Arthur Gordon Pym was a young man who had dreams of great adventure. He defied his family and stowed away on board a whaling ship. Doing this lead him into all sorts of exciting adventures. He confronted things like mutiny, near starvation, and altercations with different cultures.

I'd have to say that this story is "classic Poe". If you are a fan of Poe's short stories, you'll definitely like this book. I only had a few problems with the story. There were times that the story dragged, but this is far outweighed by the times that the story was very exciting, and I couldn't put the book down. I won't go into the ending, but it left me unsettled.

I found that the explanatory notes were very helpful. I'm not a great scholar on any level, nor will I ever claim to be. The explanatory notes were very simple to understand, and it helped me understand portions of the story that caused confusion, particularly the end.

I haven't yet ruled out the possibility that I'm simply an oddball, but I assume every boy goes through a sort of Poe mania at some stage, at least I did. In fact, I got so bad around 5th grade that, having torn through the stories and poems, I was even reading biographies about him. But somehow, even with all of that, I think I had missed this longer work. I'm sorry I did, because while this wildly overstuffed adventure is enjoyable now, I would have really loved it as a kid.

When Arthur Gordon Pym stows away on a whaling ship, he little dreams that he'll encounter tyranny, mutiny, biblical storms, cannibalism, shipwreck...and Poe's just getting warmed up.

I've read that he cobbled together this semi-novel from several shorter pieces he'd written. It has a somewhat uneven feel to it; episodic, even disjointed. And as the episodes are piled one on top of the other it becomes a tad much. But it is always fun, often thrilling, and the mayhem that lurks on the surface guards layer upon layer of allegory and allusion. As you read you find yourself saying, "Hey, Melville borrowed that scene and Jack London got that idea here and Lovecraft cadged this plot..." If you have any doubts about how influential a literary figure Edgar Allan Poe was, this melodramatic masterpiece will put them to rest. More importantly, you'll thoroughly enjoy yourself.

GRADE: A-

A Great Poe Story

"The Narrative of A. Gordon Pym of Nantucket" is a devilish tale about a young sea-loving man by the name of Arthur Gordon Pym. He becomes a stowaway onboard a ship by the name of Grampus. This gravely error causes the mutiny of the Grampus, the stranding of the Grampus at sea, and the death of his friend, Augustus. I believe this story is a wonderful spine-tingling tale by the popular author Edgar Allan Poe. This story would be a wonderful addition to anyone's horror story collection, especially anyone who loves Edgar A. Poe's gruesomely good stories of horror and mystery.

A classic Holmes novel, this book is perhaps one of Sherlock's most puzzling mysteries. As told by Dr. Watson, this mystery may have been one of Holmes's toughest cases yet.

As Sherlock is injecting cocaine into his blood system, he sits down with placid relief, until there is a knock at the door. In enters the beautiful Mary Morstan, whom Watson immediately takes a fancy to. While Watson observes her beauty, Holmes observes her problem. It seems that she is a rather middle-class woman, with style and father in the military, who is currently stationed in India. He had recently wrote to her saying that he would come to visit. However, he never showed up when she went to pick him up. That was ten years ago. But starting six years ago, four years after his disappearance, Miss Morstan had been receiving mysterious packages containing pearls of great value, one a year. Having been contacted by her mysterious complimentor, should she go and meet him? Or should she stay home? The truth lies with in the book.

This book is a triumph for the celebrated novelist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and I believe that many people would enjoy this book. Just to be specific, it would mainly be for people who are in the age group of around: 13 or older, and also those who are fond of the mystery novels and thrillers and anyone who could use a good book.

A fabulous treasure dogged by murder. A trans-racial oath of loyalty. A greedy major, a cannibal pigmy, and a peg-legged convict. Mix in a pig-headed police investigator and a brilliant-but-flawed amateur detective, and you have the makings of a first-class mystery.

Miss Mary Morstan, the recipient of yearly gifts of pearls from an anonymous benefactor, receives a summons declaring her a wronged woman and promising riches if she replies. She enlists the aid of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, and finds herself in the middle of a locked-room murder mystery. If the mystery can only be solved, she will become the richest woman in England.

Holmes, in a virtuoso performance, solves the murder, finds the missing treasure, brings the killer to justice, and learns the strange tale of "The Four." Did I mention that Dr. Watson winds up married to Miss Morstan?

The format of this sequel to "A Study in Scarlet" follows basically the same pattern as the original Sherlock Holmes story. Holmes visits the scene of a baffling murder, draws amazing conclusions from his inspection of the scene, and relentlessly tracks down the villian, who then tells his story and turns out to be not such a bad guy after all.

I first read "Scarlet" and "Sign" as a pre-teenager, and they made an indelible impression on me. In my job I frequently visit murder scenes, and I believe that these two books are what have influenced me to perform inspections outside the crimescene tape.

An earlier reviewer remarked on Doyle's "politically incorrect" view of India. "The Sign of the Four" was written at the turn of the 19th century. We live in the 21st. We probably won't measure up to the 23rd century's yardstick for "political correctness" either.

As the second full-length story of Doyle's Holmes series, this book is a classic. It lacks the landmark status of A Study in Scarlet and the overall drama of The Hound of the Baskervilles, but nevertheless is a must-read for all Holmes fans and is strongly recommended to fans of detective fiction. The crime scene is a classic -- "Watson, when you have eliminated all other possibilities, the remaining possibility, no matter how seemingly improbable, is nevertheless likely".... or something like that.

While A Study in Scarlet deals rather unmercifully with the Mormon colony in Utah, A Sign of Four presents what would now be considered a strikingly politically incorrect perspective on India. It's an historically interesting British viewpoint from late in the last century.

Whether you read a public copy or get it from the University of Virginia on-line archive, I strongly recommend A Sign of Four. It's a quick read, and certainly a better option for spare time than Holmes' seven percent solution.

The Mystery of the Silver Spider is in many ways the quintessential Three Investigators book in my mind, mainly because this title stands out the most from my childhood memories. It really is a good, exciting story, full of political intrigue, international espionage, a dastardly conspiracy, very real danger, a mad flight to safety, and other thrills along the way. After a chance meeting with the young prince of Varania, the boys find themselves invited to the prince's coronation in his home country. They are ostensibly contracted by the U.S. government to serve as secret junior agents--while the feds know some type of trouble is brewing in the small yet important European nation, they have been unable to ferret out the information they need themselves and thus turn to our intrepid young heroes for help. Once in Varania, the prince confides in them the fact that the invaluable silver spider, the symbol of Prince Paul, the most important leader in their history, and the symbol of the very nation, has been stolen and replaced with a fake; without the true silver spider, the prince will be disgraced and his coronation will be postponed--perhaps permanently. Much to the boys' surprise, Bob finds the precious spider stashed among his handkerchiefs. Realizing that the evil plotters mean to blame them--the young prince's friends--for the theft, Jupe, Pete, and Bob are forced to make a run for safety; fortunately, they are aided by some Varanians loyal to the young prince. Poor Bob bangs his head during the escape and cannot remember where he stashed the real spider. As events build to a climax, the boys race to free themselves from capture and somehow alert the Varanian people to the prince's danger. With Bob still suffering partial amnesia, it is up to Jupiter to find the silver spider and thus save not only the prince but the entire nation of Varania.

This one is action-packed from front to back and may well be the best book in the series. If you have not yet been introduced to the Three Investigators and are wondering which book to try reading first, I would recommend this book. You might as well buy the other available titles, though, because you are surely going to want to keep reading these adventures. For the life of me, I can't figure out why there has never been a Three Investigators movie--this story in particular would be terrific on the big screen.

The Three Investigators and Mystery of The Silver Spider is great. It has full of suspense and plot twists. It is my favorite Three Investigators book. The book is written by Robert Arthur, the origanal Three Investigators author. His three investigator books are better than the ones written by the later ones.

This was an excellent novel by Arthur and one of the best in the series. It details the exploits of the three sleuths as a chance encounter with royalty leads them to another nation where they become embroiled in an attempted governmental coup. Everything hinges on the Silver Spider--the key to the throne--and the suspense is immense when the only one who knows where it is can't remember! Mystery,suspense,and more action than in most of the books, The MYstery of the silver SPider takes you on a rollicking ride that culminates in an explosive climax.It will keep you glued to your seat and sweating with the characters!

Absolutely reccomended.

Maverick

The Winter Prince was amazing. I found myself frustrated with Medraut when he became arrogant and prideful. He refused to ask his father, Artos, for help in battling his evil mother, Morgause. I felt helpless because I could not offer Medraut support. Luckily Medraut begins to change as Lleu begins to trust him. I love the ending where....well I won't tell you that. This book is really great! It kept me on the edge of seat. The historical attributes help me understand ancient history that had been confusing previously.

"The Winter Prince" is a beautifully written, intense account of a boy's relationships with the various members of his family and his desperate attempts to free himself from the stigma of his birth. The book is unusual in Arthurian canon because it presents Medraut (Mordred) as a decent, caring person rather than a villain. All he wants is to be loved and trusted, and when being a decent, caring person fails to earn him love and respect, he decides to hurt those who have refused to accept him. This book speaks to all the young people who are children of divorce, torn between parents, jealous of younger siblings, and needing to be accepted on their own terms.

One of the most amazing books I have ever read is The Winter Prince by Elizabeth Wein. The characters in this book are so real that it almost makes the reader feel like he or she could just reach out and touch them. I found myself inside the plot- being Medraut and feeling his utter confusion. He was torn repeatedly between his affection for his father and brother and his strange, rebellious devotion to his mother. The author had a very compelling way of expressing the envy and love of Medraut for his half brother Lleu, a way that seemed almost to justify both sides and bring the reader even further into the story. I had a sort of breathless awe when I put the book down several months ago. I haven't read it since then but often I am reminded of its subtle power that I am sure would make a blockbuster movie.

I had a very smart and very good teacher in grade school. We had to read a certain amount of books each year, and some we HAD to read as a class so we could discuss them. The Iceberg Hermit was one of them, and I have to say that it was one of my favorites of the must-read stories we had to pick from, right up there with Bridge to Terabithia, Tuck Everlasting, Mrs. Mike and Where the Red Fern Grows.

I had lost my copy years ago, but thought of it again recently. So I was pleasantly surprised that it was still in print. I remember how my imagination soared, trying to picture the main character stranded in the middle of nowhere. I was transported to another place and time, and 20 years after reading the book, I can still remember it vividly. If you are looking for some good reading material for your children, this will NOT disappoint.

One of the best books I have read in the past year has to be "The Ice burg Hermit, by Arthur Roth. It is a marvelous book about a man who finds a way to survive in the cold. One of the major reasons I enjoyed this book so much is that it is full of action . The ice berg hermit is trying to survive in the cold depths of the seas. Another reason I enjoy this book and found this book to be so wonderful but suspenseful. He fights polar bears and you never know when a polar bear comes to kill Allen. Of course my favorite reason for having this book is, that it is full of action. The best action part in the book is when he tries to swing to the iceberg to save his life and almost dies. As for as I am concerned Author Roth hit the nail on the head of this book

This book was read to me in grade school.Even to this day,20 years later I still think of this story of survival and the importance of companionship.This book will truely leave you so inspired you will be left with a feeling of wanting to be a better person.

If survival stories are your favorite, Avalanche, by Arthur Roth, is for you. It is a survival story about a boy named Chris Palmer, who gets trapped in an avalanche. There are many problems in Chris's family; Chris and his older brother Terry are always trying to outdo each other. Terry seems to be better than Chris is many things, so Chris gets tired of being Number 2. When he decides to show off by shooting a coyote, his gun shot sets off an avalanche. Chris's mind starts to be affected by the cold and he begins to have hallucinations. Will Chris survive under the snow with limited movement and little food? If you are in grades 5 or 6, Avalanche is quite interesting and will capture your attention.

David Cohen
Akeem Hamilton
Steven Pichardo

The book Avalanche made me feel like I was part of it. I just couldn't put it down. It had excellent details and told you everthing you needed to know without making it overwhelming. It was a great book and I'd recomend it to anyone who was looking for adventure.

This was a great adventure book about Chris Palmer who was huntig/skiing when he shot his .22 and set off an avalanche, he gets trapped under the snow. Will he survive?

This book is one of a number of Professor Challenger adventures of Sir A. C. Doyle. A noted zoologist (Challenger) has come across evidence that there is a plateau in South America that can be reached from deep in the Amazon rain forest in which prehistoric animals still exist. An expedition of four (Challenger, a sceptical zoologist named Summerlee, a noted hunter (Lord John Roxton), and Edward Malone, a journalist) sets out to verify this report. The arguing and interactions between the academics is interesting in that little seems to have changed in the last 87 years! It should be noted that Doyle isolates the plateau so that there is minimal interaction with the rest of the rain forest (thus, the dinosaurs can't escape). But, why couldn't the ptereodactyls spread out? This story was one of the earliest "Lost World" tales and has been made into a film a number of times. Other stories in this sub-genre owe much to Doyle and Challenger.

Professor George E. Challenger, noted scientist, says dinosaurs are still alive, and he knows where to find them. The scientific community says he's a madman or a fraud, or both. Challenger's only evidence is a bunch of blurry photographs. Fellow scientists say the photos are obviously doctored and the newspapers call it a fantasy. Boiling with rage, Challenger goes into seclusion. Anyone foolish enough to bring up the tender subject around him is liable to end up in the gutter outside his house, with a few extra lumps for the gutter press.

The only reporter brave, or stupid, enough to face the professor's wrath and get the story is Edward Malone, young, intrepid journalist for the Daily Gazette. At a boisterous scientific meeting, Professor Summerlee, a rival scientist, calls Challenger's bluff. Summerlee will return to South America and prove Challenger wrong. The young journalist volunteers to go along. Lord John Roxton, the famous hunter, can't miss an opportunity to return to the jungle and adds his name to expedition. Professor Challenger is happy they are taking him seriously, even if they don't all believe him. But what will they find in South America? A strange, living time capsule from the Jurassic period filled with pterodactyls and stegosaurs? Or will they only find vast tracks of endless jungles and Challenger's daydreams? Either way there will be danger and adventure for all.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote "The Lost World" in 1912 for the Strand magazine, the same magazine that published his Sherlock Holmes stories. It's a great Edwardian science-fiction adventure, although some may not like the British Imperialism and Darwinian racism. Still, in "The Lost World" Conan Doyle lets his hair down a little. Changing narrators from the earnest Doctor John Watson to the rash reporter Edward Malone makes for a big change. There is a good deal more humor. The students in the scientific meetings are forever yelling out jokes at the expense of nutty Professor Challenger. Affairs of the heart play a big role in Malone's life. He matures from a young swain out to impress his girlfriend to more of a wistful man-of-the-world by the end. It is a very different Conan Doyle than some are used to reading. Different, but just as good, maybe, dare I say it, even better.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created a classic dinosaur adventure story when he wrote The Lost World in 1912. The tale's narrator, Ned Malone is a newspaper reporter who joins an expedition to the wilds of the Amazon to impress his girlfriend. However, he scarcely anticipates the dangers he will confront when the expedition's leader, zoology professor George Challenger takes them to a plateau filled with dinosaurs and ape men.
Doyle's human characters are described much more richly than Michael Crichton's minimally interesting protagonists in Jurassic Park (1990), so the story hinges as much on Challenger's eccentricities as it does on dinosaur attacks or Ned Malone's quest for validation of his masculine bravado. A weakness is the lack of female characters worthy of more than passing note. Ned's fickle and heartless girlfriend makes only brief and displeasing appearances at the beginning and end of the tale. Crichton does no better with females.
Hopp's Dinosaur Wars, published in 2000, does a much better take on genders, giving equal weight to a young male/female pair who brave the dangers of dinosaurs loose in modern-day Montana. It seems that even dinosaur fiction has evolved over the years.

A mysterious photograph. A disappearing company. A man with two identities. All this and more in the book, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This book includes puzzling mysteries such as The Case of Identity, in which a husband suddenly disappears, and A Scandal in Bohemia, in which a king tries to steal a photo, but needs Sherlock Holmes' help. This book is suitable for all people ages 10 to adult. It's puzzling and complex, yet adventuresome and amusing, able to catch all readers' eyes. Unfortunately, the book does have some boring parts, but its captivating stories and perplexing mysteries more than make up for this. Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes team up together once again and form what may be one of the best detective book yet, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

This is a faithful reprinting of the greatest mystery book(s) ever written. It is well written, powerful, captivating, and puts the Hardy Boys to shame. Holmes solves mysteries in a believable (if difficult) fashion that never fails to grip someone from start to finish. The stories are so well written, in fact, that when Sherlock Holmes "died" fans responded by rioting in the streets of London. The Queen insisted that Conan Doyle bring back his famous character, and so here he is. While we might not be willing to riot in the streets if Holmes died today, we can still feel loyalty towards the famous character, and the legacy that Conan Doyle left behind in these books.

My book review was on The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, written by
A. Conan Doyle. This was a fantastic book and I advise people who like mysteries or crimes to read this book. The book was written in First person point of view because you feel like your there as the narrator describes the situation there in.

This book is broken up into 3 stories the first one is the red headed league, the 2nd is the adventures of the speckled band, and 3rd is the adventures of the copper breach. They are all great mysteries and Mr. Holmes tries to solve each one of them. Sherlock Holmes is a extraordinary detective he is observant of everything. Like in the book he says quote' I see u came by a cart. Yes sir, but how did u know that Mr. Holmes replies I see the mud splattered on your arm in seven places only carts through mud up like that and you have taken a train to get to your cart for I see the train pass in your pocket.' So as you can see Mr. Holmes is a sneaky detective he is also a static character he never changes thorough out the book. The first part of the story is probably one of the best parts but after all it has to be to draw the readers attention. the 2nd story is a great storie and takes a lot of thinking but it isn't as good as the first one, but the last one Is the best one to rap up the book.

This book is a fabulous book to read it makes you more careful of your surroundings and makes you look at people more than you usually. do this book is a wonderful book and I recommend it to all readers. Thank you for your time and I hope you will read this book.

I read these books as fast as they came out when I was younger (and even into my teens, truth be told). I feel sorry for the previous reviewer who hoped the books would "stay lost" ... I have a feeling they have trouble reading comic books.

This book (Green Ghost) was certainly among the best of the series ... you were kept guessing to the last as to exactly what was going on.

I hope these books are someday reissued for kids today.

A scream shatters the night! What a sensational way to start a creepy mystery for the 3 Investigators. The Mystery of the Green Ghost (#4 in the series) is yet another classic mystery thriller from the mind of the late Robert Arthur. If you are a parent who is trying to get your child to pick up a book - hand them any copy of a Three Investigators book and you'll be amazed. Kids are drawn into the spellbinding stories so much that they'll actually get out an atlas to see exactly where Rocky Beach, California is! (I did.) If you are an adult who wants to try something fun and nostalgic - dig out The Mystery of the Green Ghost (or any other 3 Investigator book for that matter) and be transported back to your youth. I am currently re-reading all the titles and am astonished at how well the stories hold up after all these years! I am also currently purchasing the re-released Robert Arthur issues for all my nephews! Let's hope that Random House does the right thing and re-releases the ENTIRE SERIES! LONG LIVE THE THREE INVESTIGATORS!

I was in fourth grade when I first read this book. It spurred my interest in reading. Three high-school age boys use an abandoned trailor, in a salvage yard owned by one of the boy's Uncle, as the headquarters for their private investigating firm. Think Hardy Boys meets Scooby Doo, without the slapstick of a talking dog. The boys always find a creepy mystery to solve. It appealed to the part of me that liked Saturday afternoon horror movies and adventure stories. There is nothing too gruesom here for a young reader. And the mysterious adventures would appeal to any young boy with a taste for ghost stories and monster mysteries. This is the seventies worthy pre-cursor to the Goosebumps series. This book is the first in a series of over 20 books. And the titles by Robert Arthur, the original author, are the best. It is a shame these books are out of print. They are perfect for any boy age 9 to 14.

The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green is an excellent retelling of the Robin Hood Tales. All of the normal stories are told: those of Robin and Marian's romance, those of the archery match, and those of the marriage of Allan-a-Dale. Each story is ably written. All of the usual characters also appear: Friar Tuck, Little John, Maid Marian, Will Scarlet, and (surprise) Robin Hood. The Adventures of Robin Hood is an easy read. It is well suited for children to read and become acquainted with Robin for the first time. My favorite section to this edition is the prologue. In it, Green writes where he derived his stories from. Among the books listed is Thomas Love Peacock's brilliant, if forgotten, Maid Marian. This publication of the adventures of Robin Hood is very entertaining, and it is very informative.

The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green is a brilliant retelling of the Robin Hood tales. All of the stories are here. Robin's fight with Little John is related, as is the archery contest, Robin's love affair with Marion, and the wedding of Allan-a-Dale. All of the characters like Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, Little John, Maid Marion, and (guess what!) Robin Hood make their appearances. Overall, the tales are well told, and the book is very complete. My favorite portion of this edition is the prologue in which the author writes from where the stories are derived. There, I was turned to Thomas Love Peacock's brilliant, if forgotten, tales of Robin Hood entitled Maid Marian. This edition will help to keep the adventures of Robin Hood in the minds of children for another generation.

I read this book when I was a kid, and I can't recommend it highly enough to parents and kids who are looking for classic high adventure. It's timeless, yet provides good role models for boys (Robin Hood was the original cool do-gooder) and for girls, since Roger Greene's Maid Marian is more than a match for Robin with sword and bow and arrow.