The Literary Life and Other Curiosities

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Author :
Publisher : Harvest Books
ISBN 13 : 9780156527873
Total Pages : 498 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (278 download)

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Book Synopsis The Literary Life and Other Curiosities by : Robert Hendrickson

Download or read book The Literary Life and Other Curiosities written by Robert Hendrickson and published by Harvest Books. This book was released on 1994-01-01 with total page 498 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Presents a collection of unusual and entertaining facts and myths about writers, books, word origins, publishers, critics, grammar, and other aspects of the world of literature

Curiosities of Literature

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Publisher : Random House
ISBN 13 : 1446409015
Total Pages : 306 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (464 download)

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Book Synopsis Curiosities of Literature by : John Sutherland

Download or read book Curiosities of Literature written by John Sutherland and published by Random House. This book was released on 2010-10-31 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How much heavier was Thackeray's brain than Walt Whitman's? Which novels do American soldiers read? When did cigarettes start making an appearance in English literature? And, while we're about it, who wrote the first Western, is there any link between asthma and literary genius, and what really happened on Dorothea's wedding night in Middlemarch? In Curiosities of Literature, John Sutherland contemplates the full import of questions such as these, and attempts a few answers in a series of essays that are both witty and eclectic. His approach is also unashamedly discursive. An account of the fast-working Mickey Spillane, for example, leads to a consideration of the substances, both legal and illegal, that authors have employed to boost their creative energies. An essay on good and bad handwriting points out in passing that Thackeray could write the Lord's Prayer on the back of a stamp. As for Mary Shelley, a brief recital of the circumstances in which she wrote Frankenstein stops off to consider what impact the miserable summer weather of 1816 had on the future path of English literature. Of course, it is debatable whether knowledge of these arcane topics adds to the wisdom of nations, but it does highlight the random pleasures to be found in reading literature and reading about it. As John Sutherland rightly asks, 'Why else read?'

The Madman's Library

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Author :
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1471166929
Total Pages : 373 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (711 download)

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Book Synopsis The Madman's Library by : Edward Brooke-Hitching

Download or read book The Madman's Library written by Edward Brooke-Hitching and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-10-01 with total page 373 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: * BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK * 'Anybody who loves the printed word will be bowled over by this amusing, erudite, beautiful book about books. It is in every way a triumph. One of the loveliest books to have been published for many, many years' Alexander McCall Smith 'Quite simply the best gift for any book lover this year, or perhaps ever' Lucy Atkins, Sunday Times Literary Book of the Year 'An utterly joyous journey into the deepest eccentricities of the human mind… The most cheering, fascinating book I’ve read for ages' Guardian From the author of the critically acclaimed and globally successful The Phantom Atlas, The Golden Atlas and The Sky Atlas comes a stunning new work. The Madman’s Library is a unique, beautifully illustrated journey through the entire history of literature, delving into its darkest territories to hunt down the very strangest books ever written, and uncover the fascinating stories behind their creation. This is a madman’s library of eccentric and extraordinary volumes from around the world, many of which have been completely forgotten. Books written in blood and books that kill, books of the insane and books that hoaxed the globe, books invisible to the naked eye and books so long they could destroy the Universe, books worn into battle, books of code and cypher whose secrets remain undiscovered… and a few others that are just plain weird. From the 605-page Qur'an written in the blood of Saddam Hussein, through the gorgeously decorated 15th-century lawsuit filed by the Devil against Jesus, to the lost art of binding books with human skin, every strand of strangeness imaginable (and many inconceivable) has been unearthed and bound together for a unique and richly illustrated collection ideal for every book-lover.

The Madman's Library

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Author :
Publisher : Chronicle Books
ISBN 13 : 1797212052
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (972 download)

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Book Synopsis The Madman's Library by : Edward Brooke-Hitching

Download or read book The Madman's Library written by Edward Brooke-Hitching and published by Chronicle Books. This book was released on 2021-07-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This fascinating and bizarre collection compiles the most unusual, obscure books from the far reaches of the human imagination throughout history. From the author of the critically acclaimed bestsellers The Phantom Atlas and The Sky Atlas comes a unique and beautifully illustrated journey through the history of literature. The Madman's Library delves into its darkest territories to hunt down the oddest books and manuscripts ever written, uncovering the intriguing stories behind their creation. From the Qur'an written in the blood of Saddam Hussein, to the gorgeously decorated fifteenth-century lawsuit filed by the Devil against Jesus, to the most enormous book ever created, The Madman's Library features many long forgotten, eccentric, and extraordinary volumes gathered from around the world. Books written in blood and books that kill, books of the insane and books that hoaxed the globe, books invisible to the naked eye and books so long they could destroy the Universe, books worn into battle and books of code and cypher whose secrets remain undiscovered. Spell books, alchemist scrolls, wearable books, edible books, books to summon demons, books written by ghosts, and more all come together in the most curiously strange library imaginable. Featuring hundreds of remarkable images and packed with entertaining facts and stories to discover, The Madman’s Library is a captivating compendium perfect for bibliophiles, literature enthusiasts, and collectors intrigued by bizarre oddities, obscure history, and the macabre. • MUST-HAVE FOR BOOKLOVERS: Anyone who appreciates a good read will love delving into this weird world of books and adding this collection to their own bookshelf. • DISCOVER SOMETHING TRULY UNIQUE: The Madman's Library will let you in on the secret and obscure histories of the strangest books ever made. • EXPERT AUTHOR: Edward Brooke-Hitching is the son of an antiquarian book dealer, a lifelong rare book collector, and a master of taking visual deep dives into unusual historical subjects, such as the maps of imaginary geography in The Phantom Atlas or ancient pathways through the stars in The Sky Atlas.

Invisible Forms

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Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 1466888547
Total Pages : 303 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (668 download)

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Book Synopsis Invisible Forms by : Kevin Jackson

Download or read book Invisible Forms written by Kevin Jackson and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2014-12-30 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dedications, Titles, Epigraphs, Footnotes, Prefaces, Afterwords, Indexes... These and other "invisible" literary necessities form the skeletons of many a book, yet these unacknowledged and unexamined forms abound in wisdom, curiosities, or eccentricities. With both erudition and wit, and drawing on examples from every part of literature's history, ranging from the greats such as Shakespeare, Beckett, and T. S. Eliot to lesser known writers such as Fernando Pessoa. Jackson's mixture of serious literary analysis and jovial wit means Invisible Forms will appeal to anyone who is interested in books and in the art of writing. It is the perfect companion for literature lovers everywhere.

Bibliotopia, Or, Mr. Gilbar's Book of Books & Catch-all of Literary Facts & Curiosities

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Author :
Publisher : David R. Godine Publisher
ISBN 13 : 9781567922950
Total Pages : 212 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (229 download)

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Book Synopsis Bibliotopia, Or, Mr. Gilbar's Book of Books & Catch-all of Literary Facts & Curiosities by :

Download or read book Bibliotopia, Or, Mr. Gilbar's Book of Books & Catch-all of Literary Facts & Curiosities written by and published by David R. Godine Publisher. This book was released on 2005 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is the origin of the word "book"? What is the oldest working library still in existence? What is an "enchiridion"? An "amphigory"? A "duodecimo"? Which two Nobel laureates refused the prize in literature? How many trees must sacrifice their lives to produce a thousand copies of a 96-page volume of verse? These are some of the questions posed (and answered) in this fascinating farrago of literary trivia, a treasure trove of obscure and irresistible facts, definitions, lists, and quotations that touch on every aspect of books, including their authors, publishers, printers, collectors, critics, readers, and enemies. Under headings that explore the entire history of bibliomania from "The Invention of Paper" to "Some Horror Writers' Offcial Websites," the entries in Bibliotopia provide the insatiably curious reader a delightfully desultory literary education, the kind one might pick up at a cocktail party on Parnassus.

Literary curiosities

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 158 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (129 download)

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Book Synopsis Literary curiosities by : Henry Mason Brooks

Download or read book Literary curiosities written by Henry Mason Brooks and published by . This book was released on 1886 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Handy-book of Literary Curiosities

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 1116 pages
Book Rating : 4.L/5 (3 download)

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Book Synopsis Handy-book of Literary Curiosities by : William S. Walsh

Download or read book Handy-book of Literary Curiosities written by William S. Walsh and published by . This book was released on 1892 with total page 1116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Historical and Literary Curiosities

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 514 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (9 download)

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Book Synopsis Historical and Literary Curiosities by :

Download or read book Historical and Literary Curiosities written by and published by . This book was released on 1840 with total page 514 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Literary Curiosities and Notes

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 368 pages
Book Rating : 4.R/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Literary Curiosities and Notes by : Alice Bertha Gomme

Download or read book Literary Curiosities and Notes written by Alice Bertha Gomme and published by . This book was released on 1888 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Oddities

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Author :
Publisher : London : P. Allan
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 360 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (1 download)

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Book Synopsis Oddities by : Rupert Thomas Gould

Download or read book Oddities written by Rupert Thomas Gould and published by London : P. Allan. This book was released on 1928 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

How to be Well Read

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Author :
Publisher : Random House
ISBN 13 : 1409039153
Total Pages : 662 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (9 download)

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Book Synopsis How to be Well Read by : John Sutherland

Download or read book How to be Well Read written by John Sutherland and published by Random House. This book was released on 2014-05-08 with total page 662 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Generous, enjoyable and well informed.' Observer '500 expertly potted plots and personal comments on a wide range of pop and proper prose fiction.' The Times ___________________________________________________________ Ranging all the way from Aaron's Rod to Zuleika Dobson, via The Devil Rides Out and Middlemarch, literary connoisseur and sleuth John Sutherland offers his very personal guide to the most rewarding, most remarkable and, on occasion, most shamelessly enjoyable works of fiction ever written. He brilliantly captures the flavour of each work and assesses its relative merits and demerits. He shows how it fits into a broader context and he offers endless snippets of intriguing information: did you know, for example, that the Nazis banned Bambi or that William Faulkner wrote As I Lay Dying on an upturned wheelbarrow; that Voltaire completed Candide in three days, or that Anna Sewell was paid £20 for Black Beauty? It is also effectively a history of the novel in 500 or so wittily informative, bite-sized pieces. Encyclopaedic and entertaining by turns, this is a wonderful dip-in book, whose opinions will inform and on occasion, no doubt, infuriate. __________________________________________________ 'Anyone hooked on fiction should be warned: this book will feed your addiction.' Mail on Sunday 'A dazzling array of genres, periods, styles and tastes... chatty, insightful, unprejudiced (but not uncritical) and wise.' Times Literary Supplement

American Historical and Literary Curiosities

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 158 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (31 download)

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Book Synopsis American Historical and Literary Curiosities by : John Jay Smith

Download or read book American Historical and Literary Curiosities written by John Jay Smith and published by . This book was released on 1861 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Portable Curiosities

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Publisher : Univ. of Queensland Press
ISBN 13 : 0702257214
Total Pages : 178 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (22 download)

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Book Synopsis Portable Curiosities by : Julie Koh

Download or read book Portable Curiosities written by Julie Koh and published by Univ. of Queensland Press. This book was released on 2016-05-25 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A biting collection of stories from a bold new voice. A young girl sees ghosts from her third eye, located where her belly button should be. A corporate lawyer feels increasingly disconnected from his job in a soulless 1200-storey skyscraper. And a one-dimensional yellow man steps out from a cinema screen in the hope of leading a three-dimensional life, but everyone around him is fixated only on the color of his skin. Welcome to Portable Curiosities. In these dark and often fantastical stories, Julie Koh combines absurd humour with searing critiques on modern society, proving herself to be one of Australia's most original and daring young writers.

The New Oxford Book of Literary Anecdotes

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Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199543410
Total Pages : 400 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (995 download)

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Book Synopsis The New Oxford Book of Literary Anecdotes by : John Gross

Download or read book The New Oxford Book of Literary Anecdotes written by John Gross and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The New Oxford Book of Literary Anecdotes, master anthologist John Gross brings together a delectable smorgasbord of literary tales, offering striking new insight into some of the most important writers in history. Many of the anecdotes here are funny, others are touching, outrageous, sinister, inspiring, or downright weird. They show writers from Chaucer to Bob Dylan acting both unpredictably and deeply in character. The range is wide--this is a book which finds room for Milton and Shakespeare, Mark Twain and Walt Whitman, Kurt Vonnegut and P. G. Wodehouse, Chinua Achebe and Salman Rushdie, James Baldwin and Tom Wolfe. It is also a book in which you can find out which great historian's face was once mistaken for a baby's bottom, which film star experienced a haunting encounter with Virginia Woolf not long before her death, and what Agatha Christie really thought of her popular character Hercule Poirot. It is in short an unrivalled collection of literary gossip offering intimate glimpses into the lives of authors ranging from Shakespeare to Philip Roth--a book not just for lovers of literature, but for anyone with a taste for the curiosities of human nature.

Curiosities of Literature

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 646 pages
Book Rating : 4.B/5 (1 download)

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Book Synopsis Curiosities of Literature by : Isaac Disraeli

Download or read book Curiosities of Literature written by Isaac Disraeli and published by . This book was released on 1849 with total page 646 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities

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Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199752788
Total Pages : 261 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (997 download)

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Book Synopsis A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities by : J. C. McKeown

Download or read book A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities written by J. C. McKeown and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2010-06-01 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here is a whimsical and captivating collection of odd facts, strange beliefs, outlandish opinions, and other highly amusing trivia of the ancient Romans. We tend to think of the Romans as a pragmatic people with a ruthlessly efficient army, an exemplary legal system, and a precise and elegant language. A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities shows that the Romans were equally capable of bizarre superstitions, logic-defying customs, and often hilariously derisive views of their fellow Romans and non-Romans. Classicist J. C. McKeown has organized the entries in this entertaining volume around major themes--The Army, Women, Religion and Superstition, Family Life, Medicine, Slaves, Spectacles--allowing for quick browsing or more deliberate consumption. Among the book's many gems are: BL Romans on urban living: The satirist Juvenal lists "fires, falling buildings, and poets reciting in August as hazards to life in Rome." BL On enhanced interrogation: "If we are obliged to take evidence from an arena-fighter or some other such person, his testimony is not to be believed unless given under torture." (Justinian) BL On dreams: Dreaming of eating books "foretells advantage to teachers, lecturers, and anyone who earns his livelihood from books, but for everyone else it means sudden death" BL On food: "When people unwittingly eat human flesh, served by unscrupulous restaurant owners and other such people, the similarity to pork is often noted." (Galen) BL On marriage: In ancient Rome a marriage could be arranged even when the parties were absent, so long as they knew of the arrangement, "or agreed to it subsequently." BL On health care: Pliny caustically described medical bills as a "down payment on death," and Martial quipped that "Diaulus used to be a doctor, now he's a mortician. He does as a mortician what he did as a doctor." For anyone seeking an inglorious glimpse at the underside of the greatest empire in history, A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities offers endless delights.