(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed) Introduction by CatherinePeters
Words of Love ...and seduction, heartbreak, adoration, andpassion. Here in this portable treasury are the 100 most moving andmemorable love poems of all time, each accompanied by anilluminating introduction. Revisit the Classics: "He Is More Than aHero" by Sappho Sonnet 18 ("Let Me Not to the Marriage of TrueMinds") by William Shakespeare "She Walks in Beauty" by Lord ByronEnjoy Old Favorites: "To My Dear and Loving Husband" by AnneBradstreet "The Owl and the Pussycat" by Edward Lear "When I WasOne and Twenty" by A. E. Housman Make Surprising Discoveries: "YourCatfish Friend" by Richard Brautigan "To Alice B. Toklas" byGertrude Stein "Valentine" by Donald Hall "True Love" by JudithViorst Carry this book wherever you go. It's a perfect companion toread alone or to share with that special person in your life. The100 Best Love Poems of all Time.
Pitting scientific terrorists against the cardinals of Vatican City, this well-plotted if over-the-top thriller is crammed with Vatican intrigue and high-tech drama. Robert Langdon, a Harvard specialist on religious symbolism, is called in by a Swiss research lab when Dr. Vetra, the scientist who discovered antimatter, is found murdered with the cryptic word "Illuminati" branded on his chest. These Iluminati were a group of Renaissance scientists, including Galileo, who met secretly in Rome to discuss new ideas in safety from papal threat; what the long-defunct association has to do with Dr. Vetra's death is far from clear. Vetra's daughter, Vittoria, makes a frightening discovery: a lethal amount of antimatter, sealed in a vacuum flask that will explode in six hours unless its batteries are recharged, is missing. Almost immediately, the Swiss Guard discover that the flask is hidden beneath Vatican City, where the conclave to elect a new pope has just begun. Vittoria and Langdon rush to recover the canister,
(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed) Introduction by NicholasRance
Portnoy's Complaint "n." after Alexander Portnoy (1933- )] Adisorder in which strongly-felt ethical and altruistic impulses areperpetually warring with extreme sexual longings, often of aperverse nature. Spielvogel says: 'Acts of exhibitionism,voyeurism, fetishism, auto-eroticism and oral coitus are plentiful;as a consequence of the patient's "morality," however, neitherfantasy nor act issues in genuine sexual gratification, but ratherin overriding feelings of shame and the dread of retribution,particularly in the form of castration.' (Spielvogel, O. "ThePuzzled Penis," "Internationale Zeitschrift fur Psychoanalyse,"Vol. XXIV, p. 909.) It is believed by Spielvogel that many of thesymptoms can be traced to the bonds obtaining in the mother-childrelationship. With a new Afterword by the author for the 25thAnniversary edition.
From the moment Karen Blixen arrived in Kenya in 1914 to managea coffee plantation, her heart belonged to Africa. Drawn to theintense colours and ravishing landscapes, Karen Blixen spent herhappiest years on the farm and her experiences and friendships withthe people around her are vividly recalled in these memoirs. "Outof Africa" is the story of a remarkable and unconventional womanand of a way of life that has vanished for ever.
Mild, harmless and ugly to behold, the impoverished Pons is anageing musician whose brief fame has fallen to nothing. Living aplacid Parisian life as a bachelor in a shared apartment with hisfriend Schmucke, he maintains only two passions: a devotion to finedining in the company of wealthy but disdainful relatives, and adedication to the collection of antiques. When these relativesbecome aware of the true value of his art collection, however,their sneering contempt for the parasitic Pons rapidly falls awayas they struggle to obtain a piece of the weakening man'sinheritance. Taking its place in the Human Comedy as a companion toCousin Bette, the darkly humorous "Cousin Pons" is among of thelast and greatest of Balzac's novels concerning French urbansociety: a cynical, pessimistic but never despairing considerationof human nature.
"Why Read the Classics?" is an elegant defence of the value ofgreat literature by one of the finest authors of the last century.Beginning with an essay on the attributes that define a classic(number one - classics are those books that people always say theyare 'rereading', not 'reading'), this is an absorbing collection ofItalo Calvino's witty and passionate criticism.
In the tradition of Philippa Gregory's smart, transportingfiction comes this tale of dark suspense, love, and betrayal,featuring two star-crossed sisters, one lost and the othersearching. Bright and inquisitive, Hannah Powers was raised by afather who treated her as if she were his son. While her beautifuland reckless sister, May, pushes the limits of propriety in theirsmall English town, Hannah harbors her own secret: their father hasgiven her an education forbidden to women. But Hannah's secretserves her well when she journeys to colonial Maryland to reunitewith May, who has been married off to a distant cousin after hersexual misadventures ruined her marriage prospects in England. AsHannah searches for May, who has disappeared, she finds herselffalling in love with her brother-in-law. Alone in a wild,uncultivated land where the old rules no longer apply, Hannah isfreed from the constraints of the society that judged both her andMay as dangerous--too smart, too fearless, and too hungry for life.But Hannah
Newlyweds Jennifer and Matt really love each other. They never lived together before they were married-and so both were shocked to learn all the little things that go with living with one's spouse. Who knew that in his family, Saturdays were for tackling chores, while in her family Saturdays were for sleeping late? Now, two nice people from nice families are finding out that they do everything differently-and suddenly, they're in the ring with gloves on! Week by week, the fights take both of them by surprise-they never meant to be the kind of couple that acts this way. Simultaneously, though, Jennifer and Matt are building something strong, knocking down old walls of habit and finding the strong foundation of a love that will see them through.This is one year in a marriage-the beginning of a lifetime.
In this now-classic tale--a terrifying variation on the traditional boys' adventure story--the brutal behavior of a group of English schoolboys left stranded on a deserted island after an atomic war is an allegory for the defects of society.
(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed) Introduction by CatherinePeters A panoramic satire of English society during the NapoleonicWars, Vanity Fair is William Makepeace Thackeray's masterpiece. Atits center is one of the most unforgettable characters innineteenth-century literature: the enthralling Becky Sharp, acharmingly ruthless social climber who is determined to leavebehind her humble origins, no matter the cost. Her more gentlefriend Amelia, by contrast, only cares for Captain George Osborne,despite his selfishness and her family's disapproval. As both womenmove within the flamboyant milieu of Regency England, the politicalturmoil of the era is matched by the scheming Becky's sensationalrise--and its unforeseen aftermath. Based in part upon Thackeray'sown love for the wife of a friend, Vanity Fair portrays thehypocrisy and corruption of high society and the dangers ofunrestrained ambition with epic brilliance and scathing wit.
As a novelist, Graham Swift delights in the possibilities ofthe human voice, imagining his way into the minds and hearts of anextraordinary range of characters. In "Making an Elephant", hisfirst ever work of non-fiction, the voice is his own. Swift bringstogether a richly varied selection of essays, portraits, poetry,and reflections on his life in writing, full of insights into hispassions and motivations, and wise about the friends, family, andother writers who have mattered to him over the years. KazuoIshiguro advises on how to choose a guitar, Salman Rushdie arrivesfor Christmas under guard, and Ted Hughes shares the secrets of aDevon river. There are private moments, too, with long-deadwriters, as well as musings on history and memory that readers ofSwift's novels will recognize and love. 'A rewarding collection,with the same humanity and flair for detail that distinguishesSwift's fiction.
"Time" Magazine Best American Novel (1993) In this fiendishlyimaginative book (which may or may not be fiction), Philip Rothmeets a man who may or may not be Philip Roth. Because "someone"with that name has been touring Israel, promoting a bizarre reverseexodus of the Jews. Roth is intent on stopping him, even if thatmeans impersonating his own impersonator. With excruciatingsuspense, unfettered philosophical speculation, and a cast ofcharacters that includes Israeli intelligence agents, Palestinianexiles, an accused war criminal, and an enticing charter member ofan organization called Anti-Semites Anonymous, Operation Shylockbarrels across the frontier between fact and fiction, seriousnessand high comedy, history and nightmare.
Founded in 1906 by J.M. Dent, the Everyman Library has alwaystried to make the best books ever written available to the greatestnumber of people at the lowest possible price. Unique editorialfeatures that help Everyman Paperback Classics stand out from thecrowd include: a leading scholar or literary critic's introductionto the text, a biography of the author, a chronology of her or hislife and times, a historical selection of criticism, and a conciseplot summary. All books published since 1993 have also beencompletely restyled: all type has been reset, to offer a clarityand ease of reading unique among editions of the classics; avibrant, full-color cover design now complements these great textswith beautiful contemporary works of art. But the best feature mustbe Everyman's uniquely low price. Each Everyman title offers theseextensive materials at a price that competes with the mostinexpensive editions on the market-but Everyman Paperbacks havedurable binding, quality paper, and the highest editorial an
Extensively revised by Nabokov in 1965--thirty years after itsoriginal publication-- Despair is the wickedly inventive andrichly derisive story of Hermann, a man who undertakes the perfectcrime--his own murder.
WHEN ALEXANDRA RAFFERTY was a girl,something unspeakably cruel happened to her on a summer afternoon.Only her father knew about it-or so she thought.Now a forensic photographer for the Miami P.D.,Alexandra remains haunted by that horrible day,and it colors all of her relationships.Stan,her emotionally estranged and loutish husband,drives a Brinks armored car and has his own mind-bending agenda.Her now-aging,not-altogether-there father is growing mire dependent and less dependable.And her work photographing crime scenes has become a life-consuming obsession. Now Alexandra is about to get caught up in a gruesome series of rape-muredrs that seem to speak to her long-hidden past.But before she can understand the killer's mes-sage,her life spins out of control,sending her on the run-from her husband,from the crooks after him,from a surprisingly persistent boyfriend,and from a killer who's bent on making sure Alexandra won't live long enough to translate his words.
Outstanding works comprised mainly of short pieces reflecting the highly atmospheric and exotic style of the composer's maturity, among them Poème tragique, Poème satanique, Fragilité, Poème ailé, Danse languide, Enigme, Ironies, Désir, Caresse dansée, Masque, and Guirlandes. Also includes three of Scriabin's most popular works: the poetic Etude in C Minor, the brilliant and virtuosic Etude in D-sharp Minor, and the world-famous Vers la flamme.
The thirty-four stories in this volume span Chekhov’s creative career. They present a wide spectrum of comic and serious themes and a variety of techniques. (His short novels, available in another Norton volume, Seven Short Novels by Chekhov, have been omitted.) Two of the stories have been translated for this edition by Professor Matlaw; the other translations, by Constance Garnett, Ivy Litvinov, and Marian Fell, have been revised in accordance with contemporary usage. Footnotes have been supplied wherever necessary to explain peculiarities of Russian life and the historical era in which Chekhov lived and wrote. Backgrounds includes a rich selection of Chekhov’s letters, in new translations by Professor Matlaw, and Gorky’s celebrated essay on Chekhov, translated by Ivy Litvinov. The critical essays offer general views of Chekhov’s art and achievement and detailed analyses of particular stories. The critics are D. S. Mirsky, A. B. Derman (whose essay has been translated from the Russian especially
Antoine de Saint-Exupery, an intrepid and eccentric adventurer,transferred his passion for flying to the written word by writingseveral classics of aviation literature, including "Southern Mail"and "Night Flight". Based on Saint-Exupery's trail-blazing flightsfor the French airmail service over the Sahara and later, theAndes, these two novels evoke the tragic courage and nobility ofthe airborne pioneers who took enormous risks, flying in opencock-pits in planes that were often fragile and unstable.
In No Country for Old Men, Cormac McCarthy simultaneouslystrips down the American crime novel and broadens its concerns toencompass themes as ancient as the Bible and as bloodilycontemporary as this morning’s headlines.
Lively and informed narrative by two expert authorities in their field. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.