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
Honford Star Ten Thousand Miles of Clouds and Moons
Book Synopsis
£13.49
Simon & Schuster Ltd England and Other Stories
Book SynopsisA collection of new stories from the Booker-prize winning author of Last Orders, and of the Sunday Times bestseller Mothering Sunday. Meet Dr Shah, who has never been to India, and Mrs Kaminski, on her way to Poland via A&E. Meet Holly and Polly, who have come to their own Anglo-Irish understanding; Charlie and Don, who have seen the docks turn into Docklands; Daisy Baker, terrified of Yorkshire; and Johnny Dewhurst, stranded on Exmoor. Binding these stories together is Graham Swift's affectionate but unflinching instinct for the story of us all: an evocation of that mysterious body that is a nation, deepened by the palpable sense of our individual bodies finding or losing their way in the nationless territory of birth, ageing, sex and death.Praise for Mothering Sunday: 'Bathed in light; and even when tragedy strikes, it blazes irresistibly
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd The Gambler and Other Stories
Book SynopsisThe Gambler and Other Stories is Fyodor Dostoyevsky''s collection of one novella and six short stories reflecting his own life - indeed, ''The Gambler'', a story of a young tutor in the employment of a formerly wealthy Russian General, was written under a strict deadline so he could pay off his roulette debts. This volume includes ''Bobok'', the tale of a frustrated writer visiting a cemetery and enjoying the gossip of the dead; ''The Dream of a Ridiculous Man'', the story of one man''s plan to commit suicide and the troubling dream that follows, as well as ''A Christmas Party and a Wedding'', ''A Nasty Story'' and ''The Meek One''.
£10.44
Faber & Faber The Victim Faber Stories
Book SynopsisFaber Stories, a landmark series of individual volumes, presents masters of the short story form at work in a range of genres and styles. On the whole, it was easier than I had expected. Only once did I feel myself at risk. That was when the Inspector suddenly intervened. He said in a harsh voice: He married your wife, didn't he? Took her away from you some people might say. Nice piece of goods, too, by the look of her. Didn't you feel any grievance?I had been expecting this question. I knew exactly what I would say.The late, great P. D. James takes us inside the mind of a murderer.Bringing together past, present and future in our ninetieth year, Faber Stories is a celebratory compendium of collectable work.
£7.44
Penguin Books Ltd Songs of a Dead Dreamer and Grimscribe
Book SynopsisSongs of a dead dreamer was first published in the Unites States of America by Silver Scarab Press in 1986. Grimscribe was first published in Great Britain by Robinson Publishing and in the United sttes by Carroll & Graf in 1991.Trade ReviewThomas Ligotti has had one of the most quietly extraordinary careers in the history of horror fiction. He is a dense, witty, and enormously inventive writer * The Philadelphia Inquirer *
£13.49
Penguin Books Ltd Roald Dahls Book of Ghost Stories
Book SynopsisScare yourself silly this Halloween with fourteen terrifying ghost stories chosen by the master of the macabre, Roald Dahl''Spookiness is the real purpose of the ghost story. It should give you the creeps and disturb your thoughts . . .'' Who better to choose the ultimate in spine-chillers than Roald Dahl, whose own sinister stories have teased and twisted the imagination of millions?Here are fourteen of his favourite ghost stories, including Sheridan Le Fanu''s The Ghost of a Hand, Edith Wharton''s Afterward, Cynthia Asquith''s The Corner Shop and Mary Treadgold''s The Telephone.Filled with fright and spine-tingling tension, these delightfully disturbing tales are the perfect companion for all this Halloween.
£10.44
Simon & Schuster Ltd The Duck Who Didnt Like Water
Book Synopsis‘A wonderful, tender evocation of friendship and how its power can help you overcome your worst fears. A pure splash of joy.’ The Daily Mail Duck is not like other ducks. Duck doesn’t like water and is perfectly fine alone, thank you very much. But then, one dark and stormy night, an outgoing, water-loving, and very lost Frog turns up at Duck’s door. Can this odd couple find Frog’s home? And will they find friendship along the way? This endearing, gorgeously illustrated tale marked the author-illustrator debut for Steve Small, illustrator of the highly acclaimed, I’m Sticking with You and is now available in this board book edition.‘A beautiful book, with a zen-like balance, and full of light and drama, too.’ Benji Davies, creator of The Storm Whale
£6.99
Granta Books Pulse
Book SynopsisA man heads into the snow to hunt down the bear that has been taking stock from farms in the valley. A father tries to make something go right for the son he no longer lives with. A partner is called to help when a cow's labour goes horribly wrong. A fierce storm threatens to bring down a tree on powerlines over a family's home. Fear, vulnerability, tension and resolve course through these arresting and indelible stories from one of the finest British writers at work today.
£13.49
Profile Books Ltd A Lucky Man
Book Synopsis'Full of subtle poignancy ... each story is a trenchant exploration of race and class, vividly conveying the tension between social codes of masculinity and the vulnerable, volatile self' New Yorker A National Book Award Finalist 'Comfort' has been longlisted for the 2021 Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award In the nine unforgettable stories of A Lucky Man, Jamel Brinkley explores the unseen tenderness of black men and boys: the struggle to love and be loved, the invisible ties of family and friendship, and the inescapable forces of race, class and masculinity. A teen intent on proving himself a man at an all-night rave is preoccupied by watching out for his impressionable younger brother. A pair of young men who follow two girls home from a party face the uncomfortable truth of their desires. An imaginative boy from the inner city goes swimming in the suburbs, and faces the effects of privilege in ways he can barely grasp. And at a capoeira conference, two brothers grapple with their painful family history. Moving, lyrical and keen-eyed, A Lucky Man captures the inner lives of men and boys caught between hope and expectation, duty and desire.Trade ReviewUrgent, intimate narratives, framed as confessions and quests, and edged with quickening threat. Everything that is good can be ruptured with as little as a single accidental touch ... not only heralds the arrival of a fully formed, entirely distinctive new voice but reinvigorating the short story itself. In the end, there's no doubt who the lucky ones are: we, the readers. * Observer *Wonderful ... Brinkley's characters and their actions probe the questions at the heart of masculinity * LA Review of Books *Full of subtle poignancy ... each story is a trenchant exploration of race and class, vividly conveying the tension between social codes of masculinity and the vulnerable, volatile self * New Yorker *This is the rare debut that introduces not a promising talent but a major writer, fully formed. Jamel Brinkley is brilliant, the real thing, a revelation -- Garth Greenwell, author of What Belongs to YouSensuous, sensual, sharply observed stories. A really striking debut. -- Adam O'RiordanOne of the many striking qualities in Brinkley's stories is how precarious his male characters tend to be ... extraordinary * Paris Review *Through pages of peerless prose and startlingly sharp sentences, what emerges is a constantly reframed argument about the role and power of masculinity * L.A. Times *Not only a standout debut for the year, but also a testament to what can be achieved in a short story. * Chicago Review of Books *With equal parts precision and poetry, these nine audacious stories step into the minefields awaiting boys of color as they approach manhood in Brooklyn and the Bronx - testing the limits of relationships, social norms and their own definitions of masculinity. * O: THE OPRAH MAGAZINE *Brinkley's depictions of love's many varieties are subtle and deeply observant ... With this observant book, Brinkley demonstrates an enviable capacity for narrative compression. In the space of 25 pages, he's capable of creating complex and memorable emotional worlds. This is a very hard thing to do, but in A Lucky Man he pulls it off in one story after the next. * Minneapolis Star Tribune *A stunning debut ... Set in Brooklyn and the Bronx, in poor neighborhoods and on school campuses, these tales are imbued with pathos, sexuality, and moments of violence and tenderness. With this memorable collection, Brinkley emerges as a gifted and empathetic new writer * Booklist (starred review) *An assured debut collection of stories about men and women, young and old, living and loving along the margins in Brooklyn and the Bronx ... It's difficult to single out any story as most outstanding since they are each distinguished by Brinkley's lyrical invention, precise descriptions of both emotional and physical terrain and a prevailing compassion toward people as bemused by travail as they are taken aback by whatever epiphanies blossom before them. A major talent * Kirkus (starred review) *Jamel Brinkley's stories tell of absence and abandonment, always edged with pain and beauty ... a magnificent debut -- Laila LalamiAn extraordinary short story collection -- George PelecanosIn these nine memorable stories Brinkley shakes each of his main characters in turn, and we, as we read, are shaken too ... both subtle and striking -- Chris Power * White Review *Beautifully written and movingly insightful. -- Curtis Sittenfield
£8.54
Oneworld Publications For Such a Time as This
Book SynopsisA group of young, Black British friends navigate their way through the ups and downs of modern London life, in this richly imagined collection of linked stories
£9.49
Flame Tree Publishing Egyptian Myths & Legends: Tales of Heroes, Gods &
Book SynopsisGorgeous Collector's Edition. The Myths of Ancient Egypt are tied intimately to the presence and natural rhythms of the Nile. With their complex and evolving mythology, the Egyptians explained the effects of famine, harvest, floods and death by creating a pantheon of gods that still holds our fascination today. This new book presents classic egyptological works, with a new introduction, and brings the stories of the ancients to life, from the birth of creation by Ra, the sun god, to the murder of Osiris, and the revenge of Horus. We gain glimpses of the underworld and the afterlife, as the rulers of Egypt claimed lineage from the Gods both worshipped and fashioned by the people of Egypt, at a time when humankind had begun to shape the world around it, Flame Tree Collector's Editions present the foundations of speculative fiction, authors, myths and tales without which the imaginative literature of the twentieth century would not exist, bringing the best, most influential and most fascinating works into a striking and collectable library. Each book features a new introduction and a Glossary of Terms.
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers Interpreter of Maladies Stories Jhumpa Lahiri 1
Book SynopsisOne of the finest short story writers I've ever read' Amy TanWINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZEWINNER OF THE PEN/HEMINGWAY AWARDWINNER OF THE NEW YORKER PRIZE FOR BEST FIRST BOOKJhumpa Lahiri's prize-winning debut collection explores the lives of Indians in exile of people navigating between the strict traditions they've inherited and the baffling New World they must encounter every day.Whether set in Boston or Bengal, these sublimely understated stories, imbued with umour and subtle detail, speak with eloquence to anyone who has ever felt the yearnings of exile or the emotional confusion of an outsider.Lahiri is a writter of uncommon elegance and poise, and with Interpreter of Maladies she has made a precocious debut' New York TimesTrade Review‘Lahiri has an extraordinary voice’Salman Rushdie ‘Jhumpa Lahiri is the kind of writer who makes you want to grab the next person you see and say“Read this!”She’s a dazzling storyteller with a distinctive voice, an eye for nuance, an ear for irony. She is one of the finest short story writers I’ve read.’AMY TAN ‘Jhumpa Lahiri’s strong, subtle short story collection is a debut to relish.’Guardian
£8.54
Transworld Publishers Ltd The Second Collected Tales of Bauchelain Korbal
Book SynopsisArchaeologist and anthropologist Steven Erikson is the bestselling author of the genre-defining The Malazan Book of the Fallen, a multi-volume fantasy that's been hailed a masterwork of the imagination' and one of the top ten fantasy series of all time. The first novel in the sequence, Gardens of the Moon, was shortlisted for a World Fantasy Award. He has written several novellas set in the same world. Forge of Darkness was the first Kharkanas novel, taking readers back to the origins of what would become the Malazan Empire; Fall of Light continued this momentous tale. A lifelong science fiction reader, he's written a trilogy that affectionately parodies a long-running television series as well as Rejoice!, a story of first contact. Set in the world of the Malazan Empire, ten years after the events recounted in The Crippled God, The God is Not Willing heralded the start of a thrilling new series The Tales of Witness. No Life Forsaken is the second Tale in this epic adventure. Steven Erikson lives in Victoria, Canada. To find out more, look for him on Facebook: Steven Erikson Author
£10.44
Orion Publishing Co The Grownup
Book SynopsisA young woman is making a living faking it as a cut-price psychic (with some illegal soft-core sex work on the side). She makes a decent wage mostly by telling people what they want to hear. But then she meets Susan Burke. Susan moved to the city one year ago with her husband and 15-year-old stepson Miles. They live in a Victorian house called Carterhook Manor. Susan has become convinced that some malevolent spirit is inhabiting their home. The young woman doesn''t believe in exorcism or the supernatural. However when she enters the house for the first time, she begins to feel it too, as if the very house is watching her, waiting, biding its time . . . The Grownup, which originally appeared as ''What Do You Do?'' in George R. R. Martin''s Rogues anthology, proves once again that Gillian Flynn is one of the world''s most original and skilled voices in fiction.Trade ReviewWhilst the bestselling Gone Girl is still the title being devoured at every book club, author Gillian Flynn has moved on with her latest offering The Grownup. It's a short story about a woman who earns a living pretending to be a psychic. * HELLO FASHION MONTHLY *Gillian Flynn's The Grownup is a psychologically taut novella told from the viewpoint of a con artist, who attempted trick is thwarted by a malevolent teenage boy. * VOGUE *a fierce, sharply written tale * METRO *Stories should be taut but humming with ambiguity, and The Grownup is both. * THE SPECTATOR *a chilling short story about a fake clairvoyant who gets tangled up with a mysterious family. * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *This chilling short story from the author of Gone Girl is not for the faint-hearted. * WOMAN AND HOME *Flynn is as adept as ever at building up a character into someone likeable and believable while still corrupt. * THE INDEPENDENT *A fantastic read that will leave you wanting more from Gillian. * CLOSER *For millions who adored Gone Girl, this 60-page novella offers a taste of Flynn's brilliance. * SUNDAY MIRROR *The Gone Girl writer gives us chills again with the story of a young woman conning people as a psychic who develops a real feel for the supernatural. * GRAZIA *it manages to evoke an atmosphere of freezing dread before Flynn's by-now-signature sequence of twists enters the narrative * DAILY TELEGRAPH *fans of Flynn's work definitely won't be disappointed * PRESS ASSOCIATION *a cracker... the story's sassy narration, Gone Girl twistiness and blend of comedy and chills are pure Flynn. * SUNDAY TIMES *The Grownup will not disappoint expectant fans. * THE BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH *Flynn is a brilliant plot-twister and manipulator of readers' expectations. The Grownup keeps you guessing until the end - and beyond. * THE TIMES *The Grownup is accomplished storytelling, an impressive teaser to keep fans engaged while they await her next full-length outing. * THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *
£8.04
Batsford Ltd Dark Fairy Tales of Fearless Women
Book SynopsisEnter a world in which magic exists, hope wins and every woman’s heart is alive with courage! This global feast of ancient tales features valiant women overcoming every kind of obstacle and danger to fulfil their destinies. Travel through Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and the Pacific. Shudder, cheer and laugh out loud as the heroines deal with trolls, faeries, dragons and ghosts; admire their knowledge, wit and cunning; marvel at shapeshifting and other manifestations of the supernatural. A rich collection of fairy tales, beautifully illustrated throughout with Joe McClaren woodcuts, this book is stitched together like a series of Scheherazade stories. It is story-telling at its best, pitch perfect fairy tales of fearless women for readers everywhere.Trade Review‘An appealing and accessible introduction to the folklore of many different places around the world... The narrative voice is vivid and flexible, drawing in the reader from the beginning... A pleasure to read.’ Folklore Sophia Kingshill 2022
£13.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Broken Stars
Book SynopsisA new anthology of Chinese short-fiction by award winning author Ken Liu. Here are sixteen short stories from China's groundbreaking SFF writers, edited and translated by award-winning author Ken Liu. In Hugo award-winner Liu Cixin's 'Moonlight', a man is contacted by three future versions of himself, each trying to save their world from destruction. Hao Jingfang's 'The New Year Train' sees 1,500 passengers go missing on a train that vanishes into space. In the title story by Tang Fei, a young girl is shown how the stars can reveal the future. In addition, three essays explore the history and rise of Chinese SFF publishing, contemporary Chinese fandom, and how the growing interest in Chinese SFF has impacted writers who had long laboured in obscurity. By turns dazzling, melancholy and thought-provoking, Broken Stars celebrates the vibrancy and diversity of SFF voices emerging from China. 'Dreamlike and hypnotic, evocative and inspiring' THE BOOKBAG. 'Ken Liu is a genius' ELIZABETH BEAR. 'An instant classic... Poetry on every page' HUGH HOWEY. Trade ReviewA good mix of well-established authors and new voices... While the styles on show are disparate, one thread that links many stories is the way they engage intelligently with Chinese myths and history... This book gives a wonderful insight into the worldview and imagination of its smart and thoughtful writers' * Big Issue *Edited and mostly translated by Ken Liu, a sci-fi writer in his own right who is credited with bringing Liu Cixin's Three-Body Problem onto the world stage... The more compelling stories are those that relate to the unpredicted impacts of technological inventions' * Art Review *A helpful guide to sci-fi in China, with essays that trace its development * Straits Times *
£9.49
Oxford University Press About Love and Other Stories
Book Synopsis''the greatest short story writer who has ever lived''Raymond Carver''s unequivocal verdict on Chekhov''s genius has been echoed many times by writers as diverse as Katherine Mansfield, Somerset Maugham, John Cheever and Tobias Wolf. While his popularity as a playwright has sometimes overshadowed his achievements in prose, the importance of Chekhov''s stories is now recognized by readers as well as by fellow authors. Their themes - alienation, the absurdity and tragedy of human existence - have as much relevance today as when they were written, and these superb new translations capture their modernist spirit. Elusive and subtle, spare and unadorned, the stories in this selection are among Chekhov''s most poignant and lyrical. They include well-known pieces such as ''The Lady with the Little Dog'', as well as less familiar work like ''Gusev'', inspired by Chekhov''s travels in the Far East, and ''Rothschild''s Violin'', a haunting and darkly humorous tale about death and loss. ABOUT THETrade Review...outstanding translations of a selection of Chekhov's stories... * Robert Chandler, Literary Review *Bartlett's Chekhov is a masterpiece of texture and rhythm. Not a false word anywhere. * Caryl Emerson, Princeton University *Seventeen peerless examples of how much life you can put into a few pages of fiction if you have Chekhovs economical mind, his eyes and ears, his feel for comedy and his sense of humanity. Chekhov is better known for his plays. But these are small masterpieces of their own, in a revelatory new translation. * Economist *Table of ContentsTHE HUNTSMAN; ON THE ROAD; THE LETTER; FORTUNE; GUSEV; FISH LOVE; THE BLACK MONK; ROTHSCHILD'S VIOLIN; THE STUDENT; THE HOUSE WITH THE MEZZANINE; IN THE CART; THE MAN IN A CASE; GOOSEBERRIES; ABOUT LOVE; THE LADY WITH THE LITTLE DOG; AT CHRISTMAS TIME; THE BISHOP
£8.54
Alma Books Ltd The Blind Owl and Other Stories
Book SynopsisFollowing a disjointed, vision-like structure, The Blind Owl is the nightmarish exploration of the psyche of a madman. The narrator is an ailing, solitary misanthrope who suffers from hallucinations, and his dreamlike tale is layered, circular, driven by its own demented logic, and punctuated with macabre and surreal episodes such as the discovery of a mutilated corpse, and a bizarre competition in which two men are locked in a dungeon-like room with a cobra. Initially banned in the author's native Iran, the novel first appeared in Tehran in 1941 and became a bestseller. Full of powerful symbolism and terrifying imagery, this dark novella is Hedayat's masterpiece.Trade ReviewThe father of modern Persian short stories. * The Guardian *
£9.49
Everyman Garden Stories
Book SynopsisSpectacular gardens are viewed from the perspective of a snail in Virginia Woolf's 'Kew Gardens' and from that of a sheltered teenage girl in Katherine Mansfield's 'The Garden Party'. The family of Doris Lessing's 'Flavours of Exile' haul succulent vegetables and fruits from the rich African soil, and Colette in 'Bygone Spring' luxuriates in extravagantly blooming flowers. Children discover their own peculiar paradises in Sandra Cisneros's 'The Monkey Garden' and Italo Calvino's 'The Enchanted Garden', while adult gardeners find things that move and haunt them in William Maxwell's 'The French Scarecrow' and Jamaica Kincaid's 'The Garden I Have in Mind'. Gardens of the mind round out the anthology: the beautiful but fatal garden of Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'Rappaccini's Daughter', the crystal buds of J. G. Ballard's 'The Garden of Time', ravenous orchids in John Collier's 'Green Thoughts', and Aoko Matsuda's 'Planting', in which a young woman plants each day whatever she has been given - roses and violets, buttons and broken cups, love and fear and sorrow. An entrancing book for everyone who loves gardens and the beauty of nature.
£12.34
Granta Books Days of Awe
Book SynopsisFROM THE WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION. A.M Homes returns with signature humour and psychological accuracy, to tell thirteen stories exposing the heart of an uneasy 21st-century America. In tales of a family obsessed with the surfaces of their lives, or the story of a shopper who suddenly finds himself nominated to run for President, she explores our attachments to each other through characters who aren't quite who they hoped to become, though there is no one else they can be. Her first book since the Women's Prize-winning May We Be Forgiven, Days of Awe is another visionary, fearless and outrageously funny work from a master storyteller.
£13.49
Pan Macmillan Dubliners
Book SynopsisFirst published in 1914, Dubliners depicts middle-class Catholic life in Dublin at the start of the twentieth century. Themes within the stories include the disappointments of childhood, the frustrations of adolescence, and the importance of sexual awakening. James Joyce was twenty-five years old when he wrote this collection of short stories, among which 'The Dead' is probably the most famous. Considered at the time as a literary experiment, Dubliners contains moments of joy, fear, grief, love and loss, which combine to form one of the most complete depictions of a city ever written, and the stories remain as refreshingly original and surprising in this century as they did in the last.This Macmillan Collector's Library edition of Dubliners features an afterword by dramatist Peter Harness.Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.
£10.44
Cassava Republic Press Lumbung Stories
Book SynopsisTequio in Mexico, auzolan in Basque Country, lumbung in Indonesia, ubuntu in South Africa, mutirao in Brazil - all terms used around the world to describe the concept of collective work. Bringing together 8 publishing houses and 7 writers, each writing in a different language, Lumbung Stories is a true product of communal action. From speculative essays and experimental texts to intimate stories that portray collective work as something every day and habitual, each writer presents their unique take on what a "lumbung story" is. These tales take us from olive groves in Andalusia to tiger-filled forests in Indonesia; from youths fumbling through adolescence together in the Basque country, to outsiders uniting through vibrant rituals in Sao Paulo, and from explorations of intergenerational and transhistorical struggle in South Africa, to an academic text from a society rebuilding in a post-Capitalist, post-climate-crisis future. Blurring the lines between realism and fiction, the past and the future, this unique and powerful collection brims with life and is a vital reminder of the ties that unite us all.Table of ContentsPrologue Super Salve by Azhari Aiyub (translated by Mikael Johani) In the Shadow of Icarus by Uxue Alberdi (translated by Jonathan Rackstraw) Expandable Memory by Cristina Judar (translated by Julia Sanches) Dry and Green by Nesrine Akram Khoury (translated by Jonathan Wright) The People of North Igra by Yasnaya Elana (translated by Joshua Rackstraw) Ukuza kukaNxele Or, Time Passes by Panashe Chigumadzi WTF Are Commons? by Mithu Sanyal (translated by Lucy Jones) Authors Translators Publishers
£10.44
Chiltern Publishing Northanger Abbey
Book Synopsis
£17.00
Prakash Books Greatest American Horror Stories
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£13.29
September Publishing Foxfire, Wolfskin and Other Stories of
Book SynopsisCharged with possibility and power, this memorable collection is an extraordinary immersion into the bodies and voices, mindscapes and landscapes, of the shapeshifting women of our native folklore. Drawing on myth and fairy tales found across Europe from Croatia to Sweden, Ireland to Russia, these stories are about coming to terms with our animal natures, exploring the ways in which we might renegotiate our fractured relationship with the natural world, and uncovering the wildness and wilderness within.Trade Review"A deeply evocative and haunting collection... Part rally cry, part warning, part manifesto and all parts enchanting, Sharon Blackie's Foxfire, Wolfskin is a deeply evocative and haunting collection. I want to press this powerful book into the hands of everyone I know and say listen." -- Holly Ringland, author of The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart
£10.79
Orion Publishing Co A Fresh Start Quick Reads
Book SynopsisFrom wronged wives to nosy neighbours, from distant dads to new-found family, from secrets to lies, fresh starts to false endings - and everything in between...A collection of brilliant short stories from the best writers around.This collections contains original stories from Fanny Blake, Louise Candlish, Mike Gayle, Mari Hannah, Sophie Kinsella, Jojo Moyes, Adele Parks, Ian Rankin, Mahsuda Snaith and Keith Stuart.Trade Review'I felt as though I had climbed a mountain. I was very proud because it was the first proper book I'd read' - A Quick Reads reader
£6.83
Union Square & Co. Edgar Allen Poe
Book SynopsisThis anthology gathers over 20 of Poe's groundbreaking tales of the macabre and also includes his trilogy of stories featuring detective C. Auguste Dupin.
£18.00
Granta Books Life Ceremony
Book SynopsisFrom the author of international bestseller Convenience Store Woman comes a collection of short fiction: weird, out of this world and like nothing you've read before. An engaged couple falls out over the husband's dislike of clothes and objects made from human materials; a young girl finds herself deeply enamoured with the curtain in her childhood bedroom; people honour their dead by eating them and then procreating. Published in English for the first time, this exclusive edition also includes the story that first brought Sayaka Murata international acclaim: 'A Clean Marriage', which tells the story of a happily asexual couple who must submit to some radical medical procedures if they are to conceive a longed-for child. Mixing taboo-breaking body horror with feminist revenge fables, old ladies who love each other and young women finding empathy and transformation in unlikely places, Life Ceremony is a wild ride to the outer edges of one of the most original minds in contemporary fiction.Trade ReviewThese stories laid complete claim to me. Ominous and charming. Brilliantly sad. There is not one word wasted here. I lost significant sleep over this collection -- Kiley Reid, author of Such a Fun AgeUndoubtedly shocking... unnerving... bizarre and outrageous... Life Ceremony reminds us how fragile we - and the society we take for granted - really are * New Internationalist *Strangely believable, easy to read and hard to forget * Guardian *
£9.49
Faber & Faber Openings
Book Synopsis''One of the finest short-storywriters at work today. These stories are honest, finely nuanced and indelible.'WENDY ERSKINE''One of our best short story writers.'' THE TIMESYou'll lose yourself in this collection and, most likely, find yourself too. Each story is a masterclass.''JAN CARSONThe much-anticipated new collection from the BBC National Short Story Award-winning author of Multitudes and Intimacies.I still sometimes wonder if one could draw a window in the wall, or in the air, and step through it together. To somewhere else, entirely new.From a highly charged Christmas party in Belfast to a passionate affair in Blitz-era London, to a trip to Marrakech which could form a new family, the thirteen striking stories of Openings pulse with possibility and illuminate those fleeting but recognisable moments of heartbreak and hope that can change the course of a life.It takes a writer as subtle, compassionate and clear-eyed as Caldwell to track the hidden forces that work upon us, to illuminate our secret selves. This is prose that liberates.'CLAIRE KILROYCaldwell has a glorious skill for creating narratives in which every element works in perfect tandem.'SUNDAY TIMES
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Paris for One and Other Stories
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA heartwarming debut collection of short stories - all centred on everyday women - from the author of Me Before You * Mail on Sunday *A beautiful read * Hello *An undeniably enjoyable dose of escapism * Irish Independent *The best-selling queen of romantic fiction has delivered the goods. You'll love getting lost in these charming tales * Sunday Mirror *Moyes' characters are so real you want to find out what happens to them * Choice *Delightful * Prima *From unhappy women overcoming problems to fairytale romance, you'll love getting lost in these charming tales * People *A book that maps the wonder of everyday love * Metro *Lots to cheer about in Moyes' first collection of short stories. If you want romance, the title story and its hapless heroine Nell will give it to you in spades * Red *With a talent for writing about the everyday in a wonderfully warm and wacky way, Moyes somehow manages to break your heart before restoring your faith in love * Sunday Express *Like her peers David Nicholls and Marian Keyes, possesses the enviable gift of making the reader laugh in the gloomiest of circumstances * Independent on Sunday *Just like Moyes' other works, the stories are heartfelt, emotional and teach us about love, loss, liberation and laughter. Fans of her previous work will love it * OK! *The best-selling queen of romantic fiction has delivered the goods... you'll love getting lost in these charming tales * Sunday Mirror *Jojo Moyes' characters are so real you want to find out what happens to them * Choice *Delightful short stories from the author of Me Before You * Prima *A heartwarming debut collection of short stories - all centred on everyday women - from the author of Me Before You * Mail on Sunday *From unhappy women overcoming problems to fairytale romance, you'll love getting lost in these charming tales * The People *A book that maps the wonder of everyday love * Metro (London) *Irresistible... Paris for One offers a dose of instant escapism to whisk you away * Daily Express *A beautiful read * Hello *Moyes is always good on male/female relationships. But her sneaky brilliance is in the way she discreetly includes the powerful influence that women have on each other's love lives * Daily Mail *
£9.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Pastoralia
Book SynopsisSaunders is an astoundingly tuned voice - graceful, dark, authentic and funny - telling just the kind of stories we need to get us through these times'' Thomas PynchonIn PASTORALIA elements of contemporary life are twisted, merged and amplified into a slightly skewed version of modern America. A couple live and work in a caveman theme-park, where speaking is an instantly punishable offence. A born loser attends a self-help seminar where he is encouraged to rid himself of all the people who are crapping in your oatmeal''. And a male exotic dancer and his family are terrorised by their decomposing aunt who visits them with a solemn message from beyond the grave. With an uncanny combination of deadpan naturalism and uproarious humour, George Saunders creates a world that is both indelibly original and yet hauntingly familiar ...Trade ReviewSaunders is an astoundingly tuned voice - graceful, dark, authentic and funny - telling just the kind of stories we need to get us through these times -- Thomas Pynchon So spot on that you have to stop every now and again to sigh with delight ... this stuff is gold dust ... fiercely inventive, unforgettably funny and sentimental in all the right places Independent on Sunday Bitterly funny ... Saunders' satirical jabs are sharp and scary, but also sad and unexpectedly touching Guardian Saunders is a provocateur, a moralist, a zealot, a lefty, and a funny, funny writer, and the stories in Pastoralia delight. We're very luck to have them Esquire Artful and sophisicated ... Truly unusual. Imagine Lewis's Babbitt thrown into the backseat of a car going cross-country, driven by R. Crumb, Matt Groening, Lynda Barry, Harvey Pekar, or Spike Jonze New York Times
£9.49
Vintage Publishing Civilwarland In Bad Decline
Book SynopsisTHE 2017 MAN BOOKER-SHORTLISTED AUTHOR OF LINCOLN IN THE BARDOIn his first collection, George Saunders' vision of our near future is as black and funny as you can get. He takes us on a trip to the shopping malls and theme parks and enviromental hazards that lie just around the chronological corner, introducing us to a gang of misfits and losers struggling to survive in an increasingly haywire world. Bizarre but familiar, fierce but always humane, these are stunningly original stories by a master of the form.'Saunders is a morally passionate, serious writer, who perfectly expresses the madness of the times we live in. He will be read long after these times have passed' Zadie Smith'He makes the all-but-impossible look effortless. We're lucky to have him' Jonathan Franzen'There is no-one better, no-one more essential' Dave EggersTrade ReviewOne of the few living masters of the [short story] genre * Daily Telegraph *Surreal and puncturing -- Margaret AtwoodThere is no author I recommend to people more often - for ten years I've urged George Saunders onto everyone and everyone. -- Dave Eggers[A] brilliant collection of short stories -- Philip Hensher * Mail on Sunday *Strangely moving, hilariously unsettling, and unlike anything else you'll read this year * Esquire *
£8.54
Profile Books Ltd One Sun Only
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£12.74
HarperCollins Publishers Selected Stories Collins Classics
Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.I am writing this under an appreciable mental strain, since by tonight I shall be no more.This selection of works showcases the best-known, most chilling stories of H. P. Lovecraft, including Dagon, The Call of Cthulhu, The Thing on the Doorstep and Herbert West Reanimator. They feature such deadly horrors as terrifying sea-creatures, menaces from outer space, evil-worshipping cults and unexpected murder by familiar hands. There is no place so frightful that Lovecraft did not venture there, and these tales will leave the imagination reeling, yet dare you to turn the pageTrade Review‘Lovecraft’s fiction … casts a spell. From generation to generation, the cult grows’ New York Times
£5.62
Oxford University Press Heart of Darkness and Other Tales
Book Synopsis'Heart of Darkness' is Conrad's finest tale and tells of Marlow's journey up the Congo River to meet Mr Kurtz. This volume also includes 'An Outpost of Progress', 'Karain', and 'Youth' in a revised edition using the English first edition texts and with new chronology and bibliography.Table of ContentsAn Outpost of Progress ; Karain: A Memory ; Youth: A Narrative ; Heart of Darkness
£7.59
Penguin Books Ltd The Jungle Books Penguin Clothbound Classics
Book SynopsisThe story of Mowgli, the abandoned “man-cub” who is brought up by wolves in the jungles of Central India, is one of the greatest literary myths ever created. As he embarks on a series of thrilling escapades, Mowgli encounters such unforgettable creatures as the bear Baloo, the graceful black panther Bagheera and Shere Khan, the tiger with the blazing eyes. Other animal stories in The Jungle Books range from the dramatic battle between good and evil in “Rikki-tikki-tav” to the macabre comedy, “The Undertakers.” With The Jungle Books, Rudyard Kipling drew on ancient beast fables, Buddhist philosophy, and memories of his Anglo-Indian childhood to create a rich, symbolic portrait of man and nature, and an eternal classic of childhood. This edition contains both of Kipling’s Jungle Books, as well as “In the Rukh,” the story that introduced readers to Mowgli.Part of Penguin’s beautiful Hardcover ClassicsTrade ReviewBy the Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature
£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd The Missing Girl Shirley Jackson Penguin Modern
Book Synopsis'' Of course, no one would want to say anything about a girl like this that''s missing... ''Malice, paranoia and creeping dread lie beneath the surface of ordinary American life in these chilling miniature masterworks of unease.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.
£5.03
John Murray Press Short Stories in Danish for Beginners: Read for
Book SynopsisAn unmissable collection of eight unconventional and captivating short stories for young adult and adult intermediate learners of Danish."Olly's top-notch language-learning insights are right in line with the best of what we know from neuroscience and cognitive psychology about how to learn effectively. I love his work - and you will too!" - Barbara Oakley, PhD, Author of New York Times bestseller A Mind for Numbers Short Stories in Danish for Beginners has been written especially for learners from beginner to low-intermediate level, designed to give a sense of achievement, a feeling of progress and most importantly - enjoyment! Mapped to A2-B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for languages, these eight captivating stories are designed to give you a sense of achievement and a feeling of progress when reading.What does this book give you?- Eight stories in a variety of exciting genres, from science fiction and crime to history and thriller - making reading fun, while you learn a wide range of new vocabulary- Controlled language at your level to help you progress confidently- Accessible grammar so you learn new structures naturally, in a stress-free way- Realistic spoken dialogues to help you learn conversational expressions and improve your speaking ability- Beautiful illustrations accompanying each story, to set the scene and support your understanding- Pleasure! Research shows that if you're enjoying reading in a foreign language, you won't experience the usual feelings of frustration - 'It's too hard!' 'I don't understand!'Carefully curated to make learning a new language easy, these stories include key features that will support and consolidate your progress, including: - A glossary for bolded words in each chapter- Full plot summary- A bilingual word list- Comprehension questions after each chapter. As a result, you will be able to focus on enjoying reading, delighting in your improved range of vocabulary and grasp of the language, without ever feeling overwhelmed. From science fiction to fantasy, to crime and thrillers, Short Stories in Danish for Beginners will make learning Danish easy and enjoyable.Trade ReviewAs researchers in language acquisition, we need to study people like you. * Stephen Krashen, Emeritus Professor, University of Southern California *Olly's advice on language learning is the real deal, and I recommend you pay attention to what he has to say! * Benny Lewis, Fluent in 3 Months *When we wanted to create a free online course on how to learn a language we asked Olly to write it with us. * Dr Tita Beaven, The Open University *Learning a language is challenging, but it's one of the best things you can do for your brain and your learning skill set... Olly Richards is doing some seriously incredible work to empower more and more people to rise to the challenge. * Jonathan Levi *Olly bridges the gap between theory and practice by helping you to use scientific principles to get real results with your language learning. * Anthony Metivier, Magnetic Memory Method *Olly's top-notch language-learning insights are right in line with the best of what we know from neuroscience and cognitive psychology about how to learn effectively. * Barbara Oakley, PhD, Author of New York Times bestseller A Mind for Numbers *
£10.44
And Other Stories Black Vodka: Shortlisted for the 2013 Frank
Book Synopsis'Elisa said Yes and I said Yes. We said Yes in all the European languages. Yes. We said yes we said yes, yes to vague but powerful things, we said yes to hope which has to be vague, we said yes to love which is always blind, we smiled and said yes without blinking.' ('A Better Way to Live') ----------- How does love change us? And how do we change ourselves for love - or for lack of it? Ten stories by acclaimed author Deborah Levy explore these delicate, impossible questions. In Vienna, an icy woman seduces a broken man; in London, a bird mimics an old-fashioned telephone; in adland, a sleek copywriter becomes a kind of shaman. These are twenty-first century lives dissected with razor-sharp humour and curiosity, stories about what it means to live and love, together and alone.Trade Review'These tales of unconventional love reinforce Levy's reputation as a major contemporary writer who never pulls her punches.' The Independent ----------- 'Metropolitan and knowingly sophisticated.' Sunday Times ----------- 'These ominous, odd, erotic stories burrow deep into your brain.' Financial Times ----------- 'A collection of mischievous vignettes of Mitteleuropa.' The Telegraph ----------- 'Like their protagonists, these stories are powerful because they are fragmentary, elliptical.' The Guardian ----------- 'Levy's pen is a volatile weapon.' The Observer ----------- 'Levy sensitively conveys the phenomenology of textures, of skin and breath. Embedded in her coiled, polished sentences is the drive that pushes us together, and forces us apart.' Times Literary Supplement
£8.54
Titan Books Ltd Christmas and Other Horrors
Book SynopsisHugo Award winning editor, and horror legend, Ellen Datlow presents a chilling horror anthology of original short stories exploring the endless terrors of winter solstice traditions across the globe, featuring chillers by Tananarive Due, Stephen Graham Jones, Alma Katsu and many more.
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Spanish Short Stories Cuentos En Espanol New
Book SynopsisA dual-language edition of contemporary stories from throughout the Hispanic world, perfect for learners of either language This volume of ten short stories, with parallel translations, offers students of Spanish at all levels the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of contemporary literature, without having constantly to refer back to a dictionary. Richly diverse in themes and styles, the stories are by both new and well-established writers and range from the sharp insights of Gabriel García Márquez’s “María dos Prazeres” and the teasing, deceptive simplicity of Javier Marías’s “On the Honeymoon” to Isabel Allende’s powerful evocation of the oral traditions of the Amerindian and the philosophical speculation of Laura Freixas’s “Absurd Ending.” Complete with notes, the stories make excellent reading in either language.Table of ContentsShort Stories in Spanish - New Penguin Parallel Text - Edited by John R. King IntroductionEva's IndifferenceSoledad Puértolas (1947- )Translated by John R. KingA Literary Tea PartyJulio Ramón Ribeyro (1929- )Translated by Clive GriffinOn the HoneymoonJavier Marias (1951- )Translated by Eric SouthworthWaliamaiIsabel Allende (1942- )Translated by Margaret Sayers PedenMaria dos PrazeresGabriel García Márquez (1928- )Translated by Edith GrossmanLas AmigasCarlos Fuentes (1928- )Translated by Alfred Mac AdamAbsurd EndingLaura Freixas (1958- )Translated by John R. KingThe PossessedAntonio Muñez Molina (1956- )Translated by John R. KingSecond Time RoundJulio Cortázar (1914-84)Translated by Clive GriffinSyllabusJuan Benet (1927-93)Translated by Eric SouthworthNotes on Spanish TextsAcknowledgments
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Warm Worlds and Otherwise
Book Synopsis''Tiptree''s narratives of alien worlds and alienation make up one of science fiction''s most vivid and influential bodies of work'' The New York TimesThis landmark collection of short stories shows the feminist pioneer James Tiptree Jr. at her most inventive and daring. Here a fake girl becomes a living advertisement, women choose alien invaders over the men of Earth, a creature discovers that love means death and a pandemic engulfs the planet.''Feminist dystopian fiction owes just as much to this woman - who wrote as a man - as Margaret Atwood'' VoxTrade ReviewTiptree's narratives of alien worlds and alienation make up one of science fiction's most vivid and influential bodies of work * The New York Times *Feminist dystopian fiction owes just as much to this woman - who wrote as a man - as Margaret Atwood. * Vox *Tiptree's work is proof of what she said, that men and women can and do speak both to and for one another, if they have bothered to learn how -- Ursula K. Le Guin
£8.54
Fingerprint! Publishing The Greatest Short Stories of Anton Chekhov
Book SynopsisLife is a vexatious trap; when a thinking man reaches maturity and attains to full consciousness, he cannot help feeling that he is in a trap from which there is no escape.One of the greatest Russian short story writers and an exemplary playwright, Anton Chekhov penned down some of the finest short stories and plays in literature. His works continue to be translated into various languages across the world. This hardbound deluxe edition brings together his early short stories along with the outstanding short fiction written in his later years. It includes The Death of a Government Clerk,' The Huntsman,' Oh! The Public,' Anyuta,' Misery,' The Lottery Ticket,' A Dreary Story,' Peasant Wives,' The Lady with the Dog,' and his last completed story, Betrothed.'This classic collectable is a must-read for all!
£17.99
Orion Publishing Co Thirteen Storeys
Book SynopsisA haunted house tour-de-force from the creator of THE MAGNUS ARCHIVES podcast.GOING UP?A dinner party is held in the penthouse of a multimillion-pound development. All the guests are strangers - even to their host, the billionaire owner of the building. None of them know why they were selected to receive his invitation. Whether privileged or deprived, they share only one thing in common - they''ve all experienced a shocking disturbance within the building''s walls. By the end of the night, their host is dead, and none of the guests will say what happened. His death has remained one of the biggest unsolved mysteries - until now. But are you ready for their stories? * * * * * * * * * *''A modern horror classic'' Starburst Magazine''Astonishing'' SFX''Nerve-jangling'' Guardian''A wonderfully creepy climax, hitting that perfect spot of uncanny horror'' GriTrade ReviewThe book works both as a collection of inventive horror stories and as a cohesive novel, building to a nerve-jangling finale that reveals the shocking events at the party. * The Guardian *A modern horror classic from one of the most exciting writers in the field today. * Starburst Magazine *Thirteen Storeys is an excellent horror [...] everyone will find something creepy in Banyan Court. * Grimdark Magazine *Thrilling, chilling and thoroughly entertaining * Tattooed Book Geek *Sims really has created an innovative novel where everything falls into place within its thrilling climax. * Fantasy Hive *A beautifully written contemporary horror novel that I know for sure will leave its mark on me. I don't remember reading anything like this before and it was an absolute delight. * Damp Pebbles Blog *A book that takes old traditions and gives them a contemporary spin. Happy Halloween, all. * SFF World *An excellent portmanteau novel. It's an ultra modern take on the haunted house story while each tale mixes in different subgenre flavours from techno-fear and shifting architecture to creepy kids and beyond, all building to a joined up climax that's pleasingly violent and gross. * Den of Geek *This is an astonishing debut from Jonathan Sims. A wonderful new twist on an age-old genre. 5 out of 5. * SFX *
£9.49
Cornerstone Star Wars From a Certain Point of View
Book SynopsisComing together to celebrate 40 years of Star Wars, Star Wars: From A Certain Point of View sees a stunning line up of authors and fans of the films explore what makes Star Wars so iconic. The fabulous line up consists of: Ben AckerRenée AhdiehTom AnglebergerBen BlackerPierce BrownMeg CabotRae CarsonAdam ChristopherZoraida CórdovaDelilah S. DawsonKelly Sue DeConnickPaul DiniIan DoescherAshely EcksteinMatt FractionAlexander FreedJason FryKieron GillenChristie GoldenClaudia GrayPablo HidalgoE.K. JohnstonPaul S. KempMur LaffertyKen LiuGriffin McElroyJohn Jackson MillerNnedi OkoraforDaniel José OlderMallory OrtbergBeth REvisMadeleine RouxGreg RuckaGary D. SchmidtCavan ScottCharles SouleSabaa TahirElizabeth WeinGlen WeldonChuck WendicWil WheatonGary WhittaTrade ReviewThis is the perfect book for Star Wars fans. It will speak to the inner fangirl/fanboy in all of us… It is the most enjoyable one that I have read in a long time * Nudge *These stories range from laugh out loud funny to heartbreaking as some of the coolest voices in speculative fiction take their crack at some Star Wars side characters. I hope this series continues for each film – Featured as a Top Book of 2017 * Den of Geek *I was so excited about this book and it didn't let me down… If you love Star Wars and want to read some fun stories from the galaxy I can't recommend this enough! It will remind you why you love Star Wars and, you'll find some new authors along the way. * Word from a Reader blog *Not only answers a big question fans have been wanting to know the answer to for 40 years about why Luke has no cousins, but also is a step in the right direction with inclusivity * The Future of the Force blog *I was so excited about this book and it didn't let me down… If you love Star Wars and want to read some fun stories from the galaxy I can't recommend this enough! It will remind you why you love Star Wars and, you'll find some new authors along the way * Words from a Reader *
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd The Complete Cosmicomics
Book SynopsisItalo Calvino''s enchanting stories about the evolution of the universe, with characters that are fashioned from mathematical formulae and cellular structures, The Complete Cosmicomics is translated by Martin McLaughlin, Tim Parks and William Weaver in Penguin Modern Classics.''Naturally, we were all there, - dld Qfwfq said, - where else could we have been? Nobody knew then that there could be space. Or time either: what use did we have for time, packed in there like sardines?'' The Cosmicomics tell the story of the history of the universe, from the big bang, through millennia and across galaxies. It is witnessed through the eyes of ''cosmic know-it-all'' Qfwfq, an exuberant, chameleon-like figure, who takes the shape of a dinosaur, a mollusc, a steamer captain and a moon milk gatherer, among others. This is the first complete edition in English of Italo Calvino''s funny, whimsical and delightful stories, which blend scientific fact, flights of fancy, parody and wordplay to show the strangeness and the wonders of the world. Italo Calvino (1923-1985), one of Italy''s finest postwar writers, has delighted readers around the world with his deceptively simple, fable-like stories. Calvino was born in Cuba and raised in San Remo, Italy; he fought for the Italian Resistance from 1943-45. Among his other works published in Penguin Modern Classics are Italian Folktales, Hermit in Paris, Into the War, The Path to the Spiders'' Nests, Numbers in the Dark, Six Memos for the Next Millennium and Why Read the Classics?If you liked The Complete Cosmicomics, you might enjoy Jorge Luis Borges'' Fictions, also available in Penguin Modern Classics.''The complete and definitive collection ... a masterpiece'' Gilbert Adair, Evening Standard''Dazzling ... a book of revelation'' Tim Adams, Observer ''If you have never read Cosmicomics, you have before you the most joyful reading experience of your life'' Salman Rushdie''A landmark in fiction, the work of a master'' Ursula K Le Guin, GuardianTrade ReviewCalvino was ahead of his time in so many ways that only now is his work widely perceived not as marginal because it is fantasy, but as a landmark in fiction, the work of a master . . . It's a joy to have all the Cosmicomics within one cover, and a handsome cover it is ... Martin McLaughlin's introduction couldn't be better as a guide to these dazzlingly idiosyncratic tales -- Ursula K Le Guin * Guardian *If you have never read Cosmicomics, you have before you the most joyful reading experience of your life -- Salman RushdieThis is classic Calvino, making you think and laugh at the same time -- John Self
£9.99
Verso Books The Storyteller: Tales out of Loneliness
Book SynopsisThe Storyteller gathers for the first time the fiction of the legendary critic and philosopher Walter Benjamin, best known for his groundbreaking studies of culture and literature, including Illuminations, One-Way Street and The Arcades Project. His stories revel in the erotic tensions of city life, cross the threshold between rational and hallucinatory realms, celebrate the importance of games, and delve into the peculiar relationship between gambling and fortune-telling, and explore the themes that defined Benjamin. The novellas, fables, histories, aphorisms, parables and riddles in this collection are brought to life by the playful imagery of the modernist artist and Bauhaus figure Paul Klee.Trade ReviewWalter Benjamin was the interlocutor of all the demons and angels of storytelling. And this is why he knew its endless secrets. Listen to him. -- John BergerThis volume collects an extraordinary array of short pieces by Walter Benjamin that lets us see the centrality of stories, dreams, and tales to his own experimental writings. During the time in which Benjamin sought to understand the conditions of communicability between languages, he was also testing the thesis in the stories he told. Telling the tale and reflecting on its very possibility, under conditions such as war and poverty, Benjamin gives us short forms that are broken up by interruptions and sudden closure. This elegant and moving volume is beautifully edited, including an introduction that shows how these collections of short tales and dream sequences are already doing the critical work of the essay form. This volume is a marvelous gift that will reorient our reading of Benjamin in startling ways -- Judith ButlerA complex and brilliant writer. -- J.M. CoetzeeWalter Benjamin was one of the unclassifiable ones... whose work neither fits the existing order nor introduces a new genre. -- Hannah ArendtBenjamin buckled himself to the task of revolutionary transformation. his life and work speak challengingly to us all." -- Terry EagletonThere has been no more original, no more serious critic and reader in our time. -- George SteinerHe drew, from the obscure disdained German baroque, elements of the modern sensibility: the taste for allegory, surrealist shock effects, discontinuous utterance, a sense of historical catastrophe. -- Susan SontagWalter Benjamin is the most important German aesthetician and literary critic of the twentieth century. * Sunday Times *One doesn't read him to feel better. One reads him to feel. In his universe nothing is as it appears to be and there is a vital need to go beyond surfaces and connect with humanity. -- Elif Shafak * Guardian *The greatest German critic of the 20th century -- Stuart Jeffries * Financial Times *Everything which fell under the scrutiny of his words was transformed, as though it had become radioactive. -- Theodor AdornoA circular book to visit again and again, a book one can start reading right in the middle or read backwards, playing with its chapters and sentences wildly and freely, just as the philosopher would have probably wished. -- Elif Shafak * FT *An event. -- Jonathon Sturgeon * Guardian *Dreams, diaries, reviews, fragments, and short fiction make up The Storyteller, but there's no denying that this potpourri by the German critic and philosopher Benjamin is an essential addition to the corpus of one of the 20th century's preeminent figures. As the translators note in an elegant introduction, these pieces explore both the European oral storytelling tradition and a curious mysticism under the aegis of modernist literature...thoroughly illuminating. * Publishers Weekly *
£10.99
Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Pte Ltd Seven Sacks of Rice: And Other Baggage
Book Synopsis
£11.69
