Even if you are like me and do not tolerate most love stories, you will savor this one. The author coaxes the reader into the book with a preface describing the excavation of an ancient nunnery during which is found the skull of a young girl whose copper hair continues to grow. The novel itself concerns the somewhat sickly, neglected child, Sierva Maria who is considered to be possessed by demons after having been bitten by a rabid dog. At her birth, her father, the Marquis, makes a deal with the Virgin Mary that if the child lives, her hair will not be cut until she is married. Her demonic possession, however, makes it unlikely that her hair will ever be cut. [The book's preface creates a curiosity within the reader to discover what happens to Sierva Maria.] As a result of her dog-bite/demonic possession, she is sent to a convent that is to prepare her for exorcism. Here, she falls in love with the priest who is to perform the task, and he with her. The story is touching and humorous, especially when dealing with interchurch squabbles. But the plot is somewhat incidental when compared with the magic of the words themselves. Even in translation, Marquez' writing is sublime and velvety, a treat for the sweet-tooth of the mind. It is the writing itself, rather than the action of the story, that propels the reader to the novel's conclusion. And it is only at the novel's end that the reader realizes that she/he does care about the fate of the characters; which makes the outcome moving and emotional, even for the least sentimental among us. Find out what happens to Sierva Maria and her flowing copper hair, and enjoy rich, sweet language that drips down your mind's chin like the juice of a fat ripe mango. mmm.

I have never written a review in these type of venues, as I never find them useful. Books are a matter of taste and liking them depends much on your depth of knowledge and sometimes the mood you are in.
However, I feel compelled to respond to a negative review of this book. And believe me, I am not a touchy feely type of guy either.
Although everyone is entitled to their opinion, it is not fair to give the impression that this book is anything but brilliant.

The reader must understand that the simplicity of the story allows you to layer your own thoughts and (yes) feelings. This book is very different than any other Garcia Marquez book. It is a mood book, but in a different way than "100 years...". This book aims to capture your heart. Just like "...times of cholera" you fall in love with the story that is not being told directly.
Forget the reviews and find out for yourself. Allow yourself to be immersed, and fall in love with this little book. (if you can, read it in Spanish)

An absolutely incredible short book that takes you into a world of mystery, love,cruelty, superstition and relationships in the colonial period of Latin America between the church and state. The editorial reviews give a good summary of the plot but there is so much more to a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel. The author has an uncanny ability to draw the reader in very close to the characters lives, participating in the unfolding story, empathizing with the trials and tribulations and being an active participant in the story that is unfolding. The story is void of any plot complexities which allows the reader to become emotionally involved with the characters for a gut wrenching experience. The story reveals the relationships within a multuicultural colonial society, the mistrust of African ancestry by the church and the resulting deeper bond that is created by the suppression of beliefs. The interaction by the characters is super. When Sierva Maria is confronted by the Abbess, who represents the oppresive church in her cell, the result is full of rich imagery as the heroine takes on her captors while captive and literally all hell breaks loose. This plus her special bond with others as she sings makes the Abbess further believe that she has supernatural powers. They even ludicrously assert that she has wings. This story from the imagination of Marquez reveals the demented views of the Inquisition and the lengths it would go to to keep Christianity in the New World free from foreign traditions. Inspired by family legend and an editorial assignment to write about a burial crypt uncovered in an old convent, Marquez delivers a story not to t be forgotten. Less dense than some of his other works, this book is a good starting point or a place to reaquaint oneself with one of the best writers Latin America has produced. Recommended for anyone interested in Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Latin American literature or historical novels. Most people will find that this little book delivers a story for the ages.

Tennessee Williams is one of my favorite playwrights because he was not afraid to define the stage and setting as much as the story and characters. Not About Nightingales is a great example of this. I performed in my high school's production of this play (we cut the gay character, welcome to surburbia...) although in a minor role, Shapiro. I think the staging guidance that Williams provides is great, and the core story is also very effective at illustrating the terrible conditions in prisons at the time the book was written.

However, there are lines that make me wince. Eva, the only female with any development, is stereotypical and has some horrendous lines here and there. "Explosions are such a...waste...of energy." It reads badly, and sounds worse on stage. There are others, with most of the major characters. These grate on the nerves when you're trying to believe in the intense drama that otherwise pervades the work.

Also, it's possible to see that Williams was indeed a younger writer when he wrote this than other works like The Glass Menagerie. His minor characters have no development whatsoever, and exist simply to portary the variety of races and ethnicities effected by poor prison conditions. Shapiro, for instance, is Jewish. At one point, dying, he says, "My people are used to suffering." Perhaps, but this sounds more like a Rabbi than a prisoner. The spanish prisoner, Mex, is essentially the same. Queenie, the gay character, is just...well...outrageously effeminate. It's hard to believe he survived his first few weeks in prison. I'd rather see more development of Butch/Jim and Jim/Eva. The lead roles in this play are great parts. Conflict is real and omnipresent for them. Jim and Butch are characters I'll remember forever. The Warden, too, is a great sadistic villian.

You have to make a leap of faith with this book, but it's worth the effort. If you can see the play professionally, do it.

Torn among O'Neill's rarely seen "The Iceman Cometh" and Miller's haunting "Death of a Salesman", I chose "Not About Nightingales" as the outstanding production on a recent trip to NYC. I was fortunate and honored to have seen this work with Corin Redgrave playing one of the major roles. This is, without a doubt, the best play of the 1998-1999 season on Broadway. It is a wonderful blend of William's poetry and some of the harshest, physical action I have seen on a stage. The entire cast was a joy to watch! Since theater is also literature, I'm positive you will enjoy reading this beautifully rough work by one of America's finest playwrights.

I love this play. I was fortunate enough to get to see it in New York with the entire original cast. The writting is beautiful. The play is so masterfully written that you won't want it to end. It's complete with the perfect ending, the perfect opening, the right amount of comedy and tragedy, and spectacular dialogue. The play is wonderfully engaging, and I would love to see it again. The characters are so clearly written and each have a life of their own. Get the play -- it's a masterpiece.

Someone used the word snippet to describe what is included in this production; it is a good term. So, snippet it is; but what has been included gives no introduction, no explanation, no explication, no nothing. The tape is of different bits of Shakespeare's plays which run rapidly into each other. To get any fair use out of this work the listener needs to sit with a printed copy of the complete works sitting on his or her lap otherwise the whole exercise is meaningless. Shakespeare requires understanding what is being said in context. This tape would be better served if it included a brief introduction regarding which play the snippet came from and how the dialog ties in with the action. Without this information only those who have read all the plays will not be lost. There are not many who can claim that background. So, as a stand-alone audio, for most of us, this tape is a sad waste.

I want buy this produce and i curiositied how it?

I own this on cassette, and hope that it will soon be released on CD.

I play it almost every 3 months or so especially as I search for new audition monologues.
It is a great way to hear various interpretations of speeches, snippets from some of the more less performed plays (Henry VIII and Coriolanus are two examples), and some of the theater's best actors in their finest roles.

Highly recommend

I'm not really sure what I expected when I purchased a used copy of Vanessa Redgrave's autobiography. Maybe, it was to get a glimpse of an artist's perspective on acting. That certainly was not however what I ended up taking away from this bio. Rather, a wealth of information about politics and the Redgrave family is quickly thrust upon you within the first few pages. Once you sort out who everyone is, then you must go and cross-reference the political background of the times. This is where things started to get rough. Redgrave's writing is peripatetic and disjoiunted in style making it a difficult read. Once you get beyond the first few chapters however, her passion for politics and acting overwhelms you (in a good way) and you become caught up in the formation of her performing and political conscious.

The best part of the bio are the early letters she includes --written to both her father and various cousins-- which are witty, passionate, and illustrate perfectly the young Redgrave's thirst for knowledge and understanding. A warning to the potential reader: if you are not well-versed in the history of England, or the political parties or politics of the East, I urge you to consider some background reading in conjunction with this book as it is necessary to have a handle on some aspect of her writing before you attempt to follow her political path.

This is a CD of straight Aesop's fables followed by the narrator trying to turn the moral into common language. Aesop's read better than they listen - at least for me. My kids really didn't like it because the stories are short (only about 1 minute) and the "real life applications" didn't make sense to them or me. Overall, I wouldn't recommend it unless you just want somebody to read the stories to you.