Carti in categoria Literature & Biography

Introduction and Notes by Michael Irwin, Professor of English Literature, University of Kent at Canterbury.Wessex Tales was the first collection of Hardy's short stories, and they reflect the experience of a novelist at the height of his powers. These seven tales, in which characters and scenes are imbued with a haunting realism, show considerable diversity of content, form and style, and range from fantasy to realism and from tragedy to comedy.In insisting on the unusual nature of any story wor...

With an Introduction by Pat Righelato, University of Reading.The child of parents who divorce, remarry and then embark on adulterous affairs, Maisie Farange survives by her intelligence and spirit. For all its sombre theme of childhood innocence exposed to a corrupted adult world, this novel is one of James's comic masterpieces. The outrageous behaviour of the characters on the seedy fringes of the English upper class is conveyed with wit and relish. The dual perspective of a sophisticated narra...

Far from fading with time, Kenneth Grahame's classic tale of fantasy has attracted a growing audience in each generation. Rat, Mole, Badger and the preposterous Mr Toad (with his `Poop-poop-poop' road-hogging new motor-car), have brought delight to many through the years with their odd adventures on and by the river, and at the imposing residence of Toad Hall.Grahame's book was later dramatised by A. A. Milne, and became a perennial Christmas favourite, as Toad of Toad Hall. It continues to ench...

The Wings of the Dove is a tale of desire and possession, of love and death. It is in essence a simple story, but one that opens up the great subject of art: life itself. To tackle this, James moves between fairytale storylines and the startlingly modern techniques of his testing late style. An unspeakable subtext lies beneath the silence. Distinct points of view and different centres of consciousness betray the dislocation of the social facade from the desolation beneath. For all the familiar s...

Edited, introduced and annotated by Cedric Watts, Research Professor of English, University of Sussex The Winter's Tale, one of Shakespeare's later romantic comedies, offers a striking and challenging mixture of tragic and violent events, lyrical love-speeches, farcical comedy, pastoral song and dance, and, eventually, dramatic revelations and reunions. Thematically, there is a rich orchestration of the contrasts between age and youth, corruption and innocence, decline and regeneration. Both Leo...

With an Introduction and Notes by Dinny Thorold, University of Westminster. Gaskell s last novel, widely considered her masterpiece, follows the fortunes of two families in nineteenth century rural England. At its core are family relationships father, daughter and step-mother, father and sons, father and step-daughter all tested and strained by the romantic entanglements that ensue. Despite its underlying seriousness, the prevailing tone is one of comedy. Gaskell vividly portrays the world of th...

Introduction and Notes by Dr Jeff Wallace, University of Glamorgan.Lawrence's finest, most mature novel initially met with disgust and incomprehension. In the love affairs of two sisters, Ursula with Rupert, and Gudrun with Gerald, critics could only see a sorry tale of sexual depravity and philosophical obscurity. Women in Love is, however, a profound response to a whole cultural crisis. The 'progress' of the modern industrialised world had led to the carnage of the First World War.What, then, ...

With an Introduction and Notes by Phillip Mallett, Senior Lecturer in English, University of St Andrews.Educated beyond her station, Grace Melbury returns to the woodland village of little Hintock and cannot marry her intended, Giles Winterborne. Her alternative choice proves disastrous, and in a moving tale that has vibrant characters, many humorous moments and genuine pathos coupled with tragic irony, Hardy eschews a happy ending.With characteristic derision, he exposes the cruel indifference ...

Award-winning original fiction for learners of English. At seven levels, from Starter to Advanced, this impressive selection of carefully graded readers offers exciting reading for every student's capabilities. Alex Forley had everything: good looks, money, a beautiful house in London, an attractive girlfriend and a close group of friends. But now he is dead - an apparent case of suicide. Detective Inspector Rod Eliot isn't sure Alex killed himself and he wants the answers to two simple question...

This award-winning graded readers series is full of original fiction, adapted fiction and factbooks especially written for teenagers. Despite their very different backgrounds, two fifteen-year-olds are drawn together and discover that they share more than they had ever imagined. This is a rollercoaster of an adventure that takes us from Sark, a remote British island, to the busy modern city of Birmingham, England. This paperback is in British English. Download the complete audio recording of thi...

Award-winning original fiction for learners of English. At seven levels, from Starter to Advanced, this impressive selection of carefully graded readers offers exciting reading for every student's capabilities. David lives in a house with lots of books and his cat, Socrates. But is he happy? Then he makes friends with Ella. 'You're a nice boy,' says Ella. 'But you don't know anything about me. You don't know me. I'm not a good person.' Paperback-only version. Also available with Audio CD includi...

Award-winning original fiction for learners of English. At seven levels, from Starter to Advanced, this impressive selection of carefully graded readers offers exciting reading for every student's capabilities. Diamonds smuggled from the bloody civil-war zones of Africa and traded illegally for weapons are known as 'blood diamonds'. London journalists Harley Kirkpatrick and Annie Shepherd sense the scoop of a lifetime when they try to trap a deal in the diamonds. But who is trapping who and are ...

Award-winning original fiction for learners of English. At seven levels, from Starter to Advanced, this impressive selection of carefully graded readers offers exciting reading for every student's capabilities. Sophia is excited because she's an extra in a film with a big star, Fabio Facelli. But things go wrong from the start, and soon Sophia's at the police station, not on the film set. Does Fabio live up to her dreams when she finally meets him? Or might the policeman that Sophia calls 'Mr Si...

Award-winning original fiction for learners of English. At seven levels, from Starter to Advanced, this impressive selection of carefully graded readers offers exciting reading for every student's capabilities. Alexandria, Egypt. Anika and Zaphira are sitting at a seafront cafe. Suddenly, there is a huge explosion which knocks them over and changes their lives for ever. Both teenage girls learn a lot about each other as they struggle to survive, and to understand what has happened and why. And t...

Award-winning original fiction for learners of English. At seven levels, from Starter to Advanced, this impressive selection of carefully graded readers offers exciting reading for every student's capabilities. Hiro, a 20-year-old Japanese student, sits next to an old man on a train to Berlin. By mistake they exchange phones and read each other's text messages. Hiro believes that the man's messages show that he is going to Berlin to kill someone. Hiro's first day in the city is a race against ti...

Award-winning original fiction for learners of English. At seven levels, from Starter to Advanced, this impressive selection of carefully graded readers offers exciting reading for every student's capabilities. Detective Flick Laine meets handsome Dr Jack Daly at a party in Denver, USA. When Daly calls later, inviting her to meet him to 'talk about something', she accepts. But before they can talk, the doctor is found dead in an apparent case of suicide. Flick is put in charge of the investigati...

Award-winning original fiction for learners of English. At seven levels, from Starter to Advanced, this impressive selection of carefully graded readers offers exciting reading for every student's capabilities. Detective Inspector Helen Shepherd is called to investigate the murder of a young woman on a beach on the south coast of England. The young woman was one of a group of workers from a music company who are staying at a nearby hotel. Inspector Shepherd and her new sergeant Webb question the...

Award-winning original fiction for learners of English. At seven levels, from Starter to Advanced, this impressive selection of carefully graded readers offers exciting reading for every student's capabilities. Arman, a teenage refugee, makes an epic journey across Europe, often in the hands of people smugglers. He lives and works as an illegal immigrant in the UK until one day love comes into his life. Paperback-only version. Also available with Audio CD of the complete text. Anul aparitiei: 20...

Award-winning original fiction for learners of English. At seven levels, from Starter to Advanced, this impressive selection of carefully graded readers offers exciting reading for every student's capabilities. Liz teaches archaeology in Athens. She works too hard and her doctor tells her she needs to take a holiday. So she goes to the beautiful and peaceful Greek island of Sifnos. But the peace does not last long when a local man dies in suspicious circumstances. Liz ignores advice not to get i...

This award-winning graded readers series is full of original fiction, adapted fiction and factbooks especially written for teenagers. The Olympics, the Paralympics and the more contemporary extreme action sports, X Games, are the greatest celebrations of international sporting achievement in the world. Each event is carefully described and is followed by the exciting and varied profiles of two young people, both past and present, who have made incredible contributions to the games. This paperbac...