Question: How is book?

I was initially excited to hear that a BDSM novel had gone mainstream.  I was also initially excited to hear that a work of fanfiction had been adapted to be an original novel and sold in the mainstream market.  I thought these were exciting new developments, and could only mean good things.HOW WRONG I WAS.  This book is a complete disappointment.  Poorly written?  Don't make me laugh.  Poorly written would be a compliment, 50 Shades is barely readable, and what you do read infuriates you to the point of fictional-character-homocide with its lazy plot and character development (plot holes big enough to lose a bus in), overuse and misuse of words, labels, imagery, phrases and cliches, and what seems to be a case of an amateurish-at-best editing process.Firstly, no matter its origins, I paid for an original novel.  This means that somewhere between first draft and publishing, this novel should have been stripped of its "Twilight-ness" and reworked so that original ideas and facts filled those holes.  Unfortunately, this never happened.  Ana is so blatantly Bella, the only thing that has been changed is a name-swap.  Similarly, characters that might have been useful and relevant to the story when it was a Twilight fanfiction (eg. name-swapped-Jacob and name-swapped-Mike), are now redundant.  They often only relate to the plot in that they are clumsily used to tick the boxes of Twilight canon.  Yes, name-swapped Mike (whose parents also own the hardware store that name-swapped-Bella works in) inexplicably likes Ana/Bella, and appears in an early scene seemingly to demonstrate just this and thus show how desirable Ana/Bella is to both the reader and Grey/name-swapped-Edward (who is an incredibly busy CEO yet somehow has enough time to stalk Ana and find out where she works, then toodle down and stock up on cable ties, rope and duct tape.  Real subtle, real classy), even though Ana totally doesn't think she's pretty or worth any boy's admiration.  There are many characters which serve no purpose in the story, yet the reader is subjected to paragraphs or even pages of interaction with them: I am only poorer for having had to read pointlessly about how Ana/Bella has family out of town and she calls them regularly and all her irrelevant family history about her airy-fairy mother and her non-committal father.  Plus there were whole conversations of nothing - filler just to prove (or so it seemed) that these characters existed.  WHO CARES IF THEY EXIST, I DON'T WANT YOU TO PROVE TO ME HOW TRUE TO BELLA'S FAMILY SITUATION AND CANON FAMILY MEMBERS YOU'VE STAYED. THEY'RE NOT PART OF THE STORY.Ugh.  I could go on forever about how even in the smallest details, this book is a blatant mimicry of Twilight (the busted up old car, the clumsiness, the intrusive stalkerish-ness of the male lead), and I'm surprised copyright laws hasn't started calling it a plagiarism now that E.L. James is profiting from it.Secondly, when I buy something that has been professionally published, and has ostensibly been through a professional editing process, I DO expect that it reads like someone's made even a half-decent whack at editing it into shape.  If I were an editor and a copy of 50 Shades as it is now was handed to me to edit for publication, my first reaction would be to send it back to the author and get them to work on it themselves for a while, because by the time a book reaches an editor it should already be pretty polished.  So I am astounded that the published copy of 50 Shades is actually so terrible and the writing and style so poor - like I said, it feels like I'm reading a first draft which needs a lot of work, and this is after its been edited and published!There were inconsistencies within characters, such as Ana showing on several occasions that she was well-acquainted with swear words, and had no problems using them, and then on the next page saying "oh, my!"  She's 21 for God's sake!  Firstly;  even if she didn't like to swear she's unlikely to use such a dated phrase, let alone make it her every-two-pages catchphrase, and secondly; who alternatively swears freely then acts all prim and proper?  No reason is forthcoming on why Ana seems to have two distinct and contradicting sides of her personality.  I understand complex characters having interwoven facets of their personality, different aspects coming to the fore depending on the context, but that is not the case with Ana, she flips back and forth without any explanation or even integration of the two sides of her.On a related note: over and over again I wanted to scream or tear my hair out as Ana anthropomorphised her subconscious and something she likes to call her 'inner goddess'.  I have no idea what the point of either of these two ridiculous 'characters' was - both only really appeared when the issue of sex came up, and the subconscious always 'ran and hid' from Ana's scandalous thoughts (not sure where or how, I am convinced Ana's head is entirely devoid of a brain), whereas the 'inner goddess' was like an irritating and immature emoticon, and either strutted and puffed up her chest proudly, or jumped up and down and waved pom poms.  Jesus Christ, gag me with a spoon.  No seriously, it would be more pleasant than having to stomach any more of E.L. James's characterisation.But wait there's more - E.L James is so bad at developing rounded and realistic characters, or even two-dimensional characters, that she resorts to getting other characters to proscribe character traits.  When Ana first meets Grey for an interview for the college newspaper (In a scenario so ridiculous, artificial and clumsy that it could be the premise of a meeting in an amateur porn video - Ana's roommate is the head of the paper but is too sick to take the interview, and Grey is too busy being an incredibly important CEO of a successful company to reschedule, so Ana is clearly the only option to fill in, even though she doesn't even work for the paper or have any journalism experience) he describes how good he is at his job, managing his employees, his company's projects and interests, and information, and she decides that he is clearly a 'control freak'.  Um, no.  He's a CEO of a large and successful company.  He describes himself as having exacting standards both for him employees and in his own management of his employees and company, but not outside what is appropriate and REQUIRED for being a CEO.  Anyway, Ana likes the label of 'control freak' so much that it basically becomes Grey's nickname in her internal monologues from then on, which are needlessly lengthy and whiny and ill-informed.AND THE FILLER. OMFG THE FILLER. Not just sentences that were dumb and would make the story richer by being pruned, but paragraphs and pages of waffle.  Not even just waffle.  Poorly written waffle, with bad style, grammar and structure.Thirdly -- and I do not claim to be an expert or the one-and-only authority on the subject, and even within the BDSM community I'm sure there are a range of opinions on how realistic the BDSM relationship in 50 Shades was portrayed: I'm sure there will be many people with more authority on the subject than I who disagree with me, but I think many will agree with me -- I dislike how the BDSM relationship between Ana and Grey was portrayed.  I do not think it is accurate and I don't particularly think their relationships is a healthy one.  That is not to say that I don't think any BDSM relationships can be healthy: I believe that people can engage in both healthy BDSM love relationships and BDSM sexual relationships.  But Grey does not come off as a a truly caring and responsible master - he seems too selfish and possessive.  The BDSM community's mantra for safe practice is 'safe, sane and consensual', and I'm not sure that Ana and Grey's relationship always abides by that, particularly considering that her has no problem using illegal technology to invade her privacy and track her mobile signal before they are even involved; espouses the importance of full disclosure before getting embroiled in a sexual/romantic relationship with Ana, but leads her on and encourages her interest in him before he even tells her that he only does BDSM sex and only does contractual sexual relationships, not romantic ones; and always seems to remove Ana from familiar or neutral locations and whisk her off to his what is firmly his own territory when she is physically or emotionally vulnerable (instead of helping her get to a safe location that is 'her own' territory).I understand that romance books and erotic books don't always aim for realism (nor is it something their readers particularly seek) and are often designed to push the envelope for the sake of titillation and thrills.  However, I think when you are portraying a minority group (as the BDSM community could be argued to be), especially if you are not part of the minority group, you should be aware that minority groups are often misunderstood or discriminated against by the majority, and you have a responsibility to portray that community both accurately and sensitively.I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.

Answer: This book is a complete disappointment

I was initially excited to hear that a BDSM novel had gone mainstream. I was also initially excited to hear that a work of fanfiction had been adapted to be an original novel and sold in the mainstream market. I thought these were exciting new developments, and could only mean good things. HOW WRONG I WAS. <hl> This book is a complete disappointment . <hl> Poorly written? Don't make me laugh. Poorly written would be a compliment, 50 Shades is barely readable, and what you do read infuriates you to the point of fictional-character-homocide with its lazy plot and character development (plot holes big enough to lose a bus in), overuse and misuse of words, labels, imagery, phrases and cliches, and what seems to be a case of an amateurish-at-best editing process. Firstly, no matter its origins, I paid for an original novel. This means that somewhere between first draft and publishing, this novel should have been stripped of its "Twilight-ness" and reworked so that original ideas and facts filled those holes. Unfortunately, this never happened. Ana is so blatantly Bella, the only thing that has been changed is a name-swap. Similarly, characters that might have been useful and relevant to the story when it was a Twilight fanfiction (eg. name-swapped-Jacob and name-swapped-Mike), are now redundant. They often only relate to the plot in that they are clumsily used to tick the boxes of Twilight canon. Yes, name-swapped Mike (whose parents also own the hardware store that name-swapped-Bella works in) inexplicably likes Ana/Bella, and appears in an early scene seemingly to demonstrate just this and thus show how desirable Ana/Bella is to both the reader and Grey/name-swapped-Edward (who is an incredibly busy CEO yet somehow has enough time to stalk Ana and find out where she works, then toodle down and stock up on cable ties, rope and duct tape. Real subtle, real classy), even though Ana totally doesn't think she's pretty or worth any boy's admiration. There are many characters which serve no purpose in the story, yet the reader is subjected to paragraphs or even pages of interaction with them: I am only poorer for having had to read pointlessly about how Ana/Bella has family out of town and she calls them regularly and all her irrelevant family history about her airy-fairy mother and her non-committal father. Plus there were whole conversations of nothing - filler just to prove (or so it seemed) that these characters existed. WHO CARES IF THEY EXIST, I DON'T WANT YOU TO PROVE TO ME HOW TRUE TO BELLA'S FAMILY SITUATION AND CANON FAMILY MEMBERS YOU'VE STAYED. THEY'RE NOT PART OF THE STORY.Ugh. I could go on forever about how even in the smallest details, this book is a blatant mimicry of Twilight (the busted up old car, the clumsiness, the intrusive stalkerish-ness of the male lead), and I'm surprised copyright laws hasn't started calling it a plagiarism now that E.L. James is profiting from it. Secondly, when I buy something that has been professionally published, and has ostensibly been through a professional editing process, I DO expect that it reads like someone's made even a half-decent whack at editing it into shape. If I were an editor and a copy of 50 Shades as it is now was handed to me to edit for publication, my first reaction would be to send it back to the author and get them to work on it themselves for a while, because by the time a book reaches an editor it should already be pretty polished. So I am astounded that the published copy of 50 Shades is actually so terrible and the writing and style so poor - like I said, it feels like I'm reading a first draft which needs a lot of work, and this is after its been edited and published!There were inconsistencies within characters, such as Ana showing on several occasions that she was well-acquainted with swear words, and had no problems using them, and then on the next page saying "oh, my!" She's 21 for God's sake! Firstly; even if she didn't like to swear she's unlikely to use such a dated phrase, let alone make it her every-two-pages catchphrase, and secondly; who alternatively swears freely then acts all prim and proper? No reason is forthcoming on why Ana seems to have two distinct and contradicting sides of her personality. I understand complex characters having interwoven facets of their personality, different aspects coming to the fore depending on the context, but that is not the case with Ana, she flips back and forth without any explanation or even integration of the two sides of her. On a related note: over and over again I wanted to scream or tear my hair out as Ana anthropomorphised her subconscious and something she likes to call her 'inner goddess'. I have no idea what the point of either of these two ridiculous 'characters' was - both only really appeared when the issue of sex came up, and the subconscious always 'ran and hid' from Ana's scandalous thoughts (not sure where or how, I am convinced Ana's head is entirely devoid of a brain), whereas the 'inner goddess' was like an irritating and immature emoticon, and either strutted and puffed up her chest proudly, or jumped up and down and waved pom poms. Jesus Christ, gag me with a spoon. No seriously, it would be more pleasant than having to stomach any more of E.L. James's characterisation. But wait there's more - E.L James is so bad at developing rounded and realistic characters, or even two-dimensional characters, that she resorts to getting other characters to proscribe character traits. When Ana first meets Grey for an interview for the college newspaper (In a scenario so ridiculous, artificial and clumsy that it could be the premise of a meeting in an amateur porn video - Ana's roommate is the head of the paper but is too sick to take the interview, and Grey is too busy being an incredibly important CEO of a successful company to reschedule, so Ana is clearly the only option to fill in, even though she doesn't even work for the paper or have any journalism experience) he describes how good he is at his job, managing his employees, his company's projects and interests, and information, and she decides that he is clearly a 'control freak'. Um, no. He's a CEO of a large and successful company. He describes himself as having exacting standards both for him employees and in his own management of his employees and company, but not outside what is appropriate and REQUIRED for being a CEO. Anyway, Ana likes the label of 'control freak' so much that it basically becomes Grey's nickname in her internal monologues from then on, which are needlessly lengthy and whiny and ill-informed. AND THE FILLER. OMFG THE FILLER. Not just sentences that were dumb and would make the story richer by being pruned, but paragraphs and pages of waffle. Not even just waffle. Poorly written waffle, with bad style, grammar and structure. Thirdly -- and I do not claim to be an expert or the one-and-only authority on the subject, and even within the BDSM community I'm sure there are a range of opinions on how realistic the BDSM relationship in 50 Shades was portrayed: I'm sure there will be many people with more authority on the subject than I who disagree with me, but I think many will agree with me -- I dislike how the BDSM relationship between Ana and Grey was portrayed. I do not think it is accurate and I don't particularly think their relationships is a healthy one. That is not to say that I don't think any BDSM relationships can be healthy: I believe that people can engage in both healthy BDSM love relationships and BDSM sexual relationships. But Grey does not come off as a a truly caring and responsible master - he seems too selfish and possessive. The BDSM community's mantra for safe practice is 'safe, sane and consensual', and I'm not sure that Ana and Grey's relationship always abides by that, particularly considering that her has no problem using illegal technology to invade her privacy and track her mobile signal before they are even involved; espouses the importance of full disclosure before getting embroiled in a sexual/romantic relationship with Ana, but leads her on and encourages her interest in him before he even tells her that he only does BDSM sex and only does contractual sexual relationships, not romantic ones; and always seems to remove Ana from familiar or neutral locations and whisk her off to his what is firmly his own territory when she is physically or emotionally vulnerable (instead of helping her get to a safe location that is 'her own' territory).I understand that romance books and erotic books don't always aim for realism (nor is it something their readers particularly seek) and are often designed to push the envelope for the sake of titillation and thrills. However, I think when you are portraying a minority group (as the BDSM community could be argued to be), especially if you are not part of the minority group, you should be aware that minority groups are often misunderstood or discriminated against by the majority, and you have a responsibility to portray that community both accurately and sensitively. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.

I was initially excited to hear that a BDSM novel had gone mainstream. I was also initially excited to hear that a work of fanfiction had been adapted to be an original novel and sold in the mainstream market. I thought these were exciting new developments, and could only mean good things.HOW WRONG I WAS. <hl> This book is a complete disappointment <hl>. Poorly written? Don't make me laugh. Poorly written would be a compliment, 50 Shades is barely readable, and what you do read infuriates you to the point of fictional-character-homocide with its lazy plot and character development (plot holes big enough to lose a bus in), overuse and misuse of words, labels, imagery, phrases and cliches, and what seems to be a case of an amateurish-at-best editing process.Firstly, no matter its origins, I paid for an original novel. This means that somewhere between first draft and publishing, this novel should have been stripped of its "Twilight-ness" and reworked so that original ideas and facts filled those holes. Unfortunately, this never happened. Ana is so blatantly Bella, the only thing that has been changed is a name-swap. Similarly, characters that might have been useful and relevant to the story when it was a Twilight fanfiction (eg. name-swapped-Jacob and name-swapped-Mike), are now redundant. They often only relate to the plot in that they are clumsily used to tick the boxes of Twilight canon. Yes, name-swapped Mike (whose parents also own the hardware store that name-swapped-Bella works in) inexplicably likes Ana/Bella, and appears in an early scene seemingly to demonstrate just this and thus show how desirable Ana/Bella is to both the reader and Grey/name-swapped-Edward (who is an incredibly busy CEO yet somehow has enough time to stalk Ana and find out where she works, then toodle down and stock up on cable ties, rope and duct tape. Real subtle, real classy), even though Ana totally doesn't think she's pretty or worth any boy's admiration. There are many characters which serve no purpose in the story, yet the reader is subjected to paragraphs or even pages of interaction with them: I am only poorer for having had to read pointlessly about how Ana/Bella has family out of town and she calls them regularly and all her irrelevant family history about her airy-fairy mother and her non-committal father. Plus there were whole conversations of nothing - filler just to prove (or so it seemed) that these characters existed. WHO CARES IF THEY EXIST, I DON'T WANT YOU TO PROVE TO ME HOW TRUE TO BELLA'S FAMILY SITUATION AND CANON FAMILY MEMBERS YOU'VE STAYED. THEY'RE NOT PART OF THE STORY.Ugh. I could go on forever about how even in the smallest details, this book is a blatant mimicry of Twilight (the busted up old car, the clumsiness, the intrusive stalkerish-ness of the male lead), and I'm surprised copyright laws hasn't started calling it a plagiarism now that E.L. James is profiting from it.Secondly, when I buy something that has been professionally published, and has ostensibly been through a professional editing process, I DO expect that it reads like someone's made even a half-decent whack at editing it into shape. If I were an editor and a copy of 50 Shades as it is now was handed to me to edit for publication, my first reaction would be to send it back to the author and get them to work on it themselves for a while, because by the time a book reaches an editor it should already be pretty polished. So I am astounded that the published copy of 50 Shades is actually so terrible and the writing and style so poor - like I said, it feels like I'm reading a first draft which needs a lot of work, and this is after its been edited and published!There were inconsistencies within characters, such as Ana showing on several occasions that she was well-acquainted with swear words, and had no problems using them, and then on the next page saying "oh, my!" She's 21 for God's sake! Firstly; even if she didn't like to swear she's unlikely to use such a dated phrase, let alone make it her every-two-pages catchphrase, and secondly; who alternatively swears freely then acts all prim and proper? No reason is forthcoming on why Ana seems to have two distinct and contradicting sides of her personality. I understand complex characters having interwoven facets of their personality, different aspects coming to the fore depending on the context, but that is not the case with Ana, she flips back and forth without any explanation or even integration of the two sides of her.On a related note: over and over again I wanted to scream or tear my hair out as Ana anthropomorphised her subconscious and something she likes to call her 'inner goddess'. I have no idea what the point of either of these two ridiculous 'characters' was - both only really appeared when the issue of sex came up, and the subconscious always 'ran and hid' from Ana's scandalous thoughts (not sure where or how, I am convinced Ana's head is entirely devoid of a brain), whereas the 'inner goddess' was like an irritating and immature emoticon, and either strutted and puffed up her chest proudly, or jumped up and down and waved pom poms. Jesus Christ, gag me with a spoon. No seriously, it would be more pleasant than having to stomach any more of E.L. James's characterisation.But wait there's more - E.L James is so bad at developing rounded and realistic characters, or even two-dimensional characters, that she resorts to getting other characters to proscribe character traits. When Ana first meets Grey for an interview for the college newspaper (In a scenario so ridiculous, artificial and clumsy that it could be the premise of a meeting in an amateur porn video - Ana's roommate is the head of the paper but is too sick to take the interview, and Grey is too busy being an incredibly important CEO of a successful company to reschedule, so Ana is clearly the only option to fill in, even though she doesn't even work for the paper or have any journalism experience) he describes how good he is at his job, managing his employees, his company's projects and interests, and information, and she decides that he is clearly a 'control freak'. Um, no. He's a CEO of a large and successful company. He describes himself as having exacting standards both for him employees and in his own management of his employees and company, but not outside what is appropriate and REQUIRED for being a CEO. Anyway, Ana likes the label of 'control freak' so much that it basically becomes Grey's nickname in her internal monologues from then on, which are needlessly lengthy and whiny and ill-informed.AND THE FILLER. OMFG THE FILLER. Not just sentences that were dumb and would make the story richer by being pruned, but paragraphs and pages of waffle. Not even just waffle. Poorly written waffle, with bad style, grammar and structure.Thirdly -- and I do not claim to be an expert or the one-and-only authority on the subject, and even within the BDSM community I'm sure there are a range of opinions on how realistic the BDSM relationship in 50 Shades was portrayed: I'm sure there will be many people with more authority on the subject than I who disagree with me, but I think many will agree with me -- I dislike how the BDSM relationship between Ana and Grey was portrayed. I do not think it is accurate and I don't particularly think their relationships is a healthy one. That is not to say that I don't think any BDSM relationships can be healthy: I believe that people can engage in both healthy BDSM love relationships and BDSM sexual relationships. But Grey does not come off as a a truly caring and responsible master - he seems too selfish and possessive. The BDSM community's mantra for safe practice is 'safe, sane and consensual', and I'm not sure that Ana and Grey's relationship always abides by that, particularly considering that her has no problem using illegal technology to invade her privacy and track her mobile signal before they are even involved; espouses the importance of full disclosure before getting embroiled in a sexual/romantic relationship with Ana, but leads her on and encourages her interest in him before he even tells her that he only does BDSM sex and only does contractual sexual relationships, not romantic ones; and always seems to remove Ana from familiar or neutral locations and whisk her off to his what is firmly his own territory when she is physically or emotionally vulnerable (instead of helping her get to a safe location that is 'her own' territory).I understand that romance books and erotic books don't always aim for realism (nor is it something their readers particularly seek) and are often designed to push the envelope for the sake of titillation and thrills. However, I think when you are portraying a minority group (as the BDSM community could be argued to be), especially if you are not part of the minority group, you should be aware that minority groups are often misunderstood or discriminated against by the majority, and you have a responsibility to portray that community both accurately and sensitively.I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK.

<hl> This book is a complete disappointment <hl> .


Question: How is the book?

As Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry begins the nation is shaken by the news that a murderer has escaped from the infamously horrible wizard prison of Azkaban. The escapee turns out to be Sirius Black. Many in the wizard world believe that Sirius Black's next target is Harry.There is yet another new professor teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. The shabby man, Professor Lupin, is the first good teacher of the class that Harry and his friends have had. However, there are some strange things about Professor Lupin; why does he keep getting sick, and what is it about crystal balls that scare him so much?The reader meets more amazing and fantastic creatures including hippogriffs, bogarts and the horrible Dementors that guard Azkaban.The conclusion of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban leads to some fascinating discoveries about the Whomping Willow and the truth about the night Harry's parents were murdered, as well as the secret Professor Lupin has been hiding. Even Scabbers, Ron's rat, has an important role to play. Rowling's style is as enthralling as ever. No fan of Harry Potter should miss this book.

Answer: The escapee turns out to be Sirius Black. Many in the

As Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry begins the nation is shaken by the news that a murderer has escaped from the infamously horrible wizard prison of Azkaban. <hl> The escapee turns out to be Sirius Black. Many in the wizard world believe that Sirius Black's next target is Harry. <hl> There is yet another new professor teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. The shabby man, Professor Lupin, is the first good teacher of the class that Harry and his friends have had. However, there are some strange things about Professor Lupin; why does he keep getting sick, and what is it about crystal balls that scare him so much?The reader meets more amazing and fantastic creatures including hippogriffs, bogarts and the horrible Dementors that guard Azkaban. The conclusion of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban leads to some fascinating discoveries about the Whomping Willow and the truth about the night Harry's parents were murdered, as well as the secret Professor Lupin has been hiding. Even Scabbers, Ron's rat, has an important role to play. Rowling's style is as enthralling as ever. No fan of Harry Potter should miss this book.

As Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry begins the nation is shaken by the news that a murderer has escaped from the infamously horrible wizard prison of Azkaban. <hl> The escapee turns out to be Sirius Black. Many in the <hl> wizard world believe that Sirius Black's next target is Harry.There is yet another new professor teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. The shabby man, Professor Lupin, is the first good teacher of the class that Harry and his friends have had. However, there are some strange things about Professor Lupin; why does he keep getting sick, and what is it about crystal balls that scare him so much?The reader meets more amazing and fantastic creatures including hippogriffs, bogarts and the horrible Dementors that guard Azkaban.The conclusion of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban leads to some fascinating discoveries about the Whomping Willow and the truth about the night Harry's parents were murdered, as well as the secret Professor Lupin has been hiding. Even Scabbers, Ron's rat, has an important role to play. Rowling's style is as enthralling as ever. No fan of Harry Potter should miss this book.


Question: How is the detail?

While I would not recommend this book to a young reader due to a couple pretty explicate scenes I would recommend it to any adult who just loves a good book.  Once I started reading it I could not put it down.  I hesitated reading it because I didn't think that the subject matter would be interesting, but I was so wrong.  This is a wonderfully written book.

Answer: the subject matter would be interesting

While I would not recommend this book to a young reader due to a couple pretty explicate scenes I would recommend it to any adult who just loves a good book. Once I started reading it I could not put it down. <hl> I hesitated reading it because I didn't think that the subject matter would be interesting , but I was so wrong. <hl> This is a wonderfully written book.

While I would not recommend this book to a young reader due to a couple pretty explicate scenes I would recommend it to any adult who just loves a good book. Once I started reading it I could not put it down. I hesitated reading it because I didn't think that <hl> the subject matter would be interesting <hl>, but I was so wrong. This is a wonderfully written book.

I hesitated reading it because I didn't think that <hl> the subject matter would be interesting <hl> , but I was so wrong.


Question: How is the write?

The Goldfinch got off to a wonderful start. A boy and his mother, both intriguing characters, take on an adventure before reporting to the school principal. Immediately the book takes a sudden turn that completely changes his world. The rest of the story is really his journey to build a new world.  In this sense the book is not too long.  It takes a while to tell this kind of story and Tartt takes us far into the depths of the young man's soul.Tartt's writing is exceptional. Her characters have real meat, real flaws, real feelings, real fears and triumphs.For me the challege to staying engaged was the violence. It's not gory TV violence. This is violence of real sociopaths and addicts. Sometimes it's almost accidental and sometimes intended from the beginning of the encounter. Not every character is violent or a sociopath. Sometimes the flaw seems trivial, like one young friend's dislike of sailing or his father's devotion to sailing. Each of these traits plays out in Tratt's writing.I read every page and would read it again. I also would not recommend it for teens and I'm certain some people will struggle with this one for both length and content.

Answer: writing is exceptional

Tartt's writing is exceptional .

The Goldfinch got off to a wonderful start. A boy and his mother, both intriguing characters, take on an adventure before reporting to the school principal. Immediately the book takes a sudden turn that completely changes his world. The rest of the story is really his journey to build a new world. In this sense the book is not too long. It takes a while to tell this kind of story and Tartt takes us far into the depths of the young man's soul. <hl> Tartt's writing is exceptional . <hl> Her characters have real meat, real flaws, real feelings, real fears and triumphs. For me the challege to staying engaged was the violence. It's not gory TV violence. This is violence of real sociopaths and addicts. Sometimes it's almost accidental and sometimes intended from the beginning of the encounter. Not every character is violent or a sociopath. Sometimes the flaw seems trivial, like one young friend's dislike of sailing or his father's devotion to sailing. Each of these traits plays out in Tratt's writing. I read every page and would read it again. I also would not recommend it for teens and I'm certain some people will struggle with this one for both length and content.

The Goldfinch got off to a wonderful start. A boy and his mother, both intriguing characters, take on an adventure before reporting to the school principal. Immediately the book takes a sudden turn that completely changes his world. The rest of the story is really his journey to build a new world. In this sense the book is not too long. It takes a while to tell this kind of story and Tartt takes us far into the depths of the young man's soul.Tartt's <hl> writing is exceptional <hl>. Her characters have real meat, real flaws, real feelings, real fears and triumphs.For me the challege to staying engaged was the violence. It's not gory TV violence. This is violence of real sociopaths and addicts. Sometimes it's almost accidental and sometimes intended from the beginning of the encounter. Not every character is violent or a sociopath. Sometimes the flaw seems trivial, like one young friend's dislike of sailing or his father's devotion to sailing. Each of these traits plays out in Tratt's writing.I read every page and would read it again. I also would not recommend it for teens and I'm certain some people will struggle with this one for both length and content.

Tartt's <hl> writing is exceptional <hl> .


Question: How is the novel?

Sissy Spacek takes one of the great American southern novels, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee to an even more sublime level by perfectly becoming the narrator of the novel, Scout Finch.  Scout is only eight years old and the Great Depression is ongoing in Maycomb, Alabama.  Her father, Atticus, is a pivotal man in their town as he is the fairest lawyer in town.  Spacek does all the voices of these remarkable characters and they come even more alive for us.  The Finches are fortunate in this town as they are making it through the Depression in genteel if not affluent fashion.  The town is made of people like the Finches; and then what would be known today as poor white trash; and finally the blacks who still have decades to wait for racial equality to appear.  However, small town America provides certain basics in the 1930s. No one starves or is homeless yet vivid inequalities exist.  Also, disabilities are kept in your own home, shuttered up so that other people can't see your differences.  Boo Radley is one of these different, disabled people and Scout is fascinated by him as the Radleys live on her street. Boo will come to intersect with a terrible legal injustice which occurs in the town, a rape trial with a black man as the defendant and a poor white trash girl as the accuser.  Atticus Finch is the black man's lawyer.  But this novel is about so much more than a trial.  Lee and Spacek nail the universal frailties and strengths of all of us as human beings in her novel. Those haven't changed one iota between the Great Depression and present day. I enjoyed the movie and the novel when I was a kid and I did not revisit the work until recently as this audiobook.  It was a wonderful way to experience it all again in a new medium. If anyone who resists reading needs to learn this book for school, this audio version could be the perfect solution.

Answer: Sissy Spacek takes one of the great American southern novels

<hl> Sissy Spacek takes one of the great American southern novels , TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee to an even more sublime level by perfectly becoming the narrator of the novel, Scout Finch. <hl> Scout is only eight years old and the Great Depression is ongoing in Maycomb, Alabama. Her father, Atticus, is a pivotal man in their town as he is the fairest lawyer in town. Spacek does all the voices of these remarkable characters and they come even more alive for us. The Finches are fortunate in this town as they are making it through the Depression in genteel if not affluent fashion. The town is made of people like the Finches; and then what would be known today as poor white trash; and finally the blacks who still have decades to wait for racial equality to appear. However, small town America provides certain basics in the 1930s. No one starves or is homeless yet vivid inequalities exist. Also, disabilities are kept in your own home, shuttered up so that other people can't see your differences. Boo Radley is one of these different, disabled people and Scout is fascinated by him as the Radleys live on her street. Boo will come to intersect with a terrible legal injustice which occurs in the town, a rape trial with a black man as the defendant and a poor white trash girl as the accuser. Atticus Finch is the black man's lawyer. But this novel is about so much more than a trial. Lee and Spacek nail the universal frailties and strengths of all of us as human beings in her novel. Those haven't changed one iota between the Great Depression and present day. I enjoyed the movie and the novel when I was a kid and I did not revisit the work until recently as this audiobook. It was a wonderful way to experience it all again in a new medium. If anyone who resists reading needs to learn this book for school, this audio version could be the perfect solution.

<hl> Sissy Spacek takes one of the great American southern novels <hl>, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee to an even more sublime level by perfectly becoming the narrator of the novel, Scout Finch. Scout is only eight years old and the Great Depression is ongoing in Maycomb, Alabama. Her father, Atticus, is a pivotal man in their town as he is the fairest lawyer in town. Spacek does all the voices of these remarkable characters and they come even more alive for us. The Finches are fortunate in this town as they are making it through the Depression in genteel if not affluent fashion. The town is made of people like the Finches; and then what would be known today as poor white trash; and finally the blacks who still have decades to wait for racial equality to appear. However, small town America provides certain basics in the 1930s. No one starves or is homeless yet vivid inequalities exist. Also, disabilities are kept in your own home, shuttered up so that other people can't see your differences. Boo Radley is one of these different, disabled people and Scout is fascinated by him as the Radleys live on her street. Boo will come to intersect with a terrible legal injustice which occurs in the town, a rape trial with a black man as the defendant and a poor white trash girl as the accuser. Atticus Finch is the black man's lawyer. But this novel is about so much more than a trial. Lee and Spacek nail the universal frailties and strengths of all of us as human beings in her novel. Those haven't changed one iota between the Great Depression and present day. I enjoyed the movie and the novel when I was a kid and I did not revisit the work until recently as this audiobook. It was a wonderful way to experience it all again in a new medium. If anyone who resists reading needs to learn this book for school, this audio version could be the perfect solution.

<hl> Sissy Spacek takes one of the great American southern novels <hl> , TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee to an even more sublime level by perfectly becoming the narrator of the novel, Scout Finch.


Question: Can you write your opinion about this book?

I love Mia Sheridan. This book is unexpected, and in a world where every book blurs together, it's nice to read something refreshing.

Answer: I love Mia Sheridan. This book is unexpected

<hl> I love Mia Sheridan. This book is unexpected , and in a world where every book blurs together, it's nice to read something refreshing. <hl>

<hl> I love Mia Sheridan. This book is unexpected <hl>, and in a world where every book blurs together, it's nice to read something refreshing.

<hl> I love Mia Sheridan. This book is unexpected <hl> , and in a world where every book blurs together, it's nice to read something refreshing.


Question: How much of the talent of Christie is seen in her novels?

I have to admit, I was embarrassed to buy this book because the title and the cover looked so...cheesy.But I'm a writer myself and my own YA novel "pushes limits" on things like sex and I wanted to see what was out there in the market.The plot is fairly weak, a framing device to push the characters closer or to heighten tension. But what McGarry does in between those little nudges takes us on a journey from darkness to light, confusion to understanding. The character descriptions aren't even that unique but there's a strong and definite arc that is believable and is well-supported by the events in the story.What is most impressive about the writing, and the reason why I fell in love with the book, is that McGarry is able to give distinct voices to Echo and Noah as they alternate chapter POVs. I could hear them, practically see them in front of me. The depth of what they are feeling, thinking, and doing, felt so real and honest. It's a coming-of-age story fraught with the complicated nature of becoming independent from your parents and learning to cope with tragedy and the inexplicable nature of life. Even the side characters are three-dimensional and jump off the page. Little details help flesh out what could be a smarmy teen drama.So it's almost an injustice to break the book down into a description of parts, because the way it comes together is beautiful and satisfying and even cathartic.The story follows Echo and Noah, two teenagers who have experienced recent traumas that have sent them from normal to outcast. Echo disappeared before the end of her sophomore year and when she returned junior year, she was wearing long sleeves and completely introverted. She wouldn't say what happened and rumors ran rampant that she was a cutter or tried to commit suicide. To top it all off, her older brother had gotten killed while serving in Afghanistan in the same time period.Noah is new to the school but carries a huge reputation as a ladies man and stoner. Only a couple of people know that he's also a foster kid.Enter Mrs. Collins the new guidance counselor who is also a "clinical social worker" and is intent on gaining their trust and helping them help themselves to better their situations.In an attempt to support Echo's grieving process, Mrs. Collins sets Echo up with an after-school tutoring job to help fund a repair of the dead brother's car. The student in need of tutoring? You guessed it...Noah.They are terrified as they realize they are falling in love with each other. Love is something they both lost and are still missing, and they don't trust it in each other.You'll have to read it to find out the rest. It's worth it!

Answer: Even the side characters are three-dimensional

I have to admit, I was embarrassed to buy this book because the title and the cover looked so...cheesy. But I'm a writer myself and my own YA novel "pushes limits" on things like sex and I wanted to see what was out there in the market. The plot is fairly weak, a framing device to push the characters closer or to heighten tension. But what McGarry does in between those little nudges takes us on a journey from darkness to light, confusion to understanding. The character descriptions aren't even that unique but there's a strong and definite arc that is believable and is well-supported by the events in the story. What is most impressive about the writing, and the reason why I fell in love with the book, is that McGarry is able to give distinct voices to Echo and Noah as they alternate chapter POVs. I could hear them, practically see them in front of me. The depth of what they are feeling, thinking, and doing, felt so real and honest. It's a coming-of-age story fraught with the complicated nature of becoming independent from your parents and learning to cope with tragedy and the inexplicable nature of life. <hl> Even the side characters are three-dimensional and jump off the page. <hl> Little details help flesh out what could be a smarmy teen drama. So it's almost an injustice to break the book down into a description of parts, because the way it comes together is beautiful and satisfying and even cathartic. The story follows Echo and Noah, two teenagers who have experienced recent traumas that have sent them from normal to outcast. Echo disappeared before the end of her sophomore year and when she returned junior year, she was wearing long sleeves and completely introverted. She wouldn't say what happened and rumors ran rampant that she was a cutter or tried to commit suicide. To top it all off, her older brother had gotten killed while serving in Afghanistan in the same time period. Noah is new to the school but carries a huge reputation as a ladies man and stoner. Only a couple of people know that he's also a foster kid. Enter Mrs. Collins the new guidance counselor who is also a "clinical social worker" and is intent on gaining their trust and helping them help themselves to better their situations. In an attempt to support Echo's grieving process, Mrs. Collins sets Echo up with an after-school tutoring job to help fund a repair of the dead brother's car. The student in need of tutoring? You guessed it...Noah. They are terrified as they realize they are falling in love with each other. Love is something they both lost and are still missing, and they don't trust it in each other. You'll have to read it to find out the rest. It's worth it!

I have to admit, I was embarrassed to buy this book because the title and the cover looked so...cheesy.But I'm a writer myself and my own YA novel "pushes limits" on things like sex and I wanted to see what was out there in the market.The plot is fairly weak, a framing device to push the characters closer or to heighten tension. But what McGarry does in between those little nudges takes us on a journey from darkness to light, confusion to understanding. The character descriptions aren't even that unique but there's a strong and definite arc that is believable and is well-supported by the events in the story.What is most impressive about the writing, and the reason why I fell in love with the book, is that McGarry is able to give distinct voices to Echo and Noah as they alternate chapter POVs. I could hear them, practically see them in front of me. The depth of what they are feeling, thinking, and doing, felt so real and honest. It's a coming-of-age story fraught with the complicated nature of becoming independent from your parents and learning to cope with tragedy and the inexplicable nature of life. <hl> Even the side characters are three-dimensional <hl> and jump off the page. Little details help flesh out what could be a smarmy teen drama.So it's almost an injustice to break the book down into a description of parts, because the way it comes together is beautiful and satisfying and even cathartic.The story follows Echo and Noah, two teenagers who have experienced recent traumas that have sent them from normal to outcast. Echo disappeared before the end of her sophomore year and when she returned junior year, she was wearing long sleeves and completely introverted. She wouldn't say what happened and rumors ran rampant that she was a cutter or tried to commit suicide. To top it all off, her older brother had gotten killed while serving in Afghanistan in the same time period.Noah is new to the school but carries a huge reputation as a ladies man and stoner. Only a couple of people know that he's also a foster kid.Enter Mrs. Collins the new guidance counselor who is also a "clinical social worker" and is intent on gaining their trust and helping them help themselves to better their situations.In an attempt to support Echo's grieving process, Mrs. Collins sets Echo up with an after-school tutoring job to help fund a repair of the dead brother's car. The student in need of tutoring? You guessed it...Noah.They are terrified as they realize they are falling in love with each other. Love is something they both lost and are still missing, and they don't trust it in each other.You'll have to read it to find out the rest. It's worth it!


Question: How would you define the incredible talent that this author has?

This is not the first time I stayed up until 5 am reading a book by Tarryn Fisher, she has this amazing way to pull you into the story in a way that even after you finished it it's so difficult to untangle yourself from it.Mud Vein is a crazy ride even from the blurb, it doesn't says much about what the book really is about, but that is Tarryn's way to ask you to jump almost blind into this amazing story and now I can say it makes sense you have to experience it that way, I got so many emotions and a hell of a headache trying to figure it out what I was reading until I decided to just enjoyed one page at the time, this is not a typical love story I wouldn't say is a romance either, yes love is an important part of the story but this is so much more.You'll feel a thousand emotions, I got angry, scared, and yes I cried too, Tarryn always does that to me she makes me feel every word she writes, and she doesn't sugarcoat things she gives you imperfect characters and raw emotions, so if you want a sweet romance this might not be for you but if you are expecting a great book, written in an amazing way by an incredible talented author this is it, it will make yo feel and it will left you thinking about it for a while.

Answer: written in an amazing way by an incredible talented author this is it

This is not the first time I stayed up until 5 am reading a book by Tarryn Fisher, she has this amazing way to pull you into the story in a way that even after you finished it it's so difficult to untangle yourself from it. Mud Vein is a crazy ride even from the blurb, it doesn't says much about what the book really is about, but that is Tarryn's way to ask you to jump almost blind into this amazing story and now I can say it makes sense you have to experience it that way, I got so many emotions and a hell of a headache trying to figure it out what I was reading until I decided to just enjoyed one page at the time, this is not a typical love story I wouldn't say is a romance either, yes love is an important part of the story but this is so much more. You'll feel a thousand emotions, I got angry, scared, and yes I cried too, Tarryn always does that to me she makes me feel every word she writes, and she doesn't sugarcoat things she gives you imperfect characters and raw emotions, so if you want a sweet romance this might not be for you <hl> but if you are expecting a great book, written in an amazing way by an incredible talented author this is it , it will make yo feel and it will left you thinking about it for a while. <hl>

This is not the first time I stayed up until 5 am reading a book by Tarryn Fisher, she has this amazing way to pull you into the story in a way that even after you finished it it's so difficult to untangle yourself from it.Mud Vein is a crazy ride even from the blurb, it doesn't says much about what the book really is about, but that is Tarryn's way to ask you to jump almost blind into this amazing story and now I can say it makes sense you have to experience it that way, I got so many emotions and a hell of a headache trying to figure it out what I was reading until I decided to just enjoyed one page at the time, this is not a typical love story I wouldn't say is a romance either, yes love is an important part of the story but this is so much more.You'll feel a thousand emotions, I got angry, scared, and yes I cried too, Tarryn always does that to me she makes me feel every word she writes, and she doesn't sugarcoat things she gives you imperfect characters and raw emotions, so if you want a sweet romance this might not be for you but if you are expecting a great book, <hl> written in an amazing way by an incredible talented author this is it <hl>, it will make yo feel and it will left you thinking about it for a while.

but if you are expecting a great book, <hl> written in an amazing way by an incredible talented author this is it <hl> , it will make yo feel and it will left you thinking about it for a while.


Question: How are things at the end of this story?

I listened to this book on audible.com. I did not "read" the book so the voices that everyone is complaining about was AMAZING to me as on audio, they were PERFECT. Tris and Tobias were perfect on audio.I really enjoyed this series. When book 3, Allegiant came out, there was CHAOS everywhere. So many people on Facebook were trashing this book. Apparently the book did not go the way they wanted it to. So many people were talking really badly about it, refusing to read it, posting spoilers and just plain being rude.I AM SO GLAD I AVOIDED ALL THE SPOILERS! I am so glad I waited for all the hype to wear off before I listened to this book. I read book 1 and listened to book 2 on audio. I was really looking forward to book 3 and I was not disappointed by book 3. I love how author Veronica Roth ended the series and love how she followed her heart. Even though she may have not appealled to all of her readers, she did what she felt was best for her storyline and her characters.I am not going to go into any detail of the book as I refuse to post any spoilers. I was hanging on every word of this book. I absolutly loved it and to be honest with you, I cried in more than one part of this book. Some of the times were not even parts one would expect!Congrats Author Veronica Roth on an AMAZING series!!!!!

Answer: author Veronica Roth ended the series and love how she followed her heart

I listened to this book on audible.com. I did not "read" the book so the voices that everyone is complaining about was AMAZING to me as on audio, they were PERFECT. Tris and Tobias were perfect on audio. I really enjoyed this series. When book 3, Allegiant came out, there was CHAOS everywhere. So many people on Facebook were trashing this book. Apparently the book did not go the way they wanted it to. So many people were talking really badly about it, refusing to read it, posting spoilers and just plain being rude. I AM SO GLAD I AVOIDED ALL THE SPOILERS! I am so glad I waited for all the hype to wear off before I listened to this book. I read book 1 and listened to book 2 on audio. I was really looking forward to book 3 and I was not disappointed by book 3. <hl> I love how author Veronica Roth ended the series and love how she followed her heart . <hl> Even though she may have not appealled to all of her readers, she did what she felt was best for her storyline and her characters. I am not going to go into any detail of the book as I refuse to post any spoilers. I was hanging on every word of this book. I absolutly loved it and to be honest with you, I cried in more than one part of this book. Some of the times were not even parts one would expect!Congrats Author Veronica Roth on an AMAZING series!!!!!

I listened to this book on audible.com. I did not "read" the book so the voices that everyone is complaining about was AMAZING to me as on audio, they were PERFECT. Tris and Tobias were perfect on audio.I really enjoyed this series. When book 3, Allegiant came out, there was CHAOS everywhere. So many people on Facebook were trashing this book. Apparently the book did not go the way they wanted it to. So many people were talking really badly about it, refusing to read it, posting spoilers and just plain being rude.I AM SO GLAD I AVOIDED ALL THE SPOILERS! I am so glad I waited for all the hype to wear off before I listened to this book. I read book 1 and listened to book 2 on audio. I was really looking forward to book 3 and I was not disappointed by book 3. I love how <hl> author Veronica Roth ended the series and love how she followed her heart <hl>. Even though she may have not appealled to all of her readers, she did what she felt was best for her storyline and her characters.I am not going to go into any detail of the book as I refuse to post any spoilers. I was hanging on every word of this book. I absolutly loved it and to be honest with you, I cried in more than one part of this book. Some of the times were not even parts one would expect!Congrats Author Veronica Roth on an AMAZING series!!!!!

I love how <hl> author Veronica Roth ended the series and love how she followed her heart <hl> .


Question: How good is that book?

This book was a big surprise. My ratings stay below 5 unless it's among the best books I know. The story is captivating. I loved it. The writing is outstanding. Even though it's fantasy sci-fi, it's logical, makes sense and has great insights and lessons. I was able to anticipate several things, which is a good thing - it didn't go off on some lame tangent attempting a plot twist fail. There are interesting stories within the story. Stephanie is a very talented writer and we're lucky to have her. She does write from a female perspective (slightly girly), but that's hardly noticeable. Mainly, the male behavior and lack of male considerations like leadership or security (in this context) were more of an external way a girl might think/observe a guy as opposed to realistic male thinking or behavior. The only thing I thought this book lacked was an opening background chapter to give better setting and perspective. The opening is hard to follow and I got the same complaint from a young less experienced reader (who kind of lost interest over it). It's like you wake up looking through a microscope with no context for what you're observing, so disorienting might be a better description. You don't want to lose readers of such a fantastic book with that kind of opening. The very ending also was short on details to make it more plausible and believable - specifically, how they were "found".I can see why they were quick to make a movie of this book - it could be really good. Hopefully, the same level of attention and budget as the twilight films, as it could be really bad too. I am really looking forward to the movie and am glad that I finished the book first, because I know there's no way to fit all of the story in. Either way - movie or not - read the book! It is more than worth the time.

Answer: My ratings stay below 5 unless it's among the best books

This book was a big surprise. <hl> My ratings stay below 5 unless it's among the best books I know. <hl> The story is captivating. I loved it. The writing is outstanding. Even though it's fantasy sci-fi, it's logical, makes sense and has great insights and lessons. I was able to anticipate several things, which is a good thing - it didn't go off on some lame tangent attempting a plot twist fail. There are interesting stories within the story. Stephanie is a very talented writer and we're lucky to have her. She does write from a female perspective (slightly girly), but that's hardly noticeable. Mainly, the male behavior and lack of male considerations like leadership or security (in this context) were more of an external way a girl might think/observe a guy as opposed to realistic male thinking or behavior. The only thing I thought this book lacked was an opening background chapter to give better setting and perspective. The opening is hard to follow and I got the same complaint from a young less experienced reader (who kind of lost interest over it). It's like you wake up looking through a microscope with no context for what you're observing, so disorienting might be a better description. You don't want to lose readers of such a fantastic book with that kind of opening. The very ending also was short on details to make it more plausible and believable - specifically, how they were "found". I can see why they were quick to make a movie of this book - it could be really good. Hopefully, the same level of attention and budget as the twilight films, as it could be really bad too. I am really looking forward to the movie and am glad that I finished the book first, because I know there's no way to fit all of the story in. Either way - movie or not - read the book! It is more than worth the time.

This book was a big surprise. <hl> My ratings stay below 5 unless it's among the best books <hl> I know. The story is captivating. I loved it. The writing is outstanding. Even though it's fantasy sci-fi, it's logical, makes sense and has great insights and lessons. I was able to anticipate several things, which is a good thing - it didn't go off on some lame tangent attempting a plot twist fail. There are interesting stories within the story. Stephanie is a very talented writer and we're lucky to have her. She does write from a female perspective (slightly girly), but that's hardly noticeable. Mainly, the male behavior and lack of male considerations like leadership or security (in this context) were more of an external way a girl might think/observe a guy as opposed to realistic male thinking or behavior. The only thing I thought this book lacked was an opening background chapter to give better setting and perspective. The opening is hard to follow and I got the same complaint from a young less experienced reader (who kind of lost interest over it). It's like you wake up looking through a microscope with no context for what you're observing, so disorienting might be a better description. You don't want to lose readers of such a fantastic book with that kind of opening. The very ending also was short on details to make it more plausible and believable - specifically, how they were "found".I can see why they were quick to make a movie of this book - it could be really good. Hopefully, the same level of attention and budget as the twilight films, as it could be really bad too. I am really looking forward to the movie and am glad that I finished the book first, because I know there's no way to fit all of the story in. Either way - movie or not - read the book! It is more than worth the time.


Question: How is a book read twice described as?

I chose to read the book because I have heard so many people talk about it and even rave about it. I thought the book was shallow and silly, an adolescent's perspective on a sexual relationship. I am no prude or right-winger, but the book has no redeeming social value. I am a man in my early 70s, and I was repulsed by the book and its superficiality. I have read and enjoyed many, many books with sexual content and enjoyed and approved of them. This one was erotica for erotica's sake, and it seemed to be written exclusively for women, and since I have no experience being one, I cannot judge their tastes, but of the 25 books I have read in the last year, this one was the least appealing or satisfying of the lot.

Answer: the book

<hl> I chose to read the book because I have heard so many people talk about it and even rave about it. <hl> I thought the book was shallow and silly, an adolescent's perspective on a sexual relationship. I am no prude or right-winger, but the book has no redeeming social value. I am a man in my early 70s, and I was repulsed by the book and its superficiality. I have read and enjoyed many, many books with sexual content and enjoyed and approved of them. This one was erotica for erotica's sake, and it seemed to be written exclusively for women, and since I have no experience being one, I cannot judge their tastes, but of the 25 books I have read in the last year, this one was the least appealing or satisfying of the lot.

I chose to read <hl> the book <hl> because I have heard so many people talk about it and even rave about it. I thought the book was shallow and silly, an adolescent's perspective on a sexual relationship. I am no prude or right-winger, but the book has no redeeming social value. I am a man in my early 70s, and I was repulsed by the book and its superficiality. I have read and enjoyed many, many books with sexual content and enjoyed and approved of them. This one was erotica for erotica's sake, and it seemed to be written exclusively for women, and since I have no experience being one, I cannot judge their tastes, but of the 25 books I have read in the last year, this one was the least appealing or satisfying of the lot.


Question: What is novel?

Rowling did about as well as anyone could have hoped in this book.  Her writing is still a bit rough (as many have noted before me), but it's gotten better with each book.  Her strengths have always been her plotting, detail, inventiveness, and ability to convey philosophical insights in a non-preachy way, and those come through in spades in this book.  Especially her ability to bring the complex threads of her story together for a satisfying conclusion.  Frankly, I didn't think she'd be able to do it -- no insult intended towards her.  Her imagery is more than occaisionally reminiscent of Tolkien, but that didn't bother me too much (fan of Tolkien that I am); Tolkien's imagery was itself reminiscent of the great literature before it.  Those archtypal plot devices have been around since the Epic of Gilgamesh.  If the middle part was 'slow,' I didn't notice, and it's a pretty piddling complaint all things considered.  All in all a very good read.  Keep the tissues handy.So here's my tangential question:  Does Dumbledore remind anyone else of George Smiley?  It struck me several times that there was a resemblence between Dumbledore's machinations and multilevel motivations and those of Smiley in LeCarre's Karla trilogy.  More than a little of LeCarre's darkness as well.  Perhaps those are archtypal images too.

Answer: Rowling did about as well as anyone could have hoped in this book

<hl> Rowling did about as well as anyone could have hoped in this book . <hl> Her writing is still a bit rough (as many have noted before me), but it's gotten better with each book. Her strengths have always been her plotting, detail, inventiveness, and ability to convey philosophical insights in a non-preachy way, and those come through in spades in this book. Especially her ability to bring the complex threads of her story together for a satisfying conclusion. Frankly, I didn't think she'd be able to do it -- no insult intended towards her. Her imagery is more than occaisionally reminiscent of Tolkien, but that didn't bother me too much (fan of Tolkien that I am); Tolkien's imagery was itself reminiscent of the great literature before it. Those archtypal plot devices have been around since the Epic of Gilgamesh. If the middle part was 'slow,' I didn't notice, and it's a pretty piddling complaint all things considered. All in all a very good read. Keep the tissues handy. So here's my tangential question: Does Dumbledore remind anyone else of George Smiley? It struck me several times that there was a resemblence between Dumbledore's machinations and multilevel motivations and those of Smiley in LeCarre's Karla trilogy. More than a little of LeCarre's darkness as well. Perhaps those are archtypal images too.

<hl> Rowling did about as well as anyone could have hoped in this book <hl>. Her writing is still a bit rough (as many have noted before me), but it's gotten better with each book. Her strengths have always been her plotting, detail, inventiveness, and ability to convey philosophical insights in a non-preachy way, and those come through in spades in this book. Especially her ability to bring the complex threads of her story together for a satisfying conclusion. Frankly, I didn't think she'd be able to do it -- no insult intended towards her. Her imagery is more than occaisionally reminiscent of Tolkien, but that didn't bother me too much (fan of Tolkien that I am); Tolkien's imagery was itself reminiscent of the great literature before it. Those archtypal plot devices have been around since the Epic of Gilgamesh. If the middle part was 'slow,' I didn't notice, and it's a pretty piddling complaint all things considered. All in all a very good read. Keep the tissues handy.So here's my tangential question: Does Dumbledore remind anyone else of George Smiley? It struck me several times that there was a resemblence between Dumbledore's machinations and multilevel motivations and those of Smiley in LeCarre's Karla trilogy. More than a little of LeCarre's darkness as well. Perhaps those are archtypal images too.

<hl> Rowling did about as well as anyone could have hoped in this book <hl> .


Question: Is it a good book?

Hemingway is a great story teller. This is a simple book about an old fisherman who goes out to sea after so many days without a catch. This books is so simple and beautiful. It was Hemingway's last masterpiece.For Whom the Bell Tolls has been one of my favorite books and in my opinion his best. Old Man and the Sea is a great reminder of just how great of a story teller Hemingway was.There's no need going into the plot, just sit back and enjoy this short novel about a man and a fish (i know that doesn't sound exciting, but it's great)

Answer: just sit back and enjoy this short novel about a man and a fish (i know that doesn't sound exciting, but it's great

Hemingway is a great story teller. This is a simple book about an old fisherman who goes out to sea after so many days without a catch. This books is so simple and beautiful. It was Hemingway's last masterpiece. For Whom the Bell Tolls has been one of my favorite books and in my opinion his best. Old Man and the Sea is a great reminder of just how great of a story teller Hemingway was. <hl> There's no need going into the plot, just sit back and enjoy this short novel about a man and a fish (i know that doesn't sound exciting, but it's great ) <hl>

Hemingway is a great story teller. This is a simple book about an old fisherman who goes out to sea after so many days without a catch. This books is so simple and beautiful. It was Hemingway's last masterpiece.For Whom the Bell Tolls has been one of my favorite books and in my opinion his best. Old Man and the Sea is a great reminder of just how great of a story teller Hemingway was.There's no need going into the plot, <hl> just sit back and enjoy this short novel about a man and a fish (i know that doesn't sound exciting, but it's great <hl>)

There's no need going into the plot, <hl> just sit back and enjoy this short novel about a man and a fish (i know that doesn't sound exciting, but it's great <hl> )


Question: What is your opinion of the book?

I picked up this book with all the excitement I did of the other three. Both my eight-year-old and my ten-year-old had read it in a few days and it  was finally my turn. As an author myself (see A GREATER LOVE on Amazon), I  have been fascinated with trying to understand what makes the HARRY POTTER  books so popular. But this time I was disappointed. I felt the book should  have been condensed by at least a hundred pages because it dragged in  various places. And I was also disappointed at the dark turn the novel was  taking. It was perfectly all right that there was evil, and that someone  dies, but the overall feel was different from the first three books, as  though the evil was perhaps a bit glorified. This worries me so much that I  think I'll read the next book with my children aloud, just in case I need  to censor it or discuss with them the roles of good and evil. I think  Rowling has done a great thing getting so many children to read and her  magical world is truly amazing. I just hope that these books continue in a  positive manner (they are written for children) and that the author leaves  the darkness out.

Answer: I picked up this book with all the excitement

<hl> I picked up this book with all the excitement I did of the other three. <hl> Both my eight-year-old and my ten-year-old had read it in a few days and it was finally my turn. As an author myself (see A GREATER LOVE on Amazon), I have been fascinated with trying to understand what makes the HARRY POTTER books so popular. But this time I was disappointed. I felt the book should have been condensed by at least a hundred pages because it dragged in various places. And I was also disappointed at the dark turn the novel was taking. It was perfectly all right that there was evil, and that someone dies, but the overall feel was different from the first three books, as though the evil was perhaps a bit glorified. This worries me so much that I think I'll read the next book with my children aloud, just in case I need to censor it or discuss with them the roles of good and evil. I think Rowling has done a great thing getting so many children to read and her magical world is truly amazing. I just hope that these books continue in a positive manner (they are written for children) and that the author leaves the darkness out.

<hl> I picked up this book with all the excitement <hl> I did of the other three. Both my eight-year-old and my ten-year-old had read it in a few days and it was finally my turn. As an author myself (see A GREATER LOVE on Amazon), I have been fascinated with trying to understand what makes the HARRY POTTER books so popular. But this time I was disappointed. I felt the book should have been condensed by at least a hundred pages because it dragged in various places. And I was also disappointed at the dark turn the novel was taking. It was perfectly all right that there was evil, and that someone dies, but the overall feel was different from the first three books, as though the evil was perhaps a bit glorified. This worries me so much that I think I'll read the next book with my children aloud, just in case I need to censor it or discuss with them the roles of good and evil. I think Rowling has done a great thing getting so many children to read and her magical world is truly amazing. I just hope that these books continue in a positive manner (they are written for children) and that the author leaves the darkness out.


Question: How is the hero?

I don't think there's much I can say about this one that hasn't already been said.I had it on ice in my Wish List for quite a while. The cost, and the woeful cover, put me off a bit. However, cover aside, it was worth every cent.The author is technically proficient and the story flows very easily. The heroine, Jacqueline, is likeable and the hero, Lucas, is HOT.I've not read any of the author's other works, but if this is her usual standard, I'm a convert.

Answer: the hero, Lucas, is HOT.I've

I don't think there's much I can say about this one that hasn't already been said. I had it on ice in my Wish List for quite a while. The cost, and the woeful cover, put me off a bit. However, cover aside, it was worth every cent. The author is technically proficient and the story flows very easily. <hl> The heroine, Jacqueline, is likeable and the hero, Lucas, is HOT.I've not read any of the author's other works, but if this is her usual standard, I'm a convert. <hl>

I don't think there's much I can say about this one that hasn't already been said.I had it on ice in my Wish List for quite a while. The cost, and the woeful cover, put me off a bit. However, cover aside, it was worth every cent.The author is technically proficient and the story flows very easily. The heroine, Jacqueline, is likeable and <hl> the hero, Lucas, is HOT.I've <hl> not read any of the author's other works, but if this is her usual standard, I'm a convert.