classic book

Book Review: Iphigenia in Aulis

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Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides

Iphigenia in Aulis
by Euripides, Edward Einhorn (Adaptation), Eric Shanower  (Illustrations)

5 of 5 stars

At the beginning of the Trojan War, Paris has run away with Helen, and an army waits upon the shore to journey to retrieve her. But the winds are not in their favor, and they cannot sail. Agamemnon is told by the prophets that to ensure a change in the wind he must sacrifice a virgin, his own daughter Iphigenia, to the gods. He wrestles with the decision, quarrels with his brother Menelaus, and lies to his wife Klytemnestra. The armies threaten treason. Achilles vows to protect the maiden. Agamemnon curses the fate that will tear his daughter from their family. Ultimately, the decision lies with Iphigenia herself.

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Book Review: The Island of Sheep

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The Island of Sheep by John Buchan

The Island of Sheep (Richard Hannay #5)
by John Buchan

4 out of 5 stars

Richard Hannay is caught up in another adventure! This time an old friend from South Africa, Haraldsen, is being hunted by evil men with a vendetta against his father. Richard’s son, Peter John, is now in his teens and is eager to help his father protect Haraldsen’s family, especially since he has a lovely teenage daughter, Anna. After dodging the bad guys all around the city, they escape into the country and make their last stand on the Island of Sheep.

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Classic Book Review: Bleak House

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Bleak House by Charles Dickens

Bleak House
by Charles Dickens

5 out of 5 stars

Esther Summerson goes to live with her guardian, Mr. Jarndyce, and two other young wards, who are his cousins. The Jarndyce family are involved in a lengthy court case disputing a will that has lagged on for generations, bringing nothing but debt and heartache to all involved. Mr. Jarndyce hopes to repair some of the emotional damage in his family by bringing his young cousins, Ada and Richard, into his own home and providing for them.
Esther herself is completely ignorant of her biological family, and is thrown into the mystery of her parentage, when a certain lawyer begins investigating the death of a man who may have been connected to the secretive Lady Dedlock. Esther must discover the truth about her mother and father before the lawyer can publicly humiliate them all.

This has always been one of my favorite Dickens books, and re-reading it several times just confirms this book as a forever favorite!

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Classic Book Review: The Three Hostages

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The Three Hostages by John Buchan

The Three Hostages (Richard Hannay #4)
by John Buchan

4 out of 5 stars

Richard Hannay has retired to the English countryside with his darling wife, Mary, and their son, Peter John. But he gets roped into an adventure once again when he learns that a criminal mastermind has kidnapped three young people, one of them a young boy only 10 years old. The only clue is a mysterious poem with the imagery of a blind woman who spins thread, a curiosity shop run by a man with a dyed beard, and the cryptic phrase “the land of Eden.” Richard must unravel the clues and trust his instincts to rescue the poor captives before it is too late.

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Classic Book Review: The Enchanted Castle

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The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit

The Enchanted Castle
by E. Nesbit

5 out of 5 stars

Three siblings are spending their school holidays stuck at school, so they go exploring around the countryside, hoping to find some adventure. They stumble into a beautiful garden estate where they go through a maze, finding what appears to be a young princess in an enchanted sleep. When they awaken her, it proves to be only Mabel, the housekeeper’s daughter. But Mabel assures them that magic enchantment is real, and the children explore the gardens with a magic ring that transforms their holidays into a wild adventure.

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Classic Book Review: The Law and the Lady

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The Law and the Lady by Wilkie Collins

The Law and the Lady
by Wilkie Collins, David Skilton (Editor)

4 out of 5 stars

When Valeria marries Eustace, she discovers that some dark secret has made him marry her under a false name. She meets his mother and finds out his true identity. She appeals to his friends to find out what terrible secret he is hiding. He begs her to leave it alone and warns her that it will only drive them both apart, but she persists and finds that he was accused of a terrible crime and never quite proven innocent. Valeria embarks on a desperate search for evidence that will prove her husband’s innocence, and it leads her down a dark path of insanity. In the meantime, her husband, frustrated with her stubbornness, abandons her. She must sift through rumors of suicide, poison, lies, cruelty, and madness to arrive at the truth.

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Classic Book Review: Mr. Standfast

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Mr. Standfast by John Buchan

Mr. Standfast (Richard Hannay, #3)
by John Buchan

4 out of 5 stars

Richard Hannay is serving as a general in WWI, when he is called away from the warfront to engage in some counter-espionage back in England. A dangerous group of radicals in a small county village might be hiding an evil mastermind who is the center of a ring of German spies, hiding in plain sight on British soil. Richard meets some old friends who return to be part of the team, and he is introduced to the beautiful Mary, a voice of wisdom in all their plans.

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Classic Book Review: Waverley

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Waverley by Walter Scott

Waverley
by Walter Scott

5 out of 5 stars

Edward Waverley goes on a vacation to Scotland, staying with an old friend of his uncle’s. He meets a Highland Chief and is invited to spend a couple of weeks hunting in the highlands. Waverley is inspired by the noble demeanor of the highland clans, and his romantic side gets the better of him. He becomes embroiled in the Jacobite Rebellion, and he falls in love with the Chief’s pretty sister. At first, his adventures seem glamorous and exciting, but he quickly learns that he must deal with reality and give up his childish daydreams of glory.

A beautiful, intriguing tale of valor, love, honor, loyalty, with absurd funny bits and sorrow intermingled. This is my favorite book of Sir Walter Scott’s!

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Classic Book Review: A Sicilian Romance

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A Sicilian Romance by Ann Radcliffe

A Sicilian Romance
by Ann Radcliffe

4 out of 5 stars

Julia falls in love with the dashing young Hippolitus, but her father insists that she must marry the evil Duke. Julia’s brother tries to help her escape from the clutches of her ruthless father by arranging an elopement, but their plans are betrayed and Julia is caught. Julia goes through every kind of disaster and terrifying mishap, fleeing for her life and weeping along the way.

This is Gothic melodrama at its best! Julia dissolves into tears, is frozen with terror, collapses under the strain of horror, and is prostrate with grief in every single chapter. Several other ladies, not to be outdone, also fainted on several occasions. Everyone is constantly exclaiming some version of “Alas, woe is me!”

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Classic Book Review: The Red Badge of Courage

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The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

The Red Badge of Courage
by Stephen Crane

3 out of 5 stars

A “youth” enlists in the Union Army during the American Civil War with visions of glory in his mind, but he runs away like a coward in the first skirmish. As he moves as far as he can from the battlefield, he encounters wounded men headed toward the hospital. He hears their stories of courage, noting that they wear a “red badge” of their own blood. He is ashamed but finds ways to excuse his behavior in his own mind. He has an altercation with a fellow soldier, who gives him a minor wound on his head. At last he finds his way back to his own regiment, joining them again, pretending that he got his wound in battle. The next day when the regiment begins to move forward into battle again, the youth wonders if he will have the courage to stand and fight this second time.

I really hated the graphic descriptions of violence and dead bodies and disgusting wounds. It’s very descriptive and made me nauseated.

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