Literary History & Criticism

An intellectual detective story, this history audiobook directs probing questions at orthodox history, presenting disturbing new evidence that historians have tried - but failed - to explain....

Melissa Lucashenko is one of Australia's most admired and awarded novelists. She is renowned for writing about ordinary Australians and the extraordinary lives they lead.

'I loved Goddess with a Thousand Faces. Fascinating, fun and thoughtful and enlightening' JENNIFER SAINT 'A beautiful weave of history, myth and storytelling by one of our most exciting new classicists' DAN SNOW Steeped in ancient magic, dark divinity and wild ways, Goddess with a Thousand Faces...

Over the course of a steamy and tense afternoon, twelve jurors deliberate the fate of a 19-year-old boy alleged to have murdered his own father....

A stunningly beautiful youth and the city of Venice set the stage for Thomas Mann’s introspective examination of erotic love and philosophical wisdom....

In the rigid theocracy of Salem, Massachusetts, rumors that women are practicing witchcraft galvanize the town....

A brilliant investigation into the motivations and methods, Dumbledore dives between the lines of the Harry Potter books to create a portrait of the controversial Headmaster....

'I wish I was half as critically respected as Garth Marenghi, even if I currently trounce him sales-wise (for now)' RICHARD OSMAN 'I bought all three novels of the TerrorTome trilogy in a bargain slipcase edition and have read two of them already. Albeit in the wrong order' DERMOT O'LEARY...

In a book distinguished by clarity and passion, Robert Zaretsky considers why Albert Camus mattered in his own lifetime and continues to matter today....

Ramayana must rank as one of the most loved and revered books of all time. A part of India's ancient Vedas, it is a beautiful story of romance and adventure....

Number one New York Times best-selling author Diana Gabaldon has captivated millions of listeners with her critically acclaimed Outlander novels, the inspiration for the Starz original series....

Brought to you by Penguin. This Penguin Classic is performed by Justin Avoth and Laurence Dobiesz. This definitive recording includes an introduction by Christopher Rowe read by Justin Avoth. 'Consider just this, and give your minds to this alone: whether or not what I say is just' Plato's...

The book is full of humorous anecdote and rich characterization, and paints a vivid picture of 18th-century London, peopled by prominent personalities of the time....

Discover everything you’ve ever wondered about the legendary spirits, creatures, and figures of Japanese folklore including how they have found their way into every corner of our pop culture from the creator of the podcast Uncanny Japan. Welcome to The Book of Japanese Folklore: a fascinating...

Thoroughly revised and expanded for a new generation of readers, this classic guide to enjoying literature to its fullest—a lively, enlightening, and entertaining introduction to a diverse range of writing and literary devices that enrich these works, including symbols, themes, and...

The New York Times bestselling author of How to Read Literature Like a Professor uses the same skills to teach how to access accurate information in a rapidly changing 24/7 news cycle and become better readers, thinkers, and consumers of media. We live in an information age, but it is...

Author Benjamin Hoff shows that the philosophy of Winnie-the-Pooh is amazingly consistent with the principles of Taoism....

An unmissable collection of eight unconventional and captivating short stories for young and adult learners. "I love Olly's work - and you will too!" - Barbara Oakley, PhD, Author of New York Times bestseller A Mind for Numbers Short Stories in German for Beginners has been written especially...

In Thomas Ligotti's first nonfiction outing, an examination of the meaning (or meaninglessness) of life through an insightful, unsparing argument that proves the greatest horrors are not the products of our imagination but instead are found in reality. "There is a signature motif discernible in...

Brought to you by Penguin. A masterclass in telling stories - and how they shape our world - from the internationally renowned narrative expert To command narrative is to control a sometimes frightening power. What is it that turbocharges some tales, and how is it possible to harness that...

Ever since the birth of his daughter, Nalla, Zsadist has been regressing further and further into the life he led before he met Bella, his beautiful shellan. He has been waking up in cold sweats due to nightmares from his past, hasn't made love to his wife, and won't hold his baby girl, for fear...

Sir Ian McKellen, fresh from his performance as Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, is Prospero, and heads a strong cast in Shakespeare’s last great play....

For fans of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, discover the story behind their unique friendship forged in the darkness of World War II and how it inspired the stories of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity. In a world devastated by the cataclysm of war...

The poems of the Poetic Edda have waited a long time for a modern English translation that would do them justice. Here it is at last (Odin be praised!). These amazing texts from a 13th-century Icelandic manuscript are of huge historical, mythological, and literary importance....

Established as one of the great English novels, and a story of mythic power, Heart of Darkness is rich in meaning – allusive, enthralling, and haunting....

Melissa Lucashenko is one of Australia's most admired and awarded novelists. She is renowned for writing about ordinary Australians and the extraordinary lives they lead. This timely collection of essays and journalism - published together for the first time - spans two turbulent decades. With her trademark wit and wisdom, Lucashenko reflects on being caught in a siege, on the marginalised lives of prisoners and the urban poor, on Blak identity, Australian literature and on meeting her writing idol.

Nobel laureate and Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Beloved Toni Morrison investigates Black characters in the American literary canon and the way they shaped the nation’s collective unconscious. In a dazzling series of lectures from her tenure as a professor at Princeton University, Toni...

Brought to you by Penguin. A masterclass in telling stories - and how they shape our world - from the internationally renowned narrative expert To command narrative is to control a sometimes frightening power. What is it that turbocharges some tales, and how is it possible to harness that...

Stephen King has received enormous attention from both the popular press as well as academics seeking to explain the unique phenomenon of his success. Books on King explore his canon in religious contexts, in political and historical contexts, in mythic contexts, in Gothic/horror contexts, and in a wide variety of other contexts appropriate to a writer who has become "America's Storyteller.

In We Have Nothing to Lose: A Dark Optimist's Call to Action, Ralph Groce III presents an unflinching narrative that intertwines personal memoir with a passionate political manifesto. This book is a bold exploration of leadership, responsibility, and the urgency of acting in a world on the cusp of pivotal change. With Groce's audacious life story as the backdrop, listeners will delve into: Thought-provoking insights on the power of individual choice and responsibility. A critical look at current global and political challenges, offering actionable solutions.

Drawing from exclusive interviews and previously unseen archival materials, this one-of-its-kind biography of Hannibal Lecter documents the cannibal’s journey from terrifying villain to unexpectedly adored antihero. This unique biography traces the many lives and crimes of Hannibal Lecter: his...

What if the vastness of the cosmos and the depths of your own mind were reflections of the same truth? Dr. Shirish M Narsapur invites readers to explore the frontier where black holes meet human thought and quantum uncertainty mirrors the choices that shape our lives.

Wit and Wisdom of Oscar Wilde is a timeless collection of the sharpest observations, paradoxes, and epigrams from one of literature’s most brilliant minds. Oscar Wilde’s wit is elegant, mischievous, and relentlessly insightful. With effortless precision, he skewers social conventions, exposes hypocrisy, and reveals enduring truths about love, ambition, beauty, morality, and human folly. Each quotation stands alone yet contributes to a larger portrait of Wilde’s worldview—one that prizes individuality, intellectual courage, and the art of living well.

AWFULLY HILARIOUS STORIES WE NEVER TELL. Ever had a moment so embarrassing, so outrageously awkward, that you swore you’d take it to the grave? Well, we didn’t (take it to the grave, that is!). Here, for the benefit of all, we bare our souls (and other body parts we'd rather not mention).

"Poetry is the sound of language organized in lines." James Longenbach opens this provocative audiobook with that essential statement. Through a range of examples—from Shakespeare and Milton to Ashbery and Glück—Longenbach describes the function of line in metered, rhymed, syllabic, and free-verse poetry. The Art of the Poetic Line is a vital new resource by one of America's most important critics and most engaging poets.

A title listing 48 of the greatest American novels.

Magic realism is recognisable in orality and written forms of storytelling from many eras and localities around the globe. However, magic realism in literature continues to be misunderstood by readers, listeners, writers, critics, and workers in literature, publishing, and literary education sectors. Magic realism is a narrative technique and not a genre and can be applied to many types of realist literature, but it is most commonly found within literary fiction. Magic realism is not fantasy fiction, as it is grounded by real-world settings, with realistic plots and authentic characters.

With a series of poems examining various Amendments of the Constitution of the United States, this collection also examines subjects like the Overton Window, the use of Executive Actions by both sides of the American political aisle, and other issues within US politics.

A foundational essay on the psychology of horror in literature, featuring eleven period illustrations. In 1773, siblings John Aikin and Anna Laetitia Barbauld wanted to know why we take such pleasure in being terrified. We joyfully consume tales of ghosts, murders, earthquakes, and shipwrecks...but it's difficult to tell why tragedy attracts onlookers even though people think of themselves as decent humans who would never enjoy the terror and suffering of others. Why do we love spooky? Listen and learn.

In Bad Indians Book Club, we examine works about history, science, and gender as well as fiction, all written from the perspective of "Bad Indians"—marginalized writers whose refusal to comply with dominant narratives opens up new worlds.