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This book is just great from beginning to end, it took me less than one week to finish it, I just couldnt put it down! Cant wait for the next book publisheb by Khaled.

What a writer. Though very sad. This story is also full of hope and redemption.

This book contains everything a story needs to be successful! And the main ingredient is talent. Khaled Hosseini, the author, has a natural talent to write beautifully. Every page will capture you, some swallow you in. It's not the kind of book you finish and close and go on with your day. I am honestly still wiping tears from my face. Some parts give me the chills - "Time is selfish, it keeps the details to itself", "Like the devil, cancer has many names." Maybe I am not quoting the book 100% accurately, but that's the idea of the quotes...their meanings. I am deeply moved by this book. Definitely one of the best!

I know the author doesn't like the use of cliche's (or at least his writer character, Amir, doesn't) but I just couldn't put this book down. What a brilliant writer. I wish I could write like him. I don't know what I can say about this book that already hasn't been said. It is brilliant. And has taught me a little bit about Afghanistan that I never could quite get from our Western media. But as a Muslim American of eastern European decent who likes to read chick lit and lighter reads, it was wonderful to read about people of my own faith. I loved reading the beautiful Arabic words and being entrenched in the traditions of how we greet one another and the various customs. In Bulgaria, they also use "Kaka" (for women) and "Kako" (for men) when greeting someone older. I love these terms of endearment/respect from some of these ancient cultures ... traditions that continue. And it was nice to read a story where there weren't little inuendos against other faiths or peoples that is all over our western media and published works. It was unbiased. Just beautiful. And my heart bleeds for those who suffered under the Taliban. You have a new fan, Mr. Hosseini!

I had just finished reading his second novel, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" and knew I would have to order this book also. Incredible! Both books are so beautifully written, I couldn't put them down. He brings the Afghani people to life, and brought me to tears several times. He is definitely one of the best storytellers of our time. Don't miss this book.

If you have only experienced the movie, let me make it as clear as possible: you have barely scraped the surface. This a very rich and rewarding novel that will absorb you into another time, a far away land and a completely alien mentality. Welcome to the Floating World of the Geishas in its twilight.

This is the true story of Mineko Iwasaki (whose personal autobiography is also available under the title Geisha: A Life) presented in the form of a novel by a brilliant Arthur Golden (too bad he did not follow up his success with a second novel).

Japan in the years following WWI was a country in transition. The old ways were on their way out yet they have a way of soothing the soul of any nation, especially one found itself caught in limbo, between progress and tradition. In this transitional world Sayuri is offered the chance to become a Geisha. The unique color of her eyes, her patience and artistic abilities soon propel her to the position of the most famous Geisha of them all. But one should always be wary of what he wishes for.

Fame and success are never a guarantee for personal happiness. Predictably, Sayuri's love story is bittersweet and has many false starts. In fear of spoilers, I shall only say that life is never boring.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

This is one of my favorite. Well written and beautiful story. I couldn't put it down.

Arthur Golden spent a fair amount of time researching this book, speaking to geishas whose stories in one form or another appear here. The book basically presents the biography of one geisha who through often very harsh events in her life transforms herself from the daughter of a fisherman into one of the most famous geishas of Japan. Both she and her sister are thrown into geisha houses to be taught this profession although her sister falls quickly into misfortune. Geisha houses demand strict discipline and service and have firm hierarchies that allow the use of power either purposefully or with cruelty. Jealousies and rivalries threaten the course of this woman. Once she achieves her goal, there remain tough decisions about whom she will serve. Economics and survival prevail over personal preferences and sentiment. The stability of her career is precarious as numerous events threaten to destroy it as they have for other geishas who are then often dragged into lives of prostitution. The intrusion of WWII presents other unexpected challenges and compromises to cope with shortages and lean times. A vivid and captivating book.

This book was easy to read and kept me turning the pages. I personally did not agree with the ending, and wished it would have ended differently but will not put any spoilers out there :)

Definitely worth reading :)

This book arrived in perfect condition just when I was told it would. It is so well written and completely mesmerizing. I enjoyed every minute of reading about this woman's story of a culture so steeped in tradition.Amazing book. You'll love it.

July 1999.

That summer was blistering hot and full of anticipation. Waiting for my beautiful son to arrive into our arms from Korea.

I had just finished up working full time in a children's Day Treatment program. I wanted the summer to "nest"...

to prepare for my son's arrival.

I spent the past two years of my social work career, day after day, listening to the stories of children.

Suffering.

And when permitted the children would allow me to enter their world and join them on their healing journey.

This work provided the daily miracles that can so easily be missed in any other setting.

Kids laugh, they pull pranks, they love to open gifts, they are still just kids in spite of the worst that humanity can toss at them.

Not even three weeks out from this counseling job, I picked up Angela's Ashes.

I don't know why... I just did.

In Frank McCourt's book, I found comfort. I found that optimism grows like a lotus flower out of the mud. I found the voice of an angel in the poverty stricken dirty streets of Limerick. I found the voices of all those kids who spilled their secrets behind my closed office door... lightening their load while I tried my best to make their world better... one kid at a time.

Frank McCourt is a ruddy angel with an acerbic wit and a gift for seeing things as they truly are.

I love ruddy angels.

This is a book that needs to be on everyone's to read list.

Yes, it is that good.

Definitely one of the best written books I have ever read. The stunning simplicity and humor he used to depict the heart-wrenching account of his childhood is just truly brilliant. This book would have you crying and laughing. I love it and would highly recommend it. I think its a masterpiece and a MUST read!

I was loaned this book by a friend. He told me just to "trust him" and read it. I was hesitant and wasn't sure if I would like this book, but now you can "trust me". If you have any interest at all in Ireland, culture, sociology, or that particular time period you will love this insightful memoir. This book will stay with you, and after only a dozen pages you will be hooked and unable to put it down.

The basic problem with it is that while McCourt's life of poverty in Ireland is interesting and there are a couple of dozen well written passages and anecdotes, the work is atrociously edited. All the more galling for the lack of good editing is that this was McCourt's first book- he needed the help. The book is about 450 pages long and the 1st 300 pages deal with his first 6 or so years of growing up. We get the same images of infant death, Irish blarney, drunken dad, suffering mom, stalwart Frankie, and colorful Eriniana. The problem is that early childhood is necessarily the least interesting part of a life because a) the percentage of real memories per year is very low and b) the remembered is rarely cogitated upon enough to produce any coherent thesis of its import or meaning to a life.

At describing these things McCourt is excellent. The scene of him and his brother getting bananas from a vendor in Brooklyn and his mom thinking he stole them is excellent, BUT such only works its charms once. After about 50 pages we get the idea already: McCourt's early life was bleak- it's as if he wants us to really, really know he suffered. The opening page or so at first read seems to poke fun at the Irish habit of bemoaning their woes, but it quickly becomes apparent that McCourt intended no irony in its felicitous prose. He truly wants the reader to know the Irish suffering is on par with that of Jews, blacks, and American Indians. By going on for 300 pages with this the reader starts to turn off about a third of the way though, then skimming between the Godotvian feeling anecdotes of misery.

Things only pick up when Frank reaches his teens- he gets various employment, has a falling out with his mom and her lover, rues his dad's departure, loses his virginity to a consumptive girl who dies, then heads off for America. There are many moving images and wonderfully non-stereotyped characters. The scenes with his tubercular lover are priceless, yet their whole affair is accorded a mere couple of pages vis-à-vis the dozens allotted the repetitious sufferings. A good editor would have told McCourt he had an intriguing 1st draft, but told him to cut the early years down to 100 pages, and double the teen tales to 300 pages. That 400 page edition of AA would have deserved all the acclaim the canonical edition has, while also being over 10% leaner.

This is the main reason why the film version of the book is actually better than the written version. That said, it's far from a great film, but it more judiciously accords the interesting portions of McCourt's life, with about ½ the film on the early years, and the rest on the teen years. As a writer I've often said that the poor practices of editors, publishers, and critics have had a disproportionately deleterious effect on contemporary literature. A bad editor either does not realize a gem that falls in their lap, passes on it, or butchers it, or they get a diamond in the rough, like AA, but have not the sense nor insight to demand the necessary revisions. Toni Morrison has made a career out of having her ill-edited novels published. Yes, she's gotten acclaim, but once dead her trip to the canon will be fruitless because the poor editing of her work will become ok to speak of. But, McCourt was not Morrison- he was a first time author- his editor should have done a better job.

McCourt's child protagonist and his over-riding optimism, his natural-born inclination to make the best of things, makes an otherwise grim tale not only bearable but uplifting and heroic. Despite the daily, brutal grind of poverty, this child still manages to experience, wallow in, simple joys. Due to McCourt's honest voice, I felt every one of this kid's untidy, conflicted emotions. I LOVED this kid.

But after reading some of the criticism here, I think some people forget that this is first and foremost a MEMOIR. Memoirs are subjective by nature. So if McCourt's personal experience shows prejudice toward the Catholic Church, or if he seems to present a "stereotype" of the drunken, morose, Irish----that's HIS viewpoint----naturally. If you want a more balanced view don't read memoirs! Read academia! (It's like reading an autobiography of a politician and complaining that it's too political).

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves to read. The naysayers included. It's not a pretty story, but it IS heroic.

This is a wonderful CD. The narrator uses voices for all the characters. My students loved it.

This is an excellent reading of the Hobbit, and I'm really enjoying it. The reader does a great job of doing all the voices. I'd give it five stars but the quality of the CD manufacturing is not the best. I actually found some globs of rubber cement or sticky glue on the bottom of two of them. I finally got it cleaned off, but not before I had already tried the CD in my computer and a glob of glue mucked up the DVD burner and I had to replace it. I was pretty upset. There wasn't any glue on the packaging, just 2 CD's which I've never seen before. So just check them carefully.

But the reading of the book itself is so great, and the book so good that it kind of softens the blow. At least I had a tower PC and could just put in a new DVD burner. So just check the CD's when you get it first.

This book is fantastic. I have to read it at least once a year. It is very entertaining, very fun and never gets old. Each time I pick up the book to read it it feels and reads as fresh as it did the first time. Great book for all ages and the best place to start if you are interested in "The Lord of the Rings" or learning more about Middle Earth. I'd recommend this book to everyone and it makes for a wonderful present for any and all occasions.

I really enjoyed this book I could never put it down. It's a good childrens book full of excitment. It's all about a group of dwarves going to kill a dragon who stole all their money and destroyed their town.

Rob Inglis is, in my opinion, one of the best readers out there, and I think he's perfect for "The Hobbit" and the complete "Lord of the Rings." He sings what needs singing, very well, which is relatively unusual. I have thoroughly enjoyed the creation he has wrought!!

After reading the first 2 books by Nicholas I figured I would go in order of how they were written and "A WALK" being the 3RD. It was was heart breaker, Jamie was the preacher daughter and where ever she went she took her bible. Landon was a troubled teenager, who after a play and going to the orphanage falls in love with Jamie. When she tells him she is sick, he is heartbroken. I had tears in the eyes for a while in some of the chapters. At the end you never really know if Jamie dies or not from being sick, you have to use your heart to figure it out.

"A Walk To Remember" was my first exposure to Nicholas Sparks, but it was the movie, not the book. I absolutely adored the movie and I can watch it over and over, and cry, and cry again. Finally, I read the book, just to see how it differed from the movie. It was a disappointment. Yes, it was a sweet love story, and keep the kleenex handy, but I've come to learn that Sparks' writing style really doesn't change from book to book. The story is about a typical teenager who discovers the inner beauty of an unpopular, overprotected girl and falls in love with her. The characters are well-developed but what annoys me the most about all of Sparks' books are the long, drawn out self reflection of feelings and emotions (I like him/her, does he/she like me...well, he/she seems to like me...)

I've seen all of his movies (including "Message In A Bottle", "The Notebook" and "Nights in Rodanthe") and loved them all. After I found out they were all books by Nicholas Sparks, I decided I'd better start reading, that they had to be good!!! So, now I've read half a dozen or so, and the more I read them, the more I dislike his style of writing. These books are nothing more than modern-day Harlequin romances. Predictable and, well, boring. Most of the women in the books are very annoying and makes me wonder why on earth any man would put up with them. And Sparks uses the same phrases from book to book and more than once in a book. If I read "she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear", one more time...

I'm currently listening to "At First Sight" on audiobook. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to finish it, then I'm done with Nicholas Sparks. I'll watch the movies because they're good chick flicks.

once again nicholas sparks brought me to tears. this book grabed me from the very beginning! i loved every minute of it. nicholas sparks created an amazing character that made mebeleave true love does exst and it can brake any barriers.....this is a book that i will passfor all my friends to read.

This is one of the only times I would say a movie is better than the book. But if you haven't seen the movie yet this is a great book. I like to read the book after seeing the moving to read what the characters were thinking etc.
I enjoyed the differences of the book from the movie but I liked the ending in the movie better.
It's a great rainy day afternoon read.

Not surprisingly, Sparks tells a beautiful story of two teenagers in love, with absolutely nothing in common. At first, the love between Landon Carter and Jamie Sullivan looks as if it won't happen. Landon is outgoing, popular, and has many friends. Whereas, Jamie - she keeps to herself, carries a bible, and dresses plainly. She is a great person with a "big heart."

Landon decides to take a drama class to skid by in school. He is then put into a play and this is when Jamie starts talking more and more to Landon. Landon is embarrassed in front of his friends, and Jamie immediately notices it. She walks away from him and Landon feels bad for hurting her feelings. Time passes on and the two of them start spending more and more time together. Love is inevitable for the two.

Jamie volunteers for on orphanage, and Landon senses his feelings changing for Jamie. He begins to see her in a new light, one with compassion toward her.

In the end, Jamie has a big secret that no one in town knows about, except her father. She decides that her love has became so strong for Landon, that she must share this secret with him, and knows deep in her heart that it will destroy him.

What the two of these characters share between each other is beautifully depicted in this story. It will bring happiness and sadness to you, and if you love to cry at a good story, then this is the story for you. It will also make you look at life in a different attitude.

While reading this book you'll have a good time. It's not a thriller or a love story. Simply is a story.

I have not seen the movie for this book, and didn't even know about this book until I heard that the movie came out for it. I chose not to see it and never read the book. I thought it looked dumb.

But, needing something new to read, I picked this book up last week even though I was feeling a bit skeptical. I had it read in two days.

I really, really enjoyed this book! Even though there are four individual stories, it's nicely told as one intertwined 'sisterhood' story with the traveling pants. Emotions go up and down through it all, but it had my emotions going up and down with it, watching as the 'sisters' each have their own discoveries about life and themselves and learning how to deal with them. I found myself reminiscing of my high school days/summers with my group of friends and it had me wishing we had magical pants of our own then.

I enjoyed this book so much, I have already picked up and read the second book and am ready for the third.
It's a fun book and I highly recommend it!

I read this in high school. Maybe I wouldn't feel the same way now, but as a high school girl I adored this book. Well, heck, then. I guess it's aimed at high school girls and that is why the book is as popular as it is. It's cheesy and horribly girly, but that is how it is supposed to be and why it left such a mark in my heart. It's a charming, heartfelt tale of friendship and discovery. Yes, we see them so often in YA literature, but I still couldn't help but love it. Throw in the semi-magical idea of pants that fit everyone and you have a mix of girl power sisterhood.

Do you have a best friend? Do you have four? Have you known them since you were born? Most likely not. But Lena, Carmen, Bridget and Tibby have that going for them. Their mothers were in the same pregnancy class, and they were all born within two weeks of each other. Virtually, their friends were made for them. Even as their mothers grew apart, the four girls remained inseparable. Faced with the prospect of their first summer apart, they were a bit more nervous than they should have been. They had never been away from each other for two months before! Bridget was going to a soccer camp in Mexico, Lena to her grandparents in Greece, and Carmen was going to visit her father in South Carolina. Poor Tibby was staying home to work at Wallmann's. Coincidentally, a week or so before their trips, they find a pair of jeans that manages to fit all four of their very different body types. They feel it is a good omen, and become slightly less nervous. They plan to send the Pants to each girl for a week, and are dubbed the Traveling Pants. Many things happen that summer, like finding love, and meeting new friends. Will this last? Read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants to see what happens.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a book jam-packed with all sorts of action, romance, and some sad parts, too. With four different stories happening at the same time, there's never a slow part! The author, Ann Brashares, does a great job of describing her characters, and gives a real insight into some of the problems the girls face. Another interesting thing about this, and all three sequels, is that it tackles a lot of real-world problems, which makes it more serious and less sappy fiction for pre-teens. You should really try this book; it makes for a great, relatively easy read, plus you have three other equally magnificent books to read next!

Caroline M.
Grade 6
Ms. Kawatachi

These are great books on friendship and girls. It is interesting that if these girls stay together they will be very close for 20 years. Great books. Good reading.

We spent money on an item that we couldn't use. It was not clear that this was a radio play based on the book. Had we known that, we wouldn't have ordered.

I purchased the audio of A Wrinkle In Time for my classroom - I use it for my special needs students and also for students who have missed class while we read together (it is a quick way to catch up). I was excited to hear Madeline L'Engle read the story, but my students found her voice a bit tedious. My colleague and I have used this story as a science fiction genre unit for several years - the students love it!

I have often heard people comment about how good this book is, but I've never taken the time to read it before now. I can't say that I was mislead. This is a highly imaginative tale of good vs. evil, told from the point of view of young Meg Murry. Meg is smart but rebellious, fiercely protective of her unusual family. She and her brother, Charles Wallace, are about to go on a journey through space and time to find their long absent father, and in the process, confront an evil so powerful that it threatens to engulf them all.

Written with vivid imagery, this story is a fantasy wrapped inside some of the conventional trappings of science-fiction. Along the way, we consider the nature of evil, how it robs people of their individuality and choice. In the end, discovering the one thing evil can't do will be the key to Meg's victory.

I re-read this book from my childhood and I'm very disappointed with particular messages Madeleine presents to children. I think enough has been said about stars (angels?) being conceived as witches to "play a joke" on everyone and the centaur appearance of the other "angels". No matter what the rest of the story conveys, I am completely revulsed by the notion she presents that Jesus was a fighter. He is not a fighter, but represents peace & love spreading the word of the Father on this earth for all to follow. Also, Jesus has already won the battle for us. All of these ignorant statements in this book by Madeleine need to be pulled before I will even think about looking at this book or sharing it with others.

A book for children, but not too bad for that. A bored girl, her brothers and others get mixed up in an adventure across the space-time continuum by way of some nifty tesseract tricks.

When a strange older woman comes visiting they set off to find the father of all these children, who is a prisoner of one of your standard supervillains, a giant disembodied telepathic brain.

This book is a timeless and beloved classic. It's a beautiful story of class in Jane Austen's time that appeals to us today because it is so well-wrtitten. It's scrupulously clean morally, and I would recommend it to anyone who appreciates the time when love stories were wholesome and pure and touching. All the characters have an appeal that's makes you appreciate the way they fit into the story.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. It takes a little bit of time to get used to the language used, but once you get into it, it is hard to put down. A true romance. Why doesn't it happen like that anymore? :)

It seriously does not get any better than this! This book unfolds slowly allowing you to fall in love with the characters and get a feel that world and time. An amazing love story, it leaves you wanting more!

As much as this book revolves around three of the four daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, all of those characters revolve around Mr. Darcy - whose personality and character matures and unfolds before you.

Neither poor nor rich, the Bennets cannot establish great wealth and comforts for their children - and Mrs. Bennet's hard opinionated character further deprives the lovely lasses of possibilities for advancement. But, through the character weakness(es) will come happiness in all levels - where some smile and others are more joyous and laugh. And, thee events happen quickly, all within one year's time.

Darcy, who adores his 10-years-younger sister Georgiana, is the proper gentleman who has never raised his voice during his 28 years. Elizabeth, her father's favorite and mother's least, befriends Mr. Darcy and soon aggravates his senses and challenges him to make it to 29 without harsh verbal exchange or raised voice.

After some embarrassingly wrong misconceptions of his character, and equally wrong characterizations about a person whose life has plagued Darcy's, Elizabeth watches the young man blossom as he singlehandedly controls her family's pitfalls, confronts those who attempt to deliver her family to near disasters and financially saves the family from other possible misfortunes. In such actions, Darcy has to befriend an enemy, deliver embezzled money, negotiate with creditors of his enemy, and more. And, all for love - and who ever said love would be easy?

Pride is swallowed not only by Darcy, but by so many others in this novel. "Pride. . . is a very common failing. . . Human nature is quite proud of some quality or other, real or imaginary." We learn, "Vanity and pride are different things." "Pride rises from a good opinion of ourselves; vanity from what we would have others think of us."

We are wrongly told ". . . almost all his [Darcy's] actions may be traced to pride, and pride has often been his best friend." In the end, we learn Darcy ". . . has no improper pride."

Interestingly, prejudice is not a word defined, used or explained like its title counterpart. But, prejudice is a concept belying each page, each acquaintance, each personal affront, and somehow is easily overcome by youthful passion. Prejudice helplessly loses amidst the betrothing of the three daughters full of young passion.

In the end, a Cinderella-like conclusion befits the young hearts' defiance to prejudice through passion. And, in the persuasive methods of young Elizabeth, the originally perceived overbearing pride of Darcy evolves into what she describes to be proper pride.

If there is one thing this reader enjoys in this Austen book it is the dialogue. Whether it be the hindered ire of Darcy in civilly responding to Elizabeth's overzealous impertinence, or Elizabeth's steadfast refusal to succumb to Lady Catherine's requests that she never wed her nobleman nephew, the calm and polite retorts are deliciously phrased and eloquently presented. Few plays can match such work.

Kindle owners hopefully are aware of the wealth of free editions of the classics which are available through Feedbooks and other sources.

I obtained a copy of P&P from feedbooks originally and while it was easy to get and the price was right, the overall quality of the text is not great. I've found several typos, presumably the result of OCR errors and it's somewhat distracting.

Since P&P is one of my wife's favorite books, I was delighted to see
Penguin had released an electronic edition for $0.50 complete with the usual footnotes, essays and maps that one's used to
finding in textbook editions of the classics.

The table of contents is pretty minimal. The headings include the editor's material, and the three volume headings.

Anyone says that the movies are preferrable to this needs to learn how to read (that said, I'm a huge of the movies--they are cinematic masterpieces).

But this is classic fantasy at its best. Every other fantasy author to come along, as great as they are, still have not managed to create the depth of what Tolkien created.

Stemming from the world he created for "The Hobbit", Tolkien writes a truly epic story of good vs evil, friendship, and loyalty. All simple, wonderful themes that speak to us whether we live in Middle-Earth or the real world. He has managed to great an entire culture that the reader finds himself caring for, a world that needs to be protected at all costs.

Tolkien is a master of plot. While the story isn't unnecessarily complex, it is broad and you have to hand it for him for juggling so much.

The characters even more so are wonderful. They are flawed, but at the same time properly heroic.

"The Fellowship of the Ring" is an excellent beginning to a classic trilogy.

The title pretty much says it all. In fact had it not been for this very version of the story I might never have been able to read the trilogy in its unabridged form. The Library of Congress version, better known to some of you as the Talking Book version recorded mainly for blind would-be readers, just didn't capture the story at all. Because of the narrator's voice I just couldn't get into it.
Then along came Recorded Books Incorporated with their unabridged recordings. In fact when I have a choice of audio book companies I generally go with them because of their excellent narrators. Actor Rob Englis does a fine job of bringing these classic novels to life, and Fellowship of the Ring is no exception.
The book comes in a very portable box and consists of about sixteen disks in four cardboard holders, although only fourteen or so are given over to the actual story. The remainder are given to Tolkien's afterward and the Concerning Hobbits material actually found at the beginning of the book. It's actually quite a nice setup. In fact I've got the entire trilogy, minus the Hobbit, stacked on my dresser beside my bed, next to a small boom box for easy listening.
As for the performance, as I said, Rob Englis does a very admirable job. With his deep, calm English voice he's able to convey the narrative quite well, and while his voices aren't extremely varied it's still easy to tell who's speaking, whether it be Aragorn, Boromir or one of the hobbits. I particularly like the fawning yet sinister portrayal he gives to Gollum.
All in all this is an excellent version, not the least because it includes everything found in the print editions. An excellent narrator only makes things better. It's great for lying at home reading or taking a long trip in the car. I listen to them at least once a year, generally more than that.

If you are a fan of The Lord of the Rings, this audio recording is must-have for your collection. I love to read and re-read the trilogy; there is something magical about these books. Sometimes I focus on the poems, sometimes the characters, sometimes I just read them because they are familiar and comforting.

This unabridged audio recording brings the book to life in a new and wonderful way. The narrator's voice is a perfect match for the story. Rob Inglis gives each character an appropriate voice, and his reading of the narrative is excellent. It's wonderful to listen to the story read aloud by such a fine actor!

I've purchased dramatic abridgements of the trilogy, and was disappointed. So much was left out! With an unabridged reading, I can enjoy the whole story. If a poem or passage strikes my fancy, I can listen to it again.

I am very pleased with this version, and highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good audio version.

The BBC verison is superior in almost every way than this NPR version, but this does have a few things to recommend it. Tom Bomdadil sounds just as I imagined he would. Sam's voice is childish, but for the most part endearing because of that. I imagine this is how he sounded at nine when he first met Frodo and you can easily hear how much he loves his master as this version includes my favorite scene from Book IV as Sam watches Frodo sleep and the light that is shining from within and says to himself, "I love him" and the loving reunion in the tower. Both are interesting inclusions because Americans usually shy away from the showing of same-sex affection so this was welcome in showing that beautiful, pure bond of theirs. The scene with the Barrow-wights is very well done and quite terrifying. You can very easily understand why Frodo would have been scared enough to want to run away. The narrator's voice sometimes gets really caught up in the action, dramatically describing the fell beast of the Ring-wraiths or especially Sauron's realization that he is doomed as Frodo puts on the Ring. I almost felt sorry for the Dark Lord there for a minute as he frantically sends his Nazgul to stop that little one, but then I crowed in delight, "Too late! Too late!" Unfortunately, the narrator is the only one that is enthused in this, except for Sam. Frodo is quite lackluster. Don't try to take the Ring away from him, but otherwise you have no idea that his soul is being torn apart. When he claims the Ring/is claimed by the Ring is done well though.

This is one book to enjoy. Tom Bambadil is the best! Tolkien creates interesting stories with classic creatures that most people have a slight background of information to, thus not wasting time on creating a new world of different names.

I have read this countless times since the 4th grade, and it still continues to be one of my favorite books ever. The odd thing is that I remember being severely disappointed to learn this was not a fantasy.

But the real story is stronger, that of a deep friendship that affects a young boy for good and bad.

There are so many levels to this book, and thus it becomes clear why these two kids would create a fantasy world for escaping the challenges of the real world. Ironically, it is the time they spend here that allows them to deal with truth and tragedy.

A celebration of friendship, life, and the human spirit, this is probably one of the greatest kids' books out there.

The movie did not do it justice.

My 14-year old son said it's not very goof "fantasy", and he'd give it a half a star. He thought it was just depressing about a boy with many problems.

I have recently read the beautiful novel Bridge to Terabithia. What an amazing children's book. I highly recommend this book for the young adult reader. The two main characters Jess and Leslie form a close friendship with the usual ups and downs of school children. Both children come from different backgrounds but are drawn together. This friendship strenghtens into a beautiful relationship and a closeness between to children you don't often read about these days. Tragedy strikes and young Jess experiences one of the most painful aspects of life and begins his journey into growing up. The subject covered in the story may be heavy for some children so it would be a nice book to read together. Be prepared for tears and have a box of tissues handy. It's a great book for families to discuss some sensitive issues in life.

Bridge to Teribithia is a great book! It is about friendship. Jesse, the main character lives with his four sisters, momma, and papa. When Leslie moves in next door, Jesse's life was changed. Jesse and Leslie started Teribithia, an imaginary kingdom where they rule as king and queen.At the end of the book, Leslie mysteriously dies, and Jesse feels like his life is over. May Belle, one of his sisters, becomes queen of Teribithia.

This book is truly great. Jesse stuggles with his life every day. That makes the story more exciting. Katherine Paterson wrote a great story. She wrote it with suspensing moments. This book is good for people of all ages.

My daughter got this for her birthday. I hated this book!! The story is fine. Maybe kids might get something deep from this but I doubt it. From the first page, the characters are all dark and ugly to each other. There is no respect shown for any authority figure in the book from parents to teachers. There is no love or respect between any siblings. There are plenty of cuss words throughout the book. There are illusions to a child/teacher inappropriate relationship. There is a whole discussion about God d---- people to h---. The words in this book can't be typed in this review, so why would you allow your child to read them?? The death of the child holds no meaning, because I didn't feel anything for any of the characters and there's no great lesson in the death either. There are lots of references to killing people "by the childen"! Such things like "I'd like to kill him/her" said repeatedly, like it's ok to say that. The parents are portrayed as insignificant and stupid. There are illusions that the boy may turn out gay because he draws. There are lots of mean remarks about fat people. I have no idea how this book got an award and why it has 800 star reviews. I only know I am sick that my daughter got this book as a gift and read it before I checked it out. There is nothing edifying in this book whatsoever and I'm probably on damage control for the next 6 months with my child.