As a reader and fellow survivor of the abuse of verbal and non-verbal, I found this book as a perfect fit for any depression sufferers. Since this book is known as a practical guide, there are some strategies and tips that are taught in this book, which are sensible to follow.

Summary

Most people tell that the abused people are wallowing in the pasts. They cannot recover because they are chained from the past incidents where in they were abused. So, Sue Atkinson would like to propose about the strategies on breaking the chains, which can be found in an organized support group where in you can define your source of strength.

And, how did she attain the empowerment to break the chains of abuse? By writing prose, drawing, painting, hugging and talking to her stuff animals and dolls as if they are representing her inner self did the action for her to obtain the recovery. These ideas are from the people of her support group, which gave her counsel regarding the matter.

The psychologists tried to define that there are three paths of healing: uncovery, discovery, and recovery. The longest process of healing is uncovery of feelings and burried memories of abuse, and then the discovery of actions and strategies follow. In short, we should acknowledge our emotions, and we should not keep quiet about the truth that we are abused. And, it is common for the abused people that they are suffering from depression.

The book also elaborates the subject on feelings of anger and path of forgiveness. Anger is very common to depressed people who are survivors of abuse. The feelings of anger should be expressed in a right manner, which we cannot harm other people around us. And, forgiveness is an attitude of letting go of past memories regarding the incidents we were abused for the sake of our mental health. It is a difficult process because it takes a lot of time but it soothes our spirit if the forgiveness is on the processed.

Conclusion

We all have big dreams and better life, so why we should remain stagnant in our position of the path of healing. Therefore, we should keep going and move forward. God's unconditional love and mercy would lead us to healing and better life.

A very compelling and inspiring read and I highly recommend it.

The Bloody Chamber of the title is a reworking of Bluebeard's gory tale; other stories within this book are The Courtship of Mr. Lyon, The Tiger's Bride, Puss-in-Boots, The Snow Child, The Werewolf, The Company of Wolves, and Wolf-Alice. Angela has not so much as retold the tales as used archetypes to recreate the spirit of the original, from oral tradition.

Each tale is told in dense, sparkling prose, exploring the Jungian psychology and latent warnings of the sexual predation of men, present in the originals, but with subtlety and understated endings, some of which are less than happy. Beauty may be more self-reliant and knowing than we are used to, but her happy ending comes from her understanding of the nature of man…and woman. Magical, realistic, erotic, gothic and surreal, this collection should be picked up and read by the fireside on a cold winter night.

Bloch was influenced by some of the horrific practices, which were revealed when multiple murderer, Ed Gein, was caught. The Wisconsin farmer dismembered the bodies of his victims but had kept his mother's body in the house. The idea of having a double identity, of being a "normal" member of the community and yet a crazed psychopath at the same time, was fused into Bloch's novel.

With Psycho, Bloch was reflecting the growing contemporary interest in the complexities of the human mind and the ways in which it can go wrong. This example of the thriller genre marked a move away from concern with horror from external factors to the internal horrors of the mind. The novel gives us far more detailed and, and for that reason, more frightening insight into Norman's psychopathic condition than a film can render and is, in its own medium, just as memorable.

The Periodic Table consists of 21 extraordinary writings named after the chemical elements. This is an eclectic mixture of memories, essays and short stories. They are presented in chronological order of the author's life. Each elemental name has a physical or symbolic connection to the piece itself. For example, in “Argon”, Levi writes of his Jewish ancestry, while in “Nickel he muses about a mine and the value of the ore. Each is a precious jewel of literature and together they explore and teach the eternal truths of life. A novel not to be missed.

4 years back when a friend of mine recommended me to go for the book, I thought of reading that book but did not; all credit goes to my laziness! Funniest part is, out of the inspiration and excitement I saw with my friend who had read the book, I presented “The Alchemist” to my fiancée, even before knowing the content; Best part being it was my first gift. Now, let us come out of my flashback to the flashing present.

After we got married, during one of my conquests against pests at home, I found this treasure - “The Alchemist”. May be, the bookish part of my soul knew what “The Alchemist” was all about and looked like it had been waiting for long to get me to the treasure.

However, I was laughing deep inside my heart that I'm not going to read the book with the same enthusiasm I rescued it. Once I started reading the first few pages of “The Alchemist”, I felt a mix of emotions intensifying inside me, that I just couldn't stop reading the book.

Hats off to Paul Coelho! “The Alchemist” is a brilliant masterpiece in Writing. The author, I must say, has handled the subject matter “With Care”. There was not a single second when I felt bored, or I never got exhausted by the subject matter which talks of the most beautiful things of life - Love, Change, Courage and Destiny. The credit goes to the author for having explained the “so-called” complex things, with ease and excitement.

I started realizing slowly that I was getting absorbed into the values, the book “preached”. If not for the way the values have been presented by Paul Coelho, the book would have got confined to the theologists and then of course who can forgot the pests ;-).

Now let me jot down few of the many valuables which I learnt from “The Alchemist”.

• Who else other than you better knows yourself?!?!
• Figure out precisely, what is your goal before you even try to achieve it. “The Alchemist” puts it this way - “Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.”
• Once you start your journey towards your goal, never ever give up, till you achieve it
• The “so-called” obstacles which you face en-route your journey are not really “Obstacles”; Let us perceive them as “Change” and welcome them with a difference and make the most of them
• When you really yearn to achieve something, not just “You”, but the entire “Universe” conspires in helping you achieve it
• Universe speaks to you in form of Omens. So learn to recognize Omens and follow them.
• This World teaches you many things - Only if you observe and listen to it 
• Cherish your Past and Live in the Present; Future will bend on to you
• Eat when it's time to eat. And move along when it's time to move along.
• Love is the only language which is understood by every thing (yes, I said “Thing”) and which binds the Universe. How else do you communicate with your puppy pet?  Here is a small excerpt from “The Alchemist” - “The boy approached her to ask about the alchemist. At that moment, it seemed to him that time stood still, and the Soul of the World surged within him. When he looked into her dark eyes, and saw that her lips were poised between a laugh and silence, he learned the most important part of the language that the entire world spoke-the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding in their heart. It was love.”

Having jotted down what I have learnt, doesn't mean that this is all about the book. “The Alchemist” is an interesting journey which imbibes values of life. I assure you of the feeling that a world traveler gets when he visits a very interesting place on earth. I would like to insist on the fact that it is not one of those books which “tells” about values of life. “The Alchemist” makes you live through its pages and when you have completed reading the last word of the book, you would be overwhelmed with joy and excitement and would, indeed, have a different outlook towards life.

Happy reading “The Alchemist”!

In the walled city of Aramanth, Kestrel and Bowman Hath, who are twins, leave the city. In the center of Aramanth was the wind singer, a mysterious device that was the source of happiness and harmony. However, the key that kept it alive was given to the Morah, years before, to call of the Army of Zars. The city had been walled to protect itself from the Army of Zars. The Army of Zars was the “beautiful army” of the Morah. The Morah was a dark slumbering evil that continually multiplied its strength over the years, biding its time to attack the city. The Morah creates its army by promising great beauty to those who would join it. However, they then become mindless slaves to the dark power.

The twins trek across the unknown lands to reach the dwelling place of the Morah in attempt to retrieve the key to the wind singer. The journey, as usual, is filled with obstacles: both beasts and men try to end their journey. Yet, there are also those who help them. Together, the twins would face the greatest evil that has ever been known in the history of Aramanth.

This thrilling story will capture the reader. It is a must read for fantasy lovers.

Adapting to life for tough Greasers may mean sacrificing their humanity and getting tough. Dally, one of the book's characters, advises Ponyboy, the book's main character, to wise up and get tough so that nothing can touch him. This shows that Dally has already become tough over time, and has found it useful enough for himself, to advise it to his peers. Some Greasers seem to get tough because of where they have been in their lives. “Dally has spent three years on the wild side of New York and had been arrested at the age of ten. He was tougher than the rest of us- tougher, colder, meaner.” Pg.10. Dally really became tough because of the life he lived in New York, and has been tough and mean ever since. This proves that even tough Greasers probably became tough as they tried to adapt to major life events. Hard Greasers have been hardened badly, just as softer Greasers can be affected by whatever life has to offer.

Adapting to life for softer Greasers may mean sacrificing their humanity and getting tough. In this book the Curtis boys, three brothers in the book, lost their parents at an early age and had to adapt to a tough lifestyle. Because the Curtis boys were very young and vulnerable, they must have had a hard time staying out of trouble, and could have easily been persuaded to do bad things to themselves and others. Ponyboy had to make the hard decision of weather to become tough or to keep his dignity. “He snatched up an empty bottle, busted off the end and gave it to me… "I couldn"t use this,' I said dropping the pop bottle.” Pg. 45. This shows that Ponyboy has remained mentally strong, but has had to adapt to hanging out with tougher people. This gives evidence to support that even softer Greasers have to adapt to life and get at least somewhat tougher. When tragedies and other life changing events occur, even soft Greasers can be greatly affected.

Learning to adapt to life for tough and soft Greasers may mean changing your life and becoming tough. Greasers have to deal with loss, personal differences, different groups, and adapting to new environments. They have to learn how to make decisions that deal with their survival in the cruel world around them. I've noticed through myself and others, that when dramatic changes occur in people's lives, it can be hard to fit in unless you change and sometimes even become tougher. Life can be hard for everyone, Greasers included, but people always manage to make it through.

In Antonio's nightmare, many themes are present that relate to a conflict in religion. In his nightmare, Antonio's parents are arguing over what Antonio's religion and way of life should be like. Antonio's mother, portrayed standing on the moon with the holy water of the church, wants him to become a priest and worship the one and only God. His father, portrayed standing on the barren shore of the lake, wants him to let the llano and the will to wander like the water of the sea control his life. Also, the mysterious golden carp, portrayed swimming in the lake with the people it has saved from the evil Mermaid of the lake, is not trying to persuade Antonio to be a believer in him but is present because of the question in Antonio's mind of, “Am I a believer in the story?” (119). Antonio is confused about which religion or path in life to take after hearing the story of the golden carp from his friend Cico previously and knowing that his father and mother are believers in different ideals. “Oh please tell me which is the water that runs through my veins…” (120). This nightmare also shows many of Antonio's deep dark fears.

This nightmare also proves that there are many things haunting Antonio's mind. Antonio is afraid of the deep depths of the water because he is afraid of the Mermaid that lies within. It is common for people to be afraid of deep water because people are afraid of what they cannot see. In this case, Antonio is afraid of where the Mermaid might be swimming around in the lake killing innocent souls that she has lured in with her calling melody. This is likely present in Antonio's dream also because of Cico's story of the mermaid which was about how, “Last summer the mermaid took a shepherd” (116). Along the shores of the lake, there are dead, rotting, corpses which are probably a sign of Antonio's fear coming from his having witnessed the death of a man named Lupito. Also, the ghosts that were wandering the shore in his nightmare are a common thing to see in haunted dreams because people associate ghosts with haunted or spooky places.

Finally, this nightmare shows that Antonio has a lot of trust in a woman called Ultima and admires her greatly. At the end of Antonio's nightmare, Ultima comes out and resolves everything by ending the argument between Antonio's parents. She stops the storm and saves Antonio and the world. “Cease! She cried to the raging powers, and the power from the heavens and the power from the earth obeyed her. The storm abated” (120). Having a person in a dream with this much power must mean that this person is extremely special or influential in Antonio's life. In addition, there was lighting in the dream right before Ultima came in. This signifies that there was a great awareness or understanding to come in the near future. When Ultima came she explained to Antonio, “…the sweet water of the moon which falls as rain is the same water that gathers into the rivers and flows to fill the seas” (121). Antonio looks up to Ultima to teach and help him throughout the book and is showing this through his nightmare.

In Antonio's nightmare, there is great symbolism showing his confusion about religion and how to live, his many fears in life, and how much he truly cares about and respects Ultima. In Antonio's nightmare, three forces are competing for his approval. There are many things and ideas in this nightmare that haunt Antonio and there is also a struggle between good and evil trying to win Antonio's trust. Antonio believes that his world is going to end until finally his savior, Ultima, appears and saves the day with her mighty wisdom. Dreams are very symbolic of what a person's life is presently like and show what haunts and pleases him in the deep depths of his internal conscience.

For those unfamiliar with the terms, lipogrammatic is defined as a style of writing that is composed of words with a certain letter or letters omitted, and epistolary is defined as writings in the form of written correspondence or a letter.

The story takes place on a fictional island where the individual who coined the phrase, “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” (which contains every letter of the alphabet) was born. There is a statue on the island with this inscription that is a tribute to the creator. Interestingly, this island is rather old-fashioned and letter writing is the inhabitants' main method of communication. When letters start falling off of the statue the government on the island declares that those letters must be removed from all future written and verbal communication.

This is where the fun begins and why the novel's original name is “Ella Minnow Pea: a progressively lipogrammatic epistolary fable.” The novel is written as a series of letters between inhabitants of the island, thus it is an epistolary fable. Additionally, as the letters fall off of the statue, the inhabitants must find ways to communicate with each other without the use of certain letters, thus it is lipogrammatic. The more letters that fall off of the statue, the more the lipogrammaticy progresses. As an example, the main character's name is Ella Minnow Pea in the beginning and becomes LMNOP over time.

In sum, this is a perfect book for people who love words and wordplay. Also, the fact that it is written in the form of letters, and the paperback edition is a mere 208 pages, makes it a truly quick and fun read. In fact, I read the book in just a couple of hours on a rainy summer day. It was great entertainment. If you are interested in learning more about more linguistic terminology here is a great website to pick up some everyday linguistic information and to have fun with words.