rediscovering the classics
340862
it arrived on time and in the condition specified and i am very pleased, this film brings back memories of some good times
2901097
I have the Robin Buss translation of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO in paperback, but that copy was old and worn. I wanted a more durable hardcover edition to read and to display on my bookshelf in my new house. The hardcover I bought from Total Books arrived in near-perfect condition, exactly as advertised, and looks gorgeous on the shelf.

Why Robin Buss' translation for Penguin Classics? That's a reasonable question since Alexandre Dumas has been dead long enough for his works to enter the public domain. Several translations of his major novels are not only available in cheaper editions (such as Barnes & Noble Classics), but for free on Project Gutenberg.

These are inferior and, in the case of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, censored translations. Most of them date back to the Victorian period, and render Dumas' evergreen French into English prose that feels old-fashioned and stilted today. Furthermore, because these are translations from the Victorian period, the translators filtered Dumas through their own moral sensibilities to give us Bowdlerized versions of a novel that ran on sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll a century before rock 'n roll was something you could do without a machine gun.

Robin Buss' unabridged translation comes directly from the original French and renders Dumas into fresh, readable modern English. Material previously omitted by Victorian-era translators such as Franz' hashish-fueled sexual fantasies and the strongly implied lesbian relationship between Eugenie and Louise remain intact and uncensored. As another reviewer pointed out, Buss will provide footnotes to explain subtleties that aren't easily translated from French to English, such as insults delivered by using the formal you (vous) rather than the informal/friendly/intimate you (tu).

A detailed appendix provides valuable historical and cultural context that aids the reader in understanding Dumas' masterpiece, and includes a primer on the rise, fall, return, and final downfall of Napoleon Bonaparte that is crucial to making sense of the politics driving the novel's plot.

If you cannot read Dumas in his native French, and you want a definitive English version, Robin Buss's unabridged and uncensored modern English translation is essential reading. No other translation will suffice.
3809111
As an adult beginning with a minimal appreciation for the classics, I was riveted by each successive essay,  making an eloquent, cogent, and provocative case for why the classics should matter in our lives,  I gained a significant appreciation for the classics' relevance in this short book in a way that was highly enjoyable and accessible to all.  Cannot wait to read future writings from this authorl
4358783
Cd is what you would expect, great classics, updated live tunes, a great collection. If you are tired of the original versions the total live set is a refreshing change.
3020029
A handy way in which to keep this classic; interesting and insightful annotations.
2544511
While I was growing up in Chicago, one of my greatest pleasures was listening to classical music while reading the latest selection from the Readers' Subscription Club to which I belonged. That was almost 50 years ago (!) and yet how vividly I recall pouring over brief but brilliant essays in the latest edition of The Griffin (the monthly bulletin) to select titles to order and then, several weeks later, reading those selected as soon as they arrived. (By the way, I found Bach's "Goldberg Variations" to be an ideal companion to my reading, regardless of subject matter.) In this volume, with a Foreword by Jacques Barzun, followed by an Introduction by editor Arthur Krystal, we have a rich and varied selection of the uncollected writings of W.H. Auden, Jacques Barzun, and Lionel Trilling who, from 1951 until 1963, served as editors of the Readers' Subscription Club which later became the Mid-Century Book Society. As I began to read this book, I recognized only a few of the 45 essays which Krystal has organized as follows:

o Biography and Belles Lettres (e.g. Barzun's "The Artist as Scapegoat")
o History and Social Thought (Auden's "Apologies to the Iroquois")
o Novels and Novelists (e.g. Trilling's "A Triumph of the Comic View")
o Music, Theater, and Fine Arts (e.g. Barzun's "Why Talk About Art?")
o Poetry (.e.g. Auden's "T.S. Eliot So Far")
o A Round-robin (i.e. all three editors collaborated on "The New Auden Shakespeare" and "Jameschoice for January."
o Krystal then provides an "Editor's Note," followed by two appendices: Complete List of Essays and Reviews from The Griffin and The Mid-Century, and, Essays from The Griffin and The Mid-Century Published Elsewhere.

After reading all of the selections in this volume, I now realize and appreciate what I did not (and probably could not) so many years ago: the three erudite and eloquent authors of the selections never "wrote down" to their readers while providing an intellectual, aesthetic, and (at times) social context for each of the authors and works discussed.

In the Foreword, Barzun explains that "As critics we had one trait in common: none of us applied a theory or system. Apart from this unifying mode, our tendencies and backgrounds differed widely, surely a desirable diversity for the purposes of the club." He goes on to point out that they were guided by "the principle of what Trilling was the first to call 'cultural criticism,' that is, criticism inspired by whatever is relevant to the work. Its genesis, form, and meaning have roots in the culture where it appears, and it is also unique through its author's own uniqueness. To us, none of this was new. We were cultural critics with no need of a doctrine, for the essence of culture is inclusiveness."

In the Introduction, Krystal then provides a brief explanation of how and why the Club was founded, what happened throughout its eleven years and six months of existence, and what he views as its unique contributions. Auden, Barzun, and Trilling "were like those classical musicians who, upon leaving work at the symphony, head downtown to play jazz all night in a smoky club." No small part of the "pleasure they derived from playing together...lay in the knowledge that they were performing for a literate audience who had come expressly to hear them." This simile is apt.

Who will most enjoy reading this book? Certainly those who were once a member of either Club and have so many pleasant memories of their own associated with the monthly interaction with the three editors as well as with the subjects they discussed. But countless others, "non-members" if you will, who will also be intellectually stimulated while thoroughly enjoying the pleasure of the three editors' company. Jacques Barzun was right: "The essence of culture is inclusiveness."
2511754
Great book ! If you love the classics and can't own a lot of them, this is good insight into the experience. Worth the money in my opinion
1795134
Every now and then it is good to reread the Classics.
3401323
I grew up reading Anne Shirley's adventures and over the years my copies have fallen apart or disappeared from the bookshelf, so it is a joy to have such a comprehensive collection.  I found it easy to navigate amongst the stories and I love dipping into old favourites, particularly the short stories.

I would recommend that people who have not read the Anne books before start off by buying/ borrowing the original ones as this collection can be daunting for a novice. As others have mentioned, there are two books missing from the Anne series and this could cause confusion for someone not familiar with the stories.
286049
I first encountered The Iliad 50 years ago, in my Greek class at a very traditional English Grammar School. (Do they even teach Greek in school these days?) We learned to translate various (carefully-selected) passages in the original Greek, and to give these fragments some context we were also encouraged to read a parallel English-Greek edition. I don't remember whose translation it was, but I have a clear memory of the flowing poetry and excitement in the English version. I'm sure that it deviated quite significantly from the original, but it was thrilling.

This new edition is very careful, scrupulously documented, and uncompromisingly accurate. I enjoyed the academic discussion; what I missed was any real poetry. Maybe it was never there in the first place: maybe earlier translations imposed their own ideas of poetry, in the same way that Disney imposed its sensibility on so many classic children's stories. But I missed it.
1684191
A great 'all in one' compendium of classical music. I would have given it five stars if the listings were better. the names of the pieces are there, and who is performing them, but not always the original composer information, so it can get a little confusing.
A great introduction to classical, as well a great library of masterpieces.
4540028
For James Last fans, this may be viewed as either a shock or a breath of fresh air. I see it as the latter. Hansi's loyal followers will recognize these titles from many of his popular albums. What this particular album has done is to update the sound with new arrangements, with full participation of Hansi, himself. It simply puts a new spin on some old favorites. The only thing that could have improved on it was to have mixed it for surround sound. It is, however, a worthy addition to any easy listening collection, and for those who are not familiar with the music of James Last, a great introduction.
3887960
It's sad that the "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" reissue series has not gotten more notice on www. Amazon.com and in other places, because it has my vote for the best reissue program thus far of the 21st Century. Drawing from the archives of all the major classical labels (EMI, Sony, BMG, DG, Decca, Philips, Supraphon, etc.), EMI and IMG Artists have assembled a wonderful series of affordable two-disc sets by the leading conductors of the last century. And unlike its counterpart, "The Great Pianists of the 20th Century," which are basically compilations of material already available on other CDs, the "Great Conductors" features rare and, for the most part, previously unreleased performances!

This particular CD, Volume 13, features the great Eugene Ormandy. With so many of Ormandy's recordings available in the Sony Essential Classics series and on RCA/BMG, you would think there could not possibly anything left to release on CD. Well, guess again. Ormandy recorded a Brahms cycle in the late 60s for CBS, but to date they have only issued the first two symphonies on CD via a Sony Essential Classic "Take 2." Someone like me, who is relatively new to classical and can't go thumb through dad's old vinyl collection, has been left to dream at the prospects of Symphonies 3 & 4. Well, at least here we get number four, and it is a giant! I have nearly a dozen recordings of the Brahms 4, and Ormandy's is every bit as good as my personal favorites by Kleiber, Dorati and Szell. Speaking of Sony Essential Classics "Take 2" CDs, Ormandy also did all of Rachmaninov's Symphonies with Philadelphia during his time with CBS, but the version presented here was done for RCA in 1973, and it was Ormandy's first recording of the complete original version of the work. This set also features the world premiere recording of Anton Webern's "Im Sommerwind." But if those three items are not enough, then use this set as a rare opportunity to hear Ormandy away from the Philadelphians. Ormandy joins the Bavarian RSO for two live performances -- Struass' "Don Juan" in 1959 and Kabalevsky's "Colas Breugnon" Overture in 1965.

Whether you are a serious collector of classical music or a beginner, the "Great Conductors of the 20th Century" has something for everyone. If the prized, rare performances previously unreleased on CD (or ever!) doesn't excite you, then use this as an opportunity to check out one of the greatest conductors ever recorded. Since stores are offering increasingly homogenized classical music sections, this conductor may not be in your collection, and that would truly be a shame.
3407943
There is no shortage of outstanding translations of Lao Tzu's ancient classic and an even greater number of commentaries on what he characterizes as  "the timeless, changeless spirit that runs through all life and matter...Being that is all inclusive and that existed before Heaven and Earth."

Those who have read one or more of the volumes that comprise Tom Butler-Bowdon's "50 Classics" series already know that he possesses superior reasoning and writing skills as well as a relentless curiosity when conducting research on history's greatest thinkers and their major works. For these and other reasons, I cannot think of another person better qualified to provide the introductions to the volumes that comprise a new series, "Capstone Classics."

Unlike so many others, he provides more, much more than a flimsy "briefing" to the given work. In his 32-page Introduction to this edition of Tao Te Ching, Butler-Bowdon discusses subjects and issues such as these in order to create a context, a frame-of-reference, for Lao Tzu's insights:

o  What is - and isn't - "Tao"
o  Recognizing and then being in harmony with its power
o  The value and limits of worldly power, fame, and riches
o  The need for self-restraint
o  Why we should treasure simplicity, purity, compassion, economy (i.e. frugality), and humility
o  The importance of "not doing" (i.e. wu wei)
o  The limits and perils of "striving"
o  Tao Te Ching and Tolstoy's theory of history
o  The unique value of timelessness
o  Tao Te Ching and Plato's concept of "Forms"
o  Lao Tzu and Confucius

When concluding his brilliant Introduction, Butler-Bowdon acknowledges attempts by major scholars to understand - and then explain - classic works such as Tao Te Ching:

"Yet as Lao Tzu himself implies in the text (`The learned men are often not the wise men, nor the wise men, the learned.'), scholars are usually not good at grasping spiritual concepts, and moreover the Chinese language with its five thousand characters is ill-equipped for expressing the abstract idea of Tao. [Dwight] Goddard was therefore not interested in providing the most pedantically correct translation, but rather to capture the essence of a work he loved."

This Capstone edition uses the classic rendering of the Tao Teh Ching in Dwight Goddard & Henri Borel's Laotzu's Tao and Wu Wei, New York: Brentano's, 1919. According to Tom Butler-Bowdon, Goddard's approach is the one to take. That's good enough for me.
656339
I enjoyed these re-imaginings of well-known tales in Norman Lock's short story collection LOVE AMONG THE PARTICLES. Lock enters classic stories like Robert Louis Stevenson's THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE after the curtain has closed and the audience is beginning to file out of the concert hall, when suddenly the cast returns for an encore performance--a final scene after the final scene. He also does this with the iconic 1932 film THE MUMMY and visits Henry James in a fictional New York outside of his own novels. At times I was even reminded of Italo Calvino's&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Cosmicomics/dp/0156226006/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Cosmicomics</a>&nbsp;in the more conceptual stories like "A Theory of Time" and "Ideas of Space." Although I certainly wouldn't call these stories easy-reading, I think you'll find that the challenge is worth the time and attention.
2171845
i enjoyed this book. I love the concept of modernizing the classics. i cant wait to read more books by this author.
3802640
I was thrilled to see this five-book set become available for a pittance.  "Classics 1: Five Book Set" includes  The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Frankenstein, A Study in Scarlet and Dracula (illustrated): Classics 1 Kindle Edition

Put Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Oscar Wilde, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and, Bram Stoker together and you get a good picture of mores and civilization during the latter 19th century.

Every one of these books are treasured editions, well worth your time if you value literacy and culture. So grab this set and begin reading: you'll learn a great deal about how much modern fiction owes to these innovators.