Showing titles in Literary History & Criticism

Have you ever wondered…whether God exists? whether life has meaning? Whether pain and suffering have a purpose? This audiobook is my invitation to sit down with C. S. Lewis and me to think about some of the persistent questions and dilemmas every person faces in life. We’ll explore Lewis’s thoughts on everything from friendships to heaven, from the reasons for faith to the power of stories.

With an introduction by Harriet McDougal, Origins of The Wheel of Time by Michael Livingston explores the inspirations behind the acclaimed series The Wheel of Time, including a biography of Robert Jordan for the first time. ‘Jordan has come to dominate the world Tolkien began to reveal’ –...

A GUARDIAN AND INDEPENDENT BEST MUSIC BOOK OF 2017. ‘At last an expert classicist gets to grips with Bob Dylan’ Mary Beard ‘Thomas’s elegant, charming book offers something for everyone – not just the super-fans’ Independent When the Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded to Bob...

Matt and Mollie are writing a Novel... together. Swapping who does the writing each chapter, they are on a quest to create a gripping murder mystery. The only problem? They have two very different visions for the book.Hosted by Matt Edmondson and Mollie King, with ever patient narrator and referee Steffan Powell, each of them have just one week to continue the story which involves reacting, sabotaging, escalating and occasionally rescuing the plot from each other. Steffan keeps order (loosely), reads the chapters aloud, and ensures the plot somehow holds together.What begins as a simple ...

The Follycast is a bookclub podcast series focused on the Rivers Of London series by Ben Aaronovitch. Each episode we discuss a book in the series.

Focused on the good, the great, and the problematic in the best-selling novel series The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Josh is an avid Dresderner, Alyssa is brand new!Together, they'll review and break down the series from different perspectives. Topics will include everything from the quality of the world-building and storytelling, to the problematic scenes and issues with the male gaze, and even to how accurate the crime scenes are (Alyssa is a coroner-investigator). Not to mention everything in between!New episodes every Sunday (Saturday with Patreon sub!)!https://www.patreon.com/...

Bloomsbury presents the 250TH BIRTHDAY EDITION of What Matters in Jane Austen? by John Mullan, read by Charles Armstrong ‘Almost as good as finding an unpublished novel’ The Lady 'Any new book on Austen raises the urgent question, Would I get more pleasure from reading this than from...

In 1998, a brand-new culture show was launched on Radio 4, featuring Melvyn Bragg and a panel of leading academics discussing the ideas, individuals and events that have shaped our world. In Our Time rapidly became one of radio's most well-loved programmes, regularly attracting over 2 million listeners eager to learn more about the topic of the week—which could be asteroids, Zoroastrianism or anything in between. This specially curated collection charts the evolution of the novel as a literary form throughout the past four centuries.

Bodies are discovered in one of the excavated houses at a volcanic tourist attraction dubbed 'The Pompeii of the North'. Markus Magnusson, who was only a teenager when the volcano erupted, falls under suspicion and hires attorney Thora Gudmundsdottir to defend him—but when his childhood sweetheart is murdered, his case starts to look more difficult, and the locals seem oddly reluctant to back him up.

The Time Machine is a science fiction novella by H. G. Wells, published in 1895. It is generally credited with the popularisation of the concept of time travel by using a vehicle that allows an operator to travel purposefully and selectively. The term "time machine", coined by Wells, is now universally used to refer to such a vehicle. This work is an early example of the Dying Earth subgenre.The Time Machine has since been adapted into two feature films of the same name, as well as two television versions, and a large number of comic book adaptations. It has also indirectly inspired many more ...

Do lobsters feel pain? Did Franz Kafka have a funny bone? What is John Updike's deal, anyway? And what happens when adult video starlets meet their fans in person? David Foster Wallace answers these questions and more in essays that are also enthralling narrative adventures. Whether covering the...

Follow the adventures of Bertie Wooster and his gentleman's gentleman, Jeeves, in this stunning new edition of one of the greatest comic novels in the English language. Bertie must deal with the Market Snodsbury Grammar School prize giving, the broken engagement of his cousin Angela, the wooing of Madeline Bassett by Gussie Fink-Nottle, and the resignation of Anatole, the genius chef. Will he prevail? Only with the aid of Jeeves!

The Swiss Family Robinson is a timeless tale of survival, ingenuity, and adventure. After being shipwrecked on a deserted island, a resourceful family must work together to build a new life in the wild. With a deep appreciation for nature and science, they transform their new home into a paradise. A classic story of resilience and discovery!

The Kalevala provides a compelling insight into the myths and folklore of Finland. Compiled by Elias Lönnrot in the 19th century, this impressive volume follows a tradition of oral storytelling that goes back some 2000 years, and it is often compared to such epic poems as Homer's Odyssey. However, The Kalevala has little in common with the culture of its Nordic neighbors: It is primarily poetic, it is mythical rather than historic, and its heroes solve their problems with magic more often than violence.

Episodes look at individual Chalet School books, Elinor M Brent-Dyer's life and other works, and wider themes, with occasional interviews. There will be spoilers, because the books have been in print for over 50 years. There will be mispronunciations, because it's too late now to put right the ones I invented as a 9 year old. And we do not ignore the bonkersness that makes EBD so beloved. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Lucy Mangan was little, stories were everything. They opened up new worlds and cast light on all the complexities she encountered in this one. She was whisked away to Narnia and Kirrin Island and Wonderland. She ventured down rabbit holes and womble burrows into midnight gardens and chocolate factories. She wandered the countryside with Milly-Molly-Mandy and played by the tracks with the Railway Children.

‘Enlightening, moving’ SIR IAN MCKELLEN From the acclaimed and bestselling biographer Jonathan Bate, a luminous new exploration of Shakespeare and how his themes can untangle comedy and tragedy, learning and loving in our modern lives. ‘The web of our life is of a mingled yarn, good and...

Wuthering Heights was first published in 1847 and tells a tale of love and revenge set against the backdrop of the wild Yorkshire moors. When Mr. Earnshaw brings home an orphaned boy named Heathcliff, his daughter, Catherine, develops a close bond with the young boy—but her brother, Hindley, resents and mistreats him. When Hindley later assumes his father’s authority after Mr. Earnshaw’s death, he does everything he can to keep Heathcliff and Catherine apart, thus instilling in Heathcliff a deep-seated desire for revenge. To Heathcliff’s dismay, Catherine ends up marrying the closest ...

Got questions about The Lord the Rings, Middle-Earth, and Tolkien? At The Lord of the Rings AMA podcast, Tolkien fan (not expert) Matthias Austin will do his best to answer your questions as in-depth as possible about the Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, the Silmarillion, and all of the greater Legendarium of J.R.R. Tolkien! Episodes released weekly!

Elegant, provocative and hugely entertaining, Kingsley Amis's memoirs are filled with anecdotes, experiences and portraits of famous friends, family, acquaintances (and a few eminent foes). From his childhood days to Oxford and army life, his travels abroad and his years as a successful novelist, Memoirs offers extraordinary insights into a unique literary life.