This cute animal fantasy is a quick and easy read, filled with plenty of dialogue and amusing family dynamics. Harold, the kind-hearted canine narrator, faithfuly relates the bizarre events following the introduction of a black and white rabbit into a family of two pre-teen boys. Book-educated Chester, the wise cat, however, is immediately suspicious of the new pet, whose name tag was written in a Carpathian dialect-uh-oh! Easy-going Harold tries to befriend the the little fellow, yet even he has to admit that plenty of odd stuff happens after dark. Are humans just slower to "catch on" than the four-footed world? Are the authors making not-so-subtle pleas for nutritious doggy snacks and humane bunny care? If you recall the self-analysis craze of the '70's, you'll chuckle at this spook of America's mania to get-in-touch-with-your-inner-self near the end of the book. Go, Dr. Crazy Cats! This is for kids of all ages-relax with Dracula Lite!

When a family bring a seemingly-innocent rabbit home from the famouse vampire movie "Dracula" and name it Bunnicula, total chaos breaks out.When Harold the dog and Chester the cat suddenly find white vegetables drained of their juices, they suspect their sharing a house with a vampire bunny! Read this book, and you'll be in fits of laughter before the second page!

Bunnicula is about a cat and a dog living with their family. Their life is normal, peaceful and happy. Until one night, their masters bring home a bundle with something inside of it. Harold, who was the family dog, tries to get a look at what the Monroes were holding in their hand. Inside the bundle was a tiny rabbit with a piece of paper attached to it's neck which was in a totally different language. Harold, who had Russian wolfhound blood noticed the language as a dialect of the Carpathian Mountain region. The paper read, "Take good care of my baby." The Monroe's named the rabbit Bunnicula since they found him in a theater while watching a Dracula movie. The Monroe's made Bunnicula a cage out of a crate and placed it by the window.

Chester, the family cat, noticed that the rabbit started to move in his cage for the first time and he put his nose out and inhaled deeply, as if he were getting sustenance from the moonlight. Chester noticed the weird marking on the rabbit's forehead that was usually a black spot, but it took a strange v-shape, which connected with the big black patch that covered his back and each side of his neck. It looked like he was wearing a coat or a cape. He could hear the soft sound of a gypsy violin which was really the next door neighbor practicing his violin. As Chester sighed with relief he watched the rabbit. Bunnicula's lips gave a hideous smile, where Chester saw two pointed little fangs.

Was Bunnicula really a vampire or not? Read the book to find out more. I really enjoyed the book because the characters are cute and human-like. The book made perfect sense and did have a little bit of imagination because Chester and Harold talk as if they were really human.

The amazing Quinn family is back!

Seth, the youngest Quinn, is home for the first time in years. An acclaimed painter, who is blessed with a gift he can't quite explain, Seth is as handsome and dynamic as the other Quinns. He comes home to find things in St. Chris much the same, with the exception of lovely Dru Whitcomb-Banks, a new shopkeeper in town. Dru is not what Seth expected and he soon finds himself drawn to her, despite his unsavory roots. She's carrying quite a bit of baggage herself, but finds that she's falling for him just the same.

Nora Roberts had already built a compelling family that intrigued readers through the first of the Chesapeake Bay saga, Sea Swept, Rising Tides and Inner Harbor. But in response to overwhelming reader demands (she dedicates the book to "Every reader who ever asked, "When are you going to write Seth's story?") she writes Seth to be as dreamy and decidedly alpha as the other Quinn men. Dru is a perfect match for Seth, strong willed and determined and also a bit of a lost soul. The combined traits make the couple vibrant and interesting. On top of that, you get to revisit your favorite characters from the first three books and find out what's become of them and their children. Nora's greatest gift is her ability to write a family that keeps the reader's attention.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to both first time, or habitual Noraholics! If this is your first Nora book, I suggest that you read the first three in the saga before reading Chesapeake Blue. You'll find your enjoyment of the story even greater having met the secondary characters before.

Nora's done it again!

I absolutely loved the brothers trilogy, it was truly my favorite of all Nora Roberts trilogys. Of course I do love them all! This book was telling the story of Seth as he now is grown up. I felt like I knew the entire family and cared about each and every one of them.

Seth is home with his family, the business, and the mother who has followed him over the years since he was a young boy. Blackmailing him, doing her best to ruin everything for him and for the family that gave him everything and made him who he is. Although he's all grown up now, he'll still pay her off, do just about anything to protect the family he loves.

Dru enters the picture, who has fled a cheating fiance and the life of the wealthy in Washington D.C. to strike out on her own in St. Chris. She owns a flower shop and does her best to fit into the community. Given her experience with men, she doesn't want to fall in love, doesn't even want to date. But Seth can be as convincing as any of the Quinn men and Dru finds herself in love with Seth.

I think Nora Roberts did an excellent job with this ending story. Her plot was great, the ending was a surprise and all the characters we loved in this trilogy have returned. If you start with this book you may want to read the first three to start.

After I heard that there will be a story about Seth Quinn, I can't wait to get my hands on it. I always love the Quinns, they are surely my favorite family of all the families Nora Roberts has ever created. And Nora has sure delivered one of her best with this one. Everything I dreamed of, everything I wanted to happen ... was here.

Seth turned out just the way I pictured him would be. Dru was one perfect match for him. And the whole reunion with Cam, Anna, Ethan, Grace, Phillip, Sybill, and Aubrey ... surely brought brought a trip down memory lane. I laughed, I had tears in my eyes ... it was a perfect book, with a very great ending. It's surely one of Nora's best, one of my favorite. I can already picture this one as a Hallmark movie.

So much has been written about e-business over the last few years - and so much of it in hyperbolic language - that it is difficult to turn to any publication on the topic without a degree of caution. Daniel Amor's book comes as a refreshing change. Written very much as a "how-to" guide, the book benefits from its author's on the job experience of working as an e-business consultant for Hewlett-Packard in Germany. Daniel Amor provides illuminating insights into the significance of new e-commerce technologies and gives the reader a taste for the future, with a fascinating section on the imminent era of "pervasive computing" where everyone and everything is connected. The book includes chapters on web security and payment systems that will be of particular interest to financial executives seeking to come to grips with the opportunities and potential threats posed by e-commerce.

The book "The E-Business (R)Evolution" offers everything that is required for starting up a business on the Internet. It starts with laying out how a business plan should look like goes on to marketing and explains the new distribution channels on the Internet. Not only the concepts are explained, but illustrated with many examples. Not only the business part is covered, but also the technical part for setting up an online business is explained in detail and brought into context with the business model. The whole book is written in clear and easy to understand English, making it easy for non-native speakers. Business people, students, teachers and professors will all profit from this book.

This is a massive, intelligent guide to e-business planning, technology choices, architecture and back-office support systems. There are extensive discussions of imaging, search engines, encryption and security and customer retention. The author is an e-business executive for Hewlett-Packard Co. in Germany; the book is a stunning review of the world of e-business -- from simple business strategies to disaster recoveries -- and even goes over the problems of old Pentium chips that were unable to do certain operations in long division. This work is superb and, though of reference-book length, it's well-written enough to be a page turner.

When I read this book, I have to say that it reminded me of the first book in this trilogy. Like the first book, it was one of the best books I have ever read. The author held the true personalities of the characters while adding new characters, ships, and aliens that almost every other Star Wars author used at least one thing that Timothy Zahn added{Does not include original trilogy or Splintor of the Mind's eye.} The authors don't relate to other Star Wars books except Barbara Hambly and Kevin J. Anderson. And Timothey Zahn and Michael Stackpole. Most of the people who did not like this book had to say something about how small the Imperial Fleet was. Any leader knows that the main bulk of your force should be to defending your territory. Zahn does not need to paint a picture for us about that. It is obvious that those 5 Destroyers are Thrawn's personal fleet for the most important missions. Like the Executer, the Super Star Destroyer was to Darth Vader. And by now, the Empire is broken up in fractions, with most of the Imperial fleet with individual warlords. I kind of remember that after Thrawn lost a Destroyer in Dark Force Rising, that he still had 5 destroyer in the Last Command. A great read for Star Wars fans and non-Star Wars fans!

Dark Force Rising is the second book in the Thrawn trilogy. Rumors once circulated that the Thrawn trilogy was Star Wars Episodes 7, 8, and 9. Well, if the rumors weren't true, then they should have been. Though I believe Empire Strikes Back to be the ultimate Star Wars film, Dark Force Rising could easily be comparable in character, plot, pace, mood, and overall quality.

Through the voice of the narrative, the rich design of the worlds, and the intensity of the characters, Timothy Zahn recreates the Star Wars universe to absolute perfection. The character of the evil Grand Admiral Thrawn is drawn to show that he is quite distinct from Darth Vader, and could even possible rival Vader as a leader. Where Vader ruled with fear, Thrawn ruled with intellect.

Besides Thrawn, two of the best characters in Dark Force Rising are Talon Karde and Mara Jade. Talon Karde's struggle to escape the clutches of the Empire is shown right at the very beginning of the novel. With Mara Jade at his side, they watched his home in Heir to the Empire be taken away. Mara Jade continues to contain her inner struggle with wanting to kill Luke Skywalker. But, it seems she becomes more of a transitional character, as she begins to look to Luke for help to free Karde from Thrawn. The struggle to free Karde would remind anyone of the scenes in A New Hope when Luke tried to save Leia from the Death Star.

Dark Force Rising is the darkest of the trilogy. The term 'Dark Force' has two meanings. The first meaning represents the fleet of 200 abandoned Clone Wars Destroyers out in the middle of the universe, and the one who possesses the fleet has the chance to win the overall war. The second meaning is Thrawn's power rising in the universe.

The book carries three separate storylines. The first storyline deals with the moral conflicts of Luke and the insane Master C'baoth. The second deals with Leia trying to convince the loyal imperial Noghri to turn away from the Empire and join the new republic. Finally, the third storyline deals with Han and Lando, as they deal with the internal political uprising led by Councilor Fey'lya.

The end of the book contains a surprise that would compell the reader to grab for the last book in the series as soon as the second book is complete.

While this book isn't as exciting as Heir to the Empire, and not as immensly well written as The Last Command, it's still an excellent book that is essential to understanding the whole trilogy. Since I consider this trilogy to be the cornerstone of Star Wars fiction, I would therefor recommend it to anyone, even the casual fan who would just kind of like to know what happened next. I would defenitely also recommend reading Heir to the Empire first, since otherwise this book will make no sense what so ever. For those of you just getting into Star Wars fiction, this is a very good place to start. In fact, I would even recommend reading this series before the ones set before it, since that way it will give a better general perspective of the overall story. Several important things happen in this series that have a profound effect on everything that comes after it, Han and Leia have their first children, Jacen and Jaina, the New Republic meets it's match (once again) and for that matter so does Luke. Anyway, the story of this book in particular basically revolved around a bunch of space battles in which everyone is fighting over the Katana Fleet, or the Dark Force, which is a fleet of dreadknots (or however that's spelled) that was lost some time ago. The smuggler Talon Karrde and his second in command Mara Jade know where it is, and promise to give it to the New Republic, something that makes Mara Jade (a former imperial assasin/spy with an intense hatred of Luke, and also happens to be highly force sensitive) very displeased. Meanwhile, a pregnant Leia is on Honoghor trying to consolidate the Noghri into joining the New Republic. Though, while this book is full to the brim with vivid battles of all kinds, there is plenty of character stuff to satisfy also. Original and new characters alike are portrayed magnificently, both in their personalities and in their interactions with the other characters. Another excellent thing about this series is that it is the official introduction of Mara Jade, who is possibly the coolest and most interesting character in Star Wars. Her interactions with Luke especially were superb, very fun and interesting. When I read this book for the first time I found it hard to believe those two were going to end up together, even if it does happen ten years later, but now the second time around I can see the subtle attraction developing between them. I think this will be a relationship I will enjoy for once, much better than Luke's other relationships (Gaeriel, Callista(gagging noises)) Anyway, this is an excellent book that I would definitely recommend to any Star Wars fan, child or adult.

This is a well-written spy novel concerning the Allied turning of Axis agents in England, and the deception about where the D-Day forces would land. It does well at portraying daily life in wartime London, and some of the characters have depth and complexity.
Yet all this effort at realism and character development falls short. Many people who read this book KNOW the true story of how the Allies turned the German agents in England, and the various complex and ingenious methods which deceived Germany about the planned landing point of D-Day.
And such readers KNOW that the British would not be so dumb and reckless with thousands of lives, as to give the Germans information pointing to Normandy, merely because that information MIGHT cause dissension among German intelligence analysts which MIGHT benefit the Allies.
Nor would the type of risky and pointless manipulation WITHIN the British MI5, which is part of the book's plot, be engineered by MI5, just because it MIGHT make fake information received by the Germans look more authentic -- just as it might allow the Germans to get the true information and cause D-Day to fail.
There are so many plot lines, with equal drama and tension, that could have been developed within the framework of known facts, that it seems silly for an author to go so far outside the known facts.

Veteran journalist, Daniel Silva, makes his mark as a novelist with, "The Unlikely Spy," a quality World War II espionage thriller. The story centers on Britain's top plans for the D-Day invasion and Hitler's attempt to uncover the vital secret of the war; the time and place of the Anglo-American invasion of France.

Working on behalf of Germany is the beautiful Catherine Blake, a ruthless Mata Hari type spy who will seduce, maim, and kill in order to help Nazi Germany achieve victory. Hand-picked by Winston Churchill himself is Alfred Vicary, a successful history professor. Vicary's job is to run "Operation Double Cross" for M15 England's couterespionage agency. It is known that Germany has spies stationed in England, but who they are and how to find and break them lands on the shoulders of Vicary. The war could easily be lost to Germany if vital information is leaked to Hitler. For Vicary, not only does he face the challenge of foreign enemies, but also he must deal with a few deceitful people in his own department, jealous of his designation by Churchill. The cat-and-mouse game begins to roll!

Silva's book is not entirely original, you will see shades of Follet and Higgins throughout. Nonetheless, it is entertaining and the historical facts the story is based on are accurate. I believe Silva shows a lot of promise as a future force in the world of high-spy literature. With experience he should develop a style which is uniquely his own. He is definitely worth reading.

There are definite elements of Ken Follett's "Eye of the Needle" in Daniel Silva's "The Unlikely Spy". The most obvious is that Follett's bumbling spy was named Godliman, Silva's is named Vicary. But there are differences too - and those differences make Silva's book better than Follett's.

Most of the novels of this type follow a formula - Nazi spy, planted in England, uncovers the real facts about the Normandy invasion, and the brave, muddle-headed British intelligence officer must stop the spy before s/he gives it all away. Silva's novel follows this formula fairly well, but there's a very well-written story surrounding it.

Silva's plot is extremely detailed, and there are puzzles within puzzles, and plots within plots. Alfred Vicary is the proverbial (and in some cases literal) absent-minded professor, who shows a surprising streak of ruthlessness when it really matters; Catherine Blake is the Third Reich's ultimate weapon, who would rather not do what she's been doing for the last five years, but has no choice in the matter. These are the two main characters in a very well-done WWII spy novel.

This is Silva's first novel, and if it's any indication of things to come, he has a glorious career ahead of him. I do hope he doesn't restrict himself to this genre, though - if he does his books will grow very stale very fast.

I have never read the hard cover version of Journey to the Center of the Earth. I have only seen the movie done a number of years ago by British actors so my review may be tainted. I very much enjoyed this Audio tape. Nimoy and deLancie are definately sci-fi favorites. I feel the portrail of Professor Lidenbrock was too harsh while at the same time the portrail of Axel was too weak. Professor Lidenbrock seem angry all the time rather than a curious scientist. Axel was afraid all the time and did nothing but wish to return to the surface. The music and sound effects added very much to the overall story and was done very well. I would recommend the audio cassette to anyone interested in a different format but don't expect something as riviting as a book or the movie. I will try other Alien Voice cassettes but hope others will be played out more interestingly.

Reading this book is an amazing adventure, as evidenced by a century of avid readers. I picked it up on a lark and decided to read the first five or ten pages to see if it was my type. It was easy to read, enjoy and visualize, and I quickly finished it.

The story revolves around a young man and his uncle, who is a scientist. They discover a route to the center of the earth (hence the title), and the novel is about their journey. Once you get 100 pages into this book, you aren't able to stop. The things they find boggle the mind, but seem so real.

100 years from now, people will still be enjoying Jules Verne, because he captures the imagination of the young explorer.

This is an exiting book full of adventure. It is about three people named Hans, Professer Hardwigg and his nephew Harry. The story takes place when Professer Hardwigg discovers a piece of parchment with the name of a famous explorer that went to the center of the Earth. Professer Hardwigg wants to do the same. They climb in to Mt.Sneffles with a guide named Hans. They have lots of adventures with prehistoric animals and travel in places you wouldn't even expect. The ending is very exiting but you will have to read it to find out. I recomend this book to people who like adventure stories. I think it is a great book .

I read Ishmael, and My Ishmael (both by the same author) and I found that for effectiveness, this book was much better. The book does leave out much of the evidence it needs to make it truely believeable, and the way it leads the reader on is reminiscent of the Age of Reason (during which philosophers of that time came to a lot of strange conclusions), but even so, it leaves the reader questioning everything they've been instructed to believe over the course of our culture's existance. Even if the reader doesn't entirely (or even mostly) agree with the conclusions the book presents, the book gives the reader a way to choose something other than what "Mother Culture" feeds us. It creates a very good angle on humanity, presents a powerfully convincing reason to change for the better, and gives hope that the change is indeed possible. Friends of mine are slowly basing their spiritual philosophies on Quinn's suggestions with positive results.

However, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU HAVE AND VALUE A CHRISTIAN UPBRINGING, BECAUSE IT WILL CAUSE YOU TO QUESTION EVERYTHING YOU'VE EVER THOUGHT.

In short, I loved this book. It changed the path of my life.

I've read them all. I've done a lot to get them all, since I'm from Germany and it's not that easy to get American books here. Since Quinn is, in my opinion, the most important author right now and here, I can only recommend this book to everyone (even if he/she's a Christian). Compared to Quinn's other work I think this is his best one. The issues he explains are the most interesting, the story is better than before and the speeches contain nearly everything that is need to be said. It's great written and wonderful mind-changing. You'll never be the same again. I'm not. If you look for hope for this world, read it. Maybe it's good to read 'Ishmael' first, but in the end it doesn't mind. Just read it.

The fates conspired for me to read a book by Daniel Quinn. In the space of one week, three friends and a respected teacher independently recommended that I read something by him. They all said it would change my life. And it has.

The first book by Quinn that I read was Ishmael, which was fitting, as it was the first one he wrote. In this book, he presents his vision of the future of humanity. It is a dismal one, but not a doomed one. In the form of a didactic conversation between a silver-back gorilla and a middle-aged man, Quinn postulates that at a point in history roughly 10,000 years ago, the main branch of Homo sapiens struck out from the rest of the tree of life into dangerous territory. Ishmael, the gorilla, has a philosophy of teaching that revolves around the fact that knowledge means nothing unless it comes from within the student. Quinn shares that outlook, and through his use of parables and other literary teaching devices, draws out his message from within his audience. Quinn teaches us what we already know but have not placed in context.

I next read Quinn's second book, The Story of B, which does not follow from the end of Ishmael but instead expands on it in a different direction. The teacher in this book is not a gorilla, examining the human species from outside the flow of its history, but instead an itinerant preacher called "B," who is roaming central Europe. Quinn's style also varies, in that here he presents his message for the most part in the form of speeches, without as much concern for what the reader understands. This lecture is interspersed with moments of reflection on behalf of Jared, a Laurentian priest sent to infiltrate B's movement to determine if he is the anti-Christ. Quinn expands his message in this book in order to embrace a wider audience.

Quinn's most recent novel is My Ishmael, in which Quinn again uses the relationship between the gorilla Ishmael and a student to illustrate his points. His main purpose in this book, though, is to show his readers how to effectively change the society in which we live, so that humanity does not run out of time on the course it chose for itself 10,000 years ago. Quinn has Ishmael teach Julie, a twelve year-old girl, how to teach others what she has learned, and how to "save the world."

From my experience, The Story of B is Quinn's most exciting and intellectually engaging tale, and also the one that shows the most hope for the future. However, I would definitely suggest reading them in order, as his philosophy in each book builds on the prior ones, to some degree. But, as Ishmael teaches his students--each telling is different and independent of the others. Since Quinn cannot make you understand things that aren't already within you, cannot answer questions that you aren't ready to ask, you must enter each of his books keeping in mind the personal ad that begins both Ishmael and My Ishamel:

TEACHER SEEKS PUPIL. Must have a serious desire to save the world.

My Ishmael is another thought-provoking look at our destructive lives. The difference between "My Ishmael" and the other books in the series, though, is that Quinn offers insightful solutions. The use of a 12 year old girl offers a completely different take on the situation than Quinn has ever gone down. It was a good path to take, though. It is more important for the youth of the world to read Quinn's books than it is for adults. In my experience, adults who have read Quinn's books do not like them; they either don't see a problem, or they take his criticism personally. All of the young people I have spoken to have liked the book, though, because it is a real and present danger for us. Quinn's use of the curious young girl as the main character brings the book down to a younger level. It is still excellent to read as an adult, but compared to the other books in the series, it really reaches out and makes sense to young people. Instead of the stuffy lecturing of "The Story of B" or the contemplative learning style of "Ishmael" this book is fresh and upbeat. I recommend it to everyone I speak to, and I think it should be required reading for high schoolers everywhere.

I wanted to write a positive review of My Ishmael but everyone else's reviews have covered all the great points. Instead I'd like to bring up the main character. She's a 12 year old girl named Julie. Perhaps its because Daniel Quinn was never a 12 year old girl, but it seems to me that her vocabulary and lines of thought don't exactly match the age. Even if you consider the character is 16 when telling the story. I thought this was annoying at first, then I realized something. The girl's age was perfect for the book. Her dialogues with Ishmael were perfect as well. It came to me when I considered that she was picking up what Ishmael was saying and taking it further because she had far fewer years of Mother Culture's taint on her. She still had the wide eyed quizical probing child in her. It made sense in that respect and I certainly didn't feel the same way towards her character after that. She did have a place, even if sometimes she seemed much older and wiser than she was.

Like Ishmael and Story of B, I am again absolutely amazed at what Quinn has accomplished here. Great job!

This is the third book in the trilogy of Daniel Quinn concerning our future on this planet...

The things he's telling us through his characters are so new and yet so ancient and wise.

If you ever wondered "how things became like this?" or "what is wrong with people?" or "do I have to get up every morning and work 8-12 hours?" this book will provide you with answers and you won't have to join some religion or cult or anything like that...

This book (as well as two others in the trilogy) will make you see through all the lies of our civilization, including east and west religions as well as our political and economic leaders...

The best yet, it doesn't teach you "how to be satisfied with less of what you have" or "how to achieve spiritual peace"!

It's the best blueprint for saving the world WITH people in it so far...

All three books are novels, so you will not feel like being preached all the time. You may say some twists or ending are predictable, but that doesn't matter. If you're falling out of a plane to your doom and someone gives you a parachute, you won't be asking what colour is it...

Read it, if you want to survive!

...

I thought that "Candide" was a very enjoyable read. It's much more than a satire, it's a reflective novel in which Voltaire opens up various timeless issues for discussion. The central theme is whether or not the optimism (or naivity) of Dr Pangloss's views hold up when faced with the bleak realities of everyday existence. It doesn't really matter that much of the satirical bite of the novel must have been lost due to the passage of time, when it can still deal with issues such as theodisy in an entertaining way.

Voltaire sends the innocent and impressionable Candide on what amounts to a world tour (or as near to it as makes no difference). The reader has to put up with outrageous coincidences and improbabilities: I felt that Voltaire was using such devices deliberately to amuse the reader. Candide experiences various adventures and meets (often more than once) a collection of exotic characters. His travails eventually cause him to question his teacher Pangloss's value system. But really, Voltaire throws various philosophical problems at the reader and invites a reaction - often this is done with a fine wit.

All in all, a pleasure - the more so because it's a surprising one.

It is probably fair to say that there is no book that is quite like Voltaire's 'Candide'. This is a venomous satire of the 'Optimistic' philosophy and outlook of enlightenment thinkers such as Leibniz and Alexander Pope. As such, it is served well by the unique combination of repeated brutality and a deft, light touch. If that last comment doesn't make sense, then you'll just have to READ THE BOOK.

At a mere 144 pages (in this edition), this is a classic that is a breeze to read. As to the charge that this book is too "violent" or "in bad taste", I would only ask you to remember that Voltaire was furious that learned members of a "civilized" society (like Leibniz, Pope, and even Rousseau)could claim that the apparent senseless violence and mayhem wrought by disasters, war, disease, man's cruelty, etc. was actually only a part of some 'greater good' - after all, God (being perfect) could not 'logically' created anything but the 'best of all possible' universes.

Voltaire's touch is so light and understated that I defy anyone to write anything that contains a third of the violence in 'Candide' and still manages to read as breezily and somehow be genuinely funny.

But dark satire must be funny - otherwise it lapses into pedantry.

Read it - even if you do not like it, I guarantee you that it will disturb you and make you think.

And for that, we can thank Voltaire.

I must be the only college student that wasnt forced to read this for a class. Anyway,this was an interesting book that really made me think. I didnt find it so much as funny as sad at depicting the horrors of the world but it does so in such a light, outragous way.Some of the best parts are at the end, like when they go visit the rich man who doesnt enjoy anything.The plot is over the top and outragous but this is still one of the most realistic books Ive read. I found it kind of bleak and depressing but I also found it intriguing.Voltaire exaggerates everything in Candide, all of the misfortunes everyone has to go through are too horrible to be even realistic. At least I hope no ones had quite as bad time of it as candide. Even if you dont agree with Voltire and even if you share views with Dr. Pangloss you should still read this book.One final thing, dont mourn overmuch for any of the characters when they die, theyll turn up again later.

Overall, I thought the book was pretty good for Handler's first outing. The characters and story were developed nicely. I only had 2 real problems with the book. First, as has been pointed out by others here, there are too many inconsistencies. While one could argue that they simply reflected Flan's view of things rather than reality, I think that a copout and doesn't explain away all or many of the inconsistencies. Second, I thought that the story would have been more appropriate if it took place in a smaller city or town. Given San Francisco's liberal and metropolitan mentality, it's hard to believe the perspectives and actions of many of the characters in the book. I guess he used San Francisco since the high school he was parodying is in San Francisco, but why bother if you're not going to actually use the real San Francisco. Otherwise though, I generally liked the book. It had me reflecting on my days at Roewer.

. . . but anyone who loves black comedy should read it -- twice. At first, this book seems like it's just going to be a wild romp through high school -- complete with kids who throw lavish dinner parties in sculpture gardens and drink cappuccino at coffee bars with names like Bean and Nothingness or Death Before Decaf. Only hitch is, we already know that the seemingly sweet ("fat", dowdy, lovesick) anti-heroine, Flannery Culp, has been convicted of the Satanic murder of her crush, Adam State in one of the media events of the century. How could this happen? The rest of the book is a puzzle, and we get it in pieces. From Dr. Eleonor Tert (a formerly drug-addicted flight attendant turned guru), Winnie Moprah (no relation, I'm sure), and even Guiness Book-reciting Flora Habstadt (Who, Flannery assures us, was never one of the Basic Eight). And especially, from Flannery, who interrupts her perpetual prison Solitaire game to explain how her love notes to Adam, her calculus teacher's instruction to "do something" and particularly, her coffee dates with the glamorous Natasha lead to . . . well, read it and find out.

. . . but anyone who loves black comedy should read it -- twice. At first, this book seems like it's just going to be a wild romp through high school -- complete with kids who throw lavish dinner parties in sculpture gardens and drink cappuccino at coffee bars with names like Bean and Nothingness or Death Before Decaf. Only hitch is, we already know that the seemingly sweet ("fat", dowdy, lovesick) anti-heroine, Flannery Culp, has been convicted of the Satanic murder of her crush, Adam State in one of the media events of the century. How could this happen? The rest of the book is a puzzle, and we get it in pieces. From Dr. Eleonor Tert (a formerly drug-addicted flight attendant turned guru), Winnie Moprah (no relation, I'm sure), and even Guiness Book-reciting Flora Habstadt (who, Flannery assures us, was never one of the Basic Eight). And especially, from Flannery, who interrupts her perpetual prison solitaire game to explain how her love notes to Adam, experimentation with absinthe (Poe's drug of choice), her calculus teacher's command to "do something" (surely he didn't mean murder), and particularly, her coffee dates with the glamorous Natasha lead to . . . well, read it and find out.