Many people think of P. G. Wodehouse only in regard to his Jeeves and Wooster characters, which PBS as made so popular. However, as we read Wodehouses earlier works, we can see much of the basis upon which he built those well known characters. <p> All in all, you know what you get when you read Wodehouse. If you expect deep thinking characters who will change the world, go somewhere else. If you want fun and laughter, read Wodehouse. ...
You will find that Aristotle provided many brilliant insights into the political thinking, strategy, of leaders and the military. In many ways, it remains unsurpassed and it ought to be required reading in undergraduate classes on political strategy. <p> On the downside, Aristotle referred to leaders of each city-state over decades, if not centuries, and, this makes it challenging to fully appreciate the relevance and examples offered i ...
It is so strange to see a long, well-plotted novel suddenly come to a dead stop. (Of a projected twelve episodes, Dickens wrote six before his death.) The title character is either murdered or missing, and a large cast of characters in London and Cloisterham (Dickenss Rochester) are involved in their own way in discovering what happened to Edwin Drood. <p> There is first of all John Jasper, an opium addict who suspiciously loves Droods e ...
Charles Dickenss 1865 novel, his last completed novel, Our Mutual Friend is an extraordinarily dark and convoluted work. Featuring such unforgettable figures as Mr. Boffin, Mr. Podsnap, Bradley Headstone, Jenny Wren, and Silas Wegg, Dickens continues, or rather concludes his artistic legacy with a work rich in well written and compelling characters. Exploring, as do many of Dickenss works, the intricacies of inheritance, Our Mutual Friend is als ...
Alexis de Tocqueville looks at the United States and examines its political, social, and cultural intricacies in DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA. This edition of DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA is well introduced and translated. This is not a basic travelogue of a French aristocrat -Intellect – statesmans journey through the American wilderness in a span of nine months, but it is a significant documentary that compares and contrasts European Aristocracy to American D ...
The original Phantom : Before the Andrew Lloyd Webbers musical, there was Gaston Lerouxs original novel The Phantom of the Opera. If you have never seen the production stage, and know only a few things of the story, then…when you reach the middle of the narrative you will be surprised because it is totally different from what you will expect. And it is a great surprise. <p> More than a love story, The Phantom of the Opera is a gothic ta ...
All the Conan Doyle stories together – fantastic : Sherlock Holmes? What can one say about these stories that has not already been said? They provide a glimpse into London at the turn of the 19th century. <p> The ingenuity of the plots, the clever criminals, Holmes reasoning, Dr. Watsons amazement: these are all fascinating to read and experience. Holmes is part of English literature and worthwhile reading for anyone. What is even more ...
Common Sense is one of the greatest publications of argumentation ever written. Paine was the finest writer of his age and was able to turn the discontents of the colonists and, especially, the intellectual leaders of the revolutionary movement into arguments that were easily understood by ordinary colonials and which inspired them to rally to the cause of independence. <p> You will notice the fluidity of his writing; it reads as simply ...
