This book is a wonderful graphic novel with indian-style illustrations. Theatre of Cruelty questions human behavior and all that we do. the authors carry out their messages in an appropriately graphic manner. this book is great for fans of Edward Gorey's work, but not meant for those who are easily disturbed.

I never really had to draw artistically, but I spent years drafting mechanical objects, carefully placing straight lines in proportionally accurate positions. Having a book like this is much less embarrassing than signing up for a drawing class and having personal responsibility for drawings which don't look good, for whatever reason. The ability to draw is a major basis for art, as far as I am concerned, and a lot of the mechanics are obvious once a technique is successfully demonstrated. Anything you see in this book can be believed, and possibly even understood, artistically. This book also provides a short history in art, mainly about one person in Paris from 1906 to 1913, who had a friend who told him "Don't throw anything away." (Page 9 explains how "Paul Alexandre begged his friend not to destroy a single sketchbook, a single study.") There are, in addition to hundreds of drawings, some oil paintings reproduced in this book. On page 88 is one which was bought by the author's father because the person who commissioned The Amazon, 1909, rejected it (she might have thought that the eyes were too large; "The Baroness did not like her portrait very much and recognized herself in it still less when Modigliani decided at the last moment that he had to repaint her red jacket in yellow." p. 89), so it was purchased by Paul Alexandre.

First, I am impressed that black and white photographs from that era can be reproduced so large and well. The people (see pages 14, 18, 20, 33, 45, 49, 51, 72, 79, 107) and places in Paris (pages 22, 36, 68, 70, 71, 81), postcards from Livorno, Modigliani's native town (pp. 108-9) and even a book by Nietzsche, Ainsi parlait Zarathoustra on page 63, fill these pages nicely. The manuscript notes reproduced on some pages are usually in French. Part of one is translated as "Equilibrium by means of opposite extremes." (p. 92). Earlier it was mentioned that Modigliani was not the type of person who kept track of things in a journal, so "these brief lines are particularly precious to us, even if, in the absence of any other documentation, we are unable to understand their full meaning." (pp. 92-93).

Secondly, there are explanations of the elements of Modigliani's sculptures and pictures. One feature which he drew a number of times, caryatids, are defined at the beginning of a section discussing those drawings. "Another setting which is theatrical in character is created by the architectural use of caryatids in place of pilasters or columns to support the entablature of a building." (p. 189) There are foldout pages of the drawings which follow, so that, after seeing the figures on page 193, and turning to page 194, the next page which is visible is page 199, which lists the contents of pages 195-198, which are hidden until 194 and 199 are folded out to reveal the four pictures inside side by side. This might be set up this way because plate 108 shows a Hermaphrodite caryatid, frontal view, which was supposed to be hidden from anyone who didn't know where to look for it. The other ones might have been hidden because they were smiling, or too luscious, and placed there as a special reward for those who happened to be reading the book slowly enough to discover them.

Thirdly, the next section, Sculptural heads, starting on page 237, doesn't have much to say, but the comparison of the drawings of Head in left profile runs from pages 255 to 263, without numbers on some pages. Plate 194, Head in left profile with earring; Blue crayon heightened with red gouache, is large and colorful. In the later sections of the book, there is a study with blue ink on page 368, and my favorite color in the book is the blue ink on pages 389, 390, and 392. This is, again, a series with pages that fold out, and the comparison with other pictures makes the blue particularly splendiferous. This book has 463 pages, and you need to read slowly enough to find them all.

The Vicomte De Bragelonne is another masterpiece by Dumas. Although not as captivating as the first two books in his series (The Three Musketerrs and Twenty Years After), VDB certainly has its moments. VDB is followed by Louise de la Valliere and finally the series ends with the story of the Man in the Iron Mask. This book starts of rather slowly compared to the others and certainly is not as captivating albeit it is a good read. The ending is a little weak too. The middle is simply a page turner. Adventure after adventure. This book sets up the plot for the last two in the series (all three were really one book entitled Ten Years Later). The Musketeers (d'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis) could not be more different in this book. They are taking diffent sides of the governmental rift as Louis XIV finally makes his rise to power. I recommend this book. END

This book, like all of Dumas' other works, is excellent and should be read by all. It's not as action packed, I admit, as the other Musketeer books, however, I find it equally captivating. I think the interaction of the four friends(d'Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis),and how they deal and act with one another at this point in their lives is very interesting. If you get this book, you better make sure you have close on hand the next two(Louise de Valliere and The Man in the Iron Mask)because it ends abbrutly, leading you in to the next book. But it's definately a must have.

First of all, the most common way to get the whole series is with 5 separate and distinct books. They are (in order): The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, The Vicomte De Bragelonne, Louise De LA Valliere, and The Man in the Iron Mask.

I don't think I need to tell people about the story, but I will. The action and dialogue in the Dumas' stories rivals anything written since. Especially the dialogue. If Dumas were alive today he'd be writing for TV and movies, his dialogue is as fast and witty as anything around.

There are many different printed versions of these stories around. If you pick and choose at random from different publishers, you may miss parts of the stories, have overlaps, or run into major editing. Just look at the versions of the 'Man in the Iron Mask' and see the different page count. At my local library I found two books that said 'Complete and Unabridged,' only one had 10 less chapters than the other.

So, sticking to one publisher increases your chances of getting the whole story. These Oxford World Classic editions are excellent. They do have all five books. They don't cut anything out. They use one of the standard translations (I'm not sure if there has been a new translation in the last 100 years). And they are newly printed. Some publishers versions look like photocopies of old printings and are pathetic.

This is an exciting book that unfortunately feels formulamatic at times. Maybe that is because it was produced as a serialized novel originally. It can have that "find out what our heros are up to next issue" feel.

Overall it is fast paced, but long. I liked the action sequences and the author's creation of distinct personalities for his heros. While I had to read this over a long period of time, I found I enjoyed it most when I could put in a couple of hours at a time and fully submerge myself in the author's world. I would recommend picking this up for a vacation book or if you know you'll be able to keep at it night after night.

The author uses a convincing historical and period backdrop for his tale. It feels real which aids the story. The romantic nature of his heros leads to a wonderful story of comradship and loyalty, good versus evil, etc. Many things to like, but I did not find it deserves quite as lofty a pedestal as most of these other reviewers do.

For those trying to read The Musketeers Saga:
In the original French, there are only three (3) books - 1. The Three Musketeers 2. Twenty Years After and 3. Ten Years Later. But when translated, most English editions split the behemoth Ten Years Later into a Trilogy (and some four - which make it all the more confusing!).

The reading list should be 1. The Three Musketeers 2. Twenty Years After and 3a. The Vicomte de Bragelonne 3b. Louise de la Valliere and 3c. The Man in the Iron Mask. Five books - that's the total series!

I highly recommend this series from Oxford University Press containing the complete unabridged and annotated versions of all of these books. The notes are located in the back of each book so as not to slow down the flow of the text. Most of the notes give additional info on historic characters and places. And a few point out that Dumas was a better storyteller than historian, as keeping dates seems to be such a nuisance!

The story starts out with a young naive Gascon by the name D'artagnan who goes to seek his fortune with the King's Musketeers. On his journey to Paris he has a tangle with a man named Rochefort whom D'artagnan chases throughout the book, along with his female companion Milady, a woman of pure evil.

He meets the Three Musketeers and they don't get off to such a great beginning as he finds himself preparing to fight a duel with all three of them. Eventually D'artagnan wins over Athos, Porthos, and Aramis and together the four set off on adventures to protect their majesty the queen (Anne of Austria) against the bad intentions of the cardinal.

It's all intigue and romance and swashbuckling! I loved it all, every sentence. And i love how M. Dumas twists history to his own literary devices.

I played hooky to finish reading this book!

This is the story of a beautiful, headstrong, and emotionally detached courtesan Marguerite Gautier who seems to live her life for the moment and her tragic love with Armand Duval. The main plot of the story is that their love can really never be allowed because of society's strict standards. Kind of in the themes of The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. This book was written by the famous Alexander Dumas's son, so the style of writing is very different. In the film version, Greta Garbo plays Marguerite in the movie, and plays her beautifully. This is one of the classics that everyone should really read, several classic novels and movies take their inspiration and ideas from Camille. The imagery is really pretty outstanding and several scenes stand out vividly in my memory even after several months. My favorite scenes are when Armand Duval and Marguerite meet for the first time in an operahouse,it's entertaining to see 19th Century social conventions-- and to peer into its darker underside. I think the novel is a little lacking in originality, but is made up by the beauty of the charactars and the depth of the love. It runs in the strain of Romeo and Juliette, very very quickly. The book can probably be read in a day or two without any effort. A classic.

I read this in a day...it was very, very hard to put down. Camille's plot is much like that of my favorite movie, Moulin Rouge. Unlike most "classic" novels, I wasn't bored and I could easily understand what they were talking about. (Have you ever tried reading Homer or even Jane Austen? Those were pretty boring books.)

The love story of Marguerite and Armand was beautiful and at the end, even if I didn't cry, I was miserable.

I highly recommend it!

Near the end, when she was coughing blood and had a fever, Marie Duplessis sat in her usual box at the Varietes for the last time, said a Paris columnist, like something beautiful, he reported later, something white and spectral. For the last time the imagined Marguerite Gautier had dragged her white face and camellias to the opera. After Alphonsine was buried in Montmartre, there took place the famous sale auction of her many possesions, furniture, hangings, dresses, objects d'art bibelots and bijoutterie. Literature is not a trusty reproduction of reality and like in most roman-a-clef the original yarn is more vivid and interesting than the fabricated version concocted by an author. This is no exception. Before Verdi's Violetta and Dumas young's Marguerite, there lived briefly and died a mislead soul of such unusual qualities, she was destined to cast a tall artistic shadow. "La dame aux camellias" are the novel (1848) and play (1852) by the son of Alexander Dumas, France's literary lion. The young Dumas, while growing, somewhat dissolute, was one of the many lovers of the fascinating courtesan who was Paris' arbiter of elegance, perennial in the gazettes, carrying camellias, always. An exquisitely enchanting maiden, who rented her love, thus making and spending millions. Duplessis was notorious for her extravagance, and, conveniently, the spell she cast on rich men. She was a fixture at theaters and gaming houses. A madly desired Marie Duplessis could never have imagined she would one day be the muse of Sarah Bernhardt Pola Negri, Eleonora Duse and Greta Garbo. 'La dame aux camellias" the novel and play both became success-de-scandale, both finding an instant and feverish acclaim. This old Romantic novel is based on the true story of Alphonsine Plessis, an abnormally pretty farmer, who abused by her brutal father, runs off to Paris and becomes a grisette. It's believed Plessis began selling his daughter at the age of twelve. There, in Paris, quite effortlessly, she becomes a ravishing courtesan, a swan, before dying of consumption at the age of 23. In the real biography Marie Duplessis (in her climb Alphonsine changed her name) is always juggling lovers (and debts) some, more fabulously wealthy than others. She also finds time for handsome and brilliant young men of fashion, despite their monetary limitation, and soon we learn she gives up Dumas for Frans Liszt (can you imagine the cinematic possibilities here?) Later, as the shadow of death grew near, Duplessis marries a faithful titled paramour, becoming a countess thus adding coronets to her plate. Now in the outs with Liszt (trust me, I can't go into everything but the life of the real heroine is very interesting)and while young Dumas (the original Armand Duval) travels with his father (in reality having perhaps forgotten Plessis, or Duplessis, Gautier or Valery, it's a bit confusing) the lady of the camellias dies alone of tuberculosis, in her dismantling, erstwhile courtly apartment. In this sad note ends the story of Alphonsine, also Verdi's opera, Garbo's movie and Dumas young's novel and play. The novel, a sometimes mistreated literary treasure that has seen print since the days of Louis Napoleon. Some dismiss it, some find it a bridge between the Romantics and the new realism of Flaubert. A curiously intimate young love account ending in a heart-crushing pathos. My regret is not seeing Duse or Eva LeGallienne in the role. See, I think this story would make a great modern movie. Unless you cry at dog-fights and are innately sentimental, don't pick up this book. If you like it, go on to read Abbe Provost's 'Manon Lescaut'. I could have never imagined I would one day get to grade 'La dame aux camellias', but here it is, you guessed it, I give it five stars.

La Reine Margot was, in my opinion, a pretty good story. There is lots of deception on the part of the Queen de Medicis, one of the more fascinating characters in the story. The book gives a glimpse of France during the Huguenot/Catholic struggle for power. The beginning is slow, but the story is good. I found it difficult (not being familiar with the history) to learn the characters' names. The first chapter is particularly trying, but I pressed on and the book seemed to ease up a LOT and give way to a story of plotted murders, backstabbing, a little superstition/witchcraft, and many close calls. La Reine Margot wasn't nearly as good as The Count of Monte Cristo (if you have not read this, it is definitely a page turner!), but it was a good story that gives a little insight into history while livening it up with Dumas's sword-fighting, heroic style. Notice that I tend to be a little harsh by granting it three stars, but this is only because The Count of Monte Cristo was truly his best work and must be set apart from his others.

This is a Historical novel that takes place in France, in the XVIth century. There's a very very bad black widow -as a matter of fact, black mother as well this is Catherine of Médicis-, a beautiful and amorous young queen married to somebody she does not love but with whom she forms an alliance just in order not to be a widow herself and go to a convent, a romantic heroe, his true friend -who sometimes loves him a little bit too much and a bunch of intriguers. Alexandre Dumas, in his newspaper serial style - this novel was first published that way-, interweave different stories aboiding boring descriptions and getting to the point: quick dialogue, short chapters, attractive characters, and everything to catch you from the first page, which he achieves. It really is a page turner, with several love stories that never goes with marriage and several marriages that never goes with love but with alliances. I have read that some United States reviewers are a bit confused because of the historical part and that's a problem unless you know European History or have a book with comments and notes. If you end the book and want to know what happened afterwards, read British Enciclopedia or something like that, because all characters are historical, even the Romantic hero La Mole and his friend. To those that have seen the 1990s French movie, you have the advantage of imagining the whole story with the beautiful faces of Isabelle Adjani and Vincent Perez, and the great soundtrack and spectacular staging from his director, which reminds of an opera. To those who doesn't I'd say go to your videoclub and try to find it!! It's not a substitute but a perfect complement.

This is a lesser known Dumas novel than, say, the Count of Monte Christo. But it is just as good as the others he did: vivid personalities, attention to detail, and fabulously intricate plots. It tells the story of Margot and her marriage to the King of Navarre, an ambitious Hugenot in constant danger of assassination. With the backdrop of the religious wars, she finds love in a knight that she attempts to cloister from the dangers of court intrigue. It ends in tragedy, hope, and the promise of further adventure.

Based on available historical sources at the time and embellished with Dumas' unique sense of drama, it is a spectacular read, full of danger, sudden developments, and psychological depth. While it may not be as deep as Stendhal's best works, it is absolutely first rate as a historical novel, a genre that Dumas helped to develop. It stimulates the reader's desire to plung more deeply into French history as well.

High recommendation.

Many wonderfull drawing of cats. Mostly gesture type, but beautiful studies.

The drawings in this book all include cats in different positions. Sleeping, eating, and playing. They are beautiful and simple drawings of cats. Great book for the cat lover.

Having read two of Dumas' longer novels, I was anxious to read one of his shorter ones.

To keep it shorter, there are fewer characters, and therefore the interaction between them is more frequent and intense. The Black Tulip is also a great glimpse into the world of flowers in Holland. Many have heard of the tulip frenzy. This book gives a glimpse of it and what it drove men to do.

Also, there is the forbidden romance between two that should really have no contact at all between themselves. Dumas weaves their tale, and their emotional stress in a very believable manner.

This is Dumas' most famous novel, and one of his shortest. At 200 or so pages it is a fast read full of intrigue and twists. If you like drama with historical footnotes interwoven, then you will enjoy this book.

EJ

This is my second Dumas novel, the first being "The Count of Monte Cristo". This is another excellent tale. Dumas weaves countless details into his plot. One wonders what significance they have at the time. Near the end of the book, you muse aloud to yourself, "Ah! That's why"! Spellbinding, another must read!

A blend of politics, human psychology, subtle romance, and (both real and fictionalized) history. The beginning of the novel is interesting but a little dense and readers may get discouraged, especially as the sentences are fairly complex. However it gets much easier and flows much quicker when the story picks up with the introduction of Van Baerle and his neighbor. I encourage you to keep reading if you are interested in its following key points:

-- The characters are incredibly believable and have developed personalities that are realistically complex.
-- The depiction of tragedy, justice, despair are noteworthy.
-- The story is rich and flows smoothly.
-- It's an interesting look at the past, especially the politics and the references to the tulip-craze of Europe some hundreds of years ago. Even though it has fictional elements it still feels like you're holding a slice of the past in your hand.
-- I've always hated romances, but the love in this story is carefully drawn with a subtle touch and depicted with realism. Genuinely entertaining.
-- It's depiction of the ways that popular opinion can be swayed and deceived by politics, nationalism, and patriotism is chilling.
-- It simultaneously shows us human nobility and human pettiness.

When I first picked up this book I didn't expect much. When I finished it I realized how much the impression it made lasts with me.

The entirety of Alexander Solzhenitsyn's short novel "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" takes place on a winter day in 1951 in a Siberian labor camp. The title character, Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, has been a prisoner there for the past eight years and has two more to go, provided his sentence isn't extended even longer for no reason at all. As a Soviet soldier in World War II, he was imprisoned after being accused of spying for the Germans, but the novel is concerned more with his daily routine at the camp than with the politics behind his imprisonment.

Like anybody who's been in a highly structured and disciplined environment for a long time, Shukhov has developed his own individualized way of living day to day, bending the rules, avoiding punishment, and making life a little more bearable under the circumstances. Temperatures are commonly well below zero and the food is barely nutritional enough to keep the prisoners alive, but Shukhov has adapted well enough to know how to stay warm and make the most out of his meals. On this particular day, Shukhov's squad is forced to work construction; the novel describes how well Shukhov has honed his masonry skills as he expertly lays blocks and mortar building a wall for a building that will be used to hold future prisoners. Life at the camp has made him tough and independent; his only weakness is tobacco, for which he will beg, borrow, or steal.

The novel is based on Solzhenitsyn's own experience as a labor camp prisoner under Stalin's reign, and therefore it has a sincere, natural, brutal quality that not even someone like Orwell could imitate. More than anything, though, it portrays a man whose spirit is strong enough to triumph over the most extreme adversity. Case in point: There is another prisoner named Fetiukov, a sniveling weasel who cries about his harsh treatment. Shukhov observes that Fetuikov won't survive his imprisonment because he has the wrong attitude, which is why he can't help but feel a little sorry for the guy. This work is not only an indictment of the machinations of one of the twentieth century's most oppressive political systems; it also succeeds as a concise study in humanism.

A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is just that - a detailed description of one day in the gulag: the humiliation, the struggle to survive the elements, the mindless labour, the petty indignities one suffers and the mistrust one has for your fellow inmates. It is a quick read - it really only takes an hour or two, but the mental and psychological toll it takes is tremendous - especially after you realize that what you have read is only one day of many, one day of perhaps years that will be spent in an identical manner. After reading the book, you are literally drained emotionally; this above anything else makes it a masterpiece. There are no riveting characters, the plot is simply survival. Yet you empathize with Ivan and his fellows, as you empathize with Solzhenitsyn, who wrote this book largly based on personal experience. While I heartily recommend this book, I caution you not to read it if you are in a sunny disposition.

This book is an excellent example of the horrors of the Stalinist work camps (Gulag) that were in existence for most of Russia's modern history. Alexander Solzhenitsyn masterfully weaves descriptions of minute details, which, surprisingly, do not become tedious, but provide a better understanding of the task or action that the main character performs, with a universal theme that all people can relate to - survival. The title accurately describes the setting of the book; its entirety occurs in one day of the life of Ivan Denisovich, a prisoner. This may confuse some in that everyday tasks and unique events around this main character provoke flashbacks more often than not, and provide a complete picture of this man's life before he was imprisoned and since he has been serving his ten-year sentence. All in all, this book has a superior edge to most other books on this same subject in that its author, ALexander Solzhenitsyn, went through the same struggles as the main character of the novel, providing valuable insights, thoughts, and emotions that tie the novel together. An excellent read - one that I would recommend to anyone.

This is the fifth and last book of the Three Musketeers saga. If you haven't read the other four, don't start here. Read "The Three Musketeers," then "Twenty Years After" then "The Vicomte de Bragelonne," and then "Louise de la Valliere" before reading "The Man in the Iron Mask."

Second, although you can read these stories without explanatory notes, I think most readers will greatly appreciate the copious and helpful notes in the Oxford editions of these works.

The entire series is a great read, mixing adventure, comedy and history. It tells the story of the lifetime friendship of four heroes and how that friendship is tested by ambition and conflicting loyalties.

This volume, which concludes their story, divides them between those who support the young Louis XIV and those who fear he will become a tyrant.

This is the last part of Alexandre Dumas' Musketeer Cycle, so do read the first four books first. (Oh, all right, you can read this one first if you want to. I did, to be honest. But it is made all the more powerful by the backstory.) Also, do yourself a favor and get an edition of The Man in the Iron Mask that matches your edition of Louise de la Valliere and Le Vicomte de Bragelone. Different publishers cut into the story (the three novels were intended to be one novel) at different chapters.

I cried and stayed awake all night the first time I read this one. It depressed me for a week-- but it is beautiful novel, and the action writing is as good as any Dumas ever does. Would you expect any less in D'Artagnan's last adventure? The tale, by the way, is that of D'Artagnan and his friends. The title character is for the most part a plot device. (AND NO, NONE OF THE MOVIES HAVE MUCH TO DO WITH THE BOOK! THE BOOK IS BETTER!)

Long live Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and D'Artagnan.

This is the greatest tragedy I have ever read, in terms of strength of feeling, style of writing, and everything else that makes a story good. Two warnings: the book is hardly similar to the recent movie (which was a good movie, but the book is even better); and, if you haven't read the first four Musketeers books, "The Man in the Iron Mask" won't make much sense. The first books are "The Three Musketeers" (obviously), "Twenty Years After," "The Vicomte de Bragelonne," and "Louise de la Valliere." Without the middle books, which may be hard to find (my library had to special order them), you will hardly know the characters at all, but if you read all five, they will feel like your best friends. (Also, don't read the Introduction to the Oxford World Classics editions; it gives away the ending!) The last book had me crying the last hundred pages, at least. This is the greatest series of books ever written. --Abigail