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Under the Duvet
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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*Amazon: £3.09
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 Customer Reviews
Where do I start?, 12 Sep 2008
I have read this collection of short works by Marian Keyes so many times that I've lost count now. It's a great little book to keep by the bed so you can read a couple of pieces without wondering what's going to happen next, unlike most Keyes books which I find almost impossible to put down. Her writing is just so funny and observant. A lot of the pieces of journalism had already been published although I hadn't read them before, but some new ones were penned especially for this collection. I particularly liked Fear and Loathing in Los Angeles - a hilarious ancedote of Marian's trip to LA LA land. It had me in fits of laughter. Another winner! A book people can relate to, 17 Aug 2008
I was sceptical about buying this after reading some negative reviews - but i loved it. Easy to dip in and out of, and alot of her tales people can laugh along with because it's happened to them. I was also very touched to learn about Marian's previous alcohol problems as i had no idea! Now i can see why she writes about it so well in her novels.
Anyway, goood book that i would recommend to fans of Marian Keyes. Funny and Honest as usual, 15 Nov 2006
Keyes at her very best - honest observations of life which kept me laughing - shame it wasn't six inches thick! Funny and chatty, 21 Aug 2005
Under the Duvet is a collection of "things" (dont know what to call 'em) that marian Keyes has written for Irish newspapers/magazines. She writes about funny eisodes in her life and about her thoughts on current issues. U get a really good picture of what kind of person MK is. She is really much like many of her charcters. MK says that none of her characters are real persons, but made up by combining up to 100 persons MK har met or something. What is clear from Under the Duvet is that all MK's characters have something of MK herself in them. Also obviously she takes a lot of the stuff she writes about from her own life. So Under the Duvet is a really great book. It might be even more entertarining than MK's novells, because its definitely never boring. I coudnt stop readin g, cos it was so funny. I would indeed have liked to read more... What else I want to say about MK is that she is just so down to earth and great. And under humor there is something serious too.
Great Irish Comedy, 06 Sep 2004
This is more a collection of short stories that Marian has written for magazines and newspapers with some unpublished pieces as well. Her Irish humour had me in stitches and I think it helps to be Irish to understand it. My English sister-in-law didn't find it so amusing. I even found myself reading sections out to my husband, especially the story about football!
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Further Under the Duvet
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £0.22
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Customer Reviews
Where do I start?, 12 Sep 2008
I have read this collection of short works by Marian Keyes so many times that I've lost count now. It's a great little book to keep by the bed so you can read a couple of pieces without wondering what's going to happen next, unlike most Keyes books which I find almost impossible to put down. Her writing is just so funny and observant. A lot of the pieces of journalism had already been published although I hadn't read them before, but some new ones were penned especially for this collection. I particularly liked Fear and Loathing in Los Angeles - a hilarious ancedote of Marian's trip to LA LA land. It had me in fits of laughter. Another winner! A book people can relate to, 17 Aug 2008
I was sceptical about buying this after reading some negative reviews - but i loved it. Easy to dip in and out of, and alot of her tales people can laugh along with because it's happened to them. I was also very touched to learn about Marian's previous alcohol problems as i had no idea! Now i can see why she writes about it so well in her novels.
Anyway, goood book that i would recommend to fans of Marian Keyes. Funny and Honest as usual, 15 Nov 2006
Keyes at her very best - honest observations of life which kept me laughing - shame it wasn't six inches thick! Funny and chatty, 21 Aug 2005
Under the Duvet is a collection of "things" (dont know what to call 'em) that marian Keyes has written for Irish newspapers/magazines. She writes about funny eisodes in her life and about her thoughts on current issues. U get a really good picture of what kind of person MK is. She is really much like many of her charcters. MK says that none of her characters are real persons, but made up by combining up to 100 persons MK har met or something. What is clear from Under the Duvet is that all MK's characters have something of MK herself in them. Also obviously she takes a lot of the stuff she writes about from her own life. So Under the Duvet is a really great book. It might be even more entertarining than MK's novells, because its definitely never boring. I coudnt stop readin g, cos it was so funny. I would indeed have liked to read more... What else I want to say about MK is that she is just so down to earth and great. And under humor there is something serious too.
Great Irish Comedy, 06 Sep 2004
This is more a collection of short stories that Marian has written for magazines and newspapers with some unpublished pieces as well. Her Irish humour had me in stitches and I think it helps to be Irish to understand it. My English sister-in-law didn't find it so amusing. I even found myself reading sections out to my husband, especially the story about football!
Instant satisfaction from literary chocolate, 09 Oct 2006
It's been a while since I've read any of Marian Keyes' books and I don't know why. Her books have an instant feel-good factor, and as the title suggests, makes you want to snuggle up under the duvet with a big bar of chocolate. I thoroughly enjoyed the journalistic articles in the book but I didn't really take to a couple of the short stories or the Mammy Walsh problem pages. I just lost interest, maybe because I was really longing for more of the true-life stuff. I haven't read the first book "Under the Duvet" and I will definitely be rushing out to buy a copy. Marian Keyes is a great writer and long may she keep writing!
Excellent, 13 Sep 2006
I have read all the other marian keyes books but not the "under the duvet" series...I held the writers belief that short stories were a waste of time as just as you started liking the characters the story was over! However, i was glad that marian had changed her mind and wrote a collection of short stories and she has now managed to change mine! The stories are great and some so funny that i had to bite my cheeks on the train as i tried to stifle a massive laugh...of course the woman opposite me on the train caught me giggling inanely and told me that laughing at books on trains makes you look mad...but hey what the hell! I am now going to buy the next first under the duvet book as the second one is great so i am sure the first one is just as good. Go buy this book as marians sense of humour is just as good in a short story as it is in a long thick book!
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Customer Reviews
Where do I start?, 12 Sep 2008
I have read this collection of short works by Marian Keyes so many times that I've lost count now. It's a great little book to keep by the bed so you can read a couple of pieces without wondering what's going to happen next, unlike most Keyes books which I find almost impossible to put down. Her writing is just so funny and observant. A lot of the pieces of journalism had already been published although I hadn't read them before, but some new ones were penned especially for this collection. I particularly liked Fear and Loathing in Los Angeles - a hilarious ancedote of Marian's trip to LA LA land. It had me in fits of laughter. Another winner! A book people can relate to, 17 Aug 2008
I was sceptical about buying this after reading some negative reviews - but i loved it. Easy to dip in and out of, and alot of her tales people can laugh along with because it's happened to them. I was also very touched to learn about Marian's previous alcohol problems as i had no idea! Now i can see why she writes about it so well in her novels.
Anyway, goood book that i would recommend to fans of Marian Keyes. Funny and Honest as usual, 15 Nov 2006
Keyes at her very best - honest observations of life which kept me laughing - shame it wasn't six inches thick! Funny and chatty, 21 Aug 2005
Under the Duvet is a collection of "things" (dont know what to call 'em) that marian Keyes has written for Irish newspapers/magazines. She writes about funny eisodes in her life and about her thoughts on current issues. U get a really good picture of what kind of person MK is. She is really much like many of her charcters. MK says that none of her characters are real persons, but made up by combining up to 100 persons MK har met or something. What is clear from Under the Duvet is that all MK's characters have something of MK herself in them. Also obviously she takes a lot of the stuff she writes about from her own life. So Under the Duvet is a really great book. It might be even more entertarining than MK's novells, because its definitely never boring. I coudnt stop readin g, cos it was so funny. I would indeed have liked to read more... What else I want to say about MK is that she is just so down to earth and great. And under humor there is something serious too.
Great Irish Comedy, 06 Sep 2004
This is more a collection of short stories that Marian has written for magazines and newspapers with some unpublished pieces as well. Her Irish humour had me in stitches and I think it helps to be Irish to understand it. My English sister-in-law didn't find it so amusing. I even found myself reading sections out to my husband, especially the story about football!
Instant satisfaction from literary chocolate, 09 Oct 2006
It's been a while since I've read any of Marian Keyes' books and I don't know why. Her books have an instant feel-good factor, and as the title suggests, makes you want to snuggle up under the duvet with a big bar of chocolate. I thoroughly enjoyed the journalistic articles in the book but I didn't really take to a couple of the short stories or the Mammy Walsh problem pages. I just lost interest, maybe because I was really longing for more of the true-life stuff. I haven't read the first book "Under the Duvet" and I will definitely be rushing out to buy a copy. Marian Keyes is a great writer and long may she keep writing!
Excellent, 13 Sep 2006
I have read all the other marian keyes books but not the "under the duvet" series...I held the writers belief that short stories were a waste of time as just as you started liking the characters the story was over! However, i was glad that marian had changed her mind and wrote a collection of short stories and she has now managed to change mine! The stories are great and some so funny that i had to bite my cheeks on the train as i tried to stifle a massive laugh...of course the woman opposite me on the train caught me giggling inanely and told me that laughing at books on trains makes you look mad...but hey what the hell! I am now going to buy the next first under the duvet book as the second one is great so i am sure the first one is just as good. Go buy this book as marians sense of humour is just as good in a short story as it is in a long thick book!
Excellent, 18 Nov 2008
George Orwell never found writing that easy but he cared a great deal about the English language and by a huge amount of hard work developed a brilliant and lucid style.
I read Animal Farm and 1984 many years ago and I have since read most of his other works too. Although I disagee with many of Orwell's political and religious views, I have always enjoyed reading his work.
These essays cover many subjects such as English society, the use of language in poliical debate, the Second World War, Charles Dickens, H G Wells and many other topics.
Excellent and recommened reading.
Political writing as art; all art is propaganda, 12 Mar 2008
In these by times highly emotional essays written in the 1930s and 1940s George Orwell gives us with in depth analyses his personal viewpoint on the literary, political and socio-economic scene.
In literature, he sees the novel as `a Protestant form of art, a product of the free mind, of the autonomous individual.' Orwell's aim was to `push the world in a certain direction: a battle against totalitarianism and for democratic Socialism.'
In his criticism he searches for the essential (hidden) message of the author.
Dickens's rather naïve creed is: `If man would behave decently, the world would be decent.' His ideal is `a hundred thousand pounds, a quaint old house, a sweetly womanly wife, a horde of children and no work.'
Henry Miller's books are `a passive acceptance of decay and evil.'
H.G. Wells dreams of a utopian World State.
R. Kipling is a jingo imperialist, but he didn't understand that `an empire is primarily a money-making concern'.
W.B. Yeats is in essence a defender of feudalism, `a great hater of democracy and of human equality, of the modern world, science, technology and the concept of progress.'
A. Koestler's main theme is `the decadence of revolutions owing to corrupting effects of power.'
P.G. Wodehouse's real sin is to present the English upper classes as much nicer than they are.
In `Gulliver's Travels', J. Swift delivers a frontal attack on totalitarianism and shows that he is a disbeliever in the possibility of happiness.
Orwell's view on world matters is rightly `no Law, only Power'.
Nationalism is inseparable from the desire for power.
The concentration of the media in the hands of a few rich men puts the freedom of the press and intellectual liberty under attack. The `very concept of objective truth' is lost.
The Spanish war showed him the essential horror of army life.
He is extremely severe for the British establishment: `The British ruling class thought that Fascism was on their side.' For them, `it is better to inherit, than to work.' `In an England ruled by stupidity, to be `clever' was to be suspect.'
But his solution is also naïve: `common ownership of the means of production. The State, representing the whole nation, owns everything, and everyone is a State employee.' In other words, he pleads for a massive bureaucracy.
But he contradicts himself when he complains that `everything in our age conspires to turn the writer into a minor official!'
These essays contain also vivid memories of his public school life (`irrational terror') and of his Indian life ('Shooting an elephant'). He comments on sports (`war without shooting), detective stories (J.H. Chase), poetry (`the most hated art form'), mildly pornographic comic postcards (`a harmless rebellion against virtue') and ends with a superb portrait of Ghandi.
These remarkable essays, written by a fearless superb free mind, a fighter for justice and a true `révolté' (A. Camus), are a must read.
An honest journalist, 14 Dec 2007
Orwell - *the* iconoclast, defender of truth, and anti-authoritarian. His essays are very objective; he does not write dishonestly because of any ideological positions (indeed, he was as critical of those on the left as those on the right), and thus these essays provide a compelling contribution to our understanding of the particularly chaotic part of the century they were written in.
Wonderful, 02 Dec 2007
A wonderful collection of essays, ranging on topics from English cooking to democracy, from the common toad to the plight of the homeless. The essays notable both for their writing and their thoughts. And whilst not everything in the essays are correct, or in tune with my view point Orwell does at least present a different view point that in some cases challenged my own. At some point I realised I was no longer a pacifist. Highly recommended. It's worth noting that this edition does not contain a comprehensive collection of all his essays and many will have to be found in other volumes.
Orwell's/Blair's essays, an ultimate anthology?, 02 May 2007
Just over a year ago I picked up a copy of George Orwell's essays on the fly thinking one or two might be good considering the masterpiece that is "Nineteen Eighty-Four". When I received the book, complete with late 1920s socialist art on the front cover. An introduction by Orwell's biographer is quite good, and while invariably swaying into analysis of Orwell's epic novel "1984", remains a pretty good piece of commentary on Orwell's essays.
The book begins with Orwell's authoring treatise entitled "Why I Write" - this was published soon after the masterpiece of satire "Animal Farm". From there on the essays are arranged chronologically; from pieces published from 1931 regards his period of poverty and experience of "Spikes" (homeless shelters) up until 1949 with his Reflections on Gandhi essay which analyzes Gandhi's life and works, together with his ethics and influence over life in India.
He writes astutely, from the very beginning showing promise in the Plain Prose style of English which is instantaneously easy to read by practically anyone with a good understanding of the language of our fine country. In "Politics and the English language" Orwell examines and scrutinizes to great lengths how language has evolved (or be it, devolved) over the period spanning 1920 - 1940. He selects quotes randomly; choosing neither the worst nor the best but rather a smattering of random writings by various individuals.
He then systematically criticizes each and wittily advises any budding writer or reader to arm himself against the less desirable aspects of the English language's changes.
Political essays abound in this book - Orwell was personally a Democratic Socialist as another review correctly states, which equates to what the Attlee administration stood for in the late 40s. However later in life he did become more receptive to arguments from the free market orientated right (like Hayek's "Road to Serfdom", another great econo-political text).
Understandably some of these writings are outdated and seem out of touch, the now much forgotten Spanish Civil War, the Communist movement of Spain, and General Franco himself is now confined to the historical annals. Or as a sort of prefix to the devastation of World War II. Orwell's wartime essays are wonderful - not only is he capable of bringing humorous situations to light (such as P.G. Wodehouse's capture by the Nazis in Belgium during their Blitzkrieg invasion in 1940.) He comments on how Wodehouse is merely an old man, believing his predicament and subsequent bargaining with the Nazis as a bit of a joke - ironically Wodehouse would outlive Orwell by more than twenty years.
Other essays are so British that anyone from outside the UK would have trouble understanding why on earth we are as we are. A 1940 essay named "The Art of Donald McGill" provides us with this brilliant quote from one of the then semi-legal saucy postcards:
Man: "I like seeing experienced girls home..."
Woman: "But I'm not experienced!"
Man: "Your not home yet!"
Now Orwell is on the ball here; he perceives that most of McGills postcards are mere sauciness and no more - but notices a few possess a wit and guile uncommon to such material previous or since his era. McGills trial was to occur after Orwell's 1950 death; but certainly this essay sums up McGills entire career, to use a tired phrase, in a nutshell.
So, what else on the British front? British cooking - Orwell gives a brief but concise summary of our dishes after some derisive comments from abroad (which were repeated recently by Jacques Chirac, the French President quite recently - and similarly rebuked by journalists and politicians alike.)
----
The final category, if you will, is Orwell's literary analysis. Orwell's knowledge of literature, foreign and British, goes back roughly to Shakespearian times - he had little time for the legends or myths of the Medieval era and only mentions Ancient Greek works in passing. He did however, read and have extensive knowledge of The Bible - quoting Corinthians, Ecclesiastes (a fine philosophical book by any standard), and several more sections.
He states all of his favourite authors in one essay, and lenghtily analyzes certain others and/or books. His brilliant essay entitled "Charles Dickens" gives such a thorough and brutal examination of Dickensian literature aswell as the man's personality that it baffles one to see how well-read Orwell is. To (roughly) quote Stephen King:
"To become a good author, you must read for four hours and write for four hours every day."
George Orwell, or be it Eric Blair I feel kept to these rules much of his life, exceptions being his service in Burma as a young man and his period as a homeless man upon leaving the military and entering the grimy world of poverty and work as a plongeur in Paris, followed by a trip back home to London for a job that never materialized.
Leafing through my copy of this anthology I find an analysis of an obscure translation of a Leo Tolstoy pamphlet denouncing Shakespeare (whom Orwell revered, plays, poetry, everything.) The document is so obscure and dated (it was written in 1903 when Tolstoy was an old man, and concerns the existential play "King Lear" - one of Shakespeare's best in most scholar's, and my own, opinion.
He first goes along amicably with Tolstoy's grumbles and critique - before tearing it apart piece by piece; concluding on the note that nobody (or very few) will ever read or take an interest in Tolstoy's opinionated pamphlets of his later life. And, were it not for "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina" - he butchers Tolstoy's view that the play is merely a poor take off of an earlier, better and more sensical earlier work named "King Leir" by an unknown author.
Another hard hitting, deeply affective and well written author critique is Orwell's one of Rudyard Kipling, . I feel I must quote here:
Kipling (part of poem): Down to Gehemma or up to the Throne
He travels the fastest who travels alone.
Orwell follows this up immediately with this gem of a paragraph: There is a thought vulgarly expressed. It may not be true, but at any rate it's a thought everyone thinks. Sooner or later you'll have occasion to think that he who travels fastest travels alone, and there the thought is, ready made and, as it were, waiting for you. (...)
The eerie chill of that passage leads you to remember it, as a fine adhesive it sticks...an earlier part of the essay has Orwell spotting a constant characteristic in Kipling's poetry. He quotes single lines from six poems:
"East is East, and West is West."
"The white man's burden."
"What do they know of England who only England know?"
"The female of the species is more deadly than the male."
"Somewhere East of Suez."
"Paying the Dane-Geld."
Upon noting that certain phrases such as "killing Kruger with your mouth" remained in wide use until just before 1942 when this essay was published, Orwell goes on to note:
"But what the phrases I have listed above have in common is that they are all of them phrases ones utters semi-derisively, but which one of us is bound to make use of sooner or later." This is true, and one of those phrases became the title of a pop song during the late 1990s; semi-relevant perhaps, since the song is one that is merely wary of the power of the female. Semi-derisive, if you will.
Lastly with Kipling, Orwell notes that his famous poem "If" was elevated to a near-Biblical status by the "Blimps" (ie. Conservative individuals) of the day. Orwell concludes that Kipling, due to his violent poems, had a slightly neurotic streak in him; a lust for cruelty and harm - and was in the very same tribe as the Blimps themselves; far from being a Fascist (a misnomer due to Kipling's use of the Hindu Swastika later in life) his outlook was merely that of pre-Fascist; an Edwardian era, semi-ignorant and oblivious Conservative, unaware of the economic motives behind the British Empire - devastated at its decline.
So, whether it be literary critique, political and ideological analysis, life experience and biography, or just plain good British-isms packed into essays about ourselves which remain largely relevant - then buy this book.
I took it to an authoritarian nation myself last year, (Putin's Russia, to be exact) and was dissapointed to find how rigorous police enforcement remained there. Sitting on my bed or in my chair there, reading Orwell's essays through for the second or third time it struck me that freedom is one of the most important things to be preserved - curbing it destroys society in the long run. Whether it be excessive patrols, airport strip searches, or assassination of journalists or pro-freedom politicians; it is vital we keep our liberties and our principles.
So, if I could grant this 6 stars I would. Buy this book as soon as possible; I'll be purchasing a second copy as a gift for a good friend soon - I suggest you recommend this great collection of essays to family and friends, use it to improve your own English writing skills - indeed it made me super voracious during my A Levels a year ago (I received 120/120 in a society/politics/economy Gen. Studies paper using Orwell's tenacious style of plain prose.)
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Paperweight
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £3.78
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Customer Reviews
Where do I start?, 12 Sep 2008
I have read this collection of short works by Marian Keyes so many times that I've lost count now. It's a great little book to keep by the bed so you can read a couple of pieces without wondering what's going to happen next, unlike most Keyes books which I find almost impossible to put down. Her writing is just so funny and observant. A lot of the pieces of journalism had already been published although I hadn't read them before, but some new ones were penned especially for this collection. I particularly liked Fear and Loathing in Los Angeles - a hilarious ancedote of Marian's trip to LA LA land. It had me in fits of laughter. Another winner! A book people can relate to, 17 Aug 2008
I was sceptical about buying this after reading some negative reviews - but i loved it. Easy to dip in and out of, and alot of her tales people can laugh along with because it's happened to them. I was also very touched to learn about Marian's previous alcohol problems as i had no idea! Now i can see why she writes about it so well in her novels.
Anyway, goood book that i would recommend to fans of Marian Keyes. Funny and Honest as usual, 15 Nov 2006
Keyes at her very best - honest observations of life which kept me laughing - shame it wasn't six inches thick! Funny and chatty, 21 Aug 2005
Under the Duvet is a collection of "things" (dont know what to call 'em) that marian Keyes has written for Irish newspapers/magazines. She writes about funny eisodes in her life and about her thoughts on current issues. U get a really good picture of what kind of person MK is. She is really much like many of her charcters. MK says that none of her characters are real persons, but made up by combining up to 100 persons MK har met or something. What is clear from Under the Duvet is that all MK's characters have something of MK herself in them. Also obviously she takes a lot of the stuff she writes about from her own life. So Under the Duvet is a really great book. It might be even more entertarining than MK's novells, because its definitely never boring. I coudnt stop readin g, cos it was so funny. I would indeed have liked to read more... What else I want to say about MK is that she is just so down to earth and great. And under humor there is something serious too.
Great Irish Comedy, 06 Sep 2004
This is more a collection of short stories that Marian has written for magazines and newspapers with some unpublished pieces as well. Her Irish humour had me in stitches and I think it helps to be Irish to understand it. My English sister-in-law didn't find it so amusing. I even found myself reading sections out to my husband, especially the story about football!
Instant satisfaction from literary chocolate, 09 Oct 2006
It's been a while since I've read any of Marian Keyes' books and I don't know why. Her books have an instant feel-good factor, and as the title suggests, makes you want to snuggle up under the duvet with a big bar of chocolate. I thoroughly enjoyed the journalistic articles in the book but I didn't really take to a couple of the short stories or the Mammy Walsh problem pages. I just lost interest, maybe because I was really longing for more of the true-life stuff. I haven't read the first book "Under the Duvet" and I will definitely be rushing out to buy a copy. Marian Keyes is a great writer and long may she keep writing!
Excellent, 13 Sep 2006
I have read all the other marian keyes books but not the "under the duvet" series...I held the writers belief that short stories were a waste of time as just as you started liking the characters the story was over! However, i was glad that marian had changed her mind and wrote a collection of short stories and she has now managed to change mine! The stories are great and some so funny that i had to bite my cheeks on the train as i tried to stifle a massive laugh...of course the woman opposite me on the train caught me giggling inanely and told me that laughing at books on trains makes you look mad...but hey what the hell! I am now going to buy the next first under the duvet book as the second one is great so i am sure the first one is just as good. Go buy this book as marians sense of humour is just as good in a short story as it is in a long thick book!
Excellent, 18 Nov 2008
George Orwell never found writing that easy but he cared a great deal about the English language and by a huge amount of hard work developed a brilliant and lucid style.
I read Animal Farm and 1984 many years ago and I have since read most of his other works too. Although I disagee with many of Orwell's political and religious views, I have always enjoyed reading his work.
These essays cover many subjects such as English society, the use of language in poliical debate, the Second World War, Charles Dickens, H G Wells and many other topics.
Excellent and recommened reading.
Political writing as art; all art is propaganda, 12 Mar 2008
In these by times highly emotional essays written in the 1930s and 1940s George Orwell gives us with in depth analyses his personal viewpoint on the literary, political and socio-economic scene.
In literature, he sees the novel as `a Protestant form of art, a product of the free mind, of the autonomous individual.' Orwell's aim was to `push the world in a certain direction: a battle against totalitarianism and for democratic Socialism.'
In his criticism he searches for the essential (hidden) message of the author.
Dickens's rather naïve creed is: `If man would behave decently, the world would be decent.' His ideal is `a hundred thousand pounds, a quaint old house, a sweetly womanly wife, a horde of children and no work.'
Henry Miller's books are `a passive acceptance of decay and evil.'
H.G. Wells dreams of a utopian World State.
R. Kipling is a jingo imperialist, but he didn't understand that `an empire is primarily a money-making concern'.
W.B. Yeats is in essence a defender of feudalism, `a great hater of democracy and of human equality, of the modern world, science, technology and the concept of progress.'
A. Koestler's main theme is `the decadence of revolutions owing to corrupting effects of power.'
P.G. Wodehouse's real sin is to present the English upper classes as much nicer than they are.
In `Gulliver's Travels', J. Swift delivers a frontal attack on totalitarianism and shows that he is a disbeliever in the possibility of happiness.
Orwell's view on world matters is rightly `no Law, only Power'.
Nationalism is inseparable from the desire for power.
The concentration of the media in the hands of a few rich men puts the freedom of the press and intellectual liberty under attack. The `very concept of objective truth' is lost.
The Spanish war showed him the essential horror of army life.
He is extremely severe for the British establishment: `The British ruling class thought that Fascism was on their side.' For them, `it is better to inherit, than to work.' `In an England ruled by stupidity, to be `clever' was to be suspect.'
But his solution is also naïve: `common ownership of the means of production. The State, representing the whole nation, owns everything, and everyone is a State employee.' In other words, he pleads for a massive bureaucracy.
But he contradicts himself when he complains that `everything in our age conspires to turn the writer into a minor official!'
These essays contain also vivid memories of his public school life (`irrational terror') and of his Indian life ('Shooting an elephant'). He comments on sports (`war without shooting), detective stories (J.H. Chase), poetry (`the most hated art form'), mildly pornographic comic postcards (`a harmless rebellion against virtue') and ends with a superb portrait of Ghandi.
These remarkable essays, written by a fearless superb free mind, a fighter for justice and a true `révolté' (A. Camus), are a must read.
An honest journalist, 14 Dec 2007
Orwell - *the* iconoclast, defender of truth, and anti-authoritarian. His essays are very objective; he does not write dishonestly because of any ideological positions (indeed, he was as critical of those on the left as those on the right), and thus these essays provide a compelling contribution to our understanding of the particularly chaotic part of the century they were written in.
Wonderful, 02 Dec 2007
A wonderful collection of essays, ranging on topics from English cooking to democracy, from the common toad to the plight of the homeless. The essays notable both for their writing and their thoughts. And whilst not everything in the essays are correct, or in tune with my view point Orwell does at least present a different view point that in some cases challenged my own. At some point I realised I was no longer a pacifist. Highly recommended. It's worth noting that this edition does not contain a comprehensive collection of all his essays and many will have to be found in other volumes.
Orwell's/Blair's essays, an ultimate anthology?, 02 May 2007
Just over a year ago I picked up a copy of George Orwell's essays on the fly thinking one or two might be good considering the masterpiece that is "Nineteen Eighty-Four". When I received the book, complete with late 1920s socialist art on the front cover. An introduction by Orwell's biographer is quite good, and while invariably swaying into analysis of Orwell's epic novel "1984", remains a pretty good piece of commentary on Orwell's essays.
The book begins with Orwell's authoring treatise entitled "Why I Write" - this was published soon after the masterpiece of satire "Animal Farm". From there on the essays are arranged chronologically; from pieces published from 1931 regards his period of poverty and experience of "Spikes" (homeless shelters) up until 1949 with his Reflections on Gandhi essay which analyzes Gandhi's life and works, together with his ethics and influence over life in India.
He writes astutely, from the very beginning showing promise in the Plain Prose style of English which is instantaneously easy to read by practically anyone with a good understanding of the language of our fine country. In "Politics and the English language" Orwell examines and scrutinizes to great lengths how language has evolved (or be it, devolved) over the period spanning 1920 - 1940. He selects quotes randomly; choosing neither the worst nor the best but rather a smattering of random writings by various individuals.
He then systematically criticizes each and wittily advises any budding writer or reader to arm himself against the less desirable aspects of the English language's changes.
Political essays abound in this book - Orwell was personally a Democratic Socialist as another review correctly states, which equates to what the Attlee administration stood for in the late 40s. However later in life he did become more receptive to arguments from the free market orientated right (like Hayek's "Road to Serfdom", another great econo-political text).
Understandably some of these writings are outdated and seem out of touch, the now much forgotten Spanish Civil War, the Communist movement of Spain, and General Franco himself is now confined to the historical annals. Or as a sort of prefix to the devastation of World War II. Orwell's wartime essays are wonderful - not only is he capable of bringing humorous situations to light (such as P.G. Wodehouse's capture by the Nazis in Belgium during their Blitzkrieg invasion in 1940.) He comments on how Wodehouse is merely an old man, believing his predicament and subsequent bargaining with the Nazis as a bit of a joke - ironically Wodehouse would outlive Orwell by more than twenty years.
Other essays are so British that anyone from outside the UK would have trouble understanding why on earth we are as we are. A 1940 essay named "The Art of Donald McGill" provides us with this brilliant quote from one of the then semi-legal saucy postcards:
Man: "I like seeing experienced girls home..."
Woman: "But I'm not experienced!"
Man: "Your not home yet!"
Now Orwell is on the ball here; he perceives that most of McGills postcards are mere sauciness and no more - but notices a few possess a wit and guile uncommon to such material previous or since his era. McGills trial was to occur after Orwell's 1950 death; but certainly this essay sums up McGills entire career, to use a tired phrase, in a nutshell.
So, what else on the British front? British cooking - Orwell gives a brief but concise summary of our dishes after some derisive comments from abroad (which were repeated recently by Jacques Chirac, the French President quite recently - and similarly rebuked by journalists and politicians alike.)
----
The final category, if you will, is Orwell's literary analysis. Orwell's knowledge of literature, foreign and British, goes back roughly to Shakespearian times - he had little time for the legends or myths of the Medieval era and only mentions Ancient Greek works in passing. He did however, read and have extensive knowledge of The Bible - quoting Corinthians, Ecclesiastes (a fine philosophical book by any standard), and several more sections.
He states all of his favourite authors in one essay, and lenghtily analyzes certain others and/or books. His brilliant essay entitled "Charles Dickens" gives such a thorough and brutal examination of Dickensian literature aswell as the man's personality that it baffles one to see how well-read Orwell is. To (roughly) quote Stephen King:
"To become a good author, you must read for four hours and write for four hours every day."
George Orwell, or be it Eric Blair I feel kept to these rules much of his life, exceptions being his service in Burma as a young man and his period as a homeless man upon leaving the military and entering the grimy world of poverty and work as a plongeur in Paris, followed by a trip back home to London for a job that never materialized.
Leafing through my copy of this anthology I find an analysis of an obscure translation of a Leo Tolstoy pamphlet denouncing Shakespeare (whom Orwell revered, plays, poetry, everything.) The document is so obscure and dated (it was written in 1903 when Tolstoy was an old man, and concerns the existential play "King Lear" - one of Shakespeare's best in most scholar's, and my own, opinion.
He first goes along amicably with Tolstoy's grumbles and critique - before tearing it apart piece by piece; concluding on the note that nobody (or very few) will ever read or take an interest in Tolstoy's opinionated pamphlets of his later life. And, were it not for "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina" - he butchers Tolstoy's view that the play is merely a poor take off of an earlier, better and more sensical earlier work named "King Leir" by an unknown author.
Another hard hitting, deeply affective and well written author critique is Orwell's one of Rudyard Kipling, . I feel I must quote here:
Kipling (part of poem): Down to Gehemma or up to the Throne
He travels the fastest who travels alone.
Orwell follows this up immediately with this gem of a paragraph: There is a thought vulgarly expressed. It may not be true, but at any rate it's a thought everyone thinks. Sooner or later you'll have occasion to think that he who travels fastest travels alone, and there the thought is, ready made and, as it were, waiting for you. (...)
The eerie chill of that passage leads you to remember it, as a fine adhesive it sticks...an earlier part of the essay has Orwell spotting a constant characteristic in Kipling's poetry. He quotes single lines from six poems:
"East is East, and West is West."
"The white man's burden."
"What do they know of England who only England know?"
"The female of the species is more deadly than the male."
"Somewhere East of Suez."
"Paying the Dane-Geld."
Upon noting that certain phrases such as "killing Kruger with your mouth" remained in wide use until just before 1942 when this essay was published, Orwell goes on to note:
"But what the phrases I have listed above have in common is that they are all of them phrases ones utters semi-derisively, but which one of us is bound to make use of sooner or later." This is true, and one of those phrases became the title of a pop song during the late 1990s; semi-relevant perhaps, since the song is one that is merely wary of the power of the female. Semi-derisive, if you will.
Lastly with Kipling, Orwell notes that his famous poem "If" was elevated to a near-Biblical status by the "Blimps" (ie. Conservative individuals) of the day. Orwell concludes that Kipling, due to his violent poems, had a slightly neurotic streak in him; a lust for cruelty and harm - and was in the very same tribe as the Blimps themselves; far from being a Fascist (a misnomer due to Kipling's use of the Hindu Swastika later in life) his outlook was merely that of pre-Fascist; an Edwardian era, semi-ignorant and oblivious Conservative, unaware of the economic motives behind the British Empire - devastated at its decline.
So, whether it be literary critique, political and ideological analysis, life experience and biography, or just plain good British-isms packed into essays about ourselves which remain largely relevant - then buy this book.
I took it to an authoritarian nation myself last year, (Putin's Russia, to be exact) and was dissapointed to find how rigorous police enforcement remained there. Sitting on my bed or in my chair there, reading Orwell's essays through for the second or third time it struck me that freedom is one of the most important things to be preserved - curbing it destroys society in the long run. Whether it be excessive patrols, airport strip searches, or assassination of journalists or pro-freedom politicians; it is vital we keep our liberties and our principles.
So, if I could grant this 6 stars I would. Buy this book as soon as possible; I'll be purchasing a second copy as a gift for a good friend soon - I suggest you recommend this great collection of essays to family and friends, use it to improve your own English writing skills - indeed it made me super voracious during my A Levels a year ago (I received 120/120 in a society/politics/economy Gen. Studies paper using Orwell's tenacious style of plain prose.)
Bitty, but witty., 18 Aug 2005
This book is collection of a wealth of essays, reviews, radio sketches and other oddments from various sources, so inevitably is something of a mixed bag. The majority of the pieces - including the fictionalised ramblings of The Liar's Professor Trefusis - take the form of short essays where Fry bemoans the state of society, both here and abroad. What saves these pieces from becoming tiresome is that Fry's observations (or, to put it more bluntly - moans) are wrapped up in both his ironic humour and an invigorating prose driven by his love of words. There is one slight problem with reading the pieces en masse however, and that is that Fry does have a tendencies to repeat his favourite anecdotes, arguments, and jokes - sometimes variations of the same line can be found repeated here not once but three or four times. In the books defence, these pieces were never originally written to sit next to each other, but having been collected a rather more rigorous editing might have eliminated some of this repetition. Still, an intelligent and amusing non-fiction collection, Paperweight is perhaps better experienced in small chunks than as one continuous text.
paperweight stephen fry audio and book, 30 Nov 2004
i absolutely give 5 stars to 'Paperweight' 1 and 2,for the book and the audio tape, although the audio is sooo much more entertaining, the bonus is the Fry voice surely?..never get tired of listening..his thoughts hidden in laughter,his politics and views on life never fail to amuse and are thought provoking, plus he loves Alistair Sim, so FRY RULES!! make a 2005 resolution
and get all the FRY works...
Smarter than he needs to be., 30 Oct 2003
Sometimes I get the feeling that Stephen Fry is still trying to wildly impress an old literature professor or the dean of some imaginary comedy school that exists only in his imagination. This collection of his occasional work gives me that feeling more than his novels or his stage performances. Reading the book, I knew he was the wittiest writer in the room. I didn't need him constantly reminding me, if you know what I mean.
Disappointing at first, 03 Jan 2002
I have enjoyed all Stephen Fry's novels and I especially loved his autobiography, so I looked forward to reading 'Paperweight' with relish. However, I was rather disappointed. I found the first part of the book (consisting of the ramblings of Donald Trefusis and other characters) to be entirely boring and I found myself skipping pages to avoid reading them. I was much relieved to find that the later articles and musings of Stephen Fry were just as I'd come to expect of the author! Thankfully, I found myself laughing out loud at several of his opinions and ideas and I read with wonder, the many long-winded and unheard of (by me, anyway!) words, contemplating where on earth they had originated from! From here onwards, I found I had to keep picking the book up in order to read a little further, until I had reached the end. Apart from the seemingly boring beginning, this is a book for lovers of Stephen Fry.
Extremely froody!, 01 Dec 2001
It was very embarassing reading this on the plane to Moscow because I couldn't stop giggling and the American sitting next to me kept giving me funny looks. I especially liked the options Trefusis gave himself for the manner of his death!
This really is a very funny book but take Mr. Fry's advice and don't try to read it all in one go, it's at its best when read bit by bit.
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Customer Reviews
Where do I start?, 12 Sep 2008
I have read this collection of short works by Marian Keyes so many times that I've lost count now. It's a great little book to keep by the bed so you can read a couple of pieces without wondering what's going to happen next, unlike most Keyes books which I find almost impossible to put down. Her writing is just so funny and observant. A lot of the pieces of journalism had already been published although I hadn't read them before, but some new ones were penned especially for this collection. I particularly liked Fear and Loathing in Los Angeles - a hilarious ancedote of Marian's trip to LA LA land. It had me in fits of laughter. Another winner! A book people can relate to, 17 Aug 2008
I was sceptical about buying this after reading some negative reviews - but i loved it. Easy to dip in and out of, and alot of her tales people can laugh along with because it's happened to them. I was also very touched to learn about Marian's previous alcohol problems as i had no idea! Now i can see why she writes about it so well in her novels.
Anyway, goood book that i would recommend to fans of Marian Keyes. Funny and Honest as usual, 15 Nov 2006
Keyes at her very best - honest observations of life which kept me laughing - shame it wasn't six inches thick! Funny and chatty, 21 Aug 2005
Under the Duvet is a collection of "things" (dont know what to call 'em) that marian Keyes has written for Irish newspapers/magazines. She writes about funny eisodes in her life and about her thoughts on current issues. U get a really good picture of what kind of person MK is. She is really much like many of her charcters. MK says that none of her characters are real persons, but made up by combining up to 100 persons MK har met or something. What is clear from Under the Duvet is that all MK's characters have something of MK herself in them. Also obviously she takes a lot of the stuff she writes about from her own life. So Under the Duvet is a really great book. It might be even more entertarining than MK's novells, because its definitely never boring. I coudnt stop readin g, cos it was so funny. I would indeed have liked to read more... What else I want to say about MK is that she is just so down to earth and great. And under humor there is something serious too.
Great Irish Comedy, 06 Sep 2004
This is more a collection of short stories that Marian has written for magazines and newspapers with some unpublished pieces as well. Her Irish humour had me in stitches and I think it helps to be Irish to understand it. My English sister-in-law didn't find it so amusing. I even found myself reading sections out to my husband, especially the story about football!
Instant satisfaction from literary chocolate, 09 Oct 2006
It's been a while since I've read any of Marian Keyes' books and I don't know why. Her books have an instant feel-good factor, and as the title suggests, makes you want to snuggle up under the duvet with a big bar of chocolate. I thoroughly enjoyed the journalistic articles in the book but I didn't really take to a couple of the short stories or the Mammy Walsh problem pages. I just lost interest, maybe because I was really longing for more of the true-life stuff. I haven't read the first book "Under the Duvet" and I will definitely be rushing out to buy a copy. Marian Keyes is a great writer and long may she keep writing!
Excellent, 13 Sep 2006
I have read all the other marian keyes books but not the "under the duvet" series...I held the writers belief that short stories were a waste of time as just as you started liking the characters the story was over! However, i was glad that marian had changed her mind and wrote a collection of short stories and she has now managed to change mine! The stories are great and some so funny that i had to bite my cheeks on the train as i tried to stifle a massive laugh...of course the woman opposite me on the train caught me giggling inanely and told me that laughing at books on trains makes you look mad...but hey what the hell! I am now going to buy the next first under the duvet book as the second one is great so i am sure the first one is just as good. Go buy this book as marians sense of humour is just as good in a short story as it is in a long thick book!
Excellent, 18 Nov 2008
George Orwell never found writing that easy but he cared a great deal about the English language and by a huge amount of hard work developed a brilliant and lucid style.
I read Animal Farm and 1984 many years ago and I have since read most of his other works too. Although I disagee with many of Orwell's political and religious views, I have always enjoyed reading his work.
These essays cover many subjects such as English society, the use of language in poliical debate, the Second World War, Charles Dickens, H G Wells and many other topics.
Excellent and recommened reading.
Political writing as art; all art is propaganda, 12 Mar 2008
In these by times highly emotional essays written in the 1930s and 1940s George Orwell gives us with in depth analyses his personal viewpoint on the literary, political and socio-economic scene.
In literature, he sees the novel as `a Protestant form of art, a product of the free mind, of the autonomous individual.' Orwell's aim was to `push the world in a certain direction: a battle against totalitarianism and for democratic Socialism.'
In his criticism he searches for the essential (hidden) message of the author.
Dickens's rather naïve creed is: `If man would behave decently, the world would be decent.' His ideal is `a hundred thousand pounds, a quaint old house, a sweetly womanly wife, a horde of children and no work.'
Henry Miller's books are `a passive acceptance of decay and evil.'
H.G. Wells dreams of a utopian World State.
R. Kipling is a jingo imperialist, but he didn't understand that `an empire is primarily a money-making concern'.
W.B. Yeats is in essence a defender of feudalism, `a great hater of democracy and of human equality, of the modern world, science, technology and the concept of progress.'
A. Koestler's main theme is `the decadence of revolutions owing to corrupting effects of power.'
P.G. Wodehouse's real sin is to present the English upper classes as much nicer than they are.
In `Gulliver's Travels', J. Swift delivers a frontal attack on totalitarianism and shows that he is a disbeliever in the possibility of happiness.
Orwell's view on world matters is rightly `no Law, only Power'.
Nationalism is inseparable from the desire for power.
The concentration of the media in the hands of a few rich men puts the freedom of the press and intellectual liberty under attack. The `very concept of objective truth' is lost.
The Spanish war showed him the essential horror of army life.
He is extremely severe for the British establishment: `The British ruling class thought that Fascism was on their side.' For them, `it is better to inherit, than to work.' `In an England ruled by stupidity, to be `clever' was to be suspect.'
But his solution is also naïve: `common ownership of the means of production. The State, representing the whole nation, owns everything, and everyone is a State employee.' In other words, he pleads for a massive bureaucracy.
But he contradicts himself when he complains that `everything in our age conspires to turn the writer into a minor official!'
These essays contain also vivid memories of his public school life (`irrational terror') and of his Indian life ('Shooting an elephant'). He comments on sports (`war without shooting), detective stories (J.H. Chase), poetry (`the most hated art form'), mildly pornographic comic postcards (`a harmless rebellion against virtue') and ends with a superb portrait of Ghandi.
These remarkable essays, written by a fearless superb free mind, a fighter for justice and a true `révolté' (A. Camus), are a must read.
An honest journalist, 14 Dec 2007
Orwell - *the* iconoclast, defender of truth, and anti-authoritarian. His essays are very objective; he does not write dishonestly because of any ideological positions (indeed, he was as critical of those on the left as those on the right), and thus these essays provide a compelling contribution to our understanding of the particularly chaotic part of the century they were written in.
Wonderful, 02 Dec 2007
A wonderful collection of essays, ranging on topics from English cooking to democracy, from the common toad to the plight of the homeless. The essays notable both for their writing and their thoughts. And whilst not everything in the essays are correct, or in tune with my view point Orwell does at least present a different view point that in some cases challenged my own. At some point I realised I was no longer a pacifist. Highly recommended. It's worth noting that this edition does not contain a comprehensive collection of all his essays and many will have to be found in other volumes.
Orwell's/Blair's essays, an ultimate anthology?, 02 May 2007
Just over a year ago I picked up a copy of George Orwell's essays on the fly thinking one or two might be good considering the masterpiece that is "Nineteen Eighty-Four". When I received the book, complete with late 1920s socialist art on the front cover. An introduction by Orwell's biographer is quite good, and while invariably swaying into analysis of Orwell's epic novel "1984", remains a pretty good piece of commentary on Orwell's essays.
The book begins with Orwell's authoring treatise entitled "Why I Write" - this was published soon after the masterpiece of satire "Animal Farm". From there on the essays are arranged chronologically; from pieces published from 1931 regards his period of poverty and experience of "Spikes" (homeless shelters) up until 1949 with his Reflections on Gandhi essay which analyzes Gandhi's life and works, together with his ethics and influence over life in India.
He writes astutely, from the very beginning showing promise in the Plain Prose style of English which is instantaneously easy to read by practically anyone with a good understanding of the language of our fine country. In "Politics and the English language" Orwell examines and scrutinizes to great lengths how language has evolved (or be it, devolved) over the period spanning 1920 - 1940. He selects quotes randomly; choosing neither the worst nor the best but rather a smattering of random writings by various individuals.
He then systematically criticizes each and wittily advises any budding writer or reader to arm himself against the less desirable aspects of the English language's changes.
Political essays abound in this book - Orwell was personally a Democratic Socialist as another review correctly states, which equates to what the Attlee administration stood for in the late 40s. However later in life he did become more receptive to arguments from the free market orientated right (like Hayek's "Road to Serfdom", another great econo-political text).
Understandably some of these writings are outdated and seem out of touch, the now much forgotten Spanish Civil War, the Communist movement of Spain, and General Franco himself is now confined to the historical annals. Or as a sort of prefix to the devastation of World War II. Orwell's wartime essays are wonderful - not only is he capable of bringing humorous situations to light (such as P.G. Wodehouse's capture by the Nazis in Belgium during their Blitzkrieg invasion in 1940.) He comments on how Wodehouse is merely an old man, believing his predicament and subsequent bargaining with the Nazis as a bit of a joke - ironically Wodehouse would outlive Orwell by more than twenty years.
Other essays are so British that anyone from outside the UK would have trouble understanding why on earth we are as we are. A 1940 essay named "The Art of Donald McGill" provides us with this brilliant quote from one of the then semi-legal saucy postcards:
Man: "I like seeing experienced girls home..."
Woman: "But I'm not experienced!"
Man: "Your not home yet!"
Now Orwell is on the ball here; he perceives that most of McGills postcards are mere sauciness and no more - but notices a few possess a wit and guile uncommon to such material previous or since his era. McGills trial was to occur after Orwell's 1950 death; but certainly this essay sums up McGills entire career, to use a tired phrase, in a nutshell.
So, what else on the British front? British cooking - Orwell gives a brief but concise summary of our dishes after some derisive comments from abroad (which were repeated recently by Jacques Chirac, the French President quite recently - and similarly rebuked by journalists and politicians alike.)
----
The final category, if you will, is Orwell's literary analysis. Orwell's knowledge of literature, foreign and British, goes back roughly to Shakespearian times - he had little time for the legends or myths of the Medieval era and only mentions Ancient Greek works in passing. He did however, read and have extensive knowledge of The Bible - quoting Corinthians, Ecclesiastes (a fine philosophical book by any standard), and several more sections.
He states all of his favourite authors in one essay, and lenghtily analyzes certain others and/or books. His brilliant essay entitled "Charles Dickens" gives such a thorough and brutal examination of Dickensian literature aswell as the man's personality that it baffles one to see how well-read Orwell is. To (roughly) quote Stephen King:
"To become a good author, you must read for four hours and write for four hours every day."
George Orwell, or be it Eric Blair I feel kept to these rules much of his life, exceptions being his service in Burma as a young man and his period as a homeless man upon leaving the military and entering the grimy world of poverty and work as a plongeur in Paris, followed by a trip back home to London for a job that never materialized.
Leafing through my copy of this anthology I find an analysis of an obscure translation of a Leo Tolstoy pamphlet denouncing Shakespeare (whom Orwell revered, plays, poetry, everything.) The document is so obscure and dated (it was written in 1903 when Tolstoy was an old man, and concerns the existential play "King Lear" - one of Shakespeare's best in most scholar's, and my own, opinion.
He first goes along amicably with Tolstoy's grumbles and critique - before tearing it apart piece by piece; concluding on the note that nobody (or very few) will ever read or take an interest in Tolstoy's opinionated pamphlets of his later life. And, were it not for "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina" - he butchers Tolstoy's view that the play is merely a poor take off of an earlier, better and more sensical earlier work named "King Leir" by an unknown author.
Another hard hitting, deeply affective and well written author critique is Orwell's one of Rudyard Kipling, . I feel I must quote here:
Kipling (part of poem): Down to Gehemma or up to the Throne
He travels the fastest who travels alone.
Orwell follows this up immediately with this gem of a paragraph: There is a thought vulgarly expressed. It may not be true, but at any rate it's a thought everyone thinks. Sooner or later you'll have occasion to think that he who travels fastest travels alone, and there the thought is, ready made and, as it were, waiting for you. (...)
The eerie chill of that passage leads you to remember it, as a fine adhesive it sticks...an earlier part of the essay has Orwell spotting a constant characteristic in Kipling's poetry. He quotes single lines from six poems:
"East is East, and West is West."
"The white man's burden."
"What do they know of England who only England know?"
"The female of the species is more deadly than the male."
"Somewhere East of Suez."
"Paying the Dane-Geld."
Upon noting that certain phrases such as "killing Kruger with your mouth" remained in wide use until just before 1942 when this essay was published, Orwell goes on to note:
"But what the phrases I have listed above have in common is that they are all of them phrases ones utters semi-derisively, but which one of us is bound to make use of sooner or later." This is true, and one of those phrases became the title of a pop song during the late 1990s; semi-relevant perhaps, since the song is one that is merely wary of the power of the female. Semi-derisive, if you will.
Lastly with Kipling, Orwell notes that his famous poem "If" was elevated to a near-Biblical status by the "Blimps" (ie. Conservative individuals) of the day. Orwell concludes that Kipling, due to his violent poems, had a slightly neurotic streak in him; a lust for cruelty and harm - and was in the very same tribe as the Blimps themselves; far from being a Fascist (a misnomer due to Kipling's use of the Hindu Swastika later in life) his outlook was merely that of pre-Fascist; an Edwardian era, semi-ignorant and oblivious Conservative, unaware of the economic motives behind the British Empire - devastated at its decline.
So, whether it be literary critique, political and ideological analysis, life experience and biography, or just plain good British-isms packed into essays about ourselves which remain largely relevant - then buy this book.
I took it to an authoritarian nation myself last year, (Putin's Russia, to be exact) and was dissapointed to find how rigorous police enforcement remained there. Sitting on my bed or in my chair there, reading Orwell's essays through for the second or third time it struck me that freedom is one of the most important things to be preserved - curbing it destroys society in the long run. Whether it be excessive patrols, airport strip searches, or assassination of journalists or pro-freedom politicians; it is vital we keep our liberties and our principles.
So, if I could grant this 6 stars I would. Buy this book as soon as possible; I'll be purchasing a second copy as a gift for a good friend soon - I suggest you recommend this great collection of essays to family and friends, use it to improve your own English writing skills - indeed it made me super voracious during my A Levels a year ago (I received 120/120 in a society/politics/economy Gen. Studies paper using Orwell's tenacious style of plain prose.)
Bitty, but witty., 18 Aug 2005
This book is collection of a wealth of essays, reviews, radio sketches and other oddments from various sources, so inevitably is something of a mixed bag. The majority of the pieces - including the fictionalised ramblings of The Liar's Professor Trefusis - take the form of short essays where Fry bemoans the state of society, both here and abroad. What saves these pieces from becoming tiresome is that Fry's observations (or, to put it more bluntly - moans) are wrapped up in both his ironic humour and an invigorating prose driven by his love of words. There is one slight problem with reading the pieces en masse however, and that is that Fry does have a tendencies to repeat his favourite anecdotes, arguments, and jokes - sometimes variations of the same line can be found repeated here not once but three or four times. In the books defence, these pieces were never originally written to sit next to each other, but having been collected a rather more rigorous editing might have eliminated some of this repetition. Still, an intelligent and amusing non-fiction collection, Paperweight is perhaps better experienced in small chunks than as one continuous text.
paperweight stephen fry audio and book, 30 Nov 2004
i absolutely give 5 stars to 'Paperweight' 1 and 2,for the book and the audio tape, although the audio is sooo much more entertaining, the bonus is the Fry voice surely?..never get tired of listening..his thoughts hidden in laughter,his politics and views on life never fail to amuse and are thought provoking, plus he loves Alistair Sim, so FRY RULES!! make a 2005 resolution
and get all the FRY works...
Smarter than he needs to be., 30 Oct 2003
Sometimes I get the feeling that Stephen Fry is still trying to wildly impress an old literature professor or the dean of some imaginary comedy school that exists only in his imagination. This collection of his occasional work gives me that feeling more than his novels or his stage performances. Reading the book, I knew he was the wittiest writer in the room. I didn't need him constantly reminding me, if you know what I mean.
Disappointing at first, 03 Jan 2002
I have enjoyed all Stephen Fry's novels and I especially loved his autobiography, so I looked forward to reading 'Paperweight' with relish. However, I was rather disappointed. I found the first part of the book (consisting of the ramblings of Donald Trefusis and other characters) to be entirely boring and I found myself skipping pages to avoid reading them. I was much relieved to find that the later articles and musings of Stephen Fry were just as I'd come to expect of the author! Thankfully, I found myself laughing out loud at several of his opinions and ideas and I read with wonder, the many long-winded and unheard of (by me, anyway!) words, contemplating where on earth they had originated from! From here onwards, I found I had to keep picking the book up in order to read a little further, until I had reached the end. Apart from the seemingly boring beginning, this is a book for lovers of Stephen Fry.
Extremely froody!, 01 Dec 2001
It was very embarassing reading this on the plane to Moscow because I couldn't stop giggling and the American sitting next to me kept giving me funny looks. I especially liked the options Trefusis gave himself for the manner of his death!
This really is a very funny book but take Mr. Fry's advice and don't try to read it all in one go, it's at its best when read bit by bit.
Spike Jones Plays Wagner!, 06 Jul 2007
Not since I first read S.J. Perelman have I come across such comic genius. Allen's ability to seduce the serious thought from the reader and then unexpectedly pull the carpet from under the feet, is a very rare gift. His facility and timing really are stunning and his ability to find the perfect comic word or expression reveals both his natural comic ear and the breadth of his erudition. Surely the James Joyce of comic writing. Hilarious and exhilarating. Easily worth five stars or more. Barmy brilliant bathos.
I have only read the first two pages..., 02 May 2007
...and it is already becoming one of the funniest things I've ever read. I picked it up today as an impulse buy at a record store for a fiver. I am ever so pleased that i did. Already a avid watcher of his movies, I am aware of his quick wit. However on paper it shines much much more. Despite only starting the book, I am getting excited for more his comedy gems. The book feels like having a conversation with one of your wittier sarcastic friend which can only be a good thing.
Buy it, you will not regret it for a millisecond.
" I had a uneasy feeling some men were trying to break into my room to shampoo me." This is one of the first lines. Comedy genius.
A short, sweet way to read Woody Allen, 25 Jun 2006
This is a great way to start your reading of Woody Allen. This has some superb short stories that can't help but make you chuckle to yourself or laugh out loud. His sense of observation is second to none and his dry wit is hilarious. I enjoyed this book immensely and found myself recommending it to many friends. Great whether you enjoy his films or not.
Is this the funniest book ever?, 02 Dec 2005
I have read this book maybe 10 or 12 times now and yet when i read it again I still find it laugh-out-loud-uncontrollably funny. I just wish Woody would write more prose
Complete Comedy, 21 Jun 2003
Consisting mostly of short stories and general observations from Allen's unique perspective that originally appeared in the 'New Yorker' magazine, this comprehensive collection is pretty much all you need to have. Quite why you would want to buy the books separately (or even together with this book) is totally beyond me. 'Complete Prose' is his three books in one volume, complete, unabridged and totally hilarious. Surreal, ridiculous, witty, and at times just plain silly, these short pieces will have you in pieces after a few paragraphs. My favourite bits include a story about Dracula, and how come he knows when it's dark if he stays in a coffin all day? When he senses it is dark one day, he pays a visit to some neighbours, intent on blood. When he turns up at their house, they ask if he has come to watch the solar eclipse with them, at which point he immediately runs into the house and hides in a cupboard until nighttime. Another example is a story about organised crime, and how one technique for bumping people off was to lock them in a wardrobe and then suck all the air out through a straw. I think an alternative title for this book could have been 'Complete Nonsense' and still be accurate, but a more flattering title could be 'Complete Brilliance'.
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Letters to a Young Poet
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Customer Reviews
Where do I start?, 12 Sep 2008
I have read this collection of short works by Marian Keyes so many times that I've lost count now. It's a great little book to keep by the bed so you can read a couple of pieces without wondering what's going to happen next, unlike most Keyes books which I find almost impossible to put down. Her writing is just so funny and observant. A lot of the pieces of journalism had already been published although I hadn't read them before, but some new ones were penned especially for this collection. I particularly liked Fear and Loathing in Los Angeles - a hilarious ancedote of Marian's trip to LA LA land. It had me in fits of laughter. Another winner! A book people can relate to, 17 Aug 2008
I was sceptical about buying this after reading some negative reviews - but i loved it. Easy to dip in and out of, and alot of her tales people can laugh along with because it's happened to them. I was also very touched to learn about Marian's previous alcohol problems as i had no idea! Now i can see why she writes about it so well in her novels.
Anyway, goood book that i would recommend to fans of Marian Keyes. Funny and Honest as usual, 15 Nov 2006
Keyes at her very best - honest observations of life which kept me laughing - shame it wasn't six inches thick! Funny and chatty, 21 Aug 2005
Under the Duvet is a collection of "things" (dont know what to call 'em) that marian Keyes has written for Irish newspapers/magazines. She writes about funny eisodes in her life and about her thoughts on current issues. U get a really good picture of what kind of person MK is. She is really much like many of her charcters. MK says that none of her characters are real persons, but made up by combining up to 100 persons MK har met or something. What is clear from Under the Duvet is that all MK's characters have something of MK herself in them. Also obviously she takes a lot of the stuff she writes about from her own life. So Under the Duvet is a really great book. It might be even more entertarining than MK's novells, because its definitely never boring. I coudnt stop readin g, cos it was so funny. I would indeed have liked to read more... What else I want to say about MK is that she is just so down to earth and great. And under humor there is something serious too.
Great Irish Comedy, 06 Sep 2004
This is more a collection of short stories that Marian has written for magazines and newspapers with some unpublished pieces as well. Her Irish humour had me in stitches and I think it helps to be Irish to understand it. My English sister-in-law didn't find it so amusing. I even found myself reading sections out to my husband, especially the story about football!
Instant satisfaction from literary chocolate, 09 Oct 2006
It's been a while since I've read any of Marian Keyes' books and I don't know why. Her books have an instant feel-good factor, and as the title suggests, makes you want to snuggle up under the duvet with a big bar of chocolate. I thoroughly enjoyed the journalistic articles in the book but I didn't really take to a couple of the short stories or the Mammy Walsh problem pages. I just lost interest, maybe because I was really longing for more of the true-life stuff. I haven't read the first book "Under the Duvet" and I will definitely be rushing out to buy a copy. Marian Keyes is a great writer and long may she keep writing!
Excellent, 13 Sep 2006
I have read all the other marian keyes books but not the "under the duvet" series...I held the writers belief that short stories were a waste of time as just as you started liking the characters the story was over! However, i was glad that marian had changed her mind and wrote a collection of short stories and she has now managed to change mine! The stories are great and some so funny that i had to bite my cheeks on the train as i tried to stifle a massive laugh...of course the woman opposite me on the train caught me giggling inanely and told me that laughing at books on trains makes you look mad...but hey what the hell! I am now going to buy the next first under the duvet book as the second one is great so i am sure the first one is just as good. Go buy this book as marians sense of humour is just as good in a short story as it is in a long thick book!
Excellent, 18 Nov 2008
George Orwell never found writing that easy but he cared a great deal about the English language and by a huge amount of hard work developed a brilliant and lucid style.
I read Animal Farm and 1984 many years ago and I have since read most of his other works too. Although I disagee with many of Orwell's political and religious views, I have always enjoyed reading his work.
These essays cover many subjects such as English society, the use of language in poliical debate, the Second World War, Charles Dickens, H G Wells and many other topics.
Excellent and recommened reading.
Political writing as art; all art is propaganda, 12 Mar 2008
In these by times highly emotional essays written in the 1930s and 1940s George Orwell gives us with in depth analyses his personal viewpoint on the literary, political and socio-economic scene.
In literature, he sees the novel as `a Protestant form of art, a product of the free mind, of the autonomous individual.' Orwell's aim was to `push the world in a certain direction: a battle against totalitarianism and for democratic Socialism.'
In his criticism he searches for the essential (hidden) message of the author.
Dickens's rather naïve creed is: `If man would behave decently, the world would be decent.' His ideal is `a hundred thousand pounds, a quaint old house, a sweetly womanly wife, a horde of children and no work.'
Henry Miller's books are `a passive acceptance of decay and evil.'
H.G. Wells dreams of a utopian World State.
R. Kipling is a jingo imperialist, but he didn't understand that `an empire is primarily a money-making concern'.
W.B. Yeats is in essence a defender of feudalism, `a great hater of democracy and of human equality, of the modern world, science, technology and the concept of progress.'
A. Koestler's main theme is `the decadence of revolutions owing to corrupting effects of power.'
P.G. Wodehouse's real sin is to present the English upper classes as much nicer than they are.
In `Gulliver's Travels', J. Swift delivers a frontal attack on totalitarianism and shows that he is a disbeliever in the possibility of happiness.
Orwell's view on world matters is rightly `no Law, only Power'.
Nationalism is inseparable from the desire for power.
The concentration of the media in the hands of a few rich men puts the freedom of the press and intellectual liberty under attack. The `very concept of objective truth' is lost.
The Spanish war showed him the essential horror of army life.
He is extremely severe for the British establishment: `The British ruling class thought that Fascism was on their side.' For them, `it is better to inherit, than to work.' `In an England ruled by stupidity, to be `clever' was to be suspect.'
But his solution is also naïve: `common ownership of the means of production. The State, representing the whole nation, owns everything, and everyone is a State employee.' In other words, he pleads for a massive bureaucracy.
But he contradicts himself when he complains that `everything in our age conspires to turn the writer into a minor official!'
These essays contain also vivid memories of his public school life (`irrational terror') and of his Indian life ('Shooting an elephant'). He comments on sports (`war without shooting), detective stories (J.H. Chase), poetry (`the most hated art form'), mildly pornographic comic postcards (`a harmless rebellion against virtue') and ends with a superb portrait of Ghandi.
These remarkable essays, written by a fearless superb free mind, a fighter for justice and a true `révolté' (A. Camus), are a must read.
An honest journalist, 14 Dec 2007
Orwell - *the* iconoclast, defender of truth, and anti-authoritarian. His essays are very objective; he does not write dishonestly because of any ideological positions (indeed, he was as critical of those on the left as those on the right), and thus these essays provide a compelling contribution to our understanding of the particularly chaotic part of the century they were written in.
Wonderful, 02 Dec 2007
A wonderful collection of essays, ranging on topics from English cooking to democracy, from the common toad to the plight of the homeless. The essays notable both for their writing and their thoughts. And whilst not everything in the essays are correct, or in tune with my view point Orwell does at least present a different view point that in some cases challenged my own. At some point I realised I was no longer a pacifist. Highly recommended. It's worth noting that this edition does not contain a comprehensive collection of all his essays and many will have to be found in other volumes.
Orwell's/Blair's essays, an ultimate anthology?, 02 May 2007
Just over a year ago I picked up a copy of George Orwell's essays on the fly thinking one or two might be good considering the masterpiece that is "Nineteen Eighty-Four". When I received the book, complete with late 1920s socialist art on the front cover. An introduction by Orwell's biographer is quite good, and while invariably swaying into analysis of Orwell's epic novel "1984", remains a pretty good piece of commentary on Orwell's essays.
The book begins with Orwell's authoring treatise entitled "Why I Write" - this was published soon after the masterpiece of satire "Animal Farm". From there on the essays are arranged chronologically; from pieces published from 1931 regards his period of poverty and experience of "Spikes" (homeless shelters) up until 1949 with his Reflections on Gandhi essay which analyzes Gandhi's life and works, together with his ethics and influence over life in India.
He writes astutely, from the very beginning showing promise in the Plain Prose style of English which is instantaneously easy to read by practically anyone with a good understanding of the language of our fine country. In "Politics and the English language" Orwell examines and scrutinizes to great lengths how language has evolved (or be it, devolved) over the period spanning 1920 - 1940. He selects quotes randomly; choosing neither the worst nor the best but rather a smattering of random writings by various individuals.
He then systematically criticizes each and wittily advises any budding writer or reader to arm himself against the less desirable aspects of the English language's changes.
Political essays abound in this book - Orwell was personally a Democratic Socialist as another review correctly states, which equates to what the Attlee administration stood for in the late 40s. However later in life he did become more receptive to arguments from the free market orientated right (like Hayek's "Road to Serfdom", another great econo-political text).
Understandably some of these writings are outdated and seem out of touch, the now much forgotten Spanish Civil War, the Communist movement of Spain, and General Franco himself is now confined to the historical annals. Or as a sort of prefix to the devastation of World War II. Orwell's wartime essays are wonderful - not only is he capable of bringing humorous situations to light (such as P.G. Wodehouse's capture by the Nazis in Belgium during their Blitzkrieg invasion in 1940.) He comments on how Wodehouse is merely an old man, believing his predicament and subsequent bargaining with the Nazis as a bit of a joke - ironically Wodehouse would outlive Orwell by more than twenty years.
Other essays are so British that anyone from outside the UK would have trouble understanding why on earth we are as we are. A 1940 essay named "The Art of Donald McGill" provides us with this brilliant quote from one of the then semi-legal saucy postcards:
Man: "I like seeing experienced girls home..."
Woman: "But I'm not experienced!"
Man: "Your not home yet!"
Now Orwell is on the ball here; he perceives that most of McGills postcards are mere sauciness and no more - but notices a few possess a wit and guile uncommon to such material previous or since his era. McGills trial was to occur after Orwell's 1950 death; but certainly this essay sums up McGills entire career, to use a tired phrase, in a nutshell.
So, what else on the British front? British cooking - Orwell gives a brief but concise summary of our dishes after some derisive comments from abroad (which were repeated recently by Jacques Chirac, the French President quite recently - and similarly rebuked by journalists and politicians alike.)
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The final category, if you will, is Orwell's literary analysis. Orwell's knowledge of literature, foreign and British, goes back roughly to Shakespearian times - he had little time for the legends or myths of the Medieval era and only mentions Ancient Greek works in passing. He did however, read and have extensive knowledge of The Bible - quoting Corinthians, Ecclesiastes (a fine philosophical book by any standard), and several more sections.
He states all of his favourite authors in one essay, and lenghtily analyzes certain others and/or books. His brilliant essay entitled "Charles Dickens" gives such a thorough and brutal examination of Dickensian literature aswell as the man's personality that it baffles one to see how well-read Orwell is. To (roughly) quote Stephen King:
"To become a good author, you must read for four hours and write for four hours every day."
George Orwell, or be it Eric Blair I feel kept to these rules much of his life, exceptions being his service in Burma as a young man and his period as a homeless man upon leaving the military and entering the grimy world of poverty and work as a plongeur in Paris, followed by a trip back home to London for a job that never materialized.
Leafing through my copy of this anthology I find an analysis of an obscure translation of a Leo Tolstoy pamphlet denouncing Shakespeare (whom Orwell revered, plays, poetry, everything.) The document is so obscure and dated (it was written in 1903 when Tolstoy was an old man, and concerns the existential play "King Lear" - one of Shakespeare's best in most scholar's, and my own, opinion.
He first goes along amicably with Tolstoy's grumbles and critique - before tearing it apart piece by piece; concluding on the note that nobody (or very few) will ever read or take an interest in Tolstoy's opinionated pamphlets of his later life. And, were it not for "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina" - he butchers Tolstoy's view that the play is merely a poor take off of an earlier, better and more sensical earlier work named "King Leir" by an unknown author.
Another hard hitting, deeply affective and well written author critique is Orwell's one of Rudyard Kipling, . I feel I must quote here:
Kipling (part of poem): Down to Gehemma or up to the Throne
He travels the fastest who travels alone.
Orwell follows this up immediately with this gem of a paragraph: There is a thought vulgarly expressed. It may not be true, but at any rate it's a thought everyone thinks. Sooner or later you'll have occasion to think that he who travels fastest travels alone, and there the thought is, ready made and, as it were, waiting for you. (...)
The eerie chill of that passage leads you to remember it, as a fine adhesive it sticks...an earlier part of the essay has Orwell spotting a constant characteristic in Kipling's poetry. He quotes single lines from six poems:
"East is East, and West is West."
"The white man's burden."
"What do they know of England who only England know?"
"The female of the species is more deadly than the male."
"Somewhere East of Suez."
"Paying the Dane-Geld."
Upon noting that certain phrases such as "killing Kruger with your mouth" remained in wide use until just before 1942 when this essay was published, Orwell goes on to note:
"But what the phrases I have listed above have in common is that they are all of them phrases ones utters semi-derisively, but which one of us is bound to make use of sooner or later." This is true, and one of those phrases became the title of a pop song during the late 1990s; semi-relevant perhaps, since the song is one that is merely wary of the power of the female. Semi-derisive, if you will.
Lastly with Kipling, Orwell notes that his famous poem "If" was elevated to a near-Biblical status by the "Blimps" (ie. Conservative individuals) of the day. Orwell concludes that Kipling, due to his violent poems, had a slightly neurotic streak in him; a lust for cruelty and harm - and was in the very same tribe as the Blimps themselves; far from being a Fascist (a misnomer due to Kipling's use of the Hindu Swastika later in life) his outlook was merely that of pre-Fascist; an Edwardian era, semi-ignorant and oblivious Conservative, unaware of the economic motives behind the British Empire - devastated at its decline.
So, whether it be literary critique, political and ideological analysis, life experience and biography, or just plain good British-isms packed into essays about ourselves which remain largely relevant - then buy this book.
I took it to an authoritarian nation myself last year, (Putin's Russia, to be exact) and was dissapointed to find how rigorous police enforcement remained there. Sitting on my bed or in my chair there, reading Orwell's essays through for the second or third time it struck me that freedom is one of the most important things to be preserved - curbing it destroys society in the long run. Whether it be excessive patrols, airport strip searches, or assassination of journalists or pro-freedom politicians; it is vital we keep our liberties and our principles.
So, if I could grant this 6 stars I would. Buy this book as soon as possible; I'll be purchasing a second copy as a gift for a good friend soon - I suggest you recommend this great collection of essays to family and friends, use it to improve your own English writing skills - indeed it made me super voracious during my A Levels a year ago (I received 120/120 in a society/politics/economy Gen. Studies paper using Orwell's tenacious style of plain prose.)
Bitty, but witty., 18 Aug 2005
This book is collection of a wealth of essays, reviews, radio sketches and other oddments from various sources, so inevitably is something of a mixed bag. The majority of the pieces - including the fictionalised ramblings of The Liar's Professor Trefusis - take the form of short essays where Fry bemoans the state of society, both here and abroad. What saves these pieces from becoming tiresome is that Fry's observations (or, to put it more bluntly - moans) are wrapped up in both his ironic humour and an invigorating prose driven by his love of words. There is one slight problem with reading the pieces en masse however, and that is that Fry does have a tendencies to repeat his favourite anecdotes, arguments, and jokes - sometimes variations of the same line can be found repeated here not once but three or four times. In the books defence, these pieces were never originally written to sit next to each other, but having been collected a rather more rigorous editing might have eliminated some of this repetition. Still, an intelligent and amusing non-fiction collection, Paperweight is perhaps better experienced in small chunks than as one continuous text.
paperweight stephen fry audio and book, 30 Nov 2004
i absolutely give 5 stars to 'Paperweight' 1 and 2,for the book and the audio tape, although the audio is sooo much more entertaining, the bonus is the Fry voice surely?..never get tired of listening..his thoughts hidden in laughter,his politics and views on life never fail to amuse and are thought provoking, plus he loves Alistair Sim, so FRY RULES!! make a 2005 resolution
and get all the FRY works...
Smarter than he needs to be., 30 Oct 2003
Sometimes I get the feeling that Stephen Fry is still trying to wildly impress an old literature professor or the dean of some imaginary comedy school that exists only in his imagination. This collection of his occasional work gives me that feeling more than his novels or his stage performances. Reading the book, I knew he was the wittiest writer in the room. I didn't need him constantly reminding me, if you know what I mean.
Disappointing at first, 03 Jan 2002
I have enjoyed all Stephen Fry's novels and I especially loved his autobiography, so I looked forward to reading 'Paperweight' with relish. However, I was rather disappointed. I found the first part of the book (consisting of the ramblings of Donald Trefusis and other characters) to be entirely boring and I found myself skipping pages to avoid reading them. I was much relieved to find that the later articles and musings of Stephen Fry were just as I'd come to expect of the author! Thankfully, I found myself laughing out loud at several of his opinions and ideas and I read with wonder, the many long-winded and unheard of (by me, anyway!) words, contemplating where on earth they had originated from! From here onwards, I found I had to keep picking the book up in order to read a little further, until I had reached the end. Apart from the seemingly boring beginning, this is a book for lovers of Stephen Fry.
Extremely froody!, 01 Dec 2001
It was very embarassing reading this on the plane to Moscow because I couldn't stop giggling and the American sitting next to me kept giving me funny looks. I especially liked the options Trefusis gave himself for the manner of his death!
This really is a very funny book but take Mr. Fry's advice and don't try to read it all in one go, it's at its best when read bit by bit.
Spike Jones Plays Wagner!, 06 Jul 2007
Not since I first read S.J. Perelman have I come across such comic genius. Allen's ability to seduce the serious thought from the reader and then unexpectedly pull the carpet from under the feet, is a very rare gift. His facility and timing really are stunning and his ability to find the perfect comic word or expression reveals both his natural comic ear and the breadth of his erudition. Surely the James Joyce of comic writing. Hilarious and exhilarating. Easily worth five stars or more. Barmy brilliant bathos.
I have only read the first two pages..., 02 May 2007
...and it is already becoming one of the funniest things I've ever read. I picked it up today as an impulse buy at a record store for a fiver. I am ever so pleased that i did. Already a avid watcher of his movies, I am aware of his quick wit. However on paper it shines much much more. Despite only starting the book, I am getting excited for more his comedy gems. The book feels like having a conversation with one of your wittier sarcastic friend which can only be a good thing.
Buy it, you will not regret it for a millisecond.
" I had a uneasy feeling some men were trying to break into my room to shampoo me." This is one of the first lines. Comedy genius.
A short, sweet way to read Woody Allen, 25 Jun 2006
This is a great way to start your reading of Woody Allen. This has some superb short stories that can't help but make you chuckle to yourself or laugh out loud. His sense of observation is second to none and his dry wit is hilarious. I enjoyed this book immensely and found myself recommending it to many friends. Great whether you enjoy his films or not.
Is this the funniest book ever?, 02 Dec 2005
I have read this book maybe 10 or 12 times now and yet when i read it again I still find it laugh-out-loud-uncontrollably funny. I just wish Woody would write more prose
Complete Comedy, 21 Jun 2003
Consisting mostly of short stories and general observations from Allen's unique perspective that originally appeared in the 'New Yorker' magazine, this comprehensive collection is pretty much all you need to have. Quite why you would want to buy the books separately (or even together with this book) is totally beyond me. 'Complete Prose' is his three books in one volume, complete, unabridged and totally hilarious. Surreal, ridiculous, witty, and at times just plain silly, these short pieces will have you in pieces after a few paragraphs. My favourite bits include a story about Dracula, and how come he knows when it's dark if he stays in a coffin all day? When he senses it is dark one day, he pays a visit to some neighbours, intent on blood. When he turns up at their house, they ask if he has come to watch the solar eclipse with them, at which point he immediately runs into the house and hides in a cupboard until nighttime. Another example is a story about organised crime, and how one technique for bumping people off was to lock them in a wardrobe and then suck all the air out through a straw. I think an alternative title for this book could have been 'Complete Nonsense' and still be accurate, but a more flattering title could be 'Complete Brilliance'.
Beautiful!, 18 Sep 2005
As a poet Rilke is wonderful, but this collection of letters is the most awe inspiring thing he has written. I was introduced to this book by a friend and have re read it countless times and cherished it since. It is my number one recommendation as a meaningful gift especially for young people and aspiring artists. Buy this!
"When a prince is going to speak silence must be made", 14 Jul 2004
"Letters to a Young Poet" is a very small book that allows us to enjoy the correspondence between a famous writer and an aspiring poet. This exchange of letters began in 1903 thanks to a missive that Franz Xaver Kappus sent to R. M. Rilke, and continued for many years, until 1908. Why is this little book important?. Because it allows us to read what Rilke thought about many subjects, for example life, poetry, and art. And because, as F. X. Kappus said, "when a prince is going to speak, silence must be made". Kappus wanted to share the insights that Rilke gave him, and thus compiled his missives in "Letters to a young poet". The letters are few, and not overly long, but in this case the knowledge offered is certainly greater than the number of pages. It is easier to show you what I mean by giving you an example... For instance, what Rilke's advices Franz to do, when he tells him to: "Go into yourself and test the deeps in which your life takes rise; at its source you will find the answer to the question whether you must create. Accept it, just as it sounds, without inquiring into it. Perhaps it will turn out that you are called to be an artist". On the whole, I highly recommend this book to everybody. It will probably be more useful to aspiring writers, but people who simply enjoy literature will delight in it too :) Belen Alcat
Images so beautiful it hurts., 19 Jun 1999
A simply beautiful book. I highly recommend it to those who love the written word.
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