Search results for ""Penguin Books Ltd (UK)""

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Book Synopsis90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksBut how sweet a fruit the suppose' must be, that people will sup and sup on it! A juicy fruit, like a lychee but without the pit, sparkling and light green: a fruit that hides the tart within the sweet.'In this haunting collection of stories, a young man's obsession leads to tragedy and a woman's bitterness poisons a family's legacy. In delicate, piercing prose, Chang captures a world of quiet cruelties and calamitous desires in pre-revolutionary China.

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Book Synopsis90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksWhy should I bother to invent things? My life has been far more exciting and wonderful than any fairy-tale'In the heart of the English countryside, surrounded by irritatingly polite relatives and hopeless sycophants, Lady L. is celebrating her eightieth birthday. But as the guests disperse, she feels the undeniable pull of a mysterious pavilion in the lush grounds, and the terrible secret she buried there many years ago . . .

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Book Synopsis90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksPeople should fall in love with their eyes closed. Just close your eyes. Don't look.'From Warhol's romantic relationships to his thoughts on interior design, these candid, highly entertaining musings - on love, sex, beauty, work and space give an intimate glimpse into the mind of one of the most iconic figures in twentieth-century culture.

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Book Synopsis90 Classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksIt's terribly important that I get in touch with a gentleman who may have stopped in here to buy flowers this morning. Terribly important. Sometimes, the person you think you love isn't who they seem. And sometimes, you can be your own deception. Spanning Shirley Jackson's entire career, these devilish tales of love, death, and despair show us how all that keeps us safe in suburbia can strike up, leave, and instantly disappear.

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Book Synopsis90 Classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksIn October Nights, Gerard de Nerval takes us on a gentle meander through nighttime Paris a dreamlike journey towards getting lost. Also included in this volume is Sylvie, his haunting novella of love and memory, the masterpiece' that inspired Proust to write In Search of Lost Time. Together, these works by the French poet, visionary and pioneering modernist are a testament to the power of jewelled thinking, and an inspiration for flaneurs and romantics everywhere.

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Book Synopsis90 Classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksSaadat Hasan Manto, the most widely read and translated writer in the Urdu language, captured the devastation and absurdity of the partition of India and Pakistan like no other. The Price of Freedom brings together ten of his best stories, focusing on human voices from the religious fracture that forever unhinged two newly independent nations. Powerful, piercing and deeply moving, Manto's works are key to understanding this bloody chapter in South Asian history.

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Book SynopsisRobert Cecil, statesman and spymaster, lived through an astonishingly threatening period in English history. Queen Elizabeth had no clear successor and enemies both external and internal threatened to destroy England as a Protestant state, most spectacularly with the Spanish Armada and the Gunpowder Plot. Cecil stood at the heart of the Tudor and then Stuart state, a vital figure in managing the succession from Elizabeth I to James I & VI, warding off military and religious threats and steering the decisions of two very different but equally wilful and hard-to-manage monarchs. The promising son of Queen Elizabeth's chief minister Lord Burghley, for Cecil there was no choice but politics, and he became supremely skilled in the arts of power, making many rivals and enemies. All His Spies is a wonderfully engaging and original work of history. Many readers are familiar with the great events of this tumultuous time, but All His Spies shows how easily these dramas could have turned out

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Book SynopsisAdri trained for pain, heat, and exhaustion - she didn t train to outrun a killer'A masterclass in atmospheric writing,...this is gold medal storytelling and I raced through it JANICE HALLETT Tense, exhilarating and deeply immersive, I raced through this epic ultramarathon thriller LAURA STEVEN Smart, visceral and deliciously dark and twisty LOUISE MINCHIN It s the ultimate test of endurance: two-hundred-and-fifty miles in the brutal heat of the Sahara, with only the supplies you can carry on your back.Adri is ready. Returning to ultra-running in the wake of a scandal, she needs to prove to herself and her young son that she s a winner.When a fellow runner is badly injured, Adri knows something isn t right. Yet in a race this extreme, even a dead body can be explained away.But there s a killer stalking the hot sand. And the problem with running faster than everyone else, is that you re miles ahead of anyone who can save you... PRAISE FOR RUNNER 13'A thrilling race to the finish' OBSERVER Brilliantly atmospheric and with relentless pace, Runner 13 is one of the most propulsive adventure thrillers I ve read. It will leave you gasping for breath. I loved it! LIV MATTHEWS Amy McCulloch does it again! Runner 13 is an absolute scorcher of a thriller that examines the lengths we are willing to push ourselves for what's right SARA OCHS As soon as I finished it I ordered all Amy's other books. A breathless, complex thriller. I steamed through it JANE FALLON A thriller set around the fascinating world of ultra-running where there's always the threat that even the race might kill you. Utterly breathtaking - absolutely loved it. Amy's best yet CATHERINE COOPER'Fascinating, exciting...terrifyingly convincing' LITERARY REVIEW'The twists will have you racing through every page' WOMAN AND HOME

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Book Synopsis90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksI walked in a daze of illusions toward my future.'Deeply felt and told with an intrepid spirit, Tales from the Heart are the intimate, formative stories from the childhood of the legendary Caribbean writer, Maryse Condé. These affecting vignettes follow Condé's early encounters with love, grief, friendship, as she navigates the pernicious legacy of slavery and colonialism in her home of Guadeloupe and as a student in Paris.

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Book Synopsis90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin Bookswe are the ones we have been waiting for'These poems of radical love, urgency and global consciousness reach across borders to break open the silence of oppression and the taboo, liberating both body and soul. Lively and enigmatic, Passion is June Jordan's most accomplished and animated collection. Her virtuosic, resolute words have inspired generations of readers and activists across the world, from Nobel Laureates to US Presidents.

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Book Synopsis90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksBest known for his hardboiled Harlem Detective series, Chester Himes was also a superb literary writer, beginning his creative life by writing short stories in the 1930s while serving jail time for armed robbery. Selected here are some of his best stories from a satirical tale about a student bet that purportedly disproves the existence of racism in Los Angeles to a chilling drama in which a snake invades a family home.

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Book Synopsis90 Classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksWhat can you say, when a man asks you to dance with him? I most certainly will not dance with you. I'll see you in hell first. Why, thank you, I'd like to awfully, but I'm having labor pains. Acerbic, pithy and vibrant, Dorothy Parker's writings capture the dizzying decadence of Jazz Age New York. Parker, however, refuses to be swept along: she gleefully deconstructs its hypocrisy, prejudice and taboos with style and precision.

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Book Synopsis90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksAssuming that I was sane and awake, my experience on that night was such as has befallen no man before'After five years of 'strange amnesia', Nathaniel Wingate Peaslee remains haunted by madness and memories that cannot be real. Desperate for answers he travels to Western Australia, joining an archaeological excavation into Earth's deep past. Journey with Peaslee to discover his fate in the story described by author Lin Carter as Lovecraft's single greatest achievement in fiction'.

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Book SynopsisMeet Moomintroll and his friends in this reassuring story about a very first night away from home. Moomintroll and his friend Sniff are going to camp out in the treehouse overnight. It'll be their very first sleepover and the two friends are excited! But when night falls, they discover that they miss their cosy home. Will it take something spectacular to reassure Moomin and Sniff that sleeping somewhere new can be a great adventure after all?With gorgeous illustrations and a soothing story, this latest addition to the My First Moomin series is the perfect book for talking to little ones about spending a night away from home. Discover more marvellous Moomin stories:My First Moomin: Goodnight MoominMy First Moomin: Best FriendsMy First Moomin: Be Brave, MoominMoomin's First 100 Words: A lift-the-flap bookMoomin: The Very BIG Moominhouse Lift-the-Flap Book Moomin's Peekaboo Night Night: A Lift-and-FInd Book

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Book Synopsis90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksWu Cheng'en's 16th-century novel Journey to the West is widely regarded as one of the most important Chinese novels ever written. Here, in Julia Lovell's witty and charismatic translation, we meet one of its heroes: Sun Wukong, or Monkey King, whose powers include shape-shifting, immortality and being incredibly rude. Though he rises to a position of power in the heavenly bureaucracy, Monkey King's arrogant exploits attract the attention of the Buddha with very unfortunate consequences.

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Book Synopsis90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksKnown as Ireland's Chekhov, Frank O'Connor was a master of the modern short story, with an eye for capturing the spaces between our selves and our surroundings. The Genius brings together some of his very best stories, often told from the perspective of young children and forming a revealing portrait of coming of age in postwar Ireland. Humorous and poignant in equal parts, these stories are a lesson in craft from a celebrated, prolific author.

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Book SynopsisFairy tales meet Freaky Friday in this gorgeous series where there's a magical mix-up for every princess!What if Rapunzel made a deal with a sea witch, and the Little Mermaid was imprisoned in a very tall tower? All Rapunzel wants is the freedom to explore, but she can''t step foot outside her tower without triggering her curse (at least, that''s what her mother tells her). But when Rapunzel suddenly winds up in a sea witch''s lair, she wonders if this could be her chance to change her fate?Hana isn't very good at following the rules under the sea, and she'd give anything to explore the human world. But when her best mer-friend is captured by sailors, and Hana suddenly finds herself stuck in a very tall tower with no door, life beneath the waves begins to sound a lot less complicated!What if your happy ever after got mixed up with someone else''s story. . . ?

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Book SynopsisThe hilarious new picture book from the record-breaking Adam Kay and Henry Paker. Meet Simon. Simon is the hero of this story. But unlike most heroes in most stories, Simon is a piece of snot. He lives with his family in the left nostril of a girl called Phoebe. Follow Simon on his hilarious and extremely slimy adventure as he learns about everything snot does to protect our bodies a fascinating and uplifting journey of self-discovery about how brilliant and important he really is. Praise for Amy Gets Eaten - Winner of The Week Junior Children's Picture Book of the Year Award 2024'Frank and funny [...] Perfect for potty training and beyond' The Guardian'This book will have you chuckling throughout - and amidst the laughter, it's still very much an educational read' The Independent'A fun fact-filled journey through the human digestive system!' The Week Junior'Gross (but amazingly anatomically accurate!)' Lancashire PostPraise for Kay's Anatomy:'An enjoyably gross look at the human body. Hours of gruesome fun guaranteed' i'Like listening to a teacher who makes pupils fall about' Sunday Times'Totally brilliant!' Jacqueline Wilson'Fun and informative' Malorie Blackman'Very funny - this exciting book is bound to inspire the next generation of medics' Sunday ExpressPraise for Kay's Marvellous Medicine:'A ridiculously funny read that will delight, gross out and educate all at the same time' Independent'Educational and entertaining. It should be on the national curriculum!' Harry Hill'Completely marvellous and very funny' BookTrust

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Book SynopsisFROM THE #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUBA cunning killer. A race around the world. An iconic new detective team is born.-----Solving murders. It''s a family business. Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He still does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers the pub quiz and afternoons at home with his cat Trouble. His days of adventure are over that's his daughter-in-law Amy's business now.Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul, which makes being a private security officer to billionaires the perfect job. She's currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D'Antonio alive. Then a dead body, a bag of money and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending Steve an SOS...As a breakneck race around the world begins, can they stay one step ahead of a deadly enemy? -----PRAISE FOR RICHARD OSMANBrilliantly suspenseful' JEFFERY DEAVERDeplorably good' IAN RANKINFunny, clever, compelling' HARLAN COBENI smiled a million times' MARIAN KEYESWarm, wise and witty' VAL MCDERMIDOsman just gets better' SHARI LAPENA''This is a sitcom-meets-Bond, and a fine murder mystery' DAILY EXPRESSThe twistiest, turniest tale told with all of Richard Osman's trademark wit and warmth' RED''The entertainment value is sky-high'' i NEWS''Thursday Murder Club fans, you are in for a treat'' PRIMA''Much as with the earlier books, I read We Solve Murders in a few pleasured gulps'' SUNDAY TIMES''The thing that shines through in Osman's writing is that he really likes people and revels in all their foibles and eccentricities ... a delightful read'' OBSERVERThe rightful king of crime' i

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Book Synopsis90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksA writer engulfed by a new obsession, an occasional sex-worker, a runaway, a teenager entering the workplace: these four tales of desire and dislocation explore the rough edges of relationships and the inner lives of women negotiating their precarious place in the world. In these coolly compelling and quietly devastating stories, Gaitskill evokes with razor-sharp precision the pleasure, pain, fear and longing that haunt modern life.

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Book Synopsis90 Classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksRazor-sharp, pugnacious and blackly funny, Wang Xiaobo's essays established him as one of China's most popular and subversive writers. From the political power of silence to the irrepressible spirit of a pig he met while working in a commune, these reflections on life and literature in the shadow of the Cultural Revolution provide a rare glimpse of a fearless satirical genius.

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Book Synopsis90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksFollowing the death of his sister, middle-aged Dr Graesler leaves his winter home in Lanzarote for a health resort in Germany, where he practised medicine for many years. There he meets the Schleheim family, and is particularly drawn to their daughter Sabine. But a simple, stilted courtship soon unravels a web of hushed-up suicide and illicit sexual liaisons. Arthur Schnitzler's tumultuous psychodrama remains as startling now as it did on first publication.

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Book Synopsis90 Classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksLet me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me . . . In this glittering new selection of Fitzgerald's short stories, we meet Anson Hunter, The Rich Boy', whose opulent, haunting world paints a vivid portrait of the American elite. Absolution' offers a poignant glimpse into the soul of a young boy grappling with sin, whilst May Day' captures the whirling hysteria at the dawn of the Jazz Age.

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Book Synopsis ''A great literary masterpiece'' A. N. Wilson ''A genius ... a fearless writer, who writes with reckless passion'' Margaret DrabbleJohn Cowper Powys''s epic Wolf Solent centres around the story of a young man returning to his roots in the West Country after ten years in London. Complex, romantic and humorous, it is peopled with memorable characters and filled with vivid, primitive descriptions of landscape. But beyond this powerful evocation of people and place, Wolf Solent is also a meditation on life and death, good and evil, body and soul, combining the earthy and everyday with the spiritual.''Wolf Solent is a stupendous and rather glorious book as beautiful and strange as an electric storm'' V. S. Pritchett

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Book Synopsis90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin Books'When I decide to escape I shall want nobody's assistance.' In this thrilling collection, we meet Arsène Lupin, a brilliant, alluring master of disguise or, as some would have it, a notorious criminal. We follow him on a series of high-stakes adventures, from ingenious heists of invaluable paintings to daring escapes, each one showcasing his intellect, charm, and extraordinary ability to stay one step ahead of the law.

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Book Synopsis90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksA young writer leaves the city to complete her manuscript in a small coastal town, but finds herself writing about the lives of its inhabitants instead their occupation with memory and tradition, their vibrant female friendships, and the idyll of the landscape that informs their sense of togetherness. A classic of American fiction adored by Willa Cather and Henry James, The Country of the Pointed Firs seems woven from the fabric of community itself.

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