Used Books

It was a very enjoyable read! I didn't want to put the book down. I would have liked to have seen a little more interaction between Caspian and Peter, and a more detailed battle sequence at the end.

Prince Caspian is one of the tales of The Chronicles of Narnia. It takes place after Peter, the high king and his siblings left the kingdom many years before. They returned to find animosity between the realms of prince Caspian and the magical creatures. A knight called Reepicheep that is a talking mouse, a dwarf and the cast off prince find themselves on the same side as the high king Peter and his siblings. After they learn to trust each other, they unite to bring peace to all races and the throne to his rightful heir. A great tale full of action.
Anna del C.
Author of "The Elf and the Princess"
The Elf and The Princess: The Silent Warrior Trilogy - Book One (The Silent Warrior Trilogy)

I saw the movie first, and I believe that was a mistake. Because once I sat down to read this book, I was expecting the movie to follow the book. I was, of course, wrong.

To read this book, I believe you got to have somewhat of an open mind and be imaginative. The Kings and Queens come back, and they come back many years later. The last time they left Narnia, they were much older...like young adults, and they come back in this book as children again. Narnia has changed and has changed for the worse. But the children, Prince Caspian, and the other Narnians fight to set things right.

Aslan is not throughout the book, but shows up just in time. But I must admit that I was sad to read that Peter and Susan could not come back because they were too old, and the same time, I completely understood why.

Overall, this was an excellent read, and C.S. Lewis writing is such a treasure. But this one was the book I liked the least out of all the books in the series. I guess the movie did ruin it for me.

Thanks.

Imagine if you once saved a magical other world... only to return later and find that centuries had passed, and everything had changed.

Well, since the movie adaptation of "Prince Caspian" is about to come out, it seems appropriate to revisit C.S. Lewis's classic novel, the sequel to his even more classic "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe." While it has some drippily allegorical moments near the end, Lewis does a pretty good job with what must have been a difficult sequel.

When his aunt gives birth to a baby boy, young Prince Caspian finds himself on the run from his usurping uncle Miraz -- and in the hands of Narnia's secret army of dwarves, centaurs, talking animals and nature spirits. Soon Caspian has an army backing his claim to the throne, but in a moment of desperation, he is forced to blow the magic horn of the legendary Queen Susan -- and subsequently pulls the Pevensies back into Narnia.

But while only a year has passed on Earth, centuries have passed in Narnia, and the kids find that it's no longer the place they left -- they and Aslan are distant memories, and their castle lies in ruins. And as they are led by a very skeptical dwarf to help Caspian, Lucy keeps glimpsing Aslan along the way -- a sign that things are about to change drastically in Narnia, both for the human and magical inhabitants...

The Chronicles of Narnia were probably the first books to feature what is now standard in the fantasy genre -- an ordinary person gets dragged into another world. Just take a look at successful, unique authors like Diana Wynne Jones and Garth Nix to get an example of how Lewis' stories have influenced the entire genre.

If you don't like allegory (religious or otherwise), then steer clear of "Prince Caspian," especially the second half. While Lewis's beliefs are presented in a more complicated and subtle manner in his other fictional works, here the parallels to basic Christian beliefs are very obvious. Reportedly even Tolkien, one of Lewis's best pals, found the allegory annoying.

But if you can get past the slightly ham-handed treatment, it's a lovely little read. Lewis interweaves mythical elements -- dwarves, nymphs, talking animals, witches -- with the chatty, slightly precious style of traditional British storytelling. But this one is a bit darker and more action-packed than "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe," with some unexpected twists in the middle of it all. The scene with a strange witch and a werewolf is downright chilling, in fact.

But Lewis' plotting does sag near the end, during a drippy scene where Aslan wanders around fixing life for Narnian subjects. Fortunately after that, he gets back to a mystery that hangs over the whole book -- just where did all these humans come from, if they were such a rarity in the previous adventure?

Peter seems a bit more jaded than before and Edmund a bit more mature, but sadly the girls don't get enough to do this time around. But Caspian is a likable and believable prepubescent king-in-waiting, and surrounded by a bunch of unique Narnians -- a gentle yet fierce badger, a hostile dwarf, a fiery mouse, and the delightfully skeptical Trumpkin, who doesn't believe in lions.

Despite a few rough spots, "Prince Caspian" is a slightly darker, more intricate story, and its finale marks a turning point in the Chronicles of Narnia. Definitely give it a read before you see the movie.

It's funny, how you come at these books as an adult and take something completely different away from them than you would as a child. I read these books about 20 years ago when my uncle gave me a complete set for my birthday. As a child, I think I read them simply as a fantasy/adventure story. As an adult, I can see the subtle religious references sprinkled throughout, and while some may see this as a hindrance to the story, at least through the first 2 books (I go by the original published order, not the new chronological order), I can look beyond that to the story underneath.

However, in the case of Prince Caspian, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of story. It seems to me that the book can be broken up into two sections: the first being the Dwarf relating Caspian's understanding of his role of Narnia's future leader (the entire importance of this seems to be related to him over the course of one evening while star-gazing) and the second being Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy's trek through the jungle to get to Caspian. The ending seemed too contrived for my liking and far too rushed. It was all build up and no follow through as far as I'm concerned.

Looking at the story differently, it is a story about faith; about how faith can be hard to see sometimes, but it's always there and as long as you believe in that faith, it will lead you where you need it to. Overall a good moral to the story, if a little didactic in the telling.

this book was just what i ordered, however the packaging (which is REALLY important for all the books i order) was terrible for Amazon!!! Both books i ordered here came loose is the cardboard box, leaving them damaged on the corners. This is a first in my experience with Amazon!

I was reimbursed for 40%, however the books stay the same.

Maeve Binchy never appears on the "100 Best Writers of our Time" type lists and I wonder why that is. Perhaps because she is ghettoized as a "women's writer" or pigeon-holed as a local-color-type Irish author. Her millions of readers know better. Circle of Friends is rightly seen as her best (though every book she has is worthy of multiple reads). The emotional density, rich complexity of plot and the depth of the characterization will stay with you for the rest of your reading life.

and you don't want to leave. That's, I guess, why I read this book over and over again. One of my favorite books ever, hands down. Also, in my opinion, Binchy's very best one.

Making friends doesn't come easy to everyone, and Maeve Binchy, knowing in the ways of the human heart, shows how it can be done from ages ten to sixty. Binchy's strength is her detailed portraits of everyday Ireland, particularly well done in Circle of Friends, set in the 1950s. First we get to know the small town of Knockglen, a one-hour's bus ride from Dublin, where we peer into the lives of the doctor, the nun, and the various shopkeepers. Then the action shifts to University Dublin, both the lives of the students and their parents from various socioeconomic strata. Binchy conveys the Irish dialect deftly and without a lot of fuss, including in the narration.

Eve and Benny (Bernadette) became friends as ten year olds. Neither have other friends at school. Though very different, they complement and support one another. At University (the Catholic University, since it's a sin to attend the Protestant Trinity College), they witness a fatal traffic accident on the first day of classes. They form an instant bond with the other first-year students who witnessed the tragedy. The normal drama of student life is a counterpoint to the changes that are taking place in Benny and Eve's hometown as the twentieth century catches up with Knockglen. Contrary to Benny and Eve's expectations, their Knockglen and Dublin lives become intertwined. Their bond crystallizes other friendships, with them and because of them.

If you haven't read any Maeve Binchy, I envy you because you have some great reads ahead of you. Circle of Friends is as good a place to start as any. You don't have to be a fan of things Irish to appreciate her writing and her insights.

When best friends Benny and Eve leave the small town of Knockglen in country Ireland, they embark on a journey self-discovery. Both girls have lived relatively sheltered lives and their move to Dublin, to study at university, gives them an opportunity to play at being grown-ups. Together, they develop new friendships and find love, but this exciting adult world presents them with all kinds of grown-up problems. Issues such as sex and alcohol, which were considered highly controversial in old, staunchly Catholic Ireland, are addressed by the author with humour and sympathy. Benny, who struggles with her weight and low self-esteem, plays the more central character of the two, and you can't help but love her sweet determination.
For those of you who have seen the movie Circle of Friends, but never read the book, please take the time to do so (the ending is different!).
Maeve Binchy's gentle style of writing reminds me of a cosy fire and a warm blanket. So find a comfy spot to read, grab yourself a hot chocolate, and settle in with Circle of Friends - this is escapism at its best.

Zara Stevens (Author - Boy Meets Girl: A Pocketful of Wedding Stories)Boy Meets Girl: A Pocketful of Wedding Stories

I admit it. I often make fun of Mary Higgins Clark, but the truth is that I'm a closet fan, and this is one of my favorite's that she has written. It's a spooky idea as it delves into the idea of multiple personalities--always great for a blast of a murder! Clark does an excllent job of handling multiple characters, and this is one of her strongest mysteries.

This book has two mysteries in it. The first mystery is who kidnapped Laurie and will they be caught. The second mystery was if Laurie was a murderer.

Mary Higgins Clark did a really good job of developing the characters of Laurie and Sarah. I really liked the way Clark showed us how the different personalities of Laurie took over and how they protected her. Laurie was oblivious of what her different personalities did while they controlled her. What really made the story come to life for me is that even Laurie didn't know if she was guilty and wanted answers herself.

I didn't really care for how the kidnappers, Bic and Opal, were able to come back 15 years later and every little plan they had to frighten Laurie was unrealistically productive. I guess it added to the story line but I admit to rolling my eyes when everything went the way Bic and Opal needed it to.

All in all there were great twists and great characters.

I started reading Mary Higgins Clark books with my grandmother, and from my 4th grade on, we were swapping Mary Higgins Clark books back and forth between one another. This one is probably my favorite, however. I re-read it from time to time (as with most of her books, this is a VERY fast read) when I am looking to read an exciting book, or feel like reading about Multiple Personality Disorder.

This book was great. It had several short chapters that all ended in suspense. I am normally a person who takes time reading books, but this one kept me on the edge of my seat, and I finished it rather quickly. MHC describes the child's abuse in enough detail for you to understand the pain that the child went through, but not so much that it was horribly disturbing (in my opinion). I would read more MHC books in the future! GREAT BOOK!

This was my first MHC book to read, and I really enjoyed it. I thought the plot twists were suprising and kept me guessing and turning the page. I am looking forward to my next MHC read.

As a novelist, I strive for the talent Tami Hoag displays in this book. She tells the story so skillfully that you cannot put the book down from beginning to end. The characters are complex and multi-dimentional, and I loved both of them for their strengths and their weaknesses. The ending is carried through to fulfillment, and I just love this book. It is my favorite. Tami Hoag is my favorite author. She is wonderful.

The story by itself is good. However the Cajun setting and dialog was overdone and not always accurate. I have lived in Acadiana for a very long time and I enjoy reading books set in this region. A Thin Dark Line is not one of them. I had to put the book down too often and take a deep breath and cool off before picking it up to read again. I am sure that Miss Hoag meant no disrepect to our culture, but I found her portrayal of south Louisiana offensive. It seemed like an imitation of a James Burke Dave Robichaux novel .

A Thin Dark Line keeps you glued to its pages. Wonderfully written to place you in the scene, this book evokes the taste and feel of the bayou. The plot twists are great and the characters really draw you in through skillful development. This was my first Hoag book and still a favorite.

This was my first Tami Hoag book & I thought it was pretty good. I could have done w/o the Cajun expressions & it got tiresome flipping to the back to the glossary for translations. Not to mention took away from the flow when I had to stop and look up the phrase.

I really liked the characters in this bk.. I thought the development of the relationship between Annie and Fourcade seemed real since it developed over time & wasn't hastily thrown together. Even though I felt sorry for AJ I still wanted Fourcade & Annie to get together. I think having the "nice guy" (AJ) not getting the girl made the story more real.

What I liked the most about this bk. is that I really sympathized w/ the "bad guy." Even though he was a stalker & seemed deranged at times he seemed like a victim. I just loved how Hoag was able to put a sympathetic light on him.

This book will keep you guessing "who done it" & surprise you w/ the ending. A few ends were left loose - the other cops behavior (particularly Stokes).

My only real grip is more on a personal level & is only one short sentence in the bk.. Her reference to being a bone marrow donor as a bad thing. Being a bone marrow donor isn't that bad.

First, I want to say that for those who think this is a "follow up" to Cry Wolf and Lucky's Lady, well that's not quite right. Some of the characters from those books are mentioned in this one but A Thin Dark Line is not a follow up to either of those. I wanted to share that because Cry Wolf and Lucky's Lady were romance novels, not a suspense novel like A Thin Dark Line, and if readers who are viewing these reviews are mislead into thinking A Thin Dark Line is strictly romance, then they may not wish to read it. (Just wanted to clear that up.)
A Thin Dark Line was the very first book I read by Tami Hoag and remains my favorite to this day. I have read just about every book of hers unless it just was oozing and dripping entirely too much romance. A Thin Dark Line is a dark mystery and suspense tale that touches on base human nature, gritty human relations, murder, rape, a secret sociopathic criminal -who you won't know of until the very end!- and heady life in a small Louisiana town. The characters are intriguing, real and deep and they demand the reader's undivided attention. The atmosphere and dialect of the French Triangle is portrayed accurately and impressively throughout the pages. True to the very roots. Tami Hoag has always had the gift of profoundly placing her readers into the setting almost from the very first page. If you love stories set in the South, especially in Louisiana, you will love this book. Even if you aren't fond of Southern inspired literature, it's still a great and gripping read.

The book was too small. I wanted the regular size book which I had to go to a local retailer to get one due to its out-of-date production that Amazon does not carry. They should because this is a classic children's book.

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie
By Laura Joffe Numeroff
Illustrated by Felicia Bond

"If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk."

One thing leads to another in this cute picture book. When you get finished with all of the mouse's requests, he may just want another glass of milk. And we all know what goes well with milk.

Jill Ammon Vanderwood
Author: Through the Rug
[ASIN:0979845548 Through The Rug: Follow That Dog (Through the Rug)]]

I really wanted this book to catch on with my two sons during our bedtime reading. I liked the concept of showing that one action creates another and another. However, the book didn't work and here's why:

1. The narrator doesn't have a voice. Put this against "Green Eggs and Ham" where you've got two distinct voices playing off each other or "Monster at the End of this Book" where Grover's voice goes from whisper to yelling and finally back down to a whimper. This book doesn't help bedtime readers. I might as well have read a motorcycle manual.

2. The story wears on you just as the mouse wears on the boy. I thought it was telling that near the end of the book, the boy in the story falls asleep in a rocking chair. The actions didn't get sillier or funnier or more intesting; there was just one right after another.

3. What the mouse does beyond eating a cookie isn't neither creative nor interesting. For a small character in a big world, choose instead the classic "Jack in the Beanstalk" or a mouse with character, "Stuart Little."

In summary, I give it 2 out of 5 stars. This might make a good early reader book but forget about adding it to your bedtime reading collection.

And it's still a favorite around here two years later!

It amazes me that this book is almost as old as I am, is of course considered a very popular classic, and yet - I never read it until I was an adult!

Given its age, I'm sure everybody *else* here knows the plot, but just in case, this is a book about a (very logical, I'm sure) series of misadventures that happens after you give something to a mouse. Every request leads to another thing, and another, and another, until the poor boy in the story falls dead asleep.

This book is too cute, and it's funny, too, in a way that both adults and kids will appreciate.

Plus, it's short, which is great for those "Oh dear, go to BED already!" kind of nights!

This is the first offering of a wonderfully delightful series of like stories for children. If You Give a Mouse A Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond tell the story, and the problems you might run into, if you should happen to give a overly active and demanding mouse a cookie. The story begins with a young boy innocently setting by his sidewalk in front of his house. A hungry mouse comes along and the problems begin.

This is a progressive type of tale, where one act of generosity keeps growing and growing. "If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk. When you give him milk, he'll probably ask you for a straw. When you give him a straw, he will ask........." And it goes on and on and on until the poor kid pretty well has a completely trashed house and is exhausted trying to fulfill the escalating requests and the subsequent mess the requests ultimately cause. A pushy mouse and cookies, we find, are not a good combination!

The text is delightfully simple and keeps you turning the pages, page after page. You actually find you self wanting to see what the little rodent is going to ask for next. The story is simple and there is no bang, bang, crash crunch plot nor ending. The only problem I find in this aspect is that in this day and age, I find some children (and even more adults), who have the attention span of ferrets on coffee and if the story is in the least bit mellow, their minds simply cannot track. This is a minor problem though, if it is indeed a problem.

The art work by Felicia Bond is quite well done and goes perfectly with the text. The pictures are simple to understand, cute and quite eye catching. I liked them.

This is one of in a series of books by this team. Others include If you give a Moose a Muffin, If you give a Pig a Pancake, If you take a Mouse to the Movies, If you take a Mouse to School and If you give a Pig a Party. All are as well done. I have noted in reading this book and others in the series that the kids love them and will always ask for repeat readings.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

I purchased this book through a mail order club. I thought it would be a fun book to read with my 6 1/2 year old. The first few stories are good, very entertaining. I really liked the first story best. Continuing to read, I began to question the capabilities of the editor and writer of this book.

After reading the story about Kathy I decided this book is DEFINATELY NOT suitable for my child.

Kathy had a cat named Skunks. From the book (read entirely to understand my point)..."Kathy kept Skunks locked up in her closet at home. She never let him out and sometimes even forgot to feed him. One day, while Kathy was looking for her other shoe, Skunks ran out of the closet and never came back. 'You said he would come back, Mrs. Jewls,' said Kathy. 'He never came back. You were wrong. I was right.' That was why Kathy didn't like Mrs. Jewls. 'The next time I get a cat, I'll KILL him. Then he'll never run away,' said Kathy."

I have a problem with Kathy wanting to KILL her cat, absolutely. Thirty years ago, when this book was originally published, maybe it was acceptable for that generation. It's not acceptable for my little one today. There is enough violence and hatred in this world. Children do not need ideas, like killing, seeded into their head, especially at a young age. I grant you it's a children's book, why not lock the cat up in a cage instead? Please?! The publisher's could change that phrase and make it kid friendly.

IF you are a parent purchasing this book for your little one, Kathy is story #20. No, I did not make it past the line of "I'll kill him." I read that line and lost complete interest in the book. I tried to read on but couldn't bring myself to do so.

Thank you for your time.

There is something you need to know about Wayside School. It was accidentally built sideways! Wayside school was supposed to have 30 classrooms all in a row. Instead, all of the classrooms were stacked on top of each other, the school was 30 stories high! Anyway, Sideways Stores From Wayside School is an astonishing book. It is about the wacky students and teachers of Wayside School. Each of the little stories tell you about either a student or a teacher. All of these stories are enjoyable and some of them are just unbearable! If and when you read this book, you just can't put it down. I highly recommend reading this book. It is a great book. It is a fiction book, since the characters weren't very believable. My favorite part was when Mrs. Jewls had to take all the coats off of Sammy, he turned out to be a dead rat. I'm sure you will love this book as much as I did! If you read this book and want more, read the second and third books. So, Sideways Stories From Wayside School is THE book to read.

This is an absolute Louis Sachar classic! My own first grade teacher read this to me, and now I am reading it to my first grade students.

If you do not appreciate the weird mind of Sachar, you will probably not appreciate this book. If you do, however, this is a keeper. The stories are short, clever, random, and even sometimes with the occasional moral.

Kids can identify to the sufferings of the kids--there is such a huge selection--as well as laugh along with the insanity of a thirty-story building.

Plus, the reading level is perfect for up-and-coming readers. Awesome for read-alouds.

I really was skeptical about this since i HATE nonsense novels. This book is the exception. Exactly what i would expect from Louis Sachar. (AKA the guy who wrote holes.) It has enough sence to make it enjoyable but enough of the "that-could-never-happen-in-a-million-years" element for laughs and fun. I Love Wayside!!!!!!

This story is about a strange class who is out of control. It all started on the thirtieth floor of a skyscraper in the class of Mrs. Gorf. She is no ordinary person! She can turn children into apples, but one day she . . .You'll have to read to find out.
I like this book because it's funny because of hysterical words, and it's all about fun. If you like mysteries and adventures, you will love this book. Plus it's a bed time relaxing fun story for kids in second through eighth grade. It will be lots of laughs. You will love this book!

I found this book absolutely spellbinding for the most part. Actually I was loving the history, the time changes, the philosphy.....some really thought provoking passages that you want to go back and read again and again. Then came the the last few pages and the Epilogue. At the risk of ruining the whole book for future readers, I won't disclose what was written there but I wish I had stopped before reading those pages. The event described there taking place is unlikely if not completely unbelievable to say the least. I will try to just remember the first 370 or so pages. Those pages and that story .....unforgettable.

This book deserves to be an American classic. This book deserves to be an Oscar winning movie. On the other hand, I don't see how Hollywood could improve on the perfection of Jonathon Hull's written words and the images they invoke inside the reader's imagination. Bravo, Mr Hull! Bravo!

An amazing story that combines a truly moving love story, powerful war scenes, and touching soliloquies on life and regret from an elderly person's point of view.

Wonderfully written story of a man who experienced the hell of warfare, the love of a woman, and the failures and triumphs of life. Moving story with in-depth characters, brings the reader to the reality of the impact of war, and how it changes the course of life - there is no turing back to the way it was supposed to be. Sincere and humorous look at the insight gained as the aging process relentlessly moves forward.

I picked this novel up at a flea market and had no idea what I was in for. Jonathan Hull has truly touched me with this wonderful, sad, beautiful, tragic story of love, loss, loneliness, hope, and death. Hull takes us through the life of an aged nursing home "inmate" and gives us a glimpse of what we may become.
I've rarely been so impressed with a first novel and have already ordered his second one.

This book is a real-life account of growing up in a large family with limited financial means and often rocky family dynamics. The matriarch of this clan is the prizewinner of the title. While raising 10 kids and keeping the wolf from the door, she hits upon a way to generate income by entering any/every contest that comes along. She frequently does win, of course, very often in the nick of time. The book was written by a daughter, who ably recounts the challenges and rewards of growing up in a family that lives so close to the edge. Her mother is a gritty, funny, honest-to-god domestic goddess. She is a prize-winner in so many ways--it makes this book uplifting without being sappy--good read.

I saw the movie based on the book first. Once I found out it was a book, I had to read it. I couldn't put it down.

I thought this was a wonderful book that came to my attention only after the author had died. The story revolves around a family of 10 kids, an alcoholic father and how the mother (sporadically) supports them by winning contests and jingles she (Evelyn) has written.

While the story wouldn't hold up in this century - I thought it was a great slice of life of the 50's. Evelyn's journals and contest entrys are well preserved and entertaining to read. She must have kept everything!

Underneath all the entrys and journals is a smart woman. She knows the power of the written word and also hooks up with a group a ladies that also enter such contests. These women are smart as whips - yet somewhat stymied by their roles in life - housewives. Contesting offers them a way to challenge their wits and writing.

The father is a somewhat disappointing character - but somehow he even redeems himself, but you have to read the book to find out how!

I first heard of this book on the Today Show. Then I happened to run across the movie on HBO. It is a good quick read.

I typically enjoy fiction, but the title of this book caught my attention. And soon after starting the book, Evelyn Ryan became one of my heroes! I won't offer any spoilers, but the book generated within me, and many others who have read it, genuine feelings for Evelyn, including respect, compassion, sympathy, and encouragement. If the measure of a good story is the ability to arouse that many emotions, then this is a really good story!

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It was so well written and engaging that I couldn't put it down nor did I want it to end.

This is one of my new favorite books. After seeing the movie (starring Meryl Streep) I was intrigued to get more "invovled" with her character. The book did not disappoint in the least. Great read.

This book was so therapeutic to me after losing my father to cancer 8 years ago. It brought back so many memories, but it really hit the nail on the head when it talks about the"dying with dignity" issue. My father was so well known in the community, and such a pillar of strength to us family members, that none of us really knew how to deal with the fact that we now had to be the pillars of strength for him. It is hard to see how debilitating cancer can be on a loved one, but nobody portrays this any better then Anna Quindlen did in this book. Try to imagine no longer having hair to comb, or having to be pushed around in a wheelchair, or what it must feel like to have to wear diapers....Those are issues that both sick people, and elderly people have to deal with. There is so much we take for granted when we are in good health. This book focuses on dealing with both the physical and mental issues involved with debilitating health, as well as the effect it has on the other family members. ]
This story centers around a couple in their late 40s stuggling to cope with the wife being diagnosed with cancer. Their children are already grown and out of the house when the oldest child, Ellen, has to give up her successful career to come home and care for her mother - mostly to appease her father. At first the daughter is very angry and focuses on what she had to give up, but along the way she realizes the many sacrifices that her mother gave just to be a good mother, a good wife, and a good citizen. During the duration of the book the mother and daughter bond like they never have before, and it makes you realize how important family really is. This is another "have a box of tissues near by" book, especially for those of you who lost a parent to cancer. This book is a MUST READ - and you will be glad you did.

I checked this book out from the library with a vague recollection that it had been the basis for a movie a number of years back. Once I started reading it, I virtually devoured it- I was finished with it in less than three days. I kept in in my briefcase to read everytime I got a moment to do so.

This book is not just a story, it is many. It's a book about facing the deterioration of a loved one from a terminal illness. It's a study in family dynamics, as Ellen examines the relationship she's had with both of her parents during her life. It's a story of the debate about female archetypes, and how so much of society divides us into groups of "heart" vs. "mind". It's an illustration of the things we say and do, or what is said and done to us, resonates long after the action or words are gone- Ellen's high school essay, her boyfriend's mother issues, words taken out of context.

I watched the movie, as well, having found it by chance on cable while reading the novel. It was good and very touching, but was missing so many of the subtle layers that are present in the book. I'm glad I saw the film first, otherwise the absence of so many of the other explorations would have detracted from the film in my eyes.

A few things touched me especially deeply as I read this finely crafted novel by Anna Quindlen. One is how easily this situation could occur for any of us and second is the curiosity of how I would handle the situation and third is, how much do we really know about the innerworkings of the relationships of the people around us, even closest to us?

This novel of family, of life, of death and of choices surrounding life and death invites you into the intimate family circle of Ellen - an intelligent professional woman who goes home to a small college town to take care of her mother who is dying of cancer.

She comes to know both her parents in an entirely new way - bits and pieces of which we glean in the first sentence of the novel: "Jail is not as bad as you might imagine."

From that tightly wound first sentence all the way through, Quindlen's writing holds the reader captive. We want to know what is next. We want to be a part of the process. We want to understand. We don't want the ribbons to "go untied" although... well, you can find out for yourself when you read it... which I strongly suggest that you do.

The first time I read The Bridge Across Forever was in 1991. My joy in learning about the synchronicity of Richard Bach and Leslie Parrish's lives led me to yet one more interesting and challenging point of view. Like lovers who cross paths 20 years earlier without knowing the level of their significance to each other. This is an incredible story of lovers sharing each other's dreams while sleeping and the discovering their completeness when finding their soul mate is the epitome of life's purpose. We should all be so fortunate. Each time I have read this book, I am enlightened and over joyed.

I have read this book some 9 years ago. Lost my first copy, so ordered it again. Still love it.

It's not that mushy stuff!

It'a all about a man who actually finds his soulmate and how his soul recognizes her soul... It has a light philosophical content on the subject of souls reconnecting in the next life.

It's beautifully written. And it's a story that most of us dream about in our lifetime.

I'm still amazed at the power of this simple autobiographical narrative to inspire vitriolic rhetoric among the chronically disappointed. I've read dozens of reviews of "Bridge..." that begin with the confession that the reviewer has never met Richard Bach--and knows little or nothing about him beyond his own description of himself--that then proceed with a string of indictments of his character, morals, philosophy, personal integrity, personal history, and his supposed lack of intellectual and literary prowess. Since they are based on little more than Bach's own narrative, it seems to me that these indictments reveal more about the reviewer than the one being reviewed.

I, too, re-read it after a nearly 20-year hiatus, and I agree that Mr. Bach doesn't come off all that well in the book. But remember, this is a SELF-portrait. It is, in fact, one of the most brutally honest portraits of personal frailty and vanity I have ever read. Remember, too, that everything we know about the "beautiful and intelligent" Leslie comes from Richard's own description of her--in contrast to himself. Who among us would be willing to reveal as much of his/her own frailty? The fact that he is willing to portray himself this way in front of the whole world actually gives me hope--in a perverse sort of way. If a guy who did all the things Richard Bach has been accused of doing can still find love and make it work for 20 years--well, then there's still hope for the rest of us.

I don't care a fig that it didn't work out in the long run for the real-life Richard and Leslie. (And I'd like to know Ms. Mitchell's source for her assertion that Richard Bach "left his beautiful and intelligent 'soulmate' after twenty years of marriage because she wanted to live a grownup life and he didn't." As far as I know, Bach simply confirms that they split up because they had different goals--no indication of who left whom, not that it matters, and not that it's anyone's business but theirs. I've never seen anything from Leslie Parrish on the subject. And I agree that we need to hear from Leslie pretty soon if she has anything to say on the subject of Love. She's over 70 years old now, and time is running out.) I don't see how their failure to "make it work" serves as a valid basis on which to dismiss the whole concept of true, abiding, heart-bursting romance.

Let me put it this way: Once upon a time, after much heartache, injury, and despair, someone came up with the idea of putting stop signs at busy intersections in order to prevent needless injury, death, and unhappiness. So, because people sometimes run stop signs, or because the author of the stop sign is killed at a marked intersection, we should yank out stop signs because stop signs don't work? Because WE sometimes fail to come to a complete stop, stop signs are a lie and a dangerous fantasy?

No. And I'll bet I'm every bit as "dented" by adulthood and its failures as Ms. Mitchell is. After all, I've got at least 20 years on her. Nevertheless, I refuse to give up. I'd rather die. We live in a cynical age that warns us to throw away every soaring passion, and every heart's desire. It is WE who are "smug and narcissistic and complacent" in our condemnation of those who refuse to settle for half-a-love, or who fight for a love they know is true--in spite of personal shortcomings.

Richard Bach dared to write a book about soul-smashing love at a time when no one wanted to talk about it, or even acknowledge that such a thing exists. The very fact that we're still talking about it 20 years later is testimony to his courage, insight, and prescience, even in the midst of his personal frailty. What's needed now isn't a bunch of pompous rhetoric about Richard Bach and his supposed failings as a human being. What's needed now is a book about how to pick up the pieces of shipwrecked idealism and hold onto something that raises it's head above this manure pile that passes for "values" in the first decade of the 21st Century.

This book is as much about Leslie's fight for her love as it is about Richard's vanity and narcissism. And I submit to you, and to everyone reading this lonely message-in-a-bottle, that what we need in this dried-up world of cynicism and self-protection is more--not less--of the honesty and radical idealism of people who want to build bridges "across forever."

Most of us know the saying that we teach best what we most need to learn. With regard to many of the reviews I've read regarding this book,and others of his with the soulmate theme, many people would say this is true of Richard. But is that so? Didn't Richard advocate being true to one's self and one's feelings most? Even if the feelings weren't convenient or mainstream. And feelings change. Richard is self centered and I really don't think he ever tried to present himself as anything other than that - quite the opposite. He wrote what he felt and thought then- period. He didn't stay with the person he depicted as his soulmate because apparently his feelings and thoughts about the person and the relationship changed and I'll wager Leslie's did too. And in keeping with his philosophy he followed those feelings and thoughts and moved on. And Leslie, being the beautiful person that she is definitely deserves someone being with her who can deeply appreciate and love her and WANT TO BE THERE. Is Richard immature? I think so. But he is sure following his phiosophy of being true to one's self regardless of what I think or you think. I do admire that. And Leslie loved this brillant fickle man knowing he was a brillant fickle man changeable as the wind's direction. After all she must have been aware that he left a wife and 6 children. This being honest and "true" to one's own self can have a sharp edge to it even among soulmates. This outcome is not so foreign to the book's content. It's an interesting book,and the reaction to it is even more interesting. As for me, I believe there are soulmates but no life long guarantees.