There are two and a half sets of lovers in Thomas Hardy's "The Return of the Native," which, if your math is correct and your idea of the number of lovers in a set concurs with mine, makes five people. Romance, deceit, misunderstanding, and misfortune affect their destinies, and those to whom the novel is cruelest come to tragic ends because they refuse to forgive themselves or others for mistakes.

The central tragic figure is Eustacia Vye, a young woman who has come to live on Egdon Heath with her cantankerous grandfather. Despising the dreariness of the heath and generally secluding herself from the local populace, she is somewhat of an outsider and not well liked by some in the community. She was in love with Damon Wildeve, a former engineer who now owns an inn and is not too happy about it; but their affair has since cooled and Wildeve has turned his attention to a girl named Thomasin Yeobright. Wildeve and Thomasin's wedding is aborted when the marriage license turns out to be invalid, and Thomasin, running home to her aunt in shame and anger, is caught on the rebound by Diggory Venn, her long-time admirer. A word about Venn's profession is in order: He is a "reddleman," who, not unlike the ice cream man in the summertime, rides around the heath in a van selling a strange product that shades its vendor most memorably.

Completing the quintet is Thomasin's cousin Clym Yeobright, an Egdon Heath native who is returning permanently after living for some time in Paris as a diamond merchant. Destiny eventually unites Clym and Eustacia in love, but Clym's mother does not approve of the union; she doesn't like Eustacia, and she fears their being married would prevent or discourage Clym from returning to his lucrative career in Paris. They get married anyway, as do Wildeve and Thomasin on a second try, leaving Venn as the fifth wheel but still not out of the running.

The catalyst for the tragedy of the novel involves an attempted reconciliation between Clym's mother and Eustacia, which results in the kind of ugly situation that could be cleared up by simple explanations and apologies but instead is exacerbated by normal circumstances. On top of this, Wildeve realizes he still loves Eustacia and is willing to help her in any course of action, no matter how lacking in judgment, that she thinks is an appropriate response to her plight.

This novel swells with Hardy's typical narrative genius, but no less impressive than the plot, the characters, the dialogue, and the prose, is the barren but hauntingly beautiful setting of Egdon Heath. Like the famous Casterbridge of his later novel, it is a world unto itself, defined by its own peculiar topography and populated by denizens who, with their own special jargon, customs, and folklore, act as a sort of Greek chorus towards the drama of the principal characters, commenting on events with humor and gravity. The heathmen and women don't much mind the hardships of life; they're the kind of people that will joyfully dance around their bonfires on the barrows even without musical accompaniment.

I didn't pay attention to much in high school but this book, and the tools by which to grasp it, has stayed with me through a lifetime. The heath and the people who were more of it than of the world, has remained vivid and powerfully romantic to keep me coming back to Hardy and other English authors of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The result has been part of the greatest joys in a life of reading.

Eustacia Vye is a magnificent heroine, and her power, ardor and ultimate destiny as perhaps in excess of the more common neighbors is intense and pagan and unforgettable. The heath is a pre-christian place, remote not only from civilization but from all that is ordinary. In a small country, with massive social rules, the heath is alive and in posession of a soul. They keep the ancient traditions of festivals and bonfires, the people even speak their own language. The book has enhanced battles with the elements that seem to be offended and punishing ill-fated love. No one who reads this book will forget the red man, seeming to be a favorite of those pagan gods.
This is a romance that is eternal. Read it again, or read it with an inner openness and it will repay your time and soul.

Egdon Heath is the wild and hostile environment in which Hardy's tale of love and loss takes place. The setting of the novel is inescapable and its influence so strong that the heath is almost a character in itself. The action of the novel focusses around three men and three women; Clym Yeobright, Diggory Venn and Damon Wildeve and Mrs Yeobright (Clym's mother), her niece Thomasin whom she has adopted and Eustacia Vye. The other charcters in the novel are the heath people who form a greek chorus to the novel and are occasionally used as instigators of the action. The main theme of the novel is doomed love and the way in which the characters are unable to escape their destiny. It is also interesting to note that the ending to the novel was not the one Hardy inteneded, he had intended to end it after the scene by Shadwater weir. However, his publishers demanded a more positive ending and one which I feel slightly undermines the power of the novel. Most editions have a footnote at the point where Hardy had intended to finish, allowing readers to choose which ever ending they prefer.
Hardy's characterisation is highly realistic in that the boundaries between 'good' and 'bad' characters are somewhat fluid. He also explores the idea of the 'fatal flaw' and how people inevitably destroy themselves and those they hold most dear. If you're looking for a 'feel-good' novel this is not the one to go for but if you enjoy enjoy novels like Wuthering Heights and Tess of the Durbervilles then place your order now...

This is one of the most heart-wrenching books in the series, no longer just action stories but studies in personality. It is intensely personal amidst the usual carnage. It's fascinating to watch Bolitho struggle with his promotion to Commodore and his new, enforced aloofness from shipboard affairs and his officers. Bolitho's typical concern for his crew is now extended to an entire squadron of some 2000 men, their faces no longer known but their fates wracking poor Bolitho. Particularly affecting is his struggle to contend with the failing nerve of his closest friend and protegé, flag captain Herrick, who has been with him from early days. The waters of personality move into the deeps as Bolitho rises in rank and others reach their limits. Bolitho suffers a relapse of the malarial fever at a critical junction in the cruise from Gibralter to Egypt, and rivalries among his subordinates come to the fore. Just another source of the immense tension Kent builds in this novel of the desperate British attempt to fathom Napoleon's intent for his vast Mediterranean fleet buildup. Kent again avoids including Bolitho in one of the great historical fleet actions, this time at Aboukir Bay. While he does give Bolitho a role in directing the French into a weaker position, and does explain the battle's great importance, that climactic battle passes much too remotely and quickly to satisfy.

The suspense in this series is partly the eventual goal and task set to Bolitho and mostly how Bolitho is ever going to solve impossible tactical situations at sea. The usual solution he proposes is a surprise maneuver, but what form will it take this time? Like many of Kent's book titles, "Signal - Close Action!" is a stirring phrase but barely hints at the situations and solutions to be found within. Conversely, his chapter titles too often prefigure the event. As usual it's easy to spot who will be "good" officers and who "bad," so thorough are the differences, but Kent does provide one surprising development. As always, it is absolutely vital to pay closest attention to the sailing directions (wind, tack, etc.) if you want to visualize the sea maneuvers, because Kent won't tell us in lubber's terms. The cover bears an excellent wrap-around picture, "ripped from the living text."

It is with relief that admirers of Richard Bolitho learn that when Bonaparte launched his invasion of Egypt, the dashing sea-officer was not found wanting and was in the thick of efforts to frustrate the future Emperor's knavish tricks. As Mr.Kent tells the story in this splendid addition to the Bolitho Chronicles, the experience was however a far from pleasant one, and though Bolitho deservedly flies his flag at last, he must weather illness, conflict with his old friend Herrick , betrayal by an old colleague and a ferocious battle with a French squadron in the Corfu Channel before he can lay his ship alongside the enemy in the climactic Battle of the Nile. As always the historical and technical details add colour to the story and the faithful reader gets considerable satisfaction from following the fortunes and developing characters of the hero and his colleagues. Those who enjoy this book will also find satisfaction in Brian Lavery's excellent "Nelson and the Nile", which describes the entire 1798 Mediterranean Campaign from both the British and French viewpoints in lively and entertaining prose. One is only disappointed that t omits any mention of Bolitho's pivotal role. One wonders why!

I've yet to read a Richard Bolitho book that I did not thoroughly enjoy. This one is my favorite one so far. It's full of the attention to detail, superb phrasing, and outstanding character description and development that Kent/Reeman's readers have grown accustomed to.

This work is a glittering example of why Bolitho is one of the most well-crafted and developed characters I've read. He is truly a classic hero, and with it is truly human with no trace of the superman tendencies which a lesser writer would use with the resulting lack of believability. Bolitho's foibles and imperfections are used here to great advantage.

The result is that I look forward to setting sail again with Bolitho more than ever. Any admirer of good fiction should be greatly pleased that the entire series is being reprinted and being made available in U.S. editions.

There are many books on Signals & Systems available today, but this book is different because it not only explains but it also compares the mathematical tools commonly used for the analyis and synthesis of linear systems. You don't get bored by simplistic examples, but in the contrary the examples given do show the power of these mathematical tools. As student, I read the book twice and it gave me a good understanding about the underlying principles behind linear systems. Anyone looking for a reference on linear systems at an undergraduate level will find this book very useful.

This is an excellent reference for any undergraduate studying signals and systems. It provides many clear and concise examples of hard to grasp topics such as Fourier series, Fast Fourier Transforms, convolution, and state space methods, etc. Although no solutions are provided for the chapter excercises, there are plenty of examples and explanation in the text to comprehend the topics. I highly recommend it!

This is a great book that can be used in a Signals and Systems class. The theory is presented very well. This book can be complemented with software tools such as MATLAB.

Having worked in insurance for years, I expected this book would be of interest to people like me. I was surprised, however, to find it has a much broader appeal. It was fascinating to read how commercial insurance developed in conjunction with and support of our country's development. Many will be surprised to learn of its significant role in protecting our society and promoting our economy.

The personal stories about the people who developed the business are especially enjoyable--some of the most interesting are
about founders of major brokerages and those associated with
problems at Lloyds of London in the eighties.

I recommend this book to insurance and business professionals and to general readers with interest in American history.

Spreading the Risks: Insuring the American Experience is a fascinating account of the key events shaping the development of property and casualty insurance as an indigenous American business -- from colonial times to the present day. It is based on 13 years of research by an industry insider who had unique access to insurance leaders and records. It also is the most complete account I've found of how the insurance agency and brokerage system evolved through disasters and economic transformations into the 21st century.

It has an extensive bibliography and a comprehensive index that make it especially useful as a source of information.

Spreading the Risks does an outstanding job of telling the amazing story of the insurance industry. Who knew that insurance could be so interesting?

John Bogardus and Robert Moore have clearly spent considerable time researching this material and their "real life" experience in the field shines through beautifully. This book is incredibly valuable to people in the insurance field. However, it is written in a way that also appeals to the person who is simply curious about business, history, and life in general.

The book does a great job of demonstrating how the insurance business (in the past, and now ) affects all of us.

How refreshing it is to finally see some motivation andinspiration aimed in the direction of young children. While our adultworld gets inundated with a barrage of self-help books, seminars, and infomercials, it's curious to wonder how much of this self-help would actually be required had some basic motivational principles been taught us in our formative years. "Spriggles - Motivational Books for Children" does just that, in a most fun and unique "lift-the-flap" fashion. Initially, we are welcomed into the Spriggles family by a darling group of animals who remind us that "It's great to be you, Kangaroo." From there we individually meet the entire Spriggles family, each with a simple story that any child can relate to. Each story is brief and to the point, and each accompanying rhyme offers a positive, uplifting message that a child will find himself repeating over and over.

The lift-the flap concept works perfectly here, allowing the child's natural curiosity to be satisfied by a playful rhyme. And the illustrations, penned by the authors' father, are bright, bold, and colorful, with enough detail devoted to each animal to make them as educational as they are fun.

This outstanding book is clearly both an interactive and educational tool. As well, the authors and publishers have created a Spriggles Fund, designating a portion of the proceeds towards avenues that will enhance the physical and emotional well-being of children everywhere. If that's not motivating to all of us, then what is?

The concept of Spriggles is terrific -- from the easy read, the fun illustrations, to the ease of use, to the messages imparted. Watching the grandchildren anticipate the "answers", use the flip-ups to find them, and actually learn from the inspiring thoughts motivated me as well. The book not only held their rapt attention, but they wanted to read it over and over -- memorizing the catchy slogans and learning abouts lots of animals. And now they're even trying to create their own Spriggles "sayings". The messages imparted are thoughts that I would like them to learn, so I truly look forward to the new Spriggles books which I hope will be as enchanting, educational and as effective as this one. I wholeheartedly recommend Spriggles for children, parents and grandparents.

Spriggles is a wonderful book and a great idea! My children both love it, laughing at the illustrations and begging me to lift the flap so we can say the motivational phrases together. It's become one of their favorite bedtime books. The cool part is now they've taken to running around the house repeating the phrases, telling each other "Don't say can't, ant" and "Keep on trying, lion." It's proof that teaching positive, encouraging, motivational ideas to your children can be fun....and that it works! As a bonus, it's helped their vocabulary, teaching them new words and new animals. They love going to the encyclopedia to find out more about some of the animals that are in the book. I heartily recommend Spriggles to all parents. These days children need all the encouragement and motivation they can get and Spriggles is a great way to help supply it.

How could historians have overlooked such an important and colorful piece of American history? The book is a fast read and filled with vivid descriptions. Once you read it, you won't be able to believe that something like this happened in America.

This book is probably the most complete and balanced view of the Mine Wars in West Virginia, an almost unknown yet significant part of American history. It details how and why things happened and gives very vivid accounts of the struggles of the day in the coalfields. This was the largest insurrection against our Federal Government outside of the War Between the States, and was the only time bombs have been dropped from planes on American soil. A must read for anyone interested in Appalachia or coal mining.

I really enjoyed this fascinating account of the coal wars of west virginia. Not enough has been reported about the events that occured there, and this book sheds light on the subject.

Lloyd Alexander is great at putting emotions into his books. I've never laughed out loud because a book was funny until I read his books. I loved how smart the cats were.

This is a great book about many cats who have saved the day! One of the cats saved a town from a being ruled by a king. Another cat painted a picture and reminded people better to be cats than fools. One cat even let a princess marry who she wanted. This story has many different, wonderful stories about cats that can do remarkable things. I would reccomend this book to anyone even if they dislike cats!

Lloyd Alexander is one pro-feline author, since he has written other books starring cats: THE TIME CAT and THE CAT WHO WANTED TO BE A MAN. This is a delightful little book--featuring a bold tom garbed in a cloak, who reminds me of that clever, fabled Puss in Boots. The premise of these 8 tales is simple: the cats, talk, dress and interact with humans quite naturally, although certain feline characteristics remain.

While the cats featured in each tale exhibit wit and wisdom, the merely human characters prove absurdly lacking in these desirable qualities; it takes a cat to get many of them out of their scrapes. The people prove vain, gullible, mean or greedy. However most cats are smart enough to be content with themselves just as they are. One tale provides us with an underlying theme: no cat worth his whiskers wants to be what he is not; better a cat than a (human) jackass!

The settings for these tales are not specififed, but there is a definite European flavor; the names of the characters give hints: Italy, France, Poland, Holland, England, the Middle East, and some place out of Grimm. Alexander's style is light and lively; with wry humor he pokes fun at human foibles as viewed through the intelligent eyes of cats. This is a quick and enjoyable read--a must for all cat lovers. When it comes to the short story genre, Kitka rates this a full Nine Lives!

This book by Dr. Boice (Ph.D., Basel, Switzerland) was a rich, fresh read for those suffocated by pluralism and relativism. When looking at the decay at the world, one is excited to read that the same decay was present before the Reformation. Dr. Boice expouses the same hope for today.

Dr. Boice expounds the five reformational creeds (Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Sola Scriptura, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo GLoria), the impact that they had on their world, and the possible impact that they can have on our world. Boice notes the dangers that plague our churches and our homes, relativism and pragmatism, and how each of these creeds, immersed in Scripture, provide the elixir for our dying land. Also with these Scripture Creeds, he shows the impact that Reformation minded saints can transform society.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is not as deep as many of these type of works (as scholarly as he is, Boice is a pastor and communicates as one), making it a readable work that can be read in a busy schedule.

Anyone wanting a good introduction to the doctrines of grace from a Reformed and Calvinistic perspective must look here. It is reliable and easy to read. It is geared towards the laity so anyone can pick it up and read it. The section on the 5 solas of the Reformation is very well-written.

The late James Boice was a great asset to the Kingdom of God. His books communicated great truths in an understandable manner. His last book, released almost a year after his death is no exception. With grace and gentleness, yet with a passion for the truth of Scripture, he examines evangelicalism today. His conclusion is that we have lost much of the Gospel in our churches. The lives of many Christians differ very little from the world around us! He looks back to the truths of Scripture that transformed the church during the Reformation, and says that we must return to them if we hope and truly long for revival today. We need to recover the great Reformation and Biblical doctrines of Scripture Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone and Glory to God Alone.

Here's a sample:

"No people ever rise higher than their idea of God. Conversely, the loss of the sense of God's high and awesome character always leads to the loss of a people's highest ideals, moral values, and even what we commonly call humanity, not to mention the loss of understanding and appreciation for the most essential Bible doctrines...We deplore the breakdown of moral standards in the church, even among its most visible leaders. But what do we think should happen when we have focused on ourselves and our own, often trivial needs rather than on God, ignoring his holiness and excusing our most blatant sins? To listen to many contemporary sermons one would think man's chief end is to glorify himself and cruise the malls." (pp. 151-152).

Whatever Happened to the Gospel of Grace? is a much-needed reminder of what we should again believe, and why it matters.

this major work deserves to be better known. it depicts the struggles of the people of Italy for human survival, under terrible circumstances.

Dear sir,

I want to get the "bread and Wine" book. the Book is made by Ignazio silone. I have the book but it hasn't some pages. 31-32 pages are lost. I would be very thankful if you send me a that pages.

yours truly

shanika

Hello,
My name is Scott Neely and I liked the spot illustrations that I drew for this book. It has an X-Files feel to it and is a great supplement to the role-playing game. Enjoy!
Scott

The Conspiracy X rpg is one of the coolest around, and the Aegis organisation definitely needed a source book of its own. And here it is. It has loads more stuff on Aegis, including some cool new skils 'n professions. The stuff on Aegis rocks, and the advice on operations and tactics has helped my players get further into character. All in all, an invaluable addition to any Con X player's/GM's library.