Product Description
Two tales of suspense ripped from the pages of Civil War! Captain America has fallen into a clash with his government and his friends, and the people close to him are paying the price. The life of Cap's girlfriend, Agent 13, is torn apart as her superiors use her divided loyalties against her. Elsewhere, a new villain emerges; the Red Skull begins to make himself known; and the Winter Soldier again comes face-to-face with Cap. Meanwhile, get inside the mind of of Tony Stark, and learn why he feels superhuman registration is necessary - and why he's taken it upon himself to lead the charge for its implementation! Big changes are in store for Iron Man in the post-Civil War landscape, and the build-up begins here! Collects Captain America #22-24, Iron-Man #13-14 and Iron Man/Captain America Special. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Could take it or leave it
Too much talking, and not enough action.The flashbacks were kinda cool to see the interactions that Tony and Cap had over the years, but in the end it just wasn't for me.

The artwork was pretty good, and that's what put it at a 3 for me instead of a 2.

Good companion to Civil War
In 2006 Marvel took a dangerous chance with their superhero universe with the Civil War crossover.After a group of young heroes accidentally destroy a school Congress hastily passes a law requiring superheroes to register and be trained.The act tears the superhero community apart as half follow Captain America and refuse to register while the pro-reg heroes led by Iron Man hunt them down.

With a cast of thousands, the main series rarely had any time to flesh out characters.This volume focuses on the relationship between Cap and Iron Man covering several meeting between them where they try to settle their differences before things go too far.The authors make good use of the characters' 40+ years of history together to shed new light on how they made their choices.

It's not an essential read by any measure but it does add some depth to the noise and thunder of Civil War.

Civil War disappointed but this trade doesn't!
This was a really good example of how to put two characters together well.This collection showed exactly who Iron Man is and how he relates to Capatain America.I really enjoyed all three different parts.Suprisingly good stuff.

Most boring out of the series
I just started reading the "Civil War" comics and so far out of them all that I read, this disapointed me. The only time the two actually fought in this one was an event before the civil war started. The only other battle had Iron facing 3-4 superheroes. This dealt with more of the political side of the issue. Also the summary isnt true. This didnt come with 2 Captain America issues. It just came with the Iron Man ones, Confessions and a crossover with Iron Man and Captain America. Still pretty good but a little bit of a bore.

Incorrect Item Summary
The summary incorrectly labels this book as containing issues of Captain America, it does not.This book collects Iron-Man #13-14, Iron-Man/Captain America: Casualties of War and Civil War: The Confession.

This book closely encapsulates the relationship between Iron-Man and Captain America more closely than anything else I have read from the Civil War books, including the Captain America TPB.It is nice to see why Tony Stark actually believes in the registration act and why he is fighting so vehamitely to enforce it.An excellent addition to anybody's collection if you are collecting the civil war series.I would suggest this book, the main title, the road to and the two frontline books for a minimum collection. ... Read more

Product Description
Rabbit Ears Treasury of Christmas Stories: Volume 1 enlivens and entertains with these festive holiday stories read by your favorite stars and featuring original music by some of today’s greatest artists.

A Gingerbread Christmas
Something must be done: Christmas has been canceled in the town of Gloombury! So the Prince and Princess of Gingerbread attempt to save the day. This fun-filled holiday classic conveys the true meaning of Christmas.

The Steadfast Tin Soldier
Here is the charming story of a tin soldier and the hardships he endures for the love of a ballerina. This poignant classic by Hans Christian Andersen will delight young and old alike.

Please visit our website at http://rabbitears.randomhouse.com. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Rabbit Ears Treasury of Christmas Stories: Volume One: A Gingerbread Christmas, The Steadfast Tin Soldier (Rabbit Ears)
Mu Friend loved the book that I got him for his birthday.Great book for all Elementary Educators. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Great - inspiring and beautiful
A fascinating insight into the methods and influences of this up-and-coming design partnership, introduced by a foreword from actor Jeremy Irons. Her style is free-flowing and organic; his is classically inspired and architectural. Ranges over their complete oeuvre from Allegra's patterned rugs and fabrics to Ashley's jewelry and furniture. With a brief review of historical inspirations (from ancient Pompeii to modern England), fabulous photographs by Bill Batten, and a wealth of practical advice and beautiful images. The text is both down-to-earth and fascinating, with unexpected humorous touches. Thoroughly recommended for any lover of great design. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (137)

Perfection
ONe of the finest novels written in the English Language.Waugh transports you to the world of Brideshead.I was constantly startled to look up and find myself in 2010.Impeccable language and masterful storytelling are just some of the hallmarks of this treasure.I will read it again and again.

"my theme is memory"
There is little to add to the excellent reviews on this book.Nearly seventy years after its first publication in 1944 Brideshead Revisited continues to exert its spell over readers. The PBS series that aired during the 1980s was a routine topic at the "water cooler." In fact, the office eventually organized group viewing sessions so we could drink while we watched the program.It is not possible to ignore the role that Catholicism plays in this novel, but too much can be made of it as well, reducing the scope and importance of Charles Ryder's recollections.What Brideshead accomplishes at the end of the novel is, in my view, quite remarkable.To be sure, Book II of the novel can seem quite distinct from Book I, at least in that Waugh seems not to have laid the groundwork for the novel's fast moving ending.And yet, there is, throughout Brideshead an emphasis on ritual, at Oxford, at the mansion, in the community and within the family.At the end of the novel, it is ritual that forges ahead of belief -- the ritual of last rites for the family patriarch that seems to pull him to belief, not long after he (Alex) had told the attending priest:"I am not in extremis and I have not been a practicing member of your church for twenty-five years."All that past hate did, in the end, turn out to be, as Cara, Lord Marchmain's mistress earlier told us, "something in [himself that he hated] (p 103).Whatever one thinks of the outcome, Brideshead Revisited endures, not for the solution to which it points, but for the questions it raises.Thus it remains relevant from WWII to the present.

All roads lead to faith
"Brideshead Revisited" is a novel that can be read on so many levels. It is peopled with real characters that leap of the page in all of their complexity, it is a fervent convert's exuberant praise to his recently realized God, it is a glimpse of the fading aristocracy of England, and it is a story of a few people and their journey to find their faith and proper place in the world.
This book is vastly different from Waugh's satirical earlier works. There is still satire and humor in this text, but it is dryer and less central to the plot than in some of his previous novels. Also, unlike his previous efforts the characters in this novel are not caricature, but well developed human individuals. It is also rather episodic in plot and we follow the characters from their late teens to early thirties, a rather formative time in one's life.
I think that reading this novel will be a fuller experience if the reader has a religious background, and some personal experience with faith. But it is not necessary to enjoying (and getting something) from the text.
The novel deals with a close circle of friends, and depicts how they all in their own ways come to God. I feel that Mr. Waugh was trying to write a great novel of faith (my personal opinion) and to that extent I think he left religion, and the Catholic Church in particular, open to some criticism, which I don't think was his intent. However, one could read the same sections that I think expose the weakness of the church, and see them as plot details that strengthen the argument for faith. Waugh was much smarter than I, and I am going to assume that was his goal. What makes the text so layered is that one can read the novel and see a great testament to God and Church, and others can read it and just as easily argue for the destructive power of religion on individuals.To me, that is one of the greatest assets of "Brideshead Revisited".
This novel got under my skin, in a good way, and has been knocking around in my head since I finished. To me, that is high praise. I will be revisiting this text again. Probably again, and again...
Read it with a group of friends, there will be lots to digest, and the vastness of reactions this novel will be sure to engender will make the process all the more enjoyable and richer.

Still Good
I first read Brideshead Revisited at the University of Wisconsin in the mid-1960s. Then I read it for its wonderful characterizations and dialogue and for the fascinating, to me, glimpses into the mores of pre-war England, as well as for its elegiac view of traditional English culture. (I also wondered frequently what, exactly, was going on between Charles and Sebastian!)

All of those aspects remain interesting, but this time I concentrated on the theme stated by Waugh himself in his preface--'the operation of divine grace on a group of diverse but closely connected characters'. I don't want to give away the plot because it's a good one. Left to myself, I would have guessed that the theme had to do with the many varieties of love, but can see, after re-reading the book, what Waugh meant to do. There are many varieties of love among the group of people who populate this story, and Waugh considers them all to be precursors, or 'forerunners' of love for their Christian god. Waugh himself, like many midcentury English intellectuals, was a convert to Roman Catholicism.

I certainly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the English novel. It's more serious and more philosophical than Waugh's satires but has its own charms.

This is Waugh's revised 1959 edition of the book originally written in 1944 during an army furlough. Critic Frank Kermode has written an introduction and there's a brief preface by Waugh for the new edition. Also included is an interesting chronology of Waugh's life, paralleled by corresponding literary and historical events. There's also a bibliography of his works.

This Knopf Everyman's Library hardcover edition is quite attractive, with shots from the movie tie-in on the dust jacket. I had one small complaint about the physical book--the inner margins are quite narrow.

A postscript--The main character, Charles, has two children, Caroline and John. His wife insists on calling the son Johnjohn, much to Charles's dismay. This is curious, no?

I received an advance review copy from the publisher.

Good, but not as good as I expected
With 127 reviews already posted here, I know I can't add much that is new.However, I've just concurrently read the book and watched the BBC miniseries on DVD, and feel moved to leave a rating.

This book was not excellent, but it was good.I feel that the miniseries is even better than the book, and if both are unfamiliar to you, I recommend doing what I did - watch an episode of the series then read that portion of the book, then move on to the next episode.The film follows the novel so closely that this is easy to do.The miniseries brings the characters and atmospheres to life for your imagination, when you are reading the book.If you only have time for one, go for the miniseries (about 13 hours in total, but it goes quickly).

I liked the fact that all of the characters have flaws and are mainly unsympathetic.I feel I've known people like all the characters, which I think is due to the fact that I lived in the UK a long time.It's quite a British story (obviously).Much of the content of the novel is in what goes unspoken and undescribed, and the meanings of those things.I know enough about what I don't know about British society to realize that some of these things in the book escaped my attention, and that even more would escape the modern American reader not familiar with the UK.Again, this is where watching the dvd can help a little (you can at least watch the faces of the characters while they are not saying all they are thinking), and where repeating the story twice (doing book/film together) deepens one's understanding.But a lot of what Waugh thought he was conveying is probably only conveyed clearly to a certain segment of the audience, which is much smaller now than it was in the mid 20th C.

This is not an inspirational or feel-good story.It was depressing, because everything was gradually falling apart and people were constantly letting each other down and behaving selfishly and cuttingly, which feels lifelike and inevitable.

The religious content of the story was not what I imagined it would be.I am not Catholic, so it didn't appeal to me in that way, but if Waugh meant to show Catholicism in a good light or convey the romantic nature of it or show the eternal truth of it or whatever he was trying to do, it didn't work for me at all.In fact, the message I got was that religious belief is personal, it can't be explained very well to others, and it's mainly formed when one is young; from then on, it can mess with your mind especially if you don't want to live your life the way others expect you to.I'm not saying that is my pronouncement on Religion, I'm just saying that's the message that I got from the book about it.

The ending was particularly abrupt and bad. The narrative was going along slowly and normally, and then it's as if Waugh suddenly decided he was done with the whole thing, so he pounded out the last couple dozen pages and left it at that.

What I did like was how two of the half-in, half-out foreigners were shown to be more honest and direct than the Brits - Sebastian's father's mistress and the Italian stuttering Oxford classmate - a couple of their monologues helped to define what was really what, though sometimes unkindly. I also liked the gentle and delicate depiction of Sebastian's and Charles' relationship (which I took to be entirely and actively gay, physically and emotionally, and I think this is what was certainly being implied by Waugh, but I understand how some people don't want to read it like that).Gay relationships were and are an accepted part of British life, especially amongst the upper classes in their teens/early 20s.

The miniseries has given me a good insight into how a certain kind of British man can romanticize his time at Oxbridge and the late teens/early 20s generally, which the whole society is kind of geared towards idealizing.(Of course, idealizing that stage of life is normal in the US, too, but I think Americans are more likely to look forward more, and expect their futures to also be interesting and fulfilling, whereas the Brits (the more privileged ones, anyway) are more likely to feel that the highpoint of their lives was during their early 20s and that only larger or smaller waves of disappointments can be expected afterwards.)Combining what Sebastian's father mistress said (which I agree with), that British boys mature late emotionally as compared to boys of other countries, with the amazing experiences of being raised well-to-do, being taught you are better than others, going to such gorgeous universities, being cushioned and coddled up to the age of 22 (at least), it's no wonder that many idolize their halcyon days, the present never lives up to their memories, and the future is left to muddle itself up.

I wish that I had loved the book, but I didn't. I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, but it was a good book.I haven't read anything else by Waugh, and I confess that after reading this, I will push Vile Bodies and A Handful of Dust further down on my to-read-someday list, but I'll keep them on it. ... Read more

Product Description
8 cassettes / 12 hours
Unabridged.
Read by Jeremy Irons


Exhilarating, both appallingly funny and hauntingly sad, Lolita is Vladimir Nabokov's most famous and controversial novel, a twentieth century classic whose characters' names have become synonymous with the outrages and degradations of obsessive passion. When the aging emigre Humbert Humbert falls in love with the precocious nymphet Dolores Haze, all the rules -- of desire, decency, and literature -- are broken.Lolita has the power to shock, challenge, and enrapture anyone who listens to this masterful performance by Academy Award-winning actor Jeremy Irons.

Even if you're not a fan of audio - I urge you to listen to this recording. Engrossing, enraging, titillating, disturbing, fascinating -- Jeremy Irons oozes with all things right in literature.The boundaries have been pushed.Amazon.com Review
Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita triggers a deep conflictwithin the American psyche about crossing the line between love andthe perverse lust for a child. In the bestselling audiobook, JeremyIrons delivers a smooth, calculating presentation of Humbert Humbert,the middle-aged man obsessed with a 13-year-old girl namedLolita. Following a failed marriage to a "large, puffy,short-legged, big-breasted and practically brainless baba,"Humbert decides to move to America to work as a tutor. Much to hisdismay, his plans change and he moves into a boarding house inRamsdale, New Hampshire. But his disappointment quickly fades after herealizes he lives next door to the "light of my life, fire of myloins. My sin, my soul Lo-li-ta." The relationship blossomsbetween the man "with a cesspool of rotting monsters behind hisslow boyish smile" and the sassy, vivacious young girl.

The Russian-born author has amazing control of the Englishlanguage--his jaw-dropping prose comes through powerfully on thisaudiotape (though some scholars believe the novel symbolizes Nabokov'sinternal struggle with the English language). Regardless of whetheryou condemn or condone the classic, listening to this audio renditionis a must. --Gina Kaysen (Running time: 11.5 hours) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

I'll hear Irons in my sleep for some time to come
I first discovered that the well known name and label Lolita was not what I had thought while reading comments and watching interviews about my favorite Lolita (though that label really does not fit), Alizée.
I borrowed this audio version from the library and am quite glad that I did. Jeremy Irons gave a spectacular performance in reading the novel to me. His voice will forever color the way I see Humbert Humbert. I may have to go back and read it again some day, probably with an annotated version to get all those various references and especially the French phrases, but I just don't know if I could bear to go through all that again. Though, I'll definitely watch the newer movie with Irons as Humbert.
Yes, this is one of those books that is difficult to tell most people that I even read. Trying to describe it is likely to cause misunderstanding. As people have said throughout the decades, it is the witty quality of writing that makes the book so great and the expression of the incredible obsession of love and lust that consumed our protagonist. In the first half I would say that the story line was not really even that interesting compared to the more typical fantasy stories. It was really just so much of ordinary life, albeit not typical. By the end, I realized that was one of the things that is so incredible about the story. It's so real. By the end of the book, I have been convinced that to really have given it a chance, one must read it to the very last word (or listen to Jeremy narrate it in this case). This was some real 'quality' writing. It does beg the question, how does one come up with this stuff? This book will leave you thinking, for sure.

I thought his book was amazing.
Notwithstanding its tabooed subject matter, Nabokov's ability at capturing the intensity of longing, despair, passion and rapture is enthralling.The story in many respects isn't an easy read.The extensive vocabulary and obscure references insure that there was much I probably missed.But it did not take away from the awe of Vladimir Nabokov's incredible mastery of the English language along with sprinklings of French and German as far as I could decipher.

Story-wise, the cold and calculated way Humbert Humbert goes about seducing 12-year-old Dolores is difficult to endure especially as the reader is privy to every manner of plan and execution.Of course as this is almost entirely from Humbert's perspective, the reader is only able to glean Lolita, his private name for her, and other characters from that perspective notwithstanding his own scrupulous attempt at objectivity.From this perspective we discover a Lolita in many ways a typical 12- year-old of the times yet with a beguiling precociousness.She's brash and bratty and not shy about her sexuality, burgeoning though it may be.There is Dolores' mother Charlotte, needy and in a hateful rivalry with her daughter for Humbert's affections.Humbert himself is erudite, superior and routinely disdainful of all who pass his way. Yet under the spell of his own longing and desire for Lolita, becomes the very entity he scorns.

What stands out and continues to draw me to this work is the depths of emotion Humbert subjects himself to albeit much of it through his obsession for Lolita.It made me question the idea of love and what it is supposed to mean.It's clear that Humbert's feelings for Lolita are profound but one could not but question whether this love is centered more on an ideal Lolita rather than the real life Dolores.His ongoing obsession with "nymphs" and "girl children" finally finds release in the ideal form, in many ways, of Dolores Haze.Ideal because she was a willing participant at least initially and fit the criteria of being a young girl, an ideal nymphet in that regard. Yet this nymphet turns out to also be impudent, petulant with banal tastes, not exactly a fantasy combination for the highbrow Humbert.Yet his declarations of love and devotion is always steadfast and much to his surprise goes on to extend past her "nymphage" years.At the end, I was left with the unsettling thought that perverted and unseemly though it may be perhaps it could be qualified as love.Not the not-so-common pure and selfless kind but the sullied and soiled kind where self-interest, manipulation and in Humbert's case ultimately murder is par for the course.

What is even more fascinating about this book is the twist taken by Nabalov with the character of Lolita.By taking the child abuse scenario in a different direction and not making her the frightened, quivering Little Red Riding Hood to Humbert's Big Bad Wolf. Nabokov still does a remarkable job of keeping her as a believable young girl, not totally innocent but clearly not grown-up either. He is skillful at interweaving her precociousness with an obvious emotional immaturity. At age 12 in the early 1950s, she is knowledgeable and experienced in the ways of sex but in a childishly oblivious way.She is aware of the concept of incest, breezily admits to having sex at camp with her and another girl taking turns with a teen-aged boy and is the one to initiate the first sexual contact with Humbert whom she assumes is clueless about this activity which she summarizes as being "rather fun" and "good for the complexion." She then has no compunction about needling him, calling him a "dirty old man" and slyly telling him that she's going to call the cops. During their travels, she has a lot of say in where they will eat, what they will do, where they will stay. Granted this more than likely stems from Humbert's desire to appease Lolita in Humbert's words "from kiss to kiss."But through out it can be sometimes difficult to discern where the balance of power really does fall.It is interesting though the fact that despite Dolores' growing ambivalence if not outright distaste for Humbert and his foppish ways she continues the sexual relationship without much fuss considering she has no problem heartily refusing other demands made by Humbert such as reading more books, despite his pleas and threats.Perhaps sex does not have significance for Dolores one way or the other.Perhaps she knows it's a powerful leverage with Humbert although it wasn't until later on that she appears to actually start using it as such and even then still in a limited manner.The fact that everything is pretty much related from Humbert's perspective had me at times, longing for a bit more insight into Dolores' own inner thoughts.


There really is a lot to this book and it would take another entire book to analyze it all.The subject of the story may be taboo but it is done in what I think is a very tasteful and non-offensive manner.It delves into so much more than a pedophile's lust for a young girl that it's hard to even know where to start.But it definitely got me thinking not just about the complexity of the human experience but the skill that it takes as a writer to express it in such an eloquent and exceptional way.As I got this as an audio-cassette, hearing Jeremy Iron and his way of bringing to life Nabokov's words allowed me a means of appreciating it all the more so. His ability to infuse the book with the sarcasm, humour, despair and vulnerability so prevalent in the book makes the writing that much more memorable.

Recognize it for its beauty and sympathy
The first time I read Lolita I was greatly distressed, finding it an apologia for child rape; I didn't even finish it.I read it again as a mature adult and saw it through different eyes, particularly when I read all the way to the last page.All Humbert Humbert does is admit to a fetish rampant in society--underage girls as sexual objects.Could a no-talent singer like Britney Spears have hit the top of the charts without her schoolgirl fantasy video?What about little-girl beauty pageants, where six-year-olds not only wear makeup and evening gowns, but perform talent numbers with swinging hips and batting eyelashes as their doting mothers applaud from the sidelines?Have you shopped the young girl section of any department store and watched what mothers buy their daughters?They are not to blame for Humbert Humbert's craving, but the point is that middle-age perverts are not the only ones who objectify young girls.And good ol' Humbert isn't even planning to touch the object of his desire--she jumps him, choosing herself to use sex to get what she wants. And yet Nabokov treats her with sympathy and tenderness.Yes, she is a crass, gauche girl--because she is just that: a girl, not a woman.

Whether or not Nabokov intended to comment on society's objectification of adolescent girls, his book certainly can be read that way, particularly when one considers the Lolita of the final chapters, the girl one would unfortunately expect to find, who grew up too fast and yet didn't really have a chance to grow up at all.

The book is written as a confession.Maybe Lolita disturbs because it identifies something society--both men and women--participate in but don't want to 'fess up to.

Regarding the literary quality of the novel--This is a beautiful work of fiction.Nabokov's language has a luminous quality; in structure and syntax the novel is a flawless pearl.

Regarding the audiobook--there is no better person than Jeremy Irons to read this book.I am not usually an audiobook person, preferring to read a novel myself.However, hearing his rendition of Nabokov's words enriched the experience tenfold.

Unforgettable Experience
I listened to this audio probably about four years ago, but it was such an amazing and glorious experience, I can't forget it.Jeremy Irons is perfect for the role of the protagonist, and the writing of Nabokov is like listening to the most beautiful classical music.I have never enjoyed an audio book more than this one, and I've listened to many over the years. If you have an interest in Nabokov, or even if you don't, you will after this book.

The most seductive bedtime story-teller ever...
Reading `Lolita' is a decisive moment in every reader's life. If it isn't for the controversial issue or the overwhelming narrative, then it's for the unique half-ironizing, half-desperate tone that Nabokov and nymphets will stay in our minds forever. As I see it, the book is no light meal; it has to ripen like fine wine in the reader's own dark vault.
Listening to Jeremy Irons' voice performance is about as decisive for the literary gourmet as the reading of the book. Quite simply, Irons has THE voice for the text as well as he has THE looks for a silver screen Humbert. This trained, sophisticated British voice with its alternating speed and tone irresistibly lures the listener into Humbert's secret world. Irons has amazing command of his text. The job's extremely difficult, given the sheer size and the draining complexity of the Nabokovian text; but Irons has the talent to show the taste of every single word, so that the plainest descriptive bit turns into textual pleasure. (He manages elegantly even with the French quotes; an additional delight!) Needless to say, pleasure peaks at the rare love moments Humbert and Lolita share. Forbidden passion vibrates in Irons' dark-chocolate voice that virtually melts along with Humbert's lonely ecstasies and despairs. Yes, it's mainly about pleasure - Irons delivers all the delight and harmony that Humbert never experienced. To put it briefly, this 12-hour voice performance is a pleasure you would not want to miss. So, buy and enjoy! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Beautiful story, excellent narration, terrific music!!
This may be my daughter's favorite storytape after years and years of listening to every new tape published.We had to buy the CD after wearing out the audiotape.Jeremy Irons' voice is both soothing and rich, the music is delightful and magical, and the story could fascinate any child between 5 and fifty (or more!!)My daughter particularly loves to listen to this musical tale with the lights out before going to sleep!

I highly recommend this moving tale with its delicate music and musical themes.

DAYTON SAYS:BUY THIS CD
Another review, by Glen Ridge, has pointed out how wonderful this CD is, and I certainly agree.How did I find out about this CD?I was driving in my car on my way to what would be for me the best movie of the summer (I probably am not allowed to give you the movie's name, but it is about Greeks and a wedding and you MUST...MUST go see it, and if you can't, then when it comes out in video, you MUST...MUST buy it here at Amazon)....anyway, I was driving along and was listening to my local NPR radio station.The CD was already well over 1/4 of the way through, but that did not take away from the spell-binding experience.I had a long drive to the movie theatre, and so I was able to hear the CD to the end.Though I was pushing my time limit to get to the show on time, I sat in my parked car listening to the last five minutes.But, it was well worth the mad dash to the theatre...besides when I got to the theatre there was a long line (by the time the movie started, it was sold out...again), so I was not late after all.The CD and the movie provided for an unplanned, magical Friday evening.I hope each of you reading this will have a similar experience in your lives.I am buying this CD for my little niece....perhaps I might give it to her ...it truly is a wonderful CD.And, it is with great pleasure that I give my rating....DAYTON SAYS: BUY THIS CD.

Delightful, absorbing, tranquil, among best for kids!
I was surprised and delighted today to happen upon a page on Amazon listing the Audie award winners, where I noticed that this recording hadwon for children's music.We happened several months ago to pick up a copyin a toy store, totally by accident, having read nothing about its releaseand seen no publicity.It's a beautifully narrated tale of a quest onwhich two children set out to search for a cure for their mother's illness. They are aided by music, which is baroque and surreally beautiful,introducing young listeners to this musical genre with the light anddelicate melodies that transport them as easily off to sleep as to dream ofevergreen forests and fairies and unicorns, timid and pure.

I bought thetape on the strength of my respect for Jeremy Irons and my daughter's lovefor unicorns.At the last minute I exchanged the CD for a tape because Iwasn't ready to commit to the difference in price.BOY WAS I WRONG!For weeks I couldn't get my daughter to try it, then one night I put it onto help her sleep and it became her favorite tape for MONTHS!The music isbeautiful and the story compelling, yet one ultimately falls asleep withouta fight, it brings such a sweet tranquility to the listener.

There aremelodies I would love to hear repeated, and the gist of the story is one ofchildren's strength and courage and love for their mother, and for truth. Nonetheless, despite how much I adore this tape, my daughter continues tolove it just as much as I do--Now there's some testimonial! We're readyto upgrade to a CD so we'll be able to be sure to keep it for a long, longtime.I must admit, I could easily choose to listen to this withoutchildren anywhere in the vicinity, and plan to give a copy for Christmas toall of my favorite kids. ... Read more

Product Description
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Jeremy John Irons is an English actor. After receiving classic training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969, and had since appeared in many London theatre productions including The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, and Richard II. In 1984, he made his Broadway debut in Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing and received a Tony Award for Best Actor. Irons' first major film role came in the 1981 romantic drama The French Lieutenant's Woman, for which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor. After starring in such films as Moonlighting (1982), Betrayal (1983), and The Mission (1986), he gained critical acclaim for portraying twin gynecologists in David Cronenberg's psychological thriller Dead Ringers (1988). In 1990, Irons delivered another strong performance as a European aristocrat in Reversal of Fortune, and took home multiple awards including an Academy Award for Best Actor. Other notable films have included The House of the Spirits (1993), The Lion King (1994), Die Hard with a Vengeance, Lolita, The Merchant of Venice, Being Julia, and Appaloosa. ... Read more

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This volume contains a series of essays by researchers who examine the most recent developments in the use of iron on cancer, inflammation and in the immune system. Topics include iron and malignancy, the clinical use of iron chelation and the immunology of iron overload. ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Jeremy John Irons (born 19 September 1948) is an English actor. After receiving classic training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969, and had since appeared in many London theatre productions including The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, and Richard II. In 1984, he made his Broadway debut in Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing and received a Tony Award for Best Actor. Irons' first major film role came in the 1981 romantic drama The French Lieutenant's Woman, for which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor. After starring in such films as Moonlighting (1982), Betrayal (1983), and The Mission (1986), he gained critical acclaim for portraying twin gynecologists in David Cronenberg's psychological thriller Dead Ringers (1988). In 1990, Irons delivered another strong performance as a European aristocrat in Reversal of Fortune, and took home multiple awards including an Academy Award for Best Actor. Other notable films have included The House of the Spirits (1993), The Lion King (1994), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Lolita (1997), The Merchant of Venice (2004), Being Julia (2004), and Appaloosa (2008). Irons is also an occasional television actor. He earned his first Golden Globe Award for his television debut in ITV's series Brideshead Revisited (1981). In 2006, Irons starred opposite Helen Mirren in HBO's miniseries Elizabeth I, for which he received his second Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Irons was born in Cowes, Isle of Wight, the son of Barbara Anne Brereton Brymer Sharpe Irons (née Sharpe) (19141999), a housewife, and Paul Dugan Irons (19131983), an accountant. Part of his maternal ancestry is Irish, and his gr... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=26274410 ... Read more

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Chapters: Donald Sutherland, Ian Holm, Bob Hoskins, Roy Dupuis, Jeremy Irons, Christopher Plummer, Maury Chaykin, Gordon Pinsent, Brendan Fletcher, Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, Nick Mancuso, Roshan Seth, William Hutt, Elias Koteas, Lothaire Bluteau, Jacques Godin, Alan Scarfe, Tom Mccamus, Natar Ungalaaq, Tony Nardi, Rémy Girard, John Wildman, Gabriel Arcand, Thomas Peacocke, David La Haye, Luc Picard, Eric Fryer, Roger Lebel. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 143. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Roy Dupuis (born 21 April 1963) is a Canadian actor best known for his role as counterterrorism operative Michael Samuelle in the television series La Femme Nikita. He is one of the most famous actors throughout French-speaking Canada, while throughout English-speaking Canada he has become known for portraying hockey legend Maurice Richard on television and in film, as well as Roméo Dallaire in the 2007 film Shake Hands with the Devil. Dupuis was born Roy Michel Joseph Dupuis in New Liskeard, Ontario to parents of French-Canadian descent. From early infancy until he was eleven years old, Dupuis lived in Amos, Abitibi, Quebec. The next three years he lived in Kapuskasing, Ontario, where he learned to speak English. His father was a traveling salesman for Canada Packers; his mother was a piano teacher. He has a younger brother and an older sister. When he was fourteen, after his parents divorced, his mother moved the family to Sainte-Rose, Laval, Quebec, where he finished high school. After high school, he studied acting in Montreal, at the National Theatre School of Canada (L'École nationale de théâtre du Canada), from which he graduated in 1986. He lives southeast of Montreal, in an 1840 farmhouse located on 50 acres (200,000 m²) of land which he bought ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=1206525 ... Read more

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Chapters: Alan Turing, Alfred North Whitehead, Jon Pertwee, John le Mesurier, Cecil Day-Lewis, Chris Martin, Jeremy Irons, Hugh Norman-Walker, Mswati Iii of Swaziland, John Hollington Grayburn, John le Carré, Sherborne School, Peter Oborne, James Purefoy, Peter Nahum, David Sheppard, Christopher Chataway, Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe, Richard Eyre, Malcolm Pasley, Stanley Johnson, Michael William Mccrum, Alan Lennox-Boyd, 1st Viscount Boyd of Merton, Nigel Dempster, Frederick Octavius Pickard-Cambridge, Claud Jacob, Anthony Lane, Alec Waugh, Aneurin Rees, Alan Campbell, Hugh Vincent, Robert Key, Hugh Bonneville, John Weston, Sir Charles Monro, 1st Baronet, Derman Christopherson, Peter Twiss, Mark Todd, David Leakey, Leonard Watkins, Bill Evans, Neville Lovett, John Wilsey, F. Sherwood Taylor, Robert Jesson, Keith Muspratt, John Bain, Hugh Thomas, Lance Percival, Raleigh Gilbert, Arthur George Hammond, Angus Glennie, Lord Glennie, the Great Omani, Phil Harvey, Jeremy Blacker, Charlie Cox, George Weldon, Michael Hopkins, Richard J. C. Atkinson, Geoffrey Charles Lester Lunt, Ernest Money, Roy Redgrave, David Spedding, Tom Bradby, Ernest Edwin Curtis, Steuart Pringle, Mountague Bernard, Alastair Pilkington, Charles Collingwood, Christopher Curwen, Arthur Waugh, Jonathan Powell, Peter Mumford, Henry Whitehead, Henry Henn, Paul Everard Barber, Piers Holt Wilson, Forbes Trevor Horan, Nathaniel Highmore, Julian Thompson, Julius Neave, Warren Chetham-Strode. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 352. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Alan Mathison Turing, OBE, FRS (pronounced ; 23 June 1912 7 June 1954), was an English mathematician, logician, cryptanalyst and computer scientist. He was influential in the development of computer science and providing a formalisation of the concept of th...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=1208 ... Read more

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Chapters: Patrick Stewart, Miranda Richardson, Daniel Day-Lewis, Carole Hayman, Gene Wilder, Jeremy Irons, Brian Blessed, Habib Tanvir, Marc Sinden, Pete Postlethwaite, Ian Lavender, Ray Stevenson, Rupert Penry-Jones, Neil Roberts, Olivia Colman, Stephanie Cole, Patricia Routledge, Greta Scacchi, Amanda Redman, Sophie Thompson, Jeremy Northam, Naomie Harris, Gavin Richards, Sean Pertwee, Lucy Briers, Jenny Seagrove, Helen Baxendale, Norman Rossington, Oded Fehr, Carl Toms, Jane Lapotaire, David Oakes, Trudie Styler, Tim Pigott-Smith, Ian Marter, Alex Jennings, Samantha Bond, Annette Crosbie, Robert Lang, Gregory Doran, Ingrid Lacey, Cyril Nri, Jennifer Biddall, Alan Morrissey, Raza Jaffrey, Shane Connaughton, Julian Slade, Mike Grady, Pippa Haywood, Milton Johns, Patricia Brake, Lydia Leonard, Ryan Kelly, Antonia Bernath, David Calder, Jeremy Meadow, Simone Bendix, John Mcenery, Adrian Scarborough, Rob Edwards, Louise Plowright. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 289. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Sir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE (born 13 July 1940) is an English film, television and stage actor. He has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century. He is most widely known for his television and film roles, as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation and as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films. Stewart was born in Mirfield near Dewsbury in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, the son of Gladys (née Barrowclough), a weaver and textile worker, and Alfred Stewart, a Regimental Sergeant Major in the British Army who served with the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) and previously worked as a general labourer and as a postman. Throughout childhood, he endured poverty and disadvantage, an experience which influenced his l...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=70938 ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Jeremy Irons, Ellen Macarthur, Mark King, Stephen Butterworth, Thomas Arnold, Seb Clover, Lee Bradbury, Cliff Michelmore, Declan Ronan Lang, Arthur Brown, Arthur Watson, Kenneth Kendall, Gareth Williams, Uffa Fox, David Steele, Clement Leslie Smith, Roscow George Shedden, John Burbidge. Excerpt:Personal information Arthur Charles Brown (born 1888) was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Portsmouth and Southampton in the years prior to World War I . Football career Brown was born in Cowes on the Isle of Wight and was a student at Hartley College, part of the University of Southampton . Whilst at the college, he signed for Southampton of the Southern League as an amateur. After a spell at Cowes , he signed for Portsmouth in April 1907. Brown remained with "Pompey" for three years, where he was the third choice 'keeper behind Tom McDonald and Tom Cope, making only nine Southern League appearances, before a move back up the Solent to re-join Southampton in the summer of 1910. Brown made his first-team debut for the "Saints", replacing Tom Burrows against Brighton ... Read more

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(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)When it was published in 1955, Lolita immediately became a cause célèbre because of the freedom and sophistication with which it handled the unusual erotic predilections of its protagonist. But Vladimir Nabokov's wise, ironic, elegant masterpiece owes its stature as one of the twentieth century's novels of record not to the controversy its material aroused but to its author's use of that material to tell a love story almost shocking in its beauty and tenderness. Awe and exhilaration–along with heartbreak and mordant wit–abound in this account of the aging Humbert Humbert's obsessive, devouring, and doomed passion for the nymphet Dolores Haze. Lolita is also the story of a hypercivilized European colliding with the cheerful barbarism of postwar America, but most of all, it is a meditation on love–love as outrage and hallucination, madness and transformation.With an Introduction by Martin Amis


From the Hardcover edition.Amazon.com Review
Despite its lascivious reputation, the pleasures ofLolita are as much intellectual as erogenous. It is a love story with the power to raiseboth chuckles and eyebrows. Humbert Humbert is a European intellectualadrift in America, haunted by memories of a lost adolescent love. When hemeets his ideal nymphet in the shape of 12-year-old Dolores Haze, heconstructs an elaborate plot to seduce her, but first he must get rid ofher mother.In spite of his diabolical wit, reality proves to be moreslippery than Humbert's feverish fantasies, and Lolita refuses to conformto his image of the perfect lover.

Playfully perverse in form as well as content, riddled with puns andliterary allusions, Nabokov's 1955 novel is a hymn to the Russian-bornauthor's delight in his adopted language. Indeed, readers who want to probeall of its allusive nooks and crannies will need to consult the annotated edition. Lolita is undoubtedly, brazenly erotic, but the eroticism springsless from the "frail honey-hued shoulders ... the silky supple bare back" oflittle Lo than it does from the wantonly gorgeous prose that Humbert usesto recount his forbidden passion:

She was musical and apple-sweet ... Lola the bobby-soxer, devouring herimmemorial fruit, singing through its juice ... and every movement she made,every shuffle and ripple, helped me to conceal and to improve the secretsystem of tactile correspondence between beast and beauty--between mygagged, bursting beast and the beauty of her dimpled body in its innocentcotton frock.

Customer Reviews (519)

Review of Nabokov's 'Lolita'
The work itself is of course wonderful. Lolita will emerge as a classic. However, I wish that Vintage would have found a scholar to write an introduction to this 50th anniversary edition. Nabokov's writing is great, but also brief, and leaves the reader with unanswered questions.

Mediocre writing dressed up with pseudo-poetics
I was not very impressed with this book at all.I found the writing to be much too artificial.At the very first paragraph of Humbert's narrative, I found myself a bit put off by the self-conscious, pseudo-poetic style.The prose is packed with puns, fanciful turns of phrase, and allusions to the point that I often found it annoying to read.I suppose there are some who get giddy over that sort of thing, and imagine that it means they are reading something sophisticated, but to me it seemed forced and artificial.Conjoined with an essentially boring story, the style made the book a task to read.I put pages behind me as a chore, rather than looking forward to reading them.

Yes, I said the story is boring.It's a road-trip novel dressed up in avant-garde, edgy, "boundary pushing" clothing. The wanderings of Humbert and Dolores over these vast United States of America, with a splash of pedophilia and subtle sexual references to make people gasp a little and imagine they are reading something Very Mature and Profound.

I went into this book with a mixture of trepidation and hopefulness. I was open to the possibility of reading an engaging tale about a monstrous act, told from the point of view of a wicked protagonist.On the other hand, I was well aware that a book about such a titillating subject is likely to have a reputation far beyond its actual literary merits, simply because so many people will be taken in by the lure of the forbidden topic that they will overlook its huge flaws.

My trepidation was strongly confirmed.I simply did not find this book interesting.I can't imagine that if you changed the premise and put Lolita at the age of consent, that many people would find this book worthy at all.The same writing coupled with a less lascivious premise would simply have flopped.

I can only wonder why so many people get such a thrill out of reading something they feel is taboo, that this kind of writing gets such praise.There is a tendency of fans of this book to accuse those who don't like it of having some kind of moral hangup, of merely objecting to the premise.But it's quite the reverse: those who love this book are hung up so much on the premise, that they can't get past it to see the writing.

The book had its moments, but ultimately it was unsatisfying, annoying in some places, and simply disappointing.I did not find myself engrossed, or even grossed out, just more or less bored.It did not entertain me, it did not challenge me, it did not edify me, it did not thrill me, it did not horrify me or fill me with bliss.It left me with an empty feeling, kind of like how you feel when it's lunchtime and you only had a cup of coffee for breakfast.When I finished the last page, all I could think was, "Thank God, now I can find something interesting to read!"

What can you say?
Considered one of the best books of the twentieth century, Lolita was written about midway through that century and has garnered enormous critical, scholarly, media and popular attention.Probably little more can be added to the libraries already written about Lolita, except that it a highpoint of literature, a singularly brilliant, surprising, accomplished and even funny work that remains in the mind years after reading. A few critics recognized its genius when first it was published, like Lionell Trilling, but it took timebefore the beauty and agility of its prose vaulted it over the middlebrow prejudices of the 'fifties. Lolita, Nabokov's satire on America as he motors over its landscape oddly rendered surrealistic by his aesthetic European sensibilities and amoral worldview, is a treasure that is not likely to be equalled or approached soon.

Lolita
This item was listed as free shipping, and ordered on September 2nd.I find out that it won't be shipped until September 20th...I won't order free shipping again and will probably look elsewhere to buy.This is rediculous!

excellent book
One of the best books I've ever read. Excellent on so many levels. Highly recommended. ... Read more