Oregon Books

Catherine Anderson rarely disappoints. I have read most, but not all of her books, and Seventh Heaven is a winner. Anderson is skilled in delivering strong, well fleshed out characters and romance in spades without dropping the ball. I love the unshakeable bond between Joe and Marilee. Their friendship, dedication and devotion to one another is heartwarming. One other thing I adore about Anderson is that she paints realistic characters on her canvases. Particularly the women. Women who don't forever fall into the delicate, helpless, perfect little cookie cutter mold. Her women are often strong and physically and emotionally flawed, which the average woman WANTS in their story. At least I do. Who wants to read about someone who makes THEM feel frumpy and undesirable? lol As a woman who suffers from panic attacks, I understood the character of Marilee all too well. I applaud Catherine Anderson for tackling REAL issues such as date rape, anxiety, paralysis and blindness. Issues that are so much more realistic and relevant than simply putting two obscure characters together where they bicker..they clash..they have hot, meaningless sex and they live happily ever after. Puh-leeze!!

When Joe Lakota returns to his hometown, he returns much wiser than he was in high school. Can he rekindle his relationship with Marilee Nelson? Not if Marilee has anything to say about it.

Can Marilee get over a painful past with the healing love of her high school love? Or does healing come in the form of a little boy who desperately needs love?

A tear jerker that will keep you turning the pages.

I absolutely loved this book. The relationship between Joe and Marilee was so amazing. There is a good message in this book for all women. Joe Lakota is the kind of man we should aspire to have love us and we should not settle for anything less. Thank you Catharine Anderson for always writing the leading men in your books who are standup guys who love and respect women!!!! and others!!!!!!

Though I would consider this book a "light read," it is however a compelling story. Anderson is good with character development and telling a story. She's pretty good at giving her main women characters some backbone.... they aren't swooning all over the pages as in some examples of this genre. A nice story about the bonds of family, love and the challenge of renewal.

I read this book about five years ago. I've never forgotten this unforgettable Avon romance. Every contemporary romance I read is compared to this memorable book. Catherine Anderson always writes memorable romance novels, but this one is truly five stars. All her books are filled with characters that you'll remember for ever. The characters in this book have stuck with me because the relationship between Joe Lakota and Marilee Nelson happens to be very similar to my relationship with my significant other.

Marilee Nelson is haunted by a deadly, grotesque event in her life that threatens her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Joe Lakota, who has just returned to his hometown. Ms. Nelson doesn't feel the need to rekindle her relationship with a man who left her after their graduation from high school. She wants to continue on with life as it is with no man in her bed.

Joe Lakota doesn't understand why Marilee doesn't want to rekindle their magic love for each other. He is offering not only himself, but his son, Zachary. Joe can't figure out why Marilee can't trust or be around him by herself. Has something truly unbearable happened to the love of his life? Or does she just want to let go of the past and move on? Only through Zachary can they become a family.

This novel will leave you stunned as to what has happened in the past and what will happen in the here and now. You'll feel for all three captivating characters. You'll be left with a stunned feeling once you've read the entire book. Don't miss reading this wonderful heartwarming romance.

This book has a lot of practical information and advice for people who think that Island living is as simple as just moving there. The author suggests many ways to make the move easier, cheaper and less stressful. He stresses the importance of assimilating to the island culture, rather than bringing mainland sensibilities with you. The author has a blog which is a great forum to share ideas and ask specific questions. Read this book and learn what it means to "Live Aloha"

This is a wonderful book if you're planning to move to the Big Island of Hawaii. It breaks it down in an easy to follow way. Plain spoken and unbiased (although the author clearly loves the island). Lots of practical advise but if you're planning on moving to another island in Hawaii this might not be for you.

This is must have for anyone considering relocating to Hawaii. Very upfront with pros and cons.

After reading reviews on this site I ordered Affordable Paradise, as well as So You Want to Live in Hawaii by Toni Polancy. I loved Affordable Paradise and highly recommend it. I do suggest purchasing both books and reading them together. Toni Polancy's (So You Want to Live in Hawaii) book is quite pessimistic, right from the opening lines...but it does contain some valuable information. Skip Thomsen's book is my favorite by far. The author also maintains a website where updates are available free of charge.

This book is poorly edited, and looks like it was printed in someone's garage. No less than three different font types throughout the main text. Additionally, the title of this book is deceiving- it should be called, the secrets to an affordable life on "THE BIG ISLAND" of Hawaii. The author says straight up on the second page of this book that this book will not help you if you want to move to Maui or any other Hawaii'an island for that matter. However, from reading the cover, it says nothing about referring to 'Hawaii'' as the Big Island of Hawaii. It just refers to 'Hawaii.' Annoying. Bad on me for not reading further- Amazon recommended this to me when I was purchasing another book on Hawaii, and I fell for it. Not satisfied.

I was recently introduced to Nicole Conn's work andafter reading Claire of the Moon I ordered this one.Two wonderful stories--Paris in the 20's has alwaysfascinated me, and being familiar with the names ofthe writers and expatriates mentioned, made it evenmore appealing to me. The story, though short, couldstand on its own. I found Spencer's story a littledifficult to keep up with chronologically, but astory not to be missed. What has left me perplexed is that I don't know what Conn really meant at theend. Did Spencer go on having conquered her hangupsabout her childhood and, presumably return to Lenaand Mackenzie, or not? I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ALL WHOENJOY GOOD READING. IT IS ONE THAT YOU WILL READ AGAINAND AGAIN OVER THE YEARS.

I enjoyed the movie Claire of the Moon, but when I read the book I found it to be a bit sophomoric. I am not a fan of "cookie cutter" type novels and She Walks in Beauty would definately fall into that catagory in my opinion. Even if I had mounds of free time I would not spend much of it on this book, it's an extreme let down.

The book is closer to a movie script. It switches off between at least 4 plots. The main story is pretty good but at times it's hard to follow. However, I recommend it even with that because it's not predictible like so many other romance novels that I've read.

If claire of the moon, was not enough self absorbtion for you, the tale of a writer director...using actors like puppets for herself and killing their creativity, this book proves the author writes for herself...contrived...Paris?? Isn't this the director who had an affair with her lead, then lived with her and pretended to be living in Paris in her living room? sHe creates her world in writings and film without allowing others to be themselves as her characters are simply a reflection of herself or a fantasy

It took me a while to read "She Walks in Beauty" but I finally finished it and did not have to struggle. I am not an eager reader or even a literary person, I am a romantic and Ms. Conn can surely make one feel, every bit romantic. This is "A MUST READ BOOK" and I genuinly recommend it to any woman but especially Lesbian types, like myself. This writer is very thorough and detailed in her every paragraph, articulating different issues, in a sensitive way. Whether or not this is Nicole's real life story and or part fiction, she brought me back to my own dysfunctional family and I could realte to all the emotions from it. Drawing me to four different places, through different seasons of life, was an accomplishment and I look very much forward to more spendid works like this.
Thank you,
Carole Markarian

I ordered and read all of her books - they are quick reads, enjoyable, and very entertaining.

A fun light read with a little suspense, a little romance and a main character I can relate to. It was a fast and easy read but I never got bored and was sad to see it end. I'm so glad there are more in the series because I'm looking forward to learning more about Claire Montrose (the main character).

Claire is a hapless young adult wandering through life when she gets the call that a distant aunt has died. She is the last known living relative and must clean out her aunt's trailer. She takes her dim witted boyfriend with her and they find mostly junk. One picture catches Claire's eye and she keeps it. After checking out the picture and taking a last minute whim trip to New York. She quickly has people looking for her and wanting this picture. It seems that the Nazis took it from a family who wants it back. At times this book got lost and Henry threw anything trying to make the book work. Clair job as a vanity plate approver provides a few comical moments and I had funny trying to decipher the acronyms. Sadly this story didn't connect the dots and the solution to the mystery was not supported by the clues woven in the story. I tried this series out since this author also wrote "Learning To Fly" which many refer to her as her breakout novel. I know this author has potential and I will read the next in the series.

Wow! This book had much more substance than I'd imagined when I picked it up. April Henry delivers three areas of expertise - art history, WWII Germany, and working for the License Bureau for the state of Oregon. And somehow, she combines all three to make a very rich novel that made me want to read more of her books and learn more about the artist Vermeer. Any writer who can motivate a reader to look beyond their own words for more deserves an A+ in my book. This debut novel is OUTSTANDING!

This debut novel by April Henry is a fun mystery revolving around 35-year old heroine Claire Montrose, a woman with a boring job, an annoying boyfriend and white trash roots. When her great aunt dies and leaves her a mysterious painting, Claire's life takes a turn for the adventurous, and she is soon faced with a lot of questions and a number of characters, trustworthy and un.

This book is a quick read with an interesting mystery and, centering as it does around the authenticity of an unknown Vermeer painting, Henry relates a lot of interesting art history while keeping the entertainment level high. Details about Portland and New York are enjoyable (though how could she not bring up Powell's Books?), and the characters are three-dimensional.

Well done. I will read other books by this author.

If you are serious about the study of portfolio management, this is the only book for you.

One of the broader and easier to understand text ever published on investment area. If you are serious on the study of investment this is the book you are looking for.

This is an excellent book on Investment Analysis and one of the best books recommended by the CFA Institute for its curriculum.

I commend the authors for providing a solid foundation (chapters 1-9 on the Investment Background and Theory) before moving on to the heart of this book, namely security analysis (stocks, bonds and derivatives).

This book succeeds in teaching material in a variety of ways. Here are some things I appreciated:

1) Chapters begin by providing readers with an overview
2) Terms and concepts are defined
3) Formulas are presented, followed by practical examples
4) Investments are presented in a global perspective
5) Authors help the readers work through the examples by providing calculations
6) "Real world" situations and break-out boxes are used frequently
7) Authors get you think by asking questions beforehand.
8) Excellent chapter end question sets, many with CFA focus

A hidden gem of this book is found with the extensive references to relevant website links. The authors advise you on where to look for additional topical information. A great "value added" feature of this book.

The authors have also written a solutions guide to the chapter end problem set which is tremendously helpful.

What a pleasure it is to read this book - it truly deserves a 5 star rating!!

Actually I searched one volume that fully was written by specialist about Portfolio Managemnet in datail. I'm satisfying with these contents which Investment feature and controling Investment throughout step curriculum is good assistance.
After completing this PM, I may be able to master some portion/aspect of Investment Charactor. I would like to recommend as good reference.

I am enrolled in a masters level quantitative finance program and we use this text for an intro class. I found the portfolio management sections to be pretty good and the bonds and derivatives sections to be pretty weak. Furthermore, the important information in the book does not seem to clearly presented; you really have to dig through the text to get the relevant points. I guess all the important stuff is in the book, it's just hard to find. The book is big on theory and small on practical application. True, there are problems at the end of each chapter, but the chapters often don't provide clear enough explanation of the concepts to solve them adequately.

Overall, it wasn't bad. It just wasn't great either.

I probably shouldn't be reading Molly Gloss. I'm a guy, after all. But maybe, at 64, some of the nastiness of being a guy has finally worn off. Because I love the way this woman writes. The Hearts of Horses hooked me, Wild Life wowed me, and now, this earlier absolute gem of a novel just blew me away. How does she do this thing where the essence of the story lies in what is not said? Lydia Sanderson, Tim Whiteaker, Blue Odell. None of them say very much of any real significance. All are stoic and uncomplaining of the "narrow circumstances" life has dealt them. In fact they are nearly inarticulate; yet all these feelings - of yearning and loneliness, of sorrow and regret, they are all somehow laid bare in the pauses. The descriptions, the gestures, the sidelong glances, the facial expressions - all become muted dialogue. Even the one character who seems unabashedly bad, the angry bigoted boy that is Harley Osgood, has an element of humanity in him that doesn't quite let you hate him. There are no simple black-and-white characters in Gloss's fiction. There are, instead, infinite shades of gray, and an attention to descriptive detail that makes you understand implicitly much of what is left unsaid. The years-long friendship between the two cowboys Whiteaker and Odell is perhaps one of the best portrayals of love between men that fiction has to offer. And I'm not talking about any "Brokeback Mountain" kinda stuff here either. These are just two men who have stuck together through thick and thin, mostly the latter, and a bond has formed that is stronger than most marriages. Enough said. This is simply a superb story. There oughta be a ten-star rating for books of this caliber. And by the way, what a wonderful film for thinking adults this could be. Thanks again, Molly. I'll be watching for the next book, so please, Write on! - Tim Bazzett, author of ReedCityBoy

Molly Gloss is a great author with strong characters. Along with Hearts of Horses, this book is a must have in ones own library. I have not found an author quite as good as Maeve Binchy, but, Molly Gloss in my books *sorry for the pun. *L** ranks right up there with Mrs Binchy.

I loved "The Dazzle of Day" and now I love "The Jump-Off Creek". Molly Gloss is a wonderful writer. The images are evocative, the characters ring true, the plot is interesting and engrossing. My only criticism is the frequency with which she describes "smiles" (slow, deliberate, flat, purposefully, gently, etc.) -- it got a bit distracting. But that's a small criticism. Molly Gloss: write more, faster!

The Jump-off Creek

I had a hard time getting started with this book but it grabbed me and I was hooked. Lydia's husband Lars passes away. She sells everything of his and moves to Eastern Oregon. She tries her hand at ranching. Life is hard all by yourself and the menfolk give her a bit of a hard time. Everyone raises their eyebrows. Can she do it? Lots of wildlife scenes. Will Lydia and Tim find love?

I love this book!!!

I enjoyed this book. The character is compelling because her mission is, and those around her each have fully-developed personae and thus are fascinating to watch, but at the point where this story is ready to take off, it goes nowhere. Lydia, our strong female lead, rejects male attachment, but the author's point seems to be her soldiering on without needing something to fill that void. However, the other void, that of change or rise in her life, is not addressed, and the book ends up tapering out to a conclusion that reminds me of the null poetry of innumerable urban wordsmith slams I've attended. The point is the no point. But do we need another voice telling us that, when we already have death to stare us down at the end of a full life? I would read more from this author, and appreciated the strengths of this book, but find it drifting in the entropic grey area of all things that fence-sit.

I am not quite finished with this book, but every time I come across another EXPLICIT love scene, (which get more frequent toward the end of the book)I want to scream. This book is a good mystery/family-saga kind of story, BUT be forewarned that the sex scenes are on a par with unwillingly watching a pornographic movie. It's pure garbage...and goes on & on. I cannot imagine an author sitting there writing about a woman's extremely private body parts, or how many times the men have erections (quite often, I might add).
Any little thought leads to an erection. Weston, on the phone, Kane at his desk......etc, etc, etc......... After awhile, it gets to be laughable.....
This book could have easily been 220 pages long & interesting, not 440 pages with repetitions and repeated encounters.
This is the first & last book I will ever read by this author. There are too many wonderful books out there & too little time to waste on this stuff. Ugh!

One of her best works. I bought this for $ .50@ a garage sale. I now buy anything she has written whenever I can .You will not be dissappointed w/this one.

I TRY TO GET EVERY BOOK SHE HAS WRITTEN. I LOVE HER BOOKS.

This book has everything to make a great book, love, hate, murder, and deceit.
The story begins with two families that are fueding, the Taggert's and the Holland's.
Dutch Holland has three daughters, Miranda, Claire, and Tessa.
Neal Taggert has two son, Weston, Harley, and a daughter Paige.
Harley want's to marry Claire, but the families are against it, and Claire thinks that Harley is still seeing his ex-girfriend Kendall.
Weston is the wild son, the athlete, popular, great at the comapny they own, but nothing pleases him.
The story starts with Harley's death after Claire breaks their engagement, and the cover-up of who killed him, or was it really suicide.
The story goes to the past and then back to the present.
Dutch Holland wants to run for mayor, but he is afraid his daughters may have been involved with the murder 16 yrs. ago.
This was such a great book, and there is so much more than I could put in a review.
The love affairs when they were all teenagers, the people that disappeared, the ones's who fought against their family's name to have love.
I liked the part when Lisa Jackson takes the story back 16 years, I think that could have been the whole book in itself.
I liked the book, hated for it to end.
Was really one of the better books that I have read lately, but Lisa Jackson always writes good books.

Lisa Jackson's romantic suspense `Whispers', is the kind of book I most enjoy taking on a holiday. It is filled with suspense, an easy read, hard to put down but if I have to, I can get back into it easily. Jackson knows how to write the perfect `getaway' novel. She is in my personal top 10, of female authors I read.

As the letter in the beginning of the novel states, `Whispers' is a reprint of an earlier 1996 edition that has been revised and includes "new twists and turns". I believe I read the earlier version as I've read almost all of Jackson's books, but since I'm an avid reader I don't recall for sure. All I do know is that when I want a good read, I pick one of Lisa Jackson's suspenseful novels.

`Whispers' is the story of three Holland sisters, one of whom may be responsible for murdering Harley Taggert, their father's rival's son. Claire Holland returns to her family lake house after sixteen years and struggles to keep a secret that has haunted her. Kane Moran, journalist-turned-writer from the `wrong side of the tracks' (or lake) has also returned. With one purpose in mind. To write the book by getting to the truth and exposing the murderer of Harley Taggert.

In a modern day Romeo and Juliet-like plot, Kane and Claire may come from opposite sides of the bank, but their attraction is raw, appealing and undeniable. In fact, all the characters are developed expertly, the pacing is taut and the revelations make sense. That is what makes a great suspense novel. If you're looking for a solid read with crisp characters and dialogue, check out `Whispers'. You won't be disappointed. Kudos, Lisa!

~ Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of Whale Song (2007 Kunati Books)

Gary C. King is truly a well-known crime author. This book is probably one of the first that I have read and it's an easy read. He does explain how a man emerged from respected citizen to a serial killer with a deadly lust for blood, torture, and terror of innocent women who didn't deserve the horror. Granted, all of his victims were prostitutes which happen to be the top victims in serial killer cases like Ridgway and Dayton Rogers. He made a mistake and it caught up with him with many victims such as prostitutes who came forward with their tales of torture to frighten the most harden of criminals. King writes the story to explain the discovery and that the first victim that wasn't laid in his unofficial burial ground. Unlike Bundy and Ridgway who returned to visit their victims after their murder, Dayton left them to rot away and not be discovered. These women were mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, and yet they had their share of problems such as drug addiction, alcoholism, prostitution, and poverty.

This book is horrible, and that is only talking of the first few chapeters. The writer talks of the victims as trash, and does not honor their memory or the fact that they were living people, with families that loved them. A true waste of paper, ink, and time.

Well Gary... What about this? "The author sometimes stretches the narrative, offering interior monologue from Rogers even though the killer, who is now on death row, hasn't spoken to him or investigators". Do you not think that maybe just maybe there is an entirely different story to this case? I assure you that there is. It is going to be coming out soon.............. :-)
By the way.... I am Kathy and I DO know what REALLY happened up there in that forest. ;)

"Blood Lust" represents good no nonsense true crime about a serial killer in Oregon. That seemingly peaceful and scenic State certainly has had more than its' share of sickos, as TC aficionados (and no doubt the natives) are well aware. In BL, the protagonist is one Dayton Leroy Rogers who killed and mutilated eight young Portland area women in the mid 1980s. There is little suspense here. The killer is identified from the outset. The reader's interest will revolve around the portrayal of the gruesome manners of the young ladies' deaths and how the local authorities find the corpses and compile their case against Rogers. Author Gary King strikes a solid balance between crime reporting and the human suffering of the victims. Since the perpetrator is known, readers may ignore the "Ann Rule rule" and peruse the centerfold where pictures of the demised humanize them. It's chilling to think that most likely there are more female of Rogers' victims somewhere in this vast area. This reviewer visited Oregon recently and appreciates how rural the state is once one leaves the Portland/Seattle metroplex and the I5 corridor. 12 reprintings since 1992 are a testimony to the obvious and well-deserved popularity of "Blood Lust".

Blood Lust centers around the story of Dayton Leroy Rogers, respected businessman and father from Portland Oregon who had a 2nd life as a serial killer at night. The things he did to these girls you wouldnt beleive and the story tells what he did and how he eventually got caught and the horrific things they found. Overall , great read - i read whole book in less than a day. Great for crime lovers.

This is my second title by this author and it is considerably better then the first one (Clear and convincing proof). There is quite a lot of happening straight from the beginning (not like the other mentioned title) and one just keeps reading, however it slows down a bit latter on. The idea behind the plot is bit unreal, but then again it is a fiction is it not? Furthermore it seems like that the book had been written by a northerner who has seen the south in the 60s movies made by northerners, I find the Afro-American character bit too unreal.
My verdict after reading two titles from this author is: I might read another if I find it somewhere, I will not actively look for it.

This was the first book I had read by this author. It gets to the suspenseful story line pretty quick, but seems to drag some after that. Over all, a decent read.

Interesting topic, decent characters, although the African American female friend to the main character would have made a better book. She was a much stronger individual. The main character (Lee) was too stoic when she should have been afraid, too whiney when she should have been strong. I would read another of Wilhelm's books if I stumbled on it but I wouldn't deliberately purchase one. It was okay and a diversion before sleep.

this is the first book I have ever read by Kate Wilhelm & it was great. It was a little slow when it first started but once it got going it was really hard to put down. I just hope all of her books are as good,

A young woman in the south is house sitting for her Grandfather. She finds pictures of men in the clan as they are hanging a men. She also finds pictures of the same men without the hoods. One of the men is running for President. At the same time his men find out about the pictures & the fact that she has found them. So they go after her. She stays one step ahead of them for a while.

Wonderful story

Skeletons holds such promise. This is a strong plot. If only the characterizations and settings came close to matching it. The weaknesses here, and they are glaring, are the stereotypes, cliches, loose ends, and the obvious romantic subplot. As soon as he calls her "Sherlock", you know there'll be the happy ending. Disappointing.

Mistress Ford and Mistress Page are be badgered by the lecherous Falstaff, how to arrange a happy ending? As the husband of the object of Falstaff's passion disguises himself as a servant to divine the plans of the villain, the ladies defend their honor by inviting the advances of Falstaff.

This is the Bard's comedy on a good day. Despite the challenges of the original language, I chuckled my way through this story/script. In the end, Falstaff got what he deserve (no sexy time with the good ladies and several beatings), the ladies' honor was preserved, and their husbands saw the highest qualities of their wives.

I loved it, and recommend it highly. I just wish this one would be put on stage more often.

E.M. Van Court

As many of you know, the crooked, but comical and likable Falstaff had a moderate role in "1 Henry IV." He was undoubtedly the real star of "2 Henry IV." At the end of "2 Henry IV," Shakespeare announced that Falstaff would be in the next play. ("Henry V") Well, to the disappointment of the audience, except for the mention of his death, Falstaff was NOT in "Henry V." So, some plays later, Shakespeare ressurected Falstaff along with Bardolph and Nym who were killed in "Henry V." Pistol survived "Henry V," and he is back as well. Some people (including the learned Isaac Asimov) said that the 'fat fool' bears no resemblance to the Falstaff from the Henry IV plays. Well, Asimov was right, but in Shakespeare's defense, the name can not always bring back the character. (Compare the "Dukes of Hazzard" episodes to the not so good recent movie. Denver Pyle is probably rolling over in his grave!) Well, onto the play! Shakespeare cleverly combines 2 plots. Anne Page is a young girl whose parents want her to marry someone other than Fenton whom she really loves. This story IS all too familiar, but Shakespeare compensates for that rather well. Her father (Page) wants Anne to marry the nice enough Slender, while her mother (Lady Page) wants her to marry the eccentric Dr. Caius. (So, Shakespeare doesn't quite repeat the Juliet syndrome.) Moving on, Falstaff enters and he intends to woo Anne's mother and Page's wife as well as Ford's wife not out of love, but in hopes of increasing his fortune. (How unheard of! ESPECIALLY in today's world!) Well, even Falstaff's friends Pistol and Nym are repulsed by this, and Pistol warns Mr. Ford while Nym warns Mr. Page. While we may see Page and Lady Page as the 'wicked parents' who want Anne to marry someone other than whom she loves, Shakespeare expands their characters by having mutual love and trust. (Othello sure could have learned A LOT from Mr. Page!) So, at this point we see that the marriage between Page and Lady Page is a reasonably happy and successful one. On the other hand, Ford is not so sure of his wife to say the least. He plans to disguise himself and encourage Falstaff to go ahead, mainly so he can catch his wife and Falstaff in the act. Lady Ford has plans of her own. We know that Lady Page and Lady Ford are trying to teach Falstaff a lesson so to speak, and we can only imagine what is going through poor Ford's mind when Falstaff reveals his plans to woo Lady Anne AND Lady Page. Ford goes through some comical jealous rages, but unlike the so called 'noble Othello' he does NOT lay an abusive hand on his wife, and it is hard to not feel at least a little sorry for him. (We can only imagine his frustrations when he thinks he was wrong, but Falstaff confesses he was with Ford's wife, Ford can recall the events, and Falstaff speaks of ANOTHER meeting with Ford's wife!) Well, keeping with good comedy, no one really gets hurt, and Mr. Ford is willing to admit he was wrong about his wife. Now it does seem that after the 2 humiliating events (being thrown into a river and having to disguise himself as a witch to escape), Falstaff would have learned by now. But, such is comedy. The Pages and the Fords decide to subject Falstaff to one more practical joke. And of course, there is the matter of whom Anne will marry. (Fenton whom she loves, Slender whom her father loves, and Dr. Caius whom her mother loves.) In a bit of "Midsummer Night's Dream" nostalgia, Falstaff suffers one final slapstick moment, but all is resolved, and young love triumphs. And in the often found theme of reconciliation of Shakespeare's comedies, the characters (including Falstaff) all enjoy a happy party.

This play is odd in that critics hate it, but theater companies love it. Harold Bloom's contempt for this play is so great that he refused to discuss it in his book on Shakespeare. But, unlike some of Shakespeare's less popular plays, Merry Wives is performed frequently in Shakespeare festivals across the land.

You really have to see this play to understand how well it works on the stage. Played by an energetic cast it is hilarious situation comedy and easily understandable by people unfamiliar with Shakespeare. When Falstaff says at the end, with deadpan delivery, "I do begin to perceive that I am made an ass," it brings down the house. Just reading the play in your living room, you will probably miss much of the humor.

Shakespeare was a man of the theater. He wrote for production, with little thought given to publication in his lifetime. You have to see his plays performed to get a measure of his theatrical genius.

I certainly don't agree with many of the reviews of this play. To me it is one of Shakespeare's funniest. I truly enjoyed it. One of my favourite Shakespearean characters is Falstaff, and he appears in a number of Shakespeare's comedies. He makes an appearance in this one, and he is wonderful. The scene of this play is in Windsor, England. The play follows the merry wives in their interactions with their husbands and with their families and servants. This play is unique too, because we see Falstaff in love in this one. This may be one of Shakespeare's lesser known comedies, but it should be read and enjoyed. Don't let some of these reviews stop you from the sheer enjoyment of this play.

"The Merry Wives of Windsor" is one of Shakespeare's worst plays. It lacks the sharp wit of many of his other comedies, tending for low puns all the way through. The situations are ridiculous. Is Falstaff in a laundry hamper, or sitting in the woods and being prodded by children, funny? Of course, the Elizabethans liked bear-baiting (mentioned in the play). And Shakespeare seemed to want this play to be particularly funny for making fun of Welsh and French accents.

What raises this recording is the cast, particularly Michael Hordern's Ford. Ford is a bitter, jealous character, who actually believes his wife might have a dalliance with the physically repulsive Falstaff. But Hordern's befuddled jealousy actually make thankless lines funny. Anthony Quayle, a very good actor, blusters too much as Falstaff, but it must be difficult to represent Falstaff in sound alone and so that's excusable.

The problems with the play are Shakespeare's. He starts a lot of things he doesn't explore (such as the bizarre horse-stealing episode) and there are too many characters to keep up with comfortably unless one follows along with the text the first time through. But if you need to get through and understand "The Merry Wives" for whatever reason, listening to this fine cast and skimming along with the text is the most enjoyable way to do it.