A handsome, but shallow youth, Bartley Hubbard, flirts with Marcia Gaylord in a small Maine town. We can see their union is ill-fated right from the start, her family opposes it (he seems to have no relatives), but Marcia burns for Bartley. They marry surreptitiously and head for Boston where Bartley gets a foothold in the newspaper world. He mouths idealistic pap like 'I hope I shall never do anything unworthy of your idea.' but basically he has no moral framework in his character; he's selfish, facile, opportunistic, and self-indulgent. Marcia, though beautiful, is ignorant, self-centered, and very jealous. Howells emphasizes their lack of religion as a key to their deficiencies. As the marriage falls apart, we turn more and more to other characters, all in the higher levels of Boston society, who have the moral fiber that the Hubbards do not. Ben Halleck, Bartley's ex-friend, wrestles with his conscience over his secret love for Marcia as he sees her suffer over Bartley's abandonment of her. In very 19th century style, he worships her "as a woman whose constancy to her mistake" makes her sacred. He suppresses all his desires, even disappearing to Uruguay for two years, but merely thinking of another man's wife, albeit a desperately unhappy one, is utterly beyond the pale. He castigates himself unmercifully and winds up a penitent minister. But A MODERN INSTANCE is not a simple melodrama---it is a complex mix of personalities. There are no simple answers---isn't it easy to be upright when you are financially secure ?---and the end is indefinite. Though Hubbard is used as an example of moral decay, a man without firm principles and moral rectitude, he is still the most vivid, most realistic character. He is a likeable scamp, no matter how he is villified by the Boston society people.

The values that people live by in Boston circa 1875 are far from those we know today. They agonize about things that would not give us much pause. They emote on 'civilization' because they, like Howells, could not imagine the horrors of the 20th century. Thus, in a sense, Howells' novel is passé. Yet, his conversations, his picture of relationships, his description of the times, and even of nature are excellent. For example the vivid logging camp scenes (pp.79-97)are pure genius. You feel that you know that time and place by the end. Even if there are certain melodramatic twists and turns in the novel, and even if the last 90 pages drag a little, I would certainly recommend that you read A MODERN INSTANCE if you have any interest at all in American literature. It is a startlingly powerful book whose characters will stay with you.

Barclay provides an introduction to each book before proceeding to a line-by-line, verse-by-verse discussion of the text and its meaning.

The author has a very good understanding of the history and backround of these books and shows detailed knowledge of the language used by Paul. His commentary sheds light on the reasons for Paul's letters and clearly explains the specific guidance Paul was offering to these followers.

Finally, I liked the quotes and short stories Barclay tossed in with his analysis. It's a good book for Bible study. It's easy to read a little bit each day. It's also easy to spend a great deal of time reflecting on the most meaningful passages.

It's for the serious teacher of Shakespeare. Gibson is the man. He knows his stuff and he wants your students to know it too. But could you teach it all? Hardly. But you could teach some of it.

The book is user-friendly and it's a good companion to the Cambridge School Shakespeare series.

Things I didn't like about the book (don't worry, nothing really revealing here): the Flying Island, Crossbow and the Chairman's transformation, a climax you wouldn't exactly call exciting. Also, the Crossbow Body was a pretty shaky and only vaguely accounted-for concept.

I found this book in the library, of all places, back when I was in junior high school in 1982. Crouched between all that hoary Silverberg and Simak that I didn't want to read, it said "Psssst!". I haven't been the same since. The Kid jumped out and smacked me across the forehead with his lush, tweaked-out postpunk setting and sweeping, interconnected plot. A little bit of old-world pangalacticism, a little futuristic DIY chopsocky, a bunch of toungues in cheeks, and loads of high-tech wetware polymers and lurching biomasses, from before wetware polymers and lurching biomasses were cool. And all the while, Sterling's trademark core of optimism shines through.

It's taken the world about ten years to catch up to this baby, and it's about damn time. If you don't know Bruce Sterling, this is a fine place to start. Now, where's my Smuff?

John Zero (jzero@onramp.net), Dallas, Texas

_All Tomorrow's Parties_ shows the communities of the two previous novels in decay: The physical community of the bridge is assaulted by commercialism, anarchy, and sabotage. The virtual communities of _Idoru_ are devolving into people calling each other on cell phones and hiding behind virtual representations. The book does not have much of an intelligible plot, leaving the characters mostly just as confused as the readers.

This does not mean that _All Tomorrow's Parties_ is entirely without redeeming qualities. Gibson still has a great eye for character and scene descriptions and dialogue, and his (somewhat autobiographical) references to watch collecting and auction sites show maybe the first glimpse of modern technology in Gibson's work that the author actually uses himself.

Characters from Idoru return for this second go at changing the world. Berry Rydel is undeniably the most interesting character in this book, even if his personality doesn't seem to go any deeper than his Lucky Dragon bulletproof apron. I did not like the deteriorated state of Colin Laney, since he seemed in Idoru to be more of a centerpiece figure. And how can you beat a portable Rei Toei hologram?

The book has the usual peculiar cadence into which Gibson's novels seem to fall. Although, if you're like me, somehow you manage to read it faster after struggling with the first chapter or two. Readers who are new to Gibson's work may not enjoy his writing style.

The main issue I have with this book is its need to be nearly apocalyptic. Sure, every book needs to have some kind of conflict, but it would please me if Gibson could write something that did not have all of the characters saying "it's the end of things as we know it". The concept has lost a little class from the brilliantly executed Neuromancer.

Otherwise, the book is rather entertaining, and offers a sci-fi future view that is unique to this author.

i've been a fan of gibson's ever since i first read neuromancer, and although his language usually far outshines the plot and characters, i thought this book had a particularly strong plot, and better developed characters than the average gibson book.

not that the language isn't as beautiful and poetic as ever. i disagree with the reviewer who said "leave the poetry to the poets" - i became a fan of gibson precisely because he blurred the line between poetry and prose - all my favorite writers do.

maybe there aren't as many "cool toys" in this novel as in the previous ones. but gibson's vision of the future is still fresh and dark and wonderful as ever, and has grown up past the cool gadgets to look at another side of the future and the implications of us trying to control it and our surroundings. the lucky dragon on the bridge totally smacked of the "disney-fying of times square," and i'm sure the observant reader will find other commentaries on our current world. this book still won't replace neuromancer as my favorite gibson, but then, my experience going into neuromancer was as a virgin to the world of cyberpunk and gibson, and for me to still enjoy this book even though i am jaded and have read countless similar books says something.

Idoru is a Tale Of two People who don't know each other who end up entangled in the same plot.

Chia Pet Mackinze (Greatest name since Hiro Protaginist(Snow Crash)) is a 14 year old Fan club member for a Band called Lo/Rez "Volunteered" to investigate a rumor involving one of the bands's founders Rez she ends up over her head. Rez it turns out is supossed to marry Rei Toei Japan's biggest pop Idol(thing is Rei is a virtual Being and doesn't exist physically)

Colin Laney is an out of work Info Fisher (he can see Patterns in data and deduce a person's life merely from the info they interact with). When a job at a tabloid network gets him in hot water he somehow ends up working to protect REZ.

Chia and Colin find themselves in a complex plot to cover up something that ends up endangering them both.

The story is fairly simple to follow but still a satisfying read. With interesting characters and switching from Chia and Laney's point of view until they meet (sort of)
Since this is my first Gibson read I still look forward to his classics "Neuromancer and Virtual light and count zero and the rest" if you want to get started in cyber punk fiction it is a good begining and you haven't read "Snow Crash go for it.

The characters seem a bit more likeable than in Virtual Light; Yamazaki makes a stronger mark than in the other book, and Colin Laney is just a guy who can't figure out why his talents should mean as much as they do to the people around him. Chia McKenzie is a headstrong kid out of her element, but likeable. The bad guys aren't as nebulous but instead are a present threat; among them are the Russian mafia and Laney's truly witchy old boss who wants her pound of flesh.

It's really pretty close to call, but I prefer this one just a hair over Virtual Light. Of course neither is Neuromancer, which I still consider to be Gibson's crowning achievement. Idoru is a great read, especially for a Gibson fan.

Idoru wasn't what I was initially expected when I bought it. I bought it on sight when I first saw it in stores, and didn't bother to read the back cover. I initially felt disappointed, but as I read on I found that I couldn't put it down.

As you follow the bibliochronology of his work, from the hard Neuromancer and Count Zero, through the spectacular Mona Lisa Overdrive and quietly past the peculiar Difference Engine to the great Virtual Light and Idoru, you can observe how Gibson's style has changed as he has matured as an author. His characters have more realistic personalities, and his universe although still fiction seems quite solid, not unbelievable at all.

Although no longer the shocking bleeding edge new father of a genre, Gibson remains at the forefront of the field as a creative superstar. He continues to esplore the rich expanses along the borders of Cyberpunk, where hack writers often fear to go.