Satirical fiction and parodies

Book SynopsisThe Number One Global Sensation*Foyle's Fiction Book of the Year**Amazon Book of the Year**Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year**Fiction Book of the Year 2024 British Book Awards*Addictive' GraziaHugely entertaining' ObserverProvocative' Mail on SundayTHIS IS ONE HELL OF A STORY. IT'S JUST NOT HERS TO TELL.When failed writer June Hayward witnesses her rival Athena Liu die in a freak accident, she sees her opportunity and takes it.So what if it means stealing Athena's final manuscript?So what if it means borrowing' her identity?And so what if the first lie is only the beginningFinally, June has the fame she always deserved. But someone is about to expose her What happens next is entirely everyone else''s fault. The book that everyone is talking about' GlamourIngenious, astute, hugely entertaining' David NichollsBreathtakingly clever on jealousy, talent, success, and who gets to tell which story' Elizabeth DayHard to put down. Harder to forget' Stephen KingR.F. Kuang's book YellTrade Review‘Propulsive’ SUNDAY TIMES ‘Razor-sharp’ TIME ‘A clever, pacy tale’ SARA PASCOE 'Tense, modern… a brilliant exploration of the literary world' AISLING BEA ‘A riot’ PANDORA SYKES ‘Darkly comic’ GQ ‘A wild ride’ STYLIST ‘Pacy and provocative’ MAIL ON SUNDAY ‘A hugely entertaining account of a brazen literary heist’ OBSERVER ‘A wicked little satire of publishing, racial politics and icky internet culture’ THE TIMES ‘Intriguing’ ELLE ‘Strikingly topical’ GUARDIAN ‘Utterly diverting’ FINANCIAL TIMES ‘Blistering’ SCOTSMAN ‘Unforgettable’ WOMAN & HOME ‘A spiky, snarky, shady, smart, sinister take on white privilege’ NIKKI MAY ‘Incisive and compelling… sweeps the reader up on a thrilling ride, but leaves us thinking about the questions raised for days’ JENNIFER SAINT ‘A rollicking good read that you’ll struggle to put down’ WOMAN’S WEEKLY ‘Deeply, darkly hilarious’ MARIE CLAIRE ‘So addictive you could easily risk heatstroke if you read it on a sun lounger’ GRAZIA ‘This acute, fast-paced thriller will have literary insiders nodding in recognition and outsiders gasping in shock’ THE BOOKSELLER ‘A firecracker of a book’ i PAPER ‘Uncomfortable and addictive… a must-read’ INDEPENDENT ‘Not since Martin Amis’s The Information has the venality, self-regard and absurdity of the writing life been so gloriously skewered’ THE CRITIC ‘Once you start, you won’t be able to put it down’ HEAT ‘Scathing, spiky and full of laugh-out-loud moments’ GLAMOUR ‘Well-observed and alarmingly convincing’ DAILY MAIL ‘Sharp and funny… a superb insight into the publishing world’ PRIMA

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Book SynopsisSOON TO BE A MAJOR TV SERIES Discover Joseph Heller's hilarious and tragic satire on military madness, and the tale of one man's efforts to survive it. It’s the closing months of World War II and Yossarian has never been closer to death.Trade ReviewIt is a rare book in that it has the ability to make you laugh out loud and be deeply moved within a few pages. -- Adam Staten * British Journal of General Practice *Wildly original, brutally gruesome, a dazzling performance that will outrage as many readers as it delights. Vulgarly, bitterly funny, it will not be forgotten by those who can take it * New York Times *Blessedly, monstrously, bloatedly, cynically funny and fantastically unique. No one has ever written a book like this * Financial Times *Blessedly, monstrously, bloatedly, cynically funny, and fantastically unique. No one has ever written a book like this * Financial Times *An apocalyptic masterpiece * Chicago Times *

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Book SynopsisThe brand-new, hilarious, feel-good adventure from the internationally bestselling author of The Hundred Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and DisappearedSweden, late summer of 2011. Self-taught astrophysicist Petra has calculated that the atmosphere will collapse on the 21st of September that year, around 21.20 to be more precise, bringing about the end of times.Armed with this terrible knowledge, Petra meets Johan, a domesday prophet, and Agnes, a widow of 75 who has made bank living a double life on social media as a young influencer. Together, the trio race through Europe as they plan to make the most out of the time they have left, in more ways than one.But of course, things rarely go to plan, even the end of the world

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Book SynopsisBoth cutting and laugh-out-loud, this is Sir Terry Pratchett at his best, shining a light upon the real world through a pageturning adventure across the streets of Ankh-Morpork''This book has so much more than most. Excellent read, absolutely worth your time'' Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Wind''Funny in a clever, scholarly, satire sort of way, with an occasional bad pun or lowbrow shot to keep you on your toes . . . If you, like me, have been living in a hole and ignoring Pratchett, then this is a good one with which to start'' Brandon Sanderson, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Stormlight Archive''Be a MAN in the City Watch! The City Watch needs MEN!''But what it''s got includes Corporal Carrot (technically a dwarf), Lance-constable Cuddy (really a dwarf), Lance-constable Detritus (a troll), Lance-constable Angua (a woman... most of the time) and Corpor

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Book SynopsisThe multi-million copy number one bestsellerOne of The Sunday Times's top 100 bestselling books of the past 50 yearsWelcome to Bridget's first diary: mercilessly funny, endlessly touching and utterly addictive.A dazzlingly urban satire on modern relationships?An ironic, tragic insight into the demise of the nuclear family?Or the confused ramblings of a pissed thirty-something?As Bridget documents her struggles through the social minefield of her thirties and tries to weigh up the eternal question (Daniel Cleaver or Mark Darcy?), she turns for support to four indispensable friends: Shazzer, Jude, Tom and a bottle of chardonnay.Helen Fielding's first Bridget Jones novel, Bridget Jones's Diary, sparked a phenomenon that has seen four books, newspaper columns and the smash-hit film series Bridget Jones's Diary, The Edge of Reason, Bridget Jones's Baby and Mad About the BoyTrade ReviewI cannot recommend a book more joyfully . . . Hilariously funny, miraculously observed, endlessly touching. -- Jilly Cooper * Daily Telegraph *Brilliant . . . any woman who has ever had a job, a relationship or indeed a mother will read it and roar. -- Gill Hornby * The Times *Effortlessly addictive . . . presents a perfect zeitgeist of single female woes. * Sunday Express *A brilliant comic creation . . . even men will laugh. -- Salman RushdieA gloriously funny book. * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisCollects Right Ho, Jeeves; Joy in the Morning; and Carry on, Jeeves''If you haven''t read PG Wodehouse in a hot bath with a snifter of whiskey and ideally a rubber duck for company, you haven''t lived [...] A book that''s a sheer joy to read.'' INDEPENDENT''To dive into a Wodehouse novel is to swim in some of the most elegantly turned phrases in the English language.'' BEN SCHOTT______________________Jeeves may not always see eye to eye with Bertie Wooster on ties and fancy waistcoats, but he can always be relied on to whisk his young master spotlessly out of the soup (even if, for tactical reasons, he did drop him in it in the first place).The paragon of Gentlemen''s Personal Gentlemen shimmers through the pages in much the same way he did through the first Jeeves Omnibus. This volume contains one brilliant collection of short stories and two hilarious novels: Right Ho, Jeeves, Joy in Trade ReviewThe greatest comic writer ever * Douglas Adams *The funniest writer ever to put words to paper -- Hugh LaurieP.G. Wodehouse wrote the best English comic novels of the century -- Sebastian FaulksSublime comic genius -- Ben Elton

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.''I want I want somehow to get away with you into a world where words like that categories like that won''t exist. Where we shall be simply two human beings who love each other, who are the whole of life to each other; and nothing else on earth will matter.'Newland Archer, a successful and charming young lawyer conducts himself by the rules and standards of the polite, upper class New York society that he resides in. Happily engaged to the pretty and conventional May Welland, his attachment guarantees his place in this rigid world of the elite.However, the arrival of May's cousin, the exotic and beautiful European Countess Olenska throws Newland's life upside down. A divorcee, Olenska is ostracised by those around her, yet Newland is fiercely drawn to her wit, determination and willingness to flout convention. With the Countess, Newland is freed from the limitations that surround him and truly begins t

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Book SynopsisThe witches of the Discworld are back! An hysterical exploration of the magical world of the opera, brimming with Sir Terry Pratchett''s stylish wit''Pratchett uses his other world to hold up a distorting mirror to our own'' The Times THE SHOW MUST GO ON, AS MURDER, MUSIC AND MAYHEM RUN RIOT IN THE NIGHT...The Opera House, Ankh-Morpork... A huge, rambling building, where innocent young sopranos are lured to their destiny by a strangely familiar evil mastermind in a hideously deformed evening dress...At least, he hopes so. But Granny Weatherwax, Discworld''s most famous witch, is in the audience. And she doesn''t hold with that sort of thing.So there''s going to be trouble (but nevertheless a good evening''s entertainment with murders you can really hum...)Readers love Maskerade:''This book had me sniggering and even laughing out loud every 20 pages or so, it truly was an Trade ReviewA sequence of unalloyed delight - GUARDIANHe is screamingly funny. He is wise. He has style - DAILY TELEGRAPHHis spectacular inventiveness makes the Discworld series one of the perennial joys of modern fiction - MAIL ON SUNDAYPratchett has a subject and a style that is very much his own - SUNDAY TIMESTo say that Terry Pratchett is popular is a bit like saying the Arctic Circle is a bit nippy - SUNDAY EXPRESS

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Book SynopsisThe ultimate Tolkien Parody. 300,000 copies sold in since 2001!Trade ReviewLurches drunkenly through Tolkien's narrative, scrawling graffiti on noble citadels and firing off gags with such machine-gun speed that something hits the funny bone on almost every page -- David Langford

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Book SynopsisThe bold and boundlessly original debut novel from the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Synecdoche, New York.Riotously funny' New York TimesJust as loopy and clever as his movies' Washington PostB. Rosenberger Rosenberg, neurotic and underappreciated film critic (failed academic, filmmaker, paramour, shoe salesman who sleeps in a sock drawer), stumbles upon a hitherto unseen film by an enigmatic outsider a three-month-long stop-motion masterpiece that took its reclusive auteur ninety years to complete. Convinced that the film will change his career trajectory and rock the world of cinema to its core, that it might possibly be the greatest movie ever made, B. knows that it is his mission to show it to the rest of humanity. The only problem: the film is destroyed, leaving him the sole witness to its inadvertently ephemeral genius.All that's left is a single frame from which B. must somehow attempt to recall the work of art thTrade Review‘Magnificent … crammed with insanely creative gags’ Guardian ‘Outstanding. Combining his films’ most urgent themes and recurring concerns in a format that supports the digressions and logic-loops he’s so famous for, Charlie Kaufman may have out-Kaufmaned himself’ The i ‘A very strong debut novel, a long, anguished spill of a book, full of buried furies and nervy philosophical expeditions, constantly tossing off sparks of humour and imagination … at once surreal and highly readable’ LA Times ‘Marked by a feverish genius. Antkind is Kaufman pushing himself to every formal and social limit, no holds barred, bleak and devastating, yet marvellous’ LA Times Review of Books ‘Magnificent, genius, enraging, mysterious, joyous, terrifying and, above all, hilarious! Antkind might contain the universe’ Andrew Sean Greer, author of Less ‘A full-throttled absurdist revolt against the constraints of the audience-tested mass entertainment, Antkind is unbridled Kaufman energy and wit coming up against the limits of the imagination itself: discursive, subversive, and genuinely funny’ Joshua Ferris, author of Then We Came to the End ‘To paraphrase Charlie Kaufman, it’s like a brain factory in there! This is a whopper of a book, bursting with the driest of humour, the strangest of scenarios, and the most brilliant of observations. It is wholly original, maddening, and marvellous’ Susan Orlean, author of The Library Book ‘Each page is so stuffed with invention, audacity and hilarity, it feels like an act of defiance. Antkind is a fever dream you don’t want to be shaken awake from, a thrill ride that veers down stranger and stranger alleys until you find yourself in a reality so kaleidoscopic you will question your own sanity. Or: the novel only Charlie Kaufman could pull off’ Maria Semple, author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette

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Book Synopsis''Sharp and wicked, insightful and funny, and then suddenly so touching'' DAVID NICHOLLS''It is a Great Novel . . . It has depth, wit, nuance and life. Heartbreaking and funny'' NIGELLA LAWSON''This is the novel of the summer . . . There is no one that this book isn''t for. I can''t believe it''s a first novel. Pure brilliance'' INDIA KNIGHT, THE SUNDAY TIMES''Could be one of the books of my entire lifetime. I''ve never felt so seen'' GRACE DENT, GUARDIAN''This book is a work of utter perfection'' ELIZABETH GILBERTTHE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, JUNE 2019Finally free from his nightmare marriage, Toby Fleishman is ready for a life of online dating and weekend-only parental duties. But as he optimistically looks to a future that is wildly different from the one he imagined, his life turns upside-down as hTrade ReviewThis is the novel of the summer . . . It is incredibly wise. There is no one that this book isn't for. I can't believe it's a first novel. Pure brilliance -- India Knight * The Sunday Times *This book . . . is the most astonishingly brilliant Trojan horse of a novel. Begins as a hilarious, fast-paced tale of a middle-aged Manhattan man navigating fast sex culture of dating apps, ends as a gut-punch feminist text * Dolly Alderton, author of Everything I Know About Love *Sharp and wicked, insightful and funny, and then suddenly so touching * David Nicholls, author of One Day *Wonderful. Utterly blistering about how women have to live - a powerful feminist book wrapped with perfect stealth in a wildly entertaining, moving story * Marian Keyes, author of The Break *Here is a portrait of modern love and marriage that is blisteringly funny, wincingly painful, and - ultimately - both heartbreaking and humane. Fleishman Is in Trouble reminds me of the great novels of the 1960s and 1970s - just the sort of thing that Philip Roth or John Updike might have produced in their prime (except, of course, that the author understands women). Taffy Brodesser-Akner can write the pants off any novelist out there. She's a star, and this book is a work of utter perfection * Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love *Fleishman Is in Trouble is so much smarter than a Great American Novel wannabe written by another clever man . . . What Brodesser-Akner has achieved here, by Trojan-horsing herself into Toby's point of view, is to quietly reveal the souls of the women in the story. But more than that, to show that all stories - about marriage, love, loss, hope and disappointment - really are universal. Libby believes that "all humans are essentially the same, but only some of us, the men, were truly allowed to be that without apology". This is an honest, powerful, human story with no apologies. And it will do the "American Novel" a power of good. -- Katy Guest * Guardian *I have just finished Fleishman Is in Trouble... and feel bereft. I read it too fast, because I couldn't stop, but can't bear that it's ended. It is a Great Novel (yes: cap G; Cap N). It has depth, wit, nuance and life. Heartbreaking and funny * Nigella Lawson *From its opening pages, Fleishman is in Trouble is shrewdly observed, brimming with wisdom and utterly of this moment. Not until its explosive final pages are you fully aware of its cunning ferocity. Taffy Brodesser-Akner's debut is that rare and delicious treat: a page turner with heft -- Maria Semple * Where'd You Go, Bernadette *Delving deep into the gender inequalities of sex, marriage, divorce and online dating in modern-day New York, it is a book teeming with insights and humour, a genuine tour de force -- Sarah Gilmartin * The Irish Times *So urgently modern and relevant . . . I kept turning down pages * Hadley Freeman *Chock full with humour and originality . . . It's a grown-up comedy that actually has far deeper things to say about love -- Francesca Brown * Stylist *Excellent first novel by the New York Times super-interviewer -- Josh Glancy * The Sunday Times Magazine *Smart and sassy but also dark and scabrous, fans of Maria Semple will love Fleishman Is in Trouble too. -- Red Online * Sarra Manning *It's biting and bracing, and - like the best beach reads - offers unflinching insight into the unexplored depths of the human condition. -- Kristin Iversen * Nylon *Her debut novel takes her uncanny knack for articulating the human condition with incisive tenderness to new heights; Fleishman is in Trouble is a wisdom-packed story about modern relationships * Porter *Firing on all circuits, from psychological insight to cultural acuity to narrative strategy to very smart humor. Quite a debut! * Kirkus (Starred Review) *Fans of Taffy Brodesser-Akner's whipsmart profiles will not be disappointed by her debut novel. Extending the same heady cocktail of forensic observation, sardonic wit and cynicism mixed with zeitgeist, Brodesser Akner writes a novel for our times: what makes a marriage? A parent? A man? And when does it all end? * Pandora Sykes *A marvel, full of shrewd observations, barbed wit, and deep insight. Taffy Brodesser-Akner reveals the twisted hearts of her characters - and the twisted soul of contemporary America - with an eye that is at once pitiless and full of compassion for our human foibles. This is a remarkable debut novel from one of the most distinctive writers around -- Tom Perrotta * Little Children *You're going to want to read this one: Fleishman in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner . . . It's about everything - love, friendship, life, death. Or, to borrow what we will now call the Tayari Jones standard, a literary novel with a great plot -- Laura Lippman * Sunburn *This glorious debut has the humor of Maria Semple, the heart of Meg Wolitzer, the lustiness of Philip Roth, and a voice that is pure. It's wild and wonderful and goes in so many directions, each with profundity - my favorite thing that novels can do. How does one's favorite journalist become one's new favorite novelist? With this book -- Emma Straub * The Vacationers *Blisteringly funny, feverishly smart, heart-breaking and true. Fleishman Is In Trouble is an essential read for anyone who's wondered how to navigate loving (and hating) the people we choose -- Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney * The Nest *A funny critique of the intoxicating life of the recently separated... Everyone is disastrous and everyone is human, and the writing is so sharp that one finishes the novel somehow feeling warm towards them all -- Emma Brockes * Guardian *A shrewd meditation on marriage and middle age... A twisty, sophisticated narrative filled with humour and pathos -- Olivia Petter * Independent *Deftly done -- Olivia Ovenden * Esquire UK *You don't get advance praise from Elizabeth Gilbert . . . for nothing. This New York Times writer's satirical novel about marriage and relationships in 2019 is dazzlingly clever -- Clara Strunck * Evening Standard Magazine *Funny, acutely observed and certain to be on every sun lounger this summer -- Sarah Hughes * iNews *[A] funny, searing debut . . . Shrewd and satirical, but balanced with sympathy, it's an impressive first novel from the New York Times Magazine writer -- Francesca Carington * Tatler *Believe the hype. Fleishman Is in Trouble is even better than we were promised . . . A feminist jeremiad nested inside a brilliant comic novel - a book that makes you laugh so hard you don't notice till later that your eyebrows have been singed off -- Ron Charles * Washington Post *Witty and well-observed . . . Brodesser-Akner has written a potent, upsetting and satisfying novel -- Tom Rachman * The New York Times *Enthralling . . . [Brodesser-Akner] writes with the heft and masterful wordplay of a [Tom] Wolfe, but with empathy for and curiosity about all the players in the tale. It's a cutting sociological dissection of the way we live now, but it cares about its characters as people . . . Fleishman Is in Trouble will occasionally make you angry at the things the people in it do, but mostly it will make you hungry for whatever Brodesser-Akner is going to write next -- Alan Sepinwall * Rolling Stone *[Brodesser-Akner's] prose is seamless, her asides clever, her observations always on point. Without flattening her subjects, she locates the stakes of their quotidian dramas and the hidden tensions of their seemingly controlled lives, transforming something unremarkable into something textured, absorbing, and darkly funny. When she writes a book about modern heterosexual marriage, you don't roll your eyes; you clear your schedule -- Claire Fallon * Huffington Post *Taffy Brodesser-Akner dissects a marriage - and in doing so, interrogates the entire institution. She creates a page-turner as insightful as it is impossible to put down -- Elena Nicolaou * Refinery29 *In her debut novel, Brodesser-Akner does the seemingly impossible, imbuing the classic tale of middle-aged male ennui with a sense of empathy for women -- Keely Weiss * Harpers Bazaar *Brodesser-Akner is a master of zeitgeisty pith -- Hillary Kelly * Vogue *Fleishman Is in Trouble offers a fresh take on modern relationships and mid-life reckonings in a story that complicates the roles of gender, social status, and ambition, with a delightfully comical exploration of emoji culture to boot -- Allison McNearney * The Daily Beast *Toby Fleishman isn't the only one in trouble. Infusing candor, humor and social commentary, this book holds up a mirror to all of us, demanding that we take a hard look at how we live and how we love * Mail Online *Debuts like this don't come along very often -- Phoebe Luckhurst * Evening Standard *A funny, dazzlingly written, delicious subversion of the marriage novel . . . It's wry, deeply felt and moving - it's definitely the book you should read this summer -- Siobhan Murphy * The Times *Just finished reading Fleishman is in Trouble and it is brilliant. Insights into middle age and marriage that will make you sit up straight in your chair, if you happen to be middle aged, and married. * Tracey Thorn, author of Another Planet *This dazzling switchblade of a first novel by Taffy Brodesser-Akner is smart and sexy and pitiless and humane. I think human beings must be cellophane to her. Thoroughly recommended * Rhik Samadder, author of I Never Said I Loved You *Wonderfully, perceptively written . . . What I really loved was the savage social satire. Class division and wealthy one-upmanship, holiday homes, spin classes, mega-apartments, posh schools; it's all here. -- Wendy Holden * Daily Mail *Taffy Brodesser-Akner's Fleishman is in Trouble is a clever novel that upends the sexist clichés of the Great American Novel as written by Philip Roth and John Updike -- Richard Godwin * The Times *Every summer produces a status read, though it is a bonus when it's one that's also a must-read. This year's hot tome is Fleishman Is In Trouble, a novel by American journalist Taffy Brodesser-Akner that is both a comedy of Manhattan manners and a very modern battle of the sexes, exploring a clash of female rage and male inadequacy -- Phoebe Luckhurst * Evening Standard *Stylish, smart, surprising. I loved it * Nina Stibbe, author of Reasons to be Cheerful *A great book. Really funny and really right about the deepest human stuff. All hail Taffy Brodesser-Akner -- David BaddielThere may be readers who opened Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner hoping to be shocked by all the heavily reported sex and profanity. Indeed, the opening chapter suggests that the book is just about a newly separated middle-aged man, who, after years of monogamy, is bemused and confounded by the brutally sexualised business of online dating. It's a captivating start but the book is much more profound than that. Brodesser-Akner, in her debut novel, captures the essence of modern, middle-class New York mores brilliantly -- Alan Johnson * New Statesman *Could be one of the books of my entire lifetime. I've never felt so seen . . . A coruscating, dizzying, razor-sharp attack on modern marriage, fatherhood, Tinder sex, social hierarchical woes and midlife unravelling. -- Grace Dent * Guardian *I do think this book changed my life! . . . It's hilarious, fascinating, painfully observant. I have recommended it to every single person I know -- Scarlett CurtisThis first novel by one of America's sharpest journalists is the story of hapless Jewish doctor Toby Fleishman, raising his two children alone and discovering the joys of casual sex after being abandoned by his wife. Although at first we see the world through Toby's eyes, contradictory voices gradually begin to emerge in this cunningly constructed and acidly funny debut. * Sunday Express *

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Book SynopsisP. G. Wodehouse (1881-1975) is widely regarded as the greatest comic writer of the 20th century. Wodehouse wrote more than 70 novels and 200 short stories, creating numerous much-loved characters - the inimitable Jeeves and Wooster, Lord Emsworth and his beloved Empress of Blandings, Mr Mulliner, Ukridge, and Psmith. His humorous articles were published in more than 80 magazines, including Punch, over six decades. He was also a highly successful music lyricist, once with over five musicals running on Broadway simultaneously. P.G. Wodehouse was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for 'an outstanding and lasting contribution to the happiness of the world'.Trade ReviewThe gold standard of English wit … There is not, and never will be, anything to touch him -- Christopher HitchensIt's dangerous to use the word genius to describe a writer, but I'll risk it with him -- John HumphrysMr Wodehouse’s idyllic world can never stale. He will continue to release future generations from captivity that may be more irksome than our own. He has made a world for us to live in and delight in -- Evelyn Waugh

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Book SynopsisTerry Pratchett was the acclaimed creator of the global bestselling Discworld series, the first of which, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983. In all, he was the author of over fifty bestselling books which have sold over 100 million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal. He was awarded a knighthood for services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest service to literature was to avoid writing any. www.terrypratchettbooks.comTrade ReviewDelightful...gleeful and downright mischievous—Sunday TelegraphPratchett's writing is a constant delight. No one mixes the fantastical and the mundane to better comic effect or offers sharper insights into the absurdities of human endeavour—Daily Mail

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Book SynopsisA laugh-out-loud, perceptive and thought-provoking fantasy romp dismantling the ridiculousness of gender inequality''Granny Weatherwax is one of my favourite characters of Pratchett''s'' Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Wind''Persistently amusing, good-hearted and shrewd'' Sunday TimesIt is known as the Discworld. It is a flat planet, supported on the backs of four elephants, who in turn stand on the back of the great turtle A''Tuin as it swims majestically through space. And it is quite possibly the funniest place in all of creation.The last thing the wizard Drum Billet did, before Death laid a bony hand on his shoulder, was to pass on his staff of power to the eighth son of an eighth son. Unfortunately for his colleagues in the chauvinistic (not to say misogynistic) world of magic, he failed to check on the new-born baby''s sex...Terry Pratchett turns hi

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Book SynopsisNow a major new Netflix film from Noah Baumbach, starring Adam Driver and Greta GerwigHow strange it is. We have these deep terrible lingering fears about ourselves and the people we love. Yet we walk around, talk to people, eat and drink. We manage to function. The feelings are deep and real. Shouldn’t they paralyze us?Jack Gladney is the creator and chairman of Hitler studies at the College-on-the-Hill. This is the story of his absurd life; a life that is going well enough, until a chemical spill from a train carriage releases an ‘Airborne Toxic Event’ and Jack is forced to confront his biggest fear – his own mortality.White Noise is an effortless combination of social satire and metaphysical dilemma in which Don DeLillo exposes our rampant consumerism, media saturation and novelty intellectualism. It captures the particular strangeness of life lived when the fear of death cannot be denied, repressed or obscured and ponders the role of the family in a time when the very meaning of our existence is under threat.‘America’s greatest living writer.’ – ObserverPart of the Picador Collection, a series showcasing the best of modern literature.Trade ReviewAmerica's greatest living writer. * Observer *An extraordinarily funny book on a serious subject, effortlessly combining social comedy, disaster, fiction and philosophy . . . hilariously, and grimly, successful. * Daily Telegraph *An astonishing novel . . . unforgettable . . . nearly every page crackles with memorable moments and perfectly turned phrases . . . dizzying, darkly beautiful fiction. * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisTerry Pratchett was the acclaimed creator of the global bestselling Discworld series, the first of which, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983. In all, he was the author of over fifty bestselling books which have sold over 100 million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal. He was awarded a knighthood for services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest service to literature was to avoid writing any.www.terrypratchettbooks.comTrade ReviewA consistently clever, charming and funny voice—IndependentHe wasn't imagining an alternative universe; he was reimagining ours—Frank Cottrell Boyce, GuardianCracking dialogue, compelling illogic and unchained whimsy... Pratchett has a subject and a style that is very much his own—Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisA beautiful gift edition of the first two Discworld novels - The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic - stunningly depicted in comic format for the first time - a fun read for established fans and new audiences alike.''Excellent and wacky as a good Pratchett should be'' -- ***** Reader review''A must-have for any Discworld fan'' -- ***** Reader review''Awesome'' -- ***** Reader review*************************************************************Imagine a flat world, sitting on the backs of four elephants, who hurtle through space balanced on a giant turtle. This is the Discworld - a place (and a time) parallel to our own - but also very different.The Discworld Graphic Novels presents the very first two volumes of this much-loved series (The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic) in graphic novel form. Introduced here are the bizarre misadventures of Twoflower,

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Book SynopsisBret Easton Ellis is the author of several novels, including Imperial Bedrooms, Less Than Zero, The Rules of Attraction, American Psycho, Glamorama and Lunar Park, and a collection of stories, The Informers. Less Than Zero, The Rules of Attraction, American Psycho and The Informers have all been made into films. His first work of non-fiction, White, was published in 2019. He is the host of the Bret Easton Ellis Podcast available on Patreon. He lives in Los Angeles.Trade ReviewAn enormously entertaining novel, powered by a celebratory fun entirely absent in the writing of the generation of American writers who succeeded Ellis. * Independent *Great emotional complexity and depth . . . it’s a very interesting ride with an always interesting novelist – and, as such, is one worth taking. * The Times *Sharply observed, insidiously disquieting and extremely funny. * Literary Review *A triumphant piece of storytelling from a rebel whose work is controversial precisely because its sinister themes are so dexterously written. -- Chris Cleave * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisBret Easton Ellis is the author of several novels, including Imperial Bedrooms, Less Than Zero, The Rules of Attraction, American Psycho, Glamorama and Lunar Park, and a collection of stories, The Informers. Less Than Zero, The Rules of Attraction, American Psycho and The Informers have all been made into films. His first work of non-fiction, White, was published in 2019. He is the host of the Bret Easton Ellis Podcast available on Patreon. He lives in Los Angeles.Trade ReviewA murder mystery – a woozy, paranoid, hallucinatory version of LA noir. * Sunday Times *Brilliantly written and coolly self-aware . . . Here, as in Less Than Zero, Ellis is plumbing the depths of human nature, exposing it at its worst. * Observer *The novel is a kind of modern noir and, as in Chandler, the form’s accepted master, atmosphere is king. Paranoia prevails. * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisDavid Lodge (CBE)'s novels include Changing Places, Small World and Nice Work (shortlisted for the Booker) and, most recently, A Man of Parts. He has also written plays and screenplays, and several books of literary criticism. His works have been translated into more than thirty languages. He is Emeritus Professor of English Literature at Birmingham, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and is a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.Trade ReviewLodge's wit... like that of Wodehouse, froths around and out of characters.. hugely enjoyable * Spectator *Clever enough to confirm him as one of the leading comic writers of his generation * Guardian *All funny, clever and beautifully paced * Daily Mail *

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Book Synopsis''I can honestly say I can''t think of another book that ever made me laugh this much. Ever'' Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the WindEnsign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It''s a prestige posting, and Andrew is even more delighted when he''s assigned to the ship''s Xenobiology laboratory. Life couldn''t be better ... although there are a few strange things going on:(1) every Away Mission involves a lethal confrontation with alien forces(2) the ship''s captain, the chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these encounters(3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed. Suddenly it''s less surprising how much energy is expended below decks on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned an Away Mission. Andrew''s fate may have bee

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Book SynopsisRincewind is back in another hilarious Discworld adventure, featuring Sir Terry Pratchett''s classic wit and satirical edge''One of our greatest fantasists, and beyond a doubt the funniest'' George R.R. MartinThere was an eighth son of an eighth son. He was, quite naturally, a wizard. And there it should have ended.However (for reasons we''d better not go into), he had seven sons. And then he had an eighth son... a wizard squared... a source of magic... a Sourcerer.Sourcery sees the return of Rincewind and the Luggage as the Discworld faces its greatest - and funniest - challenge yet.Readers love Sourcery:''I was so pleased to be back with Rincewind, and of course, The Luggage . . . I enjoyed every moment'' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐''Takes on sword and sorcery fantasies, taking satirical swipes at pretty much all the big ones- Lord of the Trade Review'A sequence of unalloyed delight' - GUARDIAN'He is screamingly funny. He is wise. He has style' - DAILY TELEGRAPH'His spectacular inventiveness makes the Discworld series one of the perennial joys of modern fiction' - MAIL ON SUNDAY'Pratchett has a subject and a style that is very much his own' - SUNDAY TIMES

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Book SynopsisThe National Book Award-winning classic from the author of Underworld and Libra, now a Netflix film starring Adam Driver, Don Cheadle, and Greta GerwigWhite Noise tells the story of Jack Gladney, his fourth wife, Babette, and four ultra­modern offspring as they navigate the rocky passages of family life to the background babble of brand-name consumerism. When an industrial accident unleashes an airborne toxic event, a lethal black chemical cloud floats over their lives. The menacing cloud is a more urgent and visible version of the white noise engulfing the Gladneys—radio transmissions, sirens, microwaves, ultrasonic appliances, and TV murmurings—pulsing with life, yet suggesting something ominous.Part of the Penguin Orange Collection, a limited-run series of twelve influential and beloved American classics in a bold series design offering a modern take on the iconic Penguin paperbackWinner of the 2016 AIGA + Design Observer 50 Books 50 Covers competition

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Book SynopsisA BBC Two Between the Covers Pick'A tragicomic masterpiece' Daily TelegraphAll that stands between one man and murder by the mafia is a penguin.Viktor is an aspiring writer in Ukraine with only Misha, his pet penguin, for company.Although Viktor would prefer to write short stories, he earns a living composing obituaries for a newspaper. He longs to see his work published, yet the subjects of his obituaries continue to cling to life.But when Viktor opens the newspaper to see his work in print for the first time, his pride swiftly turns to terror. Viktor and Misha have been drawn into a trap from which there appears to be no escape.'A striking portrait of post-Soviet isolation... In this bleak moral landscape Kurkov manages to find ample refuge for his dark humour' New York TimesTrade ReviewA tragicomic masterpiece * Daily Telegraph *The deadpan tone works perfectly and it will be a hard-hearted reader who is not touched by Viktor's relationship with his unusual pet * The Times *A black comedy of rare dinstinction and the penguin is an invention of genius * Spectator *A chilling black comedy * Guardian *A striking portrait of post-Soviet isolation... In this bleak moral landscape Kurkov manages to find ample refuge for his dark humour * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisGranny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg are going on a trip to avert certain disaster. Terry Pratchett''s Discworld returns with another laugh-out-loud adventure dissecting everyone''s favourite fairy tales.It seemed an easy job... After all, how difficult could it be to make sure that a servant girl doesn''t marry a prince?But for the witches Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick, travelling to the distant city of Genua, things are never that simple...Servant girls have to marry the prince. That''s what life is all about. You can''t fight a Happy Ending.At least - up until now...Readers love Witches Abroad:''This book not only delivers silly fun and fast-paced action (including not one but TWO witches'' duels), but also contemplations on some very deep matters'' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐''[Pratchett] balances humour and poignancy so masterfullyTrade ReviewA sequence of unalloyed delight - GUARDIANHe is screamingly funny. He is wise. He has style - DAILY TELEGRAPHHis spectacular inventiveness makes the Discworld series one of the perennial joys of modern fiction - MAIL ON SUNDAYPratchett has a subject and a style that is very much his own - SUNDAY TIMESTo say that Terry Pratchett is popular is a bit like saying the Arctic Circle is a bit nippy - SUNDAY EXPRESS

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of Slaughterhouse 5.Trade Review‘Vonnegut is at his edifying best.’ The Philadelphia Inquirer ‘The quicksilver mind of Vonnegut is at it again … He displays all his talents satire, irony, ridicule, slapstick, and even a shaggy dog story of epic proportions.’ The Cincinnati Post ‘[Kurt Vonnegut is] a voice you can trust to keep poking holes in the social fabric.’ San Francisco Chronicle ‘It has the qualities of classic Bosch and Slaughterhouse Vonnegut … Bluebeard is uncommonly feisty.’ USA Today ‘Is Bluebeard good? Yes! … This is vintage Vonnegut-good wine from his best grapes.’ The Detroit News ‘A joyride … Vonnegut is more fascinated and puzzled than angered by the human stupidities and contradictions he discerns so keenly. So hop in his rumble seat. As you whiz along, what you observe may provide some new perspectives.’ Kansas City Star

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Book SynopsisWith the satirical eye of his science fiction author alter ego Kilgore Trout, the author of Slaughterhouse-Five delivers a classic of modern American literature.Eliot Rosewater, President of the fabulously rich Rosewater Foundation and volunteer firefighter, is tortured by an inheritance he doesn't feel that he deserves. After (unfortunately) developing a social conscience, he sets out on a drunken tour of America, unravelling a little more at every stop until his path crosses with the science-fiction writer Kilgore Trout. God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater is one of Kurt Vonnegut's funniest satires, about the pleasures, pains and perversions of people and money, the obsessions of a famous family and the collective madness of a nation.Trade ReviewVonnegut faces up to the less glamorous phenomenon of human mediocrity in this sharp, hilarious, boundlessly humane story. It taught me about compassion and a few things about writing good dialogue -- Michel Faber * Glasgow Herald *Rumbustious stuff... There may be greater novelists than Vonnegut, but there can be a few, if any, with as much good humour and generosity * Guardian *Filled with irony and black humour and a woozy bonhomie * Sunday Times *Wild hilarity * Sunday Telegraph *Extremely funny * Observer *

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Book SynopsisThe ultimate Christmas read. Terry Pratchett''s Hogswatch masterpiece that will leave you laughing out loud and help you understand what makes us uniquely human.''He is screamingly funny. He is wise. He has style'' Daily TelegraphIT''S THE NIGHT BEFORE HOGSWATCH AND IT''S TOO QUIET.Where is the big jolly fat man? Why is Death creeping down chimneys and trying to say Ho Ho Ho? The darkest night of the year is getting a lot darker...Susan the gothic governess has got to sort it out by morning, otherwise there won''t be a morning. Ever again...The 20th Discworld novel is a festive feast of darkness and Death (but with jolly robins and tinsel too).As they say: You''d better watch out...Readers reread Hogfather time and time again:''Hilariously entertaining . . . a high recommendation to new and old Pratchett fans. This one will definitely remain my beloved annual holiday read'' GoTrade ReviewA sequence of unalloyed delight. - GuardianHe is screamingly funny. He is wise. He has style. - Daily TelegraphHis spectacular inventiveness makes the Discworld series one of the perennial joys of modern fiction. - Mail on SundayPratchett has a subject and a style that is very much his own. - Sunday Times

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Book Synopsis''An intriguing satire on institutionalized religion corrupted by power . . .'' Independent''Deftly weaves themes of forgiveness, belief and spiritual regeneration'' The TimesIn the beginning was the Word.And the Word was: Hey, you!For Brutha the novice is the Chosen One. He wants peace and justice and brotherly love.He also wants the Inquisition to stop torturing him now, please . . .Readers adore Small Gods:''One of Pratchetts best works, retelling what has happened, happens, and will happen as soon as faith goes mad, uncontrolled, and vicious, tries to expand its sphere of influence and doesnt care about the foundations and rules, contradicting its own commandments'' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐''It makes you contemplate so many things. Beyond religion too. There were so many passages when I was musing It''s like this thought has sTrade ReviewA sequence of unalloyed delight - GuardianHe is screamingly funny. He is wise. He has style. - Daily TelegraphHis spectacular inventiveness makes the Discworld series one of the perennial joys of modern fiction. - Mail on SundayPratchett has a subject and a style that is very much his own. - Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisA hilarious take on the movie industry and all its foibles. Moving Pictures is filled to the brim with Sir Terry Pratchett''s signature wit and cutting humour''An enduring, endearing presence in comic literature'' GuardianThe alchemists of the Discworld have discovered the magic of the silver screen. But what is the dark secret of Holy Wood hill?It''s up to Victor Tugelbend (''Can''t sing. Can''t dance. Can handle a sword a little'') and Theda Withel (''I come from a little town you''ve probably never heard of'') to find out...MOVING PICTURES, THE TENTH DISCWORLD NOVEL IS A GLORIOUSLY FUNNY SAGA SET AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF A WORLD GONE MAD!Readers love Moving Pictures:''One of his funniest . . . Pratchett has fun making fun of greed and the allure of misguided hero worship'' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ''I burst out laughing several times while re

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Book SynopsisEvelyn Waugh''s brilliantly irreverent satire of Fleet Street, with an introduction by Alexander WaughLord Copper, newspaper magnate and proprietor of The Daily Beast, has always prided himself on his intuitive flair for spotting ace reporters. That is not to say he has not made the odd blunder, however, and may in a moment of weakness make another. Acting on a dinner party tip from Mrs Algernon Stitch, he feels convinced that he has hit on just the chap to cover a promising little war in the African Republic of Ishmaelia. But for, pale, ineffectual William Boot, editor of the Daily Beast''s ''nature notes'' column, being mistaken for a competent journalist may prove to be a fatal error...''Waugh at the mid-season point of his perfect pitch''Christopher Hitchens

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Book SynopsisA collection of insightful and uproariously funny non-fiction by the bestselling author of INFINITE JEST - one of the most acclaimed and adventurous writers of our time. A SUPPOSEDLY FUN THING... brings together Wallace''s musings on a wide range of topics, from his early days as a nationally ranked tennis player to his trip on a commercial cruiseliner. In each of these essays, Wallace''s observations are as keen as they are funny. Filled with hilarious details and invigorating analyses, these essays brilliantly expose the fault line in American culture - and once again reveal David Foster Wallace''s extraordinary talent and gargantuan intellect.Trade ReviewIt's the kind of book you can't even put down while brushing your teeth. He's damn good. I take my hat off to him. * GUARDIAN *Enviably good. * SUNDAY TIMES *Like sea air, David Foster Wallace is so bracing. * GLASGOW HERALD *Brilliant. * MAXIM *

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Book SynopsisSteve Tesich wrote many plays and screenplays, including the Academy Award-winning Breaking Away and The World According to Garp. His first novel, Summer Crossing, was published in 1982. He died in 1996 at the age of fifty-three.Trade ReviewKaroo has all the ingredients of a truly great novel. Its plot has the pathos of a Greek tragedy and enough twists and turns to satisfy the most avid Raymond Chandler fan. The characters come alive as soon as they appear on the page. Fantastic * Literary Review *Utterly wonderful... This novel does supremely what novels were invented to do - it confronts the most unbearable sadness with a comic exhilaration that makes you almost pleased that life is tragic -- Howard JacobsonMordantly funny, unexpectedly moving and brutally honest about the business of making movies -- Richard E GrantFascinating. A real satiric invention, loaded with wise outrage -- Arthur MillerTerrific. Nakedly honest, a tour de force of self-destruction. As Saul spirals into free-fall we're with him all the way, because he's so furiously funny -- Deborah Moggach

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Book SynopsisA masterly new translation of Rabelais’s robust scatalogical comedy Parodying everyone from classic authors to his own contemporaries, the dazzling and exuberant stories of Rabelais expose human follies with mischievous and often obscene humor. Gargantua depicts a young giant who becomes a cultured Christian knight. Pantagruel portrays Gargantua’s bookish son who becomes a Renaissance Socrates, divinely guided by wisdom and by his idiotic, self-loving companion, Panurge.

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Book SynopsisJoin the Larkins for another adventure in the much-loved series, inspiration for the new ITV drama starring Bradley Walsh''Christening? We never said nothing about no christening, Ma, did we?''And so with the appearance of a letter announcing the imminent arrival of Madame Dupont, Pop and Ma Larkin learn that little Oscar and Blenheim - Charley and Mariette''s new boy - are to be christened.In fact, once Mr Candy - who will be officiating (much to raven-haired Primrose''s delight) - learns that Pop and Ma have neglected the entire Larkin brood, the whole family seems set for a dunking!Pop, who needs no excuse to open a few bottles of Dragon''s Blood and host the perfick party, rushes out and buys a fun fair to celebrate.But there are one or two gatecrashers even Pop hadn''t counted on turning up . . .Trade ReviewThey are absolute comfort books . . . all five titles are being rereleased just in time for summer * The Lady *As funny as Evelyn Waugh and as enchanting as Laurie Lee's Cider with Rosie. Don't miss it -- - * Hearald *Pop Larkin, Ma and their progeny . . . are essentially English of the rich and ribald England of Chaucer and Shakespeare. A superb and timeless comedy -- - * Scotsman *Pop is as sexy, genial, generous, and boozy as ever. Ma is a worthy match for him in all these qualities -- - * The Times *Pop Larkin is a living, breathing quotable character, cast large in the heroic mould -- - * The Times *Busty and lusty -- - * New Statesman *A gently, anarchic wish-fulfilling daydream -- - * The Times *

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Book SynopsisTerry Pratchett was the acclaimed creator of the global bestselling Discworld series, the first of which, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983. In all, he was the author of over fifty bestselling books which have sold over 100 million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal. He was awarded a knighthood for services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest service to literature was to avoid writing any.www.terrypratchettbooks.comTrade Review'This is one of Pratchett's best books. Hilarious and highly recommended' * The Times *'Pratchett is at the peak of his powers; it's hard to think of any humorist writing in Britain today who can match him...A masterful ear for dialogue, a keen eye for the ridiculous and a real feel for language' * Time Out *'The best humorous English author since P.G. Wodehouse' * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisVimes is back, in all his curmudgeonly glory, in this classic, perceptive and laugh-out-loud Discworld mystery that will keep you turning the pages.''In my opinion, this is the book where Pratchett *really* hits his stride in terms of the city watch books . . . Is this book worth your time? Yes. A thousand times yes'' Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the WindTHERE''S A WEREWOLF WITH PRE-LUNAR TENSION IN ANKH-MORPORK. AND A DWARF WITH ATTITUDE AND A GOLEM WHO''S BEGUN TO THINK FOR ITSELF.But for Commander Vimes, Head of Ankh-Morpork City Watch, that''s only the start...There''s treason in the air. A crime has happened.He''s not only got to find out whodunit, but howdunit too. He''s not even sure what they dun. But soon as he knows what the questions are, he''s going to want some answers.Readers love Feet of Clay:''One of the best Pratchett bo

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Book SynopsisThe funniest, most insighftul, clever and totally bonkers parody of all things Shakespeare, filled to the brim with Pratchett''s signature style.''Pratchett uses his other world to hold up a distorting mirror to our own'' The Times''The Discworld novels have always been among the most serious of comedies, the most relevant and real of fantasies'' Independent''An enduring, endearing presence in comic literature'' GuardianWitches are not by nature gregarious, and they certainly don''t have leaders.Granny Weatherwax was the most highly regarded of the leaders they didn''t have.But even she found that meddling in royal politics was a lot more difficult than certain playwrights would have you believe...Readers love Wyrd Sisters:''Witty, well written, amusing anecdotes, Shakespeare/real life parody, DEATH, witches it has to be Terry Pratchett''<

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Book Synopsis''The prince of philosophical novels'' John UpdikeIn Candide, Voltaire threw down an audacious challenge to the philosophical views of the Enlightenment to create one of the most glorious satires of the eighteenth century. His eponymous hero is an innocent young man whose tutor, Pangloss, has instilled in him the belief that ''all is for the best''. But when his love for the Baron''s rosy-cheeked daughter is discovered, Candide is cast out to make his own fortune. As he and his various companions roam over the world, an outrageous series of disasters - earthquakes, syphilis, the Inquisition - sorely test the young hero''s optimism, holding a mirror up to all fanatics, zealots and moral reformers of humankind. Translated and Edited by Theo Cuffe with an Introduction by Michael WoodTrade ReviewWinner of the 2012 Fifty Books/Fifty Covers show, organized by Design Observer in association with AIGA and Designers & BooksWinner of the 2014 Type Directors Club Communication Design AwardPraise for Penguin Drop Caps:"[Penguin Drop Caps] convey a sense of nostalgia for the tactility and aesthetic power of a physical book and for a centuries-old tradition of beautiful lettering."—Fast Company“Vibrant, minimalist new typographic covers…. Bonus points for the heartening gender balance of the initial selections.”—Maria Popova, Brain Pickings"The Penguin Drop Caps series is a great example of the power of design. Why buy these particular classics when there are less expensive, even free editions of Great Expectations? Because they’re beautiful objects. Paul Buckley and Jessica Hische’s fresh approach to the literary classics reduces the design down to typography and color. Each cover is foil-stamped with a cleverly illustrated letterform that reveals an element of the story. Jane Austen’s A (Pride and Prejudice) is formed by opulent peacock feathers and Charlotte Bronte’s B (Jane Eyre) is surrounded by flames. The complete set forms a rainbow spectrum prettier than anything else on your bookshelf."—Rex Bonomelli, The New York Times"Drool-inducing."—Flavorwire"Classic reads in stunning covers—your book club will be dying."—Redbook

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Book SynopsisThe inspiration for such works as Joseph Heller''s Catch-22, Jaroslav Hašek''s black satire The Good Soldier Švejk is translated with an introduction by Cecil Parrott in Penguin Classics.Good-natured and garrulous, Švejk becomes the Austro-Hungarian army''s most loyal Czech soldier when he is called up on the outbreak of the First World War - although his bumbling attempts to get to the front serve only to prevent him from reaching it. Playing cards, getting drunk and becoming a general nuisance, the resourceful Švejk uses all his natural cunning and genial subterfuge to deal with the doctors, police, clergy and officers who chivvy him towards battle. The story of a ''little man'' caught in a vast bureaucratic machine, The Good Soldier Švejk combines dazzling wordplay and piercing satire to create a hilariously subversive depiction of the futility of war.Cecil Parrott''s vibrant, unabridged and unbowdlerized translation is accompanied by an intro

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Book Synopsis''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 Wood, Guardian''He induces the kind of laughter which, when read in bed with a sleeping partner, wakes said sleeping partner up . . . He''s damn good'' Nicholas Lezard, Guardian''One of the best books about addiction and recovery to appear in recent memory'' Sunday TimesSomewhere in the not-so-distant future the residents of Ennet House, a Boston halfway house for recovering addicts, and students at the nearby Enfield Tennis Academy are ensnared in the search for the master copy of Infinite Jest, a movie said to be so dangerously entertaining its viewers become entranced and expire in a state of catatonic bliss . . .Trade ReviewA 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 *He induces the kind of laughter which, when read in bed with a sleeping partner, wakes said sleeping partner up . . . He's damn good * Nicholas Lezard, GUARDIAN *One of the best books about addiction and recovery to appear in recent memory. * SUNDAY TIMES *

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Book SynopsisA minor masterpiece. I laughed so much I fell from my armchair' Time OutThe Discworld is very much like our own if our own were to consist of a flat planet balanced on the back of four elephants which stand on the back of a giant turtle, that is . . .''Anything you do in the past changes the future. The tiniest little actions have huge consequences. You might tread on an ant now and it might entirely prevent someone from being born in the future.''The Discworld''s most inept wizard has found himself on the Discworld's last continent, a completely separate creation.It''s hot. It''s dry . . . very dry. There was this thing once called The Wet, which no one believes in. Practically everything that''s not poisonous is venomous. But it''s the best bloody place in the world, all right?And in a few days, it will be except . . . Who is this hero striding across the red desert? Champion sheep shearer, horse rider, road wTrade Review'Pratchett's humour takes logic past the point of absurdity and round again, but it is his unexpected insights into the human morality that make the Discworld series stand out' * Times Literary Supplement *A cross between Tolkien and a gentler, more benign Tom Sharpe. * Sunday Telegraph *Delightful...gleeful and downright mischevious. The pleasures on the page are so quirkily seductive. Puts one in mind of one of the greatest comic writers of them all PG Wodehouse' * Sunday Telegraph *A minor masterpiece. I laughed somuch I fell from my armchair' * Time Out *The humour sparkles as brightly as ever' * The Times *

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Book Synopsis''All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others''When the downtrodden animals of Manor Farm overthrow their master Mr Jones and take over the farm themselves, they imagine it is the beginning of a life of freedom and equality. But gradually a cunning, ruthless élite among them, masterminded by the pigs Napoleon and Snowball, starts to take control. Soon the other animals discover that they are not all as equal as they thought, and find themselves hopelessly ensnared as one form of tyranny is replaced with another. The Penguin English Library - collectable general readers'' editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century to the end of the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review'One of the best and one of the funniest English authors alive' * Independent *'He is a moralist, a philosopher and a humanist whose infectious fun completely engulfs you... the Dickens of the twentieth century' * Mail on Sunday *'Other writers are mining the rich seam of comic fantasy that Pratchett first unearthed, but what keeps Pratchett on top is - quite literally - the way he tells them.' * The Times *

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Book SynopsisAnimal Farm is George Orwell’s brilliant political satire and allegorical fable about the corrupting effects of power. Published in 1945 it is, to this day, one of the most famous and influential works of fiction ever written.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful hardbacks make perfect gifts for book lovers, or wonderful additions to your own collection. This edition features an introduction by journalist, award-winning writer and editor of the New Statesman, Jason Cowley.When the old Major, a highly respected white boar, gathers his fellow farm animals to preach about freedom, rebellion and the evils of man, he incites a revolution that has been brewing for years. The animals drive out their drunken farmer and create their own society – with the promise of equality for all, two scheming pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, appoint themselves leaders. What begins as a supposedly equalitarian community descends into an increasingly violent and hierarchical society, permeated by lies and corruption. Years after publication, Orwell's words remain a stark warning against the lure of fascist populism.Trade ReviewIf you are looking for allegorical literature to understand today’s politics, Animal Farm is a great guidepost. * Observer *The Cold War Candide . . . Virtually every detail in Animal Farm allegorizes some incident in that history. * New Yorker *Animal Farm is moving, bitter and a warning from history . . . [it] is one of the greatest socio-political works of all time. * Fantasy Book Review *Animal Farm is a biting satire of totalitarianism . . . Orwell is unnervingly precise in the way he depicts each step on the road from revolution to tyranny. * Common Sense Media *

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Book SynopsisIn Burmese Days, George Orwell, one of the most famous writers in the English language, draws on his own experience of living and working in Burma to write an unflinching novel about the dark side of imperialism. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition features an introduction by journalist and writer David Eimer.John Flory is a disillusioned timber merchant based in the remote town of Kyauktada in 1920s Burma. Whilst his English peers gather night after night to drink and gossip in their exclusive club, Flory has embraced local life – his best friend is Dr Veraswami and his mistress is Ma Hla May. The slow, sticky, hot days are interrupted by the arrival of the young and beautiful Elizabeth. And when the club is forced to elect a non-white member, Flory is caught up in an increasingly hostile and dangerous feud.Trade ReviewA scathing portrait of the imperious attitudes of the British. * New York Times *Of all the fictions about colonial rule – A Passage to India, The Raj Quartet, Out of Africa – Burmese Days is the angriest, rawest, most scathing and least sentimental. * The Times *A scathing indictment of imperialism, exposing the dark face of British rule in the subcontinent. * Hindu *Orwell draws on his own experience and what’s so striking is how the uncomfortable echoes of that time still reverberate today among some expatriate circles in the region . . . A vaguely Austen feel permeates the romantic subplot; the ending is devastating. * Travelfish *Orwell can write . . . in Burmese Days he has written a malodorous, realistic novel of the white man in the east, as he really is. * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisIn Raymond Chandler's favourite novel, Mr Bowling buys the newspapers only to find out what the latest is on the murders he''s just committedMr Bowling is getting away with murder. On each occasion he buys a newspaper to see whether anyone suspects him. But there is a war on, and the clues he leaves are going unnoticed. Which is a shame, because Mr Bowling is not a conventional serial killer: he wants to get caught so that his torment can end. How many more newspapers must he buy before the police finally catch up with him?Donald Henderson was an actor and playwright who had also written novels as D. H. Landels, but with little success. While working for the BBC in London during the Second World War, his fortunes finally changed with Mr Bowling Buys a Newspaper, a darkly satirical portrayal of a murderer that was to be promoted enthusiastically by Raymond Chandler as his favourite detective novel. But even the author of The Big Sleep could not save it from oblivion: it has remained outTrade Review‘I think it's one of the most fascinating books written in the last ten years. Everyone who read it in my limited circle agrees with me.’ RAYMOND CHANDLER ‘There is an element of psychological fantasy in this novel. Mr Henderson pursues a grim little theme with lively perception and ingenuity. His manner is brief, deliberately undertoned, and for the most part curiously effective. There is acute observation in the portrait of Mr Bowling.’ TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT ‘This tragedy of a madman is told with great simplicity, and is very much helped by the realism of its details. All the events take place in the duller London suburbs which are beautifully observed.’ DAILY EXPRESS ‘Henderson has written about Mr Bowling so well and so clearly that I feel like I have met him; he follows him with the affectionate care with which H.G. Wells followed Kipps. Indeed, there is in places a touch of Wells’s genius; he writes with great skill and his dialogue is vivid.’ RAYMOND POSTGATE in TIME & TIDE ‘Top marks go to Donald Henderson whose Mr Bowling Buys a Newspaper gives us real hope of a literary discovery. This is a brilliant study in the macabre of a man who – almost it seems because he can’t help it – nonchalantly commits murders. A really fine thriller.’ SUNDAY GRAPHIC

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Book Synopsis

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