Literary reference works Books

Book SynopsisFind everything you need to achieve your full potential with York Notes for GCSE Study Guides, now updated for GCSE (9-1).Table of Contents Part 1: Induction Part 2: Plot and Action Part 3: Characters Part 4: Key Contexts and Themes Part 5: Language and Structure Part 6: Grade Booster Literacy Terms

Read more less

Book SynopsisLiterary theory has now become integral to how we produce literary criticism. When critics write about a text, they no longer think just about the biographical or historical contexts of the work, but also about the different approaches that literary theory offers. By making use of these, they create new interpretations of the text that would not otherwise be possible. In your own reading and writing, literary theory fosters new avenues into the text. It allows you to make informed comments about the language and form of literature, but also about the core themes - concepts such as gender, sexuality, the self, race, and class - which a text might explore.Literary theory gives you an almost limitless number of texts to work into your own response, ensuring that your interpretation is truly original. This is why, although literary theory can initially appear alienating and difficult, it is something to get really excited about. Imagine you are standing in the centre of a circul

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this elegant but pocketable edition in the Ross's Discoveries series, passionate bibliophile Michael Ross has curated his favorite literary quotes spanning a multitude of important life topics from the collection of over 1500 well-read books on his shelves. In Ross's Life Discoveries Michael Ross brings together quotes from such a new perspective even the authors themselves will probably find this book useful and insightful.Trade ReviewPraise for Michael Ross"Truly exceptional and simply stated, Ross's Timely Discoveries is a bibliophile's treasure that is unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community, and academic library Literary Studies collection."―Midwest Book Review"Reading Michael Ross’s collection of quotes along with his comments feels like peeking into another’s diary and finding a relationship with the enclosed contents. Just as elusive time flies from us, so do we adapt to different identities at varied ages. As a consummate reader, the author, intrigued by the changing aspects of time, selects quotes from literature relating to how the present, past, and future are viewed. Take a quote from John Updike, who comments on how paradise always lies in the past or future, but not in the present. It seems the grass is always greener somewhere else. Pithy truisms related to impressions of mutable time, feelings of age, and the value of memory selected from American and British authors grace the pages with insightfully incisive editorial comments. Familiar authors such as Bernard Malamud, Garrison Keillor, Doris Lessing, Oscar Wilde, Elia Kazan, and more serve as the sources. The book’s design is unique; it resembles an old-fashioned hardback classic in pocket-book size with a valentine red binding. The script on the black and white pages is elegantly lettered, and these are interspersed with skillful illustrations of some of the included authors by Cara Lowe. An interesting collection of timely thoughts."―San Francisco Book Review

Read more less

Book SynopsisOur brand-new York Notes for GCSE Workbooks offer a wide range of write-in tasks and exercises to boost your students' knowledge of the text and help them practise for the new GCSE (9-1) English Literature exams.Table of Contents Part 1: Getting Started Part 2: Plot and Action Part 3: Characters Part 4: Key Contexts and Themes Part 5: Form, Structure and Language Part 6: Progress Booster

Read more less

Book SynopsisHilary Spurling won the Rose Mary Crawshay Prize for The Early Life of Ivy Compton-Burnett 1884-1919, and the Duff Cooper Prize and Heinemann Award for Secrets of a Woman's Heart: The Later Life of Ivy Compton-Burnett 1920-1969. She is also the author of Elinor Fettiplace's Receipt Book, Paper Spirits and The Girl from the Fiction Department: A Portrait of Sonia Orwell. She has been Arts and Literary Editor of the Spectator, and a regular reviewer for the Observer, the New York Times and the Daily Telegraph.Trade ReviewHilary Spurling's exhaustive analysis of the novel's characters supplies a master-key for the reader -- Anthony Powell

Read more less

Book SynopsisWith a history stretching back nearly 1,500 years, Japanese literature is infused from its beginnings with written traditions from around the globe, while ever evolving in its own particular expressive modes and vision. This Very Short Introduction traverses this vast and varied canon, ranging from the world''s first novel, The Tale of Genji, to pre-modern and modern narrative fiction (including such writers as Natsume Sôseki, Yukio Mishima and Murakami Haruki); from the foundational works of women''s literature to the rich genres of poetry, performance art, and erotica; and from the literary treatise to the precursors of contemporary Japan''s most successful cultural export: manga.Table of ContentsChapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review“Sparkling and informative.”—Meghan Cox Gurdon, Wall Street Journal (Holiday Gift Book selection)“A great addition to the collection of anyone who is, to some degree, passionate about color.”—Angelica Frey, Hyperallergic“[A] scholarly yet highly entertaining book.”—Natalie Angier, New York Times“On Color pays tribute to everyday visual wonders so often taken for granted, and enriches our perception by emphasizing just how strange the history of seeing in colour can be.” —Eric Bulson, Times Literary SupplementWinner of the Outstanding Academic Title for 2018 award sponsored by Choice“Here is a subtle and imaginative insight into the slippery phenomenon we call colour – and how variously we perceive and emblemise it: a wise and fascinating study.”—Colin Thubron"Like the best works of cultural criticism, On Color changes how we see the world. I mean that quite literally. After reading this brilliant book, the mundane appears sharper, richer, and more meaningful."—James Shapiro, author of 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare“This lively, erudite, and far-reaching introduction to the poetics of color combines anecdotal art history with cultural and literary studies to illustrate a fundamental truth: that color is relational as well as subjective. This entertaining and humane book effortlessly deepens our engagement with the visual world.”—David Salle“On Color is a deliciously readable, gloriously illumined work of meditation and exploration, written in high resolution.”—Jay Parini, author of The Last Station and Empire of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal

Read more less

Book SynopsisAphorisms have been described as 'the obscure hinterland between poetry and prose' (New Yorker) - short pithy statements that capture the essence of the human condition in all its shades. In this New and Selected, master of the form Don Paterson brings the best examples from his two previous volumes together with ingenious new material relevant to today's world. Moving and mischievous, canny and profound - these wide-ranging observations of no more than one or two lines demonstrate that the aphorism is the perfect form for our times. Consciousness is the turn the universe makes to hasten its own end. * Agnosticism is indulged only by those who have never suffered belief. * Poet: someone in the aphorism business for the money.

Read more less

Book SynopsisGeorges Simenon was the most successful writer of crime fiction in a language other than English in the modern age, and his detective Maigret is rivalled only by Sherlock Holmes; André Gide called Simenon 'the greatest French novelist of our times'. Barry Forshaw examines the man's extraordinary life and work on both page and screen....Trade ReviewBite-size briefings on everything you could possibly want to know about the French novelist, philanderer and armchair philosopher. The perfect companion to Pierre Assouline's magisterial 1997 biography, Simenon * Sunday Times (Best New Crime Fiction for July 2022) *Barry Forshaw's detailed study unravels clues to the Belgian writer's prolific output and controversial life... Where Forshaw's book comes into its own is in its detailed dissection of the books Simenon wrote and the many film and television adaptations that they spawned * Financial Times *Bite-size briefings on everything you could possibly want to know about the Belgian novelist, philanderer and armchair philosopher: not only the Maigret books and the many adaptations of them, but also other works, personal history, Parisian geography and, thankfully, precious little hagiography * Times & Sunday Times Crime Club *An exemplary and insightful work of reference that I highly recommend -- Alan Price * London Grip *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisNOW WITH EXCLUSIVE BONUS MATERIALFrom author and scholar Michael Livingston, Origins of The Wheel of Time is an authorised exploration of the inspirations behind the acclaimed series, including the first biography of its creator, Robert Jordan. With an introduction by Jordan's editor and widow, Harriet McDougal. Explore never-before-seen insights into The Wheel of Time, including:- A brand-new, redrawn world map by Ellisa Mitchell using change requests discovered in Robert Jordan’s unpublished notes- An alternate scene from an early draft of The Eye of the World- An exclusive interview with the authorThis companion to the internationally bestselling series will delve into the creation of Robert Jordan’s masterpiece, drawing from interviews and an unprecedented examination of his unpublished notes. Michael Livingston tells the behind-the-scenes story of who Jordan was (i

Read more less

Book Synopsis The complete and comprehensive way to support your studies and assessments in 2021 and exams in 2022. Get straight to the heart of the text with crystal-clear notes, focused analysis and expert summaries. Quickly demystify historical contexts and get to grips with the text''s form, language and structure. Efficiently unpick plots, contexts and themes and sharpen your memory of key facts, quotations and characters. Power up your essay-writing skills, learn how to write top-grade answers and feel fully ready and equipped to excel in any test or assessment. York Notes are the long-established experts in English Literature, and we take your success seriously. So whether you''re studying The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle for GCSE at home, online or in the classroom, York Notes is your best bet for the best grades.   Packed with more powerful features than any Table of Contents Part 1: Induction Part 2: Plot and Action Part 3: Characters Part 4: Key Contexts and Themes Part 5: Language and Structure Part 6: Grade Booster Literacy Terms

Read more less

Book SynopsisTo achieve top grades in English Language and Literature you’ll have to master some key skills and get plenty of practice. With everything you need right at hand, this York Notes Revision and Exam Practice guide will help you quickly and efficiently conquer the basics, study effectively, revise with ease and face your exams with confidence.

Read more less

Book Synopsis Feel confident, ready and fully prepared for the 2021 assessments and 2022 exams. Feel confident, prepared and totally ready for any test, exam or assessment. Beat your nerves by getting familiar with test and assessment-style questions. Seven sample tests for you to work through so you can eliminate your worries and feel ready to impress. Maximise your full potential and aim for the best possible assessment grade by comparing your work against the sample answers provided. York Notes are the long-established experts in English Literature, and we take your success seriously. So if you''re studying Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson for your GCSE and are looking for some essential test practice before you''re fully assessed, you can trust this book to get you up to speed. Proper practice is crucial if you want to perform at your best in formal tests, ex

Read more less

Book SynopsisProvides a comprehensive and original guide to Elizabeth Bishop's poetry and other writing, including literary criticism and prose fiction.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of Contents Part 1: Induction Part 2: Plot and Action Part 3: Characters Part 4: Key Contexts and Themes Part 5: Language and Structure Part 6: Grade Booster Literacy Terms

Read more less

Book SynopsisKey Concepts in the Gothic' provides a one-stop resource which details and defines, in accessible language, those contexts essential for the study of the Gothic in all periods and media.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is a unique collection of essays examining nineteenth-century British and Irish newspaper and periodical history during a key period of change and development.

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisRe-examines Charles Dickens's under-recognised importance to nineteenth-century and contemporary understandings of the arts

Read more less

Book SynopsisIncluding thirty-two newly written chapters on representations by and of refugees from leading researchers in the field, Refugee Imaginaries establishes the case for placing the study of the refugee at the centre of contemporary critical enquiry.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis volume critically investigates current topics and disciplines that are affected, enriched or put into dispute by the burgeoning scholarship on Animal Studies.

Read more less

Book Synopsis“The ultimate literary bucket list.” —The Washington Post “If there’s a heaven just for readers, this is it.” —O, The Oprah Magazine Celebrate the pleasure of reading and the thrill of discovering new titles in an extraordinary book that’s as compulsively readable, entertaining, surprising, and enlightening as the 1,000-plus titles it recommends. Covering fiction, poetry, science and science fiction, memoir, travel writing, biography, children’s books, history, and more, 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die ranges across cultures and through time to offer an eclectic collection of works that each deserve to come with the recommendation, You have to read this. But it’s not a proscriptive list of the “great works”—rather, it’s a celebration of the glorious mosaic that is our literary heritage. Flip it open to any page and be transfixed by a fresh take on a very favorite book. Or come across a title you always meant to read and never got around to. Or, like browsing in the best kind of bookshop, stumble on a completely unknown author and work, and feel that tingle of discovery. There are classics, of course, and unexpected treasures, too. Lists to help pick and choose, like Offbeat Escapes, or A Long Climb, but What a View. And its alphabetical arrangement by author assures that surprises await on almost every turn of the page, with Cormac McCarthy and The Road next to Robert McCloskey and Make Way for Ducklings, Alice Walker next to Izaac Walton. There are nuts and bolts, too—best editions to read, other books by the author, “if you like this, you’ll like that” recommendations , and an interesting endnote of adaptations where appropriate. Add it all up, and in fact there are more than six thousand titles by nearly four thousand authors mentioned—a life-changing list for a lifetime of reading.“948 pages later, you still want more!” —THE WASHINGTON POSTTrade Review“If there’s a heaven just for readers, this is it.” — O, The Oprah Magazine ?"Mustich's informed appraisals will drive readers to the books they've yet to read, and stimulate discussion of those they have." —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review ?"A treasure chest for book lovers everywhere" —Library Journal, Starred Review ?"Every so often, a reference book appears that changes the landscape of its area of focus. In the case of reading and readers' advisory, this is one such book....lively, witty, insightful prose...It might be wise to invest in several copies of this wonderful meditation on life lived with and enhanced by the written word." —Booklist, Starred Review "All in all, the literate public—what novelist Robertson Davies dubbed the clerisy—can only be grateful for, and awed by, this product of 14 years of reading and research…It’s hard to imagine that such a massive compendium could have been done better."—Michael Dirda, The Washington Post "Absolutely impressive…. This book is not just a source of information; it's a wellspring of wisdom, intelligence, empathy and generosity."—Ingrid Rossellini, author of Know Thyself: Western Identity from Classical Greece to the Renaissance "As the owner of a 90-year-old bookselling institution, I am not easily fazed by 1,000 books, but Mustich’s literary bucket list stopped me in my tracks. His expansive scope is coupled with a delightful wit and a perfect eye for the surprise detail. Never again will you have to wonder what to read next. A book you’ll cherish for a lifetime!" —Nancy Bass Wyden, Proprietor, Strand Book Store "Chief among the thousands of pleasures here is the delightfully erudite company of James Mustich. Look up your favorite books; find ones you don’t know; argue about the list with friends. Read!" —Jean Strouse, author, Alice James and Morgan: American Financier "James Mustich’s book is aimed at a society engulfed in words but desperately poor in the talents that reading can bring—judgment, taste, empathy, wit. The book is not a list of canonical works, though many classics are listed and lovingly described. No, the “1000 Books to Read” is an invocation of the pleasures to be had from many kinds of books—genre fiction, journalism, poetry, history, and memoir, the good and the great, the illustrious and the semi-forgotten, all summoned by Mustich’s taste. You open it at any point and jump from author to author; you follow his hints and read related works by other writers, and you find your own taste emerging, proud and strong, from Mustich’s provocations. 1,000 Books is surpassingly useful as well as good." —David Denby, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of Great Books: My Adventures with Homer, Rousseau, Woolf, and Other Indestructible Writers of the Western World "If you’ve ever doubted that books were the greatest invention of all time, and that they carry within them our collective memories and dreams, as well as any semblance of intelligence we have as a species, pick up James Mustich’s 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die and start reading." —Ken Burns "If I were as erudite, entertaining, insightful, and articulate as James Mustich, I could come up with 1,000 reasons to get his book. But here's one: Whether you're looking for something to read for personal edification or fun, for escapism or relevance, you can survey the literary world with Mustich as an experienced, enthusiastic guide. His work is an essential resource for anyone anywhere plagued by that infernal question: What do I read next?" —Bradley Graham, co-owner of Politics and Prose Bookstore“If there’s a heaven just for readers, this is it.” — O, The Oprah Magazine ★"Mustich's informed appraisals will drive readers to the books they've yet to read, and stimulate discussion of those they have." —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review ★"A treasure chest for book lovers everywhere" —Library Journal, Starred Review ★"Every so often, a reference book appears that changes the landscape of its area of focus. In the case of reading and readers' advisory, this is one such book....lively, witty, insightful prose...It might be wise to invest in several copies of this wonderful meditation on life lived with and enhanced by the written word." —Booklist, Starred Review "All in all, the literate public—what novelist Robertson Davies dubbed the clerisy—can only be grateful for, and awed by, this product of 14 years of reading and research…It’s hard to imagine that such a massive compendium could have been done better."—Michael Dirda, The Washington Post "Absolutely impressive…. This book is not just a source of information; it's a wellspring of wisdom, intelligence, empathy and generosity."—Ingrid Rossellini, author of Know Thyself: Western Identity from Classical Greece to the Renaissance "As the owner of a 90-year-old bookselling institution, I am not easily fazed by 1,000 books, but Mustich’s literary bucket list stopped me in my tracks. His expansive scope is coupled with a delightful wit and a perfect eye for the surprise detail. Never again will you have to wonder what to read next. A book you’ll cherish for a lifetime!" —Nancy Bass Wyden, Proprietor, Strand Book Store "Chief among the thousands of pleasures here is the delightfully erudite company of James Mustich. Look up your favorite books; find ones you don’t know; argue about the list with friends. Read!" —Jean Strouse, author, Alice James and Morgan: American Financier "James Mustich’s book is aimed at a society engulfed in words but desperately poor in the talents that reading can bring—judgment, taste, empathy, wit. The book is not a list of canonical works, though many classics are listed and lovingly described. No, the “1000 Books to Read” is an invocation of the pleasures to be had from many kinds of books—genre fiction, journalism, poetry, history, and memoir, the good and the great, the illustrious and the semi-forgotten, all summoned by Mustich’s taste. You open it at any point and jump from author to author; you follow his hints and read related works by other writers, and you find your own taste emerging, proud and strong, from Mustich’s provocations. 1,000 Books is surpassingly useful as well as good." —David Denby, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of Great Books: My Adventures with Homer, Rousseau, Woolf, and Other Indestructible Writers of the Western World "If you’ve ever doubted that books were the greatest invention of all time, and that they carry within them our collective memories and dreams, as well as any semblance of intelligence we have as a species, pick up James Mustich’s 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die and start reading." —Ken Burns "If I were as erudite, entertaining, insightful, and articulate as James Mustich, I could come up with 1,000 reasons to get his book. But here's one: Whether you're looking for something to read for personal edification or fun, for escapism or relevance, you can survey the literary world with Mustich as an experienced, enthusiastic guide. His work is an essential resource for anyone anywhere plagued by that infernal question: What do I read next?" —Bradley Graham, co-owner of Politics and Prose Bookstore

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe selected essays of James Wood - our greatest living literary critic and author of How Fiction Works'James Wood is a close reader of genius... By turns luscious and muscular, committed and disdaining, passionate and minutely considered' John BanvilleJames Wood is one of the leading critics of the age, and here, for the first time, are his selected essays. From the career-defining 'Hysterical Realism' to his more personal reflections on family, religion and sensibility, Serious Noticing offers a comprehensive overview of his writing over the last twenty years. These essays offer more than a viewpoint - they show how to bring the eye of critical reading to life as a whole.'James Wood is one of literature’s true lovers, and his deeply felt, contentious essays are thrilling in their reach and moral seriousness' Susan SontagTrade ReviewIn the unspooling sentences and paragraphs of the many fine and often seriously dandy essays that follow in this collection . . . Wood shows himself a maestro of tone and inflection. His sustained close attention as he interrogates the writers he loves is genuinely something to behold -- Tim Adams * Observer *The two voices mingling in this collection give a beautiful, moving sense of the stakes of criticism as Wood has practiced it, vigorously, without interruption for 30 years... No modern critic has exerted comparable influence in how we read . . . Wood writes as if enmeshed in the text itself; registering shifts in point of view and perspective with seismographic precision -- Parul Sehgal * The New York Times Book Review *James Wood is one of literature’s true lovers, and his deeply felt, contentious essays are thrilling in their reach and moral seriousness -- Susan SontagLike all good critics, James Wood is a story-teller of the art of reading, recreating the experience on the page for us’ -- Francis SpuffordCritics like James Wood not only help readers to read but especially, perhaps, help the author as well -- Elena FerranteJames Wood is a close reader of genius... By turns luscious and muscular, committed and disdaining, passionate and minutely considered -- John BanvilleThe most urgent and morally demanding critic around -- GuardianAn authentic literary critic, very rare in this bad time… Wood is always urgent, lucid, and interesting -- Harold BloomWood writes more incisively than almost anyone producing criticism today. His ability to transform complex, anxious thought into lucid, exciting prose is everywhere present -- Janet MalcolmJames Wood has been called our best young critic. This is not true. He is our best critic; he thinks with a sublime ferocity… To enter Wood’s mind is to cross a threshold: from the reviewer commonplaces that pass for essay-writing into the intellectual daring that portends literary permanence -- Cynthia Ozick

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Generous, enjoyable and well informed.' Observer'500 expertly potted plots and personal comments on a wide range of pop and proper prose fiction.' The Times___________________________________________________________Ranging all the way from Aaron's Rod to Zuleika Dobson, via The Devil Rides Out and Middlemarch, literary connoisseur and sleuth John Sutherland offers his very personal guide to the most rewarding, most remarkable and, on occasion, most shamelessly enjoyable works of fiction ever written.He brilliantly captures the flavour of each work and assesses its relative merits and demerits. He shows how it fits into a broader context and he offers endless snippets of intriguing information: did you know, for example, that the Nazis banned Bambi or that William Faulkner wrote As I Lay Dying on an upturned wheelbarrow; that Voltaire completed Candide in three days, or that Anna Sewell was paid £20 for Black Beauty? It is also effectively a history of the novel in 500 or so wittily informative, bite-sized pieces.Encyclopaedic and entertaining by turns, this is a wonderful dip-in book, whose opinions will inform and on occasion, no doubt, infuriate.__________________________________________________'Anyone hooked on fiction should be warned: this book will feed your addiction.' Mail on Sunday'A dazzling array of genres, periods, styles and tastes... chatty, insightful, unprejudiced (but not uncritical) and wise.' Times Literary SupplementTrade ReviewGenerous, enjoyable and well informed. * Observer *A dazzling array of genres, periods, styles and tastes . . . chatty, insightful, unprejudiced (but not uncritical) and wise. * Times Literary Supplement *500 expertly potted plots and personal comments on a wide range of pop and proper prose fiction. * The Times *John Sutherland has been teaching English literature to university students for half a century. Now he's put the 'common reader' in the classroom in this capacious, witty guide to all the books you should read to claim the epithet 'well-read'. . . Each book gets a potted plot summary and a lively squirt of literary analysis, plus intriguing nuggets about the way reading tastes have changed through time, all told in Sutherland's breezy, intelligent voice. * The Times *Anyone hooked on fiction should be warned: this book will feed your addiction. * Mail on Sunday *A glorious selection of books to tempt you - all considered in witty and elegant prose. Highly recommended. * The Bookbag *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'He was "not of an age, but for all time".' (Shakespeare's contemporary Ben Jonson) No writer, before or since, has matched Shakespeare in terms of influence, critical acclaim or popular success. His genius lay in his sheer dramatic skill, his powerful use of imagery and his astonishing ability to create richly imagined characters. Packed full of the Bard's clever insights, witty asides and timeless nuggets of wisdom, and complemented by fascinating facts about his life and talents, this Little Book showcases some of the most remarkable lines ever crafted in the English language.SAMPLE QUOTES: 'What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet.' - Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 2'We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.' - The Tempest, Act 4, Scene 1'Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once.' - Julius Caesar, Act 2, Scene 2SAMPLE FACT: There is evidence that Shakespeare wrote a play called Cardenio, which was performed by the King's Men in 1613. No known copy of the play exists today.Table of ContentsLove and Friendship • Ambition • Loyalty and Betrayal • Revenge • Family • Wit and Wisdom

Read more less

Book SynopsisRichard Holloway is one of our most beloved public thinkers. Throughout his life he has turned to poets and writers to help answer the big questions, and for solace and guidance in the face of life's challenges. Now he shares those poems and words which have been his own guide, offered in the hope they will help us too. This is a book to turn to for inspiration, guidance and comfort. It offers lessons from those who, in Richard's words, 'know best how to listen and teach us to listen', all united by 'the sensual appeal of words, the pain and pleasure they impart'. It is a book to treasure.Trade ReviewOpen-hearted and wide-minded . . . Holloway's commentary and anthology will indubitably bring a crumb of comfort to many readers * * Scotsman * *This is a marvellous book: refreshing, wise, sincere and sophisticated . . . a sustained work of spiritual autobiography . . . beautifully written . . . The Heart of Things is a moving book, and it does indeed ask the reader to reflect on last things * * Tablet * *A deeply personal collection of poems, images, and quotations . . . an anthology that will speak tenderly and sometimes searingly into lives that have more past than future, more memory than promise . . . This is an immensely readable book . . . beautiful and generous * * Church Times * *Praise for Stories We Tell Ourselves: An engaging, erudite explanation of how he came to be where he now stands and is a warning against the cruel righteousness of many belief systems * * Sunday Times * *If every priest and imam, every MP and CEO, every person like you and me read this, then the world would be a better place. It is devastatingly humane. It blends science, philosophy and religion and admits the art (and artifice) in these avowedly objective forms. Erudition and empathy; I wept -- DAMIAN BARREngaging and uplifting. . . . this personal, scientific and philosophical journey to explore what might be the answers to the world's biggest questions is both playful and inspiring . . . The richness of this book challenged the short space of a review * * Daily Mail * *Thought-provoking [and] stimulating . . . a sane guide through the turbulence of the modern world, one written with humour and self-deprecating pessimism * * Independent * *There is much in this book to make you think, much to provoke argument for and against * * Scotsman * *This may be the book I've been searching for, desperately, throughout most of my life . . . it represents a first step toward a new form of spiritual thought . . . What Holloway does most powerfully is dismiss certainty in all its forms, political as well as religious . . . Holloway brings a message of spiritual hope for all * * Herald * *Wise, witty and provocative . . . This is an important book, for all of us who want to understand the world and each other. You put it down refreshed * * The Tablet * *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is the most comprehensive history of modern Swedish literature to have been published in English. The book includes both in-depth studies of major writers like August Strindberg, Hjalmar Soederberg and Par Lagerkvist and survey accounts of the more important periods and movements, from the neo-romantic writers of the 1890s to the uniquely important working-class literature of the 1930s and the modernist lyric poetry of the following decade. The authors are all acknowledged experts in their respective fields, and the volume is designed and written both for the general reader, who will find it a valuable introduction to a fascinating body of literature, and the specialist student, for whom it provides an authoritative first port of call. The volume is also equipped with suggestions for further reading and a helpful bibliography of English translations of many of the works discussed in the various essays.Table of ContentsEditor Biography Preface Notes on Contributors Chapter One: Attitalister (Writers of the 1880s) Chapter Two: August Strindberg Chapter Three: Nittitalister (Writers of the 1890s) Chapter Four: Swedish Fin-de-Siecle: Hjalmar Soederberg Chapter Five: Tiotalister (Writers of the 1910s) and Hjalmar Bergman Chapter Six: Par Lagerkvist Chapter Seven: Swedish Poetry of the Twentieth Century Chapter Eight: Three Novelists of the 1930s Chapter Nine: Stig Dagerman and fyrtiotalismen: Writing of the 1940s Chapter Ten: Twelve Modern Novelists Notes and Bibliographies Select List of Translations Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisMalcolm Hebron writes with one aim in mind: to help you read, understand and appreciate poetry. The English language has an extraordinarily rich stock of poems to its credit, from the epic Beowulf, written perhaps as early as the eighth century, to the poetry of Simon Armitage, Carol Ann Duffy and the many other fine writers working today. This slim volume is packed with good advice on how to get the most of great poems, whether old or new. Look for the surprising words, for example – that’s one good tip. They will help you understand what the poet is trying to say. And look for the conflict in a poem – there’s always some kind of central tension or opposition in great poetry. “Out of the quarrel with ourselves we make poetry,” observed W.B. Yeats. This book explains, too, those puzzling technical terms used to describe the tricks poets use, like enjambment, and shows how they use them to brilliant effect. Here are explained too the mysteries of rhythm, sound, meter and poetic imagery, amidst a wide variety of wonderful examples of great poetry, from Thomas Hardy to W.H. Auden. After reading this short book, you will approach any poem you read with fresh eyes.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWer war Maria Magdalena? Diese große, biblische Frauengestalt changiert in Kirche, Kunst und Gesellschaft zwischen dem Objekt des Begehrens und der Verehrung als Heilige, zwischen frevelhafter Prostituierter und aufreizender, schöner Sünderin. Gerade diese Rolle ist es, die Maria Magdalena in den geistlichen Spielen zugedacht ist. Sie wird zum Vorbild und zur Identifikationsfigur für den sündigen, erlösungsbedürftigen Menschen. Über die Jahrhunderte diente Maria Magdalena immer auch als Projektionsfläche einer Kirche mit männlich dominiertem Blick. Diese Forschungsarbeit zeichnet das facettenreiche Bild der Maria Magdalena über die Jahrhunderte nach: von der ersten Verkünderin der Auferstehung, apostola apostolorum, der grossen, reumütigen Sünderin magna peccatrix bis zur Anerkennung als Apostelin per päpstlichem Dekret von 2016 und schließlich zur popkulturellen Aufbereitung.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe debate and discussion around Game of Thrones has covered questions of climate issues, industrialization, and questions of power, sex and gender. But in this essential companion to both George R.R. Martin''s novels and the HBO show, Carolyne Larrington explores how this remarkable universe was constructed from the actual Middle Ages. The book examines sigils, giants, dragons and direwolves in medieval texts; ravens, old gods and the Weirwood in Norse myth; and a gothic, exotic orient in the eastern continent, Essos. From the White Walkers to the Red Woman, from Casterly Rock to the Shivering Sea, this is an indispensable guide to the 21st-century''s most important fantasy creation.Table of ContentsList of Abbreviations List of Illustrations Introduction Chapter One: The Centre Chapter Two: The North Chapter Three: The West Chapter Four: Across the Narrow Sea Chapter Five: The East Epilogue Notes List of Further Reading Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisCutting across many disciplines, narratology describes the language of narrative with its regularly recurring patterns, deeply established conventions for transmission, and interpretive codes, whether in novels, cartoons, or case studies. This book offers access to terms and concepts that are defined, illustrated, and cross-referenced.Trade Review“An essential book for the study of narrative.”—Southern Humanities Review“A Dictionary of Narratology is a remarkable feat. It is a specialized dictionary documenting important research, compiled by a scholar who has been centrally involved in the field and who writes with clarity, precision, and a sense of humor.”—Substance“A very useful compilation of definitions of the terms used in narrative theory. . . . Prince is eclectic and uses the elements of many schools of theory. The book is well cross-referenced and it contains a carefully selected bibliography of the essential works in the field.”—American Literary Scholarship

Read more less

Book SynopsisJames Joyce''s Ulysses is filled with all sorts of references that can get in the way of many of its readers. This volume, with over 12,000 individual annotations (and more than double the word count of Ulysses itself), explains these references and allusions in a clear and compact manner and is designed to be accessible to novices and scholars alike.The annotations cover the full range of information referenced in Ulysses: a vast array of literary allusions, such as Shakespeare, Aristotle, Dante, Aquinas, slang from various eras and areas, foreign language words and phrases, Hiberno-English expressions, Catholic ritual and theology, Irish histories, Theosophy, Freemasonry, cricket, astronomy, fashion, boxing, heraldry, the symbolism of tattoos, horse racing, advertising slogans, nursery rhymes, superstitions, music-hall songs, references to Dublin topography precise enough for a city directory, and much more besides.The annotations reflect the latest scholarship and have been thoroughly reviewed by an international team of experts. They are designed to be accessible to first-time readers and college students and will also serve as a resource for Joycean specialists. The volume includes contemporaneous maps of Dublin to illustrate the cityscape''s relevance to Joyce''s novel. Unlike previous volumes of annotations, almost every note includes documentation about sources.Trade Reviewcomprehensive, incisive and indispensable * Colm Tóibín, The Irish Times, Best Books of 2022 *One of the best books ever devoted to the classic. This heroically researched [book] is twice as long as its subject text - and well worth it...here at last is a volume that not only explains places but directs the reader to hundreds of further sources. The result is a kind of short story behind most of the footnotes, of a kind which Joyce (I guess)would have approved...simply one of the best [books] ever devoted to Ulysses. * Declan Kiberd, The Irish Times *Among the flurry of publications celebrating the centenary of the publication of Joyce's classic novel, this massive, 1,420-page guide, though hardly portable, is an outstanding addition to the scholarship on Ulysses. * W. Baker, CHOICE *The range of cultural references, encompassing the gamut from popular forms like advertising and general knowledge to Irish history, religion, music and 'high-brow' literature, is as astonishing as the exactitude of urban details relating to Dublin's streets as they existed in 1904 and Annotations records them with intelligence and prudence. * Sean Sheehan, Scottish Left Review *...monumental, exhaustive and thoroughly engrossing volume, edited by an unsurpassed team of scholars...a towering, epochal achievement... * Anne Fogarty, James Joyce Broadsheet *Annotations to James Joyce's Ulysses by Sam Slote, Marc Mamigonian and John Turner takes on board all the research and scholarship done since Don Gifford's groundbreaking Notes for Joyce. ... Joyce the untiring chronicler of detail has met his match in the compilers of these annotations * Colm Tóibín, London Review of Books *The new Annotations to James Joyce's Ulysses has a great deal to teach to this Joyce buff. The scholarly work here offers insights into Joyce's intentions and tracks the precise movements of his supple, monumentally well-stocked mind. [...] I offer thanks to these gifted scholars for their meticulous research and concise writing. * Robert Seidman, co-author of 'Ulysses' Annotated, James Joyce Quarterly *Even after scores of readings and minute research, I have found that no other literary evocation rewards me as much as Ulysses does... And thank you, informed, insightful, tireless trio-Sam Slote, Marc A. Mamigonian, and John Turner-for the richness of your work. * James Joyce Quarterly 60.4 *Table of ContentsAbbreviations On the Uses and Disadvantages of Annotations for Ulysses A Note on Dublin Topography and Toponyms A Note on Irish History since 1800 A Note on Currency A Note on Annotations Past A Note on Editions of Ulysses A Note on Joyce's Notes and Manuscripts A Note on the Ulysses Schemata A Note on the Title Ulysses A Note on the Present Project and Acknowledgements 1: 'Telemachus' 2: 'Nestor' 3: 'Proteus' 4: 'Calypso' 5: 'Lotus Eaters' 6: 'Hades' 7: 'Aeolus' 8: 'Lestrygonians' 9: 'Scylla and Charybdis' 10: 'Wandering Rocks' 11: 'Sirens' 12: 'Cyclops' 13: 'Nausicaa' 14: 'Oxen of the Sun' 15: 'Circe' 16: 'Eumaeus' 17: 'Ithaca' 18: 'Penelope' Appendix: Paraphrases of the Opening and Closing of 'Oxen of the Sun' Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis updated edition is designed to support students in study and revision for the new GCSE (9-1) English Literature exams.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis collection explores the history and development of the anglophone short story since the beginning of the nineteenth century.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Gothic in all its artistic forms and ramifications is traced from the medieval to the twenty-first century.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the author of APPLE TREE YARD, now a major BBC drama starring Emily Watson Can you write a novel in a year? If you simply sit back and think about the enormity of writing a book, it will seem like a vast and unconquerable task, impossibly daunting. The way to make it less daunting is to break it down into its constituent parts, to do it bit by bit. Over the chapters herein, different aspects of technique are divided up into bite size chunks, the better to aid digestion. The book will look at different aspects of writing, with set exercises to help the reader along in their confidence and technique. It is designed to be read a chapter aweek, with the aim of the fledgling writer having a body of material at the year's end which should form a solid start to their novel. Deeply practical, with sound advice at every stage, A NOVEL IN A YEAR is essential reading for any would-be novelist.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe essays in this volume provide new scholarly insights into British fin de siecle and enrich our understanding of this complex period, while paying particular attention to the importance of regionalism.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Short Oxford History of English Literature is the most comprehensive and scholarly history of English literature on the market. It offers an introductory guide to the literature of the British Isles from the Anglo-Saxon period to the present day in eleven chapters covering all the major periods of English literature chronologically. Professor Sanders provides detailed analysis of the major writers and their works and examines the impact of British literature on contemporary political, social and intellectual developments.This third edition has been revised and updated for a 21st century reader, incorporating discussion of a greater number of female and contemporary authors.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition 'A very fine, enlightening, introductory, single-volume text'. * Ron Vaverka at Orebro University in Sweden *'Informative, accurate, brilliantly comprehensive, the author manages to survey an incredible array of texts while providing a thoughtful resume and analysis of particular works. I really enjoyed reading this book!' * Jim McKusick at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County *'The book manages to do a very large number of things very intelligently and gracefully...I look forward to seeing the third edition and to being able to recommend it to students'. * John Sitter at Emory University *'One of the major reasons I recommend the text'. (On Sanders' writing style) * Jane Dowson at De Montford *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION ; Poets' Corners: The Development of a Canon of English Literature ; 1. Old English Literature ; 2. Medieval Literature ; 3. Renaissance and Reformation: Literature 1510-1620 ; 4. Revolution and Restoration: Literature 1620-1690 ; 5. Eighteenth-Century Literature 1690-1780 ; 6. The Literature of the Romantic Period ; 7. High Victorian Literature ; 8. Late Victoria and Edwardian Literature 1880-1920 ; 9. Modernism and its Alternatives: Literature 1920-1945 ; 10. Post-War and Post-Modern Literature

Read more less

Book SynopsisVersions of the Snow White story have been shared across the world for centuries. Acclaimed folklorist and translator Maria Tatar places the well-known editions of Walt Disney and the Brothers Grimm alongside other tellings, inviting readers to experience anew a beloved fantasy of melodrama and imagination.Trade ReviewTilt the magic mirror this way, that, and you’ll find in The Fairest of Them All nearly two dozen reflections, each dazzling, of the ur-fairy tale known as Snow White. With her trademark brio and deep-tissue understanding, Maria Tatar opens the glass casket on this undying story, which retains its power to charm twenty-one times, and counting. -- Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked and Mirror MirrorA fascinating volume…Far from demystifying fairy tales, Tatar’s analysis has the effect of deepening an appreciation for their magic…The Fairest of Them All delivers a trove of forgotten fairy tales to readers and returns the Snow White of Disney and the Brothers Grimm to her international context—as but one version in a strange, beguiling history of stories about beauty, jealousy, and maternal persecution. * Wall Street Journal *Is the story of Snow White the cruelest, the deepest, the strangest, the most mythopoeic of them all? The answer must be yes. Maria Tatar trains a keen eye on the appeal of the bitter conflict between women at the heart of the tale, unearths retellings from far and wide, and spreads a feast of rich thoughts on the tale’s remarkable aesthetic migrations into literature and film. The Fairest of Them All is an exciting and authoritative anthology from the wisest good fairy in the world of the fairy tale. -- Marina Warner, author of Once Upon a Time: A Short History of Fairy Tale and Stranger Magic: Charmed States and the Arabian NightsThe Snow White tales that Tatar presents here are not as slick as the confections of the Grimms and Disney… What Tatar urges in her deft and thoughtful introduction is that we read each variation, whether it is from West Africa, Afghanistan or China, with equal attention… This provides a way of thinking about how fairy tales reveal more than the essentially early 20th-century upper bourgeois insights of Freudian psychoanalysts. There are plenty of examples of mother–daughter rivalries in these tales to be sure, but there is so much more of the material and temporal world—food, hunger, disease, and war—too. -- Kathryn Hughes * The Guardian *[A] fascinating collection of tales…Shocking yet familiar, these stories of regeneration and transformation even when written down retain the secret whisper of storytelling. This is a properly magical, erudite book that follows Snow White’s trail into the darker forests of the human psyche in which she originated. -- Lucy Lethbridge * Literary Review *Going to the root of a story is a journey to the very core of the soul. Reading across the world, the inimitable Maria Tatar offers us a maze of mothers and daughters and within that glorious tangle an archetype with far more meaning than we imagine when we say ‘Snow White.’ -- Honor Moore, author of Our Revolution: A Mother and Daughter at Midcentury

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is a book of book lists. From Bin Laden's bookshelf to the books most frequently left in hotels, from prisoners' favourite books to MPs' most borrowed books, these lists are proof that a person's bookcase tells you everything you need to know about them, and sometimes more besides.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first English-language history of Japanese literature in a single volume, from its beginnings in pre-medieval times to the present day, accompanied by extensive bibliographies. Indispensable not only for scholars and students, but for all those interested in learning more about one of the world's great literatures.Table of ContentsPart I. The Ancient Period (Beginnings to 794); Part II. The Heian Period (794–1185); Part III. The Medieval Period (1185–1600); Part IV. The Edo Period (1600–1867); Part V. The Modern Period (1868 to Present).

Read more less