This book was on a shelf in my family home for the past forty years, but it was not until last week that I actually read it. I can recall a number of adults referring to this book when I was a boy in the 1960's and 70's, but I now realize that most of these people somehow did not understand the book and failed to perceive its extraordinarily prophetic warnings. The point of the book is to show how much good Americans in the foreign services can do, not how much damage they can do to other cultures, and, in an ironic twist, the "Ugly American" of the title provides the most sterling example of this. But the most remarkable thing is how correctly the book presents the facts that were almost certainly responsible for our country's later disastrous military failures in Southeast Asia. I'm not sure I understand why, but it is a chilling lesson to know that so many Americans could have read this book (it was a best seller in its day) and still have allowed the country to descend into the disaster of the Vietnam War.

The Ugly American was published in 1958, just after the Soviets put Sputnik in orbit and sent America into a deep funk. The book is as interesting for its idealized picture of communist accomplishments in foreign relations as it is for the dreary picture of Americans abroad. The authors attribute high quality training and patient well thought out policies to the Soviets. The American don't speak the language. The Americans don't understand the culture. The Americans are incapable of winning hearts or helping people. That was the mood in 1958. The Soviets had won the race to space and caused us as a nation to doubt our system of education, our ability to understand the world, and our instruments of diplomacy. The people working for the State Department in this book spend most of their time taking care of themselves (first class all the way), and the rest taking care of visitors from Washington (BS all the way). Now, in the post 9/11 world, the Ugly American is worth a fresh look. Are we going to do as poor a job in the Arab world as we did in Southeast Asia nearly 50 years ago. Do we speak Arabic? Are we spending the time and effort learning about the culture, needs and dreams of the people in that part of the world. Is there a hope we can get it right this time? The Ugly American is an important book for us now.

The Ugly American is a must read for anyone travelling outside of the USA. It perfectly epitomizes most american's attitudes toward cultures and lifestyles not their own. This book shows how americans are the most generous and genial people in the world and at the same time highlights some of the mistakes we as a people and a country make when abroad. The Ugly American inspires us all to travel and ensure that our reputation becomes polished and not tarnished.

This graphic novel reprints one of the classic X-Men stories of old -- the Dark Phoenix saga. For those who might not be up on their comic history, the Dark Phoenix Saga told the story of how Jean Grey -- one of the original X-Men -- found herself cruelly manipulated by the evil mutant Mastermind until she finally lost control of her own powers and became a threat to the very future of the universe. In the end, it falls to the X-Men (led by Jean's lover, Cyclops) to either bring her back to sanity or destroy her. This was perhaps the pinnacle of the Chris Claremont/John Byrne creative team and certainly very few subsequent X-Men stories have come close to touching the quality of the Dark Phoenix Saga. Chris Claremont's secret as a comic book writer was that he never wrote down to his audience. While some others might have simply said, "Hey, it's only a comic book," and cashed in their paycheck, Chris Claremont approached his X-Men stories with a sincerity and integrity that elavated the best of his work out of the super hero genre. As always the characterization of the individual X-Men is strong with Wolverine truly coming into his own. Even the usually somewhat dull Cyclops is given one of his few chances to shine in this story and Claremont manages to present a multifaceted view of this sometimes overly upright figure. The dialogue, especially Cyclops' final monolouge on the moon, is also far more powerful (and at times genuinely witty) than what is generally expected from a "comic book." Over the course of this story, Claremont and Byrne introduced several characters that would later become key ingrediants to the X-Men's success -- the Hellfire Club, Dazzler, Kitty Pryde, and all of them show their future promise from their very first appearances.

I was a kid when these issues first came out and I can remember what an impact they had on me at the time. Not to be overdramatic but back in 1980, the fate of Jean Grey affected me much the same way the fate of Jay Gatsby affects me now. Now, some might scoff at that or say that its easier to please children but that's not true. Even more so than adults, children and young teens can spot when someone's just going through the motions. Every year, hundreds of new comic books are released. Most cease publication after less than six issues. X-Men survived. It takes a lot to make an impact on you when you're young and that was what made Claremont and Byrne's X-Men so popular. Unlike future writers and artists, they never took their audience for granted. With the Dark Phoenix Sage, they crafted one of the great legends of my youth. When I recently reread it, I do so for the sake of nostalgia but I was overjoyed to discover that even though I'd gotten older and subsequent events in the X-Men had cheapened a lot of what those earlier issues were about, the story hadn't suffered. As both a piece of childhood nostalgia and as a story held up on its own considerable terms, the Dark Phoenix Saga is a powerful piece of work and it is a must-have for all comic book fans -- past, present, and future.

In the Dark Phoenix Saga, Chris Claremont and John Byre, firing on all cylinders, create the greatest comics story ever. It is a story that fits logically in the greatest run by an artist/writer team in a comic series ever (chronicled in the Essential X-Men Vol.2 graphic novel), but one that also stands so well on its own.

In a story where so many things are done right, it stands out because it is a primarily a story about conflict. There is conflict on virtually every page. Not just shot-em up, video game violence, but internal, character-driven conflict.

There is conflict between Prof. X and Cyclops over leadership of the X-men; between the fiery Wolverine and the control-freak Prof. X; Jean Grey struggles to control her dark side; Cyclops tries to mold the fiercly independent members of the X-men into a tight-knit team; Jean & Scott try to maintain their relationship thru the mounting chaos....

The X-men, the ultimate ousiders, rely on each other time and again and yet, their most powerful member turns on them and then saves them - repeatedly.

The X-men have a truly worthy opponent in the Hellfire Culb.

Obstacle after obstacle is overcome before the truly life and death battle at the climax. The escalation of tension is evere bit as gripping as when I read the original comics as a kid. Its lost none of the magic or mystery. There is none of the letdown so often felt when we re-visit the source of our nostalgia.

There have been a half dozen stories that were much more revolutionary than the Dark Phoenix Saga - from the death of Gwen Stacey in Spider-Man, to The Dark Knight, the Watchmen and Crisis on Infinite Earths over at DC. Yet, for my money, Dark Phoenix is better - not for its novelty or originality or life-like art, but because its that good.

This is simply one of the definitive Marvel comic stories, nearly perfect in every aspect.

For me, much of the appeal to this lies in that is simply a super-hero story, capturing the essence of the genre like nothing else. So many of the critically acclaimed comics are heavy on the emotional philosophizing that at many points they cease to become entertaining. The Dark Phoenix Saga never quits, throwing harrowing action and life and death drama at you throughout. A reader can't help but wonder what he or she would do placed in any of the character's shoes. There is no "right" or "wrong", but simple necessity and loyalty which drives the characters.

Chris Claremont pulls out all the stops; it really appears that he is trying to write the X-Men to their peak. He most probably does, and John Byrne's work never looked better. There are simply no faults to be found.

Had this been a stand alone series, it would surely be placed alongside DC's timeless classics. But the story fits perfectly in the trade; the reader never wondering what had previously happened in earlier issues.

This story is great for everyone, young and old. Fans of heavy-duty stuff like Watchmen may snub their noses at this, but they would be foolish to do so. If you want a reminder of why super hero comics are so engaging, read this.

I loved this book this was the third Sweet Valley book to make me cry. Olivia's death was so sad and at her funeral everyone said such wonderful things about her. For all the other people who wrote reviews and were wondering why Olivia becomes reincarnated I think I have an answer for you. SVU #8 was written almost four years before SVH Eathquake and Aftershock. Obviously Francine Pascals had not yet decided to kill off Olivia so she wasn't dead. There are a lot of descrepencies between the series. You really have to read SVH and SVU as if they weren't even related. Or else you'll go out of your mind. So I agree Francine Pascals should keep better track of her characters but it wouldn't really be Sweet Valley with people coming back to life every now and again now would it? (Hint William White, Nicholas Marin, Christian Gorman, and now Olivia Davidson.) This two part mini series was the perfect way to end Sweet Valley High the Senior Year is even better. As long as I can read about the twins I will pleased. Long live Sweet Valley in any shape size or form! And a little ghost every now and then isn't gonna bother me!

The Wakefields stay at Fowler mansion when their house is ruined. While things in Sweet Valley are ruined and the town tries to rebuild itself, Jessica Wakefield is haunted by the tragedy that she believes she caused- the death of Alyssa, the 12 year old she watched fall to her death. Nothing that anyone says to her can make he think differently. Then she meets a young boy whose father lies in a coma. Can helping him teach Jessica that not everything in life can be controlled? Meanwhile, Elizabeth spends time searching for who saved her and Enid from death during the earthquake. Devon claims it was him, but was it? Todd begins to wish that he had actually had the chance to kiss Lila, and she wonders what it would have been like too... Finally, Olivia is laid to rest as Ken mourns her and is asked by her parents to deliver the eulogy. How can he say that he loved her and will miss her? This book was a touching story of what happens to the twins and their friends. This book was a longer book to read then the usual, which I found to be a nice surprise, and was very fast paced- there were not any parts I wanted to skip over. I can not wait to see what happens in Sweet Valley High: Senior Class.

This book was so good. It was so sad at some parts though. I was crying when Ken gave that speech about Olivia! And I'm glad Liz finally dumped that jerk Devon! You'll love this book but you should read the two that come before it first. Last Wish and Earthquake.

I was excited to find this book, as I had never read a book about a "normal" german girl during the Holocaust. Korinna is this girl, and she is a devout follower of Hilter...until she finds out her parents are hiding Jews behind her bedroom wall. The fact that Korinna has quite a dilemma on her hands- turn in her own parents? stay silent and therefore a traitor? is interesting, but the writing was bland. I read the entire book in one night, so if you are curious, go for it, but I've read much better books about people on the other side, like the Jews.

Imagine that you are a thirteen-year-old girl living in Germany in the forties. This is exactly who Korinna Rehme is. She is a typical German-Hitler youth. She spits at and taunts the Jews and she thinks that Hitler is helping Germany out by getting rid of the "Jewish problem." She is an active member in her local Jungmadel and is brainwashed to think that whatever Hitler says or does is right. She hates Jews, or at least she thinks she does, until she finds out that her parents are hiding two Jews behind her own bedroom wall. Reporting traitors is what she should do, and that's what she is thinking about doing to her parents, until she starts to befriend one of the Jews and then she doesn't know what to do. I really like this book. It helps you to see what was going on in Germany during the reign of Hitler through a child's eye. So read this book and you will be mystified and amazed at how this thirteen-year-old girl handles this situation.

It is 1942. 13 yr old Korinna Rehme is an active member of her local Jungmadel, a Nazil youth group, along with her best friends. She believes that Hitlar is helping Germany by dealing with what he calls the Jewish problem. Korinna however has a rude awakening when she discovers that her own parents are hiding Jews behind the wall of her bedroom. At first she believes that her parents are traitors butas she comes to know the Jewish famil her sympathies begin to turn. When someone tips off the Gestapo(german police), loyalties are put to the test and Korinna must decide what she really believes and whom she really trusts.

This is the description on the back of the book Behind the Bedroom Wall. Here is the begining part to the story that might give you an idea of what it is about:

"Jew-Lover!" spat the tall blond Gestapo officer, pushing harr haase toward the car. Harr Haase wearing no jacket or shoes againts the february cold slipped and fell on a patch of ice. Frau Hasse stood in front of her house, her 2 children clutched her skirt watching their father with wide tear filled eyes.

"Get up Jew Lover!" Said a second officer. "Get up or I'll shoot you now!" Harr Haase slowly rose to his knees, one arm clamped against his side where he had been kicked. "Faster!" Said another oficer. He pushed the poor man down to make it more painful. Korinna and her two friends Eve and Rita were watching not far.

"Isnt Hans handsome?" said Rita commenting on her brother. "I think it is just awful" eve said quietly."what did he do wrong?"

" They are calling him a Jew Lover" Said Korinna.

"Who'd want to hide a stinking Jew?" Besides he'd be dead already if he had been hiding one." Rita said.

"I dont see the problem with Jews" said Eve.

"Remember eve, jews are the enemy! They are the root of all our problems. Without them germany will be strong!" Said Rita narrowing her eyes slightly.

It's seldom that a story bridges the ever widening generation gap, but "When Kambia Elaine Flew In From Neptune" surely does. This chronicle of love and friendship will appeal to both teenagers and adults, especially in its unabridged audio form affectingly read by Heather Alicia Simms.

The author has said that she grew up poor in a neighborhood where children were "seen but not heard," so does her protagonist, Shayla Dubois who lives with her fractured family in other side of the tracks Houston, Texas. Shayla's sister has been ousted for carrying on with an older man, and her absent father has suddenly returned to town.

To complicate matters further, Shayla has a unique new neighbor - Kambia who tells absurd tales about Lizard People who turn into purple chewing gum, reports that she is a piece of driftwood from the Mississippi River, and more.

Shayla well knows that something is amiss, but what can she possibly do?

Heather Alicia Simms's performance is in perfect harmony with the author's use of African-American lore and street patois.

Actually I'm reading this book, and I only have twenty pages to go. So far, this book is one of the best books I've read in a while.

This book reminds me of the books me and my friends read back when we were kids. Books that didn't talk down to us, or, pretend that we hadn't started to learn about the opposite sex.

The relationship between Shayla and Kambia is one of the strongest points of the book. They both use their imaginations to deal with the world around them. While Shayla uses hers to explore and explain the world around her, Kambia uses hers to protect herself. An insulation from the hurt she can't avoid.

An exciting twist involves Shayla's sister Tia and her boyfriend Doo-Witty. One that allows Shayla to see Doo-Witty in a new light, and better understand her sister's infatuation with him.

The most refreshing thing about this book is, even though the book is set in contemporary times, the author didn't try to "young" the book down. She didn't use alot of slang, or pepper the book with the names of music groups that will barely be remembered a year from now. She focused on the characters and the story.

I LOVED this book. Lori was sensitive, imaginative and completely entertaining in her depiction of Shayla, Kambia and my favorite Mr. Anderson Fox. I have encouraged people to read it since I left the book sigining. It is a beautifully told story of family, friendship, inagination, life and heartache. Everyone should read it, the book contains elements for everyone. Well done Lori! I can't wait for the sequel!

I can't say I thought this book was as great as everyone makes it out to be. I'm 14 and I was around 12 when I read it and even then I wasn't too impressed. Although you were in suspense some of the time, for most of it I was just wishing they'd get on with it. I didn't read the previous books in the mini - series because I didn't need to. This book told you all that had happened, so it didn't make me want to go out and buy the prequels. Sweet Valley High just isn't what it used to be. Every book is full of gloom and doom, and you can never believe Jessica when she says she's totally, madly and deeply in love with a guy. Her and Sam Woodruff were perfect, but of course Sam died. Now Jessica has a new love in every new mini - series. And Elizabeth is forever two - timing Todd. I'll give this book two stars for effort and some suspense, but I'm being generous. Come back, old Sweet Valley. The new type isn't half as good.

Dear Ms.William, My name is Deanna Welch,I'm thirteen years old,and I'm a seventh grade student at Cadillac Middle School.I love to read your book series Sweet Valley High! I have read most S.V.H. books and I have watched the television series. I like the book series better.In the that series I have noticed that the twins,Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield,and most of their friends,stay sixteen years old,and if I'm correct they should be eighteen years old. It doesn't really matter,that they stay sixteen,because it's still interesting.For my book report I read #100 THE EVIL TWIN,one of my favorite books,for my project, I made Wanted Poster.I'm currently reading #105 A DATE WITH A WEREWOLF. Thank you for your time!

If you could only read two Sweet Valley books this would be the first one. I was reading it before I went to bed, and it was so chilling that I couldn't sleep until I read the whole book or I would've probably had nightmares. The other book is return of the evil twin. It is as scary as the evil twin. Well what happens in this book is that a girl named Margo had a horrible life in foster homes all her life. You find out that she burned a foster home down, drowned a little kid, and took off to Sweet Valley where she saw a newspaper article with Elizabeth's picture on it. Elizabeth looked just like Margo except that Margo had black hair. This was Margo's chance to have the perfect life that she had never had. Margo spied on Elizabeth and read her diaries, even went in the house and fooled her parents. She even went out with Todd. Then she was going to find a perfect time to kill Elizabeth, and take over her life. The child that she drowned had an older brother, who was chasing after Margo and wanting revenge. I don't wanna give too much away though, so I'll shut up now.

"House of Stairs" is about five teenagers who are placed in a surreal environment as part of a bizzare psychological experiment in conditioning. At first, all behave as predicted, and their behaviour is not very pretty. As nearly every reviewer has commented, the situation is something like that in "Lord of the Flies" or Jules Verne's similar but more gentle story, "The Long Vacation." Yet the point of the story is not that all people are innately savage and vicious. Rather, Sleator tells us that humans, even when beset by malicious companions and placed in a weird situation for no reason, can follow their deepest beliefs, and they can do this even when doing so is detrimental to them in every possible way that they can see. The book focuses on human stubborness and unaccountability, which are two of our irritating traits as well as our redeeming graces (reminding one of "A Wrinkle in Time"), while at the same time making it clear that those who embrace manipulation and its rewards suffer a nasty fate. Sleator thus affirms the freedom of the human will and rejects determinism, while at the same time making it clear that certain results flow inevitably from certain actions.

Well I was cleaning out my closet today and looking at some old stuff when I found a manual to my Escher's cube. One of the pictures on the cube is called Relativity, which was a house of stairs. All of a sudden I remembered reading House of Stairs and how great a book it was. I had read it about 5 years earlier and had forgotten about it for a long time. Although I only remember vaguely what happens, I definitely recommend that you read this book once every 5 years or so (which is what I do with many of the books like this) because you often discover things you had not seen before or had forgotten. I think this book fits in nicely with several other classics that I read this year during my spare time (most of which for the first time). These books were: Fahrenheit 451, 1984, and Brave New World, which have very similar themes. And BTW, read the Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card, you'll definitely like it. I think I'm going to order House of Stairs too.

Easily the finest of Sleator's works, this book is about five 16-year olds who are then subjected to Pavlovian conditioning in order to . . . well I don't want to spoil the book completely. It is set against a background of a futuristic world gone bad though virtually all of the action takes place in the creepy house of stairs with only the five teenagers present. An excellent morality tale that will make people of any age think. I've read it loads of times over the years and still like it. It might not be appropriate for younger kids of high reading ability (or should at least be discussed with them afterward). On the other hand, it is a work to be recommended precisely because it doesn't shy away from tough issues that many adult works grapple with.

"Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste of death but once." - Caesar

Just one of the many brilliant quotes from this powerful and enduring tragedy, which happens to be amongst my very favorite Shakespeare. How could anyone not enjoy Marc Antony swaying the weak-minded and feeble-minded plebians with his vibrant and rousing speech? Julius Caesar is unquestionably quintessential Shakespeare, a monumental work that perhaps is surpassed only by Hamlet and rivaled by Othello, Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, & King Lear.

Julius Caesar teaches us about the dangers and pitfalls of ambition, jealousy, power, as well as the sacrifice for the greater good - even if it is another's life. Amongst the bood-thirsty traiotors, only Brutus genuinely believes in the assassination of Caesar for the greater good of the Republic. Julius Caesar galvanizes the brain and awakens the spirit from within with scenes such as when Marc Antony proclaims, "Cry Havoc and let slip the dogs of war."
Countless amounts of quotes and passages throughout the play rank among my favorite Shakespeare. Needless to say, this book should be on the bookshelf of any and all with any semblance of intellect and enough cultivation to appreciate such superb literature.

The modern perspective following the text enlightens and should be read by anyone seeking more knowledge about this amazing tragedy and time in history. An irrepressible 5 stars.

Julius Caesar is probably one of the better plays written by Shakespeare. This play if full of intrigue, action, betrayal, and emotion. This play is not very long (5 acts), which makes it a quick and exciting read. The characters are built nicely, and what is nice about this version of the book, is that it is easy to read, and any words that may be unfamiliar are defined on the opposite page, making it easy to look them up, and understand Shakespeare's difficult writing style. This is definately a play worth checking out. It's a fun read, and with plenty of helpful tools built in to help along the way.

Shakespeare gives a whole new face to history, transforming Caesar's assassination into a conspiracy, in which the conspirators have some reluctancy to join in. Brutus, for example, is deeply tormented, as Caesar is his friend and trusts him, but he is manipulated by Cassius, who makes Brutus believe that his duty to the people of Rome should be greater than friendship, and that the Romans want Caesar dead. The book is an exploration into the human psyche, and changing characters. I find it interesting that, though the play is called "Julius Caesar", its central character is Brutus, who has to deal with the guilt of betrayal versus what he feels is a duty to the people versus his love of Caesar. Intense, breathtaking, dramatic.

On a superficial first reading, 'Titus Andronicus' is lesser Shakespeare - the language is generally simple and direct, with few convoluted similes and a lot of cliches. The plot, as with many contemporary plays, is so gruesome and bloody as to be comic - the hero, a Roman general, before the play has started has lost a wife and 21 sons; he kills another at their funeral, having dismembered and burnt the heroine's son as a 'sacrifice'; after her husband is murdered, his daughter is doubly raped and has her tongue and hands lopped off; Titus sacrifices his own hand to bail out two wrongfully accused sons - it is returned along with their heads. Et cetera. The play concludes with a grisly finale Peter Greenaway might have been proud of. The plot is basically a rehash of Kyd, Marlowe, Seneca and Ovid, although there are some striking stage effects.

Jonathan Bate in his exhaustive introduction almost convinces you of the play's greatness, as he discusses it theoretically, its sexual metaphors, obsessive misogyny, analysis of signs and reading etc. His introduction is exemplary and systematic - interpretation of content and staging; history of performance; origin and soures; textual history. Sometimes, as is often the case with Arden, the annotation is frustratingly pedantic, as you get caught in a web of previous editors' fetishistic analysing of punctuation and grammar. Mostly, though, it facilitates a smooth, enjoyable read.

For my fellow reviewers who choose to simply pass this play over because of the prevelant violence, I must point out the complex, witty character of Aaron the Moor. Shakespeare either intended for this play to be a parody of Marlowe/Kyd, or he wanted to experiment with a character, Aaron, to evoke every possible feeling from his audience. And, in my humble opinion, Shakespeare succeeded at this. Aaron is, at the same time, evil and cunny, witty and horrifying, and compassionate and stoic. His final lines, as he is buried up to his neck, left to starve, are some of the best confessions ever produced by the bard. It takes a truly cruel and uncaring individual to not feel for Aaron, who gives up his life for his child's, and who hopelessly and blindly loves a cruel witch of a woman. This play is worth reading, or seeing if you should be so lucky, simply to indulge yourself in the character of Aaron the Moor.

Now that the film "Titus" is about to open, I thought I had best hear a recorded version of the complete play to keep my mind clear during what is bound to be a perversion. Of course, many consider "Titus Andronicus" a perversion anyway; and to tell the truth, I do get a little queasy during the various mutilations that make the deaths at the end a relief rather than a shock. But accepting the play on its own terms, you will find the reissue on tape of the 1966 Caedmon recording of (CF 277) possibly the best directed of the entire classic series. Howard Sackler has a bunch of professionals on hand and he lets them (with one exception) tear up the scenery. Poor Judy Dench, who has so little to say as Lavinia before the plot makes her say no more, can only make pathetic noises for most of the play until her final death cry. The evil brothers, played here by John Dane and Christopher Guinee, are not only evil but sarcastically so--and this works on a recording as it might not on the stage. Perhaps Maxine Audley's Tamora is a bit too Wicked Witch of the West now and then; but her co-partner in evil, Aron the Moor, is brought to life by Anthony Quayle in a role he made famous on stage, going even further in the outright enjoyment of his ill-doing. Yes, this play can easily raise laughs and takes an Olivier to keep the audience in the tragic mood. (Reports are that he did it so well that some audience members became ill and had to leave.)

Which brings us to Michael Hordern's Titus. Hodern is a fine actor but not a great one. He suffers well but not grandly. I am surprised that his Big Moment--"I am the sea"--is lost among all the other images in that speech. But anyone can direct someone else's play. This recording, soon to be rivaled by one in the Arkangel series, is definitely worth having for Quayle's performance alone.

When rating Shakespeare, I always rate his works as compared to other Shakespearean works; otherwise, the consistently high marks wouldn't be very informative. For instance, if this were to be rated against the general run of literature extant, it would certainly rate five stars. Even by the standard I'm using, it's close.

Like "Hamlet", this is a tragedy that still manages to have some very funny lines; as in "Hamlet", this is generally due to characters either pretending to be crazy, or truly being crazy, so it's something of a dark humor, but humorous it still is. Lear's jester has some great lines doing what only a jester could get away with (and what the reader wants to do): telling the King that he's an idiot when he's done something ignorant beyond belief. Edgar, son of Gloucester, banished by his father for supposed treason, plays the part of a mad beggar to save his life, and when Lear, honestly crazy from grief, meets up with him, their conversations rival anything in Hamlet for manic nonsense that still manages to make a certain warped and poigniant sense.

It's a shame that the language has changed so much since Shakespeare's time, so that the masses are unable to enjoy and appreciate his wit; his plays were not written to be enjoyed only by the literati; they were intended to entertain and, yes, enlighten the masses as well as the educated; his plots seem to be right in line with either modern romantic comedies (in his comedies) or modern soap operas (in his tragedies). Modern audiences would love him, if only they could understand him; unfortunately, when one "modernizes" the language in a Shakespearean play, what one is left with is no longer Shakespeare, but simply a modern adaptation. Which, if done well, is not without value, but is still far short of the original.

This star-rating system has one important flaw: you have to rank books only in relation to its peers, its genre. So you must put five stars in a great light-humor book, as compared to other ones of those. Well, I am giving this book four stars in relation to other Shakespeare's works and similar great books.

Of course, it's all in the writing. Shakespeare has this genius to come up with magnificent, superb sentences as well as wise utterings even if the plot is not that good.

This is the case with Lear. I would read it again only to recreate the pleasure of simply reading it, but quite frankly the story is very strange. It is hard to call it a tragedy when you foolishly bring it about on yourself. Here, Lear stupidly and unnecessarily divides his kingdom among his three daughters, at least two of them spectacularly treacherous and mean, and then behaves exactly in the way that will make them mad and give them an excuse to dispose of him. What follows is, of course, a mess, with people showing their worst, except for poor Edgar, who suffers a lot while being innocent.

Don't get me wrong: the play is excellent and the literary quality of Shakespeare is well beyond praise. If you have never read him, do it and you'll see that people do not praise him only because everybody else does, but because he was truly good.

The plot is well known: Lear divides the kingdom, then puts up a stupid contest to see which one of his daughters expresses more love for him, and when Cordelia refuses to play the game, a set of horrible treasons and violent acts begins, until in the end bad guys die and good guys get some prize, at a terrible cost.

As a reading experience, it's one of the strongest you may find, and the plot is just an excuse for great writing.

One of literature's classic dysfunctional families shows itself in King Lear by William Shakespeare. King Lear implicity trusts his three daughters, Goneril, Regan, and Cordelia, but when the third wishes to marry for love rather than money, he banishes her. The two elder ones never felt Lear as a father; they simply did his bidding in an attempt to win his favor to get the kingdom upon his death. Cordelia, on the other hand, always cared for him, but tried to be honest, doing what she felt was right. As Lear realizes this through one betrayal after another, he loses his kingdom -- and what's more, his sanity...

The New Folger Library edition has to be among the best representations of Shakespeare I've seen. The text is printed as it should be on the right page of each two-page set, while footnotes, translations, and explanations are on the left page. Also, many drawings and illustrations from other period books help the reader to understand exactly what is meant with each word and hidden between each line.