Reading old books of science experiments for children, it's easy to become nostalgic for the days when you could buy jugs of sulfur and mercury at...
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I loved this book! It is full of humor, memorable characters, magic spells and fire demons. Not many authors can pull off a novel with the two main characters being a 90-year-old woman and a self-centered and vain wizard. Diana Wynne Jones pulls it off with panache, and leaves readers with a thoroughly contented feeling at the finish.
For those who enjoy Caroline Stevermer, Patricia C. Wrede, Teresa Edgerton (sadly out of print) and J. K. Rowling, this book is right up your alley. Jones is certainly an author I shall be looking into regularly in the future. Luckily for us all, she has written several books.
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(13 of 21 readers found this comment helpful)
This book was on my wishlist for months before it was published. I adore Regency England, and the possibility of a biography on one of its leading men was too much to pass up.
Kelly introduces us to Brummell in his childhood, the son of common parents who wanted a better life for their children. He leads us through Brummell's time at Eton, and in the army (though he never saw battle), through his amazing reign as London's famed favorite, and then, painfully, his fall from grace and his battle with syphilis and debt in France.
Beau Brummell is often depicted as a bored, cruelly witty man who took hours to tie his cravat. Kelly shows us this side of Brummell, certainly, but also gives great insight as to why Brummell was the way he was. The biography is littered with tantalizing Brummell one-liners that will make you laugh out loud- and probably had the same effect on Regency society. Readers are presented with hypotheses on Brummell's love life, his gambling addiction, and the constancy of his friends. And, melded with all this, we are given a wonderful, realistic view of Regency London in all its glory and perversity.
Kelly is clearly sympathetic to Brummell, and one can't help but agree with him. Brummell deals with seemingly insurmountable problems (many caused by his reckless spending) with amazing sangfroid and humor. So that, when one approaches the end of the book, and is faced with harrowing descriptions of a man suffering endlessly from a wasting disease, it is impossible not to feel for him.
Kelly paints a portait not only of a leading man of the Regency era, but also of the era itself. The biography is interesting, well-presented and compassionate. If you like Regency London, you will want to read this book.
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(8 of 10 readers found this comment helpful)
The first book in Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy, The Crystal Cave is lyrically written, and tells Merlin's story *before* Arthur is born, which gives readers a wonderful new angle on the story. While her writing can be verbose in some places, overall the story is compelling, interesting, and a great start to the famous trilogy.
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(3 of 12 readers found this comment helpful)
With The Curse of Chalion, Bujold steps boldly into the fantasy world, and all readers of epic fantasy are the better for it. She is masterful at building her world- her descriptions of religion, especially, are fascinating. Add in action, intrigue and a touch of romance, and you know you have a goldmine in your hands. If you're one of those people eagerly anticipating the next book in George R. R. Martin's series, or the next Robin Hobb novel, then try this trilogy on for size- you won't be disappointed.
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(6 of 14 readers found this comment helpful)
Everything about this book is huge- its length, its scope, its cast, and its research. Mantel takes us to the razor's edge- showing how those brilliant men who engineered and orchestrated the French Revolution and its ideals lost control of their creation and became victims themselves of the Terror. It is immensely readable, with engaging, complex characters. Mantel does an excellent job of portraying Robespierre, Desmoulins and Danton in a way which leads readers to be sympathetic towards them while also being horrified of what they were party to. An excellent read for anyone who finds the French Revolution fascinating, and a wonderful novel overall.
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(7 of 12 readers found this comment helpful)
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Customer Comments
Aarti has commented on (6) products.
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Aarti, December 19, 2006
I loved this book! It is full of humor, memorable characters, magic spells and fire demons. Not many authors can pull off a novel with the two main characters being a 90-year-old woman and a self-centered and vain wizard. Diana Wynne Jones pulls it off with panache, and leaves readers with a thoroughly contented feeling at the finish.For those who enjoy Caroline Stevermer, Patricia C. Wrede, Teresa Edgerton (sadly out of print) and J. K. Rowling, this book is right up your alley. Jones is certainly an author I shall be looking into regularly in the future. Luckily for us all, she has written several books.
(13 of 21 readers found this comment helpful)
Beau Brummell: The Ultimate Man of Style by Ian Kelly
Aarti, November 10, 2006
This book was on my wishlist for months before it was published. I adore Regency England, and the possibility of a biography on one of its leading men was too much to pass up.Kelly introduces us to Brummell in his childhood, the son of common parents who wanted a better life for their children. He leads us through Brummell's time at Eton, and in the army (though he never saw battle), through his amazing reign as London's famed favorite, and then, painfully, his fall from grace and his battle with syphilis and debt in France.
Beau Brummell is often depicted as a bored, cruelly witty man who took hours to tie his cravat. Kelly shows us this side of Brummell, certainly, but also gives great insight as to why Brummell was the way he was. The biography is littered with tantalizing Brummell one-liners that will make you laugh out loud- and probably had the same effect on Regency society. Readers are presented with hypotheses on Brummell's love life, his gambling addiction, and the constancy of his friends. And, melded with all this, we are given a wonderful, realistic view of Regency London in all its glory and perversity.
Kelly is clearly sympathetic to Brummell, and one can't help but agree with him. Brummell deals with seemingly insurmountable problems (many caused by his reckless spending) with amazing sangfroid and humor. So that, when one approaches the end of the book, and is faced with harrowing descriptions of a man suffering endlessly from a wasting disease, it is impossible not to feel for him.
Kelly paints a portait not only of a leading man of the Regency era, but also of the era itself. The biography is interesting, well-presented and compassionate. If you like Regency London, you will want to read this book.
(8 of 10 readers found this comment helpful)
The Crystal Cave: Book One of the Arthurian Saga by Mary Stewart
Aarti, October 10, 2006
The first book in Mary Stewart's Merlin trilogy, The Crystal Cave is lyrically written, and tells Merlin's story *before* Arthur is born, which gives readers a wonderful new angle on the story. While her writing can be verbose in some places, overall the story is compelling, interesting, and a great start to the famous trilogy.(3 of 12 readers found this comment helpful)
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
Aarti, October 4, 2006
With The Curse of Chalion, Bujold steps boldly into the fantasy world, and all readers of epic fantasy are the better for it. She is masterful at building her world- her descriptions of religion, especially, are fascinating. Add in action, intrigue and a touch of romance, and you know you have a goldmine in your hands. If you're one of those people eagerly anticipating the next book in George R. R. Martin's series, or the next Robin Hobb novel, then try this trilogy on for size- you won't be disappointed.(6 of 14 readers found this comment helpful)
A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel
Aarti, September 14, 2006
Everything about this book is huge- its length, its scope, its cast, and its research. Mantel takes us to the razor's edge- showing how those brilliant men who engineered and orchestrated the French Revolution and its ideals lost control of their creation and became victims themselves of the Terror. It is immensely readable, with engaging, complex characters. Mantel does an excellent job of portraying Robespierre, Desmoulins and Danton in a way which leads readers to be sympathetic towards them while also being horrified of what they were party to. An excellent read for anyone who finds the French Revolution fascinating, and a wonderful novel overall.(7 of 12 readers found this comment helpful)
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