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One of my absolute favorites. I could read this book over and over again! This book is a fun twist on the Cinderella story that keeps me up all night reading, even the second time around. Every young girl should read this!

I really liked this book!! Gail Carson Levine is very talented, and she did a great job developing the characters and making them believable. This is weird for me to say, since "Ella Enchanted" IS a fantasy. Well written, thoroughly entertaining, and WAY better than the movie, this book is a favorite of mine.

This is a delightful fairytale that is fun for youth as well as adults. There were a few twists that I wasn't expecting, which made it all the more fun.

I LOVE this book! Way better than the movie, which does not follow the plot (or even the characters) at all! It is an easy read and you will not want to put it down. I do not even know how many times I have read it. It gives you that warm-and-fuzzy feeling deep down inside.

Retold fairytales, in which the characters and plots of traditional stories are explored in more depth, or told from an unexpected point-of-view, are a dime a dozen these days. But one stands out from the rest, and that is Gail Carson Levine's "Ella Enchanted", which takes the story of Cinderella and not only provides impetus for many of the nonsensical elements of the original tale, but builds a rich imaginary world around it and makes the titular character one of the best heroines to ever appear in YA novel.

If you secretly always thought Cinderella was a bit of a pushover, sitting and crying by the fireplace when she could have been raiding her stepsisters' wardrobes and hitchhiking to the ball, then you'll be pleased to find that Levine gives us a perfect acceptable reason as to why her Ella is so slavishly obedient to her step-family: she's under a spell. When just a baby, an idiotic fairy called Lucinda blessed her with the "gift" of obedience, in which Ella is forced to obey every command she hears.

A wish or a request has no effect on her, but a direct order, no matter how terrible it is, must be obeyed. Any attempts at disregarding it results in frightening nausea and dizziness. Levine takes this conceit and heightens the dramatic effect to its full potency. Ella's life is monopolized by her constant internal battle between obedience and defiance: "It was a tiresome game, but I had to play it or feel like a complete puppet." Because she's naturally willful, she makes an art out of finding loopholes in the commands she receives. When someone demands that she fetch almonds from the pantry for a cake, she responds by bringing back just two. When someone orders her to take off their smelly shoes, she counteracts by throwing them out the window directly afterwards. Although there are moments of comedy involved in her plight, Levine never shies away from the fact that Ella is under a terrible curse; such as the horror that comes with the command to: "be happy to be blessed with such a lovely quality."

Ella nurses the dream of one day being free of the spell, but until then, we're with her as she struggles with her self-control, hoping that one day she'll either get Lucinda to remove the spell, or come across a command that's too heinous to obey. But what command could possibly be terrible enough for her to withstand the pain and break the spell through sheer force of will?

Ella herself is a fantastic character, and tells her own story in first-person narrative (difficult to pull off without the narrator sounding too self-involved, but here it doesn't falter for a second). Ella is not perfect by any means, but she's intelligent and witty, gifted at languages, kind-hearted, and endearingly stubborn when it comes to dealing with her curse, clinging to her dignity even as she's forced into doing the most embarrassing things. One general thing does get on my nerves though, and that's the oft-repeated character trait among YA heroines: crippling clumsiness. Sure, we're all klutzy at that age, but the way the authors of YA novels write teenage girls, you'd think they couldn't perform the most basic physical tasks without skirting death itself. But where most YA fairytales/romances are dominated by the swooning damsel staring at the dreamy hero, Levine never looses sight of the fact that this story is all Ella's, culminating in a vindication of free will and inner strength.

Like most fairytale heroines, Ella looses her mother; unlike most fairytale heroines, we the reader actually get a sense of the love between mother and daughter, and the pain that Ella feels when she looses her. Eleanor of Frell may only be around for one chapter, but in that time Levine makes us almost as sorry as Ella is to see her go. As the story goes on, the tale veers closer and closer to the familiar fairytale, and Levine finds amusing ways to insert the traditional Cinderella tropes, such as the glass slippers, the pumpkin carriage, and even the fact that Ella has small feet!

Olga, Hattie and Olive (the evil stepmother and stepsisters, respectively) are rather cartoonish villains, being gluttonous, avaricious, and idiotic. Furthermore, Hattie snores, has smelly feet, is overweight, and hides a secret that exposes her to further ridicule. In short, they are grotesque, and although a part of me wishes that there was more to their characters, the greater part doesn't really care because it makes Ella's victory over them all the sweeter. And Levine compensates for this ugly-side of womankind by adding the characters of Mandy (Ella's fairy godmother) and Areida (a friend that she makes at school) as the more benevolent reflections of snotty Olga and vindictive Hattie.

There are some hilarious one-liners, and Levine is a wonderful humourist, very much in keeping with J.K. Rowling's ability to dryly poke fun at the ridiculous. When Ella arrives at finishing school (where all the chamber-pots look like decorative cabbages) she is told: "it's never too late to start being finished." When Hattie pens a letter to her mother concerning Ella's disappearance, she writes: "I hope she has come to no harm and has not been eaten by ogres or captured by bandits or caught fire or fallen into bad company, as I so often imagine." And my personal favourite:

"What a clever daughter I have." Olga beamed at Hattie.
"As clever as she is beautiful," I said.
They both began to answer me, and then stopped, confused.
"Hattie isn't pretty," said Olive.

The centerpiece of the story though, belongs to the love that blossoms between Prince Charmont (usually known as "Char") and Ella. Basically, Char and Ella make up the best YA romance...ever. There, I said it. But it's true. Whereas other authors-that-shall-remain-nameless rely on strangling their lovers with the red string (that is, trying to convince us that their characters are in love because the author *says* that they're in love) Levine takes the time to build a relationship between Ella and Char that's based on more than just physical attraction, and it's all the more powerful for it. In the YA genre, in which love stories between a hero and heroine are about as deep as a paddling pool, these two are a godsend.

Char and Ella learn about each other before they fall in love. They acknowledge each other's flaws as well as their strengths. They play silly games and share jokes. They converse via letters over an extended period of time, which include such reflective lines as this: "I trust you to see the good in me, but the bad I must make sure you don't overlook." They love the big things about each other, like their kindness and honesty, but also the silly little things, like each other's freckles and a mutual enjoyment of sliding down banisters.

And because it is a love that is based on friendship, respect, compatibility and intelligence, it makes the heartbreak twice as painful, and the declaration twice as rewarding. Just think, two people actually becoming *friends* before they become lovers! Who'd have thought?!

The book was adapted into a rather awful movie not too long ago, which obliterated all the reasons why this book is so special, and replaced it with a story that relied too much on the popularity of "Shrek" (complete with a contemporary soundtrack, anachronistic elements and crude comedy) than the charm of Levine's story. Avoid it if you can, and hope that in later years it'll either be more faithfully adapted, or left well enough alone.

As you can see, I've got nothing but good things to say about "Ella Enchanted," though admittedly it may not appeal to the average boy-reader, being essentially a rather feminine coming-of-age tale in a fairytale kingdom full of fairies and elves. But for everyone else, this is a wonderful book, with a spritely, loveable lead, and a mature and healthy understanding of romantic relationships (and I'm pointing this out, because it's unfortunately so very, very rare). If your eight-to-twelve year old daughter holds up Ella of Frell as her literary role-model, then you've got yourself an awesome kid.

I hope this is the right book, I just love the story, and the music, and the movie too!

The book is fantastic! Great pictures! I would highly recommend this book for any fan of the movie or a Titanic fan in general! The making of the epic movie is something to see and you can definitely see it in this book.

This is a MUST have for any Titanic collector. I waited for about 9 or so years for this book and I am so extatic that I finally have it!!

The scope of this majestic book truly befits the epic effort by James Cameron with his cinematic masterpiece "Titanic". Much great information here for the movie buff who likes to see how it is done. Incredible sets including the dining salon, complete even to dishes and decor. I was amazed to see how this particular set was pulled underwater by hydraulics to provide a very realistic feeling of sinking. Page after page of photographs and stories about the magnificent sets that brought this film to life. Lots of info about the stars and other cast members as well the production crew. This book is a perfect companion to the movie as well as a testament to the filmmaking genius of James Cameron.

Great book for the titanic enthusiasts!!!!! If you loved the movie, you will enjoy this book.

Fantasy literature is my favorite genre; has been for many years. So when I finally got around to reading this book, after perusing some of the 5 star reviews, I was very much looking forward to a great fantasy/adventure.

This is the tale of a young boy (Bastian) and a quest that takes him into the fantasy world of a book that he is reading.

It is a story that is generally well written, but despite having some good qualities, I just could not get into the 'flow' of this story. Though the quest was indeed a noble one that does have some dramatic and touching moments, I found the writing was somehow geared for a definitively younger audience than myself.

I've cut my fantasy teeth on Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings', Asimov's 'Foundation', George R.R. Martin's 'Ice and Fire' series, Erikson's 'Malazan' saga, also the likes of Bakker, Abercrombie and J.V.Jones, just to mention a few. These aforementioned authors tend to pull no punches when it comes to gory battles, horrific acts and clandestine plotting etc. and I must admit that these are the type of tales to which I've become addicted.

'The Neverending Story' was OK-ish, however, it was tame, too tame for my tastes. It lacked for me that subtle excitement, that propensity for the unexpected that my favorite fantasy books just seem to exude almost from page one. I hesitantly admit that I found myself actually skimming some parts (not a good sign) because I was bored and uninterested in what was happening to the characters within this tale.

Conclusion:

A fantasy story with qualities reminiscent of a faerie tale; meant, I believe for the kinder, gentler and probably younger, fantasy lover. If your looking for battles, deceit and treachery, the chilling unexpected etc. then look elsewhere. In all honesty, this is one of those books that I have difficulty understanding the huge popularity it has achieved. Also somewhat difficult to rate; I can understand a 5 star rating if you loved this book, but to me...2 to 2 1/2 Stars.

Ray Nicholson

This book was for a younger group of readers. It would have been a great book if I was a bit younger.

Great book for all ages.
One caveat though ...
If you love the movie then the book may confuse or even frustrate you. The movie ends at about the halfway point of the book. If you haven't seen the movie I recommend reading the book first.

This is the story of ten year old Bastian. Bastian's mother died, his father is grieving and not paying him any attention, and he gets bullied all the time by kids at school. Bastian uses reading and making up stories as an escape from his life. One day, running from bullies from school, Bastian finds himself hiding in a bookstore. There he discovers a book called "The Neverending Story" that transports him to another world literally. Bastian finds that in this new world he is able to be the person he always imagined himself being. But, is that the person he really wants to be?

I have loved the movie version of this book since I was a kid, so needless to say I was looking forward to reading it. The book was great! I was quite surprised to find out the movie only covered the first half of the book though. After that, the story was all new to me! I thought it was neat that my copy of the book is written in red when the story is taking place in the human world and in blue when the story is taking place in Fantastica. The story actually became quite a bit darker in the second half and the movie would never lead you to believe that. I did start losing interest in the last few chapters, but all in all, it was a pretty good read.

The Neverending Story (Die unendliche Geschichte) is a 1979 young adult fantasy novel by Michael Ende, translated from the original German by Ralph Manheim and illustrated by Roswitha Quadflieg. In our world, Bastian, a fat, unpleasant, unloved bookworm of a child, steals a book called The Neverending Story from a shop. This book chronicles the adventures of the child hero Atreyu, who embodies all the virtues that Bastian does not, as he attempts to save the world of Fantastica from total destruction. But their two worlds, as Bastian comes to discover, are connected.

By now, most people coming to The Neverending Story for the first time will already be familiar with the 1984 Wolfgang Petersen film. The movie covers the first half of the book, and The Neverending Story II is only loosely based on the second half.

Ende has created dozens of imaginative lands and creatures - perhaps too many, as the reader is taken through them all so quickly that few are able to make a lasting impact. This is probably The Neverending Story's biggest flaw. There is material here for numerous books, but all packed together, it reads like a whirlwind, and often feels like the literary equivalent of looking out the window of a high-speed train, moving from one fantastic situation to another without a pause to soak in the scenery (or have a little character development).

Bastian is the only character who receives significant development (Atreyu has the monomyth pattern stamped all over him; he is a two-dimensional, archetypal hero to the core), and Ende does some surprising things with him. Bastian evolves from an unlikable child with low self-confidence to an arrogant bully to a villainous tyrant, and it's a gutsy move on Ende's part to take Bastian as far down that path as he does.

Ende touches lightly on a number of mature themes, including life and death, morality, love, belief, and desire. Again, though, one wishes he had spent a little more time developing them, which would have given the book a deeper and more lasting impact.

The book itself is artistically done and well-presented. The text is presented in two colors: one for scenes on Earth and one for scenes on Fantastica. The book is divided into twenty-six chapters, each with its own illustrated frontispiece featuring the first letter of that chapter's text (they go from A to Z, in order) and that chapter's events.

On the whole, The Neverending Story is an entertaining and highly imaginative fantasy that will appeal to fans of the genre of all ages, even if its brisk pace holds it back somewhat.

Is very good book. In English, for most part. When reading enjoyment done, useful as doorstop or throwing at door-to-door water filter salesmen.

This book is great!! For anyone who wants to make a movie, but make it their way, not some formulaic Hollywood crap, should definitely check this book out. Lloyd Kaufman knows all the tricks. Not just how to make your movie, but how to make sure it's the movie you want to make, with no one interfering with your creative process. There are a host of low budget tips and tricks. Plus, this is easily the funniest book about film making I have ever read. It's chock full of some outrageously funny stories from Lloyd's 35+ years in the business. And the forward is written by none other than the creator of "South Park", Trey Parker. How can you go wrong? This is definitely a a great addition to any movie fan's library. Also, I'm absolutely planning on getting his new book "Direct Your Own Damn Movie". I'm sure it's gonna be great too!!

Make Your Own Damn Movie serves a purpose. It is obviously instructional, perhaps not so much How-To, but Why-To do this or that. Thirty years in a harsh realm of renegade film-making, you'd think he learned a few things. His book offers insight into the twisted world of Troma, from the crazy guy who created a universe out of blood and feces and boobs, and of course poultry. Kaufman's anecdotal humor is as raw as the movies he's made. This book covers everything a film maker should know from the conception to the birth- sometimes quite literally. Very straight forward, with absolutely no holds barred, Kaufman reveals what you need to get your movie made.

Three cheers for the incomparable Lloyd Kaufman, the genius behind the low-to-no budget aesthetic of Troma! In this thorough (and thoroughly hysterical) book, Kaufman spares us the Filmmaking 101 jive. He assumes you already know how to use the machines and frame a shot - his purpose is to get down to the nuts-n-bolts practical realities of making a low-budget feature. Ie., how to assemble crews that will work for free, guerilla marketing techniques, and the importance of enough water, electricity and toilets on your set.

Though the tone of the book is Tromian through and through -- cheesy jokes, loads of profanity, sexual references, and perhaps apocryphal asides -- the experiences and knowledge he shares are sure to save novice filmmakers a lot of headaches and $. Most important, Kaufman inspires. As the poster child for the indie guy overcoming Herculean obstacles to realize a vision, his approach to every aspect of production is always WHY NOT - which is exactly what any aspiring artist needs to hear.

Easily the best book on filmmaking I've ever read.

Make Your Own Damn Movie is everything a first time filmmaker should want from a how-to book: brutally honest, practical, funny, and written by the head of the longest running independent film company, Troma's Lloyd Kaufman. Even if defenestrating or onscreen headcrushing aren't your gig, reading this book will give you a better grasp on filmmaking's every step (from getting it funded, all the way to promoting it) than most film degrees; and at under 20 bucks, it's also a lot less expensive! Take it from a man who's been doing it for 40 years. He knows the ins and outs. When you finally make your own damn movie, remember to thank Uncle Lloyd. He deserves it.

This book gave me the insight to what happened during the production of several of my favorite movies. Also I also learned that everything as entertaining as Bruce Cambell's films are never easy to make. Great buy for aspiring film makers.

If chins could kill is all about BRUUCE! Not Springsteen,Bruce Campbell.If you are a fan,than you will love this book!There is funny stuff about his childhood,his teenage years,and much more.It is hilarious and full of details.Sam Raimi,& Rob Tapert stuff,it's all good! Highly Recomended.

I won't wax poetic or overstay my welcome with this review. If you know who Bruce Campbell is then you either love or hate nearly everything he has ever done. He fits into that small but very often wonderful category of stars that truly enjoy what they do, are good at it, and are willing to work hard to do it. This book is a fun and informative look at the way that "real" film making works. Bruce doesn't go on and on about how to set up lights and prepare for interviews. He does not bore us to tears by going on in excruciating detail how a film or TV series gets made. He instead entertains us with his "rise to the middle". He is honest, self depreciating yet funny, and comes across with a humanity that is not only refreshing but encouraging as it shows that someone with that large and loyal a fan base can also be a real human being as well. As an example of how enjoyable a read this book is, allow me to present my wife. She had exactly zero interest in Bruce Campbell aside from avoiding the living room when I was watching one of his films. She knew I was a fan but really had no idea why I would watch some of the "B" list material that he has done in order to pay the bills. Then, after much prodding by myself, she agreed to read "If Chins Could kill". She couldn't put it down. She still refuses to watch the "Evil Dead" series but she watches and loves nearly everything he has ever done that doesn't involve zombies from "The Adventures of Brisco County Junior" to "Spider-Man". As she put it, "The movies may be bad but Bruce is always fun to watch".

"If Chins Could Kill" was a long overdue read for me seeing as I got it as a gift for Christmas 2007! I don't know why I waited that long to read it. It was a fast, often hysterically funny read about "B" actor, Bruce Campbell, who is most well known for his role of Ash, in the Evil Dead series.
This tells the story of how him and his brothers would do up until when he wrote the book. It is a great behind the scenes of an actor's life and his thoughts and feelings and sense of humor alongside it all made for a great fun read.
If you are a fan of his or even just interested in biographies, I highly recommend it!

Lest individuals considering reading this book think it intended exclusively for fans of Bruce Campbell's movies, let me stand as counterproof. I have enjoyed Bruce in XENA and HERCULES, two TV series that I moderately (very moderately, though XENA a great deal more than HERCULES) enjoyed, and I've seen him in random appearances like in THE X-FILES and films like BUBBA HO-TEP, I thought THE EVIL DEAD movies to be consistently awful. This is, perhaps, less a reflection on the movies than on my own dislike of the entire horror genre. Still, my point is that someone who hates THE EVIL DEAD can still enjoy this book. In fact, I'll add that while watching THE EVIL DEAD was torturous for me, I loved reading about making the film.

Though Bruce Campbell has managed to rack up a number of roles that have projected him into the public cultural eye -- especially as Ash in the EVIL DEAD films, the short-lived TV Western THE ADVENTURES OF BRISCO COUNTY JR., and as Autolycus in HERCULES and XENA -- his book illustrates precisely why he is best classified as a B actor: he has pretty much had to take a string of not-so-great roles in order to make a living. To his credit, he is almost always more enjoyable than the project he is in. He is also an enormously likable presence, even as Autolycus, who as the King of Thieves is a palpably absurd character. I have not watched BURN NOTICE, but a number of friends who are fans enjoy him in that, though they know him from nothing else.

Informationally, the great virtue of the book is that it takes you very much behind the scenes to present many of the practical aspects of a moderately successful TV and film actor. You also encounter a very large number of high school friends who have against all odds also managed careers in Hollywood. For instance, the other night I was watching Season One of FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS on DVD with a friend (one of my all time favorite shows) and in the opening credits I saw the name John Cameron. I immediately recognized it as the name of one of Campbell's friends. I did a quick check on IMDB and discovered that it was indeed the same John Cameron. The book is also filled with lots of goodies about the most successful of that high school group, Sam Raimi, who has directed and produced his way into being one of the biggest box office moguls in Hollywood.

The lone negative about the book is that it is oddly impersonal. For instance, he mentions his friend Rob Tapert repeatedly and noted his importance on HERCULES and XENA, but never mentions that he and Lucy Lawless married and have had several children. Nor does he mention that he (Bruce) portrayed Rob Tapert in a comical episode of HERCULES. Maybe he mentioned the Tapert/Lawless marriage in a paragraph that I accidentally skipped, but it isn't embedded in the texture of the book. What is part of the texture of the book is the ironical distance that Campbell keeps to everything, almost emotional distancing. He takes the stance of a neutral observer of his own life.

The ironical distancing allows Campbell to write about everything with humor. This isn't a funny ha-ha kind of book, but a funny smile kind of book. But even at the low points of Campbell's careers he is able to write about it with wit and even a kind of wisdom. The result is a book that is never anything short of completely entertaining and frequently revelatory. Campbell has followed this book up with a fictional work (MAKE LOVE THE BRUCE CAMPBELL WAY), but hopefully he will someday write the next installment in his account of his life as an actor.

I am baffled there are this many positive reviews for this product. Either you are allowing your passion for Star Wars blind you or you have placed your book in a special quiet place and look at it from afar. I am only comforted by the fact my mother bought this book for my son, or I would be demanding my money back.

My mother saw this online will searching for another Star Wars product and my son and I were both excited when it came. Although he is only four, he loves Star Wars and we use it as a way to learn about other things. This book fell apart the first time we used it. The middle designs in particular are hard to compact, making the book impossible to put away or even get to other pages. The lightsabers go on and off when they want to...or maybe when you use the force.

Listen, I'm an educated man with a calm mind and a passion for Lucas products. I have actually thrown this book away because I was so tired of trying to make something poorly designed cherished just because it is a Star Wars Product. I find it hard to believe of the hundreds of reviews there are no other complaints.

Save your money and buy other products with the same information.

Any child with even a passing interest in Star Wars will love this incredible book.

This is the PERFECT book for Star wars fans. I can't say a single bad thing about it. I cannot find a single flaw. In addition to giving you information about the movies, there are stunning, unbelievably gourgeous pop-ups coviring each page. Also, bgecause pop-up books are normally geared toward children, I want to say that this is for everyone. It is not only for children. It will provide hours of enjoyment and I recommend it to anyone who wants a stunning new addition to their Star Wars collection or who wants to learn more about Star Wars.

got this book for my sons 8th birthday, he loves this book and was delighted by all the different sections.
family and friends also loved it. It's very well made and has several intricate sections on each page. The working light savers in the book are great.
I would recommend this book to any one makes a grate gift.

The little guy LOVED this pop-up book. The perfect Grandma gift. If your kid is a Wii fan of Star Wars, this is terrific! Dad reads it to him and they share the book. Can't tell who likes it better.

If this were a movie, it'd get two thumbs up. Assuming the reviewer had two thumbs. If the reviewer had lost one of their thumbs in a tragic nose-picking accident, then this would still be a two thumbs up book -- it's just that one of the thumbs would be all decayed and probably smell.

Arguably the most read and entertaining book I have ever read. I find myself revisiting this one often for it is the most entertaining and real books around. I've been a fan of Lloyd and his films and have supported Troma since I was teen. I'm 32 years old now and have had many opportunities to meet my most cherished idol. Lloyd is one of the most caring and appreciative people to his fans and like them or not this book has it all. LONG LIVE TROMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just started reading this book a few days ago and have had a hard time putting it down. It's very informative on the inner workings of making an independent film. Also very funny.

I love reading books about independent film making but most of them wind up getting a little dry at some point. It's hard to find a book about the filmmaking process that's interesting and entertaining but this book certainly accomplishes that. You don't even need to be a troma fan to enjoy this book. As long as you're intersted in the creative process (even if what is being creative is really weird)then this book is worth reading.

A well written great paced autobiography heartfelt and funny at the same time. Full of great jokes and moments that will make you laugh out loud and others that will shock the most inner part of your soul. A must own for Troma fans, and a good introduction for Troma for newcomers. I would also suggest that you also purchase Lloyd Kaufman's novel The Toxic Avenger: The Novel

When a student in my pre-K class brought this book i remembered how much i liked it as a child. So i had the children sit down and I read it to them. Normally my class, 16 five year olds, wwould not sit still while i am reading a book, but this one they were hooked. After i finished they had me read it 2 more times, I would recommend this book to anyone with children, its great

Normally I steer clear of books about TV characters because of their low story quality. This story, however, is a hilarious page-by-page running joke, in which Grover, after reading the title, begs the reader not to turn the pages because he is afraid of meeting the monster. He erects barriers to page-turning which are destroyed as pages are turned, and when the last page is turned he discovers that he is the monster referred to in the title.

The humor turns on the fact that the author draws attention to the book context of interaction by having Grover directly address the reader, and by depicting physical objects ostensibly intended to block the pages from turning. Children will tremendously enjoy the feeling of knowing something Grover doesn't know, and will savor the situation comedy of Grover's failed attempts to resist their overwhelming page-turning force. The story ends with a moment of delicious irony in which Grover claims "I told you and told you there was nothing to be afraid of," but then his thought bubble appears: "Oh, I am so embarrassed."

This book does come in a board book format, but by the time a child is ready for this level of humor they will have outgrown board books, so I recommend the paper version.

This book is one of those classic books. My husband had it as a kid and loved it so he had me purchase it. My 7 and 2 year olds absolutely love it. The Monster at the End of the Book has become a bedtime ritual. Great book to add to any kid's collection.

This is the favorite book of my 3 kids, I have a grandson now, and ordered it for him. It arrived promptly and in excellent condition.

This is a short and sweet book perfect for bedtime unless your little one actually listens to Grover's please to not turn the page! Lots of opportunities for sound effects - huffing and puffing, pounding with a hammer, crashing down a brick wall, simply fun.

I picked this book up at the recommendation of a friend. I was skeptical because I am a 38 yr old woman and the military genre is not my thing. I had never read anything by Pat Conroy before. I simply loved this book! It is expertly written and builds characters that you come to love and hate. It delves into the inner workings of military academy and how the cadets deal with life there. The book builds comradery and loyalty between the characters and you actually feel that as you read it. I cannot say enough good things about this book, if in doubt, just try it!!

There's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said. This is a masterpiece--a painfully funny, heartbreaking, stunning masterpiece. Period.

When my mom first started to get me interested in southern family sagas Pat Conroy was her first recommendation,Lords of Discipline was the first book by Conroy i read, and I couldn't put it down. In the weekend i read it i feel like i learned more about the author and the city of Charleston than i ever have with any other book. it's an amazing look into military life and the complexities that occur within ones self and people that you think you know.I would recommend Lords of Discipline to anyone!

like i said a little slow in the beggining and i though i wasn't going to like it. don't give up though...the story gets intense without too much "action" type stuff and it ended becoming one good read.

I received this book as a gift and was reluctant to read it as the subject matter was not of interest. I started to read it just to see what it might be like and was captured by the outstanding writing. It was just a joy to read and the characters will stay with me forever.

When i see the movie you recieve the love that Jack and Ennis transmit. But in this book you can read the movie and see the original story that it take my tears. This beautifull but tragic remember to humanity that we are equal. So i recomend to buy this book, so anyone can treat the homosexuals equal as if they are heterosexual. GREAT BOOK.

As far as short stories go BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, at 64 pages, is one of the best. Not a traditional Western, but rather a more modern (1960s through 1980s) story of two young rodeo cowboys who fall in love one summer while working as sheepherders on the title mountain. The characterizations are deep and very true to the era and one can really feel the pain of yearning that young gay men of that era would truly feel, and understand the circumstances of how one of them at least, felt it was impossible to make a life together; so they would meet up at different periods in their lives to rekindle the romance. While it is a tragic story, it is expertly written and Annie Proulx's prose is meticulous in its intent. The characters are so concrete they will stay with you for a long time.

This is the version to get if you are interested in comparing the story to the screenplay, as of course the movie takes the entire short story and expands it. Also included are revealing essays by Annie Proulx, Diana Ossana , and Larry McMurtry.

Mark R. Probst
The Filly

This item took you through the entire life of the book to the screenplay to the movie. It was great reading what the writers said about the project and how it was a labor of love for everyone involved. It was wonderful reading how devoted everyone was to the project. Much how the two main characters were devoted to each other.

I had to purchase this book for a college course, otherwise I probably would never have read it. I found it boring and realized that it's probably better suited for either men who like cowboy stories, or people who are into studying how to create a screenplay from a move. The screenplay stays very true to the short story. The best part about this book is the essay in the back by Proulx. I suggest you read it before you read the short story as it answered my main question, which is why a straight woman in her 60s would write a story about rough cowboys who were having trouble accepting their sexual orientation.

In an effort to check out my approach to writing a book adaption to screenplay, I thought it would be a good exercise to experience how others have done it. After reading the Brokeback Mountain short story, then reading the shooting script, then watching the film, I knew I was right on target. It is invigorating to experience and understand the progression from story to screenplay to film. The book also includes backround information from the short story writer, Annie Proulx and the two screenwriters, Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, which tops off the value of this book. Reading it is a great process, and once you've read the book, you'll appreciate the film even more.
-Catherine Busch-Johnston-