This book got me, by the way it's simply written, yet strongly portrayed. It's a very intelligent piece. It goes to show how imperfect the world would stay because of the scattered attitude of being a dimwit human among us. The twins have grown with power and strength, stripped of emotions, which is the very meaning of life. A war could trigger such fear and defense for two young kids to develop into perfect, rightful robots. I just hope my professor could read this book so he'd stop failing his students, and see how far a capability of a single person could go, if given a chance to face a crisis, killing and destroying are only starting options.

"The Notbook" Is one of the most important books written in the 20th Century, dealing with the aspects of war and post-war values. Kristof's genious writing skill is interesting and unsettling, and it opens a way to new angels of the great war. The twins' story is a very storng criticism about the human society and it's ugliness, it shows the most horrible result of the war's nightmares - the apathy. This epic, original, and beautifol book will surly become, one day, a literature classic, if it has not yet bocome one. And let us not forget the 2 sequels that make this masterpice even a bigger work of art. Kristof's name is to be remembered. This book is hard to read, yet easy, complicated yet simple, and it's importance is highly understood. You won't be able to put this book down, yet you'll hardly be able to continoue reading it. Definetly a masterpiece.

Kristof's book evokes feelings that will intrigue and disturb you. The children's story is a lesson of turmoil and survival,and I could not put the book down and read it in a matter of hours.I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading a book with awe and enthusiasm.

This book ... a classic in the French Psychoanalytic tradition ... has only recently been translated into English. Andre Green, a noted French Psychoanalyst, trained with Lacan, then broke away to incorporate the work of the British School (Winnicott, Bion, etc.) into his conceptualizations. In this volume Green sets as his task the elucidation of the consideration of affect in Freud's work, and the application of this understanding to varied clinical phenomenon encountered in practice. Green's writing style is clear, and his mastery of this complex area of study is evident.

I would recommend this book, and Andre Green's other works ("The Work of the Negative"; "The Dead Mother", etc.) to any and all who wish to advance their understanding of the best of psychoanalytic theory.

This is great for general reading on Foucault. It does a great job tying together a lot of the things Foucault tried to say in his books. If you're a policy debater trying to become a Foucault buff, get this book. The chapter on critique does an excellent job drawing the distinction between criticism and transformation. It's good stuff :)

I love this book!! It was very refreshing to find a book on Elizabeth Linley, instead of her more famous husband, Richard Brinsley Sheridan.

Elizabeth was truly a shining musical star of her generation until her marriage to Sheridan cut short her career. Her incredible beauty also shows through in Gainsborough paintings of the period.

I bought the book knowing Elizabeth's life was not a happy-ending type read but a Georgian life full of ups and downs.

Here are some features of this collection that readers might want to know about. It includes the original notes to *Vathek* (the 1816 version) and *The Giaour* and presents them as they were intended to be presented: in separate sections following each work. Editorial glosses and footnotes, on the other hand, are at the bottom of each page--my students, who don't like hunting for endnotes, tell me this makes a real difference for them. In addition to the three main works, *Three Oriental Tales* includes a sample from *The Arabian Nights* and Oriental tales from *The Spectator*, Johnson's *Rambler*, Goldsmith's *Citizen of the World* (Letter 33, an Orientalist send-up of Orientalism), and the complete text of Maria Edgeworth's "Murad the Unlucky." It also includes Francis Jeffrey's contemporary review of *The Giaour* and a set of recent critical responses to the tales, plus a chronology of literary Orientalism in Britain from the early translations of *The Arabian Nights* to Byron's death in 1824.

Get this book if you can find it! A real twister of a plot, an atrocity committed 20 years before, a member of the next generation planning total revenge...every time you think you know what's going to happen, you're taken down another road. A plot skilfully woven with everything gradually revealed, up to a gut punch of a horrifying ending. The ramifications of this story are still occurring to me the next day. It's one of the few books I will keep to reread. The setting of the scene is also wonderful--if your idea of Provence is Peter Mayle's Hotel Pastis or Chasing Cezanne, try a taste of Japrisot for different point of view. If you like contemporary French authors, dont miss it.

This has instantly become one of my favorite reads. I love to happen upon authors who are new to me. This is the first book of Japrisot's that I've read. I was expecting a murder mystery, and ended up with a classic tragic love story and a heart-wrenching ending. Japrisot demonstrates superior story-telling skills in his revelation of the main characters thoughts and intentions as they speak and act. The dialogue is so well presented even the occasional humorous comment is so natural in its presentation and well-timed that you only realize later that of course even a mentally tortured person has the capacity for comic insight.

While one cannot deny the absolute superiority of A Very Long Engagement, I found One Deadly Summer to be the most enjoyable among the rest of Japrisot's oeuvre. This is one instance where his powers come through with a distinctive flair, upon the themes that echo through all of his work: droplets of truth gathering through a confusion of voices, the sheer blindness of love, the eternal mystery that is woman, the infinite sadness of human error, and the surprises and tragedies that is life itself. How much of the world, and others, do we really "understand"?

The Notebook (by far the best of the 3 books) describes the lives of a nameless twins that grow up in a Hungarian border village during the second world war. The are raised by their grandmother, or maybe it is better to say that they grow up despite the presence of their grandmother. The children find ways to survive the war: on the one hand they can be extremely friendly and caring, for example for the girl next door, on the other hand they are 2 extremely awful boys who steal, deceive, betray and even murder whenever they think this is necessary. A beautiful, oppressive book about what war does to children, but also about the capacity of children to survive under extreme conditions.

The Proof describes the life of Lucas, who remains in the Hungarian village after the war. He tries to get a decent life, but every time he seems to have some luck something awful happens which brings him back to square one. At the end of the book a German appears in the village who may or may not be his brother Claus.

The Third Lie consists of 3 parts: one in which Claus describes the search for his brother after his return to the capital. Finally he finds an old, misanthropist poet whose name is also Klaus and who denies to be his brother. In the second part this Klaus describes why he does not want to recognize his brother.

It is fairly difficult to write one review of 3 books, even when these books are a logical sequel of each other. In every new book the perspective changes and the reader is left in doubt. Did this twin brother really exist? Who is Lucas and who is Claus? In the end the common denominator of the three books is the notion that real friendship does not exist, that nobody can be trusted and that every story can be told in different ways, depending on the perspective.

If taken one by one the three parts of this trilogy are good--well written, precise in a terryfying way, emotionally shocking (surely not something to read when in a depressive mood); but if you buy this and read it as one big novel in three parts it's simpy amazing. I can't tell you why, that's part of the fun. The only thing I can say: things aren't exactly what they seem. Outstanding literary achievement by this expatriate Hungarian writer, one of the most facinating literary voices in Central Europe with Thomas Bernhard. A must-read if there ever was one!

I am usually not a big fan of novels. I read them occasionally, in between non-fictions that I prefer, and most of the time end up disappointed. This triology is one of really few novels I was really impressed and loved (another such book was Flowers for Algernon, although quite differen t).The three stories are so finely constructed and intertwined, and make up such a world ... you got to read it.

In "Discipline and Punish" Foucault analyzes the evolution of punishment from the 17th century to modern times and emphasizes the growing importance of the prison as an institution of punishment/reform. He builds an argument that the importance of discipline, that found its origin in the military, gradually spread to various institutions like schools, hospitals, factories and prisons. He discusses how the prison evolved from the dark dungeon, in which prisoners were thrown and were supplied with the bare essentials for survival, into machines of education , supervision and reform. Using the model system of the panopticon he explains the idea of discipline/reform through implied observation, and individualization. He further discusses how the prison was instrumental in creating the delinquent. While one can question Foucault's argumentation at many points, this book is rich in challenging ideas that should give food for thought, even to those that argue that crime can be solved by simply building more prisons. After reading this book, one can not help but wonder in how far the lofty goals of the prison as instrument of reform, that were formulated during the age of enlightenment, have lived up to their high expectations.

While Foucault's writing is miles away from Heidegger, it is not always as clear as one would desire. While he often provides numbered lists of arguments, a lot of the argumentation is far from the linearity that typifies colleagues like Spinoza and Kant. Don't let these minor points keep you from reading this book. While you may not agree with a lot of the arguments made in this book, Foucault forces you to analyze and (re)think yourself, which is the most important task for any meaningful philosopher. Required reading in the Ashcroft era!

Foucault learns from history by looking backwards in time until a salient rupture appears, then goes forward detailing all of histories accounts. In Discipline and Punish, he takes us through the early 1800's to a time when the methods of upholding law and order were much more severe. He describes to us certain rituals of torture that were implemented not to uphold justice, but to extract truth. He contends that punishment was directed at the body and the spectacle of torture was the keeper of order. He then has us move past the Middle Ages to a rupture in history where the prison is born. Foucault now contends that punishment is no longer directed at the body; that it is aimed towards the soul. He posits that in our society we no longer have the spectacle of torture to keep us in line--no, a more economical restraint is applied: guilt & responsibility. It is the responsibility of being a model citizen that wills us to abide by the law. It is the fear of guilt that craves us to be 'good'. It is the fear of being defined as 'bad'; for fear of being suspect is as heavy as the physical chains worn by the malefactor-the ubiquitous invisible-chains; the inculcating chants of the anthems; the responsibility of the citizens to uphold the law and the guilt of not doing so. Foucault also inquires about other institutions-other architectural structures of power networks. One can wonder why the carceral system can be seen in schools, factories, hospitals, and so forth; these environments that we enter, spend a part of our lives in, and then leave to enter another. How many different institutions do you enter and leave in a day? How many hierarchical environments do you exist in the typical 24 hours? How many hierarchical roles do you play? How many different disciplines and regulations do you adhere to? One begins to feel fragmented, even schizophrenic, to the countless performances that we act out. Who are you really? Better yet, when are you? At work? When you are sitting home alone in your room? At any rate, it's a great book, but I wouldn't recommend it for the casual reader.

I am not a big fan of Foucault; however, I was fascinated by Crime and Punishment. One of the principal ideas which Foucault discusses in Discipline & Punish is that public executions have constituted as much a method of crime prevention as a public spectacle. I find that his ideas can be easily transposed to explain the public's fascination with media violence, wrestling, boxing and so on.
As the ideas of the enlightenment spread throughout the 19th century executions and torture became less frequent and conducted ever further from the public spotlight while more 'humane' methods of killing were also adopted. No longer were prisoners dragged behind horses, crushed on cart wheels or had their limbs severed one by one. The Guillotine, firing squads and poisonous concoctions vastly accelerated the dying process and reduced physical pain. Foucault does not in any way suggest that man is any more or less violent today than he was two centuries ago or 2000 years ago. Nonetheless, he shows that the violence of justice has changed its modus operandi.

The West has seen the longest period of peace in history, economic conditions have improved for the majority and violence (physical and psychological) is not tolerated. At the same time, criminals enjoy more rights privileges and there have been efforts to ensure humane treatment of prisoners. Therefore, taking Foucault into consideration, violence in film is none other than the public's basic, and instinctively human, appetite for violence that always looks for ways of manifesting itself in accordance to society's norms. If the public torture of a man whose bones were crushed or limbs cut off (in such a way that the victim could clearly see what was being done) or a public hanging constituted an popular occasion for spectacle in the 18th century, so then do graphic violent films appeal to people in the same way in the 21st century.
Therefore, in many ways, Foucault's ideas as expressed in Discipline and Punish support the notion that violence in contemporary cinema has a cathartic function.

The Immoralist is a book about a historian of ancient civilization, named Michel. We follow him on extensive journeys throughout North Africa and Southern Europe, but more importantly we follow his inner journey from a decent, respectable, constrained man to a man of passion, energy and carelessness. It starts on his honeymoon in North Africa, where he becomes seriously ill with tuberculosis. His illness makes him change from a moral self to a living self, and he becomes less interested in his work and his wife than in little Arab boys, whom he finds spontaneous and full of life. His mind is constantly at work considering the antithesis between culture and nature, whether he is studying the fall of Rome or his apple orchard in Normandy. He tries to balance passion, individuality and natural inclinations with history, culture, and morals, but in the end he is overwhelmed by his desire to live unrestrained and free. He declares "I detest all principled people",he favors the desert over the planted field and drunken sailors over socialites, he fornicates with an Arab dancer on the eve of his wife's death. Stories of incest and rape on his own estate intrigue him rather than spur him to action, and as a widower he lives with a young boy after dumping the boy's sister, a teenage prostitute. Gide manages to make this slippery slope of debauchery and outrageous selfishness somehow comprehensible, but it is unclear what conclusions we are to draw after reading The Immoralist. Like the anti-hero of Mann's Death in Venice, Michel is unable to control his own desires, or rather he no longer attempts to control them. "I create the newness of each hour by completely forgetting yesterday," says Michel's friend Menalcas. At the same time, Michel's fleeting moments of happiness are interspersed with moments of suffering and guilt. And what about his wife? Gide doesn't really go into the results of treating other human beings merely as obstacles or instruments in one's own quest for fulfillment.

First off, you should (preferably) read this book only if you've read "The Counterfeiters" first. Anyway, Gide has a marvelous voice; even in translation, the prose pours magnificently from the page. Much has been made of the scandalous homosexual undertones of the book; more interesting is the socialist ideas that are subtly portrayed in the novel's simple storyline. Michel is not a hero; he is simply a man who comes to understand himself only through losing everything. Very similar to Camus - think "La Chute" or "L'Etranger". Very original...I have heard life changing, though I wouldn't go that far. However, it does make you think. Definitely high on my reading list.

Many readers of this book are inclined to compare it with the works of Camus. I grant that The Immoralist does suggest existential questions but, unlike Camus' La Chute (for instance), it simply presents the life and actions of the anti-hero without his actual and deliberate existential questioning. This is the subtle richness of Gide's writing. The Immoralist presents a unique disparity in the lavishness in description of setting, and the relatively spare characterizations. Gide does not glorify, chastise nor condemn his Michel. Michel is simply what he is, what he has become. This novel is filled with brilliant writing, lines of which one can't help but memorize. For instance, "The capacity to get free is nothing; the capacity to be free, that is the task." and also, "You cannot be sincere and at the same time seem so." Having read both Bussy's pioneer translation and Howard's later one, I much prefer the latter. It's a far more exact translation.

Sheridan's phrase "school for scandal" is a grand metaphor for the gossipy London society of the late 1770's, and the longevity of the play that bears it as its title attests to its relevance in any place and time. Sheridan captures the inherent drama and humor in the truism that people are always talking about other people behind their backs and uses it as a foundation on which to devise a plot of intrigue.

The school's "principals" are Lady Sneerwell and a man named Snake, who like to collect gossip about their neighbors and others in London society; one of their cohorts is the brilliantly ironic character Mrs. Candour, who openly reprehends idle gossip but blithely participates in it anyway. One of their favorite subjects of gossip is the Surface brothers, Joseph and Charles. The popular perception is that Joseph is responsible and respectable, while Charles is a wastrel and a miscreant.

The Surface brothers' uncle, Sir Oliver Surface, returns to London after spending many years in India, hears the rumors about his nephews, and decides to verify them for the purpose of choosing an heir between the two. Since he has been gone so long that his nephews would not recognize him, he visits them incognito. Posing as a moneylender to Charles, and as a poor relative to Joseph, he discovers that his nephews are not quite of the natures he has been led to believe.

Sheridan employs some typical comedic devices like love triangles and hiding characters, but for the most part this is an inventive play that picks its targets well and hits the bullseye every time. Considering it was written at such a turbulent time in England's history, it's interesting that social satire still managed to break through greater national concerns and be successful and appreciated.

This book made it fun and delightful to follow how rumors and scandals are started. Anyone who wants a ligth hearted read in the style of a Shakespearean comedy, "School for Scandal" by Richard Sheridan is for you. It has the most entertaining characters, who anyone could recognize as being people they know and are friends with, and it pokes fun at soap-opera-like dramas that have forbidden loves and misleading coincidences. The situations that arise seem so unthinkable and impossible, and then you realize that you or someone you know has been there right down to the last detail. "School for Scandal" is a entertaining read for anyone who has ever passed on a rumor.

The aptly named Sir Oliver Surface would like to know which of his nephews is the more worthy, and, well, nothing is ever simple. This comedy of manners is one of the best ever written, and it rings true 225 years after its first performance thanks to its snide comments on English aristocrats and one-liners such as "I'm called away by particular business. But I leave my character behind me."

The Dover Thrift edition has no introduction or analysis. Intoduction and analysis are of course not necessary, but in some situations they are nice things to have.