In this fine adaptation of the Catherine Cookson period novel, Robson Green turns in a complex and layered performance as rent collector Rory Connor, a small-time gambler ready to wager larger stakes in more demanding games. His ambition drives him sometimes against his better nature and always against his lower-class background, and he winds up wagering no less a stake than his life in a game that has nothing to do with cards. The production is beautifully cast with solid performances by all players, and if the villains are a little too obviously villainous, and some of the plot developments are a little too easily anticipated, they can be excused as simply embodying the genre. Relationships and ambitions are the heart of this drama, and the changing and yet constant nature of family, friendship, and love has as much to do with the outcome of the story as the relatively predictable elements of the plot. Keep the tissues handy, and consider yourself warned: watching Robson Green, you're gambling with your heart.

This is a book written with empathy and wisdom. It has gifts to give readers who are traveling on the same path. It reminds us that we have the power to transform an experience--whatever the ultimate outcome--and create something of lasting value, in this case, a time of intimacy and true sharing.

This is a wonderful book. I bought it for my husband. And he said it helped him just to see how other people deal with this cancer.

This is a book by and for the partner of someone with cancer. In telling the story of how he and his wife lived together with cancer, and how the experience of dealing together with all the difficulties of her illness brought them closer together, the author comes to the startling discovery that living under the threat of pain and loss actually was like living in the headier times of romantic love. This book is very well written and, although it is the story of sad things, it is not a sad book. I strongly recommend this book for anyone sharing the adversities of cancer with another person.

The BBC English Dictionary is at least the best dictionary I've ever read, but I don't think another could be any better. The definitions are so ingenious that one just cannot believe it, and the examples of how to use the word are not only very matching but often witty and ironic too. It is not political in any way - neither right- nor left-wing - but it features a very good enciclopedic appendix with all important data about countries and their leaders. Altogether an excellent book - and the best on my shelf.

If you're not sure whether you want to buy this book or not, why don't you get down to your local library or mega-bookshop and take a look-see for yourself, instead of reading the blather of dunderheads like those whose reviews disgrace the rest of this page?

Even my friend Paul whom I work with, whom has won piano competitions, and played all over the town,including The Whitney, and knew what it was like to be a virtuoso, and whom after 42 years of playing the piano still has a desire to play, even though now he sells pianos more than he plays, and I who also sell pianos, and know them very, very well, though can't play them as well as Paul, but knows just as well what makes them good, and also what makes a good book, believes this book to be a new book. And what I mean by a new book is that this book has never before been written, except for maybe other books written by the author, but with different characters. That this book is not a sad book, even though it may seem as such, just as my friend Paul is not a sad man even though he may seem as such, and I, who may be the most sad of all, although one may think me to be the least sad when compared to my freind Paul, or even this book, I thought.

thomas bernhard is a genius writer,a master no velist and"the loser" is my choice for the fiction book of the century...

This is a chick flick masquerading as an erotic thriller. A rather sappy love story is the center of the movie and there's very little suspense. The only reedeming feature is Alyssa Milano's performance as Lily. She's really good and I must admit her nude scenes are also very sexy.
The DVD contains no extras. It would have been interesting to have included interviews and behind the scenes.
All in all, a movie for Alyssa Milano fans only.

Forget the sex scenes, Alyssa Milano nude...forget it all. There's more to this movie than that. This is a story about a girl name Lily who never fit in, and she wants to be somebody else & belong. So with Ivy's words and influence from her diary, Lily becomes someone else entirely. The movie shows her blossom from the innocent outsider she was to the sexy, manipulative person she became. You can see her change perfectly on the screen. In the end, Lily's new behavior leads to obsession and maybe even death. The point is, I know alot of teens can relate to not fitting in & trying to change who you are. So what if this movie has sex, it's part of everyday life, and there's no reason it shouldn't be in a movie. It's not that big of a deal. Hey, watch the rated version if you want! This movie wasn't meant to be a serious movie, so if you are looking for a movie with a good plot that's like the movie Fear, rent this or buy it. You will be surprised. If all you do is sit down and watch movies studying every detail and scene, trying to find something wrong with it, this movie is not for you. It's just a great movie with a deep plot, and to me, nobody will take the time to realise that, because they think it's all about sex. It's not. Take a risk! You will be pleasantly surprised!

I guess different people have different expectations of a movie labeled an "erotic thriller". Many people probably watch this movie for the breast shots of Milano, and they won't be disappointed. However, this movie has far more depth than just a showcase for the VERY talented actress and her fine body, it actually has a rather well done plot and a cast of excellent actors as well ! Each character seems to have been perfectly cast for their perspective role, and the story is unpredictable and rather unusual for an erotic thriller. Don't expect the usual tired seductress/broken hearted seductee sleep-a-thon here, this movie actually has plot twists and an interesting story line. I would say that this is the best movie of the 3 movie "Poison Ivy" series, and enthusiastically give it 5 stars.

I initially slogged through this book wondering why we had to go from the backwaters of Mexico to corporate Japan to tell this story. It wasn't until the ending that I appreciated what the author was trying to do. But I still don't know why so much of the book was spent on earlier adventures.

Generally, much of this story is unbelieveable. The main chararcter was initially disabled by a balance problem, but seemed to have dropped it altogeather towards the end. The meeting with the father and subsequent rise to corporate knowledge seems hard to believe from a college drop-out. The whole Japanese corporate servitude seems unbelievable and contrived.

The whole first half of the book, which I think was meant to provide character insight, was unnessesary. It could easily have been provided as background. Though there were references to his early experiences later in the story, they are so few that it seems unnessesary to devote most of the book to these events. This first part actually would make a pretty good book in itself, there are some great characters that could have been developed further.

The second part could have been, and maybe should have been, a different book altogether. It started to go into the territory of corporate cyber-punk aka Bruce Sterling or Neal Stephenson without the futuristic gadgets.

That said, the ending was very good and actually had me reading it over to savor the ironies. It nicely tied up the connections to the myth of Theseus and made the introductory quotes suddenly relevent.

I really enjoyed Dawson's "Body of Knowledge" and was hoping for more of her wonderful characterizations, but I found this effort at plot-based storytelling a little flat.