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.

Features

• ISBN13: 9780764586040
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

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.

Twain's Huckleberry Finn (Cliffs Notes) List Price: $4.95 Sale Price: $0.01 Used From: $0.01 Average Rating:

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

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!

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:

Description

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.

Features

• ISBN13: 9780553210798
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

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.

Features

• 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.

Features

• ISBN13: 9780764585982
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

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.

Dickens' Great Expectations (Cliffs Notes) List Price: $4.95 Sale Price: $0.01 Used From: $0.01 Average Rating:

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

Description

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

Great Expectations (Penguin Classics) List Price: $8.00 Sale Price: $3.85 Used From: $1.50 Average Rating:

Description

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

Features

• ISBN13: 9780141439563
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

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:

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. 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

Video & Audio

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.