The Elementals

Rating:
Summary: Really 2 and a half stars
Review: The first two stories in the book are very well written, and I had no problems at all finishing them. In fact, it was hard to stop reading until I hit the third story. From that point on, the book went on a downward spiral. If possible, I recommend borrowing the book from a friend and sticking to the first half of the novel. You won't miss much by skipping the last half.

Rating:
Summary: Half good
Review: The first two stories of The Elementals were classic Llywelyn, solid historical storytelling. The last two which were set closer to present time bordered on boring. A long time Llywelyn fan, I had trouble reading the last half of the book and found myself literally skipping and skimming pages. I definitely thought that Llywelyn was out of her element writing about the future in The Elementals.

Rating:
Summary: Want chills? Read this, then watch the natl weather forecast
Review: This book initially seems to begin as a series of rather odd short stories, until the author sneaks up behind you like a thief, stealing your breath and your heart, and you find your jaw was left on the ground about a mile back. I've never been an environmental fanatic, but upon closing this book I immediately went and threw out my aerosol hairspray cans. Well worth reading, and VERY well worth reading a second time!

Rating:
Summary: I read this whole book within 12 hours!
Review: This book was one of three books we studied in my English Lit II class. I read the whole book in one day, and it was a great book. The Elementals combines classic myths with great fictional storytelling. The first two parts are fantastic, especially the second about the destruction of the island of Thebes, which is one of the islands belived to be the real Atlantis. The final story was a tough one for me to read, because it portrays a very disturbing end to the human race, but the book ends with a strong hope for redemption. A tremendous effort by one of the leading Celtic writers of our time.

Rating:
Summary: I read this whole book within 12 hours!
Review: This book was one of three books we studied in my English Lit II class. I read the whole book in one day, and it was a great book. The Elementals combines classic myths with great fictional storytelling. The first two parts are fantastic, especially the second about the destruction of the island of Thebes, which is one of the islands belived to be the real Atlantis. The final story was a tough one for me to read, because it portrays a very disturbing end to the human race, but the book ends with a strong hope for redemption. A tremendous effort by one of the leading Celtic writers of our time.

Rating:
Summary: A Picture Of The Enviornment
Review: This is a great book. It brings an understanding of how we are destroying our enviornment down to a level which we all can understand. It glimpses at the past, the now, and the future, and weaves them all together to show us our mistakes. A wonderful, and thought provoking work.

Rating:
Summary: A very powerful book with 4 stories making up the whole.
Review: This is not a book for light reading. It has 4 stories involving 4 elements of earth. Each elemental story has a central character descended from the first, each element involves a powerful story of nature. A very good read that affected me and how I perceive what we're doing to our world, which, I believe, was the authors point.