Literary studies: c 1900 to c 2000 Books

Book SynopsisThe Penguin Classics Marvel Collection presents the origin stories, seminal tales, and characters of the Marvel Universe to explore Marvel’s transformative and timeless influence on an entire genre of fantasy.   A Penguin Classics Marvel Collection Edition   Collects Captain America Comics #1 (1941); the Captain America stories from Tales of Suspense #59, #63-68, #75-81, #92-95, #110-113 (1964-1969); “Captain America…Commie Smasher” from Captain America #78 (1954). It is impossible to imagine American popular culture without Marvel Comics. For decades, Marvel has published groundbreaking visual narratives that sustain attention on multiple levels: as metaphors for the experience of difference and otherness; as meditations on the fluid nature of identity; and as high-water marks in the artistic tradition of American cartooning, to name a few.   Drawing upon multiple comic book series, thisTrade Review“A groundbreaking example of comics representation in literature.”—Publishers Weekly“Penguin provides introductory essays; superb analyses by the series editor, Ben Saunders; and extensive bibliographies.”—Michael Dirda, The Washington Post“Stories become classics when generations of readers sort through them, talk about them, imitate them, and recommend them. In this case, baby boomers read them when they débuted, Gen X-ers grew up with their sequels, and millennials encountered them through Marvel movies. Each generation of fans—initially fanboys, increasingly fangirls, and these days nonbinary fans, too—found new ways not just to read the comics but to use them. That’s how canons form. Amateurs and professionals, over decades, come to something like consensus about which books matter and why—or else they love to argue about it, and we get to follow the arguments. Canons rise and fall, gain works and lose others, when one generation of people with the power to publish, teach, and edit diverges from the one before ... A top-flight comic by Kirby—or his successor on “Captain America,” Jim Steranko—barely needed words. You could follow the story just by watching the characters act and react. Thankfully, Penguin volumes do justice to these images. They reproduce sixties comics in bright, flat, colorful inks on thick white paper—unlike the dot-based process used on old newsprint, but perhaps truer to their bold, thrill-chasing spirit.”—Stephanie Burt, The New Yorker

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Book SynopsisCéleste Albaret was Marcel Proust''s housekeeper in his last years, when he retreated from the world to devote himself to In Search of Lost Time. She could imitate his voice to perfection, and Proust himself said to her, 'You know everything about me.' Her reminiscences of her employer present an intimate picture of the daily life of a great writer who was also a deeply peculiar man, while Madame Albaret herself proves to be a shrewd and engaging companion.

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Book SynopsisCountless would-be readers of Finnegans Wake — James Joyce’s 1939 masterwork, on which he labored for a third of his life — have given up after a few pages and “dismissed the book as a perverse triumph of the unintelligible.” In 1944, a young professor of mythology and literature named Joseph Campbell, working with novelist and poet Henry Morton Robinson, wrote the first guide to understanding the fascinating world of Finnegans Wake. Page by page, chapter by chapter, A Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake outlines the basic action of Joyce’s book, simplifies and clarifies the complex web of images and allusions, and provides an understandable, continuous narrative from which the reader can venture out on his or her own. This edition includes a foreword and updates by Joyce scholar Dr. Edmund L. Epstein that add the context of sixty subsequent years of scholarship.

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Book SynopsisFor Fans of the Tales of Tolkien, Middle-earth, and More Learn about the man who wrote The Lord of the Rings in this Middle-earth treasury. Full of answers to common questions asked by readers to learn about Middle-earth and the fandom, this book about Tolkien celebrates Why We Love Middle-earth. The Lord of the Rings omnibus for all. Who wrote The Lord of the Rings? What details are in the movies, books, maps, and other stories—and how do they tie together? Intrigued by Amazon’s new show The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power? What’s considered canon and what isn’t? Dive into Middle-earth’s expansive lore with Why We Love Middle-earth, a fandom book about Tolkien’s work.The perfect companion for any Middle-earth traveler. Written by beloved Tolkien commenters of The Prancing Pony Podcast, Shawn E. Marchese and Alan Sisto, Why We Love Middle-earth is the ultimate guide to the fandom. Newcomers and existing fans of Tolkien will revel in the dragon’s hoard of information inside.Inside, find: An easy-to-digest guide map that deepens your knowledge from start to finish, or from any interest point A brief history of each of the major books and adaptations of Middle-earth, how to read, watch, or play them, and deepen your understanding of them A manual for fandom niches—what they are, where to find them, and how to get started If you enjoy fandom books or a good book about Tolkien’s works such as Atlas Of Middle-Earth, Recipes from the World of Tolkien, or Why We Love Star Wars, you’ll love Why We Love Middle Earth.Trade Review“Written for new or casual fans, but with material to enlighten those deeply entrenched in Tolkien’s legendarium, Marchese and Sisto (hosts of the podcast Prancing Pony) share insights both scholarly (with ample footnotes) and irreverent (with chapter names like ‘Sequel, Schmequel’ and ‘Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes: Tolkien in Adaptation’). The book makes suggestions for the best Tolkien reading journey, enumerates high points and shortcomings of adaptations, and discusses collecting, moots (or conferences), and online fandoms. VERDICT A delightful addition to most libraries. Expect an uptick in circulation of other Tolkien-related books and DVDs after purchase.” —Library Journal “One could not ask for a more congenial pair of guides to Middle-earth than Alan Sisto and Shawn E. Marchese. The combination of learning and fun that has made The Prancing Pony Podcast such a delight shines through in this tour of the Middle-earth experience. Why We Love Middle-earth is a great resource for readers and film-viewers who are new to Tolkien and curious about all things Middle-earth.” —Corey Olsen, The Tolkien Professor and president of Signum University “Alan and Shawn bring the same love for Tolkien and the fandom to this book that they’ve brought to The Prancing Pony Podcast for years. I would expect nothing less, but I can also think of no higher praise.” —Matt Graf, Nerd of the Rings “This delightful read is accessible, humorous, and informative, with the appropriate dash of nostalgia. Perfect for both new and veteran Tolkien fans alike, it is sure to entertain, enlighten, and just maybe help you step out your front door and meet other members of the Tolkien community.” —K.M. Rice, author of the Afterworld series “An absolutely phenomenal read. Sisto and Marchese perfectly encapsulate the spirit of Tolkien’s legacy and bring it to the page. A heartfelt look at the passion found in the Professor’s stories and why Middle-earth remains such a beloved fantasy world. Tolkien fans of all ages will certainly want to add this book to their collections.” —Don Marshall, Obscure Lord of the Rings Facts Guy “You will not find a friendlier, more informative-yet-easygoing introduction to Tolkien’s world than this book. Alan and Shawn are like wisecracking Hobbits, simultaneously goofing off and admiring every song and story shared in Elrond’s Hall of Fire. Come for the groanworthy dad jokes; stay for the deep love of the lore.” —Jeff LaSala, author of The Silmarillion Primer “The Prancing Pony Podcast has established itself as an institution among those of us who like to live, breathe, and dream J.R.R. Tolkien’s magnificent Middle-earth legendarium. Approachable yet knowledgeable, fan-friendly yet scholarly, the PPP is one of those rare podcasts that successfully bridges the gap between the absolute Tolkien beginner and the serious devotee. This has clearly also been their intention with this book, and they have definitely succeeded in that aim. Why We Love Middle-earth is an entertaining read, but it also offers in-depth commentary on Tolkien’s works, the various film adaptations, and the fan responses to those works, guiding the novice through approaching the books as well as offering new insights for the serious reader. Maintaining the balance between the disparate audiences is no mean feat, but the result is a delightful and fascinating read that I would heartily recommend to all fans of Middle-earth.” —Dr. Sara Brown, language & literature department chair, Signum University “From erudition to entertainment, from comedy to camaraderie, The Prancing Pony Podcast is the Car Talk of Tolkien podcasts. Whether you are a Tolkien beginner or were there 300 episodes ago, Alan and Shawn are always worth listening to. Why We Love Middle-earth is a great introduction to Tolkien and the podcast. By treating the books, adaptations, and fandom individually, Alan and Shawn have once again proven themselves excellent guides for those wanting to enter Middle-earth. (Pre-order now and get a free Gollum GPS.)” —Thomas Hillman, author of Pity, Power, and Tolkien’s Ring: To Rule the Fate of ManyTable of ContentsForeword Prologue: Who Was John Ronald Reuel Tolkien? Part One: Discovering Tolkien’s Books: What Should I Read Next? The Hobbit The Lord of the Rings The Silmarillion Unfinished Tales The “Great Tales”: The Children of Húrin, Beren & Lúthien, The Fall of Gondolin Part Two: Tolkien in Adaptation Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit Trilogy Ralph Bakshi’s The Lord of the Rings Rankin/Bass’s The Hobbit and The Return of the King BBC Radio Play Video Game Adaptations: The Lord of the Rings Online and many more Audiobooks Part Three: Expressions of Fandom Collecting Tolkien Tolkien’s Invented Languages Tolkien Studies Art and Artists Fan Organizations Online Content DIY (cosplay, crafting, cooking, brewing)

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Book Synopsis'Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.' The prophetic words of Galadriel, addressed to Frodo as he prepared to travel from Lothlorien to Mordor to destroy the One Ring, are just as pertinent to J R R Tolkien's own fiction. For decades, hobbits and the other fantastical creatures of Middle-earth have captured the imaginations of a fiercely loyal tribe of readers, all enhanced by the immense success of Peter Jackson's films: first 'The Lord of the Rings', and now his new 'The Hobbit'. But for all Tolkien's global fame and the familiarity of modern culture with Gandalf, Bilbo, Frodo and Sam, the sources of the great mythmaker's own myth-making have been neglected. Mark Atherton here explores the chief influences on Tolkien's work: his boyhood in the West Midlands; the landscapes and seascapes which shaped his mythologies; his experiences in World War I; his interest in Scandinavian myth; his friendships, especially with the other Oxford-based Inklings; and the relevance of his themes, especially ecological themes, to the present-day. There and Back Again offers a unique guide to the varied inspirations behind Tolkien's life and work, and sheds new light on how a legend is born.Trade Review"When J R R Tolkien died in 1973, his friend and academic colleague C S Lewis praised his 'unique insight at once into the language of poetry and into the poetry of language'. Generations of readers have responded to the power, precision, and delicacy of J R R Tolkien's linguistic imagination. This absorbing new study of The Hobbit brings a philologist's eye to that work's creation, structure, and expression, positioning it within the broader development of Tolkien's professional thinking about philology and the evolving mythography of his creative writings. Mark Atherton, himself what Tolkien calls 'a scholar of gramarye', imaginatively shows how Tolkien's academic interests in philology, linguistic-aesthetic and in reconstructive philology spilled over into the crucible of his own mythography, and was catalysed by the alchemy of his own reading in myths and contemporary fairy stories by writers such as William Morris, Edward Thomas, Francis Thompson and Robert Graves. This book gives them new ways of appreciating the interplay between his narratives and the linguistic enchantment of their imaginative world. Atherton's insights bring to mind Tolkien's own comment: 'How those old words smite one out of the dark antiquity!' " Vincent Gillespie, J R R Tolkien Professor of English Literature and Language, University of Oxford 'Mark Atherton's treatment of one of the most famous books of the twentieth century is timely and welcome. On the face of it, The Hobbit appears an engaging fantasy adventure for young readers; but, as it later transpired, Mr Bilbo Baggins' exploits "there and back again" were simply a prelude to the apocalyptic drama that was to unfold in The Lord the Rings. One reason for the enduring appeal of both of these works is that J R R Tolkien imbued his tales of a fictional realm with resonances of ancient themes and universal truths. In this detailed exploration, Mark Atherton provides the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the many origins, influences and inspirations - biographical, historical, geographical and literary - that, combined with a unique imagination, resulted in the crafting of a new mythology.' Brian Sibley, author of The "Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Trilogy" and of "Peter Jackson: A Film-maker's Journey"" "There and Back Again" is essential reading for all Tolkien fans - and also for anyone interested more broadly in medievalism, or the ways in which later writers have responded to the culture of the Middle Ages. Mark Atherton is that ideal combination: a reader and critic deeply appreciative of Tolkien's literary artistry, his imaginative scope and his linguistic invention, who is also, like Tolkien himself, a distinguished scholar of medieval language and literature. In this highly readable and accessible study, Atherton brings his own scholarship to bear on Tolkien's sources for The Hobbit, and in the process illuminates the whole of Tolkien's remarkable oeuvre." Heather O'Donoghue, Vigfusson Rausing Reader in Ancient Icelandic Literature & Antiquities, University of OxfordTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Abbreviations Acknowledgements Part One : Shaping the plot Part Two : Making the mythology Part Three: Finding the Words Epilogue Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis new book explores aspects of Paris from the time of Baudelaire within the context of nostalgia and modernity. It seeks to see Paris, through written texts and movies, from the outside, and as both concrete reality and a collection of myths associated with it. This collection of essays contains original research on the intersections of several disciplinary approaches to Paris and modernity. It is designed to make these complex concepts speak to an academic audience, but also to an undergraduate readership. It will therefore create intersections and problematize what are otherwise considered the remit of single disciplines. The book springs from two interdisciplinary courses on Paris and modernity – Paris at Dawn, which looks at modernity in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and Paris at Midnight, which looks at left-bank culture following the Second World War – coordinated by Associate Professor Alistair Rolls (French studies) and Professor Marguerite Johnson (classics and classical reception) at the University of Newcastle, Australia. While it is driven by original research, notably by examining the intersections of any number of disciplinary lenses and positions on Paris and modernity, it is also designed to make these complex concepts understandable for a wider readership, including undergraduates. It will therefore create intersections and problematize what are otherwise considered the remit of single disciplines (with their monoliths and taxonomies); at the same time, it will also provide clarity and, importantly, make logical links between, for example, the past and present, myth and reality, poetry and history, and various schools and movements, including psychology, poetics, poststructuralism and critical theory, classical reception, feminism and existentialism. All contributors are academics working in the School of Humanities and Social Science, who have contributed to the development and delivery of these twinned courses. Remembering Paris investigates Paris as an urban and poetic site of remembrance. For Charles Baudelaire, the streets of Paris conjured visions of the past even as he contemplated the present. This book investigates this and other cases of double vision, tracing back from Baudelaire into antiquity, but also following Baudelaire forwards as his poetry is translated, received and referenced in texts and films in the twentieth century and beyond. Primary readership will be academics, educators, scholars and students – both undergraduate and postgraduate. The chapter structure and the relatively classic choice of authors and filmmakers is well suited to course use. Many universities are now turning to interdisciplinary courses, which combine historical, cultural, literary and artistic approaches to thematic studies. This book, therefore, will also be of interest to academics teaching courses on French language, literature and culture; literary studies; film studies; cultural studies; women studies, gender studies; LGBTQ+ studies; even human geography. Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction: Remembering in Paris and Paris as Remembering 1. Charles Baudelaire’s Paris Spleen: Re-presenting Paris – Alistair Rolls 2. Baudelaire and the Classical Tradition: Virgil, Ovid and Sappho in Paris – Marguerite Johnson 3. Sappho in the Salons – Marguerite Johnson 4. Memory, Modernity and the City in Agnès Varda’s Paris Films – Felicity Chaplin 5. Looking (Back) at the Moon in Parisian Cinema – Alistair Rolls 6. Breathless in Paris – Christopher Falzon 7. As Sedate as Swans: The Parisian Side of Jean-Paul Sartre’s La Nausée – Alistair Rolls 8. ‘La forme d’une ville/Change plus vite, hélas! […]’: Translation and the Changing Modes of Urban Cognition – Clive Scott 9. Paris, Capital of the Australian Poetic Avant-Garde: Christopher Brennan’s ‘Musicopoematographoscope’, John Tranter’s ‘Desmond’s Coupé’ and Chris Edwards’ ‘A Fluke’ and After Naptime – David Musgrave 10. Forms of Remembrance in the Sculpted Verse of Louise Colet, Anaïs Ségalas and Some of their Male Contemporaries – Daniel A. Finch-Race and Valentina Gosetti Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisLocked in the Arms of a Crazy Life is the classic biography of Charles Bukowski, the hard-drinking barfly whose semi-autobiographical books about low-life America made him a cult figure across the globe. Extensive original research and unique contributions from friends, family and associates - including Mickey Rourke, Robert Crumb, Sean Penn, Norman Mailer and Allen Ginsberg - as well as personal photographs and drawings by Buk himself make this a must for Bukowski devotees and new readers alike.Trade ReviewWonderful - this is the first serious and thorough Bukowski biography. An excellent book about a remarkable man. * * Time Out * *With no shortage of anecdotes, pictures or big names, this biography is so thorough and sharp that it may well be the last. * * Arena * *This biography is an affectionate and thorough introduction that will not be rivaled for some time. Its effect is to revitalize rather than reduce Bukowski's work. * * Independent * *A solid, informative and fascinating account - an excellent biography. * * Uncut * *The dirty story of a dirty man, Howard Sounes's biography of Charles Bukowski confronts an ugly life with an unflinching stare . . . this according to some of Sounes's meticulously compiled sources, was the kind of man who would drive a friend to drink himself to death then try to have sex with his grieving widow. -- Victoria Segal * * Guardian * *This is an appropriately gutsy biography of Charles Bukowski, the American poet and novelist who almost singlehandedly inspired a generation of would-be writers to believe that you could spend your entire life getting drunk and still achieve a reputation as a cult author. -- Robert Collins * * Observer * *

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Book SynopsisWomen’s Health in Britain and America: Texts and Contexts offers an unparalleled record of women’s health in the United Kingdom and the United States since 1750. Through chapters on pregnancy and childbirth, contraception and abortion, and breast and gynecological cancers, today’s readers can better understand historical precedents for contemporary issues. Introductory overviews present context about the history of medical care for women, such as diagnosis and treatment of specific conditions, medical advances, social and political contexts, and the effects of these on their lived experiences. The book presents a collection of primary texts including archival memoirs, letters, and diaries as well as published fiction, poetry, and medical advice. Women’s Health in Britain and America provides the necessary background for those new to the subject while also offering unique texts that will engage those already immersed in the field. As the political and social discussions around women’s bodies become more contentious and consequential, the history and the multiplicity of voices presented on these pages are more important than ever.Table of Contents 1. History of Women’s Health and Writing About It.- 2. Pregnancy & Childbirth.- 3. Contraception & Abortion.- 4. Breast & Gynecological Cancers.

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Book SynopsisA play set in London in the 60s reflecting a time of social change. Its subject is the cultural poverty and frustration of a generation of young people on the dole and living on council estateTrade Review"Ideal for students and teachers of drama and literature, the commentary covers the themes, style, language, characters and context of the play and includes a full set of study aids." Sardines Magazine (Spring/Summer 2009)

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Book Synopsis''If our love is a sin, then heaven must be full of such tender and selfless sinning as ours.''The Well of Loneliness is among the most famous banned books in history. A pioneering work of literature, Radclyffe Hall''s novel charts the development of a ''female sexual invert'', Stephen Gordon, who from childhood feels an innate sense of masculinity and desire for women. After relocating from Malvern to London and then to Paris, Stephen encounters fellow queer characters from all walks of life, from the sapphic salon hostess Valérie Seymour to the ''miserable army'' of outcasts that frequents the ''merciless, drug-dealing, death-dealing'' bars of Montmartre. Although Stephen and her acquaintances, allies, and antagonists are of their time, Hall''s novel has offered support and solidarity to generations of LGBTQ+ readers, and it continues to shape debates about gender and sexuality today.This edition highlights previously overlooked points of influence, inspiration, and connections with other texts as well as situating the novel in historical contexts. In addition, the editors provide vital insights into Hall''s engagement with religion, sexology, literary history, and popular culture.

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Book SynopsisThe essential guide to twentieth-century literature around the worldFor six decades the Penguin Modern Classics series has been an era-defining, ever-evolving series of books, encompassing works by modernist pioneers, avant-garde iconoclasts, radical visionaries and timeless storytellers.This reader''s companion showcases every title published in the series so far, with more than 1,800 books and 600 authors, from Achebe and Adonis to Zamyatin and Zweig.It is the essential guide to twentieth-century literature around the world, and the companion volume to The Penguin Classics Book.Bursting with lively descriptions, surprising reading lists, key literary movements and over two thousand cover images, The Penguin Modern Classics Book is an invitation to dive in and explore the greatest literature of the last hundred years.Trade ReviewA heavyweight - but never burdensome - history of the publishing house... A must for quiz-hounds -- Alex Diggins * Telegraph *As close to pornography as you can get as a bibliophile. From one angle it is a testament to book design over nigh on a century. On another, it is a work of publishing history -- Stuart Kelly * Scotsman *

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.Whatever comes,' she said, cannot alter one thing. If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside.'A Little Princess' tells the story of Sara Crewe, beloved daughter of the revered Captain Crewe. Sent to board at Miss Minchin''s Select Seminary for Young Ladies, Sara is devastated when her adored father dies. Suddenly penniless, Sara is banished to an attic room where she is starved, abused, and forced to work as a servant. How this exceptionally intelligent girl uses the only resources available to her, imagination and friendship, to overcome her situation and change her fortunes is at the centre of this enduring classic.First published in 1905, A Little Princess' is a heart-warming tale of hope, hardship and love set against a backdrop of Victorian England, and is one of the best-loved stories in all of children's literature.Trade Review‘Bright, beautiful and enchanting … ‘New York Times ‘A Little Princess exquisitely re-creates the ephemeral world of childhood, an enchanted kingdom where everything, even make-believe, seems possible …’ Washington Post

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Book SynopsisAn essential anthology that puts contemporary geniuses Eileen Myles and Margaret Atwood in conversation with literary classics Charles Baudelaire and Oscar Wilde about the liberating and unique combination of poetry and proseA Penguin Classic The prose poem has proven one of the most innovative and versatile poetic forms of recent years. In the century-and-a-half since Charles Baudelaire, Emma Lazarus, Oscar Wilde and Ivan Turgenev spread the notion of a new kind of poetry, this genre with an oxymoron for a name has attracted many of our most beloved writers. Yet, even now, this peculiarly rich and expansive form is still misunderstood and overlooked. Here, Jeremy Noel-Tod reconstructs the history of the prose poem for us by selecting the essential pieces of writing, covering a greater chronological sweep and international range than any previous anthology of its kind. Noel-Tod even calls it an alternative history of modern poetry. In The Penguin Book o

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Book SynopsisThe first complete collection of A. A. Milne's short fiction for grown-ups, including several newly discovered stories

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Book SynopsisExistentialism was one of the leading philosophical movements of the twentieth century. Focusing on its seven leading figures, Sartre, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Kierkegaard, de Beauvoir, Merleau-Ponty and Camus, this Very Short Introduction provides a clear account of the key themes of the movement which emphasized individuality, free will, and personal responsibility in the modern world. Drawing in the movement''s varied relationships with the arts, humanism, and politics, this book clarifies the philosophy and original meaning of ''existentialism'' - which has tended to be obscured by misappropriation. Placing it in its historical context, Thomas Flynn also highlights how existentialism is still relevant to us 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.Table of Contents1. Philosophy as a Way of Life ; 2. Becoming an Individual ; 3. Humanism, For and Against ; 4. Authenticity ; 5. A Chastened Individualism? Existentialism and Social Thought ; 6. What is Living and What is Dead in Existentialist Thought?

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Book Synopsis"A deeply beautiful book, with the fierce galloping pace of a great novel."—Liz Rosenberg Boston GlobeTrade Review"The love in this book is tangible and redemptive." -- Minneapolis Star Tribune"Her verse is almost unornamented though she manages some great gift of will and expression to convey the sharpest feeling in long, graceful lines that seem to breathe on the page.... Despite the fathomless pain inherent in these poems, Howe never succumbs to sentimentality or self-pity; her tone is passionate yet detached, her vocabulary and imagery evocative, appropriate, and devastating." -- Memphis Commercial Appeal"Howe is a truth-teller of the first order. Fearless in presenting unfiltered experiences, she interweaves her simple, economical language into long, subordinated sentences, loose, enjambed couplets that spill compellingly down the page with near-invisible artistry." -- Providence Sunday Journal"Marie Howe's poetry is luminous, intense, eloquent, rooted in abundant inner life." -- Stanley Kunitz"Marie Howe has reinvented the elegy as a poem for the living, a poem of instruction, how we're educated by grief. Scrupulously attentive, rigorously self-questioning, What the Living Do is an achievement of remarkable power." -- Mark Doty"The tentative transformation of agonizing, slow-motion loss into redemption is Howe's signal achievement in this wrenching second collection, which uncovers new potential for the personal poem." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

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Book SynopsisWritten by a prominent member of the Bloomsbury group, this novel of colonial Ceylon (Sri Lanka) includes a biographical afterword by Sir Christopher Ondaatje, author of Woolf in Ceylon, and a short story, Pearls before Swine, which vividly draws on Woolf's experience as a young District Commissioner.Trade Review"'a superbly dispassionate observation and a great novel' Quentin Bell 'as relevant today as when it first appeared' E F C Ludowyk"

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Book SynopsisA Son at the Front offers a vivid portrait of American expatriate life in Paris during World War I. Wharton's only full-length novel dealing with the war, it portrays the relationship between an American expatriate artist father and his soldier son.Table of ContentsIntroduction Note on the Text Select Bibliography A Chronology of Edith Wharton Maps A Son at the Front Explanatory Notes

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.Originally published in 19031904, The Return of Sherlock Holmes is the thirteen-story collection of one of the greatest-ever fictional detectives. Three years after the supposed death of Sherlock Holmes and his archenemy Professor Moriarty in the torrent of Reichenbach Falls, Holmes makes a disguised reappearance to Baker Street and his good friend Dr Watson.Featuring one of Holmes' greatest adversaries, Charles Augustus Milverton, as well as trademark astute logic, forensic science, murder, crytograms and magic, this collection retains all the hallmark brilliance of Arthur Conan Doyle's best work.

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Book SynopsisExam board: AQA A, AQA B, OCRLevel & Subject: AS and A Level LiteratureFirst teaching: September 2015Next exams: 2025This edition of The Great Gatsby provides depth and context for A Level students, with the complete novel in an easy to read format, and a detailed introduction and bespoke glossary written by an experienced A Level teacher with academic expertise in the area. Affordable high quality complete text of The Great Gatsby, ideal for AS and A Level Literature Perfectly pitched introductions provide the depth and demand required by AS and A Level Explore the contemporary context, F. Scott Fitzgerald's writing, the novel's critical reception and subsequent interpretations for a deeper reading of the text Expand your further reading with a list of key articles and critical and theoretical texts Improve your understanding of the novel with unfamiliar concepts and culturally-specific terms defined in the glossaryTrade Review“The new Collins Classroom Classic editions are perfect for schools – clear text, bright covers, a good size for pockets and bags, and a great price that makes buying new class or cohort sets very attractive in these budget-conscious times.” de Stafford School

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Book SynopsisIf you love Georgette Heyer, ''the queen of Regency romance'', this is a must-read: the definitive guide to the sparkling world of Georgette Heyer''s celebrated novels, which are currently being reissued.A bestselling novelist since 1921, Georgette Heyer is known across the world for her historical romances set in Regency England. Millions of readers love the outrageous lifestyle, fashion and capricious escapades of the elegant bon ton, and no one has captured that world better than Georgette Heyer, with universally beloved novels such as Regency Buck, The Grand Sophy and Friday''s Child. Georgette Heyer''s Regency World is the ultimate, definitive guide to Georgette Heyer''s wonderful and enchanting realm: her heroines, her villains and dashing heroes, the shops, clubs and towns they frequented, the parties and seasons they celebrated, how they ate, drank, dressed, socialized, shopped and drove. An utterly delTrade ReviewAn invaluable guide for all Heyer fans, old and new * Good Book Guide *Detailed, informative ... impressively researched. A Heyer lover writing for Heyer fans * Times Literary Supplement *This fascinating book is a must for Heyer devotees * Image Magazine *An invaluable guide to the world of the bon ton. No lover of Georgette Heyer's novels should be without it -- Katie FfordeA definitive guide to the people, places and society of her novels * Bookseller *

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Book SynopsisPatrimony is a true story about the relationship between a father and a son.Philip Roth watches as his eight-six-year-old father, famous for his vigour, his charm and his skill as a raconteur - lovingly called 'the Bard of Newark' - battles with the brain tumour that will kill him.Trade ReviewNobody writes about the American family with more tenderness and honesty * New Statesman *A simple, moving, generous work * Independent on Sunday *The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away - with words. But the Lord giveth back, miraculously, in the form of this book and this family history * Guardian *A true story, told with all the powerful authority and cunning narrative order of a major writer * Sunday Times *His best work since The Counterlife * Observer *

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Book SynopsisA fascinating insight into the vibrant culture of Modernism, and the rich artistic world of Paris''s Left Bank, Gertrude Stein''s The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas includes an introduction by Thomas Fensch in Penguin Modern Classics.For Gertrude Stein and her wife Alice B. Toklas, life in Paris was based upon the rue de Fleurus and the Saturday evenings and ''it was like a kaleidoscope slowly turning''. Picasso was there with ''his high whinnying Spanish giggle'', as were Cezanne and Matisse, Hemingway and Fitzgerald. As Toklas put it - ''The geniuses came and talked to Gertrude Stein and the wives sat with me''. A light-hearted entertainment, this is in fact Gertrude Stein''s own autobiography and a roll-call of all the extraordinary painters and writers she met between 1903 and 1932. Audacious, sardonic and characteristically self-confident, this is a definitive account by American in Paris.Gertrude Stein (1874-1946), a writer of experimental prose, is on

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Book SynopsisAn undisputed modernist classic, "Ulysses'" ceaseless verbal inventiveness and astonishing wide-ranging allusions confirms its standing as an imperishable monument to the human condition. This title states that "Ulysses" is 'an endlessly open book of utopian epiphanies.Trade ReviewEverybody knows now that Ulysses is the greatest novel of the twentieth century -- Anthony Burgess

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Book SynopsisKim (1901) is one of Kipling''s masterpieces. Through the story of the young orphan Kimball O''Hara, and his vocation in the Secret Service, Kipling presents a vivid picture of India, its teeming populations, religions, and superstitions, and the life of the bazaars and the road. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

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Book SynopsisDr John Brannigan is lecturer in Irish Studies and Literary Studies at the University of Luton. He is the co-editor of Re: Joyce, a collection of essays which reflects contemporary responses and appraoches to Joyce. He has also published work on contemporary literary theories, the literature of 1950s Britain, and a number of Irish writers, including W.B. Yeats and Brendan Behan.

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Book SynopsisJosie Billington is Professor in English Literature at the University of Liverpool, UK. She has edited and published extensively on Victorian women's fiction and poetry including 21st Century Oxford Authors: Elizabeth Barrett Browning, George Eliot's Scenes of Clerical Life, Elizabeth Gaskell's Wives and Daughters, and Margaret Oliphant's The Ladies Lindores. She has also led multiple inter-disciplinary studies on the value of literary reading for health. Her publications in this field include Is Literature Healthy? (Oxford University Press, 2016) and Reading and Mental Health (Palgrave, 2019).

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Book SynopsisMoroccan Other-Archives investigates how histories of exclusion and silencing are written and rewritten in a postcolonial context that lacks organized and accessible archives. The book draws on cultural production concerning the “years of lead”—a period of authoritarianism and political violence between Morocco’s independence in 1956 and the death of King Hassan II in 1999—to examine the transformative roles memory and trauma play in reconstructing stories of three historically marginalized groups in Moroccan history: Berbers/Imazighen, Jews, and political prisoners. The book shows how Moroccan cultural production has become an other-archive: a set of textual, sonic, embodied, and visual sites that recover real or reimagined voices of these formerly suppressed and silenced constituencies of Moroccan society. Combining theoretical discussions with close reading of literary works, the book reenvisions both archives and the nation in postcolonial Morocco. By producing other-archives, Moroccan cultural creators transform the losses state violence inflicted on society during the years of lead into a source of civic engagement and historiographical agency, enabling the writing of histories about those Moroccans who have been excluded from official documentation and state-sanctioned histories. The book is multilingual and interdisciplinary, examining primary sources in Amazigh/Berber, Arabic, Darija, and French, and drawing on memory studies, literary theory, archival studies, anthropology, and historiography. In addition to showing how other-archives are created and operate, El Guabli elaborates how language, gender, class, race, and geographical distribution are co-constitutive of a historical and archival unsilencing that is foundational to citizenship in Morocco today.Table of ContentsPreface | ix Note on Transliteration | xiii List of Abbreviations | xv Introduction | 1 1. (Re)Invented Tradition and the Performance of Amazigh Other- Archives in Public Life | 26 2. Emplaced Memories of Jewish- Muslim Morocco | 63 3. Jewish- Muslim Intimacy and the History of a Lost Citizenship | 89 4. Making Tazmamart a Transnational Other- Archive | 115 5. Other- Archives Transform Moroccan Historiography | 150 Conclusion | 177 Acknowledgments | 189 Notes | 193 Bibliography | 253 Index | 281

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Book SynopsisAt the end of the First World War in Germany, the journalist and theatre critic Kurt Eisner organised a revolution which overthrew the monarchy, and declared a Free State of Bavaria. In February 1919, he was assassinated, and the revolution failed. But while the dream lived, it was the writers, the poets, the playwrights and the intellectuals who led the way. As well as Eisner, Thomas Mann, Rainer Maria Rilke, and many other prominent figures in German cultural history were involved. In his characteristically lucid, sharp prose, Volker Weidermann presents us with a slice of history - November 1918 to April 1919 - and shows how a small group of people could have altered the course of the twentieth century.Trade Review • "Vivid, full of sardonic humour, moral nuance and personal drama, this book takes the reader into the heart of the revolutionary crowd, and shows how exhilarating and terrifying it is to be there"--New Statesman • "A superb account... a remarkable cast of characters... [Weidermann] brings to life long forgotten and seemingly insignificant and quirky episodes in history"--Guardian • "An absolutely gripping tale... great pace, action and character... the characters are unforgettable"--The Times • "Dramatic... a compact and colourful account, with the breathless pace of war reporting"--Spectator • "A gripping account... Volker Weidermann's blend of engrossing, urgent reportage and gentle, dissociative musing will be familiar to readers of his previous work, the bestselling Summer Before the Dark... deceptively extravagant and endlessly interesting book"--Financial Times

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Book Synopsis'I drew my first breath on the 28th of January 1935, which was quite a good time for a future writer to be born in England...’ The only child in a lower-middle-class London family, David Lodge inherited his artistic genes from his musician father and his Catholic faith from his Irish-Belgian mother. Four years old when World War II began, David grew to maturity through decades of great social and cultural change - giving him plenty to write about. Candid, witty and insightful, Quite a Good Time to be Born illuminates a period of transition in British society, and charts the evolution of a writer whose works have become classics in his own lifetime.Trade ReviewWhat one takes away from this half-memoir is the self-portrait of an extraordinarily good, wrongly modest man; a distinguished scholar, and one of the finest of current novelists -- John Sutherland * Spectator *As a piece of reportage from the third quarter of the English 20th century this is a sociologist’s paradise * Guardian *An outstanding memoir... Lucid and witty * Irish Times *A fascinating and moving read * Financial Times *Quite a Good Time to be Born is a record of success, free of boasting or malice. Anyone with some knowledge of academia or the literary world will find it full of interest -- Allan Massie * Scotsman *

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Book SynopsisPhotography and Literature in the Twentieth-Century offers an accessible and fresh approach to an object of interdisciplinary research that is currently receiving increased international attention. Providing a broad historical schema, and examining pivotal moments within it, the collection brings together a range of writers and practitioners who help to guide the reader through a historical cross-section of current work in this area. Unlike most existing studies, this volume considers both key literary figures, from Proust to Sebald, and photographic practitioners, from Heartfield to Sekula, in order to give a commanding overview of its subject that is both well-informed and often ground-breaking. With original and accessible essays by acknowledged experts in the field, this is a book that should be of interest not only to students and teachers in departments of literature and photography, but also to those in cultural studies and art history, as well as photographic artists.Trade Review"Although in the 20th century the relation between literature and photography was arguably as significant as literature’s relation to painting in the 19th century, over the past generation the discussion of photography’s multiple intersections and interactions with writing and writers have tended to narrow to a few overly canonised works. This volume reverses this situation through the diversity and originality of the essays it gathers together: it has the potential to reawaken a field that for too long has been allowed to remain dormant." - Norman Bryson, Professor of Art History, Theory and Criticism, University of California, San Diego, and author of Looking at the Overlooked."From Proust to Sebald, photography has occupied a significant place in literature, and visa versa. This book makes an important contribution to engaging with the relationship between the photograph and the text." - Steve Edwards, Open University, and author of The Making of English Photography."Discussion of literature and photography still tends to languish in the realms of image and text, rather than in the literary strategizing of photographers, or in the recurrent placing of the effects of the photographic act in twentieth-century fiction. Photography and Literature in the Twentieth Century remedies this. One of the most significant outcomes of the conjunction it generates is the realisation of how much the two are interrelated in the formation of modernism and after. The collection brings together work by some of the best emerging scholars and artists in the field. I highly recommend it." - John Roberts, University of Wolverhampton, and author of The Art of Interruption: Realism, Photography and the Everyday.

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Book SynopsisIntroduction.- Chapter One: The Posthuman Problematic.- Chapter Two: A Case Study of the Post/Human.- Chapter 3: Transhumanism and the Myth of Morphological Freedom.- Chapter Four: 'Things are Things': The Resigned Pessimism of the Psuedo-Dystopia.- Conclusion: Neuromancer and Accessible Moments.- Appendix.

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Book SynopsisSomething extraordinary happened to the UK literary scene in the 1980s. In the space of eight years, a generation of young British writers took the literary novel into new realms of setting, subject matter and style, challenging - and almost eclipsing - the Establishment writers of the 1950s. It began with two names - Martin Amis and Ian McEwan - and became a flood: Julian Barnes, William Boyd, Graham Swift, Salman Rushdie, Jeanette Winterson and Pat Barker among them. The rise of the newcomers coincided with astonishing changes in the way books were published - and the ways in which readers bought them and interacted with their authors. Suddenly, authors of serious fiction were like rock stars, fashionable, sexy creatures, shrewdly marketed and feted in public.The yearly bunfight of the Booker Prize became a matter of keen public interest. Tim Waterstone established the first of a chain of revolutionary bookshops. London publishing houses became the playground of exciting, Trade Review[An] elegant and elegiac memoir . . . the vigour of the book's attack and the hilarity of its anecdotage ... [shows he was] one of the great power-brokers of literary London . . . He was (and is) a good thing and I salute him. -- D. J. Taylor * Literary Review *Very funny . . . I laughed long at the set-piece lunch with [Martin] Amis * Observer *Walsh's enthusiasm for the writing of the 1980s is infectious * Irish Times *This is by no means just a book of literary history, fascinating though much of that is. Walsh also gives us plenty of terrific stories/gossip from those far-off days when newspaper offices were full of typewriter noise and cigarette smoke, and the choice of lunchtime drinks was definitely not restricted to still or sparkling. * Reader's Digest *Through it all, Walsh was there. First as an eager wannabe, then as a full-blooded insider. Any disappointment that his own efforts at a novel didn't prove a ticket to the dream-circus was quickly mitigated once he discovered his potential as a critic, commentator and general facilitator, swishing through the forest as interviewer, literary judge, pundit, speaker, partygoer par excellence . . . An immersive literary history . . . highly readable * Financial Times *Reading John Walsh's adventures in the literary world of the 1980s is like donning a pair of spectacles that bring blurred memories into sudden, sharp focus . . . Walsh describes people, events and places with such accuracy that he will transport oldies back to the era, allowing them to reappraise and appreciate it afresh. His memory - even if dependent on a diary - is prodigious, and his anecdotes polished till they sparkle. * The Oldie *An entertainingly gossipy memoir of the period . . . * The Week *Elegant and entertaining * Critic *[There's a] mixture of high and low, sacred and profane, running through Walsh's account of literary London in the 1980s that makes it such a joy * Sunday Times *Walsh's appetite for celebrity gossip is supplemented by a keen understanding of the business moves behind the invention of these literary stars, while his candour about his own shortcomings is endearing . . . [this] memoir is highly recommended * Irish Examiner *Walsh makes London seem like the place to have been. The stage was smaller; everything burned more brightly; more angels teemed on the head of a pin . . . One of the best things about Circus of Dreams is Walsh's memories not of the big beasts of literature, but of the smaller players - the editors and agents and clubmen and hacks and P.R. people, the various legends in their own lunchtimes. * New York Times *John Walsh's Circus of Dreams sent me reeling nostalgically back to the literary 1980s, where I may remain happily trapped for some time to come * HEAD TOPICS *Alternately fascinating and provocative -- John Sutherland * TLS *Circus of Dreams, the critic and journalist John Walsh's rambunctious and hugely entertaining history of the British literary scene in the 1980s, summons up something of the excitement, and the absurdity, of the period * Spectator World *

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Book SynopsisThis book charts the publishing industry and bestselling fiction from 1900, featuring a comprehensive list of all bestselling fiction titles in the UK. This third edition includes a new introduction which features additional information on current trends in reading including the rise of Black, Asian and LGBTQIA+ publishing; the continuing importance of certain genres and up to date trends in publishing, bookselling, library borrowing and literacy. There are sections on writing for children, on the importance of audiobooks and book clubs, self- published bestsellers as well as many new entries to the present day including bestselling authors such as David Walliams, Peter James, George R R Martin and far less well known authors whose books s sell in their thousands. This is the essential guide to best-selling books, authors, genres, publishing and bookselling since 1900, providing a unique insight into more than a century of entertainment, and opening a window into the reading habits and social life of the British from the death of Queen Victoria to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Table of Contents1. Origins, Problems and Philosophy of the Bestseller.- 2. How the British Read.- 3 Genre: History and Form.- 4. Literature for Children.- 5. Further Thoughts on Literature for Children.- 6. Best-selling Authors Since 1900.

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Book Synopsis'Suddently, at about one o'clock in the morning, there was a sharp, unbearably explicit knock on the door. 'They've come for Osip', I said'.In 1933 the poet Osip Mandelstam- friend to Boris Pasternak and Anna Akhmatova- wrote a spirited satire denouncing Josef Stalin. It proved to be a sixteen-line death sentence. For his one act of defiance he was arrested by the Cheka, the secret police, interrogated, exiled and eventually re-arrested. He died en route to one of Stalin's labour camps. His wife, Nadezhda (1899-1980) was with him on both occasions when he was arrested, and she loyally accompanied him into exile in the Urals, where he wrote his last great poems. Although his mind had been unbalanced by his ordeal in prison, his spirit remained unbroken. Eager to solve 'the Mandelstam problem', the Soviet authorities invited the couple to stay in a rest home near Moscow. Nadezhda saw it as an opportunity for her husband to mend his shattered life, but it was a trap and he was arrested for the last time.'My case will never be closed', Osip once said, and it is mostly through the courageous efforts of Nadezhda that his memory has been preserved. Hope against Hope, her first volume of memoirs, is a vivid and disturbing account of her last four years with her husband, the efforts she made to secure his release, to rescue his manuscripts from oblivion, and later, tragically, to discover the truth about his mysterious death. It is also a harrowing, first-hand account of how Stalin and his henchmen persecuted Russia's literary intelligentsia in the 1930s and beyond.Nadezhda Mandelstam spent most of the Second World War in Tashkent, living with her friend Akhmatova. Only in 1964 was she at last granted permission to return to Moscow. Here she began Hope against Hope, and later Hope Abandoned, the two memoirs of her life.Trade ReviewNo other work conveys as well the atmosphere of the 1930s terror, nor how Russian people survived it by listening to their great poets -- Orlando Figes * The Week *A superb memoir... A reminder that it is only a genuine work of art which is capable of communicating a reality so appalling as the Stalinist terror * Philip Toynbee *Not only a vivid account of persecution during Stalin's terror, it is also one of the few convincing descriptions of how a genius writes poetry -- A. AlvarezA Day of Judgement on earth for her age and its literature -- Joseph BrodskySurely the most luminous account we have- or are likely to get- of life in the Soviet Union during the purges of the 1930's * New York Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisThis is the brilliant memoir of a man who starts out in Manhattan and comes of age in the skies over Korea, before emerging as one of America's finest authors in the New York of the 1960s. Burning the Days showcases James Salter's uniquely beautiful style with some of the most evocative pages about flying ever written, together with portraits of the actors, directors and authors who later influenced him. It is an unforgettable book about passion, ambition and what it means to live and to write.Trade Review'A wise and sensual memoir. Salter writes his self-portrait by focusing on what has shaped him, by showing what he has loved and admired and feared to become in others. You cannot put it down' Michael Ondaatje‘Salter writes wonderfully of a world most of his readers will never have known’ Observer‘A masterwork of memory, deeply impressive and deeply moving’ Time Out One of the great literary memoirs . . . there is nothing better in English about what it is like to fly' * Spectator *A stylish and moving account of his various incarnations as a fighter pilot, rock climber, screenwriter and novelist . . . written in the heroic language of an American memoir * New Statesman *An extraordinarily gifted composer of prose . . . [a] teller of memorable stories. . . . It isn't often that a writer of superlative skills knows enough about flying to write well about it; Saint-Exupérywas one; Salter is another * New York Times Book Review *He can bestow a powerful aura of glamour and heightened significance to even the most casual encounter . . . entertaining, sharply observed . . . pure and ravishing * The Nation *[His] account of air combat in Korea . . . stands as a masterpiece of battle writing in this century . . . His prose is in flight * Los Angeles Times Book Review *A dazzling book . . . so full of splendid writing that at times the overwhelmed reader may blink like a sleeper awaking to hard light * Philadelphia Inquirer *No man who is even remotely honest with himself can read Burning the Days without envy; no woman of similar truthfulness will fail to find Salter's life deeply romantic -- John Irving * Toronto Globe and Mail *A wonderful book by a sensitive author who is romantic, intelligent, and superbly balanced. It is a serene account of a surprising diversity of experiences, but it is also a history of my time -- Joseph HellerA classic memoir, alive with amazing people, fabulous events, and extraordinary stories of war and love and the great wide world. Through the sheer and sensual force of his writing (and nobodywrites more beautifully), James Salter hasn't only recollected the past, he's reclaimed it -- Michael HerrA magnificent tour-de-force, the pressure of Salter's high romantic soul animates his crisp, rich, neo-classical prose to bring us page after page of narrative magic -- Frank ConroyIf you were to mark every section worth remembering you'd end up with folded corners on every page, scrawls in every paragraph * GQ *Every sentence is fantastic * Observer *It is years since I read a sharper, more arresting autobiography * Spectator *Wonderful * Daily Telegraph *He has written three books that everyone should read before they die: A Sport and a Pastime, Light Years and his recollections, Burning the Days * Independent *

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Book SynopsisSince its publication in 1925, The Great Gatsby has become one of the world's best-loved books. Careless People tells the true story behind F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, exploring in newly rich detail its relation to the extravagant, scandalous, and chaotic world in which the author lived.With wit and insight, Sarah Churchwell traces the genesis of a masterpiece, mapping where fiction comes from, and how it takes shape in the mind of a genius. Careless People tells the extraordinary tale of how F. Scott Fitzgerald created a classic and in the process discovered modern America.Trade Review[Sarah Churchwell] tells the story crisply and intelligently, judiciously deploying Fitzgerald's eminently quotable literary remains, and also Zelda's, which are often even better, in a sprightly, enjoyable and slightly strange book: part "biography" of the novel, part sketch of the roaring 1920s, part brief account of the second half of Fitzgerald's life. Churchwell is perceptive and well-informed * Guardian *A perfect book to read alongside The Great Gatsby. Excellent -- William Leith * Evening Standard *This book has as much spirit as gin fizz cocktails * Lady *A treasury of new material. Churchwell adds considerably to our understanding of the early 1920s, and how life for Fitzgerald played into the development of his art . . . Engaging deeply with the facts on the ground, the richly chaotic matrix that was Fitzgerald's life, Sarah Churchwell's Careless People takes us back there -- Jay Parini * Literary Review *A suggestive, almost musical evocation of the spirit of the time -- Thomas Powers * London Review of Books *The wonder of Careless People . . . is that it rewinds the years and allows the reader to appreciate again just how well Fitzgerald reflected his times - Book of the Week -- Nicholas Blincoe * Sunday Telegraph *Investigates subject after subject with subtle intelligence . . . you find yourself caught up in the excitement of her search - Book of the Week -- John Carey * Sunday Times *A literary spree, bursting with recherché detail, high spirits and the desperate frisson of the jazz age -- Robert McCrum * Observer *

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Book SynopsisAlongside a selection of photographs and Plath's own line-drawings, the editors masterfully contextualise what the pages disclose.This selection of early correspondence marks the key moments of Plath's adolescence, including childhood hobbies and high school boyfriends;

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Book SynopsisSlowly Down the Ganges' is seen as a vintage Newby masterpiece, alongside A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush' and Love and War in the Apennines'. Told with Newby''s self-deprecating humour and wry attention to detail, this is a classic of the genre and a window into an enchanting piece of history.On his forty-forth birthday, Eric Newby sets out on an incredible journey: to travel the 1,200-mile length of India''s holy river. In a misguided attempt to keep him out of trouble, Wanda, his life-long travel companion and wife, is to be his fellow boatwoman. Their plan is to begin in the great plain of Hardwar and finish in the Bay of Bengal, but the journey almost immediately becomes markedly slower and more treacherous than either had imagined - running aground sixty-three times in the first six days.Travelling in a variety of unstable boats, as well as by rail, bus and bullock cart, and resting at sandbanks and remote villages, the Newbys encounter engaging characters and glorious mishaps, inTrade Review'All the dusty enchantment and the recurrent dottiness of India - its exasperating charm - are in these pages' Eric Linklater 'Any book by Eric Newby is an event' Len Deighton 'Impossible to describe adequately the flavour of this delicious story … vintage Newby delicately salted with “The Wind in the Willows” and “Three Men in a Boat”' Guardian 'No journey into an unmapped interior to carry the word or find a lost explorer was more obstinately seen through to its end than this do-it-yourself pleasure trip … Mr Newby has fine descriptive gifts and a deft touch in casual portraiture' Times Literary Supplement 'One of the finest and certainly the funniest of British travel writers' Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisHergé's Tintin cartoon adventures have been translated into more than fifty languages and read by tens of millions of children aged, as their publishers like to say, 'from 7 to 77'. Arguing that their characters are as strong and their plots as complex as any dreamt up by the great novelists, Tom McCarthy asks a simple question: is Tintin literature? McCarthy takes a cue from Tintin himself, who spends much of his time tracking down illicit radio signals, entering crypts and decoding puzzles and suggests that we too need to 'tune in' and decode if we want to capture what's going on in Hergé's work. What emerges is a remarkable story of hushed-up royal descent in both Herge's work and his own family history. McCarthy shows how the themes this story generates - expulsion from home, violation of the sacred, the host-guest relationship turned sour and anxieties around questions of forgery and fakeness - are the same that have fuelled and troubled writers from the classical era to the present day. His startling conclusion is that Tintin's ultimate 'secret' is that of literature itself. Appearing on the eve of the release of a major Steven Spielberg Tintin film, Tintin and the Secret of Literature should be avidly devoured by not only Tintin lovers but also by anyone with an interest in literature, philosophy or art.

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Book Synopsis'Hitchens presents a George Orwell fit for the twenty-first century.' --Boston Globe In this widely acclaimed biographical essay, the masterful polemicist Christopher Hitchens assesses the life, the achievements, and the myth of the great political writer and participant George Orwell. True to his contrarian style, Hitchens is both admiring and aggressive, sympathetic yet critical, taking true measure of his subject as hero and problem. Answering both the detractors and the false claimants, Hitchens tears down the façade of sainthood erected by the hagiographers and rebuts the critics point by point. He examines Orwell and his perspectives on fascism, empire, feminism, and Englishness, as well as his outlook on America, a country and culture toward which he exhibited much ambivalence. Whether thinking about empires or dictators, race or class, nationalism or popular culture, Orwell's moral outlook remains indispensable in a world that has undergone vast changes in the seven decades since his death. Combining the best of Hitchens' polemical punch and intellectual elegance in a tightly woven and subtle argument, this book addresses not only why Orwell matters today, but how he will continue to matter in a future, uncertain world.

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