"U2 : Rattle and Hum : The Official Book of the U2 Movie : A Journey into the Heartland of Two Americas" is something that every U2 collector should have on the shelf and a book that U2 fans and music aficionados in general will enjoy. The book chronicles the making of "Rattle and Hum" from the whys of making the film to the live finale at Sun Devil Stadium.

The book takes you behind the scenes of shooting the film, telling of the challenges of making a film unlike any other previous release. It also introduces you to the principle players, both in front of and behind the camera. It discusses the band's influences and gives the stories behind various scenes.

For people who could care less about the making of "Rattle and Hum" and just want to ogle the band, this book will give you plenty to drool over. There are quite a few photos from the shoots with Anton Corbijn, as well as live shots of U2, some which have been distributed widely on the internet, some which you will see for the first time in the book. All of the photos are very beautiful and make this book a great candidate for the coffee table (which is where one of my two copies is)...It's a musical journey." Indeed!

Having worked in the heavy industrial electrical/mechanical field for the past 26 years, I have worked at many facilities similiar to those illustrated in this book. I love them! You can say what you'd like regarding their environmental impact, but I can tell you, these are great places to work. The process is usually very interesting, and the customer most always demands a quality job. So...there's some polution, but not one of you reading this review can say that your purchasing habits, and style of life has not contributed to the very images that you would now turn your nose up at. Sure, the EPA would love to have you believe that they are cleaning up the world, when the fact is, they are only driving real industry out of the USA, only to produce the same if not more 'polution' over the borders. And with our governments blessing. 'Still buying the same products, are you not? Look and see where they were made next time! It makes me sad to see these big industrial sites closed down. I love the book, because I can show my kids, and my grandkids the types of places that used to exist in this country_The type of places that has enabled us to go around as the police department of the world, and enforce what WE deem as right on every continent of the earth. It would have made a nice closing statement though, if you would have included an arial shot of the Pulp & Paper Mill that produced the pages of this book. I am assuming that is, that they were made in the USA.

In San Diego, thirteen-year-old Alexis Castille-Reed attends a pool party where the alcohol flows. An accident occurs, but fortunately no one dies. However, her upset mother "banishes" Alexis for the summer to live with her father in International Falls, Minnesota.

Alexis' dad is the authority on the bald eagles. Currently, he leads a study that is banding eaglets to gain research on their natural habitat. Alexis is put to work, but though she loves the birds, she remains angry with her father for deserting her. On a nearby island, Alexis climbs up a tree to remove a fish lure from an eagle's nest. However, when she lifts an eaglet out of the nest, she drops the bird. That error is compounded when she finds herself stranded on the island protecting the injured eaglet from nasty weather and a bear.

This is a wonderful preadolescent to young teen novel that focuses on Alexis, a person in trouble. She needs closure on her younger brother's death from cancer, but at first is not able to find a way to grieve without guilt for living and without alienating her parents also mourning in their own ways. Through the eaglet rescue, Alexis attains an understanding especially of her father whom she previously loathed as well as personal comfort. Though her parents talking with one another following their estrangement feels strained, WHEN EAGLES FALL is a strong survivalist tale that the young at heart will enjoy soaring with.

Harriet Klausner

I read this book when researching a paper I was writing on Faulkner's "Absalom, Absalom!" and it was excellent. The particular paper I was writing was on the character of Jim Bond, but I really wish I had found it earlier when I wrote one on "miscegenation" -- the racist concept of "mixed blood" in "Absalom, Absalom!". It was precise, interesting and well-researched. It is particularly helpful for anyone doing research on William Faulkner's works specifically related to people of color. It focuses on the Sutpen family, but I think there's useful information that can also be related to other works.

I've done my research before purchasing this book and I LOVE it. This book is for home decorating purpose. Projects includes napkin ring, window covering, wall hangers, lantern and more. There are projects for every skill levels. This book is great because all projects have actual pictures and written step by step instructions along with a list of material you need for each project. The authur also provides a list of tools and how you can use them to achieve a specific wire bending tasks. Some of the tools you already have in your kitchen or in your garage; all I purchased is a pair of round nose piler($3), flat nose piler($3), beads from local craft outlet and wire cutter($7),steel wire($1.99/spool that will last you many project) from home depot to start my first project. This is a very clearly written book according to me that I have no previous experience in wire crafting. I did came across some parts of instructions that aren't clear to me but I manage to figure them out. Keep in mind that all the instructional books are written in someone else's perspective even a well written book like this require some effort from the readers to interpret the message that the authur tries to communicate. One minor problem is that the authur uses milimeter to indicate the diameter or the thickness of the wire instead of gauges which is most commonly used. You can find a converting table from your local craft store it will be handy when ordering the wire online or in hardware store.
The most challenge part is learning how to use the round nose piler and other tools to manipulate wires that will need some patience and practice to master depending on how well your hand motor skills.

We've all seen the movie, we all know the story, but not quite as many of us have read "The Exorcist" in its original form, which is the novel by William Peter Blatty. In comparing the book to the film, it can't be said that the book blows the movie out of the water as both have their pros and cons over each other but the book is certainly just as suspenseful, disturbing, and delivering, if not moreso, than the movie.

Telling the story of a 12 year old girl who starts showing signs of extreme mental illness and possibly split personality, her mother, a young budding movie star begins to see signs of possession by an other-worldly presence despite the fact that she is an atheist, resulting in her calling in one Father Karras, a priest/psychiatrist who has begun to lose his faith due to the tragic death of his mother, and Father Merrin, an older man and one of the few Jesuit priests who have actually performed an exorcism in this time period. The plot may sound cliche now, especially considering how many horrible rip-offs of this story, both in writing and film, have been made since its release (including two horrible film sequels), but you have to read this with a fresh imagination to truly appreciate that this was one of the first stories of its kind, not to mention that the author had the guts to include some pretty graphic language during Regan's Satanic ramblings.

Most notably about The Exorcist is that, despite the fact that the characters are not the best ever created, they are very believable, especially Father Karras, Chris Macneil, and Lieutenant Kinderman. Father Karras' struggle for his religious faith ties in deeply to the plot as he wrestles with his own beliefs and sanity to accept the fact that the little girl he is trying to treat may very well be possessed, even as his belief in God dies slowly. This theme persists throughout the story and even as Karras is faced with the demon personified before him, he still attempts to write it off as a disease of the brain dealing with repressed guilt. This struggle to dismiss the supernatural is very human and realistic and certainly makes for a better struggle than a lot of best sellers in the last 10 years. Father Merrin's battle with the demon which goes back further than it seems is also very disturbing and Lieutenant Kinderman's ramblings and ill health are also signs of well written characters.

In addition to the characters, the plot never ceases to develop and moves at a good pace, rarely stopping for unnecessary details or pointless inclusions, managing to hook the reader within the first 10 pages with the eerie introduction taking place in Iraq. The most notable scenes and incidents are during Karl, the servant at Chris's house struggle with his daughter's condition and the final exorcism against the demon, but the rest of the plot builds to these moments quite nicely.

One comparison to the film that the book also manages to include quite graphically is the inclusion of the possessed Regan's filthy, demoralizing use of language. She makes numerous references to religion which some may find disturbing, but her choice of words only make the belief that she is possessed stronger and more to the point. You don't have to have any religious beliefs or any opinion on demonic possession one way or another to enjoy this as its one of those "must read" novels for the horror fan and is a page turner whether you're Catholic and actually buy into the plot or hardcore atheist just reading it for the thrills. Anyone who enjoys horror is sure to find something in The Exorcist. It's before possession became cliche and is horror in its finest form.

A wonderful book, that is everything a good horror novel should be:witty, intelligent, thought provoking, and most of all SCARY! Though I currently am unsure of where my beliefs lie, the author has cleverly set up his story in a way that it can be read two ways: one, an actual demon has taken control of Regan's body.Two: Regan is suffering from a massive breakdown, as all of the behavior she exhibits, including mind reading can explained away by any good psychologist. Or least recognized as being exemplary of some abnormal mental state. Even those who are agnostic, such as I, can be shaken, knowing there are people LIKE Regan in the world, only their condition is sadly not easily cured through prayer, and holy water. I consider The Exorcist however, to be cheifly a character study, where Regan 's "possesion" serves as an ink blot. How the charecters respond to this phenomenon is more revelatory of him or her than the condition. Karras's first thoughts for example is that she needs psychiatric care. He is a priest in name only, as he functions in a natural world where supernatural influence is wholly absent. Chris herself is atheist, but has no trouble consulting a priest when all else fails. Her belief system(which constitutes of none at all) is shaky. By the end she even states that she could believe in satan, but oddly, not in God."The Devil keeps doing commericials", she says with a weary sigh. The depth with which Blatty imbues his creations makes for a very satsifying reading experience, as few horror tales allow us to get to know and empathize with characters before they start to drop like flies, prefering a coveyer belt approach where the death of one character is immediately followed by another and another. The Exorcist is a very good buy that draws many parallels with another classic of the genre, the Silence of the Lambs, only here the captive beast is not quite the erudite charmer, and the main character's quest is not for a crazed serial killer, but rather discovering the mystery of faith.

When I first heard about "The Exocist" it was from a friends mom. She told me that the movie she saw as a teenager was different then the one we were about to see. She was telling me all these gory parts that they had to cut out of the movie. When the movie first started I thought it would be cheesey or something. But I started to get really scared by the end I was just like shaken. Just seeing a 12 year old girls head spinning was horrific! My friend and I went to the libary the next weekend. While I was looking at some books, a book feel from they shelf behind me. It was "The Exorcist". I sat down and started to read it soon I couldn't stop. I took it out and read about a little more than half before my mother found it. She told me it wasn't meant for people my age (13). She took it back and I haven't really thought about the movie or the book since. But now I'm always scared the devil will come after me. I can't even close my eyes in the shower anymore.....

William Nicholson's "The Wind Singer" tells the story of Kestrel and Bowman Hath, a twin sister and brother who live in the city of Aramanth. Aramanth is a joyless city, divided into color-coded districts, with White being the best and Gray the worst. Families are ranked based on the results of yearly examinations, and everyone is told to strive harder, reach higher, and better themselves.

Kestrel gets fed up and publicly insults the High Examiners, the Emperor, and the whole way of life in Aramanth. This puts her whole family in danger, and she, Bowman and Mumpo (a hapless boy in their class at school) go on a quest to find the voice of the Wind Singer, a strange contraption at the heart of Aramanth, which has been silent for hundreds of years. Meanwhile, their parents are fighting for their dignity and freedom in Aramanth.

The book is a wonderful fantasy, very inventive. In addition to the thoroughly unpleasant culture of Aramanth, we meet the mud people who live under the city, the Baraka and Chaka who travel the desert plains in great wheeled ships, the disturbing "old children," and the unstoppable Zars, who serve as the army of the Morah, an evil being who holds the voice of the Wind Singer. Unfortunately, the later stages of the quest, once Kestrel, Bowman and Mumpo leave the plains, are not nearly as detailed and absorbing as the first two thirds of the book.

"The Wind Singer" is a lovely, fun book, which manages to deliver a message without beating readers over the head. Though it's the first book of a trilogy, it stands very well on its own, leaving only a few dangling hints unresolved. However, it's aimed at people between 8 and 12 years old; adults and teens should adjust their expectations accordingly.

The wind singer is a wonderful book filled with adventure, suspense, and imagination. If you liked Harry Potter, or The Lord of the Rings, there's a good chance you'll like this book, too. Kestrel, a strong individual, is unhappy with the perfect, orderly society in which she lives. The wind singer, a peculiar struture that was supposed to at one time sing and bring peace and harmony to the people of Aramanth, has always been a special interest of Kestrel's. But the wind singer's voice was given to the evil Morah long ago in exchange for his army of Zars to leave Aramanth. Armed with courage and determination, Kestrel, her brother Bowman, and a classmate named Mumpo, must bring the voice back in order to restore happiness and equality to their home and its people.

The Wind Singer takes you into a world where anything can happen. It's about Kestrel and Bowman, twins, that can secretly somehow talk to eachother through their heads. It is also about Mumpo, who is a drooly geek with a big secret. They live in Amarath and it is not how they want it to be. They set out on a seemingly endless journey to fix their community. They meet friendly foes and evil villains along the way. Will they conquer their goal while still conquering their fears? Will they stay together and find knew friends and meet somepeople that they thought they would never see again? Will a legendary story turn out to become true? Read The Wind Singer and find out the misteries and excitment of this thrilling book that you won't be able to put down.

Since the age of 12 (I'm in my 30's now), I have tried to absorb everything Shakespeare. Even though I have trepidations about film adaptations of the Bard's work, I had to see this film based on the prodigious talent of Emma Thompson. I'm glad I gave into my gut instinct, for her portrayal of Beatrice is so natural and glorious, you will actually get swept away with her performance and believe that she actually IS Beatrice!

Most of the supporting cast is also wonderful. Hats off to the performances by Denzel Washington (Don Pedro), Richard Briers (Seigneur Leonato), Brian Blessed (Seigneur Antonio), Michael Keaton (Constable Dogberry), and a absolutely stunning performance by Kate Beckinsale (Hero). The exceptions in the casting are Keanu Reeves (Don John), Robert Sean Leonard (Claudio) and...yes...Kenneth Brannagh (Benedick). Fortunately Reeves' role is small. Leonard's performance seems too contrived, to the point of distraction. And even though this is Brannagh's baby, Brannagh himself portrays the role of Benedick with a smugness that is a bit nauseating. If you read the play, Benedick is not smug at all. Though I enjoy Brannagh's other work, he seems to use Shakespeare as a way to show superiority. I have seen this in other actors, and find such action reprehensible. Shakespeare wrote plays for people to enjoy and to indugle in escapism...not to give people an excuse to be a snob.

Having said that, this film is very enjoyable, and I've actually had friends become Shakespeare addicts after seeing this particular film. I, personally, particularly love the Tuscan locations, and the costuming is wonderful! No over-the-top lacey outfits in this film, but rather those that would be suited to the climate. This adds another depth of reality that pulls you into the story.

If you are a fan of Shakespeare, or any of the aforementioned actors, this movie is a must-see. It's actually one of the very few film versions of a Shakespeare play that I own. This particular interpretation allows the viewer to become comfortable with Shakespeare's style, thus creating an interest in his other work. Well worth the purchase. And yes, it's VERY funny!

"Much Ado About Nothing" is a beautifully made, performed, and directed film by the incomparable Kenneth Branaugh. This film includes an all-star cast that give wonderful performances and draw you into the lives of the characters. The plot is somewhat complicated, so I'll give a general version. The film is basically about love, misunderstanding, scandal, revenge, virtue, and bravery. That's a lot for one film, but believe me, it's all in there!

Kenneth Branaugh, Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, and Michael Keaton give excellent performances in this film that you wouldn't want to miss. Although the film is a period piece and the Shakespearean language is used, you will have no difficulty understanding it perfectly.

The scenery and landscape in this film are exquisite as well. I never thought there could be such a beautiful, untouched place like that on earth. I would suggest watching the film just for the beautiful landscape, but it's the performances and the story that you should really pay attention to.

Anyone who loves Shakespeare would absolutely love this film! Anyone who loves Kenneth Branaugh and what he has done for Shakespeare in the past 10 or 15 years will appreciate this film as well! There isn't one bad thing I can say about this film. Definitely watch it, you won't be disappointed!!!

One of the problems with Shakespeare's comedies, an English professor once told me, is that they are not funny. Now, this is not to say that Shakespeare was a bad comedy writer, or that this professor had no sense of humour. In fact, quite the opposite--he had turned his sense of humour and love of humour into an academic career in pursuit of humour.

What he meant by the comment was, humour is most often a culture-specific thing. It is of a time, place, people, and situation--there is very little by way of universal humour in any language construction. Perhaps a pie in the face (or some variant thereof) does have some degree of cross-cultural appeal, but even that has less universality than we would often suppose.

Thus, when I suggested to him that we go see this film when it came out, he was not enthusiastic. He confessed to me afterward that he only did it because he had picked the last film, and intended to require the next two selections when this film turned out to be a bore. He also then confessed that he was wrong.

Brannagh managed in his way to carry much of the humour of this play into the twentieth century in an accessible way -- true, the audience was often silent at word-plays that might have had the Elizabethan audiences roaring, but there was enough in the action, the acting, the nuance and building up of situations to convey the same amount of humour to today's audience that Shakespeare most likely intended for his groups in the balconies and the pit.

The film stars Kenneth Brannagh (who also adapted the play for screen) and Emma Thompson as Benedict and Beatrice, the two central characters. They did their usual good job, with occasional flashes of excellence. Alas, I'll never see Michael Keaton as a Shakespearean actor, but he did a servicable job in the role of the constable (and I shall always remember that 'he is an ass') -- the use of his sidekick as the 'horse' who clomps around has to be a recollection of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where their 'horses' are sidekicks clapping coconut shells together.

I'll also not see Keanu Reeves as a Shakespearean, yet he was perhaps too well known (type-cast, perhaps) in other ways to pull off the brief-appearing villian in this film.

Lavish sets and costumes accentuate the Italianate-yet-very-English feel of this play. This film succeeds in presenting an excellent but lesser-known Shakespeare work to the public in a way that the public can enjoy.

Slavery was known as a "peculiar institution". By broadcasting such labels for slavery, the southern slave owners were able to downplay the severity of the subjugation of slaves in this "peculiar institution". However, in 1845 a runaway slave by the name of Frederick Douglass was published his narrative which showed the extent of the cruelty within of the oppressive the institution of American slavery. Douglass gives a powerful portrayal of his personal struggle against the tyranny of himself and his fellow slaves. By depicting his personal story regarding the horrors of slavery, Douglass testified to the injustices of the slave institution and conveyed an urgent message of the time for prompt abolition.
Douglass leaves out no detail as he portrays the brutal means in which slaves were forced into subjugation. In order to maintain order and to achieve maximum efficiency and productivity from his slave, an owner used the fear of the ever-present whip against his slaves. Over, and over again throughout the Narrative, Douglass gives account of severe beatings, cruel tortures, and unjust murders of slaves. The message is evident. Slavery dehumanized African Americans.
From the introduction of his early experience, Douglass portrays the burdens of slavery. The reader is forced to cope with the fact that he has no tangible background. Slavery has robbed him of the precious moments of his childhood. He was raised in the same manner as one would raise an animal. In his early years he had no knowledge of time-he did not even know when he was born. He is also forced to scrounge for food in the same fashion as a pig digs for slop. The saddest insight is the alienation of Douglass from his family. He has no connection with his parents and when his mother dies he was untouched. On hearing of her death he states, "I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger" (19). The bond between mother and child is the strongest bulwark for children and to be robbed of this and to not care demonstrates just how severe slavery was to Douglass and countless others who faced the same fate. In the entire slave experience, the only escape from the repression was through sorrowful singing. As Douglass states, "every tone was a testimony against slavery..." and "slaves sing the most when they are unhappy" (29). Only through music could slaves find comfort in dealing with their anguish.
Douglass's first witness of brutality is the telling of his Aunt Hester's beating. The narration is powerfully effective through terrible detail. The cursing of the overseer, the shrieks of his aunt, and the horrible effects the whip upon her flesh is almost as agonizing the reader of the Narrative as it was to his unfortunate aunt. The fact that this terrible instance is a common occurrence makes it a heavier burden upon the reader's soul.
As if the beatings were not enough, slaves were also murdered on a whim. Douglass tells of Gore, a meticulously cold taskmaster who blew out the brains of a poor slave by the name of Demby. The chilliness of Gore's is terrible due the fact that he kills with the sympathy of a butcher.
Upon hearing about this, one would speculate that the authorities would deal with such barbaric acts justly. However, as Douglass recounts in the story Mrs. Hicks, the murderess that killed a slave girl for not moving fast enough, the law officials were hesitant to enforce the rights of the slave and would intentionally overlook such matters. This is primarily due to the fact that a slave owning society could not allow the rights of the slave to be upheld to the same level as a white man. To do such a thing would threaten the stability of their superiority. This is further illustrated in Douglass's struggle against the shipyard workers, when he fled to his master and told him of the attack his master stated that he could not hold up Douglass or even a thousand blacks testimony. The lack of protection under the law and the unwillingness of the whites to give the slaves a voice allowed the whites to completely dominate the slaves without the fear of accountability for their actions.
The worst aspect of slavery is found in the religious nature of the subjugation of slaves. The cruelty found in slavery was even more intense when placed under the pretense of the slaveholding religion of Christianity. Through Douglass's deconstruction of Christianity, he learns that the white oppressive version of Christianity is much different from his own beliefs of Christianity. The incident that shaped Douglass's understanding of the mentality of religious slaveholders was when he was placed under the authority of Mr. Freeland. In this situation, he was able to see the difference between the so-called "religious slave-holders" and "non-religious slave-holders." Douglass felt that the "non-religious slave-holders" were less brutal because they did not reprimand their slaves based on a Divine command. Instead they were more concerned about reprimanding the slaves when the slaves did wrong as opposed to whenever they felt that the Lord professed a beating.
The Narrative and Selected Writings is a powerful testimony to the struggles American slaves faced. Through the writings of men such as Frederick Douglass, abolitionists were given fuel to the bonfire of the Abolition Movement. Douglass honest testimony helped to bring out the truth about slavery. Abolitionists now had evidence to back their claim that the "peculiar institution" was in fact an institution of evil.

"Keep the black man away from the books, keep us ignorant, and we would always be his slaves... Come hell or high water - even if it cost me my life - I was determined to read," wrote Frederick Douglass.
This fiery autobiography, written as anti-slavery propaganda, told of his struggle to gain freedom, identified his "owner", and became a 19th century antional bestseller. Long before Uncle Tom's Cabin opened the eyes of sentimental Northerners to the evils of slavery, Douglass' chronicle inspired the small abolitionist movement and challenged the conscience of the United States to live up to the heroic ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence... "all men are created equal."
The publication of this masterpiece also forced Douglass into exile in England for two years to avoid capture by slave traders. British supporters eventually "purchased" Douglass allowing this great American to return to the United States and live in freedom.
While the battle against slavery was won almost 150 years ago, this autobiography's remains a very powerful tool against racism, ignorance, and historical amnesia. This book should be required reading, for all American schoolchildren, in the middle school and excerpts should be constantly used in high school and college courses. Adult literacy centers should find this story a powerful inspiration too.

Perhaps more so than any other account, Douglass gives us a look into the life of a slave. I enjoy this book on many level. Douglass writes honestly and in a factual tone. He does mince his words when he describes the brutality of slavery. Douglass demonstrates that he is an intelligent man despite his lack of education. He taight himself to read. To our youth, this demonstrates the value of education. Douglass also show Americans manipulated the work of God even in his time. Yet, Douglass found strength in that God. I think the quality I enjoyed most about this book is the fact that Douglass does not see himself as a hero, but as an average slave. This is not a typical characteristic of an autobiography. I read this book for the second time coming and going on 3 hour flights. The book is a short read, but well worth your time to read of atriumph of the human spirit.

William Makepeace Thackeray subtitled "Vanity Fair", his masterful comic novel, "A Novel Without a Hero". But while this big, baggy eight-hundred page monstrosity of comic characters and situations may lack a hero, it has two of the most memorable characters in English literature: Amelia Sedley and Becky Sharp. The contrapuntal, shifting fortunes of these two women drive the narrative of this big book, painting, along the way, a brilliant satirical portrait of English and European society at the time of the Napoleonic wars. We first meet Amelia and Becky in the opening pages of the novel, leaving Miss Pinkerton's School for the wider world of fortune, love and marriage. Amelia Sedley, the naive, sheltered daughter of a rich London merchant whose fortunes will dramatically change over the course of her life, "was a dear little creature; and a great mercy it is, both in life and in novels, which (the latter especially) abound in villains of the most sombre sort, that we are to have for a constant companion so guileless and good-natured a person." In contrast, Becky Sharp, the impoverished orphan of an artist and a French opera singer of dubious repute, was a calculating, amoral social climber. "Miss Rebecca was not, then, in the least kind or placable . . . but she had the dismal precocity of poverty." From the opening pages, Thackeray captures the reader's interest in these two characters and carries the reader through marriages, births, deaths, poverty, misfortune, social climbing . . . even the Battle of Waterloo! While Amelia and Becky wind like a long, contrasting thread from the beginning to the end of this story, there are also plots and subplots, intrigues and authorial asides, and one character after another, all of this literary invention keeping the reader incessantly preoccupied and enthralled. Reading "Vanity Fair" is the furthest thing from "killing time" (as the dusty, misguided literary critic F. R. Leavis once said); it is, rather, the epitome of the nineteenth century English comic novel, a masterpiece in every sense of the word.

William Makepeace Thackeray subtitled "Vanity Fair", his masterful comic novel, "A Novel Without a Hero". But while this big, baggy eight-hundred page monstrosity of comic characters and situations may lack a hero, it has two of the most memorable characters in English literature: Amelia Sedley and Becky Sharp. The contrapuntal, shifting fortunes of these two women drive the narrative of this big book, painting, along the way, a brilliant satirical portrait of English and European society at the time of the Napoleonic wars.

We first meet Amelia and Becky in the opening pages of the novel, leaving Miss Pinkerton's School for the wider world of fortune, love and marriage. Amelia Sedley, the naive, sheltered daughter of a rich London merchant whose fortunes will dramatically change over the course of her life, "was a dear little creature; and a great mercy it is, both in life and in novels, which (the latter especially) abound in villains of the most sombre sort, that we are to have for a constant companion so guileless and good-natured a person." In contrast, Becky Sharp, the impoverished orphan of an artist and a French opera singer of dubious repute, was a calculating, amoral social climber. "Miss Rebecca was not, then, in the least kind or placable . . . but she had the dismal precocity of poverty."

From the opening pages, Thackeray captures the reader's interest in these two characters and carries the reader through marriages, births, deaths, poverty, misfortune, social climbing . . . even the Battle of Waterloo! While Amelia and Becky wind like a long, contrasting thread from the beginning to the end of this story, there are also plots and subplots, intrigues and authorial asides, and one character after another, all of this literary invention keeping the reader incessantly preoccupied and enthralled. Reading "Vanity Fair" is the furthest thing from "killing time" (as the dusty, misguided literary critic F. R. Leavis once said); it is, rather, the epitome of the nineteenth century English comic novel, a masterpiece in every sense of the word.

"Vanity Fair" is Thackeray's masterpiece and on a par with the best of Dickens' work. Alternating deftly between tragedy and comedy, it is a story rich in character development and historical accuracy. The famous pre-Waterloo ball given by the Duchess of Richmond is described in detail and is one of the highlights of the book. Becky Sharp is certainly a model for all the other treacherous femme fatales that follow her in literature, particularly Scarlett O'Hara. "Vanity Fair" is undoubtedly one of the great works of the 1900's and it has surely stood the test of time. It may be "A Novel Without a Hero" but its characters are real flesh and blood human beings.