Reviews Written By: AMKZHBOK7VMQRprovided by Amazon.com |
 | ||
 | Cymbeline by William Shakespeare, ISBN 1903436028 | |
 | "One Of Shakespeare's More Challenging Works" | 2009-11-02 |
| Cymbeline is one of the later Shakespeare plays that is rarely staged and probably even as rarely read. The plot has elements that are familiar from several of the earlier works and many of the characters borrow from more familiar characters in other plays as well. Nevertheless, Cymbeline is a rewarding play to either view or read. The Arden version that I recently read was useful but for the footnotes which focused on various usages and interpretations of the language over time which I found distracting and finally chose to just ignore. The play itself because of the familiar elements will appeal to those who have read the better known works. Cymbeline revolves around a layered plot that includes the devices of mistaken identity, evil and deception , unbridled ambition and political intrigue. It is a rather long play with 5 acts and 27 scenes. Having the benefit of seeing this well staged would enhance the reader's experience. | ||
 | The Greek Way | |
| "Has Yet To Find An Equal" | 2009-11-02 |
| As an introduction to Ancient Athens and Ancient Greek Culture , Edith Hamilton's book has no equal. She delineates precisely why the Greeks were so different from anything that existed before and why the works they left still resonate with meaning today. She was a great scholar and her works on Ancient Greek culture are invaluable. That said, I do find her writing style a bit outdated and stodgy. At times this can be a bit of a struggle but it doesn't detract from the overall quality of the scholarship or the content. The Greek Way is a classic on the topic and is well worth investigating for anyone wanting to understand how such an advanced culture could suddenly appear in what was a rather dark world. | ||
 | Cymbeline | |
| "One Of Shakespeare's More Challenging Works" | 2009-11-02 |
| Cymbeline is one of the later Shakespeare plays that is rarely staged and probably even as rarely read. The plot has elements that are familiar from several of the earlier works and many of the characters borrow from more familiar characters in other plays as well. Nevertheless, Cymbeline is a rewarding play to either view or read. The Arden version that I recently read was useful but for the footnotes which focused on various usages and interpretations of the language over time which I found distracting and finally chose to just ignore. The play itself because of the familiar elements will appeal to those who have read the better known works. Cymbeline revolves around a layered plot that includes the devices of mistaken identity, evil and deception , unbridled ambition and political intrigue. It is a rather long play with 5 acts and 27 scenes. Having the benefit of seeing this well staged would enhance the reader's experience. | ||
 | Greek Way | |
| "Has Yet To Find An Equal" | 2009-11-02 |
| As an introduction to Ancient Athens and Ancient Greek Culture , Edith Hamilton's book has no equal. She delineates precisely why the Greeks were so different from anything that existed before and why the works they left still resonate with meaning today. She was a great scholar and her works on Ancient Greek culture are invaluable. That said, I do find her writing style a bit outdated and stodgy. At times this can be a bit of a struggle but it doesn't detract from the overall quality of the scholarship or the content. The Greek Way is a classic on the topic and is well worth investigating for anyone wanting to understand how such an advanced culture could suddenly appear in what was a rather dark world. | ||
 | Kafka Was the Rage: A Greenwich Village Memoir | |
 | "Intelligent , insightful memoir of Village life in the early Postwar era" | 2009-10-13 |
| I honestly did not want this book to end because it was so entertaining and honestly written. Broyard writes his personal story of life in Greenwich Village in the 40s and infuses it with so many literary pearls that almost every page has a revelation embedded in it. This is not a name dropping exercise of the artists and poets who migrated to the Village during these years, although there are famous people who pop in and out of the narrative. Broyard thought deeply and captures his intellectual development in a way that is candid and full of self awareness. His ruminations on everything from relationships, literature and jazz are thought provoking without an ounce of pretension. This is really a delightful memoir and my only criticism is that it is too short. I could have read on if he had continued writing. Outstanding Book. | ||
 | Zorba the Greek | |
| "Anthony Quinn Was Born To Play Zorba" | 2009-09-18 |
| Having recently read the book by Nikos Kazantzakis I wanted to revisit this film version as it had been many years since I'd seen it. I was very impressed with the direction and the movie's very faithful rendition of the original novel. What really makes this a fine film is the exuberant performance of Anthony Quinn in the title role. If ever an actor was born to play a specific part this was it. Quinn has the character's joy of life and he plays Zorba as if he was possessed. This was clearly the role of a lifetime for him and he was never better. Alan Bates does a fine job as the Englishman who takes Zorba with him to Crete and is gradually transformed by Zorba's zest for living.
The scenery is stunning even though it's in B&W, the raw beauty of the island comes through. Even the opening scenes in the port of Piraeus with the pouring rain are realistic and well done. I loved the film , although there are two things that made me deduct 1 star. First the film starts and finishes very strong but there are a few scenes in the middle that drag a bit. Second the villagers are depicted as harsh and cruel without really much characterization. They come across as stereotypes and cardboard cutouts at times. The director focused on the main characters and fleshed the cast out with people who look the part but I think they get shortchanged by the plot and screenplay. | ||
 | Zorba the Greek | |
| "Anthony Quinn Was Born To Play Zorba" | 2009-09-18 |
| Having recently read the book by Nikos Kazantzakis I wanted to revisit this film version as it had been many years since I'd seen it. I was very impressed with the direction and the movie's very faithful rendition of the original novel. What really makes this a fine film is the exuberant performance of Anthony Quinn in the title role. If ever an actor was born to play a specific part this was it. Quinn has the character's joy of life and he plays Zorba as if he was possessed. This was clearly the role of a lifetime for him and he was never better. Alan Bates does a fine job as the Englishman who takes Zorba with him to Crete and is gradually transformed by Zorba's zest for living.
The scenery is stunning even though it's in B&W, the raw beauty of the island comes through. Even the opening scenes in the port of Piraeus with the pouring rain are realistic and well done. I loved the film , although there are two things that made me deduct 1 star. First the film starts and finishes very strong but there are a few scenes in the middle that drag a bit. Second the villagers are depicted as harsh and cruel without really much characterization. They come across as stereotypes and cardboard cutouts at times. The director focused on the main characters and fleshed the cast out with people who look the part but I think they get shortchanged by the plot and screenplay. | ||
 | ZORBA THE GREEK | |
| "Simply Spectacular Novel" | 2009-09-08 |
| Zorba The Greek is one of the most wonderful , Life affirming novels I have ever read. A writer who is engaged in a spiritual search teams up with a workman who embraces life in the here and now in such a way as to turn both his and the readers heads around. Zorba is one of those rare great literary characters that change the way one sees and experiences the world. This is truly a book that I didn't want to end I was so absorbed in it It's about friendship, love, lust, food, work, faith and belief.... it's about life. Highest rating doesn't do this book justice. | ||
| Zorba the Greek | |
| "Simply Spectacular Novel" | 2009-09-08 |
| Zorba The Greek is one of the most wonderful , Life affirming novels I have ever read. A writer who is engaged in a spiritual search teams up with a workman who embraces life in the here and now in such a way as to turn both his and the readers heads around. Zorba is one of those rare great literary characters that change the way one sees and experiences the world. This is truly a book that I didn't want to end I was so absorbed in it It's about friendship, love, lust, food, work, faith and belief.... it's about life. Highest rating doesn't do this book justice. | ||
 | Kaputt | |
| "Often Bizarre Yet Unforgettable Account Of The Eastern Front" | 2009-08-11 |
| This is among the strangest books dealing with WWII that I've come across. Part novel, part memoir- Kaput is a compelling, grim and often shocking book. It shocks not only because of the gruesome scenes that Malaparte records but also because of the matter of fact and distanced way in which he observes and records them.
In some instances his writing reminded me of Camus, existential , unemotional yet witnessing and absorbing minute details of human cruelty. The basic outline is that Malaparte was an Italian army journalist traveling somewhat freely through the Eastern front. His social circle includes obscure royalty from Sweden as well as diplomats from other European countries. He also dines with some high ranking Nazi officials in Poland. Throughout he is either relating stories of things he's observed at the front,or hearing the same from others. Some of the stories are quite shocking but Malaparte himself seems unmoved and unemotional in his telling, never really drawing any conclusions about what he's witnessed or heard. It is hard to judge how much of what is contained is absolutely true, or how much is only loosely based on things Malaparte had either seen or heard. Nevertheless he writes in a very descriptive fashion recording minute details of observation and frequently leading up to some horrible tableu- his language is very visual. These are images that will stick with the reader for some time. | ||
 | Greek Gods and Heroes | |
| "Nice Easily Accessible Narrative Versions Of the Major Myths" | 2009-08-10 |
| If you're seeking a scholarly examination of the origins of Greek Mythology, this isn't your book. Robert Graves left us short narrative style -easy to read selections that cover many of the Greek myths in a style that is easy enough to be read by a child yet still provides a nice refresher or introduction to the general reader. These are great tales, in some cases familiar and yet by reading through them you will learn things about the origins of certain words and expressions that are still culturally relevant. A very nice little book to breeze through but don't expect too much detail.
| ||
 | The Young Lions | |
 | "Brando Carries this One" | 2009-08-10 |
| As others have said below, this is a good representation of the type of WWII movies being made in the late 50s /early 60s. What separates The Young Lions from more standard fare is the smoldering performance of Marlon Brando as a conflicted German Officer. The story follows the ultimately intersecting paths of Brando's character with two american GIs rather stereotypically played by Dean Martin and Montgomery Clift. For the first two thirds of the film these stories are developed in tandem. Brando is shown as a Bavarian ski instructor who becomes an officer. Scenes in Paris and the North African front give him the opportunity to flesh out his character.
Overall this is a very well done film for it's day. I add that caveat because it is in some places a bit dated, particularly in the romantic scenes. Still, if you haven't seen this one it is well worth checking out. Finally, the last 20 minutes of this are really spectacular. The movie has it's strengths and weaknesses but the ending sequences are among it's best qualities | ||
 | The Young Lions | |
| "Brando Carries this One" | 2009-08-10 |
| As others have said below, this is a good representation of the type of WWII movies being made in the late 50s /early 60s. What separates The Young Lions from more standard fare is the smoldering performance of Marlon Brando as a conflicted German Officer. The story follows the ultimately intersecting paths of Brando's character with two american GIs rather stereotypically played by Dean Martin and Montgomery Clift. For the first two thirds of the film these stories are developed in tandem. Brando is shown as a Bavarian ski instructor who becomes an officer. Scenes in Paris and the North African front give him the opportunity to flesh out his character.
Overall this is a very well done film for it's day. I add that caveat because it is in some places a bit dated, particularly in the romantic scenes. Still, if you haven't seen this one it is well worth checking out. Finally, the last 20 minutes of this are really spectacular. The movie has it's strengths and weaknesses but the ending sequences are among it's best qualities | ||
 | Colossus of Maroussi | |
| "Miller goes Native" | 2009-08-02 |
| I enjoyed much of his book for it's incredible descriptions of the landscape and atmosphere that Miller revels in on his trip to Greece just before the War. He is a master of describing exotic settings and the feelings they arouse in him. I also had a bit of a struggle at times when he digresses on his personal philosophy and seems to conclude that traveling free and experiencing a new and foreign culture is far superior than the lifestyle of western developed countries. A bit hypocritical since he attacks the systems that probably made his diversionary trip to Greece possible in the first place. In my opinion he goes down this track a few too many times and it really had me wishing he would drop the polemic and get back to the story on several occasions. That's why I can only give this 3 stars. There is one section while he is in Crete in particular where he goes down some bizarre train of thought linking Agemenon with Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington that had me scratching my head. Poetic license - maybe but it failed to move me. | ||
 | Black Adder - The Complete Collector's Set | |
| "Can't Miss With the Entire Set" | 2009-08-01 |
| Blackadder is a rare "Televisual Feast" as a minor character in a Fawlty Towers episode once said. It was genius of portraying the same basic characters as their ancestral forbears and setting them in different stages of English History from the middle ages to the First World War that makes watching Blackadder a unique and endlessly entertaining experience. All of the respective episodes have their moments but my favorite is the William Pitt , the Younger series with Hugh Laurie (HOUSE) as the Prince Regent. Very funny and original series. | ||
 | Black Adder - The Complete Collector's Set | |
| "Can't Miss With the Entire Set" | 2009-08-01 |
| Blackadder is a rare "Televisual Feast" as a minor character in a Fawlty Towers episode once said. It was genius of portraying the same basic characters as their ancestral forbears and setting them in different stages of English History from the middle ages to the First World War that makes watching Blackadder a unique and endlessly entertaining experience. All of the respective episodes have their moments but my favorite is the William Pitt , the Younger series with Hugh Laurie (HOUSE) as the Prince Regent. Very funny and original series. | ||
 | Dk Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides Athens | |
| "Where in The World To go ?" | 2009-07-19 |
| Here's another application for these very attractive and useful guidebooks. I sometimes have to choose between two European cities due to time constraints and have used these brief guidebooks to help me decide before booking a trip. They are comprehensive enough to give you a good idea of what to expect an how to structure a short visit. The books have great photos and guides to the major museums and historical sights. I don't use them as much for the hotel and restaurant recommendations. So the Top 10 Athens book convinced me that Athens is the next city I'd like to see and I feel fairly well prepared for my visit. Not a bad investment. | ||
 | The Histories (Penguin Classics) | |
| "Penguin Edition" | 2009-07-19 |
| As others have noted below , reading Herodotus is a mixed experience. On the one hand he is a fascinating story teller and hearing about the ancients and the places they inhabited from him is endlessly entertaining. On the other hand he tends to go off on long tangents in order to set up a specific incident and at times the book drags. I personally found the penguin edition and the Selincourt translation fine as an introduction but as I got about halfway through I found the absence of maps and foot notes a bit distracting as place names became more obscure to me. I then paged through a copy of the Landmark Herodotus and realized that the experience of reading this would be better with the added illustration and annotations so I switched. Nevertheless the Penguin is a smaller more portable version that is serviceable enough. | ||
 | History of the Peloponnesian War (Penguin Classics) | |
| "Penguin Edition" | 2009-07-19 |
| As others have noted below , reading Herodotus is a mixed experience. On the one hand he is a fascinating story teller and hearing about the ancients and the places they inhabited from him is endlessly entertaining. On the other hand he tends to go off on long tangents in order to set up a specific incident and at times the book drags.
I personally found the penguin edition and the Selincourt translation fine as an introduction but as I got about halfway through I found the absence of maps and foot notes a bit distracting as place names became more obscure to me. I then paged through a copy of the Landmark Herodotus and realized that the experience of reading this would be better with the added illustration and annotations so I switched. Nevertheless the Penguin is a smaller more portable version that is serviceable enough. | ||
 | The Vikings | |
| "More than a Bit Corny but Great Performances From the Stars" | 2009-07-12 |
| A pretty entertaining film from the 50's combining solid performances and beautiful cinematography . The Vikings held up pretty well over time. Ernest Borgnine is actually fabulous as a Viking King. Kirk Douglas is standard issue "Kirk Douglas" as his son and the two of them together spill wine all over their costumes as they play the lusty Viking role for all it's worth. The plot revolves around a love triangle involving an English princess attractively portrayed by Janet Leigh. Tony Curtis is passable as a slave with a secret past. Some of the screenplay is a bit corny. Borgnine must yell out "What A Son!" a half dozen times - but overall it's an entertaining two hours. | ||
 | The Field | |
| "A parable of Irish History" | 2009-07-11 |
| Richard Harris' performance as Bull McCabe a tenant farmer determined to preserve a way of life that is threatened by progress (represented by the American played by Tom Berenger) drives this film. The story has qualities of a classic tragedy almost King Lear like in McCabe's obsession and ultimate downfall. The screenplay is excellent and the locations and authenticity of the settings lend the film a realistic atmosphere that is truly outstanding. Very well directed with not a wasted scene. A true quality production that got little notice but deserves to be seen by anyone with an interest in Ireland. | ||
 | The Field | |
| "A parable of Irish History" | 2009-07-11 |
| Richard Harris' performance as Bull McCabe a tenant farmer determined to preserve a way of life that is threatened by progress (represented by the American played by Tom Berenger) drives this film. The story has qualities of a classic tragedy almost King Lear like in McCabe's obsession and ultimate downfall.
The screenplay is excellent and the locations and authenticity of the settings lend the film a realistic atmosphere that is truly outstanding. Very well directed with not a wasted scene. A true quality production that got little notice but deserves to be seen by anyone with an interest in Ireland. | ||
 | The Field | |
| "A parable of Irish History" | 2009-07-11 |
| Richard Harris' performance as Bull McCabe a tenant farmer determined to preserve a way of life that is threatened by progress (represented by the American played by Tom Berenger) drives this film. The story has qualities of a classic tragedy almost King Lear like in McCabe's obsession and ultimate downfall.
The screenplay is excellent and the locations and authenticity of the settings lend the film a realistic atmosphere that is truly outstanding. Very well directed with not a wasted scene. A true quality production that got little notice but deserves to be seen by anyone with an interest in Ireland. | ||
| A Bend in the River -Lib: MP3 | |
| "Mixed Reaction" | 2009-07-05 |
| I found much of this novel to be evocative of not only the lives of people in an isolated part of the third world during the volatile post-colonial period but the author infuses the narrative with an impending sense that some very bad thing is going to occur. The reader is pulled in by this increasing sense of slow building tension reflected not only in the actual lives of the characters but in what they hear from others about events going on tangentially around the city they inhabit along a river in Africa. Naipaul does well in drawing the lives of people displaced from their original homelands and contrasting them with those who seem more to belong to the atmosphere and place where the story is set. In the end I felt a bit cheated as the story gets sidetracked more than once and the somewhat abrupt end didn't feel commensurate with the buildup. | ||
 | A Bend in the River | |
| "Mixed Reaction" | 2009-07-05 |
| I found much of this novel to be evocative of not only the lives of people in an isolated part of the third world during the volatile post-colonial period but the author infuses the narrative with an impending sense that some very bad thing is going to occur. The reader is pulled in by this increasing sense of slow building tension reflected not only in the actual lives of the characters but in what they hear from others about events going on tangentially around the city they inhabit along a river in Africa. Naipaul does well in drawing the lives of people displaced from their original homelands and contrasting them with those who seem more to belong to the atmosphere and place where the story is set. In the end I felt a bit cheated as the story gets sidetracked more than once and the somewhat abrupt end didn't feel commensurate with the buildup. | ||
![The Beatles - Revolver [UK]](product_images/183000/183386_thumb.jpg) | The Beatles - Revolver [UK] | |
| "More than Nostalgia" | 2009-07-02 |
| Over 40 years ago I stood in front of my mono record player spinning revolver over and over thinking "Wow- this is great" . Now I sit in front of a computer clicking songs at random thinking "Wow - this is great". This is a true landmark recording that clearly demonstrates the Beatles' creative power at their absolute peak. There's been nothing like it before or since. | ||
 | Beatles - Revolver | |
| "More than Nostalgia" | 2009-07-02 |
| Over 40 years ago I stood in front of my mono record player spinning revolver over and over thinking "Wow- this is great" . Now I sit in front of a computer clicking songs at random thinking "Wow - this is great". This is a true landmark recording that clearly demonstrates the Beatles' creative power at their absolute peak. There's been nothing like it before or since. | ||
 | Post Office | |
| "Bukowski's First" | 2009-06-15 |
| I have recently gotten into Bukowski's writing and couldn't wait to read Post Office. I had spent 8 years of my young adulthood as a Postal Worker and looked forward to his take on his years in the PO. Bukowski was a writer who pulled no punches. He writes in a spare style influenced by Hemingway but his prose is often crude and graphic. One aspect of his work that I find disturbing after reading 3 of his books in close succession is his treatment of women. All of his female characters are ... let's say less than admirable. I googled Bukowski and misogyny and found a couple of articles and essays addressing this aspect of his work. Despite that one misgiving I find his writing pretty entertaining and compelling in other regards. Post Office is right on the money in it's descriptions of the working conditions and attitudes of his coworkers and supervisors. And let me say that I have many friends who work for the PO and I come from a family of Postal workers so I know the territory and mean no disrespect to people who earn their living there. | ||
 | Chaplin:Early Years Vol. 1 | |
| "Worked For Me On a Number Of Levels" | 2009-06-13 |
| First, Robert Downey Jr is absolutely brilliant in this ; by far his best work. Second while somewhat based on Chaplin's autobiography , the film uses flashback sequences and the device of Chaplin dictating his book to a fictional editor/ghostwriter played by Anthony Hopkins to great effect. The clips from the original films are weaved into the story pretty seamlessly. Finally Chaplin's story is the story of Hollywood and the film industry.The scenes of the early days of Hollywood and and the glow of Los Angeles when it was a small town are fascinating to watch. It must have been quite a place and time. | ||
 | Chaplin:Early Years Vol. 2 | |
| "Worked For Me On a Number Of Levels" | 2009-06-13 |
| First, Robert Downey Jr is absolutely brilliant in this ; by far his best work. Second while somewhat based on Chaplin's autobiography , the film uses flashback sequences and the device of Chaplin dictating his book to a fictional editor/ghostwriter played by Anthony Hopkins to great effect. The clips from the original films are weaved into the story pretty seamlessly. Finally Chaplin's story is the story of Hollywood and the film industry.The scenes of the early days of Hollywood and and the glow of Los Angeles when it was a small town are fascinating to watch. It must have been quite a place and time. | ||
| © 2009 GoSale.com (S1) |