I've been a LEGO hobbyist for years, and I'm very excited that my teenage son is now more into it than even I am. I bought this book for him as a Christmas gift, but I had to give it to him early after I saw the incredibly cool robots on the front. We've now both read the book cover to cover (not a small task considering the book is almost 600 pages) and the ideas and information we got from the book could keep us busy for years. The great thing about this book is that it does not just give you step by step instructions on how to build a handful of robots, it teaches you how to build ANY robot that YOU can dream up. A big thanks to the authors for such a great gift!

This book is hands-down the best guide to learn how to build and program robotic creatures made out of Lego. The book does not provide step-by-step instructions, but rather covers in helpful depth all aspects of the activity, from the purely mechanical ones to ways of programming autonomous robots.

Of course, the key to it all is not only to master these individual techniques, but also to choose the best way to integrate them to create execellent 'bots!. This book does just that. Don't take my word for it. Ask around in www.Lugnet.com - the premier international Lego fan site.

This is a great book, since it not so much treats the basics of programming (as do many other Mindstorms books) but pays equally balanced attention to the principles behind making good mechanical constructions. I especially like the places where behaviorial issues that are seemingly 'obviously programming' are obtained by clever mechanical solutions, since it matches my own way of looking at Mindstorms. Often, these solutions free up motor and sensor ports, and therefore permit to add more behavior onto the basic behavior of the original design.

You really learn many things from this book which you do not find in other Mindstorms books, because the authors take a pleasantly fundamental approach. There are chapters on Lego geometry, and a chapter on walking robots starts with an experimental explanation of the center-of-gravity, which is of course the fundamental problem behind the designs that follow. There are also some basics of signal processing which should help solve sensory issues structurally, without hacking, another commendable improvement over comparable books that ignore such problems.

The playfulness of the authors shines throughout, and this is what makes this serious book such inspirational fun - who would think of using Mindstorms to build a pinball machine or flight simulator? It is brimming with non-traditional ideas like these. The many illustrations are excellent, and there is enjoyment at every level: the design issues at large (such as what to relegate to the hardware, and what to the software), but also the design details; for instance there is an incredibly compact and simple turtle foot that needs to be built to be believed.

Beyond the fun, the book really serves as a good introduction to the principles of robotics, with Lego as the tangible and affordable illustration of those principles. Useful tables in appendices convey the new flavor: Mindstorms is now being elevated from a toy to a specific technical design platform, and thus professionalized (to the extent that the tool allows, of course). In my mind, this enhances rather than reduces the enjoyment of the kits, since the structural approach should eliminate many minor frustrations in designing working robots.

Highly recommended!

The story of the erotic intrigue between a middle-aged woman, her husband, and her precocious stepson, "In Praise of the Stepmother" engages both the reader's carnal and intellectual mind.

Interspersed throughout the text are a series of full-color reproductions of works of graphic art--Francois Boucher's "Diana at the Bath," Titian's "Venus with Cupid and Music," and others. Vargas Llosa accompanies each of the reproductions with a fictional interpretation that serves as a counterpoint to the primary narrative of the stepmother and her household. This device allows the author to take his reader across time and space, from fantasy to horror as the erotic odyssey unfolds.

In both the main narrative and the shorter embedded fictions, Vargas Llosa both shocks and seduces the reader with his sensuous detail and psychological insights. "In Praise of the Stepmother" is a multi-media tour-de-force. A delight for lovers of erotica, classic visual art, and great literature, this book confirms in my mind Mario Vargas Llosa's stature as one of the world's great writers.

This book has so much beauty and sheer writing virtuosity that it must stand separate and alone. Like the Chaconne, or the suites for unaccompanied cello, or Shakespeare's sonnets, this book takes your breath away.

An integral part of the narrative are the six paintings (handsome reproductions of world art by Fra Angelico and Francis Bacon, among others) which are woven as counterpoint to the storyline. Nowhere in literature does one encounter such a masterful and extraordinary melding of two art forms: it produces a delectable, erotic, and frightening little masterpiece.

It is a story of lust, love, revenge, of Eros, of sexual awakening, and of the punctilious attention to one's body parts. It can be spiritual or gross, refined or vulgar, hilarious or tragic, depending on who you are, how you look at it, and the mood you are in. Every time I have read it (five, so far) it has again shocked, and delighted and made me humble by the sheer force of its beauty. The flawless translation by Helen Lane detracts not one iota from the Spanish original. Of course you should read it.

This is a miraculous, intriguing, daring and unlikely book that compares with Lolita in theme and aftertaste. One is always cautious of the pitfalls of translations, but the sincere erotica of this short novel, combined with its anchoring art references and child-heart, elevates it in a way that you don't notice its foreign origins. Llosa is, of course, a masterful storyteller. He is also audacious, which may be be his lasting relevance. Here, the revelatory title tells but half the story: you have to take the journey with Fonchito to fully enjoy Llosa's sardonic take on the duplicity and ignorance of the human condition. A small classic!

I love this book!

Fr. Romero has put together Catholic answers to common Protestant objections to tennents of the Catholic faith in a clear, easy to follow, meaningful format. He uses a chapter of his book to focus on a subject. He first shows us what the Catholic Church teaches about that subject, he then presents the common objections (misunderstandings) Protestants have on the subject, clears up those misunderstandings using Scripture and finally shows what the early Christians (those who followed the Apostles) believed about those subjects.

This book was an excellent source for developing and teaching a class on "Understanding Your Catholic Faith".

I recommend it to Catholics and Protestants alike.

Read it then decide for yourself.

THIS BOOK CONTAINS MOST OF THE ARGUMENTS USED AGAINST THE CHURCH AND SOUND ANSWERS TO THEM . IF SOMEONE IS LOOKING FOR A BOOK TO BUY TO LEARN TO DEFEND THEIR FAITH THEY COULDN'T DO MUCH BETTER THAN THIS BOOK. I ALSO SUGGEST CATHOLIC CHRISTIANITY BY PETER KREEFT, SURPRISED BY TRUTH BY PATRICK MADRID, AND THE NAB BIBLE.

Father Romero has put together, in a readable and enjoyable format, a wonderful explanation of Catholic belief as rooted in sacred scripture.

Some of the topics include the Catholic understanding on: 1) How we are saved; 2) the authority of the Pope; 3) Papal infallibility; 4) the communion of the saints (i.e. intercessory prayer); 5) Mary's Immaculate Conception and many more.

The chapters are short and concise. They are filled with biblical proof-texts. Moreover, Father Romero's tone is very fair. In short, a protestant interested in knowing what the Catholic Church really teaches would not put the book down feeling as though he or she has been disrespected.

For Catholics, this book is a must because you will learn to defend your faith. For protestants, you will find out what the Church really teaches and why.

I wish I had this book 10 years ago. God bless & get the book.

La Tregua nos pasea po un ambiente nostálgico, que sólo Benedetti le sabe dar a sus obras. La melancolía que tiene el personaje nos muestra la realidad de la clase media, en un Montevideo de siempre. Andrés Silva, desde Chile.

Mi fascinacion por la literatura de Benedetti se origina luego de haber leido La Borra del Cafe. Su estilo sencillo y poetico expresa de manera sublime, muchas controversias serias de la sociedad moderna. Luego de concluir La Tregua, me convenci de la sofisticacion que utiliza Benedetti un personaje como espejo para reflejar incognitas y tabues en una sociedad. La Tregua trajo a mi mente problemas y circunstancias de las cuales no me percato por tomarlos como parte normal en nuestra comunidad latinoamericana. Un 'BRAVO' para Benedetti.

¿Han leído a Julio Ramón Ribeyro?, bueno, en "la tregua" de Benedetti encontré la misma característica que me hizo amar los libros de Ribeyro. Estos dos señores escriben de tal forma que es inevitable llegar a sentir un cariño real por los personajes, estos te inspiran ternura, pero muy profundamente, nada parecido a otros autores que he leído. Los cuentos de Ribeyro son hermosos, y también lo es "La Tregua". Esta es la historia de un hombre que está por cumplir 50 años, y espera su jubilación. Vive una vida muy solitaria, aunque la comparte con tres hijos con los cuales no tiene la mejor de las relaciones. Su historia es narrada en primera persona, en forma de diario; su vida transcurre en medio de la rutina, el aburrimiento y la soledad, pero Benedetti asombrosamente logra hacer de este relato algo muy entretenido. Por la forma en que está escrita la obra, en primera persona, es más fácil identificarte con el personaje, pues de alguna manera este señor le está contando su vida a uno. Tengan cuidado al leer otros reviews en esta misma página, pues cuentan partes de la historia que es mejor no saber antes de empezar a leerla, es mucho mejor sorprenderse. No recuerdo algún libro que al leerlo me haya hecho llorar (aunque debe haber habido alguno)...pero este lo hizo, lo confieso, una sensación alucinante. 5 estrellas se me quedan cortas, por favor léanlo.

Vargas Llosa's gripping 1981 book is a fictionalized history of Canudos, the community in the dry interior of Brazil that was utterly wiped out by the Brazilian army in 1897. Vargas Llosa's book is as long (over 500 pages) and as dense as the seminal Canudos book "Rebellion in the Backlands" by Euclides da Cunha, and those fascinated by the story will want to read both. This book takes da Cunha's as its point of departure, for where da Cunha was a military engineer who accompanied the military campaigns against Canudos and wrote about the event's impact on the Brazilian identity, Vargas Llosa is a novelist captivated by the human element. "The War of the End of the World" is the massive story of four successive military campaigns against a religious sect (part-Waco, part-Masada) that killed about 10,000 people on both sides. It is built on the lives of many key personalities. By threading together the life stories of several real Canudos inhabitants who included criminals, castoffs, and misfits with the lives of landowners, journalists, and military officers, including the famously brutal general Moreira Cesar, Vargas Llosa both chronicles the Canudos tale and creates a powerful human novel.

Da Cunha was intrigued by the "why" of Canudos. What fostered a fanatical religious sect in Brazil's interior, allowed it thrive and grow, and why was it the subject of such national fear that the fourth campaign against the village involved fully half of the Brazilian army? Da Cunha spent dozens of pages writing about Antonio the Counselor, Canudos messianic leader. Vargas Llosa is less sympathetic to the military's point of view, depicting Canudos as a safe haven for those rejected by society, by sweethearts, employers, or the church. An island of broken toys. Vargas Llosa writes very little about Antonio himself, casting a reflected light by describing him mostly through the words and actions of his devoted followers. ("Death was more important to these people than life. They had lived in utter dereliction and their one ambition was to be given a decent burial".) Where da Cunha concludes that Canudos was a result of a failure by the Brazilian society and government to embrace all of its citizens -a conclusion that led to a reexamination of Brazil's national identity- Vargas Llosa is less sure. He raises a lot of explanations that have gone before (monarchist conspiracies, racial inferiority, lack of education, "something to do with religion", even a lunatic European communist who tries to make Canudos fit his notions of class warfare ) without settling firmly on any one. Finally, he concludes uneasily, "the explanation of Canudos lies in ignorance".

This is a gripping novel, a powerful tale of warfare, an exploration of intriguing individuals who met in the atavistic isolation of Brazil's parched interior. A Latin American novel devoid of magic realism, for the story of Canudos is fantastical enough.

I read several of Mario Vargas Llosa smaller (but also superb) works before deciding to attempt to read this one, his masterpiece. It is truly one of the more memorable and profound books that I have read. The structure of the book doesn't divert too much from that of the typical epic novel- dozens of characters, numerous subplots, and events of historical significance. Most of the action takes place in the remote, arid backlands of northwestern Brazil. In this land devastated by drought and poverty, a religious leader known as the Counselor manages to recruit a sizable number of miserable and scorned creatures to be his disciples. We are introduced to such characters as the Little Blessed One, the Lion of Natuba, the Mother of Men, Satan Jao, and a host of others who are social outcasts for one reason or another. It is around this time that the monarchy in overthrown and a republic established; taxes are now to be collected, a national census is to adminstered, and church and state are to be separated. The Counselor and his followers regard these new developments as a direct threat and signs of the impending apocalypse, and they set up their own town, Canudos. The newly formed state can obviously not tolerate these renegades, and the book basically relates the war between Canudos and the waves of military forces that are sent to annihilate them. Vargas Llosa spares no details when relating battle scenes; the reviewer on the inside cover of the book was right in calling this one of the bloodiest books of the century. We are presented with images of corpses hanging from trees, ants devouring the open wounds of soldiers, and decapitated heads on stakes. It is perhaps this gritty realism that makes this book so memorable, though. Another aspect of the author's writing that makes this book so convincing is his ability to sympathetically portray all of the competing interests. Although it is probably fair to say that the Counselor's followers are depticted mainly as victims, Llosa also argues from the point of view of the military, the aristocracy, the republican government, a nearsighted journalist travelling with the army, and even a Scottish anarchist. At the end of this book, one is quite uncertain who, if anyone, is on the right side and who is on the wrong side. But I think it is this moral ambiguity that Vargas Llosa is attempting to create in our minds. In presenting this true historical event in the form of an epic novel, Vargas Llosa has given us a masterful tale of devotion, despair, misery, and personal redemption.

This is perhaps Vargas Llosa's best novel and a must for all those well-meaning readers in the developed world who eagerly idealize Latin American revolutions without knowing anything about these countries.

The book is based on the true story of Antonio Vicente Mendes Maciel ("O Conselheiro"), a mad prophet of sorts -kind of a weird Christian ayatollah of the late XIX Century- who ignited, in the most remote corner of Brazil, a bloody uprising among the lowly against Money, Property, Progress, Law, Army, Republic and State, and everything else he found oppressive, sinful and evil. In return, the Brazilian government reacted with indifference, disbelief, concern, anger, outrage and total annihilation.

Little by little, Vargas Llosa transforms this obscure anecdote into a monumental epic of Tolstoiesque proportions that not only hooks you on the plot but reveals the richly interwoven tapestry of Brazilian -and therefore Latin American- society; its illusions and delusions, its races and classes, its loves and hates, its fear of the modern and its contempt for the past, and the fanaticism that pervades both attitudes (to date).

I read this mammoth masterpiece during Christmass '94 at the midst of the Zapatista revolt in Chiapas, and it was sad to realize how little have we changed our societies. Our development always seems to engender inequality and our social struggles to defend backwardness and ignorance. Vargas Llosa is acutely aware of this, and he conveys it in his story splendidly, without preaching, without agendas, without aloofness and without letting you put down the book. Should you decide to read it, ask for a few days off!

This book is about the relationship between the United States and the Sioux Nation from the signing of the 1851 Ft. Laramie treaty up to the present. The book centers around the efforts of the Wounded Knee Survivors Assoc. and their attorney Mario Gonzalez to obtain a formal apology from the U.S. government for the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre and the establishment of a National Tribal park at the massacre site. This book includes:

*Gonzalez' diary entries from 1989-1992--an excellent window to see firsthand how contemporary tribal governments work and how Native Americans on reservations interact with each other on a daily basis.

*Commentary (called chronicles)by Elizabeth Cooke-Lynn explaining events described in the diary entries including Gonzalez' efforts in stopping the payment of $100 million claims commission for the Black Hills in 1980, and his efforst in Europe from 1981 to 1984 to get the World Court to issue an advisory opinion on the illegal confiscation of the Black Hills.

*Appendices that include a complete chronology of Sioux land claims from the signing of the 1851 treaty up to the present--a must for anyone interested in Indian land claims.

*Excellent footnotes with valuable information found no where else including information about Chief Crazy Horse's family members contained in the probate records of Chief Crazy Horse's father.

This book is FASCINATING and should appeal to everyone! IT SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING IN EVERY NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES CLASS!

what elizabeth and mario have done is to create a work that will stand for the test of time! my favorite part of the whole book was when Elizabeth proudly states THAT NATIVE AMERICAN, ABORGIONAL, AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ARE NOT CITIZENS OF THE WHITE MAN'S NATION ! FOR EXAMPLE A PERSON WHO LIVES IN THE DINE NATION IS NOT A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES BECAUSE THEY NEVER ASKED FOR NOR DID WANT TO BE CITZENS OF THIS PATHETIC NATION! THEY ARE CITIZENS IN THEIR TRIBE AND NATION NOT OF THE PATHETIC UNITED STATES OF AMERICA OR THE WORLD FOR THAT MATTER! READ THIS BOOK TO LEARN THE REAL HISTORY OF WOUNDED KNEE AND ABOUT A PEOPLE WHO ARE CHANGING HISTORY EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Wonderful workings of writing the whole truth. A must have, must read, must distribute widely!

This book, about Pablo, the blind man who falls in love with his guide, Nela, embodies the frailty of appearance vs. reality. After reading this book, I am able to look at Nela and see an image of the modern woman. Despite the fact that it's over 100 yrs old, Marianela lives on today.

I must admit that this book didn't pick my interest when I started reading it in My Spanish AP class in high school. Now after reading it I have to say that this book is wonderfully written and very educational.
Marianela is a girl who lives in The Mines of Socartes, she is the guide of a rich boy who suffers fom blindness Pablo. I loved Marianela's character since the first pages, she is so full of life, so innocent. All her life she lived out of the pity of others but it didn't matter to her. Pablo "said" he loved her and she lived in this illusion where she thought that she would finally be loved and not criticized by her looks.
Then, everything changed when Teodoro Golfin, a miracle doctor gave Pablo his sight. That's when everything changed. When Pablo saw what Marianela really looked like, he just started treating her horribly. Where did all his love go? I have to say that by the end of the book I hated Pablo with a passion. How can someone be so cynical as to tell a person how beautiful she is without really seeing the exterior appearance and then being disgusted by what he sees when he looks at how that person really looks? Sadly that's what happens with Pablo and it would have been better if he had stay blind.
This book bring some things that are really important. True beauty is on the inside, never judge someone by their exterior appearace because you might be surprised. True beauty is not something that you can see or touch, beauty has to be felt.
I highly recomend this book, it will touch your heart I promise

Pablo, a rich blind boy is madly in love with poor Marianela. Things go smooth until renowned Doctor Teodoro Golfín offers to cure up Pablo's eyes. Marianela, who thinks she is ugly is afraid that when he starts seeing, he'll see how ugly(on the surface) she really is. Her fears are confirmed when he falls for his beautiful cousin Florentina, who doesn't treat Marianela too well. She is so attached to Pablo that if she doesn't look beautiful for him, she won't be any use to him. A very destructive point of view which she sticks to. It's a tragic ending but it's common in most Spanish-language stories.

If you thought Mario Puzo was just about American-Italian goodfellas who kill people, drive around and eat good pasta in New York City, you will be pleasantly surprised. The plot is set in Sicily, and the author's love and understanding of the long-suffering land shines through.

Mario Puzo presents a captivating, page-turning story about the life of a post-war Sicilian outlaw, his climb to the top of criminal hierarchy and associated betrayals, cunning treacheries and loyalty that never should be taken for granted. At the same time, you get a deep insight into the mindset and culture of Sicily and its people who, through centuries of suffering at the crossroads of occupation and oppression, have learnt to trust no one. Historical and cultural background is presented so subtly, inobtrusively and with such writing skill that you will not realize that you, in fact, read a brilliant history book. Never before have I seen a crime thriller that would also be so educational.

And, as an added bonus, Puzo is a true master when painting the scenery - dusky mornings, lush Sicilian gardens with fragrant lemon trees, ancient ruins and heat of the Meditteranean night.

Read this book and you will see that you have got much, much more than you have bargained for.

Mario Puzos fifth work "The Sicilian" (1984) is a masterpiece in its genre, a powerful epic about Sicily, the Mafia and one mans stand. The many characters from the story: hero Turi Guiliano, to Don Croce, Aspanu Piscoitta, Hector Adonis, and Michael Corleone and many more, make this book a very entertaining read. Turi Guilano never wanted to hurt anyone, but fate and his promise to himself to maintain his honour led to his decision to fight all those who came for him after he was gunned down for minor smuggling. We watch Turi and Aspanu grow from two young peasant men into the leaders of Sicilys most powerful bandit gang, one which challenges the police,the army, the government, and ultimately the Mafia while gaining the hate of some, and the love of many. Danger lurks around every corner, and treachery is never far away in this story, but there is also alot of love in the story, such as: Sicilians love for there country, a mothers love for her son, and the friendship of two young men. Puzo's storytelling and imagery keep the reader addicted, and make this book a hard one to put down. "The Sicilian" is an excellent read, recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good read.

Not Many have heard of this prequel/sequel to the Godfather. Set after Michael Corleone's two year stay in Sicily, he is sent on a final task which explains changes his character change in the Godfather. From the Italian American focus of The Godfather, the novel reaches into the very heart of Sicily, the island that bore so many of the characters in American Crime literature. Rich and almost lyrical, Puzo describes the life of one Salvatore Guilliano, a Sicilian Robin Hood but with greater purpose and less fantasy. He seeks to reform the underground world that has sprung on him after he is shot and left for dead on account of stealing cheese for his family. This gem of a book is gifted with great storytelling and greater understanding of a world we don't know and Puzo beautifully explains. Even if you have never read the Godfather, you will love this book for its truthfulness and wisdom.

Gracias hermanos Latinoamericanos por darme la oportunidad de escribir sobre La Fista del Chivo. Hace pocos dias termine de leer el libro y la verdad es que quede impresionado con los recursos literarios que utiliza Vargas Llosa para narrar esta historia. Viaja como por un realismo fantastico ( sin ser realismo fantastico por supuesto ), para mantener al lector en una verdadera tension psicologica. La historia que son tres historias, hace que el lector quiera profundizar el estudio de las misma. Vemos como Urania llega a Santo Domingo llena de dolor y traumas no superados. Luego vemos a Trujillo y sus fieles pobre diablos seguidores y ministros de estados, y luego los que lo habrian de ejecutar. Vargas Llosa viaja en estos tres tiempo y cuenta la historia como si nosotros mismo fuesemos parte de la misma . Cuando esta historia ocurrio, yo todavia no habia nacido, pero si pude identificarme con el sufrimiento de toda una isla dominando por la bestia. Por un " jefe " de estado, un narcizista que se creia dueño absoluto del destino de todos los habitantes de la isla, incluso capaz de controlar hasta los exiliados y a los que no eran dominicanos. Vargas Llosa logra casi perfectamente encarnizar a los personajes, pues cada uno de ellos eran tan reales. Es el caso del hijo del jefe, del presidente Balaguer, de Jonny Abbes Garcia y de la misma Urania por citar algunos. Dos de los personajes que mas me impactaron fueron el Jonny Abbes Garcia y el presidente Balaguer. El primero por su forma de resolver los " problemas de los enemigos de la patria nueva ", por los metodos diabolicos que este utilizaba como si se tratara del propio demonio; si y digo del propio demonio porque despues de leer las cosas que este hombre insignificante era capaz de hacer, no hay duda de que lo malo existe, de que satanas si puede obrar en algunas personas. Jonny Abbes Garcia, era un ser lleno de odio y resentimiento. Tenia un volcan de complejos y pensaba que la unica forma de mantenerse vivo era dandole riendas suertas a sus intintos. Que Dios libre a Latinoamerica y al mundo de personas tan bajas como Jonny Abbes. En cuanto al presidente Balaguer, quiero decir que prodria decirse que es el rey de la manipulacion. Balaguer solo pensaba en si mismo y haria todo por mantenerse en poder incluso jugar con el cielo y el infierno a la vez. Conocia bien la psicologia humana y se aprovechaba de su inteligencia para manipular a todos incluso hasta mismo demonio de Ramfi, siguiendo con Petan y Negro Trujillo y hasta el propio Jonny Abbes. Sabia bañarse sin mojarse, sabia entrar el la mano en el fuego y salir sin quemaduras. Balaguer tiene ( porque todavia esta vivo en Santo Domingo ) una especie de don de convenser a los demas de que sus ideas son las mas apropiadas para resolver una determinada situacion. Me gustaria saber cual es la opinion de Balaguer sobre este libro. Para terminar, este libro debe de ser simbolo de lucha entre los Latinoamericanos para que no se repita la historia, para prevenir futuras trajedias en nuestros ya tan sufridos paises.

Elvis Minaya , New York City

La Fiesta del Chivo. Mario Vargas Llosa.

Este libro, que recientemente vio su publicación en ingles, causó gran revuelo cuando fue publicado en este país. Recuerdo que salieron varios artículos periodísticos en los cuales se decía que Vargas Llosa hería la sensibilidad de varias familias respetables, y también recuerdo que tuvieron que ponerle mucha seguridad cuando el autor vino al país. El tiempo ha pasado y aunque todo este tranquilo no me atrevo a aventurar que todo se ha olvidado, pues este libro toca muchos temas de una manera indirecta. Que es verdad o mentira es difícil saber, pues muchas de las cosas que dice están apoyadas en hechos que aun no estando en los libros de historias, se pueden encontrar investigando. También recuerdo que un escritor dominicano acusó a Vargas Llosa de plagio, algo Collado era su nombre y que se ventiló el caso por un tiempo. Que pasaría? Bueno para los que no la han leído la obra trata de la dictadura de Rafael Leonidas Trujillo y de sus manías y demás. La historia es contada al estilo de Llosa, de atrás hacia delante, por las reminiscencias de un personaje ficticio que me dejo intrigado, pues aun no he encontrado referencia histórica para ella. Para los que ya la leyeron, espero que estas líneas les sirvan de referencia, para que sepan los acontecimientos que sucedieron en este país a raíz de la publicación de este libro, que ahora con su publicación en ingles, vera su circulo de lectores ampliarse.

Luis Méndez.

esta novela es excelente y ha tocado un temas que parece estar prohibido en el pais, la dictadura de trujillo.en esta novela podemos empezar a darnos cuenta de la magnitud de la dictadura y es por eso que la veo como una obra excelente para los estudiantes y personas jovenes del pais, para que conozcan y tengan que investigar ya que se debe escarbar e investigar un poco dentro de la historia dominicana para poder saber distinguir entre la ficcion y la realidad. los personajes se nos muestran con sus caras humanas y el unico que parece un poco irreal y caricaturizado es trujillo, con sus manias impecables y su afan de probarse siempre joven a sus propios ojos y ante los demas y tambien su mania por los juegos con la vida de los demas. Vargas LLosa nos llena de la curiosidad que debe existir en todo buen libro. muy recomendado.

LUIS MENDEZ

In Mario Puzo's The Godfather, he uses the crimes of a family and their Italian heritage to show how it affects a large loving family. I thought this was an excellent book, because the plot sequence was amazing with constant twists and suspense. The irony of this book comes through the crime boss Vito Corleone who is a kind-hearted and loyal friend of all who come to him with a request. However, he makes his living off of corruption and death which really doesn't affect the reader's attitude towards this loving character. The vicious side of the mafia comes through Vito's son Sonny. Sonny's rage leads to the death of many mob-related characters as well as to the his own death which is another irony evident in this novel. The Godfather uses masterful description of each member's life and how mob-life affected them. Another example of irony in The Godfather is the youngest son Michael's situation. At the beginning of the novel, Michael is returning from World War II and has no part in the family business. However, when his father nears death after gunshot wounds, Michael is drawn into the family business and chooses to pay back the antagonist Solozzo by spilling his blood for the sake of the family. Michael becomes the leader of the family after his father and Sonny die and he returns from Italy after things die down about his assasination of Solozzo. This transformation from an upstanding servant of the country to a crime boss looking out for the wellbeing of his family alone is the ulimate irony in this novel. Women and children are not major characters in the novel, because Puzo uses them to show how the mobs goal was to keep the innocent free from encountering their violent troubles. Puzo incorporates the lives of everyone involved in this crime family to show how much love and loyalty lead to their success and rage and deceit lead to their downfall. After reading the novel, I gained a greater appreciation for the movie which I had seen earlier and an understanding of how loyalty leads to power in the world.

"The Godfather" is one of the VERY rare examples of a movie (and sequel) that are actually better than the book they are based on. Upon first release, the book was a massive bestseller, more because it is an easy read than because it is great literature. What it is primarily useful for now is as a means of filling in details that the first two Godfather films didn't have time to cover even with their considerable length. Such detail includes the background story of Johnny Fontaine, the Frank Sinatra-esque entertainer who is a loyal Godson. Also fleshed out are the characters of the loyal hitman Luca Brazzi and of Sonny's mistress, who would become the mother of Michael's eventual successor as Don in "Godfather Part 3." There is also more information about Moe Green and the feud over the Corleone move to Nevada.

Puzo is an effective storyteller and he keeps things moving along at a snappy pace. The Don of the book doesn't seem larger than life the way Marlon Brando does in the movie. "The Godfather" is often described as a "trash" novel, but reading would be a lot more fun if all such novels were as good as this one.

I've always been a huge fan of the Godfather films, but I have to say that reading the book the movies were based upon made me love the story even more. In many ways the book is better than the films (as incredible as that may seem) because the book gives more in-depth accounts about the characters. Unfortunately, "The Godfather" films could only do so much due to time constraints, so it was wonderful to get the full story behind the characters Francis Ford Coppola immortalized in his films.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to read a well-written, thought-provoking, and captivating book. Puzo not only romanticized the mafia, but also shows the power, violence, death, and reality that is associated with it as well.

If you loved the films, you will love this book even more!...