Classics Books

From Austen to Zola, from medieval to the modern day - all genres are catered for between the covers of these coveted classics.

6752 products


  • Sense And Sensibility

    Everyman Sense And Sensibility

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisJane Austen seems to have been born with the comic precision and other-worldly insight she everywhere displays in Sense and Sensibility, her first published novel (1811), which, though revised later, was completed in 1797 at the age of twenty-two. This meticulously constructed story of two sisters with opposing temperaments and romantic inclinations exemplifies the distilled spirit of classicism in English literature.

    1 in stock

    £13.49

  • The Portrait of a Lady

    Wordsworth Editions Ltd The Portrait of a Lady

    Book SynopsisWith an Introduction and Notes by Lionel Kelly, Senior Lecturer in English, University of Reading. Transplanted to Europe from her native America, Isabel Archer has candour, beauty, intelligence, an independent spirit and a marked enthusiasm for life. An unexpected inheritance apparently gives her freedom, but despite all her natural advantages she makes one disastrous error of judgement and the result is genuinely tragic. Her tale, told with James’ inimitable poise, is of the widest relevance. ‘The phase when his (Henry James’) genius functioned with the freest and fullest vitality is represented by The Portrait of a Lady’. (F.R. LEAVIS)

    £6.23

  • The SaintFiacre Affair Inspector Maigret 13

    Penguin Books Ltd The SaintFiacre Affair Inspector Maigret 13

    4 in stock

    Book Synopsis“One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequaled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories.” —The GuardianMaigret’s past comes to life in this evocative novel, set in the Inspector’s hometown“Maigret savoured the sensations of his youth again: the cold, stinging eyes, frozen fingertips, an aftertaste of coffee. Then, stepping inside the church, a blast of heat, soft light; the smell of candles and incense.”The last time Maigret went home to the village of his birth was for his father’s funeral. Now, an anonymous note predicting a crime during All Souls’ Day mass draws him back there, where troubling memories resurface and hidden vices are revealed.Trade ReviewPraise for Georges Simenon:“One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequaled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories.” —The Guardian “These Maigret books are as timeless as Paris itself.” —The Washington Post “Maigret ranks with Holmes and Poirot in the pantheon of fictional detective immortals.” —People “I love reading Simenon. He makes me think of Chekhov.” —William Faulkner “The greatest of all, the most genuine novelist we have had in literature.” —André Gide “A supreme writer . . . Unforgettable vividness.” —The Independent (London) “Superb . . . The most addictive of writers . . . A unique teller of tales.” —The Observer (London) “Compelling, remorseless, brilliant.” —John Gray “A truly wonderful writer . . . Marvelously readable—lucid, simple, absolutely in tune with the world he creates.” —Muriel Spark “A novelist who entered his fictional world as if he were a part of it.”lle —Peter Ackroyd “Extraordinary masterpieces of the twentieth century.” —John Banville"Gem-hard soul-probes . . . not just the world's bestselling detective series, but an imperishable literary legend . . . he exposes secrets and crimes not by forensic wizardry, but by the melded powers of therapist, philosopher and confessor" ― Times (London)"Strangely comforting . . . so many lovely bistros from the Paris of mid-20th C. The corpses are incidental, it's the food that counts." ― Margaret Atwood"One of the greatest writers of the 20th century . . . no other writer can set up a scene as sharply and with such economy as Simenon does . . . the conjuring of a world, a place, a time, a set of characters - above all, an atmosphere." ― Financial Times"Gripping . . . richly rewarding . . . You'll quickly find yourself obsessing about his life as you tackle each mystery in turn."-- Stig Abell ― The Sunday Times (London)

    4 in stock

    £8.99

  • The Late Monsieur Gallet

    Penguin Books Ltd The Late Monsieur Gallet

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe second book in the new Penguin Maigret series: Georges Simenon''s devastating tale of misfortune, betrayal and the weakness of family ties, in a new translation by Anthea Bell.Instead of the detail filling itself in and becoming clearer, it seemed to escape him. The face of the man in the ill-fitting coat just misted up so that it hardly looked human. In theory this mental portrait was good enough, but now it was replaced by fleeting images which should have added up to one and the same man but which refused to get themselves into focus.The circumstances of Monsieur Gallet''s death all seem fake: the name the deceased was travelling under and his presumed profession, and more worryingly, his family''s grief. Their haughtiness seems to hide ambiguous feelings about the hapless man. In this haunting story, Maigret discovers the appalling truth and the real crime hidden behind the surface of lies.Penguin is publishing the entire series of Maigret novels in new translations. This novel has been published in previous translations as Maigret Stonewalled and The Death of Monsieur Gallet.''Compelling, remorseless, brilliant'' John Gray''One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century'' Guardian ''A supreme writer . . . unforgettable vividness'' IndependentTrade ReviewPraise for Georges Simenon:“One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequaled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories.” —The Guardian “These Maigret books are as timeless as Paris itself.” —The Washington Post “Maigret ranks with Holmes and Poirot in the pantheon of fictional detective immortals.” —People “I love reading Simenon. He makes me think of Chekhov.” —William Faulkner “The greatest of all, the most genuine novelist we have had in literature.” —André Gide “A supreme writer . . . Unforgettable vividness.” —The Independent (London) “Superb . . . The most addictive of writers . . . A unique teller of tales.” —The Observer (London) “Compelling, remorseless, brilliant.” —John Gray “A truly wonderful writer . . . Marvelously readable—lucid, simple, absolutely in tune with the world he creates.” —Muriel Spark “A novelist who entered his fictional world as if he were a part of it.”lle —Peter Ackroyd “Extraordinary masterpieces of the twentieth century.” —John Banville"Gem-hard soul-probes . . . not just the world's bestselling detective series, but an imperishable literary legend . . . he exposes secrets and crimes not by forensic wizardry, but by the melded powers of therapist, philosopher and confessor" ― Times (London)"Strangely comforting . . . so many lovely bistros from the Paris of mid-20th C. The corpses are incidental, it's the food that counts." ― Margaret Atwood"One of the greatest writers of the 20th century . . . no other writer can set up a scene as sharply and with such economy as Simenon does . . . the conjuring of a world, a place, a time, a set of characters - above all, an atmosphere." ― Financial Times"Gripping . . . richly rewarding . . . You'll quickly find yourself obsessing about his life as you tackle each mystery in turn."-- Stig Abell ― The Sunday Times (London)

    3 in stock

    £8.99

  • LudInTheMist

    Orion Publishing Co LudInTheMist

    Book SynopsisA true classic - and the ''single most beautiful...and unjustifiably forgotten novel of the twentieth century'' Neil GaimanLud-in-the-Mist is a prosperous country town situated where two rivers meet: the Dawl and the Dapple. The Dapple springs from the land of Faerie, and is a great trial to Lud, which rejects anything ''other'', preferring to believe only in what is known, what is solid. Nathaniel Chanticleer, a dreamy, melancholy man, is deliberately ignoring a vital part of his own past; a secret he refuses even to acknowledge. But with the disappearance of his daughter, and a long-overdue desire to protect his son, he realises Lud is changing - and something must be done.Trade ReviewThe single most beautiful and unjustifiably forgotten novel of the twentieth century -- Neil GaimanA Shakespearian tragi-comedy, a murder mystery and a multi-faceted allegory all in one; and a damn good story, too -- Mary GentleWhat we have here is that rarest of creatures, the fantasy novel of ideas -- Michael Swanwick[involves] fundamental questions of how a society and its members understand their own history, and how they make sense of the conflicts embedded in social class and political power -- Mary Beard * TLS *

    £8.99

  • The Shadow Puppet Inspector Maigret 12

    Penguin Books Ltd The Shadow Puppet Inspector Maigret 12

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis“One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequaled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories.” —The GuardianA gripping domestic tragedy starring Inspector Maigret and set in Simenon’s very own neighborhood“One by one the lighted windows went dark. The silhouette of the dead man could still be seen through the frosted glass like a Chinese shadow puppet. A taxi pulled up. It wasn't the public prosecutor yet. A young woman crossed the courtyard with hurried steps, leaving a whiff of perfume in her wake.”Summoned to the dimly-lit Place des Vosges one night, where he sees shadowy figures at apartment windows, Maigret uncovers a tragic story of desperate lives, unhappy families, addiction and a terrible, fatal greed.Trade ReviewPraise for Georges Simenon:“One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequaled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories.” —The Guardian “These Maigret books are as timeless as Paris itself.” —The Washington Post “Maigret ranks with Holmes and Poirot in the pantheon of fictional detective immortals.” —People “I love reading Simenon. He makes me think of Chekhov.” —William Faulkner “The greatest of all, the most genuine novelist we have had in literature.” —André Gide “A supreme writer . . . Unforgettable vividness.” —The Independent (London) “Superb . . . The most addictive of writers . . . A unique teller of tales.” —The Observer (London) “Compelling, remorseless, brilliant.” —John Gray “A truly wonderful writer . . . Marvelously readable—lucid, simple, absolutely in tune with the world he creates.” —Muriel Spark “A novelist who entered his fictional world as if he were a part of it.”lle —Peter Ackroyd “Extraordinary masterpieces of the twentieth century.” —John Banville"Gem-hard soul-probes . . . not just the world's bestselling detective series, but an imperishable literary legend . . . he exposes secrets and crimes not by forensic wizardry, but by the melded powers of therapist, philosopher and confessor" ― Times (London)"Strangely comforting . . . so many lovely bistros from the Paris of mid-20th C. The corpses are incidental, it's the food that counts." ― Margaret Atwood"One of the greatest writers of the 20th century . . . no other writer can set up a scene as sharply and with such economy as Simenon does . . . the conjuring of a world, a place, a time, a set of characters - above all, an atmosphere." ― Financial Times"Gripping . . . richly rewarding . . . You'll quickly find yourself obsessing about his life as you tackle each mystery in turn."-- Stig Abell ― The Sunday Times (London)

    2 in stock

    £8.54

  • The Skin

    The New York Review of Books, Inc The Skin

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis is the first unexpurgated English edition of Curzio Malaparte’s legendary work The Skin. The book begins in 1943, with Allied forces cementing their grip on the devastated city of Naples. The sometime Fascist and ever-resourceful Curzio Malaparte is working with the Americans as a liaison officer. He looks after Colonel Jack Hamilton, “a Christian gentleman . . . an American in the noblest sense of the word,” who speaks French and cites the classics and holds his nose as the two men tour the squalid streets of a city in ruins where liberation is only another word for desperation. Veterans of the disbanded Italian army beg for work. A rare specimen from the city’s famous aquarium is served up at a ceremonial dinner for high Allied officers. Prostitution is rampant. The smell of death is everywhere.Subtle, cynical, evasive, manipulative, unnerving, always astonishing, Malaparte is a supreme artist of the unreliable, both the product and the prophet of a world gone rotten to the core.

    7 in stock

    £16.19

  • The Trumpet-Major

    Wordsworth Editions Ltd The Trumpet-Major

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisWith an Introduction and Notes by Charles P.C. Pettit. Thomas Hardy's only historical novel, The Trumpet Major is set in Wessex during the Napoleonic Wars. Hardy skilfully immerses us in the life of the day, making us feel the impact of historical events on the immemorial local way of life - the glamour of the coming of George III and his soldiery, fears of the press-gang and invasion, and the effect of distant but momentous events like the Battle of Trafalgar. He interweaves a compelling, bitter-sweet romantic love story of the rivalry of two brothers for the hand of the heroine Anne Garland, played out against the loves of a lively gallery of other characters. While there are elements of sadness and even tragedy, The Trumpet-Major shows Hardy's skills of story-telling, characterisation and description in a novel of vitality, comedy and warmth.

    15 in stock

    £6.23

  • Hard Times

    Pan Macmillan Hard Times

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisA novel of social and moral themes, Hard Times is the archetypal Dickens novel, filled with family difficulties, estrangement, rotten values and unhappiness. Published in 1854, it is set in the imaginary Coketown, an industrial city inspired by Preston, and tells the story of the family of Thomas Gradgrind, a man obsessed with misguided 'Utilitarian' values that make him trust facts, statistics and practicality over emotion. Based on James Mill (the Utilitarian leader), Gradgrind raises his own children, Louisa and Tom, in line with these same views, forcing an artless existence on them. Contemporary critics such as Macaulay savaged the book for its supposed 'sullen socialism' but it has become well regarded since earning the favour of George Bernard Shaw.This Macmillan Collector's Library edition is illustrated by Harry French, with an afterword by David Stuart Davies.Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.

    5 in stock

    £10.79

  • The Complete Brigadier Gerard Stories

    Canongate Books The Complete Brigadier Gerard Stories

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisMon Dieu! The extraordinary, sabre-rattling adventures of Gerard, a young French cavalry officer in the time of the Napoleonic wars, introduce a hero who will be adored by fans of Flashman and Sherlock Holmes alike. Gathered here in one edition are both volumes of Conan Doyle's much lovedtales, which will delight modern readers with their absurdist humour, infectious warmth and swash-buckling energy.Trade ReviewThe Brigadier Gerard stories display all the narrative gusto of Doyle's more famous Sherlock Holmes, together with an irresistible warmth and humour. The Brigadier himself, bristling with valour and self-regard, is the most preposterous and delightful of companions. -- Philip PullmanOf course I read every Sherlock Holmes story, but the works I like even more than the detective stories are his great historical stories. -- Winston ChurchillConan Doyle for thrust and instant atmosphere. -- John le CarréBrigadier Gerard is, after Holmes and Watson, Conan Doyle's most successful literary creation. -- Julian SymonsWhether rescuing damsels in destress or duelling with adversaries, Gerard is an utterly preposterous hero, and brave to the point of stupidity in these irresistible swashbucklers. * * Tatler * *

    1 in stock

    £9.99

  • The Power of the Dog: NOW AN OSCAR AND BAFTA

    Vintage Publishing The Power of the Dog: NOW AN OSCAR AND BAFTA

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis**NOW THE WINNER OF THE 2022 BEST DIRECTOR OSCAR AND TWO 2022 BAFTA AWARDS**Discover Thomas Savage's dark poetic tale of a small town in early 20th century America.Phil and George are brothers and joint owners of the biggest ranch in their Montana valley.Phil is the bright one, George the plodder. Phil is tall and angular; George is stocky and silent. Phil is a brilliant chess player, a voracious reader, an eloquent storyteller; George learns slowly, and devotes himself to the business. They sleep in the room they shared as boys, and so it has been for forty years.When George unexpectedly marries a young widow and brings her to live at the ranch, Phil begins a relentless campaign to destroy his brother's new wife. But he reckons without an unlikely protector.From its visceral first paragraph to its devastating twist of an ending, The Power of the Dog will hold you in its grip.WITH AN AFTERWORD BY ANNIE PROULX'With its echoes of East of Eden and Brokeback Mountain, this satisfyingly complex story deserves another shot at rounding up public admiration' GuardianTrade ReviewOptimistically billed as the next Stoner, this 1967 reissue is in fact the better novel...a rich and challenging psychodrama, based on brilliant characterisation... With its echoes of East of Eden and Brokeback Mountain, this satisfyingly complex story deserves another shot at rounding up public admiration * Guardian *[Savage’s] prose is vivid and direct… [his] descriptions of nature have real power… a slow-burn psychological western. * The Times *An exhilarating drama between two brothers set in Twenties Montana, and better even than Stoner * Daily Telegraph *Something aching and lonely and terrible of the west is caught forever on Savage's pages, and the most compelling and painful of [his] books is The Power of the Dog, a work of literary artThe shocking turn of the book’s final pages keeps the story bright as a blade to the end...This is the perfect example of a book that never quite made it to the rank of classic...but is more than worthy of resurrection now * New Statesman *

    2 in stock

    £8.54

  • A Dog's Heart

    Alma Books Ltd A Dog's Heart

    4 in stock

    Book Synopsis"There is absolutely no necessity to learn how to read; meat smells a mile off, anyway. Nevertheless, if you live in Moscow and have a brain in your head, you'll pick up reading willy-nilly, and without attending any courses. Out of the forty thousand or so Moscow dogs, only a total idiot won't know how to read the word 'sausage'." When a stray dog dying on the streets of Moscow is taken in by a wealthy professor, he is subjected to medical experiments in which he receives various transplants of human organs. As he begins to transform into a rowdy, unkempt human by the name of Poligraf Poligrafovich Sharikov, his actions distress the professor and those surrounding him, although he finds himself accepted into the ranks of the Soviet state. A parodic reworking of the Frankenstein myth and a vicious satire of the Communist revolution and the concept of the New Soviet man, A Dog's Heart was banned by the censors in 1925 and circulated only in samizdat form. Nowadays this hugely entertaining tale has become very popular in Russia, and has inspired many adaptations across the world.Trade ReviewThis is a story which is full of metaphorical and ironic prose and is a mixture of the comical and the terrifying. It provides a chilling reminder that if you do monstrous things you are likely to create monsters. This underlying message remains as true today as it was back in the 1920s, and so feels both timely and contemporary. * Nudge Books * One of the great writers of the twentieth century. -- A.S. Byatt

    4 in stock

    £7.99

  • The Return of the King

    HarperCollins Publishers The Return of the King

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisClassic hardback edition of the third volume of The Lord of the Rings, now featuring Tolkien's original unused dust-jacket design. Includes special packaging and the definitive edition of the text, with fold-out maps.The Companions of the Ring have become involved in separate adventures as the quest continues. Aragorn, revealed as the hidden heir of the ancient Kings of the West, joined with the Riders of Rohan against the forces of Isengard, and took part in the desperate victory of the Hornburg. Merry and Pippin, captured by orcs, escaped into Fangorn Forest and there encountered the Ents.Gandalf returned, miraculously, and defeated the evil wizard, Saruman. Meanwhile, Sam and Frodo progressed towards Mordor to destroy the Ring, accompanied by Sméagol Gollum, still obsessed by his preciouss'. After a battle with the giant spider, Shelob, Sam left his master for dead; but Frodo is still alive in the hands of the orcs. And all the time the armies of the Dark Lord are massing.This classic hardback features Tolkien's original unused dust-jacket design, and its text has been fully restored with almost 400 corrections with the full co-operation of Christopher Tolkien making it the definitive version, and as close as possible to the version that J.R.R. Tolkien intended. Also included are the original red and black maps as fold-out sheets, and for the first time a fully revised and enlarged index.Trade Review‘The story moves on with a tremendous narrative rush to its climax… extraordinary imaginative work, part saga, part allegory, and wholly exciting.’The Times ‘A triumphant close… a grand piece of work, grand in both conception and execution. An astonishing imaginative tour de force.’Sunday Telegraph ‘His astonishing inventiveness remains to the end and is continued in a series of appendices.;The Guardian

    3 in stock

    £21.25

  • The Carter of La Providence

    Penguin Books Ltd The Carter of La Providence

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis''Compelling, remorseless, brilliant'' John Gray What was the woman doing here? In a stable, wearing pearl earrings, her stylish bracelet and white buckskin shoes! She must have been alive when she got there because the crime had been committed after ten in the evening.But how? And why? And no one had heard a thing! She had not screamed. The two carters had not woken up.Inspector Maigret is standing in the pouring rain by a canal. A well-dressed woman, Mary Lampson, has been found strangled in a stable nearby. Why did her glamorous, hedonistic life come to such a brutal end here? Surely her taciturn husband Sir Walter knows - or maybe the answers lie with the crew of the barge La Providence.This novel has been published in previous translations as Lock 14 and Maigret Meets a Milord.''One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century'' GuardianTrade ReviewPraise for Georges Simenon:“One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequaled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories.” —The Guardian “These Maigret books are as timeless as Paris itself.” —The Washington Post “Maigret ranks with Holmes and Poirot in the pantheon of fictional detective immortals.” —People “I love reading Simenon. He makes me think of Chekhov.” —William Faulkner “The greatest of all, the most genuine novelist we have had in literature.” —André Gide “A supreme writer . . . Unforgettable vividness.” —The Independent (London) “Superb . . . The most addictive of writers . . . A unique teller of tales.” —The Observer (London) “Compelling, remorseless, brilliant.” —John Gray “A truly wonderful writer . . . Marvelously readable—lucid, simple, absolutely in tune with the world he creates.” —Muriel Spark “A novelist who entered his fictional world as if he were a part of it.”lle —Peter Ackroyd “Extraordinary masterpieces of the twentieth century.” —John Banville"Gem-hard soul-probes . . . not just the world's bestselling detective series, but an imperishable literary legend . . . he exposes secrets and crimes not by forensic wizardry, but by the melded powers of therapist, philosopher and confessor" ― Times (London)"Strangely comforting . . . so many lovely bistros from the Paris of mid-20th C. The corpses are incidental, it's the food that counts." ― Margaret Atwood"One of the greatest writers of the 20th century . . . no other writer can set up a scene as sharply and with such economy as Simenon does . . . the conjuring of a world, a place, a time, a set of characters - above all, an atmosphere." ― Financial Times"Gripping . . . richly rewarding . . . You'll quickly find yourself obsessing about his life as you tackle each mystery in turn."-- Stig Abell ― The Sunday Times (London)

    3 in stock

    £8.99

  • The Origins of Science Fiction

    Oxford University Press The Origins of Science Fiction

    1 in stock

    Book Synopsis''I seemed to gaze upon a vast space, the limits of which extended far beyond my vision...''This anthology gathers together seventeen gripping tales from the nineteenth and early twentieth century that make up the foundations of science fiction. It moves from Mary Shelley to H. G. Wells, from Edgar Allan Poe to W. E. B. Du Bois, and from George Eliot to Jack London. Before the term ''science fiction'' was established, writers pursued a new and strange subject matter, to be written about in a startlingly new way. The selected stories in this collection reflect the many diverse paths that led towards science fiction, including scientific Gothic, dystopian fantasies, psychological hoaxes, feminist parables, fictions of time-travel, adventure stories, uncanny tales, and stories of alien encounters. The anthology unveils the power of the literature of the period and exposes our fascination with scientific discovery and the allure (and threat) of the imagined future.This edition includes an Trade ReviewThese are some of my initial impressions on this useful collection...It is a great mystery just what captivates readers in a story and these ghostwriters have certainly achieved the pinnacle of this craft. * Pennsylvania Literary Journal *

    1 in stock

    £8.54

  • Late Victorian Gothic Tales

    Oxford University Press Late Victorian Gothic Tales

    3 in stock

    Book Synopsis''He was a man of fairly firm fibre, but there was something in this sudden, uncontrollable shriek of horror which chilled his blood and pringled in his skin. Coming in such a place and at such an hour, it brought a thousand fantastic possibilities into his head...''The Victorian fin de siècle: the era of Decadence, The Yellow Book, the New Woman, the scandalous Oscar Wilde, the Empire on which the sun never set. This heady brew was caught nowhere better than in the revival of the Gothic tale in the late Victorian age, where the undead walked and evil curses, foul murder, doomed inheritance and sexual menace played on the stretched nerves of the new mass readerships. This anthology collects together some of the most famous examples of the Gothic tale in the 1890s, with stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, Vernon Lee, Henry James and Arthur Machen, as well as some lesser known yet superbly chilling tales from the era. The introduction explores the many reasons for the Gothic revival, and how it spoke to the anxieties of the moment. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade ReviewThe characters in Roger Luckhurst's excellent selection are variously assailed by mummies, bewitched by revived pagan goddesses, and doomed to inexorable decline by the misdeeds of their ancestors. * Times Literary Supplement *An excellent collection, especially for a relative newcomer to the genre since it includes some of the very best, but the introduction and notes make it a great choice too for people who may already know some of the stories but would like to know more about their context. Highly recommended. * Leah Galbraith, FictionFan *Table of ContentsDIONEA; LORD ARTHUR SAVILE'S CRIME; SIR EDMUND ORME; MAGIC LANTERN; THE SPECTRAL HAND; THE MARK OF THE BEAST; THE DAK BUNGALOW AT DAKOR; LOT 249; THE CASE OF LADY SANNOX; THE PALLINGHURST BAROW; THE GREAT GOD PAN; VAILA

    3 in stock

    £9.49

  • Promise at Dawn

    Penguin Books Ltd Promise at Dawn

    2 in stock

    Book Synopsis''You will be a great hero, a general, Gabriele d''Annunzio, Ambassador of France!''For his whole life, Romain Gary''s fierce, eccentric motherhad only one aim: to make her son a great man. And she did. This, his thrilling, wildly romantic autobiography, is the story of his journey from poverty in Eastern Europe to the sensual world of the Côte d''Azur and on to wartime pilot, resistance hero, diplomat, filmmaker, star and one of the most famed French writers of his age.Trade ReviewPerhaps the only memorial by a son that raises the rare literary pleasure of laughter in the reader as a measure of appreciation. * The New Yorker *A celebrated and infinitely seductive portrait of his early life, which is still often described as an unprecedented innovation in the writing of autobiography in France -- David BellosWhat a gold mine! -- Jean Paul SartreWhat talent, most certainly, how many ideas and passions too. You seize us and shake us. Ah! -- Charles de Gaulle

    2 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Witches

    Penguin Random House Children's UK The Witches

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisAs far as children are concerned, a REAL WITCH is easily the most dangerous of all the living creatures on Earth.This beautiful edition of The Witches, part of The Roald Dahl Classic Collection, features official archive material from the Roald Dahl Museum and is perfect for Dahl fans old and new.So, enter a world where invention and mischief can be found on every page and where magic might be at the very tips of your fingers . . .

    3 in stock

    £7.99

  • The Collected Stories of Grace Paley Virago

    Little, Brown Book Group The Collected Stories of Grace Paley Virago

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisFROM THE PULITZER PRIZE AND NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST, GRACE PALEY''Grace Paley''s is exceptional'' KASIA BODDY, GUARDIAN ''Her unladylike gutsiness and friendliness are nonpareil'' EDMUND WHITE, OBSERVER ''They are stories full of the stories we all tell and live by, tall stories as well as short'' SALMAN RUSHDIE Here are all Grace Paley''s classic stories in one volume. From her first book The Little Disturbances of Man (1959) to Enormous Changes at the Last Minute (1974) and Later the Same Day (1985), Grace Paley''s quirky, boisterous characters and rich use of language have won her readers'' hearts and secured her place as one of America''s most accomplished short story writers. Her stories are united by her signature interweaving of personal and political truths, her extraordinary capacity for empathy and her pointed depiction of the small and large events that make up daily lifTrade ReviewPaley is as clever a mimic as Philip Roth, as cheerfully zany and aleatory in her vision of New York as Christina Stead, as serendipitous as Donald Bartheleme, but her unladylike gutsiness and friendliness are nonpareil -- Edmund White * Observer *This is a collection full of energy and stunning, quiet innovation . . . it spills over with contempt, raucous humour, sadness and generosity. In it, life and language are synonymous, and there is no higher praise. What a wonderful bookAn understanding of loneliness, lust, selfishness and fatigue that is splendidly comic and unladylikeGrace Paley makes me weep and laugh - and admire. She is that rare kind of writer, a natural, with a voice like no one else's: funny, sad, lean, modest, energetic, acuteThese stories, brief and extended, burn with a high-energy commitment to the great work of being alive. They are stories full of the stories we all tell and live by, tall stories as well as short . . . And they are stories in which the whole of a world, its children, its dead, its furniture, its snacks, is lovingly and unsentimentally named. Named, and not forgivenGrace Paley is one of the great writers of voice of the last century. There's an experience one has reading a stylist like her that has to do with how rich in truth the phrase-or-sentence-level bursts are and how quickly they follow upon one another . . . A writer like Paley comes along and brightens language up again, takes it aside and gives it a pep talk, sends it back renewed, so it can do its job, which is to wake us upGrace Paley's work makes the novel as a form seem virtually redundant. Each one of her stories has more abundant inner life than most other people's novels . . . Her prose presents a series of miracles of poetic compressionGrace Paley is the most intelligent, generous, incorruptible writer I ever knew. Her daughter says, 'I learned from her that precision requires a warm eye, not a cold one,' and so did we all. Keen wit and real modesty seldom occur in such happy alliance. Who she was is what she writes. She never shows off, never bullies. She asks us what do you think about this? and is interested in our answer. She takes nothing for granted and everything as worth rethinking. Her writing on social issues remains timely because it was never superficial; she held understanding more useful than judgment. Very few writers can match the offhand voice, with its unmistakable oral cadence, in which her poignant, funny short stories are toldAs long as there are human beings wondering who they are, and how they can be better - looking for a more full-hearted way of being In the world - there will be readers for the great, beloved, much-missed Grace Paley

    10 in stock

    £10.44

  • Animal Farm Annotation Edition

    Scholastic Animal Farm Annotation Edition

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis annotation edition of Orwell's well-known satire is perfectfor students and Orwell enthusiasts alike. Extra wide margins anddouble spacing leaves lots of room for notes. Contains top tipson effective annotation and different revision techniques.

    3 in stock

    £7.59

  • Gormenghast

    Vintage Publishing Gormenghast

    4 in stock

    Book Synopsis''The Gormenghast Trilogy is one of the most important works of the imagination to come out of [this] age'' Anthony BurgessBOOK TWO OF THE GORMENGHAST TRILOGYEnter the world of Gormenghast...the vast crumbling castle to which the seventy-seventh Earl, Titus Groan, is Lord and heir. Gothic labyrinth of roofs and turrets, cloisters and corridors, stairwells and dungeons, it is also the cobwebbed kingdom of Byzantine government and age-old rituals, a world primed to implode beneath the weight of centuries of intrigue, treachery, manipulation and murder.Gormenghast is more than a sequel to Titus Groan - it is an enrichment and deepening of that book.The fertility of incident, character and rich atmosphere combine in a tour de force that ranks as one of the twentieth century''s most remarkable feats of imaginative writing.Trade ReviewMervyn Peake is a master of the macabre and a traveller through the deeper and darker chasms of the imagination * The Times *Mervyn Peake is a finer poet than Edgar Allan Poe, and he is therefore able to maintain his world of fantasy brilliantly through three novels. [The Gormenghast Trilogy] is a very, very great work...a classic of our age[Peake's books] are actual additions to life; they give, like certain rare dreams, sensations we never had before, and enlarge our conception of the range of possible experience

    4 in stock

    £13.49

  • Women of the Harlem Renaissance: Poems & Stories

    Pan Macmillan Women of the Harlem Renaissance: Poems & Stories

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that saw an explosion of Black art, music and writing, yet few female creatives are remembered alongside their male counterparts.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. Women of the Harlem Renaissance is edited by Marissa Constantinou and introduced by Professor Kate Dossett.Exploring subjects from love, loss and motherhood to jazz, passing and Jim Crow law, the poems and stories collected in this anthology celebrate the women of colour at the heart of the movement. Alice Dunbar-Nelson parades through New Orleans in ‘A Carnival Jangle’ whilst Carrie Williams Clifford takes to Fifth Avenue in ‘Silent Protest Parade’, and Nella Larsen seeks a mother’s protection in ‘Sanctuary’. Showcasing popular authors alongside writers you might discover for the first time, this collection of daring and disruptive writing encapsulates early twentieth-century America in surprising and beautiful ways.

    5 in stock

    £10.44

  • Treasures of Cornwall: A Literary Anthology

    Pan Macmillan Treasures of Cornwall: A Literary Anthology

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisCornwall is steeped in poetry, legend and storytelling. Join Luke Thompson on a literary tour around its dramatic coastline, its cliffs and coves, across the moor and down the mines.Meet Cornish poets such as Jack Clemo and Charles Causley, enjoy retellings of thrilling legends and stirring songs and read inspiring fiction and non-fiction from famous Cornish writers and residents including Daphne du Maurier, Thomas Hardy, Winston Graham and D. H. Lawrence. What each and every one has in common is a deep-rooted connection to a county defined by its awe-inspiring and varied landscape, its folklore and its fiercely independent people.Treasures of Cornwall: A Literary Anthology is edited by Luke Thompson.Trade ReviewLuke Thompson's anthology Treasures of Cornwall enthusiastically celebrates the region's attractions for writers, poets and fans of folklore * TLS *

    1 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Grand Babylon Hotel

    Vintage Publishing The Grand Babylon Hotel

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisNella, daughter of millionaire Theodore Racksole, orders a dinner of steak and beer at the exclusive Grand Babylon Hotel in London. Her order is refused, so Theodore promptly buys the chef, the kitchen and the whole hotel. But when hotel staff begin to vanish and a German prince goes missing, Nella discovers that murder, blackmail and kidnapping are also on the menu. A rollicking murder mystery from one of the finest writers of the last century.Trade ReviewFunny, undemanding... involves kidnapping, dilapidated central European royalty and redoubtable American millionairesses. * Guardian *Arnold Bennett is generally rather excellent * The Times *Criminally underrated -- Felicity Cloake * Guardian *

    4 in stock

    £9.49

  • Sisters: Vintage Minis

    Vintage Publishing Sisters: Vintage Minis

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisYour sister might be the kindred soul who knows you best, or the most alien being in your household; she might enrage you or inspire you; she might be your fiercest competitor or closest co-conspirator, but she'll always share with you a totally unique bond. Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy are four of the most famous sisters in literature, and these stories of the joys and heartaches they share are a touching celebration of the special ties of sisterhood.Selected from the books Little Women and Good Wives by Louisa May AlcottVINTAGE MINIS: GREAT MINDS. BIG IDEAS. LITTLE BOOKS.A series of short books by the world’s greatest writers on the experiences that make us humanAlso in the Vintage Minis series:Fatherhood by Karl Ove KnausgaardMotherhood by Helen SimpsonBabies by Anne EnrightLove by Jeanette WintersonTrade ReviewSix generations of readers have found in the story of the March family universal truths about girls, families and growing up * Guardian *Imagine our joy when Vintage announced that it is publishing a collection of easily digestible books from the world’s most celebrated writers on the experiences that make us human… They look good and read well. That’s win/win in our book. * Stylist *

    4 in stock

    £5.99

  • My Ántonia

    Vintage Publishing My Ántonia

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisWilla Cather’s best-loved novel, and the final book in the Great Plains trilogy, is a beautiful portrayal of friendship, longing and growing up in frontier Nebraska. When young orphan Jim Burden is sent to live with his grandparents in Nebraska, he finds himself growing up alongside Bohemian immigrant Ántonia Shimerda. Their childhoods are full of shared adventures but as they grow their paths diverge, spurred on by the dire poverty of the Shimerda family. Yet Jim will never forget Ántonia, spellbound by her strength and remarkable free spirit. WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY TRAVEL WRITER SARA WHEELERTrade ReviewA clear-eyed salute to the resilience of the human spirit * Guardian *My Ántonia remains a revelation * The Paris Review *The knowledge of long hardship gives weight to the novel’s exquisitely realized moments of fulfilment… Cather looks with a wise, clear eye on those quiet moments -- Alexandra Harris * Harper's Bazaar *

    7 in stock

    £8.54

  • A Vintage Christmas: Vintage Minis

    Vintage Publishing A Vintage Christmas: Vintage Minis

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisImmerse yourself in a literary wonderland with this collection of timeless Christmas tales.'There seems a magic in the very name of Christmas’ said Charles Dickens. From yuletide carols to scrumptious food to presents under the tree, from cold winter nights in Victorian London to countryside festivities by the fire, from the melancholies of the season to the injustices, our best writers have seen it all and written it down. A Vintage Christmas captures the very essence of what Christmas means to us and what real magic can be found, written by some of the world’s finest authors, including Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle, Anthony Trollope, Laurie Lee, E. Nesbit and Alice Munro.Stories in A Vintage Christmas:‘Carol-Barking’ from Cider With Rosie by Laurie Lee‘Obadiah Oak, Mrs Griffiths and the Carol Singers’ by Louis de Bernières‘The Turkey Season’ by Alice Munro‘Christmas at Thompson Hall’ by Anthony Trollope‘Christmas Shopping’ from The Green Road by Anne Enright‘A Conscience Pudding’ from The New Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit‘Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm’ by Stella Gibbons‘There Never Was Such a Goose’ from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens‘Let Nothing You Dismay’ by Helen Simpson‘Christmas Is a Sad Season for the Poor’ by John Cheever‘A Serious Talk’ by Raymond Carver‘The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle’ by Arthur Conan DoyleVINTAGE MINIS: GREAT MINDS. BIG IDEAS. LITTLE BOOKS.Vintage Minis bring you the world’s greatest writers on the experiences that make us human – from birth to death and everything in between.

    1 in stock

    £10.44

  • Madame Bovary: Vintage Classics French Series

    Vintage Publishing Madame Bovary: Vintage Classics French Series

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisMadame Bovary is one of the greatest, most beguiling novels ever written.Emma Bovary is an avid reader of sentimental novels; brought up on a Normandy farm and convent-educated, she longs for romance. At first, Emma pins her hopes on marriage, but life with her well-meaning husband in the provinces leaves her bored and dissatisfied. She seeks escape through extravagant spending sprees and, eventually, adultery. As Emma pursues her impossible reverie she seals her own ruin.'A great novel that is also an inexhaustible pleasure to read' GuardianA NEW TRANSLATION BY ADAM THORPEVINTAGE FRENCH CLASSICS - six masterpieces of French fiction in collectable editions.Trade ReviewA work of brilliance * Daily Mail *

    2 in stock

    £9.49

  • Tender is the Night / The Last Tycoon

    Wordsworth Editions Ltd Tender is the Night / The Last Tycoon

    Book SynopsisWith an Introduction and Notes by Henry Claridge, Senior Lecturer, School of English, University of Kent at Canterbury. Tender is the Night is a story set in the hedonistic high society of Europe during the ‘Roaring Twenties’. A wealthy schizophrenic, Nicole Warren, falls in love with Dick Diver - her psychiatrist. The resulting saga of the Divers’ troubled marriage, and their circle of friends, includes a cast of aristocratic and beautiful people, unhappy love affairs, a duel, incest, and the problems inherent in the possession of great wealth. Despite cataloguing a maelstrom of interpersonal conflict, Tender is the Night has a poignancy and warmth that springs from the quality of Fitzgerald's writing and the tragic personal experiences on which the novel is based. Six years separate Tender is the Night and The Last Tycoon, the novel Fitzgerald left unfinished at his death in December 1940. Fitzgerald lived in Hollywood more or less continuously from July 1937 until his death, and a novel about the film industry at the height of 'the studio system' centred on the working life of a top producer was begun in 1939. Even in its incomplete state The Last Tycoon remains the greatest American novel about Hollywood and contains some of Fitzgerald's most brilliant writing.

    £6.23

  • The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

    Everyman The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisHugo's grand medieval melodrama tells the story of the beautiful Esmeralda, a gypsy girl loved by three men: Archdeacon Frollo, his adoptive son Quasimodo, bell-ringer of Notre-Dame cathedral, and Captain Phoebus. Falsely accused of trying to murder Phoebus, who attempts to rape her, Esmeralda is sentenced to death and rescued from the gallows by Quasimodo who defends her to the last.The subject of many adaptations for stage and screen, this remains perhaps one of the most romantic yet gripping stories ever told.

    7 in stock

    £13.30

  • Stories from the Kitchen

    Everyman Stories from the Kitchen

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisStories from the Kitchen is a mouth-watering smorgasbord of stories with food in the starring role, by a rich variety of authors from Dickens, Chekhov and Saki to Isak Dinesen, Jim Crace and Amy Tan. The menu includes choice titbits from famous novels: the triumphant boeuf en daube served in Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse, Proust's rhapsodic memories of watching the family cook prepare asparagus in Remembrance of Things Past, Zola's extravagant 'cheese symphony' scene from The Belly of Paris.Here are over-the-top amuse-bouches by Gerald Durrell, Nora Ephron and T. C. Boyle; a short story by famous food writer M. F. K. Fisher; and a delightful account of the perfect meal by eighteenth-century epicure Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, who famously said 'Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.'

    3 in stock

    £12.34

  • Excellent Women: 'I'm a huge fan of Barbara Pym'

    Little, Brown Book Group Excellent Women: 'I'm a huge fan of Barbara Pym'

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisCover design by Orla Kiely Mildred Lathbury is one of those 'excellent women' who is often taken for granted. She is a godsend, 'capable of dealing with most of the stock situations of life - birth, marriage, death, the successful jumble sales, the garden fete spoilt by bad weather'. As such, though, she often gets herself embroiled in other people's lives - and especially those of her glamorous new neighbours, the Napiers, whose marriage seems to be on the rocks. One cannot take sides in these matters, though it is tricky, especially when Mildred, teetering on the edge of spinsterhood, has a soft spot for dashing young Rockingham Napier. This is Barbara Pym's world at its funniest and most touching.Trade ReviewOne of the finest examples of high comedy Lord David Cecil I don't think I've ever before recommended a novel as one that everybody will enjoy and yet - even with a certain assurance - I'm prepared to vouch for EXCELLENT WOMEN Marghanita Laski, OBSERVER I pick up her books with joy, as though I were meeting an old, dear friend who comforts me, extends my vision and makes me roar with laughter Jilly Cooper

    4 in stock

    £14.24

  • Devils

    Alma Books Ltd Devils

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisAs ideological ferment grips Russia, a small group of revolutionaries, led by Pyotr Verkhovensky and inspired by Nikolai Stavrogin, plan to spread destruction and anarchy throughout the country. Morally bankrupt, they are prepared to use whatever means necessary to achieve their goal, including murder and incitement to suicide. But when they are forced to test the limits of their doctrine and kill one of their own to secure the secrecy of their mission, the ragtag group breaks up in mutual recrimination.Devils is at once a compelling political statement and a study of atheism and its calamitous effect on a country that is teetering on the edge of an abyss. Seen as Dostoevsky's most powerful indictment of man's propensity to violence, this darkly humorous work, shot through with grotesque comedy, is presented here in Roger Cockrell's masterful new translation.Trade Review"It is a merciless expose of certain aspects of the Russian revolutionary movements of the mid-19th century, and of the various kinds of revolutionary and terrorist psychology." - Dr Rowan Williams

    2 in stock

    £9.49

  • Prophecies

    Alma Books Ltd Prophecies

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisFound in the Codex Atlanticus of Leonardo da Vinci’s writings and drawings, ‘The Prophecies’ are a collection of enigmatic divinatory pronouncements, some punning and playful, others dire and ominous. While the author’s intentions behind these utterances are unclear, they clearly attest to the artist’s fevered and troubled imagination and offer a glimpse into a world very similar to that depicted in his lost painting The Battle of Anghiari. This volume also contains a further selection of Leonardo da Vinci’s fragmentary writings, in the form of fables and aphorisms. Taken together, these pieces provide an invaluable insight into the thought processes of one of the Renaissance’s most productive minds.

    2 in stock

    £8.04

  • The Dud Avocado

    Little, Brown Book Group The Dud Avocado

    3 in stock

    'One of the best novels about growing up fast' GUARDIAN 'One falls for Sally Jay Gorce from a great height from the first sentence' OBSERVER'Scandalous and entertaining . . . Both funny and true' EVENING STANDARDThe Dud Avocado gained instant cult status on first publication and remains a timeless portrait of a woman hellbent on living. Sally Jay Gorce is a woman with a mission. It's the 1950s, she's young and she's in Paris. Having dyed her hair pink, she wears evening dresses in the daytime and vows to go native in a way not even the natives can manage. Embarking on an educational programme that includes an affair with a married man (which fizzles out when she realises he's single and wants to marry her); nights in cabarets and jazz clubs in the company of assorted "citizens of the world"; an entanglement with a charming psychopath and a bit part in a film financed by a famous matador. But an education like this doesn't come cheap. Will our heroine be forced back to the States to fulfill her destiny as a librarian, or can she keep up her whirlwind Parisian existence?

    3 in stock

    £9.49

  • Howards End

    Everyman Howards End

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe story of a house and two sisters, Howards End is also a subtle meditation on national, sexual and social identities. Half German by birth and middle-class English by upbringing, Helen and Margaret Schlegel struggle to come to terms with the problems of their inheritance in Edwardian England. If the contrasting temperaments of the heroines often recall Sense and Sensibility, the comparison with Jane Austen is fully justified by the power of Forster’s irony and the brilliance of his wit.

    2 in stock

    £12.34

  • A Sportsman's Notebook

    Everyman A Sportsman's Notebook

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisIvan Sergeyevich Turgenev was a novelist, poet, and dramatist, and now ranks as one of the towering figures of Russian literature. His major works include the short-story collection A Sportsman's Sketches (1852) and the novels Rudin (1856), Home of the Gentry (1859), On the Eve (1860), and Fathers and Sons (1862).These works offer realistic, affectionate portrayals of the Russian peasantry and penetrating studies of the Russian intelligentsia who were attempting to move the country into a new age. His masterpiece, Fathers and Sons, is considered one of the greatest novels of the nineteenth century.

    4 in stock

    £13.30

  • Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the

    Pan Macmillan Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisIt's a warm summer's afternoon when young Alice first tumbles down the rabbit hole and into the adventures in Wonderland that have kept readers spellbound for more than 150 years. Collected here are Lewis Carroll's two classics - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass - in which Alice encounters the laconic Cheshire Cat, the anxious White Rabbit and the terrifying Red Queen, as well as a host of other outlandish and charming characters.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is brought to life by Sir John Tenniel's legendary illustrations in colour, and with an afterword by Anna South.Trade ReviewI revelled in all the logical games, and the wordplay. It made me laugh till my sides hurt -- Richard Cohen * Independent *‘Alice’ makes the logic of the everyday world appear nonsensical and the absurd make glorious sense -- Mark Hudson * The Telegraph *

    1 in stock

    £10.79

  • From The City, From The Plough

    Imperial War Museum From The City, From The Plough

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisJanuary 1944, the south coast of England. The Fifth Battalion, Wessex Regiment wait patiently and nervously for the order to embark. There is boredom and fear, comedy and pathos as the men - all drawn from different walks of life - await the order to move. From The City, From The Plough is a vivid and moving account of the fate of these men as they set off for Normandy and advance into France.Trade Review"In pages of lean prose, Stoke Newington-raised Baron conjures the boredom and fear as a British regiment embarks for the Normandy beaches. An unqualified masterpiece." * Evening Standard's best books of 2019 *"Undoubtedly one of the very greatest British novels of the Second World War." -- Sir Antony Beevor"Offers the portrait of a military unit in human terms, as day to day incidents reveal the characters assigned to the Normandy Invasion." * Kirkus Reviews *

    4 in stock

    £8.54

  • The Sonnets

    Chiltern Publishing The Sonnets

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisChiltern Publishing creates the most beautiful editions of the World's finest literature. Your favourite classic titles in a way you have never seen them before; the tactile embossed layers, fine details and beautiful colours of these remarkable covers make these titles feel extra special and will look striking on any shelf.

    5 in stock

    £17.00

  • Children of the New Forest

    Double 9 Books LLP Children of the New Forest

    5 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    5 in stock

    £17.24

  • The Europeans

    Double 9 Booksllp The Europeans

    5 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    5 in stock

    £11.89

  • The Haunted Bookshop

    Double 9 Booksllp The Haunted Bookshop

    4 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    4 in stock

    £12.34

  • The Greatest Works of Robert Louis Stevenson

    Fingerprint! Publishing The Greatest Works of Robert Louis Stevenson

    4 in stock

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

    4 in stock

    £19.20

  • HarperCollins Publishers The Hobbit

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisFor the first time ever, a beautiful slipcased edition of the enchanting prelude to The Lord of the Rings, illustrated throughout with over 50 sketches, drawings, paintings and maps by J.R.R. Tolkien himself, with the complete text printed in two colours and with many bonus features unique to this edition.Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely travelling further than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an unexpected journey there and back again'. They have a plot to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragonWritten for J.R.R. Tolkien's own children, The Hobbit was published on 21 September 1937. With a beautiful cover design, a handful of black & white drawings and two maps by the author himself, the book became an instant success and was reprinted shortly afterwards with five colour plates.Tolkien's own selection of finished paintings and drawings have become inseparable from his text, adorning editions of The Hobbit for more than 85 years. But the published art has afforded only a glimpse of Tolkien's creative process, and many additional sketches, coloured drawings and maps although exhibited and published elsewhere have never appeared within the pages of The Hobbit.In this unique enhanced edition of Tolkien's enchanting classic tale, the full panoply of his art is reproduced for the first time, presenting more than 50 illustrations to accompany Bilbo Baggins on his adventure there and back again'.Unique to this edition are two poster-size, fold-out maps revealing all the detail of Thror's Map and Wilderland, an illustrated 88-page booklet, and a printed art card reproducing Tolkien's original dustjacket painting.It is additionally quarterbound, with raised ribs on the spine, stamped in three foils on black cloth boards, and housed in a custom-built clothbound slipcase. The pages are edged in gold and include a ribbon marker.Trade Review‘One of the most influential books of our generation’The Times ‘Finely written saga of dwarves and elves, fearsome goblins and trolls … an exciting epic of travel, magical adventure, working up to a devastating climax’The Observer ‘The English-speaking world is divided into those who have read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and those who are going to read them’Sunday Times ‘One of the best loved characters in English fiction … a marvellous fantasy adventure’Daily Mail ‘A flawless masterpiece’The Times

    7 in stock

    £93.75

  • Ripley Under Ground

    Vintage Publishing Ripley Under Ground

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisPatricia Highsmith was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1921 but moved to New York when she was six. In her senior year she edited the college magazine, having decided to become a writer at the age of sixteen. Her first novel Strangers on a Train was made into a famous film by Alfred Hitchcock in 1951. Patricia Highsmith died in Locarno, Switzerland in 1995. Her last novel Small g: A Summer Idyll was published posthumously just over a month later.Trade ReviewIn Ripley Under Ground Patricia Highsmith is in her most brilliant form * Daily Telegraph *The No.1 Greatest Crime Writer * The Times *Ripley Under Ground is Highsmith back on top of her most enjoyable humour-and-horrors form * Sunday Telegraph *By her hypnotic art Highsmith puts the suspense story into a toweringly high place in the hierachy of fiction * The Times *The Ripley books are marvellously, insanely readable * The Times *

    7 in stock

    £8.99

  • To Have and Have Not

    Vintage Publishing To Have and Have Not

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisErnest Hemingway's adventure novel set on the verge of the tropics.'Listen,' I told him. 'Don't be so tough so early in the morning. I'm sure you've cut plenty of people's throats. I haven't even had my coffee yet.'Harry Morgan is a tough guy making his living during the Depression from his motor boat in Key West, Florida. Although he normally takes out fishing parties, sometimes his boat can be put to other uses. If the money offered is worth his while, Harry will run guns, rum and men to and from Cuba. But he is playing a dicey game. Hemingway's hardest hero risks not just his living, but his life.'Absorbing and moving. It opens with a fusillade of bullets, reaches its climax with another, and sustains a high pitch of excitement throughout' Times Literary SupplementTrade ReviewThis active, passionate life on the verge of the tropics is perfect material for the Hemingway style, and the reader carries away from the book a sense of freshness and exhilaration * New Statesman *Absorbing and moving. It opens with a fusillade of bullets, reaches its climax with another, and sustains a high pitch of excitement throughout * Times Literary Supplement *Its tragic scenes are rendered with an economy of words and a power that might well be the despair of a lesser writer * Scotsman *

    7 in stock

    £8.99

  • Across the River and into the Trees

    Vintage Publishing Across the River and into the Trees

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisA poignant story of the inability to capture lost youth, by the Nobel Prize-winning author of A Farewell to Arms.'Luck is a feast which doesn't stay in one place'Richard Cantrell is an American colonel living in Venice just after the Second World War. The fighting has left him scarred and embittered, a middle-aged man with a heart condition. It seems that only the love of Renata, a nineteen-year-old countess can save him. But Cantrell is living in the shadow of war, every move he makes dictated by old battle instincts, and it is possible that for him the longed-for peace may have come too late.'The most important author since Shakespeare' New York TimesTrade ReviewHe can perform prodigies. He can fascinate us by pure evocation, by the tensity of the situation * Times Literary Supplement *The most important author since Shakespeare * New York Times *

    2 in stock

    £9.49

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