ELT & Literary Studies Books
Houghton Mifflin A Poetry Handbook
Book Synopsis
£10.79
Faber & Faber Maud Martha Faber Editions
Book SynopsisAS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4''S ''A GOOD READ''Such a wonderful book. Utterly unique, exquisitely crafted and quietly powerful. I loved it and want everyone to read this lost literary treasure.'' Bernardine Evaristo''Maud Martha finds beauty in the brutal formative moments that make us. It is one of my favorite depictions of how a woman comes to trust her eyes.'' Raven Leilani''The quotidian rises to an exquisite portraiture of black womanhood in the hands of one of America''s most foundational writers.'' Claudia Rankine''Maud Martha reveals the poetry, power and splendor of an ordinary life.'' Tayari Jones''Incredible ... She is a quietly radical seer, she is literature itself, a person in the world. It's a rare kind of perfect!'' Max PorterWhat, what, am I to do with all of this life? Maud Martha Brown is a little girl growing up on the South Side of 1940s Chicago. Amidst the crumblinTrade Review'Alive, reaching, and very much of today.'- Langston Hughes'One of the most spatially poetic novels ever ... Awesome.' - Eileen Myles
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton All That Matters
Book Synopsis
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Discourses and Selected Writings
Book SynopsisThe Discourses/Fragments/Enchiridion''I must die. But must I die bawling?''Epictetus, a Greek Stoic and freed slave, ran a thriving philosophy school in Nicopolis in the early second century AD. His animated discussions were celebrated for their rhetorical wizardry and were written down by Arrian, his most famous pupil. The Discourses argue that happiness lies in learning to perceive exactly what is in our power to change and what is not, and in embracing our fate to live in harmony with god and nature. In this personal, practical guide to the ethics of Stoicism and moral self-improvement, Epictetus tackles questions of freedom and imprisonment, illness and fear, family, friendship and love.Translated and Edited with an Introduction by Robert DobbinTable of ContentsEpictetusIntroductionFurther ReadingNote on the TranslationThe DiscoursesFragmentsEnchiridionGlossary of NamesNotes
£10.44
Arcturus Publishing Ltd Tao Te Ching
Book Synopsis
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers Beowulf
Book SynopsisThe translation of Beowulf by J.R.R. Tolkien was an early work, very distinctive in its mode, completed in 1926: he returned to it later to make hasty corrections, but seems never to have considered its publication. This edition is twofold, for there exists an illuminating commentary on the text of the poem by the translator himself, in the written form of a series of lectures given at Oxford in the 1930s; and from these lectures a substantial selection has been made, to form also a commentary on the translation in this book. From his creative attention to detail in these lectures there arises a sense of the immediacy and clarity of his vision. It is as if he entered into the imagined past: standing beside Beowulf and his men shaking out their mail-shirts as they beached their ship on the coast of Denmark, listening to the rising anger of Beowulf at the taunting of Unferth, or looking up in amazement at Grendel's terrible hand set under the roof of Heorot.Trade Review“This is long-awaited, and hugely exciting for Tolkien readers” The Guardian “If he had never written The Lord of the Rings he would have been famous in academic circles for writing one published lecture on Beowulf called The Monsters and the Critics. It turned things upside down. Beowulf was probably the medieval text that influenced him the most and the commentary and lectures are ‘nuggets of gold’”The Independent “A tantalising prospect. Tolkien’s translation of Sir Gawain is a master class in linguistic chicanery – Middle English meets Middle Earth… it will be interesting to see if it gives Heaney's Beowulf a run for its money”Simon Armitage, The Guardian
£9.49
Oldcastle Books Ltd Into the Badlands
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£15.29
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Twelve Angry Men
Book SynopsisThe Methuen Drama Student Edition of Twelve Angry Men is the first critical edition of Reginald Rose's play, providing the play text alongside commentary and notes geared towards student readers.In New York, 1954, a man is dead and the life of another is at stake. A ''guilty'' verdict seems a foregone conclusion, but one member of the jury has the will to probe more deeply into the evidence and the courage to confront the ignorance and prejudice of some of his fellow jurors. The conflict that follows is fierce and passionate, cutting straight to the heart of the issues of civil liberties and social justice. Ideal for the student reader, the accompanying pedagogical notes include elements such as an author chronology; plot summary; suggested further reading; explanatory endnotes; and questions for further study. The introduction discusses in detail the play''s origins as a 1954 American television play, Rose''s re-working of the piece for the stage, and Lumet''s 1957 film versiTrade ReviewIt's not hard to recognise contemporary universal parallels in Rose's play. . . . At the play's heart is a noble belief that truth, justice and the American way are still ideals to aspire to, however much they may sometimes be corrupted. * Herald *Reginald Rose's classic mid-20th-century American drama . . . built around the relentlessly powerful story of a lone juror in a New York murder case * Scotsman *Table of ContentsCHRONOLOGY PLOT COMMENTARY The television play (1954) The stage version (1955) The film version (1957) Genre Characters Social and political context Later productions and critical reception FURTHER READING PLAY TEXT NOTES QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY
£10.99
Penguin Books Ltd The Gifts of Reading
Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of UNDERLAND, THE OLD WAYS and THE LOST WORDS - an essay on the joy of reading, for anyone who has ever loved a bookEvery book is a kind of gift to its reader, and the act of giving books is charged with a special emotional resonance. It is a meeting of three minds (the giver, the author, the recipient), an exchange of intellectual and psychological currency, that leaves each participant enriched. Here Robert Macfarlane recounts the story of a book he was given as a young man, and how he managed eventually to return the favour, though never repay the debt.From one of the most lyrical writers of our time comes a perfectly formed gem, a lyrical celebration of the transcendent power and humanity of the given book.Trade ReviewI'll read anything Macfarlane writes -- David Mitchell, author of 'Cloud Atlas'[Macfarlane] can unfurl a sentence with the breathless ease of a master angler, a writer whose ideas transcend the physical region he explores * New York Times Book Review *[Macfarlane] is a godfather of a cultural moment * Sunday Times on Landmarks *
£5.03
Hodder & Stoughton Agatha Christie: The Sunday Times Bestseller
Book Synopsis'A smart and highly entertaining portrait of a literary powerhouse'- THE TIMES BOOKS OF THE YEAR'A riveting portrait'- GUARDIAN BOOKS OF THE YEAR***'Worsley's sparkling biography brings a fresh eye to Christie's life and work, firmly busting the myth that she, or her novels, were cosy.' Daily Mail'Every Christie fan should read this' - The Times'Shows the Queen of Crime in a new light.' - Daily Telegraph'Worsley's book excels in bringing a broader historical perspective to Christie's life and work, and her enthusiasm is infectious.' - Observer'Nobody in the world was more inadequate to act the heroine than I was.'Why did Agatha Christie spend her career pretending that she was 'just' an ordinary housewife, when clearly she wasn't? As Lucy Worsley says, 'She was thrillingly, scintillatingly modern'. She went surfing in Hawaii, she loved fast cars, and she was intrigued by the new science of psychology, which helped her through devastating mental illness. So why - despite all the evidence to the contrary - did Agatha present herself as a retiring Edwardian lady of leisure? She was born in 1890 into a world which had its own rules about what women could and couldn't do. Lucy Worsley's biography is not just of an internationally renowned bestselling writer. It's also the story of a person who, despite the obstacles of class and gender, became an astonishingly successful working woman. With access to personal letters and papers that have rarely been seen, Lucy Worsley's biography is both authoritative and entertaining and makes us realise what an extraordinary pioneer Agatha Christie was - truly a woman who wrote the twentieth century.Trade ReviewEvery Christie fan should read this. * The Times *Shows the Queen of Crime in a new light. * Daily Telegraph *Worsley's sparkling biography brings a fresh eye to Christie's life and work, firmly busting the myth that she, or her novels, were cosy. * Daily Mail *
£10.44
Oxford University Press Frankenstein
Book SynopsisThe most celebrated horror story ever written. The dreadful tale of Victor Frankenstein, a visionary young student of natural philosophy, who discovers the secret of life. In the grip of his obsession he constructs and animates a creature from dead body parts - with catastrophic results.Trade Reviewprobably the most brilliantly comprehensive introduction to Frankenstein that I have ever read. Even if you've read the book ... ou have to buy this finely produced OUP annotated edition to enjoy Nick Grooms distillation of Frankenstein's ideas and challenges: especially so as this is the first raw 1818 edition." * Magonia Review *wonderful * Oliver Tearle, Interesting Literature *a quality edition ... it uses the original 1818 text and ... it tells us so much about the author and her history; it is both a novel and a very useful reference book. And what is more, it both looks and feels good - well worthy of a place on your shelves. * Peter Tyers, Science Fact & Science Fiction Concatenation *Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text Select Bibliography A Chronology of Mary Shelley Frankenstein Appendix A. Author's Introduction to the Standard Novels Edition (1831) Appendix B. The Third Edition (1831): Substantive Changes Appendix C. On Frankenstein by Percy Bysshe Shelley Explanatory Notes
£7.06
Sde Classics Meditations
Book Synopsis
£8.98
Oxford University Press The Karamazov Brothers
Book SynopsisDostoevsky''s last and greatest novel, The Karamazov Brothers (1880) is both a brilliantly told crime story and a passionate philosophical debate. The dissolute landowner Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov is murdered; his sons - the atheist intellectual Ivan, the hot-blooded Dmitry, and the saintly novice Alyosha - are all at some level involved.Bound up with this intense family drama is Dostoevsky''s exploration of many deeply felt ideas about the existence of God, the question of human freedom, the collective nature of guilt, the disatrous consequences of rationalism. The novel is also richly comic: the Russian Orthodox Church, the legal system, and even the authors most cherished causes and beliefs are presented with a note of irreverence, so that orthodoxy, and radicalism, sanity and madness, love and hatred, right and wrong are no longer mutually exclusive. Rebecca West considered it the allegory for the world''s maturity, but with children to the fore. This new translation does full justice to Doestoevsky''s genius, particularly in the use of the spoken word, which ranges over every mode of human expression. 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.
£8.99
Penguin Books Ltd Silent Catastrophes
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£9.99
Atlantic Books Rhyme and Reason
£13.49
WW Norton & Co The Iliad
Book Synopsis
£14.24
Pan Macmillan The Worlds Wife
Book SynopsisCarol Ann Duffy lives in Manchester, where she is Professor and Creative Director of the Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her poetry has received many awards, including the Signal Prize for Children's Verse, the Whitbread, Forward and T. S. Eliot Prizes, and the Lannan and E. M. Forster Prize in America. She was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 2009 to 2019. Her many collections include Mean Time, Love Poems and The Bees, which won the Costa Poetry Award. Her writing for children includes Queen Munch and Queen Nibble, The Skipping-Rope Snake and The Tear Thief. She was made a DBE in the 2015 New Year Honours list. In 2021, she was awarded the international lifetime achievement award the Golden Wreath for her achievements in poetry.Trade ReviewPoignant, thoughtful, funny, rich and accessible -- Ruth Padel, Books of the Year * Guardian *These thirty poems vibrate with intense colloquialisms, physicality, energy, freshness and cheek. Many of them are very funny... the best are inventive, subversive and written with great rhythmical and rhyming dash * Sunday Telegraph *Carol Ann Duffy is a poet of skill, talent and great heart -- Erica WagnerThe World's Wife is a joyous exuberant book of poems about women usually excluded from myth and history * Guardian *Duffy takes a cheeky, subversive, no-nonsense swipe with a dish clout at the famous men of history and myth. They don't have a chance in hell of dodging her quick-witted wallop as she relays their stories from their spouse's points of view * The Times *It sparkes with wit, intelligence and an impressive lightness of touch, while drawing on some weighty emotional experiences: loneliness, jealousy, self-loathing, desire, the fierceness of a mother's love -- Christina Patterson * Independent *She reveals the foibles of the great, the ghastly and the ordinary bloke and the sufferings of those closest to them. The result is a melange of history lesson, fairy-tale and modern-day domestic tragedy, with the occasional joke thrown in for good measure. . . Duffy's poetics are flawless - she never misses a beat, her pace is exhilarating, and her language is original and exciting * Scotsman *This book is going to be a hit, and can only consolidate Duffy's position as one of the most widely read British poets of her generation -- Robert Crawford * Herald *
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers Heart of Darkness Collins Classics
Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics.The reaches opened before us and closed behind, as if the forest had stepped leisurely across the water to bar the way for our return. We penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness.'At the peak of European Imperialism, steamboat captain Charles Marlow travels deep into the African Congo on his way to relieve the elusive Mr Kurtz, an ivory trader renowned for his fearsome reputation. On his journey into the unknown Marlow takes a terrifying trip into his own subconscious, overwhelmed by his menacing, perilous and horrifying surroundings.The landscape and the people he meets force him to reflect on human nature and society, and in turn Conrad writes revealingly about the dangers of imperialism.
£5.62
Octopus Publishing Group 101 Brilliant Things For Kids to do With Science
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£13.49
Orion Publishing Co The World of Shakespeare
Book Synopsis1000 PIECE PUZZLE: This 1000-piece puzzle features Shakespeare's London in glorious detail.CAST OF CHARACTERS: Spot famous characters, fellow writers and historical characters as you build the puzzle.INCLUDES PULL-OUT POSTER: Includes educational poster with fun facts about Shakespeare and his works. Piece together the world of Shakespeare in this art jigsaw puzzle depicting the London of his day. Spot a huge cast of contemporary extras as A Midsummer Night's Dream is rehearsed at the Globe and fellow actors wander the streets, along with local characters who may well have provided the Bard with inspiration. From lovers ascending ladders and bears being baited to tavern brawls and summer fetes, there is something to delight in every detail. Laurence King Publishing's ‘The World Of…’ jigsaws are a fun way of celebrating the lives and works of creative greats. Also available in
£16.19
HarperCollins Publishers Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained
Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.
£5.62
HarperCollins Publishers Hamlet
Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.
£5.62
Pearson Education Limited AQA Poetry Anthology Power and Conflict York
Book SynopsisOur brand-new York Notes for GCSE Workbooks offer a wide range of write-in tasks and exercises to boost your students’ knowledge of the text and help them practise for the new GCSE (9-1) English Literature exams.
£6.50
Pearson Education Limited Macbeth York Notes for GCSE everything you need
Book SynopsisThis updated edition is designed to support students in study and revision for the new GCSE (9-1) English Literature exams. Table of Contents Part 1: Induction Part 2: Plot and Action Part 3: Characters Part 4: Key Contexts and Themes Part 5: Language and Structure Part 6: Grade Booster Literacy Terms
£7.87
Pearson Education Limited An Inspector Calls York Notes for GCSE
Book SynopsisThis updated edition is designed to support students in study and revision for the new GCSE (9-1) English Literature exams. Table of Contents Part 1: Induction Part 2: Plot and Action Part 3: Characters Part 4: Key Contexts and Themes Part 5: Language and Structure Part 6: Grade Booster Literacy Terms
£7.87
Penguin Books Ltd Create Dangerously
Book Synopsis''To create today is to create dangerously''Camus argues passionately that the artist has a responsibility to challenge, provoke and speak up for those who cannot in this powerful speech, accompanied here by two others.Penguin Modern: fifty new books celebrating the pioneering spirit of the iconic Penguin Modern Classics series, with each one offering a concentrated hit of its contemporary, international flavour. Here are authors ranging from Kathy Acker to James Baldwin, Truman Capote to Stanislaw Lem and George Orwell to Shirley Jackson; essays radical and inspiring; poems moving and disturbing; stories surreal and fabulous; taking us from the deep South to modern Japan, New York''s underground scene to the farthest reaches of outer space.
£5.63
HarperCollins Publishers Walking The Invisible
Book SynopsisSee through the eyes of the Brontës as you immerse yourself in their lives and landscapes, wandering the very same paths they each would have walked in search of the inspiration behind their novels and poetry.An imaginative and elegant trek through the landscape of the Brontës' GraziaIn his journey to get closer to the Brontës, award-winning author Michael Stewart began walking the historic paths they trod while writing their most famous works. From Liverpool to Scarborough, across wild, windy, and often unforgiving scenery, he discovered echoes of the siblings' novels. And with the help of an unlikely cast of Yorkshire's inhabitants, Michael found himself falling further into their lives and writings than he could ever have imagined.Vivid and evocative, and including a series of beautiful maps of walks Michael devised when creating the iconic Brontë Stones project, Walking the Invisible invites you to experience the lives and landscapes that inspired the Brontës as they've never been Trade ReviewAn ‘imaginative and elegant trek through the landscape of the Brontës’ Grazia ‘An essential companion’ Lancashire Post ‘Literary but unpretentious’ My Weekly ‘Stewart’s passion and enthusiasm for the Brontes’ lives and work and the landscape that shaped them is palpable and infectious. If you weren’t struck […] with “Bronte Fever” before, after reading this you may well be’ Yorkshire Post ‘A terrific tribute to the Brontës – and to the landscapes that shaped their literature’ Guardian ‘For those who wish to follow in the footsteps of the Brontës, however the surroundings might have shifted over 200 years, Michael Stewart is an engaging and knowledgeable guide to have leading the way.’Brontë Studies ‘An authoritative, inspirational and often humorous companion to a great Yorkshire family and the landscape that shaped them – and many others – throughout history’ Yorkshire Life
£9.49
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
Penguin Books Ltd Meditations
Book SynopsisOriginally written only for his personal consumption, Marcus Aurelius''s Meditations has become a key text in the understanding of Roman Stoic philosophy. This Penguin Classics edition is translated with notes by Martin Hammond and an introduction by Diskin Clay.Written in Greek by an intellectual Roman emperor without any intention of publication, the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius offer a wide range of fascinating spiritual reflections and exercises developed as the leader struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe. Spanning from doubt and despair to conviction and exaltation, they cover such diverse topics as the question of virtue, human rationality, the nature of the gods and Aurelius''s own emotions. But while the Meditations were composed to provide personal consolation, in developing his beliefs Marcus also created one of the greatest of all works of philosophy: a series of wise and practical aphorisms that have been consulted and admired by statesmen, thinkers and ordinary readers for almost two thousand years.Martin Hammond''s new translation fully expresses the intimacy and eloquence of the original work, with detailed notes elucidating the text. This edition also includes an introduction by Diskin Clay, exploring the nature and development of the Meditations, a chronology, further reading and full indexes.Marcus Aelius Aurelius Antoninus (121-80) was adopted by the emperor Antoninus Pius and succeeded him in 161, (as joint emperor with adoptive brother Lucius Verus). He ruled alone from 169, and spent much of his reign in putting down various rebellions, and was a persecutor of Christians. His fame rest, above all, on his Meditations, a series of reflections, strongly influenced by Epictetus, which represent a Stoic outlook on life. He was succeeded by his natural son, thus ending the period of the adoptive emperors.If you enjoyed Meditations, you might like Seneca''s Letters from a Stoic, also available in Penguin Classics.Trade ReviewMartin Hammond's translation of Marcus Aurelius' Meditations, like his Iliad and Odyssey, is the work of an unusually gifted translator, and one who understands the value added by careful attention to supplementary material. He writes natural English, direct and often eloquent; the text is well supported by effective notes and a characteristically thorough and well-planned index; Diskin Clay supplies a useful introduction. This is a fine volume -- Malcolm Heath * Greece & Rome Journal *Marcus is well served by this new translation. Hammond has a pithy turn of phrase to match the emperor's own . . . His notes abound in helpful explanation and illuminating cross-reference. Diskin Clay contributes a sparkling and sympathetic introduction. The combination of introduction, translation and notes is as good as they get -- John Taylor * Journal of Classics Teaching *
£14.24
Oxford University Press Pride and Prejudice
Book SynopsisWith the arrival of eligible young men in their neighbourhood, the lives of Mr and Mrs Bennet and their five daughters are turned inside out. Pride encounters prejudice, upward-mobility confronts social disdain, and quick-wittedness challenges sagacity, as misconceptions and hasty judgements lead to heartache and scandal.Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text Select Bibliography A Chronology of Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice Volume I Volume II Volume III Explanatory Notes
£5.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Bovadium Fragments
£17.00
Dorling Kindersley Ltd German English Illustrated Dictionary
Book SynopsisLearn more than 10,000 of the most useful words and phrases in German with this beautifully illustrated dictionary for German-language students. Building on the success of the English for Everyone course books and the Bilingual Visual Dictionary series, the German English Illustrated Dictionary uses crystal-clear illustrations to show the meaning of over 10,000 words of German vocabulary. The words are shown in a visual context in themed sections covering practical or everyday topics (such as shopping, food, or study), providing learners with all the vocabulary they need for work, travel, and leisure. Fancy becoming an expert in the language? Then open the pages of this German dictionary to discover:- A comprehensive guide to a wide range of useful German words and expressions.- Structured in clear sections based around a theme (e.g. sports, food and drink, transport).- Clear, attractive illustrations make the vocabulary easy to
£17.00
Penguin Books Ltd The Three Theban Plays Antigone Oedipus the King
Book SynopsisThe heroic Greek dramas that have moved theatergoers and readers since the fifth century B.C.Towering over the rest of Greek tragedy, the three plays that tell the story of the fated Theban royal family—Antigone, Oedipus the King and Oedipus at Colonus—are among the most enduring and timeless dramas ever written. Robert Fagles's authoritative and acclaimed translation conveys all of Sophocles's lucidity and power: the cut and thrust of his dialogue, his ironic edge, the surge and majesty of his choruses and, above all, the agonies and triumphs of his characters. This Penguin Classics edition features an introduction and notes by the renowned classicist Bernard Knox.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and dTrade Review“I know of no better modern English version.”—Sir Hugh Lloyd-Jones, Oxford University “A marvel of craftsmanship and intelligence.”—Emily Vermeule, Harvard University “The most impressive verse translations of Sophocles that have been made.”—Stephen SpenderTable of ContentsThe Three Theban Plays - Sophocles Translated by Robert Fagles with Introductions and Notes by Bernard KnoxAcknowledgmentsTranslator's PrefaceGreece and the TheaterSOPHOCLES: THE THREE THEBAN PLAYSIntroduction to AntigoneAntigoneIntroduction to Oedipus the KingOedipus the KingIntroduction to Oedipus at ColonusOedipus at ColonusA Note on the Text of SophoclesTextual VariantsNotes on the Translation: Antigone, Oedipus the King, Oedipus at ColonusSelect BibliographyThe Genealogy of OedipusGlossary
£11.07
HarperCollins Publishers The Sign of the Four Collins Classics
Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.I abhor the dull routine of existence. I crave for mental exaltation. That is why I have chosen my own particular profession, or rather created it, for I am the only one in the world'In London, 1888, the razor-sharp detective skills of Sherlock Holmes are to be put to the test. Mary Morstan reports two seemingly unconnected and inexplicable events: the disappearance of her father, a British Indian Army Captain, and the arrival of pearls by post from an unknown sender. Driven on by its complexity, Holmes and Watson slowly begin to unravel an intricate web of exotic treasure, secret pacts and mysterious deaths.One of only four novels featuring Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick Watson, The Sign of the Four' will delight those who have been captivated by Arthur Conan Doyle's short stories.Trade Review‘Of all the Holmes stories it is ‘The Sign of Four’ which remains persistently in my memory.’ Graham Greene
£5.62
Vintage Publishing Look Closer
Book SynopsisRobert Douglas-Fairhurst is a Professor of English Literature at the University of Oxford, and a Fellow of Magdalen College. His books include Becoming Dickens: The Invention of a Novelist, which won the Duff Cooper Prize, and The Story of Alice: Lewis Carroll and the Secret History of Wonderland, which was shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award, and The Turning Point: A Year that Changed Dickens and the World. He writes regularly for publications including The Times, Guardian, TLS and Spectator. Radio and television appearances include Start the Week and The Culture Show, and he has also acted as the historical consultant on TV adaptations of Jane Eyre, Emma, Great Expectations, the BBC drama series Dickensian, and the feature film Enola Holmes. In 2015 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
£17.00
Oxford University Press Hamlet The Oxford Shakespeare
Book SynopsisTrade Reviewa dynamic, exciting, and thought-provoking work * Notes and Queries *it is bound in general to have considerable impact on our thinking about Hamlet (the text and the play) and deserves wide attention * Notes and Queries *level-headed, perspicuous treatment of the textual problems...It may be commended to students...Of the three recent Hamlets, this edition is the one I shall require students to buy. * T. H. Howard-Hill, Review English Studies *
£8.54
Transworld Reacher The Stories Behind The Stories
Book SynopsisLee Child is one of the world's leading thriller writers. He was born in Coventry, raised in Birmingham, and now lives in New York. It is said one of his novels featuring his hero Jack Reacher is sold somewhere in the world every nine seconds. His books consistently achieve the number-one slot on bestseller lists around the world and have sold over one hundred million copies. Lee is the recipient of many awards including Author of the Year at the 2019 British Book Awards. He was appointed CBE in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours.
£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd The Iliad
Book SynopsisCentres on the critical events in the last year of the Trojan War, which lead to Achilleus' killing of Hektor and determine the fate of Troy. This book presents a universal and tragic view of the world, of human life lived under the shadow of suffering and death, set against a vast and largely unpitying divine background.Trade Review“Fitzgerald has solved virtually every problem that has plagued translators of Homer. The narrative runs, the dialogue speaks, the military action is clear, and the repetitive epithets become useful text rather than exotic relics.” –Atlantic Monthly “Fitzgerald’s swift rhythms, bright images, and superb English make Homer live as never before…This is for every reader in our time and possibly for all time.”–Library Journal “[Fitzgerald’s Odyssey and Iliad] open up once more the unique greatness of Homer’s art at the level above the formula; yet at the same time they do not neglect the brilliant texture of Homeric verse at the level of the line and the phrase.” –The Yale Review“What an age can read in Homer, what its translators can manage to say in his presence, is one gauge of its morale, one index to its system of exultations and reticences. The supple, the iridescent, the ironic, these modes are among our strengths, and among Mr. Fitzgerald’s.” –National ReviewWith an Introduction by Gregory Nagy
£17.09
Penguin Random House Children's UK Hot Wheels Ultimate Handbook
Book SynopsisThis ultimate Hot Wheels collectors guide features 160+ iconic Hot Wheels vehicles and is filled with epic facts!Meet thrill-seeking vehicles, visit epic racing locations and learn all about the supercharged Hot Wheels world.This collector's guide is perfect for new fans or expert collectors. Use your collectors guide to track your Hot Wheels collection!Don't miss these other epic Hot Wheels books:Hot Wheels: Sticker BookHot Wheels: The Big Race: Search and FindHot Wheels: Ready, Set, Race!Hot Wheels is the iconic vehicle property from leading global toy company, Mattel. Hot Wheels offers the ultimate high-speed, action-packed play experience. The all-new animated children's series, Hot Wheels Let's Race, is available now on Netflix. Combining awesome vehicles, adventurous characters, and high-speed races, the new series is a comedy thrill ride for the whole family. Join the Hot Wheels adventure in this fun new collection of activity and story books. On your marks, get set, GO GO GO!
£8.54
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Electric Spark
Book SynopsisFrom one of our leading biographers and critics comes an exhilarating, landmark new look at Muriel Spark.
£21.25
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
£7.99
Spark Much Ado About Nothing
Book SynopsisNo Fear Shakespeare gives you the complete text of Much Ado About Nothing on the left-hand page, side-by-side with an easy-to-understand translation on the right.
£7.59
Penguin Books Ltd The Fire Next Time
Book Synopsis''Sermon, ultimatum, confession, deposition, testament, and chronicle ... all presented in searing, brilliant prose'' The New York Times Book Review We, the black and the white, deeply need each other here if we are really to become a nationJames Baldwin''s impassioned plea to ''end the racial nightmare'' in America was a bestseller when it appeared in 1963, galvanising a nation and giving voice to the emerging civil rights movement. Told in the form of two intensely personal ''letters'', The Fire Next Time is at once a powerful evocation of Baldwin''s early life in Harlem and an excoriating condemnation of the terrible legacy of racial injustice.''A seminal meditation on race by one of our greatest writers'' Barack Obama''Baldwin writes with great passion ... it reeks of truth, as the ghettoes of New York and London, Chicago and Manchester reek of our hypocrisy'' Sunday Times''The great poet-prophet of the civil rights movement ... his seminal work'' GuardianTrade ReviewRiveting . . . part of Baldwin's enduring power is that he was not a political thinker. He was interested in the soul's dark spaces much more than in the body politic. -- Colm Toibin * Telegraph *The great poet-prophet of the civil rights movement ... his seminal work * Guardian *Sermon, ultimatum, confession, deposition, testament, and chronicle . . . all presented in searing, brilliant prose * The New York Times Book Review *Baldwin writes with great passion ... it reeks of truth, as the ghettoes of New York and London, Chicago and Manchester reek of our hypocrisy * Sunday Times *A true prophet . . . his thought and its utterance are nothing less than majestical -- Mario Puzo * The New York Times *
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd Letters to a Young Poet Rainer Maria Rilke
Book SynopsisRainer Maria Rilke’s powerfully touching letters to an aspiring young poet. At the start of the twentieth century, Rainer Maria Rilke wrote a series of letters to a young officer cadet, advising him on writing, love, sex, suffering, and the nature of advice itself. These profound and lyrical letters have since become hugely influential for generations of writers and artists of all kinds, including Lady Gaga and Patti Smith. With honesty, elegance, and a deep understanding of the loneliness that often comes with being an artist, Rilke’s letters are an endless source of inspiration and comfort. Lewis Hyde’s new introduction explores the context in which these letters were written and how the author embraced his isolation as a creative force. This edition also includes Rilke’s later work The Letter from the Young Worker. For more than 80 years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature Trade Review...I cannot think of a better book to put into the hands of any young would-be poet, as an inspirational guide to poetry and to surviving as a poet in a hostile world. -- Harry Fainlight * The Times *
£8.54
Pearson Education Limited English Language and Literature Writing Skills
Book Synopsis The complete and comprehensive way to support your studies and assessments in 2021 and exams in 2022. Quickly get to grips with key writing skills, including planning and writing your own texts in the exam and writing about fiction and non-fiction extracts. Build confidence with key definitions, examples, regular tests and Top tips'' for improvement. Perfect your techniques and write mark-maximising answers with the targeted Aiming high'' tips. Power up your writing skills and feel fully ready and equipped to excel in any test or assessment. For the first time, York Notes bring you a Revision and Exam Practice guide to help you improve your writing skills for the whole of your English Language and English Literature GCSE 9-1 courses. So whether you''re studying at home, online or in the classroom, York Notes is your best bet for the best grades. Packed with more
£7.87
Penguin Books Ltd Come Close
Book Synopsis''Yes, we did many things, then - allBeautiful ...''Lyrical, powerful poems about love, sexuality, sun-soaked Greece and the gods.Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin''s 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions.Sappho (c.630-570 BCE). Sappho''s Stung with Love is available in Penguin Classics.
£5.63
Little, Brown Book Group If Not, Winter: Fragments Of Sappho
Book SynopsisFrom the critically acclaimed poet and classicist Anne Carson: a brilliant new translation of the work of Sappho, together with the original Greek. During her life on the island of Lesbos, Sappho is said to have composed nine books of lyrics. Only one poem has survived complete. In IF NOT, WINTER, Carson presents all the extant fragments of Sappho's verse, employing brackets and white space to denote missing text - allowing the reader to imagine the poems as they were written. Carson says of her method of translation: 'I like to think that, the more I stand out of the way, the more Sappho shows through.' And certainly her translation illuminates Sappho's reflections on love and desire, her companions and rivals, the goddess Aphrodite, her own daughter, Kleis. IF NOT, WINTER gives us an extraordinary ancient poet brought alive by a brilliantly empathetic contemporary poet. Complete with Carson's introduction and notes, it will become the standard translation of Sappho for our time.Trade Reviewa superb version...these new poems, made by Carson out of Sappho, are subtle, beautiful, precise, moving. * Margaret Reynolds, THE TIMES *This collection of her [Sappho's] fragments gives you everything, for the first time... * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *The beautiful blur of Sappho's work, the rhythms, the ornate grammar, the singing sounds she teases out of rare words...are impossible to match. * DAILY TELEGRAPH *Imaginatively presented and superbly prefaced, this collection is both heartrending and uplifiting. * INDEPENDENT *
£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd Into The Woods
Book Synopsis''The best book on the subject I''ve read. Quite brilliant'' Tony Jordan, creator/writer, Life on Mars, HustleWe all love stories. But why do we tell them? And why do all stories function in an eerily similar way? John Yorke, creator of the BBC Writers'' Academy, has brought a vast array of drama to British screens. Here he takes us on a journey to the heart of storytelling, revealing that there truly is a unifying shape to narrative forms - one that echoes the fairytale journey into the woods and, like any great art, comes from deep within. From ancient myths to big-budget blockbusters, he gets to the root of the stories that are all around us, every day.''Marvellous'' Julian Fellowes ''Terrifyingly clever ... Packed with intelligent argument'' Evening Standard ''The most important book about scriptwriting since William Goldman''s Adventures in the Screen Trade'' Peter Bowker, writer, Blackpool, Occupation, Eric Trade ReviewBrimmingly insightful ... fresh, enlightening and accessible ... a gripping read from beginning to end -- Robert Collins * Sunday Times *Terrifyingly clever ... Packed with intelligent argument * Evening Standard *So detailed and engaging is his methodology that any consumer of books, plays, TV or films will find the experience enhanced; and scriptwriters themselves will find useful guidance - because when you know the why, the how is natural -- Robert Epstein * Independent on Sunday *This is a marvellous analysis of screenwriting and, with any luck, should help a great many people achieve their dreams -- Julian Fellowes, writer/creator of Downton AbbeyAnother book on screenwriting! Oh, how I wanted to hate it! I didn't. I loved it. Much of it was fresh to me. And always interesting, always intelligent and, for a writer, always rewarding -- Jimmy McGovern, screenwriter, The Street and The AccusedIn an industry full of so called script gurus and snake oil salesmen, at last there's a book about story that treats writers like grown ups. This isn't about providing us with an ABC of story or telling us how to write a script by numbers. It's an intelligent evaluation into the very nature of storytelling and is the best book on the subject I've read. Quite brilliant -- Tony Jordan, screenwriter, Life on Mars and HustleEven for a convinced sceptic, John Yorke's book, with its massive field of reference from Aristotle to Glee, and from Shakespeare to Spooks, is a highly persuasive and hugely enjoyable read. It would be hard to beat for information and wisdom about how and why stories are told -- Dominic Dromgoole, Artistic Director, The Globe TheatreThis book is intelligent, well written, incisive and, most of all, exciting. It is the most important book about scriptwriting since William Goldman's Adventures in the Screen Trade -- Peter Bowker, screenwriter, Blackpool, Occupation and Eric & ErniePart 'How-to' manual, part 'why-to' celebration, Into The Woods is a wide-reaching and infectiously passionate exploration of storytelling in all its guises ... exciting and thought-provoking -- Emma Frost, screenwriter, The White Queen and ShamelessInto The Woods is an amazing achievement. It has a real depth and understanding about story, a fantastically broad frame of reference and it's interesting and absorbing throughout. Full of incredibly useful insights, every TV writer should read the first chapter alone -- Simon Ashdown, series consultant, EastEndersTesting the adage that "in theory there's no difference between theory and practice but in practice there is", this is a love story to story -- erudite, witty and full of practical magic. It's by far the best book of its kind I've ever read. I struggle to think of the writer who wouldn't benefit from reading it -- even if they don't notice because they're too busy enjoying every page -- Neil Cross, creator/writer of Luther, Crossbones and writer of Dr Who, MI5Books on story structure are ten a penny but Mistah Yorke's is the real deal -- Kathryn FlettAll script-writers will want to read Into The Woods. All plots and archetypes BUSTED -- Caitlin MoranGot to say Into The Woods by John Yorke is marvellous. The prospect of another screenwriting book made me yawn, but its terrific ... It's a great read, wise and cogent, and a must for all screenwriters -- David EldridgeA mind-blower ... an incredibly dense but very readable tome about the art of storytelling ... Really worth a read -- Lenny Henry * The Independent *I don't always enjoy books on writing, but Into the Woods by John Yorke is brilliant on story structure. -- Ken Follett, author of 'The Pillars of the Earth'In his brimmingly insightful, stimulating study of how stories work, Yorke compellingly unpicks how a whole range of films, plays, novels and fairy tales all display the same archetypal structures . . . His book, in telling scores of stories in such a fresh, enlightening and accessible manner, is a gripping read from beginning to end * Sunday Times *The best book on the subject [of storytelling] I've read, tells us everything we need to know about it. Yorke's analysis is superb * London Evening Standard *A mightily impressive opus, both hugely informative and highly educational. I love the way it's populated with so many examples - the many combinations of both mass market and the slightly more esoteric giving a something-for-everyone feeling. A brilliant work -- Peter James, best-selling author of NOT DEAD ENOUGH and LOOKING GOOD DEADYorke sets out to analyse the patterns behind storytelling, explaining why the fundamentals of narrative have remained the same from Aristotle to Aaron Sorkin. A great starting point for anyone wanting to create a story * Stuff Magazine *I've just read a book about professional writing which has genuinely helped me. It's for those who are serious about avoiding bad 'How To' books and want to raise their game, and it's more intelligent than most of the others. John Yorke's Into The Woods: How Stories Work And Why We Tell Them is a genuine game-changer and has helped me put past bad habits to rest -- Christopher Fowler, Author of Bryant and MayInto The Woods is utterly brilliant -- Ed Cumming * Daily Telegraph *Love storytelling? You need this inspiring book. John Yorke dissects the structure of stories with a joyous enthusiasm allied to precise, encyclopaedic knowledge. Guaranteed to send you back to your writing desk with newfound excitement and drive -- Chris Chibnall, creator and writer of Broadchurch and The Great Train RobberyInto The Woods is brilliant. One of the best books on script writing out there . . . I loved the book. Inspiring -- Dominic Mitchell, creator and writer of In The FleshThere is no end of books that instruct us on how to write the perfect screenplay, but few that delve more deeply into the art of storytelling than this erudite volume * Financial Times *Its strength is Yorke's acute perception of the wellsprings of universal narrative structures relevant to all artistic activities * The Times *Terrific . . . It's a great read, wise and cogent, and a must for all screenwriters -- David Eldridge, writer of Festen and In BasildonIt's a great read. It makes me smile and say 'Yes!' aloud. Only this and PG Wodehouse do that -- Lucy Gannon, writer/creator of Soldier Soldier, Peak Practice, Frankie, The Best Of MenNot How 2 Write them but how stories work. John Yorke's Into the Woods: A 5 Act Journey into Story is brilliant, illuminates & explains -- Susan Hill, Author, The Woman In Black, I’m The King Of The CastleI'm only 70 pages into John Yorke's Into the Woods but it's already helped me crack two stories -- Andy Diggle, former editor of 2000AD, comic book writer for Marvel, DCHighly recommended reading * Huffington Post *Yorke is aware that the world is not suffering for lack of prescriptive screenwriting manuals. Instead, with Into the Woods, he takes a scalpel to narrative structure - dissecting protagonist, antagonist, inciting incident, crisis and so on - before asking how and why this underlying shape still holds audiences spellbound like a fairytale witch. "A story is like a magnet dragged through randomness," Yorke writes, but while he elegantly untangles the deepest roots of storytelling, he also honours the human need for truth and sense with some more superficial questions: why do series tend to "jump the shark" round about season three, for example, or why is clunky exposition - particularly in medical dramas - so appallingly comical? Sit comfortably, then begin * Guardian *I absolutely love this book. It's incredible and so well written. I keep trying to find fault but so far no joy - It's so good -- Matt Charman, writer Bridge of Spies (dir Stephen Spielberg); Black Work (ITV)[John Yorke's] writing book is arguably possibly almost as good as mine, all right it's loads better shut up -- David Quantick, Author of HOW TO WRITE EVERYTHINGProbably, in the hackneyed phrase, "the last book on screenwriting you'll ever need." He is very good at debunking the claims of some screenwriting gurus, all of whom are busy trying to sell you their own particular brand of snake oil. It's truly excellent -- Tim Adler * Daily Telegraph *Of all the books I've read about story construction and the art of fiction, this one is the most comprehensive and concise -- John Collee, writer on 'Master And Commander', 'Happy Feet', 'Creation', 'Walking With Dinosaurs'
£10.44
