I am in the 6 grade and getting my confirmation. I decided to do Saint Theresa for my Saint Report and this book gave me great information about this wonderful creature. I thought that it was going to be a very boring book but I was very surprised because it was so great! Read it!

I just stumbled on this book looking for resources on French culture that went beyond literature, wine and cheese for my students. What a revelation this was! Who knew that Margaret Mead ever wrote anything on France! This is an amazingly perceptive work--still vital and astonishing after 50 years. The astonishing part is that it centers on the structure of the French family, giving a totally different picture of French culture than most Americans ever encounter. As one who has lived with a family in a French village, I found myself continually smiling and nodding in agreement. This book should be read by every student studying French civlization, and everyone contemplating living in that country. I am assigning it to my students, and will give copies as presents this Christmas. Katherine Anderson-Levitt in her introduction puts the entire work in perspective for a contemporary audience, including translations of reviews from French sociologists when the book first came out. This belongs on the bookshelf of every Francophile, and everyone who cares about the anthropology of contemporary societies.

If you can find this book, LATCH ONTO IT AND DON'T LET GO! Now hard to come by, this book is well sought after (and well worth it, too)! This book includes fold-out detailed color plates of each of the tapestries along with a complete history on them. It is large and great for college-level classroom teaching material. I think every art library should have a copy. Beautiful book in every way, I give it an A++!

Margaret McGowan's books are the finest in scholarship and delightful reading. Her knowledge of this subject is very wide. What she adds to sixteenth century French Renaissance studies is nothing short of spectacular. So buy the book and see just how penetrating McGowan's vision really is. If you are a Frances Yates fan you may enjoy McGowan's editorship as well. I would suggest "L'art du ballet de cour en France" by Beaujoyeulx. For Ronsard fans, "Ideal Forms in the Age of Ronsard".

I enjoyed this book and also Watchers in The Sun. Heartwarming storis of animals that the writer took care of while in the South of France. I laughed and cried and was left with a warm feeling. Have the tissues handy!

"L'assommoir" is undoubtedly a powerful and moving book, yet, as a non French speaker who has just finished reading the Penquin translation by Leonard Tancock, I'm left feeling slightly frustrated. Anyone who has read the extraordinary "Germinal" cannot blame Zola for this; afterall, "L'assommoir is considererd to be one of the finest of the Rougon-Macquart cycle. No, it is to this English translator that we must turn to for answers. How is it that a book famous for it's uncompromising and brutal dialogue, is here, almost bereft of the very language that Zola thought so essential? This emasculated and dishonest translation made in 1970 may well suit those who are squeamish, or, of a nervous disposition, but, if you are hoping to catch the real voice of Gervaise and the voices of those with whom she shares her tragic life, it may well be advisable to listen elsewhere.

This is a story of poverty. It explores the life of a family who cannot escape from wretchedness. The fault is both in themselves and society. L'Assommoir is at the apex of social novels. It describes the hardships and expectations of persons scarcely able to feed themselves. During the course of the book Zola addresses these and other social issues: domestic violence, child abuse, alcoholism, infidelity, prostitution, and selfishness. Zola also discusses the childhood of Nana. But the Book, Nana, is virtually independent of L'Assomoir.

Zola shows his power to tug at the heart strings. The novel is written with tremendous depth of subject matter and is a quick read.

One of the reviewers below wrote that it is a prohibitionist novel. I disagree with this perspective. The book is not against all uses of alcohol; rather, it is against the abuse of alcohol.

One need go no further than the title of the book, dervied from the French verb "assommer"- to beat down, to understand that this will be a brutally and painfully realistic work. Zola is true to this expectation. Emile Zola had a thunderous impact on both nineteenth century French literature and political culture. Not only did he decry blatant injustice through his works, but to a large extent, he sacrificed his livelihood in espousing the cause of Captain Dreyfus through his tract "J'accuse!". Zola's sincere moral beliefs will surprise no one who has read his works. The passion with which the novels that comprise the Rougon series are written is a rarity. Having read five or six of these novels, I find that the charcter of Gervaise in L'Assomoir is both the most real and the most endearing. As opposed to Nana who is often perceived by readers as cold and merciless, Gervaise is a simple, hard-working woman who suffers a tourmented life. Zola's classic naturalist descriptions of the bars and the consumption of absinthe are priceless. In fact, Gervaise's suffering almost (but not quite)enables us to justify the actions of her daughter Nana in the subsequent book of the series. For anyone who is interested in sampling Zola's mastery and sincere passion, this book is a must read.

before it has even begun." Or some such. As the other reviewer said, this is a sort of an anti-Werther. Adolphe himself is an amusing fellow, and he had me cringing with sympathy for his efforts to rid-or-not-rid himself of his mistress. Caveat: you might want to look for an edition that includes "The Red Notebook," a hilarious short novel about the far ranging but completely aimless adventures of a similar (but this time mistressless) young man.

Benjamin Constant is a fascinating figure in the history of French letters. He was amongst a group of writers that were at the forefront of the Romantic Movement in France that included Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Constant's mistress, Germaine de Stael. Madame de Stael was a leading light of intellectual society during the directorate and the empire periods. Her salon in Geneva was the meeting place for many of the artists, philosophers, novelists and poets of her day. Benjamin Constant was her lover and most ardent admirer. Critics have long assumed that the core plot of Adolphe, which involves a younger male engaged in a prolonged liaison with an older mistress, must have been autobiographical. L. W. Tancock, in his introduction to the Penguin Classics edition, claims that this is only partly the case. He writes: "What are Eleanore and Adolphe? Of course the factual framework is the story of Anna Lindsay, the beautiful, ageing, foreign mistress of an aristocrat, and so is Ellanore's submissiveness and limited intelligence. On the other hand the possessiveness, the violence, the scenes, the sending out of a search party to bring back the wandering lover, all these things are from the miserable existence of Benjamin with Mme de Stael." So what we are left with basically is an amalgam of autobiography and fiction, somewhat the same formula Tolstoy used in Anna Karenina.

Whereas Tolstoy, in his depiction of a tragic love affair was wonderfully digressive, producing a novel with various sub-plots and a large, colorful canvas, Constant opts for economy and directness. This is a short novel, what by today's standard would be called a novella. It is composed of ten short chapters and is thus, ostensibly, "an easy read." It follows one plot line with one set of characters (though there is a framing narrative, it doesn't interfere with the essential linearity of the story).

The plot is rather familiar to readers of European literature. It follows the would be Cassanova, Adolphe, who, in his early twenties, decides that he must have a mistress if he is to be a man of fashion. He therefore lights upon a woman about ten years older than himself and whom he regards as a realistic target because she is already somewhat socially compromised, as she is the mistress of an older man, a certain Count P___. Elleanore is slow to succumb to Adolphe's machinations, but he is persistent and she eventually yields. The two lovers carry on a secret affair for a period and eventually Count P__ figures out what's going on under his nose and Elleanore makes the decision to leave her supporter and her children and cast her fate with Adolphe. Adolphe by this point has gotten cold feet and tries to dissuade her from leaving children and protector, but she is insanely in love and will follow Adolphe to perfidy and damnation if need be. They leave town and take their illicit love on the road. Adolphe, who has manufactured his feelings for Elleanore in the first place, becomes more and more morose as he realizes he has gotten in over his head and he now has a mistress who is completely dependent on him and who lets him know about it continually. Adolphe's father, meanwhile, who initially insinuated that Adolphe should take on a mistress, entirely disapproves of his son's choice. Finally the couple move to Poland, where Elleanore is to come into a large inheritance and Adolphe finds his existence more and more meaningless. At the urging of one of his father's aristocratic friends in Poland, Adolphe finally comes to the decision that he must break away from Elleanore, so he writes a letter to his father promising to end the affair. She intercepts the letter and falls into a swoon that eventually takes her death's door and to her final demise. Adolphe ends up as a broken man, wandering the outer byways of the continent, lamenting the errors of his ways.

Adolphe is an example of the concise, crystalline form of writing for which the French are noted. It is the form utilized and epitomized by writers such as Abbe Prevost, Rene de Chateaubriand, Alfred De Musset, etc. The novels they produced create in depth what they lack in length. That is one of the reasons we call them classics.

This review is for the Penguin Classics paperback version of Adolphe, prefaced and translated by L.W. Tancock

"You can't always get what you want", the Rolling Stones famously admitted some decades ago. In a very French, disillusioned way, Constant explores what happens when you do get what you want.

His anti-hero Adolphe manages to win the heart of the woman he has made himself believe he loves. Soon enough, he is no longer so sure about his feelings for her. By that time, however, she has already left her former partner and is emotionally dependent on Adolphe. To put it bluntly, the novel is about his trying and failing to get rid of her. The situation is getting more and more tortuous for both of them.

In a way this novel can be read as an answer to Goethe's famous "Sorrows of Young Werther" in which the protagonist ends up killing himself because he cannot get the girl he loves. Of course Goethe's book was a lot more successful at the time than Constant's. The worth of Constant's novel is that it is one of the few instants in which somebody speaks out with whom somebody else is unhappily in love with. There is less poetry in that position than in the opposite one, but Constant's stark psychological realism in the tradition of the French moralists makes this one a gripping read with a provocative conclusion.

I've read four of Margaret Moseley's books now and have delighted in each one! She has a knack for living up to her opening lines, delivering memorable characters, drawing in the reader to want more.

I did not want this book to end and am left wondering what becomes of Bonita Faye in the future. It's a wonderful tale of a poor girl who makes it big, but not in the usual hum drum Cinderella styles of so many others. She has a skeleton in her closet that you think will jump out constantly and pop the bubble. You pull for her, you root for her and you cry for her. All this and it's a great mystery to boot. Bring on your next book, Ms. Moseley, you've gained a devoted fan!

Not too long ago, I found myself discussing with a friend our English curriculum in high school (I just graduated this spring). We decided there was a distinct paucity of strong female role models in our reading list. Then I read Moseley's wonderful novel, Bonita Faye. You could not ask for a better heroine. Bonita Faye (the character AND the book) is entertaining, quirky yet intelligent, and easily one of my favorite main characters of all time. The dynamic Bonita Faye conquers what most of us would classify as considerable strife with bravery and aplomb that are admirable but not unrealistic. She has won a place in my heart and the book has won a place on my bookshelf: I plan to take it to college to reread when I am in need of inspiration or just good fun! Five Stars!!!

Have you ever read a novel that you wish would never end? Bonita Faye is one of those novels. This is a timeless, hopefully soon to be a classic. I was completely captivated throughout the entire story. I consider Bonita Faye to be one of the most wonderful characters in liturature. She is strong, gustsy, loving, friendly and very funny in her own down-to-earth Sourthern way. You meet her in the beginning of the story as a very young naive girl. She also happens to be married to Billy Roy; a repulsive, mean, no-good man. After Billy Roy is found murdered in rural Poteau, Oklahoma, Bonita Faye's life truely begins. The reader follows Bonita Faye through the seasons of her life with her dearest friend Patsy and Bonita Faye's husband and her dearest friends in Paris, France. Yes, Bonita Faye makes a trip to Paris where she grows into a confident young woman. There she meets her dearest friends (other than Patsy) who become the family that she never had. This is an engrossing, thought provoking story that will fill your heart. Thank you Miss Moseley for sharing such a wonderful story!

Oh what a treat! Don't be dismayed by the length, this is delightful! Unlike most authors of long fiction, Burney actually manages to stay on task and not wander into thoughts of war and whatever. This book is 941 pages because 941 pages of things happen. This is the story of Cecilia, a young heiress from the country. When her family dies she is left with three guardians: the proud Mr. Delvile, the miserly Mr. Briggs, and the husband of her childhood friend, Mr. Harrel. She moves in with the Harrels and is escorted into the London high life - parties, visiting, the opera, and scores of gentleman anxious to make the acquaintence of a beautiful heiress. Cecilia is not impressed. The commentary on 18th Century London life is scathing - and remarkably apropos to modern life as well.

One night at a masquerade ball she is saved from the devil, or a partier dressed as such, by a charming man in a domino, the first real person Cecilia has met. He knows who she is, where she comes from, and who her guardians are, but Cecilia cannot even discover his name. At the end of the evening he disappears, but the seeds of love are planted - if only Cecilia knew who he was! Thoughts of her new acquaintence are interrupted though, as she realizes that the Harrels are quickly going in to more debt than they will every be able to pay off, and their party train is not slowing down for the emminent crash to come.

The most amazing thing about this book is how modern it is. Though set in the late 18th century, the problems and scenarios transfer easily into our modern conscious. One of the central issues in the novel is that Cecilia will lose her inheritance if whoever she marries does not take her last name. Have we as a society yet gotten over this? Not by a long shot. The descriptions of the different characters are as funny as they are scathing - yet these gossips, fortune-hunters, scatter-brains, and denialists still fill our world today (I'm the scatter-brain). As the book progresses it moves more from satire and into soap opera (hence my final decision to give it 4 not 5 stars). It becomes less intelligent, but no less engaging as a roller coaster of twists and turns are thrown in the path of Cecilia and her desire for her one true love.

Why isn't Fanny Burney famous? That's exactly what I began to wonder after a friend convinced me that I should read Evelina. I thought I hated 18th century literature based on the class I took on it in college--if only we had read Fanny Burney then!
She writes with wit and style--it's easy to see why Jane Austen admired her so much! Even though this book is very lengthy, it is not possible to get bored reading it, and although times have changed a lot since Fanny Burney's time, the book still seems alive and relevant to modern readers as many of the unfortunate realities of society that Cecilia struggles with are still with us today in different forms. The characters in this novel are so real you will feel like you know them by the end of the book. Some of the chapters are so funny you will find yourself laughing out loud! I think Fanny Burney deserves to be much more famous. It would be wonderful if someone would make a film of this novel to help spread the word that Fanny Burney's books are great reading!

This was truely an enjoyable reading experience. Surprisingly for a book of this time period, it got off right away to a super start and just got better as the pages turned. Burney's ability with the English language was well beyond imressive, it was stunning. She quickly developed an inspired set of characters interacting with one another in delightful scenes. The masquerade ball was hilarious. I heartily recommend this outstanding piece of literature.

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time and I've read alot of books. It's interesting in a fictional sense but meanwhile the main character still has her own domestic problems so the book is almost taking you into 2 different worlds and the transition is very well done and wasn't abrupt which is what many writers would do. I'd reccomend this book to anyone of any age.

I read this book a few years ago. I've read it at least 12 times since then. I love Margaret Buffie's books, but this one is still one of the best. The lake area where she writes is a lot like where I live and so I really know the way it looks and feels. She has caught it perfectly.

This was the first Margaret Buffie book I read and it's one of my favourites. I especially liked the setting and the use of the supernatural, but mostly it's the characters that interested me. I loved Lizzie's humour and all the struggles with her family. The storyline with the ghost was so sad and yet it couldn't have ended any other way.