The text of this edition is based on the Wessex Edition of 1912, which was revised and corrected by the author. It has been collated with the Mellstock Edition of 1920, for which Hardy submitted final corrections. "Backgrounds and Contexts" provides new and invaluable source material on Victorian Dorset and, in particular, Dorchester, Hardy’s native home and the town upon which Casterbridge is based. Included are six of Hardy’s nonfiction writings, notably excerpts from his essay "The Dorsetshire Laboure" (1883), in which he frankly comments on the social changes he has witnessed in the county. Hardy’s Wessex is further examined in an essay by Michael Millgate, by maps of Casterbridge and Wessex, and by a key to local place names. Christine Winfield discusses the novel’s manu* and its complicated history. "Criticism" collects seventeen wide-ranging assessments of the novel-six new to the Second Edition-from both contemporary and modern critics, including Virginia Woolf, Albert J. Guerard,

- Un livre de plus sur l'école, alors ? - Non, pas surl'école ! Sur le cancre. Sur la douleur de ne pas comprendre et seseffets collatéraux sur les parents et les professeurs.

#1 Worldwide Bestseller—More Than 80 Million Copies Sold As millions of readers around the globe have already discovered, The Da Vinci Code is a reading experience unlike any other. Simultaneously lightning-paced, intelligent, and intricately layered with remarkable research and detail, Dan Brown's novel is a thrilling masterpiece—from its opening pages to its stunning conclusion.

Thanks to British narrator Frederick Davidson's performance, it is safe to say that there will not be a better recording of Tolstoy's masterpiece for some time. The heart of this drama is the metamorphosis of five familiesAsome peasant, some aristocraticAamid the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars. Each individual is immersed in experiences and conversations elucidating Tolstoy's themes of self-sacrifice and self-indulgence, anguish and ecstasy, diplomacy and deception, and religion and perdition. The complexities of character and plot are sometimes enigmatic, and names are often exhausting to recollect, but the genius of this book is everlasting. The impressive dialog sparkles with humor and wit, and the vivid scenes of battle are riveting. An entire universe is created by one of the foremost thinkers of the 19th century, and Davidson's exquisite narration heightens the perfection of this novel, regarded as one of the greatest in literature. Highly recommended for all collections.ABarbara Mann, Adelphi Univ., G

Le métier de Brodeck n'est pas de raconter des histoires. Sonactivité consiste à établir de brèves notices sur l'état de laflore, des arbres, des saisons et du gibier, de la neige et despluies, un travail sans importance pour son administration. Brodeckne sait même pas si ses rapports parviennent à destination. Depuisla guerre, les courriers fonctionnent mal, il faudra beaucoup detemps pour que la situation s'améliore. ?On ne te demande pas unroman, c'est Rudi Gott, le maréchal-ferrant du village qui a parlé,tu diras les choses, c'est tout, comme pour un de tesrapports.? Brodeck accepte. Au moins d'essayer. Comme dans ses rapports,donc, puisqu'il ne sait pas s'exprimer autrement. Mais pour cela,prévient-il, il faut que tout le monde soit d'accord, tout levillage, tous les hameaux alentour. Brodeck est consciencieux àl'extrême, il ne veut rien cacher de ce qu'il a vu, il veutretrouver la vérité qu'il ne connait pas encore. Même si elle n'estpas bonne à entendre. "? quoi cela te s

From the Pulitzer Prize-winning and bestselling author of The Shipping News and Accordion Crimes comes one of the most celebrated short-story collections of our time. Annie Proulx's masterful language and fierce love of Wyoming are evident in these breathtaking tales of loneliness, quick violence, and the wrong kinds of love. Each of the stunning portraits in Close Range reveals characters fiercely wrought with precision and grace. These are stories of desperation and unlikely elation, set in a landscape both stark and magnificent -- by an author writing at the peak of her craft.

This is a fabulous opportunity to own all seven Harry Potter titles - "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone", "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban", "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" - in a fantastic boxed set.

After having lost her family and the luxurious life she livedin beautiful Napa, California, Ava Winters finds herself on RebunIsland, Japan, the site of Satoshi Takeda's Revenge School. There,Ava meets Reena, Jon, Cruz, and Jane. At Revenge School, Ava alsomeets Emily Thorne who has recently returned to her training withTakeda. Emily shares her wisdom about Revenge and the importance oflooking for justice in a world where their enemies have thrived.Jon finds a file in Takeda's office detailing the connective tissuelinking the group currently at Revenge School. He presents Ava andthe others with the information, highlighting the looming May 1stdate of an annual gala in Napa where they will all have theopportunity to address their respective "revengendas." Althoughtheir training is not finished, the group feels the time is rightto set out on their mission. Assuming the delicious melodramatictone of the show, the book will reveal twists, turns, murder,collusion and deception. SCHOOLED IN REVENGE will also

Victory Ford is the darling of the fashion world。Single，attractive，and iconoclastic，she has worked for years to create her own signature line。As Victory struggles to keep her company afloat，she learns crucial lessons about what she really wants in a relationship。 Nico O’Neilly is the glamorous，brilliant editor of Bonfire Magazine——the pop-culture bible for fashion，show business，and politics。Considered one of the most powerful women in publishing，she seems to have it all。But in a mid-life crisis，she suddenly realizes this isn’t enough。 Wendy Healy’s chutzpah has propelled her to the very top of the cut-throat movie industry。When it becomes clear that a competitor is trying to oust her，something has to give—— and Wendy must decide between her career and her marriage。 In Lipstick Jungle，Bushnell once again delivers an addictive page-turner of sex and scandal that will keep readers enthralled and guessing to the very last page。

The incomparable Miriam Margolyes applies her story-telling and histrionic gifts to this classic satire of two young English women, one bad but clever and the other good but stupid, who come to no good during the Napoleonic Wars. The abridgers have cut a bit too much at the expense of the characterizations. Although sounding somewhat forced, Margolyes, as always, gives an excellent performance. Y.R. AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Jane Austen is without question, one of England's most enduring and skilled novelists. With her wit, social precision, and unerring ability to create some of literature's most charismatic and believable heroines, she mesmerises her readers as much today as when her novels were first published. Whether it is her sharp, ironic gaze at the Gothic genre invoked by the adventures of Catherine Morland in "Northanger Abbey"; the diffident and much put-upon Fanny Price struggling to cope with her emotions in "Mansfield Park"; her delightfully paced comedy of manners and the machinations of the sisters Elinor and Marianne in "Sense and Sensibility"; the quiet strength of Anne Elliot in "Persuasion" succeeding in a world designed to subjugate her very existence; and Emma - 'a heroine whom no one but myself will like' teased Austen - yet another irresistible character on fire with imagination and foresight.Indeed not unlike her renowned creator, Jane Austen is as sure-footed in her steps through society's whirlpools of

This selection covers the full range of Kipling's shortstories throughout his career, with the subject matter ranging fromthe Indian to the occult and from animals to domestic comedy.

"James Cameron's Titanic" chronicles a master storyteller'scinematic re-creation of one of the most vividly remembereddisasters of the modern era. Cameron's epic motion picture, winnerof eleven Academy Awards, was an unforgettable triumph offilmmaking, weaving a rich human tapestry of romance and heroism,tragedy and greed, and, ultimately, the power of true love - astory that will continue to capture the hearts of audiences forgenerations to come. This collector's edition will include all theoriginal content from the first book as well as a new and extendedintroduction by James Cameron. Additional new content will include:twenty-six newly designed pages with never-before-seen images fromthe film studio and from James Cameron's personal archive;behind-the-scenes stories from Cameron himself detailing theconcept art and making of the original film; a revelatory look atthe technical process of transforming original film into dynamic 3Dprints; quotes from Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio discussingthe fi

Book De*ion The past fills me with deep emotion. I recall the evening Miao Yan and I first talked. The details return with such vividness that it seems as if I am watching a video of it – the low-hanging moon, the whitish cement ground, Miao Yan’s glittering eyes, her fluttering blouse, the way she lit her cigarette and exhaled the smoke. It is all imprinted on my memory and can never be removed. Seventeen-year-old Ming and twenty-four-year-old Yan have very little in common other than studying in the same college. Ming, innocent and preoccupied, lives in her own world of books, music and imagination. Yan is, by contrast, sexy but cynical, beautiful but wild. She uses her looks to get what she wants from the many men in her life. When the two girls meet, and become best friends, Ming’s world is changed forever. She is attracted to Yan’s free-spirit, while Yan yearns for the kind of stability Ming’s seriousness can bring. But their differences in upbringing and ideologies ultimately driven them apa

To mark the centenary of its foundation, the British Security Service, MI5, has opened its archives to an independent historian. "The Defence of the Realm", the book which results, is an unprecedented publication. It reveals the precise role of the Service in twentieth-century British history, from its foundation by Captain Kell of the British Army in October 1909 to root out 'the spies of the Kaiser' up to its present role in countering Islamic terrorism. It describes the distinctive ethos of MI5, how the organization has been managed, its relationship with the government, where it has triumphed and where it has failed. In all of this, no restriction has been placed on the judgements made by the author. The book also casts new light on many events and periods in British history, showing for example that though well-placed sources MI5 was probably the pre-war department with the best understanding of Hitler's objectives, and had a remarkable willingness to speak truth to power; how it was so astonishingly suc

Since the series' inception in 1915, the annual volumes of TheBest American Short Stories have launched literary careers,showcased the most compelling stories of each year, and confirmedfor all time the significance of the short story in our nationalliterature. Now THE BEST AMERICAN SHORT STORIES OF THE CENTURYbrings together the best -- fifty-six extraordinary stories thatrepresent a century's worth of unsurpassed achievements in thisquintessentially American literary genre. This expanded editionincludes a new story from The Best American Short Stories 1999 toround out the century, as well as an index including every storypublished in the series. Of all the writers whose work has appearedin the series, only John Updike has been represented in each of thelast five decades, from his first appearance, in 1959, to his mostrecent, in 1998. Updike worked with coeditor Katrina Kenison tochoose the finest stories from the years since 1915. The result is"extraordinary . . . A one-volume literary history of thi