Characters Books

To me, this book defines The Joker; A mean-spirited, incredibly intelligent, completely psychotic mass murderer with a way beyond warped sense of humor. I first read this book in High School. Once I picked it up, it was so amazing/disturbing I couldn't put it down until I'd read the whole thing. I wrote a paper on it that got me into AP English. Now 10+ years later, it was so good I'm searching for it again. This book is a KEEPER. Be careful who you loan it to, they might think so too.

The Joker is, and has always been, my favorite fictional character of all time. If you are a fan of the Killing Joke, and are a fan of the dark, psychotic portrayal of the Joker, then this book will definitely please you. I first read the book when I was in fourth grade. The story "On a Beautiful Summers day, he was" disturbed me then and still does now. It was the one story from this book that has stuck with me for all the years since I first read it (about 11 years ago). Check this book out; it's a real treat for Batman fans.

I find The Joker to be a fascinating fictional character, and this collection of short stories definitely manages (at least for the most part) to get at what I feel is the true character of The Clown Prince of Crime. This little overlooked book is probably the best portrayal of The Joker this side of Alan Moore's The Killing Joke.

The quality of the stories is uneven, ranging from brilliant to forgettable. Unfortunately, the very best stories are all weighted toward the first part of the book and sets you up thinking that ALL of the stories will be that good. My favorites are "The Man Who Laughs" and "On a Beautiful Summer's Day, He Was." The latter, while being the least "Joker"-y of the lot, is also the most disturbing. "On the Wire" is also excellent, and although "Jangletown" falls into the average group, it's memorable for its description of the Joker (which brought shadows of Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum) and the hints at pederasty. Most of the others are average but still entertaining and full of dark, disturbing moments (Bruce Wayne's punchline in "Dying is Easy, Comedy is Hard," the opening of "Bone," and the patricide in "Best of All"). The only story I flat out didn't like was "The Joker's Christmas."

I thought it was an excellent decision to use horror writers for the most part to bring The Joker to life...I can't imagine a genre he more belongs at home in.

Do yourself a favor a grab a copy of this book. It's truly unsettling.

This book consists of several short stories, each written by a different author, and all of them about the Joker. The stories are too short for me to tell you much about them, and besides, part of what makes this book great is the different angles taken on the Joker. Each story focus on the Joker, but each shows a different part of the whole Joker.
I would recomend this to any Batman fan, any comic fan, or anyone looking for good short stories.

"Bone" by Will Murray is worth the price of the book alone. "Oh, I'm collecting kitties and puttin' 'em in bags," sings our emerald-topped antagonist. What he does with them is, well, horrific. Throw in F. Paul Wilson's "Definitive Therapy," a chilling look at The Joker through a psychiatrist's eyes, and Robert Sheckley's "Joker's War," with The Joker somehow caught up in the second World War, and you've got a must-read for fans of this mythos. The rest of the stories are hit and miss, but you won't care. This collection of stories will keep you up late.

Unlike so many other Garfield books coming out this one had all original material in it. You'll find it quite funny and enjoyable.

Just like the title for my review- this is the funniest book ever written. Our whole family has really enjoyed Garfield and his sense of humor.This is a book that the whole family will love from child to adult. This book is for everyone. It will leave you laughing till you cry. Enjoy.

I bought this book for my girlfriend since she's a Garfield Fanatic and she loved it. I read it also and it was very funny. Eventhough you expect it to be a kids book, adults can have a good time reading it.

I always enjoy garfield's sarcasm, and in this books he makes funny of everything. This book has more text han comics, pay attention if you're looking only garfield comics.

I bought this book as a gift for a friend. She loves Garfield and immediately fell in love with this book. Funny stuff, great find.

Cavanaugh's book has valuable insights and a solid, pragmatic approach to the subject. My only complaint is that it can get a little redundant at times. I used it as a resource for a 6 week study with a small group and it was generally well received.

A really excellent book. God helped me through it to refocus my mind on Him and see myself complete in Him.

This is by far the best book I've ever read concerning life as a single Christian adult. Author Michael Cavanaugh deals with so many of the problems that we face in the world today. He raises a Godly standard, and in simple, straightforward language, he teaches and encourages his readers to fight the good fight of faith. The book takes a no-nonsense approach, and shows how compromise very often leads to misery, but walking in the way that God has set before us will strengthen us, and give us His peace and fulfillment, whether we ever marry or not. I've read it four times, and plan on reading it again.

If you are single, you must read this book. I found this book on a bargains table at a Christian Ed conference. Now, I wish I had bought all the copies!! The book made me cry time and again as I recognized my selfish attitudes about my singleness. I now realize that being single is a unique opportunity to get to know God better, free from distractions. And for those of you who, like me, thought it was a book for people who expect to remain single for the rest of their lives, it is not. But it will help you to be content, whatever your situation. It will help you to realize what God's purpose is for your life, and it will bring you peace and joy and hope for the future. Please get this book back in print, I want to give copies to all my single friends, so it can bless them as it blessed me!

I wish I could have read this book when I was in my thirties. During my thirties, I struggled a lot with my single status. Now as a forty something single woman, I realize that God may have something better for me than marriage. I realize that marriage cannot make you happy. One must be happy and content with Christ. I am a complete, whole person regardless of my marital status or station in life. I wish books like this were in Christian bookstores before the Internet came into being. It used to be extremely difficult to find books dealing with single people and the Christian life. Many churches don't help the situation either. They tend to make single people feel inferior, like if they are less than adult if they aren't married and have 2.5 kids and live in the suburbs. In the New Testament, Jesus Himself was a single adult in His thirties. He reached out to the people who were downcast, sick and oppressed with all sorts of afflictions. I am sure some of these people were single adults, like the man who was infirm for 38 years, Lazarus, Mary Magdalene, and others. Jesus was very tender and compassionate to these people, who were probably outcasts in the culture that they lived in. I wish that more churches would reach out to single adults in every stage of life and began to affirm them as worthwhile people. One need not to have a spouse in order to be whole and complete. Many people today get married for selfish reasons, only to end up in divorce court later on. In his book, Mr. Cavanaugh states that being single is not a curse or a sign of failure and that marriage is not God's ultimate will for one's life. I really enjoyed this book and it has helped to start a healing process in my own life. I want to be able to serve Jesus Christ in the best way that I can, with the time that I have left on this earth.

Good Behavior provides a reversal of fortune unlike any other that veteran burglar John Dortmunder has ever experienced.

His problems begin when his new partner, O'Hara, turns out to be incompetent at cutting off the burglar alarm. Dortmunder finds himself unexpectedly racing across rooftops while O'Hara is arrested at the bottom of the fire escape he has foolishly taken when the police arrive. After falling down one roof, he comes to a dormer and climbs in . . . only to find himself on a rafter over a roomful of nuns. Having been raised at an orphanage run by the Bleeding Heart Sisters of Eternal Misery, this depresses him . . . along with his sore ankle. The nuns rescue him with a tall ladder, and he finds himself speaking in pantomime . . . until they discover that he can read and begin writing notes. They have taken a vow of silence, and only speak for two hours on Thursdays.

Having noted his burglar's tools, they point out that perhaps the police should be called. But, they have a greater need for a burglar: to recover Sister Mary Grace who was abducted by her father to be reprogrammed into a corporate executive in the family firm.

Alone in the penthouse of a 76 story skyscraper, the sister has been fighting off the deprogramming and her father. By smuggling notes in and out with the cook, the sisters know where she is. Dortmunder agrees to spring her. Then, he becomes discouraged because no one will want to help him for no gain.

Just as he's about to tell the nuns that he cannot do it, they share the security codes for the building with him, which Sister Mary Grace has smuggled out. With that information, Dortmunder knows he can break into any part of the building, which is full of lovely jewelry and antique stores. With that kind of potential swag, his usual partners can be rounded up (Tiny Bulcher, Andy Kelp, and Stan Murch) plus a new alarm man, Wilbur Howey, who has just gotten out after 48 years (10 years for burglary and 38 years for continually escaping) who is very excited by seeing any woman. They also add an inside partner, J.C. Taylor, who sells off-color books and turns out to be critical to freeing Sister Mary Grace.

The burglary goes smoothly . . . but Dortmunder runs into unexpected (and potentially lethal) opposition as he nears the penthouse. Like all Dortmunder stories, the end is filled with fast and furious improvisation.

There's more than the usual humor in this story due to Mr. Westlake having the silent sisters as a running gag. But they communicate just fine, unlike the police whom Dortmunder is trying to outwit.

The plot develops slowly, which makes it more appealing, and the twists and turns keep my heart pumping rapidly. I don't remember a story about Dortmunder that is as engaging the positive human emotions. I think you'll like this one, if you have enjoyed any humorous stories about criminals.

After you finish this story, think about where you think that communication cannot be made. How might you overcome that limitation? Try imaging that you cannot speak, and see if that opens up any new ideas.

This book, about career crook John Dortmunder and his attempt to rescue a nun of the silent sisterhood is one of the best Dortmunder novels Mr. Westlake has ever written. The atmosphere is tense, since the book is about rescuing somebody as well as getting off with a lot of money, and having to put up with the nun's fascist father. This book is an enjoyable reading for all.

Westlake is one of the funniest authors I've ever read and this is one of his best novels. Beware because it will make you bust out laughing in public places if you read it there (people on my bus think I'm crazy). Absolutely worth the high price you might pay for an out-of-print.

While working one night, John Dortmunder accidentally sets off a burglar alarm, an occupational hazard for a thief, and winds up hanging from the rafters of the local convent. Although the occupants are an order of nuns who have taken a vow of silence, they manage to let John know that in return for not turning him into the police, they would make use of his specialist skills. They want him to rescue a young nun who was taken from the convent by her father and is held on the top floor of a 76-storey building.

Dortmunder's flair for getting himself into and out of impossible situations are highlighted again as he attempts to breach the defences of a building that seems as impenetrable as any well guarded fortress can be. The ever-changing motley crew that he works with is made to seem even more motley by the inclusion of the skirt chasing (but never catching) Wilbur Howey. Tiny Bulcher is again along for the ride in all his menacing glory as are two regulars Andy Kelp and Stan Murch.

It's the humorous ways in which Dortmunder deals with setbacks that gives the book it's charm. Interest is added by limiting the field of play to one building. How to get in, save the girl and then out again is the problem he faces.

This is yet another satisfyingly entertaining entry in the Dortmunder series that proves this time that he has a caring side, or maybe it's just his guilty, greedy side rearing it's head again. Whichever it is, it's a pleasure to see it.

John Dortmunder becomes St John when his latest caper drops him into a convent. The sisters see it as divine intervention so they ask him to rescue a kidnapped nun from her tyrannical father who is having the Catholicism deprogrammed out of her. Only Dortmunder could gather a group of thieves to rescue a nun and end up facing a mercenary army set for a Central American Revolution. Full of hilarious incident after hilarious incident, this is the Dormunder gang at its best.

"The Great Cow Race" picks up where "Out From Boneville" left off. It is the second volume in the nine volume Bone series. Written and drawn beautifully by Jeff Smith, it is an adventure filled with humor and mystery.

In this section of the story, Phoney Bone is trying to rig the betting on the great cow race by starting rumors about Rose (Thorn's Grandmother who always wins the race) being too old, and about a new incredibly fast mystery cow, which turns out to be Smiley Bone in a homemade cow suit. The main adventure story continues as well, as we learn more about Thorn through her dreams about a time she can't remember, and hints of an unusual past from comments by Rose and Lucius (the bar owner in Barrelhaven who has a long unspoken love for Rose).

This volume is heavier on the humorous stories, and as a result there is very little learned about the overall storyline of the series. For that reason, I rate it slightly lower than the first volume, but it is definitely worth reading.

Volume #2 of the 'Bone,' graphic novel series collects issues #7-11 originally released in 1992-1993. Those who enjoyed the first volume will surely enjoy this second collection even more, as the characters and storylines introduced in vol. #1 hit their full stride and become further fleshed out in fun and effortless fashion. Reading through the 'Bone,' series is reminiscent of listening to a well-crafted pop song in that there is seemingly little effort taking place to enjoy the work and moments later after you're done digesting it you suddenly realize what a rich and complex work the piece actually is, functioning on several unique layers. 'Bone,' works exactly in such a fashion and trust me when I say that you'll never have more fun while reading through a book and digesting the nuances afterward as you will with this series.

jeff smith is one geat artist and writer we well iove bon

The Bone series is the greatest group of books that I have! "The Great Cow Race" contains fantasy, adventure, humor, mystery, and more! And it all comes in one book! I really recommend it!

Jeff Smith's "Bone" series is a critically acclaimed but criminally overlooked epic for a reason. Critics recognize Smith's masterful storytelling abilities and are drawn to his mix of all-ages humor and decidedly adult darkness, but the black and white art and lack of superheroes is anathema to most comic book readers, making it a hit only in the "underground" sense.

Smith combines the kind of classic storytelling perfected by the likes of the legendary Carl Barks and Bill Watterson - gleefully funny cartooning with outrageously expressive faces and gestures - with the epic and engaging plotting of a sweeping fairy tale. "Bone" walks a tightrope and walks it well, managing to be something fans of both Donald Duck and Bilbo Baggins can enjoy.

Timeless is every way, "Bone" is an expansive story about three "bone creatures" (you'd have to see them to understand) that find themselves in a valley peopled with an assortment of crazy and interesting characters. Looming over it all is the menace of a great evil, first glimpsed by the ferocious (and funny) rat creatures, but later revealed to be something much more disturbing.

Thank goodness for trade paperbacks, which have allowed new readers unaccustomed to weekly stops at the comic store to follow this marvelous, epic, enchanting series.

In this second volume (out of nine total), Smith ramps up the humor - the idea of an old lady racing a bunch of cows is hilarious - while slowly, deliberately dropping hints that all is not as it seems with some of the village folk, specifically grandma. "The Great Cow Race" continues to sparkle with humor and retains the light tone of the first volume, "Out From Boneville," while Smith offers us just enough looks at the larger tale to keep us going. A fine effort on his part.

"Bone" is essential reading that no lover of the comic artform should skip. Little doubt people will still be reading "Bone" 50 years from now. Broad in scope yet personal and quaint, this is a charming story in every way that will long outlast 90 percent of other comic works on the shelf.

The Sinestro Corps war heats up with the arrival of Cyborg Superman, The Anti-Monitor and of course Superboy Prime. With a plot based on a prophecy from a 1986 story by Alan Moore, the story continues with the emergence of the Daxamite lantern, Sodam Yat. Imagine Superman combined with Green Lantern and then suped up after becoming the host of ION (some kinda whale looking entity that grants even greater power to one lantern member). The centerpiece of this book is the titanic battle between Yat and Superboy-Prime and it's a barn burner. (just as an aside, Superboy-Prime is now referred to as SuperMAN-Prime because of legal reasons but clearly he is being written as a boy so I refer to him by his old name). In this book Superboy-Prime reestablishes what we learned in Infinite Crisis, that he is just about the nastiest, toughest SOB in the DCU.

It's funny that it's called The Sinestro Corps since Sinestro is probably the weakest of the four top villains. I can't imagine he's more powerful than Superboy-Prime, the Anti-Monitor or Parallax, maybe Hank Henshaw. I would consider this series to be the natural follow up to Infinite Crisis particularly since it features Superboy-Prime heavily and it has a big event feel to it, much more so than 52. The art is very well done and again has that event look with panels jam packed with action and characters.

If I have one complaint about the book it's that it can tend to be a bit overly sappy and some of the moments had me groaning. I suppose the attempt was to balance it out with the extreme violence particularly the blood soaked fight between Yat and Prime as well as the slaughter of Sinestro's Corps by the now unrestrained Green Lanterns. There are hints at an even greater cataclysm yet to come called the darkest night. I always love the interview section that DC has been adding to the end of these compilations and this one is top notch. All in all a well done series.

The story was amazing and the art was even better if that is possible. The character development is great, you learn about and from them, and begin to feel them. The entire scope is absolutely universal. This is definitely one of the best graphic novels in recent years.

It was great doing business with these folks -- my order arrived promptly and in great shape! I greatly enjoyed the book, and hope to do business with them again in the near future.

I can't add too much to what's already been written. It is a great finish to a great story with some of the best science fiction characters you'll find anywhere, and not just in comics or graphic novels.

If you read the first book, you have to read the second. This book was a joy to read. I couldn't put it down. Every time I picked it up, I just couldn't stop reading. If you love green lantern then you have to get this book.

This is a terrific little book. Sherman Baldwin told his personal story of the first Gulf War in his book Iron Claw using letters to his future wife, which created a captivating narrative. In his latest book, Growing Up With Harry, he strings together concise memories of his father to convey great character, strength and affection. In many respects, Harry was just a normal man in a normal town with a normal family. But viewed through the eyes of his son, we see a hero. I think anyone who cherishes a father, in life or memory, will enjoy this book.

Sherman Baldwin's Growing Up with Harry is the story of a real adult - a hard-working lawyer, a loyal and generous friend, and a superb father. The book is filled with short chapters, each containing a single, personal, often humorous story with titles like "Determination," "Trust," "Fun," and "Honesty." Some chapters are funny (like "Martinis'), and others are simply emotionally moving (like "Patriotism"). If one wants to learn how human character affects others, and if one wants to know what makes a great father, here's a book for you.

In "Growing Up with Harry" Sherman Baldwin achieved two things: it made me think I knew his Dad for years, and made me wish I really had. Come sit and have a beer out back next to the millstone and find out why some children grow into adults who make a difference and some don't. You are treated to a family where love is a daily thing and an enduring legacy. The fact that Harry never lectured, he lived his lessons, and you feel that in this book as well, makes it a pleasure to read. My wife and kids have joined me in reading this book in the evenings in the rocker, yours will enjoy it as well.

Sherman Baldwin has composed a concise, well written and remarkably poignant book that captures the lessons of life and of love that his father Harry imparted to him and his family through his lifetime. This book has undeniably special meaning for the Baldwin family and is a gift to Sherman's children, most especially, who will grow up without ever really knowing their grandfather but through this book will learn much about the gentle manner and character that guided Harry through his life. It was certainly a life lived as an example to others, and through this book others may find great lessons and learnings to apply to their lives. It is a great gift to a new Dad or an old one. If Tim Russert has a reading list in heaven, I am sure that "Growing Up With Harry" is on his top 10. It should be for many of us, too.

Sherman Baldwin's book is an endearing read. It is something I have found that can be effectively conveyed in its family-centric beauty if you read it to family members, especially one's children, in the short chapters that form the structure of the book. It is very rich in the values, traditions, and reflections that many would want their own families to develop or validate. A wonderful, inspiring, and heartwarming read.

What is there to say?? If your a person living in the 21st century you probably have no idea the terms used in Shakespeare's time, so its basically hopeless reading the play without a guide such as this one. I only started to actually understand, and therefore appreciate Shakespeare's stories when I had the no fear shakespeare books to give me a translation.
Once I see the "English" version, I actually prefer Shakespeare's wording! So poetic.

This is my second No Fear Shakespeahere book (last year had Macbeth) and I have come to love Shakespheare plays now that I actually know what each character is saying and what exactly is going on. The lines are clean and clear just like reading a modern play. I acutally find myself laughing at lines which is always a good sign meaning that I understand what's going on. Also I don't feel like I'm cheating like when people just read footnotes and summaries. I'm in college now and I've only read two shakespheare both using No Fear Shakespheare! Great product that I without a doubt will use in the future if needed!

This book is definitely God's gift to all college students. Truly easy to understand, I read the entire book in 1 day. Thanks to "No Fear" I got an "A" in my English class.

It would serve no useful purpose to write a review of Hamlet. It has already taken its rightful place among mankind's greatest works. The subject here is not Hamlet, but the manner in which it is presented:
Numbered, original text on the left hand page, modern, up-to-date language on the right hand page.

As with all of Spark Notes editors, an excellent way to present the play, for the first time junior high reader or for the 62-year old reader taking a Shakespeare course and reading Hamlet just for fun.

And as for Hamlet, the play? Like fine wine it gets better, much better, with age.

This is truly a No Fear way to understand Shakespeare. There is a modern day interpretation writing on one side of the book and the Shakespeare way on the other. It was a lifesaver!

I first heard of David Skal from the Universal Classic Monster series of DVD's. David was on the accompanying documentary and did the audio commentary for Tod Browning's 1931 classic, Dracula. If you own the set and have run the documentary and, particularly, the commentary, then you've already experienced about three chapters of this book. What remains is a rich mine of details about every aspect of Dracula, the book, movies, and culture. And what a lot there is.

David's writing, like his speech, is precise, educated, and loaded with literary allusions. While no dilettante, I consider myself well read and was still left with the occasional "what the hell is talking about?" moment. The language is rich and occasionally reminds me of the mental images drawn by Anne Rice at the height of her powers. However, David is no snob and is not merely parading his impressive intellect - it's just that he knows so darn much about the subject.

And if I had any criticism of the book that would be it - David seems driven to exhaustively document every possible aspect of Dracula's existence. The detailed (and seemingly never ending) battles between Florence Stoker and the makers of "Nosferatu" is described in such detail that I wanted to scream "OKAY!! We get it! Nosferatu was a Dracula rip off and Flo didn't like it!!" But eventually the tale moves on and sets the stage for intricate negotiations between the Stoker estate and Universal. In retrospect (and considering how handsomely the studio profited) it's interesting to see that Universal bought almost unlimited use of the vampire for the paltry sum of $25,000.00 and is still making oodles of money hand over fist today. David covers all aspects of vampire lore from Byron's "The Giaour" (1813) to Mel Brooks' "Dracula, Dead and Loving It" (1995). And everything in between. Trust me, if it can be construed to be in any way connected with Dracula, it's in this book.

If you have any interest in gothic culture, or the movies that spawned it, this is a must have. Reading it is like enjoying an evening of conversation with a much beloved, if slightly eccentric, old friend, preferably over brandy in front of a glowing fireplace on a cold, cold night.

Down deep, we all agree with the fly-eating Renfield. That's why we can't get his Master out of our system. David J. Skal's book Hollywood Gothic explains a lot of the reasons why.

Hollywood Gothic is like David Skal's Screams of Reason: Mad Science and Modern Culture. Hollywood Gothic and Screams of Reason both take horror motifs we know mostly from movies and trace them back to literature, where they originated.

Screams of Reason looks at the mad scientist figure in fiction, from central European vivisectionists like Dr. Frankenstein to postwar American A-bomb scientists. Hollywood Gothic is more narrow - - it covers Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, the plays adapted from it, and then the movies inspired by it - - F.W. Murnau's silent film Nosferatu, then the Universal and Hammer horror films.


Skal goes into detail about Bela Lugosi's career as Dracula on stage and film. He also digs up a lot of interesting information about the Spanish-language Dracula made simultaneously with the Bela Lugosi movie by producer Paul Kohner and cinematographer George Robinson - - who was responsible for the look of later Universal horror films like Dracula's Daughter and House of Dracula.

Kohner fell in love with and married the real star of the Spanish-language Dracula, Lupita Tovar as Eva - - the Mina Harker character - - and who could blame him. Skal calls her a "truly ingenuous ingenue." In Mexico she could barely go out in public without being mobbed.

Except for Bela Lugosi himself, almost everything about Kohner's Spanish version is better than Browning's. (That's my opinion from watching the movies, not just reading Hollywood Gothic.) Skal quotes people who worked on Tod Browning's Dracula that Browning was barely paying attention to the movie he was making.

For instance, when Dracula welcomes Jonathan Harker to his castle from the top of the staircase, in the English version a huge spider web is off to the side behind Dracula, but in the Spanish version Dracula is framed in the center of the web. We see Dracula rise from his coffin in the Spanish version where Browning just shows him suddenly standing there. (Seeing Christopher Lee rise from his coffin, or be destroyed in it, was always a high point of the Hammer movies for me.) Every night Kohner's director George Melford looked at the film Browning's crew shot during the day and improved on it for their version.

But there was (and is) something in the idea of the vampire that makes readers and audiences forgive hack storytelling.

If you haven't seen them already, you should watch the films before reading Hollywood Gothic. The Universal Legacy Collection of Dracula contains the Lugosi film, the Spanish-language version, Dracula's Daughter, and Son of Dracula. (There's more, but those are the best. Universal's release of the Legacy Collections of Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolf Man are the only good thing to come from the marketing of the movie Van Helsing.)

Hollywood Gothic has a lot of illustrations, many of which are theatrical and film ephemera from Skal's personal collection. (Yesterday I saw The Aristocrats - - Penn Gillette's documentary about the world's filthiest joke - - and one of the comedians was wearing a T-shirt with Dracula's face from the cover of the first Modern Library edition of the novel. SIDE NOTE: See The Aristocrats - - it's about how to tell a story and keep an audience hooked as much as it is about the history of blue humor.)

Reading Hollywood Gothic made me finally read Bram Stoker's novel. Because I've seen so many movies that tell the story I never read the book. While the writing style isn't great, at least it moves along, and you're introduced to Dracula right away.


I read over half of the 600-page novel The Historian - - apparently foredoomed to be a bestseller and a blockbuster movie - - and the character Dracula still hadn't made an appearance. I skimmed to the end and read the climax, but I was disappointed. When you build Dracula up as such a powerful being, it's hard to destroy him in a way that doesn't seem anticlimactic. (That's one of the reasons Kim Newman has given for why he started writing his Anno Dracula series - - if Dracula is such a terrible force, how could he be tracked down and killed so easily by an insane Dutch doctor and three upper-class twits who belong in the Drones Club with Bertie Wooster?)
And why do characters in The Historian struggle to find copies of Bram Stoker's novel at university libraries? It's been out in paperback all over the world since the early 1900s. Go to any W.H. Smith.

Filmmakers who've told the Dracula story understand something novelists sometimes don't - - Dracula shouldn't be just a menace offstage, he's the protagonist of the story. Dracula is the hero. He's the one we want to see - - and be. That's why our mothers were displeased when they caught us watching monster movies on TV when we were kids. Mom knew what we were thinking. The reason Stoker's novel works at all is because we're introduced to Dracula at the beginning, when Harker comes to Translyvania. What makes the novel disappointing is that we hardly see Dracula again after that.

But Skal reminds us that "La sangre es la vida." Dracula isn't going anywhere.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATION: Check out Vampires: Los Muertos (see my review), the sequel to John Carpenter's Vampires, and an underrated movie. To me, it's a vampire movie that shows the monster as a Third World victim of globalist Van Helsings. (A rich white American woman can get the medicine she needs to stay alive (un-undead), while the brown vampire, stolen from her peasant family by a rich landowner, has only one way to get the sangre she needs. (I also like vampire movies that show how vampires might experience time differently than mortals - - Queen of the Damned also does this in an interesting way.) There's a scene of slow-motion slaughter in Los Muertos that the monstrous child in me responded to. Los Muertos also has the most sexist line I've every heard in a vampire movie, but you still identify with the female master vampire.

David J. Skal is as readable as ever is this newly revised edition of the definitive Hollywood Gothic as he covers the history of Dracula from his creation by Bram Stoker to the various and multiple version on screen and stage. The thrust of the story is, of course, on the novel and the iconic Bela Lugosi movie, with an additional nice, but smaller, chunk on Nosferatu. The author is particularly effective in combining, in an interesting fashion, the creative, financial, and legal elements. His analysis is always clear and interesting and will definitely send the reader on a viewing frenzy. Vampire movies seem always to be streaming forth from Hollywood and Dracula is and always will be the most tempting of the bunch. This book brings this fascination to life, as it were. A very good job.

I read this book years ago. It's good to see it's coming back into print.

Skal charts the history of Stoker's book, beginning with early drafts extant, following the tangled film history, including the legal battles over Murnau's "Nosferatu", Universal Studio's struggle to get the rights for the Lugosi pic, and everything that happened after.

It won't change your life, but its fascinating stuff. Skal's style is quick, clean, and to the point. This book is a lot of fun, giving insights into publishing, film, theater, and the audience reaction to and participation in all of those mediums. A must for all vampire buffs, film students, and those who are curious about the inner workings of popular culture.

In "Hollywood Gothic" David Skal tells the story of "Dracula" that came after the classic of gothic horror was published in 1897. It's a fascinating, fact-filled tale of colorful personalities, legal battles, Hollywood politics, and a culture still captivated by the King of Literary Vampires. The book's seven chapters begin with author Bram Stoker, end with the Count's recent incarnations on stage and screen, and include the most insightful analysis of "Dracula"'s origins that I have read in the course of my minor obsession with the novel.

Chapter 1 explores "Dracula"'s literary and theatrical predecessors before moving on to discussion of the intellectual and sexual climate into which the book was published in 1897, the life and elusive character of its author Bram Stoker, and how the novel was received in its own day. David Skal does an impressive job of pulling together the relevant details, from diverse perspectives, of the novel's birth.

Chapter 2 details the legal battle waged by the Bram Stoker's widow, Mrs. Florence Stoker, to suppress the first cinematic adaptation of her husband's novel, 1922's "Nosferatu", the unauthorized German production directed by F.W. Murnau, now recognized as a masterpiece of silent cinema. Chapter 3 sees Mrs, Stoker finally authorize an adaptation to British dramatist Hamilton Deane, whose wordy, plodding "Dracula" play nevertheless achieved great financial success, attracting the attention of American theatrical producer Horace Liveright. Liveright enlisted journalist John Balderston to rewrite the play for Broadway and make it a smash hit on this side of the Atlantic.

Chapter 4 moves to Hollywood for the protracted negotiations over "Dracula"'s film rights. "Dracula"'s path through the early 20th century was mined with legal battles, and it is a credit to author David Skal that he is able to make interminable and constantly mutating negotiations into absorbing drama. Chapter 5 follows the winding road to the production of the first Hollywood "Dracula", the 1931 film starring Bela Lugosi, which, although made cheaply and lazily, was the first horror talkie and a financial life preserver for Universal Studios. Happily, Skal has dedicated Chapter 6 to the superior Spanish language version of "Dracula" that was filmed simultaneously, on the same sets, as the English version of the 1931 film, but with a different producer, director, cinematographer, and cast.

Chapter 7 tells us what became of the principle person's associated with the two 1931 films. Then it follows the legacy of "Dracula" from the 1930s forward, through its incarnations in film, plays, musicals, ballets, and other performances. Appendix A is a list of notable stage performances of "Dracula", 1897-2003. Appendix B is a list of about 200 films, 1921-2004, which feature the "Dracula" character or name. Thankfully, there is an index.

In outlining the contents of "Hollywood Gothic", I may have made the book seem dry. But the story of "Dracula"'s continuing life in film and on stage is as lively as the novel that inspired it -and it is written a good deal better. David Skal's tireless research and engaging style never fail to impress. "Hollywood Gothic" is an absorbing literary and cinematic history that "Dracula" fans shouldn't miss.

Great book. He displays how to cartoon men, women, children, elderly and many types of animals. He does it in an extremely visual way that even a child could follow along. This book is packed with 95% illustrations and 5% text. To me, that's a winner. The 5% text that is in there is invaluable. The print is nice and large and easy to read. I am very happy I bought this book. It is a keeper.

From the beginning of this book to the end, it is filled with (finally) basic, step-by-step instructions on drawing cartoon people, body parts, the "action line", body language and style. And then it starts all over again with animals! Mostly dogs, cats, and different fowl, it also includes less common animals, like beaver, porcupine, raccoon and many sea animals. Can't forget the great alligators and dragon. Finally, the book spends time on placing the characters, reference lines and specialty shots and the all-important "balloon". Another great one by C. Hart. I think I own most of his books and they are all worth great merit, better than the other books I've seen out there by far.

A few years ago, on a whim, I decided to start drawing. I didn't know where to begin so I bought this book. I really believed I couldn't draw. The techniques in this book were so easy to learn that soon I went from drawing stick figures to expressive cartoon characters. My confidence went up and I took on more complicated projects. Now, I work part-time doing illustrations and it all started here!

Christopher Hart has truly done an excellent job with this book. Filled to the rim with illustrations, techniques, explanations and inside information, if you've ever wanted to learn about humorous illustration or cartooning, put this on your list. You'll be glad you did. :o)

This is an excellent book for any beginning artist or anyone else wanting to learn cartooning. Chris Hart publishes some of the best books on art that I've ever seen. This book gives good details on drawing that is easy to follow and understand. All in all, this is one book that should be in every artist's library.