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Reviews

That this album is great. I have a copy of this Disney album, I kinda got this album for a Christmas present before. I love this album. One of my favorite songs in this album are the Wonderful Things About Tiggers, because I love Tigger, he's a cat with good sense of humor. I also like Pink Elephants On Parade, that the pink elephants are hilarious and they're from Dumbo, after all I love the disney film Dumbo. This album is great, I kinda like all the songs in this album except for Part of Your World and Best of Friends.

My students love singing to the music during the last couple of weeks of school. They didn't realize they knew some many of the disney songs.

What can you say about Disney? We listen to all 3 volumes (I know there are tons of Disney compilations out there, but these are the orignals) in the car and my daughter changes her favorite every week. The ones from the rides are especially fun, and some of them are quite old, but still great!

My family loves listening to this CD. We have numerous Disney music CD's and we listen to them constantly in the car. I would defintely recommend this to any Disney fan.

The songs on this cd are a bit more "adult" than on the others. I really enjoy, but the kids don't really ask for this one.

Reviews

William Bolcom's setting of William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience is nothing if not ambitious. Scored for soloists, huge choral forces and orchestra, it seems intent on out-Mahlering Mahler in terms of scope, style and content. And while I would hesitate to call it a masterpiece, without reservations, it is certainly no failure either. The style is eclectic in the extreme, but the variegated influences are certainly put together with thorough skill and in a manner that adds up to a surprisingly effective whole - over the course of two and a half hours Bolcom visits and goes through an almost bewildering array of performance styles, techniques and styles, back and forth and melding them together to surprising alloys. Here are early Schoenbergian opulence (think Gurrelieder), expressionism (think Erwärtung), pure Broadway, Mahlerian abysses, bluegrass fiddling, fugal cacophony, reggae and Händel oratorio style, among other things - it is, again, really surprising that it hangs together as well as it does (it may sound a little banal, but I really enjoy some of the more spectacular touches, for instance how Bolcom bombs the country fiddle tune with opulent dissonant orchestral fortissimo tuttis). Fortunately the performances are really excellent, highlights including Brueggergosman's absolutely stunning handling of some of the more Schoenbergian passages (`The Lamb'). But Naxos has managed to gather together a cast who are able to give convincing performances of almost all of the varied styles, and if the funky Broadwayesqueries don't always convince musically it is surely not the fault of the performers (Joan Morris's cabaret singing, for instance, is quite simply remarkable). Much of the choral singing is absolutely brilliant, and the soloists (in addition to the already mentioned Brueggergosman and Morris) are generally superb. So are the orchestral contributions, lead with a sure hand by Leonard Slatkin. Add to that a splendid recording, and you have an issue that really demands to be heard - it might not appeal to everyone (and I have to admit I haven't really made up my mind about everything myself), but do give it a chance at least if you think it may. A must-have.

This is an amazing piece of work. I attended its performance in Ann Arbor, when this recording was made. Unfortunately, the thrill of the performance, with its cast of thousands, does not quite come through in the recorded version. Nonetheless, its a remarkable piece of work.

I am writing this not as a music critic but as someone who has enjoyed William Blake's poetry for most of my life. I bought this CD because of Blake's poetry. I realized that of late I had not been reading poetry or enjoying it as much as when I was younger. I became hooked right away and I have been playing this CD over and over again for more than a month. I can't listen to any other piece of music. Some of the pieces are better than others, but everything sung by Nathan Lee Graham is moving beyond words (at least any words I know). So I think anyone who enjoys poetry, the English language, history, ideas or the human voice will enjoy listening to this CD over and over again. This music has touched me like no other piece of music ever. I think the artists, particularly Nathan Lee Graham, should all become rich and famous. I was even thinking that A Divine Image should be released as a single. I think it would go to #1, with a bullet.

By what measure should we judge a piece of music? Should it be by its level of complexity? by its technicality? by the level of emotion it conveys, or does not? Or should a piece of music be judged solely upon whether or not we, as listeners, enjoy it? Like it or not, music has almost always been judged by whether or not we, as listeners, enjoy it - but what gets factored into our personal enjoyment of a piece of music is many things, including, but not limited to, whether or not we appreciate its complexity, technicality, and how effective it is at conveying its purpose. When most people discuss music, when they talk about what they like or what they don't like, they often mention qualities of the music which suited them or which rubbed them the wrong way. Bolcom's Songs of Innocence... is one such piece of music that I, as a listener, am confused over. I'm not sure if I like it, but I'm quite positive that I don't dislike or even hate it. As a whole, I find that I'm fairly displeased with the overall result, yet, on a closer inspection, I find that I am quite pleased with each of its parts; therefore, it's a bit of a paradox to find that I enjoy each and every part but not the summation its parts. The truth is, when looking at this piece of music as a whole, it utterly boggles the mind because it is, in truth, so large and it covers so much ground musically and lyrically that it's quite impossible to absorb it all in one sitting, in one listening. To just say that Songs of Innocence opens with a fairly standard aria surrounded by orchestral accompaniment and ends, over 2 hours later, with a reggae-sounding song is not enough because in between the beginning and end, Bolcom includes other genres ranging from rock, country, jazz, and soul...and of course, "classical." This piece of music has been described as representing all of the 20th century's achievements in music in one fell swoop. But just because it does so, does that insinuate that it deserves to win a Grammy, as it did in 2006, and does it deserve the laud and praise it is receiving? A serious part of me wishes to say 'no' because I feel I've heard better pieces of music from the 20th century. Sure, Mahler's 9th Symphony does not capture the whole of the 20th century within its 1 1/2 hour grasp, neither does any of Shostakovich's or Robert Simpson's symphonies. And so, I'm forced to resign myself to the fact that Bolcom has created an astonishing achievement with this work. But, as monolithic as it may be in size and in scope, there are moments when it does not feel entirely cohesive, and there are moments, during the latter half, when I honestly wanted the disc to hurry up and finish for no other reason than I felt like I was being presented the same material and the same concepts over and over and over again. However, in terms of technicality and complexity, Bolcom has taken a series of poems and created something wholly other and enjoyable out of them. He even does a fantastic job of conveying the emotion of each unique poem by arranging music around it that fits like a glove. Is it enjoyable to listen to? It is, for the most part, but, as I've already said, it can seem to run a bit long at times. On the whole, though, I do recommend this disc to anyone interested. If Bolcom is remembered for nothing else in 50-100 years, it will be this piece of music.

As a graduate of the University of Michigan (some time ago) who attended every single performance of both student orchestras while a student, I was eager to hear how the kids played in this Grammy performance. In short, the performance is simply magnificant. This is not easy music to listen to or play and it is unlike any of the Bolcom music I had heard before. It has a multitude of styles, colors, tonalities, etc. With each listening, however, I hear and appreciate more of this complex piece. The (professional) soloists are generally excellent with occassional poor diction. The chorus is outstanding, but the orchestra and music steal the show.

Reviews

The music is excellent, with high quality sound. Not irritating as some classical music can be. Plus the tempo's are varied which is great depending if you need something fast paced or more slow. Best of all, the kids enjoyed it!

How to gently insert a little culture into the grandkids' lives without Mom freaking out.....send this set of CDs for Christmas. Dad's into heavy metal and Mom, although she has a long history of listening to Classical music as a child, is now into Country. Nothing wrong with that, but how are the three little ones going to hear any of the Classics with Grandma living more than 600 miles away? "Play this in the background while they're having creative time," said I, "and see if they don't enjoy it." When I talked with them a week later the 4 year old couldn't wait to tell me how much he liked the "playtime music" I'd sent him. The quality of the recording is good and the variety of rhythms and tempos make it interesting. Yes they're a little trite and you're going to have to explain that the theme to "the Bad News Bears" really is Classical, but that's okay. If they skipped the genius of Mozart as an infant, or even if they teethed to "the Magic Flute", these CDs will give them a taste of a variety of good music and who knows how far into the Classical realm it may send them as they mature?

Reviews

When District 9 hit the theaters, I was a little skeptical about the film. I wasn't sure it was worth my cash at the big screen. So I waited, heard some pretty good things about it, and decided to purchase it on Blu Ray. Boy am I glad I did. For about the first 20 minutes-half hour, the film is mostly shot to represent a documentary. Gradually as the film goes on, it strays away from this, and becomes a regular motion picture we are used to seeing. However, Distict 9 certainly does not fall short in bringing new ideas to the table. Sure, the whole "aliens on earth," and "human cruelty," themes have been played out plenty of times before, but never like this. District 9 has a very different view of aliens, or "prawns." I'm not going to get into the plot here, for one, it is somewhat complex and difficult to explain, and two, it needs to be seen and taken in by the viewer to truly get the full effect. Definitely check this one out. The Blu Ray disc looks phenomenal, no scenes of excessive grain or any transfer flaws. Its unfortunate District 9 didn't win any Academy Awards, it really should have, and hopefully you will agree with me when you pick up your copy.

Let me start by saying, I'm a woman who enjoys some science fiction and many guy-type movies. I loved Blade Runner and all the Alien movies, liked Videodrome and A Boy and His Dog. I love the 3 Stooges and own both Jackass movies. So I was all set to like this movie, or at least view it with thoughtfulness and an open mind. Or, maybe, just be entertained. Nothing wrong with that. Was I ever in for a shock. Talk about cinematic crap. Aside from the special effects, I found nothing to redeem this movie. About halfway, maybe two thirds of the way through, I simply turned my eyes from the screen and stared at the wall for the rest of the film. Not because the violence bothered me -- please -- but simply because I was sick of seeing the same thing, again, and again, and again, and again. However I did listen to the rest of the movie, and for reasons I'll give below, I don't think I missed anything and that I can still provide a valid review. Here are the movie's messages. They're quite simple, as you can see. * Old white men in suits are evil. * Army colonels are evil. * Humans mistreat those who are different. Now, before the fans start hollering: yes, I am aware that all of the above are true -- sometimes. But in D9, they're always true. There are no shades of gray, no subtleties, no mitigating circumstances, no questions raised, no thoughts provoked. Of course the above statements have their place in movies, books, whatever. But for cripe's sake I want an author/director who puts some thought into the work, who presents different dimensions. With D9 I felt I was watching a chimpanzee slap paint on a wall. I tired of it very quickly, and found the wall much more interesting to study. Now, why do I feel that, even with my eyes shut, I missed nothing of importance? Because I kept hearing the following elements. Repeatedly. Until I felt they were etched in acid on my brain: 1. Weapon fire and explosions. 2. Splats. 3. Clicks, grunts, croaks, that were the prawns vocalizing. 4. Shouted dialogue, consisting of variations on the word "fook." "fookin hell!" "What the fook ya doin!" etc. 5. String instrument orchestrations. 6. Phone-baloney, semi operatic, wailing, quavering vocalizations, sometimes over a background composed of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. I assumed that at these times something serious was going on. The above six elements happened in no particular order, sometimes two or three went on at once, but it was basically the same sounds, repeated ad nauseum. The soundtrack for this movie must have been the easiest one in the world to compose. A person could mark six sides of a die/dice, and toss it a hundred times, and come up with a soundtrack for District 9. See it if you must, but don't say I didn't warn you.

The Bottom Line: District 9 does a lot of things right and offers some compelling science-fiction entertainment, so I'm able to forgive the fact that in the last half hour all ideas are thrown out the window in favor of nonstop action and poor characterizations (e.g. the Nigerians who show up so we can have another villain in the film); it's an intriguing film and at times a powerful one, but it could have been so much more. 3/4

This is a new and sometimes comic way to show how the governments play with people that are no important to them. Great quality video and sound. This is for what Blu-ray was made!

Out of all my friends who watched this movie, I am in the minority because I am the only one who loved this film. It was hard to watch at first because it is filmed partially in a documentary style and when humans gave their opinions of the aliens, my heart broke because I knew that the attitudes and descriptions imparted by those interviewed were similar to how the whites described blacks during the period of apartheid in South Africa. The same kind of disdain for another living being. Anyway, after I stopped the film and collected myself and then thought.... "this is a like any other sci fi movie." I turned it back on sat back with some chips and thoroughly enjoyed this film. Yeah, they're aliens and they are not cute like E.T but one cannot help but root for them because the humans who were supposed to help them treated them terribly. Turned many of them into addicts, did horrible experiments on them and I hate bullies so.... This movie had everything in it from humor to action to even a sweet moment between an alien parent and their child. Highly recommend this movie!!!

Reviews

When District 9 hit the theaters, I was a little skeptical about the film. I wasn't sure it was worth my cash at the big screen. So I waited, heard some pretty good things about it, and decided to purchase it on Blu Ray. Boy am I glad I did. For about the first 20 minutes-half hour, the film is mostly shot to represent a documentary. Gradually as the film goes on, it strays away from this, and becomes a regular motion picture we are used to seeing. However, Distict 9 certainly does not fall short in bringing new ideas to the table. Sure, the whole "aliens on earth," and "human cruelty," themes have been played out plenty of times before, but never like this. District 9 has a very different view of aliens, or "prawns." I'm not going to get into the plot here, for one, it is somewhat complex and difficult to explain, and two, it needs to be seen and taken in by the viewer to truly get the full effect. Definitely check this one out. The Blu Ray disc looks phenomenal, no scenes of excessive grain or any transfer flaws. Its unfortunate District 9 didn't win any Academy Awards, it really should have, and hopefully you will agree with me when you pick up your copy.

Let me start by saying, I'm a woman who enjoys some science fiction and many guy-type movies. I loved Blade Runner and all the Alien movies, liked Videodrome and A Boy and His Dog. I love the 3 Stooges and own both Jackass movies. So I was all set to like this movie, or at least view it with thoughtfulness and an open mind. Or, maybe, just be entertained. Nothing wrong with that. Was I ever in for a shock. Talk about cinematic crap. Aside from the special effects, I found nothing to redeem this movie. About halfway, maybe two thirds of the way through, I simply turned my eyes from the screen and stared at the wall for the rest of the film. Not because the violence bothered me -- please -- but simply because I was sick of seeing the same thing, again, and again, and again, and again. However I did listen to the rest of the movie, and for reasons I'll give below, I don't think I missed anything and that I can still provide a valid review. Here are the movie's messages. They're quite simple, as you can see. * Old white men in suits are evil. * Army colonels are evil. * Humans mistreat those who are different. Now, before the fans start hollering: yes, I am aware that all of the above are true -- sometimes. But in D9, they're always true. There are no shades of gray, no subtleties, no mitigating circumstances, no questions raised, no thoughts provoked. Of course the above statements have their place in movies, books, whatever. But for cripe's sake I want an author/director who puts some thought into the work, who presents different dimensions. With D9 I felt I was watching a chimpanzee slap paint on a wall. I tired of it very quickly, and found the wall much more interesting to study. Now, why do I feel that, even with my eyes shut, I missed nothing of importance? Because I kept hearing the following elements. Repeatedly. Until I felt they were etched in acid on my brain: 1. Weapon fire and explosions. 2. Splats. 3. Clicks, grunts, croaks, that were the prawns vocalizing. 4. Shouted dialogue, consisting of variations on the word "fook." "fookin hell!" "What the fook ya doin!" etc. 5. String instrument orchestrations. 6. Phone-baloney, semi operatic, wailing, quavering vocalizations, sometimes over a background composed of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. I assumed that at these times something serious was going on. The above six elements happened in no particular order, sometimes two or three went on at once, but it was basically the same sounds, repeated ad nauseum. The soundtrack for this movie must have been the easiest one in the world to compose. A person could mark six sides of a die/dice, and toss it a hundred times, and come up with a soundtrack for District 9. See it if you must, but don't say I didn't warn you.

The Bottom Line: District 9 does a lot of things right and offers some compelling science-fiction entertainment, so I'm able to forgive the fact that in the last half hour all ideas are thrown out the window in favor of nonstop action and poor characterizations (e.g. the Nigerians who show up so we can have another villain in the film); it's an intriguing film and at times a powerful one, but it could have been so much more. 3/4

This is a new and sometimes comic way to show how the governments play with people that are no important to them. Great quality video and sound. This is for what Blu-ray was made!

Out of all my friends who watched this movie, I am in the minority because I am the only one who loved this film. It was hard to watch at first because it is filmed partially in a documentary style and when humans gave their opinions of the aliens, my heart broke because I knew that the attitudes and descriptions imparted by those interviewed were similar to how the whites described blacks during the period of apartheid in South Africa. The same kind of disdain for another living being. Anyway, after I stopped the film and collected myself and then thought.... "this is a like any other sci fi movie." I turned it back on sat back with some chips and thoroughly enjoyed this film. Yeah, they're aliens and they are not cute like E.T but one cannot help but root for them because the humans who were supposed to help them treated them terribly. Turned many of them into addicts, did horrible experiments on them and I hate bullies so.... This movie had everything in it from humor to action to even a sweet moment between an alien parent and their child. Highly recommend this movie!!!

Reviews

This is a great movie that shows you what real love and commitment to your marriage should be.

A heroic fireman locked in a failing marriage accepts his father's challenge to take part in a 40-day experiment designed to teach both husband and wife the true meaning of commitment. When he's battling blazes, Capt. Caleb Holt adheres to the old firefighter's adage about never leaving your partner behind; back at home, it's an altogether different story. Caleb and his wife Catherine have been married for seven years, but lately arguments over career, housework, finances, and outside interests have driven the once-happy couple hopelessly apart. Kirk Cameron plays Caleb Holt and is the only professional actor in this movie. Since other parts are played by non-professionals, I consider the acting to be first rate. Sure, the production quality is not great by Hollywood standards, nor does it have the hype. A stunning movie that will shake the way you look at marriage in today's modern society, where divorce is the prevalent, primary option. A great movie to watch. I would recommend this movie to anyone married or not.

Great movie, most people who gave 1 star are somewhat bias against Christians.. This movie gives a great message. I take it as "not by men's power alone." America has a divorce rate of more than 50%! wow. Come on now. Marriage is just too cheap in their eyes. Just a interesting fact of the movie: The actor in the end scene actually kissed his own wife. He didn't want to kiss another woman. He knew he only wanted to kiss wife, no one else. So he requested in the end scene to kiss own wife instead of the actress who played his wife in the movie.

After watching this movie, your marriage will never be the same! It will make a grown man cry and want to do everything he can to keep his marriage going in the right direction, which is instructed by God.

So before I get into content, let me say that the ending was fairly cool -- because I'm a Christian. But if I were any non-Chistian, I would have walked out of the movie. But, if you didn't realize this was a Christian movie going in, you're a big dummy. Next, mind you I just finished watching this movie 30 minutes ago. It's 12:30 at night and I have to get up at 6:00am. I tell you that because I need to emphasize how bleeping ticked off I am. There isn't one guy, who could honestly watch this movie, who if asked by another guy, what he thought of the movie would answer "that was the biggest man-slamming, female dominated, liberal piece of junk I have ever seen". Can we just take out the Jesus parts for a minute? I mean for the sake of discussion. I love Jesus. I am a huge fan. But let's focus on all the other parts of the movie. Kirk Cameron basically, in order to "be forgiven" by his wife (for watching internet porn, not doing enough around the house, not "listening to her" not "communicating" with her and for asking her to grocery shop) needs to prostrate himself before her royal majesty, smash his computer, donate his life savings ($26,000), buy her chocolate, flowers, make her candlelight dinner, make her coffee, do the dishes, Call her at work just to check-in, do the grocery shopping, convert to Christianity, give up on his dream of owning a boat, plus suffer the agony of being offered marriage counciling from his own mom and dad (who just saved their own marriage a year earlier. I mean really, really? Oh, by the way, while he is doing all this "sucking up" or "pennance for his sins", his wife is majorly hitting on a another married man (a doctor, just to make men in the audience cringe even more)takes off her wedding band, serves him divorce papers, and scoffs at him bedside at the hospital while he is nursing a burn injury and being attended to by previously mentioned doctor) The movie is so lopsided (as most marriages are post-60's) due to the mainstream fantasy of what a man is supposed to do in a marriage, everything. GET OVER IT LADIES, HE DOES NOT EXSIST. YOU WILL NEVER GET HIM TO BE YOUR SLAVE. Kirk Cameron (whom I admire for his brazen hutzpah in regard to his faith) really let me down with this liberal drewl. I'm not saying that there aren't some sick husbands out there, but of those real "sickos" how many are renting "Fireproof" and sitting down with popcorn with mama? Gimme a freaking break. Most guys that are watching this movie are sophisicated, frustrated and want to maintain the family. With every action there is an equal and opposing reaction. The queen had something to do with it. Kirk is ticked off, but why? Yes, possibly it is lack of fulfillment through Jesus. But also likely, it's because of the fact that he is depressed with the economy, can't spend time with mama in front of the tv because all she wants to watch is Idol, Housewives, Man V Food, Wife Swap, House Hunters, Cribs, and all this other mind-rotting gluttonous, immoral garbage they feed us, heaven forbid she watch something the whole family wants to watch. The guy is stressed that the dollar could crash anyday, our nation is involved in 2 wars, unemployment is at a 26 year high, national debt is over 11 trillion, budget deficits at 1.5 trillion, discussions abound regarding cap and trade, global warming, national health care, illegal immigration, stuff just goes on and on.....But now he needs to grocery not only be a Fire Dept. Captain and loyal husband, but also a housewife. I would just like to see the director look at the queen and her faults if he is going to "judge" Kirk... Have we become so liberal that we can't critique our wives? Liberalism has destroyed the American family and the United States of America. We all know it. If in a marriage, we cease being two seperate bodies and become one, what is a body, without a head? And what does the bible teach us about marriage? Who is the head? The word used is "master". The husband is the master. Liberalism has it flipped on its head. The female is "the master" and the respect for each other is in the toilet. Man knows in his soul he is master, but she does not respect him as so. She knows that she is not master, but pretends to be - sheepishly. Fireproof does nothing to be fair and equitable. Man was born to lead and serve the family, the female made to support the man. This marriage, is a marriage only Hollywood (a liberal, man bashing, man hating Hollywood) could create. It is not biblical, it is false teaching. Men, stand up and be men. Women, confess your faults and support your husbands. Kirk did show he was the master, by making all the sacrifices to save the marriage - but ladies, if Christ sacrificed for us and we sacrifice back to Him shouldn't the same happen in our homes? What did the queen sacrifice? Not sleeping with a married man? Not following through with a divorce? I mean, think about it. PAX

Reviews

poorly written. weak story. bad theology. no answers to the question of suffering. nothing radical. over simplification.

I disliked the book from the start but it was assigned by my book club, so I tried to get through it. However, after "the father, son, and holy ghost" showed up in the shack, I threw the book down. Not because it offended me for theological reasons (After all, I liked the TV series "Joan of Arcadia," in which God showed up in several surprising desguises) but because the scene, like all those before it, bored me to tears. The writing is juvenile, and the author reaches for the most obvious image, phrase, and dialogue. With so many well-written books with spiritual themes out there, why would anyone waste his time reading dreck like this? Make friends with the staff of your local library; they'll help you find something worthy of your time and effort.

the book came before it was due to arrive. it was in great shape no complaints at all. very happy.

I dont know why they call this book a thriller. It is more of a feel good religious story. It was an okay read but I definitely would not categorize it as a thriller.

I read this book but listening to the CD's was the most wonderful experience. You just have to listen to it over and over. This has been a wonderful blessing to our family. You will want to listen and follow along in the book at the same time. If you never do another thing , get this set of CD's

Reviews

I enjoyed listening to The Shack. The seller provided the audio book exactly as promised.

WOW! What a GREAT read! The creative imagination, the laughter that is brought on, the tears that are shed, the love that is shared, the life changing aspects, the all around great writing are just a few of the many attributes I discovered while reading this book. I HIGHLY recommend this book to EVERYONE! If you know of someone that is lonely, sick, or questioning their place in God - Give them this book! I rate this book a 5+!

This is a wonderful book. Very thought provoking. I would recommend it to everyone.

Mac's youngest daughter Missy is kidnapped and murdered by a serial child killer while the family camped in rural Oregon near Hell's Canyon. Five years later Mac receives a mysterious note that invites him to go back to the old rundown shack where investigators had discovered Missy's blood drenched dress. The invitation was from God. Desperate to make sense of his little Missy's death and to better deal with his great sorrow, Mac goes alone to the shack even though he thinks it could be the killer luring him there, or just a cruel hoax. It's hard for him to believe that God wrote the note. But if it was God, or the killer, either way he had some words to speak and questions to ask. Mac falls to pieces and cries himself to sleep, his hands caressing the blood stained wood on the shack's floor. In his dream, he experiences a vivid vision, in which he may have actually spent a weekend with the Trinity. God the father first appears as a flamboyant African American woman, who cooks and sometimes suntans while explaining the mysteries of life and death and the universe. At great lengths she explains the concepts of the trinity and the plan of salvation. Mac gets to know Jesus as he appears as himself, a rugged Hebrew carpenter. They watch starry skies together, walk on water and skip stones while talking about Macs questions. While with Jesus Mac gets to see Missy, who smiles and blows him kisses from the other side of a waterfall. The Holy Spirit appears as a shimmering and faintly visible Asian woman who collects tears and plants flower gardens while she also engages Mac in rather lengthy theological discourse. Finally God the Father appears to Mac as an Elder African American man, instead of the earlier female representation of God. This Elder man representation of God was the part of God that had to take Mac on a special hike. Along the way He urges Mac to forgive his daughter's killer. He leads Mac to a cave wherein the remains of his little Missy lay wrapped in a sheet. The Holy Spirit and Elder Man God the Father help Mac take Missy's body back to the shack where they place it into a special coffin that Jesus especially made. They plant flowers inside it and finally lay Missy to rest in that special garden. Mac awakes and sets out to drive home in awe and wonder in regards to this visionary experience. He is suddenly hit from a drunk driver at a four-way intersection and is unconscious four days. As he awakes his memories of his vision come to him in pieces and he wonders what of them are true and what of them are the products of head trauma and hospital drugs. His life with his surviving wife and children will never be the same, and he is finally able to make peace with the death of his Missy and the God that allowed her to be killed. I also recommend this novel. Devil's Verse: Natasha Azshatan Unlocks Ancient Mysteries, Reveals Secrets, And Wrestles With Demons As She Fights To Stay Alive

Reviews

The Lord of the Flies, a book that William Golding had written in response to a book that had come out during the 1950's that was about a group of young boys who had become stranded on an island and lived happily till someone came and rescued them. Golding firmly believed that this scenario of joy would never occur in real life if a group of boys had become stranded on an island and his Lord of the Flies tells the story of such a tale. The book starts off with a group of young British school boys. They realize that they are stranded on an island with no elders and at first life is as good as it will get but after a while barbarianism sets in and a tale of murder, warfare, and cruelty is opened up. The book personally did not pull me towards it as strong as i thought it would have. I thought the characters were very well developed by Golding but there wasn't enough dialogue between them. The four main characters in the book are , Ralph, Jack, Piggy and Simon. Jack is the only one cf the characters who changes drastically from the beginning becoming more and more barbaric as the novel progresses. Plus you cant really sense the amount of time that has passed from the beginning of the novel to its end. Also i think the extent to which the boys went barbaric was out of reality. Boys at 12 yrs old probably wouldn't have killed a couple of the other boys..maybe one the most and most likely by accident. The book i think is best for classes to show how kids react to the absence of adult authority. The book I think becomes a bore and I felt like i could care less about what happens to Piggy or Ralph. It seemed to drag at times when i was reading it. I'll rate it a 3/5 because it showed how much kids could change and it was interesting to see how there could be two very different parties on an island of stranded boys. But it seemed to drag at times and was never successful in making me read more and more as other novels have done.

The captivating novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, is one that will capture the reader instantly and ensnare them in a world of terror in its rawest form: pure humanity. The novel opens on a seemingly harmless setting, a group of schoolboys stranded on an island. All goes well in the beginning, and Golding leads the reader to believe that all will be well. The little'uns will be comforted, the makeshift government will do for now, they will all be rescued and live happily ever after. This is not so. The picture that Golding paints for us instead is one of harsh realism that will instill a chilling fear within the reader's bones; from the brutal sacrifices and torture, to the simple struggle we've seen so many times before, good vs. evil, reflected into the eyes and hearts of children, Golding's story will never dissapoint. I had the pleasure of reading Lord of the Flies in my freshman year of high school and would recommend it to every high school reader and above. The complex and captivating symbolism that Golding uses in Lord of the Flies is one that younger readers in the middle school age cannot comprehend, for it's the symbolism that makes Lord of the Flies such a captivating read. Golding shows us through a seemingly innocent vessel, children, just how the human race is anything but innocent, and how easily chaos can ensue when our thin fabric of control is lifted away. The story is one that will terrify readers, and for that reason I would recommend it to everyone so that we cannot forget just how close and real that state of chaos is.

I'm 14 years old, and I had to get this book for my 9th grade english class. It's one of those books that you can really get into, and it can make you think. It's a cool book, and it's pretty fun to read. I'd recommend it to anyone over 13 years old, because although it's a great book, it might not be the best book for a younger kid to read.

The movie was good, The book was awesome. I want to see another move made only this time make it exactly like Golding wrote it. I dont think that would be too hard, as oppose to any other way .They would just have to stay completely away from hollywood. I think it would sell out without "selling out". What is it with the need to change things that are already perfect? Thoreau,Muir,and many others asked the same question.

In Lord of the Flies, Golding explores how various aspects of our psychology drive our social behaviour. Psychological components thats play major roles in the story are: power-lust, shame and pride, social status and authority, mob-logic, goals and values, the conflict between immediate pleasure and long-term salvation, sense of morality, and various forms of fear. It's brilliant how Golding uses all these components of our nature to tell a convincing and enthralling story about how peace can degenerate into outright war. I must admit I felt the story was a little boring at the start. But once the drama began to unfold, I couldn't put it down. Whether you're after an entertaining read, or after a perceptive take on human nature, I'd recommend this one to you.