Product Description
Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
In Two Volumes. This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature. ... Read more

Product Description
La trama de la obra va de una leyenda que se antoja ingenua, a amores perdidos, traiciones familiares, invocaciones demoniacas y la mas brutal violencia. ... Read more

Product Description
Native to the southern hemisphere, the members of the family Proteaceae are mostly shrubby and are notable for remarkably varied, often spectacular flowers that are prized in cut floral displays.Published at $45.00 Our last copies available at $22.49 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

WOW!But if you want it you better hurry!
This book is fantastic! Considering that it is really the only book available to U.S. customers right now I find it truly a miracle that it could be so good(being the cynic that I am). Do not be put off by the fact that the book is illustrated rather than having photographs of the plants. The illustrations are accurate,botanically speaking, as well as being exquisite. The jacket says "This 1st major international bk on protea's covers more than 130 species.It includes banksia's, leucospermums, waratahs,+ others, + cultivars." Book is divided into plants from, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America & other. There is from 1/2 to 1 pg of information on each plant, a glossary, a bibliography & cultivation info. But word to the wise according to publisher it is OUT OF PRINT! Timber did still have some copies. Believe me fellow flower lovers this one is well worth the $45, I would pay even more if I had to! You will be very sorry if you let this one get away, especially those protea ambitious gardeners out there. As I said before the all color illustrations/paintings are great. There is one per plant described. The author does not just stick to the most commonly known varieties there are also some of the more unusual ones described. That being said if I were to want to change one thing, it is that the author does, in some respects, direct his focus to gardeners and to those plants which could be cultivated in the home garden or hot-house. There is plenty of information given on what each plant requires for this to be successful. That said, us arm-chair gardeners will also find more than enough to fantasize about in this great book. ... Read more

Product Description

ReadHowYouWant publishes a wide variety of best selling books in Large and Super Large fonts in partnership with leading publishers. EasyRead books are available in 11pt and 13pt. type. EasyRead Large books are available in 16pt, 16pt Bold, and 18pt Bold type. EasyRead Super Large books are available in 20pt. Bold and 24pt. Bold Type. You choose the format that is right for you.

This is Volume Volume 1 of 2-Volume Set.To purchase the complete set, you will need to order the other volumes separately: to find them, search for the following ISBNs: 9781427005649

"The Monk" is a traditional gothic novel that portrays the life of Ambroiso and his grievous fall into sin. From parricide to incestuous relations, the novel depicts the turmoil in his life. It reflects how evil tempts and lures men and the subsequent disaster that follows. To some it also depicts the horrors that went beyond the walls of monasteries of Roman Catholics.

To find more titles in your format, Search in Books using EasyRead and the size of the font that makes reading easier and more enjoyable for you.

Product Description
But Blanche was no longer mistress of her actions. In the height of their indignation at Ottokar's murder, her parents had insisted upon her renouncing all thoughts of a union with Osbright of Frankheim. Her heart would not allow her to make this renunciation. She protested against the injustice of implicating the son in the father's guilt and avowed the impossibility of withdrawing her affection. ... Read more

Product Description
"Rodney Matthews is generally acknowledged to be among the greatest artists that have ever lived. Need I say more? Please buy this book, and all his other works, because then my immense collection of stuff will become even more valuable." — John Cleese

Here is Lewis Carroll’s classic story as you have never seen it before — through the eyes of world-famous fantasy illustrator Rodney Matthews. Featuring a preface by the artist about his interpretation of this original and experimental children’s classic, this is a lavish edition that will be treasured by collectors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Beautiful book, but not an easy read
I bought this book for my daughter.This quality of this book tells you that it is meant to be a keepsake.It is very well printed on high-quality paper, beautifully bound, and comes with a hard slipcover.The illustrations are amazing, but I found their style to be a bit dark for my 7-year old.The book is very text heavy, making it cumbersome to read aloud to a child, and a lot of the prose itself is on an adult level.Although my daughter is an excellent reader for her age, she has lost interest in trying to get through this book.I have read it myself, and while it captures the story of Alice in Wonderland nicely, it is, indeed a commitment to get through.

Capuring the Absurd Surreality and Fright of Wonderland
Lewis Carroll's story of the young girl Alice who chases a rabbit down a hole and discovers a completely new, beautiful, surreal, yet, dangerous world is a tale beloved by both children and adults.There are countless editions of the story available.This one is published by Templar Books and is illustrated by Rodney Matthews.The book comes in a wonderful hardcover slipcase.The illustrations that accompany the story are quite lavish and capture both the absurdity and fright that is an intricate part of Wonderland.The book includes at least one or two full-color, full-page illustrations for ever chapter as well as smaller, black-and-white illustrations of a quarter-page or less about every other page.Very young children (probably 4 and under) might not enjoy this particular edition of the story because there aren't enough "pictures".However, it is an ideal book for slightly older children as well as an edition to read to younger children.This isn't the best illustrated version of the Carroll's story, but it's not too shabby either.

Beautifully packaged, makes a lovely gift
A high quality book with beautiful cover. I would have preferred more illustrations because I am reading it to my Alice obsessed 4 year old. She starts to lose interest with the text being quite adult. The quality of the illustrations are high and most suitable for older children at the stage where they can read it alone. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Wonderful for Gothic lovers, Plain for Others
The introduction written by Emma McEvoy observes with a clinical eye the failures and triumphs of The Monk within the Gothic genre. Many spoilers are revealed, but her analysis is so concrete that it lacks the shock usually accompanied by most spoilers. Instead you are told about the strengths of the author, the genre, and the reception of this book during the life of the author.

It is interesting to note that many of the same critics today that find certain books to be ungodly such as the critics of Harry Potter and The Golden Compass were just as rampant during Matthew Lewis' life. The reception of the book was well received though overtime people feigned interest in the novel. A censored version was published and having read the original I can say that the censored version would lack the horror produced by the original.

Ambrosio, his accomplice Rosario, and the Prioress nun exemplify the worst in Catholicism. The Prioress commits crimes all in the name of saving the reputation of her convent and entering the good graces of Ambrosio as he is well respected in Madrid. Once Rosario's secret is revealed we learn the depths of Rosario's dissent from God. Rosario does not simply bend rules, there is a marked effort to break them with glee and ease. Each one of these characters care little for their victims.

The victims of these players have misfortune, naivete, and timing stacked against them. One of the central character's Antonia is placed as the tragic damsel in distress. Her victimization appears to be more of a story arc ploy, then serving the character any true growth. Her purpose is simply to be the young virginal victim.

The novel also suffers greatly for its ill pacing. Their are segments of the novel where it seems to drag on possibly causing readers to want to set the book aside. Once the reader passes the stagnant prose, the story picks up and becomes interesting once again.

Speaking of the pacing the ending was also a bit awkward. The conclusion itself is satisfactory and a bit shocking, but the way Lewis placed the two alternate endings seemed a bit odd. One would get the sense that the story could have ended with either ending and this was the product of bad editing.

There are strengths about this book that I do enjoy. I do think that within the Gothic tradition the novel exemplifies the best and worst of Gothicism. I especially enjoyed this novel when reading it for a Gothic literature class. The book parodies the genre at times and at other instances falls prey to the very same criticism it parodies. However, when reading it a second time, without an academic eye the book lacked its original luster.

The story is haunting and riveting, but it's downfall is the pacing. I think this is a wonderful book for anyone interested in Gothic literature. A lot of the imagery of the villains' fall into dissension is overly dramatic, but it can be forgiven on the basis that this is one of the earlier Gothic novels published and Lewis' theme, that true good is not simply ascribed to people of faith. True goodness is based upon one's daily actions and inner intentions.

I don't recommend this as a casual read, because without an interest in Gothicism the novel can be seen as an utter failure. Not knowing its background the reader will lose interest. The concept behind the book though unique, is not sustained and thus the novel fails in that respect.

I give this book 2.5 stars out of 5.

a definite page turner
I didn't get the horror aspect of this novel, because I was not horrified by the tale.But it is really enjoyable to read.I couldn't put it down.The writing is almost like poetry.The tale is engrossing.Everything comes together.Others provide a more descriptive review, so I won't.For someone considering this book to read, do it.

Gothic Horror Defined
I recently came across the phrase "gothic horror" while reading the reviews of the somewhat mediocre novel, The Keep, by Jennifer Egan, and after doing a little digging around, determined that if one were interested in such a thing--or even what such a thing was--The Monk would be the place to go.Well, I recently went there, and was quite delighted.

One would surmise that the word gothic, when applied to literature, would have to do with castles and dungeons and such things, and the Monk certainly has those in droves.But beyond that there is a religious element also.In Christian nations throughout the ages--at least until very recently--boys and girls were regaled with tales of the terrors that await them in hell should they misbehave, that evil lurks in the hearts of all men, and that the devil, literally, walks among us.What makes the Monk so great is that it incorporates these elements into its story in a completely straightforward and unironic manner.This has the effect of elevating the horror that occurs within it to an even higher degree, in that in the recesses of our minds we continue to harbor the uneasy suspicion that these things are true.

The story mostly has to do with a Spanish monk, who is at the beginning of the novel looked upon as a paragon of virtue and godliness and people from miles around flock to hear him speak.But he is proud and arrogant to such an extent that eventually he believes he can do no wrong.His first slip becomes another and then another until he eventually abandons his faith and succumbs to unbridled lust.He loses everything he had worked for--both here and in the afterlife, see above--a fact that is demonstrated in the last couple of pages of this novel in about as powerful a way as any horror fiction you could ever read.

But there are a number of other threads as well, intermingling to some degree with that of the monk's, all of which are equally compelling.There is the journey of Raymond and the story of Antonia, there is the terrible castle ghost that appears but once a year, the cave in which its body was left, the noble who it torments, the innocent nun unjustly imprisoned in the dank catacombs, the bandits in the German forest, rotting corpses, base sexual behavior . . . and pacts with demons signed in blood.

It must be said that it starts off a little slow.The reader is immediately introduced to several characters--one of whom is an old lady--in the setting of a church, no less.But once Don Raymond's narrative begins about fifty pages in this thing moves along like a freight train, and despite the fact that it was written more than two hundred years ago, it is nevertheless quite descriptive, if not quite as explicit as these sorts of things are nowadays.It's quite enjoyable if you enjoy quality fiction and creepy, gruesome horror.

By the way, you may safely skip the Stephen King introduction.It adds absolutely no insight whatsoever, and in fact manages to get the name of one of the major characters wrong!Why must the world continue to suffer the ramblings of this ubiquitous mediocrity?

Shocking, horrifying, thrilling
Lewis' "The Monk" will satisfy any reader who is longing for a story to chill and horrify, the classic way. The tale of a monk whose lust proves destructive and his tragic downfall is filled with visions, superstition, bandits, uncontrollable passions, and gruesome details of death and base mortality.
The monk Ambrosio is esteemed by the whole of his community in Madrid as the most upright, unblemished and holy man as well as a moving and inspirational speaker. His exterior proves to be only a superficial skin for inward vanity, selfishness and sexual obsession. As the novel progresses, we horrifyingly witness Ambrosio's seduction and first sexual experience with Matilda, a sorceress who later becomes the key encouragement and accomplice in his sexual ambition for the young, innocent and beautiful Antonia.
The novel is in parts heartwrenching as we feel deeply for Antonia, whose goodness and naivete is countered by Ambrosio's ever-increasing desires and corruption. To say that it was written in the 1700s, the novel is shockingly risque in its depictions of full-on sexual lust, so not surprisingly it was received at the time with much critical negativity. The subplots, whose characters are woven into the monk's tale seem to mirror his own, involving a young nun, Agnes, who is punished inhumanely by her superiors for the consequences of a moment of passion with her lover, Raymond.

In a tale so filled with corruption, violence and lust, there is still room for Lewis to dabble in more haunting sides of the gothic genre, such as several main apparitions which visit the main characters throughout, and even lighten the mood at times with some satire and humor. Nevertheless, this is a heavy read and, while it hits all the right spots for the lover of gothic and horror, it perhaps leaves little to be desired for the general reader and the faint-hearted should certainly steer clear.

There is a certain fascination in the horrific, and Lewis allows us to indulge in this with a truly thrilling novel - I have even more respect when I find that he accomplished it in ten weeks at the age of 19.

Delightfully Lurid
It's no coincidence that the opening epigraph of Lewis' one and only novel is from Shakespeare's _Measure for Measure_.Both works have pillars of public moral rectitude collapsing after encountering their first major temptation of carnality.Monk Ambrosio figures in for a penny, in for a pound, and starts the slide from mere sex to murder, incest, despair, and damnation.

Lewis' streamlined prose abandons the detailed descriptions of Gothic architecture and Alpine vistas favored by his model Ann Radcliffe.And, in a plot of not two but four frustrated lovers, he crams many a gruesome incident and image.No Radcliffean rationalism for Lewis.Despite frequent criticms of thesuperstition of Spain during the Inquistion, this plot revels in the supernatural with curses, ghosts, Bleeding Nuns, Wandering Jews, and the Prince of Demons himself.

Yet, despite the melodrama, there is an air of psychological realism in how Monk Ambrosio rationalizes his escalation of evil.Perhaps more disturbing is the mind of Matilda, his first lover, and her willingness to advise and aid his evil even after he has sexually spurned her.

Stephen King's introduction is, like many such introductions to classic works, an unfortunate spoiler of much of the plot.However, most of his observations are valid and interesting though I'm dubious that all English novels before Horace Walpole's _The Castle of Otranto_ had moral purposes.(Lewis novel seems to have no serious moral statement except, perhaps, that the chaste life of the convent and monastery is unnatural.)

Oxford University Press seems to have taken the typesetting of this edition from an earlier one.A lot of asterisks show up in the text without accompanying footnotes.A minor annoyanceto a novel that holds up well after more than 200 years. ... Read more

Product Description

ReadHowYouWant publishes a wide variety of best selling books in Large and Super Large fonts in partnership with leading publishers. EasyRead books are available in 11pt and 13pt. type. EasyRead Large books are available in 16pt, 16pt Bold, and 18pt Bold type. EasyRead Super Large books are available in 20pt. Bold and 24pt. Bold Type. You choose the format that is right for you.

This is Volume Volume 2 of 2-Volume Set.To purchase the complete set, you will need to order the other volumes separately: to find them, search for the following ISBNs: 9781427004932

"The Monk" is a traditional gothic novel that portrays the life of Ambroiso and his grievous fall into sin. From parricide to incestuous relations, the novel depicts the turmoil in his life. It reflects how evil tempts and lures men and the subsequent disaster that follows. To some it also depicts the horrors that went beyond the walls of monasteries of Roman Catholics.

To find more titles in your format, Search in Books using EasyRead and the size of the font that makes reading easier and more enjoyable for you.

Product Description
Bruno Kreisky (1911-1990) is undoubtedly the most prominent and influential politician to emerge in postwar Austria. For some thirty years, he helped to shape his country's politics and raise its status in the world, first as secretary of state, then as leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party and as foreign minster, and finally as chancellor from 1970 to 1983. During his long tenure of public office, Austria achieved unprecedented levels of prosperity; he promoted electoral and educational reform and weathered the occasional scandal.His analytical mind and intelligence were much appreciated by statesmen in East and West as well as in the academy, as were his deeply felt humanism, integrity, untiring advocacy of tolerance and social justice, and his earnest sense of responsibility. These won him the trust and admiration of the leading international figures of his era, including Tito, Nehru, Nasser, De Gaulle, and Pope John XXIII. His international connections and his position as leader of a non-aligned state allowed him to assume the role of honest broker in international peace, human rights, and development initiatives.His stature enabled him to play an active part in the promotion of the Arab-Israeli dialogue and pave the way for President Jimmy Carter's mediation of the Israeli-Egypt peace accord through his close relationship with Sadat. As a result of such activity, Kreisky was respected and praised by every U.S. administration from Kennedy to Brezhnev, despite his support for the containment of Soviet communism.This annotated volume - a condensed version of the three volumes of the German edition and compiled by Jill Lewis, University of Wales, and Oliver Rathkolb, Director of the Stifung Bruno Archiv - gives a fascinating insight into Kreisky's life and his many activities. He lets us participate in the big decisions in which he was involved and shares his encounters with other world leaders of this time. Austria be a small country, but it produced at least one major leader whose lively and immensely readable account and wisdom many readers will find inspiring. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: Published by J. Clements, for the proprietors of the Romancist and Novelist's LibraryPublication date: 1841Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more