Product Description
Iris Murdoch's 24th novel, a San Francisco Chronicle bestseller, explores the meaning of life in a story of love and betrayal, faith and doubt. "Murdoch works with an intellectual daring most writers only dream of."--The Philadelphia Inquirer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Muddled Message
Well, first, let me say that Iris Murdoch is a good writer, that she captures what seemms to me the tenour of the socialinteractions in comtemporary England among the Middle classes extremely well, rather crabbed and incestuous (not literally), and that The Tempest influence works for the most past.

BUT...this book, taken as a whole, seems to me a work of theodicy (explaining God's ways to man) which simply doesn't sit well with a work of art-In short, it's tendentious-The "Message," in the end, seems to be:"God works in inscrutable and mysterious ways and it's best not to ponder overmuch these mysterious ways (such as the Holocaust) or it will KILL you."
This is a bit of an oversimplification, but will have to do for this review.

On the other hand, Murdoch does have a deft rather than heavy hand in portraying human relations.So, I suppose one must take the well-written with the tendentious.

For those looking for a more brilliant modern novel heavily influenced by The Tempest, may I humbly recommmend The Magus by John Fowles whose wriring is brilliant, and the "message" of which will leave you pondering long after you put the book down.

Philosophy and Love
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I like this book at least as well as The Bell and the Sandcastle, and very possibly more.

One of the characters in this book asks where ordinary morality is, when what iscalled for in the world is the courage of a saint. Once again, Murdochvisits the question of the Good and how it applies to human life. This timethe question centers around Marcus, who anchors the novel as a characterfrom myth-- sometimes a saint, sometimes Prospero, sometimes a lunatic.Each of the other characters in the book have to find their way (througheccentric marriages, chaste romances, resurrections, and mysticism) in aworld where all the familiar rules no longer apply. All the solutions(where there are solutions) are complicated and costly.

As usual, thewriting is crisp and incisive, the characters well-formed and verycomplete. One of the great Murdoch novels.

I'm just starting on Murdoch
I am just starting on Murdoch.Having read the Green Knight previously I found this book a dissapointment.Yet I couldn't, or wouldn't let myself put it down.In The Green Knight, Murdoch created a wonderful mixture of spiritual depths and the basic gossipy human interaction that makes a novelfantastic.Also, an incredible authorial and personal sense of thecommunity that friends and (sometimes) family develop.This one seemed tobe striving for the same and yet failed as I could see.I was continuallyjudging the characters, weighing them mentally.This in itself is not aproblem, but when they consisently come up lacking or increasinglyconfusing, and without what I sensed as an overriding authorial vision ofwho they truly are, it becomes difficult to maintain faith in a novel andthe potential larger message.I found the narrator's fascination with themain character unjustified; indeed, his interpretations of all thecharacters were difficult.And again, such limited authorial intrustion toprovide me with a reliable roadmap.Nevertheless, I am addicted to thiswriter and am now on the one Iris Murdoch a month track.

A brilliant, incisive novel
Although this is ostensibly a novel about a bizarre character's interaction with the world around him, what I took from it is a probing, insightful look by Murdoch at the question of what would it be like ifJesus appeared in present times....Her prose is dense and the book can bedifficult at times, but the payoff is well worth the effort. ... Read more

Product Description
It is said that beautiful, chestnut-haired Sophie-Greville has had three lovers. When Ryder Sherbrooke comes to Jamaica in 1803 to survey his family's plantation, he is intrigued by Sophie and decides to become her fourth-and that is exactly what she intends. Her "affairs" are nothing more than a clever sham concocted by her evil uncle, who has lured the handsome English rake to Jamaica to ruin him and gain his land. But as Sophie follows her uncle's demands and begins to seduce Ryder, something unexpected happens: Ryder learns of her innocence-and she discovers her most passionate desires. Then Sophie's uncle is murdered-and she is accused. Ryder quickly comes to the rescue-and offers to marry her. But can a marriage based on deception and hidden secrets survive? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

Awful!
What a waste of time.Very little story line--is she getting tired of writing these?Could not believe it could get any worse, but it did

Taming of the Shrew, massacred
Catherine Coulter shows a reasonable command of her thesaurus and syntax. This is her strength. So is building this novel off the popular Sherbrooke Bride.
Now for the weaknesses, and there are a few. Firstly, the plot meanders. There is no unity of action (the book splits neatly into two halves for no particular reason), and disappointingly the elements of voodoo and question of the slave trade (which drew me to the book) are nothing more than shoddy stage-dressing. Then, there are the characters. Ryder is a smug, fatuous a-double-scribble who preens himself on his experience of women and gambling dens from his first appearance...until the sight of Sophie (to be specific, Sophie's magnificent tracts of land) makes him reconsider his rakehell life. The narrator flatters him on every page as being innocent, harmless, and colludes on his pretending to, then actually coercing, Sophie into intercourse. As for Sophie, her motivation and emotional scarring are sketched over hastily, since True Love (read marital rape) conquers and heals all.
All this doesn't even begin to touch on the irritating inconsistent tone of the language. A novel set in the Regency where people say "Godawful", "orgasm", etc, and so forth. At the same time, every seventy-five pages or so the author remembers this is a historical romance and starts throwing some inaccurate and boring rundowns of Locke and Rousseau at the reader. This is meant to convince us that this is, in fact, a Regency novel. The truth is that the author cannot decide when this novel is, or whether there is any hero. AVOID, GO PICK UP SOMETHING ELSE.

Don't Waste Your Time!
Having read several of Catherine Coulter's books before I was looking forward to another great story.Boy, was I wrong! This story was so hard to wade through that I literally had to force myself to read it! I couldn't have cared less about the characters, the writing was stilted (to put it mildly),and references to new characters with no background information were regularly added. Ms. Coulter has written a number of books that were excellent; Mad Jack, The Wild Baron, etc. but this is not one of them.Don't waste your time or your money with The Hellion Bride.

What a waste of hours of my life.
I wanted to like Ryder.I kind of liked him in The Sherbrooke Bride.As I've mentioned in my reviews of the other 2, I bought these all together and for some insane reason felt a compulsion to finish them.I will forever regret that choice.I have a surprisingly good memory and surprisingly good reading comprehension, so unfortunately I remember waaaay too much of Ms. Coulter's books now.

I don't know how much I'd classify the sex here as "rape" (coercion definitely, but there is a difference).There was obvious rape in The Heiress Bride, but the only actual rape I thought occurred in this book was actually perpetrated against Ryder by the prostitute and Sophia and her uncle.

I have more a problem with the fact that Ryder was more upset that Douglas saw Sophia naked than by the fact that his wife had just run scared from the room because of her husband's "love making".Douglas, who claims to have felt the same type of compassion for Sophia as he does for his own wife (which was pretty darn low, so maybe that explains it), just hands her back to Ryder despite the fact that she was in a panic and bloody.

Ryder was not considerate of Sophie on any level.A person who has suffered from physical abuse, manipulation, coercion, etc. is going to be a bit frightened and traumatized.What's the best way to keep her in line?Threaten to beat her, of course!He does that numerous times.He is not compassionate to her in any of their interactions (as people or sexually).

Seems to me that the whole book was about Ryder trying to control her and Sophia trying to fight off her fears of that control after having been abused for so long.I cannot think of one redeeming quality in their "relationship", let alone any indication of why they would "love" each other.

I can honestly and truly say that having read the first 3 books of the "Bride" series, I will never, ever, ever read a Catherine Coulter book again, and I will seriously recommend that none of my friends or even mere acquaintances do, either.We must put a stop to the belief that abusive and manipulative "heroes" are acceptable, and that rape scenes are somehow erotic.THIS is the type of "romance" novel that is a danger for young girls to read.It will give the impression that these interactions are somehow "normal" in any way shape or form.

Sherbrooke Bride outshines this one by a mile.
I loved Sherbrooke Bride. I felt Ryder deserved an equally fascinating heroine and storyline. Instead the characters are flat, one dimensional drones. Sophie, the heroine is useless. The plot was thin and Coulter, obviously struggling for ideas, just fluffed most of the chapters with nonsense. I get the feeling she was in a rush to complete the trilogy and her heart and usual talent did not surface with this piece of writing. YUK. I'm generously giving her two stars because overall I enjoy this author. I couldn't wait for Hellion to end and had to struggle to finish it. Usually her pace is great and her novels are page turners. Disappointing. ... Read more

Product Description
From her lookout in the crumbling mansion that was her childhood home, Ginny watches and waits for her younger sister to arrive. Vivien has not set foot in the house since she left nearly fifty years ago; the reclusive Ginny has rarely ventured out, retreating into the precise routines that define her days, carrying on her father’s solitary work studying moths.

As the sisters revisit their shared past, they realize that their recollections differ in essential and unsettling ways. Before long, the deeply buried resentments that have shaped both their lives rise to the surface, and Vivien’s presence threatens to disrupt Ginny’s carefully ordered world.

Told in Ginny’s unforgettable voice, this subtle and chilling debut novel tells an extraordinary story of how families are capable of undoing themselves—especially in the name of love. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (44)

Too many loose ends
I'm not a reader who expects everything tied in a nice little bow at the end of a book, but this book leaves so many loose ends that you can't help but wonder why the author didn't follow up with all the threads she had going in the book. The book is very well written and suspenseful, with the author dropping hints throughout that keep the reader interested. But in the end, very few of the questions are answered, which is a big letdown for the reader. For instance:

Why did Vivi decide to move home after so many years?
What exactly is Ginny's diagnosis - is she autistic? A savant? Obviously her parents knew from an early age that something was wrong - why isn't this explained?
Did Clive kill Maud or did she fall in a drunken stupor?
Do the authorities taken Ginny away because they know she has killed Vivi, or are they just taking her to a nursing facility?
What is the purpose of Eileen and why does Vivi bring her to the house as a "surprise" for Ginny?

The author shouldn't leave all of these things up to the reader's imagination.

Great audio version-four and 1/2 stars
Some books are enhanced by being listened to, rather than read.I think The Sister falls into this category. The audio version, narrated by Juliet Mills, is excellent. Juliet Mills, sister of Hayley Mills, is an accomplished actress and she has the perfect voice to bring these characters to life. The story is a little slow to begin with but soon becomes a page (or CD) turner. This is a great book to listen to on a long car trip.

Disappointing
If you're the type of reader who prefers a resolution to a story, I cannot recommend this book. I was engrossed in it, eagerly turning the pages, barely able to contain my patience to learn the answers to the many mysteries and questions raised about the characters' histories. However, no answers are provided. Not one. I was utterly frustrated.

Additionally, and speaking as someone who's very interested in insects, by the end of the book I didn't want to read one more lengthy digression about the lives of moths. I just wanted to get back to the story and learn what was really going on. Alas, it never happened.

4.5 stars
Arthur: How can you tell a cannibal?
Vivi: Well, they're the only ones left, silly.
Arthur: No, before they've eaten the others.
Vivi: Oh, that. They've just got a look about them.

I will definitely be reading more of Poppy Adams' work when it comes out. The Sister is her first novel.

Originally titled The Time of Emergence, and called The Behaviour of Moths in the UK, The Sister is a book where, after reaching the end, the reader may be left with more questions unanswered than answered. There are multiple interpretations that could be made about several different occurrences in the book. For me, that's what makes this story so fascinating. I know that may be more of a frustration to some, though.

Vivien (Vivi) and Virginia (Ginny) are two sisters who grew up in a countryside mansion with lepidopterist ancestors. Their maternal grandfather and father were both lepidopterists, and Ginny becomes a lepidopterist. What is a lepidopterist? It's a person who studies moths and butterflies. There is much discussion of the behavior of moths in this book, but it is an essential aspect of the story. While reading and after finishing the book, I realized many parallels between the behavior of moths and the behavior of the characters in the novel. This is a book I'll probably re-read at some point to catch all the connections between the two.

Vivi and Ginny have been separated for decades, and the reasons why become apparent as the story unfolds. Very different from each other, Vivi is outgoing and leaves home for London at a young age, while Ginny is an introvert and a homebody. In fact, as the novel opens, we get the sense that Ginny hasn't left her home for many, many years. Vivien decides to come back to the house, stating to Ginny that as sisters, they should spend their old age together. The entire novel only takes place over a few days, but as each day unfolds, we are also given glimpses from the past and why they have been separated for so long. All of this is told from Ginny's perspective, though, and as Ginny and Vivi discuss their history together, they both realize that they saw their childhood in distinctly different ways. These differences are crucial to figuring out what is going on in the story.

What is going on in the story? I don't want to tell you much, because it has a really good, creepy, gothic, Hitchcock feel to it that is better left to finding out by reading the story. If you don't mind not having everything wrapped up in the end, and if you like having multiple interpretations of a storyline, you'll love this book. I really enjoyed it, and the more I think about it, the more I love it.

After All These Years.
This novel is mainly about two sisters, Vivien and Ginny. Although she's the elder of her sister, Ginny is emotionally depending upon Vivien. The author describes their lives both in the present time and in the past. We learn that the family lives in a large mansion. Ginny and her father Clive study the behavior of moths. Maud is their mother. She's an alcoholic prone to sudden outburst of violence.

This novel is for a large part a description of Vivien and Ginny (the main character) and of the psychological relation between them. After an absence of 50 years Vivien decides to return to their mansion where Ginny still lives all alone, her parents since long gone. They are both two old ladies in their late seventies.After a few days they have a fight and accuse each other for all that went wrong in their lives.

The next day,Ginny wakes up and she remembers that Vivien should be dead by now because she poisoned the milk Vivien uses in her tea.
Finally Ginny musters the courage to go downstairs. When she's near the bedroom of her sister she stops. Vivian calls her (almost whispering) and asks for a doctor. Ginny doesn't know what to do: if she calls a doctor he will find out that she's poisoned. And she doesn't have the courage of facing Vivien, she's even afraid to make a move. She's literally and psychologically stuck. And when that happens you begin to see the road to madness... ... Read more

Product Description
An audio original, the only compilation available of Kaminsky's short fiction features appearances by detectives Lew Fonesca, Abraham Lieberman, Inspector Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov, and Toby Peters. The contents include "The Man Who Beat the System", "Snow Birds " (Edgar-nominated story), "Bitter Lemons", "Dead Cat On Gila Street", "Amnesia", "Punishment", "The Man Who Hated Books", "Busted Blossoms" and "The Final Toast." ... Read more

Product Description
Anne is a smalltown girl who captivates a millionaire but falls for an English cad; Jennifer, is a Monroe clone possesses everything - except mortality; and Neely is an understudy-turned-superstar. As friends and as enemies, they learn that fame, fortune and beauty don't always equal happiness.Amazon.com Review
Sex and drugs and shlock and more--Jacqueline Susann'saddictively entertaining trash classic about three showbiz girlsclawing their way to the top and hitting bottom in New York City hasit all. Though it's inspired by Susann's experience as a mid-centuryBroadway starlet who came heartbreakingly close to making it, but didnot, and despite its reputation as THE roman á clef of thego-go 1960s, the novel turned out to be weirdly predictive of 1990spost-punk, post-feminist, post "riot grrrl" culture. JackieSusann may not be a writer for the ages, but--alas!--she's still awriter for our times. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (146)

Not exactly what I expected
Trashy? yes. Kitschy? yes. But not exactly fun. After a slow beginning, the book does become extremely entertaining; however, it simultaneously becomes extremely depressing. The story's depressing content is not necessarily a flaw in itself, but coupled with characters that I had a hard time caring about, it put a bit of a damper on my enjoyment of the novel. Nevertheless, as far as beach reads go, they don't get much better than this. Don't expect great literature or happy endings. Do expect lots of drugs, lots of sex, and lots of old school diva tantrums.

Retro Chick Lit
Recalling an old story of the unknown author's hubby buying up gobs of her books to make her debut a bestseller, my curiosity wanted to know just how ameture it was. I was very intrigued to find Ms. Susann is a competent author and she wrote compelling characters in larger-than-life roles but in a believable style. Better than the movie.

Valley of the Deep Deep Depression
I just finished reading the Valley of the Dolls, and man, what a depressing book! A more appropriate title might have been Valley of Depression. *Spoiler Alert* if youhave not finished the book, you'll probably want to stop reading here.

The story revolves around 3 women living in NYC: Anne, a nice girl from Connecticut wanting only to escape rural life and support herself, Jennifer, a beautiful girl on a quest for fame, and Neeley, a waif with real talent bent on self destruction. The three fight to make it in NYC and Hollywood while maintaining romances and finding true love.

Anne manages to marry the man of her dreams, the love of her life though he winds up cheating on her with every new starlet taking chunks of their marriage with him until there is nothing left but silent tolerance. Jennifer proceeds through a series of relationships in which men only want her for her body. Then when she thinks she finds true love, ends up killing herself because she realizes the man she thought loved her for her would be devastated if she underwent a mastectomy for breast cancer. Neeley runs through two husbands only to steal Anne's and drive him away through her alcohol and drug abuse. We don't find out her final fate, but it is safe to say that she ends up dying alone of some sort of overdose.

All three women are highly successful in their careers. Neeley is a broadway, movie, and television star with a spectacular voice and rampant fan following. Jennifer starred in French films and was such a raging success that America recruited her again for films. Anne starred in commercials as the face of a major cosmetics chain and had her own television segment. They were financially comfortable, and the only woes in their lives seemed to be cause by romances which finally made them all so miserable they turned to pills for comfort.

However, both Jennifer and Neeley went through long periods of life where they could not make ends meet on their own incomes. Without family to help support them, they were forced to use their bodies to obtain support from lovers, both male and female. It really calls attention to the need for financial independence to ever have total control over ones own body. It highlighted the ability of women to stab each other in the back even after the most fervent professions of friends forever. Themes of the story include: women on an endless quest for fulfillment through love, fear of aging, the importance of physical beauty.

At times it reads like a smutty romance novel. It hooks you in, and you must find out what happens to all three. I found myself hoping against all odds that all three would live happily ever after, yet all three lives ended in tragedy. After pondering it all for a little while, I'm not really sure what message Jacqueline Susann was trying to send with this novel. That women are evil creatures bent on destroying each other? That women are overly dependent on relationships for their own happiness? That men are pigs who only care about young, thin, physical beauty? That true love does not exist?

Or maybe she just wanted to take a look at the real hard issues that women faced during the 1940's. In the time period this was set, marriage was still a practical commodity, women needed a husband to support them financially to live, and found themselves making all kinds of compromises in the process of keeping that marriage alive. And yet, women were beginning to gain freedom to become gainfully employed and support themselves, giving them the option to shun marriage if they wished. However, none of these characters, despite their material success, wanted to live without love in their lives (who would?). So what, pray tell, is the moral of the story?

I'm not sure. Jacqueline Susann seems to want to show how vulnerable women can be, while also emphasizing their ability to survive nearly anything. The book reads like a warning, feel free to make moral sacrifices to obtain your goals, just be sure you can live with their repercussions for the REST OF YOUR LIFE.

Even though it was a bit of a downer, it was an easy read that I enjoyed. And for a 25 cent bargain, the hours of entertainment it gave me cannot be beat. Now, on to the next book in my queue. Check out more reviews at my blog [...].

Valley of the Dolls
I made it through ten pages of this piece of trash.It's worse than awful, reading as if written by a child who's flunking eighth grade.The words of Dorothy Parker came to mind when I stopped:"This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly.It should be thrown with great force."

Timeless, Sexy, and Sadder Than Hell
Valley of the Dolls was more than I ever expected it to be. Go into it with an open mind and an open schedule, because you are not going to want to put this one down.

The Valley is the soul-sucking land of showbiz. The Dolls are the little pills that keep the girls in the Valley up, down, and thin. Susann pulls you into a world of glamour and then sucks every last bit of that glamour away. She pulls back the curtain and lets you see the dirt and muck that's left behind when the show is over. If you thought this book would be a pleasant bit of light reading, you were so wrong.

You follow the lives of three girls who make it big. A model, a movie star, and a singer. You see their rise to the top and cheer them on as they find their fame. But once you get to the top, there's only one place left to go... Down. And these girls fall farther than you could ever imagine. The drugs that kept them on top suck them down. And soon, they are all shells of the women they used to be. This book makes you feel lucky to be one of the dreamers rather than someone who is living the dream.

Valley of the Dolls is one of my favorite books of all times, yet one of the most depressing books I've ever read. It's incredible. Everyone should read it. ... Read more

Product Description
Selected by the premiere mystery editor, this volume includes "Quitters, Inc." by Stephen King, "High Darktown" by James Ellroy, "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper" by Robert Bloch, "Clerical Error" by James Gould Cozzens, "The Gettysburg Bugle" by Ellery Queen, "The Last Spin" by Evan Hunter, "Karen Makes Out" by Elmore Leonard, "The Case of the Pietro Andromache" by Sara Paretsky, "By the Dawn's Early Light" by Lawrence Block, "The Purloined Letter" by Edgar Allan Poe, "The Little House At Croix-Rousse" and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Lazy Man's Compendium
The lazy man is Penzler.I was caught bookless and had to have something quickly a couple of days ago, so I picked this up on the title alone. I read widely, but my weakness has always been mysteries, preferably of the who-done-it variety with psychological insights. I've read historial and contemporary, procedurals and cozies..lots and lots of English and American writers. So I figured...The 50 Greatest Mysteries! Edited by a Big Name in mystery fiction.I expected well written and carefully chosen mysteries, including lesser known fascinating puzzles. Penzler is well known in mystery literature: owner of the Mysterious Bookshop, compiler, guest lecturer...a Name in the Business.The "Best" of anything is always an argument, so even if the stories were not "the best" they would certainly be contenders.
The stories are arranged chronologically, and Penzler provides a very brief introductory paragraph.He does not suggest why the story is included (and in one instance, refers to a story that is not included as better than his example). He doesn't discuss or distinguish between a true mystery, a suspense story, a procedural or a cozy.Arguments abound as to what is a 'mystery' and Penzler doesn't attempt to add to or resolve the discussions. He adds no insights or points of view--nothing to justify his choices. Some of his dated pieces are charmless, so I have to assume they were included as exemplars of the period, but Mr. Penzler doesn't place the unfamiliar within a context.Instead, he seems to have included the oldest first, plodding through the genre to fill the pages before the next book, which will probably be called Another 50 of the Greatest Mysteries.The book seems complied haphazardly and named to sell.

Perhaps I ask too much.There are some lovely stories,and some that are interesting. He includes a brief suspenseful piece by Edith Wharton. She's a lovely writer, but not an ounce of mystery is involved in the tale.The Red Headed League is an early Sherlock Holmes which is fun but not the best of Doyle.I can't argue with The Purloined Letter (Poe), and am happy to known that writers not known for mysteries actually wrote a few (Jack London, Aldus Huxley, Thomas Hardy[and its a good one], Thurber, AA Milne, Ogden Nash) but they are not the GreatestMysteries.Fredrick Irvington Anderson's story is dated and tiresome--and Mr. Anderson is not a familiar name.Mr. Penzler doesn't crack stories from 1950 until page 327--two thirds of the way through the book. But it is probably cheaper to republish stories well past their copyright conflicts date.

They ain't The Greatest Mysteries.They are sometimes interesting. Some are truly fine.If you want context, insight or thematic consistency, look elsewhere. These are complied tales, not an editor's choice. On the other hand, if you are caught bookless and need 567 page of choices, you will find some good stories, some seldom published historical oddies to leaf through, some to skip and certainly, along the way,something to like. ... Read more

Product Description
Jane Eyre, a plain yet spirited governess, introduced a new kind of heroine: one whose virtuous integrity, sharp intellect, and tireless perseverance broke through class barriers to win equal stature with the man she loved. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (911)

Helped me cruise through my workouts!
Wow!This woman can write a book that keeps you interested from the beginning.I was very impressed!To write with an ability to perfectly and mysteriously capture each characters personality.It is awesome, just read it!

Dame Darcy: Jane Eyre
Trying to get your kids to read real books? Get them this one. It's Fabulous!

$0.89 Kindle Edition
I'm going to rate the quality of the Kindle Edition since this seems to be the only place to do so.I won't go into the story since there's a perfectly good sysnopsis on the description page and several well written reivews on the work itself.The kindle edition was good to say the least.I did find a few spelling errors that were annoying, but none more so than the heroine, Jane, repeatedly being referred to as 'Janet' throughout the entire novel; I find this to be unacceptable.I do not know if this occurs in the print-versions as this was my first encounter with the story.Had there been less (or no) spelling errors as well as the correct name reference to the main character, I would have given it 5 stars on content alone---although it still creeps me out that 19 year olds and 40 year olds so frequently ended up marrying in that day and age, but I just had to put it out of my mind when reading.Otherwise it was a good read and I look forward to reading more works by the Bronte sisters.

A true classic. This Kindle edition leaves some things to be desired.
What can I say about this work that has not already been said in the many reviews that came before? It is truly one of the greats of English literature, and re-reading it as an adult is a pleasure that reaps even more rewards than when I read it as a girl.

My only warning is for those who are reading it in the Kindle edition. The good points are that it is nicely formatted and almost free of spelling errors. The negatives are that it has no Table of Contents, linked or otherwise; and although it claims to be illustrated, no illustrations were included in the version I read.

For pure reading pleasure, this novel has few equals. For formatting, you might be able to find better.

my favorite book
This book is the best book I have ever read and the only book that have enjoyed reading over and over again. I believe everyone should experience this great read about the life of Jane Eyre. ... Read more

Product Description
Thirteen outstanding mystery writers explore the unlucky fates of those who indulge their most murderous fantasies. This edition of the bestselling audio series contains "Jane and the Spoils of Stoneleigh" by Stephanie Barron, "Getting Robert" by Elizabeth Taylor Bland, "Monsieur Pamplemousse Tells the Tale" by Michael Bond, "The Village Vampire and more. ... Read more

Product Description
A novel about two sisers, their troubling past and the terrible secrets they each want buried will stay with you long after you finish this audiobook. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

*pffffffffft* pllleaaase. I demand a back bone!
I got about half way threw this book and pitched it in the trash. The heroine has absolutly no back bone at all! She just does everything she is told to do even though it is compleatly unfair and well... mundane! I could get more action at the farmers market! I felt no chemistry at all between her and the main love intrest. On a good note the author seems to have a wonderful grasp on basic wrighting. The wrighting is fluent and descriptive. ... Read more

Product Description
Will you marry me?These four words are magical, and howthey are uttered is what makes each wedding proposal a unique memoryto be treasured forever.Wedding proposals can take many differentforms - blissfully romantic, fabulously funny, unintentionallyembarrassing, or even wildly adventurous.Sometimes they work andsometimes they don't, but whatever the outcome, there's a great storyto tell and maybe even a lesson to be learned.

Brought together in Just Say Yes! is a diverse array of creativeanecdotes from around the world.From the woman who proposed to theman in her life at a basketball game, to the man who created abeautiful scrapbook in honor of his soulmate, to the man who had thecast of The Phantom of the Opera help him with his proposal, Just SayYes! is a touching monument to these fiercely private or boldly publicmoments.Whether you are a true romantic, someone in need ofinspiration, or a person who just likes a good story, Just Say Yes! isfor you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Wanting More
I enjoyed reading through the stories in this short book but was still left without any ideas for my own proposal.

I'd recommend the site howtoproposemarriage. com -- the ideas were much better.

I made sure to include my wife's name.
Our story is also listed in the book.We are very happy with the book and all the incredible stories!I had an awful feeling that they might forget to include my future wife's name so I was sure to include it in the text of my story!

I made sure to include my wife's name.
Our story is also listed in the book.We are very happy with the book and all the incredible stories!I had an awful feeling that they might forget to include my future wife's name so I was sure to include it in the text of my story!

A Romantics Paradise
Hi I just wanted to have a chance to tell you how proud i am that me and my wifes story is included in such a romantic book....i read another review that was disappointing because of names being left unsaid but just so you all know we were asked whether or not we wanted names included and the person giving the review was incorrect for we agreed to it and our names are in the book....our story is titled leaving on a jetplane and all of us were given our titles before the book came out too so as far as not knowing where to look well that would bethe fault of the person who was in the book that gave it to you....however i find it hard to believe that searching for it and reading the other stories as well was painstaking...i loved all of the stories and i think it was a wonderful idea for a terrific book cause we need more romantics in this world!

This book could have been better
A close friend of mine whose story is in this book gave it too me as a present.Unfortunately, it took me nearly 20 minutes to find his story as there is no Table of Contents or Index! Also, the authors didn't eveninclude his soon-to-be wife's name!I noticed that none of the otherstories had the spouse's name either.If I was in this book, I'd bedissapointed.Other than that, it's a nice collection of stories and hassoom good, practical ideas for proposals and not wakcy stories, likerenting a hot-air balloon or something like some of the other proposalbooks I've read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Knight in Waiting by Juliet Landon (Large Print Mills & Boon Legacy of Love Historical Romance Hardcover)
Description from the book back cover:

North Yorkshire, 1350's:Lady Aletta Markenfield relished the freedom of widowhood.It was a grief to her that she had proven to be barren, but otherwise she could not regret the death of her brutal husband.The arrival of new neighbour Sir Geraunt de Paine overturned all her pleasure - the laxity in the wake of the Black Death meant that some of Sir Geraunt's serfs had moved to her estate, and Geraunt had no hesitation about using blackmail!Aletta was faced with equally upsetting choices - disrupt the fledgling families or become Geraunt's mistress.Disguising the fact with a betrothal ring was small comfort ...

A KNIGHT IN WAITING
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST HISTORICAL ROMANCE BOOKS THAT I HAVE EVER READ.IT TRULY DEPICTS WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE BACK THEN.I HAVE READ OTHERHISTORICAL ROMANCE NOVELS,AND I THINK THAT MRS.JULIET LANDON DOES AFANTASTIC JOB OF SHOWING HOW WOMEN WERE TREATED BACK THEN, THE PROCESS OFMARRIAGE PARTNERS WITH DOWRIES, AND THE DECEPTION OF ALL PEOPLE.IDEFINITLY RATE THIS BOOK 5 STARS.CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BOOK.ITDEFINITLY CAUGHT MY ATTENTION VERY QUICK. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I love the chemistry of the hero/heroine in this book.
They were so interesting that the book didn't even have the same old "villian" storyline.The book put me in mind of the movie "Shakespeare in Love" mixed up with HBO's "The Tutor's".I just took this book out of the mailbox yesterday around 3:00 pm and I didn't put it down until I finished it at 1:30 am.Of course I could not sleep afterwards cause I kept thinking about the book.Thanks Juliet Landon for a great read! ... Read more

Product Description
Guardian…and husband

Helene Follet hasn’t had close contact with Lord Burl Winterson since she chose to spend her life caring for his brother. Now she’s forced to live under Burl’s protection, because he has become guardian to her precious young son. Burl has grown hard and cynical over the years, while Helene covers her hurt with an ice-cool front. What she really craves is to finally find a loving home in his safe, strong arms.

Neither can admit that they are still tantalised by the memory of one magical, fateful night… ... Read more