G Books

This is both a great read and an important historical document. Fanny Trollope was the mother of Anthony Trollope, perhaps the most prolific English novelist of the nineteenth century and my favorite. Fanny's husband was ineffectual in the breadwinning department, but fortunately for the family, Fanny herself was energetic and enterprising. She took one of her sons (not Anthony) and an artistic young man to the United States. She was planning to join a friend of hers who was a mover in setting up the utopian community in Harmony, Indiana, but the place turned out to be squalid, and she didn't stay long.

Fanny spent most of her time in the U.S. in Cincinnati and in her book is very hard on the city and its inhabitants. She especially objected to the pigs' role as garbage collectors. (In those days, pigs roamed the streets freely, like sheep grazing.) Fanny felt most of the people she encountered were loud, dirty, vulgar, and fanatically patriotic. It is her vivid descriptions of the physical conditions and the people that give this book its historical and entertainment value.

While she was living in Cinci, she opened a retail emporium and filled it with rather shoddy merchandise sent from England by her husband. She also attempted to bring culture to the inhabitants. Not surprisingly, both ventures failed.

After Mrs. Trollope returned to England, she supported her family by writing novels that were quite popular at the time, though they haven't become the classics her son's have. She spent her final years living in Italy with another son and his wife.

This is an extremely entertaining commentary on American manners and well written. I agree, however, with Mrs. Trollope's son, Anthony, who commented that Mrs. Trollope is a keen observer but she understands little. Certainly her complaints about the lack of gentility among Americans is valid but she completely missed the wonderful lack of class restraints endemic to English society which afforded Americans "class mobility"--freedom of opportunity (except for native Americans and slaves).

Fanny Trollope (1779-1863) wrote over 35 novels and several non-fictions books in her effort to rescue her family from poverty. However, the most read of all her books is "Domestic Manners of the Americans" which she published in 1832. It was in that distant year that Fanny and two of her children traveled across the Atlantic Ocean. Her purpose was to join a utopian community in Tennessee whose denizens were freed slaves.
Fanny left her impecunious and feckless husband the barrister Thomas Trollope back home in England. Her famous son Anthony did not make the trip as he was a student at Harrow School. Fanny knew her husband would join her in the USA when money became available. Later the family would flee to Bruges to escape creditors. Fanny eventually lived out her life in Florence near her son Thomas Trollope.
After leaving Tennessee the Trollopes settled for two years in the Queen City of the West Cincinnati, Ohio. Fanny did not like America or the American people! She found us xenephobic; boastful, prideful and violent.She hated the hypocrisy of life in Midwest Ohio although she did attend such cultural attractions as opera, plays and lectures. She favored the state Anglican Church of Great Britain not caring for America's separation between church and state.
This book could well be read alongside Charles Dickens' "American Notes for General Circulation" based on his 1842 six month trip to the USA.
Both Trollope and Dickens found the Americans crude, lacking in manners
and eager to make a quick buck. Listen to Trollope at her most scathing:
"..among the rich and the poor, in the slave states, and in the free states...I do not like them. I do not like their principals, I do not like their manners, I do not like their opinions." (p.314).
Fanny Trollope's book is more interesting than Dickens since she discusses colorful characters and shares anecdotes about her sojourn in our young republic. Like Dickens she hates the odious practice of tobacco chewing and the mangling of the English language. Trollope found us Yankees to be too serious and viewing us as poorly read. Unlike the wealthy and famous Dickens, Mrs. Trollope was a middle-aged woman fighting off poverty with her pen. I enjoyed her descriptions of nature such as those she paints of the Potomac River, Northern Virginia and the Niagra Falls area in New York and Canada. She is aware of flora and fauna and describes them with knowledge and in beautiful prose.
Dickens and Trollope give us the eye to see America in the days prior to the Civil War when the curse of chattel slavery ruled the land. Since those days America has granted freedom to all citizens. I wish both Fanny and Charles could visit us again in the 21st century. Their remarks would be of great interest to this reviewer and countless others!

All I can say is: what a great read! Who knew? Quite frankly, upon first sight of this book I must admit a bit of dread as the puritanical artwork does not smack of fun and games. Of course, as a literature student, I should know better than to ever judge a book by its cover.
Had I been Fanny Trollope writing such an account of America in the 1820s, I would be hardpressed to say that I would have changed a single word. Trollope has been the victim of many mean spirited caricatures and accusations by Americans and it still continues today, but what is interesting is that no one can do more than attack her person. In other words, no one seems to be able to refute her claims.
Trollope's "bitchiness" seems, for the most part, merited by my standards and while she finds much to complain about concerning an American democracy in its adolescence, she certainly discovers just as many things that she likes or finds beautiful.
Plain and simple, Americans collectively have a hard time taking criticism, especially from an outsider...and at that time, political criticism from a woman was deemed absurd if not audacious.
Last but not least, Fanny Trollope is always sure to preface anything she says with the conscious realization that she can only speak for what she has seen/heard personally and is thereby not judging ALL of America.
Trollope is witty and anecdotal and I think anyone interested in what an outspoken Englishwoman had to say about the New World should certainly pick up a copy. I found particular interest in gender/religious issues but got the most laughs out of her descriptions of American manners (or the lack thereof).
It is always interesting to see how much things have changed, and better yet, how many things have remained exactly the same!

Very entertaining read of the author's trip through 19th Century America, full of wonderful description and enlightening observations. Despite the griping below, Mrs Trollope simply reports what she sees - men spitting tobacco on the floor, ladies off in another room while the guys have a good time, etc. She reports accurately on our forefathers' rugged pioneer spirit, but points out the lack of education everywhere. We want to shout "lies!" but Mark Twain wrote about the same thing, and the aspects of our society that haven't changed much are still being commented on with the same frankness by writers like Saul Bellow, Gore Vidal, Dawn Powell, Paul Theroux and Joan Didion. Many true-hearted Americans will enjoy this book no end. Mrs Trollope clearly loved America and simply wrote truthfully about; she is simply beholden to no one - the essence of good writing. A thoroughly refreshing read.

my mother recieved a copy of this book when she had her open heart surgery. i have read it and have been hooked on it ever since. when i lost my mother my sister got rid of the book before i could get to it. i was extremely glad i found it on amazon,com after my own heart attack. it is a lifesaver.

After my father had an emergency triple-by-pass, our entire family experienced a "wake-up call" and finally decided to start learning about our hearts and how to eat for better heart health. One by one, each of us has bought a copy of this book--it is SO well written and Mr. Piscatella explains everything so well that it makes you excited about eating healthier. He is also very realistic about what it takes to change habits you've developed over many years. The first half of the book is all of the background information you need and the second half is the cookbook portion. The recipes are a helpful way to get started in your new appraoch to cooking and eating! Do yourself a favor and get this book--and get one for others in your life who need to take better care of their heart!

I started using this book for my husband. He as a combination of bad genetics and scant will-power. The dishes are very easy to make, most of the ingredients are already in your kitchen, and best of all, they are delicious. It is very easy to follow and you can't believe you are eating so healthy because it tastes so good.

In this cookbook designed for the heart patient, Piscatella devotes the first half to discussion of heart disease, cholesterol, unhealthy elements of American diet, and a seven-step plan to change eating habits - including reductions of fat, salt, sugar and even restaurant eating.

The second half introduces the recipes, accompanied by nutritional information, variations and serving suggestions. Recipes range from Italian vegetable soup to grilled swordfish steak, chicken curry and barbecued lamb roast. There's even a pie crust recipe. With an emphasis on herbs and judicious use of small amounts of fat, recipes are attractive as well as healthy.

I just bought this book for my husband and me, and I can't put it down. The information in the first half of the book is priceless. It goes in-depth about not only the workings of the heart and the causes of coronary heart disease, but also contains a step-by-step guide for how to change your lifestyle to prevent, control, or even reverse heart disease. The recipes in the second half are delicious and practical, if somewhat pricey. The author's focus is on presenting a practical, "do-able" approach to health, and he certainly achieves that. If you aren't buying it for yourself, buy it for your kids... their future dietary habits are determined by how they eat today. And "traces of the disease are common in American children by age 10" (p. 25). I'm buying another one for a friend.

Just finished reading Paul Petredis' terrific effort. I am the current President of the 35th Infantry Regiment Association and I found the historical aspects of the story to be of particular interest. Paul's story is riveting. I liked the fact that he didn't try and make it a story of personal heroism. As they say in Dragnet "Just the Facts, Mam" and that's what Paul gave us but they were interesting facts and interesting reading. Seems like there should of been a movie come out of this. Thanks Paul. I enjoyed it.

This is the most gripping, facinating non-fiction book I have ever read. It shows the will to survive in the face of overwhelming odds. I wish every high school student would read this book and discover the meaning of a true hero. It is very different from what the movies portray. I recommend reading this book. You won't want to put it down.
O. Mastellos

Facinating true story.

Escape From North Korea by Paul G Petredis

His book is superbly researched and a darn good read of the Forgotten War and the path which lead to it. His personal experience being a soldier in Korea and surviving the conflict gives great credit to him as a man, and his narrative about how he escaped from North Korea is almost beyond description, and should be a must read for anyone who enters the US Military Service. Hope to see future writings by Paul Petredis.

F.Petersen

WOW... war becomes real on these pages, almost too real, and from a soldier with his first-hand account. I found it to be a story of survival and determination, and a credit to the author and to our military. I suppose the most significant part of this story, is the insight into what our soldiers are facing everyday in the Middle East. It should be "must" reading for every person in our Armed Forces, as to what to expect, and how to overcome the impending obstacles, in battle and if captured. An excellent book and a credit to its author. Well done!

I read this book in a weekend! I could not put it down. It had humor, suspense, twists and turns - all the makings of a great book. I can't wait to see where this author takes us next!

Enjoyed the story immensely..wonderful character analysis of man & animal..Is a sequel in the offering? Terrific new author.

I really enjoyed the comparisons of the animal world with the human world. The writing style of this book truly kept me constantly wanting to read on. There is crime, love, travel and plot twists in this book that add to all the excitement! I'm looking forward to reading any other works this author will produce!

This is a completely different view of love, death and intrigue. The most amazing thing to me is how the animal characters jump out of the book and become so real. Each animal character having it's own unique personality.

A truly different type of fantasy book. The author conveys the innocence of the animal kingdom and the cruelty of the human race.

Hope this author continues with this type of storyline, would like to read more.

Started reading and got into the story and was loving it and didn't want to stop

I purchased this book in March of 2002 and began my "diet" in April. I was obese to say the least. I have since lost a total of 60 pounds and overall 22 inches (13 from my hips and waist alone)I am sure that my personal motivation has had a lot to do with my success and I now have more energy than I have had in years. I am now able to wear a pair of jeans that I purchased my senior year of high school (I know... why would you save them?) which was 15 years and 2 children ago. I am absolutely NEVER hungry and actually crave drinking water now. (which I used to gag just at the thought of drinking) I have promoted this book to EVERYONE I know and even laugh about the fact that it was published so long ago, but still applies and is so useful.

My additional motivation is that I have gone from a size 22W pants to a comfortable 12 and often a 10. I run /walk 3 - 6 miles each day with my son, something I would not have been able to do 6 months ago and this also gives us some special time together.

I will say that this is obsessive, and my family hates to eat with me. Everytime we cook or eat together I do a lot of "do you know how much fat that has" or "I can't believe you ate sausages for breakfast!"

If you are even thinking of buying this book ... DO IT... RIGHT NOW!

I first saw this diet in " Ladies Home Journal" back in 1989ish.
It had a page size color chart to figure your fat index, which the paperback book lacks.

I used this diet back in 1992 and lost 48 pounds. However, during the holidays over the years, the weight crept back.

Now my wife and I are both on this diet and in the first two weeks, I have lost:

14 pounds

2 inches in the hips

3 inches in the waist

1 1/2 inches across the breast

My wife keeps her weight secret, even after 14 years of marriage, but she has lost 4 inches in the waist, 3 inches in the hips, and 2 inches across the breasts, in our first two weeks. HINT: Buy a scale with a memory!
I would say the diet still works. In addition, I don't feel any hunger pangs between meals.

The exercise is important, but drinking 64 oz of water each day is more important, to wash out those fatty acids that accumulate from burning your stored up fat. DON'T WAIT until you are thirsty, start with water before the first cup of coffee.

There is no mention of increasing your water intake after drinking caffeinated drinks, that in hot weather would leave you dehydrated. The typical rule is to drink 2 times the amount of water for each amount of caffienated diet soda. Apparently, the fluid intake and outgo with 64 ounces of any liquid is enough to flush the system.

Our sample supper meal for one person:

Fruit: 4 oz high pulp Orange juice

1 Vege: 2 cups salad mix with 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar dressing

Protein; 1 Vege; 2 starch & 1/2 dairy:
2 yellow no fat tortillos
1/2 can no fat refried beans
1/2 can diced tomatoes with green chillies
grated cheese on top

Heated in microwave 2 1/2 minutes. Magnifique!

I whole heartedly recommend this diet. DON"T FORGET to exercise at least 30 minutes every other day. Walk, spade your garden, put up stuff upstairs or like I'm doing this morning...unloading 20 sacks of humas, 40 pounds each, which I found last night @ 49 cents each.

I first used this book about 10 years ago and found it effective and easy to follow. It is a flexible, healthy lifestyle plan incorporating good food and exercise. I have gone back to it several times over the years, and it has never failed me. Try it!

I love this book! This is the only "diet" I have ever followed and I am still my high school weight at 45 years old. I first ordered the paperback from the back of the Special K cereal box at least ten years ago and have completely worn out the book. I've just ordered a hardcover edition hoping it will last into my old age. If you're new to this book, keep in mind the fat comes off slowly - replaced by muscle. It's not an overnight diet - but a forever body change. Give yourself a couple of months to really see the difference. Also, you won't be hungry. The only thing I do differently from the book is to have two starches at lunch and one at dinner; this seems to work better for me. Also, I've found that water-packed tuna with BBQ sauce for flavor really sticks with you. Have fun and be creative!

I only had to read about 1/2 of the 1st chapter of this great book(I dont like to read), but thats all i needed to understand why "diets" dont work. This book is a must for anyone who want to lose weight(fat). I lost 25 pounds in about 40 days. The concept of this "diet" is so easy i had to slow my loss down because i was afraid of losing too much too fast. Now that the holidays are over, i'm going for another 25 pounds. My wife lost about 33 pounds also.

My copy of Handel's Messiah arrived when stated and in in perfect condition. Thank you

The Messiah is, by far, my favorite piece of classical music. It has been a Christmas tradition for me to attend singalong Messiah concerts for many years. This score has been the choice of the choral conductors and organizers of the concerts of which I have been a part. I bought this book to give to my son-in-law for Christmas, as part of a package that also included a recording of a radio program about the Messiah and Handel, and a CD of the music. He is an musician, so I knew he would enjoy it, and I wanted to provide him with material to share with my granddaughters, so they could also become acquainted with this great piece of music. He was very pleased to receive the gift.

The book arrived in a very timely manner. It was in excellent shape. I am extremely happy to have it. Now I can mark it all up for the soprano lines.

Our Chancle Choir preformed excerpts with guest soloist I wanted my own score. The quickness in receiving this was of utmost importance. I was delighted to receive a copy just like the ones purchased by our church. A beautiful score to own.

The entire MESSIAH , accompaniment, score, voice parts in one managable size format. Paperbound. Hallelujah!!

Susan Howatch may be a woman with training in the law, but she gets inside the mindset of male priests in the Anglican Church (Episcopal Church in the U.S.) better than anyone else. This is a mystery, a suspense novel, a love story and a deeply psychological look at spiritual direction all rolled into one. The book begins with a man having a vision of a small country chantry (chapel). Outside the chapel is a unique suitcase. Is this god telling him to pack his bags and leave the monastary he has known for so many years? After intense spiritual direction, that I found riveting, he decides to leave. He goes on holiday, and while walking down the hall of the inn he is at, he see the suitcase of his vision! He has to meet the owner of the valise. She turns out to be a beautiful woman (much younger than himself). Will love ensue? What is god's will? This book will encourage you to consider the power of prayer and god's direction for your life. It will call you to wrestle with the possibility of healing and evil. This book began my love affair with each of the books in the "Starbridge" series. It could be the start of something special for you, too.

The second in the series of Starbridge books - Glamorous Powers - is the one I liked the best. IN this book we get to know Jon Darrow, who figured in the first volume Glittering Images as Charles Ashworth's spiritual director, more intimately. Whereas in Glamorous powers, seen through Charles Ashworth's eyes, he was the perfect super priest who knew everything, here we actually get under Jon's skin and see him as he sees himself: as a flawed, confused man with many problems, in particular concerning his relationship with women. Jon had spent several years in a monastery as a monk, but now, in his sixties, he receives a calling from God to leave the monastery and fulfil a mission in the world - but he doesn't know what. Nor is he certain if that mission includes marriage.
For anyone with an interest in Gnosticism and mysticism, this is a particularly interesting book - but such an interest is definitely not a pre-condition for reading and enjoying it! I'm not the only Howatch reader to have this as their favourite in the series. (...)

With the 2nd book in Howatch's Anglican trilogy, we explore the story of the monk who was the therapist in book #1. He is also 60 years old, a psychic and a vision from God sends him back into the world and out of the monastery. There is a great deal of counselling and angst in this novel as well. There isn't enough different about this novel to make it the same fascinating read as book #1 though. I've already bought book #3 and I hope we follow a different pattern with that one. He does find a new woman as part of his vision from God as her bag and her estate were specifically seen in it. The Anglicans must spend more time in analysis than Freud himself ever dreamed possible!

This review is for the first Ballantine Books paperback edition, November 1989, a volume of unknown origin found while cleaning out the bookcase. I decided to read it only because Amazon.com customers rated it five stars. Although I was raised as a Roman Catholic, and at age thirteen spent a year in the seminary, I soon became disenchanted with, and largely disinterested in, organized religion. Notwithstanding this bias, I'm glad that I read GLAMOROUS POWERS.

The plot opens in Grand Chester England at a quarter to six on Friday morning, May 17, 1940 in the cell of Jon Darrow, who for the past seventeen years has been a monk in the (fictional) Anglican Fordite Order of Saint Benedict and Saint Bernard. Jon is having a vision. He interprets this vision as God's instruction to leave the order and embark on a new, unspecified calling. Before Jon can leave, however, he must convince the Abbot General, Francis Ingram that his vision was a communication from the Holy Spirit and not an aberration of a disturbed psyche. There follows a fascinating mental dual between Jon and Francis.

This deep and literary exploration of psyches pervades the story. Before each chapter and section, the author liberally quotes from the works of W. R. Inge, particularly MYSTICISM IN RELIGION. Jon has mystical (glamorous) powers, healing powers, which Francis thinks are often nothing more than "parlour tricks." I thought of "Anglo-shamanism."

Although the story evolves within the institutions of religion, it does not tamper with faith or belief, so the reader need not worry about being upset by heresy or theological debate. The author confines polemic disputes between Anglo-Catholics and Roman Catholics, Low Church and High Church, to ritual, and treats these as external conflict rather than internal struggle. This story is not about religion, but about the psyche, with pervasive emphasis on the guilt and anger emanating from parental failures.

Jon Darrow has problems, "dis-ease" he would say. The larger than life character is Francis Ingram who unravels Jon's troubled psyche without revealing his own disturbances. At one point Jon shuns Francis and mires himself into a muck of troubles, and at page 296 I made a note that the story was getting a bit tedious. It revived, I thought, around page 339 with the return of my hero Francis. Indeed, the acerbic and witty letters written by Francis to Jon are splendid examples of writing at its very best.

One only gets small hints in 'Glittering Images' that there is a lot more to Jon Darrow than meets the eye, 'Glamourous Powers' is his story. After leaving his order after seeing a vision, Darrow tries to work out his vocation and in his attempt lets his ego and spiritual arrogance get the better of him which leads to tragedy, but also the offer of spiritual renewal afterwards. An excellent look at how spiritual leaders and mentors have their own failings and the fact that they also need to be helped and disiplined. It is an excellent argument against those who are completeley against charismatic renewal, but also against those who are totally for it without seeing the warning signs and the need to be answerable to someone who you trust but who who you also don't have a cosy relationship with.

This is an excellent tale of a man, Jacob Horowitz, and his family. His parents and sister, the people who hid him through the war years in Belgium who became so close, they were family, and his children and grandchildren.

But mostly, it's Jacob's story, how the war shaped him, how his decisions and actions formed him, and how, in the dusk of his life, he decided to change his course, change his priorities, change his life.

The story is told in a back-and-forth manner, sometimes telling the story of the present, sometimes the past. There is much detail told though the author doesn't dwell much on any one area or piece of information. He skims over everything with just enough detail to tell you what you need to understand without using too much exposition.

It's amazing to watch the transformation of Jacob - both from innocent child to hardened survivor, and hardened, ambitious victor to vulnerable, ill, lonely old man.

Mostly, though, it's refreshing to read a story about men that has emotion yet isn't at all feminine.

I highly recommend this book.

(*)>

I just happened to snag this one off the "new books" shelf at the library (sorry Mr. Belliveau) and wasn't particularly excited about reading it since I've read so many books on the holocaust and figured this probably wouldn't provide a new perspective. I was wrong. It was gripping text from the beginning and brings up questions about where our sense of right and wrong comes from and how we make the choices that we make. Never once while reading this did it occur to me that this was a "Christian" book. . .I learned that the instant I finished the book and walked to the computer to beg my own redemption by writing a review. In fact, I kept looking at the author's name and wondering if he too was a Jewish man who was using a pseudonym like one of the characters in the story. This is a book about people, both Jewish and Christian, who suffered in WWII and this is the first time I have taken the time to let others know about a really, really good book.

What does it mean to be a young Jewish boy in war-torn, occupied Belgium during WWII? It means that your life suddenly becomes a living hell where you're constantly afraid, always in hiding, and you watch the Nazis (whoever they are) take your father and uncle to the death camps, and you're not even sure what's going on or why you're being hunted. Those were the thoughts that kept going through seventy-one-year old Jacob Horowitz's mind as he waited at the airport for his son, Isaac. He was taking Isaac to Belgium to show him his roots This is a deeply personal, emotional first person story of a young Jewish boy's trials in trying to stay alive while understanding the horrors of World War II. Then, after surviving the war, he grows up into a somewhat bitter old man who realizes he needs to set his house in order before he dies. Very moving and easy to follow, even though the time line jumps back and forth from the past to the present. Well written.

...this book is a refreshing change. It's an actual NOVEL that explores the inner lives of its characters, presents the world realistically (and what a world! World War II Europe!), and doesn't pull any punches in describing the evil of mankind, the complexity of life, etc. This book is not only one of the best American "Christian" novels I've ever read, it's much better than most of the formulaic sludge clogging mainstream fiction shelves these days.

My one complaint is that a character is a writer. I don't like writers who write about writers - but that's hardly a fault unique to Belliveau.

Due to the help of Belgium Christians, Jew Jacob Horowitz survived the Holocaust. However, he never forgot the horrors of the Nazis even decades later. Although his mother pleaded he remember he was Jewish, the terror destroyed his faith in God. Now several decades later, Jacob is a successful Cleveland businessman with two grownup children with families of their own. Jacob and his youngest son Isaac are alienated because he has always refused to mention the horrors he faced during the Nazi abomination. That estrangement seems silly now to Jacob when he learns he is dying and that one of his European benefactors is near death. With his son in hand, Jacob plans to say good-bye to Pierre and hello to his family.

Told in flashbacks, GO DOWN TO SILENCE is a fantastic human drama that will inspire anyone with a soul. The story line is incredible as readers feel Jacob's emotions as his life winds down and he tries one last time for salvation on the spiritual and mortal planes. G. K. Belliveau has written an amazing tale that brings the aftermath of the Holocaust home in a way rarely seen in a novel.

Harriet Klausner

Goblin Market, a verse fairy tale that was first published in 1862, is a rather fascinating piece of masterful poetry. It tells a wonderfully sensuous tale that has inspired a myriad of interpretations. I've spent more time reading about Goblin Market than I did actually reading it - savoring it, rather, for it really calls for a much more personal treatment than a mere reading. This pre-Raphaelite work harbors latent eroticism that echoes with both renunciation and desire. Thus, some term it a work of repressed Victorian eroticism and grin knowingly (and leeringly) as they recount the fact that Goblin Market was quite a popular children's fairy tale in its day. Christine Rossetti was herself a recluse along the lines of Emily Dickinson, allowing her heart to sing freely even as she kept herself separated from any possible objects of her latent desires.

In the poem, one sister gives in to the temptation of the forbidden fruit offered by the dark goblins forever lurking in the twilight to seduce their victims to a first taste of their exotic wares. The desire to obtain more of the passion fruit overtakes her young life, yet the goblins appear to her no more; as a result, she begins to waste away near to death. At this point, her sister, who sensibly avoided temptation, willingly seeks to bargain with the goblins, only to have them force their juicy wares upon her. The fruity residue is enough, however, to revive her sister. The act of salvation is obviously the juiciest part of the story on a number of levels - such a sensual act between sisters, with lines such as "Hug me, kiss me, suck my juices" and "Eat me, drink me, love me," cries out for interpretation of all kinds - and those quick to criticize the hypocritical prudishness of Victorian society have a veritable field day with it.

Some say this is not a poem for children's ears? Balderdash. Like any masterful work of poetry, Goblin Market can be read and interpreted on many levels. Children will delight in its lyrical rhyming patterns, its allusions to wee goblins hawking the most delicious of fruits, and interpret the salvation of the tempted sister in comparatively innocent terms. I say leave the interpretations to the adults. And what interpretations there are of this lengthy poem. Some see in it a recreation of the genesis story, a story of sacrifice and redemption, a tale of lesbian yearning, a declaration of the power of sisterhood, a commentary on women as commodities in market society, evidence of sexual molestation by Rossetti's father, etc. There's no limit to the interpretations put forth about what is, on the surface, an engaging fairy tale set to verse.

This is a fascinating work of lyrical poetry that can be read fairly quickly yet will sustain your interest through multiple readings, all sorts of fascinating research into analysis and interpretation, and just plain wonderment. As sensual as it is beautiful, Goblin Market is probably one of the most fascinating and insightful products of Victorian literature.

I wonder if the good folk at the end of the 19th century when this poem was originally published were just too obtuse to understand the gist of Rossetti's work; if so, we have an innocent artifact that has evolved into something erotic because of our twentieth century sensibilities (we have dirtier minds than our compatriots from the past).

Don't let the word "erotica" scare you away. This is not a blatantly sexual work in its language; it is not a "dirty" book. Just understand that despite what anyone else says or writes, this is about as unambiguously EROTIC as you can get. With phrasing like "Eat me, drink me, love me; Laura, make much of me; For your sake I have braved the glen; And had to do with goblin merchant men."

Since the original work is now in the public domain, if you want to read the full text online just do a search using most standard search engines with the terms "Christina Rossetti Goblin Market" and you should turn up a number of links to the actual poems, go read it, and decide for yourself about it.

This makes a wonderful gift for people you are very close too. However, it is also a very personal poem, and if given inappropriately could actually scare someone away!

Noted Italian/English poetess of the 1800's Christina Rossetti's imagination catching poetry has stood the test of time, being still loved and studied today. Because of its title, Goblin Market sometimes gets put into a juvenile category, but this is a poem for mature readers. This moral tale depicts the epic struggle between bad and good. The goblin's onslaught on virtue immediately engages the reader's inner ear and heart. This poem is really gripping reading. Goblin Market is often considered Christina Rossetti's best poem. This re-issue, replete with noted illustrator Arthor Rackham's beautifully eerie drawings, is a book worth owning.

A children tale for adults. It's a light and thoughtful reading. The story of two sisters and lewd goblin men. Innocence, temptation and emotions all together. This inspiring story has wonderful work of Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

This tale is not about sexuality but about redemption and the need to help others. Read deep into the story to find the meaning that Rossetti intended.

I was looking for a book about manners for my four year old. I came across this one, and decided to give it a try. It's charming, and he LOVES it!

The book is written in a rythmic poetry that really appeals to young children and the stories are funny -- and while they do convey bad manners, they simultaneously make it clear why the behaviors are unacceptable. (I was a little concerned about that, but I needn't have been.)

I recommend this one!

What a great book! Thirty years ago (when I was five) I discovered this book. These are manners children used to be taught. Now parents expect teachers and others to raise their children for them. Etched in my mind forever is one of the phrases from this book. "The goops they lick their fingers, the goops they lick their knives, they spill their broth on the tablecloth , oh they lead disgusting lives. The goops they talk while eating,and loud and fast they chew, I'm glad I'm not a goop are you?" Buy this book!

Time moves on, we make technological advances and things change. However, people remain the same. No matter what happens, right is right and wrong is wrong.

What impressed me the most about this book is that it is fun to read. I don't want to bash Emily Post, Martha Stewart or any others lecturing on the dos and don'ts of life, but books on manners and etiquette can sometimes get pretty dry.

I have a feeling that children everywhere will love the whimsical drawings and happy little rhymes.

The subject matter may seem simple, but Goops and How To Be Them provides a wonderful opportunity for parents to speak with their children about the issues that face today's youth.

The editor of the latest release of Goops and How To Be Them has set up a website devoted to training kids and families about manners........................

I grew up with Goop books, and I have fond memories. There are numerous poems on what good little children should do (manners) and what the round faced goops do to be naughty. A very fun children's book.

My mother read me this book when I was very young, and it stays with me still. A great way to teach kids manners!