I enjoyed this book in the sense of learning about Saxon England. The authors clearly did hours of research into their subject matter, and the excellent background stories and descriptions are proof of their hard work. Unfortunately, what would otherwise be a really good book is marred by a really annoying love story. The outcome of the triangle formed by Aldyth, Gandulf, and Bedwyn is entirely too predictable. Also, there is way too much sexuality in the romance for my tastes; this one is not for the kids, folks. If it were a movie, it would probably be rated PG-13 for all of the sex talk. The happy-ever-after situation at the end is sickeningly sweet; everything is just a little TOO perfect, even the children. I tried very hard to care about the main characters in this book, but it just didn't happen for me; I was much more interested in the secondary characters like Mother Rowena, Sirona, and Brother Ansgar. The book tries, it really does...it just doesn't make it.

I enjoyed this book in the sense of learning about Saxon England. The authors clearly did hours of research into their subject matter, and the excellent background stories and descriptions are proof of their hard work. Unfortunately, what would otherwise be a really good book is marred by a really annoying love story. The outcome of the triangle formed by Aldyth, Gandulf, and Bedwyn is entirely too predictable. Also, there is way too much [explicitness] in the romance for my tastes; this one is not for the kids, folks. If it were a movie, it would probably be rated PG-13 for all of the [explicit] talk. The happy-ever-after situation at the end is sickeningly sweet; everything is just a little TOO perfect, even the children. I tried very hard to care about the main characters in this book, but it just didn't happen for me; I was much more interested in the secondary characters like Mother Rowena, Sirona, and Brother Ansgar. The book tries, it really does...it just doesn't make it.

I don't usually care far fantasy - I'm more into history and historical fiction. This book gives a picture of everyday people and everyday life in the time of the Norman conquest, with just a little fantasy thrown in to sweeten the pot. I could not put it down and read until the wee hours each night till I finished it, then wished I hadn't finished! I loved the details about healing with herbs and how the people managed to live thro the winter. It didn't dwell on just the wealthy. This is the kind of "history" that grabs my imagination.

The Old Curiosity Shop certainly displays the hallmarks of the unstructured, free-flowing make-it-up-as-you-go-along type of story characteristic of Dickens's early novels. Indeed, it is rather generous to call it a story, and it's difficult now to understand the sensation it caused when it was first published. However, if a page-turning plot was all there was to it, very few of Dickens's novels would be readable at all. As ever with Dickens, the pleasure in reading this book comes from the comedy, diversity and richness of the characters, as well as the sheer mastery of the English language which came so naturally to him.

The central characters are old Trent, his granddaughter Nell, the moneylender Daniel Quilp, young Kit and the wonderful Richard Swiveller. Of these, the spotlessly pure Nell and the irredeemably evil Quilp are the moral opposites around which the book revolves, old Trent is rather a pathetic figure, while Kit's sturdy progress from poverty to respectability makes for happier reading. However, it is the moral journey of Swiveller, which perhaps reflects the geographic journey undertaken by Nell and her grandfather, which is the real joy of this book. He enters the book in the guise of a rogue, involved in dubious intrigues with Nell's no-good brother and also with the repulsive Quilp. However, from the time that Quilp gets him a job as a clerk in the office of Samson Brass and his sister, the awful Miss Brass, Swiveller's basic decency and natural good humour begin to reveal themselves, and his soliloquies and dialogue provide many hilarious moments from that point on. The Dick Swiveller who subsequently meets up with the hapless young girl kept prisoner by Miss Brass is funny, considerate, charming and kind, and a long way from the doubtful type of character that he at first appears to be.

The book proceeds along two different narrative lines; one which charts the progress of Nell and her grandfather on their long journey, and the other revolving around Swiveller, Quilp and Kit, and to a lesser extent the families of these latter two, as well as "the single gentleman" and the little girl memorably christened "The Marchioness" by Swiveller. One of the big faults I found with this dual structure is that the characters of one plot line have no contact with those in the other plot line for most of the novel, and it is left to the Quilp, Swiveller and Kit to act out most of the drama. Nell and her grandfather spend most of their time journeying through various scenes of early nineteenth century life in England. Nonetheless these all make for enjoyable reading. One particular scene where Nell and her grandfather sleep beside a furnace in the company of a wretched man who watches the flames is particularly memorable.

All in all, it's not exactly a page-turner, and the ending is not a happy one. I would not recommend this book as an introduction to Dickens, and is best read by people, like myself, who have already decided that anything by Dickens is worth reading. Also it focuses less on London than many Dickens novels, and gives an interesting view of rural, village and town life outside London in those times.

The only pleasure greater than discovering a new book
is rediscovering an old friend you haven't read for a while.
Many years ago I read all of Charles Dickens novels, but I
recently had occasion to re-read The Old Curiosity Shop, and
it is just as good as I remembered it the first time.

The story, like most of his plots, depends a great deal
on coincidences, so you have to suspend your scepticism to
enjoy it. Dickens begins by introducing us to one of the
most innocent little girls in literature, Little Nell, and
to her most unhappy grand-father. Quickly we discover that
instead of the old man taking care of the child, she is the
one responsible. We then meet one of Dickens' great villains
- the evil, corrupt, mean, and nasty Quilp - a man, if that
term can be used, who has absolutely no redeeming qualities,
one who finds pleasure in inflicting pain on all he meets.

Thinking that the old man has secret riches, Quilp
advances him money to support his gambling habit.
Unfortunately Nell's grandfather never wins, and the debt
grows ever larger. Finally Quilp forecloses on the curiosity
shop that the old man owns (thus the name of the book) and
tries to keep the two captive in order to discover the money
that he still believes is hidden somewhere. While the
household is asleep, however, Nell and her grandfather
escape and begin wandering across England in a search for
sanctuary.

On that journey, Dickens introduces us to a series of
minor characters who either befriend or try to take
advantage of our heroine. He's in no hurry to continue the
main story, so just sit back and enjoy the vivid
characterizations that are typical of any good Dickens
novel.

In the meantime, we follow the adventures of young Kit,
a boy who was one of Nell's best friends until Quilp turned
her grandfather against him. Here we find one of Dickens'
favorite sub-plots, the poor but honest boy who supports his
widowed mother and younger brother. Thanks to his honesty,
Kit finds a good position, but then evil Quilp enters the
picture and has him arrested as a thief!

Of course, we have the kind and mysterious elderly
gentlemen who take an interest in Kit and Nell for reasons
that we don't fully understand until the end of the book. We
are certain, however, that they will help ensure that
justice prevails in the end.

This is not a book for those in a hurry. Dickens tells
his stories in a meandering fashion, and the stops along the
way are just as important for your enjoyment as the journey itself. That can be frustrating at time, especially as you enter the second half and are anxious to see how things turn out. I try never to cheat by reading the end of a book before I finish, but it is tempting with Dickens. At times I wanted to tell him, "I don't want to meet anyone else; tell me what happens to Nell and Kit!" But I know the side journeys will prove rewarding, so I just have to be patient. Anyway, I am in better shape than his first readers; he wrote in weekly installments, so
they had to wait!

If you have and enjoyed other Dickens' novels, you will enjoy this one as well. If this is your first time (or perhaps the first time since you were in high school), you are in for a treat.

This edition of the Old Curiosity Shop is outstanding. It contains all the original illustrations drawn for the book, very helpful footnotes, a chronology of Dickens's life, etc. The book takes the reader on a wild journey through the English countryside with Little Nell, an angelic girl, and her troublesome grandfather, and features a host of amusing characters as only Dickens can draw them. While it was being written in serial form, it was so popular that sailors returning to port in England were known to shout to people on shore to ask what was going on with Little Nell. Today, however, you can miss some of Dickens's nuance and humor if you don't have good footnotes to turn to. The notes in this book explain obscure terms, references to contemporary popular culture, places where the action occurs, etc. If you are going to read this book, this is the edition to buy.

This is a very fine introduction to the life and love poetry of W.B. Yeats. The book begins with an extensive, 25 page biography of Yeats that includes even his distressful discovery of masturbation at age 15, his hidden love for his distant cousin Laura Armstrong, and his frustrated love for Maud Gonne, the major character of his love poems. He proposed marriage to the cold-but-beautiful and very politically minded Maud, who refused him and married a soldier. The introduction gives examples of how this most important relationship was reflected in Yeats' poems. Yeats first sexual love was with Olivia Shakespear (while estranged from her husband) and was a brief affair. The end of this episode intensified his loss of Maud Gonne and intensified the passion in his poems also. After Maude's separation from her soldier husband, Yeats proposed again to Maude, was refused again, and then he did the creepy thing of asking Maude to allow him to marry her daughter Isuelt! At age 52 he married the 26 year old Georgie Hyde Lees, whom he called "George," and had a daughter and a son. Yeats exploration of Irish folklore under the guidance of Lady Gregory, and his exploration of mysticism with Georgie are also included in this focussed introduction. The 48 short poems published here are lovely, touching, and often sad, but have beautifully sculpted lines. For example,(on pg.31)"She laid them upon her bosom, Under a cloud of her hair, And her red lips sang them a love-song, Till stars grew out of the air." Illuminating notes (34 pages) are in the back of the book. The best way to read this book is first to read the introduction, secondly read each poem followed by the notes on each poem, and finally to reread the poem if you want to catch the subtleties.

Professor Norman Jeffares is an authority on Irish literature. He has lectured in Trinity College, Dublin and written and edited the works of many Irish writers, including Joyce, Yeats, Swift, Farquhar, Goldsmith to name a few. He has written two biographies of W. B. Yeats. In this collection, Norman Jeffares displays the depth and complexity of Yeats' romantic poetry and how they have progressed over the years.

It is well known that Yeats led a movement that stimulated new understanding of Irish literature and nationalism in the late 1800s and early 20th centaury. Here, Jeffares focuses his attention on the contribution Yeats made towards romantic poetry.

The book contains a useful introduction containing Yeats' biographical notes with important events and people who influenced his work.

The poems in this anthology are presented in chronological order and categorised under three headings: romantic idealism (early poems); romantic realism (poems written over the next 15 years); and complex harmonies (poems inspired by his wife).

This anthology is a good handbook for students and general readers interested in Yeats' romantic poetry.

Many people would like to say that Shakespeare did not write this play. But this is hardly fair. Even with the world's finest writers such as Marlowe and Dickens, not every single thing they write can be a masterpiece. But what makes "The Two Gentleman of Verona" worth reading? Well, Shakespeare presents us with a valid theme. (Conflicts often exist between romance and friendship.) There is also beautiful language. Launce and his dog offer some interesting comedy as well as a beautiful and memorable passage in 2.3. The scene where Valentine is accepted amonst the outlaws is memorable. This is Shakespeare's first play where a woman (Julia) disuises herself as man to do some investigating. It is also easy to see that several elements of this play were used in "Romeo and Juliet." To be sure, this is not a masterpiece like "The Comedy of Errors," "Richard III," or "King Lear." But it is still an good study that is worth some interest.

Although few would claim that Two Gentlemen of Verona is one of Shakespeare's greatest plays, it is well worth reading in order to serve as a reference for the best of his romantic comedies. In essence, Two Gentlemen of Verona gives you a measuring stick to see the brilliance in the best works.

The play has the first of Shakespeare's many brave, resourceful and cross-dressing heroines, Julia.

Shakespeare always used his fools and clowns well to make serious statements about life and love, and to expose the folly of the nobles. Two Gentlemen of Verona has two very fine comic scenes featuring Launce. In one, he lists the qualities of a milk maid he has fallen in love with and helps us to see that love is blind and relative. In another, he describes the difficulties he has delivering a pet dog to Silvia on his master, Proteus', behalf in a way that will keep you merry on many a cold winter's evening.

The story also has one of the fastest plot resolutions you will ever find in a play. Blink, and the play is over. This nifty sleight of hand is Shakespeare's way of showing that when you get noble emotions and character flowing together, things go smoothly and naturally.

The overall theme of the play develops around the relative conflicts that lust, love, friendship, and forgiveness can create and overcome. Proteus is a man who seems literally crazed by his attraction to Silvia so that he loses all of his finer qualities. Yet even he can be redeemed, after almost doing a most foul act. The play is very optimistic in that way.

I particularly enjoy the plot device of having Proteus and Julia (pretending to be a page) playing in the roles of false suitors for others to serve their own interests. Fans of Othello will enjoy these foreshadowings of Iago.

The words themselves can be a bit bare at times, requiring good direction and acting to bring out the full conflict and story. For that reason, I strongly urge you to see the play performed first. If that is not possible, do listen to an audio recording as you read along. That will help round out the full atmosphere that Shakespeare was developing here.

After you finish Two Gentlemen of Verona, think about where you would honor friendship above love, where equal to love, and where below love. Is friendship less important than love? Or is friendship merely less intense? Can you experience both with the same person?

Enjoy close ties of mutual commitment . . . with all those you feel close to!

"The Two Gentlemen of Verona" is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. Maybe that's because it's one of the only one's I understand. My youth Theatre did a wonderful production of this play. I was not in it, but I saw it twice. It was set in the 60's, peasant-shirted and bell-bottomed. I think it's a wonderful story, although a bit unrealistic because of all the forgiveness that happens at the end of the play. But I think that it's a play everyone should read. This edition of the play is, I think, a very good one. If you are planning to buy a copy of "The Two Gentlemen of Verona," I would advise you to buy the most current edidtion printed by the Folger Shakespeare Library. They have lots of information in the book, and many definitions of the more difficult Elizabethian words.

I was asked to review this text by a group of EMTs at the teaching hospital where I am employed as an ER physician and surgeon. The text contains conflicting information and is not well organized. I would not recommed this text for teaching new EMTs. It could be useful as a review for experienced technicians or paramedics.

While the information can, at times, be repetitive or confusing, overall the book stresses those skills and topics which are important for prehospital emergency providers. The book is easy to use as a reference, reads at a slightly higher level than many introductory texts, and can be a valuable resource even for an EMT-P. This book does require, however, some direction and sometimes elaboration from from a knowledgeable and organized "Basic" instructor.

Worth owning and using.

THIS IS A EXCELLENT BOOK TO USE FOR LEARNING THE BASIC EMT. THIS BOOK WAS USED BY MY PROFESSOR AND 16 OUT OF A CLASS OF 19 PASS THE STATE TEST. SO ADVICE IF YOU GOING TO STUDY TO BE AN EMT USE MOSBY IS THE BEST

You can understand the basic principles of this book, but that's about it. The in-depth explanation makes you want to learn about something else.

I thought that this book contained a lot of information on this subject, however this information is useless in the way it is presented. Hopkins, must have been the type of person to sit in a dark room by himself with no one around, reading botany books, because he certainly doesn't know how to relate to other people in presenting this subject.