Jack Straw's Castle - Thom Gunn

Advantages: Accessible and easy to read
Disadvantages: Poetry put some people off!

...Does poetry do it for you? ‘. . . poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity....’ (Wordsworth) ‘Now as I was young and easy under the apple boughs About the lilting house and happy as the grass was green...’(Dylan Thomas) ‘I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix...’ (Ginsberg) I have to admit I’m not a great reader of poetry but from time to time I come across something that seems to connect with me. With this in mind I thought I’d do a review of one my favourite poetry collections, ‘A Sense Of Movement’ by British born poet Thom Gunn. Those of you who have read some of my previous opinions will know that I an a fan of the Beat... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Tamora Pierce's writing style is upbeat, imaginative and gentle, making her stories appealing and a good read for both the young and the young at heart
Disadvantages: Might not match-up to the standards of the Tolkien and Le Guin readers

...Being of noble heritage, Alanna of Trebond's future is set to be sent to a monastery and to be taught the ways of a lady. However, she has other plans. Adeptly switching roles with her twin brother Thom, she rides off to King Roald's Castle to become a knight, while Thom goes to the monastery and studies to be a sorcerer. Disguised as a boy, she learns that the road to knighthood is not an easy one, for she has to master weapons, magic and proper conduct. This quartet takes us through Alanna’s stages to become a knight to her winding-up as King’s champion and in between struggling to grow-up, experiencing various adventures with her friends and learning that being a knight doesn’t mean being a woman through and through.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Escapism, entertaining.
Disadvantages: Predictable.

...characters. ~~~~~~~~~~~About the book.~~~~~~~~~~ Once was published in 2001 by Macmillan and retails at £6.99 for the paperback. I bought my copy for the bargain price of £3.99 at my local branch of WHSmith. The cover is black with a circular cut-out under which you can view the inside cover on which a rather nice illustration nestles. The quality is good and suggests a good old spooky read. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The story~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is the tale of Thom Kindred, a crafter of wood whom following a near-fatal accident as a result of a stroke returns to Little Bracken, his childhood home, to recuperate. Little Bracken is a cottage on the large estate of Castle Bracken, where Thom's mother was governess to the privilaged son of the estate before her untimely suicide when Thom was ten years old. Sir Russell Bleeth is the owner of the estate... Read review

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