I have a pair of ceramic lamps I love, but they are not tall enough to flank a sofa as good reading lamps, so I was looking for something taller. I purchased two of these lamps, and the height is excellent for reading. The style fits into my room decor as opposed to being really distinctive, but as long as they fulfill my reading requirement, I am very happy with them. The reason I gave this lamp four stars instead of five is that I would like to look for more expensive-looking lampshades one of these days. Pros: The lamps were easy to assemble.Cons: Lampshades are acceptable but obviously not high-end.