Reviews written by Rose

Very nice! Totoro is a wonderful story with memorable characters that you fall in love with. This picture book is a great companion piece to the film. We particularly enjoyed the first pages that introduce you to the main characters and give you some interesting information about them - such as how old the different sized Totoro's are!

Miyazaki is a genius, and what a great way to enjoy the Totoro story any time, any place.

Benihana is a great restaurant for any special occasion. Although the prices are a little high for frequent dining (for my budget at least), the ingredients are always of a high quality, presentation is fun and the food is always delicious! The wait staff are very courteous and prompt as well as helpful if you need suggestions or have questions. And of course, it is much fun to have a talented chef prepare your meal before your eyes. Our chef was very polite and skilled.

The onion soup is delicate and mild, the broth truly flavorful makes a wonderful start to your meal. The fillet Mignon is particularly delicious and tender. Also offered is a Salmon dish that is on the lighter side, and also very tasty. The fried rice has a wonderfully warm garlic essence to it that is very tasty. I tried one of the sushi rolls and was very pleased with the quality of fish, freshness, flavor. We also ordered the Benihana Chicken Picante which was an excellent dish on the spicy side.
The ginger and mustard dipping sauces that accompany each meal are well balanced and enhance the flavors of the meats.

The food is definitely worth the price. Also of note is their green tea, a wonderful compliment to your meal. It is a more traditional brew - not a Lipton baggie - and has a well balanced, fresh flavor. Kampai!

*Update 6/2010*

I have stopped eating chicken and beef, but I still eat fish. I have been able to order the fried rice without chicken, and it still tastes great. I have tried the regular Benihana shrimp as well as their colossal shrimp and really enjoyed both, although the colossal shrimp seemed a bit more flavorful and tender than the smaller variety. I also particularly enjoy the Benihana salad that comes with every entree, the ginger dressing is so refreshing. They also offer some stir fry style vegi dishes for those that are completely meat free!

Very intelligently written. I have read this story 3 times (about every 6 years), and I get more out of it each time. That being said, this is also one of the most difficult books I have read, particularly considering how brief it is in length. The complexity of the relationships between the characters, the indefinite layers of meaning in the dialog that passes between them all add to the mystery and dark tone of this work. A lot is left to the readers desired interpretation of events, and this is why I enjoy re-reading this story. There are so many indirect, but well formed illusions that play back and forth, particularly between the Governess and Miles. I find myself constantly looking at the situation from their individual perspectives, trying to decipher all the possible truths behind their words. The "horrors" definitely come through as having a sexual nature - regardless if you view it as some do, as molestation of the children, or frustration on the part of the Governess. An intimate relationship between Quint and Miss. Jessel is fairly well painted out in the story. I always come away with the feeling that she left her post to birth a child. I find myself delving into the effect of Quint and Jessel's relations being openly exposed before the children, as well as how that may have involved the children in other respects. I do not recall if it ever plainly states if the children knew that Miss. Jessel had died or not. I wonder if they thought she was still alive.

A very enjoyable read. If you can filter through James' heavy wording and drawn out sentences, this story creates a sublime image of Venice, the Piazza, home and garden that the story takes place in. I feel absorbed in the atmosphere of some of the passages, hearing the splash of the oars in the canal... The subject matter is interesting and unusual as well. I was quite intrigued to follow the situation developing between Miss. Tita and the narrator. Excellent piece of work.

A slow, winding tale that takes place over the course of many years. Although it was easy to foresee the culmination of the plot, I was very much pulled into this story of Stransom's strange fixation with "his dead", and the fatal path down which he drove himself. Once again, James' winding sentences can be a bit laborious to decipher at times. But this work I found very enjoyable. This tale has the same pull to draw the reader in to the exquisitely described surroundings as I found in...more A slow, winding tale that takes place over the course of many years. Although it was easy to foresee the culmination of the plot, I was very much pulled into this story of Stransom's strange fixation with "his dead", and the fatal path down which he drove himself. Once again, James' winding sentences can be a bit laborious to decipher at times. But this work I found very enjoyable. This tale has the same pull to draw the reader in to the exquisitely described surroundings as I found in the Aspern Papers. The imagery stays with the reader long after the book is closed.