Me Talk Pretty One Day
by David Sedaris
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (05 June, 2001)
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Editorial Review

David Sedaris became a star autobiographer on public radio, onstage in New York, and on bestseller lists, mostly on the strength of "SantaLand Diaries," a scathing, hilarious account of his stint as a Christmas elf at Macy's. (It's in two separate collections, both worth owning, Barrel Fever and the Christmas-themed Holidays on Ice.) Sedaris's caustic gift has not deserted him in his fourth book, which mines poignant comedy from his peculiar childhood in North Carolina, his bizarre career path, and his move with his lover to France. Though his anarchic inclination to digress is his glory, Sedaris does have a theme in these reminiscences: the inability of humans to communicate. The title is his rendition in transliterated English of how he and his fellow students of French in Paris mangle the Gallic language. In the essay "Jesus Shaves," he and his classmates from many nations try to convey the concept of Easter to a Moroccan Muslim. "It is a party for the little boy of God," says one. "Then he be die one day on two... morsels of... lumber," says another. Sedaris muses on the disputes between his Protestant mother and his father, a Greek Orthodox guy whose Easter fell on a different day. Other essays explicate his deep kinship with his eccentric mom and absurd alienation from his IBM-exec dad: "To me, the greatest mystery of science continues to be that a man could father six children who shared absolutely none of his interests."

Every glimpse we get of Sedaris's family and acquaintances delivers laughs and insights. He thwarts his North Carolina speech therapist ("for whom the word pen had two syllables") by cleverly avoiding all words with s sounds, which reveal the lisp she sought to correct. His midget guitar teacher, Mister Mancini, is unaware that Sedaris doesn't share his obsession with breasts, and sings "Light My Fire" all wrong--"as if he were a Webelo scout demanding a match." As a remarkably unqualified teacher at the Art Institute of Chicago, Sedaris had his class watch soap operas and assign "guessays" on what would happen in the next day's episode.

It all adds up to the most distinctively skewed autobiography since Spalding Gray's Swimming to Cambodia. The only possible reason not to read this book is if you'd rather hear the author's intrinsically funny speaking voice narrating his story. In that case, get Me Talk Pretty One Day on audio. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Reviews (596)

Just Hilarious
Like Richard Perez -- author of The Losers' Club: Complete Restored Edition -- David Sedaris doesn't know the meaning of normal. With essay topics ranging from his experience as a methamphetamine addicted performance artist, to his food-hording, Great Dane enamored father, and his false efforts at learning French, Sedaris never fails to hit the hilarious mark. Sure, some of the stories are offensive, but, hey, life can be offensive sometimes.

In any given situation, the reader can expect Sedaris to always say or do the unexpected. In one essay, titled "Picka Pocketoni" a pair of fashion challenged American tourists on the Paris Metro wrongly assume that Sedaris is a local pickpocket, and a stinky, non-English speaking one at that. As they discuss their opinions in increasingly shrill English, Sedaris savors the moment, wondering how best to take advantage. In similar situation I could see myself dying of embarrassment, but not Sedaris. He revels in the opportunity to be seen as quick and dangerous. In fact, he seems encouraged that someone might mistake him for a well coordinated foreign rogue capable of who knows what kind of mischief.

Amongst Sedaris' various ramblings on insomnia induced fantasies some inevitable political humor creeps in. One fantasy, titled "I've Got a Secret" begins: "I'm a pretty, slightly chubby White House intern whose had a brief affair with the President." But then Sedaris makes a 180 shift and "our heroine" becomes known as a brave stoic unwilling to capitalize on her unfortunate circumstances. Then after the press coverage dies down, she writes a best-selling novel under an assumed name and gets down to her life's work: sleeping with professional football players.

Sedaris takes unprecedented pride his refusal to learn any useful French - despite six summer visits and a two-year stay. The book includes several essays devoted this topic. During his second summer in Normandy, Sedaris devotes himself to learning 10 new words per day, in a faux effort to expand his two-word vocabulary of "ashtray" and "bottleneck".

The list includes: "exorcism, facial swelling, death penalty, slaughterhouse, sea monster and witch doctor." In a later story, Sedaris has taken to amusing himself while walking around Paris listening to a pocket medical guide with French-English translations for visiting doctors. His fondest hope is that he'll have to opportunity to try out his new conversational French at some cocktail party in the future:

"That's me at the glittering party, refilling my champagne glass and turning to my host to ask if he's noticed any unusual discharge."

And that pretty much says it all, n'est pas? Don't miss this great book! Two other wonderful books I'd like to recommend include The Losers' Club (Complete Restored Edition) by Richard Perez, and Naked by David Sedaris -- both funny and entertaining.

Off kilter humor for nearly anyone
I was in a college course for Education majors about Sociocultural studies in education.A classmate read the short story entitled "Jesus Shaves" from Sedaris' book.The whole class was in stitches.This particular piece is about Sedaris' struggles in an American school in Paris where the students (all from differing cultures) are struggling with the concept of Christianity.I thought this story was absolutely hilarious and was on a mission to purchase the book for myself and read the rest of Sedaris' anecdotes.

Upon actually procuring the book, I learned that the theme of the book is sort of an autobiographical sketch of Sedaris' own trials and tribulations in life, starting with his problems in primary school (talking about his lisp) and extending into his adulthood (with situations dealing with his sexuality).

The book is wrought with humor, some more off color than others... for instance "Big Boy" is an entire story about a piece of excrement.Don't let this scare you away, though.Weaved into each of Sedaris' tales is a lesson to be learned, though presented in a comical manner.

After having my mom read "Jesus Shaves" she confronted me with the usual, "What did you take from this?," and gave me insight to a more morally based meaning of Sedaris' retoric.Thinking back, all of his tales in this book have a deeper, more serious message that we all can learn from, and appreciate.

Fun, Fun, Fun
Sedaris makes me laugh out loud with stories you have to share with anyone who will listen.I've read all of his books (except Hercules) and this one and Naked are hilarious! ... Read more

Isbn: 0316776963
Subjects:  1. Americans    2. Essays    3. Form - Essays    4. France    5. Humor    6. Paris    7. Paris (France)    8. Humor / Essays    9. American Satire And Humor   

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
by Michael Chabon
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (25 August, 2001)
list price: $15.00 -- our price: $10.20
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Editorial Review

Like the comic books that animate and inspire it, TheAmazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is both larger than lifeand of it too. Complete with golems and magic and miraculous escapesand evil nemeses and even hand-to-hand Antarctic battle, it pursues themost important questions of love and war, dreams and art, across pagesbrimming with longing and hope. Samuel Klayman--self-described little man,city boy, and Jew--first meets Josef Kavalier when his mother shoveshim aside in his own bed, telling him to make room for their cousin, arefugee from Nazi-occupied Prague. It's the beginning, howeverunlikely, of a beautiful friendship. In short order, Sam's talent forpulp plotting meets Joe's faultless, academy-trained line, and acomic-book superhero is born. A sort of lantern-jawed equalizer clad in darkblue long underwear, the Escapist "roams the globe, performing amazingfeats and coming to the aid of those who languish in tyranny's chains!"Before they know it, Kavalier and Clay (as Sam Klayman has come to beknown) find themselves at the epicenter of comics' golden age.

But Joe Kavalier is driven by motives far more complex than youraverage hack. In fact, his first act as a comic-book artist is to dealHitler a very literal blow. (The cover of the first issue shows the Escapistdelivering "an immortal haymaker" onto the Führer's realisticallybloody jaw.) In subsequent years, the Escapist and his superhero alliestake on the evil Iron Chain and their leader Attila Haxoff--theirbattles drawn with an intensity that grows more disturbing as Joe'sefforts to rescue his family fail. He's fighting their war with brushand ink, Joe thinks, and the idea sustains him long enough to meet thebeautiful Rosa Saks, a surrealist artist and surprisingly retrogrademuse. But when even that fiction fails him, Joe performs an escape ofhis own, leaving Rosa and Sammy to pick up the pieces in someincreasingly wrong-headed ways.

More amazing adventures follow--but reader, why spoil the fun? Sufficeto say, Michael Chabon writes novels like the Escapist busts locks.Previous books such as The Mysteries ofPittsburgh and Wonder Boys have proseof equal shimmer and wit, and yet here he seems to have finally found acanvas big enough for his gifts. The whole enterprise seems animated bylove: for his alternately deluded, damaged, and painfully sincerecharacters; for the quirks and curious innocence of tough-talkingwartime New York; and, above all, for comics themselves, "theinspirations and lucubrations of five hundred aging boys dreaming ashard as they could." Far from negating such pleasures, the Holocaust'spresence in the novel only makes them more pressing. Art, if notcapable of actually fighting evil, can at least offer a gesture ofdefiance and hope--a way out, in other words, of a world gonecompletely mad. Comic-book critics, Joe notices, dwell on "thepernicious effect, on young minds, of satisfying the desire to escape.As if there could be any more noble or necessary service in life."Indeed. --Mary Park ... Read more

Reviews (499)

All in all, lives up to its rep
This is one heck of an epic novel. At times I did become irritated and wanted to bang Michael Chabon over the head with all 650 pages of it--why does a book about comic books have to be this long, and this aggressively literary--but if you can bear with it all the crazy, seemingly unconnected story lines he keeps throwing out along the way do eventually get tied together in a satisfying manner. Chabon never seems to get a real fix on any of his characters, and I only had a very nebulous sense of who they were (all I felt I knew about Rosa, for instance, was that she had curly hair, a big bottom and was a total bitch) but their experiences seemed real in some way. Chabon demonstrates a gift here for describing things, like comic book panels, architecture, and what it might be like to experience your first kiss at midnight on the top of a deserted Empire State Building.

Amazing indeed!!!
I bought this book because I was taken with the flashy cover, I had not read any CHabon, and had never heard of this book.Well I am so glad I submitted to a whim that afternoon because, I loved this book and found the characters compelling.I read it 4 years ago but still recommend it today.

Truly Amazing!
"The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" is a work that's difficult to describe. The 600+ pages cover the years from 1937 until 1954 in the lives of Josef Kavalier and Sammy Clayman, two Jewish cousins and best friends. Kavalier flees Prague in 1937 under intriguing circumstances (that are too good to give away), and ends up with Sammy's family (Sammy's mother and both boys' grandmother) in New York City. They're poor, they're approximately the same age (17 at the beginning of the novel), and they both have dreams of bringing the rest of Josef's family to America before the anti-Semitism burbling in Central Europe does more harm to the family.

Through happenstance, careful planning, and skill, the two boys end up creating a super hero comic book. Their hero, "The Escapist," fights crimes with the talents of an escape artist (a career that Joe once aspired to) and eventually superhuman strength. He wears a mask (of course), and a blue suit with a gold key emblem emblazoned on his chest. The book uses as a template the careers of many Golden Age comic book artists, but especially that of Siegel and Schuster, the creators of the greatest of all, Superman. Joe and Sammy work together, and The Escapist is catapulted to the top of the comics heap, originally conceived as a Nazi-fighter (before fighting Nazis was cool) and an outlet for Joe's rage and impotence, and an outlet for Sammy's creativity. They build up an entire comics company, Empire Comics, and their fights with editors, radio producers, and serial producers fuel the need for conflict in the book--as there aren't many between these two friends.

The novel follows them and their comic book creation through World War II, and into the 1950's...and it's not a smooth ride for anyone. It involves marriage, children, mysterious disappearances, and cameos from the elite of the time--everyone from Orson Welles to Salvador Dali (who nearly drowns at a "surrealist party"....and he doesn't drown in water...or even liquid for that matter) shows up, along with a Jewish Golem, Eleanor Roosevelt, and eight enormous braided rubber bands. We travel to many locations, the most exotic I've seen in a terrestrial book, but I don't want to give them away, because the locales themselves are major twists of the plot.

Now, just because this is ostensibly about comic books, many of you will be turned off--don't be. That's like saying you're not interested in "Death of a Salesman" because you don't like...uh...sales. The book is about human experience--about love, death, fear, regret, longing...but the two major players (of many) happen to be a comic book writer and artist. Now, if you happen to BE a fan of comic books, you'll love the scenes where comic books are discussed--Chabon references the Greats of all time: Schuster and Siegel themselves, Bob Kane, Gil Kane, Gardner Fox, Milton Caniff, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee....and uses them sparingly (for non-fans), but some of you may recognize the creators of Li'l Orphan Annie, Superman, Batman, Flash, Hawkman, The Human Torch, Captain America, The Sub-Mariner...this truly WAS a Golden Age; and although Chabon is careful to point out that "Golden Ages always seem to be in the past," he also says this was indeed a golden time for these people. So recently out of the Depression, not yet subjected to the full horrors of World War II, the bulk of the book is suffused with a hope that transcends the material.

Now, let's just say you're not a fan of Super-Heroes, of Escape Artists, of New York City, of the 1940's, or of Jews. Why on earth are you still reading this review? And why should you pick up "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay?" This is quite honestly the BEST novel I've read in a long time, possibly years. There were moments that made my eyes well up with tears, and scenes that had me laughing out loud. Chabon is literate, and has a beautiful style. His vocabulary is enormous, and it was delightful to read a novel that had words in it that I had to actually look up--or gather meaning from context. It was such a wonderful, active, immersing experience to read this book.

I give it my absolute highest recommendation. It made me want to create something important. Something lasting. Something I can be proud of. And I already have the cutest baby ever made, but this made me want to get out there and LIVE. This is a joyous (even when heartbreaking) book that you should make a part of your library. Read it. Another quick recommendation: "The Losers Club: Complete Restored Edition" by Richard Perez -- a much shorter but lively, very entertaining book I enjoyed . ... Read more

Isbn: 0312282990
Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Historical    4. Historical - General    5. Humorous    6. Fiction / Literary    7. Reading Group Guide   

Tuck Everlasting
by Natalie Babbitt
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 November, 1985)
list price: $5.95 -- our price: $5.95
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Editorial Review

Imagine coming upon a fountain of youth in a forest. To live forever--isn't that everyone's ideal? For the Tuck family, eternal life is a reality, but their reaction to their fate is surprising. Award winner Natalie Babbitt (Knee-Knock Rise, The Search for Delicious) outdoes herself in this sensitive, moving adventure in which 10-year-old Winnie Foster is kidnapped, finds herself helping a murderer out of jail, and is eventually offered the ultimate gift--but doesn't know whether to accept it. Babbitt asks profound questions about the meaning of life and death, and leaves the reader with a greater appreciation for the perfect cycle of nature. Intense and powerful, exciting and poignant, Tuck Everlasting will last forever--in the reader's imagination. An ALA Notable Book. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (966)

Glendale 03 - Tuck Everlasting Is A Wonderful Book
Some of the most typical things that people said were that they really enjoyed the book because of the descriptive words and phrases that Natalie Babbitt used to describe a chatper or scene. Also, people have said that when they read the book, they find themselves asking questions like "How would it be if you were immortal?" and "Would you choose to drink the magical water?. Most people loved the book and found it amazing. I like Tuck everlasting because it is very exciting and it gives you a good description of how it would be like if you were immortal and how it would feel. I think Natalie Babbitt is an ezcellent author because she makes it so that you feel like your reading a tru story. I give this book 5 Stars.

Tuck Everlasting Student Review
Tuck Everlasting was a book like no other. It told of life and death and how important it really is. There were more then 1 main subject in the book, almost like more then 1 climax. There were many descriptive words and prases continually thorugh the book explaining life and death, the characters and their families and the world in general and how we really look at life in modern day. This book had a really interesting unreal twist to it, telling about imortality in way that seems real. The way that Natalie Babitt explains life through another perspective is amazing and shows talent in her art of writing. She writes things in a way that makes complicated things easy and fun to think about and understand, keeping you interested in the book all the way through. The Characters made the book like a fantasy which made me think like I was in a fairy tale. The book was like a movie, filling your mind with pictures. Over all this book was Great and I would definatly suggest this book to all ages and would read this again and agian!

glendale 38
I thought the book was great I loved the way natalie babbit dicribes how the sun rises and how she tell's us how the water looks or how wet the boys are after they jump in the river.

The book made me think about how I should live my life because I yoused to think you could go have fun some other time but this book made me relize I dont have all these time because life isn't for ever.

This book also made me think about living for ever because before the book if sombody came up to me and said if you drink this water you will live for ever I would probly do it in a second but now that I thought about it I dont want to live for ever I want to like my normal life no matter how long or sort it is because life isn't ment to go on for ever life is saposed to be about you tring to stay healthy and living health and it doesnt matter how long you live as long as you died of natural coses and lived a happy life. :) ... Read more

Isbn: 0374480095
Subjects:  1. Aging    2. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General    3. Children: Grades 4-6    4. Classics    5. Fantasy    6. Fiction    7. Immortality    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic    10. Secrets    11. Social Situations - General    12. Juvenile Fiction / General   

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (Vintage)
by DAVE EGGERS
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (13 February, 2001)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $10.17
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Editorial Review

Dave Eggers is a terrifically talented writer; don't hold his cleverness against him. What to make of a book called A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius: Based on a True Story?For starters, there's a good bit of staggering genius before you even get to the true story, including a preface, a list of "Rules and Suggestions for Enjoyment of This Book," and a 20-page acknowledgements section complete with special mail-in offer, flow chart of the book's themes, and a lovely pen-and-ink drawing of a stapler (helpfully labeled "Here is a drawing of a stapler:").

But on to the true story. At the age of 22, Eggers became both an orphan and a "single mother" when his parents died within five months of one another of unrelated cancers. In the ensuing sibling division of labor, Dave is appointed unofficial guardian of his 8-year-old brother, Christopher. The two live together in semi-squalor, decaying food and sports equipment scattered about, while Eggers worries obsessively about child-welfare authorities, molesting babysitters, and his own health. His child-rearing strategy swings between making his brother's upbringing manically fun and performing bizarre developmental experiments on him. (Case in point: his idea of suitable bedtime reading is John Hersey's Hiroshima.)

The book is also, perhaps less successfully, about being young and hip and out to conquer the world (in an ironic, media-savvy, Gen-X way, naturally). In the early '90s, Eggers was one of the founders of the very funny Might Magazine, and he spends a fair amount of time here on Might, the hipster culture of San Francisco's South Park, and his own efforts to get on to MTV's Real World. This sort of thing doesn't age very well--but then, Eggers knows that. There's no criticism you can come up with that he hasn't put into A.H.W.O.S.G. already. "The book thereafter is kind of uneven," he tells us regarding the contents after page 109, and while that's true, it's still uneven in a way that is funny and heartfelt and interesting.

All this self-consciousness could have become unbearably arch. It's a testament to Eggers's skill as a writer--and to the heartbreaking particulars of his story--that it doesn't. Currently the editor of the footnote-and-marginalia-intensive journal McSweeney's (the last issue featured an entire story by David Foster Wallace printed tinily on its spine), Eggers comes from the most media-saturated generation in history--so much so that he can't feel an emotion without the sense that it's already been felt for him. What may seem like postmodern noodling is really just Eggers writing about pain in the only honest way available to him. Oddly enough, the effect is one of complete sincerity, and--especially in its concluding pages--this memoir as metafiction is affecting beyond all rational explanation. --Mary Park ... Read more

Reviews (801)

Definite Worth Picking up!
Eggers tells of the death of both his parents to cancer. He shares his deep love for his mother, and his feelings of ambivalence towards his father. Eggers' story is one of numbing loss. He writes of his mother's death with brutal honesty, but somehow manages to mix in an amazing amount of humor that keeps his book from becoming too painful to read. His book shares his feelings of love and responsibility towards his brother, his anger, and his resentment towards his loss of freedom. The book starts with his mother's death, winds through a number of events and adventures in Dave's young adult life, and ends at a point where he has found some healing and closure.

"A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" is based on Eggers true-life story, and while liberties have been taken to change some facts, the book is very effective in sharing the story of a young man struggling with great loss and awesome responsibility. The loose storytelling style is not a mark of "sloppiness" in my opinion, it simply imitates natural speech, a kind of oral story-telling (which makes me wonder if Eggers used oral transcription to write some of this [there's all sorts of software out there for this kind of thing]); in any event it's a very entertaining (dare I say "important") book, my favorite since "High Fidelity" by Nick Hornsby and "The Losers Club: Complete Restored Edition" by Richard Perez

this deserves a read
Caution!Plot spoilers below!

Dave Eggers, best known for his position on the editing staff of the humor magazine McSweeney's, makes a stunning debut as an author in AHWOSG, as he has nicknamed this book.He uses several writing styles in this modernist take on the traditional memoir, including stream-of-conscience and plain diction, all in varying tenses.Also making the book interesting are scene shifts as well as shifts in and out of character to establish the big picture.The only detractors from the book's effectiveness are overuse of stream-of-consciousness, mostly at the end, and overanalyzation of his motives in writing the book.He tries to steer clear of pretension by breaking out of character to acknowledge it and explain why he didn't tell the story a different way, but this unfortunately, this does not always help.
AHWOSG is the story of Dave's life after the deaths of his parents within the same month.He and his twenty-something-year-old siblings move from Chicago to California to begin new lives and raise their eight-year-old brother away from the memories of their parents and the gossip about their misfortune.
The first chapter details the deaths of Dave's parents, remaining in present tense until the death of Dave's mother turns the mood hazy and indefinite, marked with a tense change:"We will leave when they take her away and when we come back the bed will be gone, too.We will move the couch back against the wall where it was before the bed came."The reader sometimes does not realize these things are actually happening for a few paragraphs, but the changes keep the book from becoming monotonous.One of Eggers's most outstanding accomplishments is keeping this 375 page autobiographical book from becoming boring.Unfortunately, some of the techniques he uses to do this become tiring themselves.By the end, for example, Eggers' habit of slipping into stream-of-consciousness seems almost an overindulgence.Some of the poignancy is lost as he details his brother's Frisbee-throwing technique and its significance with regard to the fate of humanity:"...I am there, ready to cradle it as it spins just for a second until it stops.I am there.I was there.Don't you know that I am connected to you?"
Another of Eggers' unorthodox techniques is interrupting the story by allowing one of his characters, usually his younger brother Toph, to break out of character and challenge Eggers' writing style or actions within the book.For example, in one scene, Dave is cutting ten-year-old Toph's hair and explaining an idea he had for a piece in the magazine he edits.The idea is to write a fake eulogy of ex-TV star Adam Rich, with his permission, ostensibly to expose people's base nature and scavenger-like dependency on the media for a feeling of worth.Dave explains this to Toph, and Toph replies, "`Huh.Well, to tell you the truth, I think it's kind of sick.'"Toph's responses become more and more sophisticated until the reader realizes he has broken out of character and is providing a voice for Dave's own self-doubt.
For the most part, Eggers' book is well-written, and well, heart-breaking.Despite some less-than-poignant parts, this book definitely deserves a read, maybe even two or three.Eggers gets an A+ for using highly experimental techniques to create a fantastic book that is, sarcasm aside, a heartbreaking work of staggering genius.

One of my all-time favorites
There are only a few books that warrant five stars, I believe, and A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius is definitely one of them.

One of the reviewers here mentioned that one must be in his or her twenties to appreciate this book-- and, he added-- if one is over 30, he or she would dislike it.I have to disagree. As a woman in my late thirties, whose life couldn't be more different than Dave Eggers', I found this book to be excellent-- excruciatingly honest and a most poignant memoir.

One can't help but feel for what the Eggers family goes through.The reader cheers and cries from the sidelines.I was surprised at the vehemence of my emotions when reading this.Dave Eggers certainly drew me in to his and his family's life, and there were so many times that, as a parent, I wanted to find them all and parent them myself.

I would recommend this book, wholeheartedly, to everyone.People have compared Eggers to David Sedaris.As much as I enjoyed the one Sedaris book I read, Running with Scissors, I would put Eggers' book on another plane entirely.Sedaris' life is also interesting, but Dave Eggers is clearly a better writer and more honest with his emotions. ... Read more

Isbn: 0375725784
Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Brothers    6. Death    7. Editors, Journalists, Publishers    8. Eggers, Dave    9. Literary    10. Parents    11. Personal Memoirs    12. Psychological aspects    13. Biography & Autobiography / General    14. Reading Group Guide   

The Virgin Suicides
by Jeffrey Eugenides
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 June, 1994)
list price: $12.95 -- our price: $10.36
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Reviews (349)

Please find something else
The Virgin Suicides is a story about five very diverse girls living under the strict and strange religious rule of an extremely dominant (whacko) mother.As the girls begin to experience some small teenage freedoms, the iron curtain comes down in a completely unbelievable suburban nightmare.The story is told from the perspective of some neighbor boys who, along with their impotent parents and the girls own impotent father, seem unable to do anything to stop the girls from their certain fate.Pick up a different book, this one is just not a worthy find.

Dark yet poetic
The Virgin Suicides is told from the view point of the neighborhood boys of the small town USA.They are facinated by five sisters that share this Elm lined street.

Every line is poetry.The desciptions of the feelings that they have for these 5 sisters are amazing.The plot itself is very touching, and when you finish the book you want to read it again, hear the story again, live in the minds of these girls that had to escape from a world in which they could not live.

Read "Middlesex" Instead
Maybe it's because I read "Middlesex" first and got my expectations up... I couldn't even finish this book, but obviously there are many who disagree.Read "Middlesex" and see how much improved his second novel was! ... Read more

Isbn: 0446670251
Sales Rank: 1675
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Literary    4. Movie-TV Tie-In - General    5. Psychological    6. Suburban life    7. Suicidal behavior    8. Teenage girls    9. Teenagers    10. Fiction / Psychological   

Naked
by David Sedaris
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 June, 1998)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $10.17
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Editorial Review

Hip radio comedy fans and theater folks who belong to the cult of Obie-winning playwright/performer David Sedaris must kill to get this book. These would be fans of the scaldingly snide Sedaris's hilariously described personal misadventures like The Santaland Diaries (a monologue about his work as an elf to a department store Santa) seen off-Broadway in 1997. In a series of similarly textured essays, Sedaris takes us along on his catastrophic detours through a nudist colony, a fruit-packing plant, his own childhood, and a dozen more of the world's little purgatories. ... Read more

Reviews (346)

Laugh out loud
Sedaris makes me laugh out loud with stories you have to share with anyone who will listen.I've read all of his books (except Hercules) and this one and Me Talk Pretty are hilarious!

funny
this was my first introduction to this guy and i love him! i wish i could be that prosaic about my own family! listen to the audio, laugh out loud, scare your co-workers, FUNNY!

Love it
By far one of David Sedaris' best pieces.Could not stop laughing! ... Read more

Isbn: 0316777730
Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Form - Essays    6. General    7. Humor    8. Humorists    9. Humorists, American    10. Sedaris, David    11. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
by Lewis Carroll, John Tenniel
Average Customer Review:
Mass Market Paperback (12 December, 2000)
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Reviews (45)

wonder in wonderland
This was a wonderful book for all ages to enjoy.Alice is certainly a girl everyone can relate to.She is curious, well educated, and will always be remebered be anyone who reads the book.Alice's adventures are tons of fun, the wonderful pictures tell us exactly what is in wonderland and what it looks like.The characters created be Lewis Carroll are fantastic, you can see people of all shapes and sizes.You can see many people such as the King and Queen of Hearts and the Duchess, but mostly you see many creatures roaming around.There is the white rabbit who wears a waist coat, or the caterpillar who sits on a mushroom, or the beloved Cheshire Cat: a cat who causes mischief wherever he goes, he also has the talent of dissapearing and reapearing.This is a beautiful book full of of magic, fun, laughter, mischief, and of course wonder.

Fun for all
Alice's adventures in wonderland and through the looking glass is a very good book for everyone of all ages. It was thrilling and adventreous. It felt like I was right there with Alice going through the adventure with her every step of the way. I would recomend this book to people of all ages not only because of it is adventures but because it had a wide varity of caracters that were funny and some that you can relate to. Some of the characters are, the white rabbit the queen of hearts, the white queen, and my favorite Alice. Alice is very curious and likes to explore wonderland. Alice's adventure in wonderland and through the looking glass is a wonderful book and is full of adventure and wondering.

alice in wonderland
Alice in wonderland is a great story for all ages. it is full of adventure. I believe that part 1 of the book "alices adventure in wonderland" was better plotted than part 2 " through the looking glass" even though through the looking glass had some important parts it didn't pull you in as much as Alice's adventure in wonderland. alice in wonderland is a fantastic book. ... Read more

Isbn: 0451527747
Sales Rank: 5658
Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Classics    3. Fantasy fiction    4. Fiction    5. Literature - Classics / Criticism    6. Literature: Classics   

High Fidelity
by Nick Hornby
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 August, 1996)
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Editorial Review

It has been said often enough that baby boomers are a television generation, but the very funny novel High Fidelity reminds that in a way they are the record-album generation as well. This funny novel is obsessed with music; Hornby's narrator is an early-thirtysomething English guy who runs a London record store. He sells albums recorded the old-fashioned way--on vinyl--and is having a tough time making other transitions as well, specifically adulthood. The book is in one sense a love story, both sweet and interesting; most entertaining, though, are the hilarious arguments over arcane matters of pop music. ... Read more

Reviews (474)

A good read and a good movie
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby is a tale of one man's path to redefining his life after his girlfriend leaves him.He then traces back through all his past relationships making a list of his top 5 worst breakups.Rob then comes to terms with who he is and considers a career change.In the end he gets back together with Laura and starts his DJ career up again.I found this book to be a great read and anybody who likes music would appreciate it, especially those aware of the indie snobs in the world.The character Barry hits the nail on the head.

Great insight into a man's thought process
If any of you know a guy who is having trouble growing up, who is jumping from short term relationship to short term relationship and not being able to settle down, then be sure to point them in the direction of this book.Why this book?Because Nick Hornby, the author, does a great job of capturing the struggle that some men go through as they move between that awkward stage of wanting to play games and never settle down, vs. the desire to get into serious relationships and start that nesting phase of life.

Now while this might seem like a touchy-feely novel, it isn't.Hornby deftly stick handles through what might be a dangerous topic only to cover the subject with humour and excellent observations.And while at first glance this might novel appear to be target to men only, women should find an interest in this novel too, as it provides a good glimpse in to how men think and operate.

This book most definitely rates five stars for having human and believable characters, a story line that everyone no matter their age or sex or race can follow, and a writing style that is easy to read.Never mind the many references to cool bands and the great music scene found in London.

Even if you saw the movie, you should still pick up the book and give it a read.The novel does a much better job of capturing the struggle experienced by the protagonist, and better still, the novel is set in London rather than the movie locale of Chicago.For anyone looking for their first Nick Hornby novel, this would be the one to give them.

finally a male perspective
It makes you hurt, it almost makes you want to cry
even though you're a guy and you're not allowed to cry.It makes you
realize all the stupid mistakes you've made in the past, and you'll
probably make again in the future.It's insightful and inspiring.
plus, it makes you want to own a record shop and sleep/date a rock
starette. ... Read more

Isbn: 1573225517
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General   

Jemima J : A Novel About Ugly Ducklings and Swans
by JANE GREEN
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (05 June, 2001)
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Reviews (673)

Best Jane Green Novel
I have read many of jane green books with my first book being babyville, Straight Talking & others... Jane Green books really didn`t account as great books but its kind of entertaining... But for Jemima J, which I had read about a year ago & still leaves a very deep impression for me, Ms Green scored it! I was so captivated by Jemima and her obession of being skinny that I found myself laughing out loud & cheering for Jemima many a times. The ending was believable too which I`m sure will be inspiring for all. I hope Ms Green will continue to produce works having the same brillance of Jemima J... A GEM! I Love it!

Great, Inspiring Book
This was a great book! I read it in 1 day. The characters were funny, the plot reeled me in, and the story moved along so well I couldn't put this book down!

This book has inspired me to lose some excess pounds of my own.

Interesting, fun, and unrealistic
This book is a FUN read.You're really rooting for Jemima.The characters are hilarious, and the story is addictive.It is also an interesting look at the thought processes of someone with an eating disorder -- the idealization of thinness, the shyness, etc.From that point on, the book is quite unrealistic.While it's questionable that someone could lose all that weight and not have saggy skin, or for that matter, function without feeling downright ill, what's especially unrealistic is her mental state after losing all the weight.One doesn't "get over" binge eating through anorexia -- usually the binge eating resurfaces, and the cycle starts again until the person gets help.While the book does address how JJ still feels like fat Jemima, it carries a tone that she's found a quick, fun, and easy solution to a problem that is much more difficult and complex.I can see how some readers would find this disturbing, because it's the belief that you can "solve" your weight problem that makes it so elusive.However, this book is a fairy tale, where reality doesn't need to fit in. ... Read more

Isbn: 0767905180
Sales Rank: 11466
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Literary    5. Literature: Classics    6. Fiction / General   

The Giving Tree
by Shel Silverstein
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (07 October, 1964)
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Editorial Review

To say that this particular apple tree is a "giving tree" is an understatement. In Shel Silverstein's popular tale of few words and simple line drawings, a tree starts out as a leafy playground, shade provider, and apple bearer for a rambunctious little boy. Making the boy happy makes the tree happy, but with time it becomes more challenging for the generous tree to meet his needs. When he asks for money, she suggests that he sell her apples. When he asks for a house, she offers her branches for lumber. When the boy is old, too old and sad to play in the tree, he asks the tree for a boat. She suggests that he cut her down to a stump so he can craft a boat out of her trunk. He unthinkingly does it. At this point in the story, the double-page spread shows a pathetic solitary stump, poignantly cut down to the heart the boy once carved into the tree as a child that said "M.E. + T." "And then the tree was happy... but not really." When there's nothing left of her, the boy returns again as an old man, needing a quiet place to sit and rest. The stump offers up her services, and he sits on it. "And the tree was happy." While the message of this book is unclear (Take and take and take?Give and give and give? Complete self-sacrifice is good? Complete self-sacrifice is infinitely sad?), Silverstein has perhaps deliberately left the book open to interpretation. (All ages) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (390)

the Nazis would have loved it
"Tender story"? This piece of garbage is the most crude and devious children's book that I have come across. Would have made perfect training material for the Hitler Youth or for Stalin's and Saddam's subjects.
Amazing, how eagerly the good moms are lapping it up, blindly falling for platitudes like "unconditional love"--even when that stuff is rooted in and leading to depravity. And then, I'm not really surprised since so many parents seem to make and bake their children as substitutes for pets. With the help of dubious tools like role models--even the good ones are bad--rules, and clichees your noble efforts will turn your offspring into mental and emotional amoebae. Nice!
Anyway, the potential book buyer will have to choose: Do you want to break your kids' spine for good and prevent them from becoming responsible individuals (brown-nosing, people-pleasing employees are always in demand)? - Or, do you care to raise children who can think for themselves, who value themselves and others, and who can act out of consideration for self-interest and environment. In this case, teach them to say "NO" freely and fearlessly!
It is irresponsible and outright maddening, when meek and humble people interpret "love thy neighbor as thyself" as "mutilate yourself for your neighbor's sake". Our species is so messed up, not because we don't love our neighbors enough. We are so creepy because we do love our neighbors exactly as much as we love ourselves: NOT AT ALL!
If you teach your brats to--God forbid--love themselves, they won't need The Giving Tree. They'll be generous with themselves AND with others.

Unclear message and shocking rudeness by young boy.
I bought this book simply because it was a classic and rated well.After reading it, I was unsure if I should read it to my child because I was unsure what it really meant to me.The only reason I even give this 3-stars is because I was able to decide on the message I wanted my child to come away with.I don't want him to give, give, give to a selfish person such as the boy in this story.On the other hand, I don't want him to take, take, take.I want to teach him that he should not take advantage of a person's kindness, but on the other hand he should not allow himself to be taken advantage of by others.I also worked the "please" and "thank-you" into the story.And lastly, we talked about how the MAN that the boy became should have done more for the tree, since she gave up so much to please him.I don't know how much my child took to heart, but I can tell he understood some of my points because he'd tell me that the boy was mean to just take the tree's branches without saying "please" and "thank-you".

A lesson 23 years in the making
I am no philosopher, poet, theologian, or great mind. But I have learned much in my 23 years.I have learned not everyone is capable of returning your love to the same degree as you hand it out, yet that doesn't mean they don't love you with all that they have. I have learned there are times when you give everything you have to the point it seems there's nothing but a stump left, and yet even that stump will show itself to be capable of giving. The Giving Tree, although simplistic in word and art, encompasses this sentiment and sums up what it's taken me years to learn; the correct way to love.To love without expecting return. To give until there's nothing left. And to be happy to do so. I recommend this book to any and all. ... Read more

Isbn: 0060256656
Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    2. Children: Grades 1-2    3. Classics    4. Fiction    5. Social Situations - Emotions & Feelings    6. Social Situations - Values    7. Trees    8. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

Werewolves in Their Youth: Stories
by Michael Chabon
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 January, 2000)
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Editorial Review

Wonder boy Michael Chabon's second collection of stories tackles the American family in all its tragic and often frighteningly funny dysfunction. In the title story, a self-professed "King of the Retards" tries to distance himself from his next-door neighbor and only friend, who has taken their games (Plastic Man, Titanium Man, Matter-Eater Lad) just a little too far. In "House Hunting," a drunk real-estate agent shows a young couple through a house far too expensive for them, pocketing knickknacks and demonstrating a strange familiarity with its rooms. The wrenching "Son of the Wolfman" follows the aftermath of a rape; after a long struggle to conceive, Cara Glanzman becomes pregnant by her rapist and decides to keep the child, even as her husband struggles with his violent thoughts. In spite of the potential for sensationalism in such a plot, "Wolfman" is moving, unsentimental, and like the rest of these tales, wholly original.

Chabon is a master of the lively and unexpected description, his prose studded with images that split these mostly conventionally themed stories wide open. Consider his burly Quebecois carpenter, who has "a face that looked as if it had been carved with a pneumatic drill by a tiny workman dangling from the sheer granite cliff of Olivier's forehead." Or the "local drunks" of a Chubb Island bar, "a close-knit population, involved in an ongoing collective enterprise: the building, over several generations, of a basilica of failure, on whose crowded friezes they figured in vivid depictions of bankruptcy, drug rehabilitation, softball, and arrest." Or, the narrator of "Mrs. Box" and his failed marriage: "...very soon they had been forced to confront the failure of an expedition for which they had set out remarkably ill-equipped, like a couple of trans-Arctic travelers who through lack of preparation find themselves stranded and are forced to eat their dogs." Werewolves in Their Youth is worth reading for such moments alone. When Chabon uses them to illuminate our darkest impulses and fears, the result is often revelatory. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Worth a Read, if Only for "The Black Mill."
Not much to say here.If you like Lovecraftian tales, "The Black Mill" is well worth checking out.It's the one story that stands out like a sore thumb in this collection, but it's justified by a preface explaining that it's a story written by a minor but important character from "The Wonder Boys."

It's a pretty neat concept, the idea of exploring a genre voice by letting one of your characters do the writing.I'm a sucker for such things, and this was no disappointment.Creepy story that builds the tension in a believable manner.The only disappointing part was the very end. There's a narrative device at play there that will either give you the chills or make you roll your eyes in a "hey, no fair!" fashion. I experienced a little of each.

As for the other stories --

What other reviewers are saying is right on target. Lots of failed marriages. "Son of the Wolfman" is good, but I've never been a very big fan of short fiction with an omniscient narrator.In this story we get inside the heads of at least two characters, and I don't think it was really necessary to be in both -- especially since the 2nd character was somewhat minor (she's the midwife of the aforementioned rape victim). Time is of the essence in a short story, and given that fact, I have a personal preference for being in only one person's head. But maybe that's just me.

On the whole, this collection is very readable.I go against the grain, though, and cast a vote in favor of more gothic horror from Mr. Chabon in the future."The Black Mill" is a real romp.

Second only to Carver
This collection of short stories will be joining my well-thumbed collection of Raymond Carver stories on my most perused bookshelf. Chabon's descriptions are melt-in-the-mouth delicious--like the best dark chocolate-- bittersweet with a memorable aftertaste. Both The Wolfman's Son and The Black Mill (although quite different in style and content)are worth multiple readings. Chabon is a fascinating and perceptive writer (okay, I'm jealous). I look forward to more of the same and more of the different.

Matter-Eater Lad Lives Again
This is a solid collection of short stories.The title story is by far the strongest, followed closely by the Son of Wolfman story.Although dealing with a number of rather serious issues, the collection is fun and light, a good day's read ... Read more

Isbn: 0312254385
Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Life change events    5. Literary    6. Psychological fiction, American    7. Short Stories (single author)    8. Social life and customs    9. United States   

About a Boy
by Nick Hornby
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 May, 1999)
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Editorial Review

Will Lightman is a Peter Pan for the 1990s. At 36, the terminally hip North Londoner isunmarried, hyper-concerned with his coolness quotient, and blithely living off his father'snovelty-song royalties. Will sees himself as entirely lacking in hidden depths--and he'sproud of it! The only trouble is, his friends are succumbing to responsibilities andchildren, and he's increasingly left out in the cold. How can someone brilliantly equippedfor meaningless relationships ensure that he'll continue to meet beautiful JulieChristie-like women and ensure that they'll throw him over before things get tooprofound? A brief encounter with a single mother sets Will off on his new career, that of"serial nice guy." As far as he's concerned--and remember, concern isn't his strongsuit--he's the perfect catch for the young mother on the go. After an interlude of sexual bliss,she'll realize that her child isn't ready for a man in their life and Will can ride off into theHighgate sunset, where more damsels apparently await. The only catch is that the bestway to meet these women is at single-parent get-togethers. In one of Nick Hornby's manyhilarious (and embarrassing) scenes, Will falls into some serious misrepresentation atSPAT ("Single Parents--Alone Together"), passing himself off as a bereft single dad:"There was, he thought, an emotional truth here somewhere, and he could see now thathis role-playing had a previously unsuspected artistic element to it. He was acting, yes,but in the noblest, most profound sense of the word."

What interferes with Will's career arc, of course, is reality--in the shape of a 12-year-oldboy who is in many ways his polar opposite. For Marcus, cool isn't even a possibility, letalone an issue. For starters, he's a victim at his new school. Things at home are prettyawful, too, since his musical therapist mother seems increasingly in need of therapyherself. All Marcus can do is cobble together information with a mixture ofincomprehension, innocence, self-blame, and unfettered clear sight. As fans of Fever Pitch and High Fidelity already know,Hornby's insight into laddishness magically combines the serious and the hilarious.About a Boy continues his singular examination of masculine wish-fulfillmentand fear. This time, though, the author lets women and children onto the playing field,forcing his feckless hero to leap over an entirely new--and entirely welcome--set ofemotional hurdles. ... Read more

Reviews (285)

Great Book
I first noticed of this title when I watched the film which starred Hugh Grant as Will - the young at heart bloke who is thirty six with no cares in the world but for himself in a sort of funny way instead of the "you're such a pain in the neck" way. I wasn't aware that the movie was adapted from a book until one day I saw a colleague reading the book. I had a good laugh watching the movie and the book was even funnier. Such an entertaining book for a light reading. It was witty to the point that I constantly had a smile on my face. Grab it and you'll love it.

About two boys
Nick Hornby is perhaps the premier writer of lad-lit, the male counterpart of chick-lit. And "About A Boy" is one of his best novels, with its sensitive looks not only at male fears, but at how they relate to women and children. It's a far smarter, wittier book than you'd think.

Will is a single thirtysomething, self-absorbed and consumed with his own coolness, unattachedness and ability to live off his dad's song royalties. After dating single mom Angie, he realizes how to instantly give his sex life and image a boost: date single mothers, beautiful and desperate. So he invents a nasty ex-wife and a toddler son, and begins going to SPAT (Single Parents, Alone Together).

But when he meets attractive Suzie, he also meets the boy she's babysitting -- Marcus, a troubled, intelligent preteen who is picked on at school. Marcus's home life isn't much better -- his depressed mother has just attempted suicide. Despite Will's commitment to noncommitment, he finds himself slipping into the role of father and friend for Marcus.

Single moms, precocious kids, immature lads -- none of these things are terribly original. It's Hornby's way of handling them that is really original. And the way he wrote "About A Boy" gives unusual life to what could have been a TV-movie-of-the-week/lame-sitcom plot, with cliched characters.

Instead, Hornby has created a surprisingly mature book, by showing a realistic portrayal of an immature man growing up whether he likes it or not. But Hornby's quietly insightful prose is a little less self-consciously cool than in "High Fidelity," and it's also more focused on human experiences. And no, not just Will picking up single mums.

Will is a pretty accurate portrayal of men who work hard at being immature -- believe me, he's accurate. And that makes it even more satisfying to see him graduating into adulthood. Marcus's chapters are deeper, however, and it's this pensive kid who grounds the book. He may be young, but thanks to his saddening life, his mind is a lot more mature than Will's.

Postmodern Peter Pans and precocious preteens are at the heart of "About A Boy," Nick Hornby's sensitive look at the sexes and their children.

Great read
I loved this book. A good example of flawed characters that are still likable and funny. This book compelled me to read others of his. I liked them all but this was my favorite. I loved the movie as well. Different than the book but still a good story. ... Read more

Isbn: 1573227331
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Literary   

Shel Silverstein: Poems and Drawings : Slipcase 3-Book Box Set
by Shel Silverstein
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 October, 2002)
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Features

• Box set

Reviews (1)

Couldn't ask for better
These were my favorite books when I was in elementary school and they still remain high on my list. This is the set of all poetry and drawings books - makes a great gift!!! Your kids will loves these poems and the pictures that go along with them - and so will you! ... Read more

Isbn: 0060511494
Sales Rank: 17056
Subjects:  1. Children's 4-8 - Poetry / Plays    2. Children: Grades 3-4    3. Classics    4. Juvenile Fiction    5. Poetry - General    6. Juvenile Nonfiction / Poetry / Humorous   

Charlotte's Web (Trophy Newbery)
by E. B. White, Garth Williams
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (14 December, 2004)
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Editorial Review

An affectionate, sometimes bashful pig named Wilbur befriends a spider named Charlotte, who lives in the rafters above his pen. A prancing, playful bloke, Wilbur is devastated when he learns of the destiny that befalls all those of porcine persuasion. Determined to save her friend, Charlotte spins a web that reads "Some Pig," convincing the farmer and surrounding community that Wilbur is no ordinary animal and should be saved. In this story of friendship, hardship, and the passing on into time, E.B. White reminds us to open our eyes to the wonder and miracle often found in the simplest of things. ... Read more

Reviews (330)

Charlotte`s Web
The book is called Charlotte`s Web. It`s about a pig name Wilber who almost died at birth, but was saved. Now Wilbur lives in the Zuckerman`s barn and he made some new animal friends and a spider, named Charlotte. Charlotte helps him in anyway she can so that he can be safe and happy.
What I enjoyed about the book was that some parts of the book were sad and happy. It was happy when he became friend with Charlotte and she helped him. It was sad was when Charlotte had eggs and a few days later she died; and did not get to see her baby spiders.
Other people should read this book because it`s a good book about a pig and a spider who help and care for each other along the way.

Some Pig
The character of Charlotte's Web is of course a pig.

The Plot is in the Zuckermans' farm not in Fern's house.

While Fern had him she always took care of little Wilbur, the pig. Fern had saved this little pig from a certain death. She didn't want her father killing a baby pig. But as when Wilbur grows, Mr. Arable, Fern's father says Wilbur has to go. So they gave it to the Zuckermans. And there, Wilbur had a great adventure in the Zuckermans' farm also meeting Charlotte with her baby spiders.

SOME PIG:

These are the words in Charlotte's Web, high in the barn. Her spiderweb tells of her feelings for a little pig named Wilbur, as well as the feelings of a little girl named Fern... who loves Wilbur, too. Their love has been shared by millions of readers.

What the book is about is friendship on earth, affection and protection, adventure, miracle, life and death, trust and treachery, pleasure and pain, and the passing of time. As apiece of work it is just about perfect, and just about magical in the way it is done.

High caprice on a farm, handled with wit and wisdom, that serves to put an imperfect world back into joint.

You may also like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach and The Chocolate Touch which i have.

A Great Book!
This book is a magnificent book. It is a great story about friendship. It also has enough adventure to keep you excited and you want to get farther into it.This is surely one of my favorite books. ... Read more

Isbn: 0064400557
Subjects:  1. Animals - Farm Animals    2. Animals - General    3. Children's 9-12 - Literature - Classics / Contemporary    4. Children: Grades 4-6    5. Classics    6. Fiction    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Lifestyles - Farm Life & Ranch Life    9. Pigs    10. Social Situations - Friendship    11. Spiders    12. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh
by Michael Chabon
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (19 April, 1989)
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Reviews (92)

Freely borrowed ideas from other people in Pgh.
This book is not bad. The author freely borrowed ideas from others in Pgh. that were part of a "scene." The characters names were actually real nicknames (i.e. "mau mau) of people from the scene. But that is how good fiction is made, from borrowing from real life events.

"I wish I'd written that"
When you get to the end of this novel, and read the last paragraph, all you can think is, "I wish I'd written that."I can quote the last paragraph from memory, and a friend of mine, after I quoted it to her, made a poster with the quote and put it on her office wall.It's as good as Shakespeare.
As readers, we love the main character, Art, and we laugh as he meets new friends who show him how magical the ordinary world world can be."Some people really know how to have a good time."The novel is a bildungsroman.If you don't know that word, look it up.It's a good word.
Does that mean the world Art finds is perfect?No.And the flaws are made plain.Our author is no romantic.But we sense that it's worth the cost, this new and wonderful world.
But the most important character we meet is Chabon himself.His writing is so good, we keep reading . . . even through the boring parts . . . simply for the joy of the writing.
I won't give away the ending.But Chabon finds a way to avoid sentiment while remaining hopeful.His novel is not about egoistic self-pity the way so many of the books that came out at the end of 80's were.(Bright Lights, Big City; Slaves of New York; Less than Zero; etc.) Art does not pity himself.He's sad, but he's glad that he had a good time.And we hope his future will be a good one.

Flawed First Novel
I wanted to like this novel more . . . I desperately hoped that it would be good enough to justify reading some of his later works--- But I just wasn't that impressed. His control of prose was good. I liked his metaphors [e.g., describing a suburban house's garden-hose as a "French horn" hung on the house]. But the main character was sniveling, weak and unlikeable. I felt as much antipathty toward him as his father did--and I suspect that that wasn't the author's intent.
Maybe I'm too "old-fashioned" in my literary tastes--but a girl named "Phlox," the many celebrations of "alternative sexual drives," the adolescent urges to "shock" all left me cold.
Too bad.
I really wanted to like him more--or, if not like him, than admire his talent to such an extent that it would overcome my personal repugnance to him as a man. But, alas, such was not the case. ... Read more

Isbn: 0060972122
Sales Rank: 7896
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Fiction / General   

The Good People of New York
by THISBE NISSEN
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (07 May, 2002)
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Reviews (31)

The good people of New York deserve a better story
I had high hopes for this book, but in the end it was quite a let down.The writing, which started out very good, would just kind of trail off.Storylines that might have been original were left hanging there... in the end making them unoriginal and boring.I think this could have been a great story about interesting characters in New York (that in and of itself should be interesting) and yet this was a forced series of narratives that had nothing to do with the city. The main character is one you end up having no sympathy for.

I had heard the author describe this story as "a love letter to the city of New York" and actually it is quite the opposite.

CANT TELL A BOOK BY ITS COVER!
This book is so bad. The first two chapters are good,But each page gets worse and worse after that. The only reason i finished the book was because i was waiting for it to get better. I live in new york. This book has nothing to do with new york in any way. When i first saw the books cover i thought.. this should be a good book. Boy was i wrong.

Okay, I guess.
I liked reading bits of this book, which seemed to work fine because the novel was put together in bits. Nissen uses way, way, WAY too many adjectives (and particularly adverbs) to describe the most simple objects and actions, so in that's she's definitely showing off, character's voice or not. I wasn't convinced by how each of the characters fit together and, in the end, I felt no sympathy or empathy for any of them. Typically, I enjoy any novel that describes NYC street for street: it's one of the most relaxed, warm feelings I have, imagining I'm in Manhattan. Nissen did okay with that. What she didn't do so well with was the time period: I felt like she was making fun of the 70s (or was it the 60s?) retro fashions instead of putting us there firsthand. Overall, okay. Don't expect to feel as though you've accomplished anything reading this book, but it can be fun if you pick it up at random. ... Read more

Isbn: 0385720610
Sales Rank: 168266
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Literary    5. Fiction / General    6. Reading Group Guide   

Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson
by Louise Rennison
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (10 April, 2001)
list price: $6.99 -- our price: $6.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

She has a precocious 3-year-old sister who tends to leave wet nappies at the foot of her bed, an insane cat who is prone to leg-shredding "Call of the Wild" episodes, and embarrassing parents who make her want to escape to Stonehenge and dance with the Druids. No wonder 14-year-old Georgia Nicolson laments, "Honestly, what is the point?" A Bridget Jones for the younger set, Georgia records the momentous events of her life--and they are all momentous--in her diary, which serves as a truly hilarious account of what it means to be a modern girl on the cusp of womanhood. No matter that her particular story takes place in England, the account of her experiences rings true across the ocean (and besides, "Georgia's Glossary" swiftly eradicates any language barriers).

The author, Louise Rennison, is a British comedy writer and it shows. WhetherGeorgia is dealing with wearing a bra ("OK, it's a bit on the loose side and does ride up round my neck if I run for the bus"), pondering kissing and how to know which way to turn your head ("You don't want to be bobbing around like pigeons for hours"), or managing the results of an overzealous eyebrow-plucking episode ("Obviously, now I have to stay in forever"), she always cracks us up. Georgia struggles with the myriad issues facing teen girls--boys, of course being at the forefront--but she does it with such humor and honesty it almost seems like a good time. This refreshingly funny book is ripe for a sequel, which readers will await in droves. (Ages 11 and older). --Brangien Davis ... Read more

Reviews (557)

This is the cheesy stuff that girls are reading?
This book is cheesy, immoral, and disgusting. Like a list of how to go from a goodnight kiss to a LOT more, wink wink. It is poorly written and tasteless. It's about a boy-crazy, sex-hungry, brainless, bratty 14 or 15 year old who hates her parents and little sister and practically drools for boys. Good grief, there's plenty of people who could write bette (insert proper word) than this! (I'm 16, but I cannot use an adult form!! 8-[

Not perfect, but just about
Such an adorable book!Cute as all get-out.I wouldn't have thought I'd enjoy this book so much as I'm well past my teenage years; however, it was one my daughter wanted to read and the title looked interesting, so I gave it a try.

Georgia doesn't have all the answers, but doesn't always pretend like she does; she is the typical 14 year old and then some.How does a woman of Louise Rennison's age write such an appealing character of such a tender age?However she is able to do it, she does it brilliantly.

This book was a quick read, but thoroughly enjoyable.Even though it's a lightweight, it's definitely a feel-good lightweight, not one that leaves you wishing you hadn't bothered.I got such a kick out of Rennison's Georgia.And the minor characters you could sense as people, like her mom, dad and sister - not as afterthoughts.

I read The Year My Life Went Down The Loo by Katie Maxwell before I read this book; what a ripoff of Angus, Thongs... it is!And a very poor one at that.

I look forward to reading more of Louise Rennison in the future.

Hilarious
I'm not really a book person but I decided to get one with a voucher that I had. This book was well worth it, it's so funny.
Georgia and her diary entries are hilarious, and language such as " piddly-diddly department" and nunga-nungas are well thought up.
TRUST ME, READ IT!! IT'S FAB! ... Read more

Isbn: 0064472272
Subjects:  1. Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General    2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    3. Diaries    4. Fiction    5. Humorous Stories    6. Juvenile Fiction    7. Social Situations - Adolescence    8. Juvenile Fiction / Humorous Stories   

Wonder Boys : A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)
by Michael Chabon
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (15 December, 1995)
list price: $14.00 -- our price: $11.20
(price subject to change: see help)
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Reviews (118)

Fantastically satiric
I stumbled upon this novel after reading James Joyce's 'Ulysses', so perhaps my desire for something simple may have been a bit strong.However, I still strongly believe that this is a wonderful piece of literature and one of the funniest novels.

Using first-person narration through the eyes of Grady Tripp, Michael Chabon is able to use a sardonic and quite hysterical point of view that takes us to the college life through the eyes of a creative writing professor who cannot get himself to finish his next novel 'Wonder Boys'.Interestingly, life after college isn't too much different than life during college, except the former is more focused on having intellectual parties with alcohol and pot.

We get to meet memorable characters, and with brilliant commentary on each it is easy to feel for not just the narrator's perspective, but everyone around him's as well.Tripp's oddball and troubled student, James Leer, is simply unforgettable - having a penchant for fabricating stories and thievery.James is the catalyst of everything that happens in the story, and he definitely steals the show when he is in the scene.He is with whom I had the most sympathy - a young man lost in the world.One of the most poignant moments is when Tripp stumbles into his home and sees a passed out Leer naked: Tripp says that he "felt sorry for James Leer when [he] saw his penis" (133), bringing to the mind Shaffer's 'Equus'.

Chabon also choses for the novel to take place in a weekend, which is quite a smart move because that gives it such a great rhythm and speed.Because it is in a more 'real time' style, the book is hard to put down, for every moment seems like something completely absurd is going to happen that will outdo what just previously occurred.

A dog dies, a transvestite changes, a young man finds himself, an older man finds himself, et cetera.It's a hopeful novel in the end, despite the bitter satire of Grady Tripp and Michael Chabon.I certainly think it's an amusing read, especially for those who've experienced the college life.

The Parties of Pittsburgh (Chapter 2)
Grady Tripp is a former 'wonder boy', a talented writer-turned-professor whose promising career has been derailed by womanizing and a hard-core pot addiction.He's been 'working' on his fourth novel, "Wonder Boys", for over seven years, producing 2,600 pages but not quite reaching the halfway point of his outline.Over the course of one weekend, at his college's annual "WordFest" literary gala, his world finally begins imploding beneath the combined pressure of his failing marriage, his editor, his lover, and his students (one worries him, one wants him).Close encounters with a transvestite, a tuba, and a boa constrictor do little to ease his predicament.

As in his debut, *The Mysteries of Pittsburgh*, Chabon employs a sardonic, first-person narration and academic ('town and gown') setting (still Pittsburgh) to create an unpredictable story colored with brilliant but troubled characters, hetero- and homosexual lustings, and prevalent substance abuse.He again proves himself as an absurdly gifted writer with a superhuman vocabulary and ability to select from that embarrassment of riches the precise bon mots to enliven and enrich Grady's narrative.It's the effortless effervescence of his storytelling that captivates and draws the reader along, since--although the set-up for Grady's calamitous weekend is excellent--the unfolding structure of the novel proves uneven.(And Chabon does perhaps grow too fond of uncommon words and allusions, especially with regard to furniture and fashion.)In particular, the visit with Grady's wife and Jewish/Korean in-laws for the Passover meal is far too long and detailed, especially since none of the characters or related issues reappear once he leaves.(In this aspect, as with *Mysteries*, a more comprehensive resolution of each plot-thread would have been welcome.)

Overall, *Wonder Boys* is a brisk, light, 'literary' read with a handful of laugh-out-loud moments and genuine insights into human relationships.But until the very end, Grady proves a passive protagonist, battered every which way by his acquaintances' escapades and his pot addiction; and (perhaps as an effect of the first-person narration) we don't come to understand or identify with the supporting characters as well as we should.

A good, entertaining read--but not a great one.An impressive whirl of bright, sweet cotton candy: an enjoyable confection, if not a satisfying meal.3-1/2 high-on-somethin' stars.

A truly fine work of fiction.
This is one of the very few books I will read over and over when there is a lull in the current crop of fiction.The characters in this book seem to spring from the page, they are so well drawn.Of course, no characters in my life were ever so witty, funny and collectively troubled.This is a wonderful book about success, the mistakes we make, and life in general.The scope is small, but that only lends an air of comfort to the story, and allows the real stars of the book, the characters, to shine.

The plot is fun, and moves briskly, and Chabon is arguably the most stylish writer out there today, so what do you have to lose? ... Read more

Isbn: 0312140940
Sales Rank: 48395
Subjects:  1. Authors    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Humorous    5. Humorous stories    6. Literary    7. Fiction / Literary