The Stand: Expanded Edition: For the First Time Complete and Uncut (Signet)

Amazon.com

In 1978, science fiction writer Spider Robinson wrote a scathing review of The Stand in which he exhorted his readers to grab strangers in bookstores and beg them not to buy it.

The Stand is like that. You either love it or hate it, but you can't ignore it. Stephen King's most popular book, according to polls of his fans, is an end-of-the-world scenario: a rapidly mutating flu virus is accidentally released from a U.S. military facility and wipes out 99 and 44/100 percent of the world's population, thus setting the stage for an apocalyptic confrontation between Good and Evil.

"I love to burn things up," King says. "It's the werewolf in me, I guess.... The Stand was particularly fulfilling, because there I got a chance to scrub the whole human race, and man, it was fun! ... Much of the compulsive, driven feeling I had while I worked on The Stand came from the vicarious thrill of imagining an entire entrenched social order destroyed in one stroke."

There is much to admire in The Stand: the vivid thumbnail sketches with which King populates a whole landscape with dozens of believable characters; the deep sense of nostalgia for things left behind; the way it subverts our sense of reality by showing us a world we find familiar, then flipping it over to reveal the darkness underneath. Anyone who wants to know, or claims to know, the heart of the American experience needs to read this book. --Fiona Webster

Book Description

It's the end of the world...

as only Stephen king could imagine it.

Humanity has been all but wiped out by a lethal virus. But the survivors are divided by light and darkness, and must face a final battle that will decide the fate of more than their lives: their very souls...

Customer Reviews:

Horrible Book.......2007-09-29

Be warned!: if you value your time and sanity, do not read this book!

I've often wondered about abandoning books. As a youth I thought it was almost criminal to stop reading a book in mid-read. I figured everyone had something worthwhile to say and, besides, the book might get better. My best example is Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe. The first seventy pages or so are tedious but after that it becomes a great historical adventure/romance.

But as I get older I find I no longer have the patience or the time to spend with a book that just doesn't interest me that much. Some books are just so awfully bad it's hard to justify spending so much time with them (Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard springs to mind). Some books I feel I'm not prepared for yet. Some books just seem to have a lot of promise and eventually go straight downhill. The Stand by Stephen King is one such book.

Let me give you a description of my experience so you'll understand my revulsion:

First, the book opens with a scene describing some awful/weird happening going on. The opening is full of action. It is kind of disorienting. You're not sure who these characters are or why they are going through what they're going through. It is a great opening scene. It is intriguing and makes you want to keep reading to understand what is going on here.

Then the characters are introduced. Background is given on each character while sections are interspersed explaining the larger story concerning the epidemic. You get to learn about the characters, believe in them, understand them, care for them, and worry about what will happen to them when the epidemic hits them. By the time the epidemic starts affecting all the characters Stephen King has got you where every author wants you, a rapt listener to his tale.

So the second part begins--a major event has occurred and you want to know how these characters will deal with it. But a nagging voice inside your head keeps wondering when this story will pick up steam. There is plenty to see and experience but you start to wonder if maybe it isn't just a bit too much. There are so many characters to deal with and you start wishing that Stephen King didn't feel the need to go into minute detail about each characters' idiosyncracies and thoughts and lives. When every character is important, none of them are. But the story is so strong at this point that you let that voice subside for awhile.

Now you find yourself at page 300 or 400 and you're still not exactly sure where this story is going. A story concerning an epidemic hitting the world, decimating 75 or 80% of the population, and the consequent anarchy and loss experienced is a gripping tale. But Stephen King keeps inserting these annoying glimpses about something supernatural. By page 200 or 300 you don't need something completely new inserted. The story was interesting just as a tale of survival in a post-apocalyptic world. Why do we need some pabulum about prescience and good vs. evil now? You start to feel tricked by the author. It's almost as if he had this idea about writing some grand epic on good vs. evil, chose a vehicle (the epidemic) to tell that tale, and when the background tale was better than his original conception he refused to let go of his original idea.

But, like a Scientologist who figures, "I've spent a lot of time and money believing this, I might as well keep on going," you read on.

I've got a pretty good memory and I think I'm an attentive reader. But after awhile you either start to forget the characters or you just don't care. When that happens, reading becomes a chore, not a pleasure. I would read The Stand right before going to bed and it would truly help in putting me to sleep. I wanted to scream at Stephen King to bring back the good story he had going, not this cosmic good vs. evil stuff. I was interested in how people could live after such a disaster (a great, human story) not some banal metaphysical rubbish. Now there's some evil man trying to conquer the world with cosmic powers and some annoying, saintly woman who is somehow going to stop all this because of her faith in God.

Stephen King, you robbed me of several hours where I could've been sleeping or farting or reading a better book. Needless to say, I abandoned the book. I couldn't go on. Around page 700 I gave up. The story wasn't interesting anymore. The characters became flat and mere vehicles to further the cosmic agenda. You fooled me again, Stephen King.

Stephen King is not a bad writer. People who refuse to read him or disdain him because he writes horror are snobs. But he is far from being a great writer. Some of his worst qualities are abundantly in evidence in this novel: prolixity (get an editor once in a while, please?); lack of discipline (stories told not because they need to be told, but because they can be told); and an obsession with the minutiae of everything to the point where the story becomes obscured. But the worst sin Stephen King commits in this novel is abandoning a good story for a poor one. He should've let his muse take him where she would and not allow his own internal editor try to make this into something it was not.

If you like Stephen King read The Shining or Four Past Midnight. He has done some good work in the past. But this horrible, tedious, pointless novel should be left for future literary critics to disembowel.

This one still haunts me........thanks a lot, Mr. King.......2007-09-11

I admit it. I am one of those people (just like in the not-so-recent poll everyone keeps referring to on here) who believe that this is Stephen King's greatest literary work. A bit long......yes. A book oozing just about every emotion that one could experience in the face of death and the end of the world.......check. Vivid characters that seem so real you still think of them more than your mother..........affirmative. This book has it all (maybe that explains why it's 1100+ pages) and the fact that King wrote this earlier in his career is quite impressive. His portrayal of the ultimate struggle between Good and Evil will have a place in my heart (not to mention my bookshelf) until the end of times (hopefully, not tomorrow).

An incredible post-apocalyptic journey.......2007-09-08

It's easy to be drawn deeply into this book, to feel so connected to the characters that to finish it is a kind of death. I still feel slightly depressed and it's been about a week since I finished it. King is constantly underrated and glossed over by elitist critics (such as Master Snob Harold Bloom, who never published any fiction worth reading), but this novel is truly a masterpiece and deserves respect. You know the plot - a superflu kills 99% of the population. The survivors migrate west to Colorado and Vegas, attempting to rebuild society, trying to figure out the meaning of their collective dreams. What is the "good" dream really about? Who is the "dark man"?

King created several strong characters. Among my favorites are Glen, Tom, and Kojak; I still grieve for Nadine, Harold, and Trashcan Man, all clever and pathetic in their own ways - and I believe many readers can sympathize with them. Trashcan Man began to thrive in Vegas, only to regress to his former ways and thought patterns because of a random comment made by a person from his new life. You can feel on top of the world, feel as if you're "fixed"...until you hear those words again, which trigger painful memories ("unquiet corpses come back to life"), and you might lose all progress made up to that point. You realize how fragile you are, and this can be terrifying.

Nadine and Harold are both disturbed souls, though Harold is driven more by revenge and Nadine is driven by evil. Nadine is tormented by and attracted to the dark man, but she is also drawn to Larry, who is desperate to make the right choices this time around to atone for his pre-plague life of darkness. The lines "Only this time the boy would catch her. She would let him catch her. It would be the end. But when he had caught her, HE HADN'T WANTED HER" are ones I can imagine Nadine replaying in her head as she travels over the mountains. She mourns for lost chances, acceptance, and goodness as she yields to her fate.

Along with the powerful theme of good vs. evil, a number of characters sacrificed themselves (for good and evil), seeked redemption, and many "innocents" were rewarded (such as Tom and Kojak). And remember that the devil is not all-knowing, but he does not want anyone to know this.

This novel really makes you think about the end of the world, and whether you would stand for good or evil. King, the dark genius, describes the growth of evil:

"Far away over the mountains was another cloned creature. A cutting from the dark malignancy, a single wild cell taken from the dying corpus of the old body politic, a lone representative of the carcinoma that had been eating the old society alive. One single cell, but it had already begun to reproduce itself and spawn other wild cells. For society it would be the old struggle, the effort of healthy tissue to reject the malignant incursion. But for each individual cell there was the old, old question, the one that went back to the Garden - did you eat the apple or leave it alone?"

The plague gave humanity another chance. They could build a superior society, choosing not to repeat mistakes from the past, or they could throw away this great opportunity to start over by giving in to the old ways. This chance is so rare that to waste it would be the worst mistake. And yet, inevitably, humans cannot be "good." The dark is too tempting, too consuming, and will always exist.

Great condition and great service.......2007-09-05

This was a great purchase! arrived on time and in excellent condition! Would definately recommend this seller and would do business again! Book is exactly all i thought it would be! Thank You for the great service! Grade A 5 + stars across the boards!

This could really happen..........2007-08-27

The Stand was one of the greatest pieces of literature I've ever read. I first read The Stand back in 1982 and immediately re-read it because it was so massive. When the complete and uncut version was released in 1990, I read it again. The concept is a simple one - the government accidentally releases a plague and most of the population is wiped out. This is frightening for the simple reason that an accident like that could happen at any time. As far as the writing is concerned, the characters are extremely vivid - you feel as if you've known these people for years. The graphic descriptions of events as the world as we know it is winding down and expiring are breathtaking in their magnitude. You are there! Mr. King was quite young when he wrote this masterpiece and, as big a fan as I am of his, I don't believe he has yet created anything more powerful than The Stand.
The Cydronium Chronicles
Swan Song

Complete Audio Holy Bible: King James Version

Average customer rating:

I love to read and I love God's Word
AWESOME!!!
Holy Bible!

Complete Audio Holy Bible: King James Version
Topics Entertainment
Manufacturer: Topics Entertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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Book Description

Now, for the very first time, the two most respected names in liturgical narration come together in the most extraordinary audio publishing event of our time. The King James Version Commemorative Edition Complete Audio Holy Bible is the peerless inspirational audio treasury featuring the two best-selling readers of the bible worldwide!

Combining, at last, the most popular book of all time--with its most sought-after narrators, The King James Version Commemorative Edition Complete Audio Holy Bible is the ultimate expression of the ultimate classic.

Alexander Scourby - Old Testament

Considered the masterpiece of a lengthy career on stage and screen, Alexander Scourby's narration of the entire Old Testament is an achievement for the ages. From Genesis to Malachi, all 39 of the books of this King James Version come to life through unabridged text and awe-inspiring recitation on 46 compact discs.

James Earl Jones - New Testament

Just as the Old Testament segues into what follows, the inspirational tones and reverence supplied by James Earl Jones' narration of the New Testament provides a powerful, enriching continuation of your Bible-listening experience. With his award-winning vocal talents applied to the timeless words of the King James Version, James Earl Jones shares and celebrates the text of the New Testament

Customer Reviews:

I love to read and I love God's Word.......2006-03-13

I really love to read although I do not have a lot of time to do so presently. I went to a Biblical research college and I did not want and "edited" version of an audio Bible, nor did I want a dramatized version or music behind it (I find that too distracting). I qualified for free shipping and my order came much faster than I anticipated, or even as stated when I completed the purchase. Amazon was very helpful when I asked if a different audio Bible came in a case or not. This one came in a nice case. I was already familiar with Alexander Scourby (which is who reads the Old Testament of this order) and was not aware that James Earl Jones reads the New Testament. It is very pleasant, but a bit too soothing for a long road trip. I am very pleased with my order and will be an Amazon customer for life!
If you just want to hear the Bible without anything subtracted or added, this is a great deal!!! Vicki lifetime Bible student

AWESOME!!!.......2006-02-23

I Love the audio version of the bible. This is great if you are tired and dont feel like reading, or if it's real late and just play it and fall asleep with God's Word. It's amazing thing to have for people who have bad eye sight, or just dont like to read period. This is a very interesting thing to have!!!

Holy Bible!.......2006-01-28

Please get these cd's it's worth your spirtual journey! Great cd's for learning how to live for God and Jesus!

Holy Bible: King James Version, Complete

Average customer rating:

Listening to the Scriptures
Bible on CD
Bible on CD
Not perfect, but excellent!
A GREAT GIFT

Holy Bible: King James Version, Complete

Manufacturer: Topics Entertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1591509025

Book Description

The vocal talents of two of the world's most gifted artists combine in service to the most popular book of all time, resulting in the Complete Audio Holy Bible on compact disc. Exalt in the Word, as every syllable of the King James Old and New Testaments are brought to life, providing hours of inspirational listening.

- Jon Sherberg reads the entire Old Testament (KJV). Having worked with everyone from gospel singer Scott Wesley Brown to Oscar® winner Sir Ben Kingsley, Jon Sherberg brings his rich theatrical background to the forefront, with this masterful recitation of all 39 of the books of the Old Testament.
- Oscar®-nominated, Emmy- and Tony Award-winning actor James Earl Jones lends his celebrated vocal talents to this distinctive reading of the complete, unabridged text of the New Testament.

Customer Reviews:

Listening to the Scriptures.......2007-10-01

I purchased these cds for my mother, since she is now unable to read the Bible. They are bringing great joy to her.

Bible on CD.......2007-09-24

It was a gift for someone, and he enjoyed it. It gets no better than James Earl Jones, afterall.

Bible on CD.......2007-08-09

I am a full-time college student and I am left with no brain energy to read or study the bible after classes and studying. I enjoy listening to the Bible during my commute. I am listening to each CD twice as suggested by another Amazon customer and I really feel I am getting great context through listening. These CD's have been a blessing to my busy life

Not perfect, but excellent!.......2007-08-01

I am totally enthralled with this CD set of the Holy Bible. I like the reader of the Old Testament better than the New Testament, but I like the idea that there are two different voices. I have found a couple of glitches, like where the end of a chapter gets cut off abruptly and then the next chapter begins. This however was not enough in my opinion to give less than the best grade.

It totally amazes me how much I understand just listening to the CDs. I thought I was going to listen while I read and this would keep me "on track," so to speak, but I find I enjoy just listening, and this way I rest my eyes, and also get great comprehension. I personally don't find I get much comprehension while driving, but others have commented to the opposite, and I can't disprove what they say, it's just this isn't an application that works for me.

If any producers of Bibles on CD are reading, I would like to give my "suggestions" for improvement. I would like no CD to start or end in the middle of a chapter. My utmost preference would be for each Bible book to be on its own CD, I realize that some of smaller books would have to be combined onto a single CD, and I also realize my "suggestion" would mean the CDs weren't all of equal time length, that's just the way I would like it! I also think I would enjoy a variety of voices in the complete set, perhaps a female voice, even a youth's or child's voice (but of course with clear pronunciation and soothing tonal quality.

All in all, I think this is a great CD set. I would recommend it highly as a gift for anyone who loves the Bible. The carrying case is also great, I didn't expect that and it's beautiful and useful and and "serendipity."

A GREAT GIFT.......2007-07-30

THIS IS A GREAT GIFT FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS DIFFICULTY READING,SEEING, ETC. OR FOR THE PERSON WHO WANTS TO LISTEN AND MEDITATE ON THE WORD.
JOSHUA 1:8

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers
Pants on fire?
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
Very Interesting
History as Science Fiction

History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621058

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

The Adventures of Tintin: The Broken Ear / The Black Island / King Ottokar's Sceptre (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 2)

Average customer rating:

Little disappointing
San Theodoros, Britain, Syldavia
Immature Mother
A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage
A trio of solid Tintin adventures from the late 1930s

The Adventures of Tintin: The Broken Ear / The Black Island / King Ottokar's Sceptre (3 Complete Adventures in 1 Volume, Vol. 2)
Herge
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0316359424

Customer Reviews:

Little disappointing.......2007-02-07

The quality of the printing is far from perfect. It smooches on several pages.Also, I read the French version first and the English one is, in my opinion, rather lame. A lot of work would need to be done to improve it.

San Theodoros, Britain, Syldavia.......2006-11-17

"The Adventures of Tintin: Volume 2" contains three more adventure comics by Herge, in a handy sized hardcover book. Here, we get "The Broken Ear" (1937), an adventure in a civil-war torn part of South America, "The Black Island" (1938) a chase through Britain, and "King Ottokar's Sceptre" (1939), featuring a plot against a "Syldavian" king. A few well known Tintin characters first appear in these stories. General Alcazar first appears in "The Broken Ear", Dr Muller appears in "The Black Island" and Bianca Castifiore sings her first song to Tintin in "King Ottokar's Sceptere". They're all exciting, intriguing adventures, my favorite in this bunch being "The Black Island", mainly for the chase sequences and the island's "beast".

The text and pictures are a little smaller, but it's easy enough to read, and the detail of the pictures is maintained. It's really great value too. Here on amazon you could buy two or three of these for one normal sized hardcover Tintin. That's 5-8 more adventures for the same price!

Definitely worth picking up if you're interested.

Immature Mother.......2006-11-10

I've always enjoyed reading the Adventures of Tintin. The 3-in-1 hardcover books are good on the budget but the dimensions are smaller than the individual paperback books. Some of the storylines are a little dated and the jokes do get somewhat repetative. The later stories tend to get "silly" with characters falling down and running into things more often than the older stories but I think that's what made my 9 year old daughter enjoy them since she doesn't really follow the stories very well. If you like Tintin, you'll want to buy all of the books and you will reread them.

A rich part of this bilingual Canadian's heritage.......2006-09-09

Volume 2: The Broken Ear (1937), The Black Island (1938), King Ottokar's Sceptre (1942). This is the second instalment of my reviews of each of the seven volumes.

The famous slogan, "for young readers 7 to 77", already validated by the previous three adventures, is further endorsed by what follows.

The Broken Ear takes us to the Amazon, in South America of course, where we meet the Arumbaya Indians, General Alcazar, and, well, just read it. I don't want to give spoilers. This adventure is another outstanding one, and very well translated. In the English version, the Indians' talk, apparently in some mysterious language, is understandable if read out loud. Already five continents visited in four stories!

The Black Island, which takes place in England and especially Scotland, is not up to the usual Tintin standards (one central theme is revisited and far better handled in a later adventure), but a Tintinophile would certainly not want to miss it.

King Ottokar's Sceptre, however, is a magnificent creation. We meet the Castafiore (= "chaste flower") for the first time, a soprano with an ego that would make Callas suffocate, the only major female character in the entire series, and a truly amazing personage. But the real achievement is the creation of an entire fictional kingdom (Syldavia, and a rival neighbouring nation, Borduria, also fictional) with a `reproduction' of a tapestry giving its history, and an adventure that would be meaningless without it. This is a huge achievement for a 62-page children's comic book.

A trio of solid Tintin adventures from the late 1930s.......2005-09-09

Volume 2 of "The Adventures of Tintin" brings together a trio of stories by Hergé from the late 1930s, right before World War II. This is noteworthy because at this point Hergé is refining his attention to cultural detail in these stories, but also starting to get more fanciful and away from what is happening in the real world. You will still find allegorical elements in these stories, but none of the events ripped from the headlines that you saw in previous tales such as "The Blue Lotus."

"The Broken Ear" is from 1937 as our hero and his faithful companion Snowy go it alone through a series of perilous episodes, although there are brief appearances by the Thom(p)sons and Professor Calculus. The title defect belongs to an Arumbaya Fetish at the Museum of Ethnography which is stolen and then mysteriously returned. When Tintin notices the sacred tribal object now has two perfect ears and our hero is quickly in full Sherlock Holmes mode. However, Tintin is not the only one in search of the real fetish as his path starts crossing that of a pair of mysterious figures. After a series of incidents involving the search for a talking parrot, everyone finds themselves on a ship bound South American way for the Republic of San Theodoros, which happens to be where the Arumbaya tribe lives along the banks of the River Coliflor. There Tintin becomes involved in the political turmoil of San Theodoros and eventually gets around to traveling up the jungle river to find the Arumbayas. Meanwhile, poor Snowy finds that his tail becomes a sore point time and time again. In "The Broken Ear" the mystery takes something of a back seat to the repeated perils faced by Tintin. I went back and counted them up and on average Tintin faces death or severe physical harm once every three pages in this 64-page story, which might be a record for our intrepid reporter.

For the most part I do not like the early Tintin adventures where there is a lot of slapstick and every other page our intrepid reporter hero is either holding a gun or having somebody hold a gun on him as much as the latter adventures. However, "The Black Island" is certainly the epitome of this type of Tintin adventure and Hergé really pours it on pretty much from start to finish. This might be slapstick but it is nonstop slapstick from Tintin trying to stop the Thom(p)sons from arresting him to Snowy getting the better of a gorilla (but not a spider). Tintin might end up unconscious more often in this story than all of his other adventures combined. The beginning is simple enough as Tintin sees a plane land with engine trouble. Noticing it is an unregistered plane he offers to help and is immediately shot (do not worry, the bullet only grazes his ribs). Of course Tintin wants to get to the bottom of this mystery but it is hard to collect clues when people are trying to kill you and you have no clue why. Besides, in this one Tintin gets to wear a kilt, not to mention a bonnie bonnet as the titular piece of property happens to be in Scotland. All things considered "The Black Island" has got to be the funniest of Hergé stories.

In contrast "King Ottokar's Sceptre" is an adventure in which our intrepid hero gets to do a lot of deductive reasoning. Certainly there are more actual clues than Hergé usually includes in his mysteries, which means you really have to pay attention as you play along this time. Tintin encounters Professor Alembik, who studies seals (no, silly, not the friendly little animals but the things you stamp into wax on official papers). This seems a harmless career choice but Tintin finds that both he and the good professor are embroiled with secret agents and a plot against the King of Syldavia. It turns out there is a major loophole in the laws of the monarchy, for if H.M. King Muskar XII, the present ruler of Syldavia, were to lose possession of King Ottokar's sceptre, he would lose the right to rule and have to abdicate. This would work to the advantage of the bad guys across the border in Borduria, where everybody seems decided Eastern European and probably pro-Communist or at least very much into Socialism, so it is up to Tintin and Snowy to save the day. They are aided in this endeavor by Thomson and Thompson of the C.I.D.; to be precise, they endeavor to aid. There is also Tintin's first meeting with Bianca Castafiore in this very solid offering from Hergé. This is an actual mystery, where clues need to be solved and mysterious developments need to be explained.

Some of these early adventures of Tintin have engendered criticism because of the way Hergé draws a Negro in caricature and I certainly do not want to suggest that a white male European was not representative of the inherent racism of his culture, but I would point out that Hergé, like Edgar Rice Burroughs writing at roughly the same time, relied heavily on stereotypes for many of his characters and that you will find "good" and "bad" types for every race and ethnicity Tintin encounters. Certainly the South Americans Tintin encounters in San Theodoros, with their heavy accents, fiery tempers and tendency towards extreme violence, are central to any such critique. But Herge also displays some sensitivity towards the native tribes of the area that is rather enlightened. If Tintin engaged in slurs or derogatory comments towards anyone, that would be something different, but our hero only thinks in terms of "good" and "bad," not "white" and "black". Anyhow, you can read these stories and decide for yourself where you stand on this issue.

Designer Bead Embroidery: 150 Patterns and Complete Techniques

Average customer rating:

Not what I expected
Excellent beading reference
Designer Bead Embroidery
Disappointing
Beading

Designer Bead Embroidery: 150 Patterns and Complete Techniques
Kenneth D King
Manufacturer: Creative Publishing international
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1589232720

Book Description

Sensational beaded motifs and borders that add glamour to fashion, accessories, and bridal wear.

Designer Bead Embroidery presents 150 fabulous designs for beaded borders, backgrounds, edgings, motifs, and fringes to embellish bridal, evening, and casual fashions. The results are opulent, but the materials are inexpensive and readily available, and the techniques are simple. Each original design is shown in a close-up photograph and a placement diagram. A complete basics section teaches the stitches and skills. Designer Bead Embroidery makes it easy to create the kind of luxurious beadwork seen on the rich and famous.

Customer Reviews:

Not what I expected.......2007-08-31

I looked forward to the publication of this book, because I had seen and been impressed by the author's clothing. However, it turned out to be a disappointment in many ways. There are some very good instructions, especially on using sequins, but most of the book is given over to a number of designs which I guess are for use on clothing. I found most of them completely uninspiring and I wish more space had been given to techniques.

Excellent beading reference.......2007-06-28

A very comprehensive and excellently produced introduction to beading techniques. Highly recommended as the first reference book for someone starting beading and keen to produce interesting and high quality projects.

Designer Bead Embroidery.......2007-06-27

The designs are inspiring and some of the most original I've seen in any of my collection of bead embroidery books. I haven't tried to reproduce any as yet as it is on loan to a friend who wants a costume for her glass walking act beaded. She is a local performer here in Las Vegas and we are going to make her sparkle with beads.

Disappointing.......2007-06-08

This book is very disappointing. The use of word "designer" on the title is being abused and misled customers. All samples and pattern illustrated in the book are unbearable, old-fashioned, un-creative and un-inspirational. I feel sorry for having it.

Beading.......2007-05-14

This is a great bead book to own. Lots of interesting and unusual bead designs. Photos are wonderful.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (Complete Pet Owner's Manuals)

Average customer rating:

great book
Best Breed Specific All Around Manual for Everyone who Loves Cavaliers
Want to start a Cavalier Club for the greater Dallas area
syringohydromyelia in Cavaliers--important
Best general introduction to the breed

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (Complete Pet Owner's Manuals)
D. Caroline Coile Ph.D.
Manufacturer: Barron's Educational Series
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0764102273

Book Description

Although descended from hunting dogs, this animal is an ideal house pet—playful, small, fun-loving, easy to train, and very tolerant of children. The author provides detailed advice on what to look for when purchasing a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, along with a wealth of information on health care, training, feeding, grooming, and much more.

Customer Reviews:

great book.......2007-09-10

I love this book you will not need to buy another. Its a must have full of info. Love it!!!

Best Breed Specific All Around Manual for Everyone who Loves Cavaliers.......2007-01-10

I found that this book was very correct in most everything it said. Being a breeder myself I am always looking for a good book to send home with my new puppy owner's. I have found it in this book. Every puppy gets this book in their care package and their owner's just love it. The lineage chart is absolutely wonderful. This book has so much information in it that most books do not. All in all this in an excellent book. I give it five stars, more if I could.
Sandy Townsend, Breeder of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Kansas

Want to start a Cavalier Club for the greater Dallas area.......2006-06-08

I have been searching for a Cavalier Club in the Dallas area and was unable to find one. I'd like to start a club for All the Cavi owners in Dallas. If interested in joining email me at madihabeg@gmail.com. If you know of an existing club in this area, I would appreciate contact info.
And this is a great book for new owners.

syringohydromyelia in Cavaliers--important.......2006-02-08

Please note that this may have been a great book when it was written in 1999, but how any review in 2005 can recommend this book with four stars is beyond me. A very serious genetic disorder in Cavaliers has become TOO common and is found in all bloodlines. This disease, which did not become widely identified in Cavaliers until 2003, should be thoroughly researched by anyone interested in acquiring a Cavalier. It is not in this book. Go into this with your eyes wide open. We love our Cavalier and would not trade him for anything. But he has had major brain surgery at a prestigious university vet hospital, pre- and post-surgical MRI's, and is on expensive medication 3 times daily. He cannot be walked on a leash because of pain, even with the medication. If you want "cutesy" information, buy a book. If you want real information, go on-line.

Added from Cavalier Health on 9/13/2006: "Researchers conservatively estimate that at least 50% of CKCSs have occipital hypoplasia (or caudal occipital malformation syndrome -- COMS), the skull bone malformation believed to cause syringomyelia."

Best general introduction to the breed.......2005-10-16

A good all-round book that covers all the basics on breed history and ownership, with some lovely pictures and a generally encouraging, cheerful tone. The section on first aid is very useful, as are the lists of what a puppy buyer needs to have before the new arrival comes home. Before I got my two cavaliers I read and reread this book with great pleasure and anticipation. Now that I have enjoyed the companionship of my own dogs, have read more of the historical breed books, and generally spent more time around lots of cavaliers, I know the breed and health issues etc forth fairly well -- and on that basis, can confirm that Coile's book remains the best introductory guide for a cavalier owner or prospective owner. While she does get the color inheritence mixed up as noted by another reviewer, this does not reflect on any lack off knowledge of the breed in the rest of the book (I know plenty of breeders who have a hard time remembering color genetics (and anyway, anyone even *thinking* of breeding -- the only point at which this really is important -- should be mentored by a good, experienced breeder and be reading widely on health, pedigrees, etc -- not using a pet owner's guide as a manual!). [...] But this book merits a space on any cavalier owner's bookshelf.

A Sea of Words, Third Edition: A Lexicon and Companion to the Complete Seafaring Tales of Patrick O'Brian

Average customer rating:

A need to have
Not that impressed with this book
This is a great book, however
Sea of Words
Wonderful book!

A Sea of Words, Third Edition: A Lexicon and Companion to the Complete Seafaring Tales of Patrick O'Brian
Dean King , John B. Hattendorf , and J. Worth Estes
Manufacturer: Holt Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0805066152

Book Description

This comprehensive lexicon provides definitions of nautical terms, historical entries describing the people and political events that shaped the period, and detailed explanations of the scientific, medical, and biblical references that appear in the novels.

Customer Reviews:

A need to have.......2007-10-05

This book is a fundamental reading for those who love O'Brian books and want to make the most of of them.
A couple more pictures would have helped, but it gives you all you need to know to enhance your reading experience

Not that impressed with this book.......2007-10-02

I was fairly disappointed with this book, given some of the rave reviews I've read about it. In a consequtive fashion, several of the phrases I looked up weren't in there, to the point where I gave up using it and am just reading the books.

Perhaps it's for the best though, the book flows better without interuption, if at the expense of full understanding. I wouldn't recommend buying this book. It doesn't answer what you need it for -- terms that aren't used anymore, but aren't in the dictionary either.

This is a great book, however.......2007-09-25

It still needs expansion; in particular with regard to the dialect of the times to make it complete, and there remain nautical terms that need definitions. I suppose that I need to visit the website or see if there is a method of placing requests for additional words or terms.
Still, I feel that it is a must buy if one plans to read the entire series.

Sea of Words.......2007-09-14

This is a must have book when reading the series as it explains many of the unfamiliar terms. Highly recommend you get it and use it when you are unfamiliar with things talked about in the books. Also recommend Harbors and High Seas: 3rd Edition by the same authors. This will show you where the ships went on Jack's voyages.

Wonderful book!.......2007-08-22

Not only does it give you an alphabetical listing of sailor jargon, dictionary style, but also small informational sections about medical beliefs at the time, and brief explanations about how the navy operated. I would purchase it just for the definitions of words, but enjoyed the fact it contained a bit more.

Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance

Average customer rating:

Great Idea
The journey of Roland
Get all the Info Here
Well honed reference guide.
Great Book

Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance
Robin Furth
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743297342

Book Description

The Dark Tower is the backbone of Stephen King's legendary career. Begun more than thirty years ago, seven books and more than three thousand pages make up this bestselling, epic fantasy series. Previously published in two separate volumes, The Complete Concordance is the definitive encyclopedic reference book that provides readers with everything they need to navigate their way through the series. With hundreds of characters, Mid-World geography, High Speech lexicon, and extensive cross-references, this comprehensive handbook is essential for any Dark Tower fan.

Characters and Genealogies

Magical Objects and Forces

Mid-World and Our World Places

Portals and Magical Places

Mid-, End-, and Our World Maps

Timeline for the Dark Tower Series

Mid-World Dialects

Mid-World Rhymes, Songs, and Prayers

Political and Cultural References

References to Stephen King's Other Work

Customer Reviews:

Great Idea.......2007-09-18

The Dark Tower series is as long and complicated as the Bible. The Bible has a concordance. This needs one too. There are so many characters and so many meandering sub-plots that you need a road map to keep everything on track. Robin Furth did it for us. Furth is dedicated to this series and seems to know every nuance. THis book helps. And it makes a good campfire game to open the book randomly and start a topic. Well worth your time and $$$...bg

The journey of Roland.......2007-06-21

Apparently being a personal assistant to Stephen King has certain perks, especially when you're writing a concordance to his bestselling Dark Tower series, both volumes of which are contained in "The Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance." Robin Furth doesn't outline much that isn't also in the book, but she does an excellent job outlining the information about King's entire series.

Furth includes plenty of data on the seven novels of the series, starting with an essay that refreshes the reader's memory. Furth starts the actual content with a list of characters with biographical info, from "Abigail" to "Zoltan." Then it's the areas of Mid-World, from the lair of the vampire nuns to Roland's long-lost homeland; the areas of our own world, and portals between the worlds. There are some pretty decent maps as well.

Additionally, she describes the various terms and phrases used in the High Speech, Mid-World language ("graf" is apple beer), prayers and sayings ("If it's ka, it will come like the wind"). And just for reference, she includes organizations, dances, holidays, magical items, instruments, as well as outlining various maps, as well as cultural items from our present world, and maps. Not to mention references to King's own work within the series.

The Dark Tower series -- which stretches through seven long novels and one short story -- is enticingly complex and mysterious, set in different worlds and times. It's also interlinked with other novels of King's, like "Insomnia" and "Eyes of the Dragon." So it's inevitable that even the die-hard fans will forget Character X or fair-day Z -- yet Furth's book allows easy clarification and consultation.

Furth does an excellent job organizing and annotating the book, including the books in which the items appear, and which pages are significant. She also maintains a calmly distant attitude in the book, without getting too gushy about King's work. But she does slip up occasionally; it's jarring to hear about "screwing" someone with a gun in a scholarly work.

Robin Furth's "Dark Tower: The Complete Concordance" is a good accompaniment to the Dark Tower series, and even those who have read the series many times will want to keep it at hand. Very useful.

Get all the Info Here.......2007-04-24

I don't really want to get into this that much because what is there to say besides that if you have a Dark Tower question--you're going to find the answer in here.

This has everything...maps, family lineage charts, every character even hinted at, and every possible setting and/or situation in the seven books.

Well honed reference guide........2007-04-11

A concordance, by definition, is an alphabetical index of the principal words of a book, as of the Bible, with a reference to the passage in which each occurs. This does a most excellent job of doing so. Well studied! I almost wish I'd waited for it to come out before reading the series. A must have for all Tower geeks.

Great Book.......2007-03-09

If you love the dark tower then this is the icing on the cake.
It answers a lot of questions from the series and connects things together

Harbors and High Seas, 3rd Edition : An Atlas and Geographical Guide to the Complete Aubrey-Maturin Novels of Patrick O'Brian, Third Edition

Average customer rating:

O'Brian Companion
harbors and high seas
Good companion book
For the true O'Brien aficionado's out there . .
a rather weak effort

Harbors and High Seas, 3rd Edition : An Atlas and Geographical Guide to the Complete Aubrey-Maturin Novels of Patrick O'Brian, Third Edition
Dean King , and John B. Hattendorf
Manufacturer: Owl Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0805066144

Amazon.com

Where did Sophie battle the Cacafuego? Where is Aubrey's beloved Ashgrove cottage? What route did Maturin take with his bear? What's so desolate about Kerguelen Island? What's the best route from Botany Bay to Moahu? Find the answers to these and hundreds of other questions in this indispensable guide to the terrain and cartography of O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin novels.

Book Description

This indispensable guide to navigating the well-loved Aubrey-Maturin novels has been updated, with new chapters devoted to the final books in the series. Harbors and High Seas includes maps created exclusively for each of the novels in this world-renowned series.

Customer Reviews:

O'Brian Companion.......2007-10-05

I am more than 1.2 way through the Patrick O'Brian / Jack Aubury series and being a sailor have enjoyed the books very much. This companion allows an even deeper appreciation for the series as it allows me to visualize the places where the historical fiction is taking place.

harbors and high seas.......2007-09-14

This is a must have book when reading the Aubrey-Maturin series. It brings to life the voyages through maps and synopses of each place the ships traveled. Also it explains that some of the locations are fictional but places them in likely locations. I really enjoyed this book and wish I had it when i began reading the series. You have to get it.

Good companion book.......2007-08-22

A great companion book to the O'Brian "Master and Commander" Series. It's nice to see the maps of the places described in the books. It was especially helpful in being able to picture fight scenes and ships positioning. If you want to be able to visualize what the author wants you to see, buy this book.

For the true O'Brien aficionado's out there . . .......2006-06-30

A wonderfully illustrated geographical guide to the complete series. Great for both historians and the geographically-challenged, this book enhances the enjoyment of each novel. While King tries hard to avoid any 'spoilers' one has to be careful in looking at the route plots too early in each novel lest you see unexpected developments revealed - or, as Jack Aubrey would say, you'll be brought by the lee like a true lubber! Enjoy.

a rather weak effort.......2005-12-21

I dislike rambling Amazon user reviews, and so I'll keep this short; Mr. King's book is reasonably good in terms of maps, though one might wish that a few more were added. The introductory material is somewhat interesting, if a bit simplistic. The prose leaves something to be desired; I found myself constantly irritated by particularly inept turns of phrase.

All of this could be forgiven, though, if it were not for the most disappointing aspect --- which is the reason I'm writing this review --- namely, King's summaries of the novels. These summaries were one of the main reasons I decided to buy the book. I had read the first 14 O'Brian novels over the course of three months, earlier this year, but a fall semester of full-time graduate studies understandably pulled me away from the adventures; I found that the passage of time had left the exact order of events a bit hazy, and so I was looking forward to reading summaries of the first 14 installments. King's summaries are truly terrible; he usually recounts only the battles in any given book, if that much, and rarely mentions anything else of note (Diana Villiers and Sophie Aubrey are mentioned only twice each, in passing; Wray is mentioned once). Also, in order to 'avoid spoiling the endings,' he has left out the most important plot points of each novel; in certain cases he will leave out the entire final third of a plot, because to summarize that aspect of the novel would be to 'give away the ending,' which seems to me extremely idiotic if one's stated goal is to provide summaries of the novels (and not, say, a book review, in which one wouldn't want to give away the ending).

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