Literary studies: fiction Books

Book SynopsisA far-ranging, invigorating and irrepressible collection of essays on literature, cinema, art - and everything in between - from the MAN BOOKER PRIZE- and WOMEN''S PRIZE-SHORTLISTED author of Feel Free and Swing Time''Alarmingly good'' Metro''Striding with open hearted zest and eloquence between fiction (from EM Forster to David Foster Wallace) and travel, movies and comedy, family and community in a self-portrait that charts the evolution of a formidable talent'' Independent''Supremely good. Smith writes with such infectious zeal and engaging accessibility that it makes you want to turn up at her house and demand tutoring'' Dazed''Brilliant'' Vogue

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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 Synopsis''Literature is not innocent,'' stated Georges Bataille in this extraordinary 1957 collection of essays, arguing that only by acknowledging its complicity with the knowledge of evil can literature communicate fully and intensely. These literary profiles of eight authors and their work, including Emily Brontë''s Wuthering Heights, Baudelaire''s Les Fleurs du Mal and the writings of Sade, Kafka and Sartre, explore subjects such as violence, eroticism, childhood, myth and transgression, in a work of rich allusion and powerful argument.Trade ReviewBataille is one of the most important writers of the twentieth century -- Michel FoucaultBataille intellectualizes the erotic, as he eroticizes the intellect ... reading him can be a disturbing kind of game * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisFrom Evelyn Waugh, the author of beloved novels such as Brideshead Revisited, A Handful of Dust and Vile Bodies, this is the biography of Ronald Knox - priest, classicist, prolific writer and one of the outstanding men of letters of his time. The renowned Oxford chaplain was a friend of figures such as G. K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc, and was known for his caustic wit and spiritual wisdom. Evelyn Waugh, his devoted friend and admirer, was asked by Knox to write his biography just before his death in 1957. The result, published after two years of research and writing, is a tribute to a uniquely gifted man: ''the wit and scholar marked out for popularity and fame; the boon companion of a generation of legendary heroes; the writer of effortless felicity and versatility ... who never lost a friend or made an enemy''.Trade ReviewWaugh wrote like an angel ... a fallen one Irish Times

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Book SynopsisWhat defines a modern short story is much more than a question of length. Despite the efforts of early pioneers like Edgar Allan Poe, the genre was originally synonymous with the anecdote or tale and seen more as entertainment than art. However it has become far more than that, and this Very Short Introduction considers afresh the form''s ongoing innovations in plot construction, capacity for psychological insight, and ability to offer intensely concentrated perceptions.This book charts the rise of the short story from its original appearance in magazines and newspapers, largely in the United States and Great Britain. For much of the nineteenth century, tales were written for the press, and the form''s history is marked by engagement with popular fiction. From the later nineteenth century, the short story earned a reputation for its skillful use of plot design and character study distinct from the novel. After the First World War it found outlets in high-brow publications, and single-author collections, as well as anthologies, were regularly published. Exploring the form''s techniques and themes, Andrew Kahn considers the continuity and variation in key structures and techniques such as the beginning, the creation of voice, the ironic turn or plot twist, and how writers manage endings. Throughout he draws on examples from an international and flourishing corpus of work, with close analysis of classic and lesser-known stories by American, Canadian, Irish, Australian, Russian, and French masters such as James Baldwin, Grace Paley, Alice Munro, Elizabeth Taylor, William Trevor, Helen Garner, Chekhov, and Guy de Maupassant.Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, InspiringABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of ContentsPreface 1: The Rise of the Short Story 2: Openings 3: Voices 4: Place 5: The Plot Thickens...and Thins 6: Ironies and Reversals 7: Chekhov's Heirs 8: Endings References, Further Reading, Secondary Literature Index

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

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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 SynopsisAlexandre Dumas''s novels are notable for their suspense and excitement, their foul deeds, hairsbreadth escapes, and glorious victories. In The Black Tulip (1850), the shortest of Dumas''s most famous tales, the real hero is no Musketeer, but a flower. The novel - a deceptively simple story - is set in Holland in 1672, and weaves the historical events surrounding the brutal murder of John de Witte and his brother Cornelius into a tale of romantic love. The novel is also a timeless political allegory in which Dumas, drawing on the violence and crimes of history, makes his case against tyranny and puts all his energies into creating a symbol of justice and tolerance: the fateful tulipa negra.This new edition reprints the first, classic English translation. David Coward sets the novel in the context of its author''s life, the turbulent history of the Dutch Republic, and the amazing `tulipmania'' of the seventeenth century which brought wealth to some and ruin to many. 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 SynopsisThe definitive biography of an extraordinary novelist, by acclaimed literary biographer Claire Harman''There was no possibility of taking a walk that day . . .'' With these words Charlotte Brontë began Jane Eyre and changed English literature irrevocably.Claire Harman''s landmark biography provides a bold new view of one of Britain''s best loved writers, uncovering an inner life that touched the furthest extremes of human emotion. Harman shows us an intense and troubled young woman from an astonishingly creative family, whose early works were produced in total secrecy. Struggling against the conventional limitations of both life and literature, Charlotte created a new kind of heroine which both shocked and inspired her Victorian contemporaries. Love, loss, ambition and heartbreak: the anonymous author poured everything into her ground-breaking books, but lived it first.''Harman [is] a master-storyteller in her own right. Her account of Bronte''s life is a level-headed, highly readable and always intelligent. A delight from start to finish'' Sunday Times ''Subtle, measured. Full of insight into Bronte''s fiery intellect as well as the tragic intensity of her experience'' Helen Dunmore, Observer ''Three rounds of applause... a superb retelling of Charlotte''s story'' Mark Bostridge, Spectator Trade ReviewHarman's sane, unshowy re-telling is exactly right for the bicentenary next April. The result is a retooled classic biographical narrative, shipshape and serviceable for the next 200 years * The Guardian *Finely judged and authoritative * Sunday Times Book of the Week *Elegantly written, consistently perceptive...[Harman] succeeds in bringing Charlotte back to life in all her spiky vulnerability * Daily Mail Book of the Week *This is a comprehensive biography to enjoy and admire. Harman writes well and she is a fine and sensitive critic * The Times *Harman... portrays Bronte's complexity and dark genius in elegant prose with deep human sympathy * The Lady *Superb retelling of Charlotte's story (...) admirably concise * The Spectator *Harman tells [Charlotte's] story with quick wit, a sharp sympathy, and a fire and fury of her own * Evening Standard *Full of pleasing and piquant detail, scraps of passing recollection assembled from the various lives and letters in which the Brontes featured and from which we might reconstruct their world * Financial Times *Elegant, sensitive, beautifully paced and moving. [Claire Harman] has... produced a work that is affirmative, edifying, inspiring and humane * Sunday Express *Revelatory (...) adds freshness and texture to her account with original speculations. As someone who once wrote a book about the Brontës' afterlives, few people can have read as many biographies of them as I have. I thought I was Brontë-ed out, but reading this book-which will be equally accessible to someone coming to Charlotte for the first time-has drawn me back in * Lucasta Miller, The Independent *Three rounds of applause...for Claire Harman's superb retelling of Charlotte's story -- Mark Bostridge, The Spectator[An] excellent new bicentennial biography....Ms. Harman writes with warmth and a fine understanding of Ms. Brontë's literary significance. Above all, she is a storyteller, with a sense of pace and timing, relish for a good scene and a wry sense of humour * Economist *A vigorous new biography (...) Harman does a splendid job * Mail on Sunday *An immensely readable biography * Woman and Home *A substantial biography (...) that lets the disparate pieces speak for themselves * Daily Telegraph *Harman renders her daring novels fresh, interweaving what shocked critics then with what surprises us still * Sunday Telegraph *Prepare to suffer similar time-loss at the hands of Harman, Brontë's most recent biographer and a master storyteller in her own right. Level-headed, highly readable and always intelligent, Harman's account of Brontë's life and work is a delight from start to finish * Sunday Times *A subtle, measured biography, full of insight into Bronte's fiery intellect as well as the tragic intensity of her experience -- Helen Dunmore, ObserverHarman brings a fresh eye to many of the same papers studied by Gaskell to compile her Charlotte Brontë: A Life. The Gothic atmosphere and heart-breaking details remain, but Harman achieves a great feat by making the story seem new again -- Marcus Field, Independent

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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 SynopsisVirginia Woolf was born in London in 1882, the daughter of Sir Leslie Stephen, first editor of The Dictionary of National Biography. After his death in 1904 Virginia and her sister, the painter Vanessa Bell, moved to Bloomsbury and became the centre of 'The Bloomsbury Group'. This informal collective of artists and writers which included Lytton Strachey and Roger Fry, exerted a powerful influence over early twentieth-century British culture. In 1912 Virginia married Leonard Woolf, a writer and social reformer. Three years later, her first novel The Voyage Out was published, followed by Night and Day (1919) and Jacob's Room (1922). These first novels show the development of Virginia Woolf's distinctive and innovative narrative style. It was during this time that she and Leonard Woolf founded The Hogarth Press with the publication of the co-authored Two Stories in 1917, hand-printed in the dining room of their house in Surrey. BetweenTrade ReviewOne might think, from the heaps of books, that the bones of Bloomsbury had been by now well and truly disinterred...But one would be wrong, for Moments of Being is a real delight -- Jan Marsh * Daily Telegraph *Of fascinating importance, because they are Virginia's only known autobiographical writings -- John Lehmann * Sunday Telegraph *The book must appeal to anyone interested in Virginia Woolf and her circle -- Derek Parker * The Times *Her manner of recall contains all those surprises and felicities of language we have come to expect when she writes, as it were, with her elbows on the table -- Richard Shone * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisAs the nephew of Virginia Woolf, Quentin Bell enjoyed an initimacy with his subject granted to few biographers. Compelling, moving and entertaining, Quentin Bell's biography was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Duff Cooper Memorial Prize.Trade ReviewA model of the biographer's art, combining as it does diligent research, abundant quotations and a judicious and self-effacing narrative written in attractive and readable prose... One of the really great biographies of recent times -- Ray Monk * Sunday Telegraph *A work of art, evoking by his frankness and outstanding skill the vivid personality that cast a spell upon almost everyone lucky enough to know her -- Raymond MortimerProfessor Bell is absolute master of his material. He brings his subject to life with such honesty that one almost forgets that she wrote some of the great important novels of the period -- Anthony CurtisOutstanding..romantic, enthralling, even hilarious -- Margaret LaneWill rank among the great lives -- Arthur Calder-Marshall

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Book SynopsisWho are the greatest spy writers of the twentieth century? This book narrows the field down to Buchan, Fleming and Le Carre, including accounts of their lives alongside their books. Agree or disagree? Carradice makes his case!

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Book Synopsis''Cruz once again offers a fresh glimpse of immigration, womanhood, aspiration and gentrification . . . told in Cara''s unfailingly frank, sometimes hilarious, voice'' Washington PostWrite this down: Cara Romero wants to work.When Cara left the Dominican Republic for America, she thought she would work at the factory of little lamps for the rest of her life. But when the Great Recession hits, she is left unemployed and struggling with the rising rent. To survive, Cara must start again. Set up with a job counsellor, Cara''s future is to be determined through forms and questionnaires. But answer boxes can''t contain her indomitable personality and tempestuous past, and over the course of twelve sessions we learn of her scandals and struggles, hopes and heartbreaks, why she came to America and what really happened to her son. When everything is lost, sometimes the only way forward is to go back to the start.

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Book SynopsisDiscover an exotic world of cobblers, crustas, flips, punches, shrubs, slings, sours and toddies, with recipes that evoke the past but suit today's tastes.Trade ReviewBrimming with enlightening quotes from the novels and Austen’s letters, beautiful photographs, and period design, this intoxicating volume is a must-have for any devoted Janeite. —Alcademics.com “A cocktail recipe book based on novels by Jane Austen for delighting your guests at the next social engagement. You could say it's a very sensible purchase. Drinks include Brandon Old-Fashioned, Cousin Collins, Fizzy Miss Lizzie, and Gin and Bennet. . . . This is a great book to have for any party or occasion. Some of the drink names are quite clever. Drinks that are unique and out of the ordinary." —BuzzFeedBrimming with enlightening quotes from the novels and Austen’s letters, beautiful photographs, and period design, this intoxicating volume is a must-have for any devoted Janeite. —Alcademics.com “A cocktail recipe book based on novels by Jane Austen for delighting your guests at the next social engagement. You could say it's a very sensible purchase. Drinks include Brandon Old-Fashioned, Cousin Collins, Fizzy Miss Lizzie, and Gin and Bennet. . . . This is a great book to have for any party or occasion. Some of the drink names are quite clever. Drinks that are unique and out of the ordinary." —BuzzFeed

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Book Synopsis Discover over 300 seasonal book recommendations in the ultimate reading list for book lovers everywhere.-----'I will be giving this book to everyone I know' - Elizabeth Day'Francesca Beauman writes about the books she loves with irresistible passion, knowledge and warmth ... This is the best kind of reading celebration' - Rachel Joyce-----Spanning the dreary, cold days of January to the first flushes of spring and then the blazing August heat, bibliophile Francesca Beauman offers up a wealth of book recommendations. From The Count of Monte Cristo to Elena Ferrante's Neapolitan Quartet, each has been selected to chime with a particular time of year and provide a richer reading experience. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this charming guide will delight, inspire and seriously extend your 'To Be Read' list!Trade ReviewReading this book was the literary equivalent of eating a fantastic meal consisting of a selection of comfort food and deliciously surprising new dishes, all hosted by an incredibly knowledgeable and friendly maitre d'. I left the table both replete and wanting more. Francesca Beauman writes with wit, warmth and a wise, compassionate intelligence that makes every page a joyous delight. I met old friends, discovered new ones and learned something in each chapter - and yes, I will be giving this book to everyone I know. -- Elizabeth DayThe perfect book for readers who want to be reminded of books they have loved, or discover those they have somehow missed. This is like taking the best road map and discovering yourself stopping off at gems of views and bistros that no one else has ever heard of. Francesca Beauman writes about the books she loves with irresistible passion, knowledge and warmth, and the illustrations are to die for. This is the best kind of reading celebration. -- Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

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Book SynopsisWhat if we've been reading Jane Austen and romantic classics all wrong? A literary scholar offers a funny, brainy, eye-opening take on how our contemporary love stories are actually terrifying. Covering cultural touchstones ranging from Normal People to Taylor Swift and from Lord Byron to The Bachelor, The Darcy Myth is a book for anyone who loves thinking deeply about literature and culture whether it s Jane Austen or not. You already know Mr. Darcy at least you think you do! The brooding, rude, standoffish romantic hero of Pride and Prejudice, Darcy initially insults and ignores the witty heroine, but eventually succumbs to her charms. It s a classic enemies-to-lovers plot, and one that has profoundly influenced our cultural ideas about courtship. But what if this classic isn t just a grand romance, but a horror novel about how scary love and marriage can be for women? In The Darcy Myth, literature scholar Rachel Feder unpacks Austen s Gothic influences and how they ve led us to a romantic ideal that s halfway to being a monster story. Why is our culture so obsessed with cruel, indifferent romantic heroes (and sometimes heroines)? How much of that is Darcy s fault? And, now that we know, what do we do about it?Trade ReviewA USA TODAY Bestseller“A wildly entertaining read.”—The Washington Post“The Darcy Myth explores the ways in which romantic fiction has contributed to creating a deeply harmful cultural notion that “bad boys” — à la the brooding, cranky Mr. Darcy of Pride & Prejudice — represent the path to true love”—CNN“An entertaining and thought-provoking ride.”—The New Republic“Feder’s study is a readable, entertaining contemporary analysis that is suitable for students new to Austen’s work and for discussion groups looking for a fresh approach to many readers’ favorite novel.”—Library Journal, starred review“[The Darcy Myth is] the most interesting interpretation of the phenomenon that was and is Darcy.”—Maya Rodale, XO Romance

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Book SynopsisWhy should one half be free to live, while the other is doomed to watch silently from the sidelines? In this visionary collection, Virginia Woolf leads us on a transformative journey through the liberating powers of the mind. From an exploration of why women were barred from writing and under what conditions they might break free, to the solace derived from haunting London's streets, these essays and stories present Woolf at her most impassioned, rendering the pursuit of liberty one of life's most poetic adventures. Selected from the books A Room of One's Own, The Waves and Street Haunting and Other Essays by Virginia WoolfVINTAGE MINIS: GREAT MINDS. BIG IDEAS. LITTLE BOOKS.A series of short books by the world’s greatest writers on the experiences that make us humanAlso in the Vintage Minis series:Love by Jeanette WintersonHome by Salman RushdieLanguage by Xiaolu GuoRace by Toni MorrisonTrade ReviewOne realises afresh the full meaning of originality, the magic of the mind which plays around concrete facts as though they were all spirit. And when it is finished it is with a renewed sense of zest and stimulus that one takes up life again and looks anew at objects which before were only ordinary * Guardian *Imagine our joy when Vintage announced that it is publishing a collection of easily digestible books from the world’s most celebrated writers on the experiences that make us human… They look good and read well. That’s win/win in our book. * Stylist *

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Book SynopsisGuy Delisle's work for a French animation studio requires him to oversee production at various Asian studios on the grim frontiers of free trade. His employer puts him up for months at a time in 'cold and soulless' hotel rooms where he suffers the usual deprivations of a man very far from home. After Pyongyang, his book about the strange society that is North Korea, Delisle turned his attention to Shenzhen, the cold, urban city in Southern China that is sealed off with electric fences and armed guards from the rest of the country. The result is another brilliant graphic novel - funny, scary, utterly original and illuminating.Trade ReviewLike last year's Pyongyang, about his similar stint in North Korea, Shenzhen is a casual, dryly witty series of observations... Delisle's got an animator's eye for quirks of motion, analyzing the arc of a public fountain's water and the way street vendors make popcorn in a pressure cooker. The best artwork in the book is his impressionistic, unnarrated pen-and-ink-wash drawings of Shenzhen's drab buildings and billboards, but Delisle's keen awareness of how and why he can't connect to the city makes for a rarity: a thoroughly engaging memoir of being bored to distraction. -- Douglas Wolk * New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisIf the Punisher became a valuable piece of intellectual property during the closing decades of the twentieth century, he has become a global icon in the twenty-first. In this pathbreaking study, Kent Worcester explores the sometimes ridiculous and often socially resonate storyverse of the most famous rageaholic in popular culture: Frank Castle, aka the Punisher. Worcester pays particular attention to nearly five decades' worth of punishment-themed comics and graphic novels published between the 1970s and the present day. These texts provide the material resources for a close reading of the Punisher's distinctive and extreme form of justice discourse. Punishment, after all, is a political and social construct. Violence does not imply or claim legitimacy. Punishment does. To talk about punishment is to ask who deserves to be punished, who decides who deserves to be punished, and what form the punishment should take. All costumed heroes have their political moments; the Punisher is political. Frank Castle inhabits the most politically engaged corner of the entire Marvel Universe. His adventures should attract our interest for precisely this reason.Trade Review“Kent Worcester has put together a hard-hitting, street-wise, in-depth look at the life and times of Frank Castle. His analysis is trenchant and fascinating, taking into consideration all the myriad aspects of the character and how they have changed over time. This is a rich, important study of a character whose violent ethos and iconography are so much a part of today's cultural zeitgeist.” -- Andrew J. Friedenthal, writer and arts critic'I detest The Punisher. I mean, I ordinarily have no use for the character. But this book? Whoa. Excellent writing: trenchant, provocative, at times jaw-dropping. The arguments are needle-sharp, the contexts surprising yet persuasive. Worcester deftly steers clear of defensiveness, righteous dismissal, handwringing, and the oh so many pitfalls that could easily trip up a project like this. In the process, he makes the whole "Marvel Universe" look different.' -- Professor Charles Hatfield (co-author of Comics Studies: A Guidebook and author of Hand of Fire: The Comics Art of Jack Kirby)“Deep-diving into a publication history spanning multiple decades, Kent Worcester's precise study helps explain the enduring fascination with the Punisher against the backdrop of an evolving sociopolitical climate. This long overdue examination of Marvel's most controversial yet iconic character will provide valuable insight to scholars, students, and fans alike.” -- Peter Vignold, author of Das Marvel Cinematic Universe – Anatomie einer Hyperserie and Superhelden im Film – Zur post-patriarchalen Utopie des Marvel Cinematic UniverseTable of ContentsList of Figures vii Preface ix Introduction 1 1. Trauma Culture 29 2. Trigger Happy, or Grim and Gritty 64 3. The Universe Pushes Back 97 4. Negative Dialectics 134 5. The Narratological Impasse 169 6. From Print to Screen to Icon 202 Conclusion: Those Who Need Hurting 235 Appendix 245 Bibliography 249 Index 257

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Book SynopsisNikolai Gogol was one of the great geniuses of nineteenth century Russian literature, with a command of the irrational unmatched by any writer before or since. His strange tales, though often read as forceful demands for social change, were displays of the fantasies of the human spirit. In this ideal marriage of subject and critic, Nabokov analyses his endlessly inventive compatriot, focusing on the masterpieces Dead Souls, The Overcoat and The Government Inspector.Misunderstood by his contemporaries, mishandled by theatre directors and ending his life mistreated by doctors - with medicinal leeches hanging from his exceptional nose - it took Nabokov to give Gogol, 'the oddest Russian in Russia', the critical biography he and his singular, brilliant work deserve.

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Book SynopsisIn Reading Chekhov Janet Malcolm takes on three roles: literary critic, biographer and journalist. Her close readings of Chekhov's stories and plays are interwoven with episodes from his life and framed by an account of a recent journey she made to St Petersburg. Malcolm demonstrates how the shadow of death that hovered over most of Chekhov's literary career - he became consumptive in his twenties and died in his forties - is almost everywhere reflected in the work. She writes of his childhood, his relationship with his family, his marriage, his travels, his early success, his exile to Yalta - always with an eye to connecting them to his themes and characters.Trade ReviewShe is like no other critic I have ever read: limpid, revelatory and startlingly attentive to every nuance * Financial Times *Malcolm writes wonderfully well. Her character sketches are superb. Malcolm's own talents are such that even on an off day she can't write a boring sentence -- John Lancaster * Daily Telegraph *Affectionate and insightful... Her writing is exuberant... Malcolm can be captivating whatever her subject -- Simon Hammond * Observer *Quite simply the best book about his methods as a storyteller I have read -- Paul Bailey * Sunday Times *She has the shy writer's gift for coming up with highly provocative statements in the quiet of her study - that the biographer is like "the professional burglar", that the work of the journalist is "morally indefensible" - and then claiming to be surprised when people are provoked. She is not about to get caught out in careless self-revelation * Independent *Malcolm gets to the heart of Chekhov, or at least comprehensibly, and comprehensively, maps out his mysteries for us, not only telling us what makes him tick but why we should regard him as one of the greatest writers to have lived * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisA "beginning," especially as embodied in much modern thought, is its own method, Edward Said argues in this classic treatise on the role of the intellectual and the goal of criticism. Distinguishing between "origin," which is divine, mythical, and privileged, and "beginning," which is secular and humanly produced, Said traces the ramifications and diverse understandings of the concept of beginning through history. A beginning is a first step in the intentional production of meaning and the production of difference from preexisting traditions. It authorizes subsequent texts -- it both enables them and limits what is acceptable. Drawing on the insights of Vico, Valery, Nietzsche, Saussure, Lévi-Strauss, Husserl, and Foucault, Said recognizes the novel as the major attempt in Western literary culture to give beginnings an authorizing function in experience, art, and knowledge. Scholarship should see itself as a beginning -- as a uniting of theory and practice. Said's insistence on a criticism that is humane and socially responsible is what makes Beginnings is a book about much more than writing: it is about imagination and action as well as the constraints on freedom and invention that come from human intention and the method of its fulfillment.Trade ReviewTo understand Edward Said's Beginnings is to understand what is most importantly going on in contemporary critical theory, both in America and Europe. An immensely useful book by one of our most brilliant critics. -- Richard PoirierReaders will be surprised, stimulated, instructed, impressed * The New Yorker *It is the sense of total independence and, at times, of prophetic vision which makes [ Beginnings]... exhilarating * Times Higher Education Supplement *

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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 SynopsisBrand new deluxe edition of this definitive companion to The Hobbit, quarter-bound, stamped in gold foil with a unique design inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's own artwork, featuring a ribbon marker and housed in a matching custom-built slipcase.The Hobbit was first published on 21 September 1937. Like its sequel, The Lord of the Rings, it is a story that grew in the telling', and many characters and plot threads in the published text are quite different from the story J.R.R. Tolkien first wrote to read aloud to his young sons as one of their fireside reads'.Together in one volume, The History of the Hobbit presents the complete text of the unpublished manuscript of The Hobbit, accompanied by John Rateliff's lively and informative account of how the book came to be written and published. Recording the numerous changes made to the story both before and after publication, he examines chapter by chapter why those changes were made and how they reflect Tolkien's ever-growing concept of Middle-earth.As well as reproducing the original version of one of the world's most popular novels both on its own merits and as the foundation for The Lord of the Rings this book includes many little-known illustrations and draft maps for The Hobbit by Tolkien himself. Also featured are extensive commentaries on the dates of composition, how Tolkien's professional and early mythological writings influenced the story, the imaginary geography he created, and how Tolkien came to revise the book years after publication to accommodate events in The Lord of the Rings.Endorsed by Christopher Tolkien as a companion to his essential 12-volume The History of Middle-earth, this thoughtful and exhaustive examination of one of the most treasured stories in English literature offers fascinating new insights for those who have grown up with this enchanting tale, and will delight any who are about to enter Bilbo's round door for the first time.Trade ReviewPraise for The Hobbit:‘The Hobbit belongs to a very small class of books which have nothing in common save that each admits us to a world of its own. Its place is with Alice and The Wind in the Willows’Times Literary Supplement ‘One of the best loved characters in English fiction… a marvellous fantasy adventure’Daily Mail ‘Finely written saga of dwarves and elves, fearsome goblins and trolls… an exciting epic of travel, magical adventure, working up to a devastating climax’The Observer

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.Our consciousness rarely registers the beginning of a growth within us any more than without us: there have been many circulations of the sap before we detect the smallest sign of the bud.'Set in the agricultural town of Raveloe in the English countryside, Silas Marner is a tragic figure. Exiled from a religious community because of a wrongful accusation of theft, he works from day to day as a weaver, saving his money and living a lonely life as a recluse.It is only when his money is stolen and a small orphan girl, Eppie appears in his life that Silas's fortunes begin to change and he truly begins to learn what it means to regain his faith in life.

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Book SynopsisThe Female Quixote (1752), a parody of the style of Cervantes and much praised by Fielding, Richardson and Dr. Johnson, tells of the misadventures of the aristocratic Arabella, a devoted reader of romantic fiction.

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Book SynopsisThe third volume that contains the early myths and legends which led to the writing of Tolkien's epic tale of war, The Silmarillion.This, the third volume of The History of Middle-earth, gives us a priviledged insight into the creation of the mythology of Middle-earth, through the alliterative verse tales of two of the most crucial stories in Tolkien's world those of Turien and Luthien. The first of the poems is the unpublished Lay of The Children of Hurin, narrating on a grand scale the tragedy of Turin Turambar. The second is the moving Lay of Leithian, the chief source of the tale of Beren and Luthien in The Silmarillion, telling of the Quest of the Silmaril and the encounter with Morgoth in his subterranean fortress.Accompanying the poems are commentaries on the evolution of the history of the Elder Days. Also included is the notable criticism of The Lay of The Leithian by CS Lewis, who read the poem in 1929.Trade Review‘A worthy addition to The History of Middle-earth’ Mallorn ‘Anyone loving the oiginal books will want to study this one’ Daily Mail

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Book SynopsisBorn at Newport News, Virginia, in 1925, William Styron was educated at Duke University. He served in the Marine Corps during the last war, and was recalled to service during the Korean War. After 1952, he lived mainly in Europe, before settling in a rural part of Connecticut. He died in 2006.Trade ReviewHair-raising in the manner of A Tale of Horror by Edgar Allan Poe * Daily Telegraph *As short as a hangman's rope and nearly as arresting - an essay of great gravity and resonance. Never has Styron used so few words so effectively * Newsweek *

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Book SynopsisIn 1836 the 23-year-old Dickens was invited by his publishers to write `a monthly something'' illustrated by sporting plates. Thus the Pickwick Club was born: its supposed `papers'' soom outgrew their origins and became a brilliantly comic novel, still among Dicken''s most popular works. 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 Review'The publication of this edition of ___The Pickwick Papers___ adds to the series of cheap but reliable coipes of Dicken's novels which are based on the formidable Clarendon editions ... authoritative introductions.' Margaret Reynolds, King's College, University of London'Extremely useful edition with excellent introduction, notes ete. and very reasonably priced' Norman Vance, Sussex University.

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics.One thing is certain, - that there is a mustering among the masses, the world over; and there is a dis irae coming on, sooner or later.'Viewed by many as fuelling the abolitionist movement of the 1850s and laying the groundwork for the Civil War, Harriet Beecher Stowe's sentimental and moral tale of slaves attempting to secure their freedom was one of the most popular books of the nineteenth century. Centred round the long-suffering Uncle Tom, a devout Christian slave who endures cruelty and abuse from his owners, Tom is often celebrated as the first black hero in American fiction who refuses to obey his white masters. With other strong protagonists such as Eliza, a courageous slave who flees to the North with her son when she learns that he is to be sold, Beecher Stowe highlighted the plight of southern slaves and the breaking up of black families. Not without its controversy, more recent criticism has sugge

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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 SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics.

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Book SynopsisWhat Maisie Knew (1897) represents one of James''s finest reflections on the rites of passage from wonder to knowledge, and the question of their finality. The child of violently divorced parents, Maisie Farange opens her eyes on a distinctly modern world. Mothers and fathers keep changing their partners and names, while she herself becomes the pretext for all sorts of adult sexual intrigue. In this classic tale of the death of childhood, there is a savage comedy that owes much to Dickens. But for his portrayal of the child''s capacity for intelligent `wonder'', James summons all the subtlety he devotes elsewhere to his most celebrated adult protagonists. Neglected and exploited by everyone around her, Maisie inspires James to dwell with extraordinary acuteness on the things that may pass between adult and child. In addition to a new introduction, this edition of the novel offers particularly detailed notes, bibliography, and a list of variant readings. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100

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Book SynopsisA pitch-perfect memoir, brilliantly funny, wise and moving, of family, friends and political life over the last sixty yearsTrade Review'Hard to beat. I could read this sort of book for ever' Stephen Fry, Independent 'Reading this book actually makes you feel perceptibly happier and buoyed up' Evening Standard 'An unadulterated joy Every page is shot through with anecdote and wit, so that the whole experience feels like being at a peculiarly wonderful dinner party Funny, astute and clever' Observer 'A loving, lyrical, life-filled memoir' Guardian

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Book SynopsisIn his Confessions Jean-Jacques Rousseau tells the story of his life, from the formative experience of his humble childhood in Geneva, through the achievement of international fame as novelist and philosopher in Paris, to his wanderings as an exile, persecuted by governments and alienated from the world of modern civilization. In trying to explain who he was and how he came to be the object of others' admiration and abuse, Rousseau analyses with uniqueinsight the relationship between an elusive but essential inner self and the variety of social identities he was led to adopt. The book vividly illustrates the mixture of moods and motives that underlie the writing of autobiography: defiance and vulnerability, self-exploration and denial, passion, puzzlement,and detachment. Above all, Confessions is Rousseau's search, through every resource of language, to convey what he despairs of putting into words: the personal quality of one's own existence.

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Book SynopsisHow well do you really know your favourite author? Ace literary detective turned quizmaster John Sutherland and Austen buff Deirdre Le Faye challenge the reader to find out. Starting with easy, factual questions that test how well you remember a novel and its characters, the quiz progresses to a level of greater difficulty, demanding close reading and interpretative deduction. What really motivates the characters, and what is going on beneath the surface of the story? Designed to amuse and divert, the questions and answers take the reader on an imaginative journey into the world of Jane Austen, where hypothesis and speculation produce fascinating and unexpected insights. Whether you are an expert or enthusiast, So You Think You Know Jane Austen? guarantees you will know her much better after reading 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 commitmeTrade Reviewyou should get a kick out of answering any of the questions in this book correctly. * Irish Times *For those reading Austen for academic puposes the clear answers and insights could prove a valuable learning tool. * Irish Times *

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