This book is something that is absolutely wonderful, and life changing. It is so because of its author- a teen-age Jewish girl hiding from the Nazis from 1942 to 1945. Reading this allows you to feel what she was feeling, expeirience what she experienced. And all of it is true. It all happened, and the diary allows you to know Anne Frank, in a sence. Her thoughts and ideas were real, and they remain to be because of the diary. Anne goes on, and reading what she went through will change your life.

"The Diary of Anne Frank: The Critical Edition" is a wonderful chronicle on the life and writings of that perky Dutch teenager. Now in my late thirties, I first read her diary at thirteen. I was just a frisky Australian schoolboy trying to learn more about the mysterious world of girls. That first read, though, put me in tears. The diary enchanted me and I wanted to know more about Anne, her family, and those fatal frosted footsteps beyond the Secret Annex.

In time, I would learn more, much more. As the "The Critical Edition" shows there is in fact not one diary but several as Anne rethought and revised her own work. "The Critical Edition" places the various revisions side by side so readers can gain an insight into how Anne constructed her work. There is genius in Anne's work but it didn't always come in the first draft. As inspiration to us mortals, she too, had to work at it.

"The Critical Edition" has an especially fascinating account of the publishing history of the diary. Anne's father was the key to publication and it would be some time before he could come to terms with Anne's incredibly honest account of her developing sexuality and those raw comments on her mother, Edith. Publication also came at a time when people's minds were barely coping with understanding World War II and its legacy. For the first time, "The Critical Edition" highlights the difficulties with translating Anne's diary into German and how, for some, it had come too soon and too fast after the great conflict. Yet, for others, the diary was too good to be the work of - in Anne's words - an "incurable chatterbox". Again, this scholarly (and lengthy) work reveals the outcome of analysis that proves the diary's authenticity.

For the reader there is the danger that the light shed on Anne's life and work by this book will lower her from the enormous pedestal she has arisen. In fact, Anne's spirit emerges even stronger. "The Diary of Anne Frank: the Critical Edition" enhances Anne's irrevocable message that freedom and good can reign over a corrupt and evil world.

I am going to tell you about the best book I have ever read. The best book I have read is
The Diary of Anne Frank. It is about a little girl that is Jewish. It takes place in 1945 during
World War II. It talks about them being scared of hearing a knock at the door. It talks about them getting sent to concentration camps and how the people get tortured there like in gas chambers that is were they stick you in a room air tight and fill the room with deadly gas fumes. They wood also cut all your hair off and tattoo a number on you. Most of the people would die because they would freeze to death because it was so cold. They were fed very little food and their beds had flies all around them and they would make you have a job like cleaning the bathrooms. So you can see people there were treated very badly. And all this happened because one man named Hitler wanted to do this all because the people where Jewish. These are just a few things why this is my favorite book. And I think that you should read this book too.

I ordered this book from author Anne Barone's website, received it today and already completed reading it. Like Will Clower's book entitled "The Fat Fallacy", Barone's book focuses on the French lifestyle and compares it to our lifestyle here in the United States. Keep in mind that many of Anne's comments and observations stem from the considerably repressive Puritan ethic which states simply that 'if it tastes, looks or feels good, its got to be bad for you"--such philosophy represents the cornerstone of American thinking on many issues. That combined with our ready-to-go, off-the-peg mentality combines to produce a lethal and contradictory combination in terms of many things especially diet. We feed ourselves preservatives and then worship unrealistically tooth-pick thin models. Sadly, the idea of good old fashioned nourishment that tasted good and was enjoyed amongst family and friends has been replaced snd refined by a culture that reveres 'getting more for your money', and would prefer to pop diet pills, eat chemically preserved boxed entrees and exercise until the cows come home rather than show a little self-restraint and simply stop eating before one gets full. Barone, like Clower suggests that much of the problem has to do with bolting down food--whereas the French spend two hours over lunch, we shovel down our food within 10 minutes---taking the time to eat and allowing the brain to decide whether or not the stomach is full will certainly stop those added inches from ruining our waistlines. Barone does this in a much breezier, fun style than Clower--she relates her own experience in a compelling heartfelt narrative that is easy to read and easier to understand. In addition to her comments on food, she also delineates between the American and French lifestyles regarding their self-image, their clothes, their homes and their relationships with men. Again remember that much of the die-hard American logic that Barone opposes in her book strictly stems from her Bible-Belt background. Those of us that are not from the Bible belt and do not stictly adhere to what is considered good-old American, may already drink wine with our meals, drink water, never soda, eat real food rather than packaged fast food snd have a good sense of self that is not decided by au courant trends seen on television or in magazines. However, if you were brought up to believe that 'gain is never without pain' or 'if God wanted it to be that way, He would have made it that way', you definitely need to read this book. For all others, if you wish to have your own ideology summed up and reinforced by over 1000 years of French culture, this is the book for you.

Anne Barone's tone is fun yet matter-of-fact. I did not like the little magazine-type asides which she uses to tout her own work; I found these to be distractive rather than helpful. She ends her discussion of all components of a French lifestyle with her 100 things-to-do list which neatly summarizes everything in the book. Recommended to every woman who needs to find her inner self, rejoice in it and lose weight along the way to finding much pleasure. I agree with Anne when she claims that if you don't want to do something, you need not feel guilty about JUST NOT doing it.

This book is full of little gems of information and observation. I've heard some of them before but never so many good tips on one place. This book and some others helped me realize that "Fat is NOT the enemy!" We need fat in our food. After I read this book and the Encore one, I switched to a diet without preservatives or hidden sugars, with healthy fats, and as organic as possible. I'm eating desserts and cooking french main dishes with butter, eggs, cream, and all that "high fat" stuff in them... but I am finally steadily losing weight! (After several years of gaining weight no matter how careful I was with dieting.) I lost 3 pounds the first week and total of 10 pounds after a month. No calorie counting, no worry about fat grams, no skipping dessert if I want it. Maybe this book is not perfect but at least 95% of it is pure genius as far as I'm concerned. Thank you Anne Barone!

Anne Barone's book "Chic & Slim Encore" is a favorite on my bookshelf, so I was delighted to discover her earlier work "Chic & Slim" has been reprinted.

"Chic & Slim" is the original book written by Anne Barone to share the secrets of how the French women eat rich foods, drink wine, are rarely seen at the gym and still manage to wear size SMALL!

The key according to Anne is the choices the French woman makes. She chooses natural unprocessed foods. Portion sizes are smaller. Exercise is fit in naturally by walking everywhere. Water not soda is the beverage of choice. Sugar is eaten in moderate quantities.

Instead of aiming for quantity, the French aim for quality. Eating a small slice of the finest pastry instead of a whole box of processed twinkies. Drinking one or two glasses of red wine instead of a number of unhealthy cocktails. Don't supersize your fries and double your burger. Instead eat a little portion of "pomme frites" with a palm size piece of grilled chicken. Forget the salad dressings with synthetic ingredients instead dress your lettuce with just a bit of heart healthy olive oil and vinegar.

Anne also goes into "ATTITUDE". The French women sees herself as a beautiful women despite her physical flaws. She is worth the effort of eating well, taking care of herself. She deserves to be slim and healthy. Many American women are unfortunately caught in a cycle of trying to look like the models we see in magazines instead of enjoying what we have and making the most of it.

The French woman does things that make her feel good about herself. She dresses to look and feel her best. No sloppy sweats and big gym shoes. Clothing that makes her feel feminine. A perfume that reflects her personality.

The book "Chic & Slim" also shares Anne's triumph of losing weight when she stopped dieting and started eating like the French. She shares more of her ideas at her website annebarone.com.

"Chic & Slim" like its sister book, ""Chic & Slim Encore" is a must read for the woman who wants to learn to enjoy and appreciate herself more. The woman who wants to get off the diet rollercoaster and learn to eat sensibly and with joy. A true treasure!

We tried three 2-star hotels from this book on a recent vacation, and were very pleased with the character, staff, and value at each. That was enough to easily justify the purchase price. The maps and indices make it very easy to find options at various price-points in any region. The descriptions and photos of each hotel were helpful and accurate. But I should also say that our "workhorse" for planning the trip was Rick Steves' France guide, where we found most of our lodging. I'd purchase Rick's guide first, then purchase "Hotels and Country Inns..." to add some variety.

"This series has long been respected as one of the best of its kind. Each book contains detailed color maps and a listing of accommodations by area. They include color photographs, the address and phone number, a star rating, amenities, price, and a brief paragraph describing the property. Newly revised and updated, these excellent guides to accommodations in Europe are highly recommended for all libraries." Library Journal

...without spending a fortune (unless you want to). This is an excellent resource to find lodging in France. We used it to find a chateaux in the Loire valley which had been converted to a bed and breakfast (like staying in a castle). The photographs, descriptions and maps will help you find the perfect lodging near the places you plan to visit. This is the book you should review when you plan your trip to France.

Served traditional beef bourguignon to 16 people for New Year's Eve dinner last night using the recipe on pages 26-27 of this book.

The recipe is a bit complicated because of all the separations (liquid, meat, vegetables), and you definitely need to plan in advance, but the results were superb. None of our guests had ever had this dish with as much flavor as this version, so it was a big success.

I used top sirloin, marinated in an inexpensive Cotes du Rhone for two days (yes - two days), browned the beef (big job since I just about doubled the recipe) one evening, and then simmered it in the oven at 300 degrees F the next morning. After letting it cool a bit, I put it in the refrigerator for two days (yes - two days), and then reheated it before our guests arrived.

Did I mention the flavor was wonderful? And since I made a ton of it, we'll be able to have it now and again as we take frozen portions out of the freezer.

Be sure to make lots - if a recipe is as time-consuming as this is to make, you'll want to have a lot of it that you can later just warm up if you want to.

The creamy potatoes with bacon (near the front of the book) is the best potato dish I have ever eaten. I served it at a dinner party recently and the comment was: "awesome". Also, recently I had the twice baked spinach omelet except mine was made with gruyere cheese only, no spinach. It was cooked one day and re-cooked the next. It was fabulous and it is great to know that it can be made ahead. I love Anne Willan!!

This book is a great example of why the Internet recipe sites will never replace cookbooks. Nowhere can you find such beautiful pictures, and wonderful recipes as this book. Ms. Willan has written a meticulously researched cookbook that is just as much at home on the coffee table as it is on the kitchen counter.

I must respectfully disagree with a previous reviewers comments. The "Gateau le Feÿ" does work exactly as written. I've created this beautiful dish a couple of times now with no problem. I could see how this might not turn out if your oven temperature is incorrect, so it might be a good idea to test your oven with an oven thermometer prior to starting this dish. As for the point to wait until they do a new printing with corrections, it should be noted that if there were corrections to be made, you'd think that Ms Willan would have done so when she appeared on Martha Stewart the first week of February 2001, and made this dish, just as it is written.

You really do have to be a Catholic to truly appreciate this wonderful book. As a Catholic schoolgirl entering her eleventh year in Catholic school (scary, isn't it?), I can fully relate to this. I honestly don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my entire life.

You know what the funniest thing about this book is? Everything in it is true...from the different kinds of nuns to Father What-a-Waste (sigh); from the description of mortal and venial sins to the purchasing of pagan babies. Well, they don't sell pagan babies anymore, but they did in my mother's day.

Even a staunch Catholic like my grandmother would have to crack a smile at the descriptive, colorful language and the abfab portrayal of the sometimes ridiculous traditions of the world's most scandalous, under-fire church. This book is a must-read for all Roman Catholics, practicing or no.

I laughed all the way through this, which must be a sin! If you are a Catholic like me you will remember everything this book talks about. In fact, I had forgotten a lot of it. I'm a little surprised it did not go into Knights of Columbus Halls (a.k.a. - the Catholic bar) and Bingo (a.k.a. - Catholic gambling) a little more. But heck, they sure covered everything else. I have to go now, I have to finish crossing myself and say a few dozen hail Mary's.

...because if you went to Catholic school, you can relate. I first read this book ten years ago when I was in Catholic school, and the nuns didn't take it away from me (amazing!). I laughed my a** off. For those of you who have read it and aren't Catholic, yes, we do practice for everything, yes, the nuns are that bad (but they don't have clickers anymore). This book is hilarious. Please, please get it and read it, cover to cover. You will laugh every time you read it.

This note is mostly for people who are surprised at the wonderful reviews this book gets then find the first few chapters rather gruesome. I want to say, keep reading.

The first few chapters only set the scene. After you wade through them, the story picks up marvelously.

A college friend begged me to read this book when I was in college. I picked it up but couldn't stomach the first few chapters. I put it down. When I was studying for my master's degree, I picked it back up and loved it once I got past that stuff in the beginning.

Also, if you saw the movie first (any version), you won't find the movie ending in the book. The movie ending comes from a SP sequel.

I catorgize this book as a romance. Yes, there is adventure, but the conflict is that the Scarlet Pimpernel married the love of his life only to lose trust in her on their wedding day when he discovers that she was responsible for a dasterdly deed that cost a French family their lives. His secret life must be hid from his wife as well as the rest of England and France. As the story unfolds, the wife must learn to depend on her husband, whom she comes to regard as a complete idiot, and he must learn to forgive her.

Once you get past the gorey beginning, the story is great.
So, hang in there and read, read, read, and enjoy.

Before there was Batman, Superman, and Spiderman, there was the Scarlet Pimpernel, the greatest of all masked heroes, a man who uses his great intelligence and bravery to save French aristocrats from certain death at the guillotine. He, with the help of his band of brave English gentleman, risk their lives time and time again for this "sport." He's famous throughout England, infamous throughout France - and yet no one knows his true identity.

Enter Marguerite Blackenly, nicknamed "the cleverest woman in Europe" yet married to the inane fop, Sir Percy. In an effort to save her brother from the clutches of the new dangerous French government, she consents to help her old friend, and new enemy, to discover the identity of the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel. But with the knowledge she gains, she becomes more deeply involved than she bargained for.

An adventure, a history, and a romance all rolled into one, The Scarlet Pimpernel is a book you'll never forget.

This is a book that it is delightful, enchanting, at times thrilling, smooth sailing, and wickedly easy to pay attention to.

First off...generally, a pimpernel is a flower. In the book it's used as a communication symbol.

The plot? Well nowadays it isn't anything brand new, but for its time it was. This was the first "masked hero" kind of a story, which is pretty impressive considering we wouldn't have dear old Superman or Batman or Zorro or anybody if it weren't for that good old Scarlet Pimpernel. The Pimpernel rescues "aristos" and anyone else who needs the help, from the Reign of Terror in France. It's actually a very refreshing and fun book. I liked it a lot and think that its a true classic, which it is.

The characters? There's Percy Blakeney, the fool, the fop, the ridiculously annoying "demmed idiot." His charming wife, Marguerite, who is considered the "cleverest woman in all Europe". There's Chauvelin, he's the bad guy. He's nasty, and wicked, and despicable, and it's easy to hate him, yet I love him. There's the Scarlet Pimpernel, who actually is --------, but no one but his best friends know that it's him. His friends are part of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, and help rescue the "innocent" ( or maybe not so innocent) from the claws of the guillotine.

These 4 characters, plus Marguerite's brother Armand, get hopelessly entangled in a rather deadly and stomach turning game of who-trusts-who (much to Chauvelin's delight) that takes place mainly in glimmering ballrooms, enchanted gardens, and dark dingy alleyways. Told through Marguerite's perspective you really get anxious for her...

The Scarlet Pimpernel has some extremely interesting escapes and I think that is where Orczy's imagination sets in. It is like Sherlock Holmes without the feeling of "I have to figure this out." and more of "I shall see how it plays out and relax a bit." The book is sometimes funny, in an odd way, but look to it more for some good romantic scenes and some great excitement. Good vs. Evil. Masked Hero. Brave lady. Happy Ending. It's one of those, feel good, refreshing, suspenseful, two hanky books.

I simply loved this book. The secondary characters make this book great. The only flaw is I wish there could have been more of these characters. And much more of Rosamund. Try to find the book anyway you can.

This sequel to "Devoted" is every bit as wonderful. The characters seem to come alive, and what characters they are too! This novel has almost everything. Action (great battle scenes), love (very tasteful sex scenes), and humour in good doses. I found myself laughing out loud more than once. And there is also magic and fantasy, although not enough to make it a fantasy novel. Just enough to make those times seem very magical and mystical. There is also the clash of religion, pagan and Christian, but what shows through in the end is that good will always prevail over evil, and through love and kindness, evil can be turned into good. This is a wonderfully engrossing book....recommended.

life, death, love, romance, sex - this book has everything! the romance of godwin and rosamund is especially beautiful.

I loved the way I felt as I opened up this book and began to read. The promise of a thumping good read in historical fiction-- my favorite. But as I read on, the story is continuously, unexpectedly , interrupted by odd segments of gratuitous sex that read as if they were inserted to satisfy the romance genre. While I loved the premise of the heroine and hero, their characters did not captivate me. The character development somehow did not have me giving a darn about these people. I'd turn the page and end up somewhere lost in a sudden change of scene. My personal review of three stars was given due to the wonderful historical detail and plot, not to the writing itself. But I would read something of hers again...there's something that smells of promise here. This book just wasn't as fulfilling as I had hoped. Perhaps my expectations were too high. But a good read overall, and as I mentioned earlier, excellent historical detail!

Having read Devoted at least twice I have to admit I can't wait to read it again. Alice Borchardt's style is so clean. There are no unneccesary plots and characters, much like her sister Anne Rice.

I would also like to comment on the audio version of this book. Michael Page's read is exceptional, from the blustering knights to the soft spoken forest people. Listen to this one. You won't be sorry

I was totally enthralled and engrossed in this novel. The characters are wonderful and the attention to detail and character developement is first rate. I particularly love the humourous touches and more than once I found myself laughing out loud. There really is something for everyone in this novel....lots of violence and bloodshed, lots of romance including sexy scenes, lots of humour and great historical detail. Highly recommended, and i have just started reading the sequel and it promises to be just as good.

Berthe was obviously an anomaly in her day and age... and, being self-deprecating and reticent, might've actually wished to be forgotten. She WAS literally forgotten for many years after her death. I am grateful to Ms. Higonnet for writing the book, but I felt throughout the reading that, although it was obvious Ms. H. admired Berthe, she didn't truly understand her. It bothered me that most of the book was about OTHER people, although her life DID seem to be about OTHER people. Berthe was generous and hidden, yet daring and "out there." It was probably very difficult to find the true Berthe. She was obviously very much beloved by the other Impressionists and her contributions as the catalyst of the group were immeasurable. But I wanted to know more. I didn't like it that each time she had an accomplishment, it seemed to be overshadowed, in the biography, by moving on to the accomplishments of one of the other more luminous figures in her world. Berthe was beautiful, dedicated, a wonderful mother and wife... after years of pressure by society and her own parents whose biggest fear was that she was to stay a "spinster" (who the HECK invented that word???)... I really felt for Berthe. But was she bulimic? Was she anorexic? What WAS the true nature of her mental challenges? I'd like to have seen some more of that area explored - as it has been so deeply investigated in the case of Vincent van Gogh. Whatever her maladies, we've got to admire the fact that she, unlike Mary Cassatt, DID have it all - career, family, home life, social recognition... and balanced it all so beautifully. But I wished Ms. Higonnet had given us just a bit more to grasp onto.

GREAT BOOK!! I bought this book used from That Book Lady,
I recieved the book promptly and it was in excellent condition.
The book has wonderful information on Berthe Morisot.

My first reaction to Anne Higonnet's biography of Berthe Morisot was that it was a bit stiff. I had recently read Dominique Bona's "Berthe Morisot: Le secret de la femme en noir" and found that book to be well done, even though lacking documentation and even though indulging in "maybe it was like this" speculations from time to time. But I very much liked Dominique Bona's informal style, referring to Berthe Morisot as "Berthe", while Anne Higonnet almost always refers to her as "Morisot" (a small issue but one that is quite representative of the stylistic difference in the two biographies).

Of course, Anne Higonnet's work is more than 10 years older than Dominique Bona's, so that Dominique Bona reaped the benefits of reading Anne Higonnet's book. And there are many benefits to be had. Anne Higonnet has done a superb job of researching direct and indirect and even background sources to fill in the picture of Berthe Morisot's life and setting.

Sometimes Anne Higonnet's presentation creates a distance: emotional connection is lost amid the cultural history. But overall, this is a fascinating "MUST" book for anyone who wants to understand Berthe Morisot's painting, persona, and life.