The Count of Monte Cristo is an amusing but pointless novel that distracts the reader using an elaborate plot while making the weakest of attempts at a themeatic statement- revenge is good. This is a novel in which the "bravest" characters are commended for their desire to commit suicide in order preserve their honor and prove their "bravery". (Unfortunately, none of these characters are required kill themselves- instead, in each instance, they are saved by a miraculous event.) This is a novel in which more than four characters assume multiple identities in order to satisfy the whims of a plot which ultimately serves an inferior theme. It is because of authors like Dumas that early novels were often regarded as such low brow entertainment and not as literary works worthy of esteem.

I started reading this book in the unabridged, not cliffnotes, version. Needless to say, the 1095 page book takes along time to read. About 500 pages into I decided to read the cliffnotes. From what i have read, this is a great book full of daring, adventure, and revenge. As you read, you see the main character outwit and manipulate everyone to his own vengeful scheme. Its a great book and I would recomend it to anyone that loves the classics.

Although Edmond Dantes was wrongfully accused and imprisoned this book is more a story about how hope is better than hatred. Through Edmond's life you will see how jealousy and revenge can ruin a life, even if it is what one thought they wanted.

This is a bit of a relief after the very intense predecesser. Here, you're dealing primarily with point shaving in college basketball, not with serial murderers.

However, as usual in a Spenser novel, there's more here than just the primary plot. There's insight into racial relations, a theme that Parker explores deeper in the later PASTIME. There's also the very human theme concerning dealing with a person who's abilities you admire, but who is an insufferable so-and-so.

It's a typical fast read and yet leaves you with a feeling that you've picked up something of value from the reading.

This was my first Spenser book. It was much better than the TV series. I loved the no nonsense character of both Spenser and Hawk. The vulgarity was strong, but believable. Spenser drifts through most of the story wondering what he's supposed to do, since his moral compass is nagging him to correct the wrongs of the world, even if they aren't in alignment with his customer. Will Spenser live to see another day? Given the large number of Robert B. Parker novels, you can bet on it.

This is the first Robert B. Parker novel I've read, and I love it. Spencer (the main character) has an uncanny sense of humour that is both addictive and inspirational. You don't need to know anything about basketball or even like basketball to enjoy this book. It's sharply written with great observations and quirky dialogue. It reminds me of Sue Grafton novels, but with a male lead. I won't go into the story line because other reviews have done that already. Get it!

Madame Bovary is a beatufully written satire on bourgeois society. Flaubert puts humor throughout the book through his characters. Each action of the characters has a hint of fakery that is very characterist of Bourgeois society. The book was not written as a guideline of how to live one's life, but a story of the real problems that the people during that time confronted. I would recommend it to anyone that wants to read one of the most well written and thoughtout books.

When teaching World Literature Gustave Flaubert's "Madame Bovary" was the first thing we read in class. Unfortunately we could not read it in the original French, because it there is one novel that should be read that way it is this one; Flaubert crafted literally crafted every sentence in the novel as if it were poetry. No translation could ever truly do it justice. While James L. Roberts' Cliffs Notes on "Madame Bovary" cannot help someone who is teaching/reading this great novel in those terms, it certainly covers all the rest of the bases. After providing a brief summary along with a listing of main and secondary characters, Roberts provides a summary and comments on each chapter in the novel. I appreciate that his comments are laid out as A, B, C, etc., so that the discrete points being made clearly stand out. These Cliffs Notes then provide character analysis of Emma Bovary, Charles Bovary, Leon, Rodolphe and Homais, followed by a look at the critical problems of theme/intent, Flabuert's realism, symbolism, irony/contrast, style, narrative technique, and social commentary. A short biography of Flabuert's life and works, suggestions for further reading, and sample examination questions are provided at the end.

The strength of this particular Cliff Notes is that is focuses more on the specific chapters with more depth than you usually find. This works especially well if you read the summary and comments AFTER reading the corresponding chapter(s) in "Madame Bovary." Flabuert's novel was scandalous in its day and is certainly the first and greatest of all the novels dealing with the "fallen woman." Final Helpful Hint for Teachers: After reading "Madame Bovary" you might have students read "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin, another controversial novel which has an extremely similar plot but was written by an American women. You can have some great compare/contrast discussions.

An exquisitely written book about Madame Bovary's search for love, and all of the pain and hardships as a result of that search. The book is eloquently written and wonderfully entertaining- making Madame Bovary's character human and real.

This book covers an interesting life story and has great detail, but unfortunately much of that detail has nothing to do with Mr. Fleming's life, instead focusing on the bloodlines of every British person he ever met. A typical sentence would read "While at the party Ian met John Blankenship of Eddileshile, who would later become the Duke of Ipswitch and marry the Dutchess of Flem, whose mother, the Dame of Foppishnich, once had lunch with Sir Henry Handllberg" - and NONE of these people would have had anything to do with the story, the party, or Ian Flemming. It is as if a Flemming biography was inadvertantly been mixed with a "Complete Peerage of the Brittish Isles" and they went ahead and published it anyway. If you must, get the print version, so you can skim over the irrelevant stuff that pops up every other sentence - if you listen to the Audible audio version (like I did) you will find it had to follow and boring to boot.

In a fashion, Mr. Lycett's biography is as detailed as Carlos Baker's biography of Ernest Hemingway. Nearly every movement of Ian Fleming's adulthood is covered. What is revealed is not a pleasant personality. Ian Fleming was a selfish, egocentric fellow who was very much a rake and a cad, especially in the years before World War Two. Scion of a wealthy family, he was a true-to-life example of England's decadent ruling class as much as the Marchmont family was in Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited.(Interestingly, Fleming's wife, Ann, was friends with Waugh though Waugh did not know Fleming very well when Brideshead was written). Lycett paints an unflattering portrait of this ruling class. The ruling circle which Fleming was part specialized in divorce, arrogance, selfishness, the lapping up of assorted luxuries. They lacked fidelity and self-discipline. It is also noteworthy that in the middle of the Depression, Fleming was so set in society that he seemed to be able to vacation at a whim and not lose his job. Fleming would have died a spoiled cad if not for the discipline of war, in which he served well as an intelligence officer. Egocentric as always, Fleming later claimed to have drawn up the blueprint for the American O.S.S., later known as the C.I.A.. During the war, Fleming fell in love with Jamaica. This love led eventually to Fleming's routine of writing a James Bond novel each winter at his place, Goldeneye, in Jamaica during his ordinarilly 2-3 month winter vacations. The James Bond pop phenomenon was slow to take off and by the time that it did, Ian Fleming's health was in severe decline due to years of a diet of cigarettes, large amounts of alcohol and greasy foods. The Bond novels will never be known as great literature but they are tersely written in fine, spare prose. The plots are usually ridiculous but, after all, they were to be fun books, not serious literature. Sadism is laced within many for Fleming was a sexual sadist. What is most fascinating about the biography is the chummy relationships within the British ruling class where Fleming would have the homosexual Noel Coward as his best man, rent Goldeneye to Prime Minister Eden after the Suez fiasco and Fleming's wife, Ann, would carry on an affair with Labor Party boss Hugh Gaitskill with Fleming's acceptance.

Lycett gives great insight into Fleming's character and also the world he lived and wrote in. Also, this book gives a great overview of World War II and the Cold War. I highly recommend this book to Bond fans and anyone else who enjoys reading about exciting persons, such as Fleming.

Well, it's odd to write a review for a set of Cliff Notes, but I'll make an exception in this case. People often equate buying Cliff Notes with kids who have to read a book and want to actually get OUT of reading the book. However, I bought Dante's Divine Comedy: The Inferno for leisure reading (actually I like the theological implications that Dante ponders in the writing of his poem) and the Cliff Notes have become quite useful. The Notes start out with a general background of Dante, giving a mini biography of the author. Throughout this sketch they allude to a number of instances in his life which will come into play in his work The Divine Comedy. They then go on with an overall synposis of The Inferno. After that they go into a full-out commentary on the work itself.

I picked up the Cliff Notes at the same time I bought my copy of The Divine Comedy. Why? Well, I didn't want to miss a thing. I read for fun, but I also try with the books I truly enjoy, to read critically. Knowing that the copy of The Inferno was actually a translation from the latin meant that since I cannot read latin, that there would be certain nuances of the language that I may miss out on when reading it in english. Hence, I am relying on the Cliff Notes (which I read AFTER I finish a particular section) to point out these instances to me. I can then go back and re-read the section and gain the deeper insight into the poem itself. Used as a supplement (not as the source itself, which unfortunately happens with many users of Cliff Notes) this has proven to be a nice tool. It is by no means absolutely necessary (my copy of The Inferno comes with its own commentary... I have the Bantam issue of Dante's Divine Comedy) but it is nice to have on hand when there are sections that are a bit 'heavy'. I will not go into the book itself here in this review, since this is the Cliff Notes, but instead I'll tackle that in a review of the book itself. Overall, I think the Cliff Notes are a nice addition, something to have next to the armchair when reading the actual book. The only downside... the Cliff Notes cost almost as much ($4.95) as the book itself ($5.95).

Great help but to much opinion. (lol) Let's just say I read this more than I read the book due to time restraints. This cliff's notes does help and I would recommend to anyone that is having problems understanding Dante's Inferno (a great book also!)

Readers, please note: The two people who gave this negative reviews thought that The Inferno was written in Latin. It wasn't. Clearly, they read neither the Cliff's Note nor the book. Silly to write a review of a book that you know nothing about!

It is very hard to get an interesting book about aircraft accidents without, at the same time, getting "yellow" in the analysis.

Clearly, the author tried to be serious but the final result is precisely what the title says: A lot of final reports...without further analysis. It should have been interesting having a more general analysis (similar to books by Perrow or Reason) instead of being satisfied with the analysis included in every report.

Highly recommend this book for anyone interested in well-publicized airplane crashes during the 90s. Authors recreate the accident using NTSB reports in a concise and gripping manner that made me feel like I was in the cockpit. At the end of each report a list of references and additional reading list is given for readers interested in getting more information. Authors are captains at major airlines and NTSB accident investigators.

Kendall presents here what is basically a common-sense introduction to the use of Strong's Concordance. Look up the word in the Concordance, get the word's number, look it up in the dictionary. Pretty simple, really. Unfortunately, though, he acts as if the root of a word is the same as the definition; this is not quite true. Getting the root does help with a deeper understanding, but it's not the "true" definition of the word. A few of the examples (ref. John 1:1) are also flawed, as he throws in his own explanation (along the lines "but of course that's not what it means because of X"). The coupons in the back are a nice value, though.

If you've never done even the most cursory etymology, this book might be useful for about five minutes. Otherwise, it might not be worth your money.

Robert P. Kendall's book, Getting The Most From Your New Strong's Exhausive Bible Concordance, allows for the beginning bible student to look up words back the the hebrew, greek, and chaldea. This book gives you step-by-step instruction on how to look up words back to its original language. It allows the reader how to understand and how to insert it into the passage they are reading. The book is only 54 pages long, and it goes from easy to hard word translations ( I shouldn't say hard just requires more digging and thought). If you have the desire to learn more from God's word and have recently bought a Strong's Concordance or just thinking about it, then purchase this book. It is short, to the point, and enhances your bible studys. So if you are interest in in depth knowledge of God's word, through the use of Strong's concordance then dig through your change jar and buy this book.

Very few surgical fields demand a complete and comprehensive knowledge of the entire human body. Plastics and reconstructive surgery is right up there when it comes to that. A successful Plastic surgeon incorporates knowledge of Gross anatomy, microscopic anatomy, tissue physiology, physiology of the patient itself and the innate aesthetic sense to recreate from tissue and prosthesis alike.

Grabb and Smith's text offers a comprehensive and engaging review of the essential aspects of Plastic surgery. Each Chapter starts with a review of clinical anatomy and leads on to Clinical aspects of diease. Historically important surgical approaches as well as current techniques are discussed. Disease classification is also described in excellent details through the use of tables.

I do firmly believe that this book is a worthwhile investment of time and money.

When I received the Book with Cd I thought that Cd will contain some interactive materials or MCQ self test kind. To find the CD as exact version of the book makes me wonder whats the idea behind.

My first Waller book was Bridges of Madison County which I read in one sitting. I was hoping Border Music would bring the same depth of character and flowing story line. Instead I found a book running on various time lines and various characters. Instead of these other story lines helping to enlighten the main character Jack Carmine, I just found it all confusing. Out of a 280 page book, I didn't find Waller's theme of "this love isn't going to work out" until about page 200. Sorry, too arduous a journey of reading for me to put my recommendation on it. Go back and read Bridges again.

I found this book in a bargain bin a few years back and finally got around to reading it only recently. Fortunately, I was glad I did, as it was diversely interesting, different from what I expected, too. No big surprises or stunning twists, but a nice flow all the same. Waller has a style of writing that fits the characters in his story; he writes from the angle of a Texas cowboy or other southern rugged, feral type, raw and unrefined.

'Border Music' is the story of untamed love, of romance initiated on a whim. It is the story of Jack Carmine and Linda Lobo, a drifter in a pickup truck and a sexy barroom dancer, who meet by chance, and decide to take a chance with each other. Sometimes a man will simply be a man, a drifter always a drifter as well; love dwindles and fades, and events become uncontrollable; fate takes control. Life gets on in years and the past appears as a dream. We know, ourselves, how much we'd love to try and grasp it and hold onto it just one more time, but always find it gone forever, leaving only faded memories. Country singer, Bobby McGregor, Jack's close friend, eventually realizes that his memories make him smile and reminisce, as he longs for the good ol' days to re-emerge. Uncle Vaughn Rhomer leaves in search of a dream, too, yearning for the experience himself, in search of his nephew also.

Maybe it's Jack who has the right idea, God's freeborn soul, for even though he longs for Linda, his true love, his heart calls on him to constantly wander ... keeping life fresh, free, and unpredictable.

Don't look back, Jack Carmine.

Though a novel for women also, this is a love story for men, which is somewhat rare.
Waller pulled it off nicely.

I read this book before I read Bridges and find it much more inspirational. If you thought Bridges was good, but a little too sappy, you might find Border Music a more adventurous ride. This book is the story of a modern day explorer living his life to the fullest despite the mundane obstacles in today's world. Its the story of the road less traveled. You won't cry while reading Border Music, but you might get a new perspective on life. Bridges might be one of the best all-time romance novels, but if you're looking for a broader look at a great way to lead a life, Border Music is a great choice.

This book was outstanding. Though I don't get into Historical Fiction, it was worth the time to read it. It really shows how much you depend on life and friends when it comes down to a war of blood, hopelessness, and depression! Read on! this book is GOOD!

This book is great if you're looking for a new opinion of All Quit on the Western Front. If you have the read the book for a school assignment but don't want to, don't think this book will get you out of it. This is simply a study guide for the real book.

I have to admit that I read the Cliff Notes after I read the book twice and saw all three movies. However, the notes are still helped with understanding points that were not previously stresses. The notes include:

. Life and Background of the Author

. Genera; Plot summary

. Remarque's Introductory Note

. Critical Commentaries

. Remarque's Style

. Remarque as a Social Critic

. Character Analyses

. Questions for Review