Best Literary Movements & Periods
In this beautifully illustrated compendium of all things Outlandish, Gabaldon covers the first four novels of the main series, including: • full synopses of Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, and Drums of Autumn • a complete listing of the characters (fictional and historical) in the first four novels in the series, as well as family trees and genealogical notes. • a comprehensive glossary and pronunciation guide to Gaelic terms and usage. • The Gabaldon Theory of Time Travel, explained. • frequently asked questions to the author and her (sometimes surprising) answers. • an annotated bibliography. • essays about medicine and magic in the eighteenth century, researching historical fiction, creating characters, and more. • professionally cast horoscopes for Jamie and Claire. • the making of the TV series: how we got there from here, and what happened next (including “My Brief Career as a TV Actor”). • behind-the-scenes photos from the Outlander TV series set. For anyone who wants to spend more time with the Outlander characters and the world they inhabit, Diana Gabaldon here opens a door through the standing stones and offers a guided tour of what lies within. Part crib notes and part trivia guide, this essential handbook includes synopses of the first four novels, a character guide, notes on plot development and research, answers to frequently asked questions, and teasers for the upcoming novels--there're even horoscope charts of the central characters, a list of fan Web sites, and choice recipes for the truly devoted. Readers looking for a fix of Gabaldon's humorous voice or insight into her writing processes and characters will certainly be more than satisfied, but those looking for the next installment of Jamie and Claire's adventures will have to wait for The Fiery Cross , the fifth book in this bestselling series, expected sometime in late 1999 to early 2000. As with the guides to the Hobbit tetralogy and the fiction of Stephen King, Gabaldon offers a companion volume to her Outlander Seriess four time-travel historical romances, Drums of Autumn (1997), etc., in which she tells us much is revealed regarding Claire and Jamie Fraser, their lives and times, antecedents, adventures, companions and progeny, with learned commentary (and many footnotes) by their humble creator.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Diana explains how she became a writer and makes things I normally would skip over in any other book fun to read and a fascinating journey to help inspire others to embrace their hidden Author, consider writing and never give up."
"I try to just read to the book I am on so there are no spoiler."
"As I started the 8th book, I realized that I may need to brush up on the history of Claire and Jamie."
"As with all of Diana's books there is a huge amount of information."
"Perfect for when you want to jog your memory without having to read the whole book over."
"Love her books, every one, read them over and over again and still can't get enough of them."
"This book helps put all of the marvelous characters together in an easy to use edition."
"A must have for the Outlander series of books by the same author."
Now a 6-part Netflix original mini-series: in Alias Grace , the bestselling author of The Handmaid's Tale takes readers into the life of one of the most notorious women of the nineteenth century. Such doubts persuaded the judges to commute her sentence to life imprisonment, and Marks spent the next 30 years in an assortment of jails and asylums, where she was often exhibited as a star attraction. Convicted at age 16 of the murder of her employer, Thomas Kinnear, and his housekeeper and lover, Nancy Montgomery, Grace escaped the gallows when her sentence was commuted to life in prison, but she also spent some years in an insane asylum after an emotional breakdown. Adapting her style to the period she describes, she has written a typical Victorian novel, leisurely in exposition, copiously detailed and crowded with subtly drawn characters who speak the embroidered, pietistic language of the time. The narrative gains texture and tension from the dynamic between Grace and an interlocutor, earnest young bachelor Dr. Simon Jordan, who is investigating the causes of lunacy with plans to establish his own, more enlightened institution.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Having really enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale, I was very excited to read Alias Grace and to see that it is a new series on Netflix. Grace Marks is a prisoner, having been found guilty of the grisly murder of her employer and his housekeeper. She is said to have committed the murders of Nancy Montgomery and Thomas Kinnear with her coworker, James McDermott, who is a surly and jealous man. Years later, a young psychiatrist is brought in by a group trying to prove her innocence to try to help her remember more about the crime."
"The fictionalized account allows readers to draw their own conclusions; which might sound trite, but is interesting for the many fans who enjoy the genre."
"Nevertheless, I felt that the promise of some kind of disclosure, or revelation, was dangled in front of the reader throughout the book, but in the end there is no real conclusion."
"Read this for one of my bookclubs."
"Margaret takes a long time to get to the point."
"The story of the murders itself is as riveting as any good Gothic mystery rife with gender and class conflicts, seances and smelling salts, but the writing is never stodgy or fusty."
"I liked the characterization of Grace."
"This is an incredible novel - so smart when it comes to grace’s limited choices."
The Brothers Karamasov is a murder mystery, a courtroom drama, and an exploration of erotic rivalry in a series of triangular love affairs involving the “wicked and sentimental” Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov and his three sons—the impulsive and sensual Dmitri; the coldly rational Ivan; and the healthy, red-cheeked young novice Alyosha. It returns to us a work we thought we knew, subtly altered and so made new again.” ― Donald Fanger, Washington Post Book World. “It may well be that Dostoevsky's [world], with all its resourceful energies of life and language, is only now--and through the medium of this translation--beginning to come home to the English-speaking reader.” ― John Bayley, The New York Review of Books. “Heartily recommended to any reader who wishes to come as close to Dostoevsky's Russian as it is possible.” ― Joseph Frank, Princeton University.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As an example of a difficult sentence: Pevear: "These occasions were almost morbid: most depraved, and, in his sensuality, often as cruel as a wicked insect, Fyodor Pavlovich at times suddenly felt in himself, in his drunken moments, a spiritual fear, a moral shock, that almost, so to speak, resounded physically in his soul." Compare that to. McDuff "These were instances that almost seemed to involve some morbid condition: most depraved, and in his voluptuous lust often brutal, like an evil insect, Fyodor Pavlovich would on occasion suddenly experience within himself, in his drunken moments, a sense of spiritual terror and moral concussion that echoed almost physically, as it were, within his soul". If you are more comfortable with a wider repertoire of words, and typically read with a background sense of the "flow" of each sentence, I believe McDuff will be far more readable while maintaining all the essence of the original work."
"I was most intimidated by this category, since I assumed Russian classics are probably mostly thick-as-brick epics filled with tragic events in ice and snow, with political uprisings, tsars and serfs in the background. This book sounded interesting because the blurb said it could well be one of the greatest novels of all time, and that's a very bold claim. Fyodor Pavlovitch Karamazov is a lecherous, unpleasant old man who has three sons in their twenties from two different wives, both of whom he treated horribly. There's physical Dmitri, who can't master his earthly passions; intellectual Ivan, whose brain keeps torturing him; and spiritual Alexey, who feels called to enter a monastery as a novice, aged twenty. Although it's never been openly acknowledged, everyone is 99.9% certain that he is actually his illegitimate son, since Fyodor was rumoured to have raped 'Stinking Lizaveta' the mute village vagrant who gave birth in his garden. Although Smerdyakov knows better than to ever acknowledge his half brothers as such, there's a major chip on his shoulder as he hangs creepily in the background. An impulsive guy who'll wear his heart on his sleeve, he always speaks (or punches) before he thinks. He can't dismiss the idea that man invented God to suit himself, rather than vice versa. I came to really appreciate the raw and honest young atheist whose huge intellect and photographic memory become burdens rather than gifts. His flippant approach conceals his desperation, giving me the impression that he's so open with his youngest brother because he'd love to be convinced out of cynicism into faith. And Ivan's madly in love with Katerina, the fiance Dmitri dumped so he could pursue Grushenka. Ivan spends so much time griping about the lack of proof of God's existence, but I think his smartness just caused him to search in the wrong places. He need look no further than his kid brother to see concrete proof that the spirit of God exists, through the lives of his followers. 4937. Father Zossima, the old man who was Alexey's mentor and hero, has some good things to say for a start. The narrator says that at one point, 'an absurd, chaotic confusion followed, but Mitya was in his natural element and the more foolish it became, the more his spirits rose.'. Sometimes I wondered just what the women in Fyodor Dostoevsky's life must have been like, because I doubt there's one female character who didn't have a hysterical fit at some point in the story. I really liked Grushenka by the end, and Katerina made me grin when she called Alyosha a 'religious little idiot' just because he hit a bit too close to home at one time."
"I read this many years ago, in college, and, in my mind, it is possibly the most important book ever written. The characters are so well-drawn and Dostoyevsky tackles complex philosophical matters that in such an intelligent and thought-provoking way, that this book will have you thinking about if for a long time."
Best Literary Arthurian Criticism
The definitive English version of the stories of King Arthur, Le Morte Darthur was completed in 1469-70 by Sir Thomas Malory, `knight-prisoner'. Text: English (translation) Helen Cooper is Professor of English Language and Literature, University of Oxford and Tutorial Fellow, University College, Oxford.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This copy is an excellent modernization of Malory's text with helpful footnotes and endnotes."
"Exactly as described in the item description, this was what I was looking for."
"The classic work with a good editor."
"Must have for those who love medieval literature."
"Worth every penny."
"Helen Cooper offers a new translation of the MS Winchester -- this is NOT Vinaver's text."
"It was everything I wanted."
Best Literary Beat Generation Criticism
Hit man "Jimmy The Hat" finds unexpected fame in the most unlikely of places, as Big Red, “Crazy Joey Gallo,” and his brothers break away from the Profaci family and go rogue. AWARDED THE SILVER FOR THE 2012 ELIT BOOK CONTEST IN THE TRUE CRIME CATEGORY. THE STARLIGHT CLUB ALSO RECEIVED A SILVER 5 STAR RATING FROM READER'S FAVORITE. The characters are so believable that I can't wait for Starlight ll....keep up the good work. The way that Joe Corso starts the book by telling a story to hisdaughter captured my attention. joe corso six******.keep them coming I started this book by reliving memories of when I was a young man. I knew of a man called Trenchie who had just been released from prison after having served 10 years. He was a big strong silent guy who hardly ever spoke and he was married to a real fine lady - and I always wondered about that. He was a small time bookmaker who operated out of a little restaurant near the piers in lower Manhattan.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Books, newspaper stories and archives, court transcripts (and anything else I could get my hands on) about the Cosa Nostra in Sicilia, Italia and Stati Uniti d'America (the United States of America) have always intrigued me if they are written well — and this one was. I am thrilled to have discovered this series while searching through the Kindle Unlimited Member programme for a new series to read — I downloaded the remaining seven books after reading about twenty five percent of "The Starlight Club: The Mob"... For example: "Room service had delivered coffee and assorted doughnuts and rolls earlier in the morning, along with a large pot of coffee." I am looking forward to this entire series!"
"While at times, it’s obvious the story is being told in flashback, Corso does an excellent job of crafting a story that has the reader feeling like we are sitting in the Starlight Club watching all this take place."
"Bobby Valentine used to deliver meat to The Starlight Club a place where deals are made and hits are ordered. He has just been released from prison serving ten years for a murder he didn’t commit to protect his boss Yip."
"This was a good read about the Mafia...some good guys and some not so good. I actually stayed up all night reading the book on my Kindle and most unlikely for me to read a 'mob' story."
Best Literary Gothic & Romantic Criticism
In this beautifully illustrated compendium of all things Outlandish, Gabaldon covers the first four novels of the main series, including: • full synopses of Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, and Drums of Autumn • a complete listing of the characters (fictional and historical) in the first four novels in the series, as well as family trees and genealogical notes. • a comprehensive glossary and pronunciation guide to Gaelic terms and usage. • The Gabaldon Theory of Time Travel, explained. • frequently asked questions to the author and her (sometimes surprising) answers. • an annotated bibliography. • essays about medicine and magic in the eighteenth century, researching historical fiction, creating characters, and more. • professionally cast horoscopes for Jamie and Claire. • the making of the TV series: how we got there from here, and what happened next (including “My Brief Career as a TV Actor”). • behind-the-scenes photos from the Outlander TV series set. For anyone who wants to spend more time with the Outlander characters and the world they inhabit, Diana Gabaldon here opens a door through the standing stones and offers a guided tour of what lies within. Part crib notes and part trivia guide, this essential handbook includes synopses of the first four novels, a character guide, notes on plot development and research, answers to frequently asked questions, and teasers for the upcoming novels--there're even horoscope charts of the central characters, a list of fan Web sites, and choice recipes for the truly devoted. Readers looking for a fix of Gabaldon's humorous voice or insight into her writing processes and characters will certainly be more than satisfied, but those looking for the next installment of Jamie and Claire's adventures will have to wait for The Fiery Cross , the fifth book in this bestselling series, expected sometime in late 1999 to early 2000. As with the guides to the Hobbit tetralogy and the fiction of Stephen King, Gabaldon offers a companion volume to her Outlander Seriess four time-travel historical romances, Drums of Autumn (1997), etc., in which she tells us much is revealed regarding Claire and Jamie Fraser, their lives and times, antecedents, adventures, companions and progeny, with learned commentary (and many footnotes) by their humble creator.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Bought this as a gift, so I really did not read it, but have read most of the Outlander books by Diana Gabaldon, which I love."
"Love her books, every one, read them over and over again and still can't get enough of them."
"Diana explains how she became a writer and makes things I normally would skip over in any other book fun to read and a fascinating journey to help inspire others to embrace their hidden Author, consider writing and never give up."
"If you're an Outlander fan, you want to gobble up all the juicy tidbits you can get from the author."
"This book helps put all of the marvelous characters together in an easy to use edition."
"If you LOVE Diana Gabaldon's OUTLANDER books and TV series this is a MUST HAVE!!!"
"Gave me all the background information I expected."
"A must have for the Outlander series of books by the same author."
Best Literary Medieval Criticism
"The poems of the Poetic Edda have waited a long time for a Modern English translation that would do them justice. "An excellent and entertaining work that succeeds in achieving its intended purpose: to create an accessible and readable English translation of the Poetic Edda .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"There's a difference... actually, there's an abyss between a translation and a true, high quality social localization."
"One of the best translations I've seen."
"This is a beautiful translation and interpretation of the Poetic Edda."
"Great translation, I'd recommend to anyone interested in the subject matter."
"Clear, easily readable texts; good background and notes; works well as an introductory text for Norse mythology to undergraduates."
"Excellent work by an excellent Professor."
"Great book."
"Can't wait to dig in."
Best Literary Modernism Criticism
All three books in the trilogy are now available: Book 1: The White Feather -- amazon.com/dp/B00K1MNNQK. Book 2: The White Butterfly -- amazon.com/dp/B00KLM7OJ2. Book 3: White Cliffs of Dover -- amazon.com/dp/B00M8HL4TO.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"After the death of her father, Lilly must find work so that she and her mother can continue to live in their modest home. It's a story of forbidden love, vanity, the sacrifices of war, misunderstandings and murder."
"She was miserable which was no excuse for her behavior, but was more understandable than her new family's total lack of sympathy and insistence she submit to their right and proper ways."
"The trials of true love are evident in this sweet story."
"Just finished reading this book."
"A wonderful story with lovely characters."
"It was one of those books that are informative and intriguing."
"But then again, that makes this book an easy to read story."
"The basic story line is okay, good description of the conditions faced by soldiers in the trenches of the First World War but the writer's depiction of English society (upstairs or downstairs) in the 1940s rather strange and nothing like the real thing."
Best Literary Postmodernism Criticism
My character has been shaped by two opposing forces; the pressure to conform to social norms, and the pressure to be true to myself. At times, they’ve left me questioning my whole entire existence. "The most thought-provoking novel of 2016" - The Huffington Post "Radical... A masterclass... Top notch..." - The Canary "Magnificent" - Global Education Network "A pretty remarkable feat" - BuzzFeed. But Sheldon's style is warm , almost whimsical at times, and this means that even the most politically uninitiated reader will understand what he's trying to say... If the book was marked by the education system Sheldon is rebelling against, it would be an 'A*. --- The Canary ---. "It inspires hope and fear,optimism and depression. --- Global Education Network ---. "Sheldon has a talent for observing aspects of society and mirroring them back to readers in a thought-provoking way." --- Literary Flits ---. "I spent about four hours this evening reading (and re-reading) passages in this book because they really spoke to me . --- In Our Spare Time --- "Can you remember who you were, before the world told you who you should be."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Over time, Yew becomes a “good boy” and follows the rules whether he agrees with them or not, not because he wants to but to avoid negative reinforcement. Since I want you to read this – because it’s the only way you’ll really understand – I’m not going to tell you what that lesson was, but I will leave you with this quote from Lao Tzu: At the centre of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want."
"Then one day in adulthood, after a chance meeting with someone from his past, he finally “snaps.”. At times this book can seem a bit over-saturated with case studies in psychology but it does help to move the story along. It can actually help a person who may not be familiar with the concepts used throughout the book so it works if you have no background knowledge but paradoxically, you need some background knowledge to fully appreciate what you are reading. It's a good book."
"Most interesting book."
"In many ways I believe this writing will touch many people's lives."
Best Literary Renaissance Criticism
Four complete novels in the #1 New York Times bestselling vampire series featuring "the hottest collection of studs in romance"*...Includes Lover Unbound ; Lover Enshrined ; Lover Avenged ; and Lover Mine !
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I never thought anyone could recreate the vampire myth so I'd want to read the world as much as, or as well as Maggie Shayne's Wings in the Night...Angela Knight's Mageverse,and J R Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood, come as close to being as good as Ms Shayne's writing as any wjo are fans of this genre could hope to find."
"I can say that I like how in the later books in the series, the author stops focusing on individual stories, and you start seeing more of the characters, instead of having them just having small cameos in others focused stories."
"This series deals with The Black Dagger Brotherhood who are vampires and their battles against their enemies, the Lessening Society, who are humans turned into the undead so they can slay vampires."
"Most of my friends are turned off when "vampire" is mentioned but trust me- this series happens to have vampires as the main characters but these characters are so compelling and the books so rich- you only need to read dark lover and be totally addicted."
"This my second time reading these books."
"Even when I thought I didn't really care about that particular character, I read all the books anyway."
"Amazing and captivating - highly recommend the series - Its love and sex and vampires - who could ask for more."
"I Love this series!"
Best Literary Surrealism Criticism
AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN eBOOK! Their pilgrimages seldom achieve their goals: the deposed politician in " Bon Voyage , Mister President" sells all his personal belongings to have an operation in Geneva that doesn't alleviate his pain; the devoted father who brings the miraculously intact remains of his seven-year-old daughter to Rome in "The Saint" can't get an audience with the Pope; a particularly chilling tale, "I Only Came to Use the Phone," shows a woman accidentally taken to an insane asylum who can't get out even after she contacts her husband in Barcelona. A note of hard-won hope enters in stories like "Maria dos Prazeres," which portrays an elderly prostitute selecting her burial site, but the mood darkens again as the collection closes with "Tramontania," "Miss Forbes's Summer of Happiness," "Light Is Like Water" and "The Trail of Your Blood in the Snow," tales of suicide, murder, accidental death and tragically missed communications. The Nobel prize-winning author Garcia Marquez has collected a dozen of his stories about Latin Americans in Europe, most of which, although magical, end on an unsettling note.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Garcia Marquez will go down in history as one of the greatest writers of Magic Realism in the 20th century. Thank God, we have your books to remind us of this writer who understood the outcasts of Latin America."
"This is my favorite collection of short stories and one of my favourite books of magical realism."
"I'm a long-time fan but never cease to be touched by the humor and humanity in these beautifully executed works."
"Short story books serve two purposes for me: One, when I can't sleep and need a boost toward dreamland, and Two, the paperback is easy to cart around while I'm in waiting rooms for appointments."
"The last time I read these was years ago and I still remember pieces vividly."
"I have read and re-read these stories, back to back."
"It was superb, I enjoyed it from cover to cover."
"Great book for great author."
Best Literary Victorian Criticism
The must-have Pevear and Volokhonsky translation of one of the greatest Russian novels ever written Described by William Faulkner as the best novel ever written and by Fyodor Dostoevsky as “flawless,” Anna Karenina tells of the doomed love affair between the sensuous and rebellious Anna and the dashing officer, Count Vronsky. Set against a vast and richly textured canvas of nineteenth-century Russia, the novel's seven major characters create a dynamic imbalance, playing out the contrasts of city and country life and all the variations on love and family happiness. Some people say Anna Karenina is the single greatest novel ever written, which makes about as much sense to me as trying to determine the world's greatest color.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It wasn't like a regular story where there's a pretty clear end goal, like get the bad guy, or solve the mystery. I thought maybe it's just going to stop abruptly, as if Tolstoy would just suddenly be done writing about all these characters, but it really did have a solid ending to conclude everything. You've got plenty of time to look at all the flowers and clouds and barns and animals along the way, it takes forever, but it never stops moving. If however after a few hundred pages you feel like it's a chore to read, then don't bother, it's not going to suddenly become more interesting after any point in the book. It's very consistent, you can trust this author and the translation, the ending won't let you down, there will be no long lulls. What you get in the beginning is what you get through the entire book, it's very steady and very high quality writing."
"But now I have learned from those who know that this is a great choice because the translators knew Tolstoy and lived with him for awhile."
"All societies chew up and spit out certain people - and this shows that happening to beautiful Anna Karenina."
"The characters were too full of themselves and problems seemed to be so high class and inconsequential."
"Tolstoy takes the reader on a journey through converging storylines that all bring the reader to feel deeply connected with the characters."
"My grandmothers family came from Russia, my 3x great- grandmother was a Lady- in- waiting to Catherine the Great and my 2x great grand mother was named after her so to read about what the society from peasants to royalty were struggling with as times changed is very informative to me."
"Your request to describe the plot of Anna Karenina as Predictable, Some twists, or Full of Surprises is simply silly and entirely inappropriate."