ELT & Literary Studies Books

Book SynopsisThis volume is devoted to life-writing in English from 1945 to the present day, a period in which life-writing became an increasingly popular and accessible form.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Aftermath: Confronting the Inhuman 2: Biographies of the Unconscious 3: Self-Knowledge as a Question 4: Coming Out 5: Feminism's Lyric Selves 6: Autoethnography 7: Intimate Memoirs 8: Memory Culture 9: Posthuman Monsters 10: Literary Biography and Theory 11: Celebrity and its Literary Consequences 12: Prospect: Human 2.0? Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe kinship between modernism and close reading has long between taken for granted. But for that reason, it has also gone unexamined. As the archives, timeframes, and cultural contexts of global modernist studies proliferate, the field''s rapport with close reading no longer appears self-evident or guaranteed--even though for countless students studying literary modernism still invariably means studying close reading. This authoritative collection of essays illuminates close reading''s conceptual, institutional, and pedagogical genealogies as a means of examining its enduring potential. David James brings together a cast of world-renowned scholars to offer an account of some of the things we might otherwise know, and need to know, about the history of modernist theories of reading, before then providing a sense of how the futures for critical reading look different in light of the multiple ways in which modernism has been close read. Modernism and Close Reading responds to a contemporary climate of unprecedented reconstitution for the field: it takes stock of close reading''s methodological possibilities in the wake of modernist studies'' geographical, literary-historical, and interdisciplinary expansions; and it shows how the political, ethical, and aesthetic consequences of attending to matters of form complicate ideological preconceptions about the practice of formalism itself. By reassessing the intellectual commitments and institutional conditions that have shaped modernism in criticism as well as in the classroom, we are able to ask new questions about close reading that resonate across literary and cultural studies. Invigorating that critical venture, this volume enriches our vocabulary for addressing close reading''s perpetual development and diversification.Trade ReviewModernism and Close Reading is a valuable addition to our current reading method debate. It comes at a time when a reassessment of the past is crucial if our discussions are to be productive and historically grounded. The book counters the dismissal of close reading as a relic of the modernist past and shows this method to be essential to the future of literary studies. * Ali AlYousefi, University of Pennsylvania, Journal of Modern Literature *This landmark collection of essays takes the seemingly established combination of modernism and close-reading and probes it until new conceptual and theoretical genealogies emerge...This is a book with real things to say about the history of criticism, the quality of attentiveness, and their relationship to the practice and study of modernism right now. It is going to be an inescapable book for some time to come * Honourable Mention, 2020 MSA Book Prize Shortlist: Edition, Anthology, or Essay Collection *The collection is highly serviceable for all academics not only as a handy refresher—or a primer for what some literature departments might have removed from their curricula—but also for its invaluable look into the very recent developments in the discipline. * Jolanta Wawrzycka, James Joyce Quarterly *One of the many strengths of Modernism and Close Reading is how it stages and instrumentalizes this challenge—how it organizes all those moving parts but without comprising complexity or specificity. This volume does not shy away from conceptual or disciplinary messiness... For those interested in modernism, close reading, or the history of criticism—for those willing to immerse themselves in the innumerable, still expanding relations entailed therein—this collection is absolutely worth reading. * Joshua Gang, The Review of English Studies *Table of ContentsIntroduction PART I: HISTORIES OF MODERNISM AND CLOSE READING 1: Max Saunders: Modernist Close Reading 2: Peter Howarth: Close Reading as Performance 3: Rachel Sagner Buurma and Laura Heffernan: Poetry Explication: The Making of a Method 4: Joseph Brooker: Slow Revelations: James Joyce and the Rhetorics of Reading 5: Jean-Michel Rabaté: When Did Close Reading Acquire a Bad Name? PART II: FUTURES FOR CLOSE READING MODERNISM 6: Jesse Matz: Queer Surrealism 7: Vidyan Ravinthiran: Nabokov and the Privilege of Style 8: Paige Reynolds: Bird Girls: Modernism and Sexual Ethics in Contemporary Irish Fiction 9: Derek Attridge: Tom McCarthy's Modernism: Close Encounters of a Pleasurable Kind 10: Melba Cuddy-Keane: Experiencing the Modernist Storymind: A Cognitive Reading of Narrative Space 11: Hannah Freed-Thall: Thinking Small: Ecologies of Close Reading

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Book SynopsisAn edition of the letters of the poet Basil Bunting (1900-1985) to recipients including Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, Harriet Monroe, William Carlos Williams, Louis Zukofsky, Ted Hughes, George Oppen, Allen Ginsberg, Donald Davie and Tom Pickard.Trade ReviewBunting was an extraordinary letter writer... Niven has gathered an important collection... Nothing is wasted and he is always careful... The selection bears witness not only to modern poetry's principal issues from the point of view of a very acute and opinionated observer, but also takes us away from the arts bureaucrats and into that heroic world of small publishers and hard-pressed editors without which there would be no poetry in the first place. * Robert Colls, New Statesman *Letters of Basil Bunting is the essential record of everything that made the masterpiece of Briggflatts possible. * David Wheatey, Literary Review *What a pleasure to read these letters...In a variety of registers, from the high-minded to the demotic, the letters consider (literary material aside) travel, food, restaurants, waiters ("the true glory of Paris"), incarceration, elevators in New York, marriage and war Niven's editorship is tactful and unobtrusive. The letters are allowed to sing their own songs, whether plaintive, joyous, droll... * Julian Stannard, The Critic *The academic and poet Alex Niven - one of the UK's rather more interesting younger cultural critics - now adds to [Bunting's] history with a selected edition of Basil Bunting's letters...In both Bunting's letters and the poetry there are years of billowing nothing. But what is there is remarkable and certainly deserves to be added to the alt. Eng. Lit. canon... What is truly notable here is the correspondence with Ezra Pound - and later with fellow poet Louis Zukofsky. * Ian Sansom, Spectator *An exemplary collection and a gold-standard example of how to put together a volume of letters; the amount of work which has gone into what is a major work of scholarship (as well as being incredibly readable) is, frankly, epic... Bunting is a fascinating correspondent and Niven is to be applauded for bringing these letters to a wider audience. * , Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings *I stopped everything and read them all. The letters are even more fascinating than I imagined. An important contribution to Bunting's legacy but also sheds a fascinating light on all sorts of things, especially Pound. * Lee Hall, writer of Billy Elliott *This well-judged selection of Bunting's fascinating letters takes us on a lively tour of twentieth-century poetry, conducting us from the high modernism of the 1920s and 1930s to the British Poetry Revival half a century later. In his comprehensive introduction and intelligent editing, Alex Niven proves himself the ideal guide to the career of one of our most important modern poets. * Rebecca Beasley, Professor of Modernist Studies, University of Oxford, author of Ezra Pound and the Visual Culture of Modernism *Basil Bunting-poet, journalist, sailor, soldier, diplomat, spy-was for much of his life a "struggler in the desert" (Ezra Pound's phrase) on the margins of the English literary scene. This expansive and beautifully edited selection of Bunting's correspondence follows Bunting around the world, from Northumberland to London, Paris, Italy, the Canaries, Iran, the United States, and points between. The letters-cantankerous, thoughtful, exasperated, eloquent-are rich with literary, historical, and personal insights whose value goes far beyond their commentary on Bunting's own magnificent poetry. * Mark Scroggins, Professor of English at Florida Atlantic University, author of The Poem of a Life: A Biography of Louis Zukofsky, and editor of Upper Limit Music: The Writing of Louis Zukofsky *Table of ContentsIntroduction Letters Late Spring (1920-1938) Midway (1939-1963) Revival (1964-1985) Glossary of Names

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Book SynopsisProvides a new way of understanding how people became English during the Anglo-Saxon period by tracing the links between Englishness and the body in the texts and culture of this time.Trade ReviewThe book is very learned, well-written, and full of thoughtful analyses of texts through which the author shows the ways in which the conceptualization of Englishness materialized in the early medieval period. * Mercedes Salvador Bello, University of Seville, Journal of the Spanish Society for Medieval English Language and Literature *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Materializing Englishness 1: The Workings of Soil in Early English Hagiography 2: Stones, Books, and the Place of History around A.D. 900 3: The Trans-Planted Politics of Eleventh-Century England 4: Beowulf and Ethnic Matters Conclusion Works Cited

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Book SynopsisThis book extends the theme of Raymond Williams''s earlier work in literary and cultural analysis. He analyses previous contributions to a Marxist theory of literature from Marx himself to Lukacs, Althusser, and Goldmann, and develops his own approach by outlining a theory of `cultural materialism'' which integrates Marxist theories of language with Marxist theories of literature. Williams moves from a review of the growth of the concepts of literature and idealogy to a redefinition of `determinism'' and `hegemony''. His incisive discussion of the ''social material process'' of cultural activity culminates in a re-examination of the problems of alignment and commitment and of the creative practice in individual authors and wider social groups.Trade Review`Williams has brought his authority and experience, established by his immense critical achievement, into the Marxist tradition.' Anthony Barnett, New SocietyThe exploration and integrations which this book makes will bring a major pressure to bear on academic literary criticism and its institutions. * John Sutherland, New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisOriginally writing over 600 years ago, Geoffrey Chaucer is today enjoying a global renaissance. Why do poets, translators, and audiences from so many cultures, from the mountains of Iran to the islands of Japan, find Chaucer so inspiring? In part this is down to the character and sheer inventiveness of Chaucer''s work. At the time Chaucer''s writings were not just literary adventures, but also a means of convincing the world that poetry and science, tragedy and astrology, could all be explored through the English language. French was still England''s aristocratic language of choice when Chaucer was born; Latin was used for university education, theological discussion, and for burying the dead. Could a hybrid tongue such as English ever generate great writing to compare with French and Latin? Chaucer, miraculously, believed that it could, through gradual expansion of expressiveness and scientific precision. He was never paid to do this; he was valued, rather, as a capable civil servant, regulating the export of wool and the building of seating for royal tournaments. Such experiences, however, fed his writing, leading him to achieve a range of social registers, from noble tragedy to barnyard farce, unrivalled for centuries. His tale-telling geography is vast, his fascination with varieties of religious belief endless, and his desire to voice female experience especially remarkable. Many Chaucerian poets and performers, today, are women. In this Very Short Introduction David Wallace introduces the life, performance, and poetry of Chaucer, and analyses his astonishing and enduring appeal.Previously published in hardback as Geoffrey Chaucer: A New IntroductionABOUT 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 ReviewReview from previous edition Prof. Wallace has produced a superb introduction: an adroit, authoritative, fresh, energetic delight. * The New English Review *This is a book which shows up everything you thought you knew about Chaucer, but didn't, and has a knack of making you want to find out even more. * Sandra Callard, On: Magazine *This smart and attractive little book is a very quick read, and Wallace's conversational style has warm appeal. * Laura Ashe, Times Literary Supplement *Showing a solid command of history, Wallace provides fascinating analyses of Chaucer's personal and literary evolution. He is a master of his subject, insightful and provocative throughout. * Kirkus Review *A thoroughly fresh engagement...which gives us Chaucer as a writer of his moment wide open to the future and the world. * Paul Strohm, author of The Poet's Tale *Along with its other mind-broadening features, this introduction offers a timely reminder that Chaucer benefited from a Europe-wide perspective and continues to evoke creative responses across cultures and borders. * Nicholas Havely, University of York *Table of Contents1: Beginnings 2: Schoolrooms, science, female intuition 3: A life in poetry 4: Poetry at last: Troilus and Criseyde 5: Organizing, disorganizing: The Canterbury Tales 6: Something to believe in 7: Performance and new Chaucers Timeline: a well-documented life Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisThe origins of the Spanish novel date back to the early picaresque novels and Don Quixote, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and the history of the genre in Spain presents the reader with such iconic works as Galdós''s Fortunata and Jacinta, Clarín''s La Regenta, or Unamuno''s Mist. A History of the Spanish Novel traces the developments of Spanish prose fiction in order to offer a comprehensive and detailed account of this important literary tradition. It opens with an introductory chapter that examines the evolution of the novel in Spain, with particular attention to the rise and emergence of the novel as a genre, during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and the bearing of Golden-Age fiction in later novelists of all periods. The introduction contextualises the Spanish novel in the circumstances and milestones of Spain''s history, and in the wider setting of European literature. The volume is comprised of chapters presented diachronically, from the sixteenth to the twTable of ContentsJ A Garrido Ardila: Preface J A Garrido Ardila: A Concise Introduction to the History of the Spanish Novel E. Michael Gerli: The Novel Before The Novel in Sixteenth-Century Spain Simone Pinet: The Chivalric Romance in the Sixteenth Century Edward H. Friedman: Roads Untaken: The Spanish Picaresque Novel Anthony J. Cascardi: Consequences of Don Quixote: The Bearable Lightness of Cervantes' Influence Howard Mancing: Spanish Fiction of the Seventeenth Century Marina S. Brownlee: The Fear and Fascination of María de Zayas Joaquín Álvarez Barrientos: The Spanish Novel in the Eighteenth Century Michael Iarocci: The Romantic Historical Novel. A Case Study of Enrique Gil y Carrasco's El señor de Membibre Luis Álvarez-Castro: The Naturalist Novel in Spain: Nationalism, Morality, and Aesthetics Noël Valis: On the Matter of Inner Realism: Clarín's La Regenta and Galdós' Fortunata y Jacinta Michael P. Predmore: The Life and Works of Benito Pérez Galdós Denise DuPont: Quixotes and Chimeras in the Novels of Emilia Pardo Bazán J. A. Garrido Ardila and Elizabeth Tetley: The Modernist Novel in Spain Donald L. Shaw: The Novels of Pío Baroja Susan Larson: The Avant-Garde Novel: The Search for New Concepts of Aesthetic and Social Engagement Germán Gullón: The Banquet Years of the Spanish Novel: By Invitation Only

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Book SynopsisThis volume gathers a selection of Edward Thomas's critical writings on poetry from the period 1899 to 1907.Trade ReviewLongley, more effectively than any other of Thomas's interpreters, has introduced him to a wider audience while setting a high scholarly standard in her edition of his poems. * Andrew Motion, TLS *Table of ContentsAbbreviations Textual Note Introduction Writings on Poetry Appendix: Contemporary Poets Reviewed by Edward Thomas Chronology Select Bibliography

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Book SynopsisNow adapted for ITV by Julian Fellowes, Doctor Thorne is the compelling story in which rank, wealth, and personal feeling are pitted against one another. The squire of Greshamsbury has fallen on hard times, and it is incumbent on his son Frank to make a good marriage. But Frank loves the doctor''s niece, Mary Thorne, a girl with no money and mysterious parentage. He faces a terrible dilemma: should he save the estate, or marry the girl he loves? Mary, too, has to battle her feelings, knowing that marrying Frank would ruin his family and fly in the face of his mother''s opposition. Her pride is matched by that of her uncle, Dr Thorne, who has to decide whether to reveal a secret that would resolve Frank''s difficulty, or to uphold the innate merits of his own family heritage.The character of Dr Thorne reflects Trollope''s own contradictory feelings about the value of tradition and the need for change. His subtle portrayal, and the comic skill and gentle satire with which the story is developed, are among the many pleasures of this delightful novel.Trade ReviewReading it made me laugh out loud and admire Trollope's wit, literary wizardry and hilarious digs at the debt-riden gentry's snobbish obsession with pedigree, money and the marriage market. * Val Hennessy, Daily Mail *I read it over Easter & was glued to my chair for hours at a time. * Lyn Baines, I Prefer Reading *Within this descriptive and compelling tale we encounter envy, avarice, brutality and arrogance, but essentially, Doctor Thorne is a beautifully written, nineteenth century tale of loyal, unfailing love. Excellent stuff; I just loved it! * Carrie King, The Writer's Drawer *There is wonderful comedy in Doctor Thorne...The book is a testament to Trollope's belief in decency as a guide to living, and I think we are made all the better for it. * Julian Fellowes, from his Foreword to the Oxford World's Classics edition. *

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Book Synopsis''Thus she was decapitated, and this was the end to which she was brought by her unbridled lusts.''For over two centuries after Boccaccio''s groundbreaking Decameron, the Italian novella exercised a crucial influence over European prose fiction. With thirty-nine stories by nineteen authors, many translated for the first time, this anthology presents tales from the whole genre and period. Here we meet a rich cast of humble peasants and shrewd craftsmen, frustrated wives, libidinous friars, ill-fated lovers, and vengeful nobles. These works had a considerable impact in English, and the selection includes tales that have provided sources for Chaucer, Shakespeare, Webster, Marston, Dryden, Byron and Keats.The typical novella is situated in a precise time and place and features people who either existed historically or are presumed to have done so. The subject-matter, whether ribald or sentimental, comic or tragic, often reflects the social and economic conditions of its age and thus the noTable of ContentsIntroduction A Note on the Text and Acknowledgements Select Bibliography Giovanni Boccaccio Proem The Conversion of Abraham Alibech and Rustico Tancredi and Ghismonda The Pot of Basil Madonna Filippa's Defence Peronella and the Jar Patient Griselda Ser Giovanni Fiorentino Giannetto and the Lady of Belmont Franco Sacchetti Piero Brandani's Son A Sermon on Usury Giovanni Gherardi da Prato The Tale of Catellina Gentile Sermini Anselmo Salimbeni and Angelica Montanini Antonio Manetti The Fat Woodworker Masuccio Salernitano Saint Griffin's Drawers The Castilian Student Sabbadino degli Arienti The Priest and the Friar Niccolò Machiavelli A Fable Giovan Francesco Straparola Fortunio Margherita Spolatina Luigi da Porto The Story of Two Noble Lovers Giovanni Brevio Madonna Lisabetta Matteo Bandello The Countess of Challant Giulia of Gazzuolo Timbreo and Fenicia The Duchess of Amalfi Niccolò d'Este Anton Francesco Grazzini Introduction Fazio the Goldsmith Lazzero and Gabriello Pietro Fortini Antonio Angelini Cristoforo Armeno The Metamorphoses of an Emperor Giovambattista Giraldi Cinzio The Moorish Captain Nigella and the Doctor Iuriste and Epitia Giambattista Basile Cinderella Sun, Moon, and Talia Francesco Pona Armilla Lindori Explanatory Notes Notes on the Authors

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Book Synopsis''Dreams are products of the mind, and do not come from any external source''Artemidorus'' The Interpretation of Dreams (Oneirocritica) is the richest and most vivid pre-Freudian account of dream interpretation, and the only dream-book to have survived complete from Graeco-Roman times. Written in Greek around AD 200, when dreams were believed by many to offer insight into future events, the work is a compendium of interpretations of dreams on a wide range of subjects relating to the natural, human, and divine worlds. It includes the meanings of dreams about the body, sex, eating and drinking, dress, the weather, animals, the gods, and much else. Artemidorus'' technique of dream interpretation stresses the need to know the background of the dreamer, such as occupation, health, status, habits, and age, and the work is a fascinating social history, revealing much about ancient life, culture, and beliefs, and attitudes to the dominant power of Imperial Rome. Martin Hammond''s fine translation is accompanied by a lucid introduction and explanatory notes by Peter Thonemann, which assist the reader in understanding this important work, which was an influence on both Sigmund Freud and Michel Foucault.Trade ReviewBetween them, Hammond and Thonemann have furnished us with an outstanding resource. * Malcolm Heath, Greece & Rome *Martin Hammond's characteristically fluent, lucid, and (importantly) accurate translation is supplied with notes on the Greek text and an outstandingly useful sixty-two-page index; Peter Thonemann contributes an informative introduction and explanatory notes on the content ... Between them, Hammond and Thonemann have furnished us with an outstanding resource. * Malcom Heath, Greece & Rome *These two vibrant books represent a landmark in the study of Artemidorus. They will be read with astonishment by psychoanalysts and excitement by social and cultural historians. They will substantially raise the profile of dream studies within Classical scholarship and, best of all, the public's ability to access what Thonemann enticingly describes as "the magnificent, credulous, labyrinthine, pedantic and endlessly fascinating Oenirocritica of Artemidorus of Daldis". * Edith Hall, The Times Literary Supplement12/06/2020 *Hammond's accessible and affordable translation is a joy to read. * Anactoria Clarke, Classics for All *Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text Select Bibliography Maps The Interpretation of Dreams Explanatory Notes Appendix Index

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Book SynopsisJames Joyce's only surviving play has divided Joyceans for a century. Illuminating the themes of performance that are so prominent throughout Joyce's fiction, Exiles sees Joyce staking his claim definitively within the European theatrical tradition.Trade ReviewThe book is complete with Walsh's useful notes and a well-established text and can safely be recommended to students. * Valérie Bénéjam, James Joyce Quarterly *Table of ContentsIntroduction Composition and Publication History Select Bibliography A Chronology of James Joyce EXILES Appendix A: 'Ibsen's New Drama' Appendix B: 'The Day of the Rabblement' Explanatory Notes

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Book SynopsisPacked with new evidence, Making Oscar Wilde tells the untold story of a local Irish eccentric who became a global cultural icon. This must-read book dramatizes Oscar Wilde's remarkable rise in Victorian England and post-Civil War America. Michèle Mendelssohn interweaves biography and social history to reveal a life like no other.Trade ReviewMendelssohn's remarkable book focuses on the American year ... it uncovers material missed by lengthier biographies, even Richard Ellmann's, and conveys the excitement of real research and discovery. * John Carey, The Sunday Times *Now that America has come to seem so unsettled and so strange, Michèle Mendelssohn's Making Oscar Wilde help us to become more alarmed. * Colm Tóibín, The Guardian *A retelling of Wilde's American adventure that genuinely makes you rethink vital elements of his life and work ... Mendelssohn's research is prodigious: she has tapped sources previously unavailable to other scholars. * Rachel Cooke, The Observer *An extraordinary new take on Wilde. Even those who claim to know him intimately will be astonished and enthralled by Mendelssohn's fresh perspective on his multifaceted life. * Eleanor Fitzsimons, The Irish Times *A fascinating account of how young Wilde's flair for self-promotion aligned with the birth of celebrity culture during the age of Barnum. * Jane Ciabattari, BBC Culture *A stylish account of [Wilde's] tumultuous rise, fall and resurrection ... a hugely important and enjoyable book. * Mal Rogers, The Irish Post *The story of Wilde's American tour has often been told before; but never like this. [...] Mendelssohn is the first critic to refute the triumphant self-serving spin put on the tour by both Wilde and his promoters. * Kate Hext, The Times Literary Supplement *Fascinating. * The New Yorker *Mendelssohn's scrupulous account humanizes Wilde. * Alexander C. Kafka, The Washington Post *Mendelssohn's book is well researched and written, clear, readable, and engaging. She describes some less known events in Wilde's life in spellbinding detail... In it, we learn of the impact of early key life experiences upon later life and that those who are exploited sometimes exploit others. * Beth Bidlack, Mount Holyoke College, Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work *Mendelssohn's contribution to Wilde's legacy is her fresh look at the American tour, providing social and cultural context. A familiar biography embedded in a lively cultural history. * Kirkus *Both tragic and touching, Mendelssohn has penned a biography worthy of its subject. She takes the reader behind the scenes of Victorian England and post-Civil War America to reveal a secret self-creation that would make modern internet influencers turn green with envy. * Best Books We Read in 2018, The Advocate *The writing is compelling and easy to follow, the tone light, the focus unusual and enlightening. Many of the images are new. * CHOICE *You may not think there is new stuff to learn about Oscar Wilde, but there is - as this book proves. Michèle Mendelssohn has succeeded in throwing new light on Wilde's remarkable American lecture tour. Thoroughly researched and beautifully written, this is a valuable addition to Wildean scholarship. * Gyles Brandreth, President of the Oscar Wilde Society and author of The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries *Michèle Mendelssohn's vividly written, consistently illuminating, and lavishly illustrated book is full of surprises, above all in showing how Wilde's Irishness played into the story of race relations in post-Civil War America. * Michael Gorra, author of Portrait of a Novel: Henry James and the Making of an American Masterpiece *An original, meticulously-researched and beautifully-paced account of how a modern writer invented himself, and was invented, as an international artist-celebrity. He made his world, but not in conditions of his own choosing. This stylish meditation on the mysteries of identity illustrates Wilde's belief that the best way to intensify a personality is to multiply it. * Declan Kiberd, author of Ulysses and Us *One of the most devastating, complex and presently political literary biographies I've ever read. * Eileen Myles, author of Chelsea Girls *A scholastic triumph, this highly original book rewrites the story of Oscar's tour of America with new, vivid detail, from fresh, unmined sources. Presenting the young Wilde caught in up a complex web of social and racial prejudices, Mendelssohn not only offers us a surprising view of Oscar through the lens of c19th America, but refocuses the young Wilde for a new generation. * Franny Moyle *Michèle Mendelssohn's Making Oscar Wilde is a fresh, exciting and illuminating study of the construction of celebrity and reputation. Looking at Wilde's trip to the United States in 1882, Mendelssohn shows both how stereotypes of the wild Irish immigrant and the minstrel show, and the promotional strategies of Wilde and his tour manager, made him a controversial star. The story of St. Oscar will never be the same. * Elaine Showalter, Professor Emerita of English, Princeton University *Enlightening and provocative ... Making Oscar Wilde is a breezily paced and entertaining read, and throughout Mendelssohn's style is refreshingly unstuffy. * Gregory Mackie, Literary Review of Canada *A vivid, intelligent look at Victorian celebrity culture through the rise to fame of one of its brightest stars. * New York Journal of Books *Mendelssohn's vibrantly written, deeply realised reassessment of the origins and character of Wilde's celebrity achieves what is likely to have been her ultimate goal: to change the landscape of Wildean biography in significant, possibly definitive ways, while implicitly laying the groundwork for other studies yet to come. It is no mean achievement. * Joseph Donoghue, The Wildean *Michèle Mendelssohn's astonishing demonstration [shows] that just when you thought you knew everything about the life of Oscar Wilde, there's more. [...] Someone could make a movie out of Making Oscar Wilde. * Andrew Holleran, The Gay & Lesbian Review *Mendelssohn's book reveals a man for whom the word charisma could have been invented, but also a man living on the edge. [...] This portrayal of Wilde will only add to the lustre of his reputation. * Steve Craggs, The Northern Echo *[An] illuminating book ... To say these 267 pages [...] will remain something of an enduring read, for a long, long time to come, is a mighty understatement ... Regal and (a little) risque, compelling and (occasionally) complex, this book could well be deemed more of a gripping, American cultural history, as opposed to a straight ahead, biographical analysis. * David Marx, David Marx: Book Reviews *Table of ContentsList of Plates Prologue: What's the matter with Oscar Wilde? PART ONE, 1854-1881 Turning Points Do You Find the World Very Hollow? Astonishing the Dons Not Having Set the World Quite on Fire PART TWO, 1882-1883 Colonel Morse's Campaign Oscar Dear Mr. Wild of Borneo, or The Paddy Life Imitates Art Is it Manhood? The War of Art Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing Son of Speranza Underground Men Going South The Confederate PART THREE, 1883-1900 Success is a Science You Have Made Your Name By the Throat Epilogue: The Private View Appendix: The Mystery of Wilde's Black Valet

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Book SynopsisWitty, inspiring, and charismatic, Oscar Wilde is one of the Greats of English literature. Today, his plays and stories are beloved around the world. But it was not always so. His afterlife has given him the legitimacy that life denied him. Making Oscar Wilde reveals the untold story of young Oscar''s career in Victorian England and post-Civil War America. Set on two continents, this book tracks a larger-than-life hero on an unforgettable adventure to make his name and gain international acclaim. ''Success is a science,'' Wilde believed, ''if you have the conditions, you get the result.'' Combining new evidence and gripping cultural history, Michèle Mendelssohn dramatizes Wilde''s rise, fall, and resurrection as part of a spectacular transatlantic pageant. With superb style and an instinct for story-telling, she brings to life the charming young Irishman who set out to captivate the United States and Britain with his words and ended up conquering the world. Following the twists and turns of Wilde''s journey, Mendelssohn vividly depicts sensation-hungry Victorian journalism and popular entertainment alongside racial controversies, sex scandals, and the growth of Irish nationalism. This ground-breaking revisionist history shows how Wilde''s tumultuous early life embodies the story of the Victorian era as it tottered towards modernity. Riveting and original, Making Oscar Wilde is a masterful account of a life like no other.Trade ReviewMendelssohn's remarkable book focuses on the American year ... it uncovers material missed by lengthier biographies, even Richard Ellmann's, and conveys the excitement of real research and discovery. * John Carey, The Sunday Times *Now that America has come to seem so unsettled and so strange, Michèle Mendelssohn's Making Oscar Wilde helps us to become more alarmed. * Colm Tóibín, The Guardian *A retelling of Wilde's American adventure that genuinely makes you rethink vital elements of his life and work ... Mendelssohn's research is prodigious: she has tapped sources previously unavailable to other scholars. * Rachel Cooke, The Observer *An extraordinary new take on Wilde. Even those who claim to know him intimately will be astonished and enthralled by Mendelssohn's fresh perspective on his multifaceted life. * Eleanor Fitzsimons, The Irish Times *A fascinating account of how young Wilde's flair for self-promotion aligned with the birth of celebrity culture during the age of Barnum. * Jane Ciabattari, BBC Culture *A stylish account of [Wilde's] tumultuous rise, fall and resurrection ... a hugely important and enjoyable book. * Mal Rogers, The Irish Post *The story of Wilde's American tour has often been told before; but never like this ... Mendelssohn is the first critic to refute the triumphant self-serving spin put on the tour by both Wilde and his promoters. * Kate Hext, The Times Literary Supplement *Fascinating. * The New Yorker *Mendelssohn's scrupulous account humanizes Wilde. * Alexander C. Kafka, The Washington Post *Mendelssohn's book is well researched and written, clear, readable, and engaging. She describes some less known events in Wilde's life in spellbinding detail... In it, we learn of the impact of early key life experiences upon later life and that those who are exploited sometimes exploit others. * Beth Bidlack, Mount Holyoke College, Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work *Mendelssohn's contribution to Wilde's legacy is her fresh look at the American tour, providing social and cultural context. A familiar biography embedded in a lively cultural history. * Kirkus *Both tragic and touching, Mendelssohn has penned a biography worthy of its subject. She takes the reader behind the scenes of Victorian England and post-Civil War America to reveal a secret self-creation that would make modern internet influencers turn green with envy. * Best Books We Read in 2018, The Advocate *You may not think there is new stuff to learn about Oscar Wilde, but there is - as this book proves. Michèle Mendelssohn has succeeded in throwing new light on Wilde's remarkable American lecture tour. Thoroughly researched and beautifully written, this is a valuable addition to Wildean scholarship. * Gyles Brandreth, President of the Oscar Wilde Society and author of The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries *Michèle Mendelssohn's vividly written, consistently illuminating, and lavishly illustrated book is full of surprises, above all in showing how Wilde's Irishness played into the story of race relations in post-Civil War America. * Michael Gorra, author of Portrait of a Novel: Henry James and the Making of an American Masterpiece *An original, meticulously-researched and beautifully-paced account of how a modern writer invented himself, and was invented, as an international artist-celebrity. He made his world, but not in conditions of his own choosing. This stylish meditation on the mysteries of identity illustrates Wilde's belief that the best way to intensify a personality is to multiply it. * Declan Kiberd, author of Ulysses and Us *One of the most devastating, complex and presently political literary biographies I've ever read. * Eileen Myles, author of Chelsea Girls *A scholastic triumph, this highly original book rewrites the story of Oscar's tour of America with new, vivid detail, from fresh, unmined sources. Presenting the young Wilde caught in up a complex web of social and racial prejudices, Mendelssohn not only offers us a surprising view of Oscar through the lens of c19th America, but refocuses the young Wilde for a new generation. * Franny Moyle *Michèle Mendelssohn's Making Oscar Wilde is a fresh, exciting and illuminating study of the construction of celebrity and reputation. Looking at Wilde's trip to the United States in 1882, Mendelssohn shows both how stereotypes of the wild Irish immigrant and the minstrel show, and the promotional strategies of Wilde and his tour manager, made him a controversial star. The story of St. Oscar will never be the same. * Elaine Showalter, Professor Emerita of English, Princeton University *Enlightening and provocative ... Making Oscar Wilde is a breezily paced and entertaining read, and throughout Mendelssohn's style is refreshingly unstuffy. * Gregory Mackie, Literary Review of Canada *A vivid, intelligent look at Victorian celebrity culture through the rise to fame of one of its brightest stars. * New York Journal of Books *Mendelssohn's vibrantly written, deeply realised reassessment of the origins and character of Wilde's celebrity achieves what is likely to have been her ultimate goal: to change the landscape of Wildean biography in significant, possibly definitive ways, while implicitly laying the groundwork for other studies yet to come. It is no mean achievement. * Joseph Donoghue, The Wildean *Michèle Mendelssohn's astonishing demonstration [shows] that just when you thought you knew everything about the life of Oscar Wilde, there's more. [...] Someone could make a movie out of Making Oscar Wilde. * Andrew Holleran, The Gay & Lesbian Review *Mendelssohn's book reveals a man for whom the word charisma could have been invented, but also a man living on the edge. [...] This portrayal of Wilde will only add to the lustre of his reputation. * Steve Craggs, The Northern Echo *[An] illuminating book ... To say these 267 pages [...] will remain something of an enduring read, for a long, long time to come, is a mighty understatement ... Regal and (a little) risque, compelling and (occasionally) complex, this book could well be deemed more of a gripping, American cultural history, as opposed to a straight ahead, biographical analysis. * David Marx, David Marx: Book Reviews *Michèle Mendelssohn's book is an erudite and thorough retelling of the life of a cultural icon ... Full of unique and previously unknown facts about Wilde, it is a vivid and sympathetic expression of a totally unique and gifted man. * Sandra Callard, On Yorkshire Magazine *Table of ContentsList of Plates Prologue: What's the matter with Oscar Wilde? PART ONE, 1854-1881 Turning Points Do You Find the World Very Hollow? Astonishing the Dons Not Having Set the World Quite on Fire PART TWO, 1882-1883 Colonel Morse's Campaign Oscar Dear Mr. Wild of Borneo, or The Paddy Life Imitates Art Is it Manhood? The War of Art Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing Son of Speranza Underground Men Going South The Confederate PART THREE, 1883-1900 Success is a Science You Have Made Your Name By the Throat Epilogue: The Private View Appendix: The Mystery of Wilde's Black Valet

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Book SynopsisFeaturing 218 poems and songs in Scots, English, and Gaelic, this collection places Robert Burns, Walter Scott, and other major writers of the period alongside lesser known or even entirely forgotten figures. A significant number of important long poems are given in full, and many of the shorter works feature for the first time in a modern edition.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Note on the Texts Select Bibliography Chronology Poems List of Poets Explanatory notes

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Book SynopsisThis study presents a history of the literary culture of early-modern Scotland (1560-1625), based on extensive study of the literary manuscript. It argues for the importance of three key places of production of such manuscripts: the royal court, burghs and towns, and regional houses (stately homes, but also minor lairdly and non-aristocratic households). This attention to place facilitates a discussion of, respectively, courtly, urban or civic, and regional literary cultures. Sebastiaan Verweij''s methodology stems from bibliographical scholarship and the study of the ''History of the Book'', and more specifically, from a school of manuscript research that has invigorated early-modern English literary criticism over the last few decades. The Literary Culture of Early Modern Scotland will also intersect with a programme of reassessment of early-modern Scottish culture that is currently underway in Scottish studies. Traditional narratives of literary history have often regarded the ReforTrade ReviewVerweij is indefatigable in his assertion that this study is just the beginning. Indeed, he has mastered a great deal of primary and secondary material, making this book useful to both the neophyte and the expert. But it is the authors call for further research, and specific suggestions for avenues of additional inquiry, that makes this book even more valuable. * Salvatore Cipriano, Boston College, Renaissance Quarterly *The rich content, and the fresh connections, skilfully made, make this a landmark study. * Janet Hadley Williams, Parergon *There are many things to praise in this work, not least the close and informed engagement with the primary materials, including several manuscripts considered for the first time. Many of the characterisations of manuscripts and sequences of manuscripts are careful, thoughtful, and useful. * Peter Davidson, The Seventeenth Century. *The most important thing this book does is argue that early modern Scotland had a distinct literary culture ... this book is a useful guide to the circulation of vernacular poetry in miscellany manuscripts. * Jane Stevenson, Times Literary Supplement *His lucid précis of a wide range of existing research in book history, and the clear-sighted perspectives he brings to bear when applying this research to the matter at hand, speaks of his real mastery of the subject. It would be hard to say which came first this theoretical subtlety, or what must have been tireless years of archival work -- but manuscript studies has profited hugely, either way... * Deirdre Serjeantson, Scottish Literary Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Scottish Literary Texts and the Book History of Early Modern Britain 1: Courtly Literary Culture and Manuscripts of the Court 2: 'All the kings poesis': The Manuscripts of James VI 3: The Manuscripts of William Fowler 4: Manuscript Production, Transmission, and Urban Cultural Identities 5: Urban Developments: EUL MS Laing III.447 6: The Marks of Neighbourhood: Regional Manuscript Production and Transmission 7: The Verse Miscellanies of James Murray of Tibbermuir and Margaret Robertson of Lude Conclusion: 'Off begynnnyng and ending' Bibliography: Manuscripts Bibliography: Printed Books Index

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Book SynopsisWar and Peace and Anna Karenina are widely recognised as two of the greatest novels ever written. Their author, Leo Tolstoy, has been honoured as the father of the modern war story; as an innovator in psychological prose and forerunner of stream of consciousness; and as a genius at using fiction to reveal the mysteries of love and death. At the time of his death in 1910, Tolstoy was known the world over as both a great writer and as a merciless critic of institutions that perpetrated, bred, or tolerated injustice and violence in any form. Yet among literary critics and rival writers, it has become a commonplace to disparage Tolstoy''s thought while praising his art. In this Very Short Intorduction Liza Knapp explores the heart of Tolstoy''s work. Focussing on his masterpieces of fiction which have stood the test of time, she analyses his works of non-fiction alongside them, and sketches out the core themes in Tolstoy''s art and thought, and the interplay between them. Tracing the continuing influence of Tolstoy''s work on modern literature, Knapp highlights those aspects of his writings that remain relevant today.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 Review... excellent short biograph[y]. * Donna Tussing Orwin, Slavonic and East European Review *Knapp has succeeded in writing a worthwhile introduction to Tolstoy, perfectly suited to the classroom or, for that matter, anyone with some curiosity and two hours of quiet. Even Tolstoy scholars will appreciate her insights and, more importantly, her ability to connect seemingly divergent aspects of this notoriously unstable genius. * Martin Denver, Russian Review *A superb short work. * Paradigm Explorer *Liza Knapp has given us the ideal introduction to Tolstoy a marvellous synthesis and critique that takes his ideas and philosophy as seriously as his novels. Brilliantly written and useful. * Jay Parini, author of The Last Station *Dazzling. Compelling. Moving! Knapp brilliantly illuminates the inseparability of Tolstoys art and thought and how a cherished childhood game inspired both. * Robin Feuer Miller, Professor of Russian and Comparative Literature, Brandeis University *Table of Contents1: From "Ant Brothers" to loving all as brothers and sisters 2: Tolstoy on War and on Peace 3: Tolstoy on love 4: Tolstoy on death 5: What Tolstoy believed 6: What then must we do? 7: Tolstoy's art and Tolstoy's devices Further reading Index

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Book SynopsisThomas Carlyle's history of the French Revolution, originally published in 1837, opens with the death of Louis XV in 1774 and ends in 1795 when Bonaparte quelled the insurrection of the Vendemiaire. It is a work of great narrative and descriptive power that was itself meant to be revolutionary.Trade ReviewThis edition makes the work decipherable in ways it otherwise isn't. * Barton Swaim, Wall Street Journal *Excellent edition * Years Work in English Studies, 2021 *Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text A Chronology of Thomas Carlyle Contents, iThe French Revolutionr THE FRENCH REVOLUTION Explanatory Notes Annotated Index

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Book SynopsisAn incisive, thought-provoking, and timely meditation, at once panoramic and synoptic, on American literature for an age of xenophobia, heightened nationalism, and economic disparity. The distinguished cultural critic Ilan Stavans explores the nation''s identity through the prism of its books, from the indigenous past to the early settlers, the colonial period, the age of independence, its ascendance as a global power, and its shallow, fracturing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The central motives that make the United States a flawed experiment--its celebration of do-it-yourself individualism, its purported exceptionalism, and its constitutional government based on checks and balances--are explored through canonical works like Mark Twain''s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Walt Whitman''s Leaves of Grass, Emily Dickinson''s poetry, F. Scott Fitzgerald''s The Great Gatsby, the work of Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Toni Morrison, and immigrant voices such as those of AméTrade ReviewIt constitutes a rich sample of texts and genres that can inspire whoever reads it to pull the thread and delve into the themes that Stavans points out. * Teresa Requena Pelegrí, Escola de Llibreria *At its core [What is American Literature?] is a compelling thought about the tension between protest and assimilation: the way American literature simultaneously propels change, and manufactures consent... * Alicia Rix, Times Literary Supplement *Stavans brings all his passion and experiences as a prolific and versatile writer, commentator, publisher, anthologist, and academic to bear on this heady reconsideration of American literature... [a] speedy, veering, catch-all book of pronouncements and provocations, upended assumptions and unexpected associations... * Donna Seaman, Booklist *Table of ContentsPreface: American Carnage 1: The Ambition of Origins 2: Hucks R' Us 3: Language and Authority 4: Surviving Democracy Epilogue: The Second American Civil War: A Reckoning

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Book SynopsisA new collection of Shaw's major political writings which reflect on his long career and influential role as a public intellectual. These essays reveal significant shifts in his positions and beliefs from the Victorian era to the aftermath of World War II.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: A Manifesto 2: Jevonian Criticism of Marx 3: Bluffing the Value Theory 4: Economics from Fabian Essays 5: What Socialism Is 6: Fabian Society - What it has done and how it has done it 7: Vote! Vote!! Vote!!! 8: The Impossibilities of Anarchism 9: Illusions of Socialism 10: Women as Councillors 11: Fabianism and the Empire 12: Socialism for Millionaires 13: Common Sense about the War 14: How to Settle the Irish Question 15: The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism 16: Socialism: Principles and Outlook 17: In Praise of Guy Fawkes 18: Everybody's Political What's What 19: The Unavoidable Subject Bibliography Note on the Text

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Book SynopsisIn this second edition of William Wordsworth: A Life, Stephen Gill draws on knowledge of the poet''s creative practices and his reputation and influence in his life-time and beyond. Refusing to treat the poet''s later years as of little interest, this biography presents a narrative of the whole of Wordsworth''s long life--1770 to 1850--tracing the development from the adventurous youth who alone of the great Romantic poets saw life in revolutionary France to the old man who became Queen Victoria''s Poet Laureate. The various phases of Wordsworth''s life are explored with a not uncritical sympathy; the narrative brings out the courage he and his wife and family were called upon to show as they crafted the life they wanted to lead. While the emphasis is on Wordsworth the writer, the personal relationships that nourished his creativity are fully treated, as are the historical circumstances that affected the production of his poetry. Wordsworth, it is widely believed, valued poetic spontaneity. He did, but he also took pains over every detail of the process of publication. The foundation of this second edition of the biography remains, as it was of the first, a conviction that Wordsworth''s poetry, which has given pleasure and comfort to generations of readers in the past, will continue to do so in the years to come.Trade ReviewThose who do not own the first edition should acquire this one...Essential. * T. Ware, Queen's University at Kingston, CHOICE *One of the many enjoyments of Stephen Gill's William Wordsworth: A Life is the quiet pride it communicates in a job well done. Wordsworth emerges from this comprehensive and absorbing study as a man whose sense of purpose and duty steadily grew from youth to old age. * Freya Johnston, The Guardian *[William Wordsworth: A Life] is judicious, fair-minded, panoptic. * Brad Leithauser, The Wall Street Journal *The richly revised second edition of Gill's biography (the first appeared in 1990), refuses the usual trajectory and instead celebrates 'a multifaceted, highly creative life of eighty years'. * Thomas Keymer, London Review of Books *A magnificent second edition, which displays the same qualities of quiet authority, tact and resistance to speculation, and thus merits consideration as a work in its own right. * Pamela Clemit, Times Literary Supplement *Reading Gill's work is a reminder of the pleasures and advantages of whole life biography. * Kathryn Hughes, New York Review of Books *Gill gives us the Wordsworth who bore life's tribulations as a philosopher, the Wordsworth renowned as a poet, but also the deeply human portrait of Wordsworth the man. * Chris Townsend, The Wordsworth Trust *Gill is the leading authority on the poet and writes in great detail about his life and work; an essential book for all students. * Robert Tanitch, The Mature Times *An essential companion to students of Wordsworth with much to offer the general reader. * Will Smith, Cumbria Life *This biography not only presents Wordsworth in the round, but also grants us a peep into his very soul. * Steve Craggs, Northern Echo *Stephen Gill's masterly and immensely readable "William Wordsworth: A Life". * Michael Dirda, The Washington Post *Review from previous edition The most scholarly and up-to-date book on Wordsworth... His judgement and interests are eminently sensible and show a full picture of Wordsworth. * Nikolai Tolstoy, Daily Mail *Impressive new Clarendon biography ...William Wordsworth: A Life is every inch the new definitive work. Gill has taken full account of Wordsworth studies in the past 30 years, blended the new materials with the old, and come out with a book that is scholarly, readable, likely to last. * Jonathan Wordsworth, Sunday Times *excellent biography of Wordsworth ... Gill is master of the very extensive primary and secondary sources, and a particular expert on the manuscripts, which the poet subjected to constant revision. * William Scammell, The Listener *not least among the virtues of this excellent biography is the way in which Stephen Gill balances the inner against the external man ... This is the kind of biography which any writer would be delighted to inspire, let alone deserve ... it is a measure of the significance of this biography that its seriousness matches that of Wordsworth itself. * Peter Ackroyd, The Times *all stolid good sense * Blake Morrison, The Bookseller *thorough, scholarly biography * Anthony Powell, Weekend Telegraph *Stephen Gill's new biography ... is enormously well-informed and avoids extravagant speculation, ... It provides an entertaining, shrewd, and manageably-sized narrative of Wordsworth's life * Peter Swaab, Sunday Telegraph *Stephen Gill's admirable biography ... it succeeds, where such biographies often fail, in transforming the life into the work by actively exploring, not avoiding, the complex problems that Wordsworth's self-account presents to his biographer. * London Review of Books *lively, painstaking book * Archie Hind, Glasgow Herald *Gill has already proved himself as an editor of Wordsworth's manuscripts and now turns that research to elegant profit. * Anthony Lane, Independent *It is difficult to see how a biography of Wordsworth could be enthralling, but Stephen Gill has made his so. This densely particularised and humane biography returns us anew to the poet's questions with an inwardness and sympathy few previous writers have displayed. * Isobel Armstrong, Southampton University, TES *the first comprehensive biography of Wordsworth since Mary Moorman's 30 years ago. * Blake Morrison, Observer *not many biographies are so admirably devoid of pretentiousness, silliness, and banality. * Chloe Chard, Weekend Financial Times *in Stephen Gill's monumental work, exacting, controlled, measured and profound, we have a moving portrait of a great poet the confirming of whose reputation has been substantially advanced by Gill's scholarship and judgment. * Bruce Arnold, Irish Independent *Gill is an immensely learned, scrupulous and judicious guide ... It is a mark of a good biography that the peripheral figures - the friends and acquaintances - are brought to life by a few swift, bold strokes ... A new biography of Wordsworth was certainly needed, and this one will be an indispensable companion for Lake Poet enthusiasts. Its insights are astute and its choice of quotation excellent; it could not have condensed more information into a single volume, yet it never becomes a mere procession of facts ... this volume is fluent and comprehensive. * Jonathan Bate, Country Life *a large, very readable study by Oxford scholar Stephen Gill who makes use of much fresh material. * Michael Field, The Star *thorough and scholarly biography ... Many books have been on Wordsworth, but this one takes a fresh look at contemporary records and the mass of material which has been unearthed since the last serious biography, a quarter-of-a-century ago. * John Hurst, Cumberland & Westmorland Herald *What Gill has done, very well, is to match the poetry to the poet's development. Gill, with his illuminating extracts, saves us from our own ignorance. * Anthony Hern, London Evening Standard *this biography clears new and central ground for future academic revaluations of the poet and his work ... It renders Wordsworth newly accessible and calls attention to his reciprocal relation to, and profound effects on, the national life. * New York Times Book Review *a lovingly told story * Christopher Hall, The Countryman *a thorough and detailed study of Wordsworth's life in relation to the poetry ... Gill is a thoughtful critic as well as a careful biographer ... sympathetic study. * J. B. Pick, The Scotsman *When dealing with politics or family matters Gill can be very shrewd, and especially so in his subtle account of the growing strains between Wordsworth and Coleridge after 1800. And on textual matters Gill writes with an authority well beyond that of any previous biographer. Many of his poetry discussions are first rate, sensitive and illuminating. * Norman Fruman, Times Literary Supplement *an eminently accessible as well as definitive study of the poet's life. * Sunday Times *not a general biography of the Great Lakes poet, nor is it merely a critique of his work ... It is an authoritative and readable study ... of Wordsworth's writing in an effort to lay bare the poet's life as a writer of poetry "full of human understanding and experience." ... a fascinating and enlightening study ... few will deny it's value in bringing the man and his work into fresh perspective. * Evelyn Holtzhausen, Cape Times *This isn't a critical book ... and discussion of the poetry is carefully fused with Wordsworth's self-discussion. ... this biography is good value ... Always well-written, it wears its substantial scholarship lightly * Simon Petch, Sydney Morning Herald *Stephen Gill ... has written what must now be the definitive biography ... a multitudinous life about which, even after reading this thorough and admirable biography we still wish we knew more. * David Parkin, Yorkshire Post *a model literary biography * Bernard Bergonzi, The Tablet *compendious new biography of William Wordsworth ... solidly constructed * Chicago Tribune *the biography is both scholarly and readable ... If William Wordsworth: A Life brings new readers to the poems or old readers back it will have succeeded admirably in its aim. * Peter Dyson, University of Toronto, The Globe and Mail *Gill has performed a remarkable act of revisionary scholarship by shifting the bulk of the story to the years at Rydal Mount ... this is a distinguished work of literary biography ... The biographer's wide-ranging knowledge of the period adds immensely to the success of this study. It will be many years before another biography of Wordsworth is required. * Jay Parini, USA Today *He offers a more factually meticulous version of the poet's early years to stand beside the mythopoeic self-presentation of the poetry. He understands the importance of Wordsworth's inner life. Gill's biography quietly but memorably reveals the drama of Wordsworth's life. * Merle Rubin, Christian Science Monitor *fine new biography ... Mr Gill's biography is up-to-date in its scholarship ... It neither sentimentalizes nor oversimplifies. * Richard Locke, Columbia University, Wall Street Journal *all stolid good sense * John Linklater, The Bookseller *this biography contains much to interest scholars * Henry Bartlett, The Courier-Mail *it is robust and intelligent on his marvellous body of poetry * Observer *Gill's narrative is well-paced and well-written. Gill's account is comprehensive and engaging, and skilful in its corporation of biographical detail. The Wordsworth specialist, as well as the general reader, will come away from it refreshed and inspired. * Charles Rzepka, Boston University, Essays in Criticism *eloquent and straight-forward retelling of Wordsworth's life * J.D. Gutteridge, Notes and Queries *triumphantly reconciles a vast amount of material to produce a life of Wordsworth that is sensitive to modern scholarship and faithful to the age in which the poet himself lived ... Stephen Gill has written a biography of Wordsworth for our times, and it will remain the standard life of the poet for many years to come. * Nicholas Roe, University of St Andrews, Review of English Studies, Vol. XLI, No. 164, Nov '90 *An assured blend of old and recently-researched material which combines fluently into a vibrant study of the poet. Mr Gill avoids wild speculation and brings us the essence of the man thankfully devoid of spurious conjecture. * Tony Firth, Yorkshire Post *a unique look at this Romantic poet * Windsor Star *Table of ContentsPart I: BEGININGS 1: 1770-1787 2: 1787-1792 3: 1793-1795 4: 1795-1797 5: 1797-1798 6: 1798-1799 Part II: MIDDLE YEARS 7: 1800-1802 8: 1803-1805 9: 1806-1810 10: 1810-1815 11: 1816-1820 Part III: LATER YEARS 12: 1820-1822 13: 1822-1832 14: 1833-1839 15: 1840-1850

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Book SynopsisShakespeare and Collaborative Writing offers a rich account of Shakespeare's artistic development in, against, and beyond collaboration. In undertaking a rigorous appreciation of his co-authored works, it presents them as distinctive works of art that transform our understanding of Shakespeare the poet, dramatist, and enduring cultural icon.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of Illustrations Introduction 1: What is Collaboration? 2: Stage 3: Shakespeare: 1590-4 4: Shakespeare: 1599, 1603-6 5: Shakespeare: 1607-8, 1612-13 6: Page 7: Determining Collaboration Appendix 1: Attribution by Play Appendix 2: Canon and Chronology Notes Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisThis Companion brings together a wealth of information about the perennially fascinating lives and writings of the Brontë sisters. In addition, wide-ranging articles enable the reader to see them in their literary and social context, and to trace their enduring influence on the work of other writers.Trade ReviewThe anniversary edition of The Oxford Companion to the Brontës is a carefully compiled, extended reissue of the comprehensive volume of scholarship first published in 2003. Its timely publication contributes to the exciting increase in scholarship on the Brontë siblings to commemorate the bicentenaries of their births. * Tamara S. Wagner, 1650-1850: Ideas, Aesthetics, and Inquiries of the Early Modern Era *Brontë scholars will be pleased to see Christine Alexander and Margaret Smith's magisterial The Oxford Companion to the Brontës: Anniversary edn., with A-Z entries for almost anything, as well as a chronology, maps and longer entries for broader topics. * Pamela K. Gilbert, Studies in English Literature 1500-1900 *I have spent many happy hours dipping in and out and reading it over the last few months wondering where to start to extoll is virtues and joys This really is a glorious book, it is a treasure trove of information and a must have for all Bronte lovers. * Random Jottings *Wonderfully detailed * Christopher Hirst and Christina Patterson, Independent *This book is a must...A treasure trove of a book * Brian Maye, Irish Times *impressively academic and comprehensive * Times Literary Supplement *It's as authoritative as you'd expect, with more than 2,000 entries ... Even if you are not an academic seeking facts, you could browse absorbingly for hours. * Harry Mead, The Northern Echo *Table of ContentsForewordPrefaceEditors and ContributorsClassified Contents ListAbbreviationsChronologyMapsNote to the ReaderTHE OXFORD COMPANION TO THE BRONTËS: A-ZDialect and Obsolete WordsBibliography

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Book SynopsisThis is a 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 attTrade 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 ***** * Dominic Cavendish, The Telegraph *A handsome tome, self-consciously relishing its book-self, while chronicling the fetishising of another. A fascinating read for any Shakespeare nerd. * Katy Hayes, Irish Independent *Impressively learned ... [an] excellent book. * Michael Dirda, Washington Post *[Smith] reanimates, in narrative style, the histories of this book, paying close attention to the details of individual copies now located around the world. * Richard Lofthouse, QUAD *In Shakespeare's First Folio, Emma Smith, a little over-cautiously, comments that "to collect may always be to sacralize". Yet no other literary book is treated with quite the same religiosity as the First Folio. * Peter Holland, TLS *[A] magnificent and thoroughly enjoyable account of the changes in the [First Folio's] fortunes. * Peter Holland, Times Literary Supplement *Smith's study is a trove of such accidents and contingencies, many belonging to the decades-indeed, more than a century-before the First Folio became an importantly old book, when it was simply an aging one. * Catherine Nicholson, New York Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Sir Edward Dering goes shopping 1: Owning 2: Reading 3: Decoding 4: Performing 5: Perfecting Conclusion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe Oxford Handbook of Dante contains forty-four specially written chapters that provide a thorough and creative reading of Dante's oeuvre. It encompasses diverse approaches and spans several disciplines: philology, material culture, history, religion, art history, visual studies, literary theory, queer, post- and de-colonial, and feminist studies.Trade ReviewThe Handbook lives up to the most stringent expectations. * F. Regina Psaki, Modern Language Review *The handsome tome contains 45 remarkably diverse essays covering multiple aspects of Dante Studies. Scholars from across Europe and America examine everything from the transmission of texts and their making, through the knowledge and traditions of Dante's own times, to his afterlife in politics and the arts up to today. * Dr Mark Vernon, Church Times *I heartily recommend this volume as a true feast for the mind. * Christopher Kleinhenz, Speculum 99/1 *Table of ContentsManuele Gragnolati, Elena Lombardi, and Francesca Southerden: Introduction. Dante Unbound: A Vulnerable Life and the Openness of Interpretation Part I: Texts and Textuality 1: Justin Steinberg: The author 2: Lina Bolzoni: Memory 3: Mary Carruthers: Reading 4: Martin Eisner: Materiality of the text and manuscript culture 5: Fabio Zinelli: The manuscript tradition, or on editing Dante 6: Luca Fiorentini: Commentary (both by Dante and on Dante) 7: Akash Kumar: Digital Dante Part II: Dialogues 8: Zygmunt G. Baranski: The Classics 9: Antonio Montefusco: Roman de la Rose 10: William Burgwinkle: Troubadours 11: Roberto Rea: Early Italian lyric 12: Fabian Alfie: Comic culture 13: Gervase Rosser: Visual culture Part III: Transforming Knowledge 14: Franziska Meier: Encyclopaedism 15: Natascia Tonelli: Medicine 16: Simon Gilson: Visual theory 17: Diego Quaglioni: The law 18: Tristan Kay: Politics 19: Pasquale Porro: Philosophy and theology 20: Alessandro Vettori: Religion 21: Elena Lombardi: Poetry Part IV: Space(s) and places 22: Giuliano Milani: Florence and Rome 23: Elisa Brilli: Civitas/Community 24: Karla Mallette: The Mediterranean 25: Brenda Deen Schildgen: The East 26: Johannes Bartuschat: Exile 27: Theodore J. Cachey, Jr.: Travelling/wandering/mapping 28: Peter Hawkins: Dante's other worlds Part V: A passionate selfhood 29: Manuele Gragnolati: Eschatological anthropology 30: Heather Webb: Language 31: Bernard McGinn: The mystical 32: Cary Howie: Bodies on fire Part VI: A non-linear Dante 33: Nicolò Crisafi: The master narrative and its paradoxes 34: Jennifer Rushworth: Conversion, palinody, traces 35: Francesca Southerden: The lyric mode 36: Teodolinda Barolini: Errancy: A brief history of Dante's Ferm Voler Part VII: Nachleben 37: Martin McLaughlin: Translations 38: Rossend Arqués Corominas: Dante and the performing arts 39: John David Rhodes: Dante on screen 40: Daniela Caselli: Modernist Dante 41: Lino Pertile: Dante and the Shoah 42: Jason Allen-Paisant: Dante in Caribbean poetics: Language, power, race 43: Gary Cestaro: Queering Dante 44: Marguerite Waller: A decolonial feminist Dante: Imperial historiography and gender

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Book SynopsisHannibal''s crossing of the Alps represents a momentous event in the beginning of the Second Punic War (218-202 BCE). The third book of Silius Italicus'' Punica reimagines this courageous feat, retracing the journey of Hannibal and his army from the temple of Hercules/Melqart in Gades, across the Pyrenees, the Rhone, and the Alpine peaks into northern Italy. Significant stages in the journey are marked by prophecies: the gods reveal to Hannibal in a dream his future destruction of Italy through a dream with a giant snake; Jupiter unveils to his daughter Venus the future of the Roman empire through the Flavians and Domitian himself; the oracle of Hammon in the African desert prophesies the Roman defeat at Cannae. The Flavian poet builds his narrative around several key episodes that programmatically set the tone for the whole poem: separation from family, a futuristic distinction between African and Iberian troops in the catalogue, the transgressive nature of Hannibal''s struggle with nature and the divine. The commentary explores each scene in the context of the poetic, philosophical, and historiographic background, with reference also to material culture. The philological and stylistic exegeses aim to reveal the linguistic complexities which colour this fascinating Flavian reconstruction of the topos of ''the epic hero''s journey''. The Latin text is presented alongside an English translation and supplemented with maps and images to support understanding the broad historical context of Silius'' poem.Trade ReviewThe commentary is very good on the many layers of intertextual echoes and references, as well as intratextual connections between Book 3 and the rest of the Punica. It will greatly help both students and scholars alike to appreciate the literary merits of this book. * Greece & Rome *Table of ContentsGENERAL INTRODUCTION 1. The Political Life and Literary Formation of Silius Italicus 2. Hannibal's Enterprise 2.1. In the Steps of Hercules? 2.2. In the Steps of Aeneas? 3. Hannibal and Imilce 4. Hannibal's Army 4.1. Historiographic Assessment and Poetic Distortion 4.2. Silius' Epic Catalogue of Hannibal's Troops 4.3. Icons of Imperialism in Hannibal's African and Iberian Troop Catalogues 4.4. The Significance of Iberia in the Catalogue 5. Hannibal's Alpine Crossing 5.1. Hannibal's Route and Recent Archaeological Evidence 5.2. Sublimity 5.3. Hannibal and Further Epicurean Postures 6. Divine Prophecy 6.1. Epic Closural Motifs 6.2. Jupiter and Venus 6.3. Hammon's Oracle 7. Language and Style 7.1. Diction and Figures of Speech 7.2. Epic Similes 7.3. Metre and Prosody 8. Text and Transmission SIGLA, TEXT, TRANSLATION, AND APPARATUS CRITICUS COMMENTARY

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Book SynopsisA Christmas Carol has gripped the public imagination since it was first published in 1843, and it is now as much a part of Christmas as mistletoe or plum pudding. This edition reprints the story alongside Dickens's four other Christmas Books: The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life, and The Haunted Man.Trade ReviewAnother brilliant edition of the timeless classic. * Paul Norman, Books Monthly *A lovely new hardback edition from Oxford World's Classics. It's beautifully produced, with some of the original illustrations for each story, and is one of those volumes that is a physical pleasure to read... Id say it is perfect Christmas gift material for any Dickens fan, except Id never be willing to give my copy away! * Leah Galbraith, Goodreads *Table of ContentsA Christmas CarolThe ChimesThe Cricket on the HearthThe Battle of LifeThe Haunted Man

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Book SynopsisThe biographer Suetonius is one of the most fascinating writers of ancient Rome, but he is rarely afforded serious critical attention. This volume of new essays focuses on the various aspects of Suetonius'' work, from his lost writing on Roman courtesans to his imperial portraits of the Caesars.Beginning with an introduction that assesses the originality of Suetonius as a writer and situates the essays within the context of debates and controversies over his biographical form, the collection addresses the issues surrounding his style, themes, and early influence on literature in three parts. The first part discusses formal features of Suetonian biography, such as his literary techniques, manners of citation and quotation, and devices of allusion and closure. The middle section is devoted to readings of the individual Lives, treating several topics - from Suetonius'' decision to begin his collection with Julius Caesar, to fictional elements in his death scene of the emperor Caligula, toTrade ReviewTristan Power and Roy Gibson, the editors of this new collection of thirteen lively essays, Suetonius the Biographer, seek to put the author in the spotlight by directing the critical focus squarely back to his craft as a biographer. By meeting Suetonius on his own terms, the contributors aim to clarify how and why he is an innovative writer still worth reading today . . . as this stimulating collection of essays demonstrates, looking below the surface of Suetonius's text into the inner workings of the author's mind is richly rewarding. * Rhiannon Ash, Times Literary Supplement *Excellent collection of essays . . . There are no weak links in the essays, and the choice of material is a thought-provoking pointer to how those Suetonian times have changed . . . The volume as a whole is certainly an important further step in dismantling that caricature, and all readers and browsers will learn a lot. * Christopher Pelling, Classical Review *[T]he most thorough and successful attempt to date to recover Suetonius as an innovative biographer . . . This is an unusually excellent edited volume. While diverse and occasionally divergent, the papers overall make a strong case for the artful biographer. Their thoughtful arrangement, along with Power's introduction, enhances their impact. Established fans of Suetonius will cheer, and new ones should join them. * Josiah Osgood, Sehepunkte *This engaging volume succeeds in advancing our understanding of Suetonius . . . The thirteen essays are well-edited and coherently organized, concluding with a rich bibliography and generous indexes. Scholars and students interested in biography and early imperial history will want to take note of this stimulating publication. * Salvador Bartera, Classical World *Power and Gibson and their contributors have given us what is often a demanding read, but certainly something that for students of Suetonius demands to be read. * David Wardle, Histos *A welcome addition to English-language scholarship on Suetonius, his literary style, his contributions to the genre of biography, and his subsequent reception . . . the editors have done a good job of establishing connections between the chapters and teasing out key themes that should inform and enrich our assessment of Suetonius in future scholarship . . . attentive readers will return to Suetonius more thoughtfully and cautiously in future sittings. * Mark Bradley, Journal of Roman Studies *By offering scholarship on the DVC that employs a wide variety of approaches and includes successful forays beyond the DVC's borders, Suetonius the Biographer expands our awareness of the myriad of possibilites for future work on this under-estimated author. That there can be great care, artistry, and purpose to be explored in works that, to the casual reader, may seem at times to be compilations of mere data (however quirky) is something we are just beginning to appreciate in such authors as Pliny the Elder and Suetonius. Suetonius the Biographer piques one's appetite for the next modest spate of Suetonian monograph(s). * Trevor S. Luke, Classical Journal Online *Table of ContentsList of Contributors Editions and Abbreviations Tristan Power: Introduction: The Originality of Suetonius Part I: Formal Features 1: Donna W. Hurley: Suetonius' Rubric Sandwich 2: Cynthia Damon: Suetonius the Ventriloquist 3: Tristan Power: The Endings of Suetonius' Caesars Part II: Reading the Lives 4: John Henderson: Was Suetonius' Julius a Caesar? 5: Rebecca Langlands: Exemplary Influences and Augustus' Pernicious Moral Legacy 6: Erik Gunderson: E.g. Augustus: exemplum in the Augustus and Tiberius 7: Donna W. Hurley: Rhetorics of Assassination: Ironic Reversal and the Emperor Gaius 8: W. Jeffrey Tatum: Another Look at Suetonius' Titus 9: Jean-Michel Hulls: The Mirror in the Text: Privacy, Performance, and the Power of Suetonius' Domitian Part III: Biographical Thresholds 10: Roy K. Gibson: Suetonius and the uiri illustres of Pliny the Younger 11: Tristan Power: Suetonius' Famous Courtesans 12: T. P. Wiseman: Suetonius and the Origin of Pantomime 13: Jamie Wood: Suetonius and the De uita Caesarum in the Carolingian Empire Bibliography Index Locorum General Index

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Book SynopsisXenophon recounted several Socratic dialogues which included his Symposium and Oeconomicus and both are concerned with Athenian private life. They are literary creations that reveal Xenophon as a skilled literary artist, an innovative thinker, and far from merely reflecting the conventional thinking of the world around him.Trade ReviewThis edition of Xenophon's Oeconomicus and Symposium features a high-quality translation by Anthony Verity and a thought-provoking introduction by Emily Baragwanath. It is Baragwanath's introduction that makes this edition stand out from the competition. * David M. Johnson, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Bryn Mawr Classical Review *Baragwanath guides the reader through the two works, highlighting areas of interest and possible influences upon Xenophon's choice of topics. Baragwanath also provides a succinct description of a Socratic dialogue, which both Estate Management and Symposium are, emphasizing that the genre is most likely one of fiction in which "an author uses Socrates as a vehicle for exploring his own ideas". The repeated comparisons between Xenophon's Symposium and Plato's work of the same name were particularly illuminating in this regard, demonstrating how students of the same teacher could reach vastly different conclusions....Verity has done an admirable job of rendering the Greek in readable English. * Owain Williams, Ancient History *This little book gives a fine account of these two works of Xenophon, both for those who are familiar and unfamiliar with him. * Colin McDonald, Classics for All *Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text Select Bibliography OECONOMICUS SYMPOSIUM Explanatory Notes

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Book SynopsisThe third and final volume of A. David Moody's critically acclaimed biography examines Pound's final years, which saw much personal tragedy for Pound at a tragic point in World history.Trade ReviewMoody explains and elucidates Pounds massive poetic output at length... subtitled The Tragic Years 19391972. It gives a detailed and moving account of the second half his life, which was indeed tragic. * A. Banerjee (Kobe Jogakuin University), The Journal *It's almost a day-to-day account of the life of this prolific and erudite writer and scholar. As such, it illuminates and validates the poetry. * David Crook, Bookwitty *A landmark three volume biography...David Moody's life of Ezra Pound is complete, and a splendid work it is. * Denis Donoghue, Irish Times *magisterial... a masterful biography, as meticulous as it is broad-ranging. * Eric Ormsby, New Criterion *The third volume is a magnificent conclusion to a magisterial biography and it's hard to imagine a better researched account of Pound's life and work emerging for generations to come. * Sean Sheehan, Irish Left Review *With this final volume, aptly subtitled "The Tragic Years," Mr. Moody [ -- a sympathetic and indeed exemplary biographer-- ] has written as wonderfully comprehensive and comprehending a biography as anyone interested in Pound-for or against-will want to have. * Allan Massie, Wall Street Journal *A landmark three volume biography / David Moody's life of Ezra Pound is complete, and a splendid work it is * Irish Times *Ezra Pound: Poet will surely stand for a long time as one of the great literary biographies; it is inconceivable to imagine that any other life of its subject will be necessary into the far future. * Bruce Whiteman, Hudson Review *a brilliant performance... Moody's is by far the best researched, keenly judged, and in every sense comprehensive life of Pound we are ever likely to get. Altogether it is a crowning achievement for a very distinguished critic and scholar. * Alec Marsh, Make It New *attention to nuance characterises Moody's general approach to writing Pound's life... [and] extends to readings of Pound's poetry... His monumental biography is... judicious and scrupulous * Matthew Creasey, PN Review *The final volume of A. David Moody's monumental biography may well be the most absorbing. Here, in vivid detail, Moody tells the painful story ... much new or previously unknown archival material ... the most authoritative biography to date. * Marjorie Perloff, Times Literary Supplement *David Moody's magnificent accomplishment commands respect. His scholarship and criticism are exhaustive and these three volumes will be indispenable to all future Ezra Pound research. * Tim Redman, Literary Review *It's hard to imagine a more comprehensive or impressive biography of Pound will ever be written. * Publishers Weekly *The third volume is a magnificent conclusion to a magisterial biography and it's hard to imagine a better researched account of Pound's life and work emerging for generations to come. * Irish Left Review *Moody has succeeded in bringing Pound to life and highlighting the vitality of his poetry. He gives modern readers an understanding of just how brilliant the dangerous, deluded, and fascinating Ezra Pound was. * Spiked *It is a monumental feat of scholarship, and one which must surely be seen as an exemplar of modern critical biography. * Shiny New Books *Table of ContentsPART ONE: 1939 - 1945IllustrationsPrefaceChronology1: Between Paradise & Propaganda, 1939-402: A Dutifully Dissident Exile, 19413: In a Web of Contradictions: 1942-34: 'To Dream the Republic': 1943-45: For the Resurrection of Italy: 1944-5PART TWO: 19456: Talking to the FBI7: A Prisoner in the Eyes of Others8: 'In the Mind Indestructible': The Pisan CantosPART THREE9: American JusticePART FOUR: ST ELIZABETHS 1946 - 195810: A Year in the Hell Hole11: Resilience: 1947-5012: The Life of the Mind: 1950-513: 'Indictment Dismissed': 1956-814: Clearing OutPART FIVE: 1958-197215: A Final Testament: 1958-916: 'You Find Me In Fragments': 1959-6217: His Sickness & His Wealth: 1962-418: Afterlife of the Poet: 1965-72APPENDIXThe Settlement of the EstateAbbreviationsNotesAcknowledgementsIndex

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Book SynopsisReading George Eliot''s work was described by one Victorian critic as like the feeling of entering the confessional in which the novelist sees and hears all the secrets of human psychology''that roar which lies on the other side of silence''. This new biography of George Eliot goes beyond the much-told story of her life. It gives an account of what it means to become a novelist, and to think like a novelist: in particular a realist novelist for whom art exists not for art''s sake but in the exploration and service of human life. It shows the formation and the workings of George Eliot''s mind as it plays into her creation of some of the greatest novels of the Victorian era. When at the age of 37 Marian Evans became George Eliot, this change followed long mental preparation and personal suffering. During this time she related her power of intelligence to her capacity for feeling: discovering that her thinking and her art had to combine both. That was the great ambition of her novelsnot tTrade ReviewThe strength of Davis's superbly written work of "the great transmitter," as he calls her, lies in the readings of the fiction and discussion of the impact of George Lewes's work on Eliot ... Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers. * W. Baker, Choice *The Transferred Life of George Eliot makes its case with impressive force and eloquence. In doing so, it leaves aside many of the standard elements of a biography: an orderly sequence of life-events, financial affairs, contacts with other cultural figures, and so forth. Davis's narrative sticks to Eliot's emotional and intellectual development, as revealed in her fiction and letters. It presents Eliot's life as the heroic overcoming of the multiple oppressions inflicted on a brilliant but awkward and misunderstood provincial girl. * Paul Delany, Los Angeles Review of Books *There have been several good new biographies of George Eliot in recent years but none quite like this... Davis has a magisterial command of all her writing. * John Rignall, George Eliot Review: Journal of the George Eliot Fellowship *A dense and revelatory study. * Rohan Maitzen, Times Literary Supplement *Thoughtful and searching account of the writer we know as George Eliot, Philip Davis undertakes a project of which his subject would have approved... acute on the psychology of the novels, both in their content and on their connection to their authors life. * Salley Vickers, The Observer *Davis's book is a celebration of her "realism", which allows us to see minutely the differences in consciousness of different characters - before we return to our sole selves. * John Mullan, The Guardian *Anyone who has read and loved Middlemarch will appreciate Davis's devotion to his subject * Claire Lowdon, Sunday Times *How many books of erudite, intellectual biography and closely argued literary criticism can ever be described as an enthralling, lucid, page-turning read? ... Philip Davis is the searching, perceptive critic this great novelist deserves. * Patricia Duncker, Literary Review *I came away from his book more full of admiration and awe for his subject matter than ever before. * On: Yorkshire Magazine *At once scrupulous, thoughtful, and empathetic, the book enacts the passionate intellectual sympathy that is its subject. * Andrew Henderson, Studies in English Literature *Table of ContentsIntroduction1: Family Likenesses, 1819-422: The Valley of Humiliation: The Single Woman, 1840-513: Three Translations4: The Two Loves of 1852: 1. Herbert Spencer5: The Two Loves of 1852: 2. George Henry Lewes6: 'The first time' in the 'new era': Scenes of Clerical Life, 1856-77: Adam Bede: 'The Other Side of the Commonplace', 1857-98: The Mill on the Floss: 'My problems are purely psychical', 1859-60: Psychology and the Levels of Thought9: 'Great Facts Have Struggled to Find a Voice': The Toll of the 1860s10: Middlemarch: Realism and Thoughtworld, 1869-7111: Daniel Deronda: The Great Transmitter and the Last Experiment, 1873-6NotesSelect BibliographyIndex

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