Download or read book Jane Austen and Shelley in the Garden written by Janet Todd and published by . This book was released on 2021-07-09 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Eccentric Fran wants a second chance. Thanks to her intimacy with Jane Austen, and the poet Shelley, she finds one. Jane Austen is such a presence in Fran's life that she seems to share her cottage and garden, becoming an imaginary friend. Fran's conversations with Jane Austen guide and chide her - but Fran is ready for change after years of teaching, reading and gardening. An encounter with a long-standing English friend, and an American writer, leads to new possibilities. Adrift, the three women bond through a love of books and a quest for the idealist poet Shelley at two pivotal moments of his life: in Wales and Venice. His otherworldly longing and yearning for utopian communities lead the women to interrogate their own past as well as motherhood, feminism, the resurgence of childhood memory in old age, the tensions and attractions between generations. Despite the appeal of solitude, the women open themselves social to ways of living - outside partnership and family. Jane Austen, as always, has plenty of comments to offer. The novel is a (light) meditation on age, mortality, friendship, hope, and the excitement of change.
Download or read book Jane Austen and Mary Shelley and Their Sisters written by Laura Dabundo and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jane Austen and Mary Shelley and Their Sisters is an unprecedented work that provides an in-depth analysis of the work of women novelists from the Romantic age, a period that has long been exclusively designated as the province of canonized male poets. Although there are many volumes on the works of Austen and Shelley, this collection is the first to consider these writers and others in the wider context of English fiction by women during the 1780s to 1830s. Collectively, the authors examine the works of nearly fifteen women novelists of the Romantic period whose works encompass the prevailing social and political realities of the time. They demonstrate that women writers were not following a specific formula to produce their creative works but were instead responding to an insatiable market for their imaginative and infinitely varied wares. A must-read for scholars of women's studies as well as 19th century British literature, Jane Austen and Mary Shelley and Their Sisters is sure to be an important resource for years to come.
Download or read book A Man of Genius written by Janet Todd and published by Bitter Lemon Press. This book was released on 2016-03-10 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Strange and haunting, a gothic novel with a modern consciousness." —Philippa Gregory "A haunting, sophisticated story about a woman discovering the truth about herself and the elusive, possibly illusive, nature of genius." —Sunday Times "Mesmerizing, haunting, imbued with a complete sense of historical verisimilitude" —Times Literary Supplement "A psychologically haunting and disturbing tale as full of mystery, exotic foreign places, and questions of parentage as any penned by her protagonist." —Library Journal "Thrilling and heartbreaking, a gothic novel with emotional heart and depth." —Foreword Reviews "A darkly mischievous novel about love, obsession and the burden of charisma, played out against the backdrop of Venice's watery, decadent glory." —Sarah Dunant "A mesmerizing story of love and obsession in nineteenth-century Venice: dark and utterly compelling." —Natasha Solomons Set in bustling Regency England and decaying Venice, A Man of Genius portrays a psychological journey from safety into secrecy and obsession. After a troubled childhood, Ann achieves independence earning her living as an author of Gothic novels. Within a group of male writers, she meets and is enthralled by the supposed poetic genius, Robert James. They become uneasy lovers. Ann and Robert travel from London through a Europe exhausted by the Napoleonic Wars. They arrive in a Venice of spies and intrigue, where their relationship becomes tortuous and Robert descends into near madness. Forced to flee with a stranger, Ann delves into her past to be jolted by a series of revelations about her lover, her parentage, the stranger, and herself.
Download or read book The Cambridge Introduction to Jane Austen written by Janet Todd and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2006-09-14 with total page 3 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jane Austen is unique among British novelists in maintaining her popular appeal while receiving more scholarly attention now than ever before. This innovative introduction by a leading scholar and editor of her work explains what students need to know about her novels, life, context and reception. Each novel is discussed in detail, and all the essential information about her life and literary influences, her novels and letters, and her impact on later literature and culture is covered. While the book considers the key areas of current critical focus its analysis remains thoroughly grounded in readings of the texts themselves. Janet Todd outlines what makes Austen's prose style so innovative and gives useful starting points for the study of the major works, with suggestions for further reading. This book is an essential purchase for all students of Austen, as well as for readers wanting to deepen their appreciation of the novels.
Download or read book Jane Austen written by Fiona Stafford and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2017-01-01 with total page 181 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every devoted reader feels that, in some way, they know Jane Austen. But how can we make sense of her extraordinary achievements? At a time when most women received so little formal education and none could obtain a place at university, how did Austen come to write novels that have commanded the attention of some of the most brilliant minds ever since? Why were hers the books that Darwin knew by heart and Churchill read during the Blitz? In this graceful introduction to the author's life and works, Fiona Stafford offers a fresh and accessible perspective, discussing Austen's six astonishing novels in the context of their time. Newly updated, Jane Austen: A Brief Life offers a rich and sympathetic insight into a writer who was just as much the Romantic genius as Keats, Shelley or Byron - full of youthful exuberance, intensely creative once she had found her individual voice, and dead before she reached middle age.
Download or read book Jane Austen s Sanditon written by Janet Todd and published by Fentum Press. This book was released on 2019-09-10 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Innovative essay by leading scholar, examining the Austen phenomenon, her love of spoof and burlesque, with newly edited Sanditon text.
Download or read book The Secret Life of Aphra Behn written by Janet Todd and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2013-09-19 with total page 830 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'All women together ought to let flowers fall upon the tomb of Aphra Behn; for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds,' said Virginia Woolf. Yet that tomb, in Westminster Abbey, records one of the few uncontested facts about this Restoration playwright, poet, novelist and spy: the date of her death, 16 April 1689. For the rest secrecy and duplicity are almost the key to her life. She loved codes, making and breaking them; writing her life becomes a decoding of a passionate but playful woman. Janet Todd draws on documents she has rediscovered in the Dutch archives, and on Behn's own writings, to tell a story of court, diplomatic and sexual intrigue, and of the rise from humble origins of the first woman to earn her living as a professional writer. Aphra Behn's first notable employment was as a Royal spy in Holland; she had probably also spied in Surinam. It was not until she was in her thirties that she published the first of the 19 plays and other works which established her fame (though not riches) among her 'good, sweet, honey-candied readers'. Many of her works were openly erotic, indeed as frank as anything by her friends Wycherley and Rochester. Some also offered an inside view of court and political intrigues, and Todd reveals the historical scandals and legal cases behind some of Behn's most famous 'fictions'.
Download or read book Don t You Know There s a War On written by Janet Todd and published by Fentum Press. This book was released on 2020-05-12 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Joan revisits her life, blighted by WW2, drawing her daughter into her imaginings and desires. The boundaries between them collapse.
Download or read book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil written by John Berendt and published by Random House. This book was released on 1994-01-13 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A modern classic of true crime, set in a most beguiling Southern city—now in a 30th anniversary edition with a new afterword by the author “Elegant and wicked . . . might be the first true-crime book that makes the reader want to book a bed and breakfast for an extended weekend at the scene of the crime.”—The New York Times Book Review Shots rang out in Savannah’s grandest mansion in the misty, early morning hours of May 2, 1981. Was it murder or self-defense? For nearly a decade, the shooting and its aftermath reverberated throughout this hauntingly beautiful city of moss-hung oaks and shaded squares. In this sharply observed, suspenseful, and witty narrative, John Berendt skillfully interweaves a hugely entertaining first-person account of life in this isolated remnant of the Old South with the unpredictable twists and turns of a landmark murder case. It is a spellbinding story peopled by a gallery of remarkable characters: the well-bred society ladies of the Married Woman’s Card Club; the turbulent young gigolo; the hapless recluse who owns a bottle of poison so powerful it could kill every man, woman, and child in Savannah; the aging and profane Southern belle who is the “soul of pampered self-absorption”; the uproariously funny drag queen; the acerbic and arrogant antiques dealer; the sweet-talking, piano-playing con artist; young people dancing the minuet at the black debutante ball; and Minerva, the voodoo priestess who works her magic in the graveyard at midnight. These and other Savannahians act as a Greek chorus, with Berendt revealing the alliances, hostilities, and intrigues that thrive in a town where everyone knows everyone else. Brilliantly conceived and masterfully written, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a sublime and seductive reading experience.
Download or read book Not Just Jane written by Shelley DeWees and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2016-10-25 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Not Just Jane restores seven of England’s most fascinating and subversive literary voices to their rightful places in history. Shelley DeWees tells each woman writer’s story with wit, passion, and an astute understanding of the society in which she lived and wrote.” —Dr. Amanda Foreman, New York Times bestselling author of Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire Jane Austen and the Brontës endure as British literature’s leading ladies (and for good reason)—but were these reclusive parsons’ daughters really the only writing women of their day? A feminist history of literary Britain, this witty, fascinating nonfiction debut explores the extraordinary lives and work of seven long-forgotten authoresses, and asks: Why did their considerable fame and influence, and a vibrant culture of female creativity, fade away? And what are we missing because of it? You’ve likely read at least one Jane Austen novel (or at least seen a film one). Chances are you’ve also read Jane Eyre; if you were an exceptionally moody teenager, you might have even read Wuthering Heights. English majors might add George Eliot or Virginia Woolf to this list…but then the trail ends. Were there truly so few women writing anything of note during late 18th and 19th century Britain? In Not Just Jane, Shelley DeWees weaves history, biography, and critical analysis into a rip-roaring narrative of the nation’s fabulous, yet mostly forgotten, female literary heritage. As the country, and women’s roles within it, evolved, so did the publishing industry, driving legions of ladies to pick up their pens and hit the parchment. Focusing on the creative contributions and personal stories of seven astonishing women, among them pioneers of detective fiction and the modern fantasy novel, DeWees assembles a riveting, intimate, and ruthlessly unromanticized portrait of female life—and the literary landscape—during this era. In doing so, she comes closer to understanding how a society could forget so many of these women, who all enjoyed success, critical acclaim, and a fair amount of notoriety during their time, and realizes why, now more than ever, it’s vital that we remember. Rediscover Charlotte Turner Smith, Helen Maria Williams, Mary Robinson, Catherine Crowe, Sara Coleridge, Dinah Mulock Craik, and Mary Elizabeth Braddon.
Download or read book Mary Shelley written by Isabel Sanchez Vegara and published by Frances Lincoln Children's Books. This book was released on 2019-10 with total page 35 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New in the critically acclaimed Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the incredible life of Mary Shelley, the English novelist and creator of Frankenstein. When Mary Shelley was a little girl, she used to write stories beneath the trees in her garden. As an adult, Mary was inspired by this same imagination to create a ghost story, which became the famous novel: Frankenstein. This gripping book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the novelist's life. Little People, BIG DREAMS is a best-selling series of books and educational games that explore the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream. This empowering series offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardcover versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. Boxed gift sets allow you to collect a selection of the books by theme. Paper dolls, learning cards, matching games, and other fun learning tools provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children. Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS!
Download or read book Pulse and Prejudice written by Colette L. Saucier and published by Colette Saucier. This book was released on 2012-05-07 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This adaptation of Pride and Prejudice follows the cursed Mr. Darcy as he strives to overcome both his love and his bloodlust for Miss Elizabeth Bennet. Faithful to the original in many ways, it focuses on Darcy's story as he descends into the seedier side of London, intriducing Elizabeth to a world of passion and the paranormal she never knew about before.
Download or read book Pride Popularity written by Jenni James and published by Walnut Springs Press. This book was released on 2011 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despising the conceited antics of the popular group in high school, including Taylor Anderson, Chloe Elizabeth Hart is determined to be the only girl who can avoid falling for Taylor's charms.
Download or read book Lady Susan Sanditon and The Watsons written by Jane Austen and published by Dover Publications. This book was released on 2020-04-15 with total page 163 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume presents three of Jane Austen's smaller works, treating readers to the author's timeless observations on life and love in nineteenth-century England. In Lady Susan, a beautiful and flirtatious widow seeks an advantageous second marriage for herself while attempting to push her daughter into a dismal match. Through a series of crafty maneuvers, Susan pursues her schemes by filling her calendar with invitations for extended visits with unsuspecting relatives and acquaintances. Characters are revealed and suspense builds as the plot unfolds through a series of letters. The beloved author also left behind two tantalizing unfinished novels. The Watsons takes place in a familiar domestic milieu, in which a spirited heroine finds her marriage opportunities narrowed by poverty and pride. Sanditon ventures into new territory amid hypochondriacs and speculators at a seaside resort. More than literary curiosities, these stories are worthy of reading for pleasure as well as for study.
Download or read book Great Illustrated Classics written by Mark Twain and published by Classics. This book was released on 2002-09 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Pearson Education Library Collection offers you over 1200 fiction, nonfiction, classic, adapted classic, illustrated classic, short stories, biographies, special anthologies, atlases, visual dictionaries, history trade, animal, sports titles and more
Download or read book Owl Song at Dawn written by Emma Claire Sweeney and published by Legend Press Ltd. This book was released on 2016-07-01 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Tender and unflinching, a beautifully observed novel about familial love and stoicism in the face of heartbreak.”—Carys Bray, award-winning author of The Museum of You Maeve Maloney is a force to be reckoned with. Despite nearing 80, she keeps Sea View Lodge just as her parents did during Morecambe’s 1950s heyday. But now only her employees and regular guests recognize the tenderness and heartbreak hidden beneath her spikiness. Until, that is, Vincent shows up. Vincent is the last person Maeve wants to see. He is the only man alive to have known her twin sister, Edie. The nightingale to Maeve’s crow, the dawn to Maeve’s dusk, Edie would have set her sights on the stage—all things being equal. But, from birth, things never were. If only Maeve could confront the secret past she shares with Vincent, she might finally see what it means to love and be loved—a lesson that her exuberant yet inexplicable twin may have been trying to teach her all along. Stylist Magazine Top “Books to Read on a Staycation” “Funny, heartbreaking and truly remarkable.”—Susan Barker, New York Times bestselling author “I found the novel most poignant and tender in its depiction of disability, without a whiff of sentimentality . . . it crept under my skill and will stay there for a long time.”—Emma Henderson, Orange Prize-shortlisted author of Grace Williams Says It Loud “Amazing: fierce, intelligent, compassionate and deeply moving . . . an important and very beautiful book.”—Edward Hogan, Desmond Elliot Prize-winning author of Blackmoor “Fresh, poignant and unlike anything else.”—Jill Dawson, Whitbread and Orange Prize-shortlisted author of The Crime Writer
Download or read book Jane and the Year Without a Summer written by Stephanie Barron and published by Soho Press. This book was released on 2022-02-08 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "If you have a Jane Austen-would-have-been-my-best-friend complex, look no further . . . [Barron] has painstakingly sifted through the famed author's letters and writings, as well as extensive biographical information, to create a finely detailed portrait of Austen's life—with a dash of fictional murder . . . Some of the most enjoyable, well-written fanfic ever created."—O Magazine May 1816: Jane Austen is feeling unwell, with an uneasy stomach, constant fatigue, rashes, fevers and aches. She attributes her poor condition to the stress of family burdens, which even the drafting of her latest manuscript—about a baronet's daughter nursing a broken heart for a daring naval captain—cannot alleviate. Her apothecary recommends a trial of the curative waters at Cheltenham Spa, in Gloucestershire. Jane decides to use some of the profits earned from her last novel, Emma, and treat herself to a period of rest and reflection at the spa, in the company of her sister, Cassandra. Cheltenham Spa hardly turns out to be the relaxing sojourn Jane and Cassandra envisaged, however. It is immediately obvious that other boarders at the guest house where the Misses Austen are staying have come to Cheltenham with stresses of their own—some of them deadly. But perhaps with Jane’s interference a terrible crime might be prevented. Set during the Year without a Summer, when the eruption of Mount Tambora in the South Pacific caused a volcanic winter that shrouded the entire planet for sixteen months, this fourteenth installment in Stephanie Barron’s critically acclaimed series brings a forgotten moment of Regency history to life.
