A lush, cautionary tale of a life of vileness and deception or a loving portrait of the aesthetic impulse run rampant? Why not both? After Basil Hallward paints a beautiful, young man's portrait, his subject's frivolous wish that the picture change and he remain the same comes true. Dorian Gray's picture grows aged and corrupt while he continues to appear fresh and innocent. After he kills a young woman, "as surely as if I had cut her little throat with a knife", Dorian Gray is surprised to find no difference in his vision or surroundings. "The roses are not less lovely for all that. The birds sing just as happily in my garden."

As Hallward tries to make sense of his creation, his epigram-happy friend Lord Henry Wotton encourages Dorian in his sensual quest with any number of Wildean paradoxes, including the delightful "When we are happy we are always good, but when we are good we are not always happy." But despite its many languorous pleasures, The Picture of Dorian Gray is an imperfect work. Compared to the two (voyeuristic) older men, Dorian is a bore, and his search for ever new sensations far less fun than the novel's drawing-room discussions. Even more oddly, the moral message of the novel contradicts many of Wilde's supposed aims, not least "no artist has ethical sympathies. An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style." Nonetheless, the glamour boy gets his just deserts. And Wilde, defending Dorian Gray, had it both ways: "All excess, as well as all renunciation, brings its own punishment."A lush, cautionary tale of a life of vileness and deception or a loving portrait of the aesthetic impulse run rampant? Why not both? After Basil Hallward paints a beautiful, young man's portrait, his subject's frivolous wish that the picture change and he remain the same comes true. Dorian Gray's picture grows aged and corrupt while he continues to appear fresh and innocent. After he kills a young woman, "as surely as if I had cut her little throat with a knife", Dorian Gray is surprised to find no difference in his vision or surroundings. "The roses are not less lovely for all that. The birds sing just as happily in my garden."

As Hallward tries to make sense of his creation, his epigram-happy friend Lord Henry Wotton encourages Dorian in his sensual quest with any number of Wildean paradoxes, including the delightful "When we are happy we are always good, but when we are good we are not always happy." But despite its many languorous pleasures, The Picture of Dorian Gray is an imperfect work. Compared to the two (voyeuristic) older men, Dorian is a bore, and his search for ever new sensations far less fun than the novel's drawing-room discussions. Even more oddly, the moral message of the novel contradicts many of Wilde's supposed aims, not least "no artist has ethical sympathies. An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style." Nonetheless, the glamour boy gets his just deserts. And Wilde, defending Dorian Gray, had it both ways: "All excess, as well as all renunciation, brings its own punishment."

Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray, 18 Nov 2008
By now, most people are aware of the basic plot of this book: young man foolishly wishes that, upon seeing his current beateous youth captured forever in a picture, he could remain in that moment of youth forever, and the picture age in his stead. Not only that, but the picture becomes twisted and cruel as a result of the callous hedonistic behaviour perpetrated by Gray in his perpetual youth. At first, Gray is horrified, but then finds himself submitting to it...

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a fantastic novel, so fantastic that it made me sad that the eminently quoteable Wilde has only written the one. At one point, a bad-influencing friend of Dorian's lends him a novel that Gray is charmed by, a novel that tells of a man who lives a hedonistic lifestyle, with care only for pleasure and enjoyment, and it's this novel that kick-starts Gray's eventual downfall as it affects Gray's behaviour, leading him to eventually describe it as dangerous. Wilde's novel is possibly such a book: it's seductive discussions on hedonism, pleasure, and the real joys of life almost make one want to throw mores out the window and life such a life oneself, or at least wish intensely for a period that one has or could. Henry Wotton, Gray's witty, philosophical influence is a raconeteur, a man of life, who knows its pleasures and derides it's follies, chosing simply to ignore them. It's his discourses that are particularly charming and fascinating. There's obviously a temperance to his message (in terms of the whole arc of the novel), but that's almost neither here nor there. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a superb book, fascinating, witty, supremely intelligent and philosophical, romantic and gothic and chilling also. It's one of those books that might lay a bomb under your life, and it deserves its classic status.



Hard work, 09 Nov 2008
Found this book to be quite boring! The story was weak the characters dull, all in all an unenjoyable read and unnecessarily wordy.

nothing special, 22 Oct 2008
i didn't really like this book. i found all the characters quite irritating, and the story was fairly absurd and didn't really capture my imagination. more than that, i just didn't feel like there was any real depth to the book. there was nothing truly unpredictable, nothing particularly thought provoking. i don't think there's anything particularly impressive or engaging or interesting about the story. i also found wilde's style of writing so flowery, it just felt a bit fake and naff.
i don't think there's anything particularly special about this book, and i wouldn't say it's particularly worthwhile reading it.


A New Light....., 27 Sep 2008
After reading a review of "The Ripper Code" in the TLS, I had to return to my school favourite and reread it. It was fascinating to read it in a new light.

Sublime, 25 Sep 2008
I loved this book, not so much for the cautionary tale or the disintigration of Dorian's conscience, but for the beautiful philosophy embelishing the story; many of the things Henry says, for example, are interesting and thought-provoking theories on life. And I loved how youth and beauty were depicted in the book. The only criticism I would give is that it was far too short for my liking, and I thought that the part between Dorian's youth and his 38th year could've been elaborated on. Though an original, genius story!

Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray, 18 Nov 2008
By now, most people are aware of the basic plot of this book: young man foolishly wishes that, upon seeing his current beateous youth captured forever in a picture, he could remain in that moment of youth forever, and the picture age in his stead. Not only that, but the picture becomes twisted and cruel as a result of the callous hedonistic behaviour perpetrated by Gray in his perpetual youth. At first, Gray is horrified, but then finds himself submitting to it...

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a fantastic novel, so fantastic that it made me sad that the eminently quoteable Wilde has only written the one. At one point, a bad-influencing friend of Dorian's lends him a novel that Gray is charmed by, a novel that tells of a man who lives a hedonistic lifestyle, with care only for pleasure and enjoyment, and it's this novel that kick-starts Gray's eventual downfall as it affects Gray's behaviour, leading him to eventually describe it as dangerous. Wilde's novel is possibly such a book: it's seductive discussions on hedonism, pleasure, and the real joys of life almost make one want to throw mores out the window and life such a life oneself, or at least wish intensely for a period that one has or could. Henry Wotton, Gray's witty, philosophical influence is a raconeteur, a man of life, who knows its pleasures and derides it's follies, chosing simply to ignore them. It's his discourses that are particularly charming and fascinating. There's obviously a temperance to his message (in terms of the whole arc of the novel), but that's almost neither here nor there. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a superb book, fascinating, witty, supremely intelligent and philosophical, romantic and gothic and chilling also. It's one of those books that might lay a bomb under your life, and it deserves its classic status.



Hard work, 09 Nov 2008
Found this book to be quite boring! The story was weak the characters dull, all in all an unenjoyable read and unnecessarily wordy.

nothing special, 22 Oct 2008
i didn't really like this book. i found all the characters quite irritating, and the story was fairly absurd and didn't really capture my imagination. more than that, i just didn't feel like there was any real depth to the book. there was nothing truly unpredictable, nothing particularly thought provoking. i don't think there's anything particularly impressive or engaging or interesting about the story. i also found wilde's style of writing so flowery, it just felt a bit fake and naff.
i don't think there's anything particularly special about this book, and i wouldn't say it's particularly worthwhile reading it.


A New Light....., 27 Sep 2008
After reading a review of "The Ripper Code" in the TLS, I had to return to my school favourite and reread it. It was fascinating to read it in a new light.

Sublime, 25 Sep 2008
I loved this book, not so much for the cautionary tale or the disintigration of Dorian's conscience, but for the beautiful philosophy embelishing the story; many of the things Henry says, for example, are interesting and thought-provoking theories on life. And I loved how youth and beauty were depicted in the book. The only criticism I would give is that it was far too short for my liking, and I thought that the part between Dorian's youth and his 38th year could've been elaborated on. Though an original, genius story!

A novel about religion and belief, love and loyalty., 02 Jul 2008
Waugh, in my opinion, is probably the finest British writer of the 20th century. I well remember the surprise and delight I felt when I first read one of his books (The Loved One); the economy and beauty of the language, the wit, the sophistication. So it is with some disappointment that I have to say I did not really enjoy Brideshead. It seems to me to be a reflection of Waugh's internal struggles with religion and belief acted out through the pages of a novel and its characters who, by the way, I found unsympathetic. This is a novel with serious themes but without the depth or the wit of the Sword of Honour Trilogy which is by comparison a masterpiece.

Ought we to be drunk all the time?, 23 Jul 2006
I shan't be as verbose as other reviewers, save to say that Waugh's writing style brings immense pleasure - the way in which the phrases are constructed and adjectives used - it's a beautiful way of writing which we should all embrace. A truly beautiful story, although I for one finished the book and thought Charles really rather wet...

A thoroughly recommended read for anyone who has interest in life.

"Where can we hide in fair weather,we orphans of the storm?", 26 Mar 2006
Published in 1945, this novel, which Waugh himself sometimes referred to as his "magnum opus," incorporates its themes in its subtitle--the sacred grace and love from God, especially as interpreted by the Catholic church, vs. the secular or profane love as seen in sex and romantic relationships. The tension between these two views of love--and the concept of "sin"--underlie all the action which takes place during the twenty years of the novel and its flashbacks.

When the novel opens at the end of World War II, Capt. Charles Ryder and his troops, looking for a billet, have just arrived at Brideshead, the now-dilapidated family castle belonging to Lord Marchmain, a place where Charles Ryder stayed for an extended period just after World War I, the home of his best friend from Oxford, Lord Sebastian Flyte. The story of his relationship with Sebastian, a man who has rejected the Catholicism imposed on him by his devout mother, occupies the first part of the book. Sebastian, an odd person who carries his teddy bear Aloysius everywhere he goes, tries to escape his upbringing and religious obligations through alcohol. Charles feels responsible for Sebastian's welfare, and though there is no mention of any homosexual relationship, Charles does say that it is this relationship which first teaches him about the depths of love.

The second part begins when Charles separates from the Flytes and his own family and goes to Paris to study painting. An architectural painter, Charles marries and has a family over the next years. A chance meeting on shipboard with Julia, Sebastian's married sister, brings him back into the circle of the Flyte family with all their religious challenges. Three of the four Flyte children have tried to escape their religious backgrounds, and this part of the novel traces the extent to which they have or have not succeeded in finding peace in the secular world. "No one is ever holy without suffering," he discovers.

Dealing with religious and secular love, Heaven and Hell, the concepts of sin and judgment, and the guilt and punishments one imposes on oneself, the novel also illustrates the changes in British society after World War II. The role of the aristocracy is less important, the middle class is rising, and in the aftermath of war, all are searching for values. A full novel with characters who actively search for philosophical or religious meaning while they also search for romantic love, Brideshead Revisited is complex and thoughtfully constructed, an intellectual novel filled with personal and family tragedies--and, some would say, their triumphs. Mary Whipple

Waugh! What is it good for? Well..., 03 Jun 2004
Forgive the flippancy of the title, as this is, without a doubt the greatest novel I have ever read. The central theme is that of stringent religious values and breaking away from, or returning to them. I am an extremely committed atheist and Waugh was a fervent Roman Catholic. This surely proves Waughs sublime vision, insight and, above all, his splendidly non-preachy way of writing. Beyond that, it is one of the greatest love stories ever written. We may not mention Ryder and Flyte in the same breath as Rmeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, or Dido and Aeneas, but as a study in humanity (in my humble opinion) they exceed them all. The sheer beauty of Waugh's prose which is, at times, scarcely believable (see 'A blow, expected, repeated, falling on a bruise') is coupled with the outright hilarity of many passages (see the Belgian who feels as if it is his duty to oppose the lower classes everywhere). Amazon also sells (at a rather decent price) the 1981 BBC adaptation of the novel, starring Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews, which is unusual in that it is faithful to the letter and the spirit of the novel, and is really rather splendid. The novel, however, remains a towering acheivement, a heart-rending tale of loss and rejection, as well as acceptance and redemption. The finest novel of the Twentieth Century. You owe it to yourself to read it.

Charles, Sebastian, Cordelia and Bridey, 09 Feb 2000
I don't understand Julia so i will pass no comment on her motives and wishes in the world of Brideshead. The scene on the boat is so moving I was moved to tearss by the eventual outcome. Why does it have to be so? So much pain inside her. Charles left to his art and to become an ageing army officer, cut off from three families, his own now have a new father, his father must be long snce dead and Sebastian's. Throughout i was desparate for it to be different. Please Sebastian, I emplored, show that verbal brilliance and sparkling character you had at the start. His descent into the vortex is so worrying, one can see it early and one yearns for a recovery. But to what? His faher has left them, his mother tries to keep such atavistic control over them that the children all disapoint her and he appears to have no other friends. His finding of the sickly German in Morocco is odd but i think we are meant to see him for the first time in his life living unselfishly, doing menial tasks because he wants to help make someone else happy. Cordelia is blessed perhaps by not being so beautiful and makes the best attemppt at a real life, integrating herself into the world and caring for others. As for Bridey, he strolls ponderously in and out of the book. His father despises him and that has marked him. His dsister laughs at him when he becomes engaged, but so does the reader. We laugh at his marriage to someone fronm the middle classes and Waugh appears to give Bridey little sympathy. But on reflection why on earth shouldn't he marry a widow from Portsmouth, he loves her, why can't we accept that? So what if he collects matchboxes, it's not harming anyone. It might be a futile and obsessive hobby but he causes no pain to anyone. Why should Julia protest at his wife having her mother's jewellry, their refusal to accept outsiders is limitless.

This book is so wonderfully writtren that it would be nonsensical to try and describe it, only Waugh's prose itself is sufficient. The early scenes draw one in, it is majestically funny, Charles' father is wonderful. The dinner table scenes ("their battleground") are unforgettable. But what are we to make of such a cantankerous old man, who delights in not knowing his only son's age and invites guests to spite him. Humour is used delicately to expose the faultlines in their outdated society and opinions. Rex's conversations with the Catholic priest are very funny, but say a great deal about the congregatoion of the average Catholic church and Rex with his ambitions.

Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray, 18 Nov 2008
By now, most people are aware of the basic plot of this book: young man foolishly wishes that, upon seeing his current beateous youth captured forever in a picture, he could remain in that moment of youth forever, and the picture age in his stead. Not only that, but the picture becomes twisted and cruel as a result of the callous hedonistic behaviour perpetrated by Gray in his perpetual youth. At first, Gray is horrified, but then finds himself submitting to it...

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a fantastic novel, so fantastic that it made me sad that the eminently quoteable Wilde has only written the one. At one point, a bad-influencing friend of Dorian's lends him a novel that Gray is charmed by, a novel that tells of a man who lives a hedonistic lifestyle, with care only for pleasure and enjoyment, and it's this novel that kick-starts Gray's eventual downfall as it affects Gray's behaviour, leading him to eventually describe it as dangerous. Wilde's novel is possibly such a book: it's seductive discussions on hedonism, pleasure, and the real joys of life almost make one want to throw mores out the window and life such a life oneself, or at least wish intensely for a period that one has or could. Henry Wotton, Gray's witty, philosophical influence is a raconeteur, a man of life, who knows its pleasures and derides it's follies, chosing simply to ignore them. It's his discourses that are particularly charming and fascinating. There's obviously a temperance to his message (in terms of the whole arc of the novel), but that's almost neither here nor there. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a superb book, fascinating, witty, supremely intelligent and philosophical, romantic and gothic and chilling also. It's one of those books that might lay a bomb under your life, and it deserves its classic status.



Hard work, 09 Nov 2008
Found this book to be quite boring! The story was weak the characters dull, all in all an unenjoyable read and unnecessarily wordy.

nothing special, 22 Oct 2008
i didn't really like this book. i found all the characters quite irritating, and the story was fairly absurd and didn't really capture my imagination. more than that, i just didn't feel like there was any real depth to the book. there was nothing truly unpredictable, nothing particularly thought provoking. i don't think there's anything particularly impressive or engaging or interesting about the story. i also found wilde's style of writing so flowery, it just felt a bit fake and naff.
i don't think there's anything particularly special about this book, and i wouldn't say it's particularly worthwhile reading it.


A New Light....., 27 Sep 2008
After reading a review of "The Ripper Code" in the TLS, I had to return to my school favourite and reread it. It was fascinating to read it in a new light.

Sublime, 25 Sep 2008
I loved this book, not so much for the cautionary tale or the disintigration of Dorian's conscience, but for the beautiful philosophy embelishing the story; many of the things Henry says, for example, are interesting and thought-provoking theories on life. And I loved how youth and beauty were depicted in the book. The only criticism I would give is that it was far too short for my liking, and I thought that the part between Dorian's youth and his 38th year could've been elaborated on. Though an original, genius story!

A novel about religion and belief, love and loyalty., 02 Jul 2008
Waugh, in my opinion, is probably the finest British writer of the 20th century. I well remember the surprise and delight I felt when I first read one of his books (The Loved One); the economy and beauty of the language, the wit, the sophistication. So it is with some disappointment that I have to say I did not really enjoy Brideshead. It seems to me to be a reflection of Waugh's internal struggles with religion and belief acted out through the pages of a novel and its characters who, by the way, I found unsympathetic. This is a novel with serious themes but without the depth or the wit of the Sword of Honour Trilogy which is by comparison a masterpiece.

Ought we to be drunk all the time?, 23 Jul 2006
I shan't be as verbose as other reviewers, save to say that Waugh's writing style brings immense pleasure - the way in which the phrases are constructed and adjectives used - it's a beautiful way of writing which we should all embrace. A truly beautiful story, although I for one finished the book and thought Charles really rather wet...

A thoroughly recommended read for anyone who has interest in life.

"Where can we hide in fair weather,we orphans of the storm?", 26 Mar 2006
Published in 1945, this novel, which Waugh himself sometimes referred to as his "magnum opus," incorporates its themes in its subtitle--the sacred grace and love from God, especially as interpreted by the Catholic church, vs. the secular or profane love as seen in sex and romantic relationships. The tension between these two views of love--and the concept of "sin"--underlie all the action which takes place during the twenty years of the novel and its flashbacks.

When the novel opens at the end of World War II, Capt. Charles Ryder and his troops, looking for a billet, have just arrived at Brideshead, the now-dilapidated family castle belonging to Lord Marchmain, a place where Charles Ryder stayed for an extended period just after World War I, the home of his best friend from Oxford, Lord Sebastian Flyte. The story of his relationship with Sebastian, a man who has rejected the Catholicism imposed on him by his devout mother, occupies the first part of the book. Sebastian, an odd person who carries his teddy bear Aloysius everywhere he goes, tries to escape his upbringing and religious obligations through alcohol. Charles feels responsible for Sebastian's welfare, and though there is no mention of any homosexual relationship, Charles does say that it is this relationship which first teaches him about the depths of love.

The second part begins when Charles separates from the Flytes and his own family and goes to Paris to study painting. An architectural painter, Charles marries and has a family over the next years. A chance meeting on shipboard with Julia, Sebastian's married sister, brings him back into the circle of the Flyte family with all their religious challenges. Three of the four Flyte children have tried to escape their religious backgrounds, and this part of the novel traces the extent to which they have or have not succeeded in finding peace in the secular world. "No one is ever holy without suffering," he discovers.

Dealing with religious and secular love, Heaven and Hell, the concepts of sin and judgment, and the guilt and punishments one imposes on oneself, the novel also illustrates the changes in British society after World War II. The role of the aristocracy is less important, the middle class is rising, and in the aftermath of war, all are searching for values. A full novel with characters who actively search for philosophical or religious meaning while they also search for romantic love, Brideshead Revisited is complex and thoughtfully constructed, an intellectual novel filled with personal and family tragedies--and, some would say, their triumphs. Mary Whipple

Waugh! What is it good for? Well..., 03 Jun 2004
Forgive the flippancy of the title, as this is, without a doubt the greatest novel I have ever read. The central theme is that of stringent religious values and breaking away from, or returning to them. I am an extremely committed atheist and Waugh was a fervent Roman Catholic. This surely proves Waughs sublime vision, insight and, above all, his splendidly non-preachy way of writing. Beyond that, it is one of the greatest love stories ever written. We may not mention Ryder and Flyte in the same breath as Rmeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, or Dido and Aeneas, but as a study in humanity (in my humble opinion) they exceed them all. The sheer beauty of Waugh's prose which is, at times, scarcely believable (see 'A blow, expected, repeated, falling on a bruise') is coupled with the outright hilarity of many passages (see the Belgian who feels as if it is his duty to oppose the lower classes everywhere). Amazon also sells (at a rather decent price) the 1981 BBC adaptation of the novel, starring Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews, which is unusual in that it is faithful to the letter and the spirit of the novel, and is really rather splendid. The novel, however, remains a towering acheivement, a heart-rending tale of loss and rejection, as well as acceptance and redemption. The finest novel of the Twentieth Century. You owe it to yourself to read it.

Charles, Sebastian, Cordelia and Bridey, 09 Feb 2000
I don't understand Julia so i will pass no comment on her motives and wishes in the world of Brideshead. The scene on the boat is so moving I was moved to tearss by the eventual outcome. Why does it have to be so? So much pain inside her. Charles left to his art and to become an ageing army officer, cut off from three families, his own now have a new father, his father must be long snce dead and Sebastian's. Throughout i was desparate for it to be different. Please Sebastian, I emplored, show that verbal brilliance and sparkling character you had at the start. His descent into the vortex is so worrying, one can see it early and one yearns for a recovery. But to what? His faher has left them, his mother tries to keep such atavistic control over them that the children all disapoint her and he appears to have no other friends. His finding of the sickly German in Morocco is odd but i think we are meant to see him for the first time in his life living unselfishly, doing menial tasks because he wants to help make someone else happy. Cordelia is blessed perhaps by not being so beautiful and makes the best attemppt at a real life, integrating herself into the world and caring for others. As for Bridey, he strolls ponderously in and out of the book. His father despises him and that has marked him. His dsister laughs at him when he becomes engaged, but so does the reader. We laugh at his marriage to someone fronm the middle classes and Waugh appears to give Bridey little sympathy. But on reflection why on earth shouldn't he marry a widow from Portsmouth, he loves her, why can't we accept that? So what if he collects matchboxes, it's not harming anyone. It might be a futile and obsessive hobby but he causes no pain to anyone. Why should Julia protest at his wife having her mother's jewellry, their refusal to accept outsiders is limitless.

This book is so wonderfully writtren that it would be nonsensical to try and describe it, only Waugh's prose itself is sufficient. The early scenes draw one in, it is majestically funny, Charles' father is wonderful. The dinner table scenes ("their battleground") are unforgettable. But what are we to make of such a cantankerous old man, who delights in not knowing his only son's age and invites guests to spite him. Humour is used delicately to expose the faultlines in their outdated society and opinions. Rex's conversations with the Catholic priest are very funny, but say a great deal about the congregatoion of the average Catholic church and Rex with his ambitions.

Beautiful and Enlightening..., 01 Apr 2008
This was actually the first 'adult' book I read as a child - much to the shock of my grandparents!! I loved it and reading it again as an adult (understanding it that much more)has assured it as a favourite. I would recommend anyone to read this. It covers issues of race, sexuality, family, friendships and gender fantastically. The film version is very good and the book is a must to read.

Genius, a wonderful read, 16 Sep 2007
Winner of the Pultizer Prize of Literature for 1983, the colour purple delves into the early plight of the struggle of African-Americans living in the segmented land of America who are still treated like slaves and slurred upon.

Celie, a young girl uncertain of her identify has her self confidence boosted by her own sister, Nettie. Both girls are forced to seperate and Celie has to learn on her own how to stand on her own two feet-with Nettie's encouragement......

Walker uses a diary format for this novel which pushes Celie's frustation against the world. For example, Walker emphasises authority of woman being treated like second class citizens having to address to men as Mr, whom she ends up having arranged marriage with. Walker makes Celie powerless-how she can't let her master down, but nevertheless growing to resent the harsh restriction of her life being barred down like this. Celie's grows in strength when her good nature and willingness to please pay off with his children, how she looks out for them as well as a strong determination growing inside herself for love.

The characters are quite serious in their own little ways especially the men who as time goes on, learn to ditch their selfishness, grow up and learn to adapt. For example, Mr feels he has right to hit Celie whenever she questions him or goes against his thinking, but Mr doesn't want to fierce and is quite happy for her to play the nanny role. Harpo seeks his advantage to be violent with Sofia whom he later betrays, leaving her to lose her own children after a bigamist fight and firmly grows to resent his decision. Sugar Avery is Mr's so-called girlfriend, whom takes a distaterous liking to the man, despite showing affection. A notourious drunk and nightclub singer, she wants her faith to be appreciated in her music and has an estrangement with her preacher father.

Nettie is a strong, brave and tough. She is described as the most radical and thoughtful person in the book who goes to Africa as part of the missionary accompying Reverend Samuel. She learns to live, although the horror of the situation that man has created, never dampens her spirit. A large preportion of the book is dedicated to her struggle in Africa to which relates to Celie's human struggle.

The Color Purple really is a wonderful read of hope, passion and love with the conclusion where they all rely on each other to keep going is vastly different to the climax of the film-the feeling i can see their aligned faces as they look over, proud and grateful to be alive. That's the best scene of them all!









wonderful, 05 Aug 2007
I saw the film a long time ago. I bought the book around the same time but as often happens with me, I didnt read it because I had just seen the movie and I 'knew what happened'. Then when it made it to our book group short list, and black history month was coming up, I went to look for my book, and I couldnt find it. So off I went into town to hopefully find one. I found one copy in the bookshop.

I started reading it a little half-heartedly since I wanted to read something cheerful and I really didnt remember the film being that cheerful. Anyway, I persevered, and found myself really involved in the story. I put the dvd on expecting it to be really depressing (from memory) and it was really really good. I picked the book up again, waiting for bits in the movie to take place in the book, but the book is slightly different. The general story and the outcome is the same but inbetween is fuller somehow. When I saw the film the first time, I focused on the abuse and the beatings and the miserable existence that Celie has, but that really is a small part of it compared to all the good things that happen to her in the end.

She says to her rotten wife-beating husband:

'Until you do right by me, everything you touch will crumble. Everything you even dream about will fail'

I guess that's a case of what goes around comes around because that's what happens. Treat people mean and expect to be treated the same way. Celie is nice to everyone, even the rotten husband, but in the end things do go right for her. Reading this book made me feel better about life in general. There is hope, people say nice guys finish last, but maybe they run a better race.

The Color Purple is set in 1909+ in the South, the story of a poor, ill-educated, abused, 'ugly*' black woman, writing letters to God and her sister and her sister writing back. The whole book is a series of letters. I would recommend to everyone and has become one of my favourite books.

(*ugly because she is told so many times in the book, until finally someone loves her and tells her she is beautiful)

over rated, 07 Jul 2007
Despite my interest in this era and subject area I felt the book was disappointing. The writing style was different and made the book somewhat unique however the plot and characters were poorly described leading to a somewhat dull read.

Not just meaningful but a good story to boot, 07 May 2007
The whole book is a collection of letters, whether they be to God or between Celie and her sister Nettie, and they read like a diary which I found easy to read.

My first impression after reading only a few pages, was how primitive the characters appeared to be, and they are in many ways, but they're also wonderfully uncomplicated and honest.

The letters from Africa were fascinating and we learn in an interesting and very real way how the African people themselves played a part in slavery. We also gain an understanding of the frustration and injustice of how land and tribes were desecrated in the name of 'improvement' and industry.

I don't think that all the men in this novel were described negatively as some reviewers have suggested. Celie's 'Pa' and Mr________ did treat her badly and were very aggressive and cruel but we see the family cycle borne out in Harpo and how he struggles to understand why he feels he should treat women like his pa but isn't succeeding because Sofia won't put up with his bullying.
Samuel in contrast is shown as a very compassionate person and Celie and Nettie's real pa is described as being very successful as well as '...having a wife whom he adored...'.

The over riding story is about human spirit and strength of character. Love and respect. The strongest line in the book for me is when Celie tells Mr________
"I'm pore, I'm black, I may be ugly and can't cook...but I'm here."
Amen indeed!

What goes around comes around and Celie's 'curse' aimed at Mr________was justified and correct. By the end of the book Mr_________ has gone on his own journey of discovery and realisation and Celie and his relationship is uplifting and mature.

Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray, 18 Nov 2008
By now, most people are aware of the basic plot of this book: young man foolishly wishes that, upon seeing his current beateous youth captured forever in a picture, he could remain in that moment of youth forever, and the picture age in his stead. Not only that, but the picture becomes twisted and cruel as a result of the callous hedonistic behaviour perpetrated by Gray in his perpetual youth. At first, Gray is horrified, but then finds himself submitting to it...

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a fantastic novel, so fantastic that it made me sad that the eminently quoteable Wilde has only written the one. At one point, a bad-influencing friend of Dorian's lends him a novel that Gray is charmed by, a novel that tells of a man who lives a hedonistic lifestyle, with care only for pleasure and enjoyment, and it's this novel that kick-starts Gray's eventual downfall as it affects Gray's behaviour, leading him to eventually describe it as dangerous. Wilde's novel is possibly such a book: it's seductive discussions on hedonism, pleasure, and the real joys of life almost make one want to throw mores out the window and life such a life oneself, or at least wish intensely for a period that one has or could. Henry Wotton, Gray's witty, philosophical influence is a raconeteur, a man of life, who knows its pleasures and derides it's follies, chosing simply to ignore them. It's his discourses that are particularly charming and fascinating. There's obviously a temperance to his message (in terms of the whole arc of the novel), but that's almost neither here nor there. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a superb book, fascinating, witty, supremely intelligent and philosophical, romantic and gothic and chilling also. It's one of those books that might lay a bomb under your life, and it deserves its classic status.



Hard work, 09 Nov 2008
Found this book to be quite boring! The story was weak the characters dull, all in all an unenjoyable read and unnecessarily wordy.

nothing special, 22 Oct 2008
i didn't really like this book. i found all the characters quite irritating, and the story was fairly absurd and didn't really capture my imagination. more than that, i just didn't feel like there was any real depth to the book. there was nothing truly unpredictable, nothing particularly thought provoking. i don't think there's anything particularly impressive or engaging or interesting about the story. i also found wilde's style of writing so flowery, it just felt a bit fake and naff.
i don't think there's anything particularly special about this book, and i wouldn't say it's particularly worthwhile reading it.


A New Light....., 27 Sep 2008
After reading a review of "The Ripper Code" in the TLS, I had to return to my school favourite and reread it. It was fascinating to read it in a new light.

Sublime, 25 Sep 2008
I loved this book, not so much for the cautionary tale or the disintigration of Dorian's conscience, but for the beautiful philosophy embelishing the story; many of the things Henry says, for example, are interesting and thought-provoking theories on life. And I loved how youth and beauty were depicted in the book. The only criticism I would give is that it was far too short for my liking, and I thought that the part between Dorian's youth and his 38th year could've been elaborated on. Though an original, genius story!

A novel about religion and belief, love and loyalty., 02 Jul 2008
Waugh, in my opinion, is probably the finest British writer of the 20th century. I well remember the surprise and delight I felt when I first read one of his books (The Loved One); the economy and beauty of the language, the wit, the sophistication. So it is with some disappointment that I have to say I did not really enjoy Brideshead. It seems to me to be a reflection of Waugh's internal struggles with religion and belief acted out through the pages of a novel and its characters who, by the way, I found unsympathetic. This is a novel with serious themes but without the depth or the wit of the Sword of Honour Trilogy which is by comparison a masterpiece.

Ought we to be drunk all the time?, 23 Jul 2006
I shan't be as verbose as other reviewers, save to say that Waugh's writing style brings immense pleasure - the way in which the phrases are constructed and adjectives used - it's a beautiful way of writing which we should all embrace. A truly beautiful story, although I for one finished the book and thought Charles really rather wet...

A thoroughly recommended read for anyone who has interest in life.

"Where can we hide in fair weather,we orphans of the storm?", 26 Mar 2006
Published in 1945, this novel, which Waugh himself sometimes referred to as his "magnum opus," incorporates its themes in its subtitle--the sacred grace and love from God, especially as interpreted by the Catholic church, vs. the secular or profane love as seen in sex and romantic relationships. The tension between these two views of love--and the concept of "sin"--underlie all the action which takes place during the twenty years of the novel and its flashbacks.

When the novel opens at the end of World War II, Capt. Charles Ryder and his troops, looking for a billet, have just arrived at Brideshead, the now-dilapidated family castle belonging to Lord Marchmain, a place where Charles Ryder stayed for an extended period just after World War I, the home of his best friend from Oxford, Lord Sebastian Flyte. The story of his relationship with Sebastian, a man who has rejected the Catholicism imposed on him by his devout mother, occupies the first part of the book. Sebastian, an odd person who carries his teddy bear Aloysius everywhere he goes, tries to escape his upbringing and religious obligations through alcohol. Charles feels responsible for Sebastian's welfare, and though there is no mention of any homosexual relationship, Charles does say that it is this relationship which first teaches him about the depths of love.

The second part begins when Charles separates from the Flytes and his own family and goes to Paris to study painting. An architectural painter, Charles marries and has a family over the next years. A chance meeting on shipboard with Julia, Sebastian's married sister, brings him back into the circle of the Flyte family with all their religious challenges. Three of the four Flyte children have tried to escape their religious backgrounds, and this part of the novel traces the extent to which they have or have not succeeded in finding peace in the secular world. "No one is ever holy without suffering," he discovers.

Dealing with religious and secular love, Heaven and Hell, the concepts of sin and judgment, and the guilt and punishments one imposes on oneself, the novel also illustrates the changes in British society after World War II. The role of the aristocracy is less important, the middle class is rising, and in the aftermath of war, all are searching for values. A full novel with characters who actively search for philosophical or religious meaning while they also search for romantic love, Brideshead Revisited is complex and thoughtfully constructed, an intellectual novel filled with personal and family tragedies--and, some would say, their triumphs. Mary Whipple

Waugh! What is it good for? Well..., 03 Jun 2004
Forgive the flippancy of the title, as this is, without a doubt the greatest novel I have ever read. The central theme is that of stringent religious values and breaking away from, or returning to them. I am an extremely committed atheist and Waugh was a fervent Roman Catholic. This surely proves Waughs sublime vision, insight and, above all, his splendidly non-preachy way of writing. Beyond that, it is one of the greatest love stories ever written. We may not mention Ryder and Flyte in the same breath as Rmeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, or Dido and Aeneas, but as a study in humanity (in my humble opinion) they exceed them all. The sheer beauty of Waugh's prose which is, at times, scarcely believable (see 'A blow, expected, repeated, falling on a bruise') is coupled with the outright hilarity of many passages (see the Belgian who feels as if it is his duty to oppose the lower classes everywhere). Amazon also sells (at a rather decent price) the 1981 BBC adaptation of the novel, starring Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews, which is unusual in that it is faithful to the letter and the spirit of the novel, and is really rather splendid. The novel, however, remains a towering acheivement, a heart-rending tale of loss and rejection, as well as acceptance and redemption. The finest novel of the Twentieth Century. You owe it to yourself to read it.

Charles, Sebastian, Cordelia and Bridey, 09 Feb 2000
I don't understand Julia so i will pass no comment on her motives and wishes in the world of Brideshead. The scene on the boat is so moving I was moved to tearss by the eventual outcome. Why does it have to be so? So much pain inside her. Charles left to his art and to become an ageing army officer, cut off from three families, his own now have a new father, his father must be long snce dead and Sebastian's. Throughout i was desparate for it to be different. Please Sebastian, I emplored, show that verbal brilliance and sparkling character you had at the start. His descent into the vortex is so worrying, one can see it early and one yearns for a recovery. But to what? His faher has left them, his mother tries to keep such atavistic control over them that the children all disapoint her and he appears to have no other friends. His finding of the sickly German in Morocco is odd but i think we are meant to see him for the first time in his life living unselfishly, doing menial tasks because he wants to help make someone else happy. Cordelia is blessed perhaps by not being so beautiful and makes the best attemppt at a real life, integrating herself into the world and caring for others. As for Bridey, he strolls ponderously in and out of the book. His father despises him and that has marked him. His dsister laughs at him when he becomes engaged, but so does the reader. We laugh at his marriage to someone fronm the middle classes and Waugh appears to give Bridey little sympathy. But on reflection why on earth shouldn't he marry a widow from Portsmouth, he loves her, why can't we accept that? So what if he collects matchboxes, it's not harming anyone. It might be a futile and obsessive hobby but he causes no pain to anyone. Why should Julia protest at his wife having her mother's jewellry, their refusal to accept outsiders is limitless.

This book is so wonderfully writtren that it would be nonsensical to try and describe it, only Waugh's prose itself is sufficient. The early scenes draw one in, it is majestically funny, Charles' father is wonderful. The dinner table scenes ("their battleground") are unforgettable. But what are we to make of such a cantankerous old man, who delights in not knowing his only son's age and invites guests to spite him. Humour is used delicately to expose the faultlines in their outdated society and opinions. Rex's conversations with the Catholic priest are very funny, but say a great deal about the congregatoion of the average Catholic church and Rex with his ambitions.

Beautiful and Enlightening..., 01 Apr 2008
This was actually the first 'adult' book I read as a child - much to the shock of my grandparents!! I loved it and reading it again as an adult (understanding it that much more)has assured it as a favourite. I would recommend anyone to read this. It covers issues of race, sexuality, family, friendships and gender fantastically. The film version is very good and the book is a must to read.

Genius, a wonderful read, 16 Sep 2007
Winner of the Pultizer Prize of Literature for 1983, the colour purple delves into the early plight of the struggle of African-Americans living in the segmented land of America who are still treated like slaves and slurred upon.

Celie, a young girl uncertain of her identify has her self confidence boosted by her own sister, Nettie. Both girls are forced to seperate and Celie has to learn on her own how to stand on her own two feet-with Nettie's encouragement......

Walker uses a diary format for this novel which pushes Celie's frustation against the world. For example, Walker emphasises authority of woman being treated like second class citizens having to address to men as Mr, whom she ends up having arranged marriage with. Walker makes Celie powerless-how she can't let her master down, but nevertheless growing to resent the harsh restriction of her life being barred down like this. Celie's grows in strength when her good nature and willingness to please pay off with his children, how she looks out for them as well as a strong determination growing inside herself for love.

The characters are quite serious in their own little ways especially the men who as time goes on, learn to ditch their selfishness, grow up and learn to adapt. For example, Mr feels he has right to hit Celie whenever she questions him or goes against his thinking, but Mr doesn't want to fierce and is quite happy for her to play the nanny role. Harpo seeks his advantage to be violent with Sofia whom he later betrays, leaving her to lose her own children after a bigamist fight and firmly grows to resent his decision. Sugar Avery is Mr's so-called girlfriend, whom takes a distaterous liking to the man, despite showing affection. A notourious drunk and nightclub singer, she wants her faith to be appreciated in her music and has an estrangement with her preacher father.

Nettie is a strong, brave and tough. She is described as the most radical and thoughtful person in the book who goes to Africa as part of the missionary accompying Reverend Samuel. She learns to live, although the horror of the situation that man has created, never dampens her spirit. A large preportion of the book is dedicated to her struggle in Africa to which relates to Celie's human struggle.

The Color Purple really is a wonderful read of hope, passion and love with the conclusion where they all rely on each other to keep going is vastly different to the climax of the film-the feeling i can see their aligned faces as they look over, proud and grateful to be alive. That's the best scene of them all!









wonderful, 05 Aug 2007
I saw the film a long time ago. I bought the book around the same time but as often happens with me, I didnt read it because I had just seen the movie and I 'knew what happened'. Then when it made it to our book group short list, and black history month was coming up, I went to look for my book, and I couldnt find it. So off I went into town to hopefully find one. I found one copy in the bookshop.

I started reading it a little half-heartedly since I wanted to read something cheerful and I really didnt remember the film being that cheerful. Anyway, I persevered, and found myself really involved in the story. I put the dvd on expecting it to be really depressing (from memory) and it was really really good. I picked the book up again, waiting for bits in the movie to take place in the book, but the book is slightly different. The general story and the outcome is the same but inbetween is fuller somehow. When I saw the film the first time, I focused on the abuse and the beatings and the miserable existence that Celie has, but that really is a small part of it compared to all the good things that happen to her in the end.

She says to her rotten wife-beating husband:

'Until you do right by me, everything you touch will crumble. Everything you even dream about will fail'

I guess that's a case of what goes around comes around because that's what happens. Treat people mean and expect to be treated the same way. Celie is nice to everyone, even the rotten husband, but in the end things do go right for her. Reading this book made me feel better about life in general. There is hope, people say nice guys finish last, but maybe they run a better race.

The Color Purple is set in 1909+ in the South, the story of a poor, ill-educated, abused, 'ugly*' black woman, writing letters to God and her sister and her sister writing back. The whole book is a series of letters. I would recommend to everyone and has become one of my favourite books.

(*ugly because she is told so many times in the book, until finally someone loves her and tells her she is beautiful)

over rated, 07 Jul 2007
Despite my interest in this era and subject area I felt the book was disappointing. The writing style was different and made the book somewhat unique however the plot and characters were poorly described leading to a somewhat dull read.

Not just meaningful but a good story to boot, 07 May 2007
The whole book is a collection of letters, whether they be to God or between Celie and her sister Nettie, and they read like a diary which I found easy to read.

My first impression after reading only a few pages, was how primitive the characters appeared to be, and they are in many ways, but they're also wonderfully uncomplicated and honest.

The letters from Africa were fascinating and we learn in an interesting and very real way how the African people themselves played a part in slavery. We also gain an understanding of the frustration and injustice of how land and tribes were desecrated in the name of 'improvement' and industry.

I don't think that all the men in this novel were described negatively as some reviewers have suggested. Celie's 'Pa' and Mr________ did treat her badly and were very aggressive and cruel but we see the family cycle borne out in Harpo and how he struggles to understand why he feels he should treat women like his pa but isn't succeeding because Sofia won't put up with his bullying.
Samuel in contrast is shown as a very compassionate person and Celie and Nettie's real pa is described as being very successful as well as '...having a wife whom he adored...'.

The over riding story is about human spirit and strength of character. Love and respect. The strongest line in the book for me is when Celie tells Mr________
"I'm pore, I'm black, I may be ugly and can't cook...but I'm here."
Amen indeed!

What goes around comes around and Celie's 'curse' aimed at Mr________was justified and correct. By the end of the book Mr_________ has gone on his own journey of discovery and realisation and Celie and his relationship is uplifting and mature.






A very witty masterpiece , 11 Mar 2008
In my quest to read more work by Irish literary greats this year, I recently purchased a newly repackaged Penguin Popular Classic version of Oscar Wilde's 1895 play The Importance of Being Earnest. This edition, with its vibrant green cover and tracing-paper thin paper (all 100 per cent recycled), retails for a meagre £2 -- that's a very cheap price for a masterpiece, in my opinion.

I had seen a film version of this play a couple of years ago (the 2002 version starring Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Frances O'Connor, Reese Witherspoon and Judi Dench) and I remember laughing out loud at a lot of it. But seeing the words in black-and-white print makes them seem even funnier -- if that is possible.

For those who don't know the storyline, the brief synopsis goes something like this: Country gentleman Jack Worthing invents a younger brother, Ernest, whom he pretends to be when he visits the city. This gives him free reign to pursue the beautiful Gwendolen. Meanwhile his city-based friend, Algernon Moncrieff, invents a poorly relative, Bunbury, whom he pretends to visit in the country in order that he can leave his dull city existence behind for a bit of fun and frivolity. One day Algernon pretends to be Ernest and visits Jack's pretty charge, Cecily, in the country, which leads to all kinds of confusion about identity. Obviously, Jack is not happy, but when his own deceptive behaviour is called into question, the scene is ripe for much farce and hilarity.

In three short acts, this play delivers so many laughs and classic one-liners it's difficult to appreciate the genius of it in just one reading. Fortunately, it's short enough -- just 67 pages in this edition -- to read cover-to-cover twice in a very short amount of time.

How many people haven't heard this line?

* (Delivered by Lady Bracknell to Jack): To lose one parent, Mr Worthing, may be regarded as misfortune: to lose both looks like carelessness.

Or this one:
* (Delivered by Gwendolen to Cecily): I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.

But it's not just the lines which are funny, but the setting and the ways in which they are delivered that makes certain scenes especially comedic. This scene, in which Cecily serves tea and cake to her new rival in love, Gwendolen, is a good example of Wilde's ability to capture the little details in people's behaviour that conveys so much about their character and mood.

Cecily [sweetly]: Sugar?
Gwendolen [superciliously]: No thank you. Sugar is not fashionable any more. [Cecily looks angrily at her, takes up the tongs and puts four lumps of sugar in the cup.]
Cecily [severely]: Cake or bread and butter?
Gwendolen [in a bored manner]: Bread and butter, please. Cake is rarely seen at the best houses nowadays.
Cecily [cuts a very large slice of cake and puts it on the tray]: Hand that to Miss Fairfax.

Without wishing to wax lyrical, this is a sumptuous, dazzling read -- a wonderfully clever farce to brighten up the dullest day. It's tightly written, with not a word wasted, and there's a delightful conclusion in which all the lose ends are brought together and tied up with an unexpected flourish. Masterpiece, indeed.

absolutely brilliant!, 29 Nov 2007
everything about this book is perfect, the timing, the comedy, the situation. I can't even go into how fantastic it is, but i know that Osar Wilde is a genius and i wish he was still around, read this book, and don't loose out another second without it!

A very enjoyable reading, witty and full of "English" humor, 16 Jun 2005
Despite the fact that I usually like to watch plays, not so much to read them on paper, I found "The Importance of Being Earnest" a very enjoyable reading. The plot is greatly witty and I had a real fun reading several scenes described in this book. Given the theatrical style, the overall plot is not quite realistic, yet it is highly brilliant and full of "English" humor. After having read the book, I also bought the Audio-CD version of it, which I also enjoyed sincerely.

The Importance of Reading Earnest, 13 Dec 2004
I personally think that this play is fantastic. Superficially it is a very trivial, lighthearted play with little plot but peppered with witty conceits. On a deeper level it provides an incredible, satirical view of Victorian moral society, from one of the the 'insiders'. The links between the play and the life of Wilde are rife, especially regarding Algernon. I would recommend it wholeheartedly.

The wittiest play ever written in the English language, 11 Jul 2004
"The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People" is one of the first plays written in English since the works of Shakespeare that celebrates the language itself. Oscar Wilde's comedy has one advantage over the classic comedies of the Bard in that "The Importance of Being Earnest" is as funny today as it was when it was first performed at the St. Jame's Theater in London on February 14, 1895. After all, enjoying Shakespeare requires checking the bottom for footnotes explaining the meaning of those dozens of words that Shakespeare makes up in any one of his plays. But Wilde's brilliant wit, his humor and social satire, remain intact even though he was a writer of the Victorian era.

Wilde believed in art for art's own sake, which explains why he emphasized beauty while his contemporaries were dealing with the problems of industrial England. "The Importance of Being Earnest" is set among the upper class, making fun of their excesses and absurdities while imbuing them with witty banter providing a constant stream of epigrams. The play's situation is simple in its unraveling complexity. Algernon Moncrieff is an upper-class English bachelor who is visited by his friend Jack Worthing, who is known as "Ernest." Jack has come to town to propose to Gwendolen Fairfax, the daugher of the imposing Lady Bracknell and Algy's first cousin. Jack has a ward named Cecily who lives in the country while Algernon has an imaginary friend named "Bunbury" whom he uses as an excuse to get out of social engagements.

Jack proposes to Gwendolen but has two problems. First, Gwendolen is wiling to agree because his name is Ernest, a name that "seems to inspire absolute confidence," but which, of course, is not his true Christian name. Second, Lady Bracknell objects to Jack as a suitor when she learns he was abandoned by his parents and found in a handbag in Victoria Station by Mr. Thomas Cardew. Meanwhile, Algernon heads off to the country to check out Cecily, to whom he introduces himself as being her guardian Jack's brother Ernest. This meets with Ceclily's approval because in her diary she has been writing about her engagement to a man named Ernest. Then things get really interesting.

Wilde proves once and for all time that the pun can indeed be elevated to a high art form. Throughout the entire play we have the double meaning of the word "earnest," almost to the level of a conceit, since many of the play's twists and turns deal with the efforts of Jack and Algernon to be "Ernest," by lying, only to discover that circumstances makes honest men of them in the end (and of the women for that matter as well). There is every reason to believe that Wilde was making a point about earnestness being a key ideal of Victorian culture and one worthy of being thoroughly and completely mocked. Granted, some of the puns are really bad, and the discussion of "Bunburying" is so bad it is stands alone in that regard, but there is a sense in which the bad ones only make the good ones so glorious and emphasize that Wilde is at his best while playing games with the English language.

But if Wilde's puns are the low road then his epigrams represent the heights of his genius, especially when they are used by the characters in an ironic vein (e.g., "It is very romantic to be in love. But there is nothing romantic about a definite proposal" and "I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance"). Jack is the male lead, but it is Algernon who represents the ideal Wilde character, who insists he is a rebel speaking out against the institutions of society, such as marriage, but with attacks that are so flamboyant and humorous that the cleverness of the humor ends up standing apart from the inherent point.

In the end, "The Importance of Being Earnest" is the wittiest play every written, in English or any other language, and I doubt that anything written in the future will come close. Wilde was essentially a stand-up comedian who managed to create a narrative in which he could get off dozens of classic one-liners given a high-class sheen by being labeled epigrams. Like a comedian he touches on several topics, from the aristocracy, marriage, and the literary world to English manners, women, love, religion, and anything else that came to his fertile mind. But because it is done with such a lighthearted tone that the barbs remain as timely today as they were at the end of the 19th-century and "The Importance of Being Earnest" will always be at the forefront of the plays of that time which will continue to be produced.

Oscar Wilde - The Picture of Dorian Gray, 18 Nov 2008
By now, most people are aware of the basic plot of this book: young man foolishly wishes that, upon seeing his current beateous youth captured forever in a picture, he could remain in that moment of youth forever, and the picture age in his stead. Not only that, but the picture becomes twisted and cruel as a result of the callous hedonistic behaviour perpetrated by Gray in his perpetual youth. At first, Gray is horrified, but then finds himself submitting to it...

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a fantastic novel, so fantastic that it made me sad that the eminently quoteable Wilde has only written the one. At one point, a bad-influencing friend of Dorian's lends him a novel that Gray is charmed by, a novel that tells of a man who lives a hedonistic lifestyle, with care only for pleasure and enjoyment, and it's this novel that kick-starts Gray's eventual downfall as it affects Gray's behaviour, leading him to eventually describe it as dangerous. Wilde's novel is possibly such a book: it's seductive discussions on hedonism, pleasure, and the real joys of life almost make one want to throw mores out the window and life such a life oneself, or at least wish intensely for a period that one has or could. Henry Wotton, Gray's witty, philosophical influence is a raconeteur, a man of life, who knows its pleasures and derides it's follies, chosing simply to ignore them. It's his discourses that are particularly charming and fascinating. There's obviously a temperance to his message (in terms of the whole arc of the novel), but that's almost neither here nor there. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a superb book, fascinating, witty, supremely intelligent and philosophical, romantic and gothic and chilling also. It's one of those books that might lay a bomb under your life, and it deserves its classic status.



Hard work, 09 Nov 2008
Found this book to be quite boring! The story was weak the characters dull, all in all an unenjoyable read and unnecessarily wordy.

nothing special, 22 Oct 2008
i didn't really like this book. i found all the characters quite irritating, and the story was fairly absurd and didn't really capture my imagination. more than that, i just didn't feel like there was any real depth to the book. there was nothing truly unpredictable, nothing particularly thought provoking. i don't think there's anything particularly impressive or engaging or interesting about the story. i also found wilde's style of writing so flowery, it just felt a bit fake and naff.
i don't think there's anything particularly special about this book, and i wouldn't say it's particularly worthwhile reading it.


A New Light....., 27 Sep 2008
After reading a review of "The Ripper Code" in the TLS, I had to return to my school favourite and reread it. It was fascinating to read it in a new light.

Sublime, 25 Sep 2008
I loved this book, not so much for the cautionary tale or the disintigration of Dorian's conscience, but for the beautiful philosophy embelishing the story; many of the things Henry says, for example, are interesting and thought-provoking theories on life. And I loved how youth and beauty were depicted in the book. The only criticism I would give is that it was far too short for my liking, and I thought that the part between Dorian's youth and his 38th year could've been elaborated on. Though an original, genius story!

A novel about religion and belief, love and loyalty., 02 Jul 2008
Waugh, in my opinion, is probably the finest British writer of the 20th century. I well remember the surprise and delight I felt when I first read one of his books (The Loved One); the economy and beauty of the language, the wit, the sophistication. So it is with some disappointment that I have to say I did not really enjoy Brideshead. It seems to me to be a reflection of Waugh's internal struggles with religion and belief acted out through the pages of a novel and its characters who, by the way, I found unsympathetic. This is a novel with serious themes but without the depth or the wit of the Sword of Honour Trilogy which is by comparison a masterpiece.

Ought we to be drunk all the time?, 23 Jul 2006
I shan't be as verbose as other reviewers, save to say that Waugh's writing style brings immense pleasure - the way in which the phrases are constructed and adjectives used - it's a beautiful way of writing which we should all embrace. A truly beautiful story, although I for one finished the book and thought Charles really rather wet...

A thoroughly recommended read for anyone who has interest in life.

"Where can we hide in fair weather,we orphans of the storm?", 26 Mar 2006
Published in 1945, this novel, which Waugh himself sometimes referred to as his "magnum opus," incorporates its themes in its subtitle--the sacred grace and love from God, especially as interpreted by the Catholic church, vs. the secular or profane love as seen in sex and romantic relationships. The tension between these two views of love--and the concept of "sin"--underlie all the action which takes place during the twenty years of the novel and its flashbacks.

When the novel opens at the end of World War II, Capt. Charles Ryder and his troops, looking for a billet, have just arrived at Brideshead, the now-dilapidated family castle belonging to Lord Marchmain, a place where Charles Ryder stayed for an extended period just after World War I, the home of his best friend from Oxford, Lord Sebastian Flyte. The story of his relationship with Sebastian, a man who has rejected the Catholicism imposed on him by his devout mother, occupies the first part of the book. Sebastian, an odd person who carries his teddy bear Aloysius everywhere he goes, tries to escape his upbringing and religious obligations through alcohol. Charles feels responsible for Sebastian's welfare, and though there is no mention of any homosexual relationship, Charles does say that it is this relationship which first teaches him about the depths of love.

The second part begins when Charles separates from the Flytes and his own family and goes to Paris to study painting. An architectural painter, Charles marries and has a family over the next years. A chance meeting on shipboard with Julia, Sebastian's married sister, brings him back into the circle of the Flyte family with all their religious challenges. Three of the four Flyte children have tried to escape their religious backgrounds, and this part of the novel traces the extent to which they have or have not succeeded in finding peace in the secular world. "No one is ever holy without suffering," he discovers.

Dealing with religious and secular love, Heaven and Hell, the concepts of sin and judgment, and the guilt and punishments one imposes on oneself, the novel also illustrates the changes in British society after World War II. The role of the aristocracy is less important, the middle class is rising, and in the aftermath of war, all are searching for values. A full novel with characters who actively search for philosophical or religious meaning while they also search for romantic love, Brideshead Revisited is complex and thoughtfully constructed, an intellectual novel filled with personal and family tragedies--and, some would say, their triumphs. Mary Whipple

Waugh! What is it good for? Well..., 03 Jun 2004
Forgive the flippancy of the title, as this is, without a doubt the greatest novel I have ever read. The central theme is that of stringent religious values and breaking away from, or returning to them. I am an extremely committed atheist and Waugh was a fervent Roman Catholic. This surely proves Waughs sublime vision, insight and, above all, his splendidly non-preachy way of writing. Beyond that, it is one of the greatest love stories ever written. We may not mention Ryder and Flyte in the same breath as Rmeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, or Dido and Aeneas, but as a study in humanity (in my humble opinion) they exceed them all. The sheer beauty of Waugh's prose which is, at times, scarcely believable (see 'A blow, expected, repeated, falling on a bruise') is coupled with the outright hilarity of many passages (see the Belgian who feels as if it is his duty to oppose the lower classes everywhere). Amazon also sells (at a rather decent price) the 1981 BBC adaptation of the novel, starring Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews, which is unusual in that it is faithful to the letter and the spirit of the novel, and is really rather splendid. The novel, however, remains a towering acheivement, a heart-rending tale of loss and rejection, as well as acceptance and redemption. The finest novel of the Twentieth Century. You owe it to yourself to read it.

Charles, Sebastian, Cordelia and Bridey, 09 Feb 2000
I don't understand Julia so i will pass no comment on her motives and wishes in the world of Brideshead. The scene on the boat is so moving I was moved to tearss by the eventual outcome. Why does it have to be so? So much pain inside her. Charles left to his art and to become an ageing army officer, cut off from three families, his own now have a new father, his father must be long snce dead and Sebastian's. Throughout i was desparate for it to be different. Please Sebastian, I emplored, show that verbal brilliance and sparkling character you had at the start. His descent into the vortex is so worrying, one can see it early and one yearns for a recovery. But to what? His faher has left them, his mother tries to keep such atavistic control over them that the children all disapoint her and he appears to have no other friends. His finding of the sickly German in Morocco is odd but i think we are meant to see him for the first time in his life living unselfishly, doing menial tasks because he wants to help make someone else happy. Cordelia is blessed perhaps by not being so beautiful and makes the best attemppt at a real life, integrating herself into the world and caring for others. As for Bridey, he strolls ponderously in and out of the book. His father despises him and that has marked him. His dsister laughs at him when he becomes engaged, but so does the reader. We laugh at his marriage to someone fronm the middle classes and Waugh appears to give Bridey little sympathy. But on reflection why on earth shouldn't he marry a widow from Portsmouth, he loves her, why can't we accept that? So what if he collects matchboxes, it's not harming anyone. It might be a futile and obsessive hobby but he causes no pain to anyone. Why should Julia protest at his wife having her mother's jewellry, their refusal to accept outsiders is limitless.

This book is so wonderfully writtren that it would be nonsensical to try and describe it, only Waugh's prose itself is sufficient. The early scenes draw one in, it is majestically funny, Charles' father is wonderful. The dinner table scenes ("their battleground") are unforgettable. But what are we to make of such a cantankerous old man, who delights in not knowing his only son's age and invites guests to spite him. Humour is used delicately to expose the faultlines in their outdated society and opinions. Rex's conversations with the Catholic priest are very funny, but say a great deal about the congregatoion of the average Catholic church and Rex with his ambitions.

Beautiful and Enlightening..., 01 Apr 2008
This was actually the first 'adult' book I read as a child - much to the shock of my grandparents!! I loved it and reading it again as an adult (understanding it that much more)has assured it as a favourite. I would recommend anyone to read this. It covers issues of race, sexuality, family, friendships and gender fantastically. The film version is very good and the book is a must to read.

Genius, a wonderful read, 16 Sep 2007
Winner of the Pultizer Prize of Literature for 1983, the colour purple delves into the early plight of the struggle of African-Americans living in the segmented land of America who are still treated like slaves and slurred upon.

Celie, a young girl uncertain of her identify has her self confidence boosted by her own sister, Nettie. Both girls are forced to seperate and Celie has to learn on her own how to stand on her own two feet-with Nettie's encouragement......

Walker uses a diary format for this novel which pushes Celie's frustation against the world. For example, Walker emphasises authority of woman being treated like second class citizens having to address to men as Mr, whom she ends up having arranged marriage with. Walker makes Celie powerless-how she can't let her master down, but nevertheless growing to resent the harsh restriction of her life being barred down like this. Celie's grows in strength when her good nature and willingness to please pay off with his children, how she looks out for them as well as a strong determination growing inside herself for love.

The characters are quite serious in their own little ways especially the men who as time goes on, learn to ditch their selfishness, grow up and learn to adapt. For example, Mr feels he has right to hit Celie whenever she questions him or goes against his thinking, but Mr doesn't want to fierce and is quite happy for her to play the nanny role. Harpo seeks his advantage to be violent with Sofia whom he later betrays, leaving her to lose her own children after a bigamist fight and firmly grows to resent his decision. Sugar Avery is Mr's so-called girlfriend, whom takes a distaterous liking to the man, despite showing affection. A notourious drunk and nightclub singer, she wants her faith to be appreciated in her music and has an estrangement with her preacher father.

Nettie is a strong, brave and tough. She is described as the most radical and thoughtful person in the book who goes to Africa as part of the missionary accompying Reverend Samuel. She learns to live, although the horror of the situation that man has created, never dampens her spirit. A large preportion of the book is dedicated to her struggle in Africa to which relates to Celie's human struggle.

The Color Purple really is a wonderful read of hope, passion and love with the conclusion where they all rely on each other to keep going is vastly different to the climax of the film-the feeling i can see their aligned faces as they look over, proud and grateful to be alive. That's the best scene of them all!









wonderful, 05 Aug 2007
I saw the film a long time ago. I bought the book around the same time but as often happens with me, I didnt read it because I had just seen the movie and I 'knew what happened'. Then when it made it to our book group short list, and black history month was coming up, I went to look for my book, and I couldnt find it. So off I went into town to hopefully find one. I found one copy in the bookshop.

I started reading it a little half-heartedly since I wanted to read something cheerful and I really didnt remember the film being that cheerful. Anyway, I persevered, and found myself really involved in the story. I put the dvd on expecting it to be really depressing (from memory) and it was really really good. I picked the book up again, waiting for bits in the movie to take place in the book, but the book is slightly different. The general story and the outcome is the same but inbetween is fuller somehow. When I saw the film the first time, I focused on the abuse and the beatings and the miserable existence that Celie has, but that really is a small part of it compared to all the good things that happen to her in the end.

She says to her rotten wife-beating husband:

'Until you do right by me, everything you touch will crumble. Everything you even dream about will fail'

I guess that's a case of what goes around comes around because that's what happens. Treat people mean and expect to be treated the same way. Celie is nice to everyone, even the rotten husband, but in the end things do go right for her. Reading this book made me feel better about life in general. There is hope, people say nice guys finish last, but maybe they run a better race.

The Color Purple is set in 1909+ in the South, the story of a poor, ill-educated, abused, 'ugly*' black woman, writing letters to God and her sister and her sister writing back. The whole book is a series of letters. I would recommend to everyone and has become one of my favourite books.

(*ugly because she is told so many times in the book, until finally someone loves her and tells her she is beautiful)

over rated, 07 Jul 2007
Despite my interest in this era and subject area I felt the book was disappointing. The writing style was different and made the book somewhat unique however the plot and characters were poorly described leading to a somewhat dull read.

Not just meaningful but a good story to boot, 07 May 2007
The whole book is a collection of letters, whether they be to God or between Celie and her sister Nettie, and they read like a diary which I found easy to read.

My first impression after reading only a few pages, was how primitive the characters appeared to be, and they are in many ways, but they're also wonderfully uncomplicated and honest.

The letters from Africa were fascinating and we learn in an interesting and very real way how the African people themselves played a part in slavery. We also gain an understanding of the frustration and injustice of how land and tribes were desecrated in the name of 'improvement' and industry.

I don't think that all the men in this novel were described negatively as some reviewers have suggested. Celie's 'Pa' and Mr________ did treat her badly and were very aggressive and cruel but we see the family cycle borne out in Harpo and how he struggles to understand why he feels he should treat women like his pa but isn't succeeding because Sofia won't put up with his bullying.
Samuel in contrast is shown as a very compassionate person and Celie and Nettie's real pa is described as being very successful as well as '...having a wife whom he adored...'.

The over riding story is about human spirit and strength of character. Love and respect. The strongest line in the book for me is when Celie tells Mr________
"I'm pore, I'm black, I may be ugly and can't cook...but I'm here."
Amen indeed!

What goes around comes around and Celie's 'curse' aimed at Mr________was justified and correct. By the end of the book Mr_________ has gone on his own journey of discovery and realisation and Celie and his relationship is uplifting and mature.






A very witty masterpiece , 11 Mar 2008
In my quest to read more work by Irish literary greats this year, I recently purchased a newly repackaged Penguin Popular Classic version of Oscar Wilde's 1895 play The Importance of Being Earnest. This edition, with its vibrant green cover and tracing-paper thin paper (all 100 per cent recycled), retails for a meagre £2 -- that's a very cheap price for a masterpiece, in my opinion.

I had seen a film version of this play a couple of years ago (the 2002 version starring Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Frances O'Connor, Reese Witherspoon and Judi Dench) and I remember laughing out loud at a lot of it. But seeing the words in black-and-white print makes them seem even funnier -- if that is possible.

For those who don't know the storyline, the brief synopsis goes something like this: Country gentleman Jack Worthing invents a younger brother, Ernest, whom he pretends to be when he visits the city. This gives him free reign to pursue the beautiful Gwendolen. Meanwhile his city-based friend, Algernon Moncrieff, invents a poorly relative, Bunbury, whom he pretends to visit in the country in order that he can leave his dull city existence behind for a bit of fun and frivolity. One day Algernon pretends to be Ernest and visits Jack's pretty charge, Cecily, in the country, which leads to all kinds of confusion about identity. Obviously, Jack is not happy, but when his own deceptive behaviour is called into question, the scene is ripe for much farce and hilarity.

In three short acts, this play delivers so many laughs and classic one-liners it's difficult to appreciate the genius of it in just one reading. Fortunately, it's short enough -- just 67 pages in this edition -- to read cover-to-cover twice in a very short amount of time.

How many people haven't heard this line?

* (Delivered by Lady Bracknell to Jack): To lose one parent, Mr Worthing, may be regarded as misfortune: to lose both looks like carelessness.

Or this one:
* (Delivered by Gwendolen to Cecily): I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.

But it's not just the lines which are funny, but the setting and the ways in which they are delivered that makes certain scenes especially comedic. This scene, in which Cecily serves tea and cake to her new rival in love, Gwendolen, is a good example of Wilde's ability to capture the little details in people's behaviour that conveys so much about their character and mood.

Cecily [sweetly]: Sugar?
Gwendolen [superciliously]: No thank you. Sugar is not fashionable any more. [Cecily looks angrily at her, takes up the tongs and puts four lumps of sugar in the cup.]
Cecily [severely]: Cake or bread and butter?
Gwendolen [in a bored manner]: Bread and butter, please. Cake is rarely seen at the best houses nowadays.
Cecily [cuts a very large slice of cake and puts it on the tray]: Hand that to Miss Fairfax.

Without wishing to wax lyrical, this is a sumptuous, dazzling read -- a wonderfully clever farce to brighten up the dullest day. It's tightly written, with not a word wasted, and there's a delightful conclusion in which all the lose ends are brought together and tied up with an unexpected flourish. Masterpiece, indeed.

absolutely brilliant!, 29 Nov 2007
everything about this book is perfect, the timing, the comedy, the situation. I can't even go into how fantastic it is, but i know that Osar Wilde is a genius and i wish he was still around, read this book, and don't loose out another second without it!

A very enjoyable reading, witty and full of "English" humor, 16 Jun 2005
Despite the fact that I usually like to watch plays, not so much to read them on paper, I found "The Importance of Being Earnest" a very enjoyable reading. The plot is greatly witty and I had a real fun reading several scenes described in this book. Given the theatrical style, the overall plot is not quite realistic, yet it is highly brilliant and full of "English" humor. After having read the book, I also bought the Audio-CD version of it, which I also enjoyed sincerely.

The Importance of Reading Earnest, 13 Dec 2004
I personally think that this play is fantastic. Superficially it is a very trivial, lighthearted play with little plot but peppered with witty conceits. On a deeper level it provides an incredible, satirical view of Victorian moral society, from one of the the 'insiders'. The links between the play and the life of Wilde are rife, especially regarding Algernon. I would recommend it wholeheartedly.

The wittiest play ever written in the English language, 11 Jul 2004
"The Importance of Being Earnest: A Trivial Comedy for Serious People" is one of the first plays written in English since the works of Shakespeare that celebrates the language itself. Oscar Wilde's comedy has one advantage over the classic comedies of the Bard in that "The Importance of Being Earnest" is as funny today as it was when it was first performed at the St. Jame's Theater in London on February 14, 1895. After all, enjoying Shakespeare requires checking the bottom for footnotes explaining the meaning of those dozens of words that Shakespeare makes up in any one of his plays. But Wilde's brilliant wit, his humor and social satire, remain intact even though he was a writer of the Victorian era.

Wilde believed in art for art's own sake, which explains why he emphasized beauty while his contemporaries were dealing with the problems of industrial England. "The Importance of Being Earnest" is set among the upper class, making fun of their excesses and absurdities while imbuing them with witty banter providing a constant stream of epigrams. The play's situation is simple in its unraveling complexity. Algernon Moncrieff is an upper-class English bachelor who is visited by his friend Jack Worthing, who is known as "Ernest." Jack has come to town to propose to Gwendolen Fairfax, the daugher of the imposing Lady Bracknell and Algy's first cousin. Jack has a ward named Cecily who lives in the country while Algernon has an imaginary friend named "Bunbury" whom he uses as an excuse to get out of social engagements.

Jack proposes to Gwendolen but has two problems. First, Gwendolen is wiling to agree because his name is Ernest, a name that "seems to inspire absolute confidence," but which, of course, is not his true Christian name. Second, Lady Bracknell objects to Jack as a suitor when she learns he was abandoned by his parents and found in a handbag in Victoria Station by Mr. Thomas Cardew. Meanwhile, Algernon heads off to the country to check out Cecily, to whom he introduces himself as being her guardian Jack's brother Ernest. This meets with Ceclily's approval because in her diary she has been writing about her engagement to a man named Ernest. Then things get really interesting.

Wilde proves once and for all time that the pun can indeed be elevated to a high art form. Throughout the entire play we have the double meaning of the word "earnest," almost to the level of a conceit, since many of the play's twists and turns deal with the efforts of Jack and Algernon to be "Ernest," by lying, only to discover that circumstances makes honest men of them in the end (and of the women for that matter as well). There is every reason to believe that Wilde was making a point about earnestness being a key ideal of Victorian culture and one worthy of being thoroughly and completely mocked. Granted, some of the puns are really bad, and the discussion of "Bunburying" is so bad it is stands alone in that regard, but there is a sense in which the bad ones only make the good ones so glorious and emphasize that Wilde is at his best while playing games with the English language.

But if Wilde's puns are the low road then his epigrams represent the heights of his genius, especially when they are used by the characters in an ironic vein (e.g., "It is very romantic to be in love. But there is nothing romantic about a definite proposal" and "I do not approve of anything that tampers with natural ignorance"). Jack is the male lead, but it is Algernon who represents the ideal Wilde character, who insists he is a rebel speaking out against the institutions of society, such as marriage, but with attacks that are so flamboyant and humorous that the cleverness of the humor ends up standing apart from the inherent point.

In the end, "The Importance of Being Earnest" is the wittiest play every written, in English or any other language, and I doubt that anything written in the future will come close. Wilde was essentially a stand-up comedian who managed to create a narrative in which he could get off dozens of classic one-liners given a high-class sheen by being labeled epigrams. Like a comedian he touches on several topics, from the aristocracy, marriage, and the literary world to English manners, women, love, religion, and anything else that came to his fertile mind. But because it is done with such a lighthearted tone that the barbs remain as timely today as they were at the end of the 19th-century and "The Importance of Being Earnest" will always be at the forefront of the plays of that time which will continue to be produced.

All-time favourite, 24 Oct 2007
The story of Arthur and his knights has been told and re-told countless times but this is not only one of the very best versions, it also transcends the Arthurian legend to become an incredibly insightful and moving account of the growth of a boy into a man, and the decline of that man into a disillusioned person. It ranges across all human emotions, from happiness and joy to despondency and depression. Particularly at the end there are some of the most moving scenes I've ever read, when Arthur realizes that all he has fought for his entire life is in ruins, and Merlin tries to persuade him that maybe not all is lost. Over 800 pages of sheer beauty, what's keeping you?

Perfection, 02 Apr 2007
When I'm having a quiet muse about things I occassionally wonder whether the once and future king or lord of the rings is the greatest book I've ever read. I've come to the conclusion that instead of making a choice I'm going to pick both equally, the once and future king for me delights on levels that lord of the rings does not but lord of the rings enthralls me in a way the once and future king does not. I first read the OAFK in my teens and it filled me with delight at the literature of Arthurian Britain and the art of storytelling at its breathtaking best. The stories are beautifully written and still feel fresh and real as though written by a modern day author, I'd ask the people who read this book to consider if many other books make you believe the title? T.S. White succeeds in making you believe that the myth that Arthur will return at Englands darkest hour not as an absurdity but as a real possibility. How many other authors could come make you believe that? If this book doesn't enthrall and delight than nothing in written form will so sit back and enjoy.

emmense, 03 Feb 2006
While thinking of what to write about this book, my list of adjectives got ridiculously long. So instead I'll just say that I love to lend my copy to people, but every time I watch it leave my heart breaks a little. This is one of four books that I keep close at all times. I think it's wonderful. Please read it.

A strong link in the chain, 10 Jan 2006
One commentator once said, 'T.H. White has a genius for recreating the physical conditions of the past; the child who reads him will learn far more than all the historians and archaeologists could tell of what England was like in the Middle Ages.' This tale, 'The Once and Future King', is a classic of English literature, crossing the ages to be a tale both of modern times in the language and treatment of characters as well as the misty, mystical past with its subject matter.

Like many classics, this book inspired both great love and great irritation. It is a classic retelling of the Arthurian legends - White does not add to the legends with his own additions, but rather sticks closely to manuscripts and stories that have gone before, most notably Thomas Mallory's 'Le Morte d'Arthur', also considered a classic. The book is divided into four major sections: 'The Sword in the Stone', 'The Queen of Air and Darkness', 'The Ill-Made Knight', and 'The Candle in the Wind'. The overall tone of Arthur's legend goes from hopefulness to tragedy, as even the final conflicts become unresolved, hence the idea that Arthur will come again.

The title of this work comes from the supposed inscription on Arthur's tomb: HIC IACET ARTORIVS REX QVONDAM REXQVE FVTVRVS. The sweep goes from Arthur's childhood to the final battle with his son Mordred. Like many works, this is both a piece of entertainment as well as a p