Service Alert
Website maintenance April 24 10pm ET
On Wednesday April 24 at 10pm ET the CELA website will be unavailable for about 15 minutes for planned maintenance.
On Wednesday April 24 at 10pm ET the CELA website will be unavailable for about 15 minutes for planned maintenance.
Showing 1 - 20 of 66 items
By Julian Wolfreys. 2018
Haunted Selves, Haunting Places in English Literature and Culture offers a series of readings of poetry, the novel and other…
forms of art and cultural expression, to explore the relationship between subject and landscape, self and place. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach grounded in close reading, the text places Jacques Derrida’s work on spectrality in dialogue with particular aspects of phenomenology. The volume explores writing and culture from the 1880s to the present day, proceeding through four sections examining related questions of identity, memory, the landscape, and our modern relationship to the past. Julian Wolfreys presents a theoretically informed understanding of the efficacy of literature and culture in connecting us to the past in an affective and engaged manner.By Sean Moreland. 2018
This collection of essays examines the legacy of H.P. Lovecraft’s most important critical work, Supernatural Horror in Literature. Each chapter…
illuminates a crucial aspect of Lovecraft’s criticism, from its aesthetic, philosophical and literary sources, to its psychobiological underpinnings, to its pervasive influence on the conception and course of horror and weird literature through the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. These essays investigate the meaning of cosmic horror before and after Lovecraft, explore his critical relevance to contemporary social science, feminist and queer readings of his work, and ultimately reveal Lovecraft’s importance for contemporary speculative philosophy, film and literature.By Kevin Corstorphine, Laura R. Kremmel. 2018
This handbook examines the use of horror in storytelling, from oral traditions through folklore and fairy tales to contemporary horror…
fiction. Divided into sections that explore the origins and evolution of horror fiction, the recurrent themes that can be seen in horror, and ways of understanding horror through literary and cultural theory, the text analyses why horror is so compelling, and how we should interpret its presence in literature. Chapters explore historical horror aspects including ancient mythology, medieval writing, drama, chapbooks, the Gothic novel, and literary Modernism and trace themes such as vampires, children and animals in horror, deep dark forests, labyrinths, disability, and imperialism. Considering horror via postmodern theory, evolutionary psychology, postcolonial theory, and New Materialism, this handbook investigates issues of gender and sexuality, race, censorship and morality, environmental studies, and literary versus popular fiction.This book investigates the relationship between the fascinating and misunderstood penny blood, early Victorian popular fiction for the working class,…
and Victorian anatomy. In 1832, the controversial Anatomy Act sanctioned the use of the body of the pauper for teaching dissection to medical students, deeply affecting the Victorian poor. The ensuing decade, such famous penny bloods as Manuscripts from the Diary of a Physician, Varney the Vampyre, Sweeney Todd, and The Mysteries of London addressed issues of medical ethics, social power, and bodily agency. Challenging traditional views of penny bloods as a lowlier, un-readable genre, this book rereads these four narratives in the light of the 1832 Anatomy Act, putting them in dialogue with different popular artistic forms and literary genres, as well as with the spaces of death and dissection in Victorian London, exploring their role as channels for circulating discourses about anatomy and ethics among the Victorian poor.By Victoria Margree. 2019
This book explores women’s short supernatural fiction between the emergence of first wave feminism and the post-suffrage period, arguing that…
while literary ghosts enabled an interrogation of women’s changing circumstances, ghosts could have both subversive and conservative implications. Haunted house narratives by Charlotte Riddell and Margaret Oliphant become troubled by uncanny reminders of the origins of middle-class wealth in domestic and foreign exploitation. Corpse-like revenants are deployed in Female Gothic tales by Mary Elizabeth Braddon and Edith Nesbit to interrogate masculine aestheticisation of female death. In the culturally-hybrid supernaturalism of Alice Perrin, the ‘Marriage Question’ migrates to colonial India, and psychoanalytically-informed stories by May Sinclair, Eleanor Scott and Violet Hunt explore just how far gender relations have really progressed in the post-First World War period. Study of the woman’s short story productively problematises literary histories about the “golden age” of the ghost story, and about the transition from Victorianism to modernism.By Ashlee Joyce. 2019
This book examines the intersection of trauma and the Gothic in six contemporary British novels: Martin Amis’s London Fields, Margaret…
Drabble’s The Gates of Ivory, Ian McEwan’s Atonement, Pat Barker’s Regeneration and Double Vision, and Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go. In these works, the Gothic functions both as an expression of societal violence at the turn of the twenty-first century and as a response to the related crisis of representation brought about by the contemporary individual’s highly mediated and spectatorial relationship to this violence. By locating these six novels within the Gothic tradition, this work argues that each text, to borrow a term from Jacques Derrida, “participates” in the Gothic in ways that both uphold the paradigm of “unspeakability” that has come to dominate much trauma fiction, as well as push its boundaries to complicate how we think of the ethical relationship between witnessing and writing trauma.By Brenda Ayres, Sarah E. Maier. 2020
Neo-Victorian Madness: Rediagnosing Nineteenth-Century Mental Illness in Literature and Other Media investigates contemporary fiction, cinema and television shows set in…
the Victorian period that depict mad murderers, lunatic doctors, social dis/ease and madhouses as if many Victorians were “mad.” Such portraits demand a “rediagnosing” of mental illness that was often reduced to only female hysteria or a general malaise in nineteenth-century renditions. This collection of essays explores questions of neo-Victorian representations of moral insanity, mental illness, disturbed psyches or non-normative imaginings as well as considers the important issues of legal righteousness, social responsibility or methods of restraint and corrupt incarcerations. The chapters investigate the self-conscious re-visions, legacies and lessons of nineteenth-century discourses of madness and/or those persons presumed mad rediagnosed by present-day (neo-Victorian) representations informed by post-nineteenth-century psychological insights.By Monika Elbert, Rita Bode. 2021
American Women’s Regionalist Fiction: Mapping the Gothic seeks to redress the monolithic vision of American Gothic by analyzing the various sectional…
or regional attempts to Gothicize what is most claustrophobic or peculiar about local history. Since women writers were often relegated to inferior status, it is especially compelling to look at women from the Gothic perspective. The regionalist Gothic develops along the line of difference and not unity—thus emphasizing regional peculiarities or a sense of superiority in terms of regional history, natural landscapes, immigrant customs, folk tales, or idiosyncratic ways. The essays study the uncanny or the haunting quality of “the commonplace,” as Hawthorne would have it in his introduction to The House of the Seven Gables, in regionalist Gothic fiction by a wide range of women writers between ca. 1850 and 1930. This collection seeks to examine how/if the regionalist perspective is small, limited, and stultifying and leads to Gothic moments, or whether the intersection between local and national leads to a clash that is jarring and Gothic in nature.By Stefanie Sloane. 2014
The sixth in Stefanie Sloane's intoxicating series of rogues and romance in which a handsome spy falls for a woman…
who proves quite dangerous - to his heart. Perfect for fans of Sabrina Jeffries, Stephanie Laurens and Eloisa James.Though resolute and driven by nature, dedicated spymaster Langdon Bourne has lost his way. Even his passion for his secret organization, the Young Corinthians, has waned - until he is assigned a mission with the potential to finally bring about the peace that has eluded him for nearly two decades. But to eliminate a brilliant, dangerous nemesis, Langdon needs the help of a woman whose loyalties are most uncertain. Grace Crowther ignores the rumours that persist after the death of her husband, a merciless doctor who won her in a card game. Is she truly the black widow that many believe? One look at her angelic face and one glimpse into her heavy heart tells Langdon all he needs to know about Grace - and his own deepest desires. He needs Grace, if he's to have any chance of tracking down the leader of the nefarious gang known as the Kingsmen. But he wants her desperately, enough to forget the rules of a good spy and take risks no ordinary man would dare. For Grace has no reason to trust Langdon, or to help him. But somewhere deep inside she knows that he is the answer to her prayers.For more sweeping romance check out The Devil In Disguise, The Angel In My Arms, The Sinner Who Seduced Me, The Saint Who Stole My Heart and The Scoundrel Takes A Bride.By Laura London. 1984
The classic tale of passion on the high seas, available in print for the first time in 20 years and…
in ebook for the first time ever... Laura London's beloved novel will be adored by fans of Julie Garwood, Jude Deveraux, Loretta Chase, Johanna Lindsey and Kathleen E. Woodiwiss.Merry Wilding is a lady of breeding, of innocence, and of breathtaking beauty. With high hopes for a holiday in England, she sets sail from New York-but the tide of her life is destined to turn. Mistakenly swept aboard an infamous pirate ship, Merry finds herself at the mercy of a wicked crew...and one sinfully handsome pirate. Soon she's spending her days yearning for escape, and her nights learning the pleasures of captivity.Devon Crandall believes Merry is in league with his greatest enemy. He's determined to slowly urge her secrets from her. But along the way, he discovers her beautifully unbreakable spirit...and a desire unlike any he's ever known. She is hiding something from him, and yet, each day that passes brings her deeper into his heart. When fierce arguments give way to fiercer passion, can a pirate learn to love a woman? Or will true love be lost at sea?Fall in love with the richly romantic, classic love stories of Laura London, as her beloved novels are released in ebook for the first time.By Jane Feather. 2010
If you love Poldark, you'll love Jane Feather's dazzling Georgian romantic trilogy, the Blackwater Brides, which begins with Rushed To…
The Altar.Perfect for fans of Eloisa James, Liz Carlyle and Stephanie Laurens.Jasper Sullivan, Earl of Blackwater, needs a prostitute. Not in the usual way, however. His wealthy uncle's will promises to divide his huge fortune among his nephews if each rescues a fallen woman...by marrying her. And since Jasper's estates were already mortgaged to the hilt before he inherited them, when he catches a pretty young prostitute trying to pick his pocket, he immediately makes his proposal. Clarissa Astley is not at all what Jasper believes. The orphaned daughter of a prosperous merchant, she is searching the seedier districts of London for her young brother, abducted by their evil guardian, who wants the little boy's inheritance. But she needs powerful help, and the darkly handsome Earl of Blackwater is certainly that. So she pretends to be exactly what he assumed - a risky charade for an innocent virgin. But when passion flares between Jasper and Clarissa, the deception becomes even more difficult to handle...Follow the captivating tales of the brothers as they each find their most unusual brides in A Wedding Wager and An Unsuitable Bride.By Karen Hawkins. 2015
An enchanting, sexy and witty Scottish historical romance from New York Times bestseller Karen Hawkins. Fans of Julia Quinn, Monica…
McCarty and Julie Garwood will fall under the spell of this glittering romance.Never cross a Scot. Never steal from a warrior prince. And never underestimate the power of passion.Lady Murian MacDonald Muir seeks revenge against the evil earl who murdered her husband and stole his birthright. She and her band of loyal retainers waylay the earl's wealthy guests to gain entry to Rowallen Castle - a master-plan working splendidly until she stops the golden coach of Oxenburg's warrior prince.Gregori Maksim Romanovin is in Scotland on a critical diplomatic mission. Held at swordpoint by a 'man' dubbed the Scottish Robin Hood the battle-savvy prince senses something's amiss. Furious at her escape, he vows to track down the red-haired vixen.But once Max hears Murian's tragic story he resolves to assist her - and a fiery battle blazes. Soon Max must determine where his loyalties lie: to his royal duties, or the spirited woman who has stolen his heart.Don't miss the first Princes of Oxenburg book, The Prince Who Loved Me, and look out for The Princess Wore Plaid, a charming enovella. Catch Karen's Duchess Diaries series for more dazzling historical romance to sweep you away.By Laura London. 1978
For fans of Julie Garwood, Jude Deveraux, Loretta Chase, Johanna Lindsey and Kathleen E. Woodiwiss comes a classic novel of…
seductive games, simple pleasures, and a scandalous love that breaks all the rules, from acclaimed author Laura London.Country bred and city green, Elizabeth Cordell lives a quiet life with her sisters in a humble cottage in Kent. But upon the death of their kindly guardian, the orphaned girl discovers that her happy home is now the property of a surprising new owner: the notorious Lord Nicholas Dearborne...Devilishly rich, diabolically handsome - and rumoured to be a despicable cad - Dearborne arrives in a grand carriage with a wicked woman and a wanton smirk. Elizabeth can't help but be flattered by Dearborne's bold flirtations, and can't refuse his offer to stay as a companion to his young ward. But how long can she resist his masterful seductions - when she craves his kiss as much as he craves hers?Fall in love with the richly romantic, classic love stories of Laura London, author of The Windflower, as her beloved novels are released in ebook for the first time.By Meredith Duran. 2011
Meredith Duran returns with another witty, humorous and smart romance. Fans of Julia Quinn, Jane Feather and Eloisa James will…
delight in Meredith's trademark headstrong heroine, cunning hero and tale of deep emotional intensity!IN GRITTY, WORKING-CLASS LONDON, SHE DOES WHAT SHE MUST TO SURVIVE...When Nell Whitby breaks into an earl's house on a midnight quest for revenge, she finds her pistol pointed at the wrong man - one handsome as sin and naked as the day he was born. Pity he's a lunatic. He thinks her a missing heiress, but more to the point, he'll help her escape the slums and right a grave injustice. Not a bad bargain. All she has to do is marry him. A NOTORIOUS LADIES' MAN COULD TAKE HER FROM POVERTY TO OPULENCE...BUT AT WHAT PRICE? A rake of the first order, Simon St. Maur spent his restless youth burning every bridge he crossed. When he inherits an earldom without a single penny attached to it, he sees a chance to start over - provided he can find an heiress to fund his efforts. But his wicked reputation means courtship will be difficult - until fate sends him the most notorious missing heiress in history. All he needs now is to make her into a lady and keep himself from making the only mistake that could ruin everything: falling in love...Looking for more Meredith Duran novels? Try Wicked Becomes You or her Rules for the Reckless series.By Stefanie Sloane. 2011
The third in Stefanie Sloane's intoxicating series of rogues and romance in which a valiant spy must protect England, and…
a beautiful woman, from the enemy - and risk his heart in the process. Perfect for fans of Sabrina Jeffries, Stephanie Laurens and Eloisa James.A dedicated Young Corinthian agent, James Marlowe accepts the riskiest of missions - to go undercover as a traitor and infiltrate a deadly French crime organisation. He is prepared for all matters of intrigue - everything but a surprise encounter with the only woman he has ever loved. Five years ago, the exquisitely stunning Clarissa Collins spurned James's love and broke his heart. Now the accomplished painter is in peril up to her lovely neck, and only he can protect her.Lady Clarissa is being blackmailed by malicious men - but that is nothing compared to the torture of being so close to James, the enthralling man who seduced Clarissa, then betrayed her. Despite the hurt and misunderstanding that still simmers between them, their passion ignites anew. With their lives and England's safety hanging in the balance, they must work together to save everything they hold dear. Can Clarissa and James escape the enemy's clutches and find their way back to each other's hearts . . . this time forever?For more sweeping romance check out The Devil In Disguise, The Angel In My Arms, The Saint Who Stole My Heart, The Scoundrel Takes A Bride and The Wicked Widow Meets Her Match..By Stefanie Sloane. 2011
The second in Stefanie Sloane's intoxicating series of rogues and romance in which a dedicated spy learns the true meaning…
of surrender. Perfect for fans of Sabrina Jeffries, Stephanie Laurens and Eloisa James.To Young Corinthian agent Marcus MacInnes, the Earl of Weston, his latest mission involving a smuggling ring with ties to Napoleon seems ridiculous at first, but becomes all too threatening as pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place. And the most troubling piece of all? Miss Sarah Tisdale, an unconventional beauty whose lust for life is rivalled only by her ability to drive Marcus to distraction. When her family comes under suspicion, Marcus must watch her very closely - even if her touch ignites the fiery desire burning beneath his cool facade.When it comes to suitors, Sarah's lush curves and kissable lips aren't enough to compensate for her wilful nature. She's tasted disappointment before, but flirting with the sinfully handsome Marcus is a pastime worth savouring - even when it leads to wicked pleasures. When Sarah's life is in jeopardy, Marcus discovers that the passion between them can no longer be denied - and he'll do anything to keep her in his arms.For more sweeping romance check out The Devil In Disguise, The Sinner Who Seduced Me, The Saint Who Stole My Heart, The Scoundrel Takes A Bride and The Wicked Widow Meets Her Match.By Stefanie Sloane. 2011
The first in Stefanie Sloane's intoxicating series of rogues and romance in which a spy must seduce an exquisite lady…
in order to protect her - and threatens his heart in the charade. Perfect for fans of Sabrina Jeffries, Stephanie Laurens and Eloisa James.Lord William Randall, the Duke of Clairemont, is a rake with little regard for society - a most unlikely suitor for Lady Lucinda Grey. But his latest assignment for the Young Corinthians, an elite spy organisation, involves protecting her from a kidnapping plot. To do this, the notorious 'Iron Will' must use his devilish charm to seduce Lucinda and convince her he's worthy of her attention. William never planned to become enthralled by the lovely Lady Grey - or to lose his own heart in the bargain.Beautiful and fiercely intelligent, Lucinda has managed to gracefully sidestep even the most persistent suitors. Until the Duke of Clairemont, that is. She's tempted by his sinfully sensuous mouth and piercing eyes, and finds it hard to resist the champion thoroughbred he offers her in exchange for the honour of courting her. Can she keep him at arm's length when his touch begs her to let him so much closer?For more sweeping romance check out The Angel In My Arms, The Sinner Who Seduced Me, The Saint Who Stole My Heart, The Scoundrel Takes A Bride and The Wicked Widow Meets Her Match.By Juliana Gray. 2014
How To School Your Scoundrel is the charming third novel in a new trilogy by historical romance writer Juliana Gray…
whose debut Affairs By Moonlight series was richly praised. Lose your heart to this witty and romantic story of three intrepid princesses caught in a deadly plot - until their uncle devises a brilliant plan to keep them safe... Will delight fans of Julia Quinn, Suzanne Enoch and Loretta Chase.Princess Luisa has devoted her life to duty, quietly preparing to succeed her father as ruler. Nothing, however, primed her to live on the run, disguised as a personal secretary to a notorious English scoundrel. The earl is just the man to help her reclaim her throne, but Luisa is drawn to her powerful employer in ways she never imagined... Philip, Earl of Somerton, has spent six years married to a woman in love with another man - he refuses to become a fool due to imprudent emotions ever again. Only, as his carefully laid plans for vengeance falter, fate hands him hope for redemption in the form of a beautiful and determined young princess who draws him into a risky game of secrets, seduction, and betrayal. And while his cunning may be enough to save her life, nothing can save him from losing his heart...Don't miss the first two enticing books in the Princess In Hiding trilogy, How To Tame Your Duke and How To Master Your Marquis, and for more gorgeous historical romance check out the other titles in her Affairs By Moonlight trilogy: A Lady Never Lies, A Gentleman Never Tells and A Duke Never Yields.By Joanna Bourne. 2010
Joanna Bourne returns to the French Revolution, pairing espionage and burning romance to create an unforgettable love story. For fans…
of Stephanie Laurens, Elizabeth Hoyt and Poldark, this is a must-read.The only person she can trust with her life ... is the man who trusts no one.Marguerite de Fleurignac, once a glittering French aristocrat, is on the run, disguised as Maggie Duncan, British governess. Penniless and alone, she falls into the hands of a compelling stranger with a sinister scar. But why does he risk his life to save her? William Doyle, England's premier spy, has a score to settle with the de Fleurignacs. When he rescues Maggie, he knows her to be the last, dangerous flower of a noble line. Drawn inexorably into the intrigue and madness of revolutionary Paris, they gamble on a love neither of them will admit. When the dance of deception and desire is over, will they betray the one another?For more spellbinding Spymasters romance, look for the other titles by Joanna Bourne: The Spymaster's Lady, My Lord and Spymaster, The Black Hawk and Rogue Spy.By Tamara McKinley. 2013
1920. Having disobeyed the wishes of her aristocratic family, Lulu Pearson, a young and talented Tasmanian sculptress, finds herself alone…
in London in the wake of the Great War. The future is looking bright until, on the eve of her first exhibition, Lulu learns she has inherited a racing colt called Ocean Child from a mysterious benefactor, and she must return to her homeland to claim him. Baffled by the news, Lulu boards a ship to Tasmania to uncover the truth behind the strange bequest, but it seems a welcome return is more than she can hope for. Unbeknownst to Lulu, more than a few fortunes ride on Ocean Child's success - it seems everyone from her estranged mother to the stable hands has a part to play, and an interest in keeping the family secrets buried.