1 comments about Hadrian's Wall Path, 2nd (Trailblazer).

1. Any headed for Scotland - especially any hiker - will find Hadrian's Wall Path a fine survey of a 84-mile path which follows the course of northern Europe's largest surviving Roman monument. It was opened in 2003 so is relatively new, making Hadrian's Wall Path's maps, hiking tips, itineraries and details on where to stay and what to see a top take-along tote.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

1 comments about Boston Sites and Insights: An Essential Guide to Historic Landmarks In and Around Boston.

1. I got this book because I need it for a class, but I actually started reading it before the class started. It's a great book to give you the basic info about a lot of popular and historic places in Boston. Each site has about 4 pages of info, including websites, phone numbers, and other tourist info. I wish I had known about this before my senior year of college in Boston.

No comments about Michelin New England Regional Road Atlas and Travel Guide.

5 comments about Oliver Twist (Oxford World's Classics).

1. When I had to read this book in my adolescent years, it was literary torture. Today, reading with 25 more years of life behind me and greater appreciation for literary art, it's a great story. I never would have picked this story back up had it not been for the review/referral from a friend. In retrospect, I'm not really certain this story is best read, comprehended and appreciated by an adolescent. The story, and the seedy sides of life exposed, might be better processed by an adult.
   
   In addition to the story woven by Dickens, I think what I appreciated most about this writing was how Dickens used the novel as a commentary on life in England at the time of the writing, e.g., society's treatment of the paupers and impoverished, the caste system that existed and condemned a pauper child to destitution at birth, and the judicial system with its corruption and brutality, to name a few. Even as a mature adult reader I winced at how Oliver and the young paupers were brutally treated by "the system" in the first half of the book.
   
   I loved how in the end all the characters, excepting Nancy, received their just rewards and ends in accordance with how they had lived life. The only mild criticism I have was the almost too remarkable coincidence of the relationships of Oliver, Brownlow, Rose and Monks, and how life had brought them together prior even to the discovery of the existence of their relationships and ties from the prior generation. Nevertheless, it's a feel-good ending and the story kept me turning the pages with anticipation.



2. 
   What is it about Oliver Twist that keeps people coming back to it so often and for so long? Oliver Twist is actually one of my favourite all-time reads. I try to read it once every few years, and every time I decide to re-read it, I go in search of a copy that I don't already own because it's fascinating the different publishers, typefaces, bindings etc, that this book has gone through. Maybe I'm like Mel Gibson from Conspiracy Theory, collecting all those The Catcher in the Rye copies, but at least I'm reading them. Mel was just trying to save the human race ... or something like that. Poor fool.
   
   A few years ago, I thought that I had run my course with the young Rascal and had actually come away feeling pretty badly about the development of the ending of the story, which, in my honest opinion, is not as strong as the beginning or the arc of Mr. Brownlow. But Dickens was writing in a time when books were not as prevalent and Twist, as we all may know, was a Newspaper column that had developed into a bound and published work due to its popularity. Standards have changed and agents and publishers are more discriminating. But in no way should anyone let that stop them from the experience of reading Oliver Twist as it really is a masterpiece before its time.
   
   Recently though, watching MSNBC (a new hangout for me, I admit), I saw a documentary regarding the global sex trade of young woman forced into boarding, shipped around, mistreated, taken advantage of, stolen, uprooted, you name it ... and my mind wandered to a comparison of Young Oliver and the Ageing and scheming Fagin. In the lives of the girls they covered, there always seemed to be the `Artful Dodger' character who would start off as the mentor, but meet a bad end eventually, and the `Fagin', who controlled the roost and kept the girls feeling dejected and trapped, thus benefiting monetarily from their toils and of course the 'Sykes', who was the one who met head-first with the law. I felt incredibly bad for those girls and disgusted about the habits of some of my fellow "men".
   
   It really is a shame that in 150 years, this year, Dickens moralist tale of child abuse is still just as prevalent, just as relevant and unfortunately just as insidious and heart-breaking as it was on the cold night that he penned the first article.



3. Originally published in a serialized format, OLIVER TWIST represents some of Charles Dickens very first writings. It is easy to imagine his first readers eagerly (and impatiently) awaiting the next installment of little Oliver's saga. Evocative of so much compassion, this powerful tale has reached the hearts of readers for over 150 years, and is every bit as powerful now as it was originally. Both its message of personal triumph despite overwhelming odds, and its broader admonishment for us all to look more closely at the plight of the destitute and homeless, speak powerfully to every reader.
   
   This book gives you a very disturbing glimpse into life in England during the early 1800s (or at least Dickens' view of that life). Dark, cold, dangerous, and filthy are some adjectives that are nearly always at the fore when reading OLIVER TWIST, as Dickens employs his unparalleled talent for bringing his settings to life with words. The worst in human attributes are also on prominent display in this work, with Bumble, Fagin, and Sikes being the epitome cowardliness, cruelty, and brutality, respectively. Rather uncomfortably, this book also highlights the all-too-common failures of society in general. While we may have come a long way since the time of Dickens, there remains much that we would rather not have to face about our own culture. Abuse and neglect of innocent children has not altogether faded away, but maintains its evil hold on parts of society.
   
   Not to make you think that this book is all about the negatives of humanity. It is also a tale of triumph over evil, goodness coming from love and compassion, and innocence being preserved. Oliver's friends in the second half of the book represent all the best things about humankind and turn this tale into an essentially happy one. That being said, I actually liked the first half of the book (prior to the failed house-breaking attempt) better than the second, primarily because from that point on, while events occur at an increased rate, they are essentially taken out of Oliver's hands.
   
   This is a great book, highly enjoyable, humorous, and evocative of powerful emotion. The famous wit of Charles Dickens is in full display here, with puns (Master Bates), sarcasm, and all manner of plays on words and phrasings, being found throughout. It is also a good example of Dickens' penchant for overly verbose writing. Sentences that simply HAVE to be run-ons are found in nearly every paragraph, to the point where you forget the subject of interest as you get lost in flowing descriptive writing (was that a run-on?). For that reason only, I'd suggest this book for more experienced readers looking to sit down and enjoy one of my favorite classics.



4. Charles Dicken's classic tale of Oliver Twist and the people he comes across is a definite must-read. The poor orphan is one of the most memorable protagonists in English literature. The supporting cast is something worth mentioning, also. The distinctive portrayals of Master Bates, the artful Dodger, Fagin (who is sadly a Jewish caricature), and Bill Sykes make this novel a page-turner.
   
   Much of the satire in this story involves the 19th-century English social class, political upheaval, and daily life in the slums of London. And they work so well here.
   
   A-



5. When I started reading Oliver Twist, it was an assignment for school and nothing more. However, I was soon intrigued by little Oliver, a quiet, naturally pleasant little boy, and who is apparently a magnet for bad company and lives in a workhouse. I wondered how he could remain so sweet and childish through all he'd been through.
   
   Dickens kept me turning the pages with cliffhangers and anticipation. It's witty and it has hilarious moments concerning the band of thieves. Master Charley Bates' laughter is infectious even from the pages of the book, The Artful Dodger's proposed `genteelman behavior' is amusing, and Fagin's witty remarks always manage to entice a chuckle from me and my dad as we read it together.
   
   The only thing that irritated me was that Dickens leaned a little too far to the left and the right , and didn't have any middle ground. Oliver Twist is a perfect boy. He does nothing wrong. Ever. Not once. I don't think it portrays people with a sense of morality well enough, because even those people are not perfect(coughRosecough). However, the way the little robber gang is written represents the underside of human nature very well.
   
   Dickens' sense of description was astounding. It really made everything come to life, from the dirty, disgusting streets of London to the beautiful country lane. It gave me a vivid and detailed picture in my head.
   
   All in all, Oliver Twist is an excellent book.The story was very well put together, and he leaves no loose ends to be tied up. There are dull moments in the book, but Dickens brings us back with a sudden twist at the end of a chapter that will leave us at the edge of our seats, begging "Please sir, more?"

No comments about Hiking the Pioneer Valley.

3 comments about Untamed Vermont: Extraordinary Wilderness Areas of the Green Mountain State.

1. I have been visiting Vermont since the late 60s -- and every arrival is a fresh falling in love with its landscapes. Blake Gardner's new book, "Untamed Vermont," is an extraordinarily powerful evocation of the place at its best. It roams around and finds both the grand vistas and the quiet, small miraculous patches. Gardner's compositions are stunning. One of my favorites is a photo of wild grapes in the Big Branch Wilderness that has the serene lushness of a painted still life. Another one in the same woods: a portrait of a warbler's ground nest, half-hidden by ferns and browned leaves. He captures a forest coated with rime ice in the Camel's Hump area -- a wildly intricate, hypnotic vision. Though it's obvious that Gardner has hiked and climbed to some pretty remote spots to make these photographs, he also shows places that anyone can visit. If you're addicted to Vermont -- or wild lands anywhere -- you'll want to own this book.



2. After gazing at the stunning vistas of nature transposed by Blake Gardner,I realized what a meditation these photos became for me. I was immersed in the depths of colors,shapes ,forms and the sensation of being there,standing next to this inspired artist,silent in the wonderment of the beauty and ancient stillnes that has been captured.
   Every photograph is a unique tribute to Vermont,our earth and the talent of one who sees.



3. I'm really impressed by Blake Gardner's new book Untamed Vermont for several reasons. First and foremost, Blake's photos of the Green Mountain State are outstanding. With his large format camera, he captures both grand scenic and intimate landscapes of Vermont's forests, mountains and lakes - everything from fiddleheads pushing themselves up through the oak leaves of a recently thawed ground to the sweeping vista of the Mountain State from atop Camel's Hump which adorns the cover of this book.

   The second reason I like this book is that the photos are accompanied by some excellent text. Senator Patrick Leahy himself, whom has been a US Senator from Vermont since 1974, writes the Foreword. He not only takes this opportunity to boast of Vermont's "inspiring colored leaves in autumn, the rivers and lakes that dot the countryside, and the countless hiking trails that weave up and around the Green Mountains." He also takes this opportunity to tell of the importance of protecting Vermont's wilderness areas. "It is important to preserve Vermont's Wilderness for our enjoyment and that of generations to come," he writes. "Vermont's first-rate quality of life is partly due to the accessibility of open lands, mountains, lakes, and rivers. Being surrounded by nature offers a time for solitude and reflection, recreation and quality moments with loved ones." I can't agree more.

   Most of the book's text is written by Tom Wessels. Tom is an ecologist, writer, and founding director of the Conservation Biology Program at Antioch New England Graduate School. Of course Tom's going to get points because Antioch is my wife's alma matter, but he also has written a beautiful narrative text which manages to add an additional layer of satisfaction to this great nature photography coffee-table book. The book is full of interesting facts about the Green Mountain State and it's ecology.

1 comments about Maine Birds.

1. These fold out bird guides are great bec you can spill juice or coffee or soda on them and just wipe them off, and they don't get torn up in purses, backpacks, etc. They also don't take up much space. They aren't really paperbacks -they are laminated fold outs.

1 comments about American Map Central/Eastern Connecticut Street Atlas: Hartford, Middlesex, New London, Tolland, Windham Counties (American Map).

1. Trying to navigate across the state with this is impossible. Rather than a standard atlas - where the end of the page helpfully says "continued on map xx", this is organized alphabetically by town - and in many cases the map doesn't even hint at where you should look as your road runs off the page. Strangely, although owned by the same parent company - American Maps uses this poorly organized way, while Hagstrom Maps are easy to follow and use.

4 comments about FamilyFun Vacation Guide: New England.

1. I bought this book because are planning a trip to Cape Cod. It was very informative and answered all of my questions. I highly recommend it if you have children because it offered hints and tips about traveling with children, price ranges for each activity and things you should not miss while in each vacation spot. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is the format. Sometimes a "hint" or description of a place would start in the middle of a page that was describing something else. It was a bit confusing at first. Otherwise it was well written and informative. I feel prepared to leave for Cape Cod (or any New England spot) today!!



2. I grew up in New England and wanted to get a refresher. It was OK but I wanted more.
   
   It was geared to entertaining a family with young kids, not us any more.



3. We just got back from our New England trip and used this book as much as possible. While it had some useful items, overall we found the AAA Guide more useable and helpful. This text was out of date on some items (the LL Kids no longer exists, we discovered, after a drive to Freeport, ME) and for many others it exagerated its "wow" factor. It also doesn't distinguish between places for small toddlers (the Portland, ME children's museum which my 4 year old loved) versus older kids (like my 10 year old who was board at the Portland musuem). Places are identified by address and phone only (no directions), the maps are difficult to use as they only show parts of each state (be sure to get a New England road map from AAA). Also, the restaurant recommendations are good for the most part only if you are looking for standard kids menu fare, i.e., chicken nuggets, etc. Our kids want better food, e.g., lobster while in Maine, and so we had better luck on our own (or from recommendations from the "locals", like ordering take out lobster cooked at Bayleys in Old Orchard Beach and eating it back at our condo (with our own side dishes) and in a more relaxed state than we could ever have at a restaurant with 3 kids.
   
   While I wouldn't discourage you from getting it since there are some helpful ideas, don't expect to rely on it as your primary tour book.



4. I have read this book cover to cover and absolutely love it! I am in the process of planning our summer vacation; this book is so informative and helpful. I am looking forward to a GREAT summer vacation with my family.
   I'll let you know....

No comments about Hagstrom New Haven County, Connecticut Street Atlas.