Sillitoe's work shows Arthur living his life to the extent his class boundaries will allow. Drinking, womanising, and violence dominate Arthurs life away from his lathe. We follow him on the breathless ride that is his life in the first part of the novel Saturday Night, and then on his reajustment to a calmer more sustainable life in Sunday Morning. The perspective the reader is given is Arthurs if only he could articulate it. This allows the reader to experience the working class perspective without the limits that somone lacking the education to express themselves as effectively would have. This is the key to the novel as the reader can utterly empathise with Arthur. A working class novel that does not focus on poverty but how class frustrations are expressed makes a welcome change.

one of the best books i have ever been forced to read. my english class is reading it. an awesome novel.

A working class man in northern England, Sillitoe bring to life the way it used to be. Between cups of tea, Woodbines, too many pints for sobriety and a long list of ladies, our man Arthur spends his days in mindless bicycle manufacture and his nights forgetting it all. There is the smell of coal smoke in the winter air, the taste and crunch of fried bread and bacon, the scent of a woman and the hard reality of no exit. Arthur came from a family who had spent too many years on the dole, a situation now repreating itself in England. Prosperity was a full larder and an endless supply of cigarettes and new clothes. Sillitoe has captured it all in a book which still breathes the life he infused into it almost 40 years ago.

This is a really fun little graphic novel, loaded with great artwork and a decent storyline. I wouldn't recommend it as a first-time read for anyone unfamiliar with the X-Men - taken out of context from the overall series - it might be a somewhat confusing introduction. But for those who know the characters and have a general idea of what is going on, believe me, this one delivers the goods.

In the past, I have generally hated the X-Men's adventures in the Savage Land, or whenever they would go to outer space or get into really super sci-fi type situations. I always felt the X-Men stories worked much better when they were grounded in very normal, down-to-earth settings, because it made the X-Men themselves stand out and seem that much weirder. But this book is an exception to the rule. It's a big, crazy, larger-than-life adventure, part of which takes place in the prehistoric Savage Land, and part of which gets hyper technological, and it works out OK.

The artwork is tough and gritty. Jim Lee draws a mean, shadowy, ugly Wolverine who kills lots of villains and looks like he needs to take a shower very badly.

And Lee's women - whoa. This book contains more gratuitous cheescake shots than any X-Men graphic novel I've seen, but it's all very pleasing to the eye. Especially the scenes with Rogue, whose bare skin can kill anyone she touches and thus, understandably, was always the one major female character who kept herself completely covered at all times. This was the first storyline in the series where they finally drew her as a scantily-clad, sexy heroine. A real treat for male Rogue-fans who'd been reading the series patiently for years.

This storyline also chronicles the transformation of innocent young Psylocke into a mature woman trained in the art of Ninjitsu, and she becomes an ultra-violent, sexy bad girl. And then there are cameo appearances by other Marvel superheroes, namely Captain America (from the Avengers series) and The Black Widow (from the Daredevil series). All in all, it's a satisfying, action-packed, well-drawn, crowd-pleasing comic book in trade-paperback format.

X-Men Visionaries Jim Lee trade paperback Is a great X-Men graphic Novel by Jim Lee! the book reprints Uncanny X-Men issues #248,#256-258,#268-269,#273-277 are reprinted together in this wonderful Marvel book collection! This book contains the early Uncanny X-Men issues that made Jim Lee famous! All the issues are written by Chris Claremont with artwork by Jim Lee. These issues lead to the popular Claremont/Lee colaboration on X-Men#1 in 1991. Most of the artwork was done by Jim Lee. Uncanny X-Men #273 was done by various artists. Buy this book if your fan of X-Men and Jim Lee. Highest Possible Recommendation!

This is a great X-Men: Visionaries Jim Lee graphic Novel! This is Jim Lee's early work on the Uncanny X-Men series! This Marvel Tradepaperback reprints Jim Lee's early years when he was the comic book artist on Uncanny X-Men. In this book reprints Uncanny X-Men#248,#256-258,#268-269, #273-277. His early work on the Uncanny X-Men in the early 1990s, lead to to the critically aclaimed Clarmont/Lee work on X-Men #1 in 1991. All the Uncanny X-Men issues are written by Chris Claremont. Most of the artwork is drawn by Jim Lee. Unncany X-Men#273 is drawn by various artist. Buy this book if your a big fan of X-Men and Jim Lee. Highest Possible Recommendation.

Ok, I admit taht when I first read ELIDOR as probably an 11 year old I liked it the least of Garner's books to date. It was "ok" but the idea of a magical fantasy being set in the urban wasteland of post-war Manchester just didn't click. Maybe it is a comment on the last quarter century, maybe it is just a matter of growing up, but going back the book all these years later I found myself absolutely enthralled. Garner makes the transition from everyday life to the realm of Welsh mythology & back seamlessly and flawlessly. His characters are remarkably "real" -even those with "bit parts" like the parents of the protagonists. The language is lyrical, and there are scenes that will haunt you for years. My one complaint is that it is more a "novella" than a novel -at this re-reading I would gladly have kept going for another 200 pages, but what we get is great.

The four Watson children stumble through a doorway into another world known as Elidor. In Elidor they become the keepers of the four treasures and are sent back to earth to protect these treasures. The treasures are one of two things needed to save Elidor, the other being to the song of Lindhom. The story rushes along and many an aspiring character developments go unexplained. Ending was a big disappointment to me. This is a very good fantasy book that should interest students in grades 5th through the 8th who enjoy a trip into fantasy land.

I read this book 18 years ago, when I was 10 years old. It was one of the best books I ever read - as good as Mark Twain's 'Tom Sawyer' or Jules Verne's 'Mistery Island'. But in a way, it was better. The atmosphere of Elidor was magical, dim lit, eerie - something I found only in Marion Zimmer Bradley's 'The Mists of Avalon' or in Stephen King's work. This is definitely a great fantasy book.

The stories, recipes and information about home style Cantonese cooking have great appeal. The book strikes a balance of soups steamed and stir-fried food. The writing is a pleasure to read.

In one chapter, Grace Young, goes to great length to emphasize the need to cut food properly to achieve a balance in taste. Here is where the book fails to live up to its promise. While the author explains the need to cut food properly, she fails to provide complete descriptions, illustrations and photographs of exactly how the food should be cut. Cutting techniques for Cantonese food may not be a mystery to those who already know the dishes, but for those of us are new to Chinese cooking, they are. While there are some descriptions of how to cut in the recipes, no where are the kind of helpful, explicit details that might be learned by a novice learning French cooking by reading Jacques Pepin or Julia Child.

Pictures dealing with other aspects of preparation are also scarce. The chart identifying food is too small to be of much use. The photographs showing finished dishes are too few and, again, too small to be helpful to a novice looking for clues about a dish's preparation.

As an American Born Chinese, finding this book was a huge relief. Like so many ABCs, I love the food of my culture but certainly didn't know how to prepare it. This is an authentic down home Chinese cookbook. No fancy dishes here - only comfort food need apply. The book is divided into the following: 1) rice from steamed, fried, dumplings and porridge 2) stir fry - including tomato beef and beef chow fun 3) steamed cooking- egg custard, sponge cake, spareribs with black bean sauce 4) cooking with ginger - drunken chicken, cabbage noodle soup 5) seasonal market dishes - braised taro and chinese bacon, stir fried bitter melon with beef 6) celebratory dishes - stir fried clams with black bean sauce, pepper and salt shrimp, sweet and sour pork 7) New Year's dishes - turnip cake, seasame balls 8) authentic recipes from the homeland - savory rice tamales, pork dumplings, stuffed noodle rolls 9) Chinatown favorites - soy sauce chicken, roast duck, barbecued pork and salt roasted chicken 10) a slew of healing soups and dishes. Reading it was a trip down memory lane for me. The dishes are truly authentic to the Chinese family experience and or those who seek authenticity, Young has presented it here. She also includes a handy guide to shopping and mail order resources!

I bought this cookbook about 6 months ago. When I finished reading the book, I immediately sent an e-mail to the author thanking her for her work in this book. I also watched the CBS Sunday Morning Special about this cookbook. I ,too,was a Chinese immigrant and learning cooking from watching my dad and mom without any measurement of the "stuff" you put in a dish. Often as I cook, I do not measure the ingredients. Many of my American friends want the reciepes of the dishes I cook and too often I am too lazy to write them down. Now, I have Ms. Young to thank you for writing this cookbok. Many of the fine reciepes in this cookbook I shared with my Amercian friends. They too have read and said they enjoy the history and the philosophy of the Chinese cooking. I would recommended this book for anybody who is learning about Chinese cooking. This cookbook by far are on my number one list of the chinese cookbook of this decade. Oh, by other way(Ms. Young), the most frequent reciepes that I shared with American friends is "Tomato Beef." Your brother was right! (You should not omit this receipe.)

Alan and Naomi is a great book. I recommend it to kids who are studying the Holocaust, because it shows you how some people were affected by the Holocaust. This book has wonderful characters and they are described in great detail. It also is a real page turner, because you are always wondering what is going to happen next. It has a very sad ending that is very dramatic. This book Alan and Naomi is a funny,sad and an exciting book, so I hope that you read it.

The story of Alan and Naomi is a heartwarming incredible story.I got hooked on it because it just was a book you must find out if Naomi is going to be ok or if she is going to be lost in her own waorld forever.It also makes you wonder if Alan is going to let his freinds in on his "secret errand" that he does everyday.This book should be read by anyone who has ever made fun of someone who is "diffrent" the people who were made fun of should read this also to let them know what goes through the mind of the people whom are making fun of them.Outstanding book!

I like this story because a Alan has to help this girl Naomi come out of her shell. In the process Alan finds out her father was beaten to death by the Nazis because he he made maps that lead Jews to freedom. This story tells about the true terrors of the holocaust. And how americans helped the Jews. I recomend this book because it is sad, exciting, and scary. Plus it is a very short book.

The Killing Joke is, without a doubt, the finest work that involves Batman.

The story goes like this - The Joker, in a desperate attempt to get someone to see things from his point of view, shoots Barbara Gordon (daughter of police Commissioner Gordon), paralyzing her. Then, he takes the Commisstioner and tries to turn him insane. And, as usual, it's up to the Batman to stop him.

Maybe the most entertaining aspect of the book is the backstory it weaves. It shows the Joker, pre-accident, as a stuggling comedian unwittingly brought into a robbery. Using elements from the famous 1950's Joker origin story, 'The Man behind the Red Hood', Moore and Bolland make the Joker seem tragic, in a maniacal sort of way.

The dark story Moore writes meshes well with Brian Bolland's detailed, linear artwork. Bolland makes every character look remarkable, and his rendition of the Joker on the cover has become one of the most famous Joker images in history.

You can't call yourself a Batman fan if you don't own this. Heck, you aren't much of a comics fan at all if you haven't at least read the story. This is ESSENTIAL for EVERYONE'S collection.

Comic books are often dismissed by many people as having no real value. They are usually looked upon as a hobby for boys and nostalgiac entertainment for men who have never really grown up. However, comic books can be and are often much more. At their best, comics can become a moving work of art and a powerful piece of literature all in one piece. Such is the case with BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE.

THE KILLING JOKE has become a comic classic for a variety of reasons. The book's illustrations have influenced a generation of Batman artists. The book offered insight into the Joker's personality. It changed the Batman universe (by what the Joker does to Barbara Gordon). It illustrated the strong bond between Batman and Joker and displayed the differences in world view that make the men who they are. It helped inspire a major motion picture.

However, the comic is much more than a story about the possible origins of the Joker and how he and Batman are so strongly bonded together. The story is a reflection of two very distinct views of life: the tragic and the comic. The Joker, ironically, views life tragically believing that all it takes is "one bad day" to transform the most normal person in the world into a psychotic maniac. His is the world of chaos and injustice. He holds onto this belief even though he knows (as the last pages of the comic show) it is false. On the other hand, there is the world view of Batman. Batman's life was changed too, by "one bad day". However, Batman's view is comic. He had one bad day, too, but it turned him into a hero. His is the world of order and justice. In the end, good triumphs over evil and the tragedians are forced to laugh at all the comedy. Life truly is beautiful. I bet you believed a comic could never be so thought-provoking.

Batman: The Killing Joke is simply the finest superhero story ever told. Although the concept looks traditional (Joker escaping and Batman trying to capture him), it focuses very little on action and more on the tortured psychological profile of this famous villain. The Joker here is perhaps in his vilest appearance, but later on, as the story unfolds, the reader almost feels pity for him, as his tragic origin is revealled. The book also contains some very controversial aspects that make it have a really very adult feel. And the art is equally brilliant with the story. This guy (sorry I don't remember his name) drew one of the best Batmans I have seen in comic form. All in all, I strongly believe that this book should be listed in the top-10 of the best comics of all time.

from the Christian Science Church details his lengthy career within the Church hierarchy and his eventual disillusionment with it. As a lapsed Scientist myself, I was particularly interested to know just what internecine machinations precipitated the slow downfall of one of the world's great religious institutions. The author, along with me and many others, continues to believe in the efficacy of the message while feeling a deep sadness at the lack of coherent leadership at the helm.

William L. Shirer in The Collapse of the Third Republic explains the "Miracle on the Marne": the Hun in 1914 thought he espied an advantage, overthrew his own plan to encircle Paris, and ran to meet a French army isolated on the East; the French saw his blunder and met him there in full force. Four years of trench warfare followed, but the Boches only marched down the Champs-Élysées twenty-six years after their first attempt, when the Third Republic went to Notre-Dame to pray for the miracle their incompetent generals could not repeat.

"Christian Science", Mary Baker Eddy writes, "is not a faith-cure." Alan Young describes his failed attempt to bring suburban horse sense to the edifice of Mother Church as Director of Communications, and diagnoses like the Practitioner he all but is all the Millennial ferment in the Church of Christ, Scientist.

This was required reading for my Russian literature class because it is considered a classic. My favorite part of this book is the fact that it gives the reader a glimpse of what life was like for the average nobleman of the day...(in the 1850's) It has some interesting descriptions of Russian family life, the life of the peasantry and how the younger generation interacted with the older generation (hence the title, "Fathers and Sons" although the original Russian is called "Fathers and Children"). One of the main characters, Bazarov, is a self proclaimed nihilist who rejects all forms of authority, causing problems for the older generations (his parents & his friend's parents), but attracting the attention of the people of his (the younger) generation. This book has no real plot...it is merely the story of how one man brings his nihilist ideas into other peoples' lives & it gives accounts of everybody else's reactions to these nihilist ideas. It is an interesting book & a pretty quick read, but it can drag in places...especially if the reader is waiting for something interesting to happen. All in all, I believe this book is worth reading, if just to get a taste of "Old Russia", but if you are looking for an exciting "can't-put-it-down-sitting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat-page-turner", you won't find it in this book.

This book is known mostly, perhaps, for the character of Bazarov, widely considered the vanguard of nihilism in literature, especially in Russia. Bazarov is a significant fact of fiction, a sketch of the young middle class intellegentsia developing in Russia in the second half of the 19th century. Brash, self-confident, iconoclastic, educated young men like Bazarov were popping up all over Russia. Turgenev finds a way to tie this into a rich tapestry of love, familial relationships, and simplicity that Arkady and Bazarov, the young men, succumb to. Even in his determination to change the world by destroying it so it can be rebuilt, Bazarov does not overcome the strong bonds of family. Love and family has the sort of redemptive power found so often in War and Peace, and indeed, Turgenev writes from a similar perspective and on a similar wavelength as Tolstoy. This book, while not big on plot, is to be appreciated for blending its simple prose with a poetic passion in showing how love between fathers and sons is ageless, and love between men and women occurs. I found the last passage very moving.

One of the most eloquent works in Russian literature, Fathers and Sons has had a major influence on subsequent Russian writers. Turgenev weaves so much into this short novel. As the title suggests he is dealing principally with generational differences, but ultimately this is a book about finding yourself in the world. In Bazarov, we have the ultimate nihilist, someone who renounces all societal conventions, which his peers utterly fail to understand. As a young doctor he has turned his back on noble society. We see some of his old feelings briefly rise to the surface in a romance which he pursues, but Bazarov chooses to extinguish those feelings, and return to his paternal home, where he ultimately seals his fate.

Turgenev is the bridge between the Russian writers of the early 19th century and the later 19th century. In many ways, Fathers and Sons reminded me of the theme which Lermontov explored in "A Hero of Our Time," and Turgenev appears in Dostoevsky's work, even if deliberately as a caricature.

This book is a great book for the whole family to enjoy singingwestern songs together, or individually. It has the music and lyricsso that you can play and sing! We love to sit at the piano and sing these great westerns. Some of our favorites were Blood on The Saddle, The Strawberry Roan, Down in the Valley, Sweet Betsy From Pike, and many other great songs!

I love this book so much I've given it as a gift to friends. It has relatively simple piano arrangements of old cowboy folk songs, but they are still very beautiful. Accompanying the songs are pictures from the Metropolitan Museum of Art from the old West. The pictures are enjoyable even if you don't know music. Too bad the book is out of print.

"Songs of the Wild West" contains beautiful color reproductions of paintings from the Metropolitan Museum of Art illustrated with (mostly) authentic cowboy songs. The songs and arrangements are for simple piano with guitar cord symbols. As a song book, there are many collections that are more complete with more verses, often from more original sources. No matter: Go for the art collection first - it's just as enjoyable without the songs. For the musician, this is a good introduction to an important part of our American heritage and, if the subject peak's your interest, check out the many other folk song collections and recordings that are available. If you need to start an 'Americana' section in your personal library (or are looking for something to donate to a school), this is a very good book to start with. Highly recommended!

Depressing as it is to agree with the Kirkus Review, I do. This is an elegant take on an uncomplicated, emotional story. A young man learns to forgive his parents their frailities and, in the process, understands his attraction to white chicks. A gutsy move for the author, since according to the jacket photo, he himself is a white guy, choosing to write from the point-of-view of a young Japanese artist with a troubled family history. Nonetheless, Alan Brown uses humor and beautiful descriptive sentences to make it work. Does he stereotype the Japanese? I think a more important question is: Do we care about Toshi or do we put the book down? I did... and I didn't. Plus, the "Epilogue" is perfect. (But then, I'm white and own my own copy of "Breakfast at Tiffanys".)

I always feel uncomfortable when someone tells me not to buy a book, giving the impression that if I read it and have the audacity actually to enjoy it, that there's something wrong with me! Given the fact that no one else has reviewed this book in the past six months, I guess other people also react this way. Well, I read Audrey Hepburn's Neck, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! There is a great deal of wry humor in the book, as well as genuine shock and pathos as the main character tries to figure out who he is and who he will become. As for the accusation of stereotyping, I think it is important to recognize that the whole concept of the stereotype evolves from the fact that often there really are certain national or ethnic characteristics observable in a citizen's actions! As someone who has worked daily (and very happily) with Japanese citizens for ten years, I resent stereotyping when it interferes with someone's ability to recognize uniqueness and individuality, but I do recognize, as the author does, that there is a national character involved, too. As the author of this novel lived and worked in Japan for many years, one must conclude that he would not have done so if he had not enjoyed his life there and the friendships he presumably made with many Japanese people. While one need not like the book or even agree with what the author says, I think it is important that reviewers "play fair."

This positively breathtaking novel explores foreign cultures (specifically American) through the eyes of the Japanese. Toshi grew up in a remote area of Hokkaido in a silent and tense household. Captivated by Audrey Hepburn in the movie "Roman Holiday", he begins a lifelong love affair with American women. He moves to Tokyo to live with his friend Paul, a gay American. Toshi doesn't always understand his American friends, and sometimes feels out of place in his relationships, and it is only through the revelation of his parents' tragic past that he is able to climb out of his stifled history and embrace unencumbered joy. Alan Brown's style is quite magical, and eloquently expresses Toshi's story. Such a wonderfully beautiful book!