I rank this book up there with the Gormenghast series and the Lord of the Rings. A fantasy masterpiece, it is the precursor for everything that came after. Yes, the archaic medieval language is tough to get into at first, but after ten or twenty pages it becomes natural to the mind and presents no problem. One sees that the language is part of the beauty. Overall, this book is like one of those medieval detailed tapestries, with kings, adventurers, knights and noble women trotting through forests toward distant castles. This is medieval romance at its finest, and because it dates from 1898, it is happily free of the Tolkien imitativeness that has so infected a large portion of modern fantasy. Forget Terry Brooks, read The Well At the World's End.

Don't let the dismal fact that this book is twenty-zillionth on the bestseller list discourageth you.... it is well worth orderething.

I first came to this book through the published endorsement (hence, not personal) of the great C.S. Lewis, who made his first reading of the Well in November of 1914. He read it many times thereafter.

In my ONE reading of the two volumes, I can attest to the fact that this is a beautiful story, a rich fantasy, a vibrant fairy-tale with no fairies. Among other things... a love story. Strictly speaking, as regards genre, it is a "romance". The chivalric, bardic story of Ralph of Upmeads, the least likely of the King's four sons, who devotes his life to the quest of the Well at The World's End... a fabled well which promises to reward its discoverer with perpetual youth.

If you are in love with Tolkien's The Lord of The Rings (and who isn't) you should definitely consider having an affair with The Well At The World's End. Let me defuse the daunting issue of Morris's use of archaic language. Be ye warned, in every sentence you will constantly encounter words such as forsooth, hitherward, quoth, whither, rideth, erstwhile, deem, draweth, betwixt, and I wot not else. At first I thought this would be really intolerable. But I quickly adapted to it, and even found it kind of "not vile".

Remember... Volume 2 is essential. It's NOT a sequel, it's a conclusion. Get both volumes, and escape the world of car horns and remote control for a bit.

I applaud this new re-issue of what is definitely a fantasy classic. Previously, one had to search a hundred used-book stores to find it. Now it's a click away.

And as regards it's place on the bestseller list? I am reminded of the wise words of the great Henrik Ibsen, who once suggested that "the solid majority is always wrong."

You've got to wonder why people fall all over themselves in slavish imitation of Lovecraft and his "mythos" and yet nobody seems to have planned any literary adventures in William Morris' world of Upmeads. I've been interested in fantasy literature and its history for a while, and a week ago I finally sat down and read this book. I was expecting it to be better than Lord of the Rings, and it was. I've always preferred Lewis' Narnia to Tolkien's Middle-Earth, and Morris gives me another alternative (albeit the alternative that actually spawned both Narnia AND Middle Earth). Ralph and Ursula make one of the most affectionate, lovable couples to be found in fantasy literature, the physical descriptions of landscapes and clothing and people are all the more gorgeous for their archaic nature, and you even get as an occasional bonus William Morris inserting his pre-Fabian socialist ideas into people's mouths. If people are going to write imitative fantasy novels, they should start with THIS, and not Tolkien or Lovecraft.

It can only be guessed at why this book was out of print in the US until recently. In it, the reader can discover a charming collection of VERY short stories, which flit from whimsical to mythological, humorous to chilling. All are written in Dunsany's incomparable prose, which ranges from arch first-person narrative to stuff that sounds like embellished mythology.

In this you'll find centaurs, sphinxes, master thieves, about-to-retire pirate chiefs, kings trying to move an emotionless queen to tears, a magical window, a pair of feuding idols, and a delightful story called "Miss Cubbidge and the Dragon of Romance." In addition, this new reprint by Wildside Press has a beautiful cover of a young boy on a winged horse.

The stories are a little short -- much shorter than most present-day short fantasy stories -- but they are just amazing. A must-read for immediate suspension of belief.

It can only be guessed at why this book is out of print in the US, though it can be obtained with other Dunsany works from the UK. In it, the reader can discover a charming collection of VERY short stories, which flit from whimsical to mythological, humorous to chilling. All are written in Dunsany's incomparable prose, which ranges from arch first-person narrative to stuff that sounds like embellished mythology.

In this you'll find centaurs, sphinxes, master thieves, about-to-retire pirate chiefs, kings trying to move an emotionless queen to tears, a magical window, a pair of feuding idols, and a delightful story called "Miss Cubbidge and the Dragon of Romance." The stories are a little short -- much shorter than most present-day short fantasy stories -- but they are just amazing. A must-read for immediate suspension of belief.

Three tales of famous thieves are part of this collection. _The Book of Wonder_ consists of 14 of Dunsany's short stories (I've sorted them by title rather than order of appearance); it's in print as I write this, as part of the Fantasy Masterworks edition of _Time and the Gods_.

"The Bride of the Man-Horse" - Shepperalk the centaur headed from the first for the city of Zretazoola, though all the mundane plain lay between.

"Chu-bu and Sheemish" - The idol Chu-bu was worshipped alone in his temple for over a hundred years, until the day the priests brought in the upstart idol Sheemish to be worshipped beside him.

"The Coronation of Mr. Thomas Shap" - When Mr. Shap perceived the beastliness of his occupation as a salesman, he began to venture into the lands of dream and wonder as an escape.

"Distressing Tale of Thangobrind the Jeweller" - Thangobrind, a master thief operating behind a cover as a jeweller, is offered the soul of a Merchant Prince's daughter in exchange for stealing a diamond from the temple of Hlo-Hlo...

"The Hoard of the Gibbelins" - The Gibbelins maintain their hoard only to attract a continual supply of food...humans...

"The House of the Sphinx" - A visitor chances to come to the House of the Sphinx after a mighty deed has been done, and her servants are in a panic...

"How Nuth Would Have Practiced His Art Upon the Gnoles" - Nuth the incomparable is a master thief. "It may be urged against my use of the word incomparable that in the burglary business the name of Slith stands paramount and alone; and of this I am not ignorant; but Slith is a classic, and lived long ago, and knew nothing at all of modern competition..."

"How One Came, as Was Foretold, to the City of Never" - "Time had been there, but not to work destruction...by I know not what bribe averted." But not even that Ultimate City is perfect.

"The Injudicious Prayers of Pombo the Idolater" - It is unwise to pray to one idol, only to become impatient and ask another idol to curse the first one; it's against their etiquette....

"The Loot of Bombasharna" - The seas are becoming too hot to hold Captain Shard and the crew of the pirate ship _Desperate Lark_. The sacking of Bombasharna is to be their last hurrah before retirement...

"Miss Cubbidge and the Dragon of Romance" - If princesses are in short supply, sometimes a dragon might have to kidnap the daughter of a member of Parliament.

"Probable Adventure of Three Literary Men" - "When the nomads came to El Lola they had no more songs, and the question of stealing the golden box arose in all its magnitude." The legendary thief Slith, along with two assistants because of the weight of the box of poems, are chosen to make the attempt.

"The Quest of the Queen's Tears" - Sylvia, Queen of the Woods, cannot love any of her suitors, but as a compromise, will consent to marry the first man who can move her to tears.

"The Wonderful Window" - The mysterious window was being offered for sale in the streets of London, and its price is all you possess.

Once I saw this book ¡¥The Littles Go Exploring¡¦,
written by John Peterson,the natural colour and the beautiful picture of the cover attract me to choose this book.
The story was said about some tiny people who went exploring to find an old man called Grandpa Little.He was a smart man who was the first little to understand electricity and had made the trip to explore the place,but unfortunately he is unsuccessful and lost his way.
After I read it,I think the most interesting part was the part about the Littles family found Grandpa Little.they tries to solve all theproblems when they went exploring.
I think the main character Tom and Lucy were the cleverest and bravest children in the family.They told their parents immediately when they discovered the secret room and they discuss with them.It shows that they were cooperative with the family members.Also,when UncleNick said that he needed two volunteers to go along,Tom answered that he could go very quickly.he didn¡¦t mind to lose his life tio find Grandpa Little.And Lucy,she was curious about everything and had her own decisions.Although she was very little,she provided a lot of opinions about the plan to find Grandpa Little.It shows that she was a wise girl and did all the things sensibly.
I really enjoy this book because of two reasons.First of all,I think the story is very interesting,it made me easily to put in it.Also,it is very meaningful,because it can tell us a lot of things about our life.I hope I can make myself clever,brave,confidentand mature like Tom and Lucy.I think this book is suitable for everyone,so I think you shouldn¡¦t miss it!

I think this is a good book because it keeps you interested. This is probably the best book I ever read. Let me tell you what the book is about. The story is about old Grandpa Little who everyone thinks is dead except Granny Little until Tom and Lucy find a secret room with Grandpa Little's journal. And then the Littles go exploing to find out that Grandpa Little is not dead. This is a good book for any age and so are all The Littles books. If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would.

This book is great for beginning readers- not people who have been following him since 1997. Also, 2-3 chapters have nothing to do with him, just the BSB. Then again what AC book doesn't name the BSB, but 3 chapters is over-kill. This book has the basics and then somefun stuff like astrology and numerology and stuff like that. It has 8 pictures whihc are probably the highlight of the book. I enjoyed reading it but I already knew everything in there. If youdecide the pics are worth it, get it, but if you want to read something new pick up Aaron Carter: Little Prince Of Pop by jis mom/manager Jane Carter.

This book is about one of the most hottest young singers of our century. Of course this is must-have for all of his fans (like any information about him). And for sure for everyone who want to know about how Aaron in his young age - now with all his success. He made it with hard work all the way, not just luck. So, what else - buy this book without a doubt.

In life Amon G Carter was all for getting the American plane industry off the ground. In fact, he flew the first airplane to Ft Worth, Texas, in 1911. With his death, in 1955, he hoped to open up the arts to all. So, by his will, a museum was set up to house as many works as possible by Frederic Remington and Charles M Russell.

His museum more than meets that goal. Its catalogue shows it to be the place to go for the art of both American frontier artists. For example, the museum has A dash for the timber. This oil on canvas made Remington a major painter, in 1889. The museum also has The fall of the cowboy. Two cowboys with their horses about to pass through gate rails, under a gray sky, in a wintry landscape, are painted so close in tones that you know a way of life's in its twilight years. Also, the museum has The outlaw. The bronze freezes in time the realistic folds in the rider's hat and his shifting weight against his pitching horse.

The catalogue also shows the museum to be the place to go for American drawings, paintings, photographs, prints, sculptures and watercolors. The staff sees as landmark additions American Indian symbols by painter Marsden Hartley and Barber shop, Bass rocks #2, Blips and ifs, Chinatown, and Egg beater #2 by lithographer and painter Stuart Davis. John Singer Sargent's portrait of Alice Vanderbilt Shepard, too, is seen as a catch. It contrasts the girl's carefully worked face with the thinly painted rest. Who can forget the brilliant white with blue and pink in her jacket and folds of her blouse?

Pride of ownership also goes out to sculptures by Alexander Calder and David Smith. There's Lunar landscape by Louise Nevelson, on painted wood. It goes out also to photographs. In fact, the museum's photography collection now swells at over 250,000 objects. For example, there's Berthoud by Robert Adams. There's Great gallery, Horseshoe Canyon, Utah, by Linda Connor. There's Music - a sequence of 10 cloud photographs by Alfred Stieglitz.

There are even daguerreotypes by Josiah Hawes and Albert Southworth. Two women posed with a chair has quite a range of clear tones, because of an extra layer of silver having been electroplated to copper plate. The smallest detail in their lace collars is caught. The light from the ceiling skylight also catches both women, in a Rembrandt-like highlighting.

Patricia Junker et al have come up with nicely arranged illustrations and clearly thought out write-ups for each item in the exhibition. AN AMERICAN COLLECTION's a keeper. It works well, too, with Junker's JOHN STEUART CURRY: INVENTING THE MIDDLE WEST and WINSLOW HOMER: ARTIST AND ANGLER.

One of the best comprehensive histories of the Roman civil wars. Contains almost everything you want to know and more. A must for any Roman history fan or buff.

This is the nearest thing you'll ever get to an idiot's guide to corpus linguistics. It is a collection of papers which discusses everything it says on the label - corpus, concordance, collocation, and more. Corpora are now very much part of mainstream linguistics; this book opens the door to the 'uninitiated', explaining the fundamentals in the lucid prose that characterises all of Sinclair's writing. Although there have been many advances in the field since this book was first published (nearly a decade ago), the basic principles remain the same. If you've heard of corpus linguistics, but don't know what it is, then this is the book for you.

A wonderful ananlysis of a much-neglected topic.

This is the only book I needed to start my small micro lab. It is complete and easy to follow. This is an excellent choice if you are a veterinarian (especially large animal) and want the basics of culturing, media prep, and diagnostic techniques. A must in every clinic!

Princess of Mars is a fantastic, wild ride. I think everyone makes a mistake though of saying it's just a guys book. I'm a woman, and it was my mother who recommended Princess to me! I think any girl who's interested in science fiction or fantasy would really enjoy this book. Yeah, it was obviously written with adolescent boys in mind but I think anyone can enjoy this wildly imaginative page turner.

The characters are all extremely likable. John Carter is the perfect southern gentleman. Honorable, loyal, incredibly brave, respectful to women, extremely handsome; a perfect hero who is never boorish or conceited. Then there's Sola, one of the few green Martians to show compassion and kindness, and Tars Tarkas(aren't these names so cool?)a ferocious green martian warrior with a tragic past who is also able to feel compassion and love. And I dare anybody to tell me that they wouldn't want a Woola of their very own! Dejah Thoris though is mainly for the guys. Carter's love and devotion for her was really sweet. I didn't even know that this was part of a book series until I read it on amazon and now I am really eager to read the other books of the series. And wasn't the end cool? I don't think I've ever read an ending quite like that before. What Carter found in the cave at the end was very creepy and intriguing. (I won't give out a spoiler)

Although this is pulp fiction and sort of like a comic book in a way,(I can see mothers in 1912 scolding their kids, "That Edgar Rice Burroughs is going to rot your mind if you keep reading it!") it's still light science fiction at it's best! (I'll warn you right off though, please don't expect something deep and complex like Dune or Darkover and post a review whining about it. Princess is purely for fun.) And am I the only one that thinks Princess would make a really awesome movie?

You want imagination?..adventure?..a few dabs of science(remember it was written in 1912)?..an ageless hero?..an absolutely beautiful damsel in distress?..a whole new world?..with a language all it's own?..inhabited with strange new creatures?.. friends and foes?..battles royal?..This book, and all 10 or 11 sequels, have it all! ER Burroughs was the early master of science fiction, adventure, and imagination; a man ahead of his time, and he gives the reader a roller-coaster ride of incredible adventures. Join with us now as John Carter meets, rescues,and captures the heart of the INCOMPARABLE Dejah Thoris, Princess of Mars!, and eventually, along with his friend Tars Tarkas, follows suit with the entire red planet, Barsoom to its wild and whacky inhabitants.

Is this intellectual literature?..of course not. Is it non-stop fun and enjoyment, the original page-turner novel?...You bet it is! Pick this book up, start reading, and I guarantee: you won't put it down until you're finished!..and then you'll run out the door and be hunting for the 2nd book in the series, The Gods of Mars, and then # 3, The Warlord of Mars, and on through the series. Be warned: make sure you have access to #'s 2 and 3 before you start The Princess...you'll be sorry if you don't!

I first read the Burroughs Martian novels(there were 10 known to me then) as a graduate student studying Physics, some 40 years ago. They provided the perfect escape from the rigors of courses like Quantum Mechanics and E & M. Now I reread them,and I continue to enjoy. You will too.

John Carter, Dejah Thoris, Tars Tarkas, they are all here! This is the totally unbelievable story of a man who got transported to Mars basically, because he thought it would be cool to go, so he wished it, and POOF, he's there. Then, there's the fact that the planet itself and the life on it are also completely ridiculous. FORGET ALL THAT! Read it to be swept up in one of the greatest adventure series of all time. John Carter goes to Barsoom (Mars, to the Martians) rescues the most beautiful woman in the universe and (later in the series) conquers an entire world through the power of his will and the strength of his right arm. Handsome, powerful heroes, beautiful half naked captive princesses just panting to be rescued, Villians, so evil you want to go back in time to strangle their parents, Big ugly friends, (What are you laughing at, remember Chewbacca?) strange beasts, stranger aliens, wierd science, epic battles, betrayals, great reunions. This one's got it all. The best of Burroughs' body of work, the most action packed series from the true master of the action story. Edgar Rice Burroughs is the creator of Tarzan. Don't ever pick up his work expecting an intellectual workout. Just get in and hang on for the ride