Discusses principles of life, living and our nature., 31 Jan 1999
Emerson is quoted as often as any other writer or speaker. Not becausea few lines here and there are profound. Rather because he understands more about human beings and life. He is thought provoking and so deep its a joy to read the same essay several times. If people take the time to read it they will understand many things about life they can't get other places.I find it interesting we live in a period of time where civilization is far more advanced yet it appears Emerson knew many things society still doesn't get. There have probably only been a handfull of what people call Masters of life. Those people who had few equals. Without question Emerson is one of these people.If you haven't read the essay Compensation you are missing a very important classic which will speak to you like it was written today.
A must have, 31 Oct 2008
This is a must have book if you are interested in fairy tales. I especially enjoyed the morals which are written in rhyming verse at the end of each story, my favourite was the LRRH moral. Brilliant!
Brilliant Horror, 06 Dec 2007
This is a splendid edition of Perraults Fairy Tales. However, I would suggest that it's an edition more suitable for adults interested in illustration than one for children. Dore's engavings are brilliant but horrifying. Like the picture of the ogre about to murder the children in "Tom Thumb". And those for "Little Red Riding Hood" with a very scary wolf sharing a bed with LRRH. However, those for The Sleeping Beauty are absolutely enchanting. This is a book for anyone with even the remotest interest in fairy tales, or the art of illustration.
Very Good, 03 Dec 2006
The tales themselves are, of course, beautiful, and appear in a large well-spaced font, so children should be well able to read them. As a children's book, however, I would say that the illustrations are firstly black and white, and, secondly, that there's not that many of them there. That shouldn't dissuade you too much, though.
Excellent book, 04 Jul 2006
This book is lovely, but not really suitable for younger children. The pictures are wonderful pencil drawings and the stories seem to be original tales, with no Jazzy endings thrown in.
Epic slave comedy horror at its finest, 24 Feb 2003
This novel concerns the troubles of black petty criminal Rutherford Calhoun, who stows away on a ship to escape debt collectors and marriage, only to find it's a slave ship bound for africa, occupied by a horrible bunch of misfits, not least the Captain, who's an extreme caricature of Melvilles Ahab.
This is a brilliant book, though it can get a bit dense in places. It is amusing, terrifying, moving and sometimes just downright odd, but definitely worth your time. The main character, Rutherford is a classic cheeky, selfish, 'don't care about anyone but myself' scoundrel who sees and experiences horror and disaster. Made me laugh out loud at some parts, made me slightly scared to turn the page in some, and almost made me cry in others.
