Anthologies & Short Stories

Book SynopsisThe six stories in Consider Her Ways: And Others, the second collecton of John Wyndham''s short tales, continue his exploration of the science fiction staple - what if? In the title story we are introduced to a world where all the men have been killed by a virus and women continue to survive in a strict caste system - bottom of the heap are the mothers. In others we meet the man who accidentally summons a devil and then has to find a way of getting rid of him without losing his immortal soul, as well as the woman who, thanks to an experiment in time, discovers why her lover abandoned her.''Wyndham writes strongly and has a gift for bizarre plots'' Guardian''One of the few authors whose compulsive readability is a compliment to the intelligence'' SpectatorJohn Wyndham Parkes Lucas Benyon Harris was born in 1903, the son of a barrister. He tried a number of careers including farming, law, commercial art and advertising, and started

Read more less

Book SynopsisCAN'T ELIMINATE THE IMPOSSIBLE? Send for the man from the Diogenes Club! The debonair psychic investigator Richard Jeperson is the Most Valued Member of the Diogenes Club, the least-known and most essential branch of British Intelligence. While foiling the plot of many a maniacal mastermind, he is chased by sentient snowmen and Nazi zombies, investigates an unearthly murderer stalking the sex shops of 1970s Soho, and battles a poltergeist to prevent it triggering nuclear Armageddon. But as a new century dawns, can he save the ailing Diogenes Club itself from a force more diabolical still? Newman's ten mischievous tales, with cameos from the much-loved characters of the Anno Dracula universe, will entertain fans and newcomers alike.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs they relax after dinner on Christmas Eve, the members of a family and their guests turn to telling ghost stories. These ghoulish accounts range from the melancholy to the macabre, and get increasingly bizarre as the ghosts leap out of the tales and make an appearance in the family’s home. Fact and fiction, the real and unreal collide, until the reader is not sure who is haunting whom. A masterful work of comic horror, Jerome K. Jerome’s After-Supper Ghost Stories is a witty look at why Christmas Eve is so perfect for ghost stories and why ghosts love the Yuletide season.Table of ContentsContains: After-Supper Ghost Stories, Evergreens, Clocks, Tea Kettles, A Pathetic Story, The New Utopia.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe modern horror story grew and developed across the nineteenth century, embracing categories as diverse as ghost stories, the supernatural and psychological horror, medical and scientific horror, colonial horror, and tales of the uncanny and precognition. This anthology brings together twenty-nine of the greatest horror stories of the period, from 1816 to 1912, from the British, Irish, American, and European traditions. It ranges widely across the sub-genres to encompass authors whose terror-inducing powers remain unsurpassed. The book includes stories by some of the best writers of the century -- Hoffmann, Poe, Balzac, Dickens, Hawthorne, Melville, and Zola -- as well as established genre classics from M. R. James, Arthur Machen, Bram Stoker, Algernon Blackwood, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and others. It includes rare and little-known pieces by writers such as William Maginn, Francis Marion Crawford, W. F. Harvey, and William Hope Hodgson, and shows the important role played by periodTrade ReviewHorror Stories is a very impressive collection. It includes a number of tales that anyone who has a passionate interest in horror should have on their bookshelf, with staple titles known across horror aficionados as well as some lesser known works from some very prolific authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker, and E.F. Benson. With a very thorough and analytical introduction from Darryl Jones, you see the origins of these stories and the enduring influence they have had on the genre. You will not be disappointed. * Nick Blackshaw, Starburst *Darryl Jones has crafted a fantastic compilation; there are no fillers, all killers (literally in many cases) ... An added bonus with this collection is the detailed introduction by Jones, providing historical context, and the extensive explanatory notes at the end ... Those that have not dared venture into classic horror should buy this collection immediately, and they'll be hooked and buying coffins filled with Poe and M.R. James anthologies before Christmas. * John Upton, Gore in the Store *Horror Stories is no common schlock-fest. Darryl Jones has skilfully gathered the most beautifully written, unsettling stories in the English language. * Vulpes Libris, Moira Briggs *a beautiful collection of nineteenth-century horror with enough set pieces to educate the novice and enough curiosities to delight the connoisseur. * Kirsty Jane McCluskey, Books of the year 2014, Tablet *It is a beautifully finished book that you just want to take care of ... The content is as good as the production. * Lizzi Thomasson, These Little Words *[A] superb collection of short fiction * John Connolly, Irish Times *As well as the general introduction, which provides a useful history of horror from its Gothic origins through a long nineteeth century, each story in the collection is accompanied by a set of notes explaining when and where it was published as well as providing the usual glosses for unfamiliar terms. This contextual emphasis on the nineteeth century periodicals where the readers would first have encounted the work of a writer such as Dickens is particularly illuminating for those interested in horror stories as a meeting of form and content ... Darryl Jone's anthology is a highly accessible guide to the major developments in horror writing during the nineteeth century, and an intriguing reminder that every aspect of Western societies' push for advancement during this period, from industrialization to colonial expansion, produced its own nightmares in the collective unconscious. * Sophie Devlin, The Times Literary Supplement *As well as the general introduction, which provides a useful history of horror from its Gothic origins through a long nineteenth century, each story in this collection is accompanied by a set of notes explaining when and where it was published as well as providing the usual glosses for unfamiliar terms. Darryl Jones's anthology is a highly accessible guide to the major developments in horror writing during the nineteenth century. * Sophie Devlin, Times Literary Supplement *Editing an anthology of this sort is a delicate balancing act ... Horror Stories does a good job here, and offers a bracing mixture of the classic but familiar and fresher material. This broad-ranging and well-researched anthology of horror is full of gruesome things: haunting, possession, revenge, witchcraft, vampires, crime even disease and madness. * Nicholas Daly, Guardian *This compendium of ghoulish stories from 1816-1912 has a bit of everything. All are fab for reading aloud. * Lizzy Dening, Grazia *Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text Select Bibliography Chronology E.T.A. HOFFMANN, The Sandman WILLIAM MAGINN, The Man in the Bell JAMES HOGG, George Dobson's Expedition to Hell HONORÉ DE BALZAC, La Grande Bretêche EDGAR ALLAN POE, Berenice SHERIDAN LE FANU, Strange Event in the Life of Schalken the Painter NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE, The Birth-Mark HERMAN MELVILLE, The Tartarus of Maids FITZ-JAMES O'BRIEN, What Was It? CHARLES DICKENS, No. 1 Branch Line: The Signal-Man ÉMILE ZOLA, The Death of Olivier Bécaille RONALD ROSS, The Vivisector Vivisected ROBERT-LOUIS STEVENSON, The Body-Snatcher RUDYARD KIPLING, The Mark of the Beast AMBROSE BIERCE, Chickamauga CHARLOTTE PERKINS GILMAN,The Yellow Wall Paper ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE, The Case of Lady Sannox BRAM STOKER, The Squaw ROBERT W. CHAMBERS, The Repairer of Reputations ARTHUR MACHEN, Novel of the White Powder RICHARD MARSH, The Adventure of Lady Wishaw's Hand W. W. JACOBS, The Monkey's Paw MARY E. WILKINS FREEMAN, Luella Miller M. R. JAMES, Count Magnus FRANCIS MARION CRAWFORD, For the Blood is the Life ALGERNON BLACKWOOD, The Wendigo W. F. HARVEY, August Heat E. F. BENSON, The Room in the Tower WILLIAM HOPE HODGSON, The Derelict Explanatory Notes

Read more less

This, the fifth volume in the Don Camillo series, is the first wholly new anthology to be translated into English for over forty years. Against the background of the rise and fall of fascism and post-war communism in rural Italy, Giovanni Guareschi looks down with hawk's-eye vision into the lives of ordinary people and delivers his message, as relevant today as ever, to allay prejudice and political correctness and follow one's conscience, which is of course the voice which speaks to Don Camillo with humour and penetrating insight from the cross above the altar in the village church.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLittle treasures, the FLAME TREE COLLECTABLE CLASSICS are chosen to create a delightful and timeless home library. Each stunning, gift edition features deluxe cover treatments, ribbon markers, luxury endpapers and gilded edges. The unabridged text is accompanied by a Glossary of Victorian and Literary terms produced for the modern reader. The tale of Buck, abducted and mistreated and his gradual adaptation to the wild is a much heralded celebration of the power of instinct and the natural world. This edition includes four short stories: 'The Son of the Wolf', 'To the Man on the Trail', 'The Wisdom of the Trail' and 'An Odyssey of the North'.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIt is just after nine o'clock in the morning. Gidza will die in exactly forty-three minutes and thirteen seconds.Rotten Row' is the Criminal Division of Harare, and the courts and the unfortunates who pass through them are the subjects of this mesmerising collection of stories. In these portraits of lives aching for meaning and redemption, Petina Gappah crosses the barriers of class, race, gender and sexual politics in contemporary Zimbabwe, to explore the causes and effects of crime and the nature of justice.

Read more less

Book Synopsis''What a writer he was; he could flip over a sentence so gently, and showthe underbelly in a heartbeat. His work is always quietly compassionate'' Elizabeth StroutIn this final collection of ten exquisite, perceptive and profound stories, William Trevor probes into the depths of the human spirit. Here we encounter a tutor and his pupil, whose lives are thrown into turmoil when they meet again years later; a young girl who discovers the mother she believed dead is alive and well; and a piano-teacher who accepts her pupil''s theft in exchange for his beautiful music. These gorgeous stories - the last that Trevor wrote before his death - affirm his place as one of the world''s greatest storytellers.''Trevor is a master of both language and storytelling'' Hilary Mantel''He is one of the great short-story writers, at his best the equal of Chekhov'' John Banville''The greatest living writer of short stories in the English language'' New YorkerTrade ReviewNone but those with a complete mastery of fiction can walk this line. William Trevor was not "an Irish Chekhov" or even "the Irish Chekhov". He was and will remain the Irish William Trevor * Guardian *10 stories bring a literary career that lasted more than half a century to a consummate conclusion * Sunday Times *William Trevor's prose runs as clear as water yet tastes like gin * Economist *Extraordinary stories from ordinary lives * The Times *One of the great contemporary chroniclers of the human condition, in all its pathos, comedy and strangeness. As a writer he looked at the world with an always surprised but never scandalised eye, and his writer's heart was with those awkward and obscurely damaged souls who cannot quite manage the business of everyday life - all of us, that is * New Statesman *There are those rare, exceptional writers who are fortunate enough (like their readers) to burn bright and steady over many decades, expressing the same creative clarity at the end of their careers as they did at the beginning. William Trevor was one of those writers * LA Times *We honor him as the supreme master of his honest art * Cynthia Ozick *In the first few paragraphs of a story he could set an entire scene without seeming to, working on details, small moments, odd thoughts. As in the work of Alice Munro, there often seemed to be very little happening in his fiction, but then he was capable of offering the reader a sense of an immense dramaHis stories are formally beautiful and, at the same time, interested in the smallness of human lives. He was, as a writer, watchful, unsentimental, alert to frailty and malice. A master craftsmanTrevor is a master of both language and storytellingWe honor him as the supreme master of his honest art * Cynthia Ozick *Trevor is a master of both language and storytelling -- Hilary MantelHe is one of the great short-story writers, at his best the equal of Chekhov -- John BanvilleIn the first few paragraphs of a story he could set an entire scene without seeming to, working on details, small moments, odd thoughts. As in the work of Alice Munro, there often seemed to be very little happening in his fiction, but then he was capable of offering the reader a sense of an immense drama -- Colm TóibínThe strength of all his writing was an unshowy perfection of style, through which he expressed his unerring instinct for fairness. His total lack of self-importance allowed him to express what was important in the world around him. He was one of the greatest writers about justice and suffering, disguised as an ordinary person -- Bernard O’DonoghueA beautiful writer... I would not have become a writer at all had I not discovered his work. -- Yiyun LiThe man - the work - was brilliant, elegant, surprising, reliable, precise, stark, often sad, sometimes funny, shocking and even frightening -- Roddy DoyleHis stories are formally beautiful and, at the same time, interested in the smallness of human lives. He was, as a writer, watchful, unsentimental, alert to frailty and malice. A master craftsman -- Anne EnrightThere is no better short story writer in the English-speaking world * Wall Street Journal *Writers often get asked which authors they return to again and again, their comfort books if you will, the ones that make them remember why fiction matters. William Trevor, I have answered on countless occasions. His stories. Any of them -- John BoyneHe is, I think, sui generis, and in his 12 collections (and 13 novels, and two novellas: an exhibition of near-Updikean energy), he has created a version of the short story that almost ignores the form's hundred or so years of intricate evolution. These stories stay in the mind long after they're finished because they're so solid, so deliberately shaped and directed so surely toward their solemn, harsh conclusions -- William Boyd, reviewing Cheating at Canasta in the 'New York Times'A posthumous collection of stories by the Irish writer reflects his formidable craft * Observer *There are those rare, exceptional writers who are fortunate enough (like their readers) to burn bright and steady over many decades, expressing the same creative clarity at the end of their careers as they did at the beginning. William Trevor was one of those writers * LA Times *What you might call Trevor's parting shots are as robustly vivid and potent, as wistful and emotionally rigorous, as his more youthful oeuvre * Herald *William Trevor, master of the short story, was at the top of his game in his final decade * Telegraph *William Trevor's short fiction was the stuff of legend * Event Magazine *Trevor's prose style is effortless, elegant and economical, but manages to contain the most hugely difficult feelings: jealousy, guilt and yearning regret * Daily Mail *An Irish writer, an international writer, a great writer. Put bluntly, he is revered by writers -- Jhumpa LahiriExtraordinary stories from ordinary lives * The Times *One of the great contemporary chroniclers of the human condition, in all its pathos, comedy and strangeness. As a writer he looked at the world with an always surprised but never scandalised eye, and his writer's heart was with those awkward and obscurely damaged souls who cannot quite manage the business of everyday life - all of us, that is -- John Banville * New Statesman *10 stories bring a literary career that lasted more than half a century to a consummate conclusion -- Peter Kemp * Sunday Times *William Trevor's prose runs as clear as water yet tastes like gin * Economist *None but those with a complete mastery of fiction can walk this line. William Trevor was not "an Irish Chekhov" or even "the Irish Chekhov". He was and will remain the Irish William Trevor -- Julian Barnes * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisNow adapted into major film, Certain Women, starring Kristen Stewart and Michelle WilliamsCaught between opposing forces - fidelity and desire, impulse and security, innocence and experience - these unforgettable characters have each reached a fork in the road. But what kind of fool only wants it one way?Funny, sly and sparkling with energy, Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It confirms Maile Meloy as an enthralling storyteller.Trade ReviewBrilliant. * * Helen Fielding * *Meloy's style is as fresh and brisk as an ocean breeze. * * Sunday Times * *Clever, calm, funny . . . absolutely compulsive. * * Daily Telegraph * *Meloy writes wonderfully well. * * Guardian * *A true and rare find. * * Richard Ford * *Moving, compassionate and amusing. * * Daily Mail * *She's such a talented and unpredictable writer that I'm officially joining her fan club. * * Guardian * *Meloy writes with both fearlessness and true compassion, two talents that are rarely combined. -- Ann Patchett on LIARS AND SAINTSMeloy writes elegantly and precisely, never wasting a word...a terrific read. -- Time Out on Meloy's HALF IN LOVEMeloy is able to give convincing voice to a huge range of characters...and she harnesses skilfully the power of the untold secrets that underlie the story. -- Guardian on Meloy's LIARS AND SAINTSWise, witty and beautifully written -- Helen Fielding on LIARS AND SAINTSThe opening story in this deft collection could be Annie Proulx, while the last recalls Tobias Wolff . . . Maile Meloy has a range and flexibility well beyond her years . . . There is an exactitude and simplicity to these assured and beautifully constructed stories, which are often told from the perspective of those who lack much authority over their lives. * * Observer * *One of the best of our contemporary short-story writers, Maile Meloy's star is rapidly rising - and this brilliant collection shows why. * * Sunday Business Post * *Meloy has such a sure handle in what to leave out. Her style is impressively unshowy: it's not even showily unshowy, not seeing the need to draw attention to its pared-down restraint. * * London Review of Books * *

Read more less

Book Synopsis"Tender, terrifying, and heart-rending . . . A must read" GEETANJALI SHREE, author of International Booker Prize-winning Tomb of SandA Fistful of Moonlight is a collection of fourteen stories that explore love, identity, politics, fantasy and a fresh take on an age-old fairy tale, transporting readers into the heart of contemporary writing from Assam.A man is so fascinated by shoes that he sees the world through the lens of footwear. A daughter's forced death sparks generations of trauma until the family confront their curse. A young girl is liberated when she chops away her long tresses and along with them the pain of several identities. The oilfield disaster at Baghjan claims a life and a community struggles to make sense of their loss. Social taboos prevent a love match leaving emotional wounds that will last forever. A family's future is at risk when they are forced to leave their home yet again.UNTOLD is a writer development programme for marginalised writers in areas of conflict and post-conflict. These stories are the culmination of a literary project led by Untold and BEE Books in Kolkata, and include four stories by more established Assamese writers. A companion volume to My Pen is the Wing of a Bird: New Fiction by Afghan Women, it introduces new and diverse voices to audiences worldwide.Trade ReviewTender, terrifying, and heart-rending, these are soulful tales of loss and suffering. Of women and men overwhelmed by societal and State tyranny and the relentless fury of Nature and the Corporates. Shot through with an ominous gloom, occasionally heightened by black humour, the tales permit no looking away from the urgency of the situation. The English translation carries well the flavour and spirit of the Assamese original. A must read. -- Geetanjali Shree * author of International Booker Prize-winning TOMB OF SAND *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAlgernon Blackwood, a founding father of modern ghost and horror stories, is one of the great horror writers of the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. With M.R. James, William Hope Hodgson and Arthur Machen, he inspired generations of writers from H.P. Lovecraft to Shirley Jackson, Robert Bloch to Ramsey Campbell. Although The Willows and The Wendigo are his most well-known, this new collection brings together many of his other finely crafted tales, including 'The Empty House', 'A Haunted Island', 'The Transfer' and 'The Kit-Bag'. The Flame Tree Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections bring together the entire range of myth, folklore and modern short fiction. Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories, the books in Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, perfect as a gift and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNew magical girls on the scene means a new collection of short stories about their lives! Plus, you’ll get to read the bonus origin story Snow White Raising Project for the first time in print. Don't miss out on these episodes that are sure to add even more color and intrigue to the Magical Girl Raising Project series!

Read more less

Book SynopsisA brand new anthology of previously unpublished and uncollected supernatural mysteries by some of the masters of the Golden Age thrills, spills and chills perfect for Halloween.It is said that books are written to bring sunshine into our dull, grey lives to show us places we want to escape to, lives we want to live, people we want to love. But there are also stories that can only be found in the deepest, darkest corners of the library. Stories about the unexplained, of lost souls, of things that go bump before the silence. Before the screaming.And some stories just disappear. Stories printed in old newspapers, broadcast live on the wireless, sometimes not even published at all these are the stories you cannot find on even the dustiest of library shelves.Ghosts from the Library resurrects forgotten tales of the supernatural by some of the most acclaimed mystery authors of all time. From Arthur Conan Doyle and John Dickson Carr to Agatha Christie and Daphne du Maurier, this spine-chilTrade Review‘A delightfully shiversome set of tales to be read over a series of dark nights.’—The Invisible Event ‘The collection is full to the brim with elegant and subtle writing, clever character studies and some masterclass-level misdirection. Perfect for a long winter’s night.’—Crime Review ‘Criminally spooky – would make a great Christmas stocking gift!’—FictionFan ‘Despite being hitherto “lost”, there are few duds here.’—Guardian ‘A particular favourite of mine was Agatha Christie’s Personal Call, written for the BBC’s Light Programme in 1954. This translates well to the page … as the story builds to a tense climax guaranteed to send a shiver up an unsuspecting spine.’—Crime Review

Read more less

Book SynopsisA fascinating and unsettling anthology of 32 science fiction short stories in tribute to the prophetic dystopias of New Wave sci-fi pioneer, and literary titan of the twentieth century, J. G. Ballard-featuring Will Self, Iain Sinclair, Christopher Fowler, Chris Beckett, and a new Jerry Cornelius story from Michael Moorcock. Few authors are so iconic that their name is an adjective - Ballard is one of them. Master of both literary and science fiction, his novels such as Empire of the Sun, Crash and Cocaine Nights show a world out of joint - a bewildering, alienating and yet enthralling place. From his rapturously weird takes on contemporary reality to his classic dystopias like The Drowned World and High Rise, Ballard's legacy shaped the future of literature. This first-of-its-kind anthology, featuring our greatest literary and science fiction authors, pays tribute to the unique visions of humanity's uncanny and uneasy clash with the future - our empires of concrete - seen through the warped lens of J. G. Ballard.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR MAXIM JAKUBOWSKI A well written sharp, incisive crime story (much like a dagger thrust should be) is a thing of beauty. There are many in this anthology. Read and enjoy. - Frost Magazine Quality and variety... are guaranteed. - Morning Star Chilling and crafty, and full of devious characters. Not all of the victims are innocent, and the effects of each story will linger long after you close the volume. - The Girl Who Reads It's good to see earlier contributions from such luminaries as Peter O'Donnell, Julian Rathbone and Larry Beinhart among the star-studded cast which features Ian Rankin, Jeffrey Deaver, Denise Mina and John Harvey. - Shots Mag The daggers are drawn, business ends out. An absolute must read for all crime fiction fans. - Advance the Plot Edgy, twisted and disturbing, Daggers Drawn is a visceral and thrilling collection showcasing the very best modern crime fiction has to offer. - Book Lover's Boudoir [A]n overall entertaining tale of short stories with quite a few enjoyable tales to entice the reader. - Run Along the Shelves I'd definitely recommend this great collection for anyone who is a crime fiction fan. - Snazzy Books [A]n engrossing and entertaining read. - Annarellix Review

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis selection brings together the fantastic Gothic stories of Vernon Lee, including the landmark collection Hauntings, first published in 1890, along with six additional tales and the 1880 essay 'Faustus and Helena'.Table of ContentsIntroduction Winthrop's Adventure Oke of Okehurst; or, the Phantom Lover Amour Dure Dionea A Wicked Voice The Legend of Madame Krasinska The Virgin of the Seven Daggers Prince Alberic and the Snake Lady The Doll Marsyas in Flanders Appendix I: Faustus and Helena Appendix II: Preface to Hauntings Explanatory Notes

Read more less

Book SynopsisMaman was exigeante—there is no English word—and I had the benefit of her training. Others may not be so fortunate. If some other young girl, with two million dollars at stake, finds this of use I shall count myself justified.Trade Review"A staggeringly intelligent examination into the nature of truth, love, respect, beauty and trust...This is that rare thing, or merle blanc, as maman might say: a perfect book. I've read it four times, which you can do between breakfast and lunch." -- Nicola Shulman - The Times Literary Supplement"Weighing in at just 64 pages, Helen DeWitt’s The English Understand Wool is a delight." -- Mia Levitin - The Irish Times"This is a short, sharp sliver of a story—only 64 pages—but every single word is pitch perfect… Think of it as the literary equivalent of a shot of ice-cold vodka—Belvedere or Grey Goose only, of course." -- Lucy Scholes - Prospect"For a wonderfully sideways take on the complex intersections between class, wealth and power—intersections that invariably favour those who have most of them already—I recommend reading The English Understand Wool, by the American writer Helen DeWitt." -- Alex Clark - The Observer"The English Understand Wool is Helen DeWitt’s best and funniest book so far – quite a feat given the standards set by the rest of her work… Its pages are rife with wicked pleasures. It incites and rewards re-reading." -- Heather Cass White - The Times Literary Supplement"Readers of Helen DeWitt’s limited previous output—two novels and a collection of stories in twenty-two years—will fall greedily on anything new. Her novella The English Understand Wool exceeds expectations." -- John Self - The Critic

Read more less

Book SynopsisAbove a disused bar, in a dilapidated Parisian hotel that houses an assortment of indigent, marginalized lost souls, one of the inhabitants, a mysterious, reclusive holy man, is the subject of much speculation from some of his fellow occupants and respectful reverence from others. As the tale unfolds, the dynamics of this precarious microcosm are laid bare, in a powerful portrayal of those society has forgotten.Written when the author of Cain's Book was at the height of his creative powers and enjoying an increasing reputation in avant-garde literary circles, The Holy Man' is here presented with A Being of Distances', Peter Pierce' and A Meeting', stories which similarly tackle themes of loneliness and disenfranchisement.Trade ReviewThis collection will hopefully encourage people to discover the work of one of the most formidably intelligent and radical avant-garde writers Britain has ever produced. – The Morning Star

Read more less

Book SynopsisFirst in a two volume collection of short stories by the acclaimed author of Empire of the Sun', Crash' and Super-Cannes'. The new edition is introduced by Adam Thirwell.With eighteen novels over four decades from The Drowned World' in 1962 to his final novel Kingdom Come' in 2006 J.G. Ballard is known as one of Britain's most celebrated and original novelists.However, during his long career he was also a prolific writer of short stories; in fact, many people consider that he is at his best in the short-story format. These highly influential stories have appeared in magazines such as New Worlds, Amazing Stories and Interzone, and in several separate collections, including The Terminal Beach', The Venus Hunters', Vermilion Sands', Low-Flying Aircraft' and Myths of the Near Future'.Set out in the original order of publication and frequently the point of conception for ideas he further developed in his novels, these stories provide an unprecedented opportunity to see the imagination of Trade Review‘More than one thousand compelling pages from one of the most haunting, cogent and individual imaginations in contemporary literature’ William Boyd ‘A marvel … there is something a little shaming in reading Ballard: you have to face the fact that there exist writers with such fresh imaginations they can’t write five pages without stumbling on an alternate world’ Zadie Smith ‘Simply a master story writer – the maker of unforgettable artefacts in words’ Jonathan Lethem ‘Indispensable … probably the most original English writer of the last century’ China Miéville

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the author of ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, a collection of stories about memory: the source of meaning and coherence in our lives, the fragile thread that connects us to ourselves and to others.In the luminous title story, a young boy in South Africa comes to possess an old woman's secret, a piece of the past with the power to redeem a life. In The River Nemunas', a teenaged orphan moves from Kansas to Lithuania, and discovers a world in which myth becomes real. And in Afterworld,' a woman who escaped the Holocaust is haunted by visions of her childhood friends in Germany, yet finds solace in the tender ministrations of her grandson.The stories in Memory Wall show us how we figure the world, and show Anthony Doerr to be a master of the form.Trade Review‘It's fair to say that Anthony Doerr is doing things with the short story that have rarely been attempted and seldom achieved. The stories in Memory Wall have such scope and depth that they hit as hard as novels three times their length. Doerr has set a new standard, I think, for what a story can do.’ Dave Eggers ‘Ambitiously wide-ranging and inventive, Doerr’s six stories movingly investigate the ways in which we are nothing without memory.’ Sunday Times ‘Doerr is a lusciously good stylist.’ Guardian ‘If this book's wisdom can be summed up in a single line it is this one, from ‘Afterworld’: ‘Within the wet enclosure of a single mind a person can fly from one decade to the next, one country to another, past to present, memory to imagination.’ That thought informs Memory Wall many times.’ Janet Maslin, Scotsman

Read more less

Book SynopsisWelcome to planet Earth, where wonderful things are happening. They're not always easy to find, but we're here to help you discover how.* ex-military bases in Germany have been transformed into wildlife sanctuaries* a start-up in the Philippines has created pencils that can be planted after use* drones are being used to fight deforestation in Brazil* a cheerleading squad in Japan is smashing stereotypes in sequinsSo, make yourself comfortable, disconnect from your device and allow yourself a few minutes every night to dip into these tales of hope, and wake up feeling energised and inspired to take on the world anew.

Read more less

Book SynopsisJRR Tolkien's legacy of short stories which inhabit the realm of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, on CD for the first time.Unfinished Tales is a collection of narratives ranging in time from the Elder Days of Middle-earth to the end of the War of the Ring, and provides those who have read The Lord of the Rings with a whole collection of background and new stories from the twentieth century's most acclaimed popular author.The book concentrates on the realm of Middle-earth and comprises such elements as Gandalf's lively account of how it was that he came to send the Dwarves to the celebrated party at Bag-End, the emergence of the sea-god Ulmo before the eyes of Tuor on the coast of Beleriand, and an exact description of the military organization of the Riders of Rohan.Unfinished Tales also contains the only story about the long ages of Numenor before its downfall, and all that is known about such matters as the Five Wizards, the Palantiri and the legend of Amroth. Trade Review‘Moments of mythic grandeur’Sunday Times ‘Another monument to the incredible imagination of Tolkien’Sunday Telegraph

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDiscover Alice Munro's first mesmerising and atmospheric short story collection.A remarkable writer whose major characters emerge in shining clarity... A major talent is at work here' Los Angeles TimesAlice Munro''s territory is the farms and semi-rural towns of south-western Ontario.In these dazzling stories she deals with the self-discovery of adolescence, the joys and pains of love and the despair and guilt of those caught in a narrow existence. And in sensitively exploring the lives of ordinary men and women, she makes us aware of the universal nature of their fears, sorrows, and aspirations.Winner of the Nobel Prize in LiteratureWinner of the Man Booker International Prize 200Trade ReviewThe finest writer of short stories working in the English language today * The Times *The greatest living short story writer -- A. S. Byatt * Sunday Times *A remarkable writer whose major characters emerge in shining clarity... A major talent is at work here * Los Angeles Times *Munro's power of analysis, of sensations and thoughts is almost Proustian in its sureness * New Statesman *Read not more than one of her stories a day, and allow them to work their spell: they are made to last * Observer *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis collection of playful, deadly febles is populated with waifs and strays, a gluttonous thief and a mischievous gardener. The grimly comic story The Argentine Ant moved Gore Vidal to declare ''if this is not a masterpiece of twentieth-century prose writing, I cannot think of anything better''.Trade ReviewItalo Calvino's Adam, One Afternoon confirms the part he has played in revitalising the art of fiction in our time. In these beautifully translated stories, the quality of the writing emerges as clearly as do the ease and range of his inventiveness. Calvino's special gift is to link the physical and immediate with an allegorical timelessness-All the characters and creatures in these stories conspire to convey a feeling of the wonder, mystery and terror of life * Guardian *Calvino's strength is his economy and subtlety. The best of his allegorical fantasies have the power of the Brothers Grimm, rollicking stories on the surface, with an underlying savagery * Listener *

Read more less

Book SynopsisVirginia Woolf was born in London in 1882, the daughter of Sir Leslie Stephen, first editor of The Dictionary of National Biography. After his death in 1904 Virginia and her sister, the painter Vanessa Bell, moved to Bloomsbury and became the centre of The Bloomsbury Group'. This informal collective of artists and writers which included Lytton Strachey and Roger Fry, exerted a powerful influence over early twentieth-century British culture. In 1912 Virginia married Leonard Woolf, a writer and social reformer. Three years later, her first novel The Voyage Out was published, followed by Night and Day (1919) and Jacob's Room (1922). These first novels show the development of Virginia Woolf's distinctive and innovative narrative style. It was during this time that she and Leonard Woolf founded The Hogarth Press with the publication of the co-authored Two Stories in 1917, hand-printed in the dining room of their house in Surrey. Between 1925 and 1931 VirginiaTrade ReviewHere is the precursor of the experiments which are to fill her future novels, where the writer will evaporate and condense solid objects over her literary Bunsen burner in solutions of time or light -- Helen Simpson, from her introductionWith Joyce and Eliot, Woolf has shaped a literary century -- Jeanette Winterson * The Times *They seem as perfect, and as functional for all their beauty, as spider webs. Indeed they were made for like purpose: to trap and dissect living morsels in the form of palpitating moments of time, instantaneous perceptions, brief visions of others -- Eudora Welty * New York Times Book Review) *Virginia Woolf stands as the chief figure of modernism in England and must be included with Joyce and Proust in the realisation of experimental achievements that have completely broken with tradition * New York Times *Virginia Woolf was one of the great innovators of that decade of literary Modernism, the 1920s. Novels such as Mrs Dalloway and To the Lighthouse showed how experimental writing could reshape our sense of ordinary life. Taking unremarkable materials - preparations for a genteel party, a day on a bourgeois family holiday - they trace the flow of associations and ideas that we call "consciousness" * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATUREThe characters who populate an Alice Munro story live and breathe. Passions hopelessly conceived, affections betrayed, marriages made and broken: the joys, fears, loves and awakenings of women echo throughout these twelve unforgettable stories, laying bare the unexceptional and yet inescapable pain of human contact.Trade ReviewShe has a touch of genius * Mail on Sunday *Only a few writers continue to create those full-bodied miniature universes of the old school. Some of her short stories are so ample and fulfilling that they feel like novels. They present whole landscapes and cultures, who families of characters -- Anne TylerThe writer's questioning memory gives us sharp flashes of reality that are so vividly recalled they permit us to live another life for a moment. * Publishers Weekly *Witty, subtle, passionate, The Moons of Jupiter is exceptionally knowledgeable about the content and movement - the entanglements and entailments - of individual human feeling. And the knowledge it offers can't be looked up elsewhere * New York Times *Munro is in a class of her own.... No other writer working today is able to invest the humble story with more power, grace or breadth.... Munro has been compared to Chekhov... She has the haunting lyricism and the indulgent wisdom to qualify. * Los Angeles Times Book Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWritten in the same period as Mrs Dalloway these seven short stories show the author''s fascination with parties and with all the excitement, the fluctuations of mood and temper and the heightened emotions which surround these social occasions. Mrs Dalloway''s Party is enchanting piece of work by one of our most acclaimed twentieth-century writers.Trade ReviewFull of insightful monologues about human frailty, these stories are a stand-alone delight worth investigating * Stylist *Mesmerising -- Val Hennessey * Daily Mail *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWe all know Jeeves and Wooster, but which is the best Jeeves story? We all know Blandings, but which is the funniest tale about Lord Emsworth and his adored prize-winning pig? And would the best of Ukridge, or the yarns of the Oldest Member, or Wodehouse''s Hollywood stories outdo them? This bumper anthology allows you to choose, bringing you the cream of the crop of stories by the twentieth century''s greatest humorous writer.There are favourites aplenty in this selection, which has been compiled with enthusiastic support from P.G. Wodehouse societies around the world. With additional material including novel extracts, working drafts, articles, letters and poems, this anthology provides the best overall celebration of side-splitting humour and sheer good nature available in the pages of any book.Trade ReviewSublime comic genius . . . light as a feather, but fabulous -- Ben EltonP.G. Wodehouse wrote the best English comic novels of the century -- Sebastian Faulks * Independent on Sunday *Wodehouse is the greatest comic writer -- Douglas AdamsThe funniest writer ever to put words on paper -- Hugh LaurieWitty and effortlessly fluid. His books are laugh-out-loud funny -- Arabella Weir

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the reign of the Tsars in the early nineteenth century to the collapse of the Soviet Union and beyond, the short story has long occupied a central place in Russian culture. Included here are pieces from many of the acknowledged masters of Russian literature—including Pushkin, Turgenev, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, and Solzhenitsyn—alongside tales by long-suppressed figures such as the subversive Kryzhanowsky and the surrealist Shalamov. Whether written in reaction to the cruelty of the bourgeoisie, the bureaucracy of communism, or the torture of the prison camps, they offer a wonderfully wide-ranging and exciting representation of one of the most vital and enduring forms of Russian literature.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. ReaderTrade Review“A smartly executed bid . . . to broaden our view of Russian literature and life.” —The Independent“As one might expect from one of UK’s leading translators, [Chandler’s] translations . . . are both accurate and highly readable.” —The East-West Journal“[An] entirely authoritative and marvellous collection.” —The Guardian

Read more less

Book SynopsisTolstoy's powerful semiautobiographical stories based on his time spent in the Russian army, part of our series of fresh new Tolstoy translations In 1851, at the age of twenty-two, Tolstoy joined the Russian army. The four years he spent as a soldier were among the most significant in his life and inspired the tales collected here. In The Cossacks, Tolstoy tells the story of Olenin, a cultured Russian whose experiences among the Cossack warriors of Central Asia leave him searching for a more authentic life. The Sevastopol Sketches bring into stark relief the realities of military life during the Crimean War. And Hadji Murat paints a portrait of a great leader torn apart by divided loyalties. In writing about individuals and societies in conflict, Tolstoy has penned some of the most brilliant stories about the nature of war.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700Table of ContentsThe Cossacks and Other StoriesChronologyIntroductionA Note on the TextsMapsThe CossacksSevastopol StoriesSevastopol in DecemberSevastopol in MaySevastopol in August 1855Hadji MuratNotesGlossary

Read more less

Book SynopsisDeadly forces are about to be awakened In the degenerate, unliked backwater of Dunwich, Wilbur Whately, a most unusual child, is born. Of unnatural parentage, he grows at an uncanny pace to an unsettling height, but the boy's arrival simply precedes that of a true horror: one of the Old Ones, that forces the people of the town to hole up by night, fearful for their lives, by day able only to trace the wreckage wrought by the gigantic, unseen monster.In this and other tales of the macabre, H. P. Lovecraft weaves unearthly fantasies of creatures beyond conception existing between the spaces of the dimensions we know.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is the definitive collection of short stories by Saul Bellow. Abundant, precise, various, rich and exuberant, the stories display the stylistic and emotional brilliance which characterizes this master of prose. Some stories recount the events of a single day, some are contained in a wider frame; each story is a characteristic combination of observation and a celebration of humanity.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBawdy and moving, hilarious and reflective: these stories offer the very best of Boccaccio’s Decameron—an inspiration for the Netflix dark comedy The Decameron—in a brilliant, playful new translation.   “The Decameron reads in some ways as a guide to social distancing and self-isolation.” —The New York TimesIn the early summer of the year 1348, as a terrible plague ravages the city, ten charming young Florentines take refuge in country villas to tell each other stories—one hundred stories of love, adventure, and surprising twists of fortune that later inspired Chaucer, Keats, and Shakespeare. Now, this hugely enjoyable volume collects the best stories of Boccaccio's masterwork in a fresh, accessible new translation by Peter Hainsworth. It includes such celebrated, thought-provoking tales as Isabella and the Pot of Basil (famously adapted by Keats) and PatTrade Review“The Decameron, by Giovanni Boccaccio (1313–1375), made a great impression on me. . . . Ten youths—seven women and three men—take turns telling stories for 10 days. At around the age of 16, I found it reassuring that Boccaccio, in conceiving his narrators, had made most of them women. Here was a great writer, the father of the modern story, presenting seven great female narrators. There was something to hope for. . . . The seven female narrators of the Decameron should never again need to rely on the great Giovanni Boccaccio to express themselves. . . . The female story, told with increasing skill, increasingly widespread and unapologetic, is what must now assume power.” —Elena Ferrante, The New York Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisFirst published in 1949, THE GOLDEN APPLES is an acutely observed, richly atmospheric portrayal of small town life in Morgana, Mississippi. There''s Snowdie, who has to bring up her twin boys alone after her husband, King Maclain, disappears one day, discarding his hat on the banks of the Big Black. There''s Loch Morrison, convalescing with malaria, who watches from his bedroom window as wayward Virgie Rainey meets a sailor in the vacant house opposite. Meanwhile, Miss Eckhart the piano teacher, grieving the loss of her most promising pupil, tries her hand at arson.Eudora Welty has a fine ear for dialogue and describes each of the characters in incisive, haunting prose. ''...in the South,'' she says, ''everybody stays busy talking all the time - they''re not sorry for you to overhear their tales''. Welty deftly picks up their stories to create an unflinching potrait of everyday life in the American South and offers a deeply moving look at human nature.Trade ReviewA great and generous achievement -- Jonathan RabanI doubt that a better book about 'the South' - one that more completely gets the feel of the particular texture of Southern life and its special tone and pattern - has ever been written * New Yorker *A hauntingly beautiful work...This excellent new edition is prefaced with an essay by Paul Binding which sheds light on the mythic structures that underpin the tales * The Independent, Paperbacks of the Year *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn these dark, dreamlike love stories with a twist, Ludmilla Petrushevskaya tells of strange encounters in claustrophobic communal apartments, ill-fated holiday romances, office trysts, schoolgirl crushes, tentative courtships, rampant infidelity, tender devotion and terrifying madness. By turns sly and sweet, earthy and sublime, these fables of flawed love blend black humour and macabre spectacle with transformative moments of grace.Trade ReviewOne of Russia's best living writers ... her tales inhabit a borderline between this world and the next * The New York Times *Petrushevskaya proves that the literary tradition that produced Dostoyevsky, Gogol and Babel is alive and well * The Daily Beast *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''I regret to see that my book has turned out un fiasco solenne''James Joyce''s disillusion with the publication of Dubliners in 1914 was the result of ten years battling with publishers, resisting their demands to remove swear words, real place names and much else, including two entire stories. Although only 24 when he signed his first publishing contract for the book, Joyce already knew its worth: to alter it in any way would ''retard the course of civilisation in Ireland''.Joyce''s aim was to tell the truth - to create a work of art that would reflect life in Ireland at the turn of the last century and by rejecting euphemism, reveal to the Irish the unromantic reality the recognition of which would lead to the spiritual liberation of the country. Each of the fifteen stories offers a glimpse of the lives of ordinary Dubliners - a death, an encounter, an opportunity not taken, a memory rekindled - and collectively they paint a portrait of a nation. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade Reviewhandsome new editions . . . . eminently readable, with good clear typefaces and text unencumbered by note numbers * John Banville, Irish Times 10/02/01 *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Composition and publication history ; Bibliography ; Chronology ; Appendices:'A Curious History' and the original version of 'The Sisters' ; Explanatory notes

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIncludes: The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes; The Phantom Rickshaw; The Hill of Illusion; Dray Wara Yow Dee; With the Main Guard; Baa, Baa, Black Sheep; At the Pit's Mouth; On the City Wall

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis volume includes Daisy Miller, Pandora, The Patagonia, and Four Meetings. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Table of ContentsDaisy Miller; Pandora; The Patagonia; Four Meetings

Read more less

Book SynopsisHoffmann is among the greatest and most popular of the German Romantics. This selection, while stressing the variety of his work, puts in the foreground those tales in which the real and the supernatural are brought into contact and conflict. The humour of these tales is a result of the incongruity of supernatural beings at large in an ostentatiously everyday world. They include The Golden Pot, recognized as Hoffmann''s masterpiece by himself and posterity; its spine-chilling companion tale, The Sandman, which Offenbach drew on for his opera Tales of Hoffmann, and which Freud examines in his essay `The Uncanny''; two longer and more elaborate fantasies, set respectively in Germany and Italy; and the late story, My Cousin''s Corner Window, which shows the powers of the imagination being applied to everyday urban life, and marks a transition in European literature generally from Romanticism to Realism.Ritchie Robertson''s detailed introduction places the stories in their intellectual andTable of ContentsThe Golden Pot ; The Sandman ; Princess Brambilla ; Master Flea ; My Cousin's Corner Window

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first of Chekhov''s works to be published in a serious literary journal, `The Steppe'', with its masterly account of a spectacular thunderstorm, signifies his maturation as a writer of short stories. While the majority of his tales focus on the privileged classes, this selection shows that Chekhov never forgot his origins as the son of a failed provincial grocer, and characters as varied as the brutal soldier in `Gusev'', the downtrodden old constable in `On Official Business'', and the bemused peasants in `New Villa'' testify to the power and flexibility of his art. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Table of ContentsThe Steppe ; An Awkward Business ; The Beauties ; The Cobbler and the Devil ; The Bet ; Thieves ; Gusev ; Peasant Woman ; In Exile ; Rothschild's Fiddle ; The Student ; The Head Gardener's Story ; Patch ; The Savage ; In the Cart ; New Villa ; On Official Business ; At Christmas ; Fragment ; The Story of a Commercial Venture ; From a Retired Teacher's Notebook ; A Fishy Affair

Read more less

Book Synopsis''He had become the dandy of the unpredictable.''A quest for new sensations, and an avowed desire to shock possessed the Decadent writers of fin-de-siècle Paris. The years 1880-1900 saw an extraordinary, hothouse flowering of talent, that produced some of the most exotic, stylized, and cerebral literature in the French language. While ''Decadence'' was a European movement, its epicentre was the French capital. On the eve of Freud''s early discoveries, writers such as Gourmont, Lorrain, Maupassant, Mirbeau, Richepin, Schwob, and Villiers engaged in a species of wild analysis of their own, perfecting the art of short fiction as they did so. Death and Eros haunt these pages, and a polymorphous perversity by turns hilarious and horrifying. Their stories teem with addicts, maniacs, and murderers as they strive to outdo each other.This newly translated selection brings together the very best writing of the period, from lesser known figures as well as famous names. Provocative and unsettling,Trade Review[A] beautifully translated anthology * Graham Robb, TLS *Table of ContentsJULES BARBEY D'AUREVILLY (1808-89) ; Don Juan's Crowning Love Affair ; LEON BLOY (1846-1917) ; A Dentist Terribly Punished ; The Last Bake ; The Lucky Sixpence ; GUSTAVE GEFFROY (1855-1926) ; The Statue ; REMY DE GOURMONT (1858-1915) ; Danaette ; Don Juan's Secret ; The Faun ; On the Threshold ; JULES LAFORGUE (1860-87) ; Perseus and Andromeda ; JEAN LORRAIN (1895-1906) ; An Unidentified Crime ; The Man with the Bracelet ; The Student's Tale ; The Man Who Loved Consumptives ; PIERRE LOUYS (1870-1925) ; A Case without Precedent ; GUY DE MAUPASSANT (1850-93) ; At the Death-Bed ; The Night ; A Walk ; The Tresses ; CATULLE MENDES (1841-1909) ; What the Shadow Demands ; GUSTAVE MIRBEAU (1848-1927) ; The Bath ; The First Emotion ; The Little Summer-House ; On a Cure ; JEAN RICHEPIN (1849-1926) ; Constant Guignard ; Deshoulieres ; Pft! Pft! ; GEORGE RODENBACH (1855-98) ; The Time ; MARCEL SCHWOB (1867-1905) ; The Brothel ; The Sans-Gueule ; 52 and 53 Orfila ; Lucretius, Poet ; Paolo Uccello, Painter ; VILLIERS DE L'ISLE ADAM (1838-89) ; Sentimentalism ; The Presentiment ; The Desire to be a Man

Read more less

Book SynopsisA unique edition of James's two complementary tales, 'Daisy Miller' and 'An International Episode', in which the young American girl irrupts into European society. This edition includes introduction and notes by Adrian Poole, and an Appendix on stage and screen versions of 'Daisy Miller'.Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Note on the Texts ; Select Bibliography ; Chronology ; 'Daisy Miller' ; 'An International Episode' ; Appendix 1: extracts from James's Prefaces for the New York Edition ; Appendix 2: stage and film versions of 'Daisy Miller' ; Appendix 3: variant readings ; Explanatory Notes

Read more less

Book Synopsis''She was bored and fought against her boredom, which only bored her still more.''Five sparkling, irreverent brief portraits of famous literary figures (including libertines, eccentrics and rogues) from Spain''s greatest living writer.Penguin Modern: fifty new books celebrating the pioneering spirit of the iconic Penguin Modern Classics series, with each one offering a concentrated hit of its contemporary, international flavour. Here are authors ranging from Kathy Acker to James Baldwin, Truman Capote to Stanislaw Lem and George Orwell to Shirley Jackson; essays radical and inspiring; poems moving and disturbing; stories surreal and fabulous; taking us from the deep South to modern Japan, New York''s underground scene to the farthest reaches of outer space.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewIf you're in the market for something beautiful and deep, The Penguin Book of French Short Stories is a sumptuous treat for any book lover. -- Martin Chilton * The Independent *Tales with a certain ooh la la ... an eclectic, often steamy collection charting the history of the French short story [with] some gems by less famous figures ... high marks for quality and variety. -- Matthew Reisz * The Observer *A French version of The Thousand and One Nights ... Both volumes tell us something new about writing in French ... Such a creative arrangement forces us to rethink what we expect a short story to be or do ... Perhaps all short fiction reminds us that the end is nigh, in which case not the least of Patrick McGuinness's achievements is that of showing us how to read and live accordingly. -- Annabel Kim * Times Literary Supplement *It's hard to imagine a better introduction to French literature than this glorious two-volume bran tub of short fiction ... outstanding masterpieces all ... There's a welcome playfulness throughout. -- John Self * The Guardian *Patrick McGuinness's magisterial anthology teems with universes from each of its 84 authors ... There is so much to discover in these stories - both history and food for short story lovers everywhere. * Irish Times *Impeccably edited by Patrick McGuinness. The first volume stretches from the 16th century to the early 20th century ... Volume two takes us from there to the early 21st century, featuring more women and non-white authors than the first volume. Treat yourself: buy both. -- Tomiwa Owolade * Sunday Times *What a collection it is ... Both volumes fizz with the enthusiasm with which McGuinness has assembled stories that range across centuries and continents ... This will surely turn out to be the definitive anthology of French-language short fiction. -- Charlie Connelly * The New European *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Delany''s works have become essential to the history of science fiction'' New YorkerSamuel Delany is one of the most radical and influential science fiction writers of our age, who reinvented the genre with his fearless explorations of race, class and gender. Driftglass is the definitive volume of his stories, featuring neutered space travellers, telepathy, Hells Angels and genetically modified amphibious workers.''Delany''s books interweave science fiction with histories of race, sexuality and control. In so doing, he gives readers fiction that reflects and explores the social truths of our world'' The New York TimesTrade ReviewA writer of consistently high ambition and achievement * The New York Times Book Review *Delany's prismatic output is among the most significant, immense and innovative in American letters * The New York Times *Delany's works have become essential to the history of science fiction * New Yorker *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''One of African literature''s most fascinating and unorthodox figures'' Brian Chikwava''When all else fails, don''t take it in silence: scream like hell, scream like Jericho was tumbling down, serenaded by a brace of trombones, scream''Dambudzo Marechera burst onto the literary scene in 1978 with this vivid roar of a book exploring township life in pre-independence Zimbabwe. Rejecting what he saw as the narrow stereotypes of African literature, Marechera''s stories portrayed a world flashing with violence and anarchic humour, as his narrator expresses his desperate alienation - from his family, from his student friends, from Zimbabwe itself.''A writer who considered fiction a form of combat, complex, challenging - and uniquely potent'' Guardian''Like overhearing a scream'' Doris Lessing''A terrible beauty is born out of the urgency of his vision'' Angela CarterTrade ReviewA profound, even if exaggeratedly self-aware writer, an instinctive nomad and bohemian in temperament, Marechera was a writer in constant quest for his real self -- Wole SoyinkaA terrible beauty is born out of the urgency of his vision -- Angela CarterThe metaphors are simultaneously so unclichéd and so apt that he reinvigorates the language -- China Mieville on THE BOOKS THAT MADE MELike overhearing a scream -- Doris LessingA writer who considered fiction a 'form of combat', his work is complex, challenging - and uniquely potent -- Chris Power * The Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA heartbreaking, soul-baring novel about the repercussions of choice from the award-winning author of The Welsh Girl and The Fortunes.Trade ReviewA powerful account of fatherhood . . . a complicated story, told with fearless honesty. The prose is rueful, spare and matter-of-fact, but emotions churn beneath the clean surface. It can be very funny, but it can also stop you in your tracks. -- James Smart * Guardian *His deceptively simple, pared-back style is ideal for detailing difficult emotions . . . Davies's bold tell-all policy makes for moving and compelling reading . . . admirable for the brave new things it has to say about shame, regret, fatherhood and love -- Claire Lowdon * Sunday Times *His recollections fizz with tell-all voltage . . . Tender yet clear-eyed, this is a thoughtful, consistently intriguing book, covering a lot of ground in a short space. -- Anthony Cummins * Observer *Davies encompasses some of the hugest questions of life, sex, morality and mortality. The prose might be spare and elegant, but the mess, muddle and sheer silliness of ordinary life is sharply evoked. -- Suzi Feay * Financial Times *A courageous, honest book . . . has a light touch in exploring other moral dilemmas and uncertainties with which we all grapple, putting your emotions through the wringer in prose full of piercing emotional shards . . . This tender, thought-provoking novel captures the doubts, the worries, the pain and the sheer joy of being a parent -- Martin Chilton * Independent *A funny, tender and unflinchingly honest account of fatherhood, of the ways it can wound you and confound you, but also of its potential for transcendent, transformative joy. -- David Annand * Times Literary Supplement *Davies treats twists of fate with clear-eyed realism, humor, and grace * New Yorker *[It] creates controlled art out of life's messy pain . . . There is nothing superfluous in these pages . . . A novel about the comedy and travails of parenting a "twice exceptional" child that earns its place on the shelf alongside the frank and sometimes acerbic memoirs of Rachel Cusk and Anne Enright. -- Claire Messud * Harper's Magazine *Fierce paternal love spills off every page of this masterful book in a way that recalls Max Porter's Grief Is The Thing With Feathers; lean and darkly funny, it contains not a shred of mawkishness . . . This has been billed as autofiction; however you classify it, it's exceptional. -- Stephanie Cross * Daily Mail *Davies's novel is a touching, thoughtful portrait of parenthood, with valuable insights into America's corrosive debate on abortion. -- Anthony Gardner * Mail on Sunday *This book is so damn good. -- Celeste Ng, author of Little Fires EverywhereThere are some stories that require as much courage to write as they do art. Peter Ho Davies's achingly honest, searingly comic portrait of fatherhood is just such a story. A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself enacts to profound effect the dark shames, fears, and absurdities that are an inescapable part of family life. The world needs more stories like this one, more of this kind of courage, more of this kind of love. -- Sigrid Nunez, National Book Award-winning author of The FriendA raw, intimate look at a couple's journey into parenthood . . . a resonant treatise on identity, family, grieving, writing, and "the taking and telling of other people's stories. * Booklist *A radiant conclusion affirms the daunting cost and overwhelming rewards of raising a child. Perfectly observed and tremendously moving: This will strike a resonant chord with parents everywhere. * Kirkus Reviews *Davies explores their emotions with unflinching honesty . . . [His] meditation on the complexities of parenthood is at once celebration and absolution, finding truth in human contradictions. * Publishers Weekly *I never miss a new book by Peter Ho Davies and A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself is his best yet. A taut, raw, clever work of autofiction with a real beating heart, this is the audacious tragicomic novel about fatherhood and long-term love we've been missing. -- Claire Vaye Watkins, author of Battleborn and Gold Fame CitrusPeter Ho Davies has long written brilliantly about accidents of culpability and their winding trails. In A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself he has given us a stunning novel of family life, scrupulous and astute, full of home-truths in every sense. Another triumph by an author whose books I love. -- Joan Silber, National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author of ImprovementThe former Granta Young British Novelist lays himself bare in a moving account of a terminated pregnancy. * Sunday Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA heartbreaking, soul-baring novel about the repercussions of choice from the award-winning author of The Welsh Girl and The Fortunes.Trade ReviewA powerful account of fatherhood . . . a complicated story, told with fearless honesty. The prose is rueful, spare and matter-of-fact, but emotions churn beneath the clean surface. It can be very funny, but it can also stop you in your tracks. -- James Smart * Guardian *His deceptively simple, pared-back style is ideal for detailing difficult emotions . . . Davies's bold tell-all policy makes for moving and compelling reading . . . admirable for the brave new things it has to say about shame, regret, fatherhood and love -- Claire Lowdon * Sunday Times *His recollections fizz with tell-all voltage . . . Tender yet clear-eyed, this is a thoughtful, consistently intriguing book, covering a lot of ground in a short space. -- Anthony Cummins * Observer *Davies encompasses some of the hugest questions of life, sex, morality and mortality. The prose might be spare and elegant, but the mess, muddle and sheer silliness of ordinary life is sharply evoked. -- Suzi Feay * Financial Times *A courageous, honest book . . . has a light touch in exploring other moral dilemmas and uncertainties with which we all grapple, putting your emotions through the wringer in prose full of piercing emotional shards . . . This tender, thought-provoking novel captures the doubts, the worries, the pain and the sheer joy of being a parent -- Martin Chilton * Independent *A funny, tender and unflinchingly honest account of fatherhood, of the ways it can wound you and confound you, but also of its potential for transcendent, transformative joy. -- David Annand * Times Literary Supplement *Davies treats twists of fate with clear-eyed realism, humor, and grace * New Yorker *[It] creates controlled art out of life's messy pain . . . There is nothing superfluous in these pages . . . A novel about the comedy and travails of parenting a "twice exceptional" child that earns its place on the shelf alongside the frank and sometimes acerbic memoirs of Rachel Cusk and Anne Enright. -- Claire Messud * Harper's Magazine *Fierce paternal love spills off every page of this masterful book in a way that recalls Max Porter's Grief Is The Thing With Feathers; lean and darkly funny, it contains not a shred of mawkishness . . . This has been billed as autofiction; however you classify it, it's exceptional. -- Stephanie Cross * Daily Mail *Davies's novel is a touching, thoughtful portrait of parenthood, with valuable insights into America's corrosive debate on abortion. -- Anthony Gardner * Mail on Sunday *This book is so damn good. -- Celeste Ng, author of Little Fires EverywhereThere are some stories that require as much courage to write as they do art. Peter Ho Davies's achingly honest, searingly comic portrait of fatherhood is just such a story. A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself enacts to profound effect the dark shames, fears, and absurdities that are an inescapable part of family life. The world needs more stories like this one, more of this kind of courage, more of this kind of love. -- Sigrid Nunez, National Book Award-winning author of The FriendA raw, intimate look at a couple's journey into parenthood . . . a resonant treatise on identity, family, grieving, writing, and "the taking and telling of other people's stories. * Booklist *A radiant conclusion affirms the daunting cost and overwhelming rewards of raising a child. Perfectly observed and tremendously moving: This will strike a resonant chord with parents everywhere. * Kirkus Reviews *Davies explores their emotions with unflinching honesty . . . [His] meditation on the complexities of parenthood is at once celebration and absolution, finding truth in human contradictions. * Publishers Weekly *I never miss a new book by Peter Ho Davies and A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself is his best yet. A taut, raw, clever work of autofiction with a real beating heart, this is the audacious tragicomic novel about fatherhood and long-term love we've been missing. -- Claire Vaye Watkins, author of Battleborn and Gold Fame CitrusPeter Ho Davies has long written brilliantly about accidents of culpability and their winding trails. In A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself he has given us a stunning novel of family life, scrupulous and astute, full of home-truths in every sense. Another triumph by an author whose books I love. -- Joan Silber, National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author of ImprovementThe former Granta Young British Novelist lays himself bare in a moving account of a terminated pregnancy. * Sunday Times *

Read more less