'The City of Saints and Madmen' is easily my favorite collection of 2001. Comprised of four stories, each more deliciously exotic and fascinating than the one before, this attractively priced trade paperback is sure to entrance all readers willing to immerse themselves in VanderMeer's brilliantly conceived world.

VanderMeer's Ambergris is easily the most lavish and enticing fantastic world that I've yet to encounter. Articulating the brilliance of this book would require writing skills on a par with VanderMeer himself. I can only point to the book and insist that it is excellent. Truly excellent.

Taken by themselves, the stories are small gems...but when looked at as a whole, as part of the wonderful Ambergrisian tapestry, they become more than the sum of their parts. I anguished with the title character in 'Dradin in Love' as he realizes that his passionate longing for a mysterious woman is unlikely to be consummated. The fascinating history of Ambergris as told in 'The Hoegbotton Guide to Ambergris by Duncan Shriek' is surely one of the most complete histories of a fictional world ever conceived. The World Fantasy Award Winning 'The Transformation of Martin Lake' tells the amazing story of a humble artist who is transformed into a master through a harrowing and bizarre experience. Finally, 'The Strange Case of X' blurs the lines between fantasy and reality as an author whose life appears analogous to VanderMeer's undergoes rigorous questioning concerning the substance of reality.

Under VanderMeer's watchful eye, Ambergris is a thriving and exotic landscape. I devoured this collection in a matter of hours. Hungry for more I jumped onto the internet and searched out more VanderMeer. Ambergris is so fascinating and richly exotic that I could see VanderMeer writing about its Living Saints and Graycaps for decades without running out of stories to tell.

Immerse yourself in Ambergris. The land is hauntingly beautiful and terrifyingly real. I can see myself re-reading this brilliant collection several times a year. This masterful collection belongs on the bookshelf of every fan of speculative fiction. I'm eagerly looking forward to the Deluxe edition which supposedly contains 30,000 more words about this wonderful place and is supposed to be released Real Soon Now.

This volume, exciting and beautiful, is easily one of my all-time favorite books. Try it yourself. You won't be disappointed. Highly Recommended.

VanderMeer is one of the few modern fantasy writers worth reading. His imagination is enormous and sombre, cool and elusive as a chilled shadow, and no less fluid. It is a pleasure to read VanderMeer, because his tales are visual and yet musical, neither the word nor the image dominating the other. This book condenses and serves much of what he has done in recent years, and it is a satisfying platter, with a taste strange but sweet, worthy of a lick at the corners of the lips and a dreamfilled slumber afterwards. Comparisons are odious, we all know that, and yet I am reminded of some of the great French fabulists when I read VanderMeer. I never exaggerate. This book is utterly marvellous!

'The City of Saints and Madmen' is easily my favorite collection of 2001. Comprised of four stories, each more deliciously exotic and fascinating than the one before, this attractively priced trade paperback is sure to entrance all readers willing to immerse themselves in VanderMeer's brilliantly conceived world.

VanderMeer's Ambergris is easily the most lavish and enticing fantastic world that I've yet to encounter. Articulating the brilliance of this book would require writing skills on a par with VanderMeer himself. I can only point to the book and insist that it is excellent. Truly excellent.

Taken by themselves, the stories are small gems...but when looked at as a whole, as part of the wonderful Ambergrisian tapestry, they become more than the sum of their parts. I anguished with the title character in 'Dradin in Love' as he realizes that his passionate longing for a mysterious woman is unlikely to be consummated. The fascinating history of Ambergris as told in 'The Hoegbotton Guide to Ambergris by Duncan Shriek' is surely one of the most complete histories of a fictional world ever conceived. The World Fantasy Award Winning 'The Transformation of Martin Lake' tells the amazing story of a humble artist who is transformed into a master through a harrowing and bizarre experience. Finally, 'The Strange Case of X' blurs the lines between fantasy and reality as an author whose life appears analogous to VanderMeer's undergoes rigorous questioning concerning the substance of reality.

Under VanderMeer's watchful eye, Ambergris is a thriving and exotic landscape. I devoured this collection in a matter of hours. Hungry for more I jumped onto the internet and searched out more VanderMeer. Ambergris is so fascinating and richly exotic that I could see VanderMeer writing about its Living Saints and Graycaps for decades without running out of stories to tell.

Immerse yourself in Ambergris. The land is hauntingly beautiful and terrifyingly real. I can see myself re-reading this brilliant collection several times a year. This masterful collection belongs on the bookshelf of every fan of speculative fiction. I'm eagerly looking forward to the Deluxe edition which supposedly contains 30,000 more words about this wonderful place and is supposed to be released Real Soon Now.

This volume, exciting and beautiful, is easily one of my all-time favorite books. Try it yourself. You won't be disappointed. Highly Recommended.

Had this been a collection of stories and essays by anybody else, I would have thought it was nothing special. But having read the Diary of Anne Frank first, the stories and essays make so much more sense. You can just see her whiling away the dull moments of the life in the secret annex, honing her writing skills. It is easy to see her skills as a writer increase from story to story. But even more interesting is to read the messages contained within her works. The writing skills she displays are obviously that of a teenager, although much better than most people her age. But the real value of these pieces are the insights which she brings to them; her life experiences and her approach to life's big questions. The last essay in the collection is entitled, "Why" and seems to sum up her short life. Read this book, but only after you read the Diary so the essays will be meaningful.

In her now famous Diary, Anne Frank said "I want to go on living even after my death". As of 1998, The Diary of Anne Frank had reached sales of 25 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages. (source: TIME, October 5, 1998). It has been required classroom reading for half a century now! In a way, her wish has come to pass.
This subsequent publication "Tales From The Secret Annex" combines short stories, reminiscences/vignettes, and even an unfinished novel to show us yet another dimension to this remarkable person. Reading these stories and little essays confirmed my personal opinion that Anne Frank was a childhood genius with unlimited potential to achieve anything she would have set her mind to. It's hard to imagine this thirteen year old girl writing with such depth and perception, while living in seclusion, terror and fear for her life. She was writing from her heart, not with an expectation of being published. And yet these stories shine with a polished brilliance, and a certain unforgettable quality. I read this book for the first time 8 years ago, and have returned to it now, remembering the stories as though I had read them just last week. My favorite is entitled "Kathy". In three short pages, Anne captures every emotion experienced by a kid who is misunderstood by her mother, assaulted by schoolyard bullies who mock and rob her and cause her to lose the gift she was bringing home to her mother.

Here is how she ends her essay entitled "Give":
"If only our country and then Europe and finally the whole world would realize that people were really kindly disposed toward one another, that they are all equal and everything else is transitory!
Open your eyes... give of yourself, give as much as you can! And you can always, always give something, even if it is only kindness! No one has ever become poor from giving! If you do this, then in a few generations no one will need to pity the beggar children anymore, because they will not exist!
There is plenty of room for everyone in the world, enough money, riches, and beauty for all to share! God has made enough for everyone. Let us all begin by sharing it fairly." (written March 26, 1944).

Anne was sent to Bergen-Belsen, where some time during March 1945, she, her sister Margot and hundreds of other prisoners were stricken with typhus. Their captors, preoccupied with the advancing Allies, left them to die.
World... read her book!

These stories and essays are well-crafted, yet easy to read. There are lessons to be learned from each piece, and these lessons can be identified easily. But the themes and ideas remain in your head and leave you thinking long after you set the book down - thinking about Anne Frank's life in the Nazi-occupied Europe as well as her ideals. Anyone will discover some aspect of their persona mirrored in Frank's characters, whether it may be through Paula or Kathy or Eve or anyone else.

You should approach the book with an open mind and respect for the writing. If you see that Frank was an intelligent young human being, and not a little kid whose writing you can deal with condescendingly, read this book. Otherwise, skip it. This is honest, wise, well-crafted work, and it should be treated as such.

When I described my fascination with Balzac to a pal of mine, I said, "yeah, it is all about disillusioned and cynical people" and he replied: "I am already disillusioned and cynical, so why should I read it?"

Why indeed. This is indispuably one of the best of Balzac's novels, with clearly drawn characters and grim lives in an inexorable descent to self-destruction, which are the classic Balzac themes. It explores the life of a libertine as he ruins himself and his family for the sake of pursuing pretty girls. Unbekonst to him, he gets help from Bette, a cousin full of secret hatreds and bent on vengence. It is very sad to read. One minor character even commits suicide by repeatedly smashing his head into a nail, his only means to finish himself off he could find in his jail cell.

So why read it? Well, again, it is for the wider social portraits that you can find, which are offered almost as an aside. Balzac in one section explains the politics behind the statues you see all over Paris, which is fascinating. You also learn of the career of courtisans, as they use their sex to advance themselves. The book is simply full of these thngs, in addition to the psychology of the many interesting main characters.

Also unusual for Balzac is the coherency of the story, which does not degenerate into ramblings like many of his other novels as they weave the tapestry of his Comedie Humaine like so many threads, that is, as vehicles in his vast project to fully portray an entire society with characters re-appearing in different situations and venues throughout his interrelated novels. The characters stand on their own here and are more clearly drawn. Hence, it is a great intro to Balzac and may get you hooked for more, that is, if you are masochistic enough to subject yourself to it!

Warmly recommended.

This is a remarkable book, setting the template for Flaubert and Zola's respective journeys into the sordid human psyche.

Lisbeth is a peasant girl from Alsace, bitter at her cousin Adeline's preferential treatment during their childhood. Vindictive Bette decides to cut the family from its wealth, as well as to debase her family personally. It's not difficult when Adeline's husband Hector becomes so weak-kneed over a pretty face that he would compromise his family if it came to a choice between sex and relatives. Lisbeth maneuvers skilfully, befriending Madame Marneffe, an unhappily married woman with numerous lovers who only wants to see her sickly husband made a manager of his governmental department. Installed in this household as a spy for hector (who is smitten with Marneffe), Lisbeth works toward an alliance with Marneffe, on one side to destroy the Hulot's, on the other to gain the love of Count Steinbock, to whom Lisbeth is a benefactress.

I saw a feminist agenda in this novel. Consider: Whereas Hector Hulot is not frowned upon for his numerous infidelities, and indeed feels no guilt even though his longsuffering wife turns a blind eye, when Adeline, in trying to save her family, attempts to seduce a wealthy perfumer named Crevel, she fears dishonor for herself, and feels immeasurable guilt over the infidelity she never even commits. Could Balzac be commenting on the fact that both women and men should be allowed their indiscretions? Call it immaterial. Also, the female characters are by and large either intelligent and conniving (Madame Marneffe, Lisbeth), or beautiful and virtuous (Adeline, Hortense). The men are scandalously disloyal (Steinbock, Hector), or inneffectual and dissolute (Monsieur Marneffe, Crevel). A fresh perspective...from a male author. Great in every way, even if quite convoluted.

"Beauty is the greatest of human powers. All autocratic unbridled power with nothing to counterbalance it, leads to abuse, mad excess. Despotism is power gone mad. In women, despotism takes the form of satisfying their whims". This remark engulfs Balzac's opera: To collate the audience with the obliterating debauchery society of 18th century France. Lisbeth Fischer aka Cousin Bette lurks in every chapter as a concealed beast coveting her prey (The house of Hulot) under the same roof. Perhaps Balzac's major achievement in this master piece, is to portrait a flauntering society feigned by its ostentatious opulence but immerse on a licentious and decadent life. "The savage has feelings... only the civilized man has feelings and ideas." Balzac seems to banter at Parisians with this idea: how civilized, civilized society can be. I strongly recommend this book if you intend to follow De Laclos work in Les Liasions Dangereuses. As an amateur reader I founded the characters difficult to identify at the beginning, however is an strategy smartly set by Balzac and very much appreciated as soon as you start to realize and pace through the richness of the narration.

Because of my name, many have asked me over the years if I was familiar with Gene Stratton-Porter's book, "Michael O'Halloran". As a boy, I was given a copy containing the pen and ink drawings and stills from the "photoplay" and have treasured it since (I do not know if modern editions contain either set of illustrations). Re-reading it as an adult, I am still charmed by this tale of an orphaned newspaper seller who asks nothing of the world except to "be square". It is easy to overlook major holes in the plot (for example, we never do know what is wrong with Peaches other than she is sick and can't walk), when we are presented with such a vivid description of American life in 1914 - even if some of the city scenes don't quite ring true. Though the characters suffer many hardships, the overall tone is so upbeat that it's easy to see why this book outsold "Pollyanna" in 1916. Stratton-Porter's skill as a naturalist make the country scenes especially vibrant. Her ear for dialog is unsurpassed showing the reader that, if life in America wasn't like this, it should have been. Having read this book, I am ready to believe that children and adults did speak this nicely to each other once upon a time. You, too, will wonder if the world wouldn't be a lot better off if everyone could just "be square".

Because of my name, many have asked me over the years if I was familiar with Gene Stratton-Porter's book, "Michael O'Halloran". As a boy, I was given a copy containing photo stills from the movie and have treasured it since. Re-reading it as an adult, I am still charmed by this tale of a young newspaper seller who asks the world to "be square". It is easy to overlook major holes in the plot (for example, we never do know what is wrong with Peaches other than she is sick and can't walk) when we are presented with such a vivid description of American life in 1914 - even if some of the city scenes don't quite ring true. Through many hardships, the tone is so upbeat that it's easy to see why this book outsold "Pollyanna" in 1916. Stratton-Porter's skill as a naturalist make the country scenes especially vibrant. Her ear for dialog is unsurpassed showing the reader that, if life in America wasn't like this, it should have been. Having read this book, I am ready to believe that children and adults did speak this nicely to each other once upon a time. You, too, will wonder if the world wouldn't be a lot better off if everyone could just "be square".

I loved this story! I read it first when I was 17 or so and had already read many of the author's works. Michael has such an appreciation for life, and his "squareness" and determination to keep his family together in the face of poverty, illness, and wellmeaning interference really brings home how important family is. This story contrasts city life and country life--and makes you long for the country! The fresh, homegrown food, the clean breezes, the room to stretch and grow, the creeks with gravelly bottoms and nibbling minnows! This book will appeal to anyone who yearns for the simple life.

Andy Duncan writes brilliant stories.

That's all I need to say. He puts words down on paper and they look beautiful! This collection, from the magnificent Golden Gryphon press, collects all of Andy Duncan's early published work. The stories are by turns, beautiful, poignant, and sometimes horrific.

My favorite story of the collection is 'The Executioner's Guild'. This incredible novella is set in a small Southern town. The town is abuzz because the Execution wagon is coming to town. The Executioner is a young man whose job it is to perform Executions for the state. The story becomes really interesting when the Executioner's mysterious mentor unexpectedly arrives in town and the Executioner must come to grips with the true importance of his job. This story will leave you thinking long after you've put the book down.

There are other stories in this collection of equal quality: 'Liza and the Crazy Water Man', 'Fenneman's Mouth', 'Grand Guignol', 'From Alfano's Reliquary', and the title story 'Beluthahatchie', set in a suburb of Hell.

It's a genuinely exciting experience to stumble across a relatively new author. If you're not familiar with Andy Duncan, you should definitely check out this explosive new author. Duncan's stories remind me a lot of those by another Southern author, Howard Waldrop. Whatever their similarities and differences, both are incredible authors. Duncan's published stories since this collection have maintained his very high level of excellence. I have every reason to believe that Andy Duncan will be a very big name in short speculative fiction. Don't miss this collection. Highly recommended.

Andy Duncan is a delight, a surprise, and an original. If you haven't yet sampled his work, in "Beluthahatchie and Other Stories" you've got the pleasure of discovering a huge new talent ahead of you. And if you're already familiar with his beautifully written and crafted stories, "Beluthahatchie and Other Stories" allows you to re-read, rediscover, and relish them as often as you wish -- and if you're like me, you'll find yourself dipping into this wonderful collection again and again.

This book just won the World Fantasy Award and for good reason! My favorite story is "Fortitude" an alternate history fantasy about George Patton, but every story is unique and remarkable. And if you buy this book, don't let it sit on your shelf unread. Read one story at random and you will fall in love with Duncan's writing style and will probably finish the entire book in one sitting (I know I did!).

This is an interactive book....the kids hearing it read to them will help you decide whether to listen to Grover and stop turning the pages, or go on with Elmo...it's just what the pre-schooler loves, and I enjoy it as well!!! The first one was only with Grover, and I gotta admit, even better. Buy both!

I had always enjoyed Monster and when I got married and became a stepmom, I ran out and bought the book. My stepson couldn't read yet, but he new exactly when to yell, "You turned the page!". Then when Another Monster came out...you better believe we got it as well. I now have a 6 month old son and pretty soon he will be meeting up with the Monster! I highly recommend this book to everyone.

What a great book!! Reading this book just before bedtime when your preschooler is "afraid of monsters" is ideal. Are all monsters bad? Grover is afraid of monsters and Elmo is curious. Little Elmo wants to see the monster at the end of the book, but Grover tries to discourage him by placing obstacles in his way. Will Elmo ever see the monster? My 3 1/2 year old thinks this book is great and even participates in the reading. A great read for children and parents alike.

The original version of the story Lost Boys (later expanded into an inferior novel) is to be found here, and it is truly a frightening story. The events unfold, and before you realize it, you discover that the story is autobiographical. Also here are: CLOSING THE TIME LID--a wildly delicious time travel story--KING'S MEAT--a touching, and ironic tale of life on a planet that has been taken over by wierd squid-like aliens, who prey on human flesh--and of course the CLASSIC short story, UNACCOMPANIED SONATA. Words fail to discribe how touching and beautiful, how sad, and wonderful is this story of a future time when everybody gets to do whatever makes them most happy.

A must for Card fans and highly recommended to those attempting to understand the appeal and celebrity of this prizewinning and acclaimed American author of science fiction, fantasy, and magical realism.

Card's short fiction has always exceeded in power, beauty, and universalism the long fiction which he produces at such a prolific rate. This is mainly due to his tendency to explain nuances of his characters in his longer works literally, rather than allowing the reader to understand them through diligent observation. In his short fiction, however, he routinely abandons this "lowest common denominator" method, much to the empowerment of his prose.

The appeal of Card's work is similar to that of film wunderkind Steven Spielberg. At his worst, he is unflinchingly manipulative, such as in the story "Lost Boys," the original source for his later popular novel (cf. "The Color Purple"); at his best, his narration remains remote enough not to overpower with sentimentalism, as in "Unaccompanied Sonata" (cf. "Schindler's List"). A few works seem to be unnecessary literary exercises taken to extremes ("Damn Fine Novel") but, as is Card's trademark, a constant theme of sin/redemption runs through most of the stories. While drawing upon the Mormon experience, Card is unafraid to avoid simple moral chiaroscuro in favor of the gray areas for which good fantastic fiction is so well tailored.

The perfection of some of these tales lies in the simplicity of the telling. Card seems to have adhered to the ethic that informs Native American and Far Eastern oral traditions, wherein the narrator becomes only an instrument for the audience, and never intrudes as either arbitrator or alibi. It is in their peculiar mixture of triumph and tragedy that Card's stories delight, whether described through whimsy or dread.

The book's five segments, roughly described respectively as horror, science fiction, fantasies, parables, and miscellanea, comprise most of the author's published (and some unpublished) works up from 1977-1990. Particularly recommended: "Unaccompanied Sonata," "Quietus," "The Porcelain Salamander," A Plague of Butterflies," "Gert Fram."

It was a crime to let this book go out of print! Fortunately, one of my friends, also an OSC fan, lent his copy to me "for a short while." Because I am an honest person, I returned it. Eventually. And only after seriously considering changing my name and moving to Alaska, all to avoid losing these stories.

The book is divided into sections, each with a unifying theme: horror, classic science fiction, fantasy, parables, religion & ethics, and a mix of miscellaneous works. "The Changed Man," "Flux," "Maps in a Mirror," "Monkey Sonatas," and "Cruel Miracles" were also published as individual paperbacks, but "Lost Songs," which contains, among other things, the original short version of "Ender's Game," is only available in the comprehensive hardcover edition.

Every facet of OSC's brilliance is displayed in this collection. His longer works, while also brilliant, have an unfortunate tendency to lag at points, but in short form he shines. Though not all the stories are of equal quality (hey, everyone has bad days), none are bad, and many are things of beauty and power. My personal favorites include "A Thousand Deaths," "Freeway Games," "Saving Grace," "Kingsmeat," "The Porcelain Salamander," "The Best Day," "I Think Mom and Dad Are Going Crazy, Jerry," and, of course, "Unaccompanied Sonata."

Be aware: some of these stories contain graphic and disturbing images. They also contain disturbing ideas. But no one writes speculative literature better than OSC at his best, and this book has a lot of his best.

I have to agree with most of the other people who gave this book a brilliant 5 STAR rating!! The Back Door Guide is an inspiration to anyone and everyone who wants to live a full and enriching life, including students, job changers and professionals. I was immediately hooked by Landes' genuine, down-to-earth and humorous writing style and equally impressed with the plethora of insider tips and resources. As an avid traveler and adventurer, I found the "Abroad Adventures" section to be particularly helpful for finding the right kind of short-term overseas opportunities - from teaching English, to arranging an internship in Germany, to volunteering in Latin America. Instead of spending endless hours on the internet clicking through site after site to find the right program, Landes' book has all the best programs and resources at my fingertips so I don't even have to turn on my computer. I will be referring to this book repeatedly everytime I need a motivational boost, words of encouragement, tips on an adventure career, like with Club Med or a cruise ship, or if I'm planning my next overseas adventure! Great job!

I've seen dozens of volunteer books, adventure-job books, online databases, etc., but this is still my favorite. While some other places may contain more addresses, and yet others more information on each contact, this achieves the perfect balance. Hundreds of exciting jobs await, many well-paying and many volunteer. I've spent countless hours browsing this book dreaming and have used it for one job so far (at an out-of-the-way resort in Olympic National Park).

The chapters are divided usefully into sections on artistic pursuits, overseas jobs, environmental jobs, adventure jobs, farming jobs, etc., and are peppered with helpful anecdotes from people who've been there. The only drawback, as others have noted, is that the vast majority of listings are US-based. So if you wish to find more non-American jobs, try somewhere else, otherwise this is the best place to start dreaming AND doing!

Ever wanted to dream of what your next career adventure might be ? Ever wanted to start making that dream a reality ? Then Mike's book is for you !!

Imagine yourself in a shopping mall offering exciting places to go, fun people to work with, and important tasks to be undertaken. Some stores don't appeal to you, and you walk on by. But, other shops entice your interest and you peek inside. You wander around the mall, considering your options, weighing where to spend your time and effort, and then figuring out how many products and services to indulge in. Isn't life like that ? So much to do, and so little time ? The Back Door Guide to Short Term Job Adventures is certainly like that - I just want to get up and go - I just can't wait to start on so many of these fun opportunities !!

After your little 'shopping' experience, the real strength of this book is the details provided about all the wonderful organizations - there's brief information on what you might be working on, how much you could get paid, what sorts of people they are looking for, and when and how to apply. Most importantly, there's contact details to follow up - a person's name, their phone number, title, and email. And that's for hundreds of opportunities !! OK, now about next summer ...

The Pilgrim's Regress, Lewis's first book after his conversion to Christianity, is among his lesser known works. This in spite of the fact that it is highly readable and contains a good deal of insight into the problems of belief and unbelief. In short, it's the story of a boy (John) who searches for the answer to a longing he has had from his childhood, which leads him to (and past) many philosophies that were current in Lewis's time (and some of which still linger today). The allegory is thinly disguised - actually, it's not disguised at all. Characters like "Reason" and "Mr. Enlightenment" pop up all the time. Some of the references are a little out-of-date but generally the work is successful. This book is best read in conjunction with his other works, of course.

C. S. Lewis says more with one letter than some people say their entire lives!

This book requires two pre-requisites: "Pilgrims Progress" by Bunyan, and "Surprised by Joy," by Lewis. You will be lost with out this background. It also helps to be a genius, but I don't believe I can be of much help in that area.

This is an allegory of Lewis eventual conversion to Anglican Christianity. It presents Lewis's own story in the story of a young boy John and his struggles with religion, and how he wanders here and there trying to find God and what He is about.

The chapters are usually short, but in typical Lewis fashion, he packs a lot of thought in a small sentence. And the surprising thing is that he is so readable. There is no academic or philosophical mumbo-jumbo. It is all to rare straight talk!

This book is not just a journey to Christianity and to Christ, but also a vary biting commentary on the worldly and secular philosophies current in the world. Pay close attention, and see how many of the pundants and professors you see pasted in the story!

This is Lewis's first book, and it his his "Q" document--the source for much of his corpulent corpus of writing. It is is a good overview to Clivian thought!

I have read almost everything C.S. Lewis wrote, including letters to the editor, all three space novels, Till We Have Faces, and many others. One thing I really enjoy is seeing how bits from one work will spill over into others, and how each writing reflects on his life. I have read the Pilgrim's Regress now 4 times, and every time I see more in it. And not just about Lewis: about the development of thought up throught the years between the wars.
Overall, this is a book that is well worth reading. It gives the best explanation I've seen (better than Surprised by Joy, IMO) of his idea of Joy, and of the "Island" (image from Regress) that drove him to finally find Christ. Passages from the "Heaven" chapter of The Problem of Pain are close, but I thought in Regress he uses the allegory of the Island most effectively to explain his concept of longing and Joy.
At first, I must admit, Regress is difficult to understand for somebody without much background in fiction or allegory such as myself, and without much background in the philosophical movements of pre-war Europe. There are, however, two things in the book that are very helpful: (1) the afterword where Lewis explains his background; and (2) the explanatory headings on the tops of the pages that track the allegory.
Lewis said he wasn't sure this was a good idea of his, but I don't agree. Now, even not being a student of allegory, I would not read the headings first, or even primarily (as a kind of Cliff's Notes of the book). Read that way, they detract from the book. Rather, I read the whole book through the first time without the headings; only then, after I finished a section, going back and reading the headings on that section. Kind of like reading the Cliff's Notes along with the book itself; very useful, but hardly anybody does it.

some of the stories were good enough in this collection, but most were too boring too catch your attention (too obvious, boring descriptions, weak plot etc.). i guess you have to be into the old charm of the english ghost story to really appreciate this. i guess i am too modern to be scared by a guy who talks to a guy who turns out to be a ghost, and that's it.

This is a wonderful collection of ghost stories. Included are some of the classics of the genre. For instance, The "Monkey's Paw" (son is killed in an accident at work, parent wishes on creepy monkey's paw charm for son to come back to life, so please don't open the front door!) has been adapted a number of times for TV and film.

My personal favorite is probably "Smee," the quintessential between-the-wars British country house ghost story. Perhaps a scary little teleplay with Jeremy Irons, Hugh Grant and Judy Davis?

The horror genre is cluttered with hackwork, and imitations of hackwork--H.P. Lovecraft seems to have spawned a particularly virulent strain of the latter. However one of its subgenres, i.e. the ghost story seems to attract a better quality of writer--perhaps because a truly frightening tale of the returned dead is so difficult to write.

(Believe me, I've tried and after almost half a century of trying, have sold exactly one ghost story).

L. P. Hartley, who wrote "The Travelling Grave" and other great stories of the supernatural, described the ghost story as "certainly the most exacting form of literary art, and perhaps the only one in which there is almost no intermediate step between success and failure. Either it comes off or it is a flop."

Cox and Gilbert have collected mostly successes (and one or two flops) in "The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories" and its companion volume, "The Oxford Book of Victorian Ghost Stories." If you suffer from what Virginia Woolf called "the strange human craving for the pleasure of feeling afraid," both of these volumes will satisfy. Each contains a good mix of familiar and lesser-known ghost stories.

Here is a sampling from 'English Ghost Stories':

"The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs -- A horrible variant on 'Be careful what you wish for. It might just come true.' This is a sad, frightening story--maybe 'the' perfect tale of the supernatural.

"The Confession of Charles Linkworth" by E.F. Benson -- A telephone call from a hanged man.

"Man-Size in Marble" by E. Nesbit -- An overly sweet Victorian marriage comes to a tragic end on All Saints' Eve.

"The True History of Anthony Ffryar" -- When a fatal epidemic sweeps through Cambridge, a scholar witnesses an unusual Mass for the Dead: "'Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine,' chanted the hooded four; and one candle went out..."

"Smee" by A.M. Burrage -- A Christmas Eve game of hide-and-seek has one too many players.

"Bosworth Summit Pound" by L.T.C. Rolt -- A haunted English canal tunnel: "Not only was the narrow cavern of crumbling brickwork as cold and dark as a vault after the warmth and brilliance of the May sunshine, but water streamed from the roof and descended in cascades from the chimneys of the ventilation shafts. He had the utmost difficulty in keeping a straight course, for the damp atmosphere exhaled an evil-smelling mist which obscured the farther end of the tunnel..."

"Hand in Glove" by Elizabeth Bowen -- A young woman on the hunt for a titled husband is in desperate need of a clean pair of gloves.

"Bad Company" by Walter De La Mare -- A haunting encounter on the Underground.

"The Judge's House" by Bram Stoker -- A likeable young man seeks solitude to study for a mathematics exam.