Short Stories Books

The Royal Game is a very striking reflection on intelligence and torture, written by an Austrian exile early during Wolrd War II. It is highly original and moving. The other stories are "lighter," being set in everyday life and dealing with self-induced frustrations, and his apparent obsession with adulterous women is odd after a while (unless of course it is an obsession of the editor who selected the stories for this collection). Nevertheless, each story is different and engaging, with depth, respect and loving interest for his characters. It reads a little like a fiction version of Freud's essays (a bit like I believe Camus wrote complementary essays and novels), and the two men were close.

I bought this work mainly for the 'Royal Game' story because chess fiction is dear to my heart and I collect these kinds of books. I must admit that I loved this story, but I figured since the other stories were there I should give them a fair chance at a read as well. I was really stunned to find out how well Zweig wrote! Now mind you these books are translated - I can only imagine how well the original works must be! Zweig can take regular events and suck you right into the reading and it's really amazing how hard it is to put the book down. A pure genius of the 20th century is all I can say. Please do, enjoy this master's work! Zweig's stories are intended for mature audiences. If you like chess fiction - other books you may want to look at are 'The Queen's Gambit' by Tevis, 'The Luneberg Defense' by Maurensig, 'Alekhine's Anguish' by Yaff, or 'The Chess Team' by Sawaski

If you are new to Zweig then this is for you. All the stories are very engaging and represent the style of writing of that era. I wish I could find more writers like Zweig, alas...
Beware of Pity is also very good. He is probably my favorite writer next to Witkiewicz. Do yourself a favor and get this book.

This collection of short stories includes some of Zweig's best fiction ever! The author writes in a beautiful, alluring way that pulls the reader into the story. The intensity of the subjects provoke suspenseful emotions in the reader while entertaining and educating about human conditions. His descriptions of emotions are realistic while at the same time heavily weighted by difficult situations that few people encounter. His imagination is incredible!
I have read this book numerous times and it's one of the few books that I dislike lending to others because my attachment to the stories.

I love this book, & I carried it wherever I go. Stefan Zweig is the greatest writer I ever known. His stories are so intriguing it's hard to put it down. His writing skills are so lively that even though his books are translated, they are still extraordinary works. But I must point out that in the case of "letter from an unknown woman:, Jill Sutcliffe translated & brought Stefan's work to life so much better than E & C Paul. I have the 2 translations & I have to say Jill is a much better translater in Stefan's work. I love all the stories in this book, & I hope Jill will translate more of his work. His books should be the must read books in class.

In this book of six stories we see Rumpole as he comes back from a heart attack that took him at the end of the last book. And does he ever come back! He is vigorous and apparently healthy, but just as curmudgeonly as usual in this book of stories. The stories in this book are all equally wonderful. They are witty, tricky and the loveable Rumpole rules over them all. Rumpole is not just a character, he is a literature icon like Jeeves and Bertie Wooster or Albert Campion. As usual I like to pick a favourite out of these stories. They are all excellent, but I think I enjoyed Rumpole and the New Year's Resolutions the best. The mistaken email that is sent to the new Director of Marketing by Soapy Sam is so funny, and the way that Rumpole deals with Ballard's embarassment is priceless. Not only that it's so realistic because this sort of thing happens with emails all the time. My only complaint is that these stories end too soon. I love Rumpole, and reading his books is a huge high for me. Never once does Mortimer ever let his characters slip from their own reality. They are true blue throughout each book, and this makes them appear so real. Mortimer is a master storyteller.

I have been a Rumpole fan for many years, and although I agree that these stories are not quite up to some of the earlier stories, I still find them highly enjoyable.

At the end of the previous book, Rumpole Rests His Case, we were left with a Rumpole who was clearly dying -- giving his final summing up from his hospital bed to a room full of fellow patients. But the beginning of RUMPOLE AND THE PRIMROSE PATH brings a Rumpole on the road to recovery, finding an interesting mystery while still confined to his hospital room. Of the death of his fictional creation Inspector Morse, author Colin Dexter said that he didn't kill him; he simply let Morse die. Somehow I don't think John Mortimer is ready to let go of Rumpole just yet.

The fictional universe inhabited by Rumpole is a strange place. Ever since the series began in the late 1970s, Rumpole has been on the cusp of retirement. But as we reach ever further into the 21st century, Rumpole hasn't seen to have significantly aged. (It should be noted that it was back in 1980 that Mortimer first utilized the "Rumpole returning from retirement/illness" plot line.) Some fans may find this bemusing. I actually find it very entertaining. The anachronistic Rumpole living in a world where his old-fashioned Chambers has both a website and an image consultant provides amusement for those of us who have been following his adventures for some time.

In this particular collection of short stories, Rumpole sees himself slowly working back to full strength after the heart attack he suffered at the end of the last book. Paying as much attention to medical advice as he does to judges and instructing solicitors, he leaps back into the swing of things, annoying his coworkers and defending the apparently indefensible.

The stories here follow the usual pattern that Mortimer has developed over the years. Rumpole is given what appears to be an utterly hopeless case (alternatively he may be forced to have a leader or for some other reason isn't the chief defender). The themes brought up by the case will be mirrored either in his dealings with his fellow members of chambers or in his relationship with She Who Must Be Obeyed (his wife, if you didn't know). Rumpole will discover some missing element, which turns the main plot on its head. The jury will then decide whether Rumpole has produced enough reasonable doubt. The jury's decision will neatly temporally coincide with the resolution of the subplot.

It may seem like I'm criticizing the Rumpole stories by reducing them to their constituent elements but I'm not. I enjoy the Rumpole stories, and I enjoy Mortimer's formula. There is usually enough variation to keep each story fresh. Although I must say that in this particular collection Mortimer one too many times kept the reader from following the trail of the mystery by withholding some crucial fact until the mystery's revelation.

In any case, it isn't always the mystery that is the fun part. Sometimes, it's the journey. Whether it's the humor (at one point a very matter-of-fact Rumpole interviews a stripper in the middle of her floor routine) or the hints of the autobiographical (Rumpole fleetingly refers to learning the law in his youth from an "old, blind law tutor"; John Mortimer's father was a blind barrister and a strong influence on his son), there's a lot to enjoy. But despite my praise, I am not sure if I'd recommend this to someone unfamiliar with the Rumpole canon. Some of the stories are a little too formulaic and the mysteries themselves are weaker than what Mortimer has produced in the past. It's a fun, nostalgic good time, but long-times fans will probably appreciate it more than new-comers can.

I like this book because it introduces Luci Gribble, the new director of marketing and administration at Rumpole's Chambers. Luci is always spouting corporate jargon and at first glance doesn't seem like anyone Rumpole would like, but she turns out to be a valuable ally and a good friend. She helps him solve the mysteries in "Rumpole and the Primrose Path" and "Rumpole Redeemed," covers for him when his wife Hilda ("She Who Must Be Obeyed") demands that he start working out at a gym, and helps him make it up to Hilda when it transpires that he hasn't been working out as regularly as he says he has. Almost thirty years after the first Rumpole book came out, John Mortimer still knows how to keep Rumpole fresh and enjoyable.

I have read all of the Rumpople books. I enjoyed this one but it occurs to me that we have not heard anything about Rumpole's son, Nick, his wife and his grandchild (children?) back in America. With Rumpole being sickly, this would have been a great time to have him come in for a visit. Rumpole was a loving dad to him; I sure would like to have Nick and family come for a visit in the hopefully-next Rumpole book.

Tomorrow They Will Kiss is a brilliantly crafted novel told in first person narrative by three Cuban-Americans who endure the hardships of minimum wage factory jobs in Union City, New Jersey. They make dolls, or most of the dolls, but are never allowed to attach the heads. The doll is a very interesting metaphor for a novel that reveals just how broken people become when they face what many did when they were forced to leave Cuba for a not always friendly America. I truly adore these story-telling characters: Graciela, Caridad, and Imperio. Often Cuban-American writers indulge themselves in self-pity. That is not what Eduardo Santiago has done at all. Naturally Mr. Santiago has an anti-Castro bias, but the politics of Cuba stays in the background as the three women command the stage, telling not only her own story but telling the stories of the other two as well. And, of course, they tell the stories of the other Cuban-American women working in the doll factory. First person narrative is difficult to master. Most men, in my opinion, do poorly when they try to capture the real voices of women. Not so in this novel. This is a novel that I truly didn't want to end. I only wish there were a sequel.

For as long as I can remember, I have always been a voracious reader. For maybe even longer than that, I have had a passion for reading novels written with a Latin American context. I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end. It takes you into two different worlds, worlds that collide and coincide, intertwining the two worlds along the way. A young Cuban woman, exiled in her own community in Cuba and again in New Jersey, by the same community. She holds herself with a quiet dignity that irritates her fellow Cubans, who grew up with her in her homeland.
This book is about mistakes made and forgiveness sought, but not at a price of humility. A great read!!

Santiago takes you back to 1960's Union City and Cuba via the lives pre and post Castro of three strong women, each with her own perception of life, love and war. I began reading the novel on a plane and devoured it in one sitting - I strongly recommend it!

It is hard to imagine that this book was written by a man. I really got some good laughs reading some passages in this book; but it also deals with some not so funny issues of people following a path of not of their choosing and forced to make difficult decisions. I really enjoyed reading this book. I would strongly recommend it!

EDUARDO SANTIAGO, in my opinion, eventually will win the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished fiction by an American author, and he may be the next writer of Cuban descent to do so. TOMORROW THEY WILL KISS is right up there with other Pulitzer Prize winners. Santiago is young, and he has talent and dedication. And so it is, I believe, a matter of time.

Graciela, Caridad and Imperio--Cuban women in exile--work in a doll factory in New Jersey. Santiago segues back to Cuba throughout the novel, so we can see the life they left during the Cuban Revolution and understand what they're up against in the U.S. Graciela deals with her frustrations just like American women do--by losing herself in TV soap operas.

Conjure up for me the older American who has never escaped into radio soaps, including the one that asked the question, "Can this girl from the little mining town in the West find happiness as the wife of a wealthy and titled Englishman?" (OUR GAL SUNDAY in the 1940s.) Find me the younger American who has never lost herself in THE GUIDING LIGHT, ALL MY CHILDREN, or DALLAS.

Like these beloved sagas, Santiago's TOMORROW THEY WILL KISS will capture your interest, make you laugh, challenge your beliefs, and break your heart.

TOMORROW THEY WILL KISS is a great read, and I can almost guarantee you will love it. You will love it because in this novel you will find not only yourself, but also your parents, your cousins, and the friends you grew up with. One of the things I admire about this writer is his ability to make people from a culture entirely different from mine seem just like folks I have always known.

And ladies, you are in for a treat, because this is a novel by that rarity in the male-dominated world of great literature: a male writer who truly understands women and appreciates us, in spite of the faults--if any--we may have.

Buy this book and read it soon. You will laugh, cry, and delight in your discovery of EDUARDO SANTIAGO, a man who is becoming one of the great writers of our time.

Thirty short stories by W. Somerset Maugham including "Rain" which is about a prudish missionary and a prostitute and "The Three Fat Women of Antibes" which is an ironic story about self-denial and greed.

As a writer, Maugham considered himself "on the first row of the secondraters". I think he was being modest. Maugham has written some of the finest short stories ever written. His purpose was to do no more than tell an interesting story, but the reader gets much more. Each story is perfectly told; not one word is wasted, each character is fully realized. Maugham observes and never judges his characters. His short stories can be read many times and with each reading the reader finds something new and interesting. Somerset Maugham's short stories takes the reader to a time that is now past but still very relevant.

Somerset is an amazing writer whose words flowed so freely and expressively it makes you want to cry. This book of shorts is classic Maugham and un-put-downable. You'll love it.

The story" Fall of Edward Barnard" is a confrontation between what is called'the Civilized World' and the indigenous, the savage, the primitive world. Edward, thankful to a relative already fascinated by the beauties of the islands around tahiti, had a one life opportunity to have a very introspective reflexion about the meaning of his life. Sent from Chicago for two years, he will delay his return and the promise he made to his bride Isabelle. Why ? Because facing the natural beauty, almost thunderstruck by such simplicity, he wonders what the use of all this hustle and constant striving in our cities which are all but stones with ceasless turmoil. After a unsuccessful beginning in working, he chose a simple life based on beauty, truth and goodness. His thoughts reach the universal when asking himself ( throughout the author's philosophy ) why do we come into the world for to hurry to an office and work hour after hour

I came to know Maugham through his novels, especially The Razor's Edge, Of Human Bondage, and Cakes and Ale. I purchased this collection not knowing what to expect. The stories are character focused, at times incredibly witty and amusing, at times melancholy and near heart-breaking. As in his novels, Maugham has the ability to make the reader see what is not written. Highlights include The Rain, a commentary on the work of missionaries, and The Pool, one of the saddest shorts ever written. Others, such as The Three Fat Women of Antibbes, will probably make you laugh out loud. A first rate collection.

This is a great anthology on Asian American history that's well worth your time to read!

I am a proud owner of the Big Aiiiieee. It is absolutely refreshing to hear from other voices than the popular writers such as Tan, Kingston, and Hwang. Chin certainly has made many great and valid points. Tan, Kingston, and Hwang, together, represent a body of cultural sensationalism against especially 'Asian American' men. I agree with Chin on many points; however, Tan, Kingston, and Hwang are wholly to be blamed.
First of all, the term "Asian American" should be eradicated. I am not an Asian American. I am a Chinese-Vietnamese American, as specific as that. With that in mind, this anthology is mainly composed of Chinese and Japanese-American perspectives. Where are representational voices of Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, and South Asian people (India, Parkistan, Burma).
Secondly, I agree with Mr. Chin that Tan's and Kingston's portrayal of Chinese culture is primitive and backward. Tan's Joy Luck Club contains lot of images that promote cultural sensationalism and exoticism. For example, An Mei's mother cuts her flesh from her arm and dumps them into her grandmother's soup. The non-asian readers will subsequently thrive on this stereotype and apply it for all "Asians." This is like another form of canibalism. Another example of cultural sensationalism is the uncle eating live, jumping shrimps with his chopsticks (or Did I miss something?). As for Kingston, the Woman Warrior clearly was written with an intention as a feminist piece. Because there is no greatly equal novel to dispute its exaggerated feminism, mainstream readers take this as a true portrayal of Chinese/Asian men -- brutal rapists.
Furthermore and on a positive note, what makes this anthology fresh is the fact that it includes other fresh(not new)but neglected voices such as Louis Chu, John Okana, Monica Sone, Gish Jen, and so on, writers that are not given a fair chance in mainstream publishing.
Finally, I think this is a great anthology. Unfortunately, it does not truly represent me and my Vietnamese American community. What I got from reading this anthology is a sense of freshness as far as perspective is concerned; however, emotionally, I am more identified with Flannery O'connor, Toni Morrison, and Duong Thu Huong.
For those dire fans of Mr. Chin and harsh critics of interracial relationship: He married a caucasian woman, so are some of his colleagues.
Beware of whom you worship!

What gives people like Amy Tan, Maxine Hong Kingston, and David Henry Hwang the right to take my cultural distinctions and cater it to a white audience who want the stereotypical Chinese?! I'm glad Frank Chin exposed these sell-outs in this important book. There are Asians who are far from being these sorts of stereotypes described in the literatures of Tan, Kingston, and Hwang, and these editors prove it. Read this book and you'll find that out yourself.

and I know how much these editors helped my ethnicity in the first Aiiieeeee! These people (Chan, Chin, Inada, and Wong) know their stuff, and they're not ashamed of their cutlure. They are unassimilated, brave, talented, and strong. You would be more proud of your Asian race after reading this book.

Since the publication of this book, it has been criticized for it's "machismo, misogynist" morale. Guess who these criticisms are coming from? White feminists (or those who support them). They cannot look beyond history and textual matter, instead they force and assume their principles and try (and unforunately, they succeeded) to make this a battle of Women's rights. I have read Chin's "Come All Ye Asian American Writers of the Real and of the Fake" and in nowhere is there any misogynistic dictum. Why? Because this isn't a matter of Women's views or MEN'S! It's about history and how it should be interpreted. People like Kingston, Hwang, and Tan want to deconstruct Asian American history. Feminists want to help Kingston's and Tan's deconstructive views by arbitrarily labeling Chin as a misogynist. If Chin or the editors of The Big Aiiieeeee! were misogynist why would they have women writers in this anthology? Just because there aren't that many women writers doesn't mean it's totally and utterly sexist. Could it be because there aren't that many authentic Asian American women writers?! If there are no authentic texts to Asia America, would it hurt to say that stereotypes (or whatever) are actually right?

A moving story that took me on an emotional ride with the heroine. It explores the question of what cheating is exactly. If you don't have sex with another man, but regularly talk about it with him, is that cheating on your husband?

It also explores how a woman might handle an unexpected disability in her husband. How would it affect one's sex life? Many marriages might fall apart. This heroine definitely garnered my respect.

The romance was interesting and there were many varied sex scenes, almost all m/f. I love a happily ever after ending, but even though this one was a hopeful ending rather than a happy one, I believed the heroine would get together with the guy I hoped she'd wind up with, and therefore, I was satisfied.

VERY well written and enjoyable, with a beautiful cover. This was my first Megan Hart book and won't be my last!

Megan Hart is a rare talent among the currently popular authors of erotic romance. Her narrative skills are awesome. Her character development causes you to really care about each of the main characters. The sex scenes are varied and well-crafted--but they have a purpose beyond titillation and arousal for the reader. The erotic stories related by her once-per-month lunch companion, Joe, highlight the tragic loss of her physically passionate relationship with her husband, now lost to his parapalegia.
This is a great movie just waiting to be made by some discerning filmmaker.

I must confess, I bought this book for the erotica. Instead I was captivated by the plot. The characters are well thought out. The story is at once warm, funny, sad, tantalizing, and thought provoking. Sadie and Adam were the dream couple whose life was made impossible by a terrible accident. Sadie's friendship with Joe was intimate and distant at the same time. Together, the two relationships can teach us all a little about true love and true life.

I don't normally do these review things, but this book is just so FANTASTIC that I had to. I have reread this book a couple times already. I laughed, I cried, I could NOT put it down. I couldn't believe how attached I became to the characters. In today's day and age of throw away marriages...it was exceedingly refreshing to see how Sadie stayed with her man despite how hard it was. It was great to see how she suffered & it was great to see how she yearned for what she couldn't have. But I ESPECIALLY loved how the end worked out fine. Wish it wasn't so left up to me to infer the final ending, but hey, at least that way I got a happy ending. I closed this book & wished for more. I have to say I'm terrified to pick up Dirty or now Tempted in fear that they won't be as good as this book was. Three cheers for Ms. Hart, I would love to have your talent! Thank you!

This novel grabs your attention right from the beginning. For those that think books like this are pornos, they have no real sense of what is pornography and what is an appreciation of sexuality in its most descriptive form. During the sex scenes the author goes into great detail and puts you in the first row to take everything in as if it was happening right in front of your eyes. I felt as if I could put myself in place of Joe many times throughout the storyline and experience whatever the character was experiencing at that moment. The book is about half sex scenes and the rest of it is a normal storyline that helps to build up the importance of the sex scenes. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to anyone who realizes their heightened sexuality and is not afraid to enjoy it.

I bought this as a gift for my mom, and she loved it. It is a great book that keeps you interested, you won't want to put it down.

No te arrepentiràs, me encantan todos los cuentos de este libro, so tan originales y tan fuera de lo común, que te transportan a otro mundo en tu imaginación!!

Cuentos de Eva Luna arrived rapidly. I am reading it for pleasure and I'm not being disappointed. The book is well bound for a paperback, comfortable to hold, easy to read for a student of a second language.

A friend introduced me to this collection this summer. It's a relatively easy read for anyone with a college education in Spanish. Allende uses modern stylistic devices and vocabulary.

The frame is a Scheherazade set up... a series of stories about love relationships.

Some stories are a bit schematic and unsatisfying but when she hits paydirt, it's killer. I especially liked the stories 'Si me tocaras el corazon' and 'Walimai.' These felt almost like deep folk/ fairytales.

If you enjoyed A.S. Byatt's "The Djinn in the Nightingale's Eye," you'll like this one too.

What a collection of characters! An illiterate woman who sells words. A man obsessed with a little girl. A woman whose marriage was based on letters written by the wrong man. A woman who spends her life waiting for revenge. A rich man who keeps a girl prisoner. Rascals trying to break into society. A lonely dictator. Invisible Indians. Every character is flawed in some terrible way, and yet, somehow appealing. Somehow you become attached to each of the characters and you want to hear their stories. There is something absolutely magical about these stories by Isabel Allende, stories you can't put down.

What is her secret? I don't know. I think she writes with magic ink. But, there is something else, too. Her characters never give up. No matter how bad, how flawed, how actually depraved they may be, they keep struggling toward the light. And so, each of us, with our own struggle to escape from darkness, can relate to these people and their stories.

These are some of the finest stories I have ever read. I recommend the collection most highly. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.

This is the fourth Fandorin story to be translated (with kudos to Andrew Bromfield for a great job) of the eleven stories that Akunin has written. It would be great if the publishers could get moving and get more than one book translated each year. Much of this book is a continuation of the story line from the "Winter Queen" and the conflict between Erast and the assassin Achimas.

The book itself has an inventive structure. The first part (which is divided into chapters) deals with Erast and the 'Death of Achilles' (aka General Sobelev) who was a hero to most of Russia. We learn that the General was planning a 'coup d'etat' and that he planned to set himself up as Tsar. He dies though, inflagarante and this is just the beginning of the story. Erast is certain that the General was murdered but he is not sure why, how or on whose orders. As he works his way through the maze of misinformation, double and triple agents, just as he is about to confront Achimas, the first part ends.

The second part (where chapters are headlined by names) is the biography or history of Achimas. How he came to be an assassin for hire and his training and background. We even see how he first encounters Erast. In the end we follow him through the murder of Sobelev and fill in some of the information left out in the first part. Again this section ends as he is about to be confronted by Erast.

The third part is the short (only twenty pages, two chapters) where the two antagonists square off and we learn the identity of the man who has ordered the 'Death of Achilles' and why.

Though I would have preferred to read more about the six years that Erast spent in Japan (I assume there will be flashbacks in future novels) the background on Achimas is entertaining reading.

Fandorin is back in Russia from Japan with Masa, his manservant, and immediately encounters the mysterious death of General Sobolev, his colleague from "Turkish Gambit". Other reviews have detailed the plot, so I won't elaborate, but as someone once said "the beauty is in the details"; they are in abundance in this book. One of Akunin's strengths is that he creates villains as interesting and complex as his hero Fandorin, and this book contains a very worth match for the intrepid Erast Petrovich. The last third of the book elaborates upon the life of this villain and his motives, essential to the plot and evoking details from "The Winter Queen, aka Azazel", my second favorite Fandorin novel. As usual, Akunin includes well-drawn, intelligent and beautiful femme fatales to add some spice to the mix.

This book would translate nicely to the screen. I have read that Azazel will be refilmed in 2008 by an American director. Perhaps then Fandorin will have a larger, well-deserved world-wide audience.

Strongly recommend to all lovers of mystery who enjoy an occasional mental exercise :)

A remarkable series to say the least , with an incredible backdrop of Russia towards the end of the period of the Tsars. The one thought which crossed my mind when I put down the novel was , just where was Boris Akunin all this while. Erast Fandorin , a 24 carat hero, is one of the best sleuths that you will encounter in literature.
The setting is 19th century Russia flirting with enlightenment , with significant tension simmering with imperial neighbors. The nation is rocked with the death of its favourite general in rather suspicious circumstances, conveniently in the same hotel where Erast Fandorin is lodged. What follows is a remarkable story of unravelling layers of intrigue .Every murder seems to indicate an acceptable closure to the mystery , but a never say die pursuit by the detective takes you deeper into the darker forces involved. Fandorin has a remarkable Japanese man friday which tends to deviate from the usual diet of dumb counterfoils to brilliant detectives. Fandorin is Holmes with Zen nay a Bond with restraint. There's much more than just Fandorin to savor here. The rather brutal rural Russian setting gives rise to a diabolical assassin who almost proves too much for out hero.
Its a great commentary on Russian society during the 19th century, much as the pipe smoking Holmes characterises Britain. Never a dull moment , this is a book to savor.

The Death of Achilles is a return to form for Akunin, with keenly drawn characters more reminiscent of Winter Palace than his later books. Not high art, but a fun summer read.

Fantastic illustrations, adorable idea, a bit of an effort to read aloud, but well worth it in kudos from the kids. It all starts when Lulu has an itty-bitty problem with her homework. You never realize all the silly-willy syntax idiosyncracies our language has until you read this book! Fun for everyone. A must-buy.

This is my son's favorite book. At 18 months old he can only say a few words, but he just loves to have this read to him several times a day. He has no idea what's going on, but this is truly a fun read-aloud book. The illustrations are captivating.

This is such a cute book! It has so many of those rhyming double words that we use everyday. It's a very fun read aloud. I teach second grade and my students just love it. The words are in a bigger print, so they love to try and read along. Sure to bring smiles and giggles to everyone!

My children (ages 4-9) love this book. They have me read it over and over to them and they enjoy it the lastest time as much as the first! Make sure you are up for a verbal workout on this one! You will be reading in circles (literally). I recommend this book to families who enjoy a silly book.

I just read Double Trouble in Walla Walla to a class of third graders last week and they loved the play on words, especially the page where the words go around in a circle. Also, the illustrations are fun and add to the word play. I highly recommend this book for children from preschool to third grade.

Superb. Simply. Great literature. The character of John, the main character's friend was the best and most gratifying of all. Please obtain and let your eyes go to work. To think the author died short of fifty. Man, we get burned sometimes.

I am thilled to see this book being available in hardcover and paperback as well. I read this book about ten years ago and I read it regularly every couple of years. The story is very compelling and the scene of the protagonist walking home through a run-down community is a classic of American literature.

What this book and O'Connor's other novel, The Last Hurrah, apart is the writing. In an era where writers seem to challenge one another to be more like Faukner and less comprehensible to the average man, O'Connor wrote very well and his language is beautiful. From this fine prose arises really deep characters which are flawed and so easily identifiable to us all.

I found this to be a wonderful novel and a great pleasure to read. I have been trying to find this for years and could not in any bookstore. While this could not translate to the movies as easily as Last Hurrah, I found this to be so much more interesting. A truly Catholic novel, it is a joy to find something that takes spiritual issues seriously and yet is hardly preachy. And if you are Irish, the dialogues of the "friends" of the family will make you laugh outloud while reading. This brought back the charms and frustrations of my childhood and my own family of Irish aunts and uncles. Long but worth the effort. A great find.

As I was reading THE EDGE OF SADNESS, I couldn't help but think that in 1961, when this Pulitzer Prize winning novel was published, it must have been rather controversial. It dealt with the humanity of priests, noting flaws but in a respectful manner. While some writers such as Georges Bernanos dealt with such issues in his DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST, American audiences were still used to the Hollywood Big Screen concoctions of Spencer Tracy--Father Flanagan/Bing Crosby--Father O'Malley models of priesthood. While the priest in THE EDGE OF SADNESS may be worthy of the warmth and love given to his movie counterparts, he's hardly perfect.

The novel tells the story of an alcoholic priest named Hugh Kennedy beginning again in ministry in an older, run down parish. Readers get a sense he's not the priest he once was, and throughout the novel we learn of his early ministry, the ramifications of the death of his father, the struggle with alcohol, and the loneliness that is a real part of his life. The book is written in the first person, and we hear the story of his life as he tells of his rekindling of a friendship with the Carmody family: Charlie, the patriarch, his son John the priest, Dan, the ne'er do well, Helen, the outspoken sister married to a doctor and Mary, the daughter who remains at home to care for the aging but still independent and at times ruthless Charlie. We also meet a host of minor characters: Helen's husband Frank, their son and daughter-in-law Ted and Anne, Charlie's longtime friends P.J. and Bucky, Roy, the maintenance man who works at Fr. Kennedy's church, and Fr. Stanley Danowski, the endearing yet naïve and at time nerdy young curate at Fr. Kennedy's parish. As the events of the novel unfold, we see changes in Fr. Kennedy as he discovers his love for God and his vocation.

This is an older style novel in many ways. O'Connor is not short on words and he gives a number of details, yet the novel flows and is a fast read for a volume of nearly 650 pages. The issues of struggles in priesthood, vitality of parishes, older priest verses younger priest, unstated yet real competition between clergy people, and a hunger for God are all present in this book. In some ways if some historical details were changed in the book, it could be about modern day Catholic life. Perhaps this is the power of this book and why it can seem timeless. While it tells a story from an earlier day, it's not an invitation for nostalgia, at least for Catholic readers. Instead it will remind readers of what truly matters in life: the importance of faith, and the importance of having people who love us and people we love in return. While it may seem dated in some ways, readers will agree that the editors at Loyola Press were correct in reissuing this book as a classic.

This simple but beautiful bittersweet story of life among the Irish-American citizens of an unnamed eastern city is a joyful and beguiling tale. O'Connor's characterizations and dialogues are engaging and from my personal experience utterly authentic. I feel as though I have met all the main chacters and could give them names among family and acquaintances. The set piece of Father Kennedy' battle with alcoholism is tastefully done.