A Long Deserved Re-Read
938905
* This review is of the audio book.

I've been wanting to re-read this for a LONG time now! So glad it finally happened! It continues to be an awesome and cute read.

I love Evie. She's the girly girl everyone underestimates. She's witty, funny and fascinated with the "normal" world like it's nobody's business. When she finally get's to know a high school locker I had tears in my eyes because of how hard I was laughing. I love her enthusiasm when it comes to doing regular things, that for her weren't even a possibility until a few weeks ago.

Lend is THE hottie. If you're wondering about why I emphasized the word "the" here's the answer: He can literally "transform" into ANY guy he wants. Be it a celebrity, or an enemy. The idea is just so absurd that it becomes #awesome. It also made it possible for him and Evie be on "equal" ground.

I didn't remember a lot of detail when I finally went to re-read this so a lot of the plot twists still surprised me and/or devastated me. Still can't believe the people who died, actually died. I wanted everyone singing 'Kumbaya' by the end of this novel and it just wasn't possible...

Audio Book Review:

This woman's voice was EXACTLY what I pictured Evie sounded like. It's like a mix between a pretty b*tch and an extreme girly girl. I. Loved. It. I found myself smiling at odd times and losing track of what was happening because of how perfect her voice was. Her name is: Emily Eiden.

P.S. Emily Eiden should have narrated the audio books for the Sweet Trilogy By Wendy Higgins. I haven't finished the third book in the Sweet Trilogy because of how, I'm sorry for how I'm going to put this but, orgasmic Erin Mallon sounds. From the sounds of it Book #1 and #2 were OK, but I couldn't stand Book #3.
1072706
A re-read for me; many years have passed since I first read this book.  It's still a great read by one of the masters of the craft.
2250327
The second reading of this great classic does not disappoint. On the contrary, it opens up other avenues of thought. When one re-reads a book some fifteen years later, one is bound to have a different reading between the lines. One's point of view, understanding, and personal interpretation of the author's work change over the years. In this case, I nevertheless found it as deep, interesting, informative, and riveting as when I first read it.

I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to read a fascinating and exciting work written by a master of the pen. A must read for all Francophiles.
574032
I first read this many years ago and just reread it after the STARZ series came out. I was struck again with Gabaldon's grasp of imagery and characters, making both location and characters come alive. Her attention to details and an authentic sense of cultural nuances and history make this not only enjoyable reading, but also lend a sense of the reader being there in the moments protrayed with her words.
985447
During the early '90's, I spent four years practicing in this tradition.  While I cannot add anything of substance to the previous review by R. Sink (whom I remember as being a devoted student and teacher in this Lineage), I can only express my concurrence, as well as my sincere admiration and deep gratitude.  (Since that time, I have been studying in a different Tradition.)

Despite the clarity and directness of Swamiji's language, this is a book that deserves and will reward many re-readings.  By now, it has been almost three years since my first reading---and yet, only now, upon re-reading it, am I more deeply nourished by the clarity, the generosity of this luminous and illuminating book.  When I find such deep wisdom, knowledge and practical guidance contained in so few pages,  I can gratefully say that I've found  the work of a true Master.
3505924
I read this book three years ago and it stays with me still...even more than when I first read it.
430250
I first read this in 1975 and have gone back to reread it 5 or 6 times.  A true joy for any reader
4236992
If you're a fan of great science fiction this book must be read.  For me, this is a novel that has not lost its impact and emotional pull decades after first reading it.  Now it's a classic taught in school.  I wish it had been on the reading list when I was there.  Usually I don't reread books because there are so many books on my reading list but I've reread this one countless times.  Gripping, vivid characters.  A memorable premise.  Moral consequences.  Real life details (going to school, classes, friends and bullies) skillfully blended with futuristic science fiction that is becoming less fictional as time goes on.  One of my favorite books of all time.
1967987
Wonderful to re-read after many decades......once one gets past the dying rats, one feels inspired about living in the midst of a "plague" ....as we all do!
1880353
I read this book over 30  years ago, and it became a favorite of mine.  I have recommended it to so many people, over the years! So, it was time, now that I am in my sixties, to re-read it.  I have fallen in love with the story all over again!
2460544
I remember first reading this in 1991, and I still have it on my bookshelf. It is a favorite because of an entertaining, interesting story told against the backdrop of 14th-century English history. There are deeper issues to the novel, like envy and justice. It wasn't just for Margaret to be considered a witch because some people envied her, she was just using her gift to help people. I did enjoy her and Roger Kendall's relationship; he was good for her. All in all, I've read and reread it many times over the years, and imagine I will reread it at some point. Now, on to "Green Lion" and "Water Devil".
3830562
Really the finest book Bernhard has written, in my view, and the one that continues to haunt me decades after I first read it.  Well worth the short time it takes to consume it.
2357714
i first ran across this novel in the 1970's, in PB in a used bookshop.  i was "blown away" as we too often said back then but Lessing's honed insights have not become less relevant, or less affective... while some of the readers I've known take issue with her  conceptual frameworks, i'm always moved by how perceptive she is about the fragility and intensity of insight, and how well she tracks the difficulty of building a world, any world, based on empathy, intuition, and  connection.  re-reading this after  25 years ( it used to be an annual event) has opened up a  new set of perceptions.  she always makes it worthwhile.
3562358
I have just re-read this for the umpteenth time.  What a corker!  It is amazing that the same character treatments--of Jones and of the various gay characters--that kept this "Modern Classic" from publication in its author's lifetime may well have also kept it from pubication (on Madison Avenue, anyway)in our time, for politically correct reasons. If you have not read it, do so soon--and then put it away for a fresh re-reading the next year, and the year after that, and the year after that, and ... you get the idea; I doubt that any book outside the Bible will be reread more than this will.  It remains fresh every time!

<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Tales-As-Tall-As-A-Sunflower/dp/1935118749/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Tales As Tall As A Sunflower</a>
195474
A classic, what else can I say? Gets better every time I read it.
1807423
I read this book when it first came out in the 1990s, and I read it again just now, more than 15 years later. Just like the first time, the book tore my heart open and partly patched it up. It struck fear into my heart about our future and offered glimmerings of hope. It was as much a page-turner now as it was back then and even more relevant. I was absorbed into Nell and Evas worlds just as before.

As for the criticisms of this book, here are my two cents. Minor spoilers ahead! One, the book is not anti-male. There are very few characters in this story at all, and each has flaws. Other than Nell and Eva, the other main characters are their father and Eli. I found their dad very loveable and human and multi-dimensional. Eli is less well-drawn and I think hes there mainly as a foil for the girls and to help with Nells coming-of-age storyline  and how many classic books have featured female characters who serve a similar role for their male protagonists (but are never accused of being anti-female)? As for the infamous scene between the girls, I too could have done without it  but as another reviewer said, its there more as an allegory regarding one damaged soul helping to heal another.

Also, I don't understand those who want specifics and details on why and how society came to shut down. I don't think we need that and, besides, isn't it pretty obvious that if we keep using energy the way we are and if our leaders remain as corrupt as they are and all of us ordinary people continue to not care much about the future, then we too will be going out with a whimper instead of a bang? And finally, sure the girls situation is pretty unique given that they live far from town, their dad ensured they were well-prepared, and theres a forest right there. Indeed this would have been an entirely different story had it focused on people living in a bustling city when the collapse happened.  Maybe someday Hegland will tell that story too.
1229709
A longtime favorite - I think I first read my birthday copy in 1980 - I finally bought a newer copy that wasn't falling apart - re-read it again - and passed it along to my sister & her kids.  I have loved this book and re-read this book so many times over the years.  The adult language - the mature but child-like relationship of David to the Phoenix.  The slow but steady buildup of adventures, learning each other - and the final understanding that you have to love something/set it free - even if it hurts bad (and it does) - this book should remain a standard for children's reading.