ELT & Literary Studies Books
Penguin Books Ltd Hrafnkels Saga and Other Icelandic Stories
Book SynopsisWritten around the thirteenth century AD by Icelandic monks, the seven tales collected here offer a combination of pagan elements tightly woven into the pattern of Christian ethics. They take as their subjects figures who are heroic, but do not fit into the mould of traditional heroes. Some stories concern characters in Iceland - among them Hrafknel's Saga, in which a poor man's son is murdered by his powerful neighbour, and Thorstein the Staff-Struck, which describes an ageing warrior's struggle to settle into a peaceful rural community. Others focus on the adventures of Icelanders abroad, including the compelling Audun's Story, which depicts a farmhand's pilgrimage to Rome. These fascinating tales deal with powerful human emotions, suffering and dignity at a time of profound transition, when traditional ideals were gradually yielding to a more peaceful pastoral lifestyle.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literaTable of ContentsHrafnkel's SagaIntroductionNote on the Translation1. Hrafnkel's Saga2. Thorstein the Staff-Struck3. Ale-Hood4. Hreidar the Fool5. Halldor Snorrason6. Audun's Story7. Ivar's StoryList of Personal NamesMaps
£10.44
Penguin Publishing Group Theaetetus Penguin Classics
Book SynopsisSet immediately prior to the trial and execution of Socrates in 399 BC, Theaetetus shows the great philosopher considering the nature of knowledge itself, in a debate with the geometrician Theodorus and his young follower Theaetetus. Their dialogue covers many questions, such as: is knowledge purely subjective, composed of the ever-changing flow of impressions we receive from the outside world? Is it better thought of as true belief? Or is it, as many modern philosophers argue, justified true belief, in which the belief is supported by argument or evidence? With skill and eloquence, Socrates guides the debate, drawing out the implications of these theories and subjecting them to merciless and mesmerising criticism. One of the founding works of epistemology, this profound discussion of the problem of knowledge continues to intrigue and inspire.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1Table of ContentsTheaetetus - Plato PrefaceMapTheaetetus EssayBibliography
£13.49
Penguin Publishing Group Plays and Fragments Penguin Classics
Book SynopsisMenander (c. 341-291 BC) was the foremost innovator of Greek New Comedy, a dramatic style that moved away from the fantastical to focus upon the problems of ordinary Athenians. This collection contains the full text of 'Old Cantankerous' (Dyskolos), the only surviving complete example of New Comedy, as well as fragments from works including 'The Girl from Samos' and 'The Rape of the Locks', all of which are concerned with domestic catastrophes, the hazards of love and the trials of family life. Written in a poetic style regarded by the ancients as second only to Homer, these polished works - profoundly influential upon both Roman playwrights such as Plautus and Terence, and the wider Western tradition - may be regarded as the first true comedies of manners.Table of ContentsPlays and FragmentsPrefaceIntroductionFurther ReadingOld CantankerousThe Girl from SamosThe ArbitrationThe Rape of the LocksThe ShieldThe SikyonianThe Man She HatedThe Double Deceiver and The Two Bacchises by PlautusThe FarmerThe ToadyThe HarpistThe HeroThe PhantomThe Girl PossessedThe Girl from PerinthosTitle UnknownSome Longer FragmentsSome Fragments Doubtfully Attributed to MenanderNotes
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd Dialogues and Letters
Book SynopsisA major writer and a leading figure in the public life of Rome, Seneca (c. 4BC-AD 65) ranks among the most eloquent and influential masters of Latin prose. This selection explores his thoughts on philosophy and the trials of life. In the Consolation to Helvia he strives to offer solace to his mother, following his exile in AD 41, while On the Shortness of Life and On Tranquillity of Mind are lucid and compelling explorations of Stoic thought. Witty and self-critical, the Letters - written to his young friend Lucilius - explore Seneca''s struggle to acquire philosophical wisdom. A fascinating insight into one of the greatest minds of Ancient Rome, these works inspired writers and thinkers including Montaigne, Rousseau, and Bacon, and continue to intrigue and enlighten.Table of ContentsDialogues and Letters - Seneca PrefaceIntroductionA Note on the TextFurther ReadingDialoguesConsolation to HelviaOn Tranquillity of MindOn the Shortness of LifeLettersLetter 24Letter 57Letter 79Letter 110from Natural Questions1. praef. 1-10 [Seneca urges Lucilius to enjoy the inspiration and benefits of philosophical study]4A.2.4-6 [The Cataracts of the Nile]6.1.4-7 [The terrors of earthquakes]NotesIndex
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Music at Midnight
Book SynopsisFor the first time, John Drury convincingly integrates the life and poetry of George Herbert, giving us in Music at Midnight the definitive biography of the man behind some of the most famous poems in the English Language.''Love bade me welcome . . .''''Teach me my God and King . . .''George Herbert wrote, but never published, some of the very greatest English poetry, recording in an astonishing variety of forms his inner experiences of grief, recovery, hope, despair, anger, fulfilment and - above all else - love.He was born in 1593 and died at the age of 39 in 1633, before the clouds of civil war gathered, his family aristocratic and his upbringing privileged. He showed worldly ambition and seemed sure of high public office and a career at court, but then for a time ''lost himself in a humble way'', devoting himself to the restoration of the church at Leighton Bromswold in Buckinghamshire and then to his parish of Bemerton, three miles from Salisbury, whose cathedral music he called ''my heaven on earth''. When in the year of his death his friend Nicholas Ferrar, leader of the quasi-monastic community at Little Gidding, published Herbert''s poems under the title The Temple, his fame was quickly established.Because he published no English poems during his lifetime, and dating most of them exactly is impossible, writing Herbert''s biography is an unusual challenge. In this book John Drury sets the poetry in the whole context of the poet''s life and times, so that the reader can understand the frame of mind and kind of society which produced it, and depth can be added to the narrative of Herbert''s life. (T.S. Eliot: ''What we can confidently believe is that every poem in the book [The Temple] is in tune to the poet''s experience.'') His Herbert is not the saintly figure who has come down to us from John Aubrey, but a man torn for much of his life between worldly ambition and the spiritual life shown to us so clearly through his writings. The result is the most satisfying biography of this exceptional English poet yet written.JOHN DRURY is Chaplain and Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. He began as a biblical scholar, and while Dean of King''s College, Cambridge, worked with Frank Kermode on the Gospels for The Literary Guide to the Bible, which sharpened his sense of the role of imagination in the formation of the Gospel stories. He took this interest further, and into the realm of Christian paintings and their meaning, in Painting the Word, written while he was Dean of Christ Church, Oxford. Music at Midnight is the culmination of a lifetime''s interest in Herbert, whose Complete Poetry he is now editing for Penguin Classics.Trade ReviewIncomparable. Drury triumphantly delivers the goods ... artfully weaving the poetry through the life -- Diarmaid MacCulloch * Daily Telegraph *Excellent, captivating, full of moving detail. A terrific book about a remarkable poet -- Sally Vickers * Independent *Dazzling -- David Grylls * Sunday Times *
£999.99
Penguin Books Ltd The Elder Edda
Book SynopsisPart of a new series Legends from the Ancient North, The Elder Edda is one of the classic books that influenced JRR Tolkien''s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings''I was in the East, battling giants,wicked-hearted women, who wandered the fells;great would be the giant-race, if they all lived: mankind would be nothing under, middle-earth. What did you do meantime, Grey-beard?''J.R.R. Tolkien spent much of his life studying, translating and teaching the great epic stories of northern Europe, filled with heroes, dragons, trolls, dwarves and magic. He was hugely influential for his advocacy of Beowulf as a great work of literature and, even if he had never written The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, would be recognised today as a significant figure in the rediscovery of these extraordinary tales.Legends from the Ancient North brings together from Penguin Classics five of the key works behi
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Nature of Things Lucretius Penguin Pocket
Book SynopsisA new series of beautiful hardcover nonfiction classics, with covers designed by Coralie Bickford-SmithWorld-changing ideas meet eye-catching design: the best titles of the extraordinarily successful Great Ideas series are now packaged in Coralie Bickford-Smith’s distinctive,award-winning covers. Whether on a well-curated shelf or in your back pocket, these timeless works of philosophical, political, and psychological thought are absolute musthaves for book collectors as well as design enthusiasts.The Nature of Things combines a scientific and philosophical treatise with some of the greatest poetry ever written. Lucretius demonstrates to humanity that in death there is nothing to fear, as the soul is mortal and the world and everything in it is governed by the mechanical laws of nature rather than by gods. By believing this, men can live with peace of mind and happiness. His far-ranging lyrical exploration of the universe continues with aTrade ReviewOne of the most extraordinary classical translations of recent times -- Peter Stothard * Times Literary Supplement *A.E. Stallings's brilliant recent translation -- Eric Orrmsby * Wall Street Journal *
£13.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Portable Beat Reader
Book SynopsisBeginning in the late 1940's, American literature discovered a four-letter word, and the word was beat. This book collects the significant writings of the fellow members of the Beat Generation. In poetry, fiction, essays, and memoirs, it captures the triumphant rudeness, energy, and exhilaration of a movement that swept through American letters.Trade Review"A deft and definitive collection. It catches the flavor of playful, serious defiance of the whole generation." —Gary SnyderTable of ContentsThe Portable Beat ReaderIntroduction"Variations On A Generation"Part I"The Best Minds Of A Generation"East Coast BeatsEditor's Note1. Jack KerouacOn the Road (excerpt)The Subterraneans (excerpt)Mexico City Blues (excerpt)211th Chorus239th Chorus240th Chorus241st Chorus242nd Chorus"Essentials of Spontaneous Prose""Belief & Technique for Modern Prose2. Allen Ginsberg"Howl""Footnote to Howl""A Supermarket in California""Sunflower Sutra""America""Kaddish""Song""On Burroughs' Work"3. William BurroughsJunky (excerpt)The Yage Letters (excerpt)Naked Lunch (excerpt)"Deposition: Testimony Concerning a Sickness"4. Herbert Huncke"Elsie John""Joey Martinez"5. John Clellon HolmesGo (excerpt)6. Carl SolomonMishaps, Perhaps (excerpt)7. Gregory Corso"I Am 25""The Mad Yak""Vision of Rotterdam""Bomb""Marriage""Variations on a Generation" (excerpt)Part 2"Heart Beat"Enter Neal CassadyEditor's Note1. Neal CassadyLetters to Jack Kerouac, 1947-19502. Jack KerouacLetter to Neal Cassady, early 19513. Neal CassadyThe First Third (excerpt)4. Jack KerouacVisions of Cody (excerpt)Part 3"Constantly Risking Absurdity"Some San Francisco Renaissance PoetsEditor's Note1. Kenneth Rexroth"Thou Shalt Not Kill""Poems from the Japanese""Rexroth: Shaker and Maker" by WilliamEverson2. Lawrence Ferlinghetti"Dog""Constantly Risking Absurdity""In Goya's greatest scenes . . .""One Thousand Fearful Words for Fidel Castro""Horn on Howl3. Michael McClure"Peyote Poem"Scratching the Beat Surface (excerpt)Includes Snyder's poem, "A Berry Feast," Whalen's poem, "Plus Ca Change..."McClure's poems, "Point Lobos: Animism" and "For the Death of 100 Whales"4. Gary Snyder"Mid-August at Sourdough Montain Lookout"Milton by Firelight""Riprap""Praise for Sick Women""Night Highway Ninety-nine""Toji""Higashi Hongwanji""Notes on the Religious Tendencies"5. Philip Whalen"Sourdough Mountain Lookout""A Dim View of Berkeley in the Spring""Prose Take-Out, Portland 13:ix:58"6. Philip Lamantia"High""The night is a space of white marble""I have given fair warning""There is this distance between me and what I see""Fud at Foster's"7. Lew Welch"Chicago Poem""The Basic Con""Taxi Suite—After Anacreon""Not Yet 40, My Beard Is Already White""The Image, as in a Hexagram""I Saw Myself"8. Bob Kaufman"Round About Midnight""Jazz Chick""On""O-Jazz-O"Part 4"A Few Blue Words To The Wise"Other Fellow TravelersEditor's Note1. Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones)"In Memory of Radio""Way Out West""The Screamers"Letter About Kerouac's Prose2. Ray Bremser"Funny Lotus Blues..."3. Diane DiPrima"Three Laments""Song for Baby-O, Unborn""The Practice of Magical Evocation""Poetics""Brass Furnace Going Out"4. Bob Dylan"Blowin' in the Wind""The Times They Are A-Cahngin'""A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall"Tarantula (excerpt)5. Brenda Frazer (Bonni Bremser)"Poem to Lee Forest"6. Tuli Kupferberg"Greenwich Village of My Dreams"1001 Ways to Beat the Draft (excerpt)7. Jack Micheline"Poet of the Streets"8. Frank O'Hara"Les Luths""Post the Lake Poets Ballad""Personal Poem""The Day Lady Died"9. Peter Orlovsky"Lepers Cry"10. Ed Sanders"Poem from Jail" (excerpt)"The Cutting Prow"11. Anne Waldman"Our Past"12. John Wieners"A poem for record players""A poem for tea heads""A poem for museum goers""A poem for the insane""Feminine Soliloquy""Children of the Working Class"Part 5"Tales of Beatnik Glory"Memoirs and Posthumous TributesEditor's Note1. Charles BukowskiNotes of a Dirty Old Man (excerpt)2. William Burroughs, Jr.Kentucky Ham (excerpt)3. Carolyn CassadyOff the Road (excerpt)4. Diane DiPrimaDinners and Nightmares (excerpt)5. Brenda Frazer (Bonnie Bremser)Troia: Mexican Memoirs (excerpt)6. Brion Gysin"The Beat Hotel, Paris" (excerpt)7. Joyce JohnsonMinor Characters (excerpt)8. Hettie JonesHow I Became Hettie Jones (excerpt)9. Jan KerouacBaby Driver (excerpt)10. Ken Kesey"The Day After Superman Died" (excerpt)11. Michael McClureThe Mad Cub (excerpt)12. Ed SandersTales of Beatnik Glory (excerpt)Part 6"The Unspeakable Visions Of The Individual"Later WorkEditor's Note1. William BurroughsNova Express (excerpt)2. Gregory Corso"Columbia U Poesy Reading—1975""The Whole Mess . . . Almost"3. Diane Di Prima"April Fool Birthday Poem for Grandpa"Loba: Parts I-VIII (excerpt)4. Lawrence Ferlinghetti"The Canticle of Jack Kerouac""Uses of Poetry""Short Story on a Painting of Gustav Klimt"5. Allen Ginsberg"First Party at Ken Kesey's""Wichita Vortex Sutra""Anti-Vietnam War Peace Mobilization""Mugging""Ode to Failure""White Shroud""Fourth Floor, Dawn, Up All Night"Writing Letters6. Michael McClure"Song (I Work with the Shape)""It's Nation Time""Watching the Stolen Rose""The Death of Kin Chuen Louie"7. Ed Saunders"Hymn to Archilochus""What Would Tom Paine Do?" (Song)8. Gary Snyder"Smokey the Bear Sutra""I Went into the Maverick Bar""Mother Earth: Her Whales""The Bath""Axe Handles""Pine Tree Tops"Appendix—Three Commentators1. Norman Mailer"The White Negro"2. Alan Watts"Beat Zen, Square Zen, and Zen"3. John Clellon Holmes"The Game of the Name" (excerpt)Books For Further ReadingIndex Of Authors And TitlesAcknowledgments
£12.99
Penguin Books Ltd XMen
Book SynopsisTrade Review“A groundbreaking example of comics representation in literature.”—Publishers Weekly“Penguin provides introductory essays; superb analyses by the series editor, Ben Saunders; and extensive bibliographies.”—Michael Dirda, The Washington Post“Stories become classics when generations of readers sort through them, talk about them, imitate them, and recommend them. In this case, baby boomers read them when they débuted, Gen X-ers grew up with their sequels, and millennials encountered them through Marvel movies. Each generation of fans—initially fanboys, increasingly fangirls, and these days nonbinary fans, too—found new ways not just to read the comics but to use them. That’s how canons form. Amateurs and professionals, over decades, come to something like consensus about which books matter and why—or else they love to argue about it, and we get to follow the arguments. Canons rise and fall, gain works and lose others, when one generation of people with the power to publish, teach, and edit diverges from the one before ... A top-flight comic by Kirby—or his successor on “Captain America,” Jim Steranko—barely needed words. You could follow the story just by watching the characters act and react. Thankfully, Penguin volumes do justice to these images. They reproduce sixties comics in bright, flat, colorful inks on thick white paper—unlike the dot-based process used on old newsprint, but perhaps truer to their bold, thrill-chasing spirit.”—Stephanie Burt, The New Yorker“As before, all three of these volumes re-present Professor Ben Saunders’ learned general series intro which does an excellent job of succinctly explaining the rise of Marvel Comics and the Marvel Method.”—Forces of Geek
£21.25
Penguin Books Ltd The Avengers
Book SynopsisTrade Review“A groundbreaking example of comics representation in literature.”—Publishers Weekly“Penguin provides introductory essays; superb analyses by the series editor, Ben Saunders; and extensive bibliographies.”—Michael Dirda, The Washington Post“Stories become classics when generations of readers sort through them, talk about them, imitate them, and recommend them. In this case, baby boomers read them when they débuted, Gen X-ers grew up with their sequels, and millennials encountered them through Marvel movies. Each generation of fans—initially fanboys, increasingly fangirls, and these days nonbinary fans, too—found new ways not just to read the comics but to use them. That’s how canons form. Amateurs and professionals, over decades, come to something like consensus about which books matter and why—or else they love to argue about it, and we get to follow the arguments. Canons rise and fall, gain works and lose others, when one generation of people with the power to publish, teach, and edit diverges from the one before ... A top-flight comic by Kirby—or his successor on “Captain America,” Jim Steranko—barely needed words. You could follow the story just by watching the characters act and react. Thankfully, Penguin volumes do justice to these images. They reproduce sixties comics in bright, flat, colorful inks on thick white paper—unlike the dot-based process used on old newsprint, but perhaps truer to their bold, thrill-chasing spirit.”—Stephanie Burt, The New Yorker“As before, all three of these volumes re-present Professor Ben Saunders’ learned general series intro which does an excellent job of succinctly explaining the rise of Marvel Comics and the Marvel Method.”—Forces of Geek
£33.60
Penguin Putnam Inc Watch Your Language
Book Synopsis
£17.09
Penguin Random House India New Writing in India
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£26.59
Oxford University Press Horace
Book SynopsisVery Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, InspiringHorace was one of the greatest poets during the reign of Augustus and is seen as a mark of cultural sophistication since this time. This Very Short Introduction examines how Horace''s poetry has exerted enormous influence but argues that it is best understood within the traditions of ancient literature. Llewellyn Morgan guides the reader through the dizzying vagaries of Horace''s biography, which reflects the political and social instability of the period. His poetry, and the life he artfully constructs and presents to us in it, engages both with the greatest crisis that Rome had ever faced, and its resolution by the first Emperor. Horace is Rome''s laureate, and through him we experience the anxieties and triumphs of his age. For posterity, Horace has served for a model of the good life, a promoter of enlightened retirement, but has also exemplified poetic artistry, and is the most creative manipulator of the Latin language, even among his remarkable contemporaries.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction 1: Satire 2: Epodes 3: Odes 4: Epistles 5: Horace after Horace Further reading Index
£9.49
Oxford University Press John Berger Ways of Learning
Book SynopsisIona Heath relates the importance that John Berger's work and friendship had on her working
£18.99
Oxford University Press Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy Volume 62
Book SynopsisOxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy is a volume of original articles on all aspects of ancient philosophy. The articles may be of substantial length, and include critical notices of major books. OSAP is now published twice yearly, in both hardback and paperback.Table of Contents1: Richard Neels: Opposites and Explanations in Heraclitus 2: Suzanne Obdrzalek: Evaluative Illusion in Plato's Protagoras 3: Michael Wiitala: That Difference is Different from Being: Sophist 255c9-e2 4: Christopher Bobonich: Is Plato a Consequentialist? 5: Joshua Mendelsohn: Aristotle's Argument for the Necessity of What We Understand 6: Wei Wang: Aristotle on Digestion, Self-Motion, and the Eternity of the Universe: A Discussion of Physics 8.6 and De somno 7: Allison Piñeros Glasscock: Giving Gifts and Making Friends: Seneca's De beneficiis on How to Expand One's Sphere of Ethical Concern 8: Ralph Wedgwood: Hierocles' Concentric Circles 9: Matthew Evans: Archaic Epistemology: A Discussion of Jessica Moss, Plato's Epistemology: Being and Seeming
£75.48
Oxford University Press Shakespeares First Folio
Book SynopsisCelebrating the 400th Anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare''s First FolioThis is the biography of a book: the first collected edition of Shakespeare''s plays printed in 1623 and known as the First Folio. It begins with the story of its first purchaser in London in December 1623, and goes on to explore the ways people have interacted with this iconic book over the four hundred years of its history. Throughout the stress is on what we can learn from individual copies now spread around the world about their eventful lives. From ink blots to pet paws, from annotations to wineglass rings, First Folios teem with evidence of their place in different contexts with different priorities. This study offers new ways to understand Shakespeare''s reception and the history of the book. Unlike previous scholarly investigations of the First Folio, it is not concerned with the discussions of how the book came into being, the provenance of its texts, or the technicalities of its production. Instead, it reanimates, in narrative style, the histories of this book, paying close attention to the details of individual copies now located around the world - their bindings, marginalia, general condition, sales history, and location - to discuss five major themes: owning, reading, decoding, performing, and perfecting. This is a history of the book that consolidated Shakespeare''s posthumous reputation: a reception history and a study of interactions between owners, readers, forgers, collectors, actors, scholars, booksellers, and the book through which we understand and recognize Shakespeare.Trade ReviewA fascinating and provocative book. * Daniel Swift, Spectator *Delightful. * Jerry Brotton, The Daily Telegraph *Her diligence in considering every aspect of the Folio's material existence is commendable. * Brian Vickers, Times Literary Supplement *This is a beautifully judged book about books, impeccably researched yet wry and affectionate. * Jerry Brotton, Financial Times *Smith's account of the Folio's distinguished career is very nicely written and consistently entertaining and informative... It is the modern equivalent of a magic book, and Smith's own book does justice to that magic. * Times Higher Education *Emma Smith's book comes as a welcome corrective to the fascination with Shakespeare the man ... as it is the "biography" of something far more interesting: a book. * Stuart Kelly, Independent *I've been looking forward to Emma Smith's Shakespeare's First Folio ever since I heard her give a paper that asked, "can you actually read the First Folio?" It's that sort of arresting question that wouldn't occur to many other people that makes her scholarship so inventive and absorbing. * Jem Bloomfield, Times Higher Education, Summer Reads 2016 *A charming, enlightening account, not so much of the origins, as of the fortunes over the years subsequently, of the great edition. * David Sexton, Evening Standard *Smith is one of the cleverest scholars around, but her academic weight is balanced with an accessible tone and wry humour. * Bristol Magazine *A marvelous bit of scholarship. Detailed without being dry, playful without being silly, it's a well-researched, thoroughly balanced account of this 'iconic book.' * The Oxford Culture Review *The book is well illustrated, and Smith writes with great style. * Ben Higgins, Review of English Studies *... offers a wealth of important information, fascinating episodes, and sophisticated critical insight. It will, therefore, be of great interest to a variety of scholars in different disciplines, with literary critics, cultural historians, and scholars of book history foremost among them. * José María Pérez Fernández, Bulletin of the Comediantes *[A] compassionate biography... a wonderful testimony to the 'worlds most expensive book' and the readers who keep it that way. * Charlotte Scott, Shakespeare Survey *This book is a very good read, a largely anecdotal but always entertaining account of copies of the Shakespeare First Folio from their production in 1623 to the present ... the pleasure and instruction this book will bring to the casual bibliophile or the Shakespeare enthusiast. * Alan H. Nelson, Renaissance Quarterly *Smith's second book, Shakespeare's First Folio: Four Centuries of an Iconic Book, picks up where The Making of Shakespeare's First Folio leaves off, tracing different ways of interacting with the Folio owning, reading, forging, acting, collecting, and studying from the seventeenth century to our own time, and from Europe and America to Africa and Asia. * Kevin Curran, Studies in English Literature 1500-1900 *Thoroughly researched, and well-organized. * Anna Faktorovich, Pennsylvania Literary Journal *[An] excellent companion. * Camille Ralphs, Poetry Foundation *Authoritative, lively and accessible. * Rhodri Lewis, Prospect *Table of ContentsIntroduction Sir Edward Dering goes shopping 1: Owning 2: Reading 3: Decoding 4: Performing 5: Perfecting Conclusion Bibliography Index
£18.00
Oxford University Press The End of the Tether
Book SynopsisThis selection of four relatively neglected stories by Conrad -- 'The End of the Tether', ' The Duel', ' The Return', and 'Amy Foster' --remind readers that he is not just the teller of sea stories and tales of imperialist action, but a writer for an age of global terror and individual trauma.Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text Select Bibliography A Chronology of Joseph Conrad THE END OF THE TETHER THE DUEL THE RETURN AMY FOSTER Explanatory Notes
£9.49
Oxford University Press Inc Belisarius Antonina Love and War in the Age of
Book SynopsisBelisarius & Antonina is a biography of an immensely powerful marriage in the time of Roman resurgence and expansion. It sheds new light on the reign of Justinian while exploring the successes, failures, and challenges of this unique partnership.Trade ReviewThis is a splendid analysis of one of the great power couples of Late Antiquity. Outsiders both, Belisarius and Antonina, were alternatively welcome and unwelcome to their contemporaries; their lives together were objects of potent contemporary image making as well as intensely hostile gossip. Parnell does a masterful job untangling the complex traditions stemming from the ambiguity of their positions, both at the time and the later myths surrounding them. In so doing, he offers a valuable picture of the Roman Empire in the sixth century from a fresh perspective. * David Potter, University of Michigan *Parnell brings to life these two enigmatic figures, Antonina and Belisarius, in an enthralling narrative, in which he shows not just the trials and tribulations of Belisarius' career, but also the invaluable role played by Antonina in his western campaigns. Throughout, while taking a middle ground regarding the vexatious Secret History, Parnell has a knack of teasing out valuable insight into Antonina's actions and Belisarius' motives, which are often obscured by Procopius' sometimes cagey accounts. * Conor Whately, University of Winnipeg *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. The World of Antonina 2. General of the East 3. Victory in Africa 4. The Eternal City 5. From Rome to Ravenna 6. Trying Times 7. Italy Redux 8. Twilight of a Power Couple 9. Afterlife and Legend Appendix 1: Dramatis Personae Appendix 2: Timeline Appendix 3: The Wealth of Belisarius Bibliography
£19.99
Oxford University Press Opera
Book SynopsisHomer Vol. I. Iliad (Books I-XII)Trade ReviewExcellent standard text. * Jeanne G. Kurtz, University of New Hampshire *
£26.96
Oxford University Press Homer Vol. III. Odyssey Books IXII
Book SynopsisHomer Vol. III. Odyssey (Books I-XII)
£27.24
Oxford University Press Oxford Student Texts An Ideal Husband
Book SynopsisOne of a series designed to provide an accessible approach to the works of great poets and playwrights. Each title includes general notes on the text; discussion of themes, issues and contexts.
£14.70
Oxford University Press Oxford Literature Companions Der Besuch der alten
Book SynopsisGet to grips with set texts and be fully prepared for the AS/A Level exam with the Modern Languages Oxford Literature Companions. The Companions are written by experienced lecturers, teachers and examiners and provide comprehensive coverage of characters, themes, plot, language and context with activities in German to consolidate your knowledge of the text. There are also extensive sections on exam preparation and response planning, with a bank of annotated sample answers and practice questions. This guide covers Der Besuch der alten Dame by Friedrich Dürrenmatt. Modern Languages Oxford Literature Companions are also available for selected French and Spanish set texts.
£10.99
Oxford University Press The Oxford Companion to Modern Poetry in English
Book SynopsisThis impressive volume provides over 1,700 biographical entries on poets writing in English from 1910 to the present day, including T. S. Eliot, Dylan Thomas, and Carol Ann Duffy. Authoritative and accessible, it is a must-have for students of English and creative writing, as well as for anyone with an interest in poetry.Trade Reviewan indispensable companion. * John Sutherland, The Sunday Times {Culture} *an essential and enjoyable guide to ... the disorderly garden of English-language poetry * The Guardian *Review from previous edition The field covered by this well-researched volume is enormous ... There are intriguing poet-as-critic sections (Jon Stallworthy, for example, writing about Rupert Brooke, or Seamus Heaney on Robert Lowell - the American poet - an analysis which is wonderfully revealing). * Richard Edmonds, The Birmingham Post *Ian Hamilton, the editor, succeeds, on the whole triumphantly, in his declared aim of providing a map of modern poetry in English ... a collection which contains many excellent essays ... This volume serves a very good purpose. * Stephen Spender, The Times *marvellously peopled Companion ... it's the massive rehearsal here of the peculiarities of poetry in English which holds out almost endless delightful knowledge to all poetry readers * Valentine Cunningham, The Observer *This is a provocative Companion ... essential for anyone interested in coming to terms with modern poetry ... it does entertain pugnaciously as well as inform * Alan Bold, The Herald *a wonderful litany of bizarre names, all belonging to poets, all included in Ian Hamilton's massive Companion To Twentieth Century Poetry. The Companion is a book bulging with spleen and fascinating titbits. * Val Hennessy, The Daily Mail *The strength of this Companion lies in its comprehensiveness: 1,500 poets from all five continents ... this is a fine and useful compendium. * William Scammell, Independent on Sunday *The book is compact, legible and excellent value. * Grey Gowrie, Daily Telegraph *a Herculean achievement with lively pen portraits on 1,500 poets plus entries on movements, concepts and critical terms ... This book should quickly establish itself as an essential work of reference. * Richard Foster, Yorkshire Evening Post *It holds out endless delightful knowledge to all poetry readers. * The Observer *at once a reference book and a sort of map of critical opinion regarding the current verse trade ... It should prove useful to public libraries * Literary Review *hard to put down - chock-full of pleasures * Angus Calder, Scotland on Sunday *The quality of the writing is, overall, very high, the range impressive, the approach as lively as the topic deserves. It is a handsome conversation piece, and should keep the passionate battles of the poetry world supplied with useful ammunition. * Times Literary Supplement *very admirable and inclusive Oxford Companion to Twentieth-Century Poetry * Times Literary Supplement *The latest Oxford Companion is a magnificent snug chunk of a book and a browser's delight ... this ... blissfully exciting volume is likely to send poetry readers scurrying from one entry to another and up to the limit of their library tickets the next time they look at the poetry shelves. * David Buckley, Yorkshire Post *a browser's delight ... blissfully exciting volume * David Buckley, Yorkshire Post *As to the actual execution of the Companion it could hardly, given its premisses, be bettered. In particular, its coverage it exemplary. * Hilary Corke, The Spectator *a welcome, extensive ... treat ... there's a mass of information about poets from America to Zimbabwe, as well as critical assessments and biographies of over 1500 writers * Colin Dyter, Evening Sentinel *an essential reference book for poetry * Cork Examiner *Hamilton's wide coverage comes to an American reader as a revelation ... As a proclamation of the internationalisation of poetry in English, Hamilton's Companion generously inclusive, will be seen in the future, I am certain, as a significant landmark of literary change. * London Review of Books *frequently useful and interesting ... a work that is valuable - mainly for the general reader - in its catholocity of taste and in the verve of the writing it includes * Times Higher Education Supplement *Comprehensive, alphabetically arranged reference work to some 1,500 poets as well as magazines, movements, concepts and critical terms, from 1900 to today. It includes authoritative, opinionated contributions from distinguished poets/critics. * Anne Boston, Country Living *All the things one expects from an Oxford Companion - authority, comprehensiveness, judicious organisation and so forth - are here in abundance, and on top of that you get an introduction which immediately vanquishes the notion that the book may turn out to be unduly bland in tone, This Oxford Companion is a vast undertaking and an invaluable reference work ... Riveting details, areas of provocation, astute evaluations, even the odd deficiency or eccentricity - all these will help to keep the reader of Ian Hamilton's Twentieth-Century Poetry engrossed throughout. * Patricia Craig, The Honest Ulsterman *skilfully edited ... and with expert contributions, accurate in details and many of rare appreciation and sensitive understanding * Revd Dr Gordon S. Wakefield, The Expository Times *This is an excellent reference book which no library, public or academic, large or small, should be without. Well written and intelligently put together it should have a long and useful life and definitely fills a gap in the current range of reference material on 20th-century poetry in English. There is nothing else in the field quite as comprehensive, as readable, as successful a combination of fact and analysis ... Its scope is wide ranging and fairly exhaustive ... He is to be congratulated, for despite the omissions and the quirky inclusions, he has done an excellent job. He is well qualified for an undertaking of this size and complexity ... For poets the Companion will be indispensable, for libraries invaluable, to the casual browser informative and to all endlessly fascinating. * The Year in Reference *Table of ContentsIntroduction to the Second Edition ; Introduction to the First Edition ; Selection of Anthologies ; Key to Contributors ; Companion to Modern Poetry ; Groups and Movements ; List of Prizes and Prizewinners ; General Web Links
£13.49
Oxford University Press Shakespeares Sonnets and Poems
Book SynopsisNot for nothing is William Shakespeare considered possibly the most famous writer in history; his works have had a lasting effect on culture, vocabularies, and art. His plays contain some of our most well-known lines (how often have you heard the phrase ''To be or not to be''?), yet whilst his poems may often feel less familiar than his plays they have also seeped into our cultural history (who has not heard of ''''Shall I compare thee to a summer''s day''?).In this Very Short Introduction Jonathan Post introduces all of Shakespeare''s poetry: the Sonnets; the two great narrative poems, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece; A Lover''s Complaint; and The Phoenix and Turtle. Describing Shakespeare''s double identity as both poet and playwright, in conjunction with several of his contemporaries, Post evaluates the reciprocal advantages as well as the different strategies and strains that came with writing for the stage and the page. Tackling the debates surrounding the disputed authorship of Shakespeare''s poems, he also considers the printing history of Shakespeare''s canon, and the genres favoured by the bard. Exploring their reception, both with contemporary audiences and through the ages until today, Post explores the core themes of love and lust, and analyzes how the sonnets compare with other great love poetry of the English Renaissance.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewExpansive for a volume with so little page space, Johnathan F.S. Post's Shakespeare's Sonnets and Poems: A Very Short Introduction is a valuable addition to the libraries of novices and experts alike. * Hannah Smith-Drelich, The Shakespeare Newsletter *This little gem achieves a great deal in very short compass, swiftly capturing the paradox at the sonnet's heart. * Katharine Craik, Times Literary Supplement *This elegant little book is more than an introduction to the greatest lyric poems in the English language; it is itself a finely crafted work of English prose, one that any admirer of these poems will want to savour. * James Longenbach *cover[s] an impressive amount of literary and historical ground, and convey[s] a suitably sizeable serving of Shakespeare knowledge. * Shakespeare Magazine *Table of ContentsFURTHER READING; INDEX
£9.49
Oxford University Press The Pit and the Pendulum and Other Tales
Book SynopsisEdgar Allan Poe's extraordinary Gothic tales are classics of horror fiction, and created many of the conventions which still dominate the genre of detective fiction. This selection places the most popular against travel narrative, essays, and political satires.Trade ReviewI picked up The Pit and The Pendulum and Other Stories by Edgar Allan Poe, a collection which just got a convenient small hardcover reprint from Oxford University Press. * John DeNardo, Kirkus Reviews *With scholarly annotations and bibliography, an informative introduction, and useful chronology, Oxford University Press has produced a highly attractive volume suitable for all species of reader. * Chris Hill, The Fortean Times *Bound in glorious purple, this new edition of Edgar Allan Poe's tales from Oxford World's Classics reprints some neglected Poe tales among the usual classics. * Oliver Tearle, Interesting Literature *This is a fine introduction to not only the man himself but also the genre of Gothic fiction... Check it out if you have not already. * Ian Macleod, Frightfest *Table of ContentsIntroductionMS Found in a BottleBerenicëMorellaLigeiaThe Man That Was Used UpThe Fall of the House of UsherWilliam WilsonThe Man of the CrowdThe Murders in the Rue MorgueEleonoraThe Masque of the Red DeathThe Pit and the PendulumThe Mystery of Marie RogêtThe Tell-Tale HeartThe Gold-BugThe Black CatA Tale of the Ragged MountainsThe Purloined LetterThe Systems of Doctor Tarr and Professor FetherThe Imp of the PerverseThe Cask of AmontilladoThe Domain of ArnheimHop-FrogVon Kempelen and his DiscoveryExplanatory Notes
£13.49
Oxford University Press Why Women Read Fiction
Book SynopsisWritten by a leading academic and broadcaster and drawing on interviews with readers, writers, reading groups, bookshop owners, librarians, and figures from literary publishing, reviewing, and festivals, this accessible volume offers an overview of the contemporary scene of women's novel-reading.Trade ReviewSelected as a book to watch out for in 2020 by The Sunday TimesA fascinating study of why the novel became central for women... * The Sunday Times, Best books of the year 2020 so far *... an illuminating and very readable study of the many reasons why women are such passionate readers of fiction and how they provide the glue for an informed and literate society. * PD Smith, The Guardian *Fascinating ... I just hope that women continue to find the pleasure in reading that is gloriously displayed in this book... * Daisy Goodwin, The Sunday Times *... an ambitious undertaking ... [Helen Taylor] has asked more than 500 female readers and writers about their reading habits. Anecdotes from famous authors and figures including Hilary Mantel and Judy Finnigan, as co-founder of the Richard and Judy Book Club, are interwoven with observations from readers. Taylor does this without ego, letting the words stand alone and turning what could easily be a dry, worthy report into more of an impassioned conversation... if youre thinking about why you choose the books you do, this is a thought-provoking place to start. * Susannah Butler, Evening Standard, Book of the Week *If publishing wants to get closer to its readers, it will do well to listen to Helen Taylor. In her new book [...] Helen Taylor [...] offers a timely and lively exploration of why women keep the book trade ticking over. * Julie Vuong, Book Brunch *The great joy of Taylor's book is the light it shines on communities of women readers, something that helped me recognise my own ... Reading Taylor's book has also made me join a book club. I did not like the January book; I did enjoy drinking gin while saying why. I would like to be in a book club with Taylor's correspondents, having so much enjoyed the warmth, intelligence, and insight of their conversations with her throughout the book... * Sophie Duncan, Literary Review *Though long overdue this satisfying offering comes at a time when women are working harder than ever to secure their rightful place in the literary canon. Recommended enthusiasts of lit crit, feminist studies, and publishing. * Erica Swensen, Library Journal *An inherently fascinating, thoughtful and thought-provoking work of insightful and seminal scholarship ... an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community, college, and university library Contemporary Literary Studies collections... * Mary Cowper, The Midwest Book Review *... there is a wealth of fantastic contributions which Helen has pulled together into a brilliant analysis of women and reading. I'm nodding in agreement with every sentence. * DoveyGreyReader *Ms. Taylor was for many years professor of English Literature at Exeter University. This is not her first book but it is her best. * peterwatsonauthor.com, Universities Press Review *Taylor captures the complex delights of reading, while taking a clear-eyed look at the politics of how books are marketed, shared and enjoyed. Astute, engaging, inspiring, Why Women Read Fiction will speak volumes to anyone who's ever experienced, at first hand, the power of novels and short stories to enrich and transform lives. * Sarah Waters *This spirited cultural history and savvy analysis as to why, how and what women read is - well, a really good story! * Sarah Dunant *In her generous and accessible book, Helen Taylor shows how the enterprise of reading draws us into an unseen collective, where the resources of the imagination are pooled; but she is not afraid to show the creative power of division and dissent. Though authoritative and well-researched, Why Women Read Fiction is far more than a study meant for academics and publishers - it is lively and absorbing, like a conversation with other women you wish you knew. * Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies *Table of ContentsPreface: 'A Friend, a Bible, a Perfume' Part One: How, Where, and Why Women Read Fiction Introduction 1: 'Cheap Sweet Vacations': Reading as a Woman Rosie Jackson: 'What Their Books Yield or, Why I am Not Buying a Kindle' Part Two: What Women Read 2: Reading as a Girl U A Fanthorpe: The Poet on her childhood reading 3: Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre, the Novels Women Love Best 4: Romance and Erotica: Fiction by Women for Women 5: Women, Crime, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy dovegreyreader: The Literary Blogger Part Three: Writers and Readers 6: Women Writers on their Reading and Readers 7: Book Clubs in Women's Life Stories 8: Festivals, Literary Tourism, and Pilgrimage Fiction in Lives, Lives in Fiction 9: The Stories of Our Lives Appendix: Questionnaire about women's fiction reading
£12.34
Oxford University Press C. S. Lewis
Book SynopsisBeloved by children and adults worldwide, the writings of C.S. Lewis have a broad and enduring appeal. Although he is best known for the iconic Chronicles of Narnia series, C. S. Lewis was actually a man of many literary parts. Already well-known as a scholar in the thirties, he became a famous broadcaster during World War Two and wrote in many genres, including satire (The Screwtape Letters), science fiction ( Perelandra), a novel (Till We Have Faces), and many other books on Christian belief, such as Mere Christianity and Miracles. His few sermons remain touchstones of their type. In addition to these, Lewis wrote hundreds of poems and articles on social and cultural issues, many books and articles in his field of literary criticism and history, and thousands of letters. At Oxford University he became a charismatic lecturer and conversationalist. Taken together his writings have engaged and influenced, often very deeply, millions of readers. Now Lewis societies, television documentaries, movies, radio plays, and theatrical treatments of his work and life have become common, and he is frequently quoted by journalists, critics, and public thinkers. This Very Short Introduciton delves into the vast corpus of C. S. Lewis'' work, discussing its core themes and lasting appeal. As James Como shows, C. S. Lewis'' life is just as interesting as his work. A complex man, he came to his knowledge, beliefs, and wisdom only after much tortuous soul-searching and many painful events. Moving chronologically through Lewis'' life, Como provides throughout a picture of the whole man, his work, and his enduring legacy.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewJames Como, founder of the New York CS Lewis society and a world authority on Lewis, has produced a brilliant, short introduction ... that manages to say a great deal in very few words. * Church of England Newspaper *This is the single finest biographical survey yet written on C. S. Lewis ... Dr. Como's Very Short Introduction employs the best sources possible, fully understanding the evolution of Lewis's own thought and writings while also incorporating the finest reminiscences of the man. * Bradley J Birzer, The Imaginative Conservative *Como's C.S. Lewis: A Very Short Introduction is a useful text to recommend to new scholars and fans of Lewis and his work and is a refreshing reminder of how the various Lewises make up the one man. * Zachary Rhone, Mythlore Journal *Como on Lewis is like Lewis on Christianity: He says so much in so few words. It is succinctness raised to an art form. Thoroughly recommended. * Joseph Pearce, Author, Further Up & Further In: Understanding Narnia *Table of ContentsPreface 1: Lewis along the way 2: Roots 3: Lewis ascendant 4: Fame 5: Darkness and light 6: A new day 7: End game 8: The weight of glory A readers' list of C. S. Lewis's works by type Books of particular importance to C. S. Lewis A selected secondary bibliography Further reading
£9.49
Oxford University Press A Bite of the Apple A Life with Books Writers and
Book Synopsis''The moment I got my job at Virago in 1978 I knew it would be a long time before I would leave. I certainly wouldn''t have had the brazen hope then-only twenty-five and very recently new to Britain-that I would ever become the Publisher, but I did know that I had found my home: where books, ideas, politics, imagination, feminism, and business was the air we breathed . . .''A Bite of the Apple is part-memoir, part history of Virago, and part thoughts on over forty years of feminist publishing. This is the story of how the authors and staff who, driven by passion, conviction and excitement, have made Virago Press one of the most important and influential English-language publishers in the world. Lennie Goodings has been with the iconic press founded by Carmen Callil almost since the start. First a publicist and then for over twenty years, publisher and editor, she has worked with extraordinary authors: Margaret Atwood, Marilynne Robinson, Sarah Waters, Linda Grant, Natasha Walter, Naomi Wolf and Maya Angelou among many others.Virago has been a life-changer for Lennie Goodings - but certainly not only for her. Following the chronology of the press and the enormous breadth of the Virago titles published over these years, she sets her story in the context of feminism, and segues into thoughts on editing, post-feminism, reading, breaking boundaries, and the Virago Modern Classics. Virago lives within the tension between idealism and pragmatism; between sisterhood and celebrity; between watching feminism wax and wane at the same time as knowing so many of the battles are still to be won. This book is about how it felt to be there.A Bite of the Apple is a celebration of writing, of publishing, and of reading.Trade ReviewAn immersive, lovingly written memoir, whose story resonates beyond publishing. * Johanna Thomas-Corr, The Sunday Times *An inspiring book. * Sarah Baxter, The Sunday Times *Pensive and surprisingly poignant...this book glows with the gratitude of doing [the work of an editor], and in doing so, finding oneself occupying a front seat to feminist history...It's a memoir that doesn't merely look backward, but in its form, in all its limitations, gestures at the work to be done. It's a memoir of a Virago reader. * Parul Sehgal, New York Times *Moving and hugely inspiring ... As a cultural history, A Bite of the Apple is clear. As a reminder of female artists' ongoing fight for space and respect, it's necessary. As a riff on writers and writing, it's essential. * Bidisha, The Observer *What Goodings is so good at drawing out are the interrelations between various social and political movements and their correlatives in publishing and literature. Not only does she recover Virago's story, but she loops in the narratives of various authors and movements, building up a rich and textured historical fabric ... An inspiring, entertaining and insightful read, full of the energy and fervour of hard-won wisdom. * Seán Hewitt, The Irish Times *This history has it all: boardroom wrangles, bestsellers, legendary authors ... fascinating stuff on the complex alchemy of talent, political fashion and marketability that propels certain authors forward at certain times, and the loving effort and attention involved in editing a manuscript. * Melissa Benn, New Statesman *What runs through A Bite of the Apple, unifying it and contributing to its charm, is the passion for books you'd expect, but also an impressive idealism about the ways in which the published word can change society and help readers to become the people they want to be. * Mark Bostridge, The Spectator *This little book is as candid and charming as its cover ... One of the most interesting chapters relates to the craft closest to editor Goodings' heart, the craft of editing and the complex relationship between editor and author. * Jane Hailé, New York Journal of Books *[Goodings'] thoughts on the great industry issues of the day are well worth reading. * DJ Taylor, Literary Review *A Bite of the Apple feels effortless, and so alive to the conversations about women's rights today ... [Goodings'] voice is engaging and full of warmth. * Julie Vuong, BookBrunch *Goodings' account of her life at the inkface vividly, and with immediacy, transports us from those poky London rooms where the mouse that roared was born, into the realpolitik of international publishing. * The Sydney Morning Herald *Consistently fascinating ... a book that shows how Virago transformed the world. * Colin Oehring, The Saturday Paper *Fascinating and beautifully written. * Dan Carrier, Camden New Journal *Informative, lively, reflective, and somehow a poignant mix of honest, generous, and forgiving. * Simon, Shiny New Books *All an apple should be: crisp, tart but sweet, steeped in mysterious history and tangled symbolism, and not a bad missile when it comes to alleyway combat. Oh, and delicious! * Margaret Atwood *There is so very much to enjoy -and learn about- in this engaging book. We meet a young Lennie from Canada, in love with books, who lands a job at Virago and over the years survives and steers many of its changes to ensure its safety and vibrancy. Along the way, we track the changes in the publishing industry, feminist practice, and encounter the magnificence of Virago authors. A wonderful memoir and such a great read. * Susie Orbach *An indispensable piece of feminist history; nothing less than the exciting story of how women found their voice and made society listen. I enjoyed it hugely. * Caroline Criado Perez *Lively, frank, fascinating and above all, inspiring. A celebration of boldness: of wanting something better and making change happen. * Sarah Waters *Behind every great book there is a great editor. And behind every feminist press, a remarkable set of women. Lennie Goodings is one of both. * Sarah Dunant *A fascinating, charming and sometimes fierce, but always beguiling memoir... A celebration of the power of women supporting women. * Kate Mosse *Enthralling ...the best book I've read on publishing since Diana Athill's Stet. * Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller *Table of ContentsPreface Part One: A New Kind of Being 1: First Bites: The early years 2: Setting the world on fire 3: The acceptable face of feminism? Why not! Part Two: The Books 4: The Virago Modern Classics 5: Fuck the Patriarchy!: Nonfiction 6: What Stories Can Do: Fiction Part Three: The Politics: office and otherwise 7: The Dramas 8: Disrupting the old stories 9: Beyond Borders 10: Up, Down and Up Again Part Four: The Power to Publish is a Wonderful Thing 11: The Intimacy of Editing 12: Does any other successful publisher get asked constantly if they are still necessary? 13: Why can't a man read like a woman? 14: Giving and taking courage
£9.97
Oxford University Press Aristotles Eudemian Ethics
Book SynopsisAristotle''s Eudemian Ethics was until recently treated as a poor cousin of the better-known Nicomachean Ethics - poor enough even to have to borrow its three central books (IV-VI) from the latter. The work has now emerged from its relative obscurity; many scholars, indeed, now claim - on the basis of what appear to be sound statistical arguments - that it is the Nicomachean Ethics that has to borrow its Books V-VII from the Eudemian. This critical edition of Aristotle''s Eudemian Ethics treats this particular issue as unresolved, including as it does only five books (I-III, VII-VIII), but without prejudice, the three disputed books being treated as already available in the edition of the Nicomachean Ethics in the same series. The new edition of the Eudemian Ethics completes the task, begun by Walzer and Mingay''s 1991 Oxford Classical Text edition, of restoring the corrupted text on the basis of a new understanding of the relationships between the extant Greek manuscripts. The three pTable of ContentsPreface Stemma Codicum Notes on some aspects of the text and apparatvs criticvs Auctores Citati Sigla Book I Book II Book III Book VII Book VIII Index
£49.18
Oxford University Press Uncle Silas Oxford Worlds Classics
Book SynopsisA young heiress finds herself caught in the sinister plots of her mysterious Uncle Silas. A new edition of Le Fanu's best known work and an exemplary piece of sensation fiction, with an introduction and notes by Claire Connolly.Trade ReviewI would recommend for professors of British literature to assign this work in undergraduate and graduate classes without hesitation. It will not be an easy read, but each of them will come away with unique things to write about. This also means that this book is suitable for libraries of all types and sizes, so that some of the poorer students can access some free copies. * Anna Faktorovich, Pennsylvania Literary Journal *Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text Select Bibliography A Chronology of Sheridan Le Fanu UNCLE SILAS Explanatory Notes
£10.44
Oxford University Press Historical Fiction Now
Book SynopsisHistorical Fiction Now brings together prominent authors, scholars, and critics of historical fiction to explore the genre''s character, fortunes, and potential in the twenty-first century. Gathering together the voices of novelists, critics, academics, and several authors writing across these categories, the volume explores the nature of reading, writing, and writing about historical fiction in the present moment while meditating on some of the myriad contexts of the genre. What inspires writers to choose particular moments, events, and personalities as the subjects of their fictional imaginings, and with what implications for their readers'' understanding of the present? How do contemporary scholars approach the making and reception of historical fiction, and how do these approaches resonate with writers'' own preoccupations in the process of invention? What might scholars of a genre with a long and complex history learn from its contemporary practitioners? Conversely, how do novelisTable of ContentsBruce Holsinger: Introduction: Historical Fiction Now I. Inventions 1: George Saunders: Ghosts in a Graveyard 2: Sophie Coulombeau: Naming Names: Reflections on Referentiality in Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall Trilogy 3: David Ebershoff: Looking for the Danish Girl 4: Michael Lackey: Using Versus Doing History in the Contemporary Biographical Novel II. Archives 5: Katherine Howe: Real Witches, Real Life 6: Tiya Miles: Gardens of Memory: Ghosts, Grounds, and the Archives 7: Geraldine Brooks: Pilgrim's Progress: Researching The Secret Chord 8: Namwali Serpell: The Afronaut Archives: Reports from a Future Zambia 9: Bruce Holsinger: Historical Fiction and the Fine Art of Error III. Genres 10: Gavin Jones: Historical Fiction, World-building, and the Short Story 11: Maaza Mengiste: War in a Woman's Voice 12: Mark Eaton: Alternate-history Novels and Other Counterfactual Fictions 13: Téa Obreht: Last Camp 14: Jessie Burton: Historical Impressionism and Signs of Life: The Blessing and Burden of Writing the Past 15: Jane Kamensky: Novelties: A Historian's Field Notes from Fiction 16: Naomi J. Williams: Sorting Fact from Fiction: A Novelist Researches the Lapérouse Expedition 17: Kirstin Chen: Am I Chinese Enough to Tell this Story? The late Hilary Mantel: Afterword: I Met a Man Who Wasn't There
£25.00
Oxford University Press The New Woman and Technologies of Speed in Finde
Book SynopsisThis is the first literary study on the New Woman''s interaction with modern speed culture through use of the typewriter and the bicycle. These technologies of speed are among the earliest to be associated with middle-class women, exposing them to the discipline of mechanized speed while allowing for the construction of a new machine-savvy, sped-up, and energized female subjectivity. Used for women''s office work and daily movement, they demand from their women operators a response and adaptation to speed right from the beginning. The ability to catch up with, imitate, adjust to, and finally master this mechanized speed, is the key to the New Woman''s enlarged freedom in the modern city. By examining New Woman literature penned by George Gissing, H. G. Wells, Grant Allen, Geraldine Edith Mitton, and Mrs. Edward Kennard, and stories and comments published in popular magazines, this book examines how mechanized speed works on the New Woman typist and cyclist, first as discipline and control (in typewriting), then as commodity and conspicuous display (in cycling), and finally as rejuvenation, stimulation, and active thrill. Being fast, having speed, and adjusting to the shocks, as well as excitement of techno-aided speed, is a crucial part of what makes the New Woman new, as she stakes a claim to modern speed culture.
£77.00
Oxford University Press The Digital Future of English
Book SynopsisMore than any other academic discipline, literary studies is the creation of print culture. How then can it thrive in the digital era? Early 1990s predictions of the book''s imminent demise presented a simplistic either/or choice between the legacy of moribund print and triumphalist digital technology. Yet we have grown to experience the two media as complexly interdependent and even complementary. Clearly, digital does not kill print. But literary studies in the digital era cannot simply resume business as usual. It is urgently necessary to reconsider the discipline''s founding assumptions in light of digital technology.The digital era prompts a rethinking of literary studies'' object of study, as well as its methods, theories, audiences and pedagogical practices. What counts as literature necessarily shifts in an age of proliferating born-digital texts and do-it-yourself (DIY) online publication. Where should literary studies sit institutionally, and how might it graft contextually-oriented social sciences methods onto its traditionally humanistic mode of textual analysis? Why should literary study continue to marginalize emotional responses to texts when online communities bond via readerly affect? Who is the audience for literary criticism in an age where expertise is routinely challenged yet communication with global book-loving publics has never been technologically easier? Finally, how can we utilize digital tools to rejuvenate literary studies pedagogy and help English staff better connect with millennial-age students?Literary studies has been convulsed for decades by debates over electronic literature and, more recently, digitally-aided ''distant reading''. But these discussions still mostly confine themselves to demarcating our proper object of study. We need to think more expansively about digital technology''s impact on the underpinning tenets of the discipline. Literary Media Studies is pitched at fellow literary scholars, book historians, media theorists, cultural sociologists, digital humanists and those working at the interface of these converging disciplines. It models constructive engagement with contemporary digital culture. Most importantly, it brings a burst of sorely needed optimism to the question of literary studies'' digital future.
£83.60
Oxford University Press The Oxford Critical Guide to Tacitus
Book Synopsis
£23.75
Oxford University Press New Oxford Student Texts Goldsmith She Stoops to
Book SynopsisOxford Student Texts offer an accessible route into the study of texts for A Level including line-by-line notes, and detailed sections covering key themes, issues and contexts. This edition focuses on ''She Stoops to Conquer'' by Oliver Goldsmith.
£14.70
Oxford University Press Spanish Literature
Book SynopsisSpanish literature has given the world the figures of Don Quixote and Don Juan, and is responsible for the ''invention'' of the novel in the 16th century. The medieval period produced literature in Castilian, Catalan, Galician, Latin, Arabic, and Hebrew, and today there is a flourishing literature in Catalan, Galician, and Basque as well as in Castilian-the language that has became known as ''Spanish''. A multilayered history of exile has produced a transnational literary production, while writers in Spain have engaged with European cultural trends. This Very Short Introduction explores this rich literary history, which resonates with contemporary debates on transnationalism and cultural diversity. The book introduces a general readership to the ways in which Spanish literature has been read, in and outside Spain, explaining misconceptions, outlining the insights of recent scholarship and suggesting new readings. It highlights the precocious modernity of much early modern Spanish literature, and shows how the gap between modern ideas and social reality stimulated creative literary responses in subsequent periods; as well as how contemporary writers have adjusted to Spain''s recent accelerated modernization.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Multilingualism and porous boundaries ; 2. Spanish literature and modernity ; 3. Gender and sexuality ; 4. Cultural patrimony ; Further reading
£9.49
Oxford University Press The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and
Book SynopsisThe Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend is both a critical history of the Arthurian tradition and a reference guide to Arthurian works, names, and symbols. It offers a comprehensive survey of the legends in all of their manifestations, from their origins in medieval literature to their adaptation in modern literature, arts, film, and popular culture. Not only does it analyse familiar Arthurian characters and themes, it also demonstrates the tremendous continuity of the legends by examining the ways that they have been reinterpreted over the years. For instance, the motif of the abduction of Guinevere can be traced from Chrétien de Troyes''s Lancelot or the Knight of the Cart and the vulgate cycle of French romances in the 13th century, to Malory''s retelling of the story in the Morte d''Arthur, through various modern adaptations like those in T. H. White''s The Once and Future King and the contemporary film First Knight. This indispensable reference guide contains seven essTable of ContentsIntroduction ; Bibliography of Basic Resources for the Study of the Arthurian Legends ; 1. Early Accounts of Arthur, Chronicles, and Historical Literature ; 2. The Romance Tradition ; 3. Malory, his Influence, and the Continuing Romance Tradition ; 4. The Holy Grail ; 5. Gawain ; 6. Merlin ; 7. Tristan and Isolt ; Afterword ; Arthurian People, Places, and Things ; Index
£14.24
Oxford University Press Italian Literature
Book SynopsisIn this Very Short Introduction, Peter Hainsworth and David Robey consider Italian literature from the Middle Ages to the present day, looking at themes and issues which have recurred throughout its history and continue to be of importance today. Examining themes such as regional identities, political disunity, and the role of the national language, they also cover a wide range of authors and works, including Dante, Petrarch, Manzoni, Montale, and Calvino. They explore some of the distinctive traditions of the literature, such as its liking for theorizing its own position, its concern with politics, and its secular orientation in spite of the Catholic beliefs and practices of the Italian people. Concluding by looking at the ways in which Italian literature has changed over the last thirty years, they examine the influence of women''s writing in Italian, and acknowledge the belated recognition of its importance. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of ContentsPreface ; Introduction ; 1. History ; 2. Tradition ; 3. Theory ; 4. Politics ; 5. Secularism ; 6. Women
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Oxford University Press Caleb Williams
Book Synopsis''He appears to be persecutor and I the persecuted: is not this difference the mere creature of the imagination?''Caleb is a guileless young servant who enters the employment of Ferdinando Falkland, a cosmopolitan and benevolent country gentleman. Falkland is subject to fits of unexplained melancholy, and Caleb becomes convinced that he harbours a dark secret. His discovery of the truth leads to false accusations against him, and a vengeful pursuit as suspenseful as any thriller.The novel is also a powerful political allegory, inspired by the events of the decade following the French Revolution. This new edition reproduces the original novel of 1794, which captures the raw indignation and sense of injustice felt by victims of British law. It includes the startlingly different manuscript ending, and selected variants in the second and third editions reflecting changes in Godwin''s political and philosophical thinking. 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 ReviewA breathtaking plot with twists and turns as the protagonist gets into trouble because of his curiosity * Daily Express, Cathy Tyson *
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Oxford University Press Studies in the History of the Renaissance ne
Book SynopsisStudies in the History of the Renaissance is a highly influential defence of aestheticism. Pater redefined the practice of criticism through his readings of some of the paintings, sculptures, and poems of the Renaissance, and shocked contemporaries for sponsoring a hedonistic ethic with his infamous 'Conclusion'.Table of ContentsPreface; Aucassin and Nicolette; Pico della Mirandola; Sandro Botticelli; Luca della Robbia; The Poetry of Michelangelo; Leonardo da Vinci; Joachim du Bellay; Winckelmann; Conclusion; Appendix A: The School of Giorgione; Appendix B: Diaphaneite
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Oxford University Press The Jungle Books Oxford Worlds Classics
Book Synopsis
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Oxford University Press Henry IV Part 2 The Oxford Shakespeare
Book SynopsisThis new edition of one of Shakespeare's greatest history plays offers a freshly considered text fully alert to its intense theatrical aspects. A helpful Introduction discusses the play's structure, language, and performance history, and the notes provide an illuminating commentary on details of the text.Trade ReviewThe text pages clearly differentiate text, collation, and notes; the documentation is full but inconspicuous; and it has been well proof-read ... Dr Weis provides an economical but illuminating discussion of Shakespeare's sources ... The annotations throughout are lucid and economical, responsive to both levels of plot. ... Rene Weis's edition can be recommended as a thoughtful and sensitive response to the play, which ranks alongside the outstanding 1966 New Arden edition by R A Humphreys. * Brian Vickers, ROES, vol 50 no 200 (1999) *Table of ContentsLIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS; INTRODUCTION; EDITORIAL PROCEDURES; TEXT; INDEX
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Oxford University Press The Two Noble Kinsmen
Book SynopsisThe Royal Shakespeare Company''s choice of The Two Noble Kinsmen to open the Swan Theatre in 1986 demonstrated that this long-neglected play has at last come into its own as a stageworthy, humorous, and moving dramatization of the conflicting claims of love and friendship. It was first published in 1634 as `by the memorable worthies of their time, Mr John Fletcher, and Mr William Shakespeare, Gent'' and was probably first performed soon after the wedding of Princess Elizabeth, daughter of the company''s patron James I, to the Elector Palatine in February 1613. The exceptionally full introduction to this edition explains the relevance to the play of ideas of chivalry and of the classical idea of friendship. The edition (which is illuminatingly illustrated) also offers a discussion of the centuries-long debate about the play''s authorship and a clarification of its stage action.Trade Review'This is an important scholarly edition and will obviously be indispensable for advanced study of the play.' Ann Thompson, Liverpool University'The Oxford Shakespeare is an admirably scholarly edition, immaculately presented, offering close attention to possibilities of staging as well as meaning.' Dr D. Sedge, Exeter University'An excellent edition, with a good introduction.' Roger Prior, Queen's University, Belfast'Professional edition with introduction which states clearly the case for collaborative composition. R. N. Alexander, Queen Mary Westfield, London'Stanley Wells' OUP Complete Works of Shakespeare is now eight years old and has spawned a new Oxford Shakespeare which appears now in splendidly affordable volumes in that nonpareil of libraries of good reading The World's Classics.' The Oxford Times
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Oxford University Press Selected Poetry
Book SynopsisAlexander Pope (1688-1744) is regarded as the most important poet of the early eighteenth century. An invalid from infancy, Pope devoted his energies towards literature and achieved remarkable success with his first published work at the age of 21. A succession of brilliant poems followed, including An Essay on Criticism (1711), Windsor Forest (1713), and his masterpiece The Rape of the Lock (1712). A second period of great poetry was begun in 1728 with the appearance of the first Dunciad. All these works, which exhibit Pope''s astonishing human insight, his wide sympathies, and powers of social observation (displayed to greatest effect in his talent for satire), feature in this selection. In his introduction - an eloquent defence of Pope''s poetic practice - Pat Rogers argues that we must abandon our Romantic conception of poetry as a record of fleeting and subjective states if we are to understand Pope fully. Instead, we must see him as an accomplished practitioner of the poetry of
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Oxford University Press The ThirtyNine Steps
Book SynopsisJohn Buchan wrote The Thirty-Nine Steps while he was seriously ill at the beginning of the First World War. In it he introduces his most famous hero, Richard Hannay, who, despite claiming to be an `ordinary fellow'', is caught up in the dramatic race against a plot to devastate the British war effort. Hannay is hunted across the Scottish moors by police and spy-ring alike, and must outwit his intelligent and pitiless enemy in the corridors of Whitehall and, finally, at the site of the mysterious thirty-nine steps.The best-known of Buchan''s thrillers, The Thirty-Nine Steps has been continuously in print since first publication and has been filmed three times, most notably by Alfred Hitchcock in 1935. In this, the only critical edition, Christopher Harvie''s introduction interweaves the writing of the tale with the equally fascinating story of how John Buchan, publisher and lawyer, came in from the cold and, via The Thirty-Nine Steps, ended the war as spy-master and propaganda chief. AB
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Oxford University Press War Stories and Poems
Book SynopsisA unique anthology of Kipling''s war stories and poems, from the frontier wars of empire to the Boer War and the First World War. 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 ReviewAt the price, this book is a must for everyone interested in humour, war and fine literature. Buy it. * Friends of the Imperial War Museum Newsletter *Table of ContentsStories include: The Drums of the Fore and Aft; A Conference of the Powers; The Light that Failed; The Mutiny of the Mavericks; The Lost Legion; The Way that he Took; A Sahib's War; The Comprehension of Private Copper; The Captive; A Friend of the Family; A Madonna of the Trenches; The Gardener
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Oxford University Press Hide and Seek
Book SynopsisAt the centre of Hide and Seek (1854) a secret waits to be revealed. Why should the apparently respectable painter Valentine Blyth refuse to account for the presence in his household of the beautiful girl known as Madonna? It is not until his young friend Zack Thorpe, who is in rebellion against his repressive father, gets into bad company and meets a mysterious stranger that the secret of Madonna can be unravelled.Wilkie Collins''s third novel, dedicated to his life-long friend Dickens, is a story in which excitement is combined with charm and humour. In its mixture of the everyday and the extraordinary, Hide and Seek forms a bridge between the domestic novel and the sensational fiction for which Collins later became famous. 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 valu
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Oxford University Press French Literature
Book SynopsisThe heritage of literature in the French language is rich, varied, and extensive in time and space; appealing both to its immediate public, readers of French, and also to a global audience reached through translations and film adaptations. The first great works of this repertory were written in the twelfth century in northern France, and now, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, include authors writing in many parts of the world, ranging from the Caribbean to Western Africa. French Literature: A Very Short Introduction introduces this lively literary world by focusing on texts - epics, novels, plays, poems, and screenplays - that concern protagonists whose adventures and conflicts reveal shifts in literary and social practices. From the hero of the medieval Song of Roland to the Caribbean heroines of I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem or the European expatriate in Japan in Fear and Trembling, these problematic protagonists allow us to understand what interests writers and readers across the wide world of French.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of Contents1. Werewolves, Saints, Knights, and a Poete Maudit ; 2. The Last Roman, "Cannibals", Heroines of Modern Life, and Giants ; 3. Society and Its Demands ; 4. Nature and its Possibilities ; 5. Around the Revolution ; 6. The Hunchback, the Housewife, and the Stroller ; 7. From Marcel to Rrose Selavy ; 8. Self-Centered Consciousness ; 9. French-speaking heroes without borders?
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