I have to disagree with the above editorial. I compared the reproductions with others that I have, and although there are sometimes subtle differences they are not always to the disadvantage of this book. Some pictures are better than others, but the advantage here is that each reproduction is on a page by itself with commentary on an adjoining page-a catalogue layout that I always prefer in that it give the painting room to breathe and because I'm not reading on one page and finding the relevant painting six pages later. The book is obviously done by true lovers of the painter. Chardin is profound and a painter's painter. You can see and feel why he was adored by Cezanne, Soutine, Manet, Proust, and I'm sure many other significant artists. He has rightly been called a virtuoso of stillness. Even in reproduction, pieces of fruit, kitchenware and game animals are alive and quietly glowing from within with a warmth, compassion and a kind of subtle majesty-it's really deep in an indescribable way. In my opinion a very worthwhile purchase.

This book is simply gorgeous. I had been well acquainted with Chardin a number of years ago, and picked up this book on a whim at the store. Rediscovering this master was a true delight. His paintings are deceptively simple: behind the cool colors and the measured scenes lies a captivating energy. This particular volume is very well done. The reproductions are of superior quality and the accompanying essays by the world's most renowned Chardin expert are enjoyable and enlightening. Art books are expensive, but this is one that is well worth the investment.

This book is filled with vivid descriptions of many of Paris' less expensive hotels. Sandra includes some pricier gems as well for those who can afford to splurge. But she avoids the chain hotels that don't offer the character of the smaller Parisian hotels. She describes the accomodations accurately including furnishings, lighting and room size. Many times she recommends specific rooms along with their canopy beds or terrific views! She warns you when there may be street noise and includes the nearest metro stops.

After I read this book I felt as though I knew many of the owners of the small hotels. When I finally got to Paris I saw that she had hit the nail right on the head with the hotel that I finally chose. Thank you!

What a great way to stay in Paris --
at small hotels with small prices.

Thanks to Cheap Sleeps I found an 11-room gem in the elegant 7th arrondissement,
within walking distance of the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, and Musee D'Orsay for
$65/night (single). My room even had its own rooftop terrace to better view
la vie Parisienne. I look forward to a return visit, and to the next edition of this book.

Merci beaucoup, Sandra!

If nothing else can be said for Warren Lehrer you can say that he is excellent at capturing people. I love this book. I've read all the portrait series books (I had to for class) and Claude was my second favorite. Brother Blue was my first. Claude is a captivating guy. I can see why women love him. If you're looking for a book that truly reveals and captures an honestly interesting character, buy this book. Heck, it's worth it just to read Claude's advice for having great relationships.

If nothing else can be said for Warren Lehrer you can say that he is excellent at capturing people. I love this book. I've read all the portrait series books (I had to for class) and Claude was my second favorite. Brother Blue was my first. Claude is a captivating guy. I can see why women love him. If you're looking for a book that truly reveals and captures an honestly interesting character, buy this book. Heck, it's worth it just to read Claude's advice for having great relationships.

I think this is the best of the Eloise books. I read it as a child and still remember the picture of her walking down the street using baguettes as skis. What a coquine! I think the more French you know the funnier the book is--partly because many pages have a hilarious hash of French and English words. My 7-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter also loved it, although they might just have picked up on my mood. I just couldn't stop laughing. I'm not sure whether Kay Thompson's text or Hilary Knight's illustrations are the best part. A real romp through the streets of Paris.

A fantastic visit to the most superb city in the world, conducted by the world's most superb six year old! You simply must read this book, as all the other Eloise books, perfect for children and precocious adults alike.

I read Eloise when I was about 6 or 7, 32 years ago, and I have never forgot the precocious, messy, FUN little girl I met in these books. Her life in the hotel and the pranks and tricks she pulled were so delicious! She is a very warm memory of my childhood and I recently bought her books just so I could have them to read again to my children, grandchildren and hopefully, great-grand children. Okay, okay, I admit it, I wanted them for myself! : ) They are fantastic books greatly enhanced by Hilary Knight's illustrations (who also drew for the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series) and I recommend them to any one looking for an imaginative book to share with their child.

At last! Books the I can read to my kids (ages 9 & 10) that amuse ME as well as them, and not just because the pictures are great! Even the 2 year old enjoys Eloise, and who wouldn't?

I cannot BELIEVE that my mother didn't introduce me to the joys of Eloise when I was a child, but perhaps it's best this way, when I am truly able to appreciate these wonderful books!

Hansen has given us a gift. His investigation into the haunts and habits of American writers and their circle in 1920's Paris is brilliant. Read the book and understand, in part, much of what they lived and how it manifests in their work. This is worth reading for myriad reasons. It is a romance, an adventure, an exploration.

The late Arlen Hansen was a legendery professor at the University of the Pacific, and a professor of mine. He taught a course on expatriate Paris in the 20's, and his passion for his subject comes through on every page of this book. I copied down information from this book for a recent trip to Paris, and without it I never would have found the apartment building in which Zelda Fitzgerald jammed the elevator on her and Scott's floor so that it would always be waiting for them (to the dismay of the manager). Such tid bits of delicious trivia abound on every page, and I highly recommend this book, especially if you are a fan of the literary 20's, and are planning on a trip to Paris in the future.

Fodor's has really done an excellent job producing this guide book. The map was informative and up to date. The book is great for carrying around in your purse or knapsack. You can just whip it out anywhere and find the appropriate Metro stop for each point of interest. Buy it!

If you only have a day or two, this distills the major landmarks/things to do. Map is excellent and includes ALL arrondisments and surrounding areas. Has info for all ages and interests and the book & the map are in a plastic cover that is small & light enough for a purse or (large) pocket. Useful, easy to read format is well-organized with accurate information. Only useful as starting place for hotels if you are on a tight budget or need to stay in a particular area, though.

This wonderful book - that reads like a fine collection of short stories - makes Paris in the heyday of its expatriate invasion come alive like no other I've read. Hemingway, Stein, Fitzgerald at al lived and wrote and feuded in Paris like nobody else ever will again, but what they ate is still there and available to us all. The food and its aromas that rise out of the pages of this charming, beautifully written book send me back to that time and place like the most vivid time machine. Suzanne Rodriguez-Hunter is as authoritive with her food as she is with her Lost Parisans, and her book will go with me the next time I go to Paris. Meanwhile it brings a heady whiff of Paris home to me.

Dynamic, and conceptually unique, this book is filled with fascinating anecdotes, quotes, and recipes from the likes of Gertrude Stein, Hemingway, Rousseau and on... For, "Living one's art" was a commonplace philosophy for many of the lengends (and some obscures) who are included in this charming book. Food, drink and love! (Joyce's oysters and Jimmie's aphrodisiac) What better kindling for inspiration is there?

I suppose I had a pre-conceived idea about what I would find between the pages of this work. I was jolted into sitting up straight in my chair when I read the Preface. The author's voice came through loud and clear. I won't quote the whole thing here, but I will include this one line.... " The least valued, most exploited, neglected and generally mistreated human creatures in any society are powerless, dark-skinned, female and poor. ..." I found this book a solid read. I will definitely look up the rest of this author's work.

Felita Daniels, Editor, Mystery Buff Magazine

Barbara once again has outdone herself in writing The Fox & The Pussycat!!! Her writing transports us into a world which somewhere exists and is made real by her talent!! I look forward to the next book The Fox & The Serpent's Tooth!! Congratulations!!!

On the cover: Garbo in MATA HARI, magnetism in her cat's eyes. A fat volume - but not heavy-handed. Infotainment on paper. 4 years of preparation on both sides of the Atlantic. Hundreds of persons interviewed. 200 000 pages of documents sorted over. A success all along the line. This must be the definite from-cradle-to-grave biography of Greta Garbo. Some glimpses: Garbo's shyness during her early Hollywood years may have been simple embarrassment because she was ashamed of her past as "soap girl" in a barber's shop. Her affair with Gilbert: True love or did she use him to advance her career? Lots of delightful gossip about her films and her partners. Intimate details from her affairs, thorough psychological analysis and then - the sudden end of her career. It was not planned. Garbo made a screen test for Balzac's "The duchess of Langeais", but the project was frustrated when the italian producers backed out. Was it really a great loss for the film industry that she never played George Sand opposite Liberace as Chopin?

The most interesting part of Garbo's life - at least the most fun to read about - came after her career. By all accounts the last 50 years of her life were b-o-r-i-n-g but the way Barry Paris describes them is not. Cecil Beaton, who wanted to marry her said that no one would spend more than 10 minutes with her if she weren't Garbo - but then she was GARBO and everyone around her got an enormous kick out of being with her - even when her main interests were theosophy and health food and her main occupation during her last 30 years consisted in walking the streets of New York in search of comfortable shoes. For some years a Mr. Green was one of her best friends, the one who walked with her. They often spoke over the telephone. He told her, of course, that he recorded their conversations, and she gave her consent. Of course. This is why Barry Paris can cite from a hundred of hours of Garbo's private conversations which sound at times like an absurd play by Samuel Beckett. After finishing this book I really had the feeling of knowing Garbo - but I doubt that Garbo herself would have liked the idea...

This biography about Garbo is simply one of the best biographies I have ever read. Besides extensively researching Garbo's life, Paris is extremely knowledgeable about film history, particularly silent film history.

His writing puts her life & work in context with what was happening in Hollywood & on film at the time. His book is the perfect combination of film history & gossip. I do not like reading entertainment biographies that focus only on the private life of the person. I am also interested in hearing about their work & what they and others thought of their work. Paris writes all this and more.

The book also discussed Garbo's life after her exit from film. The book is filled with photographs, many of which I had never seen before.

An all around great reading experience!