Literary studies: general Books

Book SynopsisA work of literary criticism that may become - deserves to become - the most influential of its time' Bryan Appleyard, Sunday TimesTrade Review"'The most important critical work for decades' Bryan Appleyard, Sunday Times 'Bate presents his case with an emotional conviction which is almost impossible to resist' The Times 'Anyone familiar with Bate's The Genius of Shakespeare will know how winningly he marries erudition to liveliness' John Coldstream, Daily Telegraph 'I came away from the book deeply grateful for its impassioned song' Adam Thorpe, Sun. Tel."

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Book SynopsisA guide to the art of personal writing, by the author of Fierce Attachments and The End of the Novel of LoveAll narrative writing must pull from the raw material of life a tale that will shape experience, transform event, deliver a bit of wisdom. In a story or a novel the I who tells this tale can be, and often is, an unreliable narrator but in nonfiction the reader must always be persuaded that the narrator is speaking truth.How does one pull from one''s own boring, agitated self the truth-speaker who will tell the story a personal narrative needs to tell? That is the question The Situation and the Story asks--and answers. Taking us on a reading tour of some of the best memoirs and essays of the past hundred years, Gornick traces the changing idea of self that has dominated the century, and demonstrates the enduring truth-speaker to be found in the work of writers as diverse as Edmund Gosse, Joan Didion, Oscar Wilde, James Baldwin, or Marguerite Duras.This book, which grew out of fifteen years teaching in MFA programs, is itself a model of the lucid inteligence that has made Gornick one of our most admired writers of ninfiction. In it, she teaches us to write by teaching us how to read: how to recognize truth when we hear it in the writing of others and in our own.

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Book SynopsisIn Poetics of Relation, Glissant turns the concrete particulars of Caribbean reality into a complex, energetic vision of a world in transformation. This translation of Glissant's work preserves the resonating quality of his prose and makes the richness and ambiguities of his voice accessible to readers in English.Trade ReviewThe most important theoretician from the Caribbean writing today. . . . He is central not only to the burgeoning field of Caribbean studies, but also to the newly flourishing literary scene in the French West Indies." — Judith Graves Miller, University of Wisconsin, Madison

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Book SynopsisA meditation on both the roots of modernism and its manifestation in the work of H D, Ezra Pound, D H Lawrence, William Carlos Williams, Edith Sitwell, and many others. It is especially notable for its illumination of the role women played in creation of literary modernism.Trade Review"Published as the first volume in California's Collected Writings of Robert Duncan series, this lovingly prepared volume presents this long critical work, written in 1960 and 1961, in its full form for the first time." Publishers Weekly "The guiding light throughout is Duncan's clear, though subtly resonant prose, which lets even lengthy sentences carry the reader smoothly along from beginning to end." Foreword Reviews "I am besotted with a new book that is also an old book. This is The H.D. Book, by Robert Duncan, a wild, dazzling, idiosyncratic magnum opus... The wonders of The H.D. Book are almost without number. [It is] a work of exacting and extravagant optimism." -- Jed Perl New Republic "Profoundly coherent: a strikingly original and provocative articulation of an American literary vision that is engaged simultaneously with Romantic enchantment, modernist formalism, and an arguably postmodern concern with citational networks, self-displacement, and the shadow play of a language always larger than us." Bookforum "Extraordinary book." Tri-Quarterly Online "Into this eldritch tapestry Duncan weaves patches of poetic autobiography, strands of family history and reflections on his intellectual development." The Nation "Charming." Poetry Foundation/ Harriet "Robert Duncan's The H.D. Book, complete in print at last, now manifests the timeliness of its permanence." -- Jim Powell The Threepenny Rev "The belated publication of The H.D. Book will, one hopes, lead more readers to her haunting, resonant later work and also convince more readers to make the leap into Robert Duncan's demanding but gorgeous word-music. Someday, some century even, he and his peers in the Bay Area Renaissance ... will be recognized as the greatest and most rewarding American poets of their era." -- Greer Mansfield BookslutTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction Book One: Beginnings Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Eros Chapter 4 Palimpsest Chapter 5 Occult Matters Chapter 6 Rites of Participation Book Two: Nights and Days Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Appendix 1: Preliminary Notes Toward Book 3 of The H.D. Book Appendix 2: Composition and Publication History of The H.D. Book Appendix 3: A List of Works Cited by Robert Duncan in The H.D. Book Credits Index

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Book SynopsisKundera''s essay has been written like a novel. In the course of nine separate sections, the same characters meet and cross paths with each other. Stravinsky and Kafka with their odd friends Ansermet and Brod; Hemingway with his biographer; Janácek with his little nation; and Rabelais with his heirs - the great novelists.In the light of their wisdom this book examines some of the great situations of our time. The moral trial of the twentieth century''s art, from Celine to Mayakovsky; the passage of time which blurs the boundaries between the ''I'' of the present day and the ''I'' of the past; modesty as an essential concept in an age based on the individual and indiscretion which, as it becomes the habit and the norm, heralds the twilight of individualism; the testaments, the betrayed testaments - of Europe, of art, of the art of the novel and of artists.

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Book SynopsisPrometheus the god stole fire from heaven and bestowed it on humans. In punishment, Zeus chained him to a rock, where an eagle clawed unceasingly at his liver, until Herakles freed him. For the Greeks, the myth of Prometheus' release reflected a primordial law of existence and the fate of humankind. The author examines the story of Prometheus.Trade Review"A sterling example of classical scholarship, literary exegesis, and cultural inference... Not only does this book tell us much about man, through his prototypical image, but also much about the Greek civilization which created Prometheus in its image."--Contemporary PsychologyTable of ContentsList of PlatesIntroductionIWho Is Goethe's Prometheus?3IIThe Titanic, and the Eternity of the Human Race19IIIThe Prometheus Mythologem in the 'Theogony'33IVArchaic Prometheus Mythology50VMethodological Intermezzo63VIThe World in Possession of Fire69VIIThe Fire Stealer77VIIIThe 'Prometheus Bound'83IXPrometheus the Knowing One93XThe Promethean Prophecy107XI'Prometheus Delivered'112XIIConclusion after Goethe129Abbreviations134List of Works Cited135Index145

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Book SynopsisSuitable for students, scholars, and poets on various aspects of its subject: history, movements, genres, prosody, rhetorical devices, critical terms, and more, this book reflects changes in literary and cultural studies, providing coverage and giving greater attention to the international aspects of poetry.Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2013 "[T]he Princeton Encyclopedia has earned its reputation as the standard reference work for the array of topics comprehended by the study of poetry... [I]ts coverage of an impressive range of poetic traditions hitherto relatively unheralded in mainstream Western criticism is one of its most prominent achievements... [T]his edition of the Encyclopedia has turned concertedly to expert specialists in non-Western poetries like never quite before, which allows for subtle, well-informed and finely grained entries across (almost) the full range of world poetries... [T]his fourth edition of The Princeton Encyclopedia superlatively fulfils its nearly fifty-year-old commitment to, as the preface to the first edition had it, 'accuracy, utility, interest, and ... thoroughness.'"--Ross Wilson, Times Literary Supplement "Ever since the first edition of this work, in 1965, The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics has been a comprehensive and authoritative reference work valued by students, teachers, and poets... This edition will be welcomed by all readers of poetry. It provides so many new essays and updates, and, finally, has an index, which is useful as the Encyclopedia does not include entries on individual poets, but rather discusses them in the context of the larger topics to which they are related. Also beneficial is the new page layout that is easier to read and more conducive to browsing. Highly recommended."--Library Journal (Starred Review) "This is a huge reference work, and the publicity people at Princeton are justifiably proud of it. Even though this book is about poetry, it is surprisingly complete. For example; I love how the book discusses the poetry of a people and ties it to their history--I mean, I could read this book for the historical context of a particular body of ethnic or linguistic poetry alone, but of course, there is plenty of poetry in here, too. If you are a poet, a student of poetry or if you (like me) love reading poetry, then this is, without any doubt, the book for you! It certainly would make an excellent gift for the poet, scholar or poetry lover in your life."--Devorah Bennu, GrrlScientist "[W]orthy... [M]onumental."--Stuart Mitchner, Town Topics "[I]f you're a student of poetry, you'll want to own a copy... The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics goes far beyond a beginner's guide to poetry, and the new Fourth Edition is a worthy update to an already excellent encyclopedia series."--Poetry International "The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics is a stupendous work... What makes it unique and extremely valuable is the exhaustive entries... Running into 1639 pages, in single volume, this is a huge contribution to the study of poetry and poetics. Any student of literature and linguistics should have a copy as it introduces the reader to every nuance of poetry, in its finest. A marvelous work indeed."--Vaidehi Nathan, Organiser "[O]ne of the greatest literary reference works in all of poetry... The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics is an excellent, worthy addition to anyone's collection."--John Cowans, BookPleasures "This belongs on the desk of anyone teaching creative writing or literature, and anyone over the age of twelve who is serious about poetry."--Barbara Berman, Rumpus "You can't say enough about The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, because it has already said just about everything. It is an encyclopedia, after all, but more than that, it is a thoroughly illuminating text that contains everything a poet or critic might need to know, from Accentual-Syllabic Verse to Zulu poetry. To put it simply, it is the most fascinating book on poetics published this year."--Stephan Delbos, Body "[T]his encyclopedia is a bargain for anyone seriously interested in poetry... This Princeton Encyclopedia, for all its contemporaneity, has the bonus of several hundred years' scholarship behind it... The entries ... are scholarly and extremely wide-ranging. All kinds of poetry are ... taken seriously and the traditions of all major languages--and many minor ones--are treated in considerable detail."--Geoff Page, Age "Roland Greene and associates have done a tremendous job in revising Terry Brogan's and Alex Preminger's magisterial 3d edition of this classic work. It's a vast compendium of poetic lore, terminology, technique, and history with an astutely chosen set of contributors. At 1664 pages, I am still cruising the book and wishing I had the digital edition as well. This is a work to dip into at any page for a wealth of detailed and often absorbingly arcane information. PEPP is up to date, with entries for new poetic developments right up to the present (yes, Lavinia, Conceptual poetry, Kootenay school, and Flarf have entries, along with my own precis on 'absorption,' and new entries on antropofagia, codework, cognitive poetics, Xul, Sanskrit poetry, and many more). The index alone is worth the price of admission... As a kid (and as the kid I still am) I read through dictionaries and encyclopedias, a to z; this book holds that same kind of transfixing fascination. It also shows how new encyclopaedias (I prefer that spelling) can remain relevant in the wake of Wiki. Each of the entries is signed and bears the stamp of its author. While scholarly and descriptive in tone, the book has a thousand different points of view of what poetry is and how it works, hundreds of contradictory, or at least competing, programs. As with the best compendia of odd facts and magical formulae, the wild swerve from one entry to the next offers delight upon delight."--Charles Bernstein, Lemon Hound "With 1,000-plus entries (some 250 of which are new), this edition expands and updates the New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, with a more detailed focus on international traditions not often included in English-language reference tools... This volume will be a valuable addition for universities, and for colleges with MFA programs in creative writing."--Choice "[I]t is a browser's gem. This fully indexed Encyclopedia is user friendly and of immense interests to poets, editors, scholars and everyone interested in poetry. With the wealth of information it contains it is great value for money and in my opinion is far more reliable than researching on line."--Les Merton, Poetry Cornwall "There is a wealth of interest and debate in this impressive book. It is pretty hefty and not for reading on a train but can be dipped into or the specific topics studied in individual detail."--Stella Stocker, Weyfarers "Ever since its first publication in 1965, The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry & Poetics has oft been referred to as the ultimate, authoritative reference with regards the study of poetry. With its menagerie of terms, concepts, schools, movements and international tradition(s), contained herein is an almost one-of-kind reference book. It's so good--it makes for interesting and stimulating reading in its own right; and there really aren't many reference books one can say that about!"--David Marx, David Marx Book Reviews "The Princeton Encyclopedia is a superb achievement, an essential item for university libraries supporting literature courses and I would strongly urge public libraries to also purchase a copy."--Linda Kemp, Reference ReviewsTable of ContentsPreface vii Acknowledgments xi Topical List of Entries xv Bibliographical Abbreviations xxiii General Abbreviations xxvii Contributors xxviii Entries A to Z 1 Index 1555

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Book SynopsisThis is the first comprehensive collection of hands-on, active learning exercises for the college literature classroom, offering ideas and inspiration for new and veteran teachers alike. These 101 surefire lesson plans present creative and interactive activities to get all your students talking and learning, from the first class to final review. WhTrade Review"Steal from this book: Diana Fuss and William Gleason want you to. Bringing together an astonishing range of tips on an astounding range of literatures, this is a pedagogical care package for days when you're `off,' or students are tired, or the ice needs to be broken again, or you just want to shake things up. These tricks of the trade are more than surefire: they redefine the art of teaching literature."—Scott Herring, Indiana University"This thoroughly compelling book—the first collection of student-centered teaching tools for English instructors—will be useful to a wide range of teachers."—Maurice S. Lee, Boston University"Refreshingly hands-on without being reductive, this book makes an important contribution to undergraduate teaching and learning. By coming out in favor of active learning and student engagement, it positions itself at the head of a pack of bestsellers on the craft of teaching. But it outdistances them by calling on a wide range of expert teachers to share lessons gleaned from their experiences."—Jennifer Summit, San Francisco State University"From the insightful introduction to the systematic collection of diverse approaches to deep learning, this is a treasure chest that will help transform the literature classroom from a passive space to an active, engaged environment in which students encounter literature in new and exciting ways. Every literature teacher will find plenty of ideas and clever tactics to stimulate his or her teaching. New faculty should find it indispensable."—John Zubizarreta, Columbia College (South Carolina)Table of Contents*Frontmatter, pg. i*Contents, pg. v*Introduction, pg. xi*Discussions-collaborative classroom activities for promoting discussion, pg. 1*Essentials-classic literary exercises everyone should try, pg. 27*Stories-narrative, plot, setting, structure, character, point of view, beginnings, endings, ethics, pg. 45*Poems-content, form, language, sound, meter, pg. 95*Plays-interpretation, genre, character, staging, performance, context, pg. 147*Genres-identifying, rethinking, and switching genres, pg. 197*Canons-using, debating, and building canons, pg. 219*Words-understanding, defining, and relating words, pg. 241*Styles-naming, describing, and imitating styles, pg. 263*Pictures-drawing, printing, and viewing pictures, pg. 285*Objects-touching, making, and interpreting objects, pg. 309*About the Editors, pg. 333*Contributors, pg. 335*Four Cross- Indexes to Help You Plan Ahead, pg. 339*General Index, pg. 341

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Book SynopsisShows how from antiquity to the twentieth century literature progressed toward ever more naturalistic and democratic forms of representation. This title offers the optimistic view of European history now appears as a defensive - and impassioned - response to the inhumanity he saw in the Third Reich.Trade Review"The compass and the richness of the book can hardly be exaggerated. This is true too of the originality of Mr. Auerbach's critical method which is at once encyclopedic and microscopic, combining the disciplines of philology, literary criticism, and history."--New York Times "One of the great works of literary scholarship... Auerbach's method ... is to fasten with fastidious sensitivity on some stray phrase or passage in order to unpack from it a wealth of historical insight. It is his combination of scholarly erudition and critical astuteness which is most remarkable."--Terry Eagleton, London Review of Books "One of the most important and readable books in literary criticism of the past 15 years ... The author, beginning with Homer and the Bible, traces the imitation of life in literature through the ages ...touching upon every major literary figure in western culture on the way."--Publishers Weekly "Written with the authority that comes from deep learning and full of information worth knowing. Princeton's 50th anniversary edition of Mimesis has an introduction by the late literary and cultural critic Edward Said that by itself is worth the price of the book. It's the only preface I know of that I wish were longer, serving as both an analysis of Auerbach and a ramework placing him in his scholarly and historical context... Princeton's reissue of Mimesis is both timely and symbolic."--Guy Davenport, Los Angeles Times Book Review "[Mimesis] offers not just an eminent reading of the Western canon, but a mighty lesson on how to write... I don't think a more significant or useful book of criticism has been written in the half-century since Mimesis was published. What's more, I can't imagine that anything like it will ever be written again... [In] producing such a rich, strong book on how to read, Auerbach composed a virtual manual on how to write, one I've referred back to again and again since the day, almost two decades ago, when I first happened upon it."--Jim Lewis, Slate Magazine "[T]he greatest single work of literary criticism of the 20th century... [S]o suggestive, so rich in understanding and insight, so useful in teaching one how to reach more deeply and appreciatively is the book that it is difficult to believe that anyone will ever again have the intellectual resources to write another book about literature anywhere near as powerful. Written while the Nazis were marching across Europe, Mimesis is a strong reminder of the glory of Western literature, and by extension of Western civilization, and of what is at stake in the battle against those who would simplify, politicize, or otherwise degrade it."--Joseph Epstein, Weekly StandardTable of ContentsIntroduction to the Fiftieth-Anniversary Edition ix 1.Odysseus' Scar 3 2.Fortunata 24 3.The Arrest of Peter Valvomeres 50 4.Sicharius and Chramnesindus 77 5.Roland Against Ganelon 96 6.The Knight Sets Forth 123 7.Adam and Eve 143 8.Farinata and Cavalcante 174 9.Frate Alberto 203 10.Madame Du Chastel 232 11.The World in Pantagruel's Mouth 262 12.L'Humaine Condition 285 13.The Weary Prince 312 14.The Enchanted Dulcinea 334 15.The Faux Devot 359 16.The Interrupted Supper 395 17.Miller the Musician 434 18.In the Hotel de la Mole 454 19.Germinie Lacerteux 493 20.The Brown Stocking 525 Epilogue 554 Appendix 559 Index 575

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Book SynopsisIt would be easy to assume that, in the eighteenth century, slavery and the culture of taste - the world of politeness, manners, and aesthetics - existed as separate and unequal domains, unrelated in the spheres of social life. This book demonstrates that these two areas of modernity were surprisingly entwined.Trade ReviewCo-Winner of the 2011 James Russell Lowell Prize, Modern Language Association Co-winner of the 2012 Melville J. Herskovits Award, African Studies Association Winner of the 14th Annual (2012) Susanne M. Glasscock Humanities Book Prize for Interdisciplinary Scholarship, Melbern G. Glasscock Center for Humanities Research at Texas A&M University One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2012 "In this at times disturbing and often provocative book, Gikandi seeks to bring together two seemingly disparate areas of experience, African slavery and European high culture... This impressive, and in places startling, book is sure to redirect the tide of contemporary 18th-century studies; it exemplifies critical inquiry into the 'global 18th century' at its best."--Choice "[T]his is an absorbing and otherwise well-executed study. It is nuanced, erudite and wide-ranging, shedding much valuable new light on the vexed relationships between eighteenth-century aesthetic culture and the outrageous history that shadows it."--Carl Plasa, Review of English Studies "Among the many strengths of this study is that it will engage scholars and students from a variety of disciplines, including the Atlantic world, British history and/or literature, colonial history both North American and Caribbean--and the slave trade. Gikandi is an engaging author, but he assumes some prior knowledge of the materials that he so intricately weaves into his remarkably detailed narrative."--Dorothy Potter, Sixteenth Century Journal "Interdisciplinary in approach, Slavery and the Culture of Taste is a virtuoso performance that mobilizes a vast amount of secondary literature and deploys a dazzling array of theory."--Ryan Whyte, Journal of Curatorial Studies "Slavery and the Culture of Taste is an important book that should be widely read by students of slavery and the modern world."--Ed Rugemer, Literature & HistoryTable of ContentsPreface ix Acknowledgments xvii Chapter 1: Overture: Sensibility in the Age of Slavery 1 Chapter 2: Intersections: Taste, Slavery, and the Modern Self 50 Chapter 3: Unspeakable Events: Slavery and White Self-Fashioning 97 Chapter 4: Close Encounters: Taste and the Taint of Slavery 145 Chapter 5: "Popping Sorrow": Loss and the Transformation of Servitude 188 Chapter 6: The Ontology of Play: Mimicry and the Counterculture of Taste 233 Coda: Three Fragments 282 Notes 287 Bibliography 321 Index 353

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Shortlisted for the Prize for Literary Scholarship, Australian University Heads of English"

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Book SynopsisKaren Britland is Associate Professor in the Department of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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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 SynopsisUpdated and revised edition.Trade ReviewReviews of the first edition (1855-1974): 'Bahru Zewde, one of present-day Ethiopia's leading historians, must be thanked for producing the first serious history of his country from the coronation of the reforming emperor Tewodros in 1855 to the Ethiopian Revolution of 1974. The work encompasses the lives of Ethiopia's four last, and most important, monarchs: Tewodros, Yohannes, Menilek and Hayla Sellase, whose reigns, as the author presents them, form an historical continuum. The text is valuable in that it provides an historical overview of virtually the entire area of present-day Ethiopia, with sections on the south of the country, largely ignored by previous historians, as well as on the better-documented Semitic north. ... The book, though less than 250 pages in length, is packed with information not readily available elsewhere, and contains valuable new historical insights. There are moreover interesting discussions of how events in one part of the region influenced the situation in others...there are also interesting sections on such topics as Hayla Sellase's ideas of government. ...The author does not ignore the more positive features of the occupation. ... Bahru's work is the first history of modern Ethiopia to be written by an Ethiopian, and thus provides a new perspective. Though later imprisoned for several years by Ethiopia's post-imperial regime he does not see the Hayla Sellase era, through which he lived as a student, with rosy spectacles. -- Richard Pankhurst * JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY *...gaping void now filled with distinction by Bahru Zewde...He achieves too, the difficult tasks of balancing the political history of warlords and emperors with social and economic developments, and relating internal developments to the progressive increase in external pressures. His judgements are succinct and illuminating. ...In short, it is a model of its kind. -- Christopher Clapham * AFRICAN AFFAIRS *... timely ... wealth of illustrative material ... Required reading for practitioners, graduate students and advanced undergraduates. - * CHOICE *Table of ContentsPreface to 2nd edition - The background - Unification & independence 1855-1896 - From Adwa to Maychaw 1896-1935 - The Italian occupation 1936-1941 - From liberation to revolution 1941-1974 - Revolution & its Sequel - Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThe new edition of this highly popular guide, How to Read World Literature, addresses the unique challenges and joys faced when approaching the literature of other cultures and eras. Fully revised to address important developments in World Literature, and generously expanded with new material, this second edition covers a wide variety of genres from lyric and epic poetry to drama and prose fiction and discusses how each form has been used in different eras and cultures. An ideal introduction for those new to the study of World Literature, as well as beginners to ancient and foreign literature, this book offers a variety of modes of entry to reading these texts. The author, a leading authority in the field, draws on years of teaching experience to provide readers with ways of thinking creatively and systematically about key issues, such as reading across time and cultures, reading works in translation, emerging global perspectives, postcolonialism, orality and literacy, and Table of ContentsPreface to the Second Edition ix Introduction 1 1 What Is “Literature”? 9 2 Reading across Time 31 3 Reading across Cultures 57 4 Reading in Translation 83 5 Brave New Worlds 107 6 Writing Empire 135 7 Global Writing 157 Epilogue: Going Farther 181 Bibliography 187 Index 197

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Book SynopsisThis comprehensive guide to the history of literary criticism from antiquity to the present day provides an authoritative overview of the major movements, figures, and texts of literary criticism, as well as surveying their cultural, historical, and philosophical contexts. Supplies the cultural, historical and philosophical background to the literary criticism of each era Enables students to see the development of literary criticism in context Organised chronologically, from classical literary criticism through to deconstruction Considers a wide range of thinkers and events from the French Revolution to Freud's views on civilization Can be used alongside any anthology of literary criticism or as a coherent stand-alone introduction Trade ReviewWinner of a 2006 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title Award “[A] magnificently comprehensive history of literary criticism. Authoritative, formidable, generous and compassionate … Habib's achievements are many, but two stand out. The first is the putting of theory into historical perspective and the second is to make connections between criticism and philosophy.” Times Higher Education Supplement "This is a book to be read cover to cover, and those who undertake that happy task will be better informed. They will understand the twin pillars of Western civilization, Hellenism and the Judaic Christian ethic. They will understand the intersections of philosophy, literature, and religion. They will understand Plato, Aristotle, the Age of Enlightenment, Romanticism, and the three great thinkers who forever shifted thought at the beginning of the 20th century: Marx, Freud, and Darwin. Dividing the discussion into eight chronological sections, from ancient Greece to the 20th century, Habib (English, Rutgers Univ.) discusses each period in detail, exploring major critical figures and their works in a way that illuminates, rather than exhausts, the issues they are concerned with. His explorations entice one to read more, and that is the best kind of criticism. Summing Up: Essential. All readers; all levels." CHOICE "Philosophically sophisticated and full of fascinating connections and distinctions ...a monumental achievement." Ron Bush, University of Oxford “Rafey Habib's History of Literary Criticism, with its substantial grounding in classical texts and its excellent coverage of contemporary criticism and theory, is certain to be as highly regarded as Wimsatt and Brooks' Literary Criticism: A Short History. Habib's lucidity and wit will also make his book highly teachable.” Michael Payne, Bucknell University "This huge undertaking offers a comprehensive, expository and lucid account - including close readings of selected formative texts - of the history of literary criticism and theory from the earliest western classics to influential contemporary movements, while also embedding these in their broader social, cultural and philosophical contexts. A major resource - as narrative or as compendium - for students at all levels." Peter Widdowson, University of Gloucestershire "Beginning with Plato and Aristotle, Habib traces how the study of literature evolved in the West. His strength lies in his short segments, which allow readers to absorb the major thoughts of the critics and movements without being overwhelmed. While the book runs nearly 900 pages, it is easy to maneuver. All told, Habib delivers an accessible yet scholarly survey of literary criticism." Ron Ratliff, Kansas State University “A History of Literary Criticism: From Plato to the Present by M. A. R. Habib is a useful introduction and quick reference … The attention to each writer and their major works is significant and detailed, with major historical interpretive shifts noted.” Studies in English Literature 1500 - 1900 “Best single-volume introduction to Western literary theory … .With its admirably clear explanation of concepts and terminology, [it] admirably fulfils the promise of its title.” Literary Research Guide"Habib's survey of literary theory and criticism is serious, ambitious, informative and intellectually challenging." Bryn Mawr Classical ReviewTable of ContentsAcknowledgments viii Abbreviations of Frequently Cited Works ix Introduction 1 Part I Ancient Greek Criticism 7 Classical Literary Criticism: Intellectual and Political Backgrounds 9 1 Plato (428–ca. 347 bc) 19 2 Aristotle (384–322 bc) 41 Part II The Traditions of Rhetoric 63 3 Greek Rhetoric 65Protagoras, Gorgias, Antiphon, Lysias, Isocrates, Plato, Aristotle 4 The Hellenistic Period and Roman Rhetoric 80Rhetorica, Cicero, Quintilian Part III Greek and Latin Criticism During the Roman Empire 103 5 Horace (65–8 bc) 105 6 Longinus (First Century ad) 118 7 Neo-Platonism 129Plotinus, Macrobius, Boethius Part IV The Medieval Era 149 8 The Early Middle Ages 151 St. Augustine 9 The Later Middle Ages 166Hugh of St. Victor, John of Salisbury, Dante Alighieri, Geoffrey de Vinsauf, Ibn Rushd (Averroës), St. Thomas Aquinas 10 Transitions: Medieval Humanism 215Giovanni Boccaccio, Christine de Pisan Part V The Early Modern Period to the Enlightenment 227 11 The Early Modern Period 229Giambattista Giraldi, Lodovico Castelvetro, Giacopo Mazzoni, Torquato Tasso, Joachim Du Bellay, Pierre de Ronsard, Sir Philip Sidney, George Gascoigne, George Puttenham 12 Neoclassical Literary Criticism 273Pierre Corneille, Nicolas Boileau, John Dryden, Alexander Pope, Aphra Behn, Samuel Johnson 13 The Enlightenment 311John Locke, Joseph Addison, Giambattista Vico, David Hume, Edmund Burke, Mary Wollstonecraft Part VI The Earlier Nineteenth Century and Romanticism 347 Introduction to the Modern Period 349 14 The Kantian System and Kant’s Aesthetics 357 15 G. W. F. Hegel (1770–1831) 382 16 Romanticism (I): Germany and France 408Friedrich von Schiller, Friedrich Schleiermacher, Germaine de Staël 17 Romanticism (II): England and America 428William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Edgar Allan Poe Part VII The Later Nineteenth Century 467 18 Realism and Naturalism 469George Eliot, Émile Zola, William Dean Howells, Henry James 19 Symbolism and Aestheticism 489Charles Baudelaire, Walter Pater, Oscar Wilde 20 The Heterological Thinkers 502Arthur Schopenhauer, Friedrich Nietzsche, Henri Bergson, Matthew Arnold 21 Marxism 527Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, György Lukács, Terry Eagleton Part VIII The Twentieth Century 555 The Twentieth Century: Backgrounds and Perspectives 557 22 Psychoanalytic Criticism 571Freud and Lacan 23 Formalisms 602Victor Shklovsky, Boris Eichenbaum, Mikhail Bakhtin, Roman Jakobson, John Crowe Ransom, William K. Wimsatt, Monroe C. Beardsley, T. S. Eliot 24 Structuralism 631Ferdinand de Saussure, Roland Barthes 25 Deconstruction 649Jacques Derrida 26 Feminist Criticism 667Virginia Woolf, Simone de Beauvoir, Elaine Showalter, Michèle Barrett, Julia Kristeva, Hélène Cixous 27 Reader-Response and Reception Theory 708Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, Hans Robert Jauss, Wolfgang Iser, Stanley Fish 28 Postcolonial Criticism 737Frantz Fanon, Edward Said, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Homi Bhabha, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. 29 New Historicism 760Stephen Greenblatt, Michel Foucault Epilogue 772 Selective Bibliography 777 Index 791

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Book SynopsisThis remarkable and monumental book at last provides a comprehensive answer to the age-old riddle of whether there are only a small number of ''basic stories'' in the world. Using a wealth of examples, from ancient myths and folk tales via the plays and novels of great literature to the popular movies and TV soap operas of today, it shows that there are seven archetypal themes which recur throughout every kind of storytelling.But this is only the prelude to an investigation into how and why we are ''programmed'' to imagine stories in these ways, and how they relate to the inmost patterns of human psychology. Drawing on a vast array of examples, from Proust to detective stories, from the Marquis de Sade to E.T., Christopher Booker then leads us through the extraordinary changes in the nature of storytelling over the past 200 years, and why so many stories have ''lost the plot'' by losing touch with their underlying archetypal purpose.Booker analyses why evolution hasTrade Review....remarkable parallels between the structure of the modern film Jaws and that of the Old English Beowulf. * Writing Magazine *If you have any interest in fiction and the way it works, you will enjoy this exploration of the seven basic plots and how they have been adapted and developed across the centuries. * Writing Magazine *This magisterial volume really does offer readers a genuinely fresh and exciting perspective on virtually every tale ever told. -- BookmarkFantastically entertaining -- The TimesThis book...has mind-expanding properties. Not only for anyone interested in literature, but also for those fascinated by wider questions of how human beings organise their societies and explain the outside world to their inmost selves, it is fascinating. -- Katherine Sale * FT *Christopher Booker's mammoth account of plot types, archetypes, their role in literary history and where Western culture has gone horribly wrong. * Times Literary Supplement *His prose is a model of clarity, and his lively enthusiasm for fictions of every description is infectious...The Seven Basic Plots is...one of the most diverting works on storytelling I've ever encountered. -- Dennis Dutton * The Washington Post *This is the most extraordinary, exhilarating book. It always seemed to me that 'the story' was God's way of giving meaning to crude creation. Booker now interprets the mind of God, and analyses not just the novel - which will never to me be quite the same again - but puts the narrative of contemporary human affairs into a new perspective. If it took its author a lifetime to write, one can only feel gratitude that he did it. -- Fay WeldonAn enormous piece of work...nothing less than the story of all stories. And an extraordinary tale it is ... Booker ranges over vast tracts of literature, drawing together the plots of everything from Beowulf to Bond, from Sophocles to soap opera, from Homer to Homer Simpson, to show the underlying parallels in stories from what appear to be the most disparate sources. If stories are about "what happens next", this book sets out to show that the answer is always "the same things", then to explain why. I found it absolutely fascinating. -- Ian Hislop * Private Eye *This is literally an incomparable book, because there is nothing to compare it with. It goes to the heart of man's cultural evolution through the stories we have told since storytelling began. It illuminates our nature, our beliefs and our collective emotions by shining a bright light on them from a completely new angle. Original, profound, fascinating - and on top of it all, a really good read. -- Sir Antony Jay, co-author of Yes, MinisterI have been quite bowled over by Christopher Booker's new book. It is so well planned with an excellent beginning and the contrasts and comparisons throughout are highly entertaining as well as informative and most original - and always extremely readable. -- John BayleyBooker's knowledge and understanding of imaginative literature is unrivalled, his essays on the great authors both illuminating and stimulating. This is a truly important book, an accolade often bestowed and rarely deserved in our modern age. -- Dame Beryl Bainbridge...some splendid links between story and reality...enjoyably provocative -- Gordon Parsons * The Morning Star *It's hard not to admire the commitment of any writer whose book has taken 34 years to evolve. And there can be no doubting that Christopher Booker's 700-page, exhaustive examination of "Why we tell stories" - the book's subtitle - is a labour of love. -- Gordon Parsons * The Morning Star *one of the most brilliant books of recent years -- Bel Mooney * The Times *Table of ContentsIntroduction and historical notes PART ONE: THE SEVEN GATEWAYS TO THE UNDERWORLD 1 Overcoming the Monster 2 The Monster (II) and the Thrilling Escape from Death 3 Rages to Riches 4 The Quest 5 Voyage and Return 6 Comedy 7 Comedy (II): The Plot Disguised 8 Tragedy (I): The Five Stages 9 Tragedy (II): The Divided Self 10 Tragedy (III): The Hero as Monster 11 Rebirth 12 The Dark Power: From Shadow into Light Epilogue to Part One: The Rule of Three (the role played in stories by numbers) PART TWO: THE COMPLETE HAPPY ENDING Prologue to Part Two 13 The Dark Figures 14 Seeing Whole: The Feminine and Masculine Values 15 The Perfect Balance 16 The Unrealised Value 17 The Archetypal Family Drama (Continued) 18 The Light Figures 19 Reaching the Goal 20 The Fatal Flaw PART THREE: MISSING THE MARK 21 The Ego Takes Over (I): Enter the Dark Inversion 22 The Ego Takes Over (II): The Dark and Sentimental Versions 23 The Ego Takes Over (III): Quest, Voyage and Return, Comedy 24 The Ego Takes Over (IV): Tragedy and Rebirth 25 Losing the Plot: Thomas Hardy - A Case History 26 Going Nowhere: The Passive Ego. The Twentieth-Century Dead End - From Chekhov to Close Encounters 27 Why Sex and Violence? The Active Ego. The Twentieth-Century Obsession: From de Sade to The Terminator 28 Rebellion Against 'The One': From Job to Nineteen Eighty-Four 29 The Mystery 30 The Riddle of the Sphinx: Oedipus and Hamlet PART FOUR: WHY WE TELL STORIES 31 Telling Us Who We Are: Ego versus Instinct 32 Into the Real World: The Ruling Consciousness 33 Of Gods and Men: Reconnecting with 'The One' 34 The Age of Loki: The Dismantling of the Self Epilogue: The Light and the Shadows on the Wall Author's Personal Note Glossary of Terms Bibliography Index of Stories Cited General Index

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Book SynopsisFinalist, 2019 Locus Award for Nonfiction, presented by the Locus Science Fiction FoundationTraverses the history of imagined futures from the 1890s to the 2010s, interweaving speculative visions of gender, race, and sexuality from literature, film, and digital mediaOld Futures explores the social, political, and cultural forces feminists, queer people, and people of color invoke when they dream up alternative futures as a way to imagine transforming the present. Lothian shows how queer possibilities emerge when we practice the art of speculation: of imagining things otherwise than they are and creating stories from that impulse. Queer theory offers creative ways to think about time, breaking with straight and narrow paths toward the future laid out for the reproductive family, the law-abiding citizen, and the believer in markets. Yet so far it has rarely considered the possibility that, instead of a queer present reshaping the ways we rTrade ReviewAmassing an impressive and eclectic archive of utopian and dystopian writings under the fantastic heading of Old Futures, Alexis Lothian offers the most detailed and theoretically sophisticated account of Queer, Black, and feminist speculative fictions to date. Offering an array of futures, non-futures, un-futures, and no futures, this book shows us the precarious foundations upon which our own sense of the present sits. Lothians book is a marvel and will, I promise, never get old. -- Jack Halberstam,author of In A Queer Time and PlaceLothian's central concept of old futuresthe cast-off remains of speculations pastis both entertaining fodder and theoretically rich terrain for making queer theory new again. Theres something wonderfully bold about the books willingness to let & the future become concrete by turning to its many past versions, bringing them to light as commentary on where we are, and are not, now. -- Elizabeth Freeman,author of Time Binds: Queer Temporalities, Queer HistoriesLothian does something else entirely and opens up a new vantage point on the future by looking at it sideways, from outside its own timeline. That vantage point allows her (and us) to see the continuities, to see the way the leftover stuff of the past’s futures persists in and enlivens our present. * Science Fiction Studies *Lothian's insistence that many speculative texts contain both liberating queer images and unsettling normative messages is one of the strongest aspects of Old Futures . . .a book that is filled with unexpected yet crucial connections. -- Melanie E.S. Kohnen, * Transformative Works and Cultures *Through thoughtful analysis of a number of speculative stories from the last hundred years or so, Old Futures offers a solid contribution to both geek and queer studies. Lothian asks what we can learn from women, people of color, and queer-identifying people when they imagine futures for themselves free of oppression. * The Geek Anthropologist *It would be easy for Old Futures to feel scattered, covering as it does a century’s worth of source material, three different forms of media, and theory ranging from traditional SF criticism to fan studies. Yet somehow Lothian not only pulls it off, but makes it seem effortless. * SFRA Review *Overall, Lothian has constructed an admirable volume that I have already begun recommending to colleagues. This is her first book, and it bodes well; I look forward to seeing what Lothian does next. * SFRA Review *

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Book SynopsisBeginning theory has been helping students navigate through the thickets of literary and cultural theory for over two decades. This new and expanded fourth edition continues to offer readers the best single-volume introduction to the field. The bewildering variety of approaches, theorists and technical language is lucidly and expertly unravelled. Unlike many books which assume certain positions about the critics and the theories they represent, Beginning theory allows readers to develop their own ideas once first principles and concepts have been grasped. The book has been updated for this edition and includes a new introduction, expanded chapters, and an overview of the subject ('Theory after "Theory"') which maps the arrival of new 'isms' since the second edition appeared in 2002 and the third edition in 2009.Trade Review'There is no other book that offers such a comprehensive account of the field, combined with thoughtful, detailed exposition of the theoretical approaches under discussion. Far from being a modest survey of contemporary literary theory, it has had a vital role in shaping the way that theory is taught in Britain and North America.'English Association Newsletter‘In the fourth edition of his popular introduction to literary theory, Barry (emer., Aberystwyth Univ., Wales) amends and updates earlier versions (1995, 2002, 2009) and adds sections on newer theories such as consilience and posthumanism. The book is written explicitly for students of English literature, and in citing examples Barry tends to stick to the canonical—Wordsworth, Austen, Shakespeare, et al.—which renders the book less useful than it might be for students of other literatures and languages. Nevertheless, Barry’s readable text focuses helpfully on putting students at ease and giving them tools to think through difficult concepts and theories. In addition, practical exercises familiarize students new to the discipline with different ways of using theory to analyze literature. Most of the changes to the new edition are insubstantial, and some newer theories and practices, such as those relating to technology, are given short shrift. The majority of the references and suggestions for further reading are also the same as those used in earlier versions. Even so the book provides an approachable, understandable introduction to literary theory and would be useful to those not already in possession of the third edition.’M. Anderson, Southern Oregon University, Choice connect, Vol. 56, No. 2, October 2018 -- .Table of ContentsPreface to the fourth editionIntroduction1 Theory before 'theory'2 Structuralism 3 Post-structuralism and deconstruction 4 Postmodernism 5 Psychoanalytic criticism 6 Feminist criticism7 Queer theory8 Marxist criticism 9 New historicism and cultural materialism 10 Postcolonial criticism 11 Stylistics 12 Narratology 13 Ecocriticism14 Literary theory – a history in ten events15 Theory after 'Theory'AppendicesWhere do we go from here? Further readingIndex

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Book SynopsisFrom clay tablets to the printing press. From the pencil to the internet. From the Epic of Gilgamesh to Harry Potter. This is the true story of literature -- of how great texts and technologies have shaped cultures and civilizations and altered human history. The inventions of paper, the printing press and the world wide web are usually considered the major influences on the way we share stories. Less well known is the influence of Greek generals, Japanese court ladies, Spanish adventurers, Malian singers and American astronauts, and yet all of them played a crucial role in shaping and spreading literature as we know it today. The Written World tells the captivating story of the development of literature, where stories intersect with writing technologies like clay, stone, parchment, paper, printing presses and computers. Central to the development of religions, political movements and even nations, texts spread useful truths and frightening disinformation, and have the power to change lives. Through vivid storytelling and across a huge sweep of time, The Written World offers a new and enticing perspective on human history.

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Book SynopsisSince The Paris Review was founded in 1953, it has given us invaluable conversations with the greatest writers of our age, vivid self-portraits that are themselves works of finely-crafted literature. The magazine has spoken with most of the world's leading novelists, poets and playwrights, and the interviews themselves have come to be recognised as classic words of literature in their own right. The series as a whole is indispensable for all writers and readers.This new volume in the series builds on the success and acclaim of the first two editions. The interviews:Ralph Ellison (1955)Georges Simenon (1955)Isak Dineson (1956)Evelyn Waugh (1963)William Carlos Williams (1964)Harold Pinter (1966)John Cheever (1976)Joyce Carol Oates (1978)Jean Rhys (1979)Raymond Carver (1983)Chinua Achebe (1994)Ted Hughes (1995)Jan Morris (1997)Martin Amis (1998)Salman Rushdie (2005)Norman Mailer (2007)Trade ReviewIndispensable reading for anybody interested in how writers work and why writing continues to work. * * Daily Telegraph * *If you want to get acquainted with your favourite writer, you could go to a reading or a book-signing. But to really know them, you should read a Paris Review interview. * * The Times * *I have been fascinated by the Paris Review interviews for as long as I can remember. Taken together they form perhaps the finest available inquiry into the 'how' of literature, in many ways a more interesting question than 'why'. * * Salman Rushdie * *For writing nerds, this is nirvana. -- Colin Waters * * Sunday Herald * *Anyone with the slightest pretension a literary life needs to read this collection. * * The London Paper * *this second collection [The Paris Review Interviews vol. 2] of the magazine's interviews with writers is rich in delight. -- Steven Poole * * Guardian * *...much like its predecessor is a bull's-eye...this is a bible both for readers and writers, the insider gossip for those who are truly passionate about their prose [vol. 2]. -- Francesca Segal * * Observer * *I have read all the copies of The Paris Review and like the interviews very much. They will make a good book when collected and that will be very good for the Review. * * Ernest Hemingway * *The Paris Review is the finest literary magazine of the moment, a great contradiction of the prevailing gloom over the status of literature in contemporary life, and its arrival in these islands is an event that calls for loud hurrahs. * * John Banville * *The distinguished reputation of The Paris Review's long-standing series of interviews with writers is upheld in this volume. * * Daily Telegraph * *

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Book SynopsisSince The Paris Review was founded in 1953, it has given us invaluable conversations with the greatest writers of our age. Here is the fourth collection of brilliant interviews to be gathered together, 'a bible both for readers and writers, the insider gossip for those who are truly passionate about their prose.' (Observer)This new edition is introduced by Salman Rushdie and includes interviews with:William StyronMarianne MooreEzra PoundE.B. WhiteP.G. WodehouseJohn AshberyPhilip RothMaya AngelouOrhan PamukV.S. NaipaulStephen SondheimHaruki MurakamiDavid GrossmanMarilynne RobinsonTrade ReviewIndispensable reading for anybody interested in how writers work and why writing continues to work. * * Daily Telegraph * *If you want to get acquainted with your favourite writer, you could go to a reading or a book-signing. But to really know them, you should read a Paris Review interview. * * The Times * *I have been fascinated by the Paris Review interviews for as long as I can remember. Taken together they form perhaps the finest available inquiry into the 'how' of literature, in many ways a more interesting question than 'why'. -- Salman RushdieAn embarrassment of big names...As an insight into what the most famous writers of the last 50 years would like you to think of them, the Paris Review Interviews have many charms beside their illustrious roll-call. * * Prospect * *The greatest hits of the earlier series, as well as providing a more durable and accessible home for recent interviews....the interviewees are engaging anecdotalists and autobiographers. * * Observer * *A kind of a masterclass for aspiring writers. * * London Review of Books * *The Paris Review interviews have always provided the best look into the minds and work ethics of great writers and when read together constitute the closest thing to an MFA that you can get while sitting alone on your couch. -- Dave EggersThis is a delight. * * GQ * *The final volume of The Paris Review Interviews has just been published and writers can once again be reminded that we are not the first to have ridiculous ambitions, doubts and difficulties. The four volumes together will make a generous gift for anyone who writes or reads. One volume would be not too shabby either. -- Peter Carey * * Guardian * *

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Book SynopsisIn her entertaining and edifying New York Times bestseller, acclaimed author Francine Prose invites you to sit by her side and take a guided tour of the tools and tricks of the masters to discover why their work has endured. Written with passion, humour and wisdom, Reading Like a Writer will inspire readers to return to literature with a fresh eye and an eager heart - to take pleasure in the long and magnificent sentences of Philip Roth and the breathtaking paragraphs of Isaac Babel; to look to John le Carre for a lesson in how to advance plot through dialogue and to Flannery O'Connor for the cunning use of the telling detail; to be inspired by Emily Bronte's structural nuance and Charles Dickens's deceptively simple narrative techniques. Most importantly, Prose cautions readers to slow down and pay attention to words, the raw material out of which all literature is crafted, and reminds us that good writing comes out of good reading.Trade Review"For everyone studying English literature this book should be required reading; it is a wonderful explanation of how writers build their books from the words upwards." -- Daisy Goodwin The Sunday Times "a clarion call for aspiring writers to do that most simple, time-consuming but enjoyable thing: their homework ...Prose's forthright, waspish and often very funny book is a plea to all writers for vigour and clarity, one which encourages them to tend to the details of technique, and the mastery of language, as closely as they tend to their own ambition." -- Louise Doughty The Observer 'astute and enthusiastic commentary for writers and readers' Times Literary Supplement 'a volume that shows how to judge a book not by its cover, or even by its subject matter, but by the quality of its writing' Culture, The Sunday Times 'an essential book for any writer...who purports to take his or herself remotely seriously' The New Review, Observer 'Delightful and edifying...a fabulous book I intend to keep permanently to hand' Bookseller 'informative and inspiring' Good Book Guide

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Book SynopsisThis is one of the wisest books I've read in years...--New York Times Book Review No writer I know of comes close to even trying to articulate the weird magic of poetry as Ruefle does. She acknowledges and celebrates in the odd mystery and mysticism of the act--the fact that poetry must both guard and reveal, hint at and pull back...Also, and maybe most crucially, Ruefle's work is never once stuffy or overdone: she writes this stuff with a level of seriousness-as-play that's vital and welcome, that doesn't make writing poetry sound anything but wild, strange, life-enlargening fun. -The Kenyon Review Profound, unpredictable, charming, and outright funny...These informal talks have far more staying power and verve than most of their kind. Readers may come away dazzled, as well as amused...--Publishers Weekly This is a book not just for poets but for anyone interested in the human heart, the inner-life, the breath exhaling a completion of an idea that will make you feel changed in some way. This is a desert island book. --Matthew Dickman The accomplished poet is humorous and self-deprecating in this collection of illuminating essays on poetry, aesthetics and literature...- -San Francisco Examiner Over the course of fifteen years, Mary Ruefle delivered a lecture every six months to a group of poetry graduate students. Collected here for the first time, these lectures include "Poetry and the Moon," "Someone Reading a Book Is a Sign of Order in the World," and "Lectures I Will Never Give." Intellectually virtuosic, instructive, and experiential, Madness, Rack, and Honey resists definition, demanding instead an utter--and utterly pleasurable--immersion. Finalist for the 2012 National Book Critics Circle Award. Mary Ruefle has published more than a dozen books of poetry, prose, and erasures. She lives in Vermont.Table of ContentsTABLE OF CONTENTS On Beginnings Poetry and The Moon On Sentimentality On Theme On Secrets: Eight Beginnings, Two Ends On Fear Madness, Rack and Honey My Emily Dickinson Introduction To Lecture on Books So You Want To Write A Book? Someone Reading A Book Is A Sign Of Order In The World Remarks on Letters Kangaroo Beach I Remember, I Remember Introduction To Reading Great Poems Of The Past Twenty-Two Short Lectures Lectures I Will Never Give

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Book SynopsisA biography of one of the most important writers in English of the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century. It offers fresh insights into his life and work, concentrating on the themes, patterns, relationships, ideas and language common to his life and creative output.Trade Review"William Baker's Harold Pinter affords readers with a comprehensive, career-spanning analysis of the Nobel Laureate's life and art. A deft and eminently rewarding exploration of one of postwar literature's great masters, Baker's study will become the standard-bearer for our understanding and enjoyment of Pinter's time-eclipsing work." - Professor Ken Womack, Penn State University, USATable of ContentsIntroduction and Acknowledgements; 1. Growing Up; 2. Ireland, Precarious Existence and Marriage; 3. Early Plays; 4. Success; 5. Turning Points; 6. The 1970s and 1980s; 7. The 1990s and Beyond: Political Engagement; 8. Conclusion: Cancer, The Nobel Prize, Mutations of Mortality, Poetry; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisTwo poets, a playwright and a novelist – Michael Longley, Eavan Boland, Frank McGuiness and Anita Desai – explore in these essays aspects of the imaginative process as each has experienced it: four major writers, four sensibilities, four ways of seeing creativity and its contexts. MICHAEL LONGLEY writes with remarkable candour of his years – 1970 to 1991 – as arts administrator in Northern Ireland. Transforming anecdote into parable, this noted poet measures the cost of ‘trying to remain true to yourself facing the ”dark tower”‘ while being part of an essential but often soul-destroying bureaucracy. EAVAN BOLAND, merging the personal and the theoretical, contends that the place of women as writers in Irish society have been shaped by a ‘ fusion of the national and the feminine’. FRANK MCGUINESS, the internationally acclaimed playwright, offers a radically innovative reading of Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis, while calling into being the material contexts of creativity – in this instance, a prison cell. The Indian novelist ANITA DESAI looks at her country’s colonial heritage and a shared background that gave rise to the work of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and the film-maker Satyajit Ray. Her fascinating lecture shows how a vibrant indigenous culture, coming into fruitful contact with the West at the end of the nineteenth century, blossomed into artistic creation – yielding parallels with Ireland.

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Book SynopsisA new edition of this classic from one of the greatest writers of the nineteenth century. Features the definitive Clarendon edition of Villette which is sourced from the earliest printings of Brontë's great work. The text is supplemented with a newly commissioned introduction, which gives a thorough and in depth analysis of the context of this fine example of the nineteenth century novel.

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Book SynopsisThe story of Manon Lescaut is a tale of passion and betrayal, of delinquency and misalliance, which moves from eighteenth-century Paris - with its theatres, assemblies, and gaming-houses - via prison and deportation to a tragic denouement among the treeless waste of Louisiana. It is one of the great love stories, and also one of the most enigmatic. This new translation includes the vignette and eight illustrations that were published in the edition of1753.Trade Review'an excellent new translation of Manon Lescaut, with a number of useful and welcome features' * MLR *

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Book SynopsisNo other edition offers extensive textual apparatus such as explanatory notes, plot summaries, particularly vital as stories are complex and interwoven. The Sultan Schahriar''s misguided resolution to shelter himself from the possible infidelities on his wives leads to an outbreak of barbarity in his kingdoms and a reign of terror in his court, stopped only by the resourceful Scheherazade. The tales with which Scheherazade nightly postpones the muderous intent of the sultan have entered our language and our lives like no other collection of narratives before or since. Sinbad, Aladdin, Ali Baba: all make their spectacular entrance on to the stage of English literary history in the Arabian Nights Entertainments (1704-17). The stories contained in this `store house of ingenious fiction'' initiate a pattern of literary reference and influence which today remains as powerful and intense as it was throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This edition reproduces in its entirety the earliest English translation of the French orientalist Antoine Galland''s Mille et une Nuits. This remained for over a century the only English translation of the story cycle, influencing an incalculable number of writers, and no other edition offers the complete text supplemented by full textual apparatus. 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 SynopsisPaints a lucid picture of the medieval world view, providing the historical and cultural background to the literature of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. This, Lewis's last book, has been hailed as 'the final memorial to the work of a great scholar and teacher and a wise and noble mind'.Table of ContentsPreface; 1. The medieval situation; 2. Reservations; 3. Selected materials: the classical period; 4. Selected materials: the seminal period; 5. The heavens; 6. The longaevi; 7. Earth and her inhabitants; 8. The influence of the model; Epilogue; Index.

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