Peter Books

The photographs alone in this book justify the purchase price. Heck, the cover photo of Clara Bow justifies the price! The text was interesting but not overly enlightening; however, every photo was one I'd not seen before. I found the author's choice of biographic subjects to be intriguing since it included actors I might have overlooked. If you love the silent movie era, this is a good addition to your library.

This is the first modern book I have seen in a long time that covers the silent era of film with the right combination of good textbook information and photographs to illustrate the era. There are many production stills, behind the scenes photos and poster and other advertising art work for illustration. A history of the development of Hollywood as the center of the film industry is given as well as coverage of different genres and the key players of the era. Overall, a handsome coffeetable edition with good general information about the best of Silent Film.

This gorgeous, glossy coffee-table-style book is a must-have for serious silent movie fans. Fascinating information on the golden age of silent movies and full of wonderful photographs.

This book is crammed with lush photos and fantastic ad materials from the silent era. The text is thorough, informative, and presented in an organized and entertaining manner, but the book is worth the price for the illustration alone.

I received this book as a Christmas gift and while not a definitive volume on the Silent Era, it is truly beautiful. They have various chapters from the stars, the directors, genres and etc. This book is loaded with photos of stars and posters and is a large coffee table book. I have read bits and pieces but not cover to cover, yet. Still, I can highly recommend this book to anyone interested in this forgotten time in cinema history.

In my own opinion, Elizabeth Barrett Browning at her best and most seductive; lie there reading them in bed and let them ravish you! To read them, so intimately sweet as they seem, is almost to feel EBB herself there, her small form snuggling happily in your arms. Of course nobody would have known better than EBB herself what dulcet love songs these sonnets were, since she had never intended them for publication. They were secret, often quite confessional, love poems she wrote about her Robert while he was courting her, all unawares, and then for awhile after their marriage, in which they continued carrying on as two of recorded history's most passionate lovebirds.

It was only after Robert Browning somehow discovered and read them that he managed to convince EBB that they were really too good not to be published. He was right, of course. Even so, Elizabeth was sensitive enough about the matter to want to screen the work off under a somewhat misdirecting title. SONNETS FROM THE PORTUGESE might hope to create a casual impression that they were foreign translations of some mysterious sort ... which, of course, obviously they aren't, but who's philologically analysing; read and enjoy!

In fact, the name settled on was a mere lover's in-joke. Because of her somewhat exotic looks and olive-colored skin, Browning's pet name for EBB, other than the baby-talk "Ba," was "my Portugese;" hence the title. The collection was tremendously successful and deservedly so, and this edition of it, gorgeously illustrated, is very nice indeed.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote these sonnets for her husband and fellow poet Robert Browning. She is capable to move and haunt without saccharine kitsch & schmalz. Her sincerity and intensity are an example to everyone who wants to write poetry or song lyrics. Two thumbs up!

This book of sonnets and poems is just wonderful. Elizabeth Barrett Browning's writing is able to get to the very heart of the reader with honesty and beauty. This collection really speaks to the romantic soul with passion and truth. I find her writings to be incredibly moving and this volume touched me deeply.

These sonnets ease my tension when I read them.

My ex girlfriend, Ashleigh, gave this to me years ago, before she was forced by her family to marry this guy. Long story but she sent this book to me and signed the inside.
Next to Shakespeare, this is the most bittersweet and poetic
poems of love that I have ever read.
It was said that a husband and wife team wrote these so one can only imagine how passionate their marriage was, huh?

A wonderful book of beautifully odd collections! Everything from dirt to cat whiskers to those inspection tags inside of your new clothes.

Highly recommended when you need to see the beauty of things you have yet to discover.

My sister and I think this is a GREAT book. We love how diverse and unique it is.
Does Mr. Smith have an e-mail adress?
Thanks!

If you like visual journal type of books like "Drawing From Life" you will probably enjoy this. It is a nice sized book with a great textural cover. It seems like a lot of thought was put into the printing of this book and the feel of the paper to the reader's touch.

Will you learn any art techniques from this? Nope...not that kind of book.

There are interesting visual experiments, a funny personal collection of name misspellings and several other text and/or visual anecdotes of every day life.

I liked "Drawing from Life" just a bit better because I felt more of a connection with the contributors since the commonality was the obvious journal. This book does not have that same connection for me but I still enjoy it simply as a lover of a visual feast.

I saw this book in the store and then left it behind in a mad fit at register lines that were too long. Two days later, I was back in the store--couldn't let it go.

I love this book. It fits somehow with Drawing from Life: The Journal as Art, and I wonder if the two books have the same editor? It's a collection of views into other people's minds, affirmation of things I've thought to do and never followed up on (had my own collection of cat whiskers until I moved).

I wish it had a little more background on HOW these artists managed their inventory--my experience suggests that for every "finished" and shared project, there are dozens in the wings, cluttering up the studio. But OK. Think Edward Tufte on Small Multiples--what an amazing amount of information is generated when information is collected and presented over time.

Did I say I love this book?

This is one to buy for yourself and buy for your friends. It's for anyone who needs to be reminded that when we think outside the box, we come up with wonderful ideas. Read the editorial reviews and believe them - this is a strange, weird, wild book. I've grabbed family members and friends and made them sit down with it. I've put it on the Staff Picks shelf at the book store where I work. Personal favorites: the drawn lines showing the movement on different subway lines in NYC, and the collection of different rock samples and soil samples belonging to a barber in the city. These strange collections are actually very moving, very haunting and human. After you look at this book, try looking up other books published by Princeton Architectural Press, which is bringing out some of the best books around - they also did PHOTOBOOTH by Babette Hines, and YOU ARE HERE by Katherine Harmon.

I highly recommend Minister Vicky Spring Love's book, "Stop Robbing Peter To Pay Paul." God has truly blessed Minister Love with the gift of financial wisdom and a heart to share that wisdom with others. Indeed, Minister Love has a very deep and broad knowledge of financial principles and money matters generally, yet she presents what she knows in an easy-to-understand and practical way. Her book is helpful to every reader, regardless of his or her current level of financial literacy. Minister Love truly has something for everyone. Her Biblically-based book will cause your faith to increase and will provide you with a thorough understanding of God's perspective on money. Praise God for Minister Love!

Stop Robbing Peter to Pay Paul is a must read for anyone who is looking to improve their financial situation and their walk with God. Easy to understand and apply, it gave me great revelation that God has plenty to say about our finances and how we handle them. This book has blessed my life and I know that it will bless yours.

This was an excellent book that was very practical for improving your financial status systematically. It provided the tools necessary for good budgeting. It also taught me what personal defects I had that caused me to sabatoge my potential for financial excellence.
I was most impressed by the spiritual basis for everything that was taught. My teacher's demonstrated belief and practice of what she was teaching served to motivate me even more. Along with the above, it was a blessing to see an African-American female showing that financial victory can be accomplished, because this is one of our major shortcomings.
Finally, ever member of my class that I talked to enjoyed reading this book. I would recommend this book to anyone to use as a tool to improve their financial status

Vicky Spring Love's book Robbing Peter to Pay Paul helped change my financial outlook for the better. Her scriptural references and examples helped me recognize my need for God to be more involved in my finances.

Vicky Spring Love's book Robbing Peter to Pay Paul helped change my financial outlook for the better. Her scriptural references and examples helped me recognize my need for God to be more involved in my finances.

Andrew Cronan from Philadelphia, PA
Dr. Weisberger's book is a concise yet precise examination of the age-old but apparently intractable Problem of Evil. Most astute here is the author's assertion that the burden of proof lies with the Theist. That is, since all the premises of the inconsistent triad are those asserted by the Theist and all previous attempts to resolve the inconsistency fail, the intractability of the Problem endures. While the traditional discussion is accurately and interestingly presented, some current contributions are also examined. Plantinga's theodicy rightly receives very little attention while Hick's epistemic distance and Dore's revised soulmaking are the subject of thorough treatment. Chapter Six, with its attention to the "Pollution Solution," includes treatment of a version previously unknown to this reader. Here again Weisberger demonstrates the pitfalls of such a proposed solution. Any rational thinker concerned with the Western God cannot avoid this book.

Dr. Weisberger's book is a concise yet precise examination of the age-old but apparently intractable Problem of Evil. Most astute here is the author's assertion that the burden of proof lies with the Theist. That is, since all the premises of the inconsistent triad are those asserted by the Theist and all previous attempts to resolve the inconsistency fail, the intractability of the Problem endures. While the traditional discussion is accurately and interestingly presented, some current contributions are also examined. Plantinga's theodicy rightly receives very little attention while Hick's epistemic distance and Dore's revised soulmaking are the subject of thorough treatment. Chapter Six, with its attention to the "Pollution Solution," includes treatment of a version previously unknown to this reader. Here again Weisberger demonstrates the pitfalls of such a proposed solution. Any rational thinker concerned with the Western God cannot avoid this book.

If you're interested in the problem of evil for Christianity then you must deal with this book. Her arguments are scholarly, rock solid, persuasive and important. I only wish she would update it, since she doesn't deal with recent developments from William Rowe's evidential argument to theists like Wykstra who argue for the CORNEA defense. Still, if you want to deal seriously with this whole issue, her book is one of the best in this area.

Andrew Cronan from Philadelphia, PA
Dr. Weisberger's book is a concise yet precise examination of the age-old but apparently intractable Problem of Evil. Most astute here is the author's assertion that the burden of proof lies with the Theist. That is, since all the premises of the inconsistent triad are those asserted by the Theist and all previous attempts to resolve the inconsistency fail, the intractability of the Problem endures. While the traditional discussion is accurately and interestingly presented, some current contributions are also examined. Plantinga's theodicy rightly receives very little attention while Hick's epistemic distance and Dore's revised soulmaking are the subject of thorough treatment. Chapter Six, with its attention to the "Pollution Solution," includes treatment of a version previously unknown to this reader. Here again Weisberger demonstrates the pitfalls of such a proposed solution. Any rational thinker concerned with the Western God cannot avoid this book.

Dr. Weisberger's book will become the standard critique of the existence of an "all-powerful? god. She covers the complete ground on this issue and anyone who reads the book would be hard-pressed to make a logical argument for an all-powerful god. My only criticism of Dr. Weisberger is her apparent reluctance to come to the undeniable conclusion: What is a non-all-powerful god good for? Consequently this book become a brilliant argument (unacknowledged by the author) for the irrationality of belief in a good god.

This is what a Lovcraftian collection should be. Almost all the stories are spot on good. While one or two stories in the collection fell flat for me, most were excellent. I will not go into each story in the collection, as others have done that justice already; but "The Insider" was so good that it still gives me a shiver thinking about it.

Any fan of the "mythos" needs to have this collection. While dovetailing closely with HPL's writing, it has originality and freshness that made it a joy (or horror) to read. And you have to love the cover.

These days one of the hardest problems facing Cthulhu Mythos authors is to be able to write exciting tales within Lovecraft's framework, and yet tell these tales in a new and exciting voice. A fresh approach unfortunately seems to be something that numerous authors who've recently contributed to the cannon have been unable to do. So it is refreshing when an author such as Stanley C. Sargent succeeds to do just that, bringing a new perspective to the worlds of cosmic nihilism.

The Taint of Lovecraft is Sargent's second collection of Mythos tales, the first was , also published by Mythos Books LLC. This later collection contains nine tales, nine poems, two essays and numerous illustrations, including interiors and a cover illustration by the author of H.P. Lovecraft dressed up as a Pharaoh.

The standout tale in this collection would have to be "Nyarlatophis, A Fable of Ancient Egypt" which draws us back to the life of Pharaoh Amenemhat I, founder of the Twelfth Dynasty, and his encounter with Nyarlathotep (in the form of Nyarlatophis). The Outer God once more attempts to destroy humanity as we would expect, but this time in a land and culture nearly three thousand years distance from the time when Lovecraft penned his first tale. It is evident that Sargent knows his subject, both Cthulhu Mythos and Egyptian history, and so is able to take us lovingly back to this splendid age so often referred to, but rarely visited by other cannon authors.

One of Stanley C. Sargent's great strengths as a storyteller is his ability to adapt Lovecraft's style, yet make it his own. Stories such as "Live Bait" and "Double Screetcher" incorporate those horrific twists readers expect at conclusion, a trait Lovecraft used so well. But these stories also allow us to see the comic side of the mythos, and to see that our perceptions of what is right and wrong is based purely on our `humanness', and that sometimes we are no better than the horrors we ourselves fight against. Sargent's favourite of his own work, "The Black Brat of Dunwich" likewise has a similar theme. This story tells "The Dunwich Horror" from a completely different perspective, in this case from the viewpoint of Wilbur Whateley, and makes for interesting reading, especially if we consider that Lovecraft's protagonist Armitage is seen as the antagonist here.

The end of the collection contains two essays, the latter of which provides an interesting analysis of "The Dunwich Horror" offering a rarely discussed insight into what self-inflicted and societal-inflicted demons Lovecraft might have been fighting against all his life, but demons that also allowed his fevered artistic expression to flourish. Lastly, each story is introduced by steadfast scholar Robert M. Price (I can see this guy on his own Mythos Collectable Card), who provides his own special touch to the collection providing insights on each story for those who like to know how and where such tales originate.

In summary The Taint of Lovecraft doesn't take the Cthulhu Mythos into new places and new times, rather the reader is drawn back to Lovecraft Country - be that Arkham, Dunwich, Innsmouth or Ancient Egypt - and once arriving there, Sargent turns everything on its head. Nothing it seems, is what it seems, but isn't that what the Mythos is all about?

The Taint of Lovecraft is a joy on many levels. Stanley C. Sargent writes with wit and insight that are equally incisive in crafting the tales collected here. These brilliantly original takes on the Mythos fiction created by H.P. Lovecraft will undoubtedly please fans of horror fiction in general and Mythos readers especially. Sargent labors over the historical research that forms the backbone of many of his tales, and the results show in the authenticity and accuracy of his work.

This mix of stories, poems, and two highly entertaining essays is an important contribution to Mythos fiction. More importantly, though, it is a highly satisfying read.

The centerpiece of the book, "Nyarlatophis, A Fable of Ancient Egypt" is one of the most impressive Mythos-inspired stories I've ever read, and achieves the almost unheard of feat of rivaling the work of HPL in its sense of dread and eerieness, even though it is set in time period far removed from that in which HPL wrote.

What may stand out most about Sargent's tales in this collection, though, is their unerring capacity for nurturing the humor and sense of irony that is native to HPL's work but is often lost or overlooked among other Mythos fiction efforts, and bringing it to the forefront.

In short, this is a beautifully written, fantastic book.

A devoted student of the Lovecraftian writing, Stanley Sargent has brought fresh and exciting blood to this art form in his book TAINT OF LOVECRAFT. His stories grab you at the beginning and hold you spellbound to the final words, often those that are unexpected and surprising.

You need not be a student of ancient history to understand Mr. Sargent's stories. He brings everything to life for you, keeping you on an exciting journey through words that are alive and ready to leap out at you as you turn each page. If you are ready to be shocked, surprised, thrilled, and mystified, this book is for you.

In this, his second collection of tales inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's writing, Stanley C. Sargent firmly establishes himself as a master of his craft--a compelling storyteller in his own right and an important torchbearer for the legacy of Lovecraft's Mythos. The best tale in this collection is "The Black Brat of Dunwich," an insightful reinterpretation of Lovecraft's "The Dunwich Horror" that meshes so well with the original one cannot help but think Sargent found the key for cracking a sinister code Lovecraft intentionally wrote as a hidden subtext. It almost begins to feel that one needs Sargent's later work in order to appreciate the antecedent text on all of its multi-faceted levels. I don't want to overstate the point, but I wish future collections reprinting Lovecraft's original tale could all include "Black Brat" side-by-side with it. That being said, Sargent's story may lose some of its relevance for the uninitiated.

Most good Mythos fiction is not only steeped in a sense of otherworldly terror and the macabre, but is also solidly grounded in real-world history. "Nyarlatophis" is no exception; Sargent's knowledge of ancient Egyptian history and mythology appears exhaustive, and this tale--the longest in the collection--was obviously well researched. In some ways, it may actually have been too well researched, as the first third of the story is rather ponderous as the reader wades through what often feels more like an historical essay than a novella. But again, readers who stick with this tale will be glad they did, as the pace picks up significantly half-way through, and the dark, cataclysmic ending is all the more powerful for the grounding in history Sargent provided earlier on.

As for the remainder of this collection, it is a varied mix: an effectively disturbing science fiction tale that brings the Mythos to the stars, a prequel and a sequel to two other Lovecraft classics that also stand on their own as powerfully creepy narratives, a handful of comic takes on HPL themes (fun but probably my own least favorite pieces in this bunch), and one or two twilight-zone style horror pieces with only very loose connections to the Mythos per se. These stories are handsomely illustrated throughout, including a drawing or two by Sargent himself. The author also throws in nine of his whimsical poems, written in a style that blends Edward Gorey with Shel Silversetein. Two of Sargent's non-fiction essays complete this set, one that is really little more than a collection of anecdotes about the possible influences of Lovecraft on the EVIL DEAD films, and the other of which provides some fascinating insights into Lovecraft's biographical self by finding clues in his stories.

For all those enthusiastic minions of things Lovecraftian out there (among whom I count myself one), THE TAINT OF LVOECRAFT is a book that should have a prominent place on your shelf. For the rest of you, TAINT might well serve as a good introduction to the expanded Mythos, but if nothing else, it offers a handful of diverting tales.

Attention All Cops: These books are Fantastic! As with all of Peters' books, this one I could not put down. They are all fun to read,and very well written!! Being a police officer myself, I can relate, you will too. Every one (yes, even us cops) who enjoys a good book MUST read these!! Enjoy!!!

If you like "true crime" you will enjoy this tale of a rogue cop on the take. Once Mr Mars completes his tedious research of his characters he writes a poweful novel about their greed that certainly is a page turner. Right from the very first "pay off" Joseph O'Fallon will take you on a ride through New England that you wont forget. You will ask yourself does crime really pay or doesn't it. So read it and find out what happens to Joseph O'Fallon and his cronies. You won't be able to put this book down. I'm waiting for his next book to be released in October.

Another brilliantly written novel. Peter Mars has hit the mark point blank! This story is reveling and very believable. I can see what happens when power and the burning desire for money are melded together. This story painted a crisp picture in my mind nailing me to my chair. This book is in hot competition with his other book "The Tunnel".

Wow! What an excellent book! As soon as i started i could not stop. I finished in 3 days. The compelling story of 3 men overcome with the plague of greed is absolutely fantastic. Great graphic accounts and and overall outstanding job in all areas of the book. This book satisfied my thirst for mystery,action,and a law enforcement genre of a book. Every account was significant and the story unfolded very vividly thus,making the book one of the best i have ever read. Now i cant wait to read both of the others. Pete i wont hesitate to say YOU are the man and thanks for the good read.

What in incrediable book. I started reading it and just could not put it down. These boston police officers did what, most parents of young children want to do to drug dealers.

I can not wait to read Pete Mars next book The Tunnell.

This review pertains to the 2004 hardcover "Phoenix Edition" reprint. I must also confess that at this moment I have only made my way through half of volume 1. I feel it necessary to give potential buyers a "heads up" about this set: it is, as described, a massive work of mid-1800s scholarship. It was assumed at that time that anyone who would be reading such a work would be able to read Latin as well as Old High German, Old Norse, Anglo-Saxon, and a smattering of other medeival languages.
The author spends most of his time NOT telling mythical stories as the curious dabbler might expect, but instead chasing down obscure linguistic clues imbedded in medeival texts, place names, and quaint figures of speech in an attempt to reconstruct some sort of Germanic mythology (for which documentation is lacking) from its hypothetical parallels in Norse mythology (for which documentation is abundant) and the mythologies / religious beliefs / superstitions of surrounding races such as the Saxons, the Gauls, even the Greeks and Romans. This process is dull, dry, tedious, and to someone not fluent in Classical and Germanic languages, incomprehensible. If you love philology you will love these books, but if you want to be thrilled by tales of the Old Gods, stay away!! Herr Grimm does not tell many stories; all the cool stuff is quoted from his sources, and whatever of that isn't in Old High German is in Latin. _Untranslated_ Latin. BEWARE!!
Don't get me wrong; I do not regret owning this set, and I have every intention of finishing it - I'm just saying it's going to be unexpectedly difficult for me, and I can only recommend it for those with a Serious Interest in the subject. The information Grimm presents here is dense and staggeringly thorough - and it is, in a way, a very enjoyable read: the book has its own soporific charm which provides an almost physical pleasure from reading it. An entire mysterious world of unknown language and dimly-comprehended episodes from Latin chroniclers yawns before me. Should be a fun trip.
Nevertheless, my review must bear a mere 3 stars as a warning to those who only want to be thrilled by the mighty adventures of Thor: look elsewhere. This is not the right book for you to start.

This is thoroughful and extremely good edition of the phenomenal book. Naturally, several scolars later made some corrections on some subjects. Nevertheless Jacob Grimm's work inspired H.Heine, R.Wagner and many other men of genius. One cannot overestimate the 'Teutonic Mythology' even now. In a way it's a monument of human imagination, of both oral and written creations made during the centuries by the individuals as well as by the folks. And it still be and will be an inexhaustible source for our both knowledge and imagination as well.
Only one thing I would dare to suggest. Many fragments J.Grimm quotes in Latin, Greek etc... For the future editions I would translate all of them even it could take much space - up to an additional small volume. So, this unique book would be understood by much wider circle of the readers.

Yes, a few years ago I plunked down the over a $100 cost for this recently put back in print four volume set. I don't regret spending the money. Criticisms I have you have to wade through a lot of linguistics/philology stuff and for whatever reason, even though this is supposed to be the English translation, there is still a fair amount of material in German and Latin. But there is all kinds of great stuff in this. Not for the beginner or someone with just a casual interest in the subject matter but this is a must have for any serious student of northern European culture, folklore or Odinsim. What is it about so many books written in the 1800's being superior to 99% of whats been published in the past 50 years?

This is required reading for the true student! Can be a difficult read at times, but the knowledge and world view contained therein make it a treasure!

So Dover Publications has now (2004) reprinted "Teutonic Mythology" under the "Phoenix" imprint, apparently in two formats (bindings). I look at my copies of the previous (1966) Dover paperback edition of James Stallybrass's 1883-1888 translation of Jakob Grimm's "Deutsche Mythologie," with the four volumes bound in different colors, and I feel terribly old.

They were purchased at less than a tenth of the publisher's current asking price (well, one volume was a gift, but I'm looking at the cover prices), and I feel grateful that I bought (three of) them in the early 1970s. At the time, that still seemed a lot of money for paperbacks, even trade paperbacks, but I have had decades of use out of the set, which is still holding up well. (Dover then still used signature-stitched bindings and high-quality paper; their claim that their paperback books would last as well as hardcover editions was well founded. If Dover does reissue them in paperback, they will probably be less durable and, inevitably, more expensive.)

Read with care, and with frequent reference to modern text editions, translations, and studies, the "Teutonic Mythology" is still a mine of information on the religious ideas, customs, and common metaphors and figures of speech (supposed to be fossilized beliefs) of the ancient and early medieval Germanic peoples (the continental Germans, the Dutch and Flemings, the Scandinavians, and the Anglo-Saxons), and much else in medieval literature. Everyone knows the Grimms from the fairy-tale collection, but individually and together they wrote and edited much more. (For some reason, Jakob Grimm [1785-1863] almost always appears in English as Jacob, but his brother Wilhelm [1786-1859] never seems to become William.)

The "Mythology" in particular is constantly cited in the older secondary literature, so it is nice to be able to find such references. On many occasion it has clarified for me an obscure argument carried out by long-dead scholars with page-references to Grimm's then-definitive treatment of the issue (although sometimes I have had to work out the relation of the pagination of an unseen German edition to the English text -- not fun).

More important, for my purposes, it was a handy reference for what would have been readily available knowledge in the latter part of the nineteenth century, and the early twentieth. They are very useful indeed, if you are interested in Richard Wagner's versions of Germanic myth and legend, or those of William Morris. Or, particularly since this is a translation, if you want to see what was available to the young E.R. Eddison, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, among many others.

(For that specific purpose, the only thing really comparable in scope they might have read was Benjamin Thorpe's three-volume "Northern Mythology" of 1851, which was briefly available in a one-volume omnibus paperback from Wordsworth a few years ago. In terms of information available to its learned author, Thorpe's book, which I have reviewed, was largely a less systematic English Grimm, with more extensive summaries of Norse sources, and some excellent additional evidence from folktales. It is not quite so dated, but mainly because it was not so ambitious; whole topics aren't even mentioned, so Thorpe couldn't have made any mistakes about them. For the intellectual and cultural background, Andew Wawn's recent (2000) "The Vikings and the Victorians: Inventing the Old North in 19th-Century Britain" may become the standard reference.)

Thomas Shippey in particular has pointed out several places where Tolkien invented Middle-earth "solutions" to passages where Grimm expressed confusion over contradictory data. Tolkien would eventually have gone directly to the German text; Lewis mentions reading Grimm in German, but seems to mean the Fairy Tales ("Kinder- und Hausmaerchen").

In addition, Grimm's appendices (in the fourth volume of the translation) assemble an extraordinary number of important non-literary medieval (and later) texts in one place; genealogies, spells, penitential guides, lists of superstitions, dialect terms. Although as editions they are antiquated, having them in one place proved convenient on a great many occasions. (For example, Valerie Flint's 1991 "The Rise of Magic in Early Medieval Europe" cites later editions of several of them, none readily accessible to me.)

Given the present price, although I'm delighted that Dover has brought the whole set back into print simultaneously for the first time in years, I'm not urging everyone interested in Germanic myth and folklore to rush to buy it. (Even with the current -- November 2004 -- Amazon discount.)

And not just because of the price. This is a monument of scholarship from the first half of the nineteenth century (1835; second edition 1844); almost everything in it has to be viewed with at least a little suspicion. Grimm already recognized that there were problems. A good part of volume four consists of additions and corrections to the text, which he had hoped to incorporate in a third, and fully revised, edition. (His publisher instead reprinted the three-volume second edition text in 1854, and called it the "Third Edition." A posthumous editor arranged the notes in order, to be printed as a supplement in a "Fourth Ediiton," and Stallybrass followed this practice, instead of tampering with the original.)

Throw in the expense, and there is reason for suggesting other places to start. I mention this age factor because the amount of antique misinformation I have seen gleaned from it, and presented as current, sometimes explicitly dated 1966, is a little frightening. And I expect to see more examples, with the 2004 date of the Dover Phoenix edition in the citation.

Stallybrass called his translation "Teutonic Mythology" to reflect that Grimm was using "Deutsche" in the widest possible sense, instead of a nationalistic one; the more recent term would be "Germanic." But for almost a century, beginning not long after after Jacob Grimm completed his work treating *all* the Germanic-speaking peoples as a continuum, the best surveys and handbooks, and almost all serious scholarship, carefully distinguished Northern (Scandinavian) from Southern (continental German) evidence. Surveys in particular were generally restricted to one or the other; usually "Norse Mythology," with a few citations from the continent. While some of Grimm's comparisons -- or the conclusions drawn from them -- were of dubious legitimacy, denying the validity of such comparisons *in advance* pre-determined the nature of the argument. Apparent exceptions generally quickly reveal themselves as second-hand Grimm. Those scholars who did survey the whole field were often concerned to prove that the medieval Scandinavian texts were late and unreliable compared to nineteenth-century German folklore. (If it looks "primitive" [crude], it must *be* primitive [early].)

The closest thing to a scholarly modern successor, the two-volume "Altgermanische Religionsgeschichte" by Jan de Vries, was severely criticized when it appeared in the mid-twentieth-century for returning to Grimm's comprehensive approach. (The author was under the influence of Dumezil's then-recent work on the original unity of Indo-European mythic and religious concepts, and the controversy has moderated with time and familiarity.) Unhappily, de Vries's "History of Old-Germanic Religion" is still not available in English. But there are substitutes in English which, taken together, are almost as comprehensive, as well as much more reliable than Grimm alone.

For the serious-minded beginner, John Lindow's "Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs" or Andy Orchard's "Cassell's Dictionary of Norse Myth & Legend" (and variant titles) are far better and more reliable guides to the Scandinavian evidence, with Rudolf Simek's "Dictionary of Northern Mythology" filling in some of the continental material, along with copious linguistic information reflecting an additional century and a half of research. I would strongly urge anyone new to the field to have at least one or two of these at hand whenever Grimm is being consulted; definitely Simek on matters linguistic, if possible (the book is currently out of print, although a reprinting of the paperback is scheduled for Spring 2006). All three (which I have reviewed separately; I call attention to some of Simek's shortcomings, but his book is mostly first-rate) have extensive bibliographies. Some of Lindow's extended articles come closest to Grimm's chapter-length treatises.

However, when all is said and done, there is something to be said for these four antiquated volumes. Like Aristotle, Jakob Grimm produced a "premature synthesis" of knowledge, and, as with Aristotle, even the errors of a first-class mind are worth pondering. And a lot of it *is* dead on right.

At some point "Teutonic Mythology" should be consulted by anyone interested in Germanic studies, or medieval literature, or folklore studies, or comparative mythology -- if only as an act of piety. Having hardcover and library-bound editions available may make this effort more likely than it has been in recent years. And maybe it will, sooner or later, be back in paperback form.

One of the best contemporary poets writing, and a force to be reckoned with. Buy this book.

This is a world of brilliance--but also with great weird humor.

The feeling grows as one turns the pages that Peter Shippy is one of the most original poets now writing in American. While the external surface of the poems is busy--byte-n surrealism to sci-fi baroque--they are secure and madly intelligent. No matter how wild his reality--and we have lovesick aliens, chop-socky crickets, a brain in a vat, a dog who digs Pier Paolo--these poems are a grand thing happening. A virtuoso verbal performance.

Shippy puts the anti back in anti-poet. Daring and glorious.

Funny, eccentric, very smart. Tough, too. But I like my poems tough. ...

I was very pleased with my purchase. The book was in excellent condition and you could not even tell it had been used. The best part was I purchased it for half the price of a new copy.

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This book packs an extraordinary amount of information into one volume. What's more, the profusion of diagrams and photographs makes it visually appealing.

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