5 comments about Spellfire (Shandril's Saga, Volume I).

1. Ed Greenwood may have created the Forgotten Realms setting, and I offer my respectful thanks for it. But Ed Greenwood is not an author, however much he pretends to be.
   This book is exactly the sort of thing I would expect from some random amateur with no talent, training, or experience in the field of writing (which, depending on when this was written, Greenwood might in fact have been!). Reading this story is like reading user created fiction posted on fan sites. I can't shake the overwhelming feeling that this simply isn't a real novel. The characters aren't real characters, the "plot" is not worthy of the name, and every other mistake, from Shandril crying all the time to the 73 characters to the idiotic Gandalf style Elminster... the list goes on!
   My twelve year old sister thinks this book is childish!



2. I have read most of the reviews of this novel written by others and though I agree with most of them - I felt I had to add my own opinion as well.
   I gave the book 4 stars becauase as an avid fan of the Forgotten Realms - this book made me feel at home there. I will admit that Mr. Greenwood is no Tolkien but then again who is? The book flows nice and if you are familiar with the Realms the excess of characters should not bother you too much.
   All in all a good book (and I think Mr. Greenwood's first if am not mistaken) and a great start for the author. He gets better believe me!



3. I read this book when it was first published in the late 1980's. Just coming down from Dragonlance, I was ready for more of that greatness. Mr.Greenwood created the setting so this has to be good, right? It proved to be different as it should be. It had its moments, however, especially with the dracolich and Shandril's awesome power.
   
   As far as characters are concerned, Shandril is good, but not great. It almost could be read as a feminist novel, if it were not so sexist. Yes, sexist. As in "Elminster is a dirty old man" sexist. And did I mention homophobia-"man-lover" indeed.
   So far, the only gay references I found the Forgotten Realms was in Netheril. That is a whole other story.
   
   Ok, so Mr. greenwood is not PC. That does not make the story bad. In fact from that, its quite good. I liked his writing style. He is not a literary genius, but he has a voice that I might read again. Then, as far as closure of the story, it just ends. Many years would pass before I would get to the sequel. Maybe that is what this series is about. A long chain of sequels...Long live Manshoon!



4. The Forgotten Realms may have been conceived in part by Ed Greenwood, but his literary contributions and I use the word in its loosest possible sense do it no favours. Every other writer who's added to the mythos has been considerably better, with a superior grasp of prose, literary form and plot construction.
   Spellfire has stupid characters straight from a dungeons and dragons game and for the first half of the book, they do nothing but fight one monster after another, each more powerful than its predecessor. It's like reading Quake instead of playing it. The scenario would probably make a good RPG, but while I wouldn't mind playing it, I found reading it unremittingly tedious.
   This is a really bad fantasy fiction book, finding a better one will be easy, a worse may be impossible.



5. This book starts out like another trilogy I can remember. It reads like a page by page record of a Dungeons and Dragons game with a little story peppered in here and there, which is not all that bad really. Ed Greenwood has a literary style that is quite different from most other authors I can think of. It's strangely different, but it holds my attention and keeps me reading more. I can't really explain it any better. He's a storyteller, a bard, and he has the gift that draws me in and holds me there. Oh, and that other trilogy was the Dragonlance series: Dragons of Autumn Twilight or something...
   
   I thought the fighting, action and magic (spellfire) were all well-done. Some of the kissy-kissy sequences between Narm and Shandril were a little annoying, but this book really evoked scenes of another world, filled with magic and creatures and all sorts of items, and I felt like I could actually see the things Ed Greenwood was writing about. It was colorfully written, with plenty of amusing dialogue between the characters, as well as lots of magic (spellfire) and swordplay.
   
   Definitely worth rereading, and I will someday.

1 comments about The Essentials of PL/1 Programming Language (Essentials).

1. This is a very good book for the beginners to gain a overall knowledge of PL/1 and start making small programs.

5 comments about Dissolution (Forgotten Realms: R.A. Salvatore's War of the Spider Queen, Book 1).

1. Picked this up because I wanted to see what another author would do with the Drow. Well, while Im only half way though the book I am completely underwhelmed.
   The writing is terrible, simply everything you're not supposed to do when telling a story. The author does an awful job bringing the city and its characters to life, everything is 'told', nothing is 'shown'. The whole story is written as if the drow are fascinated with themselves, as if its all new and unknown even to them. You do not get steeped in Menzoberranzan and feel it come to life, its rather like reading an infomercial or something. Amateurish and hacky.
   And I would also like to reiterate what other reviewers have mentioned-- the language. Some of the word choices are just ludicrous in this type of story. Too highbrow, like the author's trying to show he knows dem big words. Find better words. You know, that suit the novel, the intended audience, the century we live in maybe. The second thing budding authors learn (after 'dont tell, show') is dont try to write over your audiences head, it doesn't make you look smart, it makes you look like you write with a thesaurus at your side. And thats not good. There is an art to writing, its not easy and takes tremendous thought, and its not for everyone. My hope is that as I press through this and the 2 after (I bought the 3 book set) that the author will warm up to his subject matter a bit, stop telling, start showing, allow his characters to emote through their actions rather than vice-versa, and tone down the lofty lingo that stands out like a sore thumb here.
   IMHO the only way one could enjoy this writer's style is if you simply don't know any better.
   I truly wonder what RA's involvement could have been as I find it hard to believe he or the editors at WoC couldnt rework this mess into something worthwhile. Then again, maybe they did and this is it. Sad.



2. After reading all of Salvatore's books on the Drow, I was thoroughly enchanted by them. This book and the others after it were a godsend. The characters are great, the plot enticing, and it's about the Drow! Malicious and devious, this book and all five after it are excellent.
   
   About what some of the people said about this first one, though. They are correct in some respect about the writing. Byers does go a bit overboard with the level of language used. Still, though, the book is good enough in and of itself to justify five stars here. An excellent novel.



3. To me this was a very enjoyable book. When I was reading the first Drizzt series, what I definitely wanted more of was the scheming of Mennzoberranzann. This book delivered. Best of all you don't get the all powerful clerics just raining down from above or scheming behind the scenes on some plot to up their position. This book / series puts them in an entirely different predicament and it was thoroughly enjoyable to read. What happens is the lessor players (ie the males) are put into a much more prominent position.
   
   The characters are thoroughly drow too. All of them have their own agendas, their own plans, and look to see how any situation can improve their position. I'm not sure who was my favorite. Phaurun is a lot of fun, but I became attached to Ryld as well. That was one thing that this book did very well - character development. You learn about the characters and their histories. Where they came from and what they think about their current status.
   
   If you are into the drow, or like the Drizzt novels, you'd like this book. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series to see how this plot turns out and what happens to these characters.



4. I am a big fan of R.A. Salvatore and that's how I decided to start this series. I could not have been happier with the first book. Mr. Byers is an outstanding author, and the book is very well written! After reading this book I've decided to look into other books written by him.
   
   I would caution you about reading this book, however. While this book is extraordinary, the rest of the books in the series do not measure up. You may not want to embark on a six-novel series; I found the rest of the books something of a chore. Which was disappointing seeing as how well the series started.



5. It was a difficult task set before Richard Lee Byers in writing the introductory novel for this six-book set centered around the fascinating realm of Menzoberranzan. He actually did a pretty good job of setting up the scene for what promises to be a chaotic and difficult time for the Drow. You get a lot of re-hash about how drow society functions and who holds the power, but you get relatively little expanding upon the world Salvatore created so long ago. The characters, new and old, are pretty well hashed out and really start to develop in the second half of the book. Pharaun especially is a fun and interesting character that hopefully plays a large part in the future of the series (nothing like Drizzt from the RAS books).
   
   All that being said, this book could have been better. Until about half way through the book you don't really feel like you have a good grasp on what is actually going on. Everything seems pretty jumbled and confusing with characters you don't yet understand acting in ways that sometimes seem unreasonable. The primary antagonists of the story are never adequately explained, and their reasons for acting as they do are rather obscure. Add to that the just plain unbelievable and extremely far-fetched happenings that occur throughout the book, and your left with an overall less that satisfactory book.
   
   I'll continue with the series, but I wasn't too impressed with this first book.
   
   BTW, since when do drow have to touch their hand to stone to summon a globe of darkness?

5 comments about Sin Killer : The Berrybender Narrative, Book 1.

1. It's hard to believe this book was written by the same person who wrote the Lonsome Dove series. I gave up on it about 1/4th of the way through.



2. This was the first book I read by Larry McMurtry, and I've read the rest of the series; I got much joy from it. I'm a fan of westerns, the mythology of it all, the savagery and fight for survival; all this is in here. All the characters are well fleshed out and unique, each with great personality. The funniest character would have to be the lecherous and dimwitted patriarch Lord Berrybender. Larry McMurtry does a good job at balancing the tone of the story. From comedic, to romantic, to tragic, sometimes all at once. The relationship between eldest daughter Tasmin Berrybender and frontiersmen Jim Snow (the Sin Killer) is uinque in how very different they are. Tasmine is educated and a woman about town, while Jim is a man that lives off the land and fights everyday for survival. Yet the two have this passion for each other; each is a challenge to each other because of their different backgrounds. This is a book series that is worthy of it's own tv minie series, maybe it'll some day get one. I hope to read more by McMurtry very soon.



3. if your reading this to find another Lonesome Dove you won't. But it's a great read and lots of fun.



4. Sin killer is part-one of a four-part series chronicaling the adventures of the aristocratic, English Berrybender family exploring the American West in the 1830's on a steamship on the Missouri River. Lord Berrybender is accompanied by his gluttonous wife and six of his 14 legitimate children. The series is historical fiction in that it incorporates actual people such as Kit Carson and Jim Bridges, yet the tales are so fanciful that history is left in the dust.
   
   Outrageous is the best general characterization of these stories. The adventures and their characters seem larger than life and more colorful than neon. Not for the faint of heart, unexpected, random, senseless and disturbing atrocities, injuries, and deaths litter these tales, with a side of lots of "rutting." The majority of the initial primary characters do not survive to see book four4 of the series.
   
   Yet, the stories grabbed me. I went through the series like popcorn, wanting to see what amazing events would occur to the crazy Berrybenders and their growing entourage. The series is intense, rollercoastering through every facet of human emotion and many aspects of abnormal psychology. Nothing dull in these books. The frequent connections to actual historical persons and events keep the tales interesting and grounded, despite the continuum of bizarre incidents. Not for everyone, but I liked it.



5. A great book for a cold, snowy day. It ends leaving you wanting to grab the next book right away.

5 comments about The Thousand Orcs (Forgotten Realms: The Hunter's Blades Trilogy, Book 1).

1. R.A. Salvatore brings us back to the world of the Forgotten Realms, the story brings us back to the life of Drizzt Do'Urden a renegade Dark Elf that has turned his back on his evil heritage and walks the path of a hero.
   
   The Orc king Obould Many Arrows has bounced back from his previous defeat at the hands of the Dwarves. Under the manipulation of the Drow (Dark Elves), Obould has allied with the Queen of the Frost Giants, Gerti. They have started mounting small scale raids against the Dwarves, killing several small bands.
   
   At the same time Bruenor, the new Dwarven King of Mithral Hall, is travelling home with Drizzt and his heroic companions. They stop by the rival city of Mirabar and are rebuffed by the human leaders. This is an affront to Mirabar's Dwarven population and sows the seed of rebellion which will lead to further strife.
   
   King Bruenor continues his travels home, to find the last two survivors of the Orcs raid on a dwarven trade caravan. Bruenor quickly gives them shelter and orders an all out search for the raiding Orcs. The battle that insues is very one sided, even with the Orc's Giant allies.
   
   Queen Gerti orders that the killers of her Giant kin must be destroyed, a command that leads to the momentous events of the climax. The Orc King leads his people in an overwhelming attack against the Dwarven host.
   
   The Dwarves are eventually driven to the small human outpost of Shallows. Shallows is ruled by a wizard who has built its walls high and strong, but they were not designed to take on an army of Orcs and Giants. The battle brings Elves, Dwarves, and Men together to defend Shallows from the forces of evil.
   The story and characters are well written. Even though it is the first book in the trilogy, the characters have a long background in the other books that the author has written in this world, so I would not recommend reading this book out of order with the rest. It is a fast, gritty and entrancing tale of swords, sorcery and intrigue. The action and adventure is very good. For fans of the fantasy genre it is a must read.



2. I read a lot of d&d novels back in the 1990s when I was a teenager and didn't know any better. I remember Salvatore being one of my favorites. Before reading The Thousand Orcs, I hadn't read anything of his in probably 10 years or more. When I picked it up, I knew I would be getting a trashy fantasy novel. I just didn't realize HOW trashy a fantasy novel it would turn out to be.
   
   To sum up my reaction: Salvatore's prose in this book is incredibly heavy-handed, repeatedly bombarding us with explicitly-spelled out details that we, as the reader, should already know because he's already told us, as if we were three years old, many times before.
   
   This book also drags along incredibly slowly. Most of its 300+ pages is spent assuring us that Drizzt and co are old friends and yet, despite supposedly knowing each other better than they know the backs of their own hands, they still stumble awkwardly through their dialogue as if they had only just met moments before.
   
   Nothing very exciting really happens in this book. It comes across as more of a disgustingly bloated prologue than a novel in its own right.
   
   The worst parts of the book involve the bumbling and annoying Bouldershoulder brothers, originally from Salvatore's other FR series. He appears to be attempting to mesh his two series together but it fails miserably. And enough with the awful stereotypical "old-timey/country bumpkin" dwarf accents already!
   
   In closing, it is quite clear that Salvatore, like JK Rowling, no longer has an editor. The Thousand Orcs could very easily have been edited down to a short story, if not a handful of chapters. Perhaps the entire trilogy could have been shortened to just one book. I haven't read the other two in the series, and I'm not sure I want to ...
   
   That's all from me.



3. RA Salvatore's writing is very pedestrian in style and seems more like a play by play commentary of some D&D game than anything resembling a novel. This book is only recommended for 14 year old fanboys who judge a book's quality by the numbers of magic items carried by the heroes.



4. I'm surprised by all of the 1- and 2-star reviews for this book. You should know what to expect when you pick up one of RAS's FR novels. If you're looking for high-brow literary masterpieces, stay away. If you're looking for quick, easy, and fun adventure with characters you know and love, this is for you. In my opinion, 'The Thousand Orcs' is no better or worse than the close to twenty other FR novels by Salvatore, and while it shouldn't be considered on the par with the best fantasy out there, it is what it is. Even though I know there are many other books that would outshine these books (and not near enough time to read them all), I still find myself coming back time and again for a little adventure with Drizzt and Co.
   
   'The Thousand Orcs' picks up right where 'Sea of Swords' left off. The companions are reunited (with the addition of Delly Curtie and baby Colsen), and Bruenor and the gang are setting off for Mithril Hall where Bruenor will take up the kingship. Unbeknownst to them, a powerful leader has emerged in the orc tribes of the Spine of the World, uniting the orcs and allying with a band of frost giants and renegade drow. As Drizzt and Co. travel to Mithril Hall they encounter many signs of heavy orc activity and decide to patrol the region and warn its inhabitants of the danger. They also make a stop at Mirabar, a rival of Mithril Hall, to stir up trouble and remind Mirabar's dwarves of their heritage. I'm sure that story will progress further in the rest of the trilogy. The Bouldershoulder brothers play a prominent role in this book, as they go through some pretty random-seeming adventures on their way to witness the coronation of King Bruenor. The whole book comes down to a desperate situation with the Companions being trapped in the town of Shallows during a siege of overwhelming strength. The final battle takes up the majority of the second half of the book and is quite intense.
   
   This book didn't really do too much to further the overall storyline of Drizzt and friends, except for getting Bruenor closer to accepting his role as King of Mithril Hall. The relationship between Drizzt and Catie-Brie is getting rather old and moving nowhere, Regis has had some sort of epiphany about his role in life, and Wulfgar has essentially returned to his old self but with more maturity.
   
   So, if you like the previous Drizzt novels, you'll probably like this one too. Don't let the cover fool you however, this one isn't any darker or more mature (other than using the word 'bitch' a couple of times) than the others.



5. The Thousand Orcs picks up where the Paths of Darkness trilogy left off with the fabulous five searching for the lost great mining city of Bruenors elders when trouble arises in the form of orc and giant raiding parties. The five friends soon change course and start to investigate along the way warning all those in the area of the danger. A few small skirmishes and one rather large one leads them to the town of Shallows. This is where the book climaxes into a very intense epic size battle that will keep you flipping pages way into the night.
   
   While this is a solid main plot the two subplots are lacking to the point of boredom. One is the dwarves of Mirabar wanting to join Mithril Hall with their own kin. Second is the downfall of Salvatore and that is the story of Ivan and Pikel Bouldershoulder. The chapters that include the dwarven brothers can be completely skipped because they do not advance the storyline at all until they meet up with Regis and Pwent. This crossing of novels although in the Forgotten Realms is annoying at best. Please Bob in the future leave the hyper green dwarf and his cold shouldered brother with Cadderly and have them live happily ever after.
   
   The heroes although fascinating and fun need some help from Salvatore to advance the storyline of the five heroes, 20 years of writing and not too much has changed. There is still the tiresome love story between Drizzt and Catti-Brie with no advancement in sight because they still act like teenagers instead of adults. Then there is Wulfar who died (Icewind Dale Trilogy) when really he was only captured by a demon (Paths of Darkness Trilogy) to becoming a father and getting married (Paths of Darkness Trilogy), however still remains on the road of adventure with his friends upon his "wifes" request to do so and leave her behind. That is one huge stretch in character building so although we love Wulgar I think the man that has developed the most in these novels needs to put down his hammer and become settled in the normal life he chose in The Sea of Swords. Bruenor should also just accept being a king and lay down his ax as well. I know hard to swallow, but instead of talking about all of this in every novel including this one please Bob write it and make it happen so we can all move on with the storyline.
   
   All and all a great book to read when you need a break from the more intelligent reads like Wolfe, Martin, Baker and Erikson. Still the same old Salvatore great description and characterization with action scenes so intense you feel you are there. If you need a hack and slash novel with characters you will fall in love with Salvatore is the best for this type of genre.

5 comments about Homeland (Forgotten Realms: The Dark Elf Trilogy, Book 1).

1. I've read a lot of fantasy novels in the past 10 years. Some of my favorites are Robert E.Howard's Conan , The(original) Dragonlance Novels by Weis and Hickman, Lord of the Ring to name a few . OF all the 50-60 fantasy novels Ive read I'd say about 10% are great and 30% are pretty good. There are a lot of not so good fantasy novels out there.
   So I thought I'd give The Dark Elf Series a try. I try to research a series and its author before I begin one. After reading many reviews of this book from Amazon and other outlets I had mixed feelings to what this book might be.
   Well....
   Its a great story. Full of action with a rich plot. The realm the writer conjures is deep with dark and ancient evil, mystery, and suspence. There are a few typos.Not a huge issue.
   But over all I give it 4 stars. I can not wait to read part 2 Exile!
   
   PROS:
   Strong plot
   Lots of well described action
   Dark and Evil Magic
   Well fleshed out characters
   Good ending
   CONS:
   Some typos
   Idea behind main character is a bit hard to swallow at times
   is a bit too short
   Print too small (this copy only)



2. There is not much more I can say that hasn't been said. I actually picked the first two re-issue hardcover books up at bookstore going out of business and it sat on the shelf for a long time. This book has actually got me reading on a regular basis again after a long break. The story is engaging enough that I am already trying to decide if I want this whole series in hardcover, which is quite a bit of investment. R.A. Salvatore has the ability to write a story in a way few authors can. If you like Fantasy, and especially Drow, this is the only way to go.



3. After reading the Hunter's Blade trilogy I really enjoyed the character and wanted to read more about him. This book was everything I hoped for. I definitely recommend this book for all fans of this genre. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.



4. I was never much for reading because most books could not keep my attention. This book however grabbed my attention and held it. Cleverly written, entertaining, with descriptive visuals that bring the story to life, Homeland, along with the other books in this series, is non-stop action. I highly recommend this book!!! I have since read the rest of the trilogy and I am currently reading The Crystal Shard, which is the beginning of the next trilogy.



5. Salvatore grabbed our attention with the Icewind Dale trilogy, and one of the heroes of that unlikely group of friends was Drizzt Do'Urden, a drow (or dark elf, as they are often called). To our delight, Salvatore's next project, dubbed the Dark Elf trilogy, served as a prequel, to tell us about Drizzt's past, and to introduce us to the world of the drow.
   
   I cannot recall another author who so brilliantly immerses a reader in a wholly foreign world. It is one thing, to describe a world similar to ours, such as Raymond E. Feist's introduction of the Tsurani, yet even that is loosely based on Asian culture. It is quite another to transport the reader into another world so radically different from our own, and do it with a style which keeps us turning the pages at an addictively fast pace.
   
   The book begins on the night Drizzt is born, where he is to be sacriced to Lloth, the drow deity, often referred to as the Spider Queen. Yet, as is normal within this dark and twisted subterranean world, his older brother kills the eldest brother. With a Do'Urden male having been sacrificed, Lloth is appeased, and Drizzt is spared. In an interesting inversion, the world of the drow is matriarchal, and family is everything. The head of the family is female, and the holders of the seats in Council (the leadership of the drow city of Menzoberranzan) are all female. Males are, in that world, secondary to females, and are useful only as cannon fodder in times of war, and as donors in the act of reproduction.
   
   Right from the start, Drizzt is remarked on as being very different, with lavender coloured eyes. Yet his true difference is inside, for he is posessed with morales and compassion - virtues which are practically unheard of in a drow. Fortunately, his father, Zaknafein, is mostly responsible for his weapons training from the age of 16, where Drizzt is somewhat sheltered from the true nature of the evil drow, as Zaknafein is a kindred spirit to Drizzt.
   
   After, Drizzt is sent to the Academy, to further advance his skill at fighting. For 10 years he remains there, learning the true nature of the drow, and battling to hold on to his spirit and morals. If he fails, he risks falling prey to the lies of the Spider Queen, and turning into everything he hates.
   
   I'll say no more, for I encourage you to read this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough. The only thing I'll warn you of, is how very difficult it is to put the book down once you've started! Salvatore does an excellent job in immersing us in the world of the drow, and in better understanding the emotional battles and sacrifices the noble character of Drizzt Do'Urden went through, to mold him into the fighter/ranger he became.

5 comments about Clip-Clop.

1. Friendly Mr. Horse offers rides to the other barnyard animals. One by one, cat, dog, pig and duck ask to be included, and then to go faster, FASTER!! They start to fall, Mr. Horse "skids to a halt"-- and over they fly, into a haystack. Mr. Horse is worried, but his friends are fine-- and want to go "AGAIN!"
   
   From the familiar theme, to the simple but evocative art, to the demonstration of manners (many requests are accompanied by "please"-- frequently enough to reinforce the message), this book is wonderful. My 3 year old wants to hear it again and "AGAIN!" and loves to show me where each animal is going to be on the next page. I enjoy the art, and the suggestion of motion and emotion. This book is a big hit with us both!



2. My little niece loves it when characters in books fall down and then get up again. So this book is very exciting because the children go for an exciting ride, bounce in some straw, get up, and start again. The rhymes are very fun to read out loud!



3. My daughter just giggles everytime we read this to her. Great buy!



4. We checked this book out from the library and it has become one of my two-year-old's favorites. Toddlers will love the farm animals, and parents will enjoy (maybe) coming up with different voices for each animal. The text is simple enough that your 2-year-old will soon be reading along with you, and most likely will be galloping around the house saying "Clip-Clop!"



5. At first my daughter and I were not big fans of this book. It took me a few readings to learn how to incorporate my daughter's favorite sounds -- animal sounds and "clapping" to the clip-clop sounds. But now, my daughter LOVES this book! She cries when we get to the end of the book and I usually end up reading it to her more than once. The repetition is great in that she is learning to identify each of the five animals in the book. Sounds such as "plop-plop" are music to baby's ears. Highly recommend it.

5 comments about The Client.

1. Eleven year old Mark Sway only wanted to go out for a smoke and relax when he encountered a suicidal man. As he tried to stop the suicide, Mark learned a dark secret, the location of a dead senator's body. Now the FBI is after him for that vary secret, and the Mafia is after him, in hopes of silencing him. Who will get to him first?
   
   The novel held a promising plot that went down hill when things were dragged out and utterly predictable. Throughout the whole 500 plus page novel, Mark debated the pros and cons of telling the FBI the location of the senator's body, which was obvious that at the end, he was going to spill it anyways. Then, throughout the whole book, The Blade (the senator's killer) was satisfied with where the body was buried, but when Mark decided to dig it up, The Blade decided on the same thing at the same time, just to add some predictable suspense. In general, there wasn't enough conflict or intrigue, while the same things kept happening over and over again. The only reason I gave this book three stars was because Mark was an enjoyable character and I enjoyed the mob aspect of the plot.



2. If one was to go merely by the reviews online this book would have been overlooked. This book has everything a 'good book' should have. The book opens up with Mark, a 11 year old boy who is in the woods smoking with his younger brother, Rick. They see a black car pull up and watch in suspense as a man attempts to committ suicide. You have to get this book to find out the whole story. I loved it from the beginning to the end! I most definitely will be reading more books by him.
   
   Highly recommend!



3. The story is about a little boy who learns the location of a murder victims body, but refuses to tell the FBI the information.
   
   Usually I like Grisham. He's an easy read, there's good suspense and the locations and characters are interesting. This one had some of the usual Grisham oddities: demonization of prosecuters and policeman, lionization of defense attorneys, seeming endorsement of illegal activities (obstruction, blackmail) by the hero and his lawyer.
   
   This time in addition, there's strawman-like attempts to characterize the Republicant prosectur as a bad guy (he even says the guy doesn't sleep with his wife...little gratitious and below the belt) and to make the lawyer personally sympathetic (from her divorce, etc.) But the whole thing is so trite that it never even starts to work.
   
   Add on to that, that the plot makes zero sense. Why does the kid rationally not reveal the information, why does he not give it anonymously, why the reluctance for WP and then the decision to enter it anyway?
   
   I got so disengaged that I skimmed the last half of the book. Read THE FIRM instead.



4. This was one of the worst books I've ever read. Normally, I really like Grisham's works, but this was just terrible. The plot was very weak and the characters were unbelievable. The "bad guys" are FBI and attorneys trying to solve a murder. The "good guy" is an 11 year old boy, who won't talk about what he knows. The story is completely ridiculous and the boy's attorney makes everything overly complicated. The characters were just completely unbelievable. And he made the "bad guys" completely incompetent.
   
   I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.



5. THE CLIENT is one of my favorite books. It is superbly entertaining and immensely engrossing book that you aren't able to put down at all. Plus, it has constant emotional depth that leads to the unexpectedly tear-jerking ending.
   I won't tell you about the plot, since you can get that elsewhere. I'm writing this so you will read this book.
   Many of the complaints from other customers are about the fact that this book seems made to film. True, it does, but it's not anywhere near the point to where it lacks any depth. The characters are perfectly developed, and the dialouge is snappy and smart. Every part of the book is utterly thrilling and the entire 566 page book is a fast, enjoyable ride. Highly recommended.

1 comments about Oracle Database 11g PL/SQL Programming (Oracle Press).

1. Michael McLaughlin has delivered the most comprehensive book on PL/SQL on the market. No matter where you are, novice or master, you will find this book helpful. The book is loaded with practical, working examples and detailed descriptions that will help you from getting lost. Even the most complex topics are covered thoroughly and comprehensively in a way that makes them feel simple. Even if you are not on 11g yet, you need to buy this book. It's not only a great reference, but an interesting and captivating read that will give you ideas and understanding which will help in any project.
   
   Most of all, this book reveals the power of PL/SQL as a viable and fully-featured programming language. It covers complex subjects such as Object Oriented Programming and utilizing Large Objects (LOBS) with striking detail. It also contains a primer on using PHP and Java with PL/SQL! You'll also find a revealing discussion on using Functions, Procedures, and Packages that enhance understanding in a way that no other book does. Other books teach you the "how", this book covers the "what" and the "why" so that you not only can write the code, but you understand everything that it is doing.
   
   I would highly recommend this book to anyone that uses PL/SQL no matter your current skill level. There's great content for everyone.

5 comments about The Da Vinci Code.

1. The book is read by so many people, so I thought I'd give it a crack and check it out at the school library.
   
   Not bad. Certainly not worth all the praise it gets in my opinion, but, like the movie, it kept my interest, and I was able to enjoy it because I knew it was FICTION. It's FICTION. That's all it is. I literally laugh at all of the spinoffs people make of this book. 'The Da Vinci Hoax' 'The Da Vinci Inquest'.
   
   Seriously, it's all fiction, and that's all Brown intended it to be. So either enjoy it or don't, but you don't have to attack the guy. This isn't an attack on religion. Some of you people need to get that through your heads.



2. Pity is all that i feel for anyone who would be stupid enough to believe anything they read in this book. I mean come on. I know that its easy for simple people to get sucked into believing thinks that are untrue but to believe something this ridiculous... you would be deserving of spite. I don't know, I just feel sorry for anyone retarded enough to thing something this obviously false was true. The Da Vinci Code is an insult to my intellect. I think that Dan Brown just hates Christians and wanted to piss us off. I really hope people don't sink to this level of lame.



3. Favorite book of all time... followed by Angels & Demons... Brown's work is genius, and could make anyone question their own beliefs.



4. It has a picture of Mona Lisa's eyes on it. And there is some jumbled code pealing up, like a page being turned. Below that it says The Da Vinci Code in white letters over a red background. It also says Dan Brown on top and The #1 Worldwide Bestseller on the bottom. And there is a golden circle that says Now A Major Motion Picture on it.



5. This book is off to the races from the beginning to end, leaving the reader wanting more after each page as there's mystery, murder, good and bad, as well as lots of historical knowledge. However there are also various perspectives of the authors interpretation of organized religious and anti religious groups which makes the book even more readable but no believable. However, if you really want to read a hollywood movie style book, read his first book Angels and Demons which is even more off the wall.