Blake Books

First off, I've liked the Anita Blake novels, and have read them from Book 1, Guilty Pleasures. Hamilton continues to build on her characters through each novel, and I continue to be intrigued with the progress of Anita's relationship w/Jean-Claude, her vampire nemesis, yet companion, would-be suitor, and friend. I know that eventually they'll be in bed with each other, but it's fun to see how Hamilton will build into their relationship transitions.

In Bloody Bones, the vampires, zombies & lycanthropes are there. But then, Hamilton throws in a few faery characters, as well as gargoyles & trolls. Truly, all of these preternatural & magical creatures are unneeded to make the stories sing, especially when Hamilton has a 2nd series (Merry) that are strictly about the fey if that's what her readers want.

The hard-boiled tone of this and the other novels can sometimes be trying, compromising the reader's ability to relate to Anita who isn't the most loveable character. She's rude, bitchy, and almost always self-centered. In fact, I personally DON'T relate to Anita ... I'm much more interested in the other characters, both vampire, werewolf & human.

And I wish ... oh, how I wish! ... that Hamilton was not compelled to describe each character that enters a scene, right down to every stitch of clothing they're wearing. It does little to enhance the characters, and who can remember all these details? One or two references to appearance would be quite enough; the fashion parade of descriptions is tedious, and doesn't move the plot along.

All things considered, I liked this installment. We got to know Anita's apprentice Larry better, and Jason the lycanthrope became more fleshed out beyond his viciousness in The Lunatic Cafe. The dance between Anita & Jean-Claude bridges the reader into the subsequent novels. I wanted to get to the end ... as quickly as possible ... not because I didn't like the plot, but because I loved it and wanted to read how the conflicts were resolved.

I will definitely move on to Book 6!

The book was hard to put down when I started reading it, it was awesome. But then I had to put the book down. It became boring in the middle, too much fluff. Kept dragging on about Jean-Claude. I picked the book back up with nothing else to do and was Amazed at the ending. Nothing I was expecting. Kind of wished I had not put the book down. It was totally awesome!

I have read and own all the books in the Anita Blake series. While I love to recommend them to all my friends I hate to actually loan out my copies. That is what I call a Keeper Series. Too good to give away!!

Geez, I'm running out of things to say about these books. Let's see: Anita has stopped seeing Jean-Claude as a monster, because she had yet another direct contrast between Jean-Claude and some real monsters -- several of them, in fact, and each was nastier and more gruesome than the last. We start with Xavier, the vampire pedophile who likes to kidnap young boys, rape and torture them, and then turn them into vampires so he can keep doing it presumably forever; right after him we get Janos and his twin rotting beauties -- and oh MAN was that one of the most horrible things I've ever read -- and then Serephina and her damned evil arrogance and thirst for power, and finally we see Rawhead and Bloody Bones, who kills children who have been naughty because that's who he is -- that's what he does. And then on the other hand we have Jean-Claude. Who is really -- annoying. Suddenly he doesn't seem that bad.

The characterization still progresses; Anita steps back from her changing self, horrified about what she may be becoming, and returns somewhat to her former self who doesn't really want to marry Richard and who has enough faith to use a cross against vampires and prays when she has the chance. In the meantime, Jean-Claude seems to mellow in his obnoxious pursuit of Anita; I think since he had some evidence that it isn't truly hopeless, that she can have feelings for him apart from lust -- she is willing to save his life, which is a big improvement from when she sold him out in Circus of the Damned -- he is willing to slow down and be patient; it seems the worst parts of his wooing were because he was desperate for something, anything, that would give him the will to continue. I was glad to see Larry, the new animator and apprentice Anita, turning into a person of his own, strong enough to disagree with Anita along with intelligent enough to listen to her when she makes sense; it was fun to watch their changing relationship. I didn't care for the Bouviers, but not because they were badly done characters, just because Magnus was a scumbag and Dorcas was irritating and has a terrible name. Rawhead and Bloody Bones was extremely cool, as was his place in the plot.

But it seems to me now that the strongest part of these books, apart from the evolving characters, is not the plots, as good as those are; it's the memorable moments. I don't think I've read another series that has so many scenes that strike me and stick with me. In past books it has been the murder scenes in The Laughing Corpse, along with the uber-zombies in that one; the lamia-in-the-cave scene and the child vampire working for Alejandro in Circus of the Damned, and the snuff film in Lunatic Cafe. Oh yeah -- and the swarm of stuffed penguins. Gotta love that. Now this book adds two to the list: the scene with the sheriff and his wife, which almost killed me, and the scene when Pallas and Bettina (worst . . . name . . . EVER) raped Jason, which has definitely ruined the sexiness of vampires for me. Larry asked Anita how she can kiss and touch Jean-Claude after seeing that, and I know it's because she sees him as something other, as somehow alive despite being dead, but I'm on Larry's side. If that's what happens when you get snuggly with vampires, then that is the end of that fantasy. Forever and ever. Luckily for me, the vampires in these books other than Jean-Claude and Willie McCoy are so freaking unbelievably obnoxious with their jaded cruelty and their impossible arrogance that there was never much fantasy to begin with.

We'll see where they go from here.

If you like to read about vampire slayers, there's none better than Anita Blake the main character!!!

LK Hamilton is a great author. If you love vampires, her Anita Blake series is the one for you.

I love the books about Anita Blake. Always keep you going and guessing about what will happen next.

I didn't like this one quite as much as the last one, The Laughing Corpse, but I liked it more than the first book. The most important thing for me is that this book showed another layer to the series: in the first book, the focus was on the powerful and terrifying vampires; the second centered around the undead and humans who raise them -- the evil of humans rather than the evil of vampires, in other words. This book is about the humans who have to deal with these evil things. The bad guy in this one was good, though it centered a lot more on Anita and Jean-Claude and Anita's attempts to live a normal life, all of which are effectively ruined by her association with Jean-Claude, because she knows who the Master of the City is and where his daytime resting place is, so everybody who wants to kill him -- and it's more than a few -- wants to bribe, threaten, and torture the information out of her. It was an interesting depiction of what it's like to be a human drawn into the vampire's world. It also made Anita seem much less high-powered -- though she did have her bada$$ moment at the end, oh yes she did.

I liked Oliver enormously; I thought it was a fantastic idea and a wonderfully drawn character. I liked his motivation and the ways he intends to accomplish his goals, as well as his obvious personal power as seen through his control of such incredibly powerful minions. I didn't like the lamia, but I'm not supposed to, so that worked out well; it's an interesting way to handle the villain, to have a personable mastermind with loathsome henchbeings. On one level I wanted Oliver to win, mostly because I'm tired of Jean-Claude's assurance that he'll win and that Anita will surrender to him. Why? Because he's pretty, that's why. He's way too much of a prettyboy, utterly confident that his looks will enable him to get any woman, utterly convinced that once a woman gives in to her attraction to him, she will never resist him again. It's annoying. The conversation just keeps happening the same way:
"I'll never give in to you, Jean-Claude."
"But you want me."
"But I can't love you."
"But you liked kissing me."
"But I can't love you, and so there will never be anything more than a kiss."
"I'll wait, ma petite."

And on and on it goes. Now, this doesn't detract from the books, and it did make this one better for me because of the events that happen between Anita and Jean-Claude, how she turns on him and why, and the end result of her unexpected (to Jean-Claude; seems like it was always just a matter of time) betrayal of him, and I do agree with Anita's final choice of Jean-Claude as the least of the several evils facing her -- but I want her to slap him. A lot. Maybe muss up that pretty face a little bit. Although more scars would just give him character, like that damn cross scar gives to his chest. And I have to admit that I prefer Jean-Claude to the alternative, Alejandro. Basically this character and his dealings with Anita make her a more sympathetic character without having him become truly loathsome -- this is the problem Anne Rice had with Lestat, for instance. His villainy was just too villainous, and it couldn't be maintained over a series -- and there was a series without a sympathetic character. So I much prefer this to that. He still needs a slappin', though.

I'm seeing great potential in these books to go the distance: the main character is both powerful and, as this book establishes, very human and thus a bit outclassed by her immortal enemies -- though she uses all of the tools at her disposal to maximum effect, which works out quite well -- and the other main characters are complex and multi-dimensional. Because despite my irritation with Jean-Claude's prettyboy seduction techniques, he is actually much more than that as a, um, person, which is why I don't really hate him. But it isn't just him: Willie McCoy, and Anita's boss, Bert, and the other animators, including the new guy, all have their strengths and weaknesses. They are all very realistic, and thus very interesting. At the same time, of course, there is some serious booty-kicking going on in these books, and who doesn't like that?

This author was suggested to me by a friend. I am pleased to report that it was all and more than they had boasted.

Laurel K. Hamilton is an amazingly brilliant author. Her writing is elegant and captivating, yet simple and effective. Truly a series of novels that keep you wanting more from beginning to end.

I highly recommend this book to everyone - Especially if you like vampires!

Anita Blake returns in this third installment of her well-known series. The police call Anita to consult on a murder and she quickly detects that the victim had been attacked by five vampires, mostly like a master and his pack. Since the few masters resident in St. Louis don't seem likely to have committed the crime, Anita starts looking for newcomers, but they just might find her first. As if this isn't enough, she receives a visit from her old friend Edward, the master assassin, who threatens to kill her if she doesn't reveal the name and resting place of the city's Master Vampire. All of this is just the start for Anita as she struggles to save the city, and herself, from a threat more ancient than anything she's ever faced before.

Circus of the Damned returns the focus to vampires and their politics after the voodoo detour of The Laughing Corpse. Jean-Claude, the city's Master Vampire, has given Anita two marks out of four toward becoming his human servant and very much wants her to accept the last two. Her refusal to do so is hurting is position among other vampires in the city. Other masters have come to the city ready to challenge Jean-Claude and try to woo Anita into joining their cause. Anita has to choose where her loyalties lie.

The major strength of this book shows in the action scenes. They take up a significant portion of the book and are uniformly suspenseful, even gripping at times. Anita lives in a very dangerous world and the author does an excellent job of portraying this. The weakest portion of the novel shows up whenever there is a conversation or Anita's narration includes her own thoughts. If Anita is talking to the police, they basically have the same conversation every time they meet at a crime scene. If she speaks to Jean-Claude, she has the same conversation every time. Even her own thoughts take on the exact same form over and over again.

After enjoying Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter), I was disappointed by The Laughing Corpse (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 2). I was hoping that Circus of the Damned would be a tie breaker of sorts to see if I would keep reading more or not. This is certainly a more entertaining book than The Laughing Corpse and provided a welcome return back to vampires as the chief villains. Unfortunately, Laurell Hamilton's writing style has grown so stale and cliché for me that I don't have the desire to go any further with Anita Blake. These books all read like a poor imitation of Dashiell Hammett and the style never grows or varies in the slightest. I'm glad I bought this book because it ties up all the loose ends from the prior two books, but there's nothing here compelling enough to make me want to keep coming back for more.

I started reading this series about three weeks ago, and though I have interspersed the books with other reading, I keep coming back to these. Since I started, every other book I read has been Anita Blake. Should I be worried that I'm growing a little obsessive with these? Have I spent too much of my time reading this series, when I could be reading something else? Should I change this system of alternating other novels with Anita Blake books?

Nah.

One nice thing, actually, about reading this series so quickly, and without many other novels coming in between these, is that I've been able to pay close attention to the ways that the characters have grown and changed. My wife brought it to my attention, as the largest complaint against this series is the way Anita changes somewhere in the next few books; many of Hamilton's fans found the change unwelcome, and they have spent the last few years going off the deep end, becoming a sort of internet Inquisition, always on the lookout for both the faithful few and the heretics who disagree with their assessment of the series' fall from grace; anyone who continues to like the series after the change, as my wife does, are in for torture, excommunication, and burning at the stake. Considering how much I like this series so far, and how often I agree with my wife's assessment of books -- and how much I, as a writer and observer of human behavior, enjoy watching good writers deal with genuine characters -- I can pretty safely assume I'll like the coming change. I expect my own crucifixion will be coming soon -- maybe on this review. At any rate, knowledge of the controversy has made me more aware of the steady changes happening in Anita, and I love that those changes are there for me to observe.

The big changes in this book: she agrees to marry Richard, sort of -- which was a huge mistake; she said yes in the heat of the moment, when he's looking all hot and sexy, and that's always a bad time, though she rightly points out that he shouldn't have asked her then -- and then takes it back shortly afterward when she has second thoughts. I liked that because it was very real and very human; I also like that I feel a little conflicted over Anita's largest personality clash with Richard. That clash is over her absolute refusal to bend to his will, while simultaneously demanding that he bend to hers. I understand it: she has fought very hard for control of her life, and she still fights, against forces that are constantly arrayed against her: the police bureaucracy and general attitude (not shared by the RPIT cops, thankfully) that a woman and a civilian should be doubly separated from police matters; the overwhelming presence of Jean-Claude and his desire for her both as lover and servant, and her own traitorous desire for him; Bert and the demands of her job, both those that genuinely come with the territory and also those Bert unreasonably puts on her against her will. All of these things, along with the several other monsters who keep trying to control her and force her to do their bidding, have made her hypersensitive to giving in to anyone in anything; look at what happened when she allowed Jean-Claude even a moment of control over her. This means she has an incredibly difficult time in compromising with Richard, in allowing him into her life, since that means allowing him to have power over her -- and what's worse, accepting that control willingly, not begrudgingly as she does in every other instance that someone controls her. I understand that desire for independence, though I . . . can't remember where I've encountered it before.

Even though I understand her desire for independence, I can't help but think, Jesus, Anita, you don't have to bristle and argue about EVERYTHING. What the heck kind of relationship is that? Plus, she's just too dead set against the idea of monsters -- though I love that she has the honesty to admit that, even though she hates it about herself, she is indeed prejudiced. That neither Richard nor Jean-Claude are human enough for her, and it's unfair of her to think so, but she still does. It is unfair, of course; she's a little too inhuman for a normal man to put up with. I could probably handle marrying an animator, but not an animator who hung out with so many truly dangerous monsters. At least, it would be hard to handle, and so Anita has no room to criticize Richard, who at least doesn't want to be a monster and is honest about his feelings with her.

The other interesting moment with Anita was when she realized that she didn't go for her cross when Gretchen attacked her, but went straight for her gun, instead. She says she won't skip church any more, but I doubt that: her faith did not protect her in the last book, when, what was her name, Yasmeen, grabbed her; instead she ended up with another cross-shaped brand. What worked was the gun, so naturally that's what Anita would go for. Her real core belief is about survival, anyway; if she was a Christian first she wouldn't be so willing to do anything to survive. But she is willing, and so her Christianity is falling away, bit by bit -- and don't think her attraction to Richard and Jean-Claude, combined with her unwillingness to sacrifice her independence through marriage, can lead anywhere but sin. She'll get there, eventually. And I says, more power to her: the sexual revolution has come and gone, and it's a brave new world.

Otherwise: I liked Konrad and I'm ticked about how his part in the story ended up; I absolutely loathe Marcus, Raina, and Gabriel -- especially the masochist, there; that's just freaky. I liked the witch subplot, and wish more could have been done with it. I'm not sure how long Hamilton can go on whacking every single serious bad guy in these books; that's a real high turnover rate for villains. But since this book includes mentions of things like trolls and dragons, I suppose we have the near-infinite variety of all of the fantasy world to draw enemies from. All I know is, I'm going to keep reading these. A lot.

I can barely go two days between books, thank you Laurell Hamilton you have a brilliant mind.

The book was wonderfully inexpensive but there is a strange yellow dot on the cover. Im not sure if they all look like that or if mine is specially flawed. Just throwin that out there

this is one of my favorites from the series. Mostly because it deals with werewolves as the main characters this time. There's been a werewolf in the first three books, but they didn't transform into one until the third book. I think from this book you can see how far Laurell has grown as an author.

The only thing dumb about this book i would say is the cover!!! Just bogus and dumb. I'm a guy and I've gotten a lot of funny looks when i leave this thing lying around. (i've since learned to put a book on top of it or turn it over. The artwork is so irrelevant and dumb) My only beef but that's the company's fault. I don't think Laurell has a say over artwork.

Loved it!! I just can't get enough of this series. It has everything...violence, mystery, sex, love. I'm constantly finding myself holding my breath. These books are my latest addiction.

I understand why people wouldn't like this book because it's not that greatest portrayal of teenagers today or whatever but it was addictive to me and when wondering if you should buy or read this book, read the little intro and if you want to know more/read on or can relate and think you'll like it I say go for it but be prepared to deal with one of those girls who doesn't fit in a high school clique and was probably a groupie in a past life.

After pouring through many of Pete Fromm's works (As Cool as I Am & How This All Started specifically) and now finishing up Blake Nelson's Girl, I am at loss as to how these two men can write so efficiently in the tone of a young female or reflect on the life of one so honestly and realistically.
There are so many stereotypes that Blake could have easily fallen victim to, but he keeps his story away from most of them. Being a young female myself (not as young as the heroine of the story, but close enough to that age to have it still fresh in my mind) I was stuck in the book. I was captured and finished it up in a day, reading whenever I found the time. The tone of Blake's writing demands that, at least for this story. I couldn't count the number of 'and's in this book, because many of the passages are intertwined and ramble on as if you are really sitting down in the head of a 17 year old girl. It isn't structured along a clear cut 'paragraph, paragraph, paragraph' - the book is written well in a journalistic tone of someone experiencing her four years of high school. The story follows her ups, downs, growths, experiences, discoveries, heartaches, and surprises without ever leaving the "...And I went down to visit her because she was upset. Afterwards we decided to go get frozen yogurt downtown and look for Todd..." tone.
The central character is frustrating, in the way a mother might get nervous picking up the journal of her daughter and finding out what she's been up to, yet she constantly draws you back with the choices she makes and her reasonings behind them.
This book aptly portrays the shallow, sweet world of being a teenage girl - and her inner thoughts will always disarm you into reading the next page...

This book I found interesting and exciting to read. It seems like she is very energetic for some reason, like she never stops! I think this book is really for teenage girls or even adults. I think Andrea is the typical teenager (apart from some things in the book that some people might not be doing at that age... if you know what I mean!) But all in all I think this is a very enjoyable story and will get all your emotions up and running. There are some quite humourous bits, like when Cybil shaves her hair off, to impress a boy that Andrea ends up with anyway... OK, I will not tell you ANYMORE and you will just have to buy the book to see what other amazing, exciting adventures happen to Andrea throughout her hectic high school life!

Allthough the writing in novel left a lot to be desired, it really did transport me back to the early 90's. I started out with a more straight crowd as a freshman but then I discovered alternative music and thrift store shopping. This led to punk rock and a totally different crowd. By the end of high school I was this scenester chick that wrote a zine and probably would have never hung out with the nerdy freshman I used to be. The book really does show how that time was. There's a line when Andrea is telling someone that they were going to a "show" not a "concert". I remember those conversations and trying to explain that to people. Andrea reminded me of myself (I was in the school paper and did a column about fashion, fell for the wrong guy in a band, etc.) I am surprised I never found this book when I was a teenager. Fans of MSCL will dig it or anyone that was different in high school will relate.

I first read this book when I was 17 and it left a lasting impression on me. Andrea, the main character, is a young independent woman who I never quite got out of my mind. I recently re-read the book and I still think its a wonderful coming of age story and not in a goody two-shoes way. The story tells the struggle of Andrea and she grows up and is torn identifying between the straight crowd and the independent albeit freakier crowd. At the same time, she is trying to make her own mark and find herself. This book falls along the lines of "My So-Called Life", "Sassy" Magazine, etc a great read for young adults and not-so-young adults even today.

One of the lesser-known works of the late Roald Dahl, the author behind Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach, Danny the Champion of the World is the delightfully fantastical account of a young boy and his father taking on a small patch of tyranny and emerging in snickering triumph.

Danny lives with his fun-loving father in a small rural caravan in England, helping with the family service station and soaking up Dad's country wisdom. Along with the craft of vehicle repair, Danny learns to find adventure using everyday objects. The pair creates all types of toys, from kites and boomerangs to "fire balloons" and stilts.

One night, Danny wakes during the night to find his father missing. Though his father comes home safe, Danny's life will never be the same.

Out spills a secret about not only his father, but many of the townspeople he grew up knowing. Soon Danny has hatched a plan to carve out his own place in the history of this fantastic secret.

Dahl is known for his ability to delight audiences of all ages. Like Charlie and James, this work reflects his ability to see through young eyes. Danny experiences life, from listening to his father's bedtime stories to sinking his teeth into a delicious meat pie, with the thrilled awe of a child.

Dahl's descriptions of people, particularly the not-so-nice varieties, are hilarious. One of Danny's teachers is described as having "fiery carrot-colored hair and a little clipped carroty mustache and a fiery temper. Carroty-colored hair also sprouted out of his nostrils and his earholes." A childish word like "earholes" thrown in with the vivid description of "Captain Lancaster" is a nice touch.

The book features illustrations by Quentin Blake, who provided drawings for many of Dahl's other works, as well. Though simple in form, the illustrations are a nice compliment to the story. The pictures of Captain Lancaster and of Mr. Victor Hazell, the story's primary villain, are particularly nice.

Danny will appeal to anyone who likes a bit of adventure in everyday life. The book, at just over 200 pages, is probably best for readers ages nine and up. The tale itself is good for anyone who's old enough to hear it read aloud, perhaps as a nightly installment of bedtime stories.

Book Review
The worst Book Ever
By ME

The Book Danny The Champion Of The World by Roald Dahl was horrible. It was not intriguing at all. The story was about a boy (Danny) and his father. They were a rich family. Danny had a very good life. He is the youngest master car mechanic ever, his dad was his best friend. What more could he want.... right? Then Danny discovered his father was keeping something from him & he seeks to find out the secret.

Danny is very very sneaky. He's sweet but not at all trustworthy. I (personally) would not ever trust him being alone. In the beginning of the book I really trusted him. But not now that I've gotten to know the character. Danny has blond hair. He is about 13 years old. He is an only child and has no mother. His mother had pasted away when he was a baby. Then a couple years later... well quite a few years later he learns the secret.

That secret that he knew his father was keeping from him. I'm not going to tell you the secret but lots of people get involved especially Mr. Hazel.

I (personally) dislike all books, but I would have too say that this was by-far the worst book I've ever read. The writing in it was horrible. If you don't believe me that's fine , read it for yourself but to me it was the worst book I've ever read.

Danny and his father live in a little caravan but they have a big secret.
Have your parents ever kept a secret from you? Well I bet they have once or twice because Danny's father has a big one. STOMP STOMP STOMP, Danny's father steps quietly into Mr.Hazell`s woods looking for something when Danny's father breaks his leg and figures something has to be done! You might believe in good and evil, if you read this book. I give the book five stars because I love adventure.

Do you like stories about truthful little boys vs. mean,fat men that are extremely rich ? Danny is very honest and has no bad secrets, Mr.Hazell, his neighbor, is a fat man who is very mean. If you want to find out how Danny gets revenge on Mr.Hazell and about what Danny is the champion of, read the book now.I liked the book because the story is full of mystery and action.

I really can't add much more than that! It really is one of his best! The love story between the father and son is truly wonderful. And, since there is a question of "to steal" or "not to steal" , it is great for springboarding family discussions.

I usually save long reviews for products that caused problems. So this one's short and sweet. This BOOK is Fantastic. It's short, and a dahl classic. Plus, I believe they're turning it into a movie starring Clooney, Murray, and Blanchet.

Love this book, found the same edition to read to my children, I hope they will read it to there children one day.

this is a good book because it makes you want to know what happens next. you will like this book if you like adventure books. there is some saspensfull parts in the book! you want to see what mr. fox's plan is. becuse three hunters are trying to to kill mr. fox for steeling there food that they hunted for like chickens and ducks. if you read this book will love the ending.


thanks for reading

I am 9 years old and enjoyed this book. I especially like how it is written and the story line. It is full of fantastic mystery all the way up until the last sentence. There ae three adults who are trying to kill a fox who is eating some of the food from their farms. The adventure is all about Mr. Fox trying to get away from the farmers and still trying to feed his family and friends. It was fun to live the life of each character from the adults to the foxes, moles, rabbits and all the other animals. If you like mystery and adventure you will love this book.

when the young foxes fearfully ask their daddy, the fantastic mr fox, how will we die? will there be dogs? I decided it was not for my 3 year olds. he's clever allright but this is probably a tale best told ( edited by you) and not read.

Sorry to have to disagree with all those folks who gave it 4 0r 5 stars, but this is my truthful opinion. In my title, I said "enthralling". The first narrative of the overseer, over one third of the book, was great fun. His idiosyncrasies and droll way of looking at the other characters was quite delightful. The tale itself was unfolding in a way that continued to whet one's interest as more and more unexplainable and outrageous developments occurred. What a fizzle the rest of the book proved to be! Tedious prolongation of the suspense and an unbelievable resolution resulted in irritation at having wrapped up precious reading time. The book may have historical interest as being a pioneering manifestation of the detective novel, but that isn't enough to provide a satisfying reading experience for me. Due to the glowing reviews, I had expected something with more psychological or metaphysical depth. If the author had only carried through on the promise of the first narrative, I think it would indeed have been a great book.

The Moonstone was recommended to me by my cousin during a recent trip to Ireland. I must say that at first, I had a hard time getting into the book, but then I was absorbed by the well-crafted and realistic characters. Though these characters would have "lived" about 150 years ago, they jumped off the page with their idiosyncrasies and humorous outlook on life. The only complaint that I have about the characters is that their names were a bit heavy-handed, falling under the guise of "charactonyms", such Mr. Bruff, the grumpy family attorney, and Godfrey Ablewhite, the overly-involved church volunteer. The tales of Miss Clack and Mr. Betteridge caused me to intermittently laugh out loud, and Mr. Betteridge's devotion to Robinson Crusoe as his chosen life anthem was priceless.

Pastiche Victorian mystery and adventure tales are currently in vogue; but why settle for an imitation when you can read the real thing?

The Moonstone is at heart a mystery and detective story about a lost diamond. The gem is a sacred Indian artefact that carries a curse, and it leaves a trail of confusion and ruin in its path. Only the virtuous are likely to survive it, and when young heiress Rachel Verinder is bequeathed the stone by an evil uncle, her love, reputation and marriage plans are immediately thrown upside down. And the theft proves equally fateful to the host of family relations, servants, friends and professional detectives who join in to help the reader solve this artfully constructed case.

But Wilkie Collins's novel, written in the era of Dickens and George Eliot, is also a commentary on the time and mores. Five principal voices, of different social and intellectual standing, alternate as the narrator, each bringing its own colour, and this helps the book pick through such archetypes as the faithful old butler, the bigoted poor relation, and the pusillanimous cousin, as well as offer glimpses of contemporary attitudes to scientific enquiry, drugs, superstition, and the law. The dialogues are equally truthful. Indeed, The Moonstone is a pleasure to read, subtly written and constantly amusing. And importantly, it skirts the pitfalls of Victorian prejudice, whether social, religious or racial. This surprising book ranks alongside the better known 19th century classics and is not to be missed.

I am not a big fan of mystery novels. However, I'd have to agree that
"The Moonstone" may not only the first and longest, but also the best
detective novel ever written. The story is told from the viewpoint of a number
of characters, and the writing style varies accordingly. The storytellers vividly
paint the different characters, while they are themselves brought to life
through the idiosyncracies of their writing. There is not a single, central
mystery, but a web of unexplained occurrences and actions that each writer
presents from his or her own view, adding bits of information in the process.
Therefore the fun is as much in the construction of the web of mysteries
surrounding the disappearance of the Moonstone, as in the eventual resolution.

The plot is somewhat intricate, but not too difficult to follow. In brief, a very
satisfying book.

I have to admit that until I did a mystery search, I hadn't even heard of Wilkie Collins. Wilkie Collins name came up, along with a description of The Moonstone as being "the best of modern English detective novels" (as quoted by T.S.Eliot). Big words, indeed. With those lofty expectations, I read The Moonstone, and have to say that this mystery definitely delivered. It lived up to those words.

One of the finer aspects of Collins work is his creation of mood and suspense in the story. There is a feeling of expectation and suspense from the beginning, when the moonstone is stolen, to the case of trying to find out who stole it, to the unmasking of events, people and circumstances at the end. There is a marvelous ability to create narrative point of view from the many narratives told from the various characters. And there are many--eleven different narratives--in total. From Gabriel Betteredge to Franklin Blake to Sergeant Cuff to Miss Clack and other minor characters, Collins is able to change narrative persona and "become" that person. There is a good deal of intrigue from so many voices, because, quite frankly, you do not know if you can take what the person is saying at face value. In this way, the human element of perspective is amazingly effective in telling this mystery.

There are other elements that make this a worthy mystery. Namely, you have a diverse number of characters, who have their various motives. Throw in a love affair, a tragic character, and an exotic jewel with a curse put on it, and you have quite a remarkable suspense. I have to say that I was hooked.

As far as my own personal interests, I found Sergeant Cuff to be my favorite character. Surely, he's no Sherlock Holmes, but there is a way he goes about trying to solve the mystery that I found refreshing. He's no average sleuth. One of my favorite scenes was the "experiment" performed by Ezra Jennings in relation to the events leading up to the disappearance of the moonstone.

There is also a little comic relief thrown in from time to time in the person of Gabriel Betteredge, who believes that life's answers and secret are all contained in Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe.

The Moonstone is an engaging work, highly detailed, and maybe a little implausible, but Collin's overcomes this. I'm glad I found this one, and I've also heard good things about The Woman in White, another Collins mystery. Definitely worth a read!

Though the book is supposed to be a Children's book, I wouldn't let my child read it. In fact I wouldn't even read it to him. An adult will be able to enjoy this book, but a child will probably try to copy George, not at all recommended.

This was a fun book to read and my children enjoyed it a lot. I wasn't worried at all about them copying George's terrible medicine making because of course we discussed the book while we read it and they know the difference between imaginative fiction and real life ramifications for eating poisonous ingredients mixed together. We enjoy Roald Dahl's books as a rule and this one was one of our favorites.

This book is a bout a young boy named George he is home alone with his grandma, because his parents were away. George is a very hipper active child and his grandma is nothing besides a grouch. So he is responsalbe to give his gramma her medicne. So he decides to make better medicen so she is not so craby. He makes a homemade medicen with many concocations.



My opioin of this book is that it is a fantastic book that is a hilarious book for children. It is very desriptive and can give yopu a mentle movie in your mind. It is one of the funniest books I have ever read.



I recdommend this book to any one who enjoys many laughs. It is one of Roald Dahl's books he is a fantastic aouthor and he always brings laughs.

I was a little aprehensive at first reading this book to 4th graders, but they absolutely loved it! Before we opened the book, we talked about what genre it might be. We reviewed this prediction after reading a couple chapters. We talked about Fantasy and the elements. I think kids are pretty smart and know that this is not something they should make and give to someone else. We didn't have any problems.

They loved drawing pictures of each step and then summarizing it with a friend. This book allows for great visualizations and even some connections. Kids love mixing things together.

I definitely recommend this book to children 9 years and older. It is really not for lower elementary if you want them to really understand the book.

I read the book George's Marvelous Medicine. The book is about a kid named George and he has a grumpy old grandma so he decides to make her a new medicine. So he got a big stew pot to make his grandma a new medicine. He goes around the house to get ingredients anything he could find to put in the pot. He takes the pot back to the kitchen to boil the things. After she had some of it seemed like she was going to blow up. She just kept growing from the medicine and finally her head went through the roof. It looks like the kick of the medicine made her nicer instead of grouchy.

So after I read the book it was awesome. I recommend this book to anyone parents or kids. I think it was one of the best books I ever read.

By: Damian Zowal

The Mildenhall Treasure

This is a non-fiction account of a labourer named Gordon Butcher that uncovered a large quantity of Roman treasure in a field that he was ploughing for a farmer named only as Ford.

Lucky Break

This is a non-fictional account, form. It discusses the events in his life that lead him to becoming a writer.

A Piece of Cake

This is an autobiographical account of Dahl's time as a fighter pilot in World War II.


The Boy Who Talked with Animals
The Hitch-hiker
The Swan
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Turtle talking saves the day.

3 out of 5


Thief good with thumbs.

3 out of 5



Tying on bits of bird and then shooting him won't turn a kid into Icarus.

4 out of 5


Reformed type becomes yogi pontoon philanthropist.

5 out of 5

Funny, creative, suprising. These witty, clever stories will keep you on your toes. A fairly easy read, this is a must have by Dahl.

I read this book years ago, as a child, and was thrilled to find I could still get a copy years (ok, decades *cringes*) later. Yet the book is certainly one both children and adults can enjoy.

The main stories (in my humble opinion) to read are "The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar" and "The Hitchhiker". I've never been a great fan of his non-fiction...that is not to say that he's a lousy non-fiction writer, but his fiction appeals to my imagination and sense of humour.

The "Henry Sugar" tale is about a greedy rich bachelor who discovers a book in a friend's library about a man in India who can see without using his eyes, and can even see through playing cards. It doesn't take Henry long to decide to steal the book, and to practise the technique so that he can cheat at gambling. Yet though he starts out mean-spirited and focussed solely on personal gain, through the long, arduous dedication to these yoga exercises, Henry makes his own journey of self-discovery, and finds at the end that he no longer cares about money. Instead, he decides to use his money for good, as a modern-day Robin Hood - winning money from casinos with his ability, yet using the winnings to set up orphanages in different countries around the world.

"The Hitchhiker" is told from the point of view of the author who is driving a brand new car and picks up a hitchhiker, who turns out to be a most unusual fellow with an extraordinary skill.

While Dahl is best known for his children's stories, he also wrote a lot of adult fiction...if memory serves, he wrote a number of Tales Of The Unexpected books - short stories which were usually thrillers, often full of surprise twists and sometimes with a touch of the paranormal. This book showcases the best of Dahl's short story writing ability, creating 3-D characters we feel sad to leave at the end, and giving us tales that mystify, delight and inspire.

I highly recommend this book.

As the title suggests, this book is a collection of seven short stories written by one of the all time greats: Roald Dahl. Let us start with the big one, the monster, the "man this one is so good, let's just name the whole book after it" - "The Wonderful Story" in the flesh.

Stretching the limits of short by clocking (flipping?) in at 68 pages, "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" could nearly be published all by itself. I can see the title now: Henry Sugar, the EP. The tale is worth every page. The story centers on a rich, bored man (the aforementioned Henry) who comes upon an unassuming notebook. The thin volume holds the key to something, as Dahl would put it, fantastically extraordinary: the ability to see through solid objects.

Now I don't know about you, but this premise alone had me hooked as a youngster. The remaining pages melted away as I wondered if Mr. Sugar would have the patience and determination to learn this astounding skill, and what he would do with the power if he got it.

While "The Wonderful Story..." towers over the others in both size and ability to thrill, the accompanying six short stories pack a significant punch. From a true story of a man unearthing a fortune to an unforgettable tale of a hitchhiker with sticky fingers, young readers (especially boys) will be delighted. A landmark in my childhood of reading.

Roald Dahl is too-often dismissed as a children's story-teller and not given his due respect: he's a literary genius. I first read this book at 7 years old, and all these decades later, it's still one of the best-written works of literature I've ever seen.

Roald Dahl certainly knew how to convey joy and happiness by the pen, and has touched the hearts of may readers; young and old alike.

I don't think anyone will ever forget their first Dahl story (mine was "The Twits"), ever, in a lifetime full of reading. "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" is no exception.

Having read the book and personally experienced the program at Lifestyle Center of America, I am now in control of Diabetes, it no longer controls me. By following the program of diet and exercise and behavior modification I now have reduced the number of medications I take, have more energy and lots of hope for a longer and healthier life. My doctor is amazed with my results.

I FOUND THE BOOK VERY WELL WRITTEN TOUCHED ON EVERY THING THAT MIGHT GET THAT PERSON OFF THE FENCE AND START DOING THE RIGHT THING TO HELP THEM SELVES. I PURCHASED ABOUT EIGHT COPIES FOR TWO OF MY BROTHERS AND FRIENDS WHO WOULD NOT TREAT THERE CONDITION WITH GOOD DIET AND EXERCISE.

Maybe it's just me, and it probably is, but I seem to keep searching for a cookbook, diet book, nutrition book that is practical and basic. Most of the food presented I either haven't heard of or it's not readily available. I can tell you from here on out that I will not be investing in any more books of this nature. I've been so discouraged. I live on a limited income, wish to eat healthy, wish to reverse if not just improve my diabetes, but I guess it's a project that requires much more time and money than I have available.

This book is false advertising. It is very simple. It is dealing with Diabetes by becoming a vegetarian. They hide this until the middle of the book.

My mother has been a brittle diabetic ever since gallbladder disease caused her a chronic pancreatitis. We tried this plan for about 3 months, and her A1C increased by over 3 points to 9.1. Fasting blood sugars also went up significantly.

Going to the Atkins diet brought her A1C back to 5.7 and her average fasting sugars to the mid-90s. There just wasn't enough protein or fat in this plan according to her endocrinologist.