Literature Books

What a great book ! I have two daughters ,6 and 10, we took turns reading the limericks. They won't put the book down! My oldest daughter is memorizing the limericks and walking around repeating them to her friends . My youngest reads them (with a little help) and not only does she laugh and enjoy them, it has helped her develop her reading skills !!! Thanks Mr.Poffo for your kind heart and vision to create such a versatile book, that children and adults both can enjoy, in addition,the message behind it all is so very important, smoking causes health risks and death ! What is the value (price) of one soul that is saved?

Mr. Poffo takes a near cliche, often ribald form and employs it in a positive manner to his great advantage. He elevates a meter considered vulgar to the highest levels of art and education. This book is a gift, not only to the life expectancy of our youth, but to the postmodern poet disillusioned from the harbor of conventional structure and set adrift on a sea of muddled antischemes. Bravo, Mr. Poffo. They called you "The Genuis" with good reason.

Thanks Lanny, purchased this book for the grand children and they love it. They share it with all their friends and the parents all thank me for purchasing this great book.

Reading to your children is one of the greatest things that you can do for their education...Reading Lannys book aloud to your kids teaches them good healthy habits and makes it fun! Bravo Lanny! You entertained us 30 somethings as kids in the wrestling ring, and now you're helping to keep our children healthy...Parents, for your childs health and education, BUY THIS BOOK!!!

This book is highly entertaining. It is virtually impossible to pick up the book, read a limerick or two and not feel good. Lanny is such a positive guy and it comes through very clearly. Lanny weaves in historical references, cultural icons and some silliness in driving home his anti-smoking stance. He accomplishes all of this without ever coming across as preachy.

I really enjoyed this fictional portrayal of the woman at the well. Her strength came alive, not just her shortcomings. It made you think, about your past, present and your future. And it most important lesson of all was that it is not where you are it is where you are going. My thought process was challenged by Hendricks portrayal of Christ which was as I found out later his intention.

This book is wonderful. The women's guild at my church featured it as a topic of a book discussion last year. We had the pleasure of taking part in a telephone conference with the author Obery Hendricks. He was very gracious. It was a wonderful experience. The reader gets an understanding of how women and minorities were marginalized in society during Biblical times.

This is a touching story of a young womans journey from her joy of life to near-death despair around to a greater joy of life.
It truly celebrates the strength of womanhood. The descriptions were vivid and the personalities so real, I felt I knew all of the characters. Because all women have experienced Maryam's life in some form, this story will touch your heart in an unbelievable way. I loved this book!

In this glorious tale of redemptive love BEFORE we know what it is, Maryam flowers despite the heartships and trials of her life. Hendricks is a master storyteller who gives us the depth of anguish from both the men and women, while not excusing the pain that the men are causing the women in this Novel. Given to me by a Pastor who shares the stories of women in the Bible with his congregation, I read it from front to end without stopping, finding the message that God loves us even when we don't see it. Worth reading, but more, worth its use as a Bible study tool. Wonderful story with a dynamic ending!

This is a gripping, at times lusty, tale based on the life story of the Samaritan Woman. LIVING WATER is not a stereotypically lightweight, biblical novel. It's for readers who are ready for a challenge and willing to look for truths presented in nontraditional forms.

Author Obery Hendricks, a seminary "professor of biblical interpretation," calls this, his first novel, "an African American retelling of the New Testament story of the woman at the well who was married to five successive husbands at a time when women did not have the right to choose either marriage or divorce." Ethnic overtones are evident in some characters' nicknames (Sonny Boy and Big Mama) and patterns of dialogue ("Oh Lordy, we're in trouble now" and "Don't he talk sweet"). But there are deeper parallels: The ravages of slavery and harsh control influence the heart of the story --- the Samaritan men being humiliated and beaten down by the Romans; the women being powerless property of the husbands who have lost respect for themselves and take out their frustration on their women.

The book opens with a short, startling death scene of the Samaritan woman's fifth husband. Then Part 1 is a flashback, from prenuptial childhood up to that pivotal, bloody mess. She --- her name is Maryam, though significantly we aren't told this for 250 pages --- is a spunky, in-your-face kind of kid who sadly learns, from her kindhearted grandmother, Ma Tee, that spunk is not acceptable for girls. "Atop the coarse woolen tunic that is [the girl's] usual attire is now draped a stale, heavy garment of carefulness. Ma Tee has tried her best to craft it to her size, yet it does not fit. Still, she will dutifully struggle to wear it, though its weight will sag her heart to its knees." And this narrative comment comes even before she's married to and beaten down by her first husband and abandoned by numbers two, three, and four.

This is a feminist story, but not drastically so; it is egalitarian more than man bashing. The big cast of characters --- five (or is it six?) husbands, three father figures, a brother-in-law, Messiah Jesus, and more --- include bad men and good; similarly with the Samaritan women. In a supplemental reader's guide, Hendricks explains that the Samaritan woman's journey "to be free of male domination and mistreatment was also my own journey to free myself from the roles of dominator and mistreater."

Theologically conservative readers may rankle at some feminist theology, but, again, this is not as radical as it might be. Hendricks interprets biblical passages (mostly from Proverbs, once from Luke) that personify Wisdom (a feminine Hebrew word) as being descriptive of "the woman-side of God."

For a novel that is replete with social commentary applicable to any age --- including a chapter on an itinerant, fraudulent faith healer --- LIVING WATER is an engaging read. Part 2 --- in which Maryam claims her name, takes up with a man who loves her and treats her well, and becomes a disciple of Jesus --- includes powerful scenes of redemption, even unto the last page, which drew a tear to my eye.

--- Reviewed by Evelyn Bence

I was lucky enough to see Lois Lowry speak in Knoxville, TN over a year ago. Lowry is a phenomenal story teller--both in print and in person. She told the audience much about her family and growing up...indulged us with photgraphs, stories, and memories. I felt like I was listening to a member of my own family telling me stories; I was completely enthralled and really appreciated Lowry willing sharing her life with so many people. "Looking Back" gave me the same feeling.

The book is not a typical memoir: no linear narration. It is, as she states, "about moments, memories, fragments, falsehoods, and fantasies." Photographs (most taken by herself or her father) are dated and presented with short explanations, memories, or revelations. It brings together two of my very favorite things: pictures and stories. I especially love the story of how she met her second husband, Martin, and her quest for the ideal dog. Fans of Lowry's books (especially of the Anastasia books, Autumn Street, and The Giver) will enjoy quotes from novels which relate to Lowry's life. While reading this book, readers will revel in the extent to which Lowry has placed her own experiences, memories, and stories into her fiction. It's all about stories; how we become ourselves and the importance of remembering.

I believe that I, as a child or teen, probably would not have been entirely interested in "Looking Back." I believe it takes a more mature reader to realize/appreiciate the intimacy and life experiences and milestones expressed in the book. But young fans of Lowry could enjoy learning more about a favorite author and where her stories came from.

How do writers create the characters for their books? Writer Lois Lowry answers this question in this beautiful book of memories. Each individual memory with accompanying black and white photograph illustrates an important event in the author's life. Together they weave a story that is impossible to put down and leaves the reader wanting more. There is humor reminiscent of Erma Bombeck and sadness that makes you want to weep. Lois Lowry includes quotes from characters in her books echoing experiences that are provided in the memories. The death of her sister is found in Number The Stars, her grandparent's house is in Autumn Street, and her son and his horse in The Giver, and she herself in books like Anastasia Krupnik and The One Hundredth Thing about Caroline. Read this book to learn more about a new friend or to find a new one.

How do writers create the characters for their books? Writer Lois Lowry answers this question in this beautiful book of memories. Each individual memory with accompanying black and white photograph illustrates an important event in the author's life. Together they weave a story that is impossible to put down and leaves the reader wanting more. There is humor reminiscent of Erma Bombeck and sadness that makes you want to weep. Lois Lowry includes quotes from characters in her books echoing experiences that are provided in the memories. The death of her sister is found in Number The Stars, her grandparent's house is in Autumn Street, and her son and his horse in The Giver, and she herself in books like Anastasia Krupnik and The One Hundredth Thing about Caroline. Read this book to learn more about a new friend or to find a new one.

Browsing at my local library, I stumbled upon this book. "HMMMM, this looks interesting," I thought to myself. Little did I know that I had found a book that would bring me to my knees crying and give me one of the biggest "book hangovers" ever. This book followed me through my weekend, and inspired me as a writer ( who wishes she could write with even 1/100th of Lowry's talent) a teacher (who thought of about a zillion really cool writing and reading lessons I could spring from this book) and as a mother (who realized the joy of life, and exactly how fragile and tenacious it really is).

You must read this book. It is easy, and unfolds into a love story, a story of loss, and a story of absolutely LIVING life with as much passion as the moment allows. I don't want to give this book away, because the suprise of it, the thing that made most of the essays connect, is what left me gasping and delighted on snowy Sunday here in Denver.

Absolutely appropriate for children, but I would guess that the essays would appeal more to girls. And if you are a teacher, you will discover a hidden treasure in the book by and about one of the most talented childrens authors of our day!

Enjoy. Have the kleenex handy.

The memoir I read is called "Looking Back a Book of Memories" by Lois Lowry. The book is a collection of Lois Lowry's memories throughout her life. Lois Lowry is a prize winning writer of fiction novels. Each chapter is separate memory. She begins each chapter with a quote from one of her many novels. In this memoir she relates different quotes from her novels back to life experiences. The memories that she describes seem to be used throughout her novels. Writers will draw on memories and events from their own life as part of their story telling.

Lois Lowry noted that she has a lot of babies as characters in her books. For example, in the novel "The Giver" one of the characters was the baby Gabriel. In the novel "Rabble Starkey" there was a baby named Gunter Bigelow. Lois Lowry thinks that she likes to use baby characters because she likes newborn babies. Her fondness for newborn babies was started by a picture her father took of her when she was born in 1937. Fathers weren't normally allowed in the hospital ward but he worked for the hospital and he was a photographer. Her memoir also includes pictures of grandchildren as babies.

In the book, "Find a Stranger, Say Goodbye", she describes a girl looking up as she is standing in thick forest. She describes the emotions as fearful, humorous, and warmth all wrapped together. When Lois was two years old her father took a picture of her standing in a thick "tropical growth" near her house in Hawaii. She is looking up at her father's camera in the same way that she describes the girl in the book. She comments that her life had challenges but was mostly filled with warmth and humor. She says most of the time she remembers she laughed a lot.

In the book, "Anastasia at Your Service", she describes a scene where a young boy is trying to prove to another young girl that he can read. In this scene it is very important for the young boy to be able to read and prove it. She relates this to her need to want to read. When she was 3 years old and her sister was 6 they would play school. Her sister was the teacher because she could read. Lois wanted to read so that she could be the teacher.

In her book of memories, Lois Lowry describes her life using quotes from her fictional books. She discovered that most of the scenes in her books came from her own experiences. She used her own life as an inspiration for her writing. It would be easy to find scenes inspired by her own life in her books because so much of her own life is in her books. She documented many of these in her book of memories.

I don't know why this book is so little known - it's very clever and it's hilarious fun. I wish I knew about it sooner. But if you're thinking of buying it, beware: there's no key. You'll have to figure these puzzles out on your own.

If you can read French and if you grew up heaaring Mother Goose rhymes (in English) this book is a MUST HAVE. It presents an almost credible scholarly work about some fragments (in French) from an old civilization. If you will read those fragments aloud, you"ll be able to hear (in English) well known nursery rhymes. Truly fascinating, and soetimes challenging! (Especially if you had never known THIS rhyme in English!)
--And the "scholaraly" footnotes are great!

Zebu qui se regrette: there's no question about that, and I _am_ grateful that it's back in print. BUT, buyers beware: the print in this edition looks like it came out of a cheap photocopier. Van Rooten deserved better.

This is a wonderful book - I laughed myself silly the first time I encountered it (even though my French comprehension is NOT wonderful). Will give this one to a friend to whom I know it will give hours of pleasure.

Mots D'Heures: Gousses, Rames is one of the greatest literary entertainments ever written. It runs the gamut from touchingly nostalgic to raucous. Above all, it is howlingly funny. It makes me laugh so hard it hurts.
You need two things to enjoy Mots D'Heures: Gousses, Rames. You should know some French, and you should know some nursery rhymes. With that, the book will hit you from line to line with waves of jaw-dropping hilarity, endless wit, and moments of poignant reminiscence.

There is nothing more to say except: bah, six boucs! [The author apparently thinks you should pay six goats---or a sheep?]

PS -- Having unguardedly purchased a copy of the paperback edition listed above, I must agree with a recent reviewer that the production is dreadful. A reader interested in this masterwork would do well to seek out a copy of the original 1967 edition (long out of print), even at considerable cost. But not from me, though. I wouldn't part with mine for less than tartines fortunes.

How can hope live when everything around you is painful and negative? It took inner strength and the memory of the warm kisses received from an estranged mother.

Adopted when they were babies, Jan and her twin brother Joe lived with a lady they would call, 'Mom'. From the time they could remember, three things reigned supreme: Mom was physically abusive, there was no one to save them, and no one to love them. Around the age of five, a tall African Queen, at least that's how she looked to Jan, visited them, showering them with what Jan called a bouquet of hugs and kisses; their birth mother. But her stay was short-lived, and they were again smothered by the cruelty of Mom. The twins responded differently, Joe retreated into himself and Jan became the protector, but they both feared and hated Mom.

Before their fourteenth birthday, the family relocated from California to Mississippi. Jan hoped desperately that it would be a positive change, but it wasn't really. The one plus from that move is it acquainted the twins with their maternal family. Immediately after graduating high-school Jan enlisted in the Marines and began yet another saga of her tattered life.

MY BOUQUET OF KISSES is a painful account of a woman's struggle to rise above the emotional and physical pain which desperately fought to rule her life. Their childhood was full of secrets, with bits and pieces of truth revealed in underhanded and accidental ways. After over thirty years Jan found some retribution and began to find herself. J.D. Anderson shared this story because writing it was her way of releasing the demons that kept her afraid of life. It vividly captures the suffering of young lives due to human fallacies in programs erected to help innocent children.

Reviewed by aNN
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

My Bouquet of Kisses is an emotional life story of the struggles and heartbreak of a young girl growing up in an unknown world. Along with her twin brother, the feeling of being loved is all J.D. Anderson ever longed for. This book makes you laugh, cry, and wish you can save her from this life. From the first page to the last, J.D. Anderson pours out her heart to tell her story and the importance of love and forgiveness.

I really enjoyed reading "My Bouquet of Kisses."It was a page turner. Once you start reading it, I promise, it will be hard to put down because you want to know what happened next and pray for the silver lining in Jan's life. She really had a tragic childhood, but she never gave up. Reading this book will make you laugh, make you cry and make you wish you could have been there for her to give her the love and support she needed as a child. I feel this book could possibly make it to the best sellers list if it can get the right sponsors. I met Jan because of this book. She is in deed a beautiful, caring person as she is in her book. I really wish her the best. She deserves a break.

This book was a X-mas gift. From the first page I couldn't put it down. On every page I felt like I was there. I am a father myself and I wanted to reach out to the author and hug her tight. When I got to the end of the book I wanted more but it was the poem that got to me. It shook me. I became emotional. It tied the entire book together. I had never heard of this writer before. I just found out this was her first book. I can't wait for her next. Right now my wife is reading and enjoying it. Everyone should read this book.

JD Anderson provides a child's perspective on the foster care system and provides words that will touch your heart and stay in your mind for years to come. Her book is a mesmerizing story of how twins, through no fault of their own were foreced into the child welfare system. Once I read the first sentence I had to put this book down and say a quick prayer for all children placed in foster care and you will too! After reading Anderson's gripping memoir I now have a differen perspective on how the foster care system really works for children. Buy it today

Gorky's childhood memories brush a very outspoken picture of `that close-knit, suffocating little world of pain and suffering, where the Russian man of the street used to live.'
It is a world full of brutal violence: husbands beating savagely their wives, severely and intensively flogging of children, gamblers becoming totally destitute, alcoholism, dangerous diseases (smallpox, ulcers) and cruel street games (cock and dog fighting, cat torturing, making fun of drunken beggars). Socially, there is a big chasm between the haves and have-nots: their children cannot play together. The poor cannot feed all their new born babies and expose them.
On the other hand, this bunch of `wild animals' is deeply, but primitively religious. They ask God constantly to forgive their sins.

Despite this barbarous environment, Gorky considers his childhood as `a beehive to which various single obscure people brought the honey of their knowledge and thoughts on life; often their honey was dirty and bitter, but every scrap of knowledge was honey all the same.'
There is also another reason why he put these painful memories on paper: `It is the truth and the truth must be known. The Russian man in the street is sufficiently healthy and young in spirit to overcome the horrors.'

Although he lost his love for his family and was thrown out of their home, he remains highly optimistic for mankind: `Life is always surprising us by the bright, healthy and creative human powers of goodness. It is those powers that awaken our indestructible hope that a better and more human life will once again be reborn.'

Gorky was received with open arms by the communists, but that love story ended in total personal disaster.

This brutal picture of the man in the street should remind us from where we all come from.
Not to be missed.

"Childhood" starts out like many Russian novels; we visit the funeral of a young man. In the midst of all the grief, the young widow suffers a miscarriage and the young orphan is sent to the rather disfunctional home of his grandparents. There the temperment of the patriarch is measured by the severity of the beatings he administers. In the midst of all of this, a young boy grows into adolescence.

Maxim Gorky earns our respect as a writer (and as a survivor). It is hard to fathom such a life but Gorky has used the genre of autobiography to paint as visual a portrait as any novel could create. There may not be action taking place on every page but there are always recollections by a man rediscovering who he is by recreating the influential events of his early life. In sharing this insight, Gorky gives us portraits of many interesting individuals. I hedged away from rating "Childhood" with 5 stars because I didn't mind setting it aside from time to time. It is very good but it is not compelling.

I first read this book as a college freshman and think it must be read by all young adults. Gorky is, after all, the "father of Russian literature" -- yet most people have never heard of this writer par excellence. His storytelling is smooth, intense, and warms the heart like a swig of vodka on a nippy night in Nizhny Novgorod (Gorky's birthplace). Wilk's translation is clear and quite excellent. Gorky's vivid memories of childhood will inspire one to recollect their own experiences growing up.

The finest memoir of chilhood that I have ever read. I never felt like I was reading a translation. Gorky captures the wonder of a remarkable and sensitive soul.

This is the 1st past of the trilogy of Maxim Gorky's autobiography. This is a really good and entertaining book, but contains at times morbid and depressing subject material, especially the unbelievable cruelty of some of the characters. There are some light moments though and if you enjoy realism and a brutal peek at what life was like in early 20th century Russian life for poor folks and enjoy Dostoevsky, you will like this book.

I personally think that Gorky belongs at the top of elite Russian writers.

I have 26 more pg. to read, & I don't want this book to end. I am enjoying seeing parts of Mrs. Cleary's life in her fiction books. I now want to re-read all my Ramona books.

After devouring Beverly Cleary's first memoir "A Girl From Yamhill" I couldn't wait to read My Own Two Feet. The only thing to complain about is that there isn't a sequel to this one! Picking up where Yamhill left off, we share in Beverly Cleary's journey through college and into her adult years and the writing of her first book, Henry Huggins. Reading Cleary's Memoirs, I was taken back to my own childhood and my love for Ramona & Beezus. Cleary has a unique gift of simple writing that readers of all ages can enjoy, whether you are 8 or 80. I lover her writing as much today as I did when I was in the 3rd grade.

A must-read for all Beverly Cleary fans. Picks up the story where "A Girl from Yamhill" left off and takes us through her college years and her career as a librarian. A book that will inspire you to become a librarian or a children's book author. As well writen and accessible as all of her children's books about the gang on Klikitat Street.

I loved Beverly Cleary's fictional books when I was a boy. More recently, I enjoyed reading her first memoir "A Girl from Yamhill." Therefore, I just had to read her second memoir, "My Own Two Feet" which chronicles her life through college, her work as a librarian, her marriage, and the beginning of her life as a children's author. I loved it! It not only provides a wonderful insight into the mindset and character of its author; but also presents a vivid, sometimes very nostalgic, look at life in the 30's and 40's. It describes an America that has disappeared. A college social life that revolved around a seemingly endless number of dances and a strict code of decorum on how young women should dress and act. A small town opposed to the idea of having two married librarians since jobs were so scarce during the Depression that it was considered fair enough for just the husband to have a job. Also as a Catholic, I was amused by Beverly's parents' opposition to her marriage to Clarence Cleary simply because he was Catholic.

There's also some fun information for the fans of her fictional books. Readers will learn how Ribsy and Ramona got their names and what was Mrs. Cleary's original ending to "Henry Huggins." It's also interesting to note that the character of Ramona Quimby, which is arguably Mrs. Cleary's most beloved, was created simply as an afterthought to keep all her characters from being only children. I absolutely loved this book, and was disappointed it was so short!

This was an interesting and thoroughly enjoyable memoir about Beverly Cleary, nee Bunn, as a young woman during the Depression and World War II. The previous reviewers were on target concerning Beverly's easy writing style and vivid recollections of her family and college years: traveling alone by bus from Oregon to California to attend Chaffey Junior College for two years, matriculating to U Cal Berkeley, studying at the U of Washington after graduating from Berkeley to become a librarian, marrying Clarence Cleary (her strained relationship with her mother because of it) and working as a librarian at the US Army's Camp Knight and Oakland Regional Hospital during WWII, writing and publishing her first children's book. Many B&W photos of family and friends are included. I highly recommend MY OWN TWO FEET.

It is not often that one finds the combination of beautiful writing and a compelling story. Nature Lessons is that and more. Set against the exotic yet turbulent atmosphere of South Africa during apartheid, we meet the young Kate Jensen, who recounts her life with a mentally ill mother. Woven in with the story of young Kate, is the journey of the older Kate who returns to South Africa to search for her mother. Their stories create a tapestry rich in the lasting effects of cultural, political, and psychological dynamics on a young girl. It grips the reader from the first page and takes one on a haunting journey.

Intriguing storyline and amazing use of description. Lynette is a first-class story teller and author. This is a book you won't want to put down.

This is a great book. For those of you who loved Oprah's book club, this is much like her selections but not as grim. The story keeps you guessing, the characters are well drawn interesting people. The story is set mainly in South Africa and illustrates the effects of Aparteid on a society from a child's perspective.

Brasfield creates a fascinating mystery out of her protagonist's desire to understand a painful upbringing. She weaves together information about Kate Jensen's mother's mental illness, her country's political climate, and the oddly over-zealous attentions of her uncle, Oom Piet. Brasfield's management of a mentally ill character is particularly impressive; Kate's mother is neither simple nor predictable. If you enjoy reading about politics, South Africa, relationships between men and women, family interactions - or even if you just like a good mystery - read Nature Lessons.

This beautifully written novel highlights the dilemma of a dysfuncional mother/child relationship and the havoc it creates in the development of the child. The perspective of the daughter grown and the daughter as an adult that Brasfield takes, elevates the story to far more than a good read. It is food for thought so intense that there isn't a page that the reader will not nod and say, "Yes. I've been there. I know just how she feels."
Brasfield poses the eternal question of how to judge a child's assessment of its mother and who can define what is abuse and what is rational behavior. She also points up the dilemma of judging mental desease in the context of the times. For example, the mother in Nature Lessons is living in South Africa where many of her paranoid delusions have basis in fact. Who is to say that she is not right? Who can really know if the government is not indeed spying on her and her family. This is a book you cannot put down and when you reach the last page, you will want to reopen it and start reading this poetic prose once more. The issues presented are those that no one can forget. We all are living them and battling their effects throughout our lives.

What a product! When you read something like this you begin to realize the real depths of obsessive thinking. There's so much to learn here -- exact details relating to late 19th century Britian; considered essays on where exactly Watson was shot (there is some consensus he must have been shot while stooping over, to take into account various Doyle references); and more than that, watching fans do their best to bring it alive.

Kind of reminds me of Potter.

This was the first time I read any Sherlock Holmes and I was not disappointed. But what really made the experience such a fun time was the vast number of info accompanying the novels. The notes are right next to the text so you don't have to keep flipping pages, plus various pictures abound throughout the volume capturing the times of Holmes and Watson.
After reading it myself, I lent this volume to my good friend who can pretty much recite any line from the novels and he absolutely loved it.
So if you are a fan or just curious about all the hype, this is a must!

This collection of Sherlock Holmes stories & analysis is clearly one of the best biographical works published in the past 30 years. The painstaking effort and detail put into this work is something to be marveled.

Whether a new or old fan of the exploits of Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson, this product will not disappoint.

Also included in this series is some of the original artwork from the Holmes novels. If a fan, you might also consider picking up The Crime Doctor, which also bears the artwork of Frederic Dorr Steele, with stories of the medical detective by EW Hornung (also the brother-in-law of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle).

Having been brought up on the edge of Dartmoor,in Devonshire, SW England,where the Hounds of the Baskervilles story was located I found the annotations to that novel to be very interesting and, more importantly, factual even to the minor details that were mentioned.
I have no doubts whatsoever that the facts connected to the other three novels are just as accurate.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any Sherlockian.

While most people have read at least one Sherlock Holmes stories others have not only read them all but have studied every detail of them. The author, Leslie Klinger, is one of the latter group. He is one of the foremost experts on the 'Canon' as devotees call the Holmes stories, and a member of The Baker Street Irregulars, the oldest and most exclusive club of Holmes scholars.

Klinger follows the accepted practice of the Irregulars in that he treats the stories as factual, rather than fictional accounts. This volume covers the four full length novels: "A Study in Scarlet"; "The Sign of Four"; "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and "The Valley of Fear" completing his study of the Canon that had begun with his two volume treatment of all the shorter works. As with the earlier works the book is printed in two columns, one containing the text of the story and the other containing the notes from that section. The book is illustrated with engravings that accompanied the stories in the magazines that first published them. The notes that Klinger has included with the text cover a wide range of subjects from explanation of outdated slang expressions to speculations by the author and other experts on people and locations the stories were actually based upon to in depth explanations of details. In addition both in the notes and in appendices Klinger offers his own and others theories as to the dating of the events in the stories.

This is a beautiful book, one that any fan of Holmes and Watson will surely enjoy. Someone who is reading the stories for the first time might find themselves suffering from information overload but anyone familiar with at least some of the stories will delight in finally discovering what some of those odd references meant. Also it is interesting to see that at times Watson or perhaps his 'agent' Arthur Conan Doyle, made some errors in their accouts leaving the impression that the 'Master' (Holmes) made some errors.

Hirschfield writes about poetry with an intellectual as well as with an emotional clarity that illuminates and clarifies her subject. In doing so she draws from an vast well of deeply considered experience and insight. If you are interested in poetry in its many forms and manifestations I highly recommend this book.

I've owned this book for several years now, and I turn to it again from time to time, dipping into its rich prose and remembering the love I felt for it the first time I opened its covers and began to read. I was so captivated by Hirshfield's words that I read aloud from it to my friends, sharing her sense of beauty and mystery with them, and the joy I was taking not just in the way she formed her arguments, but in the wonderful feeling that came from hearing the words aloud.

I have a shelf full of books on poetry and poetics. I've got volumes of writers' exercises and essays on what poetry is and how to do it. This is the only one I've ever assaulted my friends with. Share it. Pass it along.

Jane Hirshfield's "Nine Gates" is probably the most interesting and insightful book I have read on the art and uses of poetry. While Hirshfield's approach to poetry is very much informed by (and often illustrated through) her knowledge of Asian arts and Buddhist philosophy, one need not be a Buddhist or a scholar to understand and appreciate her vision. Hirshfield is most interested in approaching poets and poetry through the essential work that they perform by helping us to understand the natures of, and the relationships between, the self and the world (that is, community in its largest sense). The book's argument is hardly as abstract or fanciful as this might sound, however. Instead, Hirshfield uses this approach to show how the most basic elements of poetry (rhythm, rhyme, image, and so on) function to help the poem build its meaning and fulfill its purpose. "Nine Gates" is an excellent book to strengthen your ability to read poetry, and to deepen your understanding and appreciation of this vital art.

...sometimes we need a personal classic to draw comfort from.

This past year when both grandmothers passed away, the soft voice of poetic comparison helped ease the heart.

In my small opinion, this is an inspired and gentle voice to turn to and read. And also reread.

I hope you also enjoy this reading experience.

At first I rebelled against the author's devoting pages to a discussion of poetry translation. However, once I dug hard into
her elegant but fairly dense prose, the more I found it fascinating, (including (of all things) certain esoteric aspects of Japanese language and poetry as well as translation.

I have begun reading NINE GATES for a second time, and I suspect not for the last. Although scholarly, the book is also moving, touching and definitely inspiring for any artist, poet or not.