Fiction

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Tales Of Terror: A Bbc Radio Gothic Drama Collection - The Castle Of Otranto, The Monk, The Mysteries Of Udolpho & Northanger Abbey

by Ann Radcliffe, Horace Walpole, Jane Austen e Matthew Lewis

~~12,89€~~ 11,60€ 10% OFF

 Four full-cast dramatisations of classic Gothic novels, plus documentaries exploring the genre's rise and enduring appealDark deeds, dastardly villains, innocent victims and supernatural happenings - these are the terrifying tropes that make up Gothic fiction, a genre that has captured our imagination for over 250 years. Blending both classic and modern dramatisations, this specially curated anthology couples thrilling masterpieces with insightful documentaries...We begin with A Gothic Quest, in which Louise Welsh examines what 'gothic' really means, and takes a look at its many appearances in poetry, fiction, art, architecture and film. In A Guided Tour of the Castle of Otranto, Rory McGrath explores the origins of gothic horror, first manifested in Horace Walpole's 1764 novel. It is followed by a dramatisation of The Castle of Otranto itself, a dark supernatural tale of duplicity and dynastic rivalry. Treading warily into the book's strange world in Kaleidoscope Feature: A Little Gothic Castle, Peggy Reynolds draws parallels between Walpole's vision for his London villa, Strawberry Hill, and the haunted mansion in the novel.Next, we unveil the male gothic in a gripping drama featuring disguise, abduction, incest and murder. The Monk, based on the 1796 classic by Matthew Lewis, tells the story of Ambrosio (Michael Pennington), who is tempted into breaking his vows of chastity by a beautiful young nun. The dawn of the female gothic is revealed in The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe, centred on a powerless young heroine trapped in an isolated castle and pitted against an evil Italian Count. Showcasing the Gothic satire is Jane Austen's 1817 novel Northanger Abbey, poking fun at the popular sensation fiction of her day. In this witty drama, Catherine Morland is taken to Bath for the season, and finds that in her fertile imagination, danger and hair-raising horrors lurk around every corner. Georgia Groome, Miriam Margolyes and Bridgerton's Luke Thompson star in this full-cast dramatisation.Wrapping up our collection is In Our Time: Gothic, which sees Melvyn Bragg and guest experts considering the origins and significance of the 18th century Gothic movement.First published 1764 (The Castle of Otranto), 1794 (The Mysteries of Udolpho), 1796 (The Monk), 1817 (Northanger Abbey)Content ListPart 1. Gothic ImaginationA Gothic QuestPresented by Louise WelshPart 2. The First Gothic Novel: The Castle of Otranto by Horace WalpoleA Guided Tour of the Castle of OtrantoPresented by Rory McGrathThe Castle of Otrantocast and credits to be announcedKaleidoscope Feature: A Little Gothic CastlePresented by Peggy ReynoldsPart 3. Unveiling A Male Gothic: The Monk by Matthew LewisThe MonkStarring Michael Pennington, Sorcha Cusack, Emily Morgan, Christopher Douglas, Brian Smith, Jenny Funnell, Tessa Worsley, Mary Wimbush, Simon Hewitt, Anne Jameson, Alan Thompson, Melinda Walker, Mia Soteriou, Allan McClelland, Garard Green, Graham Blockey, Peter Acre, David Learner and Bernard BrownPart 4. The Dawn of a Female Gothic: The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann RadcliffeThe Mysteries of UdolphoStarring Georgia Groome, Tracy Wiles, John Dougall, Finlay Robertson, Luke Thompson, Natasha Cowley, Stephen Wight, John Bowler, Karen Bartke and Alison BelbinPart 5. Gothic Satire: Northanger Abbey by Jane AustenNorthanger AbbeyStarring Georgia Groome, Luke Thompson, Tracy Wiles, Kim Wall, Ainsley Howard, Alison Belbin, John Bowler, Karen Bartke, Miriam Margolyes, Stephen Wight, Finlay Robertson, Natasha Cowley, John Dougall, Nick Murchie, Keziah Joseph and Luke MacGregorPart 6. Gothic LegaciesIn Our Time: GothicPresented by Melvyn BraggWith Chris Baldick, A N Wilson and Emma Clery(c) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
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Jane Austen: The 250th Anniversary Collection - Four Full-Cast Bbc Radio Dramatisations

by Jane Austen

~~14,72€~~ 13,25€ 10% OFF

 A female-centred collection of four dramatisations celebrating Jane Austen's classic novels - plus bonus series When I Met Jane AustenOn 16 December 1775, a literary icon was born. Jane Austen's groundbreaking novels pioneered the romantic comedy genre and put women front and centre, depicting their innermost thoughts and feelings. To celebrate her 250th anniversary, here are four new dramas, focusing on the fabulous, flawed, funny and fascinating women who blaze out from her books. Full of her characteristic wit and biting comedy, they feature star-studded casts including Tamsin Greig, Isabella Laughland, Luke Thompson, Miles Jupp, Adjoa Andoh, and Ben Hardy.Pride and Prejudice - Featuring one of the best-loved heroines in literature - lively, quick-witted Elizabeth Bennet - this dramatisation tells the story of the five Bennet sisters' romantic escapades, as they endeavour to fulfil their mother's dreams and marry well.Sense and Sensibility - When their father's death turns their world upside down, rational, reserved Elinor Dashwood and her impulsive, emotional sister Marianne leave their old lives behind and embark on a voyage of romantic discovery.Northanger Abbey - Seventeen-year-old Catherine Morland is a kind, honest and unworldly young woman with a head full of Gothic novels and little experience of the real world. So when wealthy, handsome Henry Tilney invites her to Northanger Abbey, she is determined to discover its dark secrets...Mansfield Park - Aged just nine, Fanny Price is sent away from her impoverished parents to live with her rich relatives at Mansfield Park. Shaped by family and adversity, this displaced child becomes a fiercely moral young woman with an unshakable conscience - and as she navigates the complexities of love and jealousy, her true strength of character is revealed.When I Met Jane Austen - Ten of the world's most prominent authors and thinkers talk to Jane Austen biographer Paula Byrne about when they first encountered the great writer. Featuring contributions from David Baddiel, Andrew Davies, Amy Heckerling, Marlon James, Philippa Perry, Gurinder Chadha, Val McDermid, Colm Toibin, Katherine Rundell and Kate Atkinson.Cast and creditsWritten by Jane AustenPride and PrejudiceStarring Tamsin Greig, Isabella Laughland, Luke Thompson, Miles Jupp, Rosie Cavaliero, Lucy Doyle, Kitty O'Sullivan, Gaia Wise, Imogen Front, Louis Landau, Toby Regbo, Adjoa Andoh, Catherine Bailey, Josh Bryant-Jones, Sasha McCabe, Jasmine Hyde, Clive Haywood, and Sarah ThomDramatised by award winning writer Rachel JoyceProduced by Tracey NealeFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6 Dec 2025Sense and SensibilityStarring Tamsin Greig, Madeleine Mantock, Rose Basista, Ben Hardy, Enyi Okoronkwo, Richard Goulding, Ava Talbot, Jasmine Hyde, Carolyn Pickles, Clive Hayward, Django Bevan, Sasha McCabe, and Bethan Rose YoungDramatised by Claudine ToutoungiProduced by Anne IsgerFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6 Dec 2025Northanger AbbeyStarring Madeleine Gray, Will Howard, Cecilia Appiah, Ella Smith, John Heffernan, Scarlett Courtney, Jasmine Hyde, Josh Bryant-Jones, and Django BevanDramatised by Clara GlynnProduced by Gaynor MacfarlaneFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 2-9 Nov 2025Mansfield ParkStarring Lydia Wilson, Bryan Dick, Tala Gouveia, Tom Mothersdale, Janice Acquah, Madeleine Worrall, Joshua Riley, John Hollingworth, Samuel Valentine, Faith Alabi, and Hollie BurgessDramatised by Clara GlynnDirected by Gaynor MacfarlaneFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 10-17 Jul 2022When I Met Jane AustenPresented by Paula ByrneWith David Baddiel, Andrew Davies, Amy Heckerling, Marlon James, Philippa Perry, Gurinder Chadha, Val McDermid, Colm Toibin, Katherine Rundell and Kate AtkinsonProduced by Maggie AyreFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 8-19 Dec 2025(c) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
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Life Of Herod The Great

by Zora Neale Hurston

~~14,72€~~ 13,25€ 10% OFF

 ''The Life of Herod The Great - like Hurston herself - is a masterpiece, a miracle, and a marvel. In other words, treasure for the whole world'' Tayari Jones, author of An American Marriage*In the 1950s Zora Neale Hurston penned a historical novel reconsidering the life of one of the most well-known biblical figures, Herod the Great. That novel was never published in Hurston''s lifetime. Now for the first time, it is brought to glorious life with commentary from scholar Deborah G. Plant.Far from his villainous portrayal in the New Testament, Hurston casts Herod as a forerunner of Christ, a beloved king who enriched Jewish culture and brought prosperity and peace to Judea. An intimate of both Marc Antony and Julius Caesar, the Judean king lived in a time of war and imperial expansion that was rife with political assassinations and bribery, as the old world gave way to the new.By bringing this complex, compelling and oft misunderstood leader into shining focus, The Life of Herod the Great invites the reader to reassess history and the world as they know it. What was in Herod’s time is and will be again. Zora Neale Hurston’s never-before-published novel is a lantern of understanding that might be held up to the present or the future, and nothing short of a masterpiece.A never-before-published novel from beloved author Zora Neale Hurston, revealing the historical Herod the Great - not the demon the Bible makes him out to be but a religious and philosophical man who lived a life of adventure.*Praise for Zora Neale Hurston:''Zora Neale was a knockout in her life'' MAYA ANGELOU''Their Eyes Were Watching God is one of the very greatest American novels of the 20th century. It is so lyrical it should be sentimental; it is so passionate it should be overwrought, but it is instead a rigorous, convincing and dazzling piece of prose, as emotionally satisfying as it is impressive. There is no novel I love more'' ZADIE SMITH''To the last page that fills the soul with tears, Hurston''s novel delivers. To me, it is also a welcome reminder that books are democratic, subversive and life-changing'' THE TIMES
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How Sondheim Can Change Your Life

by Richard Schoch

~~22,07€~~ 19,86€ 10% OFF

 An "incisive…heartwarming" (The New York Times Book Review) exploration of the powerful and universal lessons from the music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim, the genius behind such musical theater masterworks as Company, West Side Story, and Into the Woods. Stephen Sondheim died on November 26, 2021, but for countless fans around the world, he is "still here," to quote one of his lyrics. With acclaimed revivals of his landmark shows occurring around the world and introducing new generations to the man who transformed American musical theater, Sondheim’s legacy has only grown. How Sondheim Can Change Your Life makes the case that Sondheim’s greatness—beyond the clever lyrics and adventurous music—rests in his ability to tell stories that relate to us all. From Louise’s desire for freedom as Gypsy Rose Lee to Sweeney Todd’s thirst for revenge, we as an audience relate easily to Sondheim’s characters. His works understand us as much as we understand them. "With clarity and accessibility" (Ben Brantley, former theater critic, The New York Times), How Sondheim Can Change Your Life is rich with stories about productions and iconic performers, deep readings of his music and lyrics, and insights into his creative process. But more than that, it reveals how Sondheim’s works can enrich our own lives.
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World In Books - 52 Works Of Great Short Nonfiction

by Kenneth C. Davis

~~33,11€~~ 29,80€ 10% OFF

 A bestselling historian takes readers on an intellectual and cultural adventure, offering a carefully curated guide to great, short nonfiction works by some of the world’s most influential writers—from Plato to Toni Morrison, Ernest Hemingway to bell hooks, and Marcus Aurelius to Joan Didion. A delightful roadmap to a year’s worth of reading briefly, plus biographies, fascinating facts, and idea-rich insights into the lives of the thinkers, historians, and literary giants who have shaped our world. For both avid readers and those looking to spark a new habit, The World in Books is an invitation to a more lively and meaningful intellectual life. Davis’s literary adventure guides readers through some of the most important works of nonfiction of all time, offering a political, literary, and cultural history through reading. Each of the fifty-two entries provides the book’s opening lines or a brief excerpt from the work; a summary of the work; a biography of the author; why you should read the work; and what to read next. Davis offers insights into some of the most enduring issues of our time—from the existential perspective in Viktor E. Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, to questions of race in Toni Morrison’s The Origin of Others, and the climate crisis in Elizabeth Kolbert’s Under a White Sky. With insights from ancient times to the present day, Kenneth C. Davis offers a wide-ranging historical education through pleasure reading. In an accessible, conversational style, he explores texts that both mirror our contemporary moment and present new ways to think about our lives. These 52 selections, with books perfect for reading one week at a time, offer a year-long journey through history, philosophy, nature, and personal growth. More than just a literary companion, The World in Books is an education that combines wisdom with practical application. Davis’s work has been called "a wealth of succinct, entertaining advice" (Kirkus Reviews). The World in Books provides an engaging way to explore some of the most influential books ever written. A refresher course for lifelong learners.
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Reading Lessons - The Books We Read At School, The Conversations They Spark And Why They Matter

by Carol Atherton

~~12,89€~~ 11,60€ 10% OFF

 Brought to you by Penguin. An English teacher''s love letter to reading and the many ways literature can make us, and our lives, better. How can a Victorian poem help teenagers understand YouTube misogyny? Can Jane Eyre encourage us to speak out? What can Lady Macbeth teach us about empathy? Should our expectations for our futures be any greater than Pip’s? And why is it so important to make space for these conversations in the first place? 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. As she recalls her own evolution as a teacher, Atherton emphasises the vital, undervalued role teachers play, illustrates how essential reading is for developing our empathy, and makes a passionate case for the enduring power of literature. ©2024 Carol Atherton (P)2024 Penguin Audio
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Shakespeare In A Divided America - A Radio 4 Book Of The Week

by James Shapiro

29,80€ + 10% CARD

 From the author of 1599, a fresh perspective on the history of the United States - and a timely reminder of Shakespeare''s indelible influence.A RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEKShakespeare''s position as England''s national poet is established and unquestionable.But as James Shapiro illuminates in this revelatory new history, Shakespeare has long held an essential place in American culture. Why, though, would a proudly independent republic embrace England''s greatest writer? Especially when his works enact so many of America''s darkest nightmares: interracial marriage, cross-dressing, same-sex love, tyranny, and assassination?Investigating a selection of defining moments in American history - drilling into issues of race, miscegenation, gender, patriotism and immigration; encountering Presidents, activists, writers and actors - Shapiro leads us to fascinating answers and uncovers rich and startling stories.But perhaps most pressingly, we learn how, in Trump''s America, the staging of his work has provoked threats of violence and has become a battleground for freedom of speech.''With the lightest touch and the most formidable scholarship, James Shapiro, once again, proves himself to be an irresistible storyteller. And what an exhilarating and disturbing tale he has to tell. Here is proof that Shakespeare''s power remains undiminished in our divided world.''Simon Russell Beale
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Death Of Vivek Oji

by Akwaeke Emezi

25,39€ + 10% CARD

 They burned down the market on the day Vivek Oji died.One afternoon, a mother opens her front door to find the length of her son's body stretched out on the veranda, swaddled in akwete material, his head on her welcome mat. The Death of Vivek Oji transports us to the day of Vivek's birth, the day his grandmother Ahunna died. It is the story of an over protective mother and a distant father, and the heart-wrenching tale of one family's struggle to understand their child, just as Vivek learns to recognize himself.Teeming with unforgettable characters whose lives have been shaped by Vivek's gentle and enigmatic spirit, it shares with us a Nigerian childhood that challenges expectations. This novel, and its celebration of the innocence and optimism of youth will touch all those who embrace it.
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Bell Jar

by Sylvia Plath

25,39€ + 10% CARD

 READ BY THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ACTRESS MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL'A modern classic.' Guardian'A near-perfect work of art.' Joyce Carol OatesI was supposed to be having the time of my life . . .Working as an intern for a New York fashion magazine in the summer of 1953, Esther Greenwood is on the brink of her future. Yet she is also on the edge of a darkness that makes her world increasingly unreal. Esther's vision of the world shimmers and shifts: day-to-day living in the sultry city, her crazed men-friends, the hot dinner dances . . .The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath's only novel, is partially based on Plath's own life. It has been celebrated for its darkly funny and razor sharp portrait of 1950s society, and has sold millions of copies worldwide.ONE OF THE BBC'S '100 NOVELS THAT SHAPED OUR WORLD''As clear and readable as it is witty and disturbing.' New York Times Book ReviewReader responses:'Plath's underrated humour shines through this startling account of 1950s 'normality'.''Very readable, often darkly funny, and feels fresh.''Plath's masterpiece . . . It's amazing how relevant this book still is.''So enthralling . . . So thought provoking, so vivid, that it's thoroughly engrossing.''I just couldn't put it down.''Ever better than I expected.'
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Art Of The Novel

by Milan Kundera

18,76€ + 10% CARD

 Kundera brilliantly examines the work of such important and diverse figures as Rabelais, Cervantes, Sterne, Diderot, Flaubert, Tolstoy, and Musil. He is especially penetrating on Hermann Broch, and his exploration of the world of Kafka's novels vividly reveals the comic terror of Kafka's bureaucratized universe. Kundera's discussion of his own work includes his views on the role of historical events in fiction, the meaning of action, and the creation of character in the post-psychological novel."Lucid, detached, and epigrammatic ...The book has its author's familiar swiftness and variety of attack and his elegant, provocative irony," - THE NEW YORKER
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Loot - An Epic Historical Novel Of Plundered Treasure And Lasting Love

by Tania James

~~12,89€~~ 11,60€ 10% OFF

 Brought to you by Penguin. An epic tale of plundered treasure, savage empire, lasting love and a young man''s dream to make his mark on the world. Meet Abbas. Woodcarver, toy maker, dreamer. Abbas is seventeen when he is whisked away to Tipu Sultan''s glorious palace in Mysore. Apprenticed to the legendary clockmaker Monsieur Du Leze, he is ordered to create an ingenious musical tiger to delight Tipu''s sons. In the eccentric Du Leze, Abbas finds an unexpected friend who encourages his skill and hunger for learning, and through whom he also meets the unforgettable Jehanne, who has questions and ambitions of her own. But when British soldiers attack and loot Mysore, Abbas''s world is turned upside down and his prized tiger is shipped off to a country estate in England. In order to carve out his place in the world, he must follow. A hero''s quest, a love story, an exuberant heist novel that traces the bloody legacy of colonialism across the world, Loot is a dazzling, wildly inventive and irresistible feat of storytelling from a writer at the height of her powers. ''Loot held me spellbound from the first page'' Maggie O''Farrell ©2024 Tania James (P)2024 Penguin Audio
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Divine Might - Goddesses In Greek Myth

by Natalie Haynes

~~30,91€~~ 27,82€ 10% OFF

 New York Times bestselling author Natalie Haynes returns to the world of ancient Greek myth in this scintillating follow-up to Pandora’s Jar.Few writers today have reshaped our view of the ancient Greek myths more than revered bestselling author Natalie Haynes. Divine Might is a female-centered look at Olympus and the Furies, focusing on the goddesses whose prowess, passions, jealousies, and desires rival those of their male kin, including:<ul><li >Athene, who sprang fully formed from her father’s brow (giving Zeus a killer headache in the process), the goddess of war and provider of wise counsel.</li><li >Aphrodite, born of the foam (and sperm released from a Titan’s castrated testicles), the most beautiful of all the Olympian goddesses, the epitome of love who dispenses desire and inspires longing—yet harbors a fearsome vengeful side, doling out brutal punishments to those who displease her.</li><li >Hera, Zeus’s long-suffering wife, whose jealousy born of his repeated dalliances with mortals, nymphs, and other goddesses, leads her to wreak elaborate and often painful revenge on those she believes have wronged her. (Well, wouldn’t you?)</li><li >Demeter, goddess of the harvest and mother of Persephone; Artemis, the hunter and goddess of wild spaces; the Muses, the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory; and Hestia, goddess of domesticity and sacrificial fire.</li></ul>Infused with Haynes’s engaging charm and irrepressible wit, Divine Might is a refreshing take on the legends and stories we thought we knew.
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Travel Guide To The Middle Ages - The World Through Medieval Eyes

by Anthony Bale

12,89€ + 10% CARD

 Brought to you by Penguin. From the medieval souks of Tabriz, to the mysterious island of Caldihe, where sheep were said to grow on trees, Anthony Bale brings history alive in A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages, inviting the reader to travel across a medieval world punctuated with miraculous wonders and long-lost landmarks. Journeying alongside scholars, spies and saints, from western Europe to the Far East and the Antipodes, this is no ordinary travel guide. From profane pilgrim badges and Venetian laxatives to encounters with bandits and trysts with mysterious medieval witches, this book mixes fact and folklore to offer an entertaining encyclopaedia of wondrous stories and peoples. Using previously untranslated contemporary accounts from as far and wide as Turkey, Iceland, Armenia, north Africa, and Russia, A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages blurs the distinction between real and imagined places, offering the reader a vivid and unforgettable insight into how medieval people understood their world. ©2023 Anthony Bale (P)2023 Penguin Audio
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You Can'T Joke About That - Why Everything Is Funny, Nothing Is Sacred, And We’Re All In This Together

by Kat Timpf

7,72€ + 10% CARD

 What happens when we can’t joke about some of the most important stuff in life?In a 2019 study, 40% of people reported censoring themselves out of fear that voicing their views would alienate them from the people they care about most. Those people should probably not read this book in public.In You Can’t Joke About That, Kat Timpf shows why much of the way we talk about sensitive subjects is wrong. We’ve created all the wrong rules. We push ourselves into unnecessary conflicts when we should feel like we’re all in this together. When someone says "you can’t joke about that," what they really mean is "this is a subject that makes people sad or angry."Hilariously and movingly, Timpf argues that those subjects are actually the most important to joke about. She shows us we can find healing through humor regarding things you probably don''t want to bring up in polite conversation, like traumatic break-ups, cancer, being broke, Dave Chappelle, rape jokes, aging, ostomy bags, religion, body image, dead moms, religion, the lab leak theory, transgender swimmers, gushing wounds, campus censorship, and bad Christmas presents. This book is Kat Timpf with her hair down, except since hers is mostly extensions, this book is Kat Timpf with her hair out. Listen to it because you want to get to know her better. Listen to it because it’s the best book on free speech and comedy in a generation. Listen to it because you want to laugh out loud… even at the kind of stuff we’re afraid to say out loud. Just listen to it, and you’ll be glad you did.
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Home Truths - A Memoir

by David Williamson

18,39€ + 10% CARD

 The revealing and candid memoir of Australia''s legendary playwright and screenwriter The definitive memoir of David Williamson, author of iconic dramas such as The Removalists, The Club, Don''s Party, Emerald City and Travelling North, as well as more than fifty other plays, explores the life of the writer and the true stories and real lives that inspired his works. A powerful force in theatre since the 1970s, Williamson''s plays have uniquely explored the pulse of our Australianness. After five decades of chronicling the blunders, mishaps and messes that he and his fellow Australians got themselves into, Williamson has penned his long-awaited memoir, Home Truths. It reveals the story of the man behind the work: how a childhood defined by marital discord sparked a lifelong fascination with the power of drama to explore emotional conflict; how a mechanical engineering student became our most successful playwright; the anxiety that plagued him as he crafted his plays; the joy of connecting with an audience and the enduring sting of the critics; and the great love story that defined his personal life.Fearless, candid and witty, Williamson also writes about the plethora of odd, interesting, caustic and brilliant people - actors, directors, writers, theatre critics, politicians - who have intersected with his life and work: from a young Jacki Weaver and Chris Haywood in the first Sydney production of The Removalists in 1971 to Nicole Kidman on the brink of stardom in the 1988 feature film of Emerald City and lively dinners with political powerhouse Paul Keating; and from Graham Kennedy in the 1976 film version of Don''s Party through eventful overseas travels with Gareth Evans, Peter Carey and Tim Winton to a West End production of Up for Grabs starring Madonna, and the satisfaction of seeing his sons Felix and Rory tread the boards in several of his own plays.Praise for David Williamson:''Australia''s most enduringly popular social comedy writer … keenly observant and satirical.'' The Sydney Morning Herald ''Williamson always keeps us engaged … his words weave a spellbinding course … testament to the power of [his] language.'' The Daily Telegraph''Our greatest dramatic entertainer.'' Chris Boyd, Financial Review''His genius has been to define for us, in advance of our own recognition, the qualities which make up the Australian character.'' Katharine Brisbane, The Australian''It would be impossible to fault Williamson for not being brutally honest.'' Jasper Lindell, Canberra Times''Known for his sharp wit, brutal dialogue and fierce politics, Williamson''s book is savage, funny and tender in equal parts. It''s also first-class eyewitness cultural history.'' Filmink''Home Truths unfurls a sweeping and surprising life. It is a potpourri of Australian middle-class mores, exiting cultural schisms in the nation''s theatre fuelled by young men and women who would go on to change the...
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How To Write Like A Writer - A Sharp And Subversive Guide To Ignoring Inhibitions, Inviting Inspiration, And Finding Your True Voice

by Thomas C. Foster

14,71€ + 10% CARD

 The New York Times bestselling author of the beloved classic How to Read Literature Like a Professor teaches you how to write everything from a report for your community association to a meaningful memoir in this masterful and engaging guide.Combing anecdotes and hard-won lessons from decades of teaching and writing—and invoking everyone from Hemingway to your third-grade teacher—retired professor Thomas C. Foster guides you through the basics of writing. With How to Write Like a Writer you’ll learn how to organize your thoughts, construct first drafts, and (not incidentally) keep you in your chair so that inspiration can come to visit.With warmth and wit, Foster shows you how to get into (and over) your best self, how to find your voice, and how to know when, if ever, a piece of work is done.Packed with enlightening anecdotes, highlighted with lists and bullet points, this invaluable guide reveals how writers work their magic, and reminds us that we all—for better or worse, whether we mean to or not—are known by what we put on paper or screen, both our thoughts and our words.Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
New Ways To Kill Your Mother - Writers And Their Families

by Colm Tóibín

29,80€ + 10% CARD

 Novelist and critic Colm Tóibín provides "a fascinating exploration of writers and their families" (Entertainment Weekly) and "an excellent guide through the dark terrain of unconscious desires" (The Evening Standard) in this brilliant collection of essays that explore the relationships of writers to their families and their work. Colm Tóibín—celebrated both for his award-winning fiction and his provocative book reviews and essays—traces the intriguing, often twisted family ties of writers in the books they leave behind. Through the relationship between W. B. Yeats and his father, Thomas Mann and his children, Jane Austen and her aunts, and Tennessee Williams and his sister, Tóibín examines a world of relations, richly comic or savage in their implications. Acutely perceptive and imbued with rare tenderness and wit, New Ways to Kill Your Mother is a fascinating look at writers’ most influential bonds and a secret key to understanding and enjoying their work.
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Origins Of The Wheel Of Time - The Legends And Mythologies That Inspired Robert Jordan

by Michael Livingston

29,80€ + 10% CARD

 This program includes a bonus interview with Rosamund Pike. "Jordan has come to dominate the world Tolkien began to reveal." —The New York Times on The Wheel of Time® series Explore never-before-seen insights into the Wheel of Time, including: —An alternate scene from an early draft of The Eye of the World —The long-awaited backstory of Nakomi Take a deep dive into the real-world history and mythology that inspired the world of Robert Jordan''s The Wheel of Time®. Origins of The Wheel of Time is written by Michael Livingston, Secretary-General of the United States Commission on Military History and professor of medieval literature at The Citadel, with a Foreword by Harriet McDougal, Robert Jordan''s editor, widow, and executor of his estate. This companion to the internationally bestselling series will delve into the creation of Robert Jordan’s masterpiece, drawing from interviews and an unprecedented examination of his unpublished notes. Michael Livingston tells the behind-the-scenes story of who Jordan was, how he worked, and why he holds such an important place in modern literature. The second part of the book is a glossary to the "real world" in The Wheel of Time. King Arthur is in The Wheel of Time. Merlin, too. But so are Alexander the Great and the Apollo Space Program, the Norse gods and Napoleon’s greatest defeat—and so much more. Origins of The Wheel of Time will provide exciting knowledge and insights to both new and longtime fans looking to either expand their understanding of the series or unearth the real-life influences that Jordan utilized in his world building—all in one, accessible audiobook. A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.
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Last Days Of Roger Federer - And Other Endings

by Geoff Dyer

29,80€ + 10% CARD

 One of Esquire''s best books of spring 2022 An extended meditation on late style and last works from "one of our greatest living critics" (Kathryn Schulz, New York). When artists and athletes age, what happens to their work? Does it ripen or rot? Achieve a new serenity or succumb to an escalating torment? As our bodies decay, how do we keep on? In this beguiling meditation, Geoff Dyer sets his own encounter with late middle age against the last days and last works of writers, painters, footballers, musicians, and tennis stars who’ve mattered to him throughout his life. With a playful charm and penetrating intelligence, he recounts Friedrich Nietzsche’s breakdown in Turin, Bob Dylan’s reinventions of old songs, J. M. W. Turner’s paintings of abstracted light, John Coltrane’s cosmic melodies, Bjorn Borg’s defeats, and Beethoven’s final quartets—and considers the intensifications and modifications of experience that come when an ending is within sight. Throughout, he stresses the accomplishments of uncouth geniuses who defied convention, and went on doing so even when their beautiful youths were over. Ranging from Burning Man and the Doors to the nineteenth-century Alps and back, Dyer’s book on last things is also a book about how to go on living with art and beauty—and on the entrancing effect and sudden illumination that an Art Pepper solo or Annie Dillard reflection can engender in even the most jaded and ironic sensibilities. Praised by Steve Martin for his "hilarious tics" and by Tom Bissell as "perhaps the most bafflingly great prose writer at work in the English language today," Dyer has now blended criticism, memoir, and humorous banter of the most serious kind into something entirely new. The Last Days of Roger Federer is a summation of Dyer’s passions, and the perfect introduction to his sly and joyous work.
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Preface To Paradise Lost

by C. S. Lewis

14,72€ + 10% CARD

 In Preface to Paradise Lost, C. S. Lewis presents an illuminating reflection on John Milton''s Paradise Lost, the seminal classic that profoundly influenced Christian thought as well as Lewis''s own work.Lewis a revered scholar and professor of literature closely examines the style, content, structure, and themes of Milton''s masterpiece, a retelling of the biblical story from the Fall of Humankind, Satan''s temptation, and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. Considering this story within the context of the Western literary tradition, Lewis offers invaluable insights into Paradise Lost and the nature of literature itself, unveiling the poem''s beauty and its wisdom.With a clarity of thought and a style that are the trademarks of Lewis’s writing, he provides answers with a lucidity and lightness that deepens our understanding of Milton’s immortal work. Also inspiring new readers to revisit Paradise Lost, Lewis reminds us of why elements including ritual, splendour and joy deserve to exist and hold a sacred place in human life.One of Lewis''s most revered scholarly works, Preface to Paradise Lost is an indispensable read for new and lifelong fans of Lewis''s writing.
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Book Of Virtues: 30th Anniversary Edition

by Elayne Glover Bennett e William J. Bennett

38,64€ + 10% CARD

 Help your children develop moral character with this updated, 30th anniversary edition of the perennial classic The Book of Virtues. Almost 3 million copies of the Book of Virtues have been sold since it was published in 1993. It is one of the most popular moral primers ever written, an inspiring anthology that helps children understand and develop character—and helps parents teach it to them. Thirty years ago, readers thought that the times were right for a book about moral literacy. Back then, Americans worried that schools were no longer parents’ allies in teaching good character. As the book’s original introduction noted, "moral anchors and moorings have never been more necessary." If that was true in the 1990s, it is even more true today. The explosion of information with the Internet has left many unsure of what is valuable and what is not. Responsibility. Courage. Compassion. Loyalty. Honesty. Friendship. Persistence. Hard work. Self-discipline. Faith. These remain the essentials of good character. The Book of Virtues contains hundreds of exemplary stories offering children examples of good and bad, right and wrong. Drawing on the Bible, American history, Greek mythology, English poetry, fairy tales, and modern fiction, William J. and Elayne Bennett show children the many virtuous paths they can follow—and the ones they ought to avoid. For the 30th anniversary edition, the Bennetts have slimmed down the book’s contents, while also finding room to introduce such figures as Mother Teresa, Colin Powell, and heroes of 9/11 and the War in Afghanistan. Here is a rich mine of moral literacy to teach a new generation of children about American culture, history, and traditions—ultimately, the ideals by which we wish to live our lives. The updated edition of The Book of Virtues will continue a legacy of raising moral children far into a new century.
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Guest At The Feast

by Colm Tóibín

11,96€ + 10% CARD

 Brought to you by Penguin. In his essay about the life of Irish writer John McGahern, Tóibín reveals the tones of melancholy and amusement within both art and the artist. In his extraordinary essay on his cancer diagnosis, Tóibín unpicks the word ''battle'', and illuminates the distress, horror and blankness of his experiences. From the shades of light and dark in a Venice without tourists, to the streets of Buenos Aires riddled with disappearances and tied up with dictators and politics, we find ourselves considering law and religion in Ireland as well as in Marilynne Robinson''s fiction. A Guest at the Feast reveals the places where politics and poetics meet, where life and fiction overlap, where one can be inside writing and also outside of it. The imprint of the written word on the private self, as Tóibín himself remarks, is extraordinarily powerful. In this collection, that power is gloriously alive, illuminating history and literature, politics and power, family and the self. © Colm Tóibín 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022
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Shakespeare For Grown-Ups - Everything You Need To Know About The Bard

by B. Coates e E. Foley

9,20€ + 10% CARD

 Need to swot up on your Shakespeare? If you've always felt a bit embarrassed at your precarious grasp on the plot of Othello, or you haven't a clue what a petard - as in 'hoist with his own petard' - actually is, then fear not, because this, at last, is the perfect guide to bring you up to speed.From the authors of the number-one bestselling Homework for Grown-ups, Shakespeare for Grown-ups is the essential book for anyone keen to deepen their knowledge of the Bard's key plays and sonnets. For parents keen to help with their children's homework, casual theatre-goers who want to enhance their enjoyment and understanding of the most-performed plays and the general reader who feels they should probably know more about Britain's most splendid scribe, Shakespeare for Grown-ups covers the historical context of his writing; his personal life, contemporaries and influences; his language and poetic skill; the key themes of his oeuvre; his less familiar works and characters; modern-day adaptations and productions; theories about the authorship of his plays; his most famous speeches and quotations; phrases and words that have entered general usage, and much more. With lively in-depth chapters on all the key works including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Antony and Cleopatra, Richard II, Henry V, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Merchant of Venice and Macbeth, Shakespeare for Grown-ups is the only guide to the Scribe you'll ever need.
ENGLISH

Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde

by Robert Louis Stevenson

9,20€ + 10% CARD

 William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic fiction read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly abridged and remastered stories are now available to download for the first time.In the foggy streets of London, two men - one a respectable doctor and one a depraved killer - become mysteriously entangled.Robert Louis Stevenson’s psychological thriller, which brought the idea of the split personality to the public’s attention, is voiced by former Doctor Who, Tom Baker.The tale of Dr Jekyll’s decline into his murderous alter-ego, Mr Hyde, retains its capacity to probe the evil that exists in humankind.
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/ History of Literature