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Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (Cliffs Notes) List Price: $5.99 Sale Price: $2.38 Used From: $0.01 Average Rating:

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A fascinating and tragic story of a man obsessed with the idea of success in America. Gatsby's singularity of purpose makes him a caricature of many American ideologies, all told in a spectacular, artful narrative.

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• ISBN13: 9780764586019
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Reviews

Received quicker than expected. Quality was great, just as if I bought brand new from a bookstore. would definitly purchase thru them again.

Here is an honest review of the book for what it is, not the ethical and educational implications of reading this book. In terms of the educational value received from the book, it's not too bad. Although their vocabulary isn't as great as the vocabular sparknotes employs, their guides seem to colloquially explain the subject material, which is the purpose of the book. I bought the book because I was at Target and needed a guide for an upcomming test where I wouldn't have internet access the nights before (I usually use sparknotes because it's free), and I was surprised by the writing quality of the book. Granted, it's not as good as Fitzgeral's writing, however it does relate the story, which is the primary purpose for a history class. Concerning the people who have condemned this book, they need to understand the multiple approaches to learning subject areas. Currently I maintain a schedule where on good days I receive 6 hours of sleep and on bad a receive 3 to none because of my busy schedule and heavy extra-cirricular activity. Reading cliff-notes doesn't mean we as readers won't look in the book for quotes (for example - writing a paper) to support our ideas. Simply condemning them because they're not the real book is unfair to the book, the authors, and the people that use cliff notes for ligitimate purposes. Overall, it conveys the idea well, however sparknotes does an equally decent job.

I am embarrased that someone is looking at this page and considering reading the cliffnotes for one the the best (and not to mention shortest) pieces of american literature. Try to use your brains for something other than reality television and choosing a fast food joint. Its not all that hard to read this book and understand it. ENJOY!

Stop right now. Do NOT buy this. Buy the actual book instead! I know, I know, crazy idea in this day and age, but Cliffs Notes are exactly what is wrong with the world of literature these days: too many people reading the Reader's Digest version, and not enough actually reading great literature! I mean, come on people, the book is less than 200 pages long. You can read it in one sitting. And it's not even that difficult to understand--the prose is limpid and the plot engrossing. Don't cheat; don't take the easy way out. Do the right thing. Read the book, not the Cliffs Notes.

"Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (Cliffs Notes)" is a great way to help you understand what you're reading, if you're having difficulties. If you're not having a problem reading "The Great Gatsby," this will give you questions to test your knowledge of the book. Of course, you should read the Cliffs Notes AFTER you read "The Great Gatsby," not instead of. I recommend.

Spark Notes The Great Gatsby List Price: $5.95 Sale Price: $5.95 Used From: $0.01 Average Rating:

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Get your "A" in gear!They're today's most popular study guides-with everything you need to succeed in school. Written by Harvard students for students, since its inception SparkNotes™ has developed a loyal community of dedicated users and become a major education brand. Consumer demand has been so strong that the guides have expanded to over 150 titles. SparkNotes'™ motto is Smarter, Better, Faster because:They feature the most current ideas and themes, written by experts.\They're easier to understand, because the same people who use them have also written them.The clear writing style and edited content enables students to read through the material quickly, saving valuable time.And with everything covered--context; plot overview; character lists; themes, motifs, and symbols; summary and analysis, key facts; study questions and essay topics; and reviews and resources--you don't have to go anywhere else!

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Very detailed. Seems to give you all that you need to know and less of what you don't need.

Full-Length

The Great Gatsby List Price: $14.00 Sale Price: $7.14 Used From: $2.68 Average Rating:

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Noted Fitzgerald biographer Matthew J. Bruccoli draws upon years of research to present the Fitzgerald's Jazz Age romance exactly as he intended according to the original manuscript, revisions, and corrections--with explanatory notes. Reprint.

In 1922, F. Scott Fitzgerald announced his decision to write "something new--something extraordinary and beautiful and simple + intricately patterned." That extraordinary, beautiful, intricately patterned, and above all, simple novel became The Great Gatsby, arguably Fitzgerald's finest work and certainly the book for which he is best known. A portrait of the Jazz Age in all of its decadence and excess, Gatsby captured the spirit of the author's generation and earned itself a permanent place in American mythology. Self-made, self-invented millionaire Jay Gatsby embodies some of Fitzgerald's--and his country's--most abiding obsessions: money, ambition, greed, and the promise of new beginnings. "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter--tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.... And one fine morning--" Gatsby's rise to glory and eventual fall from grace becomes a kind of cautionary tale about the American Dream. It's also a love story, of sorts, the narrative of Gatsby's quixotic passion for Daisy Buchanan. The pair meet five years before the novel begins, when Daisy is a legendary young Louisville beauty and Gatsby an impoverished officer. They fall in love, but while Gatsby serves overseas, Daisy marries the brutal, bullying, but extremely rich Tom Buchanan. After the war, Gatsby devotes himself blindly to the pursuit of wealth by whatever means--and to the pursuit of Daisy, which amounts to the same thing. "Her voice is full of money," Gatsby says admiringly, in one of the novel's more famous descriptions. His millions made, Gatsby buys a mansion across Long Island Sound from Daisy's patrician East Egg address, throws lavish parties, and waits for her to appear. When she does, events unfold with all the tragic inevitability of a Greek drama, with detached, cynical neighbor Nick Carraway acting as chorus throughout. Spare, elegantly plotted, and written in crystalline prose, The Great Gatsby is as perfectly satisfying as the best kind of poem.

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• ISBN13: 9780743273565
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Reviews

...applied to the star rating of books. In brief, the Doppler effect addresses the perceived frequency of waves, such as a fire truck's siren, by taking into account the actual frequency, and the relative speeds of the source of the sound, and the observer. So too with books; your opinion is so often determined by your particular circumstances, perhaps rushing towards the source, or enjoying the lengthening perspective that life in its fullness can provide. Unlike so many of the now familiar 1-star reviews, written by students forced to read the book as an assignment, I first read this book, of my own free will, more or less, when I was in Vietnam, some 40 plus years ago. When you are living in a bunker, the whining of the rich, and their self-induced troubles, does not go down well, and if Amazon had existed then, the best I could have mustered would have been a 2-star rating. But a friend chided me into undertaking a second read. And I found a finely crafted novel, yes, concerning the rich, primarily; set in the early years of the "Roaring 20's." The story is told through the voice of Ned Carraway, standing in that proverbial inertial reference frame, a migrant from the Mid-West, attempting to scratch a living by selling bonds on Wall Street, and living in modest circumstances on Long Island. The book's essential theme is lost love, or more precisely, lost opportunities in courtship, and involves the title character, Jay Gatsby (né Jimmy Gatz), and his desire for Tom Buchanan's wife, Daisy, whom he had briefly known before her marriage. She requites, for sure. The "minor characters" do their share of suffering. There is plenty of philandering all around, and a somewhat predictable Greek tragedy denouement. Fitzgerald tells his story well, and it is relatively fast-paced and dense. There are sufficient insights to maintain the interest. Tom exudes much of the stupidity and bigotry that so often goes with wealth. Consider the following statement: "...Nowadays people begin by sneering at family life and family institutions, and next they'll throw everything overboard, and have intermarriage between black and white." At another point, Fitzgerald says of Tom: "As for Tom, the fact that he `had some woman in New York' was really less surprising than that he had been depressed by a book. Something was making him nibble at the edge of stale ideas as if his sturdy physical egotism no longer nourished his preemptory heart." But the primary focus is on Gatsby. And therein were some problems. Somerset Maugham did the "obsession with a woman" thing to perfection. Fitzgerald's explanation of Gatsby's obsession was substantially weaker. And then there is the matter of his rapid acquisition of wealth. Could it have occurred so quickly, under any circumstances, since the novel was set in the early 20's, instead of the late 20's? The Rich really are different than you and me, as the old saw goes. The concentration of wealth in the United States, even in the midst of the Great Recession, exceeds even that of the `20's, so the foibles, prejudges, and contrived problems of the lucky, or is it unlucky few, from that prior era, merit another look, as the wavelength of that receding period lengthens, along with perspective of the reader. A 5-star read, but not one of the 10 best American novels of all time.

I have yet to receive this purchase. I find this to be unacceptable. I purchased it over a month ago, and no longer need the book for my class has already read it in its entirety.

4 stars means: It was a great book and I would recommend it to almost anyone. This novel best epitomizes the 1920s in New York and the U.S. as a whole. Although it starts moderately slow, as a lot of 'classics' sometimes do, at least to the modern reader, it is a engaging read with genuinely interesting and extremely complex characters. On the characters: Few novels manage to create this depth of personality in such a large number of characters over so few pages. You come to, if not like, at least be interested in the fate of everyone in the novel. Although there are very few people you could honestly root for this becomes part of the fun of the book. The party scene is a seminal moment in fiction. It is one of the best captured moments through so few words. The prose is not fluffy but well crafted and meaningful. Fitzgerald manages to illuminate deeper issues in the plot through brilliant diction and subtle analogies. This and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button are the only works of Fitzgerald which I have read, but both have made me want to enjoy more of them. I would recommend it to anyone interested in a good, but not to easy, read.

This class novel was mandatory reading material sophomore and senior year of High School, but I continued to read this book through out college in my leisure time bc I love it so much. Such a good story

i bought it new. but i could have just checked out the book at the library while i needed it instead of paying for it :(

Video & Audio

The Great Gatsby List Price: $9.98 Sale Price: $5.91 Used From: $6.97 Average Rating:

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Adaptation of the Fitzgerald novel about a dashing enigmatic millionaire obsessed with an elusive, spoiled young woman.Genre: Feature Film-DramaRating: PG13Release Date: 8-AUG-2006Media Type: DVD

This adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, scripted by Francis Ford Coppola, puts costume design and art direction above the intricacies of character. It's certainly a handsome try, and perhaps no movie could capture The Great Gatsby in its entirety. Robert Redford is an interesting casting choice as Gatsby, the millionaire isolated in his mansion, still dreaming of the woman he lost. And Sam Waterston is perfect as the narrator, Nick, who brings the dream girl Daisy Buchanan back to Gatsby. No, the problem seems to be that director Jack Clayton fell in love with the flapper dresses and the party scenes and the Jazz Age tunes, ending up with a Classics Illustrated version of a great book rather than a fresh, organic take on the text. While Redford grows more quietly intriguing in the film, Mia Farrow's pallid performance as Daisy leaves you wondering why Gatsby, or anyone else, should care so much about his grand passion. The effective supporting cast includes Bruce Dern as Daisy's husband, and Scott Wilson and Karen Black as the low-rent couple whose destinies cross the sun-drenched protagonists. (That's future star Patsy Kensit as Daisy's little daughter.) The film won two Oscars--not surprisingly, for costumes and musical score. --Robert Horton

DVD Information

• Robert Redford
• Mia Farrow
• Bruce Dern
• Karen Black
• Scott Wilson

Reviews

The Great Gatsby is a colorful, funny, panoramic book full of penetrating individual character studies and strong opinions about the lives of the wealthy. This movie version doesn't communicate any of the book's depth. The director focuses the movie on Gatsby's and Daisy's brief romance. It is the main focus of the movie. But in the book, their 'romance' is a minor point. It doesn't occupy many pages at all. In fact, one interpretation of the book is that Daisy doesn't truly love Gatsby. Rather, he's just another plaything for this bored rich woman, one that allows her to get even with her brutal husband's affair that he flaunts in front of her before Gatsby shows up. The actors in the movie don't fit the characterization of the book. Bruce Dern portrays Tom Buchanan as weak. Fitzgerald shows Buchanan as a physically imposing, 6'3", 220ib college football star, who turns every encounter into a contest, a contest he intends to win. Dern doesn't show Buchanan's sheer intimidation. Robert Redford is OK as Gatsby, but it's not a hard role, because there isn't much depth to Gatsby. The interesting characters in the book are Tom & Daisy Buchanan and Jordan. Mia Farrow portrays Daisy as weak, unstable and easily upset. Fitzgerald shows Daisy as uninterested, confident and manipulative of situations. This movie is a bust, but it's also 35yrs old. I hope a talented director and screenwriter see the opportunity for a new film interpretation about this magnificent book. - For film buffs, this movie is interesting in that it's a big money movie. Gatsby is released around the same time as Scorsese's & DeNiro's masterpieces of Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. Those two geniuses to take Jake LaMotta's autobiography, and turn it into a cinematic masterpiece, one that is the forerunner of how films were made for the next couple decades. At the same time, Jack Clayton takes a masterpiece of a novel about dreams and wealth and ambition, the Great Gatsby, and removes all the interesting aspects of the book, and hands us only a tepid love story. It's movies like Gatsby that show what a genius Scorsese is, because he takes everyday material and spins gold.

To see the extent to which the filmmakers misunderstood the novel, all you have to do is to view one brief scene. Recall this passage from the book: -- "About Gatsby! No, I haven't. I said I'd been making a small investigation of his past." "And you found he was an Oxford man," said Jordan helpfully. "An Oxford man!" He was incredulous. "Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit." "Nevertheless he's an Oxford man." "Oxford, New Mexico," snorted Tom contemptuously, "or something like that." -- Tom quips "Oxford, New Mexico" here to mock the notion that Gatsby could have possibly graduated from Oxford. While Oxford University represents the ultimate in upper class respectability to blue-blooded Easterners like himself, anything having to do with New Mexico is no doubt considered vulgar and hopelessly lower class. Tom "snorts" the words "Oxford, New Mexico" because it is literally laughable to him that a nobody like Gatsby would try to pass himself off as an upper class elite. But in the movie, Tom does not "snort" the words. He looks at Jordan with a serious expression and and says "Oxford, New Mexico" in a chiding tone, like a father reprimanding his misbehaving young daughter. In other words, the filmmakers completely miss the point of that little exchange. And if they don't grasp something so obvious, well, they really don't understand the character, Tom Buchanan, do they? And if they don't understand basic stuff like that, they don't understand the book at all, and it shows. Not all is lost. I'll give the movie three stars for all the visuals: the lavishly decorated mansions, Gatsby's huge parties, the chic 1920s attire of the moneyed class...it's all beautifully filmed, looking the way you imagine it does in the book.

An excellent movie I saw when it first came out and thought it was so good, I wanted it in my collection! Terrific acting!!

One of the greatest pieces of American literature, but a soul less film. Mia Farrow is great for what she is doing for Darfur! But I wish I hadn't seen this. Glad I read the book first.

Frankly, I am amazed that the reviews for this exceptional movie version of F. Scott Fitzergerald's masterpiece novel didn't receive 5 stars across the board. The movie depicted his story so well, not like so many where I've had to say: "The book was a lot better than the movie." In this case, however, the movie actually enhanced the book's greatness. Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Lois Chiles, Bruce Dern, Karen Black & Scott Wilson were at their best acting performance and Sam Waterson was ideal as narrator. What more can I say? Perfect casting! Perfect settings! Perfect musical score! The costumes & dress were especially appropriate for the time period making me feel like I was right there among those reveling in the glory of the glamorous roaring 20s. Oh, to have another great movie like this come out in today's world where unfortunately, explicit sex and gross language are the norm.

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The Bounty Mutiny (Penguin Classics) List Price: $15.00 Sale Price: $7.86 Used From: $5.56 Average Rating:

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The names William Bligh, Fletcher Christian, and the Bounty have excited the popular imagination for more than two hundred years. The story of this famous mutiny has many beginnings and many endings but they all intersect on an April morning in 1789 near the island known today as Tonga. That morning, William Bligh and eighteen surly seamen were expelled from the Bounty and began what would be the greatest open-boat voyage in history, sailing some 4,000 miles to safety in Timor. The mutineers led by Fletcher Christian sailed off into a mystery that has never been entirely resolved.While the full story of what drove the men to revolt or what really transpired during the struggle may never be known, Penguin Classics has brought together-for the first time in one volume-all the relevant texts and documents related to a drama that has fascinated generations. Here is the full text of Bligh's Narrative of the Mutiny, the minutes of the court proceedings gathered by Edward Christian in an effort to clear his brother's name, and the highly polemic correspondence between Bligh and Christian-all amplified by Robert Madison's illuminating Introduction and rich selection of subsequent Bounty narratives.

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• ISBN13: 9780140439168
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Reviews

Depending on your mindset when you read this collection, this can be a great analytical read on the most infamous mutiny in western naval history. The most important point to understand about this collection is that it is meant to illustrate the power of language. The accounts in the book are from many of the people either directly involved in the Bounty mutiny or were closely affected by it. When reading the different accounts, the reader will see how each author utilizes rhetorical strategies to sway the reader to sympathize for their agenda. It is from this use of rhetoric that the reader can see the types of people these men truly were. Captain Bligh uses facts and exact and minute details to recall the events before and after the mutiny. It shows he is a very astute and analytical thinker who was perhaps out of touch with his crew. From Edward Christian we can see the type of fire and passion that he and his brother (Fletcher, the initiator of the mutiny) possessed. The develop of these people based on simply their own writing is quite astounding. In all, these primary writings are a good source for historical analysis and also important to document the use of rhetorical strategies in written language.

This is my first review. I feel that some of the 'rave reviews' I read for this volume did not adequately describe several flaws that I feel need mentioning. I bought this book because I wanted to read the contemporary accounts of the Bounty mutiny to gain an understand of both sides of the issues involved, and to make a personal decision on what happened and why. This edition was touted as allowing me to do just that. However I found that the editor, in his introduction, tries to do some of my thinking for me. I feel that, in a book of this sort, the editor should not be telling us his version of the story, particularly at the beginning of the book. Mr Madison may well believe that Captain Bligh was the villian in this tragedy with Mr Christian the poor sensitive victim, but I wish he would keep it to himself and limit himself to background and supplemental material. Another disappointment is that apparently, the chapter titled "Minutes of the Proceedings of the Court-Martial held at Portsmouth, August 12, 1792." is not the real minutes at all, but a partial transcript provided by Edward Christian (Fletcher's brother). I'm not sure I understand why the actual court transcript was not available and what is missing in the version we have. I do know we have to rely on a version published by the 'defendant's" brother. Is that really conducive to getting an objective picture? That said, the book is still interesting and does give the reader a fairly comprehensive picture of the events of that spring morning in 1789.

This book is a collection of early documents relating to Fletcher Christian's mutiny against William Bligh in 1789 on the HMS Bounty. The editor claims to have gathered together for the first time "the relevant texts and documents" related to this famous event that has intrigued readers for 200 years. In all, ten documents whose publication dates range from 1790 to 1870 are included. The first four documents make up the body of the book and consist of a series of published statements by William Blight and responses by Edward Christian, Fletcher's brother. Fletcher Christian died on Pitcairn Island and never put his story in print. These four sections are followed by six Appendixes. The first Appendix contains a transcript of Bligh's orders and a botanical description of the breadfruit that the Bounty went to Tahiti to obtain. The remaining five Appendixes are narratives of the lives of those who stayed on the Bounty after the mutiny.All of these early texts are preceded by a delightful and informative Introduction by the editor that relates the early lives of both Bligh and Christian and discusses their relationship leading up to the mutiny. It describes the mission of the Pandora to seek out the Bounty and bring back any mutineers they can find. Also covered is the trial and disposition of those sailors brought back from Tahiti. Lastly, the Introduction goes on to summarize the history of Bounty documentation and scholarship, from Bligh's first published account right on through the famous fictionalized Bounty trilogy by Nordhoff and Hall. The Introduction is followed by a one page listing of suggested further readings.The first section of the book is Bligh's 1790 account of the mutiny and subsequent voyage of he and 18 crew members in the ship's 23 foot boat. He quickly recounts the details of the mutiny on the first four pages and then spends the remaining 62 pages on his heroic and epic voyage across 3,600 miles of the South Pacific that took about a month and a half. Bligh depicts himself as a dedicated leader who saved the lives of all but one crew member in this fascinating and arduous journey. The second section of the book is the proceedings of the court martial of those brought back to face charges of mutiny, published in 1794 by Edward Christian in an attempt to exonerate his brother. This text consists of a written statement by Bligh, a series of interrogations of the Bounty crew regarding the events of the mutiny, and an Appendix by Edward. A picture of Bligh as a tyrant emerges from this testimony. It is 86 pages long and somewhat repetitive, but still an interesting document to read. The 20 page Appendix at the end of is Edward Christian's attempt to show that his brother had cause for his actions. Although he does not try to justify his brother's actions, he tries to show the state of desperation that his brother was driven to by Bligh's actions. Bligh was at sea when this was published and, when he returned home, he published in 1795 "An Answer..." to the statements of the Appendix which is included as the third section of this book. To this Edward Christian wrote and published a "Short Reply..." that is the fourth section of this book. This interchange in writing between Bligh and Edward Christian is wonderful to read because it presents both sides of the story in a very balanced and fair manner. Without having Fletcher Christian to defend his own actions, this set of documents is the next best thing we have to a fair presentation of both sides of the case.The above documents alone would have made a wonderful and enlightening book. The editor goes on to present in the Appendixes documents that tell the story of those men who followed Fletcher Christian to Tahiti or Pitcairn Island. The first Appendix is a copy of Bligh's orders to go to Tahiti and a description of the breadfruit he was to bring to Jamaica. The second Appendix is an 1870 retelling of a journal kept by one of the sailors who was taken by the Pandora from Tahiti as a mutineer. It tells of the harsh treatment these 14 received aboard this ship and how four died when the ship sank. The next two Appendixes are accounts written by crew members of a ship that visited Pitcairn Island 19 years after the mutiny in 1808. They tell the story of the crew that landed there with Fletcher Christian and their history and families. By this time only one of the nine members of the original Bounty crew that landed on the island remained alive. The last two Appendixes are the story of one of the Tahitian women who married a Bounty crew member and the story of the last surviving crew member himself. Altogether these various documents pieced together tell what we can know of the Bounty mutiny. They make fascinating reading, more interesting than the fictional accounts. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in tales of the sea.

What an amazing book. Using the original source materials--Bligh's diary, the transcript of the Bounty Court Martial, Fletcher Christian's brother's defense of the mutineers, and other materials--the Editor R.D. Madison has put together a book which is impossible to put down. Indeed, the book leaves the reader wishing it were twice as long. Madison refuses to take sides in the Bligh v. Christian debate, and lets the record speak for itself. Since the record is contradictory and nobody is unbiased, the effect, in cinematic terms, is more like "Roshomon" than either of the two Bounty movies. William Bligh comes across as an incredibly brave man with an indomitable will--yet he has a tendency to whine, and worse, he stoops to securing affidavits which do not even pass the smell test. Fletcher Christian comes across as a 23-year old hothead who lets the men talk him into leading a mutiny--and can't control the situation after the mutiny. Christian petulantly refuses to have dinner with the Captain on the eve of the mutiny. Clark Gable, he clearly ain't. The moral world of the Bounty is painted entirely in shades of gray; the men of the Bounty are imperfect and all too human.Not only is the reader treated to a great detective story, but it is a story with an absorbing and instructive sequel. The book ends with a contemporary account, first published in the 1830's, of the subsequent history of Pitcairn's Island as told by the last survivor of the Bounty, "John Adams" (an alias). Adams described a harrowing descent into mayhem and murder by the mutineers who made it to Pitcairn's Island along with their native friends. The disputes began with a dispute over--you guessed it--who would possess a native woman. Except for Adams, Fletcher Christian his gang were all killed, along with the native men. In the end, John Adams sets up a harmonious society based on Biblical principles. I have been scratching my head for two whole weeks since finishing this book, pondering its meaning. And that is a high recommendation, indeed.

The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty List Price: $17.00 Sale Price: $3.66 Used From: $0.01 Average Rating:

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More than two centuries after Master’s Mate Fletcher Christian led a mutiny against Lieutenant William Bligh on a small, armed transport vessel called Bounty, the true story of this enthralling adventure has become obscured by the legend. Combining vivid characterization and deft storytelling, Caroline Alexander shatters the centuries-old myths surrounding this story. She brilliantly shows how, in a desperate attempt to save one man from the gallows and another from ignominy, two powerful families came together and began to create the version of history we know today. The true story of the mutiny on the Bounty is an epic of duty and heroism, pride and power, and the assassination of a brave man’s honor at the dawn of the Romantic age.

Surely this exhaustingly-researched, enthralling and enthusiastically-written tome is the last word on the most famous of all seafaring mutinies, that of shipmate Fletcher Christian and against Lieutenant Bligh on the Bounty. More than 200 years have gone by since the ship left England after dreadful weather kept it harbored for months, on its mission to transport breadfruit from Tahiti to the West Indies. The mutiny in Tahiti left the mutineers scattered about the paradisiacal islands and found Bligh and 18 of his loyal crew members set adrift in a 23-foot open boat. Bligh, who'd served as Capt. James Cook's sailing master, fantastically maneuvered the crew on a 48-day, 3,600-mile journey to safety. Caroline Alexander, author of The Endurance, is never in over her head even when weaving together densely twisting narratives, or explaining the unwritten rules of the Royal Navy, of the complexities of class and hierarchy that impelled much of what happened aboard the Bounty. The book centers far more on the effort to round up the mutineers than the actual mutiny itself. The book is enlivened by the colorful commentary of the crew members themselves, gleaned from letters and court documents. Alexander does us all the favor of presenting Bligh the way he was understood and received in his day--as a brilliant navigator who, when placed in context, was not a brutal task-master at all. She roots the tyrannical figure we know so well from the movies on the last-ditch efforts of one well-connected crew member to save his own hide from hanging. --Mike McGonigal

Features

• ISBN13: 9780142004692
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Reviews

Like many today, the only knowledge I had of the mutiny on the Bounty had come in bits and pieces from popular culture. I was well aware of the portrait of Bligh as a tyrannical madman forcing his subordinates to his will. However, is that characterization correct? If not, then why would his men mutiny? These and many other questions are answered in great detail in Caroline Alexander's book. I began reading with the expectation that the mutiny would take place with some swashbuckling battle for control of the ship, ultimately deposing Bligh and his allies. The mutiny actually took place fairly peacefully and is really a strange spectacle. The bulk of the book is not concerned directly with the mutiny itself but in the courts-martial drama that follows. The events that took place on the Bounty are told from multiple, often contradictory standpoints. It is hard to tell exactly who is innocent and who guilty. It amazes me that the mutiny seems to have been put together at the last minute. Christian Fletcher's motives remain shrouded in some mystery. Alexander asserts, with good evidence, that it was the lure of Tahiti that ultimately lit the fuse. This seems a partial explanation in my mind however, because Fletcher's reaction seems so abrupt and drastic. Perhaps this can be attributed to the excess of alcohol. I enjoyed being taken back to Tahiti, having read several books of Cook's voyages, and enjoyed reading of the mutiny, the sailors involved, and what eventually happened to the mutineers. I was, however, disappointed that I found myself in a book that reads more as a courtroom drama than adventure on the high seas. I wish Alexander had spent more time and detail on the open boat voyage and the mysterious malaise that eventually struck several who survived it. The scenes on the Pandora were interesting but I think I would have gotten more out of them if they had been placed after the mutiny and I knew the characters better. All in all the book is well researched, detailed, and does a good job of showing what eventually became of the major characters. The narrative does drag at times but there is always something interesting right around the next few pages. I really did like the suspense that was built up by not settling the fate of Fletcher until well into the book.

Peter Heywood was a sixteen-year-old midshipman on the Bounty - a very minor contributor when juxtaposed with the legendary Fletcher Christian and William Bligh. Nevertheless, Heywood and his family dominate this book. I grew more curious by the page as to why this was so. Heywood was brought to court martial with several others and is one of three released. What followed was an orchestrated family effort to clear his name of any taint. This is where Caroline Alexander takes us and retains us for much of the book. True, Heywood did go on to a distinguished career as a sea-going captain, but his actual participation in the mutiny was exceedingly modest. Thus, the subsequent success that attracts Alexander's attention is due to Heywood's lack of impact on the story. Mutineers don't become British sea captains. History, done correctly, can be as suspenseful as any fiction and the Mutiny on the Bounty would seem the perfect vessel for it. Perhaps I was wrong to expect South Pacific swashbuckling and island intrigue, for there was never much of it. The Bounty, by Caroline Alexander is well-researched, competently written, but compelling it is not. Given the continuous popularity of the story, Alexander had enough information to write a book less focused on Peter Heywood. I won't say this makes The Bounty boring, but it makes it less than it might have been. 4 stars.

Caroline Alexander has produced the definitive account of the mutiny on the Bounty, making what could be a dry history lesson into a true page-turner. My only negative comment is that the maps are nigh illegible on the Kindle. :-(

If you love non-fiction, a fascinating topic, and exceptional writing, this book is for you. Caroline Alexander brilliantly integrates numerous primary and secondary sources into a highly readable narrative of what happened on H.M.S. Bounty on April 28, 1789. The reader learns about the men and events leading up to the mutiny, what occurred during the takeover, and the mutiny's aftermath. Of the 45 men serving under William Bligh, the author lists only 19 as having actively participated in the mutiny. Ten accused mutineers were eventually captured, and the account of their court-martial is particularly engrossing. The author is scrupulous about presenting all versions of what happened during the mutiny, and she gives an equally gripping narrative of its consequences. However, she is not a disinterested observer, i.e., she has opinions, which she supports with facts. For example, she dispels the Hollywood myth that the blame for the mutiny should fall predominately on Bligh's shoulders and that Fletcher Christian had little choice but to overthrow a tyrant. An especially interesting part of the book is the final chapter, which relates what happened later in life to the Bounty's officers and crew. There is also an extensive section on sources and a significant selected bibliography. A fabulous read.

I've had this book in my library for years and finally picked it up a month or two ago. I had no idea that I'd be swept into one of the most interesting narrative histories I've ever read. Alexander has done her research thoroughly and what I find most astounding is just how much source material she had to work with. I'm new to British Naval history and I was amazed that they'd managed to preserve so many of the pertinent logs and letters. What was even more astonishing was that the evidence she compiles for this book paints Bligh in such a contrasting light than the rest of the world knows him. We can all spout what we've 'heard' about the reputation of Captain Bligh, but when the facts are laid bare, the story changes dramatically. I now find myself defending Captain Bligh at every turn and encouraging people to read this fantastic book. Alexander's writing is clear and supremely interesting. She takes the time to explain the naval lingo as well as the ramifications of certain world events and historical context. I ended up feeling sympathy for Bligh and just a bit of rage at how he was mistreated. You may not be swept along as thoroughly as I was, but I doubt you'll be able to look at this epic true story in the same way again.

Video & Audio

The Bounty List Price: $14.98 Sale Price: $8.72 Used From: $4.92 Average Rating:

Description

OscarÂ(r) winners* Anthony Hopkins and Mel Gibson lead a stellar cast that includes Sir Laurence Olivier, Daniel Day-Lewis and Liam Neeson in this action-packed adventure bursting with sensational battles, raging storms, and an intensity as powerful as the mighty sea itself! Bristling with commanding performances, blazing dialogue and "superb action scenes" (Los Angeles Times), this "spectacular movie" (New York) is "everything a high-adventure fan could want" (Variety)! Hopkins delivers "a brilliant portrayal" (Boxoffice) as William Bligh, a real-life sea captain who, in 1787, steered The Bounty on a 27,000-mile voyage into danger, chaos and madness. After 31 days of battling severe sea squalls and Bligh's ever-increasing cruelty, the weary crew is relieved to finally land on a remote island. But soon their tyrannical captain wants tosail again, and the desperate men turn to first mate Fletcher Christian (Gibson) to help them take the ship by force or die trying. *Hopkins: Actor, The Silence of the Lambs (1991); Gibson: Director, Producer, Braveheart (1995)

Director Roger Donaldson (Thirteen Days) has breathed vibrant new life into the classic story of the mutiny on the Bounty. With a dream cast--Mel Gibson, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sir Laurence Olivier, Liam Neeson, and Daniel Day-Lewis--and a script by Robert Bolt (Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia), The Bounty takes a revisionist tack through the well-charted waters of an oft-told tale. Hopkins's Captain Bligh is no raving sadist in the Charles Laughton mode. (Laughton played Bligh in the first Mutiny on the Bounty, 1935.) Instead, Sir Anthony plays Bligh as a hard-nosed imperialist explorer simply trying to get the job done in the time-honored manner: on the backs of the poor gobs under his command. Still, when Bligh's suppressed powder keg of rage finally blows, Hopkins is formidable indeed. Mel Gibson gives one of the most soulful performances of his career as mutiny leader Fletcher Christian. He's also at the height of his blue-eyed, buff good looks, and his romance with Tahitian maiden Mauatua (lovely Tevaite Vernette) is decidedly erotic. Liam Neeson is a veritable force of nature as the scrappy seaman Charles Churchill, and Daniel Day-Lewis is sublimely hateful as Master John Fryer, a pompous toady. With special effects to rival those of The Perfect Storm, the alluring eye candy of a tall-masted schooner under full sail, lush tropical greenery, and bevies of bodacious South Sea Islands babes, plus a gripping story line, The Bounty deserves a rescue from undeserved obscurity. --Laura Mirsky

DVD Information

• Mel Gibson
• Anthony Hopkins
• Laurence Olivier
• Edward Fox
• Daniel Day-Lewis

Reviews

Was not expecting to receive item in time for holiday, and was pleasantly (and gratefully) surprised that it arrived in time. Product was in good condition. I am very satisfied with timeliness and service.

(Historical Drama/Adventure) Based upon the true life story of the British ship, the HMS Bounty, this movie adaptation is accurate and balanced. The film shows how a captain, Lt. William Bligh (Anthony Hopkins), comes to lose his ship by his own men after they become too comfortable on the island of Tahiti. The score is done by Vangelis (Chariots of Fire) and is very 80sh but somehow seems to fit the mood of the movie perfectly. Anthony Hopkins & Mel Gibson outperform themselves as they partake in the rich & intelligent dialogue that occurs between Mr. Fletcher Christian and Lt. William Bligh. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Mel Gibson, Daniel Day-Lewis, Liam Neeson and a few other famous actors. Discretion: Non-sexual nudity

Re-watching this 'eye candy' of a movie (as somebody on this page called it), makes me realize how much this 1984 version of the old tale of the mutiny on the British ship Bounty in Tahiti is a revision of the traditional view. I do not recall precisely the previous versions (Laughton as Bligh/Gable as Fletcher, later Trevor Howard with Marlon Brando), but most definitely, Hopkins' Bligh is a decent man and a somewhat overindulgent leader who tries to correct his early easy-going by overreacting in his imposition of discipline. Cheers to Hopkins! Mel Gibson as a young pretty boy was light years away from his aging man idiocies. His Fletcher is a blue eyed romantic, who drifts into something that he didn't really want, and who is lucky to find Pitcairn Island in the end, without which his story would be even more incomplete than it is anyway. My last movie review here (about Seraphim Falls) was making some noise about the Irishness of the lead stars there. What we get in Bounty is more of the same: Neeson as a young rebellious sailor is magnificent, and so is Day Lewis, whom I sometimes dislike for his overacting, here in his part as a slimy incompetent ship's mate. Great fun. We fully agree with Laurence Olivier's court verdict that Bligh was not to blame for losing the Bounty and with the praise for reaching Kupang in Timor on a small boat with the remaining loyal crew. Bligh went on to become a Vice Admiral and a Governor of New South Wales. I know nothing of his later performance. My only doubt for the film is the Dutchness of Kupang. The story is set in the late 18th century. Was West Timor really that much settled by the Dutch at that time? Requires more research.

This early Mel Gibson film features him as Fletcher Christian, the leader of the famous Mutiny on the Bounty. Anthony Hopkins is excellent as Captain Bligh, the moralistic seaman who cannot abide Fletcher's passionate relationship with a "savage" young woman. The film stresses the ambiguous character of both men, neither of whom are all good or all evil. Gibson's Fletcher Christian is an independent man who feels alternating pangs of guilt over his mutiny, coupled with a fierce desire to leave the shipboard life under Bligh that has become for him, a living hell. A good seafaring drama, showcasing both Hopkins' dramatic skills and Gibson's early image as a sensitive, passionate actor.

This is one of my favorite films, ever since I first saw it in the 1980's on video not long after it was released. But it does have its faults. For starters, Gibson really doesn't get a chance to shine in this movie, Anthony Hopkins more or less has the larger role and handles it well, but even he seems subdued at times. There was considerable more interaction between Gable and Laughton in the original. The person I had the most sympathy for was Greek composer Vangelis. I've been a fan of this guy's music even before "Chariots of Fire", but here, he too seems restrained. Much of the score fits nicely with the visuals, nearly etheral and dream-like at times, but occasionally you get the feeling he really wanted to cut loose with something a little more sweeping and dramatic, ala "Blade Runner", but it would have been out of context with the core of the movie. Even after all these years, Tevaite Vernette is still a sight to behold. It's a shame this Tahitian-born beauty was a one-hit wonder, only doing this single film before returing to a normal life. I can certainly understand any man's fascination with her, as well as other topless island lovelies, but it would have been nice if the director had shown us more of the incrdeible beauty of Tahiti. As another reviewer said, this is a lush and well-photographed film, albeit with some faults. It's still better than the majority of what Hollywood is turning out now and well worth a look.

Mutiny on the Bounty (Two-Disc Special Edition) List Price: $26.98 Sale Price: $6.55 Used From: $6.39 Average Rating:

Description

MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1962) SPECIAL EDITION (DVD/2

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip.... Based on the classic novel by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall, this magnificently-photographed three-hour tour charts the tortuous and tragic course of the Bounty, which, in 1787, sailed from England to Tahiti on a "grocer's errand" to transplant breadfruit plants in Jamaica. As the voyage progresses, tensions mount between the heartless disciplinarian Captain Bligh (a commanding Trevor Howard) and his chief officer, Fletcher Christian (Marlon Brando), who does not subscribe to Bligh's philosophy that cruelty with cause is not cruelty. Richard Harris costars as John Mills, an abused crewmember who plants the seeds of treason against Bligh. Mutiny on the Bounty is a see-worthy saga that boasts a provocative Brando performance (his Christian is initially so foppish he makes Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow look like Errol Flynn in The Sea Hawk) and great action set pieces (a raging storm as the Bounty attempts to navigate Cape Horn). And in how many did this film inspire dreams of sailing away to Tahiti? Brando was among them. He married his ravishing costar Tarita, and later bought himself a French Polynesian island. This "Special Edition" replicates the film's original prestigious road show presentation, complete with Overture, Intermission, Entr'acte, and Exit music. --Donald Liebenson

DVD Information

• Marlon Brando

Features

• This grandiose, self-important, often ludicrous remake manages to be thoroughly entertaining almost in spite of itself. Lush tropical locations help as does Brando's campy, bemused performance. Howard plays the sadistic Capt. Bligh with tremendous relish. The two stars reportedly disliked each other, leading to on-set confrontations that rivaled those aboard the Bounty. Format: DVD MOVIE

Reviews

As I was viewing this movie (on my HD DVD player) it became obvious that video and audio were out of sync. I checked on other (HD)DVD's and everything was perfect, wich made me to believe that the problem was related to this particular DVD. I brought this to the attention of Amazon and they immediately corrected the situation by sending me another DVD. However, this one also exhibited the same lack of synchronisation between video and audio. What a shame, cause this movie belongs to my alltime favorites. So, two stars for the video part, wich was excellent, but minus three for the audio that was not able to keep up with the action.

As many times as I have watched this movie, it never fails to entertain. Trevor Howard is perfect as Blight, and never has Fletcher Christian, been better portrayed, as by Brando. Really beautiful cine-photography. I should mention that the "shorts" enclosed with this movie, are very informative and interesting also!

The movie was top-notch. A great story, and beautifully filmed on location in Tahiti. Definitely one of Marlon Brando's best films. Picture and sound quality are excellent. There is a second disc of interesting "extras". If you prefer real story, real acting, and real photography over today's computerized techno-garbage, then I highly recommend this movie.

I've been looking for this product for months. Should have known to come here first. Product was shipped promptly and in good shape.

I wonder if they made more three-hour-plus films in the 1960s than any other decade? It seems that way. Here is another one. This also is a re-make from a 1935 version of the famous story I liked this 'Mutiny On The Bounty' better than the national critics did, who got annoyed at Marlon Brando's British accent. I found nothing wrong with it. In fact, Brando gave a solid performance. I'm glad to see fellow Amazon reviewers agreeing with me; it's an underrated film. (Note: I actually have a "deluxe widescreen" VHS of this film, which isn't even listed here.) Trevor Howard was convincing as the sadistic "Captain Bligh" and Tarita was fair as the love interest "Maimiti." The cinematography might have been the best feature of the film, a definite movie for widescreen as a lot of these mid '50s-to-mid '60s films were. There are some beautiful shots in here, beginning with those Tahiti sunsets. The color in this movie is magnificent. The adventure, acting and photography were all top-notch and the three hours went by fairly fast.

Mutiny on the Bounty List Price: $19.97 Sale Price: $5.95 Used From: $4.25 Average Rating:

Description

First officer Clark Gable and tyrannical captain Charles Laughton powerfully clash in this vigorous retelling of a true historic incident about a British ship commandeered from its brutal master. Franchot Tone also stars in 1935's Best Picture Academy Award(R) Choice.

The highlight of Mutiny on the Bounty is undoubtedly Charles Laughton's bracingly evil performance as Captain Bligh, a man so mean that he insists on having a dead sailor flogged. Bligh pushes his men beyond physical endurance, slashes their rations for his own profit, and drastically cuts down their frolicking time with scantily clad Tahitians. Finally, the moment everyone has been waiting for arrives: first mate Fletcher Christian (Clark Gable) hits his limit and all hell breaks loose. Gable holds doggedly onto his American accent through the entire movie, but in a way it makes Christian come off as a Regular Guy in opposition to Bligh's institutionalized cruelty. Once you get past the hurdle of his diphthongs, Gable makes an excellent Fletcher Christian--strong, fair, and noble, and he effectively conveys the struggle of a man who loathes the idea of mutiny but can't stand see his men mistreated. And Charles Laughton is just superb. His Bligh is thoroughly appalling, yes, but it's far from a one-note performance--when he is cast adrift on the open sea in a lifeboat and tries to make an impossible journey to land, you can't help but root for him. Mutiny on the Bounty won the 1935 Academy Award for Best Picture and picked up a Leading Actor nomination for each of its male leads. Check it out or be tied to the mizzenmast. --Ali Davis

The highlight of Mutiny on the Bounty is undoubtedly Charles Laughton's bracingly evil performance as Captain Bligh, a man so mean that he insists on having a dead sailor flogged. Bligh pushes his men beyond physical endurance, slashes their rations for his own profit, and drastically cuts down their frolicking time with scantily clad Tahitians. Finally, the moment everyone has been waiting for arrives: first mate Fletcher Christian (Clark Gable) hits his limit and all hell breaks loose. Gable holds doggedly onto his American accent through the entire movie, but in a way it makes Christian come off as a Regular Guy in opposition to Bligh's institutionalized cruelty. Once you get past the hurdle of his diphthongs, Gable makes an excellent Fletcher Christian--strong, fair, and noble, and he effectively conveys the struggle of a man who loathes the idea of mutiny but can't stand see his men mistreated. And Charles Laughton is just superb. His Bligh is thoroughly appalling, yes, but it's far from a one-note performance--when he is cast adrift on the open sea in a lifeboat and tries to make an impossible journey to land, you can't help but root for him. Mutiny on the Bounty won the 1935 Academy Award for Best Picture and picked up a Leading Actor nomination for each of its male leads. Check it out or be tied to the mizzenmast. --Ali Davis

DVD Information

• Charles Laughton
• Clark Gable
• Franchot Tone
• Carey Wilson
• Edward Christian

Reviews

This movie was a delight to watch and will be a part of our permanent collection.

This is by far the best version of this great classic movie. The acting is great, the cinematography is good, and even the island scenes look good. If you are interested in viewing a great old movie, go no further than this!!

The product was wrapped and the box was very secure. There wasn't any rattle or anything wrong with the box. The video's are both in good condition and play on my dvd with no problems. Would recommend to anybody you wants an unusual dvd.

To my knowledge there are three movies made about the mutiny on the bounty. There is this one, a remake starring Marlon Brando and another remake starring Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins as Capt. Bligh. I've seen all three and enjoyed them all, but I lean toward this one being the best due to Charles Laughton's take on Capt. Bligh. Cold, cruel and brutal Laughton's Bligh keeps you glued to the screen easily stealing the movie right out from under Clark Gable. If you don't know the story or have never seen any of the Bounty movies this is where you want to begin. The cover art makes you think this will be in color but its not it's in black and white and the movie has not been remastered for DVD. It still looks and sounds pretty good so do not let that stop you from seeing it. If you enjoy this one, take the time to seek out the remakes too. The story is timeless and the original movie is a classic.

I hate adventure movies and got this when I only had four minutes to pick something off the shelves of the public library. I watched two of them before I got down to this--not really expecting to see it through. So, imagine my surprise when I, not only sat through the whole thing, but actually enjoyed it. It's a great story---who cares if it's not historically accurate--we can Google for that. It moves along quickly. We see the horrible stuff but somehow it gives us enough happy scenes so you don't just want to turn the film off. The stay in Tahiti is a rest, not just for the sailors but for the viewers. It is a terrific story and it does help to know that it actually happened, more or less. What really brings it home is the acting. As everyone here has said, Charles Laughton, as Captain Bligh is a most despicable hero--not just hideously cruel but there's something about his pudgy body and puffy, pouty mouth that really gives you the creeps. His perfect counterpart, the gorgeous, hunky, dimpled Clark Gable is endearing from the opening scene in which we see he is a man's man, but has a heart. Oh, those dimples! He truly deserves the heart of the beautiful native girl who falls in love with him. The plot twists a bit, holding your interest, as Gable as Christian, the hero, has to make some heavy decisions. Even though the film is a bit long by our standards, it held my interest to the end. Then, there is an incredible short added to the DVD which was made in the style of the newsreel features of the time. It shows what happened to the group that Christian led to Pitcairn Island. We always wonder what happened to folks after the end of the film, and this fills us in. What is really strange is the tone of this feature which emphasizes the terrible crime of the mutineers, and the unhappy moody character of Christian. It's a total flip from the tone of the movie but it is interesting to see actually footage of the inbred people who populated the island at the time of the film. One wonders where they got the starchy nice clothes that they wear to the three church services that are held every Sunday and why they choose to remain there...that would be a good subject for another film.

Study Guides

To Kill a Mockingbird (Cliffs Notes) List Price: $5.99 Sale Price: $2.48 Used From: $0.06 Average Rating:

Description

A coming-of-age story set in the South, this novel is rich with subjects for conversation. Narrated by Scout, a young girl on the brink of a life-changing event, To Kill a Mockingbird was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1960.

Features

• ISBN13: 9780764586002
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Reviews

I am taking a criminal justice course and was assigned to review the movie "To Kill a Mocking Bird" from a legal perspective. While this study guide is for a literary purpose, it was most helpful in understanding the concepts and characters in the movie. The book was in great condition.

Read the book and this helped me ace my exam. Great for people who dont like reading or people who have read the book and want to cover or further understand important points in the story.

Unless there are obvious problems with reading, why would a person need Cliff's Notes for this book? It is an incredibly simple, straight forward novel. I am not being offensive, but I am slightly stunned...

This book made my life in English class so much easier! I bought a new version of the book and the detailed summaries and character analysis helped me very much. The booklet is concise but full of information. Thank God for Cliffsnotes!

The condition of the book was OK and was as promised. The delivery time was longer than I had expected, even though is was within the alloted time. The vendor did not respond to my email inquiring about the delivery date.

To Kill A Mockingbird (Barron's Book Notes) List Price: $5.99 Sale Price: $2.47 Used From: $1.99 Average Rating:

Description

A guide to reading "To Kill A Mockingbird" with a critical and appreciative mind. Includes background on the author's life and times, sample tests, term paper suggestions, and a reading list.

Features

• ISBN13: 9780812034462
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Reviews

The book is about a killer and a man who was accused of raping a woman, The part I didn't like was where the dog was shot, and I like when that little girl who talks like an adult was wearing the ham costume, and the part when she tries to bite Boo. I recommend this book because I think that it was a good story, but if you dont want to read you should just watch the movie. The movie is the same as the book.

I thought this was an exciting book with excellent morals. Most parts of this amazingly exciting book left me wanting to keep reading the book. I liked this book becasue there was a mystery character and I wanted to keep reading to find out more about him. I also liked this book becasue it is a realistic event that could happen. I loved how through the book there was always an event that made me want to continue reading to find out what happens. A character that got my attention was Scout. She was a strong-willed and courageous girl who knew when to stand up for what is right. After all that she went through inb her life, she stood tall and proud and didn't let much get her down. Any type of audience should enjoy this book. It deals with many aspects on life and I recommend this book for everyone to read.

I htought this was an exciting book with excellent morals. Most parts of this amazingly exciting book left me wanting to keep reading the book. I liked this book becasue there was a mystery character and I wanted to keep reading to find out more about him. I also liked this book becasue it is a realistic event that could happen. I loved how through the book there was always an event that made me want to continue reading to find out what happens. A character that got my attention was Scout. She was a strong-willed and courageous girl who knew when to stand up for what is right. After all that she went through inb her life, she stood tall and proud and didn't let much get her down. Any type of audience should enjoy this book. It deals with many aspects on life and I recommend this book for everyone to read.

I rated To Kill a Mockingbird 5 stars. This book is the "handbook" on racism, sexism, and descrimination against social classes. I enjoyed this book due to the understanding level it was on. I think because it was though the eyes of a young child they made it very plain and comprehendable but because Scout was smart and intelligent, Harper Lee could still use knowledge about a second grader's. I think this book helps teenagers especially deal with the idea that racism and sexism will never completely go away but that they can still deal with it to the best of their ability. I think the author definatly intended this book for young adults. If a young child read this book, it would fly over their heads and leave them with more questions than answers. The language is inappropriate for most children but yet is understood by young adults. This book helps teenagers in many ways.

To Kill A Mockingbird is filled with moral lessons, adventure and humor. The children's growth and maturity thoughout this story is true to life. Their relationships with each other, their father, neighbors and other relatives engage the reader and keep you wanting more whether those relationships are positive or negative. The characters and the descriptions of the neighborhood and town are vivid. When reading this book, one becomes linked with the characters as if those townfolk were one's own. It can't be put down until it is finished. And the finish is worth the wait.

A Guide for Using To Kill a Mockingbird in the Classroom (Literature Unit (Teacher Created Materials)) List Price: $8.99 Sale Price: $4.67 Used From: $4.69 Average Rating:

Description

This resource is directly related to its literature equivalent and filled with a variety of cross-curricular lessons to do before, during, and after reading the book. This reproducible book presents an exciting approach to teaching well-known literature! It includes sample plans, author information, vocabulary building ideas, cross-curriculum activities, sectional activities and quizzes, unit tests, and many ideas for culminating and extending the novel.

Features

• ISBN13: 9781576906262
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Reviews

This year, I taught To Kill a Mockingbird to my freshman students for the first time. I purchased this literature unit to help me plan. While it has several activities that touch on basic literary terms, I used most of the activities as "fillers" for time. I think it will be more helpful with lower level students and not honors classes. Still worth purchasing; I'm always happy to have too many resources.

Excellent product, easy to use, ready for immediate classroom use! Well organized by chapter and provides short quizzes for groups of chapters in the novel to ensure kids are reading. Excellent connections, journal activities that go well beyond the literal comprehension of the novel. A must have!

This book is my everyday tool in class and at home. I used it to help my nephew in book report and for me to teach it to my students. Great help.

There are several reading strategies and activities to motivate your readers in this guide book. I think it is very useful for those who may be teaching this novel for the first time and a new tool to get a new perspective on the novel for seasoned educators. I found that it had some great ideas, Anticipation Guides, project ideas, and research topics.

I thought that this guide was definitely worth the money that was paid for it. The teacher created materials guide for To Kill a Mockingbird includes a table of contents which divides the novel into 6 different sections (for example, Section 1 includes Chapters 1 through 5 in the book). There are pre-reading activities to generate interest in the book (themes such as justice and prejudice, as well as a brief biography of Harper Lee) as well as a few ideas for teachers after the novel is finished (there is a list of research topics for this time period that is helpful for teachers who want to generate some related topics). Vocabulary lists for each of the novel sections and a few vocabulary activity ideas are also included (examples: part of speech chart for vocabulary words, word puzzles, etc). I found this section extremely beneficial because it saves so much time to already have a list of difficult words generated for the students. Each section has study questions for each of the 6 sections (it is actually listed as the Quiz section). Although some of the questions are a bit general (example, List three important events from this section), overall the questions fit quite well within the scope of the novel and can be used as a tool for checking comprehension. There are several other neat ideas that can be used directly or adapted by the teacher into another activity. For instance, there is a section on Urban Myths and Myths, which ties into the character of Boo Radley. There are questions for conducting an interview of "The Great Depression" that could be used as a take-home assignment for a student. There are ideas for Southern Cooking (if that's your thing) and a section on understanding similes and metaphors (which are quite frequent in the book). Also, there is a characterization chart for four of the main characters (Scout, Jem, Atticus, Dill) as well as a section that discusses the ideas of theme and examples of racial hatred and discrimination. Overall, although only 48 pages in length, I felt this was an excellent buy. It is very organized and quite helpful for a teacher needing extra resource material for a novel.

Full-Length

To Kill a Mockingbird List Price: $12.95 Sale Price: $6.22 Used From: $3.95 Average Rating:

Description

One of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has earned many distinctions since its original publication in 1960. It won the Pulitzer Prize, has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than thirty million copies worldwide, and been made into an enormously popular movie. Most recently, librarians across the country gave the book the highest of honors by voting it the best novel of the twentieth century.

"When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.... When enough years had gone by to enable us to look back on them, we sometimes discussed the events leading to his accident. I maintain that the Ewells started it all, but Jem, who was four years my senior, said it started long before that. He said it began the summer Dill came to us, when Dill first gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come out." Set in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird follows three years in the life of 8-year-old Scout Finch, her brother, Jem, and their father, Atticus--three years punctuated by the arrest and eventual trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman. Though her story explores big themes, Harper Lee chooses to tell it through the eyes of a child. The result is a tough and tender novel of race, class, justice, and the pain of growing up. Like the slow-moving occupants of her fictional town, Lee takes her time getting to the heart of her tale; we first meet the Finches the summer before Scout's first year at school. She, her brother, and Dill Harris, a boy who spends the summers with his aunt in Maycomb, while away the hours reenacting scenes from Dracula and plotting ways to get a peek at the town bogeyman, Boo Radley. At first the circumstances surrounding the alleged rape of Mayella Ewell, the daughter of a drunk and violent white farmer, barely penetrate the children's consciousness. Then Atticus is called on to defend the accused, Tom Robinson, and soon Scout and Jem find themselves caught up in events beyond their understanding. During the trial, the town exhibits its ugly side, but Lee offers plenty of counterbalance as well--in the struggle of an elderly woman to overcome her morphine habit before she dies; in the heroism of Atticus Finch, standing up for what he knows is right; and finally in Scout's hard-won understanding that most people are essentially kind "when you really see them." By turns funny, wise, and heartbreaking, To Kill a Mockingbird is one classic that continues to speak to new generations, and deserves to be reread often. --Alix Wilber

Features

• ISBN13: 9780060935467
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Reviews

It seems most perspectives are learned based on personal experiences or the internalized experiences of others. The near universal narration of this book makes it accessible: a child at play, making sense of an patently imperfect and covertly hostile world. The point of view character, Scout, is a young girl, so young that behaving according to gender is something she has not yet mastered. Similarly, the concepts of poverty, racism, sexuality, and violence are unclear to her. As the story unfolds, through her eyes the reader gains (or revisits) these perspectives in a place and time that is likely at least a little different from our own - and thus the work is as insightful now as it was when it was written.

To kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is a story about a family that faces difficult times and stays loyal to their friends. The widowed father, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer defending a black man against the accusation of the rape of a white woman. The story is told from the perspective of finch's daughter, Scout. It follows her, her brother, Jem, and their friend, Dill, on their childhood adventures as they transition from seeing the world through a child's eyes to awakening to the world occupied by adults. I love this book! It is a classic for everyone's bookshelf.

Fabulous story. All time classic. My favoite story ever! I re-read this story and watch the movie at least once a year!

The book was fantastic much better than the movie that I saw many years ago.

Great book. Hastings sent me the wrong one though. But they gave me a full refund and let me keep the other book. So they did a good job eventually.

Video & Audio

To Kill a Mockingbird (Collector's Edition) List Price: $19.98 Sale Price: $11.68 Used From: $7.95 Average Rating:

Description

CONTAINS: FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR ROBERT MULLIGAN, FEARFUL SYMMETRY FEATURING INTERVIEWS WITH CAST MEMBERS PLUS HISTORIC STILLS OF THE TOWN OF MONROEVILLE, ORIGINAL LOCATION FOOTAGE AND INTERVIEWS WITH RESIDENTS, AND THEATRICAL TRAILER.

Ranked 34 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 Greatest American Films, To Kill a Mockingbird is quite simply one of the finest family-oriented dramas ever made. A beautiful and deeply affecting adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee, the film retains a timeless quality that transcends its historically dated subject matter (racism in the Depression-era South) and remains powerfully resonant in present-day America with its advocacy of tolerance, justice, integrity, and loving, responsible parenthood. It's tempting to call this an important "message" movie that should be required viewing for children and adults alike, but this riveting courtroom drama is anything but stodgy or pedantic. As Atticus Finch, the small-town Alabama lawyer and widower father of two, Gregory Peck gives one of his finest performances with his impassioned defense of a black man (Brock Peters) wrongfully accused of the rape and assault of a young white woman. While his children, Scout (Mary Badham) and Jem (Philip Alford), learn the realities of racial prejudice and irrational hatred, they also learn to overcome their fear of the unknown as personified by their mysterious, mostly unseen neighbor Boo Radley (Robert Duvall, in his brilliant, almost completely nonverbal screen debut). What emerges from this evocative, exquisitely filmed drama is a pure distillation of the themes of Harper Lee's enduring novel, a showcase for some of the finest American acting ever assembled in one film, and a rare quality of humanitarian artistry (including Horton Foote's splendid screenplay and Elmer Bernstein's outstanding score) that seems all but lost in the chaotic morass of modern cinema. --Jeff Shannon

DVD Information

• Gregory Peck
• John Megna
• Frank Overton
• Rosemary Murphy
• Ruth White

Reviews

Talk about the legacy of acting legend Gregory Peck. This compelling actor played two of the most iconic characters in all of cinematic lore--Captain Ahab and Atticus Finch. (And Peck played both roles in his own unique, creative style.) With respect to Atticus Finch, Peck merely enhances an extraordinarily good film, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, based on Harper Lee's phenomenal and timeless novel. I've read the book and seen the movie, many times; experiencing both are extremely rewarding. In particular, the film works marvelously, for several reasons. For openers, Horton Foote penned a riveting screenplay, while director Robert Mulligan brings Lee's novel to vivid life. The film is blessed with very believable child actors in Mary Badham (Scout) and Phillip Alford (Jem), who both made their silver screen debuts. The supporting cast is spectacular, including a grisly, disheveled James Anderson playing villain Bob Ewell and a very young Robert Duvall playing reclusive Boo Radley. Add to that Peck's commanding performance as a widowed lawyer and father of two children in the Jim Crow South during the Great Depression, and TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is a movie for the ages. Highly recommended for all movie collectors and cinema buffs. --D. Mikels, Author, The Reckoning

Purchased as a gift and my mother loves it. Great classic - great quality and excellent delivery time.

I teach this novel to a 10th grade class and showing the movie is an integral part of the unit. To Kill a Mockingbird is my very favorite book and the movie is one of my favorites.

1962's To Kill A Mockingbird spreads its wings to great lengths with seamless effort in underlining the trials and tribulations of a society suffering from social prejudices. Its narrator, the overall-wearing, lovable tomboy Scout Finch (Mary Badham), describes the challenges she and her family face when her father decides to defend a black man charged with a serious crime. Through her eyes, you see the clear divide that begins to grow in Maycomb County. Originally adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Harper Lee, director Robert Mulligan reveals his vision of the classic when the picture opens with a monologue from a seemingly grown-up Scout. The introduction presents us with information on the somewhat artificial and judgmental Maycomb. The frame is focused on an all-American, southern neighborhood where citizens open their homes to all, except for the Radleys. Mystery constantly surrounds their dilapidated home as gossip and tall tales run high in the town; it does not help that the youngest of the family, Boo (Robert Duvall), constantly hides from the outside world in the security of his rundown haven. In the movie's beginnings, we are introduced to Scout, Jem, and Atticus Finch, a prominent family in the southern town. Played by Gregory Peck, Atticus serves as the county's best defense lawyer. Peck brilliantly portrays the classy, respectable single parent described in the Harper Lee original. Atticus is a character that demands respect both on paper and on screen, and the multi-talented Peck delivers this attitude. His calm demeanor and noble ways add to the character development in the film. Controversy surrounds the family when Atticus chooses to take the case of and defend Tom Robinson (Brock Peters), who Mayella Ewell (Collin Wilcox Paxton) claims assaulted her. The tension between the word of a black person versus the word of a white person is depicted perfectly by Mulligan when the controversial case goes to court. The small courthouse not equipped for many people is suddenly packed with eager onlookers. When the case begins, Atticus asks Tom Robinson subtle, honest questions and receives truthful answers in return. When Mayella takes the stand, however, her over dramatic shrieks and tearful sobs take away from the validity of her testimony as well as that of her emotions. Nonetheless, it is well known throughout the movie that the jury still favors Mayella because of the color of her skin. The verdict of the case has nothing to do with the facts being brought up by the prosecution and defense; the verdict is solely based on social injustices. Furthermore, under the black and white color pictures lie common events within a family that make the movie relatable to all; Atticus tries avidly to do the right thing, Jem strives to make his father proud, and most evidently, Scout endures the difficult process of becoming and understanding what it means to be a lady. Not everything is as perfect and plain as it seems though. The movie packs its share of tragedies; however, it remains inspirationally uplifting in the simplicity of its message. Atticus's plans for the trial come to an unexpected halt, but his positive, sensible mind helps him come to terms with the outcomes of the whole debacle. All of the characters come to a climactic clash at the end of the film when Boo Radley makes an unanticipated appearance, Mayella's father Bob goes after the Finch children, and Jem breaks his arm. The sensation from the film's conclusion fills audiences everywhere with content and motivates them to be as noble as Atticus Finch in their daily lives. In this intense yet satisfying ending, we see the invariable nature of humans to disagree, but the positive consequences for those who rise above.

This is a poignant and heart warming story told from the point of view of a little tomboy, Scout, & her older brother, Jem, of growing up in the South during the depression. It is fairly faithful to the book although much has been omitted as one would expect. Their father, Atticus Finch, a widowed attorney, takes on a the defense of a Negro wrongly accused of raping a white girl. The colorful neighbors, their antics and their opinions, show the audience just what stuff this family, especially Atticus trying to raise his children alone, is made of.

Study Guides

Spark Notes Gone with the Wind List Price: $4.95 Sale Price: $2.35 Used From: $0.01

Description

Get your "A" in gear!They're today's most popular study guides-with everything you need to succeed in school. Written by Harvard students for students, since its inception SparkNotes™ has developed a loyal community of dedicated users and become a major education brand. Consumer demand has been so strong that the guides have expanded to over 150 titles. SparkNotes'™ motto is Smarter, Better, Faster because:· They feature the most current ideas and themes, written by experts.· They're easier to understand, because the same people who use them have also written them.· The clear writing style and edited content enables students to read through the material quickly, saving valuable time.And with everything covered--context; plot overview; character lists; themes, motifs, and symbols; summary and analysis, key facts; study questions and essay topics; and reviews and resources--you don't have to go anywhere else!

Gone with the Wind (MAXNotes Literature Guides) List Price: $3.95 Sale Price: $2.29 Used From: $0.99 Average Rating:

Description

MAXnotes offer a fresh look at masterpieces of literature, presented in a lively and interesting fashion. Written by literary experts who currently teach the subject, MAXnotes will enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the work. MAXnotes are designed to stimulate independ ent thought about the literary work by raising various issues and thought-provoking ideas and questions. MAXnotes cover the essentials of what one should know about each work, including an overall summary, character lists, an explanation and discussion of the plot, the work's historical context, illustrations to convey the mood of the work, and a biography of the author. Each chapter is individually summarized and analyzed, and has study questions and answers.

Reviews

it can help you undeerstanding the American modern culture and their mind of life and living style.

Red it, read it, read it! So realistic! It is a must. Loved the book. Felt with the charicters. "Frankly my dear I don't give a damn." Best line ever written!

It is a really good help to review for the test, you can't just read the whole book over, so these notes really helped me study!!! I don't know what I would have done without them!!

Full-Length

Gone With the Wind List Price: $28.00 Sale Price: $16.50 Used From: $4.96 Average Rating:

Description

A monumental classic considered by many to be not only the greatest love story ever written, but also the greatest Civil War saga.

Features

• ISBN13: 9780684830681
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Reviews

This book has been a personal favorite of mine since I was in Elementary School. Yes, I was born a book worm with an advanced reading level. I was named for Ashley from this very book and my brother was named for Rhett so I was required to read it, but not required to like it I just happened to fall in love with Margaret Mitchell and her story. It tells so many stories in one and has such an appeal to it no wonder it is still going strong after almost 75 years. I would recommend this book to anyone, although girls seem to enjoy it more as it is told by Scarlett's point of view. Scarlett is the girl you love to hate. She is so endearing and strong but so young and naive that you want to hit her and shelter her at the same time. Rhett is a man's man and women across the world want to have him. He exudes all that is strong and masculine while being head over heels in love with Scarlett and their baby girl. Ashley is a pity case as he is torn and used. Melanie is a personal favorite of mine, like a pet kitten. She is fierce and strong with claws of steel but purrs and mews with the innocence and undying love of a newborn baby kitten. All of the characters are developed well and are all very rounded. You will get lost in this time period and forget what a cell phone is.

This is just such an enjoyable read. Scarlett is appropriately evil, and in the end redeemable. Wonderful novel. I intend to read this again very soon. I had not realized how much better the book is than the movie!

Great Classic, an awesome book. A must have for all who love reading. I really recommend it. I'm still reading, it has over 1000 pages, also a true gift for those who love old stories like me.

excellent service ...fast and book in perfect condition would recommend to anyone to buy from this sight...

I have read this book three times and each time it gets better and better. Our book group enjoyed it too.

Gone with the Wind List Price: $18.00 Sale Price: $9.68 Used From: $4.40 Average Rating:

Description

Margaret Mitchell's epic novel of love and war won the Pulitzer Prize and went on to give rise to two authorized sequels and one of the most popular and celebrated movies of all time. Many novels have been written about the Civil War and its aftermath. None take us into the burning fields and cities of the American South as Gone With the Wind does, creating haunting scenes and thrilling portraits of characters so vivid that we remember their words and feel their fear and hunger for the rest of our lives. In the two main characters, the white-shouldered, irresistible Scarlett and the flashy, contemptuous Rhett, Margaret Mitchell not only conveyed a timeless story of survival under the harshest of circumstances, she also created two of the most famous lovers in the English-speaking world since Romeo and Juliet.

Features

• ISBN13: 9781416548898
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Reviews

I read the preface and felt a connection because i was born and im being raised inthe south (south carolina) im 10

I love Gone with the Wind! It is a beautiful and wonderful story to read over and over again!

this book has endured the many years because it is so well written...yes, we all know the story by heart, and have seen the movie (probably SEVERAL times..) but what a great read! truly a 20th century "romeo and juliet"!

What can I say? This one is a classic! A very good historical romance set in the south during and after the Civil War. I cannot help but love and hate Scarlett O'Hara, both for her feisty spirit, her stubborn disposition, and her passion for the unobtainable. If you've never read this book, you should.

One of the icons of American Literature and deservedly so. First read this when I was a teenager and my friends and I would ooh and aah over the scene near the beginning where Scarlett was trying to decide what to wear to the party at Ashley's plantation. I read it every couple of years thereafter and as I grew and matured so did my appreciation of this magnificent book. I first became more aware of how detailed Mitchell's research about the Civil War must have been (no matter how biased she was) and this prompted me to read more books both fiction and non-fiction about that period. My next level of maturity was demonstrated by subsequent reads where I became more impressed with Mitchell's willingness to avoid a standard HEA. She never painted Scarlett as anything but what the character demanded: a spoiled debutante whose world had not only collapsed but was blown away forever by the "wind". Scarlett's true, unvarnished, bottom line goal in life became to ensure that she and her family would survive and so would that representation of survival - Tara. Compared to the mores of that lost civilization, she seemed to have fallen from grace. In reality, she, being so very young, came to understand which of the values and mores of that civilization were worth keeping and what were just superficial and ignorant societal expectations. Unfortunately, she didn't realize this in time to obtain the greatest of those worthwhile values - true and reciprocated love. However, she did get what she needed and was looking toward the future with her trademark confidence and assurance. Just a fabulous, fabulous book.

Video & Audio

Gone with the Wind (Two-Disc 70th Anniversary Edition) List Price: $24.98 Sale Price: $14.18 Used From: $13.25 Average Rating:

Description

Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 11/17/2009 Run time: 238 minutes Rating: G

David O. Selznick wanted Gone with the Wind to besomehow more than a movie, a film that would broaden the very idea of what a film could be and do and look like. In many respects he got what he worked so hard to achieve in this 1939 epic (and all-time box-office champ in terms of tickets sold), and in some respects he fell far short of the goal. While the first half of this Civil War drama is taut and suspenseful and nostalgic, the second is ramshackle and arbitrary. But there's no question that the film is an enormous achievement in terms of its every resource--art direction, color, sound, cinematography--being pushed to new limits for the greater glory of telling an American story as fully as possible. Vivien Leigh is still magnificently narcissistic, Olivia de Havilland angelic and lovely, Leslie Howard reckless and aristocratic. As for Clark Gable: we're talking one of the most vital, masculine performances ever committed to film. --Tom Keogh

DVD Information

• Clark Gable
• Vivien Leigh
• Thomas Mitchell
• Barbara O'Neil
• Evelyn Keyes

Reviews

Plenty of Gone with the Wind for any fan although pretty sure they have an #? Anniversary addition out so might want to check that out first.

GWTW has always been my all-time favorite movie. Sound and visual qualities are awesome--I will never tire of watching it.

This is a very impressive special box set indeed.The box is velvet lined,comes with a 52 page hardbound book,studio inter-office memo letter reprints,a reproduction of the 1939 theatre souvenir booklet,art prints,a CD Sampler[8 tracks]of the Max Steiner Music Score,and 8 hours,or more,of bonus features,plus the Movie[3 Blu-Ray Discs in total].The movie itself is 100% perfect,it's visual detail,colors,clarity,sharpness,is like nothing I have ever seen in previous versions[either at the movie theatre,or at home],and the sound is in HD MASTER AUDIO 5.1,also in it's Original Mono Format.The movie has a very informative commentary track you can listen to during the movie if you like.Among the bonus features on Disc#2,and Disc#3,is the 6 hour "MGM:WHEN THE LION ROARS" series,featurettes,documentaries,"The Scarlette O'Hara Wars"[Emmy-Winning Made-For-T.V.-Movie],and numerous other extras.All in all,a beautifully presented,extremely well put together Deluxe Box Set for the Serious Movie Lover and the Serious Collector,highly recommended,Five/5 Stars*****All The Way!Buy it!A Winner!

I probably watched this movie for the first time when I was a newborn. I was named for Ashley, not the best character but a good name, and my brother's namesake is Rhett. I have seen this movie probably a good 100 times and love it more each time. It isn't as good as the book but they never are. I love this movie, it is timeless. All the bonus features are a must if you are like me and have seen the movie enough times and are hungry for more. I love Olivia d'Havilland. She is an amazing Melanie and does great in the bonus footage. If you love the movie I recommend the book. In both you are swept to a time of hoop skirts and real values. I love it.

I actualy got the movie for my father but he called me to let me know he was very impressed with it and had no complaints

Study Guides

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit (Cliffs Notes) List Price: $7.49 Sale Price: $0.01 Used From: $0.01 Average Rating:

Description

These two epic fantasies take place in Middle-earth, suggestive of life in medieval days. The characters are many, fantastic, and all necessary for the evolution of this great vision of the classical battle between good and evil and the quest for a magical ring.

Features

• ISBN13: 9780822012863
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Reviews

Absolute waste of money. The description of the Cliff Notes title did not descibe the contents of the book. It turns out to be Cliff notes for Lord of The Rings but almost nothing on The Hobbitt

I certainly wouldn't suggest reading the Notes instead of reading what is arguably the greatest book(s)ever written. But the Notes do have their uses. I chose to use Tolkien's books as an example in my final project for a high school writing course. I had read the entire series twice, but that had been three years earlier. I found the Notes useful for jogging my memory on some of the scenes, and for picking out examples to use in my project. I would never recommend reading Notes instead of the actual book in ANY case - that is such a waste - but especially not for Tolkien. If you are reading Tolkien for a class, consider yourself lucky, and take the opportunity to read this amazing set of books in its entirety. Use the Notes just to jog your memory and better understand these classic books.

These oversimplified notes are truly abhorrent and inaccurate. Why not relax with a paperback edition of the true Lord of the Rings?

The whole concept is disgusting! The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings are books meant to be read with love, joy and wonderment, NOT turned into texts to be read as exercises in drudgery and compulsion. It makes me furious that idiots and barbarians should so turn these books into texts and so kill children's love for them. It does not matter if they are accurate or not, they are WRONG!

Yuck yuck yuck! I only read the sample they have here but it's horrible! They have next to no detail, they even leave out characters, (any one remember Fatty Boldger?) it's wayyy to simplified.. and so on.. how someone could make a clifts notes of 4 books, (all of which are ~ 300 pages long) is not right in the head.

The Hobbit: A Teaching Guide List Price: $10.95 Sale Price: $6.69 Used From: $5.95 Average Rating:

Description

Teaching Guide designed to develop an appreciation for literature and to improve reading skills, exploring critique and literature elements.

Reviews

This is a great product and very helpful in my classroom. There are many higher level and challenging activities.

Excellent resource to use when reading The Hobbit. I would not recommend it to teachers to use in any grade below fifth. This resource is at the advanced level.

I purchased this product along with The Hobbit: A Unit Plan by Mary B. Collins and A Guide for Using The Hobbit in the Classroom by John Carratello. I like this product very much for the higher level thinking activities, lessons, and strategies. For my purposes at this time (I am not currently teaching gifted classes), the Collins unit is better, but there are several activities I especially like from this book. The Runes translation activity my students enjoyed. The Carratello book is much simpler and the activities are more tangential, although I found the riddle activity useful in that book as well. The advantage of the Collins product is that it is a PDF file on CD and can be word processed for different purposes. The advantage of this product is that the format is already fine for photocopying and student use.

I've been teaching for 8 years. I teach 7th grade literature both gifted and talented as well as resource students. This study guide is excellent if you are looking for an in-depth study of The Hobbit. It is set up in an easy-to-use format with higher level chapter questions, vocab with definitions and page numbers, chapter summaries, writing activities, and "strategies" on literary terms. Some parts are difficult for my resource students, but it is easy to tailor the curriculum to meet the needs of all of your students. The students especially enjoy the "strategy" in which they translate the runes and the one about the maps. I highly recommend this resource!

Full-Length

The Hobbit: 70th Anniversary Edition List Price: $25.00 Sale Price: $14.83 Used From: $15.34 Average Rating:

Description

A new edition of The Hobbit with a short introduction by Christopher Tolkien, a reset text incorporating the most up-to-date corrections, and all of Tolkien’s own drawings and color illustrations, including the rare “Mirkwood” piece.

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort." The hobbit-hole in question belongs to one Bilbo Baggins, an upstanding member of a "little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded dwarves." He is, like most of his kind, well off, well fed, and best pleased when sitting by his own fire with a pipe, a glass of good beer, and a meal to look forward to. Certainly this particular hobbit is the last person one would expect to see set off on a hazardous journey; indeed, when Gandalf the Grey stops by one morning, "looking for someone to share in an adventure," Baggins fervently wishes the wizard elsewhere. No such luck, however; soon 13 fortune-seeking dwarves have arrived on the hobbit's doorstep in search of a burglar, and before he can even grab his hat or an umbrella, Bilbo Baggins is swept out his door and into a dangerous adventure. The dwarves' goal is to return to their ancestral home in the Lonely Mountains and reclaim a stolen fortune from the dragon Smaug. Along the way, they and their reluctant companion meet giant spiders, hostile elves, ravening wolves--and, most perilous of all, a subterranean creature named Gollum from whom Bilbo wins a magical ring in a riddling contest. It is from this life-or-death game in the dark that J.R.R. Tolkien's masterwork, The Lord of the Rings, would eventually spring. Though The Hobbit is lighter in tone than the trilogy that follows, it has, like Bilbo Baggins himself, unexpected iron at its core. Don't be fooled by its fairy-tale demeanor; this is very much a story for adults, though older children will enjoy it, too. By the time Bilbo returns to his comfortable hobbit-hole, he is a different person altogether, well primed for the bigger adventures to come--and so is the reader. --Alix Wilber

Features

• ISBN13: 9780618968633
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Reviews

This is an AWESOME way to read the Hobbit -- especially for the first time you read the story to your kids. It gives the characters personalities and a visual texture to the book. It is wonderful. The whole book is there, and there are many, many full page illustrations. The visuals are especially great for Gollum, and the Spiders, and Smaug -- the illustrations are just marvelous. (The illustrations are taken from the 70's era Rankin-Bass animated Hobbit -- fun to own and watch.)

I had to read the Hobbit for my advanced English class.. Lets just say that this book and I don't get along. Its well written and has a good plot. But its just the way the narrator and characters speak confused me whole time. It deserves stars for just being an ok book, but I would never read this of my own will.

I loved the Hobbit!!! It is an easy read about Bilbo Baggins and his adventures with Gandalf and 13 dwarves. I cant wait for the movie. I think it will be as good as LOTR.

This is my first Kindle book, and probably the first 'proper' dead wood book I ever read! I cant think of a story that has drawn me in as much as The Hobbit, and after seventy years it remains the best fantasy book ever written in my humble opinion. Sure the Lord of the Rings trilogy is fantastic, but The Hobbit is a far less challenging and better paced read, written in Tolkiens fantastic language! Over half way through now, I just dont know what to read next, is there a better book out there?

I grew up as a child reading The Hobbit and watching the old animated movie. Even though it has been many years since I first read the book, it still holds a place in my heart as one of the most timeless and enjoyable books I have ever read. This tale of adventure is one that will always live on through the genertions and hold a place deep within our hearts.

Video & Audio

The Hobbit Sale Price: $49.45 Used From: $24.00 Average Rating:

Description

Based on J.R.R. Tolkien's novel "The Hobbit" (a prelude to "Lord of the Rings") where a homebody demi-human in Middle Earth gets talked into joining a quest with a group of dwarves to recover their treasure from a dragon. Bilbo Baggins the Hobbit was just minding his own business, when his occasional visitor Gandalf the Wizard drops in one night. One by one, a whole group of dwarves drop in, and before he knows it, Bilbo has joined their quest to reclaim their kingdom, taken from them by an evil dragon named Smaug. The only problem is that Gandalf has told the dwarves that Bilbo is an expert burglar, but he isn't.

DVD Information

Features

• All Regions DVD

Reviews

It was exactly what I was looking for although there were a couple spots that seemed to be missing a sound effect like when the spiders were killed in mirkwood and when the eagles came at the last battle but other then that it was great!

This cartoon version of "The Hobbit" is a good introduction to the book for younger viewers/readers. The movie does a good job at capturing the most important parts of The Hobbit, and does help bring to life some of hard to imagine scenes. The plot centers around the mild mannered Bilbo Baggins, the Title Character, a perfectly respectable Hobbit who never would have thought to go on an adventure. It should be noted, for those that don't know, that Hobbits are the salt of the earth and enjoy the basics of life (mostly centering around meals). Most Hobbits frown on those who disrupt the status quo or go out adventuring. Bilbo had embraced this way of life and was seemingly willing to live from day to day without any indication that he had anything more in him. All of that was changed with the arrival of Gandalf, a traveling wizard. Soon Bilbo was pulled from the comfort of his home (and many pantries), and did indeed have many adventures involving Dwarves, Trolls, Giant Spiders, Elves, Orcs, Magic Swords, Treasures, and one clever Dragon. Also of note is Magic Ring that plays a big part in the sequel, The Lord of the Rings. The animation is not great, nor is it very bad for the time, and the voice acting is actually fairly good. Recommended!

The work of art was beautiful, and I could tell it wasn't very easy to do. Mostly hand painted. The story itself was very easy to follow. Good start for family to teach their 6-yr-olds before introducing them to TLOTR. Even after watching TLOTR, it makes sense to let them see the Hobbit after that, too. It take people who appreciate the making of animation and the true Tolkien fans to appreciate this animation.

Study Guides

GradeSaver (TM) ClassicNotes The Chocolate War: Study Guide List Price: $7.99 Sale Price: $7.99 Used From: $26.12

Description

GradeSaver(TM) ClassicNotes are the most comprehensive study guides on the market, written by Harvard students for students! Longer, with more detailed summary and analysis sections and sample essays, ClassicNotes are the best choice for advanced students and educators. The Chocolate War note includes: * A biography of Robert Cormier * An in-depth chapter-by-chapter summary * A short summary * A character list and related descriptions * A list of themes * A glossary * Historical context * Two academic essays * 100 quiz questions to improve test taking skills!

Full-Length

The Chocolate War (Readers Circle) List Price: $8.95 Sale Price: $4.77 Used From: $3.44 Average Rating:

Description

IN 1974, AFTER SUFFERING rejections from seven major publishers, The Chocolate War made its debut. An uncompromising portrait of conformity and corruption, it quickly became a bestselling—and provocative—classic for young adults.“Masterfully structured and rich in theme; the action is well crafted, well timed, suspenseful.”—The New York Times Book Review“The characterizations of all the boys are superb.”—School Library Journal, Starred“Compellingly immediate. . . . Readers will respect the uncompromising ending.”—Kirkus Reviews, StarredAn ALA Best Books for Young AdultsA School Library Journal Best Books of the YearA Kirkus Reviews ChoiceA New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year

Does Jerry Renault dare to disturb the universe? You wouldn't think that his refusal to sell chocolates during his school's fundraiser would create such a stir, but it does; it's as if the whole school comes apart at the seams. To some, Jerry is a hero, but to others, he becomes a scapegoat--a target for their pent-up hatred. And Jerry? He's just trying to stand up for what he believes, but perhaps there is no way for him to escape becoming a pawn in this game of control; students are pitted against other students, fighting for honor--or are they fighting for their lives? In 1974, author Robert Cormier dared to disturb our universe when this book was first published. And now, with a new introduction by the celebrated author, The Chocolate War stands ready to shock a new group of teen readers.

Features

• ISBN13: 9780375829871
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Reviews

I was made to read The Chocolate War back in my early teens. I remember someone telling me that it had loosely been based on actual events. I think that added to the bitter taste it left in my mouth. The Chocolate war, as I recall it, tells the story of a boy in a very posh school some thirty or forty years ago. I remember the film 'updated it' by having it set in the eighties and where he once ran into a hippie one one scene he now runs into a punk. But I digress. The protagonist is pressured into selling / buying chocolates for the school. The school's head master (or dean) pretty much recruits the school's thugs to enforce the forced 'volunteer' work. The details of this are blurry to me now all these years later but the ending is still vividly clear in my mind. Our hero tries very hard to be an individual, to do this own thing and be independent, trying to stand up for his own rights out of principle but then... Well, at the end of the book the protagonist gets severely beaten and it ends on the note 'It's okay to do your own thing so long as it's everyone else's thing too.' I understand what this book tried to do but all it seemed to do was frighten my fellow classmates of the time into conformity. This is the sort of book that actually discourages free thought and individuality. It's stark, bleak and hopeless. For a fourteen-year-old reading it the only message they get is 'If you try to be yourself around other kids you'll get your ass kicked.' What sort of lesson is that? I'm all for reading the classics with social commentaries but I don't think this should be required reading for early teens. I think, instead, a more hopeful one taking pride in being an individual should be read instead. The adventures of Robin Hood would be a good example. Children in their early teens are already confused and dealing with peer pressure. And being told 'Be yourself.' can't work if your required reading shows a child being pummeled for just that. So it's not so much that I think The Chocolate Wars are a bad book but looking back on it now at age twenty-eight I don't think it should be the required reading of teenagers. By the way, I am a book lover, but you're going to find most of my negative reviews here are going to be toward books I was required to read growing up and how my teacher / fellow students responded to them such as The Old Man and the Sea and Lord of the Flies. Though there were some required readings I did like a lot such as Farenheit 451 and Escape to White Mountains.

Frank Muller did a great job performing this audiobook. Unfortunately, the story is filled with stereotyped caricatures. Most of the characters appear nothing more than one-dimensional, with the attempts to 'broaden' them oten falling flat. The end also seems somewhat forced on the story.

The bleak viciousness that is this novel made me really really anxious and depressed. I couldn't wait until it was over. I skimmed the whole final chapter and I've been doing my breathing exercises for the past couple of hours to rid myself of the bad chemicals that are pumping through my body. Ultimately this book is about: How evil pervades How pacifism is ultimately a violent act Martyrdom gets you nowhere How vicious children really are Writing a vicious book about viciousness that assaults the reader doesnt make the world a better place A neat little construct of macrocosm within the microcosm of a high school. Definitely a book that all teenagers should read, however this worn out, paranoid and depressed Gen-yer found it to reiterate stuff that she no longer wants to think about. That and high school was an entirely traumatising experience for me that I'll never be keen to relive.

The Chocolate War is about a freshman at an all boy high school called Trinity, where a poster hangs reading,"Do I Dare Disturb The Universe?" hanging in a student's locker named Jerry Renault. This school is no ordinary school, because it has a secret society called the Vigils. The Vigils is run by a boy named Archie, who is the leader and assigner of the tasks they give. Every year at Trinity, the boys have to sell chocolate to earn money for the school. Jerry gets an assignment from the Vigils that he is not to sell the chocolates; like everyone else who is assigned a task by Archie, he follows orders. This makes the teachers anrgy and the other students question whether they should be selling the chocolates too. One of the teachers, Brother Leon, orders Archie to make Jerry sell the chocolates as one of his assignments. When Jerry is told this by Archie, he disobeys by still not selling the chocolates while encouraging other students to do the same. Jerry changes the way the school works under Archie's watch. Jerry takes a huge risk, whether that risk will bring him danger or fame, the question is: Did He Dare Disturb The Universe?

Imagine a tale of fiction that portrays real life. Could such nonsense really exist? Well you don't have to search too far. Robert Cormier has converted such nonsense into a creation of genius. Cormier's famous title, The Chocolate War, filled the shelves of bookstores in 1974. As its popularity skyrocketed, so did the controversies. As usual, language, sexual content, and a mature theme push this novel to the edge of the banishment plank. However, the uproar is only as loud as the book is true. Life is not a fairy tale; there isn't always a happy ending. Cormier wanted to express the darker side of life and depict its reality. In an interview, Cormier states, "'I'm very much interested in intimidation...the way people manipulate other people. And the obvious abuse of authority.'" ([...]). His interests in what may seem immoral to some have painted this novel's true colors. Cunning, nefarious, browbeating, and savage, Archie Costello is the spawn of violence at Trinity High School. As a prime member of the notorious Vigils, Archie gets his kicks from shattering the spirits of students and dwarfing the authority of the school staff. And with this clandestine plethora of power which Archie possesses, he manages to control the entire school body. Teachers become his puppets and students become his army. If his victims are not eating out of the palm of Archie's hand, he is crushing them with it. His sly tongue and apace thinking only compliment his genius. In the act, Archie will adeptly configure not just one atrocious scheme, but a fiasco of chain reactions. He seeks out the weak points and fears of a victim and strikes hard in their moment of vulnerability--destroying them emotionally and physically. And because Archie could easily be the most feared yet respected character in this novel, he is alone. It is likely that Archie will never have allies, friends, or love--only minions. Archie Costello would be titled as no less than a vicious bully at its worst--despite nothing. An author whom can collide the art of fantasy with the truth of reality and give birth to a masterful story is nothing short of a genius. Robert Cormier has done exactly this. I can think of no better term to describe this book than pure originality. It is a triumph that completely denies the laws of fiction. After every chapter I read, I would repeat to myself, "I cannot believe what just happened". And though you always seem to know the story's final destination, you never know exactly where Cormier will lead you next. It is a labyrinth of epic events and characters that will stop you at a dead end. There is no telling what type of twist Cormier will follow up with. I can only hope that this new breed of literature will be a successful archetype for future generations.

Video & Audio

The Chocolate War List Price: $3.98 Sale Price: $1.63 Used From: $3.94 Average Rating:

Description

Jerry did the one thing no one expected. He stood up for himself. The new boy at strict Catholic High School, Jerry Renault, is bullied into selling boxes of chocolates for the school's annual fund-raising event. The sadistic headmaster, Brother Leon, and 'The Vigils', a vicious gang of school thugs, make Jerry's life hell when he decides he won't be pushed around anymore.

After acting in literary adaptations like Christine, Keith Gordon returned to the well for his directorial debut. His smart and stylish adaptation of Robert Cormier's controversial youth novel marks him as a natural. Based in a frequently overcast Pacific Northwest, Jerry Renault (Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Weird Science) enters a Catholic boys' school in the wake of his mother's passing. The freshman already has enough worries, but then Brother Leon (a ferocious John Glover) instructs each student to sell 50 boxes of chocolates during Trinity's annual fundraiser. Jerry refuses. Leon is taken aback, but then he finds that Jerry's refusal--his assignment--was handed down by Machiavellian upperclassman Archie (CSI's Wallace Langham, then known as Wally Ward), head of the Vigils. The secret society also instructs Jerry to recant, but he sticks to his guns. At first, a few kids congratulate him on his stand, but then Leon and Archie, threatened by the iconoclast, turn the school against him. The climactic showdown between Jerry and Archie deviates from the book, but retains its cynical spirit. As Gordon explains in his DVD interview, "They both threaten the system, and in the end, the system is a much bigger problem than any one individual." Like his mentor Brian DePalma, Gordon aims more for emotional than visual truth, which translates into dramatic lighting and fantasy sequences (which are, at first, more confusing than illuminating), but the performances remain grounded in reality. Interestingly, Mitchell-Smith, who never overplays his hand, abandoned acting in the 1990s--for teaching. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

DVD Information

• John Glover
• Ilan Mitchell-Smith
• Wallace Langham
• Doug Hutchison
• Corey Gunnestad

Reviews

Well, the book was wonderful really dark and the movie was not, I dont think it captured the characters in the book very well and the book is definetly more exciting, I mean I had to watch the movie in halves because the first time I ended up falling asleep. If you have read the book its nice to watch it but it will make you very angry at the end. They completely change the ending and in turn, I think, change the message and darkness of Robert Cormier's book. I really think that they traded in the moral of the story to please a crowd that likes happier endings.

There are many coming of age movies but this one is definitely unique. Story is about all boys private school where many come from well off families and others are scholarship kids. No matter which social background they come from, they all try to blend in and feel accepted by their peers. It seems that most boys that crave popularity and accepatnace are members of the group called "Vigils". Their leader is cunning and handsome young man, yet mean. In a new year as freshman arrive, Vigils target most vulnerable one of the freshman for the membership where the acceptance is earned by rites of passage - surviving bulling by the other Vigils members. In order to get accepted in this fraternity type of (false) brothehood, our main character pledges not to sell any of the 50 boxes of chocolates intended for a school fundraiser for 10 days. When the pledge's 10 days elapse, everyone is stunned to learn that boxes continue not to sell by our young man who stubornly refuses to particiapte int he fundraiser sale. His seeming vulnerability (his mother died) is turning into rebellion that is admirable by other boys who realize that conformity is not always path to acceptance, respect and admiration. It is heartening to see how boys can be so hurtful to each other, but also wonderful to see that our hero does not waiver under pressure. He stands his grounds and becomes moral winner. They say that film was made from the book that was both controversional and banned. Now I really want to read that book! I have never heard about books banned in US - land of free speech.

As a freshman English teacher I was very disappointed that the ending of The Chocolate War story was completely changed in the film. By allowing Jerry Renault to gain justice over Archie,The Vigils, and Brother Leon, the entire theme of the book was changed. I showed the movie to my class after we had read the book and we talked about how some writers and producers in the American entertainment industry cannot bear an unhappy or unjust ending of a story although we see this all around us in everyday life. The changed ending also takes away the powerful message in the book against the bullies of this world. Why would someone do this to a fantastic book? B. Elliott

Ordered 11/19/2006. Shipment kept being delayed. I ended up cancelling the 11/19/2006 order today.

With an excellent story line, great music by "Yaz" and superior photography, this movie should be a staple of anyone's collection. I was very glad to see that it is finally coming to DVD. I have never seen it on television or cable which is unfortunate because I think that its storyline has much universal appeal. The opposition of Jerry Renault to the dreaded secret society known as "the Vigils" would probably appeal to today's "DaVinci Code" crowd. The movie is full of symbols, intrigue and even a certain amount of violence. In my opinion, this movie has a little bit of everything for everyone and is one of the true "lost gems" of Hollywood.

Study Guides

Steinbeck's the Grapes of Wrath (Cliffs Notes) List Price: $5.99 Sale Price: $2.43 Used From: $0.01 Average Rating:

Description

Steinbeck wrote this book to bring into the spotlight the plight of migrant workers. In The Grapes of Wrath a migrant family travels from the Oklahoma Dust Bowl to California only to be exploited by the agricultural system. The ferocity of resulting attacks on Steinbeck and his politics point to the truth and power of the stories told in this novel.

Features

• ISBN13: 9780764585968
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Reviews

worth the money. it helped the girls with a book they didn't want to read cover-to-cover.

The Cliffs Notes for The Grapes of Wrath is an extremely helpful little book when you have an obscenely short period of time to read Steinbeck's excessively long The Grapes of Wrath. I had about a week to read and write an essay on The Grapes of Wrath. I then managed to read the Cliffs Notes in a few hours. Luckily I still got 100% on my essay even though I never did read the real book. Also, the Cliffs Notes are meant to assist you in reading, not for doing what I did, but I would recommend it for either.

Some books are hard to follow. "The Grapes of Wrath" is long, but entrancing. Finishing it more a matter of time than struggle.Granted, Steinbeck's description of the immense dust overtaking Oklahoma might seem overdone, but it sets the environment from which Tom Joad is leaving. It puts the grape fields in perspective.Read "Cliff Notes" if you're in a jam, and need to get the gist of the real book in your system. However, if you have the time, read all 600+ pages of Steinbeck's magnificent story. Be engaged by Joad and his tender family as they plod across America and into dire and complex California grape fields.I recommend Steinbeck's the Grapes of Wrath (Cliffs Notes) as an addition to the full book, not as a replacement.Anthony Trendl

Along with reading this very tedious but thrilling novel, Cliffs Notes help the experience greatly by offering insight and added understanding into The Grapes of Wrath. With a complete character list and Chapter reviews, the reading becomes even more exciting with Cliffs Notes at your side!! Cliffs also explains the confusing and foreshadowing intercalary chapters in full, vivid detail. Cliffs also gives the background of Steinbeck himself, so the reader knows the reasons for Steinbeck writing in the style that he does. I suggest to read the Cliffs Notes to gain FULL AND COMPLETE understanding of this famous and thrilling work of literature!

Spark Notes The Grapes of Wrath List Price: $5.95 Sale Price: $3.65 Used From: $0.01

Description

Get your "A" in gear!They're today's most popular study guides-with everything you need to succeed in school. Written by Harvard students for students, since its inception SparkNotes™ has developed a loyal community of dedicated users and become a major education brand. Consumer demand has been so strong that the guides have expanded to over 150 titles. SparkNotes'™ motto is Smarter, Better, Faster because:· They feature the most current ideas and themes, written by experts.· They're easier to understand, because the same people who use them have also written them.· The clear writing style and edited content enables students to read through the material quickly, saving valuable time.And with everything covered--context; plot overview; character lists; themes, motifs, and symbols; summary and analysis, key facts; study questions and essay topics; and reviews and resources--you don't have to go anywhere else!

Steinbeck's the Grapes of Wrath (Cliffs Notes) List Price: $4.95 Sale Price: $0.01 Used From: $0.01 Average Rating:

Reviews

Of Mice and Men Is one of the worst books I have ever read. Let me count the ways: 1) It has immeasuably two dimensional chacters. Steinbeck stays so close to the archetypal "strong man" "seedy guy" "angry little guy" "seductive wife" its disgusting. he even has a token black guy! Absurd. 2) An equally two-dimensional plot. Steinbeck's unbearable heavy handedness in getting his all important "moral" across completely crushes out any vestige of meaningful charcterization or subtext. 3) The ending. No, I'm not about to say "ew!" What i will say is that thats what he WANTS you to think. He wants you to put down this book and "realzie the impossibility the america dream, and the cutthroat nature of humans in general." The problem with this conclusion is the entire book is completely contrived! The most absurd confluence of cicumstances that could possible occur come togethr in this book.

This book helped me save time and still gave all the information I needed for my paper! I love this book!

I loved this book, and although it was difficult to read, I think that that was where a lot of the value in it came from. If any of you have a history of sympathizing with the underdog, read this book. And the ending, although startling, is by no means disgusting -- in fact, anything less would have done an injustice to the theme of Steinbeck's story.

I wrote this review because I was severly angered by the reviews that were previously written. This book may have been boring to those who are un-compassionate or ignorant. This is a brilliant portrayl of life when the deppression hit, John Steinbeck knows people, he knows how they think. The ending made me cry because it was so desperate and deep. For those who didn't understand it, I suggest an "I-can-read" book.Those "Children" have no idea what they are talking about. I am a teenager myself and am sad to see that these ignorant fools are our future. The Grapes of Wrath is about a family and it's struggles to survive. This book is about compassion, racism, and the troubles that can bring people together or shove them apart.

Steinbeck has a fantastic command of our language and uses thisskill to weave a story of great interest but also in doing so, conveysa much deeper philosophy and view of life. Maybe when some of your other reviewers GROW UP, they will realize the treasure we have in Steinbeck and read some of his other great works.

Full-Length

The Grapes of Wrath (Penguin Classics) List Price: $16.00 Sale Price: $8.25 Used From: $4.27 Average Rating:

Description

Today, nearly forty years after his death, Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck remains one of America’s greatest writers and cultural figures. Over the next year, his many works published as black-spine Penguin Classics for the first time and will feature eye-catching, newly commissioned art. Of this initial group of six titles, The Grapes of Wrath is in a new edition with a completely revised introduction and, for the first time, detailed notes by leading Steinbeck scholar Robert DeMott. Penguin Classics is proud to present these seminal works to a new generation of readers—and to the many who revisit them again and again.

Features

• ISBN13: 9780143039433
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Reviews

The condition of the book was not as described in the offer....I believe it was described as nearly new or "as New" and the book was very tattered and marked up with a red felt pen in places. not real happy with that. Haven't had a problem in the past with Amazon.

This book isn't for everyone. People I know who haven't liked it say that it was too slow, or "What's the deal with the turtle?" and didn't get past the first couple chapters. Some say it's just too sad. For me, this book meant everything. "To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma, the last rains came gently, and they did not cut the scarred earth." When I read this first line, I remember feeling like it was a line that I would always remember. I had the sense that I wasn't reading a story that some guy named Steinbeck came up with. I felt like the true feelings and experiences of a very real group of people were simply being funneled to me via Steinbeck's pen. The story felt very relevant to early 21st century America in that Fear seemed to be at the root of all evil. The Grapes of Wrath showed how Fear could be used to control and exploit people on a huge scale. It also depicted the human experience as profoundly intertwined with the earth. The characters' lives were turned upside down by nature, first by drought and later by flood. The very last scene showed how all of us are on this earth, in this life, together, like it or not and I found comfort in that. I had goosebumps and a pounding heart. All this for a book where the main characters speak in dialect about the "Fambly". Somehow John Steinbeck managed to fit what, to me, is essentially the meaning of life into a short novel about sharecroppers in the 30s. An amazing book. Please read it (all of it).

If you have not read this timeless classic yet in your lifetime, you have missed out on beatiful literature and amazing adventures. This story is not the classic that no one wants to read. If you haven' read this yet, what are you waiting for? It's not too late to read an unbelievable story that you will never forget.

Delivered quickly. But some of the pages (chapter 25)were so marked up I couldn't read the text.

I bought this book as a gift - a classic read that withstands the passage of time!

The Grapes of Wrath (Centennial Edition) List Price: $17.00 Sale Price: $7.25 Used From: $2.84 Average Rating:

Description

Forced from their home, the Joad family is lured to California to find work; instead they find disillusionment, exploitation, and hunger.

Features

• ISBN13: 9780142000663
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Reviews

The condition of the book was not as described in the offer....I believe it was described as nearly new or "as New" and the book was very tattered and marked up with a red felt pen in places. not real happy with that. Haven't had a problem in the past with Amazon.

This book isn't for everyone. People I know who haven't liked it say that it was too slow, or "What's the deal with the turtle?" and didn't get past the first couple chapters. Some say it's just too sad. For me, this book meant everything. "To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma, the last rains came gently, and they did not cut the scarred earth." When I read this first line, I remember feeling like it was a line that I would always remember. I had the sense that I wasn't reading a story that some guy named Steinbeck came up with. I felt like the true feelings and experiences of a very real group of people were simply being funneled to me via Steinbeck's pen. The story felt very relevant to early 21st century America in that Fear seemed to be at the root of all evil. The Grapes of Wrath showed how Fear could be used to control and exploit people on a huge scale. It also depicted the human experience as profoundly intertwined with the earth. The characters' lives were turned upside down by nature, first by drought and later by flood. The very last scene showed how all of us are on this earth, in this life, together, like it or not and I found comfort in that. I had goosebumps and a pounding heart. All this for a book where the main characters speak in dialect about the "Fambly". Somehow John Steinbeck managed to fit what, to me, is essentially the meaning of life into a short novel about sharecroppers in the 30s. An amazing book. Please read it (all of it).

If you have not read this timeless classic yet in your lifetime, you have missed out on beatiful literature and amazing adventures. This story is not the classic that no one wants to read. If you haven' read this yet, what are you waiting for? It's not too late to read an unbelievable story that you will never forget.

Delivered quickly. But some of the pages (chapter 25)were so marked up I couldn't read the text.

I bought this book as a gift - a classic read that withstands the passage of time!

Video & Audio

The Grapes of Wrath List Price: $14.98 Sale Price: $7.69 Used From: $6.33 Average Rating:

Description

This remarkable film version of Steinbeck?s novel was nominated for seven Academy Awards®, including for Best Picture, Actor (Henry Fonda), Film Editing, Sound and Writing. John Ford won the Best Director Oscar® and actress Jane Darwell won Best Actress for her portrayal of Ma Joad, the matriarch of the struggling migrant farmer family. Following a prison term he served for manslaughter, Tom Joad returns to find his family homestead overwhelmed by weather and the greed of the banking industry. With little work potential on the horizon of the Oklahoma dust bowls, the entire family packs up and heads for the promised land ? California. But the arduous trip and harsh living conditions they encounter offer little hope, and family unity proves as daunting a challenge as any other they face.

Ranking No. 21 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest American films, this 1940 classic is a bit dated in its noble sentimentality, but it remains a luminous example of Hollywood classicism from the peerless director of mythic Americana, John Ford. Adapted by Nunnally Johnson from John Steinbeck's classic novel, the film tells a simple story about Oklahoma farmers leaving the depression-era dustbowl for the promised land of California, but it's the story's emotional resonance and theme of human perseverance that makes the movie so richly and timelessly rewarding. It's all about the humble Joad family's cross-country trek to escape the economic devastation of their ruined farmland, beginning when Tom Joad (Henry Fonda) returns from a four-year prison term to discover that his family home is empty. He's reunited with his family just as they're setting out for the westbound journey, and thus begins an odyssey of saddening losses and strengthening hopes. As Ma Joad, Oscar-winner Jane Darwell is the embodiment of one of America's greatest social tragedies and the "Okie" spirit of pressing forward against all odds (as she says, "because we're the people"). A documentary-styled production for which Ford and cinematographer Gregg Toland demanded painstaking authenticity, The Grapes of Wrath is much more than a classy, old-fashioned history lesson. With dialogue and scenes that rank among the most moving and memorable ever filmed, it's a classic among classics--simply put, one of the finest films ever made. --Jeff Shannon

DVD Information

• Henry Fonda
• Jane Darwell
• John Carradine
• Charley Grapewin
• Dorris Bowdon

Reviews

Great American film making by John Ford. All teenagers should be made to watch this movie to appreciate what tough times really are. Henry Fonda as Tom Joad is just great acting.

Although The Grapes of Wrath is certainly not the longest picture I've ever seen, the exceptionally fine acting combined with its emotional impact and careful attention to detail gives the film a truly epic quality. The acting is easily some of the best I've ever seen--at the very end there was a lump in my throat; I was extremely moved and I won't forget this film anytime soon! The script could not have been better; the cinematography shines and the choreography is superb. The plot moves along nicely and covers quite a bit of action despite the fact that things never seem rushed. Of course, the film can't quite match all the detail of John Steinbeck's 450+ page book; but the way the filmmakers did this, including director John Ford, it is profoundly memorable. When the picture begins, we quickly meet Tom Joad (Henry Fonda), who returns to his Oklahoma home after spending four years in prison; and it is through Tom's eyes that we see the shock people felt during the Great Depression when they were driven off the Midwestern land they had harvested for decades. On the one hand, Tom reunites with Casy, a family friend who is now a disillusioned former preacher; but on the other hand the closer he and Casy get to the Joad house the more a nasty, ominous dust storm begins to blow up and when they discover an empty house the not-so-happy tone is set for the rest of the picture. Indeed, their once cherished home is merely a hide-out for a disheveled friend named Muley (John Qualen) who tells Tom that the Joads and other families have been driven off the land by big banks. Sharecropping, the only thing they know how to do to make a living, is no longer profitable. Muley then tells Tom and Casy that Tom's family is at their Uncle John's (Frank Darien) home; and Tom, again with Casy, arrives there for a family reunion. Ma Joad (Jane Darwell in an Oscar winning performance) is thankful that Tom reached them before they left Oklahoma; the family intends to move to California. In California, they believe, there will be good paying jobs picking crops and they want Tom and Casy to come with them. Of course, many things happen to the Joad family and Casy as the plot progresses; and I won't write too much about this in order not to spoil it for you. Suffice it to say that the movie was brilliantly executed and the attention to detail remains extremely impressive, to say the least. The plot and the action are extremely realistic as well. The DVD comes with terrific bonus features. On one side of the DVD disc there is a commentary by film scholar Joseph McBride and Susan Shillinglaw (a John Steinbeck scholar). There is also a prologue that was shown to British audiences so that they would have a basic understanding of the issues in this film before they viewed it. On the other side of the DVD disc, we get a featurette biography of Darryl F. Zanuck, a restoration comparison--and even more! The Grapes of Wrath is so well done and packs such a punch that it should be required viewing for anybody when they're old enough to understand the issues explored and depicted in this film. The film accurately depicts the harsh severities of life for so many people at that time in our country's history; and that's for the best. It's educational, too! I highly recommend this for fans of the actors in this movie; and anyone who appreciates quality, classic motion pictures will not be disappointed.

I have long been a fan of this film and I was highly pleased at being able to get it on DVD at a very reasonable price! And the quality of the DVD was perfect.

Classic Henry Fonda movie set back in the depression and what families went through, must see for entire family.

Giving this film an `A' and calling it a masterpiece is really a given, so I'm just going to get that part of it out of the way. The film is a beautiful and moving epic, complete with stellar performances, poignant life lessons and dramatic (and authentic) presence of life and destiny. To consider this John Ford's triumph is not too farfetched if I say so myself. That said, this film rests oddly with me. For me, `The Grapes of Wrath' is John Ford's `Schindler's List' (or, I guess I should say that `Schindler's List' is Spielberg's `The Grapes of Wrath'). It is a moving and very `important' film that doesn't strike me the way I expected due to a coldness that permeates the screen. The film is filled with elements and situations that would bring a stone-faced man to his knees, and yet I was more haunted than I was moved. There is a detachment I felt here that, like `Schindler', works just as much as it doesn't. Like I said in my review of `Schindler's List', it may be an empty argument, but it is one worth raising. This film is based off the novel by Steinbeck, which I haven't read but have on my reading list. I know that this film, while faithful, has altered the source material a tad (especially in the ending) but so few complaints have been thrown that way, even from devoted fans of the novel. The film was made at a time when a `happy ending' or at least the portrayal of hope was needed. A film depicting the raw and harsh realities of the depression needed to end on a high note if it was going to lift any spirits. Even with the altered ending though, `The Grapes of Wrath' is a real downer, a film that exposes humanity at its coldest and cruelest (although I was moved more by the slivers of kindness). The story is that of the Joad family, a group of hard working, loving people who are forced out of their homes and sent looking for work. Tom, the eldest son, was recently released from prison, and he serves as the head of the house basically, helping his parents and siblings make their long journey to California. Along the way they meet greed and desperation in many forms. The acting is a triumph here on all ends. Henry Fonda carries a solemn understanding in his eyes as he watches everything around him crumble, and he really carries every scene of this film. John Carradine is also fantastic as Casy, the former preacher who has lost his spirit due to the circumstances that engulf him. Standout here is Jane Darwell, who actually won the Oscar for her tremendous performance. Her pleading with Tom to stay and help her, oh, that moment touched me more than any other moment in the film. `The Grapes of Wrath' is a film that is filled with frustration and depression, but as the final frames begin to roll we are offered a sliver of hope, as Ma Joad swells our hearts with her ideals on humanity and the will to survive. Still... Like I said, there is a detachment here. It is a great movie, one that gets everything perfect, and, like `Schindler', that is the big problem. Everything is `too' perfect. I know that it seems like a weak complaint (and if this goes anything like my `Schindler's List' review, it won't be a popular one either) but it is a legit one if you look at it properly. Everything is so `authentic' that it runs the gamut of stiff and feels nearly documented. It takes away from the languid naturalness of the nature of film. Like I said, debating the films brilliance is ridiculous, but for a film that is primed and ready to move you, this one may not do it one the immediate. This makes sense to me, but then again, it's me!

Study Guides

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Cliffs Notes) List Price: $5.99 Sale Price: $2.13 Used From: $0.01 Average Rating:

Description

This very funny novel about a mischievous orphan boy deals with the escapades of youth, yet its underlying moral element gives it the frame and distinction of "art." Hemingway said that this book marked the beginning of American literature.

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Reviews

i felt that the scarlet letters' cliff notes provided more info than this for this commentary had not a sinlg elick of extraneous info in the back of the book.

The writing style of Mark Twain is hard to understand - especially for a German student in the US. so this book was a very good help!

Cliff Notes are always worth buying for literary pieces, especially for classes where you are studying the book.

I think this is probably best for people that need basic info. For the person that needs to write an indepth paper or do indepth research this is probably not the choice for you. It's a good basic tool for the beginner though.

JWD at RMUThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn "Critique"Huckleberry Finn introduces himself as someone who appeared in an earlier book reminding us of what happened towards the end of that story. Though he won't mention it until later in the story, when his irresponsible father has left him by his self. Huck has been living with Ms. Douglas a widow, a kind woman who wants to teach him all the things his father has neglected, the things all normal kids would usually learn.He tells us about Miss Watson, the widow's sister, who is strict on teaching Huck good manners and religion, and about Tom Sawyer and his stories, a boy like Huck looks up to because of his wide reading and imagination ability. He is also friendly with Jim, the black slave. Huck's father returns and takes him away from the widow. A pig has murdered when his father begins beating him, Huck runs away and makes it look as though Huck. He hides out on a nearby island, intending to take off after his neighbors stop searching for his assumed dead body. Jim the black slave of Miss. Watson is also hiding on the island, since he has run away from Miss Watson, who was about to sell him and separate him from his wife and his deaf little girl. They decide to escape together, and when they find a large raft, their journey on the Mississippi River begins. After a couple of adventures on the Mississippi River, a steamboat hits their raft, and Huck and Jim are separated. Huck goes ashore and finds himself at the home of the Grangerfords, which allow him to come and live with them. At first Huck admires these people for what he thinks is their class and good taste. But when he learns about the deaths caused by a feud with another family, he becomes disgusted with the Grangerfords. By this time Jim had time to repair the raft, and Huck rejoins him. Two men who are escaping the law and who claim to be a duke and the son of the king of France soon join them. Huck knows they are actually small-time crooks, but he pretends to believe their stories.After watching these frauds bilk people of their money in two towns, Huck is forced to help them try to swindle an inheritance out of three young girls who were recently orphaned. He goes along at first because he doesn't want them to turn Jim in, but eventually he decides that the thieves have gone too far. He invents a complicated plan to escape and to have them arrested. The plan almost works, but at the last minute the two crooks show up and continue to travel with Huck and Jim. When all their moneymaking schemes begin to fail, they sell Jim to a farmer in one of the towns they're visiting. Huck learns about this and decides to free Jim. The farmer turns out to be Tom Sawyer's uncle, and through a misunderstanding he and his wife think Huck is Tom. When Tom himself arrives, Huck brings him up to date on what's happening. Tom pretends to be his own brother Sid, and the two boys set about to rescue Jim.The true to his imaginative style, Tom devises a plan that is more complicated than it has to be. Eventually they actually pull it off and reach the raft without being caught. Tom, however, has been shot in the leg, and Jim refuses to leave until the wound has been looked at. The result is that Jim is recaptured and Tom and Huck have to explain what they have done. Tom, it turns out, knew all along that Miss Watson had set Jim free in her will, so everyone can now return home together. Huck, however, thinks he's had enough of civilization, and hints that he might take off for the Indian Territory instead of going back to his home.

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Reviews

Does the work: I passed the class w/o ever opening the book. :)

I just finished reading this book. At first I thought it was really good, but I found it harder to get into towards the end. It seemed to drag on awhile, but overall it was good and had a lot of good stuff on themes. If you have to do a book report, this would be a good book to do it on.

I loved this book. At the start of my junior year in college, I was forced to read this book by my English teacher. At first I did not want to read it, but after I started, I just could not put it down. I loved it. Twain used satire as he usually did, and it could not have been written better!

A Mark Twain classic that I couldn't put down

A Mark Twain classic that I couldn't put down

Spark Notes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn List Price: $5.95 Sale Price: $1.99 Used From: $0.01

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Get your "A" in gear!They're today's most popular study guides-with everything you need to succeed in school. Written by Harvard students for students, since its inception SparkNotes™ has developed a loyal community of dedicated users and become a major education brand. Consumer demand has been so strong that the guides have expanded to over 150 titles. SparkNotes'™ motto is Smarter, Better, Faster because:· They feature the most current ideas and themes, written by experts.· They're easier to understand, because the same people who use them have also written them.· The clear writing style and edited content enables students to read through the material quickly, saving valuable time.And with everything covered--context; plot overview; character lists; themes, motifs, and symbols; summary and analysis, key facts; study questions and essay topics; and reviews and resources--you don't have to go anywhere else!

Huckleberry Finn (Barron's Book Notes) List Price: $3.95 Sale Price: $599.99 Used From: $0.01 Average Rating:

Description

A guide to reading "Huckleberry Finn" with a critical and appreciative mind encouraging analysis of plot, style, form, and structure. Also includes background on the author's life and times, sample tests, term paper suggestions, and a reading list.

Reviews

Huckelburry, Duckelburry, Suckelburrry, Muckelburry, Cruckelburry, Truckleburry, Mooseburry, FINN!

Full-Length

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Bantam Classics) List Price: $5.95 Sale Price: $1.49 Used From: $0.01 Average Rating:

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The adventures of a boy and a runaway slave as they travel down the Mississippi River on a raft.

Mark Twain's classic novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, tells the story of a teenaged misfit who finds himself floating on a raft down the Mississippi River with an escaping slave, Jim. In the course of their perilous journey, Huck and Jim meet adventure, danger, and a cast of characters who are sometimes menacing and often hilarious. Though some of the situations in Huckleberry Finn are funny in themselves (the cockeyed Shakespeare production in Chapter 21 leaps instantly to mind), this book's humor is found mostly in Huck's unique worldview and his way of expressing himself. Describing his brief sojourn with the Widow Douglas after she adopts him, Huck says: "After supper she got out her book and learned me about Moses and the Bulrushers, and I was in a sweat to find out all about him; but by and by she let it out that Moses had been dead a considerable long time; so then I didn't care no more about him, because I don't take no stock in dead people." Underlying Twain's good humor is a dark subcurrent of Antebellum cruelty and injustice that makes The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn a frequently funny book with a serious message.

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• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Reviews

This book came on time and was exactly what I ordered. I had absolutely no problem with this order and the price was great!

Purchased Audio CD 12/08/09. Was very disappointed did not receive Audio of Huck Finn til after Christmas.

I may be only 11, but I know a good book when I see one and this is one of them!

"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is universally considered Mark Twain's masterpiece, surpassing "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer". Yet Tom Sawyer's story continuously outsells Huck Finn's for the simple reason that "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" is the more enjoyable read. That does not mean that "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" isn't enjoyable, but that perhaps Twain tried too hard to impress and outdo himself that he muddled his story with unnecessary tangents. Everyone is familiar with the basic outline. Huckleberry Finn fakes his own death to run away from his abusive alcoholic father and finds Miss Watson's slave Jim has run away too. The two construct a raft and take off down the Mississippi River so that Jim can become free, an unheard of action for a white boy to take, even one as poor as Huck Finn. Along the way they face trials and high adventures, pair up with a couple of royal frauds, and find themselves in heaps of trouble when they impersonate the wrong people. Despite these setbacks, readers know that things are going to work out all right for the two main characters and that a happy ending will be had. Yet Huck's story drags on too long, especially the ridiculous plans to rescue Jim in the last several chapters; it seems as if these could have been excised to strenghten the story. Twain's humor is evident and contagious, but his adherence to local color and various dialects is demanding and downright frustrating at times. While many have claimed that "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is a racist book, because of one certain word, it is nothing of the sort, especially when its hero is championing for the rights of a poor, misunderstood slave. In fact, that storyline would have been rather revolutionary in Twain's time. While the prose and the language may be dated and sensational for our sensitive, politically correct time, it is a unique and faithful depiction of the time in which it was written.

I bought this book for my Son. School Reading assignment. But really who didn't like Huck Finn

Video & Audio

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn List Price: $24.95 Sale Price: $15.51 Used From: $16.82 Average Rating:

DVD Information

• Jim Dale
• Patrick Day
• Frederic Forrest
• Lillian Gish
• David Barry Gray

Reviews

When this ran on PBS in 1985, I video taped the entire broadcast over four nights. Essentially, the only differences between the 240 minute version and the 213 minute version, are station breaks with members of the cast making appearances asking for financial support for local PBS stations, and beginning and ending credits. The 213 minutes on this DVD is the full dramatic performance. I suspect it would, if rated, probably be PG . No, it is not suitable as entertainment for preteens, but then neither is Twain's novel. What it is, however, is a magnificent piece of cinematic art, which, coincidentally, happens to follow Twain's story quite faithfully.

This version follows the book most closely, though it does leave out a major section toward the end of the book, and the pacing toward the end seems a bit truncated making the end when it comes more abrupt than one would wish. Nevertheless it's the best video version of Twain's great novel available.

When I purchased this dvd I had read a review saying that this version was the closest to the book version out there. I guess my mistake was that I hadn't actually read the book in it's entirety, which I intend to do now. When my husband and I finished the movie we decided not to keep it. It is not the wholesome movie we thought it might be. Of course we realize... how wholesome is a life like Huck Finn's to start with anyway? We aren't blind to that fact. We just know that if we had children of impressionable ages around wanting to watch movies and they said, "Hey... The adventures of Huckleberry Finn... can we watch that one?"..... that we'd say... "NO!!!" Anyone considering getting this movie should really think about what values you personally are trying to instill within your family, and hold to them. This movie certainly does not do that for you.

This is the best version of Huck Finn that I have seen.Very, very well worth the money.Patrick Day's portrayal of Huck is simple (as it should be) and real.As is also Samm-Art Williams portrayal of Jim. This version follows the book better than any of the others. This is the full version.

After watching the Ken Burn's documentary on Mark Twain's life, I looked forward with much anticipation to seeing this film. It was supposed to be a great social commentary about slavery and on the conflict between the Constitution and the reality of slavery. It was supposed to be a kind of mental journey that the viewer took by following the simple logic of a boy, who represented the ideas about black people from that time. And while the movie does repeat all the right lines, "Well, then, I'll go to hell" it doesn't do so with as much power as Ken Burns narrator did. It doesn't set up the real and present tension -- the level of religious faith at that time and just what Huck meant -- how powerfully people of that day feared doing what was wrong and how Huck was meant to really feel it was wrong to help Jim escape. The power of the soul-searching aspect of the book is really hard to capture on film. It's a good film, as it goes, but I had hoped for something explosive.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn List Price: $12.98 Sale Price: $6.06 Used From: $5.35 Average Rating:

Description

Huckleberry Finn, a rambuctious boy adventurer chafing under the bonds of civilization, escapes his humdrum world and his selfish, plotting father by sailing a raft down the Mississippi River. Accompanying him is Jim, a slave running away from being sold. Together the two strike a bond of friendship that takes them through harrowing events and thrilling adventures.

DVD Information

• Tony Randall
• Eddie Hodges
• Archie Moore
• Patty McCormack
• Neville Brand

Features

• Huckleberry Finn, a rambuctious boy adventurer chafing under the bonds of civilization, escapes his humdrum world and his selfish, plotting father by sailing a raft down the Mississippi River. Accompanying him is Jim, a slave running away from being sold. Together the two strike a bond of friendship that takes them through harrowing events and thrilling adventures.Running Time: 107 min. Format:

Reviews

Can anyone verify if this is the 1939 movie with Mickey Rooney? The reviews and details here are sending a message that the cover is misleading and the actors as described for this dvd is not the 1939 movie. Amazon was not able to verify which version of the movie is offered. Thanks to anyone who can answer my inquiry.

This no doubt is a good movie,after all anything Tony Randall plays in is good.For he was a great actor. My question is, Why do they keep putting Mickey Roony's picture on the cover? I have Mickey's "The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn" It was made between 1938- 1940.At least put Tony Randall's picture on the cover.I was fooled once when I purchased the tv movie by mistake because it had Mickeys Picture on the cover.This was sold by the Sinergy Corp. The label even pealed off and almost ruined my DVD player. So be carefull, don't go by the pictures.Read the movie information before you buy.

When it's in that Aspect Ratio I'll buy it Till then KEEP IT

Recently I had the pleasure of reading "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." I agreed with so many others that it was indeed apart of classic American literature. The movie however, is not. The movie does not even go in the same order as the novel. It jumps around and adds completely new scenes that were not apart of the novel. Plus the extra scenes were completely unnecessary. Some of the important scenes not only were out of place, but they were boring and unlike the novel. The character Jim in the novel is not very witty but he is still a good man. He continues to be a good man in the film, but he tricks Huck which is completely un-Jim like. But i must say the young fellow that plays Huck is very convincing. I had pictured Huck much younger in my mind but I feel that the actor did Huck justice in a movie where so much had gone wrong. I understand that movies are hard to base off of a novel and still keep it accurate, but this movie is just so much more far fetched then the novel is. The novel is exciting and keeps you on your toes, while the film is dull and it is if it;ll never end. I feel that the film is a disappointment and in a way it insults Mark Twain wonderful novel of "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn".

Eventhough the movie director didn't follow and cover the original story of book in this movie, i think this movie is good because Jim and Huck had free from their previous situation at the end of the movie (Huck got free from civilized society and Jim got free from slavery. Likewise, we can see both movie director and Mark Twain have same purpose because in my opinion, conclusion shows their final messages. Therefore, the conclusion is really important in our life. Some people doesn't like this movie because the movie skips a lot of important parts of the book. For example, Tom did not show up in the movie. In general, the movie can't show everything within limited time(usually 2 hours length) So, i think the most important thing is to send a message. MAny people also disappointed about the movie Harry Potter but everything depends on your feeling. For me, this movie tells the main ideas from the book and shows great scenery with good actors. I recommend this movie

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Unabridged Classics in Audio) List Price: $24.99 Sale Price: $14.99 Used From: $9.95 Average Rating:

Description

Mark Twain defined classic as "a book which people praise and don't read"; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a happy exception to his own rule. Twain's mastery of dialect, coupled with his famous wit, has made Huckleberry Finn one of the most loved and distinctly American classics ever written.

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• ISBN13: 9781400156313
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Reviews

This is a really fun audio reading of Huckleberry Finn. Dufris does all the voices excellently -- you wouldn't know it is only one person reading. You get the flavor of the book and understand the satire and jokes because of the dramatic reading. Tracks are about 3 minutes each -- I had to go through & write down which tracks belong to which chapter, but at least chapters begin at the beginning of tracks, not in the middle.

Study Guides

Great Expectations (Cliffs Notes) List Price: $5.99 Sale Price: $2.00 Used From: $0.01 Average Rating:

Description

This novel, the journey of Pip from boyhood to young manhood, has become Dickens' greatest novel. The many tests of character that Pip confronts, as well as Dickens' characters, remain in the mind a long time after the book is read.

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• ISBN13: 9780764585982
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Reviews

This was my summer reading. Never once touched the actual book... read about the characters and the main plot and some important details in about 20 mins. When school started, we had a test on the book, results: A! I totally would suggest this book!

These Cliffsnotes have definitely helped me as a student to understand the book. It can get hard to read if you're a younger person who doesn't know much about the language Charles Dickens used.

These Cliffsnotes have definitely helped me as a student to understand the book. It can get hard to read if you're a younger person who doesn't know much about the language Charles Dickens used.

I thought this was a great book. It was a really good summery on great expectations. I know how some people get really confused when reading books like this because it is sometimes hard to understand the language. So I highy reccomend this book.

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Reviews

wemmick paid pip his money after he had put all the buscuit into the post what does that mean

This small Cliff Notes book reviewing Great Expectations is so useful. It helps you understand the Novel better. With this book you can really go in depth with the novel and find the real meaning and message Dickens was trying to express. The book has great character analizations and much more. I would recomend this book to anyone. It is the best source of help for Great Expectations.

This is a great book to have while reading Great Expectations. It helps break down the writing that Dickens' uses to help you understand the book better. I would recommend this book to anyone reading Great Expectations.

there is this kid and he went to the grave yard to see his parents and this guy came

loved it, thought it had good examples of stuff, hope i can read more of his books, real soon.

Great Expectations (SparkNotes) Sale Price: $2.50 Used From: $0.21

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Synopsis What do you get when a group of Harvard Students creates study guides for the 21st century? Better grades. Not long ago our writers were acing their classes. Now they're loading SparkNotes with concise critical analysis that won't yellow with age. With SparkNotes you'll have an easier time understanding and enjoying great works of literature. SparkNotes -- the smarter, better, faster way to an "A." More Reviews and Recommendations Biography Charles Dickens is probably the greatest novelist England ever produced. His innate comic genius and shrewd depictions of Victorian life -- along with his memorable characters -- have made him beloved by readers the world over. In Dickens' books live some of the most repugnant villains in literature, as well as some of the most likeable (and unlikely) heroes.

Full-Length

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A terrifying encounter with an escaped convict in a graveyard on the wild Kent marshes; a summons to meet the bitter, decaying Miss Havisham and her beautiful, cold-hearted ward Estella; the sudden generosity of a mysterious benefactor - these form a series of events that change the orphaned Pip's life forever, and he eagerly abandons his humble origins to begin a new life as a gentleman. Dickens' haunting late novel depicts Pip's education and development through adversity as he discovers thetrue nature of his 'great expectations'.

Dickens considered Great Expectations one of his "little pieces," and indeed, it is slim compared to such weighty novels as David Copperfield or Nicholas Nickleby. But what this cautionary tale of a young man raised high above his station by a mysterious benefactor lacks in length, it more than makes up for in its remarkable characters and compelling story. The novel begins with young orphaned Philip Pirrip--Pip--running afoul of an escaped convict in a cemetery. This terrifying personage bullies Pip into stealing food and a file for him, threatening that if he tells a soul "your heart and your liver shall be tore out, roasted and ate." The boy does as he's asked, but the convict is captured anyway, and transported to the penal colonies in Australia. Having started his novel in a cemetery, Dickens then ups the stakes and introduces his hero into the decaying household of Miss Havisham, a wealthy, half-mad woman who was jilted on her wedding day many years before and has never recovered. Pip is brought there to play with Miss Havisham's ward, Estella, a little girl who delights in tormenting Pip about his rough hands and future as a blacksmith's apprentice. I had never thought of being ashamed of my hands before; but I began to consider them a very indifferent pair. Her contempt for me was so strong, that it became infectious, and I caught it. It is an infection that Pip never quite recovers from; as he spends more time with Miss Havisham and the tantalizing Estella, he becomes more and more discontented with his guardian, the kindhearted blacksmith, Joe, and his childhood friend Biddy. When, after several years, Pip becomes the heir of an unknown benefactor, he leaps at the chance to leave his home and friends behind to go to London and become a gentleman. But having expectations, as Pip soon learns, is a two-edged sword, and nothing is as he thought it would be. Like that other "little piece," A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations is different from the usual Dickensian fare: the story is dark, almost surreal at times, and you'll find few of the author's patented comic characters and no comic set pieces. And yet this is arguably the most compelling of Dickens's novels for, unlike David Copperfield or Martin Chuzzlewit, the reader can never be sure that things will work out for Pip. Even Dickens apparently had his doubts--he wrote two endings for this novel. --Alix Wilber

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• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Reviews

Pip, the main character in Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, writes the story in first person as a middle aged man looking back on his life. Pip's parents die when he is young making him an orphan. Pip is "brought up by hand" by his sister, who treats him with scorn. His sister's lack of love, however, is tempered by her husband Joe, a blacksmith. Joe is a simple, uneducated man and Pip's only "friend" during childhood. Pip commiserates with Joe about his sister's verbal thrashings, trying to make the best of his unhappy upbringing. Early in the story, Pip has an encounter with a convict in the cemetery among the marshes near his home. Unbeknownst to him, this man would be the source for his "Great Expectations" later in life. One day Pip is invited to the home of Ms. Havisham. Ms. Havisham is a single, eccentric, old woman who stopped living in the real world many years earlier when she was spurned by her lover on her wedding day. Ms. Havisham has adopted the beautiful Estella, and from the moment Pip meets her, he is infatuated with her beauty. Estella represents wealth, education, success, and opportunity--things Pip values but thinks he will never have. Dissatisfaction within himself grows as he wants to be more in life than a partner with Joe in the forge. Pip becomes unhappy not only with himself, but also with Joe, who represents what he does not want to be--uneducated and simple. Failing to appreciate Joe's moral character, Pip's world view begins to change as he sees education as something to be attained--the sure way out of his wretched life and the means by which he could woo the object of his unmerited affections, Estella. Pip's life changes dramatically when he is visited by a well respected and fiercely admired lawyer, Mr. Jaggers, who brings him an unusual message. Mr. Jaggers tells Pip he is to receive "Great Expectations," but the benefactor is to remain anonymous until and only if they choose to reveal their identity. Pip mistakenly assumes the benefactor is Ms. Havisham, and the manipulating, self serving woman does nothing to dissuade him from his incorrect assumptions. The story takes Pip to London where he lives a life of excess and discards many virtues from his childhood. He no longer wants anything to do with Joe and believes his future course has been immutably set--that he is to marry the beautiful Estella. He shares his indulgences with his new friend, Herbert, whose acquaintance he had made years earlier at Ms. Havisham's place. The two of them rack up excessive debt as Pip sees himself as "a man in waiting" for all his fortunes to come to pass. Things are not what they seem, however. It is eventually revealed that the benefactor is not Ms. Havisham but the convict, Mr. Magwitch, whom Pip had met in the cemetery many years earlier when he was a young, impressionable boy. Pip is confronted face to face with the despised convict, hounded by the remembrances of him torturing him in the cemetery, dreams that lingered, causing him much consternation. But now he has to accept the undeniable truth that his turn of fortune is not because of Ms. Havisham's provision, but the despicable convict's desire to make him a gentleman. The convict wants his life to be redeemed for something good and chooses Pip to be that vehicle. Through a series of events, Pip acknowledges the inexcusable way he has treated Joe and wants to make amends. Before he can accomplish this, however, other happenings complicate his life. The convict, now in England, needs Pip's protection. Pip must make a way for Magwitch to leave England without being discovered. While Pip hides him with a trusted friend, Pip comes to realize that the convict he had earlier despised has more redemptive qualities than Pip has within himself. As he makes provision for the convict's escape, Pip sees Magwitch change for the better, and in so doing, Pip also changes. Instead of hating the convict, Pip grows to love him. The self centeredness of Pip's indulgences is replaced with care, not only for the convict, but in growing degrees, for others. In the process of trying to escape, the convict is attacked by his long-time archrival and enemy. As a result, Magwitch is severely injured, discovered by the authorities, put on trial and convicted, but dies from his injuries before his death sentence can be carried out. Magwitch's estate is turned over to the authorities to make restitution for past wrongs. Pip is left penniless and obligingly accepts that his Great Expectations and source of income have dissipated into nothing. Meanwhile, Estella marries someone else--a man whom Pip despises. A few years earlier, Pip had secretly made arrangements for his friend Herbert to have a small expectation out of his "Great Expectations," amounting to a sizable sum of money. When it becomes known to Pip that he will lose his "Great Expectations" to the authorities, his only thought is for his friend. Pip returns to visit Ms. Havisham and requests, in a show of repentance for the wrongs she had done to him, a sum of money that Pip could again secretly provide to Herbert. Herbert wisely uses this money to successfully buy into a business venture. He later marries and moves overseas in his business pursuits--none of which would have been possible without Pip's anonymous provision to Herbert. Pip credits this as the only redeeming thing he has accomplished, reflecting on all the other things he did or didn't do that could have been used for good. Pip falls ill following the death of his convict friend, Magwitch, and Joe comes to England to care for him until he is well. Joe surreptitiously leaves early one morning when Pip is sufficiently recovered, and when Pip wakes up, he discovers Joe has paid off all his creditors. Pip immediately returns home in penitence to confess to Joe all his past wrongs, realizing that Joe is a better man than he. He recognizes in his now humble state that his "Great Expectations" deceived him into using it as a source of pride against Joe. Upon arriving home, Pip's expectations are not what he envisioned. His sister who raised him by hand has long since died as a result of an attack on her by the evil Orlick. His childhood friend and confidant, Biddy, has just married Joe. In the end, redemption works its way for good. Joe and Biddy are happily married and the sore memories of Pip's sister are forgotten. Pip returns to London and within a month, leaves England and joins Herbert's firm, Clarriker and Company, overseas. Pip lives abroad with Herbert and his wife, and after successfully making partner, eleven years later, returns to his boyhood home in England. He discovers Joe and Biddy now have a son who reminds him of himself. Before bidding Joe and Biddy a final farewell, Pip makes one last trip to the Havisham place, the old woman having died many years earlier. Pip discovers Estella in the garden, a chance meeting since she no longer lives there. The old house and brewery have been torn down and sold off except for the garden enclosed by the ivy covered wall. Years of a stormy, failed marriage have softened Estella's vindictive, prideful nature, and she confesses that "suffering has been stronger than all other teaching and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be." The reader is left to ponder whether Pip and Estella ever marry because Pip says, "I saw no parting from her." In the end, Pip learns much about what matters--wisdom he would not have possessed if he had stayed working at Joe's forge. As a middle aged narrator looking back, there is sadness but sweetness about what he has lost because of what he has gained. Perhaps the reader is the real winner, having seen redemption on so many levels within each character. In the end, if we are honest, we can identify these shortcomings in ourselves. If Pip can work out his "Great Expectations" to bring redemption, perhaps we can, also--that is, again, if we are honest. Our sinful nature will always be there, but if we look for good, God will not disappoint us. Maybe "Great Expectations" will not only find us, but redemption will be there, too, just as it was in Pip. Lorilyn Roberts Children of Dreams andThe Donkey and the King

I read Great Expectations back in high school, but had forgotten most of it. It was the selection for our book club, so I bought it to read again. Although it's very long, it's a wonderful book, rich with detail and timeless for it's social issues and examination of interpersonal relationships. I had forgotten (or perhaps didn't appreciate in high school) how funny Dickens is. His sense of humor, and ability to convey emotion and atmosphere are extraordinary. I got it too late to finish for the book club and had to consult Spark notes (which are great for summary), but I hope to finish it soon. Fabulous read.

I have been a great reader my entire life, having read and enjoyed many classics as well as the modern books of today, but never in my life have I had such a difficult time getting through a book. I usually fly through novels within a few days, but getting through this one is likened to going through a maze in the dark. I give it two stars because I do think the plot was interesting, but the execution was abominably horrible. I actually had to have a dictionary next to me in order to understand all the weird words Dickens used, words such as 'peppercorny' and 'farinaceous.' Now, I usually pride myself on having quite an excellent English vocabulary, but I felt utterly lost when trying to read this book. Some of the dialogue was completely unfathomable and pointless, and about a quarter of the time I did not have a clue as to what he were talking about. Many of the characters were annoying, Mr. Pumblechook for example. I cringed during the chapter when he saw Pip, after Pip had become a gentleman, and the stupid man kept saying "May I? May I?" Ugh. There was so much this book could have done with out; the endless pointless descriptions, the useless minor characters, and the stupidity of some of them was unbearable. What I mean by that is Miss Havisham's voluntary reclusive existence; I mean, how can somebody live like that without going completely insane, just sitting in the dark day after day, wearing the same clothes, and throwing her life away for a man who was only after her money? Stupid and lame that was, if mildly noble (her behavior). I cannot understand why Dickens is so praised as a writer. His plot may be good in this book, but it is terribly written. I have made two attempts in my life to read this book. The first time, I got about halfway through and had to stop because it was about as enjoyably as plucking my eyebrows. A few years later, the second attempt got me to about the 42nd chapter, but again, my interest fizzled out. I do not think I will ever finish this book, and would only advise reading it if you have trouble sleeping, because it will knock you out fast. As a final note, I could not get through Oliver Twist either. Again, a great plot, but poorly written.

after reading this book i think dickens would benifit from very low expectations. and by that i mean a lot of people will be returning this book and giving bad reviews. all the classics always in my opinion, are very bad

not "penguin classics" but bantam classics... wtf?, different book cover, and back page crumpled from delivery or ? everything else was fine.

Video & Audio

Great Expectations (1998) List Price: $9.98 Sale Price: $4.84 Used From: $4.25 Average Rating:

Description

The moment young Finn sets eyes on Estella, she becomes his inspiration and his obsession. Despite being warned, "she'll only break your heart," he vowed to win her love. Years later, thanks to a mysterious benefactor, aspiring artist Finn is off to New York, where he is reunited with the icy and beautiful Estella. When she agrees to model for him, Finn's dearest hopes may at last be realized-along with his darkest fears!

The key ingredient in this modern-day version of Charles Dickens's classic is director Alfonso Cuarón, who made the glowing, estimable A Little Princess. If you saw that (and you should), understand that Expectations has those ingredients (great sense of time, place, and timing) but adds modern music and sex appeal; the latter personified by the long-legged Gwyneth Paltrow. Finnegan Bell (Ethan Hawke as an adult, Jeremy James Kissner at age 10) is the new version of Dickens's Pip. He's a child wise beyond his years, befriending an escaped convict (Robert De Niro) in the warm waters of Florida's Gulf Coast. Finn is also the plaything for Estella (Paltrow as an adult, Raquel Beaudene at age 10), the niece of the coast's richest and most eccentric lady, Ms. Dinsmoor (a fun and flamboyant Anne Bancroft). The prudish Estella likes Finn (catch the best first kiss scene in many a moon) but has been brought up to disdain men; she'll break hearts. As the object of Finn's desires, Estella unfortunately is a one-dimensional character, yet what a dimension! Clad in Donna Karan dresses and her long, sun-kissed hair, Paltrow is luminous. She and Hawke make a very sexy couple. Mitch Glazer's script does better by Finn. He's a blue-collar worker with a gift for drawing (artwork by Francesco Clemente). Following his Uncle Joe's (Chris Cooper) honest ways, Finn grows up as a fisherman, thoughts of Estella and art drifting away in the hard work. When a mysterious benefactor allows him to follow his dream, Finn finds himself in New York, preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime art exhibit--and in the arms of the engaged Estella. Filled with cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki's golden-drenched light, the film has an irresistible, wildly romantic look. Dinsmoor's place is certainly gothic, Estella and Finn's longing encounters glamorous. Cuarón uses an MTV-friendly soundtrack with a confident touch. Songs by Tori Amos and the band Pulp--along with Patrick Doyle's silky score--create passionate scenes. It all ends far too swiftly with a seemingly tacked-on ending (reflecting the book, as it happens) but the film is splendid storytelling. It's a stylish, sweet valentine. --Doug Thomas

DVD Information

• Ethan Hawke
• Gwyneth Paltrow
• Hank Azaria
• Chris Cooper
• Anne Bancroft

Reviews

the dvd i received was in excellent condition! arrived in timely fashion and i was very happy with this purchase!

Arrived quickly and in good condition. As for the movie, I love it that's why I ordered it :)

I was expecting to watch a visual artistic interpretation of one of Dickens's greatest works, but there was none of that. As a modern reader, I understand that several elements and plots in Dickens's novels nowadays are anachronistic and cheesy at times. But I still recommend that young readers should read these classics for other reasons - eg, to appreciate the difficulty of breaking "thru" the class barrier at another time in England. In contrast, this modernized version of "The Great Expectations" is unforgiveable in its modern plots and cheap marketing ploys and is not worth the time watching it at all. Under the pretense of erotica and arts, the usually great Paltrow stoops so low when she takes off her clothes for some cheap soft porn shots along the light weight Hawke. It's painful for me to watch the movie. I feel disappointed and betrayed when these self-proclaimed artists took a great piece of literature and turned it into a cheap film, along the way, unwittingly dupping the movie goers, using the title of a great novel and the name of a great writer, all in the efforts just to make a few bucks. What a shame!

This movie had some really great things going for it. The leading actors were at their best even as children they had great chemistry going on between them. It was a very sexy, stylish and well put together movie for the most part. The real down fall for me was the character played by Robert De Niro. I know this movie was based on the book by Charles Dickens but really De Niro just got in the way of the flow of the story from the very start to me. They really did not need him at all in this version of Great Expectations. He kind of messed it up for me.

If your literary sensibilities are easily offended by setting changes ( say from London to perhaps Miami, or New York... ), or perhaps any infringement on a Dickens' classic makes your blood boil- trust me you'll loathe this movie. However, though I love Dickens, I also love this movie, and could care less that it is set an ocean away, and a century and half into the future of the original book, nor does it bother me that Estella now bears the last name of Dinsmore ( instead of Havisham ). The fact that Pip is now 'Finn' is also of no consequence to me. In fact I am delighted that he is an artist instead of a businessman ( represented handily by the work of Francesco Clemente ). GREAT EXPECTATIONS is a beautifully realized romance, with a wonderful soundtrack, gorgeous cinematography, and exceptional performances. Gwyneth Paltrow is simply radiant as Estella, and takes what is essentially a one dimensional ice queen ( pretty much as Dickens, himself, wrote her ) and imbues her with a hint of sadness , and If you've ever lost your heart to someone that is either totally wrong for you, or prefers to see you as 'just a friend,' you will certainly appreciate how extraordinary Ethan Hawkes' performance is. Anne Bancroft gives her character ( Estella's guardian ) much more depth than the original Miss Havisham ( 'Dinsmore' in the movie ) had. The first kiss in this film is better than any I can remember. This is simply a great pic.

Great Expectations (1974) List Price: $5.98 Sale Price: $5.49 Used From: $5.49 Average Rating:

Description

Studio: Platinum Disc Llc Release Date: 09/19/2006 Starring: Michael York James Mason Run time: 124 minutes Rating: G

DVD Information

• Joss Ackland
• Richard Beaumont
• Maria Charles
• Erik Chitty
• Ben Cross

Reviews

This is the worst dramatization of a masterpiece I have ever seen - and I have watched a great many, some of them, such as the BBC's OUR MUTUAL FRIEND and the Disney GREAT EXPECTATIONS, numerous times. When one considers how full of detail the novel is, it is amazing to find sequence after sequence having no equivalent in Dickens - scenes full of absurd details that make no sense - invented dialogue often ludicrous - the whole thing an appalling travesty. Worse still, fine actors are turned into amateurs, presumably as a result of terrible direction: I have never seen Anthony Quayle, Joss Ackland, Sarah Miles, Peter Bull, Margaret Leighton - indeed almost the entire cast - more wooden, less natural. How I would have loved to have seen Michael York and James Mason with any of the other scripts and other directors - their talents are the only ones not horribly misused. I entreat you not to waste your time with this horror. If zero stars had been an option I would have used it. One star is one too many - 20% of "excellent" is way too much. Ghastly!

I liked this film. I thought the casting was appropriate and I think the story moved along well. For some reason, a lot of cinematic attempts at classic books seem to suffer in the editing department. This one did not, although I would actually like to see the progression developed in a more engaging way. I was interested enough in the adaptation, but I just didn't connect with the characters as I wanted to, thus the four-star rating. Still, a nice story to watch.

Well done dvd given the story material. Best to view after reading the book.Great Expectations (1974)

I am a high school English teacher and showed the DVD after reading the novel. It was great!!! Many lines were the same and the story plot was the same (pretty much). Awesome novel. Awesome DVD. Thanks

This production was originally filmed as a musical for theatrical release. The songs were edited out and this version of "Great Expectations" was released to television instead. Michael York does a credible job as Pip, and Sarah Miles is excellent as the snobby Estella.

Study Guides

GradeSaver (TM) ClassicNotes The Kite Runner: Study Guide List Price: $7.99 Sale Price: $7.99 Used From: $6.49 Average Rating:

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GradeSaver(TM) ClassicNotes are the most comprehensive study guides on the market, written by Harvard students for students! Longer, with more detailed summary and analysis sections and sample essays, ClassicNotes are the best choice for advanced students and educators. Each note includes: * An author biography * An in-depth chapter-by-chapter summary * A short summary * A character list and related descriptions * A list of themes * A glossary * Historical context * Two academic essays * 100 quiz questions to improve test taking skills!

Reviews

This may have been good or even wonderful if my son had used it. Unfortunately, he didn't utilize it at all. That was a disappointment. But it probably would be helpful to some!

Book has general outline of entire novel with detailed chapter summaries as well, author bio, era & geographical information (pertinent to the story), character list, and a brief overview of the main themes. The only thing I would have liked is page numbers (corresponding to the novel) by quotes. There are quizzes for each chapter at the end, and I scored higher than my husband who had recently read the novel! I would definitely purchase more in this series if I needed to. Also I read the whole thing in well under an hour. If you're thinking of getting it, its totally worth it.

Full-Length

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The Kite Runner List Price: $19.99 Sale Price: $5.29 Used From: $2.15 Average Rating:

Description

Amir is a young Afghani from a well-to-do Kabul family; his best friend Hassan is the son of a family servant. Together the two boys form a bond of friendship that breaks tragically on one fateful day, when Amir fails to save his friend from brutal neighborhood bullies. Amir and Hassan become separated, and as first the Soviets and then the Taliban seize control of Afghanistan, Amir and his father escape to the United States to pursue a new life. Years later, Amir – now an accomplished author living in San Francisco – is called back to Kabul to right the wrongs he and his father committed years ago.

Like the bestselling book upon which it's based, The Kite Runner will haunt the viewer long after the film is over. A tale of childhood betrayal, innocence and harsh reality, and dreamy memory, The Kite Runner faces good and evil--and the path between them, though often blurry and sorrowfully relative. Director Marc Forster (Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland) presents a painterly vision of Afghanistan before the Soviet tanks, before the Taliban--lush, verdant, fertile--in its landscape and in its people and their history and hopes. The story follows two young boys' friendship, tested beyond endurance, and the haunting of their adult selves by what happened in their youth--and what horrors befall their country in the meantime. The performances of the two boys--Zekeria Ebrahimi (Amir) and Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada (Hassan)--are the film's strongest, unforced and gently evocative. The penance paid by their adult selves is foreshadowed, but never predictable--and the metaphor of innocence lost, a common theme in Forster's work, keeps the film, like the title kites, truly aloft.--A.T. Hurley

DVD Information

• L. Peter Callender
• Larry Brown
• Saïd Taghmaoui
• Shaun Toub
• Homayoun Ershadi

Reviews

It was an excellent book; and a very good movie - but nothing could compare with the book.

I heard the book was incredible so I checked out the movie and it did not disappoint. It was interesting, suspenseful and emotional. Truly a great movie that will touch you.

What I loved: Great acting (brilliant, in fact), an incredible entrance to a world I know little about (Afghanistan in the 1970s), often excellent storytelling, and an overall sense of trying to grow up and right past wrongs. What I hated (strap yourself in): 1) The son--Amir, the main character--never blames his father for being a rejecting brute, because Amir doesn't ever allow himself to explore his father's brutality. The writers/directors also fail to explore this to any sufficient degree. As the result, Amir comes across as a weak, intrinsically flawed coward, selling out and rejecting his loyal best friend of childhood--Hassan. There was nothing but the barest acknowledgement that Amir was entirely set up to behave this way by his father. In many ways his father loved and admired Hassan more, and emotionally rejected and shamed Amir because of it. Amir was desperate for his father's love, and had no emotional choice but to brutally reject Hassan for it. 2) The father had so many powerful opportunities to get closer to Amir, and to explore Amir's pain, and yet utterly failed to do so, and instead just drove his own wedge of rejection in deeper--all the while blaming Amir for his cowardice. The director and writer failed miserably to elucidate this in a way that accomplishes anything other than laying most of the blame at Amir's feet--blaming the child and exonerating the parent. Same old ugly lie that society's thrives on. 3) The father is presented as a brave hero. Yet what is really brave about rejecting your own son? The father takes a bold move by standing up to a brutal Russian soldier who wants to rape a young Afghan woman, and the father is nearly killed for it. But is this true heroism? What about his obligation to protect his son, and be a real father to him? Had the soldier killed the father (which nearly happened), Amir, who was motherless, would have had no parent, and would likely have died--if only emotionally. Had the father really been brave he would have fought for his son fully, and fought the demons within himself that prevented him from being a more nurturing, respectful parent. 4) Instead of confronting his brutal father, Amir (and the director) confronts the Taliban--making them the ultimate bad-guy. Yeah, they're horrible--but it's always easier to blame an evil regime than a lousy parent. 5) Many of the scenes of Afghanistan in the year 2000 were CHEESY. I'm no expert on the Taliban, but this film struck me as over-the-top. Okay, we all know the Taliban can be brutal and primitive and anti-women, but it felt unnecessary to present their leaders as pedophiles as well. And the movie totally lost me when the main character and the boy take on the Taliban with simply a slingshot and "courage." It went from being a deep movie that strived for something real into something more befitting Harrison Ford. (And don't get me wrong--Harrison Ford can be great, but when I want to watch Harrison Ford I watch "Indiana Jones" or "Star Wars.")

Kite Runner, a fictional book, was written by Jhaled Hosseini. Hosseini has also authored A Thousand Splendid Suns. Children may not understand the themes of this book and there are also some graphic scenes. The reader learns about many cultural differences between Afghanistan and the U.S. Kite Runner is about the struggle between shame and being able to forgive yourself. The different characters in this story deal with this issue in different ways. I was impressed with the way the author writes in a way that you begin to empathize with the characters and also ties in cultural themes to the story. The cultural themes the author does decide to use are very effective in that they do not seem to be just thrown in there, but they have a point in the story and move the plot along.

This film tells a story that won't be familiar to most western audiences. Against the backdrop of Afghanistan's fall to the Taliban, the desperate bid for survival touches the lives of adults and children, alike. Delving into the brutalities of life and war, this film is fairly graphic as seen through the eyes of young Amir, and as filtered through his capricious memories as an adult. The story of his life serves as a not so gentle reminder of the atrocities children experiences during war and how it shapes their lives as adults. Definitely not a family flick and not for the faint of heart, the only downfall of this story is its slow beginning. Accept the tarried pacing of its setup and the conclusion will not fail.