Thursday, January 19, 2012

William Shakespeare's Hamlet (Two-Disc Special Edition)

  • Hamlet has the kind of power, energy and excitement that movies can truly exploit,' award-winning actor/director Kenneth Branagh says. In this first-ever full-text film of William Shakespeare's greatest work, the power surges through every scene. The timeless tale of murder, corruption and revenge is reset in an opulent 19th-century world, using sprawling Blenheim Palace as Elsinore and st
The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark - A Study with the Text of the Folio of 1623 is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by George MacDonald is in the English language, and may not include graphics or images from the original edition. If you enjoy the works of George MacDonald then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection.This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it fo! r free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.No Description Available.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: UN
Release Date: 14-AUG-2007
Media Type: DVDIt's the greatest work of literature, but nobody had ever filmed Hamlet uncut--until Kenneth Branagh went about the task for his lavish 1996 production. The result is a sumptuous, star-studded version that scores a palpable hit on its avowed goal: to make the text as clear and urgent as possible. Branagh himself plays the melancholy son of the Danish court, caught in a famous muddle about whether to seek revenge against his royal father's presumed slayer… the man who now sits on the throne and shares the bed of Hamlet's mother. (Or, as the song "That's En! tertainment" summarizes the plot: "A ghost and a prince meet ! / And ev eryone winds up mincemeat.") As a director, Branagh (who shot the movie in 70 mm.) uses the vast, cold interiors of a vaguely 19th-century manor to gorgeous effect; the story might scurry down this hallway, into that back chamber, or sprawl out into the enormous main room. With its endless collection of mirrors, the place is as big and empty as Citizen Kane's Xanadu.

That all works; what doesn't work is Branagh's tendency to over-direct the big dramatic moments. He indulges in quick cutting and flashbacks as though to fend off the audience's objections to the four-hour running time, and the style sometimes looks like wasted energy. The experienced Shakespearians in the cast come off nicely; Derek Jacobi's Claudius, Richard Briers' Polonius, and Michael Maloney's Laertes are just terrific. Julie Christie is a suitably attractive Gertrude, and Kate Winslet makes the most of Ophelia's mad scenes. Branagh's habit of folding in unexpected American performers is on the ! mark, too: Billy Crystal is surprisingly good as the Gravedigger, Robin Williams predictably camps up Osric, and Charlton Heston is an inspired choice as the grandiloquent Player King. The biggest irony here is that Branagh himself is not quite spot-on as Hamlet. Of course he speaks the lines beautifully, but Branagh's screen personality radiates certainty and clarity of vision; there's little of the doubt that might make him Hamlet-esque. Still, tremendous credit for fending off slings and arrows to get the movie made. --Robert Horton

A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations: Two Novels (Oprah's Book Club)

  • ISBN13: 9780142196588
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Pip s life as an ordinary country boy is destined to be unexceptional until a chain of mysterious events lead him away from his humble origins and up the social ladder. His efforts to become a London gentleman bring him into contact not just with the upper classes but also with dangerous criminals. His desire to improve himself is matched only by his longing for the icy-hearted Estella, but secrets from the past impede his progress and he has many hard lessons to learn.An absorbing mystery as well as a morality tale, the story of Pip, a poor village lad, and his expectations of wealth is Dickens at his most deliciously readable. The cast of characters includes kindly Joe Gargery, the loyal convict A! bel Magwitch and the haunting Miss Havisham. If you have heartstrings, count on them being tugged.In what may be Dickens’s best novel, humble, orphaned Pip is apprenticed to the dirty work of the forge but dares to dream of becoming a gentlemanâ€"and one day, under sudden and enigmatic circumstances, he finds himself in possession of “great expectations.” In this gripping tale of crime and guilt, revenge and reward, the compelling characters include Magwitch, the fearful and fearsome convict; Estella, whose beauty is excelled only by her haughtiness; and the embittered Miss Havisham, an eccentric jilted bride.An absorbing mystery as well as a morality tale, the story of Pip, a poor village lad, and his expectations of wealth is Dickens at his most deliciously readable. The cast of characters includes kindly Joe Gargery, the loyal convict Abel Magwitch and the haunting Miss Havisham. If you have heartstrings, count on them being tugged.In what may be Dickens’s b! est novel, humble, orphaned Pip is apprenticed to the dirty wo! rk of th e forge but dares to dream of becoming a gentlemanâ€"and one day, under sudden and enigmatic circumstances, he finds himself in possession of “great expectations.” In this gripping tale of crime and guilt, revenge and reward, the compelling characters include Magwitch, the fearful and fearsome convict; Estella, whose beauty is excelled only by her haughtiness; and the embittered Miss Havisham, an eccentric jilted bride.As a small boy at Joe Gargery's forge, Pip meets two people who will affect his whole life - an escaped convict he is forced to help, and the eccentric Miss Havisham, whose beautiful, cold ward Estella young Pip adores. But when a secret benefactor pays for him to go to London to become a gentleman, Pip never dreams he will meet the dreadful convict Magwitch again, nor just how wrong his expectations are . . .You get the full original text of this book interwoven with a smart, plain-spoken guide to the characters, quotes, themes, symbols, and more from Shm! oop. The second-to-last novel that Charles Dickens ever wrote, Great Expectations first appeared in the form of installments in a magazine from December 1, 1860 until August 3, 1861. The epic tale tells the story of a young boy named Pip who aspires to be a gentleman and to win over the love of his life, beautiful Estella. Great Expectations was very popular in its day and was riddled with many of the themes that fascinated Charles Dickens throughout his life: themes of justice, wealth, innocence, and corruption. As England grew more and more powerful in the era of colonialism and the Industrial Revolution, Dickens witnessed the injustice that afflicted its working and lower classes. He sought to document Britain’s underbelly and to expose the fight for survival in a time of great wealth.Designed exclusively for Kindle readers, Shmoop Classics for Kindle offer the original text of some of the greatest works of literature with a built-in interactive guide to help you dig d! eep into the characters, symbols, themes, and big questions of! the boo k. For the student and the life-long learner alike, take your classroom on the road and build your brain muscles daily. No need to weigh your backpack down, no need to waste paper, no need to get sleepy in class. Shmoop is here to make you a better lover of literature and to help you discover connections to other works of literature, history, current events, and pop culture. You’ll find thought-provoking character analyses, quotes, summaries, themes, symbols, trivia, and lots of insightful commentary. Key quotes from the original text are linked to deep analysis from Shmoop. Academics from top universities, including Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard, and Columbia, have written content designed to engage you and to get your brain bubbling. With Shmoop’s fun, conversational, and accessible tone, you’ll feel as though you are chatting with friends over coffee. These interactive study guides will help you discover and rediscover some of the greatest works of all time. For more ! information, check out http://www.shmoop.com/ballyhoo/kindle-ebooks.html "Best of the Internet" - PC Magazine"Shmoop impresses me because it is intentionally about learning, and the joy of learning, not just about passing courses and jumping through educational hoops." - Paul Hamilton, teacher and education blogger"Shmoop features deep analysis of topics in history and literature, sprinkled with a heavy dose of wry humor." â€" eSchoolNewsYou get the full original text of this book interwoven with a smart, plain-spoken guide to the characters, quotes, themes, symbols, and more from Shmoop. The second-to-last novel that Charles Dickens ever wrote, Great Expectations first appeared in the form of installments in a magazine from December 1, 1860 until August 3, 1861. The epic tale tells the story of a young boy named Pip who aspires to be a gentleman and to win over the love of his life, beautiful Estella. Great Expectations was very popular in its day and was riddled with many! of the themes that fascinated Charles Dickens throughout his ! life: th emes of justice, wealth, innocence, and corruption. As England grew more and more powerful in the era of colonialism and the Industrial Revolution, Dickens witnessed the injustice that afflicted its working and lower classes. He sought to document Britain’s underbelly and to expose the fight for survival in a time of great wealth.Designed exclusively for Kindle readers, Shmoop Classics for Kindle offer the original text of some of the greatest works of literature with a built-in interactive guide to help you dig deep into the characters, symbols, themes, and big questions of the book. For the student and the life-long learner alike, take your classroom on the road and build your brain muscles daily. No need to weigh your backpack down, no need to waste paper, no need to get sleepy in class. Shmoop is here to make you a better lover of literature and to help you discover connections to other works of literature, history, current events, and pop culture. You’ll find though! t-provoking character analyses, quotes, summaries, themes, symbols, trivia, and lots of insightful commentary. Key quotes from the original text are linked to deep analysis from Shmoop. Academics from top universities, including Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard, and Columbia, have written content designed to engage you and to get your brain bubbling. With Shmoop’s fun, conversational, and accessible tone, you’ll feel as though you are chatting with friends over coffee. These interactive study guides will help you discover and rediscover some of the greatest works of all time. For more information, check out http://www.shmoop.com/ballyhoo/kindle-ebooks.html "Best of the Internet" - PC Magazine"Shmoop impresses me because it is intentionally about learning, and the joy of learning, not just about passing courses and jumping through educational hoops." - Paul Hamilton, teacher and education blogger"Shmoop features deep analysis of topics in history and literature, sprinkled wit! h a heavy dose of wry humor." â€" eSchoolNewsThis collection w! as desig ned for optimal navigation on Kindle and other electronic devices. It is indexed alphabetically, chronologically and by category, making it easier to access individual books, stories and poems. This collection offers lower price, the convenience of a one-time download, and it reduces the clutter in your digital library. All books included in this collection feature a hyperlinked table of contents and footnotes. The collection is complimented by an author biography. 

Table of Contents

List of Works by Genre and Title
List of Works in Alphabetical Order
List of Works in Chronological Order
Charles Dickens Biography

Fiction :: Short Stories :: Non-Fiction

Fiction

Barnaby Rudge
The Battle of Life
Bleak House
The Chimes
A Christmas Carol Illustrated By John Leech and George Alfred Williams
The Cricket on the Hearth
David Copperfield
Dombey and Son
Great Expectatio! ns
Hard Times
The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain
Holiday Romance
Hunted Down
The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices
Little Dorrit
The Loving Ballad of Lord Bateman
Martin Chuzzlewit
Master Humphrey's Clock
A Message from the Sea
Mudfog and Other Sketches
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Nicholas Nickleby
No Thoroughfare
The Old Curiosity Shop
Oliver Twist Illustrated by George Cruikshank
Our Mutual Friend
The Pickwick Papers
Reprinted Pieces
Sketches by Boz
A Tale of Two Cities
The Uncommercial Traveller

Short Stories

Some Christmas Stories:
A Christmas Tree
The Child's Story
Nobody's Story
The Poor Relation's Story
The Schoolboy's Story
What Christmas is as we Grow Older

Three Ghost Stories:
The Haunted House
The Signal-Man
The Trial For Murder

Doctor Marigold!
George Silverman's Explanation
Going into Society!
T he Boots at the Holly Tree Inn
The Holly-Tree
A House to Let
The Lamplighter
Mrs. Lirriper's Legacy
Mrs. Lirriper's Lodging
Mugby Junction
Perils of Certain English Prisoners
The Seven Poor Travellers
Sketches of Young Couples
Sketches of Young Gentlemen
Somebody's Luggage
Sunday under Three Heads
To Be Read at Dusk
To be Taken with a Grain of Salt
Tom Tiddler's Ground
Wreck of the Golden Mary

Non-Fiction

American Notes
A Child's History of England
Miscellaneous Papers (11 essays)
Pictures from Italy
Speeches: Literary and Social
This collection was designed for optimal navigation on Kindle and other electronic devices. It is indexed alphabetically, chronologically and by category, making it easier to access individual books, stories and poems. This collection offers lower price, the convenience of a one-time download, and it reduces the clut! ter in your digital library. All books included in this collection feature a hyperlinked table of contents and footnotes. The collection is complimented by an author biography. 

Table of Contents

List of Works by Genre and Title
List of Works in Alphabetical Order
List of Works in Chronological Order
Charles Dickens Biography

Fiction :: Short Stories :: Non-Fiction

Fiction

Barnaby Rudge
The Battle of Life
Bleak House
The Chimes
A Christmas Carol Illustrated By John Leech and George Alfred Williams
The Cricket on the Hearth
David Copperfield
Dombey and Son
Great Expectations
Hard Times
The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain
Holiday Romance
Hunted Down
The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices
Little Dorrit
The Loving Ballad of Lord Bateman
Martin Chuzzlewit
Master Humphrey's Clock
A Message from the Sea
Mudfog and Other Sketches
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
N! icholas Nickleby
No Thoroughfare
The Old Curiosity Sho! p
Ol iver Twist Illustrated by George Cruikshank
Our Mutual Friend
The Pickwick Papers
Reprinted Pieces
Sketches by Boz
A Tale of Two Cities
The Uncommercial Traveller

Short Stories

Some Christmas Stories:
A Christmas Tree
The Child's Story
Nobody's Story
The Poor Relation's Story
The Schoolboy's Story
What Christmas is as we Grow Older

Three Ghost Stories:
The Haunted House
The Signal-Man
The Trial For Murder

Doctor Marigold
George Silverman's Explanation
Going into Society
The Boots at the Holly Tree Inn
The Holly-Tree
A House to Let
The Lamplighter
Mrs. Lirriper's Legacy
Mrs. Lirriper's Lodging
Mugby Junction
Perils of Certain English Prisoners
The Seven Poor Travellers
Sketches of Young Couples
Sketches of Young Gentlemen
Somebody's Luggage
Sunday under Three Heads
To Be Read at Dusk
To be Taken with a Grain of Salt
Tom Tiddler's Grou! nd
Wreck of the Golden Mary

Non-Fiction

American Notes
A Child's History of England
Miscellaneous Papers (11 essays)
Pictures from Italy
Speeches: Literary and Social

When young Pip accidentally meets a convict out in the marsh one Christmas Eve, he has no idea that his life is about to change--forever.   The amazing events following that encounter, and the strange tale of Miss Havisham and her adopted daughter Estella, have made Great Expectations a must-read since it was first serialized in 1860. Now, young readers can enjoy Dickens’s engrossing story in this simplified yet thrilling version.

One of Dickens' most famous novels, brilliantly introduced by Roddy Doyle. As a small boy at Joe Gargery's forge, Pip meets two people who will affect his whole life - an escaped convict he is forced to help, and the eccentric Miss Haversham, whose beautiful, cold-hearted ward Estella young Pip! adores. But when a secret benefactor pays for him to go to Lo! ndon to become a gentleman, Pip never dreams he will meet the dreadful Magwitch again, nor just how wrong his expectations are.One of Dickens' most famous novels, brilliantly introduced by Roddy Doyle. As a small boy at Joe Gargery's forge, Pip meets two people who will affect his whole life - an escaped convict he is forced to help, and the eccentric Miss Haversham, whose beautiful, cold-hearted ward Estella young Pip adores. But when a secret benefactor pays for him to go to London to become a gentleman, Pip never dreams he will meet the dreadful Magwitch again, nor just how wrong his expectations are.

A Tale of Two Cities and Great ExpectationsTwo of the most beloved novels in all of English literature--together in one extraordinary volume.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES
After 18 years as a political prisoner in the Bastille, ! the aging Doctor Manette is finally released and reunited with his daughter in England. There the lives of the two very different men, Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, become enmeshed through their love for Lucie Manette. From the tranquil roads of London, they are drawn against their will to the vengeful, bloodstained streets of Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror, and they soon fall under the lethal shadow of the guillotine.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS
A terrifying encounter with an escaped convict in a graveyard on the wild Kent marshes; a summons to meet the bitter, decaying Miss Havisham and her beautiful, cold-hearted ward Estella; the sudden generosity of a mysterious benefactor--these form a series of events that changes the orphaned Pip's life forever, and he eagerly abandons his humble origins to begin a new life as a gentleman. Dickens's haunting late novel depicts Pip̢۪s e! ducation and development through adversity as he discovers the! true na ture of his "great expectations."

This deluxe paperback edition features
•Â Ã‚   French flaps
•Â Ã‚   rough-cut high-quality paper
•Â Ã‚   complimentary front- and back-cover designs highlighting each novel and including foil and debossing

A Charles Dickens Timeline

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1812 Born February 7 in Portsmouth, England
1824 His father John sent to Marshalsea Debtor's Prison for a debt of £40 and 10 shillings

Began working 10-hour days in shoe-polish warehouse to help support family
1833 First story, "A Dinner at Poplar Walk," appeared in the Monthly Magazine
1836 First book, Sketches by Boz, collected his early journalism and stories

First novel, The Pickwick Papers, began its monthly serialization

Married Catherine Hogarth
1837-39 Oliver Twist appeared in monthly installments
1838-39 Nicholas Nickleby serialized
1840-41 The Old Curiosity Shop
1841 Barnaby Rudge
1842 American Notes, based on his tour that year of the United States
1843 The Christmas Carol, the first of his "Christmas tales"
1843-44 Martin Chuzzlewit
1846-48 Dombey and Son
1849-50 David Copperfield
1852-53 Bleak House
1854 Hard Times
1855-57 Little Dorrit
1857 Met actress Ellen Ternan, his longtime companion
1858 Separated from his wife, Catherine
1859A Tale of Two Cities
1860-61 Great Expectations
1864-65 Our Mutual Friend
1867-68 Second tour of America
1868-69 Farewell reading tour of the British Isles
1870 The Mystery of Edwin Drood (unfinished)

Died from a stroke on June 9