Characters Books

I have loved all the Merrily Watkins mysteries, and this one is the best so far. By now I have a real emotional investment in the characters. I love how people are not always who, what or how the seem. And that even people like Jimmy Hayter can have a decent side.

I bought this book for my wife and she can't stop singing its praises.
She is a fan of England and in this case, Wales.

The characters are well drawn and interesting.

The village and surroundings are creepy and taut.

My wife would recommend any book by Phil Rickman.

Well, he's done it again.
Phil Rickman continues to deliver with his latest Merrily Watkins book. Excellent story telling, deep and rich characters. He is constant in his ability to create a very particular atmosphere, of shadowy people and places. Never giving any solid clues. Are you dealing with just strange/odd people and places or truely supernatural events? It's truely a rare talent, to never quite go "over the top" - leaves you wondering.
There are more things in Heaven and earth.....

If someone like Phil Rickman had been my history teacher in high school, I probably would have got better grades and an earlier interest in what may be the most fascinating subject of all. The point is, he does meticulous research and has the ability to make it come alive for the reader. Merrily's Border Country is steeped in ancient mysteries that can only be speculated about; so much is shrouded in the depths of time. This time out we have the Knights Templar and their connection with present day Freemasonry. Also there is a reference to the writer, M. R. James, without whose wonderful ghost stories many of us would have been cheated out of the experience of shivering in our beds late at night, searching the shadows and thinking, "There's no such thing as ghosts. Really there isn't..."

But this certainly isn't some musty old tome written by an academic. This is the ninth (and you will see the significance of that number in the story) adventure with Merrily Watkins, her daughter Jane and her extended family. At this point poor Merrily is very stressed and who wouldn't be in her situation? Her position as Diocesan Exorcist is in jeopardy with the distinct possibility of losing it and having to take on multiple parishes much like the circuit riding preachers of old in the U.S. That, coupled with the gruesome things she has seen, would be enough to drive the most stable of us over the edge. But we are seeing her eventually becoming toughened by her experiences. She may still have self doubts but she won't be pushed around, even by her superiors.

Helping in her investigation into the strange events surrounding the Master House in Garway are her lover, Lol Robinson and her daughter Jane. In the course of the book we see Jane growing up, taking charge of her life and Lol reaching a possible turning point in his career.

I think this really is the best book of the series with Rickman throwing in the occasional biting social commentary. The murder mystery makes me think of Raymond Chandler who said that he did not write whodunits but rather was concerned with the reasons that people commit the act. Whodunit becomes whydunit and the motive in this one, when it is finally revealed, is absolutely shocking.

Rickman is one of a group of really exceptional writers in the U.K. who include Kate Charles, Andrew Taylor, Stephen Bishop, Deborah Crombie and others who never seem to make our best seller lists which says something about the state of the publishing industry in our country. He is the best of the bunch and, while the temptation is to compare him with other writers like Chandler, Hammett and McBain, his writing is unique. There just is no one else like him. Unfortunately, we have to wait until next year for the next chapter in this superior series.

Let me add my enthusiasm for Fabric of Sin to the other reviews here. I've read the Merrily series from the beginning and have always thoroughly enjoyed them. This one is no exception. I'll not revisit the plot; I'll only say that the tension and action build to an excruciating climax. The main characters, Merrily, Jane, and Lol have all evolved and matured. Jane is no longer an obnoxious adolescent and Lol is not just a peripheral character but is in his own way a counseler. Merrily is losing her diffidence and becoming more comfortable as Diocesan exorcist, quite able to confront the bishop when necessary. Add the ghost stories of M. R. James, the Knights Templar (no, this isn't another DaVinci Code knock-off), and hints of royalty, and you have a book that is not easy to put down. Highly recommended!

My daughter is 9 going on 10 and is tearing through all the Stiltons, including this one. We love them.

This was a Christmas gift for my niece. I read another book in this series and enjoyed it.

I love all of the Geronimo Stilton books! I especially liked the part when Pinky Pick got to give away 1 million of her magazines with the Crunchrat Cheesy Chips! It is a great book and fun to read with all of the interesting fonts. You will like it too!

The big G Geronimo has done it again with a great adventure story, Attack of the Bandit Cats. The illustrator of Attack of the Bandit Cats is Matt Wolf. Can't imagine it? Well believe it the writer of a book with a mouse had a guy with wolf in his name illustrate. Also captured by cats was probably Geronimo, Thea, Trap, and Benjamin's the five main mice worst nightmare.

Thea, Benjamin, and Trap convince Geronimo Stilton to go with them to Silver Island,but instead they get captured by cat bandits. The bandit cats want to cook Geronimo and his friends so they can eat them for dinner. They manage to set a fire and scare the cats so bad that they forget that the ship was made of metal and they still jump off their ship. Geronimo, Thea, Benjamin, and Trap discover the treasure room were they find the first quarter to mouse kind. Then they become famous, but they don't keep all the money.

This book is great and I can't believe this book wasn't out already when I was born. It has great illustration with fancy words. Incredible gold or even platinum sentence fluency.[She sounded as if her tail was stuck in slobbertooths high speed blender!]This book is out of this world and can't be beat,five star not three or four five!

It all started when Trap invited Geronimo to solve a mystery on Pirate Island. So they used this hot air balloon. Before long, they realize that they are being shot by...CATS!

I'm reading the "Face Down" series in order, and I've really come to love Lady Susanna and her supporting cast of characters - even her dog of a husband is entertaining. I have to admit, I guessed who the murderer was in this one - but I didn't guess why he was until late in the story. You get a fascinating history lesson with all of Emerson's books, but a great mystery too.

Susanna is taken from Leigh Abbey to London by her husband Robert, but has no idea why. She is not aware that Robert is scheming with Diego Cordoba and the Spanish Embassy and needs her there in London.

One day a petite dark haired lady named Diane St. Cyr comes to see Robert at their rental house on Catte Street. Robert is not present and Susanna takes a message to have him meet Diane at a place called the Falcon. Susanna is aware that Diane is probably one of Robert's many mistresses but gives him the message anyway. Robert goes to see Diane to find out what she wants. The next morning Diane is found in the streets dead.

In order to clear Robert's name, Susanna begins to look into the murder and discovers that there have been several women(mostly prostitutes),with the same physical features murdered on the same day over a period of seven years.

With the help of her maid-servant and friend Jennet, as well as a brothel keeper named Petronella, Susanna discovers who is killing the Winchester Geese(prostitutes)and what Robert has up his sleeve.

This is the second Susanna, Lady Appleton mystery that I have read and found this one to be much more enjoyable.

Suzanna, Lady Appleton, is hot on the trail again, this time in London amid a crowd of period detail and eccentric characters. Both Suzanna and the author seem to improve with each mystery. Recommended!

I must admit I was growing tired of Kathy Lynn Emerson's Lady Appleton but her latest book, FACE DOWN AMONG THE WINCHESTER GEESE, tops the series by rekindling my interest. An excellent plot and resolution to the fate of her husband, as well as Emerson's usual top-notch historical details and writing style.

The "Susanna, Lady Appleton" series is set in Elizabethan England. Lady Susanna Appleton is a shrewd, intelligent woman with a love of herbal studies and an uncomfortable arranged marriage to an "intelligence gatherer" for the crown. Lord Robert Appleton believes that a woman should be biddable and follow the guidance of her husband. He is also an indiscreet philanderer, as Susanna is all too aware.

When a woman arrives unannounced at the Appletons' temporary residence in London, Susanna assumes she is another mistress of Robert's. When the woman is later discovered murdered in an alley, Susanna's sense of justice (and her need to absolve her husband of the crime) leads her to investigate. She soon discovers a pattern of killing that indicates more women will be murdered.

Susanna is a well-drawn, enjoyable character whose strong sense of self is never corrupted by her tenuous relationship with her husband. Their interactions are always interesting and frustrating--as Susanna herself observes, theirs could have been a true match of equals were Robert ever to feel at ease with Susanna's independence. Unfortunately, he is a product of his times, and the couple is destined for unhappiness.

The mystery is well done, as Susanna tracks a serial killer through the brothels of London. The ending is a little too tidy and resolved a bit too quickly, but all the clues were in place well before the resolution. I didn't feel surprised about the ending, but neither did I see it coming.

Lord Robert's work as a spy keeps Susanna realistically involved with court intrigues, so her involvement with the mysteries doesn't yet feel forced (a problem that eventually plagues most series featuring amateur sleuths). I hope the author can keep it up.

This is the third in this excellent series, which begins with "Face Down Upon an Herbal" and is followed by "Face Down in the Marrow-Bone Pie."

I love every one of JA Jance's novels.The JP Beaumont and Joanna Brady series are my favorites. I have thoroughly been gripped by every one.

Failure to Appear J.A. Jance does it again in this 11th J.P. Beaumont mystery novel. Unlike most of the previous books, this one starts out, not with a crime, but with a personal mission. Detective Beaumont ("Beau" to his friends and associates) has left his Seattle home area to look for his runaway teenage daughter in an artsy community in Oregon. Of course, as anyone could have expected, violent crime soon intrudes.

For those who are familiar with this series, you can be assured that it is true Jance writing: characters who act like real people; a fast-moving story; plenty of self-deprecating humor; and a sterling protagonist who is all too aware of his not inconsiderable faults.

For those who are not familiar with J.P. Beaumont or Jance's Joanna Brady, who appears in a separate series, you have the pleasure of delightful discovery to look forward to. There are lots of books in this series. I've read 12 so far (and a bunch of the Brady ones, too) and I have yet to be disappointed with any of them.

If you're one who likes to start at the beginning of a series (which I think is not a bad idea with this one, for a number of reasons), the first is "Until Proven Guilty". However, if this isn't important to you, you can't go wrong with this or any of Jance's books, if you're in the mood for a fast-moving mystery novel with a bit more than usual in the way of character development.

My Wife reads these, and loves them! Looks like another all nighter to me!

In "Failure to Appear" lone-wolf Seattle homicide detective J.P. "Beau" Beaumont finds himself a fish out of water surrounded by family in southern Oregon and on the outside of a murder investigation.

Quite often, when a mystery author tries to fit so much of a protagonist's personal life into a book, the plot drags to a halt and the investigation into the crime is treated superficially because the focus is on massive character development. Jance manages to keep things moving at a fast clip and provide a mystery that is as multi-faceted as her lead character's personal difficulties. Beau has a lot to deal with in this book: a daughter who starts out a missing person and winds up pregnant and about to be married, a re-married ex-wife and her husband, a new girlfriend, a murder suspect that awakens painful memories, the siren song of a bottle of MacNaughton's, and a couple police officers out to nail his hide to a wall - not to mention the book's three murder victims or the loved one Beau loses in the course of the investigation.

There are a few nits that could be picked (Oregon vanity plates don't have 8 letters, for instance), but the quality of the rest of the book more than compensates. All in all, a great read.

This was the first Jance book I encountered. I decided to read it because it takes place in the town I live and work in. As much as I enjoyed reading about the places and cities I know well what I really enjoyed was the character of JP Beaumont. He is an ordinary man (a Seattle Cop wih an extraordinarily inherited fortune) who is caught between his work and his family. The characters seem very real and Jance's writing gives them a life and humanity that appeals strongly and makes you really care about them. The story never lets up either and you will find yourself hard pressed to put the book down. I have read every book Jance has written now and she is always on the top of my list of series that I am waiting for the next installment of!

This is the first of two books for learning 100 Chinese characters. The pages are well thought out and also show the use of each newly learned character in combination with other Chinese words, they call 'common words'.
On each page one learns and practices only one character. Perhaps this
sounds easy until one has to do it. The detailed progress of how to write each character is very well done. It is definitely not easy to duplicate with either a pen or a pencil, because brush strokes were used by the author, thus one's finished 'product' does not look as good. This can be quite frustrating to a perfectionist.
However, it is a good tool for anyone who is a serious student of the Chinese language and its written form.
Both volumes are done and presented the same way and therefore did not necessitate to write two reviews.

This book is most useful for students with no exposure to the Chinese writing system. After a clear and thorough introduction to the history and development of Chinese characters, students are introduced to 100 basic characters - a nice attainable number for the first year of high school instruction or the first semester at the university level. Each entry includes several example compounds (very important for Chinese, in which disparate characters can be combined discretely to form unexpected words) as well as nice, large boxes for practicing. While the Matthews have made a nice introduction to Chinese characters, more serious students of the language will outgrow it quite quickly. Their newer book Tuttle Learning Chinese Characters Volume 1: A Revolutionary New Way to Learn and Remember the 800 Most Basic Chinese Characters provides several hundred more characters (without the practice space) for the more ambitious.

Nathan Dummitt
author of Chinese Through Tone & Color

I have been trying to learn the Chinese characters on my own.This book has been most helpful. I would also reccommend "The Chinese Language" It gives a background on the development of the language .I now know more about the Chinese language than I do English.

I am learning to speak Mandarin but felt I needed more knowledge of the written language to get a more comprehensive feel for the language. I looked around and settled on this one and it was a good choice. It has just enough information for me to learn the character and its meaning as well as some commonly used phrases in which each character appears. It gives ample space to practice the strokes of the character. The characters are also in a type size that makes it easier to read than some other books I've looked at.

I have absolutely no educational background in Mandarin Chinese, and I love this book. It is reader-friendly and practical. It provides examples of how words are used in English to demonstrate and contrast how words are formed in Chinese. This book never promises anything that it doesn't fulfill. I look forward to purchasing the next book of this series. A+

Now keep in mind that I'm a huge Lily Bennett series fan and live in the hope that the author will write another book in that series soon, I have to say that this is my favorite of the Kick books. It was a wonderful read. The secondary characters are the best developed of the series and the references to food, jewels and clothes are just right. If another Kick book comes along before the author writes the long overdue Lily Bennett book- please have more interaction between Kick and her wonderful husband.

My whole family read this book, waiting impatiently for their turns because we all so enjoyed the prior books. Everyone loved it. I read it twice, beginning again as soon as I finished it the first time. It is a delightful, funny, well-plotted mystery that transports you into the lifestyles of the rich and famous. The jewels! The clothes! The gourmet food! The super-luxury hotels and fabulous homes! I would love a book of recipes from the Kick Keswick books. I would love to live her life. This is a such a fun romp! The only problem is having to wait for the next book in the series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest in the Kick Keswick series. These stories are always entertaining - great fun to see the methods Kick uses to be in the right place at the right time for her own purposes. I very much hope this series will continue!

Kick Keswick has retired from her vocation at Ballentine's (and from her avocation as the Shamrock Burglar) although she finds she is a bit bored with living the quiet life that she planned for herself. Overhearing at a party that her former employer is in trouble (and hoping that trouble does not lead back to her) Kick decides to return to Ballentines to find out the truth. When her husband Thomas gets called back to Scotland Yard to help with a case, Kick travels back to London, and soon finds things as complicated as she had suspected, with her old nemesis behind the potential collapse of the auction house. Through a twist of fate, Kick finds herself running the organization and is approached by a young nun with an intriguing jeweled statue to sell, and an even more incredible story of the history of the statue and the others that are missing. Kick hatches a meticulous plan to not only restore the jeweled statues to their rightful owner, but to replace an intricate piece of jewelry that she herself had stolen years before (because, after all, self-preservation has been Kick's goal since she was a child).

This is the fourth book in this series, but Ms. Kellogg does such a wonderful job in drawing out and explaining the intracacies of each character that it is not necessary to have read the others to understand the background (although all of the rest are also fabulous fun). This one is my favorite, because we finally understand the details in Kick's past that led to her life of larceny. She also develops friends for the first time in her life; one who may turn out to be her daughter. Kick is so likeable that you tend to overlook the fact that she lies, steals, and changes identities so well that she can fool just about everyone (except the lovable Thomas, of course). But she has such a wonderful heart, and justifies her behavior by only stealing from the people who deserve it! Kick takes the art of revenge to a whole new level!

Friends in High Places is an entertaining read, and it is obvious that Ms. Kellogg enjoys writing about Kick. Let's hope there will be many more books in the future about Kick's mis-adventures!

Former jewel thief Kick Keswick retired to Provence with her husband former Inspector Thomas Curtis. However when Thomas is called back by Scotland Yard to work a high profile case and Kick learns her former place of employment is in financial trouble, they both return to work. At Ballantine & Company Auctioneers, an appraiser made a mistake that led to a loss of millions and a firing. Also a person returning jewels substituted false stones causing the current fiscal crisis.

Kick knows that her former fiancé owner Owen Brace is the on who returned the phony gems, but she has no proof. Sister Immaculata wants to sell a jeweled Madonna so that the proceeds can be used to restore her order to health. She knows where the purloined jeweled Madonnas are but cannot get to
them because the possessor of them is extremely powerful. When Constance Flynn comes in to sell all her jewels including one of which a fake which resides in Kick's safety deposit box, she is forced to attend the wedding of the woman's son in order to substitute the fake jewels for the real ones. Constance's beau turns out to be Owen while another woman who Kick likes is married to the killer who possesses the jeweled Madonna's. Kick wants to steal them and get them to Sister Immaculata whom she thinks might be her daughter.

Marne Davis Kellogg has a hit series because of her heroine, a jewel thief with a heart of gold streaked with larceny. There is plenty of action as the support cast turns the storyline into a special cozy as they play major roles along side the kick butt heroine in the jeweled purloining "Olympics". Friends in High Places is a charming superb suspense thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Mr Funny is the 18th book in the Mr Men series, first published in 1976. This was a colorful favorite of mine when I was little. It features Mr Funny's unusual life, and a silly trip to the zoo, which is all nicely illustrated and fascinating to follow. Worth a look.

My children ages 4,5 and 7 LOVE the Mr Men books. They are easy to read and alot of fun.

We're so glad to have found Mr.Men on a US site!!Having been raised reading these great stories in England, my boys(Aged 3 and 5)now love these fun characters,We have the whole set!!

Even the worms laugh at Mr. Funny's shoe car!

This is one of the top 10 of the twenty or so Mr. Men books we've bought for our son. I grew up with Mr. Men when I was a kid growing up in the UK. Now I can read them to my son.

Mr. Funny goes on a road trip (in this shoe car) and tries to go to the zoo. However the zoo is closed because the animals are sad because they are ill. Mr. Funny to the rescue! He makes a series of ever funnier funny faces making the lion laugh is mane off, the elephant is trunk off and the funniest face made anywhere, ever; make the leopard laugh his spots off! His job done he returns home to a glass of toast and daisy sandwich!

A top 10 Mr. Men book!

How can anyone *not* love these books? "Mr. Funny" is especially dear. In a few, short pages this character spreads the news that laughter cures all. Who needs to sit through 2 hours of "Patch Adams" when you can read this little book in under five minutes?

if you do not read this series by Mary Logue. Wonderful, full of suspense and mystery. Start at the beginning though, and you will enjoy the ride. I highly recommend this book.

A drunk in a pickup truck, thin ice, and an accusation of murder in the face of an affair: these are all scenarios Claire must deal with as she sets out to defend Buck from charges of abuse and possible murder. To top it all off, a bad storm may change all lives in this riveting mystery.

I grew up in Durand and for many years my mother lived across the street from the county office building that houses the Pepin County sheriffs department. I am amazed at how well the author portrays the town. She has merged the old ways that I remember with the new ways that I only know a little about. The coulees really set the Durand portion of the county off from the Lake Pepin part of the county, but it is well merged together in these books.
I am not normally a mystery book reader, but I thought that the author did a good job of keeping the mystery going until the end.

It all started with an early morning phone call from a sobbing woman, "I can't...What he did to me...", and then with a click the call was disconnected. Deputy Sherrif, Claire Watkins, tried to find out the identity of the distraught caller, but it was an untraceable local call, and there were no reports of domestic abuse when she checked at the station. So she was shocked and unsettled a few days later to see her neighbor, Stephanie Klaus, an obviously bruised and battered woman, at the post office. Stephanie wasn't interested in any help from Claire. She made her feeble excuses and left as quickly as she could get away. But when Stephanie's boyfriend, Buck, is murdered, and Stephanie's beaten again within an inch of her life, Claire digs in her heels, and decides to get to the truth, and find this monster, with or without Stephanie's help..... Mary Logue has written a compelling page turner set in picturesque western Wisconsin, that's full of atmosphere, vivid scenes, and a strong and empathetic heroine. Her main story line is tense and intriguing, and her writing, strong and eloquent. Unfortunately, the novel gets bogged down, at times, and loses some of its momentum with the varied subplots about Claire's boyfriend, his mother, and her daughter's teacher troubles. But even these distractions don't take too much away from the suspenseful plot. With a powerful ending that ties up all the loose ends, Glare Ice is a fast read, easily finished in one sitting, and the third installment of a strong and entertaining series.

She worked as a Minneapolis police officer until all the murders and other violent crimes ripped her soul apart so Claire Watkins accepted a job in Fort St. Antoine. She and her daughter Meg quickly fall in love with the small town atmosphere and Claire enjoys her work as head of felonious crimes.

Currently, Claire is more concerned over hosting a Thanksgiving Dinner than making any arrests as the mother of her boyfriend is the guest and this is their first meeting. At the post office, Claire notices a badly battered woman, but the individual refuses to provide any information to Claire. Next the woman's boyfriend is murdered in a particularly grisly manner and the woman is beaten up so badly this time she enters the hospital. In between Thanksgiving chores, Claire does her best to uncover the identity of the killer.

GLARE ICE is an exciting mystery that centers on who is Stephanie's attacker and why does she protect the culprit fiercer than a mother protecting her children. Overall Claire seems so genuine because she is contented with her life yet frustrated with dinner duty and the lack of cooperation on the case. The who-done-it is superb as Mary Logue showcases her storytelling abilities with this enjoyable tale.

Harriet Klausner

Nick Bantock needs to be congratulated for his amazing work in the Griffin and Sabine triology. His superb illustrations bring an intriguing story to life. Watching the correspondence of Griffin and Sabine unfold in these wonderful books is like watching a private moment unfold from the window. As you peak in at these two wonderfully real characters you not only can't wait to turn each page to see what is said but what is drawn. The style of these books was so well done they deserve the highest recognition. The realism used to create actual letters and postcards between Griffin and Sabine for the reader to take out and hold only adds to this amazing experience.

"The Golden Mean" is the best of the three books, in my humble opinion. The ending is satisfying and still somehow mysterious. Bantock doesn't spoon-feed his readers information, he seems to want to encourage them to make up their own minds about the nature of Griffin and Sabine's relationship, What It All Means, etc. Altogether, it's a wonderful, nerve-wracking book.

The hauntingly beautiful writings, will keep you returning to this book (and the previous two) to search for the meaning.

In some ways I felt like this series wrapped up too neatly, and in other ways I felt like it should have been more wrapped up. Oh well. Still a magnificent work of art combined with a compellings and intruiging story.

Rarely does an author come along who interweaves art with the story in such a way that the two are inseparable. From the postcard paintings to the handwritten letters (which the reader actually removes from the envelopes)it's as though art has come alive and the reader is an active participant in the story. I have found this to be true of all of Bantock's works and can't believe I didn't come across his talent years ago. Truly a fantastic collection.

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.

Bravo to the writers, editors, and publishers of the entire No Fear Shakespeare series. Rendering Shakespeare into prosaic, colloquial American English not only explains what Shakespeare was saying, but reveals how much better he said it! Here's a few examples from HAMLET:

Hamlet sees the Ghost, but his mother doesn't. In modern lingo, she says, "This is only a figment of your imagination." That's a cliche. In the original, she says, "This is the very coinage of your brain." That's vivid.

Rosencrantz tells Hamlet in modern lingo, "You're not doing yourself any good by refusing to tell your friends what's bothering you." Sounds like a reprimand. The original line sounds like a threat: "You do surely bar the door upon your own liberty if you deny your griefs to your friend."

Hamlet remembers his mother's relationship with his father: "She would hang on to him, and the more she was with him the more she wanted to be with him; she couldn't get enough of him." Sounds good, but the original sounds disturbing: "Why, she would hang on him / As if increase of appetitite had grown / By what it fed on . . ." Change the word "she" to "it" and you have the image of a parasite. That alone says a lot about Hamlet's view of women and sex.

I know of no better guide to reading, understanding, and appreciating Shakespeare than Spark Notes' No Fear Shakespeare series.

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!