This is a decent little book even though I thought it was a bit short (finished reading it in about 20 minutes). The sayings and stories deserve contemplation so this is the type of book you should go through slowly and think about. The material can be rather deep for someone who is just learning about or trying to learn about Zen Buddhism. If this is the case, I would recommend a more detailed book that provides explanations and interpretations. I was mainly drawn to this book because of the traditional Japanese artwork/illustrations in it.

I got this reveiw off the back of my old paper back version of this book.

Questions of the Heart
As social secretary to the tyrannical mistress of Seven Chimneys, Sandra Duval soon learned the New England turf world was split by a bitter struggle between its two heroes. Dashing Nicholas Holt and his fascinating rival, Philipe Rousseau, were competing both for a keenly coveted racing cup and for possession of a fabulous estate. Then all at once their rivalry took on a new dimension, as each demanded Sandra's love. Amid deepening mystery, deceit and chill suspicion, Sandra had to valiantly seek the truth-about these two men, each so attractive, and about her own besieged and perplexed heart.

Editorial Review
In a world of glamour, wealth, and excitement, a beautiful girl must choose between old loyalties and new love.

In my own words I think this book is GREAT! I've read it many times and can't seem to tire of it. It's not very often these days that one can find a good clean romance novel. I found this book exciting with a good amount of suspence. If you like to just sit down and read a good & clean romance then I highly reccommend this book.

Well of course I have a few complaints with this book. It's not perfect. Izabel just seems to take too much of an interest in the family to be true. I know characters mention this to her and she tries to explain it, but it still seems unreal. And just a minor complaint of the way she calls Ireland Eire, as in referring to the republic. No-one in Ireland calls it this unless they are speaking as gaeilge, and even then, it means the whole of Ireland. But it is a heartwarming book, and when you discover Mizzabel's secret, it makes her seem more human

For those of you who follow my reviews, you know that I felt "Martin Chuzzlewit" was Dickens' worst book. "The Old Curiosity Shop" is better, but not by much. Now on one hand, the story has captivating elements. The relationship between Trent and Nell is well done, and their flight together offers generous amounts of suspense. Images are well drawn, tension is tightened and released at appropriate intervals, and it is unlikely that you will get bored. Swiveller and the abused servant girl provide an interesting subplot. (For any other author, this would have been excellent. But this does not represent Dickens' finer efforts.) Nell does not hit us the way characters like Lizzie Hexham ("Our Mutual Friend"), Amy Dorrit ("Little Dorrit"), Louisa Gradgrind ("Hard Times"), Agnes ("David Copperfield"), or Florence Dombey ("Dombey and Son") do. Kit is handled somewhat awkwardly. The end does not seem to fit. I understand that Dickens may have been trying to make the end ironic, but it just does not seem to fit well. Benevolent characters like Martin and Swiveller are handled fairly well, but we don't really get to know them the way we get to know benevolent characters like Sam Weller ("The Pickwick Papers") or Mr. Micawber ("David Copperfield"). In all honesty, Quilp seems to be the most fascinating character in this book. He displayed pure terror, but he was also funny, and even likable at times! While I was going through this book, I found myself waiting for Quilp to reenter! Gradually, I found myself leaning towards Quilp's side. I could not believe how awkwardly he died. Perhaps while Dickens was writing this, he was not sure of how to end it, and decided not to use too much effort on something that was not his best work. I guess my biggest complaint is that compared to Quilp, the benevolent characters seem dull and flat. (Don't get me wrong. I understand that Dickens loved to make his villains more fascinating than repulsive.) But benevolent characters like Mr Pickwick, Sam Weller, ("Pickwick Papers"), Agnes, Mr. Micawber ("David Copperfield"), Captain Cuttle ("Dombey and Son"), Dr. Manette ("A Tale of Two Cities"), Jo ("Great Expectations"), and John Harmon ("Our Mutual Friend"), have captivating qualities that match those of the villains. Once again, this IS a good book, but it does not (in my opinion) reflect Dickens' better efforts.

The only pleasure greater than discovering a new book
is rediscovering an old friend you haven't read for a while.
Many years ago I read all of Charles Dickens novels, but I
recently had occasion to re-read The Old Curiosity Shop, and
it is just as good as I remembered it the first time.

The story, like most of his plots, depends a great deal
on coincidences, so you have to suspend your scepticism to
enjoy it. Dickens begins by introducing us to one of the
most innocent little girls in literature, Little Nell, and
to her most unhappy grand-father. Quickly we discover that
instead of the old man taking care of the child, she is the
one responsible. We then meet one of Dickens' great villains
- the evil, corrupt, mean, and nasty Quilp - a man, if that
term can be used, who has absolutely no redeeming qualities,
one who finds pleasure in inflicting pain on all he meets.

Thinking that the old man has secret riches, Quilp
advances him money to support his gambling habit.
Unfortunately Nell's grandfather never wins, and the debt
grows ever larger. Finally Quilp forecloses on the curiosity
shop that the old man owns (thus the name of the book) and
tries to keep the two captive in order to discover the money
that he still believes is hidden somewhere. While the
household is asleep, however, Nell and her grandfather
escape and begin wandering across England in a search for
sanctuary.

On that journey, Dickens introduces us to a series of
minor characters who either befriend or try to take
advantage of our heroine. He's in no hurry to continue the
main story, so just sit back and enjoy the vivid
characterizations that are typical of any good Dickens
novel.

In the meantime, we follow the adventures of young Kit,
a boy who was one of Nell's best friends until Quilp turned
her grandfather against him. Here we find one of Dickens'
favorite sub-plots, the poor but honest boy who supports his
widowed mother and younger brother. Thanks to his honesty,
Kit finds a good position, but then evil Quilp enters the
picture and has him arrested as a thief!

Of course, we have the kind and mysterious elderly
gentlemen who take an interest in Kit and Nell for reasons
that we don't fully understand until the end of the book. We
are certain, however, that they will help ensure that
justice prevails in the end.

This is not a book for those in a hurry. Dickens tells
his stories in a meandering fashion, and the stops along the
way are just as important for your enjoyment as the journey itself. That can be frustrating at time, especially as you enter the second half and are anxious to see how things turn out. I try never to cheat by reading the end of a book before I finish, but it is tempting with Dickens. At times I wanted to tell him, "I don't want to meet anyone else; tell me what happens to Nell and Kit!" But I know the side journeys will prove rewarding, so I just have to be patient. Anyway, I am in better shape than his first readers; he wrote in weekly installments, so
they had to wait!

If you have and enjoyed other Dickens' novels, you will enjoy this one as well. If this is your first time (or perhaps the first time since you were in high school), you are in for a treat.

This edition of the Old Curiosity Shop is outstanding. It contains all the original illustrations drawn for the book, very helpful footnotes, a chronology of Dickens's life, etc. The book takes the reader on a wild journey through the English countryside with Little Nell, an angelic girl, and her troublesome grandfather, and features a host of amusing characters as only Dickens can draw them. While it was being written in serial form, it was so popular that sailors returning to port in England were known to shout to people on shore to ask what was going on with Little Nell. Today, however, you can miss some of Dickens's nuance and humor if you don't have good footnotes to turn to. The notes in this book explain obscure terms, references to contemporary popular culture, places where the action occurs, etc. If you are going to read this book, this is the edition to buy.

"Clifford's Christmas" is a great Christmas-book! It tells the story about Clifford and how he celebrates the Christmastime. He has his own Christmastree and he gets to meet the Santa Claus. The book shows children all the nice things that can happen to you during the Christmastime.

We have a Bull Mastif and the kids liked comparing our helpful (and clumsy!) dog to Clifford. They especialy liked the way it ends because our family's dog is a wonderful friend who makes every day Christmas as well. :)

Researchers constantly find that reading to children isvaluable in a variety of ways, not least of which are instilling a love of reading and improved reading skills. With better parent-child bonding from reading, your child will also be more emotionally secure and able to relate better to others. Intellectual performance will expand as well. Spending time together watching television fails as a substitute.

To help other parents apply this advice, as a parent of four I consulted an expert, our youngest child, and asked her to share with me her favorite books that were read to her as a young child. Clifford's Christmas was one of her picks.

This book takes a very large dog's eye view of the Christmas season, beginning with Thanksgiving. Clifford is much larger than Emily Elizabeth or her house. In fact, Clifford is so large he is as big as a helium-filled turkey balloon at the Thanksgiving Day parade.

Clifford makes different kinds of snowmen, plays ice hockey differently, and brings home a Christmas tree that is only the right size for him (not the family). On Christmas, Clifford and Santa Claus have some interesting interactions.

The result is to help your child develop a nonhuman perspective that will expand her or his intelligence and perception. That's a wonderful benefit to get from such a simple story.

Overcome your misconception stall that everything about children has to be seen from a child's perspective for a child to learn.

Enjoy!

Yet another in a seemingly endless procession by academics seeking to fit horror films into some sort of Film Theory niche. In this case they play the 'id' to the Fordist (i.e. Henry Ford) 'superego' of society. The book is almost redeemed by the chapters on the writings of Richard Matheson, Charles Beaumont and Robert Bloch, three masters of horror/sci-fi whose works have been largely forgotten by the mainsteam culture. But is it enough to spend the money for this book? Depends on how much of a collector/scholar one happens to be. That and the size of the wallet.

For those who want to experience the joy of these sort of films, I would rather recommend the works of David J. Skal, Bill Warren, and Michael J. Weldon, all of whose works can be purchased on this site.

This book does an excellent job of providing a framework for horror/sci fi "films" of the 1950s. The author postulates that these films are inicitive of Fordist society and integration vs. outsiders in the culture at the time. His use of films such as The Day the Earth Stood Still and Creature from the Black Lagoon is very interesting, although this book, both in paperback and hardcover, is a little expensive. Overall, it is worth the money.

This is not his good stuff. It is marketted fluff using his name. There are some good collections, but don't buy anything by this publisher.

Perhaps best-known for his Janis Joplin Cheap Thrills album cover and the X-rated film adaptation of Fritz the Cat, R. Crumb is the man who in the sixties brought the comics underground to light--a fact which made many with weak stomachs and bad consciences want to close their eyes. But the sublime and grotesque black-and-white drawings insist that you look as Crumb gives play to his sexual fantasies and keen social observations. Crumb draws it as he sees it, lampooning hypocrites of every ilk, from university thinktank eggheads to brutalizing cops to wigged-out counter-culture types with their hippier-than-thou halos and hangups.

In volume five of the Complete Crumb Comics, the great artist continues to wittily dissect the body of 1960's American society. Broad parody ('Neato Keeno Time', 'Hamburger Hi-jinx') rubs shoulders with barbed social commentary ('MOTORCITY Comics' #1, the Fritz the Cat epic, 'Fritz The No-Good') and lighthearted sexual fantasies ('SNATCH Comics' #1 & 2, 'Dirty Dog'). There's also lots of rarities in this volume (ie: the original front cover for Janis Joplin's 'Cheap Thrills' LP, a previously unpublished alternate cover for 'ZAP' #3, a poster for 'The Zap Show' from 1968, comix from 'The East Village Other' and 'Chicago Seed', etc...). For those unfamiliar with Crumb's work, volume five presents a respectable cross section of the oeuvre of the grand old man of Underground Comix.

Dr. Galarza was outstanding in this autobiography. It is easy to follow if you are enjoying it. A sense of history and knowledge of Mexican-American culture will ease the read. However, anyone with an open mind can follow it and enjoy it with little problem.

"Barrio Boy" is important for its local color accounts of the Mexican community in the early twentieth century. It is also important for its chronicle of the Diaz dictatorship and the forces that made one family migrate to southwestern California. In short, it is an important cultural and historical chronicle.

I came on this book by chance and read it in two sittings. As a North American who has lived in Mexico for four years, I found myself connecting with something on every page about Ernesto Galarza's life in Western Mexico until he was six and then following him until he was a teenager in Sacramento. After reading how the Mexican Revolution affected his family's decisions, I want to read more about Mexican history of the period. The book is notable for Galarza's ear and eye as he paints the details of village life, the series of moves in Mexico, and the many decisions the Galarza family made as they moved step by step away from physical danger. The last parts of the book about life in a Sacramento barrio interested me less but still kept me reading.

When I closed the book I went on the internet to learn more about Galarza. I found out he became a leading organizer and scholar constantly involved in Hispanic life but his book would be memorable even if he had led a more commonplace adult life.

On a lighter note, his account of appearing as a first-grader in a Cinco de Mayo performance was so vivid I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Readers who were bored by this book may have been assigned to read it in school. I think Barrio Boy would be an excellent read before going to Mexico--it's a pageturner that can deepen the Mexican experience for the imaginative traveler.

When I was at school a master wrote on the third page of a boy's essay, "no marks so far". I felt this constantly as I waded through page after page of Ms. Goudge's luscious prose. Nothing seemed to happen, though there were platitudinous descriptions of the English countryside throughout. Or at least "an" English countryside, similar to that described in John Major's hapless "Back to Basics".

Obviously I wasn't alone. On page 226 Lucilla remarks to her son, Hilary (yes, Hilary) that, "this has been an eventful day". "Has it?", replies Hilary,"I hadn't noticed anything particular about it". Nor had I. Perhaps I'd missed out on the "spirituality" referred to by another reviewer. If Hilary had too, that was unfortunate, because he is a clergyman.

This is an uneventful descrition of the life enjoyed by 0.1 % of the English population fifty years ago. I presume they enjoyed it, but that did not apply to a boy who had been killed in a car accident (this is incidental, not part of the plot - there isn't one). It is mentioned in passing that he will never enjoy the pleasures of having a motorbike, "playing rugger" or standing knee deep watching the waves come in. No, nor playing/watching soccer, going to the movies and buying fish and chips afterwards. But I imagine Ms. Goudge "wouldn't know" about that sort of thing.

This was the first Elizabeth Goudge book I have read. It will also be the last. It was both pretty and awful.

'The Heart of the Family' is the third in a trilogy of books about the Eliot family, who live in the ancient and atmospheric houses of Damerosehay and The Herb of Grace. They are a talented bunch, middle-class and in many ways privileged, but also suffering and making mistakes as they struggle to make sense of life and their own sufferings. Elizabeth Goudge has a highly imaginative and siritual vision of the inner meaning of life and invests ordinary events with quite intense beauty and sweetness. I have read a dismissive comment that she writes fairytales for adults. Actually, there is truth in this, because she reduces life to its deepest significance and understands that we must have myths and symbols in our imagination which help us to grasp this meaning. Her work rewards careful reading and re-reading and one can ponder some of her sentences for a long time. Some would find her work over-sentimental, but it seems to me that she has paid a high price in terms of personal search and even suffering to understand some of the things she writes about. Her writings are not in keeping with the material spirit of the age, but contain a timeless wisdom. They are also enjoyable and entertaining to read.

ars

I've read a lot of Brendan Kennelly's books and Poetry My Arse is not my favorite (The Book of Judas is) but it's still an excellent collection of poetry. I read the book last year but there is still this one poem from the collection that sticks with me for some reason. It goes something like:

Climbing Folklore Hill one sunny morning/ Ace was nearly happy/ Then a shadow darkened a green railing/ And he thought of someone he'd love to kill.

Those aren't the right line breaks, but there it is. It's stuff like that that blows the top of my head off.