Finely tuned writing

Advantages: Beautifully constructed and written
Disadvantages: May be regarded as a "woman's book"

...This novel deservedly won the Orange Prize for fiction in 2002. The Orange Prize is for women writers, so how many of you guys out there are now dismissing this as a "woman's book"? There is a strange demarcation line in (most) men's minds about "women's books" and "men's books". I personally am happy to roam either side of this boundary, enjoying Sharpe, Flashman, the Tom Clancy doorstoppers as well as works where the action is more internalised. Jeremy Clarkson once wrote in an article that his wife had been reading a novel "where a woman goes away, has a child and many years later comes back again". "Ha, ha," chortled the blokes in my family, "that's the sort of book Mum reads!" Since then, novels such as Bel Canto have been known chez Chouchinciao as "Jeremy Clarkson's wife books". A brief plot outline, no more than you...

Chouchinciao 11.05.2006 · Read review
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Review of Bel Canto - Ann Patchett

Hear hysterical heroines here!

Advantages: Virtuosic operatic vocalism, unusual repertoire, mad scenes...
Disadvantages: Fleming's voice is maybe not best suited for this...

...Bel Canto - she sure can belto If there is any area in classical music which polarises opinion more than singers and singing, then I have yet to come across it. I've been in opera performances where the conductor has had to halt the show after an aria, because of one portion of the audience booing the singer, whilst the other tried to drown out their boos with cheers... Or I remember another occasion in a very elite Viennese concert-hall where two very well dressed gentlemen came to blows after one made "an insulting remark" about the other's favourite soprano. People can get pretty vocal and worse about their favourite or least favourite vocalists. I think the other big problem is that a singer can be great in some repertoire but then take a nose-dive in other areas and this is one factor in this particular CD. The human...

Maestrolover 11.07.2008 · Read review
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Review of Renée Fleming - Bel Canto [SACD]

Favorite of the Bel Canto Opera Fans

Advantages: In original French! Kasarova, Vargas, Furmansky
Disadvantages: They don't pronounce French well. A bit under-rehearsed

...La Favorite is one of 3 French grand opera written by the bel canto master Gaetano Donizetti (though it is often performed in Italian under the title 'La Favorita'). The story is based on Royer's and Vaez's play 'L'Ange de Nisida'. SYNOPSIS: The novice monk Fernand is dismissed from the monastery in Castile by his prior Balthazar due to his attraction to an unknown beauty whose hand he had touched during a service. Fernand takes off to Leon, where he meets the courtesan Inez and her colleagues in the service of Leonor de Guzman, the mistress of King Alphonse XI, who turns out to be the unknown beauty he met in Castile). Having mistaken her for a royalty, Fernand joins the army vowing to earn glory in battle deserving of her attention. After showing his valor in a victorious battle with the Moors, Fernand is praised by the happy...

EpinionSmorg 16.04.2007 · Read review
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Review of Donizetti: La Favorite

The Fresh Prince of Bel Aire

Advantages: Good Facilities, Clean, Spacious Rooms, Good Location
Disadvantages: Working out the tea maker

...I have just returned from Bangkok and it was certainly an eye opener in more ways than one. A fine stay at the Bel Aire Princess Hotel complimented my trip. The first time you step foot outside the airport in Bangkok it's like having your head wrapped in a hot towel. The humidity is certainly far different from anything you will experience in the UK. So it's with trepidation that you approach your stay, you ask yourself whether you can sleep in this kind of weather. Well the Bel Aire certainly took away all those worries. The hotel is well known so any taxi driver at the Airport should be able to take you to your destination without a hitch. You'll find it located on Soi 5 off the Sukhumvit road. The great thing about the hotel is its location; it's down at the end of the street so you're not right on top of the noise from...

utero 07.06.2006 · Read review
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Review of Bel-Aire Princess, Sukhumvit, Bangkok

Bel Air's fresh prince is still at it

Advantages: More great comedy and fantastic family fun
Disadvantages: none

...Creators: Andy and Susan Borowitz Stars: Will Smith, James Avery, Janet Hubert Whitten (Daphne Maxwell Reid), Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons and Tatyana Ali. The initial first show aired in September 1990 with this second series airing a year later, although not getting onto DVD until 2005. This 4 disc set contains 24 episodes, (out of the 148 form the entire series) with the same old faces and the same old attitudes, only a lot more comical. MAIN CHARACTERS Will Smith (himself)is still the street wise teenage kid, originally from the tough streets of West Philadelphia who, as his mother was worried about him heading for a life of crime, is forced to live with his wealthy relations in a Bel Air mansion. He is a typical loud mouth young man with attitude who believes he know what?s best for his life, usual to...

blissman70 04.03.2009 (05.03.2009) · Read review
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Review of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air - Series 2 (DVD)

Fresh comedy from the prince of Bel Air

Advantages: Brilliant comedy with side splitting moments
Disadvantages: none for me

...Creators: Andy and Susan Borowitz Stars: Will Smith, James Avery, Janet Hubert Whitten (Daphne Maxwell Reid), Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons and Tatyana Ali. First aired in September 1990, creating nearly 150 episodes into 6 series, finishing in the summer of 1996. MAIN CHARACTERS? Will Smith (himself) is a street wise teenage delinquent from the tough streets of West Philadelphia who, as his mother is worried he is heading for a fate worse than prison, is force to live with his wealthy relations in a Bel Air mansion. He is a typical loud mouth young man with attitude who believes he know what?s best for his life, usual to the annoyance of his rich uncle. Philip Banks (James Avery) is Will?s rich uncle, starting as a being a high flying lawyer, then as a Judge, with a very ?large? personality. His no...

blissman70 02.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air - Series 1 (DVD)

The Bel Air prince is still as fresh as ever...

Advantages: More hilarious comedy and good stories
Disadvantages: none for me

...Creators: Andy and Susan Borowitz Stars: Will Smith, James Avery, Daphne Maxwell Reid , Alfonso Ribeiro, Karyn Parsons and Tatyana Ali. The original show was first show aired in September 1990 with this fourth series airing three years later (1993), although not getting onto DVD until 2007 (region 2). This 4 disc set contains 26 episodes, (out of the 148 from the entire series), thankfully still with the same old faces and the same old attitudes, only a bit more mature and a lot more comical. MAIN CHARACTERS Will Smith (himself)is yet again the street wise teenager, originally from the tough streets of West Philadelphia, but now living with his rich relatives in Bel Air due to his mothers fear of him growing up without a proper education. He is still the is a typical loud mouth young man with an eye...

blissman70 09.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air - Series 4 (Box Set) (DVD)

Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air Series 1 DVD

Advantages: Funny, great acting, performances amaze
Disadvantages: None

...THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR - A COMEDY The Banks family, a respectable family, take in cousin - Will Smith, a street-smart teenager from Philadelphia. The idea is to make him respectable, responsible and mature it's a bumpy ride funny as well Characters: William "Will" Smith Played By Himself Carlton Banks Played By Alfonso Ribeiro Hilary Banks Played By Karyn Parsons Ashley Banks Played By Tatyana Ali Philip Banks Played By James Avery Geoffrey Played By Joseph Marcell Arguably the funniest show that has been on television in yearssss. It had to begin from somewhere and the first season is where. Will Smith as we know from other roles in "Hitch" "iAM Legend" "Bad Boys" and many many more. He is a funny character and we get to see him fresh and young in this. Season 1: 1. The Fresh Prince Project 2. Bang the Drum, Ashley...

Marvell 03.10.2008 · Read review
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Review of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air - Series 1 (DVD)

Fresh Prince of Bel Air - DVD Boxset - Season 1

Advantages: The Cast - all very funny and fit very well within the show
Disadvantages: Not bringing out the other seasons!

...This brilliant box set has finally been brought out on DVD, and i highly recommend it to all! Will Smith plays a teenager who has had a hard life back in his home town of Philidelphia. As you see from the very first introduction, it is Will Smith doing a rap about his life in 'philly' and he is told to move to where his auntie and unlce live, in bel air. He then moves to Bel Air in Los Anlges to live with his family, who are Uncle Phil, Aunt Vivian, Carlton, Hiliary, Ashley and their English butler Geoffrey. Phillip Banks, played by James Avery plays a lawyer who after the first day that Will is in the house, does not like him. Vivian Banks played by Janet Hubert-Whitten plays the aunt who is always looking to defend Will when he gets into mischief or calm Phil down when Will does something very unsual, such as the things he says...

rossguig 17.03.2005 (14.08.2005) · Read review
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Review of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air - Series 1 (DVD)

Somewhere I just can't help going back to

Advantages: Great food, great building, great atmosphere
Disadvantages: Grumpy waiting staff that should be replaced with people who want to do the job!

...Sometimes you hit upon something in life that you know suits you to the ground, The Bel and Dragon in Reading is one of those something's for me. After first visiting in 2004, I've been back at every opportunity. It's hard to put into writing exactly what it is about the place that I like so much, yes it has nice food, nice ambience and is close to where I live, but somehow there is more to it that draws me back time and time again. History of the restaurant It first opened in roughly 2004, after converting a previously disused building. It originally formed part of the Bel and Dragon group, but in recent times the small chain has been sold, with the founding couple keeping only this restuarant. Location & Building As with most good restaurants I find, it's slightly off the beaten track. For anyone who knows Reading...

Lush1 25.11.2006 · Read review
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Review of Bel and The Dragon, Reading