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E. Charles Vivian, Compiled by Cooper Edens
The exciting and timeless tale about "the prince of thieves" is more beautiful than ever in this special "Classic Illustrated Edition" title. As with the series' previous titles -- "Peter Pan," "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland," "Pinocchio" and "Aesop's Fables" -- "Robin Hood" is illustrated with a virtual best-of variety of color and black-and-white images from a collection of archival sources. There are more than 100 splendid images in all, dating from the 12th to the 20th century and created by artists as diverse as N.C. Wyeth, Howard Pyle, Walter Crane and Honor C. Appleton. The range is considerable, the fine-detail of the works is immensely impressive, the art restoration is impeccable, and each antique image is uniquely charming. The lack of a consistent visual style is initially jarring, but quickly it becomes apparent that this inconsistency is the very source of the book's appeal, particularly for retro fans attracted to ye olde graphics. The text itself remains loyal to E. Charles Vivian's classic version of the story -- with most of the content, spelling and grammar intact from the 1906 edition, making this respectful tribute to an old masterpiece worth its weight in gold marks.
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While journeying through this book, the reader is skillfully led from one poem to the next in anticipation. This skillful direction can be seen in "Declared Love" which concludes:
"We would be married on the morrow,
"No later," she said
And our separate lives would end."
Leading subtly to "In Holy Matrimony"
"The morrow came with the night far away
Expectancy grew for the marriage today,...."
What appeals most to the reader is the depth of emotion evoked in this poetry. The reader cannot avoid becoming emotionally involved in this search for self. This emotional connection is apparent in "Finding Peace":
Would the journey was the goal,
Would the fountain was my soul,
Forever spouting the words of the universal night.
Or "Introspection of a Loner"
I am destroying my own self,
From the inside to the outside,
No man could defeat me,
So to myself I bring demise.
Many references are made to Ralph Waldo Emerson, Roger Waters, Dylan Thomas, Robert Browning and other great poets throughout this work and the influence of these great men is evident in the poetry of Charles Cooper.
Desperate Times is full of diversity in both structure and content. The words and patterns hold the attention and keep the reader focused. In the author's poetry, anxiety and concern over lost love, faith undone, and a search for the soul are balanced with the power of truth and love. It reflects desperate times indeed for this poet, who has expressed his spiritual journey in a well-written, inspirational collection that leaves the reader believing poetry is his life and all of life is poetry.
That said, what caught my attention about Cooper's work was his unique turn of phrase which captures complex ideas and releases them to the reader with an elegant simplicity. For example, in "Every Man Within", the great mystery of Adam and Eve is summed up neatly thus: "The rib that was taken left him empty inside/the emptiness that would only be fulfilled by a bride." All over Desperate Times there are instances where an otherwise-average poem is electrified and elevated by such concise yet universal ideas.
Charles Cooper's is a unique voice in American poetry - by staying true to his influences he creates a new truth all his own. He is one to watch!
Though the poet's mastery of his craft is enhanced by numerous references to great writers of the past, notably Ralph Waldo Emerson, A.E. Housman, and T.S. Eliot, clearly it is Cooper's own poetic gift that carries the day. Often varying his writing style from one poem to another, and even stanza-to-stanza, Cooper makes excellent use of rhythm in a number of offerings, particularly his beatnik-inspired effort, "The Black Bleeding Heart Beats Alone," and provides readers with searing portrayals of the human condition in eloquently rendered poems like "Failure" and "The Wastrel."
It is probably safe to assume that some readers who come to Cooper's book with a built-in faith presupposition will not like every line they read. A few of his jabs at religion are rather irreverent to be sure, although it would be unfair to say his book devalues religious thought entirely. In the end, Desperate Times is a stellar effort for Cooper, a literary work true to its author's vision and triumphant in its poetic craftsmanship.
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From the very first page, it presents important information clearly and concisely. Beginning with examples of autobiographical writing and ending, predictably, with information on research strategies and documentation, it is perfect for a first year composition student whose primary goals is to learn the most effective and evocative techniques for expository writing.
I love the way each segment ends with ideas and strategies to drive home the main topic of that section. Each chapter concludes with an emphasis on the necessary skills of editing and proofreading. While this might seem gratuitous, this repetition is very effective in raising the students' awareness of these issues.
Overall, I found the selected essays engaging, evocative, and thought-provoking. My class is fascinated by the discussion of topics as wide-ranging as early 20th century courtship rituals and reincarnation. I highly recommend this to composition instructors looking for a clear concise text.
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All in all, I would say this is a quick attempt to make a buck, and jump on the NDE-Death-Reincarnation bandwagon. The book only has value if you are looking for a book on NDEs of the blind which cannot be verified thoroughly.
The book consists mostly of reviews of various cases of OBEs and NDEs in the blind, and one of the strongest concerns a woman blinded during surgery who apparently left her body while she was dying on a gurney with a breathing apparatus over her face. She seems to have seen her boyfriend and former husband standing speachless some distance away down the hallway. Seperate interviews with the two me support her story.
I predict more cases like this being made public in this decade. We could use a book on the cases of NDEs occuring during times when the patient's EEG recording was flat.
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Throughout this ultimate Leatherstocking Tale, Cooper provides Natty much to postulate upon. Seemingly desiring a comprehensive finality to the philosophy of Bumppo, Cooper has Natty "speechify" in The Deerslayer more so than in any other book, though the character could hardly be considered laconic in any. Though the reason for this is obvious and expected (it is, after all, Cooper's last book of the series), it still detracts a tad from the pace of the story as Natty picks some highly inappropriate moments within the plot to elaborate his position. And, thus, somewhat incongruently, Cooper is forced to award accumulated wisdom to Bummpo at the beginning of his career rather than have him achieve it through chronological accrual.
All things considered, however, The Deerslayer is not remarkably less fun than any other Leatherstalking Tale and deserves a similar rating. Thus, I award The Deerslayer 4+ stars and the entire Leatherstocking Tales series, one of the better examples of historical fiction of the romantic style, the ultimate rating of 5. It was well worth my time.