

I, personally, loved it.

This was a really captivating book that brings history to life and deserves its reputation as a classic work of literature. It blends the turmoil of the times with vivid characters. The conflicts are intriguing as Valjean tries to do what is right and atone for his past. This would be a good book for anyone who likes realistic and historical fiction.

I have enjoyed my varied attempts at reading this book. I enjoyed the various presentations on Stage (except Anthony Perkins replaying another bad guy doesn't work for me) My major problem lies in obtaining a large print copy (even in several volumes). Amazon has almost two pages of books, number, etc. Doesn't someone take mercy on us poor souls that don't qualify as visually impaired legally.

... but this was the most popular book, read by soldiers, North and South, during our Civil War. We should be better for hearing democracy in Beethoven, piety in Bach, compassion in Mozart -- and perhaps we do, one person at a time, but I fear we are always running out of time.

I read this book thirty years ago, over two winters, setting it down midway in March 1977 I believe. I had heard a near-complete reading on NPR, spread over at least a month of Saturday afternoons. I always made sure I was home for that; I was a single parent, then, father of a seven year old boy. To use a cheap term of the day, I could 'relate' to Jean Valjean, and I was thrilled by the music that opened each episode: the March to the Scaffold from Berlioz' "Symphony Fantastique." After the final episode, I went out and bought the Modern Library Giant, and began to read.

The radio production was not complete! While I found the details surrounding the Battle of Waterloo truly informative -- the description of the battlefield as a captial A was a vivid model of simplicity -- the long section on the history of the nuns' order where Valjean and his young ward take refuge, and where she is educated, invited a lot of skimming.

Skim where you will, but try to read the complete book. At some later time you can return to those pages you skimmed, and discover what you missed.

Les Miserable, The Brothers Karamazov, War and Peace, Moby-Dick, Joseph and His Brothers, Remembrance Of Things Past (okay, In Search Of Lost Time), Ulysses -- all of these demand much of us, particularly our time. That is a good thing, considering the many ways modern life invites us to waste time, and I could not begin to choose the best among these. Fortunately I don't have to; I might run to "As I Lay Dying" or "Lord Jim" instead.

Meanwhile, I'm glad I devoted a chunk of my life to this book. I do know I emerged a better man for that, and how sad I was when I read the final page, and closed the book.

This is an excellent translation of the classic Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. The section on the Battle of Waterloo makes the reader feel as if he were actually present. This is only one of the memorable parts of this wonderful book. My advise-don't waste your time on an abridged version of this book!

As close to flawless as you could come, no other author can match the storytelling and characterisation. Describes a turbulent period in France, with incredible political and social commentary. Hugo's monumental work explores many themes i.e. why the Restoration was a backward step, the difference between a revolution and a riot; he describes many life's experiences and emotions: the myriad ways people can fall between the cracks into destitution (Fantine, Montepercy); one of the greatest descriptions of falling in love (Marius and Cosette) and how it feels to be in love, the greatest description of a battle (Waterloo), the desperation of a convict (reminds of Henry Charrier -Papillon), the making of men (Marius), unbounding heroism and selflessness(Eponine, Jean Valjean); explores patience, loss, asceticism, rebellion, fulfillment, nationalism, the administation of justice and the overriding theme is CONSCIENCE. I read this and then discovered that Hugo's own daughter lived in Barbados for a number of years living 'on the edge' of destitution. Small world.

The story is really epic and introduces you to a new world. However I felt that some of the characters were more symbols than characters.

With the exception of Bulgakov I don't care much for Soviet literature. I could never finish Dr. Zhivago or Quiet Flows the Don. This book I did enjoy. Particularly the parts that dealt with the jewish physicist (I forgot his name) and his family. The letter he receives from his mother before she's deported is probably the most memorable part of the novel. Some people compare it to War and Peace. I wouldn't go that far but it is good enough that you might want to read it again as I plan to some day.

One of the most relevant, startling and magnificent novels never read. Awe-inspiring from start to finish: for the characters themselves, their historical counterparts, the author's world and the world at large. Evokes the Greek idea of "necessity;" no understanding, truth without any value, no solid principles, no foundation. You don't read the story: you tumble through it, terrified, grasping blindly for something to stabilize the free fall.

Read it. Completely compelling. If you think the Russians are a mystical and unknowable depth, this book will not disabuse you. Best war novel I ever read.

This masterpiece published by New York Review of Books Classics enters my Top 5 among novels by James Joyce (Ulysses), Proust (La Recherche du Temps Perdu), Tolstoy (War and Peace) and Gaddis (JR): it is pure genius in its epic scope. Inspired by Tolstoy's War and Peace and the siege of Russia by Napoleon, Grossman depicts the siege of Stalingrad by Hitler. Grossman narrates the epic from the perspectives of diverse players into whose lives the reader becomes immersed. The cast is vast and the Russian names are daunting to track but Grossman enables us to understand what it was like to experience the fate of Russians in World War II. The catastrophe was overwhelming as millions of people's lives were adversely impacted by the power of two great warring states on the front lines of Stalingrad. Yet somehow the resourcefulness, courage, strength, faith and every virtue of her people, tested under the worst human conditions, Russia was able to withstand the siege of Hitler only to suffer subsequently the immense cruelty of Stalin. The writing in this novel is nothing short of magnificent: it is great literature and profound philosophy by a novelist who knew his subject thoroughly. It's no wonder that Stalin wanted not only the manuscript but its carbon copies because the truth evident in this novel was certainly starkly and baldly critical of the State. At the end of the novel an old woman, Alexandra Vladmirovna, who to me symbolized Mother Russia, returns to the ruins of her home in Stalingrad and admires the spring sky wondering: "why the future of those she loved was so obscure and the past so full of mistakes, not realizing that this very obscurity and unhappiness concealed a strange hope and clarity, not realizing that in the depths of her soul she already knew the meaning of both her life and the lives of her nearest and dearest, not realizing that even though neither she herself nor any of them could tell what was in store, even though they all knew too well that at times like these no man can forge his own happiness and that fate alone has the power to pardon and chastise, to raise up to glory and to plunge into need, to reduce a man to labour camp dust, nevertheless neither fate, nor history, nor the anger of the State, nor the glory or infamy of battle has any power to affect those who call themselves human beings. No, whatever life holds in store -- hard won glory, poverty and despair, or death in a labour camp --they live as human beings and die as human beings, the same as those who have already perished: and in this alone lies man's eternal and bitter victory over all the grandiose and inhuman forces that ever have been or ever will be..." The translation by Robert Chandler was as masterful as the original writing itself: Chandler was articulate, true to the text and humble in bringing to light without affectation or coyness or ego the profundity of this master work. I wish there had been maps of the front lines, which I found on the Internet to help me gain my bearings with unfamiliar geography at http://users.pandora.be/stalingrad/maps/stanlingrad map 7.htm. Having read War and Peace, Grossman gives the master, Tolstoy, a real run for his money in this epic: don't let this masterpiece pass you by! It's a novel fated to change your life.