"For Breadth of scope and depth of insight nothing rivals this collection", says on the dust jacket. I heartily agree! This collection of readings is the best supplement to Lenten and Easter devotional reading that I have ever used. I've never seen such a selection of great authors' writings between the covers of one book. Each of the 72 selections are about 4 or 5 pages long. They are grouped into 6 sections that form a progression from the Invitation prepare for Easter by seriously examining oneself and following through on the themes of Temptation, Passion, Crucifixion, Resurrection and New Life. There are quite a variety of perspectives represented in these writings. Every one of them will reward the thoughtful reader in different ways. There isn't a dull one in the bunch. These aren't shallow "inspirational" writings. They will challenge and encourage, and sustain serious reflection. It's hard to pick a favorite, but I'd say that Malcolm Muggeridge's "Impending Resurrection" was the high point. I highly recommend this book.

This is a small, easily-carried book organized into the topics of Invitation, Temptation, Passion, Crucifixion, Resurrection and New Life. The 72 essays are from an eclectic mix of authors: Oscar Wilde, Thomas Merton, John Donne, Kahlil Gibran, Blaise Pascal, Martin Luther, G.K.Chesterton, Mother Teresa, Dylan Thomas, John Updike, Dorothy Sayers, Madeleine L'Engle, Leo Tolstoy and many others. Selections are typically five to six pages long, and printed in a large clean font on heavy paper. There are a few poems, but primarily prose is used to inspire and to comfort.

A wonderful little book.

This book will take you through the season of Lent, Holy Week and the glories of Easter. A wonderful thought provoking book to be enjoyed year after year.

The elevated sound of poetry are here heard. Not fisical reality, but the ideal; In the Paradiso, ideas and feelings are visible. Dante sees God's unexpressible force: love.

I must first say that I was a bit perplexed to see that I was going to be the first to write a review on this book. Regardless of this, I must say that found The Comedy of Dante Alighieri : The Florentine/Cantica III : Paradise (Penguin Classics) by Alighieri Dante, et al to definetely to be in par with the previous two books, e.g., Inferno and Pergatory. Dante has a way with his language that he makes the words dance and sing; and therefore, often confusing texts suddenly become fully understandable. I did however find that some of the latter cantos to be difficult to understand; based on the fact that here he, i.e., Dante discuse allot of religious issues that were contemporary at the time. Overall, I would very much recommend this book, i.e., The Comedy of Dante Alighieri : The Florentine/Cantica III : Paradise (Penguin Classics) by Alighieri Dante, et al and I would have to say that I consider it to be one of the most interesting, thoughtworthy, and intriguing books that I have ever read.

An amazing look at the life of this incredible Christian woman! This book dives into the depths of her mind and her life. No secret or interesting fact is spared in this delightful biography. I recommend it to anyone interested in the life of this fascinating visionary.

Dorothy L. Sayers did more in her life than just create the aristocratic detective Lord Peter Wimsey. In addition to writing the Wimsey novels and short stories, she was one of the first female graduates of Oxford, a translator of Dante, a poet and a Christian apologist whose reputation at the time rivaled that of C.S. Lewis.

Her longtime friend, Barbara Reynolds, draws on her memories of the woman as well as her voluminous correspondence and has written a lively account of Sayers' life.

Those who admire the Wimsey novels will find their enjoyment heightened after reading this book. As I found in researching the "Annotating Dorothy L. Sayers"..., Sayers flooded her work with literary, historical and social references that represented the best of her education as well as her interests in the murderous and the macabre: Shakespeare, John Donne, Greek mythology, contemporary English music-hall acts, Gilbert & Sullivan, notorious 19th-century murders and snippets of classical Greek and Latin. To write "The Nine Tailors," which featured a church and its bell-ringers, Sayers spent two years studying campanology, and had to endure, she wrote, "incalculable hours spent in writing out sheets and sheets of changes, until I could do any method accurately in my head. Also, I had to visualize, from the pages of instructions to ringers, both what it looked like and what it felt like to handle a bell and to acquire rope-sight.'" After the novel was published, she thought she had been caught out on only three small technical errors, but did well enough to be asked to serve as vice-president of the Campanological Society of Great Britain.

But the books also contain much of Sayers herself. Obviously, Sayers' alter ego was expressed in the character of Harriet Vane, the mystery writer she put on trial for murder in "Strong Poison," who was romanced by Peter in "Gaudy Night," and who married him in "Busman's Honeymoon." But Sayers also drew on her life experiences and her interests. "Gaudy Night" reflected her experiences at Oxford, her desire to live the scholarly life and the importance of intellectual achievement, while the parsonage she vividly recreated in "The Nine Tailors" was drawn from her childhood memories, and the gentle churchly Rev. Thomas Venables was modeled on her parson father.

Christianity played a great role in Sayers' life from the start, and the success of the Wimsey novels enabled her to shelve the detective and turn to writing plays and books that expounded the doctrine of the Church of England in laymen's terms. In this, she was enormously successful, and even sparked a ruckus when one of her plays featured the disciples talking in modern slang, predating the uproar over "Jesus Christ Superstar" by three decades.

Reynolds also tells the story of the illegitimate child Sayers bore. While it would be easy to condemn her for turning the boy over to a cousin to raise, Reynolds also made clear that Sayers did it to protect her parents, who she thought would be terribly hurt by her misjudgment. Considering that she visited and paid for his upkeep and education, and told him the whole story when he was an adult, it seems to have been the best of all possible choices.

The pleasure of meeting Miss Sayers can only be increased by looking into her letters, which have been published in several volumes. From the first, Sayers seems to have been bright, precocious and determined to make her own way, and it's a pleasure to see in Reynolds' biography that she did so splendidly.

A beautiful look at the life and mind of Dorothy Sayers. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Dorothy L. Sayers.

As a long time admirer of the writings of Dorothy L. Sayers, I found Ms. Kenney's book to be highly insightful--both on Sayers the writer and Sayers the woman. As far as I'm concerned, this is the best book written on Sayers and is a "must" for anyone who enjoys her works.

"Celebrating Women" is an extraordinary collection of prayers, collects, psalms, liturgical statements, and just plain feminist writings. It contains material that is useful for the entire church year. I often read selections for my personal devotions. A favorite is "Not Circle Dancing" which repeats the line - I am a different kind of woman. I have given copies of this book to other "different kinds of women" for special occasions.

Hangman's Holiday" Is part of the Lord Peter Wimsey Mysteries Series. There are several mysteries. Some take half a tape others take nearly two tapes. I will not pull them apart as the fun is listening to them unfold. To add to the ambience, the narrator is Ian Carmichael who played Lord Peter Wimsey. He changes his voice for the different people and you can tell the difference. There is a statement that tells you when the tape side ends.

With the novels containing Harriet Vane [Strong Poison ISBN: 0061043508], the emphasis is on English life with a mystery added. This book is a series of mysteries with a little 20's and 30's England added. It may be my perception but the mysteries get better and more intriguing as the next one appears. Then it is over.

As Baroness P. D. James states in her preface to this engrossing book, "we have what is in effect an epistolary autobiography" of the young Dorothy L. Sayers, from age five to forty-three, when the author became the household word that she is today. (Later letters comprise volume two.)

The earliest letters are sprinkled with references to poems, plays or short stories that she had written, in any-or all-of the four languages at her command (English, French, German and Latin.) She fell madly in love with the theatre, not to mention the leading men of the era. Before she reached the age of thirteen, she had read (in the original French) The Three Musketeers, and from that time on, referred to her familiy and assorted locations by their assigned names from the book. She took for herself the identity of Athos. At eighteen, her headmistress announced that Dorothy had come top in all England in the Cambridge Higher Local Examinations with distinction in French and spoken German. The following year she entered Somerville College at Oxford.

Men as men didn't enter her life until she had completed Oxford. She fell in love only once, but they couldn't marry due to multiple differences in values. Subsequently, she had a short-lived affair with another man, who was the father of her only child, a son raised by Dorothy's cousin. Their roles were reversed in the boy's life; the cousin was his 'Mum' and Dorothy his aunt. Not until after her death did the truth come out.

These letters bring to vivid life the enigma who was known world-wide as the creator of Lord Peter Wimsey, the perfect foil. She couldn't afford a luxurious flat, a Daimler, or an Axminster carpet; she could, however, provide them for Lord Peter. She made him and his family and his possessions incredibly real for her millions of readers.

Any devotee of Lord Peter Wimsey will be exceedingly grateful to Barbara Reynolds for her years of loving care in sorting through and editing these letters of one of the world's great novelists. We can but wait-patiently-for volume two, in order to learn how Dorothy wore her hard-earned and well-deserved fame.

This is one of my three favorite Lord Peter Wimsey novels (the other two are Clouds of Witness and The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club), and it's my favorite of the "later period" (1930s) stories (in some part because it doesn't feature Wimsey's paramour, Harriet Vane, whom I often found rather dull). This book is Wimsey at his most whimsical, though because it is to some degree an extreme example of Wimsey's character, it's probably best enjoyed by people who have read the earlier books.

Sayers apparently worked in the advertising business herself for some years, and in this story Wimsey goes undercover as "Death Bredon" (his middle names) at Pym's Publicity to investigate the death of a copy-writer who fell down a spiral staircase. As a result, Sayers pokes all kinds of fun at the advertising business, as well as drawing an enlightening sketch of what that business is like. More than one person who's read this novel has commented to me that it seems that advertising hasn't changed much in the last seventy years!

The victim himself had been running with a fast, drug-taking crowd, which Wimsey infiltrates to tragicomic effect, and when his contacts with this ne'er-do-well group meet his upper-class family later on, he's put in the surreal position of... well, read the novel; the ultimate payoff of this thread is one of the funniest moments in the whole series! The book also includes a chapter featuring everyone's favorite incomprehensible English sport: A Cricket match, which as it turns out fits right in with the rest of the book in both style and outcome.

The mystery itself is about average for Wimsey's adventures, and is a bit more hard-core than we'd usually expect. But that aside, this is a funny, flamboyant, and educational novel, perhaps the most rewarding overall of all of Lord Peter's stories.

This is the best Wimsey book not featuring sometime-fellow-sleuth Harriet Vane which Sayers ever wrote. Not terribly serious, but great entertainment. I've read this book 6 times because it's just so much fun. Written in 1933, IMHO Sayers' prime, Wimsey is far more human and less of a caricature than in the early books, but much less goopy than in her latest books. The dialogue is a treat, even minor characters are exquisitely drawn, and the in-jokes at the advertising biz (Sayers worked as a copywriter herself for a while) are utterly hilarious. Plus, there's a puzzling, neatly-solved mystery. And even though I don't play cricket and don't understand the game, I adored the pivotal cricket game scene: Sayers at her best. My only complaint is the total absence of the delightful Bunter. THis is definitely the book to read first if you'r e interested in Sayers. Then read the Strong Poison-Have His Carcase-Gaudy Night trilogy. These are, IMHO, her four best books, and of the four, Murder Must Advertise is definitely the most charming and light-hearted.

Victor Dean worked at an advertising agency in London. Then Victor Dean died at an advertising agency in London. Accident? Murder? That's what Lord Peter Wimsey is asked to find out.

Shortly after Dean's death, he is replaced by copywriter Death Bredon. That's pronounced "Deeth", by the way. Bredon soon gets down to the business of writing copy ads. We find out that Victor Dean fell down a steep flight of stairs, that he had fought with various members of the ad agency, that when you are advertising for margerine you shouldn't mention butter, and that if you write 'from' instead of 'with' you will cause your client a great deal of anguish. We also discover that something fishy is going on at Pym's Advertising Agency, which somehow ties in with London's thriving cocaine smuggling industry. Soon we're wrapped up in advertising slogans, tea and cake costs, catapult snatching, Whiffling Round Britain, Harlequins in trees, cricket games, and that unfortunate incident where Mr. Death Bredon runs into Lord Peter Wimsey. This is one of Dorothy Sayer's most entertaining, amusing mysteries featuring Peter Wimsey.

Dorothy L. Sayers' "Busman's Honeymoon" can be considered her finest "all inclusive" Lord Peter Wimsey novel. She skillfully combines the culmination of the Wimsey/Vane romance and a "domestic mystery". Whereas other of her novels (The Nine Tailors, for example) could be considered her best mysteries, this book is beautifully written. The reader is expected to have a passing knowledge of England at the time and the life to date of the characters, as well as a classically literate education. Don't let this put you off, however; the book stands perfectly well alone. It's old - it's not outdated.

As a DLS Groupie, I love all of her books, but especially those books that pertain to the Harriet Vane character. This book, as well as 'Gaudy Night' by Sayers, is primarily about the relationship of Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane. The extraordinary thing about all of Sayers' books is her beautiful amd sensual use of language to paint a picture with words.

Based on a stage play co-written by Sayers, Busman's Holiday is Sayers last significant statement in the mystery genre--and a completely satisfying one at that. Like several other novels that involve both Sayers' sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey and mystery novelist Harriet Vane, the novel is as much a portrait of their relationship as it is a murder mystery, and while these two elements occasionally seem at odds in other works (most notably the unworthy Have His Carcass), Busman's Holiday strikes a perfect balance between the two as we follow the couple through the first few days of their honeymoon as they deal with the shock of marriage, domestic disasters, and an unexpected body in their honeymoon home's basement. As in other novels, Sayers draws a great deal from her setting--in this case rural England on the eve of World War II--and presents us with a memorable cast of supporting characters, and the result is as fine a novel as she ever produced, particularly notable for its wittiness and sly humor. A greatly satisfying finish to a highly enjoyable series.

There is, incidently, an extremely well-made 1930s film version of this particular work starring Robert Montgomery and Constance Cummings. Although Montgomery is not quite the image of Lord Peter Wimsey, he plays quite well, and Cummings is Harriet Vane brought to life on the screen. Sayers fans should enjoy the film almost as much as they enjoy the book!

Dorothy L. Sayers' book _Gaudy_Night_ is one of the best mystery books ever written, if you enjoy beautiful, educated writing and brilliant, sympathetic characters, not to mention a great plot. Harriet Vane, one of the first female Oxford graduates, like the author, struggles with poison-pen letters, personal focus, and the attentions of Lord Peter Wimsey as she returns to Oxford after attending the annual Gaudy (a reunion of old students). Without a corpse in sight, the book may not appeal to many readers of grity detective novels, but this mystery is solved with wit, wisdom, and Vergil. For what more could one ask?
_Gaudy_Night_ is eriudite as well as entertaining, standing up well to the passing of over six decades. The themes of academia versus business, career versus marriage, and town versus university are still alive today. The writing of Dorothy L. Sayers is not to be missed, and this is arguably her best book (along with _The_Nine_Tailors_).

Gaudy Night has long been my favorite Dorothy Sayers mystery. The plot involves Harriet Vane and Peter Wimsey investigating a murder at Harriet's old college at Oxford. The plotting is excellent and the dialogue intelligent and witty. This is classic Sayers. What really adds to the story is the continuing love story between Harriet and Peter. Before Harriet came along, Wimsey seemed to me to not be a fully fleshed out character. Adding Harriet to the mix livens up Wimsey and makes him seem more real and more human. This is an excellent golden age mystery from a master writer. Highly recommended.

This book is amazing: not only does it comment intelligently on just about every human life issue, but it does so while being a very competent murder mystery, and consistently enjoyable to boot. Gaudy Night is the novel that shows the world why Dorothy L. Sayers is the master. Her style is as beautiful as always, and this third book in the 4-book Harriet Vane/Peter Wimsey series is a fascinating piece of whodunit mystery fiction, a commentary on the single-sex environment as well as the place of women in education and education in women, a treatise on love, and a breathtakingly realistic and satisfying romance that anyone who's been following Harriet and Peter through Strong Poison and Have His Carcase will appreciate. The fourth and final book, Busman's Honeymoon, is the only thing that could possibly crown Gaudy Night, and I recommend them both.

I think anyone who's pondered the very real problems in reconciling Harriet and Peter and how Sayers could approach them while remaining true to both will feel as I did--bought the book, liked it, will keep it.