This book was on my parents bookshelf when I was growing up - signed by the author (a family friend). When I finally pulled it off the shelf and started reading it in high school (13 years ago) I found that I couldn't put it down. I've read it several times since. This book is truly addicting and compelling; Dr. Karp's storytelling is engrossing, his anecdotes show that the things that happen in the real world to real people are far more interesting than what Hollywood and fiction writers can think of. I highly recommend this book - it's funny, sad, enlightening, and a great read. It's been one of my favorites for years.

Jonas Lie are ranked among the most popular norwegian authors ever, writing plays, novels and short stories. His folklore short stories were originaly published in two volumes entitled "Troll" and "Troll 2" (A 'troll' is a evil monster of dark forces, as you may know, though some are depicted as nice and dumb). One of the stories were selected by Roald Dahl as one of the worlds 15 best ghost stories. If you are looking for something odd, classic and northern - try Jonas Lie!

Very supportive & realistic. Easy to read. Helpful. Gives a parent an understanding of what the teen is thinking & feeling. Has practical & positive ideas/recommendations for challenging issues. Offers MANY tips for guiding your adolescent into a healthy & content adulthood.

Let me be categorically clear on this point: this is, far and away, the best book I have ever read. Let me try to convince you of the same. Peake challenges, assaults and titilates the senses, and harnessses a gargantuan imagination and an immense vocabulary to give birth to a million detailed portraits, interconnected and intertwined in a thick, dense, dark world of crumbling, decrepit, moss-eaten stone of Gormenghast. The words that Peake strings together to deliver his masterpiece drip with unrivaled poetic beauty, and a vividness that makes you tremble and try to reach out and caress just one block of stone that makes up the sprawling haven of static tradition that is Gormenghast.

Gormenghast is not a fantasy, but fantastical literature. There are no elves, no magic, no scocery, no mystic religion, and yet Peake renders a dark, complex world that knows no comparison (I resent any comparisons to J.R.R. Tolkien and his drab, dull trilogy). Peake's Gormenghast books are, as another reviewer aptly put it, "experienced," not read. They are not plot-driven or dialogue/character-driven (I may catch flack from Peake fans for this) but are merely experienced - Gormenghast the castle, its intangible qualities, and all the unique characters that revolve around it. And as much description that Peake pours into his depictions of this wondrous place, it is the information that he omits that makes his portraits all the more perplexing and wonderful. Is Gormenghast on Earth? Is there no religion? No military? What is beyond Gormenghast Mountain? Who wrote all those books in the library and from where was the information culled? Where the hell did Steerpike come from?

This is the only book that ever made me cry (information which, as a guy, I impart with reluctance). Not because it was sorrowful (which it is, at times) but because it is so beautiful. And also because its hilarious (the gaggle of bumbling, inept professors had me in tears). Gormenghast was never meant to be a trilogy - Peake succumbed to Parkinson's during Titus Alone - and the thought that the world of Gormenghast followed Peake into the depths of the Earth leaves me feeling as empty as the forgotten halls of Gormenghast castle.

Trivia: The Cure wrote a song based on the novel's character Fuschia called "Drowning Man," on their album "Faith."

The world of the anciant and gigantic castle of Gormenghast, the thousands of dusty corridors, crumbling staircases leading to forgotten rooms, hiding many lost treasurs and terrible and wonderfull secrets lays between the pages of this wonderfull book. And it is a wonderfull book, but it's also fair to warn any one who wants to venture into this disturbed and dark fairy tale that has gone wrong that it is'nt an easy read, and it's the kind of book that takes some commited reading.
The first volume will introduce you to the castle, wich is , in fact, a whole world, and to it's strange and ancient rules and rituals wich dictates every minute of it's existence. To the family of the Groans , the earls of Gormenghast, and to the last link of their old line - Titus Groan, the seventy seventh earl.
Also you'll meet a faithfull servant, a cook with a vengence, a machiavellian kitchen boy striving for greatness, and the plott will be ridiculous and funny and tragic at the same time.
The Second volume -"Gormenghast" Is even better in my opinion, As it further envelops the intriguing and complex characters. All the characters l have found mainly wierd ( if not altogather out of their minds )in the first book suddenly not only made sense to me but have touched me deeply.
This book is worth reading if only for the sake of Fuschia, Titus's older sister, wich is the lonely princess of this gothic legend. At first i regarded her as a spoiled brat who was in a desperate need of a long and expensive therapy, but i promise you wont be able not to resist her for long.

So take a deep breath ( you'll need it at first ) and start reading.

We are swept along from scene to scene better than the best cinematographer could imagine. Each room of the huge castle is painted in all its beauty or horror, each dusty corridor is as real as can be imagined.

Peake's gift for words creates not just images, but we follow the thoughts of his characters and feel loathesome or melancholy or exuberant in all the textures that Steerpike and Sepulchrave and Fuschia do.

These are some of the strangest books I have read. They are heavier and darker than Tolkien's works, against which they are often compared. They are finely focused to the smallest details on the castle, and they have a scope that is both compressed and alarmingly huge.

There is a sense of immersion into the world of Gormanghast that is not present in any other book I have experienced. I could almost feel the heaviness of the air on the day Titus was born, and from then on the books drowned me and exalted me and left me breathless from one moment to the next.

It is obviously difficult to describe the way one feels for reading Gormenghast. The best that can be said is that Peake has created literature of the highest order. He may even have shattered every standard of literature with his strange creation. Whatever else I know of Gormenghast, I know it belongs on my bookshelf.

"You will be haunted by Three Spirits." So forewarns Jacob Marley's ghost to Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge, a miser of stingy, unfavorable traits. And so begins the enduring Christmas classic distinguished by almost everyone. Come along on an erratic journey with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, all of whom attempt to point Scrooge onto a virtuous path. Meet the most notable characters ever introduced in literature: Bob Cratchit, angelic Tiny Tim, and good-natured Fred. With vivid descriptions of Victorian England and enlightening dialogue, 'A Christmas Carol' will enrapture both the young and old throughout the year with a vital lesson on hope and benevolence for humanity. This, I find, is treasured most of all in this brief story marvelously crafted by the creative Charles Dickens. No matter how many adaptations of the book one has seen on television or as films, the real source is highly recommended and should not be missed. For if you do pass the book up, you are being just a Scrooge (metamorphically speaking, of course!).

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.

Well, I finally read it (instead of just watching it on the TV screen).

This is what you can call a simple idea, well told. A lonely, bitter old gaffer needs redemption, and thus is visited by three spirits who wish to give him a push in the right direction. You have then a ghost story, a timeslip adventure, and the slow defrosting of old Scrooge's soul. There are certain additions in the more famous filmed versions that help tweak the bare essentials as laid down by Dickens, but really, all the emotional impact and plot development necessary to make it believable that Scrooge is redeemable--and worth redeeming--is brilliantly cozied into place by the great novelist.

The scenes that choke me up the most are in the book; they may not be your favourites. I react very strongly to our very first look at the young Scrooge, sitting alone at school, emotionally abandoned by his father, waiting for his sister to come tell him there may be a happy Christmas. Then there are the various Cratchit scenes, but it is not so much Tiny Tim's appearances or absence that get to me--it's Bob Cratchit's dedication to his ailing son, and his various bits of small talk that either reveal how much he really listens to Tim, or else hide the pain Cratchit is feeling after we witness the family coming to grips with an empty place at the table. Scrooge as Tim's saviour is grandly set up, if only Scrooge can remember the little boy he once was, and start empathizing with the world once again. I especially like all Scrooge's minor epiphanies along his mystical journey; he stops a few times and realizes when he has said the wrong thing to Cratchit, having belittled Bob's low wages and position in life, and only later realizing that he is the miser with his bootheel on Cratchit's back. Plus, he must confront his opposite in business, Fezziwig, who treated his workers so wonderfully, and he watches as true love slips through his fingers again.

It all makes up the perfect Christmas tale, and if anyone can find happiness after having true love slip through his fingers many years ago, surprisingly, it's Scrooge. With the help of several supporting players borrowed from the horror arena, and put to splendid use here.

John Laurence's The Cat from Hue is an emotionally exhausting tour through one man's personal history of the American war in Vietnam. Don't mistake the fact that despite giving good coverage of many of the major events of the U.S. war in Vietnam, Cat is a very personal memoir. Laurence covered the war as a television journalist for CBS, and was in country for almost five years between 1965 and 1970. Most of this book is a detailed description of the combat the author witnessed, and the people he met. While Laurence is highly critical of the government, war, and the policy behind it he is always sympathetic to the troops and the book never reads like a catalog of war crimes that some Vietnam criticisms become. In fact, for at least the first three-quarters of the book Laurence is sparing in his open political comments.
The last quarter of the book covers Laurence's 1970 tour, spent largely with C Company, 2nd of the 7th Cavalry. It is during this time that the writing splits between war coverage and political criticism, but this is largely because Laurence became embroiled in a bureaucratic argument with the Army over his participation directly with C Company. Laurence presents this argument more even handedly than you would expect, but I personally still had mixed feelings after reading the book. Indeed, the narrative falters a little at the end. Some of the last parts of the book spent a little too much time on Laurence's relationship with his future wife, and his personal problems during and after the war. This makes the story more personal but it also detracts a little from the impact of the real story. This IS a very personal book for the author.
The book reads quite quickly despite its lengthy size. At almost 850 pages, the book does not appear to be an easy read but is, largely due to the informal writing style of the author and the first person presentation. In the end, I wasn't sure if I really liked Laurence or not, and I can understand why some readers would be put off after pushing through the book: this is a very personal account, more so the farther into the story you get. Nevertheless, The Cat from Hue is an excellent account of one man's journey through the Vietnam War, and at its best gives the reader a front row view of the horrors of the war and some of the real heroes who fought and survived it.

I have read a number of books on the Vietnam "experience" written by journalists and/or military. Each book, on its own merit, has presented truths and experiences that were unique to each author. As a radioman on a task force flag aircraft carrier from 1969 through1972, I spent a great deal of time reading about air strikes, KIA's, MIA's, battles and all sorts of other details as presented from a purely high level military point of view. I wondered about life on the ground, and wondered what "in-country" was like.

As I served my tours, I saw the war change and of course at the time attitudes at home changed. I didn't understand it much then, and now 30+ years later, I find myself trying to understand the truth of what was going on at the time.

When I left the service in 1973, I saw old friends who had served in the Army, Marines and Navy at various times from 1964 until the conclusion. We had all been changed by the experience at some level.

John Laurence, in his book "The Cat From Hue" records changes in himself, those he worked with, and those he accompanied into battle in amazing detail. His record of changes, and the circumstances that brought them about, is something we can all learn from, whether we were fighting the war in the field, protesting, or simply catching it on the news.

The physical size of the book (845 pages) was a bit daunting to me at first. Simply stated it is the story of a young man who went to Vietnam to gather truths and tried to share them with the America of the 1960's. The book had to be long enough to capture his experience as fully as possible. It did. The lives of the soldiers were beautifully interlinked with the life of the author. The military and political leadership, the good and the bad, are painted with remarkable clarity.

Then there was the "Cat", Meo, the dreaded cat who hated Americans. Always stalking and studying its enemy, attacking with stealth and fury, retreating from a superior force to regroup and wait for a better time to strike, Meo seems the perfect metaphor of the relentless and dedicated warrior. Laurence's description of the life and actions of this unusual cat helps the reader gain a better understanding of our enemy in the field. Unconquerable, never truly "pacified", involved with Americans only at arm's length (paws in this case); Meo inflicted much pain on the Americans he encountered.

This book is a bit daunting to start reading since it is 850 pages and much of it is an account of war on the ground in Vietnam. But I found as I read that it is a tour de force and much is of high drama, taking one into the grunt world that Laurence lived in as a TV journalist (CBS) where the viewpoint is quite different from that of a print journalist. While Meo, the cat the book is named for, occupies only about 50 pages of the book, those pages are a delight to read, even tho one figures Laurence is exaggerating a bit in describing the tough cat which he found in Hue and his behavior. This book is powerful and is rightly ranked with Dispatches, by Michael Herr, which I read with appreciation on July 6, 1999, as a great Vietnam book. However the best book still that I have read on the war in Vietnam is We Were Soldiers Once...And Young, by Harold G. Moore and Joe Galloway. But this book belongs on the same shelf of great books about Vietnam.

The diary of Lady of Ch'iao Kuo was yet another great addition to the Dear America/Royal Diaries series. This 300 page book details life during her teenage years. She is sent to Master Chen, her teacher, in a Chinese settlement, to learn their ways and language so that she can become an interpreter for her people, the Hsien. Known as Princess Redbird by her teacher and his family, Lady of Ch'aio Kuo has a hard time getting along with the colonists, many of whom regard her as a savage. When the Dog Heads invade the Chinese settlement and kill nearly everyone there, including her teacher, Princess Redbird helps save several of the refugees, as well as her teacher's library. While she reads in her spare time, she discovers the Writings of Master Meng, who talks of peace in his writings. Princess Redbird is determined to bring out peace among the tribes, but her plan temporarily fails when she and her older brother, Little Tiger, discover a traitor among the Hsien. Princess Redbird then invents a way to stop the Dog Heads and find the traitor. The book has a surprising ending, and I was unaware that there was even a monarchy in Southern China. I was also unaware that the tribes feuded as described in the book. I recommend this book to anyone reading the Royal Diaries series, as well asanyone interested in learning about the Monarchy of Southern China.

Candace

The Lady was sent from Southern to Northern China. She was to learn the Chinese language (what was it? Cantonese? Maderin? :S ) by Master Chen because she was to be an interpreter for her father. When the enemy (Dog Heads) striked, they murdered nearly everyone there, but Princess Red Bird saved a few people and some scrolls. She reads the scroll of Master Meng which talks about peace. The princess wasn't sure whether "peace" existed or not for she lived in a dangerous and dark time. The Hsien learns about a traitor, but they don't know who it is. The young aristocrat thinks of a way to stop the Dog Heads and unmask the traitor...

The diary of the Lady of Ch'iao Kuo was yet another great piece to the Royal Diaries! I was excited to know about an Asian princess coming out because I thought they would all be European or something. Anyway, this book was a masterpiece and I had tons of fun reading it!

Princess Red Bird is the daughter of the king of all the Hsien people in Southern China, in the year A.D. 531. As a princess, Red Bird has many responsibilities to her people. For the past few years, her parents have sent her to be educated in a Chinese colonial town. She has learned to read and speak in Chinese, and to serve as an interpreter between her people and the Chinese officials. Red Bird is only sixteen, but she has had to grow up fast, and when war erupts, her life changes even more. She knows that if the Hsien and the Chinese could only become allies, they could fight together against their common enemy. But is an alliance between two very different peoples even possible? This new book from the Royal Diaries series brought to life Southern China long ago, and taught me many fascinating details about the life and culture there in A.D. 531.

Though Smith's "Wealth of Nations" is a true classic written in lucid English, and the foundation of our modern economy, I cannot say that it is all-too-important for most people to read this book. Weighing in 700+ pages for a typical printing, this work is not a quick and easy read by any stretch of the imagination. Many of Smith's great metaphors are found in the first quarter of the book, and I felt bored reading the latter parts. It is not that Smith was wrong, by any means, but rather that many of his arguments are now well-accepted and can be demonstrated in much more succinct manners. I feel that Smith's multitudes of examples are not particularly important to the average man.

With that said, I reiterate that this is an important work that should be understood by everyone - but this does not necessarily mean reading all of it. For anyone studying economics, of course, this work is the bread and butter of your field - and is a must read.

Adam Smith obviously thought deeply about economics, and then traveled widely to find support for his ground-breaking theories. The result is a very long book that is incredibly nuanced. Such popular excerpts as "the pin factory" and "like an invisible hand" do little justice to the book -- just like quoting "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." does not substitute for reading "Gone with the Wind" or seeing the movie.

It is difficult to getting a good economic education today. The endless flow of government money in social science departments has twisted the subject. While modern economists use very precise methods to arrive at wildly inaccurate results, Smith dug and dug through economic records to find key patterns but did not seek the unrealistic equations that currently characterize the profession.

One final note on the reading: Work your way through a Jane Austin novel before attempting to read "The Wealth of N! ations." The language has changed in the past 200 years.

The Wealth of Nations ranks among the best of the unread classics. As a double major in Business and International Relations, I naturally never read this book until after I graduated. Similar to Clauswitz's "On War" for the military strategist, or Plato's "Republic" for the political philosopher, this is a must read for anyone who lives in a free-market economy.

Adam Smith goes through a completely exhausting and methodical explanation about the nature of money. The multitude of examples and depth of discussion could stop a Mack truck, but the lessons are critical. It teaches you about the true nature of money; where it comes from, what it means. That, in turn, as you reflect on your own life, will illustrate much about how you prioritize your own life.

Along with Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged," this book will indisputably change your perception of the nature of money and a how person chooses to earn their living.

The only drawback to the book is that it is brutally boring--but get a large cup of Java, sit back, and dig in. Nobody said it was going to be easy. THIS IS A MUST READ.

I certainly won't say that "You don't REALLY like fantasy if you don't like this book." However, giving this book a try will help you self-identify, as to whether you want "The same again, please" as a fantasy reader, or, instead, might be ready to explore a new world of the imagination that exploits the freedom inherent in the genre.

There's hardly a more slowly-paced book in the language; perhaps the best way to approach it is in the expectation of a long series of vivid, strange scenes. I hesitate to use the word "surrealistic," because that often has the connotation of sexual neurosis (real or pretended). The comparisons with Dickens are apt, but the closest analogue known to me might be Gogol's masterpiece (read it in the delightful Pevear-Volokohonsky translation), DEAD SOULS. In both books you have the idea of people who live in isolation (the Gormenghasters in various nooks of the Castle and its environs; Gogol's oddities being residents of isolated Russian estates before the abolition of serfdom). Both authors enjoyed concocting weirdly funny names for characters. Both authors "withhold" -- Peake keeping the narrative pace so slow that Titus is only 1 1/2 at the end of the book; Gogol keeping us in the dark about Chichikov's scheme. Both authors have deceptive rogues as main characters (Steerpike, Chichikov). Both did relish a kind of bizarre vividness. Finally, Nabokov's little book on Gogol says that the Russian concept of "posholost" is central for Gogol: meaning that something is outwardly impressive or charming, but really is second-rate or worse, is empty, is life-diminishing. That fits the Gormenghast rituals.

Frankly, if you've never read Gogol's comic masterpiece, you should consider giving that one a try; but if you love fantasy, you ought to look into Peake, too.

There are a few places where Peake's imagination doesn't seem engaged: the Keda-Rantel-Braigon thing is not successful. But that takes up maybe 25 pages at most.

This is one of the, if not the best, work of fantasy I have the privilege of reading. The imagery is haunting, beautiful and at times horrific, yet splendid all the same.The work is one of a man drunk upon the beauty of words, in love with the way they can be made to fit. Imagine, if you will, a different world, choked in age, stifled by ritual, hung over with shadow but suffused with beauty.Picture a huge, gigantic,ramshackle of masonry called Gormenghast castle, populated by grotesques whose acts and fears and feeling and thoughts are no less seemingly real for their bizarreness. Meet the faithful servant Flay, along with his ponderously fat and murderous rival, the cook Swelter. Pity the lonely and insane Lord Sepulchrave, and his poor daughter Fuschia. Be introduced to the loquacious Dr. Prunesquallor, and his pretentious sister, Irma of black glasses and flat bodice. See the evil youth Steerpike begin a ruthless quest for power fired by his hate, and the infant hero, Titus Groan ascend his throne. These are but a few of the oddities clambering about within the Walls of Gormenghast. Why don't you enter for yourself? You won't regret it.

Well do I remember the momentous day in 1975 when a good friend loaned me a copy of Titus Groan and suggested I might enjoy it. Enjoy it? I was hooked from that first glimpse of the Hall of Bright Carvings; utterly transfixed by strange but compelling stories of the denizens of Gormenghast: a weird place and weird people, to be sure, but not so weird as to be beyond recognition. Peake's prose is masterful throughout; his characters are so profoundly realised that you really do feel you know them: Fuschia, Prunesquallor, Steerpike, Titus himself, my personal hero Mr Flay...wonderful. The narrative has been critized for being ponderous, but bear in mind this is a "big read" and it is best absorbed at a steady pace. The action, when it comes, is all the more startling: consider the cobweb-strewn battle to the death between Flay and the loathsome Swelter, and in Gormenghast, Titus's deadly encounter with Steerpike (now evil personified) amid the stifling ivy. "Titus Groan" and "Gormenghast" are famously more satisfying than "Titus Alone", written when Peake was seriously ill and fading fast, but even "Titus Alone" has some strangely affecting characters and situations. Its strangeness is more disturbing than the first two books however, which are totally enthralling. Since that first encounter over 25 years ago I have re-read this trilogy many, many times, always with more enjoyment than the time before. I made a chess-set with characters from the book (grey scrubbers make great pawns) and have enlivened many a dull day at work by likening some of my colleagues (in my minds eye, of course) to some of Peake's so-called grotesques...the Civil Service is not without its Barquentines and Sourdusts, not to mention the Deadyawns and Cutflowers! This is one book (along with the Bible) I would just not want to be without.