Global Books

i absolutely ADORE this book. i fell in love with it for the first time when i was 12. i am 18 now, but the storyline and the characters are endearing to me every time i read it i must have read Ella enchanted about five times. the romance between ella and char is innocent, but it captures my heart every time. I was very disappointed when i saw the movie. I dont think the movie captured the essence of Ella and the magic that Levine bestowed in her book. If I could, I'd create a movie that is true to the book and its characters. Even though it is a children's book, it is still accessible to adults (though i am still kind of a child at heart- i LOVE fantasy stories)

1000000% RECOMMENDED

I actually saw the movie before I read the book and I loved the movie, but it's vastly different from the book. It was interesting to see the differences. I can see why some of the changes were made for the movie, but both are great in their own right.

I liked the treatment of Lucinda in the book better than in the movie. In the movie, Lucinda never learned or understood what she did to people, but in the book she did when Mandy tricked her into experiencing what she put Ella through.

I also liked that Ella had to find the inner-strength to break the curse, opposed to having an easy quick fix of undoing it. To be honest, Ella would have probably in more trouble if Lucinda had reversed the spell, so even if she wanted to obey at times, she would then be under a curse to never obey.

I also like that the prince was treated as a real person and given a real personality. Rewatching Disney's Cinderella as an adult, I was shocked how truly vapid the prince was. He had no personality. He was just a stereotypical pretty boy.

It was also nice reading the progression of Ella and Char's relationship, instead of her going to a ball and just falling in love with him.

This is a great book, which I'll definitely read again.

Romance, although also could be fantasy. Upper elementary to middle school. Reading level is supposed to be grade four, but it seems higher to me. 232 pages.

I read quite a bit of this book before I started to enjoy it, but because the librarian recommended it, I stuck with it. The book is the back story of Cinderella, although the reader doesn't realize it until near the end. Instantly, the story of Cinderella--which I never really liked--has a profound truth I now see: When we walk in another's shoes, our perceptions change. Honor book. No illustrations.

Ella Enchanted
By Gail Carson Levine

Ella only wanted to be a regular girl. But instead the day she was born, a curse was bestowed upon her. The gift of obedience. The fairy Lucinda does not think before she gives these silly curses and so when Ella is told to do something, she has to do it. If someone told Ella to kill herself she would have to obey. When Ella's mother gets very sick and dies, Ella is left with Mandy her cook that is her fairy godmother and her father. Ella's father traveled all the time and he doesn't know about her curse. Just like her mother said "Don't tell anyone about your curse." Ella had to obey.
But when Ella's dad introduces her to Dame Olga and her dreadfully bossy daughters, Ella realizes that the elder one, Hattie knows that Ella will do anything she says. Hattie commands Ella to give her the necklace that Ella's mom gave to her. But there is a silver lining on the story. Ella becomes dear friends with Prince Charmont, or as his friends call him, Char. Just when Ella thinks that Char and her are becoming great friends, Ella's father ships her off to finishing school so she can become a true lady with Hattie and the spoiled Olive (Hattie's sister).
Finishing school is the worst place for Ella. She must obey every command no matter how awful or difficult. When Ella cannot stand it anymore she runs away, and decides to quest for her fairy godmother and reverse the spell. But Hattie had forbidden Ella to see Char. So how will she be able to tell him how she really feels when he thinks she never wants to see him again?

Many young girls dream of having a fairy tale life just like the ones that appear in Disney movies such as Cinderella, but what happens when these girls grow into young ladies and expect a little more than your usual fairy tale? In her novel Ella Enchanted, Gail Carson Levine adds a whole new twist to the familiar story of Cinderella. With the use of point of view, characterizations and themes, she achieves to appeal to a budding, young female audience that already has a love for the classic Disney tale.

Point of View
Carson presents a first person point of view that allows Ella to narrate her own story. Her thoughts, her commentary and each of her actions are plain for the reader to enjoy and experience a first hand look into Ella's world. The reader is allowed to relate her character, as she seems more realistic (as far as a fairy tale goes) than ever before, as she goes through every day teenage trials with boys (a prince, to be exact), friendship, fitting in, envy and such problems that still happen today.

Characterizations
Ella
While Disney's Cinderella is an upbeat, optimistic girl that seems to have the whole world set out for her, Levine's Ella is given a whole new dimension as a character. Ella, as a child, receives the "gift" of obedience by the wayward fairy, Lucinda. Forced to do everything she is told, Ella develops a strong, rebellious character determined to become her own person, despite what others command her to do. She may subdue physically, but mentally and spiritually, she is a character that is intelligent beyond her years that refuses to conformity, aesthetics and propriety for the wrong reasons. Carson develops Ella in such a way that her flaws and struggles with herself and others are present. Ella is not a glorified storybook character that has everything going perfectly for her; she fights for what she believes in, she makes mistakes to learn from them and goes through the motions just like her young female audience.

Prince Charmont
When the thoughts of a charming prince come to mind, what is available is only the idea of a charming prince who is just there to both save the day and marry the girl. While in most fairy tales, the female lead character usually overshadows the male equivalent; Prince Charmont is far from hidden. Carson develops Char (as he is cleverly nicknamed) in such a way that he breaks away from the usual princely stereotypes by adding a little more to his personality but still maintaining the characteristics that would most likely still make any female weak in the knees. When Ella first meets Char, she keeps her distance in a demonstration of respect of his nobility, but he refuses to be regarded of higher ranking and asks to be addressed as any other person. He is kind hearted and humble but still he holds strong and true to the convictions that he is instructed as a young ruler. One example of this is when he pauses the beginning of a military journey to get on his hands and knees to help a merchant whose cart is overturned, instead of leaving off and ignoring the lower class. Another defining characteristic is that he, like Ella, struggles to create his own identity under the overpowering shadow of his future as the ruler of the kingdom of Frell. Char's authentic infatuation for Ella and his deep respect for her are what make the reader believe him as the true charming prince.

The Fairy Godmother
One may expect a flick of the wand and a bibidi boppidi boo to describe a fairy; Carson declines to this generic view. Mandy, Ella's fairy godmother is described as aging, overweight, speckled with freckles and frizzy hair. She hides her true identity from Ella and for the first 16 years of Ella's life, she is known as the kitchen maid and nanny. Her real self is only discovered after Ella's mother died and Ella is left to the care of no one but her father. The way that Carson portrays Mandy is in a stern, parental way so the reader can see her as a mother figure for Ella, more than just a fairy godmother that provides every single wish. Carson makes Mandy out to be a lovable character towards the reader because she nurtures and takes care of Ella while still remaining firm to what she thinks is best for her goddaughter.

Themes
In this novel, Carson explores themes that are of interest to a young female audience. One of these is the search for an identity and a place in the world. Carson develops her main theme as Ella is trying to establish herself as a person with her beliefs and convictions, and not just become a pawn to anybody's game that has knowledge of her curse. She demonstrates to the audience that they do not have to conform to a popular idea and encourages the reader to form opinions by gaining knowledge by Ella's example of maintaining her integrity and refusal to ignorance.

Another theme that goes hand-in-hand with the one mentioned before is integrity, being true to who you are. Carson encourages this by making Ella such a strong character that even though she is forced to be someone else, in her mind, she is determined to be who she truly is. Char is also another example of integrity. He is a prince, a trait that may give way to arrogance and to discrimination by status, but he denies any association of himself as a person to his nobility.

With these different literary aspects, Gail Carson Levine creates a fairy tale all her own that only alludes to the commonly known storyline. She creates a story for young girls to be immersed with such believable characters in a fictional world that teach very valuable lessons while also having those key elements that happen to draw the audience in.

Seung Heun was reminded at the end of this book on p.85 of a story from Lao Tzu:

Lao Tze "had a bright student who trained for 10 years in order to be able to control the flow of Ki energy to such an extent that he could form an energy bridge over a nearby river. One day, he showed Lao Tse what he could do...Expeting high praise, the student was flabbergasted when Lao Tse turned purple with anger and shouted at him at the top of his voice, "YOU STUPID IDIOT. You spent 10 years to a stupid trick, all this time, there was a cheap ferry to get accross the river at any time you wished!

Being an incarnation of Lao Tze, let me lead by example from the only letter i gave personally to Jimmy Carter & Rosalynn:

dearest peaceMaker Jimmy and mother Rosalynn,

First I do thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done for humankind so far and for who you are. This letter may reach your heart(s) on George Washington's birthday and is a wake up call for both of you to forgive ourselves even more.
I have asked around 200 adults the following question: IS REAL LOVE CONDITIONAL or UNCONDITIONAL?

More than 95% do choose unconditional, out of that less than 5% can declare they are being it, while the rest say that they know that it is unconditional but can't do it (in China.)

I have asked around the following question: in almost EVERY NATION on earth there are AT LEAST 2 SLAVE CLASSES or caste, my definition of slavery is when we force another human to do what we ourselves don't even want to be. I haven't yet found a person who can tell me who they are?

This is not a test, simply an observation of what is. The answer is SOLDIERS and CHILDREN.

The only reason to have soldiers is to force them to kill fellow human beings using any available weapons, we are the ones TRAINING MURDERERS. The only reason we are forcing children to get educated is for them to compete like GLADIATORS by first using mental weaponry. To DISALLOW that we are ONE HUMANKIND and to enforce the notion that some humans are superior to others and any inferior humans deserve to be at least exploited, if not disposed, by the superior ones. No wonder the US is the first country with incidence of children happily shooting and disposing of fellow humans and showing us how clearly insane we all are for allowing such forceful enslavement, and our children are using exactly the same behavior we taught them with our own blindly learned prejudice and acquiescence.

To ABOLISH THIS kind of SLAVERY, ONE simple UNCONDITIONAL LOVE ANSWER is-Start telling all politicians and generals and any humans that their army and weapons can either be offered to the United Nations or to the temporary leadership of a massing group of unconditional lovers for all life under the temporary leadership of a triumvirate. If this joint-chief-command ever choose to send this volunteer global army to even mediate dispute between warring factions or to forcefully remove some confirmed dictator or to prevent possible genocide, then they will automatically resign their post and leave the function to another triumvirate, preferably one who disagreed with them. This is missing in every constitution as a check and balance. Start telling all humans that firearms and explosive cannot be bought at any price and that all firearms and explosive are for use by this global army only. For the few humans who enjoy the sound of firearms they can only practice shooting in shooting ranges at dead targets. In the long run this standing army can simply become a corps of engineers specializing in explosive and dangerous situation and helping in emergency disaster cases, such as evacuation and re-building.

For the first elected triumvirate I would love to be able to choose from such unconditional lovers for whole humankind as Jimmy Carter or House Rep. Barbara Lee of California (hers was the sole vote in either the House or Senate opposing a resolution authorizing military action against the terrorists ... The House vote was 420 to 1. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/16/national/16LEE.html) or Nelson Mandela or Boris Yeltsin or Mikhail Gorbachev or the first lady president of the Philippines Aquino, etc.

As for liberating the unconditional love that is present in all children before the age of 5, education after 5 will be modified to only include self-paced-study available via Internet with guidance counselors in each different subject. The core curriculum will be based on first-person confirmable examples of unconditional love and that fear is its only opposite. Schools and churches and libraries will be re-opened as places where more people can enjoy one another face-to-face or hug-to-hug, etc.

Needless to say, the side benefit of the above solution is that global disarmament will be in effect immediately at both the national and individual level and unconditional love will start to flourish beginning with all new born. The natural dignity inherent in treating everyone as equal is reclaimed by every living human being. A world will indeed be born anew as long as we don't deny that absolute power corrupts absolutely, as Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin, Mao Zedong, etc. have demonstrated dictatorship and with Bush and Hollywood stars and private schools, etc. demonstrating nepotism and most of us not doing anything when dearest Jimmy declared from his heart in his Nobel speech:

`I decided that the most serious and universal problem is the growing chasm between the richest and poorest people on earth'.

The great prophets and holy men in all of the major religious traditions have conveyed the insight that all men and women are "One". The eastern traditions note that this phenomena is reflected by the energy called "Ki" and is the common bond directly connecting body, mind and spirit. In Healing Society: A Prescription For Global Enlightenment, Seung Heun Lee reveals how we can draw upon this energy to strengthen our spiritual bodies, actually experience a direct connection to ultimate oneness down to the center of our very being. Seung Heun Lee clearly explains how this "noble enlightenment" is meant for everyone, and that by getting into contact with this sense of oneness men and women can illuminate the world and secure their children's future in a transformed world. Healing Society is a very highly recommended addition to Eastern tradition, spirituality, metaphysics, and self-help reading lists and reference collections.

The writer says he is enlightened. Is he sane? I don't know. I don't want to ask him whether he is enlightened or not. Because when I ask so, he will answer me he is enlightened because he realized that there is nothing to "realize." So, I don't need another teacher who want me to surrender before him. Dalai-lama said "spy on your spiritual teacher before you surrender yourself before him." Dalai-lama himself never says he is enlightened. But we know lama himself is a very trustworthy teacher for humankind. Be careful, people. I'm from the same country where this writer came from.

Dr. Seung Heun Lee wrote Healing Society: A Prescription for Global Enlightenment because he wanted "to call upon the world to embark on an Enlightenment Revolution" and "to let everyone know of their own right to enlightenment." Dr. Lee has written sixteen previous books and lectures extensively. He also founded "Dahn Hak Movement," which is designed to help in spiritual awakening, and helped establish the New Millennium Peace Foundation with Neale Donald Walsch. The United Nations has recognized Dr. Lee as a preeminent spiritual leader of the world.

He emphasizes throughout the book that enlightenment is not just for a select few, but available to everyone. He defines enlightenment as "a simple choice that you make to live your life for the betterment and benefit of all those around you." One needs only to make that choice, and then develop the discipline to live out that choice.

Part of becoming enlightened involves training your life energy, or Ki. Dr. Lee explains exactly how to do this. He has also developed a technique called "Brain Respiration" as a "realistic and everyday form of spiritual training" for all those people who don't have the time or inclination to go live on a mountain top or join a monastery.

Once people achieve personal enlightenment, the next step is global enlightenment. Dr. Lee says that we once all lived together as enlightened beings in harmony, and that we have deep spiritual longings to regain this world. In order to do that, "we need to recover the sense of Oneness and harmony that we have lost." That requires making both a personal and a collective choice to be enlightened. He wants at least one hundred million people to be spiritually enlightened by the end of this decade. "The healing vibration of their choices and determination will cure the Earth of the ills we have caused," he says.

Most people have forgotten that we are all part of One. Forgetting that has led to the state of affairs that exists today. If you'd like to meet your Creator Within and become a part of the solution rather than continue as part of the problem, then I highly recommend reading Healing Society.

This book has a bit too much self-promotion for me. Over and over and over and over and over again the author claims that through his program 'Brain Respiration' one may become truly enlightened. His message is encouraging and I like that he says enlightenment is nothing if it doesn't help somebody else. However... this book is simply laced with too many references to his 'Brain Respiration'. If I wanted to read a book on Brain Respiration I would have bought it. Now I won't thanks to this author's rampant self-promotion. This book seems to be merely a lengthy advertisement.

AUTOBIOGRAPHY ON ANGELINE JOLIE AND A LOG OF HER TRAVELS FOR THE UNITED NATION. VERY INTERESTING. JM

These extracts from Angelina's journal provide a unique insight into the plight of refugees all over the world. It is heart-wrenching to read about the terrible ordeals these people have faced during war & continue to face even after the fighting is over. The courage they show during such adversity is humbling & inspiring to the last page. A must-read book if you have any interest in the plight of your fellow man.

Angelina Jolie has a very personal connection with those who are in hard circumstances like the poor in Africa, one can speculate why but cannot realistically claim it is not sincere. She spends a lot of her time and money there and writes with warmth and humility. She expresses appreciation for those things in other areas that help keep poverty and related problems at bay. A good read as a eyewitness account of what people are going through but also a meaningful social commentary, most of all I find this book an inspiring example of how to bravely contribute whatever one can.

One of the most treasured books in my home library, Angie's courage and compassion for those less fortunate comes alive in every page of this book. This book is very inspiring and very humbling at the same time. My respect for Angelina has increased a thousand fold from reading this gem...plus she is donating all her proceeds to the UNHCR! I hope she writes more books!

This was a great book, i am soo glad i bought it. It really made things real and showed you the reality of what goes on in the world outside the bubble of your own perspective and own country. I would recommend this for everyone, even if your not an angelina fan because everyone should know about these living conditions that are how a large portion of the world are subjected too and it really makes you appreciate what you have. I wish that the book was longer i loved it so much!.

This is a fascinating look at how people all over the world live. My children have enjoyed thumbing through it, & our realtor gives it out as gifts to his clients! A unique project indeed.

This book was created from pictures taken in the early 90's, so it is s bit dated, especially in the more developed nations. Things like computers and other tech is obviously missing. I know that many destitute Africans now even have cell phones, not shown here. Otherwise, this is a great book and is very educational. After reading it, I got to wondering what my possesions on the street would look like...

I thoroughly have enjoyed this book, looking at the people from around the world and their possessions and realizing how different I live from another. It was amazing to see each family so proud, of either how little they have or how much they have, and to have all that they own on display (from in the dead of winter to floating on a boat!).

This book is absolutely a wake-up call for many people out there who think they don't have enough! Beautifully put together. Outstanding.

Material World by Peter Menzel is one of the most exciting and informative books I have come across in a long time . No other book I have ever read has given me such in depth knowledge of the lives and circumstances of people living in other countries around the globe. The photographs are breathtakingly beautiful and the statistics are fascinating. Ursula Michelson, author of Alzheimers Patients in the Nursing Home: How Well Do Caregivers Meet Their Needs?

When I was introduced to this book in March of 2007, I was just putting the finishing touches on a communication workshop of my own, Mastering the Art of Listening. As a business coach, I long ago realized that most breakdowns in companies as well as relationships, occur in a world of dysfunctional communication. What inspired me about this book was it was if I had read Thomas' mind when creating my own workshop. I am now leading Communicate or Die workshops for businesses and my own workshop for relationships. A must read if you own a business or work for one, especially in a bigger corporation.

"I started reading "Communicate or Die" and couldn't put it down. I was reading it on the subway and kept missing my stops and having to go back."

As a public speaker, I am always looking for new and practical books to help me convey a down-to-earth message. Communicate or Die definitely meets those standards. It is truly a winner!

I have read this book a few times over the years and always been empowered to communicate more effectively when I read it again. In the last months I have been studying the book's material, like my life depended on it as the title indicates. I read for 20 minutes each day, highlight sections and writing observations into my journal. It is one of the best books on communication I have read and studied and as I take on a new and bigger challenge, my daily study is an imperative.
The book puts me into an environment where I am conscious of my speaking and how I listen to people, of effectiveness and forward motion. To share Communicate or Die's wisdom and tools with my associates and clients, I have ordered a special edition of 750 copies with our own brand on the cover. It is to be my gift to herald in a new and prosperous 2007. I consider it a small and high-leveraged investment in the leadership of my volunteers and colleagues and essential for the task that we have taken on in the world - the end of rape on earth.
Peg Thatcher, International President, Project for the End of Rape; CEO, Thatcher & Associates.

I am firmly of the belief that communication is as much art as science and that its mastery is a life-long endeavor. "Communicate or Die" presents principles and distinctions that are pivotal to producing results - and building relationship - through speaking and listening. It packs a lot of power into a short space. This book is eminently readable and thoroughly useful. I recommend it highly.

I couldn't put this book down! I was drawn to it because it mixed my loves of both food and culture into one superb read.The photography is stunning,the cultural facts immersing and the reading about different families addictive.

this book is facinating if you are at all interested in how the rest of the world lives

Nice wrapping-- great delivery-- Prompt. We received this book in perfect condition as stated.
Thank you.

This is a great book to pick up any time you have a minute and just read little pieces that are fascinating... or you can read it cover to cover. the photos are beautiful and it really gives you an incite into how other cultures around the world are living right now. It's inspiring and made me want to inprove my own diet.

At the James Beard Awards in 2006, a huge, on-stage screen supplemented each presentation with images for the audience - images that illustrated themes within restaurants, foods, photos, and books. As a "foodie" who writes about beer, I was enchanted by a number of entries, including Hungry Planet: What the World Eats by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio.

So intense was this impression, that I was unable to leave the memory of this book at the Awards Ceremony. Two years later, the compulsion overtook me. Hungry Planet: What the World Eats stood on the shelf at my local bookshop, tempting me with what lived within the covers. This masterful display of "what the world eats," is so alive that, as I read, I become a participant in every global society we pass through.

Each chapter (organized by country) begins with a photograph of a "typical" family unit. The families are posed within their living quarters, surrounded by the food consumed in an average week. We feel as if we are peering into their personal lives. We know how much they spend on this food, (converted into US dollars). We see what they wear, how their family unit is structured, and what we would encounter in the marketplace where they shop. We are exposed to the sudden realization that some societies physically work for an entire lifetime at the meager chance for survival, so harsh are their living conditions. In other societies, the threat of obesity and diabetes looms with constancy, despite an affluence that, in theory, should be the key to longevity and health.

The authors give us extraordinary details about foods in each land - how animals are slaughtered and preserved without refrigeration; the method used to patiently separate barley grains from sand; or the necessity of constantly hand-filling an animal trough with water, because the earth and the heat claim its own share. We imagine surviving on skewered scorpions, seahorses, cicadas and silkworm pupae; Spit-roasted cui (Guinea pig), narwhal skin, polar bear, and camel; Khova (partially caramelized condensed milk), mung beans, spiny lobster, and aiysh (porridge); espresso coffee, well water, jasmine tea, cocoa, and Ur-bock beer. We also contemplate the effect of preservatives, prepared foods, and fast-food franchises on our daily lives in the Western world.

So fascinated was I with this voyeur's look into the personal eating habits within our fellow global societies, that I was unable to put this book down. As a documentary on global survival, it is superb. As a catalyst to our own self-examination, it is invaluable. It does not read like a novel, but is a rich tapestry that can be digested in bits and pieces - with leisure, or as an all-consuming, intellectual work.

The 21st century has witnessed the shrinking of the world into one global village. Today, businesses and financial markets are irrevocably interlinked. The internet has spawned a remarkable revolution which enables people from around the world to communicate for free with one another through email and online messengers.

As national boundaries become less important, people from all over the world have to interact with each other. Cultural clashes can be inevitable unless people learn to understand how other cultures think and behave.

Thomas Zweifel's book is a must read for today's global managers, diplomats, students, world travellers - infact just about anyone who wants to be a part of the globalized free world.

I have just finished reading Thomas Zweifel's book on culture clash and high performance. Each and everyday curtural clashes take place in public schools,and this very good leadership book should be used by public school administrators to assist them in dealing with their diverse student bodies. I especially like the lab sections because they were built on thinking and questions and not a simple listing of the commonplace activities. Walk down any public school hallway and you will see a great deal of diversity and it was refreshing to see a book that contained ideas school administrators could use to help these students in their daily ives.

You cannot truly talk about multinational business issues much less work in a international professional space without understanding the cultures in question and the many pitfalls associated with "diving right in" with possible good intentions but little cultural knowledge. This small yet information heavy book is essential in understanding and navigating Culture Clash.

This book is a must read. For anyone in business looking to climb the corporate ladder this book offers very valuable insight. The author shares his broad and fascinating experiences working with different cultures. I couldn't put this book down. It was a real eye opener.

What is particularly great about this book is that it has so many telling examples, which allows the reader to compare them with his or her own culture.
Reading this book has made me think a lot about the characteristics of the Danish culture (my culture). The qoute on the Germans "But how do we do this? I can't see that this can be done" - that is so Danish!
Such insight is very helpful, because knowing intellectually that your own culture is "a set of rituals and norms" as all other cultures is one thing, but actually being able to see the specific characteristics of your own culture is so much more!

Helle Vincentz Jørgensen, journalist and writer, New York.

I have read almost all of Hugo's novels and I feel he was a master beyond most as far as story telling goes. This particular books is ingenious with the various characters and the twists and turns and the tragedies and political statements. It broke my heart, while exciting me to cheer on the lead character in his efforts to right the wrongs of the parliament. I loved the characters of this books and the story line and I would strongly recommend it to any who are fans of "Hunchback" or "Les Miz" (forgive me). While I really loved Les Miz (and again, it broke my heart, as did the musical,which I thought was brilliant), this is the one that stayed with me. I read it many years ago and have a number of copies (some very old). When I bought this movie, I had no expectations, and I was amazed to see how much of the story was included. It was brilliantly produced, directed and acted. Even though it is a silent movie, it speaks volumes. I highly recommend the book and then the film. I also urge everyone to see the musical "Les Miserables" because it is all so wonderful. Hugo was a true master!

I come to the conclussion that The Man Who Laughs is the most descriptive, saddest, romantic and most beautifully written book that Victor Hugo has written. It is unfortunate that this book doesn't have the standing that Les Miserables or Our Lady of Notre Dame occupies. Also, it is a very hard to find book, specially in Spanish, which is my first language. The traduction is done extremely well (I have verified it with a Russian version I have). It is highly recommended.

This is a difficult and demanding read, but entirely worth it for those who want more from a novel. The story is of a confrontation of moral opposites set in England in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, as a deliberately disfigured outcast named Gwynplaine faces a powerful conflict between the simple life of a mountebank, with the love of a pure-hearted blind girl, and the power, glamor, and corruption of nobility, with the love of a depraved, self-loathing noblewoman. Gwynplaine's disfigurement hides his true identity from all, including himself; and out of the eventual revelation of this truth, Hugo constructs a magnificent and heart-wrenching symbolic drama that is as filled with meaning as anything you'll find in literature. Again, this is not light reading, and it is not made for those who prefer to breeze through an action thriller in an afternoon.

Hugo has much to say about the destructive nature of political power, as well as the envy and injustice that conspire to keep the high and low in their respective places. The Mohawk Club of the nobility exemplifies these themes through their vicious and destructive pranks, victimizing the helpless in the name of "fun."

Hugo's contempt for the period's institutions of power is evident throughout the novel; on the wicked Barkilphedro's rise to prominence, he writes: "He had crawled where he wanted. Flat beasts can get in everywhere. Louis XIV had bugs in his bed and Jesuits in his policy. The incompatibility is nil." Clearly this is a novel of ideas, written by one who had a great deal to say and knew how to express it. Even so, I must acknowledge that Hugo's expository passages, although witty, impassioned, and eloquent, occasionally become a distraction from the story.

Hugo's style is astonishingly lofty, in a way that just doesn't happen in the present day. It is an ambitious and demanding discipline, now so far gone that we scarcely even know to miss it. As such, it may strike today's readers as unnatural and overdone; or so it did to me, at first. But by the finish, I was fully seduced into Hugo's stylistic world, and left unable to choose what to read next -- for what is there today that is even conscious of this standard of craftsmanship? I can only imagine how much of the effect of this high language is lost in translation from the original French.

If you are interested in this book, I strongly recommend the Paper Tiger edition, with its afterword by Shoshana Milgram. This afterword was of great use in understanding the book's ending, which to me was difficult; it clarified how the ending was necessitated by the novel's overall theme -- and it made the extent of Hugo's achievement that much more evident.

I read this book as a teenager, along with "Toilers of the Sea," Ninety Three" and "Hunchback of Notre Dame."
I have re-read only "Toilers of the Sea" and found it as riveting now as were all of Hugo's book then. I can't imagine a library system not containing these timeless classics or their being out of print.

This is extremely well written and the story is easy to follow. The story had me smile and cry. The method that Victor Hugo collected the sections of this book is similiar to the style Ayn Rand used in writing Atlas Shrugged-my favorite book. The Man Who Laughs is one I think every Victor Hugo fan would want to read and read again--I loved it!

Awake and Dreaming is a book that helps us understand just how much we should be thankful for. It also helps us see that no matter how bad our situation, there is always someone in a worse predicament.
The story is about a girl named Theo. She and her mom live in Vancouver, Canada. It is safe to say that they are poor. Theo's life was very hard and she was going through a lot. So her mother decided that she needed to go stay with some relatives for the time being.
While aboard the ferry that Theo is taking to her aunt's house, Theo falls asleep and the real action begins. Theo goes into a deep sleep. She wakes up to find herself in a big comfortable bed. In a big house with a wonderful family. Theo
is confused at first,but eventually she grows accustom to her new family. She has everything that she ever wanted. Then all of a sudden she is awken by a strong gust of wind and her dream family is gone. She knows that she cant live without them so she goes in search of them and is amazed at what she finds.
If you like imaginitive books, then you'll love Awake and Dreaming!

Awake and Dreaming is a book that helps us understand just how much we should be thankful for. It also helps us see that no matter how bad our situation, there is always someone in a worse predicament.
The story is about a girl named Theo. She and her mom live in Vancouver, Canada. It is safe to say that they are poor. Theo's life was very hard and she was going through a lot. So her mother decided that she needed to go stay with some relatives for the time being.
While aboard the ferry that Theo is taking to her aunt's house, Theo falls asleep and the real action begins. Theo goes into a deep sleep. She wakes up to find herself in a big comfortable bed. In a big house with a wonderful family. Theo
is confused at first,but eventually she grows accustom to her new family. She has everything that she ever wanted. Then all of a sudden she is awken by a strong gust of wind and her dream family is gone. She knows that she cant live without them so she goes in search of them and is amazed at what she finds.
If you like imaginitive books, then you'll love Awake and Dreaming!

I recommend this book. I read it for a book report. It is very interesting. It teaches people what life is like for some in poverty. It also has the right amount of fantasy to go along with the realistic side of the story. It was a great read. Kit Person has outdone herself.

Awake and Dreaming is a book that helps us understand just how much we should be thankful for. It also helps us see that no matter how bad our situation, there is always someone in a worse predicament.
The story is about a girl named Theo. She and her mom live in Vancouver, Canada. It is safe to say that they are poor. Theo's life was very hard and she was going through a lot. So her mother decided that she needed to go stay with some relatives for the time being.
While aboard the ferry that Theo is taking to her aunt's house, Theo falls asleep and the real action begins. Theo goes into a deep sleep. She wakes up to find herself in a big comfortable bed. In a big house with a wonderful family. Theo
is confused at first,but eventually she grows accustom to her new family. She has everything that she ever wanted. Then all of a sudden she is awken by a strong gust of wind and her dream family is gone. She knows that she cant live without them so she goes in search of them and is amazed at what she finds.
If you like imaginitive books, then you'll love Awake and Dreaming!

Kids get to go on some fun field trips these days, and a couple of years ago I decided to tag along and chaperone when my son's grade 7 class was going to visit Ross Bay Cemetery located here in Victoria. It all had to do with this book they had read in class, whose plot involved the cemetery, a house across the street from it, and other nearby landmarks that I knew of.

Theodora and her mother live in Vancouver in utter poverty - if you can call it living. There's never enough to eat, and her shoes are too small and falling apart. Theo's mother is never home, either working or out with a boyfriend, and leaves the young lady on her own far too often. It's enough to have Theo taken away and made a ward of the court, but the secret is very well kept. Theo changes schools often so that nobody in a position to do anything about the situation can help. Sometimes she's lucky and the schools have meal programs, sometimes she isn't. Then she must try to learn while her body devours itself from the inside out.

Things suddenly change when Theo's mother runs into an old friend and the two begin a relationship. Naturally there isn't any room for Theo who wants a kid hanging out when they are trying to party anyhow?! So Theo is left on her own, more and more, until the day her Mother decides to move in with this new guy. The invitation didn't extend to Theo, of course, so she is unloaded on an Aunt in Victoria who she hasn't seen in years. The deal is that Theo's mom will send money, and that it won't be for long, only until she talks the boyfriend into accepting Theo.

Theo has dreamed of belonging to a real family for so long that it has become a familiar and easy dream to fall into. There will be four children, two older and two younger, so that Theo can be in the middle. Then somehow the oddest thing happens - Theo is very mysteriously adopted into her dream family. The Kaldor's are filled with love and warmth, and for the first time in her life, Theo is not only happy, but well dressed and fully fed. She even relaxes enough to build friendships with her new siblings.

Tragically, something goes horribly, horribly wrong and Theo slowly fades from the life she has found. She finds herself back with her mother, traveling on the ferry to Victoria. The Kaldor's couldn't have been a dream, it was far too real to Theo, and she is filled with anguish at the loss. How could this have happened to her?

What really hits home is the reality involved here. Aside from the fantasy elements, this book holds some cold hard truths that children face today. It is well deserving of winning The Canada Council for the Arts Governor General's Literary Awards. This is a ghost story with some real substance.

Review Originally Posted at LinearReflections.com

I became aware of this book only recently. I live in Athens and someone told me to read this book because of the history and drama. I moved here in 2003 and I learned so much about this area. It was neat reading about people I've met while living here (The Huffs in Tin Can Holler). I always considered my life and childhood to be traumatic with an alcoholic father and growing up poor. With this book I realized I've had a better life than most of the people in this book. It made me appreciate what I have and the people in my life. I cried when I read about Beluah having to search for food because of Randy. Last weekend I visited Whispering Pines where Grace is buried and Sims Road where the family's history began. I took pictures and caught some orbs in some of the images. If you live near here and believe in the supernatural you should visit the areas in the book, it will give you the creeps.

Rozetta,
You are a brave, unique individual. God bless you for your strength to stand up for others who suffer at the hands of abusers. You will never know of all the help you are giving others since you won't hear from many of them, but KNOW that your voice will often be the salvation for past and future victims of domestic violence and child abuse. Your book is so well written and easy to understand. I read 95% of it the first week I purchased it. Though I have never experienced abuse, I have seen firsthand the tremendous damage done to victims and how many never recover or tell, especially if they aren't believed by those who should be protecting them. So thank you Rozetta, for believing in victims, understanding & loving them, and for sharing your very personal, tragic story. Not only did you survive so many horrendous situations in your childhood, not to mention losing your very own mother at such a young age, you have RISEN ABOVE it all by reaching out to others and by just being the lovely, giving person that you are. I will always treasure my autographed copy of 'Tragedy in Tin Can Holler'. It is an honor to know you Rozetta. Blessings!

"Tragedy in Tin Can Holler" is one of the most chilling books I have ever read. Rozetta Mowery tells this true story in a direct and compelling way. Its a must read story detailing bizarre and tragic events in the author's life. Mowery's hidden family secrets are told in an uncensored unveiling of murders and mayhem that will leave you stunned by the evil and demonic murder of her mother and the legacy left by her vicious serial killer family matriarch. Rozetta Mowery's story has turned a family tragedy into a triumphant life for herself and the communities she serves. She exemplifies strength, victory and courage with a strong dedication to help others overcome domestic violence. You must read this book. I could not put it down.





Confessions of a Feng Shui Ghost-Buster

This is the best book I have every read and I don`t read to much it`s a sad true story worth reading I tell everyone about this book and that makes them want to get this book, This book is worth buying. Star

I have read alot of books, but this is one that will stay with you...A very well written, no boring parts book that you will not want to put down until you are finished...The author is a very admirable person to not just accept her past and forget about it..A must read...