I thought these two books to be excellent. Treasure Island was a book that I wasn't quite sure that I would enjoy, but as I read further into it, I began to crave for more of R. L. Stevenson's works. So I decided to read Kidnapped. I'm part-way through it now. But I never expected them both to take place on boats. Well I new that Treasure Island's setting was mostly on a boat, but the way kidnapped began I never thought it would turn up to be another nautical novel!

Notes are essential for this great russian novel. It will take anybody at least a few hundred pages to reslize who evybody is, with those wierd russian names, but the notes eliminate that. Also since this book is very long you might forget something from the begining or you just might stop reading it for a while, which makes these notes very helpful

Experts do it best! This book has it all: complete list of terms, easy-to-read definitions, interesting examples.At the price, it can't be beat. (I'm telling all my friends to pick up some extra copies as gifts. They're great for high school and college kids.)

Cliffnotes added greater depth to my understanding of I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS; it did so by providing background information not available in the book itself. I enjoyed reading quotes by Maya Angelou regarding her life, the genesis of the idea to write an autobiography, and the process of the writing. The Cliffnotes points out that autobiography has become an important aspect of African American cutlure.

We had to read this novel by Maya Angelou and I thought it was a very good example of the way you should write. She used imagery and descriptives to show you,the reader, how it really was in her life. I LOVED IT !!!

Maya Angelou's written language is alive, and that's refreshing. There is a specific life-view from the standpoint of a black girl growing up, and it is uplifting how she meets her difficulties with confidence. Her humor in many situations made me laugh out loud. Yes, she is a gripping author, and the tidbits of wisdom shine through like rays of sunlight...

Having read "Crime and Punishment" fifteen years ago, I was prepared for Dostoevsky's commentary on the social and materialistic qualities of the Russian middle class of the 19th Century. "The Idiot" has a slower pace but a surprise ending which makes reading it well worth the effort.

The novel begins with three strangers in a train en route to Petersburg. A young man named Prince Myshkin is returning from a Swiss sanatorium where he has been treated for the past few years for some malady similar to epilepsy. He meets a roguish young man named Rogozhin, who has an unhealthy obsession with a beautiful young woman named Nastasya Filippovna, and a nosy government official named Lebedyev, who figures prominently throughout the novel.

Upon arriving in Petersburg, Myshkin acquaints himself with many of the citizens and eventually meets, and is infatuated by, Nastasya. She is pushy, fickle, and impetuous, and bounces from fiance to fiance like a fortune hunter. Her irresistibility and psychological stronghold on the men in her life leads to her downfall.

The basis of the novel is that Myshkin is not bright, has not had much education, and traverses society with a mentality of simplistic innocence. When speaking his opinion, he struggles to articulate himself with Charlie Brown-like stammering and wishy-washiness. For this reason, people consider him an idiot, but he is a good, honest, sympathetic, and gracious person. When he comes into a large inheritance, he is blackmailed by a man who claims to be the illegitimate son of Myshkin's benefactor; but when the man's story is debunked, Myshkin befriends rather than chastises the culprit and his accomplices. Myshkin also falls in love with and becomes betrothed to a giddy girl named Aglaia, who uses his ingenuousness as a foil for her jokes and sarcasm, despite his undying devotion to her.

The novel seems to say that a saintly man, making his way in a society that is concerned with materialism and cutthroat avarice, will be considered a childish idiot for valuing honesty, kindness, and the simple things in life. Like I said, the ending is a shocker and sends a plaintive message, that in a crazy world, a sanatorium is the only place for a saint.

The Idiot is often unfairly compared to Dostoyevsky's other masterpieces and, even though The Idiot usually comes out on the short end of any comparison, it is certainly my favorite. Although the narrative of The Idiot may ramble more than do some of Dostoyevsky's other books, I feel it is ultimately more profound.

At its core, The Idiot is a character/society study although it also encompasses many religious and political aspects as well. The central character, Prince Myshkin, provides the contrast for all the other characters and is definitely a "Christ-like" figure, a man who embodies most perfectly the Christian ideals of selflessness and love.

Prince Myshkin is a man who has suffered from mental illness since childhood. This illness has the curious effect of causing him to respond from his heart rather than from his head. In addition, Myshkin also suffers from a form of epilepsy that causes him to launch into tirades regarding the social ills of the day. As a Christ-like figure, Myshkin is in direct contrast to the other characters in the book who are all worldly and sophisticated, though somewhat cynical, aristocrats. Myshkin's extreme goodness also causes him to become entangled in various political and personal intrigues.

Although completely good, Prince Myshkin in a fully realized character. One of the marvels of this novel is that Dostoyevsky managed to present Myshkin as a serious, rather than a comic, character. His goodness is not something we want to laugh at. There are many comic moments in the book, however, and most of them are provided through various financial and romantic entanglements.

Although Prince Myshkin is the thread that links all the characters and aspects in the novel, he is not the only fully realized character; the others are also extremely well drawn. Dostoyevsky was fond of using real life incidents in his books and his notes tells us this is something he did in creating the characters that populate this book.

Ultimately, The Idiot is a tragic book. Politically, it ridicules the shallow ideals of the Russian aristocracy, and, while Prince Myshkin's ramblings may seem comic, they are actually harsh criticism.

Prince Myshkin was more than "a positively good man." He was a man who could see into the future and know what lay in store. Dostoyevsky's deep insight into the character of man makes The Idiot one of literature's most profound and timeless works.

Most of us have probably heard the phrase, "Why, that was as unreadable as a Russian novel!" Of course, they're probably thinking about Tolstoy's War and Peace. The fact of the matter is this: I was 18 or 19, in AP English, VERY skeptical about these so-called "classics". But then we read Notes from Underground and my view of Russian literature was permanently changed. As a matter of fact, I liked NfU SO much that I read THE IDIOT of my own initiative and--get this--liked it MORE than NfU. Hey, how can you resist a story about a diseased Prince who's coming home to Russia after being in an Asylum? There were just so many quotable and likable passages in this book. My bookmark soon became full with page numbers. Towards the beginning, the Prince and a servant have an interesting conversation concerning one of Dostoyevsky's main interests: Crime and Punishment. That particular scene details a French execution. Quite a while later, Dostoyevsky retells that French execution story and DOES IT BETTER THAN THE FIRST TIME. But the book is not always serious. One of the things that I like about Dostoyevsky is that he has a dark sense of humor. You would too, if you were in debt, epileptic, and were spared from the firing squad AT THE LAST SECOND. I laughed out loud when I got to the part about the Cigar and Poodle. You'll find it in Chapter 9 or so. Also, there's a character named Prince S. Now THAT is a pun. Of course, being a tranlated work, who's to say whether it was intentional or not? Yes, this is a very long book, but I REALLY enjoyed it. Hopefully you'll come to agree.

Jim Dugger has done a great job writing a book for us pragmatic business people who want to write the most appropriate letter in style and structure) for any given situation but don't want to spend hours learning how. I'm an Entrepreneur, work fast paced hours and sometimes take on multiple tasks in my company. This leads me to have to write sales letters, customer relations letters, internal memos, etc. To do this I need to be flexible in my communication with various people and this book helps me do just that. I keep this book handy on my shelf, and so far I haven't been disapointed. It will provide you with two primary things: quick advice for writing letters in professional situations and over two hundred business letter formats for easy reference. The book is organized in such a way that you can easily flip through it, find the type of letter you want to write, and find the best format to follow with a breakdown of each part of the letter and what it's function should be, as well as some general information about that specific type of letter and a visual representation of the letter itself. The over two hundred letters cover almost any type of letter you will have to write as a business person. I would have given the book 4.5 stars if it was possible, but I chose not to give it five stars because I would expect a book on business letters in today's day and age to now include at least some information on e-mail letters, or letters written in the context of e-commerce. I think that if the author came out with an equivalent book for writing e-mails or business letters for people in e-commerce situations, or perhaps made an addition to this book, it would provide important additional resources to the average user given the popularity of new internet technologies. Otherwise the book is excellent, and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants a quick reference and guide to writing business letters!

From sales and goodwill letters to collections letters and those covering employment, this revised and updated fourth edition of Business Letters For Busy People which provides templates and samples which can be quickly adapted to suit virtually any kind of business venture. The accompanying CD-ROM contains the templates for all of the samples in the text, further reducing the time needed to quickly locate and utilize a professional-sounding letter.

Instead of buying a Cliffs Notes version, why not save your money and get an edition of Romeo and Juliet that has good explanatory notes? That way, you get the original language as well as a modern-day translation. In reading Cliffs Notes rather than the actual play, you miss out on Shakespeare's rich use of language (puns, poetry, metaphor, detailed images, neat phrases) in this classic tragedy. I know Elizabethan English takes some getting used to, but please, do yourself a favor and read the real thing.

Romeo and Juliet was very good. No doubt about it. The book kept me reading. These notes are highly recommended to really get the point of the book. This is a romantic comedy about 2 star crossed "down to earth" lovers, whose families are enemies. But, they have a purpose to end their families fued. This book makes you think about life in general because it only takes 2 people from totaly different backgrounds to change the families views on each other. But, you must loose some to gain some. In general, these notes are very easy to understand and comprehend. Don't hesitate to get them. The commentary and notes from the acts are a big help, especially when you have a test over the acts. It cleary helps you to remember the sequence of events in each act and scene. It also gives a great character background on the main characters to see who plays which roles. Another issue of this book recommended is the regular Romeo and Juliet book, to really understand the tone of each character in the book. The tones help you see the comedy and romantic side of each part.

This book was a great one.I love the quotes that people have pulled from it. The "star-crossed lovers" theme is very neat. I never thought I would enjoy Shakespeare but I was wrong. He is a very good writer.I have read this book twice and I plan to read it again. The only thing I wish is that ROmeo and Juliet didn't have to die....but then it would not be the same. Sonevermind.

Our Town is not just a usual play, it's a play in a play! The stage manager leads us through the performance by giving us information about the little village of Grover's Corner and its inhabitants. Even if I found his speeches and monologues a bit too long, I can say that I liked the book as a whole. Reading it gave me new points of view of our life. I would say it's a play dedicated to life. We should appreciate every moment of it and care for our family and friends, that's the message Thornton Wilder wants to give us. I can recommend it to anybody who doesn't stop reading a book if he doesn't find it thrilling after the first few pages! It's one of the books that are getting better and better the longer you keep on reading. So read it!

When I first learned that I would be required to read "Our Town" as a part of a required reading assignment for English class, I didn't think that I was going to like it. As Wilder begins the play, the reader immediately notices that there is almost no action, suspense, characterization, or setting. The play is all about universality -- Wilder's lack of literary elements is actually a subliminal attempt to communicate the play's theme to everyone who reads it. The first act is a narrative of everyday events in a small New Hampshire town; Wilder titles this act "daily life" because it focuses on the monotony of trivial affairs. The second act is called "love and marriage," which discusses the process in which two people fall in love. The final act is based on "death" and it sums up the first two acts by casting them against the fact that everyone will die someday.

The main theme that Wilder tries to convey is that even the most insignificant, unimportant things in life need to be appreciated. The protagonist asks in the final act, "Do human beings ever realize life while they live it? Every, every minute?" The answer, of course, is 'no.' We all tend to rush through life like it is a giant marathon, and all too often, we trample on other people along the way. Also in the final act, the protagonist wishes that she would have been nicer to people while she had the chance; she wishes that she would've let the other characters know how much she loved and appreciated them. In writing this drama, Wilder wants to tell us that we should all live our lives to the fullest; we should take time every day to give thanks for all that we have; we should always tell our friends and family just how much they mean to us -- we can only do these things while we're living, and none of us know exactly how much longer that will be. Reading this play has really given me a "wake up call" and has allowed me to cherish everyday, ordinary things like the beauty of nature. I felt that the play was, in retrospect, brilliantly written, brief, and poignant. I recommend this play to everyone because it teaches a message that we all need to remember -- take time to savor the simple things, because they often carry the greatest rewards.

The "New York Times" review by brooks Atkinson of of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" in 1938 called it "a hauntingly beautiful play." The play is considered a classic portrayal of small-town American life, set in the town of Grover's Corner, New Hampshire. We follow the lives of George Gibbs, a doctor's son, and Emily Webb, the daughter of the newspaper editor, through their courtship, marriage, and Emily's death in childbirth. However, the style of "Our Town" is sometimes considered more striking than the substance because of its lack of props and scenery. The play features a narrator, the Stage Manager, who sits at the side of the unadorned stage and explains the action to the audience.

It is hard to believe that Wilder's nonrealistic stagecraft was a subject of concern to anyone then or now; I would have thought Shakespeare put that concern to rest in the prologue to "Henry V." I would have said Wilder was simply finding a way to make the setting and scenery irrelevant to his story he was trying to tell, although I also suspect he was trying to set up the impact of the end of the play which takes place in the town's graveyard as Emily and the other characters describe the peace of life after death.

Wilder's makes it clear he is trying to convey the simple sanctity of everyday life, a theme that is certainly found in Wilder's novel "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" (1927), which looked at the lives of five persons who died in the collapse of a bridge in Peru in the 18th century. The key exchange comes between Emily, who asks "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?--every, every minute?" "No," the Stage Manager responds, "The saints and poets, maybe--they do some." Obviously that is the lesson Wilder wants to impart to his audiences and the big question today is whether the frantic change in the pace of life we see a century later has made Wilder's point incomprehensible to most American audience.

"Our Town" is an important American drama, not because it was considered innovative or because it won the Pulitzer Prize, but because it represents the last gasp of American lyricism in the 20th century. World War I transmuted the Realists into the Modernists, writers like Hemingway and Steinbeck, whose response to the horrors of modern warfare was to elevate the subjects of literature to loftier grounds. In a world where men die or are maimed for life by poisonous gas, bombs dropped from airplanes, or machine guns, a new significance of meaning needs to be created. By such standards "Our Town" pales in comparison to the works of Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Williams, and Arthur Miller. But if you put Wilder's play in historical and cultural perspective, then I think its greatness remains assured.

Gary Carey's Cliffs Notes for "The Stranger" are almost as long as the existential novel by Albert Camus. Actually, the length of the novel makes it very attractive as a choice for students to read and playing The Cure's song "Killing an Arab" would probably pique their curiosity as well. Carey begins with a short Life of Camus followed by a couple of pages on Camus and the Absurd, both of which provide useful background before you actually read the novel. Unlike most of the little yellow books with the black stripes, the Critical Commentaries section does not distinguish between summary and commentary elements, integrating the two as it goes chapter by chapter through the novel. Carey ends with brief Character Analyses of Meursault, Marie and Raymond. The strength of this volume is Carey's analysis of the novel, which works best if you read the notes right after you have read each chapter. However, Carey does not deal with existentialism as much as I believe is necessary when dealing with the writings of Camus. While many students are happy to deal with notions of the absurd, finding it quite compatable with the post-modern works that are so abundant today, even more like to deal with the themes of existentialism. Unfortunately, there is not much here along those lines, so you will have to look elsewhere for such material.

When my English teacher first issued out the novel to our class, I thought the novel was going to be a very suspendful and interesting book. But it turned out that a lot of my classmates did not like the book as I expected. Personally, I think this book was not that bad as I thought. The character Mersault was a little bit annoying at the beginning when he showed no emotion toward his mama's death. He seemed to care less what others thought of him. The fact that he was an atheist really showed why he had strongly refused to listen to the chaplain at the end of the novel. He was the kind of man that really stuck to his belief of existentialism without being shaky. I was surprised that nature had a big impact on Mersault. In everything he saw around him, colors of nature were always involved. However, it was kind of unfair for him to die at the end because he had killed an Arab which he himself did not want to. According to his answer, the sun forced him to commit a crime. Though, it sounded vague. But we need to know that this man was imprisoned by nature and by his existentialism belief. His physical needs were more important than shedding feeling toward anything. I believe what Mersault said that the sun was the reason why he had killed the Arab. He himself was innocent and shouldn't have died just because he showed no feeling toward his mama's death. That's just stupid and ridiculous.

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