Average Rating:

.

The Insider: The Private Diaries of a Scandalous Decade

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: Piers Morgan

September 08, 2005
... I laughed. I so wanted not to like this book because I was determined not to like PM. I held out for years after everyone else had read it. Now I forced myself to buy it and see just how terrible it is - and I loved it. I enjoyed the showbiz gossip, really enjoyed the details of how modern newspapers work, and almost, almost changed my mind about PM ...

Average Rating:

.

The Penguin Dictionary of Critical Theory (Penguin Reference Books)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: David Macey

August 30, 2001
... I laughed. I so wanted not to like this book because I was determined not to like PM. I held out for years after everyone else had read it. Now I forced myself to buy it and see just how terrible it is - and I loved it. I enjoyed the showbiz gossip, really enjoyed the details of how modern newspapers work, and almost, almost changed my mind about PM ...

Average Rating:

.

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? (Picture Puffin)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: Bill Martin

January 27, 1994
We got the board book version of this book out of the library for our nearly two year old, and she loves it! The illustrations are fun and colourful, and the story is simple with easy rhymes and repetition. A perfect book to read aloud at the end of the day.

Average Rating:

.

New Selected Poems, 1966-87

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: Seamus Heaney

March 04, 2002
I had to read this for A-Level and I am delighted to have had the privilege. Heaney is an important influence in literature with his collections of superb poems. Some are auto-biographical and some are concepts of just thoughts. There is always an element of religious battle, which was a confusing time for Heaney. I love the lexi used in his poems and he has always been a favourite of mine for some time. Maybe because we are on the same wavelength; I understand the poems so honestly, that is perhaps why I enjoy his poetry so much.
There are the odd poems, which come to bore people, but there are many that inspire.

Average Rating:

.

York Notes Advanced on "Death of a Salesman" by Arthur Miller (York Notes Advanced)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: Adrian Page

August 29, 2003
I bought this book to help me with my English GCSE coursework and loved the fact that it was far more advanced than the York Notes intended for GCSE level. Though I only needed a certain section of information for my essay, (regarding my title) this book was very helpful and worth the purchase. Everything is set out clearly in differnet sections and it gives an impressive historical background to the play.
With the help of this book and other sources I managed to not only get an A* on my Death of a Salesman coursework but full marks.

Average Rating:

.

The Classic Fairy Tales (Norton Critical Editions)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: M Tatar

December 21, 1998
I found this book immensely useful- the first half starts by giving breif critical reviews of several of the most common fary tale types (cinderella/catskin, snow white, bluebeard, hansel and gretel, and so on) and examples of that story type from various sources.

The second half has a number of core readings from the most influential critics on fairy tales- and these are fantastic- Zipes, Bettelheim, Warner, Propp, and a basic description of the Aarne-Thompson classification system.

Overall this book gives a good basis in the critical aspects of fairy tales, and of all the books I have read in this area, this book is probably the most approachable.

The book does not go into great depth on any one particular area of this genre, but ... Read More:

Average Rating:

.

Anthology of Drama

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: William B. Worthen

August 23, 2003
I found this book immensely useful- the first half starts by giving breif critical reviews of several of the most common fary tale types (cinderella/catskin, snow white, bluebeard, hansel and gretel, and so on) and examples of that story type from various sources.

The second half has a number of core readings from the most influential critics on fairy tales- and these are fantastic- Zipes, Bettelheim, Warner, Propp, and a basic description of the Aarne-Thompson classification system.

Overall this book gives a good basis in the critical aspects of fairy tales, and of all the books I have read in this area, this book is probably the most approachable.

The book does not go into great depth on any one particular area of this genre, but ... Read More:

Average Rating:

.

Mrs Woolf and the Servants

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: Alison Light

August 07, 2008
This is a great, multi-faceted book, glittering with details of Virginia Woolf's class-cluttered mind but also an intimate exploration to home life for rich and poor women throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Provides among other things a thoughtful and thought-provoking look at how individual freedom often depends on the oppression of others: bohemian feminist Virginia Woolf and her lasting work comes to us courtesy of a crack team of wives...

Average Rating:

.

"The Merchant's Prologue and Tale" (York Notes Advanced)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: T. Williams

August 27, 2003
The York Notes series have their admirers and detractors, and it should be admitted that the unfortunate side-effect of the books is whole sets of essays which all toe the same critical line. However, inasmuch as they provide what might be described as a "safety net" to cover all the main points of a text, they do a very good job.

And this book does that job as well as any other. It is easily digestible in size (120 pages in all), and there is a useful glossary to cover the technical terms which are employed. What appeals most to me, however, is the way in which it admits not only a standard "Lit. Crit." reading into its coverage of the Tale, but also a more linguistic focus, which makes the book of use to someone doing a Language & Literature A-level, ... Read More:

Average Rating:

.

King Lear (Penguin Popular Classics)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: William Shakespeare

April 28, 1994
A tragic yet fantastic tale about folly, loyalty, madness and corruption, amongst many more. A gripping tale that left me questioning the purpose of life and turned my mind upside down for a while! The love in this play will make you weep, then the foolishness in this play will make you angry. The betrayl will make you disgusted and it will all overcome you so much, that you won't quite know what you feel for a while.However do not let this put you off; once you realise that there are no answers, you will greatly apreciate this play. It is these many different qualities that make King Lear, Shakespears's most tragic, yet most satisfying piece of literiture. A truly wonderful piece of work, what more could you ask for?