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Volume two of Le Proust's great work is a sensual delight. Part One (of Vol.2), by and large, is more about Swann's family and, of course, the agonizing and philosophizing in regard to "getting over" Miss Gilberte. There is much less about the narrator's family which ran the course throughout SWANN'S WAY. Stylistically, BUDDING GROVE is an absolute wonder. We are once again treated to the narrator's philosophies on life's ups and downs (how's that for a summation?). Once he gets to the fictitious seaside town of Balbec, the book surges--taking on the proverbial "life of its own". The reader is in the hotel room with him...and on the beach...and on the boardwalk, etc. It was a joy to see how Proust/Moncrieff would occasionally work in "street talk" with the mainstay of aureate and lyrical prose: a woman in Balbec is described as having "yellow hair and six inches of paint on her face and a carriage which reeked of harlot a mile away..." Delicious. Priceless.

I cannot imagine trying to read Proust's Everest of a novel until I've had enough life experience to be able to identify with his insights. How on earth was a man who died young and was confined to a bed for so many years able to learn so much about life and common human experience, emotion and perception? I don't know how, but I thank God that he was.

For modern readers, Proust is definitely an acquired taste that rewards patience. I never thought reading the works of one author would make those of others seem so much easier to read. But such is the case with Proust. Nevertheless, one shouldn't regard his writing as therapy or medicine; it may read like self help at times, with its frequent use of the first-person plural, but it is a story first of all. His writing is just more detailed and insightful than that of all but a handful of modern novelists.

Within a Budding Grove is a primer on patience and perception, one that will probably make you a better reader, perhaps a better writer, and certainly a more interesting human being. Struggle on patiently. You will get used to the labyrinthine sentences, paragraphs that run on for pages, and gargantuan chapters (if they can be called that) that don't really begin or end anywhere tidy. Eventually, you will likely come to enjoy it.

My only criticism: at times one does get annoyed by the slow pacing. For instance, I knew that this is the volume that introduces the reader to Albertine. But it did take about 600 pages for the narrator to meet her! That said, there are plenty of tasty morsels along the way. Read it, not so much for the simple story or the minutely detailed descriptions, but for the numerous insights and the astounding wisdom.

Montcrief's translation, is the quintisential Proust. The, beautiful, florid prose is reminiscent of a time and a place that no longer exists, and captures the French aristocracy in the advent of WWI -- full of old-world trappings, yet abounding with subtle reminders of the globalization that was to follow. Proust's style and vision are directed admirably towards his artistic goal of appreciating art through sublimation, and express his idea that a true understanding of art comes first through appreciation, and then expression through a medium. This volume is full of Proust's own philosiphies on art, life and the people who abound in both. His observations, pointed and amusing, keep this volume relevant. Considering the wave of expatriate and existentialist writers who propogated Paris after the Great War, this book is truly the last in a line of works that view life in a grand, sweeping and elegant manner. Within a Budding Grove brought Proust fame and acclaim in his own time, and in ours can be seen as a masterpiece reflecting a time past, yet glimsping assiduously into the future. For those "in search of lost time" this is truly a great read.

How can anyone summarize even a single volume of Proust's massive six volume novel? Within a Budding Grove (sometimes translated as In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower) is the second installment of In Search of Last Time. We find the narrator perhaps marginally older on vacation with his grandmother living in a luxurious hotel in Balbec off the coast. This volume, paired with the first (Swann's Way), is really the introduction to the work entire if you can believe it. In it, the narrator perhaps matures slightly; he cultivates his keen awareness of art, meets new people, and ultimately falls out of love with Gilberte and falls in love with Albertine. His relationship with his grandmother is certainly expanded, and the reader comes to learn that the narrator is not merely motivated by a trivial pursuit of pleasure and bourgeois charm. He is in fact, a truly full human being, complete with fear, love, desire, and ambition. He meets one of my favorite characters in the whole book, the impressionist painter Elstir, a character clearly based Monet, Manet, Pissaro, and others. He introduces the narrator to Albertine through his paintings, and teaches him about the joys of life and art. There are some passages in this section of the book (the latter half) which I just can't resist from quoting,

"I could never have believed that I should now be dreaming of a sea which was no more than a whitish vapour that had lost both consistency and colour. But of such a sea Elstir, like the people who sat musing on board those vessels drowsy with the heat, had felt so intensely the enchantment that he had succeeded in transcribing, in fixing for all time upon his canvas, the imperceptible ebb of the tide, the throb of one happy moment; and at the sight of this magic portrait, one could think of nothing else than to range the wide world, seeking to recapture the vanished day in its instantaneous, slumbering beauty" (pg. 657).

also (how French is this?),

"For a convalescent who rests all day long in the flower-garden or an orchard, a scent of flowers or fruit does not more completely pervade the thousand trifles that compose his idle hours than did for me that colour, that fragrance in search of which my eyes kept straying towards the girls, and the sweetness of which finally became incorporated in me. So it is that grapes sweeten in the sun. And by their slow continuity these simple little games had gradually wrought in me also, as in those who do nothing else all day but lie outstretched by the sea, breathing the salt air and sunning themselves, a relaxation, a blissful smile, a vague dazzlement that had spread from brain to eyes" (pg. 669).

I certainly cannot add any insights into the greatness and profundity of this work which has not already been said by Edmund Wilson or Vladimir Nabokov. Within a Budding Grove is a deeply felt, beautiful and fleeting segment of one of the finest novels of the last century, I urge you to read it.

This is a great copy of Vol. 2 of A la recherche du temps perdu [In Search of Lost Time] or [Delving into Things Past]. Each volume in the septrology may be read individually as an independent novel. This is, of course, the very best translation available in English; probably the very best that will ever be available in English: certainly the next best thing to reading the original French.

Note: Proust is not quick reading, and one who tries to read too quickly will just as quickly lose the tread of the narrative. This text has its own time scale, and the reader must adjust his/herself to the text--not the other way around. In this stream of consciousness narrative, the narrator (/author) digresses as he speaks (/thinks): he digresses, digresses, digresses; and then, he returns, returns, returns to the point where he began. One has to follow his line of thought: this is the art and beauty of the text.

Proust's achievement is one of the greatest edifices of Western art, perhaps comparable only to Wagner's Ring cycle.

An absorbingly well written tale that moves through the lives of two likable, yet sometimes maddening characters who along with their family and friends, always ring true. It is a perfect summer read. Michele's fiction reminded me of old friends and made me wonder what ever happened to some of those college relationships. The theme of rejection and loss is painful, however, VanOrt Cozzens manages to use rich scene descriptions and real language to carry the reader through the years, and soon I was wrapped up in wanting to know what would happen to these old friends. Pick up a copy of A Line Between Friends and find out for yourself. You will be glad you did!

I stumbled upon the reviews for this book while looking for another novel. I am glad that I took the time to order it and read it. This is my first time reading anything by this author, but I definitely enjoyed it.

This is the story of Noelle and Joel. It is told in both of their voices which I really liked. I like being able to see what both characters are thinking of the same situation. Noelle and Joel are exploring a relationship, one that started out as friendship, turned into something more and then because of circumstances and timing, kept on going as friendship. They never really get out of one another's systems though and they continue their relationship, a platonic one, through cards and letters. That is until Joel writes Noelle and tells her that they have to stop all contact. Here is where their story begins.

I enjoyed this journey through friendship, love and loss.

I have recommended this story to so many people I've lost count. The topic of platonic friendship seems to keep coming up in conversation, and this book explores the topic by telling the history of one such couple very well.

Joel and Noelle meet in high school, go to the same college and then go their separate ways. But something binds them together more than other college friends who fade from their lives just as easily as they entered. They stay in touch through the occasional call or Christmas card, yet neither really pursues a deeper friendship once they each marry someone else and move ahead with their lives. This is why it's so strange to Noelle when she receives a note from Joel (how the story begins) that very abruptly asks her to end all contact, and why she goes back in time to examine their relationship. The story isn't only told through Noelle's perspective. Joel has equal time as the chapters alternate between the two.

The author captures the era of the 1970's and 1980's with sights, sounds and smells, and her characters are highly believable. It's a quick read primarily because you can't help but wonder what conclusion they both will draw about the friendship coming to an end. The He-said, She-said format is the perfact way to tell this story.

It's the excellent, descriptive writing and realistic dialogue that pulled me through this story very quickly. It was appropriately recommended by a female friend of mine, who has been my friend forever. A Line Between Friends is the story of a relationship between a man and a woman that over the years becomes challenged by marriage to other people. The woman, Noelle, thinks it's working until she received a short note from the man, Joel, telling her they can no longer be friends. Together, they go back in time and show how their relationship got to that point.

The author gives equal voice to both characters, alternating chapters between them. It asks the question, "can a man and a woman remain friends after each marries someone else?" but the book doesn't necessarily answer this question. When I closed the book, I was left deliberating about this couple and it also made me think of my own relationships. I look forward to talking about it with my friend . . . and my wife.

Anyone who has ever googled an old flame will relate to this book.

Michele Cozzens' A Line Between Friends captures--in heart-wrenching detail--the bittersweet passage of time, the memory of teenage love, and the necessity of growing up and accepting the choices we've made. I found myself cheering for Joel and Noelle, but I also wanted to slap some sense into them. "Look," I felt like shouting, "You're perfect for each other! Wake up! Get it together!" But Joel's and Noelle's family obligations, jobs, and other relationships get in the way, causing them to miss obvious opportunities to express their love for each other. Ultimately, in an ending that's both satisfying and sad, they learn to accept the meaning of their friendship.

Cozzens has sprinkled her very real characters with a healthy dose of charm, and planted them in an era and environment that will strike a chord with anyone who came of age in the late seventies and eighties. I recognized myself and my friends in many of Cozzens' wacky and lovable college kids. At one point, I swear I could smell the marijuana.

Cozzens has a knack for writing about balance and choice. Her memoir-- I'm Living Your Dream Life: The Story of a Northwoods Resort Owner-- reveals the tightwire act performed by women who decide to combine motherhood with a career. Although I'm not considering dragging out the bell-bottom jeans and the bong, A Line Between Friends made me long for a time and place that I miss, just a little, when the doors in my life seem to creak shut. Oh, to go back, to sort it out differently, to take the chances I wish I had taken! Cozzens points out, with skill, humor, and a clever plot, that the road away from true love can sometimes help us discover ourselves.

Robin Meloy Goldsby is the author of Piano Girl: A Memoir and the solo piano artist featured on Songs from the Castle and Twilight.

The book provides a sophisticated yet practical approach to Corporate Portfolio Management (CPM) which invites managers to consider many facets that will challenge or support the CPM initiatives.

My favorite part is the section where Sanwal lists "the deadly sins" of CPM. These negative examples provide managers tools to anticipate organizational difficulties and adjust their proposals on CPM proactively.

The book highlights a significant problem in the corporate world. The seven deadly sins section idenitifies key challenges found in many companies while the case studies provide real world examples of those leading the charge. Good job!

Definitely one of the best books that I have read on the subject! It combines well the academic aspects of portfolio management with honest insights into corporate realities. And the well-paced narrative makes it a great read!

I lead my company's IT portfolio management effort, and this is one of the most well-written strategy books I've ever come across. It does an amazingly good job of demystifying what can be a complex topic.

Major pros of the book:
- No jargon, acronyms and generally useless platitudes and overgeneralized frameworks like I've seen in other books on the topic. Straightforward, conversational tone makes the book very easy to read.
- Very practitioner oriented
- American Express case study - What the company has achieved is remarkable and definitely the best example I've seen
- 7.5 deadly sins of corporate portfolio management - These were spot on

Optimizing Corporate Portfolio Management: Aligning Investment Proposals with Organizational Strategy

Alike most readers who have reviewed the book on these pages, I approached "Optimizing Corporate Portfolio Management" with much gusto. Despite the catchy title, I soon discovered that the stake did not match the sizzle.

What is undobtedly the most valuable contribution of the book is its practical approach to managing corporations as portfolios. The book contains a number of proven examples that a pactitioner is sure to find useful. This is also what the author promises to do: to write a book from the point of view of a practitioner for the purposes of enlightening a fellow practitioner. So much so good.

From the perspective of an (customer) portfolio management expert (i.e. advanced level practitioner), I found the book quite "light" on all of the key words in the title: corporate portfolio management, aligning investment proposals, and organizational strategy. In more practical terms, the book does not manage to answer the question stated on the cover: how to align investment proposals with organizational strategy?

All in all, I find the book an OK source if you are an absolute beginner and need to get a first glimpse of the subject matter. For anyone with more ambitious aims, the book may not live up to its promise.

When I was in school, 10th grade, we had a chapter in English Literature. This chapter, named In the Grip of Prejudice, was from the book 'To Sir With Love'. That was such a gripping chapter, that I decided to buy the 'To Sir With Love' immediately.

Amazing book and fantastic movie (with excellent performance of Sydney Poitier). The book has been with me for more than a decade and re-read multiple times. Very intelligent book that teaches the basics of right human existance.

Excellent!

I just saw "Amazing Grace" about William Wilberforce
and the ending of the British slave trade. There is little doubt that the Ricky Braithwaite who is a relatively young black teacher in England
is the breeding product of such slaves used by sugar planters
in British colonies. In arriving at their destination a large percentage died in the crossing. An even larger number usually died each year as
a result of over work and underfeeding. Genetically this actually tended to make the black slaves superior to their white masters in many ways.
Survival makes very good people.
But the question is not if Braitwaite was as good teacher a teacher as
he is a writer, but have conditions improved since 1959 when he first published this. From hearing about the life of Amy Winehouse who is a very popular British singer, one tends to think they may have actually gotten worse in London's East End, not better?
So for all the popularity of the book and movie of this book,
not a lot of attention was really paid to his lessons in understanding
and care for the poor and hard pressed of all races.
Amy Winehouse was expelled by a Weston type for being independent and different. Progressive education has been replaced with regimentation and discipline. Braitwaite made the point that music, even classical music, got through to these children, but in California we spend money on contact football instead? In California E. R. Braitwaite wouldn't be allowed to teach in an high school. He doesn't have a recognized teaching credential.

During my school days, we had an extract from this book as one of the lessons in our English subject. The lesson was named "In the Grip of Prejudice". After reading the lesson, I just wanted to read the whole book. ER Braithwaite has handled a touchy subject aesthetically.

Highly recommended! :-)

A very enjoyable book. Braithwaite tells an inspirational story about both teaching kids but also overcoming prejudice as a black man in post WWII England. I'm a new teacher and hope to develop the type of relationship he had with his students with mine some day.

I remember having read an extract of "To Sir with Love" during my school days and have been wanting to read it ever since. Unfortunately I never got around to doing so for quite a while. Recently while browsing in a bookshop, my eyes fell on the book and I decided to pick it up.

The book is an extremely inspiring autobiography which chronicles the life of a 'coloured' teacher in a particularly rowdy neighbourhood of London.

Written in an extremely touching, charming (and ocassionally witty) style, the author talks about how he has to deal with racial sterotypes. It is uphill all the way for Braithwaite as he counters the cynicism of his impressionable students and, ocassionally, that of his colleagues also. Slowly, he wins over the minds (and in the case of Pamela Dare, heart) of his students as he tries to wipe clean their minds of prejudices (racial or otherwise).

The book was also filmed starring the ever-charming Sidney Poitier in the lead role. See the movie after reading the book.

This is a great read for anyone, not just business owners or entrepreneurs.

A quick, concise guide to identify and document your strengths AND weaknesses and help you construct a realistic and achievable plan to get you where you want to be.

I could definitely relate to the real life predicaments Mr. Fishman writes about and how these issues were resolved. You will find that many of these real life experiences remind you of yourself or someone you know.

The book gave me a new awareness and understanding of some aspects of my life I had not thought of before. And as a result, it motivated me to implement some of the ideas to take action to improve my life.

We can all benefit from the fresh ideas and techniques Mr. Fishman shares to improve our creativity, communication, goal setting, and negotiating. I recommend 7 Secrets of Great Entrepreneurial Masters to everyone.

The tips I received from reading this book have helped me understand the importance of revisiting my goals and objectives. Not only did it help me improve my business by updating my action plans, but it reminded me of my personal desires for my business, which really motivated me. Fishman does an exceptional job explaining his ideas by relating them to real life experiences.

So many business books are great in theory, but the translation of the message can be lost in practical, day-to-day experiences. The 7 Secrets is different, because it not only illustrates the individual secrets with real-life scenarios and experiences, but reference checklists for how to incorporate the 7 Secrets into your professional life. Fishman's understanding of how busy and sometimes hectic an entrepreneur's life is evident.

I found this book helped identify what will make me happy on all levels in life. It is a practical tool for anyone in business that is looking for balance between work and personal life. It helped me define why I work so hard to get what I want. Allen Fishman has created a useful guide for walking the path of life as an entrepreneur. A must read for all business owners, add this book to your arsenal.

It has been said that, if you honk your own horn, no one will want to do it for you. This is a book about horn honking.

This book shows an ego at work that is big enough to fill the universe yet small enough to dwell in your heart. Before you reach page 15 of this book, you will have seen over 150 different tidbits of inside information from the author such he loves his mom, he loves his dad, he loves his two daughters, he loves his son in law, he loves his friends and his dreams have been satisfied beyond his wildest expectations. He mentions seven times that he lives in Aspen (all this before we reach page 15) and we are told several times that he hikes, bikes and rides ski lifts. Unfortunately in all of this verbiage we find no mention of his wife or the mother of his daughters. How can a life be so successful and happy without learning how to love another of our Heavenly Father's Creations? Fishman shows us what a ego on display is all about.

There is insight that can be gained from this book and you will find it right there in the Conclusion at the end of the book where you don't have to wade through the "I am happy and successful and live in Aspen, Colorado" drivel. However, the real story of this book is one that hasn't been told and that involves the Power of Persuasion. How did Fishman get McGraw - Hill to publish this book? Had he chosen to discuss his talent of persuasion, he might have come up with a different title than one that appears to be a Stephen Covey knockoff.

The book is concise, covers a wide range of topics and is entertaining while describing a complicated religion. An enjoyable read, very informative and filled with fascinating facts, thoughts, history and possible future of Judaism. I would recommend this for anyone wanting to start learning about Judaism and the fascinating culture, traditions and religions.

This book is in no form an "Idiot's" guide. Rabbi Benjamin Blech does an absolute brilliant job articulating some of the most difficult concepts in Jewish thought and Judaism today. Based on his book "Understaing Judaism" published by Jason Aronson, Blech touches on almost every aspect of Jewish life and for the right amount of time. Not too little, yet not too boring.

After reading this book I realized that after years of study, I am still an "idiot".

They need to remove the "Complete Idiot's Guide" from the title. I feel that this cheapens or insults the wonderful message and body of work inside this marvelous book. G-d's message and word should not be down played as this title implies.

With that said the Rabbi's message is very articulate and insightful. He is able to blend ancient teachings with modern analogies wonderfully. I highly recommend this book!!

This book provides an accurate basic account of the Jewish faith for all who are interested. It also adds amusing references to pop culture and real-life sitations.

This is a great book for a non Jew to get an overall appreciation for the beliefs, practices and customs of the Jewish religion. I am a Christian who wanted to get a better understanding and appreciation for Judaism. In Jan. 2007 I spent two weeks in the Holy Land and when I came back I wanted to get a fuller appreciation for Judaism. This book gave me that.

Mystery lurks behind every corner for Dr. John Dollar, the Crime Doctor, as he is drawn into a world of criminality and vice while attempting to rescue the people under his care from their own inner demons. There is an underlining dignity to these stories that makes the noble efforts of Dr. Dollar a pleasure to read.

Resting upon my night table is a dusty stack of recently purchased thrillers from James Paterson to Lawrence Block, yet I find myself in the quiet of the night rereading THE CRIME DOCTOR. Perhaps because it transports me back to an elegant time of tuxedo-attired gentleman sleuths, and after a hectic day at work, this is a wonderful place to escape to. So if you are becoming bored with the gritty world of shoot and slash popular fiction, holster your pistol, have your butler lay out your evening wear, and by all means, give THE CRIME DOCTOR a try.

Dr. Dollar is a man on the horns of a dilemma. On one hand, he is a brilliant physician dedicated to unlocking the mysteries of the insane mind in the valiant attempt to free his patients from their criminal compulsions. On the other, he is a fearless, two-fisted war hero who was trained to stop any enemy using deadly force. His struggles, during the mysteries that engulf him, to reconcile both opposing sides of his nature prove to be enjoyable reading, and trouble for those around him.

Criminals beware! The foggy streets of London are once again under the protection of the Crime Doctor with this new edition collecting all of the adventures of Hornung most intriguing master sleuth. Because this collection was out of print for decades, the name of Dr. John Dollar has sadly been overlooked by many mystery enthusiasts. But with this new printing, I am confident that Dr. Dollar- the Crime Doctor- will capture the hearts and imaginations of a new generation.

If you prefer your mysteries to take place on the foggy streets of London, teeming with clueless Bobbies, international spies, Cockney street thugs, master criminals, and the occasional suffragette riot, look no further and focus your magnifying glass on this collection of excellent crime stories.

An English major's best friend. What did I do without it? It's fun to pick up and read snippets but mostly it comes to the rescue when I have literary term questions or am stuck on a poetry problem. I ordered it from Amazon since it beat campus prices.

I've had this book for almost a month now, and I have to say that I am very impressed. I bought it because it was suggested as an extra source of information in my English Literature class. I am still waiting for the recommended text (Abram's 'A Glossary of Literary Terms'), so this one has definitely come in handy. Each time I look in it, I find new words and phrases to learn about (including the ones I 'have' to look up), and it is a delight. My mother used to tell us that her mother's frequent recommendation was 'Make a friend of your dictionary!'and I have. I like knowing which 'big' words I can use to truly express myself, and Cuddon's 'Dictionary of Literary Terms & Literary Theory'(published by Penguin in 1999 and revised by CE Preston), is going to be a very good 'friend' indeed! In my opinion, it is on a par with Abram's text, in fact it might be more accurate to say that they complement each other. I definitely recommend it to anyone studying English Literature, and anyone who just likes to read.

This book is an excellent and indispensable resource. I've used it quite often to look up and correctly apply different terms when writing essays and looking up references. However, it's also a fun book to look through and to pick out random entries in learning more about the wide range of literary terms, concepts, and histories that are comprehensively covered in this text.

This is a handy inexpensive reference book with much more than a dictionary on some interesting items but less on lots of other things, so it is very specific to literary purposes giving special help in history of literary terms. Since it works more like a history of those terms it gives J.A. Cuddon a wonderful opportunity to display his research skills and demonstrate interesting connections that otherwise would be missed. It works well as a required text for entrance level literature classes in the undergraduate level.

As an author, have you been guilty of "log-rolling?" According to "The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literay Theory" complied by J. A. Cuddon, this literary term is: "The practice by which authors review each other's books. Vulgarly known as "back-scratching." Being retired tree farmers we have a different concept for the term.
Extensive, forthright annotations and great essays take the browser on a delightful tour of the literary arena. From Abby Theater to Zhdanovshchina, Cuddin uses both irreverence and erudition to teach us that the words and phrases we use seldom mean what we believe.
An excellent reference for the writer's bookshelf.
Nash Black, author of "Qualifying Laps" and "Taxes, Stumbling Blocks & Pitfalls for Authors 2007."

A book to keep by the bedside; tales to enjoy again and again. A haven for those familiar with the genre, and, for the novice, a menu of the fine writers of dark imagination.

Nearly fifty years ago, in the mid-sized Midwestern town where I spent many of my formative years, with some windfall paper route money, I purchased the Modern Library edition of "Great Tales of Terror and the Supernatural" (published by Random House, edited by Herbert A Wise and Phyllis Fraser). That particular edition was eventually worn out from extensive reading and re-reading and had long since disappeared from my possession; but several months ago, at a Montgomery County Public Library sale in Troy, North Carolina, thanks the alertness of my sharp-eyed wife, I purchased, for a mere pittance, the *original* edition of this book, published in 1944; it was like encountering a long-lost friend! The dedication page consists of an Old Scotch Invocation: "FROM GHOULIES AND GHOSTIES AND LONG-LEGGED BEASTIES AND THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT, GOOD LORD DELIVER US!". Of interest also is that on the publication page the following appears: "THIS IS A WARTIME BOOK - The Text is complete and unabridged, but every effort has been made to comply with the Government's request to conserve essential materials." It was in my Modern Library edition that, as a teen-ager, I first read classic supernatural stories by Algernon Blackwood (the well-known "Ancient Sorceries" and the lesser-known "Confession" [but not "The Willows" or "The Wendigo"]), F(rancis) Marion Crawford ("The Screaming Skull" [but not "The Upper Berth"]), M(ontague) R(hodes) James ("Casting the Runes" [my favorite of all of his 30 stories] and "Oh Whistle and I'll Come to You My Lad"; both stories, incidentally, illustrate James's adroit and effective handling of understatement), H(oward) P(hilips) Lovecraft ("The Rats in the Walls" and "The Dunwich Horror"), Arthur Machen ("The Great God Pan" [but not "The Inmost Light"]), Oliver Onions ("The Beckoning Fair One"), Edgar Allan Poe (the well-known story "The Black Cat" and the lesser-known but even more disturbing "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar"), and Edgar Lukas White (the eerie "Lunkundoo"). Also among the 52 stories in this collection are some powerfully-effective adventure stories: Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game", Geoffrey Household's "Taboo", Carl Stephenson's "Leiningen versus the Ants", and H.G. Wells's "Pollock and the Porroh Man". (Undoubtedly because of the publication date, there is nothing here by Robert Aickman [e.g., "The Inner Room"], Clive Barker [e.g., "In the Hills, The Cities"], Stephen King [e.g., "Dolan's Cadillac" {terror} or "The Mist" {supernatural/preternatural], or Joyce Carol Oates [e.g., "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?"]). The editors provide an Introduction, an Introduction to the Notes, and interesting and comprehensive biographical sketches of each of the authors. Over the past few months, I have enjoyed becoming re-acquainted with these stories. Although there now exist more modern collections of these types of stories (e.g. David Hartwell's "The Dark Descent", "The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories", and "Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories"), this out-of-print book is well worth acquiring, if you should be fortunate enough to happen upon it in an estate collection auction, at a library sale, in a thrift store, or at a used-book seller's.

This is yet another one of the books that was required for my Arts & Humanities class "The Horror Story"...I must say that I'm quite glad that I was introduced to this novel.

This book houses some of the greatest horror stories since the genre came into existence. I have a new appreciation for Edgar Allen Poe. Algernon Blackwood is an AMAZING writer, quite possibly my new favorite. There is even a story written by O. Henry!

This book could easily be considered a bible among those who are horror-genre fans. I can't say much else about this book other than IN MY OPINION it is worth the money you will spend on it and the time you will spend reading it.

This book is, quite simply, the best collection of 19th and early-20th century short fiction of the dark variety in existence. First published in the 1940s, this single (albeit fat) volume is a goldmine of the roots of modern horror, a great way to see where today's horror heavyweights got their inspiration and influence.

Some authors whose stories appear within: Bierce, Blackwood, Dickens, Faulkner, Hawthorne, Hemingway, James (both Henry & M.R.), Kipling, Lovecraft, Machen, Poe, Wells, and many more, a good mixture of horror genre regulars and more conventional or 'literary' authors to whom dark fiction was a departure from the norm. If many of those above names are unfamiliar to you and you consider yourself a fan of dark fiction, you owe it to yourself to read this book.

[Sidenote: The book also contains two of my all-time favorite short stories from two slightly lesser-known authors: Richard Connell's "The Most Dangerous Game," and W.W. Jacob's "The Monkey's Paw." As far as I know, this is the only single volume that includes both. The latter story is, in my humble opinion, THE most perfect scary story of all time.]

Once again: Wagner & Wise's collection is the best thing of its kind.

If you're looking for a little fear on your pallet, this book will dish it out in buckets. The authors are old world craftsmen who wrote these stories on dark and stormy nights. As you read, the wind will howl, dead children will laugh, and the scurry of rats will make you look around your room. Drink a glass of wine, eat dark chocolate, and curl up to this one in bed. Dead men do write good tales.

I have used Jane Brody's book so much that the pages were yellow and torn. I was glad Amazon could supply me with a crisp, clean copy.
I put the old one in our high-rise book exchange area. It was gone the next day.

I have a 20-year-old softbound copy of this cookbook that is in tatters, so I am very happy finally to find a fresh copy. I have made many of the recipes in this book and my family has a couple of all-time favorites, especially the pork with green beans and the vegetarian lasagne. While the basic recipes are wonderful, I frequently find them to be bland. My cookbook is filled with margin notes about what herbs and spices I have tried over the years to enhance the recipes. Nonetheless, this is a treasured part of my cookbook library.

The first part of the book is lots of info about nutrition and so on, very interesting and informative (like talking about how potatoes have gotten a bum rap, there really healthy, she mentions one guy who lived healthily for 300 days on nothing but potatoes (and a little margarin). The second part is a few hundred recipes, which are great - easy, delicious, pretty fast, a lot of them with ingredients we keep around the house. Some of our favorites - the chili recipes, the spaghetti pancakes, multigrain pancakes (good with soy flour and blueberries), etc. This (along with books from Moosewood, Tara Duggan, and the Quick Vegetarian Pleasures book) is one of primary cookbooks; we use it all the time. Highly recommended.

Putting "high carbohydrate" in the title is a no-no these days with the lo-carb craze that's going on, but I'm here to tell everyone that this is a great cookbook full of healthy recipes. Brody focuses on recipes that are often low-calorie and almost always include lots of veggies and other complex carbs, and she has many delicious desserts that aren't overloaded on fat and sugar. True weight management comes with exercise and watching overall calorie intake, while ensuring a majority of those calories are healthy ones. This cookbook is perfect for anyone who's interested in increasing his/her repertoire of delicious, healthy recipes.

I bought this cookbook back around 1992 and the tattered paperback is the most used cookbook in my kitchen.

I live with a vegetarian, so most of what I've cooked has been the meatless recipes, and without exception, they have all been wonderful! Some of these recipes are also my potluck dinner staples (esp the Tri-Color Chickpea Salad). The Quick Lasanga with Bean Sauce has been the hit of every party I've taken it to, and the Lentil soup is to die for.

At one point, I went through a heavy-duty baking phase, and tried many of the muffin and quick bread recipes in this book. Again, there wasn't a dud in the bunch - everything I baked was excellent and won praise from all who partook.

Most of the recipes in this book are very good "as is" (they don't need much futzing with). There is some prep work involved (lots of chopping of veggies and the like), so many of the recipes do take some time. Almost half of the book consists of information about food, nutrition, cooking hints and techniques, which I've found to be very useful. Personally, if you have to have one main cookbook, I'd say that this should be it!