Every Asterix adventure is a fun read, so I loved all 5 adventures in this collection, viz., 'Asterix and The Laurel Wreath', 'Asterix in Switzerland', 'Mansion of the Gods', 'Obelix and Co', 'Asterix The Gladiator'.
However I thought the stories could have been arranged more thematically. None of the adventures in this book share any common theme. Eg, 'Asterix and the Laurel Wreath' and 'Asterix and the Chieftan's Shield' belonged together in one collection, or, 'Obelx and Co', 'Asterix and the Roman Agent', and 'Asterix and Caesar's Gift' belonged together, as they all deal with the Romans' attempts to sow discord in the Gaulish village we all know very well.
But, on the whole, no regrets with the stories themselves. All rate 5 stars!

This Bind-up contains the following stories: 1)Asterix the Gladiator 2)Asterix in Switzerland 3)The Mansion of the Gods 4)Asterix and the Laurel Wreath 5)Obelix and Co. This collection of stories complements the other bindup books namely: Absolutely Asterix and Asterix Forever. A fun read. Will keep you entertained.

This retelling of Hans Christian Anderson's classic fairytale is well done. It is the story of a girl who becomes obssessed with owning a pair of beautiful red dancing shoes with long silk ribbons. Her grandmother refuses to buy them, claiming they are not practical. Yet she thinks of nothing else and saves up all her money, until finally they are hers. However, the girl soon finds out the consequences of possessing the red shoes. The ending of the story has changed from the original---which was the girl amputated her feet to get the shoes off. The ending of this version is more suitable for younger readers. The illustrations in the book are quite lovely and detailed, especially the facial expressions of the young girl and the suspicious old shoemaker. I enjoyed it a lot.

Wonderful illustrations! A beautiful addition to any child's library of fairy tales.

The Wolf and the Seven Kids is an excellent story to use for children when teaching them about the dangers of talking to strangers. The illustrations in this story are vibrant and grab the readers attention. Even though there is a graphic scene where the wolf eats six of the seven kids the mother saves her children by cutting them out of the wolf's stomach with a pair of scissors and then fills his stomach with rocks and sews him up. This shows the mother as the hero because she saves her children. This is an excellent story but I would be careful about reading it to younger children because they may get scared when the wolf eats the kids.

Ann Blades' version of this familiar Grimm tale is delightful. It took me back to my childhood, when I spent many happy hours studying my books of Grimm's fairy tales. The soft-edged, colorful drawings are appealing and playful. I consider this a very nice book, and have ordered several as gifts.

This is a short book about a Boy named Lars and his friends rebeling against German control. I'm not going to explain everything about it because you can read someone else's review, but I will say only some people will like this book. It is not a very bad book, and is intresting. But you have to be ready to read through a whole lot of boring stuff to get to the few good parts. I would not say it is worth reading. I didn't like this book much and I descourage you from spending any money for it!

...Six troublesome boys that formed a group called the St. Petri boys. This book took place during the war of involving the Germans. These boys formed this group to get back and their enemies, the German's, who they hated. These boys would do whatever they could to rebel and show the German soldiers that they are better then they would ever be. These boys showed great strength and pride for what they believed in and even though what they did was bad, they are still good kids.

This story, to me, represents six boys who are just trying to prove to the German's that they are just as strong as them. I really liked the way he boys never gave up and how they were serious about what they do. The characters are very persistent and are strong boys. Each character has their own personality and not one of them is alike. Even though they are very different it was hard for me to tell them apart. I especially enjoyed Gunnar because he was very strong and basically held up the group. Lars was the younger and newest group member and he obeyed every order given to him. I think Lars should have taken his own thoughts and did what he thought was the best thing. I picked this book because I enjoy war books but this book wasn't really about war. I have always been interested in war books but not like this one. This book is not very funny it's sad, serious all at once. The book is very hard to follow and moves very slow. The other uses older language which was hard to comprehend. The sentences were very long and hard to understand. The words were too large and hard to get the true meaning. Along with long sentences he used short ones too that didn't seem to be complete. For example, "Go get him," Lars said. The book worked around the climax and led up to it slowly. The author didn't seem to care about catches the reader's attention.

I would NOT recommend this book to anyone seeking an exciting book. There are about 20 pages in the whole book that's exciting. This book would be enjoyed by people that enjoy the younger boys and their silly games. I hope my review helps everyone who reads this and will understand the kind of book they are getting into. Enjoy!!

'The Boys From St.Petri' is a realistic story about a group of teenage boys that play pranks on the Germans. There are a few conflicts in this book and one of them is boy vs. boy. Two of the boys get in a fight and one a them decides to leave the group. This affects the group because the boy who left was fairly important to the book. Thankfully, the boy shows up later in the book. Another one is group vs. group. This is because the group of boys have a debate to either let the new kid into the group or not. This story is both dramatic and exciting. Towards the end, the boys get into a big dilemma with the Germans and one of the group-member gets shot in the leg. This book is almost at all times exciting and enjoyable to read. Some of the characters show their true selves throughout the story. Most of the time it happened at dramatic scenes. For example. When one of the boys gets shot in the leg, you can notice how the other boys would do anything to help keep that boy alive for at least as long as they possibly could. I would recommend this book to anyone likes action from the start. The story is very fast to start up with the main idea. I would not recommend this book to anyone who does not like drama or action. There is usually a problem accruing or about to accur. Over all, I liked this book a lot and if I were you, I would read it.

First published in both French and English in 1996.

Considering that Uderzo did write two excellent ones by himself-Asterix and the Black Gold, and Asterix and the Magic Carpet- this is not the best Asterix book.
No doubt, Uderzo has explored some new themes, but the idea of Obelix turning into granite, and then reverting to childhood is laying it on a bit thick-come on!
To bring the great figure, Spartacus into the equation was a good idea, and I quite liked Atlantis, with the cute little angel-children and the flying cows.
So certainly add it to your Asterix collection, but I think the time is coming soon when Uderzo should lay down his Asterix pen, and let this great series come to completion!

I have heard many bad things about this one, but as an avid fan of Asterix and other works of Uderzo (Iznogud, Umpah Pah, ...), I think this is a great story. The art work is superb, Uderzo certainly gets better with each story. The plot is funny, and Spartakis is great! I have some problems with it though, the adventure seems too much for 48 pages. Seems like at times, Uderzo has had to leave the adventure without getting it anywhere. Spartakis and his band could have been given a greater role than just the cab ride from the Armorian Coast to Atlantis!

This book contains all the classic Asterix elements with the role of Obelix being priceless. It is a great read for all the people who have been following the adventures of Asterix for such a long time. I love the return to the classic elements after the mildly disappointing book "Asterix and the Secret Weapon".

We don't need to see the Little Mermaid's nipples.
(I can never understand why the people who cry out that the nudity is "JUST art!" don't notice that it is never underdressed males, but little girls that we have to look at.)

Amazon.com rates this book for ages 4 - 8, but the text is difficult and violent, and the admittedly lovely art is appropriate for graphic novels in the _Sandman_ vein, not for kids.

Yes, it is a lovely story, yes, it was dark to begin with, and no it is not a children's book.

Good translation, pretty (aside from the gratuitousness) illustrations earn 2 stars.

Sulamith Wulfing's art is gorgeous! Unfortunately, most of the reviews I see here are NOT for her book! They are reviews of the version Rachel Isadora illustrated (see the "nipples" and violence comments); or even for Disney's Little Golden Book adapted from the cartoon. I don't understand why reviews for other versions are displayed here; it's very misleading! If you like Sulamith Wulfing's art, you'll probably like this book.

The Little Mermaid. Illustrated by Sulamith Wulfing; text by Hans Christian Andersen. Translated from the German by Petra Michel.

Sulamith Wulfing is a fantastic artist whose work has been sold as books of plates, calendars, and even decks of cards. This book is special because it is one of the few times that her works illustrate a story. Each page has black and white line drawings and there are ten full page color plates. The color plates are the type of work for which the artist is most known and the ten in this book have been reprinted in her calendars and other collected works. The color is vibrant and the themes of each are sublime. The cover illustration is also the last illustration in the text and shows the mermaid transformed into The Immortal Soul.

An epilog called "The Sacrifice" written by the artist's son, Otto Schulze, states that a new translation of Andersen's story was used and that "parts of the story have been summarized." While staying true to Andersen's original plot, incidents and characters have been left out and parts of the story have been changed. These changes raise the story above being a children's fairy tale and highlight its allegorical theme about the role of love in the quest for immortality. The modified text and the mystical art go together excellently to make this the best rendering of this story I have ever seen. Originally published in German in 1953, this work is as vibrant today as when it was first conceived 50 years ago.

At the end of the book is a brief one page biography of the author with an early photograph of her and a self portrait painted in 1953.

I did not like it. It is a bad story. Wolfs are not bad like in the story. Peter doesnt listen to his grandpa, so it is a bad example.

If you are familiar with the Prokofiev symphony, this book makes a good companion to the music. It puts into visual images the story of Peter and the Wolf. What I like most about the book is that, in the end, the duck lives. The ending varies somewhat depending on the version of the recording or book. In this book, it's a happy ending, which is better for younger readers.

We use the book by itself sometimes. Other times, my child will read along while we listen to the symphony.

Our children, 3 year old twins, love the music of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. In searching for an age appropriate book to show them the musical instruments that play each of the characters, we found this one illustrated by Ian Beck. Not only are the illustrations lovely, the colors and clothing of Peter, the hunters and the grandfather are interesting to a child. Also, each page shows the instrument played for that part of the story (find it in the box around the text), and in the back a page illustrates each instrument. We cannot recommend this lovely book enough to parents of young children discovering the beauty of music!

This book took me so long to get through! A lot of the prose was very dense and I found myself having to go extra slow for fear of missing a hidden meaning. I went up and down with this book.It would really pull me in for a few chapters, then I'd trudge through a few more, wishing I was nearer the end.

The engrossing parts of it were super and it is an interesting story.My feelings about this book are mixed.
I skimmed the last few chapters .
I would tell anybody that reads this book to make sure they have plenty of time and patience.
I think it really could be rewarding for a person with both of the above.

WOW! Where do I begin? For a short story, this book has evoked a great deal of thought. I loved this book, I hated this book, I was confused by this book but in the end I was just glad it was over. The "feel" of this book was wonderful. It had that haunting quality that all good romantic fantasies do, however the vagueness of the author's message was annoyingly frustrating.

Another annoying quality that I have no basis for confirmation is the feel that this book was a translation from another language (German?). I felt as though the choice of words used in many instances were on the odd side and it seemed that the reason was due to an inexact translation.

One last comment was that the book seemed to be a run-on of Mr. Bemmann's thoughts. Nothing really tied together, but the underlying love story which really seemed one sided. Just one goofy adventure to the next without rhyme or reason. Of course, if that was the intent then it worked.

I gave the book 3 stars primarily because of the haunting feel of it. Any book, no matter how confusing, that can still evoke a strong sense of any emotion is not all bad.

Are these fairy tales "true"? As the protagonist stumbles through a landscape of half-familiar fairy tales and hilariously-debased Roman gods in search of his transformed lover, he (and we) begin to realize the difference between worshipping a perfect ideal and loving an imperfect human being. With all the authors delving into folklore and marchen these days, Bemmann's approach to the material is surprisingly fresh and touching. One of my all-time favorite books, and one that I've recommended to all my friends.

PLEASE NOTE! This review is for the version that is illustrated by Dorothee Duntze. Everyone knows this Hans Christian Andersen story about the bedraggled princess who shows up looking for shelter on a stormy night. She might be a good match for the prince who's been searching for a "real" princess so the queen mother runs a little test...the rest is the subject of fairy tales! This version is simply told and beautifully illustrated. The pictures, executed in soft pastel colors, have a quirky Art Deco feel to them that I thoroughly enjoyed. The gowns of all the ladies in the book are done in a collage style and are covered in intricate patterns and designs. Lovely...the real thing!

In the beautiful land of Upper-Crestalia King Adolph, Queen Frieda, & their dear son Prince Ralph live & the queen is quite content until her son one day bursts into her chamber & declares that he wishes to marry.

The queen does not like this idea at all so she hatches a plan to prevent her son marrying & she makes sure that the few princesses who do audition for Prince Ralph's wife all fail.

Mad with grief, Prince Ralph tears off in his expensive car down to Lower-Crestalia & when smoke starts billowing out of his hood, poor Ralph is stranded.

To his great surprise & relief, an auto-mechanic pulls up next to him & a dirty young woman in overalls carrying a tool box, jumps out. They get to talking, & the Prince is smitten! Her name is Opal, & she is the princess of Lower-Crestalia.

On the spot Prince Ralph proposes & when her prince charming confesses that his mother has idiotic tasks in store for her, Opal only becomes more determined.

Opal passes the tests with flying colors & that's when the queen insists there be a third test which is the one from which the title of this hilarious book is taken.

Will Princess Opal pass the final test? Will the queen's crafty plan succeed? Read this enchanting book & find out!

This novel is very different from any other kind of good literature being written today. It has no chapters or divisions; instead, it is a long monologue briefly interrupted by the unnamed narrator's change of settings and time. Throughout the book, Jacques Austerlitz tells us the story of his life and of his origins, as he goes on discovering them. Raised by a childless Welsh couple, Austerlitz finds out around his 15th year that he is from Jewish descent and that he fled Europe when he was four years old, shortly before the outbreak of WWII.
Austerlitz becomes a historian of architecture and travels around Europe (the book is filled with beautiful black and white pictures), but at some point he feels the urgent need to find out about his origins, after a series of nervous breakdowns. What follows is the extraordinary and painful discovery of the fate of his parents and, as a parallel, of Europe in those disastrous years. Sebald's prose is terse and fluid (even if, like me, you don't speak German, you can tell that the translation is really good), his ruminations on a number of subjects is never boring but enlightening, and the story of the narrator and Austerlitz's encounters is incredible but essential to the storyline.
Several passages are likely to remain in your memory. For me, some of them were life at his youth's friend's family house in Wales, the naturalist excursions and the sighting of moths, the visit to Marienbad, and especially his conversations with his aged ex-nurse in Prague. One good thing about the book is the descriptions of European cities, which are very inspiring. In short, this novel is very good and rewarding. Its main subject is the search for identity, but by no means is it the only one. Sebald's death late last year gives it an increased sense of nostalgia and melancholy, and it will likely be regarded later as one of the best novels written at the beginning of this enigmatic century.

Sebald's book is an exquisite description of the echo of the holocaust in central and western Europe. The narrative centers on a historian of architecture who had been adopted by a Welsh couple during the Second World War. As he searches for his past he discovers that he had come to Great Britain on one of the trains that brought Jewish children to safety from Nazi-occupied Europe. In an attempt to learn more about his parents he travels to Czechoslovakia and France and retraces their fascinating but tragic lives. This story presents the holocaust as a dark void that weighs heavily on the life of the next generation. The book is exquisitely written, and the descriptions of the journeys and persons are incredibly detailed and, for this member of the Czech second generation, uncannily accurate. Photographs of buildings and other inanimate objects help set the mood. The book should not be read in a hurry because it starts slowly and takes off gradually. The patient reader will be rewarded by hauntingly beautiful descriptions of events, places and states of mind, all connected by the indelible mark of the Holocaust.

Austerlitz is a negative, an undeveloped film of memory swished around in the fluid of the reader's imagination, from which emerge images at once clear and indistinct. Readers familiar with Sebald's work will recognize ideas and techniques in the first part of this book - the seemingly random historical associations, the beautifully dense and allusive sentence structures, the haunting photos that poetically omit more than they include - but as the narrative progresses, shadows of the Nazi holocaust take form and lead us deeper into the inferno. The emotional distance and intellectual reluctance start to make sense - they not only characterize the narrator, but they enhance our sense of his human frailty. I kept wondering what kind of book this was - a memoir, a thinly veiled confession, or a fiction of remarkable power? The patterns and connections suggested a literary invention, but every element rang true and seemed idiosyncratically real. The author's death also lends a note of finality and definition to this evocative work, making it necessarily Sebald's last word on recurring themes. If you've not read any of his other books, this is still a fine place to start, because each demands rereading in the context of the whole. For a while his books just play on in your memory, yet when you pick them up again they are full of surprises and undiscovered gems. I recommend getting the hardcover copy so that the binding can stand up to repeated reference.