Rating: 
Summary: decent short story
Review: predictable story. uses lots of adjectives/adverbs. I regret spending the money for 15 minutes of nothing special
Rating: 
Summary: Disused jelly beans in the gogs...
Review: Sitting around with some old, moulding jelly beans in your pockets and wondering just what you should do with them? My advice would be to drop them into the power supply box at your train station, short out the trains for a good hour or three and, with that time, read this gem before arriving at work in the afternoon (there must be lunch, chat, and perhaps some aimless strolling as well).So, you're probably asking what that has to do with "Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman (with fine illustrations by Rick Berry). Well, the answers a numerous and then perhaps they mean nothing at all. I figure I won't tell. Ellison's book as about an outlaw existing in a totally controlled society, where time is measured and ruled by the Ticktockman. Now the idea is not a new one (at least, not now) but Ellison gives the Harlequin such gusto, the story such a smooth, enjoyable ride, that one can not help but be caught up in it and cheer as the jelly beans are dropped down. And the message the tale contains (for it does have one, make no mistake) does not make for a message written story. It's a good story, with or without the message, and one has to thank Ellison himself for that. He has a strong voice in his prose--equally as strong as that of himself in person, I am told--and his clearly driven prose leaves no dry points. So there. And if you do order this book and it shows up late, well yes, it's the postal system again... but imagine if everything happened on time? Imagine if you had to be one time for everything? What consequences... Excuse me, got carried away. Buy the book, you'll not regret it. Now, I'm off to drop some jelly beans...
Rating:
Summary: Just buy the book!
Review: This book gets better with every reading. New shades of meaning get clearer. This is not to be missed
Rating:
Summary: Fiercely written and illustrated, in the usual Ellison style
Review: This classic Ellison story is finally given its due, illustrated, and made available on its own. Powerful, dark, concise, and to the point, Ellison puts punctuality in perspective. You'll never see your watch the same way again...
Rating: 
Summary: Emperor's New Clothes
Review: This is good writing? A story dashed out in obvious haste with an obscure ending, stolen from 1984, using five modifiers when one will suffice, reflecting the author's dread of deadlines -- like the one he was under when he wrote this. At this price, it ain't worth it, even with the art.
Rating: 
Summary: Buy a compilation
Review: This is one of my favorite short stories ever but unless you're really into pictures and pretty books on your bookshelf buy one of his compilations (the Essential Ellison is excellent) and get more story for your money.
Rating:
Summary: Tremendous book - read and learn of the rebel
Review: Tremendous illustrations by Rick Berry add to harlan Ellison's prose, but the story speaks powerfully even without illustration. Noting that the publication is (appropriately) two years late for a thirty year anniversary of publication, Ellison shows us who the Harlequin and Ticktock man are - us... I hope Ellison has a *lot* more time to show the world the mask of the Ticktock man, and live the life of the harlequin. Now, it's time to find some jellybeans, and a place to scatter them like seeds in the wind....
Rating:
Summary: "He Serves The State Best Who Opposes The State Most"
Review: When the subject of what one must do in order to enable real social change comes up, and the inevitable names are mentioned - Jesus, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X (the list, sadly, goes on and on) - someone inevitably makes a remark along the lines of, "Yeah, and look what happened to THEM". One of the things Mr. Ellison's fine story points out is that sacrifice is a necessary part of change. Ellison's parable-like tale shows us that someone must be willing to play the fool, the harlequin, to rage against convention, in order for any real change to be made. Form follows content perfectly on this story - like Joyce, like cummings & Kerouac, Ellison delights in playing with language, just as his story's hero delights in playing with the rules of his society. Ellison has sometimes gone overboard in trying to show how hip & clever he is, but in this instance, he gets everything right. In short - highly recommended.
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