!1: Now is the time Close Reading: An Introduction to Literature Order Today!
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Over All Rating Reviews : Great Deal : $10.98
Date Created : Nov 14, 2010 12:00:32
Written for an Introduction to Literature course, Close Reading allows students to examine the language and structure of a text, as well as the ideas or feelings it expresses, and to investigate the intricate links between form and content. It helps students to see such issues as sound and rhythm, imagery and figurative language, voice, the way characters are portrayed, the importance of setting, plot structure - all the elements that make literature 'literary' - changes the way in which they approach their study of literature. Covers poetry, fiction, and drama.
!1: Now is the time The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel (P.S.) Order Today!
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Over All Rating Reviews : Great Deal : $7.00
Date Created : Oct 31, 2010 10:00:06
The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it—from garden seeds to Scripture—is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa.
!1: Best Buy The Poisonwood Bible is one of those books that I have wanted to read for a long time. I finally had the opportunity to listen to the audio version, narrated by Dean Robertson and was very pleased.
For those of you who are not familiar with this novel, The Poisonwood Bible is the story of fanatical Baptist missionary, Nathan Price, who moves his wife Orleanna, and their 4 daughters to the Belgian Congo from Bethlehem, Georgia in 1959. The Reverend Price was hoping to bring Christianity to the people in the village of Kilanga, at a time when the people of that village were struggling to survive and to remain free from Belgium.
The family arrives in the Congo without a clue as to what they were in for. The bring seeds to plant, but the soil is so poor, seeds will not grow. There is no plumbing or electricity and disease is prevalent everywhere it seems. The Reverend tries to get the people to come to the river to be baptised, but no one is interested in finding God by bathing in waters where crocodiles live. While the goal of Nathan Price was to transform the the lives of the Congolese people by bringing God into their lives, what really happens is that the lives of this family is transformed bit by bit, by what life was really like for them in the Congo.
The story is told in alternating voices of Oleanna and his daughters, and covers a period of about 30 years. The story hooks the reader immediately as each of the characters share realistic views of what they were experiencing along the way. Nathan Price is the only major character who does not have a voice in this novel, and yet in some ways I felt I got to know him the best through the eyes of his wife and daughters. He was an extremely arrogant and unlikeable man who put his entire family at risk. He was degrading to women, and I can't think of one positive thing to say about him. I think the fact he had no voice made this story all the more poignant.
The Poisonwood Bible is a story you really need to read for yourself. It's touching, compelling and insightful. The author did an amazing job depicting the political climate at that time. It's a story about religious beliefs, a story of the disintegration of a family, and a story about forgiveness. It is a story that makes you think, and a story that makes you question the actions our government sometimes takes, which really is not always in the best interest of the people. I truly had sympathy for this family, especially as the years pass and each of the girls tries to find their place in the world. I loved the first half of this book, but felt that the second half got a little bogged down at times. Despite this, I highly recommend this book.
!1: Now is the time Modern American Reading Practices: Between Aesthetics and History Order Today!
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Date Created : Oct 17, 2010 07:17:31
In this thoughtful study, Phillip Goldstein shows how the valuation of aesthetics in literary criticism has become increasingly complicated in recent decades. Contemporary readers not only need to look at the text's figures and structure, or the author's intention but must take various media, including television, movies, magazines, and newspapers; as well as the sexuality, gender, race, or nationality of the author, media, or text into account. In this context, Goldstein argues that the study of modern reading practices most effectively preserves the autonomy of aesthetics while revealing the changing social and historical contexts of American readers. Using pluralist perspectives on novels such as Frankenstein, Huckleberry Finn, Native Son, Light in August, and Jazz, this study suggests that these new historical conditions have markedly expanded and transformed the ways in which Americans have defined and read literature in the last two hundred years.
!1: Now is the time The Complete Idiot's Guide to Critical Reading Order Today!
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Over All Rating Reviews : Great Deal : $16.95
Date Created : Oct 03, 2010 05:00:07
The essential guide to looking at literature with your own two eyes.
What students know about Shakespeare, Orwell, Dickens, and Twain is primarily what their instructors tell them. Here’s a book that teaches the students how to move on to the next level—evaluate and read critically on their own, trust their own opinions, develop original ideas, analyze characters, and find a deeper appreciation for fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and more.
• Ideal companion for college students and accessible for the casual reader as well
• Covers fiction, poetry, narrative nonfiction, biographies and memoirs, essays and editorials, and newspapers, magazines, and journals
• Features examples from published writing
• Includes a reading list and a glossary of literary terms
!1: Best Buy How often have we heard the statement that someone is a prolific reader or that he or she is well-read? At first this may impress us, however, when you think about it, you have to ask how much these individuals retain and what are they getting out of their reading? As Amy Wall and Regina Wall point out in The Complete Idiot's Guide To Critical Reading, there is a difference between being well read and knowing how to read well. What counts is not quantity but rather the quality of your reading.
As mentioned, one of the principal ingredients of critical reading is the ability to effectively analyze what you are reading, which entails questioning and thinking about the material in front of you. It is taking an active role rather than merely passively accepting words on a page-something that unfortunately many of us were not taught while we were students.
Amy Wall is a writer and poet by night, and a TV news producers and newsroom manager by day. She has authored many instruction books and has published her poetry in an online literary journal. Regina Wall is currently a psychoanalytic psychotherapist. She began her career as a writing teacher at Michigan State University and eventually became a professor of Literature, Humanities and Women's Studies at Vanier College in Montreal, Canada. Together, they have teamed up to produce a manual that grabs you from page one, holding you captive until the very last page.
The Complete Idiot's Guide To Critical Reading strikes just the right tone: direct, upbeat and accessible. The authors have taken pains not to sound preachy, while at the same time providing readers with dozens of pointers that provide tools and maps in helping us understand fiction and non-fiction. We are shown how to become relentlessly inquisitive about any book we have chosen to read from the moment we commence its reading until the last chapter.
Divided into twenty-one chapters, the Walls impart readers with informative and interesting detailed chapters on developing a critical eye towards reading different types of fiction and non-fiction literature. Each section takes on an A to Z approach with its uniform distribution of information wherein readers receive tutorial guidance as to how to become skilled at reading poetry, history, historical fiction, science, philosophy, essays and memoirs, newspapers, magazines, short stories, plays, understanding why an author tells a story in a particular way, literary techniques, and how to connect the dots in making sense of what you are reading. For example, if you refer to the chapter "Developing Your Critical Eye," we are given in depth instruction as to how to understand the facts an author presents in a work of non-fiction. Is the author expressing an opinion or is he or she interpreting the facts. Is there some kind of bias in the writing and how does the author's perspective compare against what we already know or believe. Ending each chapter, the authors provide a summation of the basic principles expounded upon and what is the least you should know. Moreover, the text is enlivened with user-friendly side-bars and concrete examples taken from well-known fiction and nonfiction books as Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn and several others.
Finishing up in perhaps true academic fashion, the manual provides chapters testing our knowledge of fiction and nonfiction. It is here where you are taught to connect the various pieces of writing to each other.
Also included is a comprehensive recommended reading list pointing the way for readers to track down must read novels and non-fiction and a helpful glossary. This is a "keeper" book and one that you will constantly refer to when assessing the quality of a book you have read.
!1: Now is the time English Literature and Composition (Cliffs AP) Order Today!
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Date Created : Sep 18, 2010 22:38:06
CliffsAP English Literature and Composition, 2nd Edition provides you with an introduction to the exam format and grading, along with detailed analysis of question types and answers. The book includes four full-length practice exams with full explanations for all multiple-choice answers and sample essay responses with analysis.
!1: Best Buy When I bought this book, I wondered how a book could help you review for the AP Lit exam, since there are no facts to really cover like in other exams. However, this book is extremely useful for those seeking a high score. It brings you step by step through the process of writing prompts, pointing out important details and giving a plethora of examples. The tips on the multiple choice questions allow you to review all the major terms you need and offers many opportunities to test yourself, with the why behind the answer included. Plus, you will feel better about the test because it is written by a former test writer. This makes it feel like you can trust what he is saying about the test, and I do not remember him being wrong once when it came to the actual exam. In conclusion, buy this book or don't buy one at all. on Sale!
Over All Rating Reviews : Great Deal : $7.98
Date Created : Sep 04, 2010 14:45:13
Invisible Man is a milestone in American literature, a book that has continued to engage readers since its appearance in 1952. A first novel by an unknown writer, it remained on the bestseller list for sixteen weeks, won the National Book Award for fiction, and established Ralph Ellison as one of the key writers of the century. The nameless narrator of the novel describes growing up in a black community in the South, attending a Negro college from which he is expelled, moving to New York and becoming the chief spokesman of the Harlem branch of "the Brotherhood", and retreating amid violence and confusion to the basement lair of the Invisible Man he imagines himself to be. The book is a passionate and witty tour de force of style, strongly influenced by T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land, Joyce, and Dostoevsky.
±1±: Best Buy Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is many things, all of them great: one of the twentieth century's best novels, a landmark identity exploration, one of the most brilliantly vivid dramatizations of existentialism and other Post-Modern intellectual concerns, one of the most relevant sociopolitical works since World War II, a revolutionary novel in structural terms that proved highly influential, and a milestone of African American art. It is essential for anyone even remotely interested in such things and, indeed, anyone even slightly concerned with twentieth century literature.
Invisible is often called a "black novel," and while this sells it incredibly short, it has much to admire in this regard. The protagonist and most major characters are black, and the book gives a fascinating peak at mid-century African American culture, especially black intellectuals, political dissidents, early black power movements, and urban blacks. We get a good idea of such movements' ins and outs as well as their members' thoughts, speech, and behavior. The novel memorably deals with many themes of great importance to African Americans, from poverty to racism to identity issues. It is also steeped in black history. However, it is important to realize that Ellison did not set out to write a "black novel" in the sense of Richard Wright or James Baldwin. He was in fact disturbed by those pressing such strict sociopolitical readings, stressing that he wished Invisible could be seen "simply as a novel." To be sure, it has much to say about African Americans and their status then and now and is at least as political in its way as anything overtly meant as such. However, it is extremely complex and ambiguous; critics and readers still debate just what Ellison meant more than half a century later. This was clearly intentional; nearly every aspect of the book has great sociopolitical relevance, but it never even comes close to didactic. Ellison dramatizes supremely meaningful themes and raises many profound questions but knows better than to give answers; that is up to us. As with Zora Neale Hurston, his refusal to take a definite stand on "black" issues did not sit well with the more forceful politically engaged black leaders, but this is to the book's literary benefit. Released in 1952, it is an important link between Modernism and Post-Modernism; its relentless staging of profound philosophical issues with an existential awareness of the impossibility of definitive answers is distinctly Modern, while its political aspect is very Post-Modern. It walks a similar line between African American literature and general literature with the former's trappings and the latter's breadth. The bottomline is that it has the strengths of both and is great on both fronts.
Important as Invisible is to black concerns, it is also grandly universal - politically, philosophically, and otherwise. Above all, it is an eloquent illustration of the underdog in all facets - an extremely vivid account of what it is like to be an outcast in various societies. The Invisible Man symbolizes everyone who is downtrodden, whether from race, class, beliefs, or whatever else. It is thus a supremely searching and stirringly affecting portrait of modern alienation; whether in the rural South or Harlem, the Invisible Man is essentially down and out and in the most fundamental sense alone. There is a strong criminal, even revolutionary, element to his plight that shines a much-needed light on the vast dark side of a mid-century era that many think of as idyllic. A far cry from the official Leave It to Beaver world, it was a loud wake-up call to a complacent society and remains a vibrantly relevant paean to outcasts everywhere.
Many Post-Modern themes abound - paranoia, distrust of authority, etc. -, but identity crisis is preeminent. One of the most truly existential novels, Invisible focuses largely on the prime existential question - how to find oneself in a world where traditional authority, from government to religion, has become extinct. One can no longer rely on higher sources but must find the answer in one's own heart and mind. Invisible is thus a bildungsroman on top of everything else - one's man's struggle to find the answer. Traditional fallbacks fail one after another, and he is left truly alone but not without a certain dignity and even a certain (very unconventional) strength. His fight for true independence has some success, and the self-awareness and clear-sightedness he gains is in many ways at least as valuable as the illusions he loses. Probably no one would want to be him, but all honest thinking people can see themselves in him - a disturbing thought reinforced in the unforgettable closing words. We certainly do not envy him, mainly because we can see ourselves becoming him so easily; he is an extreme version of the darkness that can befall an intelligent, capable person unable to fit into modern society. We identify with the darkness at his heart because we see it in ours - hopefully barely kindled but in danger of becoming a conflagration at any moment, just as his unexpectedly does when he seems on the very brink of success.
Important as the content is, the structure is also integral. The back of the book claims that Invisible gives "an entirely new model of what a novel can be," which is not much of an exaggeration. Non-linear and distinctly anti-realist with a highly symbolic, often surreal plot, it again straddles Modernism and Post-Modernism. This is one of the main reasons that calling it a "black novel" is severely limiting. For one thing, it is highly allusive, referring to many works by non-blacks; Homer's Odyssey is an important source, and Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground and H. G. Wells' Invisible Man are essential antecedents acknowledged by Ellison. Though not near-impenetrable as the likes of Joyce, Faulkner, and Pynchon are at their most abstruse, Invisible is challenging; the content was audacious and is still provocative, and the protagonist is not the usual sympathetic one, but the structure itself is demanding. One can read - and even enjoy - Invisible on a surface level, but those willing to dig deeper and truly engage themselves will get so much more out of it. We must make an effort to identify with the protagonist even when he seems most alien precisely because this is when he is really most familiar, and we must be alive to the frequent symbolism. Those willing to do so will be well rewarded; few novels are broader in scope or more complex in execution, not to mention more thematically meaningful and relevant. Invisible is a masterpiece on every level, making the fact that Ellison never finished a second novel a truly tragic loss to literature; it thankfully stands alone as a towering monument that will make him a literary immortal. It is a canon in itself, essential for anyone struggling with or curious about modernity's unique problems. on Sale!
±1±: Now is the time How to Read Literature Like a Professor, A Lively &Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines - 2003 publication Order Today!
±1±: Now is the time Open Your Heart with Reading Order Today!
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Over All Rating Reviews : Great Deal : $8.87
Date Created : Aug 07, 2010 04:42:04
Open Your Heart with Reading helps readers understand why they enjoy books and shows them how to encourage the love of reading in others. The author includes practical exercises to show readers how to get the most out of the books they enjoy, regardless of their favorite genre.
±1±: Best Buy 'Throughout the course of my life, I've been an explorer, an actor, a murderer, and a priest. I've saved some lives and taken others. I've written bestsellers and I've been illiterate. I've owned a chateaux in France and I've begged for bread crusts on the streets of London. In other words, I've read books'. Thus the author writes.
Now I have to admit that I don't read fiction and for the most part the authors writes a great deal about the subject of fiction, novels. But I appreciate anyone who is a bibliophile like myself because books are the one thing I budget for. Keep the clothes, shoes, Starbucks, and other 'stuff' that most Americans gravitate to. Want to give me a gift? Gift certificates to a book store rate #1 on my list.
And like the author I believe children exposed to books at a young age, become by and large book lovers. I also tend to believe that children who are allowed to read for pleasure are also more inclined to want to read books we adults suggest. Sadly, way to many children in public schools are allowed such a short amount of time to read in school that most never become book lovers. It takes more than a half an hour to a child to get into what they are reading, and no sooner are they hooked but they are told to go on to the next class or subject.
About six years ago I read that the country with the most readers or buyers of books was Iceland. And I know that in other countries one can find much more serious lovers of books than here in the states. Books that are serious and not the self help fluff that to many Americans consume.
So I highly recommend this book. Buy a copy for your local library and expose other people to the authors wit and wisdom. on Sale!
±1±: Now is the time J. Hillis Miller and the Possibilities of Reading: Literature After Deconstruction Order Today!
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Over All Rating Reviews : Great Deal : $68.97
Date Created : Jul 23, 2010 20:51:11
This is the first book-length study of a highly influential literary theorist and critic. J. Hillis Miller is undoubtedly one of the most important literary critics of the past century. For well over five decades his work has been at the forefront of theoretical and philosophical thinking and writing. From his earliest work with Georges Poulet and the so-called Geneva School, which introduced a generation of North American critics to the concept of a phenomenological literary hermeneutic, to a deconstructive rhetorical philology and an ethically motivated textual analysis, Miller's readings have not only reflected major movements in literary theory, they have also created them. Surprisingly, Eamonn Dunne's "J. Hillis Miller and the Possibilities of Reading" is the first book devoted exlusively to examining Miller's work. Dunne argues that an appreciation of Miller is crucial to an informed understanding about the radical changes occurring in critical thinking in the humanities in recent years. This book, the first of its kind, will be a vital and enabling avenue for further research into J. Hillis Miller's exemplary and prolific output.
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Over All Rating Reviews : Great Deal : $8.18
Date Created : Jul 09, 2010 15:34:06
A new trade paperback edition of Edith Hamilton's world-renowned classic--a book that has enthralled and delighted generations of readers with its timeless tales of gods and heroes. 50 line drawings.
±1±: Best Buy I didn't particularly have a choice to read this -- I had to pick it up for my high school AP senior English class's summer reading, but I've never been one to blow off a book as 'boring' simply because it wasn't exactly written for my age group.
Prior to having opened this, I had next to no knowledge of Mythology as a whole, particularly Greek, except that it bears some significance in modern culture and storytelling. But what I didn't know was that it is the basis for many of the things we thought were modern fictional creations: I never knew that beings like the 'hydra' have existed in literature for thousands of years, let alone several others. While this may not have been exactly, well, a fun-filled adventure novel, it did enlighten me as to where much of modern western (and indeed even some eastern) culture stems from.
'Mythology' is one of those books that I could only honestly recommend to those interested in the subject in hand, but even if, like me, it is required reading, don't blow it off or sit in agony thinking that this is laborious reading. With the right mind, this is a very interesting book. on Sale!
±1±: Now is the time How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines Order Today!
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Over All Rating Reviews : Great Deal : $6.02
Date Created : Jun 16, 2010 05:53:43
What does it mean when a fictional hero takes a journey?. Shares a meal? Gets drenched in a sudden rain shower? Often, there is much more going on in a novel or poem than is readily visible on the surface -- a symbol, maybe, that remains elusive, or an unexpected twist on a character -- and there's that sneaking suspicion that the deeper meaning of a literary text keeps escaping you.
In this practical and amusing guide to literature, Thomas C. Foster shows how easy and gratifying it is to unlock those hidden truths, and to discover a world where a road leads to a quest; a shared meal may signify a communion; and rain, whether cleansing or destructive, is never just rain. Ranging from major themes to literary models, narrative devices, and form, How to Read Literature Like a Professor is the perfect companion for making your reading experience more enriching, satisfying, and fun.
±1±: Best Buy Professors' analyses of books often confound me. Some of the things that they find are far removed from the things that I usually notice. In How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Thomas Foster provides an overview of how scholars analyze "serious" literature.
Foster explains some of the key texts that influence the characters and the plots in literature. He focuses on the influence of Greek myths, the Bible, and Shakespeare, among others. The book includes great discussions of the "true" meanings of things such as weather, politics, illness, and food.
Predictably, Foster cites many examples from classic and contemporary literature. He admires Toni Morrison and often uses her novels to illustrate his points. Foster's dry sense of humor also livens up the book.
In the end, Foster writes, there is no definitive interpretation of any work. Readers who want easy answers might be a bit disappointed. Foster also admits that not all books contain deep meaning; sometimes, a "cigar is just a cigar."
For those who want to read deeply and get more out of their books, How to Read Literature Like a Professor is a great book. on Sale!
