"Moonwatcher's Memoir" rectifies this oversight, and then some. Richter had a great, exhausting time during his year (!) working on apes with Kubrick, and tells all. In doing so, he throws new light on the movie's timeline; it started shooting in Dec. 65, yet the long-planned ape scenes weren't shot until very late in the game: fall of 67 (the movie came out in April 68). How Kubrick kept his poise during such a long project remains, as the film might say, "a total mystery."

To use book review jargon, this book is a must for all Kubrick completists. You know who you are.

Now from that same august publisher comes a volume I might seriously consider as a fourth: "A Most Ingenious Paradox" by Gayden Wren. Having worked most of his life in the theatre and specializing in Gilbert & Sullivan, Wren has come up with the thesis that "Beneath the surface charm of the Savoy operas...lies a powerful thematic core that makes their works effective to this day" (p. 4). Well, so it is with Shakespeare, Shaw, and even Rodgers & Hart. It is the examples offered up by Wren that affords so much surprise and delight.

The book is organized into fairly self-contained chapters.The first deals with "Gilbert before Sullivan," the second with "Sullivan before Gilbert." Then we have a chapter for each of the 14 works, followed by a chapter about their careers after "The Grand Duke" and a final one about their "Legacy." There follows an appendix with plot outlines, details about the original "Ruddygore" script and score, notes, an excellent critical bibliography, and index.

I think that directors will appreciate the emphasis Wren puts upon the seriousness that underlies some of the works, and not only "Yeomen of the Guard." For example, consider the scene just before the finale between Iolanthe and the Lord Chancellor in which things do become "life or death" and which could easily lead to an unhappy ending with no violence to what has gone before. Of course, the public expected a happy ending with G&S, but that was no reason they had to get one.

His remarks about "The Mikado," although confined to only 15 pages did make me suddenly aware of how Gilbert keeps tipping his hand all through by having the characters call attention to their being in a play: "Japanese don't use pocket-handkerchiefs," "the Japanese equivalent for Hear, hear, hear," "Virtue is triumphant only in theatrical performances," and so on. I part company on him with him on some remarks about "Princess Ida," but his comparison between the opera and the Tennyson original is quite revealing. In general, I kept nodding and thinking about most of his conclusions with "Of course, I should have realized that years ago."

The style is friendly, the author taking it for granted, of course, that you know the plots of the operas fairly well to begin with. Yes, I think I might recommend this as the fourth essential book. But please give it a try and let me know what you think.

A little postscript would be in order here. Naxos is reissuing at budget prices the old "Martyn Green" G&S sets that used to be available on London and then Richmond mono LPs. Thus far they have added to their catalogue "The Mikado," "HMS Pinafore," "Pirates of Penzance/Trial by Jury," and just this month "The Gondoliers." Anyone intererested in the Wren book would certainly want to own these vintage recordings.

Perfect for children to read on their own, or with the help of a parent (because parents will find these stories equally charming).

I urge any parent -- and especially grandparents -- to add this book and any of the other Mr Putter and Tabby books to their children's (and grandchildren's)reading repetoire.

One of the things I love about this book is that it includes silly details that make my child laugh every time - a bird picking fake grapes off of Mrs. Teaberry's hat, pouring water out of her hat onto everyone on a hot day, the "wierd" foods they bring along for the picnic...

I know of children all the way up to 3rd grade who enjoy these books, so I highly recommend them for any kids ages 4 to 8. Or as young as 3 if your child has the attention span.

The "Mr. Putter and Tabby" collection is the best I have found for children. This particular episode has Mr. Putter and Mrs. Teaberry trying to play music more or less successfully but having a very good time at it and being happy to have at least given it a try. When you read it, you can make all sorts of funny 'music' sounds that bring joy to your little one -and are fun to do too...

All the "Putter & Tabby" books are really well illustrated with very expressive characters, and the stories are intelligent, funny, and warm. My child adores them and is always asking for a reading session of "Mr Putter and Tabby". He was 2 when we read our first one and the books are so great that I believe he will still enjoy them when he learns to read. In the mean time, I enjoy them too and haven't tired yet of reading a couple of them every evening. So, although until now I have borrowed these books from the public library, I am now buying the whole collection.

Rubenstein has a very flowing, easy-to-read writing style and includes details that made me feel like I actually met him and the people he knew. Like all great autobiographies that I read, this one made me want to know what happened to some of the people he met.

I was **very** disappointed when I finished the book and yearned for more information about his life. It was only when I came across the title on Amazon.com that I found he wrote another autobiography. I can't wait to buy it.

I first read the book when I was in college in about 1974. I couldn't put the book down. At the time Rubenstein was the greatest in my mind. I later bought a copy of the book at a used book store in Sonoma Valley.