Product Description
This handbook falls into three main parts - acting (mainly stage acting, but with sections on radio, television, film, commercials etc), the second part on the technical side and the third part is on arts administration. Throughout, advice is given on technique, preparation, how to apply to study, what to expect, how to discover and where to apply. Amateurs will also find how to improve their skills in the fields mentioned. ... Read more

Product Description
The Renaissance Theater Company--featuring Sir John Gielgud, Judi Dench, Ian Holm, Simon Gallow, and Kenneth Branagh--performs Shakespeare's classic tragedy of family feuds and young love. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life
Two teenagers from rival families fall in love, marry secretly, and take their own lives rather than live without each other. Despite the teenage melodrama, "Romeo and Juliet" remains one of Shakespeare's most enduring and popular plays, even if it wasn't his best -- lots of death, teen lovers and enchanting dialogue.

In the city of Verona, the Montagues and Capulets are locked in a deadly feud. Then a Montague teen named Romeo, infatuated with a Capulet girl named Rosaline, sneaks into a party to see her.... but instead encounters another Capulet girl named Juliet, and the two immediately fall in love. Since their families hate each other, their love must be expressed in secret.

Hoping to unite the two families, the kindly priest Friar Lawrence assists the two in marrying in secret. But then Juliet's cousin Tybalt challenges Romeo to a duel, leading to the death of two men -- and Romeo's exile from Verona. Even worse, the Capulets have decided to marry Juliet to Count Paris -- leading to a desperate plan that goes horribly awry.

"Romeo and Juliet" is a play that is hard to pin down -- some see it as the poetry-laden embodiment of romantic love, while others view it as Shakespeare's witty jabs at fickle teenage infatuation and how melodramatic the kids are (Juliet is only thirteen!). But whatever you think it is, it's undeniable that it's a beautifully written, often-wrenching story.

Despite the simplicity of the story, Shakespeare spins it in a silken web of lush poetry ("O swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon/That monthly changes in her circled orb") and the famous speeches where Romeo and Juliet speak at night on a balcony. The mostly romantic play takes a dark turn towards the end, when only a few minutes might have changed the fates of "Juliet and her Romeo."

And Shakespeare seems rather fond of his characters here, depicting Romeo as a passionate young boy and Juliet as rather sweetly insecure young girl; there's also a fairly good cast of young men whose spirits are more elevated than their brains, and the kindly friar who rather naively hopes to use the kids to create peace.

But Shakespeare was also clearly aware that passionate teenage love is not necessarily the truest love ("Young men's love then lies/Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes"), and leaves you wondering what might have happened if Romeo and Juliet had lived.

Whether a gentle mockery of young love or a passionate, idealized romance, "Romeo and Juliet" is a timeless and lovely little play. Not the best of the Bard, but still quite good.

have not received my order
I have this recording on audio cassette, and I was very excited to find the same version on CD. However, after a month of waiting, I still have not received my order. I was not notified by the company in any way that the order had been back-ordered, but they certainly did not hesitate to go on and take the money out of my bank account. I thought that normally when items were backordered, they waited to charge your account once the product was en route. I only discovered the backordered status after I contacted the company to ask where my order was located. I am sure that if I ever receive the product I will be quite pleased with it, but I am incredibly impatient, and I would have at least liked to have received a courtesy email detailing the delay. I don't think that is too much to ask.

My "Romeo and Juliet" personal opinion
We like and sometimes didn't like this book. "Romeo and Juliet" is based in an "impossible " love. We recommend you not reading this book if you don't like romantic stories.
Also this book didn't like us because it was boring and very difficult to read. I understand that was Shakespeare language but for these new generations is very difficult. In the other way, we like it because the characters did everything for completing their dreams.We could see that Romeo did every thing for being with Juliet.
Thank you for giving us this place for expressing our ideas.

Romeo & Juliet
Romeo & Juliet takes place in Verona in Feudal times. In that times women weren't given any rights. They couldn't hold property or discuss with their husband. This is shown during the whole book. Another thing different from nowadays was the language. Shakespeare uses a language, which I can't understand. So, in some parts were I don't know what a word means, the book becomes boring. Shakespeare, in a way, wrote female characters more intelligent and reflective than male, which in those times, women were objects. The story has different little stories in it. For example; the quarrel between the Capulet's gang and the Montague's; the impossible love between Romeo and Juliet; the trouble that Romeo has in Verona after killing Tybalt; Juliet has to marry Paris but she doesn't want and discusses bravely against her father; these make the story more interesting and it attracts the reader until the end.

Romeo and Juliet
I think that this is a great book because it tells you how much two people can really love each other and they gave up their lifes for their love.
I have seen the movie version about Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and still love the book every time I revisit the story. Every word fascinates the reader into truly feeling the passion and tragedy of these two lovers. Even a character such as Tybalt Capulet won me over as far as description goes. Shakespearean writing is very much complex and confusing but it has a touch romance and anger which adds to the emotion of the story.
Is an excellent story for teenagers, read this classic book of love, hate and tragedy! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Great "episode" in a small book
This little book is an exact reproduction of a chapter 5 in the original book, Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne, with the original illustrations by Shephard enhanced by judicious watercoloring. All the charm of the original, in a perfect size for reading to littler kids, who can feel satisfied at having been read "the whole story." Also good for children just starting to read all by themselves.

Beautifully bound and illustrated, this little book is part of a series of 10 such Pooh books published by Dutton. Don't confuse these "storybooks" with the even smaller and abridged board-books.

Say "Ho" for the wonderful Pooh!
This amazing dramatization of the Pooh books is performed by a marvelously talented group of British entertainers who truly bring the Pooh characters gently and lovingly to life. As for this tape, I finally got this figured out. This is part of a four-tape program that represents the complete two-book Winnie-the-Pooh story collection, except the stories are out of order (probably so that they would fit equally on the tapes). Book 1, "Winnie-the-Pooh," is represented by "Pooh Goes Visiting" (stories in order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10) and "Piglet Meets a Heffalump" (stories: 5, 6, 7, 8). Book 2, "The House at Pooh Corner," is dramatized by "Tigger Comes to the Forest" (stories in order: 1 2, 4, 3, 9, 10) and "Pooh Invents a New Game" (stories 5, 6, 7, 8). When stories that depend on previous information are out of order, it gets confusing. My suggestion: Get the "Winnnie-the-Pooh" / "The House at Pooh Corner" gift pack, which is also four tapes (the same recordings), but in the proper order.

The finest Pooh audiotapes ever recorded!
[This is a review of the Hodder/Headline audiocassette version] I learned to read by listening (again and again and again and again) to a pair of well-loved and well-worn LPs of the Pooh stories read by Maurice Evans. I always considered them the finest Pooh audiobooks ever recorded. Up until now! Now there's this wonderful series of fully-dramatized adventures ofPooh featuring a brilliant cast of wonderful British actors: Stephen Fry("Jeeves and Wooster") as Pooh, Geoffrey Palmer ("TheMadness of King George") as Eeyore, Judy Dench ("Shakespeare inLove") as Kanga...and best of all, the *incomparable* Jane Horrocks("Little Voice" and Bubbles from "AbFab") as a squeaky,alarmed, and altogether adorable Piglet. You don't have to be a kid toappreciate these fine recordings (and there are plenty of adult Pooh fansout there who will *love* these versions). Accept no substitutes: this issimply the finest Pooh audio series yet created...... There's morethan just this one tape in the series, too. The series includes"Tigger Comes to the Forest" (ISBN: 1840322195); "PigletMeets a Heffalump" (ISBN: 1840320524) and "Pooh Invents a NewGame" (ISBN: 1840322268). Type the 10-digit ISBN number into theAmazon search field to go directly to the webpages for these cassettes.

Piglet Meets a Huffalump- A literary Master Peice
Any one who loves Pooh, his freinds, and their crazy adventures has to read this book. After Christopher Robin describes his encounter with a huffalump Pooh suggests catching one. Then he and his freinds get themselves into something bigger than they expected! ... Read more

Product Description
This recording is of the BBC Radio Drama centenary production of Oscar Wilde's most celebrated play. The cast includes Judi Dench, Michael Hordern and Miriam Margolyes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (105)

Bravo, bravo, Mr. Wilde!
This is possibly the most amazing work to come out of English literature and the English language.How can something so inane and senseless be so captivating, intriguing, and darling?The play makes one happy.And best to see it well-performed.

...
I read this on my 100 classic book collection for Nintedo DS because it ranked ad 'the funniest book' well I'm sorry but I didn't laugh once. The girls in the play were annoying and the only likeable character is Jack. I'm not a big fan of plays at the best of times but reading this has made sure I don't pick up another one in a while.

Classic Wit
Oscar Wilde's last and best-known play is a classic comedy complete with mistaken identities, biting satire, and a fair amount of punning (including a crucial pun in the title). This is Wilde at his irreverent best as he repeatedly skewers as many aspects of late 19th Century English society as he can manage.

I've occasionally heard the term "joke density" applied to comedy writing, and The Importance of Being Ernest certainly has that. Every character in the play is witty, and the jabs, barbs, and puns come fast and furious.

The story centers on two somewhat roguish young bachelors who have both created elaborate lies to help them to cover for their mischief. At different points in the play, both gentlemen have assumed the false name of Ernest, which becomes a problem once two women become involved. Two women who are both particularly enamored with the idea of marrying someone named Ernest.

The tightly plotted play has enough twists and turns to keep things interesting, and the witty dialogue never lets up.

The Avon (a HarperCollins imprint) paperback edition that I read contained a short collection of critical essays, the most interesting being a (mostly negative) review by George Bernard Shaw of the original production of the play, which raises some interesting points about the nature of comedy. I found some good insights into the career of Oscar Wilde in the introduction and the other critical pieces, but those familiar with his life and work would not be missing much by skipping these "bonus features".

The play itself was a really enjoyable work to read, and I'll keep an eye out for a chance to catch a performance of it sometime.

General Books Problem...Not the book
I ordered this for my daughters birthday and Amazon delivered right on her birthday. My daughter is a huge Oscar Wilde fan! Unfortunately, the book was full of garbage text. It was printed by General Books the day I ordered it. I then requested a replacement. Once again, it was printed the day I made my request and it contained the exact garbage text that the original order contained. Here is an example of the garbage text that this book contained...(Jk*he$. HeL*) This was all throughout the book. Then half the book looked like some bizarre glossary that didn't even belong to this book. The entire book was worthless both times and I requested a refund. I can't give a proper review on the book as it was unreadable!

The Importance of Being Earnest is a brilliant satirical play by the pen of Irish genius Oscar Wilde
"To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness." So spoke the fatuous and funny noveau rich maven the incomparable Lady Bracknell in Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest." The very readable and actable play holds its own in the modern theatre. It is produced thousands of times each year all around the world from school productions to professional acting companies. The play premiered at the St. James Theatre in London on Valentine's Day 1895.
The three act comedy stars Jack Worthing and (later to be revealed-his younger brother Algernon Moncrieff). Jack is courting Gwendolyn Fairfax. Algernon is in love with the beautiful young Cecily Cardew. Both of these young dandies have invented doubles. Jack acts like his name is Ernest. Algy has invented Bunbury whose ill health always requires a visit when Algy's pestiferious aunt Augustus Bracknell is in London.
After countless bon motes and Wildean witticisims it is learned that Jack is really named Ernest. It is revealed that Cecily's governess Miss Prism had lost Jack when he was a baby by leaving him in a handbag at Victoria Station. Jack is, therefore, really named Ernest. Gwendolyn asserts she could never love any man unless he was named Ernest! She and Jack plan on wedding as does Algernon to the fetching Cecily.
This play provides Wilde the opportunity to show off his ability to entertain while at the same time poking fun at the class conscious British aristocracy where what your name and genealogy are counts for a lot in high society.
Some of this reviewer's favorite quotes from this eminently quotable play are the following:
The truth is rarely pure and never simple"
Only relatives or creditors ring in that Wagnerian manner
All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his.
Memory... is the diary that we all carry about with us
I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.
I have also in my possession ...certificates of Miss Cardew's birth, baptism, whooping cough, registration vaccination, confirmation and the measles; both the German and the English variety
I've now learned for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest
Oscar Wilde's other great plays including "Salome"; "A Woman of No Importance"; "The Ideal Husband" and "Lady Windemere's Fan" are all worth the attention of modern fans of the drama. All are social satires in which Wilde the ultimate Irish, gay outsider slams hard at English social pretensions in late Victorian fin de siecle England.
Discover the wonderful world of Oscar Wilde in his plays, short stories, only novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and his essays and poems. ... Read more

Product Description
A Radio 4 dramatization of the first of Ursula Le Guin's four "Earthsea" fantasy novels. It is a tale of high magic, courage, and the eternal struggle between good and evil.Amazon.com Review
Often compared to Tolkien's Middle-earth or Lewis's Narnia,Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea is a stunning fantasy world that grabsquickly at our hearts, pulling us deeply into its imaginaryrealms. Four books (A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs ofAtuan, TheFarthest Shore, and Tehanu) tell thewhole Earthsea cycle--a tale about a reckless, awkward boy namedSparrowhawk who becomes a wizard's apprentice after the wizard revealsSparrowhawk's true name. The boy comes to realize that his fate may befar more important than he ever dreamed possible. Le Guin challengesher readers to think about the power of language, how in the act ofnaming the world around us we actually create that world. Teens,especially, will be inspired by the way Le Guin allows her charactersto evolve and grow into their own powers.

In this first book, A Wizard of Earthsea readers will witnessSparrowhawk's moving rite of passage--when he discovers his true nameand becomes a young man. Great challenges await Sparrowhawk, includingan almost deadly battle with a sinister creature, a monster that maybe his own shadow. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (426)

Two different authors?
The first three books are pretty good. Ranking amongst the best fantasy novels I have read.
When I discovered Leguin continued the saga, I couldn't wait to get hold of the other three.
What a disappointment it was. It looks like a completely different author. The first was a writer, a storyteller and a good one at that. The second one was a disgruntled feminist with the delusion she has writing abilities.
The second three books differ from the first three as a cheap cowboy novel differs from Tolkien.

By all means, do read the first three books. They are well worth it. But forget the last three. A phone directory makes more compelling and less biased reading.

Wizard of Earthsea
A Wizard of Earthsea at first glance does not seem an original book. The plot - wizardry and defeating evil, seems like a very common theme in fantasy novels, so it doesn't seem extremely original or out of the ordinary. However, this book was published in 1968, when this theme was not so well explored, seeing as Harry Potter, Eragon and many other fantasies of similar theme had not been published, or would not be published, for many years. That makes the book different, and makes this review slightly less critical, seeing as there had not been as many books like it in the past.

However, the book itself was nothing extremely special or amazing. Although it, at the time was "new" it lacked anything to make it less than a forgettable, everyday, dull book to read. The writing itself was dry and not lacking anything to drive the reader on.

The general theme of this book is a young wizard born humble and poor, learning that he holds much power. The young wizard goes to a prestigious academy for young wizards, and being so ambitious and proud, accidentally unleashes a dark power that he must stop before it takes over. We are introduced to a huge world of Earthsea, which has many -full- maps of itself, which have about 500 tiny islands scattered about them - and the titles are almost invisible.

The story itself does not seem original or different in any sense. It is predictable to the point it is not fun to read, and none of the characters are explored in depth. There are many side characters who barely have a few lines and not much influence in the story, only serving to carry on one plot point and not standing out as original people. It is as if the characters don't have thoughts, as we never really hear them thinking or having many emotions. They don't seem like real people at all, making the story even less convincing and unpleasant to read. I didn't feel anything for any of the characters, as they all seemed generic and without a personality or many flaws. They were grim, without any interests or hobbies, just dull people carrying out heroic quests. Especially the character of Ged followed through with this.

The writing style was another thing that made the book hard to enjoy. Although some people love extremely descriptive, long, fancy sentences, I can't say I do. I like descriptions, but the authors descriptions don't add anything to the story. It seems as if she does not think dialogue adds anything to a story, because there was almost zero conversation among characters. It seems the whole story could be summarized into about a page without all the needless detail.

LeGuin created a huge world, yet she used very little. She spent pages and pages talking about all the different islands and geography of them. Yet they played a small role in the real story, and it seemed like she should have used all those pages making the characters, and the storyline, come to life.

Amazing storytelling, you will want it to go on forever
You will get so deep in this book that you will want to stay there forever.

One of the All Time Greats
This book is one of my favorite fantasy books.Of course it all comes down to personal taste, but to give you an idea I'd rank this similar to:

Weis and Hickman - Dragon Lance / Death Gate

Lloyd Alexander - Chronicles of Prydain

The series as a whole is quite different from most other fantasy series though.After the first book, they are more thoughtfully written.Possibly intended for a slightly older audience, but still quite good.The first book though is up there with the hobbit and the lord of the rings.

I may not have loved Earthsea, but I certainly could see the beauty in it
In Earthsea, there are wizards and magic.One of the powerful keys to this world is a person or thing's "true name."Therefore, although he was called "Duny" in childhood and "Sparrowhawk" throughout his life, his true name is Ged.The story follows Ged from his impatient childhood to his greater quests as an adult.Through these quests Ged must always worry and flee from the malevolent entity he calls his "shadow."

I'd like to preface everything I say with this: Ursula K. Le Guin is an amazing writer.There is no doubt about that in the least. Le Guin's story is cohesive, lean, and has a myth-like quality that I admired, even when I couldn't fully embrace the story.Plus, one has to remember that there was no Harry Potter or the other young-wizard-goes-to-school books before Le Guin's Earthsea.It's Le Guin that made these tales possible, because her stories are inspiring.If any scene seems worn out, it's most likely because Le Guin wrote it and others imitated.

But I think I'm getting ahead of myself.

First I should say this: the first half (or maybe even more) of Earthsea was incredibly difficult for me to slog through despite the lean, controlled prose and how quickly I could read the book.It's true that Earthsea is short, quick, and lean, but everything I read kept the name "Tolkien" flashing across my mind in bright, irritated letters.Now, I wasn't put off because I thought that Le Guin was mimicking Tolkien, because-quite honestly-there's more fantasy fiction that models off Tolkien than not, but because I'm one of those few people who just doesn't care for Tolkien.At all.Since I'm in the minority with my preference, this won't be an issue for very many readers.From the maps, the storyline movement, the sligh remove from the characters, the world-building-it's all very Tolkienesque.Of course, there are worse things to say than "I didn't enjoy this because it reminded me of Tolkien."Because, really, that could be read as: "I didn't enjoy this because it was too like one of the masters and founders of the very fiction genre."

In the end, there are worse things to say than "I didn't enjoy this because it reminded me of Tolkien."Because, really, that could be read as: "I didn't enjoy this because it was too like one of the masters and founders of the very fiction genre."

Although, to be more specific, I think it's the distance from character and plot that bothers me most.Le Guin gives the readers some excellent scenes and characters (my favorite scene involved the dragon and my favorite character is, hands down, Vetch), but our glimpse into Le Guin's world can be fleeting.The book is short and packs in something like 15 years of Ged's life into those pages.Years just speed past.On one hand, this is sort of nice in that the reader gets to hit the "highlights" of Ged's life without the downtime.However, on the other hand, I came away from Earthsea knowing that I only had a handful of real, concrete insights into the character and that I would have to infer the rest from quickly-passed situations.(One of the absolute best moments in the book is one of these insights, at the very end, so I think Le Guin is not only aware of this structure, but tries to use it to full effect.)

Well, let's see, I've complained a lot and moped about my dislike of Tolkien and all that is the beginning of traditional fantasy, but what did I like?I very much liked that the protagonists were dark skinned, but loved that it was slipped in so subtly with well-placed details that I might have missed it had not I been preoccupied with the golden hair of one of the village-attackers early in the story.I enjoyed the themes of call-by names and true names, the power of language, and equilibrium/balance.I adored Vetch and wish he had a whole lot more page-time-and more than just how I wish everyone had more page time.Additionally, Le Guin always moves her story forward-actually, every single word as well as the narrative-with a driving logic.

My final impression regarding Earthsea is that it's a very interesting read in that it's like reading the creation of a myth, but the distance and too-short length detracted from my enjoyment.What I mean about the creation-myth reference is that the story has the little dialogue, straight-forward prose, and the feel of oral story-telling.However, I am very glad to have read this book, as it is very important to the movement of fantasy literature and because Le Guin's command over language and story is always an impressive thing to see. I may not have loved Earthsea, but I certainly could see the beauty in it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A superb book on the crusades!
Elizabeth Hallam provides us with a superb book on the crusades told through the words of contemporary or near contemporary writers.The chroniclers were chosen to represent the often conflicting views of the crusades from the viewpoints of the Western, Byzantine and Muslim worlds. A panel of leading experts provides short essays linking the words of the chroniclers.

The book is divided into seven chapters, starting with the Muslim world before 1096 and ending with the Mediterranean after 1453. Superb illustrations and six maps accompany the beautifully written text.Short biographies of the key individuals involved in the crusades and a glossary enhance the reader's understanding of the period.The bibliography leads readers to 20th century books on the crusades.

Anyone interested in the crusades should add this book to their library! ... Read more

Product Description
D H Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover read by Dame Judi Dench. A 3 volume Boxed Set of audio CDs. Running time approximately 3 hours. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Lady Chatterley's Lover
I read this book many years ago. I really don't have time to read as much now, so thought I would listen to this book on tape. Judi Dench did an excellent job as the narrator. I think I liked the story better when I was younger and less was more shocking. I found the story a bit flat. As a more mature woman I think the main character in this story was sort of an idiot, however several of my friends also listened to the story and loved it, so who knows! ... Read more

Product Description
The flame of romance has been rekindled between widow Jean Pargetter and divorcee Lionel Harcastle, but there is no guarantee that the course of love will run more smoothly the second time around. The Radio 2 episodes on these cassettes were adapted from the television series. ... Read more

Product Description
A woman married to an invalid seeks refuge from her sexless and dreary existence in the arms of the passionate game-keeper, but can she break out against the restrictions of society and succumb to her desire for him? From the author of SONS AND LOVERS, THE RAINBOW and WOMEN IN LOVE.Amazon.com Review
Perhaps the most famous of Lawrence's novels, the 1928 LadyChatterley's Lover is no longer distinguished for theonce-shockingly explicit treatment of its subject matter--theadulterous affair between a sexually unfulfilled upper-class marriedwoman and the game keeper who works for the estate owned by herwheelchaired husband. Now that we're used to reading about sex, andseeing it in the movies, it's apparent that the novel is memorable forbetter reasons: namely, that Lawrence was a masterful and lyricalwriter, whose story takes us bodily into the world of its characters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (93)

Did he have sex or explosive diarrhea?
I usually save two stars for books that I feel have isses with the plot or weak characters, etc. I don't feel that this book had any issues except I found most of it completely boring. It made me want to beat my forhead against things and rock back and forth like Rain Man in an attempt to pay attention to the story. Guess too fancy and historical for my ADHD brain.

I picked this book in honor of Banned Book Week so I felt guilty to not finish it, like if I stop somewhere some evil people will start squishing little mewlling kittens and mail me their little furry bodies in a box with a letter saying, "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT...YOU COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS BUT NOOOOOO."

I didn't give up on LCL, it kind of read like waves in the ocean. It started off dull, and then it got interesting for a while, then down and back goes the wave of interest. I can understand the reasoning for banning it, all those challenging thoughts on pretty much everything including the certainty and necessity of the Iron Age...but there is a gianormous amount of whininess that is barely tolerable.

It's very comical to read the description of the sex scenes. First there was the lover that got mad at her for that he had to wait and hold still after he came so she could get off, like it was all her fault. Then her grounds keeper lover's sexual attraction to her was said as "his bowels stirred for her" and his cumming described as an "evacuating crisis"...which kind of sounds like the guy had explosive diarrhea, not sex. Yeah, that's sexy, lol.

Famous because it was banned
I picked this book up in honor of banned book week.It seems to me that this book gained more notoriety off the fact that it was banned than because it was a great piece of literature.I had to keep reminding myself that it was set in the 1920s, as the writing style was more reminiscent of a Victorian era novel.Furthermore, Lawrence portrayed his characters as if they were in the Victorian era.The characters were not well developed, thus making it hard to have sympathy for anyone in the story.The end was disappointing as it simply fizzled away.

Lady Chatterley's Lover.
Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence. Published by MobileReference (mobi)

Dealing with themes of love, passion, respect, honor, and the need for understanding, Lady Chatterley's Lover is a complex, character-driven novel which celebrates the driving passions that can make life worth living.

Lady Chatterly
Lady Chatterly's Lover was not the perverted, illiterate story I was lead to believe it was. It was a story of classes and self realization.It was thoughtfully written, though it did drag in many parts.Yes, there are many sexual liasons in the story, but I think the author's intent was to make them part of the natural flow of the story instead of a suggestion.In saying that, it was quite evident the love scenes were written by a man.Mostly very mechanical in description and very cut and dry.A female author would have elongated the love scenes and added a bit more detail.Although the focus of the book has always been the sex scenhes, there is more substance to it than that
.

Not shocking anymore, but dang good

A 'Novel' Guest Review By Leigh Wood

After one too many viewing's of the 1992 BBC production of Lady Chatterley, I finally broke down and read the book. I thought the 1928 unedited version of Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence would be a tough book to find. Expensive, rare, old leather, smelly, buried in an antiquarian store-that type of book. Indeed I was very pleased to find the 1928 Unexpurgated Oriali Edition in paperback at my local Borders. $4.95!

I wrapped Mists of Avalon as quickly as possible and avoided watching the film before I plunged into Lover. I read other writers' criticisms on D.H. Lawrence and his works before purchasing the book, and I knew the book and movie didn't have the same ending. Of course, I also knew the book's controversial reputation and supposedly salacious use of naughty words and torrid sex talk. My edition opened with forwards and introductions detailing the book's tough road to publication and the aftermath of censorship. Although this story is fairly well known in literary circles, this introduction is informative, with details and facts on the books printing, pirated editions, and trial information. Even if one was a toe towards prudish, you can't not be interested in reading Lady Chatterley's Lover after these words of praise.

Although the 1992 adaptation by Ken Russell is quite faithful, Lawrence's work is naturally bigger and more detailed than what can be translated to the screen. I noticed many cases where the film had taken word for word from the book, and also where scenes had been combined or moved and relocated for the film. Still, much was remaining to surprise me. After her Baronet husband's paralysis during World War I, young Constance Chatterley begins to question her mundane existence as Lady of Wragby Hall and nursemaid to her crippled husband. They are educated and literate, but as she listens to her husband and his friends chit chat about war, sex, society, and money, Connie becomes more and more disenchanted with her upper class standing. After a very dissatisfying affair with playwright Michaelis, Connie begins a saucy love affair with her husband's gamekeeper Olivier Mellors. Despite the fear of being caught and societal pressures upon them, Connie and Mellors continue to meet. When the scandal comes out, they take measures to secure a life together, despite the class divisions against them.

The great part of Lady Chatterley's Lover is the love discovered between the titular characters, so I was intrigued by the intitial Michaelis relationship. We learn much about Connie intellectually and sexually through this affair, internal thoughts and disappointing feelings that can't be show onscreen. I've read other fans commentaries online about Joely Richardson's performance as Lady Chatterley in the BBC version. Women sometimes find her portrayal conceded and flaky. Connie has nothing to loose, where Mellors has everything to loose. In the novel, this is certainly not the case. Connie is already nothing, an emotionless drone whose stature gives her nothing.

Likewise the Mellors in print has everything to gain. His backstory is greatly detailed by Lawrence, yet he maintains his strong silent and mysterious air. Once on officer during the war and a well educated pupil then tutor, Mellors could have the upper class at his fingertips, yet he chooses to be left alone. This book is not just about sex. Our couple is disenchanted with war, industry, money, and the people around them who think that those things give meaning to life. Some of Mellors' dialogue is written in dialect and for an American like me, it took a double take at first. However, Mellors can also speak perfect English, and does so when he chooses, not when people expect it of him. In fact, his speech is often broken when he thinks it will upset people, such as Connie's image conscious sister Hilda.

Lawrence spends a great many of the early chapters discussing artists and their self important selves, yet it is a great and subtle revelation when Connie discovers books in Mellor's house. Its often claimed not to be Lawrence's best work, but Lady Chatterley's Lover intricately weaves the love story between Connie and Mellors with multiple commentaries from Lawrence. Without being too obvious with his author views, Lawrence questions the English post war Jazz society and classes as well as the later artistic society Lawrence often found himself outcast from. This catch-22 is again mirrored in the novel. Where Connie and Mellors affair crosses class divides and angers their entire community, her husband Clifford's unusual relationship with his nurse Mrs. Bolton is entirely acceptable. I love Charles Dickens for his veiled or outright social commentaries, and I dare say Lawrence is on par here in asking those same society questions. Who decides these social barriers and imobilities? Why are some invisible to these restraints via power, position, and money? What is the right reason to circumvent these divides and do something about oneself?

Lady Chatterley's Lover has kept me thinking about itself long after I've finished the book. I'd like to read it again and find answers to these questions. Although it is a thorough British book in time and place, Lover also presents very modern thoughts and conjecture. After Lawrence's difficulty with self publishing and piracy, the book was banned until a 1960 obscenity trial. As I mentioned earlier, I didn't find the book all that shocking. Was it because I was familiar with the film version, or is it because the book perhaps caused our current liberal ideas and desensitizing? Four letter words and sex talk have always existed, but Lawrence's honest treatment of the subjects opened a Pandora's box on erotica, pornography, nudity, and bad words in art, literature, and film. I can't say the same for other works, but Lover is actually a very tasteful book, rather innocent in a way. The rebirth of the main characters through their love for one another. Lawrence was tempted to call the story `Tenderness' and the title would have fit.

Although the work speaks for itself when it comes to sex, society, and even religion, my edition of Lady Chatterley's Lover came with `A Propos on Lady Chatterley's Lover' by D. H. Lawrence himself. After finishing the book on a positive note, I was disappointed in this thirty page essay. One should always let his work speak for itself, and there's no need for this redundant and overlong speech from Lawrence. From World War I to Christianity, Lawrence's essays should be cut in half or is perhaps better for a college classroom discussion.

If you're looking for porn or sexual gratification, you won't find it in Lady Chatterley's Lover. Most certainly the book is not for everyone, and if frank sexual talk and situations is not your cup of tea, do skip this read. I'lm a fairly straight laced individual, and I only second guessed the book once. In Chapter 16 or 19, I thought the anal sex euphuisms were getting a bit redundant. I giggled a few times over the language, but was moved by other beautiful descriptions from Lawrence. At first I looked for Lover in Borders' small erotica section, but Lawrence's works are found in the general fiction section and in the classics section at my local library.
Lady Chatterley's Lover is by no means for children or prudes, but it is a fine novel that has transcended time and place. We may be too loose or vulgar in our society today-celebrities with wardrobe malfunctions and half naked women in music videos. Lover and the books in its wake may have caused this openness, but the book also reminds me of the good things about he past. Women wore gloves, men tips their hats to all, and writers wrote great books.
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