La Fontaine's fables look good. Where do I get more of La Fontaine's fables in French? (en francais?) greggtho@yahoo.com

Shapiro's verse translations are incredible. The same person who has just done the most faithful and most poetic rendering of Baudelaire has no less flawlessly met the very different demands of La Fontaine, with all the latter's elegance (and, when called for, inelegance) of tone, stylistic devices, phlosophical depth, and playful humor. His translations lose nothing of the originals. One even feels that the spirit and voice of La Fontaine are speaking here. A truly remarkable achievement. Bravo!

It is not clear to me whether Shapiro is more poet, translator or scholar, but he is certainly all three. The range of his colorful lexicon, the beat of his hexameters and pentameters strike me as nothing short of phenomenal, making of him the most worthy of translators of La Fontaine.

Oh tormented people. One may read 'The Seagull' and wonder what's that all those things about death and killing, and failing love stories. So sad! But in Chekov's world this is a comedy, and it doesn't take too much to get why. It is indeed funny in some parts-- well, not the kind of funny we are used to, but nevertheless, it makes us laugh.

The tragicomic play is of paramount importance in modern teather. Rarely has a playwriter written such a realistic piece analyzing the life of an artist and his/her role in the society. In 'The Seagull' Treplieff is a writer wanna be, who is trying to grow over the shadow of her mother --an aging actress--, and to get an actress wanna be to love him. But above all, he has to deal with feeling jelous of Trigorin a youger and successful writer. There aren't many characters, but there is so much going on, personal dilemas, that the story grows to a placeless dimension.

Chekov can write with such a confidence that for not a second you doubt the existence of these people. His words are vivid. More than 100 years later, his play is up to date dealing with issues that are universal and timeless-- that can make you either cry or laugh.

Russian plays aren't for everyone--they are dense, heavy affairs, packed full of ideas and slow moving characters. If you are looking for a fast-paced potboiler with lots of action, etc. then stay away from Chekhov. But if you enjoy reflection and having something to talk about when you finish a book then Checkhov will serve you well--and, most improtantly, if you want to read "The Seagull" this IS the translation to get--Stoppard has done a wonderful job, making this classic even more readable and enjoyable.

"The Seagull," is also about how the constraints of society restrict us from achieving our goals. Constantin is not appreciated by the masses for his "experiemental" writing. Masha (?) feels trapped by her social position and unwanted by Constantin thus marries a schoolteacher who she doesn't love. Although Trigorin achieved success through his mediocre novels, he feels unsatisfied by not creating "real" art and compelled to anihilate anyone who attempts to create real art, such as Constantin. It is interesting to note that Constantin is secretly envious of Trigorin for his success and Trigorin is envious of Constantin for maintaining his integrity in his art. Maybe that's why they're always at each other's throats. Just my two cents.

The Notebook (by far the best of the 3 books) describes the lives of a nameless twins that grow up in a Hungarian border village during the second world war. The are raised by their grandmother, or maybe it is better to say that they grow up despite the presence of their grandmother. The children find ways to survive the war: on the one hand they can be extremely friendly and caring, for example for the girl next door, on the other hand they are 2 extremely awful boys who steal, deceive, betray and even murder whenever they think this is necessary. A beautiful, oppressive book about what war does to children, but also about the capacity of children to survive under extreme conditions.

The Proof describes the life of Lucas, who remains in the Hungarian village after the war. He tries to get a decent life, but every time he seems to have some luck something awful happens which brings him back to square one. At the end of the book a German appears in the village who may or may not be his brother Claus.

The Third Lie consists of 3 parts: one in which Claus describes the search for his brother after his return to the capital. Finally he finds an old, misanthropist poet whose name is also Klaus and who denies to be his brother. In the second part this Klaus describes why he does not want to recognize his brother.

It is fairly difficult to write one review of 3 books, even when these books are a logical sequel of each other. In every new book the perspective changes and the reader is left in doubt. Did this twin brother really exist? Who is Lucas and who is Claus? In the end the common denominator of the three books is the notion that real friendship does not exist, that nobody can be trusted and that every story can be told in different ways, depending on the perspective.

If taken one by one the three parts of this trilogy are good--well written, precise in a terryfying way, emotionally shocking (surely not something to read when in a depressive mood); but if you buy this and read it as one big novel in three parts it's simpy amazing. I can't tell you why, that's part of the fun. The only thing I can say: things aren't exactly what they seem. Outstanding literary achievement by this expatriate Hungarian writer, one of the most facinating literary voices in Central Europe with Thomas Bernhard. A must-read if there ever was one!

I am usually not a big fan of novels. I read them occasionally, in between non-fictions that I prefer, and most of the time end up disappointed. This triology is one of really few novels I was really impressed and loved (another such book was Flowers for Algernon, although quite differen t).The three stories are so finely constructed and intertwined, and make up such a world ... you got to read it.

La Reine Margot was, in my opinion, a pretty good story. There is lots of deception on the part of the Queen de Medicis, one of the more fascinating characters in the story. The book gives a glimpse of France during the Huguenot/Catholic struggle for power. The beginning is slow, but the story is good. I found it difficult (not being familiar with the history) to learn the characters' names. The first chapter is particularly trying, but I pressed on and the book seemed to ease up a LOT and give way to a story of plotted murders, backstabbing, a little superstition/witchcraft, and many close calls. La Reine Margot wasn't nearly as good as The Count of Monte Cristo (if you have not read this, it is definitely a page turner!), but it was a good story that gives a little insight into history while livening it up with Dumas's sword-fighting, heroic style. Notice that I tend to be a little harsh by granting it three stars, but this is only because The Count of Monte Cristo was truly his best work and must be set apart from his others.

This is a Historical novel that takes place in France, in the XVIth century. There's a very very bad black widow -as a matter of fact, black mother as well this is Catherine of Médicis-, a beautiful and amorous young queen married to somebody she does not love but with whom she forms an alliance just in order not to be a widow herself and go to a convent, a romantic heroe, his true friend -who sometimes loves him a little bit too much and a bunch of intriguers. Alexandre Dumas, in his newspaper serial style - this novel was first published that way-, interweave different stories aboiding boring descriptions and getting to the point: quick dialogue, short chapters, attractive characters, and everything to catch you from the first page, which he achieves. It really is a page turner, with several love stories that never goes with marriage and several marriages that never goes with love but with alliances. I have read that some United States reviewers are a bit confused because of the historical part and that's a problem unless you know European History or have a book with comments and notes. If you end the book and want to know what happened afterwards, read British Enciclopedia or something like that, because all characters are historical, even the Romantic hero La Mole and his friend. To those that have seen the 1990s French movie, you have the advantage of imagining the whole story with the beautiful faces of Isabelle Adjani and Vincent Perez, and the great soundtrack and spectacular staging from his director, which reminds of an opera. To those who doesn't I'd say go to your videoclub and try to find it!! It's not a substitute but a perfect complement.

This is a lesser known Dumas novel than, say, the Count of Monte Christo. But it is just as good as the others he did: vivid personalities, attention to detail, and fabulously intricate plots. It tells the story of Margot and her marriage to the King of Navarre, an ambitious Hugenot in constant danger of assassination. With the backdrop of the religious wars, she finds love in a knight that she attempts to cloister from the dangers of court intrigue. It ends in tragedy, hope, and the promise of further adventure.

Based on available historical sources at the time and embellished with Dumas' unique sense of drama, it is a spectacular read, full of danger, sudden developments, and psychological depth. While it may not be as deep as Stendhal's best works, it is absolutely first rate as a historical novel, a genre that Dumas helped to develop. It stimulates the reader's desire to plung more deeply into French history as well.

High recommendation.

When one writes in French or English, one usually tries to match the usage to the medium (to paraphrase the late Marshall McLuhan). Thus, one writes a formal essay differently than one would write an informal memo or an e-mail. "Idiom" books, such as "2001 French and English Idioms: 2001 Idiotismes Français et Anglais" 2nd ed., can help when one is writing not in one's native tongue. Even so, despite such dictionaries or the mass appeal of online language translation applications, one hesitates to venture into idiomatic usage for fear of embarrassment. When speaking in a foreign tongue, "argot" seems to come easier, and any mistakes in usage are often amusing, charming, and forgettable. In speaking French, for example, one finds many colorful and up-to-date expressions in "Merde!" and "Merde Encore!" by Geneviève, or in the "Street French" series. However, most of the idiomatic expressions found in these books would not be appropriate for written communications, other than for online chatting.

Divided into two almost equal parts, "French-English" and "English-French," this thick book is a useful guide for both French and English-speaking writers. Each part contains a foreword, a reviser's note, a preface, an alphabetical listing of the respective idioms, and an index. What is missing from this book, according to the authors, are those expressions which are literally the same in both languages. Thus so, one will not find the following expression: "Don't put all your eggs in the same basket./ Il ne faut pas mettre tous ses oeufs dans le même panier."

At first, the alphaphetical listing of idioms may seem difficult to search. Several times, I have not found a word or phrase that I have needed to translate. However, I do like the illustrative sentences that are part of each entry. Also, the book is truly bilingual. "2001 Idiotismes" is a good reference for writers of French and English who want a book that bridges the gap between a desk size dictionary and a pocket size dictionary that is academic in tone, without slang or vulgarity.

Recommended for high school and college students, general readers, and American travelers in France and French-speaking countries.

The 2001 French and English Idioms is an ambitious work organised alphabetically in both French and English together with indices for easy access, as well as providing clear examples of usage for each idiom. For example, for the idiom "lock, stock and barrel", "They sold everything, lock, stock, and barrel (Ils ont vendu tout le saint-frusquin)." is provided to demonstrate usage. The main problem for the learner is knowing how commonly used an idiom is in either language.

An accurate reference book for French as it is spoken in every day life. Very complete, very accurate and indispensable. Buy it!

This dictionary is not perfect but itis useful especially ESL BEGINNER

We bought this dictionary for general and school use for our kids and it does the job quite well. I Highly recommend it!

I'm a Junior at a 4-year college; since my initial schooling for learning English up to this date, I've relied on the Longman Dictionary Of American English, A Dictionary For Learners Of English. It has been my best guide through the process of learning and using English.

This is a well organized cookbook. I like that it goes through talking about the customs, ingredient, preparation methods, and recipes. Recipes are workable, and many use common ingredients. Some cookbooks of this genre do not offer reipes that you can actually cook. The honey glazed vegetables are good, as are the leeks in white leek sauce. I would highly recommend this book if you enjoy medieval recipes.

I bought this book a few years ago and it was the best cookery book I could have received. Scully uses "Viandier of Talievent", "The Menagier de Paris" and "Du Fait de cuisine" by Chiquart as his sources. As well as giving a little history on the sources he provides a quick lesson on the history of French Cookery and a worthwhile section on ingredients and preparation methods. The recipes in the book are heavily documented (2 or 3 sources) and the reader is provided with the original recipe(usually from Menagier). Then they given a modern easy to follow and adapt for large numbers recipe. This book is a must have for SCA and Medieval Re-enactors who enjoy cooking medievally

Having read two of Dumas' longer novels, I was anxious to read one of his shorter ones.

To keep it shorter, there are fewer characters, and therefore the interaction between them is more frequent and intense. The Black Tulip is also a great glimpse into the world of flowers in Holland. Many have heard of the tulip frenzy. This book gives a glimpse of it and what it drove men to do.

Also, there is the forbidden romance between two that should really have no contact at all between themselves. Dumas weaves their tale, and their emotional stress in a very believable manner.

This is Dumas' most famous novel, and one of his shortest. At 200 or so pages it is a fast read full of intrigue and twists. If you like drama with historical footnotes interwoven, then you will enjoy this book.

EJ

This is my second Dumas novel, the first being "The Count of Monte Cristo". This is another excellent tale. Dumas weaves countless details into his plot. One wonders what significance they have at the time. Near the end of the book, you muse aloud to yourself, "Ah! That's why"! Spellbinding, another must read!

A blend of politics, human psychology, subtle romance, and (both real and fictionalized) history. The beginning of the novel is interesting but a little dense and readers may get discouraged, especially as the sentences are fairly complex. However it gets much easier and flows much quicker when the story picks up with the introduction of Van Baerle and his neighbor. I encourage you to keep reading if you are interested in its following key points:

-- The characters are incredibly believable and have developed personalities that are realistically complex.
-- The depiction of tragedy, justice, despair are noteworthy.
-- The story is rich and flows smoothly.
-- It's an interesting look at the past, especially the politics and the references to the tulip-craze of Europe some hundreds of years ago. Even though it has fictional elements it still feels like you're holding a slice of the past in your hand.
-- I've always hated romances, but the love in this story is carefully drawn with a subtle touch and depicted with realism. Genuinely entertaining.
-- It's depiction of the ways that popular opinion can be swayed and deceived by politics, nationalism, and patriotism is chilling.
-- It simultaneously shows us human nobility and human pettiness.

When I first picked up this book I didn't expect much. When I finished it I realized how much the impression it made lasts with me.

This is a novel without a main character - or, perhaps, many main characters - or, perhaps a symbol, the pyramid, as a main character. The book beginss with Cheops declaring he will not build a pyramid. Convinced by his advisors that the pyramid is a necessary counterbalance to opulance, he then wants the largest pyramid, only to be haunted by the pyramid upon its completion. The building of the pyramid rises and falls in the imagination of the populace in countercycle to the rise and fall of political conspiracy. Conspiracy theories led people to disown and own their tier or block of the pyramid. The pyramid(s) continue to spread their power through grave-robbers and copycats.

Sound like a dull book? It easily could be. But Kadare is such an excellent author that the book is very readable - its moral unmistakable but still providing dramatic tension in the twists and turns of history. Unless you are specifically interested in political novels, this may not be the first Kadare book you should try - it's not necessarily "representative". But it is well worth your time.

I have four Ismail Kadare books, and since the semester just ended, ...[I'm] going to try and read all four of them this summer. Kadare is an Albanian expatriate living in France, and from what I've heard about his books, the overarching theme is either the elevation of Albanian culture or criticism of the Albanian Communist Party. In this book, Kadare takes us back to ancient Egypt during the reign of Cheops, the pharaoh who built one of the Seven Wonders of the World. What we take for granted today as an impressive monument to ...[man's] ability to create, Kadare sees as a different sort of monument. Kadare uses the pyramid of Cheops as an allegory for the dehumanization of political power.

The upper echelons of Egypt become concerned when Cheops decides he does not want to build a pyramid. His advisors tell him that a pyramid is necessary in order to head off potential unrest amongst the populace. When Egypt is prosperous, the advisors explain, the people are not occupied and may start to have dangerous thoughts. A pyramid is a long, involved process that will keep all noses to the grindstone. What follows is a nightmarish vision of power run amok. All of Egypt becomes devoted to the pyramid, with every resource available poured into its construction. Workers die by the thousands cutting the rocks, transporting the stones, and building the pyramid. Thousands more are tortured and murdered for poor workmanship or because of conspiracies that arise during construction. Even the pharaoh starts to go nuts, as the pyramid becomes a reality.

Kadare masterfully details the dangers of power without limits. Arguably, the finest chapter is the one where time itself is reduced to numbered building stones. Workmen no longer think in terms of minutes, hours, or days; they think in terms of the 10,000th stone, and then stone 10,001, followed by stone 10,002. You get the idea. In short, the pyramid turns society and the very idea of nature upside down.

...

This is probably the best book you've never heard of. Of course, if you're reading this review, you have heard of Kadare and you're thinking about reading his work. I'm certainly looking forward to his other efforts, and the guy is still pumping them out so there won't be a shortage of his books anytime soon. Albania tends to get short shrift in the world; they should be very proud of Mr. Kadare. Although this book is quite short, it has a lot of depth. Recommended.

Ismail Kadare takes a historical event of 2,600 years ago, the building of the Pyrmaid of Cheops, and creates an eery and suspense filled novel. There are intrigues and plots, and political purifications. Clearly, the monument is a testament to the human beings who built it, their spirit, creativity, their blood, sweat, and tears. However, is there some grand design, some master plan, something more, might it not represent the infinite, something eternal? Read the book and decide ... It all starts out innocent enough, the High Priest recommends a project, building a pyramid to the Pharoah who at first is opposed to the idea. Then, like any good monarch or president, he appoints a committee to study the matter. The research falls short of expectations. To the disappointment of all, or perhaps, just to this reader, it is discovered, the past pharoahs did not build the pyramids for any grand and glorious reason. They did it just because they were rich, had an overabundance of wealth, which they used up, that's all. At first the public is appalled, another pyramid is to be built, everyone ... everywhere is a buzz with, how much time, effort, and resources will it take? The plans, the building materials, the workmen, the supervisors, even diplomats of foreign countries, all are intrigued with this grand scheme. Eventually the psyche of the country is totally obsessed with nothing but this project. Many years go by, decades go by, as the project continues, and nears completion ... Kadare weaves his plot masterfully, capturing how this huge event affects the people of Egypt from all walks of life, from the peasant, to the merchant, to the highly educated scribes and aristocracy ... the parallels to modern life are astonishing. The building of the pyramid becomes the ruling force in the lives of the people. The novel is highly complex and has great depth. It becomes a psychological thriller that the reader can not put down. Although a short novel, it is packed with unsettling moments that remain with the reader, long after one finishes reading the book. Based on this novel alone, any reader can understand why Ismail Kadare is recommended for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Erika B. (erikab93)

Setting a good mood for reading How to Make Love to a Negro(117 short pgs. 1987, but it seems earlier) included for me; a warm day; a bottle of cheap wine and a friendly understanding and appreciation about how people - guys I know (in their early 20's)- can be offensive and indearing simultaneously. "Things are going terribly wrong these days for a the contientious, professional black pick-up artist." (p17)Follow the men in this story around. Watch girls. love jazz. love books.(Did Freud really invent jazz in Totem and Taboo?) Drink. Talk about things that you don't know about with authority. Talk about what you know (yourself) with authority and pride. I enjoyed this book. The lists, the homage paid in references. young. hopeful.

Funny, witty, honest, philosphical, deep, critical, and daring are some words that descibe "How to make love to a Negro". A friend recommended it to me and I loved it. Basically the book is about two poor Black male Haitian immigrants living in Canada, sleeping with upperclass white women. The investigates the role of race, and class plays in sex. If you throw Black anger and White guilt in a bed, the result is a nueclear explosion, according to the author. If anyone wants to know how some black feel about sleeping with white women, you need to read this book. It's like social psychology mixed with a lot of humor, it's very funny and honest. The two black men are very intelligent and well read,and the main character most likely based on the author is very critical about the judeo-christian "civilized" society he so much wants to enter. I encourage men and women of all races, black, white in particular to read this book. Say what you want about it, but believe me, there are some black men that share the same thoughts as the author. I'd love to hear what a white man has to say after reading this book.

The first thing I have to tell you is that I read the book in its original version (French)and I found it hilariously funny. I think that all Danny Laferrière wanted by telling us the everyday life of Buba and the unnamed character, which is more likely to be him, is to make people react. He is attacking feminism by quoting, with is personal touch, Simonne de Beauvoir. He is laughing at white people by telling that they don't know how to make love to white women. He is poking fun at Negroes, etc. You must read this book the same as the author wrote it, just have fun and accept to laugh at yourself and at our society. One last thing, if you have some African-American friends you will finally understand some of their behaviours!