Bloom Books

This is a great version of this classic poem at a reasonable price. Very lovely illustrations and just the right amount of annotation of antiquated phrases. A great book for adults who have not read the story, or to get children interested in poetry.

Relic113

Dover puts out quite the book. This edition being in the $5 range is no exception. It's the size of a large coloring book with the writing on the left and the pictures on the right. Printed well and bound to last a great number of years with plenty of space to write commentary of your own if you are a student.

There is added text, printed very small, to the left of the actual poem. Some of it is interesting and some of it is superfluous. Very easy to ignore if you're not a 'footnote' reading person.

The plates run to the full edge of the paper and there is no white border if you are the 'cut it our of the book and hand it on my wall type'. No bashing here this book is cheap enough to buy one to read and one to be artistic with.

If you're familiar with the poem this illustrated volume is well worth having in your library. The drawings by Gustave Dore are beautiful and perfectly complememnt the text. A book that you can enjoy many times over whenever the mood strikes you.

I was suprised when I received The Modern Critical Interpretations edition of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

There are no woodcuts or any other pictures, there are no silver pages, there is no poem at all!

This book is only modern critical interpretations - nothing more. Buy it if you are a scholar - and refer to a separate copy of the poem.

I should have known from the edition but the editorial reviews were from a different book that was an edition of the actual poem.

"It's the structure of the reader's experience rather than any structures available on the page that should be the object of description" , says Stanley Fish in his essay. In parallel with Fish's this claim, Coleridge presents his poem, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner", with marginal notes, each of which actually reifies the perspective of an "intended reader, the reader whose education, opinions, concerns make him capable of having the experience the author wished to provide". Coleridge gives a reading of his poem by creating an ideal reader, thus creating another kind of poet who "restructures" the poem. Therefore, the side notes should be thought to be an organic part of the poem "having meaning" rather than "leading to meaning". And this brings in a new understanding of the poem which is almost imposed on the actual reader by Coleridge's ideal one.
The marginal notes of the poem, at first sight, seem to be the short summaries of the stanzas. However, when they are read closely, the first thing that strikes the eye is that some of them include some details and deductions which are not suggested in the poem. These details and deductions go beyond the borders of a summary and turn into commentaries which express the perspective of a certain individual. And this perspective reflects the tendencies of a reader who is inclined to emphasize certain points of the poem by giving extra details and making deductions. Coleridge's ideal reader makes all the deductions that the poet wants to provide in his lines. Even at the very beginning of the poem he gets the supernatural tone of the lines that Coleridge wants to give. For instance, the fifth stanza of the first part suggests that:
"The wedding-guest sat on a stone:
He cannot choose but to hear;
Thus spake on that ancient man,
The bright-eyed Mariner." (Part I, V, 17-20)
And the marginal note gives the explanation of the stanza with these words: "The wedding guest is spell-bound by the eye of the old seafaring man, and constrained to hear his tale" (61). The related stanzas of the poem don't include any word directly related to "be spelled". It is true that a reader might come to such a conclusion but there is a possibility that s/he might not. As Fish says, there are different "interpretive communities" that can lead to different interpretations of a literary work. Therefore, a reader can explain the behavior of the wedding-guest in psychological terms while a different reader, for example the owner of the commentaries, can explain it in supernatural elements. The commentator's insistence upon supernatural explanation of the poem almost forces the readers to think in supernatural terms while they may interpret the experiences of the mariner, for instance, as products of hallucination or neurosis. The possible reason of this effect is that the marginal notes give a much more convincing impression as they don't seem to be parts of the poem and this caused them to lose their fictional side in the reader's eye. The reader unconsciously sees the commentator as an authority. For example, when the mariner kills the albatross without any reason, the weather and other conditions get worse. The mariner, an old man who kills a harmless albatross without any sensible reason, definitely believes that the conditions get worse so as to punish him for his crime. However, this approach to the changing conditions becomes more convincing when the commentator points out that, "And the Albatross begins to be avenged" (67). Moreover, the mariner never tells it as directly as the commentator although it is apparent that he believes it to be so. Coleridge, by creating his own ideal reader and giving his commentaries as marginal notes, almost forces the readers of the poem to believe in the "supernatural" experiences of the mariner. And he manages it without using the actual lines of the poem.
In his article, Stanley Fish points out that, "In a sequence where a reader first structures the field he inhabits and then is asked to restructure it by changing an assignment of speaker or realigning attitudes and positions" . In parallel with Fish's suggestion, Coleridge's reader, the commentator, changes the actual lines of the poem by giving extra details just like the end notes of an author. For instance, in the second part of the poem, the following stanza describes the temporary good conditions just after the mariner kills the albatross:
"The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
The furrow followed free;
We were the first that ever burst
Into that silent sea." (Part II, V, 103-106)

And the marginal note of this stanza suggests that, "The fair breeze continues; the ship enters the Pacific Ocean, and sails northward, even till reaches the Line" (67). It is apparent that the related lines of the poem don't include any information about the exact location or direction of the sail. However, the ideal reader of the poem is capable of locating the ship exactly on the Pacific Ocean and of giving its exact direction to the north. The commentator, as Fish suggests, "restructures" the lines of Coleridge by "realigning" the suggested directions of the wind which provide only ambiguous information about the location. And through his own experience, he himself creates the exact location of the sail as "the reader's experience is itself the product of a set of interpretive assumptions". Another example that shows the commentator's restructuring the lines of the poem is related to bad omens after the mariner's killing of Albatross. The related stanza in the second part of the poem says:
"And some in dreams assured were
Of the spirit that plagued us so;
Nine fathom deep he had followed us
From the land of mist and snow." (Part II, XII, 131-134)

And the commentary of the stanza gives a detailed information about the features and origins of the spirit: "One of the invisible inhabitants of this planet, neither departed souls nor angels; concerning whom the learned Jew, Josephus...may be consulted. They are very numerous,...."(69). As it is apparently seen, the commentator makes the interpretation of the stanza by using his own experience and education. He presents his background, imagination and his own point of view to other readers; therefore he offers his own interpretation and understanding of the poem. He changes or "realigns" the apparent meaning of the poem by bringing in a new perspective just like a painter's use of light on his/her painting from different angles. Thus, the commentator, like a gleam of light, illuminates the poem from a certain angle and creates a new appearance of it.
While creating a specific perspective in the understanding of the poem, some of the commentaries have their own poetical tone although they just seem to be small summaries of the stanzas. The owner of the commentaries prefers to use a literary language with phrases in a melodious harmony with each other and with a perfect choice of words. For example, in the fifth part of the poem, the mariner describes the resurrection of the crew not with their own souls but spelled by the spirits. And he describes it with the following lines:
"...`T was not those souls that fled in pain,
Which to their corses came again,
But a troop of spirits blest." (Part V, XIII, 347-349)

When the commentary of these lines is read, almost a new poem with harmonious phrases and with a poetical tone comes out. When the commentary is turned into the lines of a poem, the poetic side of it becomes much more obvious:
"But not by the souls of the men,
Nor by demons of earth or middle air,
But by a blessed troop of angelic spirits,
Sent by the invocation of the guardian saint." (81)

As it is clearly seen, the commentary owns a structure easily convertible into a stanza. Moreover, the phrases have a perfect parallelism with each other and there is a regular repetition of "by" in each line. And this tone and poetical structure of the commentary convincingly shows that Coleridge's ideal reader manages more than just understanding the poem and making comments on it. He becomes an indispensable part of the poem by getting closer and closer to the poet and by adopting his creative tone. He internalizes the poetical world of the poem and starts to read it with the energy of a poet which eventually leads to a harmonious language and rhetorical structure. He starts to ask rhetorical questions which encourage other readers of the poem to think on the poem, to question it and to deduce some conclusions. When the mariner describes the ship approaching "without a breeze, without a tide" (Part III, VI, 169), the ideal reader of Coleridge asks, "Can it be a ship that comes onward without wind or tide?" (71) so as to make other readers realize the strangeness of the situation and conclude that there must be a spiritual intervention. Therefore, the commentator emerges as a guide who tries to shape the reader's opinions and deductions.
In "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner", Coleridge creates his ideal reader in the small summaries of the poem in order to clarify the meaning he wants to provide by means of his ideal reader's experience, education and perspective. Coleridge, through his commentator, imposes the certain understanding of the poem on other readers who can have completely different interpretations and deductions. The commentator clarifies, interprets and "restructures" certain lines, asks questions and directs other readers in a way which his creator, Coleridge, wants them to follow. He almost forces the readers to look at the poem from one perspective and he manages it by using his position as an ideal reader and commentator endowed with authority by Coleridge himself. And throughout the poem, he ends up with being one of the poets of the poem by using his rights to interpret and "restructure" the actual lines of Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

A worthy contribution to the excellent Bloom's Guides series, Bloom's Guides: The Stranger is a comprehensive reading and study guide for students and lay readers alike of Albert Camus' classic existential novel "The Stranger", about a man who almost involuntarily commits an unprovoked murder, yet is unable to explain why he did it, let alone fake remorse. He is ultimately condemned not for the crime itself, but for his failure to express hypocrisy over it; he is unable to immerse himself in the physical and emotional absurdities of daily existence that demand thousands of little lies and great lies from every member of human society. Bloom's Guide: The Stranger features a strong emphasis on summary and analysis, walking the reader step by step through the nuances of this complex yet insightful work of Western literature. Additional enhancements include "The Story Behind the Story", which describes the conditions under which The Stranger was written, a biographical sketch of the author, a descriptive list of characters, and an annotated bibliography. Enthusiastically recommended especially for anyone studying "The Stranger" as part of a literary course or thesis.

This gives a good albeit brief synopsis of the book. I needed a good outline that I could use as a companion to teach from the book and this worked.

I was really disappointed by this book. It was really hyped by many of the people I know, as a must read. I can't see why. The main character was worse then shallow. The book was written as something critical but the line that Camus and his mentor Sartre seem to take, time and time again, is to side with tyranny. This character was a straight and clear clinical psychopath. Why was it that Sartre was completely "ok" with silencing concetration camp survivors from Russia? Well... If this character was Sartre and Camus' ideal person then there really is no confusion about that, now is there. It appears that in order for Camus to justify his positions on his politics he had to create bad people and then try to make them ideal. Sociopaths are not heros rather they are murdering arabs, run giant corporations, or countries or trying to ridicule or silence people.

The darkness and simplicity of this wonderful book are frequently misunderstood. Many readers find Merseault cold and emotionless, but this is not the case. Merseault displays emotion in his argument with the prison priest, and (big surprise) his feelings toward his mother.

Although he is put on trial for killing an Arab, Mersault is actually condemned for failing to grieve for his mother in public. Have any of you been to the funeral of an elderly realative? Sometimes, despite the emotions you feel for that person, the experience of the funeral is flat, meaningless and logical. All of the love came before the event and will come again many times later. But somehow a funeral leaves one dry and plain. Mersault experienced his mother's death for what it was: a dry and uncomfortable event. He did not put on a show for the people involved with the funeral or those who knew the deceased. His actions were plain and honest.

But Merseault does have feelings for his mother. When he learns much later that she had a lover in the elderly home she occupied he feels glad for her. That moment of empathy if an extrordinary act of comppassion. It is also a private one.

"The Stranger" reveals many simple truths about the kind of people we are and it raises questions about the inegrity behind our thoughts and actions. It is a wonderful book whose value is easily overlooked by people who only put stock in a verbose work.

"The Stranger" is a wonderful little book, filled with deceptively simple language and actions. It's understated, very subtle, and except for the outright atheist vs. church stuff at the end, you've really got to work for it. You can pick it up, read it in a night, put it down, and refuse to be affected...but if you listen, the meaning is in there, deep and dark, not didactic, more like a whisper.

The apparent indifference Mersault carries strikes one as inhuman: shrugging off his mother's death, swearing off the church, agreeing to marry in a heartbeat, and, most poignantly, accepting his fate - a death sentence. But the things Mersault is trying to say through the gaps between what's actually on the page is simple: it's all arbitrary, we're fools on a ball spinning around a star, and contentment is the simplest thing to feel amidst chaos.

Although the murder and the trial, and definitely the funeral, are fantastic moral-bending existentialist scenes, what sticks with you in the dark of night, is as simple as the prose and also as endlessly complex: we're here, we'll never understand each other, we see what's most convenient to see, and we all die in the end anyway, whether or not our tenure here can be marked as "good" or "bad" or "moral". Not the most uplifting read in the world, but literature is a cruel mistress sometimes.

Excellent book! I originally checked out this book at my campus library based on a recommendation from my uncle, a biology teacher. I enjoyed this book so much that I bought a copy after I read it.

This book is a must read for future wildlife veterinarians and wildlife biologists.

Dr. Karesh is able to draw you in to the many fascinating and sometimes dangerous places he travels to as a wildlife veterinarian. He also offers up a realistic perspective on wildlife conservation efforts in third world countries.

Hope you enjoy it.

THe stories are incredible. In his writing he delivers the visual scene and feelings through his eyes, the animal's scene and feelings through their eyes, and the past present and future for these creatures of the Earth. I have passed this book on and purchased copies for others to enjoy, and they did.

I'm a huge supporter and reader of animal books, especially those with veterinarian authors. When I first saw this book at the library, I thought, "Wow, a new twist on and old idea... a WILDLIFE veterinarian." However, it wasn't far into the book I got sick of hearing about irrelevant, uninteresting happenings. The author is cocky and self-absorbed. His attempts at humor and general likeability are pathetic and easy to see through. I'm a hardy reader and will usually force myself to finish off even the most boring of books, but it was about halfway through I had to shut it for the last time. I actually got angry while reading it because it was THAT bad!

Since the largest portion of the book was about his sojourns in central Africa, it's quite obvious that this is his favorite place, but his adventures in Indonesia, South America, and other remote locales were interesting as well. The book was as much about his colleagues and friends as it was about him.

His "postcards", which described local culture, history, and politics, were essential to understanding his missions.

You can learn the most about him by Googling Billy Karesh; this appears to be what he wishes to be called.

I read this book when it first came out three years ago, and I still think about it. His stories about the wonderful animals around the world touched my heart and I would highly reccomend this book if you enjoy reading about animals.

this is one of these books that you just have to read over the summer. there's something about the writing style that is both classic and highly orginal, and the story itself is very enjoyable.

it's one of those young adult books about a rural childhood that is so unassumingly well written that its characters and story are beyond believable. details like the uncle who plants a garden with nothing but rows of onions and roses lend a kind of surreal pleasure to the book, and still leave you sniffing the air for a ghost of summer earth and sky, even if you're reading this book indoors.

the character of Arthur is so recognizable and disarmingly bright and observant that i think young readers will instantly identify with him. there's something of an unbreakable wonder in the way that Arthur sees the world, but he's bright enough to still be somewhat guarded. all the characters are wonderfully written, really.

this is a great, well written young adult's book, and should not be missed.

I have seen better books that Patricia MacLachlan has written, but this book was okay. It's about a boy who was sent to his geat aunt and uncle. They are very strange. They sit on very tall trees, speak french to their chicken and sing to their pig who is pregnant. It was an okay book

Arthur For The Very First Time is a good book for various reasons. The plot is one of them. It is a funny, wonderful book for all ages. It all started when the main caracter Arthur's parents sent him to his greatuncle Wrisby and his great aunt Elda who have a huge house which changes his life. He writes it all in his journal.Later, he meets Moria and starts liking her.It is a very funny book that has crazy characters who will make you laugh.

"Arthur for the Very First Time" by Patricia Maclachlanis about a boy called Arther, and his adventures at his uncles andaunts house. He met a chicken called Pauline, a girl called Moira and a pig called Bernadette and Moira's dad Moreover. Once Arther lost Pauline the chicken but he and Moira accidentally took YoYo's goose when Pauline was sleeping in the tree outside Arther's window. one day Moira and Arther wanted to take care of Pauline when she was sick and uncle Wrisby gave them the toxic(the medicine)for Pauline. Arthur said to give it a try first so they both tasted it and said grapefruit, Moira had to go home to meet the social worker, Arther and Pauline decided to come with Moira, so they drank some of the toxic the way, they were drunk and didn't ever know it when they went to moreover's house. One day Arther and Moira built a pen for Bernadette, but she didn't like it, until one one stormy day Bernadette was nowhere to be found! Arther checked everywhere until the only place was the pen Arther and Moira Built for Bernadette. She was there all right, but she wasn't breathing! Arther rapped his coat around Bernadette until they got to the place the other pigs. I think this is a very excenticly interesting book, because there are funny things, adventures, friendship, and it's like a biography for the summer at his aunts and uncles house.

In Arthur for the very first time, Arthur's parents fight somuch that they have to send him away because they don't want him tohave to listen to them fight. So they send him away to his aunt and uncle's house .At his aunt and uncle's house he has a weird summer. His aunt and uncle talk to chickens in French, his uncle sings to pigs, and his uncle grows roses and onions. He writes things down in his journal. I recommend this book becasue it has a lot of humor throughout the story. The story also has a beautiful writing style.

Im assuming anyone who is reading this knows Berkeley Breathed, Opus and Bill the Cat. This is a great collection of his comic strips and would be a wise purchase of anyone who enjoys this comic strip.

Thankfully we can still get his books of Bloom County and Outland and of course, his current iteration, Opus.

I have always loved Berkely's quirky look at life, politics, love and what not through the eyes of Milo, Opus, Cutter John and others throughout the years and when I bought this book, I would read 2-3 pages, often before turning out the light at night and would find myself laughing at much of the strips. That's how good they are, even now some 20 years later and I recall reading many of then when they were running in the papers. While some of the strips show their age a little, the strip is as still timeless now as when they were originally conceaved. That's a rare feat in my book.

While it's by no means all of his Bloom County strips, it's a good collection of some of the best and that alone is worth it.

This book is an overview of the first five years of the strip, ranging from the early strips in which the focus is mostly on Milo, through the introductions of Binkley, Bobbi, Cutter John, Opus, Oliver Wendell Jones, Steve Dallas, and finally, Bill The Cat. Personally, I've always had a preference for the early, pre-Bill The Cat strips; I could deal with the silliness inherent in Opus and Oliver's anthropomorphic computer, but Bill just seemed one step over the line. But I know that he's very popular, and he's here, too. There are a few strips here that were reprinted from the previous three collections, but most of this material is NOT reprints. Of course, much of the humor will be completely incomprehensible to anyone who wasn't politically aware during the '80s, but I suspect that even for such a (hopefully) young person, there's plenty here to enjoy.

Bloom County is on my short list of all-time favorite comics. The original form, before short-lived "Outland" or the current "Opus", is long gone, though. Picking up this book was a wonderful piece of nostlagia.

The series peaked some time in the early 80s, and "Babylon" offers a sample of that time. I had forgotten how topical it was, full of references to then-current supermodels, presidents, movies, and sitcoms. Despite that, much of the humor has aged well. Milo's anxiety closet, for example, never needs to end. Various bogey-men (and -women) will reside there for their times, and move on. The anxiety will always be there, however, no matter how silly it looks to everyone else.

Even a book this size can't capture every strip in the five years (82-6) that it covers. That means that some of my favorite characters, like winsome Pistachio, barely even had cameo appearances. I'll take what I can get, though, and this is a pleasant sample.

If you ever liked any strip comic, you liked Bloom County or will like it. Maybe the 80s were before your time, but the characters will still look right up to date. Enjoy!

//wiredweird

Despite what the item description says, there are no color pages in this cheap reprinting. The pages are printed only in black and white, and are printed in very poor quality. What a shame, because the book itself is fantastic. I have an original printing of this book and love it. I ordered this reprint as a gift and had to return it because of the poor print quality. I wish I had noticed the other reviews about this problem (listed below) before I wasted my time and money!

Cutest book EVER. I love how the letters range from just hilarious to 'awwww' to sad. The funniest ones were the "bowling words" one and the Edison one XD It's just really refreshing to see kids talk about something as serious as God in such an adorable way, and the wacky ways they can interpret religion. I really hope there's another compilation, that'd be epic. I also wonder how they were compiled--were they letters found by postal workers, or did they gather a bunch of kids and tell them to write a letter to God, or what? Amazing read though, everyone should read it :)

Bought a couple of copies of this book - It makes a great gift for any occasion.

People of all ages will enjoy this book. A perfect Christmas gift that can be enjoyed all year long.

What a sweet, stimulating and spiritual little volume this is! Yes, children say the dandiest -- and profoundest for that matter -- things. Stuart Hample and Eric Marshall have given us a view into the faith of the young, a very nice way to think about our own faith as well.

Neatly divided into categories, such as "Puzzlements, dilemmas and other imponderables" these few lines from each child are rendered in the juvenile script of each. Illustrated prettily by the artwork of a variety of budding Picassos, these letters could very well serve not only as conversation starters in a small group but subjects well worth exploring in depth through more disciplined religious studies. Or as a gift you give to someone you love.

Then again, savoring just a few of them in a quiet nook will serve to revive the spirit.

Try it!

If you find this review helpful you might want to read some of my other reviews, including those on subjects ranging from biography to architecture, as well as religion and fiction.

I discovered this book a few years ago and feel blessed to have done so. As I was standing in a spiritual bookstore, I was drawn to this book. I began reading the touching things children were feeling in relation to God. I turned the page and my heart stopped as if I had just seen a photo of myself. What I did in fact see was my very own printing, and what I read was something that I wrote back in elementary school. I rushed to show my best friend who didn't quite understand my state of near hyperventilation and the tears in my eyes. She said, "So? Someone else shares your 'rare' name, big deal." I went on try and explain and in the process bought the book on the spot. It now sits on my bookshelf and I am still amazed at finding a piece of my youth and my feelings on God published. I have tried to piece the story together and to the best of my recollection, I have come up with this: my grade 4 teacher used to get us to write on deep thought provoking topics. She used to be very keen on submitting work of favoured students to various contests and the like. She must have submitted this somewhere and somehow it made it in the book. Those skeptical of my unknowing "contribution" to the book, were silenced when I provided my grade 4 science tests and the printing matched to a 'T'. In addition, anyone who knows me, knows that what I said way back when I was 8 or 9, still rings true 20 (wow) years later: "Dear God I don't ever feel alone since I found out about you." Nora *sigh*, it was truly by the Grace of God that I discovered this book. Reading here in these posts that a Rabbi quoted my writing, shows me that some things withstand the test of time. Beautiful. As another reviewer wrote, I too wish that there were more pieces of information about the children and/or the demographics of where these letters were obtained. To answer her what I do know: No, they were not all from the US as I am from Canada, and they were not all from a church or synagogue as mine was written in a public school. It would be amazing if all of us, who "wrote" letters to God when we were children, could be made aware of our contribution to books such as these. Hopefully, if there are other such books out there (I believe there are but have yet to seek them out), the publishers will make the children/their parents aware of their small contribution, so that they can knowingly treasure such books for years to come. So to all of those considering buying this book, just know that these letters were written by the true innocence of children at some point in their lives. God Bless! Love always, Nora.

I LOVE "Catcher in the Rye". One reason is because if you've ever been 16 or 17...you may be able to understand. Being a kid myself, I'm sick of all these unrealistic TV characters that are supposedly role models for us. Maybe I'm just strange, but virtually nothing that these kids on TV come across are things average kids encounter every day in real life. This book is timeless... Even though a lot has changed since the 1950's, kids still struggle with the same emotions and problems today. I'm sure you'll like Salinger's tale of a confused boy one summer by himself in New York City, just starting to discover the world.

Holden, although on the brink of a mental breakdown, should be immitated more. I will keep this simple in saying that he looked for certain qualities in other people that all people should have. To break down the "phony" barrier, Holden looked for compassion, sincerity, moral awareness, and honesty (although he did lie quite a bit). This becomes evident numerously, and ultimately Holden matures in his decision to not run away. Also, I have read both the Cliff Notes and Monarch Notes, and both fail to realize a hidden meaning in the novel. Towards the beggining, students at Pency Prep (I cannot remember the exact situation) comment on a good basketball player, and they credit his ability to his height. Holden, on the other hand, gives the tall boy credit in that he must have practiced hard to reach his ability. Thus, society fails to give proper credit to those who work for it, and often people excuse earned talent to outside factors, such as height in this case. Ultimately, this is obviously a United States Literature classic, and we all can learn from it.

Here's why it's so good...we all believe in Holden as a character more than we do Salinger as a writer. The brilliance of J.D. - Let your star take your bows for you.

I'm the type who could go on for hours about Holden and Pheobe and Ally's mitt and the girl who plays checkers and keeps the kings in the back. Everybody will obviously find their own meanings and understandings to these side reveries Holden takes us through. I just couldn't pass the opportunity to comment on the reviewers who said that Holden rambled and bored them in some ways. I wonder if these were the kids who had to read the book as assigned reading in a class they took in high school or college. I reccommend they go back.. cause I always go back to The Catcher and discover a new dawning of what Holden is trying to communicate to me. Try reading it again, it's not that big of a book you know. And maybe this time you'll see it's not really boring useless ramblings. It's a great deal more. That's the greatest part of this book.

This is one book which is close to reality, a book which relates to you ,as if i would have written this book if i ever had the guts to run away , to stay alone depressed and all . its hard to forget what your past was all the kids you meet may be good may be bad may be some you hated but its like you remember certain moments of certain days not that somthing special happened that day may be nothing happened but still you can picture it . Holden's character is one to which all the youths can identify with . I did not get the meaning of the title till Holden tells Phobey about what he wants to be , "THE CATCHER IN THE RYE".I probably want to be ,i don't know what but somebody different somebody good , a person who has certain amount of "HUMAN TOUCH". It is just that i seem to lose my way like holden. Holden was a dreamer , a child depressed by the circumstances . Its the best book i ever read or probably will ever read , definately no.1 book of all times.

It is a really great book. Even when is only a fragment of the whole book of Kojeve. If you want an introduction to Kojeve thougth it is a good way of doing it. In addition it is a good translation into English.

And, of course, the parts that I specifically wanted to read are not even present in this translation.

In particular, if you were interested in the references to this text from the footnotes referenced in Antigones: How the Antigone Legend Has Endured in Western Literature, Art, and Thought by George Steiner, none of those parts are included in this abridgment of Introduction to the Reading of Hegel.

My kid nicked it from my library and learned much at about the age of 14. He said subsequent, "Dad is engaged in a Fight to da Death for Pure Recognition".

To the previous reviewer:
The possessive form of it is its -- it's means it is.

This book, an 'Introduction to the Reading of Hegel', is a collection of transcripts and notes collected and edited by Raymond Queneau, that is the true beginning of the contemporary 'End of History' debate. But can there ever be a final reconciliation between the innumerable factions of human history? "...[H]e [i.e., Hegel] definitely reconciles himself with all that is and has been, by declaring that there will never more be anything new on earth. ('Introduction', p 168.)" Hegel, according to Kojeve, thought that History had come to an end; but the question of course is - exactly what does history 'think' - i.e., do? And that boils down to the question: what exactly is humanity doing? There is a not minor problem with making predictions in public that I would like to mention in this short note; these predictions become but another factor in human interactions. Kojeve, of course, is quite well aware of this; he regarded his 'philosophy' as little more than propaganda for the Hegelian position. This is no modesty, btw, in our posthistoire one can only make propaganda. (Briefly, according to Kojeve, 'History' properly understood ended with Hegel. We live today in a post-history that is nothing but the actualization of Hegelian philosophy throughout the World. When this actualization is complete the Universal Homogenous State then rises.) Thus Kojeve regards (correctly, given his premises) all 'philosophy' today as propaganda. But he has, in my humble opinion. spoken too soon.

Stanley Rosen, a student of Kojeve, alludes to this possibility in the title essay of 'Hermeneutics as Politics': "Had he remained silent, he could never have been refuted." How does one end History, possess the final knowledge - and then change ones mind? (On Kojeve's changing his mind see, for instance, the enigmatic 'Note to the Second Edition' in the 'Introduction to the Reading of Hegel'.) But there is more to the problem than that. By revealing the 'necessities' of History long before its final consummation (i.e., the rise of the UHS) he has allowed all enemies of the ongoing globalization to rally to any opposed cause, no matter how ephemeral. But it may turn out that these short-lived oppositional movements are well-nigh innumerable. ...So, exactly what should Kojeve, given his intentions, have done? He should have worked in the French Ministry (Kojeve is the true architect of the European Union, a building block of the World State), brought out the unjustly ignored, and posthumously published, 'Outline of a Phenomenology of Right', and told Queneau precisely where he could stick his class notes. By publishing the technical, legal and economic 'Outline' and keeping his philosophical speculations permanently to himself he could have (perhaps!) prevented his followers from squabbling over issues that cannot even be decided until the UHS rises...

For as Kojeve admitted in a letter to Leo Strauss, "Historical action necessarily leads to a specific result (hence: deduction), but the ways that lead to this result, are varied (all roads lead to Rome!). The choice between these ways is free, and this choice determines the content of the speeches about the action and the meaning of the result. In other words: materially history is unique, but the spoken story can be extremely varied, depending on the free choice of how to act." (On Tyranny, p 256). Thus the propaganda (i.e., 'the spoken story', theory) is not essential, and here Kojeve remains true to his (peculiar) Marxism, what is crucial is 'material' History. By this Kojeve means the technical, economic and legal forces that inexorably (or so it seems) drive us towards the World State (i.e., UHS). Thus Kojeve's propaganda and predictions, best embodied in the 'Introduction', were always secondary. ...Would we be closer to the UHS if the 'Introduction' never saw the light of day? Of course we will never know. But this possibility can never be discounted either.

Bill Amend is a people-watcher. You can tell this by how his FoxTrot characters mimic real life situations and issues. Unfortunately, he seems to be spending too much time spying on me! At least that is my perception when I see the goings-on of the Fox family!

Orlando Bloom Has Ruined Everything : A FoxTrot Collection, is a funny and timely addition to this long-running cartoon series. As the title suggests, it covers a period of time that the country was wild over Lord of the Rings. But don't dispair... there are still plenty of strips on Thanksgiving dinner, football in the snow, Quincy, dating, snow people, math, allowances, chess, electronic games, tofu, and homework. And if you know what I am talking about, then this is not your first FoxTrot book!

I only wish there was a bit more content in these books! You go through them too quickly! Four stars instead of 5 for this reason.

I love this book. I dont own one but a friend loaned me hers. It is very cute!

AND NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT ORLANDO BLOOM.

Dont let the title deceive you =)

I have been a faithful FoxTrot reader for years. Roger, Andy and their kids Peter, Paige and Jason are always good for a reality check with a large dose of laughter. I've got two girls and let me tell you, I see a lot of my kids in Paige with, I believe, even a healthy dose of Jason thrown in. And they have Peter's bottomless stomach. Of course, they're faithful FoxTrot readers too. I used to read the strip to them, explain what was going on, but now they get it just fine and we three all laugh together. Then my girls try and explain the strip to their dad, who pretends he doesn't get it.

The FoxTrot folks are a great family, one we sort of got used to checking up on every day, so we took the news that Mr. Amend was going to cease daily distribution of his wonderfully funny people and turn his strip to Sunday only, with a bit of sadness. Still, we have these terrific FoxTrot books to keep us going with our FoxTrot fix. Mr. Amend is to be commended for his great gift to our culture and his great gift to so many lives. I truly believe a laugh a day, helps keep the blues away and the FoxTrot gang are always good for a laugh. Heck there are a lot of laughs in the FoxTrot books. I know, I have them all and I am, along with my girls and my hubby dear, eagerly awaiting the next one.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention, we don't have an iguana, but my girls do have a pet gecko and, you guessed it, his name is Quincy.

I've been a Foxtrot reader for a long time and personally I think there is something suspiciously wrong with people who don't find Bill Amend's characters funny as all get out. If you want a good laugh, check out Bill in your local newspaper, or better yet, get one of the Foxtrot books. They are all great, really, they are.

Like many of Mr. Amend's fans I'm a bit disappointed that he's switching his strip to Sunday-only, but fortunately I can still read him daily in the Foxtrot books. Get them one and all and you can keep right on a laughing.

We loved it! Our favorite comic and our favorite movie all combined in one book. Ths Fox family will be missed now that Bill Amend has retired but this book keeps us laughing.

Wow, this book really blew me away at times. These women loved their men but often hated themselves. Grayson was so evil and Bedford had the perfect name since all he wanted to do was "bed" any woman in a skirt in spite of his loving and forgiving wife Sandy. I found the William character the most troubling of all. How he could talk to Wanita in that way really floored me. Men like that aren't unheard of and reading it in black and white this in what was supposed to be a "fictional tale" turned out to be an alarming wake up call courtesy of this author. What a job well done! The presence of Patience and Jonathan throughout the book only reinforced that healthy relationships can exist.

I could give this book 5* easily but the long periods lacking dialogue interrupted its flow.

Shattered Vessels,I have to say Nancey Flowers kept it real. It is very much ashame the levels of abuse women endure on a daily basis in the name of "love". This novel is so realistic, which contributed to it being such a good read.

the story of these women may not be sofar fetch to some women that has endeared this pain of the men they love and trusted with their lifes but every dog has their day.this was a good story about abuse that was so very real for so many women this author has penned this so well to let you feel the pain for these women and hoping they would see the evil ways of their men each charater had their own ways of dealing with their love for these men that i want to choke each and everyone. even thou this is fiction why do we as women let this happen. this was a good story and i did like it enough to read the seguel.this is a story about the lenght we go thru as women to hold on to the men we think we love for whatever reason.

I truly loved this book and I felt a closeness to the women characters. These women were put through so much but I loved the way they held it together for each other. I would like to find out what happened to each of them. This was a very good read and you won't be disappointed. Keep up the good work.

I had the opportunity to read "Shattered Vessels" this week and thought it was a good book. At first it took me a minute to get into it, but once I got towards the middle of the book it started to pick up. This book has some very good issues regarding relationships. This author delivers a novel filled with love, betrayal and trust amongst friends and family while delivering the raw, sometimes poignant complexities of life.

She has accomplished many things with this novel by introducing us to India, Sandy and Wanita who are three friends who have one thing in common... being taken advantage of by their men. Whether verbal, emotional or physical, they're all suffering abuse at the whims of the men who supposedly love them. India's an intelligent woman, the beauty director for a fashion magazine, but she's also a battered wife behind closed doors. Sandy's the vice principal of an elementary school by day, and by night she's the victim of emotional abuse from an unfaithful husband. Wanita's dealing with verbal abuse from a husband who makes her feel worthless and beneath him. Crazy things can happen when good sisters don't know their worth and are blinded by that crazy thing called love.

Certain part of this book had me in a emotional rollercoaster and I thought to myself that this could either be happing to somebody right now, probably next door to me, or someone I know. Even though this is my first read from Nancey Flower, she has done an excellent job with the plot and character development. I also have to commend her of the characters she introduced to us in this story because they turned out to be real and honest. To me, "Shattered Vessels" is not only a good book to have but also discuss amongst friends and family. This, of course, leads me to recommend this book highly.