I read this and several other books by John Bellairs as a child and for some reason was thinking of them tonight. I was so excited to look here and see how many others there are that I didn't know about! Great reading and I can't wait to order the rest! This one is so good, as is the mummy, the will, and the crypt, the house with a clock in its walls, and the first one I read, the treasure of alpheas winterbourne

When I was in 7th grade, I read every John Bellairs book that the library had. His modern gothic tales of dark suspense were unlike any other stories to be found, and they captivated me entirely with their mystical charm. Some 14 or 15 years later, the memory of his stories remained so strong in my mind that I recently sought out and read "The Dark Secret of Weatherend" once again. And once again, I was taken under the spell of Bellairs' literary magic, enjoying it as much as I had so long ago.

Every one of his books is excellent. The writing, the intrigue, the dark mood he creates for the reader, are crafted with mastery. They are ideally suited for reading to children, especially since the hero is always a young boy or girl, and are entirely unique in the realm of children's literature. It is that very quality that makes them just as enjoyable for the mature reader. At such a low price, I highly reccommend anyone who enjoys reading to check them out. "Dark Secret" is a perfect place to start.

The only similar comparisons I can make to the stories of Bellairs are the poems and illustrations of Edward Gorey, the films of Tim Burton, and the music of Danny Elfman. If you like one, you'll probably like them all.

then you'll LOVE books by John Bellairs! This man invented mysteries for young readers. Try it, and you won't be able to put it down. The characters are easily to identify with as they seem like ordinary kids, yet they have extraordinary adventures! Bellairs is funny, intelligent and entertaining in his writing. Read it to your kids as a bedtime story, and YOU'LL keep reading it to yourself long after they've nodded off.

This is a terrific reference on accurate rendering
of animals. If you are interesting in techniques
that help you capture the look in the eyes, realistic
fur and that something that makes the picutre come
alive this is a very helpful resource.

I was looking for a book on wild animal paiting and a friend of mine just picked this book from a shelf and said... I think this is like your taste.
After reading from cover to cover in just one night, I was impressed by the way I felt about the book. It has quite a lot of writing on it, but the kind of writing that inspires you to explore, think and feel about art and wild life art. It has hints, but not the kind of "take this for granted because it works". Instead, the book stimulates you to find out what suits you better, never creating rigid parameters.
Well, the overal feeling was that somehow Mr. Aldrich has written a journal about his toughts on art and wildlife art, and that he is kindly sharing his long way trip with the reader.
An awesome book and the one to which I come whenever I need a boost, not only for art pourposes, but also when I need a cheer up in my mood.

Loads of material on creating feathers fur and expressions.
The author covers the practical little details you need to learn
and in several demonstration sequences he puts everything
together. You can see the work "becoming". Very helpful reading
for anyone wanting to make realistic pieces with animal
subjects. I loved the section 'dealing with the blahs' which
addresses the point at which you go stale on a piece your are
working on.

Received this book from a friend who loved it and thought I would also. She was absolutely right. The weird added bonus was that I soon realized that Mr. Delaney was my college creative writing professor over 12 years ago!

This is a review to look at:

From Publisher's Weekly - Publishers Weekly The credible, plainspeaking characters in Delaney's sure-footed first collection of nine stories--priests, drunks, conspiracy theorists, criminals--have taken wrong turns in the past that lend their present lives a sad irony. In "Travels with Mr. Slush," an ex-felon who drives a truck that sells crushed, flavored ice through urban neighborhoods suddenly finds himself the victim of crime when youths steal his car battery on the hottest day of the summer, melting his entire load. Yet the tale closes with a surprising, cautious optimism. In "O Beauty! O Truth!" a boy who ridicules his strict teachers foreshadows his shooting death years later by police officers as he leaves a crime scene. Characters usually find crucial life decisions made for them by forces beyond their control. The 17-year-old narrator of "A Visit to My Uncle" travels to New York to ask his rich, estranged relative for money for medical school; he is nonplused when his uncle (a lawyer) offers to pay his way, but only under manipulative conditions. The standout title story tells of a tormented former priest who suddenly emigrates in middle age from Ireland to America. His new life includes a new vocation as hod carrier and a new name, an act born of panicked necessity after he disposes of the dead body of a possible traitor, a constable in the RIC, in a lake. In the less dramatic pieces, Delaney wisely lets a poignant situation tell its own story. In "The Anchor and Me," a mild-tempered husband is unable to say whether he feels jealous or proud of his anchorwoman spouse's driven, successful life and career; the antihero of "Notes Toward My Absolution" robs convenience stores with an unloaded gun. Delaney's measured pace imparts a grace to his tales, which at their best are reminiscent of Cheever or Updike's grittiest efforts. Few words are wasted in this quietly triumphant collection. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Some of our best writers honed their craft in the belly of newspapers. Ted Delaney numbers among those. I have followed the work of Mr. Delaney since his days as a reporter for the Denver Post and then as a columnist for the newspaper in Colorado Springs. In 1990, he left daily journalism to teach college journalism near his hometown of Fall River, Mass. In the ensuing years, he has had great success in placing his fiction in famous magazines and in small literary quarterlies. Finally, we have them all in one place. One of the things I like most about Mr. Delaney is that his fiction is never about some angst-ridden writer looking for success or meaning. If you were to guess his occupation from his writing, you might guess he was a blue-collar narrator. That's because Mr. Delaney has lived life beyond his belly button, contemplating what it means to be a person, to really live. The son of a medical doctor, Mr. Delaney once dreamed of anthropology as a profession. As a writer, he has become that. He shows us what makes us work; in his work, we see ourselves or someone we know. We have been the places, emotionally, at least, his characters have been. His title story, The Drowning, which was an O'Henry award winner as well as Best Short Story winner, is worth the price of the book. Mr. Delaney is only beginning. Watch for more of this talented writer's work. Read him now so that you can say you knew of him before everyone else. It'll be a boast you'll love to make at your reading club.

I first read this book as a teenager 30 years ago. At the time I was a little overwhelmed by its richness & depth, gleaning only a little of its wisdom. But after three decades of reading it many times over, I've grown enough to truly appreciate the soul-nourishing food for thought to be found in its pages. I've seldom come across an elucidation of Jungian & spiritual thought with such clarity & poetry! Even more than Jung's own work, this book gave me my first understanding of the reality of the Psyche, as well as providing me with a new perception of God & the Sacred which went far beyond the either/or simplicity of Literal vs. Illusion. It helped me to grasp that what goes on inside is just as real as the experience of the exterior universe -- in some ways, perhaps even moreso. And each new reading reveals more layers of understanding for me. Most highly recommended!

This books breaks down biblical and religious stories in such a way to bring enlightenment to any layman seeking understanding. Beautifully written, any student who is studying transpersonal psychology should have this as a reference material in their library.

I am proud to say I read this book in hardbound, probably around 1975 (or when it first came out). I am reading it again after seeing it out in paperback. It opened my eyes 20 years ago when I was just a teen-ager reading the collective works of Jung and it contributes still today. E.F. Edinger and this book have never received the recognition they deserve. This book symbolizes the relation of religion to humankind in such a way as to make the trials of individuals in the Bible come to life in a way that affects every person who must deal with being a conscious being in a complicated universe on a complicated planet. Edinger takes the ego-self axis, inflation and alienation and explains it in religious, but symbolic terms on the way to finding that difficult concept or place of being called individualization. He takes religious themes and explains them in eye opening secular terms, as the story behind the one we missed in the traditional source. I read this book in the past along with Jourard's The Transparent Self, R.D. Laing's The Divided Self, and Alvin Toffler's Future Shock. I thought I was living in a special time with a special future waiting around the corner. Perhaps we have now finally emerged from the intellectual and spiritual desert created in the 1980s. We can't turn back and change history, but we can build on foundations of the past as made possible by people like Dr. Edinger. Great ideas take years to digest. This is a book that helps to launch one on a vast experience and helps one gain a deeper understanding of those great ideas and connects us to other great minds that add to this work in a way steps lead us up. msmck@earthlink.net

I have read every Elric novel. I own 500 kilos of fantasy paperbacks. This book brought me as much joy, inspiration and satisfaction as any book I have ever read. Elric was the first "evil" hero. Every fantasy writer has taken a peice of elric to produce their characters. Drizt Do'urden is a shadow of Elric. Raistlen is almost an exact copy of Elric. Darth vader's sinister life, dependence on technology/sorcery and eventual noble self sacrifice are in mimicry of Elric. In this book so many authors who wanted to write Elric stories, some who had made great fame and fortune copying Moorcock, were given licence to write as they pleased. Every short story in the book is its authors best work because as they write about their own dark heros in their own novels they are thinking about Elric. My highest praise: I want a sequel.. or two... or ten... a series published monthly untill I am old and grey.

Elric, last Prince of Melnibone. Elric makes you feel that your right there with him and drawing the from the dreaded runsword Stormbringer, all his pain,sorrow,grief you feel it all. This pale,weak being could be any of us, and yet it`s his weakness that gives him the strainth to weld such enormus power and to control the uncontrolable. Elric will make you cry, make you feel that you could defeat the Lords of Chaos your self and forever will you bare some of his burden. Your life will never be the same, the way you look at things such as the ocean will change and you`ll catch yourself try to summon the water element himself. For such a being to exist in your mind alone is enough.

Elric of Melnibone' represents a departure from the era of Tarzan and Conan, giving people a dark prince for a protagonist. This book helps put together a group of stories written for the first time by other authors and show how dynamic Michael Moorcock's Elric really is.

A Grandparent's Gift of Love is a beautifully written book about love and is an inspiration to all. This book is for anyone who remembers relationships they have had with grandparents and anyone who wished they knew their grandparents. Once you pick up this book it is difficult to put it down. Immediately you become a part of all the stories and picture them as though you were there. What I especially like about this book is that you can pick it up and read a section and then continue to read another book if you so desire. This is the kind of book you can skip around and read at your leisure although I doubt you will want to put it down once you have begun. I can't wait for Edward Fays' next book.

I met the author, Edward Fays, at one of his book signings and have also seen him on a good morning show in Texas. At his book signing, I was enthralled with his compassion, intensity, and sincerity, as well as his persistence in getting this book published. The book itself is utterly fantastic and I highly recommend it as a gift for yourself or for anyone whom you care about. The only time I put the book down was when I was forced to wipe the tears from my eyes, as I read a myriad of touching, heartwarming, and inspiring stories. The piece on Chester the shinelologist is particularly moving and one that burns in my memory. Bravo! I wish this author the best, and congratulate him and those around him who helped make this book successful - especially his two brothers whom I had the pleasure to meet at his book signing. I am thankful for the opportunity to read this book and share it with my loved ones. I hope to meet Edward Fays again and to read his next work...

This is a book that hooks you right from the very vivid
introduction. The personal trauma encountered by the
author & his fiancee was the motivating force behind the
creation of this unique book. The remarkable diversity
of the stories with a seemingly unending cast
of very real characters brought me to the point where
I could not wait to get to the next tale!

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to people of all ages.

It's welcome recognition of the rich body of American noir writing that the Library of America has decided to gather these novels and include them in it's collection. This volume, along with it's companion, "Crime Novels: American Noir of the '50s", is perhaps the definitive collection of this genre. While this volume is not as strong as the second volume collecting hard boiled writing from the '50s, it more than makes up for it with the inclusion of two seminal novels from the genre: "The Postman Always Rings Twice" and "They Shoot Horses Don't They?" The themes that would be later expanded on by Jim Thompson, Charles Willeford, et al. are here: the uncertainty of reality, the indifference of fate, the allegories on the disfunction of mercantilist capitalism, the femme fatale as deus ex machina, the erosion of moral standards...themes that are that much more relevant today.

It's comforting in a way that these novels, which were considered (and still considered by some) as trash, disposable items of consumption, are collected along with the novels of Melville, James and Hawthorne...."elevated" to high brow lit.

Perhaps the original authors of these masterworks would disagree on the modern critical re-assessment, but to readers like myself, it's just confirmation of something we've known ever since we first discovered them.

The Library of America is a first-class organization. The LOA is consistently reprinting volumes of literary achievement by the most notable authors in American history. They have reprinted everything from political speeches to poetry to historical works. This volume is the first in a two volume set dedicated to American noir stories. The stories in this book were written in the 1930's and 1940's in what seems to be the golden age of the genre.

The first story is from James Cain, and it's a whiz-bang of a tale. I had heard of "The Postman Always Rings Twice" before, mainly in reference to the two film versions of the story. This is one dark read. Adultery and murder never seem to mix, and it sure doesn't here, either. Told in first person narration, a drifter gets himself mixed up with a washed up beauty queen who is tired of her Greek husband. The result is classic noir: a conspiracy to murder the poor schmuck and run off together. As usual, the murder brings about tragic consequences. This story has more twists and turns than you can imagine. The ending is especially atmospheric. This is certainly one of the best stories in the book. I always like to see a story where the blackmailer gets a good beating.

Horace McCoy's "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" is next in line. This is another great tale that was made into a film in the 1960's starring Hanoi Jane Fonda and Gig Young. The movie is soul shattering, with depictions of dehumanization in the neighborhood of "Schindler's List." The story is not quite as good, but it still packs a heck of a punch. The story is set in Depression-era America and depicts the horrors of a dance marathon. These marathons were apparently quite popular during the 1930's, until they were ultimately outlawed. Contestants were required to dance for hundreds of hours with only ten minute breaks every two hours. The couple that lasted the longest won a thousand or so dollars. The public would come and pay admission to watch this sorry spectacle. It's like poking sticks at animals in a cage. This story is loaded with dark depression and sexual innuendo. The conclusion is suitably depressing to merit a noir award.

"Thieves Like Us" was pretty substandard when compared to the other stories in this book. This one really didn't seem to have those noir elements that I like so much. Actually, it's more of a Bonnie and Clyde type story. A penitentiary break leads to a crime spree across Texas. Banks are robbed and cops are killed while the gang lives on the lam. A relationship between Bowie, the main character, and a girl named Keechie really doesn't add much interest to the story. There is some good dialogue and a bit of desolate atmosphere, but not enough to lift this to the level of noir. I don't know why this story is included here. Try and guess how the story ends (the clue is "Bonnie and Clyde"). I hope that Edward Anderson's other stories are better.

Kenneth Fearing's "The Big Clock" is excellent, and brings the level of the book back up to where it should be. Set in a magazine publishing house, this tale is sleek and smart. The story is told in first person narration, but Fearing shifts the narration to various characters in the story. These constantly changing viewpoints turn the story into a roller coaster ride of epic proportions. An editor at the company makes the mistake of sleeping with the boss's woman. When this lady turns up dead at the hands of same boss, all heck breaks loose. This story is riveting and has a great ending that is all suspense. A must read.

William Lindsay Gresham wrote "Nightmare Alley" after some discussions he had with some carnival workers. This story is the longest one in the book and is a decent addition to the volume. Full of unpleasant images of murder, swindle, cynicism and downright perversion, you won't be disappointed when this one comes to an end. A scheming magician decides to take his con to the big time by posing as a Spiritualist minister, and as usual, the end result is tragedy all around. This story is downright depressing, and if you don't feel sorry for Gyp, you have got a problem. I didn't really care too much for the (...) addition of the black Communist towards the end of the book. Gresham had a flirtation with the Redski movement, so this apparent insertion makes some sense in that context. It goes nowhere in the story, however. There are some other holes in the plot but overall this is an entertaining story.

The final tale comes from the sumptuous pen of Cornell Woolrich. "I Married a Dead Man" becomes instantly familiar within a few pages, mostly due to the numerous films that have copped the plot. The writing here is far superior to any of the other stories in the book. I'd say it's far superior to most writing in general. The metaphors are extraordinary. Look for the description of Bill lighting his cigarette in the doorway. Wow! The story centers on a case of mistaken identity with a strong dose of blackmail thrown in for good measure. Of course, there's also a murder. This story is outstanding.

Overall, if you are just starting to read noir, start with these two volumes. It is good to see some of the best noir has to offer, and you will find some of it in these pages. The book clocks in at 990 pages, but it reads really fast. There is also a nice summary concerning the careers of each author at the back of the book. Recommended.

I was surprised at how modern the themes and writing of this compendium were. I read "Thieves Like Us" just when the Texas 7 episode was happening and was amazed at how little the views of crime and punishment, justice and desperation have changed since that writing, especially in Texas where the story takes place.

"They Shoot Horses..." was my favorite of the bunch for it's depiction of deperate people doing desperate things to survive in the form of a Dance Marathon. But are they doing this out of deperation (even the winner of the prize money, after months of physical torment , will end up having made less than a dollar a day)? Or becuase there is nothing else to do? What is futile and what is meaningfull, the story seems to be asking.

"Nightmare Alley" brought the Tyrone Power movie back home, only the ending seems more poignant. The author organzies each chapter along the 22 minor arcana of the Tarot, a device used by later authors like Robert Anton Wilson and Umberto Eco.

"The big clock", filmed at least twice with variations on themes, uses a unique writing style of shifting narratives from the main characters' points of view and has an awfully modern motive for the murder (probably a little too modern for that period).

"The Postman.." and "I Married a Dead Man" story were also very dood. The Noir theme of "Crime Does Not Pay" runs through most of theses stories, but when you read them, you realize that it's not as simple as that. In the end, who really wins and loses and does it matter?

I don't think one can do better for reading the greats of American Literature than through the Library of America seri

A fantasy set during the time of King Edward III, it is a complex tale involving magicians, dragons, goblins, the plague, and court intrigue. The author has invented history only casually related to real history. Overall, it is an interesting story but sometimes drags in long scenes which may seem peripheral to the main plot. Joan, the Fair Maid of Kent, puts in an appearance in a secondary role. It seems unlikely that Edward III would have had an illegitimate half-brother as his father, Edward II, was gay and not known to have mistresses. The real power behind the throne was the Black Prince's younger brother, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (events would eventually lead to the War of the Roses between the Houses of York and Lancaster).

The author oversimplifies the relationship between Joan, the Fair Maid of Kent, and Edward, the Black Prince, by calling them cousins. Joan's father, Edmund, was both a half brother of Edward II and a cousin of Edward II's wife, Isobel of France (who contrary to the motion picture, never had any contact with Wallace). A grand-daughter of Joan and Sir Thomas Holland would marry John Beaufort, a nephew of Edward the Black Prince, and a daughter of that marriage would later marry King James I of Scotland with descent to the present royal family.

I just wanted to let it be known that The Dragon and the Fair Maid of Kent, is not, as stated by Marc Ruby in his Oct. 17 review, the fourth book in Gordon Dickson's Dragon Knight Series.

It is actually the NINTH book in the series. It may only appear to be the fourth due to the fact that Tor only included in the list of previous books those which had been published by Tor. The rest of the series was published by Ace Fantasy, with the exception of the very first book, The Dragon and the George, which was published by Del Rey in 1976.

Essentially, I just didn't want anyone to miss any of the books out of this wonderful series. Happy reading!

By habit I read more than one book at a time. It keeps me from getting bored, and sometimes the odd juxtaposition of ideas gives me something unique for a review. Right now I'm reading a horror story so bad I regret agreeing to review it and a mystery story that makes too great an effort to be literature. It's slow going at best. The third volume is (or rather, was) this, Gordon Dickson's fourth in his dragon series. It took me exactly three days to read this hefty (500+ page) small print book from cover to cover, and I am not a speed reader. The other books just had to wait.

What makes Dickson so good that he has managed to author two major series (the dragon series and the Dorsai series) and innumerable other novels and collections? Personally I would call it superior plot making, intense dedication to details, and yes, heaps of talent. Dickson always takes the necessary time to draw his characters out fully, be they James Eckhart the knight/apprentice mage/sometimes dragon who is the hero of the story or the lowly master carpenter who keeps James in everything from chairs to outhouses. And he goes to know end of trouble to make sure that the reader painlessly acquires enough 14th century lore to make sense out of the goings on.

This volume finds James at Malencontri, his castle, trying to cope with both a plague of Plantagenet nobility and the very real plague which is advancing into James part of England. In addition, Carolinus, James mage master (one of the three AAA+ mages in the world, he'll have you know) is insisting that the King be protected at all costs. The Plantagenets on hand are Prince Edward the Fourth, the king's son and the beautiful Countess Joan, the Fair Maid of Kent. All they want is James assistance in a plot to make Edward the Third fond of Edward the Fourth again. This plot becomes ever more complicated until James finds himself commanded to appear before the King at Tiverton, where Edward III has retired to avoid the plague in London.

While this complexity develops James works overtime to prepare Malencontri against the plague. Since James and his wife Angie are actually visitors from our time who were unexpectedly thrust into the 14th century of an alternate earth, they know something of germs and disease protection. Since magic will not work on diseases, it is this knowledge which it their only hope. In the midst of all this confusion and stress, the EcKharts, their closest friends and Hob (the castle hobgoblin) are off to Tiverton to see the King.

Thanks to Hob, James is able to discover that an evil plot is afoot at Tiverton. Goblins, who are spreading the plague in order to take over the world, have slain the real castle staff and are now running it in disguise. James, due to his commitment to keep the king alive, goes into action. Since this is less that a third of the way into the book, it should be no surprise that Jim manages to use a small handful of men and knights (plus the unstoppable Hob and his buddy the hob of Tiverton) to completely mop up the Goblins and airlift everyone to Malencontri. Unfortunately James comes down with both the plague and magickal exhaustion simultaneously. Does he survive? Of course! Does he spend the rest of the book frantically trying to save Malencontri and the rest of England? You bet, but I will leave the rest of the plot for the reader to discover.

With this, fourth, volume in the series, it is getting a bit harder to simply pick up a volume and follow along. First of all you keep getting the feeling that you have missed several really good books, which you have. Secondly, there is simply too much background after three solid novels to present enough information to the reader. This isn't all bad though, you will get to read several very good fantasy tales. And if you do wind up reading it first, you will still love it enough to come back to read a second time. Highly recommended.

Kim Kinnison is Doc Smith's James Bond. What fun the author must have had putting this one to ink. Wouldn't bond have enjoyed using a negasphere, black hole-like wave of hyperspace, to destroy one bad guy planet? The next bad guy hideout planet squashed like a walnut between two colliding planets. What a gas! Your hero loses both hands and feet but not to worry. Brilliant geneticists discover how to excite the dormant pineal gland. Soon all body parts are regenerated (like a starfish grows new points) and the hero is good as new. Just in time to let him marry his beautiful, red headed nurse. Hollywood, here comes Kim Kinnison!

it is best to read from book one but this book you can read alone

Started looking for these books online (read them all as a kid), and found them here. Bought all six at once, read them all through, *and they're just as good as I remember!*

Buy 'em all, and you'll never look at Star Wars, Star Trek, or any of the rest the same again. This is the original, the real thing.

"Honk!" reminds me of those old Barbara Streisand films, "Funny Girl" and "Funny Lady," where the determined--but klutzy--performer becomes the star of the show. Here Mimi Swan drives her animal friends in the Parisian pond crazy with all her ballet practice. After watching a ballet with the pigeons through the Opera House window where she notices, "They're all pretending to be me," she does everything she can to get in, much to the agitation of the manager.

"Honk!" is a delightful introduction to ballet for youngsters, but be prepared to pronounce the proper French ballet terminology, such as "en pointe" and "demi-plied" (with an accent over the e). And while the title of the ballet is never mentioned, Pamela Duncan Edwards' sense of humor is not wasted on those who recognize it as "Swan Lake!"

I just read this enjoyable title to a class of second-graders in our school library who really enjoyed it.

A good friend of mine lent me a copy of this book to share with my little ballerinas (ages 3-6) during our summer dance camp. I must say, I probably enjoyed reading this story more than my students enjoyed listening to it. (We all loved it!) It is nice to find a book written based upon the ballet "Swan Lake" that children can relate to. Through Mimi, this book teaches with a little practice and persistance you never know what might prevail. Good life lessons that any child can benefit from. A great book!

We got this from the library by accident, and now I am going to buy it. My daughter (4 1/2) and my son (2 1/2) both loved it. Mimi's pluck is great, and her travails are hysterical. A real plus for me was that I was able to use her as an example of the benefits of practicing. (A tough concept for a 4 year old.) When Mimi's perserverence finally gets her onstage, she performs beautifully because she had practiced all of the ballet moves. "Nice shoes dear!" whispers one of the ballerinas.