I have read this story to my daughter every Christmas since we first got it. We both love it! It focuses on the real meaning of Christmas as a time for family and love rather than all the fancy, expensive presents we see so much today. When we talk about the story we are able to see how the love in our own family is what makes Christmas special.

My children (ages 3&4) loved this book! We rented it so much from the local library that it was well worth the money to buy it.

Fun, fun, fun! My kids love the Slim Jim Watkins books, and this new addition is no exception. Cowgirl Gabby proves to the rough and tumble cowboys that a few kind words have the power to tame both man and beast. Knowlton has managed to provide plenty of humor with a positive message for young and old. Her use of simile and metaphor provide the flavor of the old west while tickling the funnybone of the reader ("horse is as jumpy as popcorn in a skillet"). Rice's illustrations are visually appealing, and compliment the text well. This is a winner for readers of all ages. With Slim Jim's sweet talk to Gabby at the end of the story, I wonder if the next installment will involve a weddin'?

Master storyteller and social critic, Charles Dickens, turns this social treatise on shortcomings of Victorian society into an entertaining and heartwarming Christmas ghost story which has charmed generations and become an icon of Christmas traditions. Who, in the Western world has not heard, "Bah, Humbug!" And who can forget the now almost hackneyed line of Tiny Tim, "God bless us, every one!" or his cheerfully poignant observation, that he did not mind the stares of strangers in church, for he might thus serve as a reminder of He who made the lame, walk and the blind, see. Several movie versions: musical, animated, updated, or standard; as well as stage productions (I recall the Cleveland Playhouse and McCarter Theatre`s with fondess.) have brought the wonderful characterizations to the screen, as well as to life. This story of the redemption of the bitter and spiritually poor miser, and the book itself; however, is a timeless treasure whose richness, like Mrs Cratchit`s Christmas pudding, is one that no production can hope to fully capture.

It's hard to think of a literary work that has been filmed and staged in more imaginative variations than Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"--there's the excellent George C. Scott version, the delightful Muppet version, the charming Mr. Magoo version, etc., etc. But ultimately true "Carol" lovers should go back to Dickens' original text, which remains a great read.

"Carol" tells the story of cold-hearted miser Ebenezer Scrooge, who despises the Christmas holiday and scorns all who celebrate it. But a visit from a series of supernatural beings forces him to reevaluate his attitude--and his life.

With this simple plot Dickens has created one of the enduring triumphs of world literature. It's a robust mix of humor, horror, and (most of all) hope, all leavened with a healthy dash of progressive social criticism. One thing I love about this book is that while it has a focus on a Christian holiday, Dickens puts forth a message that is truly universal; I can imagine this story resonating with people of any religious background, and also with more secular-oriented people.

This is a tale of greed, selfishness, regret, redemption, family, and community, and is enlivened by some of the most memorable characters ever created for English literature. Even if Dickens had never written another word, "A Christmas Carol" would still have, I believe, secured his place as one of the great figures of world literature.

Charles Dickens writes this story in such detail that you almost believe you have just enjoyed Christmas dinner at the Cratchits home. The characters have so much depth. The made for t.v. or movie screen renditions do not truly depict what Ebenezer Scrooge witnesses with the three spirits that causes such a change in his outlook on life. Such as Scrooge's emotions being quickened by the past heartache in his childhood; seeing how his bad choices caused the hardening of his heart and how deeply it cost him in the end; seeing what could have been his to enjoy and then thinking it could still be his with the Spirit of Christmas Present only to find out the future does not hold any love or joy for him by the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come and instead his actions leave him robbed at death and no one left to grieve for him. Read the book to hear how this story was really written. Even if you have seen every Christmas Carol movie every made, the book will offer so many gold nuggets that you will think you are hearing it for the very first time. Pictures are beautifully detailed throughout the book. Excellent!!!

I have had this book for years and never thought I would like it because of the Tarzan portrayals in the movies. But I was pleasantly surprised by the well written adventures of the jungle lord. Rice Burroughs has fully captured the essence of a man who comes to see civilization with the eyes of a child but the heart of a warrior. His great love for Kala the apemother and Jane his future mate were written beautifully. I recently saw Disneys Tarzan and the Chris Lambert film Greystoke the Legend of Tarzan and they both capture the story of Tarzan as Burroughs envisioned it. I truly enjoyed the book and recommend it highly. I cant wait to read more of the books in the series.

Edgar Rice Burroughs started writing adventure novels nearly 90 years ago. The most famous of his characters is, or course, Tarzan. And this book is the one that got the Tarzan legacy started.

In this book you meet Tarzan, learn who he really is, where he came from, how he became lord of the apes and protector of the jungle, and the English Earl of Greystoke. You also learn the story behind the story about Tarzan and Jane.

I've been a Tarzan fan for nearly 20 years. I've been collecting Tarzan books (older ones) for the past 15 years. I've read nearly all the books in the series, and this one is probably the best. I'll be the first to admit that if you read a lot of Tarzan books back to back you will see a somewhat formulaic approach to some of the installments. This first book, however, is original, interesting, and immensely entertaining.

I encourage you to read the book that got it all started in 1914 -- the premis, the character, and the mystique that spawned numerous films, and other spin-off media, and a series of books that spanned publication dates from 1914 well into the 1940s.

Move over Indiana Jones and James Bond -- Tarzan is the real McCoy. He's strong, brave, modest, wise, and good. He's got the attributes that we could sure use in a hero today!

Give this book a look. You'll be glad you did. It's a book that you could enjoy reading to your children.

5 stars for story, character development, readability, and content. Is it a literary classic? Yes, in that it holds its own respected place among fictional literature. Will it ever will literary acclaim? I don't think that Joyce or Faulkner need to worry.

But, hey, it's a fun read! Give it a try.

Alan Holyoak

Edgar Rice Burroughs, now catalogued as a classic writer actually became instantly famous before this book with his Princess of Mars book published in 1912, while this book later in 1914. The story of a lost boy in the jungles of Africa where the parents are mauled and killed by Apes, and likewise, the son taken up and raised as one. If you are familiar either with the new Disney rendition or the Hollywood Johnny Weissemuller versions, then you just have not met Tarzan, Lord Greystoke. Both Hollywood and Disney do an injustice, not only to Burroughs, but also to the story and the writing. Embarking on this book, I expected a quick fun, high adventure story that gets to the point without finesse or care of the medium. But E. R. Burroughs gives you all the excitement with the careful delivery of choice words to put you there. There is a lot more emotion centered around this book than one may expect from a jungle adventure. Subtle, but poignant are his words and a visual clarity of the personalities and action make this a worthwhile read, and certainly a classic that can stand next to many other verbosely exaggerated popular classics (I am not mentioning Dickens).

The story is about two cowboys, one younger and a older. A stranded traveler knocks on the door one night. After helping the traveler the two cowboys find out he is someone very special.
This is a very good book.

I recieved this book as a gift, and I would surely recommend to anybody else. The pictures and the story are wonderful. The idea is really cute, and the it is quality writing.

It's a good book for the people who like Anne Rice.

James Charlton's marvelously wicked collection of the cattiest, sharpest, wittiest criticisms of writers by writers is a hoot! The book is chocked to the brim with quote after quote of brilliantly crafted--if barbarous--quips about some of our most celebrated writers. If you've ever wondered what was so great about a particular author, you're not alone!

You'll laugh a lot (and often wince) when you read this book. There's hardly a dull quotation!

Although far less plausible and possessing characters of much less depth than Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth, Burrough's At the Earth's Core, despite some embarrassingly preposterous elements, is an entertaining read due to its well-rendered, imaginative fantasy setting and fast-paced swashbuckling adventure. The story is never dull, and the hideous and hypnotic bat-winged Mayars make for memorable villains. The depiction of a human sacrifice to these monsters halfway through the novel is particularly unforgettable. There is also a multifarious array of attacking prehistoric monsters, without the claustrophobic feel of the 1970's film.

Also recommended is Basil Copper's treatment of the descent-into-the-earth theme in his creepy novel The Great White Space, now unfortunately out of print.

For Edgar Rice Burroughs, life was relatively simple. Men fell into one of three categories: muscular heroes, ordinary types, and evil, greasy villains. Women existed primarily to act as universal lighting rods that attracted either the first or third category. Regardless of the universe that ERB wrote of, these constants held with predictable regularity. With the publication of AT THE EARTH'S CORE, he began yet another series that put the hero at odds with nature, evil doers, and beautiful, virtuous women. David Innes, the handsome hero, drills down to the center of the earth in a manner that brings to mind Jules Verne's tale, both of which posit a habitable, temperate core that supports a variety of lush, prehistoric life. Despite knowing that the earth's core was held to be molten, ERB did not hesitate to bend science for the sake of a good tale. ATEC possesses both the plusses of ERB at his best and the negatives at his worst. Like Tarzan, Innes is a likable, manly sort who feels at home regardless of whether home is a jungle or a tea room. The logic of how ERB gets his hero placed in an exotic locale is irrelevant and often purely unscientific. For his Martian (Barsoom) series, he merely had his hero, John Carter, gaze at the Red Planet to effect his transport there. For his inner world series (Pellucidar), Innes used a drill machine, a device that at least tries to be scientific. Once there, Innes has the necessary adventures with beasts, villains, and beautiful women, in this case Dian the Beautiful. The workings of the plot about how he finds her, loses her, and then finds her again are almost not to the point. Where ERB excels in his ability to place the reader, who is usually a 15 year old boy, in a realm that allows imagination to run riot. Events flow so smoothly that the youthful reader will probably overlook the negatives of ERB's prose style. In the world of ERB's muscular heroes, both hero and villain speak in the artificial, courtly dialogue that rings true only to the ears of the young. Coincidence runs rife to the point of ridicule. Beautiful women are haughty at first, but lusty later, and then only to the clean-limbed hero. His plots are often mirror images of one another. You can substitute the center of the earth for Mars, Venus, Africa, or wherever, and hero, villain, and lovely lady are interchangeable. Yet, despite all this, AT THE EARTH'S CORE is the kind of read that ought to be part of any kid's early mental universe. Reading Burroughs as a thirty year old requires a strong ability to suspend one's disbelief, but once having done so, the ride is usually worth the effort.

...so one day independently wealthy David Ennis is confronted by his scientist buddy Abner Peery who has just invented a vehicle that essentially drills through the earth. (If the reader is into descriptives it looks like the device Dr Evil of Austin Powers fame has devised to take over the world.) They decide, "Well, let's try it out." and the reader is then treated to a journey to middle earth which is similar to Jules Verne's, but not as serious. I would say that Burroughs brings us satire similar to Voltaire's "Candide" or Swift's "Gulliver's Travel". The inner world, Pellicidar, is one where if you are not careful, you can be awake for days because the sun never sets or rises--that sun being the molten earth core rather than the sun we all know of. In Pellucidar, the various dragons, apes, and reptiles and mutations of such, are heads of gangs, tribes and kingdoms in the middle earth. And the royalty has beautiful sorcery princesses like Dian the Beautiful, who David falls for and who leads him into an innerworld adventure taking the reader to an unforgettable serial-pulp style reading enjoyment. If you dig Robert E. Howard or Jules Verne or Rice Burroughs' Tarzan series you will definitely love this. My opinion is that this is one of those series that could stand some revamping and the reader will feel that this is somewhat dated but, I feel that it is still well-worth the investment of time and $.

I asked for this book for my recent birthday, based on an ad I saw which quoted the New York Magazine review. The comparison to Donna Tartt was enough to sell me on it - but sadly, it is not deserved. Rice's characterizations are shallow and shorthand, the "life-changing" events that motivate his characters are anti-climactic and underdeveloped (as well as improbable), and the emotional level throughout this book is simply not mature.

Donna Tartt's The Secret History, by comparison, was a rich study of human behavior and an exercise in evocative storytelling. She may have been in her twenties while writing her novel, but her voice and skills were so mature as to make her age a non-issue. Not so with Christopher Rice. I don't wish to be hypercritical, but this book does read as though the author is freshly out of high school. I think Rice had some great ideas for a story, but his writing is not of a caliber to express them in a compelling manner. To me, a great book is partly defined by a sense whilst reading of being "in" the story, and not reading at all. I never felt that with A Density of Souls.

I realize I am in the minority, so this review is not going to be for everyone. If your expectations are not high, or if you read mainly popular fiction (much of which I find unreadable), or if you watch and enjoy most American television, you probably won't be disappointed . . .

I picked up Density of Souls because I am an Anne Rice fan and had read an article about Christopher. Knowing he has excellent writer-genes I wondered what he would come up with. Within the first chapter I was hooked. The characters are vivid full techni-color souls with their own set of demons and secrets. What makes this book so real is that everyone has been tormented by classmates however, Christopher Rice takes what can be perceived as harmless schoolhood traumas and exploits them into full blown tragedy. The tale begins with four friends practicing their own set of rituals however, Rice hints at the onset of something bigger running through the quad. The beginning felt like "The Body" by Stephen King but this tale soon blossomed into a mixture of VC Andrews weirdness. While you will not find vampires or witches in this novel... there are many subtle nuances to keep you guessing.

I look forward to reading more work by Christopher Rice. His style is straight forward and flavorful at the same time. His character development is intriguing and very complex. If you're looking for a good read this is a good avenue to wander down.

"What do you despise? By this you are truly known." (A Density of Souls, Christopher Rice pp. 188-189)

I have read a handful of reviews posted here. Two or three in particular discouraged me. Sadly, people without knowledge of events outside of their own lifes are dictating to others what is real, believable, and what happens in the lives of others. On reviewer said "After finishing the novel, readers shut the book just like they switch off a bad television drama, and never think about the story or its characters again." Another said: "Further, I found his portrayal of high school and the years after it to be inaccurate. Cannon high where his characters play out their implausible lives is a Beverly Hills 90210 hell with much more challenging social pressures than any high school I know of." And lastly: "This tale of a tormented young gay man in New Orleans is so unbelievable (not to mention disgusting) that anyone would have to walk away from the book frustrated...First of all, I am a straight, Christian, college football player, and I have never seen anyone on any team, at any school that I have played at or visited treat a person like that. I find the treatment of Stephen by the football players at Cannon to be highly unbelievable, not to mention an unfair stereotype of male athletes. As for the rest of the plot lines, I would find it extremely hard to believe that all of them would happen in a lifetime...."

I would like to comment on these. When I was thirteen years old I read "The Outsiders" and "That was Then, This is Now" by S.E.Hinton. When I finished the books, I threw them across my room, walked over and picked them up, and promptly read them again. Those two books helped to shape the way I view my world. They helped make up what I am today. Six years later, it happened again with "A Density of Souls". During my formitave years as a teenager growing up in California I have never had anything rock my view of society and spark my mind into understanding and clarity as these three books. These characters WILL be thought of again. They will become a source of strength and despair, resentment and realization. Secondly, Rice's depiction of high school life was not as outrageous as some would have you believe. In fact, it was more acurate than most would care to know. Schools are divided into cliques and classes, and the hatred between them is palpable. I know. I was from the same group as Stephen. I still am even after high school. It defines you. The social pressures are numerous and they do shape you.

Lastly, I submit that the tale of the gay man is not unbelieve (nor disgusting). I can attest that these things do happen as parts of the tale are mirrored with events, thoughts, and actions in my own life, and the lives of my closest friends (and I believe that a story with a gay character does not make a story "disgusting" ~ that tends to be a straight Christian view, of which I am neither). Football players tend to not know about the private lives of each other. Rice's depiction of events is actually quite correct. Relationships do occur for many reasons, including those cited in the novel. I commend Christopher Rice for telling the story he wanted to tell in the manner in which he wanted to tell it. Events happen in lives, for some more than for others, but that does not make them any less valid, or any less real. Books tell a story which try to leave a lasting impression on your mind. Your part of the bargain requires you to allow your mind to be impressionable. Read "A Density of Souls" with an open mind and I am certain you will not be left disappointed. I believe that you will be left changed in heart, mind, and spirit because "Even a thought, even a possibility can shatter us and transform us. (Will Kilfoil)" I wish to close with the words of Christopher Rice:

"Fear cannot touch me... It can only taunt me,

it cannot take me, just tell me where to go...

I can either follow, or stay in my bed...

I can hold on the things that I know...

The dead stay dead, they cannot walk. The shadows are darkness. And darkness cannot talk."