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 Customer Reviews
great horror series, 29 Aug 2008
From the first moment in book one, Lord Loss, when Grubbs Grady encounters the Demonata and their evil minions it is obvious to the reader that Darren Shan books are from a different dimension. You really have to read them with an open mind, and a slightly twisted one too! The heroes are constantly changing, from Grubbs in book one to Kernel Fleck in book two, back to Grubbs in three and then Bec in some of the later episodes. Whoever is in charge you can absolutely guarantee a frightening ride through another world, which Shan depicts so very well. As far as teenage horror goes this is about as entertaining as it gets. You cannot compare it to the real horror masters, such as James Herbert, Shaun Hutson, Brian Keene or Conrad Jones, but they are truly entertaining, even though the storylines are flimsy to say the least, they are still excellent reading.
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 07 Jun 2008
Bec has never led a normal life, or was never given the chance to. Born only remembering her mother and how she passed away, Bec was saved by a village's priestess who urged the village leaders to let her live. Making her the priestess's apprentice, Bec was able to learn the magic and potions that would be used in aid of those who fought in battles.
Unfortunately for Bec, she didn't know how many battles her village would be facing.
Never a quiet night, Bec's village is continuously invaded by demons, the Fomorii, who come to tear the village apart. And every night Bec must use what she has learned, which isn't much since the priestess was killed way before she was able to pass on everything she knew.
Used to having other villagers come through, Bec's village is visited by Run Fast, a boy who says that his village is in trouble. Unsure of his story or of what side he is on, the warriors feel an obligation to help and so set off to end their fight. Usually the priestess does not go along with the warriors, but this time Bec sees fit to travel with them, hoping that this journey will help her figure out what troubles her and hopefully to become one with her surroundings and her magic.
Fighting off the demons is not an easy feat, especially since both worlds have just been connected, making it easier for the demons to enter, multiplying their numbers every time one is killed. Magic is what destroys them -- and the lives of the villagers and the warriors are in the hands of Bec.
Thrilling and different from the other novels in the series, BEC is a courageous novel that leaps off the pages and plays with our imagination. The descriptions are vivid and the story is unique. With an ending that will leave you breathless, BEC is a great addition to the already popular series, THE DEMONATA.
Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen
Bec, 28 Apr 2008
Having written this review after reading the following book, I can easily disagree with a few comments of this book having nothing to do with the storyline and it being just a bit of background information.
The contents of this book feature heavily in the books to come - so I recommend reading them all in the order in which they state. And I also recommend that people withold their bad reviews until they can say they have read the following books (this is only book 4 out of 10 in the series), and only then can they say if they feel it doesn't relate.
I personally think it's amazing how when reading these books with, so far, 3 different main characters, you can still feel familiar with the others. For example, having read Lord Loss with the story about Grubbs, then Demon Thief with the story about Kernel, it is so easy to carry on reading from the perspective of a previous character without the feeling of interruption from another character. And I owe this to the marvellous writing skills of Darren Shan.
And I would like to remind others that these are not supposed to be highly interlectual books, with long sentences etc. As you can see from having read it, it is written from the main characters point of view, and most people don't think on the spot in deep complexities. Shan portrays the individuality of their speech and keeps it real.
All in all, I think that the books are a great read. They may not be complexly written, but that's not how the characters would ordinarily think about things, the fast pace in the present tense keeps you on your toes, allowing your imagination to flow freely through the story.
I can't wait for the next books!!
5 ++++++ stars! unbelievable, 28 Feb 2008
this book is utterly unputdowneable, as it says on the back! i thought it was quite qierd, being not my usualy type of girlie chick flick kind of book. but i gradually got interested. I was goin to just return it to the library when it was due (i had it overdue! woops!) but when i was told someone was requesting it (rightly so!) i kind of rushed through it, and realised i LIKED the book. theres so many twists and turns its amazing. im impressed bby darren shans work. and because ive skipped ahead, i think i was even was even more surprised because of that reason coz i had no back knowledge of lord loss or anything as i hadnt read any previous ones. so wen they spotted the light red lumpy floating thing i never kbnew it was lord loss, or about the fact he can talk and the demon masters etc.
maybe better to read this first!?
darren shan is a master at masterpieces!
Screams in the Dark indeed ..., 20 Jan 2008
I like to class myself as a big fan of Shan's works, reading all of his Vampire and Demon series to date. However, of all of them released so far, this is probably my favourite.
The book is fast pasted, and, if I may quote the praise at the back of the book, it's "utterly unputdownable". I completely disagree with the ending being weak, or with anyone who tries to find a fault with any of the book at all! I think the Shan deserves a big thums up for this work.
The characters are loveable and cleverly written so that the emotion evoked by the characters in the book are evoked by yourself as the reader. Although I don't claim to be an expert on ancient Ireland, I do think that the Celtic terms are very cleverly sown into the text and the writing is a flawless for the average teen reader.
He certainly has "put the next generation back onto reading with a bang"
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Customer Reviews
great horror series, 29 Aug 2008
From the first moment in book one, Lord Loss, when Grubbs Grady encounters the Demonata and their evil minions it is obvious to the reader that Darren Shan books are from a different dimension. You really have to read them with an open mind, and a slightly twisted one too! The heroes are constantly changing, from Grubbs in book one to Kernel Fleck in book two, back to Grubbs in three and then Bec in some of the later episodes. Whoever is in charge you can absolutely guarantee a frightening ride through another world, which Shan depicts so very well. As far as teenage horror goes this is about as entertaining as it gets. You cannot compare it to the real horror masters, such as James Herbert, Shaun Hutson, Brian Keene or Conrad Jones, but they are truly entertaining, even though the storylines are flimsy to say the least, they are still excellent reading.
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 07 Jun 2008
Bec has never led a normal life, or was never given the chance to. Born only remembering her mother and how she passed away, Bec was saved by a village's priestess who urged the village leaders to let her live. Making her the priestess's apprentice, Bec was able to learn the magic and potions that would be used in aid of those who fought in battles.
Unfortunately for Bec, she didn't know how many battles her village would be facing.
Never a quiet night, Bec's village is continuously invaded by demons, the Fomorii, who come to tear the village apart. And every night Bec must use what she has learned, which isn't much since the priestess was killed way before she was able to pass on everything she knew.
Used to having other villagers come through, Bec's village is visited by Run Fast, a boy who says that his village is in trouble. Unsure of his story or of what side he is on, the warriors feel an obligation to help and so set off to end their fight. Usually the priestess does not go along with the warriors, but this time Bec sees fit to travel with them, hoping that this journey will help her figure out what troubles her and hopefully to become one with her surroundings and her magic.
Fighting off the demons is not an easy feat, especially since both worlds have just been connected, making it easier for the demons to enter, multiplying their numbers every time one is killed. Magic is what destroys them -- and the lives of the villagers and the warriors are in the hands of Bec.
Thrilling and different from the other novels in the series, BEC is a courageous novel that leaps off the pages and plays with our imagination. The descriptions are vivid and the story is unique. With an ending that will leave you breathless, BEC is a great addition to the already popular series, THE DEMONATA.
Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen
Bec, 28 Apr 2008
Having written this review after reading the following book, I can easily disagree with a few comments of this book having nothing to do with the storyline and it being just a bit of background information.
The contents of this book feature heavily in the books to come - so I recommend reading them all in the order in which they state. And I also recommend that people withold their bad reviews until they can say they have read the following books (this is only book 4 out of 10 in the series), and only then can they say if they feel it doesn't relate.
I personally think it's amazing how when reading these books with, so far, 3 different main characters, you can still feel familiar with the others. For example, having read Lord Loss with the story about Grubbs, then Demon Thief with the story about Kernel, it is so easy to carry on reading from the perspective of a previous character without the feeling of interruption from another character. And I owe this to the marvellous writing skills of Darren Shan.
And I would like to remind others that these are not supposed to be highly interlectual books, with long sentences etc. As you can see from having read it, it is written from the main characters point of view, and most people don't think on the spot in deep complexities. Shan portrays the individuality of their speech and keeps it real.
All in all, I think that the books are a great read. They may not be complexly written, but that's not how the characters would ordinarily think about things, the fast pace in the present tense keeps you on your toes, allowing your imagination to flow freely through the story.
I can't wait for the next books!!
5 ++++++ stars! unbelievable, 28 Feb 2008
this book is utterly unputdowneable, as it says on the back! i thought it was quite qierd, being not my usualy type of girlie chick flick kind of book. but i gradually got interested. I was goin to just return it to the library when it was due (i had it overdue! woops!) but when i was told someone was requesting it (rightly so!) i kind of rushed through it, and realised i LIKED the book. theres so many twists and turns its amazing. im impressed bby darren shans work. and because ive skipped ahead, i think i was even was even more surprised because of that reason coz i had no back knowledge of lord loss or anything as i hadnt read any previous ones. so wen they spotted the light red lumpy floating thing i never kbnew it was lord loss, or about the fact he can talk and the demon masters etc.
maybe better to read this first!?
darren shan is a master at masterpieces!
Screams in the Dark indeed ..., 20 Jan 2008
I like to class myself as a big fan of Shan's works, reading all of his Vampire and Demon series to date. However, of all of them released so far, this is probably my favourite.
The book is fast pasted, and, if I may quote the praise at the back of the book, it's "utterly unputdownable". I completely disagree with the ending being weak, or with anyone who tries to find a fault with any of the book at all! I think the Shan deserves a big thums up for this work.
The characters are loveable and cleverly written so that the emotion evoked by the characters in the book are evoked by yourself as the reader. Although I don't claim to be an expert on ancient Ireland, I do think that the Celtic terms are very cleverly sown into the text and the writing is a flawless for the average teen reader.
He certainly has "put the next generation back onto reading with a bang"
Excellent, 21 May 2008
Year 6 - there are not enough hours in the day to read a chapter every afternoon such as my old teachers used to do when I was at school. Moreover, I wanted to illustrate to Year 6 children that they can write or read a short story without compromising on the quality of writing. These stories illustrate the point very well. Use adventurous vocabulary. My class really loved the story about the Greenfly - all stories have a twist in the tale and are great for writing frames. Both genders adored them. Short enough to read a story a day. Perfect to give examples of genres of writing. Incorporate into your literacy hour. I found the children trying to take it from my desk and read it at break. Buy it.
Excellent, 09 Oct 2007
There is a whole series of these books and they are truly excellent. They are highly entertaining in their own right but illustrated to my KS2 kids that a short story can be really interesting and effective. Fabtastic.
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Customer Reviews
great horror series, 29 Aug 2008
From the first moment in book one, Lord Loss, when Grubbs Grady encounters the Demonata and their evil minions it is obvious to the reader that Darren Shan books are from a different dimension. You really have to read them with an open mind, and a slightly twisted one too! The heroes are constantly changing, from Grubbs in book one to Kernel Fleck in book two, back to Grubbs in three and then Bec in some of the later episodes. Whoever is in charge you can absolutely guarantee a frightening ride through another world, which Shan depicts so very well. As far as teenage horror goes this is about as entertaining as it gets. You cannot compare it to the real horror masters, such as James Herbert, Shaun Hutson, Brian Keene or Conrad Jones, but they are truly entertaining, even though the storylines are flimsy to say the least, they are still excellent reading. Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 07 Jun 2008
Bec has never led a normal life, or was never given the chance to. Born only remembering her mother and how she passed away, Bec was saved by a village's priestess who urged the village leaders to let her live. Making her the priestess's apprentice, Bec was able to learn the magic and potions that would be used in aid of those who fought in battles.
Unfortunately for Bec, she didn't know how many battles her village would be facing.
Never a quiet night, Bec's village is continuously invaded by demons, the Fomorii, who come to tear the village apart. And every night Bec must use what she has learned, which isn't much since the priestess was killed way before she was able to pass on everything she knew.
Used to having other villagers come through, Bec's village is visited by Run Fast, a boy who says that his village is in trouble. Unsure of his story or of what side he is on, the warriors feel an obligation to help and so set off to end their fight. Usually the priestess does not go along with the warriors, but this time Bec sees fit to travel with them, hoping that this journey will help her figure out what troubles her and hopefully to become one with her surroundings and her magic.
Fighting off the demons is not an easy feat, especially since both worlds have just been connected, making it easier for the demons to enter, multiplying their numbers every time one is killed. Magic is what destroys them -- and the lives of the villagers and the warriors are in the hands of Bec.
Thrilling and different from the other novels in the series, BEC is a courageous novel that leaps off the pages and plays with our imagination. The descriptions are vivid and the story is unique. With an ending that will leave you breathless, BEC is a great addition to the already popular series, THE DEMONATA.
Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen Bec, 28 Apr 2008
Having written this review after reading the following book, I can easily disagree with a few comments of this book having nothing to do with the storyline and it being just a bit of background information.
The contents of this book feature heavily in the books to come - so I recommend reading them all in the order in which they state. And I also recommend that people withold their bad reviews until they can say they have read the following books (this is only book 4 out of 10 in the series), and only then can they say if they feel it doesn't relate.
I personally think it's amazing how when reading these books with, so far, 3 different main characters, you can still feel familiar with the others. For example, having read Lord Loss with the story about Grubbs, then Demon Thief with the story about Kernel, it is so easy to carry on reading from the perspective of a previous character without the feeling of interruption from another character. And I owe this to the marvellous writing skills of Darren Shan.
And I would like to remind others that these are not supposed to be highly interlectual books, with long sentences etc. As you can see from having read it, it is written from the main characters point of view, and most people don't think on the spot in deep complexities. Shan portrays the individuality of their speech and keeps it real.
All in all, I think that the books are a great read. They may not be complexly written, but that's not how the characters would ordinarily think about things, the fast pace in the present tense keeps you on your toes, allowing your imagination to flow freely through the story.
I can't wait for the next books!! 5 ++++++ stars! unbelievable, 28 Feb 2008
this book is utterly unputdowneable, as it says on the back! i thought it was quite qierd, being not my usualy type of girlie chick flick kind of book. but i gradually got interested. I was goin to just return it to the library when it was due (i had it overdue! woops!) but when i was told someone was requesting it (rightly so!) i kind of rushed through it, and realised i LIKED the book. theres so many twists and turns its amazing. im impressed bby darren shans work. and because ive skipped ahead, i think i was even was even more surprised because of that reason coz i had no back knowledge of lord loss or anything as i hadnt read any previous ones. so wen they spotted the light red lumpy floating thing i never kbnew it was lord loss, or about the fact he can talk and the demon masters etc.
maybe better to read this first!?
darren shan is a master at masterpieces! Screams in the Dark indeed ..., 20 Jan 2008
I like to class myself as a big fan of Shan's works, reading all of his Vampire and Demon series to date. However, of all of them released so far, this is probably my favourite.
The book is fast pasted, and, if I may quote the praise at the back of the book, it's "utterly unputdownable". I completely disagree with the ending being weak, or with anyone who tries to find a fault with any of the book at all! I think the Shan deserves a big thums up for this work.
The characters are loveable and cleverly written so that the emotion evoked by the characters in the book are evoked by yourself as the reader. Although I don't claim to be an expert on ancient Ireland, I do think that the Celtic terms are very cleverly sown into the text and the writing is a flawless for the average teen reader.
He certainly has "put the next generation back onto reading with a bang" Excellent, 21 May 2008
Year 6 - there are not enough hours in the day to read a chapter every afternoon such as my old teachers used to do when I was at school. Moreover, I wanted to illustrate to Year 6 children that they can write or read a short story without compromising on the quality of writing. These stories illustrate the point very well. Use adventurous vocabulary. My class really loved the story about the Greenfly - all stories have a twist in the tale and are great for writing frames. Both genders adored them. Short enough to read a story a day. Perfect to give examples of genres of writing. Incorporate into your literacy hour. I found the children trying to take it from my desk and read it at break. Buy it. Excellent, 09 Oct 2007
There is a whole series of these books and they are truly excellent. They are highly entertaining in their own right but illustrated to my KS2 kids that a short story can be really interesting and effective. Fabtastic. Amazing stuff from the Master of Horror, 30 Aug 2007
Forget Stephen King, Lovecraft IS the true master of horror.
Ok, some stories may be just oniric ramblings like Celephais or Festival, but never has anyone scared me so much over so few pages and for every lemon of a story there are four peaches, and that is good trade off.
Even though Lovecraft draws on monsters and phantastical creatures to conduct his stories, it is more often than not the consequences and the implications of their existence rather than the creatures themselves that create the sense of fear when reading the stories.
And again, in contrast with Stephen King, a 400 page novel cannot be scary nearly by definition. But condense it all on 12 and simply do not read them before switching off the light, after all, beware of the Whisperer in the Darkness...
Great varied collection, 19 Jul 2007
This collection contains some quite different stories, from Arthur Jermyn (of opening paragraph fame: Life is a hideous thing), The Picture in the House (takes place in a modest and quiet New England farm house, but the mere sight of such dwellings always fills the author with extraordinary horror), Herbert West (eventually torn to pieces by legions newly out of the tomb lead by a certain resurrected Thing waxen head in hand orchestrating the ceremonious clawing asunder of the mad scientist responsible for animating their corpses) to the excellent and really uncanny "Whisperer in Darkness" and the unbelievable "The Shadow over Innsmouth". Well worth it. Horror Fiction at it's finest, 20 Apr 2007
Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) is a name synonomous with most horror fiction fans; and one can easily see why once one reading the first few sentences of his beautiful prose.
Most of the stories contained in this teriffic compilation are of 'short' veriety - with some noticeably lengthier. They deal with all sorts of strange beasts and ideas; from creepy old men in the backwoods of New England, Zombies, unseen ghouls and massive god-like monsters.
Of course, these stories would hold up without the assistance of explanatary notes which occuply the end of this particular volume; however, editor ST Joshi's notes complement these stories brillinatly, providing an interesting backstory on some of the more curious passages, and offer exhaustive information on the inspiration for the fiction.
Joshi's introduction is also excellent, offering a short biography of Lovecraft's brief and tragic life.
Even though Lovecraft's fiction has been collected in various other volumes for dacades, this (along with 'Thing on the Doorstep' and 'Dreams in the Witch House') is the difinative version of the stories collected in this volume, and it will offer hours of reading pleasure. Rather dull, 03 Oct 2006
Don't get me wrong, I think Lovecraft a talented writer able to create atmosphere and set the scene. For me though, the main problem is the stories themselves, they are just not terribly interesting, convincing or entertaining. I guess if you are a fan of MR James and the like you'll probably enjoy this. For myself, it all left me rather cold and with no great desire to read any more of his work. Excellent collection assembled by ST Joshi, 29 Apr 2005
This volume contains the stories: Dagon, Randolph Carter, Arthur Jermyn, Celephais, Nyarlathotep, Picture in the House, Outsider, Herbert West, Hound, Rats in the Walls, Festival, He, Cool Air, Call of Cthulhu, Colour out of Space, Whisperer in Darkness, Shadow Over Innsmouth, Haunter of the Dark, as well as a fourteen page Introduction by Joshi (the foremost scholar on Lovecraft), a suggestion for further reading, a note on the text, and an extra sixty pages of explanatory notes. This is an excellent collection of Lovecraft stories with a lot of interesting notation and material on his background, his childhood, his inspirations for each story, and various other pieces of fascinating information. It is also, in my opinion, the strongest of the three current Penguin collections of his work, containing as it does the superb Colour out of Space, Shadow over Innsmouth, and Call of Cthulhu (my favourite). Each story is annotated with numbered reference points which can be a bit distracting at first but doesn't really get in the way of your enjoyment of the stories, and provides fascinating insight into the use of certain words, the origins of characters' names, towns and events that influenced the plot, etc. In addition, each of these stories are the definitive editions compiled by Joshi himself, making this currently one of the best Lovecraft collections in the UK. Highly recommended.
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Customer Reviews
great horror series, 29 Aug 2008
From the first moment in book one, Lord Loss, when Grubbs Grady encounters the Demonata and their evil minions it is obvious to the reader that Darren Shan books are from a different dimension. You really have to read them with an open mind, and a slightly twisted one too! The heroes are constantly changing, from Grubbs in book one to Kernel Fleck in book two, back to Grubbs in three and then Bec in some of the later episodes. Whoever is in charge you can absolutely guarantee a frightening ride through another world, which Shan depicts so very well. As far as teenage horror goes this is about as entertaining as it gets. You cannot compare it to the real horror masters, such as James Herbert, Shaun Hutson, Brian Keene or Conrad Jones, but they are truly entertaining, even though the storylines are flimsy to say the least, they are still excellent reading. Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 07 Jun 2008
Bec has never led a normal life, or was never given the chance to. Born only remembering her mother and how she passed away, Bec was saved by a village's priestess who urged the village leaders to let her live. Making her the priestess's apprentice, Bec was able to learn the magic and potions that would be used in aid of those who fought in battles.
Unfortunately for Bec, she didn't know how many battles her village would be facing.
Never a quiet night, Bec's village is continuously invaded by demons, the Fomorii, who come to tear the village apart. And every night Bec must use what she has learned, which isn't much since the priestess was killed way before she was able to pass on everything she knew.
Used to having other villagers come through, Bec's village is visited by Run Fast, a boy who says that his village is in trouble. Unsure of his story or of what side he is on, the warriors feel an obligation to help and so set off to end their fight. Usually the priestess does not go along with the warriors, but this time Bec sees fit to travel with them, hoping that this journey will help her figure out what troubles her and hopefully to become one with her surroundings and her magic.
Fighting off the demons is not an easy feat, especially since both worlds have just been connected, making it easier for the demons to enter, multiplying their numbers every time one is killed. Magic is what destroys them -- and the lives of the villagers and the warriors are in the hands of Bec.
Thrilling and different from the other novels in the series, BEC is a courageous novel that leaps off the pages and plays with our imagination. The descriptions are vivid and the story is unique. With an ending that will leave you breathless, BEC is a great addition to the already popular series, THE DEMONATA.
Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen Bec, 28 Apr 2008
Having written this review after reading the following book, I can easily disagree with a few comments of this book having nothing to do with the storyline and it being just a bit of background information.
The contents of this book feature heavily in the books to come - so I recommend reading them all in the order in which they state. And I also recommend that people withold their bad reviews until they can say they have read the following books (this is only book 4 out of 10 in the series), and only then can they say if they feel it doesn't relate.
I personally think it's amazing how when reading these books with, so far, 3 different main characters, you can still feel familiar with the others. For example, having read Lord Loss with the story about Grubbs, then Demon Thief with the story about Kernel, it is so easy to carry on reading from the perspective of a previous character without the feeling of interruption from another character. And I owe this to the marvellous writing skills of Darren Shan.
And I would like to remind others that these are not supposed to be highly interlectual books, with long sentences etc. As you can see from having read it, it is written from the main characters point of view, and most people don't think on the spot in deep complexities. Shan portrays the individuality of their speech and keeps it real.
All in all, I think that the books are a great read. They may not be complexly written, but that's not how the characters would ordinarily think about things, the fast pace in the present tense keeps you on your toes, allowing your imagination to flow freely through the story.
I can't wait for the next books!! 5 ++++++ stars! unbelievable, 28 Feb 2008
this book is utterly unputdowneable, as it says on the back! i thought it was quite qierd, being not my usualy type of girlie chick flick kind of book. but i gradually got interested. I was goin to just return it to the library when it was due (i had it overdue! woops!) but when i was told someone was requesting it (rightly so!) i kind of rushed through it, and realised i LIKED the book. theres so many twists and turns its amazing. im impressed bby darren shans work. and because ive skipped ahead, i think i was even was even more surprised because of that reason coz i had no back knowledge of lord loss or anything as i hadnt read any previous ones. so wen they spotted the light red lumpy floating thing i never kbnew it was lord loss, or about the fact he can talk and the demon masters etc.
maybe better to read this first!?
darren shan is a master at masterpieces! Screams in the Dark indeed ..., 20 Jan 2008
I like to class myself as a big fan of Shan's works, reading all of his Vampire and Demon series to date. However, of all of them released so far, this is probably my favourite.
The book is fast pasted, and, if I may quote the praise at the back of the book, it's "utterly unputdownable". I completely disagree with the ending being weak, or with anyone who tries to find a fault with any of the book at all! I think the Shan deserves a big thums up for this work.
The characters are loveable and cleverly written so that the emotion evoked by the characters in the book are evoked by yourself as the reader. Although I don't claim to be an expert on ancient Ireland, I do think that the Celtic terms are very cleverly sown into the text and the writing is a flawless for the average teen reader.
He certainly has "put the next generation back onto reading with a bang" Excellent, 21 May 2008
Year 6 - there are not enough hours in the day to read a chapter every afternoon such as my old teachers used to do when I was at school. Moreover, I wanted to illustrate to Year 6 children that they can write or read a short story without compromising on the quality of writing. These stories illustrate the point very well. Use adventurous vocabulary. My class really loved the story about the Greenfly - all stories have a twist in the tale and are great for writing frames. Both genders adored them. Short enough to read a story a day. Perfect to give examples of genres of writing. Incorporate into your literacy hour. I found the children trying to take it from my desk and read it at break. Buy it. Excellent, 09 Oct 2007
There is a whole series of these books and they are truly excellent. They are highly entertaining in their own right but illustrated to my KS2 kids that a short story can be really interesting and effective. Fabtastic. Amazing stuff from the Master of Horror, 30 Aug 2007
Forget Stephen King, Lovecraft IS the true master of horror.
Ok, some stories may be just oniric ramblings like Celephais or Festival, but never has anyone scared me so much over so few pages and for every lemon of a story there are four peaches, and that is good trade off.
Even though Lovecraft draws on monsters and phantastical creatures to conduct his stories, it is more often than not the consequences and the implications of their existence rather than the creatures themselves that create the sense of fear when reading the stories.
And again, in contrast with Stephen King, a 400 page novel cannot be scary nearly by definition. But condense it all on 12 and simply do not read them before switching off the light, after all, beware of the Whisperer in the Darkness...
Great varied collection, 19 Jul 2007
This collection contains some quite different stories, from Arthur Jermyn (of opening paragraph fame: Life is a hideous thing), The Picture in the House (takes place in a modest and quiet New England farm house, but the mere sight of such dwellings always fills the author with extraordinary horror), Herbert West (eventually torn to pieces by legions newly out of the tomb lead by a certain resurrected Thing waxen head in hand orchestrating the ceremonious clawing asunder of the mad scientist responsible for animating their corpses) to the excellent and really uncanny "Whisperer in Darkness" and the unbelievable "The Shadow over Innsmouth". Well worth it. Horror Fiction at it's finest, 20 Apr 2007
Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) is a name synonomous with most horror fiction fans; and one can easily see why once one reading the first few sentences of his beautiful prose.
Most of the stories contained in this teriffic compilation are of 'short' veriety - with some noticeably lengthier. They deal with all sorts of strange beasts and ideas; from creepy old men in the backwoods of New England, Zombies, unseen ghouls and massive god-like monsters.
Of course, these stories would hold up without the assistance of explanatary notes which occuply the end of this particular volume; however, editor ST Joshi's notes complement these stories brillinatly, providing an interesting backstory on some of the more curious passages, and offer exhaustive information on the inspiration for the fiction.
Joshi's introduction is also excellent, offering a short biography of Lovecraft's brief and tragic life.
Even though Lovecraft's fiction has been collected in various other volumes for dacades, this (along with 'Thing on the Doorstep' and 'Dreams in the Witch House') is the difinative version of the stories collected in this volume, and it will offer hours of reading pleasure. Rather dull, 03 Oct 2006
Don't get me wrong, I think Lovecraft a talented writer able to create atmosphere and set the scene. For me though, the main problem is the stories themselves, they are just not terribly interesting, convincing or entertaining. I guess if you are a fan of MR James and the like you'll probably enjoy this. For myself, it all left me rather cold and with no great desire to read any more of his work. Excellent collection assembled by ST Joshi, 29 Apr 2005
This volume contains the stories: Dagon, Randolph Carter, Arthur Jermyn, Celephais, Nyarlathotep, Picture in the House, Outsider, Herbert West, Hound, Rats in the Walls, Festival, He, Cool Air, Call of Cthulhu, Colour out of Space, Whisperer in Darkness, Shadow Over Innsmouth, Haunter of the Dark, as well as a fourteen page Introduction by Joshi (the foremost scholar on Lovecraft), a suggestion for further reading, a note on the text, and an extra sixty pages of explanatory notes. This is an excellent collection of Lovecraft stories with a lot of interesting notation and material on his background, his childhood, his inspirations for each story, and various other pieces of fascinating information. It is also, in my opinion, the strongest of the three current Penguin collections of his work, containing as it does the superb Colour out of Space, Shadow over Innsmouth, and Call of Cthulhu (my favourite). Each story is annotated with numbered reference points which can be a bit distracting at first but doesn't really get in the way of your enjoyment of the stories, and provides fascinating insight into the use of certain words, the origins of characters' names, towns and events that influenced the plot, etc. In addition, each of these stories are the definitive editions compiled by Joshi himself, making this currently one of the best Lovecraft collections in the UK. Highly recommended.
The saga of Darren Shan, 04 Feb 2008
I began reading the saga of darren shan when I was approximately 14 years old, by chance picking up the first book of the series in my school library. I am now 17 and these series of books have changed the way I look at childrens literature. The style and tempo of the books are deep, meaningful, reflective and at times extremely emotional. They tackle decisions and choices that would be impossible to make and really get the readers thinking and involved in the books. You will instantly be pulled into the life of the teenage boy and empathise with his life, I guarantee you will be unable to put any of the books down without reading as much as humanly possible. The term "unputdownable" has been bounded about a lot recently but these series of books truely are. They include a type of incredible fast paced tempo complete with humour and lovable characters which I have never come across before. Although classed as childrens books I assure you both parents have read them and enjoyed them thoroughly. I would certainly recomend each and every single book of the series to anyone with even a mild intrest in horror. Pick the set up today, you will not regret it.
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The Highwayman
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Customer Reviews
great horror series, 29 Aug 2008
From the first moment in book one, Lord Loss, when Grubbs Grady encounters the Demonata and their evil minions it is obvious to the reader that Darren Shan books are from a different dimension. You really have to read them with an open mind, and a slightly twisted one too! The heroes are constantly changing, from Grubbs in book one to Kernel Fleck in book two, back to Grubbs in three and then Bec in some of the later episodes. Whoever is in charge you can absolutely guarantee a frightening ride through another world, which Shan depicts so very well. As far as teenage horror goes this is about as entertaining as it gets. You cannot compare it to the real horror masters, such as James Herbert, Shaun Hutson, Brian Keene or Conrad Jones, but they are truly entertaining, even though the storylines are flimsy to say the least, they are still excellent reading. Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 07 Jun 2008
Bec has never led a normal life, or was never given the chance to. Born only remembering her mother and how she passed away, Bec was saved by a village's priestess who urged the village leaders to let her live. Making her the priestess's apprentice, Bec was able to learn the magic and potions that would be used in aid of those who fought in battles.
Unfortunately for Bec, she didn't know how many battles her village would be facing.
Never a quiet night, Bec's village is continuously invaded by demons, the Fomorii, who come to tear the village apart. And every night Bec must use what she has learned, which isn't much since the priestess was killed way before she was able to pass on everything she knew.
Used to having other villagers come through, Bec's village is visited by Run Fast, a boy who says that his village is in trouble. Unsure of his story or of what side he is on, the warriors feel an obligation to help and so set off to end their fight. Usually the priestess does not go along with the warriors, but this time Bec sees fit to travel with them, hoping that this journey will help her figure out what troubles her and hopefully to become one with her surroundings and her magic.
Fighting off the demons is not an easy feat, especially since both worlds have just been connected, making it easier for the demons to enter, multiplying their numbers every time one is killed. Magic is what destroys them -- and the lives of the villagers and the warriors are in the hands of Bec.
Thrilling and different from the other novels in the series, BEC is a courageous novel that leaps off the pages and plays with our imagination. The descriptions are vivid and the story is unique. With an ending that will leave you breathless, BEC is a great addition to the already popular series, THE DEMONATA.
Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen Bec, 28 Apr 2008
Having written this review after reading the following book, I can easily disagree with a few comments of this book having nothing to do with the storyline and it being just a bit of background information.
The contents of this book feature heavily in the books to come - so I recommend reading them all in the order in which they state. And I also recommend that people withold their bad reviews until they can say they have read the following books (this is only book 4 out of 10 in the series), and only then can they say if they feel it doesn't relate.
I personally think it's amazing how when reading these books with, so far, 3 different main characters, you can still feel familiar with the others. For example, having read Lord Loss with the story about Grubbs, then Demon Thief with the story about Kernel, it is so easy to carry on reading from the perspective of a previous character without the feeling of interruption from another character. And I owe this to the marvellous writing skills of Darren Shan.
And I would like to remind others that these are not supposed to be highly interlectual books, with long sentences etc. As you can see from having read it, it is written from the main characters point of view, and most people don't think on the spot in deep complexities. Shan portrays the individuality of their speech and keeps it real.
All in all, I think that the books are a great read. They may not be complexly written, but that's not how the characters would ordinarily think about things, the fast pace in the present tense keeps you on your toes, allowing your imagination to flow freely through the story.
I can't wait for the next books!! 5 ++++++ stars! unbelievable, 28 Feb 2008
this book is utterly unputdowneable, as it says on the back! i thought it was quite qierd, being not my usualy type of girlie chick flick kind of book. but i gradually got interested. I was goin to just return it to the library when it was due (i had it overdue! woops!) but when i was told someone was requesting it (rightly so!) i kind of rushed through it, and realised i LIKED the book. theres so many twists and turns its amazing. im impressed bby darren shans work. and because ive skipped ahead, i think i was even was even more surprised because of that reason coz i had no back knowledge of lord loss or anything as i hadnt read any previous ones. so wen they spotted the light red lumpy floating thing i never kbnew it was lord loss, or about the fact he can talk and the demon masters etc.
maybe better to read this first!?
darren shan is a master at masterpieces! Screams in the Dark indeed ..., 20 Jan 2008
I like to class myself as a big fan of Shan's works, reading all of his Vampire and Demon series to date. However, of all of them released so far, this is probably my favourite.
The book is fast pasted, and, if I may quote the praise at the back of the book, it's "utterly unputdownable". I completely disagree with the ending being weak, or with anyone who tries to find a fault with any of the book at all! I think the Shan deserves a big thums up for this work.
The characters are loveable and cleverly written so that the emotion evoked by the characters in the book are evoked by yourself as the reader. Although I don't claim to be an expert on ancient Ireland, I do think that the Celtic terms are very cleverly sown into the text and the writing is a flawless for the average teen reader.
He certainly has "put the next generation back onto reading with a bang" Excellent, 21 May 2008
Year 6 - there are not enough hours in the day to read a chapter every afternoon such as my old teachers used to do when I was at school. Moreover, I wanted to illustrate to Year 6 children that they can write or read a short story without compromising on the quality of writing. These stories illustrate the point very well. Use adventurous vocabulary. My class really loved the story about the Greenfly - all stories have a twist in the tale and are great for writing frames. Both genders adored them. Short enough to read a story a day. Perfect to give examples of genres of writing. Incorporate into your literacy hour. I found the children trying to take it from my desk and read it at break. Buy it. Excellent, 09 Oct 2007
There is a whole series of these books and they are truly excellent. They are highly entertaining in their own right but illustrated to my KS2 kids that a short story can be really interesting and effective. Fabtastic. Amazing stuff from the Master of Horror, 30 Aug 2007
Forget Stephen King, Lovecraft IS the true master of horror.
Ok, some stories may be just oniric ramblings like Celephais or Festival, but never has anyone scared me so much over so few pages and for every lemon of a story there are four peaches, and that is good trade off.
Even though Lovecraft draws on monsters and phantastical creatures to conduct his stories, it is more often than not the consequences and the implications of their existence rather than the creatures themselves that create the sense of fear when reading the stories.
And again, in contrast with Stephen King, a 400 page novel cannot be scary nearly by definition. But condense it all on 12 and simply do not read them before switching off the light, after all, beware of the Whisperer in the Darkness...
Great varied collection, 19 Jul 2007
This collection contains some quite different stories, from Arthur Jermyn (of opening paragraph fame: Life is a hideous thing), The Picture in the House (takes place in a modest and quiet New England farm house, but the mere sight of such dwellings always fills the author with extraordinary horror), Herbert West (eventually torn to pieces by legions newly out of the tomb lead by a certain resurrected Thing waxen head in hand orchestrating the ceremonious clawing asunder of the mad scientist responsible for animating their corpses) to the excellent and really uncanny "Whisperer in Darkness" and the unbelievable "The Shadow over Innsmouth". Well worth it. Horror Fiction at it's finest, 20 Apr 2007
Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) is a name synonomous with most horror fiction fans; and one can easily see why once one reading the first few sentences of his beautiful prose.
Most of the stories contained in this teriffic compilation are of 'short' veriety - with some noticeably lengthier. They deal with all sorts of strange beasts and ideas; from creepy old men in the backwoods of New England, Zombies, unseen ghouls and massive god-like monsters.
Of course, these stories would hold up without the assistance of explanatary notes which occuply the end of this particular volume; however, editor ST Joshi's notes complement these stories brillinatly, providing an interesting backstory on some of the more curious passages, and offer exhaustive information on the inspiration for the fiction.
Joshi's introduction is also excellent, offering a short biography of Lovecraft's brief and tragic life.
Even though Lovecraft's fiction has been collected in various other volumes for dacades, this (along with 'Thing on the Doorstep' and 'Dreams in the Witch House') is the difinative version of the stories collected in this volume, and it will offer hours of reading pleasure. Rather dull, 03 Oct 2006
Don't get me wrong, I think Lovecraft a talented writer able to create atmosphere and set the scene. For me though, the main problem is the stories themselves, they are just not terribly interesting, convincing or entertaining. I guess if you are a fan of MR James and the like you'll probably enjoy this. For myself, it all left me rather cold and with no great desire to read any more of his work. Excellent collection assembled by ST Joshi, 29 Apr 2005
This volume contains the stories: Dagon, Randolph Carter, Arthur Jermyn, Celephais, Nyarlathotep, Picture in the House, Outsider, Herbert West, Hound, Rats in the Walls, Festival, He, Cool Air, Call of Cthulhu, Colour out of Space, Whisperer in Darkness, Shadow Over Innsmouth, Haunter of the Dark, as well as a fourteen page Introduction by Joshi (the foremost scholar on Lovecraft), a suggestion for further reading, a note on the text, and an extra sixty pages of explanatory notes. This is an excellent collection of Lovecraft stories with a lot of interesting notation and material on his background, his childhood, his inspirations for each story, and various other pieces of fascinating information. It is also, in my opinion, the strongest of the three current Penguin collections of his work, containing as it does the superb Colour out of Space, Shadow over Innsmouth, and Call of Cthulhu (my favourite). Each story is annotated with numbered reference points which can be a bit distracting at first but doesn't really get in the way of your enjoyment of the stories, and provides fascinating insight into the use of certain words, the origins of characters' names, towns and events that influenced the plot, etc. In addition, each of these stories are the definitive editions compiled by Joshi himself, making this currently one of the best Lovecraft collections in the UK. Highly recommended.
The saga of Darren Shan, 04 Feb 2008
I began reading the saga of darren shan when I was approximately 14 years old, by chance picking up the first book of the series in my school library. I am now 17 and these series of books have changed the way I look at childrens literature. The style and tempo of the books are deep, meaningful, reflective and at times extremely emotional. They tackle decisions and choices that would be impossible to make and really get the readers thinking and involved in the books. You will instantly be pulled into the life of the teenage boy and empathise with his life, I guarantee you will be unable to put any of the books down without reading as much as humanly possible. The term "unputdownable" has been bounded about a lot recently but these series of books truely are. They include a type of incredible fast paced tempo complete with humour and lovable characters which I have never come across before. Although classed as childrens books I assure you both parents have read them and enjoyed them thoroughly. I would certainly recomend each and every single book of the series to anyone with even a mild intrest in horror. Pick the set up today, you will not regret it.
Timeless, Haunting, Masterpiece...., 31 Mar 2007
Stand and Deliver.......Your Money or your Life....
"The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor
And the highwayman came riding-
Riding-riding
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn door..."
With a powerful introduction like this, you must read on.... The Highwayman (by Alfred Noyes) tells a tragic tale of doomed love in beautifully descriptive and poetic language. This must be one of my all-time favourite poems, a timeless, haunting, romantic masterpiece evoking strong imagery and passion. Dark and Moody, with a rhythm similar to that of horses hooves, there's a galloping beat that's perfect for capturing the ambience of the masked figure on horseback. The Highwayman is deadly and he dares to be different, galloping on the fringes of society and remaining outside of the establishment. He's undoubtedly handsome and an incredibly well dressed, stylish and passionate individual. A proud and brave man who's in love with Bess, the Landlords Daughter and she with him.
"He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter
Bess, the landlord's daughter
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair"
He rides in the night, alone, fearless and confident. Unlike some modern day criminals the Highwayman was generally a well dressed, well spoken gentleman who used threats rather than violence. But he is no match for cowardly troops, ignorant and with no respect for life, guns at the ready. Even Bess is not safe with them around and we feel her helplessness, despair and sorrow, ultimately ending in sacrifice. No happy ending here but instead lingering ghosts. This is a cold poem beginning on a winters night, a tragic tale of unrequited love, yet with the faint glimmer of hope of an afterlife in the form of the ghostly ending. The colours evoked in the poem are generally black and grey with splashes of various shades of red, such as the "purple" moor, a coat of the "claret velvet", a "dark red" love knot, etc... warm colours. And there is often mention of blood. The colours reflect the mood and what is to come, despair, death and blood spill. And the troops are dressed in red. The Moon is mentioned a lot, representing the light in the poem and adding a mystical element. The Highwayman is very much a creature of the night.
This is an illustrated version of the poem and The Highwayman is a poem that certainly deserves to be in a book all by itself as in my opinion it is one of the best ever written. The illustrations are in black and white which is well suited to the mood of the poem. The artwork by Charles Keeping is good but doesn't match that which can be conjured up in your imagination which just cannot be put onto paper. I imagined a beautiful Bess and a devastatingly, dangerously handsome highway man, but apart from that the illustrations seem quite reminiscent of the imagery evoked by the poem and reflect the story well.
This poem romanticises the notion of the Highwayman and we see the demise of a Tragic Hero. As Highwaymen are generally thought of as being intelligent and quick witted, this poem stirs the emotions as he is unable to outwit the troops and also unable to save the girl he loves. So the Hero takes a Fall, literally falling off his horse as he is shot down "like a dog on the highway" and it's very sad, you almost feel his humiliation and degradation and want a more noble death for him. However this Poem will forever live on, standing the test of time and capturing the essence of The Highwayman and of an era long gone...
"And still of a winter's night, they say, when the wind is in the trees
When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas
When the road is a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor
A highwayman comes riding-
Riding -riding
A highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn door..."
A chilling, wonderful poem with fantastic illustrations., 17 Apr 2002
When I first heard the poem I thought it was both chilling and brilliant. The words and the suspense that is created throughout the poem is gripping. Teamed with its excellent illustrations, this book is an absolute winner!!
it was a good book, 20 Jun 2000
it was a good story and it was short so the basic story was good.it was good on the detail about what happened but the characters wasn't that good described. i couldn't picture it in my mind without looking at the pictures. the pictures were well illustrated though.
This story is really good. It has an exciting storyline., 01 Apr 2000
I loved this book. We read it in school and each got to read a paragraph with sound effects too. We made a really mystical atmosphere to the story and everyone thought that it was really good. All of the girls thought that Bess was really brave and in love and all of the boys thought that the Highwayman was really cool. They especially liked the gory bits. At the end, we all made up a story to the poem, only in our english today, not Olde English. Everyone enjoyed it immensly.
Brill, 22 Jan 2000
This is one of the best poems I have ever read, it is perfect all the way through and the illustrations are brilliant too.
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The Living Dead
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Stephen KingJoe HillGeorge R. R. MartinClive BarkerNeil GaimanLaurell K. HamiltonJoe R. LansdalePoppy Z. BriteHarlan EllisonRobert SilverbergKelly LinkSusan Palwick;
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*Amazon: £6.10
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Customer Reviews
great horror series, 29 Aug 2008
From the first moment in book one, Lord Loss, when Grubbs Grady encounters the Demonata and their evil minions it is obvious to the reader that Darren Shan books are from a different dimension. You really have to read them with an open mind, and a slightly twisted one too! The heroes are constantly changing, from Grubbs in book one to Kernel Fleck in book two, back to Grubbs in three and then Bec in some of the later episodes. Whoever is in charge you can absolutely guarantee a frightening ride through another world, which Shan depicts so very well. As far as teenage horror goes this is about as entertaining as it gets. You cannot compare it to the real horror masters, such as James Herbert, Shaun Hutson, Brian Keene or Conrad Jones, but they are truly entertaining, even though the storylines are flimsy to say the least, they are still excellent reading. Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 07 Jun 2008
Bec has never led a normal life, or was never given the chance to. Born only remembering her mother and how she passed away, Bec was saved by a village's priestess who urged the village leaders to let her live. Making her the priestess's apprentice, Bec was able to learn the magic and potions that would be used in aid of those who fought in battles.
Unfortunately for Bec, she didn't know how many battles her village would be facing.
Never a quiet night, Bec's village is continuously invaded by demons, the Fomorii, who come to tear the village apart. And every night Bec must use what she has learned, which isn't much since the priestess was killed way before she was able to pass on everything she knew.
Used to having other villagers come through, Bec's village is visited by Run Fast, a boy who says that his village is in trouble. Unsure of his story or of what side he is on, the warriors feel an obligation to help and so set off to end their fight. Usually the priestess does not go along with the warriors, but this time Bec sees fit to travel with them, hoping that this journey will help her figure out what troubles her and hopefully to become one with her surroundings and her magic.
Fighting off the demons is not an easy feat, especially since both worlds have just been connected, making it easier for the demons to enter, multiplying their numbers every time one is killed. Magic is what destroys them -- and the lives of the villagers and the warriors are in the hands of Bec.
Thrilling and different from the other novels in the series, BEC is a courageous novel that leaps off the pages and plays with our imagination. The descriptions are vivid and the story is unique. With an ending that will leave you breathless, BEC is a great addition to the already popular series, THE DEMONATA.
Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen Bec, 28 Apr 2008
Having written this review after reading the following book, I can easily disagree with a few comments of this book having nothing to do with the storyline and it being just a bit of background information.
The contents of this book feature heavily in the books to come - so I recommend reading them all in the order in which they state. And I also recommend that people withold their bad reviews until they can say they have read the following books (this is only book 4 out of 10 in the series), and only then can they say if they feel it doesn't relate.
I personally think it's amazing how when reading these books with, so far, 3 different main characters, you can still feel familiar with the others. For example, having read Lord Loss with the story about Grubbs, then Demon Thief with the story about Kernel, it is so easy to carry on reading from the perspective of a previous character without the feeling of interruption from another character. And I owe this to the marvellous writing skills of Darren Shan.
And I would like to remind others that these are not supposed to be highly interlectual books, with long sentences etc. As you can see from having read it, it is written from the main characters point of view, and most people don't think on the spot in deep complexities. Shan portrays the individuality of their speech and keeps it real.
All in all, I think that the books are a great read. They may not be complexly written, but that's not how the characters would ordinarily think about things, the fast pace in the present tense keeps you on your toes, allowing your imagination to flow freely through the story.
I can't wait for the next books!! 5 ++++++ stars! unbelievable, 28 Feb 2008
this book is utterly unputdowneable, as it says on the back! i thought it was quite qierd, being not my usualy type of girlie chick flick kind of book. but i gradually got interested. I was goin to just return it to the library when it was due (i had it overdue! woops!) but when i was told someone was requesting it (rightly so!) i kind of rushed through it, and realised i LIKED the book. theres so many twists and turns its amazing. im impressed bby darren shans work. and because ive skipped ahead, i think i was even was even more surprised because of that reason coz i had no back knowledge of lord loss or anything as i hadnt read any previous ones. so wen they spotted the light red lumpy floating thing i never kbnew it was lord loss, or about the fact he can talk and the demon masters etc.
maybe better to read this first!?
darren shan is a master at masterpieces! Screams in the Dark indeed ..., 20 Jan 2008
I like to class myself as a big fan of Shan's works, reading all of his Vampire and Demon series to date. However, of all of them released so far, this is probably my favourite.
The book is fast pasted, and, if I may quote the praise at the back of the book, it's "utterly unputdownable". I completely disagree with the ending being weak, or with anyone who tries to find a fault with any of the book at all! I think the Shan deserves a big thums up for this work.
The characters are loveable and cleverly written so that the emotion evoked by the characters in the book are evoked by yourself as the reader. Although I don't claim to be an expert on ancient Ireland, I do think that the Celtic terms are very cleverly sown into the text and the writing is a flawless for the average teen reader.
He certainly has "put the next generation back onto reading with a bang" Excellent, 21 May 2008
Year 6 - there are not enough hours in the day to read a chapter every afternoon such as my old teachers used to do when I was at school. Moreover, I wanted to illustrate to Year 6 children that they can write or read a short story without compromising on the quality of writing. These stories illustrate the point very well. Use adventurous vocabulary. My class really loved the story about the Greenfly - all stories have a twist in the tale and are great for writing frames. Both genders adored them. Short enough to read a story a day. Perfect to give examples of genres of writing. Incorporate into your literacy hour. I found the children trying to take it from my desk and read it at break. Buy it. Excellent, 09 Oct 2007
There is a whole series of these books and they are truly excellent. They are highly entertaining in their own right but illustrated to my KS2 kids that a short story can be really interesting and effective. Fabtastic. Amazing stuff from the Master of Horror, 30 Aug 2007
Forget Stephen King, Lovecraft IS the true master of horror.
Ok, some stories may be just oniric ramblings like Celephais or Festival, but never has anyone scared me so much over so few pages and for every lemon of a story there are four peaches, and that is good trade off.
Even though Lovecraft draws on monsters and phantastical creatures to conduct his stories, it is more often than not the consequences and the implications of their existence rather than the creatures themselves that create the sense of fear when reading the stories.
And again, in contrast with Stephen King, a 400 page novel cannot be scary nearly by definition. But condense it all on 12 and simply do not read them before switching off the light, after all, beware of the Whisperer in the Darkness...
Great varied collection, 19 Jul 2007
This collection contains some quite different stories, from Arthur Jermyn (of opening paragraph fame: Life is a hideous thing), The Picture in the House (takes place in a modest and quiet New England farm house, but the mere sight of such dwellings always fills the author with extraordinary horror), Herbert West (eventually torn to pieces by legions newly out of the tomb lead by a certain resurrected Thing waxen head in hand orchestrating the ceremonious clawing asunder of the mad scientist responsible for animating their corpses) to the excellent and really uncanny "Whisperer in Darkness" and the unbelievable "The Shadow over Innsmouth". Well worth it. Horror Fiction at it's finest, 20 Apr 2007
Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) is a name synonomous with most horror fiction fans; and one can easily see why once one reading the first few sentences of his beautiful prose.
Most of the stories contained in this teriffic compilation are of 'short' veriety - with some noticeably lengthier. They deal with all sorts of strange beasts and ideas; from creepy old men in the backwoods of New England, Zombies, unseen ghouls and massive god-like monsters.
Of course, these stories would hold up without the assistance of explanatary notes which occuply the end of this particular volume; however, editor ST Joshi's notes complement these stories brillinatly, providing an interesting backstory on some of the more curious passages, and offer exhaustive information on the inspiration for the fiction.
Joshi's introduction is also excellent, offering a short biography of Lovecraft's brief and tragic life.
Even though Lovecraft's fiction has been collected in various other volumes for dacades, this (along with 'Thing on the Doorstep' and 'Dreams in the Witch House') is the difinative version of the stories collected in this volume, and it will offer hours of reading pleasure. Rather dull, 03 Oct 2006
Don't get me wrong, I think Lovecraft a talented writer able to create atmosphere and set the scene. For me though, the main problem is the stories themselves, they are just not terribly interesting, convincing or entertaining. I guess if you are a fan of MR James and the like you'll probably enjoy this. For myself, it all left me rather cold and with no great desire to read any more of his work. Excellent collection assembled by ST Joshi, 29 Apr 2005
This volume contains the stories: Dagon, Randolph Carter, Arthur Jermyn, Celephais, Nyarlathotep, Picture in the House, Outsider, Herbert West, Hound, Rats in the Walls, Festival, He, Cool Air, Call of Cthulhu, Colour out of Space, Whisperer in Darkness, Shadow Over Innsmouth, Haunter of the Dark, as well as a fourteen page Introduction by Joshi (the foremost scholar on Lovecraft), a suggestion for further reading, a note on the text, and an extra sixty pages of explanatory notes. This is an excellent collection of Lovecraft stories with a lot of interesting notation and material on his background, his childhood, his inspirations for each story, and various other pieces of fascinating information. It is also, in my opinion, the strongest of the three current Penguin collections of his work, containing as it does the superb Colour out of Space, Shadow over Innsmouth, and Call of Cthulhu (my favourite). Each story is annotated with numbered reference points which can be a bit distracting at first but doesn't really get in the way of your enjoyment of the stories, and provides fascinating insight into the use of certain words, the origins of characters' names, towns and events that influenced the plot, etc. In addition, each of these stories are the definitive editions compiled by Joshi himself, making this currently one of the best Lovecraft collections in the UK. Highly recommended.
The saga of Darren Shan, 04 Feb 2008
I began reading the saga of darren shan when I was approximately 14 years old, by chance picking up the first book of the series in my school library. I am now 17 and these series of books have changed the way I look at childrens literature. The style and tempo of the books are deep, meaningful, reflective and at times extremely emotional. They tackle decisions and choices that would be impossible to make and really get the readers thinking and involved in the books. You will instantly be pulled into the life of the teenage boy and empathise with his life, I guarantee you will be unable to put any of the books down without reading as much as humanly possible. The term "unputdownable" has been bounded about a lot recently but these series of books truely are. They include a type of incredible fast paced tempo complete with humour and lovable characters which I have never come across before. Although classed as childrens books I assure you both parents have read them and enjoyed them thoroughly. I would certainly recomend each and every single book of the series to anyone with even a mild intrest in horror. Pick the set up today, you will not regret it.
Timeless, Haunting, Masterpiece...., 31 Mar 2007
Stand and Deliver.......Your Money or your Life....
"The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor
And the highwayman came riding-
Riding-riding
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn door..."
With a powerful introduction like this, you must read on.... The Highwayman (by Alfred Noyes) tells a tragic tale of doomed love in beautifully descriptive and poetic language. This must be one of my all-time favourite poems, a timeless, haunting, romantic masterpiece evoking strong imagery and passion. Dark and Moody, with a rhythm similar to that of horses hooves, there's a galloping beat that's perfect for capturing the ambience of the masked figure on horseback. The Highwayman is deadly and he dares to be different, galloping on the fringes of society and remaining outside of the establishment. He's undoubtedly handsome and an incredibly well dressed, stylish and passionate individual. A proud and brave man who's in love with Bess, the Landlords Daughter and she with him.
"He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter
Bess, the landlord's daughter
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair"
He rides in the night, alone, fearless and confident. Unlike some modern day criminals the Highwayman was generally a well dressed, well spoken gentleman who used threats rather than violence. But he is no match for cowardly troops, ignorant and with no respect for life, guns at the ready. Even Bess is not safe with them around and we feel her helplessness, despair and sorrow, ultimately ending in sacrifice. No happy ending here but instead lingering ghosts. This is a cold poem beginning on a winters night, a tragic tale of unrequited love, yet with the faint glimmer of hope of an afterlife in the form of the ghostly ending. The colours evoked in the poem are generally black and grey with splashes of various shades of red, such as the "purple" moor, a coat of the "claret velvet", a "dark red" love knot, etc... warm colours. And there is often mention of blood. The colours reflect the mood and what is to come, despair, death and blood spill. And the troops are dressed in red. The Moon is mentioned a lot, representing the light in the poem and adding a mystical element. The Highwayman is very much a creature of the night.
This is an illustrated version of the poem and The Highwayman is a poem that certainly deserves to be in a book all by itself as in my opinion it is one of the best ever written. The illustrations are in black and white which is well suited to the mood of the poem. The artwork by Charles Keeping is good but doesn't match that which can be conjured up in your imagination which just cannot be put onto paper. I imagined a beautiful Bess and a devastatingly, dangerously handsome highway man, but apart from that the illustrations seem quite reminiscent of the imagery evoked by the poem and reflect the story well.
This poem romanticises the notion of the Highwayman and we see the demise of a Tragic Hero. As Highwaymen are generally thought of as being intelligent and quick witted, this poem stirs the emotions as he is unable to outwit the troops and also unable to save the girl he loves. So the Hero takes a Fall, literally falling off his horse as he is shot down "like a dog on the highway" and it's very sad, you almost feel his humiliation and degradation and want a more noble death for him. However this Poem will forever live on, standing the test of time and capturing the essence of The Highwayman and of an era long gone...
"And still of a winter's night, they say, when the wind is in the trees
When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas
When the road is a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor
A highwayman comes riding-
Riding -riding
A highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn door..."
A chilling, wonderful poem with fantastic illustrations., 17 Apr 2002
When I first heard the poem I thought it was both chilling and brilliant. The words and the suspense that is created throughout the poem is gripping. Teamed with its excellent illustrations, this book is an absolute winner!!
it was a good book, 20 Jun 2000
it was a good story and it was short so the basic story was good.it was good on the detail about what happened but the characters wasn't that good described. i couldn't picture it in my mind without looking at the pictures. the pictures were well illustrated though.
This story is really good. It has an exciting storyline., 01 Apr 2000
I loved this book. We read it in school and each got to read a paragraph with sound effects too. We made a really mystical atmosphere to the story and everyone thought that it was really good. All of the girls thought that Bess was really brave and in love and all of the boys thought that the Highwayman was really cool. They especially liked the gory bits. At the end, we all made up a story to the poem, only in our english today, not Olde English. Everyone enjoyed it immensly.
Brill, 22 Jan 2000
This is one of the best poems I have ever read, it is perfect all the way through and the illustrations are brilliant too.
Once upon a midnight dreary ..., 20 Jan 2007
Great stuff - it's hard to believe that Poe's short stories were written in the first half of the 19th century. They are superbly modern, even postmodern, in their claustrophobic obsession with mystery, darkness, death and decay, madness, cruelty and torture. Poe is a master stylist, a superb writer of English, and all the stories are compact and totally consistent in atmosphere and tone.
As another reviewer mentions, this collection also inlcudes the detective stories about M. Dupin, solving the mysteries of "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Purloined Letter". These are masterpieces of short fiction, while "The Black Cat" and "The Tell-tale Heart" are truly horrific. Other stories are more gothic - "Ligeia" and "The Fall of the House of Usher", while "The Pit and the Pendulum", "The Masque of the Red Death" and "The Cask of Amontillado" are compact, dense tales of medieval cruelty, torment and horror.
Also included in this edition are some poems ("The Raven" is a particular highlight) and some of Poe's non-fiction writing - magazine articles, theatre and book reviews.
Fantastic Writing, 23 Mar 2002
Edgar Allan Poe was perhaps the greatest American short story writer in our history. He is a surrealist and a subtle master of the pyschological thriller. In fact, it was Poe who created the Detective/Mystery genre, and it was he from whom Sir Author Conan Doyle drew his inspiration for Sherlock Holmes. Poe, however, reaches his peek when he is telling a tale of madness and horror. My absolute favorite Poe tale is The Fall Of The House Of Usher. Also, the Pit And The Pendulum is an excellent read. And, as has been stated, this book is an excellent primer for all would be Poe enthusiasts.
Perfect Introduction, 16 Sep 2001
This a collection of the best writings of Poe, featuring all of the most well known works such as the Raven. It is an ideal introduction to the works of one of the greatest poet/story writers ever. A great value for money book, and as I said, the perfect introduction.
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Customer Reviews
great horror series, 29 Aug 2008
From the first moment in book one, Lord Loss, when Grubbs Grady encounters the Demonata and their evil minions it is obvious to the reader that Darren Shan books are from a different dimension. You really have to read them with an open mind, and a slightly twisted one too! The heroes are constantly changing, from Grubbs in book one to Kernel Fleck in book two, back to Grubbs in three and then Bec in some of the later episodes. Whoever is in charge you can absolutely guarantee a frightening ride through another world, which Shan depicts so very well. As far as teenage horror goes this is about as entertaining as it gets. You cannot compare it to the real horror masters, such as James Herbert, Shaun Hutson, Brian Keene or Conrad Jones, but they are truly entertaining, even though the storylines are flimsy to say the least, they are still excellent reading. Courtesy of Teens Read Too, 07 Jun 2008
Bec has never led a normal life, or was never given the chance to. Born only remembering her mother and how she passed away, Bec was saved by a village's priestess who urged the village leaders to let her live. Making her the priestess's apprentice, Bec was able to learn the magic and potions that would be used in aid of those who fought in battles.
Unfortunately for Bec, she didn't know how many battles her village would be facing.
Never a quiet night, Bec's village is continuously invaded by demons, the Fomorii, who come to tear the village apart. And every night Bec must use what she has learned, which isn't much since the priestess was killed way before she was able to pass on everything she knew.
Used to having other villagers come through, Bec's village is visited by Run Fast, a boy who says that his village is in trouble. Unsure of his story or of what side he is on, the warriors feel an obligation to help and so set off to end their fight. Usually the priestess does not go along with the warriors, but this time Bec sees fit to travel with them, hoping that this journey will help her figure out what troubles her and hopefully to become one with her surroundings and her magic.
Fighting off the demons is not an easy feat, especially since both worlds have just been connected, making it easier for the demons to enter, multiplying their numbers every time one is killed. Magic is what destroys them -- and the lives of the villagers and the warriors are in the hands of Bec.
Thrilling and different from the other novels in the series, BEC is a courageous novel that leaps off the pages and plays with our imagination. The descriptions are vivid and the story is unique. With an ending that will leave you breathless, BEC is a great addition to the already popular series, THE DEMONATA.
Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen Bec, 28 Apr 2008
Having written this review after reading the following book, I can easily disagree with a few comments of this book having nothing to do with the storyline and it being just a bit of background information.
The contents of this book feature heavily in the books to come - so I recommend reading them all in the order in which they state. And I also recommend that people withold their bad reviews until they can say they have read the following books (this is only book 4 out of 10 in the series), and only then can they say if they feel it doesn't relate.
I personally think it's amazing how when reading these books with, so far, 3 different main characters, you can still feel familiar with the others. For example, having read Lord Loss with the story about Grubbs, then Demon Thief with the story about Kernel, it is so easy to carry on reading from the perspective of a previous character without the feeling of interruption from another character. And I owe this to the marvellous writing skills of Darren Shan.
And I would like to remind others that these are not supposed to be highly interlectual books, with long sentences etc. As you can see from having read it, it is written from the main characters point of view, and most people don't think on the spot in deep complexities. Shan portrays the individuality of their speech and keeps it real.
All in all, I think that the books are a great read. They may not be complexly written, but that's not how the characters would ordinarily think about things, the fast pace in the present tense keeps you on your toes, allowing your imagination to flow freely through the story.
I can't wait for the next books!! 5 ++++++ stars! unbelievable, 28 Feb 2008
this book is utterly unputdowneable, as it says on the back! i thought it was quite qierd, being not my usualy type of girlie chick flick kind of book. but i gradually got interested. I was goin to just return it to the library when it was due (i had it overdue! woops!) but when i was told someone was requesting it (rightly so!) i kind of rushed through it, and realised i LIKED the book. theres so many twists and turns its amazing. im impressed bby darren shans work. and because ive skipped ahead, i think i was even was even more surprised because of that reason coz i had no back knowledge of lord loss or anything as i hadnt read any previous ones. so wen they spotted the light red lumpy floating thing i never kbnew it was lord loss, or about the fact he can talk and the demon masters etc.
maybe better to read this first!?
darren shan is a master at masterpieces! Screams in the Dark indeed ..., 20 Jan 2008
I like to class myself as a big fan of Shan's works, reading all of his Vampire and Demon series to date. However, of all of them released so far, this is probably my favourite.
The book is fast pasted, and, if I may quote the praise at the back of the book, it's "utterly unputdownable". I completely disagree with the ending being weak, or with anyone who tries to find a fault with any of the book at all! I think the Shan deserves a big thums up for this work.
The characters are loveable and cleverly written so that the emotion evoked by the characters in the book are evoked by yourself as the reader. Although I don't claim to be an expert on ancient Ireland, I do think that the Celtic terms are very cleverly sown into the text and the writing is a flawless for the average teen reader.
He certainly has "put the next generation back onto reading with a bang" Excellent, 21 May 2008
Year 6 - there are not enough hours in the day to read a chapter every afternoon such as my old teachers used to do when I was at school. Moreover, I wanted to illustrate to Year 6 children that they can write or read a short story without compromising on the quality of writing. These stories illustrate the point very well. Use adventurous vocabulary. My class really loved the story about the Greenfly - all stories have a twist in the tale and are great for writing frames. Both genders adored them. Short enough to read a story a day. Perfect to give examples of genres of writing. Incorporate into your literacy hour. I found the children trying to take it from my desk and read it at break. Buy it. Excellent, 09 Oct 2007
There is a whole series of these books and they are truly excellent. They are highly entertaining in their own right but illustrated to my KS2 kids that a short story can be really interesting and effective. Fabtastic. Amazing stuff from the Master of Horror, 30 Aug 2007
Forget Stephen King, Lovecraft IS the true master of horror.
Ok, some stories may be just oniric ramblings like Celephais or Festival, but never has anyone scared me so much over so few pages and for every lemon of a story there are four peaches, and that is good trade off.
Even though Lovecraft draws on monsters and phantastical creatures to conduct his stories, it is more often than not the consequences and the implications of their existence rather than the creatures themselves that create the sense of fear when reading the stories.
And again, in contrast with Stephen King, a 400 page novel cannot be scary nearly by definition. But condense it all on 12 and simply do not read them before switching off the light, after all, beware of the Whisperer in the Darkness...
Great varied collection, 19 Jul 2007
This collection contains some quite different stories, from Arthur Jermyn (of opening paragraph fame: Life is a hideous thing), The Picture in the House (takes place in a modest and quiet New England farm house, but the mere sight of such dwellings always fills the author with extraordinary horror), Herbert West (eventually torn to pieces by legions newly out of the tomb lead by a certain resurrected Thing waxen head in hand orchestrating the ceremonious clawing asunder of the mad scientist responsible for animating their corpses) to the excellent and really uncanny "Whisperer in Darkness" and the unbelievable "The Shadow over Innsmouth". Well worth it. Horror Fiction at it's finest, 20 Apr 2007
Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890-1937) is a name synonomous with most horror fiction fans; and one can easily see why once one reading the first few sentences of his beautiful prose.
Most of the stories contained in this teriffic compilation are of 'short' veriety - with some noticeably lengthier. They deal with all sorts of strange beasts and ideas; from creepy old men in the backwoods of New England, Zombies, unseen ghouls and massive god-like monsters.
Of course, these stories would hold up without the assistance of explanatary notes which occuply the end of this particular volume; however, editor ST Joshi's notes complement these stories brillinatly, providing an interesting backstory on some of the more curious passages, and offer exhaustive information on the inspiration for the fiction.
Joshi's introduction is also excellent, offering a short biography of Lovecraft's brief and tragic life.
Even though Lovecraft's fiction has been collected in various other volumes for dacades, this (along with 'Thing on the Doorstep' and 'Dreams in the Witch House') is the difinative version of the stories collected in this volume, and it will offer hours of reading pleasure. Rather dull, 03 Oct 2006
Don't get me wrong, I think Lovecraft a talented writer able to create atmosphere and set the scene. For me though, the main problem is the stories themselves, they are just not terribly interesting, convincing or entertaining. I guess if you are a fan of MR James and the like you'll probably enjoy this. For myself, it all left me rather cold and with no great desire to read any more of his work. Excellent collection assembled by ST Joshi, 29 Apr 2005
This volume contains the stories: Dagon, Randolph Carter, Arthur Jermyn, Celephais, Nyarlathotep, Picture in the House, Outsider, Herbert West, Hound, Rats in the Walls, Festival, He, Cool Air, Call of Cthulhu, Colour out of Space, Whisperer in Darkness, Shadow Over Innsmouth, Haunter of the Dark, as well as a fourteen page Introduction by Joshi (the foremost scholar on Lovecraft), a suggestion for further reading, a note on the text, and an extra sixty pages of explanatory notes. This is an excellent collection of Lovecraft stories with a lot of interesting notation and material on his background, his childhood, his inspirations for each story, and various other pieces of fascinating information. It is also, in my opinion, the strongest of the three current Penguin collections of his work, containing as it does the superb Colour out of Space, Shadow over Innsmouth, and Call of Cthulhu (my favourite). Each story is annotated with numbered reference points which can be a bit distracting at first but doesn't really get in the way of your enjoyment of the stories, and provides fascinating insight into the use of certain words, the origins of characters' names, towns and events that influenced the plot, etc. In addition, each of these stories are the definitive editions compiled by Joshi himself, making this currently one of the best Lovecraft collections in the UK. Highly recommended.
The saga of Darren Shan, 04 Feb 2008
I began reading the saga of darren shan when I was approximately 14 years old, by chance picking up the first book of the series in my school library. I am now 17 and these series of books have changed the way I look at childrens literature. The style and tempo of the books are deep, meaningful, reflective and at times extremely emotional. They tackle decisions and choices that would be impossible to make and really get the readers thinking and involved in the books. You will instantly be pulled into the life of the teenage boy and empathise with his life, I guarantee you will be unable to put any of the books down without reading as much as humanly possible. The term "unputdownable" has been bounded about a lot recently but these series of books truely are. They include a type of incredible fast paced tempo complete with humour and lovable characters which I have never come across before. Although classed as childrens books I assure you both parents have read them and enjoyed them thoroughly. I would certainly recomend each and every single book of the series to anyone with even a mild intrest in horror. Pick the set up today, you will not regret it.
Timeless, Haunting, Masterpiece...., 31 Mar 2007
Stand and Deliver.......Your Money or your Life....
"The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor
And the highwayman came riding-
Riding-riding
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn door..."
With a powerful introduction like this, you must read on.... The Highwayman (by Alfred Noyes) tells a tragic tale of doomed love in beautifully descriptive and poetic language. This must be one of my all-time favourite poems, a timeless, haunting, romantic masterpiece evoking strong imagery and passion. Dark and Moody, with a rhythm similar to that of horses hooves, there's a galloping beat that's perfect for capturing the ambience of the masked figure on horseback. The Highwayman is deadly and he dares to be different, galloping on the fringes of society and remaining outside of the establishment. He's undoubtedly handsome and an incredibly well dressed, stylish and passionate individual. A proud and brave man who's in love with Bess, the Landlords Daughter and she with him.
"He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter
Bess, the landlord's daughter
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair"
He rides in the night, alone, fearless and confident. Unlike some modern day criminals the Highwayman was generally a well dressed, well spoken gentleman who used threats rather than violence. But he is no match for cowardly troops, ignorant and with no respect for life, guns at the ready. Even Bess is not safe with them around and we feel her helplessness, despair and sorrow, ultimately ending in sacrifice. No happy ending here but instead lingering ghosts. This is a cold poem beginning on a winters night, a tragic tale of unrequited love, yet with the faint glimmer of hope of an afterlife in the form of the ghostly ending. The colours evoked in the poem are generally black and grey with splashes of various shades of red, such as the "purple" moor, a coat of the "claret velvet", a "dark red" love knot, etc... warm colours. And there is often mention | | |