The Monster at the End of This Book (Jellybean Books(Tm).)
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (27 July, 1999)
list price: $3.99
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Reviews (77)

Absolutely Fantastic!
This was one of my favourite books when I was younger.Although I am not 28 years old, I still own my copy.I've read it over the years to various children I've babysat and to my 2 boys.They ALL love the book.It's funny and makes you laugh.It also is suspenseful for the first-time reader.Great book!

As good as it gets
You will never find a better book to read aloud to your toddler.

The Monster at the End of This Book is an interactive adventure with Grover, who knows that something is wrong as soon as he sees the title on the cover page. "What did that say?" he asks. "On the first page, what did that say? Did that say there will be a MONSTER at the end of this book??? It did? Oh, I am so scared of Monsters!!!"

As the book progresses, Grover does everything he can to prevent you from turning the page, from tying the pages down with ropes to begging. Your child will love the feeling of empowerment as he or she steamrolls Grover's objections time and time again.

In the end, of course, it turns out that Grover has forgotten that he, himself is a monster, and so has nothing to fear.

I've read hundreds and hundreds of picture books for children, and nothing has beaten this magical formula for laughter and interaction. You must read this book to your child.

Favorite book as a child, and still a fave today!
I loved this book so much when I was little!It was the first book I was able to read on my own.One of my favorite parts is the inside cover where Grover says "This is a very dull page.Let us see what is on the next page" and then he flips out on the next page when he realizes what the name of the book means!The first time I read this book I was so scared that there would be this big scary monster at the end of the book, and now that I'm older I laugh thinking about who the 'monster' actually was how scared I was along with Grover!

I love how creative and interactive this book is, with Grover trying to stop you from getting to the end of the book by building brick walls, and using rope to tie the pages together.And I remember how much I laughed whenever I turned to the next page and all of Grover's hard work would be in shambles, with Grover buried in the wreckage.I get so nostalgic thinking about this book, my favorite as a child, and still one of my favorites today!I'm 18 now and I still love this book so much!I can't wait to read it to all of my toddler cousins! ... Read more

Isbn: 0375804013
Sales Rank: 159329
Subjects:  1. Children's Baby - Picturebooks    2. Children: Preschool    3. Fiction    4. Humorous Stories    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. Monsters    7. Puppets    8. Short Stories    9. Toys, Dolls, & Puppets    10. Juvenile Fiction / Humorous Stories   

Around the World In 80 Bikinis
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (19 October, 1999)
list price: $12.98
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Features

• Extra tracks

Reviews (2)

Monster Girls are GO!

Fronted by the infamous Devilina (aka Devil Doll, aka Sean Yseult from White Zombie), this now defunct, all-girl group "warms the corpse" with their brilliant fusion of tongue-in-cheek horror antics and groovy surf music.

Fans of White Zombie will find no crunching power chords spewed from Marshall stacks, nor is there a single death growl, so METALHEADS BEWARE!

This cd is a compilation of previously released tracks with some new material, and I believe it marks the last release of this group. Too bad, cause it's great stuff. Granted, it does not have the mind-numbing chops of Dick Dale or other surf greats, but it is a booty-moving bunch of tunes that will remain a treasured part of your collection.

FUN!
Fun,goofy,cool And cheesy. a great surf/punk/chick rock cd!! ... Read more

Asin: B00000K524
Sales Rank: 153749
Subjects:  1. Garage Rock Revival    2. Indie Rock    3. Pop    4. Rock   

Fantasia (60th Anniversary Special Edition)
by Leopold Stokowski
Director: T. Hee, Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson, Ben Sharpsteen, Ford Beebe, Jim Handley, Paul Satterfield, Hamilton Luske, James Algar
Average Customer Review:
DVD (08 November, 2000)
list price: $29.99
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Editorial Review

Groundbreaking on several counts, not the least of which was aninnovative use of animation and stereophonic sound, this ambitiousDisney feature has lost nothing to time since its release in 1940.Classical music was interpreted by Disney animators, resulting insurreal fantasy and playful escapism. Leopold Stokowski and thePhiladelphia Orchestra provided the music for eight segments by thecomposers Tchaikovsky, Moussorgsky, Stravinsky, Beethoven, Ponchielli,Bach, Dukas, and Schubert. Not all the sequences were created equally,but a few are simply glorious, such as "Night on Bald Mountain," "TheSorcerer's Apprentice," and "The Nutcracker Suite." The animationranges from subtly delicate to fiercely bold. The screen bursts withcolor and action as creatures transmute and convention is thrust aside.The painstaking detail and saturated hues are unique to this film,unmatched even by more advanced technology. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Features

• Color
• DTS Surround Sound
• Animated
• Closed-captioned

Reviews (163)

Fantastic animation back then and forever
Fantasia is one of those movies I have grown to love more and more every time I watch it. It's so unlike anything else Disney did before or after, and it's even unique compared against other animated movies. I find fascinating the fact that the visuals follow the music, something very different from the typical approach, where the movie is put together and the music comes in as an element of the post-production stage.

Then, the visuals themselves depart in radically different directions. Some tag alongside the metaphors hinted at by the pieces (Beethoven's Pastoral, for example, is visually accompanied by mythological figures that perfectly embody the idea behind the composition), and then other segments are quite simply abstract, to say the least.

When you put the whole thing together, with the whole introductions preceeding every piece, the result is a work of art, that you cannot judge by the same standards we've grown used to when watching Nemo, Beauty and the Beast or other less contemporary animation standards, such as Snow White. Fantasia created a genre on which it stands almost by itself, untouched, except by some excerpts of movies from the Japanese genius Miyazaki.

Best animation of its day
-- And still a good one.

Many of the vignettes here are now classics. Mickey as the Sorcerer's Apprentice: that's become an icon by itself. Dance of the Hours, with hippo ballerinas? I just laughed myself silly watching that, no matter how many times I've seen it before. Night on Bald Mountain - I must have been about four the first time I saw that, and I still remember how it scared the goobers out of me. That one scene, near the end, when the demon in charge is completely lit from the front, that's that one that sticks with me. For its time, it was about the most creative thing on the screen. The 'Disney Look' is a bit dated now, but it's true to the time in which it was made.

I think today's kids might still like it, and it's a sneaky way to start them enjoying classical music. See it again with an adult's eyes, or see it again with a child's eyes. Just do yourself a favor and see it again.

//wirdweird

Not for young viewers
The Fantasia dvd is a beautiful collection of music and of some of Disney's cartoons spliced together. I have to say that although it is a Disney Collection-my kids really did not pay attention to it too much when I bought it last year, along with the Fantasia 2000 DVD -they are just starting to watch it now-they are 3 3/4 and 5 1/4 years old.
It is a beautiful collection, but may not be for younger viewers to watch-they dont understand the concept of it all and may not keep their attention for very long. ... Read more

Asin: B00003CX9W
Subjects:  1. Classics (Silents/Avant Garde)   

Handspring Visor Prism
Average Customer Review:
Electronics

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Editorial Review

Handspring's first foray into the realm of color palmtops, the Visor Prism may not deliver the crispness of displays on the latest Windows CE devices from Casio and Compaq, but it does improve on the Palm IIIc, its main competitor.

While the Prism costs more than the Palm IIIc, its increased color depth and brightness (it delivers 16-bit color compared to the 8-bit color of the IIIc) really shines in gaming and graphical applications. Even the default world map that's used to set geographic location and time appeared more distinct and offered the illusion of 3-D.

Like other Visors, the Prism contains a Springboard module slot, letting users upgrade its capabilities--such as adding an MP3 player, expanding memory, and eventually adding a cell phone (among many options). With the color screen of the Prism, modules such as the eyemodule digital camera really take on new life. With the Prism, the eyemodule takes color pictures, while previous versions of the Visor only allowed users to view them in grayscale.

Further, unlike other Visors, the Visor Prism uses an internal lithium-ion rechargeable battery--a nice touch as the color display would have drained the standard two AAAs quickly. Handspring claims that a fully charged battery should last a week or two with normal use, but we found continuous use of the display, such as with game playing or extended note taking, wore the battery down much faster. However, every time the Prism syncs in the fast-transferring USB cradle, the battery gets charged--and it only takes a few minutes to top off the current level of juice.

Although the color screen only extends the thickness of the Prism by a tenth of an inch compared to previous Visors, it's still twice as thick as the sleek Palm V line of devices. But it is smaller than CE devices such as Casio's EM-500 and the Compaq iPaq, and for its size category of palmtops, it delivers the best colors around. --J. Curtis

Pros:

• 16-bit color (compared to the Palm IIIc's 8-bit color)
• 8 MB memory
• Expandable using Springboard modules

Cons:

• Color display not as bright or crisp as Pocket PCs

... Read more

Features

• Sharp full-color screen displays over 65,000 colors
• 8 MB RAM stores thousands of addresses, appointments, to-do items, and more
• Features address book, to-do list, memo pad, date book, advanced calculator, and world clock
• Fully compatible with thousands of Palm OS applications; supports optional expansion modules for MP3 player, pager, modem, GPS, video games, and more
• What's in the box: Visor Prism, Cobalt Blue HotSync cradle, 8 MB RAM, Internal rechargeable lithium ion battery, USB HotSync charging cradle, Leather slipcase

Reviews (142)

Handspring Prism was far ahead of it's time in 2000
When I bought my Prism in 2000, I was getting ready to buy a HP iPac but found the expandability a greater feature.With the Handspring, I bought a GPS module for getting around on my field service jobs at all sorts of cities around the USA, HS modem to hotsync with my home computer, and a foldup keyboard enter data.
PiTech's MemoryPlug for MemoryStick to load all sorts games, eBooks, maps (to transfer to main memory) and all sorts of PDF techmanuals for cleanroom use (paperless environment).I upgraded the 8meg RAM to 16 meg so that the map and documents can load without issues.

All in all, Handspring is a great concept.

Regards
Calvin

3 years with my Prisim
I have had my Prisim for 3 years now, The hard shell cover has allowed me to carry, (and sit on )it for all of the 3 years. The 8 meg is plenty for normal use.
It is in use every day, and backedup/charged just as frequently.
I know there are more advanced units out there, with more features and such, but I dred the day I will need to find a replacement that can measure up to this one when it is gone.
I never leave home without it for sure!

Brilliant value for PDAphone (Visor Prism+Phone)
I've been using Visor Prism + Phone for about 2 months now, I bought it from a local store which suprisingly still had some stocks and guaranteed the item for 1 year.
Overall, I found it very very useful. I'm not a heavy PDA user, so mainly I use it to read e-books, see photos, games. Visor's 8 Megs is more than enough.
More about the phone, I can't tell how much I admire the modularity of Springboard. Handspring engineer have done great job. The phone and sms function work perfect, compared to the more pricey Tungsten W.
It's better than Treo 270 I assume, on color display (Treo has 4096 while Prism has 65K) and of course using Visor I don't have to worry about flip hinge crack that often happen to Treo user.
Some drawbacks that I found is that battery drained quickly, I also notice that there are some dead pixels in the unit I bought, and last but not least it's quite heavy to carry.
Based on the above, I still think that this product is a great collectible item,worth the price, and everywhere you carry it people were just curious to know. It's a bit rare that to some it's more intriguing than even the popular O2 XDA. Well done Handspring! ... Read more

Asin: B00004Y7TD
Subjects:  1. Personal Digital Assistant (PDA, Electronic Organizer)    2. Handspring Visor (Hand spring handspringvisor)    3. Handheld (Hand Held)   

Nissan 1-Quart Vacuum Insulated Coffee Press
Average Customer Review:
Kitchen
list price: $49.50 -- our price: $29.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Don't confine the pleasure of pressed coffee to home. With this combination of coffee press and vacuum-insulated thermos, European-style coffee turns up at the office or campground and stays hot three times longer than coffee made in a glass press. Simply spoon in ground coffee, add boiling water, place the lid on with plunger in the up position, wait four minutes, push down the plunger slowly, and . . . Presto! Fresh, piping-hot coffee for two or three hours. Lightweight and virtually unbreakable, the press has a handsome, satin-finish exterior and tough, nonslip, black plastic top and bottom. The press parts and smooth interior clean with sponge or cloth. --Fred Brack ... Read more

Features

• Five-year warranty against defects
• Makes pressed coffee and keeps it hot for hours
• Holds a bit over 1 quart
• Steel-mesh screen is replaceable
• Hand wash with mild detergent

Reviews (16)

not superlative, but thermally insulated is the way to go
Short answer: Pretty good, nor perfect, but recommended.

Screen does not appear (to my amateur eyes) to fit the walls as smoothly as a bodum glass model I saw, i.e. there are small indentations in my screen that may or may not merely be cosmetic, but then again mine arrived dented as was probably abused be a previous jerk who returned it (and then they re-sent it out to me -- why, I dunno.) Anyway, it doesn't seem to affect the coffee, but I'm a novice (as if it matters).

I think an uninsulated one would be a real pain. This keeps it hot for a 30 minutes to a few hours (with the time varying mainly on how much coffee you leave in it). A glass one would lose heat rapidly by comparison so if you drink a pot over an hour or so like me you'll really want this or bodum's similar offering.

Replacement French press screen
I have this pot for years and Bodum makes replacement screens that will fit this pot.Shame that they make the screen for their product as well as Nissan and they clearly state that it will fit the Nissan...

http://www.coffee-makers-espresso-machines.com/repfrenpresm.html

Great press; but no more screens
We have had this press for over a year and use it almost every day. It keeps the coffee hot long enough (we drink it before it has a chance to get cold anyway!), plus it just makes excellent tasting coffee. We do take issue with the manufacturer, however, as I just called them (11/3/03) and they said they no longer make the replacement screens--and that they are the only ones who made them.Yet they will replace the whole pot if you need a new screen.Does this make any sense? ... Read more

Asin: B00004S1DB
Subjects:  1. French Presses    2. Coffee Presses    3. Nissan    4. Thermos    5. Camping Accessories   

Labyrinth
by David Bowie Jennifer Connelly
Director: Jim Henson
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (21 September, 1999)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $13.46
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Sarah (a teenage Jennifer Connelly) rehearses the role of a fairy-tale queen, performing for her stuffed animals. She is about to discover that the time has come to leave her childhood behind. In real life she has to baby-sit her brother and contend with parents who don't understand her at all. Her petulance leads her to call the goblins to take the baby away, but when they actually do, she realizes her responsibility to rescue him. Sarah negotiates the Labyrinth to reach the City of the Goblins and the castle of their king. The king is the only other human in the film and is played by a glam-rocking David Bowie, who performs five of his songs. The rest of the cast are puppets, a wonderful array of Jim Henson's imaginative masterpieces. Henson gives credit to children's author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, and the creatures in the movie will remind Sendak fans of his drawings. The castle of the king is a living M.C. Escher set that adults will enjoy. The film combines the highest standards of art, costume, and set decoration. Like executive producer George Lucas's other fantasies, Labyrinth mixes adventure with lessons about growing up. --Lloyd Chesley ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• NTSC

Reviews (803)

Brilliant! Stunning! What child wouldn't love it?
As a kid i loved this movie and still do adore it completely! I think i saw it about two/five times as child and it stuck in my brain so completely that when i was 15 i went on a complete rampage to find it, which i did, on VHS. I just really liked the film for it's characters, the colour, the sheer eccentricity of Bowie and the Goblins, everything! But especially Sarah, even more so now when i'm 17 and can relate to her threshold crisis. Who doesn't want to escape reality for a little while? I know i did and when i was younger i wanted to go on that adventure of hers... to somewhere where i could be the hero of the piece, and not adamsel in distress. Even as a child i hated the idea of having to be rescued by a man, so it was a refrrshing change to see a girl rescuing the boy (even if he had no idea, and could only drool!!) A brilliant film any child would adore it, boys and girls. boys for the adventure side and cool monsters and girls for the ball scene, Sarah, basically no kid could reasonably hate this film unless they have some weird fear of puppets!!

gay--really gay
I found this on cable as it was just starting and watched it most of the way through. About 20 minutes into it, I felt dirty.This is little more than an extended music video for David Bowie.Music videos are one thing.In this case, it's really weird.You have all these damn muppets running around acting like idiots and chirruping dumb dialogue; while a random scene is stuck in of a thousand muppets all having gay sex and David Bowie singing crappy 80s rubbish.Avoid this DVD unless you want to watch something while you trip on acid, and even in this case, use caution or you'll get horribly confusing nightmares.

Escape to the Realm of Imagination
Nearly twenty years complete with a computer-effects "revolution" in film have passed since Jim Henson's Labyrinth hit theatres, but no visual advancements could ever capture the charisma of this pop rock fairy tale. Henson's Creature Shop not only designed a spectacular fantasy world born from the depths of every child's imagination, they put it together completely with practical effects and the magic of puppetry.If you're looking for the pleasantly simple shapes and colors of The Muppets, you won't find them here; Labyrinth's puppets blend seamlessly into the background in order to make this universe spring to life.

The story begins in a charming East Coast-esque neighborhood park where a teenage girl dressed in a ball room gown performs a soliloquy to no audience other than her dog.The town clock chimes and it begins to pour; Sarah (Academy Award-winner Jennifer Connelly as a teen) pulls out of her reverie, a princess no more, and realizes that she has stayed out too long. At home, she confronts her "wicked" stepmother who has been waiting for Sarah to return in order to watch her new baby brother, Toby, while her father and stepmother spend the night out. Although it's never stated, it's clear from the way in which Sarah admires the portrait of her mother on her bedroom mirror that her mother, an actress in a play called The Labyrinth, has passed away and that is the reason that Sarah loves the play with such devotion. The way in which she derides her half-brother, angry that he has played with one of her own childhood stuffed animals and annoyed with his fits of crying, demonstrates very quickly the tension between the newly formed family and Sarah's resistance to the life that she has had to face since her mother's death. When Sarah repeats the lines of her favorite play, calling forth a "Goblin King" to kidnap Toby and free her of his annoyances, she doesn't imagine that her own improvised echo of "I wish that the goblins would come and take you away... right now," would in fact be magic words that bring forth a Goblin King, Jareth (British rock star David Bowie). Jareth takes Toby and offers Sarah a life of fantasy, liberated from harsh reality. But Sarah, feeling guilty, asks for Toby back instead; however, Jareth refuses, and in order to free Toby from Jareth's control, Sarah must make her way through the trials of a mystical labyrinth within thirteen hours.

Sarah's choice to face the labyrinth and the lessons she learns thanks to the friends she meets along the way help the introverted teen to mature and realize that even when surrounded by a life of the fantastic, she can never escape completely from reality.This basic journey mirrors the mythic quest archetype of many legends and stories, but the change in the expected protagonist to that of a young girl and the mix of contemporary and fantasy settings offers something to the genre that hasn't quite been seen before or since. Bowie composed most of the songs in the film, which range from the fun and effervescent "Dance Magic Dance" to his character's poignant take on unrequited love in "As the World Falls Down" and "Within You." The title track ("Underground") especially will stay with you, even long after you've last watched the film. ... Read more

Asin: B00000JPH5
Subjects:  1. Feature Film Family   

Polaroid Spectra 1200SI Instant Camera Kit
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $109.99 -- our price: $85.94
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

The Polaroid Spectra 1200SI camera kit combines Polaroid's Spectra 1200SI camera with a pack of Spectra film so that you can begin snapping pictures immediately. The Polaroid Spectra 1200SI offers great versatility. A member of Polaroid's instant-camera family, it takes Polaroid's trademark instant pictures. The Polaroid Spectra 1200SI features an electronic viewfinder that provides distance and light information as well as auditory and visual signals that cue you to the right photographic conditions. A panel also allows control of exposure, autofocus, autoflash, and the self-timer. The Polaroid Spectra 1200SI camera kit includes an adjustable hand strap and a five-year warranty. ... Read more

Features

• 1 pack of Polaroid Spectra Platinum film included
• Instant camera with premium features
• Uses Polaroid Spectra Platinum film
• 10-zone autofocus, automatic flash, and electronic viewfinder
• Selectable self-timer, picture adjustment on control panel

Reviews (8)

very good
i first bought this as a present for a friend of mine. After i took a few pictures with it,i was honestly very impressed! The picture quality was very good, not great.
The camera was slightly big and in a little bit of an odd shape to hold, but i didnt mind that too much.
Id recommend this camera, but not if your looking for excellent picture quality. Its still a fun camera and really convientant how you dont need to have it developed!

Excellent!Every picture we took with this camera came out
great!We used it at our wedding for the guest book and I was so happily surprised how great they all came out!Some of the best pictures we have are from this camera!

Beautiful Pictures
I'm a Great Grandmother who finds this camera very easy to use. Big improvement over the first Poloroid instant camera which I owned. When I bought this Sprecta 1200si there was a camera case on the same page which I also bought. However, it didn't fit this camera! I would like to know where I can buy one! ... Read more

Asin: B00004RF6K
Subjects:  1. Kits, Cameras    2. 1200, SI    3. Photograph Photography    4. Camera (Cameras)    5. Instant   

Super Hits
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (27 January, 1998)
list price: $6.98 -- our price: $6.98
(price subject to change: see help)
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Reviews (6)

Great artist, lousy compilation
You may have been to your music store lately, and noticed several compilations under the name "Super Hits." What are these compilations, you ask?

Budget-priced compilations, WITHOUT the budget price (though some dealers are smart enough to sell them for such a price.)

Each CD in this series has TEN tracks, no more, no less (meaning they don't even come close to filling the eighty minutes you can fit onto a single CD.) And, of course, they omit many key tracks (any other hits compilation by this artist is MUCH better.) This series is obviously a ploy by the record industry to rake in cash, by making compilations that look better than they really are.

THIS IS BY FAR THIS ARTIST'S HITS COMPILATION! Get a different one, since it will have more tracks. BUT DON'T EVEN BOTHER WITH THIS!

if these boys dropped this lp today......................
oh man, this would be a massive hit album! if you listen to it the melodies, the guitars, the influences (60's pop, surf, and ska!)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what a album! pick this up for a good time to be had by your ears! you'll thank yourself later.

Try the new album ...
This is actually a pretty good cross-section of the Romantics' music, because it includes songs from four of the band's five albums from 1979-1985. The song selection was pretty good for this (although there are several I would have chosen over "Do Me Any Way You Wanna" and I can't believe they left out "A Night Like This"). The band has a new album due out Sept. 9 titled "61/49." If you buy this collection, you should try the new album too, because from what I've heard of it on the band's website ..., it's a more up-to-date, full sound than much of the older stuff. ... Read more

Asin: B000002ALW
Sales Rank: 11097
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. Detroit Rock    3. New Wave    4. Pop    5. Pop/Rock    6. Power Pop    7. Rock   

Every Breath You Take: The Classics
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (04 March, 2003)
list price: $18.98 -- our price: $13.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Love 'em or hate 'em, there was no denying that Sting and the boys released some great singles. The title track practically distills the essence of perfect pop, while "Roxanne," "Don't Stand So Close to Me," "De do do do, de da da da," and "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" helped define a generation. --Chris Nickson ... Read more

Features

• Hybrid SACD

Reviews (79)

perfect in sound and material
If you haven't heard all of these songs or at least most of them, you must have been living under a rock during the 80's.The drumming and white reggea aspect of these songs is what made me into a fan.just get this cd if you don't have it already, you can't beat this wonderful single disc collection!

The Police kick ass!
Okay, so I recently bought this compilation because I was looking for something new, and the crap on today's radio isn't worth listening to anyway. Anyway, this compilation has some of the best Sting and The Police's songs! My favorite is "Walking on the Moon". I've listened to it at least 30 times. "Roxanne" is another classic everyone has heard at least once in their life. "Every Breath You Take" is on here as well, it's another classic. Even Puff Daddy (P. Diddy) sampled it to create his 1997 hit "I'll Be Missing You".

In short: You need this compilation, even if you've only heard one of their songs. It's great.

Great Comprehensive Album of The Police
What a great collection! The Police were an enigma and Sting is an amazing lyricist. The version of "Don't Stand So Close To Me" is layered with harmony and instrumental additions that aren't in the original. Overall, this is a good collection for huge fans and people who have just heard The Police on the radio... ... Read more

Asin: B000088NSZ
Subjects:  1. Album Rock    2. Britain    3. England    4. New Wave    5. Pop    6. Pop/Rock    7. Rock   

Invisible Monsters
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (September, 1999)
list price: $13.95 -- our price: $10.46
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

When the plot of yourfirst novel partially hinges on anarchist overthrows funded by soap sales, and the narrative hook of your second work is the black box recorder of a jet moments away from slamming into the Australian outback, it stands to reason that your audience is going to be ready for anything. Which, to an author like Chuck Palahniuk, must sound like a challenge. Palahniuk's third identity crisis (that's "novel" to you), Invisible Monsters, more than ably responds to this call to arms. Set once again in an all-too-familiar modern wasteland where social disease and self-hatred can do more damage than any potboiler-fiction bad guy, the tale focuses particularly on a group of drag queens and fashion models trekking cross-country to find themselves, looking everywhere from the bottom of a vial of Demerol to the end of a shotgun barrel. It's a sort of Drugstore Cowboy-meets-Yentl affair, or a Hope-Crosby road movie with a skin graft and hormone-pill obsession, if you know what I mean.

Um, yeah. Anyway, the Hollywood vibe doesn't stop these comparisons. As with Fight Club and Survivor, the book is invested with a cinematic sweep, from the opening set piece, which takes off like a house afire (literally), to a host of filmic tics sprayed throughout the text: "Flash," "Jump back," "Jump way ahead," "Flash," "Flash," "Flash." You get the idea. It's as if Palahniuk didn't write the thing but yanked it directly out of the Cineplex of his mind's eye. Does it succeed? Mostly. Still working on measuring out the proper dosages of his many writerly talents (equal parts potent imagery, nihilistic coolspeak, and doped-out craziness), Palahniuk every now and then loosens his grip on the story line, which at points becomes as hard to decipher as your local pill addict's medicine cabinet. However Invisible Monsters works best on a roller-coaster level. You don't stop and count each slot on the track as you're going down the big hill. You throw up your hands and yell, "Whee!" --Bob Michaels ... Read more

Reviews (231)

Very well crafted and original
INVISIBLE MONSTERS is a great book. The same way McCrae's CHILDREN'S CORNER is, and the book RUNNING WITH SCISSORS. I thought this book was hysterical. Palahniuk likes to mess around and go places lots of other writers don't (or won't). Far-fetched, lacking plot, whatever - don't listen to that nonsense!! This book is excellent. I've also read fight club, and I liked this one a lot more - has a more mature feel to it, it goes deeper into detail... the characters essentially are the plot, what happens is what they make happen, not a bunch of events that happen to them. Highest possible recommendation. I'm going to pick up SURVIVOR today.

probably the worst book by a good author
boring, waste of time book by a good author.

Funny and Original!
Invisible Monsters is the story of a famous fashion model, horribly disfigured by the slug of a rifle. The events before, during, and after the shooting unravel, jumping back and forth, until finally the whole story is laid out before you. In a style that will be familiar to those who have read other books by Palahniuk, the story starts near the climax of the action. After that, everything jumps around, narrated by the main character, in a stream of memories type style.

Even giving away a big portion of the climax of the story, I found that Palahniuk kept me guessing. Nobody is quite who they seem to be in this novel. Everybody has an interesting past, and most of these pasts end up woven together in one messy, dysfunctional, disturbing fabric by the end of the book.

Along the way, Palahniuk drops lots of interesting facts that you aren't really sure if you want to know. Do you take or know anybody who takes the hormone drug Premarin? Palahniuk will key you in on the way that particular drug is made. Have you ever pondered what a difference letter placement makes in the meaning of a word? The author's discussion of the meaning of the words feltching and fletching might get you thinking about this subject.

I found it particularly interesting that the main character, and narrator, of this story is female. Often, male authors don't seem to do a very good job of writing from a female's perspective. I think that Palahniuk did a good job here. I would appreciate comments from females who have read this book about this assertion, whether you agree or disagree. But in the end, I think a lot of the gender thing disappears, as the main character becomes just a very troubled human being.

This book raises a lot of questions. It gets you thinking. You will probably learn some facts that wouldn't be appropriate to share in polite company. You may reconsider your own boring, quiet, comfortable existence. Is this an existence, or just an opiate dream of the masses to dull the pain until we die? This is a good book to read if you are bored with television and cookie-cutter novels who recycle the same plot lines and paper-thin characters, again and again. So pick up a copy of Invisible Monsters! Another book I strongly recommend is one I picked up off Amazon last month: The Losers' Club: Complete Restored Edition by Richard Perez, another unconventional, funny, thought-provoking novel. ... Read more

Isbn: 0393319296
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. General    4. Popular American Fiction