Bloom Books

I read this, my first H. James novel, on the recommendation of a friend while I was commencing a trip to Rome. It was an excellent choice. I must say I was not entirely on board in the early stages of the book, set in England. Marraige proposals were happening too fast for my taste. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised by the witty repartee, which reminded me much of Wilde. The wit diminishes and the intensity increases on the continent, especially in its Roman locale, and it was here that I found myself much more interested. The book has a soul. Its characters are richly painted and became interesting--I enjoyed them all. The novel also has a beautifully symmetric construction. In its early stages I thought James was trying too hard to perfect his European literary colleagues; by the end, the novel stood on its own. So, despite some minor growing pains, I can recommend and will likely read another by HJ. Peter Washington's introduction in the Everyman edition (James' New York version) is an added benefit.

Some fictional works retell the stories of other fictional works but from a different point of view. The retellings may occupy roughly the same time as the story they are retelling. Examples are John Gardner's novel Grendel (Beowulf), Tom Stoppard's play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (Hamlet), and M. Z. Bradley's novel The Mists of Avalon (King Arthur). The retellings may fill in a bit of fictional history that the original story only touches on. Examples are Jean Rhys's novel Wide Sargasso Sea (Jane Eyre) and Haire-Sargeant's H: The Story of Heathcliff's Journey Back to Wuthering Heights (Wuthering Heights). As a subject of such treatments, Portrait of a Lady seems ripe for the picking. Surely Gilbert Osmond and Madame Merle have their own story to tell apart from the events in the novel, and most likely they have their own version of the events that they share with Isabel Archer.

Like the previous reviewer I also have the unabridged audiobook recording put out by Brilliance Audio but I like it, but having the adapter really makes a difference and I listen to most of my audiobooks with headphones anyway using my Walkman and CD/cassette tape boombox. I found my adapter in Barnes and Noble but it can also be found in the company's mail order catalog and online web site. The Catalog is called Audiobookstand and the website is [...]. BTW: You can listen to these audiobooks without an adapter if your car or home stereo receiver, cassette or CD player has balance control and with that you basically just follow the same directions of the adapter. I tried it and it worked fine with no annoying sounds but I did have to adjust the balance a few times until I got it just right! As for the adpater, I personally found investing in it well worth it because I will often use my walkman to listen to audiobooks and because these unabridged audiobooks are pretty inexpensive with prices that range from 10 dollars to around 20 dollars verses companies that offer unabridged audio recordings for the same book at 50 dollars and higher. This audio cassette recording of Henry James' The Portrait of a Lady is read by Laural Merlington who is one of the best readers of audiobooks but even with that said I can understand why the previous reviewer was annoyed about the special adapter thing but I highly recommend this audiobook to anyone who has the BookCassette adapter or a stereo with a fully functioning balance controll knob and I also recommend the paperback book or the hardcover book.

This is a review of the unabridged audio cassettes. It would have been nice if the Amazon description had mentioned that these cassettes will not play on a Walkman or other audio player without a special adapter (and the adapter only works with headphones). I have listened to many books on tape but this is the first one that has required an adapter; I have no idea where to purchase the adapter (which appears to be specific to the publisher) and I am not thrilled about doing that to listen to one book, anyway. The tapes will play on a full stereo system with some adjustments, but you have to be able to switch the stereo completely to the left, which results in a really annoying sound.

When Isabel Archer, a bright and independent young American, makes her first trip to Europe in the company of her aunt, Mrs. Touchett, who lives outside of London in a 400-year-old estate, she discovers a totally different world, one which does not encourage her independent thinking or behavior and which is governed by rigid social codes. This contrast between American and European values, vividly dramatized here, is a consistent theme in James's novels, one based on his own experiences living in the US and England. In prose that is filled with rich observations about places, customs, and attitudes, James portrays Isabel's European coming-of-age, as she discovers that she must curb her intellect and independence if she is to fit into the social scheme in which she now finds herself.

Isabel Archer, one of James's most fully drawn characters, has postponed a marriage in America for a year of travel abroad, only to discover upon her precipitate and ill-considered marriage to an American living in Florence, that it is her need to be independent that makes her marriage a disaster. Gilbert Osmond, an American art collector living in Florence, marries Isabel for the fortune she has inherited from her uncle, treating her like an object d'art which he expects to remain "on the shelf." Madame Serena Merle, his long-time lover, is, like Osmond, an American whose venality and lack of scruples have been encouraged, if not developed, by the European milieu in which they live.

James packs more information into one paragraph than many writers do in an entire chapter. Distanced and formal, he presents psychologically realistic characters whose behavior is a direct outgrowth of their upbringing, with their conflicts resulting from the differences between their expectations and the reality of their changed settings. The subordinate characters, Ralph Touchett, Pansy Osmond, her suitor Edward Rosier, American journalist Henrietta Stackpole, Isabel's former suitor Caspar Stackpole, and Lord Warburton, whose love of Isabel leads him to court Pansy, are as fascinating psychologically and as much a product of their own upbringing as is Isabel.

As the setting moves from America to England, Paris, Florence, and Rome, James develops his themes, and as Isabel's life becomes more complex, her increasingly difficult and emotionally affecting choices about her life make her increasingly fascinating to the reader. James's trenchant observations about the relationship between individuals and society and about the effects of one's setting on one's behavior are enhanced by the elegance and density of his prose, making this a novel one must read slowly--and savor. Mary Whipple

For those who purchase Harold Bloom's HOW TO READ AND WHY, they probably expect a companion piece to HOW TO READ A BOOK by Mortimer Adler. With Adler, there is truth in advertising; his focus is indeed on the how. He emphasizes the more traditional skills of main idea, inference, conclusion, and details, all of which must be used to come to terms with the author. Bloom, however, starts where Adler leaves off. Bloom assumes that the reader knows how to meld his mind with that of the author. His focus on the how is really quite simple: the reader should read slowly, reread often and aloud, and allow his own ears to hear and overhear what words of wisdom fall from the lips of literature's most immortal characters. When Hamlet laments the common fate of man in any of his seven soliloquies, Bloom urges the reader to do more than just read; the reader should become Hamlet and speak as the troubled Dane does. It is only when the reader intones along with Hamlet, as opposed to passively listening to Olivier or Brannagh, that this reader becomes Hamlet and insinuates himself into a world of irony that Bloom relentlessly insists forms the philosophical underpinning of Shakespeare's moral vision. The great poems deserve no less. Bloom claims that poetry, like drama, is best appreciated in solitude and when spoken aloud by the reader.

The why of reading is also uncomplicated. The purpose of reading immortal literature, to Bloom, has little to do with ideology or any other attempt to view that work through a critical lens of one 'ism' or another. The why of reading is more personal, more selfish than that. The reader reads to improve himself, to become a better person. The wisdom that infuses any classical piece of writing is useful only insofar as it contributes to the moral growth of the reader. Since most of Bloom's book resembles a digressive tour through a sampling of his favorite works and authors, the novice reader might walk away with the idea that HOW TO READ AND WHY is little more than a folksy rehash of Intro to Lit 101. The truth is more illusive. In his discourses, Bloom does more than simply analyze what makes one character act the way that he does. Bloom humanizes that character by taking that character's words, thoughts, and deeds and making them his own. To become that character, then, in Bloom's vision quest, is, in Adler's terms, to come to terms with that author. The metamorphosis of self is a process of slow accretion, possibly granting that each tick on the clock of rereading brings the reader ever closer to union with the author. The end, of course, to Bloom, to Adler, to anyone who wishes to know and grow is to witness the birth of a new reader, one who is infinitely wiser and happier than his predecessor.

After reading Harold Bloom's The Western Canon, I was interested in what this author had to say about the how and why of reading the major western literary classics. The author makes the following points; "WHY" to read, 1) to strengthen the self. Reading is a selfish act, to improve oneself as opposed to improving your neighbor or neighborhood "HOW" to read, 2) clear the mind of all the factional, and political ideas of the current time period when the reader is seeking the universality of the spirit. 3) the recovery of the ironic .
The author judges the works by looking for the unique way that certain universal human traits are treated in great works of western literature. The author explains the concept of reading by practicing "overhearing". The concept was lost upon this reader. This reader felt like he
missed some of the foundation terms and principals of the book. From the text one can tell the author has dedicated hours to reading and re-reading the classics. Harold Bloom is a Yale professor with many awards to his credit. I appreciated the quick synopsis of the text or selected poem to bring out themes and thoughts I would have otherwise missed., All in all, the author's concepts are difficult to fully absorb, but his summary of literary works has to spark some interest in some area of the literary classics.

Bloom's title could not help but appeal to a typical Language Arts teacher in a typical high school. I am facing a school with a history of poor literacy skills in a district with a similiar history. Most literacy programs use a 5th and 6th grade approach with high school students who have scored at that level, and wonder why they are not very successful. Bloom writes for adults, and his approach could well undergird an introduction to remedial readers in high school.

... we all know children in today's grade schools are moving farther away from books and a whole lot closer to My Space for their reading pleasures. Bloom wrote this book to address this and one other concern, that being that universities aren't any healthier for us than My Space when it comes to reading, and reading the right way. Bloom says to read deeply, often, and for yourself without studying the how's and why's using this or that theory of criticism that we're taught in university. I can't agree more after having done a masters degree in English literature. I hated reading after graduating and it took me years to get back into reading for my own true pleasure. For that reason, I like this book. That being said, I think Bloom misses the mark somewhat on what we should read. I've read a lot of the books on his list (Western Canon my bum) and I have to say, many of them are about as interesting, engaging, and exciting as reading as those same My Space pages I mentioned earlier. There is a lot of good literature out there that isn't Shakespeare, Milton, Melville, Emerson, etc. All the good writers aren't dead, Mr Bloom. He's right about the problem but fixing it isn't going to happen by prescribing my fourteen year old a healthy dose of Ibsen, Milton and Emily Dickinson, though everyone could use a taste of Calvino once in a while.
I read somewhere that Bloom said something 'mean' about Stephen King's writing. I don't read King, but at least if my kid is reading that, she's not on the computer all day long. I wonder what Bloom thinks of JK Rowling.

Literary critic should have titled this little guide `What to Read and Why,' seeing as he devotes only a few paragraphs to why reading might be valuable. That said, Bloom is a terrifyingly accomplished reader, but he isn't much of a thinker or a critic in the way Benjamin or Derrida were. Bloom's incessant propensity to judge all literature from the `how is this compared to Shakespeare' lens is foolish and lacking in any insight. At times his criticism seems almost amateurish and rushed. He doesn't seem to be a very good reader of Hemingway, for instance. At the outset of a review of `Hills Like White Elephants,' Bloom writes that "Hemingway's personal mystique-his bravura poses as warrior, big-game hunter, bullfighter, and boxer-is irrelevant to `Hills Like White Elephants' as its male protagonist's insistence that `You know that I love you'" (47). Yet later in Bloom's review, he writes [on `The Snows of Kilimanjaro']: The irony is at Hemingway's expense, insofar as Harry prophesies the Hemingway who, nineteen days shor of his sixty-second birthday, turned a double-barreled shotgun on himself" (49). Bloom seems to have reversed tactics here. Never the less, Bloom is an undeniably great reader of poetry; in this volume he tells you all about his personal favorites: Stevens, Whitman, Coleridge, Shelley, Keats, etc. Kind of fun, but far from great criticism.

This follows the play 99% of the time - every once in a while a word is substituted or a phrase turned around, but that's it. My students had no problem following the play. In fact, they prefer the taped reading over reading aloud in class. I'm in a Title I school with a high percentage of behavior problems and this was a "God send." The students listened much better with the taped reading.

The actors are animated and match the personalities of the characters. I recommend it highly.

I bought this cd set to read the play along with my students. It's very theatrical and there are a lot of sound effects. The actors go so fast, that it's hard to follow along if you're reading the play. There's a lot of mumbling, sighing, heavy-breathing. Anyway, if you are wanting to just listen to it, this is a great purchase. If you want to read along, I would try a different cd set.

I love this book. It is accurate and an easy read. I finished it in about a day. In addition to the the play, there are other related readings enclosed which give more insight to historical events and other perspectives. Out of all the copies I own, this is one of the better ones. A great deal, ships quickly and reasonably priced.

I have to admit that I was a big fan of L.A. Theatre Works long before I purchased The Crucible. L.A. Theatre Works has a weekly presentation of its performances on Sonic Theater, a XM Radio station.

This particular production is pretty much an all-star cast with the likes of Michael York and Richard Dreyfus. I purchased it as a tool for teaching The Crucible in my American literature class.

The L.A. Theatre Works' rendition of Miller's _The Crucible_ is an excellent demonstration of the actor's craft, as the tenor, pitch and emotive power of the play bring the characters to life. On the recommendation of Amazon reviewers, I used this for my English class (in addition to the Daniel Day-Lewis / Winona Rider DVD and a class read-around) to get a feel for the play and the various theatrical interpretations of the work.

As a previous reviewer noted, there are some differences between the audio version and Miller's script, but they are minor, and if one is not using the entire CD, a moot point. The performances are fantastic, and, as others have mentioned, it certainly gives life to the written word. Outside of a classroom, I couldn't recommend it, but as a teaching tool, it is first-rate.

I am a professional counselor who works with many individuals with self-harming problems. This book has been very helpful in order to understand their perspective and their behaviors. It was a great resource that enabled me to look beyond the behavior and to see what is really going on for them. I would definitely recommend it to both the professionals and individuals who are looking for great insight.

Hello,

This is the best book on this very special and misunderstood problem. If you can only get one book, buy this book and share it with anyone you know.

Andrew Levander

this is a thought-provoking book about self-injury and healing. the book is well-written and very descriptive. many narratives are used in the text, and this helps to create a greater understanding of individual experiences and struggles. this is important because each of us experiences things in our own way. that perception then becomes reality for us. once that happens, we find ways to deal with the emotional intensity that this can create. for many, the coping mechanism of choice is self-injury. self-injury is very difficult for many people to understand--even those who self-mutilate often come to treatment without a real understanding of why they harm themselves. once you understand the chain of events, you can start to better understand the compulsive nature of this behavior, the way in which the self-injurer sees self-harm as the only alternative, the only way to obtain some relief from the present experience. one caveat--i disagree with the authors' depiction of self-mutilation as NOT a manifestation of addiction. in my work with patients who self-injure, it has become very clear to me that this behavior feels very compulsive and can become habitual. also, in line with the AA model of treating addiction, patients most often do better when they recognize the power that self-injury has over them and start to explore the origins of their psychological pain in an attempt to stop expressing this pain through self-harm. information on the SAFE Alternatives program is also very helpful. statistics regarding success and healing are very encouraging, and these authors clearly have a good thing going. another excellent read is marilee strong's book *a bright red scream: self-mutilation and the language of pain.*

AMAZING. I read this book last spring when I was a freshman in college and had fallen back into the nightmarish mess of self-injury. At the time I was just looking for comfort, not a solution, so I didn't tell anyone I'd read it--no way was I *ever* going to go to the SAFE program. However, once things spun super out-of-control, I made the opposite decision. SAFE was the hardest thing I've ever done, but definitely the most worth it. I still injure on occasion, but I have the most amazing support network, better coping mechanisms and distractions, and methods of logging impulses.

This book is the only book on the topic that I've read that has not been triggering for me. If you self-injure or if you love someone who injures, this is a must-read. Please do it for yourself. You don't have to be considering the program, just open yourself up. Nothing else worked for me before this.

I AM STRONG. You can be, too!

This book as some good points and the program it discusses may be very successful. My main problem with this book and most others on SI is it's emphasis on SI stemming from childhood abuse or trauma. I self-injured for nearly 4 years as a teen and have never been abused in any way. According to this book if I wasn't overtly abused, I was biologically frail and sensitive to less obvious abuse or trauma. That is just insulting. I am now a counselor myself and I can assure you, I was never abused. While many individuals who self-injure may have been abused I think it is time to acknowledge those who self-injure and weren't abused instead of simply dismissing their experiences.

The book "Of Mice and Men," in my opinionis a very well written book. John Steinbeck really thought the book out. When you read this book you will notice alot of foreshadowing. The foreshadowing makes the book worthwhile. The book takes place in Salinas, California which in the time of The Great Depression there weren't many rich or wealthy people; George and Lennie will show you the life of non-wealthy people during this time.

The main characters in the book are George, Lennie, Curly, Curl's wife, Slim, Candy, and Carlson. The most influential character is George. George. George has to make alot of decisions throughout the book; that is why he is my favorite character. The stiry is about two men named George and Lennie. George is a small man and is somewhat smart. Lennie is a big guy and is mentally retarded. The two men travel around the United States trying to find workso they can one day pursue their dream of owning their own land and in their words, "livin' of the fatta the land."

John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is a moving tale about dreams and friendship. It beautifully depicts two friend's living some time in the thirties. The book begins with two men fleeing from an old job and about to begin a new one. The two characters are contrasting but interestingly compatible. The first man, George, is short, sensible and seems to be the mastermind of their plans. The other, Lennie, is tall, dumb and naïve, but charmingly innocent. It becomes obvious that Lennie is clumsy and unaware of his strength, when George takes Lennie's dead maimed mouse away from him. He is obviously the reason they are constantly fleeing and changing jobs. To cheer Lennie up George tells him of their plans for the future, a story that has obviously been told many times before. He tells of small farm that they would purchase once they have earned enough money, and they could live on there own schedules without having to keep changing jobs. In fact this would be their last.

The book is classic story that one can easily engage in. It includes great descriptions of the countryside, the farms and a friendship never to be forgotten. You get a feel for each character and there individual traits. The reader takes a step into the thirties and can see the lives of these men first hand through Steinbeck's careful and beautiful description. You feel as if you are witnessing the farm's laborers first hand. Aside from being intriguingly descriptive, Of Mice and Men is truly touching. You encounter first hand a relationship between two men that is indescribable. You truly feel George's conflicts with Lennie and can almost grasp Lennie's dreams for a better life.

Some say that Of Mice and Men is too melancholy to be truly enjoyed. Of Mice and Men is a very sad book. The sorrow that the reader feels, although overwhelming, is just an indication of the compassion that Steinbeck makes you feel for the characters.

John Steinbeck's novel is really charming. I liked very much his ways of presenting places and his wonderful characters, such as Lennie,"He's dumb as hell, but he ain't crazy" and George. These two guys, who take so much care for one another, are friends who share a dream,"We'll have a big vegetable patch and rabbit hutch and chickens" and as they got "no family" they are travelling to a ranch in Salinas valley, where they will work, so as to make their dream come true. Here they meet many other guys, loonely guys who go through strong feelings like discrimination, violence and agressivness. It is the niciest story I have ever read as friendship is the most exprssed feeling.

John Steinbeck's novel is really charming. I liked very much his ways of presenting places and his wonderful characters, such as Lennie,"He's dumb as hell, but he ain't crazy" and George. These two guys, who take so much care for one another, are friends who share a dream,"We'll have a big vegetable patch and rabbit hutch and chickens" and as they got "no family" they are travelling to a ranch where they will work, so as to make their dream come true. Here they meet many other guys, loonely guys who go through strong feelings like discrimination, violence and agressivness. It is the niciest story I have ever read as friendship is the most exprssed feeling.

I am just a 16-year-old girl who is now in year 10, and have just finished reading 'Of mice and men'. I really enjoyed this book because it was talking about dreams and goals. This book is showing us that you don't have to be upper class people to have dreams. George and Lennie's dream was achievable and it is this positive attitude that binds them together and separates them from the rest. I really liked this book and recommend it for people of all ages.

Dreams are like a blindfold being removed; the longer you were in the darkness, the more painful the light is to your eyes.

As Harold Bloom says, this has become an unplayable play after the Holocaust. This is only an additional reason why one should read it. The play is fantastic and gives us one of Shakespeare's most memorable characters: Shylock. Whether you see him as villain or victim, Shylock is unforgettable. As is his speech defending the Jewish.

Anti-festive character who is Shylock on this play sacrificed unjustly. Shylock is a character who is legally invoking his rights as a money-lender among the community which experiencing transition from agriculture society to capitalistic society. Moroever, the character Portia's defending Bassanio as an disguised attorney is unreasonable in some ways and speech is crude, indeed.
In my opinion, to reach the axiomatically righteous conclusion, we should reverse pur point of view toward the 'Justice'. It is a transformation of way of our thinking. Therefore, I recommend rhis masterpiece for someone who aspire to ponder about our human being's viewpoint.

The New Folger Library of Shakespeare's Tragedies and Comedies are among the best pocket editions available for the student and the journeyman lover of the Bard.

Before the actual text of the play which is wisely presented on the right hand page with explanatory notes (metaphors, allusions, similes, etc.) facing on the left hand page (words and phrases are defined by scholars based on their usage during Shakespeare's time; if scholars are inconclusive as to meaning, the word `uncertain' is used to connote this disagreement), the usual `Reading Shakespeare's Language', `Shakespeare's Life', `Shakespeare's Theatre', `Publication of Shakespeare's Plays' and `Introduction to the Text' introduce the reader to the Shakespearean world. Following the text, an essay by Alexander Leggatt follows illuminating `The Merchant of Venice' for the modern reader. In addition, an eleven page `Further Reading' list pinpoints books and essays on topics like the play itself, Shakespeare, the time in which he lived and the Globe Theatre. Rounding out the vital information is a three page "Key to Famous Lines and Phrases" complete with speaker and verse notation.

As far as the play itself, I will keep my remarks limited, saying only that for the modern audience, Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" borders on the provocative. All with politically correct upbringing or today's cultural sensitivity training cannot help but focus on the reigning prejudice of the early Medieval and Renaissance time period, namely the exclusion of Jews from all forms of normal life since mainstream thought withheld that this race was primarily responsible for Christ's crucifixion.

Indeed, today's reader will pose the question as to whether or not this play should be deemed more tragedy than comedy and must remember that as a comedy, "The Merchant of Venice" focuses on marriage, couples (Bassanio/Portia, Lorenzo/Jessica, Gratiano/Nerissa) and their emotional and financial interrelationships and uses sly humor and innuendo to poke fun at Venice's societal `outsiders'(Shylock, Morocco, Aragorn and in a lesser sense Antonio) who do not form a Shakespearean couple per se. Looked at from this perspective, the character of Shylock becomes simply the play's foremost societal outcast, in spite of the famous speech where he asks seemingly so poignantly, "If you prick us, do we not bleed?"

Bottom line: Shakespeare is Shakespeare. If your modern sensibilities are offended by Shakespeare's treatment of Shylock the Jew, the Prince of Morocco and the Prince of Aragorn and question the unhappy and solitary Antonio's intense feelings for Bassanio, simply keep in mind that the world at that time looked at such things differently. Within the definition of comedy, this play with its multitude of lovely speeches and images works well indeed. The New Folger Library edition simply makes the play more easily accessible and understood on the various levels of language and scholarship. I recommend this series wholeheartedly.

Diana F. Von Behren
"reneofc"

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE can be described as a tragedy only if one follows the modern definition of "tragedy" and not the Greek. The genre of tragedy in which Shakespeare wrote required that all of the players, or at least all of the main players, die at the end, à la ROMEO AND JULIET, JULIUS CAESAR, MACBETH, and HAMLET. In fact, MERCHANT OF VENICE can only be described as a tragedy if Shylock is seen as the main character and not Antonio. (Note, in the list of players at the beginning of the play, only Antonio is called a "merchant of Venice".) In sum, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE can only be described as a tragedy if it is completely removed from its historical context.

Shakespeare intended that the actions taken by Antonio, by Shylock, by Bassanio, and even by Portia be seen as comically extreme. Antonio goes to the lengths of seeking help from a man he despises to help a man he loves. Shylock demands nothing but justice, even when the demands of the agreement he made is met and even doubled. Everywhere in this play is there action taken to the extreme.

Only a refusal to acknowledge the historical context would be blind to the comedy. There are stage plays, television shows, and screenplays aplenty which follow the example set forth in MERCHANT OF VENICE, showing how comical people can be when their actions are taken to the extreme. If MERCHANT OF VENICE can be view in THIS context, then the comedy shines through.

As a writer, I find it comical that anyone would use MERCHANT OF VENICE to point the finger of "racism" at Shakespeare. Part of a writer's challenge is to present convincingly views even he or she disagrees with. The best writer would try to dismantle and disprove the very beliefs he or she holds dear. That Shakespeare has often been judged a racist based on his portrayal of Shylock serves only as testimony to the continuing success of this play. Shylock's speech, complimented by another reviewer, is ample proof that Shakespeare's own views are well hid. Shylock's speech demonstrates magnificently that Shakespeare was able to get inside the head of any man (or woman) in his stories and write the words which that man would speak, faithfully render the thoughts which that man would think, have that man act as only that man would act, and all of it be believable. Simply put, unless you knew beforehand a writer's views on any subject, it would be difficult to find the needle of truth in his or her haystack of fiction if that writer has done their job well, and in this case Shakespeare was damned near flawless!

It is true that the movie, starring Al Pacino, does not present this play as a comedy, but that hardly detracts from its excellence. It shows, in fact, that MERCHANT OF VENICE plays well as both a drama and a comedy. In our age, however, given the importance of religious tolerance, I'll admit that it is probably best played as a drama.

As for the Pelican series of Shakespeare's plays, they are an excellent resource for anyone wanting to read and study the Bard's work. I've several volumes in this series and hope to eventually own them all. Each volume contains two identical essays, "The Theatrical World" (which provides a good understanding of the historical context, as well as an idea of just how much we know about Shakespeare as an individual) and "The Texts of Shakespeare" (which gives more historical context and also discusses some of the difficulties which editors have experienced in presenting these plays in print to modern audiences). There is then an introduction to each play, which is best left unread until afterwards if you aren't familiar with the play. The footnotes are few, but well-chosen, and do help in understanding words and phrases whose meanings have changed over the centuries.

Shylock is the only sympathetic character in the play. Modernity has altered the villain in "The Merchant of Venice" from Shylock to the entire cast of characters EXCEPT for Shylock. Any sense of comedy in the play died for those with a sense of religious tolerance, and Shylock comes off as merely oppressed. I found Act 5 almost nauseating after the forced conversion. That, coupled with the happy racism makes a perversion of decency and happy endings. This play is a tragedy. The recent movie version done starring Al Pacino turned it into a tragedy, and amazingly, a play written as a comedy seems to work very well as a tragedy.

Antonio gladly spits upon Shylock and calls him a dog, but stunningly, when Antonio finds himself in a financial pinch he goes to Shylock for money. More brash is Antonio's promise to act the same in the future: "I am as like to call thee so again, / To spet on thee again, to spurn thee, too." (1.3.127-28) From this point on, sympathy for Antonio is paralyzed in a modern reader's mind, from reminders of past images, from slavery and anti-Semitism, where the dehumanizing of a group of people is accepted by a society. The entire text afterward reads like an indictment of humanity, as if Shakespeare is making the Elizabethans laugh at their own behavior.

In perhaps the best argument in Shylock's defense in the trial, he point out the fact that those who speak of mercy own slaves. "What judgment shall I dread, doing no wrong? / You have among you many a purchased slave." (4.1.89-90) Shylock, as fanatical as he is over the pound of flesh, is asking for only a pound of a man, when the slaveholders own the entire person. The play is littered with prejudiced remarks that clearly show how animalistic Shylock was to them.

Every conversation involving Shylock has ridicule from the Christians, without remorse or a feeling of comedy. The Christian children are taught to mock Shylock, they run after him in the street. The merchants spit on him, the Duke reviles him, his daughter renounces her religion and robs him.

Still an amazing story, with a few of the best on mercy and prejudice ever written.

Of course Shakespeare's TEMPEST is an enchanting--and enchanted--play, but my comments here concern the DOVER THRIFT EDITION of the play. Dover is to be commended for making texts such as these affordable for readers on a budget. However, students and teachers alike should note that the Dover edition does not supply line numbers. Students who are considering this text for a class and may have to write about it will not be able to cite specific line numbers as is convention (Act.scene.lines; e.g., 3.1.34-47). Professors and teachers should also be aware of this limitation and weigh it against the affordability of this text.

I have my degree in English... I like reading and teaching with this version as "help" not as a substitution. It gives a clearer understanding to Shakespeare for people who have difficulty with it.

I bought this copy admittedly because the magical artwork on the cover drew me towards this edition. I admit that it is shallow but I am very glad I ended up picking this one because it contains a wealth of information that is so perfect for helping students understand the context, background, themes and ideas contained within this beautifully written play.

Shakespeare is always difficult for us young people, but I can easily promise anyone that this edition does a fine job of explaining the play and it definately helps the reader to gain a better understanding of the play so you are prepared to go into an exam and write about it for two hours with the conviction that you will yield good results.

I recently re-read THE TEMPEST prior to attending The Colorado Shakespeare Festival's performance of this play under the summer stars here in Boulder. Shakespeare (1564-1616) produced this emotionally-moving, poetic romance at the end of his career, in 1611, and published it in the First Folio in 1623. In fact, it was his last play.

It tells the story of Prospero, the exiled duke of Milan, and his beautiful daughter, Miranda, who have been stranded for twelve years on a desert island with two servants, the airy sprite Ariel (who Prospero rescued from being imprisonment in a tree) and the savage Caliban. Upon learning that his usurping brother Antonio is sailing near the island with the Neopolitan King Alonso's party, he uses his magic powers to conjure a sea storm that not only leaves the ship and its passengers wrecked on the island, but which also sparks a courtship between his daughter and the king's son, Ferdinand. The survivors of the wreck are separated into several groups, believing one another dead. Three subplots then alternate through the play. In one, Caliban befriends two drunken crew members, whom he believes to have come from the moon, and drunkenly attempts to raise is own rebellion against Prospero. In another, Prospero works to establish the romantic relationship between Ferdinand and Miranda. In the third subplot, Ariel thwarts a murder plot at Prospero's command.

The shipwrecked passengers are eventually reunited by island spirits to discover the marriage of Miranda and Ferdinand. In the end, as its title suggests, THE TEMPEST is as much about the opening scene's violent storm, as the journey that brought Prospero to the island and the psychological storm--"the sea change"--leading him to quit his magic and his remote island to return to Milan.

G. Merritt

The Tempest is rightly regarded as being one of the Bard's greatest works, containing some of his deepest thoughts on the nature of power and the relationship between rational man as controller of nature, and the animal man always to be at the mercy of the passions both of himself, others, and the world around him. In fact, this play could be thought of as representing Shakespeare's final and definitive statement on topics that he had explored throughout his cannon. But profound as the philosophy is, and despite the beauty of the poetry and the many magical elements contained within the play, the fact is that as far as the average attention lacking teenager is concerned, not a lot happens. This is why this Cambridge schools edition scores over most others. It is almost entirely activity focused, the expressed aim being to 'bring the play to life'. With at least one suggested activity beside each page of Shakespeare's text (as well as a decent amount of background notes and interpretation), every teacher armed with this book should be able to enthuse his charges with the very real relevance of this play to the world which we have bequeathed them.

Naturally, I required this book for my comparison of Freud and Adler's dream analysis theories. Freud was one of a kind!

i did a report on this book about 11 years ago. i am still excited by the book although it is not the original more like a summary. i still enjoyed reading.

This is a new translation (2006) of Freud's Interpretation of Dreams. I hope someone qualified might soon comment on the merits or significance of this new translation. Meanwhile, the Editorial Review information offered for this book comes from an earlier edition of a different translation of Freud's work, FWIW. And the second paragraph in the editorial review prelim is entirely inappropriate--it's for another book altogether.

I give Freud's book (not the translation) a low rating because it is misleading. It's not about the interpretation of dreams in general, but more specifically it's, covertly of course, about Freud's own dreams. More basically, it's about "infantile memories" he claimed dreams concealed. (For more explanation of this point, one could consult "If Freud's Theory Be True..." in Psychological Reports (1992, 70, 611-620), which would explain how Freud himself tells us his book is not about what it appears to be about.

Freud believed that every dream would reveal itself as a psychological structure, full of latent significance, often beyond the accessibility of normal consciousness. It was in fact belief in this assumption about a hidden psychological structure that eventually led to the discovery of the unconscious and to the later mapping of the architecture of the mind.

The discovery of the unconscious had monumental ripples across the intellectual landscape, especially in psychology and the aesthetic arts. It opened the gateways to the complexity of the mind and made it respectable to speak of the mind's hidden dimensions and their effects on both normal and abnormal psychological functioning.

Here using subjects, with now famous pseudonyms, Feud describes how their "dream-content," and the overt images of their dreams are in fact but the coded residue of latent thoughts and unresolved subconscious processing: Indeed, how they are little more than symbolic representations of deeply hidden ideas, feeling, and conflicts in these cases mostly of a sexual nature that have been unconsciously repressed, compressed, or suppressed beneath consciousness.

The book demonstrates how dream content is deciphered under proper psychoanalytic techniques and conditions, and what those techniques and conditions should be. When the techniques are applied properly, the blocked content is gradually recovered, examined and made manifest to the patient under clinical control. The goal of the analysis is to allow this "recovery process" and the exposure to the patient of the blocked items - that is exposure to "what lies beneath consciousness" -- to give the patient relief from psychological stress, tension, and conflicts.

Although many of Freud's theories have since come under careful scrutiny and sometimes withering criticism, "The Interpretation of Dreams" has remained one of his more enduing of his works. Because it is so cleanly written, as is true of all of Freud's works, and because it is Freud:

Five Stars

I just got my 2007 edition copy of "Interpretation of Dreams" in the mail so I haven't had a chance to read it. So this rating is only on the particular edition that is published by NuVision. They did not include an index or any information about who translated this version. Also, the table of contents is nearly worthless; no detail what-so-ever about the chapters, not even titles of the chapters, just Chapter 1 etc. and a page number. Even though you may think a newer publication is better, this one is much much worse and more expensive. Go with the 1980 publication. I'm returning the book to Amazon (who gets 5 stars for customer service!)

Aside from the literary value of this book which I am not going to judge, get this from a genuine Pfiesteria researcher, me:

Pfiesteria was NEVER proven to be the causative agent in the fish kills described in the book. Associated yes. Causative no. Big difference.

There's a growing body of evidence that it is actually NOT causative, all published in peer reviewed journals [...]

Pfiesteria toxin was never identified and it is entirely possible that Pfiesteria is one of many dinoflagellates that does not make a toxin.

As a matter of fact, the National Institutes of Health pulled the plug on funding for research into the effects of Pfiesteria toxin on humans shortly after a CDC sponsored Pfiesteria conference (CDC National Conference on Pfiesteria: From Biology to Public Health October 18-20, 2000, Atlanta GA).

Please read this book as "fiction".

This is a book that really hit home in North Carolina a few years back. While the events related in this volume had already begun to shift environmental policy in the state, the book's publication tipped the balance. The well-told story herein is about environmental reality versus the environmental bureaucracy, and how the latter was finally forced to concede. NCSU scientist JoAnn Burkholder discovered an environmental threat of massive proportions; the state environmental establishment denied it; the scientist pursued it,;and when the dust finally settled Burkholder had won. She proved that Pfiesteria piscicida, the "cell from hell," was alive and thriving in North Carolina's heavily polluted coastal estuaries, that unregulated industrial and agricultural pollution was to blame, and that numerous persons in the state government were giving lip service to environmental protection while protecting special interests. And she helped prove that rapidly profliferating fish kills were a warning flag that human health was in danger too. All of this grew out of Burkholder's accidental discovery of a strange dinoflagelate, unlike any seen before. (Dinoflagelates are evolutionary oddities in the first place: single-celled sea creatures which are sometimes considered to be plants, and sometimes animals.) Most related creatures have only a single form, but Pfiesteria can morph from cyst to whip-tailed swimmer to amoeba and back again, live in salt or fresh water, and change in size by a factor of 10. It can also steal chloroplasts from algae and run on photosynthesis when food is scarce. This charmingly adaptable little critter secretes a powerful collection of toxins and eats flesh. Ain't we got fun? Along the way the scientist herself fell victim to Pfiesteria's toxin, while working in the laboratory before the threat was clearly understood. This no doubt contributed to her later work -- that is, after the nausea, debilitation and short-term memory loss faded in ensuing months. Her lab assistant fared less well, and permanently lost an estimated 15% of his cognitive abilities, though he was finally able to return to work administering the lab. Although this is the story of a battle won, the larger implication involves a war we may well be losing. As estuarine environments world-wide become more heavily loaded with industrial run-off, manure, sewage and other human waste products, we are creating conditions that may easily awaken (or nourish) nasty opportunists that have been quiescent since life cleaned up the ocean. Natural Step founder Karl Henrik Robert, explains our impact as re-toxifying an environment painstakingly scrubbed clean over millenia. Life has buried poisons in sediments, or locked them out chemically. The overall effect of human development has been to release many sequestered poisons. Pfiesteria may be a harbinger of fearful times to come.

This dramatic account of this toxic dinoflaggellate is factual and descriptive. The beginning is well-paced and keeps the reader's attention. However, toward the middle of the book the plot becomes repetitive and more politically based. It was frustrating for the reader to read all the processes of funding and the failures. The book informs the public of a topic that is kept secret by the government. The author researched the data well and presented the information in an interesting way including a cliff-hanger to end each chapter. Overall, this book is recommended for an interesting read into the danger that lurks the coastal waters of North Carolina.

This book was overall a good read, but the widespread exaggeration of the effects of the dinoflagellate became quite repetitive. I was impressed that the book was able to tie politics and environmental policies together. At times, the plot was mildly interesting when compared to other environmental books. The government policies, though, became very confusing at times and the romantic aspect of Dr. Joanne Burkholder's life was not sufficiently explained.

I was simply amazed by reading this book. I just could not put it down after starting. And the Water Turned to Blood has been in my library for a few years and I finally picked it up to read it. This book reads like a novel, however, it is narrated in such a style as to get the message across that there are people who stand in the way of properly protecting the environment at times.

Barker shows the politics in the world of scientific research as well as within the agencies of North Carolina that were responsible for protecting the fisheries and waterways of their state. There are for sure interesting anecdotes throughout. Also, you will learn that small amounts of run off are actually good for rivers creating nutrients that enhance the cycle of life. The problem occurs when too much of one or another kind of pollutant is allowed to build up and then dinoflagellates flourish. Apparently these are prehistoric 'creatures' which are not plants, but microorganisms that feed on fish, crustacia and even enjoy human blood if introduced into the blood stream through an open sore or if aspirated through mist.

A fascinating story to be sure. Well written and informative.

I found this depressing and seemingly written by an angry & very jaded person who aimed to shock. I never wish to read anything more of Amy Bloom's!

This is a beautiful collection of emotionally resonant stories, written with an eye for detail and an ear for dialog. Bloom has such gift for teasing apart the threads of complicated relationships. Most of the stories are concerned with medical events--the fight, the surrender to disease, what it's like to be alive when those around you are succumbing. The story about the Darling Mistress is one of the fiercest in the collection, and my favorite. This book is outstanding.

Being a psychotherapist, Ms. Bloom focuses on stories of people with...certain ailments. But not to worry, these are not 'disease of the week' soap operas--her stories are witty, sometimes outrageously so, often told by characters with their own reasons for bitterness about the world. But the truly inspiring thing about Ms. Bloom is how, one way or another, she allows her characters to struggle on with some hope, some humor, and some love.

The title story is first; it's the longest and the funniest. But for me the story immediately following is the most touching, and the most uplifting.

A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You: Stories by Amy Bloom covers how typical love can be in atypical situations (for some, of course). Ms. Bloom touches on transexualism and a mother's love for her daughter soon-to-be son, death and recovery, breast cancer and the family, death of a newborn -- all situations that do affect people on a daily basis, but aren't the "norm" for the majority.

I think Ms. Bloom is essentially stating that no matter the situation, people are really the same and have the same feelings. If you've ever had any of the above situations touch your life, then I think you can appreciate not only the story that most affects you, but also the other stories to realize that you're not alone -- that other people do love and grieve just as much as you.

I also think it's very timely that love is most realized when someone or something is lost. Makes you think about your life and how you're living it at that exact moment.

I would recommend this book of short stories to anyone-- there's a bit of humor in most stories too, most of it bittersweet, but isn't that how life is?

I remain somewhat ambivalent towards this book, an ambivalence that is reflected in the points I gave this collection. Truly this beautiful collection of stories should have received 5 points based on the writer's talent and her writing that is so earthy and real on the one hand and so high level on the other, but if I judge the book according to my personal pleasure then I am not sure...
There is no doubt that this book is very well written, beautiful and candid and touches many modern, relevant subjects leading to the resolution (this is what I felt the writer was telling me) that all can be bore if only you have someone to share it with. Be it a mother, a lesbian girlfriend, a lover helping you suffer your Parkinson. I like this resolution and I think there is something very comforting about it.
My ambivalence stems from the fact that Amy Bloom seems to be constantly checking our boundaries. Many reviewers have already noted that all the characters in this collection suffer from a certain misfortune, be it a sickness of the self or a loved one. I do not think that this exactly is what bothered me but rather with Amy Bloom's going over the edge and maybe crossing a few red lines - such as a sexual encounter between stepmother and son, Julia and Lionel. This one encounter which never repeated itself, has left its marks on both the characters lives and is sufficient to unsettle the reader. Julia, the stepmother was my most beloved character in the book and yet the story is quite disturbing.
I found myself very uncomfortable with the first story bearing the collection name. Not because I am opposed to change of sex but because the story was painful for me to read both from the mother's side of having to see your daughter being so unhappy until the point of maiming herself and both from the physical aspect when I imagined the details of the operation. This story has also led me to ask myself several uneasy questions such as why am I more comfortable reading about cancer pain then about the pain of a sex-change operation? I guess the answer lies in the fact that the deformation of the self was hard for me to take. Amy Bloom has the reader sympathy for all her characters no matter what is their illness or misfortune, but I am not sure that this is a book I would want to read again in the near future. Maybe it is that stories of loss are always hard to take no matter how well they are written.