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The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Middle Ages Through the Restoration and the Eighteenth Century v. 1 (Norton Anthology of English Literature)

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

February 17, 2006
This anthology in both its volumes contains both complete works of literature, and extracts. It has a wide variety of poetry prose and drama chosen by a wide variety of editors. Not only does it run chronologically through English literature history, it contains collections of extracts based on subjects which have interested the editors. For example the first edition has a section of literature called "Women in Power."
This structure allows for both a student exploring literature through the ages and for someone who is simply interested.
The only real problem is that I can spend hours flicking through this anthology, perhaps without reading anything! There is so much to take in, and so little time to do it.
I have also noticed ... Read More:

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The Norton Anthology of Poetry (Norton Anthology)

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

February 25, 2005
like in life, good but flawed.
As a collection it is exceptional, with such a variety of some poets better work, however, the cumbersome ham-handed indexing at the begining leaves something to be desired. it is indexed in the order of poets date of birth, of course suggesting anyone who reads or has to study the books contence know the date of every single poets birth. leading of course to many fun hours of frustration trying to find a single poem by a poet in the very centre of the book.
the up side is in the back the poets are listed in rank of surname first, and as well as some basics on the poets lives there is a page reference telling you where the poets are in the book.

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The Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
from: HarperPerennial

May 05, 2008
I knew nothing about the Mitfords before borrowing this book from my mum. I found it highly compelling, especially all the references to the many influential and varied people of the 20th century. It is also very sad at times, especially the harsh realities of the passage of time. This collection of letters has been carefully chosen to tell the reader the Mitfords' story but in the words of the girls themselves.

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Make

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: Cath Kidston

October 17, 2008
I knew nothing about the Mitfords before borrowing this book from my mum. I found it highly compelling, especially all the references to the many influential and varied people of the 20th century. It is also very sad at times, especially the harsh realities of the passage of time. This collection of letters has been carefully chosen to tell the reader the Mitfords' story but in the words of the girls themselves.

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The Odyssey (Penguin Classics)

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

January 30, 2003
I thought this book would be great, an interesting adventure and my first step into the literary world of greek classics. But after this, I am not rushing out to buy another greek classic.

The story is good, and the interesting mythological creatures and encounters are what kept me reading it. The characters make a square look less two dimensional and I can't, in all honesty, say I liked the good ones. I found Odysseus very arrogant and the gods hypocritical and the actions of them morally questionable. The style was also patronizing in places, by always addressing characters with an adjective describing their character, which we should make our own minds about, and not be force fed what we should think of them.

Perhaps if I was born ... Read More:

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The Importance of Being Earnest (Penguin Popular Classics)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: Oscar Wilde

March 30, 1995
In my quest to read more work by Irish literary greats this year, I recently purchased a newly repackaged Penguin Popular Classic version of Oscar Wilde's 1895 play The Importance of Being Earnest. This edition, with its vibrant green cover and tracing-paper thin paper (all 100 per cent recycled), retails for a meagre £2 -- that's a very cheap price for a masterpiece, in my opinion.

I had seen a film version of this play a couple of years ago (the 2002 version starring Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Frances O'Connor, Reese Witherspoon and Judi Dench) and I remember laughing out loud at a lot of it. But seeing the words in black-and-white print makes them seem even funnier -- if that is possible.

For those who don't know the storyline, the ... Read More:

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The Prince (Penguin Classics)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: Niccolo Machiavelli, George Bull

February 16, 2004
This masterpiece of reasoning and good practical handbook on how to get ahead in real life if you happen to be already a man of some means, was a work of great humanity in an age when humanity was still considered disgusting and subserviant to the Lord above and his chosen servants on Earth. What a shot across the bows to all those religious hypocrites and Bible following automatons this must have been, then. Two elements surrounding this work's brave publication are crucial, I feel: One being that this was Italy, (as it became) and at its advanced stage of the great Renaissance, as we now know it, and the second being that it was written at a time which was just right to be publishing order challenging controversial works. After seeing the liberal benefits to man ... Read More:

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Winnie the Pooh: Complete Collection of Stories and Poems

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: A.A. Milne

July 01, 2001
Very special book, very special bear :)
Great rendition, though I must admit, I prefer having the individual books! (Maybe one day I shall have...)

Beautifully done tho :)

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The Republic (Penguin Classics)

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

May 31, 2007
The core of the book is the presentation of the ideal state, in which government is conducted by a specially trained and bred class of philosophers/judges/warriors, but he diverges onto various other topics as well, in particular what the nature of their education should be.

Plato's insistence that education in philosophy (which for him includes all the sciences) would automatically produce gifted rulers must surely have seemed a bit naive even in his own day. And yet, of course, you have large parts of society constructed around this: Oxbridge classicists going into the City; the énarques in France; the Ivy League in the US. On the other hand, I observe that really intelligent people often make poor politicians; few of the skills of political leadership are intellectual. ... Read More:

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An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Poetry- Drama and Criticism
by: Andrew Bennett, Nicholas Royle

June 10, 2004
This book achieves the impossible. It makes the difficult and obtuse polemical and theoretical debates of recent history easy to read. Yes, believe it or not! I cannot find enough congratulations to give for this excellent and learned book. The achievement of the age. Thank you for making clear sense of it all.My newly found bible for Literary Critical research.