Timeless Classic Remains Fresh and Stimulating
591755
The Way of All Flesh covers six generations of strife in the Pontifex family, and spans a period from 1750 to 1880.  However, the bulk of the story concerns the life of Ernest Pontifex, from about age 5 up to age 28, and describes his unsatisfactory relations with his parents, his school, his church, his wife, and his friends.  Sometimes we feel sorry for Ernest, because many of his problems are caused by unbelievably cruel or thoughtless people, and sometimes we're furious with him, because he himself is the author of at least half of his troubles, but either way his misfortunes make him stronger and move him steadily along the path to maturity.  Throughout, the book remains an easy read, although the writing is very witty and often rewards close examination.
Even today, 100 years after the book's publication, a reader finds many things to identify with.  Anyone who felt unjustly treated by his or her parents or teachers will find much to sympathize with here.  Anyone who has wrestled with the conflict between Reason and Faith will find much to think about here.  Given how much change the last century has seen, it's surprising how many of the issues still seem fresh and relevant, and the book definitely makes you think about them.  It is easy to see how many people have described reading The Way of All Flesh as a turning point in their lives.
A point worth keeping in mind: the characters are all described from Ernest's point of view.  Several clues tell us that Ernest exaggerates the cruelty of various characters - some of whom seem evil beyond belief, and I think it's quite clear that, at these points, we're supposed to smile at Ernest - not shake our heads at the author.  This is most obvious with Ernest's schoolmaster, Dr. Skinner, whom Ernest consistently sees as a pompous fool, but who we also know is very popular with the best students, and who shows other signs of being a much better man than Ernest believes him to be.
The footnotes in my edition (Penguin Classics 1986) are very skimpy, focusing on comparing elements from Ernest's fictional life to Samuel Butler's real one.  The failure of the notes to translate passages in French or Latin, or to explain very contemporary references, is inexcusable.  (E.g. but for the recent controversy over his Beatification, we'd have no clue that "Pio Nono" was Pope Pius IX.)  Hoggart's introduction (1966) is decent but a bit dated, not having weathered as well as the book itself!
178676
This timeless children's classic is read and enjoyed by many adults as well as children.  Unlike most classics considered children's works today, Little Women was intended for an audience of children.  It takes place during the Civil War and the years following, and narrates the story of 4 girls as they grow up, including their friends and their family.  Louisa May Alcott based this work in large part on her family, although many of the events are born totally of her imagination.  Jo is based on Louisa May; Meg is based on her older sister Anna; Beth is based on her younger sister Elizabeth, or Lizzie; and Amy is based on her youngest sister May.  Because the character Jo is based on the author herself, she is the most well defined character in the book and the one most children identify with.  A tomboy, a writer, and quite determined, Jo is the central figure in the book and most events center around her growing up, but all of the other girls get special attention in stories particularly about them from time to time.

There is a great sense of morality in the work, but it is never treated in a 'preachy' manner.  Values and morals are taught and absorbed by the reader as the girls learn them through various trials, some funny, some sorrowful, some frustrating.  There is likewise a very strong emphasis on God.  Much of the first half of the book centers around concepts found in the Puritan work, Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan.  The girls are often pointed by their mother toward God and placing their trust in Him and seeking His aid in various situations.  Louisa May Alcott was also a transcendentalist and her family was close friends with Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne.  Because of this, there is a sense of joy found in nature as well as respect.  In addition, Louisa May was an avid feminist in her day, although not in the sense of feminist that many think of today.  She believed that women should not be barred from admission in the workforce, or limited to work as seamstresses or governesses, nor should marriage be their only avenue of insuring a stable and secure future.  She did not get married, but did raise her sister May's daughter after May died.  Little Women is definitely not anti-marriage, but some of the characters dream of becoming well-known in their favorite fields; also, some of the characters speak about how the only way they can insure a positive, pleasant future is by marrying well, which is later rejected in a way that asserts that women should be able to choose marriage freely for love, not for position or money and likewise free to choose not to marry.

This book is well loved by so many.  It spurs many children on to become strong readers for life and the childhood copy of Little Women will become worn from much loved reading.  This book will be loved by most girls, but boys will enjoy it as well.  Jo's tomboyish behavior and the neighbor boy, Laurie's presence will attract the attention of boys.  It makes a great choice for bedtime reading with chapters of perfect length to read one per night and short enough that if begged by the kids, you can read two.  In addition to Little Women, it would also be beneficial to read a biography of Louisa May Alcott.

I strongly recommend an unabridged version.  Don't miss out on the well-known sequels Little Men and Jo's Boys.
1468534
This classic has lost none of its excitement or freshness even decades after original publication. I read it then, I saw the film, and I still was thrilled by it rereading it in 2016.
Marvelous book of its ilk.
1519848
This work has been around for about forty-two years now, being first published in 1969. (Wow, where does time go?)  I will be the first to admit that some might observe that the illustrations here are sort of "dated," but if you really think about it you could say the same of Beatrix Potter's work; it is all in the mind and eye of the beholder.  One of the reasons for my writing this review of this older gem is that I would hate to see the book fall into compete neglect.  This is one of those works that needs to be reprinted as it is fully capable of bringing pleasure to the kids of today as it did when it was first published.

The story is simple and is one of those cumulative stories of which so many have become classics now. (Think of The Ginger Bread Man).  A baby; a bad baby is taken for a ride on an elephant and the two go crashing through the local village helping themselves to what ever they want.  As they rampage though shop after shop they are chased by the shopkeepers and townspeople until they have quite a group following them.

Now here is something you must keep in mind when reading this story.  It is a silly story and the sight of an elephant with a baby on its back rumbling ("rumpeta rumpeta rumpeta down the road") is actually pretty funny in its silliness and due to the setting, almost surreal.  The age group that is the targeted by this book are not stupid!  Kids that age are quite capable of noting the ridiculousness of a situation (more so than adults at times...it would seem to me), and they get an absolute hoot out of this.

Of course there is a moral to the story when the bad baby finds in the end that all he or she has to do is say "please," and all is well; that is all the shopkeepers and villagers wanted in the first place.  They all get a good pancake dinner in the end...including the elephant.

This is a wonderful book to join with as you can almost sing the cumulative refrain and then point out, or have your child point out, all the little details like the plethora of items the shopkeepers drop during the chase.  This is fun!

Yes, this one is a classic in it own way and I do hope it will be around for a long, long time.  I can see by the other reviews here that there are a lot of adults that fondly remember this one from their childhood.  It is good to pass a book like this along to the next generation.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks
2586159
I must say that it was with some trepidation that I sat down to view the 60th Anniversary Edition of Walt Disney's Fantasia. I remember being forced to see the cut version some 30 years ago when I was in second or third grade and being bored to tears. After viewing the movie again in its restored "Road Show" edition I have to admit I was impressed. The DVD edition features the restored interstitials of Deems Taylor explaining each piece of music and the narration makes a difference. It is also that the film has not aged at all in its turbulent 67 year history. It is as fresh today as it was for those audiences in 1940.

Fantasia was designed as a new entertainment experience. Not quite film not quite concert. The film features classical music set to the work of some of Disney's greatest animators. The selections range fronm the abstraction of Bach's Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor, to the experimental Rite of Spring by Stravinsky, to the sublime Ave Maria by Schubert.

The centerpiece and section that started it all was Paul Dukas' Sorcerer's Apprentice starring Mickey Mouse. It was this section that got legendary conductor Leopold Stokowski interested. Other highlights include Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite and the Pastoral Symphony by Beethovan.

The disc features an excellent featurette on the history of the film and two excellent commentaries  explaining the genesis and influence of the film on filmaking in general and animation in particular. The second commentary is a one of a kind interview with Walt Disney that was recorded by animation historian John Canemaker from over three decades of archival material.

This is a must own DVD of one of the most influential American films ever released.
2777131
This is a timeless classic.
Despite it's age, it reads very well. It is very engaging and well worth while
4652951
This is a timeless classic; it is a must-read for all.
2768581
It gets no better than Times Square. I have had this album either on LP or various tape formats since it's release. It remains as fresh and exciting now as in 1980. The variety of the music(new wave, punk,pop,dance,power-pop,etc) has always made this not only my favorite but I truly believe the best collection of music ever assembled for a soundtrack. I still listen to this album regularly after 27 years and would buy it instantly were it released in digital form.
2894423
Maybe Lolita should come in a plain brown jacket given how much controversy this novel has generated over the years.  Yet, it remains at the top of most critics' lists of the best books of the 20th century because the story remains as fresh as ever.  While most people choose to remember little Lo, it is through the twisted mind of Humbert Humbert that we got to know this mischievous nymphet who repeatedly roused the lustful protagonist to the point of ecstasy only to foil him at almost every turn.  There are countless interpretations of this novel, and Nabokov chose to remain coy about his subject matter, providing a third person foreward and a short afterward.  One can gain more insight reading the Annotated Lolita by Alfred Appel, but why spoil the fun!  Indulge in these carnal delights as Nabokov takes the reader on a wild ride across America, not once but twice, as Humbert revels in his lust for Lolita.  However, the real thrill comes from Nabokov's rich language, the clever plot twists, and the way he cunningly pries into our subconscious, making us all complicit in Humbert's crimes of passion.
1110923
The Hobbit is one of my favorite books of all time. Perhaps it is because I read it as a child, and it first introduced me to dwarves and elves in a way far different from their Disney counterparts. Perhaps it was the humanity of characters laid out for me to see. I am not sure exactly what it was, but after rereading it for the upteenth time, it still has not lost a smidgen of its charm.

Sure, Lord of the Rings is the serious book, the more adultish, more classic quest fantasy to save the world from mortal peril sort of thing. The Hobbit is more of a quest to save Bilbo from living his life without a single thing happening that was unexpected. I think this central difference, combined with a younger target audience for this book, makes this book have a much more carefree attitude, and a generally much more merry tale.

The pace of the Hobbit is pretty rapid, since really the journey of this story would have been of a similar length as Lord of the Rings, with a lot of detail simply missing from this book. The first leg of the journey was almost identical to Frodo's in route at least, yet it is over in a couple of chapters. Really, the lesser significance of this quest required a lot less development early on.

What you really do see happen in the Hobbit, which is nearly absent in Lord of the Rings, is how a bit of a fussy homebody is changed into a daring and wise companion by means of the journey. Bilbo proved to be the lucky 'fourteenth' man on the quests of the dwarf Thorin to reclaim his homeland and treasure, and that was lucky for not only the dwarves, but for Bilbo himself. Even Gandalf discovered that there was more to Bilbo than meets the eye, as the hobbit proved himself useful in a lot of very different situations.

It is a wonder to see a character develop like Bilbo during the course of a single novel. It is an exceedingly rare sight these days, to see something like this happen, and it is refreshing to see it again here.

The songs in this book aren't the poet things from Lord of the Rings, but more like drinking songs with simple rhymes. This [songs] is not a favorite now a days, but I kinda like them. Trying to figure out a tune to go with each one is difficult at times, but it makes it that much better. You can always just skip them, like I did when I was a kid.

Highly recommended.
515471
This is a timeless classic enjoyed again and again. Illustrations are great and the story capivates young & old audiences alike.
3862297
For those people who are not familiar with this timeless classic, it is the charming tale of a humble Mole who wanders down to the riverside one day, only to meet a new friend in the local water Rat, and thus begin a series of adventures that will introduce him to the lovable but foolish Toad and the brave but aloof Badger, and a host of other woodland creatures -- all of whom dress and act like people.  Most of the action surrounds Toad's exploits and escapes, while most of the heart comes from the friendship between Mole and his friend Rat.

It seems that reviewers either loved this book for the peerless color illustrations by Inga Moore, surpassing even the charm of Shepherd's original ink drawings, or they are deeply disappointed by the abridgement.

I have to say that I fall into the first category.  Moore's many charming and highly detailed pictures are a genuine treasure, and evoke the mood of the book and the personality of the characters pefectly.  In my opinion they add to the experience of the book considerably.

In the store, before I bought the book, I made a word-by-word comparison for some of the most memorable passages and found no differences whatsoever.  So, from what I can gather, the abridgment seems to consist of leaving out a few episodes entirely, rather than shortening here and abbreviating there.  I think this approach leaves far more of Kenneth Grahame's original voice intact - a very good thing indeed.  I would also add that, at 180 pages, it's not an extensive abridgement; most of the original is still there.

Why not all of it?  I don't know.  But don't let that stop you from buying this lovely book, another gem from the outstanding Candlewick Press.
685193
My mother started reading this book to me not long after its publication 55 years ago. (I still have the tattered original.) It's a sequence of charming poems about animals and the sounds they make. When someone enjoys reading a book, it's more fun to listen to; Mom had a blast with the barking and meowing and, of course, roaring. It's great entertainment for a very young child. When I got a little older, I was entranced by the playful line drawings. After that, it was the imaginative typography that got my attention.

Years later, I read it to my kids. Last night, it made its debut with my 15-month-old granddaughter. She is not usually responsive to books yet, except to tear their pages. But when I turned into a buzzing bee, she started laughing, and didn't stop till the end: the tiny "eep" of the mouse. I'm thrilled to see it's still in publication, and bought new copies for my kids and me. I expect to be reading it for years to come, and hope that someone will read it to me when I'm ancient.
1913912
This edition is just beautiful  the original writing with stunning illustrations by Robert Ingpen  ideal for a gift. This was a joy to read with my son  a literary delight for both adults and children, it really has stood the test of time. I was grateful that it was unabridged, and the paintings are outstanding. A classic to keep and treasure.
432561
It's a little bizarre to me how few people I know seem to've read The Wind In The Willows; it was one of the defining classics of my childhood reading, right up there with&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Winnie-The-Pooh/dp/B002ZODPOW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Winnie The Pooh</a>and the&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Oz/dp/B001EWRMVS/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Oz</a>&nbsp;books, but for some reason it seems relatively less well known today. It's a shame, because there's a reason it was one of A.A. Milne's favorite books, and properly considered its as much of a hallmark of English literature -- not just English-language, but British national literature -- as anything else, slotting into the Great Bookshelf somewhere right between&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Hobbit/dp/0261102664/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Hobbit</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Watership-Down/dp/0743277708/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Watership Down</a>.

Re-reading this as an adult, it not only keeps but surpasses its childhood charm. The structure alternates pastoral, contemplative chapters with chapters of action -- essentially, Mole chapters and Toad chapters -- and as a child, I typically skipped to the Toad parts just to read the exciting parts. Now that I've grown up a bit I'm much, much more able to appreciate the simply excellent writing in the contemplative chapters. Toad's saga still retains its charm, but the work as a whole definitely should have a lot of appeal to adult readers.

So, anyway, read this book, or read it again, or both. That said, you probably don't want to read the free Kindle edition. The lack of illustration is common to most kindle editions, and is somewhat forgivable since the text was first published unillustrated; I may be less demanding on that front since I found the illustrations from my childhood edition (Tasha Tudor's) popping back into my head constantly as I re-read the text. For me, this book is always going to be illustrated, no matter the edition.

But the real shame is the lack of the various songs. Normally, again, this might not be a crisis in a kid's book -- most songs in most kid's books, even most classic kid's books, are eminently skippable. Problem is, here they aren't; not just because the songs are well-written and funny, but because some of them are central to the story, and one at least -- "Toad's Last Little Song" -- is the emotional denouement of the entire book.

I'd recommend finding another edition, one with the songs and with good illustrations.
771617
A splendid edition of a book that, while written 400 years ago, is still just as relevant today. It remains one of the great classics of western spirituality containing practical advice for living every day closer to God. It's aimed at people in all walks of life and has been an inspiration for me for years - I only wish I had bought it even sooner!
1140015
A Classic that still entertains adults and children, so you don't mind so much when they want you to read it over and over