Sense and Sensibility

Book Description

Sparkling with wit and irony, Sense and Sensibility is more than a simple contrast between heart and head; it is a critical exploration of the society that demands of individuals both honesty and duplicity.

When two sisters, Elinor and Marianne, and their mother are left to the financial mercies of John Dashwood and his wife, they find themselves in drastically reduced circumstances.

Unable to find a new home in Sussex, they move to Devon, leaving behind Elinor's admirer Edward Ferrars. Though Elinor is sorrowful, she conceals her feelings of attachment from prying society. Marianne, impulsive and open in her emotions, falls passionately in love with the dashing, roguish John Willoughby. Although they differ widely in temperament, both sisters must face great sorrows in their affairs of the heart - and use their own strengths to overcome them.

Read by Julie Christie

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The Handmaid's Tale, a Unique Book
Disturbing but a great read
captivating, didn't care for or feel satisfied by the ending...
A Future All To Close...
Liked it.

The Handmaid's Tale
Margaret Eleanor Atwood
Manufacturer: DH Audio Listening for Pleasure
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 0886462142

Book Description

In this multi-award-winning, bestselling novel, Margaret Atwood has created a stunning Orwellian vision of the near future. This is the story of Offred, one of the unfortunate “Handmaids” under the new social order who have only one purpose: to breed. In Gilead, where women are prohibited from holding jobs, reading, and forming friendships, Offred’s persistent memories of life in the “time before” and her will to survive are acts of rebellion. Provocative, startling, prophetic, and with Margaret Atwood’s devastating irony, wit, and acute perceptive powers in full force, The Handmaid’s Tale is at once a mordant satire and a dire warning.

Customer Reviews:

The Handmaid's Tale, a Unique Book.......2007-10-08

The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood, is a unique book. Even though it was written over thirty years ago, the politics come through to me as very similar to some of the world's current governments. It is a hugely realistic fantasy book, one that has parts I can see coming true very soon. Margart Atwood's descriptions gave me a detailed picture of the hard, limited, and completely controlled world in which Offred lived in. The way she told her story made me think that she had so much spirit in her life before she became a handmaid, and to read the descriptions of her life made me think, "Oh yeah, I do that." Or, "I dress like that all the time." Things that we take for granted were things of the past in this book. The descriptions of places, however ordinary, were rich and detailed. I loved how towards the end of the book, the reader gets more of her story, and the whole thing gets involved and complicated, at least compared to Offred's life earlier in the book.
I would recommend this book to people who like almost disturbingly real novels, suspense, or science fiction. This would also be a good book for people who enjoyed The Giver, but The Handmaid's Tale is much more advanced, and is probably not suitable for people under 12.

Disturbing but a great read.......2007-09-23

Chilling and upsetting, this book shook me up but it was a great read. Very well-written, very powerful. I had to take a break from reading after finishing this. Loved it.

captivating, didn't care for or feel satisfied by the ending..........2007-09-22

heavy at times, but I love Atwoods books. I would recommend this book.
I did not care for the way the book ended, but I did learn a lot from it. It is eerie how close to the edge Atwood's stories go and yet as we peer into the future still believable. Atwoods dark imagination keeps me reading more and more of her books.
My favorite to date: The Blind Assassin
Least favorite to date: Cat's Eye or the Edible Woman

A Future All To Close..........2007-09-14

i may not be a graceful reviewer, but if you somehow stumble on this book the way i did...you will love it and want more. I love how strange this world was and how corrupt. Society and life has been altered...You feel like its the past only to discover that was our country in the future...
LIKE CHILDREN OF MEN!

Liked it........2007-09-05

But I didn't love it. The ending drove me nuts (but I won't blurt it out, for those who aren't there yet). Overall, it was well written, if a little trite.

Sense and Sensibility (Penguin Classics)

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Sense and Sensibility (Penguin Classics)
Jane Austen
Manufacturer: Penguin Audiobooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 0141804572

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The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Victor Hugo
Manufacturer: New Millennium Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 1590071204

Book Description

The story of Quasimoto, as originally written by Victor Hugo. The "monster" in the abbey abhorred and trapped alone for years is the subject of this classic. What we learn about people is more important than how. Performed by Julie Christie, Hunchback is endearing and heartwrenching in its simplicity.

Mary Stuart: Queen of Scots (Ultimate Classics)

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THE QUEEN WHO RULED WITH HER HEART AND LOST HER HEAD...
Truly remarkable story

Mary Stuart: Queen of Scots (Ultimate Classics)
Alexandre Dumas
Manufacturer: Audio Literature
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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Regal and dazzlingly beautiful, Mary was often misunderstood yet revered for the mystery of her life. Succumbing to the irresistible impulses of passion, she gambled away her throne for love. Unbelievable acts of abduction, rape and murder were performed at her best; she stopped at nothing. Ultimately, the deaadly game of pwoer she played and lost against her envious cousin, Elizabeth I, cost her not only her kingdom, but also her life. Betrayed by those she trusted most, adored even as she was led to the guillotine, she still remained an enigma.

Customer Reviews:

THE QUEEN WHO RULED WITH HER HEART AND LOST HER HEAD..........2003-02-08

This audio book is available only in an abridged version. While I normally do not care to bother with abridged audio books, I am a big fan of Mary Stuart, the hapless Queen of Scots, as well as a Julie Christie fan, so I was game to try it.

This audio book was better than I thought it would be, given that it is abridged. This is in large part due to Julie Christie's rousing reading. Ms. Christie reads with great spirit and verve, her diction crystal clear. She seamlessly transitions between Scottish and English accents, infusing the characters with distinct personalities and creating a sense of atmosphere. Ms. Christie simply does a beautiful job reading this book.

This book by Alexandre Dumas is very good, though literary license is evidently taken. It encompasses Mary's early childhood, her sojourn in France, her return to Scotland as Queen, the intrusion of fire and brimstone religious reformer, John Knox, into the political arena, the perfidy of James, her illegitimate half-brother, the unhappy marriage to Lord Darnley and his murder, her alliance with Lord Bothwell, abdication, exile in England, and execution.

The time spent focusing on Mary's last will and testament, however, is inordinately long and somewhat puzzling. It would probably have been better spent focusing more on her alliance with Lord Bothwell or on the political perfidy of her power hungry, illegitimate half-brother, James. Both would play a large part in Mary's downfall and ultimate loss of the throne of Scotland.

Still, for those who are fans of Mary Stuart and for those who would like a brief and breezy overview of her life, this abridged audio book might just be the ticket. The book is contained on four cassettes, which provide six hours of reading pleasure.

Truly remarkable story.......2000-12-21

Alexandre Dumas is a real master teller. He is so knowledgeable of the history that you can never tell between that fact and the fiction. You almost feel like living in the 16th century. You can sense it.

The abridged version is to the damage of the story. It has not been very carefully selected which parts to leave out or which parts to shorten. Sometimes it takes a while to realize that the story jumped forward in time and some parts are being given an unnecessary extend (the decription of Mary's will, for exemple). Also the part describing her execution is a bit too morbide.

But in any case, this is a great piece of work. It has both its entertaining and historical value.

Amazon.com

Mistress Mary is quite contrary until she helps her garden grow. Along the way, she manages to cure her sickly cousin Colin, who is every bit as imperious as she. These two are sullen little peas in a pod, closed up in a gloomy old manor on the Yorkshire moors of England, until a locked-up garden captures their imaginations and puts the blush of a wild rose in their cheeks; "It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place any one could imagine. The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of roses which were so thick, that they matted together.... 'No wonder it is still,' Mary whispered. 'I am the first person who has spoken here for ten years.'" As new life sprouts from the earth, Mary and Colin's sour natures begin to sweeten. For anyone who has ever felt afraid to live and love, The Secret Garden's portrayal of reawakening spirits will thrill and rejuvenate. Frances Hodgson Burnett creates characters so strong and distinct, young readers continue to identify with them even 85 years after they were conceived. (Ages 9 to 12)

Book Description

This resource is directly related to its literature equivalent and filled with a variety of cross-curricular lessons to do before, during, and after reading the book. This reproducible book includes sample plans, author information, vocabulary building ideas, cross-curriculum activities, sectional activities and quizzes, unit tests, and ideas for culminating and extending the novel.

Customer Reviews:

A classic for girls.......2007-09-22

The Secret Garden is a book about a spoiled girl who uncovers the mysteries of the house around her which include, but are not limited too, what is behind the wall, and why is it kept secret. It is a good classic, but girls will enjoy it much more than boys do.

Classic.......2007-08-06

Even if you are an adult you should reread this book. Helps you to see how fun it was to be a kid.

Seeds the child's imagination..........2007-07-29

This has always been one of my favorite books since childhood. When I read my first story in this book it gave me so much inspiration to use my imagination as a child should. A child's imagination is so real! This reality soon takes the form of abstract, which paves the road to anywhere he wants it to go - or not...

The Secret Garden.......2007-07-05

This edition is printed on really cheap, unappealing paper. I can't imagine anyone wanting to give this version of a children's classic as a gift, or even to read from it to a child yourself.

Spellbinding Book.......2007-07-03

This book is the best book I have ever read. It's a light, happy book that I will treasure for the rest of my life. Ilove the theme of hope in the book, that will convince readers about the Magic inside themselves...if they hope. If they believe something will happen, it will. That theme is so beautifully conveyed. I couldn't put it down, and it is most definitely my new favorite book. A MUST READ!!!!!!!!

I ALSO RECCOMEND THE FOLLOWING:
Arthur and the Invisibles, Artemis Fowl Series, The Book Without Words, The Kingdom Keepers, the Prophecy of the Stones, The Game of Sunken PLaces, Midnight Blue

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Great copy of a good novel
Great book, awful editing...
This book is worth reading, a terific love story!
Forget the infamous "love triangle"...
Wild and wooly in Wessex

Far from the Madding Crowd
Thomas Hardy
Manufacturer: DH Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 0886462223

Book Description

Graced with the splendid illustrations executed by Helen Paterson for the first edition of the novel, this special Collector's Edition of Far from the Madding Crowd also features handwritten letters and drawings by Hardy, as well as rare and intimate portraits of the author and his first wife, Emma. Here, too, readers are granted a fascinating and touching glimpse of how two great imaginative writers interact with one another: This edition reproduces the handwritten pages from Virginia Woolf's diary in which she recounts her now-famous visit with the very aged Thomas Hardy at his home, Max Gate, in 1926.

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"It is among such communities as these that happiness will find her last refuge on earth..". Against this backdrop Hardy tells a vivid story of life in rural Wessex which centres on the independent and beautiful Bathsheba Everdene. She decides to manage the farm she has inherited and finds herself in a powerful position for a woman of the 1840s. But power brings tragic complications when she has to decide between three rival suitors.

Customer Reviews:

Great copy of a good novel.......2006-03-27

The norton critical edition was very useful for this novel. Having all the background about the novel as well as all the footnotes throughout the novel really aided me in my understanding of the novel. Without the information in these footnotes, the book would not have had the same meaning for me. The book itself was also very good, although a bit difficult to read. It was very interesting and it led me to a better understanding of the Victorian era and trials ordinary men at that time had to go through. A good read.

Great book, awful editing..........2006-02-15

This is a wonderful classic for many reasons. But, I urge you not to read this edition, because the notes are terrible! There are notes for things that are obvious, and a lack for those things which need them. The worst offense, however, is that one of the notes (which readers are likely to check, as it gives background on a forgotten song sung by one of the main characters) gives away not only the important action of that short chapter, but also gives away the main line of the story. Awful, awful editing...

This book is worth reading, a terific love story!.......2004-12-11

i do think it's a wonderful fiction! in the process of reading this book, i was captivated by the twisted development of the story and also Hardy's mastery language. it gives you a great picture of beautiful scenery in rural England, and there is romance, expections for what happens next. i really enjoy it !

Forget the infamous "love triangle"..........2004-03-03

In Far from the Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy introduces us to the precarious "love square". At the core of all the turmoil is beautiful farm girl, Bathsheba Everdene - spirited, vain, intelligent and adept at toying with the hearts of men. Inevitably beguiled by her charms a humble and kind farmer, Gabriel Oak, fervently attempts to win Bathsheba's affections. Enter the competition: (suitor#2) Farmer Boldwood - a wealthy and temperate middle-aged man respected in the community, eventually plunges into maniacal obsession at the mere possibility of making the beloved Miss Everdene his wife; and (suitor#3) Sergeant Francis Troy - a dashing young philandering soldier, with his share of inner demons, ruthlessness and vanity, vies for Bathsheba's hand in marriage. Bathsheba's ultimate decision, and the cataclysm it evokes, lies at the epicenter of Hardy's unforgettable ambivalent story.
Far from the Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy's fourth novel, saw publication in 1874 and earned him widespread popularity as a writer. A delicately woven tale of unrequited love and regret, set in the mid-19th century, Far From the Madding Crowd is a masterpiece of pure story-telling. Hardy's classic style is a pleasure to read as he masterfully brings his characters and their dealings to life. I would not hesitate to say it definitely captured my heart as another favourite.

Wild and wooly in Wessex.......2003-10-31

Few literary settings are more distinctive than Thomas Hardy's Wessex, a hilly, chalky, bucolic quilt of pastures and villages occupying the southwest of England, its residents sworn to the immutable cultural traditions of centuries long past. But it is not the goal of "Far from the Madding Crowd" to be merely a sentimental portrait of a region for which Hardy has a great affection, but a grandiose drama about the eventual union of a man and the woman he loves. In summary, Hardy does accede to a Happily Ever After ending, but how he gets to this point is why his novel deserves to be read.

It's not surprising that the novel was originally attributed to George Eliot because the protagonist, Gabriel Oak, as the novel's moral anchor, is very similar in character to Eliot's Adam Bede. Oak is trying to make a living on his own as a farmer, but a stroke of bad luck compels him to take a job as a shepherd for a beautiful young woman named Bathsheba Everdene who has recently inherited her uncle's farm and commands a large number of workers and servants. Oak iconically personifies the rustic setting, not only because of his surname but because of the intimacy with which he communes with nature, and his fondness for playing the flute seems designed to evoke an image of Pan.

Oak has an awkward history with Bathsheba -- he had known her before her windfall, but in her independent spirit she spurned his love. As the head of Weatherbury farm, however, she can't get by on her independence alone, and she needs Oak's expertise in ensuring her sheep are healthy and fit for wool production. Her romantic attention turns toward a profligate soldier named Francis Troy who, through an unlikely error, has just barely avoided wedding Fanny Robin, one of the Weatherbury servants. Bathsheba's eventual marriage to Troy breaks the hearts of Oak and another rival, a neighboring farmer named Boldwood whose affections she had once teased and whose obsessive nature erupts at a most climactic moment in the novel.

The plot developments are a flamboyant display of contrivance, but Hardy masters his devices so well it's impossible not to go along with him for the ride. As an example, consider the jilted Fanny who is so weary from sickness that she has to use a dog as a crutch to get to her destination where she finally dies; not until Hardy reveals what's written on the lid of her coffin do we (and Oak) realize the role Troy played in her death. Likewise, Troy's impulsive reaction to this incident seems like a purposely destructive measure that intends to stir even more turbulence into the story.

Amazon.com

Though not the first novel she wrote, Sense and Sensibility was the first Jane Austen published. Though she initially called it Elinor and Marianne, Austen jettisoned both the title and the epistolary mode in which it was originally written, but kept the essential theme: the necessity of finding a workable middle ground between passion and reason. The story revolves around the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne. Whereas the former is a sensible, rational creature, her younger sister is wildly romantic--a characteristic that offers Austen plenty of scope for both satire and compassion. Commenting on Edward Ferrars, a potential suitor for Elinor's hand, Marianne admits that while she "loves him tenderly," she finds him disappointing as a possible lover for her sister:

Oh! Mama, how spiritless, how tame was Edward's manner in reading to us last night! I felt for my sister most severely. Yet she bore it with so much composure, she seemed scarcely to notice it. I could hardly keep my seat. To hear those beautiful lines which have frequently almost driven me wild, pronounced with such impenetrable calmness, such dreadful indifference!

Soon however, Marianne meets a man who measures up to her ideal: Mr. Willoughby, a new neighbor. So swept away by passion is Marianne that her behavior begins to border on the scandalous. Then Willoughby abandons her; meanwhile, Elinor's growing affection for Edward suffers a check when he admits he is secretly engaged to a childhood sweetheart. How each of the sisters reacts to their romantic misfortunes, and the lessons they draw before coming finally to the requisite happy ending forms the heart of the novel. Though Marianne's disregard for social conventions and willingness to consider the world well-lost for love may appeal to modern readers, it is Elinor whom Austen herself most evidently admired; a truly happy marriage, she shows us, exists only where sense and sensibility meet and mix in proper measure. --Alix Wilber

Book Description

Jane Austen (1775-1817) is considered by many scholars to be the first great woman novelist. Her novels revolve around people, not events or coincidences. Miss Austen sets her novels in the upper middle class English country which was her own environment.

Her novels have increased in stature over time. Her skills of writing, including a dry humor and a witty elegance of expression have attracted generations to her work.

Miss Austen completed six novels and part of a seventh, "Sense and Sensibility", "Pride and Prejudice", "Mansfield Park", "Emma", "Northanger Abbey", "Persuasion" and the partial "Lady Susan". Quiet Vision publishes all seven.

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The Dashwood sisters are very different from each other in appearance and temperament; Elinor's good sense and readiness to observe social forms contrast with Marianne's impulsive candor and warm but excessive sensibility. Both struggle to maintain their integrity and find happiness in the face of a competitive marriage market. The basis of the Columbia film, starring Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant.

Customer Reviews:

Good....Probably Not Austen's Best, However.......2007-06-14

I used to wonder why so many people preferred Pride and Prejudice over Sense and Sensibility. What differences were dynamic enough to make so many people sway? I read the novel and was intrigued, yet not as much as I was when reading Pride and Prejudice.
Sense and Sensibility is a delightful story with characters easy to fall in love with. You automatically root for Elinor at the drop of a hat, and though we prefer to think of Marianne as someone completely different from ourselves, we resist reproaching her and root for her instead. Though I wouldn't call it Austen's best, this book is a great way to pass time, especially on a shaded porch swing in a drizzle.

Senses satisfied.......2007-06-13

Quickly shipped and item as promised and in good condition.

Austen's First: Limited in View But Still Entertaining.......2006-08-20

In SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, Jane Austen begins in her first novel what for her was to be her life long concern: what is the proper role that society should take in the relationship between men and women? In this novel at least, her response is that potential lovers must strike a balance between accepting the limitations upon romance imposed by a society that was ruled by a complex web of social, political, and legal restrictions and rejecting or at least tactfully ignoring those restrictions and thus incurring the wrath of an outraged society that does not easily suffer its laws flouted. In her later novels, Austen implies that wit may be a leavening agent (as in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE) that may succeed where pure sense comes up short or raw emotion may be used (as in PERSUASION) for the same purpose.

Unlike in her later novels, Austen divides her heroine into two psychologically different young women. There is Elinor Dashwood, who possesses sense in abundance, and then there is her sister Marianne, who cultivates sensibility. In the context of 18th century English genteel society "sense" refers not to what we would call today as common sense but the unspoken assumption that single women realize that they do not live in a cultural vacuum. The rules concerning the legal distribution of inherited property, the social rules concerning who may dance with whom at approved balls, and the need to marry "upward" all interlocked to place a velvet-gloved bear hug on women who had some very real and serious decisions to make concerning marriage if they did not want to end up as the next generation's spinster aunt. There is Marianne Dashwood, who is more than willing to make such daunting choices not based on the sense that guides her sister but on the trashy and sensational pulp romance novels of the day. Where Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, a man of honor, if not of the hidden type, she makes her choice based on premises of which society could approve. Where Marianne has an infatuation with the roguish John Willoughby, a man with clear character flaws, she makes her choice based on her own artificially heightened sensibility of dime-store romance books. The basic thrust of the novel is that both sisters slowly and painfully grow to accept that a life based solely on the one or the other philosophy is unworkable. Austen implies that there is a golden middle, albeit one which probably is more closely allied to sense than to sensibility.

In SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, Jane Austen limits her view of the often convoluted knots of human relationships into a deceptively smooth and flattened perspective in a manner that would slowly change in her later books to include a more realistic, if not more necessarily complex vision that would allow women and men to interact in a forthright way of which even an entrenched society might approve. Though SENSE AND SENSIBILITY is not Austen's most popular book, it clearly shows in a restricted way the limits that her culture placed on the rights of women to call their own shots.

Sense and Sensibility.......2006-03-04

Perhaps one of my favorite Jane Austen books. It's perfect in every way!

An Excellent Introduction to Jane Austen.......2006-01-16

Although SENSE AND SENSIBILITY is not Jane Austen's best novel, it is nonetheless a major novel, with the author's then-young talent in full display. Its publication in 1811 marked Austen as a huge literary talent, and its significance reverberates even today as contemporary readers re-discover the works of this author so adept at uncovering the foibles of nineteenth century aristocracy.

The title refers to the two eldest Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, one of whom (Elinor) embraces practicality and restraint while the other (Marianne) gives her whole heart to every endeavor. When the Dashwoods - mother Mrs. Dashwood, Elinor, Marianne, and youngest sister Margaret - are sent, almost impoverished, to a small cottage in Devonshire after the death of their father and the machinations of their brother's wife, they accept their new circumstances with as much cheer as they can muster even though their brother and his wife have taken over the family estate and fortune. Their characters, albeit wildly different in their approaches to life, are impeccably honest and intelligent - and their suitors take notice. Elinor falls in love with the shy, awkward Edward, while Marianne's affections are lavished on the dashing hunter Willoughby. As in all Austen's books, love and marriage don't come easily, as affections aren't always returned and social jockeying sometimes takes precedence to true love. In an interestingly twist, the end of this novel brings into question which sister represents which part of the title.

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY only hints at the social skewering Austen would use to such great effect in her later novels, and the humor here is only occasional and slight, as this novel adopts a generally serious tone. Parody is largely limited to the gossipy Mrs. Jenkins, who jumps to wild conclusions about situations she knows nothing about. Though arranged marriage and true love figure prominently in all of Austen's novels, this novel focuses almost exclusivity on the prospects of the two main characters, making it less complex than the novels that followed. Reserved Elinor and exuberant Marianne are expertly drawn, with Edward, Willoughby, and Colonel Brandon (whose lovesick hopes for Marianne are dashed again and again) also engaging creations. Except for the first page or two where the circumstances of the Dashwoods are set up through a series of deaths and relations, possibly causing some confusion, this novel is exceedingly easy to follow for contemporary readers.

This novel is an excellent introduction to Jane Austen's works because of its relative simplicity (though readers should not dismiss it as simple) and the use of typical themes and social situations. Book clubs and students might want to explore the influence of money on nineteenth century British society as well as the meaning of the title as it applies to both the sisters and the other characters. It is also interesting to note both the helplessness and the extraordinary power of women in different circumstances.

Even though this is not Austen's best novel, I could not take away a single star because it is such a delightful book. I highly recommend this novel for all readers. -- Debbie Lee Wesselmann

Average customer rating:

A classic
Classic checked off my list
Romaticism at its best!
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Breathtaking action and true love (and anti-love) mixed with extraordinarily long, dry sections

The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Victor Hugo , and Julie Christie
Manufacturer: Audio Literature
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 0787110817

Book Description

In the dark world of medieval Paris, the deformed bell-ringer of Notre Dame

Cathedral heroically fights to save the life of a beautiful Gypsy girl about to

be unjustly executed. Told with simple vocabulary and set in large type, this

adaptation of the classic tale is perfectly suited for young readers.

Customer Reviews:

A classic.......2007-09-18

This book brings the reader into Paris, late 1400s. For such a good classic book it is under-rated. There is a good plot, a love story, and characters that seem to come alive as you keep reading. Victor Hugo gives details that even make the architecture stand out. It is like a page turning adventure- can't stop until the book is finished.

Classic checked off my list.......2007-06-13

Okay, so I read it. It was long and pretty much depressing. Maybe it just went right over my head. The character Quasimodo was fascinating. I definitely enjoyed that aspect of the book.

Romaticism at its best!.......2007-03-26

Victor Hugo, the French poet and writer, who wished to change how novels were written and read, wrote The Hunchback of Notra-Dame in the beginning of his career. In contrast to Les Miserables, which is his more celebrated work, and was written several decades after the Notra-dame novel, the present piece is not only laced with more humor and romance but also stands out as a piece where the young poet in Hugo pours out a ravishing range of similes. Just for the pure magic of his metaphors and similes that make all his descriptions so poetic, so powerful Notra-Dame is worth reading.

The story itself reads like a fanciful movie, an ugly hunchback, Quasimodo is brought up by a Priest Frollo, the archdeacon of Notradame. The hunchback is hence attached like a dog to his master to him. The English title of Hunchback of Notra-dame is a misnomer, for the original is called Notra-dame de Paris, and English title lets us assume that it is the story of Hunchback as hero, while the original title asserts it is story set in Notradame and has charaters who reside in it, or live in its shadows. The Priest Calude Frollo, leaving his pursuit of science and philosophy meanders to a path of unrelenting lust for the gypsy dancer, Esmeralda. A writer, Pierre Grigorne, gets into a set of bizarre circumstances, where a token marriage attaches him to the gypsy. Phoebus, captain of King's Archers is the object of the affection of Esmeralda herself.

Besides these characters, there is a madwoman who lives in confinement, pining for her lost child, who was carried off by gypsies, and hates Esmeralda. There is the goat Djali, who performs tricks with Esmeralda, Jehan who is Claude Frollo's irreligious brother, King Louis IV - who interacts with Claude on issues of science, and the most important character, who lurks like an existence all though, is the Notra-Dame itself. The romances criss cross through a series of interesting episodes and drama, and that forms the crux of the story that I won't divulge here. Readers will benefit by discovering surprises and mystery for themselves, in process getting enchanted by a story that has been a popular read for centuries now.

What makes this novel a masterpiece, besides the poetic descriptions, is
Hugo's description of the cathedral of Notra-dame and the city of Paris, and his discussion of how the arrival of printing press signaled an end to the importance as architecture as the expressive art of intellectuals. The views of the author expressed in these pages and pages of delightful reading provide the reader not only with historical and architectural prespective on the buildings in Paris, but also gives us a word image of buildings, roofs, rooms, carvings, modernism, and more. In his commentaries and comparisons between writing and printing as form of expression in contrast to architecture, Hugo unmasks a wide array of issues that arrival of every new media (TV, Cinema, Internet, Digital Photography) bring. How existing precepts and concepts are revised, how adaptations occur, how each age has its own expression through any of these means- and all Hugo says so passionately about architecture or literature allows us to feel the essence of why we make monuments of stones or words in the first place.

Victor Hugo had great skill in developing characters, and describing their lives over an extended period of time, capturing how situations and people led to certain choices, behavioral changes and thought process of each. His ability of doing this, in a very detached manner, where narrative is like a camera floating into a room, and staying long enough for a distant observer to watch and identify traits of every person present there, makes him a great novelist. The novel, like all classic reads, looks formidable in size, but can be read at a formidable pace, especially after the first half of the novel is over.

Besides the merits of the novelist, and the beauty of his wordplay, the story itself is a charming one, and has been brought to screen versions many times. Reading Hugo's two major works allows one to get the same keen insight into French society of the respective times, as does Thackeray and Dickens novels for England and Tolstoy in Russia. Reading any of these masters takes time, but trust me, it is worth the patience and the effort. Recommended highly.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame.......2006-06-16

All said about classics, this was one of the best classics ever written. It fills you with emotion, an extremely thought provoking book that talks of love and unloved, loyalty and betrayal, gratitude and unrelenting coldness. Reading this book is like going back in time to the 15th century, we can see masquerades roaming the streets of France. A lonely bell ringer with a hunched back ringing bells, longing to see his beloved girl. The archdeacon, who, by nature may not be evil, But the endless temptation made him an absolute devil. An absurd love triangle that was almost funny, and yet resulted only in tragedy. A gypsy prostitute filled with remorse and anger, and yet..... yet everything turned to nothing......

The famous Quisimodo is probably the ultimate symbol of an ugly face with a kind heart. He is one of the bravest protagonists I've ever encountered. He has a heart of gold. And yet he received nothing, that, was Hugo's tragedy at his best.

Besides an extremely well-written book, the main thing about this book is that it's heart wrenching and thought provoking. One of the best tragedies ever written, if you like to shed some tears while reading, then this is the right book for you.

Breathtaking action and true love (and anti-love) mixed with extraordinarily long, dry sections.......2006-03-07

Hugo's classic is the ultimate un-love story. It presents at least three central characters brimming with unrequited love and another couple of central characters who don't seem to know how to love. Amongst the unrequited "loves," one case is pure lust mistaken for love and another is complete infatuation mistaken for love. The book also reads as a case study in the potential ramifications of bitterness. Hugo also draws wonderful characters: the archdeacon of Notre Dame is one of the scariest villains I've seen, and the spineless poet Gringoire is attractive though unreliable. The story is fascinating and heart-rending.

But the book also feels schizophrenic: Hugo delivers suspense-filled scenes, engaging dialogue, intriguing characters, breathtaking action...and then interrupts it with pages and pages of the history of Parisian architecture or the relative benefits of astrology versus alchemy. It's reminiscent of Moby Dick in that way: excitement interspersed with mind-numbing boredom. But the reflections on the heart are worth it: just don't be afraid to skip a few pages.

I read (or listened to, actually), the Lowell Bair translation, which had some interesting and clever phrasing that I didn't find in other translations I examined. On Amazon, that translation is only available abridged (maybe not a bad idea) as a Bantam Classic, so the unabridged version may be out of print. That said, other translations (such as this) may have other strengths (hence their still being in print).

The Adventures of Hercules (Children's Classics (Dove Audio))

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The Adventures of Hercules (Children's Classics (Dove Audio))
Stefan Rudnicki
Manufacturer: Audio Literature
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 0787113824

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