Quills Books

"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" seems to me like the type of story that a lot of people would read only grudgingly as a school assignment. That's too bad, because this definitely seems like one for the ages to me.

Curiously enough, I was led to this story by the TV show --- "Lost," one of the characters on there was reading it. Once I started reading, I was immediately drawn in by this author's storytelling power and ability to create powerful images using words. Some of the language he uses is rather high-toned and may go over the heads of some readers, but I think even if you can't completely understand it, there's quite enough that is understandable for general audiences to still work very well. (And hey --- why not crack that dictionary if you're not certain about some terms?)

The plot goes back to the Civil War and it's about a man who is caught and put to death by hanging at a bridge. As you read it, you can absolutely picture this scene in your head and understand what the main chaacter is feeling. This story has a surprising twist ending as well.


Now that I've read this, I think I may just seek out more by Ambrose Bierce. I like vivid storytelling and this certain fits the bill.

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is an account of a Southern man who is about to be hanged. As he is awaiting his death, the imbecile believes he has escaped and is floating downstream. He dodges Yankee bullets left and right. This is the first place the reader says to himself, "RIGHT...." Many more imagined events occur. Once the man has magically reached shore, he travels day and night until he finds home. The book says that the man becomes very tired near nightfall which indicates that in reality the Confederate is now hanged. The story unsurprisingly ends with a dead man hanging from a rope with a broken neck. It doesn't take a genius to realize this will eventually happen. Overall? The book was fine. The style was ok. Ambrose was a weird guy...Poe was better... Peace from ZIMBABWE!! HAIL THE KING!

The first classical suspense, twlight zone story first written over 100 years ago. A quick page turner, excellent. The book could be found at local friends of library book sales. Be careful of buying it online. The normal sale price is $1, and online sells it for between $5 and $7.

This doesn't have anything to do with the book listed above, but I figured some people might be interested in this information. This classic tale was put on film in the late Fifties or early Sixties and eventually purchased by Rod Serling and used as an episode of the Twilight Zone. You should be able to purchase this on DVD. It's a classic episode.

this book really caught my attention because the way the flow of the book went was really smooth. it gets you wondering about whats going to happen next. I would recomend this book to someone
who like exciting books. the reason i choose to read this book is because after i started reading it; it started to get my attention by making you wait to what is going to happen next.

Devorah b'Shiriis a Canaanite is a priestess of Anat. She has always believed that she would take a major part in the Festival Rites of Baal and Anat but before this can happen she begins having horrid and terrifying visions of what would happen during this important ritual. She sees a friend who is supposed to take her virginity during the ceremony...instead taking her life. Devorah overhears her mother agreeing that it would be fine if she was sacrificed and to add insult Sivah tries to rape her the evening before the rite. But she manages to fight and wound him before he could harm her further. She is saved from killing him when her cousin Ari arrives. She has always been drawn to her cousin and willingly gives herself to this man. But this action leaves them both open to danger and Devorah leaves Ari after only one night. This sets her on a journey she could not begin to imagine.

Not a well versed student of the bible I came to this story totally unaware of any details of the background behind this work of fiction. This was an amazing title. Although it has a biblical background for the groundwork this is not a religious story. Rather it is a story that Ms. Sorter has managed to create a wonderful first person account of a rather remarkable character. Her beautiful voice as a writer lends itself seamlessly to the telling of the story...making this a must read for fans of historic fiction. I highly recommend this effort as if is full of life and heart.

Devorah b'Shiriis a Canaanite. She is a priestess of Anat. All her life Devorah knew that she would take a major role in the Festival Rites of Baal and Anat. Yet shortly before that fateful date, Devorah began having nightmares about the Rite. She knew that Sivah, whom she had known since childhood, was to play the part of Baal and take her virginity during the Rite. But in the nightmare, Devorah foresaw her death at Sivah's hand during the Rite. Devorah had no doubt that she was going to die. Worse, she overhears her own mother telling another that Devorah's sacrifice during the Rite would be fine by her. On the eve before the Rite, Sivah tries to rape Deborah. She severely wounds him. She would have killed him if someone else had not entered at that moment.

Aryeh ben Abinoam "Ari" is a Mosesite. He is Devorah's cousin. He is destined to take over the clan upon the death of his father. However, Ari's desire is to fight on behalf of the Mosesites - The Confederation. It is Ari's entrance that kept Devorah from slaying Sivah. Ari and Devorah have been attracted to each other since they met days before. She gives herself willingly to Ari. This means she is no longer fit for the Rite. Devorah and Ari flee, only hours before dawn. Fearing that being together would lead only to their deaths at the hands of the Shechemites, Devorah left one night as Ari slept.

Gildon ben Hadriel "Gil", one of the tribes of the Ephraimites, is a simple metalworker and trader. His traveling clan found Devorah unconscious by a river. They harbored her, even knowing that she was a Canaanite. Gildon is convinced that God "Yahweh" has plans for the young woman. He is so right! Yahweh sent her the nightmares, protected her from Baal/Sivah, helped her escape and to find her way to Gil's clan. Yahweh decreed that Devorah, a former follower of the Baal's consort, shall be His proof that He is the protector, not Baal. Devorah is to be His messenger. His Laws must be upheld for survival of The Confederation, for survival of the tribes He deemed fit to bring out of Egypt, away from slavery.

This is Devorah's tale!

***** Whether you are religious or not, this powerful tale will speak to you. This novel is based on Judges, Chapter four and five in the Bible. (Mostly on Deborah's Song.) However, this is NOT a religious work. This is a work of fiction. Even knowing this, I was amazed at the emotion and power that author Amy Wolff Sorter was able to weave into the tale. No matter who you are, you will not be the same after reading this masterpiece. Outstanding!*****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Before I picked up this book the only thing I knew about the "Song of Deborah" was it had something to do with the bible, but that was all. Not being a scholar of biblical studies I did look up to see what it was all about so I could have some background to go with Ms. Sorter's fictionalized story.

In researching what I discovered was very sketchy as little was known about this pivotal individual who lived in 12th century BC. Her most significant accomplishment was guiding General Barak in leading the Israelites to a victory as accounted for in Judges Books 4 and 5. She was venerated as being the force behind the voice of Yahweh that guided them to that victory. Before embracing Yahweh, she was a priestess who worshiped the pagan god Baal. Her accomplishments aside, for a woman to have been so respected during these times was nothing short of a miracle.

What Sorter did was take what facts she had about the life of this extraordinary person and develop an amazing first person account of the woman behind the legend. With well-written prose she breathed life and passion into her fictionalized portrayal of Deborah. With well developed dialogs and a vivid portrayal this reviewer was presented with a confused, scared, yet strong young priestess who rebels against tradition. Wanting to grasp one bit of happiness for herself she chose a different path than what was prescribed, and with that choice changed the course of history. You live her life experiencing her joy, her many regrets and the bittersweet love for cousin that led to the destruction of both their families. Instead of trying to interpret the oftentimes-obscure readings from the bible, the author rewrites the legendary story into one the lay person can understand and enjoy from Devorah's perspective. This was an incredible read both emotional and powerful that I can highly recommend.

Marilyn Rondeau, RIO - Reviewers International Organization

Servant of the Gods is a historical fiction novel that brings to life the events of the Song of Deborah, the Biblical story of how Deborah and Barak led an army to defeat the Canaanites and lay claim to Israel. Written to give the reader a closer insight into the life of Deborah herself, Servant of the Gods follows her from her birthright as a Canaanite priestess to her role as a female leader in a patriarchal society. A profound tale, with gripping dialogue and a firm grounding in scripture.

Servant of the Gods by Amy Wolff Sorter was not the book I was expecting. Deborah the prophet from the book of Judges in the Bible is best known for The Song of Deborah and her leading troops into battle with Barak. Sorter gives this story a historical romance treatment that may have Christians who are expecting traditional Biblical fiction up in arms. But this is a book that needs to be accepted on its own terms. Devorah (Sorter's name for the character) is a priestess of Anat about to undergo a major ritual for her people when she encounters Aryeh, a Mosesite from the tribe of Simeon. Both are shaken by the meeting and soon are fleeing for their lives from the repercussions. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but it's full of twists and turns. Some of the connections between characters are a bit soap opera-esque, but the romance between Aryeh and Devorah is compelling. The sex in the book is similar to that of other historical romances on the market, but would be a bit of a surprise to the traditional Christian fiction reader. I really enjoyed how Sorter made the characters human. Although Devorah had a close relationship with God, she still struggled with lust, doubts, and the need for revenge. The other characters evince their weaknesses believably as well. There is a tendency among Biblical fiction writers to keep their characters a bit too clean, but as seen in the Bible itself, God worked best among those who struggled and sinned. Read this book with your eyes wide open, knowing what to expect, and you may find yourself pleasantly surprised.

After reading the Alice books, I never imagined Carroll could write a literary failure. Unfortunately, as the introduction of this book so clearly states, Sylvie and Bruno is a literary failure. Why? Perhaps it's too much of an adult book. Perhaps the confusion of the first few chapters throws off too many impatient readers. These possibilites are certainly plausible. But what a shame! The work itself contains so many instances of wonderment that I can't name them all. Like a true craftsman of storytelling, Carroll masterfully walks the line between dream-like fantasy and all-too-familiar reality, swiveling between these two opposing states of being whenever the urge strikes.

One would venture to guess that the narrator is afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. That is, until he actually brings back a tangible souvenir from the dreamworld in the form of a rare Indian flower bouquet, incapable of surviving a lengthy transport to merry old England. Upon participation in this scenario, the open-minded reader begins to question the composition of reality. Are dream worlds filled with magic out there eluding us? Can it be that our steps in the real world are never terribly far from landing on a little fairy? The ponderment of such superstition is indeed rare today, but perhaps it shouldn't be.

Yes, extraordinarily deep questions are raised in this strange book where "actors" do somersaults during dramatizations of Shakespeare and gardeners run around "watering" plants with watering-cans as barren as the Sahara Desert. As anyone can see, Carroll didn't seem to have any problems coming up with wild stuff to write. I particularly enjoyed the rumor of the crocodile walking on its forehead.

I think the one thing Carroll never gets enough credit for is his use of humor. Sylvie and Bruno is quite funny. I couldn't help laughing at Bruno's story of, "a Mouse and a Crocodile and a Man and a Goat and a Lion." And the Baron's Embassy chapter is comedy gold. Carroll was truly an enlightened individual. I wish we had more like him today.

Carroll was also quite Biblical, and that's evident in this book. While strongly promoting faith in the Bible, he heavily criticizes the practically (I think) defunct method of filling up every Sunday with forced, nonstop preaching, and the far from defunct method of promising financial wealth to people who give. He notes that England's ability to endure such tactics for a whole century while still believing in God is a credit to the goodness of the people there. Unfortunately, a century after the printing of this book, the belief isn't quite as strong as it used to be. Perhaps Carroll's criticisms had some validity.

Carroll had the gift of innovation that is so terribly difficult for most people, including myself, to grasp. What extraordinary value his works have! It's a shame Sylvie and Bruno has so much value and yet so little popular appeal. I just wish Carroll could have shortened the story and wrapped it up in one volume.

I give it four stars objectively, but I like it much, much better than many books I've given five stars too. Definitely one of my all-time favorites.

Oh, and I am pleased to note the following: Carroll writes in the book's introduction that he's very against a technique he calls "padding" - which was later perfected by producer Robert Lippert in the horribly long film Lost Continent.

The book IS inconsistent. Unlike the brilliant Alice books, there are places where what Carroll is trying to do just doesn't work. But this book is written on a GIGANTIC scale. Carroll tries to take the basis of Alice, and expand it into something of real profundity - something that covers an entire moral and ethical universe. And much of the time, he actually *succeeds* at such an impossible task. There are scenes that are hysterically funny, and scenes that will make you weep. The book is VERY touching, and gives a strong and unforgettable message on the totality, wonder and all-conquering nature of all-conquering love. Sylvie, the fairy-child, is Love Itself, embodied. Despite its spottiness, this book is very, very impressive, and you will want to read it more than once, just to re-experience the good stuff, which is very, very good.

"For I think it is Love. For I feel it is Love. For I'm sure it is nothing but Love!"

Indeed. And Amen.

When you begin to read this book (together with its second part "Sylvie and Bruno Concluded"), you must always remember what Lewis Carroll states in the Preface: that the book was written putting together all sorts of bits of writing that the author had skteched and drafted here and there for a long time, trying to find a common thread. So it's an assorted bunch of funny, clever and often deep pages. Even so, you might miss one of the charms of "Alice's adventures in Wonderland": the spontaneity, the straightforwardness. This is very much the opposite situation: a book that was written slowly, painstakingly constructing the main body of the story.

So you can find here almost all dimensions of Carroll's thoughts: humorous nonsense and innumerable puns (including a word as original as "Jabberwocky" or "Boojum": "Phlizz"); logical and mathematical puzzles, including a simple and clever description of a Möbius strip; tender and lovely stories for children; lots of poetry... And three elements I haven't found neither in the Alice books nor in "The Hunting of the Snark": solemn religious meditations; the only real presence of death in a Carroll text (as far as I know, not being a Carroll scholar myself) when Sylvie watches a dead hare; and an adult romance.

All these aspects are intertwined in a precarious narrative line-- there are almost as many disgressions as there are chapters; but what might seem a flaw in the book can be its main charm. All in all, Carroll found here A METHOD FOR NONSENSE or, as he says, "a far clearer idea (...) of the meaning of the word 'chaos'".

This is certainly not the best book to begin to read Carroll, but it's a pity it's not even half as popular as the Alice books. It's really worth reading it: it's like delving deep into the goldmine of the brain and the heart of a genius.

It cannot be separated from the second part "Sylvie and Bruno Concluded".
In this set of two novels, Lewis Carroll appears as what we rarely know about him. He is the prophet of modern literature. He constantly passes from real life to fairyland, from reality to imagination, from realism to moral depth. Many lines are entertwined in this tale. the story of Bruno and Sylvie, two delightful young fairy children. The story of Lady Muriel and her love for and from Arthur. The story of Arthur Forester, MD, and his dedication to healing as far as far can be, even if it includes his own death in this dedication. Many other lines, I said. The line of Bruno and Sylvie's father, the deposed King who becomes the King of Fairyland. The line of the Professor and the Other Professor, and this drastic vision of both responsible and irresponsible science. The line of pure poetry constantly scattered among the pages. The line of so many children's tales in the form of tales or nursery rhymes and other Mother Goose productions. No one can come to the end of this richness and to a complete enumeration of all the stories and intricacies that are woven into this fascinating novel. A masterpiece that has mostly remained unknown or unrecognized.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

There is *nothing* disappointing about Sylvie and Bruno. It is not anything like Alice.. it surpasses Alice in every way.
This book is filled with a goodness that just can't help itself... and while it can be silly at times, and crazy at others, in the end it brings me to tears, every time. It is noble and honest and the characters steal your heart...
Not all of life is suffering... and this book is about that. I would really encourage you to pick it up. The first few chapters are a little crazy as you get used to this half-reality half-fantasy style... but it pulls you in so quickly, and will really blow you away.
An absolutely wonderful book!

What an amazing story of the way period frames came into their own. This book is the perfect way to start an understanding of the value of frames or to enhance your knowledge tremendously. This is a must have for anyone interested in the art of framing!

This is the best way to begin or refine your understanding of antique American frames.

It struck me as odd that people were tossing these things of craftsmanship and age simply because they didn't think they could profit in a monetary sense. It was the death and destruction of antique frames that has made them rare. So many died, so so many could live. I am sure marketing was the key factor in showing the buyer with the bucks the joy and appreciation of the vintage frames beauty. And so to Mr. Eli Wilner belong the spoils. I found the book enlightening and enriching. Dealers who trade in these wares should buy numerous copies and send them out to their customers for the holidays.

I bought this book hoping to get some real specific information on buying and selling antique american frames. I enjoyed reading this book because it gave me a bigger picture of how the frame styles developed in America (even though I also felt like Mr. Wilner's chatty tone seemed to talk down to his audience). I agree with some of the other reviewers in that this certainly is an enthusiastic book and creates awareness for people to look at what surrounds the picture instead of just looking at the painting. Antique frames should certainly be studied and written about and noticed and matched with the right paintings.

I do have some complaints however. I am an antiques dealer and I have some other books in the Confident Collector series. I really don't think this book fits in the same spirit as the rest of the series. I think Mr. Wilner's prices are all off base with the real world of antiques and collecting. They seem to be a self-serving guide to prices in his shop alone. I go to lots of auctions and antique markets in many states and have been in the business for many years of selling both paintings and frames and I rarely have seen frames alone sell for the kind of values he is giving them. I know that prices are going up since more awareness has made people appreciate the so-called art of the frame more. I have seen that there are many exhibits and articles on antique frames in the last few years, and I have seen that frames are starting to cost more as people become more aware that frames can be as important as a painting.I know that people like Mr. Wilner are benefiting the public by educating them on what a good frame is. I agree that some frames are very valuable, like an original Stanford White or a signed artists frame (as described in the book), but it seems that Mr. Wilner's book attempts to make all American frames seem valuable and that just can't be true. It's not true of American furniture or other antiques, they all have highs and lows, so frames must too. Like for example simple black Eastlake print frames in his book are starting at $2500, but those kinds of frames can be found at nearly every antiques mall for well under $500. There is no indication in the text about why Mr. Wilner finds Eastlake frames are suddenly so valuable other than that he says so.

Also Mr. Wilner's book seems to be the only one in the series that he is the only dealer listed. Other books list other experts and sources to buy or find out more about the specific antique. Overall, I think that for people who know nothing about frames and want some idea of what they are about and to learn some general history, the chapter text is quite informative but the dates of the frames shown are not in chronological order which is somewhat confusing. Unfortunately the black and white pictures are so small and fuzzy and such bad quality that it is very difficult to see the detail in the frames, so how can you tell if you have one of the valuable ones or not?

The photo captions themselves don't really give much extra information I wish they talked more about the decorative motifs or described the frames better since the photos are so bad. As generalist antique guides go it's a decent overview. I would just tell anyone to take the Price Guide part of this with a very large grain of salt, since the frame prices seem to be on the moon instead of in the real world of american antiques.

I purchased a copy of the first edition of Antique American Frames a few years ago because of a keen interest I have in American painting and antiques. The book totally transformed my perspective on frames, and now when I am shopping for antiques or considering the purchase of a painting, I take notice of the frame. Using the knowledge gleaned from this book, I fancy myself a budding frame aficionado. I was expressing my newfound passion to my cousin and ended up giving her my copy. I often take the book with me to the store or gallery I am visiting, so I immediately orderd a replacement copy for myself. I was delighted to find that there is a currently a second edition of the price guide available, complete with the latest prices. The 2nd edition also contains a wonderful chapter on collectors, both collectors of paintings in antique frames, and, just the frames themselves. I was particularly struck by the analogy of the period frame to vase; when you think about it, vases are valued the world over just by themselves and exhibited empty. You never think about something being missing. I highly recommend the 2nd edition of Antique American Frames Identification and Price Guide as a must-have for anyone who appreciates the power and beauty of American craftsmanship and artistry. Like the final sentence in the new chapter says "at last period frames have come into their own."

I absolutely LOVED this book. How awesome is it when a book truly makes one want to believe in the power of true love and magic. The characters are warm and heartfelt and the story is magical and enchanting. Although at times I might have found myself a bit frustrated with Eileen's blinders in regards to her boss, that was easy to overlook in the context of the whole story. It's a true Cinderella story, including the evil step-sister/mother and all!!! :)

this book was sweet, romantic but also funny and smart. if you like a little magic in your romance along with intrigue this is the book for you.

I read about 10 to 15 books a year, but it has been over 15 years since I read a romance novel. I believed that they just didn't do it for me. While reading the recommended book, Glass-slipper.com, I expected to read a chapter and then put it on the shelf with all the other half-read romance novels, but something different happened this time. It was like a spell came over me and I couldn't stop until it was finished. Since I read so many books, I know good writing, but Ms. Anderson has a style that captures not just my love for good writing, but there is something magical in her words. Maybe this story is considered a Modern-Day Cinderella story with the expected happy ending that will stir emotion in anyone, but the message is written between the lines. Rebecca Anderson possesses something that is magical, almost like she is channeling the greatest writers of our time, as well as the Wizards and Fairy God Mothers of lore. As I finished the book, I not only got a wonderful story to remember, but I received a strong message that will last a life time. When I read the last word, it was like losing a good friend, but lucky me, I have her next book on my night stand. Half way into the first chapter, I've been mesmerized again. I think Ms. Rebecca is more than just a good author and storyteller. I believe she is gifted with some of the qualities of the "Grantor" across the courtyard. She has a way of speaking to us mere mortals that gives us hope for our own lives. All we have to be is open and willing. Her books have more than a fun story to read (which should be a movie by the way). There are some life-changing messages that will help to spin you into the ether of life. If you allow the words to penetrate your mind, your heart will feel like it's been given a new lease on life. Ms. Anderson, please don't ever stop writing. You have a gift that is unexplainable. I look forward to seeing you on Oprah.

In modern day America - LA to be specific, Eileen has been in love with Brock (now her boss) since she was ten. Her problem - he's interested in her stepsister, the blonde and beautiful Alyssa. When her father dies, cuts her out of the will and she gets kicked out of her childhood home, Eileen returns to her computer security job to find Daniel Collins, another computer geek hired to help maintain her workload! Now we mix in the magic. Mirabella is a Grantor from Wish Makers International that must help Eileen fulfill her wish. This isn't the make your wish and its granted type of magic though. So why is it Eileen, who's wish is to have Brock love her, finds herself suddenly so confused?

Poor Eileen, she wants true love, but in order to gain her wish for love, through Wish Makers International, she must complete a seven-step process. As she is spending so much time with Daniel she discovers his more human side and much to her dismay, Eileen is attracted to him! While I think a good psychologist would have recommended some of the steps she had to pass to get her wish, the relationship between Eileen and Mirabella was fun and defiantly not clinical! The budding relationship between Eileen and Daniel was enjoyable to follow especially when Brock takes notice of her. While you will find yourself wondering what she sees in Brock, I think the way she overcame her childhood fascination was understandable; but can Daniel understand this as well?

While I don't read to many contemporary romances and I think I would have preferred a little more of a paranormal touch, GLASS-SLIPPER-DOT.COM is a modern day Cinderella story and this appealed to me. With fun secondary characters and an interesting plot, this was a fun story!

I didn't enjoy this book. I ordered it based on the other reviews, but was not enthusiastic with the story overall. Eileen is a nerdy computer geek who works at a computer software corporation as the Security Director. Someone's been hacking government intel in the company, and Daniel is an undercover FBI agent working at the company to find out who it is. Eileen and Daniel are forced to work together to find out who the hacker is. During this whole storyline, Eileen is in love with her boss, Brock, who doesn't know she even exists. Daniel, despite his initial reservations with Eileen, slowly develops feelings for her, but Eileen is too blind to see it.

This story fell flat immediately for me when the whole Wishmakers International (an agency that grants wishes) came into the storyline. I would have liked it better with just the storyline of the hacker, Daniel & Eileen solving the crime, and Eileen discovering who she is and what she wants out of life. My question throughout the book was, "Why does Eileen need a Granter (a good witch who answers wishes), when she would have found Daniel on her own while working in her company?" With Daniel working undercover, he would have gotten closer to Eileen through association regardless of the good witch's assistance. Her Granter did not do much but for Eileen, except make her take self-defense classes and "go with your heart" advice.

I've read better, and think that if you find this on a used shelf or can borrow it, that would be the way to go. But, I'm sure that this type of book attracts many readers, but it didn't do it for me -- a die-hard fan of romance, time travel, and historical novels.

Melodramatics from Lady Windermere. Mrs. Erlynne and Lord Windermere meeting but incomprehensibly deaf to the rumors about them. Yes, this is not Oscar Wilde's best play but, oh, the zingers he does get in, namely through Cecil Graham. Example: "Well, there's nothing in the world like the devotion of a married woman. It's a thing no married man knows anything about." Read it for the pithy lines.

I have always enjoyed all of Oscar Wilde's works, but this is not very good compared with the others, but none the less still worth reading. The characters were sort of dull, but the plot intresting which made up for it. I'd reccomend this to fans of Oscar Wilde, but if you have just discovered Wilde, skip this and start with either, "The picture of dorian gray" or "the importance of being Earnest".

I just wanted to say that i really love this play and that i highly suggest that everyone should read this funny and witty masterpiece. Lady Windermere is so naive but i liked the bit when she threatens to slap Mrs Erlynne across the face. That's what i call Girl Power!!

Anyway, i wanted to know if there are any notes to accompany this play. I need some notes that focus on the language of the play, social context, characters, etc.

I would be eternally grateful if anyone could help.

Oscar Wilde entirely dedicates this play to the exploration of the way a woman can be saved from destruction in this society of appearances. A woman was the victim of an imbroglio in the past and abandoned her daughter. This woman comes back and the daughter ignores her relation to her. She is brought back into societry by the daughter's husband who knows the truth but does not want his wife to know it. But there is some kind of malediction that flies over the heads of these women. The daughter nearly does the same mistake as her mother but she is saved by her mother who accepts to be tainted in her daughter's place. Bus Oscar Wilde must think there is some kind of reward for a good deed and all is well that ends well, and this play has a happy ending. In spite of all the melodramatic sentimentalese atmosphere, Oscar Wilde definitely explores in this play the great disadvantage of a woman in society. Men can do nearly all they want. Women are extremely limited and have to walk a very straight and narrow line. Oscar Wilde seems to be ahead of his time as for the fate of women: he seems to aspire for real equality for them, though he shows in all possible ways that this is impossible in his society.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Perpignan

My first experience reading Oscar Wilde... and certainly not my last.

Wilde's sardonic wit and ineffable satire had me enchanted from page one. Wilde writes with devastatingly appealing witticisms, and with a style and cleverness matched by few other authors. It is said that he is one of the more oft-quoted authors in the English language, and I now understand why.

In addition to axioms and aphorisms of pure genius, the plot both captivates and surprises the reader. Lady Windermere discovers that her husband has been cheating on her, and a folly of misunderstandings and poor advice then unfolds; all the while satirizing society.

common sense stuff, pharacuetical approach, anything of note is available on the internet. quite a few times he negates the use of herbs and any sort of alternative healing for lack of controlled studies with proof positive. yet, he accepts antidotal evidence for the efficacy of vicks vapor rub to cure toe fungus and a bar of soap to prevent leg pain/cramps at night. go figure!

a book i do recommend on personal health care at any age is Linda Page's Healthy Healing.

Very helpful information presented from Dr. Gott on almost every health issue. Excellent purchase!

Some things I was not aware of were revealed to me in this book. It is a really good investment.

My grandmother is 89 years old, healthy as a horse and twice as independent, and swears by any info given out by Dr. Gott. This book presents his advice in the same format as his column; letters from people with Dr. Gott's advice. Great presentation and great info. And if it's good enough for Grandma, its bound to help the rest of us youngsters.

This book is easy to read and understand. Dr. Gott has many simple, easy, yet very important things for all of us to do to make life after 50 as full as posible.

This is one of the best books ever written. Elkin hilariously dissects and explodes every tenant of Christianity by slamming the contradictions into one another with perfect timing and accuracy. He paints the dilemmas faced by all believers through the incredibly credible characters he creates : Ellerbee is a good man who didn't believe and so goes to hell, for that and some other petty omissions and indiscretions, while God, thoroughly imperfect as well as a pompous egotist, is a supreme being who likes to be idolized and entertained certain he does not have to defend his inhumanity to man. In Heaven, Joseph does not believe his son, the cripple, is the messiah. This and so many other contradictions and paradoxes roll lightly across the eyes in this little book leaving you to believe you just read a book bigger than any bible. It is a book that you can read in a sitting, but I guarantee you will sit again and again as you reread it finding something new and delightful every time you turn a page.

A very strangely constructed little novel, Stanley Elkin's "The Living End" is both an afterlife fantasy and a secular meditation on the meaning of God's creation. It's interesting that most authors who write fiction about the state of death portray it as simply a transcended, and usually idealized, form of life, but then again from what other source can they draw their material? Death is the one thing that can't be researched.

"The Living End" begins with what looks like a conventional plot, telling the story of a hapless ordinary man named Ellerbee who owns a liquor store in Minneapolis, has a nagging wife whom he loves nonetheless, and is loyally charitable to his employees. One day he is shot and killed by armed robbers and is spirited away to Heaven--which, although every bit the antiseptic paradise it is rumored, appears in the form of a theme park, like an ecclesiastical Disney World--and then is told, without explanation, that he is being sent directly to Hell.

Hell is total anarchy and chaos, people constantly brutalizing each other or wandering around aimlessly with no structure or schedule to their existence, ultimately desensitized to their environment. After sixty-two years in the inferno--long enough for a guy to deserve to know why he's been sent there--Ellerbee learns that his sentence is a result of having broken some of the more easily breakable commandments, leaving him to ponder the absurdity of having to spend eternity in the abyss for having operated his business on the Sabbath.

In Hell, Ellerbee eventually meets his murderer's accomplice, a man named Ladlehaus who made a great living as a criminal but met his end when the plug was pulled on him while he was in a coma. Through an odd set of circumstances his grave was located in a high school stadium, where the groundskeeper, a man named Quiz, believed the dead man was speaking to him. Quiz, the hilariously perverse protagonist of the novel's second act, imagines the Twin Cities are engaged in a civil war and persuades little boys to play soldiers for him.

The novel comes full circle in Heaven, where Mary, who contemplates the experience of having borne a child while remaining a virgin, and Joseph, who feels cuckolded by God over said child, have reunited with Jesus in a skewed family portrait. God, frustrated with the empty and vain tributes of religion, man's idea of adoration of the divine, gives a "gala" in which, like a temperamental and narcissistic artist berating a public apathetic to his work, he explains the rationale behind his universe and makes his fearsome final decision. Elkin surely wishes he knew the secrets he pretends God to disclose, but he doesn't cheat his reader--the force and style of his expression are more than worth the time and trouble of "The Living End."

Stanley Elkin is one of the masters of twentieth century prose. His dialogue is completely believable and the language never comes across as pretentious. The characters in "The Living End" are both realistic and humorous, while the novel explores dark themes. Elkin's vision is a pessimistic one but he never comes across as too "preachy." All in all, an enjoyable read.

This is Elkin's best work in my opinion. It is sad, funny, chewy, and ridiculous. The humor is so dark you might need a flashlight to make your way but is worth it. Elkin paints hysterical portraits of all your favorite New Testament all-stars. I am so glad that this is back in print and you should be to. If you like Elkin please buy this so his work will stay in print.

Wait, is that a compliment or a putdown?

Stanley Elkin's deceivingly short novel is not a quick read. I made the mistake of reading it to and fro my train rides to work and at lunch, and, I must say, the life around me was something of a distraction from Elkin's humurous and terrifying depiction of the afterlife. Imagine reading run-on sentences like the above over and over again, thinking to yourself, "It's short... it's short... just finish reading out of respect and move on to the next book." And then imagine sentences, unlike the aboves, fill'd with wacky words that make you wish you spent more time doing crossword puzzles and that little Quiz at the end of Reader's Digest.

I'm not saying that Elkin was laboriously thesauring away, trying hard to impress the reader with his vocabulary, or syntax, or ideas, but I am saying that this book requires something of a commitment.

So I gave it one.

I reread the novel, and I picked up on some of what I was missing before. "Oh, THAT'S who Lesefario was...".

And I looked down upon my finish'd book. And it was good.

My advice follows: keep reading 'till the end. The last few lines are killer. If you feel disheartened, imagine C.S. Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters" and what a bore that was. Then imagine Woody Allen writing it, without slapstick, and get back to the novel at hand, my boy... And if you want to feel good about yourself for reading a book of some substance, remember that Oprah will never, EVER, recommend this one...

The Penguin Classics '01 paperback edition is laden with typographic errors. The spacing between individual letters is inconsistent on numerous occasions, which can be rather jarring to the eyes when "it" becomes "i t" whereas the rest of the line is densely packed. The typesetter even got the most brilliant idea by turning "flourish" into "∫tourish". Although I enjoyed reading the play, my experience was marred by these misprints.

I'm pleased with the purchase, I got what I expected and for little money. The delivery was timely and the product was in good shape.

GBS wrote play with "approaching audiences as citizens capable of thought and prompting them to think imaginatively to some purpose" in mind, as Margery Morgan says. And there are plenty for one to think seriously about in Major Barbara.

The most interesting is his conviction that no money is untainted. That's interesting because it means the donations and public fundings the environmentalists take in come from no less than the evil polluters themselves, perhaps feeling, which GBS rightly agreed, as the Salvation Army would that they "...will take money from the Devil himself sooner than abandon the work of Salvation." But GBS also wrote in the preface that while he is okay to accept tainted money, "He must either share the world's guilt or go to another planet." From what I can gather from the preface and play, GBS believed money is the key to solve all the problems we have, hence his mentioning of Samuel Butler and his "constant sense of the importance of money," and his low opinion of Ruskin and Kroptokin, for whom, "law is consequence of the tendency of human beings to oppress fellow humans; it is reinforced by violence." Kropotkin also "provides evidence from the animal kingdom to prove that species which practices mutual aid multiply faster than others. Opposing all State power, he advocates the abolition of states, and of private property, and the transforming of humankind into a federation of mutual aid communities. According to him, capitalism cannot achieve full productivity, for it amis at maximum profits instead of production for human needs. All persons, including intellectuals, should practice manual labor. Goods should be distributed according to individual needs." (Guy de Mallac, The Widsom of Humankind by Leo Tolstoy.)

If GBS wasn't joking, then the following should be one of the most controversial ideas he raised in the preface to the play. I quote: "It would be far more sensible to put up with their vices...until they give more trouble than they are worth, at which point we should, with many apologies and expressions of sympathy and some generosity in complying with their last wishes, place them in the lethal chamber and get rid of them." Did he really mean that if you are a rapist once, you can be free and "put up with," but if you keep getting drunk (a vice), or slightly more seriously, stealing, you should be beheaded?

"Major Barbara" is a morality tale of a young woman, a Major in the Salvation Army, who finds her work supported by an arms dealer. Surprisingly, the arms dealer in the play, Undershaft, is witty, urbane, generous, industrious, and ruthless. He has some of the same rationalizations for what he does that contemporary arms dealers still use. He does not kill anyone. He does not start wars. He is in business. He creates jobs. If he did not do it, someone else would. Everyone does it, including governments. Poverty is the crime. Industry, including making armaaments, is the cure.

So, not much has changed. The world of the play is a complex web of moral ambiguity, hiding the most murderous of crimes. Or, are they really crimes at all? You be the judge.

This is a play worth reading. But if you are interested in the morals, or lack of them, in gun-running, and don't like reading plays, try "Lord of War," the film with Nicholas Cage.

So says Andrew Undershaft, the extremely wealthy owner of a tremendously successful English armaments business, in George Bernard Shaw's play "Major Barbara." Undershaft, whose self-proclaimed religion is his wealth and his industry, inherited the business from a long line of Andrew Undershafts, each of whom was a foundling adopted by the corresponding previous Andrew Undershaft. This is not to say that the Undershafts don't marry and have families -- the current Andrew Undershaft has married the aristocratic Lady Britomart and has three children by her; he just doesn't let them have anything to do with the family business, preferring to stick to the tradition of bringing in an outsider to perpetuate the Andrew Undershaft dynasty.

Indeed, Undershaft feels that poverty is the primordial crime from which all other crimes -- burglary, murder -- spring, and that it is better to give a poor man a job so he can afford to live rather than spend public money on methods of punishing him should he violate the law in his efforts to afford to live. Undershaft moralizes when he speaks, but in actuality he scoffs at what he considers ordinary Christian morals of the kind professed by his daughter Barbara, who has joined the Salvation Army in her fervid desire to help the poor and has attained the rank of major. She works at a shelter doling out bread and milk to the downtrodden and trying to find work for the unemployed, but her real goal is to bring them to "salvation" by raising them to a higher state of spirituality. When her fiance, a scholar of Greek named Adolphus Cusins, who by a certain twist of logic happens to be his own cousin, reveals himself to be a foundling, Undershaft decides he's found his heir.

Although the play reflects the perspectives that Shaw, as a Socialist, had on the effects of poverty on morality and society, he doesn't seem to take sides with his characters and instead lets them be funny within the context of their respective social classes. His idle rich characters are lovably comical, like the mentally vapid trio of Undershaft's son Stephen (who wouldn't know what to do with his father's armaments business even if he were qualified to inherit it), daughter Sarah, and her fiance Charles Lomax. His impoverished characters -- those who come to the Salvation Army shelter for handouts -- can be honorably industrious like Peter Shirley or pugnacious and troublesome like Bill Walker. If Undershaft, for all his willingness to feed his fortune by manufacturing items that shed the blood of millions, represents the right way to fix poverty and Barbara the wrong way, why is the play named after her? I think it's possibly because her morality is one with which most theatergoers of the day could identify, while Undershaft's is idiosyncratic to say the least.

The best of dozens of short story collections I have read in recent years. The subtitle "Intersecting Stories" doesn't do justice to the work as a whole. I would call it a novel, many (though not all) of whose chapters could stand alone as stories. Works as a whole -- an important work of fiction by a superb writer.

What a gem of a collection!! I was completely engaged in this group of short stories about the very interesting and yet ordinary people of this CT town. I think what is so lacking in writing these days is the description and action of normal people. There is a unity in everyday activities that the correct author can make poetic. Ms. Mattison describes how people are and can be in real life. I loved this compilation!

Thank God for book reviews! If I hadn't read a NY Times review of Alice Mattison's MEN GIVING MONEY, WOMEN YELLING, it is unlikely I would ever have discovered this engaging collection of interconnected stories. The characters appear to be leading ordinary lives but Mattison's insights are definately extraordinary. Beginning each new story, the reader is aware that the previous characters will appear in some way in the forthcoming stories, making the collection a delightful puzzle.

This collection of short stories should satisfy the voyeur in all of us. Each story features a select group of characters from the book's over all story line and provides us with a new perspective to each scene. Ms. Mattison has done a wonderful job of demonstrating how chance, circumstance, and conscious decision cause our lives and situations to overlap or intermingle. As the stories intersect and the characters surprisingly reappear we discover how each person sees each of the others and views the events.

What we never really learn is how each character actually feels about themselves or one another. Even in the first person narratives they seem to lack their own distinct voices. And although New Haven is described as the locale we never are given a real sense of place. These stories could occur in most any city in the USA.

Overall this is very interesting and entertaining collection of short stories describing how many of see society and 'remember' our real lives!

The characters in "Men Giving Money, Women Yelling" live in New Haven, Connecticut, site of Yale University, but the college is a supporting character in this set of interconnecting stories. The characters are students and teachers, carpenters and business people and as we progress from story to story we begin to see their lives are all more or less connected. Like the movie "Magnolia" part of the fun of reading these stories is trying to figure out how everyone is related to the other characters. One central figure in all their lives is Denny Ring, a charming but disturbed drug addict. He is one of the "men giving money" of the title, and many of the "women yelling" are yelling in response to his manipulations. As is the case with a lot of short story collections, some of these tales work better than others. Mattison's attempts to depict racial tensions in the area are a little too overt, but her writing shines when showing the outrageous attractiveness of Denny, a dangerous and ultimately doomed protagonist. She is also adept at drawing all the disperate stories together, culminating in a concluding story that is wonderfully satisfying.