The Veil of Snows

I immensely enjoyed reading all three of the books in this trilogy by Mark Helprin. Great books to use for vocabulary lessons! Wonderfully visual and unusual descriptions. My favorite part of Veil of Snows was the little speech the queen gives an insufferable Tookesheim (a family of poppish,idiotic members who consume themselves with absaloutly nothing most of the time) about all of the realness she has tasted in her life. It was great! Read it:)

In "Veil" Mark Helprin and Chris Van Allsburgh offer up a mythic tale which, while dark, will disturb and delight readers of all ages (though the elegant, sometimes labrynthine prose style will probably appeal more to older, more sophisticated readers). This book (as well as its predecessor, "A City In Winter,") is no doubt destined to become a classic, both to fans of fantasy and of children's literature for its moving story and its religious/philosophical themes.Van Allsburgh's illustrations, while charming, are not essential to the understanding of the story, often interrupting the imaginitave "flow" of the prose itself. However, younger readers will still appreciate the bright, colorful images.With this title, Mark Helprin has solidified his reputation as one of, if not the, premier American fantasists, a reputation which began with the mythic "Winter's Tale." It will remind Helprin fans why they are fans to begin with, and is no doubt destined to create some new ones.

A simply incredible book of hard-to-find wonder. Unlike some of the others, my husband and I liked the Tookyshiem parts best. The queen's speech against them was a classic. At least that's my opinion. A gem of a book. They should reprint the prequels!

This book appeared the summer before my third year of college; my mother and I read it aloud to each other while we moved me out of the house, expecting entertainment, but finding so much more than only that. The prose is simply incredible, and I don't know that I've encountered such exquisite writing anywhere else. I'm entirely disappointed that the prequels are out of print.

This story has the feel of a children's classic. Helprin's words bring forth such rich imagery that the superb illustrations by Van Allsburg are really the icing on the cake. Though it is technically geared to ages 9 and up, it is a wonderful read aloud and the perfect segue for a parent-led discussion on good vs. evil, everyday virtues, etc. Much of the book can be compared to current events without being preachy or overbearing.