History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Lords of the Were (A Tale of the Were, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

5 Angels and a Recommended Read from Fallen Angel Reviews
This Book is **HOT** and entertaining!
it has potential
3 1/3 stars; mush better than average for the paranormal fantsey romance
good stuff

Lords of the Were (A Tale of the Were, Book 1)
Bianca D'Arc
Manufacturer: Samhain Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1599983516

Book Description

An ancient evil is stalking the twin alpha rulers of the werefolk and the half-were woman who is destined to be their mateif she lives long enough. First in the Tales of the Were. Fulfilling her mothers dying wish, Allie climbs a wooded hill just before midnight on SamhainAll Hallows Eve. At the top, she finds an overgrown, magical stone circle, and her destiny. Waiting for her there are twin alpha werewolves who will be her sworn protectors, her mentorsand the loves of her life. If she lives long enough. Overprotective is just one word to describe Rafe and Tim. Sexy is most definitely another. But their newfound love and all their skillsboth mundane and magicalwill be tested by an ancient evil. A hostile human mage and a misguided vampire hunt them, servants to secret plans of the ancient Venifucus, a society dedicated to destroying women like Allie. They will earn unlikely allies, including a half-fey knight imprisoned Underhill for centuries. But will it be enough to battle the evil that stalks them? Will Allies men be strong enough to let her aid them in her own defense? Only together can were, fey and vampire defeat this latest threat and learn that love does truly conquer all. Warning, this title contains explicit sex and mnage a trois.

Customer Reviews:

5 Angels and a Recommended Read from Fallen Angel Reviews.......2007-08-19

Allesandra knew there were many things she'd need to become accustomed to as a new priestess of the Lady, but she never imagined anything like Tim and Rafe, twin Lords of the were. From the first meeting she felt an undeniable attraction to them. Finding out that they were her predetermined mates didn't lessen her feelings for them. With an insane wizard, an unwitting vampire, and secret society eons old bent on destroying her and her new family, bonds and trust are tested.

Lords of the Were is the first in a new series that I hope is as long and varied as the characters in this, the premiere episode. Bianca D'Arc has taken what could have been a tawdry and, for some, disturbing act and turned it into a loving and understandable bond. Ms. D'Arc has always been on my auto buy list. With Lords of the Were she has shown that even a fantastic author can grow. The characters have depth and consistent emotions just as in her other books, but Allie, Rafe, and Tim carry a grittier, tougher, almost jaded feel with aplomb. I have had the pleasure of watching Ms. D'Arc evolve and cannot wait to see what else she has in store for her fans.

Serena, Reviewer for Fallen Angel Reviews

This Book is **HOT** and entertaining!.......2007-07-21

I can't say from a literary standpoint, this is a masterpiece of fiction, but it's an enjoyable, easy read. The characters and story did seem a bit rushed in-between incredibly hot sex scenes. I think if you took out the sex, you'd have a book about half the size, but no matter. Its shorter length allowed me to finish it in an evening, and I didn't feel bored reading it. The twin alpha male weres' dialogue during sex ("I'm coming in baby "You alright baby?") was a little distracting - I guess I just hate the use of the word "baby" - it sounds cheap and cheeZy to me. But overall, I recommend it for its fun, entertaining value.

it has potential.......2007-06-27

Somewhat of a yawn fest. It needed more action and less sodomy. The characters, also, were in desperate need to be built up, but it has potential. Hopefully, if there's a second book, the author will show more of the heroines' warrior face, instead of her 'O' face.

3 1/3 stars; mush better than average for the paranormal fantsey romance.......2007-06-23

A little humor and generally OK characters. The characters are not up to Kelly Armstrong, Jaid Black or Angela Knight at their best, but not bad. The plot is pretty linear with one nice twist. Some good erotic scenes mostly menage a trios. Overall a good start to a promising series.

good stuff.......2007-05-23

Bianca D'Arc - Lords of the Were (A Tale of the Were, Book 1)

This is the first book I've read by Bianca D'Arc and I enjoyed it. I'll check out her others. It is erotica and it has a lot of steamy sex. You're dealing with twins so of course there is the apparently ever popular ménage a trois with alpha males that before the end of the first chapter the boys know their woman. A common theme, however surprisingly it had an enjoyable story in-between the hot sex. And the sex was fairly hot.

If you like your men alpha and lovingly bossy then you're going to like this book. The only thing that was slightly lacking and literally I do mean slightly, was that the end sort of fizzled a bit. You had drama and then suddenly it was resolved. But again this was erotica and as that it was a good read.

Prince of Ice: A Tale of the Demon World (Berkley Sensation)

Average customer rating:

Erotic masterpiece
Hot ice
Return to the Demon World
Wonderful story-telling, sexy and erotic, but there are some very disturbing scenes
Hot and well-written

Prince of Ice: A Tale of the Demon World (Berkley Sensation)
Emma Holly
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0425212599

Book Description

Emma Holly loves to take a walk on the wild side, and here she ventures into a sensuous and dangerous world where a human courtesan becomes the flesh and blood property of a demon prince. Soulmates, lovers-and victims of an unnatural desire that could drive them both insane.

Customer Reviews:

Erotic masterpiece.......2007-10-08

This story is definitely taking a spin on the 'geisha' style of life. Emma Holly quickly involves you in the storyline and people, and the sex scenes were unexpectedly blunt, but I was not repulsed about it. I can't wait for the next story which is hinted at the end of this story.
If this does not get your pulse going, I don't know what would.

Hot ice.......2007-09-30

I love happy endings, e.g. the ending of the psychotic pig Jehol. I even like endings where just when everything seems hopeless, a troop of cavalry come thundering over the hill. So I enjoyed this book.

The science fiction genitals seemed a bit silly to me but otherwise, the lovemaking was hot.

Return to the Demon World.......2007-07-04

Emma Holly has once again given us a sensual, romantic adventure. This one takes place in the Demon World and it is wonderful.

Xishi is an orphan living in the palace of the Midarri prince, her mother was a maid and committed suicide. she is the close friend of the Prince Corum, he is a child and like her he finds comfort in their friendship. When his mother finds out they are closer than she likes she sends Xishi to an orphanage.

Corum is the heir to the Midarri, he also has a problem controlling his emotions. In his world emotions are never to be shown and all of his kind claim not to have any. But somehow Corum is abit different from his peers. Losing Xishi is very traumatic for the child he is. But finally he finds his way and earns the title of Prince of Ice.

Several yrs later when Xishi is 17 she is contracted to the Purple Crane House, a house that trains and sells pillow friends to the aristocracy. After three yrs she is sold, because she has become friends with a Prince held captive in the house.

Corum is the buyer, his family, worried about his sexuality have decided that maybe he needs help to find his sexual preferences and then to find a mate among the royalty. Corum purchases Xishi and unknown to both there is a mystery about her and some one is determined that she suffer and die.

The story is interesting, the intense and graphic love scenes are done in a romantic way and this world looks at sexuality in a different way due to the facts of their physical make-up. I loved the book and hope for a sequel.

Wonderful story-telling, sexy and erotic, but there are some very disturbing scenes.......2007-06-25

This is a wonderful/exciting read. The only reason I did not give it five (5) stars was because of the rape scene of Prince Pahndir by that disgusting Pig Jehol. And, my only other objection is Ms. Hollys putting tooooo much anal fixation stimulation into her male characters. Otherwise, I absolutely love it. Corum, only 20, was sexy, self-possessed, strong and successul. Xishi, only 20, was sweet, kind, strong and daring. Her grandma was a B on steroids. The pace is fast, and the bad guy is really a cruel, evil Bad Guy. He deserved everything he got, and more.

Hot and well-written.......2007-05-05

This is my second Emma Holly book--the first was Demon's Daughter, which I admit did not favorably impress me. I was a bit reluctant to read this one but got sucked in by the back cover copy, and now I am SO glad I gave Holly a second chance!

What I particularly enjoyed about Prince of Ice was that the world and culture made so much sense to me as I read. In Demon's Daughter, I kept getting lost between the human class structure vs. the demon caste system vs. the technology vs. the alternate history of Victorian Earth vs... you get the idea. It was a lot of world-building, and while clearly well thought-out by the author, I was somewhat overwhelmed and lost through the book.

In Prince of Ice, however, the world is perfectly accessible and made sense to me at once. The exiled royals attempting to regain their rightful place, the difference between the lower classes and royals--both physical and in caste--Holly drew me in seamlessly and it all made sense. While this is not the first of her Demon books, I truly don't think you need to have read any of the previous ones to fully enjoy this one.

And the sensual scenes are hot hot hot! Far more so than in DD, in my opinion. I'm going to have to look for more Demon books from Holly after reading this one, because I'm wondering if I just started in the wrong place with Demon's Daughter. Prince of Ice is absolutely wonderful.

Average customer rating:

Scheherazade-orama
"Like an Echo in the Engulfing Darkness"
Fired out of the canon?
Many layered tales
Best 19th Century Stories written in the 20th Century

Seven Gothic Tales (Modern Library)
Isak Dinesen
Manufacturer: Modern Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0679600868
Release Date: 1994-03-15

Book Description

Originally published in 1934, Seven Gothic Tales, the first book by "one of the finest and most singular artists of our time" (The Atlantic), is a modern classic. Here are seven exquisite tales combining the keen psychological insight characteristic of the modern short story with the haunting mystery of the nineteenth-century Gothic tale, in the tradition of writers such as Goethe, Hoffmann, and Poe.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

Scheherazade-orama.......2007-08-08

dinesen/blixen was a true, living Scheherazade. this is an astounding collection of stories within stories within stories within stories. beautifully, elegantly written and set in various european locales, starring wonderfully alive characters straight out of fairytales, dreams and myth. these are strange, magical narratives (novellas, to be a stickler) with a modern sensibility. brimming with metaphors that will make you pause. kind of a cross between e.t.a. hoffman and a.s. byatt. definitely going to read more of her stuff.

"Like an Echo in the Engulfing Darkness".......2006-01-31

These are strangely compelling stories, all of which evoke a sense of mystery and poetry. Floods and monkeys, skulls and puppet shows, vie with each other and figure here in short works that are too realistic for fables but too bizarre to be mistaken for reality.

Gothic surrealism might be the best way to describe the tone achieved by the author, whose real name was Karen Blixen (made familiar to modern audiences by the film "Out of Africa"). This is a reissue of a volume that first appeared in 1934.

Borrowing the author's phrase, each story is "like an echo in the engulfing darkness." Atmospheric and brooding, these tales are part Poe and part Brothers Grimm. Exotic in characterization as well as setting, we are introduced to a polyglot collection of virgin nuns and wandering n'er do wells, who cling to rooftops and journey on rhino-horn laden dhows.

Escape from the ordinary world is promised and delivered, but somehow, the people in these stories also remind us of people we know and situations that might not be as straightforward as we have assumed. A scarf may not be a scarf. The wind may be more than the wind. A scarf blown in the wind recalls to one character the memory of a little white snake -- madness is hinted at, at every turn.

They are seven distinctive tales. Yet, the evocation of place, the depiction of eccentricity, the precariousness of life, suffuse them all. They are magnetic and memorable. Even so, some readers may find the tales a bit too weird for their tastes.

If you find this review helpful you might want to read some of my other reviews, including those on subjects ranging from biography to architecture, as well as religion and fiction.

Fired out of the canon?.......2005-03-21

Why isn't I. Dinesen's work more widely known and accepted in the modernist pantheon? Her reputation seems to have settled into that of oddball literary personality and vehicle for Meryl Streep, however the work itself would have eluded me, despite a decent education in high school and university (for example, I was given Hesse and Camus to read in 10th grade, why not Isak?)had I not been attracted to this title in a dusty library. The work is about as anti-Hollywood as I could possibly imagine. Perhaps the answer is, she is not really a modernist but some sort of high baroque romanticist belonging more in the 19th century world of German prose; the "layering of stories" effect, especially in "Roads to Pisa", reads like she is channeling the world of Jan Potocki, enigmatic author of "The Saragossa Manuscript," who like Casanova moved in that incredible world of the international bohemian intellectual elite that Rexroth describes so well somewhere in one of his essays; that world of post-chaises and midnight rendezvous and military officers with seemingly endless resources of money, brains, education and cunning ... in fact "Saragossa" and Casanova's "Memoirs" were the books that came to my mind as I read her...reading this stuff is like eating a chocolate eclair with a brain more powerful than yours will ever be...why aren't there writers like this anymore? Was it all only a dream?

Many layered tales.......2004-03-17

This is a demanding work of seven multilayered and esoteric stories in this, Dinesen's first book.

We know of Dinesen more commonly by way of Meryl Streep, who played Dinesen, or the Baroness Karen Blixen, in "Out of Africa." But the woman we find here as the author of these stories is no easily-understood, Hollywood character. Her stories within stories are rich in symbolism, imagination, and a "long ago and far away" feeling that is carefully, carefully, controlled by the author. Dinesen wrote some of these tales in Africa, and finished others along with ordering the book back home in Denmark, after her farm had failed. She wrote, interestingly, in English (and did her own translations back into Danish later on). Many books follow this one, including LAST TALES and, of course, OUT OF AFRICA. Dinesen, while the heroic, strong, individualist of Streep's portrayal, is also kind of strange, introspective, and fabulously bizarre. She uses her stories' plot lines as a means, one feels, to work out her life philosophies, reshape and recast ideas and symbolic imagery, and impart creative insights. After getting to about the fourth or fifth story, one can see that she uses the same imagery repeatedly and even the same turns of phrase.

I have read this volume at least once before, and wanted to go through it again knowing just that much more literature and biblical references. (It helps to be well read in the classics when reading Dinesen.) Anything is up for her use, and if you don't see it, something will be lost to you as you interpret the stories and what they meant, or even, what happened. She loves Shakespeare (OUT OF AFRICA was written in five sections, after the five-act structure of Shakespearian drama), and Don Giovanni, she has interesting ideas about femininity and independent women, and symbolizes these issues with women who are doll-like, women who seem as if they can fly, women who are witches in some way or another, etc. She likes to toy with the mind of God, as well, having characters pronounce his proclivities, likes and dislikes, etc., quite often. I found these to be some of the most interesting passages, after some of the gender-defining ones, that is. (She chose her pseudonym, "Isak," as it is Hebrew for "He who laughs" and she definitely plays with many ideas here, many humorously.)

Of the seven tales (The Old Chevalier, The Roads Round Pisa, The Monkey, The Supper at Elsinore, The Dreamers, The Poet, and The Deluge at Norderney), The Roads Round Pisa is my favorite, and I have studied it for a graduate class. In the book, a mistake is the central event, and we learn of it only at the end. Our main character, Count Augustus Von Schimmelmann, is writing a letter to a friend, when a carriage accident occurs in front of him. An old woman, who seemed at first to him to be a man, is injured and asks that he go and seek out her granddaughter so that she may forgive her for an estrangement before she dies, as she believes she will do shortly. Augustus sets out for Pisa and in an inn meets a young man, with whom he engages in an interesting conversation. Soon, however, he finds out that this man is a woman, and whereas before he had been asking "him" for help in finding his way into the city, now he offers her his assistance as a gentleman. Their subsequent conversation holds a particularly compelling passage I have never forgotten. In it, Dinesen explicates a concept of women's differences, physically, psychologically and societally, from men through the artful use of the host and guest metaphor.

This passage is a key to the story's mood when toward the end the mistake around which the characters swirl is revealed. But the passage is also an interesting philosophical and societal analogy that provokes thought and discussion. This is, then, quintessential Dinesen.

The other stories deal with identity and loss (The Dreamers), a ghost who is allowed to rise up from hell whenever the sound between Denmark and Sweden freezes over (Supper at Elsinore), the mirage of lost love (The Old Chevalier), poetry and power (The Poet), the societal roles of women (The Monkey), and identity (The Deluge at Norderney), but these are very brief and basic categorizations. One could safely say that all the stories deal with many of the others' main themes. The book as a whole is an excellent study of the power of fiction to suggest and manipulate, with beautiful, evocative writing and deep and stirring underlying meanings. I recommend it.

Best 19th Century Stories written in the 20th Century.......2003-05-16

Years ago, I wrote a review on Amazon for Karen Blixen's _Winter's Tales_, where I observed that it was the equal of this book. I have no reason to revise that estimate, but feel I should point out that this book is extremely fine, and should not be ignored by people who like good writing and aren't scared off by a bit of melodrama.

The title of this review tries to make a small point: Blixen didn't write her stories with notions of the prevailing literary fashions in mind. She wrote them as she felt them, and she used a style and technique that harken back to earlier writers. In her introduction to the book, Dorothy Canfield, attempting to characterise this style, made reference to an array of writers from E.T.A. Hoffmann to Robert Louis Stevenson and Thomas Mann. Although I think the reference to Mann has merit, the truth is Blixen was genuinely unique. She doesn't really have any real imitators, either, although I've seen a number of writers allude to being influenced by her.

Back to this book: it was her first volume of short stories. Not many writers hit gold on their first book, but Blixen managed it. There was no 'prentice work as prelude, just a stream of mature works of art from this book onward.

And, goodness, she could *write*. The prose is eloquent, forceful, and full of striking phrases and observations. The stories are all set in the 19th Century, and many contains elements of the gothic (hence the title) and sometimes the gruesome, as well as modernist irony and psychological insight. When it comes to characters, plots, and situations, virtually everything in the book seems beyond the ordinary. Clearly, the writer wasn't afraid to take chances. The amazing thing is that she wins most of her fictional gambles.

The first story in the book is "The Deluge at Norderney," where we have a cast of characters that seem out of Hoffmann by way of Byron, put into an extreme situation, and forced to come to terms with questions of illusion and reality in life. This story is my absolute favorite; it may not be the "best." It certainly sets the tone.

Besides "The Deluge...", the stories I'd single out for special praise are "The Monkey," "The Poet," "The Supper at Elsinore," and "The Roads Round Pisa." The remaining 2 stories in the book are a pleasure to read, although I don't feel that "The Dreamers" entirely comes off; Blixen reused the heroine of this story later in ways that lead me to think she was invested with some sort of personal significance for the author; perhaps that's why it seems less well controlled. The shortest story, "The Old Chevalier," is pleasant but feels slighter both in size and content than its companions.

Blixen's other books of stories are interesting-to-fascinating. Each book has its attractions. Admirers of this book might find _Winter's Tales_ worth their time. _Anecdotes of Destiny_, which contains "Babette's Feast" and "Tempests," is fine collection, too, and has grown on me with the years. It isn't quite at the level of achievement of _Seven Gothic Tales_ or _Winter's Tales_, but then, how many books of stories are?

The Oxford Book of Gothic Tales (Oxford Books of Prose)

Average customer rating:

The Best Collection of Gothic Tales
Some I've already read elsewhere, but the new ones to me were riveting! Great gothic collection!
What gothic really means!
Worthwhile Reading
Views of the Dark Side

The Oxford Book of Gothic Tales (Oxford Books of Prose)

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0192862197

Book Description

The Gothic tale has been with us for over two hundred years, but this collection is the first to illustrate the continuing strength of this special fictional tradition from the late eighteenth century to the present day. Gothic fiction is generally identified from Horace Walpole's Castle of Otranto and the works of Ann Radcliffe, and with heroes and heroines menaced by feudal villains amid crumbling ruins. While the repertoire of claustrophobic settings, gloomy themes, and threatening atmosphere established the Gothic genre, later writers from Poe onwards achieved an ever greater sophistication, and a shift in emphasis from cruelty to decadence. Modern Gothic is distinguished by its imaginative variety of voice, from the chilling depiction of a disordered mind to the sinister suggestion of vampirism. This anthology brings together the work of writers such as Le Fanu, Hawthorne, Hardy, Faulkner, and Borges with their earliest literary forebears, and emphasizes the central role of women writers from Anna Laetitia Aikin to Isabel Allende and Angela Carter. While the Gothic tale shares some characteristics with the ghost story and tales of horror and fantasy, the present volume triumphantly celebrates the distinctive features that define this powerful and unsettling literary form.

Customer Reviews:

The Best Collection of Gothic Tales.......2007-06-06

If there is one book that I would recommend regarding good Gothic fiction, it would be The Oxford Book of Gothic Tales (Oxford Books of Prose). This book has been my staple since a long time ago. To give you some idea of what you can find in this book, Part I., "Beginnings," contains such classics as "The Vindictive Monk of the Fatal Ring"; the next section, or Part II., "The Nineteenth Century," includes some outstanding stories by the customary Poe and Hawthorne, as well as "Jean-Ah Poquelin" by George Washington Cable and "Bloody Blanche" by Thomas Hardy. The selections from Part III, "The Twentieth Century," contain some outstanding examples like "The Outsider" by H.P. Lovecraft and the eerie "The Bloody Countess" by Alejandra Pizarnik. There are thirty-seven selections total, with a great introduction by the editor.

Some I've already read elsewhere, but the new ones to me were riveting! Great gothic collection!.......2006-04-02

I wanted to combine a good gothic book with the gothic romance I intended to read and had been on my TBR pile for a while and found this collection at a bookstore. The Oxford Book of Gothic Tales has a large collection stories by authors from times that vary from Georgian period to recent years. Some are dark and sinister, others have a mystery to discover while there are those that have only the gothic atmosphere down pat. There are quite a few popular authors here -- William Faulkner, Edgar Allan Poe, Angela Carter and Joyce Carol Oates, to name a few. There are also some stories written by "Anonymous." My favorite stories are "The Lady of the House of Love," by Angela Carter, Eden Glasgow's "Jordan's End," and Ray Russell's "Sardonicus." The stories are quite dark and are some of the best in the gothic genre. I've already read some of the stories from the authors I've enjoyed over the years (like Poe and Oates), but the ones I hadn't read made this a very enjoyable read for me. I cannot recommend this unique collection enough.

What gothic really means!.......2004-07-26

Another reviewer said this collection of stories changed their lives. It changed mine as well. It elevated my understanding of gothic literature and art and made me think critically about the popular manifestations of "goth" culture. And the most shocking tale, the one about "Countess Dracula", just happens to be true. But as Angela Carter's wonderful story "The Lady of the House of Love" shows, the gothic legacy has less to do with death and brooding and more to do with a totally different view on the world and living.

Worthwhile Reading.......2003-12-28

This is a very interesting collection of literature. It includes writing from the late 1700s extending to the present. What makes this collection so amazing is that it not only includes stories from Poe, Lovecraft, and Hawthorne, but it also has stories taken from periodicals and anthologies long out of print. You'd never find some of this writing anywhere else, and it is truly amazing.
All of the stories do have somewhat of a dark and twisted theme, but they are all very rich.
If seriously considering this book, I highly recommend purchasing it in a hardback edition. It will last you much longer, and you'll be glad for this after reading it.

Views of the Dark Side.......2003-03-21

This is a wonderful anthology, giving a full historical spectrum of Gothic tales from silly early ones to chilling modern ones. I've used this as a textbook in two courses I teach in college, and students have been both amused (at blatantly Freudian overtones in 18th century stories) and horrified (especially at Pizarnek's account of Erzebet Bathory's perversions). My favorites are Carter's "Lady of the House of Love" and Cowles' "The Vampire of Kaldenstein," both of which combine eerieness with ironic humor.

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The definition of Beauty
The definition of Beauty
Mind Blowing!
Awsome Book...
Beautiful art for the gothic side of our souls...

Tales From The Dark Tower
Joseph Vargo
Manufacturer: Monolith Graphics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0967575605

Book Description

Vampires who dwell deep within forbidden crypts, lost souls who wander mist-shrouded cemeteries, and gargoyles of living stone... Herein lie the dark legends scribed long ago. These tragic tales of myth and forbidden lore chronicle a sinister legacy, as it unfolded in the forgotten past, and the curse that yet lurks within the shadow of the Dark Tower. This lavishly illustrated anthology features 13 sinister and darkly alluring tales based upon the gothic artwork of Joseph Vargo. Each story in this unique anthology is woven together to create a new and compelling saga of vampire lore.

Customer Reviews:

The definition of Beauty.......2005-11-30

Tales From the Dark Tower is not a book.

Tales From the Dark Tower is a work of art.

Wow... I never thought I'd start a book review like that. But then again, I never quite expected to read something like Tales From the Dark Tower, either. Because it was truly a sweet experience; one of the best ones I've had so far in my career as a book reviewer.

Well, then, what's so great about it? Let me put it this way: it's hard something that is NOT great about it. Everything, from the beautiful artwork on the cover and throughout the book (all done by genius Joseph Vargo) to the quality of the paper to the stories themselves; it's all top quality and I cannot think of a single thing that I don't like about the whole thing. Not one.

And that makes writing a review quite difficult. Why? Because there's simply not very much to say about the piece except that it's a definite must-buy. I don't usually say that; in fact I rarely say that at all, but this time I have no choice but to face the pleasant facts: I loved it. From the first page to the very last. Several different authors contribute with stories, and they're all masters of their craft.

Sure, some people might think the stories are goth-cliché. After all, they are all very much alike, both in setting (in or around the Dark Tower) or in the way the different authors present their ideas (haunted cemeteries, pale and beautiful gothic beauties, forbidden love that forever haunts the unfortunate ones, dark and sinister clouds that blocks out the sun, scary gargoyles staring down at the mortals, and so on). But then again, Tales From the Dark Tower IS a gothic collection, the authors are goths, the readers are goths, it's all a big gothic get-together and thus the stories should and could not be written any other way.

As I write this I have the book next to me on the desk. It looks beautiful. And I'm jealous on all the people out there who have still to discover it. I usually don't read a book twice, but this time I think I have to reconsider.

And I hope a sequel one day will see the light of day. Or rather, the darkness of the night.

The definition of Beauty.......2005-11-23

Mind Blowing!.......2004-08-28

I am not actually Mike, I'm his 14 year old daughter, just so ya know.... I found the book at Hot Topic and i just HAD to buy it. (It was only 15 dollars at the time, so go to hottopic.com to buy it, it is still like 4 dollars cheaper!) This book is absolutely AMAZING! If you are into gothic "fantasy" this is definitely the book for you! It is full of lavish illustrations bu Joseph Vargo of Monolith Graphics...I couldnt put the book down once i opened it! The various authors -including Joseph Vargo- do a wonderful job of painting a mental picture for you with their words. I would recomend this story to anyone looking for an extremely well put together book, but the squeamish should probably stay away, because of excess blood spillage. ... I would read it a thousand times, maybe more..if only i had the time.. Anyway, its a great read!

You may also be interested in The Gothic Tarot. Joseph Vargo came up with and illustrated it all by himself! His talents are unbelieveable! ...You can get the Gothic Tarot from Hot Topic or hottopic.com, when i purchased the deck it was only $16!!

Awsome Book..........2003-05-22

It's got great tales, awsome art work, and sexy scenes. You can't get any better than this.

Beautiful art for the gothic side of our souls..........2001-10-11

This is an amazing book for any horror/goth enthusiast. The art inside the book is disturbing and gorgeous. This is the most decadent book that I have ever picked up. I loved every page of it. If you love vampires, ghouls, and the supernatural--buy this book. It is one of a kind. A+

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Book #2 in the Crimson City Series
DISAPPOINTED
Oh yeah!
Unexpectedly interesting and thought-provoking story
Liu is for everyone's MUST BUY list!

A Taste of Crimson (Crimson City)
Marjorie M. Liu
Manufacturer: Love Spell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0505526328

Book Description

Los Angeles is no longer the City of Angels; dark things haunt its streets - dark, restless things. Bodies have been found, and the tentative peace between humans, vampires and werewolves teeters on the brink of collapse. Keeli Maddox needs to know why. If she and her kin are to survive, she must trust a man as different from her as night from day, as tooth from claw. He's a slayer, a betrayer, an enemy. But nobility lurks in dark places, and Keeli herself is no stranger to shadow. As sure as the moon will rise, Michael was meant for her. Life is about to change. Only three things will remain: the color of blood, the hot joy of skin on skin, and the danger in...A TASTE OF CRIMSON.

Customer Reviews:

Book #2 in the Crimson City Series.......2007-08-15

This was Keeli Maddox, granddaughter of werewolves, teams up with Michael, vampire law enforcement.

I enjoyed reading this book. Both characters were delightful.

We are introduced to the "demon world" here...

Fast past, well written. Wonderful read!

DISAPPOINTED.......2007-02-25

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE VAMPIRE AND WEREWOLF BOOKS AND I BOUGHT THIS ONE BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY HAD BOTH.

I MADE IT PAGE 23 WHERE I RAN INTO THE WORD "F____D". I ABSOLUTELY HATE BAD LANGUAGE IN BOOKS, MOVIES, ETC. I AM OF THE BELIEF THAT PEOPLE WHO USE IT HAVE LESS THAN AVERAGE INTELLIGENCE OR THEY WOULD HAVE USE PROPER ENGLISH AND NOT SPOIL THESE BOOKS FOR THOSE OF US WHO CANNOT ABIDE IT.

I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER BOOK BY THIS AUTHOR AS I WOULD NOT WILLINGLY CONTRIBUTE TO SOMEONE'S INCOME WHO HAS NO BETTER SENSE THAN TO WRITE BOOKS WHICH WILL OFFEND.

I WILL STICK WITH CHRISTINE FEEHAN, SHERRILYN KENYON, AMANDA ASHLEY, ETC. MARVELOUS AUTHORS WHO KEEP ME NICELY SUPPLIED WITH TOTALLY ENJOYABLE PARANORMAL LITERATURE.

SARA JANE TURNER

Oh yeah!.......2007-02-18

I loved the mixture of Werewolf and Vampire--and a love story that was just to good to put down!

Unexpectedly interesting and thought-provoking story.......2006-12-07

When you do a random library pick you often end up with complete rubbish - I picked "A Taste Of Crimson" from a shelf in the sci-fi category without expecting too much of it - the cover image had a wolf howling at the moon overlaid with a picture of a man in a big cloak running down a road. The blurb on the back seemed overblown and cheesy (as usual) so I expected another run-of-the-mill vampire-werewolf-romance-thriller-chiller story.

"A Taste Of Crimson" surprised me. Yes, it is a story whose main characters are werewolves and vampires. Yes, it's a romance with all the usual trimmings. Yes, there are heroes and heroines and magical vampirey/werewolfy things going on. But there is a very strong theme running through this book that is definitely not run-of-the-mill - it's the theme of acceptance or ostracism of those different to you.

In the Los Angeles of this book, the humans are aware of the vampires and werewolves but are afraid of them and are starting to discriminate against them; werewolves are the bottom of the pile as they aren't rich, well-dressed and sexy like the vampires, so our heroine Keeli Maddox, a werewolf, can barely hold down a waitressing job because of the suspicion with which she is faced. And it's not only the humans who dislike the werewolves, there is also huge mutual antagonism between the vampire and werewolf community. Thus when Keeli meets Michael, a vampire assassin (he kills vampires that have gone rogue and is therefore disliked by his own kind), they face huge difficulties from both her culture and his over their relationship. What is so good about this book is the way in which these problems are described. This may sound a bit trite but sometimes reading this made me think of Germany pre World War 2 when various minority groupings in society were demonised and discriminated against, and often those behaving the worst to these minorities were other minorities. The werewolves and the vampires can't get along but they have to learn to work together in order to deal with the expected future problems from the humans.

Keeli and Michael find themselves working together to find the murderer of vampires - and the evidence suggests that a werewolf is carrying out these killings. The human police don't care about deaths within the supernatural community and so Keeli and Michael are battling against indifference from all but one of the human police and obstructiveness from the werewolves and vampires. Plus Keeli is finding herself becoming stronger and having to avoid challenges to the Alpha of her clan as well as having to do physical battle against those who want to punish her because of her relationship with a vampire. Michael has his own demons - his past as an assassin as well as some less-than-savoury events in his distant past. The way in which two flawed people work together to try and help their ungrateful kin is well written.

As in many books in the sci-fi genre there is a certain element of "Deus ex machine" to help the author out of tricky areas in the plot - in this case Grindla, a demon. What do you do when you need to rescue someone from a Fort Knox-type building? Well, you find your own handy demon who can magic you in and out just like that. And what about the short life span of werewolves compared to the almost-immortal vampires, when your hero and heroine have found each other? Well, perhaps your friendly demon Grindla can help with that too. Perhaps this is slightly lazy writing for an author but overall I didn't mind - the story has so many merits that one or two things like this are acceptable. I found it an enjoyable book to read and apart from a slightly slow section in the middle it kept my interest and I enjoyed finding out about the characters as they learned about themselves and I learned about this new world that they inhabited.

Liu is for everyone's MUST BUY list!.......2006-09-24

I loved this book, hated for it to end. I hope the rest of this series' titles are as excellent? For fans of paranormal fiction--romance & otherwise--action, suspense, drama, werewolves, vampires, magick, there's more than something for every reader interest. Liu's work is better than my now OLD favorites (of this genre) such as Feehan & Kenyon, & one of the top 50 BEST books of my long years (& out of millions). This story is as much ART as romance--though not in an overly stuffy literate, artsy-fartsy way--as much best seller fiction & action novel, as about learning to embrace ones' self warts & all. No boring or slow moments, no cliches, & nothing predictable--what a fresh voice & perspective Liu brings to the fiction table!
Other authors in related genres need to WAKE UP AND TAKE NOTES from Liu, please--no formulaic, template-driven, just-change-the-names, same-old-plot garbage romance readers are used to (even, alas, in the paranormal realm). I guarantee an awesome reader experience, no matter what your personal bent is. I just wish the entire series were written by Liu!
Here are two brief passages from page 279 that stick with me as an example of her fresh new voice & way with words:
FIRST:"So what's the story with The Bloody Pulp? Why is it the hot place for all the lowlifes?" [Keelie]
"No one asks questions and the blood is cheap and good." [Michael]

SECOND:"Keeli wanted to throw her arms around his body & hold him tight against her, tight enough to anchor his feet to the ground so he would not go into that awful place without her; but she...knew him well enough to understand his determination, and so she did not move when he left her side and crossed the street, a DARK FIGURE IN SUNLIGHT, GLIDING INTO THE GRAY, THE DIRTY, ALONE."

A Companion to the Gothic (Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture (Paper))

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A Companion to the Gothic (Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture (Paper))

Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0631231994

Book Description

The Gothic has become in recent years an enormously popular and respected field of study. Courses dealing wholly or partly with Gothic writing are now standard in English and cultural studies departments across the world. In response to this extraordinary growth and expansion, David Punter has compiled a Companion designed to become the standard reference work for scholars and students. As well as providing a series of stimulating insights into Gothic writing, its history and genealogy, the volume also offers comprehensive coverage of criticism of the Gothic and of the various theoretical approaches it has inspired and spawned.The Companion consists of 25 substantial essays, arranged in five sections: Gothic Backgrounds; The Original Gothic; Nineteenth- and Twentieth-century Transmutations; Ideas about the Gothic; and the Continuing Debate. These are accompanied by a substantial introduction and a bibliography of primary and secondary materials.Each essay is written by a leading scholar in the field. In addition to providing accounts of major authors and texts, the essays explore European and American dimensions of Gothic; Gothic painting; the British ghost story; horror fiction; psychoanalytic, historicist and feminist approaches to the Gothic; Gothic cinema; and issues of counterfeit, madness and magic realism in relation to Gothic materials.

The Cambridge Companion to Gothic Fiction (Cambridge Companions to Literature)

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An Good Start to the Gothic

The Cambridge Companion to Gothic Fiction (Cambridge Companions to Literature)

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Reference | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0521794668

Book Description

Fourteen world-class experts on the Gothic provide thorough accounts of this haunting-to-horrifying genre from the 1760s to the end of the twentieth century. Essays explore the connections of Gothic fictions to political and industrial revolutions, the realistic novel, the theater, Romantic and post-Romantic poetry, nationalism and racism from Europe to America, colonized and post-colonial populations, the rise of film, the struggles between "high" and "popular" culture, and changing attitudes towards human identity, life and death, sanity and madness. The volume also includes a chronology and guides to further reading.

Customer Reviews:

An Good Start to the Gothic.......2007-01-05

This book is a wonderful start to anyone wanting to look at the idea of the Gothic. I'm a graduate student in English, and this book has been a great tool in helping me with my course work. The book gives you a good overview of the various types and periods of Gothic, including the more modern topics such as films and video games. It is a good starting off point that can help direct your scholarship in the right direction, as well as making you literate as to what exactly the Gothic is and where it has been. I highly recommend it.

The Monsters: Mary Shelley and the Curse of Frankenstein

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Great Gothic History
I wasn't sure what to expect...
The Most Famous Gothic House Party Ever Held!
A surprising error
Terrifically insightful look at the Diodati Circle

The Monsters: Mary Shelley and the Curse of Frankenstein
Dorothy Hoobler , and Thomas Hoobler
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316000787

Book Description

On a dark and stormy night in 1816, on the shore of Lake Geneva in Switzerland, Lord Byron, famed English poet, challenged his friends to a contestto write a ghost story. The assembled group included the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley; his lover (and future wife) Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin; Marys stepsister Claire Claremont; and Byrons physician, John William Polidori. The famous result of that night was Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, a work that appeared in print two years later and has retained its hold on the popular imagination for almost two centuries. Less well-known was Polidoris work, the first vampire novel. It too would inspire a legend (and most directly Bram Stokers Dracula), as well as many nightmares. And the evening begat a curse, too: Within a few years of Frankensteins publication, nearly all of those involved met untimely deaths. THE MONSTERS tells the riveting story of the real-life characters surrounding the creation of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein. It reveals not just the origins of two of the most famous monsters in popular culture, but the monstrous nature of the young people who gathered on the shore of Lake Geneva. Gripping and spooky, THE MONSTERS is unforgettable.

Customer Reviews:

Great Gothic History.......2007-05-21

This book focuses on the life of Mary Shelley, which was tragic. It appears to be well-researched (I don't know enough to contradict any of their conclusions) and was very interesting, one of my nightly "just before I go to sleep" reads. There is plenty of detail about the lives of Mary's parents, her family, her very famous husband, Percy, and other historical individuals, most notably Lord Byron. But the authors keep the pace moving and do not get bogged down in dull details.

I particularly enjoyed the fact that the authors freely gave their opinion on Mary and the people in her life, making the biography more accessible and less a dry textbook. There is some very interesting (and spooky) details about Percy's early death and Mary's bizarre reaction to it. They also attempt to dispel the lurid falsehoods told by Lord Byron's enemies and paint a portrait of the true man, one of Europe's first celebrity idols. He was still a bad character, and I cannot help but wonder how Mary's personal life would have improved if she and Percy had never met the man; however, would Frankenstein been written and Percy become a belated star?

I came away from the novel with a deep sense of pathos about Mary and a new sense of her greatness in literary history. In a way, Mary's life was a Gothic horror story, full of real life monstrous individuals.

I wasn't sure what to expect... .......2007-03-07

I bought this book because I was curious as to the origins of "Frankenstein" and walked away with a desire to learn a lot more about the central figures. The authors do an excellent job of recalling the life of Mary Shelley (which was tragic) and the rest of the group that met that "dark and stormy night" in 1816 to tell ghost stories.
Lord Byron, Percy Shelley and John Polidori were all figures I knew marginally but the Hooblers have made them live in the pages of this wonderfully diverse study. They were fascinating people.
I recommend this book wholeheartedly. There are very few biographies as engaging as "The Monsters". Anyone with an interest in literature, monsters or just interesting people will enjoy this book.

The Most Famous Gothic House Party Ever Held!.......2007-03-03

Outstanding biographical history of author Mary Shelley's life. Includes a detailed examination of the "haunted summer of 1816," where the most famous gothic "house party" ever held would serve as the inspiration for two classics of horror literature, John Polidori's The Vampyre and Mary Shelley's, Frankenstein.

A surprising error.......2007-03-02

I haven't finished the book yet. In a discussion of the novel's characters' names (p 155) the authors three times identify Victor Frankenstein's father as "Adolphus," when it is in fact "Alphonse." A very minor error, you might say. In fact the matter of names and language is not a trivial aspect of the novel, as the Hooblers themselves argue. The name Mary Shelley invents for Victor's father reflects a hybrid nationality that comes up repeatedly throughout the story (e.g. Victor is "by birth a Genevese" who was born in Naples, Italy and educated in Bavaria). "Adolphus Frankenstein" sounds just German. "Alphonse Frankenstein" suggests an amalgam of origins--not unlike the Creature?

Terrifically insightful look at the Diodati Circle.......2006-12-19

The Monsters by Dorothy & Thomas Hoobler is a fascinating read about the creation of the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. The book traces Mary's family tree as well as the other members of the Diodati circle in a way that gives a great deal of insight into their characters. Both Percy Bysshe Shelley and Lord Byron come off as the foolish geniuses they were. The authors spend a great deal of time sorting out the two men's various affairs, but apparently that's what they had to do as well! The real victim of these men and their foibles were their children. Percy and Mary lost four of their five children before the age of four. And Byron's abandonment of his daughter seems especially tragic as she died not long after. The Hooblers do a terrific job of analyzing Frankenstein in a way relevant for our time as well as Mary's, and they see parallels between Percy, William Godwin (Mary's father) and Dr. Victor Frankenstein. The insightful writing gives the reader extreme sympathy for Mary. She identified with the monster in her book because it had been rejected by its father figure, much as Mary was not only by her father, but also by her mentor Percy. The monsters in this book are not the kind of nightmares; they are the monster from Mary's famous book. Every one of them felt alone and cut off from the world, just like the monster. It's a universal human feeling, which is why Frankenstein has resonated through the years more strongly that Shelley's or Byron's poems, and the young woman who was ignored by the poets has outshone them finally.

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