Although I am writing my review for this particular book, my comments here can also be taken to apply to all of the other Calvin and Hobbes books. I own all 16 of them. Yes, I know that means that I have a lot of duplication, but I still like the cover art and original stories that are inside of each book. Anyway, Calvin and Hobbes is my favorite comic strip of all time. And I guess it's kind of cliched to say that, because there are so many other people who also feel that way. Well, that's because this cartoon touches so many people in such a wonderful way. It reminds me of what it's like to be a little kid with a very active imagination. It takes me back to a simpler time when I didn't have to worry about the problems of the "real" world. The stories are great. The characters are very interesting and have lots of personality. I like the way that Watterson draws, and I like the colors that he uses. All 16 of these books are excellent.

Calvin & Hobbes was so popular during its run that people never needed to explain what the strip was about to anyone; it's been a couple of years and with the exception of little kids, people seem to remember the strip for the most part. So, all I'll say about this collection is that it is the preferable purchase over the first two books, the self-titled "Calvin & Hobbes" and "Something Under The Bed Is Drooling." Why? "The Essential Calvin and Hobbes" actually collects every single strip from those two books (it's NOT a best of, as some people would say), and most importantly, the Sunday strips are in color. Hands down, Watterson painted the most beautiful looking Sunday strips since Walt Kelly, and it would be a shame if you only knew them through the black and white reproductions of the smaller collections. It's also cheaper to buy this book instead of the first two, as well. As a special bonus, Watterson included a nice, water-colored poem at the beginning, which isn't available anywhere else.

Watterson's "Calvin and Hobbes" comic strip is a true rarity. It is technically well-drawn, unlike so many other comics. It is intelligent, insightful, and has characters one can really relate to - but does not take itself too seriously and is above all funny and fun to read. It is the story of the world as seen through the eyes of a six-year-old, Calvin, and his best friend, a Tiger named Hobbes - which only Calvin sees as real, and the rest of the world sees as a stuffed doll...

Most of all, the creator of the strip, Watterson, is a true rarity: he refused to commericalize the characters - the only product he sells are book collections of the original strip, like this one - and retired in 1995 when he felt he was beginning to become repetitive. Watterson literally walked away from millions of dollars to save the integrity of his creations, Calvin and Hobbes.

For once, both the characters in the strip and their creator in real life teach us something about what is really important in life - and that it is not REALLY all about money and climbing the corporate ladder after all.

Just compare the well-drawn, love-of-life, intelligent and uncommercialized Calvin&Hobbes to the poorly-drawn, cynical, shallow and commercialized-to-the-wazoo contraption named "Dilbert", for example. Compare the talent and integrity of Watterson to the talentless "sell out to whoever pays more" character of "Dilbert"'s creator.

This will give you a REAL insight on what is wrong with the world.

If you are interested in The Creator's grand design and how mankind fits into it well then this is the book for you.Give it a chance you won't be sorry you did.

Topical study of the Bible at its best! Timely chapters that aid in viewing world events against the topical framework within. Chart of the Ages helps the reader comprehend where different scriptures belong on man's timeline. This is one of seven books in a series that reveal aspects of God's plan for man and explains questions that have plagued inquiring minds for ages. Included are: Why God permits evil, Jesus' return (it's object and manner), the Day of Judgement, the Kingdom of God and other Bible related topics. The author asks the reader to prove, with Bible in hand, the Divine plan presented within.

The writer takes the words of God in the scriptures as a whole and harmonizes them to bring out what God's design is for mankind. If you wonder why God allows what He does right now in the world, read this book. Read this book with your Bible in hand and see those scriptures unfold in a way that simply makes sense.

In general, I don't read much fantasy, because I find that it's a lot of the same old, same old (and not very well-written, at that). But I've read the author's stories from time to time and liked them, so when a friend reminded me that he has lots of novels under his belt and recommended this one, I decided to give it a try. You can bet your favorite pair of socks that I'll be reading more of his stuff -- I was very impressed with the way he wove the mythic elements and urban setting. Being a New Yorker with a great love of her home town, I found myself wishing it was set in Gotham, not Ottawa (coming from me, this is a big compliment, folks)! Well written, imaginative, and fun.

As the first Charles De Lint book I discovered, Moonheart turned De Lint into a favorite author of mine forever. His characters are diverse and likeable, female characters are never wimps, and he weaves mythologies of several cultures together deftly. I've been devouring books since I was a small child, and my first taste of Moonheart sent me back to the bookstores, special-ordering everything that could be acquired by De Lint. If you enjoy fantasy fiction - the kind you can't put down, Moonheart is a must-have!!

This is the best of the best, and one of the first in urban fantasy.

Moonheart was the first De Lint book I ever read, and turned him immediately into a favorite author of mine. His
characters are diverse and likeable, female characters are
never wimps, and he weaves mythologies of several cultures
together deftly.

I've been devouring books since I was a small child, and
my first taste of Moonheart sent me back to the bookstores,
special-ordering everything that could be acquired by De Lint.
If you enjoy fantasy fiction - the kind you can't put down,
Moonheart is a must-have!!

From the moment I started listening to the audio cassette of Jack DuBrul's new story "The Medusa Stone," I knew that I would have several hours of constant and rapt reading adventure. His novel reads like the best action adventures of such authors as Clive Cussler et al. Mercer is a hero in the same vein as Indiana Jones, and even when accomplishing the almost impossible makes the reader think that his actions are normal. In this novel, Mercer is called upon to prevent both Israeli terrorists and a meglomanical Italian industrialist from gaining access to one of the world's richest diamond mine deposits. The love scenes in the novel are quite steamy and yet the reader does not feel the voyeur. I would recommend this book and all the other novels by Dubrul for the reader looking for a new hero and an outstanding author.

After his adventures and romance in Alaska and Hawaii, mining engineer Dr. Philip Mercer is bored writing reports in DC. He mentions his lethargy to his eighty-year-old drinking buddy Harry White.

Undersecretary of State for African Affairs Prescott Hyde tries to hire Philip to locate a large diamond mine in the dangerous Northern Eritea. In spite of showing pictures taken from the Medusa satellite that crashed a decade ago, neither Prescott nor partner Selome Nagast convince Philip that a lode as large as that in South Africa has gone undetected.

Philip's mind is changed when a group of Mid-eastern terrorists abduct Harry, threatening to kill him if the mining engineer fails to find the mine in six weeks. Philip races to Africa to begin to search for a needle that might not exist in a haystack overrun by terrorists, outlaws, and deadly land mines. Philip quickly realizes that a second group is also interested in obtaining the diamond mine. Both groups share the goal that Philip must die.

With novels like CHARON'S LANDING, VULCAN'S FORGE, and now THE MEDUSA STONE, Jack DuBrul is proving he is one of the leaders of adventurous intrigue novels. The story line of his latest thriller continually ebbs and flows, but each new spurt builds the tension even further until the audience realizes that this is a one sitting novel in spite of its size. Philip is a fabulous lead character and the support cast brings to life Eritea and some questionable activities in the Mediterranean area. However, in hindsight what makes Mr. DuBrul's novel a strong candidate for adventure book of the year is the brilliant infusion of Eritea, its people and customs woven into a dramatic plot.

Harriet Klausner

Dr. Philip Mercer is back with a vengeance! The resourceful mining engineer featured in Vulcan's Forge and Charon's Landing returns for another adventure and it's one wild ride!

Mercer's best friend and drinking buddy, Harry White, is kidnapped by mercenaries and if Philip ever wants to see him alive again, he must investigate the remote possibility a diamond mine in east Africa. Mercer begins a needle in the haystack search that takes him to a remote desert on the Sudan \ Eritrea border. Using stolen photographs from a top secret spy satellite code-named MEDUSA, Mercer is able to locate an old deserted mine and to his astonishment he learns there may be something more valuable than diamonds buried within. His problems are compounded when an Italian industrialist and his Sudanese army try to take over the mine in an attempt to blackmail the South African Diamond Exchange. Mercer is going to need all of his wits and mining experience to prevent a global catastrophe!

Jack Du Bruhl is an excellent adventure fiction novelist. His books just keep getting better and better!

I have loved Peanuts since childhood, and have an almost complete collection of Peanuts books. Charles Schultz has always been an inspiration to me in my work as an occasional professional cartoonist. Not only is Schultz unsurpassed as an artist, he is also one of the great philosophers of twentieth century life in America.
This book is, first and foremost, a celebration of the comic strip. It is a work of art in its own right. All the cartoons in the book are photographed from either their original drawings, or directly from the newspapers. The reader can see the artistic details that Schultz has used in creating each frame in photos of the originals. And the use of the original strips, with their rough paper and newsprint lines, brings back the joy of reading the comics for the first time in the funnies. The Sunday comics are complete with the little color dots that created the color images. There are literally hundreds of comic strips, both daily and Sunday, in this book, and they give a good overview of Schultz's long career.
There are many photos of Schultz's doodles and rough sketches, of his desk and his artist's tools, early cartoons 'Sparky' sold to the Saturday Evening Post, early drawings of certain characters, some of which pre-date 'Peanuts' itself. One can actually see the characters develop, artistically and as human beings. Interspersed with the cartoons are textual explanations and stories about Schultz and his characters, including many insightful comments by Charles Schultz himself about the evolution and personalities of his characters. Also included are photos of early Peanuts toys and dolls, and even these are photographed lovingly and with attention to detail and shadow.
This is a magical book, and any Peanuts fan would love it and treasure it. It is a book one can return to over and over to enjoy. Leave it lying around the living room where everybody can enjoy it and relive the joy Charles Schultz and the Peanuts gang gave us for over fifty years. Better yet, introduce a new generation of kids to the strip. The Peanuts gang is a microcosm of us, and reading it reveals much about ourselves and helps us to look on life with tenderness and humor.
Buy this book, read it, and share it. It would make a wonderful present as well. It is the best Peanuts book to date.

This posthumous collection of the work of Charles Schulz could easily have turned into a rehash of other works, such as the Peanuts Golden Celebration that came out in 2000. It never fell into that trap. Focusing both on the strip and the way it evolved, this feels like (if possible) an even more thorough telling of the Peanuts story. It has rarer strips than "Golden Celebration" as well as comments made by Schulz at various points in his career that help shed insight on how he crafted these stories.

There are lots of sidebars in this book -- pictures of "Peanuts" merchandise and the stories behind the items abound, for example. There are also photos of things like Schulz's drawing board and art tools, just as he left them after finishing the final "Peanuts" strip.

Jean Schulz, in the introduction, starts by saying that Sparky was a genius. I think most of us who want this book already knew that, but it's beautiful to have this reminder. Every "Peanuts" fan simply must read it and treasure it.

I first came across this book one night in a bookstore, and soon, i just had to get my own copy.

This book chronicles the art of Schulz in a collection that utilizes Chip Kidd's graphic design mentality and the art of Charles M. Schulz. Contained herein are thoughts that Schulz had about his characters, as well as many other classic items.

Most notable are the early comic strips, including art never seen by the public before. There are also incredible comic strips dating back to the very beginning. Here it is interesting to see the Peanuts' world when Linus, Lucy, Peppermin Patty and Marcie didn't exist. In the early days, characters like Patty and Violet were fascinated with dolls and making mud pies. Shroeder was a hairless little baby, who was already exuding his wisdom of Ludwig Von Beethoven. Snoopy was still a "normal" dog, but Charlie Brown. Whoa. There was a revelation. Charlie Brown was not quite the mellow guy he is today. There really was very little dislike towards him, and the weirdest thing was hearing a comic strip where Patty and Violet are fighting over who likes Charlie Brown better!

Well, I think I've rambled enough there. There are also the things included, such as:

Pictures of Schulz's workplace. His drawing table, the pen tray where he stored his art supplies, and much more.

Rare pictures of Peanuts Memorabilia, such as a Snoopy doll, suited up for a landing on the moon, LEGO figures of the Peanuts characters with "bobble" heads, and Peanuts comic book covers.

Rare comic strips and drawings, including: A Sunday Comic Strip, where Lucy and Charlie Crown play golf among a sea of adults (you only see their legs, nothing else), the only known image of Charlie Brown's "Little Red-Haired Girl," and even failed or scrapped drawing ideas.

After this book came out, I did get a chance to meet and talk with Chip Kidd at an autograph signing in Chicago, IL. He seemed very pleased with the book, and I could understand why. Just look at the cover for this book at the top of the page. The cover hearkens back to the youth of many. Charlie Brown and his friends were a constant read during my elementary school years, and because of them, I also took up an interest in drawing. This book is both a testament to Schulz's work, and the characters that we all know and love.

This book is a gift. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU Charles De Lint! The individual stories are absolutely captivating-every time I read them, I come away with something new. I've rarely, if ever, found an author with the abillity to evoke so many emotions through the power of his words. Sorrow, awe, joy, wonder-and above all, hope. De Lint makes me believe that there is still magic and mystery in the world for those who are willing to see it. The charachters he creates catch the heart. These stories-like the fairy tales of old-are at the same time etherialy beautiful, and achingly savage. The reader feels the wonder and the pain of each charachter in turn. De Lint leads the reader down paths of both darkness and light, and one really does feel as though they are treading upon dreams.

Welcome to Newford, an average North American town. Well, maybe at first glance, but by the second, there is a little more than meets the eye. Meet Jilly, a strong independant woman who seems like she knows everyone and maybe a witch? Meran, is she wholey human? Geordie, an average joe, who thinks he met the woman of his dreams.

I really loved this book. There was soo many good stories, that it made it really hard to put the book down.

de Lint has a way of really coming across as a natural thought or natural flow of a story. Which is why this book is so involving to read, because this could be me and just maybe that knock on the wall isn't just the wind blowing the tree. Some of these stories kinda made it a little hard to sleep!

My favorite theme of these collection is the fact that our lives weave together with others as we live indepentantly. You meet one character learn a little, and than meet them six stories on. This auroa of magic that lays just beneath the sight of most people is just overwhelming. Makes life a little more interesting.

Enjoy Newford, because once you visit, Newford has left a little bit of it in you.

I was already in love with Charles DeLint's work befoe I read Dreams Underfoot, but now I am uterly obsessed! After hearing great reviews, I bought it, and started reading. The first story, "Uncle Dobbin's Parrot Fair" Left me a little confused, but as I read more and more, I fell into the rhythm of the tales of newford, until I had suddenly finished the book. That night, I ordered the next, Ivory and The Horn. Everything about Dreams Underfoot is amazing. Each story is filled with an unfeniable sense of hope, wisdom, magic, and wonder. My particular favorites are Freewheeling, The Ghosts of Wind and Shadow, and The Conjusre Man, but all of them are fabulous. I can't get over DeLint's use of descriptive language, the way he painstakingly sets the foundation for each tiny detail in your mind, making the world of Newford more real than the trees and sky. Anyone, Everyone! Read this book!!!

This little book has impacted my personal Christian walk more than any other book besides the Bible.

Mr Chambers has managed so well to sublimate his life to the control of the Almighty that I continuously sense God's Holy Spirit speaking through the pages Mr Chambers wrote.

It's as if God reaches through the mere two paragraphs per day and grabs me by the lapels saying "I want YOU! I want ALL of you! Just trust ME to take care of your every need..."

I deeply appreciate this call to a whole hearted Christianity in today's pluralistic society. Oswald Chambers is an author whose work I will read and re-read into the foreseable future.

This compilation of Oswald Chamber essays and sermons was originally captured by his wife after his death. The format of a daily devotional provides an excellent daily read for the avid and growing Christian.

The individual devotionals are not easily devoured in one reading, generally requiring a second or third reading to fully grasp the depth of Oswald Chambers' deeply Christian messages based on Biblical scriptures. This is not light reading, but in the small fifteen minute devotional increments daily, this makes for excellent reading and provides specific daily focus for the Christian reader. This thought-provoking book can easily become a favorite habit, and it also makes an excellent evangelical gift to those who are new to Christianity.

If you buy only one Christian book this year, buying Oswald Chambers' 'My Utmost for His Highest' would be an excellent choice.

I received this book as a Christmas present and in the month and a half that I've been reading it on a daily basis, it continues to speak to my spiritual condition in a way that's almost eerie. Not every day hits but those that do shock me back to my faith journey and remind me about where I should be focused. How could He/he (God and Oswald Chambers) know so accurately what I need to hear? As a committed Quaker (Religious Society of Friends), I have been surprised to find that "My Utmost" transcends the unfortunate Christian political divisions and meets us as followers of Christ. This book had become as central to my daily routine as brushing my teeth but far less rote!

"There is little to be satisfied in reading this book"?? I couldn't disagree more. Bleak House left a profound impression on me, and was so utterly satisfying a reading experience that I wanted it never to end. I've read it twice over the years and look forward to reading it again. Definitely my favorite novel.

I don't know what the previous reviewer's demands are when reading a novel, but mine are these: the story must create its world - whatever and wherever that world might be - and make me BELIEVE it. If the novelist cannot create that world in my mind, and convince me of its truths, they've wasted my time (style doesn't matter - it can be clean and spare like Orwell or verbose like Dickens, because any style can work in the hands of someone who knows how to use it). Many novels fail this test, but Bleak House is not one of them.

Bleak House succeeds in creating a wonderfully dark and complex spider web of a world. On the surface it's unfamiliar: Victorian London and the court of Chancery - obviously no one alive today knows that world first hand. And yet as you read it you know it to be real: the deviousness, the longing, the secrets, the bureaucracy, the overblown egos, the unfairness of it all. Wait a minute... could that be because all those things still exist today?

But it's not all doom and gloom. It also has Dickens's many shades of humor: silliness, word play, comic dialogue, preposterous characters with mocking names, and of course a constant satirical edge. It also has anger and passion and tenderness.

I will grant one thing: if you don't love reading enough to get into the flow of Dickens's sentences, you'll probably feel like the previous reviewer that "...it goes on and on, in interminable detail and description...". It's a different dance rhythm folks, but well worth getting used to. If you have to, work your way up to it. Don't start with a biggie like Bleak House, start with one of his wonderful short pieces such as A Christmas Carol.

Dickens was a gifted storyteller and Bleak House is his masterpiece. If you love to dive into a book, read and enjoy this gem!

This is the second book by Dickens I have read so far, but it will not be the last. "Bleak House" is long, tightly plotted, wonderfully descriptive, and full of memorable characters. Dickens has written a vast story centered on the Jarndyce inheritance, and masterly manages the switches between third person omniscient narrator and first person limited narrator. His main character Esther never quite convinces me of her all-around goodness, but the novel is so well-written that I just took Esther as she was described and ran along with the story. In this book a poor boy (Jo) will be literally chased from places of refuge and thus provide Dickens with one of his most powerful ways to indict a system that was particularly cruel to children. Mr. Skimpole, pretending not to be interested in money; Mr. Jarndyce, generous and good; Richard, stupid and blind; the memorable Dedlocks, and My Lady Dedlock's secret being uncovered by the sinister Mr. Tulkinghorn; Mrs. Jellyby and her telescopic philanthropy; the Ironmaster described in Chapter 28, presenting quite a different view of industralization than that shown by Dickens in his next work, "Hard Times." Here is a veritable cosmos of people, neighbors, friends, enemies, lovers, rivals, sinners, and saints, and Dickens proves himself a true master at describing their lives and the environment they dwell in. There are landmark chapters: Chapter One must be the best description of a dismal city under attack by dismal weather and tightly tied by perfectly dismal laws, where the Lord Chancellor sits eternally in Lincoln's Inn Hall. Chapter 32 has one of the eeriest scenes ever written, with suspicious smoke, greasy and reeking, as a prelude to a grisly discovery. Chapter 47 is when Jo cannot "move along" anymore. This Norton Critical is perhaps the best edition of "Bleak House" so far: the footnotes help a lot, and the two Introductions are key to understanding the Law system at the time the action takes place, plus Dickens' interest in this particular topic. To round everything off, read also the criticism of our contemporaries, as well as that of Dickens' time. "Bleak House" is a long, complex novel that opens a window for us to another world. It is never boring and, appearances to the contrary, is not bleak. Enjoy.

After years without picking up a novel by Dickens (memories of starchy classes at school), I decided to plunge into "Bleak House", a novel that had been sitting on my bookshelf for about ten years, waiting to be read. Although I found it heavy going at first, mainly because the style is so unfamiliar to modern readers, after about ten pages I was swept up and carried off, unable to put the hefty tome down until I had finished it. This book is a definite classic. The sheer scope of the tale, the wit of the satire (which could still be applied to many legal proceedings today) and the believable characters gripped me up until the magnificent conclusion. One particularly striking thing is the "cinematic" aspect of certain chapters as they switch between different angles, building up to a pitch that leaves the reader breathless. I can't recommend "Bleak House" too highly. And I won't wait so long before reading more Dickens novels.

I had to read a good part of "The Decameron" last quarter and I have gone back to read more stories from it even though the Fall quarter is over. This is a great book: funny, entertaining, subtly revolutionary, insightful, and superbly well-written. Approach it without fear. It is a Classic, but it will have you laughing, thinking, and learning far better than any current best-seller. Anyone with an interest in journalism and/or history will profit from Boccaccio's Introduction, at the beginning of the First Day. His description of the Plague in Florence is vivid and gripping, and this eventually provides the background for the setting of the one hundred and one tales that seven young women and three young men will narrate in a villa away from the dying city. Also, the Introduction to the Fourth Day presents the reader with an unfinished, but hilarious story about a man who has been kept away from women. This story is what my teacher called the 101st, and I have to agree with her.

Do not think that all "The Decameron" deals with is sex. The mostly illicit sexual encounters depicted are some times funny, sometimes sad, but they share a common trait with the stories from the Tenth Day, for example (these ones are mostly about sacrifice, abnegation, and servitude), or with those of the Second: Boccaccio's concern for his society and the terrible tensions that had reached a breaking point by the 14th century. The Plague, in Boccaccio's universe, acts as a catalyst of emotions, desires, and changes that had to come.

Read, then, about Alibech putting the Devil back in Hell, Lisabetta and her pot of basil, Ser Ceperello and his "saintly" life, Griselda and her incredible loyalty in spite of the suffering at the hands of a God-like husband, Tancredi and his disturbing love for his daughter, Masetto and the new kind of society he helps create with some less-than-religious nuns, and then it will be easier to understand why Boccaccio is so popular after 650 years. And although it may be skipped by most readers, do not miss the Translator's (G. M. McWilliam) introduction on the history of "The Decameron" proper, and that of its many, and mostly unfortunate, translations into English. This book is one of the wisest, most economic ways of obtaining entertainment and culture. Do not miss it.

Giovanni Boccaccio THE DECAMERON. Second Edition. Translated with an Introduction and Notes by G. H. McWilliam. cli + 909 pages. Penguin Classics. London: Penguin Books, 1995. ISBN 0-14-044629-X (Pbk).

Second-hand opinions can do a lot of harm. Most of us have been given the impression that The Decameron is a lightweight collection of bawdy tales which, though it may appeal to the salacious, sober readers would do well to avoid. The more literate will probably be aware that the book is made up of one hundred stories told on ten consecutive days in 1348 by ten charming young Florentines who have fled to an amply stocked country villa to take refuge from the plague which is ravaging Florence.

Idle tales of love and adventure, then, told merely to pass the time by a group of pampered aristocrats, and written by an author who was quite without the technical equipment of a modern story-teller such as Flannery O'Connor. But how, one wonders, could it have survived for over six hundred years if that's all there were to it? And why has it so often been censored? Why have there always been those who don't want us to read it?

A puritan has been described as someone who has an awful feeling that somebody somewhere may be enjoying themselves, and since The Decameron offers the reader many pleasures it becomes automatically suspect to such minds. In the first place it is a comic masterpiece, a collection of entertaining tales many of which are as genuinely funny as Chaucer's, and it offers us the pleasure of savoring the witty, ironic, and highly refined sensibility of a writer who was also a bit of a rogue. It also provides us with an engaging portrait of the Middle Ages, and one in which we are pleasantly surprised to find that the people of those days were every bit as human as we are, and in some ways considerably more delicate.

We are also given an ongoing hilarious and devastating portrayal of the corruption and hypocrisy of the medieval Church. Another target of Boccaccio's satire is human gullibility in matters religious, since, then as now, most folks could be trusted to believe whatever they were told by authority figures. And for those who have always found Dante to be a crushing bore, the sheer good fun of The Decameron, as Human Comedy, becomes, by implication (since Boccaccio was a personal friend of Dante), a powerful and compassionate counterblast to the solemn and cruel anti-life nonsense of The Divine Comedy.

There is a pagan exuberance to Boccaccio, a frank and wholesome celebration of the flesh; in contrast to medieval Christianity's loathing of woman we find in him what David Denby beautifully describes as "a tribute to the deep-down lovableness of women" (Denby, p.249). And today, when so many women are being taught by anti-sex radical feminists to deny their own bodies and feelings, Boccaccio's celebration of the sexual avidity of the natural woman should come as a very welcome antidote. For Denby, who has written a superb essay on The Decameron that can be strongly recommended, Boccaccio's is a scandalous book, a book that liberates, a book that returns us to "the paradise from which, long ago, we had been expelled" (Denby, p.248).

The present Penguin Classics edition, besides containing Boccaccio's complete text, also includes a 122-page Introduction, a Select Bibliography, 67 pages of Notes, four excellent Maps and two Indexes. McWilliam, who is a Boccaccio scholar, writes in a supple, refined, elegant and truly impressive English which successfully captures the highly sophisticated sensibility of Boccaccio himself. His translation reads not so much as a translation as an original work, though his Introduction (which seems to cover everything except what is most important) should definitely be supplemented by Denby's wonderfully insightful and stimulating essay, details of which follow:

Chapter 17 - 'Boccaccio,' in 'GREAT BOOKS - My Adventures with Homer, Rousseau, Woolf, and Other Indestructible Writers of the Western World'
by David Denby. pp.241-249. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. ISBN 0-684-83533-9 (Pbk).

Ten young Florentine noblemen and women escaping the Black Death in Florence in 1348 entertain themselves by each relating a story per day for ten days - 100 entertaining stories in all, mostly set in and around medieval Florence. Although famously naughty, none of these stories strikes a modern reader as more than mildly erotic. Rather, they consistently astonish by their thoroughly modern message that women are as good as men, nobility doesn't come from birth, sanctity doesn't come from the church, and - above all - true love must never be denied. Amazingly, Boccaccio often delivers this message while pretending to say the exact opposite; sometimes he presents very sympathetic characters who get away with things thought scandalous in his time, offering a mere token condemnation at the end, while other times he depicts someone actually following the accepted code and committing some horrible act of cruelty in the process. Either way - and despite his claims to be upholding convention - we always know what he really means, and apparently he didn't fool too many people in his own day either.

But one doesn't need to focus on the revolutionary aspects of the Decameron to enjoy the book; each of the stories delights the reader with a different tasty morsel, and, you can read as much or as little at a time as you please. Once you get past the introduction, (and that's probably the most serious part of the book, so be sure not to give up before you get to the first story) the stories will make you laugh, make you cringe, and make you sit on the edge of your seat. Inspiring authors from Chaucer to Shakespeare and entertaining audiences for over 700 years, the Decameron continues to delight.

Books written by Marilyn Monroe all have the tendency of hovering around the same aspect of her life: her sexual endeavours. This book is no different, expect for the view from which it is written. Charles Casillo has managed to sucessfully intertwine things Marilyn said, is suspected of saying, and completely off the wall things from his own vivid imagination into quite a compelling read of FICTION. 'The Marilyn Diaries' grasp and hold your attention, but anyone who purchases this novel should take heed to the disclaimer in the beginning. That even though he uses names and places that are common knowledge to any Marilyn Monroe fan, it should not be taken as the true pages of her diary.

Well, he is pretty amazing. Without a doubt a gifted writer. In spots Charles Casillo's "The Marilyn Diaries" is some of the best contemporary fiction I've read in a long time. But I'm still undecided about all these writers using real life people as character's in fiction. On the negative side, it's really not fair to take someone who actually lived and put them in imaginary situations. What if someone who knows nothing about Marilyn picks up a book like this and thinks it's all true? On the positive side you can tell the author really loves Marilyn and he treats her with respect, although by no means does she come across as a saint. In the course of the book her emotions go from optimistic to anguish. At times she is naive at other times she is cunning. She is triumphant and tragic. Confident and fearful. Ultimately the character is as enigmatic as Marilyn Monroe must have been (and yes, there are certain things I feel he should have left out). Yet, after awhile you have to keep reminding yourself, "it's not really her diary - it's all made up" Casillo is really an artist. But if he was just writing about some fictional actress instead of using the name "Marilyn Monroe" it would have been just as fascinating.

Why the book "Blonde" by Joyce Carol Oates has gotten more publicity than "The Marilyn Diaries," is beyond me. I was enthralled by this portrait of Marilyn Monroe; I dismissed "Blonde" for the garbage that it is after about 100 pages into it - what the hell is Oates talking about? Meanwhile, I devoured "The Marilyn Diaries." It's not that Casillo's portrayal has less sex or vulgarity (I assume that any "Hollywood star's life would have a fair share of that) - it's that her humanity, vulnerability and intelligence always come through as well. In this book Marilyn comes across as an extremely complicated individual with good points and bad points - but while reading her thoughts, as interpreted by the author, you start to feel why she was such a compelling figure. Casillo didn't feel the need to heap unnecessary abuse and degradation on Monroe in order to make her interesting - instead he created fascinating feelings for her: about love, sex, acting, loneliness and life in general. I guess it takes a very good writer to create a fascinating character. For my money Casillo's got it. Oates doesn't.