Anthologies featuring bestselling authors alongside rising stars. Short story collections from some of our beloved authors with Roald Dahl, Raymond Carver and Anita Desai among the better known
Anthologies & Short Stories
Dover Publications Inc. White Nights and Other Stories
Book SynopsisFrom the author of Crime and Punishment comes this remarkable collection of short fiction. Ten compelling tales, steeped in Dostoyevsky''s characteristic themes of spiritual torment and psychological conflict, evoke life in Czarist Russia. Featured stories include The Dream of a Ridiculous Man, An Honest Thief, Bobok, An Unpleasant Predicament, and more.
£10.77
Titan Books Ltd Rogues
Book SynopsisThis thrilling collection of twenty-one all-original stories, by an all-star list of contributors, will delight and astonish in equal measure with their cunning twists and dazzling reversals. George R. R. Martin himself offers a brand-new A Game of Thrones tale, chronicling one of the biggest rogues in the entire history of Ice and Fire. Also featuring stories from Gillian Flynn, Joe Abercrombie, Neil Gaiman, Patrick Rothfuss, Scott Lynch and more!Trade Review"Not a single bad story in the bunch... The table of contents alone will make fans from all genre aisles salivate." Library Journal
£13.49
Flame Tree Publishing Beasts & Creatures Myths & Tales: Epic Tales
Book SynopsisWith their weird combination of animal limbs, or distorted visions of human perception, beasts and creatures can be found in all myths and legends of the world, often used to demonstrate moral or fabulistic stories, and explain extreme natural phenomena. An ideal companion to Gods & Monsters Myths & Tales, this new collection includes more of the most famous and recognizable beasts, with some insight too into the rare and the little known: the Simurgh – the gigantic mythical bird of Persian mythology and literature – mingles with the monstrous Great Head of Iroquois folklore; the Kraken of originally Scandinvavian legend can be found alongside North America's Bigfoot, or Sasquatch if you prefer. Of course, from the Greek and Celtic mythologies come the Phoenix, Scylla and Charybdis, the Unicorn, Satyrs and Fauns, Centaurs and Minotaurs, the Basilisk and the Griffin. And let's not forget the goblins of the Norse, the ogreish monsters of Japanese mythology, the Oni, and the nymphs, fairies and sprites that appear in many different mythological traditions. This truly is a wonderful collection of tales. 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.
£17.00
Oxford University Press Young Goodman Brown and Other Tales
Book SynopsisThis selection of twenty of Hawthorne''s tales is the first in paperback to present his most important short works with full annotation in one volume. 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 ReviewAn excellent edition of this seminal story by Hawthorne, with a helpful introduction to these tales, and excellent explanatary notes.' Lionel Kelly, University of Reading 'This collection offers a good selection of the well known and the less available tales. The introduction presents a stimulating analysis of Hawthorne's art and hios view of the role/identity of the writer. The notes na dbibliographical details anr excellent.' K.M.Parkinson, Roehampton Institute of Higher Education. 'Although I don't expect to use the text myself at the moment, I'm greatly pleased to see these early examples of the genre being published in so accessible a form. * B.D.Ingraham, Teesside Polytechnic. *Table of ContentsTHE GENTLE BOY; ROGER MALVIN'S BURIAL; THE GREY CHAMPION; THE MAYPOLE OF MERRY MOUNT; THE MINISTER'S BLACK VEIL; DR HEIDEGGER'S EXPERIMENT; ENDICOTT AND THE RED CROSS; THE BIRTHMARK; THE CELESTIAL RAILROAD; THE ARTIST OF THE BEAUTIFUL; RAPPACCINI'S DAUGHTER; ETHAN BRAND
£10.44
Oxford University Press Collected Ghost Stories
Book Synopsis''I was conscious of a most horrible smell of mould, and of a cold kind of face pressed against my own...''Considered by many to be the most terrifying writer in English, M. R. James was an eminent scholar who spent his entire adult life in the academic surroundings of Eton and Cambridge. His classic supernatural tales draw on the terrors of the everyday, in which documents and objects unleash terrible forces, often in closed rooms and night-time settings where imagination runs riot. Lonely country houses, remote inns, ancient churches or the manuscript collections of great libraries provide settings for unbearable menace, from creatures seeking retribution and harm. These stories have lost none of their power to unsettle and disturb.This edition presents all of James''s published ghost stories, including the unforgettable ''Oh, Whistle and I''ll Come to You, My Lad'' and ''Casting the Runes'', and an appendix of James''s writings on the ghost story. Darryl Jones''s introduction and notes provide a fascinating insight into James''s background and his mastery of the genre he made his own.Trade ReviewPleasant chills guaranteed. * John Connolly, Buzzfeed *A gorgeous volume. * Allen Stroud, Science Fact & Science Fiction Concatenation *This is simply a delight to behold, never mind delve into! ... this new volume doesn't just feature James' works there is also an invaluable insight into his life by editor Darryl Jones * On: Yorkshire Magazine *Table of ContentsIntroduction Select Bibliography Chronology of M. R. James Canon Alberic's Scrap-book Lost Hearts The Mezzotint The Ash-Tree Number 13 Count Magnus 'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad' The Treasure of Abbot Thomas A School Story The Rose Garden The Tractate Middoth Casting the Runes The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral Martin's Close Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance The Residence at Whitminster The Diary of Mr Poynter An Episode of Cathedral History The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance Two Doctors The Haunted Dolls' House The Uncommon Prayer-Book A Neighbour's Landmark A View from a Hill A Warning to the Curious An Evening's Entertainment There was a Man Dwelt by a Churchyard Rats After Dark in the Playing Fields Wailing Well The Experiment The Malice of Inanimate Objects A Vignette Appendix: M. R. James on Ghost Stories Explanatory Notes
£15.29
Titan Books Ltd Wild Storm: A Derrick Storm Novel
Book SynopsisDerrick Storm has never faced anything like this before. Airliners are dropping from the sky, shot down by a terrifying futuristic weapon. The intelligence community is blindsided and scrambling for answers. The media is calling it another 9/11. But the terrorists have aimed their weapon at the one man who can't be brought down: Derrick Storm. After saving his own plane from certain doom, Storm is enlisted by the CIA to track down the force responsible for the tragedy. The trail takes him from the Panama Canal, where a wealthy businessman toasts the death of one of the victims; to the decks of a mega-yacht, where a shipping mogul mourns the loss of another; to the Sahara Desert, where bandits who are stealing treasures of Egyptian antiquity may be more than what they seem...
£8.54
Orion Publishing Co This Year It Will Be Different
Book SynopsisChristmas tales from the world's favourite storyteller - perfect for the festive season.With an introduction from Veronica Henry, bestselling author of THE IMPULSE PURCHASETrade ReviewThere's nobody like Binchy for warming the cockles, and this collection of Christmas stories warms them to white heat. -- Kate Saunders * THE TIMES *With her gift for effortless characterisation and homely detail, she evokes power shifts in families, unwelcome discoveries, conspiracies, affairs, forgiveness, sorrow and the rebirth of optimism with her usual warmth and sympathy. -- Elizabeth Buchan * SUNDAY TIMES *Brilliant, family-oriented short stories ... Binchy fans will love it - i did! 5/5 * WOMAN'S OWN *We are all in her pages, all of us: mothers, daughters, fathers, sons, husbands, wives, children, friends, lovers ... It is this combination of Maeve's understanding of what it is to be human, and how to cope with life, that makes her so popular -- Veronica HenryA master storyteller -- Marian KeyesHer storytelling ability is second to none * SUNDAY EXPRESS *You can see why, for a legion of female readers, Maeve Binchy is a one-woman opiate of the people * EVENING STANDARD *
£8.49
Pan Macmillan James Herriot's Dog Stories
Book SynopsisAs a little boy, climbing through the lochs and mountains of Argyll with his Irish Setter Don, all James Herriot wanted to be was a ‘dog doctor’ so he could care for man’s best friend. In this classic collection of stories, we are introduced to some of the dogs who won a special place in the country vet’s heart – from Tricki Woo, the little Pekinese suffering from ‘flop-butt’ to Clancy the dog who nobody would go near and Gyp, the sheepdog who only ever barked once in his life. They’re joined by lovable dogs of all breeds, shapes and sizes, celebrating the limitless affection and loyalty of our closest companions. Filled with magical storytelling and from the treasured author of All Creatures Great and Small, James Herriot’s Dog Stories is told with his usual wit and human compassion – the perfect gift for dog-lovers everywhere.Trade ReviewThe tales can be read and re-read . . . what shines through all the stories is that dogs give us enormous pleasure. * Sunday Times *James Herriot provokes a chuckle, or a lump in your throat, in every chapter. * Daily Mirror *
£10.44
Sort of Books Ladies' Lunch: a novella & other stories
Book Synopsis'These ladies are perfect company' The Times 'Lore Segal has the sharp analytic eye of a born writer' The New York Times Book Review 'There is humour even in the most heart-breaking of her stories' Telegraph Five close friends in their 90s meet - as they have for decades - for their monthly 'ladies lunch', to puzzle, and laugh at, the enigmas and affronts of ageing. When one of their number is placed unhappily in a home the others conspire to spring her. Lore Segal's witty, yet poignant, short story, Ladies' Lunch, appeared in the New Yorker in 2017, when she herself turned ninety. It was followed by four New Yorker sequels. For this sparkling collection, Segal returns to her group of erudite, sharp-minded nonagenarians in Upper Manhattan offering startling insights into friendship and mortality. In the book's Other Stories, Segal includes tales from her acclaimed and prizewinning oeuvre to illuminate the hinterland of her characters - one of whom, like her, was a Kindertransport refugee. Beautifully crafted and profound, these stories distil the spirit of one of America's great authors to show us what a long life might bring.Trade ReviewThe everyday stuff of ageing, delivered with spark ... The writing is spare and short, telling us only what is needed, like snatches of conversation heard over the clinking of glasses. These ladies are perfect company -- John Self * Times *Segal has the dazzling ability to merge the mundane details of life with the arc of human emotions * The Washington Post *I always feel in her work such a sense of toughness and humor.... Her writing is sad and funny, and that makes it more of both -- Jennifer EganIf America had anything resembling a wise elder, or cared to, it would be Lore Segal -- Shalom AuslanderThere is humour even in the most heart-breaking of her stories -- Nicole Lampert * Telegraph *Deft, delicious stories that follow the lives of a group of long-standing friends... and perfectly pitched memoirist musings -- Eithne Farry * Daily Mail *Lore Segal has the sharp analytic eye of a born writer * The New York Times Book Review *Friends die, we grow old, but stories survive ... we are lucky to have this piercing collection from a writer who has known for so long how to tell them * Times Literary Supplement *A spare moving portrait ... tracing the rhythms and bittersweet comedy of aging * Spectator *Moving and powerful -- Brian Maye * Irish Times *
£8.54
Alma Books Ltd In the Twilight: Newly Translated and Annotated
Book SynopsisIn the Twilight, the third collection of short stories compiled by Anton Chekhov himself, was his first major success and won him the prestigious Pushkin Prize when it was published in 1888. This volume represents a clear milestone in the writer’s passage from the youthful Antosha Chekhonte, author of slight comic sketches, to the mature master of the short-story genre. This edition presents the sixteen tales of the original collection – ranging from well-known and acknowledged gems such as ‘Agafya’ and ‘On the Road’ to others which will be fresh even to many seasoned readers of Chekhov – in a brand-new translation by Hugh Aplin, providing an invaluable glimpse into a pivotal moment in the writer’s literary career.Trade ReviewWhat writers influenced me as a young man? Chekhov! As a dramatist? Chekhov! As a story writer? Chekhov! -- Tennessee WilliamsTable of ContentsContains: In the Twilight, Dreams, A Trivial Occurrence, A Bad Business, At Home, The Witch, Verochka, In Court, A Restless Guest, The Requiem, On the Road, Misfortune, An Event, Agafya, Enemies, A Nightmare, On Easter Eve
£7.59
HarperCollins Publishers Christmas Magic
Book SynopsisA festive collection of short stories by No. 1 bestseller, Cathy Kelly. The perfect stocking filler!Lose yourself in this warm and wonderful collection of short stories from bestselling Irish storyteller Cathy Kelly.From weddings and summer holidays to Christmas with uninvited family or long-lost friends returning, this anthology captures the hopes, tears, laughter and loves of all kinds of women and their families and friends with Cathy' s inimitable warmth.The holiday season comes but once a year, so curl up by a roaring fire and let the magic reel you inThis is perfect!' EssentialsFunny and touching Kelly's witty writing will warm you up' Woman's OwnTrade Review‘The perfect way to take time out from Christmas shopping. Five stars’ Star Magazine ‘Funny and touching … Kelly’s witty writing will warm you up’ Woman’s Own ‘This is perfect!’ Essentials Magazine
£7.59
HarperCollins Publishers The Lonely Sea Collected Short Stories
Book SynopsisA collection of riveting tales of the sea including the story that launched his writing career and the account of the epic battle to sink the German battle ship, Bismarck.THE MASTER STORYTELLER IN HIS ELEMENTAlistair MacLean has an unmistakable and unrivalled skill in writing about the sea and its power and about the men and women who sail it, and who fight and die in it.His distinctive voice was evident from his very first prize-winning story, The Dileas', and has been heard time and again in his international career as the author of such bestsellers as H.M.S. Ulysses and San Andreas.The Lonely Sea starts where MacLean's career started, with The Dileas', and collects together his stories of the sea. Here is a treasury of vintage MacLean, compelling and brilliant, where the master storyteller is in his element.Trade Review‘The most successful British novelist of his time’ Jack Higgins ‘Alistair MacLean is one of the few people writing today who has a story to tell’ Daily Express ‘Alistair MacLean is a magnificent storyteller’ Sunday Mirror
£9.49
Alma Books Ltd The Green Dwarf and Other Early Fiction:
Book SynopsisInspired by a box of wooden toy soldiers given as a present to her elder brother Branwell in 1826, Charlotte Brontë created, together with her siblings, a series of tales set in the imaginary realm of Glass Town. In ‘The Green Dwarf’, against the backdrop of war, the arrogant aristocrat Colonel Percy and the enigmatic Mr Leslie are vying for the affections of the beautiful Lady Emily. Soon, with the rivals both on the front line, and with the scheming Percy hatching a plot that involves the mysterious Green Dwarf, Leslie finds himself facing danger on all sides… Full of tragedy and passion, love and rivalry, the five sweeping tales contained in this volume display the precocious talent, lively imagination and flair for storytelling of the young Charlotte Brontë.Trade ReviewWho that has known her books has not admired the artist’s noble English, the burning love of truth, the bravery, the simplicity, the indignation at wrong, the eager sympathy, the pious love and reverence, the passionate honour, so to speak, of the woman? -- William Makepeace ThackerayIt's a cracker… It is novelettish. It is Gothic. It is funny… -- Libby PurvesTable of ContentsContains: 'The Green Dwarf’, 'The Foundling’, 'The Secret’, 'Lily Hart’, 'The Spell’ and 'Tales of the Islanders’
£7.59
Transworld Publishers Ltd The Tales Of Bauchelain and Korbal Broach Vol 1
Book SynopsisBLOOD FOLLOWS - In the port city of Lamentable Moll, a diabolical killer stalks the streets and panic grips the citizens like a fever. As Emancipor Reese''s legendary ill luck would have it, his previous employer is the unknown killer''s latest victim. But two strangers have come to town, and they have posted in Fishmonger''s Round a note, reeking of death-warded magic, requesting the services of a manservant.THE LEES OF LAUGHTER''S END - After their blissful sojourn in Lamentable Moll, the sorcerers Bauchelain and Korbal Broach - along with their manservant, Emancipor Reese - set out on the open seas aboard the sturdy ship Suncurl. Alas, there''s more baggage in the hold than meets the beady eyes of the crew, and unseemly terrors awaken. For Bauchelain and Korbal Broach, and Emancipor Reese, it is just one more night on the high seas, on a journey without end.THE HEALTHY DEAD - The city of Quaint''s zeal for goodness can Trade ReviewErikson ranks near the top of the epic fantasy pantheon * Publishers Weekly *
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd After Rain Stories
Book SynopsisAfter Rain - Twelve remarkable stories by the master storyteller William Trevor ''There is no better short story writer in the English-speaking world'' Wall Street JournalIn this collection of twelve dazzling, acutely rendered tales, William Trevor plumbs the depths of the human heart. Here we encounter a blind piano tuner whose wonderful memories of his first wife are cruelly distorted by his second; a woman in a difficult marriage who must choose between her indignant husband and her closest friend; two children, survivors of divorce, who mimic their parents'' melodramas; and a heartbroken woman traveling alone in Italy who experiences an epiphany while studying a forgotten artist''s Annunciation. Trevor is, in his own words, ''a storyteller. My fiction may, now and again, illuminate aspects of the human condition, but I do not consciously set out to do so.'' Conscious or not, he touches us in ways that few writers even dare to try.Trade Review"There is no better short story writer in the English-speaking world."—Wall Street Journal"Everyone will have his own list of the best short stories. Mine includes most of Chekhov, one or two by James Joyce, a dozen or more from D. H. Lawrence and -- in this same vein -- a healthy selection from William Trevor. This Irish-born, English-domiciled writer, who is also an excellent novelist, gave us his ''Collected Stories'' a few years back. Now, as if to assure us that the well is far from dry, he offers a luminously disturbing new collection, ''After Rain.'' -- Wendy Lesser, The New York Times Book Review"The deft handling of information, as well as the exquisite sense of control, again show Trevor as a brilliant master of his craft." - Publishers Weekly (Starred) "Dependably brilliant work from one of Chekhov's most accomplished disciples." - Kirkus ReviewsTable of ContentsAfter Rain The Piano Tuner's WivesA FriendshipTimothy's BirthdayChild's PlayA Bit of BusinessAfter RainWidowsGilbert's MotherThe Potato DealerLost GroundA DayMarrying Damian
£9.49
Allison & Busby Inspector Colbecks Casebook
Book SynopsisAn eagerly awaited collection of brand new, specially commissioned short stories from the Master of historical crime fiction, featuring his quick witted Railway Detective, Inspector Colbeck.Trade ReviewTold with great colour and panache a wonderful sense of inhabiting the period. In Colbeck and Leeming, Marston has created a fine pair This is how history mysteries should be: fine storytelling, marvellous characters reminiscent of the great authors of the mid-Victorian period, and a sneaky mystery, too. 'In this specially commissioned collection of short stories featuring Edward Marston's hugely popular detective Robert Colbeck, the resourceful investigator faces a host of baffling conundrums' GOOD BOOK GUIDE 'Highly recommended' Antipodean Holmesian Society
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Gold
Book SynopsisThe last Isaac Asimov science fiction collection which contains all of his previously uncollected stories.Gold is Isaac Asimov''s last science fiction collection one containing all of his uncollected SF stories that had never before appeared in book form. Gold is the final and crowning achievement of the fifty-five year career of science fiction''s transcendent genius the world-famous author who defined the field of SF for its practitioners for its millions of readers and for the world at large.The stories collected here for the first time range from the humorous to the profound for Asimov was engaged until the end of his days in the work of redefining and expanding the boundaries of the literature he loved and indeed helped create. And there is more. For at the heart of this extraordinary compendium is the title story Gold a moving and revealing drama about a writer who gambles everything on a chance at immortality-a gamble Asimov himself made. And won.Trade Review‘Isaac Asimov was one of the great explainers of the age…It will never be known how many practicing scientists today, in how many countries, owe their initial inspiration to a book, article, or short story by Isaac Asimov’Carl Sagan ‘Asimov displayed one of the most dynamic imaginations in science fiction’Daily Telegraph ‘Asimov’s career was one of the most formidable in science fiction’The Times
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers Sands of Time
Book SynopsisA spine-tingling collection of haunting tales, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Lady of Hay.Sands of Time features two intriguing stories that pick up the fortunes of characters from Whispers in the Sand, Barbara Erskine''s captivating Egyptian novel. Still haunted by ancient mysteries, and the subject of dark intentions, Anna and Louisa must once more do battle with the past in order to survive the present.Alongside these are a host of other tales, all with a touch of the unexpected. A happily married woman has an affair with a man who died in the First World War. Who is the little girl on the swing in the garden and why does only Charlotte see her? And how does a traveller find herself transported suddenly from her airplane seat to the snowy Canadian wasteland below?Suspense, romance, passion, unexpected echoes of the past vintage Barbara Erskine, and storytelling at its most compelling.Readers LOVE Barbara Erskine:Atmospheric' ?????Enthralling' ?????Spellbinding' ?????Another fabulous read from the mistress of the genre' ?????Immensely and deeply immersive fiction' ?????I loved every minute' ?????An exceptional writer of great books' ?????You can rely on this author to keep you wanting more' ?????A joy to read' ?????Captivating and engrossing' ?????Trade ReviewPraise for Barbara Erskine: ‘Her forte is mood, atmosphere and the toe-curling frisson’ Elizabeth Buchan, Sunday Times ‘Barbara Erskine’s storytelling talent is undeniable’ The Times ‘Marvellous, escapist stuff’ Woman and Home
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Sketches by Boz xliv Penguin Classics
Book SynopsisCharles Dickens's first book, complete with all the pathos and comic invention of his later masterpieces Published under the pen-name 'Boz', Charles Dickens's first book Sketches by Boz (1836) heralded an exciting new voice in English literature. This richly varied collection of observation, fancy and fiction shows the London he knew so intimately at its best and worst - its streets, theatres, inns, pawnshops, law courts, prisons, omnibuses and the river Thames - in honest and visionary descriptions of everyday life and people. Through pen portraits that often anticipate characters from his great novels, we see the condemned man in his prison cell, garrulous matrons, vulgar young clerks and Scrooge-like bachelors, while Dickens's powers for social critique are never far from the surface, in unflinching depictions of the vast metropolis's forgotten citizens, from child workers to prostitutes. A startling mixture of humour and pathos, these Sketches reveal LoTrade ReviewWalter Bagehot once remarked, Dickens wrote about London "like a special correspondent for posterity"."The first sprightly runnings of his genius are undoubtedly here," wrote Dickens’s friend and biographer John Forster.
£11.69
Oxford University Press The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
Book SynopsisAnd now I found these fancies creating their own realities, and all imagined horrors crowding upon me in fact''.The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym is an archetypal American story of escape from home and family which traces a young man''s rite of passage through a series of terrible brushes with death during a fateful sea voyage. But it also goes much deeper, as Pym encounters various interpretative dilemmas, at last leaving the reader with a broken-off ending that defies solution.Apart from its violence and mystery, the tale calls attention to the act of writing and to the problem of representing truth. Layer upon layer of elaborate hoaxes include its author''s own role of posing as ghost-writer of the narrative; Pym - his only novel - has become the key text for our understanding of Poe.This edition offers eight short tales which are linked to Pym by their treatment of persistent themes - fantastic voyages, gigantic whirlpools, and premature burials - or by their ironic commentary on Trade Review'a fine introduction to a fascinating writer' The Observer
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd Typhoon and Other Stories
Book SynopsisContains four stories, written between 1900 and 1902. One of them reveals the differences between instinct and intelligence in a partnership vital to human survival; and the other contains 'land-stories' that explore the utter isolation of an East European emigrant in England and in the other, the plight of a woman.Trade Review“My own conviction, sweeping all those reaches of living fiction I know, is that Conrad’s figure stands out from the field like the Alps from the Piedmont plain.” —H. L. Mencken
£9.49
Cornerstone Dublin 4
Book SynopsisMaeve Binchy was born in Dublin, and went to school at the Holy Child Convent in Killiney. She took a history degree at UCD and taught in various girls' schools, writing travel articles in the long summer holidays. In 1969 she joined the Irish Times and for many years she was based in London writing humorous columns from all over the world. She is the author of five collections of short stories as well as twelve novels including Circle of Friends, The Copper Beech, Tara Road, Evening Class and The Glass Lake. Maeve Binchy died on 30 July 2012. She is survived by her husband, the writer Gordon Snell.Trade ReviewMaeve Binchy has a gimlet eye for the seething cauldron of emotions which lies beneath the surface of everyday life * Irish Independent *An adept storyteller with a sharp eye for social nuances and a pleasing affection for her characters * Sunday Times *Compulsive reading . . . Ms Binchy has the true story-teller's knack * Observer *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The House of Hunger
Book Synopsis90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksNo, I don't hate being black. I'm just tired of saying it's beautiful. No, I don't hate myself. I'm just tired of people bruising their knuckles on my jaw.'A novella with the force of a screaming trumpet flare, Dambudzo Marechera's seminal literary debut explores a body and spirit exiled from the land and the self. An inimitable and internationally admired writer, his profound ambivalence and wry, existential sensibility was forged in this iconic book.
£5.99
Penguin Books Ltd Count Magnus and Other Ghost Stories
Book SynopsisThe only annotated edition of M. R. James''s writings currently available, Count Magnus and Other Ghost Stories contains the entire first two volumes of James''s ghost stories, Ghost Stories of an Antiquary and More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary. These volumes are both the culmination of the nineteenth-century ghost story tradition and the inspiration for much of the best twentieth-century work in this genre. Included in this collection are such landmark tales as Count Magnus, set in the wilds of Sweden; Number 13, a distinctive tale about a haunted hotel room; Casting the Runes, a richly complex tale of sorcery that served as the basis for the classic horror film Curse of the Demon; and Oh, Whistle, and I''ll Come to You, My Lad, one of the most frightening tales in literature. The appendix includes several rare texts, including A Night in King''s College Chapel, James''s first known ghost story.
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers The Grandmothers
Book SynopsisFour novellas by Doris Lessing, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, that once again show her to be unequalled in her ability to capture the truth of the human condition.The title story, The Grandmothers', is an astonishing tour de force, a shockingly intimate portrait of an unconventional extended family and the lengths to which they will go to find happiness and love. Written with a keen cinematic eye, the story is a ruthless dissection of the veneer of middle-class morality and convention.Victoria and the Staveneys', takes us through 20 years of the life of a young underprivileged black girl in London. A chance meeting introduces her to the Staveneys a liberal white middle-class family and, seduced, she falls pregnant by one of the sons. As her daughter grows up, Victoria feels her parental control diminishing as the attractions of the Staveneys' world exert themselves. An honest and often uncomfortable look at race relations in London over the past few decades, Lessing reaffTrade Review'Lessing's prose is as vigorous in these stories as it has ever been. She has an extraordinary feel not only for landscape but also for the human creature within it.' The Times 'In these four tales Lessing shows her adaptability, and her capacity to unify the most far-flung territories of human experience. Like all great writers, she brings a multitudinous sensibility to bear on individual people, on single rooms, on particular moments – and she makes them live.' Daily Telegraph ‘Doris Lessing has changed the way we think about the world.’ Blake Morrison ‘Thank goodness for Doris Lessing. While the rest of us flounder about noisily in the muddy waters of life, she never fails to expose with startling clarity the essential folly of our dreams and good intentions.’ Kate Chisholm, Evening Standard ‘She’s up there in the pantheon with Balzac and George Eliot. We’re lucky she’s still writing.’ Lisa Appignanesi, Independent ‘She has an extraordinary feeling for the peculiar vulnerabilities of the young and the elderly. And her portraits of human relationships are of quite staggering beauty.’ Ruth Scurr, The Times
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd First Love and Other Novellas Penguin Modern
Book SynopsisThis new collection brings together First Love, The Calamative, The End and The Expelled; these four novellas are among the first major works of Beckett''s decision to use French as his language of literary composition. Rich in verbal and situational humour, they offer a fascinating insight into many of the issues which preoccupied Beckett all his working life. As the first novella reveals, nobody writes with quite such cruel and unnervingly clever wit as Beckett...
£8.54
Salt Publishing I Hear You
Book SynopsisThis collection of stories, written especially for BBC Radio 4, includes a ten-part sequence: The Circus', set around Cliftonville Circus, where five roads meet in North Belfast.
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Lawrence D Fox The Captains Doll The Ladybird
Book SynopsisThese three novellas display D. H. Lawrence''s brilliant and insightful evocation of human relationships - both tender and cruel - and the devastating results of war. In The Fox, two young women living on a small farm during the First World War find their solitary life interrupted. As a fox preys on their poultry, a human predator has the women in his sights. The Captain''s Doll explores the complex relationship between a German countess and a married Scottish soldier in occupied Germany, while in The Ladybird a wounded prisoner of war has a disturbing influence on the Englishwoman who visits him in hospital.
£9.49
Pan Macmillan The Turning
Book SynopsisTim Winton has published over twenty books for adults and children, and his work has been translated into twenty-eight languages. Since his first novel, An Open Swimmer, won the Australian/Vogel Award in 1981, he has won the Miles Franklin Award four times (for Shallows, Cloudstreet, Dirt Music and Breath) and twice been shortlisted for the Booker Prize (for The Riders and Dirt Music). Active in the environmental movement, he is the Patron of the Australian Marine Conservation Society. He lives in Western Australia.Trade Review‘Always a writer of crystalline prose, his lines of sinewy leanness achieve such clarity here that it seems one is reading line after line of perfect music . . . To read Winton is to be reminded not just of the possibilities of fiction but of the human heart’ The Times ‘The laureate of Western Australia is back . . . this is like Carver, happily with a very large dose of Winton’ Time Out 'These stories are threaded through with subtleties and oblique connections; to be fully appreciated, they need to be read more than once. But Winton's writing – vigorous, vivid, precise – is so good that you'd want to do that anyway’ Sunday Times‘Sublime. Winton is a great writer’ Daily Mail‘Vivid, elegiac and humorous . . . and told in a relaxed prose that frequently strikes sparks’ Daily Telegraph‘Winton is marvellous at locating the small moment of crisis. His prose is leavened throughout by a kind of poetry . . . so exquisitely written, so precise in its construction, that it is a joy to read’ Sunday Telegraph‘Winton is a poet of baffled souls . . . Always a writer of crystalline prose, his lines of sinewy leanness achieve such clarity here that it seems one is reading line after line of perfect music. His unbounded humanity and his sympathy for his characters descend on them like grace as they struggle to salvage their lives’ The Times
£9.49
Comma Press The Madman of Freedom Square
Book SynopsisFrom hostage-video makers in Baghdad, to human trafficking in the forests of Serbia, institutionalised paranoia in the Saddam years, to the nightmares of an exile trying to embrace a new life in Amsterdam... Blasim’s stories present an uncompromising view of the West's relationship with Iraq, spanning over twenty years and taking in everything from the Iran-Iraq War through to the Occupation, as well as offering a haunting critique of the post-war refugee experience. Blending allegory with historical realism, and subverting readers’ expectations in an unflinching comedy of the macabre, these stories manage to be both phantasmagoric and shockingly real, light in touch yet steeped in personal nightmare. For all their despair and darkness, though, what lingers more than the haunting images of war, or the insanity of those who would benefit from it, is the spirit of defiance, the indefatigable courage of those few characters keeping faith with what remains of human intelligence. Together these stories represent the first major literary work about the war from an Iraqi perspective.Trade Review'Blasim pitches everyday horror into something almost gothic... his taste for the surreal can be Gogol-like.' - The Independent; 'Crisp and shocking.... Too febrile and macabre to file under reportage, this cruel, funny and unsettling debut has hooks and twists that will lodge in any mind.' - The Guardian; ‘Blasim moves adeptly between surreal, internalised states of mind and ironic commentary on Islamic extremism and the American invasion... excellent.’ - The Metro
£9.99
Everyman Collected Shorter Fiction Boxed Set (2 Volumes)
Book SynopsisWritten over a period of more than half a century, Tolstoy’s enchanting short stories and novellas reflect every aspect of his developing art and outlook. Volume 1 of the Everyman Collected Shorter Fiction is dominated by the characteristic experiences of his early life as soldier, land-owner, husband and father, the life which shaped Anna Karenina and War and Peace. It also includes several short fables which point to his later preoccupation with the religious life. Volume 2 reveals how these spiritual intimations flowered into a series of extraordinary late masterpieces which equal anything in the earlier novels for intensity and power. Readers of The Death of Ivan Ilych, The Kreutzer Sonata, Father Sergius, Master and Man and Hadji Murad will recognize the brilliant younger novelist, now transfigured by his passionate quest for salvation and forgiveness.
£44.00
Penguin Books Ltd There Once Lived a Woman Who Tried to Kill Her
Book SynopsisA woman finds herself filling a pit in the forest in the middle of the night; a family lock each other in their bedrooms to battle a strange plague; a wizard punishes two beautiful ballerinas by turning them into one hugely fat circus performer; a colonel is warned not to lift the veil from his dead wife''s face; and a distraught father brings his daughter back to life by eating human hearts in his dreams. In these blackly comic tales of revenge, disturbing deaths and haunting melancholy, Ludmilla Petrushevskaya blends miracles and madness in the darkest of modern fairy tales.Trade Review'Gave me nightmares ... These stories work the boundary states of consciousness like a tongue works an aching tooth' * Elle *'A revelation - like reading late-Tolstoy fables set in an alternative reality' * New Yorker *this short and rather extraordinary book of "Scary Fairy Tales" [...] succeed - in many cases quite hauntingly. -- Theo Tate * Sunday Times *An entrancing collection of tales, as humane and unsentimental as Chekhov, as grim and funny as Beckett, as dark and unsettling as Poe. -- Brandon Robshaw * Independent on Sunday *Penguin has given this book instant promotion to 'modern classic' status and it's easy to see why. It is an extraordinary collection of jet-black tales by one of Russian's foremost writers, which has understandably inspired comparisons with Tolstoy. Beat that. * Daily Mail *
£9.49
New Directions Publishing Corporation Piano Stories
Book SynopsisFrom the writer adored by the likes of García Marquez, Calvino, and Francine Prose comes a collection of Hernández's classic talesTrade Review"Poetry that transforms the ordinary into the uncanny." -- Bookforum"Excellent … miraculously alive … wonderful." -- Michael Pye - The New York Times Book Review"A vision of such startling beauty that it flares up like an old-fashioned phosphorous match and illuminates our whole lives." -- Francine Prose"If I hadn't read the stories of Felisberto Hernandez in 1950, I wouldn't be the writer I am today." -- Gabriel Garcia Marquez
£13.29
Faber & Faber A Life of Adventure and Delight
Book SynopsisIn these elegant, unsparing and intimate stories, the Folio Prize-winning author, Akhil Sharma, exposes the paradoxes, ironies and harmonies that characterise modern life. Marrying the minimalism of Chekhov and Carver with a flair for dark comedy, A Life of Adventure and Delight is a collection full of wisdom, wonder and reflection.
£8.54
Profile Books Ltd A Spot of Folly: Ten Tales of Murder and Mayhem
Book SynopsisNew and uncollected tales of murder, mischief, magic and madness. Ruth Rendell was an acknowledged master of psychological suspense: these are ten (and a quarter) of her most chillingly compelling short stories, collected here together for the first time. In these tales, a businessman boasts about cheating on his wife, only to find the tables turned. A beautiful country rectory reverberates to the echo of a historical murder. A compulsive liar acts on impulse, only to be lead inexorably to disaster. And a wealthy man finds there is more to his wife's kidnapping than meets the eye. Atmospheric, gripping and never predictable, this is Ruth Rendell at her inimitable best. The stories are: Never Sleep in a Bed Facing a Mirror; A Spot of Folly; The Price of Joy; The Irony of Hate; Digby's Wives; The Haunting of Shawley Rectory; A Drop Too Much; The Thief; The Long Corridor of Time; In the Time of his Prosperity; and Trebuchet. Introduction from Sophie Hannah.Trade ReviewA literary phenomenon. * Guardian *By any measure, she was an enormously talented writer. * Telegraph *A superb demonstration of Rendell's talent for spotting the contradictions in human nature. -- Barry Turner * Daily Mail *Every [story] is a gem ... shines as a superb epitaph to Rendell's talent, reflecting the breadth and richness of her unique ability to turn seemingly ordinary everyday situations into suspenseful masterpieces ... the perfect book to curl up with in front of a log fire with a glass of wine. * Daily Express *Wickedly macabre ... these strong, atmospheric stories convey a sardonic message. * Observer *Rendell, that most missed of crime writers, seems to have a rare and uncanny ability to understand what people are really like; and every so often there comes an unnerving moment when you feel her all-seeing gaze has expanded to encompass not just her characters but you yourself. * Daily Telegraph *Deliciously riveting ... Miraculously "hookish" -- Sarah Perry * The Guardian *She was a remarkable writer, who recorded the pain of the unhappy, the ungenerous and unloved. -- Natasha Cooper * TLS *
£9.49
Canongate Books The Apple
Book SynopsisThe Crimson Petal and the White is one of the best-loved novels of recent years. Now a major BBC TV drama, it captured hearts and left readers desperate for more. In The Apple, Faber returns to Silver Street to find it still teeming with life, and conjures further tantalising glimpses of Sugar, Clara, Mr Bodley and many other favourites.Trade ReviewThis book will be read in a sitting. unless of course you are admitted to Accident and Emergency, having come over queer, huffing with laughter, or dizzy with envy at Faber's talent. Or probably both. * * Scotsman * *Faber remains an unrivalled master of his subject. -- David Robson * * Sunday Telegraph * *Michel Faber is a master of the short-story form. * * Times Literary Supplement * *
£9.49
Atlantic Books Nothing Much Happens: Calming stories to soothe
Book Synopsis'Sleeping is a modern superpower. Stories are old magic.'Whether you find yourself struggling to fall asleep, awake in the middle of the night or simply feeling anxious, the calming bedtime stories in Nothing Much Happens will help ease your mind and lull you into peaceful slumber.As the unnamed, gender-neutral narrators recount their days they evoke the distinct comforts offered by each of the four seasons and gently lead their reader towards sleep. With evocative illustrations throughout, Nothing Much Happens is the ideal accompaniment to your bedtime routine.'A charming collection of short almost-stories intended as an antidote to insomnia and restlessness. [...] Nicolai accomplishes what no other author would want to hear: these stories can put people to sleep.' Publishers WeeklyTrade ReviewNicolai has nearly two decades of experience as a yoga and meditation teacher. She also hosts the popular podcast, Nothing Much Happens, where she narrates soothing bedtime stories for adults that-combined with her calming tone and carefully interwoven mindfulness techniques-quickly lull listeners to sleep. Her first book features sixteen new stories never aired on the podcast, along with whimsical illustrations, easy-to-make recipes for healthy comfort food, crafting exercises and unique meditation guides. Basically, it's a calming tome to pick up before bed to ensure a restful night's sleep. * Pure Wow *A lovely book to help calm your mind when sleep is evading you * Westerly Sun *A charming collection of short almost-stories intended as an antidote to insomnia and restlessness. . . . Nicolai accomplishes what no other author would want to hear: these stories can put people to sleep. * Publishers Weekly *This collection of very short stories is designed to help readers fall and stay asleep. The stories follow the seasons, starting with winter, and rely heavily on the senses; there are a lot of lovely smells, soft and comfy things, and delicious foods, all described in detail and often accompanied by illustrations in muted tones. Peppered throughout are recipes, meditations, and other relaxation techniques. . . . The stories do succeed in their goal of helping readers sleep better, and couldn't we all use more of that? * Booklist *Table of Contents0: Introduction 1: Winter Walk 1b: A Walking Meditation 2: A New Leaf 3: In for the Night 4: For the Love of Words 5: A Little Romance 6: Fog and Light 7: Getaway 8: A Winter's Day Watched from the Window 9: Matinee 10: Spring Rain 11: Closing Up Shop 12: The Asparagus Patch 13: First This, Then That 13b: Tips for Putting Your Ducks in a Row 14: Early to Yoga 14b: Restorative Yoga Postures for a Better Day 15: Crayons and Grains of Sand 16: Three Good Things 16b: Three Good Things to Start Your Day 17: In the Bakery 18: Spring, at the Allotment 18b: Mashed Chickpea Sandwich 19: Opening the Cottage 19b: Meditation by the Water 20: The Lilac Thief 21: Coffee on the Stoop, or How to Have a Better Day 21b: Ten Ideas for Simple Acts of Kindness 22: Fireflies on a Summer Night 23: Someplace Only We Know 24: A Concert in the Park 25: Summer Nights 25b: Avocado Toast Four Ways 26: Off the Beaten Path 27: A Letter in an Envelope 28: At the Summer Fair 29: Stargazing in the Woods 30: The Dog Days of Summer 30b: Loving-kindness Meditation 31: In the Kitchen, During a Storm 31b: Spaghetti al Pomodoro 32: At the Museum, on a Bright Day 33: Summer Harvest 33b: Simple Rosemary Potatoes 34: Back to School 35: A Block from Home 35b: A Simple Relaxation Technique for When You Feel Anxious and Worn Out 36: In the Library 37: At the Farmers Market, on a Fall Morning 37b: People Watching as Meditation 38: Rosemary, for Remembrance 38b: Curing a Gourd 39: Canceled Plans 39b: Instructions for Feeling Better after a Bad Day 40: At the Mill, with Pumpkins and Cider 41: Secret Admirer 42: Halloween, in an Old House 42b: Crispy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds 43: Tools on the Workbench 44: A Cool Walk and a Hot Bath 44b: Bath-time Rituals 45: A Rainy Day, Making Soup 45b: Homemade Irish Cream Cordial 46: Outside at Night, with My Dog 47: The Day after Thanksgiving 48: Bustle in the City 48b: Handmade Paper Ornaments 49: Getting the Tree 50: Snowed In 50b: A Simmer Pot Recipe for Each Season 51: A Night at the Theater 52: Christmas Eve 52b: Meditation for a Busy Holiday 53: Acknowledgments 54: Index of Coziness
£10.44
Inanna Publications and Education Inc. Under a Kabul Sky: Short Fiction by Afghan Women
Book Synopsis
£9.95
Comma Press The Book of Beijing
Book SynopsisTwo former college friends run into each other on the morning train and find themselves reflecting on the very different paths their lives have taken...A counterfeiter, forever living outside the law, starts to envy a friend who? s managed to get out of the game and establish a normal life... A security officer in a futuristic version of Beijing West Railway Station chases down a passenger who the screens say is ? intentionally lost? ...Beijing may be known to us, in the West, as the political powerhouse of the most populous country in the world, but to the characters in these stories it is a protean city, forever changing, evasive and difficult to read... It turns close friends into strangers, up-ends carefully thought-out life choices, and leaves next-door neighbours completely unaware of each other? s true identity. The stories collected in this anthology show people in all contexts ? from wannabe protestors to future users of facial expression reading tech ? desperate to stake their name on the city, as well as surprised by it at every turn.
£9.99
WW Norton & Co The Collected Stories of Machado de Assis
Book SynopsisA landmark event, the complete stories of Machado de Assis appear in English for the first time in this extraordinary new translation.Trade Review"To Machado, your identity and the contours of your world are formed not just by your circumstances but by what you think about habitually. You are what you contemplate, so choose wisely. These stories are a spectacular place to start." -- The New York Times"These are ambitious stories, serious and unflinching, willing to court discomfort—not least in their author. Machado, after all, was the child who made it. While some critics have seen these late stories in isolation, the hurt they express—so clearly born of experience—radiates out through all the work here." -- Times Literary Supplement"This gorgeously-produced landmark English-language edition of the complete stories of the great Brazilian miniaturist brings together all of the author's short fiction, including some never before translated into English. The translating duo here wonderfully convey the author's dry, deadpan wit and dogged low-key happiness – it's the English version this author has always deserved." -- The Best Books of 2018: Works in Translation! - Open Books Review
£26.59
Columbia University Press Suncranes and Other Stories
Book SynopsisSuncranes and Other Stories showcases a range of powerful voices from Mongolia’s modern literary traditions. Spanning the years following the socialist revolution of 1921 through the early twenty-first century, these stories offer vivid portraits of nomads, revolution, and the endless steppe.Trade ReviewSimon Wickhamsmith’s masterful translations provide a unique window on how Mongolian writers have responded to events shaping the country over the last century—ranging from extreme communism to extreme capitalism—while also retaining a strong sense for enduring Mongolian traditions shaped by pastoral nomadism and a magnificent countryside. -- Jonathan S. Addleton, former U.S. ambassador to MongoliaSuncranes and Other Stories is an important collection of modern Mongolian writing. Deftly translated, it opens a door on a body of literature that reflects the lives and realities of Mongolia in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. -- Mark Bender, editor of The Borderlands of Asia: Culture, Place, PoetryThis excellent first collection of modern Mongolian stories offers a view of traditional concerns of nature and herding, as well as the dramatic changes wrought by communism, the pure market economy, and urbanization. Wickhamsmith’s translations provide readers with wondrous fiction as well as exposure to Mongolian customs and landscapes. -- Morris Rossabi, author of Modern Mongolia: From Khans to Commissars to CapitalistsCan one book aptly sum up an entire nation’s fiction over the course of a century? This one gives it an impressive try. As the stories move forward in time, it’s fascinating to see how different literary movements become prominent, then fall by the wayside. * Words Without Borders *Suncranes and Other Stories: Modern Mongolian Short Fiction makes for an original and delightful introduction to Mongolian culture and recent history for those unfamiliar with the land of the nomads. As someone who has studied the Mongolian language for many years, I am awed at Simon Wickhamsmith’s ability to artfully craft the translations in this volume. -- Sarah Köksal * Cha: An Asian Literary Journal *A fascinating introduction to Mongolia’s literature. -- Tony Malone * Tony's Reading List *Table of ContentsIntroductionA Note on Mongolian Names1. Something Wonderful, by S. Buyannemeh2. The Shelducks, by D. Chimid3. Dark Cliffs, by D. Natsagdorj4. Things That Had Never Been Seen, by D. Natsagdorj5. The Young Couple, by M. Yadamsüren6. What Changed Soli, by Ts. Damdinsüren7. Two White Things, by Ts. Damdinsüren8. The Morning of the First, by Ts. Ulambayar9. The Saiga, by Ch. Lodoidamba10. A Great Mystery, by O. Tsend11. Bunia Takes Wing, by B. Rinchen12. Waiting for What He Has Lost, by D. Namdag13. The Green-painted Car, by Ts. Ulambayar14. Images from a Single Day, by B. Baast15. Blue as Water, by P. Luvsantseren16. He Came with a Spare Horse, by S. Udval17. Suncranes, by S. Erdene18. The Cricket, by S. Dashdoorov19. The Wolf’s Lair, by D. Garmaa20. The Ballad of the Unweaned Camel, by G. Mend-Ooyo21. Hulan, by S. Erdene22. Heaven’s Daughter, by Ch. Galsan23. Raul and Raul, by L. Ölziitögs24. Everything, by S. Anudar25. Room for Rent, by H. Bolor-Erdene26. Wings, by P. Bathuyag27. The Composer, by M. UyansühGlossaryNotes on the StoriesAcknowledgments
£18.00
Titan Books Ltd Hex Life: Wicked New Tales of Witchery
Book SynopsisBrand-new stories of witches and witchcraft written by popular female fantasy authors, including Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine and Sherrilyn Kenyon writing in their own bestselling universes! These are tales of witches, wickedness, evil and cunning. Stories of disruption and subversion by today's women you should fear. Including Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine and Sherrilyn Kenyon writing in their own bestselling universes. These witches might be monstrous, or they might be heroes, depending on their own definitions. Even the kind hostess with the candy cottage thought of herself as the hero of her own story. After all, a woman's gotta eat. Bring out your dread.Trade Review"a great selection for anyone who wants to get a jump-start on Halloween" - Black Gate
£8.54
Granta Books Things You Should Know
Book SynopsisThings You Should Know is a collection of dazzling stories by one of the most talented and daring young American writers, whose distinctive narratives demonstrate how extraordinary the ordinary can be. A woman pursues an unconventional strategy for getting pregnant; a former First Lady shows despair and courage in dealing with her husband's Alzheimer's; a teacher's list of 'things you already should know but maybe are a little dumb, so you don't' becomes an obsession for someone who wasn't at school the day it was given out; and adult tragedy intrudes into a childhood friendship. The stories are full of magic and strangeness and humour, but also demonstrate an uncanny emotional accuracy and compassion.
£8.54
Quercus Publishing The Dog of the Marriage
Book SynopsisA quietly powerful presence in American fiction in during the past two decades, these collected stories show the true scale of Hempel's achievement. Her compact fictions, populated by smart neurotic somewhat damaged narrators, speak grandly to the longings and insecurities in all of us, and in a voice that is bracingly direct and sneakily profound. These are stories about people who make choices that seem inevitable, whose longings and misgivings evoke eternal human experience. With her trademark compassion and wit, Hempel takes readers into the marriages, minor disasters and moments of revelation in an uneasy America.Trade ReviewThe toughest party of reading The Dog of the Marriage is how much your jaw muscles ache from the effort it takes not to laugh and cry in front of strangers. Amy Hempel is my god among writers' Chuck Palahniuk. * Chuck Palahniuk *Her work is an exemplar of the truth that the short story can be the briefest of affairs, but it can stay in the mind forever - Glasgow Herald. * Glasgow Herald *These are astonishing stories, hilarious and surprising and insightful... if there's a funnier, smarter or richer book published this year, I will eat my shoes - Guardian. * Guardian *Reaffirms her impressive mastery of fiction … Hempel's wit, insight and crisp writing make her work consistently powerful' Observer. * Observer *Table of ContentsOn Amy Hempel. Reasons to Live: In a Tub; Tonight Is a Favor to Holly; Celia Is Back; Nashville Gone to Ashes; San Francisco; In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried; Beg, Sl Tog, Inc, Cont, Rep; Going; Pool Night; Three Popes Walk into a Bar; The Man in Bogota; When It's Human Instead of When It's Dog; Why I'm Here; Breathing Jesus; Today Will Be a Quiet Day. At the Gates of the Animal Kingdom: Daylight Come; The Harvest; The Most Girl Part of You; Rapture of the Deep; Du Jour; Murder; The Day I Had Everything; To Those of You Who Missed Your Connecting Flights Out of O'Hare; And Lead Us Not into Penn Station; In the Animal Shelter; At the Gates of the Animal Kingdom; The Lady Will Have the Slug Louie; Under No Moon; The Center; Tom-Rock Through the Eels; The Rest of God. Tumble Home: Weekend; Church Cancels Cow; The Children's Party; Sportsman; Housewife; The Annex; The New Lodger; Tumble Home; Notes. The Dog of the Marriage: Beach Town; Jesus Is Waiting; The Uninvited; Reference #388475848-5; What Were the White Things?; The Dog of the Marriage; The Afterlife; Memoir; Offertory; Notes.
£11.69
Alma Books Ltd New Arabian Nights: Annotated Edition
Book SynopsisStevenson published this collection of his early fiction in 1882, after the pieces had appeared in various magazines. The first half features two popular detective-story cycles, The Suicide Club and The Rajah’s Diamonds, which deal with a macabre secret society and the intrigues and escapades involving exotic jewels. The second half brings together unrelated pieces, including the seminal ‘The Pavilion on the Links’ – described by Conan Doyle as the first short story in the world – which is set in a cottage surrounded by quicksand and tells the story of two old friends who become rivals for the affection of a woman. An eclectic, entertaining compilation, New Arabian Nights represented a milestone in Stevenson’s creative development and confirmed his reputation as one of the finest storytellers in the English language.Trade ReviewFrom my very childhood Robert Louis Stevenson was an incarnation of happiness for me. -- Jorge Luis BorgesTable of ContentsContains: The Suicide Club, Story of the Young Man with the Cream Tarts, Story of the Physician and the Saratoga Trunk, The Adventure of the Hansom Cabs, The Raja's Diamond, Story of the Bandbox, Story of the Young Man in Holy Orders, Story of the House with the Green Blinds, The Adventure of Prince Florizel and a Detective, The Pavilons on the Links, A Lodging for the Night, The Sire de Maletroit's Door, Providence and the Guitar.
£7.99
Little, Brown Book Group The Daylight And The Dust: Selected Short Stories
Book Synopsis'Frame achieved that supremely difficult task of finding a voice so natural' JANE CAMPION, GUARDIAN'The idea of a new novel by Janet Frame is in itself a delight' MAGGIE O'FARRELL 'She is a singular writer. No one is quite like her' ELEANOR CATTON The Daylight and the Dust is the most comprehensive selection of Janet Frame's stories ever published, taken from the four different collections released during her lifetime and featuring many of her best stories. Written over four decades, they come from her classic prize-winning collection The Lagoon and Other Stories, first published in 1952, right up to the volume You Are Now Entering the Human Heart, published in the 1980s. This new selection also includes five works that have not been collected before. Her themes range from childhood to old age to death and beyond. Within the pages of one book the reader is transported from small town New Zealand to inner-city London, and from realism to fantasy. Janet Frame's versatility dazzles.Trade ReviewFrame achieved that supremely difficult task of finding a voice so natural it feels almost as if it were not written -- Jane Campion * Guardian *The idea of a new novel by Janet Frame is in itself a delight -- Maggie O'FarrellShe is a singular writer. No one is quite like her -- Eleanor CattonJanet Frame's luminous words are the more precious because they were snatched from the jaws of the disaster of her early life -- Hilary MantelShe is a singular writer. No one is quite like her -- Eleanor Catton
£9.49
Titan Books Ltd Sherlock Holmes: A Detective's Life
Book SynopsisThe famous detective returns in a thrilling anthology of 12 Sherlock short stories spanning Holmes's entire career, penned by Peter Swanson, Cara Black, James Lovegrove and more. A brand-new collection of twelve Sherlock Holmes short stories which spans Holmes's entire career, from the early days in Baker Street to retirement on the South Downs. Penned by masters of the genre, these Sherlock stories feature a woman haunted by the ghost of a rival actress, Moriarty's son looking for revenge, Oscar Wilde's lost manuscript, a woman framing her husband for murder, Mycroft's encounter with Moriarty and Colonel Moran, and many more! Featuring stories by: Peter Swanson Cara Black James Lovegrove Andrew Lane Philip Purser-Hallard David Stuart Davies Eric Brown Amy Thomas Derrick Belanger Cavan Scott Stuart Douglas David MarcumTrade ReviewPraise for Peter Swanson: "Chilling and hypnotically suspenseful ... could be an instant classic." Lee Child Praise for James Lovegrove: "The pastiche is pitch-perfect; Lovegrove tells a thrilling tale and vividly renders the atmosphere of Victorian London." The Guardian Praise for Cara Black: "Black excels at setting vivid scenes, creating lively characters and maintaining pulse-elevating suspense" Wall Street Journal Praise for Philip Purser-Hallard: "One of the cleverest locked room mysteries ever tackled by Sherlock Holmes... This ranks among the top novel-length Sherlock Holmes pastiches." Publishers Weekly Starred Review Praise for Eric Brown: "Reads like a country-house whodunit from the golden age, packed with fascinating characters, each boasting a motive for murder" Kirkus Reviews Praise for David Marcum: "Marcum could be today's greatest Sherlockian writer, and Conan Doyle himself would be proud of this story." Lee Child Praise for Cavan Scott: "The original plot line is refreshing, and the portrayals of the leads are generally faithful to the Sherlock Holmes canon." Publishers Weekly Praise for The Sign of Seven "Testament to the diversity that novella collections can bring.... A must for Holmes fans." Paperbacks and Pinot "If you're a Sherlock Holmes fan, you can't go too wrong with this collection" The Dreamcage "The Sign of Seven is a great way to spend a few hours for any mystery fan; enjoy losing yourself in not one but seven Sherlock Holmes mysteries!" Snazzy Books
£8.54
Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc A Classic Christmas Treasury: Includes 'Twas the
Book SynopsisCozy up with your favorite Christmas stories and discover new wintry tales with this keepsake holiday anthology. Just in time for the holidays, A Classic Christmas Treasury gathers together many of the season’s classics and introduces new, diverse stories from around the globe in one decorative holiday volume. This cheerful, collectible treasury of stories, poems, and carols makes a wonderful gift any time of the year and reminds us that simple gifts of the heart and memories made with loved ones truly are the most meaningful gifts of all. Experience a variety of wintry and holiday tales, including: ’Twas the Night Before Christmas A Christmas Carol The Gift of the Magi The Nutcracker and The Mouse King Christmas at Melrose The Fir Tree Babouscka Little Piccola The 12 Days of Christmas Bits Featuring a beautifully designed coverwith glittering finishes fit for the grandeur of the season, A Classic Christmas Treasury will become a beloved holiday keepsake that can be enjoyed by the whole family for years to come. Let these wonderful literary masterpieces warm your heart, and remind you of the joy and love to be discovered anew each holiday season. The Timeless Classics series from Rock Point brings together the works of classic authors from around the world. Complete and unabridged, these elegantly designed gift editions feature luxe, patterned endpapers, ribbon markers, and foil and deboss details on vibrantly colored cases. Celebrate these beloved works of literature as true standouts in your personal library collection.Table of ContentsJoy to the World: A Letter from the Editors The 12 Days of Christmas A Christmas Carol The Gift of the Mag The First Noel Hark! The Herald Angels Sing Christmas at Melrose ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Deck the Hall The Nutcracker and the Mouse King Babouscka Up on the Housetop Jolly Old Saint Nicholas Bits Little Piccola The Fir Tree The Boy With The Box
£13.49
