Readers of this book should be prepared to study. Yeats knowledge of mysticism is deep. He was a member of the Order of the Golden Dawn and had experience in conjuring in the British Museums with Assyrian artifacts. This book is based on a form of astrology, but not of the modern day "what's your sign " superficiality. Again readers must be prepared to do additional study, in the Vedas, the Gita, and Buddhist classics (start with DT Suzuki). This book ranks with Freud for its magnitude . Yeats has not been given the credit he deserves.

A rustic, wonderfully no-frills collection of anecdotes and 'stories-heard' concerning fairy beliefs and fairy doings gathered at the turn of the 20th Century by Lady Gregory (with the assistance of believer William Butler Yeats), Visions & Beliefs In The West Of Ireland will appeal directly to students of folklore, fairylore, anthropology, psychology, and religion. It will also be of interest to the casual reader, who may be surprised to learn how prevalent the belief in fairies was in rural areas of the British Isles, and how seriously this belief was taken; and not five or six hundred years ago, but a hundred years ago. Though far less common today, the fairy faith still thrives around the world, as several articles in the New York Times recently prove.

Charming and colorful without being in the least sentimental, Visions & Beliefs is required reading for anyone seriously interested in the supernatural or Irish cultural history. The fairies described here vary in appearance, but in most cases are more akin to the image of the Christian angel than to the 'flower fairy' or garden gnome of modern popular imagination. Never winged, only sometimes small or short, and often the size of an average man or larger, the beings observed in these recountings (or perceived but unseen "all around us, as thick as the grass," as one man says) steal milk, kidnap babies, haunt roads, wells, and shorelines, prefer human women to act as midwives for their race, and need human participation to play their games and fight their wars.

Who or what is the Fool of the Fort? Why May and June are the most dangerous months of the year? How does one free oneself from enchantment if pixie-led? What happens on May Day's Eve? How one recognizes a fairy doctor? Are babies perceived as changelings in fact sick or deformed children? This volume addresses these questions and a hundred more.

As a vision-based collection of folklore, and of fact as the rural people saw it, this book deserves the highest praise for its purity of style, method, and intention. The more imagination the reader has, the more the book, with its incredible descriptions, will expand in mind and memory.

Dr. Gorski is a great writer and professor of literature! I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about Yeats or broadening their own literary horizons.

Does this mean bonus points for me? *grin*

Terrific insight into W. B. Yeats and Ireland in the 30's. This book is steeped in extensive research by one who has spent a great deal of his own life studying the Poet, the Country and their times.

In reading Yeats , one comes upon so many issues of content and style. Reading this may give you a clue. It is important for stylistic interpretation, thematic analysis, and discussions or how Yeats began his career and the topics he chose. It is refreshing to think of Yeats as an extension of Shelley. Hopefully , our generation may develop writers and philosopers with links to Yeats. This will give you ample time to reflect on the issues. It is not light reading.

". . . a well edited and critically important collection" --The Irish Times

"It will surely be assigned widely as a required text in undergraduate seminars focussed principally on Yeats, and should be essential reading for anyone embarking on a fuller engagement with the poet's cultural and political self-positioning." --Bullan: An Irish Studies Journal

"This volume is a well-conceived and very useful collection of important, even classic, essays on Yeats . . . This is certainly the first source to which one would now direct anyone interested in Yeats and politics." --South Atlantic Review

"Yeats's Political Identities will interest a wide range of readers. . . . The volume invites a graduate course based on its title, with the selected annotated bibliography serving as a list of valuable supplemental readings." ---Irish Literary Supplement

"The emotional quality of these essays is extraordinary: they are emotional in their relation to Yeats, as to a father of great legacy recently bereaved, and they are emotional in their relation to one another, since the quarrel in print is also often a dispute with the professor in the office across the hall." --ELT (English Literature in Transition)

The variety of readers makes Yeats poetry come to life. If you like to chill in the car, this one is for you.

It is impossible to say who of the tremendous artists on this recording does the greatest honor to Yeats' words and intentions. Let us merely say it is the sort of contest which only the listener wins, especially if he or she has even one Emerald Isle gene in his or her make-up.

This is a wonderful collection of poetry. The readers contribute so much emotion to their reading. The listener can hear the music of Ireland in each voice. Every time I listen to this, I hear something new. Some of the poems included are: Stolen Child; The Indian to his Love; The Cloak, the Boat and the Shoes and The Sad Shepherd. This has brought many hours of relaxation and beauty to my evenings. I highly recommend this tape.

Yeats is, quite simply, the greatest master of the English language since Shakespeare. His command, range, and intelligence are remarkable. From his smallest poems to the lengthier ones such as "Under Ben Bulben", he weilds a pen with the mark of the truest artist whose work I have engaged deeply. As wily as Joyce, as visionary as the Romantics, and with a silvery ear for the language that can only be compared with the likes of Donne, Milton and Shakespeare, Yeats is the greatest poet of the 20th Century, to say the least. His influence is broad, and the scope of his work--from effete Romanticism to violent realism--is even broader.

There isn't much question whether Yeats was a great poet, just where on the all time great list he falls. Whether you call him the greatest poet of the 20th century, or the greatest since Wordsworth, Milton or Shakespeare, his accomplishments are clear.

Beyond that, why should anyone buy this edition as opposed to any of the other available? First, the collected poems gives you a sense of his development and interests, not just the highlights of his greates poems. Second, and more importantly, this edition is well-annotated. The notes are thorough without being unduly interpretive--they tell you what an allusion refers to, not how it affects the meaning of the poem. The notes aim to be useful to any reader, regardless of background. As a result, western readers will come across odd sounding notes such as "Jesus Christ is the founder of Christianity" or "Hamlet is the hero of William Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name." Still, you'll be thankful for such prosaic entries as they explain Irish myth and locate historical allusions. All in all, it's an edition that belongs on any poetry lover's shelf.

"Art has, I beleive, always gained in intensity by limitation."

Yeats was the great poet of the 20th century... For what makes Yeats a great poet is how alive he is at every moment, how vital and unpronouncement-like his poetry is.

He tried to write a "dyed and figured mystery" into each of his poems, and he captured the colors and people of life more vividly than any poet since Shakespeare...

It could have been written yesterday - and would have captured our world exactly.

Yeats speaks to each us anew, every time we read him. He knows that the world we live in, no matter what the time and place, is always filled with evil doers who are filled with passionate intensity, and that the world seems about to slip into a chaotic nightmare...

With all the hoopla around "Lord of the Flies" and "Animal Farm" that is presented to children, why not get them started with this younger generation book. A younger rendeition of the aforementioned classics, this is a riveting, fast-packed read.
At the camp of High Pines, a revolution starts by the 'leader' of campers, in hopes of forever change. However, General Frank, the benevolent, fearless leader turns into something far from a utilitarian dictator. The characters are real and will relate well with the younger crowd.
A quick read that is wroth many reads and that will be enjoyed by young and old a like. I think that if you like Harry Potter and his adventures, you will also enjoy Frank and his camping adventure.

I first read this book in 1974 and was very engrossed in it. The characters and the situation were very believable then- I wonder how much so in the early 60s when it was written.

It shows what can happen when we repress people and fail to consider their needs, wants, and aspirations. The revolution never would have happened if the counselors would have made age appropriate activities for all the kids. It never would have gone as far as it did if it had a definite ending.

From my perspective as a teacher and watching Columbine and other similar situations, I'm sorry to say that the nightmare is now here, and what will happen later depends on what we choose to do.

Actually, this book wasn't my first choice. Based on the review I read online, it seemed like a dull infantile account of a child at camp. However, I decided to try it after The Merchant Of Venice bored me to tears. From the first page I was hooked. First of all, I livhe fact that the book is in journal format and it happens to work extraordinarily well for this plotline. Also, the characters are either very clear antagonists or protagonists, so I didn't he to wonder if everything was as it seemed. The author did a great job establishng a simple, clear-cut scenario, witout a great multitude of distractions. However, I found one drawback to this story. I understand the concept of suspension of disbelief, but I d the concpt to be a bit too implausible. If you can overlook this, though, this books for you.

If you are, like me, a huge fan of the William Butler Yeats then you will find yourself slowly accumulating the 'Collected Works' volume by volume and not concern yourself with the cost. You will probably start with this volume, enjoy reading every poem written and feel this is an excellent volume.

If, however, you are looking for a volume to study Yeats or enjoy the best of his verse you may be better served by 'The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats" or "The Yeats Reader: A Portable Compendium of Poetry, Drama and Prose", both edited by Richard J. Finneran and less expensive, more portable paperbacks.

This is a must have book for any Yeats lover, or some one studying William Butler Yeats for a school report or such. The Book has almost everything you can possibley want, tuns of poems. Although I found Volume 4 of the collected Yeats poems the best, because its short, but full, warm and inviting, and has 4 plays. (but i can't find it on amazon to review)

W.B. Yeats is one of the greatest poets of the English language. If you're not sure why, then get this book and find out. It is a staple of any poetry library.