An interesting surprise!

This is not my normal type of reading at all - I am much more inclined to read fiction and have never actually read a Bill Bryson. But I love anything to do with Shakespeare so was moved to buy it. And what a nice surprise I got! A great little book full of quirky and interesting facts about Shakespeare's time (such as better-off people wearing black as black dye cost more and people having black teeth as a result of eating sugar, but those who couldn't afford the sugar made their teeth black to make it look as if they could!!). Certainly a book to keep on the shelves to refer to again. I would definitely recommend it to any Shakespeare fans.

The study guide

Wow this book really is great! It lists all the poems and annotates them with critical information you can use for your aqa a english language essays telling you all the key themes, feelings and attitudes towards the poem and lanuage used. Then if thats not enough it gives you sample essays by top class students on titles that regualarly come up in the exams. At the end of the book it gives you the common themes of all the poems allowing you to compare each poem in the essay. If your teacher doesnt know their stuff or your struggling to remember the class work this will explain each poem and help you get a good grade in your gcse."I very much doubt i would have passed my gcse without it." I really recommend you buy it!

You Need This!

If You are studying this book for GCSE and care about passing, then get this book... JUST STOP WHAT YOUR DOING, RIGHT NOW & GET THIS BOOK! it gives you everything you need to pass, the door is right infront of you, you just have to walk through it!

Excellent guide - informative and comprehensive

There are two books on the market which are widely touted as 'must-haves' for any writer looking to get into publication. One is this book, the"Writers' and Artists' Yearbook" (W&AY), published by A&C Black. Its rival,"The Writer's Handbook" (TWH), is published by Macmillan. Both contain roughly the same extensive listings of publishers, agents, print media, producers etc - you only really need one of them. But which one?<br /><br />In truth there's little to choose between them. At the time of writing this review, they are both being offered at the same price by Amazon. Much will come down to personal preference regarding the layout of the two books, and so if you can get the chance to compare them before you buy, all the better. However, to me the W&AY appears the more polished product, with a clearer structure that is easier to find your way through.<br /><br />The W&AY gains extra points for the many different articles it contains by professionals covering all aspects of the writing industry. Famous authors such as Joanna Trollope, Terry Pratchett, Bernard Cornwell and J.K. Rowling address various aspects of the writing process and discuss different genres. Many other highly informative articles cover diverse issues such as self-publishing, marketing your book, writing for TV, radio and theatre, the electronic world of websites and e-publishing, and financial aspects such as tax. This makes the W&AY more than simply a listings book - it is, in effect, an introduction to the entire world of writing. Much overlooked is of course the fact that this is a yearbook for artists too. Correspondingly there are sections for the budding illustrator and photographer in the W&AY which are not to be found in TWH.<br /><br />What's new for the 2008 edition? In truth not much has changed since last year. A handful of articles have gone; 9 new ones have been added, covering a range of topics including audio publishing, writing short stories for radio and starting a blog. There are also new pieces by two successful writers (of romantic fiction and of biographies), by a literary editor and by a literary scout. Is it worth upgrading to the 2008 edition, then? For the articles themselves - fascinating though they are - probably not. On the other hand, the advantage of having fully up-to-date listings counts for a great deal, especially if you are already looking for an agent or publisher. And at the price it is currently being offered by Amazon, it is surely a worthwhile investment.<br /><br />All in all, this is an excellent and comprehensive guide. Definitely recommended for the aspiring writer or artist.

Very good

I used this book when retaking my English Lit AS level, and I acheived an A...While that wasn't totally down to the book, it is concise, accurate and detailed and was very helpful when revising. <br /><br />However, it is far less important than the book itself, but they would make great companions. A minor irration was that the margins seemed to be filled with useless snipetts of information regarding things related to the book. While a few of them may be interesting, i'd have preferred the space they used to be filled with actual relevant content.

Of Mice and Men - GSCE York Notes Guide

Ok, so when i first looked at my coursework title my mind was sent into a swirl on where it was i was suppose to start. You know the feeling, you've probaly got pages and pages of notes, or nothing at all. These guides i found to cover most of what was needed in my exam and coursework piece. By far the best study guides around. The language used is undastandable, it's cut up into clear, obvious sections, and they come up with them vital pieces of info needed to recieve them top grades.

Of Mice and Men is an extremely deep and meaningful book, it's full of morals and steriotypes, which are protrayed quite simply in the book, yet it's possible to miss them. York notes picked up on EVERYTHING important in the book. From the lonleness of Crooks, Lennie and Curly's Wife, to revenge seeking Curly, and the simple minded Lennie. The book starts off my setting the scene, you get a picture of why the things in this books happened, mostly because of societies downfalls at the time, remember the book is written around the Great Depression.

And ok, i know what you grade A students are thinking, you probaly wrekon your way to good at English to need these books. But i was a grade A student, and these books really helped me to achieve exceptional pieces of work and A* Grades. So swallow your pride and get one!

Bryson goes tedious

Although this book starts off entertainingly in true Bryson style, the speculative, suppositional style and nature of the information soon begins to grate to the point where I just want to flush the book down the toilet (incidentally, a good place to read this kind of drudge, permitting quick and instant disposal). <br />Bryson does, of course, admit to the dearth of material on Shakespeare, but that doesn't give him carte blanche to turn out such an utterly unnecessary pile of tedium.<br /><br />P.S. Don't be fooled by 5-Star reviews by Bryson fans, employees or relatives (see above and below) - this book really is cr@p.

Do unto others as you'd have done unto yourself

This epic play shows us that we will pay for our actions in the end. The brilliant webs woven by Miller keep the reader's mind racing from one character to the next throughout. As the play progresses we learn about the guilt and hauntings of each individual - from the obvious to the subtle. Slowly and with drastic emotion, these webs fall apart and the frightening skeletons are revealed. The brutal end is a thunderous warning to us all.

Nice clear summary of the action

The best aspect of this guide to Hamlet is the careful scene-by-scene summary of the action. The plot seems not so tricky to follow, after all. It's also good to be reminded of the significant differences between the quarto and folio versions of the play. Perhaps the authors should have devoted a bit more space to the really big issue raised by the play: the intermingling of good and evil in human existence. The assessment of Ophelia's character is strangely thin, as well. But it's very helpful, all in all.

Superb for students and teachers alike.

Containing questions to aid in grasping the plot, and in-depth notes to translate and explain the archaic language and its setting, this edition of The Miller's Tale cannot be ignored as the best in the field. Making study easier, without spoon-feeding the central points, I highly recommend this book.

a very good play, classic wilde

a favorite of mine, although not quite as good as the importance of being earnest (a deceptively clever play) it is a play of a very different nature, both reviews of it on here i believe misrepresent it. although it is full of wilde's classic wit and there are many genuinely funny parts but it is not a pure comedy and it is also a significant drama. many see it as a fairly clear cut morality tale or at least having clear cut moral and immoral characters but it really isnt so simple. there is the duplicit nature of the characters and their actions, a slightly more complex moral commentary with none of the characters being as simple as they first appear. none of the characters in then play come off as good or bad the central ones all have the audience's perception of them repeatedly undermined.

Fun & accurate poems and great underwater sounds and music

By co-incidence I bought this for my son (three and three quarters) around the time we went to the sealife aquarium. It is great for car journeys where he can look at the bright pictures in the book while listening to the poems, good for night time reading and was popular when he took it to nursery.

One short poem per fish or mammal - crab, whale, shark, lobster, angel fish - you name it. One introductory poem and a final one to get the child to remembering the sea creatures they've heard about. Simple verse focuses on a particular characteristic of the creature. Sounds of the dolphins are great, and the underwater music bubbles tempting your toddler to giggle and dance.

Flip side of the tape is without music for readers following it in the book.

Compact yet providing great ideas for reading directions

Covering just over 200 great novels, you can argue til the cows come home about the editor's choices - who was left out, why this novel and not that, etc, etc, etc. List books about books are entirely subjective, but can take you in totally different directions.<br />This book is split into 12 genres and has a world-wide breadth to it, and pleasingly for each book in translation (of which there are many), a suggested translator is given. For each novel a suggestion for further reading is given, plus the best film/TV adaptations where appropriate. <br />Some of the choices are not the obvious ones - for instance we don't have a Maigret book for George Simenon, but 'Dirty snow' about a teenage killer, although Maigret does merit his own sidebar.<br />Some of the genres used are the normal ones, but often with a twist - so we have 'Crime and punishment'; also 'Rites of passage', and 'Making it'; my favourite was 'A sense of place'.<br />The test I have of these catalogues is how many books I buy from it - I've already ordered half a dozen.<br />A great book to dip into and feed your bibliomania!<br />

My Favourite

I absolutely love this collection!!!! It consists mainly of the story behind male mythological figures in which Duffy inverts and presents herself as their wife or lover. Or simply female figures with an interesting tale. The brutal language and matter of fact tone make it perfect for female readers who are sick of men!!! A definite must!!!

Muscular and modern revival

A terrific book. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an early classic of English Literature - lost until the 19th century. This is a very readable, witty, bright translation with Simon Armitage's customary edge. In places: warm, funny, violent, dramatic, sexual. I've long been a big fan of Armitage - a Yorkshire writer who uses language brilliantly and has proved to be extremely versatile as poet, editor, playwright, novelist, non-fiction prose stylist and more recently translator. His Homer's Odyssey was a pleasure; Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a delight. This would make a great Christmas present (much of the setting is Christmas/New Year) for anyone who enjoys literature.

An exhilarating read!

I was alerted to this book not by reading reviews but by hearing a podcast of an interview with James on the BBC Artsworld programme. The book is long (some 870 pages), broad and deep. It is not an easy read, but since it comprises a set of essays, the difficulties can be taken in digestible chunks. I also found it it instructive to read the book (at least in part) out of sequential order, for example tackling articles on more familiar figures or authors first, or perhaps following up references from one of these to the less familiar, say from Sartre to Revel. Each essay uses the technique of taking an aphorism and then either discussing it, taking it apart, disagreeing with it, using it as a springboard for an intellectual journey, sometimes labyrinthine, or occasionally all of these. However the result is always stimulating. A recurring theme is the opposition of liberal humanitarian democracy and the various forms of totalitarianism in the 20th century. In fact he comes out strongly against ideologies of any kind, that is, preliminary syntheses or simplistic theories of reality, or political doctrines. He reminds us that it was not inevitable that for example the Weimar Republic failed, or that Hitler came to power, and that both of these depended on many things coming together in a particular way. The book thus has powerful messages for us in the 21st century, and indeed we can see mistakes of the 20th Century being repeated today for example in the Neo-Conservative ideologies that led to the Iraq war, Abu-graib, Guantanamo Bay and many thousands of dead. On the so-called war against terror I would particulaly recommend the essay on Virginio Rognoni, which explores the pros and cons of terrorism and leaves the reader to make up his own mind. Particularly interesting is the light he sheds through his readings of literature in the original languages, which include German, French, Spanish and Italian, among others, with handy tips as to which works could be profitably tackled even by beginners in the languages. The occasional original language quotations (with parallel English translations) whet the appetite for further reading , and a quick visit to Amazon.de and Amazon.fr (for example) shows that a significant part of this original language material is available at a reasonable price. I am looking forward to following up the various authors and can thoroughly recommend this excellent book.