Among More's last works, "A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation" is one of his most important. There are scholarly editions, from Yale and the University of Indiana Press, and there are popular editions from Everyman and Septer that are available. More wrote this book in the Tower of London as he awaited execution, but the style is not the raging virtupretive one he used when confuting Tyndale. There are "merry tales" such as the one about the German who was never satiate his own praise, in Book Three Chapter 10, but most of the book is given over to meditation on death. More has two characters, Anthony a young man, and Vincent, his aged Uncle. They are placed in Budapest and they are fearful of an impending invasion by the Turks. More's story has been read as thinly veiled alagory of his own situation. Anthony standing in for More's son-in-law William Roper, and Vincent for More himself. That may be putting it too simplistically, but it is a good starting point. Unlike More's best known work "Utopia," "A Dialogue of Comfort" was not written in Latin, but in English. I doubt one in a thousand readers have read More's classic in the original Latin, but everyone who reads English can read More's "Dialogue of Comfort" without the aid of translation. This is a spiritual book. In this book More asks where shall comfort come from. More answers his own question: "For God is and must be your comfort, and not I."

If I could I would give this book -5 stars. Due to it's lack of plot, Character development, or reality. All the characters in this book are so fickle, and extreme in their emotions that you can not help not caring for their situation. There is apx. 4 chapters of worthless writing before the plot! Mr. Manely never tells how cocks are raised, what they need, nor do you get to know the boy or his cock. Finally this book has extremely vulgar refrences. Usually relating to sex. If you would like a good read I suggest Maya Angelou's "I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS." It is intelligent, smart, intresting, thought provacative and brings you into Ms. Angelou's world. Happy reading !

Frank Manely expertly weaves a tale of one family's struggle. The story is that of a thirteen-year-old boy who assists his father who raises roosters. Sonny, the son of Jake and Lily, is finally going to be allowed to handle the roosters at the cockfights. The big day arrives and the prize rooster, is prepared to fight. However Sonny has made a pecadillo, he did not notice that Lion has "the white head." This aillment will cause Lion to die. Manely's characters captivate.

thank you for your review of "one weak to freedom"

From mail-order Asian brides to half-naked priests, Frank Manley's vision of contemporary America extends far beyond the boundaries of tradition. In "Among Prisoners," a collection of short stories, Manley's characters are reflections of humor and solemnity, confusion and understanding. Trapped within an irrational world, these characters transcend the standard roles of heroes and heroines. Mary, the housekeeper, struggles to hold onto her newfound happiness, all the while knowing that it may vanish within a brief moment. Mr. Butterfly, an army veteran, repeatedly marries women who can barely speak his language, and is either too cheap or simply too unlucky to divorce them. Margaret Winchell, a lonely widow, seeks to rediscover her girlhood home, opting to bury herself in the past rather than embrace an indefinite future. And following a battle of wills on the courthouse roof, a determined prisoner finds freedom in the face of condemnation. Not all of the characters are likable, and some are downright bizarre. However, Manley deftly structures the stories in such a way that the reader cannot help feeling a certain empathy toward these lost people. One feels almost voyeuristic, as though the conversations in the book were never meant to go beyond the rocking chairs or the worn seats of the municipal bus where they are taking place. Manley's tactics work; the dialogue is comedic in parts, serious in others, and is largely intriguing. "Among Prisoners" is a fast read, but not necessarily an easy one. Not overly concerned with mapping the futures of his characters, Manley leaves much to the imagination. He has created these people he does not claim to fully understand them, and many questions slip by unanswered. Yet this elusiveness is what gives the stories their unconventional appeal, and illuminates Manley's appreciation of the complexities of human nature.

I have been a fan of Mr Howard for nearly 12 years now, which in my opinion, makes me a bit of a connoisseur, and frankly this book was a bit of a disappointment. Undoubtedly the contributing writers are well-respected and immensely able but their writing lacked the Howardian flavour I have come to love. Ghor's sudden personality shifts are hard to follow and the various ideas in the story lack sufficient depth. This book is not the way Mr Howard would have written it. Nevertheless, this should be read because the original idea belonged to the great REH.

Ghor is a nice blend of Conan and the Cthulhu Mythos together. Abandoned as a child because of a deformity, Ghor is adopted by a pack of wolves. Raised by them, he adopts the ways of the wolf, yet when he meets up with humanity joins them. Constantly struggling with his wolf upbringing and his human surroundings, Ghor becomes a mighty war hero wherever he goes.

This is an excellent adventure book that takes a Conan like hero and plots him against all sorts of evil (and good), including some Cthulhu creations as well.

Originally Ghor was an unfinished story by Conan creator Robert Howard. Upon finding this unfinished story, a magazine decided to finish it. What they did was have a different chapter every month written by a different top fantasy writer. It made the reading interesting.

While most of the chapters were great. Some were excellent. Unfortunately there were a couple chapters that I just wanted to get through to reach the next writers' chapter. Overall a really good read.

I WAS VERY SUPRISED ABOUT HOW WELL THIS STORY CAME OFF. THE VARIUOS WRITERS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB IN WRITING AN EXCITING BOOK THAT FLOWED SMOOTHLY. IT DID NOT COME OFF AS A SERIES OF SHORT STORIES. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT BOOK FOR ROBERT E. HOWARD FANS, AND FANS OF FANTASY IN GENERAL.