5 comments about Silas Marner (Dover Thrift Editions).

1. I am one of the former students who long ago was forced to read this rot for a HS english class. I can not think of a book that would be of less interest to a teen age american boy than this one. All the reviewers who praise this book make me wonder about what else they read. It was beyond boring and had no possible points of reference to me. There are literally thousands of British novels that would be better choices. If you are going to assign students a British Novel pick one that at least they would enjoy reading. Thank god I liked to read or after this experience I would probably not read anything for years. I hope to god that this is no longer assigned or rather forced reading for HS. When there are books like 1984 or Brave New World available why use one that has so little possible interest to students.



2. George Eliot is the best woman author I've ever read. She had God-given talent that you or I, no matter how much we read, no matter how much we write, could not consciously replicate. She had something which can't be taught, a kernel of genius hidden somewhere in the brain, which was allowed to express itself...to our collective benefit.
   
   Silas Marner, while not perfect, is something recognizably special--a book with lingering phrases, a book with extraordinary insight, a book that instates the reader with the feeling that the author knows what the hell she is doing. It's a book that matters.
   
   I know what you are afraid of: you are afraid this book will be a bloated succession of tea parties and persiflage with mutton-chopped vicars. No fear: the plot is credibly organic, and moves along briskly, wrapping itself up in just over two-hundred pages. It should hold your interest so that you can discover the ten or so gem-sentences dispersed throughout. Sentences that are not just airtight, but that meld with your mind, and cause an "Aha!" reaction. You know what I'm talking about.
   
   Perhaps the most convincing signal I can offer of my sincere regard for her abilities is the fact that I'll now seek out her other works...something I can't say about Virginia Woolf, for instance, whose literary inferiority to Eliot I would take as axiomatic. (Ironic, isn't it--or maybe not--that feminists seem to esteem Woolf more highly than Eliot?)



3. Silas Marner / 0-553-21229-X
   
   Silas Marner always invariably compares in my mind to Dicken's Scrooge. In the height of his youth, healthy, happy, and in love, he is betrayed, cast down, and taught the 'lesson' that only the criminal and avaricious get ahead in life. Banished to a new town, he abandons all attempts to connect with the society around him and instead focuses on hoarding his wealth carefully, counting his money lovingly in the evenings. When the money simply disappears one day, stolen by a burglar, Silas is crushed. Only the arrival of an "angel" - a little orphan girl with golden curls on her head - saves him, and starts him down the long road to redemption. Given something to love, Silas flourishes and learns to join the society of people.
   
   The local nobility, Cass, serves as a perfect counterpoint to Silas' lessons. Cass is rescued in one fell swoop from all his burdens - his inconvenient lower class wife dies suddenly clearing the way for his 'true love' and noble girlfriend, his illegitimate child is adopted by Silas, and his blackmailing brother disappears into the snow for good - and yet, Cass is doomed to a life of disappointment. His perfect upper class wife Nancy cannot bear children, and their perfect home is turned into a silent as the two simply age (they do not grow) and they find that they never really loved each other after all. When Cass realizes, too late, what a treasure his daughter would have been in his life, he finds himself rejected as the girl prefers her adoptive father to the natural one who would not claim her. And though the girl marries below her father's level of nobility, she marries a good man who loves and appreciates her, and her future seems much more rosy than that of her upper class 'parents'.



4. Silas Marner is a skillfully crafted novel to be enjoyed by readers with varied tastes. It was written by a woman, who found it necessary to use a man's name because of attitudes in England in the nineteenth century. It is built around problems that all of us face in our lives, such as, "How important is money?" As in all great novels, the characters change as the plot develops.
   
   SILAS MARNER is a realistic novel because it portrays life in a real and believable fashion. The author, Mary Ann Evans, who used the pen name, George Eliot, pays careful attention to a few distinguishing details about here characters and settings.
   
   For example, we can see Silas Marner, the central character of the novel, with his pale skin and undersized body. We know how he looks with his large, near-sighted, bulging eyes. We can see the important-looking village of Raveloe, which lives peacefully in opulent neglect.
   
   When I was a teacher, I directed many high school sophomores to read SILAS MARNER. Most students dreaded reading the novel included in their literature textbooks. Once they met Silas and spent enough time with him to become acquainted with his unique personality, they became eager readers of this well-crafted classic.
   
   It has some of the same qualities that made Pride and Prejudice (Vintage Classics) an endearing and enduring novel. In both works, the idyllic English countryside is an enjoyable escape from everyday life. There is romantic courtship in both, but the romance of SILAS MARNER is not the central theme; therefore it is not as compelling as that in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Since the readers are not required to become obsessed with yearning for romantic fulfillment, young guys who were in my class felt free to enjoy it. (Sixteen year old young men are still self-conscious about these matters.) Both books contain the same kind of satire buffered with compassion. In both novels we laugh with the local rural and village people. Because the language in SILAS MARNER is less complex, adolescent readers enjoy it more than they do PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.
   
   When as a student I first read SILAS MARNER in high school and when I read it with my students, I considered the coincidences plot weaknesses. Life doesn't work that way, I thought. Now that I have experienced a life of incredible coincidences, I no longer find anything in the book unbelievable. Events caused by Silas Marner's catalepsy seemed unlikely, but now they represent no problem.
   
   Theft with its resulting bitterness provides conflict with which the readers can identify. Earlier I found it difficult to believe that the lightning of theft could strike twice, but that part of the plot is one more realistic element now. Other twists and turns with their ironic mysteries are typical of human life as I have lived it.
   
   All the parts of the novel that seemed to be a contrived fairy tale are now a vignette of life. Even if I could not believe it all, the book would still break my heart the way Forrest Gump does with its twists and turns of satirical accounts.
   
   When I enjoyed SILAS MARNER in my twenties with thirty teenagers at a time, I did not notice the shaping of Silas' religious beliefs as much as I do now. I remember that the students and I were indignant about the way Silas was duped by the evil church members at Lantern Yard. Now I have compassion for them, especially William, as well as for Silas.
   
   Mary Ann Evans showed the futility of idolatry. All my students understood the disaster of worshiping money. If I could return to my students, I would like to ask them what they thought of the villagers who seemed to rely on the habits of their church to bring them close to God. Could we discuss that in the 21st century? I feel sure we would discuss the addiction to narcotics as it is realistically portrayed.
   
   SILAS MARNER is a great English novel not difficult to read, but rich in insights. It shows what is evil and what is good in human hearts.



5. This book is required reading for freshman in our high school. This version is very hard to read due to the Old English style of writing.

5 comments about The New England Cookbook: 350 Recipies from Town and Country, Land and Sea, Hearth and Home.

1. This book is by far the most stained and used in my collection. Its spine is broken, its pages spotted with grease and cheese, its margins filled with notes.

   Every special meal in our home has something from this book - on Thanksgiving, our table was graced by "Whipped Winter Squash with Cranberries," "Crumbly Cider Cornbread Stuffing," and "Shaker Cornmeal Pumpkin Bread." Included in this collection are glorious recipes for a traditional tuna casserole, (tuna casserole glorious, you balk? try for yourself and see!), banana nut bread, clams casino, pizzas and sandwiches, veggies and pasta, fin-fish and shellfish.

   There is truly something for every occasion, from the fancy holiday table to the casual backyard lunch. If you are from New England, you'll feel right at home among these pages, whether you hail from the coast of Maine or inland Massachusetts. If you are from another region, you'll be inspired by the folklore and mystery of America's most frugally creative cooks. Fire up your stove and enjoy!




2. I bought this book after my trip to New England, and I was not disappointed. I love to cook, and I prefer cookbooks written by professionals who know the difference between restaurant cooking and home cooking, know history of cuisine they present, and share personal stories. All of the above I found in the Brooke Dojny's book. I have tried 15 recipes over the past 6 weeks, and all of the results came out terrific and tasting very much like what I ate in Connecticut, Maine, and Massachusetts. I also find the recipes that I have tried to be very easy to follow. Following the recipe for Italian veal piccata, I produced the dish that tastes better than in most Italian restaurants in California and other parts of the States. The recipe for meat loaf is simply the best available! I also appreciate all the forewords and notes for recipes.
   
   Many recipes are quite versatile. For example, the sauce for crab cakes is excellent for many fish or poultry dishes. Even if you serve it with boiled chicken or beef that you used for making broth, the dish becomes excellent instead of being something rather bland and eaten out of frugality and necessity :). This sauce can last in a refrigerator, too.
   
   This book appears to be very helpful when planning a dinner, whether it is a special occasion dinner or just a middle of a week meal. All recipes have specifications as up to which step a cook can prepare a dish in advance. I recently made a sea food feast for my husband's birthday in a middle of a week, and I used this book's recipes only. The feast was spectacular and original, and I was able to do all the shopping and preparations ahead on a previous evening. On the actual celebration day I just spent an hour after work for making four dishes. All in all, they constituted a lovely original coherent special dinner.
   
   After this book, I will gladly buy all books authored by Brooke Dojny.



3. Let me start off by saying that I returned the book and never tried a recipe. I was stunned by how mundane and unsophisticated the recipes are. The cookbook reminded me of one of those fundraising cookbooks put together by schools and churches where everyone contributes one recipe. The reviews were so good I was expecting something exciting and innovative but instead it was filled with dishes that are as common as dirt. If you own Fanny Farmer you already have everything in this cookbook. I grew up on Buzzard's Bay in Massachusetts and I was looking forward to some real New England favorites. The clam chowder recipe was not as good as one I already posses and the author advocates corn meal on her fried clams. No thanks.
   
   If you are looking for easy recipes that may or may not be authentically New England this may be a good cookbook for you. If you are a gourmet cook looking for sophisticated regional fare I say keep looking.



4. Just wanted you to know that I have had trouble ordering "The New England Cookbook". Amazon took my order but kept delaying their shipment of it, saying that they were out of stock (and kept pushing the date forward). I waited patiently for 2 months, then decided that they did not have the item they claimed was in stock.
   
   This was not the first time I have had problems with Amazon. If they have the product they ship immediately, but if they don't.....
   
   Sue in Illinois



5. I adore this cookbook for fall flavors. I also really disagree with one of the reviewers who seems to think sophisticated flavor has to involve complicated recipes. Being a student at the Culinary Institute of American in NY taught me that excellent food does not have to always be complicated. I love the Cranberry Walnut bread, Maple-Lacquered Game Hens and the Polish wild mushroom soup. While I would not make every single recipe here, the recipes that highlight products of New England are excellent.

5 comments about Passing Strange: True Tales of New England Hauntings and Horrors.

1. What you'll love about this book is that Citro spins a good yarn. His storytelling style reads well, and your eyes effotlessly flow over the words. As for whether these stories are true, he includes some fantastically compelling reasons why they could possible be more than simple legend or folklore. Documentation, methodical investigations by qualified skeptics, law enforcement sightings, journalists, and witness-upon-witnesses, all shared in a non-overbearing fashion. He's not trying to prove anything, he's just tickling our thoughts -- and it works!
   
   The stories themselves are either interesting, quirky, terrifying (or all of the above), and all of them -- I mean all of them -- are utterly unique. Just stuff you couldn't have made up on your own even if you were using hallucinogens!
   
   If you're a skeptic it will challenge you. If you're a person of faith it will make you rethink your pre-assumed theologies. But ultimately this book succeeds because at its heart they're just well-told stories that will chill you to the bone and make you think at the same time.



2. Another collection of the incredibly bizarre and truly creepifying true tales of New England from Joe Citro. Not only are these tales so weird, so full of the Yankee spirit, so very scary, but Citro imbues them with the clever, dry-wit of the twinkle-eyed New England storyteller. This book was fantastic. Part of it might be that these places are very familiar to me and it isn't hard to imagine these weird, magical, creepy things occurring in the depths of old New England. Also, these tales are so absolutely bizarre that not even New England's best storytellers (from Nathaniel Hawthorne to Steven King) could have imagined them. I couldn't put this book down, and yet, I couldn't read it at night. Wonderful, scary, and fascinating collection. Grade: A+



3. From the title of this book, I was expecting mostly ghost stories. However, this book is unique in its genre, and I was very pleasantly surprised! Although this book has much legend and lore, of which I am not usually a fan, this author's ability as a raconteur quickly overcomes the boundaries of time. These tales are superbly told by a master at his game. Joseph Citro, in his own words, claims to be an "anthologizer." That is exactly what he does here, and he does it well.
   
   The author's ability to narrate a captivating tale is the epitome of the classic New England story-teller, wry humor included. His prose breathes invigorating life into these stories, most of which are "off the beaten path." He will at times make you shiver, and at other times scratch your head. Gathered for your inspection are some of the most creepy, bizarre, and, in some cases, well-documented strange happenings from across the region. Joseph Citro has set himself apart as a top-notch investigator of odd history and unsolved mysteries, a true "Bard of the Bizarre." I am especially a fan of the stories about the sightings of the "Yankee Bigfoot." There were some pages I couldn't turn fast enough.
   
   This collection peeks into lots of New England's nooks and crannies, and should be included in any ghost story, folklore, or mystery-filled library. These strange tales are engrossing, well varied, and unique. I would love to sit down with the author over a roaring campfire, late at night, with only the forest winds howling . . .



4. You can tell that this book is something special just by looking at the quirky artwork on the front cover. I must admit that I've never visited that part of the world before, but was surprised to find out that New England has such a rich history of folklore and creepy tales. I love the informative way in which all the stories are presented. They have depth and the author usually always offers a theory as to why the (mostly) supernatural events have occurred. My most favourite story in the collection was "Beyond the Dark Entry". It discusses the demise of a small hamlet by the name of Dudleytown. This story was genuinely creepy. I also loved "From the Mountains of Madness" which details some of the eerie experiences various people have had on the top of Mount Washington. Another thing I liked about this book was that even though some of the subject matter or folklore may have stretched the truth a little over the years, they never fall into the trap of being so far-fetched that you feel like you're being taken for a ride. This was a thoroughly entertaining book and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in this genre. I consider this to be one of my most favourite reads ever!!



5. I am an avid reader of the paranormal. I head a paranormal book of the month club due to my ever-expanding library. When I started reading this book, I found I couldn't put it down. It's very captivating and well written. It's not just about the Salem Witch Trials at all, which is scarcely talked about in this book. This book goes indepth about stories and tales you have never heard about before. I loved it! I highly recommend this book to any lover of the paranormal.

No comments about Hiking, Biking, and Paddling Map to Acadia National Park.

5 comments about Dog-Friendly New England: A Traveler's Companion, Second Edition (Dog Friendly).

1. This is a great book, we have dogs and love to travel. This book gives us a wonderful list of places to stay and other information.
   Thank you,
   Jane



2. We took our two dogs to Canada and used this to navigate the northeast. Highly highly recommended.



3. Dog-Friendly New England is a well-organized travel guide for those of us who can't think of travelling without our dog. The book is organized by region,
   and each region is rated for its "dog-friendliness."
   This book is fun to read when you're just trying to plan a New England trip.
   It offers just the right amount of information, with capsule reviews of lodging establishments, restaurants, and attractions. You can probably plan your whole trip to New England based on the recommendations in this book.



4. My wife and I wanted to travel with our Newfoundland dog. No small feat! I read the reviews of this book and decided to try it for myself. I have just returned from 8 days in Kennebunk, Kittery, Bar Harbr ME and Newport RI. The suggested places to stay were teriffic. Clean, roomy enough and very very hospitable. The places to eat and go were also uniformly great! While these were not 5 star resorts, the owners get 5 stars for opening their places to a gateful family! GET THIS BOOK!



5. I purchased this volume, unread, as a gift. Therefore, I cannot offer first-hand testimony (hence, my four stars). The recipient, however, vouches for its accuracy and usefulness.

No comments about AMC River Guide New Hampshire/Vermont, 4th (AMC River Guide Series).

3 comments about Jack and the Beanstalk (We Both Read).

1. Beautifully illustrated and written - the story is true to the fairy tales original plot. I especially like the fact that children can enjoy and participate in this book at their own level. My almost 4 year old boy is an early reader -- he can phonetically pronounce more than half the words on the children's pages, and adds new words each time we read it. His twin sister is just starting to sound out words, but watches with interest as I read the children's pages to her and point to each word as I say it. We're planning to give a copy of this book in the "goody bag" to each child at their 4 year old birthday party next month!



2. A really great idea in children's books! The adult reads the paragraphs on the left side of the book. The parent's sides are full of descriptive words that add to the story. The child reads the right side of the book. The words continue to tell the story, but in more simple words. My son (age five) loves to read these books. The when I read my section, it gives him a much needed break, and he can just imagine what is going on in the story. When it is his turn to read, he is ready to participate!



3. This book was very good and had a lot of humor. The author

   really gets into telling us how Jack got the magic beans by

   trading his cow for them. His mother thought he was dumb for

   buying the beans. So he throws them out the window then grow

   and Jack climbs the stalk to the top. While looking around sees

   the giant then steals his harp. When Jack gets to the bottom

   and while the giant was climbing Jack choped the giants stalk.

   So the giant is destroyed and everybody lives happily ever

   after. This would be a good book for a fairy tale loving person.

1 comments about Maine's Most Scenic Roads (Traveler's Guides).

1. Unspoiled Maine is criss-crossed with pretty roads that traverse some of the handsomest scenery in the Northeast. This book directs the traveler to the best routes with full descriptions along the way. Nothing quite like it, and you'll never wind up on some congested superhighway! Recommended for those who like to explore off the beaten track.

No comments about Foghorn Outdoors New England Biking: 100 of the Best Road and Trail Rides (Foghorn Outdoors).

5 comments about Fanny Hill: Or, Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure (Penguin Classics).

1. This book is fascinating, not merely as an erotic novel (and the historical significance of this book cannot be denied) but also as a glimpse of society and mores of the mid-18th century.

   Fanny is an orphaned girl who goes to London to Seek Her Fortune and ends up with a career alternating between prostitution and being a kept woman. Unlike most porn, she's not always happy about her sexual encounters, and there are times when she's heartbroken over a lost love. She's decieved by a woman who claims to be hiring her "as a companion," in a another scene she's exploited by a money-hungry landlord.

   As she grows older, though, Fanny becomes more in charge of her sexuality and more open to exploration. We, as readers, also see a glimpse of 18th-century prostitution and the demimonde of kept mistresses (which many wealthy men of the period kept).

   Hardly a rollicking farce (there are times when sex has serious consequences) but at times it is humorous. Never crass or vulgar, but nevertheless explicit, this bawdy gem is worth checking out. Fanny is always honest about herself and what she does to survive, and pulls no punches. (I took away a star because, at times, it is difficult going because of the outdated language, but don't let that deter you.)




2. ...Even if it seems like it isn't, it really is. Let's face it, the critics and scholars have tried to dignify the reading and "study" of this text to make the dirty pleasure more dignified. THis is almost like the guys who claim to only look at Playboy for the articles, and not the articles of clothing. It's amusing when professors assign this book, usually the new young male ones.;)



3. I have always been rather fond of this work. Not only is it well written, in a Victorian way, but it is a very nice "dirty book" to boot. There is never really anything crass or gross in the book, the author's use of the language sees to that. The story is certainly realistic, there is humor and a certain sadness all at one time. I am old enough to be able to remember when this particular work was not available in the United States. Thank goodness those days are over. We did miss a lot of purely good writing in those days. I am not at all sure if this one is appropriate for a High School Lit. class, but is certainly worth the read and the study for the more mature reader. On the other hand, the work is certainly a lot less graphic than some of the material the kids have ready access at any time. All in all I have to recommend this one. It is interesting and certainly gives us a good lesson in writing.



4. Maybe it's because I don't think it's particularly newsworthy that people in the 18th century had sex (after all there wouldn't have been people the 19th, 20th, or 21st centuries, otherwise, and lots of the other 18th century novels and quite a few of the poems give the secret away). And I'm not saying, "Don't read Fanny Hill," because it is an interesting read once, as interesting to read as any 18th century tale that's purely about sex would be. But it's not high literary art--while entertaining to read once, it's really little more than a picaresque sex tale, clearly designed for men to read, moving from one incident to another with a "reforming" ending tacked on. The plot setup is totally unrealistic and perfunctory--i mean, would any woman in any century ever write down her sexual activity in such detail to send to another woman to read as memoirs?? As a novel, it pales in comparison to any of the other myriad 18th century works that feature sex as a plot element (e.g., Defoe's Moll Flanders, Fielding's Tom Jones, Matthew Lewis's The Monk, de Laclos' Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and so forth). The difference between those works and this one isn't just the explicitness, it's the fact that in those other works the sex serves a purpose in a larger plot. They may not get into the size of their characters' "machines" but they're simply better, more entertaining books over the long haul. So I'd say check this one out from your public library (it's all right, no one will suspect its contents!) and spend your money to feast on Tom Jones and his late night "conversations" instead.



5. I can easily understand why this book was banned for a long time. It is...explicit. But because it was written 2 centuries ago, the descriptions are far from crass and you have to read some sections twice to make sure that what you thought just happened really did happen.
   
   That having been said, I think this book is a classic, and not just a literary "curiosity" for one simple reason: it portrays sex as something good despite the fact that Fanny is clearly repentant of her past ways. I went into this book expecting a tale of woe, but that aspect of it was only weakly attempted. In short: promiscuity is undesirable, but the sexual act itself is not some kind of horrible sin. This is surprising for a book written in that time, and thus breaks certain boundaries which make it worth reading.