{"title":"Autobiography: writers Books","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"by-grand-central-station-i-sat-down-and-wept-elizabeth-smart-9780008610005","title":"By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eElizabeth Smart's passionate fictional account of her intense love-affair with the poet George Barker, described by Angela Carter as Like Madame Bovary blasted by lightening  A masterpiece'.One day, while browsing in a London bookshop, Elizabeth Smart chanced upon a slim volume of poetry by George Barker  and fell passionately in love with him through the printed word. Eventually they communicated directly and, as a result of Barker's impecunious circumstances, Elizabeth Smart flew both him and his wife from Japan, where he was teaching, to join her in the United States. Thus began one of the most extraordinary, intense and ultimately tragic love affairs of our time. They never married but Elizabeth bore George Barker four children and their relationship provided the impassioned inspiration for one of the most moving and immediate chronicles of a love affair ever written  By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept.Originally published in 1945, this remarkable book is now widely ident\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Like \u003cem\u003eMadame Bovary\u003c\/em\u003e blasted by lightening … A masterpiece.’ Angela Carter\u003c\/p\u003e           \u003cp\u003e‘At some point every good reader comes across \u003cem\u003eBy Grand Central Station I sat Down and Wept\u003c\/em\u003e. And he or she recognises an emotion essential and permanent to us.’ Michael Ondaatje\u003c\/p\u003e           \u003cp\u003e‘A revelation…This short, powerful work has a profound influence on me and was one of the factors that made me want to be a writer.’ Beryl Bainbridge\u003c\/p\u003e           \u003cp\u003e‘I doubt if there are more than half a dozen such masterpieces of poetic prose in the world.’ Brigid Brophy\u003c\/p\u003e           \u003cp\u003e‘Explores a passion between a man and two women, one of them his wife – a love despairing and triumphant upon which the reader may gaze, awed, appalled, or even, perhaps, envious.’ \u003cem\u003eThe Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e           \u003cp\u003e‘Few writers have ever captured the full honesty of what passion means as shockingly and as piercingly as Smart. Today, its force still strikes us hard in the face, a beautiful and bloody blow.’ Lesley McDowell, \u003cem\u003eIndependent on Sunday\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e           \u003cp\u003e‘Constructed as a single, sustained climax, it is like a cry of ecstasy which, without changing volume or pitch, becomes a cry of agony.’ \u003cem\u003eSpectator\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e           \u003cp\u003e‘The emotion, the truth and abject affliction comes through…to move the reader, and even to awe him.’ \u003cem\u003eLondon Review of Books\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47832573378903,"sku":"9780008610005","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780008610005.jpg?v=1710335607"},{"product_id":"nature-cure-9780099531821","title":"Nature Cure","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e''Britain''s greatest living nature writer'' \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRediscover the extraodinary power of nature and the British  wilderness, from award-winning naturalist and author Richard Mabey\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the last year of the old millennium, Richard Mabey, Britain''s foremost nature writer, fell into a severe depression. The natural world  which since childhood had been a source of joy and inspiration for him  became meaningless. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen, cared for by friends, he moved to East Anglia and he started to write again. Having left the cosseting woods of the Chiltern hills for the open flatlands of Norfolk, Richard Mabey found exhilaration in discovering a whole new landscape and gained fresh insights into our place in nature. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStructured as intricately as a novel, a joy to read, truthful, exquisite and questing, \u003ci\u003eNature Cure\u003c\/i\u003e is a book of hope, not just for individuals, but for our species.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e''A brilliant, candid and heartfelt memoir...how he bro\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA \u003cb\u003ebrilliant, candid and heartfelt\u003c\/b\u003e memoir...\u003cb\u003eThe account of how he broke free of depression, reshaped his life and reconnected with the wild becomes nothing short of a manifesto for living\u003c\/b\u003e...Mabey's particular vision, informed by a lifetime's reading and observation, is ultimately optimistic. It is also what makes his voice so appealing amid all the froth and flam of the eco-debate -- Philip Marsden * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eA book of which only he could have written a single page...\u003cb\u003emarvellously observed, deeply felt from sentence to sentence. The writing is exquisite\u003c\/b\u003e -- David Sexton, * Evening Standard *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSubtle, devotional, poetic\u003c\/b\u003e * Observer *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRich, invigorating and deeply restorative\u003c\/b\u003e * Irish Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eNature Cure \u003c\/i\u003emoves between the nervous breakdown of an individual and the madness of the modern world with a prescience akin to that of T.S. Eliot's \u003ci\u003eThe Waste Land\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e -- Jonathan Bate * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eMabey is a radical, inheritor of an old English tradition...The core of the book is his exploration of his new landscape. \u003cb\u003eIt feels a privilege to share it, watching him unpick the layers of watery Norfolk, with dazzling skill and the warmest of hearts, as his troubled mind heals\u003c\/b\u003e -- Michael McCarthy * Independent *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWritten in the radiant, tingle-making prose that has earned Mabey literary prizes and a multitude of fans... both a wake-up call and an example of how the love of nature can electrify and heal the imagination.\u003c\/b\u003e -- Val Hennessy * Daily Mail *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn inspiring book\u003c\/b\u003e -- Nicholas Bagnall * Sunday Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBritain's greatest living nature writer\u003c\/b\u003e * The Times *\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47832643502423,"sku":"9780099531821","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099531821.jpg?v=1710336308"},{"product_id":"father-and-son-9780330418409","title":"Father and Son","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eJonathan Raban was the author of over a dozen books, both fiction and non-fiction, including \u003ci\u003ePassage to Juneau\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBad Land\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHunting Mister Heartbreak\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eCoasting\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eOld Glory\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eArabia\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSoft City\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWaxwings\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eSurveillance\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOver the span of six decades, he won the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Royal Society of Literature's Heinemann Award, the Thomas Cook Award, the PEN West Creative Nonfiction Award, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers' Award, and the Governor's Award of the State of Washington. His work appeared in \u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eGranta\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHarpers\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eOutside\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eAtlantic Monthly\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eNew Republic\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe London Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e, and other magazines.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1990 Raban, a British citizen, moved from London to Seattle, where he lived with his daughter until his death in 2023.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e[Jonathan Raban] is \u003cb\u003ea master\u003c\/b\u003e, as he has shown in his legendary travel writing, \u003cb\u003eof summoning place and people with vivid economy\u003c\/b\u003e . . . \u003ci\u003eFather and Son\u003c\/i\u003e is \u003cb\u003ean exquisite, sometimes lunatic tension between powerful emotions and carnage\u003c\/b\u003e on one side, and on the other, \u003cb\u003ethe conventional codes of what must remain unsaid\u003c\/b\u003e. This . . . is a gorgeous achievement.” -- Ian McEwan\u003cbr\u003eBlessed with a lyrical, flowing style . . . Raban was noted for his pitch-perfect ear for dialogue and flights of the imagination, but also for evocative powers and sardonic humour. He is frequently melancholic and meditative, but his distinct writing is characterised by precision and clarity. * Irish Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eFather and Son\u003c\/i\u003e is a fine achievement, a wide-ranging and compelling account with the author's hallmarks of intelligence, erudition, humour and honesty * Times Literary Supplement *\u003cbr\u003eAny book, [Raban] thought, should roam as freely as it likes and this final volume is an illustration of that . . . and that’s what makes his memoir so lively, even when it stares death in the face. -- Blake Morrison * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eEverything that’s matchless about Raban’s work — his hyperacute eye for detail, his powers of synthesis, his mordant sense of humor, his vast reservoirs of knowledge and his love of travel — is there. * Los Angeles Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eFather and Son \u003c\/i\u003eis a deeply moving career capstone . . . Raban's finest and most moving book . . . It is poignant and crushing . . . I wept. * The Washington Post *\u003cbr\u003eReading his father's wartime letters changed how Jonathan Raban understood their relationship. A stroke changed how he understood himself . . . As full of eloquence as it is free of sentimentality, [this] memoir is a parting gift from a figure of insight and fierce independence... the pages turn quickly because the lines are so raw. * The Wall Street Journal *\u003cbr\u003e[Jonathan Raban] was the kind of writer we don't have in quantity . . . It's our luck that he left this lively and bittersweet memoir behind . . . We find ourselves inside the mind of an outraged, indefatigable commentator on life . . . Every writing day, he asked himself two questions: 'What have I lost?' and 'Am I fooling myself?' . . . [The] result of his labors makes the responses clear: a) very little, and b) no.\u003cbr\u003eBlessed with a lyrical flowing style, Jonathan Raban . . . was noted for his pitch-perfect ear for dialogue and flights of the imagination, but also for evocative powers and sardonic humour. . . A quixotic and nomadic seafaring writer, Raban was fascinated by the lives of the people he met . . . [In] his posthumous memoir . . . his thought-provoking approach, with trademark whimsy, illustrates his watchful eye. * The Irish Times *\u003cbr\u003eRaban’s posthumously published final work follows an English father and son whose lives take diverging paths . . . The war chapters, which excerpt correspondence between Raban’s parents, are compelling, but it is Raban’s reckoning with his own frailty that carries the emotional weight of the book. * The New Yorker *\u003cbr\u003eJonathan Raban, who died earlier this year, left this memoir almost complete. It tells two stories, artfully braided . . . [and] with Raban’s interpolations, the Anzio pages [about his father] read like a military thriller....He was a master of close observation and wry self-deprecation, and had a cameraman’s ability to switch to a wide-angle lens in a heartbeat. * The Spectator *\u003cbr\u003eThe late travel writer and novelist’s study of his dad . . . offers a beautifully written portrait rather than judgment. * The Observer *\u003cbr\u003e[Raban's] keen observational eye, wry sense of humor, and brilliant ability to prise apart the nonsense and find the tiny seed of truth at the heart of any situation were unique among his peers. -- Paul Constant * Seattle Times *","brand":"Pan Macmillan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47833013420375,"sku":"9780330418409","price":18.7,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780330418409.jpg?v=1710340511"},{"product_id":"in-my-own-time-thoughts-and-afterthoughts-9780349007571","title":"In My Own Time Thoughts and Afterthoughts","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor the past four years Jane Miller, author of \u003ci\u003eCrazy Age: Thoughts on Being Old\u003c\/i\u003e, has been writing a column for an American magazine called \u003ci\u003eIn These Times\u003c\/i\u003e. Her beautifully observed pieces about life, politics and Britain open a window to her American readers of a world very different from their own.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Her erudition is both dazzling and lightly borne, the personal often illuminating the political . . . Miller''s is a welcome, necessary voice - readable, informative and entertaining'' \u003ci\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJane Miller, author of the acclaimed \u003ci\u003eCrazy Age,\u003c\/i\u003e has for the past few years been writing a column for an American magazine based in Chicago called \u003ci\u003eIn These Times\u003c\/i\u003e. Now, these beautifully observed pieces about life, politics and Britain, which opened a window for Americans on a world rather different from their own, are collected and published for the first time for her British readers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Miller is a fantastic companion'' V\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a remarkable collection, a reflection not just of a later life well lived, but a distinct political and personal\u003cbr\u003esensibility. Far from being \"over the hill\", Miller is one of a growing tribe of female elders who stand right on the peak, taking a wry, wise and witty view of all they survey\u003c\/p\u003e * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eJane Miller's collected journalism is a treasure trove of literary, personal and political marvels. The writing is a joy, as is the observation, wit and humanity that underpin it: like Montaigne, only funnier -- Matthew d’Ancona, Guardian and Evening Standard columnist\u003cbr\u003eBreadth in no way comes at the expense of readability or of Miller's mastery of her subject matter. Her erudition is both dazzling and lightly borne . . . Miller's is a welcome, necessary voice - readable, informative and entertaining * Times Literary Supplement *\u003cbr\u003e[An] entertaining and insightful collection . . . her writing has a fascinating effect: she is forced to look in on herself from the outside. She isn't confined to age, menopause or retirement as themes . . . Miller's writing is filled with a wisdom, cheery world-weariness and kindness . . . She is wonderful on age and authority . . .Miller is a fantastic companion -- Viv Groskop * Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eA humanity and quiet humour that makes them feel like conversations with an intelligent friend -- Jane Shilling * Daily Mail *","brand":"Little, Brown Book Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47833031377239,"sku":"9780349007571","price":7.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780349007571.jpg?v=1710340886"},{"product_id":"the-best-of-me-9780349144603","title":"The Best of Me","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA lavish gift edition of David Sedaris's best stories, spanning his spectacular bestselling career. Hand-picked by David himself, these are stories that will make you laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time, from \"the funniest man alive\" (\u003ci\u003eTime Out New York\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor the past couple of decades, David Sedaris has more or less created his own genre, with his confessional stories that reveal both the absurdity and the emotion of everyday life. His funniest and most incisive work is now brought together in one volume * BBC *\u003cbr\u003eA whirlwind tour of this genius writer's greatest hits * Stylist *\u003cbr\u003eThe ideal introduction for anyone not yet acquainted with the American master of deadpan autobiographical comedy. Sedaris selects highlights from his three decades of making readers and listeners laugh, wince and sob at the weirdness and wonder of other people * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eDipping into David Sedaris's mind in his wonderful collected works \u003ci\u003eThe Best of Me \u003c\/i\u003ehas been a balm and a joy * i newapaper *","brand":"Little, Brown Book Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47833067258199,"sku":"9780349144603","price":8.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780349144603.jpg?v=1710341601"},{"product_id":"the-draw-of-the-sea-9780711273962","title":"The Draw of the Sea","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWyl Menmuir's \u003ci\u003eThe Draw of the Sea\u003c\/i\u003e is a book about the fishermen, surfers, swimmers, beachcombers, conservationists, sailors and boatbuilders who make their living on the Cornish Coast.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Light and wonder illuminate the pages of this magical book, a fitting tribute to the majesty and mystery of the sea’  The Observer\u003cbr\u003e‘Wyl Menmuir explores the different ways in which people can be drawn to the sea, content to leave it a mystery why they are drawn – and perhaps the mystery is the point.’ The Spectator\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e‘Wyl Menmuir poetically explores our fascination with and dependence on the sea. He talks to fishermen, beachcombers, surfers and other locals about living their lives by the tides, and explores his own personal emotional connection to the water.’ Wanderlust magazine\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e'A beautiful exploration of how the ocean shapes and intrigues us' Lovereading.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMap\u003cbr\u003e 1. St Randline Gleaner-Beachcombing \u0026amp; wrecking around Cornwall’s coast\u003cbr\u003e 2. Island Fisher-Eel fishing \u0026amp; lobster potting in St Martin’s \u0026amp; St Agnes\u003cbr\u003e 3. Rock Pool Pilgrim -Spring tide on the north coast\u003cbr\u003e 4. Depth Plumber-Freediving off the Lizard Peninsula\u003cbr\u003e 5. Caul Child-Making handplanes \u0026amp; bellyboards in Porthtowan\u003cbr\u003e 6. Wind Worker-Running away to sea\u003cbr\u003e 7. Memory Keeper-Searching for cowrie shells\u003cbr\u003e 8. Wave Rider-Surfing Cornwall’s Badlands\u003cbr\u003e 9. Ocean Wanderer-Watching a walrus in St Mary’s\u003cbr\u003e 10. Dawn Patroller-Swimming in St Ives\u003cbr\u003e 11. Oar Raiser-Pilot gig rowing in Mount’s Bay\u003cbr\u003e 12. Horizon Scanner-Wildlife watching at St Agnes Head\u003cbr\u003e 13. Song line Shaper-Beach art at Porthcurno\u003cbr\u003e A Glossary of Sea Words\u003cbr\u003e Notes\u003cbr\u003e Bibliography\u003cbr\u003e Index\u003cbr\u003e Acknowledgements\u003cbr\u003e  ","brand":"Quarto Publishing PLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47846308086103,"sku":"9780711273962","price":16.14,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780711273962.jpg?v=1710524175"},{"product_id":"the-draw-of-the-sea-9780711273979","title":"The Draw of the Sea","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMap\u003cbr\u003e 1. Strandline Gleaner  - Beachcombing \u0026amp; wrecking around Cornwall’s coast\u003cbr\u003e 2. Island Fisher - Eel fishing \u0026amp; lobster potting in St Martin’s \u0026amp; St Agnes\u003cbr\u003e 3. Rock Pool Pilgrim - Spring tide on the north coast\u003cbr\u003e 4. Depth Plumber - Freediving off the Lizard Peninsula\u003cbr\u003e 5. Caul Child -  Making handplanes \u0026amp; bellyboards in Porthtowan\u003cbr\u003e 6. Wind Worker - Running away to sea\u003cbr\u003e 7. Memory Keeper - Searching for cowrie shells\u003cbr\u003e 8. Wave Rider - Surfing Cornwall’s Badlands\u003cbr\u003e 9. Ocean Wanderer - Watching a walrus in St Mary’s\u003cbr\u003e 10. Dawn Patroller - Swimming in St Ives\u003cbr\u003e 11. Oar Raiser - Pilot gig rowing in Mount’s Bay\u003cbr\u003e 12. Horizon Scanner - Wildlife watching at St Agnes Head\u003cbr\u003e 13. Songline Shaper - Beach art at Porthcurno\u003cbr\u003e A Glossary of Sea Words\u003cbr\u003e Notes\u003cbr\u003e Selected Bibliography\u003cbr\u003e Acknowledgements\u003cbr\u003e Index\u003cbr\u003e  ","brand":"Quarto Publishing PLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47846308282711,"sku":"9780711273979","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}]},{"product_id":"a-life-in-the-making-9781782276852","title":"A Life in the Making","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOver the 29 years of his short life, Franz Michael Felder worked with furious productivity to better himself and the lives of those around him. From his humble origins in the Austrian village of Schoppernau, he went on to found workers' cooperatives, a political party and even a public library in his own home, while also writing many literary works.   A Life in the Making is both the culmination of this extraordinary career and a chronicle of its development. It is a story of early hardship and fortitude, of Felder's relentless zeal for learning and his lifelong effort to reconcile his own expanding horizons with the enforced confines of the community he was born to. Unfolding in prose of limpid beauty, A Life in the Making becomes a deeply moving tribute to Felder's wife Nanni, and to his enduring belief in the possibility of a better world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"One of the masterpieces of 19th-century German literature.\"\u003cb\u003e -- \u003ci\u003ePolis \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Exhumed from oblivion… blessed with a strange power… The 21st-century reader will never forget this friend from Schoppernau.\" \u003cb\u003e-- \u003ci\u003eLe Matricule de Anges \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Pushkin Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851315855703,"sku":"9781782276852","price":999.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}]},{"product_id":"a-very-nice-rejection-letter-9781472134875","title":"A Very Nice Rejection Letter","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e''Like all good diarists Paling''s musings are funny, tender and uncensored'' \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e6 April 2007\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eWriting income for the year so far: minus 300\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e''I feel that this might just be the year in which something happens. Then again it might not. But hope drives all writers on.''\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt''s unlikely that you''ll know Chris Paling''s face or have heard his name. This is his diary of trying to make a living as a writer, through the typical career trajectory of what is deemed a ''mid-list novelist''. \u003ci\u003ePublishing rule 6: there is no such thing as a ''low-list'' novelist.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn renumeration terms, writing is a career that often ends in disappointment and despair, and occasionally disgrace. Paling artfully explores what compels him and so many others to write - the battling joys and agonies of when that compulsion beds itself in one''s psyche, and a day without writing is a day wasted. A fascinating insight \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLike all good diarists Paling's musings are funny, tender and uncensored -- Jackie Annesley * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eFunny and revealing . . . everyone who is convinced they have a book in them should read [this book] -- Neil Armstrong * Mail on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Very Nice Rejection \u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eLetter\u003c\/i\u003e is a completely authentic account of what it's like to be merely reasonably good -- Thomas W Hodgkinson * Literary Review *\u003cbr\u003eSplendidly entertaining * The Chap *\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Little, Brown Book Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851692523863,"sku":"9781472134875","price":12.74,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781472134875.jpg?v=1710642305"},{"product_id":"every-third-thought-on-life-death-and-the-endgame-9781509815296","title":"Every Third Thought: On Life, Death, and the","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAs read on BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Moving, intellectual and unsentimental. I think it will become a classic' Melvyn Bragg\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Thoughtful, subtle, elegantly clever and oddly joyous, \u003ci\u003eEvery Third Thought\u003c\/i\u003e is beautiful' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eKate Mosse \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1995, at the age of forty-two, Robert McCrum suffered a dramatic and near-fatal stroke. Since that life-changing event, McCrum has lived in the shadow of death, unavoidably aware of his own mortality. And now, in his sixties, he is noticing a change: his friends are joining him there. Death has become his contemporaries’ every third thought.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd so, with the words of McCrum’s favourite authors as travel companions, \u003ci\u003eEvery Third Thought\u003c\/i\u003e takes us on a journey towards death itself. This is a deeply personal book of reflection and conversation – with brain surgeons, psychologists, hospice workers and patients, writers and poets, and it confronts an existential question: in a world where we have learnt to live well at all costs, can we make peace with dying?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThoughtful, subtle, elegantly clever and oddly joyous, \u003ci\u003eEvery Third Thought\u003c\/i\u003e is beautiful and - most of all - true -- Kate Mosse, author of \u003ci\u003eLabyrinth\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eEvery Third Thought\u003c\/i\u003e is an important book, and one that brings death into the light, uncovering both the losses we have to endure, as well as the gifts we can receive if we are open to it. Profoundly moving and fascinating. It is a gem. -- Julia Samuel, author of \u003ci\u003eGrief Works\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs an assemblage of great quotes and prompts for further reading, \u003ci\u003eEvery Third Thought\u003c\/i\u003e rivals  DJ Enright's anthology \u003ci\u003eThe Oxford Book of Death\u003c\/i\u003e. McCrum adds striking metaphors of his own. -- Blake Morrison * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eA wry and reflective treatise on mortality . . . fascinating and paradoxically enjoyable -- Roger Lewis * The Times *\u003cbr\u003eWe have to think about death, and talk about it, perhaps rather more than we do. And if that’s so, there can be no better guide than a wise, humane and battered-about writer like McCrum. He has thought deeply, talked widely, read voraciously and experienced much . . . by the time I had finished this book, I had a silly grin on my face. That was partly because it ends with a happy surprise, but more importantly because you cannot confront the meaning of death without a refreshed and more vivid understanding of the glory of being alive . . . As I closed it, having stared pretty steadily at extinction, I found myself encouraged and fortified. So, really, thank you, Robert. -- Andrew Marr * Mail on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003eI can't think of another writer who could display such learning and erudition with this lightness of touch.  Robert McCrum seems to have read everything, but you never feel he's lecturing; rather, he is a delightful and amused companion. The subject of Every Third Thought is so serious, yet it's illuminated by such humanity and flashes of wit that the reader closes it feeling oddly comforted. Only a writer in total command of his subject could present all this so deftly. Every Third Thought is a constant source of wisdom and interest . . . a gem -- Cressida Connolly\u003cbr\u003eMarvellous . . . \u003ci\u003eEvery Third Thought\u003c\/i\u003e is a reminder of the shadows on the grass, even at this time of year; that we shouldn’t be afraid of them, that in time they will come to enfold us all . . . McCrum's book shows us that we should grab all the living moments and live in them, while we are here. * Scotsman *\u003cbr\u003eA wonderful book, so personal that it holds you in its grip -- Rabbi Julia Neuberger\u003cbr\u003eA jewel of a book: our most profound thoughts, gracefully shaped . . . thoughtful, humane and full of warmth -- David Bodanis\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eEvery Third Thought\u003c\/i\u003e is simply stunning: a brilliant, wise, compassionate and consoling account of death and dying in a secular age.  McCrum moves seamlessly from personal testimonies to medical case studies to recent developments in neuroscience. He asks profound philosophical questions about mortality, finitude and the unknown. A uniquely beautiful and significant book -- Joanna Kavenna, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Ice Museum \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReading McCrum's book, with its jaunty, gentle, meandering style, is like going on a country ramble with an exquisitely knowledgeable yet modest friend, discussing the meaning of life. Although it's a slender work on a well-worn subject, it would be hard to find a more agreeable or erudite companion for the journey along the road towards life's inevitable dead end. * Literary Review *\u003cbr\u003eBoth intensely personal and coolly objective . . . McCrum carries us with him on a \u003ci\u003etour d'horizon\u003c\/i\u003e that is witty, companionable and compulsively readable. And in the final pages comes a twist to make the heart soar: evidence that however bleak, however short the time left, it is never too late to be surprised by joy -- Maggie Fergusson * Spectator *\u003cbr\u003eEngaging and honest... A narrative full of vigour, even (sometimes) black humour... It is like wandering around with a wise peer, eavesdropping on his conversations and enjoying his literary quotations. With the distinguished British neurologist Andrew Lees, he discusses the death-in-life that is Alzheimer’s disease and continues this theme with world-famous brain surgeon (and bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eDo No Harm\u003c\/i\u003e) Henry Marsh -- Bel Mooney * Daily Mail *\u003cbr\u003eA beautifully contemplative account of what it means to be dying, as we all are, in the midst of life . . . a deep and engaged set of questions and ruminations . . . Strangely, by pressing so hard into his subject, he has written a book that is lifted and lightened with affirmation of life. There is not a single story that he tells, no matter how grave, that is not made joyous by the fine attention of his writing and its judicious and intelligent use of quotation and literary and scientific material . . . In McCrum’s book, the quotations, poetry and information collated are part of the weave of its fabric. It’s why his story has such lift and reach. It is never just about Robert McCrum thinking about death. It becomes a continuation of a great discussion that has been taking place since the beginning of recorded culture. -- Kirsty Gunn * New Statesman *\u003cbr\u003eRobert McCrum's elegant series of essays captures that sense of inevitability and surprise that comes into any discussion of mortality . . . He is an impeccable stylist . . . The book is graciously about others as much as it is about himself . . . It is also a work of literary criticism, examining the ways in which our anxieties about ageing and dying have been represented in prose and poetry. McCrum is admirably eclectic in his tastes here . . . This eloquent book shows that it is not just philosophy that \"teaches us to die well,\" but literature - and more than that, a common humanity. -- Stuart Kelly * Scotland on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003eMcCrum's investigative spirit takes hold and keeps pathos at bay . . . This is a brave book, which faces what most of us avoid thinking about, and it even manages a joke. -- John Carey * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eAn unflinching exploration of [McCrum's] own mortality and that of other people. It draws on personal experience, the testimony of friends, the works of great writers, and interviews with experts in medicine and psychotherapy, melded together in an engaging conversational style . . . McCrum’s bravery in staring into the abyss cannot be overestimated; reading his book inevitably brings moments of terror. But \u003ci\u003eEvery Third Thought\u003c\/i\u003e has something positive to offer, too. The approach of death can reveal extraordinary reserves of courage and heighten people’s appreciation of the world around them. * Economist *\u003cbr\u003eAnd enthralling, wise and very necessary read * Radio Times *\u003cbr\u003eMoving, intellectual and unsentimental. I think it will become a classic -- Melvyn Bragg, \u003ci\u003eNew Statesman\u003c\/i\u003e, Books of the Year 2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eEvery Third Thought\u003c\/i\u003e – part autobiography, part meditations on death, part interviews – is seasoned by telling references to a wide range of literature. It is moving, intellectual and unsentimental. I think it will become a classic. -- Melvyn Bragg * New Statesman *\u003cbr\u003eMcCrum writes with elegance and candour about the question of mortality salience. * New Statesman *","brand":"Pan Macmillan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47851904205143,"sku":"9781509815296","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781509815296.jpg?v=1710648211"},{"product_id":"the-letters-of-j-r-r-tolkien-9780008628765","title":"The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e             \u003cstrong\u003eThe comprehensive collection of letters spanning the adult life of one of the world’s greatest storytellers, now revised and expanded to include more than 150 previously unseen letters, with revealing new insights into \u003cem\u003eThe Hobbit\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Lord of the Rings\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Silmarillion\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/strong\u003e           \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘The closest we can get to an actual autobiography … reveals new insights into the mind of one of England’s greatest storytellers’ \u003cem\u003eTelegraph\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e           \u003cp\u003e‘These revised and amplified letters are an absolute treat’ \u003cem\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e           \u003cp\u003e‘This is a terrific book … the letters simply glow with warmth, interest and enthusiasm’ \u003cem\u003ePrivate Eye\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e           \u003cp\u003e‘These letters provide an intriguing new glimpse into Tolkien’s life and work, allowing us to hear from one of the world’s best-loved authors in his own voice’ The National Archives\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48066825158999,"sku":"9780008628765","price":24.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780008628765.jpg?v=1713211659"},{"product_id":"novelist-as-a-vocation-an-exploration-of-a-writer-s-life-from-the-sunday-times-bestselling-author-9781529918359","title":"Novelist as a Vocation: An exploration of a","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWords have power. Yet that power must be rooted in truth and justice. Words must never stand apart from those principles.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'You end this\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003ecollection…vowing to never let life, or writing, get so complicated again'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReaders who have long wondered where the mysterious novelist gets his ideas and what inspires his beautifully surreal worlds will be fascinated by this highly personal look at the craft of writing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this engaging book, the internationally best-selling author shares with readers what he thinks about being a novelist; his own origins as a writer; and his musings on the sparks of creativity that inspire other writers, artists, and musicians.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Murakami is like a magician who explains what he's doing as he performs the trick and still makes you believe he has supernatural powers' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'A fascinating glimpse of the peculiar writerly life' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e** \u003c\/i\u003eA \u003ci\u003eTIMES, SUNDAY TIMES \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eNEW STATESMAN \u003c\/i\u003eBOOK OF THE YEAR**\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e[The] 11 essays here… deal with all the things that you’d like to ask [Murakami]…\u003c\/b\u003ein the highly unlikely event that you were able to corner him at a book-signing session… You end this collection of \u003cb\u003ebeautiful essays \u003c\/b\u003evowing to never let life, or writing, get so complicated again * Guardian *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48066935259479,"sku":"9781529918359","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781529918359.jpg?v=1713212733"},{"product_id":"singin-swingin-and-gettin-merry-like-christmas-9780349017075","title":"Singin  Swingin and Gettin Merry Like Christmas","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA memoir about motherhood and music from the bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eI KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''A brilliant writer, a fierce friend and a truly phenomenal woman'' BARACK OBAMA\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaya Angelou''s seven volumes of autobiography are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. Loving the world, she also knows its cruelty. As a black woman she has known discrimination and extreme poverty, but also hope, joy, achievement and celebration. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn her third marvellous volume, music and her son are the focus of Maya Angelou''s life. She is on the edge of a new world: marriage, show business and a triumphant tour of \u003ci\u003ePorgy and Bess\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e''She moved through the world with unshakeable calm, confidence and a fierce grace . . . She will always be the rainbow in my clouds'' OPRAH WINFREY\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''She was important in so many ways. She launched African American women writing in the United States. She was generous to a fault. She had nineteen talents - used ten. And was a real original. There is no duplicate'' TONI MORRISON\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Little, Brown Book Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48087840227671,"sku":"9780349017075","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780349017075.jpg?v=1713542632"},{"product_id":"all-gods-children-need-travelling-shoes-9780349017112","title":"All Gods Children Need Travelling Shoes","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA memoir about home and belonging, from the author of \u003ci\u003eI KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e''A brilliant writer, a fierce friend and a truly phenomenal woman'' BARACK OBAMA\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaya Angelou''s seven volumes of autobiography, beginning with \u003ci\u003eI KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS\u003c\/i\u003e, are a testament to the talents and resilience of this extraordinary writer. Though she fiercely loves the world, as a black woman, she also knows its cruelty. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAngelou has known discrimination and extreme poverty, but also hope, joy, achievement and celebration. In the fifth volume, Maya Angelou emigrates to Ghana only to discover that ''you can''t go home again'', but she comes to a new awareness of love and friendship, civil rights and slavery - and the myth of mother Africa.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e''She moved through the world with unshakeable calm, confidence and a fierce grace . . . She will always be the rainbow in my clouds'' OPRAH WINFREY\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e''She was important in so ma\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Curl","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48087840424279,"sku":"9780349017112","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780349017112.jpg?v=1713542637"},{"product_id":"mom-and-me-and-mom-9780349017129","title":"Mom and Me and Mom","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e''In the first decade of the twentieth century, it was not a good time to be born black, or woman, in America.'' \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo begins this stunning portrait of Vivian Baxter Johnson: the first black woman officer in the Merchant Marines, purveyor of a gambling business and rooming house, and mother to Maya Angelou, beloved and bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eI KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SING\u003c\/i\u003eS.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e''A brilliant writer, a fierce friend and a truly phenomenal woman'' BARACK OBAMA\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnyone who''s read the classic, \u003ci\u003eI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings\u003c\/i\u003e, knows Maya Angelou was raised by her paternal grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. In \u003ci\u003eMom and Me and Mom\u003c\/i\u003e, Angelou details what brought her mother to send her away and unearths the well of emotions Angelou experienced long afterward as a result. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile Angelou''s first six autobiographies reveal about her out in the world, influencing and learning from statesmen and cultural icons, her final autobiography an\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Little, Brown Book Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48087840883031,"sku":"9780349017129","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780349017129.jpg?v=1713542640"},{"product_id":"miracles-of-life-9780007272341","title":"Miracles of Life","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJ. G. Ballard was, for over fifty years, one of this country''s most significant writers. Beginning with the events that inspired his classic novel, Empire of the Sun', this revelatory autobiography charts the course of his astonishing life.Miracles of Life' takes us from the vibrant surroundings of pre-war Shanghai, to the deprivations and unexpected freedoms of Lunghua Camp, to Ballard's arrival in a devastated Britain. Ballard recounts his first attempts at fiction and his part in the social and artistic revolutions of the 60s. He describes his friendships with figures as diverse as Kingsley Amis, Michael Moorcock and Eduardo Paolozzi alongside recollections of his domestic life in Shepperton  raising three children as a single father following the unexpected and premature death of his wife.Miracles of Life' is both a captivating narrative of the experiences that have shaped this extraordinary writer's works, his distinctive outlook and his original visions of the future, and is als\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Superb. Mr Ballard, you are wonderful’ Sunday Times\u003c\/p\u003e           \u003cp\u003e‘Exquisitely written … ‘Miracles of Life’, a subtle, restlessly enquiring work of touching humanity, is Ballard’s crowning achievement’ Financial Times\u003c\/p\u003e           \u003cp\u003e‘Brief, modest and occasionally shattering, in a way that elevates it to a level of greatness’ Observer\u003c\/p\u003e           \u003cp\u003e‘A jewel. As a writer, he can simply take the breath away’ Independent\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732079784279,"sku":"9780007272341","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780007272341.jpg?v=1719995029"},{"product_id":"ways-of-escape-9780099282594","title":"Ways Of Escape","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith superb skill and feeling, Graham Greene retraces the experiences and encounters of his extraordinary life. His restlessness is legendary; as if seeking out danger, Greene travelled to Haiti during the nightmare rule of Papa Doc, Vietnam in the last days of the French, Kenya during the Mau Mau rebellion. With ironic delight he recalls his time in the British Secret Service in Africa, and his brief involvement in Hollywood. He writes, as only he can, about people and places, about faith, doubt, fear and, not least, the trials and craft of writing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eInspiring...provides the best possible introduction to the novels but also the portrait of a dedicated artist * Observer *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eWays of Escape\u003c\/i\u003e is as good as the best of its kind...marvellously rich -- William Trevor * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eExcellent reading...wonderfully good * Sunday Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eThe writing is suffused with melancholy regret, not for what he writes, one feels, but for what he has left out * Independent *\u003cbr\u003eGreene is unrivalled in his ability to evoke location and the human condition -- Carol Drinkwater * Daily Express *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732209152343,"sku":"9780099282594","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099282594.jpg?v=1719995970"},{"product_id":"a-sort-of-life-9780099282570","title":"A Sort of Life","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGraham Greene''s ''long journey through time'' began in 1904, when he was born into a tribe of Greenes based in Berkhamstead at the public school where his father was headmaster. In \u003ci\u003eA Sort of Life\u003c\/i\u003e Greene recalls schooldays and Oxford, adolescent encounters with psychoanalysis and Russian roulette, his marriage and conversion to Catholicism, and how he rashly resigned from \u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e when his first novel, \u003ci\u003eThe Man Within \u003c\/i\u003ewas published in 1929. \u003ci\u003eA Sort of Life\u003c\/i\u003e reveals, brilliantly and compellingly, a life lived and an art obsessed by ''the dangerous edge of things''.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA great writer who spoke brilliantly to a whole generation -- Alec Guinness\u003cbr\u003eThe setting of his life is beautifully observed and conveyed. I have never admired his writing more - the masterly skill and economy; the excitement he manages to pump, not just into the narrative, but into the very sentences, which throb and glow themselves * Observer *\u003cbr\u003eA subversive hero, self-consciously seeking out (in Browning's words) 'the dangerous edge of things,' who lived everywhere and nowhere, a man whom few people ever knew... Greene was a restless traveler, a committed writer, a terrible husband, an appalling father and an admitted manic-depressive * New York Times *\u003cbr\u003eThis is the work of a remarkable man determined to show he is not particularly remarkable...his fame is secure * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eGreene wrote some of the most commanding English novels of the twentieth century and some of the slickest commercial thrillers * Newsday *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732209185111,"sku":"9780099282570","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099282570.jpg?v=1719995970"},{"product_id":"darkness-visible-9780099285571","title":"Darkness Visible","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBorn at Newport News, Virginia, in 1925, William Styron was educated at Duke University. He served in the Marine Corps during the last war, and was recalled to service during the Korean War. After 1952, he lived mainly in Europe, before settling in a rural part of Connecticut. He died in 2006.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHair-raising in the manner of \u003ci\u003eA Tale of Horror\u003c\/i\u003e by Edgar Allan Poe * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eAs short as a hangman's rope and nearly as arresting - an essay of great gravity and resonance. Never has Styron used so few words so effectively * Newsweek *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732212232535,"sku":"9780099285571","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099285571.jpg?v=1719995983"},{"product_id":"the-summing-up-9780099286899","title":"The Summing Up","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAutobiographical without being an autobiography, confessional without disclosing his private self, \u003ci\u003eThe Summing Up\u003c\/i\u003e, written when Maugham was sixty-four, is an inimitable expression of a personal credo.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn what Somerset Maugham has written readers have found fascinating tales, sharply revealed characters, a fine narrative craft, and an author who has always been completely, honestly himself -- J.B. Priestley\u003cbr\u003eOne of the finest short-story stylists Britain has ever produced * Economist *\u003cbr\u003eOne of the most cosmopolitan English writers * Washington Post *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732213543255,"sku":"9780099286899","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099286899.jpg?v=1719995989"},{"product_id":"woodbrook-9780099359913","title":"Woodbrook","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eWoodbrook is a rare house that gives its name to a small, rural area in Ireland, not far from the old port of Sligo. He stayed for ten years.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis memoir, acknowledged as a masterpiece, grew out of two great loves - for Woodbrook and for Phoebe, his pupil.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA brilliantly original mix of love-story, memoir and history -- Brian Moore\u003cbr\u003eIt remains with one long after the story is told, a haunting sadness, a memory and a dream -- Olivia Manning * Spectator *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732216361303,"sku":"9780099359913","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099359913.jpg?v=1719996001"},{"product_id":"a-tale-of-love-and-darkness-9780099450030","title":"A Tale of Love and Darkness","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBorn in Jerusalem in 1939, Amos Oz was the internationally acclaimed author of many novels and essay collections, translated into over forty languages, including his brilliant semi-autobiographical work, \u003ci\u003eA Tale of Love and Darkness\u003c\/i\u003e. His last novel, \u003ci\u003eJudas\u003c\/i\u003e, was shortlisted for the Man Booker International Prize 2017 and won the Yasnaya Polyana Foreign Fiction Award. He received several international awards, including the Prix Femina, the Israel Prize, the Goethe Prize, the Frankfurt Peace Prize and the 2013 Franz Kafka Prize. He died in December 2018.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne of the funniest, most tragic and most touching books I have ever read. A testament to a family, a time and a place. * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eA masterpiece * Irish Times *\u003cbr\u003eOne of the most gripping, intense and moving autobiographies I have ever read. * Independent on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003eIt sweeps across 120 years of family history, weaving a tragi-comic saga of love and books, of Jewish life and immigrant life the world over, and of the universal madness of families. Read it now - I promise you won't read a more brilliant book in a long, long while. * Daily Mail *\u003cbr\u003eOz's account of his childhood is often very funny - and then profoundly moving, as he circles slowly round to confront the intolerable pain at the heart of it -- Michael Frayn * Week *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732229370199,"sku":"9780099450030","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099450030.jpg?v=1719996055"},{"product_id":"paperweight-9780099457022","title":"Paperweight","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eA hilarious collection of the many articles written by Stephen Fry for magazines, newspapers and radio. It includes selected wireless essays of Donald Trefusis, the ageing professor of philology brought to life in Fry''s novel \u003ci\u003eThe Liar\u003c\/i\u003e, and the best of Fry''s weekly column for the \u003ci\u003eDaily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePerfect to dip into but just as enjoyable to read cover to cover, this book, perhaps more than any other, shows the breadth of Fry''s interests and the depth of his insight. He remains a hilarious writer on whatever topic he puts his mind to.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI do more than invite you to read Stephen Fry. I urge you to. Fry is by turns observer, humourist, reviewer, philosopher, parodist, autobiographer, academic, scourge, clown and, as often as not, an antic amalgam of all these and more, and his variant style conforms flawlessly with each selected role.\u003cbr\u003eHuge, crammed, wise, hilarious and utterly captivating * Literary Review *\u003cbr\u003eA joyous collaboration of winging humour and sarcasm * Mail on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003eNaughty but terribly nice * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eAppallingly funny * Daily Telegraph *","brand":"Cornerstone","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732231336279,"sku":"9780099457022","price":11.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099457022.jpg?v=1719996064"},{"product_id":"peeling-the-onion-9780099507598","title":"Peeling the Onion","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003ePeeling the Onion \u003c\/i\u003eis a searingly honest account of Grass'' modest upbringing in Danzig, his time as a boy soldier fighting the Russians, and the writing of his masterpiece, \u003ci\u003eThe Tin Drum, \u003c\/i\u003ein Paris.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt is a remarkable autobiography and, without question, one of Günter Grass'' finest works.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBy the Nobel Prize-winning author of \u003ci\u003eThe Tin Drum\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn exquisitely constructed narrative... \u003ci\u003ePeeling the Onion\u003c\/i\u003e is a genuine masterpiece * Independent on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003eA memoir of rare literary beauty * New Yorker *\u003cbr\u003eAs a writer, his influence still looms large, and \u003ci\u003ePeeling the Onion\u003c\/i\u003e is a reminder why.  It has that same imaginative accuracy that made \u003ci\u003eThe Tin Drum\u003c\/i\u003e a bestseller * The Times *\u003cbr\u003eAn ingenious but treacherous text that glides constantly between past and present, first and third person, memory and imagination * Evening Standard *\u003cbr\u003eThis subtle and expertly written book is really a memoir about forgetting -- Sebastian Faulks * Sunday Times *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732254142807,"sku":"9780099507598","price":15.19,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099507598.jpg?v=1719996149"},{"product_id":"what-i-talk-about-when-i-talk-about-running-9780099526155","title":"What I Talk About When I Talk About Running","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1982, having sold his jazz bar to devote himself to writing, the author began running to keep fit. A year later, he'd completed a solo course from Athens to Marathon, and now, after dozens of such races, he reflects upon the influence the sport has had on his life and on his writing. This title presents his portrait.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt’s an inspiring, reflective read that’ll make you want to dust your trainers off -- Andy McNicoll * Professional Social Work *\u003cbr\u003eAn outstanding read -- Peter Sharkey * Eastern Daily Press *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732266561879,"sku":"9780099526155","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099526155.jpg?v=1719996198"},{"product_id":"the-hilliker-curse-9780099537854","title":"The Hilliker Curse","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmerica''s greatest living crime writer gives us a raw, brutally candid memoir-as high intensity and as riveting as any of his novels-about his obsessive search for atonement in women.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe year was 1958.Jean Hilliker had divorced her fast-buck hustler husband and resurrected her maiden name.Her son, James, was ten years old.He hated and lusted for his mother and summoned her dead. She was murdered three months later.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Hilliker Curse\u003c\/i\u003e is a predator''s confession, a treatise on guilt and the power of malediction, and above all a \u003ci\u003ecri de cœur. \u003c\/i\u003eEllroy unsparingly describes his shattered childhood, his delinquent teens, his writing life, his love affairs and marriages, his nervous breakdown and the beginning of a relationship with an extraordinary woman who may just be the long-sought \u003ci\u003eHer.\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA layered narrative of time and place, emotion and insight, sexuality and spiritual quest, \u003ci\u003eThe Hilliker Curse \u003c\/i\u003eis a brilliant, soul-baring revelation o\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA remarkable memoir ... Hugely enjoyable * The Economist *\u003cbr\u003eWe turn the pages gripped with a rubbernecker's fascination ... It is ugly, beautiful, reprehensible and moving. In other words, a hard book to forget * Irish Times *\u003cbr\u003eHigh-octane ... A breathless piece of writing ... When it comes to pinning down the most startling possible word collision, Ellroy's acrobatic pizzazz is beyond doubt ... This is literary knife-throwing at its most exhilarating and dangerous -- Julie Myerson * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eA painfully honest book, written in Ellroy's usual blunt, breathless but often starkly beautiful prose ... a marvellous read, sly, self-mocking and filled with troubling insight * Time Out *\u003cbr\u003eJames Ellroy's crime novels have been much acclaimed for their dark plots, tough prose and generally bleak view of the world. Now that he's brought those same qualities to bear on a history of his relationships with women, the result, inevitably, is not for the faint-hearted ... Ellroy writes with such swagger and certainty that it's hard not to be swept along. He also - let's face it - has quite a tale to tell * Daily Mail *\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cornerstone","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732279079255,"sku":"9780099537854","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099537854.jpg?v=1719996243"},{"product_id":"why-be-happy-when-you-could-be-normal-9780099556091","title":"Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe shocking, heart-breaking - and often very funny - true story behind \u003ci\u003eOranges Are Not the Only Fruit.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1985 Jeanette Winterson's first novel, \u003ci\u003eOranges Are Not the Only Fruit\u003c\/i\u003e, was published. It was a story of survival.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis book is that story's the silent twin.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUnforgettable… It’s the best book I have ever read about the cost of growing up. -- Daisy Goodwin * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eA searingly felt and expressed autobiography…Funny and profoundly hopeful – a tale of survival -- Kate Hamer * Metro *\u003cbr\u003eThis book is good, sensible, beautiful company… Try this -- A.L. Kennedy * Week *\u003cbr\u003eJeanette Winterson’s writing is poetic, emotive and beautiful * So Many Books So Little Time (blog) *\u003cbr\u003eIncredibly moving and full of Winterson’s characteristic wit. * Elle *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732294480215,"sku":"9780099556091","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099556091.jpg?v=1719996301"},{"product_id":"a-moveable-feast-9780099557029","title":"A Moveable Feast","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003ePublished posthumously in 1964, \u003ci\u003eA Moveable Feast\u003c\/i\u003e remains one of Ernest Hemingway''s most beloved works. Since Hemingway''s personal papers were released in 1979, scholars have examined and debated the changes made to the text before publication. Now this new special restored edition presents the original manuscript as the author prepared it to be published. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFeaturing a personal foreword by Patrick Hemingway, Ernest''s sole surviving son, and an introduction by the editor and grandson of the author, Seán Hemingway, this new edition also includes a number of unfinished, never-before-published Paris sketches revealing experiences that Hemingway had with his son Jack and his first wife, Hadley. Also included are irreverent portraits of other luminaries, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ford Madox Ford, and insightful recollections of his own early experiments with his craft. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSure to excite critics and readers alike, the restored edition of \u003ci\u003eA Moveable Feast\u003c\/i\u003e b\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cornerstone","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732295266647,"sku":"9780099557029","price":8.54,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099557029.jpg?v=1719996303"},{"product_id":"christopher-and-his-kind-9780099561071","title":"Christopher and His Kind","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn November 1929, Christopher Isherwood - determined to become a ''permanent foreigner'' - packed a rucksack and two suitcases and left England on a one-way ticket for Berlin. With incredible candour and wit, Isherwood recalls the decadence of Berlin''s night scene and his route to sexual liberation.  As the Nazis rise to power, Isherwood describes his dramatic struggle to save his partner Heinz from persecution.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePepys of the bohemian quarter * New York Sun *\u003cbr\u003eThe best prose writer in English -- Gore Vidal\u003cbr\u003eIndispensable for admirers of this truly masterly writer * New York Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChristopher and His Kind \u003c\/i\u003eis written with the lucidity, the intelligence, and the wit that we have come to expect from Isherwood at his best * New Statesman *\u003cbr\u003eChristopher Isherwood is back in vogue * Independent *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732298740055,"sku":"9780099561071","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099561071.jpg?v=1719996315"},{"product_id":"lions-and-shadows-9780099561224","title":"Lions and Shadows","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eWITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY JAMES FENTON\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSubtitled ''An education in the twenties'', this work blends autobiography and fiction to describe the inner life of a writer evolving from precocious public school boy to Cambridge drop-out at large in London's Bohemia. It contains thinly veiled portraits of Isherwood's contemporaries Auden, Upward, and Spender, whose intimate friendships and cult of rebellion shaped the literary identity of England in the 1930s. Witty and outrageous, Isherwood pokes fun at the stars of his generation, above all himself, even as he testifies to their unique early gifts.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe best prose writer in English * Gore Vidal *\u003cbr\u003eThe writing is, as always, very clear, very moving and very funny * The Times *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732299362647,"sku":"9780099561224","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099561224.jpg?v=1719996320"},{"product_id":"levels-of-life-9780099584537","title":"Levels of Life","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJulian Barnes \u003c\/b\u003eis the author of thirteen novels, including \u003ci\u003eThe Sense of an Ending\u003c\/i\u003e, which won the 2011 Man Booker Prize for Fiction, and \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestsellers \u003ci\u003eThe Noise of Time \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Only Story\u003c\/i\u003e. He has also written three books of short stories, four collections of essays and three books of non-fiction, including the \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e number one bestseller\u003ci\u003e Levels of Life \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eNothing To Be Frightened Of, \u003c\/i\u003ewhich won the 2021 Yasnaya Polyana Prize in Russia. In 2017 he was awarded the Légion d'honneur.\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt is extraordinary... [It] would seem to pull off the impossible: to recreate, on the page, what it is like to be alive in the world. -- Emma Brockes * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eThis is a book of rare intimacy and honesty about love and grief. To read it is a privilege. To have written it is astonishing. -- Ruth Scurr * The Times *\u003cbr\u003eIt’s an unrestrained, affecting piece of writing, raw and honest and more truthful for its dignity and artistry... Anyone who has loved and suffered loss, or just suffered, should read this book, and re-read it, and re-read it. -- Martin Fletcher * Independent *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLevels of Life\u003c\/i\u003e is both a supremely crafted artefact and a desolating guidebook to the land of loss. -- John Carey * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eWhile one might expect a Barnes book to impress, delight, move, disconcert or amuse, the last thing for which his work prepares us is the blast of paralysingly direct emotion that concludes \u003ci\u003eLevels of Life.\u003c\/i\u003e -- Tim Martin * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLevels of Life\u003c\/i\u003e is, deep-down, a heartfelt attempt to chronicle the strange journey that follows the death of a loved one. -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003eA Taj Mahal made of paper not white marble. -- Peter Conrad * Observer *\u003cbr\u003eA magnificent blast of unflinching prose. * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003ePowerful and well-articulated. -- Roger Lewis * Daily Mail *\u003cbr\u003eIt is true that the private language of love doesn’t generally translate; yet how vividly Barnes invokes the power and delicacy of what is lost to him. -- Jane Shilling * Sunday Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003eProfoundly emotive. * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eHe writes with aphoristic simplicity and a calm profundity, without ever sounding self-pitying, maudlin or trite… \u003ci\u003eLevels of Life\u003c\/i\u003e is at times unbearably sad, but it is also exquisite: a paean of love, and on love, and a book unexpectedly full of life. -- Rosemary Goring * Herald *\u003cbr\u003eA grief-stricken, achingly precise and bravely unconsoling exploration into the inadequacy of words. * Metro *\u003cbr\u003eAn impassioned, raw insight into a survivor’s grief. * Sport *\u003cbr\u003eA confession of grief so emotively described that it leaves the reader cold with awe. -- Billy O'Callaghan * Irish Examiner *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732315124055,"sku":"9780099584537","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099584537.jpg?v=1719996381"},{"product_id":"letters-to-sartre-9780099914907","title":"Letters To Sartre","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1983 de Beauvoir published Sartre''s letters, maintaining that her own to him had been lost. They were found by de Beauvoir''s adopted daughter, and published to a storm of controversy in France. Tracing the emotional and triangular complications of her life with Sartre, the letters reveal her not only as manipulative and dependent but Simonealso as vulnerable, passionate, jealous and committed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere is more than a whiff of \u003ci\u003eLes Liaisons Dangereuses\u003c\/i\u003e about these pages * Spectator *\u003cbr\u003eThis is a vivid piece of unexpurgated social history, and an opportunity to hear a vigorous and innovative thinker...speaking in her abrasive, touching, breathtakingly candid private voice * Sunday Times *","brand":"Vintage Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732334063959,"sku":"9780099914907","price":13.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780099914907.jpg?v=1719996455"},{"product_id":"over-hill-and-dale-9780140281293","title":"Over Hill and Dale","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Miss, who's that funny man at the back of the classroom? So begins school-inspector Gervase Phinn's second year among the frankly spoken pupils and teachers of North Yorkshire - the sight of Gervase with his notebook and pen provokes unexpected reactions from the children and adults alike.","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732353691991,"sku":"9780140281293","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780140281293.jpg?v=1719996530"},{"product_id":"confessions-of-an-english-opium-eater-9780140439014","title":"Confessions of an English Opium Eater","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this remarkable autobiography, Thomas De Quincey hauntingly describes the surreal visions and hallucinatory nocturnal wanderings he took through London-and the nightmares, despair, and paranoia to which he became prey-under the influence of the then-legal painkiller laudanum. Forging a link between artistic self-expression and addiction, Confessions seamlessly weaves the effects of drugs and the nature of dreams, memory, and imagination. First published in 1821, it paved the way for later generations of literary drug users, from Baudelaire to Burroughs, and anticipated psychoanalysis with its insights into the subconscious.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Mind-blowingly modern . . . [De Quincey’s] poetic depictions of the wild hallucinations that punctuated his years with the drug transfixed his contemporaries. To us, though, his story is revelatory mostly for its eerie familiarity.” —\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“De Quincey’s rather majestic, classically learned and singular style inspires every page of his writing. . . . The self-controlled equanimity of this classic volume is little short of miraculous.” —\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732369682775,"sku":"9780140439014","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780140439014.jpg?v=1719996589"},{"product_id":"a-confession-and-other-religious-writings-classics-9780140444735","title":"A Confession and Other Religious Writings","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTolstoy's passionate and iconoclastic writings--on issues of faith, immortality, freedom, violence, and morality--reflect his intellectual search for truth and a religion firmly grounded in reality. The selection includes 'A Confession,' 'Religion and Morality,' 'What Is Religion, and of What Does Its Essence Consist?,' and 'The Law of Love and the Law of Violence.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA Confession and Other Religious Writings       Introduction\u003cbr\u003eA Confession\u003cbr\u003eWhat Is Religion and Of What Does Its Essence Consist?\u003cbr\u003eReligion and Morality\u003cbr\u003eThe Law of Love and the Law of Violence\u003cbr\u003eExplanatory Notes","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732374466903,"sku":"9780140444735","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780140444735.jpg?v=1719996606"},{"product_id":"head-over-heels-in-the-dales-9780141005225","title":"Head Over Heels in the Dales","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGervase Phinn thinks he's heard just about everything in his two years as a school inspector, but a surprising enquiry from an angelic six-year-old reminds him never to take children for granted. His marriage to Christine Bentley, finding somewhere idyllic to live in the Yorkshire Dales, and chance of a promotion.","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732386820439,"sku":"9780141005225","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141005225.jpg?v=1719996657"},{"product_id":"gig-9780141021249","title":"Gig","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e''Extremely funny''\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003eSunday Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e_____________________________\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA poet is a rock star without the sex''n''drugs, or the rock''n''roll. But that never stopped Simon Armitage dreaming, and in \u003ci\u003eGig\u003c\/i\u003e, he explores how music and the muse intertwine in work and in life. Crammed with stories, anecdotes, jokes, absurdities, the odd informal homily, pitfalls and pratfalls (not all the author''s own), Yorkshire life and death, \u003ci\u003eGig\u003c\/i\u003e is about the dream and reality of what you are, and what you might have been.\u003cbr\u003e_____________________________\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e''One of our most entertaining authors'' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eIndependent\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e''Very, very funny''\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e GQ\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e''Witty, terrific, stupendously funny'' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eDaily Telegraph \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI read this book in one sitting. \u003cb\u003eIt moved me to tears, to shouts of laughter, and made me look at even the most mundane things in a different way\u003c\/b\u003e * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eExtremely funny, brilliant\u003c\/b\u003e * Sunday Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eEngaging, eccentric, hilarious, incredibly good company.\u003c\/b\u003e A wonderwall of moments and memories . . . \u003cb\u003eone of our most entertaining authors\u003c\/b\u003e * Independent *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eVery, very funny . . . the kind of book you'll want to press on your friends \u003c\/b\u003e * GQ *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWitty, terrific, stupendously funny\u003c\/b\u003e * Daily Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWarm, funny . . . wonderfully accurate and evocative . . . we close the book wanting more\u003c\/b\u003e * Times Literary Supplement *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePitch perfect\u003c\/b\u003e * Financial Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFunny, perceptive, thought-provoking.\u003c\/b\u003e Armitage has a poet's eye for the poignant detail and the bigger theme * Scotsman *","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732393668951,"sku":"9780141021249","price":13.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141021249.jpg?v=1719996686"},{"product_id":"reborn-early-diaries-19471963-9780141045191","title":"Reborn Early Diaries 19471963","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e''In the journal I do not just express myself more openly than I could do to any person; I create myself''\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIntimate, vulnerable and unsparing, R\u003ci\u003eeborn\u003c\/i\u003e bears witness to the evolution of Susan Sontag.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith entries dating from 1947-1963, the first instalment from Susan Sontag''s diaries charts her ascension from early adolescence to her early thirties. Unabashed, though thoroughly self-reflective, Sontag''s diaries reveal the inner workings of her mind, her insecurities and her passions. This compelling account of the evolution of America''s greatest post-war intellectual allows us to behold the moral and political awakening of the artist and critic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e''An exceptionally vivid, and often moving, account of a young woman''s painful journey towards acceptance of her own nature'' \u003ci\u003eSunday Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Moving on several levels . . . thrilling . . . fascinating . . . often reads like a brilliant postmodern bildungsroman'' \u003ci\u003eNew Yo\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFascinating. One can feel Sontag's mind beginning to ripen and bloom, and the full force of the intellectual originality that would be her hallmark emerging * Guardian *\u003cbr\u003eInspirational. Sontag shows us not just the importance, but the exhilaration of being earnest * New Statesman *\u003cbr\u003eA fascinating document of her apprenticeship, charting her earnest quest for education, identity, and voice. \u003ci\u003eReborn \u003c\/i\u003eis overwhelmingly a record of an inner landscape. * New York Review of Books *\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732411429207,"sku":"9780141045191","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141045191.jpg?v=1719996761"},{"product_id":"will-9780141046402","title":"Will","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e''Darkly angelic prose... a joy to read, with the final part in particular recalling David Foster Wallace at his best'' \u003c\/b\u003eAlex Preston, \u003ci\u003eObserver\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e________________________________\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Will''s mother''s hokey homily, \u003ci\u003eWaste not, want not... \u003c\/i\u003ehisses in his ears as he oscillates furiously on the spot, havering on the threshold between the bedroom and the \u003ci\u003edying one...\u003c\/i\u003e all the while cradling the plastic leech of the syringe in the crook of his arm. Oscillating furiously, and, as he''d presses the plunger home a touch \u003ci\u003emore... and more\u003c\/i\u003e, he hears it again and again: \u003ci\u003eWaaaste nooot, waaant nooot..!\u003c\/i\u003e whooshing into and out of him, while the blackness wells up at the periphery of his vision, and his hackneyed heart begins to beat out weirdly arrhythmic drum fills - even hitting the occasional rim-shot on his resonating rib cage. He waits, paralysed, acutely conscious, that were he simply to press his thumb right home, it''ll be a cartoonish death: \u003ci\u003eThat''s all folks!\u003c\/i\u003e as the aperture screws shut forever.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ________________________________________\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e''Self''s writing has the same technicolour velocity, malign comedy as his best novels''\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003eEvening Standard\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ''Refreshing . . . Self is never happier than when frolicking in the hinterland between sincerity and performative, winking hyperbole'' \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eTLS\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDarkly angelic prose\u003c\/b\u003e... \u003cb\u003ea joy to read\u003c\/b\u003e, with the final part in particular \u003cb\u003erecalling David Foster Wallace at his best\u003c\/b\u003e * Alex Preston, Observer *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRefreshing \u003c\/b\u003e. . . Self is never happier than when frolicking in the hinterland\u003cb\u003e between sincerity and performative, winking hyperbole\u003c\/b\u003e * TLS *\u003cbr\u003eOne of Britain's\u003cb\u003e most inspired writers \u003c\/b\u003eoffers\u003cb\u003e a no-holds-barred tale of his fascinating life\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003cb\u003eSpectacular . . . \u003c\/b\u003eSelf delivers\u003cb\u003e a hallucinatory, confessional version of his life\u003c\/b\u003e * Kirkus *\u003cbr\u003eSelf's writing has the same \u003cb\u003etechnicolour velocity, malign comedy\u003c\/b\u003e as his best novels * Claire Allfree, Evening Standard *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWho else is writing with this much freedom and verve right now?\u003c\/b\u003e * Metro *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eOne of the most significant literary works of our century\u003c\/b\u003e * New Statesman on Phone *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIntellectually dazzling and emotionally frazzling\u003c\/b\u003e * Guardian on Shark *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eUnstoppably entertaining\u003c\/b\u003e * The Times on Umbrella *","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732412019031,"sku":"9780141046402","price":13.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141046402.jpg?v=1719996766"},{"product_id":"speak-memory-9780141183220","title":"Speak Memory","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Speak, memory'', said Vladimir Nabokov. And immediately there came flooding back to him a host of enchanting recollections - of his comfortable childhood and adolescence, of his rich, liberal-minded father, his beautiful mother, an army of relations and family hangers-on and of grand old houses in St Petersburg and the surrounding countryside in pre-Revolutionary Russia. Young love, butterflies, tutors and a multitude of other themes thread together to weave an autobiography, which is itself a work of art.","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732418408791,"sku":"9780141183220","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141183220.jpg?v=1719996796"},{"product_id":"the-road-to-wigan-pier-9780141185293","title":"The Road to Wigan Pier","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eGeorge Orwell's searing account of working-class life in the bleak industrial heartlands of Yorkshire and Lancashire in the 1930s, \u003ci\u003eThe Road to Wigan Pier\u003c\/i\u003e is a brilliant and bitter polemic that has lost none of its political impact over time\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOrwell's graphically unforgettable descriptions of social injustice, cramped slum housing, dangerous mining conditions, squalor, hunger and growing unemployment are written with unblinking honesty, fury and great humanity. It crystallized the ideas that would be found in his later works and novels, and remains a powerful portrait of poverty, injustice and class divisions in Britain.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIncludes illustrations, explanatory footnotes, and an introduction by Richard Hoggart","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732421521751,"sku":"9780141185293","price":8.54,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141185293.jpg?v=1719996811"},{"product_id":"the-periodic-table-9780141185149","title":"The Periodic Table","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA chemist by training, the author became one of the witnesses to twentieth-century atrocity. In these haunting reflections inspired by the elements of the periodic table, he ranges from young love to political savagery; from the inert gas argon - and 'inert' relatives like the uncle who stayed in bed for twenty-two years - to life-giving carbon.","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732421587287,"sku":"9780141185149","price":8.54,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141185149.jpg?v=1719996810"},{"product_id":"memoirs-of-a-dutiful-daughter-penguin-modern-classics-9780141185330","title":"Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter Penguin Modern","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA superb autobiography by one of the great literary figures of the twentieth century, Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter offers an intimate picture of growing up in a bourgeois French family, rebelling as an adolescent against the conventional expectations of her class, and striking out on her own with an intellectual and existential ambition exceedingly rare in a young woman in the 1920s. Simone de Beavoir describes her early life, from her birth in Paris in 1908 to her student days at the Sorbonne, where she met Jean-Paul sartre - ''the dream-companion I had longed for since I was fifteen''.","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732421718359,"sku":"9780141185330","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141185330.jpg?v=1719996811"},{"product_id":"south-from-granada-9780141189321","title":"South From Granada","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003ePart autobiography, part travelogue, and wholly a tribute to the unspoilt beauty of southern Spain, Gerald Brenan''s \u003ci\u003eSouth from Granada \u003c\/i\u003eincludes an introduction by Chris Stewart, author of the bestselling \u003ci\u003eDriving Over Lemons\u003c\/i\u003e, in Penguin Modern Classics.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBetween 1920 and 1934, Gerald Brenan lived in the remote Spanish village of Yegen and \u003ci\u003eSouth of Granada\u003c\/i\u003e depicts his time there, vividly evoking the essence of his rural surroundings and the Spanish way of life before the Civil War. Here he portrays the landscapes, festivals and folk-lore of the Sierra Nevada, the rivalries, romances and courtship rituals, village customs, superstitions and characters. Fascinating details emerge, from cheap brothels to archaeological remains, along with visits from Brenan''s friends from the Bloomsbury group - Lytton Strachey and Virginia Woolf among them. Knowledgeable, elegant and sympathetic, this is a rich account of Spain''s vanished past.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGerald Brenan (1894-1987) was an English writer who spent much of his life in Spain. He is best known for \u003ci\u003eThe Spanish Labyrinth\u003c\/i\u003e, a work of history on the background to the Spanish Civil War and for \u003ci\u003eSouth From Granada: Seven Years in an Andalusian Village\u003c\/i\u003e. He was awarded a CBE in 1982, and was much honoured in Spain\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf you enjoyed \u003ci\u003eSouth from Granada\u003c\/i\u003e, you might like Orwell''s \u003ci\u003eHomage to Catalonia,\u003c\/i\u003e also available in Penguin Modern Classics.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''The best of Brenan''s books: he has a true and proper knowledge of the culture he describes'' \u003cbr\u003eCyril Connolly, \u003ci\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''A brilliant interpreter of Spain to the rest of the world'' \u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732428861783,"sku":"9780141189321","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141189321.jpg?v=1719996841"},{"product_id":"the-road-to-san-giovanni-9780141189710","title":"The Road to San Giovanni","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIncludes five autobiographical meditations that delves into the author's past, remembering awkward childhood walks with his father, a lifelong obsession with the cinema and fighting in the Italian Resistance against the Fascists.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThese autobiographical essays marvellously reconstitute different strata of his past in all the pristine, warm stir of immediacy * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003eIn these personal essays, Calvino dives into his memory and childhood with great warmth -- John Self\u003cbr\u003eI propose a new adjective, calvinoid - as in a calvinoid construct, an impossible and beautiful structure spun out of the detritus of the quotidian . . . the scientific precision of his imagination and his carnivalesque delight in irony and absurdity . . . His legacy is an atlas full of calvinoid constructs, invisible cities, that will dazzle the lucky explorer -- Clive Sinclair * Independent *","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732429615447,"sku":"9780141189710","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141189710.jpg?v=1719996844"},{"product_id":"hermit-in-paris-9780141189758","title":"Hermit in Paris","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eItalo Calvino once said that he preferred to give false details about his biography since he felt that even the genuine data of a writer''s life shed no light on the creative work. But this volume of posthumously collected personal writings is the closest we will ever come to the autobiography of this most private of writers. The pieces collected here range from the early 1950s to his last interview, completed just before his sudden death in 1985. Apart from providing a glimpse into his own formative experiences and evolution as an author, Calvino''s autobiographical writings also examine the major events of twentieth-century history from a very personal viewpoint. This volume is full of ideas on literature and other writers, all conveyed with the author''s distinctive lightness and intelligence.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eItalo Calvino, 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 in 1923 and ra\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732429812055,"sku":"9780141189758","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141189758.jpg?v=1719996844"},{"product_id":"the-scent-of-dried-roses-one-family-and-the-end-of-english-suburbia-an-elegy-penguin-modern-classics-9780141191485","title":"The Scent of Dried Roses One family and the end","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTim Lott''s parents, Jack and Jean, met at the Empire Snooker Hall, Ealing, in 1951, in a world that to him now seems ''as strange as China''. In this extraordinarily moving exploration of his parents'' lives, his mother''s inexplicable suicide in her late fifties and his own bouts of depression, Tim Lott conjures up the pebble-dashed home of his childhood and the rapidly changing landscape of postwar suburban England. It is a story of grief, loss and dislocation, yet also of the power of memory and the bonds of family love.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'The Scent of Dried Roses  touches a nerve no other English memoir has found; it does so in a way that seems not only affecting, but somehow important' - Sebastian Faulks  'This is a moving, insightful, important book. It works as a personal story, as an analysis of the unknowable horrors of suicide and as a history of a changing Britain' - William Hague  'In its slow and careful way, it unfolds a certain topography of melancholia, and the map Lott makes of his troubles mixes the intricate streets he has walked in all his life with some pretty intricate places in his own mind and heart. We are left with a resounding lament for small England ... The book's recreation of a suburban world, its flashing-back and forward in real time, its compilation of whispers and roars and half-remembered truths, its reliance on the intimacies of interior monologue, are bound to make some people think of fiction' - Andrew O'Hagan  'Brilliant. I don't remember reading any text which is so personal, so particular and near the bone and yet which is so utterly without self-regard' - Hilary Mantel  'Outstanding ! tracing his parents' marriage, Lott conveys, with a brilliant, almost Orwellian command of social and historical nuance, what England looked and felt like, decade by decade, from 1930 to 1989 ! it is a story told with courage, candour and astonishing command of detail' Blake Morrison","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732432695639,"sku":"9780141191485","price":13.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}]},{"product_id":"the-orwell-diaries-9780141191546","title":"The Orwell Diaries","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eGeorge Orwell was an inveterate keeper of diaries. \u003ci\u003eThe Orwell Diaries\u003c\/i\u003e  presents eleven of them, covering the period 1931-1949, and follows  Orwell from his early years as a writer to his last literary notebook.  An entry from 1931 tells of a communal shave in the Trafalgar Square  fountains, while notes from his travels through industrial England show  the development of the impassioned social commentator. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis same  acute power of observation is evident in his diaries from Morocco, as  well as at home, where his domestic diaries chart the progress of his  garden and animals with a keen eye; the wartime diaries, from  descriptions of events overseas to the daily violence closer to home,  describe astutely his perspective on the politics of both, and provide a  new and entirely refreshing insight into Orwell''s character and his  great works.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732433023319,"sku":"9780141191546","price":13.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141191546.jpg?v=1719996857"},{"product_id":"george-orwell-a-life-in-letters-9780141192635","title":"George Orwell A Life in Letters","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith such varied correspondents as T. S. Eliot, Stephen Spender and Anthony Powell, for nearly forty years George Orwell wrote and received the letters that are now collected together in \u003ci\u003eA Life in Letters\u003c\/i\u003e, edited with an introduction by Peter Davison in Penguin Modern Classics.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePersonal as well as political, Orwell''s letters offer a fascinating window into the mind of a phenomenal man. We are privy to snatched glimpses of his family life: his son Richard''s developing teeth, the death of his wife Eileen, and his own illness. Candid portraits of Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War, his opinions on bayonets, and on the chaining of German prisoners display his magnificent talent as a political writer, and letters to friends and his publisher provide a unique insight into the development and publication of some of the most important novels in the English language. A Life in Letters features previously unpublished material, including letters which shed new light on a love that would haunt him for his whole life, as well as revealing the inspiration for some of his most famous characters. Presented for the first time in a dedicated volume, this selection of Orwell''s letters is an indispensible companion to his diaries.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Arguably the most influential writer thrown up by the West in the twentieth century ... the real Orwell - whoever he is - continues to take shape''\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eArouses your warmest sympathy * Daily Mail *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eA\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eLife in Letters\u003c\/i\u003e contains nearly everything a reader new to Orwell needs to know about him -- DJ Taylor * New Statesman *\u003cbr\u003e'Mr Davison's new edition of the letters is compelling...unlike a conventional biography, the character of the subject comes through undiluted.' * Sunday Telegraph *\u003cbr\u003e'This is the authentic Orwell voice: wonderfully clear and fresh and forthright' * Mail on Sunday *\u003cbr\u003e'the best single-volume selection we could hope for' * Sunday Times *\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e'Orwell: A Life in Letters \u003c\/i\u003eshould take its place beside the five major biographies ... as an indepsensible resource for understanding George Orwell and his times.' * John Rodden *","brand":"Penguin Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732435743063,"sku":"9780141192635","price":15.29,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141192635.jpg?v=1719996865"},{"product_id":"more-about-boy-9780141367378","title":"More About Boy","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMORE ABOUT BOYcontains a wealth of new photos, facts and writings about Roald Dahl and his childhood, together with the original text and illustrations from his much-loved memoir.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs a boy, all \u003ci\u003esorts \u003c\/i\u003eof unusual things happened to Roald Dahl.\u003cbr\u003eThere was the time he and four school friends got their revenge on beastly Mrs Prachett in her sweet shop.\u003cbr\u003eThere are stories of holidays in fishing boats, African adventures and the days of tasting chocolate for Cadbury''s.\u003cbr\u003eYou''ll hear tales of horrible school bullies and the car accident when Roald''s nose was nearly sliced clean off . . Now you can discover even more about Roald Dahl''s childhood, including some secrets he left out. Some are painful, some are funny, but all of them are TRUE.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eListen to Roald Dahl audiobooks read by some very famous voices, including Kate Winslet, David Walliams and Steven Fry - plus there are added squelchy soundeffects from Pinewood Studios! \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLook out for new Roald Dahl apps","brand":"Penguin Random House Children's UK","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48732468838743,"sku":"9780141367378","price":11.69,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780141367378.jpg?v=1719997016"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/collections\/autobiography-writers.oembed?page=18","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}