Title: Dickens pales in comparison. Product review: This novel paints a very grim picture of the impact of the Industrial Revolution on the common working family. O'Brien's nautical series described the hundreds of boys who went to sea to meet basic needs such as eating and a place to sleep. They died often in his works. Sexual harassment is alluded to but not often. Dickens is noted for his bleak portrayal of the lower classes, but the plight of the poor in this novel are even more extreme. I think that what I appreciated the most was the how callus a life could be snuffed out. It is a sad commentary on those times. But then today, we have all the horror stories from around the world of child soldiers, child sex workers, war refugees in the hundreds of thousands. So perhaps we haven't come very far.Mr. B Would you say this review depicts the product in a flattering or unflattering light?
flattering

Title: You'll Be Glad You Bought This! Product review: OK, first off this isn't the definitive word on any single aspect of gun collecting. However, it is chuck full of all kinds of tidbits of information ranging from buying, maintaining, storing, displaying, etc. your gun collection. If you're a novice, it is a great starting point. If you've been around for a while, you'll still find more than enough useful information to cover the issue price. Your lessons are expensive in gun collecting, and this book is a cheap investment to avoid costly mistakes. The pages are nice and glossy, the soft cover being quite thick. The photography is fantastic, sharp and clear. It's like holding a piece in your hand. All the photographs are in color, and they abound! I would definitely add this to my gun library if I were starting out, or even if I just had one or two family guns that I wanted to take care of properly. Would you say this review depicts the product in a flattering or unflattering light?
flattering

Title: Pick a genre and go for it... Product review: Since Michael Chabon endorsed this book and the author had won a place at Yaddo to write parts of it, I thought that I was in for a treat of a read, and yay! it was 450 pages of reading.Well, yes and no. The book has a great premise -- ganglife and a new immigrant's experiences in 1880s New York -- but it waffles between a full-fledged historical novel (like Edward Rutherfurd's works) and the second draft of a literary work. If the author had taken on one of the genres, and fully explored that rather than trying to blend the two, perhaps this would have been a more satisfying read for me. It's definitely "readable" but doesn't live up to the accolades on the jacket.But because I saw some moments of good storytelling and a good handle on the dramatic pace, I have hope the author's next work will be much improved over this piece. Would you say this review depicts the product in a flattering or unflattering light?
