The Source: A Novel

Book Description

In his signature style of grand storytelling, James Michener sweeps us back through time to the Holy Land, thousands of years ago. By exploring the lives and discoveries of modern archaeologists excavating the site of Tell Makor, Michener vividly re-creates life in and around an ancient city during critical periods of its existence, and traces the profound history of the Jews, including that of the early Hebrews and their persecution, the impact of Christianity on the Jewish world, the Crusades, and the Spanish Inquisition. Michener weaves his epic tale of love, strength, and faith until at last he arrives at the founding of Israel and the modern conflict in the Middle East. The Source is not only a compelling history of the Holy Land and its people but a richly written saga that encompasses the development of Western civilization and the great religious and cultural ideas that have shaped our world.

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In The Source, in his signature style of grand storytelling, James Michener sweeps us back through time to the Holy Land, thousands of years ago. By exploring the lives and discoveries of modern archaeologists excavating the site of Tell Makor, James Michener vividly re-creates life in and around an ancient city during critical periods of its existence, and traces the profound history of the Jews, including that of the early Hebrews and their persecution, the impact of Christianity on the Jewish world, the Crusades, and the Spanish Inquisition.

Customer Reviews:

MICHENER ROCKS.......2007-09-12

Forever will new issues of his writing be missed. The greatest of greats in Historical Novels. You become so immersed in his writing that "the end" is a let down.

The book takes you from the begining of time in Judiasim to Israels' present day struggle to become an Independant State, Michener weaves his magic between historical fact and fictional scenario so beautifully .Makes you pick up the history books,Bible and encyclopedia for more in depth reading

Good story, questionable history.......2007-07-08

Few books I have read have aroused such mixed feelings in me as James Michener's "The Source. I read it one summer when I was traveling in Israel, as an entertaining way of educating myself on the land I was visiting.

I found the book exciting, absorbing, and beautifully written. I often found myself sitting in my hotel and hostel room and devouring chapter after chapter, each its own novella on a particular era in the history of what is today Israel, all of them tied together by the bracketing story of a contemporary archeological dig that discovers artifacts left over from these historical episodes.

"Psalm of the Hoopoe Bird," about the Kingdom of Israel in the time of King David, "The Law," about the development of the Talmud and the rise of Christianity, and "The Saintly Men of Safed," about that center of Jewish learning and culture, are all little masterpieces. By the time I had finished I considered it one of my favorite books and, although I have not gone back to it since, I still have a very high opinion of it as a work of storytelling.

As a work of the history or philosophy of religion, however, the book is of dubious value. First, although many of the inhabitants of this land (pre-historic clans, Canaanites, Greeks, Romans, early Christians, Muslim Arabs, Crusaders, Ottoman Turks, Britons) make their appearance, the book is, at heart, a chronicle and celebration of the Jewish people. This is not a flaw per se--a popular history of the Jews is entirely legitimate and warranted--but it leads to the frustrating fact that, out of the many people who have lived in this land and/or held it sacred, only one gets the author's full attention, the others being dealt with in a far more perfunctory way.

While such a narrow focus is a little disappointing in an account of such a rich and diverse land, it would not be serious flaw on its own: after all, there are numerous perspectives through which the history of this part of the world can be viewed, and one that focuses on the Jews is perfectly reasonable. What is a serious flaw, however, is my second criticism of the book: that in depicting the history of the Jewish people Michener systematically stacks the deck so as to portray Jews as incomparably nobler and more laudable than all the other peoples and faiths that enter into his narrative.

As presented by Michener, Jewish rabbis and religious scholars are wise and learned, Jewish warriors brave in battle, Jewish parents tender and loving, Jewish women independent and strong. All of these presentations no doubt reflect real historical experiences of the Jews, but there are relatively few contrasting portraits of seriously flawed Jews, apart from a brutal rapist in one chapter and a shrewish wife in another--all balanced by the many heroic Jews around them. By contrast, the pagan, Christian or Muslim characters are depicted either unsympathetically or at least as less appealing than their Jewish counterparts.

We see pagans who fill their rituals with human sacrifice and lascivious sexual practices, autocratic Christian clergy, barbaric Crusaders, sadistic Inquisitors, corrupt Turkish officials, and bumbling Arabs who cannot even launch a successful war against the nascent state of Israel. Perhaps most embarrassing of all is the present-day Arab, Jemail Tabari, who cheerfully admits that the Israelis have done a better job of managing the country than the Arabs ever could.

To be sure, at least some of this is more or less historically accurate: Christians did viciously persecute Jews, I am sure there was much corruption in the late Ottoman Empire, and the various Arab nations did, for whatever reason, fail to crush Israel in 1948. Nevertheless, there are few positive portrayals of non-Jewish groups to balance the picture and present a more nuanced historical overview.

I will give just one final example of this problem with "The Source": in the first chapter/novella, "The Bee-Eater," about pre-historic Canaan, Michener sketches out a hypothesis about the development of early pagan religion, drawing on psychological and anthropological explanations. While respectful, the explanation is essentially a secular one. Skip ahead to the second chapter, "Of Death and Life": Michener provides a similar analysis of why some peoples adopted the practice of human sacrifice and even suggests that Christian beliefs about the death of Jesus are rooted in the same impulse. Skip ahead to the third chapter, "An Old Man and His God," in which the Jews first appear. In the first few paragraphs, the Jewish leader Zadok meets directly with God, who speaks to Zadok through a burning bush. This episode is presented in a perfectly straight-forward way, without any dissection or analysis. The implicit message? Pagan and Christian beliefs come from fundamentally human psychological processes (some of them on the unsavory side), while Jewish beliefs come from unambiguous divine revelation.

If you want to read a great, gripping work of fiction, by all means read "The Source." Just remember to read it with a very healthy dose of skepticism. If you want a reliable account and analysis of the Holy Land and its inhabitants, go instead to some serious works of scholarship, preferably written from a variety of perspectives.

Michener's Best Historical Novel.......2007-06-12

Note: I received a personal email from one of the researchers for Michener's novels. He gave me a thumbs up on this review. Nice, and thanks.

Obviously, from the votes, some people don't like Michener's comments about the name "Jehovah," but they won't attempt to refute it.

As always, Michener fills his novels with fascinating historical facts and insights. The start thousands of years into the past and take the reader to the present day.

I've read several of his novels, and I would say this one is the best--a sweaping drama about the rise of the Jews from earliest times to the present. Michener's comments on the word "Jehovah" are interesting in light of its modern use by the "Jehovah's Witnesses" and in the last lines of the Book of Mormon.

"(Since) any deity must be referred to in some manner the custom had grown up of calling YHWH by the arbitrary Hebrew word `Adonai,' which would later be translated into other languages as Lord. When the vowel indications for `Adonai' were added tot eh letters YHWH, a curious symbol developed which German scholars many centuries later would mistakenly read as Jehovah, a word that had never existed and that had never in any way been applied to the austere Hebrew deity. Thus the greatest of Gods was called YHWH, which had no pronunciation; he was known to ordinary Jews as `Adonai,' which was purely arbitrary; and he would conquer the world as Jehovah, a name which had never belonged to him or to anything else" (p. 399).

Review of "The Source.".......2007-05-24

I just finished the book "The Source: A Novel" by James Michener and enjoyed it. I have read most of Michener's books and though lenghy and sometimes tedious I am always glad I read his books after I have finished. "The Source" is a big broad novel covering thousands of years in the middle east including Old Testament times and of course leaves lots of the territory untouched but zeroes in on events Michener thought important. I didn't agree with a lot of his early historical and religious interpretations concerning the Hebrews and the resulting empire under David but thought the book got interesting with the rise of the Greeks. Late in the book his characters accuse Josephus of suppressing historical information about Christ apparantley as Josephus' way of denying him. The same could be said of Michener since the life and time of Christ is completly skipped in the book. The periods of Byzantine, the rise of the Muslims, the Crusaders and so forth were handled in a fascinating manner. At the end he deals with many of the issues troubling Israel in modern times. I was educated and had my thinking provoked by this book.

The Source - good course on world religions.......2007-05-07

Michener's The Source has helped me learn about the evolution of religions and as a close parallel, how human thought has changed over the centuries. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of Christianity and/or Judaism and/or religion in general. This is one of the top ten books that I feel has truly educated me into the knowledgeable and tolerant person I am today.

Average customer rating:

Not Free SF Reader
Not bad, but YIKES is it sexist!
Disgustingly Awful
magical adventure in the land of Xanth.
Bink goes adventuring

Source of Magic (Xanth Novels)
Piers Anthony
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345350588
Release Date: 1987-07-12

Book Description

Ordered by King Trent to determine the source of Xanth's magic, Bink and his companions were harried by an unseen enemy determined to thwart them. When even their protector turned against them, Blink still managed to reach his goal and carry out the King's orders...but the king did not expect Blink's next act--to destroy utterly the magic of Xanth!

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Ordered by King Trent to determine the source of Xanth's magic, Bink and his companions were harried by an unseen enemy determined to thwart them.

When even their protector turned against them, Bink still managed to reach his goal and carry out the King's orders. But the king did not expect Bink's next act... to destroy utterly the magic of Xanth!

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-04

Find it before they kill me.

Bink is married, and with is wife up the duff is happy in his nerd job. Then bad things try and shuffle him off the mortal coil.

As such, the king sends him on a quest to find stuff out. With a detour to pick up the magician, there are monsters to be overcome, and a demon dilemma at the end.

Not bad, but YIKES is it sexist!.......2007-07-24

The Source of Magic is the second in the Xanth series of books. The series became famous for its use of puns (e.g. a shoe tree is a tree that literally grows shoes you can pick and wear), but in the beginning these were really secondary to the story and characters and the early books are far better for it. The hero of this novel carries over from the first novel, A Spell for Chameleon (Xanth, Book 1). Bink is a seemingly ordinary man with possibly the most powerful talent anyone in Xanth has ever possessed. His gift is that nothing magic can harm him. His talent acts so subtly and in such far-sighted ways, however, that the effects are sometimes jaw dropping even though he and his king are the only two people who even know it exists.

The plot of this book follows the adventures of Bink and some comrades in search of the source of magic for the land of Xanth. Along the way, there are many dangers to be overcome and many lessons for them to learn about life and themselves. This is pretty typical of Xanth novels as most of them involve some form of personal growth as a major component. To avoid spoilers, I won't get any more specific but the story is reasonably well paced and entertaining. It was also nice that the good magician Humfrey came along on the quest, as he is always a character that I find interesting.

One negative aspect of this book is that there is a considerable amount of sexism that can honestly be said to cross over the line to outright bigotry against women. Early on, I lost count of the number of times women were referred to as "bitches" and they are even called "sluts" more than once. Beyond that there are numerous little snide asides about the vanity and untrustworthiness of women from pretty much all sides. I point this out for two reasons. One, if you are an adult you should just know it's here and can decide for yourself whether you want to deal with it but it certainly wouldn't compare to the lyrics of a typical rap song or other adult media where sexism is sometimes quite harsh. Two, for those with young children, you may want to think twice before sharing this book. The Xanth series has a reputation for being kid-friendly and I'm not sure I would want a nine year old to hear all of the language and attitude toward women in this book.

Other than the trashing of womankind, this isn't a bad book. I had read the first dozen or so Xanth books many years ago and just recently decided to re-read the first two. I'll probably stop here as Bink was by far my favorite character and all subsequent books focus on his children and subsequent generations while also flogging puns on virtually every page until they are no longer even mildly amusing. If you haven't read any Xanth novels before, I would recommend A Spell for Chameleon (Xanth, Book 1) first as it introduces Bink and the world of Xanth. If you like it (and don't mind some woman-hating) then give this one a try.

Disgustingly Awful.......2007-01-30

I liked the first Xanth novel alright. It was interesting, it was different, it was somewhat amusing. This second one I detested and couldn't even finish.

The problem for me was that it was so mind-bogglingly sexist. I'm not even one of those pushy women's rights activist wacos, and this book totally disgusted me. You remember the sexist friend from the first book, who was slightly amusing? Well, he's back, but now he's so vicious and derisive that you can't stand him. And the girls they married have become Evil Queens From Hades yelling about the garbage and ???gnawing on the walls???, because that's what happens when you marry people, you know. And now Bink's joined his friend in his loathing of women.

I wanted a fun, exciting romp through a world of wonderfully bizarre characters, and I get a face full of women-bashing for like sixty pages. WTF?! Where's the adventure? Where's the fun? Piers Anthony has written some of the most hateful things here I have ever read in my life, and I couldn't enjoy it at all. You want something funny and FUN to read, try Terry Pratchett.

magical adventure in the land of Xanth........2006-11-18

Life had become mundane for Bink and his friends. It has been almost a year since their adventures that led to the Evil Magician becoming the Good King Trent, Bink married Chameleon and is now expecting their first child, Chester and Cherie have their own little colt, and Crombie is in the king's service and engaged to Sabrina. However, all of them suffer from women troubles and are getting rather agitated.

As it happens, Queen Iris decides to have a masquerade ball in honor of Trent's accession to the throne one year before and you have to play by Iris's rules because, well, because she is one of the three most powerful magicians in Xanth and is the Queen besides. During the course of the ball, Bink is getting attacked by some unseen enemy. So, to protect him, and get him away from Chameleon, King Trent sends him on a new quest - find out the source of the magic of Xanth. To help him, King Trent sends along the gang including Chester the Centaur, Crombie the soldier in the guise of a Griffin, and even the magician Humfrey comes along with the demon Beauregard and Grundy as a translator.

The happy band is glad to leave the castle and their various problems behind and eagerly tackle the quest. However, things quickly turn nasty as the land of Xanth is no place for the timid. It does not help that Bink has a tendency to get into lots of trouble since he lets his conscience guide him and his honor rule him. So, the group has to deal with Gorgons, Dragons, Ogres and other wierd and wonderful creatures before they can accomplish their task.

However, there is one more factor at play: The source of magic is guarded and that guardian wants no one to find it. Not only that, when Bink and company get close, they are warned to leave as accomplishing the mission will mean the destruction of Xanth's magic. What to do?

Well, the story ends happily with Xanth's magic in place, but not before many adventures are undertaken and obstacles overcome. The source of magic is found, it tries to destroy Xanth, but eventually things are restored - almost - to the way they were. Not only that, but Bink, Chester, Crombie, and King Trent all find ways to deal with their women problems and solve them in ways that bode well for their futures.

Now, what is the next adventure that these guys will have in Xanth? How many more plays on words can Piers Anthony come up with? What will be the next creature in the wiggle, squiggle, diggle line? Inquiring minds want to know!

Bink goes adventuring.......2006-05-26

Piers Anthony's Xanth series is full of puns and light-hearted humor. "The Source of Magic" is the follow up to "A Spell for Chamelion." In the first book, Bink found his mangical talent. Now Bink is married and works as a magic researcher for King Trent. With his wife very pregnant and very angry, Bink is sent off on a quest to discover the source of the magic in Xanth.

The adventurers with Bink are Crombie (a human soldier transformed into a griffin), Humfrey (a human Magician like Bink), Grundy (a golem), and Chester (a centaur). An their adventures, they encounter all sorts of creatures including a dragon, an ogre, a siren and a gorgon. Finding the source of magic forces Bink to make a difficult choice.

A Gravity's Rainbow Companion: Sources And Contexts for Pynchon's Novel

Average customer rating:

Full of Spoilers.
Look for the 2nd edtion
The worst companion except for all the others
Yer gonna need this
Useful and well-done, but at a price...

A Gravity's Rainbow Companion: Sources And Contexts for Pynchon's Novel
Steven C. Weisenburger
Manufacturer: University of Georgia Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0820328073

Book Description

Adding some 20 percent to the original content, this is a completely updated edition of the indispensable guide to Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow. Steven Weisenburger takes the reader page by page, often line by line, through the welter of historical references, scientific data, cultural fragments, anthropological research, jokes, and puns around which Pynchon wove his story. Weisenburger fully annotates Pynchon's use of languages ranging from Russian and Hebrew to such subdialects of English as 1940s street talk, drug lingo, and military slang as well as the more obscure terminology of black magic, Rosicrucianism, and Pavlovian psychology. The Companion also reveals the underlying organization of Gravity's Rainbow-how the book's myriad references form patterns of meaning and structure that have eluded both admirers and critics of the novel.

The Companion is keyed to the pages of the principal American editions of Gravity's Rainbow: Viking/Penguin (1973), Bantam (1974), and the special, repaginated Penguin paperback (2000) honoring the novel as one of twenty "Great Books of the Twentieth Century."

Customer Reviews:

Full of Spoilers........2006-12-08

Why does Weisenburger decide to randomly drop spoiler after spoiler into his annotations? The companion was extremely helpful but the first time I read GR I realized I had to hide this companion about halfway through the novel. I cannot figure out why when describing a simple German phrase (adequately and with illuminating context to the specific situation, mind you) Weisenburger surrenders plot points that don't surface until the last part of the novel. It ended up happening almost every other episode. It was infuriating. So beware. Probably wait until your second time through to use this useful but endlessly frustrating companion.

Look for the 2nd edtion.......2006-11-22

There are two editions of this book. The first was published in 1988. The second was published November of this year (2006). It contains twenty percent additional material and some corrections. Double-check. Both editions have identical titles but the covers differ.

The worst companion except for all the others.......2006-02-21

So you've decided to try and tackle GR. The novel is certainly worth the time and frustration that can sometimes accompany reading it. As far as this companion goes, I usually had it with me while reading GR but certainly did not feel lost without it. The problem is that while Weissenburger does a lot to explain the myriad historical allusions contained within GR, there is very little in the way of literary analysis or deep engagement with any of the interesting ideas and themes. (By contrast, J. Kerry Grant's companion to Lot 49 does a much better job in this respect.) I imagine one could always read the abundance of essays on GR to get such information, and Weissenburger is only a mere mortal. But still, I would have appreciated a companion that was slightly more provocative than one that simply points out references to a type of pudding traditionally eaten by soliders in the Crimean War (not an actual reference in the book, so purists lay off). In other words, the companion sometimes helps make sense of things or provides a few interesting points, but does little to truly enrich your appreciation of the novel as a whole.

If you're on the fence, I would still recommend buying the companion, especially if you can find a used copy. But don't feel that this is indispensable or anything. It's flawed but, unfortunately, for the time being it seems to be the best there is.

Yer gonna need this.......2005-09-13

Yep. Very well put together collection of stuff you'll need -- even if you think you don't -- to get through Gravity's Rainbow proper. Sure you can fly solo, naked, hungry ... but this gives you a bit of support as you swim through. Just a few pivots and landings to catch your breath. Although not essential, it can help. Fer sher.

Useful and well-done, but at a price..........2005-07-18

An extremely useful and interesting companion to GR. Perhaps not essential, but certainly helpful in getting much more out of this fantastic novel. There are different ways to use the Companion - I ended up reading an episode in GR and then reading the accompanying pages in the Companion, which worked pretty well though it obviously breaks the natural flow of the novel. I like the fact that Weisenburger generally does not attempt to provide detailed interpretations - the sheer length of the novel fortunately prevents the flood of over-interpretation and academic nonsense that, for example, sometimes fills companion books for shorter novels (e.g., The Crying of Lot 49). Weisenburger's thoughts on timelines and the overall structure are enlightening.

I do have one major complaint: for reasons I'm sure Weisenburger would try to defend but that I don't understand at all, he "gives away" rather early in the Companion the events described in the very last episodes in GR. We're talking major spoiler here! Although there are numerous hints throughout GR leading up to this, the picture doesn't become clear until the very end. Unfortunately, Weisenburger blows the surprise very early on and personally I really resented this.

A minor complaint: As mentioned in other reviews, Weisenburger commits a number of errors when explaining some of the science and math. Often, these explanations just weren't necessary and in some cases work only to deflate the book's magic. As one of a number of possible examples, consider the extraordinary balloon ride episode, in which Slothrop witnesses the earth's shadow moving across the land. Weisenburger chimes in with a discussion as to whether or not the cited speed of the shadow is realistic, and also informs us that of course shadows can't break the speed of sound! Useless over-analysis of the type that explains why generation after generation of students are turned off to literature when forced by professors with too much brain and not enough heart to dissect great books in the classroom.

Red and Black: A New Translation, Backgrounds and Sources, Criticism

Average customer rating:

A colourful tale...

Red and Black: A New Translation, Backgrounds and Sources, Criticism
Stendhal
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0393098214

Book Description

The text of Stendhal's classic novel Le Rouge et le Noir in this volume is an entirely new translation which renders the novelist's strict, hard style into contemporary colloquial English. For the first time in an English translation, notes are given that explain the book's local allusions and concealed autobiographical reminiscences. Students interested in the backgrounds of the novel may read the newspaper account, for the first time in English, of the murder trial upon which some of the novel's events are founded. Other materials, on Stendhal's style and on the 1830's background, are also provided. As with all Norton Critical Editions in Continental literature, a number of commentaries are here translated for the first time: Henri Martineau, Jean Prevost, George Poulet, Jean-Pierre Richard, G. Tomasi di Lampedusa, Alain, Paul Valery, Paul Bourget, and Hippolyte Tame. Other critics are Erich Auerbach, Rene Girard, F. W. I. Hemmings, Jean-Paul Sartre, Andre Gide, Marcel Proust, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jose Ortega y Gasset, and Robert M. Adams.

Each Norton Critical Edition includes an authoritative text, contextual and source materials, and a wide range of interpretations-from contemporary perspectives to the most current critical theory-as well as a bibliography and a chronology of the author's life and work.

Customer Reviews:

A colourful tale..........2005-05-23

Stendhal's Le Rouge et le Noir (The Red and the Black) is a classic novel that was very important to me in early formation of directions in life. I found I could identify quite strongly with Julien Sorel, who wanted a better life, a life of meaning and importance, and was torn about which direction in which to go.

The Red (symbolising the church, the scarlet of cardinal's robes) and the Black (symbolising the military, the uniform, etc.) were both options held out to me early; in fact, I rejected both for a while, but have found myself drawn back in the red direction.

The story is one of coming of age as a bookish fellow in a working-class family, then ambition (but not overpowering ambition; in fact, Julien's father wishes he had more), then shifting careers (rare in an era and country where one's path is usually set for life early; however, this was the post-revolution era in France, in which some things were giving way, some more than others, it seems). Julien is pulled by events rather than being the director and creator of realities; Julien finds he loves the affect of various roles in life (more than the substance and responsibilities that come with such roles) -- for instance, he loves the swagger and the horsey-ness of being a soldier, but doesn't particularly like to get dirty or have to fight. He likes the trappings of religious office, but isn't inclined so much to spirituality, and Julien ran up against this in seminary:

The seminary director said to Julien: `Truth is austere, sir. But our task in this world is austere, too, is it not? You must take care to guard your conscience carefully from this weakness: Excess of feeling for vain exterior charm.'

There is love, a love triangle in fact, romance and thwarted desires, and loves fulfilled, if not completely. It ends with a dramatic homicidal act, trial, an execution, and a most bizarre funeral. The melodramatic performance of Mathilde (re-enacting an earlier story with which she was familiar in which the heroine carried the severed head of her lover to his grave) provided the most animated conversation among ministers and psychologists I have ever witnessed.

Stendhal often built a character's name out of words that were descriptive, which is sometimes lost in translation as the names often don't get translated in the same way, or may have lost the immediacy of their meanings over time. Julien may be a play on Julian the Apostate, enemy of Christianity; Abbe Castanede is decidedly Spanish and inquisitional; Noiroud and Moirod come from words meaning swarthy and mottled; many other examples abound.

This is a very hard book to encapsulate in such a small space. It is not easy reading, but it is rewarding reading.

And again, an interior dialogue of Julien in seminary helps inform me, and keeps me thinking (both for and against in many ways):

`In the seminary, there's a way of eating a boiled egg which declares how far one has progressed down the saintly path....What will I be doing all my life? he asked himself; I'll be selling the faithful a seat in heaven. How will that seat be made visible to them? by the difference between my exterior and that of a layman.'

Choose your path wisely.

Three Complete Xanth Novels: A Spell for Chameleon; The Source of Magic; Castle Roogna

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THESE BOOKS ARE GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Piers Anthony at his finest!
You Gotta Love These Books!
The best of the series
The first books of Piers Anthony's renowned Xanth Series

Three Complete Xanth Novels: A Spell for Chameleon; The Source of Magic; Castle Roogna
Piers Anthony
Manufacturer: Wings
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0517122332
Release Date: 1995-02-11

Customer Reviews:

THESE BOOKS ARE GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......1999-07-07

These books are fantastic!!!! It is a shame not more kids are into these books.I know people all ages would like them because ALL my friends like these books & they are my father's favorite books. Maybe some more people should show these books on their sites. I give these books 1000+ thumbs up (if I had that many thumbs) and 1,000,000,000,000+ stars.

Piers Anthony at his finest!.......1998-12-06

These three books make for an excellent trilogy, thick with a rich writing style, imaginative prose, and surprising depth for a "lightweight" fantasy series. I cannot imagine the fantasy genre without these. Piers Anthony has opened up a whole new route of writing fantasy. You'll be won over by Xanth's charm instantly. Excellent.

You Gotta Love These Books!.......1998-11-04

Pier Xanthony is a great author. His books are mostly for adults, but teens love them too! I happen to be one, so I would know. His books are punishly hilarious, and lots of fun! I hope he never stops writing them. If you haven't read any then you should definately go for these. Start with A Spell for Chameleon, the rest of the books are listed inside in the order that you read them. They are best read if you start from the beginning, that way you get the right info at the right time. For example, if you don't know about the Gap and the Gap Dragon then you won't understand what's going on at some points. I wouldn't give this series anything less than a 5-star rating. I love it!

The best of the series.......1997-07-29

The first three books of the Xanth series are the best of the hideously sprawling series. The characters are more fully realized and the atmosphere is not so cheekily sexist. The puns actually add to the stories, instead of dragging the readers along to the big blinking neon sign PUN! PUN! PUN! Bink and Chameleon are probably the best characters Anthony has written, because they are adults and have some rather serious relationship problems. To put it bluntly, this was the only volume of my Xanth collection that I bothered to save when my bedroom was flooded

The first books of Piers Anthony's renowned Xanth Series.......1996-08-20

Containing the trilogy that started the well-known series, this book introduces the reader to the magical world of Xanth.

Amazon.com

A seminal work of American Literature that still commands deep praise and still elicits controversy, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is essential to the understanding of the American soul. The recent discovery of the first half of Twain's manuscript, long thought lost, made front-page news. And this unprecedented edition, which contains for the first time omitted episodes and other variations present in the first half of the handwritten manuscript, as well as facsimile reproductions of thirty manuscript pages, is indispensable to a full understanding of the novel. The changes, deletions, and additions made in the first half of the manuscript indicate that Mark Twain frequently checked his impulse to write an even darker, more confrontational book than the one he finally published.

Book Description

'Cordially hated and dreaded by all the mothers of the town because he was idle, and lawless, vulgar, and bad - and because all their children admired him so', Huckleberry Finn, the fourteen-year-old son of the town drunkard, joins runaway slave Jim on an exciting journey down the mighty Mississippi River on a raft.

Customer Reviews:

An Adventure.......2007-08-30

It has been said that all American literature begins with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Reading this book for the first time was a delight. Though I was thoroughly familiar with most of the story, I still found the book to be a page turner. The character of Huck, the manchild, has to be one of the most fascinating in all of literature.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Bantam Classics).......2007-08-05

I read this book years ago when I was very young, but it still stands today as my alltime favorite. As I turned the pages, I lived that exciting adventure along with Huck and Jim. The language is a bit difficult at first, but you get the hang of it rather quickly. It is recommended reading for all ages.

The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn.......2007-07-19

Again, I am never disappointed in purchasing books from you because they are always superior to buying local. Thanks for your service you provide to your customers.

Legendary.......2007-06-25

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: classic. I really enjoyed this book. Mark Twain managed to keep the boyish atmosphere of the Adventures of Tom Sawyer while adding in adult like concepts, such as decisive moral choice and honor, to create a work of fiction that many hail to be the "Great American Novel."

If you're not familiar with the story: Huck, after having found riches with Tom Sawyer, is living with the Widow Douglas and no longer leading a life of vagrancy. I won't go too deeply into the story because: a) there are a lot of plot elements and it would be impossible and b) it really is something that you have to experience through the eyes and in the language of Huck Finn (the entire story is written from his perspective and in his dialect as opposed to the Adventures of Tom Sawyer, which was written in Twain's distinct voice). Notable plot elements: Huck's escape from Pap, Jim and Huck's travel down the Mississippi, the Duke and the Dauphin and the Royal Nonesuch, and Huck and Tom's (who is present at the end of the book) contrivance to "free" Jim (you'll understand the "quotations" after you read the book).

Overall, all the hype surrounding this book is well deserved. Anyone who can read the English language should read this book (it should be a requirement punishable by death). You won't be disappointed.

An adventurous novel, my favorite book!.......2007-06-12

Witness Huck's transformation into maturity, through reading this captivating book that preaches independence and loyalty. Huck's dedication to his friend, Jim, is truly touching and serves as an inspiration to all!
Since the beginning of Huck's journey, Huck is living on his own without real adult supervision for the first time. He escapes from the custody of his abusive and manipulative father, and runs into Jim, who becomes a father figure to Huck later on in the story. Along with this "independence" Huck is forced to make his own decisions, which Huck first derives from the racist thoughts he had learned growing up, which he was having problems applying to his new African American, and escaped slave, friend. As Huck sees the cruelties of the world, where the white race call African Americans "[...]" and when the life of a slave is not valued, he eventually decides that what he was taught as a young child, no longer applied to the circumstances that he now lived in. As a reader, we can read and marvel at the brave adventures that Huck takes on and acknowledge him for his independent thinking!
Huck's refusal to give up their friendship and trust, and the knowledge and wisdom that Huck gained should be envied by everyone. Therefore, Huck is an inspiration for courageously breaking away from the negative views of society by upholding honor and establishing his individuality. Don't miss out on a book that can change your own outlook on life, learn the positive impact your decisions can make on the world!

Understanding Pride and Prejudice: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents (The Greenwood Press "Literature in Context" Series)

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For private study as well as classroom use!

Understanding Pride and Prejudice: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents (The Greenwood Press "Literature in Context" Series)
Debra Teachman
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0313301263

Book Description

This is the only book about Pride and Prejudice to combine both analysis of the novel and excerpts from significant primary documents of Austen's own time. These materials will help the reader to understand the complexities of both the novel and English society at the beginning of the 19th century, and to compare those issues to contemporary society. Teachman provides commentary and primary materials on inheritance, marriage, and women's roles in society at the time of Austen's life. Excerpts from 18th- and 19th-century etiquette books, moral treatises, histories of women, legal documents and commentary, newspapers, magazines, and collections of letters provide evidence of the social and legal differences between Austen's time and our own--enabling the reader to understand the legal, historical, social, and cultural context of the novel. Each section of this casebook contains study questions, topics for research papers and class discussions, and lists of further reading for examining the issues raised by the novel. The plot of Pride and Prejudice turns on three aspects of early 19th-century English society: marriage as a social institution, inheritance laws and customs, and acceptable roles for women. Following a literary analysis of the novel, the casebook contains documents and commentary on the following topics: inheritance and marriage laws and customs, 18th-century views on marriage, the status of unmarried women, women's education and moral training, and issues in the 1980s and 1990s that can be contrasted with those in the novel. These documents illustrate the social and legal differences between Austen's time and our own that enable the reader to fully understand the archaic details of the novel. They also indicate the continuities between Austen's time and ours in their emphases on love, marriage, the importance of property, and arguments about the role of women. Among the documents are excerpts from Samuel Johnson, Daniel Defoe, William Godwin, Mary Wollstonecraft, advice from a mother to her absent daughters, and a number of letters on the "proper" role of women, their education, and moral training. The final chapter of this book brings into focus the relevancies of Austen's fiction to present day readers and provides discussion of many of the issues of the novel as they are handled by law and the media at the end of the 20th century. This is an ideal companion for teacher use and student research in interdisciplinary, English history, and English literature courses.

Customer Reviews:

For private study as well as classroom use!.......2006-04-05

I did not use this book in the manner intended, i.e., as a textbook for literary studies, but I found it very valuable for my own personal instruction. Unlike Cliff Notes and some other literary studies, it focuses on understanding the context of the novel, not in-depth exploration of its themes, writing style, etc. I learned things that I had not known from the previous twenty or so books that I had read on the era and on Jane Austen. Given the debates over JA's "failure" to discuss contemporary politics, it was quite interesting to read that literature was heavily censored at athe time, and she would not have been able to comment freely, even if she had wanted to. The book's intended audience of young adults has resulted in its being clearly, but not simplistically written.

The book should be very helpful for anyone intending to do serious research on the issues that are covered (see table of contents). There is an at least one-page bibliography on every topic covered, which should provide a jump-start into the literature.

Teachman begins with a brief but excellent literary analysis of Pride & Prejudice. I particularly enjoyed her comments on Mr. Bennet. Although JA delineated his failings as a parent, I think that readers (and perhaps his creator) tend to be so taken with his wit and charm as to gloss over them. If Mrs. Bennet wasn't naturally fretful, living with such an unsupportive, indeed quietly hostile spouse, facing widowhood on her dowry with no provision for her five daughters would fray stronger nerves than hers.

The main body of the book is composed of excerpts from various writings contemporary with Jane Austen. Teachman first gives a general overview of the subject of the chapter, then an introduction to each author, followed by the excerpts of their writing. There is a brief summation at the end of the chapter. These are fascinating as first hand experiences of both thought and writing style. There are a few that I would like to read in full. The chapter includes a list of suggested questions and projects. I hated these things as a student, and as an adult, I enjoyed skipping them.

The last chapter "Pride & Prejudice: Issues in the 1980s & 1990s" considers our continued fascination with Jane Austen's work and the issues that are still current today. I was very impressed with this chapter. Teachman was able to calmly and nonjudgementally discuss marriage, romance, sex and celibacy, subjects that are so emotional fraught that most people cannot mention them without ranting.

The book includes both a detailed table of contents and index for ease of access. There are three illustrations: one from an illustrated edition of P&P, one of a portrait of Jane Austen based on CAssandra's drawing, and a picture of Chawton Cottage.

I will certainly look for Teachman's general companion to Jane Austen and keep this series in mind for other favorite works.

Understanding The Scarlet Letter: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents (The Greenwood Press "Literature in Context" Series)

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The Best Book for Understanding the Scarlet Letter and its Themes

Understanding The Scarlet Letter: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents (The Greenwood Press "Literature in Context" Series)
Claudia Durst Johnson
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Ready-to-Use English Workshop Activities for Grades 6-12: 180 Daily Lessons Integrating Literature, Writing & Grammar Skills

ASIN: 0313293287

Book Description

Sexual misconduct of society's leaders, the plight of single mothers, the separation of church and state -- all are burning issues of the 1990s which sparked outrage and controversy 150 years earlier in The Scarlet Letter. Now, no study of American history is complete without thorough examination of Nathaniel Hawthorne's timeless masterpiece. This multidisciplinary study of the novel contains historical documents, collateral readings, and commentary. In short, it is the ideal companion for students who wish to fully understand the novel in the context of its time, and to unlock its current relevance. Among the materials are original 17th-century documents that illuminate Puritan attitudes and bring the Salem witchcraft trials to life, private journals, historical reports, 19th-century magazine articles, sketches, and newspaper stories. Many of the documents are available in no other printed form. Not only do these materials provide a taste of 17th-century Puritan culture, but they also glimpse into Hawthorne's mind as he comes to terms with his witch-hunting ancestors and his vocation. Most importantly, this casebook contemplates the many issues raised by The Scarlet Letter which inextricably link the 17th-century Puritans to the 19th century culture of Hawthorne to the present. Each section of this casebook contains study questions, topic ideas for written or oral expression, and lists of further readings for examining the issues raised by the novel. Designed as a resource for students, teachers, and library media specialists, the volume is cloth bound and printed on high quality acid-free paper, making it an excellent addition to every library collection. A literary analysis focusing on the issues raised by the novel opens the casebook. In Part Two, the Puritan's code of crime and punishment and the basic tenets of their belief are analyzed through original 17th-century diaries, letters, and testimony from the Salem witch trials. Part Three examines the novel's introductory essay, the autobiographical "The Custom House," which finds Hawthorne grappling with the role his ancestors played in persecuting the Quakers and the Salem witches, as well as his own internal conflict over his vocation as a fiction writer. The moral attitudes at the time of Hawthorne's controversial work are also examined through reviews published at the time of publication. Part Four draws connections between two issues raised by the novel - the unwed mother and the lapsed minister - that remain controversial today and features recent news articles on these issues. A glossary of terms and a topic and person index complete this latest addition to Greenwood Press' "Literature in Context" series.

Customer Reviews:

The Best Book for Understanding the Scarlet Letter and its Themes.......2005-11-30

This book is one of the most fascinating books for studying the Scarlet Letter. I had to write my college research paper on the Scarlet Letter and I went to several libraries collecting books for this paper. All of these books had journal articles that pertained to my subject, but I soon realized that ALL I NEEDED WAS THIS ONE BOOK TO COMPLETE MY PAPER. This book not only discusses the themes in the book but it gives complete background knowledge on the puritans, analysis of characters, plot information, and articles that relate puritanist views to modern day events. I love this book and highly recommend it for people studying the Scarlet Letter.

Understanding The Red Badge of Courage: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents (The Greenwood Press "Literature in Context" Series)

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Understanding The Red Badge of Courage: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents (The Greenwood Press "Literature in Context" Series)
Claudia Durst Johnson
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Book Notes | Education | Reference | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0313301220

Book Description

Every generation of readers has interpreted the meaning of The Red Badge of Courage anew. Its appeal is both historical and universal--historical in its Civil War setting and universal in its relating of the experiences of a young man who is thrust into a situation he does not understand and cannot cope with. This collection of historical documents, collateral readings, and commentary will promote interdisciplinary study of the novel and enrich the reader's understanding of its themes and historical context. A wide variety of more than 40 primary documents and firsthand accounts brings to life the Civil War experiences of leaders and soldiers of the Union and Confederacy, especially in the Battle of Chancellorsville, which is the setting for the novel. Carefully selected memoirs, poems, short stories, newspaper articles, and interviews illuminate the historical setting, the themes of cowardice and desertion, battlefield experiences, the soldier's life in camp, and the issue of pacifism as it relates to The Red Badge of Courage as an antiwar novel. Many of these documents appear in print here for the first time. The documents include: memoirs of Civil War generals at Chancellorsville who were in marked disagreement with one another, remembrances of cavalry and foot soldiers, poems by those who experienced the war, short stories by Civil War veterans, a series of newspaper articles on World War II veterans who experienced Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, "The War Prayer" by Mark Twain and "The Wound Dresser" by Walt Whitman, poems and a short story by Stephen Crane, and an interview with a conscientious objector in World War II. Each section of this casebook contains study questions, topics for research papers and class discussions, and lists of further reading. A selection of photos and a map complete the work. This is an ideal companion for teacher use and student research in interdisciplinary, English, and American history courses.

Plots Unlimited: For the Writer of Novels, Short Stories, Plays, Screenplays and Television Episodes : A Creative Source for Generating a Virtually Limitless Number

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Hard to understand
Glad I gave it a chance.
This book is a tool. Remember that and you'll love it.
Nearly Impossible To Use
You better think twice

Plots Unlimited: For the Writer of Novels, Short Stories, Plays, Screenplays and Television Episodes : A Creative Source for Generating a Virtually Limitless Number
Tom Sawyer , and Arthur David Weingarten
Manufacturer: Ashleywilde
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0962747602

Customer Reviews:

Hard to understand.......2007-05-12

This book is probably very good in many ways, but it is hard to read with all the codes and references and cross sections. I frankly don't have the time. There must be a better way to write a book like this.

Glad I gave it a chance........2006-07-26

After reading some of the reviews here on Amazon and wondering if I might've made a mistake, I'm glad that I did pick up this book.

Now for those of you who think this book is going to put the perfect story in your head, stop reading right here and abandon ship. Sure, it'll help you mix and match possible (keyword: POSSIBLE) ideas.

In the end, you have to have some creativity of your own to take what you've gotten out of the book and make it something that is truly your own.

This book will only set a foundation for possibilities, to give you a little direction. The rest is up to you.

This book is a tool. Remember that and you'll love it........2006-06-16

I picked this book up at my local library without knowing anything about it. I didn't spend much time with it while I was browsing and when I got it home I thumbed through it for about 15 minutes trying to get a better sense of the process of constructing plots ... without reading the instructions.

I was baffled.

Then I dialed up Amazon and read some of the reviews. Most of them are unflattering: the book is ripped off from William Wallace Cook's "Plotto"; it's too hard; good if all you want to write is cliched fiction; good if all you want to write are short stories; the plots are overdone and dated.

I'm a man who likes to dig into something and see for myself. These reviews weren't good enough for me. So I logged off the Internet, grabbed the book and began plotting.

My reaction to the book, as a tool, is considerably different than what many others here said.

* Who cares if the book rips off "Plotto"? That classic book is long out of print. Yeah, as a writer I have some issues with the authors of "Plots Unlimited" not giving more credit to Cook. And, at the same time, the public domain is a fiction writer's goldmine. I can live with this.

* The instructions can be a little daunting. I found myself going back and forth repeatedly to the front of the book to make sure I understood what my next step was. On the one hand, I felt it slowed the creative process to a degree.

On the other hand, I think that's good ... at least for me. I'm often ablaze with ideas. Some are good. Most are terrible: okay for a scene or three, but not really enough to develop a plot. This book forced me to slow down and think about how to structure my ideas in ways that make sense for the story. And because each entry in the book leads to multiple elements, both as lead ins and lead outs, I could think about numerous directions instead of just the first thing that popped into my head.

If anything, this process made me more aware of more possibilities by turning on some deep brain thinking about the choices.

* I don't buy the cliche criticism. Most good fiction is filled with cliches and really great writers use them in everything they write. They just do it better.

* I don't buy the short story criticism, either. Novels are made of scenes and subplots that propel the master plot forward incrementally. Use this book to pick your master plot. Then layer your subplots into it. Heck, use the book to create your subplots, too, if you want.

* I, too, found the situations overdone and dated. In the end, though, it didn't matter because imagination took over. When I arrived at a situation that was too cheesy (some are flat-out laughable) or hackneyed, because I was already using critical thinking, I could easily make substitutions for whatever "Plots Unlimited" threw at me.

The thing to remember is that this book is a tool with a specific purpose. You wouldn't use a hammer when a saw is the right choice. With that in mind, this book won't write your stories for you. It won't help you with emotion and setting and character development. It's a plotting tool. Period.

In the end, I don't care about the criticisms. For me, this book is a keeper.

Nearly Impossible To Use.......2006-05-24

The idea behind this book is great, but in reality it's nearly impossible to use. I had high hopes when I purchased it but was very disappointed once I read it. The directions were confusing, and the whole book is too disjointed to be helpful. Because it was so expensive I tried several times over a year to read it and glean something I could use just to justify the expense. Each time I would walk away no better off than I was before. It's too bad the author didn't take the general idea of this book, simplify the directions, update it, and definately make the whole thing user friendly. What a waste of money.

You better think twice.......2005-05-22

I thought I had found my utopia for writers block when I bought this ($25) and took it home. I tried the writing devices in the book and found it awkward, clunky and that it didn't serve the purpose it was supposed too. I don't know what people are talking about with software, I had none. "Plots, Unlimited" is like a flaky friend, it wants to help, but never follows through. Like others has said, the "plots" read like a movie on Oxygen! or some movie-of-the-week. They've been recycled and are all but unusuable. I don't know what I was thinking buying this for $25, but I regret it now. I think my writers block blinded me. At any rate, you might be able to piece together some of these plots to make an interesting story, but the way you're supposed to use the book the way he explains it is confusing, in my opinion. Some plots are interesting, some silly, some stupid, some been done to death. Save your money, and always spend some time in the bookstore with any writing guide first.

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