Showing titles in Literary History & Criticism

In her 20s Rachel Kushner went to Mexico in pursuit of her first love - motorbikes - to compete in the notorious and deadly race, Cabo 1000. As fellow racers died on the roadside, bikes were stolen and friends abandoned one another in the heat of the chase, she crashed at 130mph and miraculously survived; soon after, she decided to leave her controlling boyfriend and manoeuvred her way into a freer new life.

In a remarkable feat of biography, Matthew Hollis reconstructs the intellectual creation of the poem and brings the material reality of its charged times vividly to life. Presenting a mosaic of historical fragments, diaries, dynamic literary criticism and illuminating new research, he reveals the cultural and personal trauma that forged The Waste Land through the lives of its protagonists.

The ancient Greeks hard-wired a tragic sensibility into their culture. By looking disaster squarely in the face, by understanding just how badly things could spiral out of control, they sought to create a communal sense of responsibility and courage - to spur citizens and their leaders to take the difficult actions necessary to avert such a fate. Today, after more than 70 years of great-power peace, Americans have lost their sense of tragedy. They have forgotten that the descent into violence and war has been all too common throughout human history.

V. E. Schwab here! I’m the author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, the Shades of Magic series, Vicious, and more. Join me here as I chat with fellow successful authors about their origin stories, creative processes, work-life balance, and how they bring the stories you love to life. We’ll dive into the many paths from that first spark of an idea to the final page of a book, because there’s no one right way to write—just the way that works for you. Whether you’re an aspiring writer or simply a lover of stories, join us as we explore the craft (and magic) of story telling.

William Shakespeare found dozens of different ways to kill off his characters, and audiences today still enjoy the same reactions - shock, sadness, fear - that they did more than 400 years ago when these plays were first performed. But how realistic are these deaths, and did Shakespeare have the knowledge to back them up? Kathryn Harkup turns her discerning scientific eye to the Bard and the varied and creative ways his characters die.

《四大名著还可以这样读（全四册）{全彩漫画版}》系列图书共四册： 《西游还可以这样读》——从各路妖怪的视角出发，生动再现了“八十一难”全过程。视角独特、语言风趣，调理清楚。本书作为一本不一样的西游，在保留了西游记故事框架的同时，对于其中各章节中的重点人物“妖怪”有了更加生动的描写，可以避免孩子们在阅读西游记故事时产生审美疲劳或倦怠感。 《三国还可以这样读》——以“地图上的三国”作为切入点，通过详细考证...

One of the world’s foremost writing teachers invites listeners on a joyful journey into the reading and origins of haiku.

William Shakespeare understood power: what it is, how it works, how it is gained, and how it is lost. In The Hollow Crown, Eliot A. Cohen reveals how the battling princes of Henry IV and scheming senators of Julius Caesar can teach us to better understand power and politics today. The White House, after all, is a court—with intrigue and conflict rivaling those on the Globe's stage—as is an army, a business, or a university. And each court is full of driven characters, in all their ambition, cruelty, and humanity.

This work dissects the origin and growth of superhero comic books, their major influences, and the creators behind them. It demonstrates how Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain America and many more stand as time capsules of their eras, rising and falling with societal changes, and reflecting an amalgam of influences. The book covers in detail the iconic superhero comic book creators and their unique contributions in their quest for realism, including Julius Schwartz and the science-fiction origins of superheroes.

Mischievous Peter Rabbit wants a more unique name—but his quest quickly leads to wild encounters with forest creatures and clever escapes in this playful, animal-filled tale. Discover hundreds of ad-free audiobooks, soothing sounds for sleep and meditation, and more—unwind and learn at www.adfreebooks.com!

Over her twenty-five-year career, English teacher Carol Atherton has taught generations of students texts that will be familiar to many of us from our own schooldays. But while the staples of exam syllabuses and reading lists remain largely unchanged, their significance – and their relevance - evolves with each class as they encounter them for the first time. Each chapter of Reading Lessons invites us to take a fresh look at these novels, plays and poems, revealing how they have shaped our beliefs, our values, and how we interact as a society.

Like Kafka's The Castle, Invitation to a Beheading embodies a vision of a bizarre and irrational world. In an unnamed dream country, the young man Cincinnatus C. is condemned to death by beheading for "gnostical turpitude", an imaginary crime that defies definition.

One of the most famous of all literary dogs, Flush was the golden cocker spaniel belonging to Elizabeth Barrett. In this charming and heartfelt biography, Viginia Woolf tells his story: his early days as Miss Mitford's puppy running across the fields in wild abandon and fathering another, then the years spent in his invalid mistress' bedroom in Wimpole Street.

Dive deep into the hidden wellspring of potential within you with The Power Of Subconscious Mind! This captivating podcast explores the fascinating world of the subconscious mind through captivating storytelling and insightful book readings. Host Vinay Kumar guides you on a journey of self-discovery, uncovering the profound influence of your subconscious on your thoughts, emotions, and actions. Each episode delves into a different facet of this powerful force, offering insightful stories, thought-provoking readings, and practical strategies to: Unlock your hidden potential: Learn how to harnes

The Best Man by Grace Livingston Hill is a Christian romance novel that follows Cyril Gordon, a young, upright lawyer who unexpectedly becomes entangled in a thrilling mystery on the day of his best friend’s wedding. When the groom vanishes under suspicious circumstances, Cyril steps in to uncover the truth. In the process, he meets and falls for a beautiful, strong-willed woman who plays a crucial role in the unfolding drama. Through danger, deception, and divine providence, the story highlights faith, integrity, and love. As Cyril navigates unexpected twists, he ultimately finds both ...

A 13th-century toxic jungle, a bathhouse for tired gods, a red haired fish girl, and a furry woodland spirit - what do these have in common? They all spring from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki, one of the greatest living animators, known worldwide for films such as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and The Wind Rises. Japanese culture and animation scholar Susan Napier explores the life and art of this extraordinary Japanese filmmaker to provide a definitive account of his oeuvre.

A haunting meditation on love, loss, companionship, and finding one’s way through the dark, Raymond Carver’s What We Talk About When We Talk About Love is one of the most important and influential short story collections in contemporary literature. In his entry in the esteemed Bookmarked series, acclaimed author Brian Evenson offers his personal and literary take on this classic Carver collection.

As part of the conversion of the book to its new digital format, we have made certain minor adjustments in its layout. A Table of Contents has been added for the reader's convenience.

Australia's novels lie at the heart of the country. Books that Made Us looks at the history of Australian culture through the books we have read and the stories we have told. Capturing everyday lives and exceptional dreams, Australian novels have held up a mirror to the nation, reflecting the good and the bad.

Everyone knows something of Shakespeare's sonnets, even if only in memorable fragments like "the darling buds of May," or "remembrance of things past," or "the marriage of true minds." For centuries these wonderfully crafted, intense lyrics have stood for something valued about youth, love, and the emotional complexities belonging to that time of life. This new recording presents all 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets, using the New Cambridge Shakespeare texts.