5 comments about The Official Prisoner Companion.

1. That he had problems with intimacy on the set of his tv show The Prisoner. He never did kiss any pretty lady on the mouth on his tv show. This book testifies by a crewmember of the Prisoner that McGoohan had trouble with intimacy on the set of the show.



2. For thsoe who liked the series and want to know a littlle more about it this book is it. But it is not to much more than a reference book in my opinion and can put you asleep if you are not excited about the subject matter. If you own the TV series on DVD or tape this book is recommended.



3. In this book, it is stated:

   "On a different note, in their "Observations" regarding the episode 'A Change of Mind', the authors suggest that "it is easy to make comparisons between the committee in this episode and McCarthy's House Un-American Activities Committee of the 1950s."
   If the authors knew a little more about the period when The Prisoner was filmed they might have made the rather more relevant observation that the various events in this episode very closely resemble the excesses of the Chinese Cultural Revolution - of the 1960s."

   Even worse than missing the importance of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, the authors show even less knowledge of US history. McCarthy was NOT a member of the House Un-American Activities Committee. He was a Republican Senator from Wisconsin, thus, not even a member of the House.

   HUAC's primary interest in those days seemed to be in rooting out left-wingers from Hollywood. McCarthy made his fame from claims, never established, of as many as 205 Communists or sympathizers (whatever that might mean) in the Army and the State Department. McCarthy never undertook investigations of former spies nor did his tactics, based more on implications of guilt by association or skillfully worded queries of the "do you still beat your wife?" type, that trapped witnesses into unintended and incorrect answers, ever kidnap or imprison those suspected of wrongdoing.

   In the days of the Red Scare, simply implying a person was "soft" on Communism could ruin a career.

   The information on McCarthy and HUAC is readily available. Errors of this sort mean sloppy research by the authors. What, then, of their critique can we trust?




4. The book is written for a fan of the show who has average intelligence; unfortunately, the average fan is brighter than that. Much to much of the obvious and not enough insight. A decent book at best.




5. I suspect that a lot of the shortcomings of this book are due to it being written no less than 20 years after the original airing of the series. Put this together with the fact that the authors are (apparently) Americans, and you can begin to see why the book fails to show any great depth of understanding of what is a very profoundly British TV series.

   At one point, for example, we are told that the Scots, Irish and Welsh Napoleans (in 'The Girl Who was Death') "represent various components of the British Commonwealth". I guess they meant the British Isles, or the United Kingdom - though neither of those groups includes Ireland, of course, only Northern Ireland. And in any case, how does this explain the Yorkshire Napolean?

   On a different note, in their "Observations" regarding the episode 'A Change of Mind', the authors suggest that "it is easy to make comparisons between the committee in this episode and McCarthy's House Un-American Activities Committee of the 1950s."
   If the authors knew a little more about the period when The Prisoner was filmed they might have made the rather more relevant observation that the various events in this episode very closely resemble the excesses of the Chinese Cultural Revolution - of the 1960s.

   I was also less than impressed by the actual episode guides. Most of these are written in a very uninspired style and contain regular, if largely trivial, errors of fact and grammar.
   In the commentary for 'It's Your Funeral', for example, one of the photos shows McGoohan standing beside the helicopter with Eric Portman sitting at the controls and holding a phone. In fact, Number 2 in this episode was played by Andre Van Gyseghem (with Derren Nesbitt as his stand-in), whilst Eric Portman played Number 2 back in episode 4 - 'Free for All'.

   Having said that, the book is certainly not a complete waste of space, containing material from production company handouts, script fragments, etc. As in The Prisoner itself, the reader simply needs to be careful about sorting fact (official material) from fiction.

   Be seeing you 8¬)

No comments about The Garden Party: and Other Plays (Havel, Vaclav).

5 comments about Junk.

1. "Junk" is an immensely difficult book to review, simply because it's so many different things to different readers. One reader may find it enlightening, sobering and realistic; another will find it dated and irrelevant. The subject matter tackles such a weighty issue that it's almost inevitable that readers would be divided. Admittedly, I have very little experience with the world of drugs, addition and rehabilitation, so it is impossible for me to deem the book's authenticity. What I can say is that Burgess's award-winning novel (winner of the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children's Fiction Award, to be precise) had me engrossed from start to finish. What drives a person to take drugs? Why do they let themselves become so helplessly addicted? What goes on in an addict's mind? Why do they go to such lengths to get their drugs? Before reading, I had very little of idea as to what went on in the minds of people like those found in "Junk". By the end of the novel (though I don't confess to being any sort of expert on the subject), I had some inkling as to why some people do the things they do for drugs.
   
   Told in first-person narrative by a wide range of characters, the novel mainly focuses on David "Tar" Lawson and Gemma Brogan, two teenagers who run away from home to Bristol. Finding a place amongst a group of anarchists, the two eventually move in with Rob and Lily, two fellow teenagers who get them hooked on heroin. From there, it is a downward spiral into desperate addiction, as Tar turns to shoplifting and Gemma becomes a prostitute in order to fund their need for heroin. There is some truly heartbreaking stuff in here, as the teens first try to convince themselves (and the reader) that they are completely in control of their lives, then justify their illegal actions, and finally find that they're unable to break their habit when a friend gets pregnant. An especially harrowing passage describes Gemma's feelings after a failed attempt at going cold turkey: "I knew I was really a junkie this time because, what's a junkie scared of? Not Aids, not overdosing, like you might think. We were scared because there might be no more smack at the other end."
   
   What is apparent to everyone but the ignorant teenagers is that the much-celebrated freedom from their parents is only temporary - soon enough they make themselves prisoners of a far more restrictive lifestyle, one that eventually strips away all their opportunities for a decent life. Their joy at their initial independence gradually gives way to a de-habilitating desire for heroin, and watching their world shrink down to a dismal cycle of drug abuse is (in my opinion) vividly portrayed by Burgess.
   
   Tar and Gemma's stories are closely intertwined, and it's hard to place blame on just one of the teens for the predicament they find themselves in. Tar is the first to run away, (understandable considering his abusive father and drunken mother) but he encourages Gemma to join him. Gemma runs away simply because she is not getting on with her strict parents, but her loud and stubborn personality (which often slips into obnoxiousness) is the reason Tar gives up the relative safety of the anarchists squat for the home of the drug-addicted Rob and Lily. Surrounding them are chapters devoted to others in their immediate circle: Richard and Vonny, the anarchists who do their best to help the teens, Rob and Lily, the hopeless addicts who live each day to the fullest, and even the teenagers' parents, who recount their devastation and sense of failure. These chapters help round out the point-of-view of the main narrative (for instance, Vonny recounts how spoilt Gemma is, a trait that Gemma certainly doesn't recognize in herself), as well as reveal information about grey characters - the storekeeper Skolly for example, seems like a helpful guy at first, though several chapters on we realize that he's unknowingly part of the cycle of addition that entraps Gemma.
   
   The book was first published in 1996, and so many may feel that it has dated. However, it's worth saying that even though it was written in the 90s, Burgess sets it in the 1980s - as such, many components (such as the song lyrics that head several chapters) are intended to be old-fashioned. Whether this upsets your reading pleasure or not depends on how well you can relate to teenagers of an older generation.
   
   As I said at the beginning of the review, "Junk" is a book that you'll find meaningful or worthless. The controversial subject matter means that audiences will have widely different opinions on how effective it is as a reading text, probably depending on their own experience (or inexperience) with drugs. There's really no way to tell until you've read it. For what it's worth, I found it a worthwhile read, and would particularly recommend it to parents who want to share the subject with young teens (thirteen to sixteen year olds, possibly) as Burgess describes drug-use, sex, prostitution, violence and unwanted pregnancy without ever resorting to gratuitous descriptions or by abandoning everything to despair, despite the ambiguous ending.



2. Winner of the Guardian Fiction Award and the Carnegie Medal, the novel Junk by Melvin Burgess successfully allows readers to gain insights into what teenage drug life was like in Bristol during the mid 1980s. The characters in the novel go through many struggles and the biggest struggle is the challenge to get off `junk', or heroin.
   Throughout the novel, Burgess focuses on four characters in particular: Tar, Gemma, Lily and Rob. Lily and Rob are senior users of junk. Partying, taking drugs, even prostitution is nothing new to them. Tar, the protagonist, is sensible and responsible but unlucky. Unlucky to be born into a family with alcoholic parents; unlucky to have met Gemma, his girlfriend, who introduced him to drugs' unlucky to be the only one caught. He represents the typical teenager: confident to say `no' to drugs but slowly being dragged in due to peer-pressure. `The thing I have to remember is that I'm weak and that they're weak' said Tar after being in the `detox' centre for a while. Is he strong enough to stand firm and quit drugs or is the temptation towards heroin too strong for him to handle?
   The novel Junk is easy to understand and is suitable for people of all ages. I would strongly recommend this novel to teenagers who are curious about drug-taking. It is a fast-paced book that depicts the daunting reality of drugs. What I find fascinating is the way Burgess describes the characters and the settings which provide the readers with an image that is very real. `As for the people here... some are pure invention, some are seeded from real people and then fictionalized, some are fictitious with bits of real people stirred in,' commented Burgess in the introduction of his novel. Burgess, using the style of a teenager, writes his novel in the form of diary entries by different people. Furthermore, his style includes conversations and slang words which help make his fictional characters more realistic.
   To conclude, Junk is a compelling novel of truths about drug-use and certainly a must-read for teenagers.



3. Burgess's "Smack," written a year before his short novel "Junk," is a terrific novel that captivies and evokes emotion. "Junk," however, is a poorly written screen-play version of that novel. The point of creating such a thing is beyond me. He should have stopped while he was ahead with "Smack."



4. I find it interesting that the writer has gotten away with such terrible writing and such a lack of understanding of heroin addiction simply by aiming this poor attempt at a novel at "young adults". Is it because he could not get published if he tried to write for grown ups?
   I picked up this book in an airport about to leave Los Angeles for London, 9 days after detoxing cold turkey from heroin and the Burroughs aping title and cover imagery made me think it would be an interesting read. I was wrong.
   Written by a man who obviously has never experienced heroin use or addiction first (or Im guessing even second) hand, this woeful book patronises it's "teen" readers with old-guy-trying-to-be-hip teen speak (newsflash Burgess, no-one.... NO-ONE calls heroin "junk" anymore) and it's linear plotting.
   
   Honestly, I was amazed that this book got published and then relentelessly promoted by a bunch of wannabe "hip" english teachers and social workers who again had no clue as to what the heroin scene was all about, as a book that could tell the kids "Drugs are, you know, bad and stuff."
   
   Steer your teens to Trainspotting or even Junky if you want them to know what heroin is all about. Or, if you want them to think you are an out of touch old fool, give the a copy of this book.



5. one of the best books i have read in a long time, "junk" by melvin burgess delivers everything i look for a in a young adult novel, but its believable and relatable characters make this a superb choice regardless of your age.

   the story is really about gemma and tar, though the plot unfolds through the voices of seven or eight people, each voicing their view on living a drug-filled life in london's squats. "junk" is a subtle love story that is harsh, warming, and always... real.

4 comments about Ask an Agent: Everything Actors Need to Know about Agents.

1. "I need an agent!" A thought that every actor thinks to himself in frustration after a tough audition. Yet we as actors don't really fully understand what an agent does. Even those with an agent don't really grasp what work goes into into their career. Ms. Emory answers the questions that every actor asks themselves...How do I get an agent? What does an agent do? What happens when I get an agent?....She answers those and more.
   
   As I've actually met this wonderful lady, her confidence in her job should be what every actor has as an agent works for them.
   
   After reading this book, I feel extremely confident I can find and maintain an agent. If you want one here's the place to start



2. If you're an aspiring actor who's looking for an agent, don't go on the hunt until you've absorbed the tips in ASK AN AGENT; EVERYTHING ACTORS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AGENTS. It's tough love in a book: a candid discussion of the world of agents, what they can do, what they can't do, and the pitfalls and successes of dealing with one. Chapters discuss how agents 'sell' actors under their charge, what doors are open to them which are closed to the individual actor - and what happens when things go wrong in the relationship. A 'must' for any aspiring actor.



3. I would suggest reading this book from cover to cover. Questons you've always had will be answered and some you didn't know you had, or should have, will too. Tabbing sections of interest for future reference would be a good idea as well.
   Step into an agent's office on realistic footing, then deal with your agents through the years professionally and as a team member working toward the same goals.
   Margaret Emory has done both actors and agents a service with this book.



4. If you have about 1,000 questions about the business of acting, then get ready to have 999 of them answered in this book. It's so well-written that it is easy to read, humorous and very informative. You get to find out how agents can get you jobs, what it takes for you to work with an agent, what agents need from you and what you need from agents. Oh, and so much more.
   
   An understanding of the acting business is crucial if you want to be a success. How can you play a game and expect to win if you don't know the rules? This book tells you the rules and it is up to you, the actor to play the game and win!
   
   This is a good book for someone who wants to get into the business and become an agent as well.
   
   Margaret doesn't miss the opportunity to be optimistic and fun, two traits very much needed if you want to be alive and well in this business. :)

5 comments about The Joy of Not Working: A Book for the Retired, Unemployed, and Overworked.

1. I bought the book because my husband and I are thinking of retirement soon.
   I read the whole book and I like it. The aim of the book is to promote active
   and purposeful retirement; to enjoy leisure and not to be too concerned about acquiring a lot of
   money in order to enjoy the life "after work". Retirement is a mind set.
   The book gives a lot of excellent ideas to enjoy retirement.



2. The book is filled with alot of experience and wisdom to ponder. An excellent read if you are considering a major career change but do not know what you want. The book does not suggest you keep a stiff upper lip and take it, so do not read it if you do not want change. You will not be able to look at work or your life the same way when you have finished.



3. I read this book as I was prepairing to retire. It suited my purposes just fine but contained solid advise for just about anyone on how to live happily. I ordered six more copies to give to friends!!!
   A valuable resource that is fun to read.



4. Believe it or not, I have the soul of a lazy person. I have enjoyed time off from 6 weeks to a year. I've enjoyed freedom in my work, especially now. So I totally understand the joy of Not Working.
   
   Zelinski's book has many things going for it. For example:
   
   (a) Too many of us are workaholics.
   (b) We need structure, purpose and a sense of community, with or without a job.
   (c) Work smart, not hard ("peak performance").
   (d) The checklist on page 54 can be a wake-up call.
   (e) We can gain several hours a week if we give up television.
   
   But as a career consultant I am concerned about the book's core advice. Page 55: "The first day your job does not nourish and enthuse you is the day you should consider leaving. Indeed, I advise you to quit."
   
   Pretty strong stuff! In my experience, few jobs provide daily nourishment and enthusiasm every day or even every week. I would say, "If you've outgrown your job, begin a search for alternatives. Don't do anything until you have a plan."
   
   People do miss their jobs - even jobs they hated. I have never seen statistics, but my experience suggests at least 50% of those who quit without another job regretted the decision. One discussion list posted a note from a 40-something woman who had chosen enjoyable, low-paying jobs in the personal growth field. Now she was ready to move on, with no nest egg to fund a career transition.
   
   Job dissatisfaction actually can be a misleading signal. Many people who seek a career change actually need to relocate geographically or work on relationships.
   
   My biggest criticism of the book is the potentially misleading presentation of information. For example, the author mentions "a research study conducted in 2001 by Florida's Nova Southeastern University" which found that over 38% of stockbrokers making $300,000 - $1,000,000 suffered from "subclinical depression" while 28% reported "clinical depression." (Overlap? Additional? We're not told.)
   
   Most studies are conducted by individual researchers, not universities or even departments. The author does not cite his source or indicate whether this study was actually published in a reputable peer-reviewed journal.
   
   How was this sample of brokers chosen? What methods were used to assess "subclinical depression" or "clinical depression?" Was the depression long-term or situational? Was this study carried out in 2001 before or after 9/11? Where's the cause and effect: does the field attract individuals with a propensity to depression?
   
   Other studies are mentioned but not cited or described in detail. For the Schnore study of retirees, I'd want to know how their satisfaction was reported and tested.
   
   Additionally, throughout the book, Zelinski presents letters from readers. He seems to suggest that, "If these folks can do it, you can too."
   
   But nearly all his examples come from people who took only the very first step: quitting or deciding to retire. On page 96, Zelinski writes, "Perhaps you will [say]...married people can't possibly quit their jobs like Ian did. Then go back to page 57 and read the letter [from a married man with 2 kids who quit his job]...Case closed!"
   
   Unfortunately, the letter on page 57 was written by someone who had just marched in to his boss and quit. We don't know what happened afterward. Case not closed, in my opinion!
   
   We do get a few examples of success: a professional who became a music busker in Toronto, someone who moved into a friend's trailer to live on $6000 a year, someone who travels cheaply, and several people who saved a stash of cash and now live comfortably from investments or a spouse's salary. Many readers (and most of my clients) will not relate to those examples.
   
   We should also realize Zelinski writes from Canada, a country with national health care. It's not perfect, but it does open up career options. Those happily unemployed are subsidized by taxes from those who face a 50% tax bracket at surprisingly low salary levels.
   
   I also believe that not everyone will enjoy a life of hobbies and volunteer work. Working for money gives you an edge, changing your thoughts, habits and conversations. Zelinski himself is neither unemployed nor retired: he is a full-time writer. His four-hour-a-day schedule is actually quite typical of professional authors of books. I once heard best-selling mystery author Jon Kellerman speak about writing 3 pages a day. Zelinski aims for four.
   
   Bottom Line: Joy of Not Working is worth skimming to experience a philosophy that can be adapted to many lives. Unfortunately, the adaptation will be up to you.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   



5. The suggestions in his book are misleading. Not for the motivated young people who want to make a difference in the world. No one can argue with his conclusions about workaholics. However, no one is going to achieve much success with a goal of living and raising a family on $6000 a year. I read his book in about 3 hours - really a waste of time as far as practical advice is concerned.

4 comments about Herakleitos and Diogenes.

1. It's a collection of quotes with some very terse history. Personally, this book is of no use to me, but if you like quote lists, then you'll love it.



2. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The fragments of Heraclitus (or, Herakleitos) and Diogenes are a collection of the remains of their now-lost works, joined to various sayings attributed to them by other ancient philosophers both in their own day and later. This is basically a collection of translated aphorisms - 124 of which belong to Heraclitus, and 124 of which belong to Diogenes. Each philosopher's fragments are given a brief introduction - although, for reasons unstated by the author, the introduction to Diogenes is almost 3 times as long as that for Heraclitus - and, in a few places, some explanatory notes are given for the translation. I was disappointed that the translator, Guy Davenport, gave no information whatsoever about the manuscripts that he used for the translations here, or any information about the history of the texts that he used for the translation. Although I do not know Greek, it would have been nice to at least have some of this sort of background material.
   
   Neither set of fragments has any systematic organization; there is no narrative to follow. However, within the writings of Heraclitus one is given a sense of the permeability of all existence, and that the world we know is not a stable place. He has a tremendous sense of the instability of life, and he expresses this with some very poetic images: "One cannot step twice into the same river, for the water into which you first stepped as moved on" (# 21); "There is a new sun for every day" (# 36). Some of the aphorisms are much food for thought; others are more humorous: "Hide our ignorance as we will, an evening of wine reveals it" (# 53). All of them are worth reading, and if one chooses to make connections between them - if fire is the destruction of all things and pride is like fire, is he trying to say that pride will destroy us? - then one can come up with some interesting insights.
   
   The fragments of Diogenes are of a very different flavor than Heraclitus's musings. Diogenes, as one reviewer put it below (quite brilliantly, I might add), really can be considered history's first punk. He was certainly an iconoclast, and he seems to have reveled in it. However, he also came up with some genuinely fascinating ideas that we still repeat today - "I am a citizen of the world" (# 7) and "Practice makes perfect" (# 119). He also stated, hundreds of years before St. Paul, that "Love of money is the marketplace of every evil" (# 78). Predictably, some of his musings are humorous - "Go into any whorehouse and learn the worthlessness of the expensive" (# 36) - but some are also quite quarrelsome; Diogenes seems to have had a considerable dislike for Plato, in particular.
   
   Readings this book might take you a full hour. However, there are considerations in these pages worth mulling over for years, and perhaps even a lifetime. This, of course, is exactly what philosophy is supposed to be.



3. Sharp and concise are how these translations come across. Compared with recent translations like Brooks Haxton's (Heraclitus) and Luis Navia's (Diogenes the Cynic), Davenport's work will stand the test of time. Highly recommended.
   
   Extracts: A Field Guide for Iconoclasts
   
   The Cloud Reckoner



4. Before grunge, before punk, before monks renouncing this "evil world" for the purity of the desert, there was Diogenes. If Plato codified and, to some extent, "created" Western philosophy, then Diogenes lit a stink bomb at Plato's Academy and sent all the earnest young students scrambling for fresh air: what they didn't realize was that Diogenes WAS that fresh air. Listen to his dismissal of the great man of the West: "Plato winces when I track dust across his rugs: he knows that I'm walking on his vanity." And how about his summary of the state of Greek culture in the mid-fourth century B.C.E.: "Men nowhere, but real boys at Sparta." Nor did his satiric bite exempt his own condition: "When I die, throw me to the wolves. I'm used to it." How many of Plato's dialogues deliver a message as direct as this one?: "I threw away my cup when I saw a child drinking from his hands at the trough." In pithy saying after saying, Diogenes makes it clear that he has "broken through" to the freedom of being owned neither by his possessions nor by society's limitations, all of which is in some sly way conveyed by his opening [in Davenport's translation] salvo: "I have come to debase the coinage." And, oh yes, this translation includes all the meaningful fragments of Herakleitos as well. But once you have read Diogenes, Herakleitos will seem like the stodgiest old coot you've ever heard of, except maybe for Plato. [Updated versions of these translations are also available in Davenport's 7 GREEKS, which also includes the "complete" works of Sappho, Archilochos, Alkman, Anakreon and Herondas.]

1 comments about Exploring Theatre, Student Edition.

1. Even though the description said used, this book was like new! I purchased it for one of the teachers at my school and she was amazed.

5 comments about Friends: The Official Companion Book.

1. This book brought all the fun and laughter you remember from the episodes it covers, and more! With absolutely beautiful color pictures of the stars, as well as black and white pictures of some of the scenes from the episodes, and also candids of the stars themselves, a true Friends fan/addict can't go wrong with this one!! Every time I pick it up, it brings a smile to my face and heart! Fantastically written, I enjoy this book from first page to last no matter how many times I have read it. Just like the shows re-runs, I can't seem to get enough!! Thank you David Wild!! and the creator, director, and cast of Friends!



2. All friends fans will LOVE this book, It has a whole chapter "written" by Marcel the monkey, Quotes from season one episodes, a summery of season one episodes and a BIG friends quiz, chock-a-block with brain teasers.Not to mention interviews of all the cast-If you havent read this book you're missing out!



3. This is a good FRIENDS book on series 1, although it needs more stuff about the actors of FRIENDS. It would be a lot better if we were given a behind the scenes look at the sets etc. However it's got loads of quotes, and in depth episode guides for series 1.



4. I recently got a chance to read, Friends: The Official Companion and it was great. Everything you wanted to know about the first season of Friends was there. It was packed with all different pictures and side information that normally people wouldn't come across. This book was entertaining and was a lot of fun. I am really looking foward to reading the next one.



5. This book could not be more enjoyable, it is the perfect accompaniment to the best TV Show in the World of TV. If you think you know everything about Friends, well you dont know until you've Read this book.

1 comments about Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers, Third Edition.

1. This book is very informative, insightful & wise. Just what I needed to further my knowledge and skill!

1 comments about El gesticulador: Pieza para demagogos en tres actos.

1. Rodolfo Usigli (1905-1979) is not only Mexico's finest playwright, but El gesticulador (The Gesticulator 1938) is also one of his best plays. The work depicts the life of a disenchanted history professor who leaves Mexico City with his family, and returns to his hometown in northern Mexico hoping to capitalize on the upcoming gubernatorial elections. Circumstances beyond his control lead him to assume the identity of a revolutionary general by the same name, César Rubio. Amidst the confusion, he becomes the people's hero and is elected to run for governor of the state against a former acquaintance that also happens to be the town's villain. The family members play supporting roles: Elena is the dedicated wife and mother; his son Miguel is a young man distraught by his father's failures and by social hypocrisy; and his daughter Julia, is an unattractive, yet seductive young woman who idolizes her father and is interested in social and physical appearances. In a gesture typical of many of the works of the Mexican Revolution, César Rubio is killed before he gets the opportunity to win the elections. While Rubio's death gives his contender the perfect opportunity to look good by honoring the dead hero, it robs Julia of the possibility of gaining a higher social status and leaves Miguel clamoring for Truth. For her part, Elena's resigned nature and sense of dignity allow her to request nothing but her husband's body.