Showing titles in Literary History & Criticism

From the very first book publication in 1920 to the recent film release of Death on the Nile, this investigation into Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot celebrates a century of probably the world’s favourite fictional detective. This book tells his story decade-by-decade, exploring his...

When John Bercow retired as Speaker of the House of Commons on 31 October 2019, he had become one of the most recognisable and iconoclastic figures in British politics, occupying a ringside seat during one of the most febrile periods in modern British history. In his no-holds-barred memoir, he...

Nostromo is a sweeping novel of political turmoil, revolution, and greed in the fictional South American country of Costaguana. As corruption and chaos ensue, Nostromo, a trusted worker, is tasked with safeguarding a fortune in silver—only to become entangled in a struggle between power and morality.

A concise and original introduction to a wide range of subjects—from Public Health to Buddhist Ethics, Soft Matter to Classics, and Art History to Globalization—by the expert authors of the Very Short Introductions series. For wherever your curiosity may take you.

This is a book about books, about the subversive power of reading and the strange, enduring magic of books as objects. Ever since childhood, books have been at the centre of Ian Patterson's life, as a poet, teacher, translator, bookseller and collector. As he constructs the last of many...

Edited by Wendy N. Wagner, NIGHTMARE is a critically-acclaimed digital magazine of horror and dark fantasy. In its pages, you will find all kinds of horror and dark fantasy, from zombie stories and haunted house tales, to visceral psychological horror. Every month NIGHTMARE will bring you a mix of original short stories and flash fiction, and featuring a variety of authors: from the bestsellers and award-winners you already know to the best new voices you haven't heard of yet. When you read NIGHTMARE, it is our hope that you'll see where horror comes from, where it is now, and where it's going...

Known as one of Virginia Woolf's greatest works, Mrs. Dalloway is a bright, picturesque look at the simple life of an upper-class woman in London. Clarissa Dalloway is busy planning a party when her old suitor, Peter Walsh, shows up at her hour. On the outside, Mrs. Dalloway is seen to be society's perfect image of a housewife-dutiful, loyal, and sensible. But as soon as her past lover makes his appearance, Mrs. Dalloway can't help but remember their passionate affairs. She is faced with her choices, all of which strike a fear of growing old within her. These characters and their stories, rich...

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 ...

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 MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER A FINANCIAL TIMES, ECONOMIST AND MAIL ON SUNDAY BOOK OF THE YEAR An enthralling 6,000-year journey through the history of books and reading Long before books were mass-produced, scrolls hand copied on reeds pulled from the Nile were the treasures of the ancient world...

Bloomsbury presents My Shakespeare written and read by Greg Doran. This book charts the personal and professional journey of Greg Doran, Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 2012 until 2022 and "one of the great Shakespearians of his generation" (Sunday Times). During his...

Hail Reaper is a podcast dedicated to the Red Rising universe, where we explore the book series through conversation, creative world-building content, and music.

First published in 1875, General William T. Sherman's memoir was one of the first from the Civil War and was offered to the public because, as Sherman wrote in his dedication, "no satisfactory history" of the war was yet available. Although Memoirs has been revised and corrected many times over the years, Sherman famously never changed the original text of his recollections.

Set in English society before the 1832 Reform Bill, Wives and Daughters centers on the story of youthful Molly Gibson, brought up from childhood by her father. When he remarries, a new stepsister enters Molly's quiet life, the loveable, but worldly and troubling, Cynthia. The narrative traces the development of the two girls into womanhood within the gossiping and watchful society of Hollingford.

Embark on a cultural odyssey to explore the impact of Homer’s iconic poem, from its creation in the eighth century to Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated film adaptation in 2026. Since it was first circulated in Ancient Greece, The Odyssey has influenced literature, film, art, and much...

From a dancing automaton running amok at a ball, to a prehistoric beast lurking in the depths of a Yorkshire cave, this anthology explores the nature of the ‘old weird’, and unordinary stories which go outside the boundaries of everyday life. The anthology includes not only stories by well-known writers like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Jerome K. Jerome, but also by long-forgotten authors such as D. F. Hannigan and Reginald Bacchus.

Eighteen-year-old Anne has left Green Gables for university in nearby Nova Scotia, where she will finally fulfill her dream of earning a degree. She sets up home in a cozy cottage in bustling Kingsport with Avonlea’s Priscilla Grant and a new friend, the beautiful Philippa Gordon. But it’s not all fun and games. Anne’s childhood friend, Ruby Gillis, dies of tuberculosis back in Avonlea, shattering Anne’s carefree attitude to life, and Gilbert finally declares his feelings and proposes. But Anne still has a naïve, overly romantic view of love and rejects him, driving a wedge between ...

In a remarkable feat of biography, Matthew Hollis reconstructs the intellectual creation of the poem and brings the material reality of its charged times vividly to life. Presenting a mosaic of historical fragments, diaries, dynamic literary criticism and illuminating new research, he reveals the cultural and personal trauma that forged The Waste Land through the lives of its protagonists.

Chasing a bounty from New York to New Orleans, Erin Lewis is on the hunt for an elusive fugitive whose recovery will provide financial breathing room. When she arrives at a French Quarter hotel, Erin finds the captivating hotelier Lucía Guerra instead. The passionate affair that ignites between them catapults Erin into an extravagant world she never imagined. But all is never what it seems.

The Radio 2 Book club celebrates the best in new fiction and recommends great reads. Sara will be interviewing top authors about their latest novels, and she’ll be catching up with librarians and reading groups from across the UK. Whether you’re after a summer blockbuster, a twist-filled thriller, or want to curl up with a heart-warming love story, Sara has you covered!