Literary studies: fiction Books

Book SynopsisZola''s masterpiece of working life, Germinal (1885), exposes the inhuman conditions of miners in northern France in the 1860s. By Zola''s death in 1902 it had come to symbolise the call for freedom from oppression so forcefully that the crowd which gathered at his State funeral chanted ''Germinal! Germinal!''.The central figure, Etienne Lantier, is an outsider who enters the community and eventually leads his fellow-miners in a strike protesting against pay-cuts - a strike which becomes a losing battle against starvation, repression, and sabotage. Yet despite all the violence and disillusion which rock the mining community to its foundations, Lantier retains his belief in the ultimate germination of a new society, leading to a better world. Germinal is a dramatic novel of working life and everyday relationships, but it is also a complex novel of ideas, given fresh vigour and power in this new translation. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made availableTrade Review'masterpiece' Oxford Times'A good translator uses the language of his day; the original text remains fixed, but translations must move with the times. Collier's, though differing from, and not always improving on, Tancock's, is likely to have the same startling effect on the reader coming fresh to it today as his prdecessor's had forty years ago.' F.W.J. Hemmings, French Studies, Vol. 48, Part 4

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Book Synopsis''Respectable people... What bastards!''Unjustly deported to Devil''s Island following Louis-Napoleon''s coup-d''état in December 1851, Florent Quenu escapes and returns to Paris. He finds the city changed beyond recognition. The old Marché des Innocents has been knocked down as part of Haussmann''s grand programme of urban reconstruction to make way for Les Halles, the spectacular new food markets. Disgusted by a bourgeois society whose devotion to food is inseparable from its devotion to the Government, Florent attempts an insurrection. Les Halles, apocalyptic and destructive, play an active role in Zola''s picture of a world in which food and the injustice of society are inextricably linked.The Belly of Paris (Le Ventre de Paris) is the third volume in Zola''s famous cycle of twenty novels, Les Rougon-Macquart. It introduces the painter Claude Lantier and in its satirical representation of the bourgeoisie and capitalism complements Zola''s other great novels of social conflict and urban poverty. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade ReviewThe translation by Brian Nelson for the Oxford World's Classics edition is excellent, and I really like the cover image which is a detail from The Square in Front of Les Halles by Victor-Gabriel Gilbert. * ANZ LitLovers LitBlog, Lisa Hill *

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Book SynopsisFrom New York Times bestselling author Amy Tan, a memoir on her life as a writer, her childhood and the symbiotic relationship between fiction and emotional memory.In Where the Past Begins, bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club and The Valley of Amazement Amy Tan is at her most intimate in revealing the truths and inspirations that underlie her extraordinary fiction.By delving into vivid memories of her traumatic childhood, confessions of self-doubt in her journals and heartbreaking letters to and from her mother, she gathers together evidence of all that made it both unlikely and inevitable that she would become a writer. Through spontaneous storytelling, she shows how a fluid fictional state of mind unleashed near-forgotten memories that became the emotional nucleus of her novels.Tan explores shocking truths uncovered by family memorabilia the real reason behind an I.Q. test she took at age six, why her parents lied about their education, mysteries surrounding her maternal grandmoTrade Review‘Tan writes about her parents with love and frustration and without sentimentality, and some of the book’s most effective sections are the ones that examine how her view of them was affected by discoveries made later in their lives or after their deaths. She also writes with great insight about her own creative process, and how it has been affected by everything from listening to music to chance encounters…This is a compelling exploration of both the personal and creative life of a fascinating woman’ Sunday Business Post ‘Remember Battle Hymn Of The Tiger Mother, the terrifying pushy-mother manifesto written by Chinese-American Amy Chua? Well, this book, by the other famous Chinese-American Amy, bestselling novelist Amy Tan, could be called Post-Battle Hymn Of The Damaged Daughter Of A Tiger Mother. Fascinating’ Daily Mail ‘It is a privilege to be given permission to rummage in any writer’s attic. Where The Past Begins yields treasure under the dust sheets… the introduction is breathtaking – all of Tan’s gifts, the ability to layer images, to command your attention, to shock you with a sudden slipping in of the knife are on display here’ Financial Times ‘She elaborates on the act of writing, the mechanics and results of her own imagination…Tan’s epiphanies and revelations often revive supressed memories…much of her questioning is focused on her mother’s life, parts of which may sound familiar to readers of Tan’s fiction’ Guardian ‘Richly varied, thought-provoking book. Where the Past Begins will surely gratify Tan’s many fans, and likely win her numerous new ones’ US Today Praise for Amy Tan: ‘Chinese-Americans are among the most dynamic, and socially cohesive, ethnic groups in the US … Tan is one of their leading voices’ Sunday Times ‘Tan is a prodigal with her talent. She weaves a dazzling web of unfamiliar colours, smells, tastes and landscapes’ Sunday Telegraph

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Book SynopsisWords have power. Yet that power must be rooted in truth and justice. Words must never stand apart from those principles.'You end this collection…vowing to never let life, or writing, get so complicated again' GuardianReaders who have long wondered where the mysterious novelist gets his ideas and what inspires his beautifully surreal worlds will be fascinated by this highly personal look at the craft of writing.In this engaging book, the internationally best-selling author shares with readers what he thinks about being a novelist; his own origins as a writer; and his musings on the sparks of creativity that inspire other writers, artists, and musicians.'Murakami is like a magician who explains what he's doing as he performs the trick and still makes you believe he has supernatural powers' New York Times Book Review'A fascinating glimpse of the peculiar writerly life' Sunday Times** A TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES and NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR**Trade Review[The] 11 essays here… deal with all the things that you’d like to ask [Murakami]…in the highly unlikely event that you were able to corner him at a book-signing session… You end this collection of beautiful essays vowing to never let life, or writing, get so complicated again * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisKatherine Bucknell edited all four volumes of Christopher Isherwood's Diaries (published by Chatto), a volume of letters between Christopher Isherwood and his partner Don Bachardy (The Animals), and W.H. Auden's Juvenilia: Poems 1922-1928. Co-editor of Auden Studies, a founder of The W. H. Auden Society, and director of the Christopher Isherwood Foundation, she is widely recognised as a leading authority on Isherwood. She is also the author of five novels. She was born in Vietnam, raised in America, and lives in London.

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Book SynopsisThe perfect Father''s Day giftTolkien''s One Ring, at the centre of one of the greatest fantasy tales ever told, is an undeniably iconic and powerful symbol in literature. Tracing centuries of ancient folklore, The Ring Legends of Tolkien is a deep and highly informed investigation into the inspiration behind Tolkien''s epic fantasy world, exploring the origins of the One Ring, as well as the extraordinary myths and legends that inspired Tolkien''s works.This work is unofficial and is not authorized by the Tolkien Estate or HarperCollins Publishers.

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Book SynopsisBefore The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the earliest myths and legends of Middle-earth and Valinor were laid down in The Book of Lost Tales, written by J.R.R. Tolkien between 1916 and 1920, and compiled by Christopher Tolkien for publication in 1983.The Book of Lost Tales stands at the beginning of the entire conception of Middle-earth and Valinor, for the Tales were the first form of the myths and legends that came to be called The Silmarillion.Embedded in English legend, they are set in the narrative frame of a great westward voyage over the Ocean by a mariner named Eriol to the lonely Isle where the Elves dwelt; from them he learned their true history, the Lost Tales of Elfinesse. In the Tales are found the earliest accounts of Gods and Elves, Dwarves, Balrogs and Orcs; of the Silmarils and the Two Trees of Valinor; of the geography and cosmology of Tolkien's invented world.This first volume in Christopher Tolkien's epic History of Middle-earth series is the perfect gateway for anyone wanting to tread deeper into the rich tapestry of Tolkien's world and discover the evolution of the Middle-earth stories.Trade Review‘Christopher Tolkien shows himself to be his father’s son… Tolkien devotees will rejoice’ The New York Times Book Review ‘In these Lost Tales we have the scholar joyously gambolling in the thicket of his imagination… a Commentary and Notes greatly enrich the quest’ Daily Telegraph ‘The Tales will be appreciated by those who have read The Silmarillion and wish to examine how Tolkien improved his story and style from their original form, and how eventually The Lord of the Rings came to stand independently with only a few hints from the early mythology’ British Book News

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Book SynopsisThe concluding volume of The History of Middle-earth series, which examines the Appendices to The Lord of the Rings.The Peoples of Middle-earth traces the evolution of the Appendices to The Lord of The Rings, which provide a comprehensive historical structure of the Second and Third Ages, including Calendars, Hobbit genealogies and the Westron language. The book concludes with two unique abandoned stories: The New Shadow, set in Gondor during the Fourth Age, and the tale of Tal-elmar, in which the coming of the dreaded Numenorean ships is seen through the eyes of men of Middle-earth in the Dark Years.With the publication of this book, the long history of J.R.R. Tolkien's creation is completed and the enigmatic state of his work can be understood.Trade Review‘Christopher Tolkien shows himself to be his father’s son… Tolkien devotees will rejoice’The New York Times Book Review ‘Illustrates the development, depth and richness of J R R Tolkien’s personal mythology’Vector

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Book SynopsisAuster''s tale of family dynamics past and present from the author of contemporary classic The New York Trilogy: ''a literary voice for the ages'' (Guardian) ''I was looking for a quiet place to die. Someone recommended Brooklyn, and so the next morning I travelled down there from Westchester to scope out the terrain . . .''So begins Paul Auster''s remarkable novel, The Brooklyn Follies. Set against the backdrop of the contested US election of 2000, it tells the story of Nathan and Tom, an uncle and nephew double-act. One in remission from lung cancer, divorced, and estranged from his only daughter, the other hiding away from his once-promising academic career, and, indeed, from life in general.Having accidentally ended up in the same Brooklyn neighbourhood, they discover a community teeming with life and passion. When Lucy, a little girl who refuses to speak, comes into their lives, there is suddenly a bridge from their pasts tha

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Book Synopsis"I find myself talking to you about all the great joys, all the agonies, all my thoughts..." Letter to Eva Konikova, 1946 Out of the thousands of letters Tove Jansson wrote a cache remains that she addressed to her family, her dearest confidantes, and her lovers, male and female. Into these she spilled her innermost thoughts, defended her ideals and revealed her heart. To read these letters is both an act of startling intimacy and a rare privilege. Penned with grace and humour, Letters from Tove offers an almost seamless commentary on Tove Jansson's life as it unfolds within Helsinki's bohemian circles and her island home. Spanning fifty years between her art studies and the height of Moomin fame, we share with her the bleakness of war; the hopes for love that were dashed and renewed, and her determined attempts to establish herself as an artist. Vivid, inspiring and shining with integrity, Letters from Tove shows precisely how an aspiring and courageous young artist can evolve into a very great one.Trade ReviewTove Jansson was a genius, a woman of profound wisdom and great artistry -- Philip PullmanHer tales of Mominvalley are really only half the story of Jansson's quiet creative genius...her novels, short story collections and memoir writing form an equally shining achievement. -- Ali SmithA unique and authentic voice that speaks to the reader across time and culture, heart to heart -- Boyd Tonkin * The Independent *Tove Jansson is one of the greatest children's writers there has ever been -- Sir Terry PratchettLetters from Tove offers readers the privilege of spending time inside an intelligent, creative, curious, generous, funny, unsentimental mind. Few books have given me as much pure pleasure this year. -- Anna Carey * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisMany believe Anna Karenina to be the greatest novel ever written. The impossible and destructive triangle of Anna, her husband Karenin, and her lover Vronsky, is set against the marriage of Levin and Kitty, illuminating the most important questions which beset humanity. This edition uses Louise and Aylmer Maude's classic translation - still unsurpassed - and is printed here with a new introduction and detailed annotation.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewTake it with you to any cafe in any city, and Perec will be both your drinking partner and your tour guide, drawing your attention to each little detail coming and going. -- Ian Klaus * CityLab *An Attempt at Exhausting a Place in Paris is about the kinds of ordinary occurrences that make up the experience of sitting in a café. Much of the book reads like a list. It is a kind of inventory: an attempt to catalogue, to exhaust, a place. -- Susan Harlan * Literary Hub *

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Book SynopsisA fascinating and wonderfully readable deconstruction of the countless myths that have grown up around the Brontës.Since 1857, hardly a year has gone by without some sort of Bronte ''biography'' appearing. These range from pious accounts in Victorian conduct books to Freudian pyschobiographies, from plays, films and ballets to tourist brochures and images on tea-towels, from sensation-seeking penny-a-liners to meticulous works of sober scholarship. Each generation has rewritten the Brontes to reflect changing attitudes - towards the role of the woman writer, towards sexuality, towards the very concept of personality. The Bronte Myth gives vigorous new life to our understanding of the novelists and their culture and Lucasta Miller reveals as much about the impossible art of biography as she does about the Brontes themselves.WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION FROM THE AUTHORTrade ReviewA brilliant and riveting examination of the Bronte phenomenon * Daily Mail *Written with wit and relish, and packed with irresistible detail * The Times *Literary history is seldom related with such a pleasant combination of brio and erudition * Sunday Times *Crisply written and witty - Lucasta Miller sends the reader straight back to the wonderful novels that inspired such hommages * Independent on Sunday *A sharp-witted study in literary reputation - Miller supplies a deft and immaculately detailed tracing of the many 'constructions' of Charlotte Bronte * Observer *

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Book SynopsisWilliam Golding was born in 1911 and educated at his local grammar school and Brasenose College, Oxford. He published a volume of poems in 1934 and during the war served in the Royal Navy. Afterwards he returned to being a schoolmaster in Salisbury. Lord of the Flies, his first novel, was an immediate success, and was followed by a series of remarkable novels, including The Inheritors, Pincher Martin and The Spire. He won the Booker Prize for Rites of Passage in 1980, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983, and was knighted in 1988. He died in 1993.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Financial Times Best Summer Book""A New Yorker Best Book We've Read This Year""Shortlisted for the History Book of the Year Prize, History Reclaimed""Winner of the History Reclaimed Book of the Year Prize""A BBC History Magazine Book of the Year""A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year""The history of women in the Middle Ages is fraught with uncertainties, especially when it comes to source material and authorship; Turner unfurls this complexity in elegant, quietly angry prose, grounded in deep scholarly research. . . . Turner’s biography of Alison of Bath demonstrates the stunning resonance of medieval prejudice in the present."---Erin Maglaque, New York Times Book Review"Those who foreground alternative voices must reach for innovative forms and reworkings of genre. Turner does this brilliantly, allowing Alison of Bath to speak for the legions of contemporary women otherwise silenced by history."---Daisy Hay, Financial Times"Turner’s immensely entertaining ‘biography’ will make you fall in love with the Wife of Bath, whom she crowns ‘the first ordinary woman in English literature.’ . . . Wonderfully accessible and briskly entertaining."---Ron Charles, Washington Post"Turner writes from a feminist perspective, but she is not a presentist—the kind of person who faults the past for failing to live up to the standards, or some people’s standards, of the present. . . . You are grateful for Turner’s thoroughness. She is especially adept at drawing meaning not only from characters’ similarities but also from their differences."---Joan Acocella, The New Yorker"An intriguing combination of the fantastically bawdy and the deadly serious. . . . Thrilling."---Katy Guest, The Guardian"A wonderful biography."---Mary Wellesley, The Telegraph"This engrossing academic study helps you appreciate why, nearly eight centuries after Chaucer brought her to life, this funny, sexually confident middle-aged woman remains a titan of literature."---Martin Chilton, The Independent"Erudite."---Susie Goldsbrough, The Times"[A] thoroughly engaging book."---Mary C. Flannery, Times Literary Supplement"[A] superb biography. . . . Turner's beautifully written, rewarding and thought-provoking book about this imaginary woman shows how much her literary existence has to say about actual women’s lives."---Gillian Kenny, The Spectator"Turner’s scholarly yet lively portrait of [the Wife of Bath] reveals much about the real-life women who were the earliest readers of her tale, and about the cultures that have been captivated by her ever since."---Pippa Bailey, New Statesman"[A] fascinating book." * The Week *"[A] lively biography."---Eleanor Parker, History Today"This is a wonderfully witty, thoughtful and authoritative meditation on one of English literature’s most astonishing characters—a woman both ahead of her time and yet very much emblematic of the social changes under way in 14th-century England."---Carolyne Larrington, Literary Review"Turner’s enthralling take on Chaucer is so rich, inspiring and relevant."---Lucasta Miller, The Critic"[The Wife of Bath] finally gets the lively, full-length study she’s always deserved in Marion Turner’s new book. . . . It’s fun, thought-provoking popular scholarship at its best."---Steve Donoghue, Open Letters Review"[A] passionate literary ‘biography’. . . . Turner’s prose is straightforward, artful, and occasionally biting. . . . Fans of Chaucer’s work and literature lovers more generally shouldn’t miss this." * Publishers Weekly *"A brilliant commentary on Chaucer’s ‘Alisoun’ and the posthumous relevance of Alison in our fractious world of gender politics."---Timothy Mowl, Country Life"Written in elegant, accessible prose, The Wife of Bath reinvents literary criticism to tell the extraordinary story of one of English literature’s most memorable, norm-busting characters." * Foreword Reviews *"[A] superb exploration of the most memorable character in The Canterbury Tales."---Matt d’Ancona, Tortoise"[Turner] writes in a companionable way that makes this a most engaging book."---Sean Sheehan, The Prisma"Masterful. . . . An invaluable study not only for those who research and teach Chaucer and his Canterbury Tales but also for those who are engaged with women and gender studies from the Middle Ages to the present day." * Choice Reviews *"An illuminating social history. . . .Combin[ing] rigorous scholarship and an eye for entertaining detail."---Emily Brand, BBC History Magazine"Lively, approachable, and exhaustively researched . . . [The Wife of Bath] has something to offer for both casual readers and scholars, particularly those working on gender, medieval studies, or adaptation studies, not to mention Chaucerians of all stripes. . . . An invaluable resource, not only for information on the Wife of Bath herself, but as a brilliant and well-considered example of the myriad possibilities available for approaching an old topic from a new angle."---Kristen Haas Curtis, Studies in the Age of Chaucer"An intellectually daring study."---Terry Potter, The Letterpress Project

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Book Synopsis''You expected bread, and you have got a stone; break your teeth on it, and don''t shriek...you will have learned the great lesson how to endure without a sob.''Shirley is Charlotte Brontë''s only historical novel and her most topical one. Written at a time of social unrest, it is set during the period of the Napoleonic Wars, when economic hardship led to riots in the woollen district of Yorkshire. A mill-owner, Robert Moore, is determined to introduce new machinery despite fierce opposition from his workers; he ignores their suffering, and puts his own life at risk. Robert sees marriage to the wealthy Shirley Keeldar as the solution to his difficulties, but he loves his cousin Caroline. She suffers misery and frustration, and Shirley has her own ideas about the man she will choose to marry. The friendship between the two women, and the contrast between their situations, is at the heart of this compelling novel, which is suffused with Brontë''s deep yearning for an earlier time. ABOUT

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Book SynopsisThis book contains everything you need to write better A-Level and Undergraduate English essays on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’, all presented in a helpful and entertaining way to make study and revision easier. There are clear notes on the characters, themes, language techniques and critical context, plus practice questions to make sure you understand the main points. There’s also a section dedicated to writing about ‘The Great Gatsby’ to help you improve your grades.

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Book SynopsisSEE the amazing vintage book covers featuring well-dressed skeletons, evil dolls, knife-wielding killer crabs! READ the shocking plots involving devil worship, satanic children, and haunted real estate! LEARN the stories of long-forgotten creators as well as familiar names like V.C. Andrews and Anne Rice. Horror author and vintage paperback book collector Grady Hendrix offers killer commentary and witty insight on these trashy thrillers that tried so hard to be the next Exorcist or Rosemary s Baby. It s an affectionate, nostalgic, and unflinching tour through the horror fiction boom of the seventies and eighties, complete with story summaries and artist and author profiles. Plus recommendations for which of these forgotten treasures are well worth your reading time and which should stay buried.Trade ReviewOne of SFFWorld's Best of the Decade“Pure, demented delight.”—The New York Times Book Review“Paperbacks from Hell is as funny as it is engaging.”—The Washington Post“The book is a true appreciation of the genre.”—Los Angeles Times“Just thumbing through these pages will bring back your youth—and terrify you all over again.”—Newsday“A loving examination of lurid pulp book covers from the 1970s and ’80s.”—Atlas Obscura“Paperbacks from Hell is as wild as its source material.”—The A.V. Club“[Paperbacks from Hell] will delight anyone with an interest in horror, design illustration, or the macabre.”—Print Magazine “A nostalgic treat.”—Playboy Online“You may find yourself trying to stock up on old titles so you can get your fill of gloriously trashy scares.”—Bustle“[Hendrix's] love of the genre shines through as he pokes gentle fun at some of the era's more entertaining reads, and speaks with genuine appreciation of other titles whose horrors stand the test of time.”—BookRiotMore praise for Grady Hendrix:“National treasure Grady Hendrix follows his classic account of a haunted IKEA-like furniture showroom, Horrorstor (2014), with a nostalgia-soaked ghost story, My Best Friend’s Exorcism.”—The Wall Street Journal, on My Best Friend’s Exorcism“Horrorstör delivers a crisp terror-tale...[and] Hendrix strikes a nice balance between comedy and horror.”—The Washington Post, on Horrorstör“Terrific... Sharply written... [My Best Friend’s Exorcism] makes a convincing case for [Hendrix’s] powers as a sharp observer of human behavior.”—The A.V. Club, on My Best Friend’s Exorcism“Hendrix’s darkest novel yet will leave readers begging for an encore.”—Booklist, starred review, on We Sold Our Souls“Campy. Heartfelt. Horrifying.”—Minnesota Public Radio, on My Best Friend’s Exorcism“An inventive, hilarious haunted house tale.”—Bustle, on Horrorstör “Clever, heartfelt, and get-under-your-skin unnerving.”—Fangoria, on My Best Friend’s Exorcism“A good, creepy, music-tinged thriller.”—CNET, on We Sold Our Souls

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Book SynopsisSuccumb to a churchman''s apocalyptic vision in this prophetic tale by the radical Nobel Laureate and author of Lord of the Flies, introduced by Benjamin Myers (narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch as an audiobook).There were three sorts of people. Those who ran, those who stayed, and those who were built in.Dean Jocelin has a vision: that God has chosen him to erect a great spire. His master builder fearfully advises against it, for the old cathedral was miraculously built without foundations. But Jocelin is obsessed with fashioning his prayer in stone. As his halo of hair grows wilder and his dark angel darker, the spire rises octagon upon octagon, pinnacle by pinnacle, watched over by the gargoyles - until the stone pillars shriek, the earth beneath creeps, and the spire''s shadow falls like an axe on the medieval world below ...''Astounding ... So recklessly beautiful, so sad and so strange ... Holds such a place i

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Book SynopsisIn these impressions of the Italian countryside, Lawrence transforms ordinary incidents into passages of intense beauty.Twilight in Italy is a vibrant account of Lawrence''s stay among the people of Lake Garda, whose decaying lemon gardens bear witness to the twilight of a way of life centuries old. In Sea and Sardina, Lawrence brings to life the vigorous spontaneity of a society as yet untouched by the deadening effect of industrialization. And Etruscan Places is a beautiful and delicate work of literary art, the record of a dying man drinking from the founts of a civilization dedicated to life.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Nobel Prize for LiteratureEngaging, brilliant' GuardianA talkative, tender meditation' Financial TimesEvery novelist will want to read this' Daily TelegraphWhat happens within us when we read a novel? And how does a writer create its unique effects? In this thoughtful and deeply personal book, Orhan Pamuk takes us into the worlds of the writer and reader, revealing their intimate connections.How is it that novels conjure landscapes so vivid they can make the here-and-now fade away, and characters so complex we feel we know them beyond the page? With Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Stendhal, Flaubert and Proust as companions, Pamuk considers the sweet illusion' of the fictional world, and the hold it exerts upon us. Anyone who has known the pleasure of becoming immersed in a novel will enjoy, and learn from, this perceptive and enchanting book.

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Book SynopsisNamed by The Times as the all-time number one crime writer, Patricia Highsmith was an author who broke new ground and defied genre clichés with novels such as The Talented Mr Ripley and Strangers on a Train.In the classic creative writing guide Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction, Highsmith reveals her secrets for producing world-class crime and thrillers, from imaginative tips for generating ideas to useful ways of turning them into stunning stories.

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Book SynopsisJ.R.R. Tolkien''s The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion are some of the greatest tales of good versus evil ever told. From the creation of Arda to the War of the Ring, Tolkien''s Middle-earth has seen war and rebellion, devastation and loss, in which the powers of darkness emerged. Here in his latest book, best-selling author and Tolkien expert David Day explores Tolkien''s portrayal of evil, and the sources that inspired his work: from myth, literature and history. This work is unofficial and is not authorized by the Tolkien Estate or HarperCollins Publishers.

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Book SynopsisThis richly illustrated book explores the huge creative endeavour behind Tolkien’s enduring popularity. Lavishly illustrated with over 300 images of his manuscripts, drawings, maps and letters, the book traces the creative process behind his most famous literary works – 'The Hobbit', 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Silmarillion' and reproduces personal photographs and private papers,some of which have never been seen before in print. Tolkien drew on his deep knowledge of medieval literature and language to inform his literary imagination. Six introductory essays cover some of the main themes in Tolkien’s life and work including the influence of northern languages and legends on the creation of his own legendarium; his concept of ‘Faërie’ as a literary construct; the central importance of his invented languages in his fantasy writing; his visual imagination and its emergence in his artwork; and the encouragement he derived from the literary group known as the Inklings. This book brings together the largest collection of original Tolkien material ever assembled in a single volume. Drawing on the archives of the Tolkien collections at the Bodleian Libraries, Oxford, and Marquette University, Milwaukee, as well as private collections, this exquisitely produced catalogue draws together the worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien – scholarly, literary, creative and domestic – offering a rich and detailed understanding and appreciation of this extraordinary author.Trade Review'The excellent catalogue is well worth its £40.' * The Times *'...a splendid collective effort that offers the reader a beautiful, accurate and at times moving portrayal of Tolkien, the man and the author, But, just as importantly, it successfully captures the complexity and depth of Tolkien's literary endeavour, facilitating the reader's approach to a monumental, many-layered palimpsest.' * Cercles Journal *'Enjoyable and quick to read from cover to cover, but it is also a beautiful book that begs to be flipped through. Thankfully, the well-researched information that accompanies each high-quality image makes this sort of a la carte consumption not only possible but also satisfying.' * Western Folklore Journal *'Better than the show itself, with all the things she wanted to include in the show but couldn’t.' -- Melanie McDonagh * The Spectator *'This is a near-perfect collection and an utter delight for those who love Middle-earth.' * Starburst Magazine *'J.R.R. Tolkien fans needs to know about "Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth" … Incredible … A hefty book packed full of gorgeous, fascinating images.' * io9 *'A compelling and extraordinarily rich account of J.R.R. Tolkien's life and literary history interspersed between three hundred images … Really, you should just go and get this … awesome and lore-packed book. 'Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth' is the book beyond the exhibit, which endures even as the other diminishes and sails into the West. It's sure to enrich any fan's appreciation for Tolkien the mortal Man.' * Tor.com *'"Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth" is a pure delight, one that I'll return to many times in the years to come. … I have many more books about Tolkien than I do ones he has written, and this is the best of those about him so far.' * Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine *'The single best, and best value, one-stop-shop for the visual material associated with JRR Tolkien.' * The Notion Club Papers – an Inklings Blog *'I can honestly say it is not just a beautiful and important art book, but a critical biographical publication for study and research too. Well done! … A wonderful, and important, book. Don’t wait to get one if you are on the fence!' * @TolkienGuide *Table of ContentsContents Foreword Note to the Reader 1. J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biographical Sketch, by Catherine McIlwaine 2. Tolkien and the Inklings, by John Garth 3. Faërie: Tolkien's Perilous Land, by Verlyn Flieger 4. Inventing Elvish, by Carl F. Hostetter 5. Tolkien and ‘that noble northern spirit’, by Tom Shippey 6. Tolkien’s Visual Art, by Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull CATALOGUE Reading Tolkien: ‘to England; to my country’ Childhood: ‘the undarkened heart and mind’ Student Days: ‘Friendship to the Nth power' Sheer Invention: 'new patterns of old colours’ The Silmarillion: ‘myth-woven and elf-patterned’ The Professor at Home: ‘from time already mortgaged’ The Hobbit: ‘In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit’ The Lord of the Rings: ‘lightning from a clear sky’ Mapping Middle-earth: ‘Not all those who wander are lost’ Further Reading Acknowledgements Contributors Picture credits Index

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Book SynopsisAfter a two-year absence a husband returns to find his wife wearing the scarlet 'A' for Adulteress on her breast. Determined to find her lover, he embarks on a destructive path of revenge. This edition uses the most authoritative text, with a wide-ranging critical introduction.

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Book SynopsisThe final part of The History of The Lord of the Rings, an enthralling account of the writing of the Book of the Century which contains many additional scenes and includes the unpublished Epilogue in its entirety.In the first section of Sauron Defeated Christopher Tolkien completes his fascinating study of The Lord of the Rings. Beginning with Sam's rescue of Frodo from the Tower of Cirith Ungol, and giving a very different account of the Scouring of the Shire, this section ends with versions of the hitherto unpublished Epilogue, in which, years after the departure of Bilbo and Frodo from the Grey Havens, Sam attempts to answer his children's questions.The second section is an edition of The Notion Club Papers. These mysterious papers, discovered in the early years of the twenty-first century, report the discussions of an Oxford club in the years 1986-7, in which after a number of topics, the centre of interest turns to the legend of Atlantis, the strange communications received by othTrade Review‘Christopher Tolkien shows himself to be his father’s son… Tolkien devotees will rejoice’ The New York Times Book Review

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Book SynopsisFrom Collins Classics and the author of The Great Gatsby' comes this razor-sharp satire on the excesses of the Jazz Age.From the author of The Great Gatsby, a tale of marriage and disappointment in the Roaring Twenties.Fitzgerald's rich and detailed novel of the decadent Jazz Era follows the beautiful and vibrant Anthony Patch and his wife Gloria as they navigate the heady lifestyle of the young and wealthy in 1920s New York. Patch is the presumptive heir to his grandfather's fortune, and keeps his equally spoiled wife in comfort while biding time until his grandfather's death. Patch is unable to hold down any kind of job and spends his days in luxury, indulging in whatever pleasures are available. But as the money begins to fail, so does their marriage. Patch's gradual descent into alcoholism, depression and alienation from his marriage ultimately lead to his ruin. Fitzgerald's novel is a remorseless exploration of the horrors of an age of excess and lost innocence.F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Book Synopsis''Speak, memory'', said Vladimir Nabokov. And immediately there came flooding back to him a host of enchanting recollections - of his comfortable childhood and adolescence, of his rich, liberal-minded father, his beautiful mother, an army of relations and family hangers-on and of grand old houses in St Petersburg and the surrounding countryside in pre-Revolutionary Russia. Young love, butterflies, tutors and a multitude of other themes thread together to weave an autobiography, which is itself a work of art.

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Book Synopsis''Our virtues are, most often, only vices in disguise.''Deceptively brief and insidiously easy to read, La Rochefoucauld''s shrewd, unflattering analyses of human behaviour have influenced writers, thinkers, and public figures as various as Voltaire, Proust, de Gaulle, Nietzsche, and Conan Doyle. The author gave himself the following advice: ''The reader''s best policy is to assume that none of these maxims is directed at him, and that he is the sole exception...After that, I guarantee that he will be the first to subscribe to them.''This is the fullest collection of La Rochefoucauld''s writings ever published in English, and includes the first complete translation of the Réflexions diverses (Miscellaneous Reflections). A table of alternative maxim numbers and an index of topics help the reader to locate any maxim quickly and to appreciate the full range of La Rochefoucauld''s thought on any of his favourite themes, such as self-love, vice and virtue, love and jealousy, friendship and self-interest, passion and pride. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade ReviewThis superb publication of La Rouchefoucauld's seminal 'Maxims' combines the erudition and comprehensiveness of a scholarly edition with the welcoming accessibility of a first-class textbook. * Kevin De Ornellas, University of Ulster *

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Book SynopsisDevils, also known in English as The Possessed and The Demons, was first published in 1871-2. The third of Dostoevsky''s five major novels, it is at once a powerful political tract and a profound study of atheism, depicting the disarray which follows the appearance of a band of modish radicals in a small provincial town. Dostoevsky compares infectious radicalism to the devils that drove the Gadarene swine over the precipice in his vision of a society possessed by demonic creatures that produce devastating delusions of rationality.Dostoevsky is at his most imaginatively humorous in Devils: the novel is full of buffoonery and grotesque comedy. The plot is loosely based on the details of a notorious case of political murder, but Dostoevsky weaves suicide, rape, and a multiplicity of scandals into a compelling story of political evil. _ This new translation also includes the chapter `Stavrogin''s Confession'', which was initially considered to be too shocking to print. In this edition it appears where the author originally intended it. 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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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE 2015 COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARDThis is the secret history of Alice''s Adventures in Wonderland.Wonderland is part of our cultural heritage. But beneath the fairy tale lies the complex history of the author and his subject. Charles Dodgson was a quiet academic but his second self, Lewis Carroll, was a storyteller, innovator and avid collector of child-friends'. Carroll's imagination was to give Alice Liddell, his ''dream-child'', a fictional alter ego that would never let her grow up. This is a biography that beautifully unravels the magic of Alice. It is a history of love and loss, innocence and ambiguity. It is the story of one man's need to make a Wonderland in a changing world.Trade ReviewIt is the ultimate book about Alice - comprehensive and scholarly, but so delightfully and elegantly written that it's a true work of literature -- Jacqueline WilsonThe Story of Alice is the best book on the myriad enigmas of Carroll’s heart-breaking wonderland I have ever read -- Robert McCrum * Observer *Superb…toweringly the best of the dozens of books on Carroll which I have read -- AN Wilson * Financial Times *Douglas-Fairhurst is a startling and exciting writer -- A.S. Byatt * Spectator *This is biography at its best -- Lyndall Gordon * New Statesman *

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Book Synopsis''A landmark, bringing together a lifetime''s work on Lewis Carroll by writer and mathematician Martin Gardner. He dazzles on Carroll''s puzzles and games of logic and entertains on everything from Alice''s influence on the Beat poet Jack Kerouac to howmercury in hat linings turned hatters mad...it is unsurpassed'' - Jackie Wullschlager, Financial Times ''The indispensable guide to a classic of English literature...no one who has ever wondered about the meaning of ''Jabberwocky'' should fail to include on their Christmas list'' - Robert McCrum, ObserverTrade Review'A landmark, bringing together a lifetime's work on Lewis Carroll by writer and mathematician Martin Gardner. He dazzles on Carroll's puzzles and games of logic and entertains on everything from Alice's influence on the Beat poet Jack Kerouac to how mercury in hat linings turned hatters mad...it is unsurpassed' - Jackie Wullschlager, Financial Times 'The indispensable guide to a classic of English literature...no one who has ever wondered about the meaning of 'Jabberwocky' should fail to include on their Christmas list' - Robert McCrum, Observer

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Book SynopsisAs the the bicentennary of the French Revolution draws near, Dickens'' historical novel serves as a timely reminder of nineteenth-century reactions to that great upheaval. Set between 1757 and 1793, A Tale of Two Cities views the causes and effects of the Revolution from an essentially private point of view, showing how private experience relates to public history. Dickens'' characters are fictional, and their political activity is minimal, yet all are drawn towards the Paris of the Terror, and all become caught up in its web of human suffering and human sacrifice. This edition includes extensive explanatory notes giving crucial background information about the Revolution and Dickens'' sources. `the best story I have written'' Charles Dickens 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 wTrade Review'I shall treasure the richly detailed explanatory notes. It's an edition which will surely sell to the general reader; yet many truer Dickens specialists than I will be excited by the scope and subtlety of the introduction.' Dr P. Merchant, Christ Church College, Canterbury'The large clear print, very full notes, and inclusion of Dickens's number plans make it the best paperback available for student use.' Professor Norman Page, University of NottinghamI read it every other year. It is the best story of the best hero. It does not pale. * You (Mail on Sunday Magazine) *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review'this children's novel for all ages is vivid from the very first sentence. ... a children's classic ... lovers of the book will find Valerie Alderson's informed and enthusiastic introduction a valuable bonus, especially about the closely autobiographical nature of the book.' The Observer Review

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Victor Hugo (1802-85) is an icon of French culture. He achieved immense success as a poet, dramatist, and novelist, and he was also elected to both houses of the French Parliament. Leading the Romantic campaign against artistic tradition and defying the Second Empire in exile, he became synonymous with the progressive ideals of the French Revolution. His state funeral in Paris made headlines across the world, and his breadth of appeal remains evident today, not least thanks to the popularity of his bestseller, Les Mis rables, and its myriad theatrical and cinematic incarnations.This biography, the first in English for over twenty years, provides a concise but comprehensive exploration of Hugo's monumental body of work within the context of his dramatic life. Hugo wrestled with family tragedy and personal misgivings while being pulled into the turmoil of the nineteenth century, from the fall of Napoleon's Empire to the rise of France's Third Republic. Throughout these twists of fate, he sensed a natural order of collapse and renewal. This unending cycle of creation shaped his ideas about freedom and roused his imagination, which he channeled into his prolific writing and other outlets like drawing. As Bradley Stephens argues, such creative intellectual vigor suggests that Hugo was too restless to sit comfortably on the pedestal of literary greatness; Hugo's was a mind as revolutionary as the time in which he lived.

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Book SynopsisThe fifth volume of the History of Middle-earth, containing the early myths and legends which led to the writing of Tolkien's epic tale of war, The Silmarillion.At the end of 1937, J R R Tolkien reluctantly set aside his work on the myths and heroic legends of Valinor and Middle-earth and began The Lord of the Rings.This fifth volume of The History of Middle-earth completes the examination of his writing up to that time. Later forms of The Annals of Valinor and The Annals of Beleriand had been composed, The Silmarillion was nearing completion in a greatly amplified form, and a new Map had been made. The legend of the Downfall of Numenor had entered the work, including those central ideas: the World Made Round and the Straight Path into the vanished West. Closely associated with this was the abandoned time-travel' story The Lost Road, linking the world of Numenor and Middle-earth with the legends of many other times and peoples.Also included in this volume is the The Lhammas, as essay oTrade Review‘Christopher Tolkien shows himself to be his father’s son… Tolkien devotees will rejoice’ The New York Times Book Review

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Book SynopsisThe second of a two-book set that contains the early myths and legends which led to the writing of Tolkien's epic tale of war, The Silmarillion.This second part of The Book of Lost Tales includes the tale of Beren and Lúthien, Túrin and the Dragon, and the only full narratives of the Necklace of the Dwarves and the Fall of Gondolin, itself the finest and most exciting depiction of a battle that Tolkien ever wrote. Each tale is followed by a commentary in the form of a short essay, together with texts of associated poems, and contains extensive information on names and vocabulary in the earliest Elvish languages.This series of fascinating books has now been repackaged to complement the distinctive and classic style of the black cover' A-format paperbacks of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.Trade Review‘Christopher Tolkien shows himself to be his father’s son… Tolkien devotees will rejoice’ The New York Times Book Review ‘In these Lost Tales we have the scholar joyously gambolling in the thicket of his imagination… a Commentary and Notes greatly enrich the quest’ Daily Telegraph ‘The Tales will be appreciated by those who have read The Silmarillion andwish to examine how Tolkien improved his story and style from their original form, and how weventually The Lord of the Rings came to stand independently with only a few hints from the early mythology’ British Book News

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Book SynopsisRediscover this deep, practical anatomy of the novel from 'the strongest ... literary critic we have' (New York Review of Books) in this new revised 10th anniversary edition.What do we mean when we say we 'know' a fictional character? What constitutes a 'telling' detail? When is a metaphor successful? Is realism realistic? Why do most endings of novels disappoint?In the tradition of E. M. Forster's Aspects of the Novel and Milan Kundera's The Art of the Novel, How Fiction Works is a study of the main elements of fiction, such as narrative, detail, characterization, dialogue, realism, and style. In his first full-length book of criticism, one of the most prominent critics of our time takes the machinery of story-telling apart to ask a series of fundamental questions. Wood ranges widely, from Homer to Beatrix Potter, from the Bible to John Le Carré, and his book is both a study of the techniques of fiction-making and an alternative history of the novel. Playful and profound, it incisively sums up two decades of bold, often controversial, and now classic critical work, and will be enlightening to writers, readers, and anyone interested in what happens on the page.'Should find a place on every novel-lover's shelf. It has the quality all useful works of criticism should have: refined taste, keen observation, and the ability to make the reader argue, passionately, with it' Financial TimesTrade ReviewThis compelling essay shows just how deeply, sensitively, imaginatively and joyfully he reads * Scotland on Sunday *There aren't many book reviewers whose leaving one magazine to go to work for another would make the headlines. But then there aren't many book reviewers like James Wood * Sunday Telegraph *Luminous... full of top-notch observations from the coal-face -- D.J. Taylor * Independent on Sunday *Enchanting... Witty, concise, and composed with a lovely lightness of touch * Economist *Exceptionally illuminating... brilliantly acute and enticingly widely read work. It should be compulsory reading for anyone in the reviewing trade and committed to memory before aspiring writers put pen to paper. For those who intend to pursue the underrated calling of reading fiction without wishing to add to its ranks, it will not only make reading more pleasurable, but articulate what you may have felt but never been able to express -- Rosemary Goring * Herald *

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Book SynopsisMumsnet ''Best Books for Christmas 2016''''Ideal for anyone who has ever wondered what on earth to read next'' SJ WATSON''Witty, engaging and informative. The sort of book you choose for a friend and end up wanting to keep'' RACHEL JOYCEThis is a medical handbook with a difference. Whether you have a stubbed toe or a severe case of the blues, within these pages you''ll find a cure in the form of a novel to help ease your pain. You''ll also find advice on how to tackle common reading ailments - such as what to do when you feel overwhelmed by the number of books in the world, or you have a tendency to give up halfway through. When read at the right moment, a novel can change your life and The Novel Cure is an enchanting reminder of that power.Trade ReviewBrilliant . . . A perfect gift * * Vogue * *Witty, engaging and informative, The Novel Cure is for anyone who loves reading. It's the sort of book you choose for a friend and end up wanting to keep. My advice would be to buy two -- RACHEL JOYCE * * author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry * *Witty, warm and wise, I loved this book within moments of dipping in and know I shall be returning to it for a long time to come. It's a wonderful reminder of the restorative power of fiction and ideal for anyone who has ever wondered what on earth to read next -- SJ WATSON * * author of Before I Go to Sleep * *The Novel Cure is a tonic in itself. It's tempting to become a hypochondriac just to read more -- DAMIAN BARR * * author of Maggie & Me * *An exuberant pageant of literary fiction and a celebration of the possibilities of the novel * * Guardian * *Astute and often amusing . . . a charming addition to any library. Time spent leafing through its pages is inspiring - even therapeutic * * The Economist * *Wonderful . . . A really great gift for anyone who needs a literary pick-me-up * * Mumsnet * *We're hooked * * Psychologies * *This book is a great way to broaden your literary horizons - and an entertaining read in its own right * * The Lady * *[An] amazing book . . . I suspect it is one that many a reader will want to own and keep to hand for every eventuality. Books about books are always a treat, I have a shelf full of them, but The Novel Cure is different, much more than that and I can see how useful it will be * * dovegreyreader.com * *In times of trouble, a good book can soothe any kind of pain. Longtime friends Berthoud and Elderkin take that notion to a new level in their delightful reference guide to 'bibliotherapy' . . . They tackle serious and not-so-serious ailments with equal verve . . . Berthoud and Elderkin's elegant prose and discussions that span the history of 2,000 years of literature will surely make readers seek out these books. Taking two novellas and calling the bibliotherapists in the morning sounds welcome indeed * * Publishers Weekly * *Elderkin and Berthoud handle their varied subject matter deftly. The Novel Cure remains serious without taking itself too seriously, gives advice without preaching and advocates, with warmth and humour, the importance of literature as a therapeutic medium... A note of caution, however, if reading The Novel Cure on public transport: it will make you laugh. Very loudly * * Sydney Morning Herald * *The tone throughout is witty and self-aware, but the authors' advice is sensible too . . . if you're looking for a book full of intriguing recommendations, it's just what the doctor ordered * * Sunday Business Post * *This beautifully bound compendium lists a bewildering array of classic and modern ailments... interspersed with some whimsical Top 10s with which to wile away minutes or hours * * The National * *This book is an absolute treat for bibliophiles, guaranteed to bring a smile to your face * * A Life in Books * *Written with sparkling wit, gentle common sense and plenty of bookish knowledge. The Novel Cure is both self-help and a tempting array of literary treats * * The Simple Things * *Deeply passionate, authoritative and obsessive, The Novel Cure is wonderfully playful and accessible for fans of books that celebrate the joys of reading * * Women Talking * *Ingenious * * Daily Mail * *

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