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I Love You Madly: The Secret Letters
By Evelyn Farr. 2017
Delve deeper into the world of the BBC hit drama series Versailles, and discover the real Marie-Antoinette in this ground-breaking…
study of her secret love affair with the Swedish diplomat Count Axel von Fersen. For the first time an historian has compiled all the known letters between Swedish count Axel von Fersen and Marie-Antoinette, including six letters never before published. With unprecedented access to French and Swedish archives, Evelyn Farr has proven beyond doubt one of history's greatest romances. Axel von Fersen was Queen Marie-Antoinette's lover and loyal counsellor who gave her political advice from 1785 to the fall of the French monarchy at the time of the French Revolution. He organized the Royal Family's escape from Paris in 1791. Evelyn Farr's revelatory work on the subject also goes some way to proving that Count Fersen was in fact the biological father of Marie Antoinette's two younger children. Farr unveils the logistics and practicalities behind the romance; the use of code and invisible ink, the role of intermediaries, secret seals, double envelopes, codenames and the location of Fersen's clandestine lodgings at Versailles. I Love You Madly is a meticulously researched and enjoyable study of a forbidden love at a time of revolution. The letters portray a rebellious and independent queen who risked everything and broke all the rules to love the man who succeeded in conquering her heart.Apollinaire in the Great War (1914-18)
By David Hunter. 2015
A major literary figure in pre-war Paris, Guillaume Apollinaire volunteered for war in 1914, trained as an artilleryman and was…
posted in April 1915 to the Champagne front in northern France, participating in the bloody but little-known offensive that September and then moving into the front line as an infantry officer, before being wounded in March 1916 and invalided out of active service. Back in Paris, Apollinaire plunged back into the activities of the capital's artistic avant-garde, meanwhile publishing poetry, prose and plays that were deeply influenced by his involvement in the conflict. He died on 9 November 1918, two days before the Armistice, a victim of the influenza pandemic, but with a literary reputation secured, as well as a certain fame for coining the term 'Surrealism'. This book draws heavily on Apollinaire's writings to tell the story of his war years, within the wider context of the French experience of the Great War. In this period, Apollinaire also wrote hundreds of letters, the bulk of them to two women: Louise de Coligny, a flighty socialite of aristocratic origin, and Madeleine Pagès, a young schoolteacher. In these letters he poured out his passionate feelings for both in often highly erotic poetry and prose, as well as giving detailed descriptions of his life as a front-line soldier.Hermann Hesse: An Illustrated Biography
By Bernhard Zeller. 2008
An illustrated biography drawing on Hesse's own work and on the recollections of his family and friendsBernhard Zeller depicts Herman…
Hesse's ancestry and childhood, spent in the small German town where Hesse was born in 1877, and traces his adolescence and early manhood. He describes his relationship with his first wife, his emigration to Switzerland in protest against German militarism, his Jungian psychoanalysis, the visit to India which inspired his narrative masterpieces Siddhartha and Journey to the East, and the breakup of his marriage. Hesse's growing Iiterary reputation coincided with his brief second marriage, and with his peaceful later years in Montagnola spent in the company of his third wife, Ninon, whom he married in 1931. His stature was not fully recognized outside German-speaking countries until after his death in 1962. Zeller also recalls Hesse's circle of friends, including his famous contemporaries such as Thomas Mann and Andre Gide. This valuable documentary portrait is illustrated with photographs from Hermann Hesse's private collection. In addition, it includes a bibliography and chronology.Baudelaire in Chains: A Portrait of the Artist as a Drug Addict
By Frank Hilton. 2004
An acclaimed and most unusual biography of Baudelaire, showing him ensnared by his passions for poetry, prostitutes, and drugs.A crucial…
link between romanticism and modernism, Charles Baudelaire is a pivotal figure in European literature and thought. His influence on modern poetry is immense. In the English language, where his literary reputation is less well known, it is his link with drug culture that gives him contemporary resonance. It is commonly known that Baudelaire used opium. Many writers have described him as being addicted to the drug, but none of his biographers, Frank Hilton argues, has fully understood the effect of opiate addiction on the personality and, in the case of Baudelaire, the extent to which it damaged his life and work. In this original contribution to Baudelaire studies Hilton contends that the drug is at the root of all Baudelaire's problems and in particular--something that constantly tormented him--his chronic inability to apply himself to any prolonged creative work. Unquestionably, there is significantly more to Baudelaire than his opium addiction. But a proper awareness of what it did to the poet helps to illuminate those puzzling aspects of his life and behavior that were not previously understood. Written with the general reader in mind, Baudelaire in Chains will give those who know little or nothing about him a comprehensive picture of his life. To those who know a great deal it will present him in an unexpected light.Life Is a Dream (Dover Thrift Editions: Plays)
By Pedro Calderón de la Barca. 2002
Considered one of the outstanding Spanish dramas of all time, this 17th-century allegory explores the mysteries of human destiny, the…
illusory nature of existence, and the struggle between predestination and free will. On the basic plot structure of king's suspicions of his son's role in an impending revolution, the playwright builds a dramatic edifice of theatricality, rich in symbolism and metaphor, expressed in magnificent poetry. This edition presents an excellent new English translation, with an informative introduction and footnotes.H.G. Wells: Another Kind of Life
By Michael Sherborne. 2010
An unlikely lothario, one of the most successful writers of his time, a figure at the heart of the age's…
political and artistic debates--H. G. Wells' life is a great story in its own right When H. G. Wells left school in 1880 at 13 he seemed destined for obscurity--yet he defied expectations, becoming one of the most famous writers in the world. He wrote classic science-fiction tales such as The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, and The War of the Worlds; reinvented the Dickensian novel in Kipps and The History of Mr Polly; pioneered postmodernism in experimental fiction; and harangued his contemporaries in polemics which included two bestselling histories of the world. He brought equal energy to his outrageously promiscuous love life--a series of affairs embraced distinguished authors such as Dorothy Richardson and Rebecca West, the gun-toting travel writer Odette Keun, and Russian spy Moura Budberg. Until his death in 1946 Wells had artistic and ideological confrontations with everyone from Henry James to George Orwell, from Churchill to Stalin. He remains a controversial figure, attacked by some as a philistine, sexist, and racist, praised by others as a great writer, a prophet of globalization, and a pioneer of human rights. Setting the record straight, this authoritative biography is the first full-scale account to include material from the long-suppressed skeleton correspondence with his mistresses and illegitimate daughter.Third play of a trilogy (the other two are lost) about the doomed family of Laius and Oedipus and his…
sons. After the city of Thebes has banished Oedipus, the former ruler's sons vie for the crown. The victor, Eteocles, expels his brother, Polyneices, who then recruits 7 champions to lead an assault on Thebes, with a tragic results.Coriolanus: Large Print (Dover Thrift Editions Ser.)
By William Shakespeare. 2003
A highly political play, Coriolanus concerns a military hero of ancient Rome who attempts to shift from his career as…
a general to become a candidate for public office -- a disastrous move that leads to his collaborating with the enemy and heading an attack on Rome. Despite his battlefield confidence and accomplishments, Coriolanus proves psychologically ill-suited as a candidate for the office of consul and makes an easy scapegoat for the restless citizenry and his political opponents. The last of Shakespeare's tragedies, Coriolanus was written in approximately 1608 and derived from Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans. A timeless tale of pride, revenge, and political chicanery, it remains ever-relevant for modern readers and audiences.The Way of the World
By William Congreve. 1993
One of the greatest of all Restoration comedies, this knowing comedy of manners depicts the scheming of a nest of…
shallow, deceitful aristocrats to prevent two lovers from marrying. The play abounds with felicitous phrasing, delicious verbal battles of the sexes and a depth of feeling and sensitivity.Authors Inc.
By Loren Glass. 1916
The first comprehensive and systematic study of literary celebrity in the twentieth-century United States, Authors Inc. focuses on the autobiographical…
work of Mark Twain, Jack London, Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, and Norman Mailer. Through these classic American authors, Loren Glass reveals the degree to which literary modernism in the United States is inseparable from the mass cultural forces it opposed. Chronicling the emergence of literary celebrity in the late nineteenth century up through its contemporary manifestations, Glass focuses on how individual authors themselves struggled with the conditions of mass cultural renown. Furthermore, by emphasizing the complex relation between masculinity and modernist authorship in the United States, the book provides a bracing new account of the psychosexual economy of the American profession of authorship. By combining a socio-historical approach with a rhetorical analysis of the autobiographical work in which classic American writers attempted to intervene in the formation of their public personae, Authors Inc. offers a long overdue study of one of the most important, and neglected, aspects of modern American literature.Boydell's Shakespeare Prints: 90 Engravings
By John Boydell, Josiah Boydell. 2004
This impressive collection of engravings illustrating the dramatic works of Shakespeare takes a new look at the long-neglected area of…
romantic early-19th-century art. Nearly 100 illustrations depict dramatic scenes from AMidsummer Night's Dream, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Tempest, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Measure for Measure, Macbeth, Julius Caesar, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, and King Lear, and 26 other plays. A monumental effort begun in 1787, the engravings speak as passionately to the viewer today as they did more than 200 years ago.Dante Alighieri: His Life and Works
By Robert Hollander, Paget Toynbee. 2005
One of the most frequently cited texts on Dante's life and writings, this invaluable study illuminates the Divine Comedy as…
well as the great Florentine poet's other works. Author Paget Toynbee was the most influential Dantean scholar of his era, and this, his most widely known work, presents an exceptional account of one of the pivotal thinkers of the early Italian Renaissance. Toynbee's meticulous attention to detail and clear analysis offer a concise account of Dante's world. Besides being a valuable reference for scholars, the book also serves as a gateway to the past for anyone interested in history or literature.Toynbee's study opens with historical background on thirteenth-century Florence, which comes alive with the rivalry between the two political parties, the Guelfs and the Ghibellines. It traces the poet's birth and ancestry; his youth, education, and military service; and his private and public life, from his condemnation and exile to his death and subsequent fame. Anecdotes about Dante's personality and character by Boccaccio and other contemporaries enliven the book, which concludes with an exploration of the Vita Nuova, the Convivio, and the Divine Comedy, as well as Dante's Latin works.Good Trouble: Building a Successful Life and Business with Asperger's (Punx Ser.)
By Sander Hicks, Joe Biel, Joyce Brabner. 2016
In 1996, everything about Joe Biel's life seemed like a mistake. He was 18, he lived in Cleveland, he got…
drunk every day, and he had mystery health problems and weird social tics. All his friends' lives were as bad or worse. To escape a nihilistic, apocalyptic worldview and to bring reading and documentation into a communal punk scene, he started assembling zines and bringing them in milk crates to underground punk shows. Eventually this became Microcosm Publishing. But Biel's head for math was stronger than his ability to relate to people, and it wasn't until he was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome that it all began to fall into place. This is the story of how, over 20 years, one person turned a litany of continuing mistakes and seeming wrong turns into a happy, fulfilled life and a thriving publishing business that defies all odds.Japanese No Masks: With 300 Illustrations of Authentic Historical Examples
By Friedrich Perzynski, Stanley Appelbaum. 2005
Combining elements of dance, drama, music and poetry, the performances of Japanese No theater are a highly stylized form of…
entertainment. Accompanying the sumptuous costumes worn during performances are elaborately carved No and Kyogen wooden masks--major works of art in their own right. This book, based on a classic two-volume German study, presents a wealth of illustrations and information relating to these magnificent theatrical devices.A new, informative introduction and extensive captions derived from the original text and newly translated, accompany the heart of the book--more than 120 full-page plates depicting museum-quality masks worn by actors playing gods, warriors, demons, and monsters, beautiful women, feudal lords, mad characters, and supernatural beings. All 303 illustrations from the original two-volume work are included.A unique introduction to classic Japanese theater for Western theatergoers, this volume will also serve as an excellent reference for students, scholars, and enthusiasts of No drama.Dylan Thomas: A New Life
By Andrew Lycett. 2003
Dylan Thomas was a romantic and controversial figure; a poet who lived to excess and died young. An inventive genius…
with a gift for both lyrical phrases and impish humour, he also wrote for films and radio, and was renowned for his stage performances. He became the first literary star in the age of popular culture - a favourite of both T.S. Eliot and John Lennon. As his status as a poet and entertainer increased, so did his alcoholic binges and his sexual promiscuity, threatening to destroy his marriage to his fiery Irish wife Caitlin. As this extraordinary biography reveals, he was a man of many contradictions. But out of his tempestuous life, he produced some of the most dramatic and enduring poetry in the English language.Lysistrata
By Aristophanes. 1994
First presented in 411 B.C., this ancient comedy concerns the efforts of Lysistrata, an Athenian woman, to persuade other woman…
to join together in a strike against the men of Greece, denying them sex until they've agreed to put down their arms and end the disastrous wars between Athens and Sparta.When the strike begins, and the men respond, the comedic battle of the sexes that ensues makes this spirited play one of the most enjoyable of the classics. In it, Aristophanes employs a mixture of shrewd logic and raffish humor that fully exploits the rich comic potential of the story and its underlying antiwar sentiment. Always a favorite of audiences, Lysistrata, because of its pointed feminist sympathies, is studied and performed today more than ever.El Vuelo del Fénix
By Raquel Pagno, María João Patricio Martinho. 2016
De repente, Natalia se enfrenta a una nueva realidad: un aneurisma cerebral, que puede romperse en cualquier momento. Frente a…
esa nueva realidad, descubre también una renovada fuerza de voluntad, antes aletargada, y el deseo de encontrar al hombre que la atormenta todas las noches en sus pesadillas. Para ello, contará íntegramente con la ayuda de su amigo Andrew, que la anima a iniciar una terapia de regresión. Durante las consultas, Natalia se encuentra con el misterioso hombre de sus sueños y presencia su muerte en repetidas ocasiones. Andrew la acompaña en un viaje rumbo a lo desconocido. Una vez encontrado el inalcanzable hombre de sus sueños,en ésta vida un temerario y apasionado piloto acrobático, sólo les queda encontrar la manera de llamar su atención y conseguir que escuche el relato de Natalia. Ella tiene una idea clara: en esta vida, le salvará de la muerte precoz que le aguarda.Dr. Faustus (Dover Thrift Editions)
By Christopher Marlowe. 1994
One of the most durable myths in Western culture, the story of Faust tells of a learned German doctor who…
sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and power. Early enactments of Faust's damnation were often the raffish fare of clowns and low comedians. But the young Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) recognized in the story of Faust's temptation and fall the elements of tragedy.In his epic treatment of the Faust legend, Marlowe retains much of the rich phantasmagoria of its origins. There are florid visions of an enraged Lucifer, dueling angels, the Seven Deadly Sins, Faustus tormenting the Pope, and his summoning of the spirit of Alexander the Great. But the playwright created equally powerful scenes that invest the work with tragic dignity, among them the doomed man's calling upon Christ to save him and his ultimate rejection of salvation for the embrace of Helen of Troy.With immense poetic skill, and psychological insight that foreshadowed the later work of Shakespeare and the Jacobean playwrights, Marlowe created in Dr. Faustus one of the first true tragedies in English. Vividly dramatic, rich in poetic grandeur, this classic play remains a robust and lively exemplar of the glories of Elizabethan drama.Twelfth Night; Or, What You Will: A Comedy In Five Acts (classic Reprint) (Dover Thrift Editions: Plays)
By William Shakespeare. 1996
A delightfully comic tale of mistaken identities, Twelfth Night revolves around the physical likeness between Sebastian and his twin sister,…
Viola, each of whom, when separated after a shipwreck, believes the other to be dead. The theatrical romp begins when Viola assumes the identity of Cesario, a page in the household of the Duke of Orsino. The Duke is enamored of the Countess Olivia, who spurns him for the newly arrived young page. The comical machinations of Malvolio, Sir Toby Belch, the maid Maria, and Sir Andrew Aguecheek add to the ensuing confusion -- all of which is pleasantly resolved when Viola and Sebastian meet once again. Filled with some of the finest comedic scenes in the English language, this entertaining masterpiece remains one of Shakespeare's most popular and most performed comedies.Miss Julie (Dover Thrift Editions Ser.)
By August Strindberg. 1992
In Miss Julie, a willful young aristocrat, whose perverse nature has already driven her fiancé to break off their engagement,…
pursues and effectively seduces her father's valet during the course of a Midsummer's Eve celebration. The progress of that seduction and the play's stunning denouement shocked Swedish audiences who first attended the play in 1889.Despite its controversial debut, this now-classic drama, inspired by the new ideas of naturalism and psychology that swept Europe in the late 19th century, helped to shape modern theater, and remains one of the most potent-and most frequently performed-of modern plays. The full text of Miss Julie is reprinted here as translated by Edwin Björkman, complete with Strindberg's critical preface to the play, considered by many to be one of the most important manifestos in theater history.