Philip Roth: Novels 1967-1972: When She Was Good / Portnoy's Complaint / Our Gang / The Breast (Library of America)

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When She Was Good is very, very good

'Portnoy's Complaint' is the book Roth will live by

Redundant for true fans; baffling for his enemies

Philip Roth: Novels 1967-1972: When She Was Good / Portnoy's Complaint / Our Gang / The Breast (Library of America)
Philip Roth
Manufacturer: Library of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Philip Roth: Novels and Stories 1959-1962: Goodbye, Columbus & Five Short Stories / Letting Go (Library of America)

Philip Roth: Novels 1973-1977, The Great American Novel, My Life as a Man, The Professor of Desire (Library of America)

Saul Bellow: Novels 1956-1964: Seize the Day, Henderson the Rain King, Herzog (Library of America)

Zuckerman Bound: A Trilogy and Epilogue 1979-1985: The Ghost Writer / Zuckerman Unbound / The Anatomy Lesson / The Prague Orgy (Library of America #175)

James Agee: Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, A Death in the Family, Shorter Fiction (Library of America)

ASIN: 1931082804

Book Description

For the last half century, the novels of Philip Roth have re-energized American fiction and redefined its possibilities. Roth's comic genius, his imaginative daring, his courage in exploring uncomfortable truths, and his assaults on political, cultural, and sexual orthodoxies have made him one of the essential writers of our time. By special arrangement with the author, The Library of America now inaugurates the definitive edition of Roth's collected works. This second volume presents four extraordinarily diverse works displaying the range and originality of his fictional art.

When She Was Good (1967) is the trenchant portrait of Lucy Nelson, a young midwestern woman whose perception of her own suffering turns her into a ferocious force, "enemy-ridden and unforgivingly defiant," as Roth would later describe her. A small-town 1940s America of restrictive social pressures and foreclosed opportunities provides the novel's background.

The publication of the hilarious Portnoy's Complaint (1969) was a cultural event that turned Roth into a reluctant celebrity. The confession of a bewildered psychoanalytic patient thrust through life by his unappeasable sexuality yet held back by the iron grip of his unforgettable childhood, Portnoy unleashed Roth's comic virtuosity and opened new avenues for American fiction.

In Our Gang (1971), described by Anthony Burgess as a "brilliant satire in the real Swift tradition," Roth effects a savage takedown of the administration of Richard Nixon (who figures here as Trick E. Dixon). Written before the revelations of the Watergate scandal, Our Gang continues to resonate as a broad and outraged response to the clownish hypocrisy and moral theatrics of the American political scene.

The Kafkaesque excursion The Breast (1972) introduces David Kepesh in the first volume of a trilogy that continues with The Professor of Desire (1977) and The Dying Animal (2001). The Breast prompted Cynthia Ozick to remark, "One knows when one is reading something that will permanently enter the culture."

Customer Reviews:

When She Was Good is very, very good.......2007-06-12

If I remember correctly, this book was trashed on the front page of the NY Times Book Review section forty years ago because the reviewer thought a young Jew should not or could not write about small town WASP America. I could not disagree more, both in principle and after reading the novel several years later. I was relieved to find the writer (a man!) would take the trouble to write about a young woman who had marched in her high school band and worked at the Dairy Queen. The book jacket described her as the all-American bitch but I doubt this was Roth's full intention. The ending was beautifully written and so believable it affected my own behavior. Some of the most memorable pages in Roth's prizewinning American Pastoral reminded me of When She Was Good, a book even Roth usually overlooks in talking about his work. Too bad the review may have had a searing effect for a long time.

'Portnoy's Complaint' is the book Roth will live by .......2005-09-05

'When She was Good' is not very good.
'The Breast' is a bad- taste joke which cannot approach the Kafka or Gogol that are its inspiration.
'Portnoy's Complaint' is Roth's masterpiece. And even if he has shown through subsequent years great staying power, and considerable seriousness, and truly outstanding work ( Parts of 'American Pastoral' and 'Patrimony' for example) this is the one work in which he reveals what he best has to give.
It is arguably one of the funniest books ever written, and deeply poignant one.
It is an American classic and justifies Roth's place in this series.

Redundant for true fans; baffling for his enemies.......2005-08-31

This would make a great gift. It's an honor for Philip Roth
to be included in this series. He has never written a bad book. Just give him the Noble prize for literature and be done with it. Thanks for a lifetime of serious laughs and the playful insights,Phil.

Average customer rating:

Domestic Dispute
when she was good
Philip Roth's latter-day realism
Slow to get my interest, but the ending made up for it.
Effects Of An Alcoholic Father

When She Was Good
Philip Roth
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0394451872
Release Date: 1967-05-12

Book Description

In this funny and chilling novel, the setting is a small town in the 1940s Midwest, and the subject is the heart of a wounded and ferociously moralistic young woman, one of those implacable American moralists whose "goodness" is a terrible disease.

When she was still a child, Lucy Nelson had her alcoholic failure of a father thrown in jail. Ever since then she has been trying to reform the men around her, even if that ultimately means destroying herself in the process. With his unerring portraits of Lucy and her hapless, childlike husband, Roy, Roth has created an uncompromising work of fictional realism, a vision of provincial American piety, yearning, and discontent that is at once pitiless and compassionate.

Customer Reviews:

Domestic Dispute.......2007-06-23

Those of us that have seen a friend or family member in a bad marital situation may want to look away when they read this book. "When She Was Good" is almost too realistic at times, which can make it uncomfortable to read. It is a sad and painful story, yet it is hard to dismiss as a bad story.

Lucy, the main character of the story, grows up in a home with an abusive alcoholic mother. Seemingly on top of the world, she becomes pregnant during her freshman year of college by Roy. Roy is a somewhat doltish man who has just returned from two years of military service. Convincing Roy to "do the right thing" and marry her seems to begin the downfall of her character. Once contemplating becoming a nun, Lucy has become a controlling wife. In a strange twist of fate, Lucy evolves into all that she loathed in her father in the respect that her own child finds her intolerable and her husband leaves her. The situation mirrors her father being run out of her mother's house.

Lucy is a deeply flawed character that readers will have difficultly liking. Lucy is initially a very moral charcter but has difficuly seeing her faults and eventual backslide. Because Roy and his family are even more vilainous, readers may have difficulty identifying with anybody in the story. Only when Lucy reaches her breaking point does the reader begin to feel sympathy. But knowing Lucy created her own problems, some readers may still have trouble feeling sorry for her.

I really have had trouble deciding if I like this book. I am a fan of many of Roth's other works, yet I find some of his books to be uncomfortably personal and intruding. This is a credit to Roth as a writer even if some readers may not like the feeling of his writing.

when she was good.......2007-04-02

I had wanted to read a book by Philip Roth for a while, and I must say I was disappointed!
The characters were real and interesting, but the plot was sloooooooooow, to the point of being boring!
I do enjoy psychological books,but this was too vague for my liking...
Mary Larsen and Sue Miller, here I come... you are the best of that genre!!

Philip Roth's latter-day realism.......2005-08-30

Although I've read almost all of Philip Roth's books, this is the first pre-"Portnoy" novel I've tackled. Very strange to think this book was written by the same man. Although there are occasional glimmers of what was to come in Roth's later novels, in its spare style and stark realism, "When She Was Good" feels like the work of some latter-day Sinclair Lewis or Dreiser.

Which is a problem for me, because I don't ordinarily enjoy novels of the "realist" camp. Too often, the writer sets out with an agenda or point to prove and everything--setting, plot, character--is bent to the author's whim, making the novel itself feel like a sham. To some extent, that is the case here. It seems we are to sympathize with "good", honest, duped Lucy Nelson--surrounded by a cast of miserable grotesques, she is the only one who sees through the phoniness to arrive at the truth. And indeed, there is no one (I repeat: NO ONE) in this novel, save Lucy, who is likeable (one may pity them, but it's impossible to LIKE them). Problem is--I didn't like Lucy, either. She's too psychotic to be believable, too cold to be endearing, too inconsistent to be relatable. At one point she pats herself on the back for "saving" her son's life (even though she would have aborted the child had she found a doctor willing to do so)--she plays the role of martyr, but is really nothing of the sort. Lucy is a toy in Roth's hands, easily manipulated, and she never comes across as the three-dimensional character she needs to be to carry the novel. This is less the fault of Roth's writing as it is his realist-agenda. This is novel-writing by-the-numbers and while it's good as far as realist novels go (better than Lewis, I'd say, not as good as Dreiser), it can never really be a great novel.

This may be the last realist novel ever written, in fact. The "school" seemed to have died out by the '60s, and perhaps that's why Roth sets his novel in the '40s. Still, it feels at times like a literary relic. It's a fascinating read for fans of Roth's later work; but if Roth had never gone on to become famous with "Portnoy," this book would quickly have gone out-of-print and been completely forgotten.

Slow to get my interest, but the ending made up for it........2004-10-14

When I started reading this, I almost gave up on it. It seemed a little slow and fairly dull. But once I got into the book, it started to get more interesting, perhaps I just missed the subtlety at the beginning. I absoultely loved the evolution of the main charater, and how she tried to maintain control, even as things were falling apart. The irony of it was so bitter, and the ending was tragic. When I closed the book I felt emotionally drained.

Effects Of An Alcoholic Father.......2004-04-25

The beginning of the book is very slow moving and at times confusing. It does progress into a more enjoyable read. The ending is an astounding and sad.

Book Description

Em spent the first fourteen years of her life suffering her father's alcoholic rages and her mothr's silent depression, and the next three trapped with her abusive older sister Pamela. Now Pamela is dead and Em is alone at last. But will she be able to survive?

Customer Reviews:

Victim Freed.......2007-05-31

Em never really knew freedom as a child. Up until she was fourteen, she lived in a trailer with her alcoholic and occasionally abusive father, her weak and depressed mother, and her older sister Pamela, who was capable of frightening rages. Then her mother died, her father remarried, and her sister got worse. One day Pamela decides she's had enough of her father's new wife, so she packs her things, takes Em, and leaves.

Pamela and Em settle down in a new city, and Pamela's rages begin to intensify. She spends her days on the couch in their new place watching television while Em goes off to work. Sometimes Em is able to make Pamela laugh and things are happy, but more often Em is the victim of horrible abuse at her sister's hands. Pamela doesn't work herself; she receives disability checks because of her mental illness.

Then one day when Em is seventeen, Pamela dies. For the first time, Em is all by herself, and she is free. What had always seemed like a dream to her is now reality, but Em almost doesn't know how to deal with it. She's never been able to make decisions about her own life without worrying what someone else is going to think or do about those decisions. She needs to find a way to silence the voice of Pamela she always seems to hear in her head.

It was sad that Em's abuse went on for so long without anyone figuring it out or stepping in to help her. It was tragic what her character had to endure.

I liked that there was no quick fix to Em's life. Once Pamela was gone, things weren't immediately happy for Em; she had lived with abuse for too long to just fall into a normal life. I liked how the story was told in a series of flashbacks, so you already know that Pamela is dead and Em is safe.

When She Was Good.......2006-11-28

English class, my group chose When She Was Good for our lit circle. And I am so glad we did. It was so sad and yet I couldn't help but root for Em and hope that everything turned out okay.
I really liked this book, and I think it was really inspirational and well written. GO EM!

~Chelsie

a book you dont want to put down.......2006-11-03

I think that this book was a really good book to read. This story is about this girl named Em Thurkill, and her mom dies.Her dad is an acohlolic and her older sister abuses her. When her mom dies in the beginning of the story Em's whole life changes, and this is the part where it gets interesting. Em and her older sister decided to move out so they saved up all their money that their dad gives them to buy food and rent an aparment in a different state. Of course they had to lie about their ages. Months later after they moved Pamela Em's older sister dies while watching T.V. Em first thought it was a joke, but it wasn't. It took a while for Em to figure she was gone because she was still acting like she was alive of the was she was doing everything. Then the rest of the story it just tells about her life now that she is on her own. I really liked this book and I hope lots of other people will too.

The life of a little hater.......2006-10-27

Very well written book and a joy to read. Lucy, pretty blond blue-eyed girl, born in the Midwest to an average set of parents, is a good example of a rigid uncompromising person. Life is only good when it confirms to her standard and her heart is cold and inapproachable. Lucy is someone who readily concentrates on her misfortunes, and forgets to count her blessings. Lucy wastes much of her life's energy on hating people she meets and situations that she is in. She has no hobbies, no interests in life and no thoughts except that her life is miserable and "she was going to live forever in this ... world she had made." I don't think Lucy's death (from freezing in a snow because she came to harass people's houses in the middle of the cold night) is a tragedy because Lucy was a kind of person who lives in the past. And since the past already wronged her, in her mind, she is forever wronged, "past is hovering over her," she is unable to forget or get over it and move on. Past can't change, the attitude could, but not hers, she was determined to be forever unreconciled with the life.
The best thing Roth could do - and did do - for this story is to present it from the position of a number of characters. It allowed formation of a more objective picture of the situation and the problems. By posing Lucy's point of view after other participants of the story, reader is allowed to see how often her judgments were off the mark and how erroneous her life's motivations were. For example, her grandfather was very much fond of her, but she from her position never even noticed his love much. She didn't acknowledge it, she wasted it and were we to read this story from Lucy's standpoint we could have missed the significance of her inability to see and appreciate another person's love.

Stark.......2004-09-03

I read this book in just a few hours. The main character (Em) just grabbed me and I couldn't help but keep reading. The book is written in a rather spontaneous way, bouncing between Em's inner thoughts, dialogue, and narration. Though a bit hard to follow, at times, this writing style allows the reader to really feel for Em.

This book is depressing and sad right from the first page. I found myself actually hoping the main character would give up. It was almost painful to read about Em's endless string of dissapointments. Day after day Em goes through the same routine. Where she finds hope is a mystery, but she finds it and she holds onto it.

What I like about this book is the 'realness' of it. Em is a believeable and pitiful character. Her situations are as likely as the sun rising. This is the story of someone who never had anything and never really finds anything. Again, I was almost hoping to read about how Em gave up or was killed or killed herself or was somehow taken out of her miserable life. But Em just keeps on living, her reasons known only to her.

I would certainly recommend this book, it is gripping. But be warned that this is not a happy story, not at the beginning and not at the end.

Things Will Get as Good as You Can Stand: (. . . When you learn that it is better to receive than to give) The Superwoman's Practical Guide to Getting as Much as She Gives

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A Must Read for those who over-do
This is the only book you should ever buy!
This is the only book you should ever buy!
great concept, average writing
Simple Path to Success, Simplicity, Serenity

Things Will Get as Good as You Can Stand: (. . . When you learn that it is better to receive than to give) The Superwoman's Practical Guide to Getting as Much as She Gives
Laura Doyle
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743245156

Book Description

Why do the things you want elude you?

Intimacy. Validation. Romance. Nice things. More time. Most women wish for these every day.

In Things Will Get as Good as You Can Stand, bestselling author Laura Doyle says that all of these things are available to us, but receiving them makes women feel uncomfortable. We turn away praise at work, help with the house, an expression of admiration so that we appear to be in control. The result is a Superwoman Syndrome: we are overworked and exhausted -- and we feel alone.

In Things Will Get as Good as You Can Stand, Doyle provides steps for overcoming the Superwoman Syndrome and explains why:

If you act like you don't deserve something, everyone else will agree
Saying what you want makes you more beautiful
Grateful women have better romantic relationships
You should let a man support you
You have to be vulnerable to get emotional help

With her trademark practical approach, Doyle explains why it is "better to receive than to give." She guides you to accepting what you are offered with ease and kindness, which is the expressway to having what you want.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Read for those who over-do.......2006-08-15

When you do too much and aren't used to being the receipient of good things, you only enjoy so much of life. Balance is key and although cliche ... very important. Being receptive to life is about recieving what it has to offer. A great book to start balancing out the affairs of the heart for a healthy give and take approach to love.

This is the only book you should ever buy!.......2004-06-29

can't tell you how wonderful this book was! It helped me see how I was rejecting all the gifts I am in fact, always surrounded by but just couldn't see because I didn't know how. It wasn't about what was outside of me, I just needed to learn how to change my perception. I am astounded by how much abundance is coming my way, now that I can see it. Thanks Laura Doyle, you are great!

This is the only book you should ever buy!.......2004-06-29

I can't tell you how wonderful this book was! It helped me see how I was rejecting all the gifts I am in fact, always surrounded by but just couldn't see because I didn't know how. It wasn't about what was outside of me, I just needed to learn how to change my perception. I am astounded by how much abundance is coming my way, now that I can see it. Thanks Laura Doyle, you are great!

great concept, average writing.......2004-04-26

This book sends a wonderful message describing the importance of gracefully receiving for those of us who feel guilty receiving gifts, relaxing, or taking a break from life. It helps the reader understand the psychology of giving too much and reciving too little. This is a great framework, but the writing is average or below. It is distractingly oversimplified and repetitive. I have to restrain myself from editing it as I read.

Simple Path to Success, Simplicity, Serenity.......2004-04-12

This book literally leaped its way into my hands because I see it over and over and over again: people have not learned how to receive well - and tend to get really caught up in an "unworthiness" trap which blocks all sorts of wonderfulness to circulate to them AND from them.

An unwillingness to receive BLOCKS people who WANT to give: even such simple gifts like a compliment or a simple act of service. Doyle gently teaches the readers how to get over this hurdle of "secretly believing we would only succeed by suffering."

She sends a newsflash: "The difference between people who achieved billionaire status and mere millionaire status is that the billionaires LOVE what they do".

This topic is critically important for all, men and women alike and across faiths. I didn't pick this up because I was a fan of Doyle's, although I can see she likes to be controversial from the other titles she has written.

I am grateful to see this topic is being addressed: may we give and receive bountifully starting with the simple lessons contained here. Being willing to gracefully receive WILL pave the way to success. It is as simple as that.

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5 Titles By Roth - Out Gang - Letting Go - Goodbye Columbus - Portnoy's Complaint - When She Was Good - The Great American Novel
Philip Roth
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
Roth, Philip | ( R ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000NVYQVA

Product Description

5 massmarket paperback Titles By Roth - Out Gang - Letting Go - Goodbye Columbus - Portnoy's Complaint - When She Was Good - The Great American Novel

Memoirs of the life of Mrs. Charlotte Deans: From her earliest infancy, comprising the periods when she was Miss CHarlotte Lowes, Mrs. Johnston, and Mrs. ... been her good and bad fortune to associate

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Memoirs of the life of Mrs. Charlotte Deans: From her earliest infancy, comprising the periods when she was Miss CHarlotte Lowes, Mrs. Johnston, and Mrs. ... been her good and bad fortune to associate
Charlotte Deans
Manufacturer: [s.n.]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00088A856

Philip Roth's Portnoy's complaint ; Letting go ; When she was good ; Goodbye Columbus: A critical commentary (Monarch notes)

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Philip Roth's Portnoy's complaint ; Letting go ; When she was good ; Goodbye Columbus: A critical commentary (Monarch notes)
Stanley Cooperman
Manufacturer: Monarch Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006XIXHS

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Roth P When She Was Good
Philip Roth
Manufacturer: Jonathan Cape
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 022461245X

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When She Was Good
Philip Roth
Manufacturer: BANTAM BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WDSYV2

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When She Was Good
Philip Roth
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000O3F1RA

Book Description

New alliances are forged as old friendships are rekindled, but one thing is certain: The X-Men will never be the same! With the team split in two, the Uncanny X-Men must face the unbridled force of the Fury on two sides of the globe! Will the villain's "divide-and-conquer" plan prove to be the X-Men's ultimate undoing? Collecting Uncanny X-Men #444-449.

Customer Reviews:

Yes claremont returns, but is this really a good thing?.......2006-12-29

Over the past 30 years the X-men have grown to be one of marvels most induring and lasting icons in the comic medium. Chris Claremont was the writer for the series from 1970 something (whenever the giant sized issue revamped the entire cast) to about 1992-or 1993ish. Between that time the X-men went from obscure comic geek fandom to a well established franchise. They have become just as famous as Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, or any other superhero or superhero group you can think of. And for 20 years or so Chris Claremont was the man behind the rise. They have 3 major movies under their belt (spin-offs planned), a fiercely loyal fan base that includes adults who grew up reading the old comics and new fans of the movies.

When it was announced the beloved Chris Claremont would return to Uncanny X-men for the first time in more then 10 years hopes were high. Maybe he would be the grounding force that the X-titles so badly need these days. Sadly this run has been haphazard at best. What the X-men franchise need is a strong central core. With all the other X-titles, spin-offs, ultimatizing, one-shots, movies, and such then X-men have lost what made Chris Claremont's first run so magical- continuity. Sadly this second run did not return Uncanny to being the center of the X-universe. Rather, it made this team seem less relevant. It is completely at odds with every other X-title that came out at the time (one major character in this run is a character who died/disappeared over 10 years ago and shows up in the first issue of the new run without context as to why she is even alive). While continuity can be seen as an elitist game (you only know it doesn't work if you buy every title, or have read every issue ever- but wait most of the past 20 years of the x-men are available in essential format so you too can read all the expensive back issues for under 20$ and compare), it still holds one truth: the people creating X-titles aren't really talking to each other so each title sees it's team or story as the only important one.

Chris Claremont's "new age" feels more like a step back to the 90's. that wouldn't be bad if the world hadn't moved on. He seems to want to take the characters back to the point they were when he left the title originally. This just doesn't work. They have grown and readers have grown since then.

Chris Claremont's work on the X-treme X-men title has been criticized by many (myself included, full disclosure). The writing in this volume (and the rest of the run) fall victim to the same weakness of that title. He (Claremont) is repeating himself in many of the stories. He takes the group to the savage land again for no particular reason except to go to the savage land. The shi'ar show back up again only to well show back up again (the chasing the pheonix thing is old....). Sometimes he is just verbatim retelling some aspect of the old stories, or at worst reworking them into a new time period with poorer context.

We have seen the baseball/sports team/off day open introduction to a new team of X-men at least in 7 different X-titles all written by Claremont since the 70's. What make this time unique? Nothing. This is the cruelest and most true critique of the "new age" of chris claremont- it isn't new. Every single arc is deriviative of an old story arc which (opinion) was once written better (read the essentials line then see if you disagree with me!).

Claremont's return to the X-men will be only a blip in the long run at best. Read it only if you want to read every X-men comic ever written or if you feel the need to read every issue of uncanny ever written (but then you'd have to read the X-babies too...yechh!).

Uncanny X-Men.......2006-08-23

The artistry, as always, is top of the line. The story lines are familiar insofar as they don't have charecters with different powers than you grew up with them having. Also the story keeps the pace up to keep you interested.

The REAL X-Men return!.......2006-07-28

Having read the X-Men sporadically since Claremont left in '92, I thought I'd give this a shot with his return. In only a few pages the magic was already back in the X-Men. His style of gearing each issue as if someone is picking up X-Men for the first time was a welcome style since its been so long for me. I picked up Grant Morrison's first few issues and was appalled to say the least. I can't describe how exactly, but nobody, I mean NOBODY writes the X-Men's words like Claremont. It's as if he has a direct connection into their brains. Although he had to work with all the other changes writers made over the years, he "made it his own" and "worked it". Reading this I felt like all was right in the comics universe.

Fans Only Please.......2006-06-26

This book is really only mediocre at best however for diehard fans it is a must to read if you are someone who is only interested in the X-men for the movies or an animated series than you would be much better off reading Astonishing X-men.

Loved the artwork, loved the stories, but you know Marvel..........2005-08-24

Been a fan of Uncanny since issue 150 when Storm and Emma Frost switched bodies and the Hellfire Club kidnapped the Xmen the second time around back in about 1981 ('82?). Claremont is still the best writer this book has had in my opinion, but I also love Joss Whedon at the helm of Astonishing X-Men. I have really enjoyed reading the teamup of Davis and Claremont in this rework of this book, which I thought had gone way downhill after the "Draco" storyline where Kurt found out he really was half-demon. I didn't like the weird "adult-oriented" storylines and NC-17 dialogues, near-nudity that didn't add anything, and overfocus on characters like the Summers brothers, who are my least favorites, anyway.

But I loved this collection, which I collected as individual issues. Marvel Girl's return was pure genius, particularly her rivalry with her father's lover, Emma Frost. The enmity and lack of sentimentality makes perfect sense, we all know Emma would make a horrid, wicked stepmother, and was the reason for Scott and Jean's divorce. Emma hammers the point home when she says "the child should never have been born." Hm. Still trying to figure out when Rachel's birthday occurs in Earth 616's timeline, if ever. We never really find out her true age.

I also love the brewing chemistry between Storm and Logan, whom I figured have always had a faint regard for each other, anyway, albeit subtle. They have kissed in one or two issues before (i.e., Boys' Night Out during the Outback "Reavers" storylines, in the second to last frame, one of the issues prior to Inferno when Storm was seeking out Forge to get her powers back; Storm has also always argued on Logan's behalf when Xavier was about to kick him off the fledgeling team. X-Men: The End also points to these two has having a romantic connection in the future. I hope they continue it. They've both been orphaned at an early age, they both don't really fit with anyone else, they both are mavericks. They work.

The plots in this collection are great, as well as the dialogue. I am, however, irritated that Cannonball walks off the team after two adventures after this book. Bad move. I don't want to have to collect every X-book that Marvel prints to have to chase down my favorite characters, but that seems to be their mad plot. I think Uncanny fans should buy this book if they really enjoy Claremont's work. And Alan Davis's work on titles such as the original Excalibur. Storm looks beautiful.

My biggest complaint is that the partnership between this artist and writer is that it was too short-lived. Marvel can't keep their really great artists on long enough. The party was over by about issue 460, after the "On Ice" storyline ended, and then it all went to heck. Davis does, however, come back for "House of M." Look for it.

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