I was lucky enough to be introduced to this book by attending one of Frances Sherwood's readings. So I can hear the whole story in her voice, which is an added pleasure for me.

This book is a great read, whether you generally go for historical fiction or not. It will keep you in your chair turning pages until long after your hot tea goes cold. The characters are engaging, wonderfully strange at times, and their lives are moving. Sherwood captures the intensity of life in the threatened Jewish community of Prague. The suspense created by their uncertain fate keeps the story rolling. Emperor Rudolph II is one of the most memorable quirky characters you're likely to encounter. He's both an historical personage and a freshly realized person. The colorful historical detail is balanced by a powerful story that has the authority and charm of a folk tale (for adults). The book has received endless praise in the major reviews. Richard Eder in the NY Times makes the point that the book is wise as well as fun. That's true. On the other hand, don't let the fact that the book is a brilliant piece of "literature" scare you away from the pure reading pleasure. There's plenty of fantasy and drama in this book, too.

Book of Splendor transports the reader to a different time and place. The historical and magical details are precisely drawn and you are swept into the court and ghetto of Prague in 1601. The love story between the Golem and the heroine is bewitching balanced by the threat of extinction of the Jewish community. For those who love historical fiction, magic, and romance, this is a must read.

To be sure, tourism in Prague must have increased after publication of this book. As a result of Ms. Sherwood's vivid descriptions, Prague becomes the main character in this story.

In the acknowledgements (how many novels have you read that have acknowledgments?), Ms. Sherwood calls this a historical fantasy -- a perfect description. As she explains, some of the characters and events are historical, some fictional, some historical who have been somewhat fictionalized. Which parts are historical and which fictionalized is not really important, the engrossing story stands on its own merits.

The Book of Splendor -- even the title evokes a sense of mystery -- has all the elements of a great movie: engrossing plot, detailed and sympathetic characters, colorful, even exotic location, and more than a little mystery. Not mystery as in Perry Mason, but mystery as in an exploration of the complexity of human relationships, the wonder of self-sacrifice and (not to be flippant) the meaning of life. All of this is overlaid with the uneasy co-existence of Christianity and Judaism in turn-of-the-17th Century Prague.

And, then, there is the Golem, a mythical creature brought into being where the land and water come together, by means of spell and incantation. That he isn't a man is clear, but, is that because he is less than a man -- or more?

Fluid prose, subtle symbolism and well-balanced, intertwining story-lines: Ms. Sherwood handles it all, and beautifully.

What lengths would you go to for love?

J.J. Smith, Keeper of the Records for The Book of Records (akin to the Guinness Book), is a "been there, done that" kind of guy. He has traveled all over the world authenticating the longest kiss, the most splits of a single human hair, etc. Then he receives this letter about a man who is eating pieces of a jumbo jet in order to prove his love for a woman. A Tall Tale? Maybe. Could happen? Probably not. Plain fun? You betcha!

The Man Who Ate the 747 is a feelgood novel with downhome humor and a sweet love story. Most of the characters in this novel go through some kind of change, which is always a refreshing change of pace after reading novels where the characters are stuck in the same desperate loop, who never learn lessons or grow beyond their boundaries. Ben Sherwood's writing is gentle and flowing and transports readers to wide open spaces where the unthinkable happens.

"We chase wild dreams and long for all that eludes us, when the greatest joys are within our grasp, if we can only recognize them." How true... Read this novel and see for yourself.

The extraordinarily ordinary J.J. Smith is the Keeper of the Records for The Book of Records. Pushed by his boss to outdo the competition, he follows a tip received in a letter: a man in Superior, Nebraska is eating a 747 to prove his love for a woman. A story of unrequited loves, a small town struggling to stay on the map and record-setting attempts unfolds. I loved the way Sherwood incorporated factual records into the story. This whimsical tale is a quick, fun read.

I loved this book so much! In a world full of cynics, Ben Sherwood has written something true and pure and so very romantic.. the story is at its essense, a triumph over cynicsm about love, and negativism about relationships. It's also very funny.. and the humor is kind and generous. The author has an excellent eye for detail as well and I was delighted by the people and the places he describes so vividly. When you finish this book (teary-eyed if you're anything like me!) you'll feel like you could go to Superior, Nebraska and know your way around town and know people in it! I hope when they make the movie version (and they MUST be!) they stay true to this wonderful story and these delightful characters. Way to go Ben Sherwood! I just finished digesting 747, and I'm already hungry for your next novel!