Bloom Books

"Sam Bloom has drawn on his own rich fifty year experience and his wise insights to provide an interpretation of historical events that intertwine the history of medical sociology with changes in medical science and education, with the changing economics, politics and practices of health care, with shifting social values, and with the changing nature, status and major concerns of sociology. It is a challenging task and Sam Bloom brings it off beautifully."

Robert Straus, Professor Emeritus, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky

"A richly documented, enlightening, masterly account of the diverse antecedents of medical sociology before and after World War II, with its eventual establishment as a formal sub-specialty of sociology. Fills a major gap in the history of the social sciences. Highly recommended for anyone interested in professionalization, sociology, and social science and medicine."

Rosemary A. Stevens, Professor of Sociology of Science, University of Pennsylvania

"An illuminating, caring, and concerned work that not only provides knowledge and understanding of medical sociology as an intellectual discipline, but also of its interrelationship with the unfolding of medicine and medical education, and of health and illness in 20th century American society."

Renee C. Fox, Professor Emerita of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania

"As one of the key early leaders of the medical sociology field, Sam Bloom offers us a fascinating combination of institutional history and personal experience. We can feel ourselves in the rooms of universities, hospitals, medical schools, and government agencies where key studies were designed and new programs initiated."

Phil Brown, Professor of Sociology, Brown University

"This scholarly and deeply researched history of medical sociology will inform readers both within the field and interested observers. An essential basis for any future study of the field and a historical source unlikely to be surpassed."

David Mechanic, Professor of Behavioral Sciences, Rutgers University

"This extraordinary book by one of the nation's leading medical sociologists is more than an institutional history of a field. Rather it is an intellectual and personal voyage that illuminates the basis for a discipline and a roadmap for understanding the principles that under gird its members. Beautifully and clearly written."

David Rosner, Professor of History and Public Health, Columbia University

Seasoned editor Lary Bloom knows what any good screenwriter knows -- people love stories. Stories that include honest detail, true emotion, conflict, a point of view, and that show ordinary people's struggles and journeys. In this book, he reminds us that such drama is in everyday lives. He encourages journalists and non-ficton writers to take the time to explore the human drama behind the obvious bullet points of their works-in-progress. The many writing examples used in the book (Bloom has been editor to many writers) shows how doing just this elevated what could have been so-so stories with limited audience appeal to stories that are interesting to many of us.

The Writer Within is a delightful read, as Bloom applies these guidelines to his own writing.

Loved it! judith Ivey did a wonderful job.The story skipped around a bit,
but so what. I listened to it in the car while running errands. It made
the time fly. Very enjoyable.

While the 1984 has come and gone, George Orwell's masterpiece of the same title is still a classic.
In this dark alternate reality, oppressive super-governments control the world. Eurasia consists of mainland Europe and Russia. Eastasia is made up of china and southeastern Asian states. Finally, Oceania consists of the Americas, Australia, Southern Africa, and the British Isles. These governments are almost identical in their policies and philosophies, but are constantly shifting alliances and enemies with one another. Although it is available, there's never enough food or good housing for the average citizen. Socialist oligarchies control every aspect of life, and are coming closer to complete control of thought by the day.
What really makes this book shine is Orwell's brilliant language and description of this dark future. This society, its way of life, governments, and ideals, seem completely thought-out and (dis)functional. It is almost as if Orwell had visited and lived in this alternate-reality 1984 himself. In Oceania, a revised form of English called Newspeak is slowly being implemented. Newspeak is designed so that free thought and speech against the government is literally impossible, because the necessary words have either been removed or had their meaning revised. Orwell gives this fictional language as much function and form as the real English language, and introduces new words like "doubleplusungood", "thoughtcrime", and "doublethink". Governments are constantly revising what is said in the media, so there is no true record of the past. Citizens can only go by the past that has been told to them by the Party. Any conflicting knowledge would be a mere doubtful memory that for sure must have been just their imagination. Every word you say, anything you do, and possibly anything you think, the Party knows about. This constant surveillance and lack of anything that can be proven true keeps the people constantly under the government's thumb, and in the Orwellian language, does an excellent job of conveying to the reader the constant sense of fear and doubt that surrounds this world.
The book itself, set in London, Airstrip One (England), which is part of Oceania, follows the life of Winston Smith. Smith, a 39 year old, is the equivalent of an "average Joe." Oceania's government has 4 ministries: The Ministry of Peace (concerned with war), the Ministry of Plenty (which insures that there's neverenough to go around), the Ministry of Love (Which is in charge of punishment and torture), and the Ministry of Truth (focused on government propaganda and revising any media that could put the government in a bad light). Smith works at the Ministry of Truth. He had never held too much doubt of the Party. He lived his life and did his job without thinking too hard about anything, until he met a young woman named Julia. When he first sees her, Julia appears to Winston as a mindless party drone, spewing out slogans and loving all the rallies, parades, public executions, and other activities that the party holds. In truth, Julia had just found a smarter way to rebel. From her, and their findings, Winston discovers that the inner Party doesn't always practice what they preach, that there are those who haven't become the government's mental slaves yet, and finds out if Big Brother really is always watching you.

1984 / 0-679-41739-7

Painful, frightening, horrific. What do you do in a world where your every movement, every gesture is watched carefully by the government? How do you live in a world where even the slightest departure from complete conformity will result in torture, dismemberment, death? What hope can you have in a world where there is no escape - there is no free travel, and nowhere to flee to since all governments are the same? You cannot even take the step of ending your own life, as the government which cannot supply the country with enough food, shoes, or clothes also fails to supply its citizenry with razor blades.

1984 paints a picture bleak and terrifying, of a government that terrorizes its populace into quiescence, and of a populace that is too fearful, too hungry, and too uneducated to attempt the mass uprising that might save them. In a world where children are taught to spy on their parents and turn them into the police for the most minor (or imagined) of crimes, there can be no love, no one worth fighting for or protecting. How does it all end? Orwell doesn't believe that it can end - 1984 is a reminder for eternal vigilance against an impossible enemy: ourselves.

1984 has come and gone but this still is one of the most important books you could read about why it's important to protect our Freedom. Orwell wrote it to condemn Stalin and the Bolshevists but power for the sake of Power happens everywhere the government gets too strong and controls your life. Keep this in mind this coming November. Especially if your going to vote for a long lanky mackdaddy Chicago politician.

George Orwell, in his book "1984", writes of a future dystopian society where the governments of a few nations maintain control of the world by keeping their inhabitants in submission and fear.

Like in his earlier work "Animal Farm", Orwell is making a pointed attack against the Soviet Union and communism. However, Orwell's work is more importantly a powerful depiction of the power and danger of an unchecked government. He grimly depicts the psychological, economic, technological, and other weapons a government has at its disposal against its people.

I recommend this book highly to everyone; I would even say that it is a must read. The writing is not difficult to understand, however, the political concepts are better appreciated with first hand experience and interaction with government and its potential for power abuse. I first read "1984" as a sophomore in high school and did not fully comprehend the books meaning. The book is even more valuable as a comparison to modern day political events.

First off, this book is incredible. At 13 years old, I didn't understand every aspect of it, but in a whole, everything made perfect, clear sense.
I'm very interested in socialist governments(no, I don't like communist views; I'm a die-hard patriot at 13!), and I consider myself well-informed on up-to-date politics and such. And so, upon reading this book which was recommended to me by one of my teachers, I was horrified at the resemblances that Oceania and the direction our government is headed shared. The foresight of Orwell was shocking, and he kept the book very interesting.
But a good portion of the middle was....awkward. Like, mature-content awkward (most teachers gave me girl-are-you-crazy? looks when they saw I was reading it. Later, I realized why). I almost didn't finish the book, but knowing its importance to my knowledge, I finished it. I definitely do not recommend it to anyone my age....-shudders-
But its imperative that we as Americans read it. Remembering the mistakes of the past (and, in this case, the future) is imperative to keeping our nation a democracy. If we heed most of Orwell's warnings, we will be better equipped to save the future, and in doing so saving the past.

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!

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.

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.

"Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves; vanity, to what we would have others think of us." Jane Austen

I let my own foolish pride, my own ignorant prejudices; deter me from ever picking up a Jane Austen achievement until about a month ago when I finally decided to give her a shot. This classic novel was definitely not on my `must read' list, but somehow, someway, it landed on my lap one afternoon and I decided to at least take a quick peek at it while no one else was looking. After all, a man's man like myself (whatever that means nowadays) has no time to read early 19th century Chick Brit Lit., let alone a sweet, love story like this one. Especially during football season! I could almost hear Bukowski's ghost laughing at me when I opened up the first page and read those unforgettable first lines regarding man and marriage. However, I forged on, just Jane and I, and when it was all said and done - I can't believe what a fool I've been all these years! Yes, this classic is a thing of beauty. And like Jane's main protagonist and narrative voice in the novel - Elizabeth Bennet - I too learned a valuable lesson about not judging a book by its cover. Isn't evolution great?

Don't make the same mistake I did. I love classic literature, but for too long now I avoided such greats as the Bronte's, Wharton, Cather, et al... because of my foolish male ego, my ridiculous machismo pride. My biggest regret though, was avoiding Austen all these years. Now, I may not go out and rent the movie anytime soon, but I will definitely be purchasing some more of Jane's classics (Emma, Persuasion, Mansfield Park, etc...) and if they are anything like this pleasant surprise, I am going to be one happy camper.

Never a dull moment, never a page not worth perusing, simply put - Austen is awesome!

In The Things They Carried, Vietnam veteran Tim O'Brien called upon his own wartime experiences, labeled them as fiction, and wrote one of the most emotionally potent books I've ever read.

It's irrelevant to me how much of O'Brien's book "really happened" because O'Brien's words and stories in The Things They Carried deeply touched me. O'Brien wrote simply, but effectively. He tapped into real emotion and conveyed those emotions skillfully. With each and every short that made up a larger story with The Things They Carried, I could picture myself clear as day in those very same situations.

That's one benefit of calling this book fiction. Had O'Brien designated it nonfiction, I think each tale would have filtered through my knowledge this happened to O'Brien and registered as a "past event." But with it being called fiction, I could lose myself in the story and meld with it, become one with it, and see myself in it. It allowed me ownership that nonfiction does not.

While O'Brien offers authentic knowledge on weaponry, tactics, and all things associated with being a wartime soldier, he focuses more deeply upon the human element. The Things They Carried perfectly captures what it is to be human in times of chaos, fear, and horror. He doesn't glorify or lionize the characters in his stories. He treats them as "real" (and perhaps they were), and he offers only the emotional truth.

There are things in this book that chilled me to the bone. Not because it's overtly gory, but because O'Brien cuts to the core of our fragile lives. For instance, in one story a man dies after being sucked under mud during a mortar attack. But he doesn't write it from the dead man's perspective, he writes it first from the perspective of the man next to him, then from the perspective of the man pulling the body out of the mud the next day. Can you imagine? I assure you, you'll be able to imagine such a thing after reading The Things They Carried. And that's what makes this book so utterly effective. O'Brien forces you to put yourself in it, to experience it through his straightforward, transparent, and evocative words.

I honestly only read this book because Tim O'Brien was coming to a local university and I was invited to attend a private reception for him. I'd never heard of the man and had to ask a few friends for suggestions before one knew O'Brien's work and told me to read The Things They Carried. So expertly rendered were O'Brien's words and so powerful was the raw emotional honesty in his book that O'Brien has secured me as a life-long reader.

I strongly recommend you read The Things They Carried.

~Scott William Foley, author of Souls Triumphant

Tim O'Brien is one of the greatest writers alive today. I think that his prestige and legacy will only grow as the genius of his works find a wider audience.

The Things They Carried and Going After Cacciato make up the twin pillars of Vietnam literature. If you haven't read Going After Cacciato, please check it out.

The Things They Carried is as much a mediation on the nature of truth as it is a war story. The major themes of the novel are the ways stories shift meaning with continuous retelling, and the ways in which our own lives are at the mercy of memory. A haunting, moving masterpiece.

Not growing up during this era it was interesting to read the accounts... I found a great blog article on this book as well:

http://www.petermanseye.com/anthologies/perseverance/343-the-things-they-carried

Great read. Highly recommend the book.

Cheers.

The book was shipped early and it was in excellent condition. I woulld recommend a transaction and would purchase again from this supplier. I am a college student and I needed to review this book for a literature honors class. Thank you for your prompt and professional transaction.

... is a quote from O'Brien's daughter, Kathleen, in the story "Field Trip." Kathleen had just turned 10, and O'Brien had taken her back to Vietnam, to show her where her dad had been. He was trying to convey what it was like to have been a soldier in that war. As the story is written, clearly he had not been very successful. Going back to the sadness and failure of Vietnam is so totally different from strolling along the high cliffs of Normandy, where purpose and success reigned.

"The Things They Carried" is widely recognized as the classic soldier's account of the Vietnam War. It now has 702 reviews on Amazon. What more can be said? Hopefully a number of things, including a few personal parallels. When the Second World War commenced, Norman Mailer, the author of that war's classic account, "The Naked and the Dead," asked himself one thing: From which theater of the war could he write a better book? He consciously chose the Pacific. You never get that sense of ambition from O'Brien's stories; rather you feel that he was haplessly swept along with the events, and his eclectic montage of images reflect the experiences he is still trying to understand.

O'Brien was a "grunt" in the ill-starred Americal Division, in Quang Ngai province, mostly in 1969. I was in the next province south, in Binh Dinh, at the end of 1968, as a medic in a tank unit. Like O'Brien I would stare at the hills to the west of the coastal plain, and dream of waking up one morning, and walking through them, away from the war, a fantasy that he turned into another moving book, "Going After Cacciato." O'Brien was certainly right in taking his daughter back to the `Nam, in the hopes of transmitting to the next generation our experiences. I did the same thing; my first of three trips back was in 1994. This is probably the same year O'Brien took Kathleen, since I saw his signature in the ledger at the memorial at My Lai. "Ill-starred" became the most common adjective for the Americal, due in part to the massacre of what was official determined as 504 civilians in this hamlet. This event was only revealed to the wider American public thanks to the courageous actions of a couple soldiers, Ron Ridenhour who wrote numerous American leaders, and Ronald Haeberle, whose photographs were published in Life magazine. Others in the military hierarchy, including Colin Powell, tried to cover up the massacre.

A few of O'Brien's stories did not resonate. I remain puzzled as to the significance of "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong" which truly had to be a stoned-out fantasy. But most of the stories overwhelmingly hit resonance, including the suicide of Norman Bowker in "Notes," the hauntingly tragic portrait of a young Vietnamese school teacher in "The Man I Killed," and the philosophical underpinnings of "How to Tell a True War Story." O'Brien shifts in his story-telling, so that it is hard to tell what really happened, and what was imagined, and if there was a difference. Oh memory, speak truly.

It was only on my third trip back to Vietnam, in 1996, that I thought it was "safe" enough to take my wife and two children. At the time, my daughter was 12, my son 11, and I experienced some of the similar problems that O'Brien had in trying to convey what had happened in this now peaceful country. I insisted on climbing the hills surrounding the Mang Yang pass, site of ambushes for both French, and later American forces. Climbing in the heat, and through tough "elephant grass," my daughter turned around and said: "Dad, I think you are just a little bit crazy." Yes, the obsession.

Our post-war actions were not sufficient to stop a repeat of the same stupidities in Iraq, though I at least was successful in ensuring that my own children would not participate.

Perhaps O'Brien's most haunting story is the one which describes his mindset before he went to the Nam - "On the Rainy River." He concludes with: "... and then to Vietnam, where I was a soldier, and home again. I survived, but it is not a happy ending. I was a coward. I went to the war."

This book is our own "All Quiet on the Western Front," deserves more than 5 stars, and should be read in every American school.

"Rebecca" has been on my to read list for years-literally. There was always something to get to first but recently I was in need of something absorbing and after I had read the first few pages it was apparent the lulling/draw you in writing style of Daphne Du Maurier fit the bill.

To be honest I have no clue how to review a classic novel that has been reviewer countless times before my people much more qualified than I. So I'll be brief and base this on personal tastes only. I did enjoy this book but I have to say that all the hype about the incredible suspense of the novel seems a little unwarranted. To tell the truth I feel like I read another book altogether then what everyone else described. Especially when the ending of the novel is factored in.

I loved the writing style, the language the author used and the descriptions. But I just didn't get the plot and to be honest I feel a little stupid about it. Does anyone want to explain it to me?

Three stars. But because I did like the over all writing maybe I'll try another of Du Maurier's books.

Rebecca is a book narrated by a girl just barely out of her teenage years. In spite of that, it's a book for adults, too. The poor Mrs. De Winter is thrown into a whirlwind of society and class with which she's completely unfamiliar. She's suddenly expected to be beautiful, classy, and clever right off the bat. Du Maurier excellently portrayed Mrs. De Winter's thoughts throughout the novel. Even though they never mentioned her first name, Du Maurier still was able to sculpt the heroine into a lovely character.

I never once had to force myself to read this book. The suspense to see what would happen next had me reading whenever I could pick up the book. Just when I thought things were settling down, some new twist would have me reading with my nose practically touching the paper. I couldn't set it down!

The characters were anything but black and white. They were more detailed then any non-biography books I've read. Sometimes, I'd be turned around and be irritated with the protagonists and sympathizing with the villains. The villains were well developed as well, not just the normal brute force `I kill you now', but they're sly and deceitful, and you can never see their next blow until it was too late.

Now that I've praised the characters completely, I actually do have one critical thing to say about Mrs. De Winter. It annoyed me that she was so groveling. She just allowed everyone to walk all over her, and she didn't say a word about it. It would've been nice for her to have been able to stand up to someone at least once before the climax.

But that didn't detract severely from Rebecca. There were more than enough things to make up for it, and it was a good read anyway. I recommend this book to teenagers and adults alike.

Here we are, romance and psychological terror at its best, all under the guise of a peaceful British manor.

At first appearance it is a classic Cinderella story: a poor girl meets a handsome, rich, and mysterious man during vacation. After their brief courtship, he marries her and takes her away to the idealistic world of Manderly.

But all is not well between the lovebirds. There may be no ghosts, but the house is haunted by the memory of the first wife, Rebecca, and the loyalty of her servants.

The mystery is grisley and intriguing, and the sweet romance keeps this going. Excellent, powerful description and a voice as insecure as they come. A great blend for a mystery that will stay with you after you have closed the book.

It's been called a mystery, a romance, a Gothic novel, been labeled the best novel of the century, criticized as intensely boring and slow, praised as a real page turner. To some degree it all seems correct, all of those elements being presented by Dame du Maurier in her famous novel.

But I say that the only thing that kept me going through the first half of Rebecca was that famous opening line: Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. Simply wondering why she was no longer at Manderley, what drove and kept her away, was enough motivation to get through some very, very slow and tedious narrative.

I'm all for good descriptions of settings and character development, and in this book the estate Manderley is both of those, the setting and a crucial character. But in literature there's a spectrum of development, from inadequate to just the right amount and on to excessive - development overkill, if you will. Rebecca suffered, I think, some level of development overkill, and the details, excessive as they were, almost killed the story for me. I thought I was in trouble by page 10 when I could barely concentrate enough through the very detailed descriptions of the Manderley countryside and such things. Descriptions of the plants and the grounds and the woods and the animals, etc., etc. And those same descriptions had a very frequent (and unneeded) reoccurence. In short, many portions seemed overwritten and too detailed to the point of distracting from the story.

But I read on. By page 50 I was wondering when something would happen, a break in the story to motivate the reader with some intrigue. Nothing. Page 100, still nothing to grip me. Fifty more pages, nada. On to page 200, and by now I've been slowly, very slowly, plodding my way through this story for a month. There was still nothing to compel me to turn pages; thus the book sat unread for many days at a time. There was a conversation around page 130 that I thought might lead to some excitement, but then nothing. Though one success by this point in the story, it's been made painfully clear to the reader that the unnamed Mrs. de Winter the Second is diffident, shy and weak, and that she lives in the shadow of and is haunted by the memory of the dead Rebecca. In fact, I think the diffidence of the young Mrs. de Winter is one area where Dame Du Maurier succeeded in her excessive character development; the young wife easily brings disrespect on herself by the reader because of her lack of self-worth and confidence.

Finally, at about page 220, finally the story broke open. Finally I had reached a point that compelled me to keep reading. Finally, a story that moved quickly and was really a very, very good and well written climax. It became a five-star story from that point on, having elevated itself from a tedious, boring two stars.

I also really liked the epilogue, the addition made by Dame Du Maurier later. Thought it brought the story around to a good conclusion for the reader. So in the end, while I think the overall writing was too detailed and to some degree overwritten, I did find entertainment in the story's culmination.

Warning: spoiler

A fantastic novel, that deserves a place next to "Wuthering Hights", "Great Expectations" or "Jane Eyre". Daphne Dumaurier's beautiful and rich writing style and amazing storytelling skills make this novel great fun to read. She handles the character development wonderfully well, in particular the overly sensitive and devoted heroine, the sinister housekeeper Mrs. Danvers, the despicable playboy Favell, and the gloomy and jaded Max de Winter.

The novel works on many levels. There are some elements of the old fairy-tales Cinderella (servant-girl marries nobleman) and Bluebeard (forbidden room, murderous husband), but with a different, surprising twist. It's also a story of growing-up, as the nameless heroine matures from a timid girl into a strong-willed woman during her various trials. The author brilliantly disguises the characters' motivations, so that the true causes of things remain a mystery until about two-thirds into the novel when the main crisis unfolds. We then realise that the heroine, who sees things through the lens of her own feelings of inferiority completely misses the truth, which is to her a shock and relief at the same time.

Not least, the lush, rich descriptions of the house and the surrounding Cornwell country-side, and linking of the natural elements with the mood of the story makes this novel a truly satisfying reading experience. You may not want to read another novel for a long time.

Also of interest to readers would be Alfred Hitchcock's film Rebecca, which faithfully recreates the novel, with an outstanding cast.

I first read this book when I was quite young. Too young, I think, to understand it. What I took away with me then was the anti-war message and a lingering sense of the grim awfulness of the Front. Sort of, at least-- I'm pretty sure that I didn't know what a Front was besides some general sense of the Front Line. I certainly wasn't really old enough to feel the poignancy of my own mortality-- death at that age was restricted to grandfathers and other people. I honestly think that I felt more for the dying horses than for the dying men.

Reading it now as I approach middle age, this feels like a good place to appreciate the book more. I say "appreciate", since I am not sure that anyone who hasn't been in a battle situation can claim understanding. The doomed and fatal youth of Paul, Haie and Albert mean something to me now. Boys that age shouldn't die on the battlefield. If you have a decent sense of teenagers and young adults and then try to imagine them in these situations which required such patience and bravery-- it makes the casual reader feel small. And the dying horses still upset me, but I guess that's hard-wired into my personality.

All Quiet on the Western Front is possibly the most influential modern novel of war. Its repeated message of the patterns of boredom and casual violence find its echoes through later books and film. It finds its modern heirs in films like Jarhead. It isn't a terribly complex book; many plot points feel obvious. It tends to be worth celebrating more for the honesty (raw) of its story than for the craft and distance of the writer.

Recommended, particularly to those with an interest in WWI or the military novel.

"All Quiet on the Western Front" is a well-known work throughout the western world. "Bloom's Guides: All Quiet on the Western Front" is a complete and comprehensive book on the book. Exploring Remarque's work, looking at the roots and meanings scattered throughout that may not be obvious to a simple reader, it is also enhanced with a collection of critical essays discussing the work's impact on the world of literature and the world in general. This Bloom's Guide to a literary classic is a must for any student or non-specialist general reader wanting better understand the nuances, historical references, character insights, and writing style that created "All Quiet on the Western Front."

I am a soldier with the US Army who has been deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom twice and Operation Enduring Freedom once. And yes I have lost some close friends to these wars.

I must say this is one of my favorite books on war that I have read next to the Red Badge of Courage. Yes soldiers are opened minded, I do know that this book focuses on the darker side of War and is considered an Anti-War Novel. I do not want to go into specific details of the book; it is something you should experience for yourself.

I will say that it is interesting how this is the German Army in World War I and yet there are many similarities of things that I have gone through that are almost 100 years later in the American Army. These are the same trials and tribulations that a soldier is put through no matter what time period you are in, the interpersonal relationships where the people around you become your family and the tragedy that you experience.
And the fear of being in combat and how after awhile you become numb from it.

"This does not mean that you are war mongers. On the contrary, the soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war. But always in our ears ring the ominous words of Plato that wisest of all philosophers, 'Only the dead have seen the end of war." General Douglas MacArthur

'All Quiet on the Western Front' is Remarque's timeless tale of war during WWI. It is trite to refer to it as an 'anti-war' story. It is all of that and much more. It's a story of youth, patriotism, naivete and brutal death in the mud of German trenches. It's a tale of bloody assaults, destructive retreats and the story of brave men facing impenetrable walls of bullets and steel. It is told from the German pespective but the story could have been told, with equal impact, from the British, French or Russian perspective. Their experiences, despite differences in nationalities, was almost exactly the same--filth, fear, desperation, wounds and death.

To what end? Remarque's answer is simple--none. It's all for nothing. All the heroism, cowardice, greed and sacrifice are, ultimately, for exactly nothing. Boys don't come home to their parents or women. They are built into the walls of trenches or their bloated corpses float in the watery mud of shell craters. In the end, they all--German and Allies--smell the same and the maggots are the only ones to benefit.

Of all the poignant scenes, the one I like best is when the young German soldier, seeking shelter during an enemy counterattack, dives into an open crypt. A French soldier dives in after him with his bayonet. There is a struggle and the Frenchman is killed. Now the young German must live face to face with his guilt. He goes through his victim's wallet and finds pictures of his wife and children and loving letters from his wife, praying that he will return to her safe. The German grieves over the horror of his act.

There is a day of quiet. The war seems far away. A butterfly lights on a flower growing in the muck. The young soldier's hand reaches out to touch it. The sniper takes careful aim...

Not too remarkably, Hitler on coming to power, exiled Remarque. Hitler gloried in the winnowing process of war, regarding the culling the 'unfit' in favor of the most fit as Darwinian progress.


Ron Braithwaite author of novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Spanish Conquest of Mexico

I received All Quiet In The Western Front but found that the
CD was not recorded in English.

I did not enjoy parts of the book because of the style of writing. The part of the book that was enjoyable is when Celie and her sister shared numerous letters. Celie's sister, Nettie, is in Africa while Celie is in America. Celie and her sister have not seen each other in thirty years, since Celie got married to Mr.___. Celie finds out that her husband has been hiding her sisters letters from her. Her sister tells her a story about her life in the past thirty years through numerous amounts of letters. When Celie finishes reading these letters she starts writing back to her sister. In these letters, Nettie also tells her sister about how the white people were taking advantage of the African tribes in Africa. Many things happen, but they are for you to read. I can see why this book is a classic because of the topics it covers, but personally it is not my favorite book.

i was pleasantly surprised by this classic. an incredible account of strenght from an atypical hero. i hope you will take a chance on this classic.

I love this book and I would recommend anyone to read it and watch the movie.

this book was not only the best book i have ever read, but also a beautiful and emotional rollercoaster on the course of a young woman's life. this book tells the story of a black woman who grew up in the south with many hard times, but with the help of her "goddess," she grew to be tough and more of a woman than most. it was a pleasure to read. i cant wait to see the movie as well!

this is the worst book i've ever read, along with the house on mango street. i had to read this the summer before ninth grade. yes, ninth! i was THIRTEEN and i had to submerge myself in this perverted sick unhealthy (most likely drug-induced) for lack of a better word, BOOK. i was horrified, disgusted, revolted, terrified, and it was NOT a pleasant read. i couldn't even finish it. i stopped after about 100 pages, and akwardly had to tell my mom that i didn't want to finish it. she read it and agrees with me. why this is considered a "CLASSIC" is beyond me. it sounds like alice walker is on crack and wrote down the first twisted, sick, perverted scence she could think of. i would NEVER recommend this book, especially for schools.

I've never read anything so beautiful. The characters were so rich and the story was just perfect. Janie, the main character, was everything a woman is supposed to be, beautiful, confident, strong and capable. I felt like I was there, I felt their pain and happiness. The way she described things not only made you feel as if you were there but it was written in this way that is so beautiful that even if she were describing a rotting carcas it would still sound like a delicate little flower. I would recomend this book to anyone. Even the coldest person could cry if they read this.

I still think fondly of this book, all the way back to high school. This is one of those incredible literary experiences that stays with you whether you loved it or hated it, and frankly I quite liked it.

The writing is deep, descriptive, and powerful, focused so much on the world around, nature.

The story, however, is deeply personal and rather feminist, that of a girl who is simply trying to be herself and find out who she is. This leads to various bad marriages until she finds her true love.

Throughout is thought-provoking words on nature, mankind, and the role of women in society.

It's heartbreaking, but also powerful and poignant.

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, middle-aged narrator Janie Crawford tells the story of her life to date. Janie was raised by her former-slave grandmother, who pushed Janie into a life of quiet conventionality as a farmer's wife. Unsatisfied, however, when a man with big dreams comes along, Janie flees. Despite the promises she was given, Janie is again pushed into a life of quiet, albeit more comfortable, conventionality as the wife of a small town shopowner and mayor. When her second husband dies, Janie is left self-sufficient and free to choose the direction of her life. She decides to marry a drifter named Tea Cake for love. With Tea Cake she leaves the town that made her wealthy and heads to Florida. Here she lives a happy and almost pastoral life as a field worker until fate deals her a devastating blow.

Their Eyes Were Watching God is among the most influential African American novels of the 20th century. Though not uncontroversial, the novel deserves its plaudits. Zora Neale Hurston powerfully examines the self-realization of an increasingly free black woman, and the societal, both black and white, reaction to her and her choices. Both profoundly tragic and encouraging, the novel announces African-American literature's independence and a new black vigor to 1930's America - a time and literature whose importance to the civil rights movement has often been underrated. Some readers may find Hurston's use of dialect off-putting or confusing.

This book sucked. Richard Wright was correct when he stated that Zora Neale Hurston pandered to white prejudiced readers. The way Hurston's black characters speak in this book portrays African Americans as stupid, easily fooled, and naive. The story was boring, pointless, and poorly written. The book, in short, was unbelievably bad, and if it weren't for I school assignment, I wouldn't have wasted time and money reading this bilge.

This 1937 novel has become a classic of its time. It is a mere 184 pages long, but the edition of the book I read is packed by commentary. I skipped this commentary because I wasn't particularly interested in literary or social analysis. I just wanted to experience the book for itself and the story it told. Reading it this way, I actually "felt" the book in the way the author intended. And, "wow", I really understand why it has stood the test of time.

Set in her native Florida, we first meet Janie Crawford, a black woman in her 40s, when she returns to the town of Eatonville. She's been gone for a few years because she left town with a younger man named Tea Cake, who she married after she was widowed. As she tells her woman-friend her story, the reader is cast into her world.

Born the granddaughter of a slave, she was married young to a farmer who wanted more of a farm worker than a wife. She then ran away with a traveling salesman and moved to an all-black town where her new husband became the mayor. They had a general store and he expected her to run it, keeping her hair covered so that her beauty didn't show, and expecting her to be the perfect wife in the eyes of his world. She was unhappy but accepted this and nursed him through a long illness. When he died, she ran the store herself where she met Tea Cake, who appreciated her good qualities and completely adored her. Against the wishes of the people in the town, she ran away with him.

All of the characters in this book come across as real people. All have flaws and all have strengths. For example, even though Tea Cake stole her money and lost it all gambling, he begged her forgiveness, managed to pay back the money and was a devoted husband. He got a job in the Florida Everglades where both he and she worked hard and loved hard and were part of a community. And then, they were swept up in a devastating hurricane. It was awful. Lots of people died. They had to swim for their lives amidst the horror around them. While trying to save her, Tea Cake is bitten by a dog. Only later do we discover the dog was rabid and that Tea Cake himself has rabies. He turns on Janie then and there are dire results.

The book moved fast. I was glued to it but it took some getting used to because it was written in the Southern Black dialect of the time. This actually made the characters even more real to me. She did not necessarily preach about segregation. To her it was a "given". However, I was particularly moved by the part where she described the aftermath of the hurricane and how the black men were rounded up to bury the bodies of the dead. They had to carefully separate the white bodies from the black bodies. The whites got coffins and were buried in one section. The blacks did not get coffins and were thrown into a pit. Often it was impossible for them to know the race of the decomposing bodies. To me, this said more about segregation in the South than anything else I've ever read on the subject.

This is a very worthwhile book. I loved it.