"This book by Herb Clemens is written as a book of "Impressions" of a journey through the theory of complex algebraic curves. Many topics of compelling beauty occur along the way. A cursory glance at the subjects visited reveals an apparently eclectic selection, from conics and cubics to theta functions, Jacobians, and questions of moduli. By the end of the book, the theme of theta functions becomes clear, culminating in the Schottky problem.".

"The author's intent was to motivate further study and to stimulate mathematical activity. The attentive reader will learn much about complex algebraic curves and the tools used to study them. The book can be especially useful to anyone preparing a course on the topic of complex curves or anyone interested in supplementing his/her reading."--BOOK JACKET.