Literary studies: general Books

Book SynopsisThis book is a light-hearted look at life in the city of Bath in Roman times, almost two thousand years ago. Back then, the city was called Aquae Sulis (the Waters of Sul). Sul being a local goddess sacred to the tribe who lived in this region.Although the Tales and most of the characters are fictitious, the general facts about the Romans are true. Details about how they lived, what they believed, their rituals, the medicines they used (prepare to be revolted!), what they ate and what they wore have been gleaned from many reliable sources.The stories are mostly irreverent because, despite the Romans achieving many great things, the people themselves could be quite obnoxious! They kept slaves, slaughtered people and animals in the arena just for fun, and subjugated other nations in order to expand their Empire.Hence, these Tales generally poke fun at the Romans, many of whom were illiterate or semi-literate which often had dire consequences, as the Tales reveal.I hope you enjoy reading about life in Aquae Sulis and perhaps learn some little-known facts and even a bit of Latin!

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Book SynopsisTrade Reviewa dynamic, exciting, and thought-provoking work * Notes and Queries *it is bound in general to have considerable impact on our thinking about Hamlet (the text and the play) and deserves wide attention * Notes and Queries *level-headed, perspicuous treatment of the textual problems...It may be commended to students...Of the three recent Hamlets, this edition is the one I shall require students to buy. * T. H. Howard-Hill, Review English Studies *

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Book Synopsis''The best book on the subject I''ve read. Quite brilliant'' Tony Jordan, creator/writer, Life on Mars, HustleWe all love stories. But why do we tell them? And why do all stories function in an eerily similar way? John Yorke, creator of the BBC Writers'' Academy, has brought a vast array of drama to British screens. Here he takes us on a journey to the heart of storytelling, revealing that there truly is a unifying shape to narrative forms - one that echoes the fairytale journey into the woods and, like any great art, comes from deep within. From ancient myths to big-budget blockbusters, he gets to the root of the stories that are all around us, every day.''Marvellous'' Julian Fellowes ''Terrifyingly clever ... Packed with intelligent argument'' Evening Standard ''The most important book about scriptwriting since William Goldman''s Adventures in the Screen Trade'' Peter Bowker, writer, Blackpool, Occupation, Eric Trade ReviewBrimmingly insightful ... fresh, enlightening and accessible ... a gripping read from beginning to end -- Robert Collins * Sunday Times *Terrifyingly clever ... Packed with intelligent argument * Evening Standard *So detailed and engaging is his methodology that any consumer of books, plays, TV or films will find the experience enhanced; and scriptwriters themselves will find useful guidance - because when you know the why, the how is natural -- Robert Epstein * Independent on Sunday *This is a marvellous analysis of screenwriting and, with any luck, should help a great many people achieve their dreams -- Julian Fellowes, writer/creator of Downton AbbeyAnother book on screenwriting! Oh, how I wanted to hate it! I didn't. I loved it. Much of it was fresh to me. And always interesting, always intelligent and, for a writer, always rewarding -- Jimmy McGovern, screenwriter, The Street and The AccusedIn an industry full of so called script gurus and snake oil salesmen, at last there's a book about story that treats writers like grown ups. This isn't about providing us with an ABC of story or telling us how to write a script by numbers. It's an intelligent evaluation into the very nature of storytelling and is the best book on the subject I've read. Quite brilliant -- Tony Jordan, screenwriter, Life on Mars and HustleEven for a convinced sceptic, John Yorke's book, with its massive field of reference from Aristotle to Glee, and from Shakespeare to Spooks, is a highly persuasive and hugely enjoyable read. It would be hard to beat for information and wisdom about how and why stories are told -- Dominic Dromgoole, Artistic Director, The Globe TheatreThis book is intelligent, well written, incisive and, most of all, exciting. It is the most important book about scriptwriting since William Goldman's Adventures in the Screen Trade -- Peter Bowker, screenwriter, Blackpool, Occupation and Eric & ErniePart 'How-to' manual, part 'why-to' celebration, Into The Woods is a wide-reaching and infectiously passionate exploration of storytelling in all its guises ... exciting and thought-provoking -- Emma Frost, screenwriter, The White Queen and ShamelessInto The Woods is an amazing achievement. It has a real depth and understanding about story, a fantastically broad frame of reference and it's interesting and absorbing throughout. Full of incredibly useful insights, every TV writer should read the first chapter alone -- Simon Ashdown, series consultant, EastEndersTesting the adage that "in theory there's no difference between theory and practice but in practice there is", this is a love story to story -- erudite, witty and full of practical magic. It's by far the best book of its kind I've ever read. I struggle to think of the writer who wouldn't benefit from reading it -- even if they don't notice because they're too busy enjoying every page -- Neil Cross, creator/writer of Luther, Crossbones and writer of Dr Who, MI5Books on story structure are ten a penny but Mistah Yorke's is the real deal -- Kathryn FlettAll script-writers will want to read Into The Woods. All plots and archetypes BUSTED -- Caitlin MoranGot to say Into The Woods by John Yorke is marvellous. The prospect of another screenwriting book made me yawn, but its terrific ... It's a great read, wise and cogent, and a must for all screenwriters -- David EldridgeA mind-blower ... an incredibly dense but very readable tome about the art of storytelling ... Really worth a read -- Lenny Henry * The Independent *I don't always enjoy books on writing, but Into the Woods by John Yorke is brilliant on story structure. -- Ken Follett, author of 'The Pillars of the Earth'In his brimmingly insightful, stimulating study of how stories work, Yorke compellingly unpicks how a whole range of films, plays, novels and fairy tales all display the same archetypal structures . . . His book, in telling scores of stories in such a fresh, enlightening and accessible manner, is a gripping read from beginning to end * Sunday Times *The best book on the subject [of storytelling] I've read, tells us everything we need to know about it. Yorke's analysis is superb * London Evening Standard *A mightily impressive opus, both hugely informative and highly educational. I love the way it's populated with so many examples - the many combinations of both mass market and the slightly more esoteric giving a something-for-everyone feeling. A brilliant work -- Peter James, best-selling author of NOT DEAD ENOUGH and LOOKING GOOD DEADYorke sets out to analyse the patterns behind storytelling, explaining why the fundamentals of narrative have remained the same from Aristotle to Aaron Sorkin. A great starting point for anyone wanting to create a story * Stuff Magazine *I've just read a book about professional writing which has genuinely helped me. It's for those who are serious about avoiding bad 'How To' books and want to raise their game, and it's more intelligent than most of the others. John Yorke's Into The Woods: How Stories Work And Why We Tell Them is a genuine game-changer and has helped me put past bad habits to rest -- Christopher Fowler, Author of Bryant and MayInto The Woods is utterly brilliant -- Ed Cumming * Daily Telegraph *Love storytelling? You need this inspiring book. John Yorke dissects the structure of stories with a joyous enthusiasm allied to precise, encyclopaedic knowledge. Guaranteed to send you back to your writing desk with newfound excitement and drive -- Chris Chibnall, creator and writer of Broadchurch and The Great Train RobberyInto The Woods is brilliant. One of the best books on script writing out there . . . I loved the book. Inspiring -- Dominic Mitchell, creator and writer of In The FleshThere is no end of books that instruct us on how to write the perfect screenplay, but few that delve more deeply into the art of storytelling than this erudite volume * Financial Times *Its strength is Yorke's acute perception of the wellsprings of universal narrative structures relevant to all artistic activities * The Times *Terrific . . . It's a great read, wise and cogent, and a must for all screenwriters -- David Eldridge, writer of Festen and In BasildonIt's a great read. It makes me smile and say 'Yes!' aloud. Only this and PG Wodehouse do that -- Lucy Gannon, writer/creator of Soldier Soldier, Peak Practice, Frankie, The Best Of MenNot How 2 Write them but how stories work. John Yorke's Into the Woods: A 5 Act Journey into Story is brilliant, illuminates & explains -- Susan Hill, Author, The Woman In Black, I’m The King Of The CastleI'm only 70 pages into John Yorke's Into the Woods but it's already helped me crack two stories -- Andy Diggle, former editor of 2000AD, comic book writer for Marvel, DCHighly recommended reading * Huffington Post *Yorke is aware that the world is not suffering for lack of prescriptive screenwriting manuals. Instead, with Into the Woods, he takes a scalpel to narrative structure - dissecting protagonist, antagonist, inciting incident, crisis and so on - before asking how and why this underlying shape still holds audiences spellbound like a fairytale witch. "A story is like a magnet dragged through randomness," Yorke writes, but while he elegantly untangles the deepest roots of storytelling, he also honours the human need for truth and sense with some more superficial questions: why do series tend to "jump the shark" round about season three, for example, or why is clunky exposition - particularly in medical dramas - so appallingly comical? Sit comfortably, then begin * Guardian *I absolutely love this book. It's incredible and so well written. I keep trying to find fault but so far no joy - It's so good -- Matt Charman, writer Bridge of Spies (dir Stephen Spielberg); Black Work (ITV)[John Yorke's] writing book is arguably possibly almost as good as mine, all right it's loads better shut up -- David Quantick, Author of HOW TO WRITE EVERYTHINGProbably, in the hackneyed phrase, "the last book on screenwriting you'll ever need." He is very good at debunking the claims of some screenwriting gurus, all of whom are busy trying to sell you their own particular brand of snake oil. It's truly excellent -- Tim Adler * Daily Telegraph *Of all the books I've read about story construction and the art of fiction, this one is the most comprehensive and concise -- John Collee, writer on 'Master And Commander', 'Happy Feet', 'Creation', 'Walking With Dinosaurs'

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Devotion is short enough to devour at one enjoyable sitting and thought-provoking enough to deserve re-reading. . . . It’s a privilege to spend any time with Patti Smith, however brief.”—Suzi Feay, Financial Times“A triptych of compact, heartfelt essays on discovery, solitude and writing.”—Darragh McManus, Irish Independent“By turns allegorical, metaphysical, fictional and factual, Devotion shows rather than tells what it means to give a life to writing. A master of poetic innovation, Smith takes her style to the next level in this slim volume.”—Katherine Cooper, Hyperallergic

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Book SynopsisKaren Britland is Professor of Early Modern English Literature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. Her research interests include early modern drama, the Stuart court, and women's writing. She has edited plays by Elizabeth Cary, John Marston, and James Shirley, and was an associate editor for the Cambridge Complete Works of Ben Jonson edition between 2000 and 2012.Table of ContentsIntroduction Preface Plot Summary Analysis 1. Historical and Literary Contexts 2. Performance Aspects of the Text 3. Critical Interpretations Resources and Annotated Bibliography A Note on the Text The Play

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Book SynopsisDo lobsters feel pain? Did Franz Kafka have a sick sense of humour? What is John Updike''s deal anyway? And who won the Adult Video News'' Female Performer of the Year Award the same year Gwyneth Paltrow won her Oscar? David Foster Wallace answers these questions and more in his new book of hilarious non-fiction. For this collection, David Foster Wallace immerses himself in the three-ring circus that is the presidential race in order to document one of the most vicious campaigns in recent history. Later he strolls from booth to booth at a lobster festival in Maine and risks life and limb to get to the bottom of the lobster question. Then he wheedles his way into an L.A. radio studio, armed with tubs of chicken, to get the behind-the-scenes view of a conservative talkshow featuring a host with an unnatural penchant for clothing that only looks good on the radio. In what is sure to be a much-talked-about exploration of distinctly modern subjects, one of the sharpest minds of oTrade ReviewHe is eloquent, scathing, precise and very funny * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *Wallace's voice comes zinging off the page, reinforcing the school of thought that says he's some type of maybe-genius doing something they haven't invented a word for yet * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *A writer of virtuostic talents who can seemingly do anything * NEW YORK TIMES *Wallace is a superb comedian of culture . . . his exuberance and intellectual impishness are a delight * James Woods, GUARDIAN *

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Book SynopsisSandscapes: Writing the British Seaside reflects on the unique topography of sand, sandscapes, and the seaside in British culture and beyond. This book brings together creative and critical writings that explore the ways sand speaks to us of holidays and respite, but also of time and mortality, of plenitude and eternity. Drawing together writers from a range of backgrounds, the volume explores the environmental, social, personal, cultural, and political significance of sand and the seaside towns that have built up around it. The contributions take a variety of forms including fiction and nonfiction and cover topics ranging from sand dunes to sand mining, from seaside stories to shoreline architecture, from sand grains to global sand movements, from narratives of the setting up of bed and breakfasts to stories of seaside decline. Often a symbol of aridity, sand is revealed in this book to be an astonishingly fertile site for cultural meaning.Table of Contents1. Introduction: Sandscapes, Jo Carruthers and Nour Dakkak.- 2. Tide Wrack and Sand, Jenn Ashworth.- 3. An Eclectic A-Z of Sand: Removing, Treasuring, Recreating and Protecting, Peter Coates.- 4. An Englishwoman’s Home is her Castle: Social Morphologies and Coastal Formations, Sefryn Penrose.- 5. Sand, Good Sands, Excellent Sands: Writing and Ranking the British Coastline in the Middle of the Twentieth Century, Tim Cole.- 6. Queer Sands: Passion and Dynamic Sexualities in the Edwardian Sandscape, Nour Dakkak.- 7. On the Sound-Sea: Fifteen Ways of Thinking about Sand and Sound, Brian Baker.- 8. Rough and Smooth Sands: Social Thresholds and Seaside Style, Jo Carruthers.- 9. A Morecambe Mystery, Angela Piccini.- 10. Map of the Quick, Shona Legaspi.- 11. “Over Sands to the Lakes”: Journeys over Morecambe Bay before and after the Age of Steam, Christopher Donaldson.- 12. Sand’s Immense: A Fool’s Errand. Jean Sprackland.- 13 Confounding Cartography: The Sandscape Diminution of Hayling Island, David Cooper and Michelle Green.- 14. Drifting in a Cemetery of Sandscapes, Julian Brigstocke.

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Book SynopsisBy the author of THE HANDMAID''S TALE and ALIAS GRACEWhat is the role of the writer? Prophet? High Priest of Art? Court Jester? Or witness to the real world? Looking back on her own childhood and the development of her writing career, Margaret Atwood examines the metaphors which writers of fiction and poetry have used to explain - or excuse! - their activities, looking at what costumes they have seen fit to assume, what roles they have chosen to play. In her final chapter she takes up the challenge of the book''s title: if a writer is to be seen as ''gifted'', who is doing the giving and what are the terms of the gift?Margaret Atwood''s wide and eclectic reference to other writers, living and dead, is balanced by anecdotes from her own experiences as a writer, both in Canada and on the international scene. The lightness of her touch is underlined by a seriousness about the purpose and the pleasures of writing, and by a deep familiarity with the mTrade ReviewAtwood's wonderful collection of lectures isn't so much advice on how to write as it is a series of ruminations on the deeper problems and joys of being a writer, such as what moral debt we may owe the reader. She calls on past great writers like helpful friends for their adivce -- Lesley McDowell * Sunday Herald *As one of literature's luminaries, surely Margaret Atwood possesses a magical secret we can truffle out? It's an absorbing book, which you read with pleasure and benefit...'On Writers and Writing,' is frequently hilarious * The Independent *Juggling well worn subjects which "get murky or pretentious", this is a streetwise, erudite suggestive enquiry into problems and myths of the writer's role. Her light touch on hard thoughts, her humour and eclectic quotations, lend enchantment to an argument that has as many undulating tentacles as a well developed sea anemone * Independent *Her witty, occasionally self-depracating and always ingenious approach is a delight * Sunday Times *A witty and profound rumination about writing * The Times *A playful, informed and briskly sensible discussion of the writing life * Sunday Telegraph *'an absorbing book, which you read with pleasure and benefit... the sense of an agile mind revolving sophisticated ideas' -- Stevie Davies * Independent *

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Book SynopsisSir Stanley Wells is one of the world''s greatest authorities on William Shakespeare. Here he brings a lifetime of learning and reflection to bear on some of the most tantalising questions about the poet and dramatist that there are. How did he think, feel, and work? What were his relationships like? What did he believe about death? What made him laugh? This freshly thought and immensely engaging study wrestles with fundamental debates concerning Shakespeare''s personality and life. The mysteries of how Shakespeare lived, whom and how he loved, how he worked, how he produced some of the greatest and most abidingly popular works in the history of world literature and drama, have fascinated readers for centuries. This concise, crystalline book conjures illuminating insights to reveal Shakespeare as he was. Wells brings the writer and dramatist alive, in all his fascinating humanity, for readers of today.Trade Review'It is, I think, incontestable to claim that no single person in history has done more for the study and appreciation of Shakespeare than Stanley Wells. This book asks four beguilingly simple questions which result in deeply fascinating and exciting journeys into Shakespeare's mind and practice. As you read, you are very likely to exclaim, as I did, 'Why the hell didn't my English teacher talk like this? Actors, directors, producers, lecturers, teachers, students, and all who want to know and understand more will hug this book to them.' Stephen Fry'If this book wasn't short I wouldn't trust it. There is very little to go on in trying to find Shakespeare the man, and Stanley Wells doesn't pad anything out with wishful speculation. Having studied his works for longer than any man alive he is almost uniquely placed to do this detective work. In his tenth decade Wells has lost none of his curiosity or his eagerness to share his intimate knowledge.' Harriet Walter'Stanley Wells illuminates and entertains – brilliant!' Kenneth Branagh'A truly excellent book – I enjoyed every page. I am sure it will be read with appreciation by all who care for Shakespeare, or are curious about the inner turmoil of his life.' Claire Tomalin'This illuminating compilation … helps separate the man from the myth.' Publishers Weekly'Wells is our pre-eminent Shakespearean, and here he reflects magisterially on the topic that has absorbed his life for seven decades … [His] book offers a readable, pacy and personal introduction to Shakespeare's works, and to Wells's own important role, part-Prospero, part-Puck, in their popularisation. And if you're still wondering: what Shakespeare was really like remains, happily, a mystery.' The Telegraph'Wells roots his picture of the playwright and poet in evidence and logic, and he's too erudite to be anything but modest in his conjectures - which is much the appeal of this book.' Jonathan Mandell, New York Theater'Stanley Wells, the nonagenarian dean of Shakespeare scholars, condenses decades of living with Shakespeare into What Was Shakespeare Really Like? … Commonsensical, easy-going, Mr. Wells wants to encounter Shakespeare as a personality.' The Wall Street Journal'Just as any production of a Shakespeare play reveals as much about its interpreters as its playwright, so Wells paints a portrait of himself alongside his subject. That the reader will still likely be glad of it is testament to the author's unwavering enthusiasm and insight.' Rory Kinnear, The Guardian'…secret, passionate urgings and scoldings were the seeds of [Shakespeare's] creativity. Professor Wells deserves a round of applause for bringing them into the light.' John Walsh, The Mail on SundayTable of ContentsForeword Stephen Fry; 1. What Manner of Man Was He?; 2. How Did Shakespeare Write a Play?; 3. What Do the Sonnets Tell Us about Their Author?; 4. What Made Shakespeare Laugh?; Epilogue: Eight Decades with Shakespeare.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewJane Kentish's translation of The Gambler captures the seething resentment and desperation of the narrator's tone and faithfully conveys the voices of the other characters. * Kenneth Lantz, University of Toronto, Scottish Slavonic Review, No. 20, 1993 *

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Book SynopsisImmerse yourself in a land full of literary locations in this tour through the great books of the British Isles. Caroline Taggart's guide to statues, walks both rural and urban, literary homes and vistas which inspired great scenes from our favourite novels is guaranteed to have something for every avid reader.

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Book SynopsisShakespeare and Lost Plays returns Shakespeare''s dramatic work to its most immediate and (arguably) pivotal context; by situating it alongside the hundreds of plays known to Shakespeare''s original audiences, but lost to us. David McInnis reassesses the value of lost plays in relation to both the companies that originally performed them, and to contemporary scholars of early modern drama. This innovative study revisits key moments in Shakespeare''s career and the development of his company and, by prioritising the immense volume of information we now possess about lost plays, provides a richer, more accurate picture of dramatic activity than has hitherto been possible. By considering a variety of ways to grapple with the problem of lost, imperceptible, or ignored texts, this volume presents a methodology for working with lacunae in archival evidence and the distorting effect of Shakespeare-centric narratives, thus reinterpreting our perception of the field of early modern drama.Trade Review'This is an exceptionally innovative book championing the brand new methodologies and discoveries associated with lost plays that the author and his collaborators have brought to the profession. It would be hard to think of a more groundbreaking work than this, and it will be necessary reading for all scholars of early modern drama, any cultural historians who find themselves confronting the issue of evidential loss, as well as students of these various fields.' Andy Kesson, University of Roehampton, London'This is a well-conceived, skilfully argued, and constantly astonishing book. Its object is to insist on the importance of a study of lost plays so as better to understand the canonical plays we have been too complacent about. It will impact substantially on Shakespeare studies, on Early Modern theatre studies more widely, on authorship determination, and on more general literary and historical studies. Shakespeare and Lost Plays is an outstanding publication.' David Carnegie, Victoria University of Wellington'A fascinating work of literary detection.' Gordon Parsons, Morning Star'The moments of brilliant speculation about enigmas such as Spanish Maze and Felmelanco are the heart of McInnis's work because they display not only superb research skills but also impressive synaptic leaps; at such moments, one feels one is reading both a scholar and a poet. Overall, this is a wonderful book that opens the imagination and proves the vitality and the value of the study of lost plays.' David Nicol, British Shakespeare Association's Journal'Anyone interested in researching historical writing, English or otherwise, would benefit from reading this book, to help us deal with the loss of sources, and to learn how to complicate and enrich our reading and understanding of the texts that did survive.' Sonja Kleij, English Studies'McInnis's study is generous and hopefully generative, and it deserves the kind of careful engagement it offers to its subject. McInnis sheds light on understudied plays and he finds exciting connections, never before identified, some of which in turn allow for a different perspective on individual Shakespeare plays and on his career and early afterlife. But above all, McInnis models an approach to scholarship that promises to yield further insights. This refreshing book, which balances meticulous attention to detail with imagination and creativity, deserves to be widely read.' Eoin Price, Early Theatre'The potential impact of McInnis's ground-breaking study is unlikely to be lost on readers … Shakespeare and Lost Plays opens up numerous explorative avenues for future investigations, and I have no doubt that it will be preserved in the annals of academic history as a seminal work' Jones, Bücherschau'This is a productive and helpful enterprise, which McInnis reaches through a series of skillful, careful, and innovative readings … This refreshing book, which balances meticulous attention to detail with imagination and creativity, deserves to be widely read. That the book is relatively inexpensive for a new academic hardback should help it get the attention it deserves.' Eoin Price, Early TheatreTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Charting the landscape of loss; 2. Early Shakespeare: 1594-98; 3. Shakespeare at the turn of the century, 1599-1603; 4. Courting controversy: Shakespeare and the king's men, 1604-08; 5. Late Shakespeare: 1609-13; 6. Loose canons: the lost Shakespeare apocrypha; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisThe Masterpiece is the tragic story of Claude Lantier, an ambitious and talented young artist from the provinces who has come to conquer Paris and is conquered by the flaws in his own genius. While his boyhood friend Pierre Sandoz becomes a successful novelist, Claude's originality is mocked at the Salon and turns gradually into a doomed obsession with one great canvas. Life - in the form of his model and wife Christine and their deformed child Jacques - issacrificed on the altar of Art.The Masterpiece is the most autobiographical of the twenty novels in Zola's Rougon-Macquart series. Set in the 1860s and 1870s, it provides a unique insight into his career as a writer and his relationship with Cézanne, a friend since their schooldays in Aix-en-Provence. It also presents a well-documented account of the turbulent Bohemian world in which the Impressionists came to prominence despite the conservatism of the Academy and the ridicule of the general public.Table of ContentsNo Penguin competition.

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Book SynopsisThis book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com.Water is the element that, more than any other, ties human beings in to the world around them from the oceans that surround us to the water that makes up most of our bodies. Exploring the cultural and philosophical implications of this fact, Bodies of Water develops an innovative new mode of posthuman feminist phenomenology that understands our bodies as being fundamentally part of the natural world and not separate from or privileged to it. Building on the works by Luce Irigaray, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Gilles Deleuze, Astrida Neimanis's book is a landmark study that brings a new feminist perspective to bear on ideas of embodiment and ecological ethics in the posthuman critical moment.Trade ReviewFor the last couple of decades, feminist theory has been immersed in a new materialist wave that has produced among the most innovative and capacious ways to think and to respond critically--ontologically, ethically, and politically--within the depths of the ongoing ecological crises. If hardly any field of philosophy, cultural studies, or science studies has been as well-equipped to think the posthuman turn as feminist approaches have, Astrida Neimanis's Bodies of Water brilliantly synthesizes, illustrates, and continues this feminist ebullition. * Hypatia *To read Astrida Neimanis’s Bodies of Water is to immerse oneself in a fluid poetics, contemplating the teeming, virtual infinity of lifeforms for which water, in its myriad incarnations, supplies the medium of connection and dispersal; of gestation and differentiation through space-time. Through its feminist posthuman phenomenological lens, this work recasts the intertextual net eloquently and generously, re-inflecting a polyphony of feminist, philosophical, poetic, and scientific voices to address our planetary emergency in the wake of ecocidal extractionist and consumerist practices. -- Marion May Campbell, Deakin University * Swamphen Journal *[Neimanis] does however, offer some important and somewhat revolutionary concepts to environmental educators and researchers in both her analysis of what she terms watery embodiment and in her intentional melding of posthu-man feminist theory with phenomenology. Neimanis is immediately frank about the reasons why embracing both of these concepts is crucial in these times, citing increasing Anthropocenic global water crises as an obvious instigator of the need to reconsider how we understand, and act on, the impact of our human bodies on our surrounding ecology. -- Lisa Siegel * Australian Journal of Environmental Education *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION: Figuring Bodies of Water Bodies of Water (A Genealogy of a Figuration) Posthuman Feminism for the Anthropocene Living with the Problem Water is What We Make It The Possibility of Posthuman Phenomenology CHAPTER ONE: Embodying Water: Feminist Phenomenology for Posthuman Worlds A Posthuman Politics of Location Milky Ways: Tracing Posthuman Feminisms How to Think (About) a Body of Water: Posthuman Phenomenology Between Merleau-Ponty and Deleuze How to Think (As) a Body of Water: Access, Amplify, Describe! Posthuman Ties in a Too-Human World CHAPTER TWO: Posthuman Gestationality: Luce Irigaray and Water's Queer Repetitions Hydrological Cycles Elemental Bodies: Irigaray as Posthuman Phenomenologist? Love Letters to Watery Others: Marine Lover of Friedrich Nietzsche Gestationality as (Sexuate) Difference and Repetition The Onto-Logic of Amniotics (Queering Water’s Repetitions) Bodies of Water Beyond Humanism CHAPTER THREE: Fishy Beginnings Other Evolutions Dissolving Origin Stories Carrier Bags and Hypersea Wet Sex Waters Remembered (Moving Below the Surface) Unknowability as Planetarity (Or, Becoming the Water that We Cannot Become) Aspiration, That Oceanic Feeling CHAPTER FOUR: Imagining Water in the Anthropocene Prologue / Kwe Swimming into the Anthropocene Learning from Anti-Colonial Waters Water is Life? Commodity, Charity and Other Repetitions Material Imaginaries and Other Aqueous Questions REFERENCES NOTES INDEX

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Book SynopsisIn this almost documentary account of his own experiences of penal servitude in Siberia, Dostoevsky describes the physical and mental suffering of the convicts, the squalor and the degradation, in relentless detail. The inticate procedure whereby the men strip for the bath without removing their ten-pound leg-fetters is an extraordinary tour de force, compared by Turgenev to passages from Dante's Inferno. Terror and resignation - the rampages of a pyschopath, thebrief serence interlude of Christmas Day - are evoked by Dostoevsky, writing several years after his release, with a strikingly uncharacteristic detachment. For this reason, House of the Dead is certainly the least Dostoevskian of his works, yet, paradoxically, it ranks among his greatmasterpieces.

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Book SynopsisFrom the picnic on Box Hill and the strawberry picking at Donwell Abbey in Emma, to supper at the Netherfield Ball and Mrs. Bennet''s family dinners in Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen''s novels are full of delicious food that you can recreate at home with this collection of over 50 recipes inspired by her work and her life in Regency England.Jane Austen''s Table brings readers a sumptuous array of recipes that capture all the spirit and verve of the food of Jane Austen''s world and the Regency era, adapted and reimagined for the modern day. Including recipes such as Netherfield White Soup, Box Hill Picnic Pies, General Tilney''s Hot Chocolate, and Summer Berry Delice, this beautiful collection of over 70 recipes provides an irresistibly charming experience of Austen''s novels like no other.This beautiful cookbook also features fascinating insights into the food of Jane Austen''s world in the form of short essays and recipe notes, making this the perfect addition to any Austen fan''s bookshelf. Recreate the delicious meals, picnics and tidbits from the novels of Jane Austen, and indulge in all the luxury and splendour of the Regency period. Discover food and drink for every occasion, from picnics and suppers to sweet delights for your very own routs and balls. Immerse yourself in Austen''s world and all the pomp and charm of the eighteenth century with detailed notes and essays featured throughout.

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Book Synopsis''Shamelessly engaging, effortlessly scholarly, utterly refreshing''Thomas Keneally, author of Schindler''s Ark''A small treasure''New York Times ''This sweepingly confident overview is more entertainingly told than any previous account''Sunday TelegraphIreland played the central role in maintaining European culture when the dark ages settled on Europe in the fifth century: as Rome was sacked by Visigoths and its empire collapsed, Ireland became ''the isle of saints and scholars'' that enabled the classical and religious heritage to be saved.In his compelling and entertaining narrative, Thomas Cahill tells the story of how Irish monks and scrines copied the mauscripts of both pagan and Christian writers, including Homer and Aristotle, while libraries on the continent were lost forever. Bringing the past and its characters to life, Cahill captures the sensibility of the unsung Irish who relaunched civilisation.Trade ReviewHOW THE IRISH SAVED CIVILISATION is a shamelessly engaging, effortlessly scholarly, utterly refreshing history of the origins of the Irish soul and its huge contribution to Western culture ... For its portrait of St Patrick alone, it will resonate in the memory. * Thomas Keneally *Lyrical, playful, penetrating and serious ... an entirely engaging, delectable voyage into the distant past, a small treasure * Richard Bernstein in the New York Times *This sweepingly confident overview is more entertainingly told than any previous account ... An elegant book * P.J. Kavanagh in the Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisIlluminations contains the most celebrated work of Walter Benjamin, one of the most original and influential thinkers of the 20th Century: 'The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction', ‘The Task of the Translator’ and 'Theses on the Philosophy of History', as well as essays on Kafka, storytelling, Baudelaire, Brecht's epic theatre, Proust and an anatomy of his own obsession, book collecting.This now legendary volume offers the best possible access to Benjamin’s singular and significant achievement, while Hannah Arendt’s introduction reveals how his life and work are a prism to his times.Trade ReviewFrom the evidence of this book I would suggest that Benjamin was one of the great European writers of this century * Observer *He explained the modern with an authority that fifty years of unpredictable change have not vitiated * New York Review of Books *Like Baudelaire, Benjamin brings the very new into shocking conjunction with the very old … He is in search of a surrealist history and politics, one which clings tenaciously to the fragment, the miniature, the stray citation, but which impacts these fragments one upon the other to politically explosive effect, like the Messiah who will transfigure the world completely by making minor adjustments to it

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Book SynopsisIt is May 1660 and the fate of nations is at stake. Mazarin plots, Louis XIV is in love, and Raoul de Bragelonne, son of Athos, is intent on serving France and winning the heart of Louise de la Vallière. Meanwhile, D'Artagnan, Athos, Aramis, and Porthos all undertake their own mysterious enterprises. The Vicomte de Bragelonne opens an epic adventure which continues with Louise de la Vallière and reaches its climax in The Man in the Iron Mask. This new edition of the classic translation presents a key episode in the Musketeers saga, fully annotated and with an introduction that sets Dumas's saga in its historical and cultural context.Trade Reviewalternately melodramatic, sentimental, humorous, wordly, and almost always absorbing * The Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisA Guest at the Feast uncovers the places where politics and poetics meet, where life and fiction overlap, where one can be inside writing and also outside of it.From the melancholy and amusement within the work of the writer John McGahern to an extraordinary essay on his own cancer diagnosis, Tóibín delineates the bleakness and strangeness of life and also its richness and its complexity. As he reveals the shades of light and dark in a Venice without tourists and the streets of Buenos Aires riddled with disappearances, we find ourselves considering law and religion in Ireland as well as the intricacies of Marilynne Robinson''s fiction.The imprint of the written word on the private self, as Tóibín himself remarks, is extraordinarily powerful. In this collection, that power is gloriously alive, illuminating history and literature, politics and power, family and the self.''Tóibín''s voice is so powerful and distinct, his descriptions so precise, th

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Book SynopsisThe classic study of alienation, creativity and the modern mind''Excitingly written, with a sense of revelation'' GUARDIANTHE OUTSIDER was an instant literary sensation when it was first published in 1956, thrusting its youthful author into the front rank of contemporary writers and thinkers. Wilson rationalised the psychological dislocation so characteristic of Western creative thinking into a coherent theory of alienation, and defined those affected by it as a type: the outsider. Through the works and lives of various artists, including Kafka, Camus, Hemingway, Hesse, Lawrence, Van Gogh, Shaw, Nietzsche and Dostoevsky, Wilson explored the psyche of the outsider, his effect on society and society''s on him. Nothing that has happened in the decades since has made THE OUTSIDER any less relevant; it remains the seminal work on this most persistent of modern-day preoccupations.Trade ReviewFew first authors have burst upon the world of serious books with such stunning and immediate success * DAILY EXPRESS *Excitingly written, with a sense of revelation * GUARDIAN *The most remarkable book on which the reviewer has ever had to pass judgement * LISTENER *I am deeply grateful for this astonishing book -- Edith Sitwell[An] extraordinary book . . . one of the most remarkable I have read for a long time -- Cyril ConnollyExhaustive, luminously intelligent * OBSERVER *A major writer * LONDON EVENING NEWS *

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Book SynopsisControversy raged through England during the 1570-80s as Puritans denounced all manner of games & pastimes as a danger to public morals. Writers quickly turrned their attention to their own art and the first & most influential response came with Philip Sidney''s Defense. Here he set out to answer contemporary critics &, with reference to Classical models of criticism, formulated a manifesto for English literature. Also includes George Puttenham''s Art of English Poesy, Samuel Daniel''s Defence of Rhyme, & passages by writers such as Ben Jonson, Francis Bacon & George Gascoigne.

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Book SynopsisA Guest at the Feast uncovers the places where politics and poetics meet, where life and fiction overlap, where one can be inside writing and also outside of it.From the melancholy and amusement within the work of the writer John McGahern to an extraordinary essay on his own cancer diagnosis, Tóibín delineates the bleakness and strangeness of life and also its richness and its complexity. As he reveals the shades of light and dark in a Venice without tourists and the streets of Buenos Aires riddled with disappearances, we find ourselves considering law and religion in Ireland as well as the intricacies of Marilynne Robinson''s fiction.The imprint of the written word on the private self, as Tóibín himself remarks, is extraordinarily powerful. In this collection, that power is gloriously alive, illuminating history and literature, politics and power, family and the self.Trade ReviewDroll, careful reflections on Ireland, illness and religion in a welcome collection of essays . . . [the] melancholy elegance of the prose guarantees the reader's enjoyment * Guardian *Erudite, forensic, moving and wry . . . the breadth of the collection is impressive: a snapshot of Irish society over decades; Buenos Aires, in the wake of thousands of 'disappeared' people; Covid-era Venice . . . a lesson in how the right words in the right order can get to the truth of the matter * Irish Times *[These essays] are always interesting and intelligent, written in an admirably clear prose free of academic jargon . . . journalism at its best. I learned a lot from them and am grateful for that. It's a collection to which I will surely return, just as I do to Orwell's, Ian Jack's, Ferdinand Mount's and Patrick Marnham's * Scotsman *A feast for the reader . . . the novelist applies his inquisitive and empathetic mind in wide-ranging series of essays, from the political to the poignant . . . [Toibin] seeks no lessons; he tries only to be good company on the page. (He succeeds.) * Irish Independent *Erudite essays from one of the world's finest writers . . . Throughout, the poetry of Tóibín's prose is as impressive as always. In [the] title piece, he writes that his mother was 'what most of us still write for: the ordinary reader, curious and intelligent and demanding, ready to be moved and changed.' Readers like her will savor every page of this book * Kirkus Reviews, starred *The clarity of the novelist's descriptive ability shines through essays on topics ranging from his treatment for cancer to the joys of an empty Venice . . . On every subject, Tóibín's writing is what people these days inevitably describe as nuanced, a word that has become a kind of shorthand for expressing a person's rare ability to understand . . . the foibles of others -- Rachel Cooke * Observer, Book of the Day *I love everything Colm Tóibín has written -- Nicola Sturgeon * New Statesman *I wanted to read out loud, to fully savour writing that is so careful and so lyrical -- Laura Hackett * Sunday Times *Reading Irish novelist, playwright and poet Colm Tóibín is always a delight * Independent *Both epic and intimate . . . a moving portrait of three generations of sprawling, loving, fractious family life . . . a triumph * Financial Times on The Magician *A work of art, an emotional reckoning with a century of change * The Times on The Magician *

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

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Book Synopsis'That word, "vacation," makes me sweat.' Coco Chanel on taking a break'You must do it irregardless, or it will eat its way out of you.' Zora Neale Hurston on writing'One has to choose between the Life and the Project.' Susan Sontag on choosing artFrom Vanessa Bell and Charlotte Brontë to Nina Simone and Jane Campion, here are over one hundred and forty female writers, painters, musicians, sculptors, poets, choreographers, and filmmakers on how they create and work.Barbara Hepworth sculpted outdoors and Janet Frame wore earmuffs as she worked to block out noise. Kate Chopin wrote with her six children ‘swarming around her’ whereas the artist Rosa Bonheur filled her bedroom with the sixty birds that inspired her work. Louisa May Alcott wrote so vigorously – skipping sleep and meals – that she had to learn to write with her left hand to give her cramped right hand a break.From Isak Dinesen subsisting on oysters, champagne and amphetamines, to Isabel Allende's insistence that she begins each new book on 8 January, here are the working routines of over 140 brilliant female painters, composers, sculptors, writers, filmmakers and performers.Filled with details of the large and small choices these women made, Mason Currey's Daily Rituals Women at Work is a source of fascination and inspiration.'An admirably succinct portrait of some distinctly uncommon lives' - Meryle SecrestTrade ReviewUtterly fascinating . . . This book is the ultimate retort to the flaneurs who dream about the novel/screenplay/painting they would create if only they had the time -- Daisy Goodwin, Sunday Times on Daily Rituals: How Great Minds Make Time, Find Inspiration and Get to WorkI just can't recommend this book enough -- Lena Dunham on Daily Rituals: How Great Minds Make Time, Find Inspiration and Get to WorkA trove of entertaining anecdote and thought-provoking comparison -- Daily Telegraph, on Daily Rituals: How Great Minds Make Time, Find Inspiration and Get to WorkA chance to see what great lives look like when the triumphs, dramas, disruptions and divorces have been all but boiled away. It will fascinate anyone who wonders how a day might best be spent, especially those who have wondered of their artistic heroes, as a baffled Colette once did of George Sand: how the devil did they manage? -- Guardian, on Daily Rituals: How Great Minds Make Time, Find Inspiration and Get to WorkMason Currey has carefully compiled the daily habits and personal foibles of 161 great writers, artists, scientists and thinkers, including one who stood on his head to cure creative block. By the end of this book, our carpet-glue habit looks normal -- DBC Pierre, Guardian, on Daily Rituals: How Great Minds Make Time, Find Inspiration and Get to WorkA fascinating little book -- Financial Times on Daily Rituals: How Great Minds Make Time, Find Inspiration and Get to Work

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This book has features to help students improve their grade. It has features that address the specific needs of students studying for the new AS and A2 exams. Text boxes in the margin labelled 'Context' describe the literary, historical, cultural, religious, or philosophical context of specific references in the text.

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Book SynopsisEmma Bovary yearns for a life of luxury and passion of the kind she reads about in romantic novels. But life with her country doctor husband in the provinces is unutterably boring, and she embarks on love affairs to realize her fantasies. This new translation by Margaret Mauldon perfectly captures Flaubert's distinctive style.Trade ReviewA superb new translation. s

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Book SynopsisIn A Sicilian Romance (1790) Radcliffe began to forge the unique mixture of the psychology of terror and poetic description that would make her the great exemplar of the Gothic nove, and the idol of the Romantics.This early novel explores the cavernous landscapes and labyrinthine passages of Sicily''s castles and covents to reveal the shameful secrets of its all-powerful aristocracy. Julia and Emilia Mazzini live secluded in an ancient mansion near the Straits of Messina. After their father''s return to the island a neglected part of the house is haunted by a series of mysterious sights and sounds. The origin of these hauntings is only discovered after a series of breathless pursuits through dreamlike pastoral landscapes. When revelation finally comes, it forces the heroines to challenge the united forces of religious and patriarchal authority. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affTrade Review'Her own survey of the criticism is lucid and wide-ranging.' Times Literary Supplement

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Book Synopsis'The funniest book I've read in a long time: its deadpan, dry humour and its accumulation of absurdities will leave you rolling on your floor with laughter' The Times She thought she was a lover of the great classics of Russian literature - until she met the superfans... Roaming from Tashkent to San Francisco, this is the true story of one budding writer's strange encounters with the fanatics who are devoted - absurdly! melancholically! ecstatically! - to the Russian classics. Combining fresh readings of the great Russians from Tolstoy to Dostoevsky with the sad and funny stories of the lives they continue to influence, The Possessed is comic, humane, charming, poignant and full of an infectious love for literature. 'Dazzlingly good... Very bookish, very clever and very funny... A preposterously engaging volume' Jane Shilling, Sunday Telegraph 'The highest compliment you can pay such a book is that it sends you back to the original authors refreshed. I can go one higher - I found myself simply wanting to read more from Elif Batuman' Evening Standard 'An intoxicating mix of travel memoir, autobiography, literary criticism and philosophy... Charming and hilarious' Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewWildly original, creatively rambling... the funniest book I've read in a long time: its deadpan, dry humour and its accumulation of absurdities will leave you rolling on your floor with laughter * The Times *Dazzlingly good ... very bookish, very clever and very funny ... [The Possessed is] a preposterously engaging volume -- Jane Shilling * Sunday Telegraph *The highest compliment you can pay such a book is that it sends you back to the original authors refreshed. I can go one higher - I found myself simply wanting to read more from Elif Batuman * Evening Standard *An intoxicating mix of travel memoir, autobiography, literary criticism and philosophy... charming and hilarious * Daily Telegraph *Deeply clever and very funny * Guardian *Elif Batuman seems at home in that borderland between tragedy and comedy the great Russian writers colonised. The Possessed is insightful, poignant and very funny -- James MeekWise and delightfully funny -- Rachel PolonskyCharming, complex and life-enhancing -- Sarah Bakewell * Sunday Times *Hilarious, wide-ranging, erudite, and memorable * New York Times Book Review *Odd and oddly profound ... she's the kind of reader who sends you back to your bookshelves with a sublime buzz in your head. You want to feel what she's feeling. It's tempting to keep quoting her book forever * New York Times *A vividly engaging travelogue-cum-memoir ... Batuman is an astute observer with a terrific sense of humour and immense bravado -- Eileen Battersby * Irish Times *Batuman's refreshingly unlikely memoir recounts how she decided to devote her life to studying the great Russian novelists ... the result is the funniest book you're ever likely to read about Russian fiction -- Robert Collins * Sunday Times *The Possessed weaves anecdotes and literary criticism around Batuman's tales of her adventures in America, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Russia ... In some complicated way, this is a book about the relationship between art and life. But it's also a simple book about the relationship between art and life. Or, rather, it's a complicated book about the simple relationship between the two. In the end, all memoirs tend to end up as a defence of something. Batuman's is a defence of reading as a form of living -- Ian Sansom * Guardian *An eccentric, funny and always perceptive account of the authors long time immersion in the classics of Russian literature * Observer *I loved Batuman's quirky and perceptive account of her passion for Russian literature ... A move away from objective criticism towards the personal and what books actually mean to people, it is hugely appealing -- Lesley McDowell * Sunday Herald *Told in nimble and often funny prose * Guardian *Batuman's very different sentimental education is a wryly brilliant portrait of herself as a young Turkish intellectual emerging among American and Uzbek Russianists and rogues -- Selected by Fiona Sampson as a book of the year * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisMaupassant's second novel, Bel-Ami (1885) is the story of a ruthlessly ambitious young man making it to the top in fin-de-siècle Paris. It is a novel about money, sex, and power, set against the background of the politics of the French colonization of North Africa. This new translation is complemented by fullest introduction and notes of any edition.Trade ReviewBel-Ami . . .deserves a superior place in the canon . . .This book is as piquant as any contemporary satire. Don't take my word for it. Read it yourself. * Commentary, new Statesman, 04/06/01 *'...anyone proposing to study Bel-Ami in depth would do well to acquire the Oxford translation,given its excellent critical apparatus 'well-packaged and affordable' * MLR, 97.3 *

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Book SynopsisEasy to use in the classroom or as a tool for revision, Oxford Literature Companions provide student-friendly analysis of a range of popular A Level set texts. Each book offers a lively, engaging approach to the text, covering characterisation and role, genre, context, language, themes, structure, performance and critical views, whilst also providing a range of varied and in-depth activities to deepen understanding and encourage close work wtih the text. Each book also includes a comprehensive Skills and Practice section, which provides detailed advice on assessment and a bank of exam-style questions and annotated sample student answers. This guide covers King Lear by William Shakespeare, is suitable for all exam boards and for the most recent AS/A level specifications.

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Book SynopsisYork Notes Advanced offer a fresh and accessible approach to English Literature. This market-leading series has been completely updated to meet the needs of today's A-level and undergraduate students. Written by established literature experts, York Notes Advanced intorduce students to more sophisticated analysis, a range of critical perspectives and wider contexts.Table of Contents Part 1: Introduction Part 2: The text Part 3: Critical approachs Part 4: Critical history Part 5: Background Further Reading Literacy Terms

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year""A masterpiece of scholarship."---Wendy Doniger, New York Review of Books

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Book SynopsisAn Introduction to Narratology is an accessible, practical guide to narratological theory and terminology and its application to literature. In this book, Monika Fludernik outlines: the key concepts of style, metaphor and metonymy, and the history of narrative forms narratological approaches to interpretation and the linguistic aspects of texts, including new cognitive developments in the field how students can use narratological theory to work with texts, incorporating detailed practical examples a glossary of useful narrative terms, and suggestions for further reading. This textbook offers a comprehensive overview of the key aspects of narratology by a leading practitioner in the field. It demystifies the subject in a way that is accessible to beginners, but also reflects recent theoretical developments and narratologyâs increasing popularity as a critical tool.Table of ContentsPreface 1. Narrative and Narrating 2. The Theory of Narrative 3. Text and Authorship 4. The Structure of Narrative 5. The Surface of Narrative 6. Realism, Illusionism and Metafiction 7. Language, the Representation of Speech, and the Stylistics of Narrative 8. Thoughts, Feelings and the Unconscious 9. Narrative Typologies 10. Diachronic Approaches to Narrative 11. Practical Applications 12. Guidelines for Budding Narratologists. Glossary of Narratological Terms. Works Cited. Index

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Book SynopsisYork Notes Advanced offer a fresh and accessible approach to English Literature. This market-leading series has been completely updated to meet the needs of today's A-level and undergraduate students. Written by established literature experts, York Notes Advanced intorduce students to more sophisticated analysis, a range of critical perspectives and wider contexts.

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Book SynopsisPaul Menzer is Professor and Director of the Mary Baldwin College Shakespeare and Performance programme at Mary Baldwin College, USA.Table of ContentsIntroduction Preface Plot summary Analysis 1. Historical and literary contexts 2. Performance aspects of the text 3. Critical interpretations Resources and annotated bibliography A note on the text The Play

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Book SynopsisIan McEwan, Margaret Drabble, Martin Amis, Rita Dove, Andrew Motion and Anthony Thwaite are among the twenty-two distinguished contributors of original essays to this landmark volume on the profound and frequently perplexing bond between writer and mother. In compelling detail they bring to life the thoughts, work, loves, friendships, passions and, above all, the influence of mothers upon their literary offspring from Shakespeare to the present. Many of the contributors evoke the ideal with fond and loving memories: understanding, selfless, spiritual, tender, protective, reassuring and self-assured mothers who created environments favorable to the development of their children’s gifts. At the opposite end of the parenting spectrum, however, we also see tortured mothers who ignored, interfered with, smothered or abandoned their children. Their early years were times of traumatic loss, unhappily dominated by death and human frailty. Elegantly assembled and presented, Writers and Their Mothers will appeal to everyone interested in biography, literature, and creativity in general.Trade Review“In this lively collection of essays, the legacy of maternal blessings (which they mostly describe) is thoughtfully and skilfully unpacked...“ (The Guardian's Book of the Week in March 2018)“What a great project, I just can't believe that no one has done it before.” (Times Literary Supplement podcast, March 8, 2018)“In each case, these women are shown to be different to one another, whether in strength or foible, all wielding a unique influence over their children, and en masse, this makes for a compelling, and varied read. In his collection, Salwak simply asserts that good writing is likely to flourish because of, or in spite of, a mother’s influence. In considering how far such an arc of influence might stretch, the enduring strength of these essays … .” (Julia O'Mahony, The Irish Times, irishtimes.com, April, 2018)Table of Contents​1. Shakespeare’s Mother(s) - Hugh M. Richmond.2. John Ruskin and Margaret - Anthony Daniels, M.D.3. Ambitious Daughter: Louisa May Alcott and Her Mother - Gardner McFall.-4. Walt Whitman and His Mother - Kenneth Silverman.5. The Maternal Embrace: Samuel Beckett and His Mother May - Margaret Drabble.6. William Golding’s Mother - Judy Carver.7. Voice Rehearsals & Personas in Sylvia’s Letters to Aurelia - Adrianne Kalfopoulou.8. No Villainous Mother: The Life of Eva Larkin - Philip Pullen.9. Robert Lowell: Trapped in Charlotte’s Web - Jeffrey Meyers.10. Mother Tongue: A Memoir - Ian McEwan.11. “Persistent Ghost” - Anthony Thwaite.12. Living with Mother - Catherine Aird.13. “Bring her again to me . . . “ - Ann Thwaite.14. My Mother, and Friends - Reeve Lindbergh.15. My Mother’s Desk - Martha Oliver-Smith.16. Mater Sagax - Rachel Hadas.17. My Wicked Stepmother - Martin Amis.18. About “My Mother Enters the Work Force” - Rita Dove.19. A Shadow in the Grass - Andrew Motion20. Mrs. Gabbet’s Desk - David Updike.21. Dreams of a Mother and Daughter - Lyndall Gordon22. Her Programme -Tim Parks.

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Book SynopsisA celebrated novelist and an acclaimed historian of ideas, father and daughter, unravel the chain of words at the core of Jewish life, history, and cultureTrade ReviewPraise for Amos Oz’s A Tale of Love and Darkness: "Both in his fiction and his essays, Oz has proven himself one of our essential writers, laying out for our observation, in ever-increasing breadth and profundity, the mad landscape of our time and his place—always enlarging the scope of his questions while avoiding the temptation of dogmatic answers."—Alberto Manguel, Washington Post Book World"A charmingly funny book—not just humorous but sometimes downright hilarious. The essence of it is that the natural condition of the Jewish people—and the source of their resilience—is being in argument with the world, with one another and, to be sure, with God himself. But you cannot get the taste of this book, let alone its essence, without reading it."—Martin Peretz, Wall Street Journal"A thought-provoking essay on language, literature and the eternal question of Jewish identity. . . . Jews and Words is filled with fascinating anecdotes and details. . . . A stimulating meditation on what it means to be a Jew and what it means to be a reader."—Wall Street Journal"Playfully instructive. . . . Will appeal to lay readers interested in a nonreligious Judaism based on contemporary readings of traditional and more modern Jewish texts."—Publishers Weekly "In [Jews and Words] . . . boisterous excitement over words and ideas generates a little paradise beyond politics. It opens up a garden of play and joy, of dispute without hate and passions without victims."—Independent"[A] provocative, playful, speculative journey through the rich, centuries-old heritage of Jewish literature."—Natasha Lahrer, Jewish Chronicle"Jews and words is a thought-provoking essay on language, literature and the eternal question of Jewish identity. . . . Filled with fascinating anecdotes and details, not least the etymologies of various words dating back to ancient Hebrew. . . . A stimulating meditation on what it means to be a Jew and what it means to be a reader."—Toby Lichtig, The Wall Street Journal Europe"[An] exhilarating essay." —Michael Kerrigan, The Scotsman"In this provocative, playful, speculative journey through the rich, centuries-old heritage of Jewish literature, father and daughter Amos Oz and Fania Oz-Salzberger propose a 'textline' rather than a bloodline — a notion of Jewish lineage that is etched not in blood but in words."—Jewish Chronicle"Jews and Words is a conversation between two people who love each other, informed by a wonderful sense of humor and a passionate yet measured analysis of language, people, and literature. Honesty shines through every paragraph of this terrific work."—Yehuda BauerPraise for Fania Oz-Salzberger’s Israelis in Berlin: "An exciting, deeply moving, masterly book. It combines a wealth of knowledge with great emotional power."—Zeruya Shalev"Ingenious and thrilling, Jews and Words manages to cram more than 5,000 years of prayers, songs, stories, arguments, praises, curses and jokes into the suitcase of a thin, page-turning work of . . . what? History? Anthropology? Literary criticism? Theology? All of these and more. It's a wonderful book."—Jonathan Safran Foer"Jews and Words is thrilling and entertaining, challenging clichés and stereotypes at every page. Its tone is half serious and half humorous, mixing a mastery of its subject with an informal touch. It promises to be very controversial and widely read."—Mario Vargas Llosa"Absolument passionnant."—Bernard-Henri Lévy

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Book SynopsisBeyond its housing estates and identikit high streets there is another Britain. This is the Britain of mist-drenched forests and unpredictable sea-frets: of wraith-like fog banks, druidic mistletoe and peculiar creatures that lurk, half-unseen, in the undergrowth, tantalising and teasing just at the periphery of human vision. How have the remarkably persistent folkloric traditions of the British Isles formed and been formed by the identities and psyches of those who inhabit them? In her sparkling new history, Carolyne Larrington explores the diverse ways in which a myriad of imaginary and fantastical beings has moulded the cultural history of the nation. Fairies, elves and goblins here tread purposefully, sometimes malignly, over an eerie, preternatural landscape that also conceals brownies, selkies, trows, knockers, boggarts, land-wights, Jack o''Lanterns, Barguests, the sinister Nuckleavee, or water-horse, and even Black Shuck: terrifying hell-hound of the Norfolk coast with eyes

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Book SynopsisLouise de la Balliere is the middle section of The Vicomte de Bragelonne or, Ten Years After. Against a tender love story, Dumas continues the suspense which began with The Vicomte de Bragelonne and will end with The Man in the Iron Mask. It is early summer, 1661, and the royal court of France is in turmoil. Can it be true that the King is in love with the Duchess d''Orleans? Or has his eye been caught by the sweet and gentle Louise de la Valliere? No one is more anxious to know the answer than Raoul, son of Athos, who loves Louise more than life itself. Behind the scenes, dark intrigues are afoot. Louis XIV is intent on making himself absolute master of France. Imminent crisis shakes the now aging Musketeers and d''Artagnan out of their complacent retirement, but is the cause just? This new edition of the classic English translation of 1857 is richly annotated and sets Dumas''s invigorating tale in its historical and cultural context. 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 Reviewone of the very best of the series, mixing amorous and political intrigue with an élan peculiar to Dumas ... this quasi-historical series remains remarkably readable * The Irish Times (Dublin) *

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