Average customer rating:
- Auchincloss - One of the Top 10 Writers in the 20th Century!
- Creative and Clever, But With Unresolved Tension
- Five Narrators Too Many
- what is a Christian gentleman?
- This one needs more than five stars!
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The Rector of Justin: A Novel
Louis Auchincloss
Manufacturer: Mariner Books
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ASIN: 0618224890 |
Book Description
Regarded as one of Louis Auchincloss's most accomplished novels, THE RECTOR OF JUSTIN centers on Frank Prescott, the founder of an exclusive school for boys. Eighty years of his life unfold through the observations of six narrators, each with a unique perspective on the man, his motivations, and the roots of his triumphs and failings.
Customer Reviews:
Auchincloss - One of the Top 10 Writers in the 20th Century!.......2006-07-11
This is #6 on the bestsellers list in 1964, the year I was born. I had a hard time at first getting into the story but it was magnificent! Auchincloss is a tremendous writer and probably, in my humble opinion, one of the best writers in the 20th century. He has a unique writing style. This book is unusual in the fact that it is told by 6 different individuals. This is the story of a man from schoolboy age to his death at age 85.
Frank Prescott was a man of God and of honor. His calling to be a minister and of a teacher was fulfilled and he was very successful in building his dream of a Christian boy's school, although it was not exclusive to that religion. Dr. Prescott had respect for any boy of any religion. He was diligent, proud, and yet humble. He was willing to admit his faults and apologize for his mistakes. A respected man like this is very hard to find in this day and age. Dr. Frank Prescott was revered by any who met him, even if they disliked him.
This was my favorite line & one of the last: "Dr. Prescott was greater than the school which he created and by which he was ultimately disillusioned, and it is my ambition to distill for future generations of Justin boys some bit of the essence of that greatness."
I highly recommend this book to anyone who has lost someone in their lives they truly admired; it will open your heart to the sentiment of greatly appreciating those who have gone before us to set a pure example of respect & honesty.
Creative and Clever, But With Unresolved Tension.......2005-11-04
Louis Auchincloss recommended The Rector of Justin to me as a starting point, as I was unfamiliar with his writing. Then he chuckled and said that he doesn't claim that it's his best, only that it has enduring popularity and is the most commercially successful of his novels. The story portrays the fictional biography of an exclusive New England prep school's willful headmaster, Francis Prescott, and it portrays, too, the characters who "live under the shadow of the Prescott legend." The story is related through six persons in that shadow. They are a former student, Brian Aspinwall, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, David Griscam, an old friend, Horace Havistock, his youngest daughter, Cordelia Turnbull, her common law husband, Charlie Strong, and another student, Jules Griscam, son of the above-mentioned trustee. Each relays impressions of the great man which derive from their own association with him. These glimses portray Prescott's multifaceted character, yet the portrait which emerges leaves the reader unsatisfied, as with a puzzle in which there are not only missing pieces, but also duplicate pieces. Auchincloss' writing is creative, and very clever, and there are hundreds of sentences which beg to be re-read, and which are every bit as fresh on the return leg. Another characteristic of the author's prose is numerous references. He invokes authors, their characters, and countless others: Omar Khayyam, King Lear, Meissonier, Parsifal, Steinbeck, Tom Brown and Arnold, Marlowe and Webster, the Count of Monte Cristo, Anne Boleyn, Rupert Brooke, Mrs. Browning, Billy Budd, Walter Gay, Tannhauser, Freud, Molvina Hoffman, Plantaganet Palliser and Lady Cora, Joseph Andrews, Henry Thoreau... And here are a few examples of the author's craft: "I am the youngest child of a marriage of June and January, and, alas, I cost June her life." "He had all the jauntiness, guile, and charm of a papal bastard in the Renaissance." "We became well-known hosts to the floating expatriate world that made a fetish of disillusionment." "I had not expected that so little oil would settle such troubled waters." "He was uneasy with children, for like a dictator visiting a free country, he knew that his power was suspended." "He knew that his God was as mean as himself, and would never let him get away with anything as easy as that." Unfortunately, though, the story's denouement fails to resolve its creative tension. The eclipse of Prescott's power, in his old age, is portrayed as dramatic and illuminating, but it is neither. Prior to the conclusion our protagonist is a self-absorbed demigod. In that conclusion he becomes yet more self-absorbed, though mortal, and simply fades away. A God as mean as himself, however, would not have let him get away with anything as easy as that.
Five Narrators Too Many.......2005-03-01
Although _The Rector of Justin_ is considered by many as Auchincloss' best novel, I didn't like it as much as some of his other books. It uses six narrators to tell the story of the Reverend Francis Prescott, D.D. -- founder and rector (headmaster) of Justin Martyr, a fictional school for boys in Massachusetts. The narrative structure seems contrived to me; Auchincloss used it better in later books like _The House of the Prophet_. You never get to know Prescott well enough to decide whether you like or dislike him, although maybe it is Auchincloss' intention to create the uncertainty. None of the narrators arouses your sympathy (the main one is just plain annoying), and the book has no trace of sentimentality in it. In Auchincloss' autobiography, _A Writer's Capital_, he says the character of Prescott is based more on Judge Learned Hand than on Endicott Peabody, the headmaster of Groton where Auchincloss went to school.
what is a Christian gentleman?.......2003-12-24
This book surprised me by having a lot of substance. This multiple-narrator novel provides a shifting portrait of a fictional New England Episcopal boarding school headmaster - a legend in his time. It's like a Tom Brown's School Days for early 20th century New England, from the point of view of the headmaster. There is no TGI whatsoever, but the book provides an interesting contrast to the English Public School novel. Among its questions: what does it mean to be a church school? How should we educate boys into men, and what is a man? Ultimately, it examines the uneasy tension between the idealistic, fervently faithful (and rather Puritanical) founder and the materialistic boys, parents, and board that make up the school.
This one needs more than five stars!.......2002-09-11
Louis Auchincloss is always dead-on in his fine wrought character portraits throughout his prolific oeuvre. Here, in what is likely his finest work, that, along with all his other formidable storytelling gifts, the characterization is at its lofty apex. He also experiments a bit with form, going beyond the usual fictional biography techniques by including pertinent conversations and writings by former students (a brilliant few chapters!), family, and associates. Indeed, there is a certain irony in his biographer's comments late in the book: "But my trouble is precisely that I am not interested in writing a biography. I am interested in inspiring my reader, and I am much at odds with my century in believing that to demonstrate the best by itself is more inspiring than the best with the worst." We get an entirely balanced portrait of a great man of ideas who, joyously, is ultimately as human and full of foibles as the boys he so carefully nurtures. This is awesome, hopeful, faith-inducing, awesomely inspiring and fun read.
Average customer rating:
- The primary sex organ is the brain. . .
- Like many sequels, not as satisfying as the original.
- Shades of Gaudy Night
- The Apprenticeship is over; Mary comes of age
- Satisfying
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A Monstrous Regiment of Women
Laurie R. King
Manufacturer: Bantam
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Binding: Paperback
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A Letter of Mary (Mary Russell Novels)
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ASIN: 0553574566
Release Date: 1996-12-01 |
Amazon.com
In The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Laurie R. King came up with a completely original story that had Sherlock Holmes as one of its principal characters but was in no way part of the Holmes canon. The focus of that book was a young woman, Mary Russell. Now in
A Monstrous Regiment of Women, Mary Russell's adventures as a student of the famous detective continue. A series of murders claims members of a strange suffrage organization's wealthy young female volunteers, and Mary, with Holmes in the background, investigates, little knowing what danger she personally faces.
Laurie R. King is also the author of the Edgar Award-winning novel A Grave Talent.
Book Description
The dawn of 1921 finds Mary Russell, Sherlock Holmes’s brilliant young apprentice, about to come into a considerable inheritance. Nevertheless, she still enjoys her nighttime prowls in disguise through London’s grimy streets, where one night she encounters an old friend, now a charity worker among the poor. Veronica
Beaconsfield introduces Russell to the New Temple of God, led by the enigmatic, electrifying Margery Childe. Part suffragette, part mystic, she lives quite well for a woman of God from supposedly humble origins.
Despite herself, Russell is drawn ever deeper into Childe’s circle. When Veronica has a near-fatal accident–and turns out to be the fourth bluestocking in the group to meet with misadventure after changing her will–Russell and Holmes launch a quiet investigation. But the Temple may bring the newly rich Russell far closer to heaven than she would like.…
Customer Reviews:
The primary sex organ is the brain. . ........2007-03-27
This is the thoroughly satisfying second book in King's Mary Russell series. Mary is Sherlock Holmes protege--a young orphan who lives the life of the mind much as Holmes does. She has now graduated from Oxford and is about to receive her considerable inheritance. In addition Holmes has created considerable tension into their relationship by suggesting that Mary will propose marriage.
Russell retreats from Holmes in confusion and absorbs herself in a mystery surrounding a charismatic female cult leader who seems to be the genuine article--a mystic with healing powers and a genuine mission to help women. Yet Mary connects mysterious deaths of rich women to this cult leader. Ultimately Holmes and Mary unite in a perilous pursuit of a malefactor.
King crafts an absorbing mystery with appealing characters and with considerable suspense. Despite the considerable age difference between Mary and Holmes, they are clearly soul-mates and could never be happy with anyone else. The ending is gratifying with the mystery solved and Russell and Holmes negotiating a satisfactory relationship based upon their sharp wit and passionate souls. Highly recommended!
Like many sequels, not as satisfying as the original........2007-03-23
This followup to The Beekeeper's Apprentice was an enjoyable read and held my interest all the way through. It touches expertly on some very engrossing subjects, such as love between friends, and also explores the very dark elements of abduction and drug use. However the author seems to get bogged down in discussion of religious topics. Understandable, because King has a degree in theology and the topic definitely relates to the story, but it seemed to be a little too much in a "less is more" situation.
The climax of the story was also somewhat of a dissapointment; it had sort of a rushed-to-the-end feeling. The buildup to this was quite good, though, and if you loved the first in the series, you will definitely enjoy this.
Shades of Gaudy Night.......2007-01-03
I tried hard to enjoy A Monstrous Regiment of Women, and it actually wasn't so bad, but I kept having the feeling that the author was recreating for her characters, Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes, the scenes and sentiments of Dorothy L. Sayers's materpiece, Gaudy Night, also set in Oxford and London between the wars. If you like King's book, please try the original. It is much better written!
A note (referring to the original hardcover edition: This book is full of typos. The worst two that I found were a reference to "chairwomen" instead of "charwomen" and the assertion that Abigail Adams was born in 1774. I gather there wasn't an awful lot of proofreading going on when this one was in production ...
The Apprenticeship is over; Mary comes of age.......2006-08-18
Mary Russell is more or less on her own in this second adventure. At the ripe age of 21, Mary comes into her inheritance and through a friend, is introduced to the New Temple of God and its mystical leader, Margery Childe. Her feminism and theology fascinate Mary, but when a series of murders claim the lives of some of the Temple's wealthy young women, Mary begins to suspect something more is afoot. With Holmes' aid, Mary confronts a cunning and vicious killer. Nevertheless, the mystery plot is really secondary to story of Mary's coming of age after the events in King's superb Beekeepers' Apprentice. Mary must come to grips not only with her academic aspirations, but her relationship with Holmes. I can't help but be enthralled with King's smart writing and the unique voice of Mary Russell. But what I like most is that King knows when to make her heroine take charge, without making her an unrealistic action hero.
Satisfying.......2006-03-27
A monstrous Regiment of Women is the follow up, and indeed it is a hard act to follow, of the Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King. I enjoyed this story but at the same time must admit that the poignancy and enthusiam I felt during the reading of the Beekeeper's Apprentice was missing. I chalk this up to two factors. The relationship between Holmes and Mary Russell takes a backseat in this story and at the same time comes to the forefront but in a romantic way. So there is less personal interaction during the story but the nature of the relationship changes. Romance blossoms which at times picturing Mary and Sherlock in an intimate embrace was awkward to say the least. The second factor in is the lack of personal intorspection on the part of Russell. She is a less likeable character and often appears more like a tantrum throwing, head strong brat. With that said the plot is entertaining. The reader is introduced to New Agey mystic Margery Childe and her "congregation" of the New Temple making for an interesting mystery . The end is riveting and graphic and as much as the beginning and middle move slowly the conclusion of the novel is a page turner. All in all well done.
Average customer rating:
- Cliché and so predictable it made me want to cry
- female heroes
- Discworld
- On the absurdity of war...but a bit too predictable..
- Great story - whats up ahead, some of what is behind also.
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Monstrous Regiment
Terry Pratchett
Manufacturer: HarperTorch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Thud!: A Novel of Discworld (Discworld Novels)
ASIN: 0060013168
Release Date: 2004-08-31 |
Amazon.com
What do you get when you cross a vampire, a troll, Igor, a collection of misfits, and a young woman who shoves a pair of socks down her pants to join the army? The answer's simple. You have Monstrous Regiment, the characteristically charming novel by Terry Pratchett.
Polly becomes Private Oliver Perks, who is on a quest to find her older brother, who's recently MIA in one of the innumerable wars the tiny nation of Borogravia has a habit of starting with its neighbors. This peevish tendency has all but expended Borogravia's ranks of cannon fodder. Whether Sergeant Jackrum knows her secret or not, he can't afford to be choosy, as Perks and her/his comrades are among the last able-bodied recruits left in Borogravia. This collection of misfits includes the aforementioned vampire (reformed and off the blood, thank you), troll, and macabre Igor, who is only too happy to sew you a new leg if you aren't too particular about previous ownership. Off to war, Polly/Oliver learns that having a pair of, um, socks is a good way to open up doors in this man's army.
For those who haven't made this underrated author's acquaintance, Monstrous Regiment is as good a place to start as any. Readers will encounter Pratchett's subtle and disarming wit, his trademark footnoted asides along with a not-too-shabby tale of honor, courage, and duty in the face of absurd circumstances. --Jeremy Pugh
Book Description
War has come to Discworld ... again.
And, to no one's great surprise, the conflict centers around the small, arrogantly fundamentalist duchy of Borogravia, which has long prided itself on its unrelenting aggressiveness. A year ago, Polly Perks's brother marched off to battle, and Polly's willing to resort to drastic measures to find him. So she cuts off her hair, dons masculine garb, and -- aided by a well-placed pair of socks -- sets out to join this man's army. Since a nation in such dire need of cannon fodder can't afford to be too picky, Polly is eagerly welcomed into the fighting foldalong with a vampire, a troll, an Igor, a religious fanatic, and two uncommonly close "friends." It would appear that Polly "Ozzer" Perks isn't the only grunt with a secret. But duty calls, the battlefield beckons. And now is the time for all good ... er ... "men" to come to the aid of their country.
Customer Reviews:
Cliché and so predictable it made me want to cry.......2007-04-07
This book seems perfect for a light read. It has catchy characters and an okay plot.
Actually, don't read this even as a light read unless you enjoy the "guilty pleasure" of reading novels with way too many adverbs. Monstrous Regiment is completely formulaic, and seems to be written by a machine and not a person. It is so shallow and badly thought out that it's nauseating.
I liked Pratchett's the Wee Free Men better. That was easily funny, whereas Monstrous Regiment is trying too hard. Don't read it unless you're a diehard Terry Pratchett fan. Or a masochist, that too.
SPOILER:
By the end of the book, it's revealed that everyone is a woman. This annoys me no end- it's predictable and yet so stupid that you have to wonder whether Pratchett was conscious when he wrote it.
female heroes.......2007-01-10
In the face of a stupid, horrible war, Pratchett addresses the limitations and assumptions of gender identity with fresh wisdom and humor.
Discworld.......2006-08-27
I've decided he's too good and too prolific for me to write a brand new review every single time I read one of his books. Discworld currently has 34 titles and every one of them will probably knock your socks off. His mind bubbles and flashes like a boiling pot of electric eels, and I simply can't get enough of his writing.
A reviewer has compared him to Geoffrey Chaucer. He reminds me more of Douglas Adams, or perhaps S Morgenstern. Great company, isn't it? He's an extremely skillful and imaginative writer, damn funny, clever and observant to boot. He's also very easy to read. A master of characterization, and if there's anything else you like about reading that I didn't mention here, assume I simply forgot. He's awesome.
Another reviewer mentioned Jonathan Swift and PG Wodehouse. Why such hallowed company? Because Pratchett belongs there! Truly, I'm enjoying my quest to read every book in the series. You should do the same, and begin your quest at the library because he's got to be there. He's awesome!
Yet another reviewer said Jerome K Jerome meets Lord of the Rings. Yeah, that works too.
Why do we, as reviewers, compare authors to other authors? Because it's easier than thinking. In the case of Terry Pratchett, it's probably because we'd otherwise wind up quoting the guy. He's so unique that we just don't know how else to cope with his greatness. Even this paragraph sounds like foamy drool raving, doesn't it? That's how all readers react to Pratchett. Reviewers simply don't have the good sense to keep it to themselves.
I could call his writing fantasy, but I could likewise call what Douglas Adams wrote science fiction. In both cases, I wouldn't be wrong, but I'd be neglecting so much and just totally missing the point. A rare few authors transcend a genre to such a degree that you know they're shouting out, loud and proud, a big fat "Bite me!"
I love Terry Pratchett's writing, and I completely understand why some folks refer to him as their favorite author. Or favourite, I should say, since we're being British. He's one of those authors that makes you want to grab whoever's in hearing range and start reading passages aloud. I'm simply thrilled that there's such an extremely talented and prolific author who's been working for years without me being aware of him. Now I have much catching up to do, and I will love it.
On the absurdity of war...but a bit too predictable.........2006-07-07
This trip to Discworld takes us into Borogravia, home of constant warfare that generally stem from the most ridiculous reasons imaginable. Into the conflict comes young Polly Perks, a barmaid who needs to find her brother before the family loses the family tavern. As women are not permitted to be soldiers as it is "an abomination unto Nuggan." the deity whose concerns are constantly becoming more and more outrageous, Polly pretends to be a man and joins up with a ragtag group that include a vampire, a troll, and an "Igor." Everyone has their own secrets and the troop goes off to war.
This episode of Discworld is a bit predictable. The conflicts and concerns of war are ample fodder for farce and Pratchett makes the most of the setting, but the storyline and the "surprises" within are far too predictable. Pratchett does have an opportunity to give some more depth to his world, but I found myself missing Ankh-Morpock and its denizens (although a few make an appearance). An departure from the norm and still enjoyable, but hopefully Borogravia will only make an occasional appearance.
Great story - whats up ahead, some of what is behind also........2006-07-02
SPOILER AHEAD DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ENDING
This installment of a new set of characters within the Discworld sets us in a parallel universe to the recent Bosnian Conflict. We follow a group of females willing to join the ranks to go find their men, or to escape a bitter past. Generally I love Terry Pratchett books. This one seemed a bit predictable. From the moment Private Oliver Perks "Polly" joins I had hopes she was the one female in the ranks of the men. Within a few pages you find out she is not alone. About 100 pages from the end the real dissapointment comes out. All in all it is a great book and the story is decent. I was just a little dissapointed with the end.
Average customer rating:
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A Monstrous Regiment Of Women
Laurie King
Manufacturer: London HarperCollins 1997.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0002326108 |
Average customer rating:
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Monstrous Regiment: Women Rulers in Men's Worlds
Betty Millan
Manufacturer: Olympic Marketing Corp
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0946041016 |
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The Monstrous Regiment of Women: Female Rulers in Early Modern Europe
Sharon L. Jansen
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0312213417 |
Book Description
When Mary Tudor became queen of England, the succession of a woman to the throne horrified many, including the Protestant reformer John Knox. His blistering condemnation of female rule, The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women, was followed in print by a series of pamphlets that echoed and expanded his argument that female rule was unnatural, unlawful, and contrary to scripture. In her own variation on this "monstrous regiment," Sharon Jansen contributes to the debate about female rulers. She explores the relationships among the many women whose lives occupy a place in and perpetuate a continuing, though largely unrecognized, tradition of political rule. The "story" of early modern European political history looks very different if we focus on successive generations of powerful women and view the shifting political alliances of the period from their perspective.
Average customer rating:
- Absorbing and sad
- Thought provoking
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Colonel Barker's Monstrous Regiment: A Tale of Female Husbandry
Rose Collis
Manufacturer: Virago Press, Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1860498930 |
Book Description
The astonishing true story of a consummate gentleman… who just happened to be a woman.
Customer Reviews:
Absorbing and sad.......2004-06-27
I had never heard of Col. Barker until I stumbled across this book at a sale. I was fascinated -- since I literally couldn't put it down, I read it in a day -- and deeply moved. I admired the skill with which Collis interwove her various stories and times; the "subplots" added resonance to the main tale. At the same time, however, I was slightly uncomfortable with the cumulative image created by the stories of the other 'man-women': they had all, or almost all, committed crimes, from petty theft to murder. Collis, I'm sure, never intended to imply a link between criminal behavior and alternative gender behavior. I assume that the majority of 'man-women' lived and died undetected, or at least without mass notoriety. Presumably, the only ones who were publicly exposed were the ones who came under the scrutiny of the authorities, hence the prevalence of criminals in Collis's book. I wish she had addressed that issue at some point. Also, there are times when she implies injustice to a criminal 'man-woman' without much apparent foundation. I am thinking in particular of the case of Margaret Bill Allen, who murdered a neighbor in "one of her moods." Western justice has certainly changed in the 50 or so years since Allen was executed; there would be a slew of medical and other factors to consider in his/her case today. Nevertheless, there does not seem to be compelling evidence, as far as Collis tells us, to support the implication that Bill's gender was a major issue in the case. A brutal, unmotivated murder and attempt to cover it up seems to have been what the authorities took exception to. These are quibbles, though, with what was an exceptional account of a gripping and saddening story.
Thought provoking.......2004-06-04
A well researched, factual novel, found by chance in a bookstore in Yarragon. Whilst I was aware of the cases of "man-woman" phenomenon around the world, I had not heard of Colonel Victor Barker before. The pain and humiliation he/she has had to suffer has been momentous, and the dedication shown to his/her son made me cry.
Rose Collis makes an excellent point in her thanks at the end of her book, being that non-fiction writers are often overlooked for grants. These writers are neglected when they should be applauded and assisted and I for one agree heartily with her views!
Book Description
First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women is the story of Andrew Halfnight, whose life-part dream, part nightmare-begins with a mother's tragic choice and ends with a lover's understanding. In between he experiences tempests at sea, relatives who kill for love and lovers who sacrifice their bodies, all the while unknowingly moving ever closer to the central mystery of his, and all existence.
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