Irish Born

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Makes your heart and soul want to go to Ireland

Wonderful Irish Nora..wonderful stories...2nd REPRINT

IRISH BORN

My First Nora Roberts

Exceptional Irish Romance

Irish Born
Nora Roberts
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0425195899
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Customer Reviews:

Makes your heart and soul want to go to Ireland.......2007-04-06

Of all the books I have read by Nora Roberts it is hard for me to say which one I enjoyed the most. But I must say that Irish Born is one that I will always remember.

Maggie is hard hearted due to the life she had as a child but the artist in her is all she lives for until she meets Rogan. The love she finds in him is not what she wants until he shows her what life will be like with someone whose love her and will always be there.

Brianna has a soft heart and tries to mother and take care of everyone in her family and the people who come to stay at her B & B. But then the American writer Grayson comes into her life and steals her heart then tells her this is not what he wants and turns and walks away.

Shannon is the sister that Maggie and Brianna knew nothing about until the letters are found. She goes to Ireland to meet her half sisters and finds that love has a way taking hold of your heart and soul even when you don't want it to. But Murphy is not going to give up.

You will also find yourself loathing the mother to the point you want to strangle her.

If you read this book I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Wonderful Irish Nora..wonderful stories...2nd REPRINT.......2007-03-30

These are three great stories, HOWEVER...if you have lots of Nora's already, double-check to make sure that you don't have these already since this is the SECOND time these have been issued as a trilogy. Makes you really wonder about the quality of this publisher's current crop of writers, doesn't it. The grade does not reflect the author or the stories, just the publisher's tacky audaciousness at reissuing these again.

IRISH BORN.......2007-03-27

I'm a Nora Roberts fan.This book is a triology (Born in Fire, Born in Ice and Born in Shame)of tree sister in Ireland. I loved all.

My First Nora Roberts.......2006-10-27

This was my first Nora Roberts, and was given to me by my sister while I was visiting her. I had finished the book I took with me and my sister gave me this book to read.

This is actually a single book containing the three stories in the Irish Born Trilogy (Born in Fire, Born in Ice, Born in Shame). The three stories flow together wonderfully, as do all of Nora Roberts' Trilogies. I couldn't put this book down. My other sister was trying to talk to me on our plane home and I kept telling her to shut up so I could read...I'm sure it annoyed her, but what the hey...it's a good book!

I love to read and read a lot. I would say this was my second favorite Nora Roberts Trilogy, following closely behind the Key Trilogy (Key of Light, Key of Knowledge, Key of Valor), but not far behind. If you're a fan or have never read Nora, but are interested in trying something new, I would certainly recommend this book.

Exceptional Irish Romance.......2006-07-30

My absolute favorite Irish romance. This book is actually three books in one. There are three sisters and each sister has her own story that overlaps into a wonderful and fantastic book. Born in Fire is about Margaret Mary (Maggie) Concannon and Rogan Sweeney. Rogan owns Worldwide Galleries and wants Maggie's astonishing glass creations in his gallery. He sets out to acquire her artistic talent and finds her fiery personality is not something he can forget. Born in Ice is about Brianna (Brie) Concannon and Grayson Thane. Brie runs the local B & B named Blackthorne Cottage. Gray is writing a mystery novel and needs the solitude of Blackthorne to help him finish it. Brie is kind and generous and Gray wants isolation while guarding his lonely past. He finds himself drawn into Brie's family life and realizes that he wants to part of that life too. Born in Shame is Shannon Bodine and Murphy Muldoon's story. Shannon finds out that Maggie and Brie are her half-sisters and comes to Ireland to reluctantly get to know them. Like Gray she is drawn into their family life and soon finds love has been waiting for her in Ireland all along. An extraordinary book by an extraordinary author. I was drawn into the story from the first page. Nora Roberts writes with such humor and description. When I closed my eyes I could picture Maggie's workshop, Blackthorne Cottage, Murphy's farm, O'Malley's pub and the countryside of the village of Kilmihil.

Beany Malone Series - 14 Book Set (Beany Malone)

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AMAZING SERIES!! IS A MUST READ!

Beany Malone Series - 14 Book Set (Beany Malone)

Manufacturer: Image Cascade Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Love & Romance | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: B000G02BF6

Product Description

The 14 Book Beany Malone Set includes: Meet the Malones; Beany Malone; Leave It to Beany; Beany and the Beckoning Road; Beany Has a Secret Life; Make a Wish for Me; Happy Birthday, Dear Beany; The More the Merrier; A Bright Star Falls; Welcome Stranger; Pick a New Dream; Tarry Awhile; Something Borrowed, Something Blue; Come Back, Wherever You Are. The Malones of Denver, Colorado are a warm open-hearted family with a welcoming home, open to friends and all others in need of physical and emotional nourishment. The series has the warmth and sense of solidarity intrinsic of wartimes and the post-war era. There is a general feeling of peace and simplicity. When the series opens, the Malone children are motherless, as Mary Malone has been dead for three years. The father, Martie Malone, is often absent due to his duties as editor of the Denver Call. Three of the four Malone children, Mary Fred, Johnny and Beany, live at home. The oldest Malone daughter, the beautiful, loving Elizabeth, has been married to Lieutenant Donald McCallin for one year. The Malones live on Barberry Street in a large, wide-bosomed gray stone home. Their surrounding neighbors are Mrs. Morrison Adams (known as Mrs. Socially-prominent Adams) in her red brick home with immaculate white trim and frilly curtains in the windows, and the imposing and stately home of the Judge Buell family.

Customer Reviews:

AMAZING SERIES!! IS A MUST READ!.......2006-06-24

I got the entire series this past Christmas. I had read the first 2 because although my library had more, they didn't have all of them, and they didn't have the 3rd and I don't like to read things out of order so I was really sad. So then I was soo happy to find out they were being republished by Image Cascading!!!

So yea I read them all and they all rock!!! It's nice seeing what teenagers did back in the 50's. And it was also nice how different people's relationships were with their family's, I wish it were more like that today. And they are also way more responsible and mature then we are now. Making their own money, not having to depend on their parents for everything. And their parents respect and trust them more too! And they definatly treat their parents with much respect which is ALOT more then I can say about kids of today.

The first book is about Beany's older sister, Mary Fred. It is in MF's junior year of highschool, when Beany is in 8th grade. The rest of the books are all about Beany, in highschool, college, and then when she gets married. And let me just say I LOVE who she ends up with. They are SOOO cute!!!

Everyone should read these books they are amazing and are definatly one of my favorite books ever!

The Verneys: A True Story of Love, War and Madness in Seventeenth-Century England

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The Verneys: A True Story of Love, War and Madness in Seventeenth-Century England
Adrian Tinniswood
Manufacturer: Jonathan Cape
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0224072552
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Book Description

From the chance discovery in an attic of thousands of letters comes this fascinating story of an English family in the seventeenth century. The Verneys is narrative social history at its best.

Sonnets from the Portuguese: A Celebration 0f Love

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A Wonderful Introduction to a Talented Poet
Poems of Love
Wonderful collection of poetry.

Sonnets from the Portuguese: A Celebration 0f Love
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 031274501X
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Book Description

Elizabeth Barrett Browning was a prolific writer and reviewer in the Victorian period, and in her lifetime, her reputation as a poet was at least as great as that of her husband, poet Robert Browning. Some of her poetry has been noted in recent years for strong feminist themes, but the poems for which Elizabeth Barrett Browning is undoubtedly best know are Sonnets from the Portuguese.Written for Robert Browning, who had affectionately nicknamed her his "little Portuguese," the sequence is a celebration of marriage, and of one of the most famous romances of the nineteenth century. Recognized for their Victorian tradition and discipline, these are some of the most passionate and memorable love poems in the English language. There are forty-four poems in the collection, including the very beautiful sonnet, "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways."

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Introduction to a Talented Poet.......2006-08-31

This is a wonderful collection of poetry by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, telling the story of her meeting Robert Browning and how she discovered her love for him, and his love for her. The introduction to this volume is especially helpful, in that it gives a brief summary of her life before she met and Browning, so that one can follow the narrative fairly easily. Some of the references in the poems are a bit obscure, so it would have been nice if there were notes accompyaning them, but on the whole this is a very nice introduction to a talented poet.

Poems of Love.......2003-01-03

My ex girlfriend, Ashleigh, gave this to me years ago, before she was forced by her family to marry this guy named Tyler. Long story but she sent this book to me and signed the inside.

Next to Shakespeare, this is the most bittersweet and poetic
poems of love that I have ever read.

It was said that a husband and wife team wrote these so one can only imagine how passionate their marriage was, huh?

Wonderful collection of poetry........1999-12-19

The book brings together the best of Elizabeth barret Browning. It is a wonderful, emotional book. I enjoy poetry, especially good kind. this is it.

Average customer rating:

easy read
dissapointing!!
Nuala and Dermot Michael go back to Ireland
Wearing Thin
Enchanting variations on a theme

Irish Love (A Nuala Anne McGrail Novel)
Andrew M. Greeley
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0812576063

Amazon.com

Irish Love follows the story of winsome couple Dermot Michael Coyne and Nuala Anne McGrail as they vacation on the western coast of Ireland. Though Nuala is recovering from the stress of her demanding musical career and the birth of their second child, she still has the wherewithal to sense the evil intentions of past and present criminals.

Over 100 years after a mass murder occurred, Nuala and Dermot discover an old diary that chronicles the investigation of that murder and the trial and conviction of an innocent man. As they read about the young journalist Edward Fitzpatrick, they begin to uncover a story that still angers the local inhabitants. As a series of modern crimes occurs, Dermot and Nuala wonder if there is a connection between the past and the present.

That author Andrew M. Greeley has done his homework is evident in his careful reconstruction of a historical time period and a fact-based crime. The story line of Fitzpatrick and the past murders is by far the more interesting one, and readers may happily skip to these italicized sections without missing much about Dermot and Nuala. Good fiction has great conflicts, and the Fitzpatrick story line has enough to keep your interest. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien

Book Description

Continuing the enchanting chronicles of the fabulous Nuala Anne McGrail and her spear-carrying husband Dermot, bestselling author Andrew M. Greeley takes them once again to Ireland for another thrill-packed adventure.Back on the Emerald Isle, Nuala and Dermot soon get the feeling that someone is out to get them. They find themselves dodging multiple explosions, and someone starts shooting at Nuala while she is water-skiing in the cold Atlantic. Meanwhile, the handsome parish priest, Father Jack, has given Dermot the diary of a young Chicago newspaperman. Written in the year 1882, the diary tells in horrendous detail an intriguing story of a mass murder and a trumped-up trial in which one of Ireland's greatest heroes was accused of the murders without a shred of evidence. These two stories, ancient and modern, soon get mixed up, and they make for an utterly fascinating tale of murder, betrayal, and redemption with Nuala and her magical powers at the center of it all. Andrew Greeley not only tells us a riveting tale of adventure and derring-do, he gives us a picture of modern-day prosperous Ireland and the engaging and, of course, sometimes villainous people who live there.

Customer Reviews:

easy read .......2005-08-22

A bit to formula for my taste, no big surprises. Certainly not the best of the Nuala Anne McGrail series. Beach reading but doesn't hold your attention.

dissapointing!!.......2002-03-24

Andrew Greeley has lost his sense of identity as a priest, otherwise he would not have published something so close to romance (code word for print-a-porn). As an alledged catholic, he is a heretic (at least in that novel). As for the rest of the book, it is a lot of sentimentalistic Irish-American superstition and drivel; taking place in an Ireland which the real Irish cannot recognize. terribly dissapointing!

Nuala and Dermot Michael go back to Ireland.......2001-11-12

Nuala Anne is suffering from post natal depression and in keeping with her character she has a pretty severe case. She gives up singing and doubts herself in everything. Her doctor prescribes Prozac and a trip home. Of course, they can't have a quiet trip. Fiona the wolfhound is pregnant, and the TD next doot has his house blown up. More disturbing, while on a walk through some ruins nearby, both Nuala Anne and Nelliecoyne see a scene of murder from the distant past. Apparently, a man was wrongfully accused of the murders and hanged for the crime. The local priest, Jack Lane, finds part of a journal, written by an American reporter who was there at the time, that tells the whole story as it happened. Nuala, Jack Lane, and Dermot have to find the rest of the journal and the fate of the murdered man's family.

This is pretty typical of the series. Nuala has a crisis of some kind, she finds a mystery in the past, she solves the mystery and her problems at the same time. Each one of the mysteries, however is very well done, with just a little bit of Irish history thrown in.

Wearing Thin.......2001-09-22

I have loved every other Nuala Anne McGrail novel that Andrew M. Greeley has written, so it was somewhat of a disappointment to me that I did not love this book as much. Although I enjoyed it to a degree, I felt myself predicting future events and had nearly figured out the entire plot by halfway through. After I read the author's note at the end where he explains his formula, I realized the problem. The Nuala Anne McGrail books have become too obviously formulaic, and it's making otherwise delightful characters go just a little bit stale. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a quick read, you might want to try this one. Just don't expect anything terribly different from the others.

Enchanting variations on a theme.......2001-04-27

Dermott Michael, Nuala Anne, and the growing Coyne family have returned from Chicago to the West of Ireland. Our author, Father Greeley, gently reminds those with faint understanding of "The Troubles" in Ireland that there is more involved than religion - a history of British occupational forces and their progeny. Time to sing along with Johnny Horton? o/~ "In 1814, we took a little trip, along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Missipp. We took a little bacon & we took a little beans and we fought the Bloody British in the town of New Orleans." o/~ But, of course, that Colonel Jackson went on to become President Andrew Jackson and besmirch himself and our fledgling Nation during the course of his forced march of Native Americans on the "Trail of Tears."

In "Irish Love," Father Greeley has again interwoven a compelling and interesting historical tale with the equally interesting modern day Coynes, this time adeptly comparing the trials and tribulations of the Indigenous Irish to those of Native Americans:

"We're not talking about justice out here, son. We're talking about controlling an uncivilized people and placating Dublin Castle and Westminister. Bolton is not a nice fellow, but London needs someone like him out here." [page 105] "he was in much the same position as a Sioux or an Apache who did not know a word of English in an American courtroom without an interpreter." [page 173]

One more song to conclude this review: o/~ "Oh Lord, take me back. I want to ride in Geronimo's Cadillac." o/~

Book Description

Mary Queen of Scots was a romantic and tragic figure. The story of the 'Casket Letters' adds richly to the enigma and mystery - eight letters, a love sonnet and two contracts, allegedly written by Mary to her lover, implicated Mary in her husband's murder and 'proved' her adultery. This forensic re-examination of the controversy, the latest historiography, and the huge literature it has generated together with an accessible presentation of the 'Letters', is a detailed and powerful study for both scholar and general reader and illuminates sharply the dramatic events leading to Mary's imprisonment and eventual execution.

The Metaphysics of Love: Studies in Renaissance Love Poetry from Dante to Milton

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The Metaphysics of Love: Studies in Renaissance Love Poetry from Dante to Milton
Albert James Smith
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Wales | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0521259088

Book Description

This book is an important study of European love poetry from Dante to Milton. It contrasts some of the ways whereby major Renaissance poets express a conflict between sensual love and spiritual love. For these poets love arouses metaphysical disquiet, throwing into relief the frailties and contradictions of human nature. The argument grows out of a close comparison of passages in Dante’s Divina Comedia, and Milton’s Paradise Lost. The extensive survey of conceptions of sacred and secular love is the basis for studies of other major texts: Petrarch’s I Trionfi, Michelangelo’s love poems, Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, Shakespeare’s Sonnets, Donne’s love poetry and prose writings, Caroline lyrics, Vaughan’s Silex Scintillans, and Milton’s Paradise Regained. Though presenting a wide-ranging account of the evolution of ideas of love from the twelfth to the seventeenth century, the book is essentially concerned with the way in which contrasting attitudes are experienced and proved in the poetry, and contribute to each poet’s distinctive understanding of love.

The Knight, the Lady and the Priest: The Making of Modern Marriage in Medieval France

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Still the best introduction for the nonspecialist on marriage in France during the High Middle Ages
It tells the male side of the story better than the female!
AND EVERYONE THINKS THE FRENCH ARE OH SO ROMANTIC?!

The Knight, the Lady and the Priest: The Making of Modern Marriage in Medieval France
Georges Duby
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0226167682

Book Description

This ambitious study sets out to discover what marriage meant in the daily lives of the nobles of the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth centuries. Through entertaining anecdotes, family dramas, and striking quotations, Duby succeeds in bringing his subjects to life, making us feel as if we understand the motives and conflicts of those who inhabited the distant past.

"It is typical of Duby's modest spirit and his book-long concern with the ancient status of beleaguered wives that he ends his study with a plea: 'We must not forget the women. Much has already been said about them. But how much do we really know?' Not everything, certainly, but far more than we did before the author began these charmingly erudite investigations."—Ken Turan, Time

"It is refreshing to find a historian who is always conscious that we simply do not know what or how people thought 1000 years ago. . . . Duby explains the complicated machinations of the medieval churchman and the paterfamilias in a scholarly but lively style."—Sarah Lawson, New Statesman

"Duby has written an extraordinarily rich book—a panoramic view of medieval marriage and the relations between men and women, full of arresting insights and human detail. . . . It is the work of a master historian at the peak of his powers on a subject of central relevance, compulsive and essential reading."—P. Stafford, British History

Georges Duby (1919-1996) was a member of the Académie française and for many years held the distinguished chair in medieval history at the Collège de France. His books include The Three Orders; The Age of Cathedrals; The Knight, the Lady, and the Priest; Love and Marriage in the Middle Ages; and History Continues, all published by the University of Chicago Press.

Customer Reviews:

Still the best introduction for the nonspecialist on marriage in France during the High Middle Ages.......2006-11-07

Studies on medieval marriage have become a cottage industry of sorts--with no small thanks to Georges Duby and, particularly, "The Knight, the Lady, and the Priest," along with its predecessor, "Medieval Marriage." Duby was not the first to explore the topic (and he notes that research was "not nearly so advanced in France as in the English-speaking countries"), but his studies were valuable for launching a parallel investigation on the Continent.

Duby traces the development of marriage as an institution, from its (to us) primitive precedents in the tenth and eleventh century--when a marriage could be the result of an abduction as much as of an arrangement--to the increasing role of the church in defining (and controlling) marriage as a sacrament. But Duby doesn't discuss this transition alone. Along the way, and in several "case studies" of royal and aristocratic marriages, he examines the lasting prevalence of concubinage, both among the laity and the clergy; divorce and remarriage; dowery and inheritance; and attitudes towards adultery.

Furthermore, and in much greater detail, he analyzes the use and misuse of prohibitions regarding consanguinity--that is, blood kinship, which initially was considered to the seventh degree. "When spread out over seven generations and linked to the notion of incest, the field of consanguinity was literally beyond measure, with so many people excluded from availability that it was impossible to observe the prohibition." So, more often than not, it used as a matter of convenience for every aristocrat seeking to annul his marriage.

Most of the material--and of its analysis--are from the point of view of aristocratic and royal men, both because of the dearth of documents and because they were all written by men (the goldmine of Christine de Pisan and her contemporaries wouldn't exist until 300 years after the period under investigation). Duby acknowledges this shortcoming at the outset: "my study of medieval marriage brought me to the frontiers of an unknown realm: the world of women," and he hoped a new generation of scholars would help him in his subsequent investigations. That so little has been published for the nonscholar during the 25 years since Duby published this work testifies to the dearth of material, the difficulties in the exploration of this topic, and the enduring importance of his contribution.

It tells the male side of the story better than the female!.......2001-09-21

This book is a classic in the field and certainly brings out a lot of issues into the arena of discussion. Duby had a blind spot, however, in that he frequently saw women simply as objects of exchange among men rather than as active participants in and shapers of the concepts of marriage and family that he's describing. Still a fascinating read and probably still essentially correct.

AND EVERYONE THINKS THE FRENCH ARE OH SO ROMANTIC?!.......2000-08-04

First of all, this is a scholarly book. However, just because it is academic does not mean it is dull. Far from it. Georges Duby was one of the leading historians/social theorists of the 20th century. Most of his career was spent in the south of France but when he was finally lured to Paris, his lectures were so popular that people waited in line to obtain tickets to hear the good professor. Professor Duby's was a long a fruitful career. His concerns were with the economics of the early Middle Ages and the records of the Counts of Guise in northern France. From the patterns of marriage of these ambitious men, Duby found the beginnings of the marriage practices of today. Duby shows how these ambitious men manipulated pedigrees and married and discarded wives in order to increase their wealth and power. Love had nothing to do with it. Like many French histories, this one is not burdened with footnotes. It originated in a series of lectures that Duby gave in this country, which probably accounts for the streamlined presentation of material. I think it is an important book for legal historians, but its value would not be lost on feminists or Francophiles and people who love the Middle Ages.

Northanger Abbey, Lady Susan, The Watsons, Sanditon (Oxford World's Classics)

Average customer rating:

A 'nice' collection of early Austen and a few out-takes

Northanger Abbey, Lady Susan, The Watsons, Sanditon (Oxford World's Classics)
Jane Austen
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0192840827

Book Description

'...in suspecting General Tilney of either murdering or shutting up his wife, she had scarcely sinned against his character, or magnified his cruelty.' Northanger Abbey is about the misadventures of Catherine Morland, young, ingenuous, and mettlesome, and an indefatigable reader of gothic novels. Their romantic excess and dark overstatement feed her imagination, as tyrannical fathers and diabolical villains work their evil on forlorn heroines in isolated settings. What could be more remote from the uneventful securities of life in the midland counties of England? Yet as Austen brilliantly contrasts fiction with reality, ordinary life takes a more sinister turn, and edginess and circumspection are reaffirmed alongside comedy and literary burlesque. Also including Austen's other short fictions, Lady Susan, The Watsons, and Sanditon, this valuable new edition examines the ambitious and innovative works with which she inaugurated as well as closed her career.

Customer Reviews:

A 'nice' collection of early Austen and a few out-takes.......2005-05-24

This book brings together Austen's earliest novel, Northanger Abbey (although it was not published for many years after completion), with some of her earlier works and her final, unfinished, piece Sanditon.
This edition also has a fine introduction, which gives an interesting view of Austen's works and fleshes out some of the details surrounding the three lesser known works.
Northanger Abbey is, of course, the best known of these works, and a review follows below. Of the other three pieces, Lady Susan is the only completed one.
It follows the epistolary format that Austen experimented with extensively in her early career, but ultimately abandons the format, a little disappointingly.
It is an engaging piece, and the Lady Susan of the title is a vivacious, although reprehensible, character. Lady Susan has by far the strongest voice of the piece, but it is unclear whether she is truly intended as the heroine, or whether our sympathies should lie with her hapless daughter Frederica. Lady Susan is certainly a much more determined flirt than any of Austen's other major characters, and much older too (although perhaps not wiser).
The Watsons is a much shorter fragment, also dating from Austen's earlier career. It is darker in tone than her other works, and seems to tend more towards realism. It seems that this may be one of the reasons she chose not to finish the piece, although it seems that she ultimately intended for the piece to have a happy ending.
Sanditon is Austen's final work, begun shortly before her death and, sadly, never finished. The piece appears to have had a great deal of scope, describing the life and a times of the seaside resort of Sanditon. The tone and outlook of the piece are surprisingly upbeat, given the poor state of Austen's health as she was writing.
I hear that authors never like people to pick their early works as their best, but I've always had a sneaking fondness for Northanger Abbey. Luckily, Jane Austen is unlikely to complain about me liking one of her earliest works.
The novel's appeal is its extremely likeable anti-heroine, Catherine Morland. Catherine's appeal is her innocence and above all her fallibility. Of course, none of Austen's heroines are perfect, but Catherine has a charm that Austen's more self-possessed characters like Emma Woodhouse and Lizzie Bennett lack.
For this reason, I would say that Northanger Abbey can be a good introduction to Jane Austen, especially for younger readers, who may identify more readily with Catherine's naivete than with some of Austen's more mature characters.
As ever, Austen is in fine satirical form, but she and her characters stop short of outright mocking the fanciful Catherine and her unfortunate novel-reading habits. As one might expect, the novel ends with Catherine's reform, redemption would perhaps be too strong a term to use here, and Austen allows the imperfect Catherine to shine among a sea of other imperfect characters. (Naturally, some are more imperfect than others.)
One of the novel's stated objects is to satirise the gothic novels of Mrs. Radcliffe and her imitators. For the most part, Austen succeeds admirably, but once again her treatment of the subject is rather gentle. Although not many people these days will read the original gothic novels, I'm sure there are plenty of people out there addicted to contemporary fantastical horror that would crack a wry smile at the story, and be able to identify with 'poor' Catherine.
Perhaps at times the characters do seem to be a little overstated, maybe a little too black and white, but this is a very creditable early effort from Austen, and perhaps some of her characterisation issues can be traced back to her use of the gothic novel as inspiration.
All in all, a fine book, and certainly one for all of those 'almost pretty' girls out there who have their heads stuck inside books at every opportunity.

Overall, this edition makes a good addition to any Austen fan's bookshelf, the inclusion of the lesser known pieces makes an interesting companion to Northanger Abbey.

Love Poems & Sonnets of William Shakespeare

Average customer rating:

Shakespeare, Like Caviar, is an Aquired Taste
Love Poems and Sonnets of William Shakespeare

Love Poems & Sonnets of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Love Poems | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Criticism | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0385017332
Release Date: 1957-09-03

Book Description

The greatest sonnets ever written, by the greatest poet and playwright in the English language--now in a handsome edition featuring exquisite color illustrations.

Customer Reviews:

Shakespeare, Like Caviar, is an Aquired Taste.......2004-11-06

To be quite truthful I must say that I found Shakespeare's sonnets a little hard to digest until I decided to roll up my intellectual sleeves and work at it, because I thought it would be good for me.

They are short and easy to read, but in order to get the most out of them I found a quiet place, where noone would laugh, and read them aloud.

By the time I got to sonnet #50 they were making sense. I began to highlight my favorite ones. Some of them I read to other people. One or two made me laugh, several moved me emotionally. When I was finished I felt richer for having made the effort.

It is not hard to give these poems and sonnets 5 stars.

HOWEVER I'm not sure you should purchase the book. I found some dated used copies of "The Sonnets of William Shakespeare with the famous Temple Notes and an introduction by Robert O. Ballou" on Amazon.com for $ .14 each. Yes, that's fourteen cents for small hardback copies in great shape. Sure they're dated, but for me the contents are more important than the commentaries, so age doesn't matter much.

Love Poems and Sonnets of William Shakespeare.......2000-06-14

This book is full of Shakespeare's work, so if you don't like the way he uses the English language do not get this book. On the other hand, if you do enjoy and understand his plays, (Everyone should be familiar with at least one. Remember highschool?)this book is a must! All of the poems deal with love; lost love, unforgettable love, forbidden love, everlasting love, obsessive love, first love, life changing love, ect.,ect. These poems seem to be telling a story, each one different, but as emotional as the one before. If you have a hard time letting someone know how you feel or putting your emotions into words, this book could be the answer. To the women, there are so many different Sonnets that I could relate to situations during my lifetime that seemed to be telling the story of my life. If you know an unromantic guy, this would be a great gift. This would help him sweep ladies off of their feet! Actually, this book would really be good for anyone of all ages, I mean, it IS filled with LOVE. It is a welcome change to the fast,unforgiving world we live in today!

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