Product Description
Set in the paradise of a South Sea island, "Typee" is a combination of fact and fiction. The tale is a distortion of the life of the Typees and foreshadows the metaphysical precoccupations in Melville's later work with its depiction of the evil and mystery lurking beneath the idyllic setting. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Documentary-like story of life in an uncivilized paradise, circa 1850.
Much of this first novel of Melville's reads more like a documentary than an adventure novel.This story of Tommo's time as a prisoner to the Typee savages (mirrored after Meliville's own experiences with a Tahitian tribe) isn't the most exciting book you'll read.Most of it is actually taken up by detailed descriptions of the (imaginary?) Typee tribes-people, their customs, habits, ect.Because it is based on real experiences, it is somewhat difficult to determine what is fiction and what is really true of Pacific-Islander life.In-depth descriptions of how food is processed, how clothing is made, and how island life is organized ring true, while a few parts of the book, like the beauty of the people and their habitually lazy lifestyles, seem exaggerated.

Melville's writing style reminds me of Jules Verne.The mundane tone used to describe (in great detail) people, objects, and occasions is very similar to what you get in Verne's novels (think Five Weeks in a Balloon).Also similar is the constant but dry and never-distracting humor always just beneath the surface, helping to make this otherwise lengthy-feeling descriptive work entertaining to read.Admittedly, there aren't the same sort of intense life-and-death situations here, but the tone and descriptive writing certainly have similarities to Jules Verne's style.

This book is most well-known for its poignant social commentary.The unfavorable comparisons of Western society to the stress-free life of the islands, and the condemnation of the corrupting influences of military and religious 'civilizing' influences on tribal people might have been offensive or enlightening to some in the 1850's, but seem like nothing original today.The unrefined, unashamed, and unladylike behaviour of the Polynesian women may have shocked readers at the time of publishing, but today, while lovely, it doesn't cause consternation.

I wouldn't recommend this book for the thrill seeker, or adventure lover.Only for those interested in the early work of Herman Meliville or a documentary-like story from the 1850's about life in an uncivilized tropical paradise.

TYPEE
Book came as advertised. Even better really. Nice & clean and in a clean slipcover.

Herman Melville - Typee (1846)
What I gather from some of the reviews here is that because Melville wrote some complex novels later in his career, some people will probe and muse upon everything he writes until some deep meaning or intent can be wrung out of it.I'm sure many academics in the world of publish-or-perish have concocted quite extravagant analyses of books such as 'Typee' in order to keep their jobs.

From a more sensible vantage point, while Melville certainly evolved into a more complex writer, there's no reason to believe he intended writing a 'deep' or symbolic book with 'Typee'. 'Typee' was his first book, and it became an immediate success because of its colorful handling of Melville's experiences among the inhabitants of Polynesia.End of story.

Melville's account is what would today be classified as 'narrative fiction', meaning he took his actual experiences and molded them slightly to communicate a larger idea he had in mind.With 'Typee', Melville's larger idea is the comparison of civilization and savagery.His conclusion is that so-called savages - like Typees - are in many ways superior to their civilized counterparts.Great message, but it doesn't make this book something you can dwell on for days or analyze to death.

Most readers will find Melville's writing pretty crisp, especially given the time he was writing and the time we're reading.His theme and his approach make 'Typee' far more readable than a straight travelogue but less exciting than an adventure novel.Bottom line, this is a good read.While the plot is rather thin, Melville's digressions into the culture of the Typee are really the point of the book and he doesn't stick to any subject long enough for you to get bored.On the contrary, his observations are very interesting especially given that he had no way of understanding or explaining much of what he saw.

Read 'Typee' for what it is and enjoy it as so many people have before.Take away the message Melville intended, which I promise you will not need to be especially sharp or penetrating to tease out.Please don't make 'Typee' out to be a piece of esoteric literature (like 'Moby Dick') when it clearly is not.

Life among beautiful cannibals
Although Typee is based on his own experiences in the South Pacific, Melville's popular work is wonderful adventure fiction. Disillusioned with months at sea on a whaling boat Tommo/Melville jumps ship with his friend Toby on the island of Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas archipelago of what is modern day French Polynesia. They are quickly captured by the Typee tribe who carry a murderous and cannibalistic reputation but are surprised to find that they are treated with respect and hospitality by their captors. However, it is soon apparent that the Typee, for reasons that are not clear, have no intention of letting them go for they are shadowed everywhere and under constant surveillance by groups of villagers. Toby makes an early escape with the intention of summoning help for Tommo who is being nursed for a serious leg wound by the fair-skinned beauty, Fayaway. When his friend fails to return Tommo reluctantly acquiesces to his situation. His subsequent anthropological observations are not dry text but a humorous and fascinating glimpse into an inscrutable world where the jollity, sensuality and general indolence of the villagers are lights year away from the puritanical and Protestant New England of Tommo's/Melville's own background. Some of the customs and practices have survived to this day and the words are still in use (recognisable despite Melville's esoteric spelling) as Marquesan is spoken in preference to French throughout the islands. (Some years later the people of Nuku Hiva were to be converted to Catholicism and it must have come as a shock to them to discover that they had been praying to the wrong idols for the previous two millennia.) Although the attitudes of the day were apparent in places - `Kory-Kory, though the most devoted and best-natured serving-man in the world, was alas! a hideous object to look upon' - Melville compares the natural beauty of the many of the Typee, both men and women, most favourably with the over-preened, coiffured dilettantes of the `civilised' world. With the sumptuous Fayaway and devoted Kory-Kory, he passes the days in sloth, lying around, eating, and swimming. He is effectively in a `golden jail'. As months pass, though, he becomes gloomy at his isolation and inability to meaningfully converse with the villagers and, when he makes a gruesome discovery, he develops a dreadful foreboding as to the possible outcome for his captivity. The novel closes with tension and drama.
Today, the village of Taipivai (River Taipi) is as tranquil a place as one could imagine, with the villagers enjoying a pace of life barely changed since Melville's time 170 years ago. Highly recommended to all who enjoy old-fashioned adventure and those who are interested in the history and culture of Pacific island communities. A second book, the less well-known Omoo, continues the author's South Seas escapades.

Another Handsome Edition from Heritage
Heritage's 1963 edition of Melville's Typee -- a sand-colored slipcase contains the hardcover book, bound in textured cloth with a three-color design. 24 Covarrubias color illustrations. Introduction by Raymond Weaver. Melville's Preface. 409 pp. ... Read more

Product Description
p>CountryWatch.coms Country Reviews are concise, up-to-date sources for socio-cultural, political, economic, enterprise and environmental information on the 191 nations defined by the U.S. State Department as Independent States of the World.In addition, data on Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau are included in the Country Review for China.

Each Country Review begins with an overview which provides key demographic and geographic information as well as full color regional and country maps by Magellan Geographix.Government and political information is provided in a format which enables the reader to get an overview of the historical and socio-cultural conditions, the organization of the various branches of the government, a brief summary of current political conditions, and a list of current leaders, including a biography of the head of government/state.Economic information, compiled and condensed from a large number of reliable sources, is presented in the Country Reviews in statistical tables on macroeconomic trends and key economic sectors.The economic data is organized in an easy-to-understand format.Foreign investment conditions are also covered along with a capsule description of stock market trends, for those countries where major stock markets exist, and a listing of key enterprises.Also included is a summary of current environmental issues, natural hazards, international environmental agreements, and for most countries, a table with time trends in greenhouse gas emissions.

REVIEW1:

Comprehensive Global Information by CountryWatch.com

For all of our Country Reviews, we at CountryWatch.com use the most current and dependable sources available, so that we can be satisfied that we are presenting a contemporaneous and accurate perspective on a given country.In this regard, our format uses the latest available annual economic data.

As exemplified by our economic overviews, the sources used, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports, are published on annual basis, but as with all such reported macroeconomic activity, published figures and statistics generally trail behind a year.Moreover, this reflux of one-year is commonly characteristic of most reliable and legitimate published sources, and it is especially attributable to statistical data.Any other such information, such as the national flag, was current at the time of publication.

In the publishing enterprise, information is in a state of constant flux and change.Consequently, we deal with the typical delayed write-to print time frame that all reputable publications encounter, and that are simply reflective of the publication process.Recognizing this reality, CountryWatch.com publishes all 191 Country Reviews twice annually, and so the material can be regularly updated.

In addition, CountryWatch.com also has a trademarked, news service called the Country Wire which is available to all customers who purchase our Country Reviews.The CountryWire is an online, country-by-country news service that updates news daily for each country using top international news agencies including US and World News: United Press International Business in Asia: Asia Pulse, Daily News: Pan-African News Agency, Internet News Service: Xinhua (New China) News Agency, CANA News Bulletin: Caribbean News Agency, Interfax-American Daily Financial Report: Interfax-America, and World News Connection: National Technical Information Service.

In this way, not only are hundreds of stories accessible for each country, thus providing daily current information to supplement the Country Reviews, but the wealth of international news agencies we use translates into truly global coverage for each country.Accordingly we at CountryWatch.com are confident that our combined products make us a unique, effective and accurate provider of global information, on a country-by-country basis, for all 191 countries in the world, recognized by the United States Department of State.

N. Denise Youngblood

Managing Director of Content DevelopmentDyoungblood@countrywatch.com ... Read more

Product Description
p>CountryWatch.coms Country Reviews are concise, up-to-date sources for socio-cultural, political, economic, enterprise and environmental information on the 191 nations defined by the U.S. State Department as Independent States of the World.In addition, data on Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau are included in the Country Review for China.

Each Country Review begins with an overview which provides key demographic and geographic information as well as full color regional and country maps by Magellan Geographix.Government and political information is provided in a format which enables the reader to get an overview of the historical and socio-cultural conditions, the organization of the various branches of the government, a brief summary of current political conditions, and a list of current leaders, including a biography of the head of government/state.Economic information, compiled and condensed from a large number of reliable sources, is presented in the Country Reviews in statistical tables on macroeconomic trends and key economic sectors.The economic data is organized in an easy-to-understand format.Foreign investment conditions are also covered along with a capsule description of stock market trends, for those countries where major stock markets exist, and a listing of key enterprises.Also included is a summary of current environmental issues, natural hazards, international environmental agreements, and for most countries, a table with time trends in greenhouse gas emissions.

REVIEW1:

Comprehensive Global Information by CountryWatch.com

For all of our Country Reviews, we at CountryWatch.com use the most current and dependable sources available, so that we can be satisfied that we are presenting a contemporaneous and accurate perspective on a given country.In this regard, our format uses the latest available annual economic data.

As exemplified by our economic overviews, the sources used, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports, are published on annual basis, but as with all such reported macroeconomic activity, published figures and statistics generally trail behind a year.Moreover, this reflux of one-year is commonly characteristic of most reliable and legitimate published sources, and it is especially attributable to statistical data.Any other such information, such as the national flag, was current at the time of publication.

In the publishing enterprise, information is in a state of constant flux and change.Consequently, we deal with the typical delayed write-to print time frame that all reputable publications encounter, and that are simply reflective of the publication process.Recognizing this reality, CountryWatch.com publishes all 191 Country Reviews twice annually, and so the material can be regularly updated.

In addition, CountryWatch.com also has a trademarked, news service called the Country Wire which is available to all customers who purchase our Country Reviews.The CountryWire is an online, country-by-country news service that updates news daily for each country using top international news agencies including US and World News: United Press International Business in Asia: Asia Pulse, Daily News: Pan-African News Agency, Internet News Service: Xinhua (New China) News Agency, CANA News Bulletin: Caribbean News Agency, Interfax-American Daily Financial Report: Interfax-America, and World News Connection: National Technical Information Service.

In this way, not only are hundreds of stories accessible for each country, thus providing daily current information to supplement the Country Reviews, but the wealth of international news agencies we use translates into truly global coverage for each country.Accordingly we at CountryWatch.com are confident that our combined products make us a unique, effective and accurate provider of global information, on a country-by-country basis, for all 191 countries in the world, recognized by the United States Department of State.

N. Denise Youngblood

Managing Director of Content DevelopmentDyoungblood@countrywatch.com ... Read more

Product Description
p>CountryWatch.coms Country Reviews are concise, up-to-date sources for socio-cultural, political, economic, enterprise and environmental information on the 191 nations defined by the U.S. State Department as Independent States of the World.In addition, data on Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau are included in the Country Review for China.

Each Country Review begins with an overview which provides key demographic and geographic information as well as full color regional and country maps by Magellan Geographix.Government and political information is provided in a format which enables the reader to get an overview of the historical and socio-cultural conditions, the organization of the various branches of the government, a brief summary of current political conditions, and a list of current leaders, including a biography of the head of government/state.Economic information, compiled and condensed from a large number of reliable sources, is presented in the Country Reviews in statistical tables on macroeconomic trends and key economic sectors.The economic data is organized in an easy-to-understand format.Foreign investment conditions are also covered along with a capsule description of stock market trends, for those countries where major stock markets exist, and a listing of key enterprises.Also included is a summary of current environmental issues, natural hazards, international environmental agreements, and for most countries, a table with time trends in greenhouse gas emissions.

REVIEW1:

Comprehensive Global Information by CountryWatch.com

For all of our Country Reviews, we at CountryWatch.com use the most current and dependable sources available, so that we can be satisfied that we are presenting a contemporaneous and accurate perspective on a given country.In this regard, our format uses the latest available annual economic data.

As exemplified by our economic overviews, the sources used, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reports, are published on annual basis, but as with all such reported macroeconomic activity, published figures and statistics generally trail behind a year.Moreover, this reflux of one-year is commonly characteristic of most reliable and legitimate published sources, and it is especially attributable to statistical data.Any other such information, such as the national flag, was current at the time of publication.

In the publishing enterprise, information is in a state of constant flux and change.Consequently, we deal with the typical delayed write-to print time frame that all reputable publications encounter, and that are simply reflective of the publication process.Recognizing this reality, CountryWatch.com publishes all 191 Country Reviews twice annually, and so the material can be regularly updated.

In addition, CountryWatch.com also has a trademarked, news service called the Country Wire which is available to all customers who purchase our Country Reviews.The CountryWire is an online, country-by-country news service that updates news daily for each country using top international news agencies including US and World News: United Press International Business in Asia: Asia Pulse, Daily News: Pan-African News Agency, Internet News Service: Xinhua (New China) News Agency, CANA News Bulletin: Caribbean News Agency, Interfax-American Daily Financial Report: Interfax-America, and World News Connection: National Technical Information Service.

In this way, not only are hundreds of stories accessible for each country, thus providing daily current information to supplement the Country Reviews, but the wealth of international news agencies we use translates into truly global coverage for each country.Accordingly we at CountryWatch.com are confident that our combined products make us a unique, effective and accurate provider of global information, on a country-by-country basis, for all 191 countries in the world, recognized by the United States Department of State.

N. Denise Youngblood

Managing Director of Content DevelopmentDyoungblood@countrywatch.com ... Read more

Product Description
Written in 1897, Kipling's adventure tale relates how the over-indulged son of a millionaire finds himself serving aboard a Portuguese fishing vessel. The superstitious world of the sea and the tough, orderly life of the ship form a backdrop to the boy's transition into manhood. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (44)

More Cod Than Courage
The very title, "Captains Courageous," has rung in my ears from childhood. It conjures images of pirates, sharks, whales, mutiny and derring-do, and skulduggery upon the high seas. Under 150 pages, I figured it would be a fast read.

Kipling tells a good tale here, and he paints vivid characters with salty dialect and attention to fishing details. Young Harvey goes overboard from an ocean liner, grieved by his millionaire parents, but rescued by a passing schooner. He soon finds himself working the decks and dories of the ship "We're Here," while befriending Dan, the son of memorable Disko Troop. He grows up while on the seas, gets his hands roughened, and his spirit strengthened.

This is no grand adventure, though. Most of the action is told by fishermen gathered after a hard day's work. I kept waiting for something frightening, suspenseful, or heroic, but instead I grew more familiar with the fishing tactics of the late 1800s. While it does have its moments of interest, and the research seems complete, "Captains Courageous" seemed to have more cod-fishing than courage on display.

In the end, both young and old learn lessons from Harvey's time at sea, and they are all the better for it. Honestly, though, I'm surprised this story has stood the test of time as well as the much more interesting "The Jungle Book."

No Pirates; Spoiled Brat Comes of Age with Earthy Fishermen
For a better experience, watch the movie instead. This 'classical' work is full of accents (o -> aou, as in naouw rather than now) and nautical jargon. Deciphering them detracts from the experience of reading.Be prepared to skim.

Harvey Cheyne falls off his cruise line and gets picked up by poor fishermen. They don't believe he's rich and make him work, beating the bad habits out of him (violence solves problems, nice life lesson). Harvey accepts his situation unrealistically fast. The major conflict is over within twenty-five pages, and swiftly the novel is reduced to a tedium of everyday life on a fishing boat circa 1890, English waters. The other high point (near the end) is Harvey having a heart-to-heart talk with his Dad about his adventures.

A good beginning and end, but tedious middle.This is a window into old fisher customs, and not a coming-of-age novel (minor theme). As a man's man, Captain Long Jack finds his way into derivative works, and I was curious enough to read the original.This 'classic' work needs modern editing for readability and story flow.

An Inspired Adaptation of a Classic Coming of Age Adventure Tale
This could be a difficult book to adapt for a modern children's audience, in that the much of the setting unfortunately is outdated and perhaps not immediately relatable to the Ipod generation.

But the adaptation found here manages to score in all categories.Nicely edited for young audiences, and filled with illustrations, this book is great nighttime reading and will captivate boys of all ages.I spent more than a month reading this one with a few of my younger sons and they looked forward to it every night.A can't miss.

Beautiful book, IF you can read phonetics AND skim
This is a great book with a classic theme - and a fantastic depiction of a long-gone time and place.In a nutshell:the rich, snotty, spoiled, neglected teenager who's never done a day's work in his life falls off his Atlantic ocean-liner and ends up rescued by a tough, working-class fishing schooner where they refuse to believe he's rich, refuse to take his nonsense, and instead impress him into work - and in so doing help him find his humanity.I love the theme not just for its overt message, but because of the metaphor it encapsulates:that anyone can blossom in the right environment.Kudos, Rudyard Kipling:not bad for a book written in 1897!

Now my complaints:

1) The book dragged, especially in the paunchy middle.Too often the drama faded and the story became an endless repetition of fisherman's chores.Here I skimmed, to little loss.

2) Many of the fisherman's stories made no sense to me, and it wasn't for lack of trying on my side.Frustrating!Many times I found myself wishing for textual annotations.

3) In that vein:I found a hefty chunk of the dialogue unreadable.I'm pretty good at reading phonetics, which helped a lot, but many times when I decoded a word it proved only to be obscure, archaic maritime vocabulary.

4) I get tired of books (modern or old) that extol violence as a necessary cure for spoiled kids.Yes, I understand how the captain punching the boy in the nose "worked" in this context, but violence proponents (and Kipling) too easily ignore the twisted motives hidden behind parental violence, not to mention the reality that violence ultimately begets resentment, primitiveness, and more violence.

You really learn about working life in those times
This is still a great book for young readers (and old ones) who want to know what working life was really like for some in the eastern U.S. and Canada a hundred years ago.No picnic.The great thing is seeing it all in a gripping, often amazing, based-on-fact tale that centers on several teenaged boys who are part of a crew of a New England fishing boat.Death, mayhem, hardship, struggle, grim lessons, ultimate triumph in its strange way--all here along with a great portrait of poor men from all parts scraping to make a living on the sea.For what it tells about our history and the kinds of life our great-grandfathers led, this is Kipling's best, in my opinion. ... Read more

Product Description
His father is dead. Has his mother married the killer? A ghost cries out for vengeance, but has the Prince who hears the cry gone mad? A kingdom hangs in the balance, but who can be trusted? Family, politics, blood lust, betrayal, mystery, friendship and love--each plays a role in Shakespeare's great tragedy, Hamlet . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (201)

Hamlet is the greatest play ever written and the pinnacle of Western literary endeavor
Hamlet is the longest, most complicated and famous of Shakespeare's 39 plays. The role of Hamlet requires the actor to deliver 40% of the over 4,000 lines in the play. Shakespeare is the supreme playwright of the ages and Hamlet is the pinnacle of his dramatic genius.
Hamlet is haunted by the ghost of his father old Hamlet. The ghost is in purgatory; Hamlet has returned from study at Wittenberg University. The Ghost tells Hamlet to kill Claudius. Claudius murdered hisbrother old Hamlet and married his widow Gertrude. Hamlet renounces his lover Ophelia the daughter of Polonius an advisor to to King Claudius. Ophelia goes mad and drowns in the river as a suicide victim. Hamlet mistakenly kills Polonius thinking he is Claudius. Hamlet and Laertes fight a duel but each dies; Claudius and Gertrude also succumb to poison. The play ends with bodies littering the "prison of Denmark" as wasteland imagery abounds. Fortinbras and the Norwegian army seize Elsinore Castle.
This relatively simple plot of a revenge play is turned into a philosophical inquiry into such weighty subjects as Death; Family dynamics; the afterlife; incest; murder and love. No generation or actor can plum the full depths of Hamlet.
One thinks of the great lines:
To thine own self be true
Tis kind to be cruel
To be or not to be
words, words, words
the play's the thing
frailty thy name is woman
there is something rotten in the state of Denmark
all the rest is silence
The list of memorable words and the enigma of young intellectual Hamlet forced to act make this the play of the ages. Shakespeare is not easy to read or understand but knowing Hamlet is essential to everyone's cultural education.

You will be absorbed into the story
This really is "The Tragical History of Hamlet Prince of Denmark" and not only the Prince but also his family. Not only his family but his friends. The tragedy started in the previous generation. Will it end with Hamlet?

Many people are interested in dissecting underlying themes and read more into the characters actions than was probably intended. Many of phrases from Hamlet now challenge Bible for those popular quotes that no one remembers where they came from. The real fun is in just reading the story and as you find that it is not as foreign as you may have thought; you see many characters like these around you today.

A synopsis, Old Hamlet conquered Old Fortinbras seizing Fortinbras' land. Now that Old Hamlet is dead, Young Fortinbras wants his land back and is willing to take it by force. Meanwhile back in Dänemark Prince Hamlet who is excessively grieving the loss of his father, the king, gets an interesting insight from his father's ghost. Looks like Old Hamlet was a victim of a "murder most foul"; it appears his mother and uncle were in cahoots on the murder. On top of that they even get married before the funeral meats are cold.

The story is about Hamlet's vacillating as to what to do about his father's murder. However he does surprise many with his persistence and insight.

You will find many great movie presentations and imitations of the story; this is an intriguing read but was really meant to be watched.

William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Middle aged and finally able to read Shakespeare
I cannot more highly recommend this particular book, No Fear Shakespeare's Hamlet.

I am approaching 50 years old and my only real experience trying to read Shakespeare was in high school where we were assigned roles in class and made to read, without comprehension, Romeo and Juliet and Julius Cesar.In the interim, I tried watching a few plays and dragged my kids to see the play Taming of the Shrew, which they hated because they couldn't understand the language nor the plot.Rather than becoming a Shakespeare hater, I've always felt inadequate and dumb for this huge hole in my education.

My current inspiration to try Shakespeare again was my desire to try and help my high school aged son become more educated and cultured than I have been.

I tried first with the Folger annotated editions of Shakespeare.They look excellent and define the unfamiliar words, but I still could not make sense of a substantial portion of the dialogue. I guess maybe I'm just dumb, I don't know.

Anyway, I saw good reviews about this No Fear series, and I ordered several.So far I have read the modern English translations of Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, King Lear, and The Tempest.While I feel a bit like I'm 'cheating', I actually have really enjoyed all the plays and at least now I know the plots and the characters and even some of the more subtle themes. I can't answer the complaints that the translations don't adequately translate Shakespeare's meanings.There are a few side notes that point out double meanings and things like that, though there are not extensive footnotes or sidenotes.

To answer those who rate these books one or two stars, my answer is that they are at least a door into the world of Shakespeare for those of us unable to navigate the originals on our own.And they only take a couple of hours to read.It's not like this is a lifetime commitment or anything.The book only costs five bucks, so why not invest a couple of hours and read it?And, for me, I liked the plays so much that I AM now going to dig out the Folger editions and read the originals, with the No Fear books available in case I get in trouble.These modalities of trying to appreciate Shakespeare are not mutually exclusive.

Well, hopefully that's helpful to someone.I wanted to write this so that people would know that these books are not just for lazy students hoping to avoid reading the originals or somehow 'cheat' in their English classes.I'm not a Shakespeare scholar or teacher and never will be, just an ordinary guy, but for me, these books were the window of opportunity that I had been searching for. Two thumbs up, most definitely.

It harrows me with fear and wonder
"Hamlet" doesn't need any introduction -- the tortured Dane, the ghost, meditations on suicide and a climax full of death. But as well-known as the storyline is, the play itself is what deserves the attention, both for Shakespeare's shadowy plot filled with uncertainty and treachery -- and for his brilliant, immortal writing, which takes on a new dimension when read on the page.

Prince Hamlet of Denmark is understandably upset when, only a short time after his father's death, his mother Gertrude marries his uncle Claudius, who is now the new king. Who wouldn't be unhappy? But when Hamlet encounters the tormented ghost of his father ("I am thy father's spirit/Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night"), he learns that his dad was murdered by his uncle -- but he's plagued by indecision, since he's unsure if the spirit was truly his dad.

In response to this vision, Hamlet's behavior becomes more bizarre and erratic -- he dumps his girlfriend Ophelia, arranges a play that mimics real life a little too closely, and generally acts like a loon. But when an argument with his mother ends in tragedy -- and the death of one of Ophelia's loved ones -- Hamlet's fate is sealed as Claudius begins plotting to get rid of him too.

Small warning: like all Shakespeare's plays, it's best to read "Hamlet" after you've seen a good performance, because the entire thing was intended to be acted out. Otherwise, it's like reading a movie script to a movie you haven't seen -- easy to get lost, and the dramatic effects aren't easy to connect to.

But if you HAVE seen a good performance of "Hamlet," then the play will just jump off the page. The plot is a relatively simple one, but it's tangled up in all sorts of moral dilemmas, personal doubts, deteriorating personal relationships, and a creeping undercurrent of darkness. The best part is that Shakespeare leaves you with all sorts of questions that are left up in the air -- is Hamlet crazy or just faking it? Is the ghost really his dad?

And, of course, it contains some of the most intense, powerful examples of Shakespeare's work here -- vivid, nasty imagery ("In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed/Stew'd in corruption, honeying and making love/Over the nasty sty"), some bleak humor ("you're a fishmonger"), and Hamlet's immortal soliloquies. It's also one of Shakespeare's most quotable plays -- obviously you've got bits like "Alas, poor Yorick," "to be or not to be" and "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark," but there are countless other familiar phrases littered through the text.

On the page, Hamlet is basically an embittered young man who is torn between his doubts and convictions, but is still determined to fix things ("O cursed spite,/That ever I was born to set it right!"). A lot of the supporting cast are hard to follow, but there are some brilliant and enduring roles here -- the incestuous queen Gertrude, the subtle menace of Claudius, the windbag Laertes, and Ophelia, whose uncertainties spiral into madness after her ex-boyfriend kills her dad.

It's best to get a grip on this classic tragedy by watching an actual performance, but reading "Hamlet's" text is a vivid experience on its own. Brilliant, complex and intense.

It harrows me with fear and wonder
"Hamlet" doesn't need any introduction -- the tortured Dane, the ghost, meditations on suicide and a climax full of death. But as well-known as the storyline is, the play itself is what deserves the attention, both for Shakespeare's shadowy plot filled with uncertainty and treachery -- and for his brilliant, immortal writing, which takes on a new dimension when read on the page.

Prince Hamlet of Denmark is understandably upset when, only a short time after his father's death, his mother Gertrude marries his uncle Claudius, who is now the new king. Who wouldn't be unhappy? But when Hamlet encounters the tormented ghost of his father ("I am thy father's spirit/Doom'd for a certain term to walk the night"), he learns that his dad was murdered by his uncle -- but he's plagued by indecision, since he's unsure if the spirit was truly his dad.

In response to this vision, Hamlet's behavior becomes more bizarre and erratic -- he dumps his girlfriend Ophelia, arranges a play that mimics real life a little too closely, and generally acts like a loon. But when an argument with his mother ends in tragedy -- and the death of one of Ophelia's loved ones -- Hamlet's fate is sealed as Claudius begins plotting to get rid of him too.

Small warning: like all Shakespeare's plays, it's best to read "Hamlet" after you've seen a good performance, because the entire thing was intended to be acted out. Otherwise, it's like reading a movie script to a movie you haven't seen -- easy to get lost, and the dramatic effects aren't easy to connect to.

But if you HAVE seen a good performance of "Hamlet," then the play will just jump off the page. The plot is a relatively simple one, but it's tangled up in all sorts of moral dilemmas, personal doubts, deteriorating personal relationships, and a creeping undercurrent of darkness. The best part is that Shakespeare leaves you with all sorts of questions that are left up in the air -- is Hamlet crazy or just faking it? Is the ghost really his dad?

And, of course, it contains some of the most intense, powerful examples of Shakespeare's work here -- vivid, nasty imagery ("In the rank sweat of an enseamed bed/Stew'd in corruption, honeying and making love/Over the nasty sty"), some bleak humor ("you're a fishmonger"), and Hamlet's immortal soliloquies. It's also one of Shakespeare's most quotable plays -- obviously you've got bits like "Alas, poor Yorick," "to be or not to be" and "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark," but there are countless other familiar phrases littered through the text.

On the page, Hamlet is basically an embittered young man who is torn between his doubts and convictions, but is still determined to fix things ("O cursed spite,/That ever I was born to set it right!"). A lot of the supporting cast are hard to follow, but there are some brilliant and enduring roles here -- the incestuous queen Gertrude, the subtle menace of Claudius, the windbag Laertes, and Ophelia, whose uncertainties spiral into madness after her ex-boyfriend kills her dad.

It's best to get a grip on this classic tragedy by watching an actual performance, but reading "Hamlet's" text is a vivid experience on its own. Brilliant, complex and intense. ... Read more

Product Description
Randal thought he wanted to be a wizard. We watch him grow throughout the series. Ages 8-12 ... Read more

Product Description
HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.'Sherlock Holmes was transformed when he was hot upon such a scent as this. Men who had only known the quiet thinker and logician of Baker Street would have failed to recognize him. His face flushed and darkened. His brows were drawn into two hard black lines, while his eyes shone out from beneath them with a steely glitter.'Set against the foggy, mysterious backdrops of London and the English countryside, these are the first twelve stories ever published to feature the infamous Detective Sherlock Holmes and his side kick Doctor Watson. They first appeared as stories in the Strand Magazine and feature some of his most famous and enjoyable cases, including 'A Scandal in Bohemia', 'The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle' and 'The Red-headed League'. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (152)

to be or not to be (free!)
I love the book, the rating is not for the quality of the stories.

However this, and many other kindle books, are advertised as "free" and then when I get to the actual buying page it shows a price - sure, its cheap, $3 or less, but that is not free.

One of the reasons I was considering getting a kindle was the huge quantity of "free" classics, but as it turns out most of them aren't. At least not for international customers.

So no kindle for me. If I have to pay for these books, I'll keep buying them in paper.

Fun Read
I love a good mystery and decided to return to the best. It has been years since I read Sherlock Holmes, but the adverntures are still fantastic. A must have for the mystery lover.

Price outside USA
I would apologize first because this is not the right place to vent out my frustration. But here goes, I own the paperback version of this book (bought it 10 years ago), I think its great and if you are a US citizen/resident go ahead download it and have fun reading it. I have great difficulty understanding why Amazon charges 2.00$(this is not the price of delivery as I have the WiFi only Kindle and yeah, the book is out of copyright in my country(India) as well) for this ebook as well as several other out of copyright books to non - US citizens. It is available for free on Gutenberg, but if I have to download all classic ebooks from Gutenberg I could have as well bought any other ebook reader and not the Kindle. I feel cheated as before ordering my kindle, I saw Jeff Bezos interview with Charlie Rose(http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/mYYH89PLHLMUW/ref=ent_fb_link?pf_rd_p=1275764362&pf_rd_s=center-26&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B002Y27P3M&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1D91A9WQWAM277VR4H80) in which he speaks about the free classics as well as Amazon's customer focus. I guess ripping off your international customers, who incidentally pay more for the Kindle(hell, I payed around 200 USD for my WiFi only device) really shows your wonderful customer orientation.

Lovers of Sherlock Holmes will enjoy reading the twelve tales in this free Kindle edition
Kindle, as all people should know, offers a host of free books, including classics. Here is a chance to reread books that you haven't read in ages. This version of twelve of Doyle's Holmes tales is, of course, splendid, far better than watching the TV versions. Rereading the stories bring surprizes. For example, I did not know that Watson was married. I had seen speculations that he and Holmes were homosexuals, this is ok, but disproved by the second page of the first story. I also did not know - or forgot - that Holmes smoked cigars. Nor did I know that Watson had returned to practice medicine. Of course I remembered that he did not say "Elementary, my dear Watson." He said "It is simplicity itself." These and many other things reminded me that I although am no Holmes, and lack his memory, I enjoy reading about this clever thinker.

very unique stories
This book is about the great detective collection of new cases is one of the best. What stands about this anthology is that it traces Holmes career from the start, and led to the right in the end. All the stories are unique and interesting in their own way. Another advantage is that in describing the more modern writers Holmes back of the book written by a list of books. ... Read more

Product Description
Commercial Data International's (CDI) Country Reviews areconcise, up-to-date sources for political and economic information onthe 190 nations defined by the U.S. State Department as IndependentStates of the World, plus Serbia and Montenegro. In addition, data onHong Kong and Taiwan are included in the Country Review forChina.

Each Country Review begins with an overview which provideskey demographic and geographic information as well as full colorregional and country maps by Magellan Geographix. Government andpolitical information is provided in a format which enables the Readerto get an overview of the organization of the various branches of thegovernment, a brief summary of current political conditions, and alist of current leaders, including a biography of the head ofgovernment/state. Economic information, compiled and condensed from alarge number of reliable sources, is presented in the Country Reviewsin statistical tables on key macroeconomic !trends and economicsectors. The economic data is organized in an easy-to-understandformat. Foreign investment conditions are also covered along with acapsule description of stock market trends, for those countries wheremajor stock markets exist, a listing of key enterprises. Also includedis a summary of current environmental issues, natural hazards,international environmental agreements, and, for most countries, atable with time trends in Greenhouse Gas emissions. ... Read more

Product Description
HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.'Sherlock Holmes was transformed when he was hot upon such a scent as this. Men who had only known the quiet thinker and logician of Baker Street would have failed to recognize him. His face flushed and darkened. His brows were drawn into two hard black lines, while his eyes shone out from beneath them with a steely glitter.'Set against the foggy, mysterious backdrops of London and the English countryside, these are the first twelve stories ever published to feature the infamous Detective Sherlock Holmes and his side kick Doctor Watson. They first appeared as stories in the Strand Magazine and feature some of his most famous and enjoyable cases, including 'A Scandal in Bohemia', 'The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle' and 'The Red-headed League'. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (152)

to be or not to be (free!)
I love the book, the rating is not for the quality of the stories.

However this, and many other kindle books, are advertised as "free" and then when I get to the actual buying page it shows a price - sure, its cheap, $3 or less, but that is not free.

One of the reasons I was considering getting a kindle was the huge quantity of "free" classics, but as it turns out most of them aren't. At least not for international customers.

So no kindle for me. If I have to pay for these books, I'll keep buying them in paper.

Fun Read
I love a good mystery and decided to return to the best. It has been years since I read Sherlock Holmes, but the adverntures are still fantastic. A must have for the mystery lover.

Price outside USA
I would apologize first because this is not the right place to vent out my frustration. But here goes, I own the paperback version of this book (bought it 10 years ago), I think its great and if you are a US citizen/resident go ahead download it and have fun reading it. I have great difficulty understanding why Amazon charges 2.00$(this is not the price of delivery as I have the WiFi only Kindle and yeah, the book is out of copyright in my country(India) as well) for this ebook as well as several other out of copyright books to non - US citizens. It is available for free on Gutenberg, but if I have to download all classic ebooks from Gutenberg I could have as well bought any other ebook reader and not the Kindle. I feel cheated as before ordering my kindle, I saw Jeff Bezos interview with Charlie Rose(http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/mYYH89PLHLMUW/ref=ent_fb_link?pf_rd_p=1275764362&pf_rd_s=center-26&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B002Y27P3M&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1D91A9WQWAM277VR4H80) in which he speaks about the free classics as well as Amazon's customer focus. I guess ripping off your international customers, who incidentally pay more for the Kindle(hell, I payed around 200 USD for my WiFi only device) really shows your wonderful customer orientation.

Lovers of Sherlock Holmes will enjoy reading the twelve tales in this free Kindle edition
Kindle, as all people should know, offers a host of free books, including classics. Here is a chance to reread books that you haven't read in ages. This version of twelve of Doyle's Holmes tales is, of course, splendid, far better than watching the TV versions. Rereading the stories bring surprizes. For example, I did not know that Watson was married. I had seen speculations that he and Holmes were homosexuals, this is ok, but disproved by the second page of the first story. I also did not know - or forgot - that Holmes smoked cigars. Nor did I know that Watson had returned to practice medicine. Of course I remembered that he did not say "Elementary, my dear Watson." He said "It is simplicity itself." These and many other things reminded me that I although am no Holmes, and lack his memory, I enjoy reading about this clever thinker.

very unique stories
This book is about the great detective collection of new cases is one of the best. What stands about this anthology is that it traces Holmes career from the start, and led to the right in the end. All the stories are unique and interesting in their own way. Another advantage is that in describing the more modern writers Holmes back of the book written by a list of books. ... Read more