5 comments about Encyclopedia of Card Tricks (Cards, Coins, and Other Magic).

1. Ordered this book as a gift for my husband. He's new to card tricks. While he didn't find the entire book useful, he did find a lot of interesting/entertaining tricks to work on.
   
   Overall 4 stars because it helped him learn some new tricks but didn't keep him occupied for more than 2 weeks :).



2. Some people cook by recipe, others "by ear," so to speak. I do magic by ear. That is, I look for ideas, and then usually tweak things to fit what I think makes sense.
   
   This is a tremendous book for ideas! Lots and lots and lots of them.
   
   So for a "give me an idea I can run with" person, I think this book is just great. For someone looking more for a step-by-step recipe, this probably isn't the book for you.



3. The title of the book gives a good idea of what is in store. Primarily an information source of magic card tricks.
   
   Light on useable information so far as performing is concerned, yet good for the historian.
   
   Then again, most magicians are weak performers and strong on history, so this book will be a treat.



4. This book is great in its completeness and organization. It walks you through most of the card tricks. This book is not geared toward beginners or younger audiences. If you are a visual learner this book is not for you. There are very few pictures and diagrams so you will have to use your imagination at times to visualize what the trick is supposed to look like based on the descriptions.



5. The cardtricks book is well written and PACKED with card tricks - more than you could deal with in a lifetime. Hugard has written many books on the subject and you can't go wrong. Another online resource I found and loved is http://www.ellusionist.com - amazing site with card trick movies and a bunch of cool stuff.

4 comments about Monty Python's Spamalot.

1. Funny show and enjoyable music. At least one of the songs is not in the same key as what's sung on the original Broadway cast CD - an annoyance but rather typical of "vocal selections" music books. This is the publisher's decision (Hal Leonard), not Amazon's fault. On the positive side, this book has many of the songs and is much cheaper than the full piano-vocal score.



2. I've thoroughly enjoyed listening and relistening to the songs on this CD while on the road. It's funny to hear how Broadway-ized the memorable scenes from the movie are in these songs. The only thing that came close to disappointment was not hearing the phrase "silly Enlish k-nig-ht" during the "Run Away" song.



3. I decided to take a chance with this piano/vocal/guitar collection since I had already read a review warning that it was a fairly simplistic arrangement. It is indeed very basic; someone with four years of piano experience could handle just about every piece.
   
   All that was taken from the actual score was the melody and the chords. Songs that had clear baselines, such as You Won't Succeed on Broadway's descending octaves at the end of each couplet, simply don't have them in these book. Typical left-hand arrangements are a series of eighth notes pairs with bass-root, inverted chord, over and over again no matter what sort of mood the piece should set. Given the range of tempos and their amusing descriptions, (where else would you find the term "Jaunty Madrigal"?), having identical left-hand arrangements is ridiculous. Right hand arrangements tend to double the melody with chords filling them out below. Most songs are cut down to a bare minimum, leaving out parts that could easily have been included such as accents, grace notes, and the like.
   
   Most frustrating of all is missing lyrics for subsequent verses, which is absolutely unforgiveable. "Knights of the Round Table" only has 2 verses. Yes, you can pull the lines off the internet, but why should you have to?
   
   Probably the best arrangement of the whole book is "You Won't Succeed on Broadway" which does include all the lyrics but inexplicably cut the piano solo! So when I say it's the best, that's where "best" gets a 7 out of 10. The Act II Finale does not appear, either. However, the book does include most all the other songs from the musical. Many sheet music books from musicals omit more. I am looking forward to a vocal score being offered as these are a reduction rather than an arrangement and offer all the incidental music as well as instrumental and lead-in sections.
   
   Hal Leonard often rates their arrangements on a difficulty scale but I can't find one on this book. I would give it a "2" on their 6 point scale where 6 is the hardest.



4. A bit dissapointing that the arrangements in the book are so bland and simple with the melody doubled in the piano and basic work added around this. With great vocal scores like 'Wicked', 'The Producers'and 'Witches of Eastwick'available with fantastic accompaniments 'Spamalot' is a tad dissapointing. However, all the great numbers from the show are here and with a talented accompanist to improve the arrangments this book is still a great buy.

No comments about A Midsummer Night's Dream (Folger Shakespeare Library).

5 comments about Roman.

1. When Roman Polanski wrote this autobiography, he was still under a pall of pessimism following the murder of his wife, Sharon Tate, 15 years earlier. I imagine that a lot has changed in his life since 1984, considering his remarriage and new family. But "Roman by Polanski" is a very readable, articulate, and seemingly candid account of Polanski's childhood in German-occupied Poland, his youth under communism, his professional struggles and emergence as a coveted talent in the 1960s, when he took up a bohemian lifestyle in Hollywood and London. That was shattered, of course, by the murder of 5 people, including his wife, as his L.A. home by the Manson "Family" in August 1969, an event which is often cited as the end of the freewheeling '60s. Polanski later fled the United States over sentencing irregularities in a statutory rape case, and he offers his view of that situation as well.
   
   Polanski recounts the making of his films in varying degrees of detail, from his student productions in Poland through "Tess". At the time he wrote this book, he was burned out on filmmaking and had returned to the stage to play the part of Mozart in Peter Schaffer's play "Amadeus". Polanski lays out the events of his personal and professional life plainly. He has had an interesting life, accentuated by the stark contrasts between communism and capitalism, poverty and wealth, freedom and persecution. Readers may be more curious about Polanski's character, though. He relished his lifestyle, was accused of rape, and so became the libertine that everyone loves to bash. His driving ambition in everything he attempts and his social values, from his reckless generosity to his many lovers, come across as having shaped his life. And they gave him many interesting stories to tell.



2. Covers his childhood memories of war-torn Poland, reminiscent of "Schindler's List". His struggles as a young director and the heartache of the tragic murder of his wife Sharon Tate and their unborn child. And he even discusses his envolvement with the underaged girl at Jack Nicholson's place, that caused his exhile from the U.S. to this very day. You be the judge. An all-around well written autobiography.



3. Roman Polanski, born on august 18, 1933, has written a fascinating autobiography. He is a sinner and a genius, a chaotic man and a passionate, he is a machismo and a vulnerable human being, he overcame the WWII, the Polish ghettos and the Holocaust as a resilient child and he lost his wife Sharon Tate and an unborn child in 1969 by the Manson Group massacre, and on the other hand he overcame (as an adult) a special pattern of machismo-self-destruction (with 13 year old girl accusing him of sexual contact). He had lived a lousy life in Nazi-surpressed Polish ghettos and he had lived with too much pride and arrogance in Hollywood, he was arrested in the United States and nevertheless now he releases movies in Paris (presently married with French actress Emmanuelle Seigner). He is a gifted filmmaker and indeed: a writer, better than any crime-author I know; his book, published in 1984, is not a larmoyant, self-pitiful autobiography alike 1001 others - it is an absorbing story about a personality-mixture-hybrid of a Robin Hood mixed with Mac Beth, an Idi Amin mixed with a Mother Theresa, it is the story of "Roman" P., who started his life 1933 in Paris as "Raymond" P.; the first sentence of his autobiography: "For as far back as I can remember, the line between fantasy and reality has been hopelessly blurred." That became his helping trick to survive some struggles and tragedies, downfalls and comebacks ...



4. I lost my copy of this book years ago and am so glad to have it back. Anyone who admires Polanski's work will love this book. Anyone who questions Polanski's love of life, Sharon, and the World he lives in should read this book. You will understand him in a whole new light. He's amazing. Read this before any other about him. Please!!!!!!



5. I have always admired Roman Polanski. He strikes me as a person with a very powerful presence and state of mind and that impression certainly comes through in his films.
   
   Although published 20 years ago, Roman bared his soul to the world, telling his story in a way that you felt you lived his life right there beside him.
   
   People who believe that those who have had lousy lives should be excused from taking responsibility for their crimes should read Roman's book. After all he's been through, he had every excuse in the world to be a lowlife, drunken, drug addict, thief, murderer, scumbag. Instead, this man took all the bad things that have happened to him in his life and turned it into something positive.
   
   And even though he has expressed his emotions through his movies, he is still a very mysterious man whose depths no one will ever know.
   
   That's what makes Roman so damn intriguing.

5 comments about Childsplay: A Collection of Scenes and Monologues for Children.

1. It can be challenging to find suitable material for child actors. Muir offers a place to start with this book. Some classics like '1000 Cranes' (from the book about Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes), 'You're a Good Man Charlie Brown,' 'The Diary of Anne Frank,' and others. Some material is dark and deep. But Muir summarizes the themes nicely before each piece. The monologues at the end are also interesting - some written by elementary school children.



2. I was hoping for a collection of fun, intelligent, and imaginative scenes and monologues for my kids to perform. Instead, I find a bunch of hackneyed dross about children as victims--victims of bullying, victims of bad parents, victims of society,etc. Scene after scene is about children who've lost parents, or children in poverty, or children abused. And the scenes are so over the top as to make the characters almost comical. The only thing designed to challenge children are the contrived plot lines through which the character reveals how she/he has lost her/his parents/grandparent/sibling and is now living on the streets/running away/one meal away from starvation. What child wouldn't like to tackle the monologue entitled "The Day My Father Died." Most of the scenes and monologues are also written at a low reading level. Yuck. The only reason I didn't give this pitiable book one fewer star is because there are two or three adequate scenes and monologues. I found a much better book of plays--Plays Children Love, Volume II. Edited by Coleman Jennings.



3. I have been teaching theatre skills to youth of all ages for 15 years, and it is nearly impossible to find collections of short, clever scenes that consistently leave kids (and their parents) smiling and impressed. This book is literally the only one in my large personal library of theatre education books that I use over and over again, particularly in theatre classes and camps for kids ages 8 to 14. Scenes such as "Befriending Bertha", "Sammy Carducci's Guide to Life", "Scientist Meets Fish", and "To Bee or Not To Bee" are challenging and lighthearted enough to instill in kids teamwork and the fun of acting. Ms. Muir, is there any chance you will be creating another collection like this? If so, I look forward to it.



4. This book is golden!!! I teach teatre to 8 to 12-year-olds, and I haven't found any other book that I use nearly as much as this one. All of the plays are perfect for kids and pre-teens. With only a couple exceptions, the characters are all kids that my students can relate to. A few of the monologues are even written by kids. They vary from funny, to serious, to sad, and all of my students are able to find pieces that they enjoy out of this book. One favorite of both students and audiences is "Bee or Not to Bee," a humorous scene about a bee who disguises itself as a chipmunk to sneek onto Noah's Ark. Others worth mentioning are "Scientist Meets Fish," "Lemon Sisters," "Charlie Brown," and "Afternoon of the Elves." I highly recommend this book!



5. I bought this book for my daughter to practice with to improve her acting skills when she goes on auditions. We have loved it and would enjoy it even if her goal wasn't to be an actor.

2 comments about The Young and the Restless, Special Silver Anniversary Collector's Edition.

1. Ithink this book is pretty neat and I got it for Christmas and I started reading it right away. In the wedding album though, you forgot to mention Victor and Ashley's marriage and Jack and Nikki's marriage. Why was that?



2. An avid fan since the beginning, I have truly enjoyed going down memory lane and filling in the blanks of storylines long forgotten. This book covers every detail and depth of the characters and their development. Truly a must-have for anyone who has grown to love the people of Genoa City.

5 comments about The Merry Wives of Windsor (Folger Shakespeare Library).

1. Mistress Ford and Mistress Page are be badgered by the lecherous Falstaff, how to arrange a happy ending? As the husband of the object of Falstaff's passion disguises himself as a servant to divine the plans of the villain, the ladies defend their honor by inviting the advances of Falstaff.
   
   This is the Bard's comedy on a good day. Despite the challenges of the original language, I chuckled my way through this story/script. In the end, Falstaff got what he deserve (no sexy time with the good ladies and several beatings), the ladies' honor was preserved, and their husbands saw the highest qualities of their wives.
   
   I loved it, and recommend it highly. I just wish this one would be put on stage more often.
   
   E.M. Van Court



2. As many of you know, the crooked, but comical and likable Falstaff had a moderate role in "1 Henry IV." He was undoubtedly the real star of "2 Henry IV." At the end of "2 Henry IV," Shakespeare announced that Falstaff would be in the next play. ("Henry V") Well, to the disappointment of the audience, except for the mention of his death, Falstaff was NOT in "Henry V." So, some plays later, Shakespeare ressurected Falstaff along with Bardolph and Nym who were killed in "Henry V." Pistol survived "Henry V," and he is back as well. Some people (including the learned Isaac Asimov) said that the 'fat fool' bears no resemblance to the Falstaff from the Henry IV plays. Well, Asimov was right, but in Shakespeare's defense, the name can not always bring back the character. (Compare the "Dukes of Hazzard" episodes to the not so good recent movie. Denver Pyle is probably rolling over in his grave!) Well, onto the play! Shakespeare cleverly combines 2 plots. Anne Page is a young girl whose parents want her to marry someone other than Fenton whom she really loves. This story IS all too familiar, but Shakespeare compensates for that rather well. Her father (Page) wants Anne to marry the nice enough Slender, while her mother (Lady Page) wants her to marry the eccentric Dr. Caius. (So, Shakespeare doesn't quite repeat the Juliet syndrome.) Moving on, Falstaff enters and he intends to woo Anne's mother and Page's wife as well as Ford's wife not out of love, but in hopes of increasing his fortune. (How unheard of! ESPECIALLY in today's world!) Well, even Falstaff's friends Pistol and Nym are repulsed by this, and Pistol warns Mr. Ford while Nym warns Mr. Page. While we may see Page and Lady Page as the 'wicked parents' who want Anne to marry someone other than whom she loves, Shakespeare expands their characters by having mutual love and trust. (Othello sure could have learned A LOT from Mr. Page!) So, at this point we see that the marriage between Page and Lady Page is a reasonably happy and successful one. On the other hand, Ford is not so sure of his wife to say the least. He plans to disguise himself and encourage Falstaff to go ahead, mainly so he can catch his wife and Falstaff in the act. Lady Ford has plans of her own. We know that Lady Page and Lady Ford are trying to teach Falstaff a lesson so to speak, and we can only imagine what is going through poor Ford's mind when Falstaff reveals his plans to woo Lady Anne AND Lady Page. Ford goes through some comical jealous rages, but unlike the so called 'noble Othello' he does NOT lay an abusive hand on his wife, and it is hard to not feel at least a little sorry for him. (We can only imagine his frustrations when he thinks he was wrong, but Falstaff confesses he was with Ford's wife, Ford can recall the events, and Falstaff speaks of ANOTHER meeting with Ford's wife!) Well, keeping with good comedy, no one really gets hurt, and Mr. Ford is willing to admit he was wrong about his wife. Now it does seem that after the 2 humiliating events (being thrown into a river and having to disguise himself as a witch to escape), Falstaff would have learned by now. But, such is comedy. The Pages and the Fords decide to subject Falstaff to one more practical joke. And of course, there is the matter of whom Anne will marry. (Fenton whom she loves, Slender whom her father loves, and Dr. Caius whom her mother loves.) In a bit of "Midsummer Night's Dream" nostalgia, Falstaff suffers one final slapstick moment, but all is resolved, and young love triumphs. And in the often found theme of reconciliation of Shakespeare's comedies, the characters (including Falstaff) all enjoy a happy party.



3. This play is odd in that critics hate it, but theater companies love it. Harold Bloom's contempt for this play is so great that he refused to discuss it in his book on Shakespeare. But, unlike some of Shakespeare's less popular plays, Merry Wives is performed frequently in Shakespeare festivals across the land.
   
   You really have to see this play to understand how well it works on the stage. Played by an energetic cast it is hilarious situation comedy and easily understandable by people unfamiliar with Shakespeare. When Falstaff says at the end, with deadpan delivery, "I do begin to perceive that I am made an ass," it brings down the house. Just reading the play in your living room, you will probably miss much of the humor.
   
   Shakespeare was a man of the theater. He wrote for production, with little thought given to publication in his lifetime. You have to see his plays performed to get a measure of his theatrical genius.



4. I certainly don't agree with many of the reviews of this play. To me it is one of Shakespeare's funniest. I truly enjoyed it. One of my favourite Shakespearean characters is Falstaff, and he appears in a number of Shakespeare's comedies. He makes an appearance in this one, and he is wonderful. The scene of this play is in Windsor, England. The play follows the merry wives in their interactions with their husbands and with their families and servants. This play is unique too, because we see Falstaff in love in this one. This may be one of Shakespeare's lesser known comedies, but it should be read and enjoyed. Don't let some of these reviews stop you from the sheer enjoyment of this play.



5. "The Merry Wives of Windsor" is one of Shakespeare's worst plays. It lacks the sharp wit of many of his other comedies, tending for low puns all the way through. The situations are ridiculous. Is Falstaff in a laundry hamper, or sitting in the woods and being prodded by children, funny? Of course, the Elizabethans liked bear-baiting (mentioned in the play). And Shakespeare seemed to want this play to be particularly funny for making fun of Welsh and French accents.
   
   What raises this recording is the cast, particularly Michael Hordern's Ford. Ford is a bitter, jealous character, who actually believes his wife might have a dalliance with the physically repulsive Falstaff. But Hordern's befuddled jealousy actually make thankless lines funny. Anthony Quayle, a very good actor, blusters too much as Falstaff, but it must be difficult to represent Falstaff in sound alone and so that's excusable.
   
   The problems with the play are Shakespeare's. He starts a lot of things he doesn't explore (such as the bizarre horse-stealing episode) and there are too many characters to keep up with comfortably unless one follows along with the text the first time through. But if you need to get through and understand "The Merry Wives" for whatever reason, listening to this fine cast and skimming along with the text is the most enjoyable way to do it.

4 comments about Decoding Wagner: An Invitation to His World of Music Drama (includes 2 CDs).

1. This well writen book has an analysis of all Wagner operas. I found it helpful, used together with the Metropolitan Opera site.



2. I used to be an opera singer and I have to say this is a fabulous book for any fan of Wagner. Tom May has done a terrific job of making this difficult material accessible, and the accompanying CDs help considerably. Even if you feel you have read everything there is to read about the maestro, you will find this book absorbing and very illuminating. Plus you'll probably want to buy a new recording of Tristan und Isolde as well [maybe the most beautiful music ever written, in my humble opinion]. I think Amazon may sell that too. LOL



3. I found this to be an excellent overview of Wagner and his operas in a book of only 200 pages or so. This book is for someone who is fairly familiar with the plots of Wagner's operas -- no plot summaries are presented -- and gives a good sense of how Wagner developed as both a composer and dramatist. The book is written mostly around the ten major operas wrote -- a chapter for each with an extra chapter to introduce the Ring. Although the book is relatively short, the reader learns a lot about Wagner's sources, his use of these sources, and key features of the individual operas. A portion of the discussion of the operas is tied to the CDs - one for the Ring and the other for the non-Ring operas. The CDs are primarily "greatest hits" - from the operas, with text making reference to different points on the CD in terms of timing.
   
   This book is probably not the first book you read on Wagner -- I would recommend "Wagner Without Fear" by William Berger as an introduction to Wagner and his work. For other readers, this book really provides quite a bit of diverse information in a small space. The book is well-written and meets the needs of many readers in that it written around individual operas. A reader can go right to the opera of interest, but I think may will also want to read through the entire book to better understand the context of individual operas and their place in Wagner's development.
   
   The book has a good bibliography (though it would have been nice to have some annotation).
   
   The book is a good value as is, but with the 2 CDs (primarily BMG recordings), it becomes an excellent value. Any reader interested in Wagner should consider owning this book. 5 stars.



4. This is a terrific read: entertaining and briskly paced. May considers historical and social factors in Wagner's work without bogging down the reader with theory or dull historicism. In fact, this work brings me a greater appreciation for Wagner than I thought possible (I'm not, my apologies, an opera fan). I would recommend it to the casual theater goer, the fine arts critic, opera fans, and anyone interested in music or 19th century theater.

5 comments about Gustav Mahler: The Symphonies Paperback.

1. By the time I opened this book I had already read more than a dozen biographies of composer Gustav Mahler. What could this one add?
   
   Well, it surprised me. It lives up to its name: GUSTAV MAHLER: THE SYMPHONIES. What it does is give you a thorough explanation of each Mahler symphony. It tells you things like when it was written, why it was written, how it was written, and suggestions as to "what the music means," which is especially relevant to Mahler's music.
   
   Thus, if I could have only a single book on Mahler, this would be the one I would keep, because it will be my learned, private guide or tutor, to better help me understand--and love even more--each Mahler symphony



2. I was very, very disappointed in this book. But I should have expected such nonsense about M's symphonies--it's unfortunately ubiquitous. c.f. sees a story or progam in every symphony, every movement etc. ad nauseam. He writes out a lot of musical notes and then fails to adequately anaylze them. I am not sure why so many people want to find stories and themes and non-musical meanings in Mahler's work. Mahler may have said many things, but he is the artist and his art is music, not literature. Music by its nature is not amenable to verbal analysis apposite to poetry and drama; re 6th, first movement: march,march--heavy heavy to last movement hammer blows--oh my! oh my! Fate has overcome the protagonist. The major minor seal--nice code as a sub for thinking.-- the sheer silliness of critics to call this tragic when the music is promethean in nature and the last big sound is not fate stamping out the human, instead it is the sound of the individual determined to march on and the power of the last sound indicates the protagonist if there is one in this piece. I like Mahler a lot. There can be no argument, at least in my feeble mind, that he wrote two superaltive symphones: 6th and 7th. The rest have virtues but simply don't succeed--you can like the music but it doesn't cohere. The ninth is interesting, but only that. All the others are grossly inferior to 6 and 7. I found c.f's book to be amateurish: his analysis was weak because he wanted to find a story behind the notes. Music is very difficult to explain, Mahler's especially. But so many reviewers of Mahler seem happy to find an underlying story that then becomes the essence of the piece for them (they box and compartmentalize the music) The symphonies are a creation. They must be judged as musical creations, not as stories etc. How fatuous is all the nonsense written about Mahler because his music does lay itself open to critics who would mistakenly fill it up with their own ideas etc, the music notwithstanding. What's that cliche (a true axiom): Let the Music Speak for Itself. Judge the creation, not the creator or what he wants to say about his music (the creator is so susceptible to illusion and misreading of his creation).
   
   c.f's book is not better than good liner notes; it's too bad he didn't recommend certain recordings--this would have made his fantasy-speculative analysis of the symphonies more bearable.



3. The symphonies of Gustav Mahler can be listened to on more than one level. As complex and forward-looking as they are, they nonetheless can connect at an elemental, "visceral" level for many listeners.
   
   However, for a fuller appreciation of both the details and the profundity which are in these works, as well as for insight into Mahler's creative processes, some outside help is required, and this help is usually not forthcoming from the liner or booklet notes that accompany recordings, or from the program notes that accompany performances. This is precisely where this excellent book by Constantin Floros fits in.
   
   First, a few words on what this book is not, and does not purport to be. It is not a comparative discography of available performances; in fact, it neither lists nor recommends recordings. Second, it is not a critical biography of Mahler; the interested reader is referred to the outstanding (but much more expensive) volumes by Henry-Louis de la Grange, available elsewhere at Amazon.com. Third, it is not a psychological study of Mahler, relating, as such a study might, such connections between the man and the music; an excellent small volume by Theodor Adorno, "Mahler: A Musical Physiognomy" covers that territory very well, and is also available elsewhere at Amazon.com. Fourth, and finally, it is not a set of musical scores of the symphonies; those as well, published by Dover in inexpensive paperback editions, can be found at Amazon.com
   
   So, just what is this Floros book? It is the perfect companion for the serious Mahlerite in understanding the genesis and the thematic, harmonic and interpretational details of each of Mahler's ten symphonies, and the interrelationships and comparisons among them. It has just enough of the material covered in the references noted above, along with detailed analyses of the symphonies, for each of them to be better understood and placed in historical and musical context by the listener. Its greatest insight into these symphonies comes largely from Floros' remarkable scholarship in tracking down all of the score notes that Mahler provided in his sketches, short scores and long scores, his correspondences with his wife, friends and interpreters, and their comments and observations as well. By piecing all of this research together, relying particularly heavily on Mahler's own notes, Floros has come up with a near-definitive look into Mahler's creative and interpretational processes (a term for such a look based on scholarship that Floros describes as "hermeneutics").
   
   The book's publication date (1985 in the original German) means that it is the beneficiary of a series of events in the 1960's that opened the door to greatly improved accuracy in the study of this complex man and his equally complex music. First was the passage into the public domain of much of Mahler's own private writings, on the 100th anniversary of his birth. Second was the agreement on the part of his widow, Alma Mahler-Werfel, to release other materials, particularly related to his unfinished 10th Symphony, for public scrutiny. Third was the availability of this material to the Englishman Deryck Cooke, and others, who provided performing versions of this final 10th Symphony so that the public at large could better judge the direction in which Mahler had been heading when his work was cut short by premature death. Floros pays great respect to, and provides excellent insight into, the work of Cooke in his (Floros') plan to describe the full symphonic output of Mahler.
   
   This book is very liberally annotated, with briefly-scored examples as reference marks for understanding the interrelationships among the various musical themes, as well as end notes for each symphony and a detailed bibliography for further reading. While it helps to be able to read these brief bars of music, even those who cannot will benefit immensely from Floros' scholarship and fine, but nonetheless dense, writing in providing extramusical background and values for a better understanding of these remarkable symphonies which moves so many of us.
   
   Without question, the single most valuable reference source for a fuller understanding of the Mahler symphonies. And a compact and inexpensive companion for the Mahlerite.
   
   Bob Zeidler



4. If you want to know how a Mahler symphony is put together and why it works, this is the only book that does it. Reading it with a score at hand is useful, but not necessary. Technical but worth it.



5. The book was translated very well. It broke each symphony down by movement and gave its history, as well as a breif analysis. I definite must for Mahler fans!

5 comments about An Inspector Calls..

1. goodness! having just written up my essay on an inspector calls, i have found these reviews! a little late, but better late than never. the review pages are fab, thanx amazon. an inspector calls is set in the industrial revolution about a family who all, without knowing it, participate to a young girl's death. but there are lots of twists and turns to be exposed! enjoy it xmelx



2. J.B. Priestley's classic drama "An Inspector Calls" has a sturdy allegorical ring that reminds me of another great British author's work, "A Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyan. The Birling family, prominent society figures of Brunley, a North Midlands town, are celebrating the engagement of their daughter Sheila to the son of a prominent local family when a man calling himself Inspector Goole arrives unannounced.

   Whatever triumphal joy they earlier felt is soon washed away as the Inspector informs them that a young woman by the name of Eva Smith has just died in the local infirmary, a painful suicide victim prompted by taking disinfectant. Gradually he draws everyone in the household into the picture. All are implicated in the tragic downfall leading to Eva's suicide. Mr. Birling fired her after she was a leader in a strike at his factory, resulting from her asking for a fair weekly wage. His daugher Sheila caused a dismissal from Eva's next job at a department store in a jealous rage over the young woman's good looks. Sheila's husband to be Gerald found a room for her temporarily, had an affair with her, then let her go. Eric Birling, Sheila's brother, impregnated her, after which she sought help from the charity committee headed by Mrs. Birling, who coldly spurned her.

   The only two members of the Birling household who feel appropriately contrite are Eric and Sheila. When it appears that the incident might be a hoax the others are relieved, ignoring their abominable behavior toward the girl.

   Just when it appears that they might all be in the clear, and it is learned that the mysterious Inspector Goole was no more than an apparition or hoax of some kind, a call is received that a girl has indeed died in the infirmary from ingesting disinfectant and that an Inspector is on his way to question the Birling family! And at a time when Mr. Birling expects to be offered a knighthood, no less!

   The dialogue is crisp and the mysterious Inspector Goole forces the family to look for once beyond their own selfish interests and contemplate the tragic consequences of conduct stemming from their ruthless mindset. "An Inspector Calls" reads brilliantly and plays mesmerizingly until the final curtain. It has been playing for better than a decade at London's West End, where I have seen it 3 times and intend to see it more times in the future. Its timeless message remains as vital now as when it premiered starring Alec Guinness and Ralph Richardson in 1946.




3. I am currently studying this book at school and am thourly enjoying it it is a great book and as i am doing an essay on it i thought im would come and get some review on it this has helped me a lot and thanx to Amazon[.com]



4. I really liked this book.



5. An Inspector Calls is a play for the thinkers in our world.Who love to ponder on the actions and consquences of every person. This book is clever, mysterious and thought provoking. Anyone who reads it will be captured by the Inspector and his inquiry into the death of the character Eva Smith! This makes you think (if only for the few hours after reading it) of your own actions and there possible consquences in life and perhaps of the better world we could live in IF we only went through life constantly thinking of others!