A Beautiful and Timeless Novel
586094
This book was given to me years ago by my grandmother.  She loved the story when she was young and gave her copy to my sister and I when we were old enough to enjoy it.  Not only did I enjoy it as a high-school teenager, I still go back and re-read this book occasionally.  It is a beautiful tale of selflessness and love.  I highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a romance novel that not only entertains but also inspires the reader to become a better person.
990809
I read this book almost three years ago and its still with me. I keep returning to it; its hard not to, such is the consummate beauty of its language, its world. Nao must be some kind of magician, because whats shes created here is an immaculate world, with its own impossible rules (as befits a fairy-tale riff), where humans turn into birds and pull pranks on their mothers, where God acts like a bored child playing spin the bottle, where we inhabit a zone where YouTube, Alexander McQueen, and God all hangout together. This last is a real marvel of this book  the expansiveness of its journey, the lush ground it covers, the spaces it opens inside us vast enough to contain fashion designers, fairytale queens, contemporary culture, and the vicissitudes of love simultaneously. Thats the heart of this story: a love story between two princesses, Cynthia and Veronica. Ouch. What love. The tenderness between the two women puts a lump in the throat. Its a cure for wounded hearts. Read this book because its structurally ingenious, because its philosophically rich, because its playful, because its a fresh take on an old fairytale, because its subtly subversive in ways most fiction fails to be, because its completely new yet touches us in deeply familiar ways; read it because its perfect, because it might change your life. And years from now, youll still be thumbing its pages, looking for something.
4314052
Howards End has always been among my top 100 favorite novels (that may not sound impressive, but I do read a LOT, so it actually is).  Forster had a compelling well of sculpting a narrative so that it pulls you in while also keeping you ever conscious of the beauty of the writing.  His characters have enough life to them that you can visualize them well while reading and you feel like you've come to know them quite companionably by the end of the book.  Probably my favorite aspect of Howards End is the idiosyncrasies of the sisters, which makes them more human and relatable for me.
1309172
A beautiful, timeless book. The illustrations are lovely and my granddaughter (age 3) and I both enjoy reading it.
890294
I wasn't sure what I would be getting when I first started this, but all too quickly I was swept up in this lyrical novella that manages to be exciting and dramatic while calm and peaceful at the same time. Ralph-Michael Chiaia weaves a story of a journey through life, time and self in a truly beautiful and heartfelt way. What I liked best about this novel was that it had this timeless quality to it that resonated with me, a collected of events and circumstances mixed together with beautiful cultures and the experiences of life that bind us all together. The author has a talent for storytelling that is clear through the story, pulling the reader in and keeping a tight hold on you until you've reached the end and sit back in thought. It's well-paced, beautifully vivid with imagery and has a fantastic plot that never wanes, overall it was well worth the read and it's something I would certainly recommend to other readers.
2649594
There is a reason why this classic novel bears to be read again and again. This beautifully worded masterpiece is so much more than a story of love lost, of disallusionment.  It's the eternal struggle between love, money and power and how those factors determine the course of so many lives.  Each time I read it again I see something that I missed before.
One of the great books of our time.
807489
Growing up, there are certain stories that you are told are classics.  Your parents have read them, your teachers suggest them and all the critics continually laud them.  `The Swiss Family Robinson' is one of those books.  Just the very title causes one to take notice, and if you have ever read the book or happened to see the Disney film, you are taken to a lovely place of nostalgia whenever someone mentions it.

The great thing about books like this one is that these stories and the way they are shaped, molded and ultimately told are timeless.  Any age, sex or domination can and will enjoy this.  There are so many themes broached, but in a beautiful package that never feels overwhelming or too stuffed.  Everything feels relaxed and natural.  It is also a testament to real storytelling that the novel remains exciting and intriguing no matter how familiar you are with the story.  Settling in this past month to read this to my kids was a great way to relive the beauty and grace of this novel, watching it captivate them as well as me (new ears and old).

The language is fluid (which is not always so in these older classics) and the action is always present, even during seeming mundane situations.  My children were always intrigued, and I loved plowing through the chapters with them.  The lush imagery presented by Wyss is unforgettable and really a notch above most of what we have to read today.  There is truth in the idea that one cannot beat a classic, and `The Swiss Family Robinson' is a classic for a reason.
2633715
This will be a great book for discussion at my Queen Bees' book club. The Miniaturist is really well written and is truly a window into the daily life and struggles of a 15th century Dutch merchant and his family. Nella the protagonist peers into her miniature doll house catching glimpses of her future; on a parallel track, the  reader is drawn into the novel for an exploration of the deepest aspects of human nature - pride, anger, sloth, envy, greed, lust and ultimately love.  The story is a timeless mirror of ourselves that is quite relevant today.
3143238
Cat'sEye is one of my favorite novels of all time.  Margaret Atwood is such a superb writer, and totally portrays  the characters and the period in which they live.  I felt that I was actually a character in this novel;, everything about it was so familiar to the memories of my own life living and growing up in the  thirties. The setting and the story was like going back to your own childhood.  Wonderful.
4567551
This book is timeless in its beauty and is still hard to put down. This tribute to sisters and women is one of my favorite books.
3664450
This is a reissue of her 1989 novel, but it's not dated at all. A truly lovely, emotionally rich love story with its roots in reality.  Read the blurb for the story and know that I still have my 1989 copy--it's not available on Kindle or nook yet.  The pages of my old copy are brown, but I'm keeping my copy until it's an ebook.  In fact, I'm moving, and it's getting packed.
2757919
Ian McEwan's bestselling novel Atonement is one that most readers will not soon forget. Part love story, part war story and part fairy tale, this novel earns its place among the classics.

Set in the years surrounding WWII and divided into four parts, the plot rises slowly at first, but in a way that enraptures the reader. McEwan's mastery of language and plotline has readers never wanting to put it down but culminates in an oddly satisfying ending.

The language of the novel is both soothingly simple and completely moving in a way that simply demands your full attention and leaves the readier feeling the emotions of the characters in a deeply connecting manner. McEwan is no stranger to this technique as he implores similar methods in his Enduring Love novel with also reflects his partialness to an easy foreshadowing.

This novel is one that I would easily recommend to any fan of literature and I look forward to reading many more of McEwan's novels.
1466666
I picked up this book a few years ago, and just last week reread a few chapters to see if I still liked the novel as much as I did when I first bought it. I'm happy to say that it is just as good the second time around, and even though I had had read the book before, I couldn't stop myself from reading beyond chapter three. I finished it again, and I think the reason I loved this book was the vivid descriptions of Renaissance Italy. Few historical fictions I've come across evoke the Italian Renaissance with such beauty.

The protagonist is an artist, and the author depicts her setting with a true artist's eye.
4835974
A magnificent, moving novel that seamlessly weaves themes of the nature of time, quantum physics, Japanese Zen Buddhism, identity, dislocation, reconciliation and healing.
527441
This is a beautifully written and wonderful story about people and relationships and how deep and complex both are.  Some of the beauty in this novel comes from the author's ability to both directly and indirectly portray the characters on so many levels.  I highly recommend this novel!
393606
Of the many fantasy novels I have read in my time, I still cannot deny the fact that there is no book more wonderful than the Lord of the Rings.  It is a timeless classic that I find myself reading again and again.
What really sets this book apart from others in the fantasy genre are subtle yet crucial to making this book a classic.  First, because of Tolkien's educational background at Oxford, and talent with old, forgotten languages, he created names and languages that really strike a chord in the reader.  The elven languages were a stroke of genious, that linguists still continue to ponder over today.  Names for people and locations also resonate in our minds in a unique way as if they were really had existed.  Those who are familiar with Old or Middle English will particularly understand this point.
More ingenious though is the deep meaning behind the books.  The Ring of Power, being a symbol of absolute power, corrupts the minds of all it touches.  The wise and strong are particularly vulnerable to its dark touch, even if they intend to use it for good (as Boromir had hoped to do).  Like many other aspects of the trilogy, Tolkien clearly intended to reveal many aspects of our lives through this book, and he did so masterfully.
As for this particular hardback edition, I enjoy it immensely.  It truly feels like a tome from a forgotten time, and fits the mood of the story well.  For the true Tolkien fan, I would definitely recommend purchasing this edition.  May you enjoy many long hours reading it.  :)
2733455
This is one of the best novels I have ever read.  It is nearly perfect in plot, description, and characterization.  Kazuo Ishiguro is a quiet writer with a fantastic ability to infuse layer up layer of complexity into the simplest of stories.

In 1956, a very British butler is traveling to western England to visit the former housekeeper of Darlington Hall.  He is adjusting to his new American employer and the realities of a changed society after World War II.  The essence of this character is dignity and his drive to uphold his reserve in all things.

The butler's travels through the countryside leads him to reflect back on his previous employer, Lord Darlington, and the lords and ladies of English society who traveled to Darlington Hall.  I found myself days afterwards thinking back to various scenes and finding greater meaning.  The last few paragraphs of the book, when the butler visits with the housekeeper-perfect.  He is finally honest with himself and the effect is devastating.

Unlike many literary novels, the Remains of the Day is not a difficult read.  Upon finishing, I immediately began reading it again.  Beautiful, gorgeous story; I highly recommend it.