Ten star rating and more, 22 Mar 2007
This book achieves the impossible. It makes the difficult and obtuse polemical and theoretical debates of recent history easy to read. Yes, believe it or not! I cannot find enough congratulations to give for this excellent and learned book. The achievement of the age. Thank you for making clear sense of it all.My newly found bible for Literary Critical research.

A worthy introduction but only goes so far, 08 Mar 2007
This book is a useful tool for students wishing to grasp the basics, and sample a broad range, of critical approaches to literature. However, if you wish to explore a particular approach to a higher level, then this book will not be adequate on its own. For example, the fact that only a few pages are dedicated to the concept of 'gender' goes to show that this really is only an introductory work, and it could be argued that literary theory is not something that can be 'summed up' in the form of brief, introductory chapters.

Having said this, each chapter provides reading lists for additional relevant material, and therefore it is a good way to break into the field. Just be prepared to get in the library and seek out other books if a particular approach interests you. Don't expect to rely entirely on this.

I love this book!, 10 Nov 2006
Whilst trying to write an essay about desire, I became so confused I just wanted a book that would explain the various theories in simple language so that I would understand it. This book did just that. It provides introductions to complex topics and establishes a foundation of knowledge that you can build on with the handily referenced further reading, or reading of your own. Its now become my first port of call when writing essays, so I don't become tangled up in complex criticism and theories.

Superficial and condescending., 18 Feb 2006
In my first year as an UG philosophy and literature student, this book very nearly put me completely off literary theory: each of its chapters would be brilliant as an INTRODUCTION to an essay on each of the topics it pretends to discuss. Not only is the tone it takes insultingly condescending, but its authors have a real penchant for making seriously unsubstantiated statements. It's also stultifyingly politically correct, refusing to take any account of points of view that don't belong to the prevalent orthodoxy. It places excessive emphasis on 'close reading', which, even if intelligently and insightfully done (as it is here), is always prone to cause major lapses in the maintenance of a sense of perspective.

Theory IS difficult, and it isin't by means of such reductionism that it will, lo and behold, be made entertaining and accessible to all.

Superb, 05 Dec 2005
This book offers a real insight into the vast world of literary criticism and theory: it delves into fundamental subject areas, asking questions like, 'What is the text? Where does it begin?' Bennett & Royle consistently keep our interest (no mean feat in a book of this scope) and write concisely, intelligently and fluently. Case studies are used, so the theory really comes into play. I would recommend this book to anyone starting a course on literature or merely with an interest in the texts that make up our world. Particularly useful are the 'Further Reading' footnotes at the end of each chapter, which will advise you on texts to read according to what you found interesting about the subject. This is a relatively short book, but covers all its subject matter well and references other works which can provide a deeper insight. Don't expect to use this as a complete reference book; you will need to do some more reading, but as a comprehensive summary of modern literary theory this book is perfect.

Ten star rating and more, 22 Mar 2007
This book achieves the impossible. It makes the difficult and obtuse polemical and theoretical debates of recent history easy to read. Yes, believe it or not! I cannot find enough congratulations to give for this excellent and learned book. The achievement of the age. Thank you for making clear sense of it all.My newly found bible for Literary Critical research.

A worthy introduction but only goes so far, 08 Mar 2007
This book is a useful tool for students wishing to grasp the basics, and sample a broad range, of critical approaches to literature. However, if you wish to explore a particular approach to a higher level, then this book will not be adequate on its own. For example, the fact that only a few pages are dedicated to the concept of 'gender' goes to show that this really is only an introductory work, and it could be argued that literary theory is not something that can be 'summed up' in the form of brief, introductory chapters.

Having said this, each chapter provides reading lists for additional relevant material, and therefore it is a good way to break into the field. Just be prepared to get in the library and seek out other books if a particular approach interests you. Don't expect to rely entirely on this.

I love this book!, 10 Nov 2006
Whilst trying to write an essay about desire, I became so confused I just wanted a book that would explain the various theories in simple language so that I would understand it. This book did just that. It provides introductions to complex topics and establishes a foundation of knowledge that you can build on with the handily referenced further reading, or reading of your own. Its now become my first port of call when writing essays, so I don't become tangled up in complex criticism and theories.

Superficial and condescending., 18 Feb 2006
In my first year as an UG philosophy and literature student, this book very nearly put me completely off literary theory: each of its chapters would be brilliant as an INTRODUCTION to an essay on each of the topics it pretends to discuss. Not only is the tone it takes insultingly condescending, but its authors have a real penchant for making seriously unsubstantiated statements. It's also stultifyingly politically correct, refusing to take any account of points of view that don't belong to the prevalent orthodoxy. It places excessive emphasis on 'close reading', which, even if intelligently and insightfully done (as it is here), is always prone to cause major lapses in the maintenance of a sense of perspective.

Theory IS difficult, and it isin't by means of such reductionism that it will, lo and behold, be made entertaining and accessible to all.

Superb, 05 Dec 2005
This book offers a real insight into the vast world of literary criticism and theory: it delves into fundamental subject areas, asking questions like, 'What is the text? Where does it begin?' Bennett & Royle consistently keep our interest (no mean feat in a book of this scope) and write concisely, intelligently and fluently. Case studies are used, so the theory really comes into play. I would recommend this book to anyone starting a course on literature or merely with an interest in the texts that make up our world. Particularly useful are the 'Further Reading' footnotes at the end of each chapter, which will advise you on texts to read according to what you found interesting about the subject. This is a relatively short book, but covers all its subject matter well and references other works which can provide a deeper insight. Don't expect to use this as a complete reference book; you will need to do some more reading, but as a comprehensive summary of modern literary theory this book is perfect.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

It seems strange to find a 1954 vampire novel in Millennium's "SF Masterworks" classic reprints series. I Am Legend, though, was a trailblazing and later much imitated story that reinvented the vampire myth as SF. Without losing the horror, it presents vampirism as a disease whose secrets can be unlocked by scientific tools. The hero Robert Neville, perhaps the last uninfected man on Earth, finds himself in a paranoid nightmare. By night, the bloodthirsty undead of small-town America besiege his barricaded house: their repeated cry "Come out, Neville!" is a famous SF catchphrase. By day, when they hide in shadow and become comatose, Neville gets out his wooden stakes for an orgy of slaughter. He also discovers pseudoscientific explanations, some rather strained, for vampires' fear of light, vulnerability to stakes though not bullets, loathing of garlic, and so on. What gives the story its uneasy power is the gradual perspective shift which shows that by fighting monsters Neville is himself becoming monstrous--not a vampire but something to terrify vampires and haunt their dreams as a dreadful legend from the bad old days. I Am Legend was altered out of recognition when filmed as The Omega Man (1971), starring Charlton Heston. Avoid the movie; read the book. --David Langford

Ten star rating and more, 22 Mar 2007
This book achieves the impossible. It makes the difficult and obtuse polemical and theoretical debates of recent history easy to read. Yes, believe it or not! I cannot find enough congratulations to give for this excellent and learned book. The achievement of the age. Thank you for making clear sense of it all.My newly found bible for Literary Critical research.

A worthy introduction but only goes so far, 08 Mar 2007
This book is a useful tool for students wishing to grasp the basics, and sample a broad range, of critical approaches to literature. However, if you wish to explore a particular approach to a higher level, then this book will not be adequate on its own. For example, the fact that only a few pages are dedicated to the concept of 'gender' goes to show that this really is only an introductory work, and it could be argued that literary theory is not something that can be 'summed up' in the form of brief, introductory chapters.

Having said this, each chapter provides reading lists for additional relevant material, and therefore it is a good way to break into the field. Just be prepared to get in the library and seek out other books if a particular approach interests you. Don't expect to rely entirely on this.

I love this book!, 10 Nov 2006
Whilst trying to write an essay about desire, I became so confused I just wanted a book that would explain the various theories in simple language so that I would understand it. This book did just that. It provides introductions to complex topics and establishes a foundation of knowledge that you can build on with the handily referenced further reading, or reading of your own. Its now become my first port of call when writing essays, so I don't become tangled up in complex criticism and theories.

Superficial and condescending., 18 Feb 2006
In my first year as an UG philosophy and literature student, this book very nearly put me completely off literary theory: each of its chapters would be brilliant as an INTRODUCTION to an essay on each of the topics it pretends to discuss. Not only is the tone it takes insultingly condescending, but its authors have a real penchant for making seriously unsubstantiated statements. It's also stultifyingly politically correct, refusing to take any account of points of view that don't belong to the prevalent orthodoxy. It places excessive emphasis on 'close reading', which, even if intelligently and insightfully done (as it is here), is always prone to cause major lapses in the maintenance of a sense of perspective.

Theory IS difficult, and it isin't by means of such reductionism that it will, lo and behold, be made entertaining and accessible to all.

Superb, 05 Dec 2005
This book offers a real insight into the vast world of literary criticism and theory: it delves into fundamental subject areas, asking questions like, 'What is the text? Where does it begin?' Bennett & Royle consistently keep our interest (no mean feat in a book of this scope) and write concisely, intelligently and fluently. Case studies are used, so the theory really comes into play. I would recommend this book to anyone starting a course on literature or merely with an interest in the texts that make up our world. Particularly useful are the 'Further Reading' footnotes at the end of each chapter, which will advise you on texts to read according to what you found interesting about the subject. This is a relatively short book, but covers all its subject matter well and references other works which can provide a deeper insight. Don't expect to use this as a complete reference book; you will need to do some more reading, but as a comprehensive summary of modern literary theory this book is perfect.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Superb., 17 Sep 2008
Justifying killing - or trying to - is a more pointed argument when taken in the individual; governments cloud the simplicity with rhetoric, propoganda and patriotism; but, keep the numbers down and the subject is raw and demanding attention.

Matheson strips the numbers down to one in this book, and one has no problem in coming down on the side of Robert Neville - the book's lead, and almost only, character.

One feels his panic when he discovers his watch has stopped and cannot get back to his safe-house before sun-down; and when he smacks his car into a crowd of Vampires like a macarbre game of skittles, one feels his elation.

Matheson recruits the reader from the outset and the reader becomes an observer, living one dimension down from the physical earthbound, able to see and hear all he does - even hear his thoughts - yet is unable to intervene or advise, and that gives the work more power. It frustrates the reader; but Matheson, after sucking the reader in, turns the tables on Neville and strips him of all the moral altitude he has taken for himself, and plunges him into the role of bad guy, of the hated terrorist, and makes him an outsider, a pariah.

Matheson has no mercy for his protaganist.

I have read short stories of greater length than this novel, and the prose is thin, which is not to say it is bad, but it deals only with the here and now of the story; back-story and poetic flourishes in the prose are kept to a minimum as far as the former go, and are non-existent for the latter. It makes for a story where 99 per cent is action in the present tense, and the book could be read in one sitting, I think.

This is considered a classic of genre fiction, and rightly so.



A VERY QUICK READ!, 16 Sep 2008
I just couldn't put this down and it isn't typical of my preferred reading. I was completely drawn in as soon as I started it and my life went on hold until I finished it.

A very enthralling book

Classic., 13 Sep 2008
A highly readable classic. There is little I can add to what has been said previously. The most faithful adaption is Vincent Price's 'The Last Man on Earth'. Do yourself a favour and read this book, even if you have seen the recent film. Recommended!

5/5 Not my typical read, 18 Aug 2008
I read this short book after seeing all the reviews (thank you) and thought I must give it a go. I have tried lots of 'horror' novels over the years and they have never really engaged me. I read this over two evenings and found it totally absorbed me. The text races along wonderfully.
This is not my typical read - favourite books include: Papillon, Hamlet, Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, Grapes of Wrath and The Old Man and the Sea. I assume it is because having read them they stay with you and insist on being read again. Though my wife prefers to suggest I am simply a bit weird.
As for the new 'Mr Smith' film, which I enjoyed, they follow the same theme but to compare them would be like comparing a Mars Bar and a Snickers (I still prefer to call them Marathon).
Not sure how helpful my waffling will be but having been persuaded to read this after all the positive feedback I felt I should add something myself. I am sure this book will in time insist on being read again.

Hair raisingingly good stuff, 03 Aug 2008
This is a brilliant book, that manages to transcend the boundaries of Science Fiction or Horror genres. It was way ahead of its time.
I think its impact is down to its focus- rather than a overblown description of a post-apocalyptic world where everyone has turned into vampires, it concentrates on the experience of one man. You feel the claustrophobia of Neville as he shuts himself in his house every night, and you sympathise with his loneliness as the last normal man on earth. Even if you're not someone who normally enjoys SF books, this is so well written you can't help but love it.

The ending was so good it made all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. This isn't just a SF classic, it deserves to be an all-time classic novel.

Ten star rating and more, 22 Mar 2007
This book achieves the impossible. It makes the difficult and obtuse polemical and theoretical debates of recent history easy to read. Yes, believe it or not! I cannot find enough congratulations to give for this excellent and learned book. The achievement of the age. Thank you for making clear sense of it all.My newly found bible for Literary Critical research.

A worthy introduction but only goes so far, 08 Mar 2007
This book is a useful tool for students wishing to grasp the basics, and sample a broad range, of critical approaches to literature. However, if you wish to explore a particular approach to a higher level, then this book will not be adequate on its own. For example, the fact that only a few pages are dedicated to the concept of 'gender' goes to show that this really is only an introductory work, and it could be argued that literary theory is not something that can be 'summed up' in the form of brief, introductory chapters.

Having said this, each chapter provides reading lists for additional relevant material, and therefore it is a good way to break into the field. Just be prepared to get in the library and seek out other books if a particular approach interests you. Don't expect to rely entirely on this.

I love this book!, 10 Nov 2006
Whilst trying to write an essay about desire, I became so confused I just wanted a book that would explain the various theories in simple language so that I would understand it. This book did just that. It provides introductions to complex topics and establishes a foundation of knowledge that you can build on with the handily referenced further reading, or reading of your own. Its now become my first port of call when writing essays, so I don't become tangled up in complex criticism and theories.

Superficial and condescending., 18 Feb 2006
In my first year as an UG philosophy and literature student, this book very nearly put me completely off literary theory: each of its chapters would be brilliant as an INTRODUCTION to an essay on each of the topics it pretends to discuss. Not only is the tone it takes insultingly condescending, but its authors have a real penchant for making seriously unsubstantiated statements. It's also stultifyingly politically correct, refusing to take any account of points of view that don't belong to the prevalent orthodoxy. It places excessive emphasis on 'close reading', which, even if intelligently and insightfully done (as it is here), is always prone to cause major lapses in the maintenance of a sense of perspective.

Theory IS difficult, and it isin't by means of such reductionism that it will, lo and behold, be made entertaining and accessible to all.

Superb, 05 Dec 2005
This book offers a real insight into the vast world of literary criticism and theory: it delves into fundamental subject areas, asking questions like, 'What is the text? Where does it begin?' Bennett & Royle consistently keep our interest (no mean feat in a book of this scope) and write concisely, intelligently and fluently. Case studies are used, so the theory really comes into play. I would recommend this book to anyone starting a course on literature or merely with an interest in the texts that make up our world. Particularly useful are the 'Further Reading' footnotes at the end of each chapter, which will advise you on texts to read according to what you found interesting about the subject. This is a relatively short book, but covers all its subject matter well and references other works which can provide a deeper insight. Don't expect to use this as a complete reference book; you will need to do some more reading, but as a comprehensive summary of modern literary theory this book is perfect.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Superb., 17 Sep 2008
Justifying killing - or trying to - is a more pointed argument when taken in the individual; governments cloud the simplicity with rhetoric, propoganda and patriotism; but, keep the numbers down and the subject is raw and demanding attention.

Matheson strips the numbers down to one in this book, and one has no problem in coming down on the side of Robert Neville - the book's lead, and almost only, character.

One feels his panic when he discovers his watch has stopped and cannot get back to his safe-house before sun-down; and when he smacks his car into a crowd of Vampires like a macarbre game of skittles, one feels his elation.

Matheson recruits the reader from the outset and the reader becomes an observer, living one dimension down from the physical earthbound, able to see and hear all he does - even hear his thoughts - yet is unable to intervene or advise, and that gives the work more power. It frustrates the reader; but Matheson, after sucking the reader in, turns the tables on Neville and strips him of all the moral altitude he has taken for himself, and plunges him into the role of bad guy, of the hated terrorist, and makes him an outsider, a pariah.

Matheson has no mercy for his protaganist.

I have read short stories of greater length than this novel, and the prose is thin, which is not to say it is bad, but it deals only with the here and now of the story; back-story and poetic flourishes in the prose are kept to a minimum as far as the former go, and are non-existent for the latter. It makes for a story where 99 per cent is action in the present tense, and the book could be read in one sitting, I think.

This is considered a classic of genre fiction, and rightly so.



A VERY QUICK READ!, 16 Sep 2008
I just couldn't put this down and it isn't typical of my preferred reading. I was completely drawn in as soon as I started it and my life went on hold until I finished it.

A very enthralling book

Classic., 13 Sep 2008
A highly readable classic. There is little I can add to what has been said previously. The most faithful adaption is Vincent Price's 'The Last Man on Earth'. Do yourself a favour and read this book, even if you have seen the recent film. Recommended!

5/5 Not my typical read, 18 Aug 2008
I read this short book after seeing all the reviews (thank you) and thought I must give it a go. I have tried lots of 'horror' novels over the years and they have never really engaged me. I read this over two evenings and found it totally absorbed me. The text races along wonderfully.
This is not my typical read - favourite books include: Papillon, Hamlet, Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, Grapes of Wrath and The Old Man and the Sea. I assume it is because having read them they stay with you and insist on being read again. Though my wife prefers to suggest I am simply a bit weird.
As for the new 'Mr Smith' film, which I enjoyed, they follow the same theme but to compare them would be like comparing a Mars Bar and a Snickers (I still prefer to call them Marathon).
Not sure how helpful my waffling will be but having been persuaded to read this after all the positive feedback I felt I should add something myself. I am sure this book will in time insist on being read again.

Hair raisingingly good stuff, 03 Aug 2008
This is a brilliant book, that manages to transcend the boundaries of Science Fiction or Horror genres. It was way ahead of its time.
I think its impact is down to its focus- rather than a overblown description of a post-apocalyptic world where everyone has turned into vampires, it concentrates on the experience of one man. You feel the claustrophobia of Neville as he shuts himself in his house every night, and you sympathise with his loneliness as the last normal man on earth. Even if you're not someone who normally enjoys SF books, this is so well written you can't help but love it.

The ending was so good it made all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. This isn't just a SF classic, it deserves to be an all-time classic novel.

The Woman in Black, 19 Aug 2008
I was introduced to The Woman in Black by my mother who took me for a birthday treat to see the long running west end show. I was hooked. For anyone who is thinking of seeing a truly memorable play in London, this is the one. It is done with the bare minimum of props and set design, so allowing your imagination to completely take over, which it does. It is completely spine-chilling and unforgettable. Go and see it!

a real chiller, 15 Aug 2008
I have read many ghost stories over the years, but this is the one that literally makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Although it was most chilling the first time I read it, I keep re-reading it from tme to time and it loses little of its power. I have banned my children from reading the book alone or watching the TV adaptation until they are 18. My wife and I were terrified out of our wits by it when it was shown on Christmas Eve and we had to keep the light on all night! The book is so much better than the adaptation, I must say , and it is extremely well written - some other modern ghost writers (eg James Herbert) just do not not match up.

So scary, what a great story!, 12 May 2008

If you like ghost stories then this is for you! This was recommended to me by my librarian and it was sooo good. I read it, my girlfriend read it and then we went to see the play in the west end and that was brilliant too.

It has all the ingredients of a great ghost story, suspense, murder, fog, a lonely house, a mystery and a great finale at the end. I cant say too much here without giving away too much, but I really enjoyed it.

Read this book!!!

AMAZING GHOST STORY, 15 Apr 2008
This book is truly thrilling. It is both frightening and moving and is a great read for anyone who either likes ghost stories in general or anyone who is studying the Victorians. The book has been made into a play in the West end and I would highly recommend it - read the book first though.

Spine-Chilling, 25 Jan 2008
When a solicitor called Arthur Kipps is ordered to receive the funeral papers from the passed away Alice Drablow, a creepy sense of unease begins to take hold. Before he knows it, a woman in black starts to haunt him and the community below the solitary house. In order for Kipps to keep his sanity, he must escape the grasp of the woman in black and protect his life.
This book is a genuine spine-chiller. Every chapter, a creepy sense of a presence or spectre is behind you as you read with anticipation. The fear is suspensful and intense, the creepiness builds up on a very gradual, and very tense rate, and you will be gripped to read further.
A definite must-read novel... Very cleverly written and crafted beautifully into the pages and your mind, with the setting very much being painted into your mind. The setting is very imaginable and very genuine. The fear is weighing on your shoulders, feeling like a ghost is gripping it, and whispering in your ears as your eyes follow the haunting words on the pages.
Read it in the dark - I dare you.....

Ten star rating and more, 22 Mar 2007
This book achieves the impossible. It makes the difficult and obtuse polemical and theoretical debates of recent history easy to read. Yes, believe it or not! I cannot find enough congratulations to give for this excellent and learned book. The achievement of the age. Thank you for making clear sense of it all.My newly found bible for Literary Critical research.

A worthy introduction but only goes so far, 08 Mar 2007
This book is a useful tool for students wishing to grasp the basics, and sample a broad range, of critical approaches to literature. However, if you wish to explore a particular approach to a higher level, then this book will not be adequate on its own. For example, the fact that only a few pages are dedicated to the concept of 'gender' goes to show that this really is only an introductory work, and it could be argued that literary theory is not something that can be 'summed up' in the form of brief, introductory chapters.

Having said this, each chapter provides reading lists for additional relevant material, and therefore it is a good way to break into the field. Just be prepared to get in the library and seek out other books if a particular approach interests you. Don't expect to rely entirely on this.

I love this book!, 10 Nov 2006
Whilst trying to write an essay about desire, I became so confused I just wanted a book that would explain the various theories in simple language so that I would understand it. This book did just that. It provides introductions to complex topics and establishes a foundation of knowledge that you can build on with the handily referenced further reading, or reading of your own. Its now become my first port of call when writing essays, so I don't become tangled up in complex criticism and theories.

Superficial and condescending., 18 Feb 2006
In my first year as an UG philosophy and literature student, this book very nearly put me completely off literary theory: each of its chapters would be brilliant as an INTRODUCTION to an essay on each of the topics it pretends to discuss. Not only is the tone it takes insultingly condescending, but its authors have a real penchant for making seriously unsubstantiated statements. It's also stultifyingly politically correct, refusing to take any account of points of view that don't belong to the prevalent orthodoxy. It places excessive emphasis on 'close reading', which, even if intelligently and insightfully done (as it is here), is always prone to cause major lapses in the maintenance of a sense of perspective.

Theory IS difficult, and it isin't by means of such reductionism that it will, lo and behold, be made entertaining and accessible to all.

Superb, 05 Dec 2005
This book offers a real insight into the vast world of literary criticism and theory: it delves into fundamental subject areas, asking questions like, 'What is the text? Where does it begin?' Bennett & Royle consistently keep our interest (no mean feat in a book of this scope) and write concisely, intelligently and fluently. Case studies are used, so the theory really comes into play. I would recommend this book to anyone starting a course on literature or merely with an interest in the texts that make up our world. Particularly useful are the 'Further Reading' footnotes at the end of each chapter, which will advise you on texts to read according to what you found interesting about the subject. This is a relatively short book, but covers all its subject matter well and references other works which can provide a deeper insight. Don't expect to use this as a complete reference book; you will need to do some more reading, but as a comprehensive summary of modern literary theory this book is perfect.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Superb., 17 Sep 2008
Justifying killing - or trying to - is a more pointed argument when taken in the individual; governments cloud the simplicity with rhetoric, propoganda and patriotism; but, keep the numbers down and the subject is raw and demanding attention.

Matheson strips the numbers down to one in this book, and one has no problem in coming down on the side of Robert Neville - the book's lead, and almost only, character.

One feels his panic when he discovers his watch has stopped and cannot get back to his safe-house before sun-down; and when he smacks his car into a crowd of Vampires like a macarbre game of skittles, one feels his elation.

Matheson recruits the reader from the outset and the reader becomes an observer, living one dimension down from the physical earthbound, able to see and hear all he does - even hear his thoughts - yet is unable to intervene or advise, and that gives the work more power. It frustrates the reader; but Matheson, after sucking the reader in, turns the tables on Neville and strips him of all the moral altitude he has taken for himself, and plunges him into the role of bad guy, of the hated terrorist, and makes him an outsider, a pariah.

Matheson has no mercy for his protaganist.

I have read short stories of greater length than this novel, and the prose is thin, which is not to say it is bad, but it deals only with the here and now of the story; back-story and poetic flourishes in the prose are kept to a minimum as far as the former go, and are non-existent for the latter. It makes for a story where 99 per cent is action in the present tense, and the book could be read in one sitting, I think.

This is considered a classic of genre fiction, and rightly so.



A VERY QUICK READ!, 16 Sep 2008
I just couldn't put this down and it isn't typical of my preferred reading. I was completely drawn in as soon as I started it and my life went on hold until I finished it.

A very enthralling book

Classic., 13 Sep 2008
A highly readable classic. There is little I can add to what has been said previously. The most faithful adaption is Vincent Price's 'The Last Man on Earth'. Do yourself a favour and read this book, even if you have seen the recent film. Recommended!

5/5 Not my typical read, 18 Aug 2008
I read this short book after seeing all the reviews (thank you) and thought I must give it a go. I have tried lots of 'horror' novels over the years and they have never really engaged me. I read this over two evenings and found it totally absorbed me. The text races along wonderfully.
This is not my typical read - favourite books include: Papillon, Hamlet, Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, Grapes of Wrath and The Old Man and the Sea. I assume it is because having read them they stay with you and insist on being read again. Though my wife prefers to suggest I am simply a bit weird.
As for the new 'Mr Smith' film, which I enjoyed, they follow the same theme but to compare them would be like comparing a Mars Bar and a Snickers (I still prefer to call them Marathon).
Not sure how helpful my waffling will be but having been persuaded to read this after all the positive feedback I felt I should add something myself. I am sure this book will in time insist on being read again.

Hair raisingingly good stuff, 03 Aug 2008
This is a brilliant book, that manages to transcend the boundaries of Science Fiction or Horror genres. It was way ahead of its time.
I think its impact is down to its focus- rather than a overblown description of a post-apocalyptic world where everyone has turned into vampires, it concentrates on the experience of one man. You feel the claustrophobia of Neville as he shuts himself in his house every night, and you sympathise with his loneliness as the last normal man on earth. Even if you're not someone who normally enjoys SF books, this is so well written you can't help but love it.

The ending was so good it made all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. This isn't just a SF classic, it deserves to be an all-time classic novel.

The Woman in Black, 19 Aug 2008
I was introduced to The Woman in Black by my mother who took me for a birthday treat to see the long running west end show. I was hooked. For anyone who is thinking of seeing a truly memorable play in London, this is the one. It is done with the bare minimum of props and set design, so allowing your imagination to completely take over, which it does. It is completely spine-chilling and unforgettable. Go and see it!

a real chiller, 15 Aug 2008
I have read many ghost stories over the years, but this is the one that literally makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Although it was most chilling the first time I read it, I keep re-reading it from tme to time and it loses little of its power. I have banned my children from reading the book alone or watching the TV adaptation until they are 18. My wife and I were terrified out of our wits by it when it was shown on Christmas Eve and we had to keep the light on all night! The book is so much better than the adaptation, I must say , and it is extremely well written - some other modern ghost writers (eg James Herbert) just do not not match up.

So scary, what a great story!, 12 May 2008

If you like ghost stories then this is for you! This was recommended to me by my librarian and it was sooo good. I read it, my girlfriend read it and then we went to see the play in the west end and that was brilliant too.

It has all the ingredients of a great ghost story, suspense, murder, fog, a lonely house, a mystery and a great finale at the end. I cant say too much here without giving away too much, but I really enjoyed it.

Read this book!!!

AMAZING GHOST STORY, 15 Apr 2008
This book is truly thrilling. It is both frightening and moving and is a great read for anyone who either likes ghost stories in general or anyone who is studying the Victorians. The book has been made into a play in the West end and I would highly recommend it - read the book first though.

Spine-Chilling, 25 Jan 2008
When a solicitor called Arthur Kipps is ordered to receive the funeral papers from the passed away Alice Drablow, a creepy sense of unease begins to take hold. Before he knows it, a woman in black starts to haunt him and the community below the solitary house. In order for Kipps to keep his sanity, he must escape the grasp of the woman in black and protect his life.
This book is a genuine spine-chiller. Every chapter, a creepy sense of a presence or spectre is behind you as you read with anticipation. The fear is suspensful and intense, the creepiness builds up on a very gradual, and very tense rate, and you will be gripped to read further.
A definite must-read novel... Very cleverly written and crafted beautifully into the pages and your mind, with the setting very much being painted into your mind. The setting is very imaginable and very genuine. The fear is weighing on your shoulders, feeling like a ghost is gripping it, and whispering in your ears as your eyes follow the haunting words on the pages.
Read it in the dark - I dare you.....

Pretty good, 28 Sep 2008
I bought this recently, having never read (but often heard about) Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos.

I'm only about a third of the way through, but it seems pretty good (although the author does seem to have swallowed a thesaurus - and a particularly gibbous and over-nourished one at that, most likely recovered from some Stygian Pit that the mortal mind was not meant to know of). Plus, he does have some rather - ahem - "old fashioned" attitudes to race and class that can seem rather jarring to a modern reader.

This particular edition also does, unfortunately, have a number of typos in the text, some of which ("Necroriomicon", "clay" instead of "day", and "Gthulhu") suggest to me that the publishers had the original text scanned and digitised, but imperfectly. (I'm keeping a note of them as I find them, and will inform the publishers when I've finished the book).

Still, all said, I don't regret getting the book, and if you don't mind those faults, I'd certainly recommend this to anyone interested in the genera.


Just as I remembered!!, 14 Sep 2008
Excellent, worth the wait!! I remember reading this as a child, it's just as good as I remembered. Real Classic stuff!!

I recommend it to anyone looking for some good old creepy stories.

JOIN THE DARKSIDE!!!!, 19 Jul 2008
What can i say that already hasn't been said.
This is truly awesome, a complete collection of lovecraft in a well bound casebound book with faux Leather cover, in black.
All your favorites are there. If you're a real lovecraft fan this is deffinately for you.
And for a very reasanoble price.
100% recommended, buy now & join us on a truly Dark venture into the world of the one & the only H.P.lovecraft


Beautifully produced edition, but -2 stars for horrible tacky price sticker on the back, 28 Jun 2008
Finally a beautifully produced and complete edition of H.P. Lovecraft's works, but whoever at Gollancz/Orion decided to spoil each book with a tacky price sticker - not even put on straight - that leaves a sticky residue when removed (and believe me, it's tenacious) should be punished by the elder gods, or at least someone senior at the publishers.

The definitive Lovecraft collection, 18 Apr 2008
It appears that I, unlike the other reviewers of this book, am a new edition to the legions of Lovecraft fans that I had until recently been completely unaware of. I have long since been a fan of horror film and have read my fair share of such obvious novelists as King, but never could have dreamt of something as elegant and terrifying in the nowadays all too neglected medium of the written word.
The tome itself bleeds horror; the black leather cover (which alone would suggest a much higher price) and occasional illustrations and even the feel of the pages spark the imagination, but it is undoubtedly Lovecraft's own artful imagery and originality that would be expected long after his time makes this a vital part of the collection of not just any horror fan, but any literary enthusiast.
However, as has been said before me, the sticker is the one blight of this book, and you must be prepared for a strenuous battle. The glue! THE GLUE!

Ten star rating and more, 22 Mar 2007
This book achieves the impossible. It makes the difficult and obtuse polemical and theoretical debates of recent history easy to read. Yes, believe it or not! I cannot find enough congratulations to give for this excellent and learned book. The achievement of the age. Thank you for making clear sense of it all.My newly found bible for Literary Critical research.

A worthy introduction but only goes so far, 08 Mar 2007
This book is a useful tool for students wishing to grasp the basics, and sample a broad range, of critical approaches to literature. However, if you wish to explore a particular approach to a higher level, then this book will not be adequate on its own. For example, the fact that only a few pages are dedicated to the concept of 'gender' goes to show that this really is only an introductory work, and it could be argued that literary theory is not something that can be 'summed up' in the form of brief, introductory chapters.

Having said this, each chapter provides reading lists for additional relevant material, and therefore it is a good way to break into the field. Just be prepared to get in the library and seek out other books if a particular approach interests you. Don't expect to rely entirely on this.

I love this book!, 10 Nov 2006
Whilst trying to write an essay about desire, I became so confused I just wanted a book that would explain the various theories in simple language so that I would understand it. This book did just that. It provides introductions to complex topics and establishes a foundation of knowledge that you can build on with the handily referenced further reading, or reading of your own. Its now become my first port of call when writing essays, so I don't become tangled up in complex criticism and theories.

Superficial and condescending., 18 Feb 2006
In my first year as an UG philosophy and literature student, this book very nearly put me completely off literary theory: each of its chapters would be brilliant as an INTRODUCTION to an essay on each of the topics it pretends to discuss. Not only is the tone it takes insultingly condescending, but its authors have a real penchant for making seriously unsubstantiated statements. It's also stultifyingly politically correct, refusing to take any account of points of view that don't belong to the prevalent orthodoxy. It places excessive emphasis on 'close reading', which, even if intelligently and insightfully done (as it is here), is always prone to cause major lapses in the maintenance of a sense of perspective.

Theory IS difficult, and it isin't by means of such reductionism that it will, lo and behold, be made entertaining and accessible to all.

Superb, 05 Dec 2005
This book offers a real insight into the vast world of literary criticism and theory: it delves into fundamental subject areas, asking questions like, 'What is the text? Where does it begin?' Bennett & Royle consistently keep our interest (no mean feat in a book of this scope) and write concisely, intelligently and fluently. Case studies are used, so the theory really comes into play. I would recommend this book to anyone starting a course on literature or merely with an interest in the texts that make up our world. Particularly useful are the 'Further Reading' footnotes at the end of each chapter, which will advise you on texts to read according to what you found interesting about the subject. This is a relatively short book, but covers all its subject matter well and references other works which can provide a deeper insight. Don't expect to use this as a complete reference book; you will need to do some more reading, but as a comprehensive summary of modern literary theory this book is perfect.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Superb., 17 Sep 2008
Justifying killing - or trying to - is a more pointed argument when taken in the individual; governments cloud the simplicity with rhetoric, propoganda and patriotism; but, keep the numbers down and the subject is raw and demanding attention.

Matheson strips the numbers down to one in this book, and one has no problem in coming down on the side of Robert Neville - the book's lead, and almost only, character.

One feels his panic when he discovers his watch has stopped and cannot get back to his safe-house before sun-down; and when he smacks his car into a crowd of Vampires like a macarbre game of skittles, one feels his elation.

Matheson recruits the reader from the outset and the reader becomes an observer, living one dimension down from the physical earthbound, able to see and hear all he does - even hear his thoughts - yet is unable to intervene or advise, and that gives the work more power. It frustrates the reader; but Matheson, after sucking the reader in, turns the tables on Neville and strips him of all the moral altitude he has taken for himself, and plunges him into the role of bad guy, of the hated terrorist, and makes him an outsider, a pariah.

Matheson has no mercy for his protaganist.

I have read short stories of greater length than this novel, and the prose is thin, which is not to say it is bad, but it deals only with the here and now of the story; back-story and poetic flourishes in the prose are kept to a minimum as far as the former go, and are non-existent for the latter. It makes for a story where 99 per cent is action in the present tense, and the book could be read in one sitting, I think.

This is considered a classic of genre fiction, and rightly so.



A VERY QUICK READ!, 16 Sep 2008
I just couldn't put this down and it isn't typical of my preferred reading. I was completely drawn in as soon as I started it and my life went on hold until I finished it.

A very enthralling book

Classic., 13 Sep 2008
A highly readable classic. There is little I can add to what has been said previously. The most faithful adaption is Vincent Price's 'The Last Man on Earth'. Do yourself a favour and read this book, even if you have seen the recent film. Recommended!

5/5 Not my typical read, 18 Aug 2008
I read this short book after seeing all the reviews (thank you) and thought I must give it a go. I have tried lots of 'horror' novels over the years and they have never really engaged me. I read this over two evenings and found it totally absorbed me. The text races along wonderfully.
This is not my typical read - favourite books include: Papillon, Hamlet, Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, Grapes of Wrath and The Old Man and the Sea. I assume it is because having read them they stay with you and insist on being read again. Though my wife prefers to suggest I am simply a bit weird.
As for the new 'Mr Smith' film, which I enjoyed, they follow the same theme but to compare them would be like comparing a Mars Bar and a Snickers (I still prefer to call them Marathon).
Not sure how helpful my waffling will be but having been persuaded to read this after all the positive feedback I felt I should add something myself. I am sure this book will in time insist on being read again.

Hair raisingingly good stuff, 03 Aug 2008
This is a brilliant book, that manages to transcend the boundaries of Science Fiction or Horror genres. It was way ahead of its time.
I think its impact is down to its focus- rather than a overblown description of a post-apocalyptic world where everyone has turned into vampires, it concentrates on the experience of one man. You feel the claustrophobia of Neville as he shuts himself in his house every night, and you sympathise with his loneliness as the last normal man on earth. Even if you're not someone who normally enjoys SF books, this is so well written you can't help but love it.

The ending was so good it made all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. This isn't just a SF classic, it deserves to be an all-time classic novel.

The Woman in Black, 19 Aug 2008
I was introduced to The Woman in Black by my mother who took me for a birthday treat to see the long running west end show. I was hooked. For anyone who is thinking of seeing a truly memorable play in London, this is the one. It is done with the bare minimum of props and set design, so allowing your imagination to completely take over, which it does. It is completely spine-chilling and unforgettable. Go and see it!

a real chiller, 15 Aug 2008
I have read many ghost stories over the years, but this is the one that literally makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Although it was most chilling the first time I read it, I keep re-reading it from tme to time and it loses little of its power. I have banned my children from reading the book alone or watching the TV adaptation until they are 18. My wife and I were terrified out of our wits by it when it was shown on Christmas Eve and we had to keep the light on all night! The book is so much better than the adaptation, I must say , and it is extremely well written - some other modern ghost writers (eg James Herbert) just do not not match up.

So scary, what a great story!, 12 May 2008

If you like ghost stories then this is for you! This was recommended to me by my librarian and it was sooo good. I read it, my girlfriend read it and then we went to see the play in the west end and that was brilliant too.

It has all the ingredients of a great ghost story, suspense, murder, fog, a lonely house, a mystery and a great finale at the end. I cant say too much here without giving away too much, but I really enjoyed it.

Read this book!!!

AMAZING GHOST STORY, 15 Apr 2008
This book is truly thrilling. It is both frightening and moving and is a great read for anyone who either likes ghost stories in general or anyone who is studying the Victorians. The book has been made into a play in the West end and I would highly recommend it - read the book first though.

Spine-Chilling, 25 Jan 2008
When a solicitor called Arthur Kipps is ordered to receive the funeral papers from the passed away Alice Drablow, a creepy sense of unease begins to take hold. Before he knows it, a woman in black starts to haunt him and the community below the solitary house. In order for Kipps to keep his sanity, he must escape the grasp of the woman in black and protect his life.
This book is a genuine spine-chiller. Every chapter, a creepy sense of a presence or spectre is behind you as you read with anticipation. The fear is suspensful and intense, the creepiness builds up on a very gradual, and very tense rate, and you will be gripped to read further.
A definite must-read novel... Very cleverly written and crafted beautifully into the pages and your mind, with the setting very much being painted into your mind. The setting is very imaginable and very genuine. The fear is weighing on your shoulders, feeling like a ghost is gripping it, and whispering in your ears as your eyes follow the haunting words on the pages.
Read it in the dark - I dare you.....

Pretty good, 28 Sep 2008
I bought this recently, having never read (but often heard about) Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos.

I'm only about a third of the way through, but it seems pretty good (although the author does seem to have swallowed a thesaurus - and a particularly gibbous and over-nourished one at that, most likely recovered from some Stygian Pit that the mortal mind was not meant to know of). Plus, he does have some rather - ahem - "old fashioned" attitudes to race and class that can seem rather jarring to a modern reader.

This particular edition also does, unfortunately, have a number of typos in the text, some of which ("Necroriomicon", "clay" instead of "day", and "Gthulhu") suggest to me that the publishers had the original text scanned and digitised, but imperfectly. (I'm keeping a note of them as I find them, and will inform the publishers when I've finished the book).

Still, all said, I don't regret getting the book, and if you don't mind those faults, I'd certainly recommend this to anyone interested in the genera.


Just as I remembered!!, 14 Sep 2008
Excellent, worth the wait!! I remember reading this as a child, it's just as good as I remembered. Real Classic stuff!!

I recommend it to anyone looking for some good old creepy stories.

JOIN THE DARKSIDE!!!!, 19 Jul 2008
What can i say that already hasn't been said.
This is truly awesome, a complete collection of lovecraft in a well bound casebound book with faux Leather cover, in black.
All your favorites are there. If you're a real lovecraft fan this is deffinately for you.
And for a very reasanoble price.
100% recommended, buy now & join us on a truly Dark venture into the world of the one & the only H.P.lovecraft


Beautifully produced edition, but -2 stars for horrible tacky price sticker on the back, 28 Jun 2008
Finally a beautifully produced and complete edition of H.P. Lovecraft's works, but whoever at Gollancz/Orion decided to spoil each book with a tacky price sticker - not even put on straight - that leaves a sticky residue when removed (and believe me, it's tenacious) should be punished by the elder gods, or at least someone senior at the publishers.

The definitive Lovecraft collection, 18 Apr 2008
It appears that I, unlike the other reviewers of this book, am a new edition to the legions of Lovecraft fans that I had until recently been completely unaware of. I have long since been a fan of horror film and have read my fair share of such obvious novelists as King, but never could have dreamt of something as elegant and terrifying in the nowadays all too neglected medium of the written word.
The tome itself bleeds horror; the black leather cover (which alone would suggest a much higher price) and occasional illustrations and even the feel of the pages spark the imagination, but it is undoubtedly Lovecraft's own artful imagery and originality that would be expected long after his time makes this a vital part of the collection of not just any horror fan, but any literary enthusiast.
However, as has been said before me, the sticker is the one blight of this book, and you must be prepared for a strenuous battle. The glue! THE GLUE!

Best Gothic novel yet written., 12 Feb 2008
For he who has seen the movies, yet never read the novel, I truly pity that person. The 1931 movie was quite a disgrace to the novel, and although I am certain that Stoker is not rolling in his grave ever since the early thirties, I am sure that the novel is nothing like any of the many movies you might have seen.
Written in 1897 by one of the greatest authors, Dracula is a timeless masterpiece that can only be enjoyed to its maximum when read, and not listened to by another reader (i.e. audiobook etc.)
Each character, from John, Lucy, Jonathan, Van Helsing, and the many other characters have their own personalities entirely, and each have their own thoughts.
The book is written as a collection of each character's journal entries, (other than Dracula and Reinfield's,) and begins much more interestingly than any movie.
For the most part, I think the reader should know that it was Jonathan Harker who first went to see Dracula, not Reinfield as the 1931 movie portrays.
Dracula did not actually wear a cape in the book, but that does not mean he wasn't as Gothic as the movies portray.
One must wonder how vampires are associated with erotica in modern times, for the book did not contain any such. I presume that idea only came from the head of one Ann Rice.
One might start reading the book being on Dracula's side, and hoping Dracula will win in the end, but by the time you are on the last few chapters you will despise Dracula.
Stoker knew how to make anything sound morbid and frightening; snow, for example, in this novel, like in the short story `Dracula's guest' also by Stoker, seemed to get the reader into a feeling of terror and clusterphobia.
I had read this novel for five hours strait without knowing the exact hour, and the whole time I had not one dull moment.
Of the many novels I have read, I think few compare to the brilliancy of this particular one.
When one is done with this book, they will ask themselves `is this story fiction, or not? It seemed so real, so sorrowful, and so macabre.'
Stoker obviously did much research on many things such as zoophugus' and such.
A great novel by a great author.
Recommended for fans of Poe, Shelley, Konstantinos, and any Gothic literature admirer.
If you have still not seen any Dracula movie, I suggest read the novel, then watch the movie. You shall probably not enjoy the movie at all after such a great novel.
I give this ten out of five stars.

Quite simply the best book I've ever read, 18 Oct 2007
Get ready to be teleported back in time to the late 1800's. Bram takes you there, puts you in Dracula's Castle and scares the living daylight out of you.

Hooked!

Worthy of the classic status, 18 Oct 2007
Dracula is a name you will encounter all through your life, whether you've read the book or not. Due to this I had huge misconceptions as to what the story may be.

High on atmosphere and storytelling, the book is part medical drama, part mystery, part horror. Dracula himself doesn't feature perhaps as highly as you'd expect but this makes him all the more frightening.

It's not perfect, there are some slow, drawn out sections. On the whole I would make sure you read Dracula at least once in your lifetime, if only to correct your misconceptions.

"For the dead travel fast", 06 Sep 2007
Surprisingly "Denn die Toten reiten schnell" or "For the dead travel fast" is more than an opening line to this tale of love in the dangerous moon light. After watching several Drac movies and a few Nosferatu's, I pretty much though I had a handle on the genera. Little did I know what a wonderful world of mystery and suspense that Bram Stoker opened up for me.

The story is told mostly third party though the papers, diaries, and phonograph recordings (on wax calendars) of those people involve in a tale so bizarre that it almost defies belief. The general story line is that of a Count that plans to move to a more urban setting (from Borgo Pass to London) where there is a richer diet. There he finds succulent women; something he can sing his teeth in. Unfortunately for him a gang of ruffians (including a real-estate agent, asylum director, Texas cowboy and an Old Dutch abnormal psychologist) is out to detour his nocturnal munching. They think they have Drac on the run but with a wing and a prayer he is always one step ahead.

Of more value to the reader is the rich prose chosen by Stoker as he describes the morals and technology of the time. We have to come to grips with or decide if we can perform the rituals that are required to eliminate vampires verses the impropriety of opening graves and staking loved ones. The powers in the book differ from the movie versions in that they are more of persuasion and capabilities to manipulate the local weather. At one point the Dutch Dr. Van Helsing, is so overwhelmed by a beautiful vampire laying in the grave that he almost for gets why he is there and may become vamp chow.

All in all the story is more in the cunning chase. And the question as to will they succeed or will Dracula triumph. Remember "For the dead travel fast."


Better than any film..., 21 May 2007
Forget about any Dracula film you have seen (the greatest horror book ever written is still waiting to get filmed properly)and buy this. A wonderful cast acts the story perfectly and they are helped by a deeply chilling and atmospheric music score. If you just let your imagination run wild with the imagery the a perfact 3 hours or so of vampire horror awaits!

Ten star rating and more, 22 Mar 2007
This book achieves the impossible. It makes the difficult and obtuse polemical and theoretical debates of recent history easy to read. Yes, believe it or not! I cannot find enough congratulations to give for this excellent and learned book. The achievement of the age. Thank you for making clear sense of it all.My newly found bible for Literary Critical research.

A worthy introduction but only goes so far, 08 Mar 2007
This book is a useful tool for students wishing to grasp the basics, and sample a broad range, of critical approaches to literature. However, if you wish to explore a particular approach to a higher level, then this book will not be adequate on its own. For example, the fact that only a few pages are dedicated to the concept of 'gender' goes to show that this really is only an introductory work, and it could be argued that literary theory is not something that can be 'summed up' in the form of brief, introductory chapters.

Having said this, each chapter provides reading lists for additional relevant material, and therefore it is a good way to break into the field. Just be prepared to get in the library and seek out other books if a particular approach interests you. Don't expect to rely entirely on this.

I love this book!, 10 Nov 2006
Whilst trying to write an essay about desire, I became so confused I just wanted a book that would explain the various theories in simple language so that I would understand it. This book did just that. It provides introductions to complex topics and establishes a foundation of knowledge that you can build on with the handily referenced further reading, or reading of your own. Its now become my first port of call when writing essays, so I don't become tangled up in complex criticism and theories.

Superficial and condescending., 18 Feb 2006
In my first year as an UG philosophy and literature student, this book very nearly put me completely off literary theory: each of its chapters would be brilliant as an INTRODUCTION to an essay on each of the topics it pretends to discuss. Not only is the tone it takes insultingly condescending, but its authors have a real penchant for making seriously unsubstantiated statements. It's also stultifyingly politically correct, refusing to take any account of points of view that don't belong to the prevalent orthodoxy. It places excessive emphasis on 'close reading', which, even if intelligently and insightfully done (as it is here), is always prone to cause major lapses in the maintenance of a sense of perspective.

Theory IS difficult, and it isin't by means of such reductionism that it will, lo and behold, be made entertaining and accessible to all.

Superb, 05 Dec 2005
This book offers a real insight into the vast world of literary criticism and theory: it delves into fundamental subject areas, asking questions like, 'What is the text? Where does it begin?' Bennett & Royle consistently keep our interest (no mean feat in a book of this scope) and write concisely, intelligently and fluently. Case studies are used, so the theory really comes into play. I would recommend this book to anyone starting a course on literature or merely with an interest in the texts that make up our world. Particularly useful are the 'Further Reading' footnotes at the end of each chapter, which will advise you on texts to read according to what you found interesting about the subject. This is a relatively short book, but covers all its subject matter well and references other works which can provide a deeper insight. Don't expect to use this as a complete reference book; you will need to do some more reading, but as a comprehensive summary of modern literary theory this book is perfect.

Still a fantastic read after more than a century, 21 Sep 2008
This book was quite unlike any I had previously read. While it was written in 1859 it is still - almost 150 years later - a book as gripping as it presumably was all those years ago for Victorian and Edwardian readers brought up on such spooky classics as Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dracula and Frankenstein.

Told in the form of letters and diaries of the different characters involved it unfolds bit by bit and keeps you guessing right up until the very end. Collins's characters seem to come alive and make a lasting impression. As a thriller it easily beats many modern-day thrillers and really does have an unequalled air of menace and threat. Despite its age it is immensely readable and is a true page turner. Simply a must!

Sensational, 28 Mar 2008
For me what makes this novel great is not the love story between the social rising Walter Hartright and childish stereotypical heroine Laura Fairlie. Instead it is the depiction of the intelligent and brilliant Marian Halcombe and the wonderfully evil Count Fosco that reveals Collins' true writing talent. The speeches of these characters reveal feminist and social criticism adding an interesting dimension to the novel.

The plot itself is well constructed and the series of narrators makes the novel interesting and varied. The text is full of plot twists and is at times shocking, typical of sensation fiction. Admittedly some portions are a little tedious but I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Yaaaaawwwwnnn, 27 Mar 2008
This book is the most rambling, tiresome thing i have ever had the displeasure of reading. I finished it only because it was on my A level syllabus. Avoid like the plague

Excellent read., 25 Mar 2008
I started reading this with low expectations and for the first 200 pages I was bored stiff. However...almost halfway through the book the action really starts and all of a sudden I was taking great interest. It's then that all those boring details started to come into their own and it all made sence. Somewhere between page 200 and 300 the book becomes impossible to put down! The twists were unpredictable and *gasp* worthy! In fact I am quite certain this will be one of those rare books I end up reading a second time but with greater appreciation for the start. I am also going to read some other of Wilkie Collins' books in future. Can't wait to see what else is to be found.

This book is well worth anyones time READ IT!

Brilliant book! Completely unpredictable, 07 Jan 2008
It took me a few pages to get into this book but after that I enjoyed it very much.

The book is extremely good and it's very unpredictable. Whenever you think you know what's going to happen next something completely different happens.

I haven't seen any of the other copies of this book so I can't comment on them but if you are going to buy this one (Oxford World's Classics) then I would because the paper wasn't to thin and cheap and also it wasn't badly printed.

Don't be put off by the size it is well worth reading! I would recommend this book.

Superb., 17 Sep 2008
Justifying killing - or trying to - is a more pointed argument when taken in the individual; governments cloud the simplicity with rhetoric, propoganda and patriotism; but, keep the numbers down and the subject is raw and demanding attention.

Matheson strips the numbers down to one in this book, and one has no problem in coming down on the side of Robert Neville - the book's lead, and almost only, character.

One feels his panic when he discovers his watch has stopped and cannot get back to his safe-house before sun-down; and when he smacks his car into a crowd of Vampires like a macarbre game of skittles, one feels his elation.

Matheson recruits the reader from the outset and the reader becomes an observer, living one dimension down from the physical earthbound, able to see and hear all he does - even hear his thoughts - yet is unable to intervene or advise, and that gives the work more power. It frustrates the reader; but Matheson, after sucking the reader in, turns the tables on Neville and strips him of all the moral altitude he has taken for himself, and plunges him into the role of bad guy, of the hated terrorist, and makes him an outsider, a pariah.

Matheson has no mercy for his protaganist.

I have read short stories of greater length than this novel, and the prose is thin, which is not to say it is bad, but it deals only with the here and now of the story; back-story and poetic flourishes in the prose are kept to a minimum as far as the former go, and are non-existent for the latter. It makes for a story where 99 per cent is action in the present tense, and the book could be read in one sitting, I think.

This is considered a classic of genre fiction, and rightly so.



A VERY QUICK READ!, 16 Sep 2008
I just couldn't put this down and it isn't typical of my preferred reading. I was completely drawn in as soon as I started it and my life went on hold until I finished it.

A very enthralling book

Classic., 13 Sep 2008
A highly readable classic. There is little I can add to what has been said previously. The most faithful adaption is Vincent Price's 'The Last Man on Earth'. Do yourself a favour and read this book, even if you have seen the recent film. Recommended!

5/5 Not my typical read, 18 Aug 2008
I read this short book after seeing all the reviews (thank you) and thought I must give it a go. I have tried lots of 'horror' novels over the years and they have never really engaged me. I read this over two evenings and found it totally absorbed me. The text races along wonderfully.
This is not my typical read - favourite books include: Papillon, Hamlet, Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, Grapes of Wrath and The Old Man and the Sea. I assume it is because having read them they stay with you and insist on being read again. Though my wife prefers to suggest I am simply a bit weird.
As for the new 'Mr Smith' film, which I enjoyed, they follow the same theme but to compare them would be like comparing a Mars Bar and a Snickers (I still prefer to call them Marathon).
Not sure how helpful my waffling will be but having been persuaded to read this after all the positive feedback I felt I should add something myself. I am sure this book will in time insist on being read again.

Hair raisingingly good stuff, 03 Aug 2008
This is a brilliant book, that manages to transcend the boundaries of Science Fiction or Horror genres. It was way ahead of its time.
I think its impact is down to its focus- rather than a overblown description of a post-apocalyptic world where everyone has turned into vampires, it concentrates on the experience of one man. You feel the claustrophobia of Neville as he shuts himself in his house every night, and you sympathise with his loneliness as the last normal man on earth. Even if you're not someone who normally enjoys SF books, this is so well written you can't help but love it.

The ending was so good it made all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. This isn't just a SF classic, it deserves to be an all-time classic novel.

The Woman in Black, 19 Aug 2008
I was introduced to The Woman in Black by my mother who took me for a birthday treat to see the long running west end show. I was hooked. For anyone who is thinking of seeing a truly memorable play in London, this is the one. It is done with the bare minimum of props and set design, so allowing your imagination to completely take over, which it does. It is completely spine-chilling and unforgettable. Go and see it!

a real chiller, 15 Aug 2008
I have read many ghost stories over the years, but this is the one that literally makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Although it was most chilling the first time I read it, I keep re-reading it from tme to time and it loses little of its power. I have banned my children from reading the book alone or watching the TV adaptation until they are 18. My wife and I were terrified out of our wits by it when it was shown on Christmas Eve and we had to keep the light on all night! The book is so much better than the adaptation, I must say , and it is extremely well written - some other modern ghost writers (eg James Herbert) just do not not match up.

So scary, what a great story!, 12 May 2008

If you like ghost stories then this is for you! This was recommended to me by my librarian and it was sooo good. I read it, my girlfriend read it and then we went to see the play in the west end and that was brilliant too.

It has all the ingredients of a great ghost story, suspense, murder, fog, a lonely house, a mystery and a great finale at the end. I cant say too much here without giving away too much, but I really enjoyed it.

Read this book!!!

AMAZING GHOST STORY, 15 Apr 2008
This book is truly thrilling. It is both frightening and moving and is a great read for anyone who either likes ghost stories in general or anyone who is studying the Victorians. The book has been made into a play in the West end and I would highly recommend it - read the book first though.

Spine-Chilling, 25 Jan 2008
When a solicitor called Arthur Kipps is ordered to receive the funeral papers from the passed away Alice Drablow, a creepy sense of unease begins to take hold. Before he knows it, a woman in black starts to haunt him and the community below the solitary house. In order for Kipps to keep his sanity, he must escape the grasp of the woman in black and protect his life.
This book is a genuine spine-chiller. Every chapter, a creepy sense of a presence or spectre is behind you as you read with anticipation. The fear is suspensful and intense, the creepiness builds up on a very gradual, and very tense rate, and you will be gripped to read further.
A definite must-read novel... Very cleverly written and crafted beautifully into the pages and your mind, with the setting very much being painted into your mind. The setting is very imaginable and very genuine. The fear is weighing on your shoulders, feeling like a ghost is gripping it, and whispering in your ears as your eyes follow the haunting words on the pages.
Read it in the dark - I dare you.....

Pretty good, 28 Sep 2008
I bought this recently, having never read (but often heard about) Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos.

I'm only about a third of the way through, but it seems pretty good (although the author does seem to have swallowed a thesaurus - and a particularly gibbous and over-nourished one at that, most likely recovered from some Stygian Pit that the mortal mind was not meant to know of). Plus, he does have some rather - ahem - "old fashioned" attitudes to race and class that can seem rather jarring to a modern reader.

This particular edition also does, unfortunately, have a number of typos in the text, some of which ("Necroriomicon", "clay" instead of "day", and "Gthulhu") suggest to me that the publishers had the original text scanned and digitised, but imperfectly. (I'm keeping a note of them as I find them, and will inform the publishers when I've finished the book).

Still, all said, I don't regret getting the book, and if you don't m