Untouchable!That's what I think about it. It is by far one of his best books yet. When raiders from a bordering country decide to break a treaty, Melayne and her brother Sorrow are forced to leave their home because of some unfortunate circumstances. ( What are they? You'll have to read the book.) Continuing their trek toward their destination, they find themselves in more trouble. From being in a castle, practically, as prisoners, sleeping with a pack of wolves, to seeking refuge from a mysterious man called Lord Sander in an old castle estate, Melayne and Sorrow go through quite a bit. (Is Lord Sander friend or foe...you'll have to read the book to find out.) What secet is he keeping? Who knows...I do and so do the rest of these people who take the time to write these reviews for your conveniance. So show us you appreciate the gesture and get the book so you see what all the fuss is about. If you're a fantasy lover and you don't get this book, it's your loss. John Peel, if you're reading this I want to let you know that this was an awesome book. Great plot, humor, romance, everything a good book needs. You've done it again and I loved it! Melayne is an awesome heroin. With her quick wit, sense of humor, and gift of animal speach, she's always ready for trouble. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I do and I hope to see more of her in the future.

John Peel, wherever you are, you are awesome! This is the best book I have ever read in my entire life! I couldn't put it down, it was impossible! This book is about a girl named Melayne and her brother Sarrow whos parents are slain by raiders. They fled their homes in hopes to reach their aunt way up north. The problem is they posses special talents and soldiers are after them. They run and find the old palace called Dragon home owned by a sad, and some say crazy, Lord Sander. She goes there looking for work and gets more than she bargained for. It's a fantasticle mystery full of love, surprises, fantasy, hatred, and joy. I reccomend this to anyone who can read. This is the best book I have ever read! And as for you, John Peel, YOU MUST WRIGHT A SEQUAL! PPLLEEAASSEE! I BEG YOU!

OH MY GAWSH, this book was waaaaayyyyyyy too good! I finished it in a day and a half and when I got to the end i was practically whining for a sequel. To all you people who havent read this book i HIGHLY HIGHLY reccomend you do. You'll kinda get the feeling your hands are glued to the cover.
It's set in similar medieval time world where talents--people with special powers--are hunted down by the King's seekers to fight in a meaningless war. Melayne and her brother Sarrow are one of these people and live far away in hiding with their parents. Melayne has the ability to talk to animals and Sarrow isnt quite sure what his is yet.In the beginning, their parents are murdered (you never get to meet them, though) which starts the children on their trek to refuge. With a surprising turn of events, (involving a pack of wolves and a Talent War prepatory training center) Melayne and Sarrow end up at Dragonhome, the estate of a supposedly mad dark lord named Sander. After, employing Melayne to teach Lord Sander's son, Corran, secrets and mysteries begin to pop up, plunging Melayne and Lord Sander into deadly situations. To anyone who likes a total mixture of everything in one book, this is soooo for you. The Secret of Dragonhome is just cram PACKED with everything-fantasy, romance, adventure, secrets, betrayal. I enjoyed it tons and so did everyone else I've lent it to. Melayne meets so many different kinds of people, animals, and friends, you'll hardly miss out on the total yummyness of the entire read.

I have nothing but prais to give this book and the entire series, John Christophers books are some of the few intresting books for my age group (13-14), first reading this book just for school I quickly took it home that night and was unable to put it down, I also proceeded to read the other books of the series-- The City of Gold and Lead, later on the Pool of Fire, and just days ago ,When the tripods came. These books are all incredable and I would recomend them to anyone. Just as an example I recomended them to all my friends and they too were unable to put it down Everyone should get these books

The Tripods books have probably had a more profound influence on my life than any other book or group of books I've ever read. Christopher not only tells a gripping tale, but explains a philosophy in a way that a third-grader can understand. In my opinion, most books for children write as if the children were stupid and uncomprehending, or only devolop stock moral lessons, but Christopher writes in a way that respects the reader's intelligence and allows the reader to ponder morality for himself. Not only do I recommend the Tripods books for inquisitive souls, but also The Lotus Caves and The Guardians by Mr. Christopher. Both are exceptional books of at least the caliber of the Tripods. If for nothing else, get Christopher's books for the great entertainment value they'll provide the children in your life. Yes, grown-ups can read them too, but I don't know if they'll understand them as well as their kids.

I read this book at age twelve as a punishment for finishing the science assignment before the rest of the class. The books on the shelf were for students who didn't do they're work on time. I was disgusted with having to choose from such a poor collection when I picked up my first book The White Mountains. I thought it was going to be a sappy teenage story. By the end of the first chapter I was hooked. Here was this normal teenage boy, Will, fascinated with the forbidden technology of an old watch? What could have happened to make their whole society hate any and all technology. He questions the norm and demonstrates the confidence in himself to do what is right if only in his heart. Such courage inspired me. The entire trilogy was sincere and very plausible in a sci-fi sense. I laughed and cried and was a better person in the end. I think I look for this trilogy's spirit in every series I read. Everything technological that we take for granted could be gone in an instant. I am very grateful for my teacher's insistance on my doing something with my free time, I am and forever will think fondly of these books. I have read many books in many genre's and would honestly wonder if it should be a childrens classic that should be given a little more attention. (Or if anything, imagine what they could do in movie format!)

Who knew fly fishing could be so close to a religious experience? Actually, I might be doing Maclean a disservice...Who knew fly fishing could be a religious experience? Well, through Maclean's beautifully written novella the lines between religion and this peaceful pastime are blurred. But don't let your disinterest in fishing push you away from Maclean's artful exposition; instead embrace the work and the tale of two brothers who find peace and companionship in the rivers of western Montana.

A River Runs Through It is a mere 104 'chapterless' pages that flow as quickly and gracefully as those waters where the boys find their peace. Maclean's exposition of the beautiful country is absolutely mesmerizing, painting wondrous landscapes in your mind with his poetically picked language. Sometimes authors can delve too far into that created world, leaving their characters unpolished in a world of realistic, splendid beauty, however, Maclean's efforts only further your understanding of his characters as they are so greatly influenced by their natural world. The landscape acts almost like another character, influencing the lives and actions of the other characters, and rightfully necessitating its major development. Yet the major development does not end with the vast landscape. Norm and Paul are both dynamic creations who draw the reader in and hold him tight as you get a glimpse into their lives, relationship, and religion.

Fly fishing holds all of the key elements of life for the boys. It is religious in that it serves as a guide and anchor in their lives, yet it also spurs competition, challenge, and solidifies battered relationships. No matter the harsh realities of life, the alcoholism that plagues Paul, or the inadequacy that eats away at Norm, fly fishing provides guidance, simplicity, and peace in their lives.

I never would have guessed that a fishing story could apply itself so well to the trials of life, letting the reader come away with a greater appreciation for the simple things while opening his/her eyes to the complicated bonds of brotherhood, family, and love. Enjoy this beautiful novella for its exemplary exposition and touching glimpse into the lives of two brothers, two disciples of the rod and water. You owe it to yourself and to Maclean to broaden your spiritual boundaries, not to mention really enjoy a wonderful story.

It seems many of the reviewers have misread this wonderful book. "A River Runs Through It" is not about fly-fishing and Montana any more than "Romeo and Juliet" is about Italy. MacLean uses fly-fishing as a back drop for his story about family, time, and love. If it could be summarized in a sentence (and it cannot) it would be about loving completely without complete understanding. The scope of the book expands far beyond the confines of fly-fishing. I think that is why so many readers, even the ones who think it's about fly-fishing, see themselves and their families in this book.

I only write all this because I'm afraid readers who would truly enjoy this book may be turned away, not wanting to read a book about fishing. It's a beautiful story, beautifully told.

A River Runs Through It...

"Eventually all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters."

Norman Maclean captivates the reader using turbulent and smooth recollection, which flows as peaceful as the story setting. Maclean describes a romantic notation, which could compare to Twain's writings, of floating down a river and observing life as it passes by. Maclean keeps the river as the median of the story, and all life revolves around it. Living life and writing about it later gave Maclean more understanding and an advantage to tell his tale. Maclean uses proverbs and lessons of life make the story easy to understand and relate to. Never before have I been so black in the face and ecstatic to get back into fly-fishing. Maclean uses such vivid images in his writings; it makes the reader believe they are at the graceful Blackfoot River of Montana. The story has the same simple solitude and loneliness of life that Hawthorne places on Hester in The Scarlet Letter. Both stories have a loss of innocence in realizing that life still perseveres, no matter what they do. A River Runs through it, is a book for all, not just fly fisherman. Maclean's visions and thoughts will astound any person who enjoys the beauty and glory of life. Growing up, under the reign of Presbyterian minister, made the meaning of life much more difficult to grasp. Maclean's uses ironic literature to create a world outside of everyday life as in The Catcher and the Rye. Maclean would be considered, one of the greatest writers of his time but had he not wrote the story until he reached his biblical allotment of seventy years. Coinciding with watching the movie, this book easily places far more dramatized images, than one filmmaker could ever imagine. I truly believe that Norman Maclean is haunted by waters.

Sorry, Charlie. This is the book bukowski was TRYING to write when he wrote FACTOTUM. I love Bukowski, but this is the real thing. It hangs in there. Fante turns the camera on the main character while the others are mere foils for deeper probing. Whereas Bukowski builds a picture of society around his characters, Fante here truly explores values and value through one man's eyes. If you pick this book up and hate it, read it anyway. If you don't understand it, struggle through. If the only other book you've read is the bible, read this. Feel free to be offended, feel rejection and dejection. If you love Bukowski, you'll really like this. If you don't love Buk, that's okay too because Fante keeps the story moving without taking us all the way into the gutter. -Mike

The first 13 chapters or so are absolutely fantastic, super-poetic, naturalistic writing; as good as most of Hemingway (king of the overrated writers) and post-Death-on-the-Installment-Plan Celine. The deep hatred that's the flipside of love is here in its most brutally tragic and truthful form in the scenes between Camilla and Bandini. Some people don't respond to these scenes because they've never bothered to examine these feelings in themselves (though they've definitely had them), they've just ignored and repressed them. Not Fante. No way! Fante's out to force readers to face these feelings in themselves, and it's so annoying, it hurts! But that's what good naturalistic writing is supposed to do: HURT. If you can't deal with it go read some moralistic, 'sympathetic,' nonsense; there are thousands of books of that type to choose from.

It should be obvious after reading the first chapter why Bukowski liked this book so much. Without Fante there would definitely never have been a Bukowski (whose stuff is distinctly original in subject matter, but much more commonplace in its writing style than this particular book by Fante anyway).

The smell and feel of Los Angeles in the '30s is damn near palpable. Things come alive in concise, economically crafted sentences, on an an almost "Day of the Locust" level.

Starting with the earthquake chapter things run out of steam for a while before picking up again towards the end.

For a simple 'little' book written in 1939 to still continue to affect readers in 2000 is no mean feat. "Ask the Dust" is like a cross between Nathaniel West, William Saroyan, and, yes, good old Bukowski (without the scatology, of course). And though I wouldn't put it on the same level as Hemingway's "Green Hills of Africa," or Celine's "Journey to the End of the Night," it's definitely one for the 'ages' (whatever the hell that means).

Twelve years ago I read an article in the Los Angeles Times in which America's most successful fiction writers were asked to name their top-ten favorite works of 20th Century American fiction. John Fante's "Ask the Dust" was the only title to appear on every author's top-ten list in that article. Since then, I've read "Ask the Dust" twice, as well as every other book by Mr. Fante. Ironically, "Ask the Dust" was published six years before J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye" and the similarities between Holden Caulfield and Arturo Bandini are uncanny. The difference is that Arturo is even more impulsive than Holden, if that's possible, and wholly American. You'll want to console Arturo and slap him silly at the same time! Unfortunately, John Fante didn't live to see the latest revival of his work, but Black Sparrow Press has made him a literary star. You will laugh outloud and embrace this book! I promise.

'The White Mountains' is set in a time of the future which has reverted to the past, with a controling race of machines who oversee humans. People are controlled through an implanted device in thier brain, and the time at which this is done has become a great coming-of-age cerimony. Sometimes, before thier 'capping' children of twelve and thirteen have doubts. Are these doubts just silly fears, or is there something truly manevolant about thier advanced masters?

A boy sets out to find a land without these tripods, and is joined by his cousin(who he doesn't get along with well at all), and a boy in France, who they call BeanPole(his name is Jean-Paul, but the accent makes it sound funny to them). Along the way they face challenges of friendship, arguments, fears, and great temptation.

A good book for young readers, it can still be enjoyed as a light read by adults.

The novel The White Mountains is a science fiction story written by John Christopher. The setting in The White Mountains is England, the English channel, France, and the Alps. The main character is an English boy named Will Parker, and the minor characters are his cousin Henry Parker and a French boy named "Zhan-pole," whom Will and Henry call Beanpole. The world described in the novel has many differences from our world today. In many ways, it is like our past around hundred years ago. There are no cars, planes, glasses and only very primitive trains. Humans have less technology and are mostly farmers. In this time humans are ruled by colossal mechanical machines called "Tripods," which have very advanced technology. Humans don't question the Tripods because they are "capped." Being capped is a process where the Tripod picks up the human and puts a metal half sphere on his or her head, causing the human to lose a little of his or her individuality. These differences are what makes the book unique. The novel starts with the main character Will seeing his best friend and cousin Jack being capped. Then Will meets a free man named Ozymandias from the White Mountains pretending to be a "Vagrant." Vagrants are humans who had a mishap in the capping making them crazy. Ozymandias gives Will a map and a compass and then Will is off. Unbeknownst to Will, Henry follows him. Will and Henry go with Captain Curtis across the English channel, and are kidnapped by the French. This is where they meet Beanpole. Then they wander into an ancient mall where they find grenades and mistakenly find out how to use them. Will is hurt and then a French man hunting finds them and brings them to the castle. As soon as Will is better they are going to run away, but that night a Tripod comes. Will tries to outrun it on horseback but it picks him up and puts a tracking device on him without him knowing. Later when they realizes that they are being tracked, they cut the tracking device aw! ay from Will's arm. As soon as they do this a Tripod comes, and they destroy it with the grenades. Then they have to hide behind a rock for two days because the other Tripods are searching for the destroyers of the Tripod. In the end they get to the White Mountains and await their next adventure. Three adjectives a reader could use for this book are fascinating, thrilling, and mystifying. It is fascinating because they think people in our time are ancient but they are like a hundred years ago in our time. It is thrilling because they have to evade many Tripods and have to destroy one. It is mystifying because it makes you wonder what are the Tripod's motives? Who are they? Where do they come from? This book is recommended to anyone who likes science fiction.

I am a fifth grade student at Waldron Mercy Academy "FGD".
If you want to read a real science fiction page turner this is a book for you. It's about these three kids who live on the earth when robots called "Tripods" take over the planet. The Tripods took over the humans by means of a cap. "Capping" is a ritual when a 14 year old boy becomes a man. The book starts when Will, a 13 year old boy meets a man who tells Will that he is not capped and that the Tripods tell you commands through the caps. He also tells Will that there is a place called the "White Mountains" where the "Tripods" can't cap you. Will then sets off for a journey filled with amazement and peril. Along the way Will meets Henary, Will's cousin, and Beanpole, his real name is Jean-Paul. I really loved this book and I hope you will too.

You find yourself online talking to random people that you never met before. After a couple of e-mailsyou start to be the best of friends. You talk as if you knew the person your whole life. If that is what you are into then "letters From the Inside" is a great book for you. Try putting an ad in a newspaper looking for a pen pal and then receiving a letter from someone. You are a bit surprised you got a letter. Throughout all the letters each one revealing a different detail about the person.
John Marsden has done a great job in writing the book by not putting the in chapters but by letters. This makes it easier for some people to read. Marsden leaves a lot of holes which your immagination has to fill in. With cliff hangers and the adolescent language this would be more appropriate for high school students. I really enjoyed the book. My mom couldn't keep me away from this book and I dislike reading.

Ten years ago I discovered a copy of John Marsden's Letters from the Inside at my Library. I took it out because I was big into writing pen pals at that time in my life and thought it might be a good book. That one book started a lifelong love of John Marsden's writing.

Letters from the Inside is one of the most chilling books I have ever read. I've read it three or four times in the last ten years and in each read-through, I discover one more facet of the story that I've missed. The book itself, taken at face value, is not so chilling - it's what your mind creates to fill in the spaces that Marsden leaves in his story. What did Tracey do to end up where she is? What happened to Mandy? What happened to her family? Who marked "return to sender" on the letters? Will Tracey ever find out what happened to Mandy? Will Tracey ever make it back into the real world? The mind creates the darkest scenarios to those questions.

It takes a special kind of writer to make a story work with the "cliffhanger" ending. Any other writer and I'd probably have chucked the book at the wall in frustration. Part of me wishes there was a sequel to this book so that I could find out what happens next... and part of me knows that a sequel to the story wouldn't be possible.

Everyone should own this book. Or if not this one, then one of Marsden's other books. Tomorrow, When the War Began is amazing as well. I would place John Marsden at the top of my favorite author list any day, and no matter how old I get (I'm 22 now and still reading him!), I don't think that will change.

I read "Letters From The Inside" in the third grade, and it just... haunted me. The ending I mean. I read it a few times since, and my love for this book didn't go away. The book is about Mandy, who, bored one day, answers an ad she saw in a teen magizine, seeing she has some things in commom with Tracy, the girl she is writing too, like they both like the group Power Without Glory. Mandy and Tracy start writing to each other about their familys, friends, school, boyfriends, ect, and Mandy thinks that Tracy has the perfect life- great boyfriend, nice siblings, rich parents, ect- until Mandy finds out that Tracy in in a teen prison. Only afer "haressing" Tracy for awhile does Tracy aswer Mandy, and then the book goes into an amazing twist. The ending is totally haunting and open, and leaves you with a lot of stuff to think about. Pick this book up.

No matter how many times I read one of his books, Greene just never seems to connect with me. At least in this-his one book that in his own words was "written to a thesis"-at least I understand why. Based heavily on his travels to the southern Mexican states of Jalisco and Chiapas in early 1938, Greene set out to examine faith and personal integrity. Greene's "thesis" is that even those who are sinners may still posses God's grace if they hold true to their faith regardless of personal hardship. I find that line of reasoning to be a rather tempting excuse for hypocrisy, and have to wonder what the point of being a priest is if you're going to pick and chose which rules you live by. Priests should live the gospel, not just do their best! An excellent nonfiction book that shows priests doing just that under incredibly difficult circumstances is John Kiser's The Monks of Tibhirine.

In any event, Green's plot is simple: in an unnamed Mexican state, Catholicism has been outlawed by the local revolutionary authorities due to its decadence (both alleged and real). The priests have all either fled or been executed, except for one "whiskey" priest who wanders the countryside, halfheartedly looking to escape over the border. His meanderings lead to a number of set piece encounters, including an English dentist, an English plantation owner and his daughter, and the village woman he impregnated several years before, among others. As he goes through small villages, he is compelled to hold secret masses and baptisms, even though he no longer feels spiritually fit to be God's representative to the people.

All the while, he pursued by a ruthless anti-church police lieutenant, who metes out summary punishment to villages who fail to turn in the priest. Some characterize this chase as full of tension, and call the book a thriller-I never felt that for a minute. There is never any doubt as to the outcome, which is not a criticism, more an attempt to point out that this is hardly a "thriller", and anyone who approaches it as such is very likely to be disappointed. The policeman is actually portrayed with surprising sympathy, as ruthless as his methods may be, his critique of the church is remarkably lucid and on target. The best moments of tension occur when the priest is accompanied by a sly mestizo, whom to priest refers to as ""Judas".

There is some excellent characterizations, and Greene's gift for capturing smells and textures is wonderful. In some ways, the novel is worth reading if only to feel southern Mexico come alive. However, as I fundamentally disagree with the "thesis" that Greene wrote to, it's a bit hard to actually recommend the book. I imagine those with a much stronger sense of faith may find it more rewarding and personally relevant.

I really don't know how to review this novel; there is simply too much the novel has to say to cover it all her in a short review. Anything I write will be totally inadequate. I can only say that The Power and the Glory is certainly one of the greatest novels written in the Twentieth Century.

The novel is the story of a priest in Mexico in a state which has outlawed Christianity. The priest is trying to get out of the state and away from the athiestic lieutenant who's attempting to capture him, but the priest's Christian duty keeps calling him back into the state and into danger. The priest is also waging a war within himself. He is a good man but definitely a sinner, and he struggles to cure himself of his vices and struggles to believe that he can gain salvation.

The Power and the Glory assaults the reader on all levels. Greene explores so many aspects and paradoxes of Christianity. He looks at the great beauty that can be found in sin. He looks at how love and hate can be so similar. Greene reveals how the priest's life has had great meaning even thought the priest may not realize it. Greene reveals man as living in a "Wasteland," and he also reveals the way to find meaning in it. The characterizations of all of the characters really carry the novel. There are so many insights that can be gained from reading about the priest, the lieutenant, and the mestizo. The Power and the Glory is truly a magnificent novel which should be taught and studied everywhere.

I am only now discovering Graham Greene; this was the second of his works that I've read. It is not a book to be taken up for a little light entertainment; I'm still digesting it, you might say. It stays with a person. Superficially, it is about government oppression and man's inhumanity to man; more specifically, it is about love and its dual power to transform and destroy. Read it on whatever level you choose; basically, it is about a Roman Catholic priest struggling with his faith and intense guilt while trying to elude the forces of a government that has declared his religion illegal. I came away from it moved and disturbed, which in my opinion (humble tho' it be) is the purpose of literature: to create a mirror for the reader herself. What flaws do I posess that masquerade as virtue, what overpowering desire truly motivates my actions? In this novel the main character, the whiskey priest, takes flight not only from his persecutors but also from himself; in the end he finds he can only redeem himself by returning. And there I find another question to haunt me...did the priest indeed find redemption in the end?

Sister Carrie is probably best known for being the American example of the Naturalist school of writing. Centering around Carrie, a girl who comes to Chicago to live the good life in the big city, it follows her action from being a factory worker, to a 'companion', to a housewife, and finally to fame and fortune on the stage in New York City.
Dreiser sets the measure of the game early, on the first page, with the statement that all women are provided two options in life. One is to work hard, live, and have children. The other is to fall into a life of sin.
For those who don't hold with that line of reasoning, the book will be a bit hard to swallow. Dreiser operates along the same line of logic that Emile Zola set down when creating this genre. Every action Carrie makes is predestined, in Dreiser's eyes, by her surroundings. She will not and cannot make any decision contrary to her 'nature'.
While this is all very well and good for Dreiser, it is not so for Naturalism. Thomas Hardy's famous Tess, and Jude, make decisions contrary to their nature all the time, it is society that is at odds with the characters and not the other way around. Carrie's society seems perfectly willing to accept her, but it is her decisions that one finds appalling. The feeling is more like being on a careening freight train, with the outcome inevitable and predestined but terrible nonetheless. There is none of the same despair and void that one finds in Hardy, and somehow that is the books biggest flaw.
Hardy's novels, that were written a full forty years before Sister Carrie, explore naturalism in such a way as to make the character the hero and society the villain. Dreiser's Carrie is no such hero, she is just the unfortunate victim of circumstance.

This book was written at the turn of the century and it is a great portrait of American life and ideals at that time. It is the story of a young girl named Carrie who leaves her small town to go to Chicago to live with her sister and find work. She soon finds that living with her sister and her husband is very boring and that work is hard and dull. Soon she is a mistress of a pretty wealthy man, and the rest of the book is the story of her rise in society.

One of the main themes of this book is materialism, and how people would do anything for money. During the book I could see how innocent Carrie becomes a victim of circumstances as she tries to fit into the environment around her and becomes swallowed by the anonymity of the city. I love Dreiser's style, although he goes off on unneccessary little lectures at times, and I really liked following the plot. The characters were drawn so well that I would forget they weren't real. This is a great book to read and it accurately portrays American cities at the rise of industrialism and materialism.

This novel hooked me from the first page - who can forget the opening scene where the young Caroline Meeber is "spotted" by the travelling salesman Charles Drouet on the Chicago-bound train? We follow in this novel two seemingly irreversible life flows: Carrie uses her beauty and ambition to rise in life, and Hurstwood falls from his secure position of middle-aged, upper-middle-class success to utter failure, all for the love of a woman half his age. It's the stuff of melodrama to some, but not when handled by Dreiser, who takes the reader into a vividly realized urban world with well-drawn characters whose virtues and vices are equally on display. You leave the book feeling that Carrie and Hurtstwood could very easily have stepped out of the pages of today's newspapers, such is the zone of uncomfortable truth inhabited by the denizens of this brilliant novel.

"Persuasion" was Jane Austen's last novel, and the more sober and pensive quality of the book, as compared to some of her earlier works, most notably "Pride and Prejudice", reflects her maturity both in age and as a writer; no one in their early 20's could have written this book. The heroine of "Persuasion" is Anne Elliot, seven years after she rejected, at her family's insistence, the young man she had fallen in love with at 19, when he was just starting a naval career and was too poor, in the eyes of her pretentious relatives, to be considered acceptable marriage material. Now he has returned, financially secure and promoted to captain, and she finds herself still in love with him. Without giving away the rest of the plot, the book gives a powerful argument for following one's heart instead of the prejudices and snobbisms of society. Anne does not have the same appeal to many modern readers as Elizabeth Bennet; she is more shy, retiring and reflective. But as the book progresses and she finds the strength to act on her feelings, she grows in personality and character. This final work by one of the greatest writers (and my personal favorite) in the English language is a lasting testimony to her incredible talents as a novelist.

I know a lot of teens who, when I tell them I am reading Jane Austen, say, "What are you thinking?" because they have read Sense and Sensibility first, before trying any of her easier works. Persuasion is the easiest book of Austen's to get into, to follow, and to love. She makes the characters real by explaining them in many situations. When I read this book, I instantly became friends with Anne Elliot, the family outcast, because she was an outcast. Then she became even more my friend when she became the beloved and desired friend and love of Captain Wentworth. I loved seeing Anne go through the difficulties of dealing with her past actions, and instead of wanting to go back and change the past, she wanted to go forward and decide the future. Austen masterfully portrays all of her characters, and I would love to go to Lyme and see where Anne met her cousin, and to Bath to see where she and Captain Wentworth decided their future together. Persuasion is my favorite book of Austen's, and if you read it, it will be yours, too.

I've hated the fact that Persuasion isn't one of Jane Austen's most famous works ever since I read it. It is truly a beautiful love story, and it is written perfectly (as only Jane Austen could do).

The story is about Anne Eliot, one of Austen's most likeable characters. Seven years before the novel begins, Anne had been persuaded out of a marriage to Frederick Wentworth. Neither Anne nor Captain Wentworth, had been persuaded out of love, though. Both have basically wasted the last seven years. Fortunately for the couple, circumstances arise which through them back together, and the two have to attempt to build a new relationship and deal with there own actions from years before.

Persuasion is possibly Austen's greatest love story. It is much less satirical than here other novels. Anne is also a much more sympathetic character than say Emma. The novel is, of course, in Austen's incomparable style. Any romantic or lover of great literature would adore this beautiful novel.

i myself am not an avid book reader, however my brother is. after he finished with Nathan's Run, he raved about this book to all who would listen. Then fealt the need to buy copies for a few of our friends...after a couple months, i got bored and decided to pick up the book...i'm the type of person, where if the book doesn't capture my attention within the first chapter, i won't give it a second chance...but with Nathan's Run...to put it down would be a mistake...i read it from front to back...hating the fact that it had to end...i fealt myself on Nathan's journey to freedom and was dissapointed when i completed the book...i simply didn't want it to end...i wanted to watch Nathan grow up..to be there through the childhood he so much needed and deserved, to be able to see him happy, the way a child should be. my complimants to john gilstrap on a job well done...i look forward to reading more of your work...and thank you for opening my mind up to imagination...

I recently purchased this book, I had seen an advertisement for it and I was interested. When I finally found it, I read it in a day! (I love books but I am a VERY slow reader) This book kept my attention all the way through. A 12 year old boy accused of murdering a supervising guard at a Juv. Detention Center is on the run, as the cops try to find him, he breaks into people's houses, steals people's belongings (even cars), and he calls a radio station daily, talking to the host, trying to prove his innocence. A MUST READ!!

They can't catch him; he's Nathan Bailey: car thief, juvenile delinquent, twelve-year-old boy. Accused of murdering a supervisor, now young Nathan is a desperate fugitive on the run. As an orphan, he is alone in the world and must depend alone on his wits, honesty, and desire to never return to the misery of the Detention Center. By breaking into houses and stealing cars, Nathan constantly puts the reader in suspense, as the police frantically search for him. He desperately calls up a nation-wide radio station to get the truth out, and is eventually nicknamed "The World's Favorite Criminal," due to his manners and habit to do laundry in the homes he breaks into. In this thriller, Nathan must continue his run, and that half the nation, along with the reader can't help but root for him all the way. The mystery of the murder combined with the nonstop pace provides a complex, yet exciting plot, and a challenge to put down the book. The real-life dialogue makes this a fun read, and characters that are easy to relate to. As loveable Nathan runs from the police, angry citizens, and a hit man, the reader tries to piece together the puzzle of the crime. Although not a conventional fugitive story, any lover of suspense and thrillers would enjoy this book. However, because of the adult language and gory, violent details, it is recommended for more mature readers. Confusing at times with the constant change in point of view, Nathan's Run is a roller coaster, as it is impossible to predict what will happen next. Nathan wins our hearts from the beginning, and we cheer him on, as he runs and runs from society, while we run with him.