Book Description
Lemony Snicket's work is filled with bitter truths, like: 'It is always cruel to laugh at people, of course, although sometimes if they are wearing an ugly hat it is hard to control yourself.' Or: 'It is very easy to say that the important thing is to try your best, but if you are in real trouble the most important thing is not trying your best, but getting to safety.'
For all of life's ups and downs, its celebrations and its sorrows, here is a book to commemorate it all – especially for those not fully soothed by chicken soup. Witty and irreverent, Horseradish is a book with universal appeal, a delightful vehicle to introduce Snicket's uproariously unhappy observations to a crowd not yet familiar with the Baudelaires' misadventures.
Customer Reviews:
clever.......2007-10-02
Lemony Snicket, the writer of the Series of Unfortunate Events books is back. This time he has written a book full of quotes. Some of them might actually be helpful advice while most of them are just plain nonsense!
Like a book of proverbs - except useful.......2007-09-28
I got this book for my 18th birthday and thought it was very fitting. No, it does not tell an actual story; yes, it is a little expensive; and no, your young children probably won't enjoy it as much as you hoped they would. It's aimed more at YA and up and is basically a book of Snicketified proverbs that will temporarily relieve some of the bitterness that goes along with these truths.
There is never anything surprising that Lemony Snicket puts out, so stop acting disappointed when you should have known perfectly well what the book would be like. If you're not a fan of Lemony Snicket already or can't yet define the word satirical, then you're not likely to enjoy it.
Chicken Soup for the bitter, tortured and rather offbeat soul........2007-06-19
Highly entertaining and dispite its lack of gore, or bad language it is a book likely best read by *adults* This book is comprised of little inerently depressing wisdoms, truths and anedotal evidence and homilies from strange countries where they occasionally mishear things.
If you enjoyed the SoUE and laughed yourseilf silly at the subtle twists of language like, -- when the gibrish speaking baby finds the neckties to lower into the elevator shaft, and announces in her baby voice... "Armani!" --you will likely enjoy this book.
If not, its a quick read, so the book will still look new when you give it away.
This book will not help.......2007-06-16
This book was only published as to optimize the commercial exploitation of the Series of Unfortunate Events. Horseradish turns out a huge disappointment that will only benefit the balance on Mr. Snicket's bank account. The latter of course being totally useless as Mr. Snicket is bound to remain miserable anyway. I suggest buying this book only if you reside outside the States. This wil stimulate the American economy and prevent the dollar from plummeting down any further. Don't bother reading the book however. Just throw it alongside the road somewhere. It's fully biodegradable. But don't burn the book! It 'll add to global warming and Bush still hasn't signed the Kyoto treaty.
Amazing, if you like lemony snicket.......2007-06-02
it was a great book, written in the style only lemony snicket knows, if you like to read quotes, etc, you'll love this book, but it has absolutely no information on the Baudalaires or on anything related to A Series of Unfortunate Events
Book Description
Irreverent, charming, eminently quotable, this handbook--an eccentric etiquette guide for the human race--contains sixty-nine aphorisms, anecdotes, whimsical suggestions, maxims, and cautionary tales from Mark Twain's private and published writings. It dispenses advice and reflections on family life and public manners; opinions on topics such as dress, health, food, and childrearing and safety; and more specialized tips, such as those for dealing with annoying salesmen and burglars. Culled from Twain's personal letters, autobiographical writings, speeches, novels, and sketches, these pieces are delightfully fresh, witty, startlingly relevant, and bursting with Twain's characteristic ebullience for life. They also remind us exactly how Mark Twain came to be the most distinctive and well-known American literary voice in the world. These texts, some of them new or out of print for decades, have been selected and meticulously prepared by the editors at the Mark Twain Project.
Customer Reviews:
A Treasure.......2007-02-11
Here are some useful living tips, advice and observations from that quintessential American literary figure Mark Twain, real name Samuel L. Clemens. This compilation contains a delightful mix of humorous writings on the mundane and sometimes very unusual occurrences that reflected his many gifts as a writer/humorist. Many of these snippets are from some of his more famous works, while others are from personal sketches and writings not as well known. The tarantulas escape, a borrowed overcoat, a lecture to a youth group, the use of foul language, a note to a burglar, and so many other little anecdotes, observations, and etc will elicit periods of laughter from the reader, as it did for me. A wonderful little treasure.
Twain at his best........2007-01-10
Great book with lots of his famous quotes that still apply today.
"Etiquette requires us to respect the human race".......2006-02-23
Mark Twain in his writing very often surprises us and makes us laugh. His greatest gift is his humor. And the wisdom he provides on various aspects of daily living however sarcastic and cynical it may seem at times is grounded in a sane realistic view of humanity.
Customer Reviews:
Mark Twain's Take on Bible Stories.......2005-11-29
In this book Mark Twain aims his satire at favorite stories from the Old Testament. He worked on these essays for most of his life but was afraid their irreverent nature would damage his career, therefore, he just kept re-writing and re-editing them. Most of them were not published until after his death and for some this is their introduction.
Adam and Eve, in their diaries, present bittersweet divergent stories of their dysfunctional relationship. Their accounts could be prototypes from a marriage counsellor's office, or short versions of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus."
Captain Stormfield has a dream about ending up in Heaven when he thought he was going to the other place. "He was deeply religious, by nature and by the training of his mother, and a fluent swearer by the training of his father." In this original and inventive story, we learn all those things about heaven that were left out of the Bible - but would be included in an imaginary book, "How to experience Heaven in six weeks on $10 a day."
An "Etiquette in the Afterlife" excerpt: "Do not try to show off. St. Peter dislikes it. The simpler you are dressed, the better it will please him. Above all things, avoid overdressing. A pair of spurs and a fig-leaf is plenty...leave your dog outside. Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay outside and the dog would go in."
In the masterpiece, "Letters From The Earth," Satan has been temporarily expelled from heaven and is wandering around the universe. On a lark, he decides to visit earth, an outlying little spot in an outlying galaxy that God had once played around with for a few days. Satan is astounded at what he finds, and writes home:
"This is a strange place, an extraordinary place, and interesting. There is nothing resembling it at home. The people are all insane, the other animals are all insane, the Earth is insane. Man is a marvelous curiosity. When he is at his best he is a sort of low grade nickel-plated angel; at his worst he is unspeakable, unimaginable; and first and last and all the time he is a sarcasm. Yet he blandly and in all sincerity calls himself the 'noblest work of God'...if I may put another strain on you - he thinks he is the Creator's pet. He believes the Creator's proud of him; sits up nights to admire him; yes, and watch over him and keep him out of trouble. He prays to Him, and thinks He listens. Isn't it a quaint idea? Fills his prayers with crude and bald and florid flatteries of Him, and thinks He sits and purrs over these extravagancies and enjoys them. He prays for help, and favor, and protection, every day; and does it with hopefulness and confidence, too, although no prayer of his has ever been answered...he thinks he's going to heaven! He has salaried teachers who tell him that. They also tell him there is a hell, of everlasting fire, and that he will go there if he doesn't keep the Commandments."
Of course, Noah makes an entertaining appearance, and through it all, Mark Twain has an opportunity to expound about those things in the Old Testament that do not quite make sense to him.
The authors offer scholarly histories about these essays for those who are interested. When they finally let loose with the words of Mark Twain, the reader feels a breath of fresh air. This is a fine collection of satires on religion by perhaps America's premier homespun author; a very definite five stars, and well worth your time.
A heavenly work of devilish mischief.......2004-09-03
"The Bible According to Mark Twain" is one of those serendipitous finds that is as delightful as is it unexpected. Twain shows himself to be a serious thinker about biblical issues, especially as they pertain to the saintly rogues and roguish saints who populated his world. The works in this volume expand on biblical themes, and are as human as they are irreverent. There is no sacrilege or blasphemy intended in Twain's musings -- simply the toil of a man trying to come to terms with the sometimes illogical world inhabited by religious people.
Twain muses on the story of Noah's ark by wondering about the germs that must have been stowed aboard along with Noah and his family. What kind of a God would ensure that such dangerous organisms would survive the "destruction" of life on earth, allowing them to renew their deadly work afterward? Twain's Captain Stormfield, recently deceased and on his way to heaven, shows the author grappling with the recently-discovered enormity of the universe, and with a heaven segregated (not by race and religion as one Earth) by planet and geographical region. "Letters from Earth," authored by Satan before his banishment to eternal fire, makes rather pointed comments about earthlings' desire for a heaven that is both bereft of earthly pleasures (notably sex) and filled with activity that earthlings normally shun (singing, church services, rubbing shoulders with Jews, blacks and heathens).
Few if any of the completed and incomplete works in this volume were published in Twain's lifetime. Yet the writings show him to be a religious man, in the sense of one who wrestles with the great eternal questions. Twain could not have been satisfied with the pious niceties he likely received from the religious worthies of his day. His questions continue to challenge us to enlarge our conceptions of the deity. Not for him was a deity who looked too much like the rascals and fools he encountered on a day's perambulation. Many of his questions (for instance about the historicity of the Bible) were very perceptive and continue to challenge us to this day.
"The Bible According to Mark Twain" may not rock your religious world, but it will set you to thinking about the way that in every age, "God" acts and thinks suspiciously like ourselves!
Indispensable religious satire.......2002-10-05
Mark Twain promptly proves with this volume that he is, indeed, as the title states, "America's Master Satirist." Having grown up in a fundamentalist Presbyterian community, Twain knew his Bible well; and, like any thinking person, his beliefs and attitudes relating to it changed as he grew older, wiser, and more experienced. Although Twain - due to many factors, such as the death of several children and his wife and his failed investments - grew famously bitter towards the end of his life, his vision remained remarkably clear-headed, though clearly suffued with pessimism - indeed, his zest for the truth and absolute intolerance for mankind's accepted irrational beliefs became even more razor-sharp during this period. Although there are writings in this volume from all phases of Mark Twain's career, the majority of them do come from that latter period - a period in which, indeed, the exploration of these themes was the main facet of his writing. Included are such well-known items as the Diaries of Adam and Eve (as well as several other Old Testament characters), Captain Stormfield's Visit To Heaven (published here in full for the first time ever), and, of course, his masterpiece, Letters From The Earth. In these, and the other, oftentimes more obscure pieces, Twain burlesques and satarizes freely, calling mankind on both his steadfast taking to irrational and illogical beliefs, as well as on his sheer stupidity and gullibility. If one is looking for a satire along the lines of Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn, then this is DEFINITELY not the place to look; however, if you have a fondness, as I do, for the darker, more probing side of Twain, then this is a volume that you must most definitely pick up.
Surprisingly non-controversial.......2001-07-11
I am a very religious person, and I was somewhat skeptical about reading this book when I received it as a gift. My husband and I read each other the diaries of Adam and Eve, and by the end we were both so moved we cried. True, it is excellent satire, but it is hardly offensive. Mark Twain manages to weave in sincerity and bits of truth with his masterful parodies.
Right-Wing Religionist Praises Mark Twain.......2001-07-04
NEWSFLASH: I am a very religious conservative (aka "right-wing nut") who believes in the Bible and other books of scripture as the word of God, yet (unlike another reviewer would predict) I love Mark Twain's religious satire. I think that he has a keen eye for truth -- he sorts out the garbage of man-made religious fluff from the stuff that really matters. In many ways, his religious writings actually support my own beliefs in his tongue-in-cheek way. I don't think this book has any use if you intend to "bash" right-wing religionists with it. Anyone who would be shaken by Twain's writings probably doesn't really believe what they profess anyway...
I have read most of the writings in this book, although not in this edited compilation, so I cannot give my rating based on that. The five stars I have given in my review are for Mark Twain's works themselves.
Average customer rating:
- MT Fan
- A book? See, that's where I have an issue!
- The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain
- Overpriced
- It's still funny, a hundred years later.
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The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain: A Book of Quotations (Dover Thrift Editions)
Mark Twain
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ASIN: 0486406644 |
Book Description
Includes hundreds of Twain's most memorable quips and comments on life, love, history, culture, travel, and diverse other topics, among them "He is now fast rising from affluence to poverty"; "Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please"; and "More than one cigar at a time is excessive smoking."
Customer Reviews:
MT Fan.......2007-09-24
This book of quotations contains many observations dressed with great wit, humor and smarts that perhaps many can relate, but very few can put into words as only Twain can.
A book? See, that's where I have an issue!.......2007-09-21
A Book. It says so right on the front cover. I don't have the exact specifications to know what "a book" is but, I know it is NOT some TINY, LITTLE, insignifcantly sized pamplet labeled Book! You know what? Charge nine dollars for a book but, make it a real book. This stupid things is insulting and could be finished in less than a bathroom break. I find it deceptive, insulting and waring that this can happen. So, read the entire description of a work and do not depend upon its claims. This is a pamplet that can't be judged by its deceptive cover.
The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain.......2007-01-18
Great for a coffee table book. It is full of the character of Mark Twain.
Overpriced.......2007-01-03
The book contains Mark Twain's wit.
It was much smaller than I expected.
It's still funny, a hundred years later........2006-11-11
A nice, slim volume that you may read a few lines from, put it down, and come back later and read a few more. Mostly fun, all are thoughful; Huck Finn is a good philospher for all time.
Book Description
The charm of the perfect Mother's Day gift-card with the inspiration and warmth only Chicken Soup can provide. "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways." For those of us who aren't poets, it isn't always easy. To Grandma, with Love gives everyone who has ever been at a loss for words the perfect expression of the love in their hearts and souls. This nostalgic gift book, with bright and cheerful interior designs combined with short stories, quotes, affirmations and tender thoughts beautifully express our appreciation and devotion for the myriad daily miracles grandmas bring to our lives.
Customer Reviews:
Not as great as the other works.......2005-11-10
I am a fan of Mark Twain and have read all of his major works: Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer, Connecticut Yankee, Prince and the Pauper, etc... and so I was excited to discover this book at my local library. After reading it I realized why it is not as well-known as the other works; it is not as entertaining, endearing, humorous, or heart-wrenching. In short, this book is a collection of several writings. These include Twain's writings on the Bible, and commentaries written by others on Twain's writings on the Bible. The former is not one continuous work, but actually several different works written to parallel different parts of the Bible, primarily the Old Testament. The most notable of these is the story that mocks Genesis. Told from both Adam's and Eve's point of view, it retells the Genesis story and the life of the first humans with a touch of wit, dry humor, sarcasm, and ribaldness. Though funny at times, and probably at the edge of decency when they were first published, the humor and points made in these stories are nothing significant in today's world. All in all an alright edition to the canon on Twain.
Without any doubt this book belongs on everyone's bookshelf........1996-02-08
Marvelous. Compelling. Funny. (How rare to review a new work by Mark Twain!) This book is rare, old scotch with just enough ice. It's a fine, black Connecticut cigar. It's a wide tie with a brave picture on it. It's a moonlit sail on the seas of time, and the distant rasping, drawling voice of God, winking at the human race through his prophet Samuel.
Get it. Read it a little at a time. Hope like hell somebody finds some more papers out there in California that nobody has had the chance at, and that the small minded are at lunch and the office boy leaves them in the outbox and they, too, come to print while yet we live.
No one can possibly get past the mythic Mark Twain to a deeper understanding of the great writer and his later passions without a thorough reading of the Eden stories, and an enjoyment of his darker humor. As an anthology, this book is a delight. But this work includes previously unpublished writings, and so it must be in any Twain lover's library. The author of this book is Clemens himself. The editors have, with appropriate reverence and irreverence, expanded the horizons of our understanding.
Hoorays and war-whoops all round.
Amazon.com
From the author of the encyclopedic Mark Twain A to Z comes Mark Twain, accident ("the greatest of all the inventors") to Zola ("The manliest man in France"). This is certainly not the first compilation of Twain witticisms. Nor is it the second or third. But of the 1,800-plus quotations included in The Quotable Mark Twain, more than half do not appear in any other collection. This is because the book's editor, R. Kent Rasmussen, is a committed Twain-ophile who has read and reread nearly everything Twain ever wrote. In these pages Rasmussen offers up Twain's trenchant and provocative words on such wide-ranging subjects as fried chicken ("the art cannot be learned north of the line of Mason and Dixon, nor anywhere in Europe"), Hinduism ("It is a good and gentle religion, but inconvenient"), the multiplication table ("that odious and confusing and unvanquishable and unlearnable and shameless invention"), and stealing ("It is better to take what does not belong to you than to let it lie around neglected"). A browser's bonanza. --Jane Steinberg
Book Description
Here are more than 1,800 quotations, organized from A-to-Z, from America's consummate author--Mark Twain. A must-have for all Twain collectors, The Quotable Mark Twain is filled with his opinions about the people he knew, the places he's been, and the books he wrote, as well as more far-ranging topics, such as writers, billiards, smoking, his family, and more. The book also includes 150 illustrations taken from the original editions of Twain's publications, source citations for each quotation, an annotated bibliography, and a complete index.
Book Description
The charm of the perfect Mother's Day gift-card with the inspiration and warmth only Chicken Soup can provide. "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways." For those of us who aren't poets, it isn't always easy. To Mom, with Love gives everyone who has ever been at a loss for words the perfect expression of the love in their hearts and souls. This nostalgic gift book, with bright and cheerful interior designs combined with short stories, quotes, affirmations and tender thoughts beautifully express our appreciation and devotion for the myriad daily miracles moms bring to our lives.
Book Description
With over 3000 quotations from rabbis and writers, statesmen and standup comics, this is a remarkable collection of memorable words as well as an unparalleled portrait of a people.
"Enjoyable to read from cover to cover or to use as a handy reference tool...a great choice for giving."-Long Island Jewish World
Customer Reviews:
A comprehensive collection of Jewish quotes.......1999-06-25
A thorough compilation of modern jewish thought and commentary, from Rabbis and philosophers to playwrights and musicians, politicians and media personalities. Two Jews, Three Opinions proves a comprehensive source for quotes on specific subjects and enjoyable to peruse at more leisurely pace.
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