My sister, the unstoppable Codemaster Talon, gave this book to read as part of our literary exchange program (she gives me books to read, and I give her books to read). When I first glanced at this book, I thought it would be an easy read (it's just over 200 pages). Then, when I started reading it, I found myself stumbling over some of the old-fashioned English phrases. I asked her when it was written. "The 70s." she said. "The 1970s?" I asked? "No, the 1870s", she joked. I honestly wasn't sure which one was the real date when until she told me. Yes, this book is indeed authentic in it's language. But for me it was hard. My sister told me to stick with it. Boy am I glad I did.

The story starts out with the giant Black Jack being executed, and then procedes to tell the story of a poor good-natured youngster who finds himself in this terrifying scoundral's strange company. The strange thing is that for some reason, this terrible man finds that he likes the young lad, and won't let him go.

When the boy finds himself suddenly and strangely abandoned by the giant after starting (and ending) his search for an escaped lunatic young girl, he folows the road till he finds (and joins) a traveling carnival. The that's where our story begins.

As Black Jack struggles with his fear of lunatics (can you believe it?) and growing admiration for his young friend, Tolly (the young fellow) gains maturity and learns about life as he helps the poor lunatic (her name's Belle) regain her sanity. It's really engaging, because all the characters are so very HUMAN, and as Tolly continually tries to help the girl while at the same time keeping her from getting to close (she loves him you know) he starts to find that he cares for her too.

When Belle becomes convinced that she really is insane and has herself commited, and Tolly can't get the people imprisoning her to let him see her (despite his growing love for her), and Black Jack won't let anything get in the way of his friend's happiness... Well, let's just say it makes for one of the greatest climaxes I've ever seen in a book (especially when you consider the world is ending at the same time).

What really addicted me to this book was one thing. Love. When I read the passages about how Tolly and Belle found their feelings for each other grow, it gave me a simply wonderful feeling. The author of this book has managed to perfectly describe the feeling of being in love. I haven't felt this way while reading a book in a long time. This feeling the book gave me grew stronger and stronger as it progressed, but the very, very end made it shoot to the sky. Because what Belle kept describing in her wild rants of insanity turned out not to be mere dreams after all, but visions of a future more wonderful than she could have imagined.

If anything I have said connected with you in any way, READ THIS BOOK.

Leon Garfield is one of the best writers for older children ever; no, make that for anyone! His gorgeous language, fabulous, gripping plots, vivid characters and Shakespearean understanding of humanity put him in the very top class of that golden age of children's books of the 60s and 70's--and some of the best of today's golden age, such as Philip Pullman, cite him as an importantinfluence. Back Jack is one of his best books, a wild, terrifying, exciting, romantic and mysterious adventure story that left me reeling as a kid, and still thrills me to bits! Don't miss it!

The wonderful Leon Garfield spent the 1970's writing wildly inventive litaterature for children, and "Black Jack" is his masterpiece. Funny, frightening, and ultimately a deeply touching love story, this terrific little novel is perfect for young adults or intelligent pre-teens.

The plot, such as it can be described, concerns a young boy named Tolly who inadvertently revives a notorious murderer who has just been hanged in the village gallows. The criminal, a fearsome giant nick-named Black Jack, promptly coerces Tolly into a life of crime, very much against the will of the decently noble young man.

Thereafter the novel builds steam as Jack and Tolly meet up with an escaped asylum inmate, join a carinval troupe, encounter various eccentrics and villians and finally witness the end of the world (well, sort off). The final thunder-bolt of an ending is almost unbearingly suspenseful and leaves the reader breathless.

As always, the fun of Garfield's writing is his ability to stack surprise after surprise without loosing credibilty. Despite the crazy goings-on , Garfield always makes his characters seem like real people and their development over the course of the book is complex and moving. If you enjoy intriguing stories with superb dialogue and wild plot twists, don't hesitate to buy "Black Jack". If you like this novel I also recommend Garfield's "The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris" (which introduces one of his finest literary creations, best friends Bostock and Harris) and "John Diamond".

Every serious reader (and especially writers!) owe it to themselves to discover the genius of Leon Garfield, and "Black Jack" is a great place to start.

These are stunningly well told versions of the plays.

They give not only the story, but a wonderful sense of the theatrical - you read and enjoy a visual sensation as well as the speech of Shakespeare (all the words 'spoken' are taken directly from Shakespeare's scripts).

Romeo and Juliet, for example, sweats in the heat of Verona. There is a fantastic image of wasps fighting! You go directly into the story - and moral considerations are there.

The pictures support the text well- giving yet another dimension to the book.

Forget Lamb!

I've used these stories in the classroom for many years now - partly because young people (11 through to much older!) relate to them -but also because I really enjoy re-reading them.

(There is a whole set of Abridged Shakspeare by Garfield too - and wonderful Animations done with Russian animators!)

When I took my long service leave, I bought Garfield's books of Shakespeare's Stories (both volumes) and I hired videos of Shakespeare's plays. Working with these and the texts of the plays, I gave myself a course in Shakespeare's plays. It was one of the highlights of my life.

I had supposed the Laurence Olivier was some pompous old fart with a plum in his mouth. He is ELECTRIC. His Hamlet is a study in depression. His voice in "To be or not to be" is scarcely audible but carries so much emotion.

In all, I watched 22 different plays - my favourites, Richard 11 and Hamlet, in several different versions. I followed the BBC series which uses the same actors from one play to the next so that the Duke of Gloucester in one play is played by the same actor who later becomes Richard 11 in the next play.

Leon Garfield's story-telling with its light touch of irony and its perfect choice of words opened a door that I had assumed was marked "Other people only". Garfield wrote marvellous children's book and I've read them all but these books are the best of his achievements and they've made a big difference to my life.

Excellent choice for English teachers who want to review Shakespeare's classics with students. I have also used this with my middle school students to introduce them to Shakespeare. The stories are written in clear language so that students will be able to understand the wonderful stories of the bard without being intimidated by Shakespearean language A must for all English teachers!

Two boys set out with baby Adelaide, to see if a wolf will adopt her so they might become "famous". Their plan turns into a huge adventure, when Adelaide is taken all the way to the poorhouse. I like the book especially because of the "love".Their is love between the school teacher,Brett,and the beautiful lady Tizzy.I love romance,and adventure. There is also some violence in the story, but not much.It is a very enchanting 16th century book. I recommend it to all who like romance, adventure, and action.

Oh how I wish someone had told me about Leon Garfield when I was a child! I would have just eaten these books right up. Garfield writes beautifully and wittily, with well drawn, likable characters and intelligent dialogue. But his plots! Dear lord, the plots. "The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris" features the classic Garfield plot structure of beginning with about a dozen characters, sending half in one direction and the other half the opposite way to gradually form a giant circle. Way leads unto zany way as the people in his decidedly eccentric world try desperately to stave off their respective fates, to no avail. The good guy gets the girl, the bad guys end up confused, and Bostock and Harris go on to "Night of the Comet", (which if memory serves is actually a prequel, but never mind). If you have never read one of Leon Garfield's loopy tales, please do so immediately. You won't regret it. And if you like "The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris" you absolutely MUST read "Black Jack", Garfield's masterwork. Murderers, con-men, insane asylums, the end of the world- it's not be to missed.

This is a book by a well-known writer of novels for young adults, but it isn't really a book for children.

It's a comic tale of two troublesome boys, Bostock and Harris, from Dr Bunion's Academy in England in the early 1800s, who decide as an experiment to leave Harris's baby sister, the young Adelaide of the title, exposed to the elements just like the babies of ancient Sparta were (this is just the kind of thing kids pick up from history lessons). They expect a she-wolf to come along to suckle her, but instead .....

The book features a wonderful cast of funny characters, my favourites being the scheming and devious Major Alexander, who can't look anyone in the eye, and the awful enquiry agent, Mr Selwyn Raven, who sees a spider web of sin in the world and notes it all down on ever-increasing bits of paper.

There is adventure, romance, and some very funny happenings in a delighfully told tale that will have you smiling your way through. Very highly recommended for all readers.

I remember reading this book to my much younger brother, he absolutely loved it and would check it out of the library at every opportunity. It is truly a wonderful children's book, and I am amazed that it is out of print. If you get the opportunity to read it, do so! Your children will love it, and so will you.

I can't believe this book is out-of-print! It has all the right ingredients for a really lovely Christmas story: orphans, a dog, and a wonderful ending. I had to make a decided effort to obtain this book, but my search was well-rewarded. However, my desire to purchase it as a special Christmas gift for three children who love Leon Garfield's other work will not be satisfied...'tis unluckily out-of-print! Very un-fair!

This is probably one of the best books I've ever read. Novels. It's very simple, from the speech to the layout, but it's dealt with so beautifully that even the macabre side isn't disturbing.

Set in the sometimes-seamy underworld of the 18th century, it starts with an odd-job boy who becomes apprenticed to a lamplighter after doing the man a favour. Then, as the year goes by, it's woven in with the tales of eleven other apprentices. From the undertaker's daughter on Valentine's Day to the wig maker's assistant charming girls for their hair, there are tales of love, either lost or won, of misery, or just the joy of being alive.

Like, when I like a book, it's hard to write about it lucidly, but please believe me -it's wonderful.

This book have many of the greatest stories gathered from old Grece, storise about Olympien. the text floats straight al the time, even not so good readers can really get stuck of this book as for good readers. This book's perfect for everyones reading.From the first page to the last.

This is a exciting tail of a young boy named Willium hows father had told him a deep and dark secrate on his death bed. Willium runs away from home to set his fathers wrongs write. Once again a griping tail by Leon Garfeild. You will not be abel to put it down.

An apothecary|s apprentice thinks he is ill treated and decides to punish his master. Things go terribly wrong and amazingly he gets a chance to put things back together again. It all happens over new years eve and the apprentice learns a lifelong lesson.

This is certainly one of Shakespeare's greatest works. Every individual character has been perfectly planned before the play was written, and each has his/her own unique characteristics. The plot is well-known, but Shakespeare adds the themes of betrayal, love, and distrust into the mix, making it a nonforgetable story. This is definately a masterpiece to be reread over and over again. LONG LIVE JULIUS CAESAR! GO SM!! WE ARE HIS #1 FANS!!!

This superb play by Shakespeare somehow reminded me of Antigona, the first play which directly examined the always complex interplay and usual confrontation between political reason and moral reason. This play is an excellent account of the immediately previous and subsequent days of Julius Caesar's assasination by Brutus, his best friend, and other conspirators. Brutus is persuaded by the resentful Cassius that Caesar has betrayed Rome by abandoning the Republic and turning to Dictatorship. Brutus gets to be convinced that, in order to save the Republic, Caesar must be killed. This puts him in a great dilemma, for he loves Caesar and he's his closest friend. Here we see in an acute form the way in which political power gets in conflict with morality and feelings. Friendship, power and betrayal are the basic subjects of this excellent piece of work.

"Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once." - Caesar

Just one of the many brilliant quotes from this powerful and enduring tragedy, which happens to be amongst my very favorite Shakespeare. How could anyone not enjoy Marc Antony swaying the weak-minded and feeble-minded plebians with his vibrant and rousing speech? Julius Caesar is unquestionably quintessential Shakespeare, a monumental work that perhaps is surpassed only by Hamlet and rivaled by Othello, Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, & King Lear.

Julius Caesar teaches us about the dangers and pitfalls of ambition, jealousy, power, as well as the sacrifice for the greater good - even if it is another's life. Amongst the bood-thirsty traiotors, only Brutus genuinely believes in the assassination of Caesar for the greater good of the Republic. Julius Caesar galvanizes the brain and awakens the spirit from within with scenes such as when Marc Antony proclaims, "Cry Havoc and let slip the dogs of war."
Countless amounts of quotes and passages throughout the play rank among my favorite Shakespeare. Needless to say, this book should be on the bookshelf of any and all with any semblance of intellect and enough cultivation to appreciate such superb literature.

The modern perspective following the text enlightens and should be read by anyone seeking more knowledge about this amazing tragedy and time in history. An irrepressible 5 stars.

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's more gloomy plays. It is downright grim. It starts grim and only gets blacker... ...It is one of Shakespeare's better plays

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's more ambiguous main characters. Motivation is always a big question with him. Sure, he is hungry for power. Yet he also needs prodding from several quarters to take most of his actions.

Lady Macbeth is really no different. She comes off as eager for evil early on, but is utterly shocked by its repercussions. Her attempt to go against nature leaves her absolutely unhinged and thirsting after guidance--only to find despair. In this regard, Shakespeare anticipates the psychology of Dostoevsky.

Macbeth is also one of Shakespeare's most supernatural plays. Regardless of whether one wants to debate the reality of Banquo's ghost, there are forces at work in Macbeth that are often unseen, but which drive the plot. The witches and all the unnaturalness come up against the forces of nature (the trees) and the divinely appointed King.

The most remarkable thing about this play is, for me at least, that it becomes a true tragedy only in its last moments. Only when all the stuff has hit the fan, and he has realized his doom is eminent, does Macbeth show the courage and nobility of a true tragic hero.

Macbeth is a great place to start if you are new to Shakespeare. It is a fun place to return if you're not.

"Macbeth" is one of Shakespeare's most powerful plays. Without doubt, audiences always remain guessing as they read the powerful speeches of Macbeth and his wife, who change dramatically during the story. The plot is not Shakespeare's most clever or most genius, but beautiful nonetheless!! And the best part is, thru this play, Shakespeare shows us that people are good at heart, even if corrupted within their lives.

Which version of "Macbeth" to buy? Definitely this one. The right pages provide the original play, while the left page provides definitions for old or hard vocabulary. There are also plot summaries before each scene. In addition to page numbers, each page also indicates act and scene, making the search for certain passages extremely easy. The lines are, of course, numbered, for easy reference (if you're reading this as a school assignment.) And of course, the stage directions are included too. A very helpful edition of Shakespeare's work.

Shakespeare's shortest and bloodiest tragedy, MACBETH is also possibly the most serious. Macbeth is a warrior who has just had his greatest victory, but his own "vaulting ambition," the spectral promises of the three weird sisters, and the spurring on of his wife drive him to a treason and miserable destruction for which he himself is completely responsible. The ominous imagery of the fog that hovers over the first scene of the play symbolizes the entire setting of the play. Shakespeare's repeated contrasts of such concepts as fair and foul, light and darkness, bravery and cowardice, cut us to the quick at every turn. MACBETH forces us to question "what is natural?" "what is honor?" and "Is life really 'a tale/ Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury/ Signifying nothing?'" Few plays have ever illustrated the torments of Guilt (especially how it deprives one of Sleep) so vividly and stirringly.

I have read this play curiously as a child, excitedly as a teenager, passionately as a college student, and lovingly as a graduate student and adult. Like all of Shakespeare's writing, it is still as fresh, and foreboding, and marvelous as ever. As a play it is first meant to be heard (cf. Hamlet says "we shall hear a play"), secondarily to be seen (which it must be), but, ah, the rich rewards of reading it at one's own pace are hard to surpass. Shakespeare is far more than just an entertainer: he is the supreme artist of the English language. The Arden edition of MACBETH is an excellent scholarly presentation, offering a bounty of helpful notes and information for both the serious and casual reader.