The Eyre Affair: A Thursday Next Novel

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Has he even read Jane Eyre?

Frivolous and fun.

Not what I bargained for

read me!

One of the first genuinely unique books I've read in a long time!

The Eyre Affair: A Thursday Next Novel
Jasper Fforde
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0142001805
Release Date: 2003-02-25

Amazon.com

Penzler Pick, January 2002: When I first heard the premise of this unique mystery, I doubted that a first-time author could pull off a complicated caper involving so many assumptions, not the least of which is a complete suspension of disbelief. Jasper Fforde is not only up to the task, he exceeds all expectations.

Imagine this. Great Britain in 1985 is close to being a police state. The Crimean War has dragged on for more than 130 years and Wales is self-governing. The only recognizable thing about this England is her citizens' enduring love of literature. And the Third Most Wanted criminal, Acheron Hades, is stealing characters from England's cherished literary heritage and holding them for ransom.

Bibliophiles will be enchanted, but not surprised, to learn that stealing a character from a book only changes that one book, but Hades has escalated his thievery. He has begun attacking the original manuscripts, thus changing all copies in print and enraging the reading public. That's why Special Operations Network has a Literary Division, and it is why one of its operatives, Thursday Next, is on the case.

Thursday is utterly delightful. She is vulnerable, smart, and, above all, literate. She has been trying to trace Hades ever since he stole Mr. Quaverley from the original manuscript of Martin Chuzzlewit and killed him. You will only remember Mr. Quaverley if you read Martin Chuzzlewit prior to 1985. But now Hades has set his sights on one of the plums of literature, Jane Eyre, and he must be stopped.

How Thursday achieves this and manages to preserve one of the great books of the Western canon makes for delightfully hilarious reading. You do not have to be an English major to be pulled into this story. You'll be rooting for Thursday, Jane, Mr. Rochester--and a familiar ending. --Otto Penzler

Book Description

In Jasper Fforde's Great Britain, circa 1985, time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously. England is a virtual police state where an aunt can get lost (literally) in a Wordsworth poem and forging Byronic verse is a punishable offense. All this is business as usual for Thursday Next, renowned Special Operative in literary detection. But when someone begins kidnapping characters from works of literature and plucks Jane Eyre from the pages of Brontë's novel, Thursday is faced with the challenge of her career. Fforde's ingenious fantasy-enhanced by a Web site that re-creates the world of the novel--unites intrigue with English literature in a delightfully witty mix.

Customer Reviews:

Has he even read Jane Eyre?.......2007-10-16

As a fan of Jane Eyre and other classics of literature, I found this book difficult to accept - not because I think those works are sacred, but because I thought this attempt was poorly done. The moment I began to feel uncomfortable with use of beloved literature was when Fforde's heroine, a literary cop by the name of Thursday Next, gave a summary of the novel Jane Eyre...and got it wrong. Now, I do realize that, in this alternate universe, Fforde has Bronte write an anticlimactic ending that sees Jane disappear off to India with her cousin - he's made the entire concept of plot fluid and changeable...but that's not what I'm talking about. The problem was with his renderings of the human relationships - between Jane and Mr. Rochester (and as paralleled by Thursday and her ex-honey Landen). Thursday states, in her summary, that Mr. Rochester actually considered marrying Blanche Ingram and that he only began to love Jane after she had left Thornfield to attend at the deathbed of her despised Aunt - I'm not sure where this interpretation came from, but it's not right. I hoped that this misreading of the text would be addressed somehow once Thursday physically enters the book and plots are being altered left and right, but it never was. And now I'm quite stuck on these details, because Blanche Ingram was brought to Thornfield by Rochester to make Jane jealous because he decided to let himself fall in love with her one of the first few times they talk. How can I trust an author who insists on seriously engaging in another work of fiction that he doesn't seem to understand?

The second problem is a lack of commitment in details. I believe in the alternate universe readily enough, but I felt that a lot was lost in the story when characters ran head-on through random tangents simply so that the author could highlight yet another cool idea. In the end, there were so many little concepts that were unrelated to the story that it felt disjointed. I've read many books that deal well with all kinds of complicated overlapping - this was just jumbled. I'm not sure what speeding towards a rift in time added to the plot, but it never tied back to the story and was distracting. I think there could have been a way to tie such an event into the plot and make it wildly interesting, but it wasn't done.

That being said, it's not a horrible read. The dialogue is entertaining in a way that one rarely sees, and is therefore something to be treasured. I haven't decided if I can stomach the next installment, but if I do, it's the interaction between characters that will draw me back - along with the hope that all these wonderful concepts will eventually be used effectively.

Frivolous and fun........2007-10-09

The Thursday Next books strange but delightful confections of mystery, science fiction, and very-British comedy, with a dash of romance (or of chances missed) thrown in. Scattered throughout are literary references that some readers will revel in, and some will simply miss. It doesn't matter which group you fall into, the books are a treat in any case. Being such an indulgence, they are not to be consumed all at once, as they will become cloying. But reading one now and then lifts the spirits.

Which is all a nice way of saying that there is a great similarity among the books, so spread your reading of them over a long period.

The Eyre Affair is classic Fford. You don't have to be a Bronte fan to be entertained, or to follow the plot, but if you happen to have a soft spot for Jane Eyre, you'll get a real kick out of it. I loved it. It gets four stars instead of five simply because the writing is at times uneven.

Not what I bargained for.......2007-09-30

I did not enjoy this book, and I felt like the description was not accurate at all. I thought it was going to follow the story of Jane Eyre, but Thursday didn't enter the novel until about 3/4 of the way through the book. This book is definitely clever - you need a basic knowledge of grammar and classic fiction to truly appreciate it, and it helps to be familiar with Jane Eyre, though it's not a requirement. Several times I felt like putting the book down and forgetting about it. I was sorely disappointed, as it was not what I expected at all, based on the book jacket and other reviews I read.

read me!.......2007-09-29

for a combinaton of silly, science fiction, Charles Dickens and book sale brawls, this is the book to read. Light, but not fluffy, and fun without being stupid, and this is the book you want to read, and read and read.

One of the first genuinely unique books I've read in a long time!.......2007-09-25

This book is hilarious in parts and quite extraordinary. What a clever and witty plotline by Jasper Fford. This story was so good that I had to buy all the rest of the books in the Thursday Next series. Fford's characters are incomparable, and the names he gives them are reminiscent of Charles Dickens.

Average customer rating:

The Eyre Affair - A Thursday Next Novel
Jasper Fforde
Manufacturer: Penguin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K1QTSG

The Eyre Affair (advance copy (softcover))

Average customer rating:

The Eyre Affair (advance copy (softcover))
jasper Fforde
Manufacturer: viking
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PDY4A4

Book Description

In bodies and selves, we can see politics, economics, and culture play out, and the tensions and crises of society made visible. The women's movement, lobbies for the elderly, pro-choice and pro-life movements, AIDS research and education, pedophilia and repressed memory, global sports spectacles, organ donor networks, campaigns for safe sex, chastity, or preventive medicine-all are aspects of the contemporary politics of bodies and identities touched on in this book. Three broad themes run through the collection: how the body is constructed in various ways for different purposes, how the electronic media and its uses shape selves and sensualities and contribute to civic discourse, and how global capitalism acts as a direct force in these processes. By taking a distinctly cross-cultural and comparative approach, this volume explores more fully than ever the political, economic, institutional, and cultural settings of corporeality, identity, and representation.

Contributors: Antonella Fabri, John Jay College and New York Academy of Medicine; Eva Illouz, Hebrew U of Jerusalem; Philip W. Jenks, Portland State U; Lauren Langman, Loyola U; Timothy W. Luke, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State U; Timothy McGettigan, Colorado State U, Pueblo; Margaret J. Tally, SUNY, Empire State College.

Book Description

The Fundamentals of Quitting Golf offers permanent relief, or perhaps just a chuckle, to golf sufferers who swear they are going to quit the game, often using very colorful language.

As explained by author David Divot, your mind is cluttered with excuses for your poor play: lack of lessons, bad courses, old clubs, new clubs and on and on. Quitting "cold turkey" does not work because, subconsciously, you want to believe this nonsense. But with Divot's ten-year course of treatment, you eventually admit that there is no excuse for your game.

Explore techniques to control your anger and depression. Then ponder why you would put that monumental achievement at risk by trying to golf.

Discover that having confidence in your game is the surest way to shatter your confidence.

Consider why golf magazines constantly offer new tips for curing the same problems that were supposedly cured by the tips offered in previous issues.

Find out how to heighten your disappointment by pretending you have some control over where your ball will go.

You may not cure your golf affliction with The Fundamentals of Quitting Golf, but at least you'll have a good laugh trying.

Download Description

The Fundamentals of Quitting Golf offers permanent relief, or perhaps just a chuckle, to golf sufferers who swear they are going to quit the game, often using very colorful language.

As explained by author David Divot, your mind is cluttered with excuses for your poor play: lack of lessons, bad courses, old clubs, new clubs and on and on. Quitting

Customer Reviews:

For anyone with a love/hate relationship with golf!.......2005-06-25

I laughed out loud reading this book and its witty advice for the golf-afflicted. David Divot makes the little frustrations golfers endure to improve their game a source of pure comedy. This is a perfect gift for all of your golf plagued friends.

More than Fundamentals.......2005-05-11

I bought this book for my husband, who always seems to be upset at his game. We both ended up reading it and laughing at the insight David Divot has into all the nuances of "our" game. The author knowingly addresses all angles of why to quit, including maintaning sanity, and saving lots of time and money, but ends up reaffirming our determination to prove him wrong and continue to love the game.

Good present for any friend who has ever considered quitting.......2005-05-05

This book is hilarious, can be read in a sitting or two, and is written with a dry, sarcastic wit that obviously comes from someone who is a real golfer. It's a great present to send along with a birthday card for any friend who has been less than perfect off the tee.

A different look at the game of golf..........2004-10-15

A humorous and clever analysis of the "affliction" of golf and the necessary steps for the "cure". Ordered a couple to send to my golfing brothers for Christmas.

Book Description

A droll biography reveals the high notes—and the low notes—in the life of the world’s foremost composer of Baroque music.

This is not your usual picture book biography. Nor was George Frideric Handel your everyday eighteenth-century composer. This witty and yet rigorously researched and accessible biography captures Handel’s essential spirit—from a child who smuggled a clavichord into the attic to play music against his father’s orders to a young man who imported forty-five pounds of mountain snow to chill wine for a gala—as well as his remarkable, enduring musical triumphs. But M. T. Anderson also shows Handel’s struggles and chronicles the illness, ill fortune, and despair that led to his greatest achievement, the Messiah. With impeccable detail and a wink at the reader, Kevin Hawkes illustrates the singular story of Handel and the music through which he lives on.

Customer Reviews:

Nice looking, but poorly written book.......2003-08-17

I was dissappointed to read this book. First, I wondered, who is going to read this? It's too long for younger readers, and its a picture book, so older children will never pick it up. The narrative is poorly written and lacks cohesiveness. Based on reviews, I thought it would be terrific, but I was very dissappointed.

Fresh, Spirited...A Delight to Read............2002-01-16

On the opening page of M.T. Anderson's and Kevin Hawkes' new picture book biography is a portrait of Handel with a bit of commentary attached. "This is George Frideric Handel. He looks very satisfied with things. He's smiling a little, as if he's very sure of himself. You'd have to be sure of youself to wear a wig that gigantic." And that, in a nutshell, describes this world famous composer. Handel was a man who knew what he wanted. Even as a child he was headstrong and decisive. He knew what he liked, he didn't care what others thought, and he made it happen. He was a man of force and spirit who controlled his own destiny, and in doing so became one of the most beloved and respected composers in the world; a man who's music has lived on for centuries..... M.T. Anderson's witty and irreverent text is full of history, marvelous anecdotes of some famous and not so famous events, fun facts, and trivia, and enhanced by Kevin Hawkes lush and expressive artwork. Young and old alike will relish the drama, humor, and brilliant detail in each picture With sidebars within the text explaining musical terminology, and a timeline of Handel's life, and lists of recordings and other biographies at the end, Handel: Who Knew What He Liked, is a joyous, fun-filled masterpiece that is sure to whet the appetites of youngsters 8-12. One of the best new books of 2001, this is definitely a biography that shouldn't be missed!

Great Non-Fiction.......2001-10-31

This is a biography that is fun enough to use as a read aloud. According to Anderson, Handel was quite a character, sneeking things behind his father's back and dueling with his best friend. The funny personal anectdotes spice up the great historical information on each page. The illustrations give a good sence of Handel's personality, and of the period. I especially liked the rococo frames and end pages. Anderson has included a time line, list of recordings, and further reading at the end of the book. Grades K-3.

Handel, Who Knew What He Liked. (Nonfiction).(Review)(Children's Review)(Brief Article): An article from: The Horn Book Magazine

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Handel, Who Knew What He Liked. (Nonfiction).(Review)(Children's Review)(Brief Article): An article from: The Horn Book Magazine
Mary M. Burns
Manufacturer: Horn Book, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Horn Book Magazine, published by Horn Book, Inc. on November 1, 2001. The length of the article is 713 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Handel, Who Knew What He Liked. (Nonfiction).(Review)(Children's Review)(Brief Article)
Author: Mary M. Burns
Publication: The Horn Book Magazine (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2001
Publisher: Horn Book, Inc.
Volume: 77 Issue: 6 Page: 767(2)

Article Type: Book Review, Children's Review, Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Simply Scrummy?

No good reason for this book to exist

SIMPLY SCRUMMY!!!

Monty Python: A Celebration
Richard Topping
Manufacturer: Virgin Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1852278250

Customer Reviews:

Simply Scrummy?.......2000-01-22

Don't be fooled by "Simply Scrummy" a couple of reviews down. I'll bet it's the author plugging the book. Instead, listen to everything the review directly above "scrummy" has to say, and then I won't have to say it myself.

No good reason for this book to exist.......1999-09-22

It's hard to accept the credibility of a book that's full of either typos or outright errors. Halfway-knowledgable Python fans will spot these immediately: erstwhile Goodie Graeme Garden is repeatedly referred to as Graeme "Gardner", Neil Innes is both a member of the Bonzo Dog Band and the "Bongo" Dog Band, Terry Gilliam's opening sequence in "The Meaning of Life" is referred to as both "The Crimson Permanent Assurance" (its actual title) and "The Crimson Pearl Assurance," and the lyrics to "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" are misquoted... those are the ones _I_ found. The only place this book fills is for Python completists who might want its handful of possibly unique photos. Python fans, either oldtimers or newbies, are advised to stay away from this patent 30th anniversary cash-in project which, stripped of the author's subjective re-hashings of the TV programs and movies, leaves very little that is new or inspired. Instead, pick up a copy of the new and stratospherically superior "Python Speaks" (read the real stories from the Pythons and their associates themselves), and find copies of George Perry's "Life of Python" (even if it is a few years old), both volumes of "All The Words", and perhaps supplement with Robert Hewison's "Monty Python : The Case Against," all cornerstones of a worthy Python history library.

SIMPLY SCRUMMY!!!.......1999-04-18

By far the VERY best book not to come out yet about Monty Python this year!! The wife and I both look forward to it not coming out any sooner,at all. In the best tradition of other books not yet released about Monty Python.... this is surely one of them!

Book Description

From basic acting techniques and exercises for keeping the voice in top condition, to marketing and promotion of the actor, this book covers it all. The Art of Voice Acting is an excellent introduction to the business and art of voice acting. This new edition also features coverage of specialist areas of voice over: animation/video gaming and film/ movie trailer. Updated to reflect the latest changes in performance techniques and products in the industry, it is essential reading for all voice over actors. Packed with expert advice on job opportunities and career management tips, it is the ideal resource for anyone involved in the industry. The voice over demos and exercises on the expanded CD ROM complete this perfect modern manual to getting established in the voice acting industry.

*Learn insider tips on finding work, making audition tapes and establishing yourself as a professional voice over actor
*Gain expert advice on how to keep your voice in top condition
*Perfect your performing skills using easy-to-follow voice exercises and demos on CD Rom

Customer Reviews:

The Best Bible of Voice-Acting Out There.......2007-09-19

James Alburger wrote this book some years ago. In fact, he's on his 3rd edition! And this book is still so in style. Having worked in voice-over for a number of years here in Los Angeles I can honestly say that Mr. Alburger hits the nail on the head with his advice. He covers the basics like proper breath control, how to create believable characters and subtext, breaking down copy, recording a demo and how to succeed at your first session. You can follow the samples that he has included in the book and on the CD to practice your craft and get it down. How great is that!

Recently I heard that Mr. Alburger and his colleague Penny are putting on a major voice-over event here in L.A. sometime in the spring 2008. I don't think aspiring voice-over artists will want to miss that, but should read his book first.

By the way, Mr. Alburger is correct that on-going training and "classes" are essential to voiceover success....unless you are lucky enough to be working every day in the industry....which is very rare.

A must-read for anyone interested in entering this potentially lucrative industry. Break a leg!

Sloppy, inattentive to detial, repetative, some good info, though.......2007-08-09

Has some good information in it. It's written in simple, accessible prose. But, honestly, there were so many typos within the first few pages, that I started getting distracted and looking for them. It's also quite repetitive, reiterating, rather than adding to a point or topic. (i.e. "take as many VO and acting classes as you can!")

This is the BIBLE for aspiring voice-over talent........2007-08-09

Only thing I have a problem with in this excellent book is the rather constant "suggestions" that you stay in classes forever. As in stage and film acting, a lot of good, natural actors have been ruined by "teachers" who insist on "shaping" them to their own personal style. Works for some workshop junkies I suppose.

Thorough primer.......2007-06-05

This book provides all the necessary information one needs to find his or her way into the voice acting profession.

Alburger brims with enthusiasm and an earnest desire to share his experience to the benefit of others.

It could probably be a little more concise, but the positive tone of the book more than makes up for any wordiness or repetition.

Thanks, James!

Worthy Investment.......2007-05-18

The author, James Alburger, has taken his passion and years of knowledge, experience, and wisdom to assist others who are interested in the art of voice acting. I have not attended any workshops yet, but after reading this book that also comes with a demo cd... I feel that I have gained a wealth of information that will be very valuable as I develop my voice acting career.

This book covers tips, techniques, the business side, auditions, demos, characters, promotions, agents, and getting paid. I enjoyed this book and will read it over and over again on my acting journey.

Customer Reviews:

The best intro to compilers, period!.......2007-06-24

Very well organized, all source code for the compiler + Interpreter/Virtual Machine + Disassembler is available online. Good writing, good exercises (including answers to some of them), good selection of material to cover.

If you want to have a good understanding of how copilers/interpreters work, and want good working source code for a demostration and to play with, then you must have this book.

The fact that the implementation is in Java is another plus. Petty differences aside, Java is the most accessible language (in terms of reaching a wide audience), and for those who want to quibble over the authors' coding style: "Grow up!"

For those of you trying to decide whether or not to get this book, go on, download the source, take at look at the code, run it, and if you wanna know how/why it all works, then get the book and read it. You will be glad you did.

No longer relevant thanks to Eclipse framework.......2006-10-18

Now that Eclipse has an open source (LGPL) framework for building compilers, processors, refactoring tools, code generators, and interpreters, this book is hardly relevant. Eclipse's JDT is well documented, and functionality existing for Java can be ported to other languages (and some is already abstracted to the underlying Eclipse platform). Eclipse has an AST (Abstract Syntax Tree), DOM, and all the other tools this book hacks together, except Eclipse is a huge widely supported open source project.

Simply the best Learing-by-Coding compiler book.......2005-02-20

This is really the greatest 'Compiler for Dummies' book as of today. I own and studied all books (total arround 80) about compiler constructions you can buy in the world today plus a lot of out of print titles, so I know what you can buy on the market...

If you're looking for a learning-by-coding compiler book don't look futher. This is a great introbook for a Bachelor of Science of a Professional Bachelor student! If you have the money to buy only one compiler book buy this one. If you have the money to buy 2 books and you also know a bit C++, buy this one and 'Writting compilers and Interpreters' from Ronald Mak which also offers a pratical approach which is also nice for newbies but not that nice as this book.

If you have finished this book and want to get more theoretical insight or you're a Computer Science M.Sc student (like me), read 'Programming Language Pragmatics' from Mr. Scott, which don't present the material on a dry manner. This book covers all aspects of compilation and language design in greater detail! Be sure you have read (or master) an intro text like 'programming language processors in java' before starting books like 'programming language pragmatics'.

If you're a M.Sc. student and you're looking for a learning-by-coding book i recommend the books of Andrew Appel (Modern Compiler Implementation in Java) which covers advanced topics (optimization, register selection,etc). But beware: if you're new to compiler design forget Andrew Appels book, and buy this one because Appels would be a bit too difficult for you.

Back tot the 'Programming language processors in Java' book.

This is what I like and what not:

PROS:

* It gives some nice written theoretical introduction of the whole compilation process (e.g. what's LL and LR-parsing, how is runtime organization organized (stack, parameter passing, stackframes etc). It doesn't dive too deep, but you will be familiar with the topics. E.g. it explains how LL and LR parsing works (with some nice examples how to parse LL/LR simple English sentences), but it doesn't tell you what the advantages/disadvantages of both methods are. This is beyond the scope of this book. For these topics read later something else (e.g. 'programming language pragmiatcs')

* Not all Java code is printed to fill 1000 pages. Every codesnippet is well commented, all repeatative code is left out: you can download all the Java code. So this book is not one big listing.

* It gives you insight how to build a really nice Virtual Machine. The author is talking about an interpreter, but the compiler generates modern intermediate code (STORE,LOAD,CALL,JMP) and the VM execute this in a big WHILE-loop.

* Some learning-by-coding compiler books (e.g. 'Building your own compiler with C++' by Jim Holmes (not recommended)) explain only a silly subset of pascal (e.g. only assignment and writeline), but this book teach you 'mini Triangle-language' which also offers arrays, functions/procedures, records (structs), and parameter passing by reference/value. It also explains you those more difficult topics like parameter by reference passing is handled by the codegenerator.

* It has a nice chapter about runtime organization. This is a nice chapter for people which are new to e.g. processorarchitecture. This chapter explains you how local variables are stores (stack), how parameter passing to functions is working and how return values are passed back. Because the Interpreter (VM) which is introduced in the book, has a modern stack machine VM (STORE,LOAD,JUMP) this is an excelent way to study those VMs and code generating for a stack machine.

CONS:

* I agree to the customer review of Mr. Yegge of July 12, 2004 that the Java Code is not always supernice. E.g. there is often java.lang.Object parameter passing which is later dangerous narrative casted. I do NOT agree with Mr. Yegge about his remarks on the Visitor pattern. The author explains why he is using the visitor pattern: to reduce coupling between the CodeGenerator or TypeChecker and the AST. On this point I like the design of the author. The idea of using the visitor pattern is nice, but it is somewhat bad implemented with those narrative casts.

Conclusion: I STRONGLY recommend this book for people who are new to compiler design.

Rushed to publication too quickly.......2004-07-13

It's a lot of work creating a textbook like this, and the authors did a great job along certain dimensions. The book is well-organized and much more accessible than many (in)famous compilers books. The copy editing is high-quality: there aren't many mistakes in the book. The book itself is beautifully bound and printed, making it a pleasure to read. There's lots of sample code. On the whole, it's not a bad effort.

There -are- some real problems with it, though. The most obvious and central problem is that it's not a book by (or for) Java programmers. It feels very much as if the book was hastily rewritten from "Language Processors in Pascal" to "Language Processors in Java" after Java exploded in popularity, a year or two before the book was published. The mini-Triangle language is clearly a Pascal derivative, and many of the "pseudo-code" examples are really Pascal. Pascal may be a teaching language, but it looks completely alien to Java developers.

My biggest concern, and it's what prompted me to write this review, is that the Java code is truly awful. Yes, it uses the Visitor pattern (as one reviewer pointed out) to traverse the AST during semantic analysis, which is a reasonable strategy. But the code is just plain bad, and you don't want students learning bad habits. The code is utterly non-polymorphic; it's filled with long cascaded if-statements that check whether an AST node is an instanceof this or an instanceof that. They pass and return parameters of type Object, and callers perform dangerous narrowing typecasts. They freely pass and return null values that have special semantics (i.e. "if this parameter is null, then it means we have this kind of situation; otherwise it's the other kind"). Types are represented as ints (no attempt to create typesafe enums), instance members are made public and accessed directly rather than through methods, and they use unconventional (and unexplained) 1-character variable names. I'm telling you: it's a complete disaster, and students will come away from the course writing the worst Java code you could imagine.

Another problem: the book is written in a stilted and awkwardly formal tone - a throwback to textbooks in the 70s and 80s. The art of writing textbooks has advanced to the point where, gosh, you're supposed to be able to READ them. They're written FOR real people, BY real people. But this book reads like an actuarial report. It never says "you" and never says "we" - it's written entirely in stilted 3rd-person legalese. Not good.

Oh, one more gripe: the authors decided mysteriously that they don't like the standard terminology that's been around for 3 decades, so they changed "semantic analysis" to "contextual analysis" and so on, and then acted as if the standard terminology is non-standard. They could have at least said up front that they preferred using their own terminology, but that it was nonstandard; instead they're trying to rewrite history. It's inexcusable, and will confuse students who head to other books after reading this one.

Compilers are hard to write and hard to learn, and this book actually is an improvement in clarity of exposition over most of its predecessors. But it's just begging to be replaced by something better. In the meantime, I'd skip it and go straight to Programming Language Pragmatics.

Easy to read and understand.......2003-08-15

The author has done a good job by presenting basic
compiler theory and implementing a simple
compiler using the java programming lauguage.

Good illustration of compiler concepts.

One of the better basic compiler books i have read
so far.

Next book should be "Progamming language pragmatics"
followed by "Advanced compiler design and implementation"

Average customer rating:
Programming Language Processors in Java: Compilers and Interpreters
David, Brown, Deryck Watt
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OHYL18

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