I was continually amazed at the way in which Mr. Horwood has interweaved two stories, and brought them both to a believable and emotionally satisfying ending. I felt myself joined in spirit to the author and his characters as I read this double story about transformation, spiritual obedience and love of the earth. My heartfelt thanks and appreciation go to William Horwood!

Intelligent, thought provoking, I was unable to put this book down.

The depth of character and understanding and ability to put these forward in a truly awesome literary work was not a work of fiction, more like the creation of an alternative universe.

This man, who's Duncton Wood series escalated the entire genre to the highest form of art has merged two worlds into an altogether new one.

I cannot praise or rate this novel higher.

I have been altered by reading it.

Thank You William Horwood.

For all the author's flights of fantasy, Callanish excepted, he is at his most potent bringing the very real conflicts which worm the inside of an artist's mind to life in our imaginaries. Jim Stonor, the lad, is less interesting than his vagrant father, but as a sculptor, painter, and craftsman of wood, the shadow the eagle's wing casts over our imaginaries shivers the founding rock of our modern, tv-eye view of life.

I remember reading this book over fifteen years ago, but (sorry to say) I could barely remember any of the details of the story. I could only remember that it was the story of two moles, Bracken and Rebecca, and how they brought peace, prosperity, and other assorted good things to their "system", as Horwood calls it - the title, Duncton Wood. The book has long been out of print in this country, so I despaired of ever getting my hands on a copy again.

Well, a few years ago, I was on vacation in England, and was very pleasantly surprised to discover that Duncton Wood was still in print there. Not only that, but it was the first book in a series about the moles of Duncton, and all of them (according to the local reviews) were just as good as the first! Sad to say, I didn't take the opportunity to buy those books then, but I recently managed to get my hands on a copy of Duncton Wood through one of Amazon's European competitors. I'm only halfway through it now, but it's just as good the second time around.

This is as basic a story as you can get about good vs. evil, and there are very few who tell it better than Horwood. There are definite religious elements in this story (and, I assume, in the sequels as well), but who cares when the story is written this well?

I look forward to finishing Duncton Wood, and to getting my hands on the sequels. Unfortunately, Amazon apparently only deals with American publishers, so they can't get their hands on any of them - so this is a very blunt hint to the American publishing establishment: get off your duffs and get the American publishing rights to these books! If the reviews here are any indication, you'll more than make your money back (and earn the grateful thanks of the American reading public besides)!

My 10 year old daughter just finished "Duncton Quest" (940 pages). She is a good reader anyway but to have read "Duncton Wood" at 700+ pages and now be way into "Duncton Found" staggers me. I read the trilogy about 20 years ago and when I dipped into DW to see what drove my baby to this effort I was reminded what a truly great piece of work each of the three novels is. Read the other reviews on this page. These are not kids books, they are truly gripping adult adventures. Think of them as Science Fiction if you like, the exploration of a world which might exist "if only....". I am still surprised that I bought & read three books about moles, but I never regret it.

I see that everyone else on this page has evangelised so there is no reason for me to add anything except my endorsement. These are extraordinary books and easily among the best books I have read. Do yourself a favour, cast aside any moleist prejudices and buy it, buy all three.

I first read Duncton Wood about ten years ago and have never felt so inspired. I felt as though William Horwood demonstrated incredible insight and depth of character through his woodland moles. Since discovering Duncton Wood, I went on to enjoy both trilogies revolving around the Duncton moles and enjoyed each book more than the last, if that is possible. I seem to read the books once a year, especially when I feel my spirits flagging and need to feel refreshed. For years I have tried to find other fans of the books, so reading these comments has really cheered me up. I would say that Duncton Wood requires some patience initially but it is well worth persevering. The Duncton Chronicles are some of the few books that have left me feeling bereaved because I had finished them.

The second book of the series comes to an end with the wolves of time(from an earlier book-journeys to the heartland) when the Mennen(mankind) destroy everything the wolves know and a few of the pups get killed too which is quite sad. Amazingly graphic and with intense descriptions makes you want to read on through this book of adventure,love and friendship. I couldn't put the book down and when it was over, I wanted the sequel to be a trilogy! I didn't want to put the book down because I felt like I was one of the pack, just totally wild and almost free. I loved the ending although it made me cry... A book that's definitely worth reading because it questions the morals of men and whether we should "own" the planet since there are other animals we share it with...

If I have a few criticisms of the final volume of Wolves of Time; if I consider it a little less magnificent than its predecessor, don't be put off: it's still a majestic novel, filled with powerful characters, surging with emotion; unforgettable.

I think what problems the book does have come from the fact thatWolves of Time was supposed to be a trilogy, but because of complex, infuriating commercial/legal pressures,Horwood was compelled to condense the second and third projected volumes into one final text. It shows, I think. The pacing is a little uneven; taking its own good time for much of the first half, and suddenly accelerating at the end, speeding past events in a few pages that obviously could have - probably should have - filled an entire seperate book.'

Notwithstanding that; everything else which was great about the first volume is still here. It's a book of veryintense emotions, and you should be warned that it's even more graphically brutal than the original. And when I say graphic, I mean if wolves being nailed up by their genitals or being disembowelled sounds a bit intense for you, you might want to avoid this one. But harrowing as it can be - and you really have to grit your teeth to get through some of the scenes - there are moments when it will set your emotions soaring, too.

Hell, if you've read the first one all the way through, you're going to buy this one anyway, so the review is sort of redundant. It's a great story. If you even half suspect you'll like it, you'll most likely fall in love with it. Go get it.

This book is the best I have ever read, it fills you with all types of emotions, mostly amazment. You have got to read it.

I found this book intellectual, but a wonderful adventure all the same. I was able to understand the characters very easily. This is the first book by William Horwood that I've read, and I thoroughly recommend it. I look forward to finding out what happens between Huntermann (the bad guy) and Jakob (the good guy).

I'm presently writing my PhD thesis on depictions of animals in modern popular texts, and as a result have read rather a lot of books over the last year or two which fall into this approximate sub-genre, which for want of a better term I'd call 'Animal Quest' novels. Put simply, Horwood's Wolves of Time series blow everything else I've read out of the water. It is very difficult for me to be in any way objective about this book. It had me choked with emotion almost from start to finish.

Unlike many other tales of this sort (not that there is anything else quite like WOT), Journeys to the Heartland is intelligent and multi-layered; metaphorical without being conspicuously or pretentiously so. It's about nature and humanity, religion, and human relations to other species at the turn of the millenium. It has more heart and more guts than just about any other animal fiction I've ever read. You can read it as pure escapist fiction, or you can ponder its deeper significances. Either way, don;t be put off by any negative reviews. My only cautionary word would be that you might wish to avoid this book if you have delicate sensibilities. At times it can be pretty harrowing, and this is even more true of the second volume.

Horwood isn't flattering in his depiction of humanity - The Mennen. In fact I'd guess he's already been accused of being a misanthrope. The point is, the atrocities committed by humanity in the past are offset against the redemption offered in the figure of The Mann - the ex-biologist who crosses the borderline and runs with the wolves. A symbol of hope for the future; though the realisation of this hope does seem to require civil war throughout Europe, leading to the total collapse of civilization :)

Look, I just loved it. I'm sad I'm not still involved in the world of Horwood's wonderful characters (don't, BTW, be put off by the accusations that the book has shallow characterisations. That's nonsense. The characters seem like old companions by the time you've finished it.)

It's a bit hard to find in the USA, but if you're a wolf person, or just like animal stories, you wouldn't want to miss this one. It knocked my socks off.

I cannot read Horwood at just any time. His description of tough decisions, of long suffering, it makes the final triumphs beautiful, but it is also sometimes so disturbing, that some of his books stay on the shelves for years before I read them. When I finally do, they echo in me, I understand some things about the world and emotions, and they stay with me - a fascinating author, not an easy one. And because he writes about animals, some truths are harsher and clearer than with people as heroes.

A tip for all those who look for this book or its sequel: check out amazon.co.uk, both books are in print there and you might just order them there, if you wanted.

Somehow, I missed The Wind in the Willows when I was growing up. I knew the basic story from the movie and from an extremely abridged version, but I had never experienced Kenneth Grahame's actual novel. I didn't expect it to be very much different, but I was amazed by the reading experience of the actual novel. The world Grahame created is truly original and fascinating, and I don't think it can be captured in another medium besides the actual novel. I don't know if wonderful books like Watership Down and the Redwall series could exist without this. The characters are also so enjoyable. Rat, Mr Badger, Toad, and (my favorite) Mole are written with such warmth. They (with the contrast of Toad of course) exemplify old-time values. Grahame celebrates friendship, homelife, and the wonder of nature. My favorite section of the book is the chapter "Pipers at the Gates of Dawn." In it, Mole and Ratty find such beautiful in the sound of the wind blowing through the reeds on the side of the river. The effect of the section (written in such gorgeous prose) is almost metaphysical. The two friends see such joy in a life where you can experience such beauty in the world within such a strong friendship. The Wind in the Willows is truly a magnificent read which deserves to have lasted this long. Grahame's creation is still fresh and children and adults will surely continue to enjoy it for many years to come.

Maybe there is a certain nostalgia associated with this book for me because it was one of the first "full-length" books that was read to me as a child. Also, because I still have the battered-copy that used to be my father's (along with his notes in it). Actually in his hippie days he was in a band called Wind in the Willows and that's how he found the book.

However, nostalgia aside, this is in my opinion of the best children's books ever read. The underlying moral and religious themes are rather subtle and the reader can take what they want from this book. I can't describe what it has meant to me but the "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" chapter seems to capture better than any other piece of literature the awe and mystery of religious experience (and this is coming from a rather non-religious person). The whole book seems to capture the sense of wonder that is associated with childhood. Read it to your children -- they will stay interested because of the twisting plot and memorable characters. Or read it as an adult and you will perhaps appreciate the subtle and complex allegory of this masterpiece.

Only Kipling's Jungle book, rivals this as the classic talking animal book for children. With his beautiful prose, Grahame evokes laughter, suspense, pleasure and even awe. Water Rat, Mole, Badger, Otter, and the insufferable Toad quickly gain our interest and sympathy. If you buy it to read to children, beware! You may not be able to resist reading ahead a few chapters after you put them to bed. This is a book not to be missed. The scene in which Pan appears as the animals' protector inspired a song by Van Morrison, and a mention in Jane Goodall's book, A Reason for Hope. From it a child of any age will get fun, wonder, and a demonstration of the beautiful possibilities of the English language.

An immature golden eagle is captured and brought to the London Zoo for showcase and display. Creggan begins to lose his sense of freedom, as the cage curls around himself, cutting off access to the sky. An older female eagle who's been trapped in the cages for a long time gives Creggan the strength to survive, and the hope of one day escaping this man-made construct. It's a short read (less than 200 pages, and less that "The Stonor Eagles"), but very enjoyable. A must for any eagle or bird of prey fan.

Simple, but glorious, the flight of the Stonor Eagles finds its true path in the author's shortest, yet most satisfying novel, telling of the barbarism of the zoo, for all its fugitives. Paul Simon sang it, and the echo drones like Schubert from this book, until, unlike the hapless composer, freedom comes. It seems many haven't bothered this author beyond Duncton, but they should not fear dissappointment, nor relish a tale which can be reread over a day, not a month.

As I've noted in my reviews of the other books, William Horwood has created a fantasy world in his Duncton series that is ( indead ) on a par with that of Tolkien. The big gripe I have with this book is that he's given his moles a religion that's a direct parody of the Christian faith he now longer accepts. In this series, his protagonist will end up being executed for the salvation of his follower moles in much the same way as Jesus Christ. Why drag religion into a genre that's noted for being secular? As 'n Christian I enjoy fantasy reads, but not William Horwood any more - I can't stomach the sacreligous plagiaterism he commits against the Bible.

All of William Horwood's books are powerful and filling you with such an urge to go fourth and read more. You certaintly aren't wasting any time picking up this book, Duncton Tales.I love how the moles will die under the Stone, how they would rather fall into their blood than see their beloved faith - Stone, be mistreated. I enjoyed how they set in the mole's religion perfectly, to me. I hope more people will turn themselves to this awesome book, and learn of love, hate, death and faith.

Steyn reyne in thine herte, Staye thee hol and soint, Me desire wot I none, Blessed be thou and ful of blisse!

The book was just as good as the others in the previous series, the Duncton Chronicles. I was inspired to read the following books - Duncton Rising and Duncton Stone! I recommend the books to anybody!

Shakespeare's play, "Othello" is usually recognized as one of his "great" tragedy's (with Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth). It certainly has a quite exciting plot and great poetry. If you have not yet had an oportunity to read this great work, I recomend it strongly. It is still an intelligent treatment of race, family and civic duty, and sex. It also has one of the most interesting bad guys around - Iago.

I read it in the Arden edition, edited by Honigmann. Honigmann argues that Othello has a strong claim at being Shakespeare's greatest tragedy and makes a strong case for the work. He has a good introduction that gives a quite balanced and clear overview on many topics regarding this play, from the "double" time method Shakespeare uses, overviews of the various characters, as well as a the stage history. Amazingly, he can be remarkably balanced, even when he is talking about his own views. While he is a decent writer, Shakespeare is better... In the text itself, he gives quite ample footnotes to help explain the language, why he picked particular readings, as well as where themes came from...

Like all scholarly Shakespeare editions, the notes are in danger of overloading the text. This reader, however, recognizes the distance between myself and Shakespeare and so I find it comforting to be able to look at the notes when I have questions. At times his "longer notes" were awkward, but there is no easy way to handle this amount of material.

Othello relects the true meaning of a tragedy both in its content and its structure.Tragedy is 'a story of exceptional calamity produced by human actions, leading to the death of a man in high estate.'The downfall of Othello is caused by his own actions, rather than by his character, or rather the two work in unison to create the stage for his downfall.
This is what captured my attention when I read this play.It is very profound to realize the fact that Shakespeare uses Iago to set this stage on which Othello is a mere player.
I love the character of Iago. His total confidence, the superiority that he feels when psychoanalysing human nature, his rational thinking and intellectualism sways the reader to think: 'Wow, this is a compelling and sophisticated man we're dealing with here!'
However, my admiration of Iago does not in anyway undermine my love of Othello. His poetic and calm demeanor makes the reader feel the pity and terror for him when he falls from grace (catharsis). Yet, we are made to understand that the reason why he is made to appear a gullible and ignorant fool to some readers is that he does not have any knowledge of a delicate, domesticated life. Venetian women were foreign to him. This tragic flaw in Othello added to the circumstances used by Iago to destroy him.
The meaning, and hence the tragedy of the play is conveyed through the use of Shakespeare's language, style, literary devices and imagery. Without these dramatic effects, readers would never be able to enjoy the play as much, although the dialogue is at times difficult to decipher.
I thoroughly enjoyed Othello and it is my hope that more people find it enticing as I have. I would be delighted to contribute more of my reviews to that effect.

As a play, "Othello" encompasses many things but more than anything else it is a study of pure evil. Although Othello is an accomplished professional soldier and a hero of sorts, he is also a minority and an outcast in many ways. As a Black man and a Moor (which means he's a Moslem), Othello has at least two qualities, which make him stand out in the Elizabethan world. He is also married to a Caucasian woman named Desdemona, which creates an undercurrent of hostility as evidenced by the derogatory remark "the ram hath topped the ewe".

Othello's problems begin when he promotes one of his soldiers, Michael Cassio as his lieutenant. This arouses the jealousy and hatred of one of his other soldiers, Iago who hatches a plot to destroy Othello and Michael Cassio. When Cassio injures an opponent in a fight he is rebuked, punished, and subsequently ignored by Othello who must discipline him and teach him a lesson. Iago convinces Desdemona to intervene on Cassio's behalf and then begins to convince Othello that Desdemona is in love with Cassio.

This is actually one of the most difficult Shakespeare plays to watch because the audience sees the plot begin to unfold and is tormented by Othello's gradual decent into Iago's trap. As with other Shakespeare plays, the critical components of this one are revealed by language. When Othello is eventually convinced of Cassio's treachery, he condemns him and promotes Iago in his place. When Othello tells Iago that he has made him his lieutenant, Iago responds with the chilling line, "I am thine forever". To Othello this is a simple affirmation of loyalty, but to the audience, this phrase contains a double meaning. With these words, Iago indicates that the promotion does not provide him with sufficient satisfaction and that he will continue to torment and destroy Othello. It is his murderous intentions, not his loyal service that will be with Othello forever.

Iago's promotion provides him with closer proximity to Othello and provides him with more of his victim's trust. From here Iago is easily able to persuade Othello of Desdemona's purported infidelity. Soon Othello begins to confront Desdemona who naturally protests her innocence. In another revealing statement, Othello demands that Desdemona give him "the ocular proof". Like Iago's earlier statement, this one contains a double meaning that is not apparent to the recipient but that is very clear to the audience who understands the true origin of Othello's jealousy. Othello's jealousy is an invisible enemy and it is also based on events that never took place. How can Desdemona give Othello visual evidence of her innocence if her guilt is predicated on accusations that have no true shape or form? She can't. Othello is asking Desdemona to do the impossible, which means that her subsequent murder is only a matter of course.

I know that to a lot of young people this play must seem dreadfully boring and meaningless. One thing you can keep in mind is that the audience in Shakespeare's time did not have the benefit of cool things such as movies, and videos. The downside of this is that Shakespeare's plays are not visually stimulating to an audience accustomed to today's entertainment media. But the upside is that since Shakespeare had to tell a complex story with simple tools, he relied heavily on an imaginative use of language and symbols. Think of what it meant to an all White audience in a very prejudiced time to have a Black man at the center of a play. That character really stood out-almost like an island. He was vulnerable and exposed to attitudes that he could not perceive directly but which he must have sensed in some way.

Shakespeare set this play in two locations, Italy and Cypress. To an Elizabethan audience, Italy represented an exotic place that was the crossroads of many different civilizations. It was the one place where a Black man could conceivably hold a position of authority. Remember that Othello is a mercenary leader. He doesn't command a standing army and doesn't belong to any country. He is referred to as "the Moor" which means he could be from any part of the Arab world from Southern Spain to Indonesia. He has no institutional or national identity but is almost referred to as a phenomenon. (For all the criticism he has received in this department, Shakespeare was extrordinarlily attuned to racism and in this sense he was well ahead of his time.) Othello's subsequent commission as the Military Governor of Cypress dispatches him to an even more remote and isolated location. The man who stands out like an island is sent to an island. His exposure and vulnerability are doubled just as a jealous and murderous psychopath decides to destroy him.

Iago is probably the only one of Shakespeare's villains who is evil in a clinical sense rather than a human one. In Kind Lear, Edmund the bastard hatches a murderous plot out of jealousy that is similar to Iago's. But unlike Iago, he expresses remorse and attempts some form of restitution at the end of the play. In the Histories, characters like Richard III behave in a murderous fashion, but within the extreme, political environment in which they operate, we can understand their motives even if we don't agree with them. Iago, however, is a different animal. His motives are understandable up to the point in which he destroys Michael Cassio but then they spin off into an inexplicable orbit of their own. Some have suggested that Iago is sexually attracted to Othello, which (if its true) adds another meaning to the phrase "I am thine forever". But even if we buy the argument that Iago is a murderous homosexual, this still doesn't explain why he must destroy Othello. Oscar Wilde once wrote very beautifully of the destructive impact a person can willfully or unwittingly have on a lover ("for each man kills the things he loves") but this is not born out in the play. Instead, Shakespeare introduces us to a new literary character-a person motivated by inexplicable evil that is an entity in itself. One of the great ironies of this play is that Othello is a character of tragically visible proportions while Iago is one with lethally invisible ones.

I read the first 4 books in William Horwood's Duncton series... He's a very captivating writer, his plots are extremely good, BUT I have a major problem with the way in which he shoots down the Bible and places his own mole religion in its place - a mere twisted derivation of the Gospel. If he had to drag religion into it, couldn't he at least have invented his own instead of degrading Christ? Because of this I didn't finish the rest of his books. Christians beware - it may be an excellent read, BUT his rather inexcusable blasphemy would likely put you off too.

The Six Duncton books changed my life. William Horwood is the most amazing writer I have ever come across. These books have made me laugh, and cry in floods of tears. I've felt the pain and happiness of each and every mole in these books. I have just read the fifth book and am about to start the six. How someone can claim that this defiles the Christian religion is Rubbish, it is the Gospel occording to St Mole, thats all. It even has a "Stone Mole," a Jesus figure equivilant, who died for his beliefs. I am not a Christian, but a very open minded Wiccan, but this book taught me to look on the religion in a differnt light, with a sense of understanding and respect for what they went through. I know many Christians who have read these books and they all agree that these are some of the most amazing and beautiful books they have ever read. A guarrenteed great read.

O beez a mowle ob de Steyn, an O beez cuzin ob Laurel. O beez Birch ob Cuddesdon, dorter ob Brimmel sunn ob Loosestrife an Whillan. An dis bukk as inspyrd O. O beez prowd ob beezen Privet's great grandorter. Thnkyu awl. An Steyn reine in thine herte!

It is sad that a writer as gifted as William Horwood chose to stoop to writing a series that depicts the Bible and Jesus Christ in such a way. In his first Duncton triology he has moles following the faith of "the Word" as his antagonists, in this book a mole is martyred and executed as Jesus Christ was. This book, like the others in the series, makes an excellent secular fantasy read - the plot is really captivating and the prose is excellently written. However, his plagiatism and blasphemy of the Bible is inexcusable - instead of creating a relevant faith for his moles he had to go and twist the Christian faith around. Other than this major blodge, this is a good read.

A very good book! You gotta read 'em all

O as red dis bukk, even tho O ad diffikulty acoz O beez a mowle. Howevva, O didd manidge et! O thort et woz gurtly gudd! Privet woz my great grandmother. O duz rekomend dis bukk to enny utha mowles.