Search results for ""Author Charles Dickens"

The Victorian era was the high point of literary tourism. Writers such as Charles Dickens, George Eliot, and Sir Walter Scott became celebrities, and readers trekked far and wide for a glimpse of the places where their heroes wrote and thought, walked and talked. Even Shakespeare was roped in, as Victorian entrepreneurs transformed quiet Stratford-upon-Avon into a combination shrine and tourist trap. Stratford continues to lure tourists today, as do many other sites of literary pilgrimage throughout Britain. And our modern age could have no better guide to such places than Simon Goldhill. In "Freud's Couch, Scott's Buttocks, Bronte's Grave", Goldhill makes a pilgrimage to Sir Walter Scott's baronial mansion, Wordsworth's cottage in the Lake District, the Bronte parsonage, Shakespeare's birthplace, and Freud's office in Hampstead. Traveling, as much as possible, by methods available to Victorians - and gamely negotiating distractions ranging from broken bicycles to a flock of giggling Japanese schoolgirls - he tries to discern what our forebears were looking for at these sites, as well as what they have to say to the modern mind. What does it matter that Emily Bronte's hidden passions burned in this specific room? What does it mean that Scott self-consciously built an extravagant castle suitable for Ivanhoe - and star-struck tourists visited it while he was still living there? Or that Freud's meticulous recreation of his Vienna office is now a meticulously preserved museum of itself? Or that Shakespeare's birthplace features student actors declaiming snippets of his plays...in the garden of a house where he almost certainly never wrote a single line? Goldhill brings to these inquiries his trademark wry humor and a lifetime's engagement with literature. The result is a travel book like no other, a reminder that even today, the writing life still has the power to inspire.

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With illustrations by Edward Landseer, Daniel Maclise, Clarkson Stanfield, Frank Stone, Richard Doyle, John Leech and John Tenniel, and with a new Introduction by Cedric Watts, Research Professor of English, University of Sussex. In these five long stories, written specifically for Christmas, Dickens combines his concern for social ills with the myths and memories of childhood and traditional seasonal lore. A Christmas Carol, the first of the selection, has become a touchstone of English festive fiction and an enduring favourite internationally. Repeatedly adapted, parodied, staged and filmed, this richly influential tale is powerfully vivid and moving. The other stories, The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life and The Haunted Man, blend whimsy, sentiment, comedy, satire, the didactic and the fantastic, developing resourcefully the theme of individual and social regeneration.

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The films of Thorold Dickinson (1903-1984), now being rediscovered, engage with major issues including national identity, the post-colonial world, and political violence – and they also show a rare mastery of style, a thrilling eroticism, a preoccupation with the psychology of betrayal. But the director of Gaslight, The Next of Kin and The Queen of Spades was also an editor, documentarist, trade unionist, film producer (for the British Army and the UN), pioneering academic and controversialist. His adventurous and truly global involvement in film took him to Paris in the heyday of silent cinema in the 1920s, to Stalin’s USSR in 1937, to the Spanish Civil War, to Africa, India, Israel and America.This book gives a lively, multi-angled account of Dickinson’s works, life and times, conveying a sense of his own voice and fascinating character. It includes a richly detailed introduction, a film-by-film discussion of Dickinson with Scorsese, vivid personal memoirs of the director, a dossier of Dickinson’s original writings and interviews from 1924 to 1973 (some never previously published), critical essays on all the feature films, and a ground-breaking reference section. The book draws on extensive archival research and close consultation with those who knew Dickinson well.Contributors include: Martin Scorsese, Gavin Millar, Lutz Becker, Charles Barr, Laura Marcus, Kevin Jackson, Kevin Gough-Yates, Ian Christie, Gregory Dart, Hillel Tryster, Janet Moat.

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The classic novella of the Christmas transformation of Scrooge that has remained in the public imagination for well over a century, now available in an accessible format for all readers. Miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, and he learns he will be visited by three spirits – Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come – who reveal to him his miserable existence, the opportunities he squandered in his youth, the current cruelties he visits upon those around him, and the fate that awaits him if he does not change his ways. Scrooge is faced with a choice: death or redemption. Dickens' classic story of the Christmas transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge, now available in an accessible, super-readable format with dyslexia-friendly features, for all readers.

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Part of Penguin's beautiful hardback Clothbound Classics series, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith, these delectable and collectible editions are bound in high-quality colourful, tactile cloth with foil stamped into the design. As the interminable case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce grinds its way through the Court of Chancery, it draws together a disparate group of people: Ada and Richard Clare, whose inheritance is gradually being devoured by legal costs; Esther Summerson, a ward of court, whose parentage is a source of deepening mystery; the menacing lawyer Tulkinghorn; the determined sleuth Inspector Bucket; and even Jo, the destitute little crossing-sweeper. A savage, but often comic, indictment of a society that is rotten to the core, Bleak House is one of Dickens's most ambitious novels, with a range that extends from the drawing rooms of the aristocracy to the poorest of London slums.

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In Imagining Inclusive Society in Nineteenth-Century Novels, Pam Morris traces a dramatic transformation of British public consciousness that occurred between the Reform Acts of 1832 and 1867. This brief period saw a shift from a naturalized acceptance of social hierarchy to a general imagining of a modern mass culture. Central to this collective revisioning of social relations was the pressure to restyle political leadership in terms of popular legitimacy, to develop a more inclusive mode of discourse within an increasingly heterogeneous public sphere and to find new ways of inscribing social distinctions and exclusions. Morris argues that in the transformed public sphere of mid-nineteenth-century Britain, the urbane code of civility collapsed under the strain of the conflicting interests that constitute mass society. It was replaced by a "code of sincerity," often manipulative and always ideological in that its inclusiveness was based upon a formally egalitarian assumption of mutual interiorities. The irresistible movement toward mass politics shifted the location of power into the public domain. Increasingly, national leaders sought to gain legitimacy by projecting a performance of charismatic "sincerity" as a flattering and insinuating mode of address to mass audiences. Yet, by the latter decades of the century, while the code of sincerity continued to dominate popular and political culture, traditional political and intellectual elites were reinscribing social distinctions and exclusions. They did so both culturally-by articulating sensibility as skepticism, irony, and aestheticism-and scientifically-by introducing evolutionist notions of sensibility and attaching these to a rigorous disciplinary code of bodily visuality. Through an intensive, intertextual reading of six key novels (Bronte's Shirley, Thackeray's Henry Esmond, Dickens's Bleak House and Our Mutual Friend, Gaskell's North and South, and Eliot's Romola) and an array of Victorian periodicals and political essays, Morris analyzes just how actively novelists engaged in these social transformations. Drawing on a wide range of literary, cultural, and historical thinkers-Jurgen Habermas, Michel Foucault, Benedict Anderson, Mary Poovey, and Charles Tilly-Morris makes an original and highly sophisticated contribution to our understanding of the complex and always contested processes of imagining social inclusiveness.

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With an Introduction and Notes by Deborah Wynne, Chester College. Illustrated by Marcus Stone. Our Mutual Friend, Dickens' last complete novel, gives one of his most comprehensive and penetrating accounts of Victorian society. Its vision of a culture stifled by materialistic values emerges not just through its central narratives, but through its apparently incidental characters and scenes. The chief of its several plots centres on John Harmon who returns to England as his father's heir. He is believed drowned under suspicious circumstances - a situation convenient to his wish for anonymity until he can evaluate Bella Wilfer whom he must marry to secure his inheritance. The story is filled with colourful characters and incidents - the faded aristocrats and parvenus gathered at the Veneering's dinner table, Betty Higden and her terror of the workhouse and the greedy plottings of Silas Wegg.

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This anthology contains 155 poems by forty-nine poets, all of whom have connections with Cambridge University. The poems have been selected to represent a comprehensive range of responses: patriotic, protest, satirical, realistic, elegiac, pastoral, and homoerotic. The introduction provides analytical notes on all the poems. Three appendixes discuss Charles Sorley’s comments on Rupert Brooke, Siegfried Sassoon’s statement of protest, and A. E. Tomlinson’s scathing attack on Brooke. Biographical information on the poets is also included.

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Encuadernación: RústicaColección: Antaviana Clàsssics CatalansOliver Twist és una novella que no pot faltar en cap biblioteca. L?obra explica les aventures del seu protagonista per sobreviure en una societat dura i cruel amb els més febles. Ambientada a Londres i la seva rodalia, Dickens retrata alguns ambients sòrdids de l?època, en els quals els infants eren explotats per treballar o per cometre delictes. La lluita del dèbil contra el fort i del bé contra el mal són temes presents al llarg de tota la novella, que ens mostra totes les peripècies del jove Oliver fins que és capaç de reeixir i trobar el seu camí.

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This is a bright, colourful adaptation of Dickens' popular Christmas story for reading aloud and performing. Scrooge's misery, the deadening chill as he meets the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, the merriment in Bob Cratchit's home and Scrooge's final, joyful celebration are all brought vividly to life. About the series Heinemann Plays is a well established series offering the best of contemporary drama and a wide range of established classics, in value-for-money hardback versions. The series has been specially developed to support classroom teaching and performance. Within the series there are plays for the full 11-17 age range. The series also contains the best of contemporary writing, and new editions of classic plays. Heinemann Plays are sewn and bound in sturdy hardback covers, guaranteeing longer life. Heinemann Plays are ideal for class reading and performance, many with large casts and an equal mix of parts for boys and girls.

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An abridged and illustrated chapter book retelling of Oliver Twist, part of the bestselling Classic Starts series that has sold more than 8 million copies! Dickens's timeless novel transports young readers to a colorful Victorian England filled with mistreated orphans, grim workhouses, and gangs of thieving children. The hero finds himself in dire circumstances after he dares to ask for more food in the orphanage. Determined to make his way in the world, he escapes to London, where he becomes involved with criminals . . . and finally finds a real home. The Classic Starts series has sold more than 8 million copies since it launched in 2004. These abridged, kid-friendly editions are the perfect way to introduce beloved stories to the next generation. Each book includes discussion questions by early childhood educator Arthur Pober, EdD.

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Eighteenth-century London was teeming with humanity, and poverty was never far from politeness. Legend has it that, on his daily commute through this thronging metropolis, Captain Thomas Coram witnessed one of the city's most shocking sights-the widespread abandonment of infant corpses by the roadside. He could have just passed by. Instead, he devised a plan to create a charity that would care for these infants; one that was to have enormous consequences for children born into povertyin Britain over the next two hundred years. Orphans of Empire tells the story of what happened to the thousands of children who were raised at the London Foundling Hospital, Coram's brainchild, which opened in 1741 and grew to become the most famous charity in Georgian England. It provides vivid insights into the lives and fortunes of London's poorest children, from the earliest days of the Foundling Hospital to the mid-Victorian era, when Charles Dickens was moved by his observations of the charity's work to campaign on behalf of orphans. Through the lives of London's foundlings, this book provides readers with a street-level insight into the wider global history of a period of monumental change in British history as the nation grew into the world's leading superpower. Some foundling children were destined for Britain's 'outer Empire' overseas, but many more toiled in the 'inner Empire', labouring in the cotton mills and factories of northern England at the dawn of the new industrial age. Through extensive archival research, Helen Berry uncovers previously untold stories of what happened to former foundlings, including the suffering and small triumphs they experienced as child workers during the upheavals of the Industrial Revolution. Sometimes, using many different fragments of evidence, the voices of the children themselves emerge. Extracts from George King's autobiography, the only surviving first-hand account written by a Foundling Hospital child born in the eighteenth century, published here for the first time, provide touching insights into how he came to terms with his upbringing. Remarkably he played a part in Trafalgar, one of the most iconic battles in British Naval history. His personal courage and resilience in overcoming the disadvantages of his birth form a lasting testimony to the strength of the human spirit.

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Now a major film directed by Armando Iannucci, starring Dev Patel, Tilda Swinton, Hugh Laurie, Peter Capaldi and Ben Whishaw'The greatest achievement of the greatest of all novelists' Leo TolstoyIn David Copperfield - the novel he described as his 'favourite child' - Dickens drew on his own experiences to create one of his most moving and enduringly popular works, filled with tragedy and comedy in equal measure. It is the story of a young man's adventures on his journey from an unhappy childhood to the discovery of his vocation as a novelist. Among the gloriously vivid cast of characters he encounters are his tyrannical stepfather, Mr Murdstone; his brilliant but unworthy school-friend Steerforth; his formidable aunt, Betsey Trotwood; the eternally humble yet treacherous Uriah Heep; frivolous, enchanting Dora; and the magnificently impecunious Micawber, one of literature's great comic creations. Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Jeremy Tambling

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If Harvard can be said to have a literature all its own, then few universities can equal it in scope. Here lies the reason for this anthology—a collection of what Harvard men (teachers, students, graduates) have written about Harvard in the more than three centuries of its history. The emphasis is upon entertainment, upon readability; and the selections have been arranged to show something of the many variations of Harvard life.For all Harvard men—and that part of the general public which is interested in American college life—here is a rich treasury. In such a Harvard collection one may expect to find the giants of Harvard’s last 75 years—Eliot, Lowell, and Conant—attempting a definition of what Harvard means. But there are many other familiar names—Henry Dunster, Oliver Wendell Holmes, James Russell Lowell, Henry Adams, Charles M. Flandrau, William and Henry James, Owen Wister, Thomas Wolfe, John P. Marquaud. Here is Mistress Eaton’s confession about the bad fish served to the wretched students of Harvard’s early years; here too is President Holyoke’s account of the burning of Harvard Hall; a student’s description of his trip to Portsmouth with that aged and Johnsonian character, Tutor Henry Flynt; Cleveland Amory’s retelling of the murder of Dr. George Parkman; Mayor Quiney’s story of what happened in Cambridge when Andrew Jackson came to get an honorary degree; Alistair Cooke’s commentary on the great Harvard–Yale cricket match of 1951. There are many sorts of Harvard men in this book—popular fellows like Hammersmith, snobs like Bertie and Billy, the sensitive and the lonely like Edwin Arlington Robinson and Thomas Wolfe, and independent thinkers like John Reed. Teachers and pupils, scholars and sports, heroes and rogues pass across the Harvard stage through the struggles and the tragedies to the moments of triumph like the Bicentennial or the visit of Winston Churchill.And speaking of visits, there are the visitors too—the first impressions of Harvard set down by an assortment of travelers as various as Dickens, Trollope, Rupert Brooke, Harriet Martineau, and Francisco de Miranda, the “precursor of Latin American independence.”For the Harvard addict this volume is indispensable. For the general reader it is the sort of book that goes with a good living-room fire or the blissful moments of early to bed.

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A novel of social and moral themes, Hard Times is the archetypal Dickens novel, filled with family difficulties, estrangement, rotten values and unhappiness. Published in 1854, it is set in the imaginary Coketown, an industrial city inspired by Preston, and tells the story of the family of Thomas Gradgrind, a man obsessed with misguided 'Utilitarian' values that make him trust facts, statistics and practicality over emotion. Based on James Mill (the Utilitarian leader), Gradgrind raises his own children, Louisa and Tom, in line with these same views, forcing an artless existence on them. Contemporary critics such as Macaulay savaged the book for its supposed 'sullen socialism' but it has become well regarded since earning the favour of George Bernard Shaw.This Macmillan Collector's Library edition is illustrated by Harry French, with an afterword by David Stuart Davies.Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.

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Exam board: AQA, Edexcel, Eduqas, WJECLevel & Subject: GCSE English LiteratureFirst teaching: September 2015Next exam: June 2024 This edition of A Christmas Carol is perfect for GCSE-level students: it comes complete with the novel, plus an introduction providing context, and a glossary explaining key terms. ‘If I could work my will,’ said Scrooge, indignantly, ‘every idiot who goes about with “Merry Christmas” on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart.’ Miser and misanthropist Ebenezer Scrooge hates the festive season. Can the visitations of his dead business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas past, present and yet to come shake him from his habits, to show him the true value of Christmas? Dickens’s 1843 story was written in response to the plight of the poor, the hungry, the exploited and the uneducated in Victorian society, suggesting that the true test of a society is the way it treats its children.

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St. Pierre examines strategies of representing British music hall performance and the performance of the body in British cinema in the silent era and the sound era. The focus is on films of Fred and Joe Evans, Frank Randle, Will Hay, George Formby,Arthur Lucan and Kitty McShane, Cicely Courtneidge, Jessie Matthews, Norman Evans, Max Miller, Stanley Holloway, Jack Warner, Gracie Fields, and Charles Chaplin. Consideration is given to themes such as war propaganda and gender impersonation.

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A ghost turns up at Ebenezer Scrooge''s home one Christmas Eve. It is Jacob Marley, his business partner, who has been dead for seven years. He is dragging heavy chains, and is obviously full of great sorrow and unbearable pain. While Scrooge is still trying to decide whether the apparition is real or a piece of his imagination, Marley''s ghost tells him something that might change his life forever: ''You will be haunted by three spirits. Without their visits, you cannot hope to avoid the path I tread. ''Expect the first tomorrow when the bell tolls one. ''Expect the second on the next night at the same hour. ''The third upon the next night when the last stroke of twelve has stopped vibrating.'' One of the most popular Christmas stories of all time, Dickens''s novel remains a great favorite all over the world. A poignant and thought-provoking story, it''s a delight to read again and again.

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**WINNER OF THE SCOTTISH NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2021****A FINANCIAL TIMES, I PAPER AND STYLIST BOOK OF THE YEAR**'In his absorbing book about the lost and the gone, Peter Ross takes us from Flanders Fields to Milltown to Kensal Green, to melancholy islands and surprisingly lively ossuaries . . . a considered and moving book on the timely subject of how the dead are remembered, and how they go on working below the surface of our lives.' - Hilary Mantel'Ross is a wonderfully evocative writer, deftly capturing a sense of place and history, while bringing a deep humanity to his subject. He has written a delightful book.' - The Guardian'The pages burst with life and anecdote while also examining our relationship with remembrance.' - Financial Times (best travel books of 2020)'Among the year's most surprising "sleeper" successes is A Tomb with a View. In a year with so much death, it may have initially seemed a hard sell, but the author's humanity has instead acted as a beacon of light in the darkness.' - The Sunday Times'Fascinating . . . Ross makes a likeably idiosyncratic guide and one finishes the book feeling strangely optimistic about the inevitable.' - The Observer'Ross has written [a] lively elegy to Britain's best burial grounds.' - Evening Standard (*Best New Books of Autumn 2020*)'One of the non-fiction books of the year.' - The i paper (*2020 Best Books for Christmas*)'Brilliant.' - Stylist (*Best Christmas books for Christmas 2020*)'Never has a book about death been so full of life. James Joyce and Charles Dickens would've loved it - a book that reveals much gravity in the humour and many stories in the graveyard. It also reveals Peter Ross to be among the best non-fiction writers in the country.' - Andrew O'Hagan'His stories are always a joy.' - Ian Rankin'I'm a card-carrying admirer of Peter Ross.' - Robert Macfarlane'A startling, delight-filled tour of graveyards and the people who love them, dazzlingly told.' - Denise Mina 'A phenomenal, lyrical, beautiful book.' - Frank Turner'A walk through the graveyards of Britain guided by one of the most engaging wordsmiths willing to take you by the hand.' - The Big Issue (*Best Books 2020*)'A celebration of life and of love. It confronts our universal fate but tends towards a comforting embrace of mortality. It is also imbued with something deeply moving.' - The Herald'Beautifully written and strangely life affirming.' - Norman Blake, Teenage Fanclub For readers of The Salt Path, Mudlarking, Ghostland, Kathleen Jamie and Robert Macfarlane. Enter a grave new world of fascination and delight as award-winning writer Peter Ross uncovers the stories and glories of graveyards. Who are London's outcast dead and why is David Bowie their guardian angel? What is the remarkable truth about Phoebe Hessel, who disguised herself as a man to fight alongside her sweetheart, and went on to live in the reigns of five monarchs? Why is a Bristol cemetery the perfect wedding venue for goths? All of these sorrowful mysteries - and many more - are answered in A Tomb With A View, a book for anyone who has ever wandered through a field of crooked headstones and wondered about the lives and deaths of those who lie beneath.So push open the rusting gate, push back the ivy, and take a look inside...

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The interminable case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce has gone on for so long that it has become a subject of mirth in legal circles and a source of great profit to those professionally engaged in it. Held in its inexorable grip - along with a diverse cross section of mid-Victorian society, from baronets to crossing-sweepers - are two wards of court, Ada Clare and Richard Carstone, who, along with the selfless Esther Summerson, are taken in by the kindly philanthropist John Jarndyce, owner of the eponymous Bleak House. But as the legal machinery grinds mercilessly on, the quixotic but feckless Richard, determined to resolve the lawsuit once and for all, seems doomed to be crushed under its weight, while Esther uncovers a shocking mystery concerning her own past. Elsewhere, others are driven to ever more heinous acts, including blackmail - and even murder. Part panoramic social satire and - with the introduction of the indefatigable police investigator Mr Bucket - part prototype of the detective genre, this dark, complex and intricately plotted book is considered by many to be both Dickens's greatest work and the finest novel of the Victorian age.

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The novel has lost its purpose, Joseph Bottum argues in this fascinating new look at the history of fiction. We have not transcended our need for what novels provide, but we have grown to distrust the culture that allowed novels to flourish. “For almost three hundred years,” Bottum writes, “the novel was a major art form, perhaps the major art form, of the modern world—the device by which, more than any other, we tried to explain ourselves to ourselves.” But now we no longer “read novels the way we used to.”In a historical tour de force—the kind of sweeping analysis almost lost to contemporary literary criticism—Bottum traces the emergence of the novel from the modern religious crisis of the individual soul and the atomized self. In chapters on such figures as Sir Walter Scott, Charles Dickens, and Thomas Mann, he examines the enormous ambitions once possessed by novels and finds in these older works a rebuke of our current failure of nerve.“We walk with our heads down,” Bottum writes. “Without a sense of the old goals and reasons––a sense of the good achieved, understood as progress––all that remains are the crimes the culture committed in the past to get where it is now. uncompensated by achievement, unexplained by purpose, these unameliorated sins must now seem overwhelming: the very definition of a failed culture.” In readings of everything from genre fiction to children’s books, Bottum finds a lack of faith in the ability of art to respond to the deep problems of existence. “the decline of the novel’s prestige reflects and confirms a genuine cultural crisis,” he writes.Linking the novel to its religious origins, Bottum describes the urgent search for meaning in the new conditions of the modern age: “If the natural world is imagined by modernity as empty of purpose, then the hunt for nature’s importance is supernatural, by definition.” the novel became a fundamental device by which culture pursued the supernatural—facilitated by modernity’s confidence in science and cultural progress. Losing that confidence, Bottum says, we lost the purpose of the art: “the novel didn’t fail us. We failed the novel.”Told in fast-paced, wide-ranging prose, Bottum’s The Decline of the Novel is a succinct critique of classical and contemporary fiction, providing guidelines for navigating the vast genre. this book is a must-read for those who hunger for grand accounts of literature, students of literary form, critics of contemporary art, and general readers who wish to learn, finally, what we all used to know: the deep moral purpose of reading novels.

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In 1898, an elderly widow, Anna Maria Druce, came to the British court with an astonishing request. She stood among the overflowing pews of St. Pauls Cathedral claiming that the merchant T. C. Druce, her late father-in-law, had in truth been a secret identity for none other than the deceased and enormously wealthy 5th Duke of Portland. Maintaining her composure amid growing agitation from the clutch of lawyers, journalists, and curious onlookers crowded into the church, Mrs. Druce claimed that Druce had been the duke's alter ego and that the duke had, in 1864, faked the death of his middle-class doppelgänger when he grew tired of the ruse. Mrs. Druce wanted the tomb unlocked and her father-in-law's coffin exhumed, adamant that it would lie empty, proving the falsehood and leaving her son to inherit the vast Portland estate. From that fateful afternoon, the lurid details of the Druce-Portland case spilled forth, seizing the attention of the British public for over a decade. As the Victoria era gave way to the Edwardian, the rise of sensationalist media blurred every fact into fiction, and family secrets and fluid identities pushed class anxieties to new heights. The 5th Duke of Portland had long been the victim of suspicion and scandalous rumors; an odd man with a fervent penchant for privacy, he lived his days in precisely coordinated isolation in the dilapidated Welbeck Abbey estate. He constructed elaborate underground passageways from one end of his home to the other and communicated with his household staff through letters. T.C. Druce was a similarly mysterious figure and had always remained startlingly evasive about his origins; on his arrival in London he claimed to have "sprung from the clouds." Drawing from revelations hidden within the Druce family tomb in the chilly confines of Highgate Cemetery, Piu Marie Eatwell recounts one of the most drawn-out sagas of the era in penetrating, gripping detail. From each thwarted investigation and wicked attempt to conceal evidence to the parade of peculiar figures announcing themselves as the rightful heir, Eatwell paints a portentous portrait of England at the dawn of the Edwardian age. Few tales—be they by Charles Dickens or Wilkie Collins, The Importance of Being Earnest or The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde—could surpass the bizarre and deliciously dark twists and turns of the Druce-Portland affair. A mesmerizing tour through the tangled hierarchies of Edwardian England, The Dead Duke, His Secret Wife, and the Missing Corpse illuminates the lies, deceit, and hypocrisy practiced by "genteel" society at the time—and their inevitably sordid consequences.

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In 1762 the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau observed that we are blind half our lives because of what we miss during the night. Yet we fear the dark, and are led to believe that bad things happen during the small hours, especially in cities. This is when insomniacs, psychopaths and photophobics--those who are afraid of the light--roam the streets; the time when 'normal' people should be tucked up in their beds. The Elizabethan playwright Thomas Middleton wrote that there should be 'no occupation but sleepe, feed, and fart' during night-time hours.Yet there have long been literary walkers, flaneurs, who have wandered the dark streets of their cities to uncover the secrets of the night: from Restif de la Bretonne, in his 1789 Les Nuits de Paris, labelled both eccentric and pornographic--to Charles Dickens, who in his Night Walks (1861) evoked the sleeplessness of 'a man who defied the night, with all its sorrowful thoughts'. As cities became lighter, through the advance of technology and commerce, the writer's fascination in the mystery of the night-time city faded. But some cities, restless metropolises like New York and London, retain their nocturnal allure.Madrid is one such city. In 2016 writer Ben Stubbs was drawn to explore the Spanish capital at night like the flaneurs of the past. He set out when the sun went down to examine the life of the night in this often-maligned city, a place famed for its late hours and exuberant nightlife. Exploring the history of everything from tapas to the new politics of Podemos, he encountered the city's cultural quirks and clandestine stories while talking to many Madrilenos who are normally denied a voice in the city.As each hour of the night unfolds, Stubbs discovers different layers within Madrid that many visitors do not see as they stick to well-trodden guidebook itineraries. The deepening darkness reveals cross-dressing migrants, people who live at the airport, Muslims celebrating Ramadan, hotel workers hidden in the bowels of the Ritz, all-night taxi drivers, party-goers enjoying their nightly marcha from bar to bar, poodle-blessing priests and locals in the poorer barrios who walk the streets with him to share the experience of a trasnochador--one who lives during the hours of the night.Mixing personal observation with literary and historical references, Stubbs introduces us to a hitherto unknown and fascinating dimension of Madrid. After Dark reveals a multifaceted city, full of surprises and possibilities, and very much awake and alive between dusk and dawn.

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Discover one of Europe's most historic cities through 30 dramatic true stories spanning 2,000 years of British history. From the bloody rebellion of Boudica to the modern monarchy, and from Shakespeare to the Sex Pistols, Kevin Jackson leads 9 walking tours following in the footsteps of William the Conqueror, Anne Boleyn, Guy Fawkes, Queen Elizabeth and the other leaders, dreamers and schemers who shaped the England's capital. The fifth title in Museyon's acclaimed "Chronicles" series, 'Chronicles of Old London: Exploring England's Historic Capital' is enjoyable for history buffs, Londoners and London tourists alike. It includes: . 30 meticulously researched stories including dramatic episodes from the lives of Queen Victoria, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Winston Churchill, The Beatles and many, many, more . 8 walking tours visiting major landmarks and historical sites including Buckingham Palace, Westminster Alley, Piccadilly Circus, King's Road and the London Eye . Famous (and infamous) tales of the gruesome martyrdom of Thomas Beckett, Black Plague, the Tower of London and the murderous streak of Jack the Ripper . 450 + photographs and illustrations of London past and present . 20 detailed maps AUTHOR: Kevin Jackson compiled The Oxford Book of Money, wrote Invisible Forms, A Guide to Literary Curiosities, a book on the Great Pyramid, a number of books on the cinema, one on the moose, another on vampires and yet another on fast food in Britain. He was associate arts editor of the Independent, one of the big British daily papers, and film critic for the Independent on Sunday. REVIEW: Another in Museyon's "Chronicles" series (Chronicles of Old New York), in this book London writer Jackson provides 30 stories of the city, starting with Boudicca's revolt around 60 C.E. and ending with Prince William's marriage in the present day. These vignettes cover a variety of historical and cultural figures from the Sex Pistols to Bloody Mary. In addition to the historical sketches, the volume presents nine walking tours with maps, photographs, and descriptions of sights along the way. Photographs and illustrations are numerous (over 450) and provide a visual backdrop that further highlights the content. There are no listings of places to stay or information on museum hours; this title is best as a supplement to a traditional guide. The numerous detailed neighborhood maps in the walking tours section will be especially useful. Verdict : A helpful and pleasant read for travelers looking for historical background and a few walking tours for a London trip. Interesting and fun to read, the book mixes light history with contemporary details.-Louise Feldmann, Colorado State Univ. Libs., Fort Collins 450 photographs MUSEYON GUIDES CHRONICLES SERIES 9780984633449 Chronicles of Old Rome: Exploring Italy's Eternal City 9780984633401 Chronicles of Old Boston: Exploring New England's Historic Capital 9780984633487 Chronicles of Old Chicago: Exploring the History and Lore of the Windy City 9780984633418 Chronicles of Old Las Vegas: Exposing Sin City's High-Stakes History 9780984633432 Chronicles of Old London: Exploring Historic Neighborhoods 9780982232064 Chronicles of Old New York: Exploring Manhatten's Landmark Neighbors 9780984633425 Chronicles of Old Paris: Exploring the Historic City of Light

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Board: AQA Examination: English Language & Literature Specification: GCSE 9-1 Set Text covered: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Type: Set Text Study Guide "World class targeted revision and practice, with lots of specific tips and tricks on how to excel in the exam." John Dabell, Teach Secondary magazine Combined revision and practice books for A Christmas Carol to get you top marks in your GCSE English Literature essays. Our study guides are specifically written to support your revision for the closed book AQA GCSE English Literature examination. Each study guide is written by experts in teaching English and uses an active, stepped approach to revision to maximise learning. This study guide covers the chronology of the text and focuses on key events, characters, themes, context, language and structure to help you demonstrate your knowledge and understanding and achieve higher marks. With loads of exam-style practice questions (and answers) you can't go wrong! Books in this series cover the following: Paper 1 Section A - Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth) Paper 1 Section B - Nineteenth-century novel (The Sign of Four, A Christmas Carol, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde) Paper 2 Section A - Modern texts (Blood Brothers, An Inspector Calls,Animal Farm, Lord of the Flies) Paper 2 Sections B and C - Poetry (Love and Relationships anthology, Power and Conflict anthology and Unseen) The accompanying app uses cutting-edge technology to help you revise on-the-go to: Use the free, personalised digital revision planner and get stuck into the quick tests to check your understanding Download our free revision cards which you can save to your phone to help you revise on the go Implement 'active' revision techniques - giving you lots of tips and tricks to help the knowledge sink in Active revision is easy with the following features included throughout the study guides: Snap it! Read it, snap it on your phone, revise it...helps you retain key facts Nail it! Authoritative essential tips and guidance to help you understand what's required in the AQA exam Do it! Short activities to consolidate your knowledge and understanding of the text Stretch it! Support for the really tough stuff that will get you higher grades Define it! Definitions of unfamiliar language in the text and important subject terminology Scholastic have a full suite of revision guide, study guide, app, student book, revision cards and essay planners - the most comprehensive support for GCSE set texts available!

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Little treasures, the FLAME TREE COLLECTABLE CLASSICS are chosen to create a delightful and timeless home library. Each stunning, gift edition features deluxe cover treatments, ribbon markers, luxury endpapers and gilded edges. The unabridged text is accompanied by a Glossary of Victorian and Literary terms produced for the modern reader. David Copperfield is the story of a hard life endured is ultimately rewarded because of perseverance, kindness and common sense. Copperfield loses his father as a child, his mother then marries Murdstone, a cruel man who oppresses her and sends the boy away from home to a hostel. His mother dies, then Copperfield is sent to a factory, before running away to his Aunt Betsey Trotwood who protects him and whose relationship he maintains throughout his life. Further suffering follows though when Copperfield's first wife dies in childbirth, but by the end of the novel he too marries once more, finally to live towards a happy end, with Agnes and their three children. Throughout, Dickens highlights the systemic abuse of the weak, the ill, and, often, the female, eager to show that society is at fault for poverty, not the individual, so the poor should be helped, not victimised.

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Little treasures, the FLAME TREE COLLECTABLE CLASSICS are chosen to create a delightful and timeless home library. Each stunning, gift edition features deluxe cover treatments, ribbon markers, luxury endpapers and gilded edges. The unabridged text is accompanied by a Glossary of Victorian and Literary terms produced for the modern reader. Dicken's cast of characters, from the orphan Pip, Miss Haversham and Estella to the aptly named Magwitch takes the reader through a Victorian society riven with social ills, and misplaced ambition. Pip, a blacksmith's apprentice encounters and helps the escaped convict Magwitch who subsequently repays the boy with a secret fortune. Pip misunderstands the source of elevation, thinking it comes from the high society of Miss Haversham and her cold-hearted daughter whom he adores. His wilfull naivety is exposed throughout as Estella's disdain for Pip makes him try ever harder, to the detriment of `joe Gargery and Mrs Joe, the good people who raised him in poverty at the forge. Ultimately Miss Haversham burns to death in a fire and Magwitch dies in prison leaving a chastened Pip without his fortune. At the end all is resolved when finally he wins Estella's heart.

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La historia de un niño huérfano perdido en los bajos fondos londinenses le sirve a Dickens para reflejar el mundo del hampa, la miseria y la hipocresía social, en una historia plagada de estereotipos, siempre superados por la maestría del autor. El hilo central, las peripecias de Oliver desde sus comienzos en la más absoluta pobreza hasta su ascenso, se entreteje con asuntos tangenciales, que a veces resultan predominantes, pues son esenciales para el propósito del autor: la denuncia social a través de la descripción del Londres de la época, con sus lacras sociales y morales... En definitiva, "Oliver Twist" es una historia de buenos y malos, donde se mezclan lo jovial, lo sentimental, lo lúgubre y lo trágico, con una eficacia narrativa que hace que todavía hoy en día los lectores continúen identificándose con los personajes, las situaciones y la crítica que plantea el autor.

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Después de más de veinte años en China, Arthur Clennam vuelve a Londres convencido de haber desperdiciado su juventud y de que ya ha pasado para él el momento del amor. Su madre, una anciana inválida y siniestra, le recibe gélidamente en la habitación de la que lleva doce años sin salir, y en la que, al fondo, en la penumbra, cose una desventurada muchacha. Arthur cobra enseguida interés por ella, sospechando que puede guardar la clave de un vergonzoso secreto familiar que su madre tenazmente le oculta, y descubre que se trata de Amy Dorrit, nacida en la cárcel de deudores de Marshalsea, donde su padre, uno de los más antiguos presos, es toda una institución. La pequeña Dorrit (1855-1857), que presentamos en una nueva traducción de Carmen Francí e Ismael Attrache, es sin duda uno de los mejores Dickens, compendio monumental de su destreza narrativa, de su ingenio cómico y de su talento inigualable para crear ambientes y personajes.

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La pequeña Nell Trent es huérfana y vive con su abuelo en una mísera tienda de antigüedades. Abrumado por las deudas, el anciano recurre al malvado prestamista Daniel Quilp, un enano deforme y jorobado, y será a partir de que él entre en escena cuando la niña y su abuelo emprendan un viaje por Inglaterra. Recorrerán pueblecitos, ciudades ennegrecidas por el hollín, lugares llenos de miseria. Y en su peregrinaje, en la más pura tradición cervantina, alternarán con una variopinta galería de personajes: feriantes, carboneros que leen el fuego, maestros, domadores de perros, dueñas de museos ambulantes, dandis con un sentimiento trágico de la vida y ponis obstinados.Editada por entregas entre 1840 y 1841, La tienda de antigüedades encumbró a Dickens. Tras la publicación del último capítulo, los lectores estadounidenses irrumpieron en los muelles de Nueva York para pedir noticias acerca del final a los marineros que volvían de Inglaterra y, recientemente, la prensa norteamericana compar

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How do I even start? It’s a mental story. Ah know, Ah know, everyone says that – ‘ma life’s pure mental’. But honestly – a guy drowns, a man eats a live pigeon (though Ah might no have time for that), a woman gets set on fire, right before my eyes! But before we get tae aw that, Ah should tell you ma name. Right. So, ma name, is. . . Pip. Pip is just your average wee guy – happy with his lot and not much of a complainer (though you really wouldn’t blame him if he was!). Regularly tortured and terrified, in what is, it must be said, a truly hard life, he still finds time to laugh, smile and dream of a brighter future, even though no-one expects anything of him. Or so he thinks. . . Nae Expectations is Gary McNair’s fresh look at the Dickens classic Great Expectations, with a Glasgow tongue and a gallus spirit. Follow young Pip as he battles with monstrous adults, the class system and, most of all, his inner demons as he tries to work out who he is, what he wants to be and how to find his own way in the world. This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere at Glasgow's Tron Theatre, in October 2023.

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Part of Penguin's beautiful hardback Clothbound Classics series, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith, these delectable and collectible editions are bound in high-quality colourful, tactile cloth with foil stamped into the design. After eighteen years as a political prisoner in the Bastille the aging Dr Manette is finally released and reunited with his daughter in England. There two very different men, Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, become enmeshed through their love for Lucie Manette. From the tranquil lanes of London, they are all drawn against their will to the vengeful, bloodstained streets of Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror and soon fall under the lethal shadow of La Guillotine.

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A follow-up to the hugely successful Unseen London, London Uncovered is a unique London guidebook that opens the doors to more than sixty of the capital's most intriguing places, all visitable but not widely known. From museums of the unusual to places of worship; palaces of entertainment to historic and ornate shops; city houses and hostelries, take a trip through the capital's hidden treasure and discover a picture of a London which is strange, gaudy, grand and inventive. Describing the history and the character of each place, the book uncovers a wealth of stories about an endlessly fascinating world city with its own unique character. This fresh edition includes over a dozen new locations, including the Dennis Severs House, Les Ambassadeurs Casino and Sir John Soane's Museum.See a glimpse of uncovered London with this unique guide to the city's buildings.The buildings:Introduction: Cleopatra's Needle; St Pancras Renaissance Hotel; Isabella Plantation; Leake Street.Historical Homes: Syon House; Charles Dickens Museum; Apsley House; Eltham Palace; Leighton House; Two Temple Place; Kew Palace and The Royal Botanical Gardens; Freud's House; Kenwood House; Dennis Severs House; Handel & Hendrix House.Drinking and Dining: Beefeater Distillery; Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese; Bibendum; L. Manze; Smeathfield Meat Market; The Ivy; The Black Friar; Berry Bros. & Rudd.Palaces of Entertainment: The Rivoli Ballroom; Wilton's Music Hall; Normansfield Theatre; Wigmore Hall; Gala Bingo Club; Repton Park Pool; The Royal Automobile Club; Les Ambassadeurs.Places of Worship: Westminster Cathedral; London Peace Pagoda; Masonic Temple at Andaz Liverpool Street Hotel; St Bartholomew the Great; St Mary-le-Bow; Shri Sanatan Hindu Mandir.Remarkable Shops: LassCo Salvage; L. Cornelissen & Son; Lock & Co. Hatters; Steinway & Sons; James Smith & Sons; John Lobb Ltd.Education and Technology: The Charterhouse; Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret; The Ragged School Museum; London Museum of Water and Steam; Royal Institution of Great Britain; Rail Mail.Inns of Court: The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn; The Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn; The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple; The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple; The Temple Church.Unusual Museums: The RAF Museum; Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms; HMS Belfast; The Monument; Wimbledon Windmill; Design Museum; Sir John Soane's Museum.Praise for Peter Dazeley and Mark Daly's previous book Unseen London:'A thrilling tour behind the closed doors of the capital city's buildings.' Daily Telegraph'Dazeley captures the atmosphere of each building to perfection.' Daily Express'Fascinating.' Fabric magazine'A joy' Evening Standard

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Hiram Woolley is a cunning man. A witch is someone whose craft is malevolent, someone who curses you. A cunning man is the person who is master of the lore necessary to defend you against witches, and against other evil powers. Hiram is also a widower and a beet farmer, who learned his occult lore from his Grandma Hettie. Grandma Hettie raised Hiram on her farm; she said her prayers in German, sang the Psalms to secret melodies, and knew the special properties of stones. In the 1930s, with the western United States sunk in deep depression, Hiram and his adopted son try to help the poor—delivering food, helping the unemployed find jobs, digging out collapsed wells, and settling family disputes. Behind the played-out farms and failed businesses, Hiram finds demons, curses, sorcerers, and unatoned wrongs. Bags of groceries and carpentry won’t be enough—to truly help the poor, Hiram will have to turn to Grandma Hettie’s magic. About The Cunning Man: "An amazing tale that grabs you by the throat and won’t let go! Butler & Ritchey are a literary force to be reckoned with! Hit that download button and grab your copy now! The Cunning Man will never let you go!"—Sherrilyn Kenyon, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Praise for D.J. Butler: “Butler follows Witchy Eye with a satisfying second tale of a magic-filled early America. . . . Deep and old magic influences both places and characters, and the story is tightly focused on the determined Sarah . . . Fans of epic and alternate historical fantasy will savor this tale of witchery and intrigue.”—Publishers Weekly "For readers who love history-based fantasy, steampunk, or urban fantasy. . . this series that gives the genre a new twist."—Booklist “… you can’t stop yourself from taking another bite…and another…and another….I didn’t want to stop reading…. Kudos!”—R.A. Salvatore “Excellent book. I am impressed by the creativity and the depth of the world building. Dave Butler is a great storyteller.”—Larry Correia “Witchy Eye is an intricate and imaginative alternate history with a cast of characters and quirky situations that would make a Dickens novel proud.” —Kevin J. Anderson "Butler’s fantasy is by turns sardonic and lighthearted; ghoulish shadows claw into the most remote areas and heroism bursts out of the most unlikely people. Sarah is the epitome of the downtrodden hero who refuses to give up until she gets what she needs, and her story will appeal to fantasy readers of all stripes."—Publishers Weekly "David's a pro storyteller, and you're in for a great ride."—Larry Dixon "… a fascinating, grittily-flavored world of living legends. Hurry up and write the next one, Dave."—Cat Rambo "This is enchanting! I'd love to see more."—Mercedes Lackey “Goblin Market meets Magical Musketpunk... A great ride that also manages to cover some serious cultural terrain.” —Charles E. Gannon "Witchy Eye is a brilliant blend of historical acumen and imagination, a tour-de-force that is at once full of surprises and ultimately heart-warming. This is your chance to discover one of the finest new stars writing today!"–David Farland “A gritty, engrossing mash-up of history, fantasy, and magic. Desperate characters careen from plot twist to plot twist until few are left standing.”—Mario Acevedo "Captivating characters. Superb world-building. Awesome magic. Butler fuses fantasy and history effortlessly, creating a fascinating new American epic. Not to be missed!"—Christopher Husberg "[A] unique alternative-history that is heavily influence by urban and traditional fantasy and steeped in the folklore of the Appalachians. . . . Fans of urban fantasy looking to take a chance on something with a twist on a historical setting may find this novel worth their time."—Booklist Praise for Aaron Michael Ritchey: "…richly drawn, beautifully complex characters…"—Kirkus on Long Live the Suicide King

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This biography of George Brinton McClellan Jr., son of the Civil War general, a congressman, and mayor of New York (1904–1910), studies political courage and honor. McClellan was a Tammany Hall Democrat, who challenged the boss of Tammany Hall, Charles Francis Murphy, and put principle above party. For his disloyalty, he paid the price of political oblivion. Today, this important figure in the modernization of the city is hardly remembered because of the power of his enemies. This study emphasizes McClellan's six years as mayor, but also covers his youth, relationship with his father, his career as a reporter, years as a congressman, and his post-political career, which included his tenure as an economics history professor at Princeton, his brief army career during World War I, his retirement years in Washington, D.C., and his burial in Arlington Cemetery.

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Carefully controlled information, structure and vocabulary Some difficult words and phrases are explained with pictures The book has around 600 basic words for Beginner-level students Free resources including worksheets, tests and author data sheets

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David Copperfield tells of the life of the unlucky David Copperfield. When his mother marries the cruel Mr Murdstone, David is sent away to boarding school. As he grows up, David meets many people - but who are his true friends and will his fortunes ever change? Exciting and powerful classic stories to enrich and extend your children's reading experiences. TreeTops Classics are carefully adapted versions of must-read stories which introduce your readers to significant authors, powerful plots and characters that have stood the test of time. These abridged versions of classics have been sensitively adapted by top children's authors to ensure that language and content is appropriate, but remain faithful to the original. These enchanting stories will appeal to all your junior readers and introduce them to a rich literary heritage. Each book includes author biographies and notes to help with historical and social context and any challenging vocabulary, ensuring the books are easily accessible. Books contain inside cover notes to support children in their reading. Help with children's reading development also available at www.oxfordowl.co.uk. The books are finely levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book.

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Hiram and his son Michael are dowsing a well in Eastern Utah when they hear a cry of help from the ghost of a small boy, torn to pieces by wild animals. Before they can even begin to look into that tragedy, however, a prosperous local rancher is murdered right before their eyes. In an attempt to both help the ghost and find the killer, Hiram and Michael must navigate an eccentric cast of characters that includes failed bank robbers, a seductive fortune-teller, an inept sheriff, a crazy prospector, and a preacher with an apocalyptic grudge against the Roosevelt administration. The mystery, however, isn’t just in the hearts of men. There’s an astrological puzzle that Michael, now his father’s apprentice, must solve. Meanwhile, the murderer is moving slowly against Hiram and Michael, forcing them into a trap from which there is no escape. About prequel The Cunning Man: “An attempt at charity during the Great Depression turns into a protracted fight against supernatural forces in this admirable paranormal mystery. . . . the richly imagined magic system and glimpses of Mormon culture create a fully realized world. Historical fantasy fans will delight in the zigzagging plot of this mystery.”—Publishers Weekly "An amazing tale that grabs you by the throat and won’t let go! Butler & Ritchey are a literary force to be reckoned with! Hit that download button and grab your copy now! The Cunning Man will never let you go!"—Sherrilyn Kenyon, #1 New York Times Best-selling author ". . . a brisk and engaging narrative . . . folk and religious based magic . . . for fans of urban or historical fantasy . . . a satisfying read."—Booklist Praise for D.J. Butler: “Butler follows Witchy Eye with a satisfying second tale of a magic-filled early America. . . . Deep and old magic influences both places and characters, and the story is tightly focused on the determined Sarah . . . Fans of epic and alternate historical fantasy will savor this tale of witchery and intrigue.”—Publishers Weekly "For readers who love history-based fantasy, steampunk, or urban fantasy . . . this series that gives the genre a new twist."—Booklist “. . . you can’t stop yourself from taking another bite . . . and another . . . and another. . . . I didn’t want to stop reading. . . . Kudos!”—R.A. Salvatore “Excellent book. I am impressed by the creativity and the depth of the world building. Dave Butler is a great storyteller.”—Larry Correia “Witchy Eye is an intricate and imaginative alternate history with a cast of characters and quirky situations that would make a Dickens novel proud.”—Kevin J. Anderson "Butler’s fantasy is by turns sardonic and lighthearted; ghoulish shadows claw into the most remote areas and heroism bursts out of the most unlikely people. Sarah is the epitome of the downtrodden hero who refuses to give up until she gets what she needs, and her story will appeal to fantasy readers of all stripes."—Publishers Weekly "David's a pro storyteller, and you're in for a great ride."—Larry Dixon ". . . a fascinating, grittily-flavored world of living legends. Hurry up and write the next one, Dave."—Cat Rambo "This is enchanting! I'd love to see more."—Mercedes Lackey “Goblin Market meets Magical Musketpunk . . . A great ride that also manages to cover some serious cultural terrain.”—Charles E. Gannon "Witchy Eye is a brilliant blend of historical acumen and imagination, a tour-de-force that is at once full of surprises and ultimately heart-warming. This is your chance to discover one of the finest new stars writing today!"—David Farland “A gritty, engrossing mash-up of history, fantasy, and magic. Desperate characters careen from plot twist to plot twist until few are left standing.”—Mario Acevedo "Captivating characters. Superb world-building. Awesome magic. Butler fuses fantasy and history effortlessly, creating a fascinating new American epic. Not to be missed!"—Christopher Husberg "[A] unique alternative-history that is heavily influenced by urban and traditional fantasy and steeped in the folklore of the Appalachians. . . . Fans of urban fantasy looking to take a chance on something with a twist on a historical setting may find this novel worth their time."—Booklist Praise for Aaron Michael Ritchey: ". . . richly drawn, beautifully complex characters . . ."—Kirkus on Long Live the Suicide King

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GCSE Literature Boost: A Christmas Carol uses academic criticism and theory to relight your literary passion for this classic text and put a newfound excitement in your pedagogy. Beginning with a whistlestop tour of literary theory and criticism from 400BC to the late 20th century, Hughes explains how you can introduce your GCSE English students to themes most often reserved for undergraduate courses, improving their understanding of the text and broadening their knowledge of the subject as a whole.Written in easily digestible chunks, each chapter considers a main theme or section of Charles Dickensâ A Christmas Carol through different critical lenses summarising the relevant academic theories, and shows how you can transfer this knowledge to the classroom through practical teaching ideas. Features include: Case studies showing how English teachers have used academic theory in practical ways. Ideas for teaching linked to GCSE assessment objectives

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It’s the depths of the Depression, and a mining town in Utah is shut down. Something has awakened underground, and now a monster roams the tunnels. While contentious owners squabble, poor worker families go hungry. Along comes Hiram Woolley. Hiram is a man with mystical abilities derived from the commonsense application of Scots-Irish folk wisdom and German braucher magic. He possesses an arcane Bloodstone that allows him to see a lie the moment it is spoken.Behind the played-out farms and failed businesses are demons, curses, sorcerers, and unatoned wrongs. Bags of groceries and carpentry won’t be enough to save the day this time.This job will take a man who has known sorrow. A man who has known war. A man of wisdom. A man of magic.THE JOB WILL TAKE A CUNNING MAN.About The Cunning Man:“An attempt at charity during the Great Depression turns into a protracted fight against supernatural forces in this admirable paranormal mystery. . . . the richly imagined magic system and glimpses of Mormon culture create a fully realized world. Historical fantasy fans will delight in the zigzagging plot of this mystery.”—Publishers Weekly"An amazing tale that grabs you by the throat and won’t let go! Butler & Ritchey are a literary force to be reckoned with! Hit that download button and grab your copy now! The Cunning Man will never let you go!"—Sherrilyn Kenyon, #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author". . . a brisk and engaging narrative...folk and religious based magic . . . for fans of urban or historical fantasy . . . a satisfying read."—BooklistPraise for D.J. Butler:“Butler follows Witchy Eye with a satisfying second tale of a magic-filled early America. . . . Deep and old magic influences both places and characters, and the story is tightly focused on the determined Sarah . . . Fans of epic and alternate historical fantasy will savor this tale of witchery and intrigue.”—Publishers Weekly"For readers who love history-based fantasy, steampunk, or urban fantasy . . . this series that gives the genre a new twist."—Booklist“. . . you can’t stop yourself from taking another bite . . . and another . . . and another. . . . I didn’t want to stop reading. . . . Kudos!”—R.A. Salvatore“Excellent book. I am impressed by the creativity and the depth of the world building. Dave Butler is a great storyteller.”—Larry Correia “Witchy Eye is an intricate and imaginative alternate history with a cast of characters and quirky situations that would make a Dickens novel proud.” —Kevin J. Anderson "Butler’s fantasy is by turns sardonic and lighthearted; ghoulish shadows claw into the most remote areas and heroism bursts out of the most unlikely people. Sarah is the epitome of the downtrodden hero who refuses to give up until she gets what she needs, and her story will appeal to fantasy readers of all stripes."—Publishers Weekly"David's a pro storyteller, and you're in for a great ride."—Larry Dixon". . . a fascinating, grittily-flavored world of living legends. Hurry up and write the next one, Dave."—Cat Rambo"This is enchanting! I'd love to see more."—Mercedes Lackey “Goblin Market meets Magical Musketpunk . . . A great ride that also manages to cover some serious cultural terrain.” —Charles E. Gannon"Witchy Eye is a brilliant blend of historical acumen and imagination, a tour-de-force that is at once full of surprises and ultimately heart-warming. This is your chance to discover one of the finest new stars writing today!"–David Farland“A gritty, engrossing mash-up of history, fantasy, and magic. Desperate characters careen from plot twist to plot twist until few are left standing.”—Mario Acevedo"Captivating characters. Superb world-building. Awesome magic. Butler fuses fantasy and history effortlessly, creating a fascinating new American epic. Not to be missed!"—Christopher Husberg"[A] unique alternative-history that is heavily influenced by urban and traditional fantasy and steeped in the folklore of the Appalachians. . . . Fans of urban fantasy looking to take a chance on something with a twist on a historical setting may find this novel worth their time."—BooklistPraise for Aaron Michael Ritchey:". . . richly drawn, beautifully complex characters . . ."—Kirkus on Long Live the Suicide King

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John Abbott is all in. He's up to his eyeballs in debt to pay for school, and he's just moved his small family forty light-years from Earth for a plum job with the wealthy interstellar corporation, The Sarovar Company. John's first assignment is to discreetly investigate possible corruption at the remote Arrowhawk Station, where Company traders buy the famous Sarovari Weave from the three-sided, crablike Weavers. John finds evidence of theft and worse, but when the guilty parties realize he's getting close, they come after him and his family. Can John catch the thieves and end their corrupt trade? Can he head off a war between the Company and the Weavers? Can he make a life for his family in this remote wilderness without corrupting himself? With no way back to Earth, the only direction for John Abbott and his family to go is forward—into danger. Praise for D.J. Butler: “It’s like Jim Butcher crossed with Grapes of Wrath!”—Larry Correia “Butler and Ritchey return to Depression-era Utah for a second thrilling tale of murder and folk magic (after The Cunning Man). . . . The play between Hiram’s earnest Mormonism and the more secular Michael’s growing unease with folk magic adds depth to the father-son dynamic, and the false leads and eccentric side characters make for a delightful mystery. This well-crafted historical fantasy is sure to please.”—Publishers Weekly “An attempt at charity during the Great Depression turns into a protracted fight against supernatural forces in this admirable paranormal mystery. . . . the richly imagined magic system and glimpses of Mormon culture create a fully realized world. Historical fantasy fans will delight in the zigzagging plot of this mystery.”—Publishers Weekly “An amazing tale that grabs you by the throat and won’t let go! Butler & Ritchey are a literary force to be reckoned with! Hit that download button and grab your copy now! The Cunning Man will never let you go!”—Sherrilyn Kenyon, #1 New York Times best-selling author “. . . a brisk and engaging narrative . . . folk and religious based magic . . . for fans of urban or historical fantasy . . . a satisfying read.”—Booklist “Butler follows Witchy Eye with a satisfying second tale of a magic-filled early America. . . . Deep and old magic influences both places and characters, and the story is tightly focused on the determined Sarah . . . Fans of epic and alternate historical fantasy will savor this tale of witchery and intrigue.”—Publishers Weekly “For readers who love history-based fantasy, steampunk, or urban fantasy . . . this series . . . gives the genre a new twist.”—Booklist “. . . you can’t stop yourself from taking another bite . . . and another . . . and another. . . . I didn’t want to stop reading. . . . Kudos!”—R.A. Salvatore “Excellent book. I am impressed by the creativity and the depth of the worldbuilding. Dave Butler is a great storyteller.”—Larry Correia “Witchy Eye is an intricate and imaginative alternate history with a cast of characters and quirky situations that would make a Dickens novel proud.”—Kevin J. Anderson “Butler’s fantasy is by turns sardonic and lighthearted; ghoulish shadows claw into the most remote areas and heroism bursts out of the most unlikely people. Sarah is the epitome of the downtrodden hero who refuses to give up until she gets what she needs, and her story will appeal to fantasy readers of all stripes.”—Publishers Weekly “David's a pro storyteller, and you're in for a great ride.”—Larry Dixon “. . . a fascinating, grittily flavored world of living legends. Hurry up and write the next one, Dave.”—Cat Rambo “This is enchanting! I'd love to see more.”—Mercedes Lackey “Goblin Market meets Magical Musketpunk . . . A great ride that also manages to cover some serious cultural terrain.”—Charles E. Gannon “Witchy Eye is a brilliant blend of historical acumen and imagination, a tour-de-force that is at once full of surprises and ultimately heart-warming. This is your chance to discover one of the finest new stars writing today!”—David Farland “A gritty, engrossing mash-up of history, fantasy, and magic. Desperate characters careen from plot twist to plot twist until few are left standing.”—Mario Acevedo “Captivating characters. Superb world-building. Awesome magic. Butler fuses fantasy and history effortlessly, creating a fascinating new American epic. Not to be missed!”—Christopher Husberg “[A] unique alternative-history that is heavily influenced by urban and traditional fantasy and steeped in the folklore of the Appalachians. . . . Fans of urban fantasy looking to take a chance on something with a twist on a historical setting may find this novel worth their time.”—Booklist

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A new full cast adventure for the Eighth Doctor. The Doctor's past is catching up with him. And so is his future...As a dark chapter dawns for the universe, a friend is at hand. But how can River Song help the Doctor if she can't meet him? 2.1 BEACHHEAD by Nicholas Briggs. In an attempt to recharge his batteries after his confrontation with the Eleven, the Doctor takes Liv and Helen to the sleepy English seaside village of Stegmoor. But they find the village in turmoil and, to make matters worse, their arrival uncovers a mystery from the Doctor's past which threatens the future safety of the planet. Can the Doctor prevent the Voord from invading Earth? And more importantly why have they come in the first place? 2.2 SCENES FROM HER LIFE by John Dorney. Investigating the appearance of the Voord on Earth, the Doctor, Liv and Helen follow a trail which takes them to the other side of the universe. There they discover a mysterious and almost deserted gothic city lost in space and time, in which the grotesque inhabitants are conducting a vile and inhumane experiment.The Doctor and his companions must hurry to save the lives of those in danger before the experiment is a success and the unimaginable consequences become all too real. 2.3 THE GIFT by Marc Platt. The TARDIS deposits its crew on Earth in San Francisco, 1906. There they find an actor-manager desperate to stage his definitive production of King Lear. But a real storm is headed their way when he becomes the possessor of a mysterious psychic 'Gift' which is hungry for power and intent on wreaking havoc and destruction. But exposure to so much psychic activity has the Doctor becoming increasingly erratic. Can he battle his demons and save the world? 2.4 THE SONOMANCER by Matt Fitton. On the other side of the galaxy a mining company is exploiting the already unstable planet of Syra for every precious mineral it contains. River Song is attempting to save the native people. She needs the Doctor's help, but she also knows he mustn't yet discover her true identity. The final confrontation sees the Doctor once again face his enemy the Eleven in an attempt to prevent the destruction of Syra and the genocide of its inhabitants.Fullerlove (Yeva), John Banks (Galactic Heritage) and Mark Bonnar as The Eleven. Doctor Who - Doom Coalition is a follow-up to Big Finish's Dark Eyes series - the first of which received the Best Online Drama at the 2014 BBC Drama Awards.British TV and Hollywood star Paul McGann returns to his hugely popular portrayal of the Doctor (as seen on BBC TV in 2013's Night of the Doctor).Hattie Morahan has now appeared opposite two British fictional greats - the Doctor here, and Sherlock Holmes in 2015's film Mr Holmes with Sir Ian McKellen and Nicola Walker was one of the longest serving actresses in BBC's Spooks series.CAST: Paul McGann (The Doctor), Alex Kingston (River Song), Nicola Walker (Liv Chenka), Hattie Morahan (Helen Sinclair), Rebecca Night (Matilda Gregson), Julia Hills (Phillipa Gregson/Dispatch), Kirsty Besterman (Ishtek), Andrew Dickens (Voord Guard), Emma Cunniffe (Caleera), Vincent Franklin (Lord Stormblood), Jacqueline King (Lady Sepulchra), Hamish Clark (Swordfish), James Jordan (Charles Virgil McLean), Paul Marc Davis (Pepe Gonzalez), Cory English (Sam Sonora), Laura Harding (Ethel Halliday), Enzo Squillino Jnr (Aldo Deluca), Derek Ezenagu (Ruslan), Janet Fullerlove (Yeva), John Banks (Galactic Heritage) and Mark Bonnar as The Eleven.

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“BARD DESPERATE FOR APPRENTICE AND ROGUE WITH SIDELINE IN INSURANCE SEEK WORK. PREFERABLY AS GOOD GUYS.” Indrajit Twang is the four hundred twenty-seventh epic poet of his people, the only person alive to carry their entire epic history and mythology in his head. His people are dwindling in number, and if he can’t find a successor in the great city of Kish, their story will disappear with them. Fix grew up a foundling on the ancient streets of Kish and is making his living as a mercenary. The woman he loves married someone else, and Fix has turned to buying and selling risk on the black market—but is he trying to impress her, or prove something to himself? Indrajit and Fix have been hired by a powerful risk-merchant to protect the life of opera star Ilsa without Peer for the duration of a risk contract he’s taken on. When an attempt is made on Ilsa’s life, Indrajit and Fix find themselves hunted by multiple mercenary squads and targeted by some of the most powerful men in Kish. Will they be able to save themselves, not to mention protect Ilsa, in the Palace of Shadow and Joy? Praise for Witchy Winter: “Butler follows Witchy Eye with a satisfying second tale of a magic-filled early America. . . . Deep and old magic influences both places and characters, and the story is tightly focused on the determined Sarah. . . . Fans of epic and alternate historical fantasy will savor this tale of witchery and intrigue.”—Publishers Weekly "For readers who love history-based fantasy, steampunk, or urban fantasy . . . this series that gives the genre a new twist."—Booklist Praise for Witchy Eye and D.J. Butler: " . . . you can’t stop yourself from taking another bite . . . and another . . . and another. . . . I didn’t want to stop reading. . . . Kudos!”—R.A. Salvatore “Excellent book. I am impressed by the creativity and the depth of the worldbuilding. Dave Butler is a great storyteller.”—Larry Correia “Witchy Eye is an intricate and imaginative alternate history with a cast of characters and quirky situations that would make a Dickens novel proud.” —Kevin J. Anderson "Butler’s fantasy is by turns sardonic and lighthearted; ghoulish shadows claw into the most remote areas and heroism bursts out of the most unlikely people. Sarah is the epitome of the downtrodden hero who refuses to give up until she gets what she needs, and her story will appeal to fantasy readers of all stripes."—Publishers Weekly "David's a pro storyteller, and you're in for a great ride."—Larry Dixon " . . . a fascinating, grittily-flavored world of living legends. Hurry up and write the next one, Dave."—Cat Rambo "This is enchanting! I'd love to see more."—Mercedes Lackey “Goblin Market meets Magical Musketpunk . . . A great ride that also manages to cover some serious cultural terrain.” —Charles E. Gannon "Witchy Eye is a brilliant blend of historical acumen and imagination, a tour-de-force that is at once full of surprises and ultimately heart-warming. This is your chance to discover one of the finest new stars writing today!" —David Farland “A gritty, engrossing mash-up of history, fantasy, and magic. Desperate characters careen from plot twist to plot twist until few are left standing.”—Mario Acevedo "Captivating characters. Superb world-building. Awesome magic. Butler fuses fantasy and history effortlessly, creating a fascinating new American epic. Not to be missed!"—Christopher Husberg "[A] unique alternative-history that is heavily influenced by urban and traditional fantasy and steeped in the folklore of the Appalachians. . . . Fans of urban fantasy looking to take a chance on something with a twist on a historical setting may find this novel worth their time."—Booklist

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"BARD DESPERATE FOR APPRENTICE AND ROGUE WITH SIDELINE IN INSURANCE SEEK WORK. PREFERABLY AS GOOD GUYS." Indrajit Twang is the four hundred twenty-seventh epic poet of his people, the only person alive to carry their entire epic history and mythology in his head. His people are dwindling in number, and if he can’t find a successor in the great city of Kish, their story will disappear with them. Fix grew up a foundling on the ancient streets of Kish and is making his living as a mercenary. The woman he loves married someone else, and Fix has turned to buying and selling risk on the black market—but is he trying to impress her, or prove something to himself? Indrajit and Fix have been hired by a powerful risk-merchant to protect the life of opera star Ilsa without Peer for the duration of a risk contract he’s taken on. When an attempt is made on Ilsa’s life, Indrajit and Fix find themselves hunted by multiple mercenary squads and targeted by some of the most powerful men in Kish. Will they be able to save themselves, not to mention protect Ilsa, in the Palace of Shadow and Joy? Praise for Witchy Winter: “Butler follows Witchy Eye with a satisfying second tale of a magic-filled early America. . . . Deep and old magic influences both places and characters, and the story is tightly focused on the determined Sarah . . . . Fans of epic and alternate historical fantasy will savor this tale of witchery and intrigue.”—Publishers Weekly "For readers who love history-based fantasy, steampunk, or urban fantasy . . . this series that gives the genre a new twist."—Booklist Praise for Witchy Eye and D.J. Butler: " . . . you can’t stop yourself from taking another bite . . . and another . . . and another . . . . I didn’t want to stop reading . . . . Kudos!”—R.A. Salvatore “Excellent book. I am impressed by the creativity and the depth of the world building. Dave Butler is a great storyteller.”—Larry Correia “Witchy Eye is an intricate and imaginative alternate history with a cast of characters and quirky situations that would make a Dickens novel proud.” —Kevin J. Anderson "Butler’s fantasy is by turns sardonic and lighthearted; ghoulish shadows claw into the most remote areas and heroism bursts out of the most unlikely people. Sarah is the epitome of the downtrodden hero who refuses to give up until she gets what she needs, and her story will appeal to fantasy readers of all stripes."—Publishers Weekly "David's a pro storyteller, and you're in for a great ride."—Larry Dixon " . . . a fascinating, grittily-flavored world of living legends. Hurry up and write the next one, Dave."—Cat Rambo "This is enchanting! I'd love to see more."—Mercedes Lackey “Goblin Market meets Magical Musketpunk . . . A great ride that also manages to cover some serious cultural terrain.” —Charles E. Gannon "Witchy Eye is a brilliant blend of historical acumen and imagination, a tour-de-force that is at once full of surprises and ultimately heart-warming. This is your chance to discover one of the finest new stars writing today!"–David Farland “A gritty, engrossing mash-up of history, fantasy, and magic. Desperate characters careen from plot twist to plot twist until few are left standing.”—Mario Acevedo "Captivating characters. Superb world-building. Awesome magic. Butler fuses fantasy and history effortlessly, creating a fascinating new American epic. Not to be missed!"—Christopher Husberg "[A] unique alternative-history that is heavily influence by urban and traditional fantasy and steeped in the folklore of the Appalachians. . . . Fans of urban fantasy looking to take a chance on something with a twist on a historical setting may find this novel worth their time."—Booklist

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SEASON OF THE WITCH An encounter with her father’s goddess has not turned out to be the end for Sarah Elytharias Penn. Now, with the Imperial fist tightened around her city of Cahokia and the beastkind of the Heron King ravaging across the river, she must find a way to access the power of the Serpent Throne itself—a feat, she has learned, that her father never accomplished. To complicate her efforts, Cahokia’s Metropolitan, a beloved and charismatic priest who despises the goddess as a demon, returns from a long pilgrimage and attempts to finalize the Wisdom-eradicating reform that dogged Sarah’s father when he was king. Meanwhile, Sarah’s brother Nathaniel and her brilliant but erratic servant Jacob Hop find their steps dogged by the Emperor’s Machiavel, Temple Franklin, as they hunt in New Amsterdam for the third Elytharias sibling. As Simon Sword’s destroying storm threatens from the south and west, and New Orleans is thrown into deadly turmoil when a vodoun priest and mameluke assassins contend for ultimate power and control of the Mississippi, the chance for a unified New World teeters on the brink. Sarah Penn understands she may face a hard fate in the final reckoning. But she also knows that only she can access the power of the Throne—if she can find the Wisdom inside to unlock it. Praise for Witchy Winter: “Butler follows Witchy Eye with a satisfying second tale of a magic-filled early America. . . . Deep and old magic influences both places and characters, and the story is tightly focused on the determined Sarah . . . Fans of epic and alternate historical fantasy will savor this tale of witchery and intrigue.”—Publishers Weekly "For readers who love history-based fantasy, steampunk, or urban fantasy . . . this series that gives the genre a new twist."—Booklist Praise for Witchy Eye and D.J. Butler: “ . . . you can’t stop yourself from taking another bite . . . and another . . . and another . . . I didn’t want to stop reading . . . Kudos!”—R.A. Salvatore “Excellent book. I am impressed by the creativity and the depth of the world building. Dave Butler is a great storyteller.”—Larry Correia “Witchy Eye is an intricate and imaginative alternate history with a cast of characters and quirky situations that would make a Dickens novel proud.” —Kevin J. Anderson "Butler’s fantasy is by turns sardonic and lighthearted; ghoulish shadows claw into the most remote areas and heroism bursts out of the most unlikely people. Sarah is the epitome of the downtrodden hero who refuses to give up until she gets what she needs, and her story will appeal to fantasy readers of all stripes."—Publishers Weekly "David's a pro storyteller, and you're in for a great ride."—Larry Dixon " . . . a fascinating, grittily-flavored world of living legends. Hurry up and write the next one, Dave."—Cat Rambo "This is enchanting! I'd love to see more."—Mercedes Lackey “Goblin Market meets Magical Musketpunk . . . A great ride that also manages to cover some serious cultural terrain.” —Charles E. Gannon "Witchy Eye is a brilliant blend of historical acumen and imagination, a tour-de-force that is at once full of surprises and ultimately heart-warming. This is your chance to discover one of the finest new stars writing today!"–David Farland “A gritty, engrossing mash-up of history, fantasy, and magic. Desperate characters careen from plot twist to plot twist until few are left standing.”—Mario Acevedo "Captivating characters. Superb world-building. Awesome magic. Butler fuses fantasy and history effortlessly, creating a fascinating new American epic. Not to be missed!"—Christopher Husberg "[A] unique alternative-history that is heavily influence by urban and traditional fantasy and steeped in the folklore of the Appalachians. . . . Fans of urban fantasy looking to take a chance on something with a twist on a historical setting may find this novel worth their time."—Booklist

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Hiram and his son, Michael, are dowsing a well in Eastern Utah when they hear a cry of help from the ghost of a small boy, torn to pieces by wild animals. Before they can even begin to look into that tragedy, however, a prosperous local rancher is murdered right before their eyes. In an attempt to both help the ghost and find the killer, Hiram and Michael must navigate an eccentric cast of characters that includes failed bank robbers, a seductive fortune-teller, an inept sheriff, a crazy prospector, and a preacher with an apocalyptic grudge against the Roosevelt administration. The mystery, however, isn’t just in the hearts of men. There’s an astrological puzzle that Michael, now his father’s apprentice, must solve. Meanwhile, the murderer is moving slowly against Hiram and Michael, forcing them into a trap from which there is no escape. About The Jupiter Knife: “It’s like Jim Butcher crossed with Grapes of Wrath!”—Larry Correia “Butler and Ritchey return to Depression-era Utah for a second thrilling tale of murder and folk magic (after The Cunning Man). . . . The play between Hiram’s earnest Mormonism and the more secular Michael’s growing unease with folk magic adds depth to the father-son dynamic, and the false leads and eccentric side characters make for a delightful mystery. This well-crafted historical fantasy is sure to please.”—Publishers Weekly About prequel The Cunning Man: “An attempt at charity during the Great Depression turns into a protracted fight against supernatural forces in this admirable paranormal mystery. . . . the richly imagined magic system and glimpses of Mormon culture create a fully realized world. Historical fantasy fans will delight in the zigzagging plot of this mystery.”—Publishers Weekly “An amazing tale that grabs you by the throat and won’t let go! Butler & Ritchey are a literary force to be reckoned with! Hit that download button and grab your copy now! The Cunning Man will never let you go!”—Sherrilyn Kenyon, #1 New York Times best-selling author “. . . a brisk and engaging narrative . . . folk and religious based magic . . . for fans of urban or historical fantasy . . . a satisfying read.”—Booklist Praise for D.J. Butler: “Butler follows Witchy Eye with a satisfying second tale of a magic-filled early America. . . . Deep and old magic influences both places and characters, and the story is tightly focused on the determined Sarah . . . Fans of epic and alternate historical fantasy will savor this tale of witchery and intrigue.”—Publishers Weekly “For readers who love history-based fantasy, steampunk, or urban fantasy . . . this series that gives the genre a new twist.”—Booklist “. . . you can’t stop yourself from taking another bite . . . and another . . . and another. . . . I didn’t want to stop reading. . . . Kudos!”—R.A. Salvatore “Excellent book. I am impressed by the creativity and the depth of the world building. Dave Butler is a great storyteller.”—Larry Correia “Witchy Eye is an intricate and imaginative alternate history with a cast of characters and quirky situations that would make a Dickens novel proud.”—Kevin J. Anderson “Butler’s fantasy is by turns sardonic and lighthearted; ghoulish shadows claw into the most remote areas and heroism bursts out of the most unlikely people. Sarah is the epitome of the downtrodden hero who refuses to give up until she gets what she needs, and her story will appeal to fantasy readers of all stripes.”—Publishers Weekly “David's a pro storyteller, and you're in for a great ride.”—Larry Dixon “. . . a fascinating, grittily-flavored world of living legends. Hurry up and write the next one, Dave.”—Cat Rambo “This is enchanting! I'd love to see more.”—Mercedes Lackey “Goblin Market meets Magical Musketpunk . . . A great ride that also manages to cover some serious cultural terrain.”—Charles E. Gannon “Witchy Eye is a brilliant blend of historical acumen and imagination, a tour-de-force that is at once full of surprises and ultimately heart-warming. This is your chance to discover one of the finest new stars writing today!”—David Farland “A gritty, engrossing mash-up of history, fantasy, and magic. Desperate characters careen from plot twist to plot twist until few are left standing.”—Mario Acevedo “Captivating characters. Superb world-building. Awesome magic. Butler fuses fantasy and history effortlessly, creating a fascinating new American epic. Not to be missed!”—Christopher Husberg “[A] unique alternative-history that is heavily influenced by urban and traditional fantasy and steeped in the folklore of the Appalachians. . . . Fans of urban fantasy looking to take a chance on something with a twist on a historical setting may find this novel worth their time.”—Booklist Praise for Aaron Michael Ritchey: “. . . richly drawn, beautifully complex characters . . .”—Kirkus on Long Live the Suicide King

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This first full-length study of William Bronk, one of our most important contemporary poets and essayists, locates his work in relation to the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century New England literary tradition, to later twentieth-century modernism, and to the subsequent Objectivist and Black Mountain schools of poetry. Through special attention to his uniquely elegant style, this study demonstrates how Bronk has brought together earlier American poetics and philosophy with modern and postmodern notions of being, emptiness, and nothingness. This book features extensive discussions of Henry David Thoreau, Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Robert Frost, and Wallace Stevens, as well as of Charles Olson, Robert Creeley, Cid Corman, and George Oppen. As particularly concerns these twentieth-century figures, Burt Kimmelman also sheds light on the role in their thinking and poetics played by post-positivist science especially its theories of relativity and uncertainty. Analyses of exchanges of letters, most critically between Oppen and Bronk, disclose the great influence of their writing of contemporary intellectual currents aside from poetry itself. Kimmelmans discussion of epistemology is central to understanding this subtle and at times complex poet. The book explains ultimately how, as Michael Heller observes, 'Bronk is, in some sense, a reshaper of an American transcendental tradition, a strong poet of paradoxicality and worldlessness.' Discussions of solitude and abnegation, two key ideas Bronk derives from Thoreau and Melville, reveal not only the roots of Bronks concepts of being, emptiness, and nothingness, but also essential aspects of late-twentieth-century philosophy, psychology, and aesthetics anticipated by Bronk, Borman, Creeley, Olson, Oppen, and others over half a century ago.

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Fierce, searing, and darkly comical, Garriga's debut collection of short-short fiction depicts historical and imagined duels, re-envisioning in a flash the competing points of motivation--courage and cowardice, honor and vengeance--that lead individuals to risk it all. In this compact collection, "settling the score" provides a fascinating apparatus for exploring foundational civilizing ideas. Notions of courage, cowardice, and revenge course through Michael Garriga's flash fiction pieces, each one of which captures a duel's decisive moment from three distinct perspectives: opposing accounts from the individual duelists, followed by the third account of a witness. In razor-honed language, the voices of the duelists take center stage, training a spotlight on the litany of misguided beliefs and perceptions that lead individuals into such conflicts. From Cain and Abel to Andrew Jackson and Charles Dickenson; from John Henry and the steam drill to an alcoholic fighting the bottle: the cumulative effect of these powerful pieces is a probing and disconcerting look at humankind's long-held notions of pride, honor, vengeance, and satisfaction. Meticulously crafted by Garriga, and with stunning illustrations by Tynan Kerr, The Book of Duels is a unique and remarkable debut.

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