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We only recently found out that all our copies of The Count of Monte Cristo were abridged. We checked this out of our local library and liked it so much we bought a copy for our home library. The type setting is very readable and best of all, it's not abridged.

The story is a classic and a great read. I recommend it for everyone.

I boutht this for my Grandson freshman class in World History. He enjoyed the book and recieved a good grade on his report

The book arrived in excellent condition and it has been a delightful book to read.

I've often heard of references to this book, but never had an occasion to read it. After reading "Lone Survivor", I was curious to read "The Count of Monte Cristo". Dumas certainly set the bar high for all those to follow in this genre. The intrigue and twists are exceptional. A classic which should be a "must read".

How does one review a classic? Especially one so noteworthy as to have demanded the creation of 11 or more film variations, numerous adaptations, and even television series? I long avoided reading this novel due mainly to it's daunting size, and the fear that it's translation would cause the reader more work than I was willing to put into it. However my burning desire to know the true tale of Edmond Dantes overruled my hesitation.

The story, for those of you who are unfamiliar, follows Edmond Dantes in his wrongful imprisonment at the hands of his friends, his 14 years in the Chateau D'If, his escape and rebirth as a self proclaimed hand of vengeance against those who had wronged him. If you have only seen the movies, the book, particularly the ending, is far different than what Hollywood has created. There are no dramatic duels, no massive swordfights with brigands, and not everyone who we believe should, lives happily ever after. This is instead a slow but genius work of Dantes methodically stripping away all that his enemies held dear to them, at whatever cost. None die by his hand, but are rather destroyed by his influence, and their own evil choices come back to haunt them.

The story itself is genius, interesting and very fun. The writing, particularly the translation that I read, is an often difficult and sometimes tedious work that one may need a notebook to keep straight. The cast of characters is very large and they are often referred to by different names, making it a bit more difficult to keep track of who is who without some sort of note taking. I was not smart enough to take notes, and thus had to spend quite a bit of time searching my brain to make sure I was thinking of the correct person as I read, particularly with some of the more minor story lines and the characters that weaved in and out of the story with multiple chapters between their appearances. Also, this book will probably be disappointing to those who are interested in the action that the movies provided. The Count of Monte Cristo, does not come in with guns blazing, but rather plays a very well thought out and disturbing game of mental chess against his opponents. As readers we hope for their downfall, but also wonder how far the Count will go... his years of imprisonment have left him hardened and disturbingly without remorse at the use of innocents to gain his vengeance. As he plays his pieces we wonder just who will be sacrificed, and who will have the chance to live happily ever after in this dark world of Dumas.

Readers of more modern novels may have trouble with this book because of the sheer volume of concurrent story lines, all of which are necessary for understanding the strings being pulled by the Count. But to remember the tale of the lovers, the orphan, the bandit, the banker, the ship builder, the assassin, the count, the princess, the steward, the military man, the lawyer, the cheating husband and wife, the lost love, the musician, the buried baby, the dying father, the paralyzed grandfather, the murderess, the thief, the countess, the emperor and all of their relations, can be quite a daunting task for any reader. Still each of these stories could be a book of their own, keeping the reader quite entertained, but Dumas has managed to weave them all together into one, brilliant and shining tale... if you can keep them straight through the end.

What surprised me most was the ending of this story. It was not what I wanted, or hoped for. True I loved Haidee, and wanted nothing but her happiness... but many seemed to be left in suffering that did not deserve the fate that they were bound to. I will not elaborate for fear of spoiling the ending... but this does not end on a Hollywood, "they all ride off into the sunset" ending. Perhaps the meaning of the story is not all about revenge, but rather what damage the hunt for vengeance can bring to not just those who have wronged you, but to all those that surround you. The downfall of selfishness; be it falsely imprisoning someone to gain what you may, to the selfishness of vengeance... there is so much meaning in this book, I can see why it is so often "required reading." Though I highly recommend this book, I would advise you attempt to read it with others either in a class or a reading group so that you can discuss all of the rich meaning behind Dumas's words.

Raistlin Majere has always been my favorite Dragonlance character but this story of his early years was severely lacking. Wrapped in an air of mystery and hacking away with a deadly consumption, this young mage was protected both by his powerful brother and by his cloak of mystery. His ambition, curiosity and sleight of hand earns your interest like no other but he needed a more developed background to fill that vaccuum. I will still love the red robed mage but I might have to accept that his run as a great character ended in a Summer Flame.

I bought this book because it had such high reviews. Needless to say, I was disappointed. I think that M.W. has a good writing style, but the story lacks any pizazz. The characters are boing and predictable. Why did so many people like this book?

This is the first book I read by Margaret Weis without Hickman, and I was therefore interested to see the difference. Actually, the pace of the book is slower and more introspective than the Chronocles series. I would regard this book as "canon" and part of the essential story (along with Chronocles trilogy, Lost Chronocles trilogy, Legends trilogy, Second Generation, Dragons of A Summer Flame, and the War of Souls Trilogy).

FACT - Weis and Hickman are not literary geniuses. They flout several rules of good writing including their tendency to repeat ideas, recap plot points, tell you what to think (instead of showing you). However, there are few writers who can claim to have explored the depth of a character to the same extent as Weis does with Raistlin in this book. A great addition to the series.

If you want to go on and read Brothers in Arms, then do so, however, I would not consider it canon or essential to the story. However, it does give some of the background to the War of the Lance from the point of view of Kitiara, and is (reasonably) consistent with the storyline in the chronocles trilogy.

One point I would like to note - if you read dragons of autumn twilight straight after this, you will find that Raistlin's relationship with some of the other characters has "soured" somewhat, despite the fact the characters have supposedly not seen each other for five years. I found this a little unconvincing but this is a minor detail.

Wow! Raistlin fan or not this is a great book. I, of course like most of the people who read Dragonlance, like Raistlin but I am not a huge fan per say but I do find him interesting to read. A lot of my question were resolved here not all but many.
Perhaps the best part about this book is that you get to witness the Test that Raistlin endured! You've heard about out it for a long time now and finally your in the midst of it all! WOOT!
Three highlights ** Slight Spoilers ** (but not really) :)
1) Meeting all the old friends Cameron, Raistlin, Tanis, Tas, Tika, Otik, Flint, Sturm, etc. and learning about them as they met. Watching them make a covenant to return to Solace to meet again...which, if I remember, brings you to the first book you read...the Dragons of Autumn Twilight. (I liked that part)
2) Raistlin's Test
3) Raistlin's Letter at the end which gives you the reason for the book you just finished,

The Soulforge, was well written and thrill. I think this book, of all the Dragonlance books I've read to date, has answered more questions than any other novel yet.

*This review is being updated and brough over from an older account.

"Raistlin startled to wakefulness, a sense of danger bursting like lightning on his sleep, jolting him out of terrifying dreams." Oh Boy. Hemmingway this is not.

With the new Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition coming out my old dungeon master (just writing that makes me cringe) has decided to try and reunite distant (and aging) gamers using the new online gaming engine. In order to get into the spirit of things I thought I might spend some time back in the realm of D&D. When I was in high school every self respecting nerd had read the DragonLance series by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Quite frankly my taste in literature was still developing back then but the books seemed fine and I enjoyed all three. The most memorable character, by far, was the mage Raistlin Majere. One of my friends even modeled his D&D character after Raistlin including his relentless (and irritating) pursuit of power.

It's pretty clear by this books intro that Raistlin is also Margaret Weis's favorite and this is likely what doomed the book for me. As intriguing as Raistlin is I was hoping for more than to read about his elementary school years, his handling of bullies and his mildly dysfunctional family. The author also goes way overboard trying to hammer home the point that Raistlin is the dark brooding brains and his twin Caramon is the strong, good looking dolt. It's sometimes difficult for adults to write dialogue for children but this one is pretty bad. No five year old on earth has ever talked the way young Raistlin does and in trying to make little Caramon sound simple and naïve Weis basically writes him as retarded.

I just didn't feel that D&D vibe reading this book. The story was so focused on Raistlin that there was barely anytime for anything else and quite frankly most of the book was rather boring and tedious which isn't helped by its 400+ page length. Raistlin still stands above the rest but mainly because Kitiara and Tasselhoff were so bloody annoying while Sturm, Tanis and Flint were less like characters and more like empty ciphers.

While a bad ending can kill a good book a good ending is less likely to redeem a mediocre book but it does help and the ending in Soulforge is by far the best part. Still, rather than rekindle my interest in D&D the book ended up dampening it. If you want a good fantasy book I suggest the Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. It's not D&D but the characters are significantly better.

This is the ultimate Simpsons fan's book. It has all of The Simpsons seasons 1-8 in air-order, so you won't have any problem finding them. There are a lot of pictures and colors as well. There are even a list of Homer's D'ohs, Couch Gags, and Chalkboard Gags for every episode. This is well worth the money you pay for it; definitely should be bought by any simpaholic.

I bought this book when it first came out, and have re-read it often (fully, and partially) since then. It is an excellent reference for any "Simpsons" fan for the first eight seasons of the show. The pages are full of episode summaries, quotes, and trivia facts from the show. It also offers profiles of characters, and a list of who does what voice. A great source if you cannot remember what guest celebrity voiced a character or any other information like that. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys the "Simpsons" and wants to know more about the episodes.

Almost everything you could ever think to ask about The Simpsons is in this book. What was Bart writing on the chalkboard in "that one episode"? It's in here. The plots, inside jokes, behind the scenes tales and more await in this excellent resource for fans. This book harkens from the Conan O'Brien-era prime of the series, up to about the late 90's, when the quality (sadly) slipped big time. This was the golden age of The Simpsons, back before the series "became a cartoon." (Anyone who was a fan back in the day knows just what I mean.)

The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family is probably the best book on the Simpsons that I've read. It includes, and I am taking this right from the cover, characters, episodes, and secret jokes you might have missed from seasons 1 thru 8. The book was created by Matt Groening and edited by Ray Richmond. It details each episode and even has extras: The Shorts; Homer Says, "D'oh..."; Homer Says, "Mmm..."; Couch Gags; Seen around Springfield; An Itchy & Scratchy Filmography; Who Does What Voice; and Merchandising, Thy Name Is Krusty.

The books dedication even reads:
TO THE LOVING MEMORY OF
SNOWBALL I:
WE HOPE THAT
THEY CHANGE YOUR CATBOX
IN KITTY HEAVEN MORE OFTEN
THAN WE DID DOWN HERE.

My favorite saying in the book is on p. 64, "When Flanders Failed":
"Hey, Barteleeboobely, care for a steak-a-rooney?" Homer, to Bart as he cooks on the grill that used to belong to Fladners.

I definetly reccomend purchasing this book.

I found this book so soothing. If you love the Simpsons, you will love this book. You can relive the most hilarious quotes of the series in the most convienient manner possible. No need to search through DVD's to hear Homer say, "It takes two to lie, Marge. One to lie, and one to listen." Instead, you can flip through this book and relive all your favorite moments. I read it over and over and over again. It is well worth its price.

The product arrived very quickly and was in very good condition. It was exactly what I wanted and came a lot quicker than I was expecting. I am very pleased with the result of this order. It was described as being in great condition, which it was. There was very little wear on the edges and, considering the age of the product, this was excellent.

Excellent! 10 out 10! The true story of Sailor Moon! If you're into Manga and Anime, I would recommend this manga 100%. Sailor moon is full or Romance, Adventure, Drama and More. If you like sailor moon you might also like Revolutionary girl Utena another Manga written by Naoko Takeuchi.

This graphic novel is still great, even though it's old and it's not available since it's out of print. If you have the opportunity of buying it in a cheap price, then do it. The story is great and it won the an award for best graphic novel!

This seller changed the volume # of the book I ordered by handwriting "8" next to the "1" sending volume 18 rather than the 1st book of the series. To make matters worse, they did not respond to my email or attempt to make any effort to rectify this situation. I will never buy from them and highly advise others not to as well.

This was the first Sailor Moon book. There are five chapters. (I am going to write about exactly what happens in each chapter, so you might want to skip this part if you haven't read it yet.)
Chapter 1 - Bunny a.k.a. Sailor Moon - (That is the name of the chapter in the book, but I'm going to call her Usagi instead of Serena or Bunny because that is her real name.) Usagi is late for school but on the way there she finds a black cat with a bandage on its forehead. She takes the bandage off and sees a cresent moon symbol. She thinks it is a bald spot. After school Usagi and her friends go to a jewelry store. Molly's mom works there. But it's actually a monster in disguise as Molly's mom. Usagi goes home and dreams about being Sailor V, a superhero that her friends told her about. She wakes up and the black cat, Luna, comes to her house and talks to her! Luna tells Usagi that she is Sailor Moon and gives her a brooch. Usagi uses it to transform into Sailor Moon. She sees Molly being attacked by the monster that was pretending to be her mom. Usagi goes to the jewelry store and fights the monster. She uses her tiara to destroy it. Then she sees Tuxedo Mask and falls in love. The next day all Usagi's friends are talking about Sailor Moon and Usagi knows that it wasn't a dream.
Chapter Two - Amy a.k.a. Sailor Mercury - (Actually her Japanese name is Ami.) Luna tells Usagi that she thinks she found another Sailor Soldier. (In the book they are called Sailor Scouts, but that is sort of annoying and it should actually be Sailor Soldiers in the Japanese version.) Usagi sees Ami, and Luna jumps on Ami. Usagi goes and talks to Ami. Ami is really smart and Usagi actually wants help with her homework. Ami goes to the arcade with Usagi and wins a pen in the Sailor V game. Usagi kicks the machine until another pen comes out. Then Ami has to go to school but the teacher is really a monster. Ami left a disk she needs for school so Luna puts it in the computer but it is really a brainwashing program. Luna tells Usagi she can use the pen she got for disguises so Usagi turns into a doctor and goes to the school. She transforms into Sailor Moon and tries to fight the monster but the monster gets Ami. Ami uses the pen and she turns into Sailor Mercury! Usagi beats the monster and Ami is a Sailor Soldier.
Chapter Three - Raye (Rei) a.k.a. Sailor Mars - Lately people who rode a bus have been disappearing. Ami shows Usagi a priestess at a temple named Rei. Usagi tries to follow Rei but Rei thinks she is evil and attacks her. Luna thinks that Rei is the moon princess. Mamoru, a boy that Usagi keeps seeing, thinks that Usagi is Sailor Moon. Rei has a vision of a person attacking Usagi. Later she sees the same boy driving a bus. (He is really Jedite, Sailor Moon's enemy.) She gets on the bus but it goes through a portal. Usagi sees Rei on the bus and uses her disguise pen and jumps through the portal after the bus. Ami teleports to where Usagi is and they become Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury. Usagi traps Jedite but she can't defeat him. Earlier Luna gave Ami another pen so Ami throws it to Rei and Rei becomes Sailor Mars and destroys Jedite!
Chapter Four - Masquerade - Luna tells Ami, Rei, and Usagi more about the princess and the Silver Imperium Crystal that they have to find. Melvin shows them a picture of Princess D, who is having a party that night. Usagi sees her father getting dressed up for it but he says she can't go. Usagi uses her pen to morph into a princess and Ami and Rei go with her. She sees Tuxedo Mask at the party and they dance. A woman at the party is really a monster and she possesses Princess D to steal the treasure. Tuxedo Mask saves Usagi again and Usagi transforms. She gets a new tiara and destroys the monster. Usagi falls asleep and Tuxedo Mask kisses her.
Chapter Five - Lita (Makoto) a.k.a. Sailor Jupiter - Usagi accidentally walks in front of a car and a girl with rose earrings saves her. Usagi sees the same girl at lunch and they sit together. The girl is Makoto. Makoto comes to the arcade with Usagi and Ami. Usagi sees people talking about a ghost in the bridal shop. Thatr night Andrew, the boy who works at the arcade, sees the ghost and gets possessed. He finds Makoto. Mamoru, who is really Tuxedo Mask, sees it happen and turns into Tuxedo Mask. He tells Usagi and Usagi, Ami, and Rei go to save Makoto. Makoto gets mad at the ghost and Luna gives her a pen. Makoto becomes Sailor Jupiter. She destroys the ghost and Nephrite, another one of their enemies. Luna tells Usagi that she must become the leader of the Sailor Soldiers.

Usagi, Mamoru, Ami, Rei, and Makoto are the Japanese names. This book has the American names instead: Serena, Darien, Amy, Raye, and Lita. I used the Japanese names instead because Sailor Moon's full name is Usagi Tsukino. Tsukino Usagi means "rabbit of the moon" or something like that, which is why she has that name. They messed it up when they changed her name to Usagi.
There are three Sailor Moon series:
Sailor Moon (11 books)
Sailor Moon SuperS (4 books)
Sailor Moon StarS (3 books)
Most people saw Sailor Moon on TV first. There is also a TV show with five seasons:
Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon R
Sailor Moon S
Sailor Moon SuperS
Sailor Moon Stars
Sailor Moon Stars was never shown on TV in America and there are no videos or DVDs either, unless they made them and I don't know about them. You can probably buy them in Japanese though.

The author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid is Jeff Kinney. I'm only giving away one part of the story: Rowley eats the cheese. The main characters are Greg Heffley, Rowley, Dad, Mom, Rodrick, Manny and Fregley. The story is about a boy trying to survive middle school.

I recommend this book for 8-14 year olds who likes funny books. Have fun reading the book.

By Elijah

Readers of all ages will find themselves laughing out loud as WIMPY KID paints a clear picture of some of the awkward moments kids endure in today's schools and families. This is a great book for teaching students to be honest with their writing. A strong voice carries the reader through with a swift, fun pace. The book also features dozens of hysterical sketches. Be sure to check out the other three books in the series. This book would make an exceptional gift for a teenage boy.

My daughter got the book for Christmas and loved it. She sat down and read the whole book in less than 2 days.

It's no secret that kids love "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." Now here I am, a 48-year-old father, to tell you that adults can love it, too.

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" is funny in smart, clever and imaginative ways. Author Greg Kinney does a great job of capturing the quirky perspective of a middle schooler.

The main character, Greg, is likable, the illustrations fit the story perfectly, and the book takes unpredictable turns that will make you laugh out loud.

Good for ages 7 and up.

This book starts out funny and ends funny. I read the book at work one night while waiting on my 12 hours to pass by. My co-workers thought I was crazy for laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. This kid had me thinking back to my years of middle school and the way I thought of things in life. I went home that morining and ordered the rest of the series.

I purchased this book for my 10 year old daughter for christmas, she is a book nut. She LOVED it, she had it finished that same day. Very easy to read. She also enjoys all the other books in the series. Highly Recommend to anybody at any reading level. It also has funny pictures.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a LOL book. It is so funny that it literally made soda come out of my nose.In the book it features hilarious little comics. Basically the story is about a boy named Greg who gets jumped by his big brother Rodrick.I recommend this book to anyone who likes to laugh. If you're looking for a heroic cowardly book, you should read this one.

We purchased this book for our school library and it hasn't been on the shelf since! It is a really cute book that my sons (7 and 9) have really enjoyed. We are eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

Also - The binding is really great on the book.

My 9 year old daughter loves this series. I bought this for her as a Christmas gift and she was 130 pages deep by the second day. I can hear her laughing out loud in the other room while she is reading this book. I've already pre-ordered the next book in the series.

After my son (then 6) read this book for the third straight time I decided to give it a try. My husband found me an hour later in my son's bed, him asleep, me reading the book. This book is what reading is all about - something so good that you not only don't want to put it down, but you read it again to get another point of view. Just thinking of it now puts a smile on my face. Can't wait for number 3, and would love to see a number 4.

Santa brought the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself for xmas. What a great exercise is the fun and whimsy of keeping a journal (NOT a Diary!) for boys. If you have a reader who loves the books, get the Journal as well.Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book

Ranma Saotome is a boy who fell into a Jusenkyo spring called "Spring of drowned girl." Because of that he turns into a girl when splashed with cold water. (Hot water reverses the change.) He's not the only one though. There's his father Genma (Panda), Ryoga Hibikami (Black pig called, P-Chan), Mousse (duck), Shampoo (Cat), and more. Since Ranma can be a boy or a girl, you could guess he has many fiance's. As a boy he has, Kodachi Kuno, Akane Tendo, Ukyo, Shampoo and a few others that like him. As a girl there's Tatewaki Kuno, and some boys who like him. (as a girl.) Read about how Ranma got his phobia of cats, and how he goes threw life as half girl half boy. There are 36 in the series. I've read them all! So can you! Read Ranma 1/2, By:Rumiko Takahashi. I could'nt put it down.

The book I'm writing about is called Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi. Ranma 1/2 is about a young boy, about sixteen years old, and his name is Ranma. Ranma and his father, Saotom, who go and visit and old friend, who Ranma has never met before. His friend has 3 daughters Kasumi, Nabiki, Akane. They're father told them one of them would be wed to Ranma. When Ranma arrived they didn't see a boy but a young girl and a giant panda. Kasumi and Nabiki where disappointed, but Akane was glad for she hated men. Later that evening Ranma took a hot bath and turned back into a boy. The family was shocked. Then Saotom and Ranma sat down with them and told them about their horrible encounter in china. After that Akane was the one who would wed Ranma, because she didn't like men, so this way she didn't have to choose. Ranma and Saotom stood there for a wile longer. While staying there Ranma came in to many other enouncements.
My favorite part of the book was when Ranma thought Akane looked cuter with shorter hair because they start off hating each other but toward the end they start to like each other.
I would recommend this story to people who want a quick read and who like manga books because it is about a one day reading book and it a manga book. Also I would recommend it because it is a good book and funny too.

The book I'm writing about is called Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi. Ranma 1/2 is about a young boy, about sixteen years old, and his name is Ranma. Ranma and his father, Saotom, who go and visit and old friend, who Ranma has never met before. His friend has 3 daughters Kasumi, Nabiki, Akane. They're father told them one of them would be wed to Ranma. When Ranma arrived they didn't see a boy but a young girl and a giant panda. Kasumi and Nabiki where disappointed, but Akane was glad for she hated men. Later that evening Ranma took a hot bath and turned back into a boy. The family was shocked. Then Saotom and Ranma sat down with them and told them about their horrible encounter in china. After that Akane was the one who would wed Ranma, because she didn't like men, so this way she didn't have to choose. Ranma and Saotom stood there for a wile longer. While staying there Ranma came in to many other enouncements.
My favorite part of the book was when Ranma thought Akane looked cuter with shorter hair because they start off hating each other but toward the end they start to like each other.
I would recommend this story to people who want a quick read and who like manga books because it is about a one day reading book and it a manga book. Also I would recommend it because it is a good book and funny too.

Ranma ½ is about great martial artist boy named Ranma Saltome. Ranma find out that his father and a friend of his father made arrangements for him and one of the three Tendo Children to be married, but once they meat Ranma is not he really is but he is a girl. This is because Ranma and his father fell into a cursed pond and every time Ranma is touched with cold water, he turns into a GIRL!

Ranma is now forced to marry a 16-year-old girl named Akane Tendo but they do not really get along. (Ranma think Akane is a tomboy and Akane thinks Ranma is a jerk) Ranma and Akane try to get along but something always goes wrong. This is mostly because Akane has so many admirers, which always leads to a fight.

Most likely Ranma ½ is my favorite book ever. This is because of all the action, romance and comedy there is in this book. Also, I love to read this book because once you get to the end you will want to read the next one and the next and the next.

In the book Ranma 1/2 volume 1 there were many things I liked and only one thing that I didnt like.
One thing I liked about the book was the amount of humor. one example of this humor was when Ranma and the upperclassman were fighting and Ranma kept throwing food at him. Another funny part in the book was when the girls sister sold pictures of her to the upperclassman.
The only thing that I didnt like about the book was it was a little short, but there are like 37 of the books in the series so that makes it o.k.
In conclusion Ranma 1/2 is a great book and I would definetly recommend this book to anybody that likes humor and action because this book has both of them and then some.

With the forth volume Nausicaa's story takes a tragic turn, no just for her but for all of humanity. This book moved me to tears.

I have just finished reading this series, and I must say that I am AMAZED. The books are much more philosophical than the movie (which corresponds to only the first two books), and contains many more characters that are more developed. Unlike the movie, where Nausicaa was practically perfect, and Kushana was purely evil, the book's characters are much more complex. Kushana reminds me of Lady Hiboshi from Princess Mononoke.

The tone of the series changes from beginning to end. This makes sense, as the series was written over about 10 years, with a number of hiatuses. The first two books are confusing and not terribly interesting, but the story blossoms from there.

On top of that, I don't even like manga or anime as genres. Miyazaki is truly exceptional.

these are two reviews for the two different volumes combined here.

Volume One.
Nausicaa of the Valley of the wind is one of my favorite movies. After seeing for the first time I was amazed that I hadn't seen it sooner. It had everything I like in a movie, a good premise, deep and emotional characters, amazing art work, a deep meaning, and an awesome soundtrack to boot. So when I heard that there was more to the story I went out and bought this book to see if it was as good as the movie. After waiting about a month for it to come in, I bought it on Amazon, I finally got it. I was not disappointed. Let's break this book down into categories.

Art Work. The drawing pretty much, how do they look and how much detail is put into them. Miyazaki, I have to say, is a master in his field. All his drawings are extremely detailed and you can really get a sense of the surroundings. The characters emotions are brought out almost perfectly, especially the Nausicaa herself, who is shown as a powerful, yet fragile girl. Overall the drawings are almost perfect and I don't think anybody would disagree with that.

Characters. I was already familiar with all the characters in this book, having seen the movie already. They are pretty much the same here as they are in the movie so if you've seen it, which I'm taking for granted you have, and then isn't much knew. They mostly do the same things as they did in the movie and feel the same emotions with a few fun differences, but nothing really is too different.

Story. This book follows the movie almost exactly up to the point where Nausicaa and Asbel discover the underground system under the sea of corruption, or toxic jungle as it is called in the movie. There is one big difference that I must share, the Valley of the Wind is really an alley of Torumekia, and Nausicaa goes out to fight under Kushana agents the Doroke principalities, a nation not even mentioned in the movie. Other than that it follows the same story almost to the letter.

Overall a very good and strong opening to the series. This entry doesn't really add a whole lot to the overall story if you've already seen the movie, but there are some important differences which mean you can't simply skip over it if you want to read the series.

Volume Two.
As I continue my reviews on this series I have come to Vol. 2. Nausicaa has left the Valley of the Wind to go to war with Princess Kushana of Tormekia, but on their way to the front their attack group is attacked by Asbel of Pejite. Asbel is shot down and Nausicaa goes to save him, only to be stuck under the Sea of Corruption. As the first book ends Nausicaa and Asbel are seen trying to fly out of the bottom of the Sea and get out.

This book, for those who've seen the movie, covers closely the events that take place in the second half of the movie. Here's the difference. One of the Doroke tribes, mentioned in the first book, has been driven from their lands by the Tormekia invasion and has been sent to conquer and settle the lands of the Periphery, where the Valley of the Wind lies. To do that they must first destroy Kushana's army by luring the insects out of the Sea to attack. Of course Nausicaa finds out about this and manages to not quite foil the plot, but she does save the baby Ohm larva. Much of the Tormekian army is destroyed but the Dorokes are forced to retreat. By the end of the story Kushana takes what is left of her army south to join up with the rest of her men already engaging in battle, and she takes Nausicaa with her to find the stone that controls the God Worrier.

halfway through this book it goes in a completely different direction than the movie, Nausicaa goes off to war, Asbel and Yupa foil a Doroke plan to conquer the Valley, and we are introduced to knew characters such as the Doroke Priest, who is known as the Holy One, and Ketcha, a Doroke girl who serves him. The part where the Ohm attack the Tormekian army is one of the highlights of the series, but the ending was a little odd and might feel rushed. Not the best in the series, but it is a good follow up to the first.

If you have seen the movie then there isn't anything new in the first half of this book for you. But don't just skip this book to save money, there are enough differences to make buying it worth wild.

Just like LOTR, children love it, but until they grow well into their adulthood, they will not be able to fully comprehend the essence of the story.
Children, both boys and girls, will love the major characters in "Nausicaa", because children can find all they wish to be in these characters, but most of them would be puzzled (or troubled!) by the development of the story. An exceptionally smart kid may be able to guess some of Miyazaki's plan of the story before he/she reaches Vol. 7, but I dare to bet, he/she will not accept that plan until he/she reaches 30.
This is a great gift to children. They will thank you many, many years later.

I've been a Miyaki fan for years! Of all of his movies and books, Nausicaa is definitely the best one! Miyaki creates a beautifully vivid world and characters that will you will most certainly NEVER forget! This is one manga series (and the movie as well) that I've never gotten tired of. Every anime fan should have Nausicaa in their collection! You won't regret it!!!

With the forth volume Nausicaa's story takes a tragic turn, no just for her but for all of humanity. This book moved me to tears.

I have just finished reading this series, and I must say that I am AMAZED. The books are much more philosophical than the movie (which corresponds to only the first two books), and contains many more characters that are more developed. Unlike the movie, where Nausicaa was practically perfect, and Kushana was purely evil, the book's characters are much more complex. Kushana reminds me of Lady Hiboshi from Princess Mononoke.

The tone of the series changes from beginning to end. This makes sense, as the series was written over about 10 years, with a number of hiatuses. The first two books are confusing and not terribly interesting, but the story blossoms from there.

On top of that, I don't even like manga or anime as genres. Miyazaki is truly exceptional.

these are two reviews for the two different volumes combined here.

Volume One.
Nausicaa of the Valley of the wind is one of my favorite movies. After seeing for the first time I was amazed that I hadn't seen it sooner. It had everything I like in a movie, a good premise, deep and emotional characters, amazing art work, a deep meaning, and an awesome soundtrack to boot. So when I heard that there was more to the story I went out and bought this book to see if it was as good as the movie. After waiting about a month for it to come in, I bought it on Amazon, I finally got it. I was not disappointed. Let's break this book down into categories.

Art Work. The drawing pretty much, how do they look and how much detail is put into them. Miyazaki, I have to say, is a master in his field. All his drawings are extremely detailed and you can really get a sense of the surroundings. The characters emotions are brought out almost perfectly, especially the Nausicaa herself, who is shown as a powerful, yet fragile girl. Overall the drawings are almost perfect and I don't think anybody would disagree with that.

Characters. I was already familiar with all the characters in this book, having seen the movie already. They are pretty much the same here as they are in the movie so if you've seen it, which I'm taking for granted you have, and then isn't much knew. They mostly do the same things as they did in the movie and feel the same emotions with a few fun differences, but nothing really is too different.

Story. This book follows the movie almost exactly up to the point where Nausicaa and Asbel discover the underground system under the sea of corruption, or toxic jungle as it is called in the movie. There is one big difference that I must share, the Valley of the Wind is really an alley of Torumekia, and Nausicaa goes out to fight under Kushana agents the Doroke principalities, a nation not even mentioned in the movie. Other than that it follows the same story almost to the letter.

Overall a very good and strong opening to the series. This entry doesn't really add a whole lot to the overall story if you've already seen the movie, but there are some important differences which mean you can't simply skip over it if you want to read the series.

Volume Two.
As I continue my reviews on this series I have come to Vol. 2. Nausicaa has left the Valley of the Wind to go to war with Princess Kushana of Tormekia, but on their way to the front their attack group is attacked by Asbel of Pejite. Asbel is shot down and Nausicaa goes to save him, only to be stuck under the Sea of Corruption. As the first book ends Nausicaa and Asbel are seen trying to fly out of the bottom of the Sea and get out.

This book, for those who've seen the movie, covers closely the events that take place in the second half of the movie. Here's the difference. One of the Doroke tribes, mentioned in the first book, has been driven from their lands by the Tormekia invasion and has been sent to conquer and settle the lands of the Periphery, where the Valley of the Wind lies. To do that they must first destroy Kushana's army by luring the insects out of the Sea to attack. Of course Nausicaa finds out about this and manages to not quite foil the plot, but she does save the baby Ohm larva. Much of the Tormekian army is destroyed but the Dorokes are forced to retreat. By the end of the story Kushana takes what is left of her army south to join up with the rest of her men already engaging in battle, and she takes Nausicaa with her to find the stone that controls the God Worrier.

halfway through this book it goes in a completely different direction than the movie, Nausicaa goes off to war, Asbel and Yupa foil a Doroke plan to conquer the Valley, and we are introduced to knew characters such as the Doroke Priest, who is known as the Holy One, and Ketcha, a Doroke girl who serves him. The part where the Ohm attack the Tormekian army is one of the highlights of the series, but the ending was a little odd and might feel rushed. Not the best in the series, but it is a good follow up to the first.

If you have seen the movie then there isn't anything new in the first half of this book for you. But don't just skip this book to save money, there are enough differences to make buying it worth wild.

Just like LOTR, children love it, but until they grow well into their adulthood, they will not be able to fully comprehend the essence of the story.
Children, both boys and girls, will love the major characters in "Nausicaa", because children can find all they wish to be in these characters, but most of them would be puzzled (or troubled!) by the development of the story. An exceptionally smart kid may be able to guess some of Miyazaki's plan of the story before he/she reaches Vol. 7, but I dare to bet, he/she will not accept that plan until he/she reaches 30.
This is a great gift to children. They will thank you many, many years later.

I've been a Miyaki fan for years! Of all of his movies and books, Nausicaa is definitely the best one! Miyaki creates a beautifully vivid world and characters that will you will most certainly NEVER forget! This is one manga series (and the movie as well) that I've never gotten tired of. Every anime fan should have Nausicaa in their collection! You won't regret it!!!

With the forth volume Nausicaa's story takes a tragic turn, no just for her but for all of humanity. This book moved me to tears.

I have just finished reading this series, and I must say that I am AMAZED. The books are much more philosophical than the movie (which corresponds to only the first two books), and contains many more characters that are more developed. Unlike the movie, where Nausicaa was practically perfect, and Kushana was purely evil, the book's characters are much more complex. Kushana reminds me of Lady Hiboshi from Princess Mononoke.

The tone of the series changes from beginning to end. This makes sense, as the series was written over about 10 years, with a number of hiatuses. The first two books are confusing and not terribly interesting, but the story blossoms from there.

On top of that, I don't even like manga or anime as genres. Miyazaki is truly exceptional.

these are two reviews for the two different volumes combined here.

Volume One.
Nausicaa of the Valley of the wind is one of my favorite movies. After seeing for the first time I was amazed that I hadn't seen it sooner. It had everything I like in a movie, a good premise, deep and emotional characters, amazing art work, a deep meaning, and an awesome soundtrack to boot. So when I heard that there was more to the story I went out and bought this book to see if it was as good as the movie. After waiting about a month for it to come in, I bought it on Amazon, I finally got it. I was not disappointed. Let's break this book down into categories.

Art Work. The drawing pretty much, how do they look and how much detail is put into them. Miyazaki, I have to say, is a master in his field. All his drawings are extremely detailed and you can really get a sense of the surroundings. The characters emotions are brought out almost perfectly, especially the Nausicaa herself, who is shown as a powerful, yet fragile girl. Overall the drawings are almost perfect and I don't think anybody would disagree with that.

Characters. I was already familiar with all the characters in this book, having seen the movie already. They are pretty much the same here as they are in the movie so if you've seen it, which I'm taking for granted you have, and then isn't much knew. They mostly do the same things as they did in the movie and feel the same emotions with a few fun differences, but nothing really is too different.

Story. This book follows the movie almost exactly up to the point where Nausicaa and Asbel discover the underground system under the sea of corruption, or toxic jungle as it is called in the movie. There is one big difference that I must share, the Valley of the Wind is really an alley of Torumekia, and Nausicaa goes out to fight under Kushana agents the Doroke principalities, a nation not even mentioned in the movie. Other than that it follows the same story almost to the letter.

Overall a very good and strong opening to the series. This entry doesn't really add a whole lot to the overall story if you've already seen the movie, but there are some important differences which mean you can't simply skip over it if you want to read the series.

Volume Two.
As I continue my reviews on this series I have come to Vol. 2. Nausicaa has left the Valley of the Wind to go to war with Princess Kushana of Tormekia, but on their way to the front their attack group is attacked by Asbel of Pejite. Asbel is shot down and Nausicaa goes to save him, only to be stuck under the Sea of Corruption. As the first book ends Nausicaa and Asbel are seen trying to fly out of the bottom of the Sea and get out.

This book, for those who've seen the movie, covers closely the events that take place in the second half of the movie. Here's the difference. One of the Doroke tribes, mentioned in the first book, has been driven from their lands by the Tormekia invasion and has been sent to conquer and settle the lands of the Periphery, where the Valley of the Wind lies. To do that they must first destroy Kushana's army by luring the insects out of the Sea to attack. Of course Nausicaa finds out about this and manages to not quite foil the plot, but she does save the baby Ohm larva. Much of the Tormekian army is destroyed but the Dorokes are forced to retreat. By the end of the story Kushana takes what is left of her army south to join up with the rest of her men already engaging in battle, and she takes Nausicaa with her to find the stone that controls the God Worrier.

halfway through this book it goes in a completely different direction than the movie, Nausicaa goes off to war, Asbel and Yupa foil a Doroke plan to conquer the Valley, and we are introduced to knew characters such as the Doroke Priest, who is known as the Holy One, and Ketcha, a Doroke girl who serves him. The part where the Ohm attack the Tormekian army is one of the highlights of the series, but the ending was a little odd and might feel rushed. Not the best in the series, but it is a good follow up to the first.

If you have seen the movie then there isn't anything new in the first half of this book for you. But don't just skip this book to save money, there are enough differences to make buying it worth wild.

Just like LOTR, children love it, but until they grow well into their adulthood, they will not be able to fully comprehend the essence of the story.
Children, both boys and girls, will love the major characters in "Nausicaa", because children can find all they wish to be in these characters, but most of them would be puzzled (or troubled!) by the development of the story. An exceptionally smart kid may be able to guess some of Miyazaki's plan of the story before he/she reaches Vol. 7, but I dare to bet, he/she will not accept that plan until he/she reaches 30.
This is a great gift to children. They will thank you many, many years later.

I've been a Miyaki fan for years! Of all of his movies and books, Nausicaa is definitely the best one! Miyaki creates a beautifully vivid world and characters that will you will most certainly NEVER forget! This is one manga series (and the movie as well) that I've never gotten tired of. Every anime fan should have Nausicaa in their collection! You won't regret it!!!