Literary History & Criticism

Poetic and powerful, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a modern American classic....

An intellectual detective story, this history audiobook directs probing questions at orthodox history, presenting disturbing new evidence that historians have tried - but failed - to explain....

Joan Didion is revealed at last in this outrageously provocative and profoundly moving new work "that reads like a propulsive novel" (Oprah Daily) on the mutual attractions—and mutual antagonisms—of Didion and her fellow literary titan, Eve Babitz.

The Willie Lynch Letter and the Making of a Slave is a study of slave making....

Just before Christmas in 1843, a debt-ridden and dispirited Charles Dickens wrote a small book he hoped would keep his creditors at bay....

In the rigid theocracy of Salem, Massachusetts, rumors that women are practicing witchcraft galvanize the town....

The poems of the Poetic Edda have waited a long time for a modern English translation that would do them justice. Here it is at last (Odin be praised!). These amazing texts from a 13th-century Icelandic manuscript are of huge historical, mythological, and literary importance....

All Souls fans have been captivated from the start by the many sources of inspiration Harkness draws on in her novels. Here, with her signature historian's touch, she offers an encyclopedic look at the series, complete with synopses, character bios, maps, recipes, and more....

Esteemed translator and best-selling author Stephen Mitchell energizes a heroic tale so old it predates Homer's Iliad by more than a millennium....

Short Stories in Spanish for Beginners has been written especially for students from beginner to intermediate level, designed to give a sense of achievement, a feeling of progress and, most importantly, enjoyment....

An invaluable reassessment of what we think we know about the daily lives of women in medieval Europe.

Notes of a Native Son inaugurated Baldwin as one of the leading interpreters of the dramatic social changes erupting in the United States in the 20th century, and many of his observations have proven almost prophetic....

Over the course of a steamy and tense afternoon, twelve jurors deliberate the fate of a 19-year-old boy alleged to have murdered his own father....

Savannah Cade's dreams are coming true. The Claire Donovan, editor-in-chief of the most successful romance publishing company in the country, has requested to see the manuscript Savannah's been secretly writing.

For the last 20 years, George Saunders has been teaching a class on the Russian short story to his MFA students at Syracuse University. In A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, he shares a version of that class with us....

In You Can’t Joke About That, Kat Timpf shows why much of the way we talk about sensitive subjects is wrong....

From the moment Claire Randall stepped through a standing stone circle and was thrown back in time to the year 1743, fans have been hungry to know everything about this world ....

Los Angeles, 1948: Easy Rawlins is a black war veteran just fired from his job at a defense plant....

The tellers of Greek myths—historically men—have routinely sidelined the female characters....

The Gutenberg Parenthesis traces the epoch of print from its fateful beginnings to our digital present – and draws out lessons for the age to come....

One of William Faulkner’s finest novels, As I Lay Dying, originally published in 1930, remains a captivating and stylistically innovative work. The story revolves around a grim yet darkly humorous pilgrimage, as Addie Bundren’s family sets out to fulfill her last wish....

This collection of writings from revered Native Americans offers timeless, meaningful lessons on living and learning....

When Walt Whitman self-published "Leaves of Grass" in 1855, he rocked the literary world and forever changed the course of poetry....

Mythology succeeds like no other audiobook in bringing to life for the modern listener the Greek, Roman, and Norse myths and legends that are the keystone of Western culture....

Harry Potter lives in a world that is both magical and historical. Hogwarts pupils ride an old-fashioned steam train to school, notes are taken on parchment with quill pens, and Muggle legends come to life in the form of werewolves, witches, and magical spells....

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. What is it about such classic songs as “Rose’s Turn” from Gypsy, “Send in the Clowns” from A Little Night Music, and “Children Will Listen” from Into the Woods that speaks to us so intimately and profoundly?

William Shakespeare understood power: what it is, how it works, how it is gained, and how it is lost. In The Hollow Crown, Eliot A. Cohen reveals how the battling princes of Henry IV and scheming senators of Julius Caesar can teach us to better understand power and politics today. The White House, after all, is a court—with intrigue and conflict rivaling those on the Globe's stage—as is an army, a business, or a university. And each court is full of driven characters, in all their ambition, cruelty, and humanity.

From the childhood nostalgia of Peter Pan in Speak Now to the haunted halls of Rebecca in Evermore, Taylor Swift’s lyrics are packed with literary connections. Make sure you’re catching them all with this expert guide to the novels, poems, and plays that influenced her songwriting. Let a literature professor and a musical theater artist guide you through the Swift canon—from Shakespeare to Dickinson to the Brontë sisters. Learn what “New Romantics” has to do with the old Romantics, get to know the Gothic monsters haunting Midnights, and spot Taylor’s many Great Gatsby references.

Renowned critic and translator Robert Alter’s The Art of Biblical Narrative has radically expanded our view of the Bible by recasting it as a work of literary art deserving studied criticism. In this seminal work, Alter describes how the Hebrew Bible’s many authors used innovative literary styles and devices such as parallelism, contrastive dialogue, and narrative tempo to tell one of the most revolutionary stories of all time: the revelation of a single God. In so doing, Alter shows, these writers reshaped not only history, but also the art of storytelling itself.

From Wilkie Collins to the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, the traditional image of the Victorian detective is male. Few people realize that women detectives successfully investigated Victorian Britain, working both with the police and for private agencies, which they sometimes managed themselves. Sara Lodge recovers these forgotten women’s lives. She also reveals the sensational role played by the fantasy female detective in Victorian melodrama and popular fiction, enthralling a public who relished the spectacle of a cross-dressing, fist-swinging heroine.

Appian's Civil Wars offers a comprehensive account of the unstable epoch from the time of Tiberius Gracchus (133 BC) to the great conflicts which followed the murder of Julius Caesar. For the events between 133 and 70 BC Appian is the only constant surviving narrative source, making his diaries an invaluable source to understand this brutal and formative moment in history.

In "Appreciating Shakespeare" a master teacher and theatrical dramaturge makes the essentials for deeply appreciating the meaning in Shakespeare's works easily understandable for listeners and playgoers of all ages. Part 1 provides background on Shakespeare's life, language, poetic and dramatic techniques, theatrical context, and historical and cultural background. Part 2 offers short essays on twenty-two plays and one on selected sonnets.

அயோத்திப்பெருமாள் - தமிழ் மரபில் இராமகதை எனும் இந்த ஒலிப் புத்தகம் தமிழ் மரபின் 1600 ஆண்டுகால இராமகதைத் தொடர்பை விரிவாக விளக்கும் ஆய்வு நூலாகும். ஆய்வு நூல்களுக்கான துல்லியத்திலிருந்து விலகாமல் அதே சமயம் விறுவிறுப்புக் குறையாமல் இந்தப் புத்தகம் அனைவரும் கேட்கும் வகையில் உருவாகியுள்ளது.

Prepare to embark on a voyage through J. Edwards Holt's fictional universe with this illustrative guidebook. From the author who spun tales in childhood daydreams to crafting acclaimed short stories and poetry, “The Seven Branches” unveils the mythology behind his enchanting narratives. Whether you're a seasoned fantasy enthusiast or a newcomer eager for adventure, this book promises an unforgettable journey into a world where the extraordinary becomes reality.

Duman, taş, kil, deri, kumaş, ağaç ve ışık... İlk sayfalar, ilk kitap, ilk kütüphane, ilk kitapçı... ve yazılı sözcüklerin peşinde bugüne kadar uzanan serüven... Yazılı anlatımın izini süren okurlara yazılmış gelmiş geçmiş tüm kitapların mucizevi hikâyesidir Papirüs. Sözcüklerin uzay-zamanda yolculuk edebilmesi için icat ettiğimiz nesnenin ve neredeyse otuz asırdır onu koruyanların yolculuğuna dair bir anlatı.

Auf diesem Hörbuch werden folgende 5 Texte, die jeweils den Gegenstand Kunst auseinandersetzen und verdeutlichen zu finden sein: Der Verfall der Lüge, Stift – Gift – Schrifttum, Kritik als Kunst 1, Kritik als Kunst 2, Die Wahrheit der Masken. Text 1: Ohne Lügen wäre Kindererziehung unmöglich, ohne Lügen wären Wahrheiten unmöglich.

Ein amüsanter Streifzug durch die Literaturgeschichte, der zeigt: Romanfiguren sind auch nur Menschen, und jeder gute Held hat eine Macke. Claudia Hochbrunn, Fachärztin für Psychiatrie, und Literaturwissenschaftlerin Andrea Bottlinger fragen: Hätte eine Erziehungsberatung Ödipus' Eltern vor dem Schlimmsten bewahren können? Wäre Romeo und Julias Geschichte anders verlaufen, wenn sie keine pubertierenden Teenager gewesen wären? Und kompensiert in Fifty Shades of Grey Christian nicht seine fehlende Männlichkeit mit erotischen Fantasien?

生きることの喜びと悲しみが心にしみる人間洞察の達人が最後にどうしても伝えたかった先人たちの言葉

Rediscover the timeless story of Heidi through this thoughtful and engaging guide by Marissa Burt. With chapter breakdowns, commentary, and discussion questions, this guide encourages listeners to reflect on the novel’s themes of perseverance and friendship.

Gli scritti riuniti in questa raccolta vertono sulle funzioni della letteratura, su autori che Eco ha frequentato a lungo come Nerval, Joyce, Borges (ma anche Aristotele e Dante), sull’influenza di alcuni testi più o meno letterari sullo sviluppo degli eventi storici, su alcuni problemi tipici del narrare, come la rappresentazione verbale dello spazio, l’ironia intertestuale, la natura dei mondi possibili della finzione, e su alcuni concetti chiave della scrittura "creativa", come il simbolo, lo stile, la "zeppa" (ovvero i momenti apparentemente "morti", e meramente funzionali nello sviluppo d