ELT & Literary Studies Books
HarperCollins Publishers Pride and Prejudice Collins Classics
Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics.It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.'Austen''s best-loved tale of love, marriage and society in class-conscious Georgian England still delights modern readers today with its comedy and characters. It follows the feisty, quick-witted Elizabeth Bennet as her parents seek to ensure good marriages for her and her sisters in order to secure their future. The protagonists Darcy and Elizabeth learn much about themselves and those around them and Austen''s expertly crafted comedy characters of Mrs Bennet and Mr Collins demonstrate her great artistry as a writer.
£5.62
Oxford University Press Eugene Onegin
Book SynopsisEugene Onegin is the master work of the poet whom Russians regard as the fountainhead of their literature. Set in 1820s Russia, Pushkin's novel in verse follows the fates of three men and three women. It was Pushkin's own favourite work, and this new translation conveys the literal sense and the poetic music of the original.
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Best Poems of the English Language
Book SynopsisAn anthology of poems which attempts to give readers the possession of six centuries of great British and American poetry.Trade Review“A colossus among critics. . . . His enthusiasm for literature is a joyous intoxicant.” — New York Times Magazine “Our most valuable critic . . . Harold Bloom reminds us what matters.” — Boston Globe “One feels about Bloom’s focus, every serious reader of poetry really must begin with the works he so ardently loves and champions…this comprehensive anthology is an ideal starting place.” — Booklist “A poetry anthology of and for the ages.” — Los Angeles Times “Whether you love poetry or you want to know more about the art form over the centuries, this is the book you will want.” — Albuquerque Journal “Uncommonly valuable to all who appreciate poetry. . . . This superb anthology will ensure Bloom’s role in the process for a long time and will, I hope, inspire others to walk in his formidable footsteps.” — San Francisco Chronicle
£13.49
Beacon Press The Kural
Book Synopsis
£13.59
University of California Press The Iliad and the Odyssey Boxed Set
Book Synopsis
£39.90
WW Norton & Co The Iliad
Book Synopsis
£14.24
Verso Books The Years of Theory
Book SynopsisFredric Jameson introduces here the major themes of French theory: existentialism, structuralism, poststructuralism, semiotics, feminism, psychoanalysis, and Marxism. In a series of accessible lectures, Jameson places this effervescent period of thought in the context of its most significant political conjunctures, including the Liberation of Paris, the Algerian War, the uprisings of May ’68, and the creation of the EU.The philosophical debates of the period come to life through anecdotes and extended readings of work by the likes of Sartre, Beauvoir, Fanon, Barthes, Foucault, Althusser, Derrida, Deleuze, groups like Tel Quel and Cahiers du Cinéma, and contemporary thinkers such as Rancière and Badiou. Eclectic, insightful, and inspired, Jameson’s seminars provide an essential account of an intellectual moment comparable in significance to the Golden Age of Athens, historically fascinating and of persistent relevance.
£18.00
Focus Publishing/R Pullins & Co Aeneid 16
Book Synopsis
£32.29
Spark The Merchant of Venice (No Fear Shakespeare):
Book SynopsisRead Shakespeare’s plays in all their brilliance—and understand what every word means! Don’t be intimidated by Shakespeare! These popular guides make the Bard’s plays accessible and enjoyable.Each No Fear guide contains: The complete text of the original play A line-by-line translation that puts the words into everyday language A complete list of characters, with descriptions Plenty of helpful commentary
£7.59
Penguin Books Ltd Goodbye to All That
Book Synopsis''There has been a lot of fighting hereabouts. The trenches have made themselves rather than been made, and run inconsequently in and out of the big thirty-foot high stacks of bricks; it is most confusing. The parapet of a trench which we don''t occupy is built up with ammunition boxes and corpses . . .''In one of the most honest and candid self-portraits ever committed to paper, Robert Graves tells the extraordinary story of his experiences as a young officer in the First World War. He describes life in the trenches in vivid, raw detail, how the dehumanizing horrors he witnessed left him shell-shocked. They were to haunt him for the rest of his life.Trade ReviewOne of the classic accounts of the Western Front * The Times *Wonderful -- Jeremy Paxman * Daily Mail *From the moment of its first appearance an established classic * Observer *One of the most candid self-portraits of a poet, warts and all, ever painted * The Times Literary Supplement *
£11.99
Spark Twelfth Night (No Fear Shakespeare): Volume 8
Book SynopsisRead Shakespeare’s plays in all their brilliance—and understand what every word means! Don’t be intimidated by Shakespeare! These popular guides make the Bard’s plays accessible and enjoyable.Each No Fear guide contains: The complete text of the original play A line-by-line translation that puts the words into everyday language A complete list of characters, with descriptions Plenty of helpful commentary
£7.59
HarperCollins Publishers Complete Works of Oscar Wilde Wilde Oscar Collins
Book SynopsisThe Collins Complete Works of Oscar Wilde is the only truly complete and authoritative single-volume edition of Oscar Wilde's works, and is available in both hardback and this paperback edition.Continuously in print since 1948, the Collins Complete Works of Oscar Wilde has long been recognised as the most comprehensive and authoritative single-volume collection of Wilde's texts available, containing his only novel, The Portrait of Dorian Gray, as well as his plays, stories, poems, essays and letters, all in their most authoritative texts.Illustrated with many fascinating photographs, the book includes introductions to each section by Merlin Holland (Oscar's grandson), Owen Dudley Edwards, Declan Kiberd and Terence Brown.Also included is a comprehensive bibliography of works by and about Oscar Wilde, and a chronological table of his life and work.
£14.24
HarperCollins Publishers The Invisible Man Collins Classics
Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.I beheld, unclouded by doubt, a magnificent vision of all that invisibility might mean to a man the mystery, the power, the freedom.Griffin, a stranger, arrives at the local inn of an English village, entirely shrouded in bandages. Forbidding and unfriendly, he confines himself to his room. Driven away by the villagers and turning to an old friend for help, Griffin reveals that he has discovered how to make himself invisible, and plans to use his condition for treacherous ends. But when his friend refuses to join his quest, Griffin turns murderous, threatening to seek revenge on all who have betrayed him.H. G. Wells' controversial works are considered modern classics of the science fiction genre. Originally serialised in 1897, The Invisible Man is a fascinating exploration of power, corruption and science.Trade Review‘[Wells’ work is] astonishingly rich in human and historical interest … he foresaw the invention of, among other things, television, tanks, aerial warfare and the atom bomb’ David Lodge ‘I personally consider the greatest of English living writers [to be] H. G. Wells’ Upton Sinclair ‘The father of science fiction’ Guardian
£5.62
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Art of Memoir
Book Synopsis“Karr is a national treasure—that rare genius who’s also a brilliant teacher. This joyful celebration of memoir packs transcendent insights with trademark hilarity. Anyone yearning to write will be inspired, and anyone passionate to live an examined life will fall in love with language and literature all over again. ” — George SaundersCredited with sparking the current memoir explosion, Mary Karr’s The Liars’ Club spent more than a year at the top of the New York Times list. She followed with two other smash bestsellers: Cherry and Lit, which were critical hits as well.For thirty years Karr has also taught the form, winning teaching prizes at Syracuse. (The writing program there produced such acclaimed authors as Cheryl Strayed, Keith Gessen, and Koren Zailckas.) In The Art of Memoir, she synthesizes her expertise as professor and therapy patieTrade Review"Karr is a national treasure-that rare genius who's also a brilliant teacher. This joyful celebration of memoir packs transcendent insights with trademark hilarity. Anyone yearning to write will be inspired, and anyone passionate to live an examined life will fall in love with language and literature all over again. " -- George Saunders "Could have been called 'The Art of Living.'" -- San Francisco Chronicle "Mary Karr has written another astonishingly perceptive, wildly entertaining, and profoundly honest book-funny, fascinating, necessary. The Art of Memoir will be the definitive book on reading and writing memoir for years to come." -- Cheryl Strayed "Should be required reading for anyone attempting to write a memoir, but anyone who loves literature will enjoy it too." -- Wall Street Journal "Terrific and deliciously readable guide." -- Entertainment Weekly, "Must List" "Full of Karr's usual wit, compassion and, perhaps most reassuringly, self-doubt. Her fans should be delighted-and they can't go wrong reading the books she discusses, including her own." -- Washington Post "From a contemporary luminary of the form, Mary Karr's The Art of Memoir examines our enduring drive to make memory speak and to 'wring some truth from this godawful mess of a single life.'" -- Vogue "The Art of Memoir is passionate and irreverent-and reminds us why we love a good memoir." -- Elle "Mary Karr strikes a vein in The Art of Memoir." -- Vanity Fair "Karr is such fun to read-who else would combine the name Nabokov and the phrase "out the wazoo" on her very first page?" -- New Yorker "Engaging." -- Chicago Tribune "A veritable blueprint for the genre... Lovers of the form and aspiring scribblers alike will relish this comprehensive appreciation of and guide to 'writing the real self.'" -- O: The Oprah Magazine "With a trio of notable memoirs ("The Liars' Club," "Cherry," and "Lit"), Mary Karr is exquisitely qualified to write this book, a kind of compendium of advice, warning, and deep insight into what makes a personal history stick in a reader's mind." -- Boston Globe "Karr really is an artist. The Art of Memoir attests to how hard she works at getting her words just right and how deeply she understands the way great writing works." -- Slate "Whip-smart." -- Philadelphia Inquirer "As useful for those of us who want to be better friends and lovers as it is for those of us who want to pen our life story." -- More "A master class on memoir, from a memoirist who pulls no punches." -- Minneapolis Star Tribune "Lots of practical advice, a great reading list, examples you can bite into." -- Houston Chronicle "Karr's own voice is consistent and authentic, as vivid, down-home, smart, profane and self-deprecating as it is in her own memoirs." -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch "A celebration of the creative life." -- Austin American-Statesman "Enlightening...Fresh and heartfelt...Instructs and inspires through example and a love for the art of memoir." -- Library Journal, starred review "Karr write[s] exquisitely...and without pretense, often with raw authenticity...a must-read." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review "Snappy and witty, humorous just when it needs to be, yet plainspoken in the best way." -- Shelf Awareness "Karr's sassy Texas wit and her down-to-earth observations about both the memoir form and how to approach it combine to make for lively and inspiring reading. A generous and singularly insightful examination of memoir." -- Kirkus
£13.01
Hackett Publishing Co, Inc Two Sagas of Mythical Heroes: Hervor and Heidrek
Book SynopsisInherited through the line of the berserker Angantýr and his war-loving daughter Hervor, the ever-lethal, shining sword Tyrfing and its changes of hands frame the uncanny story of The Saga of Hervor and Heiđrek. A second heroic saga, Hrólf Kraki and His Champions, recounts the daring deeds of the members and entourage of the ancient Danish house of Skjoldung. Passed down orally in pre-Christian Norse times, transmitted in writing in medieval Iceland, and here wielded by the hand of Jackson Crawford, the tales told in this volume retain their sharp edges and flashes of glory that never fail to slay.Trade Review"Hervarar saga and Hrólfs saga kraka are among the best of the Icelandic mythical heroic sagas and are both highpoints of medieval literature. Jackson Crawford’s new translation is eminently readable and with its accompanying Introduction and notes will serve as an excellent introduction to this fascinating material." —M. J. Driscoll, Professor of Old Norse Philology, University of Copenhagen"Jackson Crawford’s devoted readership will welcome this new translation of two lesser-known sagas, which in every way lives up to the standards his previous translations from Old Norse have set. These vivid 'sagas of ancient times,' or fornaldar sǫgur, will be of particular interest to teachers and students of Beowulf." —Martin Chase, Professor Emeritus of English, Fordham University"The two sagas of the title, Hervor and Heidrek and Hrolf Kraki and His Champions, need little comment here: while perhaps not well-known among sagas of the mythical type, they feature all the characteristics that make sagas entertaining and engaging reading, and also afford the reader a glimpse into the complexities of medieval family life, political rivalries, and the overall landscape of a still largely pre-Christian society. The quality of the translation, which successfully captures the poetry of the prose and the alliteration of its verse, is a testament to Dr. Crawford’s careful crafting of the original Old Norse into highly readable English, with the meticulous attention and skill evident in all his translations. Of at least equal interest to the reader, however, is Dr. Crawford’s Introduction to the texts. Without entering deeply into literary interpretation or analysis, Dr. Crawford provides a commentary the breadth and scope of which truly attests to his vast and comprehensive knowledge of not only the language and original texts, but also of the culture, history, values, and unique character of medieval Norse society. The Introduction identifies parallel texts and additional source materials, and includes a helpful list of resources for further reading; the notes on the language provide adequate explanation so as to be accessible to readers with no background in Old Norse, and the pronunciation guide is a useful addition. Overall, the Introduction is thorough in its information, covering a wide range of topics from observations about representations of women in the sagas to a commentary on poetic meter and stanzaic structure. While the sagas can be read and enjoyed without the benefit of reading the Introduction, the background and insight the reader gains through it serves to enrich the experience of reading the sagas, and is a valuable resource as an introduction to Old Norse sagas in general. With its fine balance of an informative Introduction and two exceptional saga translations, Two Sagas of Mythical Heroes: Hervor and Heidrek and Hrolf Kraki and His Champions is a publication that will appeal to both the novice and the experienced reader of Old Norse sagas." —Vicki J. Grove, Teaching Professor of Distinction, Russian and Nordic Programs, University of Colorado Boulder"[T]his accessible and affordable edition with its useful front and back matter offers a great introduction to the world of the fornaldarsögur. It is my hope that other, similarly accessible publications will follow."—Rebecca Merkelbach, University of Tübingen, in The Medieval Review "Jackson Crawford's works present Norse literature in a way that is engaging, approachable, and worth rereading multiple times . . . I highly recommend.” —Phillip Fitzsimmons, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, in Mythlore
£15.19
Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) The Gutenberg Parenthesis
Book SynopsisJeff Jarvis holds the Leonard Tow Chair in Journalism Innovation and directs the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism at the City University of New York's Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. He was creator and founding managing editor of Entertainment Weekly, TV critic for TV Guide and People, Sunday editor of the New York Daily News, a media columnist for The Guardian, and president and creative director of Advance.net. He blogs at Buzzmachine.com, cohosts the podcast This Week in Google, and is the author of five books: What Would Google Do? (2009), Public Parts: How Sharing in the Digital Age Improves the Way We Work and Live (2011), Geeks Bearing Gifts: Imagining New Futures for News (2014), and Magazine (forthcoming, 2023) in Bloomsbury's Object Lessons series.
£13.49
Profile Books Ltd Tragedy, the Greeks and Us
Book SynopsisWe might think we are through with the past, but the past isn't through with us. Tragedy permits us to come face to face with the things we don't want to know about ourselves, but which still make us who we are. It articulates the conflicts and contradictions that we need to address in order to better understand the world we live in. A work honed from a decade's teaching at the New School, where 'Critchley on Tragedy' is one of the most popular courses, Tragedy, the Greeks and Us is a compelling examination of the history of tragedy. Simon Critchley demolishes our common misconceptions about the poets, dramatists and philosophers of Ancient Greece - then presents these writers to us in an unfamiliar and original light.Trade ReviewEngaging and thought-provoking without too much abstraction and with just enough detail to add flavour ... It has something of the chatty vigour of a successful seminar discussion ... infectiously enthusiastic ... . There is something genuinely invigorating about Critchley's eager open-mindedness, his willingness to step back from modernity to the ancient world and from philosophy to literature -- Emily Wilson * New Statesman *Simon Critchley beguiles as he illuminates -- David MitchellThoughtful, fascinating * New Yorker *
£10.44
British Library Publishing The Book Lovers Bucket List
Book SynopsisImmerse yourself in a land full of literary locations in this tour through the great books of the British Isles. Caroline Taggart's guide to statues, walks both rural and urban, literary homes and vistas which inspired great scenes from our favourite novels is guaranteed to have something for every avid reader.
£15.29
Orion Publishing Co The Jane Austen Game
Book SynopsisStep into the elegant Regency era of Jane Austen, as you dance from ball to ball collecting ardent admirers!
£22.50
Oxford University Press Bright Circle
Book SynopsisA group biography of five women who played path-breaking roles in the transcendentalist movementIn November 1839, a group of young women in Boston formed a conversation society to answer the great questions of special importance to women: What are we born to do? How shall we do it? The lives and works of the five women who discussed these questions are at the center of Bright Circle, a group biography of remarkable thinkers and artists who played pathbreaking roles in the transcendentalist movement. Transcendentalism remains the most important literary and philosophical movement to have originated in the United States. Most accounts of it, however, trace its emergence to a group of young intellectuals (primarily Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau) dissatisfied with their religious, literary, and social culture. Yet there is a forgotten history of transcendentalism--a submerged counternarrative--that features a network of fiercely intelligent women who were central to the development of the movement even as they found themselves silenced by their culturally-assigned roles as women. Bright Circle is intended to reorient our understanding of transcendentalism: to help us see the movement as a far more collaborative and interactive project between women and men than is commonly understood. It recounts the lives of Mary Moody Emerson, Elizabeth Palmer Peabody, Sophia Peabody Hawthorne, Lydia Jackson Emerson, and Margaret Fuller as they developed crucial ideas about the self, nature, and feeling even as they pushed their male counterparts to consider the rights of enslaved people of color and women. Many ideas once considered original to Emerson and Thoreau are shown to have originated with women who had little opportunity of publicly expressing them. Together, the five women of Bright Circle helped form the foundations of American feminism.
£22.99
HarperCollins Publishers The History of the Hobbit
Book SynopsisBrand new deluxe edition of this definitive companion to The Hobbit, quarter-bound, stamped in gold foil with a unique design inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's own artwork, featuring a ribbon marker and housed in a matching custom-built slipcase.The Hobbit was first published on 21 September 1937. Like its sequel, The Lord of the Rings, it is a story that grew in the telling', and many characters and plot threads in the published text are quite different from the story J.R.R. Tolkien first wrote to read aloud to his young sons as one of their fireside reads'.Together in one volume, The History of the Hobbit presents the complete text of the unpublished manuscript of The Hobbit, accompanied by John Rateliff's lively and informative account of how the book came to be written and published. Recording the numerous changes made to the story both before and after publication, he examines chapter by chapter why those changes were made and how they reflect Tolkien's ever-growing concept of Middle-earth.As well as reproducing the original version of one of the world's most popular novels both on its own merits and as the foundation for The Lord of the Rings this book includes many little-known illustrations and draft maps for The Hobbit by Tolkien himself. Also featured are extensive commentaries on the dates of composition, how Tolkien's professional and early mythological writings influenced the story, the imaginary geography he created, and how Tolkien came to revise the book years after publication to accommodate events in The Lord of the Rings.Endorsed by Christopher Tolkien as a companion to his essential 12-volume The History of Middle-earth, this thoughtful and exhaustive examination of one of the most treasured stories in English literature offers fascinating new insights for those who have grown up with this enchanting tale, and will delight any who are about to enter Bilbo's round door for the first time.Trade ReviewPraise for The Hobbit:‘The Hobbit belongs to a very small class of books which have nothing in common save that each admits us to a world of its own. Its place is with Alice and The Wind in the Willows’Times Literary Supplement ‘One of the best loved characters in English fiction… a marvellous fantasy adventure’Daily Mail ‘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
£80.00
Abrams I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf
Book SynopsisTrade Review“With I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf, Snider—an artist, writer and orthodontist—has gathered up a decade's worth of his comics for boisterous bookworms into one convenient volume…Snider’s thoughtful cartoons for bibliophiles also reveal he’s a well-rounded reader himself.” * New York Times Book Review *“This playful, self-aware collection of strips and gags on the joys and frustrations of reading and writing is equal parts lighthearted and sincere.” * Publishers Weekly *“...Grant Snider has a prescient book for these times…” -- Chris Arrant * Newsarama *“If you surround yourself with books and can’t imagine life without them, you’ll definitely want to add Snider’s new collection to your shelf.” * KMUW *“This is a delightful and humorous collection of comics about the joys of being a book lover, from collecting large amounts of books to (sometimes) getting around to reading them.” * Book Riot *“…colorful panels convey just the right amount of information, seasoned with sly allusions and inside jokes aimed at the avid reader. Anyone with the book bug will savor Snider’s brand of humor.” * BookPage *
£10.79
Bodleian Library Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth
Book SynopsisThis richly illustrated book explores the huge creative endeavour behind Tolkien’s enduring popularity. Lavishly illustrated with over 300 images of his manuscripts, drawings, maps and letters, the book traces the creative process behind his most famous literary works – 'The Hobbit', 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Silmarillion' and reproduces personal photographs and private papers,some of which have never been seen before in print. Tolkien drew on his deep knowledge of medieval literature and language to inform his literary imagination. Six introductory essays cover some of the main themes in Tolkien’s life and work including the influence of northern languages and legends on the creation of his own legendarium; his concept of ‘Faërie’ as a literary construct; the central importance of his invented languages in his fantasy writing; his visual imagination and its emergence in his artwork; and the encouragement he derived from the literary group known as the Inklings. This book brings together the largest collection of original Tolkien material ever assembled in a single volume. Drawing on the archives of the Tolkien collections at the Bodleian Libraries, Oxford, and Marquette University, Milwaukee, as well as private collections, this exquisitely produced catalogue draws together the worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien – scholarly, literary, creative and domestic – offering a rich and detailed understanding and appreciation of this extraordinary author.Trade Review'The excellent catalogue is well worth its £40.' * The Times *'...a splendid collective effort that offers the reader a beautiful, accurate and at times moving portrayal of Tolkien, the man and the author, But, just as importantly, it successfully captures the complexity and depth of Tolkien's literary endeavour, facilitating the reader's approach to a monumental, many-layered palimpsest.' * Cercles Journal *'Enjoyable and quick to read from cover to cover, but it is also a beautiful book that begs to be flipped through. Thankfully, the well-researched information that accompanies each high-quality image makes this sort of a la carte consumption not only possible but also satisfying.' * Western Folklore Journal *'Better than the show itself, with all the things she wanted to include in the show but couldn’t.' -- Melanie McDonagh * The Spectator *'This is a near-perfect collection and an utter delight for those who love Middle-earth.' * Starburst Magazine *'J.R.R. Tolkien fans needs to know about "Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth" … Incredible … A hefty book packed full of gorgeous, fascinating images.' * io9 *'A compelling and extraordinarily rich account of J.R.R. Tolkien's life and literary history interspersed between three hundred images … Really, you should just go and get this … awesome and lore-packed book. 'Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth' is the book beyond the exhibit, which endures even as the other diminishes and sails into the West. It's sure to enrich any fan's appreciation for Tolkien the mortal Man.' * Tor.com *'"Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth" is a pure delight, one that I'll return to many times in the years to come. … I have many more books about Tolkien than I do ones he has written, and this is the best of those about him so far.' * Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine *'The single best, and best value, one-stop-shop for the visual material associated with JRR Tolkien.' * The Notion Club Papers – an Inklings Blog *'I can honestly say it is not just a beautiful and important art book, but a critical biographical publication for study and research too. Well done! … A wonderful, and important, book. Don’t wait to get one if you are on the fence!' * @TolkienGuide *Table of ContentsContents Foreword Note to the Reader 1. J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biographical Sketch, by Catherine McIlwaine 2. Tolkien and the Inklings, by John Garth 3. Faërie: Tolkien's Perilous Land, by Verlyn Flieger 4. Inventing Elvish, by Carl F. Hostetter 5. Tolkien and ‘that noble northern spirit’, by Tom Shippey 6. Tolkien’s Visual Art, by Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull CATALOGUE Reading Tolkien: ‘to England; to my country’ Childhood: ‘the undarkened heart and mind’ Student Days: ‘Friendship to the Nth power' Sheer Invention: 'new patterns of old colours’ The Silmarillion: ‘myth-woven and elf-patterned’ The Professor at Home: ‘from time already mortgaged’ The Hobbit: ‘In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit’ The Lord of the Rings: ‘lightning from a clear sky’ Mapping Middle-earth: ‘Not all those who wander are lost’ Further Reading Acknowledgements Contributors Picture credits Index
£32.00
HarperCollins Publishers The War of the Ring Book 8 The History of
Book SynopsisThe third part of The History of The Lord of the Rings, an enthralling account of the writing of the Book of the Century which contains many additional scenes and includes the unpublished Epilogue in its entirety.The War of the Ring takes up the story of The Lord of the Rings with the Battle of Helm's Deep and the drowning of Isengard by the Ents, continues with the journey of Frodo, Sam and Gollum to the Pass of Cirith Ungol, describes the war in Gondor, and ends with the parley between Gandalf and the ambassador of the Dark Lord before the Black Gate of Mordor.The book is illustrated with plans and drawings of the changing conceptions of Orthanc, Dunharrow, Minas Tirith and the tunnels of Shelob's Lair.This series of fascinating books has now been repackaged to complement the distinctive and classic style of the black cover' A-format paperbacks of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.Trade Review‘Christopher Tolkien shows himself to be his father’s son… Tolkien devotees will rejoice’ The New York Times Book Review
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers Interpreter of Maladies Stories Jhumpa Lahiri 1
Book SynopsisOne of the finest short story writers I've ever read' Amy TanWINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZEWINNER OF THE PEN/HEMINGWAY AWARDWINNER OF THE NEW YORKER PRIZE FOR BEST FIRST BOOKJhumpa Lahiri's prize-winning debut collection explores the lives of Indians in exile of people navigating between the strict traditions they've inherited and the baffling New World they must encounter every day.Whether set in Boston or Bengal, these sublimely understated stories, imbued with umour and subtle detail, speak with eloquence to anyone who has ever felt the yearnings of exile or the emotional confusion of an outsider.Lahiri is a writter of uncommon elegance and poise, and with Interpreter of Maladies she has made a precocious debut' New York TimesTrade Review‘Lahiri has an extraordinary voice’Salman Rushdie ‘Jhumpa Lahiri is the kind of writer who makes you want to grab the next person you see and say“Read this!”She’s a dazzling storyteller with a distinctive voice, an eye for nuance, an ear for irony. She is one of the finest short story writers I’ve read.’AMY TAN ‘Jhumpa Lahiri’s strong, subtle short story collection is a debut to relish.’Guardian
£8.54
Duke University Press On the Inconvenience of Other People
Book SynopsisIn On the Inconvenience of Other People Lauren Berlant continues to explore our affective engagement with the world. Berlant focuses on the encounter with and the desire for the bother of other people and objects, showing that to be driven toward attachment is to desire to be inconvenienced. Drawing on a range of sources, including Last Tango in Paris, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Claudia Rankine, Christopher Isherwood, Bhanu Kapil, the Occupy movement, and resistance to anti-Black state violence, Berlant poses inconvenience as an affective relation and considers how we might loosen our attachments in ways that allow us to build new forms of life. Collecting strategies for breaking apart a world in need of disturbing, the book’s experiments in thought and writing cement Berlant’s status as one of the most inventive and influential thinkers of our time.Trade Review"The author is as sharp as ever at drawing from postcolonial, queer, and affect theory. Fans of Berlant’s bright, electrifying thinking will want to check this out." * Publishers Weekly *"In Inconvenience, that pedagogy is sly, confiding, and digressive. . . . On the Inconvenience of Other People is, finally, a book in all its feels—from happiness to a death wish—all at once. And it’s the last work of a scholar whose theory felt personal, and whose death was mourned far beyond those who knew Berlant: a perfect encapsulation of intimacy within publicity and the publicity of intimacy, a monument to their very work." -- Hannah Zeavin * Bookforum *"A coherent and helpful addition to the ideas, now influential throughout the culture, that Berlant wrought in 2011’s Cruel Optimism." -- Jo Livingstone * 4Columns *"Offers moments of stunning clarity with the kinds of pithy declarative revelations that can easily spiral a reader toward an entirely new outlook on life. Their writing is a paragon of world-breaking and world-making insight." -- Megan Volpert * Popmatters *"Berlant was anything but ordinary. They wanted their writing to draw the reader into the unpredictability of their own mind. . . . Berlant asked the reader to remain in the thought with them, accepting its formlessness and volatility. Writing was a race against life. . . . The breathlessness was left intact in the prose. If the result is that one sometimes comes away from Berlant’s books with only an impressionistic understanding, that might be an appropriate response to a theorist of vibes." -- Erin Maglaque * London Review of Books *"A book about proceeding in brokenness, On The Inconvenience of Other People is simultaneously an experiment, if not a map, on how to do theory in a damaged world." -- Lilly Markaki * LSE Review of Books *"Berlant offers brilliant insights about the progressive and regressive forces that produce, promote, and frustrate individuals' (perceived) freedoms. Recommended. Graduate students and faculty." * Choice *Table of ContentsNote to the Reader vii Preface. What Now? ix Introduction. Intentions 1 1. Sex. Sex in the Event of Happiness 31 2. Democracy. The Commons: Infrastructures for Troubling Times 75 3. Life. On Being in Life without Wanting the World: No World Poetics, or, Elliptical Life 117 Coda. My Dark Places 149 Acknowledgments 175 Notes 177 Bibliography 205 Index 231
£17.99
New York University Press Sexuality Beyond Consent
Book SynopsisRadical alternatives to consent and traumaArguing that we have become culturally obsessed with healing trauma, Sexuality Beyond Consent calls attention to what traumatized subjects do with their pain. The erotics of racism offers a paradigmatic example of how what is proximal to violation may become an unexpected site of flourishing. Central to the transformational possibilities of trauma is a queer form of consent, limit consent, that is not about guarding the self but about risking experience. Saketopoulou thereby shows why sexualities beyond consent may be worth risking-and how risk can solicit the future.Moving between clinical and cultural case studies, Saketopoulou takes up theatrical and cinematic works such as Slave Play and The Night Porter, to chart how trauma and sexuality join forces to surge through the aesthetic domain. Putting the psychoanalytic theory of Jean Laplanche in conversation with queer of color critique, performance studies, and phTrade ReviewLavishly brilliant. Rarely has a book so daringly startled me. Clarity, nuance, pain, even tenderness here braid uniquely, keyed to sexual collisions with race. A series of showstopping claims result, glistening with seduction. Never have I felt so welcomed into trauma as a mode of doing, a mode of expanding, a mode of greeting what is foreign in oneself. Take this invitation laced with surprise. * Kathryn Bond Stockton, author of Gender(s) *Making a vibrant argument for psychoanalysis’s importance in grappling with our modern racial dramas, Sexuality Beyond Consent weaves together insights from queer theory, performance studies, and critical race theory to explore overwhelm. Saketopoulou’s clear and compelling prose brings together clinical case studies, Laplanche, and Slave Play to arrive at an ethics for dealing with power and difference now—the result is a dazzling, brilliant read. * Amber Jamilla Musser, author of Sensual Excess: Queer Femininity and Brown Jouissance *Offers nothing less than a theory of sexuality, one that refuses contemporary pieties. In a series of profound and sometimes personal reflections, Saketopoulou subjects our reigning models of consent to close scrutiny, and asks what happens when fantasy—intractable, recalcitrant, but also protean and surprising—belies our most dearly held political and ethical commitments. The result is a work that excavates the complex enmeshments of the sexed body, race, and history, and demonstrates the ongoing salience of psychoanalytic concepts to feminist and anti-racist cultural analysis. Saketopoulou’s critique of the liberal sexual subject is politically necessary and intellectually thrilling. * Damon Ross Young, University of California, Berkeley *This brilliant, often counter-intuitive examination of sexuality, race, and consent explores how we might yield to the opacity in ourselves. Saketopoulou unpacks with startling insight moments beyond the politics of identity and trauma to imagine how the surrendering of consent might lead to an ethical expansion rather than diminishment of the self. * David L. Eng, University of Pennsylvania *
£21.59
Oneworld Publications Goodbye Eastern Europe
Book SynopsisA farewell to Eastern Europe and its vanishing culture.
£10.44
Pan Macmillan Tao Te Ching
Book SynopsisLao Tzu's Tao Te Ching is the source of Zen Buddhism, and is probably the most broadly influential spiritual text in human history.Complete & Unabridged. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, cloth-bound, 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 translated and introduced by David Hinton. Fluent in ancient Chinese and an acclaimed poet, he skilfully reveals how remarkably current and even innovative this text is after 2500 years.According to legend, Lao Tzu left China at the age of eighty, saddened that men would not follow the path to natural goodness. At the border with Tibet, a guard asked him to record his teachings and the Tao Te Ching is what he wrote down before leaving. Lao Tzu's spirituality describes the Cosmos as a harmonious and generative organism, and it shows how the human is an integral part of that cosmos.
£9.89
Oxford University Press Northanger Abbey
Book Synopsis''No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy, would have supposed her born to be an heroine.''Northanger Abbey is a comedy about reading and misreading-of books and the world-and about different kinds of peril, both imagined and real. In it, Austen''s youngest heroine, Catherine Morland, must navigate financial disadvantage, social constraint, and sometimes quite ruthless manipulation. The absurdities of fashion and conspicuous consumption, voguish ostentation and social competition are seen first in shark-infested Bath, (the premier health resort and marriage market of the day) and then in a more tranquil pocket of rural Gloucestershire that turns out to be a hotbed of materialism and greed. Jane Austen combines making fun of the excesses of the Gothic novel with larger moral issues: the folly of letting literature get in the way of life, and the inexcusability (especially for women) of not thinking for oneself.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.
£6.93
HarperCollins Publishers Animal Farm GCSE 91 set text student edition
Book SynopsisExam board: AQA, Edexcel, OCR; CXCLevel & Subject: GCSE 9-1 English Literature; CSEC English BFirst teaching: September 2015Next exams: 2024This edition of Animal Farm is perfect for GCSE-level students, with the complete novel, engaging introduction written by a teacher and a handy glossary at the back of the book.Fantastic value for Animal Farm George Orwell bookEasy to read font in an accessible formatA new introduction provides contextBespoke glossary explains key terms
£4.43
Simon & Schuster How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery
Book SynopsisFrom 70 of the most successful mystery writers in the business, an invaluable guide to crafting mysteries—from character development and plot to procedurals and thrillers—“this is a writing guide that readers and writers will turn to again and again” (Booklist, starred review). Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is known for providing unparalleled resources on the craft, art, and business of storytelling, helping writers of all levels improve their skills for nearly a century. Now, this handbook helps authors navigate the ever-shifting publishing landscape—from pacing, plotting, the business side of publishing, to the current demand for diversity and inclusivity across all genres, and more. Featuring essays by a new generation of bestselling experts on various elements of the craft and shorter pieces of crowd-sourced wisdom from the MWA membership as a whole, the topics covered can be categorized as follows: —Before Writing (rules; genres; setting; character; research; etc.) —While Writing (outlining; the plot; dialogue; mood; etc.) —After Writing (agents; editors; self-pub; etc.) —Other than Novels (short stories; true crime; etc.) —Other Considerations (diverse characters; legal questions; criticism) Also included is a collection of essays from MWA published authors—including Jeffery Deaver, Tess Gerritsen, and Charlaine Harris—selected by bestselling authors Lee Child and Laurie King and arranged thematically answering, “What piece of writing advice do you wish you’d had at the beginning of your career?” “Everything you wanted to know about how to plan, draft, write, revise, publish, and market a mystery” (Kirkus Reviews), this inclusive manual provides practical, current, easily digestible advice for new and established authors alike.Trade Review"An embarrassment of riches . . . [How to Write a Mystery] overflows with enough pithy wisdom and hard-boiled humor to deserve its place on any mystery lover's shelf, even if they never intend to write a thing. . . . A snappy, wise and expansive guide which in explaining how to write a mystery ends up illustrating much of what makes the genre so engrossing." —Minneapolis Star Tribune "A wonderful book, a seminar in genre writing conducted by some of the genre’s most accomplished practitioners. . . . a writing guide that readers and writers will turn to again and again." —Booklist, starred review "Everything you wanted to know about how to plan, draft, write, revise, publish, and market a mystery, courtesy of the cheerleaders from the Mystery Writers of America. . . . A chorus of encouraging voices that mix do-this instruction with companionable inspiration." —Kirkus Reviews "Tempted to try your own hand at a tale of crime? How to Write a Mystery gathers sound and often witty advice from nearly 70 contemporary practitioners." —Wall Street Journal "One of the best and most inclusive manuals ever. . . . How to Write a Mystery is a splendid technical treatise for writers of any stage or level. . . . Reading the book feels like taking a graduate-level course. . . . an immensely worthwhile investment for the storyteller in us all.” —BookTrib "All this input from some of the most successful mystery writers alive makes for an invaluable guide to crafting mysteries, police procedurals, and thrillers. These experts offer practical, current, and surprisingly easily digestible advice." —The Big Thrill "Budding authors looking for pro tips will find some useful tidbits." —Publishers Weekly
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers The Woman in White Collins Classics
Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics.The woman who first gives life, light, and form to our shadowy conceptions of beauty, fills a void in our spiritual nature that has remained unknown to us till she appeared.'One of the earliest works of detective' fiction with a narrative woven together from multiple characters, Wilkie Collins partly based his infamous novel on a real-life eighteenth century case of abduction and wrongful imprisonment. In 1859, the story caused a sensation with its readers, hooking their attention with the ghostly first scene where the mysterious Woman in White' Anne Catherick comes across Walter Hartright. Chilling, suspenseful and tense in mood, the novel remains as emotive for its readers today as when it was first published.
£7.59
Chronicle Books Bibliophile An Illustrated Miscellany
Book SynopsisSearching for perfect book lovers gifts? Rejoice! Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany, is a love letter to all things bookish. Author Jane Mount brings literary people, places, and things to life through her signature and vibrant illustrations. It''s a must-have for every book collection, and makes a wonderful literary gift for book lovers, writers, and more. Readers of Jane Mount''s Bibliophile will delight in: Touring the world''s most beautiful bookstores Testing their knowledge of the written word with quizzes Finding their next great read in lovingly curated stacks of books Sampling the most famous fictional meals Peeking inside the workspaces of their favorite authors A source of endless inspiration, literary facts and recommendations: Bibliophile is pure bookish joy and sure to enchant book clubbers, English majors, poetry devotees, aspiring writers, and any and all who identify as book lovers.If you have read or own: I''d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life; The Written World: The Power of Stories to Shape People, History, and Civilization; or How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines; then you will want to read and own Jane Mount''s Bibliophile.More from Jane Mount: Coauthored with Jamise Harper (founder of the Diverse Spines book community), Bibliophile: Diverse Spines is a richly illustrated and vastly inclusive collection uplifts the works of authors who are often underrepresented in the literary world. A perfect companion to Bibliophile and Bibliophile Reader''s Journal.Trade Review"At the heart of this handsomely produced, literary treasure trove of a book are 50 lovingly created book stacks of suggested reads, organised by theme, including 19th century classics, favourite fantasy novels, coming-of-age novels, children's picture books, feminist must-reads and essential cookbooks." -- The Bookseller“Bibliophile…. is one of the season’s standout gift selections.” -- BookPage"Jane’s fascinating chapters are well-researched, well-written and incredibly up-to-date and varied, so it makes a great read as well as a beautiful object." -- Pretty Books
£17.59
Duke University Press Postmodernism or The Cultural Logic of Late
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Fredric Jameson, internationally recognized as a literary theorist and as America's most notable Marxist intellectual, has established a leading place in discussions of postmodernism. Jameson brings to the subject an immense range of reference both to artworks and to theoretical discussions; a strong hypothesis linking cultural changes to changes in the place of culture within the whole structure of life produced by a new phase of economic history (multinational capitalism); and a severely scholarly wish to analyze and understand, rather than praise or blame, the object of his study."—Jonathan Arac“A classic of late 20th-century Euroamerican critical thought.” -- Ned Lukacher * Choice *“An encyclopedic grasp of modern culture.” -- Stuart Hall * Marxism Today *“For anybody hoping to understand not just the cultural but the political and social implications of postmodernism . . . Jameson’s book is a fundamental, nonpareil text.” -- Gilbert Adair * Sunday Times (London) *“Fredric Jameson is America’s leading Marxist critic, a prodigiously energetic thinker whose writings sweep magisterially from Sophocles to science fiction. . . . Postmodernism is an intellectual blockbuster.” -- Terry Eagleton * Irish Times *“No one theorist illustrates the recent history of postmodernism’s history so well as Fredric Jameson.” -- Michael Bérubé * Voice Literary Supplement *“The scope and profundity of Postmodernism, covering theory, architecture, film, video, and economics, is truly staggering. . . . Brilliant . . .” -- Siauddin Sardar * The Independent *
£20.27
Oxford University Press The Poetic Edda
Book Synopsis''She sees, coming up a second time,Earth from the ocean, eternally green;the waterfalls plunge, an eagle soars above them,over the mountain hunting fish.''After the terrible conflagration of Ragnarok, the earth rises serenely again from the ocean, and life is renewed. The Poetic Edda begins with The Seeress''s Prophecy which recounts the creation of the world, and looks forward to its destruction and rebirth. In this great collection of Norse-Icelandic mythological and heroic poetry, the exploits of gods and humans are related. The one-eyed Odin, red-bearded Thor, Loki the trickster, the lovely goddesses and the giants who are their enemies walk beside the heroic Helgi, Sigurd the Dragon-Slayer, Brynhild the shield-maiden, and the implacable Gudrun. New in this revised translation are the quest-poem The Lay of Svipdag and The Waking of Angantyr, in which a girl faces down her dead father to retrieve his sword.Comic, tragic, instructive, grandiose, witty and profound, the poems of the Edda have influenced artists from Wagner to Tolkien and a new generation of video-game and film makers.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 ReviewLarringtons version of The Poetic Edda has been beautifully translated, and the flow of each poem is perfect. * Kirsty Hewitt, Book Hugger *A 750-year-old haul of Icelandic verse might not sound like cutting-edge entertainment but these sinewy sagas include such modern elements as gutsy heroines and ultra-violence. * Christopher Hirst, Independent *these sinewy sagas include such modern elements as gutsy heroines and ultra-violence * Independent *
£9.49
Tuttle Publishing Writing Haiku: A Beginner's Guide to Composing
Book SynopsisA world of dewAnd within every dewdropA world of struggle The iconic three-line haiku form is increasingly popular today as people embrace its simplicity and grace—and its connections to the Japanese ethos of mindfulness and minimalism. Say more with fewer words.This practical guide by poet and teacher Bruce Ross shows you how to capture a fleeting moment, like painting a picture with words, and how to give voice to your innermost thoughts, feelings, and observations. You don't have to be a practiced poet or writer to write your own haiku, and this book shows you how.In this book, aspiring poets will find: Accessible, easy-to-replicate examples and writing prompts A foreword that looks at the state of haiku today as the form continues to expand worldwide An introduction to related Japanese haiku forms such as tanka, haiga, renga, haibun, and senryu A listing of international journals and online resources Do you want to tell a story? Give haibun a try. Maybe you want to express a fleeting feeling? A tanka is the perfect vehicle. Are you more visual than verbal? Then a haiga, or illustrated haiku, is the ideal match. Finally, a renga is perfect as a group project or to create with friends, passing a poem around, adding line after line, and seeing what your group effort amounts to.Ross walks readers through the history and form of haiku, before laying out what sets each Japanese poetic form apart. Then it's time to turn to your notebook and start drafting some verse of your own!
£11.69
Pearson Education Limited Market Leader 3rd Edition Intermediate Coursebook
Book Synopsis
£32.49
Faber & Faber Waiting for Godot
Book SynopsisFrom an inauspicious beginning at the tiny Left Bank Theatre de Babylone in 1953, followed by bewilderment among American and British audiences, "Waiting for Godot" has become one of the most important and enigmatic plays of the past fifty years and a cornerstone of twentieth-century drama. As Clive Barnes wrote, "Time catches up with genius. . . . "Waiting for Godot" is one of the masterpieces of the century." The story revolves around two seemingly homeless men waiting for someone--or something--named Godot. Vladimir and Estragon wait near a tree, inhabiting a drama spun of their own consciousness. The result is a comical wordplay of poetry, dreamscapes, and nonsense, which has been interpreted as mankind's inexhaustible search for meaning. Beckett's language pioneered an expressionistic minimalism that captured the existential post- World War II Europe. His play remains one of the most magical and beautiful allegories of our time.
£9.49
Columbia University Press Dark Ecology
Book SynopsisTimothy Morton explores the foundations of the ecological crisis to reestablish our ties to nonhuman beings and rediscover playfulness and joy. Dark ecology puts us in an uncanny position of radical self-knowledge, illuminating our place in the biosphere and our belonging to a species in a sense that is far less obvious than we like to think.Trade ReviewIn often witty and humorous language, Timothy Morton provides a kind of affective atlas for the human era. The book calls for scholars to recognize the structures of entwinement between (the human) species and ecological phenomena and to develop modes of thought for accommodating them. -- Kate Marshall, University of Notre DameDark Ecology is a brave, brilliant interrogation of the presumptions that have driven our approach to the ecological and environmental challenges of our era. Anyone who is willing to ride the rollercoaster of ideas on which Morton takes us will reach the end brimming with new conceptual and intellectual energies with which to face up to our present limits and failures and to shape an alive and joyful future. -- Imre Szeman, University of AlbertaMorton is a master of philosophical enigma. In Dark Ecology he treats us to an obscure ecognosis, the essentially unsolvable riddle of ecological being. Prepare to be endarkened! -- Michael Marder, author of The Philosopher's Plant and PyropoliticsMorton commands readers' attention with his free-form style.... [Dark Ecology] extends his previous work to offer a seismically different vision of the future of ecology and humankind. * Publishers Weekly *With touches of humor, bits of information drawn from literature (ancient Latin and Greek), and plenty of philosophy, Morton takes readers on a strongly philosophical and semantic tour of 'the darkness and light' of human interrelatedness with the biosphere. * Choice *A playful, poetic parsing of our era's environmental crisis. * Rice Magazine *A rewarding hike. * Library Journal *Timothy Morton's new work by turns fascinates, mystifies, stuns, confuses, and excites...Readers who seek new vocabularies for thinking about the Anthropocene and the vexed relation between human society and biological life will find a lot to work with. * British Society for Literature and Science *[A] radical vision of what ecological thought can be. * Los Angeles Review of Books *Morton’s provocative book urges the reader to braid, to twist, or to play cat’s cradle with its looping logic. * Critical Inquiry *Morton disrupts the customary assumption that industrialization is the root cause of ecological crisis, such crisis being already contained in the agrilogistic drawing of a sharp boundary between human and nonhuman worlds. -- Charlene Elsby * The Canadian Society for Continental Philosophy *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsBeginning After the EndThe First ThreadThe Second ThreadThe Third ThreadEnding Before the BeginningNotesIndex
£18.00
Columbia University Press Storythinking
Book SynopsisThis book explains how and why our brains think in stories. Angus Fletcher, an expert in neuroscientific approaches to narrative, identifies this capacity as “storythinking.”Trade ReviewFletcher’s done it again. His polymathic erudition and word-wizardry elegance pull off the equivalent of a Copernican revolution in our understanding of storytelling—in all its resplendent iterations. With Storythinking he invites us on an extraordinary odyssey that enriches understanding of our deep, instinctive impulse to create stories as makers and transformers of our world. Storythinking is nothing less than a cosmological paradigm shift that puts story making and thinking at the center of all that we do. -- Frederick Luis Aldama, award-winning author and Jacob & Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities, UT AustinAngus Fletcher explains why effective narrative prioritizes the unique, shifts viewpoints, and encourages conflict. Not for their own sake. It makes a writer create and clarify more thoughtful ideas and leads readers to intuit and retain the message. Both revelatory and pragmatic, and so gracefully explained. -- Shane Greenstein, author of How the Internet Became Commercial: Innovation, Privatization, and the Birth of a New NetworkStorythinking is absolutely excellent: a much-needed reminder of and expansion on the transformative power of story, story as an enriched form of learning and as a valid epistemology. The book is a lovely, readable addition to academic and public life. I am eager to see the use of story resurrected! -- Lisa Miller, Ph.D., Professor & Founder, Spirituality Mind Body Institute, Teachers College, Columbia UniversityStory is a basic mental operation. Most of our experience, knowledge, and thinking is formed and organized by story: prediction, evaluation, planning, explanation, agents and actors, processes, goals. Story is an indispensable element of creativity. Human beings project from story to story and blend stories to create new concepts, new proposals, new science. How can we push the cognitive science of story forward? Fletcher, in this captivating and inspiring new book, leads the way. -- Mark Turner, author of The Literary Mind: The Origins of Thought and LanguageThe quickest way to elicit a scoff from 'serious thinkers' is to mention 'story'. But as someone who has built a career as a science communicator, who consistently straddles the line between art and science, and whose work is grounded in neuroscience, I know intuitively that storytelling is fundamental to how we think. Finally, Angus Fletcher brings his deep understanding of narrative together with his keen scientific mind to explain why we think in stories, why embracing story structure is the way forward, and how stories provide an architecture to thought as powerful and important as logic. Read this book. -- Indre Viskontas, Cognitive Neuroscientist, University of San Francisco[Storythinking] is a most unusual book, plumbing the depths of history to find where philosophy went off the rails, examining neurobiology for insight into creativity, and festooned with stories about great characters all the way through. I can honestly report I’ve never read anything like it. And that’s a good thing. * The Straight Dope *Table of Contents1. Story2. Story and Thinking3. The Origin of Story4. Why Our Schools Teach Logic, Not Story5. The Limits of Logic—or Why We Still Need Storythinking6. The Brain Machinery of Storythinking7. Improving Storythinking8. Storythinking for Personal Growth9. Storythinking for Social Growth10. Story’s Answer to the Meaning of LifeCoda: Conversations with a StorythinkerNotesIndex
£18.00
Dalkey Archive Press Eros the Bittersweet
Book SynopsisSelected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time A book about romantic love, Eros the Bittersweet is Anne Carson's exploration of the concept of "eros" in both classical philosophy and literature. Beginning with, "It was Sappho who first called eros 'bittersweet.' No one who has been in love disputes her," Carson examines her subject from numerous points of view, creating a lyrical meditation in the tradition of William Carlos Williams's Spring and All and William H. Gass's On Being Blue. Epigrammatic, witty, ironic, and endlessly entertaining, Eros is an utterly original book.Trade Review"Anne Carson is a rare talent, brilliant and full of wit, passionate and also deeply moving."—Michael Ondaatje "What we learn from Eros the Bittersweet while being spun alive by its brilliance is that its author is a philosopher of much cunning and an agile reader, a scholar with a mind as fresh as a spring meadow, no dust anywhere on her."—Guy Davenport
£13.30
Cambridge University Press Queer Cambridge
Book SynopsisQueer Cambridge recounts the untold story of a gay community living, for many decades, at the very heart of the British Establishment. Making effective use of chiefly forgotten archival sources ? including personal diaries and letters ? the author reveals a network that was in equal parts tolerant and acerbic, and within which the queer Fellows of Cambridge University explored bold new forms of camaraderie and relationship. Goldhill examines too the huge influence that these individuals had on British culture, in its arts, politics, music, theatre and self-understanding. During difficult decades when homosexuality was unlawful, gay academics ? who included celebrated literary and scientific figures like E. M. Forster, M. R. James, Rupert Brooke and Alan Turing ? lived, loved, and grew old together, bringing new generations into their midst. Their remarkable stories add up not just to an alternative history of male homosexuality in Britain, but to an alternative history of Cambridge itself.
£25.00
Dorling Kindersley Ltd English for Everyone Business English Course Book
Book Synopsis
£11.69
Yale University Press The Madwoman in the Attic
Book Synopsis
£19.82
Pan Macmillan Daily Rituals: How Great Minds Make Time, Find
Book Synopsis'Utterly fascinating' Daisy Goodwin, Sunday TimesBenjamin Franklin took daily naked air baths and Toulouse-Lautrec painted in brothels. Edith Sitwell worked in bed, and George Gershwin composed at the piano in pyjamas. Freud worked sixteen hours a day, but Gertrude Stein could never write for more than thirty minutes, and F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in gin-fuelled bursts - he believed alcohol was essential to his creative process. From Marx to Murakami and Beethoven to Bacon, Daily Rituals by Mason Currey presents the working routines of more than a hundred and sixty of the greatest philosophers, writers, composers and artists ever to have lived. Whether by amphetamines or alcohol, headstand or boxing, these people made time and got to work.Featuring photographs of writers and artists at work, and filled with fascinating insights on the mechanics of genius and entertaining stories of the personalities behind it, Daily Rituals is irresistibly addictive, and utterly inspiring.Trade ReviewI just can't recommend this book enough -- Lena DunhamA trove of entertaining anecdote and thought-provoking comparison -- Toby Lichtig * Daily Telegraph *A chance to see what great lives look like when the triumphs, dramas, disruptions and divorces have been all but boiled away. It will fascinate anyone who wonders how a day might best be spent, especially those who have wondered of their artistic heroes, as a baffled Colette once did of George Sand: how the devil did they manage? * Guardian *Utterly fascinating -- Daisy Goodwin * Sunday Times *Mason Currey has carefully compiled the daily habits and personal foibles of 161 great writers, artists, scientists and thinkers, including one who stood on his head to cure creative block. By the end of this book, our carpet-glue habit looks normal -- DBC Pierre * Guardian *A fascinating little book * Financial Times *An utterly fascinating compendium . . . This book is the ultimate retort to the flaneurs who dream about the novel/screenplay/painting they would create if only they had the time. Its message is that serious artists make the time, and most of them make it at the same time every day -- Daisy Goodwin * Sunday Times *A thoroughly researched, minutely annotated and delightful book, full of the quirks and oddities of thehuman comedy . . . Its main lesson can be summed up simply enough: get up, have a cup of coffee, sit at your desk and begin * Literary Review *Some of the world's greatest minds had routines they stuck to to produce their works of genius. In DailyRituals, Mason Currey reveals their more bizarre habits * Daily Mirror *Fascinating . . . it also interestingly reveals that there is no universal formula to greatness, so in essence, it's a celebration of individuality and quirkiness * Huffington Post *
£12.34
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Anatomy of a Suicide
Book SynopsisAlice Birch's new play is scored like a piece of music ... It is an extraordinary echoing text, full of pain and strange beauty. The three stories play out simultaneously on stage, the dialogue from one scene overlapping with the other two in a manner that borders on the choral ... Birch has provided a text that explores these ideas in a formally invigorating way. The StageThree generations of women. For each, the chaos of what has come before brings with it a painful legacy.A powerful, unflinching look at a family afflicted with severe depression and mental illness. Presented as a triptych of plays performed side by side, this groundbreaking play reverberates with audiences and readers. Published for the first time in Methuen Drama''s Modern Classics series, this edition features a brand new introduction by Ava Davies.Trade ReviewWhat determines our character? Nature or nurture? Genetic inheritance or social environment? It is an age-old debate, and Alice Birch now adds to it with this startling theatrical triptych about three generations of mothers and daughters... Birch’s progress as a writer has been fascinating to watch... On the evidence so far, I would say Birch has a gift for radical experiment in the style of Caryl Churchill and Sarah Kane. In her new play we are confronted by three women, Carol, Anna and Bonnie, who we learn are mother, daughter and granddaughter. They exist in three different time zones but the story of their lives is told simultaneously. As Birch herself says, the text has been scored and can be read, or viewed, horizontally... I can, in fact, think of few exact parallels to this play. * Michael Billington, The Guardian *The way conversations overlap, intersect, even chime exactly, as if words are echoing down the decades, is a compositional marvel... [any] vague misgivings pale beside the essential bravery and daring of it all: anyone who has experienced the nightmare of handed-on familial sadness, let alone the horror of suicide, will surely find in this a therapeutic-cathartic release. * Telegraph *What a fiercely uncompromising, clinically emotional two hours this is Alice Birch, darling of the film world after her stark and powerful script for Lady Macbeth, returns in triumph to her home ground of the theatre for an unflinching examination of three generations of women in one family... an intricately interwoven work in which three separate scenes often play out simultaneously. * Evening Standard *
£11.69
Union Square & Co. Coriolanus
Book SynopsisThis guide helps make Shakespeare's play more accessible. It contains a complete text of the original work, along with a line-by-line modernisation and plenty of helpful commentary.
£7.59
